The University of Scranton Presents World Premieres Composition Series Concert World-Class Musicians Wycliffe Gordon (L) and Jennifer Krupa (R) to Premiere Compositions Apr. 12 The University of Scranton will welcome two guest composers/conductors – trombone legends and internationally acclaimed musicians, composers and educators Wycliffe Gordon (H ’06) and Jennifer Krupa – at its 42nd annual World Premiere Composition Series Concert on Saturday, April 12. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free and seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis at the Houlihan-McLean Center on campus. The concert will feature the University’s Concert Band and Concert Choir performing the world premieres of commissioned works by Gordon and Krupa, written specifically for the student ensembles. Gordon will compose and conduct compositions for the SATB (Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass) mixed choir and trombone soloist Krupa. Gordon and Krupa will reverse roles with Gordon as the soloist for the band piece she composed and will conduct. “Wycliffe Gordon has been an inspiration to me for decades – not just as a mentor, but as a dear friend,” Krupa said. “He introduced me to so many styles of music and pushed me to go beyond studying jazz history to develop my own voice. This concert band piece reflects just a few of the many ways he has influenced me, from introducing me to the worlds of Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and gospel music, to encouraging me to write my own. The themes in this piece blend his influence with elements from my earliest compositions. I can’t wait to share the stage with Wycliffe and The University of Scranton Concert Band and Choir.” Krupa’s “Cone Themes” for concert band and virtuosic trombonist will be premiered by the University’s Concert Band and soloist Gordon. “There is no musician alive I am more in awe and amazement of than Wycliffe,” said Cheryl Y. Boga, conductor and director of Performance Music at the University. Gordon’s three-piece choral cycle – “Blues Hymn,” “It is Spring” and “Ballad for Lena Mae” – will be premiered by the University’s Concert Choir, piano/bass/drums and soloist Krupa. “Wycliffe and his music hold a very special place in the heart of the university and its students and alumni,” said Boga, who founded the World Premiere Composition Series in 1984. “Wycliffe’s impact musically and spiritually on every heart, ear and mind he touches is immeasurable. We are unbelievably fortunate to regularly benefit from his generosity and open-hearted and expressive musicality.” Gordon is a regular guest at the University, where he was honored in 2006 with an honorary doctorate. An award-winning trombonist, composer, conductor, arranger and educator, Gordon has been a regular guest performer and teacher at the University for nearly 30 years. He has composed and premiered numerous compositions at Scranton through the University’s World Premiere Composition Series, as well as a piece composed and premiered for the celebration of the inauguration of University President Kevin Quinn, S.J. in 2016, and has performed as soloist with various student ensembles at Scranton. Named the Jazz Journalists Association “Trombonist of the Year” for a record-breaking 15 times, Gordon has topped Downbeat Critics Poll for “Best Trombone” for an unprecedented six times (2020, 2018, 2016, 2014, 2013 and 2012). Recent awards include the “Louie Award,” the International Trombone Award and the Satchmo Award, among others. A prolific recording artist, Gordon can be heard on hundreds of recordings, soundtracks, live DVD’s and documentaries, and has an extensive catalog of original compositions that span the various timbres of jazz and chamber music. His arrangement of the theme song to NPR’s “All Things Considered” is heard daily across the globe. Krupa is also a returning guest to the World Premiere and a regular guest artist at the University with student ensembles and her own quintet. An accomplished performer and educator, as well as a prolific arranger and composer who has contributed original works and arrangements to a wide variety of ensembles, Krupa’s extensive discography spans nearly 30 recordings with artists including Gordon. Renowned for her exceptional musicianship, transformative teaching, and dedicated service to the jazz community, her influence extends across generations of musicians and audiences worldwide. Recently retired from a two-decade career with the United States Navy Jazz Commodores, where she served in a variety of roles, including lead trombonist and Music Director, Krupa is currently lead trombonist with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra. Krupa is also a faculty member at The Juilliard School. She has led guest clinics, masterclasses and adjudications nationwide, guest-conducted the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra, and presented at the Jazz Educators Network, Midwest Clinic and the International Trombone Festival. “I am enjoying preparing the band for Jen’s arrival and am very much looking forward to meeting her, working with her, and hearing the piece come together with the band and Wycliffe under Jen’s direction,” said Janelle Decker, conductor and co-director of Performance Music. Performance Music at The University of Scranton has now commissioned 100-plus musical works in the 42 years since the series was created. The primary focus of Performance Music at the University is its student choral and instrumental performing ensembles. All University students (undergraduate and graduate) are eligible for membership in the University bands, choirs, string ensembles and steel drum band. Hundreds of students, spanning the curriculum and bonded by a love of music, participate each year in the ensembles. For more information on the concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music. Visit wycliffegordon.com for more information on Gordon and jenkrupa.com for more information on Krupa.
The University of Scranton Presents ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ Recital On Friday, Apr. 4, Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present a recital entitled “Rhapsody in Blue at 100” featuring the acclaimed Frederick Hohman, D.M.A., premiering the first full organ transcription of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Admission is free and the concert is open to the public. Seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis. According to Cheryl Y. Boga, conductor and director of Performance Music, this will be Dr. Hohman’s 4th visit to Houlihan McLean to perform on its fully restored and historic Austin Opus 301 Symphonic Organ. “Every visit by Fred is what I like to call an organ adventure – he doesn’t just perform a concert, he shares his passion and knowledge of the instrument at every opportunity during his visit.” In addition to being a concert organist of stunning musicality and virtuosity, Dr. Hohman is an award-winning composer of organ and choral music, a creator of organ transcriptions, an online educator, a musical instrument designer and a classical music audio-video producer. Hohman earned his performer’s certificate, Mus.B., M.M. and D.M.A. in the organ studio of David Craighead at The Eastman School. In 1984, he won First Prize in both the prestigious Clarence Mader and Arthur Poister competitions. This was the first step leading to decades of organ concert tours, taking him throughout the world, appearing in concert and religious venues, including appearances before regional and national conventions of the American Guild of Organists (AGO), The Organ Historical Society and The American Institute of Organbuilders. Dr. Hohman founded the recording label Pro Organo in 1985 and has overseen the production and release of over 300 organ and choral music titles, including 16 releases, of which he is also the featured artist. Acclaimed by a critic with The Diapason magazine as “one of the symphonic organ’s strongest exponents,” during the 1980s, Dr. Hohman championed a revival of the Symphonic School of organ-playing. His writings and recordings ignited a revival in symphonic organ literature and performance practices of the early 20th century, which led to his first organ transcription publications and several additional CD releases. Dr. Hohman has served The American Guild of Organists (AGO) on its national committees focused upon education and was commissioned by them to appear as video instructor in a series of 30 AGO-produced videos entitled “Lessons for the New Organist,” which are free for all to view at AGO’s website. Hohman has also provided written guidance and encouragement to aspiring organists as an adjudicator in 20 national and international organ competitions. The University of Scranton’s Houlihan-McLean Center Austin Opus 301 symphonic organ was built in 1910 by the Austin Organ Company of Hartford Connecticut for the Immanuel Baptist Church in Scranton and was restored and re-dedicated by the university in 2005 in a recital performed by Thomas Murray of Yale University. Since then, many renowned organists have performed on the instrument in solo-recitals, and it has accompanied the university’s student ensembles in the performance of many major works of the choral and instrumental repertoires. The instrument is one of the few rare surviving original examples of early 20th-century organ building, and the impressive instrument possesses a total of 3,178 pipes, 45 ranks and four manuals. The instrument is currently maintained by Clem, Cole, Dan, and Steve, technicians/artists from Emery Brothers/Dieffenbach organs. For further information on the recital, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music. For more info on Dr. Hohman, visit frederickhohman.net.
University of Scranton Accounting Dept. Ranked No 2 in Education Research Productivity The University of Scranton Accounting Department ranked No. 2 (tied) internationally for accounting education research published in peer-reviewed accounting journals during the most recent six-year period, according to the 2024 Brigham Young University Accounting Rankings just published. The 2024 report also ranked Douglas M. Boyle, D.B.A., professor and chair of the Accounting Department and director of the Ph.D. program, No. 2 in the world for accounting education publication volume in the past six years, and No. 91 (tied) for Accounting Information System Research. Accounting faculty members James F. Boyle, D.B.A., associate professor and director of the Master of Accountancy program, was ranked No. 10 (tied); and Amanda Marcy, Ph.D., assistant professor, and Ashley Stampone, Ph.D., assistant professor, were ranked No. 79 (tied) worldwide. Dr. Stampone was also ranked No. 91 (tied) for Accounting Information System Research. The Brigham Young University Accounting Rankings are considered to be the gold standard in accounting disciplines. “The international recognition for education research published by our Accounting Department faculty is a testament to their steadfast commitment to not only teach accounting students at Scranton but to advance further learning and knowledge for the betterment of the accounting profession,” said Mark Higgins, Ph.D., dean of the University’s Kania School of Management and professor of accounting, who noted that all four professors recognized are graduates of The University of Scranton. “It is also a testament to the University’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and service, which is embodied in each of these outstanding professors.” This is the fifth consecutive year the University’s Accounting Department was ranked among the top research publishers in the world in the prestigious Brigham Young University Accounting Rankings. The report ranks accounting programs and faculty throughout the world based on their success in publishing in top-tier, peer-reviewed accounting journals. The report is updated annually and includes ranks for specific categories of research and for specific time periods. Dr. Douglas Boyle is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Management Accountant with more than 30 years of industry executive experience. He joined the faculty at Scranton in 2009. An award-winning researcher and teacher, Dr. Boyle has received the Institute of Management Accountants’ (IMA) Committee on Ethics and Strategic Finance Curt Verschoor Ethics Feature of the Year Award three times and was also selected as the IMA Research Foundation Distinguished Scholar in 2022, among numerous other awards. At Scranton, Dr. Boyle earned Provost Excellence Awards for University Service and Leadership, Scholarship of Teaching and Scholarly Publication; and the Faculty Senate’s Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award. He was named the Kania School of Management’s Alperin Teaching Fellow for 2015 to 2018 and received their Advisory Board’s Award for Curriculum Innovation for 2017-2018. He was twice recognized as the KSOM Teacher of the Year. He is the founder and director of the University’s Ph.D. in Accounting and Nonprofit Leadership Certificate programs. He earned a bachelor’s degree from The University of Scranton, an MBA from Columbia University and a doctorate from Kennesaw State University. A Certified Public Accountant with significant professional experience working in public accounting and in internal auditing, Dr. James F. Boyle has taught part-time at the University since 2009 and full-time since 2012. He serves as faculty advisor for Accounting Internships at Scranton. He has co-authored articles published in many peer-reviewed academic and practitioner journals, including The Accounting Educators’ Journal, The CPA Journal, Strategic Finance, The Journal of Forensic and Investigative Accounting, and Internal Auditing. He received several publishing awards, including the 2015 IMA’s Lybrand Silver Medal and the 2016 IMA Certificate of Merit Award. He earned a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from The University of Scranton and a D.B.A. in Accounting from Kennesaw State University. A Certified Public Accountant, Dr. Marcy has twice received the Curt Verschoor Ethics Feature of the Year Award from the IMA’s Committee on Ethics and Strategic Finance. She was named assistant professor of accounting at Scranton in 2018 and previously served as a faculty specialist in the department. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the American Accounting Association and the Healthcare Financial Management Association. Dr. Marcy earned a bachelor’s degree, an MBA and a Ph.D. in accounting from The University of Scranton. An award-winning teacher, Dr. Stampone was selected by students of Scranton’s Business Club as the Kania School of Management Professor of the Year four of the last five years. Since joining Scranton’s faculty in 2016, Dr. Stampone has garnered numerous state and national awards and professional honors. In 2019, she was given the IMA’s Faculty Leadership Award, and in 2021, she won IMA’s Ursel K. Albers IMA Campus Advocate of the Year Award, which recognizes a campus advocate/student chapter advisor who has made significant contributions to the IMA and student members in particular. Dr. Stampone earned a bachelor’s degree, an MBA and a Ph.D. from The University of Scranton.
University of Scranton Students Offer Free Income Tax Assistance Lackawanna and Wayne County residents whose households earned $67,000 or less in 2024 can receive free assistance in completing and filing their federal, state, and local tax returns from University of Scranton accounting students through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. University students have assisted residents with low and moderate incomes who need help with their basic tax returns for more than 30 years. Walk-in service in Brennan Hall on the University’s campus begins on Monday, Feb. 3. The VITA service is offered on a first-come, first-served basis during scheduled hours. Appointments are not available at the University. Walk-in VITA service without an appointment is available in room 111 of Brennan Hall, Madison Avenue, on the University’s campus on Mondays, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Tuesdays, from noon to 5 p.m.; Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. VITA service begins on Monday, Feb. 3, and continues to Friday, Apr. 4, except for the week of Mar. 17 to Mar. 21, when the University is closed for Spring Break. The VITA office may also close due to inclement weather. The University reserves the right to cap the number of walk-in residents they can serve within a single day. Residents can schedule appointments at other locations by contacting the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties by visiting www.uwlc.net or calling 570-602-3133, or 1-866-662-8887, 211. Residents who qualify for the free VITA service are asked to bring the following items: a valid photo ID; Social Security cards for all taxpayers and dependents; all W2 forms; last year’s tax returns; all 1099 forms (interest, dividends, pensions); unemployment paperwork; Form 8332 for non-custodial parents; information related to income and expenses (business, rental properties, sale of stocks); a personal banking account check if direct deposit is desired; documentation related to health insurance for themselves and anyone on the tax return, such as Form 1095-A, -B or –C; and real estate tax receipts if you qualify for the rent/tax rebate. Residents with questions may call the University at 570-941-4045.
University of Scranton Online Business Graduate Programs Among Best in U.S. U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 “Best Online Graduate Programs” ranked The University of Scranton’s online master’s degree programs in business (excluding MBA) at No. 51 and its online MBA program at No. 128 in the nation. In addition to an overall rank, U.S. News also ranked programs by the criteria categories used in its methodology. For online master’s degree programs in business, Scranton ranked No. 28 for the “student excellence” category, which looked at acceptance rates and the work experience and undergraduate GPA of students, and No. 33 for the “student engagement” category, which looked at graduation rates, class size, one-year retention rates, and best practices such as accreditation by AACSB International, among other factors. For the MBA program, Scranton ranked No. 105 for “student excellence.” This is the 14th consecutive year that U.S. News ranked the University’s online programs among the best in the nation. The methodology used by U.S. News to determine the ranking has changed several times throughout the years. For the 2025 Best Online Programs ranking, which published Jan. 21, U.S. News reviewed statistical information submitted by schools. The criteria used by U.S. News to rank online business and MBA programs included student engagement (30 percent); peer reputation score (25 percent); faculty credentials and training (15 percent); student excellence (15 percent); and student services and technology (15 percent). Scranton offers online MBA degrees in accounting, business analytics, enterprise resource planning, finance, healthcare management, human resources management, international business and supply chain management; master’s degrees in accountancy, applied behavior analysis, business analytics, cybercrime investigation and cybersecurity, finance, health administration, health informatics, human resources management, dual MBA/MHA degree, nursing and speech-language pathology, in addition to graduate certificates. In other U.S. News publications,Scranton has been ranked among the top 10 “Best Regional Universities in the North” for 31 consecutive years. U.S. News ranked Scranton No. 6 among regional universities in the north in its 2025 guidebook and No. 6 for “Best Undergraduate Teaching,” a selection of the top colleges in the nation that express a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.
University of Scranton, University of Success Accepting Applications for 2025 The University of Scranton’s University of Success, a four-year pre-college mentorship program, is now accepting applications for the upcoming 2025 academic year that begins this summer. Students who are currently in the eighth grade are eligible to apply. The University of Success is an academic and enrichment program funded entirely by corporate and foundations grants, so there is no charge to students and their families. The program’s goal is to assist first generation college-bound students to successfully complete high school and gain entrance into a college or university. Accepted students will begin the program with a two-week residential summer academy which will be held on the campus of The University of Scranton from Sunday, July 6, to Friday, July 18. Upon completion of the summer program, the students will continue to meet for enrichment sessions during their high school career. The deadline for submission of applications is Tuesday, April 1, 2025. Applications may be obtained by emailing Margaret Loughney, University of Success program director, at margaret.loughney@scranton.edu. Applications may also be obtained online the University of Success website.
The University of Scranton Hosts Data Science Competition High School Students Participate in Data Science Competition High School students from Carbondale Area, Mid Valley, Scranton Prep and Valley View participated in The University of Scranton’s inaugural Data Science Day Competition. Supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant awarded to University mathematics professor Joseph Klobusicky, Ph.D., the interactive competition included a tutorial introduction to data science and the computer software that would be used during the competition. The day also included a luncheon keynote address by Melinda Kleczynski, Ph.D., a post-doctoral scholar at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and remarks from Carolyn Barry, Ph.D., dean of Scranton’s College of Arts and Sciences. University students majoring in mathematics and other fields assisted with the competition. The high school students competed in an individual and a doubles division. In the individual division, Scranton Prep seniors Ethan Fenner (1st place), Vincent You (2nd place), and Ryan Flaim (3rd place) were recognized. Pictured from left are Ryan Flaim, Vincent You, Ethan Fenner, and Dr. Klobusicky. In the doubles division, sophomores from Mid Valley Secondary Center Giada Vagni, Olyphant, and Zackary Buza, Throop, came in first place. Seniors from Scranton Prep Logan Dixon, Factoryville, and Sam DeNaples, Moscow, placed second. Data Science is a growing, much-in-demand field. A knowledge of probability and statistics is crucial, as they are considered the “mathematical back bone” of data analysis, according to Dr. Klobusicky. For graduates of Scranton’s class of 2023, those majoring in data analysis had one of the highest salaries reported ($70,800) in its post-graduate survey. Additional information about undergraduate programs in mathematics at The University of Scranton can be found on the department’s webpage.
The University of Scranton Hosts 57th Annual Noel Night The University’s Noel Night concert features student ensembles and includes a variety of sacred selections interspersed with readings of Nativity texts. Continuing a beloved holiday season tradition, Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present its 57th Annual Noel Night concert on Saturday, Dec. 7. The concert will begin at 8 p.m. in the University’s Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Doors will open at 7 p.m. with a prelude beginning at 7:05 p.m. Admission is free, and seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis. Considered the University’s Christmas gift to the community, Noel Night has been a must-attend event for many Scranton-area residents since its founding almost sixty years ago by the Rev. Edward Gannon, S.J. Noel Night features The University of Scranton Singers, with preludes this year performed by the String Orchestra and organ. Outdoor instrumental caroling by members of the University Bands will greet audience members as they arrive. According to Performance Music Conductor and Director Cheryl Y. Boga, the program will include a variety of sacred selections interspersed with readings of Nativity texts. Included in the program are musical works by John Leavitt, Felix Mendelssohn, Vaclav Nelhybel, Camille Saint-Saëns, Mark Sirett, and others. Pianist for the evening is Ron Stabinsky, and Christopher Johnson is organist. The primary focus of Performance Music at The University of Scranton is its student choral and instrumental performing ensembles. There is no music major at the University, and all enrolled University of Scranton students are eligible for membership in the bands, choirs, and string ensembles, with neither an audition nor enrollment fee required for membership. Hundreds of students participate in the ensembles each year. For additional information on the concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music.
The University of Scranton Professor Awarded Grant The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $1.8 million collaborative grant to Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D., associate professor physics and engineering at The University of Scranton, to provide sophisticated atmospheric measuring equipment to a nationwide network of ham radio enthusiast and citizen scientists that he developed. Dr. Frissell will serve as the lead principal investigator of the collaborative grant and will work with colleagues at Case Western Reserve University, the University of Alabama and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D., associate professor physics and engineering at The University of Scranton, was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant of $1.8 million to support equipment to further the atmospheric data gathering capabilities of The Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) network he has developed across the U.S. and beyond. The grant will further the collective data gathering capabilities of the Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation project led by Dr. Frissell. “The grant will establish the only wide-spread, coordinated high frequency, very low frequency and ground magnetometer measurement network that is distributed primarily across the midlatitude region,” said Dr. Frissell. According to Dr. Frissell, the grant supports the development of a network of 30 standardized receive stations capable of observing high frequency (HF) Doppler shifts, HF amateur radio Weak Signal Propagation Reporter (WSPR, pronounced “whisper”) transmissions, very low frequency (VLF) transmissions and natural radio emissions, and the geomagnetic field. The enhanced capabilities to collect data on the Earth’s ionosphere for this project builds on the HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station network of licensed amateur radio operators who have helped measure the effects of weather in the upper levels of Earth’s atmosphere through a $1.3 million NSF funded project previously awarded to Dr. Frissell. According to Dr. Frissell, the new NSF grant will support systems that will be deployed to high-quality, low-noise sites throughout the previously established U.S. personal weather station sites that are most suitable to increasing measurement density and the quality of the current network. “Priority will be given to locations that can simultaneously and effectively operate all three HF, VLF, and magnetometer instruments,” said Dr. Frissell. The grant also supports ten fully-automated, Global Positioning System (GPS) disciplined amateur radio WSPRSonde transmitters to serve as a new source of GPS- stabilized high frequency beacon signals. “These signals will be utilized not only by this project’s personal weather station receivers, but also by the existing global WSPR amateur radio receiver network that provides millions of daily observations,” said Dr. Frissell who explained data collected from all the instruments will be uploaded for HamSCI research. He said the data will also be publicly available. Collaborators for the project include: Majid Mokhtari, senior laboratory engineer for the Physics and Engineering Department, The University of Scranton; Christian Zorman, Ph.D., associate dean for research, and professor of electrical, computer and systems engineering, Case Western Reserve University; Kristina Collins, Ph.D., research scientist, Space Science Institute; Travis Atkison, Ph.D., associate professor of computer science, University of Alabama; William Engelke, chief architect and engineer of the Personal Space Weather Station (PSWS) project, University of Alabama; Hyomin Kim, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology; and Gareth Perry, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics New Jersey Institute of Technology; in addition to HamSCI volunteers and collaborators. A space physicist, Dr. Frissell’s research focuses on the ionosphere, which is an atmospheric region that extends from about 50 to 600 miles above the earth’s surface. According to Dr. Frissell, changes in the ionosphere alter the behavior of radio wave propagation and greatly affect the radio communications and global navigation satellite systems. Understanding ionospheric structures and processes will lead to an increased understanding and prediction of these effects. Through numerous grants he has received in the past five years from the National Science Foundation (NSF), NASA, the Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) foundation and other organizations, Dr. Frissell, physics and engineering faculty and students, as well as community volunteers, have been involved in numerous research projects, including one of just five projects selected by NASA’s Citizen Science Investigations to study the effects of the total solar eclipse on the earth’s ionosphere. Grants have also supported the development of state-of-the-art amateur radio station W3USR on the fifth floor of the Loyola Science Center on campus. Dr. Frissell joined the faculty at Scranton in 2019. He received his bachelor’s degree from Montclair State University, and his master’s degree and doctorate from Virginia Tech.
The University of Scranton’s Library Named Library of the Year The University of Scranton’s Weinberg Memorial Library received the 2024 Library of the Year Award from the Pennsylvania Library Association. The Pennsylvania Library Association presented The University of Scranton’s Weinberg Memorial Library with the 2024 Library of the Year Award at a virtual ceremony on Oct. 15. The annual award recognizes an individual library in Pennsylvania that has, in the previous 18-month period, exhibited excellence in: service to public or academic community; advancing staff development; innovation in a special project, partnership, or solution to a challenge; and leadership in and support of the PA Library Association activities. “It’s an incredible honor for us to be selected for this award, especially considering the many outstanding libraries across Pennsylvania, from colleges and universities to public libraries in large cities and small communities,” said George Aulisio, Ph.D., dean of the University’s Weinberg Memorial Library. “This recognition is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our library’s staff and faculty. We’re committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive environment while meeting the needs of our entire community—students, faculty, staff, and area residents who utilize our library’s public resources.” The Pennsylvania Library Association presented The University of Scranton’s Weinberg Memorial Library with the 2024 Library of the Year Award. Seated from left are Weinberg Memorial Library staff and faculty members: Kevin Kocur, Rose Merritt, Sheli Pratt-McHugh, George Aulisio, Ph.D., Donna Witek, Kate Cummings and Jean Lenville. Standing: Melisa Gallo, Eric Pencek, Margaretta Gilhooley, David Hunisch, Mary Kovalcin, Rebecca Dzikowski, Sharon Finnerty, Tiffany Ash, Mary Fran Galat, Michael Knies, Ian O’Hara, Kym Fetsko, Colleen Farry, Marleen Cloutier, Bridget Conlogue, Jennifer Galas, Sylvia Orner, Mary Beth Roche and Sam Davis. In presenting the award, the Pennsylvania Library Association noted the vision of the University’s Weinberg Memorial Library to promote “an accessible, inclusive, supportive, and welcoming environment where everyone can learn and grow creatively, intellectually, and spiritually.” The association said that the Weinberg Library’s “staff embodies this vision in their day-to-day operations, and prides themselves on service to the community, professional development and service to the Pennsylvania Library Association.” Dean Aulisio said that the Weinberg Library’s success “is rooted in the University’s Jesuit identity and its longstanding investment in its library.” “We are guided by the principle of magis—striving to do more and be greater. This drives our commitment to the professional development of our staff and faculty, ensuring that our team remains at the forefront of best practices in librarianship. We are also deeply committed to advancing social justice by ensuring our library meets the needs of all who come through our doors, adapting to the unique learning styles and needs of each member of our community. This award reflects our dedication to inclusivity and excellence,” said Dean Aulisio. The PA Library Association noted the Weinberg Library’s DEI efforts and the collaborative programming offered with campus groups that included host a series of films to celebrate Black History, Arab American Heritage, and Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander months for both students and the Scranton community at large. The association also noted the new research guides for gender and sexuality and accessibility developed by Weinberg Library staff, and an Accessibility/Sensory Map to highlight the spaces and features with general accessibility, types of lighting, and noise level of the University’s library. “Service is also a cornerstone of a Jesuit education, and we lead by example. Many of our staff and faculty volunteer in the community, on campus, and with professional organizations such as the Pennsylvania Library Association,” said Dean Aulisio. “This allows us to support the library profession and continue learning about successful innovations in library practices.” Multiple members of the Weinberg Memorial Library staff and faculty have been actively involved with the PA Library Association. Sylvia Orner, assistant professor and the University’s collections and resource management librarian, served as the conference chair in 2020 and is currently president. Kate Cummings, assistant professor and the University’s research and instruction librarian for business, was previously treasurer on the statewide board of directors and is now serving as chair of its Intellectual Freedom Committee. Rebecca Dzikowski, cataloging assistant at the University, is the current chair of the Mentorship Subcommittee. Ian O’Hara, associate professor and the University’s research and instruction librarian for health sciences, serves as the College and Research Division grant funds manager and is on the EDI Committee. Sheli Pratt-McHugh, associate professor, department chair, learning commons coordinator and research and instruction librarian for technology and outreach at the University, was third vice-president, Membership Committee chair, and is currently on the Conference Committee and EDI Committee. Marleen Cloutier, associate professor and the University’s cataloging and metadata librarian, was the 2023 Conference chair for technical arrangements and is now the vice-chair elect for the Technical Services Round Table. Melisa Gallo, the University’s interlibrary loan and collections assistant, is the treasurer for the Northeast Chapter. The Pennsylvania Library Association is the state’s oldest professional library organization, representing more than 1,200 personal, institutional and commercial members affiliated with public, academic, special, and school libraries throughout the Commonwealth.
