On The Green Winter 2019

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2018 will be a year the College will never forget and there is still much to celebrate in 2019.

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President

RICHARD A. LEVAO Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement

NICOLE QUINN Director of Major Gift Development and Advancement Services

CELEBRATION Time!

RICH BASLER Director of Institutional Communications and Campaign Marketing

ALICIA COOK Development Associate

VINCE FAY Office Manager

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Development Coordinator

PATRICK VERA Managing Director of the Westminster Arts Center

NICHOLAS VON HAGEL

he new year is a great time to reflect on the past year at Bloomfield College. It was an extraordinary time for the College as it celebrated its sesquicentennial, earned top state and national rankings, announced new areas on campus, welcomed a number of notable guests, and hosted its 150th Anniversary black tie gala. You will read all about the aforementioned in the following pages.

As many of you know, after 16 years, I have announced my retirement. The 146th Commencement will be my last as President of Bloomfield College. I am filled with great pride as the College’s endowment has more than doubled and has seen a successful capital campaign during my tenure. The College has also become a nationally recognized institution, ranking among the most effective minority serving institutions in the social mobility of its graduates.

In the last few years, new programs have been started, including master degree programs in fine arts, accounting, and education. Buildings, such as the Franklin Street Residence Hall, have been constructed.

I’m very fortunate to have been able to serve such an important cause as Bloomfield College

Bloomfield College Board of Trustees WILLIAM H. TURNER, III, CHAIR JOHN J. DELUCCA ’66, VICE CHAIR JOANNE T. MARREN, ESQ. SECRETARY JIM AXELROD HECTOR O. BANEGAS, CTFA MELISSA BASTAN DR. NICHOLAS CARLOZZI JACQUELINE COLGAN GEOFFREY M. CONNOR, ESQ. CARMEN AMALIA CORRALES, ESQ. BRIAN F. DORAN, ESQ. VERNON M. ENDO JOSEAN FERNANDEZ ’06, CAIA JAMES R. GILLEN STEPHEN A. GLASSER CAROLYN ROBERSON GLYNN ’69 SANDRA L. GONZALEZ, ESQ. DR. MAUREEN C. GRANT EDWARD C. HEFTMAN ’67 NANCY L. LANE STEPHANIE LAWSON-MUHAMMAD CRAIG B. LINDSAY ’76 ALISA C. NORRIS JOHN PANAGAKIS ’85, CEBS, CHFC SANFORD B. PRATER GLENN M. REITER, ESQ. DR. STEVEN M. ROSE DR. ADRIAN A. SHELBY H ’98 LARRY I. SILLS JOHN B. SKOWRONSKI ’91 ADEBOLA A. TAIWO ’09 HANK UBEROI NANCY H. VAN DUYNE JOEL M. WEINER ’66, ESQ. THOMAS N. WILFRID, PH.D. EMERITI BERNARD S. BERKOWITZ, ESQ. ROSEMARY T. IVERSEN JAMES C. KELLOGG (IN MEMORIAM) L. DONALD LATORRE (IN MEMORIAM) DR. MARTIN MCKERROW H ’15 DR. P. HENRY MUELLER, H ’91 (IN MEMORIAM) PETER A. OLSON DR. RICHARD A. POLLACK H ’99 (IN MEMORIAM) ALICE W. PRICE

and to have had the help and friendship of dedicated Board members, staff, and faculty.

2018 will be a year the College will never forget and there will be much to celebrate in 2019.

Sincerely,

973-748-9000 / ext. 1293

www.bloomfield.edu alumni.bloomfield.edu On The Green is published by the Office of Institutional Advancement, 68 Oakland Avenue, Bloomfield, N.J. 07003 Photography: Alicia Cook, Roy Groething, Gladstone Harris and Mike Kubel Author: Alicia Cook Design: Eric Miller + Associates Printing: Garrison Printing Company

Richard A. Levao PRESIDENT BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE

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Over $650,000 in proceeds was raised for scholarships, making it the largest fundraising event in the College’s history

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Newsroom New Partnerships, esports, rankings, and awards announced

Our Donors Meet the O’Kane family

Events Carlozzi Commons, Bestfoods Educational Foundation, and alumni events

Trustees Two new Trustees join the Board

Athletics Go, Bears!

A New Look!

Renovations on the Westminster Arts Center, Student Financial Services, and Dining Hall

The BCAA Remembering Rev. Ernie Kosa ’45

Class Notes

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The College celebrated its 150th Anniversary

In Memoriam Remembering Paula Craig ’94

In Memoriam Remembering L. Donald LaTorre

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THE BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE SESQUICENTENNIAL GALA WAS HELD ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1.

IT WAS AN AMAZING EVENING THAT BROUGHT TOGETHER MUCH OF THE BLOOMFIELD COLLEGE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS NEW FRIENDS. WE ARE HAPPY TO REPORT THAT OVER $650,000 IN NET PROCEEDS WAS RAISED TOWARD STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS, MAKING THE BLACK-TIE CELEBRATION THE LARGEST FUNDRAISING EVENT IN THE COLLEGE’S 150-YEAR HISTORY.

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ala honorees Jeh C. Johnson (Hon. ’12), former Secretary of Homeland Security, and Bill Whitaker, of 60 Minutes and CBS News, received Presidential Medals of Excellence from President Richard A. Levao. Governor Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy were the evening’s honorary chairs.

“Work hard. You’ve been given this opportunity, this education: take it. There’s one thing people can’t take away from you, and that’s what is in your head, your knowledge. Once you leave Bloomfield College, never take ‘no’ for an answer. Don’t let anyone take away your dreams. Take this education and your dreams, and go out and change the world.”

Chairman of the Board, William H. Turner, shared the news that a scholarship was established in honor of President Levao’s upcoming retirement, after serving nearly 16 years as President. Live music played all night as Trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends of the College dined, danced, and celebrated this major milestone for the College.

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B I L L W H I T A K E R , CBS News, Gala Honoree

CBS’ Jim Axelrod, a member of the College’s Board of Trustees, served as Master of Ceremonies. Trustee Jacquie Colgan acted as Gala Chair.

One full year of 150th Anniversary events was hosted by the College, thanks to the College’s 150th Anniversary Committee, chaired by Trustees Rosemary Iversen and John Skowronski ’91, culminating in an evening the College will never forget.

We want to thank everyone who was a part of this special event. Guests, supporters, and sponsors made the evening what it was: unforgettable and life-changing for Bloomfield College students. n

R I C H A R D A . L E V A O , President

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“I can’t tell you how proud I am to have been a part of this institution.”

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“The entire mission of Bloomfield College is to provide access to people who aren’t starting out at the same place as some more fortunate. Bill Whitaker is one of our country’s most distinguished broadcast journalists. He made his reputation and reached his position at the top of his profession based on hard work, character, decency, and class. These are all qualities that the people of Bloomfield College possess. There’s a campus full of people walking around with the

qualities of someone like Bill Whitaker, they just need the chance to unlock their full potential.”

J I M A X E L R O D , CBS News, Bloomfield College Trustee

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lumni Reunion and Homecoming was held on Saturday, October 13, 2018.

A true celebration of the Bloomfield College Alumni community, the day began with an alumni baseball game and a breakfast and presentation on the 1868 Legacy Society.

The event went into full swing around noon, with hours of live music and festive food. Alumni reconnected with former classmates, took a nostalgic walk through campus, posed for pictures with Deacon the Bear, and checked out yearbooks from varying years.

The College recognized alumni in the milestone-year classes of 2008, 1993, and 1968 at a special pinning ceremony.

“Bloomfield College gave me the opportunity to work with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds, and at a time that the College was changing so much, it was a rich experience. I wanted to spread my wings and those wings began to fly at Bloomfield College,” shared Marilyn Dunning ’68, who dedicated much of her time over the summer to help plan her 50th reunion. “By attending this school, I was able to open new doors in my life I may not have if it weren’t for Bloomfield College.”

The day brought together Bloomfield students past, present, and future, making for an unforgettable afternoon on the College’s campus.

Class of 1968 Scholarship

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A very special moment of Homecoming was all thanks to the Class of 1968. Upon graduation, members of the class bought IBM stock. After 50 years, what began as a couple of shares of the stock has turned into $8,500. Bob Senior ’68 graciously matched that amount. This motivated additional giving from classmates, Kim Bowman (daughter of Aileen Bowman), John Donaldson, Marilyn Dunning, Daniel Favara, Marilyn Fischer, Pegeen Mendizabal, Cheryl Mensing, Oscar Perry, Margaret Sherman, and Dolores Trimiew. Their commitment to the future alumni of Bloomfield College has resulted in a scholarship for students at the College. n

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South Africa STUDENTS EXPERIENCE

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n July 11, 2018, two Bloomfield College seniors, Armani Figueroa-Richardson and Andrea Montes, traveled to Grahamstown, South Africa to work with Inkululeko learners and leadership.

They are the first students from Bloomfield College to join Inkululeko in South Africa. The trip is a collaboration between Bloomfield College, Inkululeko, and Global Youth Connect.

Guiding them on this 12-day journey abroad was Jason Torreano, founder and Executive Director of Inkululeko, an organization that

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serves motivated South African township youth with finishing high school and moving onto university. In his role at Inkululeko, he developed mutually beneficial collaborations with entities around the world, including U.S. colleges and universities.

“I always tell students that the person who steps off the plane is not the same person who returns. This trip profoundly changes people,” said Torreano. “Bloomfield College students, in particular, will be able to draw direct parallels between their lives in New Jersey and the lives of those 8,000 miles away,” said Torreano.

During their time in South Africa, Figueroa-Richardson, a broadcast journalism major, and Montes, a nursing student, visited different NGOs and spoke to NGO leaders about the opportunities and challenges present in the small Eastern Cape community; learned isiXhosa, one of South Africa’s 11 official

languages; toured Grahamstown with local residents where they met local entrepreneurs, local athletes, and local musicians; and engaged in discussions around education and equity, and how each play a role in post-apartheid South Africa.

“During this trip to South Africa, I gained educational growth and personal growth. I feel as though coming back from South Africa, being able to somewhat live another person’s reality for just a short amount of time taught me a lot,” expressed Figueroa-Richardson. “Going on this trip showed me things about others, but also myself as well. I know for sure, this trip made me a better person.”

Figueroa-Richardson put her writing, interviewing, filming, and editing skills to the test by profiling two South African students while abroad.

“I learned more about South Africa’s culture and their people. Learning about other cultures is important to become a culturally competent nurse,” stated Montes. “I hope I am able to inspire others to learn more about health and education.”

This trip was made possible by the generous giving of Bloomfield College donors, Mary and Brad Delamielleure (pictured above left). On October 3, a special reception was held at Bloomfield College that brought together the Delamielleure family and the students.

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Bloomfield College and Hillside Create Scholarship n Friday, August 24, the Mayor of Hillside and the Administration of Bloomfield College kicked off the Township of Hillside and Bloomfield College Scholarship Program. Each year it will provide four scholarship levels to the students of Hillside who plan to enroll at Bloomfield College ranging from 33% tuition coverage to 80%.

“It is my honor, as Mayor of Hillside, to be in partnership with such great people and a wonderful institution like Bloomfield College,” said Mayor Dahlia Vertreese.

President Levao, the College’s vice presidents, and Mayor Vertreese were joined by Hillside’s first recipient of the scholarship, by members of both communities, as well as alumni from the College, to celebrate this partnership, which was first announced in June.

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High School, who is now a freshman at Bloomfield College, received a special surprise at his high school graduation when Mayor Vertreese presented him with a $10,000 per year scholarship to attend Bloomfield College.

“Getting this scholarship was a dream come true,” said Vincent.

A former educator and school board member, Vertreese has been working with the Bloomfield College leadership team, specifically Richard Levao, President, and Dr. Patrick Lamy, Vice President of Student Affairs, since the beginning of her administration to ensure that the scholarship program could begin with the graduating class of 2018.

“Bloomfield College has been around for 150 years, and our mission has remained the same,” said President Levao. “What we hope to train are people who are committed to social justice, financial justice, and opportunity and access to education for people of all backgrounds. We are delighted to be here today.”

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ESPORTS comes to Bloomfield College

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loomfield College has entered the exciting world of Esports. Beginning with a soft launch in January, the College will launch an Esports program led by Student Affairs and Athletics. Bloomfield College will become a member of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), the governing body for Esports.

Funding for the new program was made possible by the generosity of Bloomfield College Trustee Joanne Marren.

Marren, who serves as Board Secretary and joined the Board in 2013, has also established the Therese V. Marren Endowed Scholarship Fund in memory of her mother, and has supported other campus initiatives, including assisting the marketing department.

“We are extremely excited about the introduction of Esports at the College,” said Dr. Patrick Lamy, Vice President for Student Affairs. “This program will not only enrich campus life, but also attract a new population of gamers to our institution and our Game Design program. We look forward to the official launching in spring 2019.”

A position on the Esports roster will be competitively available to all interested students, both incoming and returning. Among other qualifications that will be announced shortly, students on the roster must meet eligibility requirements including full-time enrollment, and progress toward degree requirements. Tryouts will be announced at a later date.

Through participating in competitive Esports teams, students learn the same skills as other sports, including leadership, communication, perseverance, and determination. Bloomfield College’s Esports program will include three teams consisting of up to six players per team. The teams will share a head coach and assistant coach, and the teams will compete with teams at other institutions. The College also plans to partner with high schools that have Esports programs, making scholarship opportunities likely in the near future.

“I am thrilled Bloomfield College will now add Esports to our athletic programs,” shared Athletic Director Sheila Wooten. “We have identified Esports as an untapped area of student interest and, with our high-ranking Creative Arts & Technology academic program, it was a natural fit.”

The addition of an Esports program is intended to promote a holistic approach to the college experience, while attracting students who possess skills including critical thinking, problem solving, and teamwork, which are transferable to success in the classroom and workforce.

If you are interested in learning more about Esports at Bloomfield College, please email Student Affairs at saffairs@bloomfield.edu.

Bloomfield College President Delivers WTA Keynote Address in Vietnam

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loomfield College President Richard A. Levao delivered the keynote address to the World Technopolis Association (WTA), a non-governmental partner of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) at its annual meeting in October, held in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. President Levao was named president of the University Presidents’ WTA last winter.

The WTA has 105 members from 47 countries, consisting of research universities, colleges, municipal governments, and development agencies around the world including Brazil, Canada, China, Korea, Vietnam, Australia, India, France, Germany, Italy, and others. President Levao previously served as Chair of the College and University Presidents Council of the Association and has also delivered the keynote addresses at the WTA Conferences in South Korea and Indonesia.

“It took 200,000 years for the world’s human population to reach 1 billion,” he said. “It only took another 200 years to reach 7 billion.”

His keynote address, which was simultaneously

translated into multiple languages, stressed the speed at which urbanization is occurring, with the majority of the world’s population living in cities only since 2009. His remarks focused on the growing need for modern “Smart City” technology in city planning and delivery of critical services, including medical, transportation, food, water, environmentally safe production, waste disposal and other concerns. He also noted the strain on global resources due to human population growth, an issue which has greatly accelerated in recent times.

“We must not repeat the damage that heavy handed and massive redevelopment caused in

New York City in mid-century through the excesses of central, unchecked redevelopment authorities,” he said, emphasizing that Smart Cities must recognize the need to develop in consonance with traditional cultural norms and to respect dynamic and intellectually stimulating neighborhoods and social organizations.

Joining President Levao was Peter Jeong, Vice President of Global Programs & Professional Studies at Bloomfield College. They traveled to Vietnam, China, and South Korea to inform the groups of Bloomfield College’s International programs.

Delta Phi Chi: Still Celebrating 50 Years Later

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onned in Santa hats, antlers, and red and green, upwards of 25 brothers and one sister of Delta Phi Chi Fraternity reunite the second Sunday of each December, this year at Bistro 18 in Montclair, to celebrate the holidays together.

Everyone brings scratch-off lottery tickets for prizes as Frank Corrado ’69 hosts both Christmas trivia and 1960’s trivia. They laugh over their answers while music they grew up listening to plays in the background.

“We tell the same stories over and over again from the old days and still

laugh at them like we never heard them before,” said Corrado, who served as Captain and Coach of the Delta Phi Chi Fraternity Football team, which went undefeated and unscored upon for three years. “We truly feel a sense of brotherhood and love each other.”

Throughout the year, members spanning across many states including New Jersey, California, Texas, Arizona, Florida and Washington D.C., stay in touch and meet for dinner. The members’ spouses and partners have gotten close over the years as well. They’ve attended one another’s surprise birthday parties, most notably a string of surprise 70th birthdays over the last two years, and every July they attend a Yankee game.

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On The Green Wins Top Award Two Years in a Row n The Green, the Bloomfield College alumni magazine, has once again earned a Platinum award in the MarCom Awards, the competition’s highest honor. The College was recognized for the 2018 summer issue of On The Green.

“This is an achievement of great pride for the Office of Institutional Advancement,” said Nicole Quinn, Interim Vice President for Intuitional Advancement. “This award doesn’t only pay homage and recognize the great work of the strong creative team that authored, designed, and photographed the issue, but it’s also a recognition of Bloomfield College’s great students, alumni, donors, and Trustees, and their compelling stories.”

The magazine was written by Alicia Cook, Director of Institutional Communications and Campaign Marketing at the College, and designed

by Eric Miller, of Eric Miller + Associates. Roy Groething took the majority of the professional photography.

The Platinum award is garnered by only those entries that meet the exceptional standards for quality, creativity and resourcefulness set by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals judging panel. Only approximately 17 percent of over 6,500 entries this year were selected as Platinum winners.

The MarCom Awards is a prestigious international competition that recognizes outstanding achievement in marketing and communication. Entries came from throughout the United States, Canada, and 20 other countries in the 2018 competition, which bestowed the prestigious MarCom statuette on some of the world’s top businesses and communication firms, and higher education institutions.

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Media Center Displays ach season, there is a new display in the media center.

In October, “Read the Book, See the Film, Know the Difference” was designed by Michael Kurrier, Assistant Library Cataloger, who meticulously paired book covers with its associated media, as well as explanatory labels where they were needed.

“I have been fascinated by the process of the adaption of literary texts to film for most of my life,” shared Kurrier, who does most of the book and media cataloging in the Bloomfield College library.

“I have seen that our collection here has come to contain quite a number of these adaptations — films based not only on novels, but also plays, poems, and even comic books and their characters.”

Kurrier believes this wide variety of adaptation is done frequently aside from the entertainment component, it aids in the learning process as many are “visual learners” and a visual interpretation can further one’s understanding of a text.

“What I like especially about the exhibit is that it brings two modalities of information delivery, text and media, together,” expressed Barbara Isacson, Director of the Media Center Once conceptualized by Kurrier, Media Center student employees Nicole Ramos and Milka Ramos-Gallo dove right into the process and created an attractive and eye-catching show sure to interest all Bloomfield College library patrons.

“This has been a memorable experience all together. This beautiful display shows the contribution between mentor and students, such as is the movies from the books,” said Nicole Ramos. “It is important to never judge a book by its movie, because most of the time the movies leave out important information such as character development or important events. It is surprising to see how well each movie reminds you of each book and it gives me a feeling of completeness in seeing a beloved book brought to life.”

“I really enjoyed being able to work on the exhibit because it gave me a chance to work together with my peers and see the full extent of what the library can offer along with the media center,” said Milka Ramos-Gallo. “Not only does it show how each movie has a book to accompany it, but it also shows that the library has more than enough resources to meet each student’s needs.”

For those interested in viewing the seasonal displays, please visit the lower level of the Library.

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Trustee Featured in Hispanic Executive

Student’s Story Featured on NPR

n October, Josean Fernandez '06, alumnus and Trustee, was interviewed and featured in Hispanic Executive, a magazine that shines a spotlight on business’s most influential Latinos.

“Latinos are often naturally engaging and relationship driven,” he said in the interview. “In a world where emotional intelligence is at an all-time low and effective communicators are seemingly harder to find, Latinos should channel their natural communication style. It is in demand.”

In the piece, Fernandez discusses his journey from Puerto Rico to the United States, his career with OppenheimerFunds where he oversees partnerships with global private banks whose accounts invest billions of dollars in assets with the firm, and why he believes intelligence and talent are not fixed traits, but rather something that can be developed over time.

“Bloomfield College gave me the opportunity to be great,” Fernandez said following the release of the magazine. “The College is a very diverse institution, and that’s what makes it special. I wanted to bring diversity and my experience to the Board. Bloomfield College is a place that I love that was good to me, it was important to me to give back.”

You can read the full article here: www. hispanicexecutive.com/2018/josean-fernandez-oppenheimerfunds/

loria Rodriguez’s journey to Bloomfield College was celebrated by Governor Phil Murphy in the State of the State Address on Tuesday, January 15.

“Gloria Rodriguez, from Orange, is now attending Bloomfield College, where she is a member of the honors college. She’s studying to become a special education teacher,” said Gov. Murphy, around the 43-minute mark of his address. “Gloria represents the promise and spirit of our DREAMers, and is with us today — I cannot wait to see her achieve her dream.”

Rodriguez shared her experience as an undocumented student with NPR in December.

According to NPR, “when Governor Murphy signed a law in May giving undocumented immigrant students access to state financial aid for college, Rodriguez was prepared. The 22-year-old had been working toward this moment for nearly a decade — about the same time it had taken the law’s supporters to get the bill passed.”

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West Caldwell Tech High School and is currently enrolled in the Honors Program at Bloomfield College. She attended Essex Community College and applied last spring as a transfer student at a number of four-year institutions. She was accepted to several, but did not think she could attend due to finances. Her father migrated from Puebla, Mexico 18 years ago and supports his wife and five children on roughly $30,000 a year.

Under this new New Jersey law, students can use its financial aid at both its public and private universities within the state. She successfully enrolled at Bloomfield College and aspires to be a special education teacher.

“It’s something that I know that I have the patience for,” she said in the interview.

“And I would do anything to help someone who needs my help.”

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DONORSTORY

Thank you, O’Kane Family ive years ago, Kevin O’Kane and his family were introduced to Bloomfield College through his friends Vern Endo, a member of the College’s Board of Trustees, and his wife, Joy. “My wife Meg and I were struck right away by how immediate contributing to the College’s access mission would impact the students,” shared O’Kane. “We knew giving to Bloomfield College would make a true difference and help students continue their education.”

The philanthropic O’Kane family have since established two scholarships at the College, the O’Kane Family Foundation Scholarship Fund, and the O’Kane Family Foundation Endowed Scholarship.

“As a Trustee at the College, Joy and I knew how truly remarkable this institution is. The

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O’Kane family are remarkable people,” said Trustee Endo. “We knew that if brought together, we could all accomplish amazing things and help better the lives of Bloomfield College students.”

The O’Kane family’s contribution to the College is enabling students to continue their education and earn their degrees.

“I want to sincerely thank the O’Kane Family Foundation for the scholarship I received for the 2017-2018 school year,” said Obinna Eke ’19. “I’m a single male parent that decided to go back to school as an adult. It is an honor to soon be a graduate of Bloomfield College majoring in sociology.”

“I have been going through a lot of issues in the past five years,” expressed senior Ahmadi Polk studying business. “This scholarship from the O’Kane family allows me to improve my life the best way I know how. As obstacles kept coming up, I chose to focus on my education as much as I could. This scholarship helped me achieve my goals.”

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The O’Kane family, as well as the many other families who donate to the College, are investing in students and providing a legacy for future generations. Every gift, no matter the size, can assist in keeping students enrolled in Bloomfield College.

You can make your gift by mailing back the envelope in this magazine or by visiting http://alumni.bloomfield.edu/make-a-gift.

“Kevin, Meg, and the O’Kane family are passionate about helping our students succeed.

They have been an important part of Bloomfield College’s story for five years now, and we are honored to work with them and truly grateful for their support,” said Nicole Quinn, Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement. “On behalf of the entire college community, we cannot thank them enough for their generosity and commitment to our students.” n

Your Story can leave a Legacy.

A contribution through your estate establishes your legacy and ensures generations of Bloomfield College students will receive life-changing educational opportunities.

A planned gift can make your story a lasting one. Contact the Office of Institutional Advancement for more information about how you can include Bloomfield College in your estate.

(973) 748-9000 ext. 1293 Email: advancement@bloomfield.edu

CAMPUSNEWSROOM

Library Awarded Makerspace Grant

by The American Council on Education

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loomfield College has appeared in another top national recognition list on social mobility. The College has been named in “Minority Serving Institutions as Engines of Upward Mobility,” a new report by the American Council on Education (ACE). ACE, one of the most respected national centers on America’s educational institutions, has Bloomfield College as one of only five predominantly black institutions with a “high extended mobility rate.” That is, from the lowest two quintiles of wealth to the top two quintiles.

“Many Bloomfield College students are coming from the lowest economic quintiles. The College is essentially helping them move to the middle class. This will, in turn, have a profoundly positive effect on families for generations to come. That, I think, is what a higher education is supposed to do,” said Richard A. Levao, College President.

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This latest report supports the role minority serving institutions (MSIs) have in strengthening the economic mobility of low-income students.

Using new federal data, ACE’s report concludes that students who attend MSIs move up the economic ladder at two to three times the rate of students who attend non-MSIs. MSIs include historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs); tribal colleges and universities (TCUs); Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs); Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions (ANNH); Asian American and Native American-Pacific Islander-serving institutions (AANAPISI); predominantly Black institutions (PBIs); and Native American-Serving, nontribal

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institutions (NASNTI).

According to the study, to measure upward mobility ACE researchers identified the income information of students at two time periods — the income of the student’s parents at the time of postsecondary enrollment, and then the income of the student at age 30.

In 2017, Bloomfield College and its mission were recognized nationally as well. The College was ranked #1 in New Jersey and #20 nationally in promoting the social and economic mobility of students from the poorest 20 percent in the country to high economic achievement. The study, conducted by experts from Harvard University, Brown University, Stanford University, and UC-Berkeley, as reported in the New York Times, was based on tax data of over 30 million taxpayers.

Placement on these esteemed lists quantify Bloomfield College’s ability to give underserved students the resources and skills needed for future success.

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loomfield College is happy to announce that the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) has awarded the institution a grant for initiating a library makerspace. Dr. Gregory Reid, Director of the Library, formally applied for the grant.

A library makerspace is an area and/or service that offers individuals an opportu-

nity to create intellectual and physical materials using resources such as computers, 3-D printers, audio and video capture and editing tools, and traditional arts and crafts supplies.

“The grant will move the library makerspace beyond concept and into tangible reality for the College. Resources will now

be acquired and their educational value demonstrated,” said Dr. Reid. “Skills students develop using makerspace resources will engender not only increased confidence, but also, increased marketability.”

The College offering a religion program to students enabled the College access to ATLA membership and support.

First Grammy Nomination

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reative Arts and Technology alumnus, Lorenzo Cardona ’11, has earned his first Grammy nomination. His engineer work on rapper Post Malone’s song, Rockstar, featuring 21 Savage, is up for Record of the Year.

Cardona graduated from Bloomfield College in 2011. He is the owner of Zoe’s Sounds LLC and is the House Engineer at the legendary Quad Studios in New York

City. He has worked with the top artists, producers, and record labels in the Industry, including Post Malone, Blackbear, Kendrick Lamar, Ty Dolla $, Nicki Minaj, T.I., BustaRhymes, Jason Derulo, Ne-Yo, Young Thug, and Migos. His previous awards and nominations include Billboard Song of the Year, an MTV Video Music Award, and more.

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EVENTS

Carlozzi Commons Opens

Lectu Series Wrap Up Christy Davis Jackson, Brendan W. Gill and Shavar Jeffries

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loomfield College just wrapped up its latest run of its Leadership Development Lecture Series. The series began at the College in the spring of 2018 after Matthew Frankel partnered with Student Affairs to create a new Leadership Development Lecture Series. Frankel, who acts as moderator for the series, is the former Press Secretary and Press Aide for House Democratic Leader Richard A. Gephardt, Congresswoman Debbie Stabenow, the Democratic Leadership Council, and a variety of national and local political and advocacy campaigns across the country.

He was introduced to Bloomfield College by Trustee Hank Uberoi.

The College was excited to welcome Christy Davis Jackson, who served as Chief Counsel for the first African American woman in state legislature, the late Dr. Wynona M. Lipman, as State Director for the late US Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, as Director of Media Relations and Public Affairs for Warner Lambert Christy Davis Jackson Company, as Campaign Manager for former US Senator Jon S. Corzine’s US Senate campaign, as Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Davis and Partners, a leading public affairs company, as Vice President of the largest health sciences and medical education organization in the country, and as Chief Executive Officer of the premiere education organization in the state of NJ; Brendan W. Gill, the first elected District 5 Freeholder in 2011 and Freeholder At-Large in 2014, now serving his third term; and Shavar Jeffries, a highly successful litigator.

Some of the special guests last year included Oscar James, Newark City Council Member/Community Activist; Tom Johnson, former Executive Producer ABC World News Tonight/Executive Editor of Bloomberg Politics; Jonathan Simon, Chief Diversity Officer, JP Morgan; Joshua Cohen, Executive Director, Anti-Defamation League; and Tai Cooper, Policy Advisor to Governor Phil Murphy.

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n Saturday, November 3, the Bloomfield College community officially unveiled Carlozzi Commons.

Trustee Nicholas Carlozzi; his wife, Cathy; and the Carlozzi Family Foundation made an extraordinary campaign leadership gift, which has culminated in the College naming an area of campus after them. Carlozzi Commons is an outside space adjacent to the Quad — a special place for Nick and Cathy, who come to commencement every year to celebrate students and their achievements.

After experiencing the loss of their beloved sister, Beth, to breast cancer, the family announced that one of the scholarships to be awarded through their endowed scholarship fund will honor her.

The annual memorial scholarship will benefit nursing students — a fitting honor, as Beth was a longtime nurse.

“Over the years, we have been inspired — even awed — by the lengths to which Bloomfield College students will go to get a college education.

We’ve also been inspired — and awed — by how far over and above their job descriptions Bloomfield faculty and administrators will go to help them,” the Carlozzis shared, in a joint statement.

“Bloomfield College fills an important niche in the educational ecosystem of our state and our country.

It is an honor and a privilege for us and our family to help ensure the continuity of such determined striving and such uplifting support.”

Nick, Cathy and their family have a longstanding commitment to providing support to Bloomfield College. Family philanthropy is very important to them, and their giving is a model for how a family can come together and affect lives through informed philanthropic decision making.

Brendan W. Gill

Shavar Jeffries

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EVENTS

Troilus and Cressida workshopped reading of Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida, from the mind of Dr. Fiona (Freddie) Harris, Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Writing, was performed on November 9. This was a multidivisional, collaborative effort between staff, faculty, and students and alumni, many of whom are members of The Company @ Bloomfield College.

“I have been fascinated withTroilus and Cressida for about eight years. I wrote part of my dissertation on it, which was then published as a book chapter, which argued that an actress playing Cressida could perform certain figures of speech in the play, actually figures of silence, as acts of resistance in a very patriarchal landscape — the Trojan Wars,” shared Dr. Harris, who is also the Producing Director of The Company @ Bloomfield College.

The more she read the play, the more she found herself amazed at its relevance in the current political moment, especially in terms of feminist movements such as #metoo.

“All the women in the play are established by metaphors of commodity and value. Not only that, but they are traded as objects. I feel given the uprising of the #metoo movement, highlighting the language that props up the bad behavior is key,” said Dr. Harris.

At its heart, it’s a remarkably contemporary play, having been performed more in the 20th and 21st centuries than ever before. Dr. Harris’ adaptation is a truncated version of the play to emphasize its parallels to today’s climate.

Bloomfield College Honors The Bestfoods Educational Foundation

Catching Up with SBS Alumni n Tuesday, December 4, three Bloomfield College alumni returned to their alma mater to participate in the Social and Behavioral Sciences panel.

The lively panelists included Sally Ann Goncalves ’14, a Chemical Dependency Clinician at High Focus Centers in Parsippany and an adjunct professor at the College; La’Shae Lopez-Duverneau ’15, CP, a Victim Witness Advocate for the city of Newark who will soon be applying to law school; and Rebecca C. Guzman ’16, LSW, who works in Fresenius Kidney Care, a dialysis clinic. Guzman’s mother attended Bloomfield College and her younger sibling will soon be applying.

Latia S. Wapples ’20 acted as student moderator, and seamlessly fielded questions to each of the panelists.

The discussion focused on many topics including the importance of internships while an undergraduate student (Lopez-Duverneau landed her full time job after interning for Newark); how best to prepare for graduate school; the benefits of career services on campus; work/life balance (Goncalves enrolled at Bloomfield College as an adult looking to make a career change and quickly learned how to manage her home life and children, and a full course load); and then the floor was opened to questions. A reception followed.

This event was part of the College’s 150th Anniversary celebration.

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n Thursday, September 13, Bloomfield College unveiled the Bestfoods Educational Foundation Center in the Library. The College celebrated the occasion by welcoming Dick Bergeman, Gale Griffin, Rainer Mimberg, and Luis Schuchinski, members of the Bestfoods Educational Foundation Board of Trustees; Bestfoods Scholars of past and present; and members of the Bloomfield College community.

“What Bestfoods has done for Bloomfield College is terrific,” said William H. Turner, Chairman of the Bloomfield College Board of Trustees. “I am so happy to be here today to celebrate this partnership between a terrific Foundation and a great college.”

“The work that Bestfoods has done is so incredibly impactful and meaningful. They’ve assisted over 1,000 of our students in continuing their educations. Bestfoods and Bloomfield College recognize that there is no future without an educated population,” said Richard A. Levao, College President. “Bestfoods Educational Foundation’s giving is one of the most generous amounts of external support in the 150-year history of Bloomfield College.”

Since 2002, the Bestfoods Educational Foun-

dation has been a generous supporter of Bloomfield College. Over one decade ago, the Bestfoods Educational Foundation gifted the College with $2.89 million for student scholarships, the largest gift received from a foundation in the history of the College. This giving led to more than 1,100 students benefiting from the Foundation’s generosity. Just this year, Bestfoods returned after nearly 10 years to bestow the College with $1 million in memory of Alain Labergere, Bestfoods executive vice president and president, Bestfoods Europe.

“You don’t know me, but you are the reason why I am a success today,” said Adebola Taiwo ’09, acknowledging the Bestfoods Educational Foundation Board directly. Taiwo, a former Bestfoods Scholar and current member of the College’s Board, went on to share the financial struggles she endured as an undergraduate student, which eventually led to her dropping out. Bestfoods gave her another chance with a scholarship. “Bestfoods fosters the educations of people they do not know. That is selfless. It inspired me to begin my own scholarship at Bloomfield College once I graduated. It has grown to 10 times what it was when it was established in

2009. Bestfoods, you have changed a lot of our lives.

I came from nothing. Now, I can give back, because of people like you.”

This significant relationship is thanks to Rosemary Iversen, Trustee Emerita, and her husband, Al. The Iversen family introduced the College to the Bestfoods Educational Foundation through Luis and Vivian Schuchinski. Schuchinski was serving as vice president of Bestfoods at the time. In 2011, the College bestowed to him an honorary degree. Now, the College is celebrating a nearly 20-year partnership with Bestfoods.

“Bestfoods has always wanted to find places where we could make a difference. A place that our contribution could change things and advance lives.

Bloomfield College has always been a supreme example of that,” said Luis Schuchinski (Hon. ’11).

“Thank you for letting Bestfoods do good.”

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EVENTS

College Appoints New Trustees

Division of Education and its Alumni Celebrated in Special Way loomfield College held a special Division of Education event on Tuesday, September 25, during the College’s 150th anniversary year.

The event, which featured an information session, panel discussion, and reception, was held in the Richard A. Levao Multipurpose Room, located on the third floor of Franklin Street Residence Hall.

Panelists included: • Frank Corrado ’69, member of the Bloomfield College Alumni Association, Adjunct Professor at Caldwell University • Linda Colucci, Principal, The Early Childhood Center at Forest Glen School & Adjunct Professor • Smita Dharsi, Second-Grade Teacher, Edgemont Montessori School, and 2018-2019 Essex County Teacher of the Year • Salvatore Goncalves, Superintendent, Bloomfield Public Schools • Tito Rodriguez ’08, Instructional Faculty, First Avenue School • Fiona Thomas, Principal and Co-Founder, Pride Academy Charter School

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Sesquicentennial Day he Bloomfield College campus community celebrated “Sesqui-Day” on Wednesday, November 8. Deacon the Bear made an appearance and everyone was in wonderful spirits. The College raffled off tickets to the 150th Gala for faculty and staff.

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B Joel Weiner ’66

loomfield College alumnus Joel Weiner ’66 is returning to the Board of Trustees once again after having first served the Board from 2009 until 2014. He practices law in both Florida and Illinois as well as Federal Courts with concentration in Wills and Trusts, Probate, Family Law, Criminal Law, Residential Real Estate, bankruptcy, contracts and General Law. He is a member of the United States Supreme Court Bar, Federal District Courts for Northern Illinois, Middle Florida, Southern Florida, Illinois Supreme Court and the Florida Supreme Court Bars.

Mr. Weiner volunteers his pro bono services in both Illinois and Florida helping those who cannot financially afford to pursue their legal rights. He also has started and maintains a program providing First Responders with Wills and Powers of Attorney at no cost.

After graduating from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1970, Mr. Weiner decided to contribute to his community by joining the Baltimore City Police Department for a period of nearly ten years.

Mr. Weiner also served as President and CEO of PTS Inc., a Certified Provider for insurance pre-licensing and insurance education, as well as a FINRA securities and preparation courses, sales training, Certified Financial Planner® continuing education, ethics programs for financial services professionals and money management services for institutions.

Mr. Weiner’s educational credentials include degrees of Bachelor of Arts from Bloomfield College as well as Master of Science in Criminal Justice and Doctor of Jurisprudence degrees from the University of Baltimore.

During his many years as a sales/management professional, Mr. Weiner has developed market strategies and sales training programs for investment and insurance companies, as well as for financial institutions. He also appeared as a guest speaker for public seminars promoting elder financial abuse, financial planning investing and wealth accumulation including retirement and estate planning concepts. Considered as a source of financial services information, he has been featured in publications such as USA Today, CNA Magazine, Smart Money, the Dow Jones Investment Advisor, Investment Advisor, Chicago Tribune, Ladies Home Journal, Today’s Chicago Woman, and ABC News.

Some of his published works include Senior Suitability, Marketing of Annuities, Estate Planning, Retirement Planning, Partnership Long-Term Care, Financial Planning Concepts, Selling Annuities and Mutual Funds, Variable Insurance Products, Universal Life Insurance Products, Business Insurance Concepts, Group Insurance, Flood Insurance, Key Employee Insurance, 401(k) Plans, Medicare, Protecting Small Businesses, Tax Issues for Financial Professionals, Equity Index Annuities, Managed Money, Investment Advisers, Alternative Dispute Alternatives and Workers Compensation.

Mr. Weiner resides in Delray Beach Florida with his love of his life, Elsa. They both enjoy playing tennis, cards, and are active motorcycle riders.

Melissa Bastan Melissa Bastan joins the Board of Trustees with over 20 years’ experience working with health systems, universities, and foundations on capital structure and strategic opportunities. She is a Managing Director at Wells Fargo Securities and Head of Not-for-Profit Healthcare Investment

Banking, within WFS’ Public Finance group. She leads a national team providing investment banking and strategic advisory services to health systems and academic medical centers.

She joined Wells Fargo in 2014 from The Yuba Group, where she advised higher education and NFP healthcare clients on developing capital markets and investor strategies, and coordinated public and private debt transactions. Prior to this role, Bastan served as an Executive Director across Morgan Stanley’s NFP Healthcare and Higher Education Public Finance teams for ten years. Previously she served as practice manager for The Healthcare Advisory Board focused on strategic and financial planning for NFP healthcare entities.

Bastan earned her BSBA at Georgetown University and her MBA with a focus on Finance and Public Policy at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She holds Series 7, 24, 53, 63 and 79 licenses. She serves clients on a national basis from her New York City location.

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AT H L E T I C S

ON TO THE

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accolades. He was named to the 2018 NCAA East Region All-Tournament Team.

Ignacio Diez ’18 (Madrid, Spain), has signed a deal to continue his basketball career back home with the HLA Alicante. Diez will debut in a Spanish professional league with his Alicante team this fall, becoming the 11th player named to the 2018-2019 squad.

Pedro Rivero, coach of HLA Alicante, expects a lot from his new player, who highlights different facets of his game: “He is a very intense forward, with great athletic ability and rebounding. As a young person, he has a great capacity for improvement and I am convinced that he can give us his best version.”

Diez graduated from Bloomfield College with a degree in business management after helping the Bears during their run in the NCAA Division II Basketball Tournament. The Bears’ forward played in the opening round matchup against Saint Thomas Aquinas College, with 17 points and 7 assists, knocking off the East Region’s #2 seed, helping to secure head coach, Gerald Holmes’, 300th career win.

Diez averaged 7.3 points per game during his career for the Bears and added 4.9 rebounds. He scored 694 total points in NCAA Division II action including a career-high 24 points against Concordia College on December 2, 2015, where he went 10-of-14 from the field and 3-for-3 from the line. n

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wo Bloomfield College alumni have signed contracts to play professional basketball overseas.

Bloomfield College alumnus Nick Davidson ’18 (Lumberton, NJ) has signed a professional contract to continue his playing career in Europe. The Bears’ 3rd all-time leading scorer in the NCAA Division II era will join CB Benidormin Spain for the upcoming EBA season.

Davidson’s new European coach, Oscar Retortillo, was excited when he spoke of the 6’6” wingman joining the team, “Davidson is the player we were looking for to complete our inner game, his versatility both in attack and defense, his good resources of 1 on 1 play face-toface and back to the basket and his ability to score and rebound make him a very interesting player for our game.

We are confident that Davidson will help us achieve our goals as a team."

Davidson played four years at Bloomfield College and finished his NCAA career with 1,924 points and 660 rebounds. He helped the Bears reach the Division II Sweet 16 in 2018 and was a key contributor, leading the team in scoring with 18.2 ppg. He was second on the team with 5.8 rpg and 1.4 assists per game in his senior campaign all while being on the court for less than 30 minutes per game (29.9). After his junior and senior seasons, he received All-CACC First Team and NABC NCAA D2 All-East District Second Team

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AT H L E T I C S 2 0 1 8 R E C A P

A New Look! n its dedication to provide students with an exceptional campus experience,

Bloomfield College has undergone some recent renovations.

The Westminster Arts Center At the beginning of 2018, the College began work on installing a new slate roof at Westminster Hall and the Westminster Art Center. This undertaking was done in an effort to protect and preserve the historic building, which was constructed in 1891 and 1902, for future generations. The Westminster Arts Center is tentatively scheduled to open in March to the campus community, and will be open to the public come June. The historical building serves the campus and students, arts partners, and the greater Bloomfield and North Jersey/Essex County areas.

Student Financial Services

Financial Services’ area in Knox Hall was improved from the ground-up based on feedback received from students. The redesign provides a better flow of information, improves communications and customer service, and maximizes efficiency.

“Renovations to Student Financial Services have improved our ability to provide faster and more transparent customer service. The Student Financial Services staff members’ proximity to each other allows for fluid information sharing for a more holistic advising approach,” said Aristalia Benitez, Director of Financial Aid. What was once a segmented space now has Financial Aid and Student Accounts Receivable sharing an airy, open-concept area.

“Students are now able to walk-in and be seen immediately by numerous staff members. Our goal was to provide the best customer service possible to our students, by joining both Student Financial Aid and Bursar

GO BEARS!

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n just its third season, Men’s track & field captured the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championship. The men placed first in seven CACC Championship events and set five new CACC records en route to the championship.

Also in its third season, Women’s track & field placed second. The women placed first in six CACC Championship events and set four new CACC records.

Men’s Basketball was selected to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the eighth time under Coach Gerald Holmes. Holmes recorded his

300th career victory after winning the first game of the tournament and led the team to the Sweet 16 by advancing to the East Regional Final. This milestone for Coach Holmes was celebrated on Wednesday, November 14, just prior to the start of the men’s team’s first home game. The College coined the day “Home for Holmes’ Day.” Rounding out 2018, Bloomfield College began the inaugural season of Women’s Bowling and brought its total number of intercollegiate sports to 13. n

employees in one space, it has fostered better communication between the two departments,” said Bill McDonald, Vice President for Finance and Administration. “At Bloomfield College, many of our students will be first-generation college graduates — it is important to cultivate a space where they feel comfortable and invited to discuss the complexities of financial aid and other intricacies of their bills, we believe this new design has achieved this.”

The Dining Hall

Working with Fallon+Pacheco Architects and Joseph A. Natoli Construction, Gourmet Dining, the College’s dining services provider, renovated the dining hall into an upscale dining and study/social space for students, faculty, staff, and guests.

“We are really proud to show not only our cooking, but our facilities,” said Michael St. Blancard, of Gourmet Dining. “We stop short of nothing to accommodate students.”

The rustic, farm-to-table ambiance complements the never frozen, stovetop cooking, student-inspired menu options that have been offered to the Bloomfield College for nearly 20 years.

“We want students to feel like they are home eating a home-cooked meal,” said Dave Rendon of Gourmet Dining.

The improvements include a brand-new layout complete with reclaimed wood and earth tones, and enhancements like a fireplace, more seating, partitioned sections, and salad and ramen bars. Many of these changes came to be thanks to feedback from students. These enhancements extend outside of the dining hall, with Gourmet Dining announcing an optimized website to better assist students. n

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CLASSNOTES

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Remembering Rev. Ernie Kosa ’45 he Reverend Ernest M. Kosa, 96, of Sparta, passed away on July 31, 2018 peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family. He attended Bloomfield Academy and graduated from Bloomfield College in 1945 and Bloomfield Seminary in 1948, and later earned his MBA degree from Syracuse University.

He was a proud member of the Bloomfield College Alumni Association, and attended many of the College’s events, including the College’s 144th Commencement, where he led the procession down Liberty Street, just two months prior to his passing.

“God, country, family, and Bloomfield College.

That’s what Reverend Ernie Kosa was all about,” shared John Murdock ’73, President of the BCAA. “He was a great American and a great ambassador for the College and the Alumni Association. I am honored to have served with him on the BCAA, and even more honored to have been able to call him my friend.”

Ernie led a remarkably selfless life, serving as pastor in Cleveland, Ohio where he played the organ, directed the choir, took care of the youth groups and preached two services each Sunday, one in Hungarian and one in English. He was then called to be pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Sterling, NJ for two years.

In 1952, Ernie entered the U.S. Army as a Chaplain where he served for 20 years. He served in Korea and Vietnam during the wars. Following his retirement, Ernie became the Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Administrator for Sussex County for 20 years.

He was involved with many county agencies, including the Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, where he was Chair of the Professional Advisory Committee for over 10 years, and the Vietnam Veterans Organization and the American Legion.

Ernie is survived by Barbara, his loving wife of 63 years, his daughter Karen Rinaldi, sons Mark Kosa, Brian Kosa and his wife Karen. He is also survived by his loving grandchildren Kyle, Simone, Mitchell and Marissa.

Ernie was truly one of a kind and there will always be something missing on campus now that he has passed. We are so grateful that he was able to be a part of Commencement in a very special way, and also feel fortunate to have been able to include him in the latest BCAA video.

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1990’s

1960’s 1985 Paul Young ’85

1965 Dear Bloomfield College Alumni, 46 years ago, in 1973, my family watched as I graduated from Bloomfield College. Now, today, thousands of us have one big thing in common, we are all Bloomfield College alumni.

The Bloomfield College Alumni Association (BCAA) is alive and active, and if you enjoyed your years at Bloomfield College as much as I did, I encourage you to come to a meeting and consider joining this great group of people. There are many reasons to stay connected to your alma mater. We not only have a great time at our meetings and events, we do many impactful things to help our college and students.

To join the BCAA, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 973-748-9000 ext. 1293.

Sincerely,

John K. Murdock ’73 B C A A

Rick Boschen ’65

Rick Boschen ’65 The Treasure Coast Junior Golf Tour invited back Rick Boschen to be the Head of Officials in Vero Beach, Florida. Rick gladly accepted this responsibility to “give back" to the sport he loves.

While at Bloomfield College, Rick was the winner of The Metropolitan Golf Association Individual Championship. He represented the College at the N.A.I.A. National Tournament, Fred Warring’s Shawnee - On The Delaware Young Masters Event, along with several North Jersey Tournaments.

1980’s

P R E S I D E N T

Paul Young ’85 Paul Young graduated from the College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. He later earned a Master of Business Administration

degree from Temple University’s Fox School of Business and completed Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business Advanced Management Program with Siemens.

He is a Certified Public Accountant, Chartered Global Management Accountant, and a member of the Americas Regional Advisory Panel of the American Institute of CPAs. Paul is a member of the Accounting Advisory Board and Student Development Committee for Rowan University’s Rohrer College of Business, and is an Adjunct Accounting & Finance Professor at Caldwell University.

Most recently, he is the Chief Financial Officer of BankMobile, a division of Customers Bank, and America’s largest and fastest growing mobile-first bank in New York City.

Prior to BankMobile, he served as Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives for CIT Bank, N.A. and was the Head of CIT’s Finance Academy. He held various roles at TD Bank including serving as Head of U.S. Strategy and Corporate Development and Chief Financial Officer for TD Bank’s U.S. Lines of Business. He also served on the Board as Treasurer for TD Charitable Foundation.

for our students.”

home to me. In 2008, my relationship with the College tripled when my mother, Michele Drinkard, came on board as an administrative assistant. Having my mother here gave me more reason to love being on campus. While we lost my mother suddenly at the end of my first semester as an adjunct at the College, my entire being knows how proud she was of me that I was here doing something I loved. Though she passed one year from completing her degree, the College awarded her one posthumously — a gesture that has done more for my feeling for the College than anything ever could.”

2000’s

1990 Renea Jefferson ’90

Renea Jefferson ’90 Renea Jefferson has written the book From Out of Darkness Into His Marvelous Light found on Amazon and Barnes and Noble!

1999

Karen Luchka ’99

Karen Luchka ’99 Since graduating in 1999, Karen Luchka has served as an adjunct, interim accounting professor, and assisting accounting professor at Bloomfield College. “My decision to attend Bloomfield College as an adult student was one of the best I've ever made. The professors were dedicated to my success and made sure I was well prepared for my profession. I now have the privilege of working alongside three of them. I've returned to Bloomfield because this is where I flourished, and I want the same

2005 Casandra Gabriele ’05

Robert Cooney ’07 Robert Cooney graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. After ten and a half years as a behavior health counselor for a nonprofit organization, he has reached the level of Senior Behavior Health Counselor.

His next goal is to gain experience in his new field and attend graduate school to become a licensed counselor coordinator.

Casandra Gabriele ’05 Casandra Gabriele is an adjunct professor at the College, teaching Nursing Chemistry Lab and A&P courses.

“Both Dr. Murphy and Dr. Vogt were excellent role models and encouraged me to find my passion of being a science educator and invited me to adjunct as part of their team in 2005. If it wasn’t for Bloomfield College, I probably would not be where I am today,” she said.

2006 Tee Jae Drinkard ’06 Tee Jae Drinkard is following her late mother’s footsteps and working at the College.

“Bloomfield College has always represented a second

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IN MEMORIAM

CLASSNOTES

2008 Toriono Gandy ’08

Toriono Gandy ’08 Toriono Gandy currently works as the Studio Manager in the Division of Creative Arts & Technology and teaches Music Industry Essentials, DAE- Recording/Mixing/Mastering Classes, and Hip-hop Theory as an adjunct. “I've always thought the program had a great curriculum and enjoy contributing as a staff member and in the classroom,” he shared. “As an adjunct, I’ve been able to contribute my professional experience to future alumni.”

2008

2008

Armen V. Sahakyan '13 Since graduating from the Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Armen Sahakyan has accomplished a lot. He is the Executive Director at the Eurasian Research and Analysis Institute.

Debra Maggiulli ’08

Debra Maggiulli ’08 After graduating in 2008 as Salutatorian with a B.S. in Business Management, Debra Maggiulli’s long time employer, Roche, announced it was moving its U.S. headquarters from New Jersey to California. Her tenure there ended in 2010, and she moved around quite a bit until finding a position with her current employer, Konica Minolta, in 2014, having been promoted to her current position of Supplier Relationship Manager. “If I had not attained my degree back in 2008, my story would have gone much differently, hitting the job market with no degree and tons of competition! It was hard work, but well worth the investment!” she shared on the College’s 150th Anniversary website.

2014 2014 Roydon Pellew ’14

Roydon Pellew ’14 Roydon Pellew is currently an adjunct professor teaching First Year Seminar at the College. “Bloomfield College shaped me into the individual I am today,” he said. “Without attending the College, I do not think I would have found my passion for working with low-income students who have a great deal of untapped potential but lack a mentor or someone who believes in them.”

2014

2010’s

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attended Bloomfield College and her younger sibling will soon be applying. She recently returned to campus as a panelist on the Social and Behavioral Sciences alumni panel.

PASSAGES

Tito Rodriguez ’08

Tito Rodriguez ’08 Having earned his degree in education, Tito Rodriguez is a member of the Instructional Faculty at First Avenue School in Newark. In September he came back to his alma mater as a panelist for the Division of Education’s panel.

alumni panel hosted by Social and Behavioral Sciences. She is a Chemical Dependency Clinician at High Focus Centers in Parsippany and an adjunct professor at the College.

Bendjy Cetoute ’14

Bendjy Cetoute ’14 Bendjy Cetoute graduated Bloomfield College with a B.A. in Sociology/Criminal Justice. He was a member of the Men’s Soccer team and the Eta Mu Chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity INC, and the Vice President of the Haitian Student Association Club. He now proudly serves the Philadelphia Police Department.

La’Shae Lopez-Duverneau '15 La’Shae Lopez-Duverneau, CP, is a Victim Witness Advocate for the city of Newark and will soon be applying to law school. She recently returned to campus as a panelist on the Social and Behavioral Sciences alumni panel.

2016

Michael E. Baliga ’82 Nancy Bartulewicz ’82 Albert R. Caffrey '72 Robertina M. Campbell (Staff, Reference Librarian) Paula G. Craig ’94 (Staff, Humanities) Nancy D’Elia ’45 (Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing) Dr. Charles Di Salvo ’49 Ethel S. Foelsch ’48 John J. Francis ’66 Eleanor Webber Gibson (Professor Emerita) Mi M. Guo (Staff, I.T.) LaVerne Deik Hebert ’45 Dr. Birdie W. Johnson ’77 Rev. Ernest M. Kosa ’45 June C. Krinsley ’65 L. Donald LaTorre (Trustee Emeritus) Rev. Robert P. Lawrence ’54 Lee S. Lichtenberger ’70 Grace Virginia Walz Macklin ’43 (Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing) Wayne R. Moreton ’70 Karen Lavern Peace ’08 (Staff) Clifford F. Platt ’77 Henry Medvin ’85 Dr. Richard Arthur Pollack (Hon. ’99; former Chairman of the Board) Rona Pollack Gail A. Rogers ’08 Joseph V. Santaniello ’72 Daniel J. Sorrell, Jr. ’94 Stephen J. Turro ’66 Dr. George Walker (Hon. C97)

Rebecca C. Guzman ’16

2013 Armen V. Sahakyan ’13

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Sally Ann Goncalves ’14

Sally Ann Goncalves ’14 Sally Ann Goncalves recently served as a panelist on the

Rebecca C. Guzman '16 Rebecca Guzman is a licensed social worker working in Fresenius Kidney Care, a dialysis clinic. Guzman’s mother

Note: Passages are published in the issue immediately after the College is notified; we publish only passages take place within one year of the season of publication.

Remembering

Paula Craig ’94

B

eloved Bloomfield College alumna, friend, and

employee, Paula G. Craig ’94, died on June 2, 2018. A celebration of her life was held at the start of the fall semester, with the Shelby Art Room overflowing well into the Library.

“Paula Craig was my friend; the best friend anyone could hope to have. I miss her every day, but every day I am so grateful for the times we shared, the laughs we had and the moments of sheer joy that I will never forget,” expressed Rosemary Iversen, Trustee Emerita. “Rest with the angels and bring them the joy you brought to all of us.”

“Ten years ago, on my very first day at Bloomfield College, my office phone rang. Surprised that someone was calling me, I answered and was greeted with, ‘My name is Paula Craig.

We are going to get to know each other very well,’” recalled Nicole Quinn, Interim Vice President of Advancement. “We talked for a bit and Paula assured me that she would always be available for guidance, support, and advice. And that she was. Not a week went by that I did not talk to Paula. The news of her passing was, and still is, devastating, but I find comfort knowing that she is smiling down on all of us.”

Born in Paterson, N.J., Paula grew up in West Paterson and lived in Glen Ridge for 23 years prior to moving to Caldwell six years ago.

She earned a B.A. in business from Bloomfield College and worked for the College as an administrator for many years in various offices, most notably the Division of Humanities.

“At the beginning of the summer, we were all shocked to learn of the unexpected death of Paula,” said Dr. Brandon Fralix, Chair of the Division of Humanities. “She had been a beloved member of the Bloomfield community for a long a time, and we will grieve her loss for a long time to come.”

Paula was a passionate volunteer in the emergency room of Mountainside Hospital, a member of many charitable organizations, including the Danny “G” Foundation, and was also a very active member of Notre Dame Parish, serving within many ministries.

“I am absolutely heartbroken, crying my eyes out. I first met Paula in the WBC (Weekends at Bloomfield College) program. She always had a smile for everyone and was the kindest, sweetest person. I am so sorry for her family’s loss,” shared Debby Catanzaro ’95.

“Paula was always checking in on me, doing

what Paula does, which is making sure you knew she was always there for you.”

“We all agree that many of our fondest memories of Bloomfield College are a result of our interactions with Paula Craig,” said Lyndon Brown ’91.

Paula is survived by her husband, D.F. Moore Craig (Hon. ’88); her daughter, Rachel Galorenzo Craig, and her son-in-law, Andrew Pattison. She is also survived by Cynthia J. Craig-Wolter, Diane E. Craig, and David W. Craig, and grandchildren, Sven Wolter, Derek Wolter, and Elizabeth Webb.

“My wife, Paula, and I have always known how special of a place Bloomfield College is.

Her memory lives on there, as the College continues to make a difference in the lives of many.”

The collective heart of Bloomfield College, from Trustees to faculty and staff to current students and alumni spanning decades, broke the day Paula left us and she will never be forgotten. Paula’s legacy will carry on at the College with the “Humanities Emergency Student Support Fund in Memory of Paula G. Craig ’94.” To contribute to the fund in her honor, please contact the Office of Advancement at 973-748-9000 ext. 1293. n

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IN MEMORIAM

Remembering

L. Donald LaTorre

L. L. Donald LaTorre: Trustee Emeritus

Donald LaTorre, Bloomfield College Trustee Emeritus, passed away on Friday, Nov. 2, 2018, surrounded by his loving family.

Don served on the Board from 1996 until 2007. During his years as a Trustee of Bloomfield College, he served on the Executive Committee, was a Vice Chair of the All College Planning Committee, a member of the Academic Affairs Committee, and the Committee on Development and Public Affairs and the Nominating Committee.

“Don was a dear friend of mine and Bloomfield College” said Peter A. Olson, Trustee Emeritus. “Together as both Trustees and Trustee Emeriti, we always held the mission of the College close and bonded further over how we knew we were assisting students in the best way imaginable: by helping them earn college

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degrees. He will be missed, but his legacy is no doubt cemented at Bloomfield College.”

For many years Don championed the Bloomfield College Scholarship Fund. He also established an endowed scholarship and a retention scholarship at the College, making him one of the College’s largest donors.

The financial assistance Don provided through the L. Donald LaTorre Endowed and LaTorre Family Retention Scholarship Funds helped his scholarship recipients overcome the financial burdens that they faced each year. As a result of his dedication to education, they were able to go on and achieve their academic, personal, and professional goals, while laying the foundation for a successful future.

Don was born in Amsterdam, N.Y., and received his B.S. in textile chemistry from Lowell

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Technological Institute in Lowell, Mass., and his M.B.A. from Union College in New York.

He received an honorary doctorate from UMass Lowell. He retired from the Englehard Corporation in Menlo Park in 1997.

Don was predeceased by his beloved wife of 56 years, Gloria, who passed six months earlier. He is survived by his devoted children: Donald LaTorre, Jr. and his wife, Carol; David LaTorre and his wife, Barbara; Craig LaTorre and his wife, Tonya; and Amy Mattessich and her husband, John. Don is also survived by 16 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life service was held in November at the Lake Mohawk Country Club.

We at Bloomfield College will continue to celebrate his life through his future scholarship recipients. n