The College of Arts and Sciences At the Core AT … · previously owned by Eric Clapton. ... his rehabilitation center, Crossroads Centre. ... professor of politics in the College

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At the Core

At The Core is published twice a year by Fairfield University for alumni, students, parents,

benefactors, and friends of the College of Arts and Sciences. Editorial offices are located at:

Fairfield University1073 North Benson Rd.

Bellarmine HallFairfield, CT 06824-5195

EDITORIAL BOARD

Dr. Robbin CrabtreeDean, College of Arts and Sciences

Carolyn ArnoldAt The Core Editor

Kathleen MagnerDesigner, Fairfield University

Design & Digital Print Services

Allison McCourt ’13, Marketing and Communications Intern

English Major

Printed at Fairfield UniversityDesign & Digital Print Services

College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Teaching Award – 2013: Professor Bob Epstein, EnglishFor 15 years, Professor Bob Epstein has enriched the English curriculum with courses on medieval literature to stimulate learning journeys that are as connected to liberal arts traditions as they are personalized to students’ contemporary experiences. Popular courses, such as “Fairytales” and “All About Eve,” excite students about content that is historically and linguistically strange to them and motivate their critical thinking and self-expression. Students respect Professor Epstein for the right reasons: he has infectious enthusiasm for his material, he is demanding and pushes students to think critically and deeply, and he gives students every opportunity to succeed. His colleagues admire his diligent approach to developing student writing through a continuous process of reflection and revision. This approach requires considerable time and detailed attention to each student, patience with individual pace and process, and commitment to nurturing student success, whatever it takes. At the same time, Professor Epstein is scrupulous in promoting academic integrity, embodying and enforcing the highest intellectual standards. Professor Epstein brings these same habits to extensive service and leadership at Fairfield, much of which supports the core curriculum, promotes interdisciplinary inquiry, and defends the inherent value of the liberal arts.

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New initiative prepares students for life beyond college (pg. 5)

SOPHOMORE YEAR

FRESHMAN YEAR

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Message from the Dean

Dear alumni, colleagues, and friends,

Anyone reading and watching the news will see that there is tremendous public attention being given to higher education costs, student debt, post-graduation employment, and overall return on investment for an undergraduate degree. These are all concerns for the Media, Congress, state governments, parents, students, and the general public, and certainly for all of us who lead and work in higher education today. Despite “bad press,” studies are clear that college-educated people have significantly greater lifetime earnings, and are more satisfied with their jobs. On the one hand, we must attend to these important issues, ensuring that a Fairfield education is as affordable and consequential for our students as possible. On the other hand, we in Jesuit higher education must hold fast to our commitment to the liberal arts,

and tenaciously defend the inherent value of education to individuals and societies. After all, graduates also credit college with helping them grow intellectually and socially, and are more involved in the civic and intellectual life of their communities.

The “Classroom to Career” initiative we have launched, featured in this issue of At the Core, is one way we are demonstrating sensitivity and responsiveness to the concerns of our students and their parents that a Fairfield University education will continue to be an excellent investment. I encourage you to log onto “Classroom to Career” and explore the ways we are helping our students to engage intentionally in their process of professional discernment and readiness over their four years at Fairfield. Indeed, our graduation and employment statistics are well above all national averages and our CAS alumni thrive across all sectors of the economy, demonstrating excellent professional trajectories arising from their academic preparation at Fairfield.

While these outcomes are important, we also want to affirm the enduring value of a liberal arts education. The core curriculum, as well as our majors in the natural sciences and mathematics, the social and behavioral sciences, the humanities, and the arts, provide the intellectual capacity for long-term success, and cultivate vital and transferrable skills such as critical thinking, writing, oral communication, diversity and global awareness, teamwork, problem-solving, interdisciplinary inquiry, and social responsibility. These skills and orientations are not only the pre-eminent requirements for 21st century professional success, but they are also the keys to personal growth, relational satisfaction, social and democratic wellbeing, and holistic human flourishing. Thus, our alumni also have ongoing commitments to community service, civic engagement, global citizenship, and lifelong learning, as stories about our graduate students and baccalaureate and master’s alumni illustrate in each issue of At the Core.

As we respond to important trends in higher education, and proactively address public concerns about higher education, let us not forget the inherent and enduring value of higher education. At Fairfield University we are intentionally advancing the ongoing relevance of a liberal arts education in the Jesuit tradition. This is our mission and social responsibility.

Sincerely,

Robbin Crabtree, Ph.D.Dean, College of Arts and Sciencess

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From L to R: Jim Lubinski ’03, Dean Robbin D. Crabtree, Kim (DiVincenzo) Tobler ’02, Jeffrey Tobler, and Lauren Drzata ’03.

Mitch Clarfield ’82 listens on as Kim (DiVincenzo) Tobler ’02 plays one of his guitars.

Fairfield alumni had the chance to sit back, listen to an informal jam session, and enjoy a barbecue while networking and reconnecting with each other at

the home of Mitch Clarfield ’82 and his wife, Christine, in Malibu, California.

Already experienced at hosting alumni events, the Clarfield family had graciously opened their doors for informal and fun gatherings in 2002 and 2008. Clarfield, Senior Managing Director at Berkeley Point Capital LLC, said that he hoped the event would become an annual occurrence.

“It was really such a special night and

wild to think how many years have passed

since I was a Fairfield student.”

“It was well attended, and there was a good range of classes,” said Clarfield, who has three children with his wife: Maddie, a freshman at the University of Michigan, Elena (16), and Whitney (10). “Everyone had a good time and it was a great opportunity to re-connect with the West Coast Fairfield University alumni community.”

Attendees at the event were treated to a casual concert, courtesy of the host’s life-long love of guitars. Clarfield, a guitar aficionado, has bought many over the years to play and to collect. The collection started, he said, when he was required to travel during his early career and spend weeks, and sometimes months, on the road. Wanting to have a guitar handy, but noting the hassle of carrying one everywhere, he started a tradition of buying guitars all around the country.

From the 1984 Martin Shenandoah that he bought upon his arrival in Los Angeles, to a Martin D45, bought in 1989 in Dallas, Texas, to a 1960 Gibson J50 that he bought in a pawn shop in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1991, each guitar has a special story. In 1998, he bought a ’94 Fender Stratocaster, previously owned by Eric Clapton. Clarfield acquired that guitar in an auction that the singer held to raise money for his rehabilitation center, Crossroads Centre. One of the most recent additions, bought in 2009, is a “rare and coveted” 1959 Gibson Les Paul Custom that Clarfield got for his 50th birthday.

Kim DiVincenzo Tobler ’02, a communication major and one of the alumni to pick up a guitar, said, “I definitely didn’t expect to be playing music that night but I am so glad I could share some songs with everyone.”

She added, “It was really such a special night and wild to think how many years have passed since I was a Fairfield student. That was an amazing time in my life. I am looking forward to more LA chapter events.”

Clarfield said that when he was a student, Fairfield opened their doors to him when he transferred to the school mid-way through his collegiate career. “I enjoyed my time at Fairfield. It provided me with opportunities when opportunities were scarce and gave me a foundation for learning that I still use today,” he said. “My house is always open for a Fairfield University event.”

Reconnecting with West Coast Stags

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Gifts, grants, and awards Fairfield University’s Center for Faith and Public Life (CFPL) has been awarded a $260,000 grant by The Teagle Foundation for an exciting new chapter of the Jesuit Universities Humanitarian Action Network (JUHAN), an endeavor educating students with a calling to work in the humanitarian field. The three-year grant – the second such grant from the New York City-based Teagle Foundation for JUHAN – concerns preparing students for responsible civic engagement as well as professional careers in humanitarian service at three Jesuit institutions - Fairfield University, Georgetown University and Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) in Nicaragua. Dr. Janie Leatherman, professor of politics in the College of Arts and Sciences, worked with the CFPL office to obtain the grant and will be the lead project coordinator.

The F. M. Kirby Foundation has renewed support of the Adrienne Kirby Family Literacy project with a grant of $17,500. An endowed fund of $250,000 set up by the Foundation supports the literacy project partnership with ABCD Head Start pre-school children in Bridgeport, where Fairfield students serve as mentors to the children and their parents. Dr. Judy Primavera, professor of psychology, is the project director.

A grant of $2,500 has been received from the National Endowment for the Humanities for a collaborative project between the University’s DiMenna-Nyselius Library, Fairfield Public Library, and the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts called America’s Music: A Film History of Our Popular Music from Blues to Bluegrass to Broadway. Dr. Laura Nash, associate professor of music, Gary Wood, director of the Quick Center, and Joan Overfield, University Librarian, co-direct the project in collaboration with the Fairfield Public Library.

The Adolph and Ruth Schnurmacher Foundation has made a renewed grant of $50,000 in support of the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies. The Foundation’s ongoing support helps make possible the necessary staffing of the Center, programming for the students and the community and the dissemination of the work of Center through its newsletter and brochures.

Robert Lehman Foundation provided $6,000 to help fund the Bellarmine Museum’s Edwin L. Weisl lectureships in Art History this past year. Dr. Jill Deupi, assistant professor of art history and Director of the Bellarmine Museum of Art, directs the series.

Faculty Publications, 2012-2013Congratulations to the following College faculty members who had books published this year.

Jocelyn M. Boryczka, AuthorAssociate Professor of PoliticsSuspect Citizens:Women, Virtue, and Vice in Backlash PoliticsTemple University Press, 2012

Benjamin Fine, Co-EditorProfessor of MathematicsContemporary Mathematics:Computational and CombinatorialGroup Theory and CryptographyAmerican Mathematical Society, 2012

Angela Kim Harkins, AuthorAssociate Professor of Religious StudiesReading With An “I” to the Heavens:Looking at the Qumran HodayotThrough the Lens of Visionary TraditionsWalter de Gruyter GmbH & Co., 2012

R. James Long, AuthorProfessor of PhilosophyAdam of Bockenfield,Glossae super De vegetabilibus et plantisBrill, 2013

Martin Nguyen, AuthorAssistant Professor of Religious StudiesSufi Master and Qur’an Scholar: Abu’l-Qasim Al-Qushayri and the Lata’if Al-IsharatOxford University Press, 2012

Sally O’Driscoll, Co-EditorAssociate Professor of EnglishStudies in Ephemera:Text and Image in Eighteenth-Century PrintRowman and Littlefield Publishing Group, 2013

Gita Rajan, Co-EditorProfessor of EnglishTransnational Feminism andGlobal Advocacy in South AsiaTaylor and Francis Group, 2013

Giovanni Ruffini, AuthorAssociate Professor of HistoryMedieval Nubia: A Social and Economic HistoryOxford University Press, 2012

Michael Serazio, AuthorAssistant Professor of CommunicationYour Ad Here:The Cool Sell of Guerrilla MarketingNew York University Press, 2013

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On the cover: The College of Arts and Sciences recently launched a new initiative to help students prepare for life after Fairfield. Read about Classroom to Career on page 5.

Table of Contents

Message from the Dean ..............................................................................................................................................2

College launches two new graduate programs ........................................................................................................4

Classroom to Career: Preparing students for life after college ...............................................................................5

Dean Crabtree named Distinguished Woman in Higher Ed ....................................................................................6

The Mirror wins second place in college media conference ...................................................................................7

First Leaders in Campus Sustainability Awards .........................................................................................................8

Arturo Jaras Watts wins scholarship to study environmental investments .............................................................9

Courtney Winger ’13 steps into the nonprofit world ..............................................................................................10

Jesuit values travel abroad with Fairfield students .................................................................................................11

Creating the landscapes of a mind: Professor Lynne Porter designs scenery for new play ................................12

Actor Steve O’Connell named artist of the week ...................................................................................................13

Gifts, grants, and awards ...........................................................................................................................................14

Faculty publications 2012-2013 .................................................................................................................................14

Reconnecting with West Coast Stags ......................................................................................................................15

CAS 2013 Teaching Award ........................................................................................................................................16

Congratulations to faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences who have had books published in the last year. See page 14.

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The College of Arts and Sciences launched two new graduate programs during the Spring 2013 semester: The Master of Public Administration (MPA) and the

Masters of Art in Liberal Studies (MLS). Both programs will be accepting applications for the Fall 2013 semester and will host a special June 5 Graduate Information Session on campus.

Master of Public AdministrationThe MPA, the first of its kind in Fairfield County, is

designed for individuals working in, and aspiring to work in, the public and nonprofit sectors, including those in state, regional, and local government; health; and nonprofit organizations. The MPA is now considered the terminal degree for professionals in these sectors and is rapidly becoming a requirement for advancement.

Professionals who have devoted themselves to service in the nonprofit and governmental sectors, or are seeking new opportunities in this area, will no longer have to leave lower Connecticut to pursue a degree in Public Administration,” said Dr. Mark LeClair, professor of economics and director of the MPA program. “Fairfield County is our home, and we work with and among the nonprofits and city governments whose employees will benefit from this new, exciting program. The MPA provides the best preparation possible for those who want to successfully pursue work or advance their careers in public service.”

The need for the program was clear. Despite being home to a host of Fortune 500 companies, internationally recognized nonprofit organizations, and large cities, Fairfield County was without an MPA program. Fairfield hopes its new MPA will draw students from across Fairfield County and into Westchester County, New York.

“We expect the MPA at Fairfield will quickly become one of our signature graduate programs, given the strength of the faculty, the wonderfully interdisciplinary nature of the program, and its consistency with our University mission to serve the common good,” said Dr. Robbin Crabtree, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “We’re very excited to welcome the first class of students to the University.”

For more information, visit www.fairfield.edu/mpa.

Masters of Art in Liberal Studies The new Master’s degree in Liberal Studies (MLS) is

an exciting interdisciplinary program offering graduate students a way to enhance their critical thinking and writing skills, expand their cultural perspectives, study abroad, and much more.

The new MLS program will provide students with an illuminating educational experience through a broad and varied liberal studies curriculum. Encompassing 11 different departments – and counting – the new program is designed for those with a passion for learning about the connections that exist between academic disciplines and our world. Through integrative learning and research opportunities, MLS students will be able to make connections across disciplines and explore different fields of knowledge such as history, philosophy, literature, politics, the sciences, and the arts.

“An MLS degree serves two main populations of students: those students seeking career enhancement, and those seeking personal enrichment through education – including those who have earned professional degrees, but now desire a graduate degree with a liberal arts focus,” said Dr. Steven Bayne, associate professor of philosophy and MLS program director.

People who have earned an M.A. in liberal studies have gone on to have careers in business, education, the arts, journalism, politics, writing and publishing – to name just a few. Dr. Robbin Crabtree, dean of CAS, said, “I hope folks who work in corporate settings will take a hard look at this degree program for themselves. It will help them thing outside the box, be more imaginative, and also contribute to a fuller intellectual life.”

For more information, visit www.fairfield.edu/mls.

APPLY NOW!

College launches two new graduate programs:Master of Public Administration and Masters of Art in Liberal Studies

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Steve O’Connell ’00, a theatre major, recently participated in a department-sponsored “Life after Fairfield” event, where alumni shared their career paths

with current students. Even though O’Connell, a full-time thespian that was recently voted “Performer of the Week” in Timeout Chicago, lives in Chicago, Ill., he was eager to take part in the event. “This has been going on since I was a student and I really remember the speakers that visited when I was an undergrad, so I was excited and happy to participate because I know it made an impact on me,” he said.

The event invited alumni working in all corners of the theatre milieu, including administrative, artistic, and technical. Due to his location difficulties, O’Connell spoke to students through Skype, and shared what it was like to be a full-time performer and how his personal journey unfolded.

“I didn’t go to Fairfield to study theatre,” he said. “It wasn’t part of my original plan – although I don’t think I actually had an original plan.” Back when he was a student, the Erie, Pennsylvania, native knew that he wanted to participate in theatre productions, but didn’t realize he could study the subject as well. “I wasn’t aware of the academic side of making theatre,” he said. “When Dr. Marti Lomonoco (professor of Theatre and program director) told me about the major, I think my response was, ‘you can major in this?’ After that, I pretty much jumped right on it.”

“Steve is one of the strongest actors to graduate from Fairfield’s theatre program. While here, he starred in Hair, in the title role as The Rover in Aphra Behn’s Restoration romp, in On The Spot improv, which he also directed, and in a host of other plays,” Dr. Lomonoco said. “In the spirit of our theatre as a liberal arts program, Steve proved to be a fully engaged, all-around theatre student, equally proficient in all facets of production, including making costumes and hanging lights, and in history, theory, and literature.”

Following graduation, O’Connell spent time working different jobs and auditioning for roles. In 2003, he decided to pursue an MFA in acting at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Once he received that degree he and his fiancé moved to Chicago, where he had been offered a part in a play.

The years since his first role in Chicago have been busy for O’Connell and filled with an ever-changing mix of performances and rehearsals in the evening and auditions and preparations for auditions during the day. He also has the day

shift with his three-year-old son. “Will is sort of my partner in crime,” O’Connell said. “My days are spent with him and he’s at the age where he can come with me to auditions.” O’Connell and his wife, Megan, are also expecting a second child in April.

Recently O’Connell took on the lead roles in George Bernard Shaw’s famous Pygmalion (as Henry Higgins) and Shakespeare’s fairly violent play Coriolanus (as Caius Martius Coriolanus). He was performing in Pygmalion while rehearsing for Coriolanus, which, while difficult, was also exciting for the actor. “It’s been really great and a huge challenge,” he said. Although there were few similarities between the two staring rolls, O’Connell felt confident in taking on the responsibility of both parts. “Acting is like a muscle and the more you work it out the better you are prepared to handle what’s coming next. Pygmalion demanded so much of me that I felt very prepared to go into Coriolanus.”

While it’s not news that theatre can be difficult line of work, O’Connell was eager to share his insights on the business of being an actor with current students. “I wanted to give them an idea of the reality of what it means to make your living as an actor and how you need to be prepared to work in multiple areas of that profession,” he said. I tried to speak as honestly as I could and make sure that they knew it’s possible, but that it’s something that takes perseverance and dedication.”

Actor Steve O’Connell named artist of the week

O’Connell as Caius Martius Coriolanus with Donna McGough, who plays Coriolanus’ mother.

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Creating the landscapes of a mind:Professor Lynne Porter designs scenery for new play

I f your mind were a theatre stage setting, what would it look like? Prof. Lynne

Porter, associate professor of theatre, recently spent part of her sabbatical creating a production set that reflected the main character’s mind in the world premiere production of The Tragedy of King Arthur, By W. Shakespeare; a play by Arthur Phillips.

“It’s just been an absolute blast working on this production,” Prof. Porter said during the second week of performance. The play is based on Phillips’ award-winning novel that was a New York Times Notable book. Part of the book is a faux-memoir about a novelist whose con-man father bequeaths a long-lost and forgotten Shakespeare play about King Arthur to him and his twin sister. In addition to that, it also includes a five-act “Shakespearian” King Arthur play. The catch is, of course, that the play may be a fake and Phillips, the main character, has to wrestle with the truth of the play along with his feelings about his father.

The play was debuted through The Guerrilla Shakespeare Project (GSP) in New York City. Prof. Porter was asked to be the Scenic Designer by Tom Schwans, a founding member of GSP, who had also served as a guest director for several of Theatre Fairfield’s productions. Both sides were eager to work together on the play.

“I was delighted to take this project on,” said Prof. Porter. “This is an ambitious piece because the production melds the novel’s memoir with the Shakespeare play. It smashes the two halves of the book together in a wonderful way, with the action flowing seamlessly between the two worlds. That raises some fun challenges for the designer.”

The two very different settings in the play would seem to lend themselves to different scenery. “Jordan Reeves, the director, said that he felt like the set needed to be different levels of the character’s mind. I grabbed onto the idea that it takes place in the world of his head,” said Prof. Porter.

Whatever the character needs is present and available to access, such as a desk at which to write, books that he’s

read, or memories from his childhood. At the same time, the elements needed to translate for King Arthur’s world are there as well. “This allowed the set to become both whimsical and fantastical,” Prof. Porter explained.

While on sabbatical this semester to work on the well-received GSP production, Prof. Porter is also designing a production of Superior Donuts for the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, as well as working on a book project. She is also eagerly anticipating designing for Theatre Fairfield productions next season. It is not unusual for her to be creating one setting while planning an entirely different one. “[Scenic design] is my form of publication,” she explained. “And it’s important that I be involved with professional theatre productions. That feeds into my work as an educator and a scholar.”

“A Theatre education is great training for anything in life,” she continued. “Like any liberal art, it teaches students how to research, think, and communicate what you have figured out. But it also teaches you empathy, collaboration skills, responsibility to other people, and the grit needed to simply get the job done. This is a combination of experiences that you don’t find in a typical college classroom.” And it’s hands-on. “There’s something so visceral about theatre,” Prof. Porter reflected. “We make something profound – we make experiences for our audiences – but at the same time it’s ephemeral and transitory. That’s what makes good theatre so powerful.”

(L-R): Jordan Reeves, GSP Artistic Director; Lynne Porter, Set Designer; and Jacques Roy, GSP Producing Director and “Arthur” in the play.

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A model stage demonstrates Prof. Lynne Porter’s set.

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Classroom to Career: Preparing students for life after collegeBy Meredith Guinness

What can you do with a liberal arts degree these days? Anything you want, according to Fairfield University’s new Classroom to Career initiative,

a four-year road map for students looking to get a solid education and plan for the career of their dreams.

The initiative – with advice and goals specifically tailored to each of the 16 departments in Fairfield’s College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) – aims to give students concrete steps to build on their classroom work for each year of their college experience, helping them discern how their studies will translate to a meaningful career.

The program helps prepare students broadly for future jobs that don’t exist yet today.

“We always emphasize how a liberal arts education is the best – and the most practical – education for students due to its emphasis on transferrable skills such as critical thinking, writing, problem-solving, and interdisciplinarity,” said Dr. Robbin Crabtree, dean of CAS.

“Even though our alumni know this to be true, our current students (and their parents) who have chosen liberal arts education seem to forget it, as the pressures of the job market and the uncertainties of the current economic climate converge,” Dean Crabtree said.“While we must continue to emphasize the inherent value and lifelong relevance of the liberal arts, we also want to ensure students (and their parents) that we in the College of Arts and Sciences are very aware of their desire to be career ready when they graduate.”

College to Career dovetails with Fairfield’s Jesuit mission, which emphasizes educating the whole person. The University provides dozens of ideas to increase career readiness, while giving the student the reins and control.

Dr. James Simon, associate dean of CAS, who oversaw creation of the initiative, said the program helps prepare students broadly for future jobs that don’t yet exist today. Today’s students will need to be able to pivot and change directions as the job market shifts in the coming decades. “The program reminds students that they – not their faculty advisor, not Mom and Dad, not Career Planning – are in charge of their own future,” Dean Simon said. “They need to start freshman year and dedicate time every semester to learning outside the classroom and pursuing their passion in different ways.”

“Come junior and senior years, they need to get job experience through internships, leadership in campus clubs, summer jobs, and volunteer opportunities. As graduation nears, they need to reflect on these experiences and decide how to capitalize on their strengths and address any remaining weaknesses.”

The initiative augments services through Fairfield’s robust Career Planning Center, which offers mock and real interviews, resumé advice, networking opportunities, and a host of other resources for students in the College as well as Fairfield’s professional schools and graduate programs.

While most colleges offer students career planning services, Dr. Simon said he believes Classroom to Career gives Fairfield students an extra edge.

“Fairfield is ahead of other peer schools in having students build on their classroom work, look for other campus experiences that tie into their potential ‘dream job,’ then test their skills through a variety of job experiences,” he said.

“By graduation day, most students who start this process early and dedicate time to it should have a package of experiences that will be attractive to an employer who wants new hires to hit the ground running, not need a lot of training, and be the ‘new blood’ that can immediately add value to the company.”

For more information on Classroom to Career, visit www.fairfield.edu/c2c

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Dean Crabtree named Distinguished Woman in Higher EdBy Meredith Guinness

Dr. Robbin Crabtree, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences

(CAS) at Fairfield University, received the 2013 Distinguished Administrative Woman in Higher Education Award presented by the Connecticut American Council on Education (ACE) Women’s Network. The award is designed to recognize and honor those Connecticut women who have distinguished themselves by providing

outstanding leadership to women in their institutions, in their profession, and in society-at-large.

Dr. Crabtree, a Fairfield, Conn. resident, received the award at the organization’s 2013 spring conference at the University of Hartford.

“I am very pleased and proud the committee singled out Dean Robbin Crabtree,” said the Rev. Paul Fitzgerald, S.J., the University’s senior vice president for academic affairs. “Robbin’s service to Fairfield University’s Jesuit mission is exemplary in so many ways. She demonstrates on a daily basis her deep understanding of, and commitment to, Jesuit ideals of intellectual rigor, integrative ways of thinking, knowing and creating, and a willing spirit of civic engagement and social responsibility in the education of all our students for the sake of human dignity and social justice. She does all this with passion, with joy, and with a generosity of spirit that is truly infectious.”

Dean since 2008, Dr. Crabtree has shown a commitment to diversity and the mentoring of women in many ways. Of the 30 faculty members she has hired, 50 percent are women and a third are members of historically under-represented groups or international scholars. She has appointed and mentored at least 10 first-time women department chairs, many in departments that have never had a female chair.

“My generation of faculty often were not mentored very well, but we need to do better for the next generation,” said Dr. Crabtree. “As a former department chair, I know how important it is to have guidance about professional

development, and support for balancing the many responsibilities and demands facing chairs, particularly when we are motivated to change our departments for the better and make lasting contributions to the university. As dean, I want to create the conditions in which faculty can thrive, so that they are able to succeed in their research and create meaningful engagements for our students in and beyond the classroom. It’s a ‘pay it forward’ kind of process; the better folks are mentored, the better mentors they also will be for their students and their colleagues. I also learn so much in the process. Mentoring is a two-way street, so I really see it as ‘co-mentoring.’”

Prior to being appointed dean, Dr. Crabtree was professor of communication and the founding director of Fairfield’s Office of Service Learning. She came to the University in 2001 from New Mexico State University, where she was an associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies. She was chair of the Department of Communication at Fairfield from 2001 to 2007.

Dr. Crabtree was named Teacher of the Year in 2007 by Fairfield’s chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit honor society. She has published more than 40 scholarly articles and chapters and presented papers at academic conferences across the country and in several international contexts.

Dean Crabtree speaks after receiving the Distinguished Administrative Woman in Higher Education Award.

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(L-R): Dr. Mary Frances Malone, associate academic vice president; Dr. Christine Siegel, associate vice president for academic affairs; Dr. Robbin Crabtree, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; Dr. Lynn Babington, RN, Dean, School of Nursing; and Melissa Quan, Director, Office of Service Learning.

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Jesuit values travel abroad with Fairfield studentsBy Allison McCourt ’13

Fairfield University students are given many opportunities to live out

Jesuit values while studying abroad. As they fully immerse themselves into a different culture, students are able to practice those values expressed back at the University through essential internships and service opportunities.

One of the largest service opportunities for University students studying abroad in

Florence, Italy is a volunteer-based organization called La Misericordia. Providing services to Florentines since the 13th century, this free-of-charge organization provides transportation to the hospital and doctor’s appointments, has an ever-ready emergency team, collects food for those in need, and has its own retirement home for the elderly.

“I was a part of the civil service team and I helped with hospital and doctor’s appointment transports,” said biology major Gregg Perlmutter ’14, who volunteered for La Misericordia. “I helped transport people. Once I brought a woman to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get her license.”

“Thanks to La Misericordia, I have been

inspired to continue helping others here in

the states.”

“I went out on calls with other volunteers and we brought the patients from their apartments to the ambulance and then transported them to the hospital or other destinations,” he said. “I got to see a lot more of Florence, and I was able to become more immersed in the culture than some of my peers.”

Volunteer opportunities and internships presented overseas like La Misericordia or in educational settings allow students to continue serving the common good, promoting justice, and defending human dignity while developing intellectually and morally. “For students at a Jesuit University, service and volunteerism abroad are part of our academic DNA and are an essential part of being immersed in a community, seeing it from different sides and coming to understand the texture of the society and its challenges as a contrast to the contours of our culture and our issues here at home,” said Christopher Johnson, director of international programs. “By being engaged in the community, students also acquire a deeper understanding of global citizenship which is one of the core pathways that underpin Fairfield’s core curriculum.”

“For students at a Jesuit University, service and volunteerism abroad are part of our academic DNA...”

“Interning abroad has allowed me to experience a completely different culture in a very unique way and has changed my values and the way I approach situations,” Perlmutter said. “I have become more knowledgeable of the world around me and, thanks to La Misericordia, I have been inspired to continue helping others here in the states.”

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La Misericordia ambulances shown parked, ready to go out and provide their services.

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Gregg Perlmutter ’14 stands in his uniform next to a La Misericordia ambulance ready to volunteer in Florence, Italy.

AT THE CORE

www.fairf ie ld.edu/cas10

An interest in the fields of healthcare, nonprofit management, and sociology inspired Courtney Winger ’13 to spend her summer working as an

intern in Stamford, Conn., at AmeriCares, a disaster relief and humanitarian medical aid nonprofit organization.

She enjoyed the experience so much that she spent her two subsequent semesters interning in different areas of the organization, learned the valuable ins and outs of nonprofits, and became part of a larger team dedicated to providing immediate emergency aid to people and communities globally.

Winger became interested in interning at a nonprofit organization because of courses that she took at Fairfield. “I was in the middle of my [nonprofit management] class and all of the guest speakers inspired me to look more into the field,” the sociology and international studies major said. “When I learned about AmeriCares, I knew that it was everything I was looking for.”

Winger first worked as a development intern in the institutional relations office where she dealt with issues relating to corporate partnerships and fundraising. Her duties involved research on potential corporate donors and putting together corporate company profiles and matching them with AmeriCares projects.

She and other interns also worked on creating a video meant for AmeriCares’ social media platforms to increase activity on Twitter and Facebook.

“Courtney did great work overall for the Institutional Relations group, managing an array of assignments that tapped into her organizational and database skills,” said Connie Bertkau, associate director of domestic resource development. “But one of her greatest contributions was the perspective she brought to the team’s annual offsite strategy meeting.”

“When asked to prepare a report of her observations following the offsite she presented the team with a thorough overview of the day. In fact, her report displayed great insight into both strengths and weaknesses of the proceedings of the day. We will use her report as a roadmap when we design our next strategy session,” said Bertkau.

Following a successful summer internship, Winger looked for other opportunities to work with AmeriCares. In the fall semester, she served as a social media/web marketing intern, which she enjoyed because of the creative projects she was able to do.

Winger was also able to experience firsthand how AmeriCares reacts in real time to natural disasters.

“The most significant moment during the fall was when I was able to see the organization respond to Hurricane (Superstorm) Sandy. I became aware of the importance of social media for communicating our response efforts with the public, in addition to organizations and individuals communicating their needs to AmeriCares,” she said. “It was truly a rewarding and multidimensional experience that I really value.”

Winger’s internships have been for academic credit, and she has had opportunities to reflect about her experience and share it with other students. “It’s a really great way to learn about different organizations and career options for international studies majors,” she added.

While she acknowledged that it has sometimes been difficult to balance a busy semester with spending up to 16 hours a week at AmeriCares, she has no doubt of the worth it has provided. “These internships have exceeded my expectations,” said Winger. “I’ve learned so much and feel very integrated with the organization.”

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Courtney Winger ’13 takes a moment from her work with AmeriCares.

Courtney Winger ‘13 steps into the nonprofit world

Spring 2013

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The Mirror wins second place in college media conferenceBy Allison McCourt ’13

Fairfield University’s own independent student newspaper was awarded second place in the category of “Best Newspaper with fewer than 5,000 students

at a four-year school” by the College Media Association (CMA). The hard work and dedication of the entire Mirror staff paid off at the Annual CMA Spring Conference for college journalists, held on March 12.

CMA has been working since 1954 to help student media professionals improve their media operations by working with professional organizations and education associations on local, state, and national levels. The national organization has provided the University with reason to celebrate their publications. After placing third last year in the same category, Fairfield improved in the rankings to take second place this year.

“We have taken a good newspaper and turned it into a great one, in my opinion. And it seems that the College Media Association agrees,” stated Martin O’Sullivan ’13, a communication major and the outgoing editor-in-chief of The Mirror. “Everything The Mirror was able to accomplish in the past year is due to the hard work of its entire staff, and I’m very happy they are being recognized for it.”

O’Sullivan expects only great accomplishments from the student newspaper in years to come. “In terms of the future, there is no one better to lead the newspaper forward than Loan Le. I expect that under her direction The Mirror will get first place in every possible category next year.”

“I believe that Martin’s leadership and the staff’s hard work made it possible for us to win this award. Now the

staff has the opportunity to achieve greater goals and win more awards,” said Loan Le ’14, an English major with a concentration in journalism and the new editor-in-chief of The Mirror. “I am so excited to see what’s in store for us next year.”

“It might be the new staff or it might be the knowledge that we’d won such an award, but I definitely notice an energy in the office that is so much more pronounced,” she said. “The editors and writers are enthusiastic when they come in, they have great ideas, and I believe they’ll be able to bring their ideas to life.”

The Mirror currently publishes weekly issues each semester and has recently redesigned the print and online editions. “The timing of this award cannot be better as the staff is making a concerted yet somewhat painstaking endeavor to shift the publication’s focus to online,” said Lei (Tommy) Xie, assistant professor of English and faculty advisor of The Mirror. “While it offered a delightful reflective moment, the award will undoubtedly inspire much enthusiasm and creativity in the newsroom running at full speed.”

“We want the paper to truly reflect Fairfield University. We want more readers and we also want them to feel like they can communicate with us,” said Le about the future of the paper. “There have always been opportunities for The Mirror, but after coming back from the CMA convention, we’ve realized how capable we are of taking advantages of such opportunities. There’s a sense that there is no going back – we can only move forward from here. There’s no doubt that we will do exactly that.”

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Editor-in-chief Loan Le ’14 receives feedback and guidance from The Mirror’sfaculty advisor, Lei (Tommy) Xie.

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Loan Le ’14 reviews her fellow Mirror writer’s article.

AT THE CORE

www.fairf ie ld.edu/cas8

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Fairfield University community members Lisa Newton, Jennifer Klug, Tod Osier, and James Fitzpatrick were honored with the inaugural “Leaders in Campus

Sustainability Awards,” given by the University’s Program on the Environment.

“To inaugurate the award, the EPSC

believed it was appropriate to

acknowledge the very, very important

contributions made in prior years by these

members of the Fairfield community.”

The founding of the awards comes in the wake of a significant Fairfield University initiative that has resulted in a reduction of the campus carbon footprint stemming from multiple green measures. Faculty members who comprise the Environment Program Steering Committee (EPSC) created the award to recognize an individual or group that have made a demonstrated difference in the quality of sustainability efforts on campus.

“To inaugurate the award, the EPSC believed it was appropriate to acknowledge the very, very important contributions made in prior years by these members of the Fairfield community,” said Dr. David Downie, associate professor of politics and director of the Program on the Environment who chairs the committee. “Thus, we were pleased to announce, via unanimous votes, the first winners of this award.”

• Professor Lisa Newton, professor emeritus, Department of Philosophy and founder of the Program on the Environment, was the winner of the Leaders in Campus Sustainability Award for Lifetime Achievement for her efforts supporting campus sustainability and environmental education during her long and productive career at Fairfield.

• James Fitzpatrick ’70, of Fairfield, Conn., assistant vice president of administration and student affairs, was the winner of the Leaders in Campus Sustainability Award for Lifetime Achievement for his support of campus sustainability and student environmental activities during his 43-yearlong career at Fairfield.

• Drs. Jennifer Klug and Tod Osier, both of Newtown, Conn., associate professors of biology, were winners of the Leaders in Campus Sustainability Award for 2011-2012 for creating the campus community garden. Their leadership in creating support for this initiative, building the garden itself, overseeing its operation, and involving students in educational and co-curricular activities involving the garden has had a lasting and important impact on our campus.

Presentation of the awards were made among the many Earth Week events on campus in April.

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First Leaders in Campus Sustainability AwardsBy Meg McCaffrey

Doctors Tod Osier and Jennifer Klug pose with administrator James Fitzpatrick at the campus community garden.

Spring 2013

www.fairf ie ld.edu/cas 9

When Arturo Jaras Watts ’14 was a freshman, he came

upon members of LEAF (Leaders for Environmental Action at Fairfield) using chalk to write environmental facts on the sidewalk to raise awareness on the topic. The statistics inspired and drew him into the world of environmentalism. Almost three years later, he’s become a passionate advocate for investing in a brighter environmental future. Recently he was awarded

a prestigious Udall Scholarship, a national government funded scholarship worth $5,000 given to students dedicated to careers in the environment.

This past fall semester, the economics major was encouraged by his faculty advisor Dr. Dina Franceschi, professor of economics, to apply for the scholarship. Jaras Watts said that until he came to Fairfield, he didn’t know much about the subject. “Fairfield was really where I discovered this passion,” he explained.

Jaras Watts knew that Fairfield was the school for him after he went on a campus tour. “I applied to seven or eight schools and visited all of them and I just really got the sense that this was the place for me,” he said. “And I was right.”

Once introduced to environmental activism, Jaras Watts quickly inserted himself into the movement and eventually led the way to form a new student group, The Proactive Investment Club (PIC), dedicated to promoting investments that create positive social change in addition to generating a financial return. “My passion is in the crossroads between investment and environmentalism. The [Proactive Investment Club] is where the bulk of my environmental achievement has occurred,” the economist-in-training said.

In just two years, the group was able to work with Fairfield University administration to allocate $15,000 in the budget for on-campus sustainability projects ($15,000 in the form of student-written grants).

Jaras Watts hopes that the Proactive Investment Club can continue this work to establish a permanent revolving green fund at Fairfield. “We hope to make this something that exists in the DNA of the University to continue to make an impact long after I graduate.” Jaras Watts also hopes to expand PIC nationally and start establishing chapters at different schools around the country. “Investing in positive change is an idea that students are getting excited about all around the country – there’s a lot of potential in this strategy to make a difference”

“My passion is in the crossroads between

investment and environmentalism. The

[Proactive Investment Club] is where the

bulk of my environmental achievement has

occurred,” the economist-in-training said.

This summer, Jaras Watts will remain on campus and serve as a research assistant to Dr. Mark LeClair, professor of economics. Together they will research social business and philanthropy. His role will consist of reviewing the existing research and co-writing a journal article on their findings. In addition, he will travel to Arizona in August to participate in Udall Scholarship orientation.

Following graduation, Jaras Watts plans to pursue a Ph.D. in economics with a focus on socially responsible investment. “I think if there’s one big lesson that’s come out of [my time at Fairfield] it’s that compassion is not enough, it’s absolutely important to get out there and actively try to create change. Because if we don’t, who will?”

Arturo Jaras Watts wins scholarship to study environmental investments

Arturo Jaras Watts ’14 will further his dedication to study environmental investments after receiving a Udall scholarship.

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