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 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.

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 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.

The Princeton Review listed The University of Scranton among just 511 colleges in the world “selected for their exceptional programs, policies and practices related to sustainability and the environment” for inclusion in its 2025 edition of its “Guide to Green Colleges,” which was published online in October. This is the sixth year that Scranton has made this listing.

The Princeton Review analyzed more than 25 data points to choose the colleges for this year’s guide based on its 2023–2024 survey of administrators about their institutions’ sustainability-related policies, practices and programs, as well as surveys of students attending those colleges about their “green” campus experiences.

“We are seeing substantive interest among college applicants in attending green colleges,” said Rob Franek, editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review. According to the Princeton Review, 61 percent of the high school student participating in their 2024 “College Hopes and Worries Survey” indicated that “having information about a college’s commitment to the environment would affect their decision to apply to or attend the school.”

The Princeton Review also noted that, as a group, “the schools in the 2025 Edition of the Guide to Green Colleges have impressive sustainability-related statistics: 28 percent of their energy comes from clean and renewable sources; 46 percent of their waste is diverted from incinerators or solid-waste landfills; 98 percent offer a sustainability focused undergraduate major or degree; and 100 percent have a sustainability officer.”

Scranton’s long-established sustainability efforts include academics, facilities and community education and outreach. Scranton has infused issues of sustainability in courses across the curriculum, ranging from theology, to business, to the natural sciences, to education, as well as other disciplines. Scranton uses numerous “green” procedures in building maintenance practices, as well as in building design and construction. Scranton currently has three Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings: Leahy Hall, the Loyola Science Center and the DeNaples Center, which became the city’s first LEED certified structure in 2008. Robert S. and Marilyn A. Weiss Hall, currently under construction, is design intended to meet silver LEED certification requirements.

In addition, inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical titled “On Care for Our Common Home,” the University is participating in a seven-year initiative to be recognized by the Vatican as a Laudato Si’ University.

To be designated as a Laudato Si University, colleges must evaluate comprehensively current environmental and sustainability programs, then improve and develop further initiatives to address seven goals outlined by the Pope. The goals to be addressed are: to respond to the cries of the Earth; to respond to the call of the poor; to apply ecological economics; to adopt sustainable lifestyles; to implement ecological education programs; to develop ecological spirituality efforts; and to develop of programs to address community resilience and empowerment.

In addition to its “Guide to Green Colleges,” The Princeton Review has listed Scranton in its “Best Colleges” guidebooks for 23 consecutive years, also ranking Scranton among the nation’s “Best Science Lab Facilities” (No. 17) for the eighth year.