Student/Community Programs

The honors program comprises three main components:

• Honors Seminars—one-credit classes each semester, in the form of "conversations" about the big questions of life.
• Cultural Events—off-campus educational experiences, typically one each semester, chosen by individuals or classes.
• Honors Thesis—an independent project by which Seniors research, write, present and publish a major paper

Student participation in the Faith & Reason Honors Program is competitive, usually limited to a maximum of fifteen (15) students in each academic class. Membership in the program is by invitation only and requires a completed application.

Student and faculty participants in the program gather annually for an Honors Colloquium. At this event the "Faith & Reason" award is presented to the student judged to have written the best honors thesis that year. At the end of the academic year, the senior theses are edited and published in an honors journal entitled On the Wings of Truth which is made available through our online library.

Each semester, students in the Honors Program enjoy "priority pre-registration" for all their classes. Students who complete all components of the program have their participation noted on their university transcripts and receive recognition of their accomplishment at the University's commencement ceremonies.

Ordinarily, if a student misses more than two seminars in a semester, s/he will be dismissed from the honors program unless there is a serious extenuating circumstance for an additional absence.

Students in the Faith & Reason Honors Program are expected to participate in at least one "cultural" event each semester (usually held off campus).  Information on special events, as well as links to local calendars, can be found below.  Students should check with the faculty seminar leaders and/or the director of the Salesian Center concerning the suitability of events for inclusion in the Honors Program experience.

Local Calendars:

• ArtsQuest
• International Institute for Culture
• Lehigh University
• Lehigh Valley Arts Council

The Honors Program requires the completion of six (6) one-credit seminars that integrate faith and reason in an on-going "conversation" about the big questions of life. Students complete one seminar each semester.

Seminars consist entirely of discussion about assigned readings, chosen among classical and/or contemporary texts from a variety of academic disciplines. The seminars meet weekly for one hour during the Fall and Spring semesters and take place under the direction of one or more senior faculty leaders, who will select pertinent readings and guide lively discussions on existential questions.

"They are questions which have their common source in the quest for meaning which has always compelled the human heart. In fact, the answer given to these questions decides the direction which people seek to give to their lives." John Paul II, Fides et Ratio, no.1

Students who participate in the seminars regularly and actively receive a grade of "A" for the course. Completion of three one-credit seminars fulfills one "free elective" requirement for graduation (with a maximum of six credits = two free electives). Credits received for these seminars do not fulfill any General Education Core requirements.

Continued participation in the seminars is at the discretion of the faculty leaders and the director of the Honors Program. The following seminars are offered through the "Liberal Studies" program of the Division of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences at DSU:

LS 4001-Spring semester, Freshman year-Thursday, 8 am: Conversations about Being Human (The Person) with Rodney Howsare, Ph.D. (Professor of Theology) What is the origin and destiny of the human person? What is distinctive about being human? Is there such a thing as human "dignity"? How do I become who I am?

LS 4003-Spring semester, Sophomore year-Thursday, 8 am: Conversations about The World with Andrew Essig, Ph.D. (Professor of Political Science)What drives the history of the world: politics, economics, culture? How does seeing the world through the lens of politics affect our global perspective? What lessons can we learn from international relations for making the world a better place in today's time?

LS 4005 - Spring semester, Junior year - Tuesday, 8 am: Conversations about Truth with Gregory Kerr, Ph.D. (Associate Professor of Philosophy) Does life make sense? Can I really know anything (skepticism)? Is there objective truth (vs. relativism) and how do I know it?

LS 4002 -Fall semester, Sophomore year-Tuesday, 8 am: Conversations about God with William Hamant, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor of Theology) Does God exist (classical atheism)? Does the existence of God matter (contemporary atheism)? How can God be "good" with so much "evil" in the world?

LS 4004 - Fall semester, Junior year -Tuesday, 8 am: Conversations about Beauty with Stephen Myers, Ph.D. (Professor of English) What is beauty and how do I recognize it? What is happiness and can I have it? Is there more to life than the material world?

LS 4006 - Fall semester, Senior year -Tuesday, 8 am: Conversations about Goodness with David Gilfoil, Ph.D. (Professor and VP for Marketing & Planning) How can people in the world relate well to one another? Can there be a just society? Does freedom have any obligations? What is the common good?

As the culmination of their educational experience, students in the Faith & Reason Honors Program are required to write and publish an honors thesis (30-50 pages in length) during the Spring semester of their Senior year. They present their work during the colloquium in April.

Development of the Honors Thesis (research and writing) is directed by a full-time faculty member at DeSales University and counts as a 3-credit "independent study" course in the Division of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences (LS 499); with the approval of the director of the Salesian Center, the course may be credited in the respective department/division of the student or faculty member. This course fulfills a "free elective" requirement in the student's General Education Core curriculum.

The topic of the thesis and the faculty member who directs the research are both chosen by the student, with the approval of the director of the Salesian Center for Faith & Culture.

To receive academic credit for this project, students must register for an "Independent Study" course. To do so, students must complete the appropriate approval form, which is available from the Academic Affairs Office or from the University's web site.

Independent Study Form

Each student makes a five-minute summary presentation of his/her thesis at the annual Honors Colloquium. At the Colloquium, the best thesis each year, as judged by the Review Committee of the Salesian Center for Faith & Culture, receives the annual "Faith & Reason" award.

Honors theses are published by the Salesian Center on a list below: On the Wings of Truth Honors Thesis.

Timetable for the Spring 2020 semester

Monday, January 13
Registration for the "Independent Study" course

Monday, April 6 due by 5:00 p.m.
Draft of thesis to be submitted electronically to the Salesian Center for evaluation by Review Committee

Tuesday, April 7
Thesis distribution to Review Committee

Tuesday, April 14
Review Committee submits its evaluations of each thesis. After we score the results, two semi-finalist theses are sent to Review Committee.

Tuesday, April 14 by 5:00 pm
Review Committee receives the top two choices, one each group has already read.

Monday, April 20
Selection of thesis winner is conducted by Review Committee @ 12:30 lunch

Friday, April 24
Students undertake revisions of the thesis in view of the final submission and eventual publication

Sunday, April 26
6:30 p.m. - University Center
Honors Colloquium, during which each thesis is presented by the author

Saturday, May 9
Final version of the thesis to be submitted to the director of the program as well as to your faculty advisor  

Friday, May 22
Salesian Center
Publication of the Honors Theses in On the Wings of Truth

The Honors Colloquium is the year-end celebration of the work of students in the Faith & Reason Honors Program. Culminating four years of study, by way of six honors seminars, the colloquium offers to the Seniors an opportunity to share the fruits of their scholarship with the University community.

Participants in the Honors Colloquium include all student members of the program, all faculty teaching in the program, the staff (members and advisors) of the Salesian Center for Faith & Culture, and other invited guests.  Alumni of the Honors Program are also invited to return to campus to participate in the event.

At the colloquium, each Senior presents a five-minute summary of the Honors Thesis that he/she developed during the semester.  The colloquium concludes with the presentation of the annual "Faith & Reason Honors Thesis Award", as judged by the Review Committee of the Salesian Center.

The next Honors Colloquium takes place on Sunday April 26, 2020, from 6:30 to 8:45 pm.

Membership in the Faith & Reason Honors Program is by invitation and application only. Membership is limited to fifteen (15) students in each academic class. 

Each Fall, invitations to apply to the program are extended to members of the Freshman class who maintain Presidential or Trustee scholarships, as defined by the Office of Enrollment Management at DSU (approximately 80-95 students in all). 

Applications consist of:

• a letter of intent on the part of the interested student
• a letter of recommendation from a DSU faculty or staff member
• a brief writing sample (2 page max)  

The application process typically follows the calendar below. 

• Early October - invitations to apply to the program are sent by email to scholarship students
• After Pacer Break - Deadline for submission of applicants to the Director of the program
• October - Applications are considered by the Review Committee of the Salesian Center
• Friday before pre-registration - New Honors class is notified of acceptance into the program

CLASS OF 2023

Lucas Acosta-Morales, Computer Science/Math

Jayden Carlucci, Accounting

Mia Crank, Business Administration

Anna Darling, Nursing

Grace Fort, Medical Studies

Daniel Gillinger, Accounting

Thomas Greve, Marketing

Benjamin Johann, Supply Chain Management

Grace Kelleher, Political Science

Daniel Martinez, Biology

Michael Pierce, Accounting

Catherine Ray, Medical Studies

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Each Spring semester, the students in the Senior class of the Faith & Reason Honors Program undertake a 3-credit independent study, the culmination of which is a 30-50 page honors thesis.  The topic of the thesis is chosen by the student, with the approval of the director of the Salesian Center for Faith & Culture and their faculty advisor.
 
The best thesis each year, as judged by the Review Committee of the Salesian Center, receives the annual "Faith & Reason" award.

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Class of 2020

Best Thesis: Paige Merrill -The Relationship Between Barre3 and Christianity An Exploration of Catholicism and Psychology

Alexandra Ayers - Faith and Theatre 

Tyler Sarge - Paradox and Its Relationship to Christianity: Understanding God’s Call

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CLASS OF 2019

Best Thesis: David Talarico - Homosexuality and Catholicism: On the Road to Sainthood

Yesha Shastri - Don’t Be Afraid to Stand Out: The Impact of Social Identity on Opportunities in the Workforce

Caroline Accurso - Implications of Catholic Social Teaching for Capitalism

Alaine DeSantis - Jesus Christ: The Desire of Every Man’s Heart

Bridget Walsh - The Ethics of the Discrepancy of Participation: Funding, and Exposure for Women in College Athletics

Zach Kratz - Using Literature as a Vehicle for Teaching and Discussing Economic Theory

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CLASS OF 2018

Best Thesis: Erik Cudo - Medical and Catholic Ethical Concerns in CRISPR Technology

Dylan Bortz - A Whole New World: An Analysis of Exoplanets and Life in the Unknown Universe
Kayla Alderfer - The Role of Analogy in an Adequate Epistemology
Jake Stoudt - Virtue Ethics and the Rise of Darth Vader
Matthew Trovato - Substance, Relation, and the Human Person
Alexander Bondi - Capitalism and Catholicism: are they compatible?
Hannah Popp - Femininity -- The Search for Essential Meaning: A Synthesis of Catholic Minds
Matthew Reeder - Mathematics and its Relationship with Christianity

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CLASS OF 2017

Best Thesis: Gina Galassi - Divine Mercy: God’s Greatest Gift

Ryan Jordan - Catholic Social Thought Throughout the Business World
Angeline Lonardi - Still Hurting: The Catholic Church and Palliative Medicine
Allison Myers - The Origin and Laws of the Universe Support the Existence of a Divine Creator
Sean Palen - Catholicism and Capitalism: Giving to Get More From Life
Rochelle Salib - A Framework for the Role of Healthcare in Christian Global Missions: Short-Term Missions without Long-Term Harm
Christina Tran - God is With Us: Exploring How Mathematics Connects to God

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CLASS OF 2016

Best Thesis: Ryan Fischer - Modern Day Frankenstein or Medical Marvel: A Bioethical Evaluation of Human Head Transplantation Based on the Catholic Understanding of Human Dignity

Casey DeStasio - The Ethics of Animal Testing in Medicine in Accordance with the Catholic View of Animals
Janalyn Frederick - The Importance of Interfaith Dialog between the Mennonite and Catholic Churches
Hutton Jackson - The Underlying Causes of Sexual Violence: How Pornography, Sexual Violence Depicted in Interactive Media, and Sexualized Advertising Are Contributing to Sexual Violence in Society
Matthew Jesiolowski - A Discussion on Artificial Intelligence
Robert Johnson - The Holy Roman Empire and the Thirty Years' War: An Analysis of a Religious Conflict
Monica Lupin - End of Life Decisions
Theresa Marlin - The Scientific Basis for Human Personality
Emily Marshall - Physical Activity and its Effects on Childhood Development and Success
Darryn McCauley - Sighting Through the Wrong Scope: Why Complex Psychological Phenomena Defy Scientific Explanation
Kaitlyn Mills - Mental Illness in the Modern Age: How Stigmatization Violates the Dignity of the Human Person
Brittany Pierzga - Native American Cultural Appropriation: A Misinformed America, an Underrepresented Culture, a Stolen Dignity
Amanda Tarantino - The Need for Christian Humanism in the Care of Older Adults
Stefanie Wolcott - Global Migration Trends, Human Rights Concerns, and Catholic Social Teaching

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CLASS OF 2015 

Best Thesis: Alexandra Romanyshyn (PL/EN) - Literary Analysis: Contrasting Tradition and Modernism

Katherine Bortz (CM) -"Star-Crossed Plotlines: Discussions of Determinism and Free Will in Young Adult Literature"
Ashley Caroff (HI) -"A Call for Equality in Educational Opportunities for All Students"
Jennifer Fay (CJ) - "The Modern Educational System: Historical Influences and Pursuit of Knowledge Equality"
Seth Foreman (SX) -"Sports and Professional Athletes Impact Our Youth"
Nicholas Johnson (PL) -"On The Kingdom of God: Maria Christus Vincit, Quod Deus Vult"
Jessica Mathiesen (BICH/BI) "The Ethics of Human Stem Cell Research"
Casey Schermick (SS/MK) -"Athlete Philanthropy: A Review of the Moral Obligations for Professional Athletes"
Stephen VanDoran (PO) "Medical Marijuana Policy"

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CLASS OF 2014  
Best Thesis: Kristin kavanaugh (DA/SX) - "Dance, A Gift Stolen"
CLASS OF 2013 
Best Thesis: Kathryn Stimpfle (EE) - "The Gospel of Womanhood According to Jane Eyre"
CLASS OF 2012 
Best Thesis: Robert Zanneo (MA/ED) - "The Negative Impact of Incentives on Human Behavior: The Difference Between Intrinsic/Extrinsic Motivation"
CLASS OF 2011 
Best Thesis: Benjamin Foster (BI) - "An Examination of the Intrinsic Ethical Concerns Associated with Synthetic Biology"
CLASS OF 2010 
Best Thesis: Nicholas Schenk (BI) - "Personhood or Dignity: What Is the Foundation of Bioethics?"
CLASS OF 2009 
Best Thesis: Lauren Greene (EN/ED) - "Thomas Merton: A Study of 20th Century Ideas for the 21st Century American
CLASS OF 2008 
Best Thesis: Rachel Coleman (BI) - "The Sins of our Fathers: The Current Generation and the Vice of Acedia"
CLASS OF 2007 
Best Thesis: Elizabeth Pfister (NU) - "The 'Human' in Human Immunodeficiency Virus: Focus on a Domestic and South African Stigma"
CLASS OF 2006 
Best Thesis: Marian West (DA/MFS) - "Time to Move, Humanity, Art and Dance Redeemed"
> Mary

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• To support the future life and work of the Church, by fostering a deeper commitment to the Roman Catholic faith and to campus/parish communities
• To disseminate the distinctive charism of Salesian Spirituality, by providing a more in-depth education in this religious tradition
• To effect a transformation of individuals, by developing an awareness of personal talents and inter-personal communications
• To inspire future leadership of self and others, by developing practical skills through individual reflection, expert coaching, and group activities
• To effect a transformation of culture, by enacting the spiritual and personal dynamics of the institute through leadership in student, civic, and ecclesiastical organizations

Students also benefit:

• personally—forging relationships that positively influences one's future
• spiritually—seeing how faith is a key component to human happiness in any career
• educationally—learning skills taught in the best executive training programs in the corporate world

Process

• The Faculty/Staff Review Committee of the Salesian Center' for Faith & Culture nominates prospective members
• The members of the RLI Staff evaluate the students' academic achievement (minimum 2.75 GPA required ) and involvement in student activities and generates a list of students to invite.
• The Director of the Salesian Center extends the invitation to apply for membership in the institute and conducts interviews with the applicants.

Qualifications

To be selected for membership, students must commit to:

• Attending two (2) weekend retreats and all ten (10) meetings throughout their Junior year at DSU
• Participating actively in all activities of the Institute
• Attending six (6) leadership workshops throughout their Senior year at DSU
• Serving in a leadership capacity in a recognized student club, team, or organization during the student's Senior year at DSU
• Engaging in follow-up evaluations at the end of each year of the institute and following graduation from DSU

Forms

Ryan Leadership Institute Application

Ryan Leadership Institute Expectations

During their Junior year, students in our Ryan Leadership Institute participate in two programs that focus on intra- and inter-personal development.  These programs have been adapted from the Catholic Leadership Institute to reflect the distinctively Salesian character of our institute.

L.E.A.P.

The Leaders Experiential Adventure Program is a three-day retreat, held off-campus at the beginning of the academic year, which focuses on the discovery of one's personal profile and the development of one's personal mission.  Through participation in a "mountain adventures" experience, the retreat promotes skills development in terms of clarity, courage, choice, and support. A second retreat at the end of the academic year, also held off-campus, draws the year-long program to its conclusion with a co-missioning ceremony for the class.

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B.E.I.T.

The Being Energized and Inspired Together program is a series of ten (10) two-hour meetings, held on campus in the evenings, which focuses on personal reflection and group discussion.  Materials for these sessions promote skills development in terms of leadership of self, creating winning relationships, and leading others to a better future.  The sessions are facilitated by faculty/staff trained in Salesian leadership. 

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Opening L.E.A.P. Retreat: Friday evening, August 23, 2019 through Sunday afternoon, August 25, 2019 at The Shawnee Inn (Leadership activity at Pocono Tree Ventures)

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B.E.I.T sessions are hosted in the Faculty Dining Room, near the bookstore, in the DUC from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. (unless otherwise noted) 

Fall 2019 Semester 
Thursday, Sept. 12
Thursday, Sept. 26
Thursday, Oct. 24
Thursday, Nov. 14
Tuesday, Dec. 3

Spring 2020 Semester
January 12 (4:30 pm session / 6:00 pm alumni/student dinner)
Week of Jan. 27
Week of Feb. 17
Monday, March 16
Thursday, April 13

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Closing L.E.A.P. Retreat: Friday, April 17, 2020 through Sunday, April 19, 2020 (tentative) 

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During their Senior year, students in our Ryan Leadership Institute participate in two programs that focus on the learning and application of practical skills. The workshops are held from 7:30 to 8:30/9:00 pm.

B.E.S.T.

The Business Education in Skills & Techniques program consists of six (6) workshops, conducted three times each semester, in which business professionals offer a variety of skills that would be applicable in any career or corporate setting, such as

♦  projects ... how to create a proposal and/or make a formal presentation
♦  personnel ... how to market oneself, conduct interviews, and/or complete performance appraisals
♦  communications ... how to engage in active listening, interact with different generations, and/or craft public relations
♦  groups ... how to conduct efficient meetings and/or navigate a corporate culture
♦  finances ... how to create an operating budget and/or review a financial statement
♦  events ... how to plan, promote, and assess activities

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Workshop Calendar for 2019-20

September 16, 2019: How to Prevent Burnout with LINA BARBIERI, Associate Vice President for Annual Giving , DeSales University 

October 21, 2019: How to Adult with MIKE COLEMAN,  Founder/CEO, The Social Profit

 November 18, 2019: How to Market Yourself with KATHY KRAUSE, Coordinator of Experiential Learning, DeSales University 

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February 10, 2020: How to Manage Money with TOM CICHOCKI, Senior Vice President Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

March 23, 2020: How to Effectively Manage Stress: the perspective of a recent grad with GABE LAMM, SPT, DeSales University RLI class of 2019

April 6, 2020: How to Be Hospitable with KRISTIN EICHOLTZ, Executive Director of the Career Development Center, DeSales University

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D.O.I.T. - As the acronym implies, leadership students are required to take an active role in a campus organization of some kind (e.g., team, club, committee, etc.); alternatively, students may design and execute a unique project on campus.  The purpose of these "service" projects is to put into practice, for the benefit of the campus community, the valuable tools learned in their junior year during the retreats and B.E.I,T, sessions. 

senior project proposal form

A brief HISTORY of the Ryan Leadership Institute

In 1965 one of the foremost thinkers in the business world, LARRY WILSON, founded the Wilson Learning Corporation, which would become the second largest training company in the United States. In 1985 he launched the Pecos River Learning Center in New Mexico as a site for training business leaders. In 1990 a successful Catholic businessman, TIMOTHY C. FLANAGAN, discovered his mission in life during an executive leadership retreat at Pecos River. Tim felt a profound sense of being called to bring to the Catholic Church the best in leadership and personal
development programs to help people understand their purpose in life and reach their God-given potential as leaders in our world. Thus was born Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI). 
In 1999, a successful marketing executive, MATT MANION (who is married to DeSales alumna Kerrianne Dougherty ’96), volunteered for a year to serve CLI and four years later he became its President/CEO. Under Matt’s leadership, the programs adopted from Pecos River – L.E.A.P. and B.E.I.T. – were revised to reflect thoroughly Catholic teaching, and their use expanded to include college and university groups. In 2004 FR. THOMAS DAILEY, approached CLI with a proposal to transform the leadership programs for a third time. Together, with Oblate faculty at DeSales University – FR.’s PETER LEONARD, DOUG BURNS, ALEXANDER POCETTO, CHRIS HUDGIN, MARK PLAUSHIN AND JOHN HANLEY,  the program was compressed into an academic calendar and the materials were revised to reflect the distinctive teaching of St. Francis de Sales and the Salesian tradition. In this way a new Salesian institute for leaders came into being. The first cohort began the two-year pilot program, in collaboration with CLI, during the 2005-2006 academic year.
Since 2010 the administration of the institute has been wholly assumed by the Salesian Center for Faith & Culture at DeSales University. In the Fall of 2012 members of the RYAN FAMILY FOUNDATION established an endowment to honor the founding role in this Institute played by their parents, JANE & FRANK RYAN, and to provide a stable financial foundation for its future. 

CLASS OF 2020

Jessica Amick, Medical Studies Major

Mariana Aversa, Biology Major

Jack Carney, Medical Studies Major

Keegan Coffield, Accounting Major

Austin Erdossy, Sport Management Major

Vincent Groelly, Finance Major

Christina Hansen, Medical Studies Major

Mary O’Malley, Health Sciences Major (PT)

Ryan Schaub, Sport & Exercise Physiology

Claudio Velardo, Biology Major

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CLASS OF 2021

Morena Best, Early Childhood Education major

Nicholas Bowen, Business Administration major

Zachary Bowen, Healthcare Administration major

Annie Brush, Sport & Exercise Physiology major

Christian Bryson, Sport & Exercise Physiology major

Helen Cao, Nursing major

Grace Denarski, Sport & Exercise Physiology major

Erin Chioffe, Nursing major

Kathryn Kmetz, Biology major

Kaitlyn Klosz, Medical Studies major

Matthew Kraus, Biology major

Oleksandr Kolesnikov, Biology major

Vincent Maria, Biology major

Alexa Rhodunda, Biology major

Kelly Mulhern, Medical Studies major

Sean Tunney, Sport & Exercise Physiology major

Brianna Lonergan, Medical Studies major

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