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The “Reading Christian Classics” book discussion series will continue Thursday, March 31 with Pope Pius XI’s encyclical “Mit Brennender Sorge.” All members of the Salve Regina community, along with friends of the University, are invited to participate.

“Mit Brennender Sorge,” an encyclical on the church and the German Reich, is available online. Issued in March 1937, it was smuggled into Germany for fear of censorship and read from the pulpits of all German Catholic churches on Palm Sunday of that year. The encyclical denounces the German government for its disproportionate emphasis on the priority of the state and race over and above God and church, and for its discriminatory racial policies.

Discussions are held in the McKillop Library’s special collections room beginning at 6:30 p.m. and last about one hour. Each participant should furnish his or her copy of the book, read it prior to the session and come willing to share interpretations or comments.

The series will conclude Thursday, April 28 with G.K. Chesterton’s “Everlasting Man.”

“Reading Christian Classics” is co-sponsored by the Department of Philosophy, the Pell Honors Program and the McKillop Library. For more information, contact Dr. Lois Eveleth, professor of philosophy, at (401) 341-3170.

A panel of experts will come together Wednesday, March 16 to discuss the impact of human development on Aquidneck Island’s watersheds. Sponsored by the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy, “Watershed in Focus” will be held at 7 p.m. in the Bazarsky Lecture Hall.

Sixty thousand residents of Aquidneck Island primarily rely upon surface water for their drinking water supply. More than 350 years of human development on the island has impacted its watersheds in many ways, and now these small, urban coastal watersheds are gaining considerable attention for the issues they face.

Moderated by Dr. Jameson Chace, associate professor in the Department of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, this panel of experts in the areas of watershed monitoring, hydrological research, community action, infrastructural planning and source water protection will discuss challenges and potential solutions.

Panelists include:

• Kelly Addy, research associate in the University of Rhode Island’s watershed hydrology lab
• Charles Allott, executive director of the Aquidneck Land Trust
• Thomas Ardito, executive director of the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission
• Elizabeth Herron, coordinator of the University of Rhode Island’s Watershed Watch program
• David McLaughlin, executive director of Clean Ocean Access

Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP at the Pell Center’s Eventbrite page. For more information, call (401) 341-2927 or email pellcenter@salve.edu.

An upcoming roundtable discussion sponsored by the Pell Center will explore the science and legal issues behind body-worn cameras in law enforcement. “Body Cameras and the Breakdown in Police-Community Relations” will be held at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, March 15 in the Miley Hall executive dining room.

Cameras worn by law enforcement officers in many cities and towns across America are regarded as providing the best evidence and as an invasion of privacy at the same time. Many people believe that body-worn cameras will provide the evidence to bring truth into focus during traffic stops and other police-involved situations, but the issue is not as clear as the technology.

Has a relationship between the police and community eroded to the point that there are distinct sides? Why do both police and community feel a compelling need to videotape events with body-worn cameras to prove the facts? Moderated by David Smith, chairman of the Department of Administration of Justice, the roundtable will address these questions and review matters of privacy, law, finance, storage and expectations relating to the technology of body-worn cameras.

Roundtable discussions are open to Salve Regina students, faculty and staff. The Pell Center will provide a free lunch. As space is limited, those interested in attending should RSVP to pellcenter@salve.edu.

Three researchers who are collaboratively investigating strategies to prepare educators and military professionals for success will discuss their findings in a presentation scheduled for Monday, March 14.

“Preparing Teachers for a Mission: Six Lessons Shared With the Military” will be held at 4 p.m. in the McKillop Library, Room 109. Presenters include Dr. Kathy Vespia, assistant professor in the Department of Education; retired Rear Adm. Barbara McGann; and Dr. Thomas Gibbons, associate professor of professional military and graduate education at the Naval War College.

Vast research and personal testimonies provide strong evidence that highly effective teachers play a critical role in the success of their students, particularly those at risk of underachievement. That same evidence is now being demanded of teacher preparation programs.

By comparison, military preparation programs have long been outcome-based and scrutinized for their ability to prepare military professionals for readiness in the field.

In this interactive presentation, the researchers will identify and discuss six lessons shared by both preparation programs that are key to success – and perhaps survival – in the field. They will also discuss the critical importance of developing a battlemind or empowering mindset for promoting professional sustainability.