College of Mount Saint Vincent News Spring '11

college of mount saint vincent

NEWS Alumni, Students & Friends

Spring 2011

Research and

INSIDE: College News Page 2-5

Alumni News Page 20-21

Cover Story Page 6-8

Class Notes Page 22

Faculty Focus Page 9-13

Athletics Page 23

Realization

Student Life Page 14-19 COLLEGE OF MOUNT SAINT VINCENT 6301 RIVERDALE AVENUE | RIVERDALE, NY 10471 | PHONE (800) 665-CMSV | (718) 405-3267 | WEB:WWW.MOUNTSAINTVINCENT.EDU

COLLEGE NEWS

COLLEGE NEWS

UPCOMING EVENTS

Photo: Victor Chu/Daily News

Reunion Weekend

CMSV in the NEWS Always newsworthy, the College has recently been generating a lot of ink.

Below are highlights of what some publications had to say about the Mount. ➤In November 2010, The Riverdale Press featured the College’s charitable efforts, most notably the Midnight Runs for the homeless, in the article “After Hours Charity.”

The article cited the Mount’s Thanksgiving food drive, coat drive, and service-learning trips to New Orleans and Guatemala led

by Director of Campus Ministry Cecilia Harriendorf, S.C. ➤Catholic New York chronicled the Mount’s adoption of local families for the holidays.

This past holiday season, Mount faculty, staff and administrators raised money to provide 13 local families in the Bronx and Yonkers with presents. This initiative was spearheaded by the Office of Campus Ministry and Mission. ➤The Bronx Times-Reporter profiled senior Christopher Flores in a January 2011 article on the College’s TRIO program, which is a U.S. Department of Education-funded program that provides services such as tutor-

2 Spring 2011

ing and counseling to ensure academic success for low-income and first-generation college students. Mr. Flores says, “TRIO has been nothing short of the best for me in helping me through my college life. They were there when I needed help and I truly want to give back to the future students everything that TRIO was able to provide for me at Mount Saint Vincent.” ➤Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement and College Relations Kathleen M. Tracey, S.C. was named one of the 25 Bronx Influential Women by the Bronx Times Reporter in February 2011. Sister Kathleen celebrates her 60th anniversary at the College this year, and has served in various capacities during her tenure. The article, “The Science of Success,” states, ‘Sister Kathleen Tracey’s passion for teaching has inspired countless students to do great things. ‘Young people need to know that anything is possible,’ exclaims the professor.”

The Mount alumnae who teach at P.S. 205, pictured with Professor Margaret Egan, S.C. and Chair of Teacher Education Mary Ellen Sullivan in the Daily News.

➤In March 2011, the Daily News profiled 22 graduates from the College’s teacher education program who currently teach at Public School 205 in Belmont. The article highlights the Mount’s longstanding partnership with the elementary school, which was forged by Margaret Egan, S.C. of the Department of Teacher Education, and mentions the College’s unique master’s program in Urban and Multicultural Education.

The College of Mount Saint Vincent celebrates Reunion Weekend for classes ending in “1” and “6” from June 10-12, 2011.

There will be special recognition for the Class of 1961, who will be celebrating their 50th reunion and the Class of 1986 on their 25th reunion. For more information, visit www.mountsaintvincent. edu/alums.htm, or call Alumnae/i Relations at (718) 405-3336.

Riverdale Riverfest 2011 On Sunday, June 12, 2011, the College of Mount Saint Vincent and the Hudson River Greenway of the Bronx join forces to host the second annual Riverdale Riverfest celebration. This celebration will feature tours of the Mystic Whaler Tall Ship and the John J. Harvey fireboat, live music, refreshments and a variety of environmental activities throughout the day. For more information, visit www.riverdaleriverfest.org

Photography Ben Asen Dana Maxson

LENTEN LECTURE On Wednesday, March 9, internationally-renowned theologian Elizabeth A. Johnson, C.S.J. addressed the College community with the lecture, “Reflections on Faith in an Increasingly Secular World”, as part of the College’s Lenten Lecture. Her presentation addressed such topical questions as, “How can or should a person of faith respond to an increasingly vocal atheism?” and “Do you ‘own your faith’ or are you simply a ‘culture believer’—believing because you were brought up that way and/or everybody else believes, therefore you believe?”

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN (AAUW) EYO CONFERENCE On Saturday, March 19, the College hosted the eighth annual “Explore Your Opportunities —The Sky’s the Limit!” Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Conference for seventh grade girls. The conference gives young women the opportunity to meet and interact with female role models, participate in fun and informative activities and experience and learn more about opportunities in the STEM fields.

THE MOUNT PRESENTS NEW YORK CITY PREMIERE OF “TILL THE TENTH GENERATION”

COLLEGE OF MOUNT SAINT VINCENT NEWS Editor Erin Walsh

around campus

Contributors Mabel Cabrera ’11 Michael Doughty Christina Gonzalez ’09 Ken Handel Michael Quinn ’11

Questions? Comments?

Contact Editor Erin Walsh at erin.walsh@mountsaintvincent.edu, or (718) 405-3345.

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan at the College April 2, 2011

On Wednesday, March 30, the College screened the New York City premiere of “Till the Tenth Generation,” a documentary about a Holocaust survivor living in Dublin. The film, by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Gerry Gregg, tells the story of Dublin resident Tomi Reichental, one of three Holocaust survivors living in Ireland. In the film, Mr. Reichental, alongside Mr. Gregg, travels back to Slovakia to recall the life, and death, of Slovakia’s Jews. “The film is very significant because one day I’ll be gone, but my testament will be forever kept,” says

Elizabeth A. Johnson, C.S.J.

Mr. Reichental. The screening was attended by Gerry Gregg, Tomi Reichental, students, faculty, administrators, staff, and those with personal connections to the Holocaust.

LENTEN MORNING OF REFLECTION FEATURING ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY M. DOLAN On Saturday, April 2, the College hosted the Order of Malta’s Lenten Morning of Reflection on its Riverdale campus. The event featured remarks delivered by His Excellency Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan. The Order of Malta is a worldwide, lay, religious order of the Roman Catholic Church, which seeks to glorify God by promoting the sanctification of each member through his or her work with the sick and the poor and defense of the Catholic faith.

FOUNDERS DAY CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION The College of Mount Saint Vincent celebrated the 100th anniversary of the charter amendment creating the College on Tuesday, April 19.

To celebrate this historic Founders Day, the day’s events included employee service awards, a Liturgy, a spring forum featuring discussions on Goodness and a Centennial Concert performed by the CMSV Chorus. Founders Day honors the history and values of the Sisters of Charity that inform and influence the College of Mount Saint Vincent.

For more coverage of Founders Day, turn to pages 4 and 5 Spring 2011 3

COLLEGE NEWS

COLLEGE NEWS

TURNS

the college of

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mount saint vincent

By Erin Walsh and Mabel Cabrera ’11

Sisters of Charity, Academy of Mount Saint Vincent alumnae, emeriti faculty of the College, and faculty, staff and administrators celebrated the 100th birthday of the College on April 19, 2011, with a full day of activities to celebrate a century of academic excellence.

English, a special Italian dinner in the Spellman Quad and a Centennial Chorus Concert performed by the CMSV chorus, featuring the works of Mozart, Brahms and Caccini. The choir also performed Gregorian chants, psalm settings, spirituals and songs by contemporary American composers.

“Being the 100th anniversary of the Charter amendment (creating) the College, it is always time to celebrate and honor the past while looking to the future”, says Director of Campus Ministry Cecilia Harriendorf, S.C., a member of the Centennial Founders Day Committee and organizer of the Midnight Run for the homeless and sandwich making in honor of Founders Day.

Executive Director of Mission Maureen Russell recalls celebrating the 75th anniversary of the College a quarter of a century ago. She describes the 100 year anniversary as “an opportunity for us to stop and think about who we are, what we are about, and why we are here.”

“It is about the women who came here 100 years ago, but also about the students here today and them understanding where they came from,” she says.

The day’s events included the rededication of the Administration Building as Founders Hall, in honor of the College’s founders, the Sisters of Charity. The South Wing of the building was rededicated as The Academy, in homage to the Academy of Mount Saint Vincent, the precursor to the College. The stairs leading to the Great Lawn were also renamed the Centennial Stairs, in honor of this momentous day in the College’s history.

“The College motto, ‘Teach Me Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge,’ is the central theme of HR efforts to welcome and engage new employees, and to pay tribute to all who have been part of the Mount tradition through the years,” he says.

Other events included an employee service awards brunch, a Liturgy in the Chapel, a Founder’s Day Forum on “Teach Me Goodness,” moderated by Anne Denise Brennan, S.C., professor emerita of

“Founders Day celebrates the historic leadership of the Sisters of Charity and how their tradition carries forth.”

Director of Human Resources Bill Bechman was delighted to participate in the planning of the Centennial Founders Day festivities.

4 Spring 2011

2010

More than 100 female Mount students participate in the 2009 College Outreach Seminar, hosted by the Mount and sponsored by the Committee of 200. Five students earn competitive internships at C200 firms.

“Explore Your Opportunities–The Sky’s The Limit” conference is held at the Mount, offering female students a hands-on exploration of careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. The American Association of University Women (AAUW) hosted the conference. In 2011, the Mount hosts its second AAUW conference.

The first lay woman, Dr. Mary C. Stuart, is appointed president.

The Mount launches its M.B.A. program, bringing the total number of graduate programs to four.

2010

The College opens the new Peter Jay Sharp Athletic and Recreation Center.

2009

The College sponsors the Institute for Immigrant Concerns in Manhattan, which offers ESL instruction, job placement assistance and counseling services to immigrants, asylees and refugees from more than 100 countries.

2009

2009

2000

The first lay man, Dr. Charles L. Flynn, is appointed president.

2005

Opening its doors to all, the college becomes co-educational.

Depicted is an early co-ed art class.

Welcomed by former classmates, Corazon Aquino returns to her alma mater as the president of the Philippines. Pres. Aquino is pictured with Sr. Agnes Connolly, President of the Sisters of Charity and Doris Smith, College president.

1992

With a higher demand for residential housing, the cornerstone for the Alumnae residence is laid.

1986

1969 Seton Library opens

The Mount becomes one of the first colleges to participate in the new Higher Education Opportunity program.

1974

The Mount and Sister Catherine St. Vincent’s Hospital Marie becomes in New York City join the first Sister of forces to Charity president provide a nursing of the College. education program for its students.

The College’s self-contained nursing program begins in 1975. In 1988, the College’s charter is amended to allow the granting of M.S. degrees.

First master’s degrees in nursing are awarded in 1992.

1968

The Mount and Manhattan College begin the longest-running Cooperative Program in the nation.

1965

1964

The first Alumnae Annual Fund drive is held, raising $7,000 from 742 alums. That same year, former Philippines president Corazon Cojuangco graduates.

1956

Seton Hall, the College’s first residence hall, opens. Depicted is a view of the College circa 1912

Hayes Auditorium and Gym are built

1943

The College graduates its first class, with only eight students.

1930

1953

1913

The Academy Charter is officially amended to create the College of Mount Saint Vincent.

Archbishop Farley is the first president of the College.

1912

1911

President Charles L. Flynn, Jr.

The National Science Foundation ranks the College of Mount Saint Vincent as number one among all federally designated Hispanic Serving Institutions in science-related (STEM) field degrees awarded to Latino students.

Spring 2011 5

COVER STORY program.” Unlike the research completed at large research institutions, at the Mount, all student research is conducted by undergraduates, says Dr. Fabrizio. When an experiment is undertaken, students learn how to complete the necessary science that yields significant results. In cases where an experiment leads to the development of a publication, the student researchers’ names are included, says Dr. Fabrizio.

Science students at the College have a strong tradition of engaging in research, says Dr. Lometti.“Now other disciplines are encouraging students to do research outside the classroom,” he says.

Ana Uruena ’11

Research and Realization

By Ken Handel

Nationally, many large research institutions and elite colleges subscribe to the same studentlearning approach as Mount Saint Vincent 6 Spring 2011

A traditional education emphasizes a teacher-oriented style of learning.

Wise professors communicate wisdom to students who absorb the knowledge presented to them. In this paradigm, as Will Durant, the historian and philosopher put it, “education is the transmission of civilization.”

The alternative, and increasingly popular, educational model is student-centered. At the College of Mount Saint Vincent, Provost and Dean of Faculty Guy Lometti believes that an active learning environment, one in which students test the knowledge they have gained in research projects, fosters “high levels of academic achievement and enables students to get from where they are to where we want them to be.”

Dr. Lometti describes Mount Saint Vincent as a school where instructors and students are frequently on a first-name basis, a “small institution that prides itself on its ability to foster student-faculty interactions.”

The College “provides unique opportunities for students to do cutting-edge research,” says Dr. Lometti.

“Student research is something that the institution, and its faculty, both value highly.”

Dr.Omar Nagi, assistant professor of sociology and director of the Center for Undergraduate Research, believes that research-oriented learning is an emerging trend nationally.

One-on-one interaction between faculty members and students is important in assisting students in developing research strategies from scratch, says Dr. Nagi.

At Mount Saint Vincent, “many students present original ideas and original work in classes,” says Dr. Nagi.

The Center for Undergraduate Research was founded in 2010 to enable students to carry through the research they’ve started in class and prepare it for public presentations, he says.

Nationally, many large research institutions and elite colleges subscribe

to the student-learning approach and have established programs and processes similar to the Mount’s Center for Undergraduate Research.

At Mount Saint Vincent, the impetus behind the creation of the Center was a desire to increase the number of students presenting their research at professional conferences.

The goal is to have students in such disciplines as psychology, history, communications and economics to engage in original research and then present their discoveries at local, regional and national conferences in their respective fields.

Associate Professor and Chair of the Division of Natural Sciences James Fabrizio is a firm believer in the necessity of in-depth research as a crucial component of a liberal arts education.

Dr. Fabrizio deems the nearly 20 science students who develop their own research projects each year as “usually the best students in the

Sociology major Jamelia Bastien ’12 is not only a dedicated student researcher, but is also an active member of the campus community.

She is the administrative vice president of Student Government and a member of CMSV Players drama club and the Dolphin Dolls dance troupe. In addition, she serves as vice president of Haraya, the College’s pan-African club, and Universal Tongues, a group that unites individuals who speak a variety of languages. It is important to Ms. Bastien to discuss issues so as “to make everyone more aware of their culture.”

Her research focuses on the effects of stereotyping and labeling. In April 2010, she participated in the National Association for Ethnic Studies student conference in Wash-

ington D.C., where she presented the paper, “Labeling Theory and Patterns of Acceptance and Rejection of Stereotypes.” Ms. Bastien’s hypothesis was that if you assign someone a label, then that person’s behavior mirrors that stereotype.

She chose this particular line of research because she was interested in how the labeling process “applies to myself and my peers every day.” Her results were acquired from a pilot survey that she designed. Her findings are based on an initial 30 respondents. Ms. Bastien aims to collect 50 to 100 additional responses this spring.

Ms. Bastien was pleased to receive feedback on her work, and will continue to refine it as a senior. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school for sociology.

For Alexandria Bobe ’11, the College’s intimate size and welcoming feel were crucial in making her decision to attend Mount Saint Vincent. Coming from the East Bronx, she liked being close to home on a beautiful campus.

Her individual research is closely aligned with the Department of Biology’s focus on molecular and cell biology. In the future, Ms. Bobe hopes to delve into translational research, a combination of research and clinical practice that concentrates on particular diseases. After completing the Minority Summer Student Research Opportunity Program at Albert Einstein College of Medicine last summer, she presented work relating to insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. This summer, she will return to Albert Einstein and continue her research.

Jamelia Bastien ‘12

tion, which enlists volunteers for education and childhood development projects in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. Ms. Bobe characterizes her overseas journeys in Costa Rica and Guatemala as fun, interesting learning experiences.

In Guatemala, she assisted staff in pediatric and maternity clinics. This year, Ms. Bobe traveled to Costa Rica to provide similar medical assistance.

Even with her extensive involvement in research and co-curricular activities, Ms. Bobe has excelled academically, making the Honor Roll every semester. She is sure that her research at Mount Saint Vincent will facilitate her future professional success; ultimately, she plans to apply for a Ph.D. in the biomedical sciences.

In his first two years at the Mount, scholar-athlete David Guerrero ’11 received the Academic Excellence Award for maintaining a 4.0 grade average. As a sophomore, he was also honored with the Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award. Mr. Guerrero has been inducted into a number of honor societies and is a member of the College’s volleyball, cross-country and tennis teams.

His success extends off-campus as well. At the American Society of Cell Biology meeting in Philadelphia in 2010, he was recognized with a Certificate of Excellence honoring his presentation of cellular research undertaken for the Population Council at Rockefeller University. He also made a public presentation at the annual 2010 Drosophila Conference in Washington, D.C.

During her time at the Mount, Ms. Bobe hasn’t spent all her time in the library or the science labs. She has served as co-president of the Environmental Club, co-vice president of the Science Club, and is currently secretary of the Mount MDs, the College’s pre-medical club. Since her sophomore year, she’s worked as a lab assistant in the Microbiology Lab.

Since his freshman year, the biology major and pre-med student was mentored by Assistant Professor of Biology Janet Rollins. Mr. Guerrero conducted biochemical research in her lab all four years at the Mount, which he continued at Rockefeller University. He completed a competitive research internship at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

She has also participated in a program organized by Cross-Cultural Solutions, a not-for-profit organiza-

While at the College, Mr. Guerrero has been a member of the Science Club, the Environmental Club, and

Alex Bobe ’11

“The College is a small institution that prides itself on its ability to foster student-faculty interactions,” says Provost & Dean of Faculty Guy Lometti

Spring 2011 7

Research at the Mount continued

THE MOUNT ROUNDTABLE

the Mount MDs. He also volunteered for charitable activities offered through the Campus Ministry, which included service-learning trips to the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. The Mount’s alternative spring breaks are organized in conjunction with Concern Worldwide, the College’s charity, an international humanitarian organization dedicated to reducing suffering and ending extreme poverty in the world’s poorest 28 countries.

David Guerrero ’11

“When students show they’ve done research, it’s an incredibly strong factor in applying to graduate programs,” says Dr. Lometti

After graduation, Mr. Guerrero plans to continue his research at Rockefeller University before applying to medical school. His ultimate goal is becoming a surgeon.

Bronx native Sasha Paulino ’10 discovered a welcoming environment when she visited the Mount and subsequently decided to attend the College nearly five years ago. As an undergraduate, Ms. Paulino, who is currently enrolled in the M.S. in Urban and Multicultural Education program, majored in history with a concentration in education.

She produced a major research project, Education in Post-World War II America: The Effects of Social, Economic and Political Unrest on Education Reform, which she then presented at the 2010 National Association for Ethnic Studies Conference in Washington, D.C. As part of her graduate studies, she is engaged in research that assesses conflict resolution in the classroom.

While her undergraduate thesis tackled a broad educational theme, her graduate research relates to her student-teaching experiences and focuses more narrowly on one aspect of student conflict in the classroom. By investigating how to facilitate conflict resolution among students, Ms. Paulino aims to improve the educational and socialization process.

Following a rigorous selection process, Ms. Paulino was awarded a three-year Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship, which enabled her to com-

8 Spring 2011

plete internships with the New York Historical Society and Material for the Arts, a not-for-profit organization that provides thousands of New York City arts and cultural organizations, public schools, and community arts programs with supplies to run and expand their programs.

Drosophila Conference in Washington, D.C., held in April 2010, and the annual Biomedical Conference for Minority Students held in November 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she received an award for Outstanding Presentation in Developmental Biology.

THE GREAT DEPRESSION REVISITED…or is it?

In 2009, she traveled to the Dominican Republic to work as a volunteer with American Language Partnership International, an organization that designs, implements, and consults on English language programs for Dominican high schools, private businesses, and companies serving the Dominican Republic’s tourism industry.

At Mount Saint Vincent, she was president of the Science Club and editor of the science newsletter, The Monthly Mole. Next year she will begin her doctoral studies in genetics and developmental biology at the University of Texas Southwestern.

Foreclosures and personal bankruptcies are up––and consumer credit card usage continues to drop. But the stock market’s steadily rising, corporate profits are through the roof and consumer confidence is rebounding.

Dr. Fabrizio takes pleasure in the fact that so many of his students have attained their post-graduate goals. Out of the five who applied to medical school, three have been admitted, and one is still awaiting a response. Another was accepted into a post-bachelor’s program at Harvard.

This is a contradictory snapshot of the economy that vexes even the experts, and has residents of Main Street U.S.A. scratching their heads.

Although she wasn’t always a straightA student, Ms. Paulino says that, during her time at the Mount, “my whole outlook on education changed.”

Senior Ana Uruena ’11 is a member of four honor societies and has made the Honor Roll every semester at the Mount. The biology major and biochemistry minor is also a student employee in the Admissions Office, where she fields inquiries from prospective students and performs administrative tasks.

Ms. Uruena matriculated at the College after beginning her undergraduate studies at the Central University of Venezuela. The Caracas native decided to look for colleges that emphasized research, rather than clinical practice.

Targeting schools within the New York metropolitan area, she decided to attend Mount Saint Vincent, drawn to the College’s collegial feel and small class sizes. Ms. Uruena has completed research internships at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

In summer 2009, Ms. Uruena studied a gene necessary for muscle formation at Sloan-Kettering. Last summer, while at M.I.T., she researched a gene required in sperm and egg development. She also presented her research at two national conferences, the

“When students show they’ve done research, it’s an incredibly strong factor in applying to graduate programs,” says Dr. Lometti.

Conducting research facilitates better understanding in the learning process and enables students to learn how to formulate a question and gather the evidence to answer that question, he says. At Mount Saint Vincent, Dr. Lometti believes that a significant and growing body of faculty sees the benefit of student research on the undergraduate level. ■

Sasha Paulino ’10

ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS

By Ken Handel

What happens when some economists are optimistic and some are pessimistic? Are we poised for a steadily expanding economy or could we slip back into economic catastrophe?

We spoke with President Charles L. Flynn, Jr. and Associate Professor and Chair of Business and Economics Teresita Ramirez to figure out what’s really going on with America’s economy.

Q: Rather than the just-under nine percent unemployment rate announced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, some analysts put the nation’s actual unemployment rate at 16.5 percent, factoring in the underemployed, as well as workers who have ceased looking for jobs. Some forecasts predict continuing high unemployment due to structural economic changes, such as gains in worker productivity.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke predicts a period of at least several years for “hiring to return to normal.” Do you expect unemployment to ever return to its pre-recession levels, and how would you characterize the prospects for America over the next decade?

CLF: As good as Mount Saint Vincent is, I’m not sure that our economic predictions are any more accurate than the geniuses of the Federal Reserve, the banks, or independent economists.

What we do know is that this is a depression—

Dr. Charles L. Flynn, Jr. Dr. Flynn, president of the College of Mount Saint Vincent since 2000, is a teacher, writer, educational administrator and community leader. He earned his Ph.D. in history at Duke University and is the author of White Land, Black Labor: Caste and Class in the Late Nineteenth Century Georgia.

Dr. Teresita Ramirez Dr. Ramirez is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Business and Economics. She earned her Ph.D. in economics at the University of Hawaii, and holds a diploma in development studies from Cambridge University. Dr. Ramirez’s publications address topics including macroeconomic policy, health economics and technology. She is the recipient of two Fulbright-Hays Awards.

not a recession. Unemployment has tended to run to 15 percent for those without a high school diploma, 10 percent or higher for those with a high school diploma, and five percent for those with a college degree.

Those data signify, first, the importance of the high quality educational opportunities that are offered by Mount Saint Vincent for students, their families, and our country.

Second, they signify the enormous pressure families are under in providing their children with these opportunities.

TR: While high unemployment rates have remained relatively stagnant, corporate

profits are back and are expected to reach their economic expansion levels. However, the business sector is not rehiring from the pool of unskilled labor because they are looking for a more highly educated and skilled workforce. There is now a more open global marketplace for talent and, in the coming decade, the American worker will continue to face the challenges of competing in this market. We need to provide opportunities for quality education for our youth and the incentives that will spark entrepreneurship and innovation in job-creating activities.

Spring 2011 9

FACULTY FOCUS THE MOUNT ROUNDTABLE

Q: In America, the top 10 percent of families own 70 percent of the nation’s net worth, according to a study by the Joint Economic Committee. Simultaneously, 44 million Americans are now living below the poverty line — the highest that number has been in 15 years, according to a recent New York Times article. What do you ascribe as the primary causes of income inequality in the United States and how do you think it will impact the future of this country?

CF: I would attribute increased income inequality to disastrously stupid, politically saleable public policy over the past 10 years––and not very good public policy before that.

The Great Depression of the 1930s lasted more than a decade.

TR: The lack of access to quality education and health care by a large number of Americans is a major reason for increasing income inequality. Those who have poor education, which is closely tied to poor health care, are deprived of opportunities for high-wage jobs, while the well-educated and the highly-skilled reap the benefits of having access to financial opportunities. If the American workforce is to remain competitive in the world market, we need to invest in human capital and undertake a comprehensive reform of the education system.

Q: While the Federal government seeks to expand the economy, many state governments are being forced to cut back. States are laying off employees, cutting services and charging citizens more for the services that are maintained.

At the same time, there is great worry about the rise in the federal deficit and a vocal resistance to tax increases led by Tea Party Patriots. How can national, state, and local government fulfill their obligations to citizens amid such resistance to higher taxes and an exploding deficit?

CF: As Edmund Burke put it, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good people do nothing.”

TR: We need true leadership and political courage to get us out of this financial mess. No amount of creative arithmetic and magic asterisks will solve rising deficits. Our political leaders have to deal with a serious reform of the two major sources of economic largesse–– entitlements and tax loopholes. Austerity is an ugly word for a politician; unfortunately it may be the only way to attain manageable levels of debt.

Spotlight on: Q: The Great Depression of the 1930s lasted more than a decade. Although economists officially chart the length of the current recession from December 2007 to June 2009, most citizens would probably say the impact of the recession is still being felt. How would you characterize the similarities and contrasts between these two economic downturns?

DANIEL OPLER

CF: The similarities between the two depressions are stark. However, the revival of American manufacturing during this depression was a very different challenge. In the depression of the 1930s, the revival of demand (consumption) was sufficient. This depression requires that Americans develop full, new, vibrant enterprises. President Obama is attempting to convince the country to address this need. So far, we appear to be reluctant.

Through his scholarly research, historian Daniel Opler has come to believe that one important aspect of American society is the struggle for equality as it relates to race, class and gender. Yet, he does not deem himself a radical. Rather, his identity is firmly established as an academic, a historian concerned with discovering “how we got here,” and a person who is “quite happy teaching.”

TR: The Great Depression was characterized by tight monetary policy and a highly protectionist trade policy, which led to double-digit declines in real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) during the period. Learning from these policy mistakes, the Federal Reserve adopted the opposite policy of easy money during the current “Great Recession.” While this policy may have been a major factor in averting the worsening of the financial crisis, the benefits of this expansionary policy have, unfortunately, not trickled down to the people who need them most.

Q: Manufacturing has been declining in this country for more than 50 years. Yet, in his State of the Union Address, President Obama said the United States has to “out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world.” Is America on an inevitable economic decline with certain industries, such as consumer electronics, outsourced to overseas manufacturers? How can the United States maintain its economic leadership and create the vitality that the President says we must have to prosper?

CF: Is America in decline? No, of course not. The most heavily industrialized sector of the American economy is agriculture, which employs very few people. We cannot allow manufacturing to decline, but manufacturing employment will continue to fall. That is a very important distinction. A vibrant, growing manufacturing sector is essential to America’s future.

TR: I’m afraid that the traditional jobs in manufacturing have already been lost to cheaper labor in other countries and will not come back. The only way to revitalize the U.S. manufacturing sector, which still contributes about 13% of GDP, is to manufacture new and innovative products in the energy and green technology sectors and in the more sophisticated information technology industries. This will require an education system that produces graduates who are equipped with the skills necessary to meet the demands of these industries and who can successfully compete in the increasingly globalized labor markets of the 21st century. ■

Relying on the Facts

By Ken Handel

What he relishes about his role as assistant professor of history at the Mount is “telling stories about what’s happened in the past, and in particular stories that have some meaning or significance about living in the present.”

Although he recognizes that “the unexpected happens in history,” he also maintains that there are constants as well. Dr. Opler believes that inequality “is such a big factor in America.” Therefore, he calls for increased regulation of the business community because “once you start looking at American history, the inequalities of the day become starker and clearer.”

Dr. Opler is a member of the Executive Board of the New York Labor History Association and the author of a 2007 book, For All White-Collar Workers: The Possibilities of Radicalism in New York City’s Department Store Unions. The American Historical Review praised this work for steering “the debate over 20th-century American labor radicalism in a welcome direction.”

Union membership in America continues to contract. The percentage of workers who are union members has fallen from 36 percent in 1945 to just 11.9 percent today, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For Dr. Opler, this precipitous decline has been responsible for many of the nation’s economic ills. Unions, he says, are “the people who gave you the weekend…their destruction has made possible the demise of the middle class.” He says that without a strong labor union movement, there is no counterbalance to big business.

“Organized labor represented an important force to limit the power of corporations,” Dr. Opler says.

Dr. Opler earned his Ph.D. in history at New York University in 2003, and joined the Mount in 2005. He teaches a variety of American History classes at the College, including courses focused on the Progressive Era and the history of New York City.

Along with Assistant Professor of English Heather Alumbaugh, Dr. Opler recently created an interdisciplinary course, “Women’s Studies 101: Introduction to Women’s Studies,” and a new minor in women’s studies.

The role of women in society has long been an important component of Professor Opler’s research. In For All White Collar Workers, he asserts that traditional labor unionists ignored retail workers, leaving them for Communist organizers, because “the retail labor force was largely made up of women, and they simply did not fit

LIVING HISTORY In 2006, Dr. Opler teamed with Cecilia Harriendorf, S.C., director of the Office of Campus Ministry, to develop an oral history project that chronicles the lives and works of the Sisters of Charity, the group that founded and continues to sponsor the College of Mount Saint Vincent.

The project’s objective is to have students, faculty, and staff sit down with a Sister of Charity and record, as best they can, their life stories. To date, more than 100 interviews have been conducted with virtually every Sister of Charity who lives or works on campus.

Members of the Sisters of Charity are employed in a variety of occupations: some are physicians, others are social workers, and some are dedicated to the propagation of a spiritual life. Yet, for Sister Cecilia, there is an essential commonality in these recordings.

“Listening to these biographies, there is just this extraordinary story of faith,” she says. “Each is the same—and yet a little different. You get the sense of this story: of God’s calling and people responding.”

An unexpected development from the project is that “some of the younger students have developed budding friendships with the Sisters,” Sister Cecilia says. It is crucial that students understand the College’s history and the role the Sisters of Charity have played in it because “the future of this place belongs to the young people conducting these interviews,” says Sister Cecilia.

During the interviews, students asked the Sisters questions that were created by Dr. Opler and Sister Cecilia. The questions were open-ended and varied in length, and naturally, each subject answered the same question with her individual perspective. Taken together however, this documentation “is a living history of this 200 year-old organization,” says Sister Cecilia.

—KH

continued on page 12

10 Spring 2011

Spring 2011 11

FACULTY FOCUS

FACULTY FOCUS

Facultyhighlights Humanities/Fine Arts) exhibited his work in three art shows since September. A bronze figure sculpture has been on exhibit at the Netherfields Gallery in Frenchtown, N.J. since July. He also had seven sculptures on display in the show “Go Figure” in Oyster Bay, N.Y. last October. Another bronze figure sculpture was exhibited in the Broome Street Gallery Holiday Invitational in New York, N.Y. from December to January.

David Aliano (Assistant Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures) published a book review on Transatlantic Fascism: Ideology, Violence, and the Sacred in Argentina and Italy 1919-1945 by Federico Finchelstein in European History Quarterly Spring 2011.

Also this spring, he published Citizenship and Belonging: The Case of the Italian Vote Abroad in Ethnic Studies Review. He had two conference papers: “Debating the Nation Abroad: Fascist Propaganda and Italian Diaspora,” at the American Historical Society Annual Conference in Boston, Mass., last January, and “Lessons from Abroad: Radical Discourse and Immigration in Europe and the United States,” at the National Association of Ethnic Studies Annual Conference in Claremont, Calif., this past April.

Seonhee Cho (Assistant Professor of Teacher Education) published the article, “Examining English Language Learners Motivation of and Engagement in Reading: A Qualitative Study,” in The Reading Matrix in September. She also had three presentations; two on the “Academic Enculturation of Non-native English Speaking Students in MATESOL programs,” and the third, “How Do Secondary Content-area Teachers Im-

Richard Barnet (Associate Professor of

Facultyhighlights plement SIOP in Their Classrooms?” which took place at the International TESOL conference in New Orleans, La. in March. Last November she presented a paper on the “Effectiveness of SIOP Training Application in Secondary Mainstream Classroom,” at the 40th NYTESOL conference in Albany, N.Y. Brad Crownover (Assistant Professor of Communication) appeared as Gary in the play The Exonerated at the Center Stage Playhouse in Bronx, N.Y. in February.

Cathryn McCarthy Donahue (Associate Professor of English) presented a paper at the 35th International Patristic, Medieval and Renaissance Studies Conference at Villanova University on “English Images of the Virgin Mary Enthroned before the Trinity and The Book of Margery Kempe,” in October. At the same conference, Dr. McCarthy chaired a

Spotlight on: DANIEL OPLER

continued from page 11

1930s understandings of what a worker was. The very concept of a ‘white-collar worker,’ a worker from outside manufacturing or construction, was a radical concept at the time.”

Morningside Heights neighborhood, and its role in the gentrification of the Upper West Side, together with the role Columbia University has played in these community changes.

He also believes that not much has changed.

Professor Opler, a native of Riverdale, says he was “raised to think about politics.” In his publications and conference presentations, he explores such topics as the ideological creation of the American middle class, the labor union response to the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, on the occasion of that disaster’s centennial, and class struggle as it was manifested at the 19391940 New York World’s Fair. ■

“The fact that so many retail clerks are female allows a level of discrimination to happen with a whole industry,” says Dr. Opler.

Although he recognizes progress in women’s lives, he concludes that there continues to be significant inequality between women and men.

“Women’s roles have expanded, but I do think there’s significant inequality between women and men,” he says.

Dr. Opler is currently researching the history of Manhattan’s

“Women’s roles have expanded, but I do think there’s significant inequality between women and men.”

Dr. Daniel Opler 12 Spring 2011

session that explored themes relating to the topic of “Inter-traditional Religious Resources: The Feminine, Human and Divine.”

Sr. Margaret Egan (Professor of Teacher Education) uses photography as a teaching tool in the classroom. Her photographs have been published on the Sisters of Charity New York Website. Her photos have also appeared in the 2011 publications of the Leadership Conference of Woman Religious and The Underground, the College’s literary magazine.

James J. Fabrizio (Associate Professor of Biology) leads an undergraduate research group, which delivered a presentation in March at the National Conference on Underg r aduate Research at Ithaca College.

He has been awarded a one-semester sabbatical to publish his work in a peer-reviewed journal and develop a grant proposal.

Ted Kafala (Associate Professor of Media and Communication) presented a paper at the Society for Cinema and Media Studies Conference in New Orleans, La. in March.

He also peer-reviewed a manuscript, Geert Lovink’s Unlike Us, for Cambridge University Press/Polity Press.

Pamela Kerrigan (Associate Professor of Biochemistry) was elected director of the Northeast Region of Sigma XI for a threeyear term in November. She has also edited test item files for a new textbook, General, Organic and Biochemistry: An Integrated Ap-

proach, as well as the 8th and 9th editions of Introduction to Chemical Principles.

Kristin Lawler’s (Assistant Professor of Sociology) first book, The American Surfer: Radical Culture and Capitalism, was published in Routledge’s Advances in Sociology series, in October.

Cynthia Meyers (Associate Professor of Communication) presented her research papers “Dramatizing a Bar of Soap: Admen as the Showmen of Radio,”and“BBDO and U.S. Steel on Radio and Television, 1948-52: The Problems of Sponsorship, New Media, and the Communist Threat,” at the On Archives!

Conference in Madison, Wis., last July.

Victor Miroshnikov (Assistant Professor of Mathematics) co-authored the paper, "Teaching Fluid-Dynamic Cascades for Undergraduates: Analysis and Aimulation," with Nour Aqeel, Robert Bararwandika, Stephanie Chavez, Meghan Conroy, Ryan Foti, Hussain Gardezi,Yanell Innabi, Karen Laurent, George V. Miroshnikov, and Elizabeth M. Toribio, which was published in the Far East Journal of Mathematical Education, in August.

Tracy Prout (Assistant Professor of Psychology) presented the paper “Differentiation and Recovery among Individuals with Schizophrenia,” at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion Annual Meeting in October. She supervised Veronica Vay ’13 on her paper, “Effects of Gender and Attachment Styles on Religiosity,” which was presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion Annual Meeting in October and

was a finalist for Best Student Paper. Dr. Prout has also been awarded a tuition grant for advanced psychoanalytic training by the American Psychoanalytic Association – Psychoanalysis and the Academy Committee. She was an invited speaker at Redeemer Counseling Center, where she provided a workshop for clinical staff on clinical and religious perspectives on treating personality disorders. In addition, she was an invited speaker for Peru Missions Team, where she provided a workshop for the team on mental health issues among the urban poor.

Ana Ribeiro (Assistant Professor of Biology) presented, with Stephanie Widmer, Iona Florea and Donald Pfaff, “Effects of Estrogens on Food Anticipatory Activity in Female Mice,” at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research in April. She published, with Spiteri, T., Musatov, S., Ogawa, S., Pfaff D.W. and Agmo, A. “The role of the estrogen receptor alpha in the medial amygdala and ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus in social recognition, anxiety and aggression,” Behavorial Brain Research, last July, and, with Pfaff, D.W., a review of “Theoretical consequences of fluctuating versus constant liganding of oestrogen receptor-alpha in neurons,” in J Neuroendocrinol, last June.

Barbara Smith (Professor of English) had her article, “Neither Accident nor Intent: Contextualizing the Suicide of Ophelia,” published in the South Atlantic Review. The article was named best article of the year by that journal in March of last year.

Natalia Smirnova (Assistant Professor of Business and Economics) was invited to talk at the U.S. Department of State on the position of women in the Russian labor market in December.

Spring 2011 13

STUDENT LIFE

The Mount Goes Global Mount students & faculty in Italy, Russia & Guatemala

theater, opera, ballet and art. By visiting Russia, students will become more familiar with all of those matters.”

By Christina Gonzalez '09

“I would recommend this trip to another student who is ready to embark upon a life changing experience.”

Kimberly Foerster ’11

14 Spring 2011

The earth remains the same size as it was millenia ago with a circumference just short of 25,000 miles at the Equator. Oceans and mountains still act as dividing barriers for countries and continents. Yet, it seems that our planet has become increasingly smaller in size and that once insurmountable barriers can be overcome almost instantaneously.

Aided by rapid advances in technology and communications, globalization has occurred at a blistering pace over the last few decades.

Improvements in transportation allow manufacturers in Asia to produce and send their products to suppliers in the United States faster than ever before. A college student in Venezuela can order a textbook from Amazon.com for delivery in less than a week. E-mails and text and instant messages, not to mention "smart phones," make communication with far off lands not only possible, but easy, inexpensive, and widely available.

As the world gets smaller, the need for Americans to understand and interact with individuals from a diverse array of cultures intensifies. In keeping with the demand for study abroad programs and internationally-focused

educational offerings, the College of Mount Saint Vincent offers numerous study abroad opportunities that allow Mount students to broaden their horizons and enrich their cross-cultural understanding.

The College currently sponsors study abroad programs in Russia, Canada, Italy, Japan, China and the United Kingdom. In addition, the Office of Campus Ministry at Mount Saint Vincent sponsors service-learning trips, where students can volunteer abroad in Guatemala and lend their services closer to home, with service-learning trips to the Appalachian region of Kentucky and Hoboken, New Jersey.

When students study abroad, they not only take in the local sights and complete courses specific to the region, but they also immerse themselves in the country’s rich history.

Take, for instance, the Mount’s study abroad program in Rome, Italy.

Students view great architectural landmarks, sample various Italian cuisines, learn the language and encounter Italy’s artistic masterpieces.

Dr. David Aliano, assistant professor of modern language and history, has been spearheading the Mount’s study aboard program in Italy since

2008. He led eight Mount Saint Vincent students to the Eternal City during this past January’s intercession trip.

“It’s wonderful to teach in Italy, because you can see 2,000 years of history unfold on its streets," he says.

“I have never met a person that has gone to Italy that has never wanted to come back.”

Junior Yulissa Liriano ’12, a French Studies major with a minor in Italian, describes her time in Italy as an eye-opener and an invaluable learning experience.

“Italy was a culture shock, but I learned a lot about Italian culture, history, and architecture,” she says.

“I came back with many unforgettable memories and the urge to return to Rome again.”

Dr. Natalia Smirnova, assistant professor of economics, introduced a study abroad program to her native Russia in 2007.

“Russia is the biggest country in the world," she says. “It is a major player in politics, business and economics, as well as a country with great cultural heritage, which spreads through poetry, literature,

Through Dr. Smirnova’s efforts, the Mount has become a partner institution with Saint-Petersburg State University of Economics and Finance. In 2010, the Mount received a Title VI grant, which funds undergraduate programming in international studies. Part of the grant will fully fund two Mount students during a study abroad summer session in Russia.

Dr. Teresita Ramirez, associate professor and chair of the Department of Business and Economics, is currently developing a study abroad session to China. As the world’s second largest world economy and a growing international power, China is a logical destination for a study abroad program, which Dr. Ramirez hopes to launch during January 2012 intercession.

“I like to think of China as challenging the U.S. in education and economic development," she says. "We must face these challenges.”

Dr. Ramirez, a native of the Philippines, has completed Fulbright programs in 2002 and 2006, during which she studied in China, Hong Kong, Hungary and Poland. She views studying abroad as a vital component of an undergraduate education in an increasingly global world.

“A student who studies abroad has more of a perspective of economic issues,” says Dr. Ramirez. “To live in another country

and get to know its people is a wonderful thing.”

Mount students can also volunteer both domestically and abroad, through the College’s service-learning programs.

During these service learning trips, students volunteer their time and talents in a variety of ways that range from giving vaccines in Guatemala to building houses in Appalachia.

Since 2007, Mount students have traveled to the Appalachian region of Kentucky during spring break, where they build homes for the less fortunate.

During this year’s January intercession, four Mount nursing majors traveled to Guatemala with members of the Sisters of Charity, where they worked in Sisters of Charity-run clinics, administering vaccinations, assisting in a pharmacy, and aiding with pediatric care.

Nursing major Kimberly Foerster ’11 traveled to Guatemala during January intercession.

“I anticipated a hands-on experience, incorporating spiritual and professional aspects along with elements from the field of health care,” she says. “While there, I experienced a very humbling and simplistic, yet extremely effective, system, that the Sisters of Charity implemented.”

Sister Cecilia accompanied four nursing majors to Guatemala this past winter intersession.

“Having educated these four young women for four years and being able to take their acquired skills and put our

mission in action by showing them a part of the world they don’t know, will shape who they are for the rest of their lives,” she says.

The College also offers a new exchange program with St. Mary’s University College in Twickenham, London, where students from each respective campus can swap lives for a brief time. In 2010, this exchange program was developed by Dean of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies Edward Meyer.

Students are given the opportunity to study for a semester in London while choosing from a broad range of courses in subjects including English, management, business law, tourism and media.

“In recent years, the College has made a strategic effort to increase study abroad,” says Dean Meyer. “One of the best ways to enhance your appreciation of other cultures is to study abroad, where you can experience them first hand.”

Mount students can also participate in outside programs, thanks to the College’s membership in the Lower Hudson Valley Catholic College and University Consortium and the College Consortium for International Studies.

“I would definitely recommend other students to go on these trips, or any other study abroad program, because it is an experience that doesn’t compare to any other,” says Ms. Liriano. “When I look back at my college years, I will be happy that I took full advantage of the time that I had here.” ■ Spring 2011 15

SPCS: PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS

second acts Christian and Elke Alvarado with their twin girls, Victoria & Lana

Dean of SPCS Edward Meyer

By Erin Walsh

Joella Glaude-Sawyer has steadily climbed the corporate ladder as a marketing and fundraising professional over the years.

Her lack of academic credentials, she believes, is what was holding her back.

The Riverdale resident and married mother of three children aged three to 16 years held the estimable titles of director of development and public affairs and assistant manager of institutional foundation support for non-profits including the Wildlife Conservation Society during the course of her career.

“At a certain point, I hit a ceiling,” she says. “It’s essentially, ‘Are you bright?’‘Can you pick things up?’ The higher I got in the food chain, that’s when the lack of credentials compared to my peers became more glaring. It’s something that I couldn’t afford to do.”

When the philanthropy and marketing department of Bon Secours New York Health in Riverdale was downsized in 2009, she found herself a victim of the economic downturn.

She also noticed a pattern. Although Ms. Glaude-Sawyer had studied at New York Technical College after high school, she never finished her degree.

Ms. Glaude-Sawyer enrolled in the College of Mount Saint Vincent’s School of Professional and Continuing Studies in 2009, and expects to receive her bachelor’s degree in communication and media studies this May. She found the SPCS community at the Mount very nurturing.

“The faculty have been very supportive, and I appreciate that (the College is beginning to offer) some courses that are a hybrid of online and traditional,” she says. “Being a mother of a special-needs child, if I walk into class late, I don’t get an eye-roll. I’ve found a certain level of support. (The faculty) walk you through and make themselves available.”

Founded in 2005, the School of Continuing and Professional Studies offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as certificate programs and non-credit professional training and professional development programs for non-traditional students and working adults, says Dean of SPCS Edward Meyer.

Joella Glaude-Sawyer with Dean Edward Meyer

“The overall character, or theme for this (program) was career building—whether it be entering a new career, advancing in one’s chosen field, or improving skill sets essential to a successful professional life,” he says.

According to Dean Meyer, nearly half of

recent enrollees in SPCS programs are either seeking to change careers or change jobs within their existing profession, or are attempting to safeguard their current position by completing additional training or an additional academic credential. Given the ongoing recession, having a college degree is more essential to landing and keeping a job.

“At this point in time, the job market is extremely competitive,” Dean Meyer says. “The number of openings is small; the number of applicants is very high. Employers increasingly seek workers with advanced degrees, specialized skills, and, as a minimum, a bachelor’s degree.”

In 2005, SPCS offered four degree programs, which allowed nontraditional and adult students to obtain a bachelor degree in business administration, communication and media studies, organizational leadership and criminology. The College has since added eight noncredit professional training programs, which include tracts allowing students to become a pharmacy technician, human resource specialist or medical office administrator. On the graduate level, SPCS offers an M.B.A. program, as well as master’s degrees in nursing and education.

“In each case, the new programs have been selected with employment opportunities in mind,” says Dean Meyer.

Elke and Christian Alvarado are a married couple and parents of twin 20-month-old girls, Victoria and Lana, who decided to enroll in the bachelor’s of business administration program offered through SPCS. They expect to graduate in 2012.

Mr. Alvarado, principal and founder of T3-Technologies, an IT

company, attended Iona College after high school, but transferred to the Mount to study finance in 1999.

The Bronx native says, “(The Mount) was closer, and I didn’t feel that I was getting the education that I was looking for at Iona. I had several friends who spoke highly of (the Mount).”

Ms. Alvarado originally attended Lehman College in 1997 to study psychology. She is currently an insurance broker on Wall Street, and says that she is obtaining her degree for her own personal fulfillment, and to set an example for her girls.

“We were working, we were successful at what we were doing, and we decided to put it on hold for a bit, and come back later,” she says.

She was drawn to SPCS’s flexible schedule, and the reputation of the College.

“I absolutely love it,” Ms. Alvarado says. “I feel that I’ve grown and learned so much from the program. It’s reassuring to be in a program with adults, rather than 18-year-old kids.”

Her husband says, “They cater to adults, both in terms of the schedules and the classes. The entrepreneurship class is based on realworld examples, and it’s perfect for me as a small-business owner.”

After graduation, Ms. Glaude-Sawyer hopes that the combination of her degree and her work experience will help her to land a marketing or public relations job in the Bronx.

“My hope is to work for one of the local hospitals,” she says. “I’m open to pursuing a variety of opportunities, but I would like to stay local. I am a mom, and after 9/11, that changed my worldview.” ■

“They cater to adults, both in terms of the schedules and the classes.

The entrepreneurship class is based on real-world examples, and it’s perfect for me as a small business owner.”

Christian Alvarado

16 Spring 2011

A DAY IN THE LIFE: ON THE JOB WITH A MOUNT INTERN

➤11:00-1:30 PM- Greets and suits arriving guests, taking their measurements and making sure they are provided with the necessary clothing for a job interview. Clients are provided with two suits for interviews and then later given a week’s worth of clothing if they land the job. In addition to the clothing, they are also given footwear, handbags, and cosmetics donated by Bobbi Brown. ➤10:00 AM- Arrives at the office, where she is updated by supervisor Wendy Wilkins on the Going Places Network and on which clients are coming in for suiting. She also follows up with guest speakers about other programs.

Kara McNish ’12

WELL-SUITED for SUCCESS

By Mabel Cabrera ’11

For Kara McNish ’12, a business major and student-athlete with a social conscience, Dress for Success was the perfect place to complete a business and marketing internship during the spring semester of her junior year. Dress for Success offers professional attire, career development tools, and a support network for women reentering the workforce. The organization’s mission, “to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women,” is realized through the efforts of full-time employees and volunteers in more than 75 cities worldwide.

Dress for Success serves a diverse group of women, ranging from professionals to those with little or no previous work experience, whose careers have been interrupted for a variety of factors, including the economic downturn, incarceration, or substance abuse, according to Manhattan branch manager Wendy Wilkins.“The cur18 Spring 2011

➤1:30-2:30 PM- Takes a lunch break.

rent economy has brought in a lot more referrals, especially from higher skilled, educated women than in previous years,” she says.

The organization partners with more than 300 other non-profit organizations in Manhattan alone that offer job readiness training.

After they have completed this training and have obtained a job interview, the women are then referred to Dress for Success, where they polish their resumes and wardrobes to land a job.

Dress for Success has three New York locations — in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens. The Manhattan site is the most active location worldwide, suiting roughly 3,000 women last year, according to Ms. Wilkins.

Ms. Wilkins and her team, including Kara, provide a wide range of

services to their clients, including wardrobe assistance, job interview tips, resume advice, and if they don’t land the job, comprehensive advice on how to ace the next interview through the Going Places Network.

As part of her internship, Kara helps to organize the Going Places Network, a weekly group that covers topics ranging from workplace transition skills, tips for writing resumes and cover letters, managing finances and dealing with job rejection.

“She’s done a fantastic job,” says Ms. Wilkins of Kara’s performance.

Kara created flyers, designed invitations, assembled an orientation packet, and entered all RSVPs for the program. Kara finds working for a non-profit organization such as Dress for Success personally fulfilling.

➤2:30-5:00 PM- Works on computer tasks, where she does any necessary research for upcoming programs.

Follows up with clients scheduled for suiting appointments or those who wish to partake in the other services that Dress for Success offers. Mails confirmation letters for new programs.

“The fact that I can help these women overcome such a difficult time in their life really makes me feel good about myself.”

Kara McNish ’12 Spring 2011 19

ALUMNI The

profiles

Great Communicators

By Christina Gonzalez ’09

Former President Ronald Reagan was widely known as “The Great Communicator.” However, the College’s Department of Communication has produced scores of alumnae/i that could easily compete for this title.

Don’t take our word for it. Alumni John Caruso ’82, David Schliecker ’92 and Endy Rodriguez ’03 are demonstrative of the noteworthy graduates that the program produces. Although they’ve taken divergent paths since their college days, each of them started their journey at the Mount.

JOHN CARUSO ’82, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, ABC TELEVISION NETWORK SALES “My day is not very typical, and that is what makes it exciting and fun,” says John Caruso, senior vice president of ABC Television Network Sales.“A lot of my job, which I love, is meeting with clients who are pitching their marketing agenda for the next year and looking to us for solutions.”

Since 2002, Mr. Caruso has overseen the client specialist team leaders responsible for developing marketing partnerships, executing buying and planning goals, and finalizing all sales agreements involving the ABC Television Network.

Mr. Caruso began his career at ABC as an intern with Eyewitness News. While still attending the Mount, he began working as a guest relations page.

After graduating in 1982, Mr. Caruso was hired in the ABC Affiliate Relations department, holding a number of positions over the years until he joined ABC’s Network Sales department in 1987.

That same year, he also received an M.B.A. in marketing from Fordham University.

He attributes his success to the connections he’s made over the years.

20 Spring 2011

“One of the things the Mount teaches you is maintaining great relationships,” says Mr. Caruso.

Sustaining relationships has helped Mr. Caruso navigate the changing landscape of the television industry. With so many different media outlets available to consumers today, Mr. Caruso works with his team to customize and achieve marketing initiatives to meet and surpass his clients’ goals. Still, he says the bulk of ABC’s viewership still watches the traditional television set.

With TiVo and numerous digital outlets vying for viewers’ attention, television networks are working harder than ever to keep viewers tuned in.

Mr. Caruso works with clients such as Sprint to produce innovative product integration promotions as a marketing tie-in with top-rated shows. The writers and director of Desperate Housewives worked with Sprint to develop seven commercials that had the feel of the show.

This initiative was a successful fit for the network and its client, but every marketing challenge isn’t solved as easily, says Mr. Caruso.

“The most difficult part of my job is solving a client’s problem when you know there is no solution,” he says. “You have to work hard, even when it’s not easy.”

DAVID SCHLIECKER ’92, VICE PRESIDENT, FOOD NETWORK BRAND RESEARCH David Schliecker ’92 has forged a career that would make most people salivate.

As vice president of brand research for the Food Network, Mr. Schliecker spends most of his days analyzing viewers’ relation-

ship with food, and determining how the Food Network can please their palates. Like many communication majors, Mr. Schliecker initially sought a career in television or film production, but quickly learned that it wasn’t his ideal fit.

The communication and psychology major customized his education so that it combined his two passions—media and research—and ultimately found his niche in brand research.

“I was encouraged to pursue both (fields) and that opened the ability to create your own way,” says Mr. Schliecker, who also obtained a M.S. in communication from Cornell University.

Throughout his career, Mr. Schliecker has conducted consumer research for networks including Fox, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central.

“The common theme in the networks I have worked for is the passionate fan base,” says Mr. Schliecker. “I have been fortunate to have been interested in each network I have worked for. It’s important to work for a brand you are interested in.”

Much has changed since the beginning of Mr. Schliecker’s career, and new media has been a game-changer for traditional research teams.

“It becomes hard to be a network, and we in research have to figure out how it affects the network,” he says.

Despite all the changes that networks face, no one can deny Mr. Schliecker has a formulated a winning recipe for success.

“The recipe to follow is having good communication skills at work,” says Mr. Schliecker. “The Mount Communication Department laid the ground work.”

He also encourages students to make and sustain connections.

“You never know where an opportunity may come from,” Mr. Schlieker says.

ENDY RODRIGUEZ ’03, SENIOR ASSIGNMENT EDITOR, TELEMUNDO WNJU 47 Don’t let his young age fool you. Two time Emmy Award winner Endy Rodriguez’s go-getter mentality has helped him quickly ascend the ranks at Telemundo’s local station WNJU 47.

“My interest in news began in high school,”he says.“My first goal was to be a reporter, but then I fell in love with investigative journalism.”

It all started in 2002, when the-then Mount junior interned for the WNJU 47 News department.

“I gave it my all, and that is why I was looked at,” says Mr. Rodriguez, who was brought on as a freelancer after his internship supervisor left the station.

He began working full-time overnight shifts at the station during his college days, while still arriving in time for a 9:45 am class at the Mount.

The lack of sleep apparently didn’t affect Mr. Rodriguez’s grades, who graduated summa cum laude with a communication major and Spanish minor.

“The Mount prepared me all the way,” he says. “The professors put me in the right situations, and I came out well prepared.”

Mr. Rodriguez initially oversaw the station’s investigative unit, and was soon promoted to senior assignment editor, a position he has held since 2004.

“Working for a Spanish station is a very friendly environment,” he says. “It’s like being home.”

While most of Mr. Rodriguez’s days are spent investigating and covering local news stories, he has been given the opportunity to cover international stories, including a presidential election in the Dominican Republic.

This year, he will cover the beatification ceremony for Pope John Paul II for Telemundo networks. This has personal significance for Mr. Rodriguez, who also volunteers as a youth coordinator for the Archdiocese of New York.

“The sky is the limit and I’m not putting limits to myself,” he says.

“I can’t be satisfied with what I have done, but what I can do.”

Spring 2011 21

classnotes 1944 Jean Gartlan is the author of the recently released biography, Barbara Ward – Her Life and Letters, published by Continuum Press. She first met Ms. Ward in Ghana in 1953.

1945 Patricia Buckley Boerner is a retired librarian, who is enjoying time with her husband, Robert.

1949 Sister Dorothy Delaney retired in January from Holy Family School and continues to live in their convent.

Patricia Dugone Gambarelli wrote another cookbook, which consists of 48 complete dinner menus, and started a gourmet club in Sea Trail Plantation, Sunset Beach, N.C. She and her husband, Rudy, are enjoying visits from their six grandchildren, ages 12 to 22.

Louise Niewenhous Grady and her husband Jim are excited to announce that they are expecting two great-grand babies in May and June.

Dorothy L. Lupo reports a mini reunion took place in September 2010 in Saybrook, Long Island. She is enjoying life in Port Washington, N.Y. Edna Sandroni Ulasewicz in Calif. is enjoying family celebrations and expects to be in New York City to attend her grandchild’s confirmation and another grandchild’s wedding shower.

Josephine Coppola Urban is enjoying family time with her husband Bill, and their five sons, five daughter-in-laws, and 13 grandchildren.

1951 Dr. Alice Longman is a professor emerita at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz.

Alicia Ong (’62) , left , recently traveled to Manila to help her sister, Amparo Palenzuela (’59 ), second from left , celebrate her 75th birthday. Also present were another sister, Virginia Abello (’57), and their brother, Albert del Rosario, now the Secretary of Foreign Affairs for the Philippines.

(Mr. Rosario hosted CMSV Washington, DC area alumnae/i at the Embassy residence when he was the Philippine Ambassador to the United States, 2001-2006.)

Neck Public Schools, living in Forest Hills, N.Y.

1963 Carol Gartner Barrett is celebrating the birth of granddaughter, Keegan Padraig Fallon, born on March 2, 2011.

Betty Allen Cheshire and the Mt. Carmel Church Choir of Ridgewood, N.J. received an invitation from the Vatican to sing at Mass on July 3, 2011. The choir will also be performing in Florence and Venice.

1964 Mary Jane Myers Foley is president of MJF Consulting Inc. in Laguna Niguel, Calif., where she resides with her husband, John.

1966 Regina Burke Vassak is a retired French & Latin teacher. She enjoys spending time with her husband John, who is also a retired teacher.

1952

1967

Virginia Sutter Gregory retired in 2007 from her relations representative position, and is living in Arlington, Mass.

Loretta Sheridan, Esq. is a divorce mediator residing in Katonah, N.Y.

1954 Beatrice Chao Lee is celebrating her 80th birthday this year. She is also enjoying time with her family and celebrating her three grandchildren’s college graduations.

1956 Dr. Astrid Richie O’Brien recently celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary with husband Robert. She has been working on a book for the last 10 years, which will be available soon. The book is titled, A Mysticism of Kindness: Biography of Lucie Christine.

1957 Joan Minetti Smith is happily retired, and living in Oakland Park, Fla. with her husband Karl.

1959 Roberta Scott Muldoon celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary to husband Bill in 2010.

They are enjoying time with their five grandchildren, and awaiting the marriage of their youngest daughter.

1961 Dorothy Mullins Meyer is happily retired and living in Fleetwood, Penn.

Dr. Bella Silecchia recently retired as director of pediatrics ambulatory care services at Nassau University Medical Center, and director of the Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect Evaluation Center, also at Nassau University Medical Center.

1962 Alicia del Rosario Ong recently traveled to Manila to celebrate her sister’s, Amparo Palenzuela ’59, 75th birthday. Also present was her sister, Virginia Abello ’57, and their brother, Albert del Rosario.

Karlene Reilly is a retired administrator of Great

22 Spring 2011

1969 Patricia Dolan Lewis is a marketing and communications officer for the City of Windsor, Conn., where she currently resides.

Mary (Beth) Morrison Santini is an ESE teacher at Royal Palm School in Fort Myers, Fla.

1970 Tracy (Grace) La Porta is the owner of G. Tracy La Porta, CPA in Norwalk, Conn., where she lives with husband Vince.

1971 Joan Gagan is the managing director of Gilbert Tweed International.

Dr. Anne-Marie Meehan is currently a doctor in private practice in Atlanta, Ga. Patricia Tague Miller is working at Dartmouth, where she is coordinating a smoking cessation study for people with schizophrenia. She is also on the staff of Broadwing Breathwork Center in Spofford, N.H., where she is serving as an assistant trainer/facilitator of therapeutic breathwork.

Mary Carol Hassenstein Redelheim is a special education consultant for the Metro Nashville Public Schools. She lives in Nashville, Tenn. with her husband Paul.

Dr. Christine Wollschlager joined the Connecticut Medical Group, Hamden Internal Medicine Associates. She is currently board certified in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Diseases. She is a fellow of the American Colleges of Physicians and the American College of Chest Physicians.

1972 Ellen Ryan Simmons is happily living in Atlanta, Ga. with husband Bruce.

1975 Johanna Goosmann Antar recently graduated

ATHLETICS from the New York School of Homeopathy, earning certification in classical homeopathy.

She is currently an active member of PFLAG (Parents, Family/Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and volunteers for their Speakers Bureau for the Safe Schools program.

Cherylann Odell Doolittle is an honors chemistry teacher at Pine Crest School in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

1991

1976

Dismayra Alejo Martinez received her master’s degree at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is currently working at Yale School of Medicine as a research associate.

Shannon Gordon Wolf and her husband, Harry, are enjoying life together in Fairport, N.Y.

1978 Patricia Corvi Widmer is a contracts and credit analyst for EXSIF Worldwide, Inc. and is enjoying time with her husband Charley, who is retired.

1979 Dr. Matthew Arduino recently became branch chief of clinical environmental microbiology in the division of healthcare quality promotion at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. This fall, his son Luke begins college at Georgia Gwinnett College, and his wife Susan begins work on her specialist degree in education from Piedmont College. Their other son Benjamin is a freshman at Parkview High School.

Kenneth Davis published a book in January 2011, TAG 18.3 – Graffiti and Its Vandalism Characteristics 1990 – 2000. He is currently a detective for the Yonkers Police Department.

Lorraine Marchionni O’Brien is a nurse at Nyack Hospital, and also a homecare liaison.

She lives in Congers, N.Y. Therese Curry Walters is a practice manager at Carolina Developmental Pediatrics. She lives in Cary, N.C., with her husband David.

1982 Beth Ann Kelly Makowski teaches at Jefferson High School in Greeley, Colo., where she resides with husband Thad.

1983 Leslie Allicks opened Lola’s Tea House in Pelham, N.Y. The shop offers a unique setting to enjoy the pleasures of drinking tea.

Eileen Connell Doyle was featured in an article about her accomplishments as a career center specialist in Fairfax County, Va.

1984 Veronica Haugh Mausser is a family nurse practitioner in Flemington, N.J.

1985 William Dunworth resides in Shanghai, China, where he is an adjunct professor at New York University in Shanghai.

1988 Maureen Nolan Fearon recently captained a USTA women’s 3.5 tennis team that finished 5th in the nation. The team represented New England in the USTA nationals tournaments in Tuscon, Ariz.

Mary Wasson Teeter just celebrated her 10th wedding anniversary with husband Keith.

1989 Rosemary Conlon is vice president and national account manager at Allianz Global Investors Distributors LLC in New York, N.Y.

1990 Marie Mitchell Considine received her master’s of public administration at Pace University, and is happily living in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y. with husband Joe.

Eugene Noland Robb recently retired from his position of advanced practice psychiatric nurse for the State of Ohio Department of Corrections. He is currently studying art history at Indiana University, and intends to get his third B.S. degree.

1996

1998 Anne O’Connell Lanzi and husband Michael are pleased to announce two beautiful additions to their family. Identical twin girls, Alexandria and Isabella, were born on October 12, 2010. They join siblings Olivia, 3, and Vincent, 16 months.

1999 Kim Cavallero is the director of communications at Society of Holy Child Jesus in Media, Penn.

Mindy Palhete-Fernandes is the owner and photographer of Everlasting Films & Photography, in Brookfield, Conn. She is happily living and working with her husband, Lou.

2000 Bernardo Moronta is an on-air personality at Tropical Top 40 WXNY (96.3 FM), in New York, N.Y. He can be heard during the weekends as “Danny Candela.”

Amanda Ruiz Thompson is currently living in Charlotte, N.C. with her husband Michael, where she works from home as an integrated claims examiner.

2002 Zahide Carcamo Mukoie is currently a Florida real estate professional for Keller Williams, living in Orlando, Fla. Amanda Healey works for T. Carlton’s Spalon as a master stylist and colorist. She resides in Lake Grove, N.Y. Oswaldo Luciano recently received her M.S. from New York University, and is working as a partner for Dewey & LeBoeuf, LLP, in New York, N.Y.

2003 Mandeep Cheema and Ivellisse Roman Cheema ’04, celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary, and are expecting their second child in April 2011.

Zsolt Kulcsar received his M.D. from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, and is working at New York Hospital Queens.

2004 Ivelisse Roman Cheema is a charge nurse and unit educator at St. Luke’s Sugarland Hospital in Sugarland, Tex. Margarita Gonzales David is the assistant director of admissions at St. John’s University.

She lives in Jamaica, N.Y.

2009 Erika Enriquez has recently received a merit award from the Executive Women of New Jersey and from the North Jersey Federal Credit Union.

2010 Belgica Collado-Rivera is executive assistant to the School of Professional & Continuing Studies at the College of Mount Saint Vincent, and resides in Newark, N.J. Shannon Jessup works in the emergency room at Maimonides Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

LOOSE TALK

A CONVERSATION WITH CHRIS BEERMANN ’11

By Mike Doughty

Senior history major Chris Beermann is a familiar presence to Mount lacrosse fans. The senior defender on the men’s lacrosse team has played with the Dolphins for the past four seasons. He currently stands in the top-10 in lacrosse program history in face-off wins, face-offs taken and face-off percentage.

Besides being a dynamo on the field, Chris has also assisted the Department of Athletics with game day operations for the past four years. The Floral Park, N.Y. native has helped with home basketball games and volleyball matches, and has volunteered with the Sports Information Office.

We sat down with the senior to find out what makes him tick.

Why did you choose to attend Mount Saint Vincent?

■ I received an academic scholarship from Mount Saint Vincent. It was far enough where I could get away from home, but always go home if I ever needed to.

Who do you admire?

■ My father. He works a significant amount of hours and still manages to make it to most of my lacrosse games, as well as to my brother’s games, who plays lacrosse for Kings College in Penn.

How did you get started playing Lacrosse?

■ I started to play when I got to high school and my best friend got me to join the team.

Once that happened, I was hooked and have been playing ever since.

What do you like most about the Mount?

■ The professors. There is a good student to teacher ratio, where you can always contact your professors, no matter when you need them.

What is your major?

■ History with a concentration in secondary education

What is something from Mount Saint Vincent you will take with you after graduation?

■ One thing I will take with me from Mount Saint Vincent is the sense of community. At CMSV, everyone knows everyone, and it does not feel like a school, but like a community where we all interact.

What is your career ambition and why?

■ My career ambition is to work with autistic or physically-disabled children because I worked with these students in high school. After that experience, I knew what I wanted to study when I went to college.

Who is your hero?

■ My mother. She has been through a lot, and no matter how down things got for her, she always managed to stay positive.

Other then lacrosse, what are some of your interests?

■ Playing other sports, hanging out with friends, and going to the beach.

What is/are your favorite moment(s) at Mount Saint Vincent?

■ Springfest. I love going down to Marillac Lawn in the spring and being able to enjoy the carnival and see a live band play.

What are you most proud of?

■ Being a member of the lacrosse team.

There are a lot of things that I have learned not only about myself, but also about others from being a member on this team, and I will be able to use these lessons throughout life.

What kind of music do you enjoy?

■ Classic rock What is your favorite movie?

■ “Ace Ventura, Pet Detective” Facebook or Twitter?

■ Facebook Would you like to stay involved with athletics after you graduate?

■ I hope to be involved in athletics after I graduate from Mount Saint Vincent as either a member of the coaching staff or as a member of the athletic staff.

Do you have any pre-game superstitions?

■ Not really: I just listen to my iPod and focus on what I have to do.

What is your favorite food?

■ Chicken cutlets What is your favorite restaurant?

■ Trinity’s in Floral Park What is your favorite game day meal?

■ Pasta What is your favorite place to visit?

■ California Spring 2011 23

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Keep Up with the Mount The College of Mount Saint Vincent Alumnae/i Office has partnered with Harris Connect to produce the 2011-2012 CMSV Alumnae/i Directory. Harris will update contact information for all CMSV Alumnae/i so that members of the Mount family can keep up-todate with each other, and on CMSV news and activities.

This directory will contain personal, academic, and business information to help you find old CMSV friends and assist with personal and professional networking.

It will also include a section with alumnae/i photos and CMSV memories, and will be available in hardcover, softcover and CD formats.

Don't miss your opportunity to be part of this important project! Once you receive your postcard from Harris Connect inviting you to update or verify your profile for inclusion in the directory, please take a few

minutes to call the toll-free number indicated to confirm or update your information. The toll free number is 1-877-392-6844. If you have any questions about the Directory, e-mail the CMSV Alumnae/i Relations Office at alumnioffice@mountsaintvincent. edu or call (718) 405-3336.

The College of Mount Saint Vincent values your privacy and treats your information in a secure manner.

Directory information is not shared with any outside organization or businesses, and Harris Connect has a longstanding and well-deserved reputation for integrity and quality in the industry.

Thank you!

Christina Wesolek '99 Director for Alumnae/i Relations