Lewis University

The Senior Capstone Art Exhibition will take place May 2-12 at the Wadsworth Family Gallery on Lewis University's Romeoville campus. The exhibit will be free and open to the public from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. daily. The Lewis University students featured in the exhibit include Orla Clasby, Laila Husseini, Maha Muhammad, Drew Orr, Linsey Jeanne Pelekoudas, Abdurrahman Qureshi, and Rebeca Sanchez. The biannual art show coincides with the capstone course, Senior Project. The course challenges graduating students to put their newly acquired skills and understanding of art to the test by participating in a professional exhibition experience. The Department of Art and Design manages the Wadsworth Family Gallery events, which include Lewis University student shows, local and regional artist shows, annual high school exhibits, faculty shows, academic-based exhibitions and cultural and religious-based art shows. More information is available about the Art Gallery and exhibits by contacting Natalie Swain, Art Gallery coordinator, at swainna@lewisu.edu.

Lewis University Philip Lynch Theatre presents "Superior Donuts", a heartwarming and humorous tale of unlikely friendships in one of Chicago's most diverse neighborhoods. This comedy-drama explores the challenges of embracing the past and the redemptive power of friendship. "Superior Donuts," written by Tracy Letts, will have performances on September 27-29 and October 3-4 at the Philip Lynch Theatre on Lewis University's Romeoville Campus. The first weekend performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Sunday. The second weekend performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, with a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Saturday and Sunday.

Eight students mentored by Lewis Mathematics faculty presented their research in August at Mathfest, the second-largest annual mathematics conference in the world, and the annual meeting of the Mathematical Association of America in Indianapolis. Mathematics major Zachary Campbell won the Janet L. Andersen Award for Undergraduate Research in Mathematical or Computational Biology and was awarded one of MathFest's Outstanding Poster Awards. Sulyok mentored Campbell in his presentation, "Mathematically Modeling Recurrent C. difficile Infections in Long-Term Care Facilities." Stephenson and Sulyok co-advised mathematics majors Chuckie Gentile and Mackenzie Welsh and data science and computer science double major Nuvia Hernandez, who presented "Development of Agent-Based Models for Evaluation of Precision Nutrition Interventions through a Socioeconomic Lens." Mathematics majors Philiffe Tebalan and Evan Burns, who Harsy mentored, also presented their work, "Graph Theoretical Modeling of Self-Assembling DNA of the Double Cone Graph." Harsy also mentored Kaitlyn Buck, a mathematics major from the University of Texas at Austin, and Rawdah Abdullah, a Dominican University mathematics major. Buck's poster presentation, "Multi-Dimensional Graphs Modeling Self-Assembling DNA Nanostructures" was honored with one of Mathfest's Outstanding Poster Awards. Abdullah's presentation, "Optimal Tile-Based Self-Assembly of DNA Using Graph Theory," was funded by the PUMA STEM program.

Lewis University Women's Softball Team is preparing for their European travel study June 3 - June 12 after raising funds for the trip through various service activities. Twelve of the members on the team are also enrolled in the travel study section of a Global History and Culture II course that is focusing on globalization, geography, and art in preparation for the trip. "We've already met a number of times during the semester. We have even visited the Wadsworth Art Gallery on campus to view creative works. We will be prepared to use Venice, Florence, and Rome as our classroom." said Dennis H. Cremin, Professor of History, who will be accompanying the students on their travels. Students and players attending the trip include Katie Jensen, Kadence Baccam, Meghan Bontrager, Evie Calderon, Allie Wondrasek, Maddie Hessing, Jalyn Powell, Grace Kmak, Leah Mokos, Cydney Drousias, Kenzie Murdock, Kristen Graham, Anna Frafjord, Grace Erickson, Gabi Nilles, Erica Hoffman, Mackenzie Sheehan, and Delaney Garden. "I have wanted our student athletes to play internationally. This is a once in a lifetime experience for our team and we will play games near Lake Como, in norther Italy, and hold a softball clinic and play a game in Florence," said Becky Pearl, the Head Softball Coach. To support the team, please contact Becky Pearl at pearlbe@lewisu.edu

Lewis University student athletes were honored for their academic excellence on April 22, as 368 student-athletes received Br. David Delahanty Awards at the Convocation Hall located on the Romeoville Campus. The Delahanty Award recognizes Flyers who have maintained a high GPA while balancing the demands of athletics and academics. The Delahanty Awards are presented in three tiers based on cumulative GPA. Bronze Medallion (3.25 - 3.499 GPA) Silver Medallion (3.50 - 3.749 GPA) Gold Medallion (3.75 - 4.0 GPA) Br. David Delahanty, FSC, served as President of Lewis from June 1982 until his untimely death in October 1987. A personal advocate of physical fitness, Br. David encouraged Lewis students to achieve excellence not only in the academic sphere but also in the athletic arena. Following his death, several members of the Lewis' athletic teams inquired if they could wear black armbands to mourn the popular president. After much consultation, it was decided that Br. David would have preferred a tribute to athletes based on their academic achievements. The first ceremony took place in 1988.

Lewis University students studying physical, social and behavioral, and life sciences presented work at the 56th annual Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area Student Symposium on April 13 at Lewis University in Romeoville. The Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area (ACCA) symposium allowed students to present their research to their peers studying In the Chicago area. ACCA is a consortium of 14 private liberal arts colleges offering educational experiences that help students organize and share their knowledge and discoveries.

One of Lewis University's student teams earned first place at the 2024 Association of Colleges of the Chicago Area (ACCA) Calculus Competition. The winning team consisted of Benyamin Bamburac, Ruben Franchini and Leonardo Ramos. Lewis University's second team, who earned 12th place, included Mackenzie Welsh, Chuckie Gentile and Tyler Ranieri. The ACCA Calculus Competition typically sees 35 teams compete with other ACCA teams by completing short answer and multiple-choice questions within 90 minutes. The ACCA is a consortium of 15 private liberal arts colleges that promotes collegiate education in biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, physics, psychology, sociology/anthropology, and business/economics.

Several Lewis University students and faculty presented insights to nearly 4,000 people at the 96 Annual Midwestern Psychological Association Conference in Chicago. Psychology Assistant Professors Drs. Spencer Campbell and Philip Blankenship mentored several psychology student presentations. They shared a diverse range of research including the connections between aromatherapy and mental health, the effects of body comparison on self-esteem, and how emojis influence tone of text messages and face-to-face communication. The list of Lewis University presentations included "What's That Smell? Investigating How Aromatherapy Practices Affect Individuals' Mental Health" by Jimmy Rozhon and Blankenship "Gym-rat Or Average Joe? Exploring The Effects of Viewer/Influencer Body Type Comparison on Self-esteem, Self-efficacy, and Mental Health" by Rozhon, Ayling Rodriguez, Rebekkah Schimick and Blankenship "Serious or Sarcasm? Examining The Influence of Emojis on Perceived Message Tone in Text Messaging and Face-to-face Communication" by Emilia Nykaza and Blankenship "Harmonic Empathy: Cognitive Influence of Auditory Stimuli on Personal Emotional Insight Through Limbic Visualization" by Cristian Davila and Campbell "The Effect of Mindfulness Stress Reduction Interventions on the Mental Health of Injured College Athletes" by Hannah Alvey and Campbell "Affective Science: Impact of Emotion on Cognitive Processing" by Mary Taylor Wagner, Blankenship and Campbell The MPA's annual meetings invite psychologists and students to present their research on a wide range of topics in current psychological science.

Just over 1,300 students were honored on the Lewis University Dean's List for the 2023 Fall Semester. To be eligible for this honor, students must have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours during the semester with a grade point average of at least 3.5 and with no "D" or "F" grades.

Lewis University Philip Lynch Theatre presents "Godspell" (2012), a moving production that shares Jesus' powerful messages of love, kindness, and tolerance. "Godspell" (2012), conceived by John-Michael Tebelak, will have performances on April 19-21 and April 25-28. The first weekend performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Sunday. The second-weekend performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, with a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Saturday and Sunday.

In the first two weeks of February, the Spring 2024 Lewis University Rome Program at Lasallian Universities Center for Education students visited several historic and artistic landmarks in Italy and Malta. LUCE offers full-semester programs for Lasallian students from around the world. Its programs are designed to develop specifically Lasallian international study abroad experiences and to enrich the sense of belonging in the worldwide Lasallian community. Contact Chris Swanson at swansoch@lewisu.edu for more information on the Rome Program at LUCE.

For the second year in a row, Lasallian Universities Center for Education in Rome, Italy has a record enrollment of Lewis University students living and studying in Rome. Twenty-four students from 14 majors and four colleges are participating in the LUCE Rome Program for the Spring 2024 semester. LUCE offers full-semester programs for Lasallian students from around the world. Its programs are designed to develop specifically Lasallian international study abroad experiences and to enrich the sense of belonging in the worldwide Lasallian community. Contact Chris Swanson at swansoch@lewisu.edu for more information on the Rome Program at LUCE.

"Exit Strategy," by Ike Holter, will have performances on February 16-18 and February 22-25 at Lewis University's Philip Lynch Theatre in Romeoville. This play is recommended for ages 13 and older.

Lewis University students are helping in gathering feedback on Trinity Services' Co-Responder Assistance program. The co-responder program between New Lenox-based Trinity Services and local law enforcement works to reduce arrests and recidivism by providing people with mental health screenings and substance abuse screenings.

Undergraduate degree recipients gathered with loved ones on December 16 for the Lewis University Undergraduate Commencement Ceremonies on its Romeoville campus. Offering the Lasallian Address, Bachelor of Nursing recipient Catherine D. Fiori urged her fellow degree recipients to be lifelong learners. "Our world changes so rapidly but the one thing that remains consistent is the power of education," Fiori said.

Christopher MacDougall of Palatine was honored with the Father Aquinas Colgan Award during Lewis University's Evening Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony on December 16 on its Romeoville Campus. MacDougall earned a bachelor's degree in biology, in addition to playing varsity baseball for his first two years at Lewis. While he garnered many athletic honors, such as the 2022 GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Honoree, it was a newly discovered passion that transformed his dreams from being an acclaimed baseball player to a scientist caring deeply about the Earth.

The Lincoln Academy of Illinois honored Lewis University student Morgan Jennings as a 2023 Student Laureate. In the spirit of Abraham Lincoln, Student Laureates are honored for their leadership and service on campus and beyond in pursuing humanity's betterment and for excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities Jennings has emersed herself into sharing the historic African American Voices from Joliet's Southend. For more than two years, the Matteson, Ill., student has played a significant role as the student coordinator of the "Reclaiming the Narrative: Restoring Black Voices to the Story of Joliet" exhibit.

Lewis University's College of Nursing and Health Science student, Anna Faveron,

The Senior Capstone Art Exhibition will take place December 7-18 at the Wadsworth Family Gallery on Lewis University's Romeoville campus. The exhibit will be free and open to the public from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. daily. Shawnton Brown, Alondra De La Torre, Jasmine Fairbanks and Anabel Garcia Silva are the Lewis University students exhibiting work in this show. The biannual art show coincides with the capstone course, Senior Project. The course challenges graduating students to put their newly acquired skills and understanding of art to the test by participating in a professional exhibition experience. A free and open-to-the-public gallery talk and reception will take place at 7 p.m. on December 7.

Students and faculty from Lewis University's History Department presented at the Midwest World History Association's Annual Meeting September 22-23 at Roosevelt University in Chicago. The history of Spain and Pan-Arab ideology were discussed by Lewis University history students Gracie Trevino and Morgan Jennings. Lewis Faculty Dr. James Tallon and Dr. Michael Bulfin also presented on discrimination and clean water.

"Four Plays for Coarse Actors," written by Michael Green, will be performed on November 17-19 and November 30- December 3 at Lewis University's Philip Lynch Theatre in Romeoville. This Michael Green play is hilarious. Everything that can go wrong in a production does so. Coarse actors - an "actor" who knows all their lines but not necessarily the order in which they come, giving the company ample license to indulge in the kind of mistakes they spend most of their time trying to avoid. Broken into four plays within one, IL Fornicazione is a "grim" tale of operatic adultery, poison, and mayhem. Streuth is the crime story Agatha Christie would never have dared to write. A Collier's Tuesday Tea combines the kitchen with the coal mine with an irreverent glance at D.H. Lawrence. All's Well that Ends As You Like It pushes the genius of the bard to its limit while filching lines from most of his plays. In all, cues are missed, effects fail, and props are lost and confusion reigns, but the coarse actors struggle on.

"The Little Prince" adapted for the stage by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar, will have performances on October 13-15 and October 19-22 at lewis University's Philip Lynch Theatre in Romeoville. The Production is based on the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Published by special arrangement with the Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinois. This play tells the story of a world-weary and disenchanted aviator, whose sputtering plane strands him in the Sahara Desert, and a mysterious, regal "little man" who appears asking him to "please draw me a sheep." During their two weeks together in the desert, the Little Prince tells the Aviator about his adventures through the galaxy.

Sixteen new Resident Assistants as well as three Residence Life Coordinators were added to Lewis University's growing Residence Life team this fall. The university casts a wide net, searching for the best and brightest individuals from all corners of the world in hopes of creating a vibrant and supportive living community that transcends borders and celebrates cultural diversity. The new team members bring unique perspectives and a wealth of experiences to the residence halls. The RAs will serve as mentors, friends, and leaders, helping residents navigate the exciting journey of college life. The three new Residence Life Coordinators each have a distinct background and passion for creating an inclusive and enriching living environment. They will play a pivotal role in shaping residence life programs, providing guidance to RAs, and ensuring residents feel at home on the Romeoville campus.

Reducing disease spread in healthcare settings, firearm safety education, and creating more efficient semiconductor manufacturing processes are just a few of the research topics undertaken by 13 Lewis University students this summer. The biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, engineering, and physics undergraduate students participated in the Dr. James Girard Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE). The collaborative experience includes working one-on-one with a faculty mentor, and offers an experiential learning environment that accelerates their research careers, with many students presenting their outcomes at conferences and/or via publications.

The Lewis softball team won its league-best 11th Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament Championship after defeating Maryville in the semifinals then Indianapolis in the championship game on May 7.

Just about 1,300 students were honored on the Lewis University Dean's List for the 2023 Spring Semester. To be eligible for this honor, students must have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours during the semester with a grade point average of at least 3.5 and with no "D" or "F" grades.

Seven Lewis University Women's Cross Country runners were named All-Academic Athletes by the The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Lewis Universitys student magazine Jet Fuel Review received the designation of Superior from the National Council of Teachers of English for its 23rd issue published in Spring 2022.

Morgan Jennings, a Lewis University history major with minors in theology and Arabic, has been named the Lockport Woman's Club/ Pat Darin intern.

Artwork by Lewis University students and alumni is currently on display in the President's 15th Annual Art Exhibition at the Brent and Jean Wadsworth Family Gallery, located on the university's main campus in Romeoville. The exhibit, free and available to the public, will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily through April 21.