Looking to the Future with Villanova's Strategic Plan

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One Book Villanova Brings Acclaimed Author to Campus
Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji—
a vivid portrait of growing up, discovering
love and awakening to the reality of
life in a nation on the verge of revolution
in the 1970s—was this year’s especially
timely One Book Villanova selection.
One Book Villanova engages all members
of the campus community—students,
staff and faculty—in activities throughout
the academic year that explore dominant
themes presented in a selected book.
“Rooftops of Tehran provides a detailed
look at Iranian life and culture at the very
moment that Iranian political and social
developments are once again at the center
of international attention,” notes Joseph
Lucia, director of Villanova’s Falvey
Memorial Library and One Book Villanova
committee co-chairman.
Each year, the highlight of One Book
Villanova is the author’s visit to campus.
Seraji arrived on January 26, greeted
Villanovans and signed copies of his book
in Falvey Library. He then joined students,
faculty, staff and community members in
Dougherty Dining Room for a special
community dinner featuring Persian
cuisine. Later in the evening, he spoke
about his book to a standing-room-only
crowd of over 500 people in the Villanova
Room of the Connelly Center.
One Book Villanova is made possible
through the generosity of Patricia H.
Imbesi, who funds the program each year.
A member of the Villanova University
Board of Trustees, Imbesi is married to
John Imbesi ’68 VSB and is the mother of
Anthony Imbesi ’96 A&S, Paul Imbesi ’01
A&S and Charles Imbesi ’06 A&S.
She also serves as chair of the Villanova
Parents’ Committee.
In Falvey Memorial Library, students, faculty and staff lined up to have author Mahbod Seraji sign
their copies of Rooftops of Tehran, this year’s One Book Villanova selection.
New Bioengineering Minor Bridges Engineering, the Sciences and Nursing
From designing prosthetics to developing
ultrasound techniques to producing
biopharmaceuticals, practitioners of
bioengineering strive to improve the quality
of life and benefit society through
advances in biological research, medicine
and health care. Now Villanova students
will have the opportunity to acquire an
understanding of this critical area of study
and, at the same time, to have an enriching,
interdisciplinary experience.
Faculty in the Colleges of Engineering,
Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Nursing
have collaborated to create a minor in
bioengineering. The minor, which was
officially launched in fall 2009, is the first
such program to be jointly offered by all
three colleges. Six students have enrolled
in this program, and many more have
expressed interest.
Dr. William Kelly, associate
professor of Chemical
Engineering and a member of
the Bioengineering Planning
Committee, anticipates that
the minor will appeal to Villanova
students because they
tend “not only to be gifted
technically but also to be
concerned about humanitarian
applications.”
Russell Gardner, Ph.D. (left),
chair of the Biology department,
and William Kelly, Ph.D., associate
professor of Chemical Engineering,
are two of the Bioengineering
Planning Committee
members who helped develop the
cross-college minor.
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