As graduate dean, I'm often asked what differentiates our programs from those at other universities. While academic rigor is a given, I believe the distinguishing feature is the authentic sense of community that we share. Essential to building that community is our faculty, who are not only experts in their fields but also willing mentors who care about our students and our students' success. In fact, surveys of our graduating students show that they believe community and faculty are our greatest strengths.

In this issue of Grad CLAS Notes, we highlight the accomplishments of many of our outstanding teachers and scholars, including those featured in the latest Villanova President's Report. Our faculty are award-winning authors, trailblazing researchers and renowned experts who publish books and papers in top journals and who appear each day in media outlets across the world. They also serve as trusted advisors to our students, helping to develop our next generation of scholars. This month, CLAS graduate students presented papers in the College's Gender and Women's Studies Research Conference. As we celebrate Black History Month, graduate students and alumni, in conjunction with the Lepage Center, presented the fascinating historical discoveries of The Rooted Project, which is uncovering new information about Villanova's founding and its relationship with local communities of color. Coming up on February 24, we have the Graduate Student Peace and Justice Symposium and the University-wide Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition, in which CLAS graduate students are six of the finalists!

These are just a few of the many opportunities to engage with the impressive work of our graduate students and faculty. I encourage you to take advantage of the many resources and events offered by the College and University to enrich your Villanova experience and help build our unique community.

“Our faculty highlight the excellence that distinguishes Villanova and roots us in the Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition," says the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, ’75 in the 2021-2022 edition of the President's Report, which celebrates the scholarly work of Villanova faculty. Grad CLAS faculty featured in this issue include: James Ijames, MFA, Associate Professor of Theatre; Stephen Strader, PhD, Associate Professor of Geography and the Environment; and Vaswati Chatterjee, PhD, Assistant Professor of Public Administration. This issue also highlights faculty who have received the National Science Foundation Early Career Development Awards, including: Janette Herbers, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Megan Povelones, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biology; Troy Shirangi, PhD; Associate Professor of Biology; and Joseph Toscano, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences. READ MORE

Billie Murray, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Communication and assistant director for Academics, Center for Peace and Justice Education, notes that reflecting on America’s past starts with acknowledging the country’s history of and ever-growing propensity toward hate speech. Learn more about Murray's research and her book Combating Hate: A Framework for Direct Action in which she outlines tactics to counter hate speech. READ MORE

ChatGPT. Maybe you’ve heard of it. Colleges and universities certainly have. It’s the chatbot that uses artificial intelligence (A.I.) to generate sentences based only on a brief prompt, writing anything from college-level papers to fanfiction. And as one might expect, the popular chatbot is taking the academic world by storm, raising questions about trust, academic integrity and even the future of college admissions. We turned to Seth Matthew Fishman, PhD, assistant dean of Curriculum and Assessment and director of the MA in Higher Education Leadership program, to get his thoughts. READ MORE

Villanova Theatre Presents: Chrysalis – February 15 - 26

Developed at Villanova in 2019 through the Theatre Department's Sue Winge Award for Playwriting, Chrysalis explores the metamorphosis of Maria Sybilla Merian, 17th-century illustrator and naturalist, and her teenage daughter, Dorothea, as they redraw the lines of their personal and professional relationship. Determined to be taken seriously for her scientific discoveries in a male-dominated field, Maria embarks on a risky investigation that ultimately challenges how well she and her daughter know themselves and each other. Students receive ticket discounts and free admission to the dress rehearsal on Wednesday, February 15 at 8 p.m. Learn more and reserve your tickets.

The Villanova Institute for Research and Scholarship (VIRS) is hosting a series of workshops in

February to explore ways graduate students can make writing more efficient and satisfying. Managing Rejection and Revision will be held on Feb. 16, and Strategizing for Productivity will be held on Feb. 21. Workshops will be in-person from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Curley Exchange in Bartley Hall. Breakfast will be provided! Learn more and register.

Join your fellow grad students from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, February 17 for a happy hour at Gullifty’s, sponsored by the Grad Center. Enjoy free appetizers and drink specials. Please register for the event to help get an an accurate food count.

Join the Graduate Student Council and fellow graduate students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for fire pits, s’mores, hot chocolate and pizza! The event will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, February 23 at the fire pits located between Mendel Field and the Rowan Campus Green. Learn more and register.

The Villanova Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. on Friday, February 24 in the Mullen Arts Center Topper Theatre. 3MT is a competition for master’s and doctoral students to develop and showcase their research communication skills. To be successful, competitors must effectively explain their research in three minutes, using language appropriate to a non-specialist audience. Learn more about 3MT. Grad CLAS has six finalists: Erika Brown, PhD in Philosophy; Mustafa Erkaya, MS in Biology; Austin Falciani, MS in Environmental Science; Ryan Henderson, MS in Psychology; Alison Pascale, MA in Theatre; and Eliana Uriona, MS in Chemistry. First place, second place and "audience choice" receive cash prizes, so make plans to attend and support your classmates! Get your free ticket to the event.

The Villanova Center for Peace and Justice Education, Catholic Relief Services Partnership, and the Augustinian Institute invite you to attend the second annual Graduate Student Peace and Justice Symposium, with the theme “Peace, Justice and Culture: Grassroots to Global.” The symposium will explore various perspectives of politics, religion, culture, gender, disability, technology and more. The opening plenary address will feature Political Science professor Cera Murtagh, PhD, on Civic Parties in Divided Societies, followed by student panel discussions and presentations, and a closing keynote address from the Rev. Jeremy Hiers, OSA, on grassroots peacebuilding in Philadelphia. All are welcome to join by Zoom or in-person on Friday, February 24, in St. Mary’s Hall chapel from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Learn more and register.

The Villanova Career Center is hosting a special Open House event exclusively for grad students from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 14 in Garey Hall, Suite 117. Drop by at any time to have your professional headshot taken or to check out the Wildcat Wardrobe. Tours of the Career Center will begin at the top of every hour. Three workshops will be hosted live in the afternoon: 1 -1:45 p.m. - Resume Development Workshop; 2 - 2:45 p.m. - Leveraging LinkedIn Workshop; and 3 - 3:45 p.m. - International Job Search Strategies. Learn more about the Career Center.

All graduate students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences can use their Wildcard to access the Graduate Student Lounge on the third floor of Old Falvey, Room 306. The lounge has been fully renovated and is stocked with coffee and snacks. The lounge is a great study space that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Campus Ministry and Falvey Library invite the Villanova community to join them for a taste of mindfulness meditation every Monday from 1 to 1:30 p.m. on Zoom. Mindfulness Mondays offers a virtual, comfortable space where you are guided and encouraged to stop and focus on the “here and now.” Mindfulness is proven to reduce stress and enhance well-being. Registration is not required, all are welcome! Learn more.

Looking for a place to study? A place to connect with other graduate students? A time an place to reserve to study or write? The Grad Center offers St. Mary's Hall Room 110 each Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Coffee, tea, and snacks provided!

This group is for graduate students who want to experience stronger emotional connections with others while also working through personal issues that may be unique to being part of a graduate program at Villanova. If interested, please call or stop by the Counseling Center to schedule a brief 1:1 consultation with Dr. MacNamara or contact her via email. This group will meet each Wednesday from 3:30-4:45 p.m. in the University Counseling Center. Learn more about the Counseling Center and other discussion group topics.