Janet McKenzie's Thought-Provoking Paintings on Display in Kresge Theatre Lobby Until October 13

Most people have heard of Janet McKenzie through her painting, “Jesus of the People,” the first-place selection in a contest to pick a new image of Jesus for the millennium.

“To say that someone was literally thrown into the media, that was the way it was for me,” she recalled for her audience at the opening of “Holiness and the Feminine Spirit: The Art of Janet McKenzie,” held on September 17, 2012, in Kresge Theatre. “The response was dreadful.”

Dreadful only begins to describe McKenzie’s experience. Short in stature and soft in voice, she appears to be a most unlikely target of venom and hatred. Yet her painting of an African-American Jesus caused such a negative reaction in some quarters that her small Vermont town's post office took the extraordinary step of separating her mail from the rest of the town’s because of fears of letter bombs or other acts of terrorism.

McKenzie says her inspiration for the painting was her 15-year-old (at the time) nephew, Elliot McKenzie, an African-American, who was struggling with all of the issues 15-year-olds struggle with, plus the additional burdens of identity created by his adoption and his race.

“I thought if he could see a sacred painting with his beautiful face depicted in it, that that would let him know that he had worth, and he was valued,” she said.

“Real children have real pain, as well as real joy,” said Father David Poecking, pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Carnegie, a congregation that commissioned a McKenzie painting of Elizabeth Ann Seton after seeing her work on “Jesus of the People.”

Father Poecking told the story of one of his parishioners, a 20-year-old adopted child from Latin America, named Joseph, whose funeral he officiated at shortly after he arrived at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish. Joseph, much like McKenzie’s nephew, felt isolated by a number of factors as he grew up.

“Jospeh’s mother, Carol was immediately attracted to Janet’s paintings,” he said. “Carol saw the respectful gravity with which Janet paints all her subjects. Janet’s paintings honor all the moods that viewers can express.”

“I thank Carlow for inviting me to display my work here,” McKenzie said. “My art could languish in my studio if no one requests it.”

“She deserves all of the praise that she receives for her work,” Father Poecking said.

McKenzie’s paintings are on display in the Kresge Theatre Lobby until October 13. The display is open to the public on Sunday afternoons from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m., and on Saturday, October 13 from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.

Core Value: Sacredness of Creation

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Carlow University kicked off a yearlong celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Women's Studies Program by screening the film Miss Representation, a documentary that explores how mainstream media contributes to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America.

The Women's Studies Program sponsored the event on Thursday, September 13, 2012, in Kresge Theatre. The screening was followed by a panel of experts who commented on the film and facilitated a discussion with the audience.

In 1972 Ellie Wymard, PhD, the current director of Carlow's Master of Fine Arts program, founded Carlow's Women's Studies Program and created a place for the study of women's experiences, histories, and creativity. Carlow offers an array of women's studies courses and is the only institution in Pennsylvania that requires all its students to take a women's studies course as an undergraduate core requirement.

The Pittsburgh-Post Gazette covered the screening and wrote an article about the 40th anniversary earlier this month. View them here and here.

Core Value: Leadership

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Carlow Celebrates New STEM Digital Learning Laboratory with Grand Opening on October 5

Carlow students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends are invited to the grand opening of the University’s new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Digital Learning Laboratory in the A.J. Palumbo Hall of Science and Technology on Friday, October 5, 2012, at 2 p.m.

Carlow's new STEM Digital Learning Laboratory, located in room 318 of the A.J. Palumbo Hall of Science and Technology, is a resource for students studying science and math where they can reinforce concepts learned in the traditional classroom setting.

Attendees will be able to explore the lab, and student members of the American Chemical Society and the Beta Beta Beta Honorary Biological Society will demonstrate the digital technology. A cake-cutting ceremony to officially open the space begins at 2:30 p.m.

Funded in part by grants from The PNC Charitable Trust and the A.J. and Sigismunda Palumbo Charitable Trust, the lab is outfitted with 14 computers, six of which have touchscreen monitors so students are able to manipulate three-dimensional models of molecules for chemistry courses or anatomical models for biology courses. Another eight computers have high-speed processing capabilities so that students may perform mathematical modeling of various scientific processes.

“The lab is a resource for students to study outside of the classroom,” says Monique Hockman, PhD, chair of the chemistry and physics department. “I, along with many other science instructors, will be creating learning modules that require students to use the resources in the STEM lab.”

The lab will be open to all students, not just science majors, who are studying science and mathematics at Carlow. In this space, they will find an entire collection of learning aids to help them take control of their own learning at their own pace.

In addition to the computers, a state-of-the-art projector enables the white board at the front of the room to double as a SMART board. Faculty peer tutors can use the projector to show students how to problem solve in real time. The image then can be captured and sent electronically to the students so that they can refer back to it at a later date.

Ten iPads will eventually be available, offering a variety of science and math applications. The iPads will make the practice of learning science and math fun for students and allow them to use a medium they are comfortable using.

“The STEM Digital Learning Laboratory is a great example of how Carlow is addressing learner needs and becoming more learner focused,” says Hockman.

For more information about the lab or the grand opening, contact Hockman at 412.578.6594 or mlhockman@carlow.edu.

Core Value: Student Progress

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Parents of The Campus School of Carlow University students might be surprised by what their children are humming around the house these days. No, that’s not pop rock or a movie soundtrack their offspring can’t get out of their heads. But it might be Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 in E minor.

Move over Radio Disney. As one of only five Pittsburgh schools participating in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s 2012-2013 Meet the Maestro program, Campus School students are experiencing music like never before.

Violinist Monique Mead, director of special programs for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, is working with Campus School teachers and students, as well as Carlow University School of Education student teachers, giving them direct contact with the Symphony’s music director, Manfred Honeck.

“Maestro Honeck cares very much about this,” notes Mead. “He has six children of his own, and it was his request to create a program that offers young people direct contact with its musicians, soloists, and conductors. He is making himself available to meet them before the concert—something no other conductor does!”

Campus School students and their families were able to purchase discounted tickets to attend the Sunday, September 23, performance of Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Opus 95 "From the New World,” Richard Strauss’ Orchestral Songs, and Strauss’ Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major for Horn and Orchestra. They also met with Honeck during a special pre-concert reception.

In anticipation of the big day, Campus School teachers introduced students to the “New World Symphony,” and Campus School Music Teacher Anna Sproul taught them the words to “Goin’ Home,” based on Dvořák's Largo theme.

In addition, Mead conducted workshops throughout the school. During social studies class, students took part in an age-appropriate presentation on Antonin Dvorak’s life, accompanied by excerpts played on the violin. For music or physical education, they played fun movement games with excerpts from the New World Symphony. During math class, they manipulated note values, as Dvorak did, to create themes that sound different, but which are actually based upon a common denominator.

To kick off the musical excitement on campus, students were treated to an assembly on Friday, September 14, featuring the C Street Brass Quintet, in residence at Carnegie Mellon University, and partners in the Meet the Maestro program.

Just before the concert, Mead and the five C Street musicians presented one-minute “Random Acts of Music” in classrooms throughout the school.

“This is a great way for the school to bond through an experience that can be enjoyed on many different levels,” says Mead. “The program has high energy through the caliber of musicians involved, and it adds to their natural joy of learning. It’s an incredible web of partnerships, a web of community effort. Everybody benefits.”

Core Value: Discovery/Quest

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Carlow Celebrates 20 Years Serving the Community, 10 Years at the Greensburg Education Center on October 23

Anne Marie Emanuel was a Carlow assistant professor of nursing and part-time nursing supervisor at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital in 1992 when she recognized a need for an accelerated RN to BSN program in Westmoreland County.

With the same tenacity and sense of purpose as the founders of Carlow University, the Sisters of Mercy, she gathered course materials and started teaching classes in the conference room at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital. Over the past 20 years, the program grew and moved to downtown Greensburg and is now celebrating 10 years at the Greensburg Education Center, located on Rt. 136 in Hempfield Township.

Carlow University now offers graduate and undergraduate programs to Westmoreland County students in nursing and early childhood education and an undergraduate program in business management.

“We’re recognized throughout the community as regional leader in adult education,” says Wendy Phillips, director, Carlow University Greensburg Education Center. “We provide convenient, accelerated, and quality degree programs that meet the needs of adult learners in the Greensburg community.”

To celebrate the two anniversaries, Carlow University Greensburg Education Center will host an event on Tuesday, October 23, 2012, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Greensburg Country Club. After a reception with hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar, Dr. Mary Hines, president of Carlow University, will begin a brief program and a special award presentation. The event will conclude with a dessert buffet. “The event is an opportunity to celebrate our past and generate excitement about the future,” says Phillips.

The tenth anniversary of Carlow’s residence at the Greensburg Education Center was also cause for a recent facelift. “We replaced the carpet, got a fresh coat of paint, created a quiet study room for students, and updated the student lounge,” says Phillips.

For more information or to register for the Carlow University Greensburg Education Center anniversary event, please contact Phillips at 724.838.7399 or wsphillips@carlow.edu.

Core Value: Leadership

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On Friday, September 21, 2012, Carlow University’s first-year students put down their books and picked up hammers, paintbrushes, and other supples as they assisted social service agencies throughout Allegheny County.

This is the seventh year for Carlow University’s Mercy Service Day, a day when students learn the value of helping others through service learning, a value that has been integrated into the curriculum and reinforces Carlow’s mission.

“Service is what we do here at Carlow,” said Jermaine McKinley, DMin, coordinator of the Mercy Center for Service at Carlow. “It’s been built into our campus since it was founded by the Sisters of Mercy, and everyone is keyed into that idea.”

Students attended a morning rally at the St. Agnes Center of Carlow University beginning at 8 a.m. They got their assignments to one of more than 20 social service agencies throughout the county, and then departed for their destination.

The Carlow students assisted organizations such as Bethlehem Haven, First Tee, Gwen’s Girls, Habitat for Humanity, Heritage Community Initiatives, Life’s Work, Oakland Planning and Development, Blind and Vision Services of Pittsburgh, Sojourner House, Girls on the Run, Just Harvest, and Gilda’s Club, to name just a few.

The agencies involved help improve the lives of the citizens of Allegheny County through a variety of services, such as: providing emergency shelter, helping addicted mothers recover, preparing young children for school, and bettering lives for families.

Core Values: Service

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Carlow University Wins Five Golden Triangle Awards from IABC/Pittsburgh

Carlow University's office of University Communications and External Relations received five Golden Triangle Awards from the Pittsburgh chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) at the organization's annual awards dinner on September 27, 2012.

Carlow received five awards for projects developed from April 2011-April 2012.

The winning projects in the category they were awarded included:

• Communication Skills: Publications/Annual Reports—Legacy: The Benefactor Report
• Communication Skills: Publications/Other—Admissions Classroom to Career Brochure
• Communication Creative: Other Graphic Design/Book and Magazine Covers—Voices from the Attic XVII
• Communication Creative: Other Graphic Design/Other—The Campus School of Carlow University Brochure
• Communication Creative: Other Graphic Design/Poster—Philosophy and Art Conference Poster

For consideration, each entry must showcase technical skills in writing, editing, and design, as well as demonstrate creativity, measurable results, and strategic alignment with organizational business goals.

Senior-level communicators who are IABC members in Atlanta, Texas, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Kansas City, Philadelphia, and St. Louis judged the 2012 Golden Triangle Awards. Two communicators review each entry and their scores are averaged to determine the winners.

"Awards such as the Golden Triangles are an opportunity to compare our work against industry standards,” says Drew Wilson, director of media relations at Carlow. “Our entries were judged by professionals from outside the area, so that reduces the possibility of any bias for or against a particular organization that might exist if the judging were done locally. University Communications and External Relations is the most creative team I have ever been associated with, and it is a privilege and an honor to be the interim leader of this team."

The Admissions Classroom to Career Brochure received an Award of Excellence, the highest honor in the Communication Skills: Publications/Other category.

The result of a close collaboration with the Office of Admissions, the Classroom to Career brochure was a direct response to the need for potential students and their parents to understand how their investment in higher education will pay off after graduation with jobs and a successful career and why Carlow University is the best choice.

Other very deserving award winners included UMPC Health Plan, McKesson Automation, PPG Industries, Bayer MaterialScience, PNC Financial Services Group, Carnegie Mellon University, Duquesne University, the University of Pittsburgh, and many Pittsburgh-area advertising, marketing/PR, and interactive agencies.

IABC/Pittsburgh is the regional chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), a worldwide network of more than 15,000 business communication professionals in more than 80 countries whose professional expertise ranges from advertising to graphic arts, to news writing and public/media relations. IABC/Pittsburgh offers professional development seminars, educational workshops, and networking events that help communications professionals in Pittsburgh advance their careers, and improve their skill set, thereby making a greater contribution to the companies at which they work and the industries they serve.

Core Value: Leadership

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In today’s economy, the job market for college graduates isn’t what it used to be. However, Carlow University’s core values of service and student progress have opened up new doors to recent graduates looking for a job. This proved to be true for May 2012 Carlow graduates Jason Lucarelli (psychology) Melinda Ward (sociology and political science), Kayla Bowyer (communication), and Lauren Younger (creative writing).

All four were recently accepted into the AmeriCorps Public Allies Pittsburgh program through which they will serve as change makers to support community projects at local nonprofit organizations.

According the Public Allies Pittsburgh website, Allies “change their lives and our community through a rigorous AmeriCorps program that combines full-time, paid apprenticeships in nonprofits with intensive skills training, active community-building projects, personalized coaching, and critical reflection. We provide all of this through a nationally recognized approach that’s rooted in a practice of values.”

Lucarelli, Ward, Bowyer, and Younger were among the 20 Public Allies chosen out of more than 170 applications. As part of the application process, all four had to participate in the annual Public Allies Pittsburgh Selection Day, an intense cycle of interviews, team exercises, and meetings with nonprofit organizations in the Greater Pittsburgh area looking to employ them.

When Lucarelli arrived at the University of Pittsburgh’s William Pitt Union on Selection Day, he didn’t know what to expect. “I didn’t want to look at other people as competition, but that’s what they were and it was all on the spot,” says Lucarelli, who was assigned to a group with five other hopefuls.

Ward, much like Lucarelli, was also nervous at the start of Selection Day. “The most nerve-racking part of the day was actually the beginning, when each candidate was asked to recite a 30-second speech that they were asked to prepare weeks ahead of time,” says Ward. “I went in with a relaxed, ‘If they like me for me, then the program is right. It’s not the end of the world if I’m not chosen’ kind of feeling.”

Allyson Lowe, PhD, chair of Carlow’s political science department, attended Selection Day as one of the judges and her outlook on the activities was quite different. “As we are helping to select a class of Public Allies, we are looking for applicants who can function in a variety of work arrangements; who can demonstrate a host of team skills, as well as individual performance,” says Lowe.

All four Carlow students made it through the first part of the day to the “Matching Round,” during which they talked with potential employers to see which organization would be the best fit.

Lucarelli received a 10-month placement with the Family Services of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Ward was matched with the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh, Bowyer will serve with the Adonai Center for Black Males, and Younger was matched with a local organization.

Although the Public Allies’ journeys have just begun, their futures look bright. Many Allies complete their year of “employed service” and continue on to graduate school, often with significant scholarships from their experience year.

“This is an amazing chance to serve my community and I am ready to make a difference,” says Lucarelli. “I'm going to have my hands full, but the experience that I will obtain is beyond what words can describe.”

Core Values: Service and Student Progress

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Carlow University Alumni Weekend
October 5-7, 2012

Please click the photo for a schedule of events and more information.

For upcoming campus events, please visit MyPortal.

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