• Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., a native of Warwick, Rhode Island, will be installed as the 12th president of Providence College in a tradition-rich ceremony on Friday, Sept. 30 at 3 p.m.
• Delegates representing 90 colleges and universities from throughout the nation will attend
• Vatican theologian to deliver Academic Convocation keynote address on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 11 a.m.
• Inaugural symposia on Saturday will feature guest speakers and performing artists exploring the theme: "Sacred Truths, Transformed Lives, and Signs of the Times"

Providence, RI -- Providence College will inaugurate Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., Ph.D. as the twelfth president of the College during celebrations on Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1, 2005. A native of Warwick, RI, Father Shanley was elected president of Providence College on February 1, 2005 and assumed his office on July 1, 2005.

The theme for the inauguration -- Sacred Truths, Transformed Lives, and Signs of the Times -- will guide a series of traditional ceremonies, religious services, academic symposia, and performing arts presentations. Academics representing more than 90 colleges and universities from across the nation will attend the inauguration activities.

On Friday, September 30, the formal installation will be preceded by a brief service of prayer in St. Dominic Chapel at 2:15 p.m. Following the service, attendees will process from the chapel to Peterson Recreation Center where the installation ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. Immediately after the installation, an outdoor reception will be held on the Slavin Center lawn.

At 7 p.m. on Friday, the College will host an Inaugural Reception and Ball in the Peterson Recreation Center. Music for the gala, A Tribute to Benny Goodman , will be provided by the Everett Longstreth Big Band.

On Saturday, October 1 at 11 a.m., the Inaugural Convocation will be held on the Terrace of the Smith Center for the Arts. Faculty members who have achieved tenure status or a promotion in academic rank will be recognized. The recipient of the annual Joseph R. Accinno Faculty Teaching Award -- Dr. Vance G. Morgan, professor of philosophy and chair of the Department of Philosophy at Providence College -- also will be honored.

The convocation keynote address will be delivered by Very Rev. J. Augustine Di Noia, O.P., Undersecretary of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Father Di Noia, who received an honorary degree in absentia from Providence College in May 2002, has served in his current capacity at the Vatican for more than three years. Prior to his appointment by the late Pope John Paul II, Father Di Noia was the director of the Intercultural Forum for Studies in Faith and Culture at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. He will address "The Dominican Charism in Catholic Higher Education: Providence College on the Eve of Its Second Century."

A luncheon on the adjacent quadrangle will immediately follow the convocation.
At 1:15 p.m., two separate and concurrent Inaugural Symposia will be held in the Smith Center for the Arts. The Science and Business Symposia each feature a distinguished guest speaker who will explore the inaugural theme, Sacred Truths, Transformed Lives, and Signs of the Times. The keynote will be followed by a discussion panel featuring a member of the Providence College faculty, an alumnus of the College, and a current undergraduate student.

The Science Symposium, to be held in Angell Blackfriars Theatre, features Dr. Kenneth R. Miller, professor of biology at Brown University. His topic is God, Darwin and Design: Renewing Faith in an Age of Science.

Dr. Miller is the winner of five major teaching awards and the co-author of three textbooks for biology courses in colleges and high schools. He is also the author of Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground between God and Evolution (Harper Collins, 1999). His research on cell membrane structure and function has resulted in more than fifty papers and reviews in scientific journals.

Members of the science discussion panel are: John V. Conte, Jr., M.D., Providence College class of 1981, associate director of the division of cardiac surgery, director of heart and lung transplantation, and associate professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Craig B. Wood, Ph.D., professor of natural science, Providence College; and Seth W. Linakis, Providence College class of 2006, bio-chemistry major.

The Business Symposium, to be held in the Ryan Family Concert and Lecture Hall, features Cheryl Watkins Snead, president and chief executive officer, Banneker Industries, Inc. of Lincoln, RI. Her topic is Sacred Truths, Transformed Lives, and Signs of the Times in Business: Myth or Reality?

Banneker Industries, Inc. is a Supply Chain Management Company that performs e-procurement, assembly, packaging, inventory management, and distribution services. Mrs. Snead and her company have received numerous awards, both for business accomplishments and ongoing civic work. These include the 2004 National Federation of Black Women Business Owners "Woman of Courage Emerging Business" Award, the 2003 Rhode Island Black Heritage Society's Labor & Enterprise Award, the 2000 New England Minority Entrepreneur of the Year, and the Rhode Island Business & Professional Women's "Women Mean Business." Later this month Mrs. Snead will be honored as a 2005 Woman of the Year by the Rhode Island Commission on Women.

Members of the business discussion panel are: John R. Formica, Jr., Providence College class of 1981 and partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Hartford, Conn.; Carol A. Hartley, C.P.A., M.B.A., assistant professor of accountancy; and Jonathan H. Zinno, Providence College class of 2006, accountancy major.

At 2:30 p.m., in the Angell Blackfriars Theatre, Providence College students, faculty, alumni, and guest artists will perform a diverse series of performance vignettes.

Wendy Oliver, M.F.A., Ed.D., professor and chairperson, Department of Theatre, Dance, and Film, Providence College, will offer introductions of the performers and their presentations.

The performances are:

• A scene from A Man for All Seasons , by Robert Bolt. Performed by alumni Peter Thomson (1977) and James Kalagher (2001).
• An excerpt from War/Peace & The Anatomy of Being Human . A dramatic poem written and performed by Kenny Carnes, Providence College class of 1994.  
• A performance of Duet, a new work choreographed by Christina Tsoules to the music of Johannes Brahms' Intermezzo for Piano in E flat minor, Opus 118, number 6, as recorded by Murray Perahia. Performed by Providence College undergraduates Anna Kukowski (2006) and Emily Wood (2007).
• A scene from He Was Our Father: The Story of Father Michael J. McGivney. A Blackfriars Repertory Theatre production directed by Rev. Peter John Cameron, O.P., Providence College class of 1980. Performed by Kenneth Genuard and Ray Wiederhold, members of the Blackfriars Repertory Theatre.
• Selected scenes from Anton Chekhov's plays The Seagull, Three Sisters, and Cherry Orchard. Directed by Mary G. Farrell, professor of theatre, dance, and film, Providence College. Performed by Providence College undergraduates Katie Hughes (2006), Lisa D'Alessandro (2006), and Caitlin Doyle (2007), with alumnae Anne Marie Higgins (1992) and Elizabeth Davis (2005).

A post-performance discussion will be moderated by Rev. John Peter Cameron, O.P., Providence College class of 1980 and artistic director of Blackfriars Repertory Theatre, New York, NY.

The day will end with a Vigil Mass in St. Dominic's Chapel at 4:30 p.m. This will be followed by a barbecue for Providence College students at 6 p.m.

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For more information, please visit the inauguration Web pages.