Photo by Andrew McKeough ’19

The Falvey Scholars Program is an annual program established by Falvey Library to recognize outstanding undergraduate research. Now in its 21st year, the program is a collective initiative of the Library and the Center for Research and Fellowships. The recipients of this award are selected from a pool of candidates nominated by Villanova faculty and reviewed by Library staff.

This year, eight students received awards for seven different projects, and their work reflects the breadth and depth of undergraduate research at the University as well as the support the Library, its resources and staff, provide student-scholars.

The blog will introduce our scholars and cover their research in their own words. Look for additional coverage of the Falvey Scholars in the fall issue of Mosaic.

Congratulations to all of our Falvey Scholars, past and present!

Madeline Scolio ’23 CLAS

Title: “Modeling the Relationship Between Surface and Air Temperature and Implications for Urban Sustainability and Well-Being in Philadelphia”

Faculty Mentors: Peleg Kremer, PhD, and Samer Abboud, PhD, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Hometown: Woodstock, Ill.

Other Honors: Alexander von Humboldt Medallion for Excellence in Geography, Cosmas Indicopleustes Medallion for Excellence in Global Interdisciplinary Studies, NSF Supplemental Grant from the National Science Foundation, Presidential Scholarship, Villanova Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Seamus Heaney Honors Program Writing Award

Describe your research in your own words.

Currently, it is common practice to use remotely sensed surface temperature as a proxy for air temperature in studies of urban heat and microclimate. It has been established that surface temperature is not a good proxy for air temperature. Thus my research revolves around creating a spatiotemporal model that related the surface temperature to air temperature in order to improve the quality of temperature data available for Philadelphia. I also worked to highlight human well-being and sustainability issues around the city that could benefit from this improved data.

How did Falvey’s resources, databases, and spaces impact your research?

In the Fall, I struggled with finding an approach to my project that would highlight its broad application in social and scientific domains and interdisciplinary nature. During this time, I met with Director of Research Services & Scholarly Engagement Jutta Seibert who helped guide my research towards questions of urban sustainability. This meeting was extremely helpful in narrowing down the focus of the geographic information systems (GIS) portion of my thesis while still complementing the more geotechnical question I was investigating. More specifically, she introduced me to Oxford Bibliographies which were extremely useful in building the urban sustainability and human well-being backbone of my project.

How did Falvey’s resources and databases impact your research?

The resources available through the Falvey Library website were critical in facilitating the foundational and explanatory research for my thesis project. I found it helpful to search for similar terms in different databases and compare the results. For example, I searched for literature relating to urban sustainability in both Scopus and JSTOR and got completely different results. This was extremely useful in situating my geotechnical research in a broader context.

Beyond that, I used the website to gain access to journal articles that informed the development of my methods and to gain a comprehensive understanding of a relatively novel field. For example, mobile air temperature monitoring has been conducted on foot, by bike and by car with each method having its own limitations and advantages. Understanding the methods of other researchers was useful in helping weigh the pros and cons of each method and ultimately deciding to collect my data by car. Through the many journals I was able to access through Falvey, I was able to participate in a long history of academic collaboration by building upon the work of other researchers.

What’s next for you?

I am taking a year off to work, travel, apply to graduate school, and spend time with loved ones. After that, I am planning on getting a master’s degree in architecture and urban planning.

Shawn Proctor, MFA, is Communication and Marketing Program Manager at Falvey Library.

By Shawn Proctor

Falvey Library staff collaborated with partners across campus to boost sustainability efforts while benefiting students in the Center for Access, Success and Achievement (CASA) as well as  College of Professional Studies (CPS).

On May 30, Albert Motel, Waste and Recycling Manager, Facilities Management, coordinated a delivery of 461 pounds of books donated by current students during the spring move out. The books, which included theology and philosophy textbooks, novels, plays, poetry collections, and memoirs from every college at the University, were sorted in the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Idea Lab (IIE) by Samuel Jay, Assistant Director of Retention, CASA, Kirstin DeFusco Houtz, MS, Director, Academic Advising and Student Support, CPS, and Olivia D’Aiutolo Mendenall, MEd, Academic Advisor, CPS.

“The donation was an absolute success! Working alongside Shawn, Kirstin, and Olivia was a great experience, and it was all for the students’ benefit,” Jay says. “It gives our students the opportunity to borrow textbooks free of charge, in comparison to purchasing them from the bookstore where textbooks can be well over $100. A lot of students do not come from wealthy backgrounds, so this initiative provides our students the chance to borrow textbooks, while getting to save some money.”

Caring for Students and the Environment
The hundreds of texts selected by CASA were catalogued by Falvey staff in Resource Management and Description (RMD) and added to the CASA lending library, where they will be available to the center’s students, who are underrepresented, first-generation, or Pell Grant Eligible.

Kirstin DeFusco Houtz and Olivia D’Aiutolo Mendenall review books donated by Villanova students.

A wide variety of books were delivered to the CPS as well, which doubled the size of its recently created lending library. These books will help reduce the cost of attendance for CPS students, who are high achieving adults balancing their educational and professional aspirations with life commitments.

The remaining materials were collected by RMD and packaged to be shipped to a company that specializes in reselling textbooks.

“Our students in CPS have numerous financial obligations they must consider when deciding to pursue an academic credential. Often, this is money being moved from another area in their family budget – children’s education, retirement, groceries, etc. Providing affordable materials for our nontraditional students is crucial for promoting accessibility, inclusivity, and overall student success,” DeFusco Houtz says.

This multi-department initiative supports Villanova University’s commitment to sustainability and good stewardship of our planet by removing these books from the waste stream. It also lives out the University values of truth, unity, and love and the important missions of promoting diversity and equity in the campus community.

“The financial burden of expensive textbooks or materials can be discouraging and lead to attrition,” D’Aiutolo Mendenall adds. “Providing course materials will help to create a more equitable educational landscape at Villanova, empowering individuals to achieve their goals and will have many intergenerational benefits.”

Special thanks to the many other staff who contributed to this initiative: Falvey Library’s John Banionis, Director of Resource Management and Description, and David Burke, Metadata Librarian, who processed the donated materials; CASA’s Renee Boyd-Shaw, Administrative and Lending Library Coordinator, and Kevin Covington, Assistant Director, Retention and Outreach, for support and administration; and IIE’s Stephen Green, Assistant Director, and Ann Miller, Daniel J. Hogarty, Jr. ’61 Director, for graciously providing the space.

Shawn Proctor, MFA, is Communication and Marketing Program Manager at Falvey Library.

Photo by Andrew McKeough ’19

The Falvey Scholars Program is an annual program established by Falvey Library to recognize outstanding undergraduate research. Now in its 21st year, the program is a collective initiative of the Library and the Center for Research and Fellowships. The recipients of this award are selected from a pool of candidates nominated by Villanova faculty and reviewed by Library staff.

This year, eight students received awards for seven different projects, and their work reflects the breadth and depth of undergraduate research at the University as well as the support the Library, its resources and staff, provide student-scholars.

The blog will introduce our scholars and cover their research in their own words. Look for additional coverage of the Falvey Scholars in the fall issue of Mosaic.

Congratulations to all of our Falvey Scholars, past and present!

Becca Jacobson ’23 CLAS

Title: “Identifying Factors that Promote or Inhibit Disability-Related Discussion in Secondary English Language Arts Classrooms”

Faculty Mentor: Christa Bialka, PhD, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Hometown: Randolph, N.J.

Other Honors: Secondary Education Medallion, Villanova Undergraduate Research Fellowship Grantee, Honors Senior Thesis Distinction

Describe your research in your own words.
I investigated the factors that influence English Language Arts teachers to discuss or refrain from discussing disability with their students through a qualitative, exploratory study via interviews with 13 in-service secondary English Language Arts teachers. My findings concluded that the role of disability representation in curriculum, role of classroom and school culture, and role of personal factors all contribute to teachers’ decisions to discuss disability. Teachers desired more representation in curriculum and professional development that frames disability as a social identity to aid them in facilitating these discussions.

How did Falvey’s resources, databases, and spaces impact your research?
The Falvey Library databases were integral to my research process, and I would not have been able to complete my thesis without using the databases. My thesis included a 13-page literature review—literature I retrieved from Falvey Library’s databases. This review served as the foundation for my research methods, data, and discussion.

I would be remiss to leave out the fact that I wrote the vast majority of my thesis inside the walls of Falvey Library. In fact, I wrote almost all 45 pages of my thesis at the same desk on the third floor of the Library by the windows overlooking Mendel Hall. I am the type of student who needs complete silence in order to concentrate and prefers to limit visual distractions, so the desks on the third floor that have hutches with dividers create an ideal learning environment for me. I always tell people, “I do my best work on the third floor of the Library,” and my thesis certainly is my best work.

How did the Library’s staff impact your research and academic experience?
I came to know how to navigate databases and conduct research efficiently and strategically because of the presentations from the many research librarians from Falvey Library. I also had the privilege of meeting with a research librarian one-on-one during my first semester at Villanova, which I believe was one of the smartest decisions I made, as I used the knowledge I gained from that meeting throughout the next four years.

What’s next for you?
I plan to secure a position teaching English Language Arts at a public high school in Northern New Jersey in the near future. In terms of future education, I plan to pursue a Master’s Degree in Special Education and move on to my Doctorate in Education later on in my career.

Also, this research has certainly inspired me to pursue research in the future. I want to examine disability-related discussion more deeply through transcripts of actual disability-related conversation in classrooms and the critical talk moves that teachers make in order to facilitate them.

 Shawn Proctor, MFA, is Communication and Marketing Program Manager at Falvey Library.

This Memorial Day we join our campus community in remembering our country’s heroes: Veterans who have died while in service to the United States. We honor their sacrifice and thank them for protecting our freedoms.

Note: This photo was taken during the National Anthem at Villanova University’s 2023 graduation.

Please be aware there is a construction project ongoing at Falvey Library that will affect access to the loading dock and related entrances and paths. For safety, please do not enter the marked off areas.

James Ijames portrait by Lowell Thomas.

Villanova University Theatre Professor James Ijames’ play “Fat Ham” has been nominated for five Tony Awards including:

• Best Play: “Fat Ham,” James Ijames
• Best Direction of a Play: Saheem Ali, “Fat Ham”
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play: Nikki Crawford, “Fat Ham”
• Best Costume Design of a Play: Dominique Fawn Hill, “Fat Ham“
• Best Lighting Design of a Play: Bradley King, “Fat Ham”

Ijames was awarded the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for “Fat Ham,” a play that “deftly transposes ‘Hamlet’ to a family barbecue in the American South to grapple with questions of identity, kinship, responsibility, and honesty.” From the “Fat Ham” Broadway website: “Juicy is a queer, Southern college kid, already grappling with some serious questions of identity, when the ghost of his father shows up in their backyard, demanding that Juicy avenge his murder. But here’s the rub! Revenge doesn’t come easy to Juicy, a sensitive and self-aware young Black man in search of his own happiness and liberation. From an uproarious family cookout emerges a compelling examination of love and loss, pain and joy.”

Produced by The Wilma Theatre in Philadelphia, “Fat Ham” premiered as a video stream in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Performed for sold out shows at The Public Theater in New York, NY, last spring, the play is currently showing at The American Airlines Theatre on Broadway. For ticket information, visit the “Fat Ham” website. While the show ends its run in New York, NY, on June 25, 2023, “Fat Ham” will open The Wilma Theatre’s 2023-24 season. Directed by Amina Robinson, “Fat Ham” will run from Nov. 24, 2023, through Dec. 17, 2023.

An Associate Professor of Theatre at Villanova University, Ijames is a playwright, director, performer, and educator. He received a BA in Drama from Morehouse College and a MFA in Acting from Temple University. Explore Ijames’ work and accolades here, and view the additional resources below:

• “Fat Ham” Official Website
• James Ijames Official Website
• “James Ijames on Winning a Pulitzer and Making ‘Hamlet’ a Comedy” (The New York Times)
• “Q&A: South Philly’s Pulitzer-Winning Playwright James Ijames on His Big Broadway Debut” (Philadelphia Magazine)
• The Subtext: James Ijames, From Grandma’s Backyard to Broadway (American Theatre) *podcast
• “On Broadway, Playwright James Ijames and Director Saheem Ali Are Making a Meal of ‘Fat Ham‘” (Vogue)
• Chat in the Stacks: A Conversation with Temple Alum and Pulitzer Prize Winning Playwright James Ijames (Temple University Libraries)
• James Ijames on “Fat Ham” (Folger Shakespeare Library) *podcast
• “Out of Friendship, a Play Was Born” (The New York Times)
• “Playwright James Ijames breaks down ‘Fat Ham‘ script, talks breaking the cycle of generational trauma” (Entertainment Weekly)
• A Pulitzer Prize winner’s modern take on Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ (PBS)

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Library. Tune in to the 76th Tony Awards on Sunday, June 11, at 8 p.m. The ceremony is scheduled to air on CBS after striking Writers Union agrees to an altered format. 

By Ethan Shea

Photo by Fatih Kopcal from pexels.com

After 70 recurring blogs and two years at Falvey, this will be my final “Cat in the Stax.”

This particular blog is special for a number of reasons, but the creative freedom that comes with being the Cat in the Stax has been the most valuable for me. When I first took on the role, I wondered how I could possibly come up with a new topic every week, but after two years of writing, I feel like I have just begun.

My creative process for this blog has remained relatively simple. I pinpoint whichever niche topic currently piques my interest, and I write about it. Whether it’s outer space or reality television, with the Library’s endless resources, Falvey is always relevant to the conversation.

Photo from Falvey’s doughnut-filled stress buster

Despite my passion for the “Cat in the Stax,” my time at Falvey cannot be defined by a single blog. Rather, one of my favorite parts about working in the Library is the excitement in-person events never fail to bring.

Whether it’s a lecture by a world-renowned academic, or a stress buster involving hundreds of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, you never know what you may encounter when you enter Falvey. My favorite recurring event involves the Pals for Life therapy animals who always brighten up my day. You can check out photos from their most recent visit to Falvey in last week’s Foto Friday blog.

In addition to the “Cat in the Stax,” with the help of fellow Graduate Assistant Annie Stockmal and undergraduate student worker Anna Jankowski, I’ve also taken great pleasure in perfecting Falvey’s new “In Case You Missed It” (ICYMI) YouTube series and rejuvenating the classic “Curious Cat” blog with video content.

My time as Falvey’s Cat in the Stax has also taught me a lot about theatre. Thanks to Villanova Theatre’s magnificent productions and generosity toward Falvey’s Graduate Assistants, I’ve been able to both attend and write about several shows performed in Villanova’s very own John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts.

This may be my final “Cat in the Stax,” but it is certainly not the last Falvey will see of me. Without a doubt, I will be back to reminisce on the past and take in the big changes to come for the Library and our campus community.

Thank you to everyone who has read these blogs over the years, and a special thanks to everyone on the Communications and Marketing Team for all your support!

I’ve always said I’m a dog person … but now I’ll always be a cat at heart.

Ethan Shea is a second-year graduate student in the English Department and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.

The Spring 2023 issue of Mosaic is now available in the Digital Library. For those with visual accessibility needs, an optimized, accessible PDF is also available on the same page.

In this issue, learn more about the many technologies and services available in the Digital Scholarship Lab, catch up with a Falvey Scholar, celebrate a milestone with Performance Studies, and hop in the wayback machine to see Villanova’s on-campus radio station though the decades.

Thanks to the many departments across the Library for sharing news, and special thanks to Distinctive Collections and Digital Engagement for hosting the digital version of the publication.