Misericordia University recently named Meredith Vincelli, M.S., as the manager of corporate relations in the Division of University Advancement.

A Dallas resident, Vincelli holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics with a concentration in physics and a Master of Science in computer science. Most recently, she was a human resources generalist at Misericordia University.

In her new position, Vincelli is responsible for corporate, corporate foundation, and sponsorship fundraising in support of university projects and division priorities. She will develop and implement strategies to identify new donors, and cultivate, solicit and engage friends and major supporters of the Catholic college and its mission. In addition, Vincelli is responsible for the planning and execution of important events, such as the annual Trustee Associates Gala that recognizes those who support Misericordia and the liberal arts education it provides to students.

Prior to joining Misericordia University, Vincelli worked as a systems analyst for Xerox and computer programmer for IBM. Vincelli also serves her family’s businesses as office manager for Site Pro Surveying and president of Site Pro Construction.

Vincelli and her husband, Chris, are the parents of three daughters, Alicia, Morgan and Anna.

For more information about Misericordia University, please call 570-674-6400 or visit www.misericordia.edu.

Marywood University recently received a Pennsylvania Education Improvement Tax Credit donation in the amount of $20,000 from Fidelity Bank through the University’s Momentum program. The Momentum program is an approved EITC program that gives high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to earn college credits by enrolling in college level courses at a significantly reduced cost.

The EITC program enables companies to support nonprofit schools at minimal cost. Rather than sending tax dollars back to the state, companies can reallocate them to support Marywood University’s Momentum Program. Participating businesses can receive a tax credit equal to 75 percent of a contribution, up to $750,000 per year. The credit increases to 90 percent if the business agrees to provide the same amount for two consecutive years.

Fidelity Bank is Northeastern Pennsylvania’s most recognized neighborhood bank. Fidelity Bank is 185 bankers strong, each with the expertise and drive to build successful relationships, create long-term shareholder value, and deliver success. Because of its commitment to a set of core values including: to act with integrity, build strong relationships, demonstrate passion for what they do and who they are, constantly seeking to innovate, and to stay fully committed to each other, and to its stakeholders, Fidelity Bank’s values are their standard behavior, inspiring their actions and defining how they operate both now and into the future.

For additional information or assistance with the EITC application, please contact Patricia Rosetti, leadership annual giving officer at Marywood University, at rosetti@marywood.edu, or call (570) 961-4596.

Hospice of the Sacred Heart is pleased to announce that Mitch Albom, author, philanthropist, columnist and sports reporter, will speak in Scranton on November 12. Author of “Tuesdays with Morrie,” his books have sold over 39 million copies and have been translated into over 45 languages.

While nationally recognized for his sports writing, Albom is perhaps best known for the themes of hope and kindness that weave through his books, plays and films. In his talks and presentations, he brings the same inspiring message of community building, giving and purpose. Albom will speak at the Theater at North, Thursday, November 12th at 7 PM. A book signing will follow in the Theater at North Gallery.

His breakthrough book, Tuesdays with Morrie, became an international phenomenon with over 14 million copies sold. Now in its twentieth year, Tuesdays remains one of the top selling memoirs of all time and was adapted into an Emmy Award-winning TV movie produced by Oprah Winfrey, starring Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria.

Albom has founded 10 charities, including nine in the Detroit area, such as S.A.Y. Detroit, which operates a family health clinic; A Time to Help, a volunteer organization; and A Hole in the Roof Foundation, which repairs faith-based homeless shelters. He also directs the Have Faith Haiti Mission in Port Au Prince, which helps impoverished children and orphans, as well as the Chika Fund, which provides life-saving medical costs and health care.

A columnist for The Detroit Free Press since 1985 and a panelist on The Sports Reporters podcast, Albom has been named the #1 Sports Columnist in the Nation by the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) 13 times. In June 2010, he received the APSE Red Smith Award for lifetime achievement, the biggest prize in sports journalism, and in June 2013, he was inducted into the Sportswriters Hall of Fame.

He is the author of eight bestselling books, with five debuting at #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List, including The First Phone Call from Heaven; Have A Little Faith; The Five People You Meet in Heaven and its sequel, The Next Person You Meet in Heaven. Albom is currently developing an hour-long drama series based on the novels for FOX.

His new bestseller, Finding Chika: A Little Girl, an Earthquake, and Making of a Family, is the true story of Chika, a young Haitian orphan whose short life would forever change Albom’s heart. Books will be available for sale immediately following the November 12th event and Mr. Albom will gladly sign them.

Albom hosts two radio shows on WJR-AM and has appeared on The Today Show, Oprah, and CBS Sunday Morning. His articles have been featured in The New York Times, GQ and Sports Illustrated.

“We invited Mitch to speak to a large group of Hospice of the Sacred Heart employees, volunteers and community members in 2005. We’re delighted to bring him back this year and look forward to his fresh and inspiring presentation,” said Diane Baldi, CEO, Hospice of the Sacred Heart.

Tickets for “An Evening with Mitch Albom” are $55 and are available online at HospiceSacredHeart.org and at the Theater at North box office. Box office hours are Monday and Friday 11 AM to 1 PM and Thursday 3 to 6 PM.

Jurassic World Live Tour, an exhilarating and unpredictable live, family entertainment experience will bring the wonder and thrills of Jurassic World to generations of fans in the Wilkes-Barre area, November 19-22. The highly anticipated show premiered in September 2019 and has since been thrilling audiences nationwide.

Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, Wilkes-Barre Shows and Times

November 19, 2020 at 7:00PM

November 20, 2020 at 7:00PM

November 21, 2020 at 11:00AM, 3:00PM and 7:00PM

November 22, 2020 at 11:00AM and 3:00PM

Tickets for Jurassic World start at $15 (plus applicable fees). Additional fees may apply All seats are reserved, and tickets are available by visiting the NBT Box Office at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza or at Ticketmaster.com. For group rates and information, call 570-970-3519. Mohegan Sun Arena is an ASM Global managed facility.

With unrivaled arena production quality, Jurassic World comes to life against a backdrop of captivating scenery where dinosaurs from the iconic franchise, including fan-favorite Velociraptor Blue and a Tyrannosaurus Rex more than 40 feet in length, take center stage. The production features more than 20 film-accurate, life-sized dinosaurs, each custom built with the latest technology, scientific precision and Hollywood studio quality. With scale, speed and ferocity, the animatronic and performer-operated dinosaurs deliver colossal, edge-of-your-seat, live entertainment unlike any other dinosaur experience.

The New York Times describes the Feld Entertainment production as “the most technically complex the company has ever produced.”

Jurassic World’s unmistakable score adds to the larger-than-life, immersive journey that will captivate fans of all ages. Through a combination of projection and practical scenery, the arena will transform into the dense jungles of Isla Nublar, where real Gyrospheres roll through the valley and scientists work to unravel a corrupt plan and save an all-new dinosaur from a terrible fate. With pulse-pounding stunts and an original, authentic storyline, this show is guaranteed to make memories that will last another 65 million years.

“Working with a world-class production team and Universal filmmakers, we have extended the Jurassic World canon with a new story that can only be told through this live, arena spectacular as we bring full-scale dinosaurs to generations of fans around the globe,” said Juliette Feld Grossman, Chief Operating Officer of Feld Entertainment, the worldwide leader in live, touring family entertainment. “We have maximized the power of everything we do at Feld Entertainment, pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation to ensure audiences have an authentic, awe-inspiring experience. Fans will leave with a sense of wonder, as if they’ve boarded the boat to Isla Nublar and literally stepped into Jurassic World.”

USA Today described the show saying “my heart still races when the velociraptor’s nose is pointed my way. It’s a testament to how well the “Jurassic” movies have instilled an illogical fear of extinct creatures, how true the Jurassic World Live team stayed to the animals from the movie, and how high-tech animatronic puppets have gotten in order to tell stories about prehistoric creatures.”

Tickets for Jurassic World Live Tour coming to Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre, November 19-22, 2020 start at $15 (plus applicable fees); all seats are reserved. Visit jurassicworldlivetour.com for tickets and more information. Stay current on the latest developments through social media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JurassicWorldLiveTour/

Twitter: @JWlivetour

Instagram: @jurassicworldlivetour

#JurassicWorldLive

For media inquiries and more information, please visit https://www.feldmediaguides.com/jurassicworldlivetour.

Hospice of the Sacred Heart recently received a grant for $5,000 from the Scranton Area Community Foundation to support the Live Alone Program. This program makes it possible for patients, especially elderly patients living alone, to maintain their independence while receiving hospice services in their home. The program is specifically designed for patients who do not have an available, primary caregiver.

Upon admission, the hospice staff develop a plan to care for patients living alone, including the coordination of regular meals, shopping or transportation, as required. Participants in this program are given medical alert systems, ensuring prompt emergency help and a door lock box enabling hospice staff to gain entrance to a patient’s home at all times. As none of this equipment can be deemed medical in nature, the expenses are paid for by the hospice, not the patient’s insurance payor source. The grant was funded in 2019.

“This generous grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation will go a long way to ensure the safety and security of our patients living alone. It funds a mission-driven program that helps in our effort to better meet the needs of these often marginalized patients,” said Diane Baldi, CEO, Hospice of the Sacred Heart.

The Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation has awarded Lackawanna College $385,000 to establish a scholarship fund to strengthen the College’s financial aid offerings and provide additional assistance for students with financial need at its satellite center in Sunbury.

“We are exceptionally grateful to the members of the Foundation Board for their commitment to our Sunbury students and Lackawanna College,” said Mark Volk, Lackawanna College President. “Through their generosity, we will be able to help deserving students achieve their higher education dreams while instilling in them the importance of giving back so that others may have those same opportunities.”

The Lackawanna College Sunbury Center opened in 2017 and offers bachelor’s and associate degrees, as well as certificate programs to students in Northumberland County, the Central Susquehanna Valley and its surrounding regions.

“With the support and generosity of the Stabler Foundation we can provide more opportunities for students in our local communities,” said Philip Campbell, Lackawanna College Sunbury Center Director. “This grant ensures that we are able to keep higher education in Sunbury valuable, affordable and accessible for many years to come.”

Established in 1966, The Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation awards grants to charitable, religious, scientific, literary and educational nonprofit organizations in central and eastern Pennsylvania.

The Misericordia University Fine Arts Council will host “Guitar Fest 2020,” a series of free workshops and concerts for guitar aficionados and guitarists of all levels on Friday, March 20 beginning at 12 p.m.

“Guitar Fest 2020” kicksoff with a meet the artists luncheon from 12-1:30 p.m. in Alden Trust Room 219 of Sandy and Marlene Insalaco Hall. Misericordia Guitar Professor Patrick Temple, M.M., will give a talk and demonstration on the electric guitar. The program is free, but due to limited seating reservations are required. Please call the Pauly Friedman Art Gallery at 570-674-6250 to reserve your seat.

From 1:30-4 p.m., guitarists from the community will perform pop-up concerts around campus, with a new performer and location every half hour. The locations and times are 1:30 p.m.: Mary Kintz Bevevino Library lobby; 2 p.m.: Friedman Art Gallery; 2:30 p.m.: Chick Fil A stage, Banks Student Life Center; 3 p.m.: Banks Student Life Center lobby, and 3:30 p.m.: Mercy Hall lobby.

At 4 p.m., Temple will host a master class in the Friedman Art Gallery in Insalaco Hall. Performers and listeners are welcome. He will critique guitar pieces performed by participants.

From 5:30-6:30 p.m., the public is invited to “Guitar Across the Ages,” a concert of classical, blues and rock music performed by Temple and local guitarists Dustin Drevitch, and Teddy Young and Frog in Dudrick and Muth Rooms 216-217 of Insalaco Hall.

The day-long series of events is co-sponsored by Music Go Round music store in Wilkes-Barre, and owners Linda and Harry McDonnell. The store for buying, selling and trading instruments, sound equipment and accessories is located in the Triangle Plaza at 677 Kidder St., Wilkes-Barre.

Temple has a Master of Music degree in Guitar Performance from the University of Oklahoma. He has taught in the Wyoming Valley since 2001, through his studio, Patrick Temple Music Lessons, in Luzerne. Temple joined the Misericordia University fine arts faculty in the fall of 2019 and teaches an applied music guitar course.

The event planning committee includes Temple and Misericordia University Fine Arts Council members Lalaine Little, Ph.D., director of the Friedman Art Gallery, and Ryan Weber, Ph.D., associate professor and chairperson of the Department of Fine Arts.

All “Guitar Fest” events are free and open to the public. For information, please go to www.misericordia.edu/guitarfest, or contact Dr. Weber at rweber@misericordia.edu or 570-674-6182, or Alexandra Isaac, program coordinator, Friedman Art Gallery, at  aisaac@misericordia.edu or 570-674-6250.