I hope the brief Easter break afforded you a moment to reset as we enter this upcoming final week of classes and exam period. We appreciate all of the work that you have put in this semester, as we continue to balance our academic pursuits with pandemic uncertainty and challenging world events. The end of the semester offers a chance for reflection and celebration, and I could not be prouder of your accomplishments.

On Friday, April 22, we gathered virtually to celebrate the contributors, editors and peer-reviewers of our interdisciplinary journal, CONCEPT. The quality of scholarship in this year's issue is extraordinary, matched only by the enthusiasm of our students and faculty who joined our event. On Thursday, April 28, Psychology student Sam Sinemus will be representing Villanova in the regional Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. All are encouraged to attend the virtual event to support Sam and vote for him for Audience Choice!

All next week we will be having Graduate Student Appreciation events as a small gesture to show how much you mean to us, the College and the University. The week culminates in a Grad CLAS picnic in the Driscoll Hall Tent with great food from Mission BBQ. All attendees will receive a free “We ‘Heart’ Grad CLAS” T-shirt!

Thank you for your commitment to building this fantastic learning community.

First-year Villanova University English MA graduate students Hannah Kahn and Caitlin Salomon recently presented at The Conference on Christianity and Literature’s 2022 Western Regional conference, “Literary Geographies – Space, Place, and Environments,” held at Biola University in La Mirada, California, April 7 to 9, 2022. Kahn discussed her work, “Embodied and Empowered: A Critical Analysis of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.” Salomon presented “Gardens in ‘a sizzling wasteland’: Margaret Atwood’s The Year of the Flood as a model for Christian environmental restoration.” READ MORE

During her time at Villanova University, Political Science master's program graduate Danielle Burns '20 CLAS, '21 MA, focused her research on archival recovery, racial and gender equity, and global politics. Today, she serves as a diversity, equity and inclusion consultant, working to create programs and initiatives to help combat health inequities and bias in the healthcare industry. "This role allows me to work closely with clinicians and healthcare administration to create a more inclusive and effective experience for all patients," Burns says. READ MORE

The Villanova University master's program in Environmental Science supports research in a wide range of scholarly interests that span the scope of geography, biology, chemistry and geology and intersect at the nexus of environmental issues. Students learn to see beyond linear and fragmented approaches to solving environmental problems to understand the complex interactions between people and the environment. Because of this philosophy, students are prepared for careers in government, academic or commercial fields, or to continue their education in top PhD programs. Learn more about some of the program's recent graduates.

Join the Office of Graduate Studies for a week of celebration and appreciation for you and all of your hard work this academic year. Please register for the events you wish to attend to help us get an accurate count for food and refreshments.

Plan to watch from your phone, tablet, laptop or any device to support Villanova’s 3MT winner, Sam Sinemus (MS in Psychology student), as he competes in the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools Regional 3MT Competition on Thursday, April 28 from 2 to 4 p.m. (right before the picnic!). Just as in Villanova’s competition, there will be an Audience Choice Award and we need to turn out the vote for Sam! The virtual competition can be accessed using this Zoom link.

The Villanova Theatre Department is hosting the 16th Annual Philadelphia Theatre Research Symposium from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, April 29 in the Mullen Center for the Performing Arts. The theme of this year’s conference is “Theatre & Community,” which stems from a continued interest in how theatre builds systems of community and benefits from it. The keynote speaker is LaNeshe Miller-White, Executive Director of Theatre Philadelphia and co-founder of Theatre in the X. Learn more, see the event schedule and register.

Villanova Art Gallery Exhibit Opening: Dox Thrash: Painted, Not Printed – April 29

On Friday, April 29, from 4 to 6 p.m., the Villanova University Art Gallery will hold an opening reception for its new exhibit, Dox Thrash: Painted, Not Printed, curated by History graduate students under the direction of Whitney Martinko, PhD, associate professor of History. Dox Thrash, a Black artist working in Philadelphia in the mid-twentieth century, is best known for prints made through the carborundum process that he invented. At the opening reception, representatives of The Dox Thrash House Project will speak to visitors about Thrash’s life, his art and the goals of their mission. Following this gallery talk, patrons are invited to enjoy free refreshments and beverages, explore the exhibit and speak with the graduate student curators, faculty and Art Gallery Director Jennie Castillo. Learn more about the Art Gallery.

If you are one of our campus-based graduate students in CLAS, you are permitted to take up to six credits in another discipline within the college (pending approval by your program director). Perhaps your graduate program does not offer many summer courses in the summer or you are interested in dipping your toe in another field! Many of these courses are being offered online, although some are also on-campus or in hybrid modalities. We have compiled a list of graduate courses being offered this summer that have been identified as courses that lend themselves particularly well to interdisciplinary study. Other options can be found in the master schedule. If anything seems interesting, be sure to consult with your program director for advising prior to registering. View interdisciplinary courses.

Through this support group, students to share their experiences and what brought them to this program. A psychologist from the Villanova Counseling Center who specializes in grief and loss will facilitate these sessions and share about common experiences of grief, ways that grieving as a student is complicated, as well as ways to cope with their grief amid the stress and demands of the academic year. Please note: Psychology licensing laws are currently such that psychologists are only allowed to see clients who are currently located in the state in which they are licensed (in this case, Pennsylvania). Please complete this form if interested.

This May and June, Mike Westrate, PhD, Assistant Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Research, is holding two "boot camp" workshops for students interested in applying for fellowships and grants to support their research as well as applying for doctoral programs. Please see the linked flyers for more information: Grants and Fellowships - Humanities and Social Sciences; NSF-STEM Fellowships

Handshake – The Villanova Job Resource

Handshake is Villanova’s go-to resource for jobs, internships, events, and more! This mobile career management platform intuitively connects you to relevant opportunities based on your profile, interests and search activity. Through Handshake, you can apply for positions, explore companies and connections and sign up for career fairs and workshops all in one place. Learn more.

Villanova University has joined Interstride, a job search tool for international students providing job and internship postings from employers that focus on hiring international students, as well as networking and mentorship opportunities, visa and immigration support services and more! Explore Interstride.