May Events Planned at The University of Scranton Through May 5 Art Exhibit: “The University of Scranton Student Exhibition Online.” Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall. Virtual exhibit. Free. Call. 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu. Through May 12 Art Exhibit: “Pyrrhic Defeat: A Visual Study of Mass Incarceration” by Mark Loughney. Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall. Free during gallery hours. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu. May 2 noon. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “The Promise of American Democracy” presented by Fredrik Logevall, Ph.D., Laurence D. Belfer Professor of International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School and professor of history, Harvard University. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu. May 5 5 p.m. Art Gallery Reception: “Pyrrhic Defeat: A Visual Study of Mass Incarceration” by Mark Loughney as part of downtown Scranton’s First Fridays events. Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall. Free. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu. May 6 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “40th Annual World Premiere Composition Series Concert” The University of Scranton Concert Band and Concert Choir featuring two new works by composer/conductor Philip J. Kuehn. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu. May 9 noon. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “Vocalising and Music in the Development of Speech Language and Consciousness” presented by Harmar Brereton, M.D., medical and radiation oncologist, Weill Cornell Medical School faculty and clinical professor of medicine at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu. May 12 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Concert” featuring The University of Scranton String Orchestra. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu. May 20 4 p.m. Commencement Baccalaureate Mass. Byron Recreation Complex. Call 570-941-7401 or email info@scranton.edu. May 21 11 a.m. Undergraduate Commencement. Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Wilkes-Barre. Call 570-941-7401 or email info@scranton.edu. May 21 4:30 p.m. Graduate Commencement. Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Wilkes-Barre. Call 570-941-7401 or email info@scranton.edu.
Leigh Pilzer to Perform at University of Scranton On Saturday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m., Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present a concert featuring The University of Scranton Jazz Band and Saxophone Ensemble with special guest baritone and bass saxophonist Leigh Pilzer. The concert will begin 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. In addition, Pilzer will also offer a free masterclass for local musicians, music teachers and their students in the afternoon before the concert on the topic of section playing. Please email music@scranton.edu for more information on the masterclass. The concert on Saturday evening will highlight a variety of songs featuring two different instrumentations, according to Performance Music Conductors and Co-Directors Philip Kuehn and Cheryl Y. Boga. Pilzer will perform a variety of selections with the University’s Jazz Band and Saxophone Ensemble, both groups made up of student musicians from majors spanning the curriculum. Pilzer is a Washington, D.C.-based saxophonist, arranger and educator. She has toured domestically and internationally as a member of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, and often performs with the National Symphony Orchestra at concerts at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. As an arranger, Pilzer’s work is in the libraries of the SJMO, DIVA, the Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra, the DC-area premier military jazz ensembles, and college and professional jazz ensembles and brass quintets throughout the country. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance with jazz emphasis from George Mason University; master’s degrees in jazz studies and saxophone performance from The University of Maryland; and a Bachelor of Music in jazz composition and arranging from the Berklee College of Music. 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 Scranton students (undergraduate and graduate) from every major are eligible for membership in the University bands, choirs and string ensembles, with neither an audition nor enrollment fee required for membership. Hundreds of students participate in the ensembles each year. Other programs within the department, including guest artist concerts, World Premiere Composition Series, Nelhybel Collection, and Scranton Brass Orchestra, closely coordinate programming with the student ensembles and offer unique opportunities for student musicians in the ensembles to hear, observe, interact and perform with numerous world-class musicians and artist-teachers. High school juniors and seniors who are considering applying to Scranton are encouraged to contact Performance Music to arrange to sit in on a rehearsal, meet the staff, attend a concert or tour the building. For further information on the concert, call 570-941-7624 or visit the Performance Music webpage (scranton.edu/music). For more info on Pilzer, visit www.leighpilzer.com.
The University of Scranton Among the Nation’s Best Business Schools The Princeton Review listed The University of Scranton’s Kania School of Management among the nation’s “Best Business Schools” in its 2023 ranking of just 243 colleges in the country. This is the 18th consecutive year that Scranton has been included in the listing the nation’s most elite business colleges. Scranton was included among the list of “Best On-Campus MBA Programs.”
The University of Scranton to Host Math Integration Bee The University of Scranton will host the 2023 Math Integration Bee for area high school students on Thursday, Apr. 27. The competition, offered FREE of charge, begins with registration at 4:15 p.m. in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center. The competition serves as practice for participants to improve skills for upcoming Advanced Placement calculus tests. The event will include a light dinner for participants. The competition functions similar to a spelling bee, but with contestants completing definite and indefinite integral problems, a type of calculus problem, instead of spelling words. All contestants to reach the final round, which will conclude by 7:30 p.m., will receive $25. The overall winner of the Math Integration Bee will receive an additional $75. The event is hosted by the University’s Mathematics Department. Registration is required to participate and contestants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a guardian, parent or faculty member. The deadline for registration is Apr. 20. Additional information regarding rules, registration and examples of past problems is available on the Math Integration Bee website. For questions, contact Stacey Muir, Ph.D., professor of mathematics, at Stacey.muir@scranton.edu.
The University of Scranton Spring Events In recognition of Pope Francis’s call toward environmental sustainability, The University of Scranton’s Sustainability Office has chosen the theme “The People’s Planet, Climate Justice” for this spring’s Earth Day celebration. The theme of climate justice focuses on the merging of civil rights and climate change to draw attention to the effects of environmental changes on different communities. Many of the University’s offices and departments have come together to offer numerous educational events in honor of Earth Day and Scranton’s ongoing sustainability efforts. Events are open to the public, free of charge, unless otherwise indicated. This year’s Environmental Essay Contest is open to all area students in grades 5-12. The essay will revolve around the theme “The People’s Planet, Climate Justice.” Submissions will be accepted until April 3, and winners will be announced at the Evening of Environmental Science event on April 20. For more details, visit the contest webpage. World Water Day will be celebrated through an interactive event at the University’s DeNaples Center on March 22. Informative activities and displays will help raise awareness of water usage and its importance. March 22 will also start Plant Based Meals Week for University students, in which the positive impacts of eating green will be promoted at meals offered at the Fresh Food Company. Tonyehn Verkitus, executive director at Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania, will discuss environmental factors and how disparities in communities jeopardize health and well-being at a Community-Based Learning talk on March 23. The talk begins at 11:45 a.m. in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center. On March 30, the film “The Seeds of Vandana Shiva” will be screened at the Moskovitz Theater of the DeNaples Center at 7:30 p.m. The film shows many successful changes made through environmental activism and caring for all people. Vandana Shiva is a wonderful example of a woman’s lifelong leadership and activism that has improved the lives of millions of people around the world. A very interesting, entertaining, and inspiring movie. On April 14, an Environmental Art Show address will be given by artist Stephanie Williams in the Heritage Room of the Weinberg Memorial Library, beginning at 4:30 p.m. William’s work includes pictures of nature, people, creatures, sounds and energies. The library will also host an Environmental Art Show featuring environmental art of members of the University community from April 14 to April 25 in the Heritage Room during library hours. On April 17, Nicole Negowetti, former clinical instructor at the Harvard Animal Law and Policy Clinic, will discuss her work concerning sustainable agricultural procedures. The talk, offered by the University’s Gail and Francis Slattery Center for Ignatian Humanities, begins at 5:30 p.m. at Brennan Hall, The Pearn Auditorium. The Earth Day Fair will take place the following day, April 18, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the atrium of the Loyola Science Center. The event will host University student displays as well as, displays from university departments, local non-profits and governmental offices, which will provide information about sustainable practices and products. The Evening of Environmental Science, set for April 20, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the atrium of the Loyola Science Center, will feature a display of essays received for the Earth Day Essay Contest, as well interactive environmental displays and activities. Awards for the Essay Contest will be presented at the event. Earth Day celebrations conclude with a three-hour kayaking trip on the Susquehanna River for students on May 6, hosted by the University’s Sustainability Office and the Society for Sustainability and Conservation. Visit The University of Scranton’s sustainability webpage for information about the University’s sustainability efforts and Earth Day events, or call the Office of Sustainability at 570-941-6267.
The University of Scranton Receives $2,000 Grant The University of Scranton Community English as a Second Language (ESL) Program received a $2,000 critical needs grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation. The grant will be used to purchase textbooks and workbooks to serve the growing number of community members who seek to improve their English. Through this program, which is free to participants, University of Scranton students tutor local refugees and immigrants in English as a second language at the Language Learning Center, located in O’Hara Hall on the University’s campus. The textbooks will expand the capacity and improve the quality of the Community ESL Program through audio and video content, reading and writing exercises, workbooks and more. The University’s World Languages and Cultures Department oversees the University’s Scranton Community ESL Program. Yamile Silva, Ph.D., professor of Spanish, serves as the department’s chair.
The University of Scranton April Events Through Apr. 14 Art Exhibit: “Post COVID: Art by Students for the Scranton School District.” Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall. Free during gallery hours. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu. Apr. 1 9 a.m. Regional National History Day Competition for junior and senior high school students. The DeNaples Center. Pre-registration required. Call 570-941-4549 or email nhdparegion2@gmail.com. Apr. 2 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Recital” featuring Mikaela Bennett, voice. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu. Apr. 4 7 p.m. Performance: “From Music Score To Life On Stage” book by Gene Terruso, co-produced with the University Players and The Gail and Francis Slattery Center for the Humanities. Royal Theater, McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts. Free. Call 570-941-4700 or email sarah.kenehan@scranton.edu. Apr. 14 4:30 p.m.Environmental Art Show opening event – Artist Talk with Stéphanie Williams. Charles Kratz Scranton Heritage Room, Weinberg Memorial Library. Free. Call 570-941-7482 or email marleen.cloutier@scranton.edu. Apr. 14-25 Environmental Art Show. Charles Kratz Scranton Heritage Room, Weinberg Memorial Library. Free during library hours. Call 570-941-7482 or email marleen.cloutier@scranton.edu. Apr. 15 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Concert” featuring The University of Scranton Jazz Band and Saxophone Ensemble with guest baritone/bass saxophonist Leigh Pilzer. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu. Apr. 17 5:30 p.m. The Gail and Francis Slattery Center for Humanities Lecture: “The Regeneration Revolution: Working at the Nexus of Food, Climate, and Culture” presented by Nicole Negowetti, managing director of the Plant Based Foods Institute and vice president of Policy & Food Systems at the Plant Based Foods Association. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Call 570-941-4700 or email sarah.kenehan@scranton.edu. Apr. 18 11 a.m. Earth Day Fair with interactive games, presentation and information related to the environment and sustainable practices. Atrium, Loyola Science Center. Free. Call 570-941-7520 or email mark.murphy@scranton.edu. Apr. 20 8:30 a.m. Hayes Family Competition in physics and engineering for high school students. Byron Complex. Registration required. Call 570-941-7509 or email salisa.brown@scranton.edu. Apr. 20 4 p.m. Henry George Lecture: “Where Does Wealth Come From?” presented by Sandra Black, Ph.D., Columbia University. Moskovitz Theater, DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-4048 or email john.ruddy@scranton.edu. Apr. 20 5:30 p.m. Earth Day “Evening of Environmental Science” with University student-run interactive science experiments and exhibit of University of Scranton Earth Day Essay Contest submissions. Essay contest awards will be announced at the event. Loyola Science Center. Free. Call 570-941-6267 or email susan.falbo@scranton.edu. Apr. 20-22 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday. Performance: “Curtains” presented by The University of Scranton Liva Arts Company. McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts. Ticket prices vary. Call 570-941-4318 or email players@scranton.edu. Apr. 21 noon. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “How Stories Heal the World” presented by Colum McCann, author of seven novels and three collections of stories, recipient of many international honors including the National Book Award and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Collegiate Hall, Redington Hall. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu. Apr. 23 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Concert” featuring The University of Scranton Singers and Symphonic Band. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu. Apr. 24 through May 5 Art Exhibit: “The University of Scranton Student Exhibition Online.” Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall. Free during gallery hours. Call. 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu. Apr. 26 noon. Celebration of Student Scholars. Displays and presentations of undergraduate and graduate student research and scholarly projects. Loyola Science Center. Free. Call 570-941-6353 or email phillip.swank@scranton.edu. Apr. 27 4:15 p.m. Math Integration Bee. Calculus-based high school math competition. McIlhenny Ballroom, DeNaples Center. Free. Registration required. Visit https://www.scranton.edu/academics/cas/math/bee.shtml or email stacey.muir@scranton.edu. Apr. 27 5 p.m. Campus Take Back the Night. Dionne Green. Free. Call 570-941-6194 or email brandice.ricciardi@scranton.edu. Apr. 27 7 p.m. Schemel Forum with Weinberg Judaic Studies Institute at The University of Scranton Collaborative Program: “Only in America? Religion, State, and a Hasidic Town in Rural New York” presented by David N. Myers, Ph.D., distinguished professor of history, Sady and Ludwig Kahn Chair in Jewish History and director of the Luskin Center for History and Policy, UCLA. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Registration required. $15 per person. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu. Apr. 27-30 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Theatrical performance of “Emilie: La Marquise du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight” by The University of Scranton’s Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program and the English and Theatre Department as part of the University’s year-long “Celebrating Women: 50th Anniversary of Coeducation” series of events. Studio Theatre of the McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts. Ticket prices vary. Call 570-941-6194 or email jkwc@scranton.edu. Apr. 28 noon. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “The World after the Ukraine War” presented by Jill Dougherty, Russian expert, former CNN Moscow Bureau Chief, current CNN on-air contributor and professor, Georgetown University. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu. Apr. 29-30 9 a.m. Saturday; Noon Sunday. Friends of the Library Book and Plant Sale. Heritage Room, Weinberg Memorial Library. Call 570-941-7816 or email kym.fetsko@scranton.edu. The University of Scranton to Host Webinar The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center is proud to be hosting “Digital Skills for Everyday Tasks”, a Grow with Google webinar, on Tuesday, March 28 from 9:00 am – 10:00 am. Learn how to manage work and life tasks more effectively using Google tools. Whether you want to build a budget, create a meeting agenda or organize your priorities, these best practices will boost your productivity. This will be a mostly hands-on webinar showing you the products in action.The Webinar will go over Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and much more! Registration link:https://pasbdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/30308Facebook event link:https://fb.me/e/2NwuqwYVr
The University of Scranton to Host Engaging Events Two engaging Collaborative Programs are on tap for The University of Scranton’s Schemel Forum this spring. On Wednesday, Mar. 29, the Schemel Forum will partner with Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine to present “Mozart: The Mind and Music of a Genius,” featuring Richard Kogan, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and artistic director of the Weill Cornell Music and Medicine Program. The program will begin at 5:30 p.m. in WVIA Public Media Studios’ Sordoni Theater, with a reception to follow. Admission is $35 per person. At the program, Dr. Kogan, a Julliard-trained pianist and Harvard-trained psychiatrist, will explore the mystery of creative genius through an examination of the life, mind and music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791). To illustrate his points, Dr. Kogan will perform some of Mozart’s most sublime musical compositions on the piano. Then, on Thursday, Apr. 27, the Schemel Forum, the Theology and Religious Students Department and the Weinberg Judaic Studies Institute will co-present “Only in America? Religion, State, and a Hasidic Town in Rural New York,” featuring David N. Myers, Ph.D., distinguished professor of history, Sady and Ludwig Kahn Chair in Jewish History, and director of the Luskin Center for History and Policy at UCLA. The event will take place at 7 p.m. in the Pearn Auditorium of Brennan Hall. Admission is $15 per person. At the program, Dr. Myers will discuss the remarkable case of Kiryas Joel, a town in New York state populated entirely by Satmar Hasidic Jews. What, Myers will ask, does this town of religiously observant Jews tell us about the “wall of separation” between religion and state of which Thomas Jefferson spoke? And, has that Jeffersonian ideal given way to a new vision of religious liberties as the paramount constitutional right? To register for the programs, contact Brooke Leonard at 570-941-4740 or brooke.leonard@scranton.edu. Or, to pay online, visit the Schemel Forum’s webpage (scranton.edu/schemelforum)
University of Scanton to Host HamSCI Workshop The University of Scranton will host the HamSCI Workshop 2023, which engages amateur radio enthusiasts and professional scientists to collaborate on existing and future innovative research projects. Titled “Forging Amateur-Professional Bonds,” the conference takes place March 17-18 at locations on campus and at the historic Lackawanna Station hotel. HamSCI is an officially recognized NASA Citizen Science project and the conference has received grant support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC.) “The HamSCI Workshop plays a unique and important role in the development of both the amateur radio community and the scientific workforce,” said Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D., (W2NAF) assistant professor of physics and electrical engineering at The University of Scranton. Speakers for the HamSCI Workshop 2023 include a keynote presentation by Patricia Reiff, Ph.D., (W5TAR) professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rice University and founding director of the Rice Space Institute. She will discuss the importance of united teams of amateurs and professionals in conducting and advancing scientific research. She earned her Ph.D. in space physics and astronomy from Rice University. Joseph Huba, Ph.D., vice president of Syntek Technologies and former head of the Space Plasma Physics Section at the Naval Research Laboratory, will discuss “Modeling the Ionosphere with SAMI3.” Dr. Huba’s tutorial will provide a general overview of ionospheric physics and SAMI3, which models the plasma and chemical evolution of seven ion species. Dr. Huba earned his Ph.D. in theoretical plasma physics at the University of Maryland. Also, speaking at the conference will be Jesse Alexander (WB2IFS/3), a licensed amateur radio operator, who will discuss his efforts to introduce young people to the wonder of the Electromagnetic Spectrum through hands-on ham radio-based experiences. The HamSCI Workshop will give participants hands-on experience using University’s amateur radio station W3USR as well. The workshop will also serve as a team meeting for the HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station project (PSWS), which is a $1.3 million NSF funded project previously awarded to Dr. Frissell. The workshop also features presentations of research abstracts related to the latest developments related radio science and amateur radio, including those related to solar eclipse ionospheric effects, Sporadic E, traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs), and space and terrestrial weather impacts to radio propagation. University of Scranton students Veronica Romanek, Hampton, New Jersey, a senior physics and Spanish double major; Francis Tholley ’21, Darby, a software engineering graduate student, who earned his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Scranton; and Shaaf Sarwar, Qazalbash Chowk, Lahore, Pakistan, a senior physics major and recipient of the University’s full-tuition Presidential Scholarship, will be among the research presenters. In addition, the Murgas Amateur Radio club from NEPA will showcase old amateur radios in an “Amateur Radio Through the Ages” exhibit in the display cases on the second floor of Loyola Science Center. The Murgas Amateur Radio Club and Scranton Pocono Amateur Radio Club will also run a special event amateur radio station at the workshop using the W3USR call sign and offer on-site amateur radio license exams. The HamSCI Workshop 2023 offers both in-person or virtual participation. Lodging for the event is available at the historic Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel Scranton and the Hilton Scranton and Conference Center. For registration details and conference information, visit the HamSCI Workshop 2023 webpage.
The University of Scranton Events March Events at The University of Scranton Through Mar. 10 Art Exhibit: “ANew Understanding: Paintings by Travis Prince.” Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall. Free during gallery hours. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu. Mar. 3-5 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Performance: “Little Women; the Broadway Musical” music by Jason Howland, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, book by Allan Knee presented by The University of Scranton Players. McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts. Ticket prices vary. Call 570-941-4318 or email players@scranton.edu. Mar. 4 Following 8 p.m. performance: Talk Back immediately after the performance of “Little Women; the Broadway Musical” by The University of Scranton Players as part of the University’s year-long “Celebrating Women: 50th Anniversary of Coeducation” series of events. McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts. Ticket prices vary. Call 570-941-4318 or email players@scranton.edu. Mar. 5 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “In Concert” featuring The University of Scranton Concert Choir and The Scranton Brass Orchestra. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu. Mar. 7 6 p.m. Salary Negotiations Workshop offered by The University of Scranton’s Career Development Office and the Jane Kopas Women’s Center as part of the University’s year-long “Celebrating Women: 50th Anniversary of Coeducation” series of events. Room 405, The DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-6194 or email jkwc@scranton.edu. Mar. 8 3 p.m. Women of Vision and Courage Award Presentation offered by The University of Scranton’s Jane Kopas Women’s Center as part of the University’s year-long “Celebrating Women: 50th Anniversary of Coeducation” series of events. McIlhenny Ballroom, DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-6194 or email jkwc@scranton.edu. Mar. 13 noon. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “The Courage to Care” presented by Carol Rittner, RSM, D.Ed., distinguished professor emerita of Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Dr. Marsha Raticoff Grossman Professor Emerita of Holocaust Studies at Stockton University, New Jersey. The luncheon is part of the University’s year-long “Celebrating Women: 50th Anniversary of Coeducation” series of events. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu. Mar. 20 through Apr. 14 Art Exhibit: “Post COVID: Art by Students for the Scranton School District.” Hope Horn Gallery, Hyland Hall. Free during gallery hours. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu. Mar. 23 11:45 a.m. Community-Based Learning Talk “Environmental Health” presented by Tonyehn Verkitus. McIlhenny Ballroom, DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-4419 or email community@scranton.edu. Mar. 24 5 p.m. Art Gallery Lecture: “Post COVID: Art by Students for the Scranton School District” presented by Darlene Miller-Lanning. Pearn Auditorium, Brennan Hall. Free. Reception to follow at the Hope Horn Gallery. Call 570-941-4214 or email darlene.miller-lanning@scranton.edu. Mar. 25 9 a.m. Preview Day for accepted students to The University of Scranton’s class of 2027. Various locations on campus. Call 570-941-7540 or email admissions@scranton.edu. Mar. 28 noon. Schemel Forum’s World Affairs Luncheon Seminar: “A Foreigner Called Picasso” presented by Annie Cohen-Solal, writer and social historian, distinguished professor at Bocconi University, Milan, Italy. Rose Room, Brennan Hall. Registration required. Fees vary. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu. Mar. 29 5:30 p.m. Schemel Forum with Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine Collaborative Program: “Mozart: The Mind and Music of a Genius” presented by Richard Kogan, M.D., professor of psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College and artistic director, Weill Cornell Music and Medicine Program. Sordoni Theater, WVIA Public Media Studies. Reception to follow. Registration required. $35 per person. Call 570-941-4740 or email brooke.leonard@scranton.edu. Mar. 29 7:30 p.m. Performance Music: “General Recital” featuring flute choir, percussion ensemble, steel drums and more. Houlihan-McLean Center. Free. Call 570-941-7624 or email music@scranton.edu. Mar. 29 7:30 p.m. Office of Sustainability film and panel discussion “The Seeds of Vandana Shiva.” Moskovitz Theater, DeNaples Center. Free. Call 570-941-7520 or email mark.murphy@scranton.edu. Mar. 30 5 p.m. 26th Annual ACHE Healthcare Symposium: “Bedside and Administration: A Strategic Alliance.” McIlhenny Ballroom, DeNaples Center. Registration required. Includes dinner, presentation and panel discussion. Fees vary. Call 570-709-9892 or email scarlet.alexander@scranton.edu. The University of Scranton to Offer Free Masterclass and Concert On Sunday, Feb. 19, at 7:30 p.m., Performance Music at The University of Scranton will present a concert featuring The University of Scranton Jazz Band with special guest guitarist and vocalist Matt Munisteri. The 7:30 p.m. concert will take place in the Houlihan-McLean Center, Mulberry Street and Jefferson Avenue. Munisteri will also offer a free guitar masterclass in the afternoon before the concert, please email music@scranton.edu for more information. According to Performance Music directors Cheryl Y. Boga and Philip J. Kuehn, the concert will feature a variety of songs about love and heartbreak, in a nod to the concert’s proximity to Valentines’ Day. Munisteri and the Jazz Band will combine to perform a number of songs together, and there will be several solo pieces during the concert featuring only Munisteri. A multi-faceted musician, Munisteri is the sparkling guitarist on several chart-topping jazz CDs. He is a critically lauded songwriter and nimble lyricist, an urban banjo-warrior, a selfless and devoted sideman, a wry-yet-honest singer, an engaging and winning front-man, and an arranger whose ear-pulling re-inventions of well-traveled songs have contributed to Grammy winning CDs for artists such as Loudon Wainwright and Catherine Russell. Munisteri’s debut CD “Love Story” from 2003 wound up on several critic’s “Best Of” lists, and garnered the number two slot on Amazon’s Top Ten Jazz CDs of The Year. A formidable lyricist, his literate songs have been compared to Randy Newman, Mose Allison and Bob Dorough. Munisteri has been featured on France’s ARTE television, profiled in Downbeat magazine, honored with Acoustic Guitar Magazine’s Editor’s Choice award, and has been the subject of several broadcasts on NPR. When not working on his own projects, his primary sideman gigs for the last few years have been playing with violinist Mark O’Connor’s Hot Swing, Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra and with the singer Catherine Russell, for whom he also currently serves as Music Director. He also lent a hand to his friend, guitarist Julian Lage, producing Julian’s acclaimed solo guitar debut “Worlds Fair” (2015). 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 Scranton students (undergraduate and graduate) from every major are eligible for membership in the University bands, choirs and string ensembles, with neither an audition nor enrollment fee required for membership. Hundreds of students participate in the ensembles each year, and a number of University faculty, staff and alumni perform with them. Performance Music’s large ensembles include Concert/Symphonic Band, Concert Choir/Singers, String Orchestra and Jazz Band (big band format). Smaller groups are made up of members from within the large ensembles, and include Steel Drum Band, Percussion Ensemble, Flute Ensemble, Trumpet Ensemble and Sax Ensemble, plus other small vocal and instrumental groups in various formats. Solo, duo and trio performance opportunities are available to members of the ensembles through the general recitals offered each semester. Other programs within the department, including guest artist concerts, World Premiere Composition Series, Nelhybel Collection and Scranton Brass Orchestra, closely coordinate programming with the student ensembles and offer unique opportunities for student musicians in the ensembles to hear, observe, interact and perform with numerous world-class musicians and artist-teachers. High school juniors and seniors who are considering applying to Scranton are encouraged to contact Performance Music to arrange to sit in on a rehearsal, meet the staff, attend a concert or tour the building. For further information on the concert, call 570-941-7624, email music@scranton.edu or visit scranton.edu/music. Please check Performance Music’s website, within 24 hours of the concert for information regarding venue requirements for audiences, as policies regarding campus health and safety may change throughout the season. For further information about Munisteri, visit mattmunisteri.com.
