2025 News
2025 CPS NEWS
- From Strategists to System Navigators Across the government and government-adjacent sectors, contract managers, procurement professionals and vendor operations teams are experiencing a slow but seismic shift. What was once a domain of negotiation strategy, regulatory acumen and institutional memory is now being parsed into decision trees, automated risk scoring and clause libraries managed by AI.
- HR Generalist vs HR Specialist Human resources is no longer confined to paperwork and policy—it’s a central driver of business strategy and employee experience. As organizations navigate remote work, shifting labor laws and rising expectations around engagement and retention, HR roles have grown more specialized and impactful. Discover which path best aligns with your career goals.Ěý
- WATCH: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, CPS Graduate and Former Villanova Basketball Star, Delivers Student Address at Commencement For the first time since the founding of ĂŰĚŇTV's College of Professional Studies (CPS) ten years ago, a student graduating from CPS delivered the student address at Commencement. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, a former star on the Villanova Men's Basketball team, spoke to thousands of his fellow graduates and their invited guests, earning massive cheers and praise for his heartfelt remarks at the ceremony on Friday, May 16.
- Leading Change at Scale In most organizations, process improvement still sits in a corner—siloed, underfunded and occasionally tapped when KPIs start slipping. Experienced Black Belts recognize that reactive fixes aren’t enough—instead, they work to embed continuous improvement into the very fabric of how the organization operates.
- Hard Lessons, Soft Systems The post-pandemic landscape promised recovery. Instead, it delivered a reckoning.Ěý Just as supply chain leaders began to recalibrate after COVID-19 revealed the limits of lean operations and underinvested digital infrastructure, a new wave of geopolitical and economic turbulence has emerged—this time, driven by tariffs.
- Meet the CPS Class of 2025 Every year, the College of Professional Studies is proud to celebrate a graduating class, compromised of students of varying ages, from different backgrounds and different pathways to their degree. This year's graduates are no exception, with the Class of 2025 excelling in the classroom, in their careers and in their efforts to better the world around us. This page includes several stories of the members of this class making an impact.
- The Changing Role of the Instructional Designer The instructional design and learning experience design (LXD) landscape is shifting—again. As organizations adjust to hybrid work models, rising upskilling demands and an ever-expanding ecosystem of digital tools, learning and development professionals are entering a new era. It’s no longer enough to build content—today’s instructional designers must architect learning experiences that are measurable, adaptive and learner-centered.
- Evening of Celebration 2025 ĂŰĚŇTV's College of Professional Studies (CPS) held its annual Evening of Celebration, recognizing students who have completed their studies at Villanova. CPS was pleased to recognize its students' accomplishments, including 48 bachelor’s degrees, six associate degrees, and eight members of the VUnited Scholars program.
- 2025 CPS Graduate Francis Schlupp Pursues Decades-Long Dream to Make a Difference This spring, at 53-years-old, Schlupp is graduating with his Bachelor of Arts in History, and he was selected to speak at the College of Professional Studies’ Evening of Celebration. The journey to his degree has spanned a lifetime, but well worth the time and effort. Schlupp, awarded for his research work as an undergraduate, will continue his education, in an effort to fulfill a lifelong dream to teach to those in underserved communities.
- Ambitiously Ahead of Schedule: Zachary Amos to Graduate from CPS at 19-Years-Old This May, while many 19-year-olds are finishing their freshman year of college, Zachary Amos is graduating with his bachelor’s degree in Information Systems & Technology (IST) from Villanova’s College of Professional Studies (CPS). After earning an associate degree at 17, he worked to complete his degree and start a career that will begin with a trip across the world to serve others.
- Resourcefulness and Resilience: Bella Cipresso's Journey from Cabrini to Villanova and Her Degree When Cabrini University and ĂŰĚŇTV finalized the agreement between their institutions, both sides stressed that the impact and legacy of Cabrini were to continue as part of Villanova. Bella Cipresso, a former Cabrini student and graduate of Villanova’s College of Professional Studies (CPS), epitomizes those efforts. Cipresso completed her degree at Villanova while fully immersing herself in the Villanova community. For her excellence in the classroom, she was awarded the academic medallion for her program.
- Mastering the Full Contract Lifecycle The government contracting landscape is undergoing significant transformation. From rapid technological advances to new regulatory updates and heightened performance expectations, contract managers across federal, state and local agencies face increasing complexity in a market that saw more than $759 billion in federal contract spending in FY2023 alone. Navigating this developing environment requires not just experience—but strategic upskilling.Ěý
- DMAIC Explained: The 5-Step Lean Six Sigma Method That Improves Processes Learn what DMAIC stands for and how this 5-step Lean Six Sigma method helps professionals improve processes, reduce waste and drive measurable results.
- “Finish What You Start”: Russ Ebbets Completes Villanova Degree 50 Years in the Making When Russ Ebbets arrived at ĂŰĚŇTV for his freshman year in the fall of 1972, he never would have expected that he would complete that degree more than 50 years later, having traveled the world, built a career and published a handful of books in between. After the many twists and turns of his life, he returned to CPS, with a bachelor's degree and multiple graduate degrees to his name, to proudly finish what he'd started decades prior.
- Degrees of Determination: Jen Villalobos is a Villanova Story of Persistence and Pride Jen Villalobos’s journey to her degree wasn’t a straight path—it was a story of persistence, determination and the belief that it’s never too late to take the next step forward. The road to receiving her degree wasn’t without its challenges. As a working professional, wife, and mother of six in a blended family, Jen juggled a demanding job with part-time coursework.
- The Power of Design Thinking in Problem-Solving The top-down problem-solving approach is outdated. Linear, hierarchical paths handed down by leadership often miss the mark when solving challenges and thinking through projects. Design thinking - a dynamic shift in problem-solving - puts the user at the center of the process. It’s a game-changer for businesses and organizations seeking to create meaningful solutions to complex challenges.
- Digital Marketing is the Smartest Career Move You Haven't Made Yet Whether you’re a creative professional, an aspiring strategist or someone ready for a career reset, digital marketing offers a unique combination of relevance, adaptability and immediate ROI. The best part? You don’t need to start from scratch—you just need to upskill strategically.
- What to Do When the Job Market Feels Impossible Feeling stuck in your job search? Discover why it’s so hard to get hired right now—and how professional education can help you move forward with confidence.
- CPS Graduate and Former Villanova Basketball Star Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to Deliver Student Address at Villanova's 2025 Commencement Jeremiah Robinson-Earl '25 CPS, a former member of the ĂŰĚŇTV Men’s Basketball team, has been selected as the student speaker at Villanova’s 2025 Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 15. Robinson-Earl, currently a member of the New Orleans Pelicans in the National Basketball Association (NBA), completed his degree in General Studies online through the College of Professional Studies (CPS). This marks the first time that a CPS student will deliver the student address at Villanova’s Commencement ceremony.
- VUnited Inclusive Employment Symposium Celebrates Neurodiversity and Accessibility in the Workplace This March marked the inaugural VUnited Inclusive Employment Symposium, an event championing neuroinclusion in the workforce. Created in conjunction with Villanova’s VUnited Scholars the symposium welcomed lawmakers, employers, educators, students, and guests to discuss inclusive hiring practices. Presenters included Pennsylvania First Lady Lori Shapiro and speakers from KPMG, Comcast and Wawa.