graduate liberal arts & sciences news - Villanova University

GRADUATE LIBERAL
ARTS & SCIENCES NEWS
A newsletter by and for the graduate programs of Liberal Arts & Sciences
In this Issue:
Highlight: Classical Studies 2
Highlight: Biology 4
Department & Faculty News 6
Faculty Profiles 9
Student News 10
Theses & Dissertations 11
Student Profiles 13
June 2009 | Volume Forty-Eight, Issue Three
Dr. Lindenmeyr Named Graduate Dean
Adele Lindenmeyr, Ph.D., a professor of history and former
department chairperson and graduate program director,
has been named dean of Graduate Studies in the College
of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Dr. Lindenmeyr will succeed
Gerald Long, Ph.D., who is stepping down from his current
position in August 2009.
She graduated magna cum laude from the University
of Pennsylvania with a bachelor of arts in Russian in 1971
and earned her doctorate in history at Princeton in 1980.
She taught at Princeton University, Rutgers University
and Carnegie Mellon University before joining Villanova
as an assistant professor of history in 1987. Dr. Lindenmeyr
was named an associate professor in 1992 and full professor
in 1999.
Dr. Lindenmeyr looks forward to her new role as dean
of graduate studies in the College. “My experience with
the history graduate program, which is one of the oldest
and largest graduate programs, helps me understand the
main issues every program deals with, such as recruitment,
maintaining academic rigor, and adapting to changes in the
disciplines and the work force,” she shared. “I am also very
aware that my familiarity with the history program does not
mean that I understand them all. Our graduate programs
are many and diverse, and one of my first priorities in the
new position will be to learn as much as I can about how
each one operates, and the students they attract.”
With a lifelong passion for Russian history and culture,
Dr. Lindenmeyr has published two books, over 18
professional articles and made many presentations in the
United States and internationally. She has received numerous
grants and awards, and has been recognized three times by
The Association for Women in Slavic Studies, including the
Heldt Prize for Best Book Published by a Woman in Slavic
Studies for “Poverty is Not a Vice: Charity, Society and the
State in Imperial Russia,” and in 2003 with the organization’s
Outstanding Achievement Award.
While she will not teach during the first year in her new
role, Dr. Lindenmeyr looks forward to getting back to the
classroom in subsequent years, and to continuing her writing
and research. “With the support of a fellowship from the
National Endowment for the Humanities this year, I am
Dr. Lindenmeyr sitting high above Nevsky Prospect in St. Petersburg, Russia,
in September of 2008.
finishing a book entitled “Citizen Countess: The Lives of
Sofia Panina, 1871 – 1956,” a biography of a prominent
Russian philanthropist who became the first woman in
history to occupy a government ministerial position in 1917,
during the Russian Revolution. I hope to have that book
published within the next year or two,” she shared. “I am
also part of the international editorial team of a collaborative
project called ‘Russia’s Great War and Revolution, 1914 –
1922: The Centennial Re-appraisal,’ which aims to publish
a multi-volume scholarly and popular series on Russia’s
Eastern front and the revolutions of 1917 in time for the
100th anniversary of those tragic and world-altering events.”
Dr. Lindenmeyr believes the quality of faculty is the main
reason for Villanova’s success in the graduate programs.
“Villanova faculty are pioneering researchers and superb
scholars in their respective fields, as well as dedicated
teachers. They are the greatest asset our graduate programs
have, and the main reason we enjoy a high reputation for
our academic standards in the region and nationally. One of
the main priorities of the graduate dean is to help programs
maintain high standards while attracting a healthy pool
of high-quality applicants.”

Highlight:
CLASSICAL STUDIES
“Changes of Form, New Shapes”
Enhance Classics Program
This Year
This spring’s hit campus production of
a play based on Ovid’s “Metamorphoses”
epitomized the dramatic changes
undergone this year in the classics
program. In a year characterized by
the Roman poet’s theme of “changes
of form, new shapes,” the program
welcomed a new chair, a new director
of Graduate Studies, two new classics
professors, and three new affiliated
faculty to its ranks. The additional
faculty broadened the program’s range
of offerings to include such fields as
ancient history and philosophy, classical
political thought, and Greek and Roman
archaeology. Plans are also underway to
teach Greek literature more regularly, to
offer students more experience honing
their research and writing skills, and to
create stronger bonds between the
graduate and undergraduate classics
programs.
The graduate program is proud to
announce that three students graduated
this spring: Joanna Johnson; Laura
Malone, the first student enrolled in
the five-year Bachelor/Master’s degree
program; and Stephen Parker, who
passed his comprehensive exams with
Honors. These students completed the
Herculean task of taking three threehour
exams in Latin translation, the
history of Latin literature, and Roman
From left to right: Graduate students Steven Ciprani, Stephen McGrath, and Thomas Di Giulio visit with
preeminent Latinist Dr. Denis Feeney (center) at a tea hosted by Dr. David Califf (far right).
history! To aid them in their labors, they
were given a list of topics and texts to
study that will be distributed to other
students this summer. Parker, a full-time
editor, expressed his appreciation for the
opportunity to take evening classes with
passionate, knowledgeable professors, a
sentiment shared by his colleagues James
Fiorile and Edward Turner, who are fulltime
teachers.
Two new five-year B.A./M.A. students,
William Blubaugh and Rhodes Pinto,
will be starting the program this fall.
The year began with two events
that not only brought the entire classics
program together but also attracted
the attention of the entire University
community. The first was a reception
attended by graduate and undergraduate
students, faculty, and University
administrators (see photo on page 3).
The second was a public reading of
Homer’s “Odyssey,” which was attended
by hundreds of people in the course of
a fifteen-hour marathon! (For details,
see the November – December 2008
newsletter.)
A New Chair and Two New
Professors Join the Program
Kevin Hughes, Ph.D., succeeded Thomas
Smith, Ph.D., as chair of the Humanities
Department and Classics Program,
when Dr. Smith became associate dean
for Humanities in the College of Arts
and Sciences. Dr. Hughes, who has been
teaching at Villanova since 1997, is also
an associate professor of Theology and
Religious Studies specializing in Late
Antique and Medieval Latin Literature.
He is the author of “Constructing
Antichrist: Paul, Biblical Commentary,
and the Development of Doctrine in the
Early Middle Ages” (Catholic University
of America Press, 2005).
Gary Meltzer, Ph.D., who has been
teaching at Villanova since 2005,
became the new director of Graduate
Studies and associate professor of
Classics. The author of “Euripides and
the Poetics of Nostalgia” (Cambridge
University Press, 2006), he taught a
graduate seminar on Euripides last fall
and will be offering one on Homer next
fall. He is currently working on a second
book about the relevance of the classics
to contemporary life. This spring
Dr. Meltzer took a group of students
2 •

to the University of Pennsylvania to hear
a lecture on ancient magic.
Valentina DeNardis, Ph.D., assistant
professor of Classics, specializes in Latin
Poetry and Greek and Roman Material
Culture. This year she delivered a paper
on ancient astronomy in Glasgow,
Scotland and has another paper
forthcoming in “Jesuit Education
and the Classics” (Cambridge Scholars
Publishing, 2009). Dr. DeNardis, who
is looking forward to teaching Roman
elegy and classical archaeology in the
program, is also organizing a meeting
of the Pennsylvania Classical
Association to take place at Villanova
in February 2010.
New Affiliate Faculty Members
Christopher Haas, Ph.D., associate
professor of History and Classical
Studies, specializes in ancient history,
late antiquity, and early Christianity. The
author of “Alexandria in Late Antiquity:
Topography and Social Conflict” (Johns
Hopkins University Press, 1997), Dr.
Haas taught a course on Late Antiquity
that proved popular with this year’s
cohort of classicists.
Mark Shiffman, Ph.D., assistant
professor of Humanities, specializes in
Greek philosophy and political theory.
His translation of Aristotle’s “On the
Soul” is forthcoming with Focus Press.
He is currently working on a book on
Plutarch’s political philosophy, a topic
on which he published an article in the
journal Perspectives on Political Science.
Thomas Smith, Ph.D., associate dean
for Humanities and associate professor
of Political Science, specializes in
Classical Political Thought. He has
published a book, “Revaluing Ethics”
(SUNY Press, 2001), as well as
numerous articles on the political
theory of Plato, Aristotle and Augustine.
Dr. Smith has won several awards for
distinguished teaching at Villanova.
Two longtime Villanova classics
instructors continued to provide
yeoman duty to the program, enhancing
students’ educational experience both
in and outside of the classroom:
David Califf, Ph.D., who taught Latin
Prose Composition this spring, invited
his class to attend a tea he hosted in
honor of Denis Feeney, Ph.D., Giger
Professor of Latin and chair of Classics
at Princeton University. Dr. Feeney, a
preeminent scholar of Latin poetry,
spoke with graduate students Steven
Ciprani, Thomas Di Giulio, and
Stephen McGrath about both
academic and professional matters
(see photo on page 2).
James Finn, Ph.D., who taught
Roman History, Comedy, and Lyric
Poetry this year, will be presenting a
paper on Cicero at the June meeting
of the American Classical League in
Los Angeles: “Cicero, Matius, and
the Ides of March.” An inveterate
Ciceronian, he is looking forward to
teaching a course on Latin Rhetorical
Works in the fall.
For additional information about
the Classics program please visit
www.villanova.edu/artsci/classical
In Memoriam: John M. Hunt
Sadly, the beginning of the academic
year also saw the untimely death of
John M. Hunt, Ph.D., a member of the
Villanova faculty for nearly forty years
and a renowned textual critic of Latin
literature. Dr. Hunt served for several
years as chair of Classical Studies
before becoming director of Graduate
Studies in 1997, a position he held
until shortly before his death on
October 8, 2008. He inspired many
students with his passionate
commitment to the field and his
personal concern for their progress.
A memorial service was held for him
at the Corr Chapel on November 18.
Graduate students Steven
Ciprani (on left) and David
Trachtenberg at the fall
graduate school reception.
• 3

Highlight:
GRADUATE BIOLOGY
Dr. Samantha Chapman examines mangrove biodiversity at Twin Cays, a group of small islands near the crest of the barrier reef of Belize, Central America.
Like the discipline itself, Villanova’s
department of Biology is dynamic —
growing and changing to incorporate the
latest advances in all areas of the life
sciences. Through its research
opportunities and degree and certificate
programs, the department of Biology
provides graduate training across the
broad spectrum of the biological
sciences. The 25 faculty members and
postdoctoral fellows in the department
interact with about 50 graduate students
in the classroom and lab every semester.
The department offers both master of
arts and master of science degrees, as
4 •
well as several certificate programs in
the broad areas of Cell, Molecular, and
Developmental Biology and Ecology,
Evolution, and Organismal Biology. In
addition, the combined B.S./M.S.
program in Biology offers a researchintensive
course of study for highly
motivated incoming undergraduates
who wish to complete both degrees in
just five years.
Success of Our Graduates
More than 50 students have earned
their master’s degree in Biology over the
last five years, about half through the
research-intensive master of science
program. A large number of both fulland
part-time graduate students are
actively engaged in thesis research.
Graduates regularly go on to positions of
prominence in their discipline, often
pursuing research careers in academia or
industry. Former students include
Patricia Melloy, M.S. 1997, who
completed her doctorate at the
University of Pennsylvania and
postdoctoral training at Princeton
University and has now taken a faculty
position in Biology at Farleigh
Dickinson University; and Lesley
Bechtold, M.S. 1996, who is now the

manager of the Histopathology and
Microscopy Center at The Jackson
Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine.
New Faculty Research
Villanova Biology faculty are the
epitome of teacher-scholars, performing
cutting-edge research that involves
students and brings currency to the
classroom. Recently hired faculty bring
new areas of research interest and
expertise to campus.
Dennis Wykoff, Ph.D., a molecular
geneticist, joined the faculty in fall
2006. He received his doctorate at
Stanford University and was a
postdoctoral fellow at the University of
California, San Francisco and Harvard
University before arriving at Villanova.
In 2008, he received a major three-year
grant from the National Science
Foundation entitled “Evolution of the
phosphate starvation response in yeasts.”
This grant funds Dr. Wykoff and
students in their investigations of how a
simple response to phosphate starvation
has changed in yeast species that last
shared a common ancestor more than
100 million years ago. This basic
research should help us to understand
how different species tailor their genetic
composition to their specific
environment.
Samantha Chapman, Ph.D., is an
ecosystem ecologist who does research
in tropical and temperate natural
ecosystems and managed
agroecosystems. Dr. Chapman received
her doctorate from Northern Arizona
University and did a postdoctoral
fellowship at the Smithsonian
Environmental Research Center,
arriving at Villanova in fall 2007. Her
current research in mangrove
ecosystems and Southern Appalachian
forests focuses on how plant biodiversity
and land management influence
ecosystem services such as carbon and
nutrient cycling. She mentors graduate
and undergraduate students working on
a wide range of research projects such as
investigating the impacts of biodiversity
on invasive species and examining the
migration of plant species in response to
climate change.
James W. Wilson, Ph.D., joined the
Biology department in the summer of
2008. He obtained his doctorate from
Columbia University in the department
of Microbiology and performed
postdoctoral research at Yale University,
Tulane University and Arizona State
University. Dr. Wilson’s teaching and
research interests focus on microbiology
and bacterial engineering, including
extensive work with the human
gastrointestinal pathogen Salmonella
typhimurium. He has been involved with
numerous experimental payloads aboard
NASA Space Shuttle missions and has
examined the effect of spaceflight on the
ability of bacteria to cause disease and
alter their gene expression. These
studies identified a set of previously
uncharacterized transcriptional
regulators that could serve as targets for
antibacterial therapies and bacterial
genetic manipulation strategies.
News from Biology
In 2008, Aaron M. Bauer, Ph.D., was
named as the inaugural holder of the
Gerald M. Lemole M.D. Chair in
Integrative Biology, Villanova’s first
endowed chair in the sciences. In this
capacity Dr. Bauer will work to foster
excellence in teaching and research in
Biology and to increase interdisciplinary
interactions with the liberal arts,
promoting both science literacy for
humanists and ethically and socially
responsible inquisition for scientists.
Faculty members and graduate
students from the department of
Biology will be actively involved in the
127th annual meeting of the American
Ornithologists’ Union (AOU). The
AOU is the largest Western
Dr. James Wilson’s experiments on the effect of
spaceflight on bacterial gene expression and
virulence are carried aboard the Space Shuttle.
Photo courtesy of NASA.
Hemisphere professional organization
for the scientific study of birds and more
than 700 ornithologists are expected to
attend. The conference will take place
August 12 – 15, 2009 on the campus of
the University of Pennsylvania, with
Villanova acting as an official co-host.
Villanova is specifically sponsoring a
special poster session (for posters by
more junior students) and one of the
keynote speakers. Villanova’s Robert
Curry, Ph.D., is the chair of the
Committee on Local Arrangements for
the meeting. Biology faculty members
John Olson, Ph.D., and Susan Smith,
Ph.D., and graduate students Stephanie
Wright, Jen Mortensen, Wendy Lenhart
and Josh LaPergola, are members of the
Local Committee. Villanova faculty and
students will also participate in the
scientific program, presenting results
of ongoing research. The conference
web site is
www.birdmeetings.org/aou2009.
For additional information about the
Biology program please visit
www.gradbiology.villanova.edu
• 5

Graduate Liberal Arts & Sciences
DEPARTMENT & FACULTY NEWS
Biology
Aaron M. Bauer, Ph.D., published the
papers “Geckos in traditional medicine
— forensic implications” in Applied
Herpetology 6:81–96, and “A new livebearing
species of scincid lizard
(Reptilia: Scincidae) from New
Caledonia, Southwest Pacific” in
Pacific Science 63:123–136.
Robert Curry, Ph.D., was elected
second vice-president of the Wilson
Ornithological Society (WOS) at the
2009 Joint Meeting of the Wilson
Ornithological Society and the
Association of Field Ornithologists,
which took place in Pittsburgh in April
2009. This two-year position will
lead to Dr. Curry serving as president
of WOS in 2013-2015. Dr. Curry
presented a contributed oral paper at
the meeting entitled “Patterns of natal
dispersal in a hybridizing chickadee
population.”
Adam Langley, Ph.D., a research assistant
professor in Biology, published a paper
in the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences entitled “Elevated
CO2 stimulates marsh elevation gain,
counterbalancing sea-level rise.”
Mary E. Desmond, Ph. D., recently
published two articles on brain growth
in vertebrates. She co-authored a
review paper with Angel Gato at the
Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid,
Espana on “E-CSF and the
Neuroepithelium: Interdependent
Regulators of Embryonic Brain Growth,
Morphogenesis and Histiogenesis”
in Developmental Biology. She also
coauthored a paper with Michael
L. Levitan, Ph.D., of Villanova’s
department of Mathematical Sciences
on: “Expansion of the Human
Embryonic Brain during Rapid Growth:
Area Analysis” in the Anatomical Record:
Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology.
Dr. Desmond spoke in June 2008 about
her research to the graduate students of
the Neuroscience Program at the
Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca,
Espana. The title of her presentation
was “Fluid Pressure Drives Embryonic
Brain Growth.” While in Spain, she
spent two weeks at the Medical School
of Valladolid initiating new research
with Professor Gato on analyzing
ventricular pressure of the developing
mouse embryo.
Education & Human Services
Ray Heitzmann, Ph.D., received the
Twenty-fifth Anniversary Award from
the National Social Science Association
(NSSA) at its Annual Conference. The
award was given for his publications,
professional conference presentations,
mentoring students and general
collegiality within the Association.
Two of Dr. Heitzmann’s students have
won the organization’s graduate student
essay contest and were published in the
organization’s peer reviewed journal.
Heitzmann said, “I enjoy being part of
NSSA’s commitment to excellence in
pedagogy and research.” Dr. Jerry Baydo,
executive director of the association,
thanked Dr. Heitzmann for his valuable
work for social science education over
the years.
English
Jill Rappoport, Ph.D., has been granted
the Monticello College Foundation
Fellowship at the Newberry Library for
2009 – 10. This summer she will also
receive a Summer Research Fellowship
and a Research Support Grant from
Villanova’s Office of Research and
Sponsored Projects.
Megan Quigley, Ph.D., presented an early
draft of an essay on “Irish Modernism”
for a forthcoming book collection at
the American Comparative Literature
Association meeting at Harvard
University in March 2009.
Hispanic Studies
Silvia Nagy-Zekmi, Ph.D., published a
book chapter entitled, “The Border: A
Space of Shifting Identities” in “Ethno-
Kulturelle Begegnungen in Mittel- und
Osteuropa,” edited by Erika Hammer
and Laszlo Kupa. ‘Llamas que hablan’:
Representaciones neoindigenistas
del niño en medio de la violencia”
in “La presencia del niño en las
literaturas en lengua española,”
edited by László Scholz and Gabriella
Menczel. Proceedings of the Coloquio
Internacional de Estudios Hispánicos.
Budapest; and “Prólogo” Jorge Barrueto:
In “Cine latinoamericano: género, raza
e ideología.” She also had an article,
“Nuestro norte es el sur”: articulaciones
de identidad latinoamericana en la
post/colonia,” published in 2008 in
Diálogo Andino.
Carlos Trujillo, Ph.D., director of the
graduate program, was one of seventeen
poets from around the world invited
by the Foundation Casa de Poesía of
Costa Rica, to participate in the II
International Festival of Poetry of Costa
Rica in May 2009. Poets will present in
in several cities of this Central American
country and will also be offering literary
workshops and recitals at universities,
schools, prisons and hospitals. Dr.
Trujillo’s new poetry book, entitled
“Texto sobre Texto,” was published by
the Universidad de Costa Rica and will
be distributed in all universities and
schools of Costa Rica and other Central
American countries. Dr. Trujillo also
traveled to Chile in May 2009, where
Isla Grande Editorial is publishing
another collection of his poems entitled
“La Maratón de los Poetas.”
6 •

History
Holly Sanders, Ph.D., chaired a session
for the “Wives, Concubines, Courtesans,
and Nuns: Early Modern Japanese
Women Symposium” at the University
of Pennsylvania in April 2009. In spring
2008, Dr. Sanders gave the invited
lecture “Prostitution in Occupied Japan”
at the University of Pennsylvania’s
Center for East Asian Studies.
Judith Giesberg, Ph.D., presented the
talk “Lincoln and the Widow Bixby”
at the Township Library of Lower
Southampton in Feasterville in March
2009 as part of the Pennsylvania
Humanities Council’s Commonwealth
Speakers Bureau.
In October 2008, Timothy McCall,
Ph.D., presented the paper “Visual
Imagery and Historical Invisibility:
Antonia Torelli, Her Husband, and His
Mistress in Fifteenth-Century Parma”
at the “Sixteenth Century Society and
Conference,” St. Louis, Miss. He gave
an invited lecture in November 2008
entitled “The Mistress of Torrechiara
Castle: Bianca Pellegrini, bianca
pellegrina” at Moore College of Art
and Design, Philadelphia. In February
2009, Dr. McCall gave a paper entitled
“The Signore Hidden and Revealed:
the Intarsia Coretto of Pier Maria
Rossi of Parma” at the “The Hidden
and the Revealed in Medieval and Early
Modern Culture” conference at Rider
University; co-organized a session
entitled “The Secret Spaces of Early
Modern Europe” at the College Art
Association Conference in Los Angeles;
and co-organized a related symposium
of the same title, sponsored by the
Early Modern Studies Institute of the
Huntington Library and the University
of Southern California. Dr. McCall also
gave an invited lecture entitled “The
Camera d’Oro and Courtly Interiors
in Fifteenth-Century Italy” in March
2009 at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa.
Paul Steege, Ph.D., presented the essay
“Ordinary Violence on an Extraordinary
Stage: Incidents on the Sector Border in
Postwar Berlin” as part of the
“Performing Violence” conference at
Amherst College in February 2009.
Lynne Hartnett, Ph.D., was selected as a
semi-finalist for the Lindback Award for
Teaching Excellence this spring. In
addition to her teaching duties, Dr.
Hartnett is currently serving as the
director of Villanova’s Russian Area
Studies program. In November 2008,
she presented the paper “The Venus of
the Revolution: The Interplay of
Gender and Terrorism in the Life of
Vera Figner” at the Annual Convention
of the American Association for the
Advancement of Slavic Studies.
Charlene Mires, Ph.D., participated in a
roundtable on public history teaching
and presented the paper, “American
Historic Places, the United Nations, and
the World” at the annual meeting of the
“National Conference on Public
History” in Providence, R.I. in April
2008. She also served as co-organizer of
a “Civic Partnership and Planning”
workshop for the creation of an
Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia at
the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Rebecca Winer, Ph.D., had an article
entitled “Conscripting the Breast:
Lactation, Slavery, and Salvation in the
Realms of the Crown of Aragon and
Kingdom of Majorca, c. 1250 – 1300,” in
the Journal of Medieval History (Summer
2008). The article won the Best Article
Prize of the Society for Medieval
Feminist Scholarship. Dr. Winer
attended the International Medieval
Congress in Kalamazoo, Mich., to accept
the award in May 2009. Dr. Winer gave
the keynote address entitled “Marriage,
the Family and the Family Business:
Links Between the Jews of Medieval
Perpignan and Girona” at “The Times
and Places of Jewish Girona”
international conference at the Institut
d’EStudis Nahmanides in Girona, Spain
in March 2009. The conference was
sponsored by the Spanish Government,
in particular by the Foundation that
Maintains the Restored Jewish Quarter
in the City, the “Patronat Call de
Girona.”
Mathematical Sciences
David Sprows, Ph.D., has an article
entitled “Constructing Easily Iterated
Functions with Interesting Properties”
appearing in the current issue of the
International Journal of Mathematical
Education in Science and Technology.
Psychology
Michael Brown, Ph.D., coauthored a
paper published in the most recent issue
of Psychonomic Bulletin and Review entitled
“Facilitation of learning spatial relations
among locations by visual cues:
Implications for theoretical accounts of
spatial learning”. Principal author of that
paper was Bradley Sturz, Ph.D., who
did postdoctoral research in Dr. Brown’s
laboratory before moving to Armstrong
Atlantic State University. The paper
was also co-authored by Debbie Kelly,
Ph.D., of the University of
Saskatchewan. Dr. Brown presented
a paper at the recent meeting of the
Eastern Psychological Association
entitled “Social influences on spatial
choice in rats” and authored or
coauthored three presentations at the
recent International Conference on
Comparative Cognition in Melborne
Beach, Fla.
Nicole Else-Quest, Ph.D., published an
article in the journal Psychology and Health
entitled “Perceived stigma, self-blame,
continued on page 8
• 7

Graduate Liberal Arts & Sciences
DEPARTMENT & FACULTY NEWS continued
and adjustment in lung, breast, and
prostate cancer patients.” The coauthors
of the article were Noelle LoConte and
Janet Hyde of the University of
Wisconsin at Madison, and Joan Schiller
of the University of Texas, Southwestern
Medical Center. A related article
coauthored by Dr. Else-Quest also
appeared in Clinical Lung Cancer in 2008.
Charles Folk, Ph.D., recently published a
paper in the journal Attention, Perception,
and Psychophysics entitled “Additivity of
abrupt onset effects supports nonspatial
distraction NOT the capture of
spatial attention.” The paper was
coauthored by Shu-Chei Wu of NASA
Ames Research Center and Roger
Remington of the University of
Queensland.
Irene Kan, Ph.D., presented a poster
entitled, “Memory monitoring failures
in confabulation: Evidence from the
semantic illusion paradigm” at the
Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual
Meeting in San Francisco, Ca. This work
was done in collaboration with Mieke
Verfaellie, Ph.D., and Karen Fossum,
B.S., at the Memory Disorders Research
Center, VA Boston Healthcare System,
and with H. Branch Coslett, M.D. at the
Department of Neurology, Hospital at
the University of Pennsylvania.
Public Administration
Christine Palus, Ph.D., delivered the
Alan Katz Lecture at Fairfield University
in Connecticut, her undergraduate alma
mater, in April 2009 to the inductees of
Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science
honor society.
Craig Wheeland, Ph.D., Catherine
Wilson, Ph.D., and Dr. Palus led a
workshop for The Association for
Pennsylvania Municipal Management
and The New Jersey Municipal
Management Association’s Annual
Managers Conference in May 2009,
Cape May, N.J. The title of their
presentation was “Fostering the
Common Good in Council Decision
Making.” Dr. Wheeland also coauthored
with Larry Comunale, Lower Gwynedd
Township Manager, a case study called
“Managing Without Fear or Favor.” The
case appears in the third edition (2008)
of Managing Local Government: Cases in
Effectiveness edited by Charldean Newell.
The book is published by the International
Poesía en Español: Two Poetry Recitals in Thirty Days
From left to right: Joseph Robertson, Carlos Trujillo,
Ph.D., Rudolfo Figueroa and Salvatore Poeta, Ph.D.
The Hispanic Studies division of the
Department of Modern Languages and
Literatures hosted two poetry recitals in
Spanish; the first on February 16, 2009,
and the other on March 16, 2009. Both
events took place in the Fray Luis de
León Room of Villanova’s Saint
Augustine Center. Fray Luis de León, in
addition to being a recognized ascetic
and theologian of the Augustinian
Order, is also recognized as one of
Spain’s greatest Renaissance poets. The
8 •
first event was moderated by Carlos
Trujillo, Ph.D., director of the Graduate
Program in Hispanic Studies, and an
accomplished poet from Chile.
The event was opened by general
introductory remarks by Dr. Trujillo,
followed by a reading of Pablo Neruda’s
poem “La palabra” (“The Word”). The
first participant to recite his poetry was
Professor Carlos Jiménez, a recognized
poet from Spain, and who also teaches
Spanish at Villanova. Dr. Jiménez is the
author of two collections of verses, and
whose poetic style has been associated
with Spain’s “Poetry of Experience”
trend. Following an emotional and
moving reading of several his poems,
Carlos Jiménez’s recital was followed
by that of Joseph Robertson. Mr.
Robertson is a former student of
Villanova, having graduated with a
Master of Arts degree in Hispanic
Studies. Despite English being Mr.
Robertson’s native language, he is an
accomplished poet in Spanish, having
authored several collections of Spanish
verse. Mr. Robertson, in addition, is the
founder and director of the digital
publishing house known as
Casavaria.com. The third participant to
recite his poetry was Dr. Salvatore Poeta,
a faculty member in the Hispanic
Studies division of Villanova’s
Department of Modern Languages and
Literatures. In addition to teaching
poetry as one of his areas of expertise
(from Spain’s Early Modern period to
present day), he has also published his
own verses in several Hispanic journals.
This first recital session was closed by
Professor Roger Santiváñez, a Peruvian
poet associated with the Kloakla poetic
movement initiated in his native Peru
during the decade of the 80s.
The second poetry recital, which took
place on March 16, 2009, was devoted
to the verses of Chilean poets. This
event was moderated by Carlos
Yushimito, a graduate student working
toward his Master of Art degree in
continued on back page

Graduate Liberal Arts & Sciences
FACULTY PROFILES
Chiji Akoma, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Graduate English
Chiji Akoma, Ph.D., an associate
professor, joined the English
department faculty in 2001. Prior to
Villanova, he taught at Loyola University
Chicago. As an undergraduate student
of English and Literary Studies at
University of Calabar, in Nigeria, Dr.
Akoma was introduced to literatures of
the Black Diaspora, especially from
North America and the Caribbean. He
wrote his Honors thesis on language and
rhetorical performances in Caribbean
literature, a subject that he’d invariably
return to for his doctorate at
Binghamton University—State
University of New York. Dr. Akoma is
fascinated by the creative dimensions of
orality that define much of Caribbean
writing and his book, “Folklore in New
World Black Writing,” not only explores
forms of speech acts and folklore
performance, but also attempts to
reconfigure oral performance aesthetics
as interpretive tool for reading key
Afro-New World writers such as
Toni Morrison and Wilson Harris.
Akoma teaches graduate courses on
the African novel, postcolonial studies,
and African American poetics. Besides
his professional interests, Akoma passes
his time between singing and conjuring
stories to perform to his three young
children.
Jared J. Paul, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Chemistry
Jared Joseph Paul, Ph.D., began his
faculty appointment in the chemistry
department at Villanova in August
2008. He earned a Bachelor of Science
in chemistry with honors from Canisius
College in Buffalo, NY in 2000.
Following his undergraduate studies, Dr.
Paul attended graduate school at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill under the advisement of H. Holden
Thorp, Ph.D. His dissertation focused
on the development of small molecule
metal-assisted inhibitors of serine
protease enzymes. After earning his
doctorate in inorganic chemistry in
2005, he worked for three years as a
post-doctoral research associate with
Thomas J. Meyer studying excited state
proton transfer reactions.
Dr. Paul’s research interests include
the study of proton coupled electron
transfer (PCET) reactions and solar
energy catalysis. PCET is at the heart
of many fundamental chemical reactions
of interest in chemistry and biology,
including carbon dioxide reduction,
water oxidation and nitrogen fixation.
Dr. Paul’s lab is interested in gaining
a better mechanistic understanding
of the nature of PCET reactions by
synthesizing molecular systems based
on ruthenium and osmium metal
complexes that contain ligands capable
of electron and proton transfer.
Complexes of ruthenium and osmium
have long been studied for their light
absorption properties, long-lived excited
states, and excited state reactivity.
Coupling light absorption to catalytic
complexes capable of PCET reactions
leads to the general design principle for
artificial photosynthesis and solar energy
conversion. Dr. Paul married his lovely
wife, Heather, on March 7, 2009. His
hobbies include playing sports and
wine tasting.
• 9

Graduate Liberal Arts & Sciences
STUDENT NEWS
Biology
Villanova was well represented at the
2009 Joint Meeting of the Wilson
Ornithological Society and the
Association of Field Ornithologists,
which took place in Pittsburgh in April
2009. M. S. student Stephanie Wright
presented a contributed oral paper
entitled “Hybrid chickadees show higher
survival than Carolina Chickadees in
southeastern Pennsylvania,” coauthored
by Dr. Curry.
M.S. student Josh LaPergola presented
a contributed oral paper entitled
“Natural history of the Black Catbird
(Melanoptila glabrirostris) in Quintana
Roo, Mexico,” coauthored by Blanca
Roldán Clarà, Juan E. Martínez-Gómez, a
Villanova M.S. graduate, and Dr. Curry.
Current M.S. student Jess Trout-Haney
presented a contributed poster entitled
“Breeding biology and phenology of the
Boreal Chickadee in southwestern Nova
Scotia,” coauthored by Dr. Curry.
Current M.S. students Perry Wood and
Jesse Grismer coauthored a paper with
Aaron Bauer, Ph.D., entitled “Two new
montane species of Acanthosaura Gray,
1831 (Squamata: Agamidae) from
Peninsular Malaysia” in Zootaxa
2012:28 – 46. Dr. Bauer also coauthored
a paper with recent M.S. graduate
Amanda Cotton entitled “Self-rubbing
and substrate marking by the rhombic
skaapsteker, Psammophylax rhombeatus
rhombeatus (LINNAEUS, 1758)” in
Herpetozoa 21:186 – 189.
Rachel Jones, a current master’s
student, received a Sigma Xi grant to
help fund her research on the
interactions between native and nonnative
plant biodiversity.
Education
Graduate student Lea Culp and Deborah
Schussler, Ph.D, presented a paper
entitled, “Building Awareness of
Dispositions: Enhancing Moral
10 •
Sensibilities in Teaching” at the 2009
American Educational Research
Association’s annual meeting in San
Diego, Ca.
History
M.A. student Kelly Weber served as a
judge for National History Day in
Philadelphia on March 11, 2009.
Elliott Drago, M.A. student, has been
accepted to the Gilder Lehrman
Summer Seminar 2009 at Gettysburg
college.
Human Resource Development
Gina Ligon, Ph.D., along with several
current graduate students and alumni
from the M.S. in Human Resources
Development program, presented data
from a large scale study done on working
and non-working mothers’ satisfaction
with the workplace. Dr. Ligon and
coauthors C. Costigan, M. Doran, L Panik,
M. Curley, H. K. Osburn, and M. Horne,
presented a poster “Organizational
factors associated with job satisfaction
among mothers” to the Association of
Science 21st Annual Convention, San
Francisco, Ca. in May 2009; Dr. Ligon
and coauthors C. Costigan, H. K. Osburn,
L. Panik, M. Doran and M. Curley,
presented a poster “Mothers look to
their mothers when deciding to work” to
the Association of Psychological Science
21st Annual Convention, San Francisco,
Ca. in May 2009.
Philosophy
Doctoral student Geoffrey Karabin
recently published “The Annihilative
Potential of Immortality Beliefs:
Examining Immortality’s Connection
with Violence” in the Review Journal of
Political Philosophy (vol. 6, iss. 2). He
presented a paper entitled “Is
Contemporary Thought in the
‘Between’?” at the 4th Annual West
Chester University Conference in
January 2009. He presented “Islamic
Suicide Bombing and the Question of
Evil” at a conference entitled Evil and
Suffering: Philosophical, Psychological
and Theological Perspectives, Wesleyan
Philosophical Society, in March 2009.
He also presented a paper entitled
“Islamic Suicide Bombing, Camus, and
the Question of Forgiveness” at a
conference entitled Forgiveness –
Probing the Boundaries, Interdisciplinary.Net,
in March 2009.
Derek Aggleton, a current doctoral
student, presented a paper entitled
“Artfulness: An Ethico-aesthetic
Description of Spielraum,” for the
Society for Phenomenological and
Existential Philosophy (SPEP), in
Pittsburg, Pa., in October 2008.
Current student Yong Dou (Michael)
Kim, made the following conference
presentations this year: “Can Only a
God Save Us?: Notes on the
Theologico-Political in ‘Postmodern’
Politics,” at the 13th annual
Northeastern Political Science
Association meeting in November
2008; “The Aesthetics of Politics:
Affectivity and the Political Imaginary”
at the 8th biennial Radical Philosophy
Association meeting in November
2008; and “Badiou’s Challenge to
French Materialism: Imagination or
Dialectic?” at the SPEP 2008 annual
meeting in October 2008.
Psychology
Matt Keller, a 2nd year student in the
M.S. program, presented a poster
entitled “Observe, remember, avoid?
Social spatial memories in a foraging
task” at the recent International
Conference on Comparative Cognition.
The poster was co-authored by Michael
Brown, Ph.D.
Mary Beth Knight-Green, Edward Lorek,
Wendy Shallcross, and Tim Wifall,
alumni and alumnae of the M.S.
program, coauthored a paper that
appeared in a recent issue of Learning
continued on next page

and Behavior. The paper reported
several experiments done over the
course of three years in Dr. Brown’s
laboratory.
Three alumnae of the M.S. program,
Melodie Fearnow-Kenney, Ph.D.,
Marissa Kiepert and Amanda Terembula,
published a paper entitled “The Spacing
Effect of Intentional and Incidental Free
Recall by Children and Adults: Limits
on the Automaticity Hypothesis” with
Thomas Toppino, Ph.D., in the most
recent issue of Memory & Cognition.
Graduate student Carlie Allison was
awarded the Barbara Wall award for her
paper “Objects Lack Subjectivity: A
Mediational Model of Risky Sex in
College-aged women,” which she
presented at the Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Conference, hosted by the Villanova
University Gender and Women’s
Studies Program.
Graduate students Carlie Allison and
Amy Moors presented a poster
coauthored with Patrick Markey, PhD.,
entitled “What We Want vs. What We
Get: Are We Satisfied?” at the annual
conference of the Eastern Psychological
Association in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Thomas Toppino, Ph.D., published a
paper entitled “The Spacing Effect in
Intentional and Incidental Free Recall
by Children and Adults: Limits on the
Automaticity Hypothesis.” The article
appeared in the most recent issue of
Memory & Cognition and was coauthored
by three graduates of the M.S. program
in psychology: Melodie Fearnow-Kenny,
Marissa Kiepert, and Amanda Terembula
Michael Brown, along with seven
student co-authors, published a paper in
a recent issue of Learning and Behavior
entitled “Social working memory:
Memory for another rat’s spatial choices
can increase or decrease choice
tendencies”. Graduate student coauthors
are Mary Beth Knight-Green,
Edward Lorek, Wendy Shallcross, and
Tim Wifall. Undergraduate student coauthors
are Caroline Packard and Eric
Shumann.
Thesis and Dissertation Listings – May 2009
Name Thesis Title Advisor(s) & Department
Brian A. Anderson Explaining Variations in the Magnitude of Attentional Capture: Dr. Charles L. Folk, Psychology
New Tests of a Two-Process Model
Katherine L. Andriole A Mediation Model to Predict Career Choice: The Importance Dr. Nicole Else-Quest, Psychology
of Sex-Typing and Self-Efficacy
Felicia Maria Camacho The “Inter” Land: Mixing Autobiography and Sociology for a Better Dr. Heather Hicks, English
Understanding of Twenty-First Century Mixed-Race
Asma Sana Choudhary Development as Social Transformation: Assessing the Value of Social Capital Dr. Lowell Gustafson, Political Sci.
in Microfinance and Its Role in the Success of the Grameen Bank
Joseph Christian Collins The Anthropology of Faith Following Romans 1-3 Rev. Michael J. Scanlon, O.S.A.
Theology and Religious Studies
Ryan J. Corser Cursed by Knowledge in a Gambling Task: A Perspective Taking Test Dr. Diego Fernandez-Duque
Psychology
Laura De Furio Milton’s Indeterminate Theodicy: Will, Grace, and Cause in Paradise Lost Dr. Lauren Shohet, English
Christopher E. Diehl Small Allies, Big Challenges: The International Politics of Military Access Dr. David M. Barrett, Political Sci.
John E. Doherty SNAFU Reconsidered: The Evolution of Writing a True War Story from Vonnegut’s Dr. Heather Hicks, English
Slaughterhouse Five to Tim O’Brien’s “How to Tell a True War Story,” and
the Blogs of The Sandbox
Ronald Eckert Community Policing as Procedural Justice: An Examination of Baltimore Residents Dr. Allison Ann Payne
After the Implementation of a Community Policing Strategy
Sociology and Criminal Justice
William H. Espenshade III Notes on the Ecology of Southern African Tortoises Dr. Ronald Balsamo, Biology
Zachary Eyster Re-imagining Ethics: Re-imagining Salvation: Josef Fuchs, Fundamental Option, Dr. Mark Graham, Theology
and the Soteriological Implications Thereof
Katie A. Farina The Effects of Situational Crime Prevention on Crime and Fear Among College Dr. Allison Ann Payne
Campuses and Their Students
Sociology and Criminal Justice
continued on page 12
• 11

Graduate Liberal Arts & Sciences
STUDENT NEWS continued
Thesis and Dissertation Listings – May 2009 continued from page 11
Name Thesis Title Advisor(s) & Department
Olufunsho K. Faseyitan Investigation of an Anomalous Non-linear Decline in Tickle Sensitivity Dr. Paul E. Sheldon, Psychology
Sally Anne Groomes Collapsing the Binary: Reconsidering Faith, Feminism, and Convention in Dr. Michael Berthold, English
the Works of Elizabeth Stuart Phelps
Katherine E. Hetrick “Having It Both Ways”: Navigating Terry Eagleton’s Contemporary Identities Dr. Hugh Ormsby-Lennon, English
Rosemarie Jefferson, M.S.B.T. The Impact of the Postmodern on the Christian Narrative
Dr. Anthony J. Godzieba, Theology
Erin K. Johnston Characterization of EPC-1/PEDF Dr. Janice Knepper, Biology
Matthew R. Keller Effects of Time Constraints on Social Spatial Memory Dr. Michael F. Brown, Psychology
Erin M. Kerrison Paradigms of Inequality: Exploring How Race Conditions the Relationship Between Dr. Jill A. McCorkel
Income Attainment and Veteran Status
Sociology and Criminal Justice
Ellen Massey Boggley wollah and “Sulphur-Steams”: Colonialism in Vanity Fair and Jane Eyre Dr. Deborah Thomas, English
Kimberly McMurray But Can They Suffer?: The Militant Wing of the Contemporary Animal Rights Dr. Lara Brown, Political Sci.
Movement and Agenda-Setting in Congress
Gretchen A. Meyer Enriching Uses and Gratifications Theory: A Case Study of NFL News Dr. Emory Woodard, Communication
Kaitlin O’Shaughnessy Redefining Organization in the 21st Century: The Communicative Constitution of a Dr. Maurice Hall, Communication
Children’s Ministry Social Movement Organization
Clyde Hosea Ray Rhetoric’s Reward: How liberals might read the Gorgias (again) Dr. William B. Allen, Political Sci.
Sue Schlossman Does the Relationship Between Poverty and Homicide Vary by Region? Testing Dr. Lance Hannon
the Southern Subculture of Violence Thesis with Recent City-level Data
Sociology and Criminal Justice
Daniel Christopher Singles Words are Weapons: Boast and Anti-Boast in the Poetic Feuds of Beowulf, Dr. Lauren Shohet, English
Alexander Pope, and Twenty-First Century Battle Rap
Ryan Arthur Sowers A Biomimetic Approach to the Synthesis of Sarcoglane Dr. Eduard G. Casillas, Chemistry
Matthew D. Wood Impact of Strength- Versus Problem-Focus in the Revision of Creative Ideas Dr. Ginamarie Ligon, Psychology
Anne N. Vecchione The End of the World as We Know It: Curing Disability and Recovering from Dr. Heather Hicks, English
Victimization in Margaret Atwood’s Novels
Name Dissertation Title Advisor(s) & Department
Andrew Alexander Davis Living Method: From the Regulative to the Constitutive Idea in Hegel’s Logic Dr. Walter A. Brogan, Philosophy
Edward P. Kazarian The Science of Events: Deleuze and Psychoanalysis Dr. John M. Carvalho, Philosophy
P. Taylor Trussell The Gift of Power: Foucault, Derrida, and Normalization Dr. John M. Carvalho, Philosophy
12 •

Graduate Liberal Arts & Sciences
STUDENT PROFILES
Lieutenant Margaret Kennedy,
USCG
Graduate Student, Chemistry
Lieutenant Margaret Kennedy
graduated from the United States
Coast Guard Academy in 2003 with
a Bachelor of Science in marine and
environmental science. She served as
deck watch officer on the Coast Guard
Cutter ASPEN in San Francisco,
California from 2003 to 2005 and as
executive officer of the Coast Guard
Cutter GRAND ISLE in Gloucester,
Mass. from 2005 to 2007. Kennedy
was selected by the Coast Guard to
attend graduate school as part of the
Academy Instructor program; she will
return to her alma mater to teach
general chemistry this fall. She currently
conducts research at Villanova in the
field of organometallic chemistry under
the direction of Deanna Zubris, Ph.D.,
in pursuit of a Master of Science in
chemistry. Kennedy’s research includes
both synthetic and computational
chemistry with the goal of creating
novel iron complexes to be tested and
used as polymerization catalysts. In
March 2009, Kennedy presented
a poster, “New methodology for
synthesis of Cs- and C1-symmetric
bis(imino)pyridines and energetic
implications for metallation,” at the
spring meeting of the American
Chemical Society in Salt Lake City,
Ut. She will complete her degree
requirements and graduate this summer
before reporting to her new assignment
at the Coast Guard Academy Science
Department. Lieutenant Kennedy’s
military awards include the Coast
Guard Achievement Medal, Coast
Guard Special Operations Service
Ribbon, and numerous unit and team
awards.
Laura Brown
Graduate Student, Education
Laura Brown earned her bachelor’s
degree at Lebanon Valley College in
Central Pennsylvania, majoring in
German, Spanish and Political Science.
She also studied abroad in Cologne,
Germany in 2002 and in Salamanca,
Spain in 2003. After graduating, Brown
thought that she wanted a career in
business, but after three years of
working as an event planner and
traveling regularly for business, she
decided to go back to school and
become a teacher. After researching
some programs to get her certificate,
she found Villanova’s master’s degree
in education plus the teaching
certification program. According to
Brown, “It was the perfect fit: one year
for my master’s degree and certificate.”
Within education, Laura is interested in
intertwining culture into the study of
language. “I think we lose too many
students because early education of
foreign language is so focused on
grammar and vocabulary lists. In order
to make the language come alive for the
kids, I want them to understand how
the words and structures of the language
they are study are really used, and how
they can use them to communicate with
other people,” said Brown. She utilizes
technology into the classroom, noting
that showing students clips of news
programs, videos or songs helps to make
the language alive and more interesting.
In her free time, she enjoys politics
by reading newspapers and political
websites, and watching Sunday morning
political talk shows. She also enjoys
spending time with her four dogs and
family at her beach house in New Jersey.
• 13

Villanova Student SHRM Chapter Wins Superior Merit Award
For the fourteenth consecutive year,
the Villanova University Student
SHRM chapter was granted the
Superior Merit Award from the
National Society for Human Resource
Management (SHRM). The Villanova
SHRM chapter is part of an elite group
of chapters across the nation which
has been honored with this prestigious
award. This distinction represents
the culmination of a year’s worth of
community involvement, service to the
human resources field, and dedication
to members of the chapter. In order
to achieve the requirements set by the
Superior Merit Award, members of
the chapter were involved in events such
as the monthly speaker series, the West
Chester Rotary Club’s Annual Chili
Cook-off, the Annual Holiday Toy
Drive, the monthly chapter newsletter,
and attending various human resource
events in the greater Philadelphia area.
The central purpose of the student
SHRM chapter is to offer professional
and personal development opportunities
outside the classroom for graduate
students in the graduate program.
The chapter operates under the
guidance of its advisors David Bush,
Ph.D., program director, and Ginamarie
Ligon, Ph.D., assistant professor. The
chapter executive board is comprised
of current students in the programs:
Kevin Balkanloo, president, Jeanine
DiDomenico, co-president, Courtney
Costigan, treasurer, Rana Sachdev,
director of Communications, and
Emily Malinowski, director of
Corporate Relations.
The chapter held its 12th Annual
Networking Reception at the Union
Leagure in Philadelphia in April 2009.
Over 175 human resource professionals
were in attendance to network and
listen to an engaging presentation
given by Joseph Frick, the president
and CEO of Independence Blue Cross.
From left to right: Courtney Costigan, Ginamarie
Ligon (faculty-advisor), Jeanine DiDomenico, Kevin
Balkanloo, Rana Sachdev, and Emily Malinowski.
From left to right: James Kane, Director of Continuing Studies at Villanova, and graduate asssitants Rana
Sachdev and Kevin Balkanloo
Education Honor Society Inducts New Members
Kappa Delta Pi is an International Honor Society dedicated
to scholarship and excellence in education. Xi Phi Chapter
was installed by Leo Zuckowsky on April 27, 1978 at Villanova
University. Membership in Kappa Delta Pi involves fostering
the high ideals of the education profession by assuming
trusteeship of a rich, professional legacy. Inductees agree
to strive towards four ideals: fidelity to humanity, science,
service, and toil.
Graduate and undergraduate students who are working
on programs in teaching, school counseling, and educational
leadership and meet the appropriate criteria are eligible
for membership.On April 1, 2009, forty-six graduate and
undergraduate students were inducted as new members
of Kappa Delta Pi. Deborah Schussler, Ph.D., who currently
serves as the Xi Phi Chapter’s advisor, led the induction
ceremony. Ray Heitzmann, Ph.D., offered an inspiring talk
titled, “Be Ashamed to Die Until You Have Won Some
Victory for Humanity.”
14 •

Psychology of Terrorism Colloquium Hosted at Villanova
From left to right: Captain Andrew Clark, Dr. John Horgan, Dr. Ginamarie
Ligon, and Captain Derek Ligon at the Psychology of Terrorism Colloquium.
Villanova University’s Department
of Psychology and Graduate Programs
in Human Resources Development
co-sponsored the Psychology of
Terrorism Colloquium on November
20, 2008 in the CEER building on
the Villanova campus. The featured
speaker was John Horgan, Ph.D.,
director of International Center for
Study of Terrorism at Pennsylvania
State University.
Dr. Horgan shared his latest research
on how and why members disengage
from terrorist organizations and the
psychological aspects of such behavior.
To a standing room only crowd of over
125 people, including faculty, students,
military leaders, and business people
from the Tri-State area, Dr. Horgan
discussed his interview techniques
of former members of terrorist
organizations. His research in this
area is sponsored by the Office of Naval
Research and takes him to regions in
the Middle East, Europe, the Americas
and Asia where he has interviewed 29
former terrorists, 23 members of their
families, and other supporters.
As one of just a few psychologists
studying this phenomenon, Dr. Horgan
adds value to the field of terrorism
research by applying psychological
research methods,
as well as theories
and findings from
the field of human
resources, to understand
disengagement
from radical terrorist
organizations such
as Al Qaeda, Shining
Path (Peru) and Tamil
Tigers (Sri Lanka).
Prior to joining Penn
State, he held faculty
positions at St. Andrews
of Scotland and
University College
of Cork, Ireland. Dr.
Horgan has published
extensively in the area of terrorism,
including a recently published book,
“Walking Away from Terrorism:
Accounts of Disengagement from
Radical and Extremist Movements”
(NY and London: Routledge, 2008),
and he holds editorial positions for the
Journal of Terrorism and Political Violence,
Terrorism Research, and Journal of
Investigative Psychology and Offender
Profiling.
The colloquium was followed by a
reception themed, “A Taste of Philly,”
where the fare included foods and
products produced in, or made famous
by association with, Philadelphia.
South Philly Italian Hoagies, tomato
pie, Philadelphia Cream Cheese Cake,
Herr’s Potato Chips, and Tastykakes.
All products were purchased from local
establishments to encourage the greater
Philadelphia economy.
At the reception, audience members
were lined up to speak with Dr. Horgan,
asking questions regarding career paths
in the field of terrorism research, how he
obtains his interview participants (i.e.,
terrorists and ex-terrorists from across
the globe), and general methodology
and research queries. Following are two
frequently asked questions that we asked
Dr. Horgan to answer for us:
Villanova University: How did you get
involved in this kind of research?
Dr. Horgan: “I finished my undergraduate
degree in psychology around the time
of the first IRA ceasefire in 1996. The
opportunities afforded to researchers by
the peace process meant that it became
possible to speak to former terrorists
about their experiences—how they
became involved, how they justified
the atrocities perpetrated by their
movement and so on. I had always been
interested in how extreme behavior
develops for the individual, and saw an
opportunity for some valuable research.
One of the most disturbing features of
terrorist psychology is that despite the
large scale consequences that terrorists
do, those who become involved in
terrorism are largely indistinguishable
from the general population. They are
impossible to pick out of a crowd and
are not easy to profile. As a psychologist,
I am interested in understanding what
this means and what we can do about it.”
VU: Why do former terrorists want to speak
about their experiences?
Dr. Horgan: “Terrorists crave attention.
They are the only group of offenders
that not only claim responsibility for
what they have done, but are proud of it.
They want to talk, they want to say how
things are for them, and they want to
take every opportunity to justify to the
outside world what it is they do and why
they do it. The role of the academic is
to try to understand what terrorists say
(and why), but also to ensure that they
are not used as a propaganda tool at the
same time. Interviewing people about
their experiences of becoming involved
in terrorism, and why they leave, offers
a unique opportunity to also find out if
there are ways of developing knowledge
aimed at preventing people becoming
involved in the first place.”
• 15

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
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Villanova University
GRADUATE LIBERAL
ARTS & SCIENCES NEWS
A newsletter by and for the graduate programs of Liberal Arts & Sciences
June 2009 | Volume Forty-Eight, Issue Three
In this issue, enjoy features on:
• Classical Studies
• Graduate Biology
• Dr. Chiji Akoma, Graduate English Department
• Dr. Jared J. Paul, Chemistry Department
• Lieutenant Margaret Kennedy, Chemistry Student
• Laura Brown, Education Student
For the next issue, please send your news to
khowell@howellpartners.com by September 11, 2009.
Poesía en Español: Two Poetry Recitals in Thirty Days continued from page 8
Hispanic Studies. Mr. Yushimito opened
the event with general introductory
remarks, followed by a reading of an
excerpt from a poem by the famous
Chilean poet Nicanor Parra. The first
participant to recite his verses was
Mr. Rodolfo Figueroa, a native of Chile
and an active participant in Villanova’s
literary workshop known as Pinzón 9,
founded by Dr. Carlos Trujillo,
Although not published to date, the
poetry Mr. Figueroa has recited
informally during the weekly gatherings
of Pinzón 9 have revealed a truly unique
and mature poetic style. There is little
doubt that this budding poet will be
published in the very near future,
since his poetry was well received
by the audience. David Miralles, Ph.D.,
who teaches in Villanova’s Spanish
Studies division, in addition to being
an accomplished and published Chilean
poet and writer of prose, was the
second participant to recite his verses.
Dr. Miralles is the author of numerous
collections of verses, in addition to
having recently penned a collection
of short stories. The third participant
was Mr. Christian Formoso, a student
finishing up his graduate studies in
Villanova’s Hispanic Studies program.
Mr. Formoso, an accomplished poet
and an award recipient for his poetry
in his native Chile, read, among others,
verses from his latest collection of poetry
entitled El cementerio más hermoso de Chile
(2008). The recital session was closed
by Dr. Carlos Trujillo, an accomplished
Chilean poet, having authored
numerous books of verses as well
as being a recipient of the prestigious
Pablo Neruda Prize for poetry in Chile.
The resounding success of both
events in terms of the notable artistic
quality of the verses recited, as well as
the considerable audience attendance,
followed by an enthusiastic question
and answer session, has animated the
members of Pinzón 9 to host future
recitals on a regular basis, as well as
perhaps using poetry as a vehicle for
promoting oral and writing proficiency
in Spanish at the very beginning levels
of undergraduate studies in Spanish.
Full-length footage of both recitals is
available on “i Tunes U” under “Spanish
Poetry”. Most recently the Pinzón 9
group has launched a brand new literary
journal dubbed Naufragios (May 1,
2009). The journal includes creative
work in poetry, the short story, and the
visual arts by accomplished Hispanic
artists, as well as a section on essays
devoted to authors and works of
Hispanic literature.