Dr. F. Daniel Davis, director of bioethics for Geisinger Health System, will deliver the 2014 Saint André Bessette Lecture, titled “Between Duty and Virtue: Ethics in Medicine,” at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, in the Burke Auditorium at King’s College.  In case of inclement weather, the event will be held at the same time on Wednesday, Feb. 12.

Davis came to Geisinger in 2012 with more than 20 years experience in theoretical and applied bioethics. He earned his doctorate in philosophy with a specialization in the philosophy and ethics of medicine from Georgetown University, where he served as well as an associate dean for educational planning and evaluation and director of professional education at Georgetown’s School of Medicine. He was also a senior research scholar in the Center for Clinical Bioethics and as a senior ethicist on the ethics consultation service at Georgetown University Hospital, working in the adult, pediatric, and neonatal intensive care units.

Davis became executive director of the President’s Council on Bioethics in 2006, where he spearheaded the research, writing, and publication of white papers on standards for the determination of death and newborn screening and  the council’s anthology on human dignity. He was later appointed senior advisor for bioethics in the Office of Science Policy, focusing on ethical issues in biosecurity and reform of the Common Rule, the ethical and regulatory framework for human subjects research.

Saint André Bessette, the first Holy Cross Congregation member to attain sainthood, was known as a healer for his devotion to the sick and afflicted. The King’s College Student Health Center, André Hall, is named in his honor.

The Burke Auditorium is located in the William G. McGowan School of Business on North River Street. Parking will be available in on-campus lots. For more information, please contact Dr. Bernard Prusak, director, McGowan Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility, at 208-5900, ext. 5689.

King’s College is a Catholic College sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Dr. F. Daniel Davis

Seventy-four junior, senior, and graduate level King’s College students are participating in spring semester internships at 52 sponsoring organizations.

King’s College is a Catholic College sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Attending the King’s College spring internship orientation session and their sponsoring site are, seated row 1, from left: Melissa Francis, Wilkes-Barre, Benco Dental; Melanie Socash, Wyoming, Candy’s Place; Jeffrey Grimes, Kingston, Luzerne County Juvenile Probation; Sean Cappellini- Boyle, Kingston, Luzerne County District Attorney; Jordan Okun, Wilkes-Barre, J.H. Williams & Co., LLP; and Shannon McCarthy, Ramsey, N.J., Boscov's.

Row 2: Laura Rysz, Haddonfield, N.J., “The Citizens Voice”; Adam Gilbert, Sugarloaf, JonesKohanski & Co., PC; Christian Janusziewicz, Kingston, J.H. Williams & Co., LLP; Lauren Wenner, Perkiomenville, St. Nicholas Federal Credit Union; Mary Evans, Mountain Top, “Mountaintop Eagle”; Alexandra Boboris, Hauppauge, N.Y., King's College Human Resources; Joseph Byczek, Luzerne, J.H. Williams & Co., LLP; and, Kelly Lettieri, assistant director for internships.

Row 3: Melissa Gruber, Olyphant, J.H. Williams & Co., LLP; Drew Williams, Warwick, King's College McGowan Hispanic Outreach Program; Matt Mezzacopo, Seaford, Del., King’s College; Louis Montante, Bushkill, Sapphire Salon; Carissa Durko, Old Forge, First Hospital; Brittny Woss, Luzerne, First Hospital; Adam Paulauskas, Shavertown, Albert B. Malone; Thomas Ferrante, Cherry Hill, N.J., Ray Knaub & Co., PC; and Jessica Hildebrand, Mountain Top, ParenteBeard.

Row 4: Nicholas Jallat, Seymour, Conn., Institute for Public Policy; Vincent Battipaglia, Tamiment, Luzerne County Public Defenders Office; Hayley McGuinn, Paxinos, SCI Coal Township County Jail- Human Resources; Connor Olsen, Melville, N.Y., Wilkes-Barre Police Department; Carl Luchetti, Downingtown, Entercom; Sean Ziller, Shavertown, Institute for Public Policy; Sean Nolan, Massapequa Park, N.Y., King's College IITS; Carisa Panzetta, Dallas, Wyoming Valley West; Anthony Depierro, Kingston, Frontier Communications; and David Dewitt, Shavertown, Luzerne County Public Defenders Office.

Row 5: Casey Waslasky, Plains, NBC-Late Night with Seth Meyers; Ashlee Jacobs, Hanover Twp., “The Citizens Voice”; Kelsey James, Wilkes-Barre, Shamrock Communications; Mary Patterson, Plains, Joseph J. Paciotti, CPA; Scott Picketts, Plains, J.H. Williams & Co., LLP; Darrah Harley, Shillington, First Hospital; and Matthew Powell, Avoca, King's Public Relations Office.

Twenty two King’s College students recently completed an Entrepreneurship Institute, a 15-hour certified training program which teaches fundamental concepts of idea generation, market assessment, and how to develop and implement an idea.

Professor Jeffrey Babin of the University Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Wharton facilitated the event, held at Marywood University.  Several speakers assisted Babin, all of whom are successful local entrepreneurs or who got their start through this program.

The Institute was sponsored by TecBridge, formally the Great Valley Technology Alliance.  Successful completion of the Institute is seen as an important step for students who wish to participate in this spring’s annual Business Plan Competition.

Fourteen Northeast Pennsylvania colleges and universities are associated with TecBridge.  The 22 King’s students who completed the Institute represented half of all students attending the two-day event.

King’s College is a Catholic College Sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Pictured in front row, from left, are students Samuel Forst, Terria Pettus, Brianne Talocka, Melissa Francis, Rachel Stanitis, and Kelly Kopko.

Pictured in second row, from left, is Mark Leffler, assistant professor of management and the Angelo P. Decesaris Executive in Residence at the William G. McGowan School of Business at King’s; students David Fox, Derek Stoneback, Dave Halliwell, Mathew Adams, Alyssa Conner, Bennett Williams, and Trevor Tupy.

Pictured in third row, from left, are students Dominic Eremo, Joseph Marks, Joseph Dillon, Brad Villano, Cory Tobin, Sean Gabel, Dominic Malacari, Anthony Lizzi, and Brian Stonikinis; and Paul Lamore, associate professor of management at King's.

King’s College and the family of Eric J. Williams have joined together to establish a scholarship in his name on the first anniversary of his death.  A 2003 graduate of King’s with a degree in criminal justice, Williams was serving as a federal corrections officer when he was ambushed and killed by an inmate at the U.S. Penitentiary at Canaan, Wayne County, on February 25, 2013.

The scholarship will be awarded annually to two junior or senior criminal justice majors who demonstrate financial need.  The scholarship will first be awarded prior to the start of the 2014-2015 academic year.

“King’s College wanted to honor Eric and his life in a significant and lasting way,” said Father John J. Ryan, C.S.C., King’s president.  “When we approached Eric’s family to let them know that the College planned to establish a scholarship in his name that would benefit a King’s student each year, they were not only appreciative, but they volunteered to support the fund in a way that will benefit a second student each year.”

The Williams family stated, “To be able to help fund a strong educational foundation to students who have set their sights on a career in Criminal Justice brings great comfort to our family, and honors the memory of our beloved son, Eric.”

King’s College is a Catholic College Sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Artist Tom Sorresso uses the medium of enamel spray paint to create unexplored worlds and delve into the human imagination. He will display works created with enamel spray paint during a free, public exhibition, titled “Shadow Galaxy,” from Monday, March 10, through Monday, April 14, in the Widmann Gallery at King’s College.

“After painting in this style for twelve years, I have begun to find a certain quality that is all my own,” Sorresso said. “Every piece I intend to show is going to tell a story of the vastness of the universe and a person’s creative imagination.”

The son of a boardwalk performer in Seaside Heights, N.J., Sorresso learned to create images using enamel spray paint during live exhibitions with fellow performer and “space painter,” Cosmo Kid. He continues to exhibits his works primarily in live performances, including showings at the Bloomsburg Fair, Vir-ginia State Fair, and Seaside Heights, N.J. He earned an associates degree in graphic design at Luzerne County Community College.

Sorresso will discuss his craft during a Meet-the-Artist reception from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, March 21, in the Widmann Gallery, Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center, located between North Franklin and North Main streets.

Gallery hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, as arranged. The Gallery is closed on national holidays and during scheduled breaks throughout the academic year. For more information, contact Michelle Leonard, Widmann Gallery coordinator, at (570) 208-5900, ext. 5328.

King’s College is a Catholic College sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

“Seedlings,” a enamel spray painted work by Tom Sorresso will be on display in the “Shadow Galaxy” exhibition in the Widmann Gallery at King’s College.

Dr. Bernard Prusak, associate professor of philosophy and director of the McGowan Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility at King’s College, has had his book titled “Parental Obligations and Bioethics: The Duties of a Creator,” published by Routledge Press.

Prusak also published two cover stories in “Commonweal.” The story “Just Warriors, Unjust Wars?” was published in January’s issue, while “Seeing as God Sees: Terrence Malick’s ‘The Tree of Life’” was published in January.

King’s College is a Catholic College sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Dr. Bernard Prusak

Author and “The Washington Post” political journalist Melinda Henneberger has been named the keynote speaker for the annual King’s-Wilkes Women’s and Gender Studies Conference. Henneberger will discuss sexual violence on college campuses during the free, public lecture at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, in the Burke Auditorium at King’s College.

Titled “Revolution Needed: The Ongoing Wrong of Sexual Violence on College Campuses,” the lecture is sponsored by King’s McGowan Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility and the Commonweal Campus Speakers Fund.

The Women’s and Gender Studies Conference is a joint venture coordinated by Wilkes University’s Women’s and Gender Studies Program and King’s College’s Women’s Studies Program. The conference theme is “Revolutionary Women.” Presentations on gender studies research projects, panel discussions, and performance art will be held on March 20-21 at Wilkes University.

Henneberger is the author of “If They Only Listened to Us: What Women Voters Want Politicians to Hear.” She was the founder and editor-in-chief of “Politics Daily” at AOL and spent 10 years as a reporter for the “New York Times” in the paper's Washington and Rome bureaus. She has also worked for the “Dallas Morning News” and “New York Newsday,” and is an alumna of the University of Notre Dame, the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium, and the post-graduate volunteer program Holy Cross Associates.

For more information, contact Dr. Jennifer Thomas, Director of Women’s and Gender Studies at Wilkes University, at jennifer.thomas@wilkes.edu, or Dr. Robin Field, Director of Women’s Studies at King’s College, at (570) 208-5900 ext. 5771 or email robinfield@kings.edu.

The Burke Auditorium is located in the William G. McGowan School of Business on North River Street. Parking will be available at several on-campus lots.

King’s College is a Catholic College sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

“The Washington Post” political journalist Melinda Henneberger

Seven King's College faculty members were recently granted tenure by the College’s Board of Directors.

Promoted to associate professor were Dr. Joan Blewitt, business and management; Dr. Todd Gutekunst, mathematics; Rev. Dan Issing, C.S.C., theology; Dr. Noreen O’ Connor, English; Dr. Ayesha Ray, political science; Dr. Isaac VonRue, chemistry; and Dr. Jill Yurko, education.

Blewitt earned her doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania. She served as director of King’s Office of Career Planning and Placement and as an adjunct professor from 1981-2006. She has since taught in the Department of Business and Management in the McGowan School of Business, publishing academic articles in journals and presenting at national and international conferences.

Gutekunst earned his doctorate from the University of Delaware, where he served as an instructor before joining King’s in 2008. He has written textbooks for King’s courses Math 127: Logic and Axiomatics, and Math 250: Linear Algebra, and new curriculum for Math 236: Geometry. He has had academic articles published in two peer-reviewed mathematical journals.

At King's since 2007, Father Issing holds a licentiate in sacred theology from the Jesuit School of Theology and a doctorate in theological ethics from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif. Previous to King's, Father Dan served as the Director of Campus Ministry at Stonehill College.  His scholarship focuses on Catholic social teaching, and his interests are the ethics of Catholic higher education and the role of forgiveness in society.

O'Connor earned a doctorate in literature at George Washington University. She has presented her research on the local silent film industry to the Back Mountain Historical Society and Luzerne County Historical Society. She also presents her work at national conferences and has published on Sylvia Townsend Warner, Edith Wharton, Virginia Woolf, Jean Rhys, and Santa Claus. She hosts "Off the Page," a program dedicated to student writing on King’s radio station, WRKC.

Prior to joining King's in 2008, Ray earned her doctorate in political science from the University of Texas at Austin. She published her first book, “The Soldier and the State in India,” with SAGE Publications India. She will present at 2014 Global Studies Conference this summer in Shanghai, China. She has also been featured in several international media outlets, including “The Sunday Guardian,” “Zee News India,” and the radio program, “Urdu Voice of America.”

A polymer chemist, VonRue was the principal investigator on a grant of nearly $88,000 awarded to King’s from the National Science Foundation to purchase a differential scanning calorimeter. Prior to coming to King’s in 2008, he earned his doctorate in chemistry from the University of North Carolina and served as a visiting professor at the University of Puget Sound and Stetson University.

Yurko earned her doctorate of education from Temple University. She is director of the Graduate Program in Reading at King’s. Her research on integrating literacy and science into the curriculum will be presented at a conference this fall. Her work on using writing activities to assist students with the comprehension of content area learning was published in “Pennsylvania Reads Journal.”

The King’s College Board of Directors also announced four faculty members earned promotions. Dr. Robert Liebler and Dr. Tara Shawver of the Accounting and Finance Department were promoted to full professor. Robert Richards, education, and Amy Swiatek, mathematics, were promoted to associate technical professor.

King's College is a Catholic College sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Dr. Joan Blewitt

Dr. Todd Gutekunst

Rev. Dan Issing, C.S.C.

Dr. Noreen O’ Connor

Dr. Ayesha Ray

Dr. Isaac VonRue

Dr. Jill Yurko

Social ethics scholar Dr. Maureen O’Connell of LaSalle University will discuss theology’s role in social transformation during two free public lectures at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 10, in the Burke Auditorium, William G. McGowan School of Business, at King’s College.

O’Connell’s lecture, titled “Painting Social Transformation: Common Beauty and Common Good,” will focus on her research on community murals and social justice, racial identity formation, and the role of theology in an interdisciplinary approach to achieve a good society.

She is the 35th speaker in the history of the Moreau Lectures series at King’s, which is named in honor of Blessed Father Basil Anthony Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross which established and sponsors King’s College.

Rooted in Catholic social ethics, O’Connell pursues the role of the arts in justice. Her current research project explores racial identity formation, racism, and racial justice on Catholic college campuses.  Considered one of the most promising Catholic feminist scholars, O’Connell’s book “If These Walls Could Talk: Community Muralism and the Beauty of Justice,” was named College Theology Book of the Year Award, as well as the Catholic Press Association’s first place for books in theology in 2012.

O’Connell taught at Fordham University for eight years before becoming chair of the Department of Religion at LaSalle in fall 2013.  She is also vice-president of the College Theology Society and serves on the board of the Society for the Arts in Religious and Theological Studies. She earned her doctorate in theological ethics from Boston College.

The Moreau Lectures Series, sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross at King’s, brings renowned theologians to the King’s campus to address issues of social justice, peace, morality and Catholic identity as well as other subjects relevant to the lives of students, Catholics, and all other people concerned with the significant issues facing the Church and society.

The William G. McGowan School of Business is located on North River Street. Parking will be available at on-campus lots. For further information, contact Rev. Daniel Issing, C.S.C., assistant professor of theology, at (570) 208-5900, ext. 5491 or email DanielIssing@kings.edu.

King’s College is a Catholic College sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Dr. Maureen O’Connell of LaSalle University is this year’s Moreau Lecturer at King’s College.

Author and theological scholar Dr. J. Kameron Carter will deliver the annual Rev. Donald J. Grimes, C.S.C., Divine Wisdom Lecture, titled, Post-racial Blues: Religion at the Crossroads of ‘Avatar’ and ‘District 9’,” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, in the Burke Auditorium at King’s College.

The murders of Oscar Grant in the Bay area and Trayvon Martin in Florida, among other incidents, are part of a cultural and political condition that Dr. Carter refers to as “the post-racial blues.” His lecture will analyze the condition and highlight examples from sci-fi films “Avatar” and “District 9.” The lecture is sponsored by the Honors Program at King’s.

Dr. Carter is the associate professor of Systematic Theology and Black Church Studies at Duke Divinity School. As a theologian, his research focuses on the basic areas of Christian thought, especially Christology and theological anthropology. He is the author of “Race: A Theological Account” and editor of the fall 2013 issue of the journal “South Atlantic Quarterly” on the theme, “Religion and the Futures of Blackness.” He is author of two forthcoming books: “The Color of Sovereignty: A Fugitive History of Political Theology” and “Post-Racial Blues: Religion and the Twenty-First Century Color Line.”

In 2006, the name of the Annual Divine Wisdom Lecture was changed to honor the late Rev. Donald Grimes, C.S.C., Professed Religious in the Congregation of Holy Cross. From his arrival at King’s College in 1972 until his death in 2005, Father Grimes served as a professor, counselor, administrator, and finally the vice president of academic affairs.

The lecture is free and open to the public. The Burke Auditorium is located in the William G. McGowan School of Business on North River Street. For more information, contact Dr. Nicole Mares, acting director of the Honors Program, at (570) 208-5900, ext. 5489.

King’s College is a Catholic College sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Dr. J. Kameron Carter

The Information and Instructional Technology Services (IITS) Department at King’s College recently donated more than $3,000 in computer equipment to the after-school programs held at the McGlynn Learning Center and Mineral Springs Center in Wilkes-Barre.

The donated equipment includes 10 Dell desktop computers, three printers, keyboards and accessories. The donated desktop computers are an immediate upgrade in equipment and software; many of the center’s existing computers used Microsoft’s operating system, Windows 98. The donated computers are upgraded to Windows 7.

The McGlynn and Mineral Springs learning centers serve more than 130 children, ranging in age from kindergarten through high school. The students will use King’s donated equipment for research projects and as a component in the centers’ English as a Second Language programs.

The initiative was coordinated through Timothy Mike of Shavertown, a junior computers and information systems major at King’s. The need for the equipment became apparent after Mike volunteered at the learning centers as a Scholar in Service program participant. Mike worked with King’s IITS department’s Ray Pryor, managing director of user services at King’s, to coordinate delivery and installation of the new equipment. The learning centers old computers were recycled through King’s facilities department.

The McGlynn Learning Center, located within the Boulevard Town Homes, and the site at Mineral Springs are funded in part by the Wilkes-Barre Housing Authority. The centers provide numerous educational, recreational, and social outreach programs for the children who live in the subsidized housing units.

Even after King’s donation, the learning centers still have 20 outdated computers.  The Mineral Springs site lacks Internet access. The centers seek sponsors to provide a site license to use software packages, such as Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite, scientific calculators, and computer tablets.

King’s College is a Catholic College sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Pictured seated with some of the donated equipment is, from left: Sister Elizabeth Brody, director, Mineral Springs Center; and Timothy Mike, junior CIS major, King’s. Standing: Paul Moran, executive director of IITS, King’s; Sister Eleace King, director, McGlynn Learning Center; and Ray Pryor, managing director of user services, King’s.

Dr. Ray Gamache, assistant professor of mass communications at King’s College, has published an article in the journal, “Journalism History.” The title of the article is “Breaking Eggs’ for a Holodomor: Walter Duranty, ‘The New York Times’, and the Denigration of Gareth Jones.”

He also published, “Commemorating Holodomor: Reflections on a Tragedy,” in “World Ecology Report.” The article was based on his presentation at the World Information Transfer’s 22nd International Conference on Health and Environment,” which was held at the United Nations in December.

Gamache’s book, “Gareth Jones: Eyewitness to the Holodomor,” was recently reviewed in “The Weekly Standard.”

King’s College is a Catholic College sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Dr. Ray Gamache

Atty. Jacqueline Zabresky has been named chairperson of the upcoming Community Campaign at King’s College.

Contributions to the five-week Community Phase, which will begin in late March, will help King’s to build scholarship and faculty development funds, construct new facilities and renovate existing buildings, purchase equipment for classroom support, and provide for campus expansion and beautification.

Zabresky is a graduate of Geisinger Medical Center School of Nursing and completed her BSN degree at College Misericordia. She received her bachelor’s degree at Kings in 1993, graduating with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Zabresky graduated from Widener School of Law in 1999. During her studies, she was a research assistant for a law professor, a critical care nurse at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, and a nurse paralegal for Hourigan, Kluger and Quinn. She has held positions as the Director of Risk Management and Corporate Compliance at Tyler Hospital.

Zabresky operates a private law practice in Wilkes Barre, where her focus is on representing clients in Social Security Disability.

Zabresky is a member of the Luzerne County Bar Association and chairperson of the organization’s Medical-Legal/ Disabilities Committee. She is admitted to practice law before the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas and the United States District Court for the Middle District. She lectures on law-related matters to professional organizations and community groups.

King’s College is a Catholic College Sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Atty. Jacqueline Zabresky

Eight local residents were recently inducted as members of the King’s College Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda (ASL), a national honor society which celebrates the scholarship and leadership of adult students in higher education.

The aim of ASL is to provide recognition to highly motivated adult students who have demonstrated academic excellence while facing competing interests of family, community, and work. The national organization was founded in 1946. The King’s Alpha Omega Chapter was established in 1974.

King’s College is a Catholic College Sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Pictured seated, from left, are inductees Amanda K. Carey, Francesca L. Klinger, Nancy Jean Kopco, and Amanda Marie Zieba.

Pictured standing, from left, is Briget Ford, Coordinator of Part-Time and Graduate Programs and honor society moderator; and inductees Jamie C. Costello, Richard Schofield, Gavin Edward Southworth and Steven Kondracki.

The enchantment of Sirens will lure audiences to a deserted island, where magic, fairies and romance collide in a moonlit forest during the King’s College Theatre Department’s upcoming production of Shakespeare’s classic comedy, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” at 7:30 p.m. April 9-12 and at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 13, in the George P. Maffei II Theatre.

The King’s College Theatre Department sets the stage on a mysterious deserted island, where Sirens’ enchanting music and voices entice sailors to shipwreck on the rocky coast. Now, Captain Theseus and his intended bride, Hippolyta, along with members of the Athenian Yacht Club, arrive on the island and are followed by four young, misguided lovers and a band of comical dockworkers.

Their adventures in the island’s enchanted and moonlit mangroves, inhabited with spirits who unleash magical practical jokes and spells on the visitors, lead them into improbable love affairs and transform them in the most comical and unlikely ways.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” features Wilkes-Barre natives and King’s alumni Brandi George (Hippolyta/Titania); Drake Nester (Puck); and Thomas Tarazewski (Thesus/Oberon), and Shickshinny resident Lukas R. Tomasacci (Bottom). Local actors include: John Bubul, West Pittston (Flute); Elizabeth DeMichele, Wilkes-Barre (Hermia); Drew Groblewski, Lehman (Snout); Elizabeth Hoover, Dallas (Mustardseed); Amanda Kotch, Dallas (Peasebloosom); Matthew Kropp, Wilkes-Barre (Egeus); and Kyle McCormack, Mountain Top (Demetrius).

The George P. Maffei II Theatre is located in the Administration Building on North River Street. Tickets are $12 for general admission, $7 for senior citizens, and $5 for King’s alumni and non-King’s students. For more information or to reserve tickets, call the box office at (570) 208-5825 or e-mail boxoff@kings.edu. To purchase tickets online, visit the website http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/612573

King’s College is a Catholic College sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Thomas Taraszewski and Brandi George rehearse for King’s College Theatre Department’s production of Shakespeare’s comedy, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Two members of the King’s College community recently participated in a panel presentation as part of a Women’s History Month program, titled “Women of Character, Courage, and Commitment,” which was held at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre.

Dr. Margarita Rose, professor of economics and chairperson of the Department of Economics, highlighted Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya, and Rachel Carson, author of "Silent Spring," about the impact each had on environmentalism in their countries. She also presented on social justice and peace activist Dorothy Day.

Dr. Janice Thompson, associate professor and chairperson of the Department of Theology, discussed women of courage, including Catherine of Siena and linked her with Malala Yousafzai, the girl shot by the Taliban for standing up for the rights of Muslim women to go to school in Pakistan.

King’s College is a Catholic College sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Dr. Margarita Rose

Dr. Janice Thompson

King’s College sophomore business majors had the opportunity this semester to participate in the Target Case Competition.  The College received a $3,500 grant from the retail giant to use as prize money for a competition involving teams of students who are given a case study from Target and have to design a solution and present their findings to a panel of judges.

Representatives of Target and faculty of the McGowan School of Business at King’s comprised the judging panel for the final group of three teams.

King’s College is a Catholic College Sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Pictured in front row is the winning team of students who were presented a check for $2,000.  Show, from left, is Thomas Murray, Bennett Williams Michael Brown, Jamie Scarantino, and Anthony Toleno.

Pictured in second row, from left, are King’s judges Dr. Joan Blewitt, Theresa Kinney, Korie Munley, Dr. Bindu Vyas, and Dr. Barry Williams.

Pictured in third row, from left, are Target representatives Nicole Molino, Katie Gallagher and Nicholas Durham.  Shown at far right of the back row is Dr. Amy Parsons, chair of the King’s Marketing Department.

Patrick J. O’Connor, Esquire, a Kingston native, 1964 graduate of King’s College, co-founder of the law firm, Cozen O’Connor, and currently vice chairman of the law firm, will provide the address at King’s 65th Annual Commencement exercises to be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 18, at Mohegan Sun Arena. Approximately 500 students will receive either a bachelor’s, master’s or associate degree at the ceremony. In addition to addressing the graduates, O’Connor will receive an honorary doctor of humanities degree from King’s.

Patrick was one of Patrick and Helen O’Connor’s six sons who graduated from King’s, five of whom became lawyers.

“Patrick O’Connor and his brothers are a great example of King’s College’s early history of educating first-generation college students who go on to professional achievement, serve their community, and begin families of their own,” said Father John Ryan, C.S.C., president of King’s. “He is a wonderful choice to address the Class of 2014 as they leave King’s and prepare to find their way in the world.”

After graduating from King’s in 1964 with magna cum laude honors and majors in history and government, O’Connor received his juris doctorate from Villanova University Law School in 1967. While a student at King’s, O’Connor served as class president for three years and was inducted to three academic honor societies.

As a young attorney, Patrick served as law clerk to the Hon. Thomas J. Clary, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, was an associate attorney at Pepper Hamilton & Scheetz, and in 1973, went on to become cofounder of Cozen O’Connor, which is ranked among The American Lawyer magazine’s Top U.S. law firms.

O’Connor is a trial lawyer who focuses his practice on litigation arising out of contracts, banking matters, estates, professional liability involving legal and accounting matters, health care, and aviation-related claims. He has been named a “Best Lawyer in America” for the past six consecutive years.

“I look back at my time at King’s with great fondness and pride,” said O’Connor. “King’s prepared me for law school, my first job, starting my own law firm, and so many other challenges I have faced along the way. I look forward to imparting the lessons I have learned at King’s and since my graduation, to the 2014 graduating class.”

O’Connor is a past member of the King’s College Board of Directors. He received the College’s Alumni Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement in 2005. O’Connor is also the current chairman of the board of trustees of Temple University and is a current member and former chairman of the board of Consultors for the Villanova University School of Law. In 2013, he received honorary degrees from both Temple University and the Villanova University School of Law.

King’s College is a Catholic College Sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Patrick J. O’Connor, Esquire

Twelve King’s College Athletic Training Program majors, under the supervision of sports medicine faculty, provided Functional Movement Screenings (FMS) at the Northeast Pennsylvania Sports and Fitness Expo that was held recently at the Wyoming Valley Sports Dome.

The FMS is a ranking and grading system that documents movement patterns that are key to normal function. By screening these patterns, the FMS readily identifies functional limitations and asymmetries.

King’s College is a Catholic College Sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

Pictured kneeling, from left, are Athletic Training majors Alyssa Powell, Mary Rousseau, Luann Sensale, Amy Kowalczyk, Kelsey Rynkiewicz, and Sarah Richards.

Pictured standing, from left is Ryanne Ziobro, ATC, associate clinical professor of sports medicine; David Marchetti, associate clinical professor of sports medicine; students Allison Gardiner, Vincent Albano, Steven Davi, Christina Seber, Tom Kuren, and Danielle Schuck; and Greg Janik, ATC, clinical professor in sports medicine and head athletic trainer.

Cantores Christi Regis, the 28-member choral group of King’s College, will perform a program of classical, contemporary, sacred and secular choral music during their annual Spring Concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 25, and Saturday, April 26, in the J. Carroll McCormick Campus Ministry Center, located at Franklin and Jackson streets.

Under the direction of Robert Yenkowski, the choir will perform a variety of sacred and secular music. This spring’s selections include “Kyrie from Mass in G” by Schubert, “At the River” adapted by Aaron Copland, “The Way You Look Tonight” arranged by Kirby Shaw, and “Three Madrigals” by Emma Lou Diemer.

“This spring’s concert will feature an eclectic repertoire, from several popular selections to Romantic Period compositions, along with Renaissance motets,” said Yenkowski. “This promises to be an uplifting and energetic concert.”

The Cantores Christi Regis Spring Concert is free and open to the public. The group’s performance is part of King’s “Experiencing the Arts” series. For more information, visit “Experiencing the Arts Calendar” at www.kings.edu or contact Rob Yenkowski at (570) 208-6044.

King's College is a Catholic College sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

King’s College choir members, pictured first row from left, are: Betty Montgomery, Cara Medwick, and Lauren Wenner. Second row: Matt Kropp, Ruthly Cadestin, Morgan Santayana, and Jonathan Vojtko.