ACADEMIC NEWS

COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES

ART & DESIGN

• Professor Paul Erschen conducted a solo exhibition entitled "Trunyun" at Cleaner Gallery in Chicago, and also participated in a group exhibition called "Street Sweeper" in Madison, Wisconsin.

DIGITAL AUDIO RECORDING ARTS

• The Digital Audio Recording Arts OS Electronic Ensemble students had a busy spring tour schedule and enjoyed performing at Romeoville, Minooka, Naperville Central and Oak Lawn high schools. | 1

• DARA hosted a high school summer recording camp in June, teaching high school the architecture of 21st century music production in DARA’s facilities.

HISTORY, POLITICAL SCIENCE AND CRIMINAL & SOCIAL JUSTICE

• Dr. Cathy Schultz and three history majors attended the Phi Alpha Theta undergraduate research conference at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. | 2

MATHEMATICS & COMPUTER SCIENCE

• Students Colten Cook and Michelle Valencia along with Dr. Angela Antonou represented USF at this year's College of DuPage STEMCON on April 29. | 3

• John Weis, a recent math major, has now passed three actuarial exams—an amazing feat! He is currently studying for his fourth.

• Abigail Janeczek participated in this year's Intercollegiate Biomathematics Alliance Cross-Institutional Undergraduate Research Experience, where she trained for biomath research that she will conduct throughout the summer and possibly into fall.

• Computer Science hosted an annual alumni event in April, welcoming speaker Ryan McGuire, an expert on many technical topics including a tangential subject to AI, Fractals in Nature.

• In spring of 2024, USF math students will work with peers from Dominican University in a unique experiential learning opportunity as part of the Mathematical Association of America’s Preparation for Industrial Careers in Mathematics program. The project will include research for an industrial partner to strengthen students’ abilities in problem solving, critical and independent thinking and communication.

NATURAL & HEALTH SCIENCES

• Jeanette Ibarra, Eric Nelson, Carter St. Clair and Kaylie Sippel presented at the 2023 ACCA Student Research Symposium.

• STEM Club, co-moderated by Chloe Lash (Biology) and Dr. Angela Antonou (Mathematics), visited Shedd Aquarium to explore aquatic biodiversity.

• Junior Biology majors Vetona Sarpong and Brianna Quintero presented their SURE research project, "Comparison of Epidermis Characteristics and Microbiome as a Result of Different Mask Type Usage in Young Adults," at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. | 4

• Senior Biology major Hannah Knight and Dr. Katie Chamberlain had a paper—"The Effects of Cannabidiol and Serotonin on Anxiety-Like Behavior in Crayfish"—accepted for publication in the peerreviewed Journal of Student Research.

PSYCHOLOGY, SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELING & INDUSTRIAL-ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

• Three Psychology Club members—Chersie Quintero, Harlie Mast and Sierra Worley—attended the Midwest Psychological Association conference in Chicago.

RECREATION & SPORT MANAGEMENT

• The Recreation Club traveled with Dr. Syd Sklar and Dr. Jes Monu to the National Sports Center for the Disabled in Winter Park, Colorado for a service trip. Students trained and volunteered to assist people with disabilities in their Nordic and Alpine ski programs. | 5

• At the RSM senior scholarship poster session, student advocacy posters were presented by Da’vual Bailey, Brandon Cooling, Tyler Irvin, Madison Massaro, Natalee Salgado, Michael Schellhorn, Ashley Sinio, Shannon Smith, Hannah Vachon and Cristina Toro.

• Senior Shannon Smith and Dr. Jes Monu received a SURE Grant to interview golf professionals to learn about the inclusiveness of the industry, and whether the work environment hinders females from entering or staying in the golf industry. Their work took first place at the Applied Sport Management Conference undergraduate research competition in Birmingham, Alabama.

Social Work

• Students from the Human Behavior in the Social Environment II class went on a field trip to Easter Seals to learn about their free home-visit early intervention program, JumpStart. Students discussed case examples and how home visitors assess children for appropriate developmental milestones.

• Students from Women in Contemporary Society learned about the prevalence of sexual assault and how to help survivors from Breann Fisher at Guardian Angel Community Services in Joliet.

• Members of the Social Work Club visited Chicago's Jane Addams Hull House Museum—a historic settlement house that offered social services including legal aid, child care, an employment office and training in arts and domestic skills to its residents.

• In honor of Women's History Month, the Social Work Club collected donations of personal hygiene products for Daybreak Shelter in Joliet.

• Dr. Laura Honegger (Social Work) and Dr. Stacy Dewald (Criminal & Social Justice) published an article in the Journal of Forensic Social Work titled "Making a Case for Gender-Responsive, Trauma-Informed Mental Health Courts: An Exploration of Participant Trauma Histories."

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS & HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

• Dr. Sudipta Roy and Dr. Rich Vaughan taught in Hanoi, Vietnam this spring. While there, Vaughan established a local chapter of USF’s Student Business Association and facilitated the “Marketing Strategies & Culture in the Workplace" workshop that COBHA is hoping to make a monthly series.

• 40 students and alumni braved a rainy Saturday morning to participate in the annual SBA-sponsored golf outing. Each golfer contributed five nonperishable food items for a local food bank. | 6

• Dr. David Schreiner ’93, president and CEO of Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital in Dixon, Illinois, shared his wisdom and experience with students as COBHA'S spring business symposium speaker.

• COBHA Servant Leaders and faculty volunteered at the Daybreak Shelter in Joliet. They also joined donor Bob Wheeler at the West Suburban Community Pantry, where they brought food donations, toured the facility, and developed a partnership for regular activity between the organizations. | 7

• Dr. Sudipta Roy hosted her annual “Financial Literacy Week” which included five days of workshops on financial topics and culminated with a financial literacy quiz competition. | 8

• Dr. Steve Morrissette’s Business Policy class is the capstone class for all business undergraduates. In this course, students compete in an 11-week simulation, where they make all decisions necessary to run a business then present their experience to a panel of local business community judges.

• Dr. Carol Lindee presented at the “Women Empowering Women” series at Walmart’s Distribution Center in Elwood, Illinois.

• At the Joliet Chamber of Commerce’s Community Leadership School, Dr. Bonnie Covelli talked about the DISC Assessment to help participants understand natural styles and how to leverage them.

College Of Education

• The most recent Educator Preparation Profile reports were released by the Illinois State Board of Education and USF’s College of Education programs earned outstanding ratings with 12 “Exemplary” designations. The annual report and ratings are designed to measure a program's ability to effectively prepare teachers to serve students and school communities in Illinois.

• The Future Educator Academy in June welcomed students from nine regional high schools including Bradley Bourbonnais, Crete Monee, Joliet Catholic Academy, Joliet Central, Joliet West, Lincoln Way West, Naperville Central, Neuqua Valley and Plainfield South. | 9

• Dr. Karen Blaha and Dr. Erin Evans presented "Supporting BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Candidates in Undergraduate Teacher Education Programs at a Predominately White University," at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education's annual meeting.

• The College of Education recently had the privilege of hosting Forest Park IE School in Joliet. Nearly 50 third grade students spent time working with our COE future teachers, touring campus and enjoying a meet-and-greet with Bernie. As a School of Character at the state and national level, Forest Park recognized USF's participation and partnership in the Communities Committed to Character (CCC) program. | 10

Leach College Of Nursing

• The Leach College of Nursing organized a three-day orientation to welcome a new cohort of nursing students to its undergraduate and graduate programs. The orientation ensured that students are prepared and know what is needed to succeed in the rigorous program.

• Dr. Maria Martinez, BSN program director and assistant nursing professor, was a guest speaker at Joliet West High School’s career day event. | 11

• Senior level NURS462 course students participated in mock interviews with community health organizations to prepare for entry into the professional environment. Mock interviews have been a positive tool to increased confidence and critical thinking, improved communication skills and preparing students for their future career transition. | 12

• The World Needs Nursing event was held in honor of Women's History Month, in collaboration with Evera Ivy from USF Career Services and nursing instructor Courtney Pritchard. The focus of the event was to hold an open forum to provide support and mentorship to undergraduate nursing students. A panel consisting of three senior nursing students and two recent graduates enhanced the event.

• The Leach College of Nursing announced a collaboration with OSF Healthcare in the implementation of a Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) at the St. James campus located in Pontiac, Illinois. A DEU is a designated unit that promotes and supports this model of clinical teaching. The purpose of the collaboration is to promote nursing student success and assist in the transition into nursing practice. Courtney Pritchard was the LCON faculty liaison for the DEU's development and implementation, and two senior nursing students are currently participating. | 13

• Leach College of Nursing participated in the Pathways to Professions Career Expo, sponsored by Workforce of Will County. The expo aims to introduce 11th and 12th grade students to a wealth of career opportunities available in Will County and to help steer students on their future educational and professional paths. Nursing instructor Patricia Kovacs presented an interactive experience where students asked questions about nursing programs at USF.

• NURS350 students volunteered at Feed My Starving Children. They worked together to hand-pack nutrients into meals specifically designed to help reverse and prevent undernutrition (a topic discussed in NURS350). The packs are then sent to underdeveloped countries. | 14

• Twelve students attended LCON's Advanced Health Assessment Workshop. Students had the opportunity to do training and perform a comprehensive head-to-toe adult physical exam as part of their laboratory final exam.

• The senior-level nursing student capstone project focuses on the identification of an area of concern in the clinical setting. Students are assigned a current clinical initiative that reflects a QSEN (Quality and Safety Education for Nurses) core competency. QSEN has six core competencies that includes patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidenced-based practice, quality improvement, safety and informatics. The purpose is to promote collaboration with peers; provide education to USF undergraduate students, faculty and other stakeholders on current issues in the clinical setting; and utilize evidence-based practice to foster improvement.

• On the Friday before spring commencement, Leach College of Nursing holds its nursing pinning ceremony—a time-honored tradition that is sometimes more personally meaningful than the graduation ceremony. It signifies the end of rigorous and physically demanding program of study.

• Prior to their first clinical placement, NURS 310 students took part in a special tradition that honors the university’s Franciscan Catholic roots—the White Coat and Blessing of the Hands Ceremony. This exciting celebration marks their entry into clinical practice. After receiving theircoats, each student had their hands blessed and anointed with blessed oil in preparation for the caring acts they will perform as they render care for their patients. They also received an Arnold P. Golf Foundation pin. | 15

Star Students Honored For Excellence

The University of St. Francis congratulates students who were named to the Dean’s List in 2022 and spring of 2023. Students who attain a grade point average of 3.5 or higher at the end of a semester in which they have taken at least twelve credit hours make the Dean’s List. Students on the following lists are listed by residency… those residing in USF’s home state of Illinois are listed first, followed by students from other U.S. states, followed by international students. Click the links below to view them and congratulate the students you know for a job well done!

• CLICK FOR SPRING 2022 DEAN’S LIST ANNOUNCEMENT

• CLICK FOR FALL 2022 DEAN’S LIST ANNOUNCEMENT

Usf Inducts New Members Of Various Honor Societies

Several students were recognized at the end of the year in honor society inductions. Pictured at right, and clockwise, are photos from some of the ceremonies: Alpha Sigma Xi (Radiation Therapy), Psi Chi (Psychology), Augustus Tolton (Black Scholars) and Delta Mu Delta (Business).