Misericordia University Hosts BOOM in the Night Event BOOM in the Night is Back at Misericordia University with the student organization Dead Alchemist Society. The society plans to present a spectacle with the annual event “Things that go Boom in the Night!” on Wednesday, October 26, from 6-8 p.m. in the Henry Science Center on campus. The event is open and free to the public. Students in the Dead Alchemist Society will offer new and expanded activities for children, including hands-on experiments such as making bath bombs, slime, shrinky dinks, and foam, beginning at 6:00 pm in the Henry Science Center. There will be giveaways and hands-on learning for kids and adults of all ages. The program will move to the Wells Fargo Amphitheater at 8:00 pm for the finale. This season’s popular event features new experiments and, of course, the famous puking pumpkins.
Misericordia University Fall Open House Date Misericordia University will hold an open house for high school students and their parents in the fall on Saturday, November 12, 2022, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Check-in will begin at 9:00 AM at the Anderson Health and Wellness Center. The open house event for high schoolers and their parents is the chance to experience the campus, meet students and visiting professors, and speak with admissions and financial aid representatives. Students and their families will tour the campus before meeting with faculty in their academic program. After lunch, learn more about the admissions and financial aid process, hear more from current students, and then tour some of the specialized facilities with students in their major. Prospective students can tour numerous buildings, including the 40,000-square-foot John J. Passan Hall, 100 Lake St., Dallas. Passan Hall houses state-of-the-art simulator laboratories and classrooms in the nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology programs of the College of Health Sciences and Education. Also slated for touring is the Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Science Center, which embodies a commitment to advanced technology and infrastructure that lends itself to superior teaching, learning, and research with a state-of-art facility. If students and their parents are looking for a college that delivers a robust education and a personal experience, look no further than Misericordia University. Misericordia is a small, private university that offers a hands-on, transformative education to all who seek it. Misericordia ensures that each student receives a personalized experience and the resources to achieve their goals. For more information, contact the Misericordia University Admissions Office at 570-674-6264 or email at admiss@misericordia.edu to register now, visit our website at https://www.misericordia.edu/admissions/admissions/open-house.
Hoffman Named Misericordia Alumni Board President Christélle Hoffman ’13 of Nuangola has been named the president of the Misericordia University Alumni Association Board of Directors. Hoffman graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Government, Law and National Security, along with minors in Political Science and Social Studies. She was among the first students to study that degree program at the university. While a student at Misericordia, Hoffman was involved with several clubs and organizations on campus. She served as the President of the Multicultural Club, a Peer Advocate, the Judicial Coordinator for Student Government Association, an Admissions Ambassador, and represented the student body for one of the Presidential Search Committees to name a few. Following graduation, Hoffman relocated to California, where she completed a year of service through Mercy Volunteer Corps. While in California, she worked and earned a Master of Science degree in Forensic Science with a specialization in Investigation from National University. After several years on the west coast, she moved back to Northeastern Pennsylvania where she was employed as a Forensic Interviewer in Luzerne County. In this role, Hoffman spoke with more than 2,000 children ages three to 18 who were victims of severe trauma or abuse. She is currently working in a consulting capacity with local police departments to assist children who have experienced any type trauma or abuse. Hoffman is excited to begin her term as president after being an actively involved alumna for the last nine years. “Misericordia had a huge impact on my life. It molded me into who I am today. Being part of the Alumni Board allows me to give back to the university, our alumni and the current students. I’ve enjoyed my time on the board and I’m interested to see where this position takes me,” she said. Her goals as president are to focus on how alumni and current students view their time at Misericordia. She also wants to encourage alumni to get involved and show their support for their University however they can. “Very few private Catholic Universities have thrived the way Misericordia has. It’s important for people to know where students came from and where they are going after they graduate. I want people to see the uniqueness of our alumni and understand that we aren’t just “kids” that graduated from a university. We graduated from a university where we are full of compassion, and we have the pure dedication which stems from the charisms of mercy, service, justice and hospitality,” she said. As Alumni Board President, Hoffman will also serve as an ex-officio member of the University’s Board of Trustees. She currently lives in Nuangola with her husband Frankie and two-year old son Luciano. Misericordia University was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1924, in Dallas, Pennsylvania. It is Luzerne County’s oldest four-year college offering 37 degree programs in three academic colleges, including Health Sciences and Education, Arts and Sciences, and Business. Faculty at Misericordia are accomplished scholars and educators who prepare students to emerge into a challenging society as ethical leaders, through challenging academic standards and high levels of engagement with students, including research, service to others, and career preparation.
Misericordia Awarded Pasmart Advancing Computer Science and Stem Education Grant Misericordia University is among 42 organizations across the Commonwealth to be awarded funding through the 2021-22 PAsmart Advancing Computer Science and STEM Education Grants Program. The university was awarded a grant in the amount of $375,750 in response to their proposal, “Teach STEM!: Strengthening the STEM Pipeline by increasing the number of culturally-responsive Computer Science and STEM teachers in Luzerne County.” Launched by Governor Tom Wolf, PAsmart is an initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Education. PAsmart strategically invests resources in education and training opportunities to support Pennsylvania’s economic growth now and in the future. According to the PAsmart website, over the next decade, most of the better paying jobs in Pennsylvania will require some form of education or training after high school, especially in the fast-growing fields of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and computer science. “The success of our initiative is predicated on the collaboration amongst valued regional stakeholders such as the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce. Joining us in this partnership are Luzerne Intermediate Unit-18 and the Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Development Board. Each of these organizations possess a unique, yet interconnected role focused toward alleviating the extreme teacher shortage, particularly in the secondary STEM field, that is impacting the quality of learning experienced by our young students spanning the county,” said Colleen Duffy, Ed.D., chairperson, Teacher Education Department and director of Graduate Teacher Education at Misericordia University. Additionally, through distinct partner-driven offerings such as new certification programs and professional development courses, the program looks to effectively reverse declining enrollment in teacher preparation programs. These efforts will supplement the STEM workforce pipeline by growing student interest in pursuing CS/STEM majors and careers. Since 2018, the Wolf Administration has secured $60 million and strategically invested in education and workforce development through PAsmart. The Pennsylvania Workforce Development Board provided initial recommendations and approved the framework for the funding priorities. Targeted and Advancing PAsmart grants support high-quality STEM and computer science learning and professional development opportunities to communities across Pennsylvania, including within early learning centers, libraries, out-of-school time providers, career and technical centers, post-secondary institutions, and K-12 schools. The department awarded a total of 438 PAsmart grants since the 2018-19 school year. Misericordia University was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1924, in Dallas, Pennsylvania. It is Luzerne County’s oldest four-year college offering 37 degree programs in three academic colleges, including Health Sciences and Education, Arts and Sciences, and Business. Faculty at Misericordia are accomplished scholars and educators who prepare students to emerge into a challenging society as ethical leaders, through challenging academic standards and high levels of engagement with students, including research, service to others, and career preparation.
Misericordia Appoints New Members To Board of Trustees The Board of Trustees of Misericordia University (MU) approved three new members at its annual meeting. Joining the board are Mark Alles, Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D., and David M. Payne, Jr. ’85. “The Misericordia University Board of Trustees is pleased to welcome our three new members,” said Deborah Smith-Mileski, D.Ed., ’75, chair, Board of Trustees. “Their combined expertise in higher education, business development and finance are sure to add significant value to our board. I look forward to working with them to meet the challenges of modern higher education and to help Misericordia University continue to prosper.” Mark Alles is an accomplished executive in the biopharmaceutical industry who built and led highly successful global oncology-focused organizations and cancer therapeutics over his more than three-decade career. He is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Celgene Corporation, a global biopharmaceutical company, with an outstanding record of driving growth and medical innovation throughout his 15-year tenure at the company. He optimized long-term shareholder value through the analysis, execution and completion of Bristol Myers Squibb’s $74B acquisition of Celgene Corporation in late 2019. At Celgene, he consistently delivered industry-leading financial performance, led teams that completed several multibillion-dollar company and product acquisitions, built a diverse suite of globally marketed cancer medicines and a development pipeline of high-potential therapeutics for blood cancers, solid tumor cancers and serious inflammatory diseases. He led the expansion of Celgene from a US-based organization with 500 employees, to a global company with 8,800 employees serving patients in more than 50 countries. He is a recognized industry leader with deep operational, financial, business development and commercial experience. Mark is a former Board member of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), Gilda’s Club NYC (non-profit helping families of people living with cancer), and a former member of the Trustees for the Healthcare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ). He is currently a member of the board of directors for Antengene Corporation Limited (HKSE listed: 6996.HK), BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Inc. (Nasdaq listed: BMRN), Syros Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq listed: SYRS), and was chairman of the board for Turning Point Therapeutics (Nasdaq listed: TPTX), a precision oncology company expected to be acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb for $4.1B during mid-2022. Mark is consulting CEO and a member of the board for PIKSci, Inc – a private biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel therapeutics for hematologic malignancies, and a board member for TORL BioTherapeutics – a private biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel antibody drug conjugates for the treatment of solid tumor cancers. Mark is an advisor to the life sciences venture capital fund Eir Ventures and serves on the board of trustees for Misericordia University. Before joining Celgene in 2004, Mark was vice president of the U.S. Oncology business unit at Aventis Pharmaceuticals and served in other senior management roles over an eleven-year period. He began his career in the biopharmaceutical industry at Bayer and worked at Centocor before its acquisition by Johnson & Johnson. Mark earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania and served as a captain in the United States Marine Corps. Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D., is president emeritus and professor of English at Manhattan College, having served as president there from July 1, 2009, to June 30, 2022. O’Donnell came to Manhattan after five years of service as the dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill, Fordham University. Before coming to New York, he spent 17 years at Loyola College in Maryland (now Loyola University Maryland), where he served as a professor of English and, from 1999-2004, director of the university-wide honors program. As a scholar and teacher, he has focused mainly on poetry, especially of the British Romantic period, and on religion and literature, particularly contemporary American Catholic writers. He has authored two books on the poetry of William Wordsworth and co-edited “The Work of Andre Dubus,” a collection of essays published as a double issue of “Religion and the Arts.” In 2014, he won the prestigious Robert Fitzgerald Prosody Award, which recognizes scholars whose work has “made a lasting contribution to the art and science of versification.” A frequent contributor to national and international conversations about the current state and future of Catholic higher education, O’Donnell served from 1994–2000 as editor of the national magazine “Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education,” and as a member of the National Seminar on Jesuit Higher Education from 1993–2000. He currently serves on the board of trustees of Lewis University. In addition, he has served on the board of directors of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, and as a trustee of La Salle University, Philadelphia. While at Loyola, he was on the board of the Lilly Fellows Program, and of Collegium, a consortium of Catholic universities that strives to strengthen faculty understanding of and participation in the mission of Catholic higher education. A native of Pennsylvania’s Wyoming Valley, O’Donnell earned his Bachelor of Arts degree with highest distinction and honors in English at The Pennsylvania State University in 1981, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in English and American literature and language. He is married to poet, writer, and scholar Angela Alaimo O’Donnell, Ph.D., associate director of the Curran Center for American Catholic Studies at Fordham. The couple has three sons (all educators) and four grandchildren. The O’Donnells have strong family ties to Misericordia. Both were awarded honorary doctorates from Misericordia in 2019. Brennan O’Donnell’s mother, Mary Brennan O’Donnell, was a 1939 graduate of College Misericordia. His aunt, Miriam Ruth Brennan, RSM, was a 1950 graduate of College Misericordia and a Sister of Mercy. David M. Payne, Jr., ’85, Dallas, is managing director of PNC Capital Markets LLC, which provides investment banking and bond underwriting services as part of the PNC Public Finance Group. Payne began his association with PNC Capital Markets LLC in 2006 and is directly responsible for the development and structuring of bond financings for governments, agencies, and authorities located primarily in Pennsylvania. Payne holds the Series 7, Series 53, and Series 63 FINRA securities licenses. Payne joined PNC Bank in December of 2004 after 20 years of service with Citizens Bank, with experience in many areas of bank sales and management. Payne is a graduate of Misericordia University and holds a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance from the University of Scranton. He also holds a Graduate Banking Degree from the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Delaware. In August of 2006, Payne received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree from Misericordia University in recognition of his many years of service to various economic development and non-profit organizations in Northeastern Pennsylvania as well as his continued service to his Alma Mater, Misericordia University. He has been serving as a consultant member of the Investment Committee of the MU Board of Trustees. Payne is an active member of the Wyoming Valley community, assuming leadership roles over the years in many organizations including serving as Chairman of the Board of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce, and board member of Volunteers of America PA, Leadership Wilkes-Barre, the Penn State University Wilkes-Barre campus, the Ethics Institute of NEPA, The Wilkes-Barre Fine Arts Fiesta, and a volunteer with the North Branch Land Trust. Payne was also past chair of the Pastoral Council of St. Theresa’s Church, Shavertown. Payne and his family have made significant and lasting contributions to Misericordia University. He is a former member of the Alumni Board, former class agent, a 2006 Convocation speaker, honorary degree recipient, Legacy member, scholarship benefactor and a member of the university’s Ethics Institute. His late father David Sr., served as a faculty member and administrator for over 38 years, and in 2004 was bestowed the title Professor Emeritus by the board of trustees. Payne’s mother, Andrea, was the university’s first recipient of the Honorary Alumni award for her many years of service to the university and the Sisters of Mercy. Payne’s sister, Dr. Ellen McLaughlin, is an Occupational Therapy professor and Doctoral Program Director at Misericordia University. Payne is a graduate of the university along with his four sisters, Allison Payne, Dr. Ellen McLaughlin, Katie Payne and Susan Ferentino, daughter Sarah Payne and niece Brianna McLaughlin. Payne and his wife of 35 years, Darlene, reside in Dallas, and are the proud parents of triplets Sarah, David III and Jillian Payne. Christelle Hoffman ’13 has joined the Board of Trustees as an ex-officio member upon assuming the role of president of the MU Alumni Association. She has been an active member of the Alumni Association since 2015 and previously served as its president-elect. Two members have left the board. Mary Helen Nugent, R.S.M. has served as a Board of Trustees member since 2013. Adam Grzech ’13, ’17, previous Alumni Association Board president, served as an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees during his tenure with the Alumni Association. “We, as members of the Board of Trustees, extend our most sincere gratitude for the significant service and we extend our best wishes for success and happiness in the future to Sister Mary Helen and Adam Grzech,” said Smith-Mileski. “We know they will continue to remain involved with Misericordia.” Daniel J. Myers, Ph.D., president of Misericordia University, also thanked the outgoing Board members for their service to the university. “I want to thank Sister Mary Helen and Adam for their support during my first year as president. The university has faced many challenges over the last several years. The input and guidance from our board members has been instrumental to the success of the university.”
Misericordia University Announces Public Relations Coordinator Kaitlin Hall of Tunkhannock has been named public relations coordinator at Misericordia University, announced Sam Jarvis, director, enrollment marketing. Hall received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, communications and law specialization from Misericordia in 2017. She graduated from Tunkhannock Area High School in 2013. While enrolled at Misericordia, Hall served as a staffer intern for PA State Representative Aaron Kaufer, Luzerne. Following graduation, Hall was the wedding and event coordinator for Stonehedge Golf Course in Tunkhannock, communications and membership director for The Westmoreland Club in Wilkes-Barre and most recently the food and beverage manager for Huntsville Golf Club in Dallas. She holds several certifications including digital marketing certification for hospitality and services from Cornell University, “We are excited to have Kaitlin join the enrollment marketing team at Misericordia,” said Jarvis. “In each of her previous jobs, Kaitlin had increasing levels of responsibility for each of the organization’s events, marketing, websites, and media relations. Her knowledge of the university as a student combined with this professional experience made her the ideal choice for this role.” In the role of public relations coordinator, Hall will help plan, develop and implement strategic public relations and publications strategies to create and maintain the public image of the university.
Misericordia University Alumni Association to Honor Monsignor Bendik Monsignor John “Jack” J. Bendik The Misericordia University Alumni Association will present the Honorary Alumni Award to Monsignor John “Jack” J. Bendik, during the spring Commencement ceremony scheduled for Saturday, May 14, 2022. Monsignor Bendik has been a member of the university’s Board of Trustees since 1994. The Honorary Alumni Award is awarded periodically to recognize individuals who are not alumni of the university and “have made significant contributions to Misericordia’s welfare, reputation, and prestige, and/or have shown lifelong devotion and demonstrated loyalty” to the university. Monsignor Bendik’s selfless devotion is woven into the fabric of the university. According to Alumni Board President, Adam Grzech, “Monsignor’s commitment to our mission and service as a member of the Board of Trustees is immeasurable. Misericordia is a better place because of Monsignor, and we are honored to call him an Honorary Alumni of Misericordia University.” Ordained into the priesthood in June 1967 at the Church of Nativity in Scranton, Monsignor Bendik was first assigned to St. Matthew’s Church in East Stroudsburg, where he also ministered to the students at East Stroudsburg University. He served there for 14 years before being named chaplain of Misericordia University until 1986. His other pastoral assignments included the Church of Our Lady of the Snows in Clarks Summit, Church of St. Benedict in Newton Twp., and Church of St. Mary of Czestochowa in Scranton. He served as pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church, Pittston, for more than two decades prior to his retirement in 2017. Monsignor Bendik is currently the administrator pro tem of Saint Andre Bessette Parish in Wilkes-Barre. The University’s 96th annual spring undergraduate commencement ceremonies will begin on Friday, May 13 with a baccalaureate liturgy followed by a reception and awards ceremony. The graduate student commencement ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 14 at 10:00 a.m. followed by the undergraduate commencement at 2:00 p.m. Both events will be held in the Anderson Sports and Health Center and are open to the public. Masks may be required by attendees and participants of the event; please check the Misericordia University website, https://www.misericordia.edu/commencement
Immigrants Stories to be Presented in “80 Minutes Around the World” The Misericordia University College of Arts and Sciences will present “80 Minutes Around the World,” a once-in-a-lifetime event that takes audience members on an 80-minute trip around five continents as eight storytellers each share their immigration experiences. The storytellers come from around the United States with families connecting back to Guatemala, Philippines, Greece, Eritrea, Argentina, Laos, Canada, Turkey, and Poland. The show combines award-winning performers including Nestor Gomez (show creator), Adam Wade (Magnet Theater, NYC) and John Gebretatose (HUGE Theater, Minneapolis) with regional and local storytellers who are first- and second-generation immigrants and refugees. The show will tour through Luzerne and Lackawanna counties with performances at Misericordia University’s Lemmond Theatre on April 28 at 7:30 p.m. and April 29 at 12:30 p.m., the F.M. Kirby Center on April 29 at 7:30 p.m., and the Scranton Cultural Center on April 30 at 7:30 p.m. All shows are free and open to the public. This show is the culmination of The Voices Project: Immigration, a year-long visual and storytelling arts project conducted at Misericordia University. Over the past eight months, over 50 students at Misericordia University interviewed first and second-generation immigrants, refugees and DACA recipients and created stories based on the immigration experiences of their interviewees. These students participated in classes with Alicia Nordstrom, Ph.D., professor and chairperson of the psychology department; Allan Austin, Ph.D., professor of history and Patrick Hamilton, Ph.D., professor and chairperson of the English department, to examine the topic of immigration from psychological, historical, and literary perspectives. The project kicked off with an art exhibit called Voices: Immigration curated by Laine Little, the Director of the Pauly Friedman Art Gallery, which displayed visual, graphic, and sculptural works from six immigrant artists, one of whom will be sharing his story and hosting a pop-up art exhibit at the April show. The show is supported by grants from the Lackawanna Arts Council, the Soyka Funds for the Humanities, and the Misericordia University College of Arts and Sciences. For more information, email Alicia Nordstrom at anordstrom@misericordia.edu or 570-674-8008. You can learn about previous versions of The Voices Project at www.misericordia.edu/voicesproject and follow show information on social media at #MUVoices project and facebook.com/MUVoicesProject. Founded by The Sisters of Mercy in 1924, Misericordia University is Luzerne County’s first four-year college and offers 56 academic programs on the graduate and undergraduate levels in full- and part-time formats. Misericordia University ranks in the “National Universities” category of U.S. News and World Report’s 2021 edition of Best Colleges. The Princeton Review recognizes Misericordia as a 2021 “Best Northeastern” college, and Money Magazine includes Misericordia in its 2020-2021 “Best Colleges” list. College Consensus, the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education rank Misericordia among the top colleges and universities nationally.
‘Misericordia in Bloom’ Gala Misericordia University will host ‘Misericordia in Bloom,’ the 2022 Trustee Associates Gala and Inaugural Celebration, on Saturday, April 23 on campus. The festive evening with an exceptional flower show theme, will celebrate the inauguration of Misericordia’s 15thPresident Daniel J. Myers, Ph.D., and will offer appreciation to Trustee Associate benefactors who generously donate to the university. In addition, the event will recognize the successful completion of Misericordia’s largest campaign to date, Now for Tomorrow: The Campaign for Misericordia University, and honor two of Misericordia’s most special alumnae, Mercy Mission Medal recipient Joan Krause, Class of 1958, of Nanticoke; and Trustee Associates Award recipient Nancy Smith Lynch, Class of 1968, of Glen Head, New York. The event will feature fabulous food and signature drinks with dancing to the music of Vinyl Groov. Proceeds from the gala will support President Myers’ initiative to increase scholarship funding for deserving students. Geisinger is the presenting sponsor for the event. Misericordia University Trustees Barbara Maculloch, PA president, Community Bank, N.A., and Roger G. Howell, president and CEO, Howell Benefit Services, are serving as Gala co-chairs. Tickets are available for purchase at $250 per person by calling Wendy Ferrara at (570) 674-3341. Anyone wishing to honor President Myers, Joan Krause, and/or Nancy Lynch with a Sponsored Table of 10 for $2,500, purchase an ad, or become a sponsor of the event, should contact Meredith Vincelli, mvincelli@misericordia.edu, or (570) 674-6472. In addition, raffle tickets, available at $20 a piece or 6 for $100, with cash prize winnings of $3,500, $1,000 and $500, are available at Misericordia.edu/raffle. For additional information about the ‘Misericordia in Bloom’ Gala, please call 570-674-8201.
