college of mount saint vincent
NEWS
Alumnae/i, Students, & Friends
Winter 2013
MARKETING THE MOUNT
FACULTY FOCUS:
ANA RIBEIRO:
By Erin Walsh
Of Mice & Mothers
The Nike swoosh. The Apple core. NBC’s peacock.
By Pat Conti
A
ssistant Professor of Biology Ana Ribeiro and her colleagues have produced groundbreaking research demonstrating that a single gene in mice could be responsible for the maternal instinct.
All of these symbols instantly conjure up an image of the brand associated with these iconic logos. Ask any marketing guru, and they’ll tell you that a strong brand identity is one of the most crucial facets of a corporation or nonprofit institution’s chances for long term success. Although the College of Mount Saint Vincent doesn’t use a logo (we use the College name as the word mark) or catchy slogan, for the past two years, the Mount has been engaged in an Integrated Marketing initiative, the goal of which is to capture and distill its signature strengths and proof points, and use these to create messages that are synonymous with the College of Mount Saint Vincent to the outside world. Rather than to hang its identity on a logo or slogan that might quickly fall out of fashion, the Mount has chosen to promote its enduring strength as a high-quality Catholic and ecumenical liberal arts institution through strategic messaging and a timeless visual style that differentiate it from competing institutions.
Dr. Ribeiro recently published the findings of her postdoctoral research, which indicates that diminished levels of Estrogen Receptor Alpha in the medial preoptic area of the brain of female mice resulted in those mice exhibiting infanticidal behavior. “The uniqueness of our findings is that we were able to demonstrate that silencing ER Alpha in a specific
To build upon the efforts of the Integrated Marketing initiative, an internal Branding Committee was formed under the direction of Senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement and College Relations Madeleine Melkonian, and was tasked with further refining the Mount’s brand identity. The committee held focus groups for students, faculty, staff, and administrators, and used the results and other research to create strategic messages and visual elements that will be used in written and verbal communications to create a cohesive brand identity. The result, a comprehensive Brand Guide, was completed by the committee and distributed to the College community this fall. “For the College of Mount Saint Vincent, branding represents identifying that which we believe truly defines the College and makes us distinctive, for the audiences we want to reach, with an eye towards our Continued on page 3
MOUNT ROUNDTABLE Dr. Ana Ribeiro
EVOLUTION OF A CLASSIC By Erin Walsh
O
ne could argue that a College of Mount Saint Vincent education is like a Chanel suit—it never goes out of style.
Mount’s high quality, liberal arts curriculum gives students the analytical and problem-solving skills to become leaders, thinkers, and trailblazers.
The Mount provides education for life and a career—not just a job.
“A Mount education develops the whole person,” says President Charles L. Flynn. “Every field of study emphasizes analytical skills; critical thinking; clear, persuasive
Rather than teaching students hyper-specialized skills that may quickly become outdated, the
communication; and moral and religious thought—the essentials for success in every profession.” In a still-faltering economy, when jobs are scarce and parents may worry whether a liberal arts education is still the best investment in their son’s or daughter’s future, the question is particularly relevant.
region of the brain and time point in an adult female mouse’s life actually abolished motherly instinct,” Dr. Ribeiro says. Indeed, Dr. Ribeiro suggests that these findings have many implications, even for humans.
College of Mount Saint Vincent
“What’s critical is that having this key (ER Alpha) present in the medial preoptic, an area that has many connections to high order functions, as well as very primal functions, is
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COLLEGE OF MOUNT SAINT VINCENT 6301 RIVERDALE AVENUE | RIVERDALE, NY 10471 | PHONE (800) 665-CMSV | (718) 405-3345 | WEB:WWW.MOUNTSAINTVINCENT.EDU
COLLEGE NEWS
CMSV in the
around campus
MEDIA The presidential election aside, the other newsworthy topic as of late has been the College of Mount Saint Vincent. Below is an excerpt of the Mount appearing in the media. “How to Attack the Gender Wage Gap? Speak Up” New York Times, Dec. 15, 2012 The Start Smart Salary Negotiation Workshop, held at the College of Mount Saint Vincent and jointly sponsored with the American Association of University Women, made the cover of the Business Section of the New York Times Dec. 15 in an illuminating article by writer Jessica Bennett. The article addressed the longstanding gender gap between women’s and men’s pay. The workshop provided Mount students with practical advice on how to negotiate their first salary. Read more about the workshop on page 6. — Erin Walsh
Mount student Sain Mota ’13 participates in the Start Smart workshop. Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times/Redux
To read the entire article and other articles featuring the College of Mount Saint Vincent, visit www.mountsaintvincent.edu, CMSV in the Media, listed under the News & Events tab. COLLEGE OF MOUNT SAINT VINCENT NEWS Editor Erin Walsh, Director for College Relations Contributing Writers Pat Conti, Leah Munch ’12, Michael Doughty Photography Ben Asen, Dana Maxson, Suzanne DeChillo College of Mount Saint Vincent News is a publication of the College of Mount Saint Vincent Office of Institutional Advancement & College Relations. Madeleine Melkonian, Senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement & College Relations Address all Letters to the Editor and suggestions for future issues to: Erin Walsh, Director for College Relations, College of Mount Saint Vincent, 6301 Riverdale Ave., Riverdale, NY 10471, (718) 405-3345 or erin.walsh@mountsaintvincent.edu Send all Address Changes and Alumnae/i Updates to: Alumnae/i Relations Office, College of Mount Saint Vincent, 6301 Riverdale Ave., Riverdale, NY 10471, (718) 405-3336 or alumnioffice@mountsaintvincent.edu
2 Winter 2013
COLLEGE NEWS
CMSV DAY OF SERVICE The College of Mount Saint Vincent community joined forces for the greater good on October 20, for the Mount’s inaugural campus-wide Day of Service. Faculty, staff, administrators, students, and area alums participated in the event, which occurred on-campus and at six additional sites. Activities ranged from cleaning up campus and Van Cortlandt Park and building homes with Habitat for Humanity in Hoboken, N.J. to making crafts with children at Greystone Gardens Oktoberfest in Yonkers.
Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students Dr. Dianna Dale with Mount students who volunteered at POTS Soup Kitchen in the Bronx during the Mount’s inaugural Day of Service.
BALASOLE DANCE COMPANY BalaSole, the Mount’s new dance-company-in-residence, and its Founder and Artistic Director Roberto Villanueva, danced onto campus this fall with a full roster of activities planned for the Mount and local community. In addition to teaching Contemporary Dance & Ballet as an adjunct faculty member, Mr. Villanueva serves as an advisor to the student-run Words Dance Club, founded by Mount senior Joseph Saldoriga ’13. This past fall, BalaSole provided members of the CMSV community with free tickets to its past two performances in Manhattan, to give students direct exposure to the field of professional dance. In the spring, Mr. Villanueva will begin a BalaSole Dance Company internship program for Mount students. For more information on BalaSole, visit www.mountsaintvincent.edu/campusevents. UPCOMING EVENTS DUST OFF YOUR DANCING SHOES! Scholarship Tribute Dinner April 29 The annual Scholarship Tribute Dinner is scheduled for April 29, 2013 at the New York Public Library. Honorees are David Walsh, president and chief executive officer of Amalgamated Life Insurance Company and CEO of Alico Services Corporation, and his wife, artist, library advocate, and theater producer Alice Chebba Walsh. Visit www.mount saintvincent.edu/tributedinner to purchase your ticket. REUNION WEEKEND Return, Reconnect, Revisit The College of Mount Saint Vincent celebrates Reunion Weekend for classes ending in “3” and “8” from June 7-9, 2013. Celebrate with faculty, friends, classmates, and other alums. Learn the latest Mount news and developments, visit the College’s newly renovated facilities, and engage in exciting programs. Visit www.mountsaintvincent.edu/reunion.htm for more information, and to register online.
BEHIND THE SCENES:
RED MONKEY THEATER GROUP SETTLES INTO NEW CMSV HOME By Leah Munch ’12 The Red Monkey Theater Group, a Westchester-based theater company, started its residency at the College of Mount Saint Vincent with a debut performance of Uncle Vanya at the newly-renovated Cahill Theater this past fall. The company’s second performance of the season, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, features Mount students as members of the cast and crew. The addition of a professional theater company-inresidence gives students the opportunity to gain professional experience both onstage and behind-thescenes.
Tal Aviezer, artistic director of the Red Monkey Theater Group, has directed 16 productions over the company’s past 13 seasons. Many of the productions are works of Shakespeare. He manages to preserve Shakespeare’s plays, which are signature works for the company, in their classic form. But he also modernizes them by incorporating in elements of light comedy and fun and fast paced acting techniques. “We want fundamentally for people to come to our shows to find themselves,” he says. “That’s why we go to the theater, to find ourselves.”
Students will gain an understanding of acting theory by working with experienced performers, get involved with stage management, and work with a fully functioning production crew, all of which helps to expand the recently introduced theater minor, says Assistant Professor of Communication Brad Crownover.
This is also one of the reasons why Mount students and faculty are involved. Dr. Crownover studied under Mr. Aviezer in the past. Now, he is deeply involved with the Mount’s theater minor and participates in Red Monkey Theater Group productions as an actor, appearing in the company’s production of Uncle Vanya.
Members of Red Monkey Theater Group and the Mount community rehearse "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
“Red Monkey has a great reputation,” he says. “I think the audiences for Uncle Vanya speak to that. We had students (attend). We had faculty and staff. We had people visiting the campus for the first time from all over Westchester County and New Jersey. We had a U.S. Congressman. We had small audiences. We had sold out shows. It was everything you could hope for as a first production.” A Midsummer Night’s Dream premiered at the College of Mount Saint Vincent on January 24 and ran through January 27. The next Red Monkey performance is Neil LaBute’s Reasons to be Pretty, opening in May. Both shows will have open auditions, giving the Mount community ample opportunity to get involved.
Marketing the Mount competitive landscape,” says Ms. Melkonian. “Defining how we want to communicate those key factors, whether visually, in written form, or verbally, when we represent the College. It means relying on this defining framework in a consistent way to inform our efforts across all communications platforms and initiatives, in ways that support our strategic goals of growth and increased visibility.” She continues, “Ultimately, this branding initiative will make it easier for every member of the Mount community to express our mission, and our identity, and our most important assets and values, consistently and reliably in every communications decision faced, no matter the audience we are addressing or the platform we use to do so.” The next phase of the Mount’s branding process is currently underway. The Mount’s Professional Development Academy (PDA) team is charged with ensuring that branding is fully, successfully integrated into College-wide messaging.
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The PDA Team is composed of a broad representation of Mount administrators, including Admissions, Athletics, Student Affairs, Campus Ministry, Finance, College Relations and Web Communications, and is led by Assistant Professor of Business and Economics and Coordinator of MBA Programs Dr. Nina Aversano, who draws upon years of experience as an executive in the private sector. The purpose of the PDA is to streamline processes and to ensure that all mid-level managers work together effectively to ensure maximum efficiency. The team is using the Brand Guide to review the College’s written and verbal communications and related activities produced by every department to assess whether they are consistent with the standards and messaging defined by the guide, and to identify opportunities to enhance and improve branding. Vice President and Dean of Admission & Financial Aid Tim Nash is also instrumental in refining the Mount’s brand identity and working with the
team entrusted with defining ways to implement the branding standards. Dean Nash says, “In the world of admissions, having a clear, compelling brand identity is absolutely essential. Everyone associated with the Mount— alumnae/i, parents, students, faculty—knows that we provide a high quality education, coupled with the opportunities of New York City, but we want the rest of the world to know as well.” After completing its review of internal communications and related activities, performing a competitive analysis of peer institutions, and compiling these findings, the team will make recommendations to President Charles L. Flynn on ways to strengthen the Mount’s brand identity. “The end product of this branding process should ultimately be consistently recognizable materials and messages that communicate to the outside world the Mount’s many strengths,” says President Flynn. n Winter 2013 3
FACULTY FOCUS
PROFILE
ANA RIBEIRO
KATHRYN SWINTEK ’74:
Of Mice and Mothers necessary and sufficient for maternal behavior to occur in mice,” she says. Dr. Ribeiro says her research team first identified the traits of a good mother mouse, such as nursing, licking, grooming, retrieving and protecting her pups from intruders. Then through the use of viral vectors to deliver genetic materials to a cell, Dr. Ribeiro and her team silenced the ER Alpha gene in female mice and recorded that the “silenced” mice stopped exhibiting the characteristics of good mothers. “For humans, this means it could be possible to correlate the amount of ER Alpha in the medial preoptic area of a woman to her maternal abilities and that varying the expression of Estrogen Receptor Alpha in individuals may result in different maternal capacities,” she says. Dr. Ribeiro’s discovery began with sleep research at Fordham University and eventually led her to Rockefeller University, where she studied the effects of estrogen on genes and animal behavior. For example, after birth, estrogens drop 100 to
“Our study provides a mechanistic way in which the changes that we observe in decreases in estrogen after birth could cause postpartum deficits in maternal behaviors.” - Dr. Ana Ribeiro 1000 fold, and therefore cannot bind to the normal receptors mediating this bonding behavior with the young, says Dr. Ribeiro. “So, any unusual changes (dramatic decreases) in estrogen could potentially interfere with this balance and cause deficits in maternal bonding that are commonly seen post-partum,” in humans, as well as in mice, she says. “Our study provides a mechanistic way in which the changes that we observe in decreases in estrogen after birth could cause post-partum deficits in maternal behaviors.”
SCIENCE COMMUNITY ABUZZ WITH MOUNT RESEARCH ON FRUIT FLIES By Leah Munch ’12
Dr. Ribeiro teaches a full course load in biology, human genetics, physiology, and neurobiology at the Mount and continues her research at Rockefeller, proudly including her Mount students in many of her new investigative endeavors. Some of her past students include Stephanie Widmer ’11, a psychology major, who worked on the effects of estrogen in food anticipatory behavior, as well as biology majors Angela Gerona ’12, Katlin Enriquez ’12, and Stacey Thomas ’12, who worked on the signaling cascades underlying estrogens effects on locomotor behavior. These students, along with Dr. Ribeiro, presented their work at the National Conference for Undergraduate Studies and at the Annual Professional Sleep Societies Meeting (SLEEP). Currently, biology major Nadimar Rojas ’14 and Dr. Ribeiro are collaborating with a post-doctoral fellow at Rockefeller University. “My students are intellectually involved in every part of the process,” she says. “I take them to Rockefeller to conduct experiments; then we bring all of our data and video recordings back to Mount Saint Vincent and analyze them,” she says. Although she acknowledges that her work is pretty advanced for college students, Dr. Ribeiro stresses that she’s happy to offer her students the chance to participate in her research.
Associate Professor of Biology James Fabrizio and a group of student researchers conducted research on fruit flies that was first presented at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research at Ithaca College during the Fall 2011, and was published in the Landes Bioscience Journal Fly in Fall 2012.
“A lot of my students want to have this experience because it’s a very nice thing to add to a resume and makes them more competitive in their future careers,” she says.
The research was a study identifying mulet, a gene required for late-stage sperm development, as the gene for the Tubulin-binding cofactor E-like (TBCE-like) protein. Since TBCE-like destroys microtubules, this work suggests that the removal of microtubules by TBCE-like is necessary for proper sperm development.
So what’s next for Dr. Ribeiro?
Dr. Fabrizio’s researchers, Nour Aqeel ’10, Yolisept Bencosme ’15, Joy Cote ’12, Joshian Estevez ’11, Mary Jongoy ’12, Vanie Mangal ’12, Ashley Rivera ’13, Winnie Tema ’12, and Jerrica Wnukowski ’13, were named co-authors and are past and current undergraduate research students at the College of Mount Saint Vincent. Their manuscript “mulet (mlt) encodes a tubulin-binding cofactor E-like homolog required for spermatid individualization in Drosophila melanogaster” was published in the October-December issue of Fly. “Working with Dr. Fabrizio was amazing,” says Ms. Cote. “Being a co-author was just icing on the cake. Not only did I have an amazing time doing something I loved, but we achieved something that will help us progress in our scientific careers. This project confirmed that I wanted to do research professionally and continue on to earn my Ph.D. in the sciences.” Ms. Cote currently attends Wesleyan University, and is working toward her Ph.D. in chemistry, specifically studying biochemistry. “The only way to teach science is to do science,” says Dr. Fabrizio of the publication. “This is a major achievement for my students and I—it is pure undergraduate research published in a prestigious peer-reviewed journal.” 4 Winter 2013
A LASTING LEGACY OF PHILANTHROPY
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“My students and I continue working on different themes, and since this research is something everyone can identify with and participate in, I can continue having my students assist me,” she says. Citing the intuitive nature of her behavioral neuroscience research, Dr. Ribeiro encourages more students to get involved. “My work is not so technically challenging that students won’t know what they’re doing, and at the same time, they develop critical thinking skills that they will need in life,” she says. Dr. Ana Ribeiro earned her B.A. from Western Connecticut State University and holds an M.S. and Ph.D. from Fordham University. She conducted her postdoctoral training at the Rockefeller University and currently teaches a wide selection of biology classes at the College of Mount Saint Vincent. n
By Erin Walsh
As one of the Mount’s most accomplished alumnae and a generous and loyal benefactor, Kathryn Swintek ’74 has become one of the inaugural members of the Centennial Society, a group of donors who have chosen to support their alma mater with a planned gift. Ms. Swintek is a Managing Partner of Golden Seeds Fund 2 LLC, and Managing Director of Golden Seeds LLC, one the five largest angel investment networks in the U.S. Previously, she served as Head of Leveraged Finance and Global Head of High Yield at BNP Paribas. Ms. Swintek served for 11 years as a Trustee of the College of Mount Saint Vincent. Committed to advancing women’s leadership, she is Chair of C200, the leading businesswomen’s organization for successful entrepreneurs and C-suite corporate executives, and is a Director of several private corporations and not-for-profit organizations. We sat down with her recently to find out what impact the Mount had on her success, and why she chose to support the College with a planned gift. She chose to attend the Mount after having a “most inspiring meeting” with the late Doris Smith, S.C., who was then chair of the Economics Department, and later became president of the Mount. Ms. Swintek studied economics at the College, and was an active member of the campus community, writing a column for the student newspaper, then called The Alembic, and studying abroad during her junior year at the University of Vienna in Austria. She has fond memories of the Mount’s beautiful campus,” lasting friendships, and proximity to New York City. Q: How did your experience at CMSV impact your career and/or life decisions? A: Studying in Vienna set me on track to a career in international business. I joined the Foreign Credit Department of Irving Trust Company upon graduation, and within three years, I was an officer in the Middle East and North Africa Division, travelling extensively to that region. The great liberal arts education and grounding in economics that I received at CMSV was key to connecting with clients in that region. I was later the company’s representative for France, based in Paris. I learned French in three months, and was among a minority of Americans posted there who were fluent and able to participate fully in French life, whether theater, film, dinner parties, or travel throughout France, another important bridge builder to my new client base. The environment at CMSV encouraged scholarship and inquiry, which served me well throughout my career. Three years after my return from Paris, I joined BNP Paribas, to lead their Structured Finance Division in the U.S. I also married a wonderful Frenchman who I met while living in Paris. We’re married 26 years now. Q: What inspires you to be so generous to CMSV and why is that important to you? A: I am very conscious of the role that CMSV played in my intellectual and spiritual growth. I am keen to help the next generation be exposed to the same opportunities and nurturing environment that I was. All private colleges and universities need support from donations to sustain themselves and grow. I have a strong connection to CMSV and thus choose to support it. The College’s motto, “Teach Me Goodness,
Discipline & Knowledge,” really spoke to me, and has governed my actions and decisions throughout my life and career. Q: When you think of CMSV, what key words or phrases come to mind? A: Sisters of Charity. Beautiful campus. Receptive. Nurturing. Integrity of mission and leadership. Intellectual pursuits have priority. Science Hall. Reputation in the sciences. My economics professor, Dr. Mary Pranzo. Q: What aspect of your education or involvement with CMSV gives you the most satisfaction? A: I was very pleased to serve as a Trustee for 11 years and participate in the many growth initiatives undertaken by President Flynn. Currently I am pleased to serve as a Mount Mentor, having helped to found that initiative more than three years ago. The program benefits from the strong leadership of (Mount Mentors Director and Assistant Professor of Sociology) Dr. Kristin Lawler. Q: What was the single most important consideration in your decision to make a planned gift to CMSV? A: I have given generously to the College for several years now. Making a planned gift was a way of ensuring financial support when I have passed from this world. Q: What prompted you to make a planned gift at this particular time? A: I changed my professional pursuits in 2008 from working as a senior executive at one of the world’s largest banks to working in venture capital backing women entrepreneurs and serving as a director on boards of private companies and not-for-profit organizations. In the course of this change, my husband and I reviewed our estate planning, and, as both of us are pleased with the leadership of the College, we decided to be generous to the College and the Sisters of Charity. Q: What impact do you hope your gift will have on future generations of students? A: It is my hope that my gift will provide the financial support required to enhance learning opportunities in the field of economics, particularly for female students. Research shows that a still disproportionate share of young women do not choose business as a career. Programs and studies that inspire female students to choose to enter the business world equipped with the critical thinking skills that a CMSV education provides would be wonderful. The education that students receive at the Mount provides them with a solid foundation for the future. It gives them a context in which to fully participate in society. Even though I was an economics major, I greatly enjoyed my courses in art history and an Independent Study that I completed in Advanced Literature. I routinely visited NYC museums and New York City Public Libraries, reading at one point a first edition book by Washington Irving. Taking advantage of what NYC offered prepared me to take advantage of Vienna and later Paris, and to pursue rich business and personal relationships with people from around the world. I received a rich education at the College, and would love for future students to benefit from the opportunities offered to me. To find out more about planned giving at the Mount, visit www.mountsaintvincent.edu/giving.php, or contact Vice President for Institutional Advancement Colette Atkins at (718) 405-3744. Winter 2013 5
COLLEGE NEWS
NEGOTIATING THEIR WAY TO SUCCESS
Assistant Professor of Sociology and Director of the Mount Mentors program Kristin Lawler introduced Jane Pendergast, president of the AAUW Westchester branch, and workshop facilitator Annie Houle, national director of campus and community initiatives for WAGE. Start Smart is a workshop that addresses discrimination in the workplace and overcoming the gender pay gap. The objective is to give each of the attendees the knowledge to ensure fair pay after graduation. The workshop was supported by a grant from the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund Campus Outreach program, which provides funds to local AAUW branches to implement gender equityfocused programs at local colleges and universities. The Mount Mentors provided the perfect forum to offer the Start Smart workshop. The program pairs students with professionals who work outside their field of interest to emphasize the transferability and universal nature of the skills necessary for success in any field and vocation. The pairs meet frequently throughout the 6 Winter 2013
“TERMINALLY” SUCCESSFUL
By Leah Munch ’12
The award will provide up to $9,000 per student to support scholarships for academically talented students who demonstrate financial need and show a strong potential in the sciences. In addition to financial support, the program also includes peer mentorship, tutoring, conferences, career panels, internships, and an original research project. To remain in good standing in the program, students must maintain a minimum 3.0 G.P.A. in a science major and must actively participate in all components of the program.
Mount students attend the Start Smart Workshop
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REX UGORJI ’07:
Scholars-on-Track The College of Mount Saint Vincent received a highly competitive $599,956 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to establish a Scholars-on-Track Scholarship program in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) for natural science majors.
By Leah Munch ’12
he College of Mount Saint Vincent hosted the Start Smart Salary Negotiation workshop on Thursday, November 29, 2012. Sponsored by the Sociology Department and the Mentorship Program at the College, the American Association of University Women (AAUW), and The WAGE (Women are Getting Even) Project, the event benchmarked starting salaries and discussed negotiation techniques to bridge the gender gap.
PROFILE
year to socialize, network, and attend cultural events. Armed with the knowledge and lessons from the Start Smart workshop, graduates will have a better chance to flourish in their careers early on, says Dr. Lawler. “This is just the kind of professional socialization that is so important for students to gain before they hit the job market,” she says. “Given how much pressure Americans are currently under to work longer and harder for less, it’s key that young people understand how to negotiate a fair salary and benefits package based on the cost of living in their own city. For women, whose wages still lag substantially behind those of men, this is an especially crucial set of skills,” she says. Roughly 20 students attended the event, including a small cluster of males. Sophomore Danielle Heumegni ’15 says that she chose to attend the workshop to gain more knowledge about how to effectively negotiate a salary and to ensure fair treatment in the workplace. “I want to know my rights and be treated with respect,” she says. Senior Jessica Figueroa ’13 related as well. Being equipped with the knowledge of how women can negotiate their salary is extremely powerful, she says. “I want to see how much I can learn from these independent, professional women,” she says. n
“The College of Mount Saint Vincent is proud to have earned the support of the National Science Foundation. These grants are immensely competitive. This one will enable the College to offer its nationally-recognized programs in the natural sciences to even more talented and deserving students,” says President Charles L. Flynn. “We have a longstanding history of producing standout graduates in STEM fields, and this grant, applied in conjunction with the Scholars-on-Track program, will enable us to expand on this tradition.” Scholars-on-Track promotes achievement in the fields of biology, chemistry, and biochemistry. The program is outlined and measured by goals, including advancement of academic performance, degree completion, and opportunities available post-graduation. Director of the Division of Natural Sciences and Professor of Biology Patricia Grove developed the proposal and will serve as principal investigator of the grant. “In developing my activities to present for the proposal, I was able to broaden the College’s impact on the scientific world,” says Dr. Grove. “These activities caught the eyes of the review panel at the NSF, making the Scholars-on-Track Program possible. Now students not only receive an outstanding opportunity, but also the student support from the entire College community, all thanks to the hard work of the members of the science department,” she says. Associate Professor of Chemistry and Co-Principal Investigator Pamela Kerrigan will help run the Scholarson-Track program. Dr. Kerrigan will assist in the selection of the scholars and the development of the freshman seminar course. She will also help train the scholars as peer tutors, and supervise their summer research experiences. “I think we will attract very successful students to our program and increase our visibility as an excellent science program,” says Dr. Kerrigan. “This grant will give students more opportunities to do undergraduate research and become involved in other professional activities that they might not otherwise be able to do, such as attending national and regional scientific meetings,” she says.
By Erin Walsh
come, he jumped at the opportunity and began applying to local schools with strong science programs. He applied to the College of Mount Saint Vincent and Lehman College, and decided to attend the Mount. Mr. Ugorji looked through a stack of business cards that he kept, and found the card from Dr. Flynn in the pile. or many people, being stuck at an unfamiliar airport as a result of a delayed flight is a cause for annoyance, frustration, or anxiety.
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But for College of Mount Saint Vincent graduate Rex Ugorji ’07, being delayed in the Denver airport terminal led to a fortuitous encounter that would change his life forever. The American-born, Nigerian-raised Mr. Ugorji was attending Kings College, a private college in Manhattan, at the time, slowly earning his associate’s degree, while also working full-time at a record store in Jamaica, Queens. Given his religious upbringing in Nigeria and longstanding commitment to service, he would frequently travel and deliver motivational speeches on behalf of Kings College to high school students. “On one of those trips, we had a bit of delay in the airport (in 2002 or 2003),” he says. “Dr. Flynn was sitting next to me, and I said ‘Hi,’ and I introduced myself, and he asked me what I was doing, gave me his card, and said to think about applying to my College.” Given the length of time—three years—that it was taking him to earn an associate’s degree, Mr. Ugorji had all but given up on his dreams of earning a medical degree. In addition to working and studying full-time he was also supporting his older sister while they lived together and she earned a medical degree at SUNY Downstate, as his family could only afford to fund one sibling’s education. Still, he could never quite quell the desire to help others through medicine. “Kings College organized trips to Ethiopia, and one of the kids fell sick,” he says. “I realized that I could be of so much more help as a physician— no matter how long it took, or what it took.” When an opportunity arose through a family friend who is a bishop in New York to purchase a reasonably-priced property in Yonkers, in which he could live while earning rental in-
“I was thinking, what are the odds that this would happen? CMSV accepted all my credits and offered me a $5,000 merit scholarship.” He enrolled in biology, chemistry, and calculus classes during his first semester, and had an 8:30 a.m. class his first day. “They had just installed the new biology lab, and Dr. Flynn was walking out,” he says. “I said, “You remember me? He said that I should come by and visit him from time to time, which I did.” Mr. Ugorji has fond memories of Dr. Patricia Grove, Dr. Felix Bocchino, Dr. James Fabrizio, Dr. Pamela Kerrigan, and Dr. Mary Edward Zipf, S.C., whom he remembers as the “Flying Nun,” all professors in the Division of Natural Sciences. He began medical school in 2009 at Albert Einstein School of Medicine, and is now completing his coursework and interviewing for extremely competitive residencies in dermatology and radiology, his two passions. Mr. Ugorji became interested in radiology due to his love of anatomy, which started with Dr. Bocchino’s class. At Einstein, he was nominated by peers to be an anatomy tutor for first-year students. In his third year, while completing clinicals, he discovered that radiology is very focused on anatomy, which cemented his love for the field.
His passion for dermatology arose when he was offered a scholarship from the American Academy of Dermatology, which allowed him to complete a month-long mentorship program with a dermatologist at Mt. Sinai and in his private practice. “What I liked about (dermatology) was that you were treating both kids and adults, and could pursue so many different paths,” he says. “That one month completely opened my eyes.” Mr. Ugorji hopes to fill a void in the predominately Caucasian-dominated field of dermatology. In addition, he could also lend his expertise to Africa, “the continent where I spent most of my life,” where there is a noticeable shortage of dermatologists, he says. He is currently interviewing with nearly 30 esteemed medical institutions, including Johns Hopkins University, Mayo Clinic, Emory University, Columbia University, University of Rochester, Albert Einstein, Stony Brook University, and University of Texas, San Antonio, to determine where he will complete his residency. Whether Mr. Ugorji completes a residency in radiology or dermatology, it’s a win-win, he says. “When I came to medical school, there were very few African-American males in medical school, 2.6 percent,” he says. “The graduating class (for medical students) nationwide is 20,000; black males make up 400-some. It bothers me—what can I do in my lifetime to bring about change? I would like to get more African-American males to graduate from medical school.” With Mr. Ugorji’s determination and talent, there’s no doubt that he will effect positive change in the field of medicine. n
CORRECTIONS TO THE 2011-2012 ANNUAL REPORT: The College deeply regrets that the following individuals were incorrectly listed as deceased in the Class Notes section of the 2011-12 Annual Report: Theresa Cullinan, Class of 1989 Miriam Kevin Phillips, S.C. In addition, the gift made by Doris Laffan ’47 in memory of Catherine Sherry, S.C. ’47 was erroneously omitted from the 2011-12 Annual Report. The College of Mount Saint Vincent sincerely apologizes for these errors. Winter 2013 7
MOUNT ROUNDTABLE
FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS
EVOLUTION OF A CLASSIC
Facultynews & notes
Continued from page 1
faculty members Dr. Sarah Stevenson, Associate Professor of English, and Dr. Daniel Amarante, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, discuss why a liberal arts education is still the best investment that can be made in one’s future. Q: Why is a liberal arts education still the best preparation for life? SS: In spite of many colleges moving towards professionalization and specialization in education, and politicians’ demands for more ‘efficiency’ in education, the liberal arts is still indeed the best preparation for life, both in terms of preparation for a career and for the rest of who you are (as a family member, friend, citizen of the world, thinking being). DA: Liberal arts education is still the best preparation for someone’s life because this provides students with the skills (just to name a few: communication, analytical, computer skills) needed to successfully navigate within rapidly changing business, economics, and scientific realities. Q: How does pursuing a classic liberal arts education prepare students for a wide variety of careers, as opposed to studying a narrow field? SS: In terms of preparing you for a career, it is particularly important to note that it is a rare 18 year old who can pinpoint exactly what he or she will do as a career track, predict the twists and turns that a career will take, and predict what specific skills he or she will need to achieve them. A specific set of practical skills may or may not turn out to be applicable to the actual trajectory of a career. If a student instead acquires the key tools of a liberal arts education—analytical skills, critical thinking skills, and communication skills—he or she will be able to apply those, no matter the path that his or her career takes. Even if a student knows exactly what career path he or she wishes to pursue, and pursues it, as he or she climbs the ladder of a field, more and more liberal arts skills are put into play. An English teacher might not seem to need much in the way of quantitative reasoning, but once she is promoted to principal, suddenly she has budgets to balance. A future nurse might not think his writing matters, but once promoted to supervi8 Winter 2013
sor, he or she might be writing reports, grant applications, and even research studies. The importance of ethical reasoning skills, and the deep engagement with the common humanity of our world, and our fellow beings, is one that transcends subject matter, and, through the liberal arts, students learn to draw connections that will assist them in becoming more profoundly engaged humans. Outside of our jobs, we need to be able to engage in the wider concerns of humanity — and my being an English Professor doesn't excuse me from understanding the basic numerical facts of the economic crisis, or the fundamental science behind global warming, to name only a few. DA: Supervisors are required to have excellent communication, teamwork, and leadership skills to motivate a diverse workplace, which a liberal arts education will help provide. There is much debate about particular college majors that are losing popularity among students due to the current job market in those fields. However, there is a growing demand for doctors, scientists, nurses, teachers, computer programmers, and engineers, all of which are rooted in the liberal arts. Q: How does a well-rounded liberal arts educa-
tion permit the quick acquisition of job-specific skills? SS: The ability to reason well and to write clearly are two of the most important elements that are emphasized in a liberal arts education, and, not coincidently, are two of the most important elements that employers are seeking in job candidates. DA: If you teach students one trade, that skill might be obsolete in a few years. But if you teach people how to think and look at lots of information and connect dots—all skills that a classic liberal education gives you—you will thrive. Q: How do you respond to skeptics who say that a liberal arts degree is no longer practical, in a difficult economy, when jobs are scarce? SS: I would respond by saying that, especially in a bad economy, merely training yourself for a specific job is no longer practical, since it limits your job search in significant ways. DA: A liberal arts education is designed to provide a comprehensive foundation for many careers, rather than specialized training in a career field. Many employers respect the core skills that a liberal arts education cultivates: problem-solving, critical analysis, communication, and teamwork.
ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS DR. DANIEL AMARANTE
DR. SARAH STEVENSON
Dr. Amarante graduated from St. John’s University with a B.S. in chemistry and a minor in mathematics and physics, before earning his Ph.D. in chemistry with an emphasis in inorganic chemistry and x-ray crystallography from Stony Brook University. He has published three peer-reviewed journal articles and two pending publications in inorganic and medicinal chemistry. In 2012, Dr. Amarante received a Hamilton Syringe Grant that entitles the Division of Natural Sciences to new equipment for research and teaching purposes. He has introduced new courses at the College in bioinorganic chemistry and meteorology. This past fall, Dr. Amarante introduced the dual B.A./Pharm.D. accelerated program with the University of Saint Joseph (Hartford, CT) at the Mount.
Dr. Sarah Stevenson is an Associate Professor of English at the College of Mount Saint Vincent. She is the Director of the College's Core Curriculum and the First Year Experience program (FYE). She recently oversaw major revisions in both of these programs, and also implemented a new and vibrant Freshman Seminar program at the College. Her academic interests focus on modern drama and the work of women playwrights. She is a frequent presenter at the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE). She is a Board Member of the American Theatre and Drama Society (ATDS). Dr. Stevenson holds a B.A. in Literature from Harvard University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in English Language and Literature from New York University.
Richard Barnet (Acting Chair and Associate Professor of Fine Arts) had three sculptures displayed at Art 101 in Brooklyn, N.Y. as of March. He exhibited two sculptures at the Class of 1962’s Art Show at the 50th Yale College Class Reunion at Yale from May to June. He had four sculptures on exhibit at the Annual Art Show at Christ Church in Riverdale, N.Y. in June. He had one sculpture on exhibit at Netherfield Fine Art in New Hope, Pa. from June to September. His sculpture, Portrait of Somebody, was on exhibit at the 2012 Annual Instructors Exhibition at The Art Students League of New York in September. He has a sculpture in the Sideshow Gallery in Brooklyn, as well as a sculpture in the show GO FIGURE, which will open at the Greenhut Gallery in Portland, Maine in April. Images of his sculptures and drawings can be viewed online at newyorkartworld.com. Alfred D’Anca (Chair and Associate Professor of Sociology) presented Shame and Criminal Justice: A Road Less Traveled, at the annual conference of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists in October. Brad Crownover (Assistant Professor of Communication) appeared as Telegin in the play Uncle Vanya in Cahill Theater at the College of Mount Vincent in November. James Fabrizio (Associate Professor of Biology) and his Mount student researchers Nour Aqeel ’10, Yolisept Bencosme ’15, Joy Cote ’12, Joshian Estevez ’11, Mary Jongoy ’12, Vanie Mangal ’12, Ashley Rivera ’13, Winnie Tema ’12, and Jerrica Wnukowski ’13 published their original article “mulet (mlt) encodes a tubulinbinding cofactor E-like homolog required for spermatid individualization in Drosophila melanogaster,” in the October – December issue of the Landes Bioscience Journal Fly. The research centered on a study identifying mulet, a gene required for late-stage sperm development, as the gene for the Tubulin-binding cofactor Elike (TBCE-like) protein. Since TBCE-like destroys microtubules, this work suggests that the removal of microtubules by TBCE-like is necessary for proper sperm development. Enrico Giordano (Associate Professor of Fine Arts) had 17 paintings and works on paper in an exhibition at the Blue Hill Corporate Gallery in Pearl River, N.Y. from June to August. Three of his works of art will also be
featured as part of the set design for an upcoming film, as yet untitled, staring Catherine Keener and Mark Ruffalo, which will be released early next year. Sabine Heinlein’s (Adjunct Instructor, English) narrative nonfiction book Among Murderers: Life After Prison, will be published by the University of California Press in March 2013. Andrea Minei (Assistant Professor of Chemistry) has been published in the Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy for the article “Singular value decomposition based broadband microwave spectroscopy of 1H, 2H-perfluorocyclobutane,” with co-author Assistant Professor of Chemistry Stephen Cooke of SUNY. Victor A. Miroshnikov (Assistant Professor of Mathematics) delivered a lecture on “Spatiotemporal cascades of the Poiseuille-Hagen flow in invariant elliptic structures” at the 64th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society (APS) Division of Fluid Dynamics on November 21, 2011 in Baltimore, Md., which was published in Bulletin of the APS. These and other results were published in the paper “Dual perturbations of the Poiseuille-Hagen flow in invariant elliptic structures” in the Journal of Advances and Applications in Fluid Dynamics. He also organized a session in Applied Mathematics at the XIX Hudson River Undergraduate Mathematics Conference (HRUMC) on April 21, 2012 at Western New England University in Springfield, Mass., where he made a presentation on the development of courses in Computational Mathematics titled, “Existence of invariant elliptic structures and their application to conservative dynamical systems.” Abstracts of this presentation were published in Abstracts of the XIX Annual HRUMC. In addition, he reviewed three papers for the journal Mathematical Reviews of the American Mathematical Society in the 2011-2012 academic year. Omar Nagi (Associate Professor of Sociology) co-authored the article, “Why Enough Is Not Enough: Toward a General Theory of Crime in the High Suites by Integration of Sociological and Catholic Social Perspectives,” with Chair and Associate Professor of Sociology Alfred D’Anca, which was published in the Catholic Social Science Review. Tracy Prout (Assistant Professor of Psychol-
ogy) presented the poster “Coming in Contact: The Power of Experiential Learning to Shape Student Perceptions of Mental Illness,” at the New England Conference for Teachers of Psychology in October. She is co-authoring the textbook Essential Interviewing & Counseling Skills: An Integrated Approach to Practice with Melanie Wadkins, Ph.D. of Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, slated for publication by Springer Publishing in January 2014. Ron Scapp (Professor of Teacher Education) was elected president of the National Association for Ethnic Studies after serving for 10 months as interim president. He was named editor of the Ethnic Studies Review this fall. He has been named the 2012 recipient of the Charles C. Irby Award for outstanding scholarship and service in the field of ethnic science. In addition, he is currently working with the Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Brooklyn on a project that will include a conference on urban education. He is editing Living With Class: Philosophical Reflections on Identity and Material Culture (forthcoming Palgrave/Macmillan, 2013), and he has been invited as a speaker at the 42nd Annual Frank Church Symposium, along with Dr. Anthony Lake, former national security advisor to President Clinton, and Oscar Arias, Nobel Peace laureate and former president of Costa Rica. Michelle Scollo (Assistant Professor of Communication) received the National Communication Association (NCA) Outstanding Publication Award for Language and Social Interaction Scholarship for her article “Cultural Approaches to Discourse Analysis: A theoretical and methodological conversation with special focus on Donal Carbaugh’s Cultural Discourse Theory,” in November. She also presented the paper titled “Antiguan Contrapuntal Conversation in Bronx, New York” at The Ethnography of Communication: Ways Forward Conference at Creigton University in June 2012, and organized and chaired a roundtable discussion for the conference entitled “Key Leaders in the Ethnography of Communication Theory and Methodology: Taking Stock and Ways Forward.” Joanne Pagano-Weber (Adjunct Instructor, Fine Arts) has a sculpture in the Sideshow Gallery in Brooklyn, N.Y. through March 2013. Winter 2013 9
A DAY IN THE LIFE
ATHLETICS
THE UNDERGROUND REVOLUTION By Erin Walsh
Ariel Pimentel ’13 and Bo Fisher ’15 (far left) with members of The Underground staff and advisor Anthony Lee (rear, far left)
The idea of an open call beyond the College for submissions, to be included beside the superb work of Mount Saint Vincent students, alums, faculty, and staff, has been the wish of the editors since The Underground’s inception... There’s a new literary star in New York. So far, her byline hasn’t appeared in The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, or The Paris Review. Yet. Her name is Ariel Pimentel ’13, and she is an English literature major and writing minor hailing from East Providence, Rhode Island. As editor-in-chief of The Underground, the Mount’s literary journal, she has made it her mission to revamp the publication and increase its frequency from a twice yearly to a quarterly publication. She has, together with faculty advisor and Assistant Professor of English Anthony Lee and co-editor Bo Fisher ’15, a sophomore English major and writing major from Columbus, Ohio, steadily revamped the publication during her four years at the Mount. “When I attended Accepted Student Day, I was handed an issue of The Underground, and knew then that I was going to be a part of the publication somehow,” she says. “When I became editor, I realized that The Underground could be 10 Winter 2013
more than a twice yearly publication. Mr. Lee had told me that, at one time, the founder of the magazine (in 2008) had a vision much like mine, an Underground that was open to the public for submissions and accepted work not only from the CMSV community, but from the world at large. My co-editor and I also decided that we wanted to re-establish ourselves as a literary journal—a periodical dedicated to literature in a broad sense.” Dr. Lee says of the revamp, “Ariel’s decision was enthusiastically welcomed by everyone on the staff. The idea of an open call beyond the College for submissions, to be included beside the superb work of Mount Saint Vincent students, alums, faculty, and staff, has been the wish of the editors since The Underground’s inception—a vision of a traditional, college literary quarterly with a slightly edgier, underground potential, a place for fine works of literature and art, and also experimentation.” Working with a staff of 10 Mount students, Ariel
and Bo have made enormous progress towards their goal of a fully realized literary journal. “The completion of that kind of project is daunting for a small staff of even the hardest working full time students,” says Mr. Lee. “What a testament to this remarkable group that they’ve brought this dream to life.” Ariel says that she is inspired by publications such as The New Yorker, and one day hopes to work in publishing or as a literary agent. Besides being published quarterly, Ariel would like to garner national recognition for The Underground within the next five years. “This fits in with my career goals, because in the publishing industry, you have to be an advocate for authors, a warrior for their cause. To get a deserving manuscript printed, bound, and into the hands of readers, you have to believe in its worth. That’s exactly how I feel about The Underground. It is an entity unto itself, and I am here to take my turn in supporting its success.”
COLLEGE OF MOUNT SAINT VINCENT SEPARATES FROM INSTITUTE FOR IMMIGRANT CONCERNS Higher education has increasingly come under criticism for the escalating costs of tuition and the ongoing need for additional government funding. Many critics have asserted that colleges should do less programmatically, and both require and deserve less funding. The recent closure of one of the College of Mount Saint Vincent’s sponsored programs, the Institute for Immigrant Concerns in Manhattan, is an example of the impact of that thinking. The Institute for Immigrant Concerns is an important organization, which fulfills a real and important need, says College of Mount Saint Vincent President Charles L. Flynn. “Its work has a significant impact on the lives of the clients that it serves—providing immigrants, asylees, and refugees with English language instruction, job placement, and other skills—to the betterment of those individuals, their families, and the New York metropolitan area,” he says. Although the mission of the Institute for Immigrant Concerns fits very well with the College’s mission, Dr. Flynn notes that its mission is not fundamental to the College’s mission, as an academically excellent, authentically inclusive, Catholic and ecumenical liberal arts college. Slashing funding comes at a price, he says, like this unavoidable but regrettable decision. “When the College agreed to have the Institute become one of its programs seven years ago, it was with the explicit necessity that the Institute fund all of its direct costs,” he says. “That has not been possible for the Institute in recent years, and the subsidies required have increased to unsustainable levels.” The College has worked with the Institute to help them address the problem of funding cutbacks. Despite efforts to reign in operating deficits and secure additional resources, cuts to the funding the Institute relied on made this impossible to achieve. “The College deeply regrets that it has arrived at this difficult juncture, but has no choice given the continued and escalating operating deficits the Institute faces,” says Dr. Flynn. “The College cannot—and should not—use undergraduate tuition to subsidize the work of the Institute. It is a painful conclusion for those who the Institute serves and for those who have made the Institute their life’s work.”
CMSV WRESTLING TEAM
SPORTS SIGNATURE MOVES IN INAUGURAL SEASON By Michael Doughty
The Men’s Wrestling Program, the newest varsity sport at the College of Mount Saint Vincent, is in full swing during its inaugural season. The Dolphins have competed in two duel matches during the first semester, posting a 1-1 record, and been involved in four tournament style events. In its first ever contest, the Mount hosted Yeshiva on November 8 and came away with an impressive 42-15 victory over the Maccabees. Four Dolphins won their bouts by pinning their opponents, with three of the four falls coming in the first minute of the matchup. During the fall semester, the Mount also appeared in the Ursinus College Fall Brawl, the New York State Collegiate Tournament hosted by Cornell University, the Bob Quade Open hosted by Centenary College, and the Long Island Open. At the New York State Collegiate Tournament, the Dolphins competed against programs at the Division I and III levels, including national powers Cornell and Binghamton. The Dolphins placed 17th at the event with studentathletes Brian Latham ’14 and Brian Slattery ’15 each recording a win. The Bob Quade Open on December 2 was a historic event for the Mount, as three Dolphins earned fourth place finishes in their respective weight classes. Nicholas Coco ’16 won three bouts in the 184 weight class, Mr. Latham won four matches at the 141 pound class, and Mr.
Members of the Wrestling Team compete against NYU.
Slattery picked up three victories in the 285 pound class. The following weekend, two additional Mount Saint Vincent wrestlers earned fourth place finishes at the Long Island Open. Vincent Lombardo ’16 earned the honor in the 149 pound division and Dan Matrazzo ’16 took fourth place in the 165 pound class after each wrestler scored a pair of victories. First year Head Coach Ryan Cooley is encouraged with what he has witnessed from the Dolphins thus far. “In our two most recent tournaments, we have had five different wrestlers place,” he says. “We look forward to building on this success in the second semester and beyond.” Mount Saint Vincent ended the first semester of competition on December 15 when it hosted Baldwin-Wallace College in its second home match of the season. In the spring semester, the Dolphins will participate in three more events, including a duel match with New York University and the first annual CMSV Invitational, a tournament the Mount is hosting on January 19, featuring nine teams, with competitions occurring on three mats simultaneously. n
– Erin Walsh
Winter 2013 11
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