1. Inauguration of Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., is tomorrow

Marquette University will inaugurate its 23rd president, Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., tomorrow, Sept. 23, at a 10 a.m. ceremony in the Al McGuire Center. Tickets are required for the ceremony, and doors will open at 9 a.m.

The theme of the Inauguration draws from a 2010 address by Rev. Adolfo Nicolas, S.J., superior general of the Society of Jesus, who called those in Jesuit higher education to renew and reimagine their institutions to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world.

The Inauguration ceremony will include a processional that comprises more than 130 college and university presidents and delegates from across the world. Reflecting Father Pilarz’s expertise in early modern English literature and his love of poetry, Carolyn Forché, a renowned poet, author and director of the Lannan Center for Poetry and Poetics at Georgetown University, will deliver the keynote address. She will receive an honorary degree at the ceremony. Rev. Dean Brackley, S.J., professor of theology and ethics at the University of Central America, will also receive an honorary degree, awarded in absentia.

A luncheon celebration, with food and live music, will follow at Westowne Square and the Alumni Memorial Union. All are invited to attend.

As previously announced, classes are cancelled tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for campus community members to be able to attend the festivities.

The ceremony will be webcast for those unable to attend in person.

2. College of Nursing awarded $1 million grant for rural nurse retention

The College of Nursing has received a three-year, $1,033,118 grant to develop an evidence-based nurse residency program for new, rural nurses in Wisconsin, Illinois and Idaho.

Dr. Marilyn Meyer Bratt, assistant professor of nursing, serves as the primary investigator of the grant, which was awarded by the Division of Nursing in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The project, “SOAR-RN: Supporting Onboarding And Retention of Rural Nurses,” will benefit new nurses’ transition to practice and retention in rural hospitals through an alliance of rural-based health care systems or collaborative networks and academic organizations. By training experienced nurses to serve as preceptors and mentors, as well as developing a rural nurse residency curriculum consisting of monthly seminars, the program is expected to improve patient care and help create positive work environments that lead to quality care, according to Bratt. The College of Nursing will collaborate with the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network, Ministry Health Care in Wisconsin, and Rural Connection in Idaho and partner with Boise State University and Mennonite College of Nursing at Illinois State University.

“Rural hospitals pose unique challenges for new nurses because the hospitals tend to be resource poor and typically lack formal staff development systems to oversee the orientation process and provide longer-term guidance to support new nurses,” said Bratt, noting that in rural areas new nurse turnover can reach 50 percent. “Due to the limited number of new nurses hired at one time, the ability of small, rural hospitals to provide a structured transitioning program is cost-prohibitive.” The SOAR-RN academic and clinical partnerships in each state will make transition to professional practice for new rural nurses more cost-effective, she said.

3. Jablonsky to discuss early years of Marquette, free tours offered this weekend

Historic Milwaukee Inc. is presenting the first-ever Doors Open Milwaukee as an opportunity to experience the city’s “built environment” that are integral to Milwaukee's history, economy and culture — past and present.

Dr. Tom Jablonsky, professor of history, will discuss “The Role of Marquette University in Milwaukee’s Evolution” Saturday, Sept. 24, at 2 p.m. at Central Library’s Centennial Hall, 733 N. 8th St.

Bill O’Brien, senior advancement knowledge officer, will be giving a campus tour at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, and 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25.

While free, participants must pre-register at event headquarters (City Hall, 200 E. Wells St.) on the tour day to reserve a place. Tickets will be distributed for that day’s tours starting at 9 a.m. Tours have limited capacity and registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Two tickets per person/per tour will be distributed, and two tours per day/per person are permitted. Space is limited.

A variety of campus locations will also be open for free tours for the event, with no registration needed:

• Eckstein Hall — Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (last admittance at 3:30 p.m.) with guided assistance.

• Haggerty Museum of Art — Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4:45 p.m.

• Marquette Hall/The Carillon — Sunday from noon to approximately 4 p.m., demonstrated by Mark Konewko, carillonneur.

• St. Joan of Arc Chapel — Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Chapel guides will be on hand.

• Raynor Library — Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with assistance from library personnel.

Both Parking Structure 1 (16th street) and Structure 2 (Wells street) will be open and free to the public from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

Rev. Steven Avella, professor of history, and Dr. Allison Efford, assistant professor of history, will lead tours for the Historic Milwaukee, Inc. event in other areas of downtown during the weekend.

4. Three career fairs to be held next week

Career Services is hosting three career fairs next week in the AMU Ballrooms. A Post-Graduate Service Fair will be held Tuesday, Sept. 27, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. A Non-Tech Career Fair sponsored by Kohl’s Corporation and Aldi will be held Wednesday, Sept. 28, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. A Tech Career Fair will be held Thursday, Sept. 29, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Online RSVP is encouraged.

5. Performing arts season opens Sept. 29 with Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors will open the 2011-2012 Department of Performing and Media Arts mainstage season Sept. 29 to Oct. 9. Little Shop of Horrors follows Seymour, a lowly employee at a flower shop, and his discovery of a strange plant that brings him instant fame and overnight success. However, the cost of fame proves too expensive when Seymour discovers that his botanical meal ticket craves something other than water. Performances are:

• Thursday, Sept. 29, through Saturday, Oct. 1, 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 1, special family performance, 1 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 2, 2:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 5, through Saturday, Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 9, 2:30 p.m.

Ticket prices for the general public range from $16 to $20. Discounts are offered to senior citizens, Marquette students, employees and alumni. Tickets can be purchased by contacting the theatre box office at 8-7505.

Additional performances this year will be Holy Days Nov. 10-20, If You Take a Mouse to School Jan. 14 and 21-22, Defying Gravity Feb. 16-26 and The Comedy of Errors April 19-29

6. Lecture to address future of Afghanistan

The Center for Transnational Justice will sponsor "The International Community and the Future of Afghanistan" Monday, Sept. 26, at 4 p.m. in AMU 163.

The lecture will be presented by Dr. Heinz-Gerhard Justenhoven, director of the Institute for Theology and Peace, Hamburg, Germany.

For event information, contact Dr. H. Richard Friman, Eliot Fitch Chair for International Studies and professor of political science, at 8-5991.

7. Art and Social Change Lecture features internationally renowned artist

The Haggerty Museum of Art will host Tyree Guyton, artist and founder of the Heidelberg Project, and Jenenne Whitfield, Heidelberg Project executive director, as part of the 2011 Art and Social Change Lecture on Thursday, Sept. 29, at 6 p.m. in the Eckstein Hall Appellate Courtroom. A reception will follow in the Haggerty Museum.

Guyton and Whitfield will present a history of the Heidelberg Project, a community art environment, and the effect this work has had on the immediate community and communities throughout the world. They will also demonstrate how the Heidelberg Project has become the springboard for a new art movement in Detroit. Guyton and Whitfield will present information that may be of interest to artists, arts organizations, community organizers, teachers and philanthropists seeking to support the arts.

The lecture, sponsored in part by the 2011-12 Marquette Excellence in Diversity Grant and the Curtis L. Carter Art and Social Change Lecture Fund, is free and open to the public.

8. Marquette bands to perform during Family Weekend

Marquette bands will perform their annual Family Weekend concert Sunday, Oct. 2, at 11 a.m. in the Varsity Theatre. The program will feature performances by the Marquette Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, as well as a guest performance by the Marquette chorus. The performance will include marches and other band classics from composers such as Bernstein and Ticheli. The choir is joining the wind ensemble for a combined group performance of Equus, by the American composer Eric Whitacre.

Admission is free and open to the public.

9. Challenges of religious pluralism to be discussed

Dr. John Esposito, professor of religion and international affairs and Islamic studies at Georgetown University, will discuss the challenges of religious pluralism in the 21st century in part one of the Gathering Points lecture series. The lecture, which is sponsored by Marquette and Church of the Gesu, will take place Monday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. in the AMU Ballroom.

Esposito is founding director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding in the Walsh School of Foreign Service. He is vice president and president-elect of the American Academy of Religion, a member of the E.C. European Network of Experts on De-Radicalisation, on the board of C-1 World Dialogue, and an ambassador for the U.N. Alliance of Civilizations.

10. Nine new academies highlight engineering outreach programs

The College of Engineering is offering nine new weekend academies for students ages 8 through 18. The College of Engineering outreach program promotes interest in science, technology, engineering and math through hands-on problem-solving activities.

The college will offer 12 programs between October and January. Popular academies using LEGO Mindstorm robots, along with programs just for girls, are joined by new academies where students will have the opportunity to use LEGOs to create a movie, to build and test a replacement joint and to bend light.

A complete list of academies is available on the College of Engineering website, with fees ranging between $40 and $150. All programs have class size limits, and enrollment is first-come, first-served. Online registration is available. For additional information contact the College of Engineering at 8-3517.

11. Biomedical engineering colloquium to be held Tuesday

Dr. Taly Gilat-Schmidt, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, will discuss “Spectral Computed Tomography: Adding a New Dimension to CT Imaging” at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, in Olin Engineering 120. A reception at 1:30 p.m. in Olin 204-A will precede the lecture. For more information, call 8-6820.

12. U.S. Passport applications and renewals offered on campus

The United States Postal Service, in conjunction with the Office of International Education, will offer the opportunity to apply for a United States passport Wednesday, Sept. 28, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Holthusen Hall, fourth floor. Appointments are required to apply and should be made by visiting OIE in Holthusen, fourth floor. Space is limited.

Payment and proof of citizenship and identity are required on the day of application. Proof includes a previous U.S. passport or a certified birth certificate, in addition to a valid driver’s license. More information will be provided at sign-up, or by calling 8-7289.

13. Farmers' market to be held on campus Tuesday

“Fresh Fall Farmers’ Markets” will be held Tuesdays, Sept. 27 and Oct. 11, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Parking Lot A (next to the Weasler Auditorium). Items for sale include apples, potatoes, onions, carrots, squash, cider and fresh cut flowers. Free green grocery bags will be given to the first 200 people at each market. The markets are sponsored by MUSG, Sodexo, the Center for Health Education and Promotion, the sustainability program, the Office of Residence Life and the Alumni Memorial Union.

14. Mentoring high school students to be discussed

EMMAUS (Embracing Many Minds, All United in Solidarity) will hold an informational meeting Tuesday, Sept. 27, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in AMU 157. Campus Ministry’s EMMAUS, a partnership between Marquette and Casa Romero Renewal Center, is a leadership program in which Marquette students serve as mentors to students at Carmen High School. EMMAUS works to equip local high school students with goal-setting and decision-making skills, confidence and strategies as they discover their paths for the future.

E-mail for more information.

15. Free group fitness classes offered tomorrow

The Department of Recreational Sports is offering free group fitness classes tomorrow, Sept. 23.

The classes are free to members:
• Spin at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at the Rec Center
• Total body blast at 1 p.m. at the Rec Center
• Zumba at 4 p.m. at the Rec Center
• Dance fitness at 3 p.m. at the Rec Plex

For more information call the group fitness office at 8-6979 or contact Shannon Bustillos, assistant director of recreational sports, at 8-7778.

16. Free food, activities at Saudi National Day event

The Saudi Student Union will host a free, Saudi National Day event tomorrow, Sept. 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Raynor Library Beaumier Suites. An Arabic-themed breakfast will be served at 10 a.m. and lunch at 2 p.m. Attendees can also try Arabic coffee and dates, get henna tattoos, view pictures and videos about Saudi Arabia and win prizes.

Saudi National Day is the day when Saudi Arabia was unified and established by the founder, King Abdul Aziz Al Saud.

For more information, contact Fahad Alsuwayhan, president of Saudi Student Union.

17. $100 gift card to be awarded at Sunday's women's soccer game

The fan showing the most Marquette spirit at Sunday’s women’s soccer game will win a free Marquette Fat Head wall sticker and a $100 gift card to the Marquette Spirit Shop.

The nationally ranked women’s team will take on defending NCAA National Champion Notre Dame at 1 p.m. at Valley Fields.

All Marquette students receive free admission with their MU ID. For more information call 8-GOMU.

18. Hats, mittens and scarves requested

The College of Education is holding a donation drive, “Weather the Cold,” for gently used child-sized hats, mittens and scarves during September.

The Hartman Literacy and Learning Center in the College of Education provides after-school tutoring for about 100 local children each semester. Donations will go to children who come to the center with chapped hands and cold ears because they do not have the appropriate warm, winter clothing.

Donations can be put in the collection box outside the Hartman Center in Schroeder Complex 151.