1. Author David McCullough is Marquette Commencement speaker

Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough will be the speaker for Marquette University’s spring 2011 Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 22. The ceremony will take place at the Bradley Center, 1001 N. 4th St., at 9:30 a.m.

Acclaimed as a “master of the art of narrative history,” McCullough won the Pulitzer Prize for his biography of Harry Truman, Truman, and for his most recent biography of another president, John Adams. He won the National Book Award twice — in 1982 for the biography Mornings on Horseback and in 1978 for The Path Between the Seas about the creation of the Panama Canal. Other books by McCullough include 1776, The Johnstown Flood, Brave Companions and The Great Bridge. His work has been published in 10 languages and, in all, more than 9 million copies are in print. None of his books has ever been out of print.

As part of the Commencement ceremony, McCullough will receive an honorary degree from Marquette, along with three others:

Will Allen, co-founder and CEO of Growing Power, which develops Community Food Systems to provide high-quality, safe, healthy, affordable food for all residents in the community.

Bill Drayton, founder of Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, a global association of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs.

Catherine Rick, chief officer in the Office of Nursing Services for the Department of Veteran Affairs, provides leadership and guidance to VA’s 75,000 nursing personnel, who care for nearly 6 million veterans each year.

2. Tickets for tomorrow’s Gingrich event still available

Tickets for the presentation by Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and his wife Callista, are still available in the AMU Brooks Lounge. The event has moved from the Weasler Auditorium to the Varsity Theatre, and all previously issued tickets are valid for the new location. There’s a limit of two tickets per Marquette ID.

The Gingriches will visit Marquette tomorrow, March 29, to present Nine Days that Changed the World, a documentary they produced about Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Poland in 1979. The 7 p.m. screening of the film will include a presentation by the Gingriches, followed by a book and DVD signing.

For more information or special needs, contact University Special Events at 8-7431.

3. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is subject of Law School lecture

Mark Lemley, the William H. Neukom Professor of Law at Stanford Law School and the Director of the Stanford Program in Law, Science and Technology, will deliver the Law School’s Hon. Helen Wilson Nies Annual Lecture at 12:30 p.m. Friday, April 1, in Eckstein Hall. RSVP by 8 a.m. Thursday, March 31.

Lemley will present “Can the Patent Office Be Fixed?” about how examiners can effectively distinguish between patentable and unpatentable inventions without wasting time or money, addressing several proposed resolutions and their problems. Lemley has published seven books and has testified numerous times before Congress, the California legislature, the Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Modernization Commission on patent, trade secret, antitrust and constitutional law matters.

4. Law School hosting international conference on clergy sex abuse scandal

The Law School will host an international conference on the clergy sex abuse scandal that has shaken the Catholic Church over the past decade. “Harm, Hope, and Healing: International Dialogue on the Clergy Sex Abuse Scandal,” sponsored by the Law School’s Restorative Justice Initiative, will feature the stories of abuse victims, the impact of the scandal on other clergy, and panelists from Australia, Ireland and across the United States as it examines the path to healing from the scandal. It will take place Monday and Tuesday, April 4 and 5, at Eckstein Hall.

The Most Reverend Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, will give an address on his personal journey, “The Truth Will Set You Free,” Monday, April 4, at 9:30 a.m. In addition, a panel of abuse survivors; representatives from the Boston Archdiocese, where the scandal broke nearly one decade ago; and other speakers will make presentations.

Members of the Marquette community, including faculty, staff and students, can attend free of charge. Register online.

Janine Geske, distinguished professor of law, coordinated the development of The Healing Circle, a moving film documentary used in parishes nationwide in which victims of clergy abuse share and dialogue with members of the community and clergy as a means of healing past and present wounds, based on the model of restorative justice. The film, which will be shown as part of the this year’s conference, shows a compelling restorative justice circle led by Geske, bringing viewers into the circle to hear first-hand the emotionally gripping stories of victims, an offender priest, other clergy and lay ministers, and members of the faith community.

5. Michelle Malkin to speak at Marquette

The College Republicans of Marquette University will host political commentator Michelle Malkin, who will present “Incivility in the Age of Obama” Monday, April 11, at 7 p.m. in the AMU Ballrooms. A book-signing will follow at 8:30 p.m.

Michelle Malkin is a mother, wife, blogger, syndicated columnist, author and Fox News Channel contributor. Her blog, michellemalkin.com, attracts more than 1 million readers per month.

The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Two tickets per MU ID will be available in the AMU Brooks Lounge beginning Wednesday, March 30.

Contact College Republicans of Marquette University at 920-474-MUCR for more information.

Malkin started her newspaper journalism career at the Los Angeles Daily News in 1992, moved to the Seattle Times in 1995, and has been writing nationally syndicated newspaper columns for Creators Syndicate since 1999. She has also written several books, including her most recent, Culture of Corruption: Obama and His Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks, and Cronies.

This event is sponsored by the College Republicans of Marquette University and Young America’s Foundation with support by the MUSG Student Activity Fee.

6. Presentation on 16th century European Reformations to take place

The Department of Theology will present a lecture by Dr. habil. Markus Wriedt, “Old Europe’s Era of Reformations. Why study Reformation history in an age of secular globalization and religious fragmentation?” Tuesday, April 5, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Emory Clark 111.

Wriedt will examine the relationship between the 16th century European Reformations and the contemporary process of secularization and will show how the process of “confessionalization” led to the development of confessional cultures in the European states. A discussion will follow the lecture, which is free and open to the public.

7. “Prospects for Women in Tomorrow’s Church” to be discussed by Sister Anne E. Patrick

Sister Anne E. Patrick, SNJM, Ph.D., Laird Professor of Religion and the Liberal Arts (Emerita) at Carleton College of Northfield, Minn., will present “What In God’s Eye [S]he Is: Prospects for Women in Tomorrow’s Church” Wednesday, April 6, at 7 p.m. in the AMU Ballrooms.

Sister Patrick is a member of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, a past president of the Catholic Theological Society of America and a founding vice president of the International Network of Societies for Catholic Theology. She has been a director of the Society of Christian Ethics, an editor for the Religious Book Club and a columnist for Liturgy. Her writings on religious, ethical and literary topics have appeared in many books and periodicals, and she is the author of Liberating Conscience: Feminist Explorations in Catholic Moral Theology and Women, Conscience, and the Creative Process.

The program, which will be followed by a Q&A session and reception, is sponsored by the offices of Mission and Ministry and the Provost.

8. Course repeat policies revised

Beginning Monday, March 28, students will need to get approval to repeat some courses based on the college/school Course Repeat Policy of their degree program due to a new U.S. Department of Education regulation limiting the number of times a student may repeat some courses.

The undergraduate and Health Sciences Professional colleges now have a revised policy in place. The School of Dentistry, Graduate School, Graduate School of Management and Law School are updating their policies.

A CheckMarq registration procedure is also in place. Once the limit for the college/school has been reached, registration for that course will be blocked in CheckMarq and a message will appear directing the student to an online form that must be filled out to request an additional repeat of the same course.

For more information about the federal regulations or the CheckMarq procedure, e-mail the Office of the Registrar.

9. Twenty-two undergraduate core courses offered online this summer

Twenty-two undergraduate core courses will be offered entirely online this summer — in anthropology, modern science, computer science, criminology and criminal justice, literature, history, mathematics, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, social welfare and justice, and theology. Most of the courses will have one face-to-face meeting before the end of the spring semester but will not require students to be present on the Marquette campus during the summer.

Faculty should keep these courses in mind for student advising.

Summer school registration is open. No registration time is required. Online core courses have filled quickly in the past.

The online courses have been developed by Marquette faculty in cooperation with the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Instructional Media Center.

10. Health FSA expenses must be submitted by March 31

Employees who participated in the health flexible spending account in 2010 and have an outstanding balance can submit eligible medical services such as copays, deductibles and coinsurance through Thursday, March 31. The expenses must have been incurred by March 15.

Over-the-counter purchases, such as for allergy suppressants and Tylenol, made Jan. 1, 2011, or after, will not be eligible for HFSA reimbursement unless prescribed by a physician (except for insulin).

Reimbursement forms are available on the benefits website and should be submitted directly to Employee Benefits Corporation.

11. Vehicle security tips offered by Department of Public Safety

The Department of Public Safety has responded to reports of vehicular crimes in the off-campus neighborhood during the past few weeks. To address these incidents and prevent future incidents from occurring, DPS offers a number of suggestions:

• Remove all items from your vehicle upon exiting, including GPS devices, laptop computers, iPods, textbooks, parking change and cell phones. Do not leave valuable items in the glove box.

• Park in well-lit, well-traveled areas.

• Lock all doors and secure windows upon exiting your vehicle.

• Immediately report to Public Safety at 8-1911 or by using a Blue Light Phone:
         - People loitering near vehicles or parking areas.
         - People looking into vehicles.
         - Vehicles driving slowly and/or continuously in the area.
         - The sound of breaking glass.
         - The sound of activated vehicle alarms.
         - Vehicles with broken windows or other damage.

For additional information on vehicle security or other safety-related issues, contact DPS at 8-6800.

12. “Revitalizing Marquette” hosting “Imagine Mission” session

The Revitalizing Marquette Student Task Force is hosting “Imagine Mission,” a discussion on Marquette’s Catholic, Jesuit mission and identity, Thursday, March 31, at 5:30 p.m. in the AMU Lunda Room.

This discussion is the second in a conversation series that was initiated by students in response to the need for campus-wide dialogue in the wake of the 2010 arts and sciences dean search. “Imagine Mission” engages students, faculty and administrators together in reflection and dialogue, probing what mission means and how it is reflected in the Marquette community. E-mail for more information.

13. Hunger Clean-Up registration deadline is Friday

Hunger Clean-Up, Marquette’s largest service event, will take place Saturday, April 16, at 8 a.m., beginning in Westowne Square. Participants will be taken to service sites and will return to campus around 1 p.m.

Participants can register as a team or as an individual. HCU T-shirts will be sold for $10 two weeks prior to the event in AMU 329.

Registration ends Friday, April 1. For more information, e-mail HCU.

14. OIE hosting International Day celebration and German history expert

The Office of International Education will celebrate the annual International Day Festival on Friday, April 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the second floor of the AMU. Students and organizations representing the countries and cultures of the Marquette community will have tables with food and arts, crafts, fashion and music.

The Office of International Education will also host Dr. Jan Palmowski, head of the School of Humanities at Kings College in London. Palmowski will discuss “Silence in Socialism: the Stasi and Collective Trauma in Germany, 1955-2010” Monday, April 4, at 4 p.m. in AMU 407. No registration is needed and a reception will follow the discussion.

15. Cuban-American film director presenting films and lectures

Sergio Giral, Cuban-American film writer and director, will present “The Invisible Color” tomorrow, March 29, at 4:30 p.m. in David Straz Hall 332. On Thursday, March 31, Giral will present “Slavery in XIX Century Cuba as seen in El otro Francisco and Maluala" in Lalumiere Language Hall 216 at 4 p.m.

Giral will also show and discuss two of his films. On Wednesday, March 30, at 7 p.m. in Todd Wehr Chemistry 121, Maria Antonia will be shown. Dos Veces Ana will be shown Thursday, March 31, at 7 p.m. in Todd Wehr Chemistry 121.

For more information, contact Dr. Armando González-Peréz, professor of Spanish, at 8-7268.

These events are sponsored by a Mellon Grant from the Klinger College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.

16. Workshop to address “Using Clickers”

The Center for Teaching and Learning and the Instructional Media Center are holding “Using clickers” Monday and Tuesday, April 4 and 5.

The workshop is part of a series focusing on e-teaching subjects and skills that are useful in online and hybrid (combined online and face-to-face) teaching. The series combines the subjects formerly offered in the separate e-teaching and hybrid workshops.

Each workshop will be offered twice a week, on Monday and Tuesday, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Raynor 320H:

April 11 and 12 — Same time technology: Skype, Live Meeting, etc.
April 18 and 19 — What librarians can do for you
May 2 and 3 — Social media; Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.

Registration is suggested, but not required, at 8-7305. For more information contact Dr. Dave Buckholdt, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, at 8-0268.

17. Psychology, biology and chemistry seminars to be held this week

The Department of Psychology will hold a colloquium Thursday, March 31, at 3:30 p.m. in Cramer Hall 104J. Dr. Robert Smith, associate professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, will present “Black people ain’t coming to see ya’ll no way.”

Dr. Joan Jorgensen, assistant professor of comparative biosciences at UW-Madison, will present “Discovering the Developmental Pathway to a Functional Ovary: Clues from the Fused Toes locus” Friday, April 1, at 3:15 p.m. in Wehr Life Science 111. Refreshments will be served at 3 p.m. For more information, call the Department of Biological Sciences at 8-7355.

Dr. Stephen Martin, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Texas at Austin, will present “Correlating Structure and Energetics in Protein-Ligand Interactions: Paradigms and Paradoxes.” This Department of Chemistry colloquium will be Friday, April 1, at 4 p.m. in Todd Wehr Chemistry 121. Refreshments will be available beginning at 3:45 p.m.

18. AMUW Book Club to discuss Cutting for Stone

The Association of Marquette University Women will host its Spring Book Club on Wednesday, May 4, at 7 p.m. in the Raynor Library Beaumier Suites. Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese, will be the topic of the book discussion. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

19. Excellence in University Service Award recipients featured in Marquette Matters

The April issue of Marquette Matters, the printed monthly employee newsletter, will arrive in employee mailboxes within the next few days. This issue features articles about the 2011 Excellence in University Service Award recipients, the College of Business Administration’s business incubator, Dr. Andrei Orlov’s fellowship in Jerusalem, stress reduction programming from the Employee Wellness Program and the College of Nursing’s 75th anniversary conference.

20. Indian dinner and performances to raise funds for needy

The Indian Student Association is hosting “My Big Fat Indian Wedding,” Saturday, April 2. The event will begin with a dinner featuring Indian cuisine at 5:30 p.m. in the AMU Lunda Room and will include performances portraying a traditional Indian wedding at 7:30 p.m. in the Weasler Auditorium.

Tickets will be sold Monday, March 28, to Friday, April 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. outside the AMU Brew Bayou. Prices are $8 for dinner and the show or $6 for the show only. All proceeds benefit Manav Shadnad, an organization working for the poor and needy children in Ahmedabad, India.

21. Bake sale to benefit disaster relief in Japan

Alpha Omega Epsilon is hosting a cookie bake sale to benefit the Japanese Red Cross for disaster relief efforts in Japan. Cookie assortments are available for $3 per dozen, and special requests can be accommodated. Orders are due Friday, April 1, and can be picked up Wednesday, April 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Haggerty Engineering Lounge.

Orders can be sent to Amy Wilke.