Alvernia Lecture Series Expand your mind with inspirational, thought-provoking lectures at Alvernia University.

20142015

Ingrid Mattson"(Don't) Save the Children" — The Benefits of Interfaith Aid Programs

Dr. Ingrid Mattson is the London and Windsor Community Chair in Islamic Studies at Huron

University College at the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada. Formerly, she

was professor of Islamic Studies, founder of the Islamic Chaplaincy Program and director

of the Macdonald Center for Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford

Seminary in Hartford, Conn.

See page 16

Interfaith

LectureJan. 26, 2015

Fall 2014

Founders Day Lecture: Richard Gaillardetz Sept. 11 4Jack Gulati “Serial Entrepreneur” Sept. 22 6David Updike - Art of John Updike Oct. 2 8Larry Mazzeno Updike Lecture Oct. 6 8Lit Fest Feature: Denise Kierman Oct. 8 10First-Year Seminar: Coach Smallwood Oct. 30 12O’Pake Lecture: Jim Gerlach Nov. 10 14

Spring 2015

Interfaith Lecture: Ingrid Mattson Jan. 26 16Batdorf Lecture Mar. 10 18Hesburgh Lecture: Darren W. Davis Apr. 9 20Vatican II Lecture: Massimo Faggioli Apr. 14 22 Faculty Panel & Edible Books Festival Mar. 26 24Earth Day Lecture: Spencer S. Stober Apr. 22 25About the Venues 26

Alvernia Lecture Series

20142015

Founders Day Lecture Richard Gaillardetz, Ph.D.

Dr. Richard R. Gaillardetz is

the Joseph Professor of Catholic

Systematic Theology at Boston

College and the director of graduate

studies. Gaillardetz previously taught

at the University of Toledo from 2001

to 2011 as the Thomas and Margaret

Murray and James J. Bacik Professor of

Catholic Studies, and at the University

of St. Thomas Graduate School of

Theology in Houston from 1991 to

2001. He received a Bachelor of Arts

in humanities from the University

of Texas, a Master of Arts in biblical

theology from St. Mary’s University in

San Antonio, and both a Master of Arts

and a doctorate from the University of

Notre Dame in systematic theology.

4

Founders Day Lecture Richard Gaillardetz, Ph.D.

Date: September 11

Event: Founders Day Lecture: Richard Gaillardetz

Place: McGlinn Conference Center

Time: 7 p.m.

He has published numerous articles,

authored eight books and has received

numerous awards from the Catholic

Press Association for articles he has

written. He is a past recipient of the

Sophia Award (2000), offered annually

by the faculty of the Washington

Theological Union in Washington,

D.C., in recognition of a theologian’s

contributions to the life of the church.

Gaillardetz has served on the Board

of Directors of the Catholic Theological

Society of America (CTSA), the largest

professional association of Catholic

theologians in the world, with over

1,400 members. In June of 2013 he

became president of the CTSA.

Don’t miss the closing ceremony for the St. John’s Bible Exhibit on Dec. 1

alvernia.edu/mission

"A Theology of Baptism after Vatican II"

Born in India in 1942, Jack David

Gulati immigrated to America with

his family in 1958 when he was 15

years old. He attended high school

in New York City, graduating in 1959.

He enrolled at the University of Min-

nesota, and after a somewhat circu-

itous route, he received Bachelor of

Science in mathematics in 1966.

Like his father and grandfather

before him, Gulati had ambitions

to become an entrepreneur. He

acquired his first business in 1968

at the age of 26, and in the ensuing

years he bought, sold or created 40

businesses. Among his companies

in the United States and Europe

have been Fidelity Technologies

Corporation, TeleAlarm Group,

Fidelity Investment Corporation,

SafetyCare Technologies and Stoke-

say Castle. In 2014, Gulati bought

the Reading Royals Ice Hockey team,

in order to keep the team from mov-

ing away from the City of Reading.

Gulati has received many honors

over the years. President Ronald

Reagan appointed him to the White

House Conference on Small Busi-

ness in 1986, and President George

H. W. Bush appointed him to the

Small Business Advisory Commit-

tee of Federal Communications

Commission. In 1992, Gulati was

part of a delegation sent to Dakar,

Senegal, to advise African countries

on matters involving the transition

from military to civil rule.

Gulati was elected Township Su-

pervisor in Upper Merion Township,

Pa., serving from 1980-1986. He

also ran an unsuccessful campaign

for Congress from the 13th Con-

gressional District of Pennsylvania

in 1982. Over the years, Gulati has

been involved in civic and business

organizations, namely Kiwanis Club,

Chamber of Commerce and the

National Federation of Independent

Business.

Date: September 22

Event: Lit Fest: Jack Gulati

Place: Francis Hall Theater

Time: Wine & cheese 5:30 p.m., lecture 6 p.m.

6

Jack Gulati

7

Performing Arts SeriesThe arts are alive at Alvernia, with

ticketed events scheduled for 2014-15.

Visit Alvernia.edu/arts-culture for details.

All About UpdikeDavid Updike “Family Archaeology, in Pictures and Prose” Oct. 2, 2 p.m., Francis Hall Theater As the son of John Updike, David Updike is uniquely positioned to talk about his family's life

and works. Combining photographs with prose from his father's stories and memoirs and excerpts

from short story collections written by his grandmother, David hopes to reveal some of his family's

"story" in Shillington and Plowville, Pa.,

Updike Scholar in Residence at Alvernia, David Updike is a professor of English at Roxbury

Community College in Boston. He has written six children's books, a young adult novel called

"Ivy's Turn," and two collections of short stories: "Out on the Marsh," and "Old Girlfriends."

Laurence Mazzeno “Writers, Reviewers, and Reputations: A Tale of Three Pulitzer Prize Winners”Oct. 6, 12:30 p.m., Student Center, 2nd Floor Seminar RoomDon’t miss a special lecture by Alvernia President Emeritus — Dr. Laurence Mazzeno

on the the reputations of John Updike, Ernest Hemingway and Herman Wouk.

Date: October 1-6

Event: Exploring John Updike

Place: Main Campus

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Updike Conference 2014October 2-4, 2014 The John Updike Society Conference returns to its original location at

Alvernia University in October 2014. Keynote speakers include Adam Begley, whose biog-

raphy of Updike has been everywhere in the news, and Chip Kidd, the graphic designer

responsible for many of John Updike’s dust jackets.

Alvernia is the home to the scholarly archives of The John Updike Society.

For more information about the conference, contact James Plath at 309-556-3352.

9

10

Denise Kiernan is the New York Times Bestselling

author of "The Girls of Atomic City" (Touchstone/Simon &

Schuster), the true story of young women living in a secret

government city during World War II while unknowingly

working on the first atomic bomb.

Kiernan will take the audience back in time, into a

top-secret world where young women and men lived

and worked surrounded by spies and secrecy, forbidden

to speak of their work, even to each other, as the United

States worked to face the challenges of World War II and the

Manhattan Project raced to harness nuclear power.

Kiernan has been working as a writer for more than 15

years, covering a variety of topics. She has been published

in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Village

Voice, Ms. Magazine, Saveur and many more national

publications. She has also worked in television, serving

as head writer for ABC’s “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”

and has produced for places such as ESPN and MSNBC

as well as independent productions. She has authored

several popular titles, including "Signing Their Lives Away,"

"Signing Their Rights Away" and "Stuff Every American

Should Know" (Quirk Books).

As an author, Kiernan has been a featured guest on

"The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart, "PBS NewsHour,"

"NPR Weekend Edition," "Morning Joe" on MSNBC, "The

Takeaway" on WNYC, "The Cycle" on MSNBC and many

other print and radio outlets.

Denise Kiernan

Saturday, October 18

Pagoda Writers Club presents

"Paris at the Pagoda," an interactive

workshop at one of the city's most

recognizable landmarks.

(The Reading Pagoda, 1 p.m.)

Thursday, October 23

Inter-College Poetry Contest

Hosted by Dr. Richard Law,

associate professor of English at

Alvernia University.

(Franco Library, 2 p.m.)

Friday, October 24

Alvernia Writers' Series

Original readings and acts, hosted

by Dr. Tom Bierowski, associate

professor of English at Alvernia.

(Crusader Café, 1 p.m.)

More Lit Fest Fun:

11

Date: October 8

Event: Lit Fest: Denise Kiernan

Place: Francis Hall Theater

Time: 6 p.m.

First-Year Seminar Lecture Coach Smallwood

Coach Mark Smallwood has been

dedicated to promoting organic

agriculture, environmental steward-

ship, efficiency and conservation for

more than 30 years. He is a long-time

organic farmer and biodynamic

gardener, raising chickens, goats,

sheep and pigs, and driving his own

team of oxen. As Executive Director

of Rodale Institute, he has focused his

efforts on training a new generation of

organic farmers. Coach has expanded

research efforts at Rodale Institute to

explore the connection between soil,

Date: October 30

Event: First-Year Seminar Lecture: Coach Smallwood

Place: Physical Education Center

Time: 7 p.m.

food and health. He brought heritage

livestock back to Rodale Institute’s

333-acre farm, created a Honeybee

Conservancy to train and steward

backyard bee keepers, and launched

“Your 2 Cents,” a national campaign

to support new organic farmers.

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9

First-Year Seminar Lecture Coach Smallwood

In recognition for his sustainability

efforts, Coach was chosen as a mes-

senger for Al Gore’s Climate Project,

presenting to over 15,000 people on

the effects of Global Warming. And as

his name suggests, Coach was also a

public educator and basketball coach.

The annual O’Pake Lecture

will be delivered by United States

Representative Jim Gerlach.

A lifelong Pennsylvania resident,

Jim Gerlach earned a Bachelor of Arts

degree from Dickinson College and

a Juris Doctor from the Dickinson

School of Law in Carlisle.

Gerlach has served for more than 20

years, beginning in 1990 with the first

of two terms in the state's House of

Representatives, followed by two terms

in the State Senate.

He served his sixth term in the

U.S. House of Representatives in

2014, representing portions of Berks,

Chester, Lebanon and Montgomery

counties. In December 2010, he earned

a spot on the influential House Ways

and Means Committee.

One of his biggest legislative

accomplishments was creating a

much-needed veterans cemetery. The

bill Gerlach authored was signed into

law by the President on Veterans Day

in 2003, and the cemetery opened in

Bucks County in 2009.

14

Date: November 10

Event: O'Pake Lecture: Rep. Jim Gerlach

Place: McGlinn Conference Center

Time: 2 p.m.

"Civility, Compromise and Public Service"

O'Pake Lecture Rep. Jim Gerlach

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O'Pake Film Series The O’Pake Film Series continues with a new set of films that will focus on ethical leadership. Alvernia

University’s O’Pake Institute for Ethics, Leadership and Public Service is collaborating with community

partners to bring a classic series of films and panel discussions to Berks County. All showings are free and

open to the public, and will be held 6-9 p.m., in the Bernardine Lecture Hall on Alvernia’s main campus.

Fall 2014: Sept. 16 — "Dead Poets Society"

Oct. 15 — "High Noon"

Nov. 17 — "Doubt"

Spring 2015: Jan. 27 — "Mississippi Burning"

Feb. 12 — "Hotel Rwanda"

Mar. 18 — "Bloody Sunday"

Apr. 21 — "Erin Brockovich"

Interfaith Lecture“(Don't) Save the Children” — The Benefits of Interfaith Aid Programs

16

The New Testament defines “pure and faultless” religion as “looking after orphans and widows

in their distress;” among Job’s virtues was that he was “father to the needy;” in the Qur’an, care

for orphans is mentioned over twenty times as a hallmark of believers. Throughout their histories,

the Abrahamic traditions have preached that care for needy and orphaned children is the

responsibility of religious communities and they have been prolific in establishing institutions

and organizations to serve this need.

The impact of religious communities, however, has not been all good. Taking advantage of

vulnerabilities for proselytizing or ideologically indoctrinating children, abuses at residential

schools, and the violation of familial and community rights are also part of the history of faith-

based interventions in the lives of children.

Dr. Ingrid Mattson will discuss how having an interfaith aspect to aid programs can harness the

power of faith-based work, while potentially avoiding some of the negative impacts.

Dr. Ingrid Mattson is the London

and Windsor Community Chair in

Islamic Studies at Huron University

College at the University of Western

Ontario in London, Canada.

Formerly, she was professor of

Islamic Studies, founder of the

Islamic Chaplaincy Program and

director of the Macdonald Center for

Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim

Relations at Hartford Seminary in

Hartford, Conn. She earned her

doctorate in Islamic studies from the

University of Chicago in 1999.

She is the author of "The Story of

the Qur’an: Its History and Place in

Muslim Life," as well as numerous

articles exploring the relationship

between Islamic law and society

and gender and leadership issues in

contemporary Muslim communities.

From 2006-2010, Dr. Mattson served

as president of the Islamic Society

of North America (ISNA), where she

previously served two terms as vice

president.

Born in Canada, Mattson earned

a bachelor's degree in philosophy at

the University of Waterloo, Ontario

(1987). From 1987-1988 she lived in

Pakistan, where she developed and

implemented a midwife training

program for Afghan refugee women.

Mattson is frequently consulted

by media, government and civic

organizations and has served as an

expert witness.

Interfaith Lecture

Date: January 26, 2015

Event: Interfaith Lecture:

Dr. Ingrid Mattson

Place: McGlinn Conference Center

Time: 7 p.m.

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More Interfaith DiscussionCommon Heart Interfaith Lecture

Feb. 25, McGlinn Conference Center, 7 p.m.Established in 2009, "A Common Heart" is a group of religious organizations working

together to increase tolerance, understanding and respect among the interfaith community.

Social Justice & Sentencing Reform

The annual Batdorf Lecture,

supported by the Berks

Bar Association, promotes

dialogue on contemporary

ethical issues, important for

both students and the local

community. More details

about the 2015 Batdorf Lecture

will be available online at

alvernia.edu/arts-culture.

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Batdorf Lecture

Date: March 10, 2015

Event: Batdorf Lecture

Place: McGlinn Conference Center

Time: 3 p.m.

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Throughout its history, Alvernia

University has aimed not only to

develop students’ intellectual promise,

but also to foster their ethical and

moral perspectives and emphasize

their leadership potential. The O’Pake

Institute for Ethics, Leadership and

Public Service seeks to build on this

tradition. The O’Pake Institute is an

expansion of the university’s Center

for Ethics and Leadership, launched in

2006. It is named for longtime Alvernia

board member Sen. Michael O’Pake,

who passed away in December 2010.

O’Pake served nearly four decades in

the Pennsylvania State Senate as a

champion for all those in need.

The institute continues to be a

nucleus for dialogue on contemporary

ethical and leadership issues, with a

focus on promoting interdisciplinary

discourse around social justice and

Franciscan values. www.alvernia.edu/

about/ethics-and-leadership

In 2008, Alvernia received a generous

gift from T. Jerome and Carolyn Holleran,

a Berks County couple with a passion

for community service and a personal

record of meaningful community

engagement. The gift of $3 million

included capital to enhance the work

of the center in the Reading community

as well as provisions to permanently

endow it.

Rooted in the Franciscan identity of

Alvernia University and its mission as

a teaching and learning institution, the

Holleran Center identifies, cultivates

and sustains strategic partnerships

to strengthen both campus and

community life. By making these

community partnerships an essential

part of the curriculum, the Holleran

Center strives to foster the university

mission and improve the quality of life

in our community and to develop in

its students a lifelong commitment to

service as engaged citizens.

Visit www.alvernia.edu/about/

holleran-center for more information.

20 #gotserviceAU

Each spring, Alvernia hosts a

Hesburgh Lecture that both embodies

the university’s core values and brings

attention to topics that are relevant to

today’s local and global communities.

Considered a prolific scholar in

political behavior, public opinion,

political psychology and racial

politics, Darren W. Davis is nationally

recognized for his research on political

tolerance, the support for democratic

values, subtle racism and the concern

for social desirability. His scholarly

research has appeared in the most

prestigious journals in political science.

Davis was part of a national

committee that examined the

reliability of polling results in the 2008

presidential primaries. During the 2008

election, Davis appeared as a polling

expert on CNN, NBC, FOX, BBC and

in numerous newspapers. He earned a

bachelor’s degree at Lamar University,

a master’s degree from Louisiana State

University, and a doctorate from the

University of Houston.

Since 1986, the Hesburgh Lecture

Series has brought a taste of Notre

Dame’s academic excellence to

Alvernia’s campus courtesy of the

Notre Dame Club of Reading, which

supports the event. The lectures

perpetuate the example of President

Emeritus Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh

as a lifelong learner and further

the Alumni Association mission by

providing meaningful opportunities

to Notre Dame alumni, parents and

friends.

Hesburgh lectures are presented

by Notre Dame faculty members on

topics related to art, architecture,

business, communications,

contemporary social issues,

economics, environment, ethics,

government, history, law, social

concerns and many more. Annually,

almost 5,000 alumni, parents and

friends attend a Hesburgh Lecture.

Date: April 9, 2015

Event: Hesburgh Lecture: Darren W. Davis

Place: McGlinn Conference Center

Time: 7 p.m.

"Race, Perseverance, and Catholicism" Darren W. Davis, Ph.D.Associate Vice President for Research& Professor of Political Science

Hesburgh Lecture

Alvernia’s commemoration of the 50th

anniversary of the Second Vatican Council will

continue with a lecture by Dr. Massimo Faggioli,

who will discuss “From Gaudium et Spes to

Evangelii Gaudium – The Call for Hope and Joy.”

Faggioli is an assistant professor of theology at

the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.

He received his doctorate in religious history

from the University of Turin in 2002. From 1996

to 2008, Faggioli carried out scientific research at

the Foundation for Religious Sciences, Giovanni

XXIII of Bologna, and arrived at St. Thomas in

September 2009.

Faggioli's publications include "Il vescovo e il

concilio. Modello episcopale e aggiornamento

al Vaticano II" (Bologna: Il Mulino 2005); "Breve

storia dei movimenti cattolici" (Roma: Carocci

2008); “Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli - Giovanni

XXIII, Tener da conto: Le agende di Bulgaria

(1925–1934),” ed. (Bologna: 2008); “Vatican

II: The Battle for Meaning” (Paulist, 2012);

“True Reform: Liturgy and Ecclesiology in

Sacrosanctum concilium” (Liturgical, 2012).

Date: April 14, 2015

Event: Vatican II Lecture: Massimo Faggioli

Place: McGlinn Conference Center

Time: 7 p.m.

Vatican II Lecture Dr. Massimo Faggioli

22

Revisiting GAUDIUM ET SPES

23

More Interfaith DiscussionCommon Heart Interfaith Lecture

Feb. 25Adfalkfjlfjfjf ajsdfasiuf idlkjf, author of “Cellblock Visions: Prison Art in America,” has been conducting visual arts pro-

grams with incarcerated men and women for 25 years – from county jail to death row – in 18 institutions in seven states.

Vatican II Lecture Dr. Massimo Faggioli

Throughout history, legendary thinkers have argued

that Christianity should start fresh by recapturing

the humanitarian spirit of Jesus' original message.

These include such disparate individuals as Thomas

Jefferson, Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens, Walt Whitman,

Friedrich Nietzsche, Leo Tolstoy, George Bernard Shaw

and the religious leaders of the Occupy Wall Street

movement.

"Godley Heretics" offers new essays by scholars

of literature, film, history, theology and philosophy,

examining how various thinkers and storytellers over

time have conceived of a reinvented Christianity. In

confronting this controversial idea, this book examines

how unorthodox interpretations of the Bible can

be some of the most valid, how visions of Jesus as a

revolutionary may be the most historically sound and

how compassionate Christians such as Origen have

wrestled with the eternal questions of the existence of

evil, the gift of free will and the promise of universal

salvation.

Date: March 26, 2015

Event: Lit Fest: Godley Heretics Panel & Edible Books Festival

Place: Frank A. Franco Library, Bonaventure Room

Time: 2 p.m.

Edible Books Festival

Students, faculty and staff are invited to submit individual or team entries for the annual

Edible Books Festival.

Share your love for a favorite read with a fun, creative or unique edible depiction of the book.

visit: alvernia.libguides.com/ediblebook

Faculty Panel “Godley Heretics”

Marc DiPaolo, Ph.D., with Tim Blessing, Ph.D., & Jerry Vigna, Ph.D.

24

Earth Day Lecture“Nature-centered Leadership”

Spencer S. Stober, Ed.D.with Tracey L. Brown & Sean J. Cullen

"Nature-centered Leadership" is a book for those who aspire to reflect on their

relationship with nature while influencing others to do the same. Nature-centered

leadership is not a category of leadership style per se — it is a process by which we

build an aspirational narrative with others for a more sustainable future. This book

introduces nature-centered visionaries who have demonstrated that it is possible to

influence the way humans view and act with Nature. These visionaries include Saint

Francis of Assisi, Charles Darwin, Aldo Leopold, Rachel Carson, Arne Naess, Thomas

Berry, James Lovelock and Chico Mendes. Their visions contribute to an aspirational

narrative — a hopeful story — where humans are living in harmony with nature.

Date: April 22, 2015

Event: Earth Day Lecture: Spencer S. Stober

Place: Francis Hall Amphitheatre

Time: 4 p.m.

26

Francis Hall Theater & Miller GalleryFrancis Hall, home to the Theater and Miller Art Gallery, is the original building

on Alvernia’s campus. It is a four-story structure of Pueblo red brick built in the

California Mission style in 1926. The flexible space of the theater provides a first-

class venue for many different styles of performances.

Bernardine Lecture HallIn 2010 the heavily-used lecture hall in Bernardine Hall was transformed

into an impressive high-tech space that is an ideal venue for many uses.

Classes, lectures, comedians and movie nights keep the lecture hall filled on a

daily basis.

Dr. Frank A. Franco Library, Bonaventure RoomThe Bonaventure Room is located in the center of Alvernia’s beautiful library

and is normally home to scores of students researching projects in a group setting.

The open space is often transformed to host events or exhibit, and can easily

accommodate large groups for lectures and formal campus announcements.

McGlinn Conference CenterThe McGlinn Conference Center is located adjacent to the home of the

university’s sponsoring congregation, the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters. With a

lovely view in every season, the conference center is a peaceful environment for

retreats, lectures or seminars.

Crusader CaféLocated inside Alvernia University’s Student Center, the Crusader Café

offers the ambiance of a small coffeehouse, complete with artistic lighting

and a corner stage. Live musical and poetry performances and other events

are regularly held here.

About the Venues

27

Beginning in September, military veterans and members of the armed forces

enrolled at Alvernia will have a new destination on campus. A Veterans Center will

provide centralized support for Alvernia’s growing veteran student population, provide

training to faculty and resident advisors and work with student-veterans to develop

counseling, as well as career development and financial plans.

Strongly supported by a number of faculty and staff members who are themselves

veterans, the center was made possible by significant start-up funding from a trustee

and proud veteran, Carl J. Anderson, Jr., and his wife Debbie.

In a few short years, Alvernia has become a “Military-Friendly School” and an

emerging national leader in the education and support of veterans. A member of the

Yellow Ribbon Program, Alvernia has earned Servicemembers Opportunity College

status and was named one of the top Military Friendly Schools in the country. The

university is an increasingly popular choice for veterans, having realized a 40 percent

increase in student-veteran enrollment since 2008.

Veterans Center

Contact Us:1-888-ALVERNIA (1-888-258-3764)

www.alvernia.edu/arts-culture

400 Saint Bernardine St.Reading, PA 19607

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