ON THE BOULEVARD
SMARTER CLASSROOMS LEARNING IS ENHANCED WITH $300,000 FEDERAL GRANT In the midst of a discussion in “Principles and Foundations of Physical Education” last semester, one student brought up the brutal chariot scene from the epic film Ben-Hur to illustrate a point. Most students were unfamiliar with the movie. But since the class was held in a Saint Peter’s College Smart Classroom, Richard Petriello, Ph.D., chairman of the new health and physical education program and instructor of the course, was able to locate a clip from the film online, show it to the class, and a deeper discussion of the physiological concepts related to the film ensued. Now, more students and faculty are benefiting from Smart Classrooms. With a $300,000 appropriation from the U.S. Congress and prior support from the George I. Alden Trust, a total of 65 classrooms at the Jersey City and Englewood Cliffs campuses have been updated and modernized with telecommunications, audio and visual equipment. According to Dr. Petriello, who serves as director of the grant, the funding nearly doubled the amount of technologically advanced classrooms at the College. Additionally, another six Smart Boards, an interactive white board that supports more collaborative and dynamic lessons, have been added to Saint Peter’s classrooms and lecture halls. The grant also included Smart Board training for faculty members so they can make the most of the new learning tool. All of the new educational technology is expected to strengthen students’ abilities while equipping them with the skills needed to perform in the twenty-first century workforce. “It’s a big shot in the arm for us,” Dr. Petriello noted. “It really has enhanced teaching and learning tremendously.”
THE VICKERS CHALLENGE The College’s Charles J. Vickers ’47 and Anne B. Vickers Tissue Culture Facility has led Leonard Sciorra, Ph.D., Schuh Professor of Health and Natural Sciences, and several students to groundbreaking, non-embryonic stem cell research that has garnered the first provisional patent in College history. Additional funding is needed to continue this critical research. Vickers has issued a challenge to fellow alumni to support the project; all gifts and pledges made by June 30, 2011, to the Vickers Tissue Culture Facility will be matched up to $100,000 For more information about making a gift, contact Claudia Pope-Bayne, director of annual giving, at (201) 761-6111 or cpopebayne@spc.edu.
Rev. Edward Glynn, S.J., (left) with Mary Lou Jaroschak at the ribbon cutting ceremony for Joseph J. Jaroschak Field.
20TH ANNIVERSARY OF JOSEPH J. JAROSCHAK FIELD REMEMBERING A BENEFACTRESS The 2009–2010 academic year marked an important anniversary in the development of athletics at Saint Peter’s College: the opening of Joseph J. Jaroschak Field in Lincoln Park. Since it opened in 1990, thousands of athletes of all ages including Saint Peter’s students, high school students and recreational league participants have utilized the facility for baseball, softball, soccer and many other programs. It was all made possible by Mary Lou Jaroschak, a great supporter of Saint Peter’s athletics, who passed away on September 8, 2010. Jaroschak, who owned the East Brunswick Chateau and Roof Deck Inc. in central New Jersey, had a strong connection to Hudson County: her late husband, Joseph J. Jaroschak, was born and raised in Bayonne. The benefactress wanted to honor her husband’s memory and once said, “The development of the field is something Joe would have done. My husband would be so proud that he has been able to aid so many athletes.” Once the outdoor facility opened, Jaroschak offered continuous support to Saint Peter’s athletics by funding maintenance and upgrades, as well as a minivan to transport student-athletes and injured players. Jaroschak is survived by three nephews, two nieces and many great-nieces and great-nephews.
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