Features
Ready to Lead
From left to right: Cheryl A. McConnell, Ph.D, Angela Rowe McDonald, Ph.D., Zenobia Hargust, Billy Lange
A new energy can be felt across campus this fall. In addition to welcoming an incoming class of fresh faces, Saint Joseph’s officially launched a new academic school, introduced enhancements to the athletics program and proposed plans to transform the campus’ physical footprint. As Saint Joseph’s embraces this next chapter in its history, these additions reaffirm the University’s commitment to enhancing the student experience and elevating programs of excellence.
This summer, Saint Joseph’s also welcomed three notable newcomers: Cheryl A. McConnell, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs; Angela Rowe McDonald, Ph.D., dean of the new School of Health Studies and Education; and Zenobia Hargust, chief human resources officer. They join new head men’s basketball coach Billy Lange, who came to Hawk Hill at the end of March, as part of a diverse team of long-serving leaders and new additions that are ready to launch the University forward.
Saint Joseph’s University Magazine spent time with each of the new arrivals to learn about their history, passion and vision for the University’s future.
Cheryl A. McConnell, Ph.D.
By Jeffrey Martin '04, '05 (M.A.)
When Cheryl A. McConnell, Ph.D., first arrived in Pennsylvania, the house she was moving into was not yet ready, and her furniture was stuck on a moving van somewhere between Philadelphia and her previous home. So she spent the first few weeks of her new life in a temporary apartment, sleeping on an air mattress.
That’s just how eager she was to get to work. As the first provost to come to the job from outside the University in more than two decades, much of McConnell’s early days on Hawk Hill centered around learning its history and meeting with faculty and administrators in order to develop her vision for its future. After more than three decades as an academic, McConnell is well-practiced at identifying challenges in higher education and creating strategies to approach them.
“People around the country are questioning the value of college,” McConnell says. “Costs are rising faster than wage increases, many students are graduating with significant loan debt, and companies are offering alternative educational opportunities that they believe will upskill their workforce more effectively than graduate school. We must act quickly and share a compelling message that clearly communicates the value that higher education adds — how we transform students and how vital a comprehensive education is to every individual's human development.”
Before coming to Saint Joseph’s, McConnell spent almost 31 years with another set of Hawks at Rockhurst University, the Jesuit university in Kansas City, Missouri. She chaired academic departments and Rockhurst’s faculty senate and served on budgetary planning committees and task forces. In her most recent position, as dean of the College of Business, Influence, and Information Analysis, McConnell consistently sought ways to grow the college’s offerings, especially in its graduate and not-for-credit education.
“The jobs that our graduates will get today are not the same as the jobs that they’ll be doing five or 10 years from now,” McConnell says. “We need to think ahead and offer programs that will match those jobs, while at the same time keeping focus on the things that sustain a quality education and will last a lifetime: critical thinking, reading, writing, speaking and data literacy.”
Thomas Curran, S.J., president of Rockhurst University, says that McConnell’s approach will push Saint Joseph’s ahead of its peers.
The jobs that our graduates will get today are not the same as the jobs that they’ll be doing five or 10 years from now.”
“She’s like the Wayne Gretzky of academics,” Curran says. “She skates to where the puck is going to be, not where it was. She sees needs and pursues thoughtful solutions.”
McConnell says she is encouraged by the steps the University has already taken to offer innovative programs, including the growth of the cybersecurity certificate and graduate programs, the announcement of a forthcoming Center for Addiction and Recovery Education and the opening of the School for Health Studies and Education. She brings a special interest in the last of these, having spent a year as interim dean of Rockhurst’s College of Health and Human Services.
While she is dedicated to being creative and forward-thinking, McConnell’s experience at Rockhurst has given the way she works an unmistakably Jesuit style.
“She doesn’t jump into things looking to elbow other people out of them,” Curran says. “She is a true companion and partner, emphasizing the ‘with’ in the Jesuit pillar of being with and for others. She wants to participate fully in the culture of a place.”
For her part, McConnell says that one of the driving forces that brought her to Saint Joseph’s was the shared connection to Jesuit principles. She wants to help the University grow while staying grounded in the values that she sees in people here.
“I have a vision of walking across campus in three or five years and seeing a community where everyone feels welcome, everyone feels at home, and we are deeply engaged in dialogue and education that allows our graduates to take on the most difficult challenges of the world,” she says. “I want that spirit to emanate from everybody. I’m passionate about the transformational value of education, and I think if we commit to each other, we can continue to provide that to students in a vibrant way for 10, 50, 100 years.”
Jeffrey Martin '04, '05 (M.A.) is the former managing editor of Saint Joseph’s University Magazine and host and producer of the "Good to Know" podcast.
Angela Rowe McDonald, Ph.D.
By Gabrielle Lacherza
The opening of a new school comes with it a long checklist. Seek accreditation. Evaluate the need for new program offerings. Find partnerships that will give students opportunities for hands-on learning and create career pathways. But none of these things can be accomplished until the first item is complete: Find the right leader.
McDonald has spent her life at the intersection of health and education. After earning a degree in human services counseling from Old Dominion University, she worked as a community counseling intern while earning her master’s degree. She served as a family counselor in the School of Education at the College of William & Mary while working toward her doctoral degree and has been a professional counselor, either for a college or in private practice, for nearly all of her career.
Steering the direction of a new school will not be an unfamiliar task for McDonald. After 10 years in the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, she spent the last year as the interim dean of its College of Health Sciences. Like SHSE, the college was formed from existing programs and faculty. The experience taught her the value of the early steps in the process of forming a school.
“Saint Joseph’s is developing a plan to pursue national accreditation in educator preparation,” McDonald says. “This will allow us to be more competitive in the market and give our students an advantage that will help them to be more mobile.”
On the health side, McDonald’s focus will be growing partnerships with health organizations and enhancing programs so that those students are fully prepared for professional health graduate programs and the pursuit of health careers. In a city with many health and education professionals, the opportunities for Saint Joseph’s to establish its voice in the marketplace are endless.
“We need to expand the opportunities for undergraduates to earn necessary clinical hours on campus or through partnership arrangements,” she says. “Saint Joseph's will be plugged into the network of health schools around the country.”
I can already see so many directions that we could take this school because of the rich expertise that exists.”
McDonald is taking on the work with a balance of agility and precision.
“I want to move the school forward, but to be strategic in our approach,” she says. “I want to dig into data, leverage market research and rely on faculty expertise to decide which growth opportunities to pursue.”
The school will benefit, McDonald says, from the strength of its existing programs. It is composed of dozens of established undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs, and McDonald will look for ways to expand those offerings.
“We have strong, foundational offerings and a world-class faculty,” she says. “I can already see so many directions that we could take this school because of the rich expertise that exists.” McDonald is particularly impressed by the work being done by the Institute of Clinical Bioethics and the Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support. “We should be building on these successes and looking to expand our offerings or curriculum in the area of ‘helping professions’ who have specialized training to work with a variety of populations that have specific educational or health needs,” McDonald says. “I want to evaluate our portfolio across the school to see what additional growth opportunities we may have and look to grow our footprint in these areas regionally.”
One of the key advantages that McDonald sees the school offers is its Jesuit roots, which she says speak to her training as a licensed counselor and support the need to prepare professionals to engage in ethical decision-making.
“Everyone has a story, but it’s the job of a counselor to appreciate the complexity of the human spirit and to explore beyond the surface,” she says. “That’s very similar to the way that the Jesuits approach education.”
As the school begins its first semester, McDonald knows that keeping an eye on the future of the health and education industries will be crucial to the success of both the school and its graduates. Students must be prepared to enter the workforce now, but should also be equipped with the tools to thrive as the world around them changes.
“For all the technological advances in both fields, the one thing that tech can never replace is empathy,” McDonald says. “Human compassion is needed as an educator, as a health care professional and as an administrator. All of these professional roles are about listening to people and helping them achieve their goals. That’s what I hope to do with the School of Health Studies and Education.”
Gabrielle Lacherza is the PR and communications specialist at Saint Joseph’s University.
Zenobia Hargust
By Kelly Welsh '05 (M.A.)
Somewhat unknowingly, Zenobia Hargust, new chief human resources officer, started her career early in her college years.
As an undergraduate psychology major at West Chester University, Hargust worked full time at a bank, putting in 30 to 35 hours per week on top of her studies and involvement on campus. Through her coursework in organizational psychology, Hargust honed a curiosity about workplace dynamics and an astute sensitivity to inconsistencies she was experiencing in her organizational culture.
“All bank employees attended a two-week orientation at headquarters. There was a great deal of energy spent on onboarding, setting expectations and acclimating new hires to the bank’s culture,” Hargust explains. “But the minute I returned to my branch, everything I learned seemed irrelevant. I had managers telling me, ‘That’s not how it really works.’”
A natural human resources professional even before earning her degree, Hargust began asking questions and doing what she could to mitigate the divide between what the organization wanted to be and how employees were living the mission.
Hargust pored herself even deeper into her studies, combining some education courses that sparked a passion for training. By senior year, she landed what was supposed to be an internship as an HR specialist, but turned into a full-time offer well before graduation.
For over a decade, Hargust, a native of the West Oak section of Philadelphia, has been at the helm of organizational cultures, mostly in the non-profit sector. She cites a desire to work for enterprises where people find meaning in their work. Early in her career, she was a member of the HR staff at Lutheran Children and Family Service of PA and The Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Center for Jewish Life. In 2011, she earned a master’s degree in human resource management from Walden University. In 2013, she made the move to higher education, accepting a position in HR at Swarthmore College.
I'm attracted to organizations with strong missions, like SJU."
“Higher ed was a change of pace,” Hargust admits. “Things move a little slower because the culture is very consensus-based. But I learned to love the process of decision-making that was unique to this sector. I realize how much more complete decisions are and how the tone and tenor change when diverse voices weigh in. I also see how much more sustainable change is when there’s an intentional and inclusive process.”
The position at Saint Joseph’s University felt like a natural progression for Hargust. Her time at Swarthmore solidified her passion for higher education and for the last four years, she’s been a leader in the space, serving as the Pennsylvania/ Delaware board president of the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources.
Hargust says that her early interactions on campus formed strong impressions of a community whose values align with her own.
“There were great synergies when I came to campus and began meeting with members of the community,” says Hargust. “I was immediately intrigued by the strategic vision of Dr. Reed and enthusiasm of the HR team to drive important conversations and strategy.” Former colleague Pamela Prescod-Caesar, vice president for human resources at Swarthmore College, says that Hargust’s openness to continual learning is among her greatest strengths, along with her gift for nurturing relationships.
“Professionalism, competence and heart are the quintessential qualities that speak to the essence of Zenobia’s leadership,” Prescod-Caesar adds. “She imagines and strives to create the ultimate workplace where evolving institutional needs are aligned with and supported effectively by a talented workforce.
For Hargust, community development and talent management are topline priorities as she takes the lead in HR at Saint Joseph’s. “I look forward to helping the University attract leading professionals and to building strong relationships with the president’s office, the provost’s office and student life to ensure that all constituents are aligned and engaged.”
Having spent almost her entire career working for faith-based organizations, Hargust doesn’t need to look hard to see common threads.
“I’m attracted to organizations with strong missions, like SJU,” she asserts. “And regardless of their faith affiliation, I am drawn to places where honoring humanity is baked in.”
Kelly Welsh is executive director of communications at Saint Joseph’s University.
Billy Lange
By Brendan Prunty '06
Billy Lange has just wrapped up a meeting with his staff. The door to his office opens, and there are assistant coaches, each with a laptop in hand, alongside the operations staff collecting their notes. “Just focusing on details,” Lange says, as the group exits. He clears the couch for his next meeting and takes a seat in a chair near the window, where the rain clouds have finally cleared up behind him. Then he notices something.
It’s a smudge on the dark wood of the coffee table in front of him. He pauses, and then grabs a Kleenex from the box and wipes the left-hand corner of the table clean.
“Details,” he says with a smile.
He is, at this point, in his 60th day as the 15th head men’s basketball coach in Saint Joseph’s University history. He is, at this point, trying to make sense of a roster, which has required him to both recruit players in uniform and those deciding whose to wear, from minute one of his tenure. He is, at this point, still trying to straddle the line of taking over for Phil Martelli — the head coach on Hawk Hill for 24 years — while trying to mold the program in a new and vibrant way.
He is, at this point, a man who is consumed by details. Because he knows, at Saint Joseph’s, the details matter.
“Every place I’ve been has a story to it,” Lange says. “There’s a passion. People care about Navy. People care about Villanova. People care about Herb Magee at (Philadelphia) Textile. The Sixers. If you brought an assistant coach from somewhere else and put them in Philadelphia, it would take them about 10 games to realize, ‘This is a different experience.’ That’s what attracted me to here.”
From the very minute the vacancy was public, it was clear that whoever would take over as the next head coach of the Hawks would have to chart a very different path. The last time there was a head-coaching vacancy on Hawk Hill, Bill Clinton was still in his first term as president. The culture of the country, college athletics and the University had changed dramatically. So when Director of Athletics Jill Bodensteiner looked at the list of candidates, she knew she wanted — needed — someone who could come in on Day One with a plan, and an energy to get it done.
If you brought an assistant coach from somewhere else and put them in Philadelphia, it would take them about 10 games to realize, ‘This is a different experience.’”
“To me — and being at Notre Dame for 20 years, I know this — you start seeing things through one lens,” Bodensteiner says. “So it’s been refreshing to have someone come in and look at every aspect, and say, ‘Why are we doing it this way?’”
The answers, she and Lange often found, were that it had just been done this way. Immediately, she gravitated to Lange’s ability to dive into subjects, minutiae even, and figure out what made it tick — little things, that even she hadn’t considered. Case in point: During recruiting visits, players were always shown Villiger Hall, the University’s newest residence. But when they arrived on campus, freshmen were placed in McShain Hall, which was built in 1988. Lange asked why.
The reason, Bodensteiner told him, was that the building wasn’t fully staffed during the Christmas holiday, when the visits usually happen. “I told him, ‘Well, that sounds like something that can be fixed,’” she says.
Every aspect of the program has been inspected to create greater efficiency and put the University’s best foot forward. From health monitoring, to nutrition and diet, to tutoring locations, Lange’s approach has been to examine it all. In the case of the dorms, it wasn’t necessarily to put players in the nicest ones.
“That’s one street they don’t have to cross,” he says, his voice resonating with parental empathy.
It comes from his desire to immerse himself in every aspect of everything he does.
When Lange got the first major break of his career on the staff of Villanova under Jay Wright, he did something that most coaches on the basketball side don’t do: He wandered over to the business end of the program. That’s what struck Chris Heck as odd. Now the president of the Philadelphia 76ers, Heck had never seen that in his role as VP and GM of Villanova Sports Properties. The two men soon began to chat about all things program-related. How basketball impacted the business side. How the business elements could help the basketball program grow.
Lange’s career made the usual twists and turns of a basketball coach — three years on Villanova’s staff, seven years as the head coach at the Naval Academy, two more years back with Villanova — before landing on Brett Brown’s staff with the Sixer, where Heck once again found the same curiosity. And then some.
“We had a very common core of beliefs when we arrived at the Sixers,” Heck recalls. “As damaged and behind-the-times as we were there, there was an air of complacency that being OK was OK. But there was a group of us who wanted to be great. And one of the traits that Billy had that made him such a great fit was that he knew it was okay to fail. But we were going to do it the right way. We had a long view on how to rebuild this once great brand.”
Heck remembers getting a push notification on his phone when the Saint Joseph’s position became available and immediately texting Lange — who was in the midst of a scouting assignment week consisting of the Milwaukee Bucks (Giannis Antetokounmpo), Charlotte Hornets (Kemba Walker) and Boston Celtics (Kyrie Irving), by the way — to tell him this was the perfect opportunity. Yes, Brown had been grooming him for a future as an NBA head coach, but this spot was made for him.
He wasn’t just a local coach who entered Bodensteiner and University president Dr. Mark Reed’s vision. He wasn’t put on the list because of a search firm algorithm. He had a real, tangible Saint Joe’s story. His parents, Bill ’70 and Kathy ’70, graduated from Hawk Hill. His brother Mark ’97 was a four-year manager for the Hawks. His wife, Alicia, was the coordinator of academic services for student-athletes from 1997 to 2004. There are two sisters-in-law who graduated from SJU as well.
That was part of the 30-page plan he presented to Bodensteiner and Reed during his 90-minute interview. As they went through the process of making the decision, they kept coming back to Lange. His experience, his approach, his methodology, his learnings, his preparation … his story. It just fit. Even in the heat of the moment, as he and his hand-picked staff pore over potential recruits to fill out the roster for this season and bolster it for the future — all while continuing to bring their vision of the Hawks to life — Lange has these “pinch me” moments.
Running his first practice at Hagan Arena. Coaching Saint Joseph’s at the Palestra in a Big 5 game for the first time. Prowling the same sideline as Jack Ramsay during his first home game.
“In my interview, Dr. Reed asked me this question: ‘Why would you come back to Saint Joseph’s?’” Lange recalls, referencing going from the NBA to college. Lange proceeded to lean forward, and tap the spot on the table he had just cleaned, as he reiterated what he told Reed and Bodensteiner in that meeting.
“I told them, ‘There is nothing back about Saint Joseph’s. There’s nothing back.’”
There was a new smudge now.
His fingerprint.
Brendan Prunty ’06 is a former nationally-recognized sports writer for the Newark StarLedger, whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated and Rolling Stone. He currently works in sports PR for Dan Klores Communications in New York.
Building Our University Leadership
Saint Joseph’s University's Leadership Council has evolved into a team of new hires and longer-tenured leaders who possess a strategic and complementary mix of institutional knowledge, wide-ranging skills and rich professional backgrounds and experiences. Composition and representation have changed in recent years to include more operational and academic areas, and women now constitute nearly half of the Council.
According to University President Mark C. Reed, “I have a desirable and trusted team of advisers. The collaboration and energy of this Council inspire me and affirms my confidence in our ability to move this University forward while remaining grounded in our mission and identity.”