November 19, 2014 - “When you walk these halls of King’s on the Square, you can feel the vibrancy, you can feel the life,” Father John Ryan, C.S.C., King’s president said at opening ceremonies for the building in late September. “Our students create that energy and you can feel it, now more than ever in downtown Wilkes-Barre,” he added.

Thanks to a donation from Panzitta Enterprises, Inc., the local company that served as general contractor for the King’s on the Square project, there will be another kind of energy in the building, solar.  The company has donated a total of 214 solar panels that are being installed on the roof of the building.  Panzitta Enterprises purchased the panels and is paying for the installation.  The company will maintain ownership of the panels and will donate the generated power to King’s.

The installation will mark the first known commercial application of solar energy in downtown Wilkes-Barre.

The energy collected by the solar panels will subsidize the existing electric utility consumption for the building.  According to projections from Endless Mountains Solar Services, LLC, the Wilkes-Barre-based contractor installing the panels, the panels will generate approximately $500,000 worth of electricity during their 25-year lifespan.

“We chose to fund this project for several reasons,” said John Panzitta, president of Panzitta Enterprises, Inc., and one of seven members of the Panzitta family to graduate from King’s. “It will allow King’s to use money that would have gone to utility payments to educate students, reduce its carbon footprint, and advance its sustainability efforts.”

“The King’s community is appreciative to Panzitta Enterprises for this thoughtful gift that will result in measureable progress for the College toward a goal in the 2013-2018 strategic plan to make our campus more efficient, sustainable and attractive,” said Father Ryan.  “By incorporating the solar panels, the carbon footprint of the building will be decreased by an estimated 2.6 million pounds of carbon dioxide over the life of the panels.”

November 20, 2014 -Members of the King’s College community raised $2,800 for the St. Vincent de Paul Kitchen in Wilkes-Barre through the third annual Coins for a Cause campus campaign.

Approximately 200 cups were distributed throughout campus, including all student residence halls, for the collection of donations.  Students from each floor of the residence halls competed with one another for the honor of top fundraiser.  The fourth floor of Holy Cross Hall, the primary men’s dorm on campus, tied with the fifth floor of Esseff Hall, the main women’s residence facility, for the honor.

The donation was made to St. Vincent de Paul in memory of Joseph Frank, emeritus member of the King’s College Board of Directors, and Brother Harold Rogan, C.S.C., former director of security at King’s.

Frank, who died in September, was a founding member of the St. Vincent de Paul Kitchen in 2000.

This is the first year that proceeds from the Coins for a Cause fundraiser were earmarked for a local organization.  Previously, monies raised through the campaign have benefitted a school for special needs children in Lima, Peru, and a program designed to help homeless children in India.  Both programs are operated by the Congregation of Holy Cross, the religious order that founded and continues to sponsor King’s College.

Pictured, from left, is Father Thomas Looney, C.S.C., director of campus ministry and college chaplain; Patrick Reilly, student aide in the Campus Ministry Office; Jessica Ormrod, representing the fifth floor of Esseff Hall; Msgr. Joseph P. Kelly, V.E., Executive Director of Catholic Social Services; Gredi Gracari, representing the fourth floor of Holy Cross Hall; Marie Lendacky, Campus Ministry Office; and Father John Ryan, C.S.C., president of King’s College.

November 19, 2014 – The King’s College choir, Cantores Christi Regis, will celebrate the holiday season with free public performances at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5, and Saturday, Dec. 6, in the J. Carroll McCormick Campus Ministry Center, located at North Franklin and West Jackson streets.

The 31-member group will perform contemporary and traditional Christmas songs, including “The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy,” arranged by DeCormier, “Conditor Alme Siderum” by Palestrina, “Caroling, Caroling” arranged by Michele Weir, and “What Sweeter Music” by John Rutter.

The concert is part of the College’s “Experiencing the Arts” series. For more information, contact Robert Yenkowski at (570) 208-6044 or RobertYenkowski@kings.edu, or visit the Website at www.kings.edu.

King’s College is a Catholic College Sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

King’s College choir, Cantores Christi Regis, will perform a free, public Christmas Concert on Friday, Dec. 5, and Saturday, Dec. 6, in the J. Carroll McCormick Campus Ministry Center. Pictured from left are choir members Tamika Lee and Natalie Pacilieo. 

The conference "The Idea of a Catholic College: Charism, Curricula, and Community" took place in September on the King's College campus. Reverend John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., President of the University of Notre Dame, provided the keynote address at the conference. Ten other invited speakers participated in three panel discussions, and the program included as thirty-plus presentations by forty-some faculty and administrators from institutions across the country. A video of Father Jenkins' talk is available on the King's YouTube here. 

Teachers needing to complete Act 48 requirements for professional development will find expanded courses at King’s College in early 2015. Likewise, teachers looking for additional certifications will find coursework towards Autism Spectrum Disorder and Instructional Coaching Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) endorsements as well as an English as a Second Language (ESL) Program Specialist Certification.  The college has expanded these offerings to meet the requests of local educators. Courses are offered in a blended format, accelerated weekends, and traditional weekly courses. The blended format is face-to-face classroom time and online work. 

Of particular interest to newer teachers will be the Standards-Aligned System (SAS) and Inclusionary Practices classes which are required to be completed before teachers have attained six satisfactory ratings. A course titled “SAS: What the PDE Requires Every Teacher to Know” will kick off the semester which includes five Professional Development courses offered  in January and February. The SAS course, begins on Saturday, January 3, and ends January 17th. The Inclusionary Practices course is offered in March in an accelerated weekend format.

The Professional Development courses are pertinent to PreK through secondary teachers. Ninety Act 48 hours are completed with each course. Tuition for the Professional Development offerings is $670.

The other Professional Development courses being offered in January or February include “There’s a Google App for That!” starting on January 10, “Let’s Get Them Fired Up” starting on January 17, “Gangs and School Violence” beginning January 24, and “E-Readers” beginning February 14.

The King’s Graduate Programs in Education includes coursework to attain a master’s of education degree in reading, special education, or curriculum and instruction. The curriculum and instruction program includes concentrations in ESL, Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, PreK-4, and Excellence in Teaching.

A full listing of education related courses offered through the King’s Graduate Division is available at kings.edu/spring2015 or by calling Briget Ford, Coordinator of Graduate Programs at 570-208-5991King’s College is a Catholic College Sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

King’s College is a Catholic College Sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

December 17, 2014 - Harold Roberts, left, senior vice president of commercial agribusiness underwriting for ACE Insurance Group (formerly Penn Millers), presents a check for $7,000 to Rev. John Ryan, C.S.C., president of King’s College. 

The funds were donated by ACE Insurance Group to King’s College as part of the state’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program. The funds will be used by King’s to provide scholarships for children enrolled in the College’s Early Childhood Learning Center.  The EITC program is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

This year’s donation brings ACE’s two-year total EIT contributions to King’s to $13,000.

Pictured, right, is Sharon Monie, finance director of ACE Insurance Group.

December 15, 2014 - The Corporation for National and Community Service has named King's to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the eighth consecutive year based on exemplary service efforts during the 2012-13 academic year. King's is the only Wyoming Valley institution of higher learning to be named to the Honor Roll each year since its 2006 launch.

"The entire King’s College Community is proud of this external validation of our commitment to helping others, a hallmark of a King’s education since its founding in 1946,” said Father John Ryan, C.S.C., president.  “During the 2012-2013 academic year, King’s students combined for almost 180,000 service hours.

The Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to community service and civic engagement. Honorees for the award were chosen based on a series of selection factors including scope and innovativeness of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.

Approximately 81 percent of all King’s full and part-time undergraduate and graduate students participated in service efforts last year and the average student dedicated almost 89 hours to public service.

King’s has also been recognized on a national level for its public service commitment by “Washington Monthly” magazine for the past three years.  In its September/October 2014 issue, King’s ranked 13^th nationally among 671 institutions in the master’s degree category for community service participation and hours served.

Seventeen King’s College students have begun a 14-week student teaching experience at area elementary, junior high, and high schools.  Supervised teaching student teaching is necessary to fulfill King’s degree requirements and to obtain a Pennsylvania Teacher Certificate.

King’s College is a Catholic College Sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Pictured in first row, from left, is Susan Pointek, Brother Stephen LaMendola, C.S.C.,  Frank Michael and Dr. Laurie Ayre, all supervisors of student teachers; Robert Richards, director of student teaching; and Dr. Denise Reboli, chair of the King’s education department.

Pictured in second row, from left, are student teachers Jennifer Harnischfeger, Wyoming Valley West School District; Maria Marchese, Hazleton Area School District; Emily Snyder, Wilkes-Barre Area School District; Sarah Prushinski, Crestwood School District; Katie Perlowski, Wilkes-Barre Area School District; Trudi Konopki, Wyoming Valley West School District; Katie Cibello, Wilkes-Barre Area School District; Meagan Boccio, Pittston Area School District; Amanda Frank, Hazleton Area School District; and Jean Marie Bertram, Wilkes-Barre Area School District.

Third row, from left, Samuel Hasman, Wilkes-Barre Area School District; David Brozena, Wyoming Valley West School District; Kyle Paul, Wilkes-Barre Area School Disctrict; Tyler Freas, Wyoming Valley West School District; David Piwowarczyk, Carbondale Area School District; Joe Hackett, Wilkes-Barre Area School District; and Nathaniel Thomas, Wilkes-Barre Area School District.

January 7, 2015 – Photographer Jim Gavenus will showcase a variety of photos documenting the people in the front lines of the Civil Rights movement during a free public exhibition, titled “Marchers of the Movement,” from Jan. 12-Feb. 26 in the Widmann Gallery at King’s College. 

“This went beyond a project and became a life changing experience,” said Gavenus. “It has consumed me as a storyteller, photographer and individual. Knowing these people and what they went through, I feel obligated to tell their story. People need to know.”

Gavenus will discuss his photographs and stories of the Civil Rights Movement foot soldiers from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16, in the Widmann Gallery in the Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center, located between North Franklin and North Main streets. The meet-the-artist reception includes a question and answer session.

Gavenus is an internationally recognized documentary photographer. He has more than 50 images documenting the history of The Civil Rights Movement on display at The National Voting Rights Museum, Selma, Alabama. His projects focusing on the human condition, social injustice, and civil rights have won him numerous awards, including the Gordon Parks Documentary Photographer of the Year Award. 

He has worked with more than 30 Hall of Fame musicians and his work is featured in the North Carolina Bluegrass Hall of Fame. His work appears for Sony Music, Columbia Records, Lost Highway Records, Merlefest, FarmAid and numerous publications, including “Rolling Stone.”

Gavenus lives in Pennsylvania, teaches photography, lectures, exhibits and works throughout the United States, including the Southeast Museum of Photography, The Gordon Parks Center for Culture and Diversity, The Manhattan Gallery, and New York Public Library. He has also exhibited his work locally at the Widmann Gallery, Shulmann Gallery at Luzerne County Community College, Camera Works Gallery, Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Arts Youniverse.

The exhibition is free and open to the public. Gallery hours: Mon. through Fri., 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., as arranged. The Gallery is closed on national holidays and during scheduled breaks throughout the academic year.  

For more information, contact Michelle Leonard, Widmann Gallery Coordinator, at (570) 208-5900, ext. 5328, or visit the Experiencing the Arts Calendar at www.kings.edu. 

This image by photographer Jim Gavenus was made at the funeral of civil rights advocate Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth. Gavenus will display numerous photos depicting leaders of the civil rights movement during a public exhibition from Jan. 12-Feb. 26 in the Widmann Gallery at King’s College.

January 23, 2015 - Three junior physician assistant studies majors from King’s College have received $2,500 scholarships from The Peyton Walker Foundation. The foundation was established to honor Peyton Walker, a King’s physician assistant studies major and a classmate of the three scholarship recipients. Walker died unexpectedly in November 2013 from sudden cardiac arrest.

The scholarships are designed to assist third-year undergraduate students matriculating into the Physician Assistant Program at King's. Selection was based on academic achievement and financial need. 

Pictured, from left, are scholarship recipients Amanda Paterno, Paul Boyer, and Amylyn Mortimer. Boyer and Walker were also classmates at Trinity High School in Mechanicsburg.

In addition to providing student scholarships, the mission of The Peyton Walker Foundation is to also increase awareness and survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest incidents through education, screenings, and training. Based in Mechanicsburg, the foundation is planning its first series of free screenings for students and student athletes this spring.

February 3, 2015 - King’s College students recently swept the top three places in an annual collegiate stock market contest sponsored by the Kingston office of Janney Montgomery Scott (JMS) which involved students from King’s, Wilkes, the University of Scranton, and Misericordia.

Kelly Fasciana, first row center, won first place and was awarded a $1,500 prize. 

In the contest, the third annual sponsored by the local JMS office, students were asked to invest a hypothetical $250,000 and prizes were awarded to the six students to get the highest return on their initial investment during the contest period.  Approximately 200 college students participated in the contest.

Gianna Cordasco, who won last year’s contest, finished in second this year and received $500.  Alec Andes finished in third and also received $500 while Justin Barnett finished in sixth place and received $50.

Pictured in front row with Fasciana, from left, is Keith Kleinman, First Vice President, JMS; Susan Whitesell, Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, JMS; Peter Shelp, Certified Financial Planner, JMS; and Adam Shelp, Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor and Stock Market Game coordinator, JMS.

Pictured in the second row, from left, is Mark Leffler, assistant professor of management and the Angelo DeCesaris Executive in Residence, King’s College; Alec Andes, who finished in third place; Gianna Cordasco, who finished in second place; Justin Barnett, who finished in sixth place; and Barry Williams, dean of the McGowan School of Business at King’s.

February 17, 2015 - An annual scholarship has been established at King’s College in honor of Colleen Shea, a 1995 graduate of the College who died in a 2001 automobile accident.

Colleen Shea was a native of Pittston and graduated from Pittston Area High School prior to earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting from King’s.  The daughter of working class parents, she worked her way through King’s from money she earned at supermarket and babysitting jobs.

Established through a donation to King’s by the Colleen Shea Children’s Foundation, the scholarship will be awarded annually to a graduate of Pittston Area High School to be used toward the student’s first-year King’s tuition. Each year, the Shea Foundation will donate $2,500 to King’s and the College will match that amount.

The winner is selected based on his or her character, leadership, scholarship, sportsmanship, dedication, commitment, teamwork and perseverance.

The scholarship’s initial recipient, Carmen Lobrutto, graduated from Pittston Area in May and is currently a first-year accounting major at King’s.  Carmen received a $5,000 award toward his first-year tuition. 

As a senior at King’s, Shea interned with Prociak & Associates, LLC, and secured a public accounting position with the firm following her graduation.  She was killed in an Oct. 2001 automobile crash on her way home from work.

A resident of Hughestown, Lobrutto was a member of the National Honor Society, the Pep Squad, and the Stand Tall Club as well as being a member of the Pittston Area basketball team.

Pictured, from left, is Ann Marie Durako, member of the selection committee; Patti Prociak, president of the Colleen Shea Children’s Foundation; Nancy Shea, mother of Colleen; Carmen Lobrutto, scholarship recipient; and his parents, Tina and Carmen.

February 19, 2015 – Brianna Prince of Watertown, Conn., has been awarded a full-tuition scholarship to study during the spring semester at Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as part of the Irish-American Scholars Program. She is a junior majoring in political science with a minor in international business at King’s College, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., a Catholic college sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Prince is the vice president and former chief information officer on the executive board of the Student Government Association. She is a member of the Dean’s list and Pre-Law Society at King’s, and serves as a resident assistant in a King’s residence hall. She also participated in the College’s first mini-THON, a dance marathon fundraiser to benefit the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital, which helps pay for patients treatment and families costs associated with their child’s care.

Prince has completed an internship with Corporation Consul in Waterbury, Conn., and she volunteers for Ruth’s Place, an emergency shelter for women. She is the daughter of Noreen and Ronald Prince. 

The Irish-American Scholars Program is sponsored by the Government of Northern Ireland; Ulster and Queen’s Universities; The Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education; and the Catholic, United Methodist, and Presbyterian Churches. American colleges and universities that accept students from Northern Ireland through the Business Education Initiative are eligible to participate.

Brianna Prince

February 19, 2015 – Medical ethics scholar Dr. Daniel P. Sulmasy, the Kilbride-Clinton Professor of Medicine and Ethics at the University of Chicago, will deliver the 2015 Saint André Bessette Lecture, titled “Dignity, Vulnerability, and the Care of the Patient,” at 4 p.m. on March 12 in the Burke Auditorium at King’s College. 

The lecture, sponsored by The McGowan Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility, is part of a series of lectures focusing on the needs of the poor hosted throughout the academic year at King’s. 

In addition to his other appointments, Dr. Sulmasy serves as the associate director of the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics and as director of the Program on Medicine and Religion at the University of Chicago. He has previously held faculty positions at New York Medical College and at Georgetown University. 

He received his bachelor’s and Doctor of Medicine degrees from Cornell University, com¬pleted his residency, chief residency, and post-doctoral fellowship in General Internal Medicine at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, and earned a doctorate in philosophy from Georgetown University. 

Dr. Sulmasy has served on numerous governmental advisory committees and was appointed to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues by President Obama in 2010. His research interests encompass both theoretical and empirical investigations of the ethics of end-of-life decision-making, ethics education, and spirituality in medicine. 

He is the author or editor of six books, most recently “Safe Passage: A Global Spiritual Sourcebook for Care at the End of Life,” and “Francis the Leper: Faith, Medicine, Theology, and Science.” He also serves as editor-in-chief of the journal “Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics.” 

Saint André Bessette, the first Holy Cross Congregation member to attain sainthood, was known as a healer for his devotion to the sick and afflicted. The King’s College Student Health Center, André Hall, is named in his honor. 

The Burke Auditorium is located in the William G. McGowan School of Business on North River Street. Parking will be available in on-campus lots. For more information, please contact Dr. Bernard Prusak, director, McGowan Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility, at (570) 208-5900, ext. 5689.  

Dr. Daniel P. Sulmasy 

February 18, 2015 - Katie McCarthy Lambert, a 1983 graduate of King’s College, and currently chief financial officer of McCarthy Tire Service Company, Inc., will provide the address at King’s 66th Annual Commencement exercises to be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 17, at Mohegan Sun Arena.  Approximately 500 students will receive either a bachelor’s, master’s or associate degree at the ceremony.  In addition to addressing the graduates, Lambert will receive an honorary doctor of humanities degree from King’s.

Among the Class of 2015 is Lambert’s youngest son, Tim, who will join his brother and sister as King’s graduates.  Lambert’s brother,brother-in-law, daughter-in-law, and father, the late Jack McCarthy are also King’s graduates.

“While commencement celebrates our graduates, their success is shared with their parents,” said Father John Ryan, C.S.C., King’s president in announcing Lambert as speaker.  “It is thanks to the values of our King’s parents—their love, commitment and dedication—that we have a graduating class. Katie represents the impact a life based on values has on family, community and career—and she has done all of this while also achieving great success as a business leader.”

Lambert majored in accounting and business administration at King’s.  After working for two years as a staff accountant at Parente, Randolph and Associates, she joined the family business.  McCarthy Tire Service is currently the 6th largest commercial tire dealer in North America, employing about 1000 people with 44 locations in seven states.

“I am extremely grateful to have the privilege of addressing the graduating class,” said Lambert.  “In life, there are many measures of success.  King’s provided me with the values which gave me the opportunity to grow in multiple aspects of my life.  Living with purpose and commitment is something that I value both in my career and in the relationships I have built over the years.”

She is the chair of the board of Wyoming Valley Health Care Systems/CHS and a board member of Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business & Industry, Association for the Blind, Beatrice Eck Foundation, Osterhout Library, and King’s.  She is also a member of the Finance Committee of the Diocese of Scranton.

Katie McCarthy Lambert

February 20, 2015 – Abstract artist Jeremy Petrachonis will display a variety of art works, including pastels, charcoal and oil paintings, and sculptures during a free, public exhibition titled, “Abstraction,” from March 9 through April 17 in the Widmann Gallery at King’s College. 

“With every piece, I try to push the boundaries between what people would expect from me,” said Petrachonis. “As an abstract artist, you’re creating illusions. Some will see what you set out to do, while others have their own opinions.”

Petrachonis will discuss his artwork during a Meet-the-Artists reception from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, March 20, in the Widmann Gallery, Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center, located between North Franklin and North Main streets.

Petrachonis is currently a senior majoring in drawing and painting at Penn State University. He has exhibited his artwork at Dragonfly Café in Hazelton, Art Youth Expo at the Hazleton Art League, Arts and Music Fest in Freeland, and the Patterson Gallery, Borland Gallery, Woskob, Gallery in State College. 

Gallery hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, as arranged. The Gallery is closed on national holidays.

For more information on the trip, visit learnfromuganda.org. For more information about the upcoming exhibition at King’s, contact Michelle Leonard, Widmann Gallery coordinator, at (570) 208-5900, ext. 5328.

Radiate, oil painting by Jeremy Petrachonis will be on display in the “Abstraction” exhibit in the Widmann Gallery at King’s College. 

February 23, 2015 - Faculty and students from the Department of Sports Medicine and the Department of Athletic Training at King’s College will begin an extensive non-invasive health study of Wyoming Valley men and women between the ages of 35 and 50 in March and are seeking interested participants.

The Health and Wellness at King’s College (HAWK) study will be conducted by providing a comprehensive health, cardiovascular, muscular, and orthopedic screening to at least 275 Wyoming Valley adults.  The goal of the study will be to provide suggestions based on screening results that will enable participants to prevent or ease the effect of chronic health problems, including cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and joint or back pain.

The study is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, March 10.  On-campus sessions will be held every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 – 8 p.m.  A maximum of six individuals can participate in each session.  People who meet age and residency requirements who are interested in participating in the study can e-mail health.wellness@kings.edu for further information.

Participants will be asked to complete a physical, mental and behavioral health history questionnaire at the beginning of each session. They will then be screened by King’s College exercise science and athletic training students under the supervision of faculty from both departments for exercise readiness, body composition, blood pressure, bone density, orthopedic, upper and lower body strength, strength endurance, resting EKG, and an exercise stress test.

Each participant will be mailed a confidential comprehensive report containing all their results following their session. 

“The HAWK study is a perfect opportunity for King’s College students and faculty to do a legitimate health research study while also performing a public service,” said Dr. Jan Kretzschmar, assistant professor of exercise science, and coordinator for the study.  “The College was able to purchase additional equipment needed for the study from a combination of proceeds of a gift from a private foundation and College funds.  The faculty and students from both departments are donating their time and talents for the benefit of the individuals involved in the study.  The study results will be analyzed for common risk factors found among the participants and will be sent to academic publications for consideration.”

February 25, 2015 - King’s College officials recently finalized an articulation agreement with St. George’s University (SGU), Grenada, which will provide international options for students interested in medical or veterinary careers.

Under the three-year agreement, students who successfully complete their first three years of pre-medicine or pre-veterinary coursework at King’s and meet grade-point-average and MCAT or GRE score standards will enter the Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at SGU.   Upon successful completion of the first year of studies at SGU, the student will be awarded their bachelor’s degree from King’s     

St. George’s University was founded in 1976 and pioneered the concept of international medical education.  It was the first private medical school in the Caribbean and has graduated more than 12,000 physicians that have been licensed in every state in the U.S. and more than 45 countries.

Eligible students will complete the first two years of study at St. George’s School of Medicine and the final two years in clinical rotations at affiliated hospitals in the United States or the United Kingdom.  Veterinary students can complete their first three years of study at St. George’s and their final clinical year at affiliated veterinary schools in the U.S., United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, or Ireland.

“The agreement with St. George’s University allows interested King’s students a unique opportunity to finish their bachelor’s degree studies at an international medical school,” said Dr. Fevzi Akinci, associate dean of the William McGowan School of Business at King’s and director and professor of the master’s program in health care administration.  “The students will then be exposed to one of the finest international medical educational facilities for their professional studies and have a wealth of international options for their clinical rotations.”

According to St. George’s University, the majority of their students come from the top 100 schools in the United States, including more than 500 from Ivy League member schools.  Both the medical and veterinary programs qualify for United States federal financial aid. 

SGU and King’s are also in discussions concerning possible cooperative efforts for students in the College’s Master of Public Health degree program.

“The agreement with St. George’s University is the latest King’s College initiative at internationalization,” said Father John Ryan, C.S.C., president of King’s.  “Coupled with an already strong record of King’s students either studying or performing community service outside of the United States, the recent initiatives have involved approved proposals for student, faculty, and staff collaborations with educational institutions in Turkey.”

February 27, 2015 – Religion scholar Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt University, will discuss the historical context of Jesus’s parables and the content of his teachings at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 16, in the Burke Auditorium at King’s College. The lecture is this year’s “Divine Wisdom Lecture.”

Jesus was a skilled storyteller who used examples from everyday life to speak about economics and politics, family values and social concerns, justice and compassion. But, removed from their historic setting in first-century Galilee and Judea, contemporary interpretations of Jesus’s parables may lose their original provocation and the genius of his teaching.

Jesus’s parables were designed to unsettle listeners and prompt them to see the world in a different way. Levine will discuss the historical context of his teachings, in particular Judaism and the Jewish scriptures that shaped his stories. 

Levine’s lecture, titled “Jesus the Jewish Storyteller: Hearing the Parables in Historical Context,” is free and open to the public. The event is co-sponsored by the Interfaith Council of Wilkes-Barre, the McGowan Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility and the Honors Program at King’s.  

Levine also serves as the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of New Testament Studies Professor of Jewish Studies, Divinity School and College of Arts and Science at Vanderbilt. She has been awarded grants from the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the American Council of Learned Societies, and has held office in the Society of Biblical Literature, the Catholic Biblical Association, and the Association for Jewish Studies.

She has been interviewed on ABC’s “20/20” and on NBC’s “Dateline,” and featured on several CNN, A&E, and Discovery Channel specials. She also has been interviewed on NPR and quoted in “Time,” “Newsweek,” “US News & World Report,” and the “New York Times.”

She is the author of “Short Stories by Jesus” and “The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus.” She also co-edited “The Jewish Annotated New Testament.”

The Burke Auditorium is located in the William G. McGowan School of Business on North River Street. Parking will be available in on-campus lots. For more information, please contact Dr. Bernard Prusak, director, McGowan Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility, at (570) 208-5900, ext. 5689.

Dr. Amy-Jill Levine

March 5, 2015 – The Kelci Ever After Memorial Fund of The Luzerne Foundation recently donated $2,500 to King’s College to be used for a student’s study abroad experience, service learning trips, and the Office of Career Planning’s “Dress for Success” program.

The Kelci Ever After Memorial Fund was established by family and friends of Kelci Gibbons who was tragically killed in an automobile accident in July 2012. Kelci was a free spirit who loved art, music, nature and having a good time. The funds will be awarded to a King’s student who participates in programs that Kelci hoped to participate in as a college student. The Kelci Ever After Memorial Fund is supported, in part, by the Kelci Ever After Annual 6K Run and 2K Memory Walk held at Frances Slocum State Park. The race is co-directed by Kelly Gibbons, Kelci’s mother and member of King’s Office of Career Planning, and Eric Grego, admission counselor at King’s. 

Kelci Gibbons