Holy Family University Magazine - Fall 2022

Holy Family University’s motto, teneor votis (“I am bound by my responsibilities”) is with us in all that we do. During Mass at our fall Open House, Fr. Mark Hunt reminded participants that teneor votis is not simply something we ask our students to uphold – it is a foundational principle to which we hold ourselves accountable. I’d like to share some of our latest accomplishments which are reflective of this.

Recently, I was honored to speak on a panel with other women executives about how to better support and advance women and underrepresented minorities in the STEM fields – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. I was proud to highlight that Holy Family’s gender representation in the STEM fields is above the national average, and that we have increased our minority representation in the STEM fields at a faster pace in recent years.

Importantly, the group addressed how to educate and support women for careers in technology. At Holy Family, we are making concrete moves to strengthen our STEM programs, and to better prepare students for the STEM jobs of today as well as the careers of tomorrow.

On a related note, cybersecurity jobs are predicted to grow by 35 percent in the next decade, and there are currently nearly half a million cybersecurity jobs that need to be filled. Holy Family is preparing students to excel in the latest tech-related programs – including majors and minors in applied computer science, cybersecurity, digital marketing, and esports & gaming administration. To serve our students on multiple levels, this fall we launched a state-of-theart Esports Center for competitive and club sport play as well as for hands-on classroom learning.

But we know strong programming means attention to our facilities. In 2019, Holy Family received a state grant of $866,000 for improvements on the streets surrounding the University funded by the Multimodal Transportation Fund Program. After much planning and coordination with a host of officials, the University will begin this project in the spring. The project will be used to improve safety and circulation for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit

users, and vehicles along Frankford Avenue, Grant Avenue, and Stevenson Lane. The improvements will benefit both the Holy Family community and our neighbors as well.

In addition, Holy Family recently received $2 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) funding to offset the cost of renovations for Holy Family Hall, our very first campus building. Funds will help to create an attractive entrance and showplace in the center of the University campus. The newly revamped space will serve as a central gathering area for students and faculty and a new home for enrollment services, as well as a large community meeting space that provides greater accessibility for those with disabilities.

Additionally, we completed the purchase of Newtown West, a third campus location in Bucks County which will help us to respond to critical space needs. The University is undergoing a multi-campus space utilization study as part of the planning process.

Near the end of the panel discussion on STEM, Laura Ipsen, CEO of Ellucian, was asked what advice she’d give to a woman who wants to become a CEO. She advised women that having a goal is not enough—you must also have a plan to reach it.

At Holy Family, our values-based mission and goals are inextricably linked to our practical and cutting-edge curriculum, designed to prepare students for the workforce and to ensure that we remain one of Northeast Philadelphia’s most diverse, dynamic community institutions.

These collective accomplishments are a demonstration of the commitment of the community to advance Holy Family’s longstanding mission – and they would not be possible without the support of our alumni and friends.

Thank you for all that you do in ensuring Holy Family’s important work.

Onward & upward together in faith & family,

Anne Prisco, Ph.D. President

“These collective accomplishments are a demonstration of the commitment of the community to advance Holy Family’s longstanding mission – and they would not be possible without the support of our alumni and friends.”

University Announces Expansion in Newtown, Bucks County

In August 2022, Holy Family University announced the acquisition of a new campus facility in Newtown, Bucks County, PA. The new location, which will be known as the Newtown West campus, will supplement the existing Newtown East campus located at 1 Campus Drive in Newtown. The Newtown West campus is located less than two miles away at 33 University Drive in Newtown.

With the University’s Northeast Philadelphia campus at capacity, Holy Family is expanding in Newtown to allow the University to accommodate additional students at both the Northeast Philadelphia and existing Newtown campus locations. A significant number of Holy Family students take courses at both

current University campuses, and this expansion will enable the University to better serve students at both locations by offering additional courses and resources. In addition, this expansion will allow Holy Family to expand its footprint to become an anchor institution in Bucks County.

Newtown West is a 47,573-square-foot facility and sits on a 6.5-acre site. The space features 21 classrooms and 10 laboratory rooms. Other amenities are space for a library/resource center, bookstore, cafeteria, and an outdoor quad.

Among the proposed plans for the Newtown West campus are an expansion in the University’s Computer Science and Cybersecurity programs (both launching in Fall 2022) including a hacking lab, as well as new programming in the health sciences and partnerships with area community colleges.

“Holy Family University is excited to expand our operations in Bucks County with the acquisition of the Newtown West campus,” said Dr. Anne Prisco, President of Holy Family University.

“With this new facility,

Asked& Answered

the University will be able to expand our academic programs, community resources, and service opportunities in Newtown while also providing additional support for our students at our home campus in Northeast Philadelphia. We are looking forward to working closely with the Bucks County community to fulfill the University’s mission of ensuring a welcoming and accessible learning community for all.”

Holy Family University is in planning discussions with local officials, business leaders, and other key stakeholders to ensure that the Newtown West facility both accommodates the University’s need to serve its students and fulfills the needs of Bucks County residents and the surrounding communities. The proposed launch date for the new site will be announced once plans have been finalized.

Asked & Answered Podcast with President Anne Prisco

This summer, Holy Family University launched a new podcast, Asked & Answered with Dr. Anne Prisco, President of Holy Family University. In Asked & Answered, Dr. Prisco gets to know the most influential leaders in Philadelphia, including sharing the stories of Holy Family faculty and alumni who are making major impacts in their communities. Asked & Answered is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, and the Podbean App. “Holy Family’s values are centered on our shared humanity and collective responsibility to one another, our neighbors, and our communities,” said Dr. Prisco. “In Asked & Answered, I introduce listeners to a host of community leaders to share the wonderful work that they do and to engage in fascinating conversations designed to broaden our collective understanding of the impact of leadership.”

The Asked & Answered podcast launched with three episodes:

• Criminal Justice Reform and Community Engagement with Dr. Patricia Griffin, Holy Family Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice • Investing in Nurses for Greater Community Health with IBC Foundation President Rev. Dr. Lorina Marshall-Blake • Entrepreneurship and Ice Cream with Dan Kilcoyne ’04, Mini Melts USA President & CEO

Listen to Asked & Answered.

with Dr. Anne M. Prisco

University Receives $2 Million Grant from Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program to Revitalize

Holy Family Hall

Pennsylvania State Senator Jimmy Dillon has announced that Holy Family University will receive a $2 million grant to revitalize the campus’ original building, Holy Family Hall. The grant was awarded from Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) funds that were approved by Governor Tom Wolf to further support community and economic development throughout Pennsylvania. It is one of seven grants awarded in the 5th Senatorial District.

“We are deeply grateful to Senator Jimmy Dillon, Governor Tom Wolf, and Councilmember Michael J. Driscoll for supporting the revitalization of Holy Family Hall through RACP funding,” said Dr. Anne Prisco, President of Holy Family University. “The project will transform the University’s very first campus building on our Northeast Philadelphia campus and enable us to better serve our students.”

“Northeast Philly is an amazing place to live, work, and raise a family,” said Senator Dillon in a

statement. “The projects we’re funding are going to make it even better by supporting jobs, creating new educational opportunities, fighting food insecurity, and cultivating green community spaces. In the coming months and years, this funding will jumpstart these great projects, benefit our economy, and attract people from all over the Delaware Valley.”

The grant will contribute to the project of renovating Holy Family Hall with the addition of a visibly attractive new entrance and addition to the building to create a showplace in the center of the University campus. The newly-revamped space will serve as a central gathering area for students and faculty while serving as a one-stop shop for enrollment services. The new addition will also include a large community meeting space, greater accessibility to those visiting campus, and a connector bridge from Holy Family Hall to the Nurse Education Building.

University Awarded Collegiate Recovery Program Grant from the Independence Blue Cross Foundation in Collaboration with the Association of Recovery in Higher Education

Holy Family University has been awarded a Collegiate Recovery Program grant from the Independence Blue Cross Foundation in collaboration with the Association of Recovery in Higher Education (ARHE). The University will be awarded $50,000 that will provide funding to develop drug and alcohol recovery programs on campus for students and help create and sustain a “culture of recovery” for Holy Family University.

Holy Family University’s Collegiate Recovery Program will be led by Patrick McElwaine ’00, M’04, Psy.D., LPC, associate professor of Counseling Psychology. Dr. McElwaine is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with over 25 years of clinical experience in community mental health, primary care, private practice, wrap-around services, residential treatment facilities, inpatient hospitals, and academia

As a faculty member at the Beck Institute, Dr. McElwaine provides supervision and conducts various workshops focused on Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) with substance abuse, depression,

anxiety, suicide, and trauma. Dr. McElwaine is also a columnist for Treatment Magazine and Psychology Today. Dr. McElwaine is also active in his recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. He believes that substance use disorder and mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and grief are closely connected. Currently, Dr. McElwaine has 13 years of continued recovery.

Holy Family University will implement strategies on its campuses with the support of Independence Blue Cross Foundation’s Supporting Treatment and Overdose Prevention (STOP) initiative and the ARHE. The goals of the program include developing assessments to survey the scope of knowledge and information from the University community, identifying a designated room for recovery, and purchasing recovery-oriented materials and literature. The University will also host two recovery groups that meet weekly, with each led by a graduate assistant. A future initiative for the program includes an annual one-day conference with recovery-based agencies and speakers.

Patrick McElwaine ’00, M’04, Psy.D., LPC

In July 2022, William T. “Bill” Mandia, Esq. was elected chair of the University’s Board of Trustees. Mandia succeeded Bill Strecker, who has served as chair since July 2020 and has served on the Board since 2013. Mandia chaired his first Board meeting on October 26.

Mandia is a partner in the Philadelphia office of Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, where he represents clients in complex commercial and class-action litigation, focusing on the insurance and financial services industries. As an experienced courtroom lawyer who has tried cases in federal and state courts and before arbitration panels, Mandia regularly represents primary and excess insurers in a wide range of coverage disputes and bad faith claims. He has significant experience representing insurers in courts throughout the country in multi-million dollar disputes over long-tail liability exposures, such as asbestos and environmental claims.

Outside of insurance and financial services, Mandia represents several national and regional food and beverage companies in a broad spectrum of matters and is co-host of “Food Forum,” a podcast in collaboration with the New Jersey Food Processors Association. Mandia’s experience includes the representation of food producers, processors, distributors, and others in merger and acquisition disputes and class action defense.

Mandia holds an undergraduate degree in American History from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a letter-winner on the varsity lightweight crew team. He obtained his J.D. from Rutgers University, where he received the Paul C. Ireton Memorial Award for graduating with the highest GPA in his class. In addition to his service on the Holy Family University Board of

to Board of Trustees

Trustees, Mandia serves on the Board of Specified Jurisdiction for Father Judge High School, the Board of Directors for Fort Freedom Foundation, and the Board and Executive Committee of the Garden State Council for the Boy Scouts of America. He also serves as head travel soccer coach for Cherry Hill Soccer Club.

In addition, in July 2022 the University also announced the appointment of Roger Falloon ’97; James P. Gallagher, Ph.D.; and Gerald Wydro ’90, M.D. to its Board of Trustees.

Falloon is the president & chief operating officer of Chickie’s and Pete’s and is responsible for the daily operation of the organization. He has been instrumental in the success and growth of two of Philadelphia’s most iconic and recognizable brands, Rita’s Italian Ice and Chickie’s & Pete’s. After graduating from Holy Family with a degree in Management-Marketing, he landed his first job at Rita’s and quickly advanced, eventually rising to the role of vice president of Operations. He obtained an MBA from La Salle University and transferred his talents to Chickie’s and Pete’s to help streamline and grow the brand.

Falloon’s impact can be felt not only in the Philadelphia business world but also in the local communities. He has initiated, led, promoted, and supported multiple local charities during his career that have benefited organizations such as Alex’s Lemonade Stand, City Year Philadelphia, Ronald McDonald House, and the Fraternal Order of Police Survivors Fund. Falloon has also served on multiple boards and committees over the years at Holy Family including the Business Advisory Board, President’s Advisory Council, and the Tigers on the Loose Annual Scholarship Celebration Committee. Falloon

William T. “Bill” Mandia, Esq. Elected Chair of

the Holy Family University Board of Trustees and Roger Falloon ’97, James P. Gallagher, and Gerald Wydro ’90 Named

was a 2021 recipient of Holy Family University’s Alumni Achievement Award. He continues to find ways to invest his time and expertise to help local schools, organizations, and charities. Roger resides in Newtown, PA with his wife, Beth (Bove) Falloon ’09, and their two children.

Gallagher is president emeritus of Philadelphia University and is recognized nationally for his educational leadership. Gallagher served as president of Philadelphia University for 23 years, leading the institution through transformative growth. After leaving Philadelphia University, Gallagher served as interim president of both La Salle University and Arcadia University. His first presidency was at Mount Aloysius College in Cresson, PA, as the first lay leader in the school’s history. He previously held administrative jobs at Holy Cross College, Georgetown University, St. Joseph’s University, and American College in Bryn Mawr.

Gallagher also served as commissioner for higher education under former Pennsylvania Gov. Dick Thornburgh and as chair of the State Board of Education from 1995 to 2002. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Connelly Foundation, an organization that awards grants to nonprofits that demonstrate outstanding performance in meeting community needs to improve the quality of life in the Philadelphia region.

Gallagher holds a bachelor’s degree in education and history from St. Francis College, a master’s in education from Duquesne University, and a doctorate in higher education from the Catholic University of America. His wife, Anne M. Gallagher H’12, is a former Holy Family University trustee. James and Anne Gallagher reside in Philadelphia and have four children and seven grandchildren.

Dr. Wydro is the chairman of the Emergency Medicine Department at Jefferson HealthNortheast in Philadelphia, which consists of three hospital campuses in Torresdale, Bucks, and Frankford. In this role, he oversees a clinical enterprise of three emergency departments, staffed by over 50 emergency medicine physicians treating 120,000 patients annually. Jefferson HealthNortheast also maintains a large residency training program in emergency medicine and Dr. Wydro serves as the president of the Medical Staff. After obtaining a biology degree from Holy Family in 1990, Dr. Wydro attended Temple University School of Medicine and completed a residency in emergency medicine at the Medical College of Pennsylvania. He is board-certified in Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services (EMS), having served as an EMS provider for over 35 years. He serves as the regional EMS medical director for Bucks County, PA, and is the Advanced Life Support services medical director for -1-1 and inter-facility transport ambulance services in the region. Dr. Wydro actively rides in the field and responds to EMS calls, leading the Bucks County EHS Physician Response Team.

Dr. Wydro sits on multiple local and regional boards and committees with a special focus on combating the war on opiate use disorder, substance abuse, and caring for underserved communities in our region. He served on Holy Family’s Presidents Advisory Council and volunteers as part of the PreMed Committee and the Pre-Med club to mentor current students. Dr. Wydro was a 2021 recipient of Holy Family University’s Alumni Achievement Award. Gerald and his wife, Theresa (Toohey) Wydro ’90, have three children and reside in Langhorne, PA.

ABOVE (LEFT-RIGHT):

Bill Mandia, Esq., Roger Falloon ’97, James P. Gallagher, Ph.D., Gerald Wydro ’90, M.D.

American Psychological Association Awards Accreditation on Contingency for Doctor of Psychology in Counseling Psychology (Psy.D.) Program

The Doctor of Psychology in Counseling Psychology (Psy.D.) degree program at Holy Family University’s School of Arts & Sciences has been awarded accreditation on contingency by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA). The accreditation is effective as of March 18, 2022.

APA is the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States, with more than 133,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students as its members. The APA Commission on Accreditation (APA-CoA) is the primary programmatic accreditor in the United States for professional education and training in psychology. Holy Family University’s accreditation

process site visit took place virtually in spring 2022. Upon completion of the vigorous review of the Psy.D. degree program, the APA Commission on Accreditation determined that the University’s Psy.D. program meets the accreditation on contingency standards of APA.

The University’s Psy.D. program will have until May 1, 2025, to provide outcome data for students in the program and program graduates, upon which the program will be reviewed for full accreditation status. At Holy Family’s 2022 Commencement, the University’s first graduating cohort of four Psy.D. students was awarded their degrees. The program is based at the University’s Newtown campus in Bucks County, PA.

Seven University Alumni Educators Honored with 2022 Lindback Awards

Seven Holy Family University School of Education alumni have been named recipients of the 2022 Lindback Awards for Distinguished Teachers.

The awards are presented annually by the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation to recognize outstanding educators in Philadelphia public schools. This year’s list of Holy Family University alumni honorees represents the mostever alumni honored by the Lindback Foundation in a single year.

The award and foundation are named after the late Christian R. Lindback, the president and principal owner of Abbotts

Dairies, Inc., and his wife Mary.

The seven University alumni are among 60 teachers nominated to be honored by their school communities and selected by a central committee of School District administrators and a Philadelphia Federation of Teachers representative. The teachers were chosen based on their activities that improve the intellectual and character development of their students. Each honoree will receive a $3,500 award stipend.

The Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award was first awarded to college educators in 1961. Honorees were expanded to high school educators in 2008 and K-12 educators in 2017.

Campus Center Chapel Renovation

The Campus Center Chapel underwent renovations during the summer of 2022 to open for the celebration of Mass in the Fall 2022 semester. The Campus Center Chapel is open 24/7 for those who wish to meditate, pray, or simply reflect.

IN SERVICE

MEETING THE NEED: ESL CLASSES FOR UKRAINIANS

HOLY FAMILY UNIVERSITY LAUNCHED A NO-COST ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) PROGRAM FOR UKRAINIANS on its Northeast Philadelphia campus as part of the University’s mission of ensuring a welcoming and accessible learning community for all. Over 40 newly arrived Ukrainian adults attended the six-week course at no charge to help them improve their English proficiency and become familiar with the Philadelphia community.

Holy Family University established the program after presenting Volodymyr Zelenskyy, J.D., President of Ukraine, an honorary degree in absentia at its 2022 Commencement ceremony on May 21 at its Newtown campus in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Holy Family University’s Free ESL Classes for Ukrainians program has received a $10,000 donation from the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth (CSFN), the founding ministry of the University, to extend the program into the University’s fall and spring semesters for those Ukrainian adults who have been on a waiting list for the program.

ABOVE: Amanda Wisler ‘22 works with two enrollees of the University’s Free ESL Classes for Ukrainians program.

AROUND THE ACADEMY

GRIFFIN CONDUCTS FIELD RESEARCH IN KENYA FOR THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME

In her role as a senior international research consultant for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Patricia Griffin, Ph.D., associate professor of Criminal Justice, traveled to Kenya to design and execute a study in collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to assess alcohol and substance use in the organization. The general health and welfare of personnel in the KWS are critical for themselves, their colleagues, and the country, and the Annual Performance Contract between the Government of the Republic of Kenya and the Board of Trustees of Kenya Wildlife Service requires that the KWS report on the status of alcohol and drug abuse (ADA) among employees.

Employing a cross-sectional study, Dr. Griffin examined the current status of ADA and amelioration efforts taken by the KWS over the past five years. The study builds upon the research guidelines specified in “Guidelines to Undertake Baseline Survey on the Status of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Among Employees of Ministries, Departments, Agencies and County Governments” by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Dr. Griffin made recommendations to support the health and wellness of the rangers and personnel that serve the National Parks, Game Reserves, and the community.

The data that Dr. Griffin collected was also provided to the Holy Family Institutional Review Board, and Dr. Griffin will incorporate the data in her teaching for student analysis with the hope that student research will develop into case studies on the collected data.

OF CATHOLIC NURSES

Michelle Murphy-Rozanski, Ph.D., MSN, RN, CRNP, associate dean and director of Undergraduate Studies in Holy Family University's School of Nursing & Health Sciences, represented the University at the 2022 International Association of Catholic Nurses (CICIAMS) XXI World Congress of Catholic Nurses at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, PA.

The World Congress of Catholic Nurses event takes place every four years and invites Catholic nurses from around the world. The event offers nurses the opportunity to gain spiritual nourishment, discuss education techniques, share dialogue, and experience professional collaboration. The last time the event was held in the United States was in 1990 in New York City.

Cardinal Peter Turkson, a Prefect of the Vatican, celebrated Mass and spoke to the nursing congress at large. Bishop Joseph Coffey, an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese for the Military Services, U.S.A., participated in the opening Mass and offered dialogue and discussion with the congregation of nurses.

MURPHY-ROZANSKI REPRESENTS HOLY FAMILY UNIVERSITY AT THE 2022 CICIAMS XXI WORLD CONGRESS

Patricia Griffin Ph.D.

WADDELL RECEIVES GRANT TO SUPPORT RESEARCH ON BLACK SOLDIER FLY RESEARCH

Rethink Priorities awarded a grant of $47,450 to support the research of Edward A. Waddell, Ph.D. , assistant professor of Biology, on diets for farmed black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens) , which are used as animal feed and, increasingly, human consumption. His research will seek to determine the optimal diet and guide industry best practices. Rethink Priorities is a research organization aimed at uncovering insights to inform policymakers and major foundations about how to best set policies to help people and nonhuman animals.

“The misconception is that black soldier flies are simply breeding pairs that store all of their nutrients and carry them over from their larvae stage and can just survive on that,” says Dr.

FACULTY

BRIEFS

Presentations

Brian Berry, Ph.D. presented “Danielson Framework and its Application for PreService Teachers” at Formative Feedback Day ARMIF 2020 as part of his participation in a research project with the University International of Catalunya (UIC) in Saint Cugat, Spain.

Elizabeth Carroll, Ph.D. presented “Ecology of Aquatic Plants” as part of the Lake Appreciation

Days programs at Lacawac Sanctuary, a nonprofit nature center, environmental education center, and research facility in Lake Ariel, PA.

Mindy Parisi Cummings, Ph.D., and Diane Menago, Psy.D., presented “Suicide Assessment, Bereavement & Postvention: What Do Mental Health Professionals Need to Know?” at the 2022 American Association of Suicidology Conference in Chicago, IL.

Waddell. “However, black soldier flies possess all of the anatomical features of insects that eat, so my work will test that hypothesis and attempt to determine if black soldier fly adults eat and what their preferred food sources are.” During the project, a room in the basement of Holy Family Hall will be adapted into a research laboratory where black soldier flies will be housed.

J. Barry Dickinson, Ph.D., and Bernice M. Purcell ’85, DBA presented “Strategic Planning in Business Schools and Programs” at the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) Conference in Washington, DC. The presentation contained their initial findings from research they conducted with Don Goeltz, Ph.D., and Luanne Amato, Ph.D.

Roger Gee, Ph.D. shared his research in two presentations, “Digital Tools for Text

Simplification” and “Digital Tools for Cloze Activities,” at the Costa Rican Association of English Teachers (ACPI TESOL) Convention 2022, a hybrid convention held in San José, Costa Rica; presented “Mobiles Phones and Video Music Tic Toc: Examining nouns as nominal premodifiers” at the virtual Peru TESOL Association (Peru Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages Association) 29th Annual Convention; and presented “Appropriateness of Prenominal Noun

Modifiers in the Writing of Spanish L1 EFL Teachers” at the 15th International American Association for Corpus Linguistics Conference in Flagstaff, AZ.

Patricia Griffin, Ph.D., and Darren Stocker, Ed.D. were discussants on a panel about advancing collaboration and examining best practices associated with the Bucks County Drug Court evaluation study at the National Association of Drug Court Professionals Annual Conference in Nashville, TN.

BUILDING WORK

The Esports Center’s state-ofthe-art gaming computers are fully equipped for all next-generation computer games.

Holy Family’s

Job-Ready Academics

TOMORROW’S FORCE

Educational technology company Cengage Group published a study in Spring 2021 examining graduate employability and discovered concerning findings.

In a survey of 1,600 recent college graduates from 2-year and 4-year institutions, 21 percent said that they felt that their college did not provide them with the job skills needed in their fields. Half of those surveyed said they did not apply to entrylevel jobs in their field of study because they felt underqualified, with one in three saying that they did not believe their education helped them get a job after graduation.

With millions of unfilled jobs requiring skilled labor, particularly in emerging fields, it has become increasingly important for graduates to be prepared with the required skills for a job from the moment they enter the workforce. As an anchor institution in Northeast Philadelphia, Holy Family University recognizes the critical importance of preparing graduates that are educated from the community to serve in their communities. The University’s estimated economic contribution to the community is $115 million. Holy Family is also leading in the region for economic mobility by a substantial margin. According to data from Third Way, the earnings premium for a Holy Family graduate is more than $21,000 above a high school graduate and more than $7000 the average of our peer institutions.

To address these workforce challenges, the University began the new academic year with innovative new programs in cutting-edge fields of employment growth

to create job-ready graduates to make impactful contributions and become industry leaders in Philadelphia, Bucks County, and beyond.

TODAY’S TECH

The School of Business & Professional Studies now offers three skill-focused majors in high-demand technology fields through a partnership with Rize, an innovative nationwide education consortium of colleges and universities. These programs, Applied Computer Science, Cybersecurity Administration, Cybersecurity & IT Management, are taught in a blended format and offer students the opportunity to earn a degree in some of the fastest-growing employment sectors in today’s market.

The new programs were selected based on offering students majors that would allow them to not only find good jobs but also to help graduates of Holy Family serve the needs of the community and society. According to labor market analytics company Lightcast, while the average job growth is projected to grow nationwide by 7.7 percent by 2031, computer sciencerelated jobs are projected to grow at 15.6 percent nationwide over the same period. In cybersecurity, there is virtually zeropercent unemployment within the field, with approximately 460,000 unfilled cybersecurity positions in the United States alone. Job growth in the sector is expected to grow by an astonishing 35 percent by 2031. Both fields also offer exciting

opportunities for economic mobility –according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employees in Applied Computer Science and Cybersecurity positions had a median salary of over $100,000 in 2021.

These statistics demonstrate the growing demand for employment in these fields. Cybersecurity experts estimate that hackers start a new cyberattack starts about every 40 seconds, with Cybercrime Magazine expecting that costs related to cybercrime will reach $10.5 trillion annually by 2025, far greater than costs associated with natural disasters and putting the financial, health, and government data of hundreds of millions of people worldwide at risk. A degree in computer science can provide students with a broad foundation in proficient computer skills and teach them logical thinking and problem-solving skills that can be adaptable to nearly any field in the ever-changing digital world. The undergraduate program also gives the University the foundation to build master’s programs in computer science disciplines to meet future growth demand in the fields.

Holy Family’s three programs were developed in collaboration with Google and focus on preparing students for employment by helping them develop not only the skills for the job but also by helping them create a resume and portfolio that will help them find employment immediately after graduation. New Holy Family students demonstrated an immediate interest in these new programs, ensuring a successful launch of both academic programs this fall.

THE WORKFORCE – and how college graduates are entering it – is rapidly changing, and many universities and colleges are not keeping pace.

Holy Family University four-year degree holders have higher average salaries than other Pennsylvania Colleges.

The average net cost to earn a four-year degree over four years at Holy Family University is lower compared to other Pennsylvania Colleges.

“We introduced these three new majors for the School of Business & Professional Studies to prepare our students with in-demand skills in business fields that are expected to have explosive growth over the next decade,” said Kristi Ringen, Ed.D., dean of the School of Business & Professional Studies. “The successful launch of all three programs shows that our students immediately recognized the value of these majors in developing their future careers. We look forward to building on this successful introduction as we create additional new programs in the School of

Business & Professional Studies that will allow our graduates to answer the needs of the community with their skills.”

STEM

For decades, the University’s School of Nursing & Health Sciences has been one of the region’s leading schools in addressing the critical need for nursing and medical professionals in Philadelphia and beyond. New programs in the school continue the University’s commitment to providing cutting-edge knowledge in nursing.

Students in the School of Nursing & Health Sciences Associate of Science in Radiologic Science (ASRS) program have the opportunity to continue their studies in the new Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Science (BSRS) program.

This year, the School of Nursing & Health Sciences expanded the scope of its renowned Second Degree BSN program, named a Top 10 Accelerated Nursing Program in Philadelphia for both 2021 and 2022 by Best Value Schools, by offering the program as a hybrid format. Holy Family’s Second Degree Distance Hybrid BSN program is a full-time program designed for learners with a bachelor’s degree that prepares students for nursing licensure in just over a year. The program includes a week-long campus residency to help students develop hands-on clinical skills by working with our faculty and other nursing students in the University’s high-tech simulation lab as well as clinical placements in the students’ communities to address nursing needs close to home. Students who reside in Pennsylvania (excluding the following counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia), Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Vermont now have the opportunity to work with Holy Family’s faculty and resources, allowing the University’s nursing program to make an even greater impact in nursing education throughout the United States.

The School of Nursing & Health Sciences has also built on its Associate of Science in Radiologic Science and postprimary certification programs with its new Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Science (BSRS) program, offered to radiologic technologists certified by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) or equivalent based on ARRT Supporting Category requirements. The program is designed for those in the field interested in supervision and management roles, which are in demand throughout the radiologic science profession.

THE BUSINESS OF ESPORTS AND MARKETING

To complement the new majors in the School of Business & Professional Studies,

the University has also partnered with Rize to offer three new minors, Cybersecurity, Digital Marketing, and Esports & Gaming Administration, to provide students with even more options to learn about emerging digital fields. Along with the field of cybersecurity, both digital marketing and Esports and gaming are innovative and exciting fields and these programs offer students the opportunity to explore careers in these growing sectors.

In courses for the Digital Marketing minor, students are learning how the transformation of the global economy has impacted the traditional marketing field

Students in the School of Nursing & Health Sciences

Second Degree Distance Hybrid BSN program visit campus for a week-long campus residency

that has incorporated digital media – from online advertising to social media to search engine optimization and beyond – into its advertising channels. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that job opportunities in marketing will increase by 10 percent by 2031, and LinkedIn has ranked digital marketing as the sixth fastest-growing field based on its employment data.

The field of Esports – also known as competitive gaming – encapsulates everything from traditional console video games to smartphone applications to cutting-edge computer games that are played globally in competitive settings. According to video game data analytics company Newzoo, the Esports audience was projected to grow to over half a billion people worldwide in 2022 and is projected to reach nearly 650 million people and generate $1.87 billion in revenue by 2025, particularly in emerging gaming markets outside of North America. Students earning a minor in Esports & Gaming Administration are learning the business fundamentals required to work across industries with a strong focus on the games industry and the growing role of Esports within it.

The new Esports & Gaming Administration minor is also supported by the University’s new Esports Center, a dynamic new facility located in the Campus Center Commons that features 20 gaming stations. The Esports Center will also be the home of one of the newest Holy Family University Athletics programs, Esports.

INTERNSHIP INITIATIVE PREPARES STUDENTS FOR THE WORKFORCE

The renewed emphasis on job-ready academic programs at Holy Family goes beyond the University’s new undergraduate programs. The University has committed to pursuing internships and field placement opportunities for every student and has created an internship

graduation requirement to ensure that all students graduate with professional experience relevant to their fields of study. Studies have continued to demonstrate the important role that internships serve in college students’ development of career skills. A 2022 Student Voice survey from Inside Higher Ed on internships and experiential learning found that nearly two-thirds of students with experiential learning opportunities said those

experiences were very helpful in preparing them for their careers.

Students will become eligible for the internship course that will fulfill the graduation requirement in their junior or senior years. They will receive substantial, individualized career services from the University’s expanded Career Development Center, led by Angela Cutchineal, MSHE, Director of Career Development.

“Experiential learning provides students with the opportunity to put into practice the content and skills taught in the classroom, through an internship,” says Cutchineal. “They can apply those expanding skills, and then return to the classroom for reflection with our great instructors. This cycle of learning through reflection on doing is the vehicle for our students to explore their chosen field of study before graduation, ensuring

that they are making informed decisions regarding their career path while gaining experience. Once into the workforce, after graduation, these young professionals will be bringing with them insight into current industry trends, experience, and a desire to continue learning and growing within our community’s businesses. Hiring an intern student is the right move for the business and it’s the right move for our community.”

The Esports Center, located in the Campus Center Dining Commons, will be used for the University’s new Esports team as well as for academic courses. Students will also be able to access the the Esports Center for free gaming time.

Shirali Publishes Award-Winning

Poetry Collection summonings

In her poetry collection summonings, Raena Shirali, MFA, assistant professor of English, investigates the practice of witch (“daayan”) hunting in India. In summonings, Shirali, an Indian American poet who was raised in Charleston, South Carolina, explores how both antiquated and existing norms surrounding female mysticism in India and the United States inform each culture’s treatment of women. summonings was awarded the 2021 Hudson Prize by Black Lawrence Press. Her new collection follows Shirali’s debut collection, GILT, published by YesYes Books in 2017, which won the prestigious 2018 Milt Kessler Poetry Book Award. Shirali also serves as a faculty advisor for Folio, Holy Family University’s literary magazine dedicated to publishing works by undergraduate students at the national level.

Docupoetry

While this genre may be unfamiliar to some, docupoetry is a poetry tradition that incorporates nonliterary texts and primary sources, such as news reports, legal documents, and transcribed oral histories, to create a “mixed media” work. By combining historical research and poetic expression, docupoetry can comment on culture, identity, injustice, social change, and historical narratives.

Below is an excerpt from Shirali’s summonings. Brackets indicate language sampled directly from anthropological sources.

MASTER OF FINE ARTS CREATIVE WRITING

LOW-RES DONE RIGHT

Holy Family University’s MFA in Creative Writing is a lowresidency, online program.

Faculty-in-residence include:

ghazal against [declining to name the subject]

Bahura Bai, it matters that you have a name. that you live past the story : you were young, Teerath Sahu, chased out of your home by twelve or more friends, men, family, called [antisocial], [killer]. younger still, the children falling sick, cattle keeled over, growing rancid in yearlong heat, buried as afterthought. in your own youth you thought daayans real. [the process of attraction—the power of girls to inflame passion, to subdue boys at their will] made your young skin prickle. here, there is no archetype ungendered. & blood like yours, like mine, doesn’t stay profitable long. & i’m too young to be telling your story, & privileged, & the rain keeps falling like the sky’s own mountain, your youths hiding under their cot, your husband accused of sheltering you—. Jaam Bai, there is only more terror. gone, now, those youthful days the men would stop by your house, ask for rice, for roots. even then, the killing had begun. no one here, at last, stays young.

Program features:

• Four-day, in-person immersive experiences in the heart of Philadelphia -- one of the great literary cities on the east coast.

• Mid-semester online “miniresidencies” that ensure you remain connected to your academic community while building lasting relationships in writing.

• A curriculum focused on your goal of a life in writing

• The chance to work one-on-one with internationally renowned faculty to hone your craft and gain experience across genres.

• Personalized courses of study in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, as well as literary genre writing, food/ travel writing, and YA.

Learn More: holyfamily.edu/MFA

summonings was published by Black Lawrence Press in October. For more information and to purchase, please visit blacklawrencepress.com/books/summonings

AIREA DEE MATTHEWS

LAURIE FOOS

ERIN BELIEU

BRENDA PEYNADO

ALUMNI PROFILE

“I

A Leader in Nursing Education

think that more than 40 years after I graduated that I still hold Holy Family responsible for my career is really important, and I made lifelong friends there,” says Susan Apold ’79, Ph.D., RN, AGNP, ANP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, dean of the School of Nursing at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in the Bronx, NY. “That’s pretty impressive!”

Throughout her life, Dr. Apold has been dedicated to the nursing profession and nursing education. She has had an impressive career as both a practitioner and an educator, including as a clinical professor of Nursing at New York University’s Rory Meyers College of Nursing and as the founding director of Iona College’s Bachelor of Science degree program in nursing, before returning to Mount Saint Vincent in 2021, where she previously served in several leadership roles, including vice president of Academic Affairs and dean of faculty. In addition, Dr. Apold has maintained a clinical practice in New Rochelle, NY for over two decades. She has received numerous honors in her field, including being honored as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a registered nurse) and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

Dr. Apold was inspired to go into nursing by her family. Her great-aunt was a nurse in the Army Air Corps during World War II and one of the first nurses inducted into the U.S. Air Force. She also has a cousin who was a nurse who influenced her desire to pursue nursing. “I don’t ever remember not wanting to be a nurse,” recalls Apold.

A 1975 graduate of Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls in Philadelphia, Dr. Apold received a full scholarship to attend Holy Family College.

Her education at Holy Family left a considerable impression on her. “I loved Holy Family,” shares Dr. Apold. “It was a wonderful experience. I had some of the most amazing professors. I don’t know where I could have gone to get a better education. Sister Maureen McGarrity taught Anatomy and Physiology, and I think about her a lot when I teach. I use a lot of the strategies that she used to teach. Her main strategy was talking at 120 miles per hour!”

Dr. Apold attended Holy Family when the thennew Nurse Education Building opened in 1977, and she recalls her classes with many first-rate professors dedicated to nursing. “As for my nursing professors, each one was even better than the next,” she says.

In addition to the many valuable lessons about nursing that she learned in the classroom at Holy Family, Dr. Apold also learned the importance of membership in nursing organizations. She has twice served as the president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners as well as the president of the Nurse Practitioner Association New York State, and the founder and project director of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners Leadership Development Program.

“When I was at Holy Family the dean of the School of Nursing, Dr. Alice Phillips, taught a research course and she spoke about nurses needing to have a voice and joining organizations. I was president of the Student Nurses Association at Holy Family, so being a leader and using your voice was always

Susan Apold ’79

presented to all of us as the best way to advance our careers. I was not out of school for six months before I joined the Legislative Committee of the Pennsylvania Nurses Association, and I’ve been joining nursing associations ever since. I think it’s an essential and moral responsibility if we have accepted the responsibility to be a nurse. If we embrace the Nursing’s Social Policy Statement, which says that we are going to take care of people, I think we need to collectively use our voices to advance the profession.”

In 2008, Dr. Apold took on the challenging task of establishing the new School of Health Science and Nursing at Concordia College in New York. Though it took immense effort, Dr. Apold counts it as one of her proudest accomplishments. “It was the heaviest lift that I had ever done in education,” she explains.

“It was my biggest responsibility and required interfacing with state and federal authorities and recruiting students. From its inception in 2007, until the college closed in 2021, it was one of the top 10 nursing programs in terms of NCLEX scores in New York. I am really proud of that.”

Reflecting on her decades in nursing education, Dr. Apold has realized the significant impact that she had on her students. “It occurs to me as an educator I have prepared a few thousand nurses in my lifetime,” she states. “That’s a whole lot of people I have touched in one way or another. Every time a nurse whom I have educated graduates, that nurse may have touched thousands of lives. I think teaching people how to be nurses the way I believe nurses should be is my proudest accomplishment.”

“

I loved Holy Family. I had some of the most amazing professors. I don’t know where I could have gone to get a better education.”

INDEPENDENCE BLUE CROSS FOUNDATION CELEBRATES 2022 NURSE INTERNS

THE INDEPENDENCE BLUE CROSS FOUNDATION celebrated 12 nurse interns, including Priya Patel ’23, in August 2022, showcasing their achievements. Patel completed her paid internship at AmeriHealth Administrators and presented her research project, “A Case Management Team and the Commission for Case Management Certification” at the event. Started in 2004 by Independence Blue Cross, the Nursing Internship Program has helped prepare future nurses to deliver culturally competent care to diverse patients in our community. The program exposures undergraduate nursing students to nursing roles in non-traditional health care settings, such as non-profit community health centers. Over the last decade, the Foundation has awarded nearly $16 million in educational opportunities to advance the next generation of nurses and nurse educators.

DOLORES E. LYSZKOWSKI ’62 BEQUEATHS $99,390

HOLY FAMILY UNIVERSITY WAS THE GRATEFUL RECIPIENT of $99,390 in August 2022 from the estate of Dolores E. Lyszkowski ’62 (née Skoczylas)

Born in 1940, Dolores passed away in 2020 in Philadelphia. At Holy Family, she majored in Economics-Business and was active in Albertans and the Sodality, Glee, and Family Life clubs.

The funds were given in support of the Library and will be used to support the creation of a Maker’s Lab, a workshop space with specialized equipment including a 3D printer, for students to work on academic and personal projects, and the renovation of study rooms.

Bequests provide the resources needed to create extraordinary opportunities today and preserve Holy Family’s academic excellence tomorrow. A bequest through your will or trust can maximize the benefits of available tax incentives for you.

For more information, please visit holyfamily.plannedgiving.org.

Dolores E. Lyszkowski ’62

RECENT GRANTS OF NOTE

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Holy Family received a grant for $300,000 from the Department of Justice (DOJ) through the Grants Program to Reduce Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking on Campus. The DOJ grant will position Holy Family to expand our current services and develop new programming designed to address and prevent sexual violence, adopt a multidisciplinary response program that involves partnership with Philadelphia law enforcement and local victim service providers, and provides additional personnel to the prevention education and response campus team to support the fulfillment of the critical grant initiatives.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PATHWAYS

The School of Education received a $210,000 grant in support of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Pathways Program. The Pathways program helps ECE professionals earn their bachelor’s degrees with support for tuition, books, technology, and necessary certifications. This is the fourth year Holy Family has received funding for this program.

W. W. SMITH CHARITABLE TRUST

The W. W. Smith Charitable Trust awarded a grant of $104,000 to support the W.W. Smith Scholarship Program at Holy Family. The Trust, a private foundation established by William Wikoff Smith in 1977, has awarded nearly $2 million in scholarships to nearly 1,000 Holy Family students since its inception.

NAZARETH FAMILY FOUNDATION

The Nazareth Family Foundation awarded a grant of $46,000 to help address food insecurity among Holy Family students. The grant will be administered by the Office of Mission and

Diversity and will be used to create a food pantry to provide free food to students in need.

Holy Family was also awarded a grant of $10,000 from the Nazareth Family Foundation to provide English as a Second Language instruction to newly-arrived Ukrainians who have settled in Northeast Philadelphia.

PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

The School of Education received a $20,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education Bureau of Special Education to expand experiential learning opportunities for Special Education majors at Holy Family, and expose students to real-world education settings.

INDEPENDENCE BLUE CROSS FOUNDATION

The Independence Blue Cross Foundation awarded a grant of $50,000 through its Supporting Treatment and Overdose Prevention (STOP) Initiative. Under the direction of Patrick McElwaine ’00, M’04, Psy.D. , associate professor and director of the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology program, the grant will be used to establish a Collegiate Recovery Program and create a culture of addiction recovery at Holy Family.

(NAZARETH FAMILY FOUNDATION)

(INDEPENDENCE BLUE CROSS FOUNDATION)

(PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BUREAU OF SPECIAL EDUCATION)

TIGERS ON THE LOOSE

NEARLY 200 ALUMNI AND FRIENDS ATTENDED TIGERS ON THE LOOSE, Holy Family University’s annual scholarship celebration, in May at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

The event surpassed its $300,000 goal with more than $306,000 raised. Thank you to our sponsors and donors for their generous support of student financial aid. For the complete list, please visit holyfamily.edu/tigersloose.

Tigers on the Loose changes venues every year, giving attendees access to some of the most interesting cultural spots in Philadelphia.

ABOVE: Sister Rita Fanning, CSFN, ’89, and Sister Maria Sophia Gerlach, CSFN, touring Historic Cast Hall.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Jim Bennett ’82, Tigers on the Loose Committee Member, Kim Bennett, and Dr. Anne Prisco; Jeffrey Duda, Beth Falloon ’09, Roger Falloon, ’97, Tigers on the Loose Committee Co-Chair, Ryan Hollman, and Andy Cohen; Kharon Randolph ’22 shared his student experience and spoke passionately about the importance of student financial aid; From PNC Bank: Patrick Cunningham and Grace Anselmo.

33RD ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC

ALUMNI AND FRIENDS GATHERED AT THE PHILMONT COUNTRY CLUB IN HUNTINGTON VALLEY in September for an enjoyable day on the links and to raise critical funds for student financial aid. Special thanks to Landscaping Maintenance & Snow Plowing, Inc. for their leadership support as the Grand Slam Sponsor of the 33rd Annual Golf Classic.

For the first time, a Women’s Golf Clinic was held with the support of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Women golfers received an hour of instruction before the Golf Classic.

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE LEFT: Holy Family’s first Women’s Golf Clinic helped players learn the basics of the game and more to take their next step in golf; Grand Slam Sponsor Joe Connelly of Landscaping Maintenance & Snow Plowing, Inc. and Sister Rita Fanning, CSFN, ’89, vice president, Mission and Diversity; Dr. Anne Prisco with Holy Family trustees Joe Slabinski and Bill Mandia; Niko Labrador, Golf Classic Committee Chair Charlie Kueny, and Nick Taglianetti.

MORE FROM THIS EVENT

To view more photos from the outing, please visit holyfamily.edu/golf.

Dr. Anne Prisco presented Evolution Sustainability Group players Chris McCleerey, Darrell Ballard, Andrew Harkness, and Doug Chizmar with the President’s Cup for the team with the lowest score.

More than 500 Holy Family University alumni, students, and friends gathered at Citizens Bank Park on August 27, to cheer on the Philadelphia Phillies.

The evening included an Alumni Meet-up at Pass and Stow, a Holy Family video played on Phanavision, and the ceremonial first pitch was thrown by an alumna and future Tiger. The Holy Family cheering sections, with their custom rally towels, were acknowledged multiple times during the game and the Phillie Phanatic also spent some time with University President, Anne Prisco, Ph.D. The Phillies won 6-0 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Holy Family Phillies fans were the best at the ballpark!

ABOVE LEFT: Hallie Fitzgerald, daughter of Bill Fitzgerald ’06 and Cindy (Ziegler) Fitzgerald ’07, M’12, threw the ceremonial first pitch. The family won this honor at the 2022 Tigers on the Loose online auction. ABOVE RIGHT: A Holy Family University video was played on Phanavision.

ABOVE LEFT: The Phillie Phanatic held a special audience with University President, Dr. Anne Prisco, to learn about enrolling in our Sport Marketing-Management program. ABOVE RIGHT: Diane Murphy ’18, Alumni Board Treasurer (second from left), and Roshan Pulimkalayil ’16, M’18, Trustee (far right), were excited to reconnect and cheer on the Phils.

REUNION 2022

REUNION 2022

IN JUNE, Holy Family’s Alumni Office hosted Reunion 2022 with events held on campus and at the Rivers Edge Garden Pavilion at Pen Ryn Estate in Bensalem, PA.

In honor of their 50th Anniversary, the Class of 1972 was inducted into the Golden Alumni Society at a special afternoon reception. The reception included Afternoon Tea with University President, Anne Prisco, Ph.D., and the “Then & Now” Panel Discussion, featuring: Nina Danko ’22, Abby Dolan ’24, Kharon Randolph ’22, and Drew Sagedy ’23. Following the Golden Alumni Society reception, all deceased alumni were remembered at celebrated at the Alumni Memorial Mass, celebrated by Father James MacNew, O.S.F.S.

At the evening reception, le diner en bleu, Jerry Wutkowski ’13, chair of the Alumni Association Awards committee, presented the 2022 Alumni Achievement Awards to James Dever Bennett, Esq. ’82, Edward Gallagher III M’10, Ed.D., and a posthumous award to Father Wayne E. Killian ’73, which was accepted by his classmate and friend, Reverend Michael Iski ’73. Guests enjoyed spectacular views of the Delaware River and everyone danced the night away dressed in shades of blue.

All Holy Family alumni should save to the date for Reunion 2023 on May 18-20. The events will be held on campus in conjunction with Commencement.

LEFT (TOP TO BOTTOM): The Class of 1972 celebrating their 50th anniversary.

Dr. Prisco and the 2022 Alumni Achievement Award recipients.

Dr. Prisco with members of the Class of 1960, Holy Family’s third graduating class.

ABOVE: The Class of 1977 celebrated 45 years.

ABOVE: Julie Rempfer ’10, director for Alumni and Parent Relations, and the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Alumni Who Make the Magic Happen

Rachel Johnson ’16 isn’t the only recent alum to work in Walt Disney World. Recent alumni who have worked at the Most Magical Place on Earth include:

From the Women’s Volleyball Team to ESPN, By Way of Walt Disney World

Before she even came to Holy Family University, Rachel Johnson ’16, already knew the next stop on her journey: Walt Disney World.

“I was interested in working at Walt Disney World ever since I was in 7th grade,” Johnson remembers. “My family went to Walt Disney World every year for vacation, so that was how I first learned about the Disney College Program.” The Disney College Program is a national internship program that recruits college students to work in a variety of roles at its Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL, and Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA.

Johnson played on the women’s volleyball team at Holy Family University, which at first appeared to prevent her from joining the Disney College Program. “My fall semesters were taken up by the volleyball season and my spring semesters were taken up by

Anthony Ciardullo ’22 worked at custodial guest services at EPCOT. “The positions that are offered as part of the Disney College Program require a lot of skill,” he explains. “What I learned at Holy Family translated to those skills. Learning how to communicate with co-workers and management helped me. Also, what I learned at Holy Family is that

in business your work revolves around your guests. Holy Family’s core values helped me learn about treating every guest with respect and dignity.”

Camille Johnson ’22 works in merchandise in Hollywood Studios. “Playing volleyball and being a full-time student helped me manage the important things in my life,” she says. “While

working at Walt Disney World, there are a lot of distractions. I could go to the parks every day if I wanted to – and it’s so hard not to sometimes! Because of my experience at Holy Family, I have been able to be more productive since I began working at Walt Disney World.”

Rachel Johnson ’16

training and spring season,” Johnson recalls. “At that time, Disney didn’t have a summer program.”

Of course, the Tigers were happy to have Johnson on the court as a member of the volleyball team. She became the second player in program history to record at least 1,000 kills and digs in a career, served as a team captain, and was twice named to the CACC All-Academic Team.

As Johnson entered the final semester of her senior year, she had an opportunity to apply for the Disney College Program. “Luckily, Disney allowed you to apply for the program if you were within six months of graduating,” she shares. “I applied in January 2016 and started in August.” Johnson graduated magna cum laude from Holy Family in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Communications and was inducted into three honor societies: Lambda Pi Eta, Kappa Theta Epsilon, and Chi Alpha Sigma.

After completing the Disney College Program, Johnson continued as a full-time employee and held several positions at Walt Disney World from 2016 to 2021, including Operations Assistant, for which she created and promoted recognition and exclusive

appreciation events for the cast members of Disney Sports and Water Parks. “My favorite thing overall about working for the Walt Disney Company – and this may sound cliche because people say it all the time – is the amazing people that I’ve worked with,” Johnson says. “When I was at Walt Disney World, my water park family was so close-knit and caring. I went out on medical leave twice and both times people from work sent me cards and care packages in the mail. For as big of a company as it is, it’s so interesting that you come back into contact with people that you might have worked with a year or two earlier that you might not think you’d ever come into contact with ever again.”

In January 2022, Johnson began a new role as a production assistant at ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut (the Walt Disney Company is the parent company of ESPN), where she currently produces soccer programming for the network. “I feel very grateful that I had the experience that I did at Holy Family and continued my dreams by going to work for Disney and ESPN, says Johnson. Disney and sports are my two favorite things, and to be able to work in the Disney Parks and at ESPN is surreal.”

Alexandra Lipscomb

’21 worked as a seater at Tiffans Restaurant in Animal Kingdom. “I was a student ambassador at Holy Family, and I feel that experience helped

me a lot because in my role at Walt Disney World I had a lot of guest interaction,” she shares. “When I was a student ambassador, I had a lot of interaction

with prospective students and their families. It taught me to stay on my toes because you never know what questions you’re going to be asked at Disney! It helped strengthen my communication and organization skills.”

Kalyn McCann ’21 works in the Magic Kingdom at Big Thunder Mountain

Railroad. “I was a graphic design major at Holy Family, and in all of my courses we would present our projects in front of the class and

the professor,” she says. “That helped prepare me to speak in front of people because at Walt Disney World you have to speak in front of anybody and everybody. You might not think about it, but you really do make an impact on everyone’s vacation. It’s really cool to be part of the magic and part of

why

the reason

people keep coming back.”

“

I feel very grateful that I had the experience that I did at Holy Family and continued my dreams by going to work for Disney and ESPN”

Athletics to Add Acrobatics & Tumbling and Men’s Lacrosse in 2023-24

In July, the Department of Athletics announced the addition of acrobatics & tumbling and men’s lacrosse as its 16th and 17th varsity programs, effective for the 2023-24 academic year.

Holy Family Athletics continues its growth as the University has now revealed the addition of four new varsity programs, with the previous announcement that women’s bowling and Esports would be coming to Holy Family.

“With the addition of four new sports by the 2023-24 academic year, Holy Family University Athletics is expanding our athletics programming to develop even more student-athletes that will learn discipline, preparation, strategic thinking, and teamwork in their respective sports with their peers,” said Director of Athletics Tim Hamill ’04, M’08. “We are looking forward to welcoming our first acrobatics & tumbling and men’s lacrosse teams to our campus.”

ACROBATICS & TUMBLING

During the 2022 season, National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) programs competed on 32 campuses nationwide, with five new programs recruiting to compete in the spring of 2023.

“We are excited to welcome Holy Family University to the NCATA community and to continue program growth within the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC),” said NCATA Executive Director Janell Cook. “Adding our first program in Philadelphia compliments

recent growth in and around Baltimore and New York City. Expansion in the northeast not only provides new opportunities for young women training in gymnastics and cheerleading to compete at the collegiate level, but it also enhances the regional match-ups for our current members.”

Rachel Johnson ’16

“This is an incredibly exciting time for acrobatics & tumbling, as we experience another period of expansion and continue forward to our goal of reaching NCAA championship sport process.”

Acrobatics & tumbling was adopted as an NCAA emerging sport in all three divisions effective August 1, 2020, meaning when 40 programs meet NCAA sport sponsorship thresholds for participants (18) and competitions (6), acrobatics & tumbling will be eligible to begin the legislative process for NCAA championship status.

Earlier this year NCATA announced the addition of its 40th member, and Holy Family will proudly become its 45th, including the 31st in Division II.

MEN’S LACROSSE

NCAA Division II featured 74 men’s lacrosse programs in 2022, of which just three were in Pennsylvania.

Holy Family will become the fourth, in addition to becoming the eighth member of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC).

Men’s lacrosse will be the 12th sport in which Holy Family competes in the CACC, amongst the 16 that the league offers.

•

Ziegler Selected as Holy Family’s 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year Nominee

Jacqueline Ziegler ’22 was selected as Holy Family University’s nominee for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year.

Established in 1991, the award recognizes female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in their community, athletics, and academics throughout their college careers.

“Jackie has left an incredible legacy of excellence at Holy Family,” said Robin Arnold, associate director of Athletics. “She was a superstar both athletically and academically, and she demonstrated humility and a kind spirit. We are so pleased to acknowledge all that she has meant to Holy Family by nominating her for the NCAA Woman of the Year. As this year marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, it is wonderful to honor someone who has epitomized the highest ideals in women’s sport and education.”

COMMUNITY SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP

• Tiger-Thon | Public Service Coordinator | Responsible for promoting event/collecting donations

• Pre-Health Club | Nursing Liaison | Coordinated information to nursing students about advanced degree opportunities (Master’s Doctorate)

Suicide Awareness Campaign

| Social Media Representative

| Created social media content raising awareness about suicide

• Coats for Chester | Transporter | Picked up coats and dropped them off at a central location

ATHLETICS EXCELLENCE

• Two-time All-CACC First Team

• 2021 D2 CCA All-East Region First Team

• Sixth in program history with .35 assists per match; 10th with 19 assists and 1.09 points per match

• Ranked top-27 nationally with eight assists and .42 assists per match in 2021, while leading Holy Family with 20 points

• Eight assists ranked second in the CACC, while her 20 points were fifth

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2022 Holy Family University Dean’s Award for Excellence, awarded to the nursing student with the highest GPA

• 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team; the first in HFU history

• 2021 PhillySIDA Women’s Soccer Academic All-Area Performer of the Year

• Dean’s List Honors in all eight of her semesters

• Three-time CACC All-Academic Team

• Member of Chi Alpha Sigma (National College Athlete Honor Society)

• Graduated summa cum laude

Pierre

Podium at

DII NCAA National Championships for High Jump

Nishorn Pierre ’26 finished second in the high jump at the NCAA Division II National Championships inside the Grand Valley State Lacrosse/Track & Field Stadium in Allendale, MI.

Pierre jumped 7’ 8.19” (2.19M) at the NCAA National Championships to finish in second place in the high jump. He broke the school record that he set earlier this year in the regular outdoor season. This was the first time in program history a Tiger competed at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and earned a podium spot.

With Pierre finishing second overall in the high jump, he also earned All-American status for the first time in program history.

Holy Family University served as the host institution for the semifinals and finals of the 2022 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships as well as for the semifinals and finals of the 2022 CACC Women’s Volleyball Championship.

The Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships were conducted from November 4 to 6 at Tiger Field, while the Women’s Volleyball Championship were conducted on November 12 and 13 at the Campus Center Gymnasium. The Campus Center hosted the championship for the second time in the last three years and the first time since 2019.

The winner of each Championship earned the CACC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division II East Region Tournament at a site to be determined.

Holy Family Hosts 2022 CACC Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships and 2022 CACC Women’s Volleyball Championship

takes the

the

Student-Athletes Excel with Academic Awards

• 59 student-athletes received the 2021-2022 D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award.

• Shania Le Maitre ’24 was named the East Coast Conference’s Women’s Indoor Track & Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

• For the first time in program history, the women’s track & field program was named an All-Academic Team by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), with Kenisha Greenwood ’25 also becoming the first Tiger to be honored as an AllAcademic Athlete.

• Nine members of the Holy Family University track & field program earned 2022 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field All-Region accolades.

• 46 student-athletes were named to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) AllAcademic Team for the 2021-22 academic year. Three teams finished in the top two of the league for honorees in their respective sports, highlighted by women’s track & field leading the conference with eight. Women’s lacrosse and women’s basketball both finished second in honorees in their respective sports, with eight and five.

Alumni Benefits Program

Did you know that the Holy Family University Alumni Association sponsors an Alumni Benefits ProgramSM as a service to our alumni? The program offers a variety of attractively-priced products, most of which are available to alumni, students, faculty, and staff, as well as their spouses, domestic partners, children, parents, and siblings.

For more information visit HFU.MeyerAndAssoc.com or contact Meyer and Associates, the Program Administrator, at 800-635-7801.

Proceeds from the program support the Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship Fund.

life insurance medicare exchange long term disability insurance real estate benefits advisory services long term care insurance travel insurance id theft coverage auto/home insurance pet insurance mortgage small business insurance

Kenisha Greenwood ’25

CLASS NOTES

1960s

Cynthia Britt Roberts ’63 recently retired from the real estate industry at the age of 80. She is an avid oil painter. She and her husband, Doug, have 10 grandchildren.

Martha (Morris) Naas ’68 and her husband, Mike, have owned Alta Vista Dental Lab in Bethesda, MD for forty-two years. They have three children, Marilyn, Michelle, and Michael, as well as five grandchildren.

1970s

Hospital (part of Temple University Health System). She is a board member of the Scattergood Foundation at Friends Hospital and the secretary for the Philadelphia Hospitality Network.

Georgia TrantasWeiss ’76 retired in May 2022 after 50 years of teaching at Alpha House, the nursery, pre-K, and kindergarten on Holy Family’s campus. Her last day of school was made extra special by Bob Kelly of FOX 29 Good Day Philadelphia, who hosted a live broadcast on-site to celebrate her many years of service.

the equity of women. Westburg served as assistant director of admissions at Holy Family University from 1985 to 1990.

of the WilmingtonPhiladelphia Province of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales.

Elizabeth Hunt ’94 has retired from a successful career as a senior software engineer for Lockheed Martin Corp. She lives in Las Vegas, NV.

Monica (Matejcek)

Kolb ’70 has five children and 11 grandchildren. She has traveled around the world with six of her grandchildren as high school graduation gifts. Kolb is in her 25th year serving as the chaplain and bereavement coordinator of Jeanes

1980s

Nancy Westburg ’80, Ph.D. was recognized among the American Association of University Women (AAUW)’s Notable Women. As featured in The Indiana Gazette, she was honored for her volunteer work and social action, especially for underserved populations and for

Irene Klepacki ’85 is a Polish medical interpreter for AMN Healthcare, Inc. She is pictured with her son, who is a sophomore at Desales University.

1990s

Steve Schmidt ’90 was inducted into the Southeastern Pennsylvania Soccer Hall of Fame with its Class of 2022.

Annmarie (Batty) Chavarria ’98, DNP has been appointed to the Florida Center for Nursing Board of Directors by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Chavarria is the chief nursing officer and senior vice president at Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, FL.

Father John “Jack” Kolodziej ’91 was elected to serve as the new provincial

Dennis Feltwell ’99 was recently named as provost for the East Campus at Pasco-Hernando State College in Dade City, FL. He and his wife, Christine (Stevenson) Feltwell ’94, live in Wesley Chapel, FL.

2000s

Patrick McElwaine ’00, M’04, Psy.D., associate professor of Counseling Psychology at Holy Family University, was appointed as the program director of the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology program.

Marie (Burkitt) Dennis ’08 is a librarian at the Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library in Bristol, PA. She and her husband, Drew, live in Feasterville, PA.

Derek Felsman ’09 was promoted to lieutenant within the Pennsylvania State Police in June 2022. He and his wife, Dr. Alexis Felsman, live in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

2010s

Brittany (Schilling) Cloud ’12 works as the U.S. head of quality control for Medexus Pharma, Inc. She and her husband, Wayne, live in Denver, PA.

Melissa (Murphy) Witner ’03, Holy Family soccer alumna, was inducted into the CACC Hall of Fame Class of 2022. Witner is the fourth CACC Hall of Fame inductee from Holy Family, joining Mike McLaughlin ’91 (CACC Class of 2016), the 2007-08 women's basketball team (CACC Class of 2017), and Catherine Carr ’11 (CACC Class of 2019).

Jayda Pugliese ’09, M’14 was awarded a 2022 Lowell Milken Center Fellowship. The Fellowship is a merit-based award for educators and leaders of all disciplines who value the importance of teaching respect and understanding through project-based learning.

Mike Laskowski ’10 works as the archivist for the Masonic Temple of Philadelphia. His work was recently featured on FOX 29 news.

Mark Burgmann M’11, Esq. has joined Wisler Pearlstine, LLP as an associate in its acclaimed Education Law Group.

Gregory Ludwig M’12 is the vice president of commercial credit management training lead at TD Bank. He is also a Toastmaster and a self-published author.

Regina O’Brien ’15 has started a new position as a postdoctoral fellow at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS). O’Brien, a psychobiology major at Holy Family, completed her doctorate in May 2022 from Rutgers University.

Kyle Willard ’15 is a claims specialist for the U.S. Social Security Administration. He moved back to Philadelphia in 2018.

Mary Collins M’11, CCRN, adjunct professor at Holy Family, won the Relationship Based Care Award for Critical Care at Pennsylvania Hospital, where she has worked for the past 20 years.

Kathleen Womelsdorf M’12 was hired as the associate director of Athletics for compliance and student-athlete success at Stockton University. She previously worked in the Athletics Department at Immaculata University.

Vimal Koruth '15 was promoted to Facility Operations Coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jill Conroy ’17 was hired as an assistant women’s basketball coach at Stonehill College in Easton, MA.

Nicole Copestick M’17 was appointed vice principal of Bensalem High School in the Bensalem School District.

Ryan Keller ’17 has returned to Holy Family as the assistant director of grants for the University Advancement Office.

Francesco Grupico ’18 was featured with his mother Vivian Grupico P’18 and brother Mario Grupico in Nurse Journal for their commitment and passion for nursing.

Caitlyn Connelly ’19 wrote an article, "Worth a Thousand Words: How to be a Respectful Communication Partner to AAC Users," which was published in the Spring 2022 Dystonia Medical Research Foundation newsletter, Dystonia Dialogue.

Adam Kolman ’19, M’21 was recently promoted from the rank of detectivesergeant to lieutenant in the Bensalem Police Department.

2020s

James Umile ’21 was sworn into service with the Warrington Township Police Department in April 2022. Having been introduced to the police force via his Holy Family internship at the Bensalem Township Police Department, Umile recently graduated from Temple University Police Academy as a class sergeant.

In Memoriam

Dolores (Skoczylas) Lyszkowski ’62

Frances (Quinn) Rossi ’64

Sister M. Teresita Morales, CSFN ’66

Janice Cleary ’71 Judie (Harris) Hornstein '80

Carol Meyer ’81 Edward Friel ’88 Susan Ortlip ’90

Derrick Wood ’18, M’20, chief of the Norristown Police Department, was featured in Norristown Patch for his commitment to the community. Chief Wood took on this new role in December 2021 after more than 23 years with the Philadelphia Police Department.

Branden Aughburns ’20 joined the Newcastle Eagles, a professional basketball team based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. He previously played in European leagues for Georgia’s Superleague for BC Titebi and Basket Swans Gmunden in Austria’s BSL.

Sadena Corbin M’21 is a general education teacher within the Philadelphia School District. Ronald McIntire M’21 works as an agent with New York Life Insurance Company. He and his wife, Bridget, live in Yardley, PA.

Nina Danko ’22 is pursuing a master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences at Drexel University. Before graduate school, Danko worked as a clinical informatics specialist for Oak Street Health. Danko was the 2022 Alumni Senior Award recipient.

Kharon Randolph ’22 is working at Holy Family University as the Athletic Academic Support Liaison while completing his master’s degree through the BA/ MS in Counseling Psychology (4+2) Program. Randolph received the 2022 Sister Neomisia Award.

Lana Womack D’22 is a school counselor within the Norristown Area School District.

Jackie Ziegler ’22, women’s soccer alumna, was selected as Holy Family’s 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year Nominee.

James Milligan ’93 Nancy (Kannengieszer) Barry ’94

Anna (Umfer) McMullen ’96

Thomas King M’98

Matthew Galietta M’01

Samantha (Liesner) Sinkler M’20

Father James Collins, Former Professor and Campus Minister

Luci Sweeney, Former Assistant to the Director of Athletics

Lisa Woodside, Ph.D., Former Academic Dean, VP for Academic Affairs and Professor Emeritus

SISTERS OF THE HOLY FAMILY OF NAZARETH JUBILEES

A number of Holy Family University alumnae and friends from the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth celebrated very special anniversaries this year, including: (pictured from left to right)

Sister Leonara Bialecki, CSFN ’73 (65 years); University Board of Trustee member Sister Celine Warnilo, CSFN ’74, H’08 (60 years); Sister Joan Gajewska, CSFN ’64 (70 years); and Sister Annuntia Osmanski, CSFN ’73 (65 years) (not pictured)

Sister Susan Therese Rojek, CSFN ’86 (50 years)

Sister Maria Annette Mallen, CSFN ’88 (50 years)

FAMILY SPOTLIGHT

Finding Home at Holy Family

Tedrionne Paris ’92 did not begin her college education at Holy Family, but once she transferred there she knew she found the right place to finish her degree. As it turns out, Holy Family would end up being the right school for her daughter as well years later.

“I had gone away to school for my freshman year and it wasn’t quite the experience that I thought it was going to be,” remembers Tedrionne. “After my first year I went to community college, and while I was there someone came to recruit from Holy Family. It was close to home for me, and the small setting sounded nice to me. It seemed like the right fit.”

Tedrionne finished her final two years of college at Holy Family. She quickly realized that Holy Family provided the education experience that she had hoped that college would be. “I liked that even though it is a smaller community, I felt that the school challenged me,” she recalls. “I liked the feeling of it being a little more elite. Also, I liked the religious aspect. Even though I am not Catholic, I am a Christian and felt comfortable taking a religion course and meeting other people who were faith-centered. I liked being able to meet with my professors if I needed help, and that makes it special too.”

Of the many aspects that she enjoyed about her experience at Holy Family, one that left a memorable impression on her was that connection with the faculty. “I love that my professors got to know me personally,” says Tedrionne. “For example, in my senior year, I was called down to the dean. I thought I was in trouble, and I had never been in trouble! She said to me, ‘Someone told me that you sing in a band. Would you sing our Alma Mater at graduation?’ I was blown away and honored. I didn’t even know how she knew about that!”

Tedrionne, who majored in Special Education at Holy Family, is an English Language arts educator in Neshaminy School District. Just over two decades after Tedrionne graduated from Holy Family, her daughter, Schyler Paris-Ellerbee ’20, was in the process of determining which school she would attend for college. Holy Family University was on her list – though, as it turns out, it was quite a long list.

“I was ecstatic when I found out she was interested in Holy Family,” Tedrionne says with a laugh. “She applied and got into 10 schools, and she

BELOW: Tedrionne Paris ’92 and Schyler ParisEllerbee ’20

narrowed it down to two schools. I didn’t want her to pick Holy Family just because I went there. I kept saying to her, ‘Go with what’s in your gut.’ But when she told me that she wanted to go to Holy Family, I said, ‘Finally, we have a legacy!’ I was so excited!”

Ultimately, Schyler did not simply choose Holy Family because her mother went there. But like her mother, she did feel that Holy Family was the right place for her. “After getting into 10 schools, I felt overwhelmed because I didn’t think that was going to happen,” says Schyler, who majored in Psychology. “My comfort zone is being in Philly, and though I kept touring schools, I felt like I would have a good experience at Holy Family. One day I woke up and felt that Holy Family was for me. It felt very peaceful, and I think it helped settle my anxiety after coming on a tour and being able to walk around and meet other students who were here.”

The friendliness on the campus that Tedrionne observed in the 1990s was also apparent to Schyler. “A great aspect of Holy Family is having your own time to be you and grow as a young adult,” Schyler

shares. “There is camaraderie on campus where you feel like you can have a conversation with anyone.”

Schyler was an active student, serving as vice president of Fusion, a multicultural student organization that celebrates cultural and ethnic diversity on campus. “That made my experience here more meaningful in the sense that we got to express ourselves and our concerns on campus,” Schyler adds.

Recently, Schyler has returned to Holy Family University to work as the internship experience specialist in the Career Center. The position has allowed her to continue to feel at home in the Holy Family University community. “Because it’s a smaller campus, that sense of community allows you to connect with people that you might not have classes with and you might not know, but you see them daily walking the same path as you,” she explains. “Who knows that same person that you talk to might end up becoming one of your closest friends. That ended up happening to me!”

LEFT: Schyler

Paris-Ellerbee ’20 (center) with friends and classmates

Daina Simola ’20 (left) and Samantha Yim ’20 (right)

“ A great aspect of Holy Family is having your own time to be you and grow as a young adult. There is camaraderie on campus where you feel like you can have a conversation with anyone.”

WELCOMING THE

CLASS OF 2026

Holy Family University officially welcomed the Class of 2026 with the FirstYear Convocation, a celebration of the beginning of their academic experience in higher education, on September 21. Dr. Illana Lane, the University’s vice president for Academic Affairs, opened the ceremony by welcoming the new students, declaring, “Students, be a spark in and beyond the classroom!”

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Advance Your Career

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wages for workers holding a master’s degree are 30 percent higher than for those with a bachelor’s degree.

Holy Family University offers graduate degrees designed to take your skills to the next level. And Holy Family University has been ranked #6 by UniversityHQ for Best Master’s Degree in Pennsylvania.

Not sure which program will suit you best? Explore our Graduate Program Finder to see what interests you most:

Have a question? Contact the Graduate Admissions Office at 267-341-3327 or email gradstudy@holyfamily.edu.