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Acclaimed Iranian-American author, scholar and human rights advocate Dr. Azar Nafisi to speak at Commencement

salvetoday Posted On March 23, 2023

Acclaimed Iranian-American author, scholar and human rights advocate Dr. Azar Nafisi, known for her national bestselling “Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books,” will present the Commencement address and be awarded an honorary degree at Salve Regina’s 73rd Commencement on Sunday, May 21.

The University, which has been celebrating its 75th anniversary throughout the 2022-2023 academic year, will also award honorary degrees to Dr. M. Therese Antone, RSM, Salve Regina chancellor who served as the University’s sixth president from 1994-2009, and to Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, United States Marine Corps (retired). The Commencement ceremony begins at 10 a.m. in a tent on the oceanside lawn of McAuley Hall.

Dr. Azar Nafisi

Born and raised in Iran, Nafisi published her acclaimed memoir, “Reading Lolita in Tehran,” in 2003. The book – an account of the tightening oppression of the Islamic Revolution – appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for more than 100 weeks and has been translated into 32 languages. It recounts Nafisi’s experiences as an English professor working with a group of students at the University of Tehran. She was dismissed from that role in 1981 for refusing to cover her hair.

Nafisi emigrated to the United States in 1997, where she has continued to teach and write. Her memoir and subsequent books weave together her love of literature and the link between the liberal arts, free thinking and free societies. In addition to “Reading Lolita in Tehran,” Nafisi is the author of “That Other World: Nabokov and the Puzzle of Exile,” “The Republic of Imagination: America in Three Books,” and “Things I’ve Been Silent About,” a memoir about her mother.

She has written for The New York Times, Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. Her cover story, “The Veiled Threat: The Iranian Revolution’s Woman Problem,” published in The New Republic, has been reprinted into several languages. Her 2022 work, “Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times” arms readers with a resistance reading list, ranging from James Baldwin to Zora Neale Hurston to Margaret Atwood.

Nafisi has won numerous literary awards, including the 2004 Nonfiction Book of the Year Award from Booksense, the Frederic W. Ness Book Award, the 2004 Latifeh Yarsheter Book Award, an achievement award from the American Immigration Law Foundation, as well as being a finalist for the 2004 PEN/Martha Albrand Award for Memoir. In 2006 she won a Persian Golden Lioness Award for literature, presented by the World Academy of Arts, Literature and Media. In 2011, Nafisi was awarded the Cristobal Gabarron Foundation International Thought and Humanities Award for her “determined and courageous defense of human values in Iran and her efforts to create awareness through literature about the situation women face in Islamic society.”

Nafisi held a fellowship at Oxford University, teaching and conducting a series of lectures on culture and the important role of Western literature and culture in Iran after the Revolution in 1979. Between 1997 and 2017, she was a Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute of Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, D.C., and also served as director of The Dialogue Project & Cultural Conversations.

Winner of the 2015 Benjamin Franklin Creativity Laureate Award, Nafisi has been awarded honorary doctorates from numerous colleges and universities, as well as being named a Georgetown University/Walsh School of Foreign Service Centennial Fellow in 2018, and being awarded the Pell Center Prize for Story in the Public Square at Salve Regina in 2023.

Dr. M. Therese Antone, RSM

Appointed chancellor at Salve Regina in 2009, Sister Therese served as the University’s sixth president from 1994-2009. A member of the Sisters of Mercy, her Salve Regina career has included tenure as a professor of mathematics and management, and as executive vice president for corporate affairs and advancement. She has teaching and leadership experience at all educational levels and also served as treasurer for the Sisters of Mercy serving in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Central America.

During her tenure as president, Sister Therese oversaw more than $65 million in fundraising and helped grow the University’s endowment from $1.3 million in 1994 to more than $40 million by 2009. She managed the investment of $90 million in capital improvement projects, including the preservation of several 19th-century estates that make up Salve Regina’s seaside Newport campus. Her commitment to campus stewardship garnered awards and recognition for the university from preservation agencies across the country, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Getty Campus Heritage Program.

Sister Therese also led University initiatives to refine its mission and develop a new core curriculum. During her tenure, applications for admission to Salve Regina more than tripled. In 1996, her work with the U.S. Congress helped establish the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy, a center on campus honoring the legacy of Rhode Island’s longest-serving U.S. senator, Claiborne Pell. To honor and recognize Sister Therese’s service and leadership to Salve Regina, the University’s Board of Trustees dedicated the Antone Academic Center for Culture and the Arts in 2008.

A Rhode Island native and a Salve Regina alumna, Sister Therese has extensive governance experience, including service on the Diocesan Finance Council and the boards of University of Detroit Mercy, Misericordia University, AAA New England, BankNewport, Lifespan Health Corporation and Beacon Mutual Insurance Company. She currently serves on the board of the Newport Hospital Foundation, Mercy Investment Services, Davis Educational Foundation and Global Net Lease. Sister Therese was appointed to the R.I. State Ethics Commission in 2015.

In addition to many other honors and awards, Sister Therese was a recipient of the John E. Fogarty Achievement Award and the Mercy Higher Education Leadership Award. She is also an inductee to the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. Sister Therese was a Fulbright senior specialist at Krasnoyarsk University in Russia, and the state of Kentucky commissioned her as a Kentucky Colonel in 2008.

She holds a doctorate in education with emphasis in administration, planning and social policy from Harvard University. She holds a master’s degree in mathematics from Villanova University and completed the international senior executive program at the MIT’s Sloan School of Management. She has a bachelor’s degree from Salve Regina and is a graduate of Cumberland High School.

Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, USMC retired

Gen. Anthony C. Zinni joined the Marine Corps’ Platoon Leader Class program in 1961 and was commissioned an infantry second lieutenant in 1965 upon graduation from Villanova University. His 39-year military career took him to over 70 countries and included deployments to the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the Western Pacific, Northern Europe, and Korea. He also served tours of duty in Okinawa and Germany. Gen. Zinni retired from the military in 2000 after commanding the U.S. Central Command.

He held numerous command and staff assignments that included platoon, company, battalion, regimental, Marine Expeditionary Unit, and Marine Expeditionary Force command. His staff assignments included service in operations, training, special operations, counter-terrorism, and manpower billets. He has been a tactics and operations instructor at several Marine Corps schools and was selected as a fellow on the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group.

Gen. Zinni participated in presidential diplomatic missions to Somalia, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as State Department missions involving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and conflicts in Indonesia, the Philippines and the Middle East.

His 23 personal awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; the Distinguished Service Medal; the Defense Superior Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters; the Bronze Star with Combat “V” and Gold Star; the Purple Heart; the Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star; the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat “V” and Gold Star; the Navy Achievement Medal with Gold Star; the Combat Action Ribbon; and personal awards from Vietnam, France, Italy, Egypt, Kuwait, Yemen, and Bahrain. He also holds 37 unit, service and campaign awards.

Gen. Zinni was chairman, CEO and president of a major defense company, was executive vice president of an international government services company, and served as president of international operations for a manufacturing company. He has held positions on several boards of directors and advisors of major companies in the fields of government services, manufacturing, telecommunications, electronics, hospitality and hotels, defense industries, software development, financial services, shipbuilding, mining, cyber security, film making, energy, engineering design and capital investment. He has also had his own consulting business working with companies in strategic planning, business development, international marketing, customer relations, communications and leader development.

He holds a bachelor of science degree in economics from Villanova University; a master of arts degree in international relations from Salve Regina; a master of arts degree in management and supervision from Central Michigan University; a master of science degree in negotiation and dispute resolution from Creighton University, a doctor of education degree in interdisciplinary leadership from Creighton University, and honorary doctorates from Villanova University, William and Mary College, and the Maine Maritime Academy.

Arts and Humanities / News

Theatre program’s latest musical production is ‘Children of Eden’ by Stephen Schwartz

salvetoday Posted On March 22, 2023

The Department of Music, Theatre and Dance is proud to announce that the theatre program’s spring 2023 production will be the Broadway musical “Children of Eden.” The production will run on Thursday, March 30, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, April 1, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the Casino Theater.

All members of Salve Regina’s community, as well as the general public, are invited to attend. Tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for Salve Regina faculty, staff and seniors; $5 for children 12 and under; and free for Salve Regina students with an ID. To buy tickets, go here.

“Children of Eden” uses Biblical stories found in Genesis to think through themes of family conflict, identity and acceptance. The tales of Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel are featured in Act I, while Noah and the Ark are featured in Act II.

Schwart’z favorite musical

“Children of Eden” was composed by Stephen Schwartz, a popular musical theatre lyricist and composer who has written well-known musicals like “Godspell,” “Pippin” and “Wicked.”

While “Children of Eden” is not Schwartz’s most well-known work, it is one of his personal favorites, according to Dr. Tara Brooke Watkins, director of the theatre program.

“This show has his favorite song that he’s ever written in it, which is called ‘Stranger to the Rain,’” said Dr. Watkins. “And it also features the one song he would want to live on for eternity, which is ‘In the Beginning.’”

Dr. Tara Brooke Watkins

The show tends to be a big hit with theatre companies across the country due to its capacity to showcase a large ensemble, its non-dogmatic take on religious stories, and its transcendent themes on family — and this is one of the many reasons Watkins thought the show would be perfect for Salve Regina’s theatre students.

“If we’re going to continue to have big musicals, what show can I choose that really shows off all of our students?” said Dr. Watkins. “We have such an incredible group of talent here at Salve.”

There are 30 students in the cast, so the ensemble is indeed large. One of those cast members is Madisen Cardona ’23, a psychology major with a minor in theatre. Cardona plays Mama Noah, Noah’s wife and a source of feminine strength throughout the musical.

“I think she is kind of like Mother Nature-esque,” said Cardona of the character. “She’s always making sure everyone is feeling loved.”

Cardona said that she had never heard of “Children of Eden” before this production, but now she listens to the soundtrack nonstop. The challenge for many of the performers in this musical is how demanding the singing is, according to Cardona. It’s very choral-heavy, and this has really stretched the actors in exciting new ways.

“’Ain’t It Good’ is my favorite song in the show,” said Cardona. “It’s about the rain being over, and we’re finally done on the waters. It’s a triumphant song, and I love it.”

Madisen Cardona ’23 rehearses “Ain’t It Good,” her favorite song in the production.

Puppets, masks will take center stage

One of the exciting elements in the show is the handmade papier-mâché puppets and masks that will appear in Act II for the story of Noah and the Ark. The prototypes of the puppets were made by a stagecraft class in fall 2022 semester, with expansions made on the designs during this spring 2023 semester. There will be lions, dolphins and mice — among other surprises.

“This was pre-Lion King,” said Dr. Watkins. “What the musical ‘The Lion King’ did — yes, it’s a different style of puppet, but they are pulling from what ‘Children of Eden’ originally did.”

Overall, the cast and crew of “Children of Eden” hopes that audience members walk away from the show inspired by the themes of family and identity that run throughout the musical, as well as the craftsmanship of the puppets and masks that make the production even more unique. It’s a family-friendly musical that will leave people inspired to love and accept others more deeply.

“It gives people new perspectives,” said Cardona. “I think a lot of the story can be applied to our modern life and people’s own personal lives. They can take a lot away and feel seen, and that’s a really important part of the show.”

To buy tickets for the different showtimes, go here.

Arts and Humanities / Event Coverage / News

March’s Inclusive Reading Club will tackle the topic of ageism

salvetoday Posted On March 21, 2023

The Inclusive Reading Club (IRC) invites the Salve Regina community to join in another rich discussion around topics of diversity, equity and inclusion on Wednesday, March 29, at 4 p.m. on the second floor of McKillop Library or via Zoom. To register for either of these options for IRC, go to the event page.

This month, the club will be reading excerpts from “This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism” by Ashton Applewhite. Dr. Anna Matos-Mournighan, deputy director of the Edward King House Senior Center in Newport and co-lead for Newport For All Ages, will be a guest facilitator.

Today’s youth-obsessed culture saturates people with messages of shame about growing older and the natural process of aging. Color that gray hair, hide those bald spots and wrinkles, step aside for the younger generation — how do these ageist stereotypes divide and debase society?

Join the IRC in examining societal biases around aging with Dr. Matos-Mournighan. Attendees will explore the research behind damaging ageist stereotypes and talk about the benefits of adopting more age-friendly attitudes with guidance from excerpts of the book “This Chair Rocks” by Applewhite.

Get started with the readings on the IRC‘s message board.

The IRC is a hybrid program, and attendees can join in-person on the second floor of McKillop Library or via Zoom. To register for either of the options for IRC, go to the event page.

The Inclusive Reading Club is managed collaboratively by the Office of Multicultural Programs and Retention and McKillop Library. For any questions, please contact Rose Albert, associate director of the Office of Multicultural Programs and Retention, at rose.albert@salve.edu; or Gretchen Sotomayor, special programs and instruction librarian at McKillop Library, at gretchen.sotomayor@salve.edu.

Featured photo form Getty Images/designer491

Arts and Humanities / Event Coverage / News

Salve Regina to host first-ever a cappella invitational featuring multiple singing groups

salvetoday Posted On March 21, 2023

Salve Regina is set to host its first ever a capella invitational featuring engaging musical performances from a variety of collegiate a capella groups. The event will be held on Saturday, March 25, at 6 p.m.in the Bazarsky Lecture Hall in O’Hare Academic Building. This free event is open to both the general public and Salve Regina, and there is no need to register in advance.

A cappella is a form of choir that utilizes only voices without any instrumental accompaniment. A capella invitationals aim to showcase the work and talents of numerous a cappella groups — and this invitational is sponsored by Pitches with Attitude, Salve Regina’s all-female a cappella group of 15 women who sing and perform throughout Newport, Rhode Island.

“We focus on empowering talented and musically intelligent women,” said Caroline Watson ‘23, facilitator and member of Pitches with Attitude. “Music is a way for people to come together, and invitationals have connected us with people who also love to sing and perform. It’s exciting to be around people who do the same thing as we do at their own schools.”

Photo from a past Pitches with Attitude show.

This event will host six collegiate groups from universities all over the Northeast. There will be performances by Extreme Measure from University of Connecticut; A Completely Different Note (CDN) from the University of Connecticut; HartAttack from the University of Hartford; Doo Wop Shop from the University of Massachusetts; Mixtapes from Salve Regina; and Pitches with Attitude from Salve Regina.

“This invitational has all different types of groups, including an all-men’s group and a few mixed groups — which can change the sound of the music,” explained Watson. “It’s fun to listen to. It can be very cool to hear how singers create sounds of instruments by using their mouths. Some groups even add movement to their songs to make it more performative and interesting for an audience member.”

The a cappella invitational will be held on Saturday, March 25, at 6 p.m., in the Bazarsky Lecture Hall in O’Hare Academic Building. There is no need to register in advance, and attendance is free.

Featured photo is from a past performance from Pitches with Attitude.

Event Coverage / Mercy Mission / News

Mercy Mondays: Salve’s COP27 delegates will discuss climate justice during lunch event

salvetoday Posted On March 20, 2023

Join the McAuley Institute for Mercy Education for a luncheon roundtable discussion with Salve Regina’s four COP27 delegates as they share about their experience in Egypt in the fall of 2022. The roundtable will be held on Wednesday, March 29, at Noon in Ochre Court. Participants should register in advance.

This roundtable is also celebrating a Worldwide Teach-In on Climate and Justice, an initiative where hundreds of universities and colleges across the globe are holding events on climate issues on March 29. It will also kick off Salve Regina’s Earth Month celebration in April.

For nearly three decades, the U.N. has brought together almost every country on earth for global climate summits called Conference of Parties (COP). Salve Regina has been honored to send delegates for the past two summits, COP26 and COP27.

Salve Regina’s COP27 delegates included two faculty and two students. Faculty members were Dr. Sally Gomaa, professor in the Department of English, Communications and Media and the Department of Cultural, Environmental and Global Studies; and Dr. Chad Raymond, professor in the Department of Cultural, Environmental and Global Studies and the Department of Political Science and International Relations.

Student delegates were Liadan O’Connor ’23, a double major in global studies and sociology and anthropology; and Cailin Martin ’24, an environmental studies major and student sustainability coordinator on campus.

Cailin Martin ’24 (left) and Liadan O’Connor ’23 at COP27.

Salve Regina’s four COP27 delegates will discuss Salve Regina’s engagement at the conference by highlighting their overall experience, elaborating on outcomes and challenges around climate justice, and answering any questions the University community might have for them.

A meatless lunch from Sprout and Lentil will be provided for participants.

Salve Regina staff, faculty and students must register in advance to attend this event. If anyone is interested in bringing an entire class, department, or other larger group to the luncheon, please contact Mary Beth Pelletier, program manager of mission integration, at mary.luzitano@salve.edu.

Event Coverage / News

12-hour SalveTHON event to raise money for Hasbro Children’s Hospital

salvetoday Posted On March 17, 2023

Salve Regina’s annual SalveTHON, the 12-hour dance marathon that raises money for Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, is set to run on Saturday, March 25, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The University is encouraging all to come and help support an important cause.

SalveTHON is a part of the Miracle Network Dance Marathon, a nationwide program that is made up of colleges all over the country working to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. The program has raised $300,000,000 for children’s hospital since their start in 1991. Last year, SalveTHON raised a total of $21,405.99 throughout the 2021-22 academic year.

All money raised during the SalveTHON dance marathon helps pay for medical treatments, innovations at the hospital, new equipment and research.

“We come together as a community to help alleviate this stress for families at Hasbro, because we recognize that no family deserves the burden of childhood illness,” said Cassandra Cannon ’22, sponsorship and catering chair for SalveTHON.

The main 12-hour dance event on March 25 is just the peak of the fundraising activities this year. In the fall 2022 semester, SalveTHON hosted the Miracle Cup with the men’s soccer team, as well as a Hoops for Hope event with both the men’s and women’s basketball teams. This spring 2023, they will be bringing back the popular Pie a Professor event. The donation goal this year is $25,000, and Salve Regina is already more than 25% of the way there.

Salve Regina hit their goal of raising over 20,000 last year in 2022.

According to Cannon, the most rewarding thing about SalveTHON is that the University creates lasting relationships with families and their children who have been directly impacted by Hasbro Children’s Hospital and the donations that were raised through SalveTHON.

“This year at our SalveTHON event, we will have the most number of families participating since I’ve been a student at Salve,” Cannon explained. “We are a small school, and we get to know our families on a personal level, and we love how happy the kids are to see us throughout the year.”

Donations are welcome from the Salve Regina community on the day of the event, but people are also welcome to donate any time before SalveTHON as well. The Salve Regina community is also encouraged to participate in the 12-hour dance marathon on Saturday, March 25.

Salve Regina students dance the day away in 2022.

While there will be a lot of dancing, there will also be new activities every hour that help people stay on their feet and remain engaged for the entire 12 hours. The main point is to stay on one’s feet and never sit down in support of the families and children who are struggling, according to Cannon.

“The money we are raising helps allow children to live as normally as possible,” Cannon added.

For more information regarding the event, reach out to Cannon at cassandra.cannon@salve.edu or direct messages to SalveTHON’s Instagram.

Arts and Humanities / News / Salve Spotlights

Sara Birse ’20 traded Seahawk Radio for SiriusXM

salvetoday Posted On March 16, 2023

Sara Birse ’20, who got her degree in English communications with minors in French and marketing, knew Salve Regina was the school for her once she stepped onto the gravel at Ochre Court. Birse now works as the music programming coordinator for SiriusXM in Nashville, Tennessee.

From the garden floor of Gerety Hall to the broadcasting studio at SiriusXM, Birse attributes her dream career to the time and experiences she had while at Salve Regina.

Discovering a passion for radio

During her time at Salve Regina, Birse was heavily involved with Seahawk Radio, Salve Regina’s student run radio station. Birse was a part of Seahawk Radio ever since her first year, and she even became the vice president her sophomore year and held that title until graduation in 2020. During her time with Seahawk Radio, Birse was allowed to dive into a passion she didn’t know she had.

“It was like a playground for me to discover all the different aspects of radio and how to program a channel,” said Birse. “I realized that I loved it.”

Birse was part of Seahawk Radio during her time at Salve Regina.

Birse was initially nervous working on Seahawk Radio. During her first night on air, Birse recalls not turning the microphone on for two hours. But working with Seahawk Radio provided her with a platform to break out of her comfort zone.

“I was so scared to even turn on the mic, but I got more and more comfortable. After that, I knew I wanted to work in radio,” she described.

From Seahawk Radio to SiriusXM

Graduating at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the road to SiriusXM was not an easy one. With no events being held to broadcast, jobs for Birse began to dwindle. This inspired her to enter into a master’s program at Southern New Hampshire University, where she graduated with an MBA in music business. During her master’s program, she worked with SiriusXM as a music programming intern.

After interning for SiriusXM in the spring of 2022, Birse landed a job as the music programming coordinator at their office in Nashville, Tennessee. She finds working for SiriusXM to be an outlet for creativity.

“You always have to be very innovative and creative in how you want to program your channels,” said Birse. “Keeping up to date on new music, or if there’s a song that you think is going to be a good fit for the channel — they want to hear it.”

SiriusXM emphasizes innovation, finds Birse. The company lifts the voices of their employees and encourages them to test out new directions.

At the studio, Birse works on the country channels, the Jimmy Buffett Channel and their Disney Channel. She especially enjoys working for the Disney Channel, where she gets to share her passion of radio with children across the state.

Birse got her start behind a microphone at Salve Regina (above), where she worked through her fears around being on air. She now works behind a microphone at SiriusXM without anxiety and absolutely loves it (below).

Birse currently works on a Disney Channel segment entitled Be Our Guest, where children send in an audio where they pick their four favorite Disney songs. The children get to be DJ’s on the show.

“I email them, and these kids get to hear themselves on air, and they’re so excited,” said Birse. “It is very rewarding. I get to do that every week, and I just love it.”

Thank you, Salve English department

Birse looks back on her time at Salve Regina fondly, but she holds a special place in her heart for the Department of English, Communications and Media. Throughout her four years at Salve Regina, she recalled the thoughtful professors that aided in her journey to SiriusXM: Dr. D. Matthew Ramsey, professor and chair of the department; Dr. Donna Harrington-Lueker, professor and commonly referred to as D.H.L. by students; and Dr. Madeleine Esch, associate professor.

“Dr. Ramsey, D.H.L., Dr. Esch, all of them just helped me so much along the way,” said Birse.

Birse took the course ENG-273 Multimedia Storytelling with Dr. Harrington-Lueker, a course that teaches a variety of tools to gather and edit audio and video as part of skillful storytelling and reporting. This course provided Birse with the skills needed for a career after Salve Regina.

“It taught all of these skills that I now use every day — like how to find a narrative and tell a story,” she said.

Salve Regina also taught Birse the importance of research and how to think critically and analytically, which are tools needed in her line of work.

“They really value those skills at SiriusXM when it comes to researching new music and new artists,” she said.“It’s hard to acquire those skills, but Salve Regina really prepares you for that.”

All in all, Birse cherishes her time at Salve Regina and is grateful for the experiences and lessons that led her to SiriusXM.

Sara Birse ’20.

Article written by student writer Catherine Dolan ’23

Salve Spotlights is a series of people-centered stories periodically featured on SALVEtoday. Check out the tag Salve Spotlights for more stories.

Event Coverage / Student Life

SRyou Student Exposition shares schedule of events for March 22, looking for volunteers

salvetoday Posted On March 15, 2023

SRyou Student Exposition is being held on Wednesday, March 22, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The day offers an opportunity for both undergraduate and graduate students to share curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular involvements with their peers, faculty and staff. This year, Salve Regina is also welcoming back friends, family and community members from outside of the University.

The SRyou Student Exposition for 2023 will have many different types of displays, including poster boards and table displays, as well as presentations and arts performances.

“Our theme for 2023 is SRyou Sparks Change,” said Natalie Cote, the SRyou Student Exposition planning committee chairwoman. “This University strives for a new generation of change-makers, and every student that participates in the SRyou Student Exposition has an idea and the ability to create change in our world.”

Cote would also like to note that SRyou Student Exposition is still looking for volunteers to help during the day of the event. If anyone is interested, they can contact her at natalie.cote@salve.edu. Volunteers can be staff, faculty or students.

“It’s an incredible day to just come out and see how vibrant the Salve community truly is,” Cote said. “Whether they are doing so through research, the arts or community service, Salve students are here to learn so they can go on to change the world.”

SRyou Student Exposition is also offering a fun adventure for the Salve Regina community, which is listed in the program of events. For each task completed, participants will receive a stamp. Those stamps will translate into raffle tickets, which will be drawn after the event for a chance to win a variety of prizes.

Please visit the SRyou Student Exposition’s program to see what events will be held over the course of the day on Wednesday, March 22.

Photos from SRyou Student Exposition in 2022.

Through participating in this exposition, students benefit by:

Showcasing their academic, artistic and altruistic endeavors.
Developing professional presentation skills.
Enhancing their resumes.
Discovering the scope and diversity of the achievements of their peers.

Please visit the SRyou website for more information about SRyou Student Exposition, and the full schedule of events is located here. For more information or to volunteer for the day of the event, contact Cote at natalie.cote@salve.edu or email sryou@salve.edu.

Featured photo is of the SRyou Student Exposition in 2022.

Event Coverage / News

Attend lecture on leadership with President Eisenhower’s granddaughter, Susan Eisenhower

salvetoday Posted On March 14, 2023

The Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy will host best-selling author Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, as part of the Pell Center’s spring 2023 lecture series. The lecture, entitled “How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Eisenhower’s Biggest Decisions,” will be held on Wednesday, March 22, at 7 p.m. in the Bazarsky Lecture Hall in O’Hare Academic Building.

The Salve Regina community, as well as the general public, are invited to attend. To register, go here.

For a generation of Americans, the name Eisenhower meant victory, competency, security and solvency. From his rise to fame as the top allied commander in Europe during World War II to his presidency in 1953, Dwight David Eisenhower offered a masterclass in leadership.

Susan Eisenhower is the author of “How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Eisenhower’s Biggest Decisions.” Her book demonstrates not just what a great American did, but why―and the crucial lessons in leadership that remain exceedingly important. During her lecture at the Pell Center, Susan Eisenhower will reflect on her grandfather’s lessons and explore the values that they hold today.

Susan Eisenhower is an outspoken advocate for setting national priorities and advancing a civil, fact-based discourse on America’s challenges. She puts national and international public policy from the past, present and future into context for a country in need of solutions and a clear direction.

Susan Eisenhower

In addition, Susan Eisenhower has authored hundreds of op-eds for newspapers such as The L.A. Times and The Washington Post, appeared frequently on national broadcasts and her articles have appeared in numerous scientific journals. Susan Eisenhower is a distinguished DC policy strategist and President and Chairman of The Eisenhower Group, a consulting company based in the District of Columbia.

She has worked on the NASA Advisory Council, the International Space Station Management and Cost Evaluation Task Force and is currently a member of MIT’s Energy Initiative Advisory Board. Eisenhower is also Chairman Emeritus at the Eisenhower Institute of Gettysburg College and holds a year-long seminar on strategy for competitively selected students.

The lecture will be held on Wednesday, March 22, at 7 p.m. To register, go here.

Faculty/Staff

David Altounian appointed to RIHub’s board of directors

salvetoday Posted On March 14, 2023

RIHub, the central network connector and incubator for entrepreneurs and startups in Rhode Island, has appointed longtime business executive David Altounian, vice provost of graduate and professional studies at Salve Regina, to its board of directors.

“We are so fortunate to have someone with David’s depth of experience in entrepreneurship, investing, building entrepreneurial ecosystems and education here in Rhode Island,” said Annette Tonti, managing director of RIHub. “His guidance will be pivotal to RIHub and to our entire high growth startup community here in Rhode Island.”

Altounian recently relocated to Rhode Island from Austin, Texas, where he amassed 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, business executive and academic. He founded Motion Computing in 2001 and, while serving as chairman and CEO, led the company’s growth to over $125 million in revenues. Motion Computing became the No. 2 worldwide business for rugged slate digital tablets.

As a partner and mentor at The Capital Factory, a leading startup accelerator and investment organization, Altounian was actively involved in several organizations during the growth of Austin’s entrepreneurial scene. He served on the boards of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, the Austin Technology Council and as co-chair of the Opportunity Austin Capital Committee. Ranked as the nation’s fourth top city to start a business, Austin has become a hotbed for startup unicorns and tech giants.

“I look forward to helping Rhode Island to build an ecosystem that helps entrepreneurs to flourish,” Altounian said. “Working with the RIHub board gives me the opportunity to make a difference here for student entrepreneurs as well as the entire startup community.”

Altounian is also a full-time tenured academic and educator in the fields of entrepreneurship and digital marketing. Prior to coming to Salve Regina and being appointed vice provost in December 2021, Altounian spent 14 years at St. Edwards University in Austin, where he served as associate dean of academic programs and director of the MBA program in the Bill Munday School of Business.

Altounian earned his Ph.D. in business administration from Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business, his M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and his B.S. in business administration from California Coast University.

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