Introduction to SPRING 2013 • Vol. 4, Issue 1
What is STEM? STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Historically, STEM was first “coined” as an educational term by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the early 2000s. What STEM offers is a closer alliance within the study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. In fact, the design of our new Loyola Science Center “encourages interdisciplinary interaction and effective intellectual collisions between and among [these] traditional disciplines.” This offers our students a chance to make sense of the integrated world we live in rather than learning fragmented bits and pieces of knowledge and practices about it. In many respects, STEM is in its infancy in the U.S., yet design elements of our Kevin P. Quinn, S.J.
science center, as described by a leading-edge facilities planning organization, emphasize “interdisciplinary” over “multidisciplinary.”
This issue of Ignite celebrates women faculty in the fields of STEM at The University of Scranton, and shows what STEM as an interdisciplinary endeavor can offer. Articles on marine snails, vertebrate bones and knot math will not disappoint. In “For the Love of Math,” the author’s passion is obvious despite her parents’ concern about how she might make a living from studying mathematics! Janice Voltzow, Ph.D., chair of the Biology Department, reports on an important NSF project to develop networking and mentoring opportunities for women from all STEM disciplines at primarily undergraduate institutions; this project includes four women faculty at our University. What is particularly noteworthy here is that an issue on women in the sciences is contextualized by a lead article on the city of Scranton’s efforts to revitalize its downtown. Revitalizers in Scranton and elsewhere in Northeastern Pennsylvania champion building an innovative, knowledge-based and technology-focused economy as vital to the region’s rebirth. This strategy includes attracting and growing health care/bioscience research and development opportunities. To build a knowledge-based economy requires collaboration with colleges and universities throughout the region. The University of Scranton, especially with its outstanding STEM faculty, stands ready to play its part.
Kevin P. Quinn, S.J. President
For many years, the success of The University of Scranton’s applicants for graduate school admissions, for Goldwater scholarships, and for medical school admissions has been predominantly the success of our women students. Certainly, the credit must go to these students for their hard work and commitment. But the model of the committed scientist that is presented in this issue of Ignite sheds additional light on the students’ success: they have excellent role models. The women faculty presented here have led lives of dedication and success in the STEM fields. They are first and foremost teachers, but their teaching has been an extension of Harold W. Baillie, Ph.D.
their efforts to advance their disciplines. The women in these pages are not simply women who teach science. They are researchers, and their scientific research, be it in biology, math or physics, has been, unapologetically,
precisely that: scientific research. The University, our students and indeed the STEM disciplines themselves have all been enhanced by the dedication and drive of these women whose professional activities make clear to all that the sciences are the playground of the trained and creative mind without regard to gender and the foolishness of prejudice. We all benefit from their efforts, both as contributors to the wealth of human understanding and as mentors to their bright and curious successors. The face of science we more commonly see is also represented in this issue of Ignite: the social scientists and health providers who focus on us as human beings in our practices and our difficulties. Here science as a discipline meets the Jesuit concern with cura personalis, care for the whole person. Proper care requires deep understanding of biological and psychosocial realities of the person. Whether it be urban life or the needs of a suffering person, our women faculty stand out as committed researchers and teachers, dedicated both to uncovering the realities of who we are and to easing our often all-too-fragile condition.
Harold W. Baillie, Ph.D. Provost & Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
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EDITOR Paula Baillie
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20
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DESIGNER Jason Thorne
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
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collaboration cooperation community
Valarie Clark Tommy Kopetskie Lori Nidoh Anne Marie Stamford
Maureen Carroll, Ph.D. Harry Dammer, Ph.D. Catherine Lovecchio, Ph.D., R.N. Stacey Muir, Ph.D. Maria Squire, Ph.D. Jennifer Vasquez, Ph.D. Janice Voltzow, Ph.D. Patricia Wright, Ph.D., R.N. Christine Zakzewski, Ph.D.
PHOTOGRAPHY Terry Connors Carol McDonald
PRESIDENT Kevin P. Quinn, S.J.
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS & PROVOST Harold W. Baillie, Ph.D. Ignite is published by The University of Scranton for its faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends. Office of Academic Affairs The University of Scranton, Scranton, PA 18510 (570) 941-7520 Website: scranton.edu/academics/ provost/index.shtml Marketing Communications Office The University of Scranton, Scranton, PA 18510-4615 (570) 941-7005 Website: scranton.edu/marketingcommunications
2 Studying Change in ‘The Electric City’ 7 Fast-Paced Research on Slow Animals 10 Building a Better Academic Atmosphere for Women STEM Faculty
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16 20 22 24 27 30
Pushing On: Support for Moms After Pregnancy Loss So Much More to Learn Knot Math: Unraveling a Complex Theory Bones & Beyond For the Love of Math A Better World Through Technology Through the Mathematical Looking Glass
table of contents
Meghan Rich, Ph.D.
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  Ignite Faculty work in the Ignatian tradition
Meghan Rich, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Sociology/Criminal Justice Department. She received her doctorate from the University of Delaware.
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A City in Transition While Scranton enjoys low levels of violent crime and little snarled traffic, it is subject to the same global pressures as other Rust Belt cities that no longer provide industrial employment for residents. Scranton lost 6.6% of its population from 1990 to 2000, declining from 81,805 to 76,415. Its 2010 population stood at 76,089, and it has a higher poverty rate and much lower median income than the national average.1 Not surprisingly, there was a decline of 23.8% in regional manufacturing jobs between 2000 and 2006.2 And yet despite deteriorating infrastructure, vacant houses and a depressed job market, Scranton maintains a strong identity, a revitalized downtown, and tight-knit communities. Not only do many Scrantonians stay in Scranton, when they could easily move to another city with more professional opportunities, but many return to the city after gaining education and life experiences elsewhere. Although the city has often been the target of jokes – notably during the last two Presidential election seasons, thanks to Joe Biden’s Scranton roots – it is not unusual to hear people talk proudly of their home city, “The Electric City,” and the rich cultural life it sustains. It is this stubborn belief in Scranton as an authentic place, worthy of preserving, that drives the key players in the revitalization of the city. In my qualitative research study of downtown Scranton revitalization, I interviewed 30 people from 2009 to 2010 who were involved in the rebirth of the downtown, including business owners, real estate developers, highlevel politicians, journalists and cultural leaders.3 I found that while many of these important players were motivated by ideas of the “creative class” – artists, entrepreneurs, technology workers and other creative types – reviving declining cities, many also focused on social capital, social ties and quality of life as more important to Scranton’s future, rather than any culture-based “quick fix,” such as rebranding the city. One young woman I spoke to returned to Scranton from the big city where she attended college to
open a downtown boutique. “I made the decision to stay in Scranton because there is potential and there are people who care enough to stick around and see that potential through. And that’s exciting to me,” she told me. “I don’t get that everywhere else I go. There are other great cities. There are better cities with people who already have these things implemented and are doing it, but the thought of being able to stay here and see something grow and progress and to be a part of that is really important to me. I’d like to see the changes that need to happen, happen here.” The ability to fully participate in the revitalization of Scranton is a result of its smallness and the strong social networks already in place. Even though thick social ties can sometimes bind, revitalizers in Scranton viewed these ties as the glue holding the city together, assisting them in their endeavors to revitalize the city. Scranton remains financially distressed since this research study was completed in 2010.4 Nevertheless, I hope that the city maintains its efforts to promote its livability through downtown living and cultural programming. Scranton should take advantage of the “new urbanism” qualities of its downtown – its pedestrian-friendly, dense grid footprint and green public spaces – and work to attract more downtown residents. With the growing popularity of downtown living, simple amenities for residents must be provided, and these are not currently available through the downtown mall. Basic amenities, such as grocery and hardware stores, could fill empty lots and storefronts. Making the downtown more livable for residents will make the city more attractive overall. As explained by respondents who were actively involved in promoting downtown living, downtown residents are not just young hipsters; they are a diverse mix of empty-nesters, college students, newcomers and longtime area residents. If Scranton’s quality of life improves and more living options become available, families with children may also join the downtown living movement.
U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2011 2 Brookings Institution, 2007 3 This research was supported by The University of Scranton Internal Research Grant and a Faculty Development Fund Grant. 4 Rich, Meghan Ashlin. Forthcoming, 2013. “From Coal to Cool’: The Creative Class, Social Capital, and the Revitalization of Scranton.” Journal of Urban Affairs. 1
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A Developing Neighborhood My current research study continues my inquiry into Scranton’s revitalization by focusing on a major project in the South Side of Scranton. In collaboration with a fellow sociologist from Marywood University, Joseph Cabrera, Ph.D., and with support from a Marywood/University of Scranton Cooperative Grant, this study examines the “Elm Street Revitalization Initiative.” Similar to “Main Street” downtown revitalization initiatives across the country, this state-funded project, run in Scranton by United Neighborhood Centers of Northeast Pennsylvania (UNC), is designed to decrease crime, reduce blight, and create a sense of community among residents of this historic neighborhood. South Scranton has undergone a significant demographic shift in the past 10 years with new immigrant communities, largely Latino, settling in this previously white
ethnic area. This study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of revitalization strategies utilized in this initiative and employs a mixed-methods design, involving both quantitative survey and qualitative interview components. We will examine whether residents who use local amenities have more social connections within the community, feel a greater “sense of community,” and have a more diverse set of social relationships than residents who do not use such amenities. We expect the results will provide a better understanding of the existing barriers preventing greater social interaction from occurring between diverse groups within the community. We have trained 17 undergraduate students from both universities to assist in this research, including collecting survey and interview data, data entry, and interview transcription.
Future Research For a future research project, I plan to revisit the city of my dissertation research5 to study the revitalization of a transitioning Baltimore neighborhood designated by the state of Maryland as an “Arts and Entertainment District.” Using ethnographic methods and semi-structured interviews, I will study the activities and attitudes of residents, both renters and homeowners, business owners, artists, musicians and those directly involved in the organizations that work to promote the neighborhood. Through this research project, I hope to broaden the understanding of the economic, political and social processes of arts- and culture-based gentrification and the particular effect it has on the city of Baltimore as a whole.
“I’d like to see the changes that need to happen, happen here.” 5
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Rich, Meghan Ashlin. 2009. “It Depends on How You Define Integrated’: Neighborhood Boundaries and Racial Integration in a Baltimore Neighborhood.” Sociological Forum 24:828-53.
Ignite Faculty work in the Ignatian tradition
Fast-Paced Research on SLOW ANIMALS
G
rowing up on the Florida Gulf Coast, I loved to explore the coastline
and to collect shells never thinking that these childhood experiences would become the basis for my professional passion in life. As I grew older, I began learning more about these shells and the animals that make them. Most of my research involves marine snails such as whelks, conchs, limpets and abalone, as well as the relationship between structure and function in these organisms. Engineered materials are usually designed to carry out a single function under specified conditions. Biological materials, in contrast, have been modified by millions of years of natural selection as compromises to diverse internal and external forces. They usually carry out multiple functions, none of them perfectly. In my research, I test hypotheses about the functions of biological structures with the goal of understanding their evolution.
Spring 2013 The University of Scranton
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Photo courtesy of Janice Voltzow, Ph.D.
This is an endoscopy of an abalone. Green dye is used to highlight internal structures and flow of water through the animal.
ach snail crawls on a single, muscular foot, which is what we eat as conch fritters or awabi sushi. For my doctoral dissertation I studied locomotion in marine snails, especially whelks and abalone, which involved describing the basic anatomy and histology of their muscle and connective tissue, and recording the pressures generated inside their feet as they crawled. Over the years my interest has broadened to include another set of structures of marine snails, the gills, which are the feather-like sites of gas exchange. Underlying the shell is the mantle cavity, which houses the gills and other structures that serve as the link between the animal’s organ systems and its environment. Because these structures are housed within a hard shell, it has been difficult to watch them as they function. Most studies, therefore, have focused on dissections or studies of preserved animals. Over time, however, I have developed a set of tools to learn more about how the gills function in the living animal. For example, I have used a laser beam as a light source to record the movement of tiny particles traveling in and out of the mantle cavity. By measuring the sizes of the anatomical spaces through which the particles travel, I have been able to estimate the rates at which water passes through the gills of different species of snails. Most recently, I have been using an endoscope to observe the movements of the gills in living keyhole limpets and abalone. These animals have naturally occurring openings
on the upper surfaces of their shells. Many people have had experiences with endoscopy and colonoscopy. Imagine the size instrument I use to examine these creatures’ structure. Abalone average five to six inches in length. The instrument I use is similar to the one used for human colonoscopies, but simpler and smaller, less than two millimeters in diameter. I can insert the endoscope through an opening in the shell of a live animal without damaging the shell or underlying tissue. The most difficult part is getting the animals to cooperate. Each snail is set in a dish of seawater that is only slightly larger than the animal itself. They are free to crawl around the dish and often do. I am one of the few people in the world who wish snails would move more slowly! What I have observed has never been described before: the gills are very dynamic and filled with blood so that they resemble delicate balloons. Muscles in the walls of the gills permit them to contract and re-expand to fill the mantle cavity. As my research continues, I will analyze the videotapes I recorded of the movement of water and particles through the gills and mantle cavity with the longterm goal of understanding the evolution of these structures. Why conduct studies such as these? To examine and understand the diversity of life on earth. It is fascinating to see the amazing diversity of animals, and to examine all the different ways animals function and the structures that enable these functions. I seek to understand evolution one snail at a time.
Photos courtesy of Janice Voltzow, Ph.D.
Janice Voltzow, Ph.D., professor of biology, is chair of The University of Scranton’s Biology Department. She received her doctorate from Duke University.
Spring 2013 The University of Scranton
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  Ignite Faculty work in the Ignatian tradition
Four women faculty in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at The University of Scranton are part of a project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The grant involves women from all STEM disciplines at primarily undergraduate institutions (PUI) in an experimental project to develop networking and mentoring opportunities. The grant’s principal investigator, Joanne Smeija, Ph.D., professor of chemistry at Gonzaga University, put out a call for other STEM women to join her to develop the proposal. As it happens, all four co-investigators are also from Jesuit institutions, including Janice Voltzow, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Biology at Scranton. The group has received a grant for $600,000 over five years from the NSF to develop peer networking to promote professional development for STEM women faculty.
Observation
Women are underrepresented in almost all fields of
career success. Most research about factors that enhance
STEM. The percentage of women in faculty positions in
or inhibit career success for STEM women faculty has
STEM is discouragingly low and keeping STEM women
been gathered from studies at larger, research-intensive
faculty at PUIs is difficult. At PUIs like Scranton, the
universities where faculty operate within distinctly
representation of women in STEM faculty is often even
different circumstances compared to faculty at PUIs.
lower. Within STEM departments at Scranton women
Whether private or public, PUIs are often characterized
currently occupy 0% to 29% of the faculty (see table).
by faculty governance, high expectations of service,
STEM female faculty at PUIs typically carry large teaching
an emphasis on teaching with small classes and low
and advising loads and are often the only females in their
student-faculty ratios, and small departments with few
departments. Across disciplines, female faculty report
if any female colleagues in their STEM departments.
problems with authority, isolation and balancing the
Therefore, PUIs provide specific career opportunities and
responsibilities of work and family that appear to limit
challenges for women faculty members.
Faculty Specialist Assistant Professor Associate Professor Full Professor Total Women Total Full-time Faculty Proportion of Women
Biology
Chemistry
1
0
1
1
1 2 5
17
29%
0 1 1
10
20%
Computing Science
Mathematics
0
0
0
0
0
3
0 0 8
0%
1 4
14
29%
Physics & Electrical Engineering
0 0 1 0 1 8
13%
Number of STEM women identified by rank and department at The University of Scranton.
Spring 2013 The University of Scranton
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Hypothesis
Formal and informal networking help women
faculty stay in their field and become more successful despite the demands of their careers. This type of mentoring and networking may offer access to information and resources that may encourage career advancement. These associations may facilitate opportunities to improve the status, effectiveness and visibility of a faculty member through relationships with new colleagues, shared knowledge about institutional cultures, and raised awareness of innovative projects and new challenges. The entire project is an experiment on the impact of networking on the careers of the participants.
Experiment
The project includes 70 tenured or tenure-track
women from 28 PUIs across the country. At the heart of the networking project is the system of alliances. Each alliance consists of four to six women who are in the same or similar STEM discipline at a similar stage of their career, either early, mid or senior. The women within an alliance meet with each other via videoconference at least once a month and share information using a confidential social network site. Alliance members also meet in person once a year over the course of four years. In addition, networking groups have been set up based on discipline and career level. The networks communicate through a closed social media page similar to a Facebook page. Opportunities for direct email and teleconferencing also allow for discussions of a wide range of topics: What factors have been helpful across the faculty’s career? How did they get to where they are? What opportunities or challenges have they met as they advanced in their careers? Who are their role models? Why choose the discipline chosen? Horizontal networks allow women across disciplines to discuss their successes and challenges as faculty members. Each horizontal network consists of women at similar career levels. A vertical network is composed of women in similar disciplines. There are five vertical networks: biology, chemistry,
mathematics,
physics/engineering
and
engineering/computer science. These networks permit the women to focus on aspects of their career specific to their discipline. Networking also provides more junior faculty (usually assistant professors) the opportunity to seek advice about advancement from more senior women (usually associate or full professors). Achieving rank presents various expectations of performance and responsibility, so these networks allow women to learn directly from each others’ experiences.
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The fourth network brings members together
Evaluation
An independent team of evaluators is surveying
at the all-participant meetings of the project. The
the participants over the course of the project to
members just had their first face-to-face meeting
measure the effect of the networking activities on
last fall in Kansas City, Mo., in conjunction with the
their productivity, satisfaction and advancement.
AAC&U/PKAL meeting on STEM learning.
These sociologists are monitoring the use of social
Four faculty from the University are participating
network, email and teleconferences to quantify what
in this project. Dr. Voltzow and Maria Squire, Ph.D.,
tools best serve the different populations of the study.
are members of the senior and early career biology
Ultimately, the results of the study will be used to help
alliances, respectively. Stacey Muir, Ph.D., and
guide future opportunities for networking for STEM
Jennifer Vazquez, Ph.D., are members of the mid-
women faculty and identify ways of promoting and
and early-career math alliances, respectively. Dr.
retaining them in academic professions.
Muir is also the leader for the horizontal network of mid-career participants.
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W
hen Patricia Wright, Ph.D., R.N., submitted her research proposal on women’s experiences of pregnancy loss to the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects (IRB) at The University of Scranton, she expected suggestions for revisions and questions about the protocol. She also expected to be able to answer those questions. However, when she was asked to name local pregnancy loss support resources that could be offered to the participants, she realized that she simply couldn’t answer the inquiry because there weren’t any local support groups or organizations dedicated to helping women through pregnancy loss. This insight provided her with an opportunity to use her research to make a difference in the community.
No stranger to grief As a clinician, Dr. Wright chose to work as a hospice nurse, caring for patients who were terminally ill and providing support for their families who would soon be without them. In her 15 years of hospice work, she mastered many techniques to ease physical suffering for her patients. For Dr. Wright, the most difficult part of hospice work was supporting families who were preparing to lose a loved one because their grief involved deep existential suffering. She hoped to discover ways to provide better support for grieving families and decided to make bereavement research her life’s work.
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Throughout her hospice career, Dr. Wright worked with many mothers who had lost adult children, which helped develop her interest in maternal bereavement. In her doctoral program, she conducted research on women’s experiences of pregnancy loss and found that women often experienced shock, disbelief, self-blame and profound sadness. The grief that ensues after pregnancy loss is, in some cases, emotionally devastating and allconsuming. This type of grief doesn’t just go away; it reemerges on special days like the anniversary of the loss, holidays and other special days like Mother’s Day. The women in Dr. Wright’s study felt that people didn’t understand the ongoing nature of their pain, and they felt pressure to move on too soon. When they did reach out to talk with others about their grief, they were sometimes disappointed by the comments people made such as, “you can try again,” or “at least you didn’t have time to get to know the baby.” Comments like these, although mostly made by well-meaning people, minimized the pain that the women felt and caused them to feel further isolated from others. The women explained that other women who had experienced pregnancy loss understood their pain better than anyone else, and were often very helpful in offering useful advice and support. Although numerous pregnancy loss support groups are available across the country, no such group was offered in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area.
Pictured (from left) are founding members of Pushing On: Support for Moms: Robin Gallagher, Ph.D., CRNP, professor, Marywood University; Patricia Wright, Ph.D., R.N., ACNS-BC, associate professor, The University of Scranton; Chrissy Jacoby, MSN, R.N., administrator, Commonwealth Hospice of NEPA; and Diane Haleem, Ph.D., R.N., professor, Marywood University. Absent from photograph is Millie Lloyd, bereavement coordinator, Commonwealth Hospice of NEPA. Patricia Wright, Ph.D., R.N., is an associate professor in the Nursing Department. She received her doctorate from Loyola University Chicago.
Meeting a need With the help of a generous collaborative grant offered jointly by The University of Scranton and Marywood University, faculty members from both institutions were able to partner with staff from the Commonwealth Home Health and Hospice of Lackawanna County to start a pregnancy loss support group in Scranton. The group, guided by the “Pushing On Theory of Maternal Perinatal Bereavement” that Dr. Wright developed in her research, is named “Pushing On: Support for Moms after Pregnancy Loss.” The five facilitators work diligently to organize the group, which meets on the third Wednesday of each month at Regional Hospital of Scranton. The group has been meeting for more than a year and continues to provide a safe and supportive atmosphere for grieving mothers. Since the group started it has served 20 women. The support group has a website (www.pushingon.org) and a Facebook page (Pushing On: Support for Moms) designed to reach out to those who may be searching for help. Dr. Wright was selected as a “Northeast Woman” for her work and has been trying to advance community awareness about the problems facing women who have experienced pregnancy loss by writing a guest column for The Scranton Times-Tribune. She is a certified hospice and palliative nurse, certified nurse educator, and a board-certified adult health clinical nurse specialist.
Spring 2013 The University of Scranton
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So Much More to Learn
Interdisciplinary Course Takes Students, Faculty Outside Their Comfort Zones
W
hen Harry Dammer, Ph.D., sat next to Catherine Lovecchio, Ph.D., at the on-campus 2011 Pedro Arrupe Award dinner honoring Gregory Boyle, S.J., he never dreamed that he would be drafted to create, let alone help implement, an interdisciplinary nursing/criminal justice course. Dr. Lovecchio, assistant professor of nursing, was so inspired by Fr. Boyle’s presentation that she saw an educational opportunity for her nursing students that could not be ignored and convinced Dr. Dammer, chair of the University’s Department of Sociology/Criminal Justice, that his criminal justice students would benefit as well. The following January, during intersession 2012, they met their students at Los Angeles International Airport – better known as LAX – kicking off an educational and spiritual journey. The course, “Gangs and Urban Health in LA,” was born of Fr. Boyle’s message, molded by two dedicated professors, forged by working with the homeless, poor, former gang members and prisoners, and annealed by friendship and Jesuit reflection.
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The Experience The students were given articles in advance to prepare for their experiential learning. They were to apply or dismiss the theory when they met with the practice. They volunteered at St. Francis Mission, a community center that serves lowincome families and homeless residents in Los Angeles, packing food, exercising and salsa dancing with seniors. They worked at a health fair at Dolores Mission Church, interacting with the homeless and the poor. The group visited with Det. Jorge Luis Martinez, who is responsible for monitoring Los Angeles’ 450 gangs, and toured the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, one of Los Angeles County’s prisons. They toured a cell block and visited the medical facility where they saw inmates handcuffed to beds. Dr. Lovecchio and her students were most impressed with the civility guards afforded inmates recalling, “they treated the inmates with respect. One guard explained that he wasn’t there to make the inmates’ lives more difficult.” The students also toured Homeboy Industries, Fr. Boyle’s response to gang violence. “Homeboy Industries serves high-risk, formerly gang-involved men and women with a continuum of free services and programs, and offers seven social enterprises that serve as job training sites.”1 This organization also offers tattoo removal, employment, legal services, mental health, substance abuse and domestic abuse services, education and job training. Every experience the professors planned was designed to take the students out of their comfort zone – to create dissonance – and to make them reflect on their own values, as well as the needs of others. The missions of the various agencies presented to the students were often in sharp contrast between the role of the criminal justice system. As they met with the poor, homeless, prisoners and former gang members, the students and professors were always continually confronted with the humanity of these people. Many of those they met wanted a better life; some were working hard at creating new lives. Central to change for those with whom they spoke was the power of education and of faith to transform their lives. 1
Homeboy Industries. 6 Mar. 2013 <http://www.homeboyindustries.org/what-we-do/>. Spring 2013 The University of Scranton
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Discernment “One of the challenges of teaching is keeping my pedagogy fresh,” explained Dr. Dammer. For the criminal justice professor, this class did just that. What he saw was “just a refresher course on the systems and problems of criminal justice. It was helpful to go back and examine the etiology of gangs by talking to gang members.” But the class experience changed his views on his teaching paradigm. He found the experiential approach “contributed to the depth” of the subject matter. Dr. Lovecchio and he came face-to-face with a fundamental philosophical difference in their teaching approaches. Nursing prepares the nurse to treat the person regardless of his or her background or behavior. Inherent in nursing is the respect for the individual and the need to transcend differences.2 Dr. Lovecchio looks at the person and their needs, not their past. In prison she approached the inmates with the thought that this is someone’s son or brother. She accepts people and treats them without qualification. Dr. Dammer approaches people with a more skeptical view. He observes and asks, “How did this person get like this? What choices and actions had this person made to lead him to this place?” The two professors had not examined these differences until confronted with them. These experiences and discussions revealed a new way of thinking about their patients and clients.
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American Nursing Association. Code of Ethics for Nurses. <http://www.nursingworld.org/codeofethics>.
Transformation Both Dr. Lovecchio and Dr. Dammer speak of the transformative nature of the class. Both tailored the course with their Jesuit, Catholic values, and included the “examen” at the end of the day. Jesuit novice Jason Downer, N.S.J., traveled with the group and nightly guided them in reflecting on the day’s experiences. Dr. Lovecchio felt that the examen allowed the entire group to find meaning in the experience by “challenging our values and reflecting on our choices.” As their experiences created discomfort and cognitive dissonance, the examen allowed teachers and students to think about their futures in a faith-based way and perhaps an opportunity to reconcile their discomfort with insight. Students and teachers began their journey with theory, tested those theories in experiential settings, reflected together on all they shared, and incorporated the experience into their personal and professional lives. Dr. Lovecchio and Dr. Dammer have heeded Fr. Arrupe’s call of living a life that is mindful of others, creating a class that asked their students to do so as well.
Harry Dammer, Ph.D., professor of sociology/ criminal justice, is chair of The University’s Department of Sociology/Criminal Justice. He received his doctorate from Rutgers University.
Catherine Lovecchio, Ph.D., R.N., is an assistant professor in the Nursing Department. She received her doctorate from Villanova University.
Spring 2013 The University of Scranton
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trefoil
Trefoil knot, 3 September 2006 by Baserinia
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Don’t worry if you aren’t a fan of calculus or if algebra
without any crossings and you connect the tops to the
isn’t your thing, this article is about knot math. Knot
bottoms, you will construct two unlinked unknots;
theory is a popular subfield of mathematics with new
however, if you cross the right string over the left string
and exciting applications. Here, we will briefly describe
three times and then connect the tops of the strings to
the application of knot theory to building a quantum
the bottom of the strings, you will have formed a knot
computer and to the study of DNA, but first we need a
called the “trefoil.” Try it. This is the simplest nontrivial
bit of background information.
knot. An important mathematical theorem states that
What is a knot? Take a piece of string, make a knot in
any knot can be formed by connecting the ends of a
it, and glue the ends together. While this may not seem
braid. Thus, braids play a key role in knot theory, which
like such a big deal, to mathematicians this last step is
brings us to our first application.
absolutely crucial. An important characteristic of a knot
As computers continue to get smaller and faster, they
is that it must be closed. The simplest of all knots is called
are approaching physical limits, propelling the world
the “unknot,” which is a circle. Another way to form
toward quantum physics. In the 1990s, Peter Shor,
knots is to take several pieces of string and braid them –
Ph.D., currently a professor of applied mathematics
as if you are braiding a young girl’s hair – then connect
at MIT, showed that quantum computers would have
the tops of the strings to their respective bottoms. This
the power to factor large numbers quickly and in
will either give you a knot or a link, which is a collection
doing so would break cryptographic codes, making
of knots that do not intersect, but may be linked
commonly used electronic communication not secure.
together. For example, if you have two straight strings
Secure electronic communication is frequently taken
Ignite Faculty work in the Ignatian tradition
for granted when purchasing items with credit cards
apart and recombine at different ends. Telling two knots
or conducting online banking. The biggest problem
apart is extremely difficult. As a result, mathematicians
with a quantum computer is that no one knows how
use invariants to help. A knot invariant is something
exactly to build or even maintain one. There are several
that is assigned to each knot and remains unchanged
approaches that are currently being attempted, but
even if the knot looks different. For example, some of
each has its own unique limitations. One method to
the most well-known knot invariants are polynomials.
construct a quantum computer is based on the idea that
Each knot is assigned a specific polynomial. If the
the quantum bits can be encoded into small particles
polynomials are different, the knots are different, but if
called “anyons.” Braids can model the trajectory of
the polynomials are the same, they may or may not be
these particles over time. This is the basis of what has
the same knot.
been called a topological quantum computer since knot theory is a part of mathematics called “topology.”
We have described only two of the numerous applications of knot theory to physics and biology.
Another application of knot theory is utilized in
There are many more deep connections to complex
understanding the complex and dynamic structure of
areas such as protein folding, synthetic chemistry
DNA. Strands of DNA are often bunched tightly together
and statistical mechanics. The interested reader is
and can become entangled. Knot theory can be used
encouraged to explore our references below. One of
to study the biological process of DNA recombination
the benefits of studying knots is that all you need is a
where a crossing of two strands may switch or break
few pieces of string to get started!
• •
Adams, Colin (2004), The Knot Book: An Elementary Introduction to the Mathematical Theory of Knots, American Mathematical Society. Collins, Graham (April 2006), “Computing with Quantum Knots,” Scientific American.
© 2007 Bill Frymire
Jennifer Vasquez, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Mathematics Department. She received her doctorate from Indiana University.
Spring 2013 The University of Scranton
23
... the most fascinating organ in a vertebrate organism
24
The focus of Dr. Maria Squire’s research has been on
migrating bird. For these studies, she has had the
what she calls “the most fascinating organ in a vertebrate
opportunity to collaborate with a number of scientists
organism: bones.” More specifically, the associate
around the country and at The University of Scranton. She
professor of biology is interested in determining how
has worked with some of the University’s undergraduate
much bone tissue is present, the quantity, the tissue, and
student researchers and one local high school student
factors such as environment.
who conducted research with her in summer 2012.
She has always had an interest in the musculoskeletal
One of the most exciting developments and directions
system, but her passion for studying bone began when
that her research has taken in the last few years has
she was a graduate student. During her graduate studies,
been related to the examination of medullary bone in
she examined bone loss, osteopenia, and the influence
breeding female passerine birds. Medullary bone is a
that genetics and gender have on the development and
type of primary bone tissue that can serve as a calcium
severity of osteopenia. She used a mouse model to study
reservoir. It is laid down quickly and can also be broken
bone loss that resulted from a lack of weight-bearing,
down relatively quickly to release calcium and make it
research that was funded by a NASA Graduate Student
available for use by the body. This can be particularly
Researchers Program Fellowship.
crucial for female birds during the breeding season
Since her graduate school days, Dr. Squire’s research
as almost 98 percent of the dry mass of an eggshell is
interests continue to center around quantifying bone
comprised of calcium hydroxyapatite, which is the
tissue and examining its microarchitecture, but her focus
primary mineral component of bone. She came upon the
has more recently shifted toward characterizing and
medullary bone as a result of scanning bones gathered
quantifying changes in bone quantity and architecture
from birds collected during spring migration at breeding
relative to events throughout the annual cycle of a
grounds and during fall migration.
I g nit e F a c u l t y w o r k in th e Ign atian tr ad ition
Dr. Squire and her collaborators, along with an undergraduate student, published a study in
microarchitecture. Researchers know that there are changes that take place within many organ systems in
in 2011 that demonstrates the
birds during their preparation for migration, as well as
presence of this medullary bone tissue in breeding
during migration. She plans to compare bone quantity
female passerine birds and its absence in post-breeding
and microarchitecture among birds collected prior to
females and those females that were collected during
migration, upon arrival at the breeding grounds, and
all other non-breeding phases of their annual cycle.
just prior to departure from the breeding grounds for
In an ongoing study, which was recently presented
fall migration in order to determine what, if any, effect
at the Society of Comparative and Integrative Biology
migration might have on bone tissue.
annual meeting in January 2013, they showed that the
None of this research would be possible without
presence of medullary bone is influenced, at least in
the Major Research Instrumentation grant that she
part, by estrogen levels and may also be related to the
obtained from the National Science Foundation to
stage of the female bird’s progress toward laying an egg.
acquire a micro-computed tomography, microCT
While her continuing research will examine the timing
scanner at Scranton. MicroCT scanning is a state-of-
of medullary bone formation relative to egg-laying, she
the-art technique that utilizes an X-ray source and a
and her fellow researchers are also interested in further
CCD array detector to create high-resolution, micron-
investigating what factors influence its formation. They
level images of the tissue being scanned. Having this
plan to investigate the specific role of medullary bone
state-of-the-art instrument on campus has allowed Dr.
during eggshell formation in these birds.
Squire and her students the opportunity to visualize and
Another area of focus in Dr. Squire’s research is
analyze the quantity and microarchitecture of bones in
understanding the influence that events related
a non-destructive way and advance understanding of a
to migration may have on bone quantity and
previously little-studied process.
Maria Squire, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Biology Department. She received her doctorate from Stony Brook University.
Spring 2013 The University of Scranton
25
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On a recent return flight from a math conference with
detail beyond our reach. In mathematics, the language
nearly 7,000 attendees, I overheard the usual polite chatter
and material introduced in upper-division undergraduate
amongst strangers forced into close proximity for a cross-
math courses only hint at the basic building blocks of
country trek. As this conference had only ended late
research, complicating a mathematician’s ability to
the day before, there was a larger than usual number of
convey his or her work. Nonetheless, there are similarities
mathematically inclined individuals around, and I heard
across disciplines as the nature of mathematics research
the familiar questions posed once someone encounters a
also requires invested amounts of large blocks of time to
mathematician: “What can you do in math?” and “Don’t we
investigate and pose questions, to sift through and learn
already know everything in math?” One can easily imagine
other’s work, and to discuss ideas with fellow researchers.
that there is more to discover in biology, chemistry,
26
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The
advancement
of
mathematical
knowledge
medicine and the like as results of studies from those fields
involves such things as extending or generalizing
regularly make their way into the popular media, but many
previously known theories, making previously unknown
have a difficult time believing the same is true in math. In
connections between known results, constructing or
fact, the online database of reviews of mathematical books
characterizing objects, and answering open questions.
and peer-refereed articles, MathSciNet, catalogs more than
These are accomplished by producing new mathematics
100,000 additions per year.
through reason, logic, proof and rigor. Furthermore, a
Researchers in some disciplines can draw on familiar or
necessary component for a math research publication is
widespread terminology, history or science to illuminate
that this rigorous argument and development must be
some basic ideas of research, giving us a taste of their work,
deemed significant enough by peer referees to advance
but leaving us knowing that there is still great depth and
the field.
Ignite Faculty work in the Ignatian tradition
2
3
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1
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Im
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Re
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5
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f (z) = h(z) + g(z)
(( ) ( ( )–2
)
2 = 18 12 11 +– zz + 2 11 +– zz + log 11 +– zz – 52 +
1 8
1 1+z 2 1–z
2
1 + z + log 1 + z + 3 1–z 2 1–z
)
Research While there are many exciting areas of mathematics
and graphs seem to indicate a conjecture’s truthfulness. For
research that are more immediately applicable to
example, in 1958, at the conclusion of a groundbreaking
medicine, industry and government, there are just as
paper in my research niche, the two authors posed an
many amazing and valuable avenues of pure mathematics
open question, now known as the Pólya-Schoenberg
research that advance our knowledge. Moreover, there is
Conjecture. Though many outstanding mathematicians
a great deal of give and take between pure and applied
worked on this conjecture, making progress on special
mathematics, making each useful to the other. My research
cases, it was not until 2003, through an imaginative and
as a pure mathematician is in the field of complex analysis
unexpected approach using a differential equation, that
with a specialization in geometric function theory. My
this conjecture was proved. In 2007, I published a paper
motivation to understand and discover more mathematics
on an extension of these results. One of the hypotheses
is grounded in the search for knowledge itself rather than
of my main theorem involves a geometric condition that I
being driven by an application, a perplexing thought for
believe will be true in a more general setting. While I have
my parents wondering what I was doing all those years in
yet to produce an example that fails to support my belief,
graduate school and how I could make a living from it!
the general result remains elusive and is an ongoing work
Since I study the geometric properties of mappings,
in progress. In 2008-2009, I mentored an honors student
I have the advantage of being able to use mathematical
who investigated specific changes to the differential
software and graphics programs to explore conjectures
equation and the geometry of the resulting solution
and pose new questions, a luxury not available to many
graphs. The work this student conducted in her honors
other mathematicians. However, the time comes to turn
thesis just to understand the problem goes well beyond
off the computer and pick up a pencil to pursue a rigorous
what our typical undergraduate majors learn, and she
argument. This process often requires creativity and can
produced an additional example related to this research
sometimes be unsuccessful no matter how many examples
problem in support of my more general hypothesis.
Diagrams courtesy of Dr. Muir Spring 2013 The University of Scranton
27
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0 -0.5
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A color-coded exampleofofhow how the the harmonic function Figure:Figure: A color-coded example harmonic function
( (
)) ((
)
1+ z 4z + 1 – 2 log 1+1z+ z+ 4z 4z 1 f (z) = f1(z) =2 8log 21log+ z1–+z + 4z +1– z 2 2 1–2z 2 + 18 – 2 log1– z 8 8 1– z 1– z 1– z 1– z maps one region in the plane to another.
maps one region in the plane to another.
)
Diagram courtesy of Dr. Muir
Surfaces from Parking Ramps to Chips Recently, my work has led me into interesting connections
with certain mathematical conditions that transform or
between two areas that might seem disparate: minimal
assign a region in a plane onto another region in a plane.
surfaces and planar harmonic mappings. Surfaces are two-
Through a process called “lifting,” minimal surfaces are
dimensional objects in a three-dimensional space. For
generated from some planar harmonic mappings where
example, the boundaries of a ball, an empty paper towel roll,
the geometry of the harmonic mapping and the surface are
or a donut are examples of the surfaces of a sphere, a cylinder
related. While this lifting process has been known since the
and a torus, respectively. Just as a line segment gives the
1860s, it does not always lead to a clear-cut or usable formula
minimum length amongst all curves connecting two points
for the surface; thus understanding the harmonic mappings
in a plane, loosely, a minimal surface is a surface with smallest
from which the surfaces are constructed has been important
area amongst all surfaces bounded by a given frame. In fact,
to the development of minimal surface results. Indeed, it is
dipping a wire frame into a soap solution naturally forms a
not always clear whether the surface produced is a portion
soap film that is a minimal surface. There are also examples of
or version of a known surface or a new one. Recently, a
minimal surfaces in everyday life. A spiral parking ramp is an
collaborator and I have provided additional identifications
example of a helicoid, and a Pringle™ potato crisp looks like a
between the mappings and surfaces. Therefore, this work
portion of Enneper’s surface.
also may possibly allow us to characterize previously
Minimal surfaces are investigated from many different
unknown surfaces in this manner.
approaches in varying areas of mathematics. One way is
Overall, mathematics research is a dynamic and creative
through planar harmonic mappings, which I also study.
journey often with great moments of frustration and
Loosely speaking, planar harmonic mappings are formulas
reward. There is great beauty and breadth in mathematics.
Web Resources for Further Reading My Research Papers: scranton.edu/faculty/muirs2/research.shtml Gallery & More Information for Minimal Surfaces: indiana.edu/~minimal Information on MathSciNet: ams.org/mathscinet/help/about.html?version=1
28
Ignite Faculty work in the Ignatian tradition
Stacey Muir, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Mathematics Department. She received her doctorate from the University of Kentucky.
s a biomedical engineer, Christine Zakzewski, Ph.D., seeks to develop innovative technologies to improve health care. She is currently engaged in the multidisciplinary collaborative “Elder Care” research program that brings together experts from behavioral psychology, nursing, engineering, biophysics, computer science and clinical medicine to create a smart home-based system capable of detecting early behavioral pattern changes. The system aims to take unobtrusive measurements of an individual’s routine daily activities, and alert caregivers when an unexpected change in behavior is detected that may be indicative of future adverse medical consequences. The system will promote healthy independent living by providing alerts to recommend early intervention and reduce the likelihood of catastrophic medical emergencies. The Elder Care research program is led by faculty from The University of Scranton, including Dr. Zakzewski, Margarete Zalon, Ph.D., Herb Hauser, Ph.D., Robert Spalletta, Ph.D., and Ayad Haboubi, Ph.D., and involves undergraduate students from various degree programs. Pilot studies have been funded by University of Scranton Internal Faculty Research Grants, and have led to student presentations at the IEEE Region 2 Student Activities Conference (2011) and at the University’s Annual Celebration of Student Scholars (2012).
Spring 2013 The University of Scranton
29
Taking medication involves complex management, problem solving and executive function. To monitor for delirium, the system will rely on the rich data available during the pill-taking regimen.
One specific application of the Elder Care system
system to monitor subtle behavioral changes during daily
Delirium is a sudden, severe confusion that may fluctuate
in the home. Taking medication involves complex
includes the early detection of delirium within the home.
in intensity. As one of the most complex and serious problems faced by elders, delirium results in hospitalization and adverse consequences, including functional decline,
falls, nursing home placement, and loss of ability to interact. Symptoms of this condition include changes
in locomotion and sleep patterns, disorientation and
disorganized thinking. These symptoms may lead the individual to have difficultly completing simple daily tasks. Detected early and treated promptly, delirium is
often temporary and reversible. However, because the
symptoms and severity of delirium often fluctuate over
the course of a day, the disease may go undetected by family members and clinicians.
The Elder Care group has been working to develop a
30
â&#x20AC;&#x201A; Ignite Faculty work in the Ignatian tradition
pill-taking routines to facilitate early detection of delirium management, problem solving and executive function. To
monitor for delirium, the system will rely on the rich data available during the pill-taking regimen. The technologyenhanced pill console uses eye tracking to detect
variations in attention and cognitive load, touch sensors to detect changes in visuospatial and cognitive abilities, and motion analysis to detect changes in locomotion
patterns. Fluctuations in attention, comprehension and
motor performance could be considered a diagnostic sign
of delirium, and will initiate an alert to caregivers that such changes have been observed that warrant further clinical
assessment. This work has been submitted for additional
funding with the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Aging.
Using Game Technology to Help with Rehabilitation Dr. Zakzewski has worked with Dr. Haboubi and Dr.
a goal of an increased range of shoulder movement. To
students to develop an Xbox controller that could be
would be used to control the Xbox analog joystick inputs.
Spalletta on projects with undergraduate engineering used by individuals with motion impairment. This work
was funded by a Pennsylvania Assistive Technology
Commercialization Initiative (PATCI) grant from the Northeastern Pennsylvania Technology Institute, as well as a Keystone Innovation Zone Grant. This system, pictured
below, was initially custom designed for a teenager who had been paralyzed with a C-4 spinal cord injury.
Individuals who have this type of injury typically have full head and neck movement, limited shoulder, wrist and elbow movements, limited finger movement, and complete paralysis of body and legs.
encourage use of the shoulders, shoulder movements The degree to which the shoulder can be safely exercised could be included in the design so that repeated use
of this motion serves to strengthen the shoulder. The other button controls would be configured to meet the
individual’s needs and abilities. Future iterations of this device may use the Kinect system to monitor and assess
movement during gameplay, or use haptic technology to control force-exerting motors within the joystick to
demand increased user effort and exercise muscles during gameplay to improve the person’s mobility and strength.
Research is an important part of teaching and learning
The controller uses signals from the individual’s head,
at The University of Scranton. The institution supports
The reconfigured Xbox controller could be used to extend
internal research grants. New facilities within the Loyola
shoulder, wrist and elbow movements to control gameplay. the strength and range of motion of the individual;
movements that control each button and joystick could be tailored to meet the individual’s physical therapy plan of care and goals. For example, one person may have
faculty research through release time, travel funding and Science Center promote interdisciplinary research and encourage faculty/student collaboration to allow scholars from varied backgrounds to work together to improve the quality of health care.
LEFT: Ryan Savage ‘10 (seated) and Patrick Wagner ‘10, both electrical engineering graduates at Scranton, test the controller. RIGHT: Daniel Sampson (seated) received the unit once it was completed.
Also pictured (standing, from left) are Dr. Zakzewski, Wagner, Ray Orchard ‘10 and Savage.
Christine Zakzewski, Ph.D., associate professor physics/electrical engineering, is chair of The University of Scranton’s Physics & Electrical Engineering Department. She received her doctorate from Rutgers University.
Spring 2013 The University of Scranton
3 1
hile it is not uncommon for students to find
some very challenging proofs and problems. Dr. Carroll
themselves in a class sitting around a large table and
feels, “the vastness of the history of the field and the open
discussing a book they have been reading, it is an unusual
dialogue with my students can lead us down so many
occurrence in an upper-level mathematics course. Yet, that
different paths that I learn something new each time I take
is exactly what happens in the “History and Philosophy
the journey with a class.”
of Mathematics” course taught by Maureen Carroll, Ph.D.
In addition to inspiring her teaching, Dr. Carroll’s
Mathematics students are not accustomed to preparing for
interest in the history of mathematics has also influenced
class by reading a new section of the book in advance. Even
her scholarly pursuits. Her latest paper, coauthored with
mathematics majors expect their professors to decipher
Steven Dougherty, Ph.D., and David Perkins, Ph.D., explores
the material and cut through the complexity for them. In Dr. Carroll’s History and Philosophy course this paradigm is thrown out. With a discussion-based seminar style format, the class chronicles 12 great theorems and their originators within their historical context. The format has proved successful, sparking many lively discussions and debates. For
a
mathematician
accustomed
to
lecturing,
abandoning this traditional format was no easy task. To help prepare for the course, Dr. Carroll participated in the National Science Foundation-sponsored Institute in the History of Mathematics and Its Use in Teaching where she worked with the leading mathematics historians in the country. She designed this unconventional mathematics course as a way to share this expertise with her students. She has found the course to be a great way to convey the art and the humanity of mathematics while delving into
32
Ignite Faculty work in the Ignatian tradition
Illustration by RokerHRO (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
10
0.2
5
Z 0.4
Y 10
5
0
-5
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
-10
-5
X
-10
infinitesimal analysis, an area of mathematics that has
When describing her research, Dr. Carroll noted that
existed for about 400 years, but was accepted by the
she has found new problems worthy of study in the
mathematics community only 40 years ago. Dr. Carroll and
usual ways, by reading a mathematics journal or having
her coauthors have revisited some well-known problems
a conversation with a colleague, or more uncommonly
originally investigated by 17th century mathematicians
when watching television or reading the newspaper.
Gulden, Torricelli and Roberval through the lens of this
Two fields of interest to Dr. Carroll are game theory and
relatively new nonstandard analysis. One of the problems
geometry. A conversation with a colleague about a two-
uses these new techniques to prove that the infinite object
player game where the player with least amount of money
known as Gabriel’s Horn has finite volume.
in their wallet wins the other player’s wallet led to a gametheory paper that answered an unsolved problem in the field. She has also combined her interest in geometry with game theory in an article she coauthored with Dr. Dougherty based on the game of tic-tac-toe. They created a new version of the children’s game that can be played on infinitely many geometric planes and analyzed play from a game-theoretic viewpoint to determine when
Spring 2013 The University of Scranton
33
x x x o o x o x x o o
o x x o
the first player has a winning strategy. In 2005, their article was awarded the Mathematical Association
Dr. Carroll’s cover article was inspired by watching Olympic skating.
How can watching television or reading a newspaper lead to mathematics research?
collaboration cooperation community
of America’s Merten M. Hasse Prize for a noteworthy
Watching the Olympic figure skating events led to
paper appearing in an association publication. The
an article that investigated the problem of determining
high visibility of the paper and the national award
overall rankings from a panel of voters with varying
translated into multiple opportunities for collaboration
preferences. The resulting article was featured as
and outreach, including invited talks at conferences
the cover article in
and colleges, a book chapter, tic-tac-toe contests at
up by
Scranton and other schools, and collaboration with a
magazine. Additionally, reading a newspaper article
mathematician at Oxford University. The University’s
on Pennsylvania regulations regarding the installation
Mathematics Club has taught interested students how
of a dedicated left-turn signal at an accident-prone
to play tic-tac-toe on the affine plane of order four, and
intersection inspired another of her articles.
held single-elimination tournaments where students play this geometric game for prizes.
and was picked and
Whether she is discussing her own mathematical scholarship or that of historical figures, Dr. Carroll hopes that by learning about the mathematicians who solved the problems and proved the theorems, her students will be inspired to indulge and develop their own intellectual curiosity and passion for learning.
Maureen Carroll, Ph.D., is a professor in the Mathematics Department. She received her doctorate from Lehigh University.
34
Ignite Faculty work in the Ignatian tradition
Scranton to Host National Lilly Conference The University of Scranton will host the 23rd Annual National Conference of The Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and the Arts Oct. 18–20. The Lilly Fellows National Conference provides an opportunity for scholarly dialogue between faith-based institutions, while discussing and sharing the issues of living in the secular world. It is a forum for presenting and examining issues of common interest with the intention of “strengthening values of religious high educational intuitions.” The focus of this year’s conference is “Faith and Academic Freedom in Civic Virtue.” Gretchen Van Dyke, Ph.D., associate professor of political science at Scranton, is the chair of the committee that is organizing this year’s conference. Dr. Van Dyke serves on the National Network Board of the Lilly Fellows. This year’s conference will feature many speakers who will bring diverse ideas for discussion. Mark Ravizza, S.J., associate professor of philosophy and senior fellow, Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education, Santa Clara University, will discuss his experiences with the Casa Program in El Salvador, and the importance of students meeting and living in the greater world. Patricia McGuire, president, Trinity Washington University, will address institutional change, how her university embraced the greater Washington, D.C., population, and how that population reinvented the institution. Robert Kapilow H’09, composer, conductor and commentator, will discuss the role of musical arts as perennial expression of common humanity. His presentation will spotlight issues of societal justice and building of community. The conference will include a special performance by The University of Scranton Jazz Ensemble with guest soloist Wycliffe Gordon H’06, jazz trombonist, and a pre-concert presentation by Loren Schoenberg, artistic director of The National Jazz Museum in Harlem. Schoenberg will discuss jazz history as it relates to issues of social justice.
SCRANTON, PA 18510-4628
The Loyola Science Center as seen from the Central Scranton Expressway.