Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J. 1918-2008

The life of Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., America’s preeminent Catholic theologian, was celebrated on Dec. 18 in a Mass of Christian Burial held at the Cathedral of St. Patrick in New York City. The Mass drew hundreds of mourners to the cathedral, including Cardinal Dulles' friends and family, as well as fellow Jesuits and other members of the New York and national Catholic communities.

News and Media Relations staff attended the Mass and offered their informal observations on it and the cathedral:

For those who aren’t familiar with the Cathedral of St. Patrick, as it’s formally known, attending a funeral there can be an educational experience on both the layout and the schedule of New York City’s most famous house of worship. If you arrive early with the hopes of getting a good seat, you will find that even as tourists mill about the aisles looking at the Christmas Creche and the Stations of the Cross, masses are performed at noon, 12:30 and 1 p.m.

In the case of Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., whose Mass of Christian Burial was held today at 2 p.m., the same is true, even though Cardinal Dulles laid in state at the Cathedral from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visitors wishing to pay their final respects to the Cardinal needed only walk around the sanctuary where mass was being celebrated to the Lady Chapel, a much more intimate space with pews for about 50 that’s dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Located at the eastern end of the cathedral, the Lady Chapel is far enough away from the hubbub of the rest of the church to allow for serious reflection on the accomplishments of a man who lived the kind of life that inspired millions.

Patrick Verel, Assistant Editor
Inside Fordham

What began with a moment of silence ended with applause, long and loud, ringing out through St. Patrick’s Cathedral for Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J.

Mourners greeted the Cardinal’s casket with respectful quiet as pallbearers moved it into place at the foot of the main altar to begin the proceedings.

When Archbishop Edward Cardinal Egan closed the Mass, Cardinal Dulles’ family and friends began a round of applause that moved like a wave through the assemblage. The final salute followed the casket as it was moved down the center aisle out of the church.

Joseph McLaughlin, Editor
Inside Fordham

For more detailed coverage of Cardinal Dulles' life, see Fordham Mourns the Death of Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., and U.S. Catholic Community Bids Farewell to Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J.

Fordham Mourns the Death of Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J.

Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., the Laurence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society at Fordham University since 1988, an internationally renowned author and lecturer on theological topics, and the first American to be named a cardinal who was not a bishop, died at the age of 90 on December 12, 2008. Read the full obituary.

In accordance with the traditions of the Church, the Cardinal's death will be marked by the celebration of three Masses:

Tuesday, December 16, 7:30 p.m. | University Church
Wednesday, December 17, 7:30 p.m. | University Church
Thursday, December 18, 2 p.m. | St. Patrick's Cathedral

The members of the University family are invited to join the Jesuit Community at each of these Masses. Both Masses will be streamed live on the Web.

In addition, the Cardinal's family will receive visitors in the University Church on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons from 2 to 5 p.m.

Fordham Receives $670k Federal Grant for Robotics Research

Fordham University has received a $670,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop robotics research and education in The Bronx. The grant, which became effective on Sept. 30, was secured by U.S. Rep. Jose E. Serrano, D-N.Y.

The money will be used to purchase equipment for the University’s Robotics and Computer Vision Laboratory (in the Department of Computer and Information Science), the RETC—Center for Professional Development, and the Science and Technology Entry Program/Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP/C-STEP).

“I am very pleased to support the great work that Fordham is doing both in the classroom and the community,” said Rep. Serrano. “This grant is an investment in scientific education which will have short and long term results. I look forward to watching as it exposes students to new areas of study and challenges them to reach for new achievements. I also look forward to continuing to partner with Fordham in new ways to serve our community.”

“We are deeply grateful for Rep. Serrano’s help in securing this grant,” said Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham. “His leadership in this is an example of what Jesuits mean when they say ‘men and women for others.’ By securing these funds, Representative Serrano ensures Fordham can continue to support critically important science and mathematics education in Bronx high schools.”

Local high school students and their teachers will be introduced to new technologies that will support them in teaching and learning the New York State Regents’ standard STEM disciplines. In particular, the teachers will be trained in using robotics technology to help their students get a ‘hands-on’ feel for STEM topics.

“Each program seeks to enhance its education and research capabilities, providing opportunities for teachers and students in Bronx area high schools to become involved with the STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math),” said Damian M. Lyons, Ph.D., associate professor of computer science and director of the Robotics and Computer Vision Laboratory.

The proposal came about as Fordham sought federal funding for programs that would further the University’s mission of service. Fordham’s intention to expand its existing science community on campus to the surrounding communities coincided with the Congressman’s desire to address the educational needs of local students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Two months into the contract, Lyons has used $119,000 to buy the first set of robots and control computers for the program. Lyons has already organized a preview of the program for the RETC’s Annual Bronx Technology Collaborative for Bronx parents, students and teachers.

Eventually, the University hopes to build a state-of-the-art science facility, of which computer and information science will be a vital component.

“Fordham’s commitment to addressing teaching, research and student learning allows the University to demonstrate academic ingenuity that currently exists on campus,” said Lesley Massiah, assistant vice president for government relations, who developed the proposal for the grant.

Seminar: The Changing Landscape of Conservation

John G. Robinson, Ph.D., executive vice president for conservation and science at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), will lecture on “The Changing Landscape of Conservation,” on Thursday, December 11, 2008, at 6 p.m. in the Flom Auditorium, Walsh Family Library, Rose Hill Campus.

Robinson will explore the intersection of conservation and science and how the conservation movement is adapting to confront increasingly complex and global issues in the conservation of biodiversity in this seminar sponsored by the Department of Biological Sciences at Fordham.

Robinson oversees WCS conservation programs in the Americas, Africa and Asia. He received his doctorate in zoology from the University of North Carolina in 1977, focusing on primate behavior and ecology. His postdoctoral studies were with the Smithsonian Institution. In 1980, Robinson established the University of Florida Program for Studies in Tropical Conservation, a graduate program providing training to students from tropical countries. Robinson joined WCS in 1990 as director for international conservation programs. He is past president of the Society for Conservation Biology, on the steering committee of the IUCN World Conservation Union’s species survival commission, and the executive committee of the IUCN’s sustainable use initiative.

For more information, please contact J. Alan Clark, Ph.D., J.D.: jaclark@fordham.edu, (718) 817-3678.

The Indelible Mark: The Writer and a Catholic Childhood

Q: What do you do with a Catholic childhood?
A: You write about it.

The temptations, excitements, satisfactions and angst of going from childhood memories to written text are explained by writers who have done it—readings and discussion with four distinguished writers who had Catholic childhoods.

WHO: Fordham Center on Religion and Culture
WHAT: The Indelible Mark: The Writer and a Catholic Childhood
WHERE: Fordham University, Pope Auditorium, 113 West 60th Street
WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. | Tuesday, December 9, 2008
RSVP: Free and open to the public CRCevent@fordham.edu, (212) 636-7347

Patricia Hampl, poet and memoirist, author of A Romantic Education, Virgin Time and most recently The Florist’s Daughter. She is Regents Professor and McKnight Distinguished Professor at the University of Minnesota, where she teaches in the English department’s MFA program.

Stuart Dybek, author of three collections of short stories, I Sailed with Magellan, The Coast of Chicago and Childhood and Other Neighborhoods, and two collections of poetry, Streets in Their Own Ink and Brass Knuckles. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, The Atlantic and in Best American Fiction and Best American Poetry. He is distinguished writer in residence at Northwestern University, and was a 2007 MacArthur fellow.

Lawrence Joseph, poet, critic, essayist. His books of poetry include Into It, Codes, Precepts, Biases, and Taboos, Before Our Eyes and Shouting at No One, which received the Agnes Lynch Starrett Prize. Among his awards are a Guggenheim Fellowship and two National Endowment for the Arts poetry fellowships. He teaches law at St. John's University School of Law and wrote Lawyerland, a book of prose.

Valerie Sayers, author of five novels, Who Do You Love and Brain Fever--both named "Notable Books of the Year" by the New York Times Book Review--Due East, How I Got Him Back and The Distance Between Us. She has received a Pushcart Prize for fiction and a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship. She is on the creative writing faculty at the University of Notre Dame.

WFUV Launches The Alternate Side

WFUV, Fordham's noncommercial radio station, launched its highly anticipated Internet and HD Radio indie music destination, The Alternate Side on Friday, Dec. 5. The Alternate Side will highlight the most exciting talent from the New York area, playing Santogold, MGMT and The Menahan Street Band alongside more established acts like TV On The Radio, The National and Sonic Youth. Listeners can experience this complete multi-media music service at www.thealternateside.org and, on HD radios, at 90.7 FM WFUV-HD3.

The Alternate Side includes a full-time music stream that features exclusive artist interviews and broadcasts from local music venues, and a state-of-the-art web site with video content, a blog, a concert calendar and other interactive features. The site will also connect artists directly to their fans, as local bands and artists will be able to set up profiles, blog, upload mp3s and update tour information. The site's unique social networking platform puts bands and fans in control, giving local musicians the ability to share their music with a worldwide audience. Listeners can discover up-and-coming artists from all over the world and all over the musical landscape and play DJ themselves, building custom mp3 playlists from a database filled with local talent.

The Alternate Side will complement WFUV's existing service, which will continue in its present format at 90.7 FM and www.wfuv.org. The Alternate Side logo is also available for download.

WFUV is a non-commercial, listener-supported public radio station, licensed to Fordham University for 60 years. One of the nation's highest-ranking stations in its format on both the radio and on the web, and a leader in contemporary music radio, WFUV offers an eclectic mix of rock, singer-songwriters, blues, world and other music, plus headlines from National Public Radio and local news

GSS Professor Lauded for Mentoring Latinas

Ellen Silber, Ph.D., of the Graduate School of Social Service’s Institute for Women and Girls, was named a 2008 Purpose Prize Fellow by Civic Ventures, a national think tank on boomers. Silber was named a fellow for Mentoring Latinas, a program in which college Latinas mentor middle school Latinas to inspire them to graduate from high school and go on to college. She founded the program in 2003, and Fordham College at Rose Hill has participated in the program since the spring of 2007.

“Recognition as a Purpose Prize Fellow by Civic Ventures means a great deal to me,” Silber said. “Adolescent Latinas can realize their dreams with the help of their mentors, and being a Fellow inspires me to try even harder to acquire the resources to expand the program.”

The Purpose Prize is a $9 million program for people over 60 who are taking on society’s biggest challenges. The prize, now in its third year, is the nation’s only large-scale investment in social innovators in the second half of life.

New Blood

Fordham Notes welcomes two new contributors to the Faculty & Staff Blogs section: Clark Gregor, project manager in Marketing and Communications, with New York Restaurant Reminder; and Mark Naison, Ph.D., professor of African and African American Studies, today debuts With A Brooklyn Accent, with two posts on the current economic crisis.

Get Oriented

Orienting the Public on New York City Streets
A student exhibition and panel discussion on orientation elements in New York City.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008
5:30 to 8 p.m.
A.I.A. Center for Architecture
536 LaGuardia Pl. (between W. 3rd and Bleecker Sts.)

Fordham Visual Arts students are taking part in the Compass Decal Design Exploration sponsored by the New York City Department of Transportation. The competition is soliciting design proposals for orientation elements to point pedestrians toward their destinations as they exit from below-grade subway stations or descend to the street from above-ground platforms at 16 locations in The Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. The work of Fordham students (and students from other universities) will be on display from December 9, 2008 to January 24, 2009.

IPED Lecture: Post-Conflict Economic Recovery

John Ohiorhenuan, former deputy assistant administrator for crisis prevention and recovery at the United Nations Development Programme, will present findings from the report, “Post-Conflict Economic Recovery,” at the International Political Economy and Development (IPED) program weekly lecture on Thursday, December 4, at 4 p.m. in the Flom Auditorium, Walsh Family Library, lower level.

Free and open to students and faculty.

ICCS 2009: Standing Room Only

Registrations for the International Conference on Cyber Security (ICCS 2009) are officially sold out, and more than a dozen cyber professionals have asked to be placed on the waiting list.

The conference, a joint effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Fordham University, will bring together global leaders in emerging cyber threat analysis and enforcement at the University's Lincoln Center campus from January 6 through 8, 2009.

Among the many sessions ICCS will feature Anatomy of a Modern Homegrown Terror Cell: Aabid Khan et al., by Evan F. Kohlmann, senior investigator and private consultant, Global Terror Alert; Child Pornography: Investigations, Trends, and Legal Issues, by Denzil S. Fearon, senior investigator, computer crimes unit, New York State Police; The Hacker Factor, by the AT&T Ethical Hacking Team; and Penetrating Mind of Mayhem: Inside the Mind of an Islamic Extremist, by the Honorable Shannen L. Rossmiller (Ret.), cyber operative and co-founder, AC-CIO.

See the ICCS newsroom for more details. For media queries, please contact Bob Howe, director of communications at Fordham University.