Carnegie Foundation/CASE Professor of the Year for Pennsylvania
Jerome Zurek, Ph.D., says that in the 36 years he has been teaching at Cabrini College, he has looked forward to coming to work nearly every day.
Over the years, he has continued to learn and develop as an instructor and mentor, and finds inspiration by tapping into the energy generated by his students.
In 2005, Zurek was named Carnegie Foundation/CASE Professor of the Year for Pennsylvania.
"I try to assist each student to excel beyond what they would ever believe they were capable of," Zurek says.
One of the ways he helps his students succeed is through volunteer work; he has been involved in service-learning for 17 years. He regularly visits several Philadelphia schools, where his students mentor at-risk children and provide them support to reach their ultimate goal of attending college.
Zurek, who earned a B.A. from Fordham University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Bryn Mawr College, also works closely with Catholic Relief Services on service-learning projects.
He initiated the Global Solidarity Network, a national coalition of students and faculty who are passionate about worldwide social justice issues such as immigration, genocide and poverty.
Also in progress is a project for the 2008 Presidential Election, which will unify many college newspaper editors and allow them to work together to educate students about the presidential candidates, aiming to increase voting across target demographics.
"I also tutored maximum security inmates at Graterford Prison for more than 10 years," Zurek notes.
Zurek is married and has two sons. His oldest son, Chris, graduated from American University and now teaches second grade and is a musician. His younger son, Dan, is a business major at Villanova University and caught on the baseball team.
He and his family love to cheer on the Phillies at home games, and have visited ballparks around the country. He lives in Tredyffrin Township, right next to Valley Forge Park, where he can be spotted every day, rain or shine, walking his dog, Whitney.
He counts travel, technology (particularly Apple products) and baseball as his three main hobbies.
Contact Information:
Jerome Zurek, Ph.D.
Chair, Communication
Professor, English and Communication
Founder’s Hall, Room 272
610-902-8360
jzurek@cabrini.edu
http://pages.cabrini.edu/jzurek and blog at www.jerryzurek.com