text:
Office Phone 504-520-7568
Irving Johnson III
University Photographer
Media Arts Specialist
(504) 520-5426
Richard Tucker
Director of Publications
(504) 520-5425
Harding and Moses Repeat All-Louisiana CC Picks
Reese Named Alumni Director at XU
XU Summer Science Programs Accepting Applications
Nuggets Snap Loyola's 16-game Win Streak
Miranti is New Director of XU Division of Education
Nuggets Lose 2nd Straight
Beyond Jena: Forum on Bloggers, Education and Social Justice
New Orleans, La. - Beyond Jena: A forum on bloggers of color, education and social justice in New Orleans will be hosted by Xavier University of Louisiana Jan. 31, 2009, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom.
The forum will convene diverse panels of bloggers of color, faculty, students and community activities in order to engage in informative discussions concerning the rise of the blogosphere in New Orleans and the unique ways that grassroots media can be utilized to enhance pedagogical practices as we seek to realize the Xavier mission on social justice within the classroom and beyond.
"The Jena protest of 2007 was organized through blogs and grassroots media and became mainstream," said Dr. Kimberly Chandler, communications professor at Xavier and one of the conference organizers. "After that, people began to realize the potential for blogs and in particular the black blogosphere, for getting the message out and organizing struggles for social justice."
Community blogger and multimedia specialist at Xavier, Bart Everson is also one of the conference organizers. "As we realize Xavier's mission, for a more just and humane society, we are incorporating it into the classroom, through service learning, and student bloggers."
The conference is free and open to the public, but seating is limited and pre-registration is required. Students, faculty, community members and bloggers are invited to attend. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Guest panelists include: Jordan Flaherty, director of the New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival; Clifton Harris, of VIA Link and author of his own blog;
Dedra Johnson, Dillard University professor and Assistant Dean of Humanities;
Paul Beaulieu, talk show host and political columnist; and Xavier professors Dr. Marion Carroll and Dr. Ross Louis.
Admission is free, but registration is required. For more information on the conference or to register, visit the website at www.BeyondJena.com.
CUR Awards $50,000 in Campus Research Grants
All of the research projects receiving grants include significant participation of Xavier undergraduate students who plan on attending Graduate School. The funding for each project, provided through a Title III grant, range from $4,800 to $10,000.
Library to Increase Evening/Weekend Hours
New Orleans, La. - Responding to student requests, the Xavier University of Louisiana Library Resource Center will be open for longer hours beginning in January 2009, according to Robert Skinner, University Librarian.
When the new schedule goes into effect, the Library will be open until 12 midnight – one hour later than previously – Monday through Thursday. Hours will also be extended on Sunday, opening an hour and a half earlier (12:30 p.m.) and closing two hours later (12 midnight). Friday and Saturday hours will remain unchanged.
"Whether it's to see an old text, to survey back files of a particular journal or just to find a quiet place to study, we all know that there's no substitute for an open library," said Skinner. "Students come to Xavier to learn and the library is the key to learning."
Skinner indicated that the staff will monitor the new schedule to see how well the library is satisfying user demand and make further adjustments as needed.
Effective in January, the new Library hours will be:
Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 12 midnight
Friday 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 12 noon to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday 12:30 p.m. to 12 midnight
Xavier to Host Dialogue on Black/Jewish Relations Jan. 17-19
New Orleans, La. - Xavier University of Louisiana will serve as the primary host site for a special conference and dialogue on Black-Jewish relations, presented by the American Jewish Committee and the Office of Black Ministry of the Archdiocese of New York, in partnership with several other organizations.
"Americans at the Pulpit and in the Public Square: A Conversation on Race, Religion and Rhetoric " will be held over the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Weekend and on the eve of the Obama presidential inauguration. It is an effort to examine and re-invigorate Black-Jewish relations in a modern context. For example, African Americans and Jews were the two groups that voted in the largest numbers for President-Elect Barack Obama. But what does this mean? And what can a renewed Black-Jewish alliance hope to achieve, particularly in a worsening economic climate?
The conference will feature an impressive line-up of top academics, activists, and elected officials to include:
· Dr. Norman C. Francis, President of Xavier University & advisor to seven US presidential administrations, winner of the 2006 Presidential Medal of Freedom
· Professor Cheryl Greenberg, author of Troubling the Waters: Black-Jewish Relations in the American Century. ("The vexed topic of Black-Jewish relations in 20th-century America requires a brave writer, and Greenberg confronts the issue with honesty and dedication." -The Atlantic Monthly)
· Rabbi James Rudin, advisor to world leaders on inter-religious affairs, including Pope John Paul II and a number of US presidents.
· Miami City Council member Andre Williams
· Lucia Small, Co-Producer and Co-Director of the documentary film "The Axe in the Attic." ("One of the most challenging and unsettling American films of the year." -Cinema Scope Magazine)
The conference offers a unique opportunity to engage academics and advocates from around the country, interact in small discussion workshops, and participate in hands-on service. Everyone is invited to participate, in particular diocesan and parish ethnic ministry leaders, university faculty and students, community leaders, and clergy.
For more information and to register, visit: nolaconference.blogspot.com.
Dick Gregory Keynote Speaker for MLK Week for Peace
New Orleans, La. - Dick Gregory will be the keynote speaker for the 22nd
annual Martin Luther King Jr. Week for Peace, January 16-23, 2009.
The Martin Luther King Week for Peace is presented by Xavier, Tulane, Loyola and Dillard Universities. "The Dream Fulfilled in the Midst of the Storm" is the theme for 2009 celebration.
"This year we've changed our schedule," said Carolyn Pierre, committee chair."The week will start on the Friday before with a kick-off on each campus and we will have an evening event on Martin Luther King Day."
On Saturday January 17 students will participate in a community service day. On the holiday Monday Jan 19 the schools will host a candlelight vigil and interfaith service on the Dillard campus at the Lawless memorial chapel. The candlelight vigil will be at 4:00 pm followed by the interfaith service at 4:30 p.m.
Dick Gregory will speak on Wednesday, Jan 21 at the MLK Convocation held on the Xavier University campus in the University Center Ballroom. The lifetime achievement award and the student community service awards will be presented at this time.
Finally, the week closes with the Expressions of Unity on the Loyola campus in Nunemaker Auditorium at 7:00 p.m., Friday January 23.
Dick Gregory was on the frontline in the sixties during the Civil Rights Era; today he continues to be a "drum major for justice and equality."
Gregory, was one of the first African-American comedians to cross over to mainstream white audiences, he was also one of the fiercest sociopolitical satirists of his day; using the nightclub stage as his soapbox
African-American comedian, civil rights activist, and spokesman for health issues, who became nationally recognized in the 1960s for a biting brand of comedy that
attacked racial prejudice.
His comedy career breakthrough came in 1961, when a one-nighter at the Chicago Playboy Club turned into a six-week stint that earned him a profile in Time magazine and a television appearance on "The Jack Paar Show." In his numerous subsequent television, nightclub, and concert routines, he targeted poverty, segregation, and racial discrimination.
Active in the Civil Rights Movement, he participated in numerous demonstrations and was arrested for civil disobedience several times; in 1963 he was jailed in Birmingham, Ala. His activism spurred him to run for mayor of Chicago in 1966 and for president of the United States in 1968.
In the early 1970s Gregory abandoned comedy to focus on his political interests, which widened from race relations to include such issues as violence, world hunger, capital punishment, drug abuse, and poor health care. He generated particular attention for his many hunger fasts. At this time he became a vegetarian, a
marathon runner, and an expert on nutrition. He soon began a successful business venture with his nutritional product, the "Bahamian Diet," around which he built Dick Gregory Health Enterprises, Inc. Through his company, he targeted the lower
life expectancy of Black Americans, which he attributed to poor nutrition and drug and alcohol abuse.
Gregory has written many books, including Nigger: An Autobiography (1964) and No More Lies: The Myth and the Reality of American History (1971). He made a brief return
to the comedy circuit in the mid-1990s.
His most recent book, Callus On My Soul, which became a best-seller within weeks of
publication, is an autobiography that updates his earlier autobiography (Nigger), because as Dick says, "I've lived long enough to need two autobiographies which is fine with me. I'm looking forward to writing the third and fourth volumes as well."
The comedian and speaker was honored at the Kennedy Center in 2000 at an event hosted by Bill Cosby and featuring nearly a dozen luminaries, including Sinbad, Dorothy Height, Coretta Scott King, Marion Barry, and Stevie Wonder.
For more information on the Xavier/Tulane/Loyola/Dillard Martin Luther King Week for Peace events, call 504-520-5450 or 865-5181.
CAT Launches New Podcast Series
New Orleans, La. - The Center for the Advancement of Teaching (CAT) has announced the official launching of a new podcast series designed to examine how teaching intersects with a diverse range of topics.
The podcast series, entitled Teaching, Learning, and Everything Else, consists of a chain of audio programs distributed free over the internet. Each episode consists of a conversation with a teacher in higher education, with the interviews conducted by Dr. Elizabeth Yost Hammer, Director of Xavier's CAT.
The four episodes currently available online include conversations with Dr. Suzie Baker of James Madison University about teaching, learning and technology; with Dr. David Park of Xavier about teaching and service learning; with Dr. Marcia Rossi of Tuskegee University about teaching, learning, and dealing with personal problems of students; and with Dr. William Buskist of Auburn University about master teachers.
"This series offers a fresh and personal approach to faculty development that will appeal to anyone who teaches at the college level, regardless of discipline or rank," said Bart Everson, CAT Multi Media Artist and the series producer. "We're just getting started, and hope to continue branching out and exploring new topics with each episode."
For more info and to listen to the show, please visit the CAT website at http://cat.xula.edu/podcast.
Burrell Named Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations
New Orleans, La. - Danielle Burrell has been named as the director for Corporate and
Foundation Relations at Xavier University of Louisiana.
Burrell, a 1997 Xavier graduate, worked as a business consultant and career development specialist with the Jefferson Parish Youth Training Center before coming to Xavier.
As Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations in Xavier's Institutional Advancement division, Burrell will be responsible for building partnerships and collaborations with corporations and foundations, and soliciting gifts that support the university's priorities and capital campaigns.
In addition to a bachelor's degree from Xavier, she holds a Master of Education
from the University of New Orleans and is certified as a health education specialist
by the National Commission for Health Education.
Black Chorale Premieres McLin's Christmas Cantata Dec. 6
New Orleans, La. –The New Orleans Black Chorale (NOBC) will perform their annual Christmas Concert Dec. 6 at 7:00 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1329 Jackson Avenue. The concert is free and open to the public.
NOBC director and Xavier music professor Dr. John Ware and the chorale will premiere a Christmas Cantata by African American Chicago composer Lena McLin, the first time the work has been performed in Louisiana. The performance will also include seasonal favorites.
Special guests for the concert include Trinty Episcopal's associate Rector, Reverend Phoebe Roaf, who will serve as the narrator for the Christmas Cantata. XU music faculty members Dara Rahming and Dr. Malcolm Breda will be guest soloist and accompanist, respectively.
McLin has composed over 400 songs, founded a black opera company, written a history of music for young people and promoted the use of music as a vehicle for faith development. In 1977, McLin published a music history for youth entitled,
"Pulse: A History of Music."
"We're excited to showcase this new work by an African American composer, and to share the joy of the Christmas season with the people of New Orleans," said Cheryl Palmer, newly elected president of the NOBC. "We're inviting everyone in the metro area to join us and experience the New Orleans Black Chorale."
The New Orleans Black Chorale specializes in performing music by African American composers and is especially dedicated to the preservation and performance of American Negro Spirituals. The 2008-09 season is supported in part by a grant from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Foundation.
For more information on the New Orleans Black Chorale's Christmas Concert, contact Cheryl Palmer at (504) 453-7332.
XU Program to Prepare Bilingual Speech Pathologists
New Orleans, La. - It's hard enough living in an English speaking world, when English is not your first language. It's even harder when you have a speech or language problem and the speech pathologist doesn't speak your native language.
Project Buena Lingua at Xavier University is working to increase the number of speech pathologists qualified to provide services to native Spanish speakers who are learning English.
Students in the program agree to provide two years of service in public schools with bilingual populations for every year of funding received. The program, currently open to juniors and senior Xavier students, is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
Participants receive both a scholarship and stipend for their last two years of study. They will be immersed in specialized coursework in Latino language and culture, participate in a study abroad program to a Spanish speaking country, as well
as participate in multicultural activities, cultural diversity workshops and receive coursework and practical experience in bilingual speech and language development. In addition, students will be involved in activities in the New Orleans Latino community.
"New Orleans has always had a strong Hispanic community," said Dr. Nancy Martino, Project Buena Lingua director. "After Hurricane Katrina, the community has grown, and includes native Spanish speakers from numerous countries. It's important to have speech pathologists who understand the difference between speech and language proficiency and speech and language problems. We cannot say that an individual has a speech and language problem if he is proficient in his native language."
Every other summer a specialist in the field of bilingual language disorders will come to New Orleans to teach a course for the project participants. Dr. Kathryn Kohnert, from the University of Minnesota, who specializes in language acquisition in diverse populations, is one of the presenters.
Students who complete the program at Xavier will have met state regulations for licensure as a speech language pathology assistant. "The focus of the program is on community involvement," said program coordinator, Anna Frachou. "This program offers bilingual education and community engagement. It will increase the number of highly trained, degreed and state licensed speech-language pathology assistants."
For more information on Project Buena Lingua contact Dr. Martino at 504-520-5087.
XU Men, Women Win 3rd Straight GCAC CC Championships
Clinton, Miss. - Xavier University of Louisiana got second-place finishes from Ebony Harding and Ray Walston on Saturday and rolled to their third consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference team championships in men's and women's cross country.
The team titles earned the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets automatic bids to the NAIA National Championships on Nov. 22 at Kenosha, Wis. The national berths are the second for both Xavier teams and their first since 2002.
Xavier scored 34 points in the women's standings, 20 fewer than runner-up Belhaven. The Gold Rush outscored Spring Hill 33-42 to win the men's division.
Harding was the GCAC women's runner-up for the third consecutive year. The junior from Baton Rouge, La., ran 5,000 meters in 19 minutes, 48.84 seconds to break her school record for the third tiime this season.
"I finally broke 20 minutes," Harding said. "I really wanted to win the race, but I can't be disappointed because we qualified for nationals and I ran a personal best."
Walston, a freshman from Atlanta, covered the 8,000-meter men's course in 27:16.90 to earn his third top-five finish of the season and record the Gold Rush's fastest time at a GCAC meet since 1998.
XU produced four male and four female All-GCAC runners by virtue of top-10 finishes. Darren Wallace (fifth place, 28:07.49) of the Gold Rush was all-conference for the third consecutive year, and Bryan Khan (seventh, 29:41.60) and Joe Drexler-Dreis (eighth, 30:08.96) were All-GCAC for the second time.
Harding was All-GCAC for the third consecutive year and was joined by teammates Anna D'Souza (fifth, 20:59.12) Stacey Windon (sixth, a personal-best 21:16.22) and Ashley Taylor (eighth, a personal-best 21:33.28). Windon was all-conference for the second straight year, and D'Souza and Taylor are freshmen.
Xavier is the second GCAC member to sweep the men's and women's team titles three consecutive years and the first since Mobile did it six straight seasons (1994-99).
"I'm very excited for our teams," Moses said. "I'm blessed to have a great group of men and women who can compete at this level and get Xavier into the national meet."
Okoroha's Double-Double Helps Rush Beat Huston-Tillotson 74-67
New Orleans, La. - Senior forward Kelechi Okoroha collected 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds Friday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 74-67 men's basketball victory over Huston-Tillotson at The Barn.
The Gold Rush is 3-0 for the seventh consecutive season and 4-0 against Huston-Tillotson over the past three seasons. It was the Rams' opener.
Okoroha, who recorded the third double-double of his career, scored four points and assisted on a basket during a 15-3 run which turned a tie at 50 into a 65-53 Xavier lead with 4:47 remaining.
Huston-Tillotson cut the Rush lead to 68-64 on Robert Hartfield's 3-pointer at 1:57 but drew no closer.
Devin Andrew and Dannie Woods added 10 points apiece for Xavier. Okoroha grabbed 10 second-half rebounds. Hartfield and Gabe Haskins scored 19 points apiece for the Rams, and James Black scored 12. Hartfield scored 13 in the first half.
A Haskins basket at 10:28 of the first half capped a 12-2 HTU run and gave the Rams their biggest lead, 25-16. But Olumide Olafioye scored seven points in the final 3½ minutes to rally Xavier to a 40-36 halftime lead. HTU never led in the second half.
Xavier's next game will be a 7 p.m. Tuesday exhibition against Southern University at Baton Rouge, La.
XU Women Win Opener; Powell Scores 18
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. - Brittany Powell had 18 points and eight rebounds Saturday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 79-54 women's basketball victory over Edward Waters in the HBCU Preseason Challenge.
It was the regular-season opener for the Gold Nuggets, who defeated Florida Memorial 59-55 Friday in this event -- but Xavier counted that result as an exhibition.
Jasmine Grant scored 12 points, all on 3-pointers, for Xavier, and Johnna Williams had eight points and seven rebounds. Ebony Presha, with 17 points, was the lone double-figure scorer for Edward Waters (0-3).
Xavier led 39-28 at halftime and built the lead to 30 points in the second half. Powell had 42 points and 16 rebounds in the Nuggets' two games in this event. Xavier will play its home opener at 6 p.m. Monday against Huston-Tillotson at The Barn.
Fall Concerts at Xavier feature Symphonic and Jazz Bands
New Orleans, La. - Two instrumental ensembles at Xavier University will perform in concert in November.
The Xavier University Symphonic Band will present its Annual Fall Concert on Thursday, Nov. 13 at the Xavier Music Building Recital Hall at 7:00 pm. The ensemble, under the direction of Tim Turner, will perform works composed by N. Rimsky-Korsakoff, David R. Holsinger, Julius Benedict, and others.
Also, the Xavier University Jazz Ensemble will present its Annual Homecoming Concert on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 7:00 pm in the Xavier Music Building Recital Hall. The ensemble will present works from contemporary jazz composers, Don Menza, Thad Jones, and Frank Foster.
Both ensembles are under the direction of Dr. Tim Turner. Both concerts are free and open to the public.
For more info, please contact the XU Department of Music at (504) 520-7597.
Program Highlights Congo Square
New Orleans, La. – Congo Square: The African Roots of New Orleans Music will feature performances and discussion addressing the 19th century African music tradition of New Orleans' famed Congo Square and its legacy and impact on local music.
The program will be held Saturday, Nov. 15 at the Xavier University Center (corner of Drexel Drive and Broadway), 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. The program is free and open to the public. It is hosted and sponsored by Dr. Michael White, Xavier University's Keller Endowed Chair in Humanities.
The featured speaker will be Freddie Williams Evans, author of several children's books and Congo Square researcher. Also speaking is Luther Gray, local musician and founder of the band Bamboula 2000. The main performer will be Seguenon Kone and his music and dance ensemble, L'Ivoire Spectacle.
Kone, who recently moved to New Orleans, is a master musician, dancer, chorographer, acrobat, and teacher from the Ivory Coast, Africa. Kone, who makes most of his instruments, performs on a variety of drums, string, and wind instruments, as well as the balafon. In his native country he performed with the National Dance Company of the Ivory Coast and other local ensembles, before forming his own group. He has toured in Africa, Europe, and the United States. He is noted for his masterful and powerful spiritual renditions of authentic music and dance of the Ivory Coast.
In addition to the speakers, authentic music and dance from West Africa similar to the roots of Congo Square traditions, there will also be several surprise performances by Kone and his ensemble.
For more information contact Dr. White at 504-520-5001.
Distinguished Alumni Concert Nov. 19
New Orleans, LA - Baritone Kermit Gray, a New Orleans native and XU alum, will be the special guest for the Xavier University Distinguished Alumni Concert Nov. 19 at 7:00 p.m. in the Music Recital Hall. He will perform a concert of opera arias and art songs at the concert and will return on Nov. 20 at 7:00 p.m. to perform with the XU Jazz Ensemble.
Gray graduated from Xavier in music in 1972 and after completing military service, he continued his studies in Germany. He remained in Germany and began his studies at the State Academy of Music in Karlsruhe. During that time he performed in Lucern as the Marqui d'Obigny in "La Traviata", Pali in "Gypsy Baron" and others.
Kermit Gray's repertoire is diverse: the world premiere of "King for one day", he stood as the
first man in the street. In the same year he appeared as Chino in "West Side Story". In Basel, he was Figaro in "Barber of Seville", was a soloist in Munich Gasteig Theater and sang at the Bregenz Festspielhaus in the role of Aeneas in "Duido and Aeneas". In Eggenfelden, as well as in Duisburg. Gray as the voice of the plant in "Little Shop of Horrors". Currently Gray is in the Dusseldorf region playing the role of the Martin Luther King in the musical "Mahalia".
In the Berlin Philharmonic the baritone soloist was a guest recently for two different opera concerts.
Both the Distinguished Alumni Concert and the Jazz Ensemble concert are free and open to the public. For more information contact the Xavier Music Department at 504-520-7597.
Alumni "Reconnect, Reminisce and Remember" at Homecoming 2008
New Orleans, LA - Xavier alumni are invited to "Reconnect, Reminisce and Remember" at the 2008 Homecoming Weekend, Nov. 20-23.
All alumni, especially reunion classes (in years ending in the 3's and 8's), are encouraged to participate in this year's reunion.
Music kicks off the weekend with free concerts from the Xavier Jazz Ensemble on Thursday night.. Friday is a busy day starting with the National Alumni Association's Board of Governors meeting, which is open to all alumni. At noon the Celebration on the Yard, co-hosted by the Alumni Office and the Student Government Association, is an opportunity for current students and alumni through the years to get together and share a bar-b-que on the University Center Terrace.
Later on Friday alumni are invited to attend the Homecoming Alumni Art Exhibit featuring Steve Prince '91. The Xavier College of Pharmacy will host a continuing education seminar and reception at 2:00 pm. Friday evening is the Tribute Concert honoring America's longest-serving college president, Xavier President Dr. Norman C. Francis, and presented by Liberty Bank and Trust. Entertainer Gladys Knight headlines along with guest emcee and performer comedian Bill Cosby.
On Saturday it's the Xavier Gold Rush Basketball team against Texas College at the Homecoming Basketball Game at noon. The grand event is the Homecoming Gala at the University Center that evening.
The weekend comes to a close with the Sunday Alumni Mass and continental breakfast. Former homecoming queens are invited to attend the Queen's Brunch hosted by current Miss Xavier LaGina Williams.
For more information on Reunion 2008, contact the Xavier Alumni Office at 504-520-6782 or 1-877-WE-LUV-XU.
Alumni Homecoming Reunion Schedule 2008
Thursday Nov. 20
7 pm - Jazz Ensemble Concert, music recital hall
Friday Nov. 21
9 am - Annual Board of Governors Meeting
12 pm - Celebration on the Yard
2 pm - College of Pharmacy- Continuing Education and Reception
4 pm - Art Exhibit, featuring Steve Prince '91
6:30 pm - Patron Party, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
7 pm - Tribute Concert (Gladys Knight & Bill Cosby) - Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Sat. Nov 22
5 pm - Homecoming Basketball Game- Gold Rush vs. Texas College
6 pm - Homecoming Gala, University Center Ballroom
Sun Nov. 23
10 am - Mass/Continental Breakfast Admin. Auditorium
12:30 pm - Queens Brunch, UC 205
For more information please call us at 1-504-520-6782 or 1-877-WE-LUV-XU
All Saints Celebration Nov 2 & 5 Features XU Concert Choir
New Orleans, LA - The Xavier University Concert Choir will perform in an "All Saints Celebration" this weekend in two concerts.
The Concert Choir and conductor John E. Ware will perform on Sunday November 2 as part of the Trinity Episcopal Church's Artist Series at 5pm. The performance will feature organist Albinas Prizgintas and an instrumental ensemble.
The choir will perform Requiem by John Rutter, Spirituals by William Dawson and Choruses by Johannes Brahms and Tom Fettke. The church is located at 1315 Jackson Avenue.
The Xavier Concert Choir will perform at home on Wednesday Nov. 5 at the Xavier Music Building Recital Hall at 7:00 pm. Both concerts are free and open to the public.
For more information on the All Saints Celebration contact the Xavier music department at 504-520-7597.
Business Week 2008 at XU
New Orleans, LA - The Xavier University Division of Business will host Business Week, October 27-31, 2008 on the campus, with the theme "The Business of Business."
Scheduled events include a panel discussion on "The Business of Finance: How Wall Street Affects Main Street." The panel will address the U.S. Economic crisis, the bailout, the potential long-term effects and the cost of inaction.
Entergy New Orleans' President Rod West will be the guest speaker for "The Business of Leadership" seminar on Wednesday Oct. 29.
A complete schedule follows.
The Xavier Division of Business is nationally accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
Degree programs are offered in accounting, business with concentration in Finance, management or sales & Marketing and accounting; special programs are offered in Entrepreneurship Institute and Sales & Leadership institute.
For more info on Business Week 2008, contact the Xavier Division of Business at 504-520-7505.
Business Week @ Xavier University
October 27-31, 2008
Mon. Oct 27 –
Kick Off Celebration - 12 noon, University Center (UC)
"The Business of Finance: How Wall Street Affects Main Street" –
6:00 p.m., UC Ballroom
Wed. Oct 29 –
"The Business of Leadership" – 5:30 p.m., UC Ballroom
Thurs. Oct. 30 –
"The Business of Careers" – 2:30 p.m. Library 4th Floor
"The Business of Business" – Closing Reception – 5:00 p.m. UC 119
Walk a Mile with President Francis for Wellness Week at XU
New Orleans, LA - Xavier University's Wellness awareness Week celebrates Dr. Norman Francis' 40th Anniversary with the annual "Walk-a-Mile with the President" on Friday Oct 24 at 4:00 p.m. on the campus.
Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to get physical and join walk on the campus as a way to kick-start their personal fitness. A warm-up begins at 4:15 outside of the University Center.
Wellness Week is coordinated by Xavier's Counseling and Wellness center. The center provides support services to students, faculty and staff. "The Wellness Program at Xavier encourages the Xavier community to be the best that they can be in every area of their lives- physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, spiritually, intellectually, academically and occupationally," said Eloise Dixon, director.
Other activities scheduled for the week include aerobics classes, a blood drive, health displays, as well as health screenings such as blood pressure, cholesterol, anemia, hearing, and more.
A complete schedule is online at
Soprano Dara Rahming In Concert at Xavier Oct. 27
New Orleans, LA - Xavier faculty member Dara Rahming will perform in a faculty recital on Monday, Oct. 27, at 7:00 pm in the Music Building Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.
Rahming, accompanied by pianist and XU faculty member Dr. Wilfred Delphin, will perform music from Henri Duparc, William Grant Still, and John Carter.
The Bahamian-born soprano is a 1995 graduate of Xavier. She received a Masters of Music from the University of Miami. Soon after completing her education she sang her first contracted role in her native Bahamas singing the role of Gina in the Bahamian Opera "Our Boys" composed by Cleophas Adderley. "Our Boys", commissioned by the Bahamian government, in 1998, for the celebration of the Bahamas 25th year of Independence was a first for the country and a great success.
Since then Rahming has performed with numerous opera companies in the United States and Europe. She's sung with the Lyric Opera of Chicago and performed in the revival of Scott Joplin's "Treemonisha" and the revision of Dominick Argento's "Miss Havisham's Fire" with the Opera Theatre of St. Louis. In 2004 she sang the role of Medora in Verdi's "Il Corsaro", with the Sarasota Opera and went on to sing her first Tosca with the same company later that season.
The Sarasota Opera duly recognized her hard work by making her the recipient of the Daniel R. Mandelker and Marlene N. Harris Fund Grant. That summer she sang the role of Serena in the
Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" at the Linz Landestheatre in Linz, Austria. Later that year, she performed the same role at the Bunkamura Orchestra Hall in Tokyo, Japan and the Alte Oper in
Frankfurt, Germany.
For more information Rahming's recital, contact the Xavier Music Department at 504-520-7597.
Fulbright Scholar Waseem Anwar to Speak at Xavier Oct. 22
New Orleans, LA - The Xavier University Endowment for the Humanities Lecture Series and the Department of English is sponsoring the lecture "The Current Democratic Processes in Pakistan since Benazir Bhutto's Posthumous Book Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy, and the West by the Fulbright Scholar Dr. Waseem Anwar on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 4:15 p.m. in the Administration Building Auditorium.
Anwar is Professor and Chair of English at Forman Christian College in Lahore, Pakistan. He is currently a Fulbright Visiting Scholar (2007-08) in the Department of
English at Duke University.
He has published in literary journals and academic magazines and served on the Advisory Board of Transformations: The Journal of Inclusive Scholarship and Pedagogy. His postdoctoral research is "Exploring the E/Merging American Literatures (A Ls) in English: Change or Challenge?"
The lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Violet H. Bryan in the Xavier English department at 520-7635 or 520-5158.
Xavier's Operation Diabetes at Lakeside Mall Oct. 18
New Orleans, LA - Xavier University's College of Pharmacy will host Operation Diabetes on Saturday, Oct. 18, at Lakeside Mall from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
The Operation Diabetes event is designed to increase awareness of diabetes, provide information on the dangers associated with the disease, and identify patients with
undiagnosed diabetes. The campaign also promotes public awareness of the pharmacist's role in diabetes management and care.
Xavier Pharmacy students along with professional Pharmacists will be on hand for free blood pressure and glucose screenings as well as consultations.
For more information contact Dr. Cori Brock at 520-5677.
University Honors 70 Long-Time Faculty/Staff Members
New Orleans, La. – Seventy long-time faculty and staff members were honored as part of Xavier University of Louisiana's annual Founder's Day celebration.
Topping the list of honorees celebrating anniversaries of their employment at XU were Sister Grace Mary Flickinger, S.B.S. with 40 years of service in biology and with the athletic department, and Sister Barbara Hughes, CSJ (history), Marlene Robinson (graduate education) and Dorothy Sterling (admissions), all honored for 35 years.
Other employees honored for long-term service included:
30 years – Dr. Jose Bautista (business), Dr. Marie DeLarge (upward bound), Thais Kennedy (library), Dr. Deidre Labat (biology), Dr. Joseph Lefevre (philosophy) and Harriet McCoy (library).
25 years – Sharlena Black-Johnson (human resources), Dr. Vimal Kishore (pharmacy), Gladys Norwood (office of senior vice president for administration), Henry Sparks (ITC), Charles Spencer (physical plant) and Carolyn Thomas (career placement).
20 years – Nedra Alcorn (student services), Dr. Robert Berman (philosophy), Lori Blouin (admissions), Cathy Brimmer (financial aid), Medgar Brock (campus police), Emile Labranche Jr. (financial aid), Dr. Treva Lee (planning and institutional research), Sandra Monroe (library), Dr. Patience Obih (pharmacy), Dr. Joseph Ross (biology), Kenneth Rucker (campus police) and Kathy Smith (pharmacy).
Being Black And Catholic - An Evening of Dialogue and Song at XU
New Orleans, LA - The Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University
will present an evening of dialogue and song on the topic "Being Black and Catholic" on Monday Oct. 20, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom.
Panelists will include Sr. Gilda Bell, Dr. Ronald Dorris, Dr. Joyce Gillie, Joanne Tardy, Corey Anderson and India Keys. Sr. Jamie Phelps, director of the Institute and
Rev. Jeffrey Ott, Xavier's campus chaplain will be the moderators. Veronica Downs-Dorsey is the music director.
For more information on the event, contact the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at 504-520-7691.
XU College of Pharmacy Celebrates American Pharmacists Month
New Orleans, LA - The College of Pharmacy at Xavier University of Louisiana
will celebrate American Pharmacists month this October with activities aimed at reaching out to patients and celebrating the pharmacy profession.
Among the activities planned for the month is the annual Operation Diabetes event at Lakeside Shopping Center, Osteoporosis screening during the campus wellness week and senior citizen prescription and medication reviews.
"Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy has a long-standing tradition of producing some of the nation's top pharmacists; particularly African American pharmacists," said Conchetta Fulton, interim chair of the division of clinical and
administrative sciences. "Our goal in promoting American Pharmacists Month is to emphasize to both our students and the community the importance of the pharmacist-patient relationship in ensuring proper medication usage. The shift in the profession from a product-oriented to a patient-oriented focus continues to
result in more positive healthcare outcomes for all."
Xavier University is among the top three national producers of pharmacists. Xavier is the only college of pharmacy in Southeast Louisiana and one of two pharmacy schools in the state.
Oct. 18- Operation Diabetes (Lakeside Mall) - The event is designed to increase awareness of diabetes, provide information on the dangers associated with the disease, and identify patients with undiagnosed diabetes. The campaign also promotes public awareness of the pharmacist's role in diabetes management and care.
Oct.20-24- Osteoporosis Screenings during Wellness Week
Oct. 25- "Make a Difference Day" Volunteers of America of Greater New Orleans Northshore Services and SenioRx are working together to help seniors with prescription assistance applications and medication reviews.
Completed events included the "Know Your Pharmacist, Know Your Medicine"
American Pharmacists Month Kick-off event and the Men's Health Summit.
For more info on Xavier's celebration of American pharmacists Month, contact Conchetta Fulton at 504-520-7402.
New Orleans, LA - Xavier University of Louisiana is pleased to announce that legendary vocalist and seven-time Grammy Award winner Ms. Gladys Knight will be joined by world renowned comedian, actor and philanthropist William "Bill" Cosby for the November 21, 2008 "Legacy For a Legend" gala concert honoring America's longest serving college president, Norman C. Francis of Xavier University, and presented by Liberty Bank & Trust.
The Friday evening Gala, planned to celebrate Francis' 40th Anniversary as president of the nation's only Historically Black and Roman Catholic institution of higher education, and to recognize his service to his community and the nation, will feature a concert at the New Orleans Theater at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (Hall B) featuring Ms. Knight with the opening performance by Mr. Cosby who has confirmed that he will serve as the evening's Master of Ceremonies.
The gala will serve as a major fundraiser to establish a special Norman C. Francis Scholarship Fund, with special sponsor tables and individual tickets available through the Office of Institutional Advancement at 504.520.7575.
The university is also pleased to announce that Liberty Bank & Trust, a local New Orleans institution since 1972, is the Presenting Sponsor of the 40th Anniversary festivities. Says President & CEO Alden McDonald, "Liberty Bank is proud to be the Presenting Sponsor for this Gala, not simply because of Norman C. Francis' role as our Founding Chairman of the Board, but also because of his amazing legacy of leading Xavier to tremendous heights all these years plus always being available to serve his fellow Louisiana citizens." Dr. Francis is the founding Director of the Bank and has served ever since as its Chairman.
Liberty is one of the five largest African-American-owned financial institutions with assets of more than $370-million; a corporate partner of Fortune 500 companies, and a major supplier of financial services to government and government agencies throughout Louisiana and Mississippi.
BACKGROUND: Four Decades of Leadership - Norman C. Francis, the Visionary
In 1948 a young man from Lafayette, Louisiana arrived in New Orleans to attend the nation's only historically Black and Catholic university; armed with a determination to succeed and a letter from the Holy Family sisters –- who taught him in high school -- asking the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (SBS) to give him a chance to attend Xavier University despite his family's limited financial resources, and even if it meant "working off" his tuition.
Sixty years later, with the exception of two years in the U-S Army, Norman Christopher Francis is still "working off" that tuition as he prepares this Fall to celebrate forty years of service as Xavier's first and only lay president. That also makes him America's current longest serving university president and a universally respected leader in higher education circles. This at a time when, according to sources like the Chronicle of Higher Education, the typical career expectancy these days for newly hired university presidents is 5-7 years.
Francis is still a dynamo at age 77 who spends long hours on the job and maintains a travel schedule that might easily debilitate younger men. This visionary has served in advisory roles to seven U-S presidents on the subject of improving education in the United States, including Ronald Reagan who appointed him to the Commission that drafted the famous "Nation at Risk" report. Francis earned further national respect when he led the recovery of Xavier's devastated campus in 2005 following Hurricane Katrina, making good his pledge to reopen the campus in less than five months.
In addition to that challenge, he accepted the role as chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority following Katrina. Those dual roles and the visionary leadership Francis demonstrated in both undoubtedly led to President Bush awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in December 2006.
New Orleans, LA - The latest report from the American Institute of Physics (AIP) on physics enrollments and degrees, confirms that Xavier University of Louisiana is still first in the nation in awarding physics BS degrees to African Americans.
The report, which covers the latest available three-year period (2004-06), shows Xavier with an annual average of 16 bachelor's degrees – far ahead of second-place Benedict College (South Carolina) with an annual average of seven.
All of the schools finishing in the listing (nine schools) are either HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) or a predominately black colleges or universities.
To view the report [it's on page 21], visit HERE.
New Orleans, LA - The driving force for more than thirty years in establishing America's premier pre-Med undergraduate program for African American students is being recognized for his role by one of the nation's premier medical schools.
Meharry Medical College will present an honorary degree to Xavier University of Louisiana chemistry professor and Pre-Med program director Dr. JW Carmichael on Monday Sept. 29, as part of the medical school's 133rd Convocation.
Carmichael is being recognized for his success in making Xavier the undisputed leader in African American medical school acceptances. In fact, the nation's only Historically Black & Catholic college leads the nation annually in the number of African American students who gain acceptance to medical, dental, doctoral and other health professions programs.
For the past 15 years, Xavier has successfully sent more African American students to medical school each year than any other university in the nation including Harvard, Howard and other larger schools. Xavier is also among the top three annual producers of African Americans with Doctor of Pharmacy degrees.
Carmichael's close contact with and guidance of his pre-Med students have contributed much to Xavier's success. Previous honors have included being named a National Professor of the Year by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), also the Charles A. Dana Foundation award for his innovations in teaching science, and the Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in Education.
New Orleans LA - Xavier University of Louisiana alumna Regina Benjamin, a rural family physician in Bayou LaBatre Alabama, has been named a MacArthur Fellow for 2008.
Benjamin, a 1979 Xavier graduate, is one of 25 new MacArthur Fellows announced. Each Fellow receives $500,000 in "no strings attached" support over the next five years.
The rural doctor is the second Xavier University of Louisiana graduate to receive the award, also known as the "Genius Grant." The late artist John T. Scott received the award in 1992.
"The MacArthur Fellows Program celebrates extraordinarily creative individuals who inspire new heights in human achievement," said MacArthur President Jonathan Fanton. Visit HERE for more info on the award itself.
Benjamin is an inspiring model of compassionate and effective medical care in one of the most underserved region of the United States. In 1990 she founded the Bayou LaBatre rural Health Clinic to serve the Gulf Coast fishing community of Bayou LaBatre AL, a village of approximately 2,500 residents devastated twice in the past decade by Hurricane Georges in 1998 and Katrina in 2005.
Despite scarce resources, Benjamin has painstakingly rebuilt her clinic after each disaster and set up networks to maintain contact with patients scattered across multiple evacuation sites. She has established a family practice that allows her to treat all incoming patients, many of whom are uninsured and frequently travels by pickup truck to care for the most isolated and immobile in her region.
Benjamin is skilled as well in translating research on preventative health measures into accessible community based interventions to decrease the disease burdens of her diverse patient base which includes immigrants from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos who comprise a third of Bayou LaBatre's population.
A committed local physician, she also plays key roles statewide and nationally helping others establish clinics in remote areas of the country and serving in leadership positions in such health related organizations as the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
She is the first African-American woman and the first person under age 40 to be elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees. She was later elected President of the Medical Association State of Alabama, making her the first African American woman president of a state medical society in the U.S. She continues to serve as a founding board member of the Catholic Health East and is a member of the board of Catholic Health Associations of the United States.
With a deep firsthand knowledge of the pressing needs and health disparities afflicting rural high-poverty communities, Benjamin is ensuring that the most vulnerable among us have access to high-quality care.
In recognition of her work among the poor in her Gulf Coast community, and her courage and determination, Benjamin was awarded the St. Katharine Drexel Justice Award from the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (Bensalem, PA) in 2007.
Dr. Regina Benjamin received a bachelor of science in 1979 from Xavier University of Louisiana. She attended Morehouse School of Medicine from 1980-82 and received an M.D. 1984 from University of Alabama, Birmingham. She also holds an MBA from Tulane. She completed her residency in family practice at the Medical Center of Central Georgia 1987.
The CEO of the Bayou LaBatre Rural Health Clinic she has also served as the associate dean for rural health at the University of South Alabama's College of Medicine. She is also currently a board member for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
New Orleans, LA - The Xavier University chapter of Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical
Fraternity (Delta Eta chapter) and the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPha) will host a community voter registration drive on Saturday, Sept. 27, at the Tchoupitoulas Walmart SuperCenter from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
"Our goal is to get people registered in order to allow people of the surrounding community to have a voice in this upcoming presidential election," said organizer Alexis Omari, a third year pharmacy student from Oklahoma City, OK.
For more information contact the Xavier University chapter of Kappa Psi at 504-520-5699.
New Orleans, LA - Members of the Xavier community are encouraged to participate in the 21st Annual United Negro College Fund 5K Run on Sunday, Oct. 5.
Come out and join thousands of walkers and runners in support of XU and Dillard, with all proceeds being used to support local students. The race begins and ends on the Riverview area directly behind Audubon Zoo and winds its way through beautiful Audubon Park.
The official campus kickoff for the event is scheduled for Wednesday (Sept. 24) from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the first floor lobby of the University Center. Additional campus signup dates are scheduled for Sept. 26, Oct. 1 and Oct. 3.
Regular registration is $25 and includes a race T-shirt, food, drinks and complimentary admission to the Zoo. Student registration is only $5 and includes transportation to the race site.
Organizers are seeking team captains from each department. Contact Nannette Smith at 520-7684 or firstname.lastname@example.com for more info.
Event day registration begins at 7:30 a.m., rain or shine, and the 5K race (or walk) begins at 9:00 a.m. The New Orleans Track Club will administer the race and prizes will be presented to top finishers.
Last year Xavierites turned out in record numbers to enjoy good food, music and friends, and a pleasant walk or run through Audubon Park - all in support of the UNCF.
New Orleans LA – Former astronaut Dr. Bernard Harris, will be the guest speaker at the Xavier University Freshman Seminar Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 5:00 pm in the University Ballroom. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Selected by NASA in January 1990, Dr. Harris became an astronaut in July 1991. He is qualified for assignment as a mission specialist on future Space Shuttle flight crews. He served as the crew representative for Shuttle Software in the Astronaut Office Operations Development Branch. A veteran of two space flights, Dr. Harris has logged more than 438 hours in space. He was a mission specialist on STS-55 (April 26 to May 6, 1993), and was the Payload Commander on STS-63 (February 2-11, 1995).
Dr. Harris was assigned as a mission specialist on STS-55, Spacelab D-2, in August 1991, and later flew on board Columbia for ten days, (April 26 to May 6, 1993), marking the Shuttle's one year of total flight time. Dr. Harris was part of the payload crew of Spacelab D-2, conducting a variety of research in physical and life sciences.
During this flight, Dr. Harris logged over 239 hours and 4,164,183 miles in space.
In 1995, Dr. Harris was the Payload Commander on STS-63, the first flight of the new joint Russian-American Space Program. Mission highlights included the rendezvous with the Russian Space Station, Mir, operation of a variety of investigations in the Spacelab module, and the deployment and retrieval of Spartan 204. During the flight, Dr. Harris became the first African-American to walk in space. He logged 198 hours, 29 minutes in space, completed 129 orbits, and traveled over 2.9 million miles. Dr. Harris left NASA in April 1996.
Equally as impressive as his space career, Harris has developed a broad range of business talents. He served as Vice President of SPACEHAB, Inc., where he was involved in business development and marketing of the company's space-based products and services. He also was Vice President of Business Development for Space Media, Inc., establishing an international space education program for students. In addition, he is a member of the board of some of the leading technology companies in the world. Collectively, Harris has 37 years of total experience in research, management and hardware/product development. He continues to author numerous scientific publications.
He holds several faculty appointments including, Associate Professor in internal medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch and Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine. Harris serves on several federal, state and corporate boards. He is also a licensed private pilot.
New Orleans LA - Xavier University of Louisiana received another "green light" on its road to recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when 911 new students – including 784 members of the freshman Class of 2012 – enrolled for the 2008 fall semester.
That influx of new students pushed the University's current overall enrollment to 3,233 students, five percent higher than last fall and holding steady at slightly more than three-quarters of its record pre-Katrina student population.
The preliminary figures for this fall show 2,447 students enrolled in the College of Arts and Science, 673 enrolled in the College of Pharmacy and 110 in the Graduate School. The new students included 784 freshmen and 127 transfers.
"It's very gratifying to see students from across the nation are showing renewed interest in attending Xavier," said President Norman Francis, attributing the sustained interest to the University's continuing national reputation for excellence and leadership in the math and science fields – especially biology, pre-med and pharmacy – combined with a solid liberal arts core curriculum."
"We have never compromised our commitment to academic excellence despite Katrina's toll," said Francis, noting that the University has graduated nearly 2,400 students since Katrina. "Our students continue to compete and excel in the sciences as well as in business and liberal arts."
The 2006 and 2007 freshman classes (the first two recruiting classes following the University's reopening on January '06) had 447 and 664 members respectively, much less than the last pre-Katrina Freshman class that was more than 1,000 strong. However, enrollment was down not just for Xavier, but also at every other college in the New Orleans area.
Although the smaller 2006-2007 freshman classes will continue to be a factor influencing the University's overall enrollment for several years to come, Xavier officials expect to see increased numbers of freshman with each passing year as Katrina becomes less of an issue, and getting a quality education becomes more so.
New Orleans LA - The Xavier University of Louisiana Rank and Tenure Committee has approved the promotions of seven faculty members in five different disciplines, according to Dr. Loren Blanchard, vice president for academic affairs.
Three members of the faculty –Dr. Anil Kukreja in the College of Arts and Science's Division of Business, and both Dr. Levon Bostanian and Dr. Shashikant Phadtare in the College of Pharmacy's Division of Basic Sciences – were promoted to the rank of professor, while four others – Dr. Stephen Boyd in pharmacy, Dr. Calvin Porter in biology, Dr. Leslie Richardson in English and Dr. Elizabeth Smith Rousselle in languages – were all promoted to the rank of associate professor.
Kukreja, who serves as chair of the business division, is starting his 14th year at Xavier. Among the courses he teaches (and has taught) are operational management, service management, quantitative methods for business and computer based information systems. The holder of a Ph.D. in management science (University of Alabama), Kukreja has done research in such areas as management, simulation methodology, technology implementation, and productivity and quality, the results of which have been published in many top tier journals.
Bostanian, a Ph.D. in pharmaceutics and pharmaceutical chemistry (Ohio State University), has been at the university for 13 years. He is currently teaching pharmaceutical calculations, pharmaceutics, and biopharmaceutics and basic pharmacokinetics. Bostanian is one of the inventors of a U.S. patent for small particle formation and has several publications in the area of drug delivery and has secured extramural funding through the Department of Defense (DoD) as well as the National Institute of Health (NIH). His research interests focus primarily on the pre-formulation of drugs as well as the physical-chemical characterization of drugs in dosage forms.
Phadtare, a 19-year XU veteran, teaches such courses as principles of drug action, medicinal chemistry I & II and pharmaceutical sciences lab. A Ph.D. in bio-organic chemistry (University of Pune in India), he has conducted extensive research on the design and development of new nucleic acid base derived nucleoside analogues as potential anticancer agents specifically targeted to breast cancer. He has published several articles and received a $718,000 grant from the National Institute of General Medicines in support of his research.
Boyd, entering his fourth year at Xavier, holds a PharmD degree from the University of Nebraska. Among the courses he has taught (or is teaching) include disease state management and pharmacy practice (immunizations). His research interests include diabetes, weight loss, student audience response system) and pharmacoeconomic outcomes at employer worksites.
Porter, who holds a Ph.D. in biology from Texas Tech University, is starting his seventh year at the university. His teaching credits include general biology, general zoology, anatomy and physiology lab, non-majors biology, biodiversity and organic evolution. His research involves investigating the evolution of repetitive DNA sequences in asexually-reproducing lizards.
Richardson is starting her seventh year at Xavier, where she has taught (and teaches) world literature, intro to British literature, twentieth-century women writers, post-colonial fiction, restoration and eighteenth-century literature, intro to women's studies, and English composition. A Ph.D. in English (Tulane University), she is working on a couple of books – one on violence in the eighteenth-century novel and the other an anthology of feminist theory geared toward undergraduates rather than specialists.
Smith Rousselle, a professor of Spanish and French language and literature, holds a Ph.D. in Spanish literature from Tulane University. At Xavier since 1998, she teaches a new Spanish novel class which is part of the new Women's Study minor and will also be overseeing globalization-related activities at the Center for the Advancement of Teaching in her second year as faculty-in-residence. Her research focuses on analyses of gender, psychological and social issues in nineteenth- to early twentieth-century Spanish and Latin American literature.
New Orleans LA - Xavier University of Louisiana's commitment to attracting the finest instructors to its roster of faculty is a never-ending process.
This month the University took another giant step forward in that direction by establishing five new endowed professors, thanks to the generosity of some private donors and additional matching dollars from the Louisiana Board of Regents' Louisiana Education Quality Support Fund.
Each year the Board of Regents awards grants to public and private colleges across the state to assist in creating special $1 million academic chairs and $100,000 professorships. Money from the Louisiana Education Quality Support Fund is added to private donations secured by the respective universities to create the endowed accounts. The state fund provides 40 percent of the cost of establishing an endowed chair or professorship, with private donors covering the balance.
Earnings from an endowment can be used to enhance a professor's salary or pay for support items, such as travel or a research assistant.
With this year's matching state funds, Xavier has added five professorships, including the J.P. Morgan Chase Professorship in business, the Dr. JW Carmichael Professorship in pre-medicine and the Nora Vincent. Pierce Professorship in mass communications, as well as two professorships from the Times-Picayune/Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation.
"These positions mean a great deal to the University because they allow us to offer students a quality education by providing the best faculty at the forefront of their respective fields," said Dr. Kenneth St. Charles, vice president for institutional advancement. "Offering our professors additional funds for research and specialized academic pursuits is vital to the overall development of our students."
St. Charles said the University was especially grateful to those private donors – including John Kallenborn (Chase), Ashton Phelps (Times-Picayune), alumni and friends, and other anonymous donors – whose generous contributions made matching the state funds possible.
The grants will be awarded at a Board of Regents presentation Sept. 12. With this year's additions, Xavier now has four chairs and forty-six professorships in its Eminent Scholar Chairs and Professorships program.
New Orleans LA - The Xavier University of Louisiana Speech Pathology program has been awarded an $800,000 grant by the U.S. Department of Education to train students to be speech-language pathology assistants who are bilingual in Spanish.
Students will participate in a two year program at Xavier where they will become competent in the culture, language and speech and language development of Latinos.
Students will receive tuition and stipend support for the two years they are in the project.
Once students graduate with a B.S. in Speech Pathology, they must commit to working in a public school for four years.
For more information, contact Dr. Nancy Martino at email@example.com or 504-520-5090.
New Orleans LA - Over 50 artists and 74 works of art bore tribute to famed New Orleans artist John T. Scott at an exhibit designed to honor his outstanding accomplishments as an artist, scholar and teacher and to raise funds for a scholarship in his name at the university.
Scott's former students and fellow artists contributed works for the month-long exhibit at the Arthur Roger gallery in New Orleans, which culminated with the Warehouse/Art District's White Linen Night in early August. The fundraiser netted more than $41,000.
"We're grateful for the generous support of the Arthur Roger Gallery and thankful to the art community for embracing this endeavor," said Gia Soublet, XU assistant vice president for campaigns who along with gallery owner Arthur Roger coordinated the exhibit. "I think everyone who came to the exhibit was impressed with the variety and expertise of the artists in the show.
Among the artists contributing pieces to the show were: Jan Arrigo, Luis Cruz Azaceta, Isaac Badu, David Bates, Ron Bechet, Willie Birch, Jacqueline Bishop, Nini Bodenheimer, Douglas Bourgeois, Nicole Charbonnet, Teresa Cole, Albert Cooper, Chuck Crosby, Bruce Davenport, Jr., Lesley Dill, Kimberly Dummons, Karen Edmunds, Lin Emery, Beverly Erdreich, Margaret Evangeline, Dorothy Furlong-Gardner, Alan Gerson, Sam Gilliam, Simon Gunning, JoAnn Flom Greenberg, Bill Hemmerling, Sharon Jacques, Augustus Jenkins, Jr., Richard Johnson, Mike Kilgore, MaPo Kinnord-Payton, Gene Koss, M. Nkoyo Lavigne, Carol Leake, Robin Levy, Lory Lockwood, Shirley Rabe Masinter, Bert Myers, Katheleen Michael, Larry Nevil, Terrance Osborne, Francis Pavy, Deborah Pelias, Martin Payton, Steve Price, Jim Richard, Bradley Sabin, Ann E. Schaefer, Karoline Schleh, John T. Scott, Elizabeth Shannon, Hunt Slonem, Allison Stewart, Cely Tapplette-Pedescleaux, Kate Trepagnier and Gretchen Wheaton.
Scott, a 1962 Xavier graduate and recipient of a MacArthur Fellow, taught at Xavier for more than 40 years. He died in 2007 following a lung transplant.
Several show items remain unsold. Anyone interested in purchasing art that was not sold during the show or would like to make a contribution to the scholarship fund should contact Soublet at 504-520-7575 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
New Orleans LA - Xavier University of Louisiana has once again garnered inclusion in U.S. News & World Report's annual "America's Best Colleges" special edition.
In the newly released 2009 edition of the magazine's widely-read and popular annual college guide, Xavier was ranked 29th among the publication's list of the "Best Universities - Master's" from the southern region of the United States. That places the university in the "top tier" of the 1,400 institutions rated and marks an improvement over last year's ranking of 36th.
The university also received a new distinction in this year's edition, with experts who participated in the magazine's annual peer assessment survey placing Xavier 8th among the "up-and-coming" Master's schools in the South Region.
The annual guide divides all colleges and universities into four categories – national, master's, comprehensive and liberal arts colleges – grouping them further into designated geographical regions. Xavier is included among the master's schools because it offers a full range of undergraduate and master's level programs, in addition to a single doctoral program.
A total of 59 colleges and universities from 12 states were included among the "top tier" institutions in this year's southern region rankings. According to the magazine the ratings are based on academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.
The complete list of the southern "Best Universities - Master's" is available at http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/masters-south, while the complete guide can be accessed at http://www.usnews.com.
New Orleans, LA - In 1948 a young man from Lafayette, Louisiana arrived in New Orleans to attend the nation's only historically Black and Catholic university; armed with a determination to succeed and a letter from the Holy Family sisters – who taught him in high school – asking the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (SBS) to give him a chance to attend Xavier University despite his family's limited financial resources, and even if it meant "working off" his tuition.
Sixty years later, with the exception of two years in the U-S Army, Norman Christopher Francis is still "working off" that tuition as he prepares this Fall to celebrate forty years of service as Xavier's first and only lay president. That also makes him America's current longest serving university president and a universally respected leader in higher education circles. This at a time when according to sources like the Chronicle of Higher Education, the typical career expectancy for newly hired university presidents is 5-7 years.
Francis is still a dynamo at age 77 who spends long hours on the job and maintains a travel schedule that might easily debilitate younger men. This visionary has served in advisory roles to four U-S presidents on the subject of improving education in the United States, beginning with Ronald Reagan who appointed him to the Commission that drafted the famous "Nation at Risk" report.
Francis earned further national respect when he led the recovery of Xavier's devastated campus in 2005 following Hurricane Katrina, making good his pledge to reopen the campus in less than five months. In addition to that challenge, he accepted the role as chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority following Katrina. Those dual roles and the visionary leadership Francis demonstrated in both undoubtedly led to President Bush awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in December 2006.
To celebrate those forty years of visionary leadership and service not only to Xavier, but also to his community and to the nation, the University will honor its president on November 21, 2008 with "A Legacy for a Legend" gala featuring a concert by legendary vocalist and seven-time Grammy winner Gladys Knight at the amphitheater of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
New Orleans LA - This fall Xavier University of Louisiana students have the added option of studying Arabic and Japanese on campus.
As part of a departmental commitment to participate fully in the internationalization of the curriculum, with its inherent advantages for students who must work as fully competent global citizens in the twenty-first century, the Department of Languages is in the process of expanding course offerings beyond the traditional instruction in French and Spanish to include the Less Commonly-Taught Languages (LCTLs) that will be significant in the development of international business, diplomacy, and
The proposed courses, Elementary Arabic 1 and Elementary Japanese 1, are three-credit courses designed to give students access to strategic language study on the Xavier campus.
ARAB1010 will teach the students Modern Standard Arabic through conversation, writing, important points of culture and introduction to Arabic poetry in the first year. Students begin with an intensive period of study of Arabic calligraphy, then progress to the development of the four fundamental language skills: comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing.
Through university participation in the Arabic Studies telelearning network based at Montana State University, students will participate in two weekly classes taught by Dr. Nabil Abdelfattah as well as small group laboratory and drill sessions directed by Ms. Hind Ohmani, a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant from Morocco.
Students who complete ARAB1010 and 1020 with a satisfactory grade will be eligible for a $1,600 scholarship to be applied towards intensive summer study in Egypt or academic-year study in Morocco. The telelearning classes meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. in Rm. 130 of the NCF Annex and the Tuesday and Thursday sessions will meet in Rm. 601 of the Library Resource Center.
Through a collaborative arrangement with Dillard University, Dr. Masako Dorrill, Director of Japanese Studies at Dillard, will teach one class of JAPN1010 (Elementary Japanese 1) on the XU campus from 3:00-3:50 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays during the fall semester. The third hour, devoted to laboratory work, will take place from 9:30-10:20 a.m. on Fridays.
In order to enroll in JAPN1010, the student MUST register through the Consortium for the Dillard course, making sure to select the 3-4 MW Japanese 1 section. There are no extra charges for either of these courses.
Students who have questions about either course should contact Dr. Susan Spillman, Chair of the Department of Languages, in Room 549 of the Library Resource Center LRC 549, call ext. 5112 or send an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com.
New Orleans LA - Louisiana's Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals, Sybil Richard will deliver the keynote address for Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy's White Coat ceremony Monday, August 25, 7:00 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom.
Richard, a 1991 Xavier graduate, was appointed by Gov. Bobby Jindal earlier this year. She is the former assistant deputy secretary for Medicaid Operations for the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Richard is responsible for the management and operation of Medicaid's 47 service programs in the bureaus of Medicaid Pharmacy Services, Medicaid Services, Health Systems Development, as well as the 11 field offices throughout the state.
"The Xavier White Coat ceremony event culminates a week of orientation events for the pharmacy students, focusing on increasing the students' awareness of professional
expectations," said Randall Schexnayder, assistant dean for Student Affairs.
There are more than 100 Pharmacy schools in the United States, and Xavier's College of Pharmacy, established in 1927, is among the top three annual producers of African American graduates
with Doctor of Pharmacy degrees.
Thanks in part to a grant from the State of Qatar, the College of Pharmacy is currently undergoing major expansion. Pilings are being driven for a five-story, 60,000 square foot addition scheduled for completion in Fall 2009.
New Orleans LA - Beginning this fall, the Xavier University of Louisiana College of Arts and Sciences will offer a new minor program in Women's Studies.
The interdisciplinary minor will introduce students to a comprehensive body of knowledge that critically analyzes the gendering process from a multidisciplinary perspective. To complete the minor, students must complete 18 credit hours from a broad-based package of courses, including three (nine credit hours) required courses – Introduction to Introduction to Women's Studies (WMST 1010/SOCI 1030), Women in International Contexts (WMST 3010/HIST 3010) and Twentieth Century Women Writers (WMST 3125/ENGL 3125) – and three (9 credit hours) electives which may be selected from a pool of 17 courses from 13 different disciplines.
Dr. Pamela Waldron-Moore, chair of the Political Science Department and coordinator of the program, said the new minor promises to enhance and revitalize course offerings in the core and major curricula.
Adoption of the women's minor is especially appropriate at Xavier, where more than two-thirds of its 3,000 enrollment is female.
In the coming semesters, a Women's Resource Center, complete with books, magazines, videos and related electronic equipment will be established. It will be utilized and supported by a women's studies student organization and a Women's Studies Coordinator. The Center will feature book club readings, occasional guest speakers, debating contests, and community activities (e.g. poetry readings and Spoken Word clinics involving community and collegial representatives).
For more information on the program, contact Dr. Waldron-Moore at 520-7405.
New Orleans, LA - The University has once again received the endorsement of a prominent, annual college rating publication.
Xavier was singled out as one of the nation's best institutions for undergraduate education by The Princeton Review, in the 2009 edition of its annual guide, "The Best 368 Colleges."
Art Exhibit Supports John Scott Scholarship
New Orleans LA - The Arthur Roger Gallery and Xavier University of Louisiana have teamed up to host an exhibition of donated works of art to raise funds for the John Scott endowed scholarship.
A preview will begin July 22 at the gallery at 730 Tchoupitoulas St. and will culminate with the Warehouse/Art District's White Linen Night Aug. 2. The purpose of the exhibit is to honor Scott's outstanding accomplishments as an artist, scholar and teacher. Funds raised by the event will go toward establishing an endowed scholarship in his name at Xavier.
"There was an outpouring of interest in doing something for Scott and it made a lot of sense to honor him in conjunction with this event," said gallery owner Arthur Roger.
"We're grateful for the generous support of the Arthur Roger Gallery and thankful to the art community for embracing this endeavor," said Gia Soublet, assistant vice president for campaigns at Xavier. "In addition to the other artists' work, there will be one or two of John Scott's original pieces for sale."
Scott, a 1962 Xavier graduate, was a long-time art professor at Xavier. He earned a master of Fine Arts from Michigan State University. He received an honorary Doctor of Humanities from Michigan State in 1995 and a Doctor of Humanities from Tulane University in 1997.
The New Orleans artist was a recipient of the prestigious McArthur Foundation's Genius Grant in 1992. He was awarded it for demonstrating extraordinary originality and exceptional creativity in the field of art.
Just before Hurricane Katrina struck the city, The New Orleans Museum of Art hosted a retrospective of his work entitled "Circle Dance: The Art of John T. Scott." Scott and his family temporarily relocated to the Houston, Texas area. After a long struggle with lung disease, including a double lung transplant, Scott died in September 2007. A memorial service was held at Xavier where the art community, family and friends came to say goodbye.
Fans of his work can still see Scott's larger than life installments around the city of New Orleans as well as in other cities around the country. Any artist wishing to contribute to the fundraising exhibit should contact the Arthur Roger Gallery at 504-522-1999.
2008 Freshman Class Looking Good
New Orleans LA - Projections for a fall 2008 freshman class of close to 800 students at Xavier University of Louisiana seem to be right on target.
The XU Office of Admissions reports that several reliable indicators – applications received, acceptance deposits collected, and the level of participation in the University's first-ever, early-summer freshman orientation for local students last month – all point to a healthy, steady growth in enrollment.
That's good news for the University, which had seen its first two pre-Katrina freshman classes come in at 447 and 669. Although largely in line with realistic expectations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the numbers were a far cry from the record freshman classes experienced just prior to the August 2005 storm.
"We are extremely pleased to be on target for enrollment for a freshman class of close to 800 students," said Winston Brown, dean of admissions, whose office received nearly 3,500 applications for the freshman class.
"While Xavier and several other area colleges served as a vanguard for New Orleans' recovery in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, our continued growth is tied to the recovery of the city itself," said Brown. "It's encouraging to see that we have been able to communicate to out-of town students – and their parents – that New Orleans is ready to receive them."
Brown pointed out that in the first few semesters after Xavier re-opened its doors in January 2006 the University's overall enrollment reflected nearly 60 percent local students. The percentages seem to be shifting back to the 60-40 out-of-town/local level that Xavier has experienced in the past two decades.
XU Student Among New Albert Schweitzer Fellows
New Orleans, LA – Deshawn Stevenson, a student in Xavier University of Louisiana's College of Pharmacy, was one of twelve New Orleans area students selected as a Schweitzer Fellow for the 2008-08 year.
The Schweitzer Fellowship aims to help underserved or uninsured communities, while simultaneously enhancing the education of health professionals in the area.
Stevenson, a third-year pharmacy student, from Fort Wayne, Indiana, will develop a program with the pharmacy at the Daughters of Charity Clinic in New Orleans to
counsel patients on their medications, organize a health fair, and distribute flyers promoting the clinic and health information around the neighborhood. Stevenson
will also serve as president of Xavier's chapter of the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPHA). He is a graduate of Southside High School.
New Orleans represents the newest of ten Schweitzer Fellowship Programs across the country and it was recently established in New Orleans in response to the escalating health needs of the local community. The twelve newly selected 2008-2009 New Orleans Schweitzer Fellows will collectively provide 2,400 hours of direct service addressing the health priorities in New Orleans.
The fellows were recruited from graduate programs throughout New Orleans. In a competitive application and interview process, the 12 students were selected ased on their individual proposals for projects that directly address what the students identified as unmet health needs in New Orleans.
In addition to their direct service, the fellows meet monthly to share ideas and experiences. Once the Fellows have completed their year of service, they will become
part of a national alumni support network of over 1,300 "Fellows for Life," across the United States and abroad. Virtually all "Fellows for Life" continue to support and
inspire each other through continuing commitment to service.
Located at the Louisiana Public Health Institute, and headed by "Fellow for Life" Raymond Tsai, the New Orleans Schweitzer Fellow Program is part of a national program of similar activities of service, involving Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Delaware Valley, Los Angeles, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, San Francisco (Bay Area), and Vermont. Because the work of the Fellows is donated without charge to the communities served, each city's program is supported
through charitable gifts.
The New Orleans Program is supported by the National Schweitzer Fellows Program through a Merck Foundation grant, Kaiser Permanente, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, The American Medical Association, Wachovia
Bank, and independent philanthropists.
Jazzin' it Up Xavier Style – New Orleans Alumni Chapter Hosts Jazz Round Up
New Orleans LA - The New Orleans Alumni Chapter (Club #1) held its annual Jazz Round Up Sunday June 8 at the University Center Ballroom on the Xavier campus.
Alumni and friends gathered for the annual chapter festivities held to thank supporters and friends of the Club #1. This year's Round Up chaired by Nelrose LaPeirre '42 and Elvira Henry '58 honored a slate of alumni and friends which included: Xavierites Edna Carter '37, Josie Lewis '54, Albert Thomas '52, Ella Jackson '58, and Wilfred Lodrig, a long-time Xavier supporter.
Also honored was New Orleans Jazz legend Lionel Ferbos, a friend of Xavier. Ferbos, a jazz trumpeter, is the oldest still active New Orleans jazz musician (at 97).
He continues to perform and is a regular at the Palm Court Jazz Café.
"This was one of the most exciting Jazz Round Up events we've had," said committee member Dolores Aaron. "This year's event was all about the music and we're thrilled to honor one of New Orleans's top notch jazz musicians."
Local musicians Dwight and Connie Fitch provided the live entertainment for the festive event and the Algiers Brass Band closed out the event, leading an energetic second line.
Four Xavier students were presented with scholarships from the chapter. Jarred Honora, Traylon Williams, Gianni Baham and Jarnelle Jones. Guests enjoyed the entertainment, food and door prizes provided by the "Hometeam"chapter.
"We're revitalizing our chapter and inviting all New Orleans area alumni to join us," said Halvan Lieteau '53, chapter president. To find out more about the "Hometeam", Xavier's New Orleans Alumni Chapter/Club #1, contact chapter president, Halvan Lieteau at 288-9079.
University's Top Students Designated Rousseve Scholars
New Orleans, LA - Thirty-one upperclassmen have been named Rousseve Scholars for the 2008-09 school year.
Students selected for the Rousseve Scholars Program generally represent the top ten students in the sophomore, junior and senior classes based on their academic performance the preceding two semesters. Each recipient receives a full tuition scholarship and a book allowance.
This year's recipients, grouped by their class, are listed below along with their major field of study, hometown and high school.
Sophomores – Breannie Charles, chemistry/pre-pharmacy, Lafayette LA (Northside High); Thuy Doan, biology, Marrero LA (L.W. Higgins High); Danielle Foster, biology/pre-med, Indianapolis IN (Arsenal Technical High); Thy Ho-Pham, chemistry/pre-med, Gretna, LA (West Jefferson High); Courtney Jason, chemistry/pre-pharmacy, Opelousas LA (Opelousas High); Terrika Jones, biology/premed, Columbus MS (Columbus High); Jalisa Mathis, mass communications, Belle Chasse LA (Belle Chase High); Steve Morgan, biology/pre-med, Gray LA (H.L. Bourgeois High); Hong Nguyen, mass communications, Westwego, LA (L.W. Higgins High); and Jessica Nguyen, chemistry/pre-med, Belle Chasse LA (Belle Chase High).
Juniors – Nana-Aisha Adamu, biology/pre-med, Pine Bluff AR (Watson Chapel High); Ryan Boudreau, pharmacy (P1), Kenner LA (Archbishop Rummel High); April Harry, mathematics, New Iberia LA (Westgate High); Jenna Hill, biology/pre-med, New Orleans LA (McMain High); Uyen Tram Le, pharmacy (P1), Westminister, CA (Laquinta High); Janiya Nelson, biology/pre-med, Baton Rouge LA (Tara High); Luu Ngo, pharmacy (P1), New Orleans LA (Cornerstone Christian High); John Nguyen, pharmacy (P1), Harvey LA (John Ehret High); Thao Nguyen, pharmacy (P1), New Orleans LA (Ben Franklin High); Ugochi Obih, biology/pre-med, Metairie LA (Dominican High); and Pauline Smith, psychology/pre-med, Detroit MI (Bishop Borgess High).
Seniors – Kamille Abreu, pharmacy (P2), Pharr TX (Pearland High); Nazima Alvi, pharmacy (P2), Kenner LA (Andrew Jackson High); Nikkia Edwards, biology/pre-med, Ft. Worth TX (Naaman Forest High); Justin Frederick, engineering, Decatur GA (Druid Hills High); Jocelyn Hooks, pharmacy (P2), Moss Point MS (Moss Point High); Bryttannie Mason, business/management, Chicago IL (Queen of Peace High); Keisha Mitchell, biology/pre-med, Indianapolis IN (North Central High); Thuy Nguyen, pharmacy (P2), Ocean Springs MS (Ocean Springs High); Brittney Richardson, biology/pre-med, Independence LA (Independence High); and Lauren Williamson, biology/pre-med, Baton Rouge LA (Ben Franklin High).
XU Ranks High in Diverse Issues Report
New Orleans, LA - A special report by Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine once again provides documentation of the Xavier University of Louisiana's success in a number of academic disciplines.
In its annual "Top 100 Undergraduate Degree Producers" issue (June 2008), the magazine shows XU once again ranking first in the nation in the number of African American students earning baccalaureate degrees in two areas – the biological and biomedical sciences, as well as the physical sciences.
Xavier is comfortably ahead of the pack in both categories: graduating 126 students in the biological and biomedical sciences – nearly 20 percent more than that of second-place Howard University – and another 39 students in the physical sciences – nearly 50 per cent higher than runner-up Morehouse.
Xavier also places 40th in awarding undergraduate degrees in psychology to African Americans with 53.
The Diverse Issues report is based on a review of the 2006-2007 preliminary data distributed by the U.S. Department of Education, which includes the effect of Hurricane Katrina (e.g. Xavier's smaller total enrollment).
The magazine has reported on degrees conferred since 1992, tracking trends in bachelor degree conferrals to African American students by HBCU institutions compared to all other institutions.
Catholic Catechism from an Afrocentric Perspective:
Courses at XU's Summer Institute for Black Catholic Studies
New Orleans, LA - For anyone who has taught RCIA or Catholic Catechism classes, and those who would like to, the Institute for Black Catholic Studies (IBCS) at Xavier University of Louisiana is offering three one-week certification/enrichment courses June 29-July 13.
"Our catechist formation courses provide catechists and religious educators ways of interpreting the Catholic tradition from a black perspective for those who work with
African American youth, young adults and adults," said Dr. Jamie Phelps, O.P., director of the Institute.
With topics such as "Nature & Goals of Africentric Catechesis," "Teach it!: Developing Meaningful Strategies" and "Naming and Claiming our Resources," and "Adult Catechesis," the one-week courses will offer lay people a new perspective on Catechesis.
"Many catechists volunteer their time, share their faith and evangelize through this ministry," said Phelps, "But Continuing Religious Education is not just for the young!"
In addition to Catechists courses, the Institute at Xavier offers certification and enrichment courses in Youth Ministry and Leadership. The Leadership Seminars focus on the psychology, sociology and marriage in the Black Family. The Institute also offers graduate degree courses in Theology.
For more information on the Institute for Black Catholic Studies Summer 2008 session at Xavier visit the webpage at http://www.xula.edu/IBCS or call 504-520-7691.
XU Offers Mardi Gras Indian Arts Summer School
New Orleans, LA – The Xavier University of Louisiana Department of Art is once again offering its popular Mardi Gras Indian Arts Summer School.
The eight-week intensive arts program is designed for students who want to learn the basics of Mardi Gras Indian costume design through hands on sessions in which they will learn how to imagine design and create a Mardi Gras Indian costume from start to finish.
Beginning June 2nd, 2008, students will meet Monday through Friday from
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the studios and classrooms of the Xavier University Art Village. School ends August 1, 2008. The summer school is open to youth ages 11-14. Tuition for the camp is $50. Need-based scholarships are available.
You can request an application or more information by calling (504) 520-7552 or emailing email@example.com. Applications can also be downloaded via Adobe PDF on Xavier's Department of Art website, www.xula.edu/art. Applications are due May 28th, 2008.
The Summer School is offered by the Department of Art at Xavier University through its Community Arts Program. This project is supported in part by generosity of the Art4Moore, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, and the Sewing Machine Project.
XU Names Loren Blanchard Senior VP for Academic Affairs
New Orleans, LA - Dr. Loren Blanchard has been named the new Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Xavier University of Louisiana, effective July 1st. The announcement was made during the University's 81st Commencement exercises
held May 10 at the Kiefer/UNO Lakefront Arena.
Blanchard currently serves as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic & Multicultural Affairs at the LSU Health Science Center in New Orleans, where he was responsible for serving as an advocate for the academic and research development
and success of students and faculty, developing strategic diversity initiatives and providing leadership in the development of programs that enhance and illuminate intercultural understanding.
He has also served as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Louisiana System (ULS) in Baton Rouge, where he provided coordination among eight regional universities in achieving their academic
and research goals. Blanchard also served as Vice President for Accreditation, Leadership and Accountability for ULS; and Accreditation Specialist with the Louisiana Department of Education.
Blanchard previously served as Chair and Associate Professor in Xavier's Division of Education and as Xavier's Coordinator for National Accreditation through the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
"Dr. Blanchard brings a wealth of experience in academic administration to the University," said Xavier University President, Dr. Norman C. Francis. "He will be a major addition to Xavier's academic services at this crucial time in higher education."
Meanwhile, the incoming head of the University of Louisiana System – Dr. Sally Clausen – says of her former ULS colleague: "Xavier has made an excellent choice in selecting Loren Blanchard for this position. He is an energetic, visionary hard working professional, and the students will reap the benefits for a long time."
A sought after national expert in accreditation planning and implementation, he led the effort to seal the state of Louisiana's partnership with NCATE. Blanchard's specialty is assessment where he has been recognized for co-developing a comprehensive web-based assessment tool known as PASS-PORT (Professional
Accountability Support System using a Portal Approach) that has been successfully used by nearly every college and university in Louisiana. PASS-PORT is now a nationally marketed software. Blanchard is also a Millennium Leadership Fellow with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
Dr. Blanchard's research includes minority male populations, national accreditation preparation for HBCU teacher education programs, as well as competence studies in children and families of gifted and talented minority students. Most recently, Blanchard co-edited a book entitled, Paper-Thin/Soul-Deep: A Collection
of Personal Letters and Journal Entries of African American Men. This book has received positive reviews as a rarity of its kind that showcases the personal writings of Black men.
Blanchard holds a B.S. degree in Speech Pathology Education from Xavier University, a M.Ed. degree in Educational Administration & Supervision from McNeese State University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Georgia. Dr. Blanchard's teaching focus includes Educational and Adolescent Psychology as well as Research and Statistics at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
He replaces Dr. Elizabeth Anne Barron who will retire in June 2008.
Three Xavier Students Selected for American Pavilion Program
New Orleans, LA - Three Xavier students – Jacqueline Brogdon, Christian Mitchell and Darren Wallace – will be traveling to the world-renowned Cannes Film Festival in southern France this May 10-26 as participants in The American Pavilion's Worldwide Student and International Business Programs.
Brogdon, a freshman mass communications major from Los Angeles CA (Hollywood High), Mitchell, a junior English major from Indianapolis IN (Bishop Chatard) and Wallace, a junior business/marketing major from Baton Rouge LA (Baton Rouge High), were among 140 college students nationwide selected to participate in the unique and highly competitive worldwide student work-study program which provides an exciting educational experience, offering insight about the entertainment industry to aspiring actors, filmmakers, journalists and individuals studying the overall business of film.
The International Business Program is open to business students with a serious interest in entertainment, offering an opportunity to experience the inner workings of the film business as an intern with an entertainment company at the festival.
For the past twenty years, The American Pavilion has offered film students the chance to participate in its programs that take place at the Cannes Film Festival. Brogdon and Wallace will stay in Cannes for the duration of the Festival (May 14- 25, the Program itself runs from May 10- 26), completing a work placement and participating in educational workshops, seminars, pitch sessions, roundtable discussions and screenings.
Prior to the start of the Festival, they will participate in a four-day Festival orientation and tour of Cannes. Once the Festival begins, students start their six-hour-per-day work placements with The American Pavilion (which can include the restaurant, bar, coffee bar, conference center and business center), one of their sponsors, or with other companies doing business at the Festival. All students have the opportunity to meet and interact with industry professionals, observing firsthand the fast-paced nature of the Festival and Market.
Tavis Smiley to Address XU graduates at Commencement May 10
New Orleans, LA - Broadcaster, author, advocate and philanthropist Tavis Smiley
will be the keynote speaker when Xavier University of Louisiana holds its 81st annual commencement Saturday May 10, at 10:00 a.m. at the Lakefront Arena.
Xavier's Baccalaureate ceremony will be held on the campus on Friday May 9 at 7:00 pm. in the Gym.
Smiley, one of America's most celebrated and respected media personalities, is expected to address close to 600 graduates and their families at the graduation ceremony.
Smiley, who Newsweek magazine profiled as one of the "20 people Changing How Americans Get Their News," hosts a late night television talk show on PBS that reaches 92 percent of U.S. households and is seen in 187 countries through American Forces Network. The Tavis Smiley Show for Public Radio International reaches 800,000 listeners each weekend. He is the first American ever to simultaneously host signature talk shows on both public television and radio.
Smiley has had two of his books, Covenant with Black America and the Covenant In Action, make the New York Times Best Sellers List. The stated mission of his nonprofit organization Tavis Smiley Foundation is to enlighten, encourage and
empower Black youth.
Smiley recently hosted his annual symposium, State of the Black Union in New Orleans. The event features America's premier thought leaders and engages thousands of attendees and over 100 million viewers worldwide.
His website, Tavistalks.com generates more than 246,000 hits daily.
This will be the second Xavier University commencement that Smiley has
participated in. He received an honorary degree from the University in 2004.
Rovaris Selected as ACE Fellow
New Orleans, LA - Dr. Dereck J. Rovaris, director of graduate placement at
Xavier University of Louisiana, has been named an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow.
Thirty-six Fellows, nominated by the presidents or chancellors of their institutions, were selected this year in a national competition. The ACE Fellows Program, established in 1965, is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in
American higher education by identifying and preparing promising senior faculty and administrators for responsible positioning in college and university administration.
Sharon A. McDade, Ed. D., director of the ACE Fellows Program, noted that most previous Fellows have advanced into major positions in academic administration. Of the more than 1,500 participants in the first 43 years of the program, more than 300 have become chief executive offices and more than 1,100 have become provosts, vice presidents, or deans.
"We're extremely pleased with the incoming class," McDade said. "The individuals selected have demonstrated strong leadership. The Fellows Program will sharpen and enhance their leadership skills and their network, and prepare them to address issues of concern to the higher education community."
Dr. Rovaris, who also directs two nationally recognized student enrichment programs, Xavier's McNair Post baccalaureate achievement program and is
SuperScholars/EXCEL program. He received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Kansas, a master of arts from Xavier University of Louisiana and a doctorate from University of Illinois, at Urbana-Champaign.
He has authored several articles on graduate school placement as well as chapters in several publications about Benjamin Mays. He has served as an educational
consultant, conducted workshops, given presentations, and been a featured speaker on the local, national, and international level. In 2005, his first book Mays and Morehouse was re-released.
He has received several awards including the Data News Weekly Trailblazer Award (1998) and the Order of St. Louis Medal - the highest service award from the
Archdiocese of Greater New Orleans. In 1995 New Orleans Magazine selected him as one of "Fifty People to Watch
"I consider this a tremendous opportunity and I'm looking forward to the experience," said Rovaris.
Each ACE Fellow will focus on an issue of concern to the nominating institution while spending the next academic year working with a college of university president and
other senior officers at a host institution. The ACE Fellows Program combines seminars, interactive learning opportunities, campus visits and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and
skills development into a single semester or year. The Fellows are included in the highest level of decision making while participating in administrative activities and learning about an issue to benefit their home schools.
Fellows attend three week-long seminars on higher education issues organized by ACE, read extensively in the field and engage in other activities to enhance their knowledge about the challenge and opportunities confronting higher education today.
Founded in 1918 ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation's higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university presidents, and more than 200 related associations, nationwide. It seeks to provide
leadership and a unifying voice on key higher education issues and influence public policy through advocacy, research and program initiatives.
Two XU Students Named Kemper Scholars
New Orleans, LA. - Two Xavier University of Louisiana freshmen – Andrea Hodge, an art/biology major from Leslie MI (Okemos High), and David Salmon, a history major from Shorewood WI (Shorewood High) – have been selected for the prestigious Kemper Scholars Program's Class of 2011.
The scholarship-mentorship program, designed to prepare students for leadership and service, promotes education in the liberal arts while providing opportunities for career exploration and practical experience through internships. The program has sponsored by the James S. Kemper Foundation of Chicago IL since 1948.
Kemper Scholars receive annual scholarships of $3,000 to $8,000 – based on need – for three years, as well as $6,500 stipends while serving internships at major nonprofit organizations in Chicago and at for-profit organizations of their choice anywhere in the world in the summer following their sophomore and junior years, respectively.
During the Chicago summer, scholars live in the same apartment residence hall and are placed in full-time administrative positions where they can learn about financial management, organizational strategy, fund-raising, and organizational administration.
"Kemper Scholars represent academically superior, community spirited, committed, and well-rounded undergraduates from a pre-selected group of fifteen superior liberal arts colleges around the country," said Dr. Ryan LaHurd, president and executive director of the James S. Kemper Foundation.
XU Jazz Ensemble Performs Works by Thad Jones April 17
New Orleans, LA - The Xavier University of Louisiana Jazz Ensemble will perform
in concert, Thursday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m. in the Music Building Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.
The ensemble will feature compositions written by noted jazz composer/musician Thad Jones exclusively for the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra.
The concert performance is free and open to the public. For further information, please contact the Department of Music at (504)520-7597 or Dr. Timothy R. Turner at (504) 520-6738.
Power, Passion, Purity, & Pain is XU Opera Workshop Theme
New Orleans, LA - Power, Passion, Purity, and Pain is the theme for the Xavier University of Louisiana Opera Workshop under the direction of Dr. Valerie Anne Jones Francis.
Xavier music students will perform scenes from works including Don Giovanni, Showboat, The Mikado, Le Nozze di Figaro, Treemonisha, Die Zauberflöte, Cosi Fan Tutte, The Consul, Porgy and Bess. Xavier artist-in-residence Dr. Wilfred Delphin will accompany on piano, Lula Elzy is the choreographer.
The free performances are Tuesday-Wednesday (April 22-23) at 7:00 p.m. in the Xavier Music Recital Hall. For more information contact the Xavier Music Department 504-520-7597.
XU to Welcome National Center for Black Music Research Conference
New Orleans, LA - Xavier University of Louisiana will host the National Center for Black Music Research's (CBMR) serial conference on "Black Music Diaspora" April 18-19 on the Xavier campus.
XU professor and jazz musician and historian, Dr. Michael White '76 will give the keynote address, while other XU music faculty and students will perform at "A Celebration of New Orleans Classical and Jazz Traditions in Music."
Other local presenters include Gwendolyn Midlo Hall of Southern University, Felipe Smith of Tulane University, Bruce Raeburn and Jason Berry of Tulane University who will serve as moderators, while Nick Spitzer, folklorist at the University of New Orleans, and Helen Regis of LSU are among the panelists.
The conference will feature commissioned papers on aspects of the importance of New Orleans as a diasporal center for black music in the U.S., the Caribbean, and Europe.
The CBMR is located at Columbia College in Chicago. The conference is the New Orleans component of a series of conferences that will address the black music diaspora. Additional conferences will be held in Italy and Puerto Rico.
Registration is required. For more info on the conference visit the website at http://colum.edu/cbmr.
College of Pharmacy Hosts 2nd Annual Health Disparities Conference
New Orleans, LA – According to the US Bureau of Census, by 2050, one in two Americans will be a member of a racial or ethnic minority group and at high-risk for missing the benefits of health care. Solutions for eliminating barriers to treatment, new research, and diagnostic methods in primary care are needed to address the needs of these high-risk populations.
Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy's Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education announces the convening of its Second Annual Health Disparities Conference to address health disparities, healthcare outcomes measurement, and showcase the significance of mid-level providers.
Titled Improving Medical Effectiveness to Eliminate Health Disparities through Multidisciplinary Collaborations, the conference will take place April 10-12, 2008. It has been designed to attract the nation's leading pharmacists, nurses, physicians, dieticians, public health officials, public health professionals and patient advocates representing academic institutions, corporate and community pharmacies and health
centers, and federal, state, and local governments. Dr. Norman C. Francis, President of Xavier University, believes that "this conference will help to identify some concerns about health disparities and provide measures that may be incorporated in
other private and public health related programs and communities."
The conference will open with greetings from Dr. M. Rony Francois, the newly appointed Assistant Secretary for Public Health, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, followed by a keynote and a special lecture addressing "Health Disparities:
Reducing the Inequity in the Burden of Disease through Health Policy and Leadership – Two Perspectives". Lectures for this session will be given by Jonh O. Agwunobi, MD, MBA, MPH – Senior Vice President and President of Professional Services Division, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and Rodney C. Armstead, MD – Chief Executive Officer Arizona Physicians IPA, United Health Group. Of the keynotes, Kathleen B. Kennedy, PharmD – Associate Dean, College of Pharmacy and Director, Center for
Minority Health and Health Disparities, Research and Education at Xavier – states they "will address a broad range of topics including both socioeconomic and political factors that impact our ability to reduce disparities in health care."
As the highlight of the event, the XU College of Pharmacy will host a community forum on the evening of April 11th. This forum titled "Here's to Your Health: A Town Hall Meeting to Provide Information on Improving Your Health,"
is open to the public and interested healthcare consumers. Sybil M. Richard, Deputy Secretary for the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, and a 1991 Xavier
pharmacy graduate, will share information on "Making Health a Priority to Improve Life and Save Lives."
To compliment this forum, there will also be several general sessions covering such topics as "Health Disparities: Strategies to Measure Outcomes," "Health Disparities in Disease Outcomes: Models of Public/Private Partnerships," and "The Complexities
of Health Disparities: Networks as Agents of Change." Break Out Sessions will address "Health Disparities: Strategies to Measure Outcomes," "Cultural Competency and Health Literacy to Improve Outcomes," "Population-Based Intervention Strategies in Ethnic Minority Populations: Multidisciplinary Approaches," and
"Community- and Evidence-Based Models to Eliminate Health Disparities," "Population-Based Intervention Strategies in Ethnic Minority Populations: Multidisciplinary Approaches."
This program also includes, Dexter W. Shurney, MD, MBA, MPH – Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Healthways, Inc. who will provide a luncheon keynote address on the topic "Utilizing Case Management to Improve Outcomes." The Luncheon will also include a Call to Action from John Ruffin, PhD – Director, National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities.
Pre-conference activities will begin on April 10th with a poster session and reception. This session will allow presenters from across the country, representing various health, governmental, and academic organizations, the opportunity to share their work and findings with colleagues, while fostering an atmosphere for potential collaboration development.
Even though the US Department of Health and Human Services in 2001 reported that Americans are healthier today than 25 years ago – with longer life expectancy, better infant survival, fewer smokers, less hypertension, and lower cholesterol levels – improving the nation's health remains a priority for healthcare professionals seeking equitable health care for all populations.
For more information regarding the conference, please visit the website
at http://xula08.the1joshuagroup.com or call (404) 559-6191.
Local Businesses Partner with XU to Recognize Area Teachers
New Orleans LA - The 2008-09 school year is being recognized as the "Year of the Teacher" in the Greater New Orleans Area. Xavier University of Louisiana and three local businesses have partnered to dedicate the next school year in honor of teachers.
"We're recognizing the extraordinary effort and dedication put forth by teachers of the Greater New Orleans Area," said Dr. Norman Francis, president of Xavier University, adding that "This is only a first step, and we will be announcing other initiatives in coming months."
"It's great to have an opportunity to publicly recognize our teachers for all the good work they're doing," said Dr. Judith Miranti, director of the Division of Education at Xavier.
The campaign is designed to show appreciation for K–12 educators and to highlight the critical role they play in the development of a community.
"Being a teacher is the toughest job in America. Today, teachers are challenged, not only with providing education in the traditional sense, but also with building character and instilling values. It is time we show our appreciation", says Fred Parker, General Manager of New South Parking – one of three collaborating businesses behind the campaign. He is joined by Ronnie Slone, President of The Slone Group and Cliff Robinson, President of GNO Communications.
The awareness campaign kicks off this month with the installation of three new billboards around the metropolitan area, conveying a simple message: "Thank You, Teachers ... The Wind Beneath Our Wings." The billboards are already installed along Interstate-10 eastbound near the French Quarter in New Orleans, also the Airport Service Road in Kenner, plus Airline Drive two blocks East of Causeway Boulevard.
Teachers, businesses and organizations are encouraged to log on to the website for information on how to join in this year's celebration. Teachers who log in will be entered in a drawing to win prizes.
Additional activities are planned and details will be available throughout the summer and fall and will be announced via the web site.
One of the first events scheduled is the Year of the Teacher Kick-off Dinner Reception at the Pontchartrain Center on April 23, 2008, from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Teachers of the Greater New Orleans area (inclusive of surrounding parishes) are invited to this free event. For more information log on to the website or call 504-471-0555.
This is the second time these three companies have come together to recognize education and educational institutions as key building blocks of a community.
In November of 2006, New South Parking/EZ Parker, The Slone Group and GNO Communications united to provide a forum on the impact of higher education institutions on the recovery and growth of a community. Presidents and representatives of all of the local universities participated in a three-hour 'Higher Education as a Catalyst in Recovery' (post-Katrina) dialogue. At that event, held at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner, LA, the universities were presented with the first "Building Blocks of a Community" award.
Dumas, Cleaves Earn Honorable Mention on NAIA All-America BB Team
New Orleans, LA – Xavier University of Louisiana Gold Rush point guard Shaun Dumas and Gold Nugget guard Jarryn Cleaves have earned honorable mentions on the NAIA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball All-America teams, respectively.
Dumas, a 5-foot-11 junior from New Orleans, averaged 10.5 points, three rebounds, and 4.6 assists this season. He helped the Gold Rush go 24-10 and qualify for the NAIA national tournament for a school-record fourth consecutive time.
Cleaves, a 5-foot-8 senior from Memphis TN, averaged 14.3 points and 4.6 rebounds this season. She lead the Gold Nuggets to a 27-7 record, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament title and a school-record seventh consecutive bid to the NAIA national tournament.
Cleaves, a pharmacy major, is Xavier's career leader in games played (136), 3-point field goals (283), 3-point field-goal percentage (.357) and 3-point field-goal attempts (793).
New Orleans, LA - Kimberly Reese has joined Xavier University of Louisiana's Institutional Advancement Division as the Director of Alumni Relations.
"Xavier University is fortunate to have Kim Reese as its new Director of Alumni Relations," said Dr. Kenneth St. Charles, vice-president for Institutional Advancement. "Ms. Reese's student leadership background combined with her passion and devotion to the Xavier family will greatly support the efforts of our dedicated alumni both locally and across the nation. Her appointment is coming at a critical time in the University's history and I am sure our alumni will be pleased with both her leadership and her new ideas."
Before joining IA Reese, a 1995 Xavier graduate, was the Assistant Dean for Student Programs in Xavier's Student Affairs Division. She was responsible for the Center for
Student Leadership and Service, which coordinates the American Humanics/Nonprofit Management Certification Program, New Student Orientation, Service-Learning, and the Volunteer Services and Leadership Programs.
In her student affairs position, Reese co-authored the HBCU Service-Learning Consortium of Louisiana Learn and Serve Proposal that was funded for $1.2 million.
She has also served as the point person of Campus Compact's indicators of Engagement Project in which Xavier was named as a national model of Civic and
Community Engagement.
Reese is currently a member of Women of the Storm, the Gert Town Revival Board and the Historic 7th Ward Neighborhood Improvement Association, and is a volunteer with a local high school football booster club.
In addition to a bachelor of arts from Xavier, she holds a masters degree from the University of New Orleans and is currently enrolled in the Ph.D. program there.
Gold Rush to Meet California Baptist at NAIA National Tourney
New Orleans, LA - After two outstanding showings against top-four seeds in its most recent opening rounds of the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship, Xavier University of Louisiana drew a lower-seeded team when the pairings were announced Wednesday.
The Gold Rush (24-9) will play 10th-seeded California Baptist (23-8) at 9:45 p.m. next Thursday (March 20) at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. It will be the last of 16 first-round games played over two days.
Xavier will appear in the national tourney for a fourth consecutive time, which extends a school record. The streak does not include 2006, when Xavier suspended athletics in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The Rush lost 81-79 to fourth-seeded Robert Morris (Chicago), an eventual semifinalist, in the 2005 first round and upset third-seeded Georgetown (Ky.) 82-79 in 2007 -- Xavier's first victory at nationals since 1973.
Xavier, the preseason pick to win the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, finished third in the regular season and lost 80-76 Monday at fourth-ranked LSU-Shreveport in the GCAC Tournament final. But by joining LSUS in the final, the Rush clinched the GCAC's second automatic bid to the tournament. LSUS earned the first berth by winning the regular-season title, and a third GCAC team -- No. 16 Mobile -- received an at-large bid.
LSUS (30-2), seeded fourth in Kansas City, will play Science and Arts (17-15) at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. Mobile (22-9) will play 16th-seeded Trevecca Nazarene (24-8) at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday.
California Baptist, No. 13 in the final coaches poll, won 15 of its first 16 games this season before tying for third in the Golden State Athletic Conference and finishing second in its conference tournament. The Lancers will make their fourth consecutive appearance in the national tournament, and they're one of four GSAC teams to qualify this season.
The championship game will tip off at 8:30 p.m. on March 25. Oklahoma City beat Concordia (Calif.) 79-71 in the 2007 final, and both schools qualified for this year's tourney.
Gold Nuggets to Meet Defending National Champion
New Orleans, LA - The Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball team won a pair of notable one-point road decisions this season. One was Nov. 16 at NCAA Division I member Northwestern State, and the other was Tuesday at Loyola in the championship game of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.
The Gold Nuggets' first-round pairing against Lambuth in the NAIA Division I National Championship at Jackson, Tenn., figures to be a challenging road game, too.
Although Oman Arena, the tournament site since 1990, isn't Lambuth's home court, it's less than a mile from the campus. And Lambuth's Lady Eagles were the 2007 NAIA champion.
Xavier (27-6) will play Lambuth (23-9) in the opening round next Thursday (March 20) at 5:45 p.m. All the pairings for the 32-team event were announced Wednesday.
The Nuggets will enter the Lambuth game with confidence, having won five in row and 10 of their past 11 games. They ended a three-game losing streak at Loyola and snapped the Wolfpack's 27-game home winning streak against GCAC opponents with a 65-64 Tuesday decision which denied Loyola a second consecutive championship.
Freshman Shayla Boyd rallied the Nuggets from a five-point deficit against Loyola in the final 75 seconds. She scored the final six points on 3-of-3 shooting, and her basket with seven-tenths of a second remaining gave Xavier the victory and its first lead in more than 17 minutes.
Lambuth survived a 1-4 start this season and closed by winning 14 of its final 16 games.
Xavier was three Tennesseeans on its roster, most notably Memphis resident Jarryn Cleaves. The four-time All-GCAC guard averaged 23.5 points in the final two rounds of the GCAC Tournament, and her 22 points against Loyola moved her into fifth place on the Nuggets' career scoring list with 1,731. In fourth place is Antasha Jones (1993-97) with 1,799 points.
Xavier tied for 24th in the final coaches poll, and Lambuth was 11th. Each quadrant of the 32-team event is seeded 1-8, and the Nuggets are No. 6 for the second consecutive year. Lambuth is a No. 3 seed.
Xavier will set a school record with its seventh consecutive appearance at nationals, and 13 of Xavier's past 14 teams have qualified. The streaks do not include 2006, when Xavier suspended athletics in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The Nuggets seek their first victory at nationals since 2003, when they eliminated another Tennessee school, Trevecca Nazarene, 64-55.. Xavier leads its series with Lambuth 3-2, but the most recent meeting was a 90-63 Lady Eagles victory in the first round of nationals in 2001.
The GCAC's other qualifier for nationals, Loyola, will play Westminster (Utah) in the first round at 12:30 p.m. next Thursday.
Mid West Music Tour 2008 March 26-April 1
New Orleans, LA - The Xavier University of Louisiana Department of Music ensembles will perform in concert for the Spring 2008 Mid-West Tour March 26 through April 1.
Xavier's concert choirs and instrumental ensembles will Give performances in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Tennessee.
Scheduled concerts include Thursday, March 27, at St. Monica/St. Luke Catholic Church, in Gary IN at 7:00 p.m.; Friday, March 28, at Church of Faith International in Kansas City, MO; Saturday, March 29, at St. Peter Claver Catholic Church in Minneapolis MN at 6:30 p.m.; Sunday, March 30, at St. Mark United Methodist Church, in Chicago IL. at 3:00 p.m.; Monday, March 31, at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Carbondale, IL at 7:00 p.m.; and on Tuesday, April 1, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Germantown TN.
The Xavier performance groups include the Xavier University Concert Choir, under the direction of Dr. John E. Ware, the University Chorus, under the direction of Dr. Malcolm Breda, and the Jazz Lab Band and Symphonic Band, under the direction of Dr. Tim Turner. Xavier's artist-in-residence, Dr. Wilfred Delphin will also perform. Dr. Delphin is a former professor of music at Southern Illinois University, and performed throughout the world as part of the piano duo Delphin and Romain.
The Xavier music department is an integral part of university life on the New Orleans campus. The choirs and instrumental ensembles perform at University convocations and special events. Recitals, concerts and opera productions are held each semester.
Xavier's Concert Choir has performed in Rome at the Canonization of Xavier's founder, St. Katharine Drexel. The group has also performed with the Louisiana
Philharmonic, the New Orleans Black Chorale and other groups.
A CD recording of the University Chorus and Concert Choir commissioned by the Sister of the Blessed Sacrament to commemorate the canonization, contains
chorale performances of spirituals, classical choral literature, and contemporary gospel, as well as new compositions by Drs. Breda and Ware.
For more info on the Mid-West Tour or the Department of Music visit the XU website.
Nuggets Reach GCAC Tournament Championship Game Again
New Orleans, LA - Jarryn Cleaves hit her first five shots and scored a season-high 25 points Saturday to lead NAIA No. 24 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 74-72 women's basketball victory over Mobile in the semifinals of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at The Barn.
The Gold Nuggets (26-6) advanced to the GCAC final for the 16th time, which extends their league record, and for the second straight year they'll travel to Loyola for the championship game. Tip-off will be 7 p.m. Tuesday at The Den. Regardless of Tuesday's outcome, Xavier clinched the GCAC's second automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament by beating Mobile. Loyola earned the first bid by winning the regular-season championship, and the Wolfpack's qualifying for Tuesday's final assures that the second bid goes to the other finalist.
Xavier extended its winning streak at The Barn to 19 games and set a school record by qualifying for the NAIA tourney a seventh consecutive time.
Cleaves, a four-time All-GCAC guard, surpassed 20 points for the fourth time in seven games and raised her career total to 1,709. She also led Xavier with three assists and four steals.
New Orleans, LA - Xavier University of Louisiana's Summer Science Academy is now accepting applications for its pre-college summer programs.
All programs will be held on the University's campus from 1:00 to 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday. The program cost is determined by the participant's grade point average. Partial scholarships are available for all programs.
MathStar (June 9-20) Deadline to apply: June 2
BioStar (June 11-July 1) Deadline to apply: June 4
ChemStar (July 7-July 25) Deadline to apply: June 30
SOAR1 (June 30-July 25) Deadline to apply: June 2
MathStar is designed for students who will be taking their first algebra course next fall; BioStar is for students who will be taking their first biology course next fall; ChemStar is for students who will be taking their first chemistry course next fall; and SOAR-1 is for students who will be seniors next fall.
Xavier University of Louisiana, the nation's only historically Back and Catholic University, is known for its success in placing African American students in Medical and professional schools. Xavier ranks first annually in the number of African American students earning undergraduate degrees in the biological/life sciences and physical sciences; in awarding bachelor of science degrees in physics to African Americans; and is among the nation's top three producers of African American Doctor of Pharmacy degree recipients each year. In addition Xavier has a strong
liberal arts curriculum.
For more information contact the Summer Science Academy at (504) 520-5418 or email@example.com or visit the Xavier website at http://www.xula.edu/premed.
Xavier Hosts AMHPS Symposium on Science Careers March 19-21
New Orleans, La. - Xavier University of Louisiana is the host for the Association of Minority Health Professions Schools, Inc. (www.minorityhealth.org) 22nd Annual Symposium on Career Opportunities in Biomedical Sciences and Health Professions.
An expected 600 high school and college students from across the country will converge in New Orleans, LA from March 19-21, 2008, to learn from and engage with national and international leading scientists, physicians, researchers, government representatives and distinguished professors.
The Symposium will also host a free Health Profession & Career Development Fair
for local New Orleans high school and undergraduate students. The Fair will be held at the Riverside Hilton in Ballrooms C&D on March 21, 9:00 a.m. to noon. Students are invited to come out and learn about exciting career opportunities, summer
internships, and options for college in biomedical science and health professions. Registration is requested.
"Eliminating Health Disparities Through Enhanced Career Opportunities is the theme for the Symposium. Scheduled speakers include author Stedman Graham, astronaut Bernard Harris, and inspirational speaker Walter Bond.
In addition to Xavier other institutions to be represented at the career fair include Morehouse School of Medicine, Meharry School of Medicine, Drew School of
Medicine, Howard Schools of Dentistry, Allied Health and Nursing, Xavier University College of Pharmacy, Tuskegee Veterinary Medicine and FAMU College of Pharmacy
To register for the Career Fair visit: http://newsite.xula.edu/cop or call Coti Sterling-Gayles at the Xavier University College of Pharmacy 504-520-5398.
Xavier Music Department Presents Guest Artists
New Orleans, LA - The Xavier University Department of Music is pleased to announce the performances of three distinguished guest artists.
On Monday, Monday 10 at 7:00, Dr. Michaels Buckles and his wife Boriana Buckles will present a recital of music for violin and piano. Dr. Buckles is a former member of the New Orleans Philharmonic. He taught at both Xavier and Dillard Universities before joining the faculty of McNeese State University where he holds the J.P. Morgan Chase endowed chair in music.
On Tuesday, March 11 at 7:00, David Dillard, baritone, will present a recital of art songs and operatic duets. He will be joined in the performance by Xavier faculty members, Dr. Valerie Jones Francis, soprano and artist-in-residence,Dr.Wilfred Delphin, piano. Dr. Dillard has sung with distinguished opera companies throughout the United States. He is also a passionate exponent of lieder and has studied this literature at the Franz Schubert Institut in Vienna with legendary soprano, Elly Ameling and reknowned professors, Helmut Deutsch and Wolfgang Holzmair. He is currently on the faculty of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois.
On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, March 10/11/12 Richard Best, former member of the Metropolitan Opera Company will present a series of masterclasses. Richard Best has sung with the leading opera houses here in the United States and Europe. He is widely known as a teacher and adjudicator. He is a regular member of the voice faculty of the American Institute of Music in Graz, Austria. He is frequently called on to judge the Metropolitan regional auditions and well as the annual NATS competition. The classes will take place 2:00 to 4:00 Monday afternoon; 10:00 to 12:00 Tuesday morning and 10:00 to 12:00 on Wednesday morning.
For more details on each of the above, please call the music department 520-7597.
Pharmacy Center to Host Regional Health Disparities Conference
New Orleans, LA - The Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy's Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education (CMHDRE) will host the second annual regional conference on health disparities April 10-12 at the Westin New Orleans Canal Place.
The symposium, "Improving Medical Effectiveness and Health Outcomes to Eliminate Health Disparities through Multidisciplinary Collaborations," is a comprehensive educational and informational forum of workshops and general sessions related to increasing scientific, clinical, and research knowledge about health disparities and healthy behaviors.
It is designed for health professionals who manage patients with chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases as well as health educators, health policy makers and researchers. It is supported in part by the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The conference will examine and create replicable cross-disciplinary collaborative models, networks and strategies that integrate all levels of providers to improve health outcomes, increase medical effectiveness and eliminate health disparities.
"We hope that participants will actually use these models as they return to their respective communities to begin to make an impact on eliminating health disparities in this country," said Dr. Kathleen Kennedy, Director of the Center.
One of the highlight of the conference will be a town hall meeting on Friday evening, April 11, featuring a panel of several national experts on health related topics.
The CMHDRE was created in 2002 with an endowment award from the NIH. This award initially established the Xavier Pharmacy Endowment for Minority Health. XU has since received additional funding for the center, whose mission of the Center is to support research and provide clinical training and community outreach aimed at eliminating health disparities.
XU Honored for Community Service
New Orleans, LA - Xavier University of Louisiana is among 10 Louisiana colleges and universities named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to disadvantaged youth by the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees for the award were chosen based on a series of selection factors including scope and innovativeness of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.
The Honor Roll is jointly sponsored by the Corporation, through its Learn and Serve America program, and the Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, USA Freedom Corps, and the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation.
Other colleges honored included Centenary, Delgado, LSU, LSU-Eunice, Loyola, Nichols State, Tulane, River Parishes Community and Southern.
Cleaves is All-GCAC for the Fourth Time
New Orleans, LA - Jarryn Cleaves made it 4-for-4 Monday, become the third player in the history of Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball to be selected All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference four times.
Cleaves is joined on the 15-member All-GCAC team by teammate Erica Turnbull, who made the team for the second straight year. The league's 10 head coaches selected the team.
Cleaves led the Gold Nuggets during the regular season with 13.7 points per game. She is Xavier's career women's leader in 3-point field goals made with 272 and has helped Xavier compile a 103-29 record during her tenure. This season she is among the NAIA Division I leaders with 3.3 steals and 2.4 3-point field goals per game.
A 5-foot-8 senior guard and pharmacy major from Memphis, TN (East High), Cleaves joined Xavier alums Sherlett Hendy (1990-94) and Jackie Tucker (2000-04) as four-time all-conference selections.
Turnbull, a 6-foot forward/center and biology/premed major from Baltimore MD (Polytechnic High), averaged 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds during the regular season. She ranks among the national leaders with a .557 field-goal percentage.
She is the 16th Nugget to be named All-GCAC multiple times.
Regular-season champion Loyola and third-place Mobile each have three players on the All-GCAC team. Loyola's Trenese Smith is Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Mobile's Crystal Hutchinson is named Freshman of the Year, William Carey's Shontae Kennedy is Newcomer of the Year and Loyola's DoBee Plaisance is Coach of the Year.
Xavier Presents Jazz in New Orleans: The 1950's (Part II – Traditional Jazz)
New Orleans, LA - The second part of Xavier University of Louisiana's series, Jazz in New Orleans: The 1950s, will be held Wednesday, March 12, at 7:00 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom. Admission is free and open to the public.
This unique discussion and concert will focus on traditional jazz from the perspective of the music and impact of clarinetist George Lewis (1900-68). Lewis' passionate style, numerous recordings, and many tours from the 1950s until his death helped to launch an international following for authentic traditional jazz and New Orleans culture that is still in effect today.
The Xavier program will feature a discussion and performances by the only two New Orleans born clarinet disciples of George Lewis – Dr. Michael White '76 and Thomas Sancton. Both White and Sancton have received acclaim in traditional jazz and other areas.
White is among the current leading figures of traditional New Orleans jazz. In addition to performing and recording he is also a band leader, writer, historian, and composer. After many years as a Professor of Spanish and African American Music at Xavier, he currently holds the Keller Endowed Chair in the Humanities there.
Sancton, a long time senior editor for Time magazine's Paris bureau, recently published Song for My Fathers, an autobiographical memoir which largely deals with his teenage years spent among several elder local black jazzmen. He is currently living and performing in New Orleans and is a visiting professor of creative writing at Tulane University.
Along with Sancton and White, the Original Liberty Jazz Band will perform several George Lewis classics.
This program is sponsored by the Charles and Rosa Keller Endowed Chair in the Humanities of Xavier University.
Katharine Drexel Shrine Designated as National Shrine
Bensalem, PA - The U.S. Episcopal Conference has named the shrine of St. Katherine Drexel as a national shrine, making it the 27th shrine with that title in the United States.
"It was with great pleasure that I received the news that the Shrine of St. Katharine Drexel has been elevated in status to a National Shrine,'' said Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop of Philadelphia. "This designation is especially gratifying because Mother Katharine's love of the Holy Eucharist and care for God's poor and oppressed was formed in the archdiocese of Philadelphia."
"I pray that the honor bestowed upon the shrine will open opportunities for others to hear God's word and reflect upon St. Katharine's message of love and service to all," he said.'
Katharine Drexel was born in Philadelphia in 1858. Her life was devoted to the Eucharist and to serving the poor and socially oppressed among Native and African Americans. Her presence was felt in urban New Orleans where she and her order, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, opened a Catholic high school, several elementary schools, and Xavier University – which was to become the capstone of her educational system.
Mother Drexel built the shrine in 1893, two years after founding the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. She spent the final 20 years of her life in prayer and reflection at the mother house in Bensalem, located just outside Philadelphia. Her body is entombed under the main altar of St. Elizabeth Chapel.
Pope John Paul II beatified her in 1988, and almost 12 years later, aided by the 1994 healing of a deaf girl accepted as attributable to miraculous intercession, she was canonized in 2000.
St. Katharine Drexel's Feast Day Celebrated at Xavier
New Orleans, LA - Xavier University of Louisiana will celebrate the March 3 feast day
of the University's Founder, St. Katharine Drexel, with a pair of Masses on campus.
The New Orleans Alumni Club and Office of Campus Ministry will host a 12:30 p.m. Mass Sunday (March 2) in the University Chapel. Lunch will follow. Campus Ministry will also offer Mass on the actual feast day Monday (March 3) at 12 noon in the chapel, followed by a reception in the Katharine Drexel Residence Hall. In addition, Campus ministry is hosting an Essay contest for students with the topic: "How does St. Katharine Drexel influence My Life Today?"
Katharine Drexel Shrine Designated as National Shrine
Katharine Drexel was the 19th century equivalent of an American princess, born into the privileged family of a wealthy Philadelphia banker and philanthropist. She could have lived her life in the lap of luxury, oblivious to the suffering of others.
But instead, throughout the 1890's and the first half of this century – long before taking up the cause of racial equality came into vogue – St. Katharine Drexel was at the forefront of efforts to improve the lives of others. During these decades shadowed by the segregation and degradation forced on Blacks – combined with the dispossession, relocation and betrayal of Native Americans – the name of St. Katharine Drexel shone out as a beacon of hope.
St. Katharine was at the forefront of efforts to educate African-Americans and Native Americans with an eye toward helping them to develop their own leadership and self-determination. Her schools were always open to all faiths; and the nuns who followed her lived among the poor they served.
Katharine Drexel was born in 1858 to wealthy Philadelphia banker and philanthropist Francis Drexel and his wife Hannah, who died a mere five weeks after giving birth. Her father remarried two years later. It was from her parents – revered for their own
generosity and charity to the less fortunate – that St. Katharine learned early the lesson of stewardship and responsibility to the poor.
Early on, St. Katharine indicated her intent to establish a bureau to distribute her wealth to Indians and Black missions, and to enter a cloistered religious order. But instead, during a trip to Rome with her family, she accepted the challenge of Pope Leo XIII and established a brand new order – the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament – which went on to found and staff schools and centers in the inner cities of the North and East, the Indian reservations of the west and across the Deep South.
Despite the many obstacles placed in their path, including strong opposition from whites, by 1942 the Sisters were operating black Catholic schools, convents and mission centers in some 13 states. So extensive was her influence in the Black, rural areas of New Iberia, St. Martinville and other Acadiana parishes that she is often referred to as the "Patron Saint of South Louisiana."
St. Katharine's presence was also felt in urban New Orleans, where the Sisters not only opened a Catholic high school and several elementary schools, but also established Xavier University of Louisiana – which was to become the capstone of her educational system.
Originally a coeducational secondary school, Xavier evolved into a teacher's college and by 1925 had achieved full university status. A College of Pharmacy – now one of only two pharmaceutical schools in the state – was added two years later. That same College of Pharmacy is today is among the nation's top three producers of African American Doctor of Pharmacy degree recipients.
The stresses and strains of building a nationwide network of schools for black and Indian children were hard on St. Katharine. The never-ending work and awesome responsibilities that she shouldered for more than a half-century finally took their toll in 1935 when she suffered a near-fatal heart attack. For 20 years she was confined to the infirmary at the Motherhouse in Bensalem, Pa., where she is said to have spent most of her waking hours in prayer and meditation. She died in 1955.
St. Katharine was officially canonized a saint of the Roman Catholic Church in October of 2000 by Pope John Paul II. She is only the fifth American to have been canonized and only the second American-born Saint. She is now in the select company of Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, Rose Philippine Duchesne, Bishop John
Neumann and Mother Elizabeth Seton.
"(Katharine) Drexel is an excellent example of that practical charity and generous solidarity with the less fortunate that has long been the distinguishing mark of American Catholics," the Pontiff said during a rain-soaked canonization ceremony that drew tens of thousands to the Vatican, noting that her life brought about "a growing awareness of the need to combat all forms of racism through education and social services."
It is estimated that St. Katharine – who during her lifetime shared the annual income from her father's trust fund with her two sisters – gave away more than $20 million. "She and her family gave away substantial amounts of money to large numbers of less fortunate people," points out Xavier University President Norman C. Francis, himself a 1952 alumnus. "All she ever asked in return was 'Just pass it on. Don't thank me, just pass it on'."
Xavier University recently embarked on a fundraising campaign to build and endow the Saint Katharine Drexel Chapel and Religious Center, a campus educational and religious sanctuary, in honor of the University's founder.
Xavier's Concert Choir Presents a Lenten Spring Concert March 13
New Orleans, LA - The Xavier University Concert Choir will present a Lenten Spring Concert on Thursday March 13 at 7:00 pm at Trinity Episcopal Church. Dr. John Ware is the director, and special guest Albinas Prizbintas is the organist.
The Xavier concert Choir will perform a program of early and contemporary sacred music for the Holy Season.
"This music is meant to be more inspiring than the usual "solemn" music heard during Lent. It is our goal to anticipate the joy of Easter while still giving deference to the actual liturgical calendar," said Ware.
The performance will include works by Haydn, Antonio Lotti, Pablo Casels, as well as arrangements by Moses Hogan, William Dawson and Roland Carter.
For more information on the Concert Choir's Lenten Spring Concert, contact the Xavier Department of Music at 504-520-7597.
Alums George, Nicholls honored by the UNCF
New Orleans, LA - Two Xavier Univerity of Louisiana alums – Maria Sly George '58 and Elise Turead Nicholls '63, have been honored by the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) for their service on the local and national level.
George, a retired educator with the Orleans Parish School System, was selected as the UNCF Outstanding Alumnus of the Year by the Xavier University National Alumni Association. George was selected for this honor due to her dedication and years of service to the New Orleans Alumni Chapter and National Alumni Association.
Nicholls, Program Director of the Washington Seniors Wellness Center, was awarded the UNCF's Cecilia E. Washington Award. The late Cecilia E. Washington was a 1940 graduate of Xavier University and past president of the National Alumni Council. The CEW award is given to an alumnus who has made noteworthy contributions to the United Negro College Fund in the areas of fundraising, fund giving, facilitation of government contribution to UNCF, and for performance of extensive work with UNCF member groups. Nicholls has attended all UNCF conferences since 1977.
George and Nicholls were honored at the UNCF NAC/NPAC Conference held in Montgomery, AL in February. George is the immediate past president of the XU New Orleans alumni chapter and Nicholls is past president of the XU National Alumni Association and Washington, DC alumni chapter.
Chesnutt Stamp Celebration at XU's Black History Convocation Feb. 26
New Orleans, LA - Xavier University of Louisiana's 2008 Black History Month Convocation will be the site of the United State Post Office's unveiling and celebration of the local cancellation of the Charles W. Chesnutt stamp.
Chesnutt is the first African American fiction writer to earn a national reputation. He is best known for his depictions of Southern life before and after the Civil War.
The program will include a brief talk on Chesnutt presented by Xavier English professor, Dr. Ronald Dorris, brief readings from Chesnutt's writings by Xavier professors Drs. Thaddeo Babiiha, Violet Bryant and Wendy Gaudin, and a brief reflection on Chesnutt's novel "Paul Marchand" (set in New Orleans).
There will be a special envelope available printed with a design incorporating images related to Chesnutt and Xavier University. The stamps are currently available at the Xavier and other post offices. The envelopes will be available at the event and at the
XU post office for a limited time.
Chestnutt was bon in 1858 in Cleveland, OH, son of free blacks who had emigrated from Fayetteville, N.C. His first short story, "Uncle Peter's House," appeared in the Cleveland News and Herald in 1885. Chesnutt's other novels followed, and he became the first African American author to be published in the Atlantic Monthly, one of the major contemporary literary journals.
Chesnutt's short stories included tales about black hoodoo practices and beliefs, and presented slave culture with African elements to white readers.
The success of his first book prompted Charles W. Chesnutt to publish the second collection of short stories. "The Wife of His Youth and Other Stories of the Color Line" includes nine stories, all of them united under common theme and based on same
fundamental social issue - miscegenation in America.
In 1906 Charles Chesnutt set his literary career aside and got absorbed in social and political activities, devoting his time to preparing speeches and writing articles in defense of his race. Together with other prominent black activists such as Booker T.
Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois, Chesnutt advocated the reform of the racial conditions in the South and better treatment of black population of that region.
In 1928 he was the winner of the NAACP's Spingarn Award For "Highest Achievement by a Black American"
Chesnutt died November 1932, leaving behind him a rich artistic legacy for twentieth-century African-American literature.
The Xavier Black History Month Convocation will be held Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 12 noon in the Gym. For more information on Xavier's Black History Month Convocation and the U.S. Post Office's Charles Chestnutt Stamp, contact the Xavier English
Department at 520-5158.
Political Analyst Silas Lee Lectures on 2008 Presidential Election Feb. 28 at Xavier
New Orleans, La. - Will the 2008 presidential election establish a new paradigm for political campaigns? What does the presidential campaign suggest about racial dynamics in the future?
Those are some of the questions being addressed in a special lecture and presentation by Xavier University sociology professor and political analyst Dr. Silas Lee III.
"The 2008 presidential election is full of unprecedented issues, events and candidates, which challenge the conventional wisdom and provokes dialogue and social forecasting," says Lee. "These and other questions will be explored in my presentation."
The program begins at 6:00pm on Thursday, February 28, at the NCF Science Complex, room 105. For more information, contact the Sociology Department at Xavier University of Louisiana (504) 520-5423.
Clarinetist Kathy Joyner in Recital at Xavier Feb. 27
New Orleans, La. - The Xavier University Department of Music will present clarinetist Kathy Joyner in recital on Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 7:00 pm in the Music Building Recital Hall. She will be accompanied by Xavier artist-in-residence, Dr. Wilfred Delphin.
Joyner holds a master's degree in performance from the University of Memphis. She has also studied at the University of North Texas and the University of Michigan. Her teachers include James Gholson, Sidney Forrest and Alan Balter.
Professionally, she has been a member of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Wind Symphony and principal clarinetist with the Texas Wind Symphony. Currently, she serves as principal of Oak Forest Elementary School in Memphis.
The concert will include pieces by Johannes Brahms, Paul JeanJean and Gioachino Rossini.
The concert is free and open to the public. For more information contact the Xavier Department of Music at 504-520-7597.
Scholars Make Fall '07 Dean's List
New Orleans, La. - A total of 569 student
scholars made the Dean's Honor Roll during the fall '07 semester at Xavier University of Louisiana,
according to records released by Avis Stuard, interim registrar. Students merited
a spot on the honor roll by earning a semester grade point average of
3.3 or above while taking at least 12 semester hours.
The complete list of honor students is available online HERE.
"Explore Xavier" Admissions Open House Feb. 28
New Orleans, La. – Area high school students interested in attending college can learn all about Xavier University of Louisiana at the EXPLORE XAVIER open house on Thursday, Feb. 28 from 4:00-6:00pm at the University Center. They will also receive a pair of complimentary tickets to a Xavier basketball game
The event is open to all high school students, in particular juniors and seniors, along with their parents. "This is an opportunity for area students to see what types of programs Xavier has to offer, find out about the social life on campus, take a tour and imagine themselves at Xavier," said Winston Brown, the Dean of Admissions.
Academic departments will have displays and representatives on hand to answer questions from prospective students. There will also be information on financial aid and student life.
In addition, prospective Xavier students who attend the Admissions open house on Thursday will receive complimentary tickets to either the Xavier vs. Loyola basketball game that same evening on campus; or, tickets to the Xavier-versus-Dillard "CrossTown Classic" basketball contest at the New Orleans Arena on Saturday, March 1.
The annual "CrossTown Classic" presented by Siemens pits the Xavier Gold Rush (men) and Gold Nuggets (women) against the Blue Devils and Devilettes of long-standing rival Dillard University. The free tickets for high school students were provided by game co-sponsors including Barnes & Noble, Liberty Bank & Trust Company, Sodexho and Xerox.
For more information on the third annual "Explore Xavier" open house, contact the Xavier Admissions office at (504) 520-7388.
New Play on Life of Sr. Thea Bowman Debuts at Xavier
New Orleans, La. - Xavier University of Louisiana will host a first-performance-reading of the play "Thea's Turn" by Mary Queen Donnelly, Saturday, February 23 at 7:00 pm in the University Chapel (first floor Administration Building).
The play is based on the life of the late Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA, who was associated with the Institute for Black Catholic Studies in the 1980's. Her work extended across the South from her native Mississippi to Wisconsin and beyond.
Xavier English professor James Shade will direct the performance-reading, while the cast consists of XU students and the campus ministry choir. The performance is sponsored by Xavier's Department of English, the African American Studies Program, and the Xavier Endowment for the Humanities.
For more information, contact Sr. Donna Gould, or Dr. Thomas Bonner, Jr. at 504-520-5158.
IBCS Outlines 2008 Summer Sessions at Xavier
New Orleans, La. - Catholic ministers and lay people will have the opportunity once again this summer to hone their skills and learn new ones at Xavier University of Louisiana's Institute for Black Catholic Studies 2008 Session, June 27 through July 19.
The IBCS offers degree courses as well as certificate and enrichment programs for catechists, youth and young adult ministers and religious and lay leaders in the Church.
"We have students who attend every year for the Theology master's degree program," said Dr. Jamie Phelps, O.P., director of the Institute. "We also offer one week courses for catechists, youth ministers, deacons, and other parish ministers. The IBCS is not only open to the religious who minister to Black Catholics, it is for the people of those parishes as well."
In addition, the Institute for Black Catholic studies offers participants seminars for liturgical musicians, and Black religious expression workshops in art, liturgical dance, liturgical music and drama. A complete schedule of this year's sessions follows.
The "Taste of the Institute" offers a week of experiences for men and women over 21 years old, while the "Eldership Retreat" is for men and women 60 years and older who wish to explore their vocations as elders in the church and the community.
Says its Director, "Whether you're interested in a one-week session, or the entire month, the Xavier Institute for Black Catholic Studies is the place to seek in faith what it means to be Black and Catholic."
For more information on the Institute for Black Catholic Studies Summer Session 2008, visit the Xavier-IBCS web page at http://www.xula.edu/IBCS or call (504)520-7691.
IBCS Schedule of Courses:
Week of June 29-July 5
- Catechist Formation: Nature & Goals of Africentric Catechesis
- Youth & Young Adult Ministry: Psychological and Social Development of Youth
- Leadership in the Faith Community Program: Psychology of the Black Family
- Theological Core Courses: Black Theology/History of Spirituality/Canon Law
Week of July 6-11
- Catechist Formation: Teach it! Developing Meaningful Strategies
- Youth & Young Adult Ministry: Components of Comprehensive Youth Ministry
- Leadership in the Faith Community Program: Sociology of the Black Family
- Theological Core Courses- Scripture: Jesus/Principles of Liturgy/Social Justice Teachings
*Eldership Retreat
Week of July 13-19
- Catechist Formation: Naming and Claiming our Resources
- Youth & Young Adult Ministry: Black Perspectives on the Gospel on Campus
- Prayer, Worship and Justice Ministry w/Young Adults: An Exploration
- Leadership in the Faith Community Program: Marriage and the Black Family
- Theological Core Courses- Scripture: Revelation/Black Spirituality/Church History
* Seminar for Liturgical Musicians
* Taste of the Institute
IBCS Schedule of Courses:
Week of June 29-July 5
- Catechist Formation: Nature & Goals of Africentric Catechesis
- Youth & Young Adult Ministry: Psychological and Social Development of Youth
- Leadership in the Faith Community Program: Psychology of the Black Family
- Theological Core Courses: Black Theology/History of Spirituality/Canon Law
Week of July 6-11
- Catechist Formation: Teach it! Developing Meaningful Strategies
- Youth & Young Adult Ministry: Components of Comprehensive Youth Ministry
- Leadership in the Faith Community Program: Sociology of the Black Family
- Theological Core Courses- Scripture: Jesus/Principles of Liturgy/Social Justice Teachings
*Eldership Retreat
Week of July 13-19
- Catechist Formation: Naming and Claiming our Resources
- Youth & Young Adult Ministry: Black Perspectives on the Gospel on Campus
- Prayer, Worship and Justice Ministry w/Young Adults: An Exploration
- Leadership in the Faith Community Program: Marriage and the Black Family
- Theological Core Courses- Scripture: Revelation/Black Spirituality/Church History
* Seminar for Liturgical Musicians
* Taste of the Institute
"Remembering Richard Wright" at Xavier Feb 12-13
New Orleans, La. - Xavier University of Louisiana will host "Remembering Richard
Wright," Feb. 12-13 on the campus.
The Xavier English and African American Studies departments and the Xavier Endowment for the Humanities are the co-sponsors of the program which will include a screening of Native Son, a panel discussion and exhibit. All events are free and open to the public. A complete calendar is below.
Feb. 12 (7:00 p.m.)
- Viewing of Cinematic Adaptation of Richard Wright's Native Son, University Center, Room 205.
Feb. 13 (7:00 p.m.)
- Panel Discussion, Administration Building Auditorium
Moderator, Dr. Violet Bryan, Professor of English, Xavier University; panelists include:
"When the Wide Screen Becomes Bigger: Reflections on the
Cinematic Adaptation of Wright's Native Son," James
Shade, Assistant Professor of English, Xavier;
"America's First Haiku Masters: Kerouac and Wright," Dr. David
Lanoue, Professor of English, Xavier;
"Right Words, Wright Weapons," Dr. Richard Collins, Chair,
Department of Arts, English, and Humanities, LSU-Alexandria; and
"Corruption, the Black Male, and Black/White Women in Wright's The Long Dream: Relevance to the 21st Century," Dr. Violet
Bryan, Professor of English, Xavier.
Feb. 11-28
- Xavier University Library Archives and Special Collections Exhibit
The Wright Stuff: Manuscripts, Rare Books, and Other Collectibles
by or about Richard Wright. Lester Sullivan, XU Archivist and Head, Special Collections.
For more information on "Remembering Richard Wright" contact
Dr. Violet Bryan at 520-5158.
Feb. 12 (7:00 p.m.)
- Viewing of Cinematic Adaptation of Richard Wright's Native Son, University Center, Room 205.
Feb. 13 (7:00 p.m.)
- Panel Discussion, Administration Building Auditorium
Moderator, Dr. Violet Bryan, Professor of English, Xavier University; panelists include:
"When the Wide Screen Becomes Bigger: Reflections on the
Cinematic Adaptation of Wright's Native Son," James
Shade, Assistant Professor of English, Xavier;
"America's First Haiku Masters: Kerouac and Wright," Dr. David
Lanoue, Professor of English, Xavier;
"Right Words, Wright Weapons," Dr. Richard Collins, Chair,
Department of Arts, English, and Humanities, LSU-Alexandria; and
"Corruption, the Black Male, and Black/White Women in Wright's The Long Dream: Relevance to the 21st Century," Dr. Violet
Bryan, Professor of English, Xavier.
Feb. 11-28
- Xavier University Library Archives and Special Collections Exhibit
The Wright Stuff: Manuscripts, Rare Books, and Other Collectibles
by or about Richard Wright. Lester Sullivan, XU Archivist and Head, Special Collections.
For more information on "Remembering Richard Wright" contact
Dr. Violet Bryan at 520-5158.
Miranti is New Director of Xavier's Division of Education
New Orleans, La. - Dr. Judith G. Miranti has been appointed the Director of the Division of Education at Xavier University of Louisiana, which includes graduate programs in Counseling, Educational Leadership, and Curriculum and Instruction. She is also a professor of counselor education.
Miranti comes to Xavier University with twenty-five years of higher education administration experience, after having served as an academic Dean and as a Vice President for Academic Affairs at Our Lady of Holy Cross College in New Orleans. She is a native of New Orleans.
Miranti's interests are in women's studies, spirituality, and multicultural issues in counseling. She has published and edited several texts on these topics, and her latest co-authored text is Religious and Spiritual Issues in Counseling:Applications Across Diverse Populations, published by Brunner-Routeledge.
She and has held numerous leadership positions in professional counseling organizations at the state
and national level. She is a past president of Chi Sigma Iota, an international professional and counseling honor society and co-chaired the national accreditation board, the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational
Programs (CACREP). The counseling program is in the process of completing the CACREP self study for initial accreditation.
Miranti considers it a unique honor to help further the mission of Saint Katherine Drexel, particularly in the area of education, and to be an integral part of the Xavier experience.
Collegiate Hoops Rivalry Returns to the Arena
New Orleans, La. - It is the longest running collegiate basketball rivalry in the Big Easy, and tickets are now on sale for the annual Xavier/Dillard CrossTown Classic Basketball game, presented by Siemens, set for Saturday March 1 in the New Orleans Arena.
The Gold Rush (men's) and Gold Nuggets (women's) basketball teams of Xavier University will host the big game as they take on the Blue Devils and Blue Devilettes of Dillard University in their second NAIA contest of the year. The two HBCU schools face off every year to a packed house of students, alumni and supporters. The teams had been meeting at the New Orleans Arena for this long-standing rivalry, until Hurricane Katrina came along. This year's game will be the first year the contest returns to the Arena since the hurricane.
The Gold Nuggets will play at 5:00 p.m. and the Gold Rush at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available for $10, $15 and $20 through Ticketmaster (504) 522-5555 or at the Xavier Athletics Department (504) 520-7329.
For more info about the CrossTown Classic contact the Xavier Athletics Department, Sports Information Office, at 504-520-5707.
Xavier and National Urban League's Black Executive Program Team Up
New Orleans, La. - Xavier University of Louisiana's Office of Career Services and
the National Urban League's Black Executive Exchange Program (BEEP) will team up to present a combined role model program for Xavier students in February.
Xavier' Office of Career Services has hosted the Youth Motivation Task Force program (YMTF) for more than twenty-five years on the New Orleans campus. Since both YMTF and BEEP have essentially the same goals – to expose Black students to role models who can provide advice and encouragement to help them fulfill their dreams – the new, combined program will be called YMTF/BEEP.
This year's team will consist of approximately sixty professionals from medicine, law, government, education, the clergy and corporate arena, including 24 Xavier alumni.
The 2008 Industry Chairperson is Ian P. Heisser (XU'95), Lead Software Developer in Test for Microsoft Corporation and the University Chair is Carolyn Duvigneaud Thomas (XU'71), Director of Career Services at Xavier. The event is scheduled
for Feb. 24-26, and will include classroom visitation, student forums and a student talent show.
Phelps is Keynote Speaker at Boston Catholic Symposium
New Orleans, La. - Sr. Jamie Phelps, director of Xavier University of Louisiana's
Institute of Black Catholic Studies (IBCS), will deliver the keynote address for Boston Catholic Ethnic Diversity Symposium Feb. 9 at Emmanuel College.
The symposium is an opportunity to explore and celebrate the history, theology, and liturgical practices of historically underrepresented Catholics from the Archdiocese of Boston.
In addition to Phelps' keynote address, there will be three panel discussions, and a liturgy celebrating the racial and ethnic diversity of the Archdiocese of Boston. addressing issues from the perspectives of various groups, including: Africans, African-Americans, Asians, Haitians, and Hispanics.
In addition, IBCS student Nekita Lamour, will be on the History panel and will present "From Baltimore, to New Orleans, and New York: A Historical Trajection of Haitian Catholics in Boston and Beyond"
Xavier's Institute for Black Catholic Studies will be held June 27-July 19 and will include degree courses as well as certification and enrichment courses for lay people and religious. For more information on Xavier's IBCS call 504-520-7691 or visit online at http://www.xula.edu/IBCS/
Pianist Vincent van Gelder in Concert at Xavier Feb. 11
New Orleans, La. – Pianist Vincent van Gelder will perform in a recital Monday, Feb. 11, at 6:00 p.m. in the Xavier University Music Building Recital Hall. Admission is free to the public.
A former student of current Xavier artist-in-residence Dr. Wilfred Delphin, van Gelder is a prize-winning pianist who has performed concerts throughout the United States, the Netherlands and Latvia.
Most recently he was selected to perform in Carnegie Hall under the auspices of the Artist International Competition. It is this recital that he will play at Xavier.
The concert repertoire includes works by Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Liszt.
He has studied with Czerny-Stefanska during the Chopin master classes in Duszniky, Poland and at the Latvian Academy of Music in Riga, Latvia. He holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Conservatory of Hogeschool Enschede, a Master of Music in performance from the Southern Illinois University at Carbondale,
and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance from the University of Missouri at Kansas City.
In January 2000, van Gelder won the Concerto/Aria Competition and appeared as a soloist with the UMKC Conservatory Orchestra performing Liszt's Totentanz. In 2000 he was one of nine pianists to be invited to the Liszt master classes in Utrecht, the Netherlands. In 2007, he was a winner in the Artist International competition in New York. He currently lives in Greensboro, N.C.
John Stroger, Trustee Emeritus, Dies at 78
New Orleans, La. - It is with deep regret that Xavier notes the passing of its Trustee Emeritus, John Stroger, Jr., who died today (Jan. 18).
Stroger, Xavier Class of '52, was a powerful Democratic political figure in Chicago for decades. He rose to the level of chief executive of one of the most significant counties in the nation, a multi-city area with a larger population and bigger budget than 35 states. As president of the Board of Commissioners of Illinois' Cook County, he presided over a workforce of 23,000. The billion dollar Cook County hospital was named in his honor.
A faithful financial supporter of the University, he and his wife Yonnie were charter members of the Xavier 500 Alumni Leadership Initiative – a select group of individuals who committed $10,000 or more over a 10-year period to support student scholarships.
Stroger was recently honored as the University's top alumni at the 2007 Alumni Homecoming Gala. Recently retired, he was unable to attend the event due to illness, but his daughter, Yonnie Lynn Clark, accepted the Victor H. Labat Alumnus of the Year award for him on his behalf.
Please also see the Chicago Tribune newspaper article at:
Music Department Presents Amahl and the Night Visitors
New Orleans, La. - The Xavier University of Louisiana music department will present the American opera "Amahl and the Night Visitors" Friday-Saturday, Jan. 18-19 at the Music Building Recital Hall. The performances are free and open to the public.
Xavier student Latara Davenport will perform in the role of Amahl. Other cast members are Danielle Edinburgh-Wilson as the Mother, Robert Graham as Kasper, Frederick Hundall as Melchior, Chavis Goode as Balthazar and Tristan Davis as the page. The Xavier University Chorus, under the direction of Dr. Malcolm Breda, will round out the cast. Dr. John E. Ware is the conductor.
Amahl and the Night Visitors is a one-act opera by Gian Carlo Menoti. It was the first opera specifically composed for television in America and was the debut production of the Hallmark Hall of Fame in 1951.
Amahl, a lame young boy, and his mother live in poverty. The boy has a vivid imagination and is prone to tall tales, so his mother doesn't believe him when he tells of a bright star, and three kings approaching who seek shelter for the night.
The mother tries to steal from her guests and is caught. When the kings leave, Amahl offers them his crutch as a gift for the Holy Child they journey to see. He is miraculously cured and joins the kings on their journey to Bethlehem.
The Xavier performances are Friday Jan. 18 at 7:00 pm, and Saturday Jan. 19 at 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm. All performances are free and open to the public. King Cake will be served at all performances.
For more information, contact the Xavier Music Department at 504-520-7597.
XU President "New Orleanian of the Year" for 2007
New Orleans, La. – The president of Xavier University of Louisiana, Dr. Norman C. Francis, has received yet another honor. Francis was named "New Orleanian of the Year" for 2007 by the Gambit Weekly newspaper.
The criteria for the New Orleanian of the Year designation is someone who has made a positive difference for New Orleans in the previous year. And by any standard, Norman Francis has certainly met that criteria.
Following Hurricane Katrina, Francis was selected by Governor Kathleen Blanco to lead the Louisiana Recovery Authority, an organization that helped secure federal funds for the city and the regions recovery.
This year, Francis celebrates 40 years as president of Xavier University of Louisiana, making him the longest serving university president in the USA. During his tenure, the University has grown dramatically.
Among the major accomplishments of his tenure have been the successful completion of several capital campaigns to spur significant expansion of campus facilities and programs over the past four decades. More recently, Francis has been recognized for his leadership not only of Louisiana's recovery from Katrina as chairman of the LRA, but also for his leadership in the university's recovery -- reopening the renovated campus to students less than five months after the hurricane's devastation.
This award from Gambit Weekly is the first in 2008 of what are expected to be a long line of accolades from numerous organizations and institutions, as Francis and Xavier prepare to celebrate his 40 years as the nation's longest-serving university president.
See the full article
Rush Lose to Texas A&M-Kingsville in Holiday Tournament
Kingsville, Texas - Sophomore guard Adan Montalvo scored 15 of his career-high 27 points in the second half Sunday to rally Texas A&M-Kingsville to an 89-81 men's basketball victory over Xavier University of Louisiana in the Texas A&M-Kingsville Holiday Tournament.
Both teams are 10-2. The Javelinas won their fifth in a row and snapped the four-game winning streak of the Gold Rush.
Mark Stewart scored 22 points and Alfred Williams 18 for Xavier, and both were named to the all-tournament team. Ryan DeRousselle scored a career-high 14 points.
Stewart's 3-pointer at the buzzer gave Xavier a 37-34 halftime lead, but the Javelinas scored the first seven points of the second half to take the lead for good.
Montalvo, the tournament MVP, made a 3-pointer with 13:55 remaining to give TAMUK its biggest lead, 57-44. Xavier never got closer than three points thereafter.
Reggie Love scored 16 points and Clyde Johnson 12 for the Javelinas.
Gold Rush Improve to 10-1 with 72-54 Victory in Tournament Opener
Kingsville, Texas - Jarrel Lake and Kelechi Okoroha scored 12 points apiece Saturday to lead five double-figure scorers for Xavier University of Louisiana in a 72-54 men's basketball victory over Texas A&M International at the Texas A&M-Kingsville Holiday Tournament.
Alfred Williams and Shaun Dumas scored 11 points apiece for the Gold Rush (10-1), and Mark Stewart had 10. Williams was 3-of-3 from 3-point range and grabbed 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season and the sixth of his career.
Reserve Tracy Johnson scored a season-high 13 points for Texas A&M International (3-5), an NCAA Division II member. Chris Swan, who entered the game averaging 20.6 points and shooting 54 percent from the floor, scored a season-low 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting. Swan was scoreless in 14 first-half minutes.
Xavier never trailed and outscored the Dustdevils 15-4 in the first seven minutes. The Rush led 29-19 at halftime and maintained a double-digit lead for nearly 18 minutes of the second half.
Xavier outshot TAMIU 49 to 38 percent from the floor -- 65 to 43 percent in the second half -- and outrebounded the Dustdevils 39-30. Both teams committed 18 turnovers.
The Rush is 10-1 for the third time in five seasons and the first time since 2003-04. Xavier has a four-game winning streak and has won 25 of its past 29 games.
Xavier will play Texas A&M-Kingsville at 7 p.m. Sunday in the final game of the tournament.
BET's Jeff Johnson is Keynote Speaker for Annual MLK Week of Peace
New Orleans, La. - Social activist, international journalist, and executive producer, 'Cousin' Jeff Johnson, will be the keynote speaker for the 22nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Week for Peace, January 19-25, 2008.
The Martin Luther King Week for Peace is presented by Xavier, Tulane, Loyola and Dillard Universities. The theme for 2008 is "Are You Engaged, where do you stand?"
In addition to the featured Tuesday lecture – at which Lifetime Achievement and Student Community Service awards will be presented – other MLK week activities include an interfaith service, a community service day, a candlelight march and an Expressions of Unity celebration. All events are free and open to the public.
Jeff Johnson is a political motivator and a social commentator, most widely known for his appearance on Black Entertainment Television (BET) on the shows "The Jeff Johnson Chronicles" and "Rap City." On these shows, Johnson is known to speak of and challenge the issues of violence and voting. He is currently a commentator for several radio shows as well as BET and CNN.
A native of Cleveland, OH, Johnson attended the University of Toledo. He was elected President of the Black Student Union twice, and played an integral role in the formation of black student awareness on campus. He has served as National Director for the NAACP's Youth and College Division, and later, Vice President for the Russell Simmons Hip Hop Summit Action Network.
All of the Week's events are free and open to the public. The complete calendar of MLK activities are as follows:
Saturday, January 19, 2008
8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. - Community Service Day (MLK Outreach New Orleans)
Students choose from eight sites including schools, neighborhood clean ups, playground building and more. http://www.mlkoutreachnola.tulane.edu
Monday, January 21, 2008
Interfaith Service - 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
Holy Name of Jesus Church, 6331 St Charles Avenue
Thursday, January 24, 2008
MLK Convocation: Reception - 5:30 to 6:15 p.m.; Convocation - 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Student Community Service Awards
Speaker: Jeff Johnson
Dillard University
Friday January 23, 2008
Candlelight March from Tulane Pocket Park to Xavier's University Center - 4:45 p.m.
Expressions of Unity celebration follows in the XU University Center.
Nuggets Win Sixth Straight
Miami Shores, Fla. - Patrice Hawkins had career highs of 17 points and 13 rebounds Wednesday, and LaTashia Wise had career highs of 14 points and seven assists to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 79-47 women's basketball victory over Central Methodist in the Cruzin Classic.
Tiffany Norris had season highs of 13 points and 10 rebounds -- her second career double-double - for the Gold Nuggets (10-2), who won both their games in this event and their sixth straight overall. Xavier is ranked 21st in NAIA Division I. Stephanie Todd and Holly Wade scored 11 points apiece for Central Methodist (3-9), which was 0-2 in the event and has a four-game losing streak. Megan Hirsch scored 10 points.
Wise - who had a career-high 10 rebounds Tuesday in a victory over Sterling - scored 12 points to help Xavier build a 37-28 halftime lead. Hawkins scored 11 second-half points, including the final three of a 13-5 run which gave Xavier a 50-33 lead with 15:21 remaining. The Nuggets' biggest lead was 33 points. Xavier outshot the Lady Eagles 47 to 33 percent from the floor, outrebounded them 50-28 and held them to their lowest point total of the season.
Xavier's next game will be its Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener at Belhaven at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 3. The Nuggets' next home game will start at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 10 against SUNO at The Barn.
Hammer Named CAT Director
New Orleans, La. - Elizabeth Yost Hammer has been named Director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching at Xavier University of Louisiana.
Hammer, who is also a professor in the Psychology department, received a bachelor of science in psychology from Troy State University (Alabama) and both a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Experimental Social Psychology at Tulane University.
Her research interests focus on the scholarship of teaching and learning, and she has published on service learning, mentoring, collaborative learning, and the utilization of social psychological theories in the classroom in publications such as The Handbook of the Teaching of Psychology and the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.
She is a National Past-President of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology and was recently elected as Treasurer for the Society for the Teaching of Psychology.
She is a co-author on the textbook, Psychology Applied to Modern Life (9th edition). She is currently co-authoring a book entitled Psychology of Disasters for Blackwell Publishing.
The Center for the Advancement of Teaching is an academic resource for Xavier University's faculty and the broader educational community. The Center's
mission is to advance the art and science of teaching and learning.
Nuggets Beat Sterling 68-56 for Fifth Straight Win
Coral Springs, Fla. - Jarryn Cleaves scored 15 of her 17 points in the first half Tuesday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 68-56 women's basketball victory over Sterling in the Cruzin Classic.
The victory was the fifth in a row for the Gold Nuggets (9-2), who are ranked 21st in NAIA Division I.
Cleaves, Xavier's only double-figure scorer, added five rebounds and three steals. Tiffany Norris scored eight points, and Erica Turnbull and Brittany Whitmore had seven apiece. Whitmore's point total was a season high, and LaTashia Wise grabbed a career-best 10 rebounds.
Jacci Tinkel scored 14 points, and Ashley Kraft had 11 points and 10 rebounds for Sterling (5-5). Britany Gasper scored 10.
Cleaves' 3-pointer at 9:20 of the first half put the Nuggets ahead to stay at 16-13. Xavier led 37-30 at halftime and took its biggest lead, 62-44, on a Norris free throw with 5:54 remaining.
Sterling outshot Xavier 41 to 39 percent from the floor, but the Nuggets had a 37-30 rebound advantage and gained 27 turnovers, six more than they committed. Xavier made 17 of 22 free throws for a season-high percentage of .773.
Xavier will play Central Methodist at 6 p.m. EST Wednesday (5 p.m. New Orleans time) at Miami Shores, Fla., to conclude its participation in this event, which includes 16 women's teams. Sterling, a 57-52 loser to Cardinal Stritch on Monday, finished 0-2 in the Cruzin Classic.
Growth Leads to Creation of Division of Business at Xavier
New Orleans, La. - Besides enjoying a national reputation as a school where students attend to major in the sciences and health related fields, one of the fastest growing areas at Xavier University of Louisiana has been in Business. That growth has resulted in the creation recently of a new Division of Business, to replace what had been an academic department inside the university's College of Arts & Sciences.
Nationally accredited, with more than 250 students enrolled as majors, the Business department was already growing and expanding before Hurricane Katrina came along and delayed this latest expansion. According to department chairman Anil Kukreja, because of its increasing enrollment and after being accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, there was even discussion into the possibility of becoming a college of business. Those plans have been scaled back, but Business at Xavier is nevertheless pressing forward.
The department's ascendancy in November 2007 to become the Division of Business makes it the second academic division in the College of Arts and Sciences (besides Education.)
"Our business program is unique in that we have four separate programs," said Kukreja, adding that Xavier's programs of study in accounting, finance, management and sales and marketing cover the areas students want and where the demand is greatest in the business world.
"We're excited about our change to a Division," said Kukreja. "This new status will give us increased visibility and is a significant step towards our ultimate goal of becoming a college or school of business."
For now the new Business division is focused on recruitment and building the program. Says Kukreja, "We've streamlined the curriculum, and we've done our homework to make ourselves ready for growth. There is a lot of growth potential in business, and we're glad the University has shown its commitment by making us a division."
Xavier students have consistently been successful in obtaining employment with Fortune 500 companies and they are also winning various regional and national business competition. A team of Xavier University business students won the 2007 Ford-HBCU Business Plan Competition, a national contest; plus, a team of Sales and Marketing students won recently at the Bayou Sales Challenge Competition.
The Xavier Division of Business currently hosts two pre-college programs, Business Scholars and Business Achievers for high school seniors. Students in both courses take an "Introduction to Business" course and obtain college credit.
The Division of Business has five endowed professorships and one endowed chair. In addition Xavier has three joint programs with Tulane University where students may obtain an undergraduate degree and a masters degree in finance or accounting or an MBA degree. Currently there are four business students enrolled at Tulane in the joint programs.
For more information, contact the Division of Business at (504) 520-7505 or visit online at www.xula.edu/business.
Stroger Selected for Alumnus of the Year Honors
New Orleans, La. - John Stroger Jr. '52 was honored as the University's top alumni at the annual Alumni Homecoming Gala.
Stroger, who recently retired as president of the Board of Commissioners of Illinois' Cook County (Chicago), was unable to attend the event due to illness, but his daughter, Yonnie Lynn Clark, accepted the 2007 Victor H. Labat Alumnus of the Year award for him on his behalf.
A powerful Democratic political figure in Chicago for decades, Stroger rose to the level of chief executive of one of the most significant counties in the nation, a multi-city area with a larger population and bigger budget than 35 states. He presided over a workforce of 23,000. The billion dollar Cook County hospital was named in his honor.
Stroger was recognized for his extraordinary dedication and service to his alma mater. He served as both a member and chair of the University's Board of Trustees. He has given of his time and resources to the many endeavors of the Chicago Alumni Chapter.
A faithful financial supporter of the University, he and his wife Yonnie are charter members of the Xavier 500 Alumni Leadership Initiative – a select group of individuals who have committed $10,000 or more over a 10-year period to support student scholarships. This past year – at the request of his family – his John H. Stroger Jr. Charitable Foundation contributed $500,000 to establish an endowed scholarship fund for deserving Xavier students.
The annual Homecoming Gala drew a sell-out crowd more than 460 attendees to the University Center Ballroom. Class Agents for the 14 special five-year reunion classes presented the University with gifts totaling $620,693. The Class of '52 led the way with 21 individual donors contributing $392,275.
Xavier Team Grabs Seven More PRSA Awards in 2007
New Orleans, La. - For a second consecutive year, Xavier University of Louisiana's Office of University & Media Relations (U/MR) brought home seven awards from the annual Public Relations Society of America, New Orleans Chapter Awards banquet, held Nov. 14.
The U/MR team received Excellence awards for its online magazine "This Month At Xavier" (TMAX) and for a video production entitled "Norman C. Francis' 50 Years at Xavier: In His Own Words." Both pieces may be viewed currently on the university's web site www.xula.edu.
In addition, Xavier photographer Irving Johnson III received an Excellence award in addition to a "Best in Category" citation for his photo promoting the university's "E-2 Campus sign-up" campaign.
The University & Media Relations team also received merit awards in the Feature Story category for "The Last Snap" about Xavier's last football team, written by publications director Richard Tucker; in the External Publication category for its Xavier Gold alumni magazine; and in The Great Idea category, for the "E-2 Campus Text Messaging" campus sign-up campaign.
Associate Vice President Warren Bell, Jr. heads the University and Media Relations team for Xavier; which includes Tucker and Johnson, as well as Carol Dotson, media relations manager and Trina Vincent, marketing & promotions manager.
The U/MR team's winning entries were judged in competition against entries from some of the top agencies and PR professionals in New Orleans.
Xavier Business Students Excel in Sales Competition
New Orleans, La. - Xavier University of Louisiana business sales and marketing students took home first place honors in the Fifth Annual Bayou Sales Challenge competition, held earlier this month. .
Giselle Rouson, a senior marketing major from Mobile, Ala. (McGill-Toolen High School), took first place in the Overall Competition; Christina Gilbert, a senior marketing major from West Des Moines, Iowa (Valley High School), won first place in the 'Pressure Round'
Team Xavier took second place. Team members included Rouson and Gilbert, along with Jessica Taylor, a junior marketing major from Oxnard, Calif. (Oxnard High) and Tresa Northington, a senior Spanish major from Bellevue, Wash. (Newport High).
Bayou Sales Challenge is a sales role-play competition that gives students a chance to compete against each other and demonstrate their selling skills. Students compete on an individual level and also on a team level representing their university. The judges for the
competition are sales professionals from a variety of industries.
Dr. Joe Ricks served as the faculty advisor and coach of the winning team. Last year Team Xavier also took home two first place awards and placed second in the competition.