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

20152016

Fall 2015

Sept. 17 Founders Day: Angela Carmella 4Sept. 29 First-Year Seminar: Wes Moore 6Oct. 6 Lit Fest: Lisa Scottoline 8Nov. 4 Faculty Authors Book Signing 10Nov. 16 O'Pake Lecture 12

Spring 2016

Jan. 25 Interfaith: Leo D. Lefebure 14Mar. 2 Common Heart 15Feb. 24 Lit Fest: Maureen Corrigan 16Spring Batdorf Lecture 18Apr. 5 Hesburgh: Gabriel S. Reynolds 20Apr. 20 Earth Day: Joseph Swope 22

Miller Gallery Exhibits 24 About the Venues 26

Alvernia Lecture Series

20152016

Date: September 17

Event: Founders Day Lecture: Angela Carmella

Place: McGlinn Conference Center

Time: 7 p.m.

Founders Day Lecture Angela Carmella: “Declaration on Religious Liberty”

Angela Carmella, professor of law

at Seton Hall, is a graduate of Harvard

Divinity School, Harvard Law School

and Princeton University.

Her intellectual focus is primarily

the intersection of law and religion,

specifically the First Amendment’s

religion clauses, religious land use and

Catholic social thought.

In 2007, Carmella delivered

an Alpheus T. Mason Lecture in

Constitutional Law and Political

Thought at Princeton University

on religious exemptions and the

common good and spoke at the

American Constitution Society’s

Conference on "The Religion

Clauses in the 21st Century." She

also organized the first conference of

legal scholars (2004) to address the

complex issues raised when religious

institutions file for bankruptcy.

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Founders Day Lecture Angela Carmella: “Declaration on Religious Liberty”

An interest in articulating religious

perspectives on legal issues led

Carmella to co-edit a path-breaking

collection of essays published by Yale

University Press and participate in

the Emory University Center for the

Study of Law and Religion’s Project on

Law, Politics and Human Nature: The

Teachings of Modern Christianity.

Carmella has served as a visiting

scholar and lecturer at Harvard

Divinity School and as a fellow of

Harvard’s Center for the Study of

Values in Public Life. She shares

her expertise in the religion clauses

with the law school’s Seton Center

for Religiously Affiliated Non-Profit

Corporations. She serves on the

editorial council of Journal of Church

and State and served for over a decade

on the Legal Scholars Board of DePaul

Law School’s Center for Church/State

Studies.

Carmella is a member of the

Religious Liberty Committee of the

National Council of Churches and the

Catholic Commission on Intellectual

and Cultural Affairs. Named a Dean’s

Fellow at Seton Hall in 2006, Carmella

was awarded the Francis P. McQuade

Research Fellowship in both 2007

and 2008 and was recently honored

with the John Courtney Murray

Professorship.

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Wes Moore is a youth advocate,

Army combat veteran, social

entrepreneur and host of "Beyond

Belief" on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

His first book, “The Other Wes Moore,”

became an instant New York Times

and Wall Street Journal bestseller.

Moore and his sisters were raised by

their widowed mother. Despite early

academic and behavioral struggles,

he graduated Phi Theta Kappa in 1998

as a commissioned officer from Valley

Forge Military College, and Phi Beta

Kappa from Johns Hopkins University

in 2001, where he also played football

and earned a bachelor’s degree in

international relations. He then

became a Rhodes Scholar, studying

international relations at Oxford.

A paratrooper and Captain in the

United States Army, Moore served a

combat tour of duty in Afghanistan

with the 1st Brigade of the 82nd

Airborne Division. He served as a

White House fellow to Secretary

of State Condoleezza Rice. Moore

serves on the board of the Iraq and

Afghanistan Veterans of America,

Johns Hopkins University, and

founded an organization called

STAND! that works with Baltimore

youth involved in the criminal justice

system.

Moore is committed to helping

the parents, teachers, mentors and

advocates who serve our nation's

youth. A portion of all book proceeds

for “The Other Wes Moore” is donated

to City Year and the U.S. Dream

Academy.

Date: September 29

Event: First-Year Seminar Lecture: Wes Moore

Place: Physical Education Center

Time: 5 p.m.

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First-Year Seminar Lecture Author Wes Moore

Also Read:Released in 2015, Wes Moore's “The

Work” shares powerful lessons about

self-discovery, service and risk-taking

that led the author to a new definition

of success for our times.

About the book:One name — two fates. Two kids

with the same name living in the

same decaying city. One grows up

to be a Rhodes Scholar, decorated

combat veteran, White House Fellow

and business leader. The other is

serving a life sentence in prison

for felony murder. “The Other Wes

Moore” is a story of two boys and the

journey of a generation.

All first-year students entering

Alvernia University in 2015 will read

“The Other Wes Moore.”

Traditionally, common readings

at Alvernia focus on issues of social

justice, poverty, diversity or other

mission-centered topics. Frequently,

the common reading is linked to the

freshman day of service, as well as

an academic lecture featuring the

author of the book.

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First-Year Seminar Lecture Author Wes Moore

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After more than a decade of working in the legal field,

Lisa Scottoline penned her first novel, “Everywhere That

Mary Went” (HarperCollins Publishers, 1994). The novel

became a bestseller and was nominated for the Edgar

Award — the most prestigious award given in crime fiction,

awarded by the Mystery Writers of America. Scottoline’s

second novel, “Final Appeal,” was also nominated for and

received an Edgar Award. Since then, she has written 11

more legal suspense novels, all of which have appeared on

bestseller lists, including the New York Times, Wall Street

Journal, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Entertainment

Weekly and Publisher’s Weekly.

She presently has nine million copies in print in the

United States, not including audio, e-book and various

large-print editions. Internationally, Scottoline is published

in 23 countries. Her latest novels include “Don't Go”

(2013), “Accused” (2013), “Keep Quiet” (2014), “Have a Nice

Guilt Trip” (2014), “Betrayed” (2014), and “Every Fifteen

Minutes” (2015).

In only three years, Scottoline earned her bachelor’s

degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania

(1976). She followed up with a second degree from the

University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1981.

She currently serves as a visiting professor at the

University of Pennsylvania Law School, teaching a self-

created course entitled “Justice and Fiction.”

Lisa Scottoline

Photo by : April Narby

Friday, October 23

Alvernia Writers Series &

Inter-College Poetry Contest

Enjoy original readings and acts,

hosted by Drs. Tom Bierowski and

Richard Law (Francis Hall Lobby).

More Lit Fest Fun:

Date: October 6

Event: Lit Fest: Lisa Scottoline

Place: Francis Hall Theater

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

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Faculty at Alvernia University are

accomplished scholars, experts in

their fields and supportive mentors

who are committed foremost to

their students’ success. More than

two-thirds of them hold the highest

degree available in their field.

Outside of the classroom, many

regularly publish books and articles,

present scholarly works at nation-

al and international conferences

and serve as field experts to the

mass media — through newspaper,

broadcast and online outlets.

Date: November 4

Event: Faculty Authors Book Signing

Place: Frank A. Franco Library

Time: 3:30 p.m.

Alvernia Faculty Authors

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Faculty Series Spotlight:Janae Sholtz

“The Invention of a People: Heidegger and Deleuze on Art and the Political”A multi-layered reading of the intersections between two of the most influential figures in contemporary philosophy.

“This is a groundbreaking study of remarkable lucidity and depth...” — Prof. Walter Brogan, Villanova University

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O'Pake Lecture

The annual O’Pake Lecture

at Alvernia University features

prominent public figures focusing

on issues related to civility, ethics,

leadership and public service, in

memory of Pennsylvania Senator

and Alvernia Board of Trustees

member Michael O'Pake.

The Inaugural Lecture was held

in September 2013, featuring U.S.

Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr., on

“Civility and Compromise.” In 2014,

U.S. Representative Jim Gerlach

discussed “Civility, Compromise and

Public Service.”

Sen. O'Pake was a lifelong resident

of Reading and Berks County,

growing up in a public housing

project in the city. A devout Catholic,

he was a graduate of Central

Catholic High School, attended St.

Joseph’s University in Philadelphia

and graduated from the University

of Pennsylvania Law School.

In 1972, he was first elected to the

Pennsylvania Senate after having

spent two terms in the state House

of Representatives. He was re-

elected every four years for nearly

four decades. He was the longest-

serving member of the Pennsylvania

General Assembly. At the time of

his death, he was serving as the

Democratic whip in the state Senate,

the second-highest-ranking position

in the caucus.

Throughout his career, O’Pake

was a tireless and effective advocate

for children, seniors and the

disadvantaged. During his legislative

career, he was instrumental in

enacting such significant legislation

as establishing the state Department

of Aging and creating the elected

Office of the Attorney General, the

Child Custody Act and the Child

Protective Services Law, the Schuylkill

Scenic River Act, the Children’s Trust

Fund to support community-based

child abuse programs, the PACE

senior prescription drug program,

and the Children’s Health Insurance

Program (CHIP).

O’Pake was also able to draw

public funding to support local

community projects, securing

capital investments for the

GoggleWorks, the IMAX Theater and

the I-76 corridor.

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Date: Nov. 16

Event: O'Pake Lecture

Place: Francis Hall Theater

Time: 7 p.m.

O'Pake Film Series Alvernia University’s O’Pake Institute for Ethics,

Leadership and Public Service collaborates with

community partners to bring a classic series of films

and panel discussions to Berks County, focusing on

topics of ethical leadership. All showings are free and

open to the public and are held from 6-9 p.m., in the

Bernardine Lecture Hall on Alvernia’s main campus.

Visit www.alvernia.edu/about/ethics-and-leadership

for a complete film listing.

Interfaith Lecture“Pope Francis & Interfaith Relations” — Leo D. Lefebure, Ph.D.

On March 13, 2013, the Conclave of Cardinals of the Catholic Church elected Jorge Mario

Cardinal Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, as the 266th Pope, bishop of Rome,

and successor to St. Peter. For the first time in history, the newly elected pontiff chose to be called

Francis, a name with significant resonance for the poor and for interfaith relations.

In response to questions, Vatican spokesman Fr. Frederico Lombardi, S.J., clarified that the

new pope chose this name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. Francis was known as “Il Poverello”

(the little poor one) because of his affection and concern for the poor and his simple lifestyle.

These have long been hallmarks of the life of Cardinal Bergoglio, who abandoned the elaborate

Episcopal residence in Buenos Aires for a simpler abode and who used public transportation

instead of a chauffeur.

Learn more about Pope Francis’ promise to be a forceful spokesperson for the poor, an eager

and attentive partner in interreligious conversations, and a leader who reaches out to the entire

world.

About the Francis Factor:Part of a new lecture focus at Alvernia, “The Francis Factor: Past, Present, Future” is sponsored

by the university’s Mission Integration Office. Topics delve into Pope Francis as a servant leader

and explore ways he is influencing the embrace of the Gospel in the Church and wider world.

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Francis

Factor

Dr. Leo D. Lefebure is the Matteo

Ricci, S.J., Professor of Theology

at Georgetown University and an

Honorary Research Fellow of the

Chinese University of Hong Kong and

Trustee Emeritus of the Council for a

Parliament of the World’s Religions.

Lefebure is the author of numerous

works, which most recently include

“True and Holy: Christian Scripture

and Other Religions” (Orbis Books,

2014).

He was the co-author of “The

Path of Wisdom: A Christian

Commentary on the Dhammapada,”

which received the 2011 Frederick J.

Streng Book of the Year Award from

the Society for Buddhist-Christian

Studies, and also wrote “The Buddha

and the Christ and of Revelation,

the Religions, and Violence,” which

received the Pax Christi USA 2001

Book Award and was translated into

Indonesian and published in Jakarta.

Date: January 25, 2016

Event: Interfaith Lecture: Leo D. Lefebure

Place: McGlinn Conference Center

Time: 7 p.m.

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More Interfaith DiscussionCommon Heart Interfaith Lecture

March 2, McGlinn Conference Center, 7 p.m.Established in 2009, “A Common Heart” is a group of religious organizations working

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

Date: February 24, 2016

Event: Lit Fest: Maureen Corrigan

Place: Francis Hall Theater

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

Maureen Corrigan

Maureen Corrigan is a trusted and

beloved American book critic. Her

distinctive voice is at once incisive

and accessible, like a well-read

friend who always sends you home

with a good book to read. Upon first

meeting Corrigan, the celebrated

novelist Ann Patchett quipped, “...

[we] were going to be friends, and

once you become friends with a

book reviewer, they won’t review

your books anymore. But everybody

knows a smart new friend trumps a

great review any day.”

For more than 20 years, Corrigan

has been the book critic for NPR’s

“Fresh Air.” She is also a columnist

for the Washington Post and the

critic-in-residence at Georgetown

University, where her courses are

very popular. As a lecturer, she’s

been described as “brilliant,”

“hilarious,” “passionate” and

“eloquent.” She is the author of two

books of her own: “Leave me Alone

I’m Reading” and “So We Read On:

How the Great Gatsby Came to Be

and Why It Endures,” which was

named one of the 10 best books of

the year by Library Journal.

Aside from her writings for the

Washington Post and the Village

Voice, Corrigan has also written

reviews for the New York Times,

the Boston Globe and The Nation,

among others. She is an associate

editor of and contributor to Mystery

and Suspense Writers and the

winner of the 1999 Edgar Award for

Criticism. In 2012, she served as a

juror for the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction.

Corrigan lives in Washington,

D.C., with her husband and

daughter. She receives more than

200 books per week to review!

Her library, as you might expect,

runneth over.

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About the book:Offering a fresh perspective

on Gatsby, “So We Read On"

takes readers into archives, high

school classrooms and onto the

Long Island Sound to explore the

novel’s hidden depths, revealing

its surprising debt to noir, its rocky

path to recognition as a “classic,”

and its profound commentaries on

race, class and gender. With rigor,

wit and infectious enthusiasm,

Corrigan inspires us to re-experience

Gatsby and, along the way, spins a

fascinating story of her own.

The annual Batdorf Lecture, supported by the Berks Bar Association, promotes dialogue on

contemporary ethical issues important for both students and the local community.

Details about the 2016 Batdorf Lecture will be available online at alvernia.edu/arts-culture.

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Batdorf Lecture

Alvernia’s Seniors College offers

senior citizens (age 55 and over) an

opportunity for lifelong learning.

Alvernia University sponsors this

program as part of its mission to be of

service to the community.

Each year, three semesters of Seniors

College classes offer approximately

20-25 courses each session, running

the gamut from computer classes to

English literature.

Visit alvernia.edu/academics/

seniorscollege or contact Sally Reading

at 610-796-8357 to register.

Seniors College

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Throughout its history, Alvernia

University has aimed not only to

develop students’ intellectual promise

but also to foster their ethical and

moral perspectives and emphasize

their leadership potential. The O’Pake

Institute for Ethics, Leadership and

Public Service seeks to build on this

tradition.

The O’Pake Institute is an expansion

of the university’s Center for Ethics

and Leadership, launched in 2006. It

is named for longtime Alvernia board

member Sen. Michael O’Pake, who

passed away in December 2010.

O’Pake served nearly four decades in

the Pennsylvania State Senate as a

champion for all those in need.

The institute continues to be a

nucleus for dialogue on contemporary

ethical and leadership issues, with a

focus on promoting interdisciplinary

discourse around social justice and

Franciscan values.

Current O'Pake Institute projects

include:

• The Berks County Vital Signs

report — a joint venture with the Berks

County Community Foundation and the

Center for Opinion Research at Franklin

and Marshall College to explore key

community issues in Berks County.

• The Oakbrook Health Project — a

study of healthcare access in two

low-income housing developments

in Reading. Alvernia’s School of

Professional Programs, the Reading

Housing Authority, Berks Community

Health Clinic, The Reading Health

System and St. Joseph’s Medical Center

are creating a strategy to address the

needs of these low-income minority

communities, including a new federally

qualified heath center in the Oakbrook

community, opening in late 2015.

Learn more about the O'Pake Institute

online: www.alvernia.edu/about/

ethics-and-leadership

Hesburgh Lecture

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Each spring, Alvernia hosts a

Hesburgh Lecture that both embodies

the university’s core values and brings

attention to topics that are relevant to

today’s local and global communities.

Gabriel Said Reynolds, Ph.D.,

professor of theology at Notre Dame,

is the author of “The Qur’an and Its

Biblical Subtext” (Routledge, 2010) and

“The Emergence of Islam” (Fortress,

2012).

At Notre Dame, Reynolds teaches

Foundations of Theology, Islam and

Christian Theology, The Qur’an and Its

Relation to the Bible, The Holy Land

and Islamic Origins.

Outside of Notre Dame, he has

conducted research and delivered

lectures in cities throughout the

Middle East, including Ankara, Cairo,

Jerusalem, Beirut, Damascus and

Tehran. Reynolds and his wife, Lourdes,

have four children: Luke, Emmanuel,

Theresa and René.

Since 1986, the Hesburgh Lecture

Series has brought a taste of Notre

Dame’s academic excellence to

Alvernia’s campus courtesy of the

Notre Dame Club of Reading, which

supports the event. The lectures

perpetuate the example of President

Emeritus Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh

as a lifelong learner and further the

Alumni Association's mission by

providing meaningful opportunities

to Notre Dame alumni, parents and

friends.

Hesburgh lectures are presented

by Notre Dame faculty members on

topics related to art, architecture,

business, communications,

contemporary social issues,

economics, environment, ethics,

government, history, law, social

concerns and many more. Annually,

almost 5,000 alumni, parents and

friends attend a Hesburgh Lecture.

Date: April 5, 2016

Event: Hesburgh Lecture

Place: McGlinn Conference Center

Time: 7 p.m.

“Islam, the Catholic Church, and the Future of the World” — Gabriel S. Reynolds

Hesburgh Lecture

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Joseph Swope has more than 30 years of

award-winning experience in public relations

and advertising, working in both the non-profit

and corporate sectors. In addition, he has taught

in the Communications Department of Alvernia

University as an adjunct faculty member since

1982.

Swope’s book, “Pleasant Valley Lost,”

chronicles his family’s last years on a dairy farm

before it was seized by the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers for a federal dam project. “Pleasant

Valley Lost” set a record for most preordered

book prior to publication in the history of

Black Rose Writing, and has become a best-

selling book on Amazon.com on the topic of

environmental policy.

In addition, Swope penned a children’s book

focused on diabetes awareness, titled “The Gift,”

released in September 2015.

Date: April 20, 2016

Event: Earth Day Lecture: Joseph Swope

Place: Francis Hall Theater

Time: Wine & cheese 4 p.m., lecture 6:30 p.m.

Earth Day Lecture Joseph Swope

“Pleasant Valley Lost”

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Ron Orlando Sept. 28-Oct. 14

Closing Reception Oct. 13, 4 p.m.

Celebrating Alvernia’s Franciscan heritage is an

exhibition by Ron Orlando, a grand-prize winner

in Arts for the Parks. Orlando’s detailed layering

technique brings beauty and dignity to nature’s wild

creatures. His acrylic paintings and limited-edition

prints allow collectors to experience nature’s wild

creatures in a very personal way, bringing a moment

into their homes to experience over and over again.

Kristen Woodward & Birdie Zoltan

Jan. 19-Feb. 10

Closing Reception Feb. 8, 4 p.m.

In recognition of local women artists, the Miller

Gallery presents artwork by Kristen Woodward and

Birdie Zoltan. Woodward’s mixed-media drawings

combine painting and printmaking and often utilize

found collage materials. A studio resident of the

GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, Zoltan works with

ceramic sculptures and handmade furniture, tubing,

fabric and other items and employs a number of

techniques that include welding, casting, weaving,

sewing, woodworking and carving.

Len DavisFeb. 15-Mar. 16

Opening Reception Feb. 17, 4 p.m.

Celebrating Black History Month, Len Davis

invites viewers to question their ethics. Davis enjoys

working with mixed media because of the outcome of

combining several elements, creating various textures

and color to evoke a thought and mood in the stories

he tells. “It’s like a pizza with everything on it. Once

you take that first bite, you’re inundated with flavor.

And that’s what I strive for in my work.”

Theo Anderson Mar. 21-Apr. 13

Opening Reception Mar. 21, 4 p.m.

As a photographer, bookmaker and master printer,

Theo Anderson says, “Photographs are not so much

about place as they are about transformation.”

Through the lens of his camera, Aderson explores

everyday American life, expressing what he sees in

episodic projects, including: CADILLAC, CONCRETE,

ORPHANS and ULISSE.

Miller Gallery Visit www.alvernia.edu/arts-culture/miller_gallery.html

for a full listing of Miller Gallery exhibits.

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Performing Arts SeriesThe arts are alive at Alvernia, with

ticketed events scheduled for 2015-16.

Visit alvernia.edu/arts-culture for details.

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

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

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

class venue for many different styles of performances.

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

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

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

daily basis.

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

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

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

accommodate large groups for lectures and formal campus announcements.

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

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

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

retreats, lectures or seminars.

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

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

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

are regularly held here.

About the Venues

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2723

In 2008, Alvernia received a generous

gift from T. Jerome and Carolyn Holleran,

a Berks County couple with a passion

for community service and a personal

record of meaningful community

engagement. The gift of $3 million

included capital to enhance the work

of the center in the Reading community

as well as provisions to permanently

endow it.

Rooted in the Franciscan identity of

Alvernia University and its mission as

a teaching and learning institution, the

Holleran Center identifies, cultivates

and sustains strategic partnerships

to strengthen both campus and

community life. By making these

community partnerships an essential

part of the curriculum, the Holleran

Center strives to foster the university

mission and improve the quality of life

in our community and to develop in

its students a lifelong commitment to

service as engaged citizens.

Visit www.alvernia.edu/about/

holleran-center for more information.

#gotserviceAU

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

www.alvernia.edu/arts-culture

400 Saint Bernardine St.Reading, PA 19607

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