Noteworthy

Wolfgram Library's Jill Borin, librarian and head of archives and distinctive collections, and Kayla Van Osten, affiliate librarian and assistant archivist, have co-authored a chapter in the book Managing Crises in the Academic Library: Past, Present, and Future, which features library professionals as authors from all institution types and sizes. 

Borin and Van Osten’s chapter is titled “Mold Mitigation during a Pandemic: Accessible Strategies for Archivists.”

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Assistant Teaching Professor of Biology Catherine Safran, with the help of nursing student Taylor Wise ’25, presented a poster at the 2023 Annual Conference of the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS) in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The poster, titled “The Implementation of Structured Office Hours as a Central Component of Student Success in A&P courses,” is based on Wise’s experience in anatomy and physiology (A&P) courses and using resources such as faculty office hours and peers to improve her academic performance. The observations concluded that students who utilize office hours will have improved performance in A&P classes and can act as group leaders to help their peers succeed as well. 

In addition to presenting, Safran was awarded the HAPS John Martin Second Timers Award, which recognizes HAPS members for repeated attendance and commitment to the organization’s annual conferences. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/biology-faculty-presents-poster-human-anatomy-and-physiology-conference-receives-award

The university is pleased to announce that Eric Kniskern, director of recruitment and diversity enrollment initiatives at Delaware Law School has been honored with the 2023 Julie E. Wollman Endowed Award for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. 

The award was made possible as part of a $100,000 gift to the university by Wollman, the immediate past president of Widener, and her husband Dan L. King. It annually recognizes an employee who advocates and effects change at Widener in support of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, by going above and beyond their job responsibilities.

Kniskern began his career at Widener’s campus in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 24 years ago, where he served as director of admissions for the then-Widener University School of Law. 

In his time working on the Harrisburg campus, Kniskern was instrumental in bringing Safe Space workshops and trainings, dedicated to supporting the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community, to staff and faculty there. He positioned the campus to host the annual meeting Law School Diversity Professionals in 2011, through a competitive process in which schools all over the country were vying for hosting privileges. Kniskern also advocated for and secured prayer space for Muslim students.  

At Widener University Delaware Law School, where he has worked since 2016, Kniskern has built on his previous efforts to support DEIB. He was an early champion for gender-inclusive restrooms on the Delaware campus and routinely works to enhance application and recruitment processes with the goal of attracting a diverse and qualified incoming class. In addition, he has advocated for the elimination of criminal history questions from the law school application process to attract and better serve justice-impacted applicants. He researched the practice extensively and presented case studies to the faculty enrollment committee, which led to a law school plan to eliminate criminal history questions beginning with the fall 2024 application process.

Widener Chief Diversity Officer Michelle Meekins-Davis announced Kniskern as the Wollman Award recipient on May 1, at a university-wide town hall meeting for faculty and staff. 

“Eric’s dedication to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging has had a measurable impact on all three of Widener’s campuses,” Meekins-Davis said. “He is a leader who demonstrates a consistent commitment to making Widener a place where all students know they belong and can be their true selves. We are fortunate to call him a colleague and he is richly deserving of this recognition.”

Kniskern lives in Mt. Joy, Pennsylvania with his partner of 21 years, Kevin, and their two cats, Meep and Rocco.

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Pennsylvania State Senator John Kane visited students at the Widener Child Development Center (WCDC) for reading and fun. Senator Kane read to students and played with them on the playground as art of a series of visits to various schools and child development centers coordinated through First-Up, an organization dedicated to ensuring children have the best education possible through empowering and training educators and families. 

During the visit, Senator Kane met with WCDC Director Alicia Vaux and representatives from First-Up to discuss the national teacher crisis and what more can be done to better support the early childhood education community. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/pa-senator-john-kane-visits-widener-child-development-center

John Suarez, associate professor of electrical engineering, received a grant from the Manufacturing PA Innovation program funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. The project, titled “Capacitive and Infrared Sensing for Precision Chemical Analysis of Polar Compounds,” will build upon preliminary work completed by Probes Unlimited, Inc. (PUI) to design, prototype, rigorously test, and manufacture a precision sensor for monitoring the quality of cooking oil. Suarez will lead a research team to conduct the necessary research and development to assist PUI in developing the capacitive sensor with the required characteristics as well as investigate the viability of infrared sensing technology in this application.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/engineering-professor-awarded-manufacturing-pa-innovation-program-grant

Kiara Allison, Title IX coordinator and equal opportunity officer, testified before Pennsylvania's Senate Democratic Policy Committee regarding domestic violence. Her testimony addressed the types of education and programs that students receive regarding sexual violence including domestic and dating violence, the effects of sexual violence on students including financial impacts, and made suggestions on how to address the problem of sexual violence on colleges campuses. Her testimony also advocated on behalf of increasing funding to local rape crisis and domestic violence centers and to continue the support of the state's Its On Us PA initiative led by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. 

Allison's testimony can be viewed online here (starting at 1:37:50). The testimony can be found under the video headline "Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention, May 22, 2023."

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/title-ix-coordinator-testifies-state-senate-committee

Widener University recently presented the William David Eckard, Jr. Award for Distinguished Service to Courtney Kelly, executive director of undergraduate admissions, and Jeanne Nolan, lead coordinating support specialist for the Institute for Physical Therapy Education.

The award, presented May 1 by President Stacey Robertson at the final university Town Hall meeting of the academic year, annually recognizes two longstanding employees for their commitment and outstanding service to the Widener community. William David Eckard III, former long-time vice president of administration and finance at Widener University and a 1966 graduate of Pennsylvania Military College, established the honor in memory of his father, William David Eckard, Jr.

The $3,000 cash award helps promote and reward excellence at Widener. Recipients must work for the university on a full-time basis for at least 10 years and consistently demonstrate an outstanding level of service. Nominations come from peers across the university.

Kelly began her career at Widener working as associate director of transfer admissions and worked her way up to the lead executive director role in undergraduate admissions, where she has transformed the department by mentoring early-career professionals. She is known across the university as a collaborator who has built partnerships in every department. She lives in Wallingford, Pennsylvania with her husband Patrick and their children Dylan and Lucas.

“Courtney is universally admired for her skill, compassion, and commitment to excellence,” Robertson said. “She is relentlessly enthusiastic and a terrific change agent.”  

Nolan has provided administrative support at Widener for 27 years in numerous areas, including the Dauntless Battalion ROTC program, the Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology, and currently as lead coordinating support specialist for the Institute of Physical Therapy Education, housed in the College of Health and Human Services. She lives Glenolden, Pennsylvania with her husband Mike. They are the proud parents of a grown son, Michael Nolan and his wife, Nikki Nolan. 

“Jeanne’s commitment to the PT program is unwavering,” Robertson said. “She is a partner in our purpose, contributes 100 percent every day, and exudes joy in her work. Her positive demeanor and encouraging support lifts all of us.”
 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/node/30595/

Sachin Patil, professor of chemical engineering, was invited to serve as the guest editor for a special issue in the peer-reviewed journal Pharmaceuticals. Titled “Alzheimer’s Disease: Small-Molecule Modulators of Novel Therapeutic Pathways,” this special issue is dedicated to gathering novel Alzheimer’s disease mechanisms, with a particular emphasis on targeting these mechanisms using small-molecule drugs. 

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Pamela McCauley, a renowned scholar, educator, university administer and entrepreneur, has been named dean of the School of Engineering. McCauley will assume the role on July 1 following the retirement of Fred Akl, who led the program for more than two decades. 

McCauley comes to Widener after serving as associate dean for Academic Programs, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University since 2020. She is an internationally-recognized industrial engineer whose research accomplishments include the development of fuzzy set theory-based mathematical models, human engineering, ergonomics and biomechanics as well as engineering leadership and women’s leadership in STEM. In her role as associate dean, McCauley has overseen the college’s academic programs, promoted innovation and entrepreneurship within the college and the university, and led and implemented diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across the college. 

“We are thrilled to have Dr. McCauley join the Widener community and lead our esteemed engineering program,” said Provost Andrew Workman. “Throughout her extensive career she has demonstrated herself as an innovator, entrepreneur, researcher, educator, and advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging both in the engineering field and the greater academic community. She will be a tremendous asset in enhancing the Widener student experience by bringing extensive research and entrepreneurial experiences to her role and championing student-faculty research opportunities. Her remarkable record of service to the professional and global scientific community will position the engineering program and the university to continue expanding its commitment to experiential service learning and community engagement.”

“I am honored and excited to join Widener’s vibrant community,” said McCauley. “The university’s engineering program has a remarkable legacy of innovation. Engineering changes the world, and Widener students and faculty are cultivating bold ideas in a space where students from diverse backgrounds know they belong and contribute unique perspectives. I am excited to lead the program and build on this success, guided by my years as an industry professional, engineering scholar, and university leader.”

McCauley has developed an impressive catalog of research backed by funding from some of the nation’s most prestigious institutions including NASA, the U.S. State Department, and The National Science Foundation. In 2012, McCauley was selected as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar and presented her funded research on human factors and ergonomics in disaster management. In additional to scholarly accomplishments, McCauley is the author of more than 100 technical papers, book chapters, conference proceedings and the best-selling ergonomics textbook, “Ergonomics: Foundational Principles, Applications, and Technologies.” 

McCauley brings more than 25 years of entrepreneurial experience to Widener and has led numerous small businesses. Throughout her career McCauley has been a tireless advocate for diversity and inclusion in engineering and higher education, particularly for females and students from groups who are under-represented in STEM. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/pamela-mccauley-named-next-dean-school-engineering

Widener University’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has helped countless business owners in getting their businesses off the ground, and counseling them as they grow. Recently, the SBDC helped a client, Felicia Doggett of Metropolitan Acoustics LLC, secure the $50,000 Women’s Entrepreneur Grant from JVS Fund Philadelphia. 

Doggett worked her primary consultant, Bill Pearce, to connect with SBDC technology entrepreneurs and partner solutions. The team at the SBDC helped to coach Doggett through every step of the process including a 10-minute presentation to the JVS Fund committee. 

“Bill has been so helpful. He introduced us to several solutions and opened many doors… It was great to have someone like Bill and the SBDC behind him to bounce ideas off of and answer questions,” said Doggett. 

The funding will help Doggett and Metropolitan Acoustics LLC advance their new SenSV™ device, a revolutionary remote laboratory monitoring platform that measures vibration, audible sound, and ultrasonic sound for the environment of laboratories like microscopy and animal housing labs. It’s important for labs to be able to measure how sounds such as traffic, HVAC, and more can impact their research. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/small-business-development-center-helps-client-secure-50000-grant-develop-new-sound-measuring-device

John G. Culhane, professor of law and co-director of the Family Health Law & Policy Institute at Delaware Law School, recently published the book "More Than Marriage: Forming Families after Marriage Equality." The book explores how the march toward marriage equality spun off a number of other legal statuses and investigates how the law has expanded and where it falls short. Filled with relatable, in-depth interviews giving a voice to the millions of Americans building family structures outside the protections of marriage—whether by choice, necessity, or exclusion. Culhane proposes an updated legal status that offers flexible and portable benefits for a diverse range of commitments and needs.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/delaware-law-professor-publishes-book-impact-marriage-equality-has-families

Professor of Chemical Engineering Sachin Patil and a team of student-researchers published a paper in the journal Computational Biology and Chemistry titled, “Discovery of small-molecule PD-1/PD-L1 antagonists through combined virtual screening and experimental validation.” The paper presented an integrated drug discovery approach leading to identification of a novel PD-1/PD-L1 antagonist that may serve as a starting point for further optimization into potent, small-molecule cancer immunotherapies. The team included students from Widener's chemical engineering and computer science program, as well as Computer Science Professor Jeffrey Rufinus and technician John Stoddart. Michelle DiFrancesco '18, a chemical engineering graduate, served as the student team leader and study first author. She is currently continuing her cancer immunotherapy work at Bristol-Myers Squibb, a leading global biopharmaceutical company. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/engineering-professor-interdisciplinary-student-team-publish-cancer-immunotherapy-discovery

Assistant Professor of History Jordan Smith has been chosen to attend the 2023 Legacies of American Slavery Faculty Seminar hosted by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) in New Haven, Connecticut. 

Smith’s field of research covers a variety of topics stemming from the enslavement of individuals of African descent. From seventeenth- and eighteenth-century rum production through to the historical impact of slavery on the area now known as Chester. He brings this work and much more into his classes as well as into the community to educate others on this deep history.

The seminar is part of the larger “Legacies of American Slavery” project spearheaded by the CIC, which aims to address the history of slavery with faculty and students from CIC member institutions in various ways. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/history-professor-attend-summer-seminar-legacies-american-slavery

Assistant Professor of Art History Sara Berkowitz has been selected to attend the Council of Independent Colleges’ upcoming seminar “Power and Absence: Connecting Renaissance Art to Diverse Audiences,” in Memphis, Tennessee. 

The seminar will explore European art ca. 1400-1700 and discuss ways to open conversations about historical representations of different populations. Attendees will collaborate and have special access to works from the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, tour of the National Civil Rights Museum, and hear from experts in the art history field. The goal is for attending faculty to develop ways to approach potentially difficult conversations around representation in historical art pieces in their classrooms so that they are engaging and beneficial for students.

Dr. Berkowitz hopes to strengthen her knowledge and continue to grow opportunities for students to have powerful conversations around art. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/art-history-professor-attend-cic-summer-seminar

Thomas Wilk, assistant teaching professor of philosophy, has been selected from a competitive pool of applicants to take part in the Council of Independent College’s (CIC) New Currents in Teaching Philosophy Institute in July 2023. 

This program, funded by The Mellon Foundation, is designed for philosophy faculty to attend, collaborate, and bring new knowledge and skills back to their classrooms. As part of the institute, attending faculty will also receive a grant to support new curricular activities at their own institutions.

Dr. Wilk is most interested in learning how to grow philosophy at Widener to make it more interdisciplinary as he sees great potential for collaboration between philosophy and many other programs. 

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Widener University’s Child Development Center (WCDC) has won Gold for the 2023 Equity in Early Childhood Education from the Office of Child Development and Early Learning. The award was announced during a visit by President Stacey Robertson, where she read "The Paperbag Princess" to the children.

This award recognizes early childhood education programs and professionals for their commitment to Pennsylvania children through embracing diversity, upholding the principles of fairness and justice, and working to eliminate structural inequities that limit equitable learning opportunities. 

"This award highlights The Widener Child Development Center's commitment to ensuring every child receives a nurturing, loving, and well-rounded educational experience throughout their time at the WCDC,” said WCDC Director Alicia Vaux. “The WCDC is proud to be a pillar within the community acknowledging and celebrating children and their families.” 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/child-development-center-wins-gold-equity-early-childhood-education

Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing Jessica Guzman, Assistant Professor of English Christine Woody, and Assistant Professor of Sociology Jennifer Padilla Wyse have been invited to participate in Swarthmore College’s Humanities Leadership Development Program. 

This program is designed for faculty in the humanities and will provide facilitated discussions, guest speakers, case studies, and more for faculty from Widener and select other Philadelphia-area colleges and universities. The goal is to support faculty in growing their leadership skills and continuing to step into leadership roles within their institutions. The experience is funded by a grant from The Mellon Foundation, a known advocate for humanities and the arts.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/three-humanities-faculty-invited-join-summer-leadership-development-program

Jeremy Hancher, EMAP Program Manager for Widener’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and adjunct professor in the School of Business Administration, has been nominated by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro to serve as the state’s official representative on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

In the nomination, Governor Shapiro recognized Hancher for his over 15 years of experience working for the Environmental Management Assistance Program (EMAP) in southeastern Pennsylvania and within the SBDC. He also currently serves as an advisory panel member of the MAFMC. 

Hancher notes that he brings these experiences into his teaching to try and share sustainability insights with undergraduate business students in his classes. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-sbdc-staff-member-nominated-mid-atlantic-fishery-management-council-pa-governor

Associate Professor of social work Marina Barnett has been awarded the Legion of Honor Award from the Chapel of Four Chaplains for her commitment to, and continued work with, the Chester community during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Legion of Honor Award is one of the highest honors given by the Chapel of Four Chaplains. It is awarded in recognition of exceptional selfless service on the part of an individual which contributes to the well-being of his or her community, and to a spirit of interfaith cooperation. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/social-work-faculty-recognized-commitment-community-work-through-pandemic

Teresa Lamarra, director of the Center for Simulation, has been chosen to participate in the 2023 National League for Nursing (NLN) Leadership Institute. The highly competitive program offers dual professional leadership development tracks for nurses in education and practice. Lamarra will participate in the Leadership Development Program for Simulation Educators, which is designed for the experienced simulation nurse educator who aspires to a leadership role in simulation. Sim Leadership track participants focus on maximizing their leadership potential to advance simulation initiatives in nursing education and practice. As part of the yearlong program, Lamarra will attend the Intensive Leadership Retreat this summer in Washington, D.C. as well as the 2023 NLN Education Summit, Extraordinary Nurse Educators: Leading Extraordinary Times, in the fall. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/nursing-professor-selected-2023-nln-leadership-institute