Noteworthy

By: Riya Sembhi '25 secondary education, English

Chemical engineering student Brian Hoffman ‘23 recently presented his research at the Middle States Commission on Higher Education 2022 Annual Conference in Philadelphia where higher education faculty, administrators, and educators observed a wide array of student research projects.

Conducting this research as part of Widener’s Summer Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities (SURCA) program, his work entitled, “Porous Carbon from Non-Recyclable Plastic Wastes,” aims to reduce Styrofoam waste through burning and converting Styrofoam into carbon-based materials that can then be repurposed for water and air filters, catalysts, and more. Brian appreciated the chance to share his research with a receptive audience that had a diverse range of occupational backgrounds. 

Having been engaged in this research since Junior year, Brian aims to continue this work as his Senior project. Now in the 4+1 Program at Widener, he hopes to maintain the research with similar projects. He thanks Dr. Dipendu Saha for his guidance and mentorship, for the opportunity to be involved with the research, and his continuous support today. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/chemical-engineering-student-presents-his-research-middle-states-annual-conference

The Chester Community Clinic received $115,000 in congressionally directed federal funds to support its delivery of pro bono services for uninsured and underinsured residents. The student-run clinic is a critical community resource and a unique place for our graduate health science students in the College of Health & Human Services to lead, learn, collaborate, and grow through hands-on service experiences. Secured by U.S. Senator Bob Casey as part of the FY23 federal spending bill, the funding will support upgrades for equipment to advance the clinic, which has provided more than 14,000 client visits since 2009 and has saved community members more than $1 million in healthcare costs. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/chester-community-clinic-receives-115000-support-pro-bono-services

Dear Pride Community,
 
Understanding our history is critical for understanding ourselves. In coming together to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we remind ourselves of the sacrifices and struggles that paved the way for our own opportunities. We also recognize the work yet to be done.
 
Dr. King was an exceptional leader whose faith in nonviolence and love guided his work as a civil rights activist. He modeled this philosophy through his own willingness to risk assault, arrest, abuse, humiliation, and even death.
 
Though Dr. King’s leadership in the 1950s and 1960s was a highwater mark for racial justice, it is important for us to understand that he followed a long history of civil rights activism in the United States. Thousands of men and women, mostly Black, challenged the pervasive racism that ensured their second-class citizenship.
 
During his lifetime of activism, Dr. King spoke about the Beloved Community as a space in which everyone is cared for; a community of inclusion and affirmation where its members could come together to learn from each other, address concerns, and solve problems. The Beloved Community reflects personal authenticity, true respect, appreciation, and validation of others. The spirit of the Beloved Community can be found in Belonging.  We continue to enhance our community by advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB). 
 
On this day of remembrance, we encourage our entire community to come together in a spirit of belonging, hope, love, and justice for all. Let us reflect upon the footpath of Dr. King as we take our next steps to a better Widener and a better world – because we are in it!
 
Small actions can have tremendous impact. There are so many options for becoming a change agent! Reach out to a fellow member of the Pride and offer support. Lean into your commitment to belonging by becoming an ally to others. Speak up with courage and compassion when you witness injustice. Offer your time or resources to causes that speak to your heart. Vote! Become involved in Chester through volunteerism. Educate yourself on the history of racism and civil rights. We recommend Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson. Walk in a march for social justice and become a visible part of the civil rights movement. Help us work for an equitable, safe, and loving society for all, in the spirit of Dr. King. 
 
If you are in need of support, reach out to a member of our community. You are not alone.
 
With warmth and Widener Pride, 
 
Dr. Stacey Robertson, President
Ms. Micki Davis, Chief Diversity Officer
 

A collaborative research project between associate professor Babatunde Odusami and Omokolade Akinsomi from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa has been chosen to receive funding from The Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program. This grant funds partnership projects between African-born scholars and higher education institutions in Africa. 

Odusami and Akinsomi’s project, entitled “Development of Pan African Real Estate Database and Co-Curriculum Development and Mentorship in Machine Learning Competencies for Real Estate Research,” will work to develop real estate knowledge and research capacities in Africa. 

Odusami will spend a month during the summer of 2023 in Africa working with Akinsomi and graduate students at the University of Witwatersrand. The two researchers will also be presenting another joint project at the American Real Estate Society Conference in March 2023. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/business-professor-receives-funding-collaboration-south-african-university

Widener University is proud to share outstanding news about the accomplishments of our May 2022 graduates in the six months since they earned their undergraduate degrees. Each year, the university surveys our graduates and reports the data to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). The 2022 highlights include:

•    Graduates who achieved a positive career outcome, which includes direct employment, graduate education or military service, was 96 percent, up from 95 percent with May 2021 graduates.
•    Their mean starting salary was $70,987, up from $59,285 with May 2021 graduates.
•    Their median starting salary was $72,800, up from $60,320 with May 2021 graduates.

Widener students have moved on to exciting careers at a wide variety of workplaces, big and small. Some of the most recognizable employer names included Bristol Myers Squibb, the Department of Defense, Duke University Health System, Lockheed Martin, Merck, Mitsubishi, Vanguard and W.L. Gore & Associates.

Seventy graduates chose to stay with Widener and pursue a graduate degree from the university, while two dozen others have ventured to other institutions, including Boston College, George Washington University, Michigan State University, Northeastern University, and more.
 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/node/28471/

Dear Widener Community,

Welcome back for the start of the spring semester!

January is a time of fresh starts, new hope, and endless possibilities. There is a singular energy that comes with new beginnings. My hope for this semester is that we all boldly pursue opportunities for academic and personal growth while further connecting with one another.

Being a member of the Widener community is such a privilege. There are countless opportunities for us to come together as we learn and grow. This week in Harrisburg, a three-part symposium examining veterans courts from a statewide and national perspective kicks off. Students will be welcome to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with practicing attorneys who visit the campus to attend this special event. In Delaware, students with the Widener Law Review will sponsor a symposium in March that focuses on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. And in Chester, the President’s Lecture Series begins this month, offering conversations on a myriad of topics. 

Even as we take advantage of the opportunities around us, it is important that we also remember to practice self-care. Prioritizing your well-being is essential to a successful and fulfilling Widener experience, and belonging to this community means help is available should you need it. Take time to enjoy the outdoors, as even a five-minute walk can lift our spirits and reenergize us. And let’s remember to offer steadfast support with open hearts to one another.

I hope to see you soon!

With Warmth and Widener Pride,

Stacey

By: Zora DeSeignora '23 Spanish and communications

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge has named Widener to its 2022 list of Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting. The list recognizes colleges and universities that are making intentional efforts to increase nonpartisan democratic engagement and college student voting. Universities must meet a set criterion such as submitting democratic action engagement plans. Widener was among 394 institutions nationally to achieve this recognition, and one of just 37 in Pennsylvania. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-named-list-most-engaged-campuses-college-student-voting

The first Humanities mini-camp was held by the Humanities Division of the College of Arts and Sciences. The camp was led by Widener English and History students and explored the intellectual and artistic history of the Harlem Renaissance.

The event was the culmination of work by faculty and students, both past and present, to bring prospective students and members of the community to campus to learn about topics in the humanities. Attendees at the event included area high schoolers and community members.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/humanities-hosts-mini-camp-examining-harlem-renaissance

By Matthew Sullivan '22 communications studies

Widener University’s FreshBaked Theatre Company performed their first show since 2019, a fresh adaptation of Little Mermaid that places the act of storytelling on center stage, written by award winning playwright Mike Kenny. Audiences gained admission to the hour-long show and post-show discussion by freewill donations, with all proceeds benefitting Chester community programs. 

FreshBaked Theatre Company is part of the university’s community service mission. They present inventive drama for schools and families in the greater Chester community. Little Mermaid is produced by arrangement with New Plays for Young Audiences. 

Featured student cast members Anna Greydanus, Maura O’Brien, McKenna Stine, and Leo-Paul Wahl were led by director of FreshBaked Theatre Company Lisa Cocchiarale. Performances of the show occurred on November 5th, 9th, 11th, and 12th.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/students-wideners-freshbaked-theatre-company-perform-little-mermaid

By Matthew Sullivan '22 communications studies

Members of Widener and the surrounding communities attended America 250 PA Delco’s Revolutionary Reads event, hosted by Widener University at the Kapelski Learning Center on November 6th, where visiting author Serena Zabin discussed her book The Boston Massacre: A Family History. The event consisted of a discussion of the book between Serena Zabin and Widener President Stacey Robertson, a question-and-answer session with the audience, and concluded with a reception and book signing. 

Revolutionary Reads is an annual, year-long reading event happening through 2026, where the America 250 PA Delco committee selects a book about the history of the United States of America for the Delaware County community to read. Each book that is chosen by the committee commemorates the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, with the mission to “ignite imaginations, elevate diverse stories, inspire service, and highlight the American founding and 250 years of American history through Delco’s unique lens.” 

Serena Zabin is a professor of history and director of the American studies program at Carleton College. Her book, The Boston Massacre: A Family History, explores the Boston Massacre through stories of political and personal conflicts between the soldiers, colonists, and their families during the revolutionary war.

America 250 PA Delco partnered with Widener University led by Dr. Jordan B. Smith, assistant professor of history, and the Delaware County Library System to present the Revolutionary Reads Community Read visiting author at Widener University. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-university-hosts-author-serena-zabin-revolutionary-reads-event

Cathleen Evans, associate professor of nursing, has been awarded the COVID-19 Pandemic Civilian Service Medal for exemplary service to the nation as part of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) during the federal medical response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Evans, an expert in emergency and disaster care and education, serves as a member of an NDMS Disaster Medical Assistance Team which deploys emergency medical, logistical, and command and control personnel in response to public health emergencies, such as COVID-19, and natural disasters, such as a hurricanes, tornados, or wildfires. Evans and her NDMS colleagues served as a lifeline to hospitals and long-term care facilities across the country by providing temporary relief to staff, adding bed capacity, and improving outcomes for COVID-19 patients.
 
Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/nursing-professor-awarded-service-medal-covid-19-response

Students and faculty from the Center for Social Work Education participated in the 2022 Walk Against Hate on October 23, 2022 hosted by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) as the WU Widener Team. In addition to the walk, students also engaged in advocacy, educational, and fundraising activities including staffing a table which provided bracelet making, coloring pages, positive affirmation activities, and more for community attendees. 

The Walk Against Hate is an annual event to bring communities together in solidarity against antisemitism, bigotry, and all forms of hate. 

Student participants Oli Zimmerman '26, Abigail Bustraan '26, Shaneka Atkins '24, Sarah Coupland '24, Madison McElwee '24, Jessica Mereshensky '24, Mykirah Russel- Hopson '24, Nicole Scharfetter '24, and Younger Zinnah '24 were led by Director for the Center of Social Work Jennifer Cullen associate professor Robin Goldberg-Glenn. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/news/noteworthy/widener-social-work-students-participate-walk-against-hate

By Matthew Sullivan '22 communication studies

Widener University is pleased to announce that new Board of Trustees member Tim Speiss, a past president of Widener’s Alumni Association, attended his first board meeting Oct. 20. 

Speiss is a prominent New York-based personal wealth advisor and tax partner with extensive experience in providing services to senior executives and other distinguished clients. He has been an active alumnus who has devoted significant time and resources to the university.

“I am excited to welcome Tim Speiss to the Widener University Board of Trustees,” Widener President Stacey Robertson said. “Tim brings immense talent and valuable business experience along with a relentless commitment to Widener’s success. All of this will help make our board more effective. Tim’s enthusiasm for the university is inspiring and contagious. I can’t wait to begin working with him as a trustee.”

Speiss earned a bachelor of business accounting degree from Widener in 1983 and a master's degree in taxation in 1989. He is a tax partner for EisnerAmper LLP, where he works in the Private Clients Services Group and chairs the firm’s Asia Practice. His work is concentrated in tax planning, investment, compensation, and financial planning services. Speiss also earned a certificate in financial management from Pepperdine Graziadio Business School and is a certified public accountant in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Houzhou, China.

Speiss has extensive board experience supporting nonprofit business, education and arts organizations. In addition, he serves on the university’s School of Business Administration Dean’s Advisory Council, which he helped establish and has chaired, and the Accounting and Information Management Advisory Board. He is a decorated alumnus having been honored with the 2009 John C. Sevier Award, the 2003 Distinguished Performance in Management Award and the 2001 Outstanding Alumnus Award. He has given generously to the university for three decades, including by establishing the Timothy Speiss Endowed Fund for the Promotion of Global Business. 

The Board of Trustees appointment is a three-year term that took effect in May. 

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/node/27716/

Associate Professor of Chemistry Andrea Martin has been recognized with the Fitz Dixon Innovation in Teaching Award, announced at the 2022 faculty awards program. 

The award recognizes faculty members, either individually or in teams, who have designed, implemented, and assessed an innovative or experimental teaching and learning project. 

Martin has a deep commitment to innovative, inclusive, and continuously renewed teaching of undergraduate chemistry.  This includes in-class structured group activities and frequent low-stakes assignments that are designed to build content knowledge and process skills simultaneously. She uses “Math Minute” videos to address deficiencies in the algebra needed for success in chemistry, and a flipped classroom model that involves making lecture material online and using the class period for problem solving. Martin uses applied process-oriented guided inquiry learning to include all students in active-learning group problem-solving, where students take turns with different roles of manager, recorder, reporter, and reflector – to explore chemistry problems as a team. 

Martin helped create Widener’s Peer Learning Assistant Program to support class goals and offer feedback on class activities. These exemplary, innovative, and impactful multi-faceted teaching projects advance the Widener mission to provide active and inclusive learning experiences for all students.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/node/27651/

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.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/node/27656/

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.

Share link: https://www.widener.edu/node/27646/

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