WORCESTER, Mass. – From the Today Show and USA Today to the front page of the Telegram & Gazette to the Jakarta Post and Australian radio the College of the Holy Cross has been making headlines nationally, locally, and overseas.
Here is a glimpse of the past year:
- Hot from the White House Press, Dr. Anthony Fauci ’62, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is one of eight recipients of a 2005 National Medal of Science, the nation’s highest honor for scientific achievement. The award was given to him by the President of the United States.
- In January, Fauci made CNN’s “People you should know list” and in September a Washington Post article reported on Fauci receiving the prestigious Mary Woodward Lasker public service award.
- Sports economist, Victor Matheson, assistant professors of economics, was sought out by numerous outlets for his expertise including The Boston Globe, The Gainesville Sun, and The San-Antonio Express; he also appeared on CNBC. A recent study by several economics professors, including Matheson and Robert Baumann, assistant professor of economics, showed that a winning football season does not create a noticeable increase in jobs or pay in a teams' home town. The article ran in more than 100 media outlets.
- Osvaldo Golijov, associate professor of music and world renowned composer, was awarded two Grammy awards for Ainadamar (Fountains of Tears): best contemporary classical composition and best opera recording. The news made the Boston Globe and the Telegram & Gazette, among other publications. In the pages of The New York Times, Golijov talked about his role as the first composer in residence for the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center this summer; and in August, under Goljiov’s auspices, 16 Holy Cross students became the first “outside” singers ever to join conductor Maria Guinand’s acclaimed Schola Cantorum de Caracas in performing Golijov’s St. Mark Passion at the Lincoln Center. Golijov opened up to Men's Vogue (August issue) about his biggest influences and his latest work, the soundtrack for Youth Without Youth, a film by Francis Ford Coppola.
- Appearing live in The Today Show studio last February, Amy Wolfson, professor of psychology, talks about the importance of sleep and gives mothers with young children tips on getting a good night's rest. In The New York Times, a study by Wolfson and Mary A. Carskadon, a sleep researcher at the Brown School of Medicine, found that most adolescents aren't getting the amount of sleep they need. The study was referenced in a special section of the "Science Times" focusing on sleep research. In a full page article appearing in The Boston Globe, Wolfson gave parents advice about letting their kids stay up late to watch the Red Sox games during the World Series.
- Holy Cross men's basketball guard Pat Doherty '08 graces the cover of Sports Illustrated college basketball March Madness issue.
- Inside the glossy pages of Business Week, star litigator Theodore V. Wells Jr. ’72, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas ’71, Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Edward P. Jones ’72, are among a small group of young African Americans who arrived at Holy Cross during a racially tense time in the nation’s history. This article reports their stories, and probes how their time at Holy Cross shaped who they are today. It also focuses on Rev. John E. Brooks, S.J., president emeritus, who encouraged them to attend the College and helped mentor them during their time at Mount St. James and beyond.
- With an election year right around the corner, The New York Observer writes about Jon Favreau ‘03, who is Barack Obama's campaign speechwriter.
- John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the U.S., received an honorary degree from the College and addressed the graduates during the Commencement ceremony on May 25 on the campus. The story ran in many different media outlets. Roberts’ wife, Jane Sullivan Roberts, graduated form Holy Cross in 1976, she was the subject of a lengthy interview in the Telegram & Gazette that talked about her experiences at Holy Cross.
- The Lexington Minuteman talks to Jon Landry ’07 about his dream come true. Landry, who was a defenseman on Holy Cross' men's hockey team, signed a two-year entry-level contract with the National Hockey League's Columbus Blue Jackets.
- David O'Brien, who recently retired as professor of history and Loyola Professor of Roman Catholic Studies, was profiled in America Magazine. O'Brien taught American Catholic history and Catholic social and political thought in Holy Cross classrooms since 1969.
- Abdi Lidonde, supervisor of the physical plant department, sits down with Bronnie Kush from the Telegram & Gazette to explain how he is living out his dream, by building a school for impoverished youths in his native Kenya. The Holy Cross community is offering assistance.
- Mary M. Doyle Roche '90, assistant professor of religious studies, talks about the loss of "innocence" among today's children. A highly-acclaimed Australian radio program, "Encounter" explores the connections between religion and life.
- The Telegram & Gazette and The MetroWest Daily News gave rave reviews to the outdoor production of Richard III, presented by Redfeather Theatre (in collaboration with Holy Cross). The play was directed by Edward Isser, associate professor of theatre, and the cast included numerous Holy Cross students.
- The Worcester Business Journal reported 53 percent of Holy Cross alumni gave to the school's annual fund this past year, surpassing national higher education fundraising trends.
- During a September press conference, Holy Cross announced plans to honor basketball legend Bob Cousy '50 with a life-size bronze statue to be located in front of the Hart Center. Numerous media outlets were on hand for the news, including WBZ-TV, The MetroWest Daily News, and Celtics.com.
- Catherine Roberts, associate professor of mathematics, was selected as one of 14 master teachers for the Intel Massachusetts Department of Education/Intel Math Initiative. Chosen from a pool of over 90 applicants, she will help elementary and middle school math teachers improve their skills. The interview was conducted in her hometown of Chatham and ran in the Cape Cod Chronicle.
- USA Today came to campus as members of the Class of 2011 gathered for the annual President's Banquet where they discussed and brought to life their summer reading assignment, The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan. Chosen because of its emphasis on fundamental social, ethical and environmental questions, the book served as a catalyst for dialogue and reflection among students, faculty and staff.
- In lengthy interviews with the Telegram & Gazette and Worcester Magazine, celebrated composer Shirish Korde, professor and chair of the music department, kicked off Music Worcester’s 148th season with the U.S. premiere of his composition, Svara-Yantra. He received a glowing review from The Boston Globe.
- Steve Dziemian, a printer in the graphic arts department at the College, had been suffering with a life-threatening liver disease for years. After undergoing a successful transplant — made possible by the kindness of a living donor — Dziemian shared his story with ABC's Nightline.
- In an op-ed on academic integrity, Timothy Austin, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College, comments on the role technology plays in cheating, and offers suggestions on how faculty can address and combat student dishonesty. The essay, written for Inside Higher Ed, was widely read and received numerous comments.
- Richard Herrick, professor of chemistry and director of the new Clavius Scholar Program, talks to the Telegram & Gazette about how a $586,500 grant will benefit low income Worcester students who are interested in the sciences.
- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas '71, talks to 60 Minutes and ABC News about his recent memoir titled "My Grandfather's Son," which describes his life and the events that shaped it.
- In the aftermath of the Oct. 18, 2007 terrorist bombings in Pakistan, Mathew N. Schmalz, associate professor of religious studies and director of the College Honors Program, comments on former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's return and the changing political climate in USA Today. Schmalz previously lived in Pakistan (and India) for four years, where he spent time with Bhutto. In preparation for presidential candidate Mitt Romney's "Faith in America" address, Schmalz, an expert on Mormon culture, offered analysis to numerous media outlets, including the The San Francisco Chronicle and The Boston Globe. An article written by the Associated Press ran in nearly 70 media outlets.
- Reporters from the Telegram & Gazette and Worcester News Tonight join David Lipke '08, co-chairman of the student government association, as he takes the first ride in one of the College's Zipcars. Holy Cross was the first College in Worcester to have Zipcars arrive on campus.
- From the theatre department's production of My Life with Albertine to the Cantor Art Gallery's exhibit of Crossroads, a Worcester Magazine cover story explains you don't have to go much further than the College of the Holy Cross for culture and entertainment.
- Ann M. Sheehy, assistant professor of biology, received a $200,000 Smith Family New Investigator Award for newly appointed junior faculty researching AIDS, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and neuroscience. Worcester News Tonight aired a feature story about Sheehy, and the Telegram & Gazette and the Kalamazoo Gazette ran similar pieces.
- Visiting fellow in Balinese performing arts, I Made Bandem, a world renowned master and leader of music, dance, and theater, opens up to The Jakarta Post about the Balinese program at the College.
