Campus News

Marketing students at The University of Scranton's Kania School of Management (KSOM) celebrated the annual Mu Kappa Tau ceremony recently, in Brennan Hall. Mu Kappa Tau is a North American scholastic honor society established in 1966 that recognizes academic achievement in the field of marketing.

Membership in the honor society is open to junior and seniors who are majoring in marketing and among the top ten percent of their class, with a GPA of 3.25 or higher. In attendance at the ceremony were Dr. Mark Higgins, Dean of the Kania School of Management, as well as marketing professors, including Drs. Peter Andersen, John Zych, Satya P. Chattopadhyay and Ash Zareian.

Fourteen students participated in the event, which was an increase from seven students in 2023. The ceremony began with the induction of new members by current president and vice president of the society. Then, the new president and vice president were sworn in and began their term. The event ended with a reception for the students, parents and faculty.

Watch #Royals2024 Become 'Sons and Daughters of The University of Scranton Forever'.

The University of Scranton conferred more than 775 bachelor’s degrees at its undergraduate commencement ceremony on May 19. View memories of The University of Scranton Class 2024 Undergraduate Commencement in one reel.

From The University of Scranton 2024 Graduate Commencement Ceremony to the Workforce  

The University of Scranton conferred more than 465 master’s and doctoral degrees at its graduate commencement ceremony May 19. Click to hear from Class Speaker Samantha R. Bobinski.

2024 Business Leadership Honors Program Graduates 

Fifteen members of The University of Scranton’s Class of 2024 graduated from its Robert L. McKeage Business Leadership Honors Program. Meet the students in this highly-selective program who explore the basic theories and concepts of leadership through special seminars and courses in management, ethics, strategy and analysis.

Class of 2024 Business Honors Program Graduates  

Eleven members of The University of Scranton’s Class of 2024 graduated from its Frank P. Corcione Business Honors Program. Click to learn more about the Class of 2024 Business Honors Program graduates

Class of 2024 Graduates of Magis Honors Program   

Seven members of the University’s Class of 2024 graduated from the Jesuit school’s Magis Honors Program in STEM. Click to meet the members of Scranton’s class of 2024 graduated as members of the Magis Honors Program in STEM.

Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program Graduates 

Thirty-five members of The University of Scranton’s Class of 2024 graduated from its Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program. View to learn more about the members of the SJLA Honors Program.

Class of 2024 University Honors Program Graduates 

Twenty-two members of The University of Scranton’s Class of 2024 graduated from its undergraduate University Honors Program. Click to view the graduates.

Class of 2024 Graduate Chooses Long-Term Service   

Mitchell Sporing of The University of Scranton’s Class of 2024 committed to post-graduation long-term service through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Meet Sporing, a member of The University of Scranton’s Class of 2024 who has committed to a year-long, post-graduation service project offered through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest that will take him to Juneau, Alaska.

Scranton Graduates Commissioned as Second Lieutenants 

Seven members of The University of Scranton’s Class of 2024 were commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army. Click to view The University of Scranton ROTC graduates who were commissioned at the ceremony.

Twenty-three teams participated in SoccerFest 2024, a community-based sports event organized by University of Scranton students in a sports event management course taught by Ovidiu Cocieru, Ph.D., assistant professor of management. The event took place on May 4 at Fitzpatrick Field, located on the University’s campus.

A hands-on opportunity for students in the University's Kania School of Management, SoccerFest 2024 encompassed all aspects of the managing the event, from registration to marketing, to the organization of the play itself.

Dr. Cocieru described the second annual tournament for soccer players of middle and high school ages as a "transformational experience."

"The Sports Event Management course creates an environment that is very similar to real organizations, and students learn from real experience. Student development transcends the content of the course because students' collaboration and decisions have a real-world, positive impact on the community," said Dr.  Cocieru.

"For many of them, it is a transformational experience. I am very proud of them for how they developed and for what they achieved."

The students said the course required out-of-the-box thinking.

"I had a fantastic experience, different than any class I've ever taken. I like that in this class we had the opportunity to make something real happen," said Brendan Karolchyk, a senior with a major in marketing.
"I was able to treat this more like an internship than a traditional class. I felt I could get out of it what I put into it. I pushed myself to think outside the box, try new things, and do something that I'd never done before."  

Students appreciated the ability to connect with the local community.

"My favorite part of the class was the event itself, because I was able to see a lot of the local high schools and U12 and U14 divisions play," Yasmin Ramirez, a senior with a major in management and minors in business analytics and operations management.

"Since I'm local, I was able to see some of my friends play and some of the people that I've coached before play. That was a lot of fun!"

The event generated a profit of $754.17, which the class donated to the American Breast Cancer Foundation. 

"I had the best experience with this course. I got to work with an amazing team. I can now say I have eight new friends," said Mary Kate McDade, a junior with a major in marketing and management and a minor in business leadership.

Participating students included Emily Bannon '25, Angelina Giannakopoulos' 24, Brendan Karolchyk '24, Bridget Lear '24, Mary Kate McDade '25, Ryan Nguyen '24, Yasmin Ramirez '24,  Alyvia Schiavone '25, Nicole Smith '24, and Joseph Weinstein '24.

"I want to thank Dr. Mark Higgins, Dean of the Kania School of Management, Dr. Murli Rajan, Associate Dean, and Debbie Parry, Assistant Dean of Operations, for their unwavering support of this project, said Dr. Cocieru. 

"Also, special thanks to Steve Kingman, Athletic Facilities Manager, and all the staff from University Advancement, Police, and Maintenance Departments for all their support of our students in this class. Also special thanks to all the volunteers at our event! SoccerFest would not have been possible without them!" 

The results and the teams can be viewed at https://soccerfest.org/schedule. 

In an occasional series, Royal News spotlights clubs from the university’s 100+ student organizations on campus, speaks to members and offers information on how to connect with the clubs. 

To suggest a club for a future Royal News article, to share ideas or to inform us of any upcoming club events, please email RoyalNews@scranton.edu.

By Felicia Domiano, Student Correspondent

Club: Cheerleading Team

Meet: Leandra Rodriguez ’26, shown, a health promotion major from Queens, New York, and the secretary of the cheer team.

Connect: @universityofscrantoncheer 

Q: What is your team’s mission?

"The University of Scranton Cheerleading Team's mission is to be an ambassador for our school in and out of uniform, as well as create a family that athletes can turn to at any point in time."

Q: What, in your opinion, are the most exciting events or activities you present?

"In my opinion the most exciting events we present at are Men’s and Women’s basketball games at our very own John Long Center and UCA Nationals in Orlando, Florida competing in the Open All Girl GameDay Division. This is a huge part of our season. Going to UCA overnight camp in the summer is a vital part in our game day and nationals' preparation when we are working vigorously on new skills, cheers and team bonding for the upcoming season."

Q: Why would you recommend someone join University of Scranton Cheer Team?

"I would recommend that someone join the University of Scranton cheer team to not only to become involved within the University community, but also to become a part of a hardworking uplifting community you can call a family on and off of the mat."

Q: Why did you join?

"I joined The University of Scranton Cheer Team to pursue my love and passion for the sport at a higher level. I could not imagine my school life without the structure and discipline cheerleading has given me. Being able to connect with upperclassman going to UCA camp prior to moving on campus when I was entering a new environment as a freshman gave me a sense of comfort and belonging on campus."

Q: Please share the format of a typical meeting/practice.

"Typically, in season we practice three times a week, in the Byron Center. Our practices consist of going over cheers, fight song dances, and stunting skills for game days. Leading up to nationals, we consistently practice our competition routine and team bonding activities.

Post season we practice around one to two times a week to stay consistent with skills for the upcoming season. In season and post season we also cheer for our very own Royals and Lady Royals in the John Long Center on Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons."

Ten University of Scranton students and one alumnus presented their work at the Sigma Tau Delta International Convention in St. Louis, Missouri in April. Four won awards for work they presented at the conference: Bethany Belkowski, senior, first place Common Reader Award; Dimitri Bartels-Bray, senior, first place Stemmler/Dennis LGBT& Award; Elias Kerr, alumnus, honorable mention for Stemmler/Dennis LGBT& Award; and Faith Montagnino, sophomore, second place Creative Nonfiction Award.

At the convention, Maille Allardyce, senior, "Pensive Illustrations in Arthur Morrison's 'The Lenton Croft Robberies,'" Belkowski, "Power and Vulnerability in Philips 'Electric,'" Jillian Tremblay, senior, "The Varying Methodologies in Detective Fiction," and Megan Zabrouski, senior, "Alien Landscapes Portrayed in The Drowned World," presented critical essays.

Shannon Parker, senior, "A Red Couch," Amelia Semple, junior, "The Treehouse Above the Woods," and Therese Shimkus, sophomore, "Talking to You First," presented original prose pieces.

Bartels-Bray, senior, "Climbing," Faith Montagnino, sophomore, "Metaphor and Remembrance: 9/11/01," and Brenna Parker, junior, "The Airplane Rule," presented works of creative nonfiction. Kerr, alumnus, presented original poetry "trans [re]incarnation—[re]living this body’s birth". Janvi Patel, sophomore, "Suit Yourself" and Aud Munley, junior, roundtable member, were also accepted, but were unable to attend.

Additionally, Belkowski, Semple, Brenna Parker, Shannon Parker and Zabrouski presented a roundtable on the Common Reader entitled "Then the War: Limits of Language and Jesuit Values." Aud Munley assisted in creating the roundtable but was unable to attend.

Each current student's travel was supported by the College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Student Research Grant program.

Sigma Tau Delta is the national honor society in English. The honor society recognizes students who major or minor in English, theatre or secondary education/English and maintain a grade point average of 3.4 or better in English, theatre and writing courses and an overall grade point average of 3.4 or higher. English professors Billie Tadros, Ph.D. and Madeline B. Gangnes, Ph.D., serve as co-moderators of Scranton’s chapter of the honor society.

Student Government confirmed its 2024-25 Senate and has begun its term for the upcoming academic year during its meeting May 3.

Following this spring's general election, Maria Stephen '25 and Amanda Campbell '25 have been elected as the new student body president and vice president after winning a contested executive ballot. Stephen and Campbell will lead Senate meetings, voice Senate concerns to institution executives and support committee initiatives during the upcoming academic year.

At the May 3 Senate meeting, the Senate appointed the new executive cabinet after interviews with Student Government Moderator Michael Ritterbeck, Stephen and Campbell. After a competitive interview process, Senate leadership selected Lamar Bishop '25 as executive treasurer, John Sinclair '25 as chief of staff, Joseph Agnone '25 as executive secretary, Mia Familetti '25 as director of communications, and Buse Onat '26 as director of technology. 

Senators elected during the 2024 general election cycle have begun their term during the May meeting, and vacancies unfilled by the election have been appointed.

The University of Scranton Student Government was established in 2002 to advocate for the needs of the student body and represent undergraduate students during executive and Senate meetings. Student Government Senate meets biweekly and hosts general elections each spring to allow the student body to select their representation. More information about student government can be found on our website. Questions about the organization can be directed to studentgovernment@scranton.edu .

An event set to take place on campus Friday unites the University community behind the American Cancer Society's efforts to save lives from cancer. 

The slogan for the 2024 Relay for Life event on Friday, April 26, from 4 to 10 p.m. in the Byron Center, is “Dreaming of a Cure,” according to senior Amelia Loftus, a co-chair for the Relay for Life club that organizes the event.

"This year's theme is pajama party!" Loftus said.

"Our goal for fundraising at the event this year is $5,000. We have about 40 people registered for our event so far and registration is still open for anyone who may want to attend. Donations are accepted on our website." 

The club hosted several events leading up to the fundraiser, including a dunk tank featuring members of the University community who braved chilly temperatures for their plunges on Friday, April 19. 

"Our website has raised about $2,000 and the dunk tank contributed significantly by giving us an additional $1,065! In total, we have a little over $3,000 raised so far," said Loftus.

Through Friday's event, the club is adding to that amount raised with each $15 T-shirt that is sold along with proceeds from a 50/50 raffle that concludes on April 26. Those unable to attend the event who would like to purchase raffle tickets should contact victoria.mauri@scranton.edu. 

Loftus explained the inspiration that drives her involvement.

"I chose to plan Relay because my brother, my mom and my grandfather have been affected by cancer. My mom and my brother both thankfully won their battle, but my grandfather passed away this month from his 10-year battle with cancer, making this cause even more dear to my heart." 

The Relay for Life club board is guided by chairs Fione Evans and Ashley Blitzer, and co-chairs Victoria Mauri and Loftus.

"Along with the rest of the fantastic club members, we play a role in executing the event, including planning the entertainment schedule, ordering food, gathering decorations, reaching out to local businesses for sponsorship, reaching out to cancer survivors in the area, and much more," Loftus said.

By Ryan Sophabmixay, Student Correspondent

The waiting list for organ transplants continues to grow each day. As of March, more than 103,000 patients awaited aid. To raise awareness of the organ shortage, University of Scranton communication and media students recently participated in the Gift of Life College Challenge, a national competition that encourages students to organize virtual and on-campus outreach efforts to register organ, tissue and cornea donors. Students in a Social Media Campaigns class led by Dr. Brian Snee, associate professor in the Communications and Media Department, were tasked with creating campaigns to encourage support for the cause.

The class usually includes a community-based learning component, with many assignments focused on assisting local businesses and nonprofit organizations. On Feb. 14, National Donor Day, Dr. Snee announced to his students the start of the Gift of Life College Challenge.

“This is the first national competition that I've had a class participate in since I joined the faculty in 2020. We had a lot of options, but this challenge seemed to fit perfectly with the Ignatian mission of the University,” Dr. Snee said.

To ensure campaigns reached as many people as possible, the class divided into three groups, two ground teams and one social media team, with equal responsibility for spreading awareness of their message. The ground teams focused on organizing and hosting on-campus events, and the social media team publicized events and managed the online presence.

Shannon Bunn ’24, social media team leader, described a few of their campaigns.

“One campaign we designed was 'Fact Friday.' Every Friday we would come up with new facts about organ and tissue donations to post on our social platforms. We also have a testimonial campaign. The testimonials are a little more difficult to do in the short amount of time we have since we have to reach out, wait for a response, and then put together material,” Bunn said.

One testimonial features a parent of high school junior Anthony Penna, who in his passing gave the gift of life to others. To view the testimonial, use the link here.

On-campus work also played a key role in the Gift of Life challenge. Students involved in the ground teams have put together a variety of events to reach out to potential donors. Some events include rock painting, table sits and a cornhole tournament. Siena Testa ’25 described the overall effectiveness and success of the planned events and media campaigns thus far.

“Our on-campus events have been very successful. We had a good number of students at each event. We have also found success on TikTok and a growing number of likes the more we posted on Instagram,” Testa said.

Lack of funding and time became an issue throughout the campaign process. While some ideas were abbreviated, each member of the campaign team played a part in making each event possible. 

“Our campaign has struggled in funding for campus events and the table sits. While this was an issue, members of the campaign team put in their own money for collecting supplies and we had fundraisers, which have both helped ...” Jason Opferman '24, said.

“A social media campaign takes time, effort, communication and planning to occur. But each of our groups brainstormed, reached out to strategic partners in our community, and developed some great content for the Gift of Life Foundation.”   

The challenge is set to conclude on Friday, April 26. Participating students said they have enjoyed the experience and are pleased with the outcome. Molly Veres ’24 described how it felt to create awareness for a powerful cause. 

“Most of us at The University of Scranton are in such a fortunate position that we are able to advocate for those who need organ transplants. It’s rewarding to know that our campaign is making a difference and ultimately may end up saving lives. It doesn’t take too much time or effort to have a positive impact on others, and it is all worth it. It feels good to know you are doing good for others,” Veres said.

Currently in the evaluation phase, the content will be submitted by students to the Gift of Life organization on May 3. Dr. Snee described how impressed he was by the class performance and hopes his students will continue using social media and their skills to change the world for the better.

“I did not anticipate just how many signatures they would collect. I'm as impressed with the students as I am grateful to those who pledged to save lives,” Dr. Snee said.

“Social media gets a lot of negative attention, but it can be used to do very good, very selfless things.”

Learn more about The Gift of Life College Challenge

For those interested in learning more or becoming an organ donor, find details and register here. 

The Gift of Life is a nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organization serving the eastern half of Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware.

All are invited to join The University of Scranton Student Government for their biannual Street Sweep Event Saturday, April 13 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the DeNaples Center Patio. 

Student Government Senators will work with student volunteers at the event to clean up trash and recyclables in the Hills Section and areas of downtown Scranton.

The event, organized by Cabinet and the Center for Student Engagement, is one of Student Government's signature events. This semester, they've partnered with Scranton Tomorrow to coordinate cleaning efforts in downtown Scranton.

"Even if it's something as small as picking up trash on the side of the streets, it's a chance to leave Scranton a little better than we found it," Student Government Director of Communications Mia Familetti '25, said.

"We would love for as much of the student body to get involved as possible; it's always such a great time when Senate and the student body get to work together on a project! Practicing environmental awareness and encouraging your peers to do the same is so important for our Scranton community, especially in light of the university's commitments to more sustainable action through Laudato Si'.

Volunteers may sign up as individuals or as members of a club/organization. Individuals can count this event toward Community-Based Learning requirements, and club groups can use this event to count toward club funding if enough of the organization registers. After completing their street assignments, volunteers receive a free T-shirt, while supplies last.

"It is a great way to be involved in our community and make our Scranton, our home away from home, a nicer and cleaner environment," Student Government Chief of Staff Amanda Campbell '25, said.

"I got involved in Street Sweep as a Student Government Senator two years ago, where I led a group of students up the street and around Moses Taylor Hospital to pick up garbage. It felt so fulfilling. Everyone there was so excited and willing to help, and the area looked so much nicer after." 

Students can sign up via this RoyalSync form and can contact studentgovernment@scranton.edu with any questions.