This spring, the Beat the Bulldog Stock Trading program came to a close. The winner of the contest was junior Curtis Cappucino.

“I got interested in the trading stocks program because I am an accounting and finance major and I wanted the experience,” said Cappucino. “It was a great learning experience and it just so happened that I had the highest return.”

The Beat the Bulldog Trading Program was open to anyone who was willing to join. Bradley Barnhorst, assistant professor of business, created the program to launch the new PPL Energy Plus Trading Room and give students, faculty and staff some experience in trading stocks because he believes it is a necessary life skill.

“I think the contest went well, and I look forward to running it again next year,” said Barnhorst. “We had more than thirty participants, including students and faculty. Eight participants were successful at beating the Bulldog's portfolio, which was selected by the Bulldog throwing darts at a list of stocks from the Wall Street Journal.”

Many students that participated in the program had never traded stocks before, including Cappucino.

“I haven’t previously done anything in the stock market before the competition,” said Cappucino. “I applied what I learned from finance classes that I have taken at DeSales and it worked out pretty well.”

Playing the real stock market is tricky business for even the most intelligent and experienced people. Barnhorst set up the program so that you could invest with fake money, Bulldog Bucks, and learn from the experience.

“I didn't really use a strategy except for buying stocks when the Dow Jones was low, and I selling them once the Dow Jones rallied,” said Cappucino. “It didn't always work, but it seemed to be the most efficient strategy.  It also helped to read the news of companies that you own stock in so you know when to sell them or buy more.”

Criminal justice major Paul Gormly has been interested in personal finance for some time and he saw this program as a perfect opportunity expand his knowledge on the subject.

“The actual computer program that we used was a little tricky to figure out,” said Gormly. “But once I figured it out it was up to me to create the best portfolio out there.”

As a piece of advice for the students who are interested in the program in the future, Cappucino said, “I advise other people to diversify their portfolios.  I lost a lot of money from having a high weighted average in one company.  Fortunately, the company rallied and I was able to cut my losses at a small price while having large gains in other companies.  As an investor, you can't be afraid to lose money, but in the end, your gains need to be more than your losses.”

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DeSales physician assistant student Anthony Ngo did a clinical rotation in Peru. He wrote a blog about his experiences for any student considering international learning.

Follow Tony's blog here.

And in his own words:

“Vena La Pena” is a phrase that my preceptor in Manchay, Peru taught me during lunch, which roughly translates into “it’s worth it.” The friendly people, the smiles at the clinic, and the experience of a new culture are just few of the reasons why my rotation in Manchay was worthwhile.  The local people welcomed me into their homes to eat, to laugh, to dance, and to be a part of their families.  In their presence, the bleak and dusty landscape of Manchay was replaced with feelings of community and optimism.

Manchay is located on the desert outskirt of Lima, Peru.  It was first a squatter community with wooden shacks built on land never meant for human settlements.  Today, Manchay is developing, but its people continue to face issues of inadequate housing, sanitation, and access to clean water.  It is with the help of many organizations, particularly the Catholic Church, which has helped the city survive and progress.

The people of Peru provided me with new perceptions of the world and medicine that has humbled me.  At the very least, I hope that I put smiles on patients’ faces and aided in the clinical decisions of my preceptors. 

Rachel Eckert '17, a sport and exercise science major, was recently awarded a Good Citizen Scholarship from The Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP) for her commitment to education and community service. 

Eckert is one of nine students from AICUP member colleges and universities to receive the award for 2014-2015 academic year.

“The Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania congratulates the nine winners of the Good Citizen Scholarship and commends them for their achievements,” said AICUP President Don Francis. “This scholarship acknowledges the countless hours these students dedicate to improving not just themselves but also the lives of those around them. It is with those efforts in mind that we recognize their inspiring commitment to service and academia. I would also like to thank the businesses and individuals who help the AICUP Foundation raise the money to make this scholarship possible year after year.”

The Commonwealth Good Citizen Scholarship from the AICUP Foundation is awarded
to students who demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to community service and is made possible by a combination of endowment earnings and funds raised from AICUP’s annual Good Citizen Golf Outing. The scholarship is awarded to full-time students enrolled in an undergraduate program at one of AICUP’s 88 member institutions with a GPA of at least 3.0. 

The Association of Independent Colleges & Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP), the only statewide organization that serves exclusively the interests of private higher education within the Commonwealth, exists to complement and support the work of campus leaders.  With a membership of 88 private colleges and universities within Pennsylvania, the Association provides a variety of services and programs tailored specifically to the needs and situation of independent higher education.  A list of AICUP’s member colleges and universities is included on its website at www.aicup.org

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Clik here to view."DeSales University is a "teaching" institution, but our faculty members are active scholars as well as excellent teachers. The University's goal is to provide our students with the valuable educational experience of one-to-one learning, guidance, motivation, and inspiration from faculty members with excellent academic credentials, professional experience, and pedagogical skills."
     —Dr. Karen Walton, provost and vice president for academic affairs. 

In addition to teaching, DeSales faculty members continually strive to increase their professional knowledge and stay current in their fields of expertise. They participate in numerous activities throughout the academic year, publications, presentations and other research, all to improve learning for our students. 

For the list of faculty activities, click here.

Today, the DeSales University Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program was granted candidate for accreditation status from the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). 

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With this designation, the University will enroll the first class of graduate students for the fall 2014 semester.  In addition, the school will begin to recruit undergraduate students for a freshman-entry option beginning with the fall 2015 class.

“For the past two years, we have been working diligently to prepare for this latest addition to the successful reputation that the University has built as a leader in educating the healthcare providers of the future,” said Dr. Kay Malek, director of the DPT program.  “The program has developed a contemporary curriculum and assembled a well-qualified team of physical therapy educators who will use state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to train highly qualified, compassionate physical therapists to meet the needs of patients with movement disorders in the Lehigh Valley.”

Entry into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program has two options.  Prospective students are eligible to apply upon completion of a 4-year bachelor’s degree at an accredited university or after a 4-year sport and exercise science or biology degree is earned from DeSales University. 

A second admissions option is a 3+3 accelerated program that allows an exceptionally qualified high school graduate to enter the University as a freshman student to pursue a bachelor of science in health science degree in the first 4 years of study, followed by completion of the remaining 2 years in the graduate phase of the DPT program.  In either case, admission to the DPT program is competitive and continuation beyond admission depends on each student’s academic progression.

The curriculum includes courses that will use the University’s new gross anatomy laboratory, medical simulation center, and standardize patient care suites.  Courses in physical therapy differential diagnosis, intervention and clinical reasoning, along with service learning opportunities, 36 weeks of clinical education and completion of a faculty-mentored student research project are also part of the graduate degree program. 

As we prepare for the arrival of our new students on August 24, a new chapter begins in the campus life of DeSales.

The first section of the University Heights (units 1 through 6), built and opened in 1984, have been converted to housing for University graduate students.

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Clik here to view.Each of the six Heights will be able to house four graduate students who will have their own rooms. Alongside this, they will be able to share a communal kitchen and living space. The Heights will be available on a one-year lease program, with rooms going on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Renovations, which occurred all summer, included converting kitchenettes to full kitchens as well as upgrading the sprinkler system for the units (right). Other improvements include new bathrooms, improved heating and cooling, University card access, and wireless internet. New furniture includes a dining room table and chairs and new sofas, love seats, and end tables.

Students who will live in the Heights this year include nursing, physician assistant, and physical therapy graduate students. The housing is available to any student in one of the school’s eight graduate programs.

All of us at DeSales are gearing up for the arrival of 500 new students. Orientation promises to be an exciting time as our newest Bulldogs learn all about the campus and meet new friends.

Below is a video of the new tradition of painting a welcome on the hill as you enter the campus from Landis Mill Road.

Trexler Library now subscribes to the New York Times on-line.  According to the database description:  "The online version of The Times, at www.nytimes.com is the most comprehensive existing aggregation of information and content created and published by The New York Times.  The site includes all articles, features, interviews, obituaries, columns, and still image, audio , video , and data, text and multimedia published on the site since launch in 1996.  Coverage of pre-1981 material is more sporadic but growing."

In order to access the site you must create your account from an on-campus computer with your DeSales email address.  If you can't make it to campus, give us a call at 610.282.1100 x1266 and we will assist you. 

Joyce Farmer, Director of Financial Aid at DeSales University will discuss repayment options and best practices for student loans.

This program is part of Trexler Library's Financial Literacy series and is open to all on campus as well as community members.

The program will take place on Thursday, September 4 from 4:00pm to 5:00pm in the Air Products Room on the second floor of the library.

Back by popular demand, Kevin Brosious, owner of Wealth Management Financial Advising and adjunct professor in the MBA program at DeSales, will introduce students to useful ways to handle debt.

This program is part of Trexler's Financial Literacy series and is open to all students as well as community members.

The program will take place on Thursday, September 11 from 4:00pm - 5:00pm in the Air Products Room on the second floor of the Library.

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The Division of Performing Arts is delighted to announce the addition of Ms. Julia Mayo as a new full-time member of the Dance Department faculty. Julia hits the ground running at DeSales this fall teaching ballet, jazz, and dance history.

Julia is a native of Louisiana, where she performed with the Baton Rouge Ballet Theater under the direction of Molly Buchmann and Sharon Mathews. Julia continued her dance training in New York City and holds a BFA in dance from The Juilliard School under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes, and an MFA in dance performance from New York University's Tisch School for the Arts. Julia has worked directly with choreographers Eliot Feld, Aszure Barton, Seán Curran and Jacquelyn Buglisi and has performed repertory by Paul Taylor, Mark Morris, and Antony Tudor. Julia was a member of Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance and has performed nationally and internationally with various companies. Her choreography has been performed throughout New York City, Wyoming, and Louisiana. Julia was on faculty at the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education for three years working with students of all ages, including their pre-professional division. She served as the director of the dance program at Western Wyoming Community College from 2012-2014.

She is excited to be joining the DeSales University faculty and the Dance Department welcomes Julia, her husband Daniel (also a professional dancer), and their 10-month old son Jacob!

In May, the 40Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.-voice University Chorale and the 24-voiceSchola Cantorum presented "Sing me to Heaven," a spectacular choral program that was both uplifting and profoundly moving. 

Under the direction of J. Bennett Durham, and accompanied by Patricia O'Connell, the program presented music that journeyed through an emotional arc of "joy and faith, comfort and devotion, pain and healing, hope and vitality," said Ben Durham. Featuring American folk hymns, settings of scripture, and poems by Emily Dickinson and William Butler Yeats, the program was designed to "speak directly to simple truths in the experience of being human."

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Clik here to view.Storing Treasures, an original short film featuring faculty and student collaboration has been accepted for screening into two American film festivals in Faculty-Student Collaboration categories. The film, written by Chuck Gloman, chair of the TV/Film Department and directed by Anne Lewis, Associate Professor of Theatre is a story about a billionaire, played by Associate Professor Steven Dennis, who, about to lose his life, seeks redemption before he is taken by the Angel of Death. Freshmen theatre major Emma Santschi is featured in the film along with Steven Dennis. Other theatre and TV/film students and alumni who were feature in or worked on the film include Kayleigh Downey, Andrew Goebel, Amanda Miller, Julianne Schaub, Dave Scheffler, Carolyn Arends and Brian Kissig.

 Storing Treasures has been accepted into the Churches Making Movies Christina Film Festival (Iselin, N.J.) and the Highway 61 Film Festival (Pine City, Minn.) and will be screened at both festivals in early October.

The Division of Performing Arts, working with Dean of Undergraduate education Dr. Robert Blumenstein, has established "Core-to-Core" articulation agreements with Northampton Community College (Theatre) and Montgomery County Community College (TV/Film) to pave a smooth and welcoming transition for students who complete their Associate degree and then wish to complete a four-year degree at DeSales University.

"These articulation agreements have yielded some very talented students from these area community colleges" says John Bell, head of the Division of Performing Arts. "By completing their Associates degree at the community college level, these young artists are positioned to transfer into the excellent programs at DeSales and really focus on honing advanced skills and developing their talent to its fullest. It's a testament to the quality of our programs that so many students from other two-year schools are choosing to complete their education with us here at DeSales."

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Clik here to view.The Theatre Department is pleased to welcome alum Matt Pfieffer ('99) back to campus this fall to direct the Act 1 season opener Harvey by Mary Chase. Matt returns to the Labuda Center after his summer stint directing The Two Gentlemen of Verona for the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. As the associate artistic director of Theatre Exile, a seven-time Barrymore nominee and a recipient of the F. Otto Hass Award, Matt is an outstanding example of a theatre alum working steadily to build a terrific reputation and career in the greater Philadelphia theatre community. "He's a great role model for our current students," says John Bell, head of the Division of Performing Arts.

Harvey is one of those great plays written during the heyday of the American theatre - simple, well-constructed plays featuring interesting characters and clever plotlines. "Often, theatres overlook this type of play when programming for a modern audience and that's too bad because the young generation of playgoers should be exposed to this repertoire" says Bell.

As a testament to Harvey's appeal, the play has been produced on Broadway three times. The original production was directed by Antoinette Perry, for whom the "Tony" awards are named. And a Broadway revival in 1970 featured Jimmy Stewart and Helen Hayes. In 2012, The Roundabout Theatre Company produced a popular revival featuring Jim Parsons of television's The Big Bang Theory. The Pulitzer prize winning play revolves around charismatic Elwood P. Dowd, a charsmatic and loveable man who makes friends wherever he goes. His social-climbing sister, however, has a problem with his dear friend Harvey - an invisible, six-foot-tall white rabbit. When she tries to have Elwood committed to save the family from embarrassment, a comedy of errors ensues.

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Clik here to view.Just Justice, a 2013 Cinematography class project directed by Ryan Kober ('14), has been selected to screen in Easton's Movies in the Mill Film Festival on September 13, 2014. The film, written by Chuck Gloman, utilized the entire TV 450 Cinematography class to shoot the nine-minute film in one continuous shot and in one take. The film featured Theatre faculty member Wayne S. Turney, who was noted by the Mill Film Festival selection team for his "outstanding job of acting." Using Canon's flagship EOS C500 camera, one of the goals of the project and in submitting it to the Mill Film Festival was to showcase the DeSales University TV/Film Department and demonstrate the program's ability to create "Hollywood style" films. This year's guest speaker for the Mill Film Festival will be Doug Liman, director of The Borne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Edge of Tomorrow.

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DeSales University is honored to hold the working library of the New York Times Pulitzer prize- winning theater critic and playwright Walter Kerr. Located in the Trexler Library, the collection includes over 3000 titles which Mr. Kerr used when writing his reviews. The books are available for circulation on the second floor of the library.

American critic, playwright, and director, Walter Kerr was one of the most influential theatre critics of his generation, and also an accomplished theatre artist - a rare balance. Born in Evanston, Illinois, he was educated at Northwestern University and took a teaching job at Catholic University in 1938. A number of plays and musicals which Kerr wrote, co-wrote, or adapted transferred to Broadway, including Count Me In (1942), Stardust (1943), and Song of Bernadette (1946 with his wife Jean Kerr). He moved to New York in 1949 to become a theatre critic for Commonweal; in 1951 he left that publication for the New York Herald Tribune where he worked until 1966 when he became the chief drama critic until his retirement in 1983. Kerr was noted for the intelligence of his criticism and his strong sense of principle; he never attacked a production on moral grounds. In 1990 the Ritz Theatre on Broadway was renamed in his honor.

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American comic author and playwright and wife of Walter Kerr, Jean Kerr had a knack for finding wry humor in the worlds of marriage, suburbia, and show business. Her novel Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1957) was made into a movie (1960) and a television series (1965-67). Her other books include The Snake Had All the Lines (1960) and How I Got to Be Perfect (1978). Among her plays are Mary, Mary (1961), Poor Richard (1964), Finishing Touches (1973), and Lunch Hour (1980).

"The gift of one's library is such a beautiful legacy. It captures not only the breadth of a person's interests, but, in the case of the Kerrs', it chronicles a history of the performing arts in the 20th century. To place such a collection at a liberal arts college seems so right, because Walter and Jean Kerr were real Renaissance people" say John Bell, head of the Division of Performing Arts.

Each fall semester, Bell, working in collaboration with Michele Mrazik, a reference librarian in the Trexler Library, constructs a "Walter Kerr Scavenger Hunt" which leads the freshmen theatre majors into the stacks, the collection and the archives to discover and explore the scope of the Kerrs' gift. "It would be silly not to tie the collection in with the Introduction to Theatre course as a way of introducing the students to Walter and Jean Kerr and to the various holdings within the collection" says Bell.

In an effort to reach out to the hearing and visually impaired members of the Lehigh Valley, the Division of Performing Arts is offering open captioning and audio description performances for all four of its main stage productions. "We want these communities to know that we welcome them at the Labuda Center. Our students produce fine work and we want to make sure our light shines brightly to as many people as possible," says John Bell, head of the Division of Performing Arts.

The open caption service provides text projection to a monitor so that hearing impaired patrons can read the text as the performance unfolds. The audio captioning service features a live interpreter who describes the visual action on stage which is broadcast into a private earpiece for the visually impaired. For the upcoming season, the following serviced performances are scheduled:

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Harvey Sat., Oct. 11, 8 p.m.	The Miser Sun., Oct. 26, 2 p.m. (Audio Description Only)	Little Women Sat., Dec. 6, 2 p.m.
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Dancing at Lughnasa Thurs., Feb. 19, 8 p.m.	Hansel and Gretel Thurs., Apr. 11, 12:30 p.m.	How to Succeed... Sat., May 2, 2 p.m.

DeSales University announced new full-time faculty members for the 2014-2015 academic year. Dr. Karen Walton, provost and vice president for academic affairs, announced the appointments. They include:

Dr. Melissa Carroll will serve as an assistant professor of physical therapy in the department of natural sciences. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University, and her master’s and doctoral degrees from The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine.

Dr. Sonya Echols will serve as an associate professor of interprofessional healthcare education as well as director of healthcare simulation. She earned her bachelor’s degree from James Madison University, her master’s degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and her Ph.D. from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Dr. Jeffrey Focht will be an assistant professor of business in the division of business. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Central Connecticut State University; a master’s degree from Villanova University, and an Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. William Hamant will serve as an assistant professor of theology in the department of philosophy and theology. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Thomas, a master’s degree from the University of Dayton, and a Ph.D. from the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family.

Alan Heckman will be an assistant professor of physician assistant in the department of natural sciences. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Kutztown University and a master of science in physician assistant studies from DeSales University.

Wendi Hontz will serve as a physician assistant clinical coordinator for the department of natural sciences. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Lock Haven University, a master’s degree from East Stroudsburg University, and a master of science in physician assistant studies from DeSales University.

Sara Hulse, who earned her bachelor’s degree from DeSales University and an M.T.S. degree from John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, will be an instructor of theology in the department of philosophy and theology.

Dr. Lisa Johnson will serve as an assistant professor of nursing for the department of nursing and health. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Wilkes University; a master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, and a doctor of nursing practice degree from Drexel University.

Julia Mayo, who earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from The Juilliard School and a master of fine arts degree from New York University, will serve as an assistant professor of dance in the department of dance.

Dr. Steven Sweeney will be an assistant professor of physics in the department of natural sciences. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Moravian College and a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Lehigh University.

Carly Swiatek, who will be an assistant professor of physician assistant in the department of natural sciences, earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in physician assistant studies from DeSales University.

Dr. Catherine Tanksley-Bowe will serve as an assistant professor of nursing for the department of nursing and health. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Thomas Edison State College, a master’s degree from Columbia University, and a doctor of nursing practice degree from The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

Jeffrey Tomlinson, who earned a bachelor’s degree from West Chester University and a master’s degree from DeSales University, will be an instructor of criminal justice in the department of social sciences

Dr. Lisa Wilde will serve as an assistant professor of English in the department of humanities. She earned an A.B. from Harvard University; a master of arts from Pennsylvania State University, and a Ph.D. from Princeton University.