The University of Scranton Open House

The University of Scranton, a nationally recognized Jesuit university in northeast Pennsylvania, will host two Open House events for prospective students and their families on Sunday, Oct. 23, and Sunday, Nov. 6.

“Best 388 Colleges,” “Best Buys in College Education,” “America’s Best Colleges,” “A Focus on Student Success,” “Best Undergraduate Teaching,” “Best Catholic Colleges” – these are just a few of the ways that the nation’s leading college rankings and guidebooks consistently refer to The University of Scranton. For 29 consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Scranton among the 10 top Master’s Universities in the North. The Princeton Review included Scranton in its list “Best Colleges” for 21 consecutive years and in its ranking of the nation’s “Best Science Labs” (No. 7) for six years, among other rankings.

At the Open House, participants can learn about Scranton’s 69 undergraduate majors, meet with faculty, students, admissions counselors and financial aid representatives. Student-led campus tours will be conducted throughout the day and will include residence halls, dining halls, computer labs, science labs and academic facilities.

In addition, representatives of student organizations, athletic teams and Scranton’s programs of excellence, such as the undergraduate Honors Program, Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program, Magis Honors Program in STEM, Business Honors Program and Business Leadership Honors Program, will also be available.

Judaic Studies Fall Lecture

Dru Johnson, Ph.D., director of Center for Hebraic Thought and associate professor of biblical and theological studies at The King’s College in New York City, will present “Does the Hebrew Bible have a Unique Philosophy?” at The University of Scranton’s Judaic Studies Institute Lecture on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 7:30 p.m. in the Pearn Auditorium of Brennan Hall. The lecture is free of charge and open to the public.

Dr. Johnson teaches Biblical literature, theology and biblical interpretation at The King’s College. He is an editor for the Routledge Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Biblical Criticism series, an associate director for the Jewish Philosophical Theology Project at The Herzl Institute in Israel and a co-host for the OnScript Podcast.

Dr. Johnson has held research fellowships at the University of Saint Andrews, Scotland, the Shalem Institute for Advanced Studies, Jerusalem, and the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He currently serves on the steering committee of the Scripture and Church Seminar in the Institute for Biblical Research and was formerly the chair and co-founder of the Hebrew Bible and Philosophy Program in the Society for Biblical Literature. He has taught in Western Kenya, Brazil and the United Kingdom.

Dr. Johnson is ordained as a minister in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Missouri – St. Louis, a Master’s in Divinity  degree from the Covenant Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in theology from the University of St. Andrews – Scotland.

The Weinberg Judaic Studies Institute was created in 1979 through an endowment funded by the local Jewish community. The Institute fosters a better understanding and appreciation of Judaism, Israel and their histories. It supports visits to the University by Jewish scholars and writers and supports library acquisitions, publications, faculty research, travel and other scholarly endeavors. The work of the Institute was further enhanced by a $1 million gift from Harry Weinberg in 1990.

Andrew Gonzalez To Perform at the University of Scranton

Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present a solo recital featuring acclaimed modern and historical performance viola and violincello da spalla player Andrew Gonzalez on Saturday, Oct. 15. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Admission is free, with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis.

According to Cheryl Y. Boga, conductor and director of Performance Music, “Andrew has performed at Scranton many times with our student string orchestra and his own quartets and trios. We are very excited to welcome him back to present a solo recital – our hall loves his sound.”

Passionate about historical performance, Gonzalez frequently performs on baroque viola and the violoncello da spalla. A student of Cynthia Roberts from the Juilliard 415 program, he has performed in festivals and series such as the Washington Bach Consort, Valley of the Moon Music Festival, American Bach Soloists, the Boston Early Music Festival, Helicon and many others. Gonzalez is one of the few people in the world who plays the violoncello da spalla, a five stringed mini cello that is played on the shoulder.

Hailed by the Strad Magazine for his ‘warm hearted playing and mellow tone’, Gonzalez enjoys a full career as both a soloist and chamber musician, performing in prestigious venues throughout the United States, as well as halls throughout Asia and Europe. As a sought–after chamber musician, his playing has allowed him to collaborate with respected ensembles such as the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the Sejong Soloists, as well as members of the Guarneri, Juilliard, Tokyo, Orion, Borromeo and Vermeer quartets. In the fall of 2020, he became the new violist of the Jasper String Quartet.

Also an accomplished teacher, Gonzalez served as a fellow of Carnegie Hall’s ‘Ensemble Connect’ from 2016-2018 and teaches chamber music in the Heifetz Institute’s Program for the Exceptionally Gifted.

Originally from Chesapeake Virginia, Gonzalez attended the Governor’s School where he was introduced to chamber music and symphonic music. This led to his affiliation with the Hampton Roads Chamber Players, an ensemble that he has since performed with and offered masterclasses for, as well as a concerto appearance with the Virginia Symphony. An avid orchestral player, Gonzalez performs frequently with the New York Philharmonic, New York City Ballet, Orchestra of Saint Luke’s, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, New York Classical Players and Novus NY.

A graduate of The Juilliard School, Gonzalez holds both a master’s and bachelor’s degree under the direction of renown violists and pedagogues Michael Tree, Heidi Castleman, Steve Tenenbom and Hsin-Yun Huang. He performs on a 1930 Frederick Haenel viola modeled after a Gaspar da Salo.

PA House and PA Senate Candidate Debates Set

The University of Scranton’s Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service (CEEPS), in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Lackawanna County, will host debates for PA House and Pennsylvania Senate candidates in October. All debates are presented free of charge and will take place in the PNC Auditorium of the Loyola Science Center on  the University’s campus.

The dates and times of the debates and the candidates (listed alphabetically) are listed below.

The 112th Pennsylvania House seat: Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 6:30 p.m.; Kyle Mullins (D) and William Torbeck (R).

The 114th Pennsylvania House seat: Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 6:30 p.m.; David Burgerhoff (R) and Bridget Kosierowski (D).

The 118th state House seat: Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022, at 8 p.m.; James Haddock (D) and James May (R).

The 22nd state Senate seat: Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, at 6:30 p.m.; Thomas Bassett (R) and Martin Flynn (D).