Noteworthy

School of Engineering faculty member Vicki Brown has been honored with the distinguished university professor designation. The recognition honors individual faculty members of distinction and represents the university’s commitment to recognizing excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service throughout faculty members’ careers. The honor was announced at the 2022 faculty awards program. 

To be eligible for the designation, a faculty member must hold a tenured appointment at the rank of professor and be clearly identified by students and colleagues as an outstanding teacher.  They must also have national or international recognition for scholarly research activities, and have made significant contributions as a leader at the university or in the faculty member’s profession or academic discipline. The designation has a three-year term.

Brown has been an active member of the university faculty for 41 years, including 18 as chair of the Civil Engineering Department, successfully guiding it through three accreditation visits under her leadership.

Brown has also played an active role in university faculty governance and has served several times on the Faculty Council Executive Committee. She was instrumental in the development of the laboratory curriculum, and in infrastructure for the undergraduate civil engineering program.

Brown’s belief that “in-the-classroom learning” is most effective when combined with “real-world learning,” she seeks out opportunities to provide students with networking experiences – taking them to professional society meetings and continually challenging them in a supportive environment.

She also established and administers student competitions at national and international levels for the American Concrete Institute. One of Brown’s most visible and important contributions is the development and execution of the Engineering Girls Camp. Given the under-representation of females in the engineering field, her efforts to bring young women interested in engineering together with female engineers and female engineering students has impacted numerous young women and helped them gain the confidence to pursue a traditionally male-dominated field.

In addition, Brown has made a significant impact in her area of expertise – the use of fiber reinforced polymers as a substitute for steel in reinforced concrete. She serves as chair of an international committee tasked with developing design codes for FRP-reinforced structural concrete. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/node/27661

Associate Teaching Professor of English Jayne Thompson received the Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award at Widener’s 2022 faculty awards program. The honor is given annually to recognize one outstanding faculty member and is funded by the Lindback Foundation as a means of honoring dedicated faculty members at universities across the Philadelphia region.

Thompson has worked more than two decades to join her passion for teaching literature and creative writing with deep engagement in the Chester community.  She has made the act of writing a central tool for addressing the hopelessness and pain of people caught in the "school-to-prison pipeline."  Her work has grown organically from her experiences with high school students, incarcerated people and community groups.

Thompson has included students through the Chester Writers House and by creating and teaching the Community Literacy and Social Justice course. Along with Widener students, she began a women’s writing group called The World Split Open Story Collaborative for those who live, work, volunteer, and study in Chester.  It encourages women to tell their stories, share life experiences, and explore their sense of agency.

From her work with the Chester School District; Chester Made and Chester Cultural Corridor; Widener University’s service learning, Bonner Leaders, and Periclean Faculty Leadership programs; and multiple places of communal gathering, to her role on the Mayor’s Advisory Council at Chester City Hall, Thompson’s work in Chester supports vibrant communities.

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Profession of Criminal Justice Shana Maier was honored at the 2022 faculty awards program with the Outstanding Researcher Award. 

The award recognizes a faculty member who has exhibited distinction in scholarly work. Through their research, the recipient has made a significant contribution to advancement of their profession or discipline, and to the university’s mission and vision. 

Maier’s research addresses society’s contemporary conflicts and hot-button issues such as student fear of crime and perception of safety; marijuana decriminalization; jury instructions; and sexual violence and victimization. Throughout her career she has established an impressive record of research as someone who undertakes complicated criminal justice and socio-legal analyses. 

Maier has achieved an outstanding record of publication over the previous five years despite pandemic-related slowdowns of scholarly activity and production across higher education. She is committed to actively engaging undergraduate and graduate students in rigorous academic research and has recently authored four manuscripts for publication with undergraduates.

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Associate Professor Angie Corbo, chair of the Communication Studies program, received the Institutional Leadership Award at Widener’s 2022 faculty awards program.

The award is given annually to a faculty member who has a history of leading university initiatives that further Widener’s vision, mission and strategic objectives. 

Corbo has served her college and the university in leadership roles in faculty governance. She currently serves as faculty chair, and has served on the crisis management team’s academic consulting team. She is part of the High Impact Practice Fair committee, chairs the Breathe Board, and serves on the provost’s Mental Health Task Force.

Corbo is an engaged leader in the campus community, serving as the Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative activities program co-director since 2014. As a co-instructor of Contemporary Issues in Political Engagement, she empowered students to interview political candidates and lobby elected offices to be cognizant of the impact of college student debt. 

Story link: https://www.widener.edu/node/27641

Assistant Teaching Professor Ria Mazumder and Associate Professor Anita Singh, both of the School of Engineering, have been honored with the Civic Engagement Award. The honor, given at the 2022 faculty awards program, recognizes outstanding contributions of faculty to students’ understanding of their social responsibilities, and to Widener’s engagement in the local or global community through teaching or research. 

Mazumder and Singh are committed to broadening engineering education in ways that and equip Widener students to become professionally, personally, and socially responsible leaders. They developed two innovative projects that promote a lifelong commitment to civic engagement. The first, a partnership with Chester Eastside Inc. School and Edgemont Scholars Academy, delivers innovative extra-curricular STEM education to elementary and middle school students in need of opportunity.  The second created a partnership with the Chester Community Clinic and the Community Nursing Clinic, in which engineering students learn about the challenges of developing effective, low-cost solutions for patients at the margins of the health care system.

Both projects have been effective at engaging students and serving the community and have received recognition beyond the university.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/node/27636

Christine Pariseault, assistant professor of nursing, co-authored a study that explored the perceptions and experiences of nurses in clinical practice engaged in caring for patients diagnosed with COVID‐19 during the early months of the pandemic. The qualitative descriptive study published in Research in Nursing & Research addressed clinical nurses' daily struggles at the bedside while caring for patients diagnosed with COVID‐19. Analyzed findings showed five themes: navigating uncertainty, managing death and loss, acknowledging emotional responses, learning opportunities, and facing community undercurrents. The report concluded on the important of collecting and analyzing data and disseminate findings to inform the nursing profession, healthcare industry, and the public. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/nursing-professor-reports-findings-nurses-experiences-during-covid

Students from the School of Business Administration and from the Business Living Learning Community attended a networking event as part of the Philadelphia Phillies College Nights series at Citizen’s Bank Park.

The event included a panel discussion with Phillies industry professionals, a networking hour with Phillies staff and students from other area colleges who were in attendance, and a chance to stay to watch the evening’s baseball game.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/business-students-attend-philadelphia-phillies-networking-event

The Widener Community Nursing Clinic recently held an event to celebrate 10 years of service to greater Chester community. Clinic leaders and patients gathered with representatives from Widener and Chester to recognize the clinic's proven history of delivering the highest level of care and support.

For more than a decade, the clinic has stood as a steadfast community resource offering pro bono medical care to uninsured and underinsured residents. The clinic, led by Ellen Boyda, clinic director, is staffed by nurse practitioners and registered nurses from the School of Nursing faculty, students, alumni, and community volunteers. In addition to critical health care services, the clinic also provides Widener nursing students with valuable experience in non-hospital settings. 

In 2021, the clinic expanded from its flagship location at Chester CityTeam to open a new location at the Chester Senior Center. The growth enabled clinic staff to broaden its ability to offer affordable and accessible care to individuals and families throughout the community.

Photo: President Stacey Robertson with Ellen Boyda, clinic director.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-community-nursing-clinic-celebrates-10-years

The annual Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (SURCA) program offers a high-impact experience through faculty-mentored undergraduate research, collaborative engagement, and a student-faculty learning community. The months-long program culminated with a symposium event which allowed participating students to present their projects and findings to the Widener community as well as a panel of volunteer judges who ranked the presentations by category.

The winners of the 2022 SURCA Symposium are:

Biochemistry: Michaela Jemison (advisor: Alexis Nagengast)
Detecting phenotypic difference of Alzheimer’s progression in a variety of Drosophila genotypes

Biology: Zachary Anderson (advisor: Caroline Fortunato)
Understanding the biogeographical patterns of microbial communities within the grassland soils of Northeastern Pennsylvania

Business & Computer Science: Shea’lyn Hubbs & Daniel Wiedl (advisors: Babatunde Odusami & YoungHa Ki)
Green bond performance in the United States

Chemistry: Elana Nguyen (advisor: Robert Mishur)
Microwave-assisted synthesis of transplatin, trans-[Pt[NH3]2Cl2]

Engineering A: Jared Ware (advisors: Babak Eslami & Kamran Fouladi)
Investigation of effect of melting temperature on the quality of 3D printed parts out of PLA filaments

Engineering B: Brian Hoffman (advisor: Dipendu Saha)
Conversion of Styrofoam into value-added products

Environmental: Emily Mills (advisor: Chad Freed)
Spatial modeling to support conservation of Sialia sialis, Eastern Bluebirds, in Pennsylvania

Humanities: Madison Smith & M’Nya Preston (advisor: Jordan Smith)
Hidden History of Widener

Molecular Biology: Adam Oladeji (advisor: Michael Toneff)
Transient expression of miR-200c does not permanently inhibit breast cancer cell aggression

Social Science A: Zora DeSeignora & Kaitlyn Lathrop (advisor: Angela Corbo)
Belonging, inclusion, and collaboration in communication studies: Building self-awareness and community

Social Science B: Cloë Di Flumeri & Marissa Fowler (advisor: Jeremy Backstrom)
Intimate partner violence during civil war

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/undergraduate-students-named-winners-2022-surca-symposium

Robert Torres ’93, Secretary at the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, and Special Assistant to the Secretary, Stephanie Cole, visited students in the social work program who are about to embark on a semester-long service-learning project working with older adults.

Secretary Torres, a Widener Commonwealth Law School graduate, and Cole spoke to students about the work the department does to help older adults in Pennsylvania through various programs focusing on financial assistance, health and wellness initiatives, and programs specifically for older adults from underserved populations. They also spoke to students about the many career opportunities available working with older adults.

Students in this course participate in a semester-long service-learning project where they are paired with an older adult in the area who has been identified as “at risk for social isolation” to have regular communications and build a connection.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/pa-department-aging-secretary-visits-social-work-class

Widener University has been named one of the country’s best colleges for student voting. Washington Monthly recently published the list after reviewing student voter turnout, registration rates, and reports from college administrators about their efforts to promote voter participation. Schools had to demonstrate a repeated commitment to increasing student voting, and be transparent about results. 

At Widener, a group of committed individuals – including political science faculty, staff with the Center for Civic & Global Engagement, and undergraduate student Taylor Easter – have worked to mobilize students to register to vote and become politically engaged.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-named-best-college-student-voting

Widener University has received the 2022 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. 

Known as a HEED Award, the national recognition is bestowed on U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. Widener University will be featured in the November 2022 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. The university is among 103 honorees and was last recognized in 2018, at a time when values of diversity and inclusion were represented in the university's culture through the platform principle, “We’re All Widener.” The university continues to build upon that progress and is being recognized in light of additional gains that demonstrate and support a steadfast commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

“I am thrilled to share that Widener has received the 2022 HEED Award,” said President Stacey Robertson. “As a community we are deeply grateful and honored to be recognized for our efforts in support of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. These core principles are woven into the fabric of Widener’s culture, so to be honored as a leader in this way is exceptionally rewarding and inspiring.” 

Honorees were selected through a comprehensive and rigorous application process that looked at multiple areas relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees, leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion. 

“As a result of strong partnerships across our three campuses, Widener has made significant progress in building a strong foundation to support a culture that advances diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging,” said Chief Diversity Officer Micki Davis. “We will continue to focus on these principles and strengthen them as a central part of our community, reflected in our faculty, staff and our students.” 

Widener has maintained a commitment to including diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in numerous programs and practices on its three campuses, including the recruitment and retention of faculty, staff and students. Highlights include:

• Implicit Bias and Search Committee Workshop. The offices of the Provost, Human Resources and the Chief Diversity Officer have implemented a professional development opportunity for all members of the university community serving on hiring search committees.  Participation by search committee members have led to an increased awareness of implicit bias in hiring and has resulted in an increase of faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds joining the Pride family.
• Faculty and Administrators of Color Network. This is an active affinity network that includes faculty and staff from across our three campuses and hosts numerous events that support members of our multicultural community. Most recently, the network partnered with the Office of Alumni Engagement to launch a mentoring program, Legacy 56, that engages alumni and students. The Legacy 56 Mentoring Program was piloted with success last year and will be formally introduced at Homecoming in October.
• The DEIB Communications and Resources Hub. The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Communication and Resources Hub is an online repository for DEIB updates and reports from Widener University schools, colleges and departments, The hub is updated on a regular basis and can be accessed by Widener faculty, staff and students via the university intranet.
• The Wollman Award for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This award, endowed by immediate past university president Julie E. Wollman, was presented for the first time in May 2022 and is the first university-wide award given annually to an employee who advocates for, and affects change at Widener in support of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Diversity programming mini grants. These grants allow faculty and staff to apply for funding to assist with DEI-themed programming and events. Ten grants valued between $100 and $500 are available each academic year.
• DEI fund. This fund was established last year through a collaboration between University Advancement and the chief diversity officer as a giving opportunity for faculty, staff and alumni interested in supporting DEI initiatives, events and activities. 
• The 1821 Experience Living Learning Community. The Multicultural Student Affairs Office partnered with the Offices of Residence Life and Student Success to offer a living-learning community this fall for first-year students from diverse backgrounds and/or who self-identify as the first generation in their families to attend college. First-year students who participate in the 1821 Experience Pre-Orientation Program are offered an opportunity to take a first year seminar class as a cohort and reside in the living learning community. Staff from the Multicultural Student Affairs Office maintain a part-time presence in an established satellite office space.

“Our selection as a recipient of this award speaks to Widener’s universal commitment to principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, and to the relentless work that both students and faculty are doing to empower each other in every space on our campuses,” Robertson said. “As our community grows, we will continue to work together to build on this progress.”
 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-receives-national-higher-education-excellence-diversity-award

Carly Kearney, a PhD candidate in the School of Nursing, was named a 2022-23 Jonas Scholar by National League for Nursing (NLN). The highly competitive scholarship provides direct funding for Kearney in her final year of doctoral study, leading to completion of her dissertation projects, as well as support for travel expenses to attend conference. Launched in 2010, the Jonas Scholars Program has been generously funded by Jonas Philanthropies, a New York-based foundation that promotes excellence in nursing, to advance the science of nursing education. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/nursing-phd-student-named-jonas-scholar-national-league-nursing

A research team consisting of faculty, students, and an alumni in the School of Nursing published a study examining nurse faculty administrators’ experiences of rapid transition and disruption in nursing education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Published in the journal Nursing Education Perspectives, co-authors Anne Krouse, dean of nursing, Kristen McLaughlin, nursing graduate, Rose Rossi, associate dean of undergraduate nursing, Wendy Black-Dorn, nursing PhD candidate, Bette Mariani, nursing graduate, and Barbara Patterson, director of the nursing science doctoral program, implemented a descriptive survey methodology to understand the experiences of academic nurse administrators during the pandemic. The survey utilized the Four Cs of Disaster Partnering conceptual framework which encompasses communication, cooperation, coordination, and collaboration and the interrelatedness of those activities in partnering relationships. The authors' findings showed that key elements of the Four Cs framework played a role in the successful adaptation to new learning environment realities.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/nursing-study-examines-faculty-administrators-experiences-amid-covid-disruptions

Amanda Baker, a graduate of the Center for Human Sexuality Studies, published an article that investigated the association between sexting and satisfaction within a relationship. The research, which published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, explored the positive impact sexting can have on important relationship constructs and provides clinicians and educators with reliable data that can assist them with informing adult clients on ways they can utilize sexting in a meaningful and positive way.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/human-sexuality-graduate-publishes-academic-journal

The School of Nursing has been chosen to participate in a national initiative led by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) designed to foster inclusive learning environments and build a more diverse nursing workforce. Widener's nursing program is one of 50 schools of nursing selected nationwide to participate in AACN's pilot project titled "Building a Culture of Belonging in Academic Nursing."

With funding from Johnson & Johnson, the program aims to help schools of nursing create environments where students, faculty, and staff possess a strong sense of belonging and are encouraged to thrive. Specifically, the program will utilize a survey instrument developed by AACN to collect data and provide institution-level assessments and action reports to participating schools related to developing inclusive academic environments.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/nursing-program-chosen-join-national-program-build-inclusive-learning-culture

The Providence Garden Club of Pennsylvania has presented Widener’s Taylor Arboretum with a donation of $3,900 to be used to pay for new informational signage on the property. Members of the garden club were recently on hand for a check presentation.

Six signs were recently installed on the arboretum’s grounds listing prohibited actives. The signage is intended to ensure the safety and welfare of visitors and the property.

Located just minutes from campus, the 30-acre preserve of plantings and natural lands is open to the public to walk the trails, explore the flora and fauna, and enjoy the property’s natural beauty. Acquired by the university in 2016, the arboretum is also used by students and faculty members for research, hands-on learning opportunities, and other activities.

Share Link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/taylor-arboretum-receives-donation-new-signage

Assistant Professor Hongwei Yang, along with collaborators John Mason ’21 and Joanna Weyrich ’23 have had an article, “Mechanic Study of Porosity Formation in Liquid-Assisted Mechanochemical Synthesis of Metal-Organic Framework Cu3(BTC)2  for adsorption-Based Applications,” published in Sustainability, a journal distributed by MDPI. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/faculty-and-students-published-sustainability-journal

Sarah W. Williamson, assistant dean of students, published a chapter in the book "Theory of College Student Development: Integration of Knowledge, Skills and Application." The text focuses on providing readers with new theoretical knowledge or a reminder of the foundational and evolving theories that professionals can utilize for understanding and making sense of students’ behavior. Williamson co-authored Chapter 11 entitled "Faith and Spiritually Development" where she discusses the role that faith and spirituality play in the development of college students. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/assistant-dean-student-publishes-chapter-textbook-college-student-development-theory

Widener University will host the first in a series of book talks as part of “Read the Revolution,” a multi-year initiative happening as the country approaches the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. The 2022 book is The Boston Massacre: A Family History written by Serena Zabin. Zabin will be on campus in November for a discussion about the book.  

“Read the Revolution” is led by America250PADelco, in partnership with Widener faculty with other local organizations including The Delaware County Library System. This year’s book explores the stories of British troops as they were dispatched from Ireland to Boston in 1768.

More details to follow about the November event. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-host-read-revolution-2022-book-discussion