King's College - current

For Immediate Release
Further information: Contact Joseph Giomboni
Public Relations Office, (570) 208-5957

Cantores Christi Regis, the 28-member choral group of King’s College students, will perform a program of classical, contemporary, sacred and secular choral music during their annual Spring Concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 29, and at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, in the J. Carroll McCormick Campus Ministry Center, located at Franklin and Jackson streets.

Under the direction of Robert Yenkowski, the choir will perform a variety of sacred and secular music. The selections include “A Jubilant Song” by Rene Clausen, “The Battle of Jericho” arranged by Moses Hogan, and “Tenebrae factae sunt” by Haydn.

“This spring’s concert will feature an eclectic repertoire, from several popular selections to Renaissance motets,” said Yenkowski. “This promises to be an uplifting and energetic concert.”

The Cantores Christi Regis Spring Concert is free and open to the public. The group’s performance is part of King’s “Experiencing the Arts” series. For more information, visit “Experiencing the Arts Calendar” at www.kings.edu or contact Rob Yenkowski at (570) 208-6044.

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King’s College choir Cantores Christi Regis will perform a free Spring Concert on April 29 and April 30 in the J. Carroll McCormick Campus Ministry Center. Choir members, pictured front row from left, are: Mary Evans and Hannah Bowmaster. Back row: Matt Kropp, Morgan Santayana and Derek Kline.

For immediate release
Further information: contact Joseph Giomboni
Public Relations office, (570) 208-5957

King’s College will host the annual Global Landscapes Conference on April 20-21. This year’s conference features a keynote panel presentation titled, “Governing at the Intersection of Money and Meaning – Media, Healthcare and Higher Education,” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 21, in the Burke Auditorium of the William G. McGowan School of Business.

What does it take for an organization to develop and maintain governance that is both effective and sustainable? How can the board introduce the concept in a manner that engages the members without getting drowned in the mechanics of governance? The keynote panel will discuss sector specific governance issues related to money (resources) and meaning (reason/purpose). Experts from media, healthcare and higher education will discuss “governance” as the means of stewarding the multilayer organization and an agreement to implement shared values, with the input and collaboration of stakeholders/ members.

The keynote panelists are “Wall Street Journal” reporter Peter Rudegeair; Urmi Ashar, M.D., CEO of Advanced Technology Health Care Solutions; and Rev. Jack Ryan, C.S.C., president, King’s College. The panel will be moderated by Dr. Bernard Rudegeair, assistant technical professor, business and management, King’s College. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Rudegeair is a staff reporter at the “Wall Street Journal” where he covers the intersection between finance and technology. Prior to joining the “Journal” in 2015, he worked as a reporter at “Reuters News” and as a research associate at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Ashar leads a clinical practice in anesthesiology. She is the founder of National Association of Corporate Directors Three Rivers Chapter. She earned her doctor of medicine degree from KEM Hospital and University of Mumbai’s Seth G.S. Medical College, and an MBA from the University of Colorado.

Father Ryan was named the ninth president at King’s College in 2011. He previously served as dean of the William G. McGowan School of Business and distinguished faculty member of the College since 1994. He received his MBA from St. Joseph’s University, a master of Divinity degree from the University of Toronto, and a doctorate in business administration from Temple University. He was ordained as a priest in the Holy Cross order in 1990.

The annual event brings renowned speakers to campus and traditionally highlights scholarship by leading academics, including presentations by King’s faculty and students, to examine important issues facing humanity and who recognize the need for cooperation among different constituents to find sustainable solutions amid a changing social, cultural, political, economic, financial and technological environment. This year’s theme, “The ART of Good Governance: Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency,” will be examined in presentations by scholars, students, and community leaders.

Featured conference speakers included Rita Lacey, founder of Close the Loop Company, a Pennsylvania Benefit Corporation, who will deliver the lecture titled, “Closing the Loop – Waste is Really a Design Flaw”; Rep. Aaron Kaufer, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, on “Neither Party: The Role of Youth in the Future of Politics”; and Visiting Fulbright Scholar Pankaj Chakraborty on “Governance and Leadership: Making Regional Cooperation Work for South Asia.”

In addition, guest speakers will include former Wilkes-Barre Mayor Thomas Leighton; Glenn Tyranski, Executive Director at Ernst & Young; and Gretchen Kwashnik, Senior Category Manager for Commercial Banking Technology at Capital One.

King’s Global Landscapes Conference is sponsored by the William G. McGowan School of Business, McGowan Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility, and the Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center. For more information on the conference, visit the GLC website at http://www.kings.edu/glc.

The Burke Auditorium is located on the first floor of the McGowan School of Business on the corner of North River and West Union streets. Parking will be available in on-campus lots.

Registration information for the two-day conference may be obtained by contacting Dr. Bindu Vyas, conference chair and associate professor of international business and management at King's, at (570) 208-5900, ext. 5787, or visit the website http://www.kings.edu/GLC.

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Dr. Urmi Ashar, CEO of Advanced Technology Health Care Solutions

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“Wall Street Journal” reporter Peter Rudegeair

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Rev. Jack Ryan, C.S.C., president, King’s College

For release
Further information: Contact Joseph Giomboni
Public Relations Office, (570) 208-5958

Dr. Brian Mangan, director of the Environmental Program and professor of environmental science and biology at King’s College, and his research students presented their research findings recently at the 72nd Annual Northeast Fish and Wildlife Conference held at Annapolis, Md.

King’s College students Sam Hollock (senior, Mt. Top) and Amanda Klass (junior, Edwardsville) presented research titled, "The Diet of Smallmouth Bass at Six Sites Along the Susquehanna River"; Ryan Longenberger (senior, Bloomsburg) and Alex Krispin (junior, West Wyoming) presented, "Does Crayfish Density Predict Trapping Success?"; and Tom Mangan (senior, Nescopeck) and Ben Siegel (sophomore, Falls) presented, "A Device and Protocol for Measuring Crayfish Density in Wadable Rivers."

Mangan’s research last summer was funded by grants from Pennsylvania Sea Grant and the Degenstein Foundation totaling $74,000. In 2008 and 2013, Mangan and King’s research students documented the crayfish species and their relative abundances along 400 km of the Susquehanna River from the New York border to just north of Harrisburg. Within that same time period, numbers of smallmouth bass in sections of the river below Sunbury were reported to have declined, so last summer his team investigated the diet interactions of smallmouth bass and crayfish in the river.

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Dr. Brian Mangan

For release
Further information: Contact John McAndrew
Public Relations Office, (570) 208-5958

Thirty four King’s College students are serving as volunteer mentors for the Juvenile Justice program.

The goal of the Juvenile Justice Mentoring Program is to engage at-risk youth in positive peer relationships and experiences with college students to show at-risk youth another pathway to adulthood outside the criminal track.

Eligible juveniles are those who have been charged with a summary offense, a misdemeanor or non-violent felony, or have been identified by a guidance counselor, district magistrate, probation officer, County Judge, Youth Aid Panel, or parent as exhibiting potential law-violating behavior.

The program was announced in October 2011 and involves trained King’s student volunteers meeting with area youth on-campus for two supervised 120-minute sessions a week for six weeks.

The two-hour mentoring sessions are divided into three sections; homework assistance, an activity period, and a meal in the King’s dining area.

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King’s Students Selected as Mentors for College’s Juvenile Justice Program

Pictured, seated, from left, are mentors Leslie Torres, Elen O’Donnell, Christopher Boyle, Ryan English, Brittany Marra, Meghan Colburn, Katherine Cryan, and Amber Ostan.

Pictured in second row, from left, are mentors Jenna Baron, Gabriella McNulty, Tyler Cruz, Christopher Nygren, Ryan Singley, Lucas Seaberg, Patrick Reilly, Michael Martina, Danielle Ortolani, Ronald Ippolite, and Gary Poulson.

Pictured in top row, from left, is Lou Palmeri. Adjunct lecturer in sociology and co-faculty advisor of the Juvenile Justice Mentoring Program; mentors Tyler McGuigan, Eric Haenggi, Zachary Funk, Evan Foster, Joshua Blaker, Christopher Sulitka, Austin Dobleman, and Daniel Lynch.

Absent from photo was Paul Lindenmuth, associate technical professor of criminal justice and co-faculty advisor of the program, and mentors Katie Christman, Kayla Havens, Jared Miller, Jordan Perdue, Annie Ritsick, Michael Rychwalski, and Marcus Sypeck.

For Release
Further Information: Contact Joseph Giomboni
King’s College Public Relations Office: (570) 208-5957

The King’s College Physician Assistant Studies program coordinated the college’s participation in the recently held seventh annual Northeast/Central Pennsylvania Interprofessional Education Coalition (NECPA- IPEC) Collaborative Care Summit.

Over 180 students from health related fields of study and 32 faculty facilitators from King’s and five other area colleges and universities from Wilkes-Barre and Scranton areas attended King’s portion of the summit, which focused on obesity.

The goal of the summit was to prepare all health professions students so that they can collaboratively work together with the common goal of building a safer and better patient-centered U.S. health care system. The event focused on individual perspectives and interests of patients struggling with obesity, the role of bias and stereotypes as it applies to health care for patients, and impact of obesity on individual and population health and the role of healthcare professionals on improving patient-centered care.

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Students, seated from left: Shellie Porter, LCCC, nursing; Rina Nikolaidis, Wilkes University, nursing; Aaron Gehrt, Misercorida University, physical therapy; and Katherine Dugan, King’s College, Physician Assistant Studies. Faculty members standing: Norman Honeywell, LCCC, Nursing; LoriAnn Pajalich, Wilkes University, Nursing; Kristen Karnish, Misercorida University, Physical Therapy; Bill Reynolds, King’s College, Physician Assistant Studies; and Erin Myers, Community College of Baltimore County, Radiography.

For release
Further information: Contact Joseph Giomboni
Public Relations Office (570) 208-5957

The King’s College Board of Directors recently approved promotions for five faculty members. Dr. Beth Admiraal, political science, Dr. Michael Church, psychology, and Dr. Kristi Concannon, physics, were promoted to full professor; Lorraine Novinger, physician assistant, was promoted to associate clinical professor; and Mark Leffler was promoted to assistant technical professor of business administration.

Admiraal was awarded the Hon. Max and Tillie Rosenn Award for Faculty Excellence in 2015. She serves as a faculty co-leader for a study abroad experience to Eastern Europe, titled “Identity and Place in Slavic Cultures.” In addition to her teaching experience, she engages at a scholarly level on issues of nation and religion in the post-Soviet world. She is currently the book review editor for “Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe.” Prior to joining the faculty at King’s in 2004, she earned her master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Dr. Church joined the King’s faculty in 1976. He was granted tenure in 1982 and currently serves as department chair. He has taught several psychology courses, primarily focused on social, psychopathology, adult development, psychological testing, industrial and clinical practicum. He has been a licensed clinical psychologist with a private practice since 1980. He also served as medical preceptor at First Hospital Wyoming Valley for three years for the Commonwealth Medical School. He has co-authored three books with retired professor Charles Brooks. He earned his master’s degree and doctorate at the University of Miami.

A faculty member at King’s since 2002, Concannon specializes in teaching astronomy and physics courses. She has developed courses on the physics of superheroes and the science of science fiction. She is professionally active in the American Association of Physics Teachers, regularly presenting her pedagogical research. She devotes an extensive amount of time to student advising and to service to the college community. She earned her master’s degree in computational astronomy and doctorate in observational astronomy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Leffler, a King’s graduate and a successful business executive and entrepreneur, was named the first Angelo P. DeCesaris Executive in Residence in 2010. Prior to joining King’s, he was the Executive Vice President at Basic Chemical Solutions, L.L.C., and founded CTM trucking company. He is the vice president of corporate development for Connection Chemical, L.P., where he works in sales and as a consultant for the entrepreneurial chemical distribution company. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Novinger serves as academic director for the Department of Physician Assistant Studies, where she coordinates the didactic phase of student instruction for the program. She holds a bachelor’s from King’s, a Masters from A. T. Stills University of Arizona, and a National Certification of Physician Assistants (PA-C). Prior to becoming a full-time faculty member at King’s in 2010, Novinger was a physician assistant at Geisinger Health Systems in Family Practice, OB/GYN, and Neurosurgery and Manager of the Case Management Department at Geisinger Health Plan, and adjunct professor at King’s.

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Dr. Beth Admiraal

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Dr. Michael Church

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Dr. Kristi Concannon

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Lorraine Novinger

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Mark Leffler

For Immediate Release
Further information: Contact John M. McAndrew or Sarah Holland
Public Relations Office: (570) 208-5958

Twenty five King’s College students were recently inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) the honor society serving business programs accredited by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

BGS encourages and honors academic achievement in the study of business, fosters personal and professional excellence, advances the values of the Society, and serves its lifelong members. Junior or senior business majors can earn candidacy with a grade point average within the top ten percent of their class.

Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools. AACSB Accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business education, and has been earned by 755 colleges and universities in the United States and more than 50 foreign countries. Fewer than five percent of the world's business programs receive the accreditation.

Seated, from left: Carmen LoBrutto, Garrett Goral, Dana Maurizi, Crystal Seashock, Alexandra Evangelista, Kellie Kopko, Anneliese Romani, Andrew Coco, Cory Tobin, and Caroline Jones.

Standing: Barry Williams, dean of McGowan School of Business, Timothy Carl, Joseph Lanning, Brian Stonikinis, John Fazzini, Daniel Rutecki, Michael Prociak, Christopher Fazzini, Alex Getz, Allison Meluskey, Ashley Leighton, Rachel Maczuga, Rikki Purcell, and Dr. Joan Blewitt, associate professor of business and management.

Absent from photo: Robert Burke, Charles Rafalko, and Matthew Tavaglione.

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For Immediate Release
Further information: Contact Joseph Giomboni
Public Relations Office, (570) 208-5958

The artistic vision and talents of mass communications students will be on display in the annual King's College Mass Communications Student Exhibit through May 27 in the Widmann Gallery.

Students will exhibit works in a variety of mediums, including print advertisements, logos, posters, magazine spreads, photography, and web and CD cover designs. Computer monitors will display animations as well as audio clips of interviews and news stories broadcasted on WRKC 88.5 FM, King’s student radio studio.

Local student participants are: Gregory Adams, junior, Wilkes-Barre; Sarah Cease, senior, Shickshinny; Patrick Corcoran, freshman, Nanticoke; Eryn Harvey, senior, Wilkes-Barre; Michael Hoskins, sophomore, Tunkhannock; Leah Laneski, senior, West Wyoming; Amber Matinas, junior, Wilkes-Barre; Rory Mullin, sophomore, Dallas; Thomas Murray, senior, accounting and business management major, Forty Fort; Elizabeth O’Brien, sophomore, West Pittston; Courtney Pisano, freshman, Pittston; Kelsey Pugh, senior, Forty Fort; Robert Sudnick, freshman, Wilkes-Barre; Cheyenne Tarselli, junior, Drums; Jessica Ujobai, freshman, Lake Ariel; James Wesser, junior, Bear Creek; Caryn Wielgopolski, senior, Hanover Twp; and Madison Ziemba, sophomore, Wyoming.

“The creativity of King’s students was impressive because students submitted projects that transcended their comfort zone and expanded their works into different forms of media,” said Karen Mercincavage, associate technical professor of mass communication and exhibition coordinator.

The exhibition is free and open to the public. Gallery hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, as arranged. The Gallery is closed on national holidays and during scheduled breaks throughout the academic year. For more information about the upcoming exhibition, contact Michelle Leonard, Widmann Gallery coordinator, at (570) 208-5900, ext. 5328

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“Sky High,” black-and-white photograph by senior Caryn Wielgopolski will be one of several images on display during the annual King's College Mass Communications Student Exhibit from May 2-27 in the Widmann Gallery.

For immediate release
Further information: contact Joseph Giomboni
Public Relations office, (570) 208-5957

The Polish Ambassador to the United States Ryszard Schnepf will deliver a free public lecture on public policy, economic and cultural issues of interest to Polish Americans at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 9, in the Burke Auditorium, located in William G. McGowan School of Business at King’s College. The lecture is presented by Congressman Matt Cartwright (PA-17).

Ambassador Schnepf was entrusted with the position of Plenipotentiary of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Organization of the 25th Anniversary Commemorating the “Solidarity” Trade Union in 2005. He was Secretary of State for Foreign Relations and Security, at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, and directed the budget negotiations of the European Union from 2007-2013. He was named Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States of America in September of 2012.

Ambassador Schnepf was a history major at Warsaw University and earned his doctorate at the Institute of History in the Polish Academy of Sciences. His doctoral dissertation was on political parties in Venezuela. He conducted research and taught history of Latin American in the Iberian Studies Department of Warsaw University, later specializing in new developments and social and political processes of the nineteenth and twentieth century Latin America.

In 1991, after the political scene changed in Poland, he joined the Foreign Service, beginning a mission as Ambassador of Poland in Uruguay and Paraguay. He also held the position of Deputy Director in the Chancellery of Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek, the rank of Minister Plenipotentiary as Deputy Chief of Mission of the Polish Embassy in Madrid, followed by an Ambassadorship in San Jose (Costa Rica), with simultaneous accreditation in Central America.

Parking will be available in on-campus lots. For more information, please contact Tammy Aita, Special Projects Manager/District Scheduler, Scranton Office of Congressman Matt Cartwright, at (570) 341-1050.

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Polish Ambassador to the United States Ryszard Schnepf will deliver a free public lecture on public policy, economic and cultural issues of interest to Polish Americans at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 9, in the Burke Auditorium at King’s College.

For release
Further information: Contact John McAndrew
Public Relations Office, (570) 208-5958

Rev. John Ryan, C.S.C., president of King’s College, was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the University of Notre Dame.

Ryan was appointed to a three–year term on the 49-member Board of Trustees. His term will begin July 1.

A native of Wilkes-Barre, Father Ryan was named the ninth president of King’s in 2011. He previously served as dean of the William G. McGowan School of Business and a faculty member of the College since 1994. He received his MBA from St. Joseph’s University, a master of Divinity degree from the University of Toronto, and a doctorate in business administration from Temple University. He was ordained as a priest in the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1990.

The University of Notre Dame and King’s College were both founded and are operated by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Father Ryan is also a member of the Board of Stonehill College and the Board of the University of Portland. He also serves on the boards of Earth Conservancy and Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center.

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Rev. John Ryan, C.S.C.

For Immediate Release
Further information: Contact John M. McAndrew or Sarah Holland
Public Relations Office: (570) 208-5958

Forty five King’s College juniors and seniors were recently inducted into the Aquinas Society, the King’s honor society.

The Aquinas Society, named in honor of St. Thomas Aquinas, recognizes students of super academic ability and achievement who are involved in significant service related extracurricular activities. Juniors and seniors are eligible for membership with a minimum GPA of 3.5 and have attained the Dean’s List for at least five of their semesters at King’s. Christopher Alexander, Ph.D., Professor of Management, is the moderator of the society.

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Forty five King’s College juniors and seniors were recently inducted into the Aquinas Society, the King’s honor society.

First row, from left: Shaniese Ricketts, Megan Milunic, Abigail Cooke, and Melissa Bonner.

Second row: Kelci Wolfe, Julia Shandra, Sarah DeMace, Alison Schug, Katherine Petraglia, and Jessica Lange.

Third row: Tess Sauer, Kyle Andrews, Tyler Tuck, Cory Tobin, and Marykate Bulger.

Fourth row: Gia Panagakos, Joshua Kepfinger, Daniel Rutecki, Michael Brown, Jamie Scarantino, and Rachael Rugletic.

Fifth row: Matthew Kropp and Matthew Gorski.

Absent from photo: Anthony Anonia, Justin Barnett, Andrew Coco, Christopher Damico, Marissa Durako, Alexandra Evangelista, Gredi Gracari, Kylie Hanlon, Kayla Havens, Ryan Hettes, Rachel Jonas, Morgan Kneier, Kellie Kopko, Amy Kowalczyk, Dylan Prescott, Tashianna Stockton, Tyler Strong, Catherine Voegler, Keith Wanamaker, Miranda Warunek, and Tara Zdancewicz.

Allan Kluger, Esq., a noted attorney for more than 60 years and a recognized public servant, has been selected as the third recipient of the Father James Lackenmier, C.S.C., Award for Achievement and Leadership. The award will be presented at a ceremony to be held Thursday, October 20, at the Westmoreland Club.

Funds raised for the award dinner will benefit the King’s College Presidential Hope Fund, a critically important resource that supports deserving King’s students who face unforeseen financial hardships that threaten their ability to continue or complete their undergraduate studies. The 2015 fundraising event held in Philadelphia last October raised nearly $270,000 for the Fund.

The award dinner will be held in conjunction with the College’s annual McGowan School of Business Forum. A highlight of Father Lackenmier’s 18-year presidency (1981-1999) was the establishment of the William G. McGowan School of Business at King’s in 1992.

“Allan Kluger is the epitome of a business leader and community servant,” said Father John Ryan, C.S.C., King’s president. “He has provided King’s with more than 30 years of wise counsel and support and he has been as generous with numerous other Wyoming Valley organizations.”

Kluger is president and senior partner at Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn, a law firm he joined after receiving his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1952. He is also a graduate of Wyoming Seminary and Amherst College.

“I am delighted to have been chosen as the recipient of the Father Lackenmier Award,” said Kluger. “This honor is special to me because Father Lackenmier has been my dear friend for over 30 years and because the funds raised in connection with this honor will go to King's College students to enable them to complete their studies.”

Kluger is a member of the King’s College Board of Directors and holds the title of director emeritus. He also serves on the boards of the Luzerne Foundation, where he was a founding board member, and the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry as a director emeritus.

A recipient of the President’s Award from the Luzerne County Bar Association, Kluger was also twice named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer and served for seven years on the Pennsylvania Ethic Commission by appointment by the Governor of Pennsylvania.

He has been honored with the B'nai B'rith Outstanding Citizen Award, the First Annual Ethics Award given by Ethics Institute of Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Wyoming Seminary Distinguished Service Award, the Anti-Defamation League Distinguished Community Service Award, and the Boy Scouts Distinguished Citizens Award. He is the recipient, together with his wife, Sue, of the first Lifetime Achievement in Philanthropy Award presented by the Association of Fund Raising Professionals (formerly the Greater Pocono Northeast Chapter of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives).

“One of the perks of being President of King’s College was knowing Allan Kluger,” said Father James Lackenmier, C.S.C., president emeritus of King’s College and president at the time Kluger began his service to King’s as a board member. “Allan is known by everyone as a great lawyer and a committed community leader. His reputation as a fund raiser and as a philanthropist is legendary. But it was my privilege to know him, above all, as a kind, warm, generous and exceedingly humorous friend.”

The annual McGowan School of Business Forum provides approximately 100 King’s students each year an opportunity to be mentored by leaders in the business field, most of whom are graduates of the College. The mentoring session is followed by a formal dinner, presentation of the award, and remarks by the recipient. The award dinner, like the McGowan School of Business Forum, rotates on an annual basis between New York City, Philadelphia, and Wilkes-Barre.

Tickets for the event are $200/person, $375/couple and $150/person for King’s graduates from the classes of 2006 to the present. Various levels of sponsorships and program ads are available. For further information, contact Tish McCarthy Last at 570-208-6069.

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Allan Kluger, Esq.

For release
Further information: Contact John McAndrew
Public Relations Office, (570) 208-5958

King’s College will offer bachelor’s of science degree programs in civil and mechanical engineering beginning with the 2017-18 academic year. The proposal was approved by the College’s Board of Directors at its May meeting.

King’s will be the only college or university in the Wyoming Valley to offer a bachelor’s of science degree in civil engineering.

The two programs, which will be traditional four-year programs, will be in addition to the cooperative 3-2 dual degree program in engineering that King’s established with the University of Notre Dame in 2013.

“In order for colleges and universities to remain successful in the current demographic climate, they must react to market trends and student expectations while still maintaining their core mission," said Fr. John Ryan, C.S.C., King's College president. "Given the early success of the 3-2 cooperative Notre Dame program, King’s felt that adding two engineering programs was a terrific fit.”

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 19% increase in civil engineering job growth and a 9% increase in mechanical engineering job growth through 2020. According to The College Board, mechanical engineering is experiencing an 18% growth rate and civil engineering a 6% growth rate among students in geographic regions from which King’s recruits the majority of its students.

The new engineering programs will draw on the strengths of the same STEM-based courses that have proven successful in preparing students for King’s 3-2 engineering degree program with the University of Notre Dame. “The 3-2 program has attracted excellent students in its three years of existence, including three valedictorians and four students with math SAT test scores in excess of 700,” said Paul Lamore, associate professor of management and director of the engineering program. “We expect the new engineering programs to attract candidates of the same caliber, allowing us to prepare even more students for successful careers in engineering right here in Northeastern Pennsylvania.”

For Immediate Release
Further information: Contact Joseph Giomboni
Public Relations Office, (570) 208-5958

As a tune up for elementary and secondary school teachers before the 2016-17 school year, the King's College Education Department will partner with Luzerne Intermediate Unit 18 to host an "Evidence-Based" Conference from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Thursday, August 11, in the Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center.

This year’s theme is “STR²E²AM: Evidence-Based Practices.” Participants will choose three from 21 one-hour workshops designed to aid Pre-K-12 teachers in the areas of science, technology, reading, writing, engineering, early childhood, arts and mathematics. The workshops will be taught by members of King’s faculty as well as teachers from member schools and pre-schools of Luzerne Intermediate Unit 18.

The Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center is located between North Franklin and North Main streets. Registration is $25 and begins at 8 a.m. Registration for undergraduate students is $20. Early bird registration prior to June 30 is $20. Pre-registration is encouraged, however walk-in registration is accepted at the standard rate. The LIU18 will facilitate the reporting of the three Act 48 hours.

For more information on the evidenced-based conference for elementary and secondary school teachers, please contact Janice Gavlick, King’s College Education Department, at (570) 208-5893 or Dr. Deb Carr, assistant professor and Director of the Curriculum & Instruction Graduate Program at King’s, at (570) 208-5900, ext. 5448 or e-mail deborahcarr@kings.edu.

For Release
Further Information: Contact Joseph Giomboni
King’s College Public Relations Office: (570) 208-5957

Dr. Bernard Prusak, associate professor of philosophy and director of the McGowan Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility at King’s College, has had his book titled "Catholic Moral Philosophy in Practice and Theory: An Introduction” published in March by Paulist Press.

“Prusak’s book introduces the reader to the richness of Catholic moral philosophy in a thoughtful, accessible, and intellectually creative way,” said Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., President and Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame. “It is badly needed at a time when public debate so often degenerates into empty slogans, and many—even many Catholics— have lost touch with a great moral tradition grounded in the Gospel and shaped by centuries of thought.”

The book is an introduction to the living tradition of Catholic moral philosophy. In accord with Pope Francis’s injunction to seek to initiate processes rather than dominate spaces, the book invites the reader to reflect on select real-world controversies as a way into the practice and theory of moral philosophy.

Topics include what distinguishes Catholic moral philosophy; how Catholics ought to argue about abortion; double-effect reasoning and the principle of lesser evil; Thomas Aquinas on self-defense; the evolution and state of the art of just war theory; the ethics of eating meat; the moral limits of markets; and conceptions of conscience, natural law theory, virtue ethics, and modern moral philosophy.

Prusak was recently granted tenure at King’s. His book “Parental Obligations and Bioethics: The Duties of a Creator” was published by Routledge Press in 2013. He earned a doctorate at Boston University and bachelor’s degree at Williams College. He also studied at Exeter College, Oxford University.

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Dr. Bernard Prusak

For release
Further information: Contact Joseph Giomboni
Public Relations Office, (570) 208-5958

Dr. Karen Mercincavage, associate technical professor of Mass Communications at King’s College, earned a doctorate in Media Communications and Instructional Technology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her dissertation was titled “The Effects of Delivery Modes of HIV/AIDS Advertisements on Behavioral Change in Young Women,” a quantitative study focusing on the interplay between visual and health communication.

A member of King’s faculty since 2007, Mercincavage heads the Visual and Brand Communications track in the Mass Communications Department, where she teaches courses on image manipulation, illustration, corporate branding, and digital animation. She is a member of the College’s Media Board; advisor for InHouse Design club; co-advisor for Psi Epsilon chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the national mass communication honor society; and co-advisor for “The Crown,” the College’s student newspaper.

Prior to coming to King’s, she served as Senior Multimedia Graphic Designer in Marketing Communication for Blue Cross of Northeaster Pennsylvania. She is a freelance designer for CSS Industries, Inc., a national manufacturer of seasonal consumer products distributed to large retail chains.

She is a member of the American Advertising Federation, Northeast Pennsylvania; AIGA, the professional association for design; and National Communication Association.

She earned her bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University, and master’s degree in Communication Arts from Marywood University.

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Dr. Karen Mercincavage

For Release
Further Information: Contact Joseph Giomboni
King’s College Public Relations Office: (570) 208-5957

King’s College graduate students recently participated in the Education Department’s Master’s Symposium. The presentations were a culmination of research projects on a variety of topics to fulfill requirements in the College’s Master of Education programs. Reading research project topics included smart and mobile technology, student motivation, comprehension, note-taking technology, and project-based learning. Presentations for the curriculum and instruction program focused on English as a Second Language initiatives, computer-assisted instruction, telemedicine, phonemics, virtual field trips, effects of sports participation on academic performance.

Local research participants were: Christina Jeckell, Mountain Top, School Nurse, Maple Manor Elementary Middle School, “The Impact of Comprehensive School-Based Teenage Pregnancy Programs”; Alicia Garavaglia-Mikluscak, Hanover Twp., 5th Grade Learning Support, State Street Elementary, “Computer Assisted Instruction and Its Effect on Math Students in a Learning Support Setting”; Edward Rosengrant, Wilkes-Barre, Preschool-Lead Teacher, King’s College Early Learning Center, “The Effects of Technology on the Development of Phonological Awareness in Preschool Students”; Brittany Scarnulis, Hughestown, 7th and 8th grade math teacher, Wilkes-Barre Area School District, “The Effectiveness of Writing Out Solutions to Mathematics Problems”; and Kate Reynolds, West Pittston, Business Teacher, West Side Career Technical School, “Assessing the Importance of English Language Learners’ Writing Progression Through Writing Portfolios.”

Eighteen King’s graduate students presented abstracts and answered questions from the College’s faculty and fellow students. The event was coordinated by Dr. Denise Reboli, chair and professor of education; Dr. Deb Carr, director, graduate program in curriculum and instruction; and Dr. Jill Yurko, director, graduate program in reading.

For more information about King’s Education Department graduate programs, call (570) 208-5983 or visit www.kings.edu/academics/graduate_majors.

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King’s College graduate students who presented their research during the Education Department’s annual symposium, seated from left: Mary Breznitsky, Jordan Zande, Brittany Scarnulis, Anna Stiegher, Paula McQuestion, and Meghan Bell. Standing: Donna LaPorte, Jason Smolinsky, Katie Reynolds, Edward Rosengrant, Stephanie Widdoes, Jennifer Wilson, Jenn Mason, Alicia Garavaglia-Mikluscak, Kelly Sandrock, Christina Jeckell, and Heather Rosato. Absent from photo: Mary Joyce Stefanowicz.

Robert J. Ciaruffoli, a 1975 graduate of King’s College and a retired member of the Office of the CEO at Baker Tilly Virchow Krause LLC, one of the nation’s largest accounting and advisory firms, provided the address at King’s 67th Annual Commencement exercises held Sunday, May 22, at which 434 students received either a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

An active and involved parishioner in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Ciaruffoli was approached by Archbishop Charles Chaput to preside over the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia in 2015. He accepted without hesitation and, with the blessing of his employer, volunteered a year and a half of his time to develop that import event, managing more than 70 fulltime employees and subcontractors. The event was the primary reason for the visit of Pope Francis to the United States last fall.

Click here to listen to Robert J. Ciaruffoli’s Commencement Address

For Immediate Release
Further information: Contact Joseph Giomboni
Public Relations Office, (570) 208-5958

Sue Hand is best known for her artworks in watercolor and her hexagon-shaped historical illustrations of mining, “The Anthracite Miners and Their Hollowed Ground” which are on permanent display at King’s on the Square in Wilkes-Barre. Her newest work, to be exhibited at the Widmann Gallery at King’s College from Monday, June 6, through Friday, August 12, focuses on very large canvases filled with thick oil paint applied in layers with a palette knife.

The multi-panel paintings of “The Light in the Forest” will depict Hand’s fascination with the forests of Maine and Pennsylvania. Since her childhood, she has been fascinated by the “miniature worlds” and the “visual tapestry” of the forest. Through her paintings in the series, Hand hopes the viewer feels like they could step into the painting, walk through a beautiful forested place and with a few steps disappear behind the trees, as the peace and serenity of the place closes in around them. All of the paintings are polptychs, paintings divided into multiple panels of art commonly created by Renaissance painters. The largest piece, a triptych, measures 60" high and 12 feet wide.

The artworks are all painted in palette knife oil to achieve tactile as well as visual texture. The color schemes are natural but also “edgy,” mirroring the color surprises observed in the real forest which is not all “brown, green, and gray.”

Hand is the founder of the Pennsylvania En Plein Air Society and the national miniature art organization, Cider Painters of America. She is also an elected signature member of the International Society of Marine Painters. Her work can be found in private and public collections throughout the United States as well as 10 foreign countries.

Hand will discuss the exhibit and display some of the sketches which resulted in the large works during the opening reception on Friday, July 15, from 6-8 p.m., in the Widmann Gallery, Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center, Wilkes-Barre, located between North Franklin and North Main streets.

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.

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“Acadian Glen,” the center portion of an oil triptych by renowned local artist Sue Hand will be on display in the Widmann Gallery at King’s College.

For release
Further Information: Contact Joseph Giomboni
Public Relations Office, (570) 208-5957

King’s College honored four of its alumni with annual awards at a ceremony held during Commencement Weekend. Honorees were John Bowblis, Ph.D., The Leo Award; Nichola D. Gutgold, Ph.D., Outstanding Professional Achievement; Rev. Joseph Long, C.S.C., Service to Society; and Jennifer Domnick Mantini, Outstanding Service to Alma Mater.

Established in honor of the King’s College Golden Jubilee in1996, the awards are conferred annually upon alumni by the president of the College to people who have distinguished themselves through exceptional achievement.

Bowblis graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in economics from King’s in 2002. He earned a master’s degree and doctorate in economics from Rutgers University, where he worked as a research assistant at the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research. In 2008, he joined the faculty at Miami University and he is currently an associate professor of economics and a research fellow at the Scripps Gerontology Center.

His academic research interests are primarily in health economics and industrial organization. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the James Robeson Junior Faculty Research Excellence Award, Excellence in Career Development Award, the Peter Asch Memorial Scholarship for Outstanding Research in Applied Microeconomics, and the Sidney I. Simon Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. In addition, John provides expert economic analysis in complex business litigation related to antitrust and competition, medical billing and coding, and damage analysis.

After graduating with bachelor’s degrees in English and mass communications from King’s in 1984, Gutgold earned a master’s degree from Bloomsburg University and a doctorate in speech communication from Pennsylvania State University. She joined Penn State Allentown as a lecturer in speech communications in 1989. She is currently a professor of communication arts and sciences at Penn State University and associate dean of academic affairs of Penn State’s Schreyer Honors College.

She has been interviewed about her research on rhetoric of women and the United States presidency by several media outlets, including “The New York Times,” “US News and World Report,” “NPR,” and the “Los Angeles Times.” She is an award-winning author of eight books, including “Women in the Academy: Learning from Diverse Career Pathways,” “The Rhetoric of Supreme Court Women: From Obstacles to Options,” and “Gender and the American Presidency: Nine Presidential Women and the Barriers They Faced.”

Father Long enrolled at King’s in 1950 and was drawn by the possibility of a vocation to the Congregation of Holy Cross. After earning his bachelor’s degree in in philosophy in 1954, he entered the Holy Cross Novitiate. He earned a master’s degree in Sacred Doctrine and he was ordained to the priesthood at St. Augustine’s Cathedral in Bridgeport, Conn., in 1959.

He taught Latin and Religion at Notre Dame High School in Bridgeport for 10 years, with a one-year hiatus to complete a master’s degree in Latin and Greek at The Catholic University of America. After serving as Catholic Chaplain at Vassar Brothers Hospital in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Father Long returned to Wilkes-Barre in 1992 as the Catholic Chaplain at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, Veterans Medical Center, and he assisted numerous local parishes. Since 2003, Father Long has resided with the Holy Cross community at Cocoa Beach, Fla. During the summer, he returns to Wilkes-Barre to continue his ministry and provide care and comfort to ailing patients.

Mantini graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from King’s in 1998. After graduation, she joined PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP in Philadelphia. She has been dedicated to the merger and acquisition industry for over 16 years, including two years in the firm’s London office. She was recently recognized nationally as an Emerging Leader (40 under 40) by M&A Advisor, a leading publication for mergers and acquisitions professionals. She is a Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania and a member of the American Institute of Public Accountants and the Pennsylvania Institute of Public Accountants.

She mentors students in PwC’s annual tax competition and at the annual McGowan School of Business Forum as part of her King’s-related volunteer efforts. In addition, she serves as board treasurer for the Center for Literacy and a member of the corporate advisory council for The Franklin Institute and finance committee at The Philadelphia School.