The Ellis Center - Villanova

We are thrilled to welcome a new faculty member to the Villanova University community!

Please join us in giving a warm welcome to Dr. Matthew Sanders, who joins our department after completing a Ph.D. at UNC-Chapel Hill and a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Sanders' research focuses on a fascinating frontier in material science: incorporating silicon into synthetic polymers to overcome current synthetic challenges and unlock new possibilities for conductive polymers and advanced coatings.

Inside the classroom, Dr. Sanders is eager to teach organic chemistry, a subject he fell in love with after finding it challenging as an undergrad, as well as specialized courses in polymer chemistry. He is looking forward to getting to know Villanova's driven students both in lectures and during office hours.

Outside of the lab and classroom, you can find Dr. Sanders running, hiking, cheering on our basketball team, and putting his undergraduate German major to use. (If you have any old German research papers that need translating, you know who to ask!)

Welcome to the team! We are so excited to have you with us.

The Falvey Library Green Office team is organizing a Freecycle event outside the Holy Grounds Café in Falvey Library on Monday, Aug. 17, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday, Aug. 18, through Friday, Aug. 21, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We will offer office supplies, Communication and Marketing event supplies, and some furniture. Browse and enjoy a snack while shopping. Check the Rheaply platform, filtering under the tag "Falvey Library" to see some of the items that will be available. Reallocate, sell, or decommission your resources for their next, best use.

More info: library.villanova.edu/events

When Emily Lugos ’26 MS applied to Villanova, she was eager to test herself in a unique way and in an unfamiliar discipline. She found that the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and its faculty were up to that challenge.

Lugos found a home in the Department of Computer Science, a shift away from her chemistry background. The connection between the two disciplines may not be immediately evident, as some may view the two at opposite ends of the scientific spectrum. However, Lugos believes they share more in common than one might expect.

“The constant output and analysis of data is what keeps researchers and chemists going,” Lugos says. “As a chemist, I learned how to be a researcher, which helps me greatly in my current thesis work.”

Lugos conducted that research with Mauricio Gruppi, PhD, assistant professor of Computing Sciences. Together, they analyzed news coverage to understand how impactful events are framed, with the goal of identifying misinformation and hate speech.

“Analyzing news to identify misinformation and hate speech is critical because these forms of content can spread rapidly, shape public opinion and amplify social division, especially during crisis events,” Lugos explains. “Detecting them at scale helps improve the reliability of information ecosystems and supports more informed public discourse.”

By improving event coding, Lugos aims to capture narrative nuance and context, enabling more accurate detection of misinformation and harmful narratives. This work can promote more transparent information and help highlight credible sources, reduce exposure to misleading content and ultimately enable individuals to engage with news more critically and confidently.

“My dream is to be able to find the intersectionality of where computer science meets a bunch of different disciplines,” shares Lugos. “I like finding data in different sources, and so I think computer science is beautiful with the way that it manages to pull all of those data points and give a story.”

Villanova U. spent more than $100 million on renovations of the former Cabrini campus. Students will begin living and learning there this fall. Villanova spent more than $100 million on upgrades to the former Cabrini University campus where half of its sophomores will live this fall and more than 2,000 students will take classes.

The path from college to career isn't always a straight line.

For many liberal arts and sciences students, the challenge isn't a lack of opportunity. It's figuring out which opportunity is the right fit.

That's why the BRIDGE Society is creating meaningful connections between students, alumni, and professionals who are eager to share their experiences and help guide the next generation of Villanova leaders.

💡 One conversation can spark a new direction.

🤝 One connection can open a door.

🌱 One community can transform a future.

This is what it means to be a Villanovan.

Learn about upcoming BRIDGE Society events and how you can join us in supporting students as they explore what's possible.

🔗 Learn more and register at the link below.



https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bridging-distance-between-college-career-liberal-arts-kate-szumanski?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&utm_campaign=share_via

Villanovans supporting Villanovans.

Making decisions about careers can be confusing for students, especially for those liberal arts and sciences students who are undecided about a particular path and open to the many possibilities that exist.

That's why the BRIDGE Society exists.

Learn more about our upcoming events and how you can register to attend!

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bridging-distance-between-college-career-liberal-arts-kate-szumanski/

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A CLAS PEER CAREER COACH
We are excited to make available to undergraduate students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences the opportunity to schedule a one-on-one appointment with a CLAS Peer Career Coach.

Our Peer Career Coaches have been trained to engage in conversations with students about internship and career interests, how to create a résumé, how to identify opportunities, and more. They bring to each conversation skill, empathy, and experience.

To make an appointment with a CLAS Peer Career Coach, students should:

• Log into Handshake.
• Click on the Appointments tab.
• Select “CLAS: Professional Development”
• Then select either a 30-minute or 60-minute CLAS Peer Career Coaching Session.
• Follow the short prompts to schedule an appointment.

🎉 Attention: Villanova College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Students! 🎉

We're excited to share our Fall 2026 Professional Development Courses with you!

As you consider your schedule for the semester ahead, please think about adding a professional development course to complement your academic journey and help you prepare for what's next.

You'll have the opportunity to achieve a number of important goals through our one-credit professional development courses:

🌟 Build career-ready skills.
🌟 Explore professional pathways.
🌟 Strengthen your confidence and network.
🌟 Invest in your future success.

Check out the Master Schedule of Fall 2026 courses to find sections that work for you. We encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities to grow both personally and professionally.

📚 Your future starts now. Make Fall 2026 the semester you invest in yourself, your goals, and your career.

We can't wait to see what you'll accomplish!

Villanovans supporting Villanovans.

Making decisions about careers can be confusing for students, especially for those liberal arts and sciences students who are undecided about a particular path and open to the many possibilities that exist.

That's why the BRIDGE Society exists.

Learn more about our upcoming events and how you can register to attend!

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bridging-distance-between-college-career-liberal-arts-kate-szumanski/?trackingId=Ght%2Bbfy8TqqlT3HQgyLgjA%3D%3D

Villanovans supporting Villanovans.

Making decisions about careers can be confusing for students, especially for those liberal arts and sciences students who are undecided about a particular path and open to the many possibilities that exist.

That's why the BRIDGE Society exists.

Learn more about our upcoming events and how you can register to attend!

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bridging-distance-between-college-career-liberal-arts-kate-szumanski/