The media relations team serves as the primary contact for all media inquiries for the Philadelphia and Newtown campus locations. The team collects and shares Holy Family University news with the press and gathers information about the University community.
The press is encouraged to contact the media relations team to interview faculty experts in a variety of fields.
Maybe it is because her very name, “Stella,” is associated with the guiding light that leads individuals toward their true path and purpose in life. Maybe it is because since her childhood, with four siblings in Nigeria, to her arrival in America via a Visa lottery in 1996, a part of her always knew that the passion for the profession that she had in her soul would someday come to fruition.
As exposure to her latest book Catholicism Everywhere: From Hail Mary Passes to Cappuccinos – How the Catholic Faith is Infused in Culture continues to gain traction, Holy Family University School of Education professor Dr. Helen Hoffner will add an appearance on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) in July. Dr. Hoffner will tape two episodes for the show At Home with Jim & Joy in the EWTN studios in Alabama on July 10-11. The episodes will air on July 24-25.
Mia Peahota, a senior majoring in history at Holy Family University, has received the 2024 Greenspan Scholarship from the Sons of the American Revolution, a $2,000 scholarship established by F. Russell and Ruth Greenspan. Russell Greenspan was a Past President of the Philadelphia Continental Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (PCCSAR).
You learn a lot about yourself when you are submerged in 58-degree waters in a steel cage, miles offshore from the Southern-most tip of Africa while a school of five, 11-foot-long female copper sharks swim five inches from your face.
Holy Family University research internship students Emily Schwartz and Erin Moyer, working under the guidance of Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Elizabeth Carroll, recently presented their research findings to 1,000 attendees at the Society for Freshwater Science’s (SFS) annual meeting in Philadelphia.
Holy Family University’s largest-ever cohort of students enrolled in the Doctor of Counseling Psychology in Counseling Psychology program completed their challenging first-year in the five-year program, collaborating on a number of events that bolstered their classroom learning. The 17 students teamed to host the University’s annual Fall Ethics Forum: The Ethical Psychologist in Your Community. They also assisted Kate Coffey, director of Campus Advocacy, Prevention, and Education in hosting “Take Back the Night,” a powerful and impactful event designed to address and combat sexual violence on college campuses.
Understandably, Mexican-born Amayrani Higueldo has a profound devotion to Our Lady Of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico. And so, when her first interview to determine her selection as a participant In the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage occurred on December 12, 2023, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Higueldo took it as a sign that the 60-day, 1,000-mile journey was her destiny. Two more interviews followed before Higueldo was notified of her life-changing selection.
Simple words with a powerful message. Holy Family University senior criminal justice major Greg Walton (a projected December 2024 graduate) hopes soon to carry this priceless advice into a career with the federal government.
Dr. Patricia Griffin, Holy Family University Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Board Member for the Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association, presented her research initiative, “Criminal Justice Reform at the County-level: Examining Reentry ‘Upstream’ Following the Nordic Penal Model” at the HFU Scholars’ Showcase on Friday, April 26.
Five Holy Family University School of Education alumni were among 60 teachers from Philadelphia public schools recently recognized as 2024 Lindback Award recipients. The Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation annually honors outstanding teachers who demonstrate excellence in promoting learning at the highest levels. The honorees each received a $3,500 award during a ceremony hosted on May 21, 2024 at the Philadelphia Film Society.
Holy Family University Alumna Dana Russikoff (’92) and her husband, Ron, recently shared the vision for their latest venture, One River Development LLC, in an article featured in the Philadelphia Business Journal. Having secured a 6-acre waterfront plot along the Delaware River in Northeast Philadelphia, the Russikoffs plan on developing a $40 million marina, swimming pool, and entertainment complex that will cater to the recreational desires of both local residents and visiting boaters, with an emphasis on nautical tourism.
Holy Family University President Anne Prisco conferred degrees on 285 graduate/doctoral students and 566 undergraduate students comprising the Class of 2024 during the University’s 67th Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at the Newtown East Campus location.
Holy Family University Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students enrolled in the School of Nursing & Health Sciences presented the results of their scholarly research projects at the DNP Poster Presentation event at the University’s Newtown East campus on May 15, 2024. The pre-commencement event is hosted annually to highlight the scholarship of the soon-to-be graduates.
Holy Family University professor and program director of the master’s of counseling program Dr. Patrick McElwaine and acting executive director of the Beck Institute Dr. Allen Miller celebrated the achievements of 63 HFU students who successfully completed a 16-week course on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) through the world-renowned Beck Institute. Students received certificates acknowledging their efforts during a ceremony at the University’s Newtown East campus on May 10.
If you were hoping to be able to distinguish identical twins Ashley and Amber Fisgaer by their distinctive tattoos, think again. The senior criminal justice majors who are graduating with identical 4.0 grade point averages (Ashley narrowly won the honor of class Salutatorian) both sport matching tattoos on their right wrists
In the Holy Family University Stevenson Lane dorm room of Alana Tinsley, there is decorative ivy adorning the walls and ceiling. Amazon ivy that she purchased and positioned, but ivy nonetheless. It is the only greenery you will see around the senior criminal justice major, because there is certainly no grass growing under her feet.
Religious leaders from across faiths and communities convened at Holy Family University on May 13 for an Interfaith Prayer Service entitled “Be a Living Prayer” for members of the Class of 2024.
If you happened to be in the working-class, safe-haven Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood of Bridesburg on April 25, 2024, you might have heard the shouts of sheer delight bellowing from Kaitlyn Cross’s house. The community is close-quartered and close-knit, adept at deciphering an exclamation of excitement from one of distress, so the commotion beckoned more anticipation than panic. Cross, a Holy Family University senior and first-generation college student, had just received notification that she had earned the title of valedictorian for the Class of 2024. She is the first valedictorian ever formally recognized at the school. There was no containing her joy.
The Holy Family University Board of Trustees unanimously voted Albert M. Tantala, Sr. to the status of Emeritus Trustee at its February meeting, and formally recognized Tantala’s remarkable 42 years of service at the May 8, 2024 Board of Trustees meeting.
Holy Family University President Anne Prisco joined Prince Adnan El-Hashemite, the University’s Executive Director for Global Initiatives & International Programs, in presenting recognitions to two students for their participation at the United Nations’ Ninth International Women & Girls in Science Conference hosted in New York City on February 8-9, 2024.
Hundreds of community members turned out for discussions and resources centered on addiction resources and recovery at Holy Family University’s 2nd Annual Collegiate Recovery Program event on May 4 on the University’s Philadelphia campus.
Education Professor Claire Ann Sullivan, Ed.D. has been named as the 2024recipient of the Holy Family University Faculty Excellence Award, Executive Vice President & Chief of Staff Dr. Sylvia McGeary announced.
Holy Family University’s English program proudly inducted nine students into the Sigma Tau Delta Honor Society during its inaugural ceremony on April 29. The significant event also marked the establishment of the Alpha Omega Pi chapter at Holy Family, representing one of the first new chapters inaugurated in the honor society’s second millennium.
Holy Family University continued the world’s oldest tradition of standing against sexual violence on college campuses when it hosted Take Back the Night (TBTN), a free event on April 25. The TBTN movement dates back to the 1970s when Florida State University first organized a march to bring awareness to the issue.
Nearly a dozen Holy Family University students, enrolled in the Honor’s Program, along with the program’s director Dr. Mary Carroll Johansen, travelled by train to New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on April 20. The students spent the day exploring the museum’s vast collection of art from around the work and across the millennia.
Legendary Brazilian professional footballer Pelé characterized the game he loved best as joga bonito, translated from Portuguese, “the beautiful game.”
The 3,4 and 5-year-old students in Massa-Bu Tulay’s Lower Southampton Early Childhood Learning Center Head Start class - the federally-funded program that provides education, health and social service to low-income families - have hit the teacher lottery.
Holy Family University students in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Association (SBSA) hosted their annual Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk on April 20. Members of the Holy Family University community turned out in support of the event to raise awareness and funds to bolster suicide awareness.
Holy Family University’s newest issue of Folio, the student-run literary magazine, is now live. The annual publication appears each April in conjunction with National Poetry Month.
Holy Family University School of Education professor Dr. Helen Hoffner has been fielding a number of media requests following the February release of her newest book Catholicism Everywhere: From Hail Mary Passes to Cappuccinos – How the Catholic Faith is Infused in Culture. Discussions with Dr. Hoffner on the publication have been featured through a dozen radio interviews to date. The book also was profiled in an April 16 blog post by Dr. Jeff Mirus on the website catholicculture.org.
The success of South Philadelphia’s Fanny Jackson Coppin Elementary School Principal Kelly Espinosa, an educational leadership doctoral student at Holy Family University, was recently featured in an article in the Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders. Coppin students’ data points, garnered over the last five years of Pennsylvania System of State Assessment (PSSA) testing, showed a math increase of 37.6% and English language arts benchmark improvements of 23.7%, with a reduction in the number of students scoring as Below Basic Proficient in math by 16.1% - more than any other school in the School District of Philadelphia.
Holy Family University Director of Athletics Tim Hamill and the members of the selection committee proudly welcomed the University’s fifth induction class into the Holy Family Athletic Hall of Fame during a ceremony hosted at the Buck Hotel on April 12, 2024.
It is understandable why Dr. Robert Ficociello recently tasked his English 241 students with curating a display in the Holy Family University library, following a recent lesson on the literature and culture of New Orleans. Ficociello began a love affair with the Big Easy after earning his Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of New Orleans.
Baby in arms and balloons in tow, Kelly Gallagher waved goodbye to the nurses at Holy Redeemer Hospital in suburban Philadelphia in 2008, buckled her daughter, Addyson (now 15), into her car seat and headed home for a happy life. Two years later, she and her husband, Justin, repeated the process, welcoming son Ryan (now 14). But in the summer of 2014, 32 weeks into her pregnancy with twin sons, Gallagher ran into complications, delivering Connor (2 lbs., 11 oz.) and Curran (5 lbs., 1 oz.) prematurely. She was ill-prepared for the extended stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) that her twins required and equally ill-equipped to deal with the inevitable separation that the stay dictated.
The region’s top male and female high school basketball seniors will be in the spotlight when Holy Family University hosts the 2024 All Star Labor Classic on Sunday, April 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 pm. The event also will feature several charity games pitting local elected officials and trade union members against members of the local media. The All Star Labor Classic is organized by the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council.
Holy Family University will host candidates who are seeking the Pennsylvania State Attorney General’s post during a forum on Friday, April 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Room 115 of the Campus Center on the University’s Philadelphia campus. The forum is being organized by the Drug & Alcohol Service Providers Organization of Pennsylvania (DASPOP) in advance of the April 23 primary and will allow the candidates to share their individual platforms and priorities for the position. The general election for State Attorney General will take place on November 5, 2024.
Coming out of Father Judge High School in Northeast Philadelphia, Mike Ulrich ’11, M ’16 had his life planned out. He would attend Albright College in Reading, PA to play football, obtain a degree in education, teach history, and coach football. Sounded like a solid plan for a happy life.
The view from Bridget Collins-Greenwald’s seventh-floor office in Philadelphia’s City Hall – a stunning one that overlooks Dilworth Plaza and provides a clear sightline down the beautiful Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the iconic Art Museum - is drastically different from the vantage point of the Marsden Street apartment and Ditman Street rowhouse in Tacony that she once called home. As the Commissioner of Licenses and Inspections, Quality of Life Division, newly appointed by Mayor Cherelle Parker, Collins-Greenwald is grateful, not only for the incredible vista, but also for the vote of confidence and the vibrancy of her new post. Appropriately, she has been tasked with improving the views of citizens in neighborhoods across the city.
Holy Family University President Dr. Anne Prisco joined Dean Margaret Harkins DNP, MBE, MSN, GNP-BC, RN-BC, School of Nursing & Health Sciences faculty, sponsors and patrons, and members of the University community in a celebration of 50 years of nursing excellence during a gala on March 20 hosted at The Switch House in Philadelphia. Some 250 guests enjoyed festivities and fellowship that commemorated the success of Holy Family nurses past and present and shared the vision for the growth of the program that will shape future HFU nurses.
There is a new international feel to the Holy Family University Library thanks to the Office of Global Initiatives. The recent, permanent installation, proposed and organized by Office Executive Director Prince Adnan El Hashemite, coincides with the International Day of Happiness (March 20) and serves to unite the diverse populations that comprise Holy Family.
Three Holy Family University faculty members and two staff members worked alongside 18 students over Spring Break (March 2- 11) in several building sites in Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale, North Lauderdale and Coral Springs as part of a community service project with Habitat for Humanity of Broward County, Florida.
Over his spring break in early March, Holy Family University faculty member Patrick McElwaine, Psy.D., LPC, made the 2,153-mile trek from Philadelphia to Chinle, AZ for an adventure unlike any other he has ever experienced. Facilitated by the world-renowned Beck Institute where he also serves on the faculty, Dr. McElwaine boarded two flights and then drove four hours to the Navajo Indian Reservation to provide a two-day workshop for therapists, social workers, case managers, psychiatrists and even several medicine men on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for substance use disorders that was culturally responsive for the traditional and mostly reserved Navajo audience. Many of the participants drove hours to attend the training.
Holy Family University fast track nursing graduate Dan Grimes, RN, '22, a nurse at the Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, PA, was the January 2024 recipient of The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The DAISY Award, sponsored by The DAISY Foundation, is a recognition program that celebrates nurses by collecting nominations from patients, families, and co-workers. The award thanks nurses, nationally and internationally, for the care and kindness they provide through excellence in compassionate clinical care.
Holy Family University Athletics was among 44 Division II programs receiving the NCAA’s Presidents’ Award for Academic Excellence. The award has been presented annually for the past 13 years to member institutions who achieve a four-year Academic Success Rate (ASR) of 90-percent or higher. The current recognition is for student-athletes who enrolled in 2016.
A contingent of nine Holy Family University students and four staff members accompanied Prince Adnan El-Hashemite, executive director of University Global Initiatives, to the Ninth International Women and Girls in Science Conference of the United Nations on February 8-9 in New York City.
The Holy Family University School of Nursing & Health Sciences will present an Inaugural Symposium Event - Be Informed3 : A Wise Way to Excel in Your Healthcare Journey on Saturday, April 6, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Holy Family’s Education and Technology Center Auditorium.
Five Holy University professors have been named as the recipients of the 2024 Ray and Mildred Taylor Awards, competitive grants that support research projects across a range of disciplines at the University.
The Holy Family University Center for Internships and Career Services (CICS) will host Professional Week March 11-15 on the University’s Northeast Philadelphia campus (9801 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19114), providing current students with strategies for crafting first-rate resumes and perfecting personal branding, tips for shining during the interview, and advice for effective networking.The week will culminate with a career fair that will showcase a broad spectrum of career possibilities.
Holy Family University counselors Josue Martinez, MS, NCC, LPC and Diomarys Nunez, MA, LPC, PMH-C will share their presentation Ally vs. Accomplice: Integrating Cultural Humility on February 25, 2024, as part of the American College Counseling Association’s (ACCA) 2024 National Conference hosted in Orlando, FL.
Holy Family University will continue the world’s oldest tradition of standing against sexual violence on college campuses when it hosts Take Back the Night (TBTN), a free event on April 25 from 6:30-8:30 p.m., staged rain or shine on the Northeast Philadelphia campus (9801 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. 19114). The TBTN movement dates back to the 1970s when Florida State University first organized a march to bring awareness to the issue.
For two professionals who have been in the education game for a combined 100 years, Holy Family University’s Dr. Roseanna Wright and Dr. Claire Sullivan have embraced the fairly new phenomenon of HyFlex learning, and the technology and flexibility that comes along with it, with the exuberance of youth. Step into their classroom in the University’s Education and Technology Center where they co-teach upper-level undergraduate special education students, and graduate students seeking special education certifications, using a HyFlex model, and you will see masterful multitasking and enviable innovation. In a format they have been teaching in for the past three years, the pair serve as instructors on-site in the classroom. Some of their students are there with them. Some of them are participating virtually and are visible on a large white screen.
Holy Family University Professor of Education Dr. Maria Agnew was the recent recipient of the Patricia J. Creegan Award for Excellence in Inclusive Education from Pennsylvania’s Education for All Coalition (PEAC). PEAC President Linda Carmona-Bell visited Holy Family’s Northeast Philadelphia campus on February 9 to make the award presentation.
Holy Family University welcomes critically acclaimed fiction and creative nonfiction novelist Liz Moore in its Distinguished Writers Series on Tuesday, April 2 at 6:30 p.m. at Holy Family University’s Education and Technology Center Auditorium (9801 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19114). The event is FREE and open to public. Those wishing to attend should reserve their place through the registration form.
Holy Family University hosted the First Annual Economic Outlook sponsored by the Bucks County Industrial Development Authority (BCIDA) on January 24 at Holy Family’s Newtown East campus location.
Perspective is a beautiful thing. Ask Daniel Ortiz. The 2020 Dean’s List and summa cum laude graduate of Holy Family University credits the diversity of his family, the challenges of his autism spectrum disorder, and the experiences of his internship with the Global Philadelphia Association with giving him a unique vantage point of the world, and its endless possibilities, at such a young age.
Seven students from the Honors Program at Holy Family University volunteered at Cradles to Crayons on Saturday, December 16, 2024. After spending several weeks collecting clothing and school supplies from the campus community, the students transported the items to the Cradles to Crayons warehouse facility, and then worked for two hours sorting books for distribution to children.
Holy Family University is currently accepting applications for its new low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program, which will welcome its first cohort of students in the summer of 2024.Created by professor Keith Kopka, Ph.D., associate professor of English and MFA program director, himself an award-winning poet, the hybrid curriculum (online with short residency period) focuses on faculty mentorship and immersive experiential learning as well as rigorous, craft-focused instruction in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, young adult, travel writing, food writing and more.
At 11 p.m. on a spring evening in 2023, the teacher app on Meghan Rakus’ (’19, M’22) phone started receiving messages. “The chicks are hatching!” Parents of the Holy Family University graduate’s first-grade students at Saint Mary Interparochial School (SMIPS), a 2023 and 2016 National Blue-Ribbon School of Excellence located in the historic district of Philadelphia, were reaching out with the same excitement as their six-year-old children. Thanks to a livestream set up as a way to engage families, parents were able to share in the school’s annual egg hatching science lesson, which Rakus has bolstered over the last five years. The lesson, in fact, recently earned the Northeast Philadelphia native recognition as one of five “outstanding teachers honored for their innovation, creativity, and commitment to the students they serve” by FACTS, a Nelnet school management company. Rakus’ distinction, from among more than 100 applicants nationwide, included a $5,000 honorarium, a $1,000 donation to SMIPS, and a free trip to the Elevate 2024 conference in Atlanta, Ga., in June 2024, where she will present her innovative concept to the FACTS community.
Holy Family University celebrated the accomplishments of 72 nursing students who recently completed the Bachelor of Science Nursing Program during a pinning ceremony on December 19. The ceremony is a symbolic welcoming of the graduated nurses to the nursing profession and a cherished rite of passage at the completion of this rigorous program of study. The pins are provided as a gift from the Holy Family University Alumni Association.
Four weeks into her college career as an 18-year-old freshman at Holy Family University in September 2019, while walking down a hallway in the Campus Center, Beth Montgomery suffered a stroke. In hindsight, that event, and her recovery from it, has played a big role in her success.
Members of the Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission, Inc. (BCDAC) recently distributed 59 Narcan kits and 59 fentanyl testing strips on the Holy Family University Newtown East campus and will be planning a second event on February 12, 2024, at the University’s Northeast Philadelphia location from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid which can be highly addictive. Narcan (naloxone) is a lifesaving nasal spray that has been shown to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose by blocking the effects of opiates on the brain and restoring breathing for a person who has injected a deadly level of the drug into their system.
The PsyD in Counseling Psychology Department hosted its Seventh Annual Ethics Forum on November 14, as an opportunity for members of the first-year cohort to present their research about the field of psychology and the ethics necessary to practice in the field. The event was organized by Anne Murphy, MEd, LPC, who serves as the field placement and outreach coordinator for the Counseling Psychology Department.
Step into the Internships and Career Development Center on the second floor of the Campus Center at Holy Family University and feel the support. Associate Director of Career Development Brett Fucci, and Internship Experience Specialists Schyler Paris-Ellerbee ’20 and Jeset Garcia-Velez ’20, have worked to develop a program that both launches students’ career paths by coaching them through intentional goal-setting and also provides a safety net for those who are now dipping their toes into the workforce.
As an anchor institution in Philadelphia and Newtown, Holy Family University will march in the 2023 Newtown Holiday Parade. This famed annual event brings the community out in force to watch more than 60 organizations and1,800 parade participants.
Dr. Bernice Purcell '85, DBA, Director of University Assessment at Holy Family University, has been elected President of the Board of Directors of the Delta Mu Delta (DMD) Honor Society in Business. Delta Mu Delta (www.deltamudelta.org) is an international business honor society that recognizes academic distinction of students at select colleges and universities by acknowledging the achievement of its individual members who support and strengthen the communities they serve. The society was founded in 1913 and incorporated in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1952.
Former Holy Family University Board of Trustee Member Carolyn Padovano Ph.D., RN, FAAN, was among 253 nursing leaders inducted into The American Academy of Nursing’s 2023 Class of Fellows during the Academy’s annual Health Policy Conference October 5-7, 2023, in Washington, D.C . The inductees were recognized for their substantial, sustained, and outstanding impact on health and health care. The newest Fellows represent the Academy’s largest induction class and hail from 40 states, the District of Columbia, and 13 countries. With these newest honorees, the Academy is now comprised of more than 3,000 leaders who are experts in policy, research, administration, practice, and academia that champion health and wellness, locally and globally.
Dr. Roger Gee, a professor in the Holy Family University School of Education and director of the University’s Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Program, recalls seeing a picture in the paper several months ago of a school in Italy welcoming two sisters from Ukraine. The girls were wide-eyed and holding hands, walking through a hallway lined with Italian students who were welcoming them with applause.
United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and Holy Family University nursing alumna Barbara McCormick-Mejias '03, M'07, DNP, RN, CEN, readily admits that the only time she ever truly read a textbook from cover to cover was when she was deployed as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan following the attacks of September 11, 2001. Though she had been working as a nurse since 1993 and commissioned in the U.S. Air Force Reserve Nurse Corp in 1994, she was, at that time, enrolled in the RN-to-BSN Nursing Program at Holy Family University.
Holy Family University biology and chemistry students are taking advantage of new interactive software and three-dimensional replicas of the human body’s muscular and skeletal systems as part of recent upgrades to the University’s biology and chemistry labs.
Holy Family University President Dr. Anne Prisco, herself a first-generation college student, joined in a gathering on November 8 as part of the campus’ National First-Generation College Celebration, offering congratulations and encouragement to her fellow first-gens. Sponsored by the Academic Affairs and Student Life departments, first-generation students came together to enjoy food, music and prizes and to recognize their shared achievements and unique journeys.
Holy Family University School of Education professor Dr. Helen Hoffner was a featured guest on the October 30 broadcast of The Catholic Morning Show on Iowa Catholic Radio to preview her new book Catholicism Everywhere: From Hail Mary Passes to Cappuccinos – How the Catholic Faith is Infused in Culture. The book, published through Sophia Institute Press, will be released on February 20, 2024.
College and University undergraduate writers and artists from across the nation and the globe are invited to submit selections of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, photography, and visual art for publication submissions in Folio, the literary magazine of Holy Family University.
Holy Family University marketing professor Dr. Don Goeltz anticipated takeaways from the students in his Principles of Marketing class following Saxbys Founder & CEO Nick Bayer’s recent visit. The candor of those responses, however, impressed both him and Bayer alike.
Holy Family University education majors Aubrey Beckler, Leah Ford, Alicia Oberlander, Geniel Johnson and Zalma Azamar-Rojas restored the fun to the Torresdale Library’s Halloween Family Fun by reviving and running what had once been an annual event.
Referencing secure financial footing provided by sound finances and strong enrollment, Holy Family University President, Dr. Anne Prisco, recently shared her vision of the university’s master facilities plan for the Philadelphia and Newtown campus locations in an October 29 article published in the Philadelphia Business Journal.
As part ofDia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead celebrations, Holy Family University students in John Grande’s Spanish 101 class colorfully and creatively decorated home-baked skull cookies. The cookies were baked by freshman Clare Eib, and her classmates contributed icing, water and juice to the complete the crafting session.
In addition to recognizing the accomplishments of 43 nursing students in its accelerated Fast Track and Part-Time Evening + Weekends (PTEW) programs during an October 26 pinning ceremony, the Holy Family University School of Nursing & Health Sciences announced several individual honorees from among the two cohorts.
Holy Family University celebrated the accomplishments of 43 nursing students in the Fast Track and Part-timex Evening + Weekends (PTEW) Programs during an October 26 Pinning Ceremony. The ceremony is a symbolic welcoming of soon-to-be graduated nurses to the nursing profession and a cherished rite of passage at the completion of these rigorous programs. The pins are provided as a gift from the Holy Family University Alumni Association.
Holy Family University representatives, under the direction of Vice President for Mission and Diversity Sister Rita Fanning, CSFN, stopped by Philadelphia’s Project HOME on October 25 with a donation of 74 boxes of books to support Project HOME.The gently used books, which were collected across campus for several months, will be used to help grow Project HOME’s online book business HOMEbooks. The social enterprise business initiative, under the coordination of Ra Mendoza, allows for the employment of people who are recovering from homelessness by offering their residents employment opportunities through the sorting and mailing of donated books to customers all over the world.
Holy Family University nursing alumni shared their collective expertise, advice, and words of encouragement to an audience of alumni and current nursing students during a panel discussion hosted on October 20 at the University’s Northeast Philadelphia campus. The event was organized as part of a year-long celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Holy Family University School of Nursing.
Holy Family University’s students in Dr. Don Goeltz’s Principles of Marketing class received valuable advice from visiting Saxbys Founder & CEO Nick Bayer, learning how to harness their entrepreneurial spirit and to rely on their own emotional intelligence and resilience to craft the career of their dreams.
As part of TigerFest 2023, the Holy Family University Department of Athletics is delighted to announce the induction of four individuals – Kevin Comey ‘91, Fran Dougherty ’99, Donna (Elliott) Kilpatrick ‘00, and William “Mickey” McGroarty – and one team – 2007-08 women’s basketball – into the HFU Athletics Hall of Fame.
Holy Family University has been awarded additional funding from the Independence Blue Cross (IBX) Foundation for its collegiate recovery efforts, in partnership with the Association of Recovery in Higher Education.
Holy Family University junior education major Jayden Fobbs has been a presence on the University’s Northeast Philadelphia campus since he arrived after graduating from Bensalem High School. A resident student as a freshman, Fobbs upped his profile on campus after becoming a certified firefighter.
Holy Family University will open its Northeast Philadelphia campus (9801 Frankford Avenue) to alumni, students, families, faculty, staff and friends during a spirited 2023 TigerFest Alumni & Family Homecoming celebration on Friday and Saturday, October 20-21, 2023.
Holy Family University faculty, students and staff of all faiths came together in prayer, music and private reflection during an Interfaith Prayer for Peace Service on the Northeast Philadelphia campus on October 13.
Holy Family University Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences Margaret Harkins, DNP, MBE, MSN, GNP-BC, RN-BC and members of her staff served as hosts for a delegation of nine nursing education leaders and their interpreters from Germany at the University’s Northeast Philadelphia campus on October 11.
Holy Family University students enrolled in the Master’s of Counseling Program will have an opportunity to take part in a 16-week course, beginning in January 2024, that incorporates a research study on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) through the world-renowned Beck Institute. CBT is a form of psychotherapy that has been found to be effective in treating a wide range of psychiatric disorders, psychological problems, and medical conditions with psychological components in over 2,000 clinical studies.
As part of a year-long celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Holy Family University School of Nursing, Dean Margaret Harkins and the School of Nursing & Health Sciences Department will host a panel discussion of distinguished nursing alumni on Friday, October 20 from 1-2 p.m. in the Education & Technology Center auditorium.
Holy Family University Vice President for Mission and Diversity Sister Rita Fanning, CSFN, recently provided personal tours of the campus to Provincial Superior Sister Greta Marie Gallo and General Councilor Sister Marie Fe, with a stop in for a visit with Holy Family University President Dr. Anne Prisco.
Holy Family University graduate John Corcoran ’23, a student in the University’s 4+1 Criminal Justice to MBA with Criminal Justice Administration concentration, was sworn in as one of the four new police officers joining the Bensalem Township Police Department on September 25.
Six art students from Holy Family University, under the direction of Fine Arts Coordinator Pamela Flynn, will unveil the outdoor installation of their original artwork at Philadelphia’s Faith and Liberty Discovery Center (FLDC) during a ceremony at the museum on Saturday, October 14 at 11 a.m. The murals will be on display indefinitely at the Center. The unveiling is part of the inaugural “Faith and Liberty Day” celebration of Pennsylvania founding father William Penn’s birthday (October 14, 1644). Entrance fees to the Center will be waived for the celebration.
Holy Family University recently was welcomed into the Partnership for Academic Library Collaboration and Innovation (PALCI) as one of the consortium’s now membership of 74 academic and research libraries.
The pomp and circumstance of a traditional convocation was amplified on September 15 when Holy Family University President Anne Prisco, Ph.D. greeted the University’s largest first-year class during a ceremony in the Campus Center.
Holy Family University students were encouraged to take a wellness break and stop by a Wellness Fair sponsored by the Student Life Office on September 13 on the Northeast Philadelphia campus. University and community groups set up tables and provided important information, helpful tips and great giveaways – all with an emphasis on student wellness and wellbeing.
Holy Family University will launch the fourth year of its Distinguished Writers Series when it welcomes former Philadelphia Poet Laureate Yolanda Wisher on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. in the Education and Technology Center Auditorium (9801 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19114).
Holy Family University celebrated 29 members of the Class of 2027 who joined the University’s Honors Program
during an induction ceremony on Friday, September 8, 2023.
The Holy Family University community joined the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in prayer and
celebration of the Feast of Blessed Stella and her 10 companions on September 4, 2023. The 11 Sisters
were killed by Nazi soldiers in the summer of 1943, after serving the people of Nowogródek, a small
village that was then part of occupied Poland. They were beatified in 2000.
Holy Family University’s Center for Academic Enhancement and Office of Mission and Diversity are pleased to announce the continuation of free English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for immigrants in the community. The classes, offered in-person on the University’s Northeast campus (9801 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19114), as well as online, have been expanded beyond just the Ukrainian population that they serviced last year.
Holy Family University rolled out the welcome mat for a record number of resident students during move-in weekend August 24-25, 2023. For the first time in University history, every bed is accounted for across all residence halls. And this means an exciting new schedule of student engagement activities for resident and non-resident students -- from club sports, to leadership activities on and off campus, to meaningful service projects and opportunities for students to form lifelong relationships with one another.
The University, rated the Safest Campus in Philadelphia for 2023, also celebrated the largest enrollment of first-year and transfer students in history.
With fanfare – and flavor! – Holy Family University President Dr. Anne Prisco joined Nick Bayer, Founder & CEO of Saxbys, and the University’s inaugural Student Cafe Executive Officer (SCEO) senior management and marketing major Beth Montgomery in the cutting of the ribbon to open the newest location of Saxbys at the Northeast Philadelphia campus.
Hello! I’m Elizabeth Montgomery, a senior management/marketing major here at Holy Family University. I grew up in the Bustleton area of Philadelphia and now live around the corner from Holy Family’s main campus. Holy Family has been a part of my life for longer than I’ve even been a student here! My sister, Sarah Montgomery, graduated from Holy Family’s neuroscience program in 2020. It is my honor to continue my family’s legacy as a part of the Holy Family community.
Holy Family University nursing students taking the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) in the second quarter of 2023 (April-June) passed the rigorous examination at their first opportunity with an average score of 91.38 percent, far exceeding the national pass rate of 80 percent. The nationwide examination is required of nurses in the United States to attain mandatory licenses for employment.
Beltre is among 21 nursing students in the State to be awarded a Nursing Foundation of Pennsylvania
(NFP) scholarship. The NFP annually recognizes deserving students for their talent, hard work, and
commitment to the pursuit of their nursing degree. The students have been chosen from schools across
Pennsylvania and range from recent high school graduates to registered nurses.
Beth Ann Swan (‘80), Ph.D., RN, FAAN, will be among 23 nationwide inductees into the prestigious
Academy of Nursing Education during a ceremony at the National League for Nursing (NLN) Summit on
September 30, 2023, in Washington, DC. Swan currently serves as a professor and administrator in the
Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing.
Holy Family University School of Business & Technology Professor Dr. Don Goeltz has developed Philly Venture Hub, funded through a grant from Holy Family University and powered by EcoMap Technologies.
Holy Family University has appointed His Royal Highness Prince Adnan El-Hashemite as the University’s inaugural Executive Director for Global Initiatives.
The Holy Family University Art Gallery is pleased to announce its 2023-24 Exhibition Schedule that will proudly showcase the thoughtful and timely work of a group of diverse artists.
Holy Family’s School of Education has a history of producing some of the region’s finest educators. This year’s 2023 Lindback Award recipients prove this once again with not one but five Lindback Award recipients.
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students presented their research at the DNP Poster Presentation event at the University’s Newtown East campus on May 17, 2023.
Holy Family University has announced the launch of Philly Venture Hub, a website for the Philadelphia business community to help ventures and social enterprises find the resources to start and grow their businesses.
Dr. Rahul Gupta, the White House Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, visited Philadelphia during the week of April 17 to discuss the fentanyl and xylazine crisis.
The Doctor of Psychology in Counseling Psychology (Psy.D.) program at Holy Family University hosted the Spring Social Justice Forum on April 19 at the University's Newtown campus.
Holy Family University hosted a 2023 Philadelphia Mayoral Candidates Forum, sponsored by AARP and the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.
Diane Menago, Psy.D., program and clinical training director of the Doctor of Psychology in Counseling Psychology program in Holy Family University’s School of Arts & Sciences, and Josue Martinez, a student in Holy Family’s Psy.D. program, presented the webinar “Helping Grieving Clients Find Meaning in their Loss” hosted by the Annual Pennsylvania Psychological Association Spring Virtual Conference.
Holy Family University is pleased to announce the appointment of Rochelle Robbins, Ph.D., as vice president for Academic Affairs. Dr. Robbins previously held this role on an interim basis from August 2021 through May 2022.
The Holy Family University Department of Athletics is pleased to announce the addition of baseball as its 18th NCAA Division II varsity program, effective for the 2023-24 academic year.
On March 25, 18 Holy Family University students traveled to Salus University in Elkins Park, PA for the annual Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium (SEPCHE) Honors Conference.
Students in Holy Family University’s School of Nursing & Health Sciences Second Degree Distance Hybrid BSN program recently participated in an on-campus residency experience at the University’s Newtown East campus.
Holy Family University students Sean Pramnieks ’24 and Sarah Schreiber ’24 were invited to present their research at the Annual Undergraduate Research at the Capitol – Pennsylvania Poster Conference (URC-PA) at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg on March 7, 2023.
Holy Family University and Glen Foerd on the Delaware will co-host a Speaker Series event featuring Andrew Diemer, associate professor of history at Towson University and author of 'Vigilance: The Life of William Still, Father of the Underground Railroad' (Knopf, 2022).
Holy Family University School of Nursing & Health Sciences student Adama Jawara ’23 was one of 21 women who were presented with the Paradigm Scholarship for Working Women by the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia.
On Friday, March 3, 40 students in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing full-time Fast Track Cohort 20 were honored at a nursing pinning ceremony to recognize their completion of the rigorous 14-month Second Degree BSN program.
Holy Family University's School of Arts & Sciences faculty Pamela Flynn, MFA, professor of art and Fine Arts coordinator, and Patricia Griffin, Ph.D., associate professor of Criminal Justice, will jointly present "An Evening on Non-Violence" at the Cranaleith Spiritual Center (13475 Proctor Road, Philadelphia) on Tuesday, February 28.
At its 2023 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) elected three new board members, including Anne Prisco, Ph.D., President of Holy Family University.
Tiffany Watson, Ed.D., who graduated from Holy Family University's Educational & Organizational Leadership Ed.D. program in 2017, and Brian Berry, Ph.D., professor of Education at Holy Family University's School of Education, were recently honored by the 'Journal of Special Education Technology,' a prestigious peer-reviewed journal published by the largest professional organization for special educators, the Council for Exceptional Children.
Holy Family University students and Sister Rita Fanning, CSFN, '89, vice president of Mission and Diversity, Jill Snyder, director of Campus Ministry, and Father Timothy Tarnacki, OSPPE, campus chaplain, joined representatives from several Philadelphia colleges and universities for the second Synod on Synodality with Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez at Neumann University on January 24, 2023.
On Monday, January 16, 2023, Holy Family University students continued their tradition of spending the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday as a day of service.
Holy Family University named Wendy K. Parsons as the new Vice President for Advancement, charged with leading the university’s fundraising efforts in support of its ambitious strategic plan.
Iain Braddak '22 BSN, MS, RN, graduated from Holy Family University's Second Degree Fast-Track BSN Evenings + Weekends program in 2022 and made an immediate impact in nursing after passing his NCLEX exam on his first attempt.
During finals week, students had the opportunity to collaborate on their end-of-semester projects in the University's new "huddle" room study spaces on the lower level of the Campus Library.
To prepare for their student teaching assignments during the Spring 2023 semester, senior students in Holy Family University’s School of Education Pre-K/4 General Education and K-12 Special Education dual-certification program participated in a unique learning experience for their senior-level special education courses.
Holy Family University’s School of Education and Nazareth Academy High School teamed up to create holiday fun for the students of Alpha House, the University’s Nursery, Pre-K, and Kindergarten demonstration school.
Students, staff, alumni, family, and friends from the Holy Family University community gathered outside Holy Family Hall on Thursday, December 1 to celebrate the return of the University's Nativity and Tree Lighting Ceremony to welcome the Advent season.
On November 16, School of Education faculty Roseanna Wright, Ph.D.; Maria Agnew, Ph.D.; and Claire Sullivan, Ph.D. presented at the 2022 Online Learning Consortium Accelerate Conference in Orlando, FL.
Holy Family University is proud to be one of the initial supporters of Civic Coalition to Save Lives, a new coalition established by The Philadelphia Foundation and the William Penn Foundation, in partnership with Urban Affairs Coalition, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and the Philadelphia Equity Alliance, to work toward solutions to support and sustain the reduction in gun violence and deaths in Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania State Senator Jimmy Dillon has announced that Holy Family University will receive a $2 million grant to revitalize the campus’ original building, Holy Family Hall.
On Monday, November 7, Holy Family University’s School of Nursing & Health Sciences presented the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Poster Presentation event at the University’s Newtown campus.
Holy Family University alumna and current doctoral student Raenesha Sheppard ’20 recently presented on Literacy Learnings to the Language Arts Theory and Instruction class (EDEC 310) taught by Gerry Fitzpatrick-Doria ’85, Ed.D., assistant professor in the School of Education.
Holy Family University Interfaith will proudly present its Inaugural Interfaith Symposium, “Honoring our Neighbor's Faith: How Interfaith Conversations Build Community,” on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at 5 p.m. at the University’s Northeast Philadelphia campus.
Anne Prisco, Ph.D., President of Holy Family University, is one of 36 women who will be honored as a 2022 Women of Distinction by the Philadelphia Business Journal. The nominees include Philadelphia-area community leaders, lawyers, educators, bankers, and executives.
This semester, Holy Family University's Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (JDEI) presented Meeting New People: A Conversation About Implicit Bias, an event for faculty and staff to discuss the concept of implicit bias and how it affects their everyday interactions with others.
State Senator Steve Santarsiero will be holding a Shredding Day for the community in the Newtown parking lot on Saturday, October 15, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
This semester, Holy Family University’s Doctor of Psychology in Counseling Psychology (Psy.D.) program welcomed its 2022 cohort, the first cohort to enter the program since it was awarded accreditation on contingency by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA).
Holy Family University's School of Arts & Sciences has appointed Pat McElwaine '00, M'04, Psy.D., LPC, assistant professor of Counseling Psychology, as the Program Director of the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology program.
On August 2, Michelle Murphy-Rozanski, Ph.D., MSN, RN, CRNP, associate dean and director of Undergraduate Studies in Holy Family University's School of Nursing & Health Sciences, represented the University at the 2022 International Association of Catholic Nurses (CICIAMS) XXI World Congress of Catholic Nurses at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown, PA.
On August 23, Holy Family University hosted Assessment Day, an opportunity for administrators, faculty, and staff to learn more about the process of assessment and how to incorporate it into practice to help evaluate and improve the quality of the University's programs and support structures.
The Doctor of Psychology in Counseling Psychology (Psy.D.) degree program at Holy Family University’s School of Arts & Sciences has been awarded accreditation on contingency by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association (APA). The accreditation is effective as of March 18, 2022.
On July 6, Brian Berry, Ph.D., professor of Education in Holy Family University's School of Education, presented a paper, which was translated into Catalan, at Formative Feedback Day ARMIF 2020 as part of his participation in a research project with the University International of Catalunya (UIC) in Saint Cugat, Spain. Holy Family University and UIC established a university partnership in 2018. Dr. Berry has been an ongoing participant in this university partnership, which fosters faculty exchanges in Education and Health Sciences.
On August 1, Roger Gee, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Doctor in Educational and Organizational Leadership program in Holy Family University’s School of Education, was a keynote speaker at the virtual Peru TESOL Association (Peru Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages Association) 29th Annual Convention. Peru TESOL Association is a non-profit organization of teachers of English in Peru that is an affiliate of the TESOL International Association.
This summer, Holy Family University launched a no-cost English as a Second Language (ESL) program for Ukrainians on its Northeast Philadelphia campus as part of the University’s mission of ensuring a welcoming and accessible learning community for all.
In April, Diane Menago, Psy.D., program and clinical training director of the Doctor of Psychology in Counseling Psychology program in Holy Family University's School of Arts & Sciences, and Mindy Parisi Cummings, Ph.D., associate professor of Counseling Psychology, presented their research at the 2022 American Association of Suicidology Conference in Chicago, Illinois.
In July, Roger Gee, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Doctor in Educational and Organizational Leadership program in Holy Family University’s School of Education, shared his research in two presentations at the Costa Rican Association of English Teachers (ACPI TESOL) Convention 2022, a hybrid convention held in San José, Costa Rica.
The Holy Family University Department of Athletics is pleased to announce the addition of acrobatics & tumbling and men’s lacrosse as its 16th and 17th varsity programs, effective for the 2023-24 academic year.
On July 17, Elizabeth Carroll, Ph.D., associate professor of Biology in Holy Family University's School of Arts & Sciences, presented “Ecology of Aquatic Plants.”
On June 17, J. Barry Dickinson, Ph.D., professor and director of Graduate Business Programs in Holy Family University's School of Business & Professional Studies, and Bernice M. Purcell, DBA, director of University Assessment, presented at the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) Conference in Washington, DC.
Holy Family University student Kevin Flynn has been selected to receive the 2022 Greenspan Scholarship Award by the Philadelphia Continental Chapter Sons of the American Revolution.
Sister Francesca Onley, 88, a Sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth for 71 years, passed away April 17 in Philadelphia. She served as the president and chief administrative officer of Holy Family University in Philadelphia beginning in 1981 until her retirement in 2014 at the age of 81.
Holy Family University and Glen Foerd will co-host a Speaker Series event featuring American History Professor Brent Cebul, Ph.D., who will present “Liberals and Business: A Forgotten Story of Love Found and Love Lost in the 20th Century U.S.”
Join us to hear Bernadette Scarduzio share her story of overcoming her personal obstacles to become a fierce advocate and ally for those of all abilities.
Jonathan D. Rosen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice for Holy Family University, continues to explore organized crime in Latin America with the publication of his newest book and an article in a leading academic journal, the Journal of Criminal Justice.