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For more and more business students, one major just isn’t enough. Many believe that business graduates with a double major have a compelling edge over their peers in an uncertain job market. Karen Hogan, Ph.D., chair and professor of finance at Saint Joseph’s, agrees. “In this market, it absolutely makes sense to have a double major,” she says. Which is why Hogan, along with administrators within the Haub School of Business (HSB), spearheaded an effort to branch the Department of Finance into three majors: general finance, financial planning, and risk management and insurance.

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There is no question that the U.S. government is facing its share of troubles. During the worst recession in its history, it is fighting two foreign wars. On top of that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 9.7 percent of the workforce is unemployed, and despite months of congressional discussion and deal making, a solution to the health care crisis seems far off. In the depths of all this turmoil, the news gets worse. A recent CNN public opinion poll revealed that most Americans – 86 percent – believe that their government is “broken.”

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Biologist Scott McRobert, Ph.D., professor of biology at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Pa., developed "Fish Cam," an online site for students of all ages to research shoaling (grouping) behavior in fish.

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With shamrocks hung on doors and parade plans in the works, March is full of all things St. Patrick’s Day. Along with the festivities comes a curiosity about the culture they represent. A good way to get acquainted with the Irish is to pick up a novel by one of the island nation’s gifted authors. The wealth of Irish literature stems from the country’s impressive historical legacy of folklore and storytelling, says Richard Haslam, Ph.D., a native of Belfast, Ireland, and associate professor of English at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Pa.

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If gardeners are concerned that this year’s record snowfall will harm their dormant plants, fret not, says botanist Karen Snetselaar, Ph.D., chair and professor of biology at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pa. “Snow cover is actually beneficial for many plants, especially perennial herbs and shrubs, because it provides insulation from freezing temperatures,” notes Snetselaar. “Plants under snow will be exposed to fewer drastic temperature changes, which is often more damaging than continued cold.”

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Research has identified four distinct generations of employees in the workplace. Each generation brings their own set of attitudes and behaviors; managing expectations is a challenge for employers. However, if employers ignore differences between generations, there can be an adverse impact on staff motivation, engagement and retention according to management expert Claire Simmers, Ph.D.

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The Annual Scholars' Conference on the Holocaust and the Churches, an international conference dedicated to teaching, learning and remembering the lessons of the Holocaust while examining the churches’ struggle and failure to confront Nazi anti-Semitism and “the Final Solution,” will be held at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pa., March 6-8. Co-founded in 1970 by the late Franklin H. Littell, universally acknowledged as the father of Holocaust studies in America, the 2010 conference honors his life and work.

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Though professional journalists are taught to remain removed from and objective about the subject of their story, sometimes the events are so tragic it is impossible to maintain that distance. But a recent trend in news reporting, known as "emo-journalism," has taken understandably human responses to the next level. Former AP reporter Mike Lyons, Ph.D., assistant professor of English at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Pa., discusses the trend.

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Entertainment marketing expert Brent Smith, Ph.D., says that, despite the shift toward more popular music genres, the Grammy Awards should still be taken seriously by viewers as an event where artists are recognized for the quality of their work.

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In times of crisis, every thought and action becomes a means of answering a basic question: “How will I survive?” Patrick Samway, S.J., a Jesuit priest from Saint Joseph's University who annually travels to Haiti to work in orphanages, hospitals, schools and universities, says the Haitian people possess within themselves a resource to get them through the greater turmoil: an unwavering, unquestioning faith.

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Microbiologist John J. Tudor, Ph.D., professor of biology at Saint Joseph’s University (SJU) in Philadelphia, Pa., has been named the 2010 laureate of the Carski Foundation Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award. Administered by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), the award honors an educator for outstanding teaching of microbiology to undergraduate students and for encouraging them to subsequent achievement.

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Most Americans leave homeland security efforts to government officials and emergency responders. Paul Andrews, adjunct professor for Saint Joseph's University’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Institute and a nationally recognized expert in homeland security, has a different view. He suggests individuals must do their own part in protecting our country.

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David Allan, Ph.D., an entertainment marketing expert and professor at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, says the big news this year about Super Bowl commercials is what viewers won’t see.

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Soon after receiving news of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12, University President Timothy R. Lannon, S.J., sent a message to the SJU community outlining how to support the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere during this crisis. His message was informed by a conversation he had with another member of the Jesuit community.

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The Association to Advance Collegiate Business Schools (AACSB) has extended accreditation to Saint Joseph’s University’s Erivan K. Haub School of Business (HSB). The international accrediting agency maintains the school has furthered its commitment to ethics, justice and social responsibility while managing rapid enrollment growth. The school’s industry-focused programs also received recognition.

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“Disney took a calculated risk with ‘The Princess and the Frog’ that could help restore their leadership in the genre,” says Brent Smith, Ph.D., a professor of entertainment marketing at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. “With competition from DreamWorks and other animation houses, this move may have helped Disney regain some luster as a forward-thinking industry innovator.”

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According to a recent census, Philadelphia’s poverty rate is “roughly double” the national figure. The city’s largest hunger-relief organization, Philabundance, estimates that 25.1 percent of Philadelphians are below the poverty line – a rate that is highest among the 10 biggest U.S. cities. To address this issue, a group of Saint Joseph’s University students and faculty partnered with Philabundance to develop a new food distribution model to reach Philadelphia’s hungry more efficiently.

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The announced deal between General Electric Corp. and Comcast Corp., giving the cable provider majority ownership of NBC-Universal, raises many intriguing questions for the new partners, competitors and consumers. Saint Joseph's University (Philadelphia) professors Claire Simmers, Ph.D., and Jim Caccamo, Ph.D., see multiple layers of promise and pitfalls from the acquisition.

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Going ‘green’ for the first time this Christmas? Climate change expert Clint Springer, Ph.D., of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, suggests live trees are a great way to begin.

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The holiday season, with its heavy focus on religion, can spark awkward situations at the work place. This festive time of year has many workers wishing to spruce up their offices with holiday decorations, leaving employers to figure out how to regulate such religious expression.

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From the classic 1951 Scrooge with Alastair Sim, to the 1992 The Muppet Christmas Carol, to Disney’s 2009 3-D adaptation starring Jim Carrey, which opened at number one the first weekend in November, Dickens’ beloved A Christmas Carol has been in constant reproduction following its original 1843 publication. Generation after generation has sought to adapt the tale not only for film, but theatre, television, ballet, radio and opera.

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The National Institute on Aging (NIA), one of the 27 centers and institutes that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded a $163,000 grant to Julia Lee, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, to pursue a research initiative into the science of cancer and aging. Her research will focus on the maintenance of chromosome ends — called telomeres — and how telomeres function in both the aging process and the growth of cancer cells.

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In the spring of 2009, Philabundance, the second largest food bank in the United States, solicited the help of Saint Joseph’s food marketing department to develop a food service model that better met the needs of the city’s hungry. A class of Saint Joseph’s students responded by developing a realistic, practical solution: the Community Food Center.

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Cyber Monday and the Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays of online shopping that follow can be frustrating — and expensive — for some employers. But Claire Simmers, Ph.D., co-author of "The Internet and Workplace Transformation," says she has seen a recent shift in corporate attitudes concerning employees who shop online at work.

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According to Saint Joseph’s University sociologist Maria Kefalas, Ph.D., the heartland of America’s greatest export is no longer corn and wheat, but rather its young and talented people. With one out of every five Americans still living in non-metropolitan areas, and considering that those areas now face natural decline with more deaths than births, the problem of the youth exodus from rural America is one that simply cannot be ignored.

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Fears of contracting the H1N1 virus this flu season have people steering clear of strangers with coughs and scolding friends who don’t sneeze into their crooked elbows. With everyone trying to stay germ free, hand sanitizer has become a popular means of protection. But although a quick pump from a Purell dispenser is the most convenient form of hand cleaning, is it the best?

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On Nov. 21, 2009, Americans with a genetic medical condition will no longer live in fear of discrimination from their employers because of their unique genetic code. On that date, The Genetic Information Nondiscrimation Act (GINA) goes into effect, prohibiting employers from discriminating in terms of hiring, promotion, firing or any other terms and conditions of employment based on an individual’s genetic code.

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Will the year 2012 spell the end of life on Earth as we know it? Columbia Pictures’ upcoming disaster movie "2012" suggests that it will. Based loosely on interpretations of the Mayan long count calendar, which ends its 5,125-year cycle on December 21, 2012, the movie’s trailer features the tagline, “Mankind’s earliest civilization warned us this day was coming.” But judging by the track records of other ancient apocalyptic traditions, we probably have nothing to worry about, says Allen Kerkeslager, Ph.D., associate professor of theology at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

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The Phillies have transitioned from a mediocre baseball team to defending World Series Champions in the course of a decade. How did they do it?

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Infectious disease experts are awaiting an infinitesimal event of momentous importance: the mutation of the novel H1N1 influenza virus. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization are constantly monitoring the virus as it spreads,” says John Tudor, Ph.D., a microbiologist and professor of biology at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, “but there is no way to predict where, when or if mutation will occur.”

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American consumers are worried: They want to know whether their economy is improving, worsening or unchanging. Ben Liebman, Ph.D., associate professor of economics at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, says economists will look to holiday spending to gauge the economy’s health.

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The rumors swirling about health care reform are as sizeable as the 1,000 pages of proposed legislation. Of particular concern to George P. Sillup, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmaceutical marketing at Saint Joseph’s University, is the misinformation floating across the Internet, and over the airways, about how health care reform will affect Medicare.

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There may not be a simple solution to the complex problem of reforming health care, but bioethicist Mark Aita, S.J., M.D., assistant director of the Institute for Catholic Bioethics at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, is certain of one thing – the elephant in the room that no one wants to discuss is that insured Americans contribute to the problem.

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The premise is simple: to receive a fair wage for hard work. The fair trade movement, which began shortly after the Cold War, has regained momentum recently. A 2008 Fair Trade Federation Interim Report stated there was a 102 percent growth in U.S. and Canadian sales for Fair Trade products between 2004 and 2006.

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Saint Joseph's University will open the doors to its $8 million Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support on October 2. The Center is unique in that it provides support and service, instead of focusing on medicine and research.

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Despite President Obama’s congressional address on health care, many Americans still lack a true understanding of the proposed changes and what a final bill might look like. According to Jack Newhouse, Ph.D., assistant professor of health services at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, it seems that Congress wants the impossible.

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It's natural for first-year students to encounter challenges associated with the transition to college life. For many students the academic demands are great, dorm life may be their first experience sharing a living space, and there is unstructured time to manage. This can also be a difficult transition for parents who feel inclined to comfort their student who is missing home.

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For Kermit the Frog, being green is a burden. But according to Michael McCann, Ph.D., professor of biology and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, being green can be easier than it seems for America’s students.

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This fall, Jeffrey Hyson, Ph.D., assistant professor of history at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, will transform his freshman Western Civilization I classes into fascinating games. Hyson will use an innovative pedagogy developed at Barnard College called Reacting to the Past (RTTP).

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A new scholarship program at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia will award three freshman women four-year, full tuition scholarships with opportunities for research and professional development.

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A dorm room is a limited space. So while the flat screen, couch and love seat fit comfortably in the U-Haul, students may encounter challenges cramming all of that stuff into the new dorm. Here are items NOT to bring to college this fall.

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As kids make their way back-to-school, incidents of bullying will inevitably arise. Whether you’re the new kid at school or a past victim, there are many steps that can be taken to avoid or stop bullying, says Sally Black, Ph.D., an assistant professor of health services at Saint Joseph’s University.

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Preparing to send a child to college can be a busy, nerve-wracking and emotional time for parents. But what most parents don’t spend enough time doing is preparing their child to deal with the reality of college drinking.

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As kids make their way back-to-school, incidents of bullying will inevitably arise. Whether you're the new kid at school or a past victim, there are many steps that can be taken to avoid or stop bullying, says Sally Black, Ph.D., an assistant professor of health services at Saint Joseph's University.

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A new program connecting incoming students with non-academic advisors has personalized the freshman orientation process at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia.

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History Professor Jeffrey Hyson, Ph.D., of Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, will transform his Western Civilization classes into fascinating games by using a unique pedagogy called Reacting to the Past.

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Sally Black, RN, Ph.D., associate professor of health services at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, was particularly happy to see the American Association of Pediatrics' newly released policy statement on preventing youth violence. She was even more elated that for the first time ever the statement specifically addresses the issue of bullying, which Black has long been researching and advocating against.

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According to a recent study, the Pennsylvania wine industry is expected to prosper in the coming year. With residents spending less money on long vacations this summer and more time planning day trips, vineyards are projected to reap the benefits of the scaled back travel plans.

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Saint Joseph's University will grant honorary degrees of Doctor of Public Service to world champion Philadelphia Phillies pitcher and former SJU student athlete Jamie Moyer and his wife, Karen.

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Concerns about a Swine flu outbreak lowered retail stocks on Monday. According to food safety expert Nancy Childs, Ph.D., pandemic reactions create consumer distrust in the safety of the retail environment. "Any potential for further slowdown in global economic activity is a concern," she says.