“On this campus, where 6,000 classes are offered every year, very rarely do we have the opportunity to gain visibility into what happens in these sacred spaces,” said Dennis Jacobs, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, in his introduction to the awards ceremony. “So tonight’s a night that we get to celebrate and be inspired by our colleagues.”

The event was held annually from 1994 until 2020, when COVID-19 put it on indefinite hold.

“I always loved it as a faculty member,” said Robert Hume, Ph.D., who was determined to resurrect the event. Hume taught political science for 15 years before becoming first an associate dean and then interim dean of arts and sciences faculty. “There aren’t enough occasions when we’re just gathering and celebrating faculty and the work of faculty.”

Supporting Faculty Research 

Four professors who received up to $5,000 in Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) micro-grants kicked off the evening by presenting their work. The grant program, created by Hume, supports tenured assistant and associate professors on the path to full professorship—a critical step for becoming department chairs, deans, and leaders in their fields.

“Giving mid-career faculty the support to move to that last stage of their career is really important,” said Hume. The grants fund travel, access to data, and other research needs to help faculty complete projects that can aid their promotion to full professor.

Grant recipients expressed their gratitude for the funding, including Daisy Deomampo, Ph.D., associate professor of anthropology, who credited her grant with helping her finish her upcoming book on race and egg donation. 

Other presenters included Jennifer S. Clark, Ph.D., assistant professor of communication and media studies, who shared a portion of her book in progress about Hollywood landscapes and the U.S. film industry; Robb Hernández, Ph.D., professor of English, who explored East LA Latinx artists’ use of science fiction imagery in their work; and Carey Kasten, Ph.D., associate professor of Spanish, who traveled to Jesuit organizations supporting migrant communities at the U.S.-Mexico border as part of her research on migration justice and the practice of accompaniment.

Recognition for Exemplary Teaching 

Each year, students are asked to nominate professors for teaching awards in four categories: Humanities, STEM, Social Science, and Graduate Teaching and Mentoring. 

The chosen professors are never announced in advance, adding Oscars-style intrigue to the evening. Stephanie Adomavicius, director of communications and events for the faculty of arts and sciences, played up the theme by creating an animated gold and black video that celebrated the nominees.  

The 2025 Arts and Sciences Faculty Award Winners

Robert Hume; Maura Mast, Ph.D., dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill; and Ann Gaylin, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, took turns presenting the awards, and shared the student praise that helped secure their wins.

Theology professor Leo Guardado, Ph.D., won the Humanities award. 

Physical and biophysical chemistry professor Elizabeth Thrall, Ph.D., received the STEM award. 

Psychology professor Harold Takooshian, Ph.D., received the Social Sciences award.

Psychology professor Molly Zimmerman, Ph.D., received the award for Graduate Teaching and Mentoring. 

Reflecting on the evening and his award, Guardado said he was happy to see the essential work of faculty members recognized. 

“I think it’s a wonderful gathering to highlight what faculty do every day. … Regardless of whether one is getting an award, it’s a day to highlight that the heart of a university is the teaching and the students. I’m glad that this has returned.”

1. Daily 12 – 12:50 p.m.:
Lunchtime Yoga with Jenny 

This free yoga session just for faculty and staff is offered at Lincoln Center on Mondays, at Rose Hill on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and virtually on Wednesdays and Fridays. You don’t even need to bring a mat! Mondays at McMahon Hall Studio, Room 208, Lincoln Center; Tuesdays and Thursdays at Rose Fit Studio, McShane Center, Rose Hill; Wednesdays and Fridays on Zoom

2. Ongoing through April 4, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.:
Responsible Business Center Annual Sustainable Clothing Drive

Do good while spring cleaning and donate your used professional clothes to the Responsible Business Center before their annual drive ends April 4. Student Success Center, Gabelli School of Business

3. Tuesday, March 4, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.:
Lincoln Center Blood Drive

There’s an urgent need for blood donations right now—sign up to donate at this drive for the New York Blood Center. 140 W. 62nd St., Room G76A | Register here 

4. Tuesday, March 4, 12 – 1 p.m.:
Fordham University Association Mardi Gras Celebration

The Fordham University Association has planned a Mardi Gras feast for its annual Fat Tuesday luncheon, including gumbo and king cakes. Lowenstein Center, 12th Floor Lounge, Lincoln Center (tickets $10 cash at the door)

5. Wednesday, March 5, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.:
Ash Wednesday Mass and Prayer and Ash Distribution 

Mark the beginning of Lent at one of the multiple Mass and prayer services held at both campuses. University Church and McShane Ballroom, Rose Hill and Blessed Rupert Mayer, S.J., Chapel, Lowenstein, Lincoln Center 

6. Thursday, March 6, 1 – 3 p.m.:
Women’s Luncheon—Bloom Beyond Boundaries: Celebrating the Inner Light and Courage of Women

Fordham Vice President and General Counsel Shari Crittendon will deliver the keynote at the annual Women’s Luncheon, featuring a fireside chat with women from various industries, a women empowerment employer panel, and a recognition ceremony honoring women leaders in the Fordham community. Lowenstein Center, 12th Floor Lounge | Register here

7. Thursday, March 6, 6 – 8:30 p.m.:
Film Screening of Cabrini 

Campus Ministry helped organize a Women’s History Month screening of this 2024 biopic about Italian Catholic missionary Francesca Cabrini. Best known as Mother Cabrini, she faced resistance to her charity work while confronting sexism and anti-Italian bigotry in New York City and the Catholic Church at the turn of the 20th century. Keating First Hall Auditorium | Register here

8. Saturday, March 8, 12 – 5:15 p.m.:
Catholic Women Speak

Speakers such as Fordham Theology Professor Jeannine Hill Fletcher and Senior Director for Spirituality and Solidarity Joan Cavanaugh will come together to celebrate and explore the current role of women in the Church, among other topics. Great Hall, McShane Campus Center, Rose Hill | Register here

9. Monday, March 10 and Tuesday, March 11, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.:
International Conference on Im/Migration, AI, and Social Justice 

This two-day international conference, organized by the Office of Research, will foster dialogue on equitable systems for marginalized communities and help develop strategies for using AI responsibly while prioritizing human rights. Lowenstein, South Lounge, and 12th Floor Lounge, Lincoln Center | Register by March 3 to attend

10. Wednesday, March 12, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.:
Staff and Faculty Retreat

Reflect and connect with colleagues at this free spiritual retreat. The Ram Van will depart from both campuses and ferry employees to and from Fordham’s upstate retreat house, where you will spend the day connecting with nature and Fordham’s Ignatian mission. Goshen, New York | Register here

11. Thursday, March 13, 1 – 2 p.m.:
Music Showcase: Sameer Gupta

The Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) presents two concerts in March, conveniently timed around lunch, to showcase the power of music to connect communities. Percussionist Sameer Gupta, who melds jazz with North Indian classical music, kicks off the series. Pope Auditorium, Lincoln Center I Register here 

12. Tuesday, March 25, 6:30 p.m.:
Flannery O’Connor @ 100 Takes the Stage: Performance and Discussion

To celebrate Flannery O’Connor’s 100th birthday, Fordham’s Francis and Ann Curran Center for American Catholic Studies is sponsoring a screening of the play, Everything That Rises Must Converge, based on O’Connor’s short story about racism in the newly desegregated South. A panel discussion follows, featuring director Karin Coonrod, several actors from the play, Associate Professor of African and African American Studies Mark Chapman, and Curran Center’s Associate Director Angela Alaimo O’Donnell, a leading scholar of O’Connor’s work. Tognino Hall, Duane Library | Register here 

13. Thursday, March 27, 1 – 2:30 p.m.:
Music Showcase: Batalá

CCEL’s cross-cultural music series continues with this all-womxn Afro-Brazilian group known for their high-energy drumming and dancing. Bepler Commons, Rose Hill | Register here

Support for this programming comes from the Flannery O’Connor Trust, which endowed the Curran Center in 2018 with a grant to promote the scholarship of O’Connor and other Catholic writers who have contributed significantly to the American canon. 

The center’s associate director Angela Alaimo O’Donnell, herself a distinguished Flannery O’Connor scholar, is at the center of these efforts, planning multiple events and speaking on many panels about the writer’s profound Catholic faith, the enduring resonance of her fiction, and the ways she wrote about race in her short stories versus her personal letters.

In advance of a sold-out panel discussion on February 23 at the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home in Savannah, Georgia, O’Donnell recalled how she first fell under the spell of O’Connor’s writing in an interview with the Savannah Morning News.

“I learned that she’s a Catholic in the South, which is a very odd thing to be…because she’s southern and very much fits in, but she doesn’t fit in terms of this Catholicism—which most Southerners at the time regarded with a great deal of suspicion…So, I began to have an affinity for her because of the sense of being both of the place and also not of the place.”

On O’Connor’s actual birthday, March 25, 2025, Fordham will be screening Everything That Rises Must Converge, a film of the play based on O’Connor’s short story about a Black woman and a white woman on a bus in the newly desegregated South. A panel discussion will follow featuring director Karin Coonrod; several actors from the play; Mark Chapman, associate professor of African and African American Studies; and O’Donnell, whose multiple books on O’Connor include Radical Ambivalence: Race in Flannery O’Connor, Flannery O’Connor: Fiction Fired by Faith and a book of sonnets that channel O’Connor’s voice, Andalusian Hours: Poems from the Porch of Flannery O’Connor.

This summer, Fordham’s London campus will also host a conference sponsored by the Curran Center, “Flannery Abroad: A Conference in Celebration of Flannery O’Connor’s Centenary” from June 5 through 8.

O’Donnell will also be discussing O’Connor’s legacy on May 5th at the Cultural Center of Milan via Zoom and on May 23 at the American Literature Association Conference in Boston.

“We want people to know that we are here for every student,” said Iglesias. As part of this welcoming effort, her office recently rebranded itself to the Office of Fellowship Advising from the Office of Prestigious Fellowships. “The awards are prestigious, but above all we want students to know we are accessible.”

Below she shares the advice she gives students and the bold move that led her to Fordham.

Getting the Word Out About Fellowships 

“The coaching process starts before we even have a student sitting in front of us,” said Iglesias. “We do outreach everywhere we can, to let students know that they can be a strong applicant. It’s not just for 4.0 students. They just have to find the right fit for them.”

To spread the word, Iglesias and Lorna Ronald, Ph.D., the director of the Office of Fellowship Advising, go to classrooms and partner with programs such as the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program, the Center for Community Engaged Learning, and the Higher Education Opportunity Program. They also collaborate with faculty to recruit students and hold mock interviews. 

“We’re a small but really supportive team,” said Iglesias.

Combating Imposter Syndrome 

“We all have imposter syndrome, no matter how strong a performer we are,” said Iglesias.

She encourages students to acknowledge that feeling, and then think, “What tools do I have to get past those things?” She says that looks different for everyone.

“Part of our approach is just being good listeners, creating a space for people to feel like they can talk about their vulnerabilities.”

Learnings from Yoga

As a certified yoga instructor who teaches yoga and meditation at an addiction recovery nonprofit, Iglesias applies her practice to her work. “Yoga ultimately is about learning to tune in and listen to yourself.” 

This is easier said than done, especially for students. “When you’re in a competitive atmosphere, it’s very easy to get caught up in someone else’s goals because you think you need to be walking a particular path.” She encourages them to center in on what they really want. 

Writing Advice That Pays Off

Iglesias, a Cuban American and first-generation college graduate, holds a Ph.D. in English and formerly taught literature and writing at the University of South Florida. Her top advice for students writing their personal essays? Be genuine. 

“If someone else can include the same sentence in their essay, avoid including it. People remember stories. It’s the personal details that let readers connect and visualize the applicant.”

Taking a Leap

After her daughter graduated high school, Iglesias decided to move with her partner back to New York City, where she had lived in her twenties. It was a big leap without a job lined up.

“Many people leave New York to go to Florida, but I always wanted to return, and the time felt right.” She taught writing at Fordham and then learned of an opening in the fellowship office. “I applied, and I fell in love with the work. I am able to get to know students, to hear about the cool things that they’re doing, and to help them reach their goals. It’s incredibly rewarding.”

Students who are interested in applying for fellowships can research current opportunities and deadlines and reach out to the Office of Fellowship Advising.

The force behind the luncheon, and many other Fordham events geared toward faculty and staff, is the Fordham University Association. Started in 1964 by wives of Fordham faculty members who wanted to spark friendships across the University, the FUA still prioritizes social get-togethers and connecting across departments. Run now by University staff members, the FUA organizes Fordham community favorites, including the Mardi Gras Celebration and the Children’s Christmas Party with Santa, as well as weekly Knit, Chat, and Crochet circles on Wednesdays and a summer book club.

All Fordham employees are automatic members of the FUA, and financial support for its activities comes from the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Opportunity (EIO), the Office of the President, and other sources.

“I love meeting people,” said FUA President Jacqueline Gross, project coordinator and executive assistant to the dean of arts and sciences. Her two children graduated from Fordham College at Rose Hill, and one them, her daughter, is also an alumna of the Graduate School of Education.

“When someone asks me, ‘How can I meet people here at Fordham?’ I suggest, ‘Please join the FUA’s executive committee or please come to one of our events,'” she said. “I think it’s a wonderful way to connect with someone you may not work with on a day-to-day basis.” 

For Gross and others who help plan these events, it’s a chance to provide the same joy that they found at an FUA event themselves.

“I used to bring my children when they were young to a lot of the Fordham functions, especially the Christmas parties,” said Esther Morgan, senior executive secretary in the physics and engineering physics department. “And I enjoyed it so much, watching the excitement on my children’s faces, I decided I would love to join the FUA to give back what I received.”

A Close-Knit Group

Morgan has worked for Fordham for over 40 years, and both of her daughters, like their mother, graduated from Fordham and earned master’s degrees in social work from the University.

In that time, Morgan also became a grandmother, which inspired her to learn how to knit a baby blanket. She found skilled knitting teachers in her department: physics professor Christopher Aubin and academic advisor Corbett Bazler. Once she became adept, Morgan decided to share her knowledge. 

“I said, why don’t we have a knitting club? It encourages us to be more social and promotes a sense of community,” said Morgan, who is also on the FUA executive committee.

Knit, Chat, and Crochet began at Rose Hill in 2023, and every Wednesday, nearly a dozen regulars come during their lunch hour to knit and teach the newcomers who attend. Morgan has since made many blankets—and scarves, afghans, and hats—over the years, and still shows off her first creation, a purple scarf, with newbies, who can treat themselves to supplies that Morgan keeps on hand for drop-ins. Lincoln Center also has its own chapter of Knit, Chat, and Crochet that meets on Wednesdays.

Reading Together 

The newest FUA group activity is the Summer Book Club. Last year the FUA was able to purchase multiple copies of the 2024 summer read, James, through funding from the EIO Office, and this year Gross plans to do the same. The book will be announced before the spring semester ends and the club will meet in September in person rather than Zoom in the spirit of the FUA. 

“I just love the social aspect of it,” said Gross. “That’s really what we’re here for.”

Celebrate with the FUA

Mardi Gras Celebration tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door (cash only), along with $1 raffle tickets for prizes and tickets for the 50/50 raffle, where the winner gets half of the proceeds (the rest goes to the FUA to plan future events). Register here if you plan to attend by Friday, Feb. 28.

The FUA is also seeking book suggestions and discussion leaders for the summer book club as well as volunteers to host the Lincoln Center knitting group on occasion. Reach out to Jackie Gross if you’re interested.

At Fordham, Irving recruits new students and oversees all performance majors, particularly in their last year when they present their work to casting directors, agents, and managers. 

“I’m making sure they’re really bridging their academic experience into the professional industry,” said Irving. 

On top of helping students ready their portfolios, websites, and showcase reels, Irving helps develop her students’ talents through courses like “Creating a Character.” 

“The goal was: Don’t be afraid to go all the way,” she said of that course. “It was really pushing them to their extremes—playing really young and playing really old [characters], playing creatures, taking on things they hadn’t done before. Just getting out of their comfort zone in a safe and fun way.”

As an actress and acting educator, we knew she would have strong opinions on the best performances of 2024. Here, she shares her picks ahead of the March 2 Oscars ceremony.

1. Timothée Chalamet in A Complete Unknown

Chalamet’s ability to capture Bob Dylan’s essence, both in physicality and performance, stood out to Irving as one of the year’s most remarkable acting feats. He is up for best actor. 

“Timothée Chalamet was just brilliant. He embodied Bob Dylan while still being himself.”

2. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in Wicked

Chauntee admired the performances of both stars in this film adaptation of the musical prequel to the Wizard of Oz about Glinda the Good Witch, played by Grande, nominated for best supporting actress, and the future Wicked Witch, played by Erivo, nominated for best actress. 

“I loved Wicked. It was so well done. … Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were amazing. I am rooting for them both, but I think Cynthia is the front-runner for best actress.”

3. Colman Domingo in Sing Sing

If there is one film and performance Irving would recommend for the season, it’s Colman Domingo in Sing Sing, a film about a prison theater program that helps the inmates find their humanity again. Domingo, who is nominated for best actor, plays the program’s director, and most of the film’s actors were actual inmates from Sing Sing who participated in the program, known as Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA). 

“So much of what they share about their direct experience and their art on screen reminds me why we need art, empathy, and each other to go through life’s hardest and potentially most deeply transformative moments,” said Irving. “We all need community to remind us that life is hard and we cannot do it alone.”

4. Pamela Anderson in The Last Showgirl

When a long-running Las Vegas revue announces it will close, one of its performers, played by Anderson, confronts her life’s choices. Though overlooked for an Oscar nomination—unfairly, said Irving—the Screen Actors Guild and the Golden Globes both nominated Anderson for best actress.

“The whole film was really beautiful, but she was just so wonderful,” said Irving. “Watching her on screen, you could tell that she was just wide open, almost as if it was the story of her through a different lens. It was just so honest and beautiful to watch.”

Here at Fordham, Mitchell is cultivating that same culture of winning. In her first season, the Atlantic 10 Conference preseason poll predicted her team would finish 13th; instead, they tied for eighth, securing the most wins by any first-time women’s basketball head coach at Fordham in over 30 years.

This season, after a hot start that saw the team in fourth place, they’ve had a few tough losses—including an overtime loss at St. Louis University—but are hoping to finish strong heading into the A-10 tournament. With two weeks to go before the conference tourney, Mitchell and her players remain focused on making every game, and every practice, count.

“You can’t go out and win a game if you haven’t practiced hard,” Mitchell said. “I am a firm believer from experience that if you’re focusing on winning the day, and being better than you were yesterday, the wins are gonna come.”

Stacking Wins and Rewarding Victories

At the start of the season, Mitchell gave her coaching staff a copy of The 2% Way by Myron Rolle, reinforcing her philosophy that committing to small, daily improvements leads to big wins.

Forward Rose Nelson, a junior communications major from Australia and the team’s co-captain, says the team has embraced this mindset. “We harp on it every day—stacking drills, stacking days, stacking wins.”

Mitchell, in turn, celebrates her team’s hard work, treating them to ice cream, for instance, after road wins. In Pittsburgh, that meant a trip to the Milkshake Factory to celebrate beating Duquesne, 64-62, and to Lickety Split after routing Loyola Chicago, 68-53.

“We don’t even let her talk after a game,” said Nelson. “We just start screaming, ‘Ice cream! Ice cream!’”

‘Representation Matters’

In Mitchell’s first year of coaching in 2023, the women’s basketball team retained just four players. Some had graduated; some went on to play elsewhere via the transfer portal, which makes it easier for college players to move around and for coaches to recruit rising stars.

Co-captain Taylor Donaldson, a grad student at the Gabelli School, was one of Mitchell’s first recruits. The New Mexico State transfer, a leading scorer with an average of 16 points per game, said she was drawn to both Fordham’s academics and the opportunity to play for Mitchell.

“Playing for a Black woman head coach is rare in college basketball,” she said. Though Black student-athletes make up 41% of Division I teams, only 23% of those teams have Black female head coaches according to NCAA data.

“Representation matters,” said Mitchell. “For me to be leading and mentoring—I’m honored.”

Cultivating Team Spirit in Greece

To build chemistry among the new and returning players this year, Mitchell took the team overseas to compete in Greece before the season.

“Getting to bond so early really helped us,” Mitchell said. “We played basketball, but we also had fun, and that strengthened our relationships.”

She reinforces those bonds with group activities throughout the season, be it a community park cleanup or a team-building exercise, like a scavenger hunt on the court using words alone as clues. 

“Communication is crucial for defense on the court,” said Mitchell. 

It’s also key to her coaching style. Mitchell has made forging personal relationships with her players a priority, in part to work through any personal or academic stress that may impact their playing. She assigns assistant coaches to meet weekly with small “families” of players and holds one-on-one monthly check-ins herself. 

These bonds help strengthen her players’ commitment to the team. As Nelson put it: “When your coach cares about you, you want to play for them.”

Teaching Skills for Life

Mitchell sees all of these efforts as vital to her team’s success, as players and as people.

“If you’re not touching the endline in practice, that means you’re taking shortcuts elsewhere. And shortcuts don’t get you anywhere—you’re cheating yourself. We’re learning that through basketball, but you are also learning that skill for life.”

Cheer on the Women’s Basketball Team

There are four games left before the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament, with a special Black History Month game on Feb. 19 featuring a marketplace of Black-owned businesses. Find the schedule and get tickets for their upcoming games at Rose Hill Gym here. Employees get a 50% discount by calling the box office, buying tickets in person, or emailing fordhamtickets@fordham.edu in advance. All games are also broadcast on ESPN+.

Fordham launched the inaugural issue of Inside Fordham on September 20, 1966, to connect University employees and students across its multiple campuses. “From the Law School and emerging campus at Lincoln Center, from Rose Hill, from 302 Broadway, from the School of Social Service, it is proposed that the exchange of words will make the distance shorter,” read the first issue.

Our recent internal communications survey revealed that today, faculty and staff still crave that connection. We heard many express a desire to interact more with colleagues (“It is challenging to get to know people outside of your school or your department”) and a hunger for a central calendar as well as more advance notice of upcoming events. We also heard that many of you are overwhelmed by emails and missing key information in the process. “Fewer and shorter emails, please!” was the resounding message from faculty and staff. 

While we work to streamline your inbox and create a shared calendar, our Monday morning Inside Fordham email is our first step in making you feel more informed about the week ahead and better connected to your coworkers and the great work happening at Fordham. We hope that by sharing news this way, there will be less of a need for individual emails from several departments. 

You’ll still get University news via Fordham Now in your inbox every Thursday. Inside Fordham, meanwhile, will be your cheat sheet for the week’s key events and reminders, as well as a vehicle to celebrate everyone’s impact at Fordham and beyond.

One last thing: We’re also introducing a new way to spread the word about your achievements, awards, events, and news. Use this submission form to tell us the stories and events you would like us to share with the Fordham community. 

The film made Putnam’s groundbreaking work, Bowling Alone, feel more relevant than ever, Gibson said. Originally published in 2000, the book traces America’s waning civic engagement back to our dwindling participation in social activities, from PTA committees to Sunday Mass. Today, Putnam’s work still informs our current moment: The Atlantic’s February cover story, “The Anti-Social Century,” cites his research throughout.

At Fordham, Putnam will be speaking about his most recent book, The Upswing, which offers a hopeful perspective on our polarized political environment and growing income inequality. For our inaugural Fordham 4 interview series, we asked Gibson to name three more books that provide a ray of light in an era of uncertainty.

1. The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again, by Robert Putnam

This thoroughly researched book examines how the immense gap between rich and poor during the Gilded Age of the 1800s shrank thanks to the reformist policies of the Progressive Era, and how we could repeat history to become a more equitable society again.

“Putnam revives an old story about how we can actually overcome the current plague of social isolation and civic dissolution,” Gibson said. “Dare we hope for hope?”

2. Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, by Tom Holland

For anyone who fears that our culture is leaning further and further away from religion—as Gibson does—Holland’s compelling history of Christianity is a hopeful reminder of its eternal relevance.

“If you are a Christian who worries that we are facing nothing but the “melancholy, long, withdrawing roar” (as Matthew Arnold had it) of faith in retreat, then read Tom Holland on Christianity’s remarkable legacy and, perhaps, a vision for our future.” Gibson said. “It’s also a great read.” He notes that “Holland is NOT the Spider-Man guy” but he is part of “The Rest Is History” podcast duo—which is worth checking out, too.

3. Kindred Spirits: Friendship and Resistance at the Edges of Modern Catholicism, by Brenna Moore 

Against the backdrop of polarized, interwar Europe in the early to mid-20th century, Theology Department Chair Brenna Moore examines a group of Catholic historians, theologians, poets, and activists whose “spiritual friendship” helped them navigate the era’s social and political challenges.

“I found this work by our colleague in Fordham’s theology department a wonderful, consoling, and informative read—a remarkable combination of scholarship and narrative storytelling that is perfect for our times,” said Gibson.

4. Men in Dark Times, by Hannah Arendt 

In this collection of profiles, Arendt spotlights men and women including Rosa Luxemburg, Isak Dinesen, Bertolt Brecht, and Walter Benjamin doing incredible, illuminating work even in the bleakest moments of the early 1900s.

“My favorite (no surprise) is the essay on Pope John XXIII,” said Gibson, a papal expert and author who covered the Vatican and Catholic Church for years as a Religion News Service reporter. “It features the best-ever title: ‘A Christian on St. Peter’s Chair.’”

1. Every Tuesday and Thursday, 12 – 12:50 p.m.:
Lunchtime Yoga with Jenny 

Bring your yoga mat and supplies to this free, twice-weekly yoga session at Rose Hill (open to staff and faculty). Rose Fit Studio, McShane Center 

2. Tuesday, Feb. 11, 4:30 p.m.:
Black History Month Annual Lecture and Reception

Christina Swarns, Executive Director of The Innocence Project, is the featured speaker of this annual lecture presented by the Department of African & African American Studies. Lowenstein, 12th Floor Lounge, Lincoln Center | Register Here 

3. Tuesday, Feb. 11, 6:30 p.m.:
Black History Month Keynote Speaker Monique Coleman

Later that evening, award-winning actress Monique Coleman of High School Musical fame will deliver a Black History Month address presented in part by the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Fordham Prep Auditorium | Get Tickets

4. Wednesday, Feb. 12, 4 – 6 p.m.:
Nature of the Crime Screening and Discussion

The Center on Race, Law, and Justice is hosting Ricki Stern and Jesse Sweet, directors of this HBO Original documentary about three incarcerated men facing parole. A discussion will follow with Stern, Sweet Fordham Law Professor Mariam Hinds, Rochelle Swartz, FL ‘14, and Professor Bennett Capers. Bateman Room, Lincoln Center  | Register Here

5. Thursday, Feb. 13, 6 – 7 p.m.:
Robert Putnam on America’s Social Crisis: The 2025 Russo Lecture 

Robert Putnam’s 2000 book, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, sparked a national debate around our declining civic engagement. He’s still a go-to expert on the subject—he’s quoted often in The Atlantic’s January cover story “The Anti-Social Century” and was the subject of the 2023 documentary, Join or Die. He comes to Fordham to discuss his latest book, The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again. McNally Amphitheatre, Lincoln Center | Register Here

6. Friday, Feb. 13, 3 – 4 p.m.:
Valentine’s Reflection with Jesuits

Join faculty, students, and staff in a Valentine’s Day-themed reflection and small group conversation the Jesuits of Murray-Weigel Hall retirement and nursing home. Murray-Weigel Hall | Register Here

7. Wednesday, Feb. 19, 1 – 4:30 pm.:
A Beloved Community: Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s Vision for Racial Reconciliation, Healing, and Justice

At this second annual event commemorating Black History Month, Fordham’s Arts and Sciences Anti-Racism Advisory will screen Ava DuVernay’s film Origin and then discuss what a beloved community would look like at Fordham. Bepler Commons, Faber Hall, Rose Hill and McNally Amphitheatre, Lincoln Center

8. Wednesday, Feb. 19, 7 – 9 pm.:
Women’s Basketball vs. Duquesne, Black History Month game

Come cheer on the Fordham’s women’s basketball team during this Black History Month game featuring a pop-up market of Black-owned businesses. The renowned Ailey group will perform during half time, and fans will receive a special commemorative tote. Note, employees get 50% off tickets for their group at the box office or by emailing fordhamtickets@fordham.edu in advance. Rose Hill Gym | Get Tickets

9. Tuesday, Feb. 25, 5 – 6:30 p.m.:
Feasting and Fasting Across the Faith Traditions

Learn about shared religious practices involving food, feasting, and fasting from across different faith traditions. Light dinner provided. Lowenstein 206 (Welcome Center) | Register Here

All of these Ignatian programs have one thing in common: they bring faculty, staff, and students together while also making it easy to tap into Fordham’s Jesuit spirit. If you’ve considered joining one of these events, read on to see why attendees find them so valuable. 

Living the Mission IRL 

Director of Online Learning Veronica Szczygiel has sampled almost every type of Ignatian program at Fordham, from Storytime with Neighborhood Kids to the one-hour retreats that focus on topics like managing adversity.

“For me, what’s really reaffirming is that these events help me remember that I am connected to a greater community and a greater mission at Fordham University. And it’s a fundamentally Jesuit mission in which the emphasis is on social justice, and on the holistic care of the whole person, cura personalis. I mean, I can bring out all these buzzwords, but really when I feel like I’m being cared for and valued, I can pass that along to the faculty and students that I work with.”

All of the University’s Ignatian events, which take place during lunchtime, in the late afternoons, or on weekends, are planned by Director of Ignatian Mission Initiatives Robert Parmach, often with colleagues across the University like Campus Ministry. 

“Even if it’s for one hour or a brief period of time, you can still make a meaningful impact on the development of your interior life, sense of deeper connection at Fordham, and in helping others in practical ways,” said Parmach.

“As a Jesuit institution, I think it’s important that we learn from and challenge one another in order to be those women and men for others, grounded in thought, critical reflection and a discerning spirit. And you never know how someone can brighten your day. Gratitude is a gift as well.”

Some events draw more students overall, presenting a unique opportunity to impact the way that they see Fordham or what they choose to study. “Last year a student came up to me afterwards and said, ‘I’m a first semester, first-year student. I didn’t realize for the last half hour I was working with a law professor hand-in-hand making sandwiches. Halfway through it, I came to recognize that I have an interest in law.’” 

‘Everyone Is Welcome’

Though Fordham’s Ignatian events are inspired by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order, they’re nondenominational in practice, said Graduate School of Education Student Success Counselor Michael Taylor, who often attends these programs.

“One of the things that activities with Rob have taught me is that everyone is welcome, and that is the goal of creating a strong community,” said Taylor, who is Jewish. He said that Ignatian events at Fordham “transcend religious affiliation.” Last year for example, in partnership with Parmach, he helped coordinate a tour for staff, faculty, students, and alumni of Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan. 

Many Ways to Reflect

Elizabeth Gil, professor of educational leadership, administration, and policy at the Graduate School of Education, attended last year’s staff and faculty retreat in Goshen, New York (to be held on March 12 this year). She said there were lots of opportunities for inward reflection—through walks in the woods, listening to music, and artmaking—and for talking with faculty and staff she wouldn’t have met otherwise. But what really impressed her was how non-prescriptive the whole experience felt.

“There’s a sense that there are options—that there’s not just one way to reflect, that it doesn’t have to look one way. And I think that that’s important in terms of people being able to meet their needs in different ways.”

Upcoming Ignatian Events

Following is a selection of upcoming service projects and retreats for faculty and staff. You can find all of Fordham’s Ignatian events here.

Tuesday, Feb. 11: One-Hour Retreat: Many Faces of Love (1 – 2 p.m., Lincoln Center)

Wednesday, Feb. 12 Mission-in-Action Sandwich Making (11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Rose Hill)

Thursday, Feb. 13, Valentine’s Reflection with Jesuits (3 – 4 p.m., Rose Hill)

Sun., Feb. 24 Xavier Mission Welcome Table Service Project in Chelsea(11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Lincoln Center)  

Weds., March 12: Staff and Faculty Retreat in Goshen, NY (9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Ram Van rides from Rose Hill and Lincoln Center)