News & Events
College of Arts and Sciences students and faculty are creating ripples of impact within the Chicagoland area and beyond. Read about how CAS faculty, staff, and students are embodying the Jesuit ideals in what they do in and out of the classroom.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Cybersecurity Team Shines at National Competition
Loyola University Chicago’s cybersecurity team secured a Top 15 finish at the 2024 Department of Energy’s CyberForce® competition in St. Charles, Ill., that featured 94 teams from around the country. Eric Chan-Tin, associate professor of computer science in the College of Arts and Sciences and Director of the Center for Cybersecurity, led a team of six students at the annual event.
AWARDS & HONORS
Kelly Ann McCabe Awarded President's Medallion 2024
Kelly Ann McCabe, a cybersecurity major, was awarded the President’s Medallion 2024 for her dedication to faith, service, and leadership.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Betsy Odom Featured in Exhibitions Nationwide
Betsy Odom, Senior Lecturer of Fine Arts in Sculpture in Loyola’s College of Arts and Sciences, is gaining national recognition with their work featured in major venues, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA).
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Staff Spotlight: CAS Academic Advisors
The academic advising team is at the heart of student success and retention in the College of Arts and Sciences. These dedicated advisors serve as a vital personal connection between students and the College, helping to foster a sense of belonging and purpose.
RESEARCH & GRANTS
Mausumi Mahapatra Awarded $110K Grant from American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund
Mausumi Mahapatra, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, was awarded a $110K grant by the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund (ACS PRF).
PUBLICATIONS
David Chinitz Co-Edits "Eliot Now" with Bloomsbury Publishing
David Chinitz, professor of English and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola University Chicago, has co-edited a new book, Eliot Now, with Bloomsbury Publishing. He co-authored the book with Megan Quigley from Villanova University.
RESEARCH & GRANTS
Xiang Wan Awarded $250,000 NSF Grant
Xiang Wan, PhD, an assistant professor of mathematics and statistics, was awarded a $250,000 NSF-LEAPS grant for his research on the Analytic and Numerical Treatment of Nonlinear Maxwell's Equations.
ENGAGED LEARNING
Building Bridges Scholarship Awards 2024
The College of Arts and Sciences is happy to announce the recipients for the 2024 - 2025 Building Bridges Awards. The Building Bridges Scholarships were launched as part of a broader CAS Building Bridges Awards program created by Dean Peter J. Schraeder to help undergraduate students realize their full academic potential and to support their professional aspirations and connections to their communities.
ESSAYS
Robert Bucholz’s Final Lecture: A Call to Heed the Lessons of History
Robert Bucholz, professor in the Department of History, teaches courses on the history of early modern Great Britain, and the city of London and Western Civilization. He recently gave his last lecture of the semester in Loyola's Core Western Civilization course, urging students to heed the call of history.
PUBLICATIONS
Tracy Pintchman Published by Oxford University Press
Tracy Pintchman, professor of religious studies in the Department of Theology and director of the Global Studies program in the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola University Chicago, has recently published "Goddess Beyond Boundaries: Worshipping the Eternal Mother at a North American Hindu Temple" with Oxford University Press.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Two College of Arts and Sciences Students Recognized for Achievements in Art History Research
Two students in Loyola University Chicago’s College of Arts and Sciences were recently recognized for outstanding achievements in art history. Hailey Gates received the prestigious Peter C. Marzio Award from the International Center for Arts of the Americas at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, while Sofia Martinez was selected to the Museum Scholars program at the Art Institute of Chicago.
RESEARCH & GRANTS
Ward Receives $175K Grant to Reduce Women’s Incarceration in Illinois
Amanda Ward, assistant research professor in the Center for Criminal Justice in the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola University Chicago, has been awarded a $175,000 grant from the J.B. and M.K. Family Foundation. This funding will support her research aimed at reducing Illinois’ women’s prison population by developing evidence-based interventions.
RESEARCH & GRANTS
Loyola Psychology professor leads $1.5M NSF-funded project to advance early engineering learning
Catherine Haden, PhD, professor in the Department of Psychology at Loyola University Chicago’s College of Arts and Sciences, in collaboration with local partners at Chicago Children’s Museum (CCM) and Palenque LSNA, received a $1.5 million grant award from the National Science Foundation to co-design early engineering learning opportunities with and for Latinx children and their families.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Alumni Spotlight on Daniella Pombo
Daniella Pombo (LUC B.S. '21, UChicago M.B.A ’24) has built her academic and professional journey around a love for learning and seizing every opportunity. Though her path has been anything but straightforward, she embraces the twists and turns, finding gratitude in the unexpected chances that come her way.
PUBLICATIONS
Michelle Nickerson's "Spiritual Criminals" Shines Light on the Untold Story of the Camden 28
Michelle Nickerson, professor in the Department of History in the College of Arts of Sciences at Loyola University Chicago, recently published "Spiritual Criminals: How the Camden 28 Put the Vietnam War on Trial" (University of Chicago Press 2024).
AWARDS & HONORS
Engineering Climbs in Undergraduate U.S. News & World Report Rankings
Loyola University Chicago’s College of Arts and Sciences has received notable recognition as part of the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. The undergraduate engineering program ranks #37 nationally and is the top program in Chicago among programs that do not offer doctorate degrees.
PUBLICATIONS
Philosophy Professor Published by New City Press, "Staying Human in an Era of Artificial Intelligence"
Joseph Vukov, Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Associate Director of the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage, recently published a book, "Staying Human in an Era of Artificial Intelligence," with New City Press (2024).
RESEARCH & GRANTS
Loyola University Chicago’s Experimental Wear Lab Awarded $200,000 from the National Science Foundation.
Kristin Krueger, Professor and Chair in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Anthropology at Loyola University Chicago, has received a $201,974 National Science Foundation (NSF) Award for research in the dental wear space.
AWARDS & HONORS
Loyola Performing Arts Instructors Recognized by Walder Foundation
Vershawn Sanders-Ward, an Instructor of Dance, and Matt Ulery, an Instructor of Bass and Composition in the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola University Chicago, were named 2024 Platform Award Recipients by the Walder Foundation.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Amara Grajewski Receives Gilman International Scholarship
A pair of scholarship awards will allow Amara Grajewski, a junior in Loyola University Chicago’s College of Arts and Sciences, to travel internationally this academic year to conduct cross-cultural research.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
A Legacy of Care: Art Lurigio's Journey of Academic Advocacy
Art Lurigio's twenty-one-year tenure in the Dean's Office in the College of Arts and Sciences has been marked by an unwavering dedication to faculty and mental health advocacy. As he transitions to a new academic role, we explore the legacy of a person who always puts people first.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Alumni Spotlight on Meghan Anzelc (BS '03)
Meghan Anzelc, PhD (BS '03), a Loyola University Chicago alumna, exemplifies the transformative power of a Jesuit-inspired liberal arts education. Her journey, marked by a blend of arts and sciences, international experiences, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion, underscores the university's promise of a well-rounded, socially just education.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Dr. Michael and Mrs. Dorothy Carbon Make $2.29 Million Gift
Dr. Michael and Mrs. Dorothy Carbon have made a transformative $2.29 million gift to support The Michael and Dorothy Carbon Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program and The Dorothy Carbon Scholarship Fund. This contribution underscores the Carbons' commitment to fostering academic excellence, particularly in STEM fields, and providing financial support to Loyola students.
AWARDS & HONORS
Ben Johnson Receives 2024 German Residency Award from OAH
Ben Johnson, a history professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola University Chicago, was named the recipient of the Organization of American Historians’ (OAH) 2024 German Residency at the University of Tübingen.
AWARDS & HONORS
Yoel Stuart Named 2024 Biota Award Recipient
Yoel E. Stuart, PhD, Associate Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Biology at Loyola University Chicago, was named a 2024 Biota Award recipient, the Walder Foundation announced on May 7, 2024.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
“A-once-in-lifetime experience.”
Almudena Rincón Sáez was selected to partake in a professional development program that fully funds a staff member in the College to accompany a faculty-led study abroad course
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PUBLICATIONS
Katz and Grigorescu Publish Book with Cambridge University Press
A pair of faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola University Chicago co-authored a book that was published by Cambridge University Press in April 2024.
COMMENCEMENT
2024 Student Commencement Speakers
Peter J. Schraeder, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Loyola University Chicago, along with a committee from the CAS Dean’s Office, have selected Brigid Ard (English), Joshua Jones (Economics), and Paul Kalapala (Biology) as the 2024 Commencement student speakers.
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COMMENCEMENT
2024 Alumni Keynote Speakers
Peter J. Schraeder, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Loyola University Chicago, has announced that three prominent CAS alumni will deliver the commencement addresses during this spring’s ceremonies. The featured group includes Mary Jane Theis, JD (BA '71), Toussaint Kafarhire Murhula, S.J., (PhD '16, MA '10) and Matthew Kolinski, MD (BS '06).
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Kristina Martinet Presents Research at AAFS Conference
Kristina Martinet, a Forensic Science major in the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola University Chicago, presented at the 2024 American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Conference earlier this year in Denver.
PUBLICATIONS
Díaz Published by Rowman & Littlefield
This book details the Rondide Method, a residential peacebuilding program located in Rondine Citadella della Pace (Italy) and the unique way the program engages with young activists coming from communities torn by conflict, war, and polarization.
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AWARDS
2024 Sujack Awards
The Sujack Awards constitute the highest academic honor that a faculty member can achieve within the College of Arts and Sciences
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AWARDS & HONORS
Olivia Wolf Named 2024 ACLS Fellow
The fellowship supports scholars who are poised to make original and significant contributions to knowledge in any field of the humanities or interpretive social sciences.
PUBLICATIONS
Strand Publishes Book and Awarded Grant
Thea Strand, PhD, a senior lecturer in the Department of Anthropology in Loyola University Chicago’s College of Arts and Sciences, will have her book, A Winning Dialect: Reinventing Linguistic Tradition in Rural Norway, published in May 2024, before heading to Valdres, Norway, to conduct six weeks of ethnographic fieldwork as part of the Wenner-Gren Foundation Post PhD Research Grant she was awarded last September.
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PUBLICATIONS
Everitt Publishes Book with Sage Publications
Judson G. Everitt, PhD, a sociology professor and undergraduate program director in Loyola University Chicago’s College of Arts and Sciences, has published the sixth edition of the book, The Sociology of Childhood, with Sage Publications.
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OUR COMMUNITY
Forty-Six Faculty Members Serve as Academic Journal Editors
The College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola University Chicago has 46 full-time faculty members who are serving as editors of academic journals within their respective fields.
PUBLICATIONS
Thiruvathukal Publishes Book with Routledge Taylor & Francis Group
George K. Thiruvathukal, PhD, department chairperson and professor of computer science in the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola University Chicago, has published a book – his second as department chairperson -- with Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, entitled Intermediate C Programming.
AWARDS & HONORS
Kathleen Marie Adams Receives Fulbright Specialist Program Award
Kathleen Marie Adams, PhD, professor emerita of Anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola University Chicago, has received the Fulbright Specialist Program award from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship.
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RESEARCH & GRANTS
CAS Faculty Launches ActionPoint App
Yas Silva, Associate Professor of Computer Science, was the primary investigator behind the launch of the new ActionPoint App, a cutting-edge application designed to combat bullying through the strengthening of parent-teen relationships.
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IN THE NEWS
Jenn Finn Featured in Netflix Docudrama on Alexander the Great
Jenn Finn, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Classical Studies, lent her expertise as a featured commentator in Netflix's new six-part docudrama series on Alexander the Great, premiering on January 31, 2024.
WATCH
PUBLICATIONS
Victor Ottati publishes book on political psychology with Oxford University Press
Victor Ottati, PhD, Professor in the Department of Psychology, has published a book, "Divided: Open-Mindedness and Dogmatism in a Polarized World," evaluating the effects of open-mindedness and dogmatism on social and political thought.
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RESEARCH & GRANTS
Eric Chan-Tin awarded grant to establish CyberCorps Scholarship for Service at Loyola University Chicago
The $3.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation will allow Loyola to establish the CyberRamblers program to provide 20 undergraduates with scholarships, training, mentorship, and research opportunities as well as career placement in a government organization to bolster the United States' national cybersecurity workforce and defend its infrastructure.
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RESEARCH & GRANTS
Shedding Light on Dark Matter
Walter Tangarife, Assistant Professor of Physics, seeks the answers to the secrets of our vast and mystifying universe with his research on dark matter and neutrino physics and his participation in the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at University of California Santa Barbara.
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Pursuing Passion: Stuart Dybek
Stuart Dybek's (BS ’64, MA ’68) rise as one of the most celebrated American writers in contemporary literature began in what he calls a “remedial” English class during his time as an undergraduate at Loyola. The Chicago native's time in Rogers Park would influence his writing for years to come.
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OUR COMMUNITY
David Olson Appointed Board Chair of Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority
David Olson, Professor of Criminal Justice & Criminology and Co-Director of the Center for Criminal Justice, has been appointed as Board Chair of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority by Governor J.B. Pritzker and will lead the 25-member board's research and evaluation of criminal justice policies and administration in Illinois.
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GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT
Peter J. Schraeder reflects on research in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Peter J. Schraeder, PhD, Professor and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, traveled in October to Lubumbashi, the second largest city in the Democratic Republic of Congo, for ten days of research and grant engagement with practitioners and scholars in African and African Diaspora studies and politics.
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RESEARCH & GRANTS
Kelvin Billingsley awarded grant to develop MRI techniques to catch liver cancer earlier
Kelvin Billingsley, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has been awarded a $461,844 grant from the National Cancer Institute to support his research developing novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques that can be used to identify tumorigenesis, or early stages, of liver cancer.
ENGAGED LEARNING
Summer in the City
From artificial coral reefs to dinosaur bones to fish fossils at the Field Museum, Loyola students in the College of Arts and Sciences take advantage of all that a summer in Chicago has to offer with immersive, one-of-a-kind research opportunities — right in their own backyard.
AWARDS & HONORS
President's Medallion 2023 Awarded to Joshua Jones
Joshua Jones, a senior studying economics with a minor in biology, has been awarded the President's Medallion 2023 for the College of Arts and Sciences for his outstanding scholarship, leadership, and service.
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PUBLICATIONS
Alexandru V. Grigorescu publishes book on international and domestic politics
Alexandru V. Grigorescu, Professor of Political Science and founding director of the Center for Research on International Affairs, leverages his expertise in international affairs for his new book demonstrating his novel approach to comparing international and domestic institutional politics and power with the Oxford University Press.
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Called to Justice
Mary Jane Theis (BA ’71), Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Illinois, shares how her Loyola experience and Jesuit education shaped her life, career, and lifelong pursuit of justice.
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RESEARCH & GRANTS
Perla Gámez awarded grant to research early development of bilingual children
Perla Gámez, Associate Professor of Psychology, was awarded a grant from the National Institute of Health to support her research on Spanish-speaking children’s early dual language development.
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RESEARCH & GRANTS
James Cheverud awarded grant to research genetic variation in evolutionary processes
James Cheverud, Professor of Biology, was awarded a grant from National Institute of Health to support his ongoing research on the impact of genetic variation in evolutionary processes, disease, aging, healing, and more.
READ MORE.jpg "Professor Timothy Gilfoyle guides students on a bike tour outside of the Green Mill marquee")
OUR COMMUNITY
A Midnight Ride Through Time
For the past 34 years, Timothy Gilfoyle, Professor of History, has turned the streets of Chicago into a classroom on two wheels for the Midnight Bike Ride, a beloved Loyola tradition and a guided tour through the city's iconic landmarks and local history from dusk until dawn.
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PUBLICATIONS
Chris Donner published book on contemporary policing
Chris Donner, PhD, Chairperson and Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, has published a book with Routledge evaluating the challenges and opportunities within modern law enforcement, both within the US and around the world.
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STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Annette LePique Awarded 2023 Rabkin Prize
Annette LePique, Program Manager in the Department of English, has been awarded the 2023 Rabkin Prize of $50,000 for excellence in visual arts journalism from the Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation.
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Passion, Purpose, Perspective
Amanda White's (BS '99) journey, from childhood to her time at Loyola studying computer science to her professional career in information technology for leading healthcare companies like CVS Health, is one shaped and guided by passion, purpose and perspective.
AWARDS & HONORS
Hille Haker awarded honorary degree from Uppsala University
Hille Haker, PhD, Richard J. McCormick, S.J., Endowed Chair of Moral Theology in the Department of Theology, has been awarded an honorary doctoral degree from Uppsala University in Sweden recognizing a storied academic career defined by her scholarly achievements and professional contributions to international networks and projects.
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PUBLICATIONS
Tofigh Maboudi published book with Cambridge University Press
Tofigh Maboudi, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science, recently published a book with Cambridge University Press, "The 'Fall' of the Arab Spring: Democracy’s Challenges and Efforts to Reconstitute the Middle East," which evaluates the Arab Spring constitutions and democracy’s pathways of success and failure in the Middle East and North Africa.
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PUBLICATIONS
Reinhard Andress' new published volume honors the legacy of Egon Schwarz
Reinhard Andress, Director of German Studies and Professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literature, published a volume of previously unseen autobiographical texts penned by iconic Germanist writer and intellectual Egon Schwarz revealing unique insight into the experiences of German-Jewish refugees who survived the Holocaust.
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RESEARCH & GRANTS
Zoe Smith awarded grant to promote mental health equity among Chicago youth
Zoe Smith, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology, was awarded a $250,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to improve mental health equity among Black and Latinx/o/a/e teenagers in Chicago.
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STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Joyce Knight reflects on over four decades of service
Joyce Knight, DMin, joined Loyola University Chicago in 1981 as a clerk in the registrar’s office. Today, she's the linchpin of student life and success as the Associate Dean of Student Academic Affairs & Advising in the College of Arts and Sciences. But Knight is known, respected, and loved by her colleagues and student advisees for her commitment to service and the Jesuit mission.
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