Hofstra Magazine - Spring 2024

Francis Ford Coppola discovered his gift at Hofstra. He’s been betting on it ever since.

In February, bestselling author, strategist, and political commentator Margaret Hoover visited the Hofstra campus to film two episodes of her PBS news show Firing Line, taped in Studio A at the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. Students filled the audience, asked questions, and even worked behind the scenes in production roles.

President

Dr. Susan Poser

Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dr. Charles Riordan

Senior Vice President for Development and Alumni Affairs

Alan J. Kelly

Vice President for Marketing and Communications

Terry Coniglio

Assistant Vice President for Creative Services

Francis A. Rizzo III

Assistant Vice President for Marketing and Communications

Deborah Jerome

Managing Editor

Andrew Sheldon

Creative Director

Kelvin Fonville

Editorial Director

Linda Merklin

University Photographer

Matteo Bracco

Contributors

Lois Bentivegna

Justin Chupungco

Heidi J. Goldenberg

Stephen Gorchov

Ginny Greenberg

Bryan Horz

Andy Kissoon

Michael O’Connor

Amy Reich

Leonard Skoros

Cover Photo

Mark Mann/AUGUST

Hempstead, Hofstra, and a Half-Century of Opportunity

For 50 years, the Hempstead for Hofstra/ Hofstra for Hempstead scholarship has opened doors for those raised right in the University’s backyard. There is no greater testament to the program’s success than the stories of the students, past and present, on the scholarship’s receiving end.

Ahead of the Curve

Foresight, ingenuity, and a deep commitment to research, diversity, and community has Hofstra developing new academic programs that are attracting top students and developing top professionals.

In the Big Leagues

Hofstra’s specialized degree programs, handson media platforms, advantageous location, and experienced faculty have helped produce an impressive number of alumni with impressive jobs in the world of sports. Despite different postgraduation journeys, their stories share one similarity: making the most of all Hofstra offers.

Mega Millions

Though most know the stories Francis Ford Coppola has told, few know the story he has lived. As the world awaits his most anticipated film in decades – a $120-million, star-studded epic – we revisit the Hofstra alumnus’s artistic origins.

President’s Letter

Dear Hofstra University Community,

Welcome to the spring 2024 issue of Hofstra Magazine!

In this edition, you will read about how your Hofstra classmates are utilizing their passion, experience, and knowledge to achieve fulfilling and meaningful careers. In the film industry, professional sports, and many other sectors, Hofstra alumni are having a global impact.

This issue highlights some of Hofstra’s programs, new leaders on campus, and national recognition of the University’s continuing commitment to excellence in teaching, learning, research, and curriculum development. Fostering creativity and innovation are essential components to success that you will find woven throughout this edition of Hofstra Magazine.

One program in particular that you will read about is Hempstead for Hofstra/Hofstra for Hempstead. This 50-year partnership began with the goal of providing a Hofstra scholarship to a graduating student from Hempstead High School. Over the years, members from the Village of Hempstead community and Hofstra have met to celebrate the successes of Hempstead students and highlight the amazing work of individuals who have enriched the Hempstead community.

Please continue to share your success stories along with your thoughts and reactions to the recent . With your collaboration, advocacy, and support, we can shape the future

Spanning Campus

New

In November 2023, Hofstra President Susan Poser announced the appointment of two new deans and one vice president: Lorrie McAllister, inaugural dean of the Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library; Chermele Christy, dean of students; and Cornell Craig, inaugural vice president for equity and inclusion.

Leaders

Lorrie McAllister

Dean of the Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library

Lorrie McAllister came to Hofstra with more than two decades of experience in university library service, most recently as the associate university librarian for collections and strategy at Arizona State University. In this capacity, she contributed to the development of the library’s strategic direction, oversaw expenditures of a $12 million annual information resources budget, facilitated more than $8 million in grant projects, and led the management of more than 5 million general and special collections volumes. Her constituents included more than 144,000 students, 5,000 faculty members, and community members throughout various programs.

“Lorrie McAllister brings tremendous experience and a holistic approach to library services that is aligned with Hofstra’s values,” President Poser said.

“She is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and she has a long record of providing access and comprehensive services in the digital age. I am confident that Dean McAllister will positively transform how Hofstra students engage with the University library.”

“I am eager to develop a shared vision for the library that will be inclusive, inspiring, and engaging for our constituents and communities,” McAllister said. “I believe that you don’t just say it – you show it. Your actions should help achieve your vision. I’m looking forward to being a part of the Hofstra community, where there is a clear emphasis on moving from vision to implementation through collaborative action, so we can work together to enhance education and research.”

Chermele Christy Dean of Students

Chermele Christy, who served as Hofstra’s associate dean of students for a year, is now dean of students. In her new role, Christy will have direct oversight of Parent and Family Programs, Community Standards, and the Dean of Students Office.

“Chermele has an outstanding commitment to student achievement and a passion for inclusivity and engagement,” President Poser said. “Her time here at Hofstra has been marked by empowering the student body through their academic paths and creating safe spaces for all. I look forward to her continued leadership and student representation.”

Christy originally joined Hofstra in 2015, when she began a fouryear tenure as associate director of residence life. She then took a role as executive director of residential education at Xavier University of

Louisiana before returning to Hofstra in the fall of 2022.

“This appointment and promotion are well-deserved,” said Jessica Eads, senior vice president for student enrollment, engagement, and success. “Chermele excels at nurturing talent and fostering supportive learning environments, which has already left an indelible mark on the educational journeys of many Hofstra students. As dean of students, she will be able to positively influence countless more.”

“It is with great enthusiasm that I embark on this new chapter of leadership at Hofstra University,” Christy said. “I look forward to continuing to build relationships, empower others, and make a difference in the lives of our students. I remain committed to student excellence with an inclusive and diverse approach that intrigues, informs, evaluates, engages, and challenges students to think outside the box.”

Cornell Craig Vice President for Equity and Inclusion

Cornell Craig, Hofstra's chief diversity and inclusion officer (CDIO) since 2019, has been promoted to Hofstra’s inaugural vice president for equity and inclusion. As CDIO, Craig’s accomplishments included establishing Hofstra’s first Office of Equity and Inclusion; implementing inclusive hiring workshops for all hiring committees; forming diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) committees in every school and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and creating a DEI faculty micro-grant program.

“The creation of the vice president role elevates the profile of Cornell’s work and reflects Hofstra’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” President Poser said. “I look forward to continuing to work with Cornell and his team in creating an inclusive culture and a sense of belonging for all Hofstra students, faculty, and staff.”

“The opportunity to serve as the inaugural vice president for equity and inclusion at Hofstra is an honor that comes with great responsibility. It is as important now as it has ever been to support our Hofstra community by amplifying underrepresented and traditionally marginalized voices and experiences to help create opportunities, access, and success.”

Craig is a tireless advocate for access, opportunity, and belonging for the minoritized and underrecognized. He has implemented diversity and retention plans for faculty, administrators, and staff, and created education and training programs that address bias, sensitivity, and cultural competency.

Before coming to Hofstra, Craig was director of multicultural affairs and an international student counselor at Bellarmine University in Kentucky and assistant dean of diversity and inclusion at Pace University in New York.

On the Charts

National publications recognized several Hofstra degree programs as being among the best in the country for the 2023-2024 academic year.

By Ginny Greenberg

MUSIC BUSINESS

Hofstra’s music business program was recognized by Billboard ’s national roundup of top programs for the fifth time since 2016.

“Under the leadership of Professor Terry Tompkins, our expanded program, which offers both Bachelor of Science and a new Bachelor of Arts in Music Business, has given a major boost to our already robust Music Department,” said Music Department Chair Chandler Carter. “Our new electronic music lab and a soon-to-be-complete recording studio support a new concentration in music technology, led by recently appointed Professor Kenyatta Beasley.”

FILM

The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication has been named to The Hollywood Reporter’s list of the best film schools in the United States. Hofstra’s is one of only three undergraduate film programs in the New York City area singled out by THR (along with Columbia and New York University).

THR highlighted the Herbert School’s facilities as well as the training students receive on industry-standard Avid and Adobe systems. The school has three production studios/sound stages, a custom film-finishing lab, and a Foley/ADR studio.

To cap off the year, in April, Variety magazine included the Herbert School in its list of top film programs, as well.

ONLINE MBA

Hofstra University’s Frank G. Zarb School of Business has been ranked No. 18 in Poets&Quants’ 2024 roundup of the Top 100 Online MBA Programs in the United States. Last year, the Zarb School came in at No. 30. Hofstra’s 12-point jump was the third biggest on this year’s list. The Zarb online MBA also made it to No. 9 for academic experience.

Recently, Hofstra’s online MBA program ranked 19th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and was the only New York school to make the top 20. The online MBA program was additionally ranked 33rd nationwide by The Princeton Review.

“What elevates our program is our faculty’s commitment to creating an immersive, dynamic learning environment,” said Dean Janet Lenaghan.

Tell Me Your Story

Over a four-month period last year, three Hofstra faculty members published critically acclaimed memoirs. In May, Associate Professor of English Kelly McMasters released The Leaving Season, a collection of essays on marriage, motherhood, ambition, and grief. The following month, Kristal Brent Zook, professor of journalism, media studies, and public relations, released The Girl in the Yellow Poncho, a coming-of-age tale about what it means to be biracial in America. Finally, Omega Farm, by Professor of English Martha McPhee, hit bookshelves in September. It details McPhee returning to her childhood home to care for her ailing mother while sorting through a complicated family past. It was named one of the best books of 2023 by The New Yorker.

State of the Arts

On the Bookshelf

A sampling of books recently published by Hofstra faculty and alumni:

Blood Lines

Nelson DeMille (’70)

Fire and Rain: Nixon, Kissinger, and the Wars in Southeast Asia

Carolyn Eisenberg

Professor of History

You Dreamed of Empires

Álvaro Enrigue

Associate Professor of Romance

Languages and Literatures

If Time Fell From the Sky

Jeffrey Froh (co-written with daughter Julianne Froh)

Professor of Psychology

Just Try It! (A Phil & Lil Book)

Phil Rosenthal (’81) (co-written with daughter Lily Rosenthal)

75 Years of Shakespeare at Hofstra

Hofstra’s annual Shakespeare Festival presented its 75th production, The Merry Wives of Windsor, October 27-November 5, 2023.

For 10 days, the Toni and Martin Sosnoff Theater at the John Cranford Adams Playhouse was transformed into a replica of the famed Globe Stage where the Bard’s plays were originally staged. Hofstra’s version is considered the most authentic re-creation of Shakespeare’s original stage in North America, and its Shakespeare Festival is the longest-running consecutive festival of its kind in the United States.

The festival also included The Play’s the Thing (a one-hour Hamlet suitable for young audiences) and a concert of early music by the Hofstra Collegium Musicum.

Keith Michael Pinault, a 2011 alumnus of the Drama Department, was particularly proud to hold the event at a time when Shakespeare is being pulled from classrooms. “What’s so beautiful about Shakespeare’s plays and makes them different from a lot of contemporary drama is that the characters always have the best version of whatever it is that they are trying to say in that moment,” Pinault explained. “That is tremendously empowering.”

A Record Year

It was another banner year for the men’s soccer team in 2023 as it captured its third consecutive Coastal Athletic Association title in a 2-1 overtime victory over Monmouth in the championship game. The CAA title was the seventh in program history.

The win helped Hofstra earn a bye in the first round of the NCAA tournament. In the second round, the Pride defeated Yale, 2-0, in front of a home crowd at Hofstra Soccer Stadium. The team’s season ended in the third round with a shootout-loss to the University of North Carolina.

Senior Ryan Carmichael scored three times during Hofstra’s two-game run, setting a new program record with five career NCAA tournament goals. He finished the season with a teambest 17 goals, a performance that earned him the title of United Soccer Coaches All-American. He was joined by teammates Eliot Goldthorp and Pierce Infuso, marking the first time Hofstra has had more than one All-American in a season.

The good news continued for Carmichael and Goldthorp in December when the pair became the fifth and sixth Hofstra men’s soccer players selected in the Major League Soccer Superdraft. Inter Miami CF chose Carmichael in the first-round, 24th overall, while Goldthorp was taken in the second round, 45th overall, by Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

RYAN CARMICHAEL

GARY FLOOD

MICHAEL TODD

Hofstra Men's Soccer Student-Athletes Chosen in the MLS Draft

Winning Off the Field

Hofstra's Student-Athletes put forth another dominant academic performance in the Fall 2023 semester.

3.48 grade point average

23rd consecutive semester with a combined GPA of 3.0 or higher

48 student-athletes with a perfect 4.0 GPA

347 student-athletes named to CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll

259 student-athletes selected to the Hofstra Athletic Director Scholars Academic Honor Roll

3.15+ GPA compiled by all 21 Hofstra teams

191 student-athletes named to the Provost's and Dean's Lists

AT THE OF IT ALL

Hofstra student-athletes benefit from having stellar teammates off the field, as well, including Rachel PeelMacandrew, senior associate director of athletics for studentathlete success, and the intrepid staff of Hofstra’s Student-Athlete Academic Development Center.

Higher education is not PeelMacandrew’s first career. She spent nearly a decade as an investment banker before arriving at Hofstra in 2003 as an international graduate student. “Being a true believer in the transformative power of sports in shaping individuals, when the opportunity availed to morph my career with a more strategic contribution to the holistic studentathlete experience, I did not hesitate to explore that prospect,” she said.

Over the past two decades, Peel-Macandrew has risen from graduate assistant for the Center for University Advising to her current role, in which she is responsible for ensuring Hofstra student-athletes meet NCAA academic eligibility requirements and monitoring progress toward degree completion. Much of her day is spent working one-on-one with student-athletes in weekly meetings discussing academic progress, establishing academic goals, and providing guidance on study strategies. “When I’m not working with students, I’m handling administrative duties, monitoring and coordinating the study halls, and, when time permits, attending athletic events to show support for all our student-athletes!”

Portraits

Remembering the Triangle

Professor Mary Anne Trasciatti leads successful effort to memorialize Triangle fire victims.

By Ginny Greenberg

MMarch 25 is one of the most important dates in U.S. history, yet most would struggle to tell you why. But thanks to the relentless work of Mary Anne Trasciatti, Hofstra professor of rhetoric and public advocacy, the events of that day will always be remembered.

Trasciatti, the daughter and granddaughter of garment workers and director of Hofstra University’s Labor Studies Program, is president of the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition, an organization that works to preserve the memory of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire, a pivotal event in American labor history. At its time, the Triangle fire was the deadliest industrial disaster in U.S. history. It was a catalyst for key improvements in workplace safety and the rise of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union. Resulting protections, Trasciatti said, helped her mother and grandmother.

Since the centennial of the fire more than a decade ago, the coalition has been advocating for a public memorial to the 146 garment workers who perished. Nearly all were young women – most working in the factory were immigrants or the daughters of immigrants. Many of the victims worked on the ninth floor of the building, where the fire escape collapsed and the rear door was locked to prevent theft and to keep out union organizers.

Last fall, Trasciatti’s multiyear crusade finally came to an end. On October 11, 2023, the long-awaited Triangle Fire

Memorial was unveiled at the site of the former Triangle Shirtwaist factory in Greenwich Village. Among many joining the Hofstra professor at the historic event were acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su, Governor of New York Kathy Hochul, New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon, and students from Hofstra’s Labor Studies Program.

The Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition, a volunteer organization made up of descendants of the victims and labor activists, held a juried international design competition in 2012 for a permanent memorial at the site of the fire, which is now part of the New York University campus. The winning proposal, by Uri Wegman and Richard Joon Yoo, was selected from nearly 180 submissions.

Rising nine stories high, the Triangle Fire Memorial is located on the very

building that housed the Triangle Shirtwaist factory, at the corner of Greene Street and Washington Place in Greenwich Village. The design of the memorial consists of a stainless-steel ribbon that cascades vertically down the corner of NYU’s Brown Building (23-29 Washington Place) from the windowsill of the ninth floor, marking the location where most of the victims of the Triangle fire died or jumped to their death. The memorial includes the names and ages of the 146 workers who died and tells the story of the fire in English, Yiddish, and Italian, the languages spoken by the workers. Funded by a $1.5 million grant from New York state and contributions from labor unions, foundations, and individuals, it is New York City’s first labor memorial and one of few in the United States.

“The awe-inspiring memorial will help us remember the workers who lost their lives because of employers’ greed, shining a light on this dark history and reminding us of the need for collective action,” Trasciatti said. “Outrage in the aftermath of the tragedy changed labor and fire safety laws. These changes continue to protect the U.S. labor force more than 100 years later.”

“The Triangle fire stirs our passions, ignites our anger, and reminds us of what collective action can do to protect workers’ rights. We feel this power as we look at the newly built Triangle Fire Memorial.”

Stand and Deliver

Alumnus pays it forward with donation to send Hofstra’s Speech and Debate Team to international competition. By

Jeanine Barone

CCommercial real estate attorney and Hofstra alumnus Stuart M. Saft (’68) has carved out an illustrious career. As partner for the prominent international law firm Holland & Knight and head of the firm’s New York real estate group, his list of blue-chip clients has included the likes of Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan Chase. Saft’s expertise is broad, involving all aspects of commercial real estate, from development to financing. “I have gone up in endless construction elevators to deal with issues high in the sky,” he said. “Fortunately, I do not have a fear of heights.”

Saft is a recipient of numerous awards that recognize his contributions to improving the quality of life of his hometown, New York City, including the 2010 Neighborhood Achievement Award from then Mayor Michael Bloomberg. As chair of the NYC Workforce Investment Board for 12 years, Saft worked tirelessly to improve job training in the city, most notably after 9/11, when he helped the city receive billions in aid.

Saft’s love affair with commercial real estate includes writing 44 books. “Probably the one that would appeal to most readers is The Real Estate Investor’s Survival Guide, which I wrote at the beginning of a recession,” he said. But his favorite book is personal, not professional: 32525625: Memoirs of a Soldier Without a Rifle, the harrowing and inspiring story of his father’s experience as a medic on the beaches of Normandy in World War II, where he survived the Battle of the Bulge. “I sobbed as I wrote it,” Saft said.

Despite rubbing shoulders with the wellheeled in real estate, Saft is self-effacing, even keeping a framed photo of himself from his Cub Scout days on his office wall, “to always remind me who I am; that kid from Rosedale … Too many people become successful and are so selfimpressed that they forget that there is a social contract, and we must help those who have not been as lucky. I am that kid and always will be,” he added.

Successful attorneys, such as Saft, are critical thinkers, meticulous researchers, and expert debaters. Saft explained, “I debate all the time with colleagues and adversaries …” These are the same skills being honed by members of Hofstra’s awardwinning Speech and Debate Team, also known as Hofstra Forensics. (The word “forensics” comes from the Latin meaning “of the forum,” such as ancient Rome’s law courts.) Though Saft, Hofstra’s 2017 Alumnus of the Year, was not on the team while he was a student, he knows firsthand the personal and professional value the club provides. So, like a good piece of real estate, he is investing in it. Beginning last month with a place in the 34th annual tournament in Dublin, Ireland, Saft and his wife, Stephanie, a Hofstra alumna, are funding the team’s trips to Europe for five years to compete at the International Forensics Association’s Speech and Debate Tournament. For the Safts, it was a perfect opportunity to bolster both the students and the University. “The donation will give Hofstra prestige on a global scale, which it richly deserves,” Saft said.

Fighting To Be Seen

Hofstra professor of religion strives for equality in her push for women deacons.

By Bianca Clayton

DDr. Phyllis Zagano, senior research associate-in-residence and adjunct professor of religion, has spent the past 22 years at Hofstra University, teaching courses such as Life, Death, and Immortality, and History of Irish Spirituality. Her work as a researcher, however, has had an impact that stretches far beyond the Hofstra campus. Over the past 30 years, Zagano’s scholarship has helped shape the conversation on the history and future of women in leadership roles in the Catholic Church. Specifically, she has become one of the world’s leading experts on the ordination of women as deacons.

Currently, the Catholic Church does not allow women to be ordained as deacons, something Zagano hopes to change. Though there is growing support, the issue is divisive. Her decades of research, however, give Zagano an upper hand in debates.

“The church knows that women deacons in the church are a historical reality,” said Zagano, who has authored more than two dozen books, including many garnering prestigious awards. “I have discovered facts that women were ordained as deacons sacramentally. I also have knowledge of previous Vatican findings that were positive toward the ordination of women as deacons, which were not promulgated. They just got put into a file cabinet.”

Zagano’s calling to learn everything she could about the ordination of women deacons and the role of women in the church goes back to her days studying for a PhD in religion and literature at Stony Brook University. Working in the vice president’s office, she asked her boss, the Jesuit priest-philosopher Dr. Patrick A. Heelan, about the word “diakonia,” which she saw on the spine of a book in his office. And so began

her determined focus on the topic that continues to this day.

Propelling her all these years is the understanding that the significance of allowing women deacons stretches far beyond the Vatican walls. “The church needs to proclaim that women are icons of Christ,” said Zagano, whose latest book, Just Church: Catholic Social Teaching, Synodality, and Women, dedicates a chapter to the topic of women and the church.

“If you have a woman [wearing vestments] in St. Peter’s Basilica proclaiming the Gospel, what does it say about women worldwide? It says plenty,” Zagano claimed, in terms of women being made in the image and likeness of God. “I think restoring women to the ordained diaconate would help women around the world – Catholic or not – be seen as human persons worthy of respect.”

Dance as One

Hofstra’s Dance team struts its way to the top.

By Jeanine Barone

IIf you were under the impression that the Hofstra University Dance team is all about artistic expression, you’d be mistaken. The 32 members of this nationally ranked squad are highly trained athletes. Watching them execute a dynamic series of aerials, kip-ups, splits, headsprings, and other acrobatic maneuvers (and do so in sync) will give you goosebumps. It surely left the judges at January's Universal Dance Association College Nationals in Orlando, Florida — the most prestigious event of its kind — with this sense of awe as well. It was there that the team won its 11th national championship, taking first place in the Division I Pom competition, second place in the Division I Jazz category, and third in Division I Game Day. (It was a bountiful weekend for Hofstra, as the University’s Cheer team took home three awards, including first place in the Small Coed Premier division.)

The Dance team, led by head coach Kelly Olsen-Leon, and assistant coaches Danielle Bradle, Kristen Olsen, and April Gallagher, also holds two world titles after representing the U.S. last year in the International Cheer Union World Championships, where it won gold for its pom routine. “It was a huge deal to be chosen to be on this premier pom team for the World Championships. We were honored to compete and thrilled to get first place,” said Hailey DiCio, a junior who has been on the squad for three years.

Those who are chosen for the Hofstra Dance team come with experience

in different dance styles. But, once selected, each must immerse themselves in the team’s style. “Our team is well-known for sharp, precise movements in pom, and most people don’t come to Hofstra with pom training,” said Isabella Cascone, a senior and co-captain. But hundreds of well-trained teams from all around the country compete at the Universal Dance Association College Nationals. So, what sets Hofstra apart? “[We are] noted for being well-rounded in all aspects of our routine and for some crazy, difficult moves that we execute in unison,” Cascone said. Some of these include back handsprings and front flips. On top of all these challenging moves, the team members showcase an upbeat, fun-loving vibe that audiences adore. But the team gets energy from the people as well. “When everyone is clapping, we feel a sense of gratitude,” Cascone said. “Aside from the accolades, we are doing what we love, and being part of the Hofstra legacy is something we are grateful for.”

Sure, each performance is centered around music and choreography, but it’s the team’s overarching maxim, “dance as one,” that defines them. “We live by this — to stay a cohesive unit and support each other,” DiCio said. “Success or failure reflects on us as a group, not as individuals. That allows us to overcome challenges we face.” It’s clear that being on this team is a life-changing experience that carries through to their years beyond Hofstra.

Scan to see the team’s photo gallery and championship-winning performance.

The Hempstead for Hofstra/Hofstra for Hempstead scholarship program continues to open doors for promising local students.

By Dina Santorelli

WHEN GISSELLE RODAS was growing up in Hempstead, she would often pass by the Hofstra campus and imagine what it would be like to attend the University and fulfill her dream of becoming an attorney. In her words, she aspired to “be a part of a change, to help our communities move forward toward a better future.” Rodas credited this ambition to her immigrant parents, who hail from Guatemala and did not have the opportunity to complete their education. “Not only did I want to emulate their hard work ethic, but I also wanted to accomplish something big in our name,” she said.

50 HEMPSTEAD, HOFSTRA, AND A HALF-CENTURY OF OPPORTUNITY

Toward that end, Rodas enrolled in countless honors and AP classes throughout high school, making the honor roll every semester. “When college application season came around, I put Hofstra at the top of my list and applied during the Early Action deadline,” Rodas said. Her hard work paid off. In 2019, Rodas was admitted into Hofstra’s Legal Education Accelerated Program (LEAP), which allows students to earn a BA and JD in six years instead of seven.

"This program means everything to me... I hope to continue being part of this amazing program, even after my time as a student here at Hofstra passes, and see future generations benefit from it.”

– Gisselle Rodas (’23; JD ’25)

What’s more, Rodas discovered she would receive the Hempstead for Hofstra/Hofstra for Hempstead Endowed Scholarship. “I was so grateful and honored to have been selected for this amazing program,” she said. “Being notified of this award helped alleviate the stress of having to pay my way through college and allowed me to take advantage of the different opportunities offered here.”

Hempstead for Hofstra/Hofstra for Hempstead was founded 50 years ago by a dedicated and caring group of volunteers for this very purpose – to raise scholarship funds for deserving students from the Village of Hempstead to attend the University. Ever since, the Hempstead for Hofstra/Hofstra for Hempstead Committee has awarded scholarships to local high schoolers, benefiting hundreds of young men and women who otherwise may not have been able to continue their education beyond high school.

In addition, to further strengthen the bond between community and University, each year the committee presents the Unispan Award to

individuals whose professional or personal lives have enriched the Hempstead community or to organizations that have provided service to their community. The award is named for the original pedestrian bridge that crosses Hempstead Turnpike and unites Hofstra’s north and south campuses. In 2013, the committee introduced a Lifetime Achievement Award, named in honor of educator, civil rights activist, photographer, and disc jockey Tyree Curry (1942-2012). The award recognizes individuals for their exceptional contributions, distinguished service, and spirit of volunteerism in the Hempstead community.

“Community engagement is an integral part of the learning experience at Hofstra, as it helps students, faculty, and staff connect and collaborate with Hofstra’s neighbors for the betterment of the whole community,” said Chanda Washington, associate to the president for government and community affairs, a position created by Hofstra President Susan Poser after she took office in 2021. “President Poser is committed to strengthening community relationships by investing in people, programs, and services that spark even greater collaboration with the Village of Hempstead and beyond.”

Washington added that President Poser has demonstrated this commitment by establishing the Office of Government and Community Affairs to serve as a liaison to the community and collaborate across the University in support of increased engagement.

“Community engagement is a core part of Hofstra’s strategic plan, with the goal of identifying opportunities to deepen relationships with the University’s neighboring community,” Washington noted.

“As Hempstead for Hofstra/Hofstra for Hempstead celebrates its 50th anniversary, I want to express my appreciation to Hofstra University for offering this annual scholarship for deserving students at Hempstead High School,” said Dr. Rodney Gilmore, a committee member and Hempstead Public Schools associate superintendent for human resources. “These scholarships have served as a powerful

instrument of change, addressing the pervasive issue of educational inequality, and providing a pathway for talented students to overcome financial barriers.”

Gilmore, a past Unispan Award recipient, noted that in a world where education is a powerful impetus for change and personal growth, it is imperative to recognize the barriers faced by those in low-income communities. “Many talented students are often deterred from pursuing higher education due to financial limitations, perpetuating cycles of inequality,” he said. “However, equity and inclusion scholarships, such as Hempstead for Hofstra/Hofstra for Hempstead, step in as catalysts for transformation, breaking down these barriers and empowering deserving students to reach their full potential.”

Funding for Hempstead for Hofstra/ Hofstra for Hempstead scholarships is raised through donations from various organizations and individuals, as well as ticket and sponsorship sales for the program's annual scholarship dinner. Committee chairperson Charles Renfroe has been involved with Hempstead for Hofstra/Hofstra for Hempstead for 16 years and has seen the program grow over that time. “We have been able to raise more funds, reaching out to more businesses and organizations,” he said, noting that, “as a committee member, I recommend candidates for the Unispan Award and solicit local business owners and organizations for donations as a means of strengthening the bond between Hofstra University and the Hempstead community.” Moving forward, Renfroe said he would like to see the program expand even more by adding committee members and involving more businesses and organizations, which would enable the committee to increase the amount and number of scholarships for students.

Regina Lattimore joined the Hempstead for Hofstra/Hofstra for Hempstead Committee in 2002, after receiving a meeting invitation. At the time, she was president of the Hempstead School Board. “After attending, I joined to represent the Hempstead School District,” she said. “Local students need to know there are people in

the community who care about their education and want them to be able to get a college education.”

One such local student was Maria Andrade (’16), who learned about Hempstead for Hofstra/Hofstra for Hempstead through the Nassau Community College Counseling Center. “After reading through the requirements, it seemed to me that I could have a chance to get the scholarship. I had graduated from Hempstead High School with a high GPA and was maintaining the same grades at NCC.”

Andrade submitted her application to Hofstra and was delighted to learn she would be awarded the scholarship. “If it wasn’t for the scholarship, I would have never been able to attend Hofstra University,” she said. “Receiving a letter confirming I was accepted to Hofstra and that I had gotten the scholarship was probably one of the most emotional moments of my life. Not only did it mean I would be the first generation in my family to graduate with a bachelor’s degree, but I was also going to make my dream come true with an education from such a prestigious school as Hofstra University.”

“Not

only did [receiving the scholarship] mean I would be the first generation in my family to graduate with a bachelor's degree, but I was also going to make my dream come true with an education from such a prestigious school as Hofstra University.”

–Maria Andrade (’16)

Andrade was born in Ecuador, where she lived with her mother and attended school until her senior year. “I was the valedictorian but had to leave high school in the middle of the year to go live with my dad in the U.S.,” she said. “My parents did not have the resources to pay for private schools, which is why I focused all my energies on education and getting good grades so I could apply for scholarships. My home life was centered around books and homework. Since I was a child, I was interested in numbers and business, which is ultimately what I studied in college.”

A business administration/finance major at Hofstra, Andrade has been working in the insurance industry for six years, first in trade credit insurance at FGI Risk and later moving to property and casualty with Marsh McLennan. She now works in underwriting for MS Reinsurance (part of MS&AD Insurance Group). “My career goal is to gain further knowledge and expertise in the financial industry and, more specifically, the insurance/ reinsurance industry by completing the CFA Level 1 Exam as well as working

50

“Community engagement is an integral part of the learning experience at Hofstra, as it helps students, faculty, and staff connect and collaborate with Hofstra’s neighbors for the betterment of the whole community.”

– Chanda Washington Associate to the President for Government and Community Affairs

toward the Associate in Reinsurance certification, which will help me in my current role and open opportunities for advancement,” she said.

Rodas, Andrade, and the countless other Hempstead for Hofstra/Hofstra for Hempstead scholarship recipients set themselves up for success through hard work and determination. This scholarship was both their reward and opportunity for even brighter futures. “This program means everything to me,” said Rodas, who is on track to graduate from the Maurice A. Deane School of Law in May 2025. She has been invited to join the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office as a 2L intern this summer. “It has allowed me to flourish in my academic studies, distinguish myself from my peers, and give back to the community I grew up in. It’s an honor having been selected for this scholarship and being able to take advantage of the many opportunities it brings to its recipients. I hope to continue being part of this amazing program, even after my time as a student here at Hofstra passes, and see future generations benefit from it.”

Hofstra boasts a lineup of all-stars working high-profile jobs in the world of sports.

By Andrew Sheldon | Illustrations by Kelvin Fonville

On February 5, 2024, the Atlanta Falcons officially introduced Raheem Morris (’98) as the team’s next head coach. Twenty-six years earlier, nearly to the day, Morris was beginning his final undergraduate semester at Hofstra University. The years in between were consumed with footballs and U-Hauls. After beginning his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Morris spent a quarter-century racking up odometer miles and experience. His talent landed him jobs with top collegiate and professional teams across the country, including Cornell and Kansas State Universities, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, and Los Angeles Rams. He was on the coaching staffs of two Super Bowl-winning teams, including the 2021 Rams, for which he served as defensive coordinator.

Morris joins Jon Cooper (’89), head coach of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, as Hofstra alumni holding the top coaching position for Big Four sports teams. For his part, Cooper has enjoyed unprecedented success since being hired in 2013. The former Pride lacrosse player is Tampa Bay’s all-time leader in wins and, in 2021, became the fastest coach in NHL history to reach 400 career victories.

Collectively, there are just 62 other people in the world with Morris’ and Cooper’s jobs. It should be an anomaly for an average-sized university to have multiple alumni working such high-profile jobs in the sports world. For Hofstra, however, the data says otherwise. From the sideline to the television studio to the commissioner’s office, Hofstra boasts a cadre of alumni who have carved out successful careers in the wide world of sports.

Some used their Frank G. Zarb School of Business acumen to compete with the heavy hitters; others capitalized on Hofstra’s advantageous location to intern for local pro teams; and more than a few honed their broadcast skills inside the halls of The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. One way or another, they have all used their Hofstra experience to make it in the big leagues.

Head Coach Tampa Bay Lightning

Head Coach

Atlanta Falcons

Jay Hernandez (’01) never foresaw a career as a basketball coach. He attended Hofstra, in large part, to earn a dual MBA in Marketing and Management from the Zarb School of Business (which he did). “He’s extremely smart,” said his former coach, Jay Wright. “We thought he would be too successful in business to stay in basketball.”

For a time, Wright was right. As his former teammates embarked on pro careers, Hernandez worked in the Hofstra admissions office, then in pharmaceutical sales. But he never said goodbye to the game and trained players in his free time. “I was building up my client base,” Hernandez said. “My wife and I talked about quitting my job and starting a basketball training business. This is where everything I learned about business, basketball, and leadership from my time at Hofstra all came to fruition.”

Hernandez successfully ran his

company, Pro Hoops Inc., for 10 years. He eventually caught the attention of the NBA, and was offered an assistant coaching job with the Orlando Magic in 2014. He worked for the Magic for four years, and the Charlotte Hornets for five, before joining the coaching staff of the Brooklyn Nets in 2023.

While Hernadez’s career continues to soar, he’ll always be remembered at Hofstra as the third-leading scorer on the 1999-2000 men’s basketball team, one of just seven teams enshrined in the University’s Athletics Hall of Fame. The two teammates ahead of him, Speedy Claxton (’00) and Norman Richardson (’01), took more direct routes to the coaching seat. They both enjoyed decade-long playing careers, then parlayed their on-court success into offcourt roles. Claxton returned to Hofstra as an assistant in 2013, then took the head coaching reins in 2021. Richardson started coaching in Germany in 2012 before breaking into the NBA G League in 2016. Three years ago, he was promoted to assistant coach of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.

could easily be chalked up as coincidence. But Wright, who was twice named College Coach of the Year and is in the Basketball Hall of Fame, is not surprised. As both professionals and people, the scouting report on his trio of pupils is unblemished. “Speedy has the highest basketball IQ. We would ask him to evaluate recruits even at that young age. Jay is a natural-born leader who leads by example. Norman has natural charisma, but also humility and compassion that makes everyone want to be around him.”

Three former teammates becoming coaches for three major programs

Hernandez, too, was confident of his and his teammates’ success after the support they received during their formative years. “Hofstra enabled us all to grow just as much on the court as off it. We were fully embraced by the whole Hofstra community at all times. Being in a welcoming environment every day where everyone was so encouraging made it easier for all of us to strive to be our best.”

OTHER ALUMNI WORKING NOTABLE JOBS IN THE WORLD OF SPORTS:

Anthony Bruno (’89)

Randy Frankel (’79) Co-Owner Tampa Bay Rays

John Katz (’93) Director and Chief Executive Woking Football Club

Randy Levine (JD, ’80) President New York Yankees

Assistant Coach Brooklyn Nets

Assistant Coach Charlotte Hornets

Men's Basketball Head Coach Hofstra University

NFL Executives

David Gardi (JD, ’96), the NFL’s senior vice president of football operations, is the son of Hofstra Athletics Hall of Famer Joe Gardi (1939-2010), who led Hofstra football from 1990 to 2005 (and coached, among many others, Raheem Morris). David played quarterback at Brown before attending the Maurice A. Deane School of Law, just a short train ride from the NFL’s Manhattan headquarters. “I interned for the NFL Management Council during the summer between my 2L and 3L,” Gardi said. “The council handles the league’s labor relations work. I loved the work, and the attorneys asked me to remain a law clerk my entire 3L year.” Gardi was hired by a litigation firm after graduation but continued to handle some labor arbitration work for the NFL. When a position opened on the management council in 2003, he was hired. In 2014, he was promoted to his current position, which has evolved to include overseeing everything from officiating to safety initiatives.

reach the inner halls of the NFL’s offices. For Tracy Perlman (’92), senior vice president of player operations, it took one day. She started her career at the NFL the day after she graduated from Hofstra. “The Hofstra dance team coach was working at the NFL at the time,” Perlman, a member of the team at the time, said. “That connection helped me get my initial interview. I started on my 22nd birthday and have been with the NFL ever since.”

It took years for Gardi to permanently

Whatever sweat she saved avoiding the job hunt grind, Perlman has made up for tenfold climbing a corporate ladder that has been historically unkind to women. Starting as a floater for human resources, Perlman worked her way up through every level of management, across a wide range of departments. She has been responsible for some of the league’s most successful initiatives and events, including the “My Cause, My Cleats” campaign, Lombardi Broadway play, and booking U2 to play the halftime show at the first post-9/11 Super Bowl. But her crowning achievement may be what she has done for those like her. “I believe I am the only woman who began a career at the NFL and rose to a leadership position. The NFL has let me build out what I wanted my career to be. I want to inspire others to do the same.” One of the women she’s inspired is April Donnelly (’01), who Perlman recruited straight out of Hofstra. Like her mentor, Donnelly has risen through the ranks and now serves as the NFL’s vice president of player communications and marketing.

Stephen Bowen (’06) got an early start in the NFL as well, but his was not in a Manhattan office building; it was in a Texas stadium. After a four-year career with the Hofstra football team, Bowen signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent. It was the start of what would ultimately be a 10-year career in the league. Prior to retiring, Bowen earned an MBA and took a trip to the NFL’s headquarters. When it was time to hang up his cleats, the preparation and connections were in place. Bowen is now director of game initiatives, a role that examines how analytics, research, and innovation can improve the game.

If you want to be the next Hofstra grad walking the halls of the NFL’s headquarters, it may be closer than you think. “There are so many Hofstra people who work here,” Perlman said. “Take the chance and time to reach out. We want to see people who came from where we did.”

Lizanne Murphy (’07) Director, Sport System and Athlete Relations Canadian Olympic Committee

Dean Blandino (’93) Football Rules Analyst FOX Sports

Willie Colon (’06) Football Analyst / Host

Mike Leslie (’10) Sports Anchor / Sports Reporter

“Sports Comedy Host.” That is how Ken Jennings introduced Katie Nolan (’09) when she competed on Celebrity Jeopardy last fall. It is the sort of catchall title needed to encapsulate Nolan’s unique resume. Since graduating with a BA in Public Relations, Nolan has hosted television shows, podcasts, and web series, all centered around sports, all seasoned by her signature brand of humor. She helmed her own ESPN series, Always Late with Katie Nolan, called MLB games for Apple TV, covered the 2022 Winter Olympics for NBC, and won a Sports Emmy for her Fox Sports 1 show, Garbage Time with Katie Nolan

In the Jeopardy field of 27, Nolan made it to the finals, finishing third overall. She won $100,000 for charity, which she donated to the Association for Women in Sports Media, an organization

supporting those like Nolan and her fellow Lawrence Herbert School of Communication graduate Anne Marie Anderson (’89). A promising high school volleyball player, Anderson chose to play for and attend Hofstra because of its diverse student body, campus energy, and excellent school of communication. She knows she chose wisely. “I don’t think I could have had a better education preparing me for what is now a 35-year career in television,” said Anderson, who secured a job at ESPN directly after graduating because she had production skills other applicants lacked, acquired from working on shows filmed at Hofstra’s television studio. Anderson spent a decade behind the camera, covering everything from the Olympic Games to the Super Bowl and won three Emmys for her work on SportsCenter. In 2000, she embarked on the new challenge of announcing, and has since compiled a resume few can match, calling nearly every sport for nearly every major network, including ESPN, ABC, NBC, and FOX. “I have never had a day I didn’t want to go to work,” Anderson said. “The ability to use all the skills I learned while studying at Hofstra has allowed me to repeatedly challenge myself and grow through my career.”

Giannotti (’06) and Jared Greenberg (’05). The former began interning for WFAN in 2005 before working full-time for the station after graduating. When CBS Radio launched a new sports radio station in Pittsburgh in 2010, Giannotti was named to its lineup of hosts In 2017, the Long Island native’s profile skyrocketed when he was handpicked to join local legend and former NFL MVP Boomer Esiason as co-host of the New York morning sports-talk radio program Boomer & Gio, one of the top shows of its kind in the country.

Greenberg, meanwhile, covers some of the world’s best athletes as a NBA reporter for TNT, a role that requires a dual set of broadcasting skills.

Anderson isn’t the only Herbert School of Communication grad living their professional dream. So, too, are Gregg

“I love that my job has a great balance of studio and live game responsibilities,” he said. “I get the opportunity to feel the energy of sold-out arenas as well as covering games from the studio.” He is quick to give credit to his alma mater, the platform on which he honed his craft, and his mentor. “Attending Hofstra was the best decision of my life. Having the opportunity to broadcast more than 200 Hofstra games and being mentored by then-WRHU Professionalin-Residence Ed Ingles (1932-2020) was vital. Ed broke down every aspect of my broadcasts, from the preparation to postgame interviews. I’m not sure many other college students around the country were exposed to the type of knowledge that Ed was sharing daily.”

Michael Lombardi (’81) Football Analyst / Host

Amanda Renner (’08) Reporter CBS Sports

George Vecsey (’60) Reporter / Columnist

Amaka Agugua-Hamilton (’05) Women’s Basketball Head Coach

TV Host / Personality

Find your why and build meaningful, authentic relationships. That is the advice both Erin McDermott (’94) and Deneé Barracato (’00) have for students looking to follow in their footsteps as leaders of collegiate athletic programs.

It should come as little surprise that these two Hofstra alumnae, both former members of the women’s basketball team, have similar perspectives. Although their time on campus did not overlap, their stories share similarities. McDermott studied international business, but the classes that stick with her all these years later fell out of her major’s purview.

“Philosophy of Love was an incredible class about human connection, life priorities, and compassion,”

McDermott recalled. “I also learned a great deal about Black authors and the Black American experience in our country from two African American literature courses I took. Learning about people, cultures, and experiences has continued to be something I seek.”

roles and the enduring effects their work had on others. “I chose this career because of [Hofstra alumna and former Hofstra administrator] Cindy Lewis [1957-2023] and how she championed women’s sports,” said McDermott, who previously held administrative roles at Columbia, Princeton, and the University of Chicago. “She invited [then-University of Minnesota women’s athletic director] Chris Voelz to speak with the women athletes about Title IX and its significance with gender equity in sports. That opened my eyes to the need for more women to be in college athletics.”

role model. “I was exposed to people like [assistant basketball coach] Kelley Watts, who constantly showed her infectious love for the sport, which was a reminder to dream big and not be stifled by limitations that constantly face women in our industry.” Within three years of accepting an entry-level job with Adelphi, she was promoted to assistant athletic director. Two years later, she was working for the NCAA. She honed her AD skills at Queens and York Colleges before landing at Northwest University in 2019.

Understanding people, cultures, and experiences is critical when, as Harvard’s athletic director, you oversee the largest athletics program in Division I. Yet, despite being an athlete, McDermott did not consider a career in athletics when she arrived at Hofstra. That changed when she met women in such

Like McDermott, Barracato did not initially envision a life in athletics off the court. (She studied graphic design at Hofstra.) But when it came time to choose a profession, she went back to athletics, “a place of comfort and passion.” During her junior season, Barracato led all Division I women’s basketball players in the country in steals (she still holds the University’s all-time record) and attacked her career with the same tenacity. It was a motivation, again much like McDermott, spurred on by a woman Hofstra

As deputy director of athletics for operations and capital projects, Barracato has a full plate. Just a tasting includes overseeing event management, facilities, apparel partnerships, and the development of a new $800 million-plus football stadium. Fulfilling this responsibility is where her Hofstra training kicks in. “My experience in the classroom was intertwined with my commitment to sports, which taught me crucial life lessons such as time management, accountability, work ethic, and teamwork,” she said. “Balancing the demands of sports and academics was no easy task, but it forced me to develop organizational skills that I still rely on today in my professional career.”

Joe Amplo (’00) Men’s Lacrosse Head Coach U.S. Naval Academy

Adrienne Clark (’05) Softball Head Coach Hofstra University

Tenicha Gittens (’07) Women’s Basketball Head Coach Concordia University (Canada)

Billi Godsey (’03) Women’s Basketball Head Coach Xavier University

Christie Novatin (’10) Softball Head Coach University of Pennsylvania

Athletic Director Harvard University

Deputy Director of Athletics Northwestern University

Careers are like rollercoasters. Occasionally they move in straight lines. Meghan Gilmore (’06) has worked for a single employer – the New York Jets – since graduating Hofstra. More often, there are surprise turns. Megan McGuire (’18) had plans of being a sports broadcaster until a fortuitously timed internship changed that trajectory And still other times, they go on completely unexpected loops. Josue Napa (’05) was working at a media company when he was unsuspectingly approached by a recruiter for the Brooklyn Nets.

Though their rides have been different, the preparation level as students was the same. Gilmore chose Hofstra for the opportunity to work with local teams. “I grew up around athletics and wanted to pursue it as a career,” she said. “I loved how fandom brings people together from all walks of life.” Starting as a student assistant for the University’s football and men’s lacrosse teams, Gilmore eventually secured a full-time job with the Jets while still an undergrad (the team was headquartered on campus at the time). She has since risen to become the organization's senior director of communications.

take part in “everything I could to add to my skillset, from HEAT [Hofstra Entertainment Access Television] shows like SportsBeat to becoming the assistant sports director at WRHU.” Her work with Hofstra radio led to an internship with the New York Islanders public relations department, a field she has grown to love – and thrive in. As the LPGA Tour’s manager of communications, McGuire oversees the organization’s competition coverage and on-site communication team, a job requiring a mix of public relations, journalism, writing, and media relations skills. “I get to work every day with the world’s best professional women golfers, and that’s empowering,” she said. “Their stories on and off the golf course are all unique, and finding ways to highlight them is something I take pride in.”

up credits to graduate on time. Despite a full course schedule, he stayed engaged outside the classroom. He was a member of the Accounting Society, vice president of the Tax Society, and even participated in the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) clinic, which offers free tax assistance to members of the community.

Like Gilmore and McGuire, Napa was preparing for his future job, albeit in a different fashion.

“Everyone was intimidated by Advanced Accounting with Dr. Slavin and tax classes with Bob Katz,” he recalled. “However, those were some of my most memorable classes at Hofstra. I learned a lot, and the content and intensity prepared me for the real world.” Napa spent whatever free time he could carve out at Hofstra’s Career Center, working with counselors to secure a job with the prestigious accounting firm PwC. He joined the Nets in 2016 after being anonymously recommended to a recruiter. “To this day, I don’t know who recommended me. All I know is that someone is always watching, and you must be at your best at all times.” As head of finance and accounting for the Nets, Napa now oversees the finances of a multi-billion-dollar company. Thankfully, he is well versed in advanced accounting.

McGuire did not land her job while still on campus, but did, as she puts it,

Napa transferred to Hofstra as a junior, needing to make

All three of these alumni took advantage of the opportunities Hofstra presented, and that is precisely their advice to current students. Or, as Gilmore puts it, “Don’t be in too big a rush to graduate.”

Dennis Papadatos (BS, ’00; MS, ’02) Wrestling Head Coach Hofstra University

Simon Riddiough (BS, ’94; MS, ’96) Women’s Soccer Head Coach Hofstra University

Laura Valentino (’11) Softball Head Coach University of Connecticut

Kevin Warne (’00) Men’s Lacrosse Head Coach Georgetown University

Head of Finance and Accounting Brooklyn Nets

Senior Director of Communications New York Jets

Manager of Communications LPGA

Hofstra’s new academic programs are keeping the University at the forefront of higher education by promoting leading research, recruiting top students, and enhancing community engagement.

By Danna Lorch

Institutions of higher education are being forced to exhibit a level of agility unlike ever before. Job sectors that existed for generations are shrinking, while careers that did not even exist just 10 years ago are on the rise. Simultaneously, every class of first-year students is faced with its own set of challenges, interests, and goals.

So, amid constant change (and competition), how does a university continually attract students, provide them with a top-rated education, and send them into the workforce as highly skilled employees? By offering unique and innovative academic programs that attract top minds, from near and far, keeping it ahead of the higher education curve. The following academic programs are examples of Hofstra's blueprint for success.

“This generation has taught me that traditional lectures, textbooks, and written assignments aren’t enough. To connect with students, you need to offer real-world experiences. That’s why I’m grateful for our new Science & Innovation Center, a realistic simulated hospital.”

– Renee McLeod-Sordjan Dean of the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies

Renee McLeod-Sordjan, DNP, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, acute care and palliative care NP-BC and dean of the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies, has spent nearly 40 years working in the medical field. Of all her accomplishments, however, “The thing I’m proudest of in my career is getting to be one of the inaugural architects of Hofstra’s undergraduate nursing program,” she said. Understandably so. The work of McLeod-Sordjan and her colleagues in establishing a much-needed nursing program under difficult circumstances was one for the books.

According to New York’s Department of Health, the state could face a shortage of nearly 40,000 nurses by 2030. The need for nurses is dire, yet until recently, undergrads looking to pursue a nursing career had to look at schools other than Hofstra. Recognizing the degree program gap and the academic infrastructure already in place (Hofstra already offered a graduate nursing degree), the University launched a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in 2020.

In 2019, even before COVID-19 dramatically altered the healthcare landscape, McLeod-Sordjan and the University administration were hard at work developing the nursing curriculum. When the program received certification from New York state in 2020 and launched soon after, students were chomping at the bit to get started and immediately jumped into action by volunteering at on-campus vaccination sites.

Not wasting time could be an unofficial motto of the nursing program. From day one, students are inspired to think of themselves as nurses, courtesy of a professional nursing seminar taken during their first semester. They also complete chemistry, biology, and psychology courses in year one to gain the base knowledge for future advanced nursing courses. To promote first-year success, the program recently instituted a peer-mentoring initiative that allows new students the opportunity to learn studying and time management tips from their advanced peers.

Hofstra’s undergraduate nursing program, which earned accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education in the spring of 2023, reached a milestone late last year when it launched its first clinical rotations. Students left the classroom to gain hands-on experience caring for geriatric patients at local Northwell Health facilities, where all Hofstra nursing students are guaranteed clinical placement. This past spring, their rotations broadened to include pediatrics, women’s health, and pre- and postoperative wards.

These students are well-prepared to enter medical facilities thanks to Hofstra’s investment in state-of-theart laboratories. “This generation has taught me that traditional lectures, textbooks, and written assignments aren’t enough,” McLeod-Sordjan said. “To connect with students, you need to offer real-world experiences. That’s why I’m grateful for our new Science & Innovation Center, a realistic simulated hospital.”

RENEE McLEOD-SORDJAN

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING

In the 75,000-square-foot building, the largest academic structure on campus, nursing students learn how to care for patients in real time; they are not merely reading about it in a textbook and jotting down notes on index cards. As McLeodSordjan emphasized, “We take three things seriously here at the School of Nursing: scholarship, research, and, most of all, practice. Graduates will leave Hofstra ready to take care of a diverse community with a complexity of medical and health problems.”

BRIAN McFADDEN

THE HOFSTRA UNIONDALE PATHWAY PROGRAM

Every Monday afternoon during the spring 2024 semester, 15 talented high school juniors take a bus to the Hofstra campus, head up to a third-floor classroom in the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, and settle into their seats. Although younger than the typical Hofstra undergrad, these enthusiastic students are on campus for the same reason: to learn. Together, they form the inaugural class of scholars in the Hofstra Uniondale Pathway Program (HUPP).

“Many of them aren’t yet old enough to be registered to vote and haven’t yet thought about civics and the role that journalism plays in democracy. I saw the potential for a lot of lightbulb moments to turn into great conversations in class.”

– Brian McFadden

Assistant Professor

of Journalism, Media Studies, and Public Relations

This brand-new initiative is the result of a multiyear effort by a dedicated group of Hofstra administrators. Leading the way was Mario A. Murillo, longtime professor and vice dean of the Herbert School of Communication. Since 2022, Murillo and Dean Mark Lukasiewicz have worked side by side with the Office of Equity and Inclusion and the New Opportunities at Hofstra Program to create a program that would increase community engagement and improve student body diversity.

HUPP offers high-achieving teens from nearby Uniondale High School the opportunity to take college-level courses in a college setting. After an application process last fall, the inaugural class started at Hofstra on the first day of the spring semester. Their intro to college learning was Media Literacy: Criticism & Analysis, taught by Brian McFadden, assistant professor of journalism, media studies, and public relations.

The Herbert School’s 2023 Teacher of the Year has led this course since 2015 and jumped at the chance to present it to the HUPP scholars because he strongly believes that media literacy is a skill set that high schoolers need. “Many of them aren’t yet old enough to be registered to vote and haven’t yet thought about civics and the role that journalism plays in democracy,” McFadden said. “I saw the potential for a lot of lightbulb moments to turn into great conversations in class.” He didn’t have to wait long. By their second meeting, students who passionately consume music raised their hands to speak with authority about inequity and racial bias in music awards shows like the Grammys. “I learned from my students, and hopefully they learned from me too.”

Scholars will take a total of two communication courses at Hofstra – one in the spring of their junior year and another in the fall of their senior year. They will receive high school and six transferable college credits, the latter of which would typically cost thousands of dollars. In the fall, this inaugural class will return to campus as the next group of scholars is being recruited.

While Murillo and his colleagues hope the program attracts top students to Hofstra, HUPP is primarily an introduction to higher education. After all, many of the scholars will be first-generation college students. To that effect, McFadden planned out what he would say on the last day of class months in advance: “You each belong in a place like this. You did work at a college level, and you passed. Guess what? You can do it again as many times as you need to until you receive your degree.”

PAUL FRITZ

COMPUTER SCIENCE + SOCIAL SCIENCES DEGREE

“At Hofstra, we have undergraduates doing phenomenal research, but it’s generally contained within one discipline. In this program, students would have the space to collaborate across programs and areas of study in new ways.”

– Paul Fritz

Associate Professor of Political Science

One of the most effective ways Hofstra faculty stay ahead of the curve is by examining and engaging with new technologies. Recently, that technology has been artificial intelligence, which is disrupting the status quo across all industries, including higher education. Last fall, Hofstra dedicated its three-day Presidential Symposium to the topic of “Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education: Friend or Foe?”

Naturally, the University’s curriculum is evolving to respond. Paul Fritz, associate professor of political science, chairs an interdisciplinary faculty committee working to launch a new undergraduate degree program that combines computer science and social sciences. This innovative major will enable students to master new technologies and simultaneously gain a critical understanding of their larger social, political, and economic implications.

“In social science students’ future careers, they will be reliant on new technologies that will require them to find novel ways to understand and address social issues,” Fritz said. “Computer scientists need to understand how the technology they’re rolling out affects society and politics.”

This new program will be on the forefront of preparing students to meet unique future demands – and pave the way for graduates to be highly employable in specialized careers. “We will build flexibility into the curriculum to tailor to individual students’ interests. That goes hand in hand with what I believe is the hallmark of Hofstra – offering students opportunities to work closely alongside faculty,” Fritz explained.

Although detailed program requirements are still being finalized, Fritz said that the major will begin with a foundational seminar focused on issues related to “AI, different ways to handle data, various data structures, and related societal issues.” To ensure the seminar is truly interdisciplinary, it will be co-taught by computer science and social science faculty and feature guest lecturers from different disciplines.

During their coursework, students will learn how to code and program through the Computer Science Department, where they will have access to the University’s state-ofthe-art facilities in the new Science & Innovation Center, the most technologically advanced building on campus. It houses cutting-edge labs focused on robotics, computer architecture, UNIX systems and graphics, virtual reality, and related fields.

When it comes to fulfilling the major’s social sciences requirement, students will have flexibility in selecting courses that fit their interests in departments such as Economics, Political Science, Public Policy, Public Service, History, Anthropology, Religion, Philosophy, Sociology, Criminology, and Global Studies and Geography. Fritz is hopeful that the academic cross-pollination will lead students and faculty alike to pursue research from a fresh angle. “At Hofstra, we have undergraduates doing phenomenal research, but it’s generally contained within one discipline. In this program, students would have the space to collaborate across programs and areas of study in new ways.”

The program will be structured to include a required co-op or internship experience to give students invaluable work experience before graduation. Upon entering the workforce, Hofstra graduates will be prepared for computer science careers in the public sector, at private firms, and at tech companies that require knowledge and understanding of different societal, economic, or political factors. Others may opt for careers in politics, where they can help manage campaigns or work on the public policy side. Students could even apply these skills toward economic problems, work in museums and libraries digitizing collections, or help nonprofits use new tools to better fulfill their missions. “The applications for this degree and the direction students can take in their future careers are limitless,” Fritz said.

Mark Mann/AUGUST

Mega Millions

Francis Ford Coppola discovered his gift at Hofstra. He’s been betting on it ever since.

By Andrew Sheldon

One day in 1972, Francis Ford Coppola walked into a Mercedes-Benz dealership with his friend, George Lucas. He knew what he was there for and promptly picked out a blue 600 limousine. He instructed the salesperson to send the bill to Paramount Pictures. The salesperson did. Paramount paid.

Months earlier, Coppola was in a meeting with Paramount executives who were prognosticating that The Godfather could make as much as $75 million at the box office, an otherworldly sum in those days. Coppola was more confident. Remembering the cramped rides in an overpacked station wagon he was forced to take to set every day, the director made his bosses a proposition: If The Godfather made $100 million, Paramount Pictures would buy him a car. And that is how Francis Ford Coppola became the owner of a blue Mercedes 600 limousine.

Coppola believed in The Godfather because he believed in the choices he made in the film. He believed in those choices because they were his. From the dawn of his directing career,

Coppola has possessed an unwavering belief that to be successful, art needs to be personal. Thus, his films needed to be from his perspective. “There’s been this impulse to do his own very independent-minded projects, very personal projects, where he does have this personal vision that he’s trying to get across,” said Dr. Rodney Hill, Hofstra professor of radio, television, film and an expert on Coppola’s career. “In his best-known films, he stuck to his guns and didn’t hesitate to butt heads with the corporations who were secondguessing his decisions and so forth.”

It may not always lead to success, but it is the only way to success. So, even as a relatively unknown 29-yearold director, Coppola went toe-to-toe with the powerful Paramount brass to make the film he envisioned. The studio wanted a Mafia movie. Coppola didn’t know that world. He did know about Italian families and tradition, however, so that is where he centered the story. The studio wanted the film to take place in Kansas City. Coppola, raised in Queens, insisted on New York. The studio wanted anyone but Al Pacino. Coppola would not have anyone else.

The director’s stance has led him to bypass the studio system whenever possible, instead betting on himself by financing his own projects when he can. In the 1960s, Coppola founded American Zoetrope, a production company where aspiring filmmakers could hone their craft by creating meaningful work, unburdened by the commercial demands of big-budget Hollywood studios. In 1971, Zoetrope released an up-andcoming director’s first feature-length film, THX 1138. The very next year, that same director was going Mercedes shopping with Coppola. Zoetrope films have garnered 15 Academy Awards and 68 nominations.

Coppola’s career, like anyone’s, has had its ups and downs. There have been commercial and critical disappointments and, when necessary, director-for-hire stints. But he has always followed his North Star back home. The result is an oeuvre of some of the most celebrated films of the 20th century.

As the world looks forward to this year’s Megalopolis, a nine-figure epic he is once again footing the bill for, we set our sights backward to discover how this visionary developed an artistry worth betting on.

“A Moment in the Sun”

Coppola arrived at Hofstra in 1956 with a playwriting scholarship in tow and a burgeoning theater program at his fingertips. He hit the ground running, directing his first play as a first-year – a rare feat for any student, let alone an underclassman. (At the time, faculty traditionally directed productions.) In his sophomore year, Coppola was elected president of both the drama club, known as the Green Wig dramatic society, and the musical comedy club, called the Kaleidoscopians. It quickly became evident to Coppola, a student who attended dozens of schools throughout his youth, that he had finally found a home. “If I ever had a moment in the sun, it was at Hofstra,” he recalled fondly. “That’s where I first had any sense of self-esteem, or that I could do anything, or that I had some gift that could be shared with others.”

Coppola’s first order of presidential business was to merge the two acting groups into one: The Spectrum Players. He then enacted a rule that faculty could not direct student plays. Coppola believed it to be a fair statute, as shows back then were funded by Hofstra students’ co-curricular fees. With faculty members exiled and most fellow students more interested in acting, Coppola gained ample opportunities to sit in the director’s chair. Simultaneously, as he was

discovering his directing chops, the John Cranford Adams Playhouse was being constructed on campus. Coppola’s world was literally and figuratively being built, scene by scene, brick by brick. “I felt that the Playhouse and the department were mine, and that gave me immense confidence!”

The theater was now his domain, the stage his canvas. He could tell stories the way he wanted, from his perspective. Most important, he was afforded the opportunity to learn, try, experiment, succeed, and fail. “The courage you see in my filmmaking choices started from the unique creative experience I had at Hofstra. I was able to come into my own,” he said. “The faculty – Dr. Beckerman, Dr. Swinney, Ted Kazanoff, and James Van Wart, to name a few – was encouraging. I learned so much and I was anxious to try it all out. Suffice it to say that all the techniques that I used in my later professional career were learned and tried out at Hofstra.”

Yet maybe the most enduring facet of Coppola’s Hofstra education was not a technique, but his major – the future Academy Award-winning director studied theater, not film. “My experience as a theater student was a big help to me in film school,” Coppola told Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, in 2019.

"

If I ever had a moment in the sun, it was at Hofstra,” he recalled fondly. “That’s where I first had any sense of self-esteem, or that I could do anything, or that I had some gift that could be shared with others.

"

“Most people who go into film directing don’t know a lot about acting. The key ingredients of cinema are writing and acting. Most know very little about acting. That was a big advantage – that I was comfortable with the actors.”

By the time Coppola graduated from Hofstra in 1960, he had played a transformative role in elevating the University’s drama program. His work earned him three Dan H. Laurence Awards for direction and production, as well as a Beckerman Award for outstanding contributions to Hofstra’s theater arts program.

Prior to graduating, Hofstra gave Coppola one more gift. Strolling around campus one afternoon, the future film director noticed a sign for a screening of Sergei Eisenstein’s film October: Ten Days That Shook the World and popped into the theater. After watching the two-hour silent film that was unlike anything he had seen before, Coppola exited the darkened theater and walked into the daylight with one thought in his head: “I’m going to be a filmmaker.”

“Too Great a Sin”

On the 50th anniversary of The Godfather Part II, a film many argue to be Coppola’s best work, the director is once again betting on himself. The highly anticipated Megalopolis, his first directorial effort since 2016, is expected to be released some time in 2024. He is financing the film himself at a reported cost of roughly $120 million.

While details of the film have been shrouded in secrecy, it is fair to say that this may be Coppola’s most personal film yet. Originally inspired by William Bolitho’s 1929 book Twelve Against the Gods, which chronicles the lives of a dozen of history’s great adventurers, Coppola has been working on the sci-fi epic in one way or another since the 1980s.

The film stars a who’s-who list of Hollywood elite – Adam Driver, Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Fishburne, Aubrey Plaza, Jon Voight, and Talia Shire (Coppola’s sister), to name a few. The IMDb synopsis is a single sentence: “An architect wants to rebuild New York City as a utopia following a devastating disaster.” When pressed for details, the Hofstra alumnus is as cryptic as you would expect. What do you want audiences to take away from the film? “That the human being is in fact a great, genius species, able to solve any problem.” What discussions do you

hope the film ignites? “Is the society we live in the only one available to us?”

Whatever ultimately winds up on that screen is still to be told. What is certain, however, is that Megalopolis will be singular. It will be precisely the film Coppola wants to make, precisely the story he wants to tell. Audiences will see the world through his eyes. It’s the only way he knows. “He’s at the stage of his career where he can make the kind of movies that he wants and finance them himself without having to get anybody else’s approval,” Dr. Hill said. “I think that this latter stage of his career has produced some of his most interesting work.” Maybe that is not a coincidence. There are no more battles to be had.

Toward the end of his conversation with Dean Lukasiewicz, Coppola was asked for his advice for young filmmakers. His guidance speaks to what he as a storyteller has always been after and why he has always been willing to fight for – or bet on – his artistic ideals. “Be as personal as you can. Every person – it’s a million to one shot that you were even born,” he said. “That your father and mother happened to meet each other, and you happened to emerge. You are so one-of-a-kind; for your work to become like everyone else’s is too great a sin to commit.”

Alumni Updates

New Hofstra Trustees

Five alumni have been named to Hofstra University’s Board of Trustees since Dr. Susan Poser became president in 2021. They join 19 fellow board members, six officers, and six delegates to form the governing body of the University.

Fred Davis (’85), partner in charge of tax services in the New York office of Mitchell & Titus, LLP – one of the largest minority-owned accountancy practices in the United States – became a trustee in December 2021. He is a former president of the Hofstra Alumni Organization and the Hofstra Black/Hispanic Alumni Association. In 2014, he received the Hofstra Alumni Achievement Award.

Davis holds a BBA in Accounting from Hofstra’s Zarb School of Business, where he serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board. He and his wife established the Solange D. and Frederick E. Davis, Jr. Endowed Scholarship. He also serves on the board of trustees for One Hundred Black Men Inc., a community-based not-for-profit organization; on the corporate advisory board of the National Association of Black Accountants; and on the board of trustees for Back2Basics Inc., a community sports not-for-profit.

Craig Dempster (’94) joined the board in April 2023. After graduating Hofstra with BA in Political Science, Dempster spent more than 15 years helping the marketing agency Merkle grow from a small direct mail processing company into a media agency that is now a worldwide leader in tech and datadriven marketing. He retired as global CEO of Merkle in 2022.

Before joining the board, Dempster was a committed advocate for Hofstra as a donor, mentor, and teacher. A studentathlete who played soccer at Hofstra, he and his wife, Erin Dempster (’94), made a leadership gift to support the men’s and women’s soccer programs in 2023. The year prior, he returned to campus for a fireside chat with Zarb School Dean Janet Lenaghan to discuss how to foster innovation, leverage technology, and build a cohesive workplace culture. He also team-taught a leadership class with Dean Lenaghan last fall.

Frederick E. Davis Jr.

Craig Dempster

Dr. Kurt A. Lambert

Dr. Kurt A. Lambert (’89) was appointed to the board in October 2023. In addition to earning a BS in Mathematics with a minor in Anthropology from Hofstra, Lambert was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters from his alma mater at the May 2022 commencement.

Lambert has dedicated a significant portion of his career to building companies by contributing through investments and board positions. He currently serves as the chairman of the board at ForlamVentures in Zurich, Switzerland, a private investment and service company that supports startups with aligned values. Additionally, he holds a board seat at Quantex AG, a Swiss-based investment management firm, where he has been for over 13 years. Lambert co-founded and served for 16 years on the board of RepRisk, a pioneering and global leader in environmental, social, and corporate governance data science, and held the position of chairman from January 2010 to June 2023.

Kathryn V. Marinello (’84), president and CEO of PODS LLC, a $1 billion moving and storage company, was named a trustee in June 2022.

Prior to joining PODS in January 2021, Marinello served as president, CEO, and member of the board of directors of Hertz Global Holdings Inc. She was previously a senior advisor of Ares Management LLC, a global alternative investment manager. Marinello has also served as chairman, president, and CEO of both Stream Global Services Inc., a business process outsource service provider, and Ceridian Corporation, a provider of human resources software and services, and held a range of senior roles over 10 years at General Electric Co.

Marinello, who earned her MBA at the Zarb School of Business, was honored in 2021 as Alumna of the Year. She served as Hofstra’s December commencement speaker that same year and was awarded an honorary degree.

Jason M. Savarese (’95), head of Goldman Sachs’ recently established Finance, Planning & Analysis (FP&A) division, joined the board in December 2021. At Goldman Sachs, he is responsible for integrating all aspects of business planning, including revenue, expense, liquidity, and capital. Before becoming head of FP&A, Savarese worked in several roles at Goldman Sachs, including co-COO and co-chief risk officer of the Securities division. Prior to that, he was CFO of the Securities division and was a member of the Principal Funding and Investments desk within the Fixed Income, Currency and Commodities (FICC) division.

He graduated from Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with a BS in Economics and has been a guest speaker at several campus events, including a Zarb School fireside chat. He also serves as a trustee of the Bayshore Medical Center Foundation, part of the Hackensack Meridian Health Network.

Kathryn V. Marinello

Jason M. Savarese

PRIDE RECONNECT WITH THE

JOIN US AT AN ALUMNI EVENT

HOFSTRA GALA

May 2

• CENTER FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT BANQUET

May 7

• 50TH REUNION May 19

• GOLD SUMMER SOCIAL June 20

• PRIDE CLUB GOLF OUTING

June 26

Scan to learn more

Class Notes

1950

Mary Jeanne Hickey (BA, Physics; MA, Physics) of Boston, MA, currently serves as chaplain for the Patriot Squadron, the Boston chapter of the Association of Naval Aviation.

1955

Joan Tweedell (BA, Biology) of Woods Hole, MA, volunteers at a local cat refuge and at the Nobska Lighthouse Museum.

1964

Robert Spieler (BA, Chemistry) of New York, NY, was inducted into the Veterans Hall of Fame.

1965

Donald Richardson (BA, Geology) of Hightstown, NJ, spends his time helping with the family apple orchard.

1966

Judith Jedlicka (BA, English; MA, Humanities, ’76) of Calverton, NY, serves as vice chair of the foundation board of Peconic Bay Medical Center (eastern hub of Northwell Health) and as co-chair of the medical center’s Patient and Family Partnership Council.

Leonard F. Konikow (BA, Geology) of Reston, VA, retired from the U.S. Geological Survey after 42 years as a research hydrologist.

1967

Irv (“Mr. G”) Gikofsky (BA, History; MA, ’72) of New York, NY, was inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

1968

Dr. Joseph Alexander (BA, Biology) of Saint Francisville, LA, published the book Adversity and Courage: The Breast Center

Eric A. Landau (BA, Political Science) of Fountain Hills, AZ, retired after 27 years as a pro bono ceremonial bagpiper for Arizona police, fire, and military honor guards.

1969

Jan Yager (BA, Fine Arts) of Stamford, CT, has published over 60 books that have been translated into over 30 languages.

1972

John DeBella (BFA, Design & Theatre) of Haverford, PA, was placed in the Philadelphia Walk of Fame. He was inducted into the national Radio Hall of Fame.

Robert L. Fellows (BA, Political Science) of Valley Cottage, NY, is managing partner of the personal injury law firm Fellows Hymowitz Rice and has served as president of the Rockland County Bar Association for the past two years.

1973

Steve Kaplan (BA, Drama) of Chatsworth, CA, has published two books: The Hidden Tools of Comedy and The Comic Hero’s Journey.

1974

Robert Ey (BA, Drama) of Princeton, NJ, volunteers with the New Jersey Classical Guitar Society and the Princeton Folk Music Society.

1976

Ann E. Parry (MSEd, Reading) of Merrick, NY, won first place in the Blogs category at the 2023 Press Club of Long Island Media Awards.

1978

Ron Shandler (BBA, Marketing; MBA, Management, ’81) of Port St. Lucie, FL, published his historical memoir Fantasy Expert in February 2024.

1983

Jim Neidhardt (MBA, Banking & Finance) of Whippany, NJ, recently celebrated 25 years of owning his own business and running peer groups for business owners and top executives.

1984

The Rev. Paul F. Redwood (BE, Engineering Science) of Somerville, NJ, was inducted into the Marquis Who’s Who biographical registry.

1985

Anthony W. Cummings (BS, Applied Economics; JD, ’88) of Bay Shore, NY, was added to the 2023 New York Metro Super Lawyers list.

Joseph Triscoli (BBA, Banking & Finance) of Riviera Beach, FL, joined Entrepreneur Growth Capital as senior vice president.

1986

Dr. J. Christopher Muran (MA, Clinical Psychology; PhD, Clinical Psychology, ’89) of Glen Head, NY, was appointed dean of Adelphi University’s Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology.

1987

Raymond J. Keating (MBA, Banking & Finance) of Long Island, NY, recently published the latest book in his Weekly Economist series.

Ian Wilder (BBA, Management) of Riverhead, NY, was recognized by Long Island Press as a 2023 Real Estate Power Player.

1988

Felicia Bellows (BA, Psychology; MA, Secondary Education, ’93) of Trumbull, CT, was appointed assistant principal at Middlesex Middle School in the Darien Public School District.

Jaspreet Mayall (BBA, Management; JD, ’91) of Dix Hills, NY, was added to the 2023 New York Metro Super Lawyers list.

Kym Phelan Meyer (BA, Teacher’s Speech & Hearing Handicap) of Auburn, MA, is an assistant professor in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department at Worcester State University.

Jeffrey Raspe (BA, Communication Arts) of Keansburg, NJ, celebrated his 35th anniversary on Jersey Shore radio.

Gustave J. Scacco (MBA, Banking & Finance) of Glen Head, NY, was appointed to the San Miguel Academy Board of Trustees.

1989

Lisa Gainsborg (BBA, Accounting) of Delray Beach, FL, was promoted to interim chief financial officer at Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc.

1990

1991

Thomas A. Intrieri (BBA, Banking & Finance) of Gilbert, AZ, was appointed the police chief for the city of Peoria.

1992

Leonard R. Rivera (BBA, Marketing) of Westbury, NY, was designated a Fellow of Information Privacy by the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

1993

Kirsten Anderson (BA, English) of Massapequa, NY, received the Nassau BOCES School Librarian of the Year Award.

1995

Christopher Correia (BS, Exercise Specialist) of West Warwick, RI, was appointed director of buildings and grounds in Johnston, RI.

Mindy L. Davidson (MSEd, Rehabilitation Counseling) of Bethpage, NY, was a nondirected kidney donor.

Dr. Michael S. Phillips (BA, Speech Arts; MS, Health Education, ’03) of Hicksville, NY, completed a Doctor of Psychology at California Southern University.

1996

Kevin Fullerton (MSEd, Secondary Education) of Huntington Station, NY, joined Bethpage Union Free School District’s central administration team as assistant superintendent for human resources.

1997

Arturo Rodriguez (BBA, Accounting) of Mountainside, NJ, was appointed co-chief executive officer at Aterian Inc.

1998

Marguerite Di Mauro (BS, Communication Arts) of Olympia, WA, accepted a position as the arts and culture chair for the 50th anniversary of Expo ’74, an environmentthemed world’s fair held in Spokane, WA, in 1974.

Derek Gibson (BBA, Banking & Finance; MBA, Banking & Finance, ’92) of Greensboro, NC, published a new book titled Data Duped: How to Avoid Being Hoodwinked by Misinformation

Michael McCreesh (BBA, Marketing; MBA, Finance, ’94) of Southport, CT, was named chief executive officer at Battea Class Action Services, LLC.

Dr. Martin Odudukudu (MSEd, Counseling) of Roosevelt, NY, was recently published on the U.S. Department of Education website.

1999

Mo H. Goldman (JD; MBA, Marketing, ’00) of Tucson, AZ, recently published a book titled The Last Survivor: Lessons from the Past and the Dying Dream of Freedom.

2000

Shawn Novatt (BA, Audio & Radio) of Hempstead, NY, is director of the radio station at Nassau Community College, which was named Best Radio Station on Long Island in the Bethpage Best of Long Island Awards for the third consecutive year.

2001

Chris Nguyen (MBA, Finance) of Sacramento, CA, was named chief executive officer at the California Lawyers Association.

2002

Dr. Kimberly Boccanfuso (BA, English; PhD, Literacy Studies, ’23) of Brightwaters, NY, was appointed assistant superintendent for elementary curriculum and instruction for the Lindenhurst School District.

Klaudia Fitzgerald (BBA, Management) of Levittown, NY, is the new chief operating officer at LaGuardia Gateway Partners.

2004

Megan Albano (BA, Broadcast Journalism) of Melville, NY, was named executive vice president for morning programming and program development at Fox News.

Benjamin J. Brenkert (MA, Humanities) of Jackson Heights, NY, was ordained to the transitional diaconate in the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island and will be ordained as a priest in September 2024.

Jamie Cohen (BA, Video & Television; MA, Comparative Arts & Culture, ’10) of Weston, CT, co-authored Virtual Presenting: A Guide to Formats, Production and Authentic Delivery (Routledge, 2023).

Dr. Michael Serotoff (BA, Biology) of Atlanta, GA, is a physician at the Southeast Permanente Medical Group.

2003

Tara Feeney (BBA, Management; MBA, Finance, ’06) of London, UK, is a technical operations manager for Fnality UK.

Timothy Hendrickson (BA, History) of Melville, NY, is releasing his second novel, The Infiltrator, in April.

Seth M. Pearson (MA, Creative Arts Therapy Counseling) of Westville, NJ, is an art therapist.

Lisa Silveri (MSEd, Early Childhood Education; Advanced Certificate in Educational Leadership, ’20) is the new assistant principal for specialized schools through Nassau BOCES.

2005

V. Anthony Cassano (BSEd, Physical Education) of Monroe, CT, has been working as a physical education teacher and coach for the New York City Department of Education for 17 years.

Kimberlee Gerstheimer (BA, Dance) of Marlboro, NJ, accepted a job as a dance teacher at Shore Regional High School in New Jersey.

Ryan McDaniel (BA, Public Relations) of St. Petersburg, FL, trained the Tampa Bay Rays Minor and Major League Baseball athletic training staff.

Nicholas Venditto (BA, Political Science) of Massapequa, NY, was added to the 2023 New York Metro Super Lawyers list.

2006

Dr. Frank J. Amico (BS, Community Health) of Suffolk, VA, was promoted to medical director of advanced heart failure, cardiac critical care, and mechanical circulatory support at NYU Langone Health.

Jennifer Bisulca (BA, English) of East Islip, NY, was appointed principal of Seaford Harbor Elementary School.

Kristen V. Carter (BA, Video & Television) of Burbank, CA, hosts a podcast called Trust Your Magic, a show that highlights exceptional people who have taken leaps of faith to follow their dreams.

Christa Conte (BA, Public Relations) of Hoboken, NJ, was promoted to executive vice president, head of client services, for Hotwire Global.

Richard P. Cronin (BA, Sociology) of Sea Cliff, NY, was added to the 2023 New York Metro Super Lawyers list.

Derek B. Johnson (BA, Print Journalism) of Springfield, VA, was hired as a reporter at CyberScoop News.

Christopher McKittrick (BA, Film Studies & Production; MA, English & Creative Writing, ’08) of Cherry Hill, NJ, is set to release his third book, Gimme All Your Lovin’: The Blues, Boogie, and Beard of ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons (Backbeat Books).

2007

Steven A. Alves (BBA, Entrepreneurship) of Little Neck, NY, is senior vice president and head of the aviation science portfolio and lead underwriter/originator on aviation transactions at HSBC.

Stephanie Motsay (BA, Psychology) of Lake Hopatcong, NJ, was promoted to vice president, total compensation at OSG.

Sherlonda Nixon (MA, Marriage & Family Therapy) of Gary, IN, runs a social service agency called Rose Family Counseling Center.

Emelita A. Outerbridge (Postdoc Respecialization Program, Clinical Psychology) of Devonshire West, Bermuda, is a school psychologist and supervisor of the school counseling program for the Department of Education of Bermuda.

Kristen Rea (MA, Speech-Language Pathology) of Selden, NY, was appointed director of special education at East Islip School District.

Kim Smith (BS, Community Health) of Freeport, NY, is manager of quality improvement initiatives at CenterLight Healthcare PACE.

2008

Justin M. DePhillips (BBA, Management) of Clarks Summit, PA, is the founder and CEO of Generational Modular Group, LLC.

Christopher Porcelli (BBA, Accounting; MS, Taxation, ’09) of Mint Hill, NC, was named chief financial officer at Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux.

2009

Kristina R. Campbell (BA, Rhetorical Studies; MSEd, Inclusive Elementary Special Education, ’13) of Ewing, NJ, is a senior supply chain analyst for Johnson & Johnson.

Elizabeth S. Hamlet (BS, Athletic Training) of Champaign, IL, is assistant director of academics in the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Illinois.

2010

Diana Bassett (BA, Film Studies; MA, Public Relations, ’18) was elected treasurer of Public Relations Professionals of Long Island for 2023-2024.

Jesse Kasser (BBA, Marketing) of Columbia, SC, founded BarGlance, a nightlife platform that boasts over 20,000 users.

Brittany Rhoden (BA, Psychology; MSEd, Higher Education Leadership & Policy Studies, ’20) of Hempstead, NY, is Title IX coordinator for student issues and director of student wellness education at Hofstra.

Catherine A. Sodano-Hughes (BA, Print Journalism) of Smithtown, NY, is the host of weekend mornings and weeknights on 106.1 WBLI.

2012

Dr. Andrew Moawad (MHA, Health Administration) of Melville, NY, is a boardcertified internal medicine physician.

Calla Schnider-Hood (BA, Rhetorical Studies; MBA, Sports & Entertainment Management, ’15) of Charlotte, NC, started a doctoral program in applied leadership at Muskingum University.

2013

Emma Ray Schmich (BA, Fine Arts) of South Farmingdale, NY, works at the the Stavros Niarchos Foundation TeacherScholar Program at Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute.

Li Wang (BBA, Accounting) of Whitestone, NY, was promoted to partner at McDermott Will & Emery.

2014

Melanie Barnwell (Continuing Education, Paralegal Studies) of East Northport, NY, runs her own real estate transaction company.

Omotara James (BA, English) of Brooklyn, NY, released her debut collection of poems, Song of My Softening, in February 2024.

2016

Oleg Rivkin (MBA, Strategic Healthcare Management) of Ridgewood, NJ, was named CEO at Select Specialty Hospital in Rochelle Park, NJ.

2017

Dr. Marnie Hazelton (PhD, Educational & Policy Leadership) of Freeport, NY, was named superintendent of Englewood Public School District (NJ).

Lindsey R. Hunter (MSEd, Higher Education Leadership & Policy Studies) of Chicago, IL, was named director of admission and enrollment at Oakton College.

Richard Schwartz (BA, Early Childhood Education) of Commack, NY, joined the Seaford School District as assistant principal at Seaford Manor School.

2015

Morgan Cinello (BBA, Finance) of Foley, AL, was named the first softball coach at United States Sports Academy.

Fritz-Andre Duterlien (Pre-Medicine/ Pre-Medical Studies Certificate) of Alexandria, VA, is currently practicing as a podiatrist in the Washington metropolitan area.

Cortney D. Moore (BA, Journalism) of Miami, FL, is the new tourism and hospitality reporter at the South Florida Business Journal.

Blessen Varghese (MBA, Strategic Healthcare Management) of Levittown, NY, was promoted to director of operations at Northwell Health.

Dr. Mitchell Weinberg (MBA, Strategic Healthcare Management), of West Orange, NJ, received the 2023 Health Hero award for his contribution and dedication to the health and well-being of Staten Islanders.

2018

Christine Crosfield (BE, Engineering Science) of Gainesville, VA, was promoted to project manager at The Feinstein Institutes.

2019

Ellen Boyle (BS, Video, Television & Business) of North Reading, MA, is pursuing her second master’s degree in management at Merrimack College.

Ari B. Fleischer (BS, Biochemistry) of Cambridge, MA, was elected as the Region R Chair for Alpha Phi Omega, the largest national community service fraternity.

Melinda Jeffries (MHA, Health Administration) of York, PA, was named regional director for the Women’s Health Service Line at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Lindsay Mayer (MSEd, Higher Education) of Lincoln, RI, was named head coach for Caldwell University Softball.

Carolina Palumbo (MHA, Health Administration) of Mineola, NY, was promoted to senior management analyst on her team at Northwell Health.

Liane Sousa (BA, Journalism) of Yonkers, NY, is a member of the Alliance for Women in Media and served as a judge for the 2024 Gracie Awards.

2020

Jared Brown (BA, Mass Media Studies) of Melville, NY, accepted a new role as camper development coordinator at Camps Equinunk and Blue Ridge.

Sarah Hoogenraad (BFA, Theatre Arts) of New York, NY, has a one-act play that is being produced at the Chain Theatre Winter One Act Festival.

Joanne Peragine (BS, Bioengineering) of Bloomington, IN, works in the urological and reproductive health division at Cook Medical.

2021

Justice K. Adu Djan (MSEd, Special Education) of Medford, NY, is an offender workforce development specialist for the Suffolk and Nassau County Jails.

Lucas Becher (BA, Television Production & Studies) of Playa Del Rey, CA, is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts at Loyola Marymount University and working full time as a graphic operator at FanDuel TV.

Roseanne Laudisio (MBA, Strategic Business Management) of Bethpage, NY, was named chief information officer at the NIP Group.

Maliszka M. Miranda (BS, Environmental Resources) of Warren, PA, is a member of the U.S. Forest Service R9 Timber Strike Team, stationed at Allegheny National Forest.

Dr. Gina Sipley (PhD, Literacy Studies) of Glen Head, NY, is releasing her first book, Just Here for the Comments: Lurking as Digital Literacy Practice, in May.

2022

Meghan Fawcett (BS, Neuroscience) of Brooklyn, NY, was promoted to assistant director, Broad-Based Marketing Initiatives at Columbia University.

Benjamin G. Izaguirre Cortez (BS, Sustainability Studies) of Bronx, NY, is an environmental technical scientist at APTIM.

David O’Brien (BA, Political Science) of West Haven, CT, co-produced Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors at the New World Stages.

Marco Rizza (BBA, Finance) of Westbury, NY, was promoted to account executive with the Long Island Nets.

Christina Tewes (MS, Occupational Therapy) of East Meadow, NY, started a new position as an occupational therapist with the New York City Department of Education.

2023

Kassandra Faber (BA, Audio/Radio) of Saddle Brook, NJ, joined Compass Media Networks as associate director of affiliate sales.

Will Germaine (BS, Community Health) of Valley Stream, NY, started the Master of Health Administration program at Hofstra University.

Haley Schmich (MA, Public Relations) of Boston, MA, accepted a position as a New England Patriots cheerleader.

Ashley Smith (MSEd, Inclusive Early Childhood Special Education) of North Baldwin, NY, is working toward an Advanced Certificate in TESOL at Hofstra.

Marriages

Courtney Pilnick (BS, ’15; MHA, ’16) to Stephen Liebowitz (BS, ’15; MS, ’16).

Nick Faria (BA, ’19) to Brittany McGowan (BS, ’20).

Aiden Feltkamp (BS, ’11) to Aumna Iqbal.

Stephanie Vincent (BA, ’07) to James Motsay.

New Arrivals

Mila born to Amanda Manu (BS, ’13; MS, ’14) and Matt Manu (BS, ’11).

Eleanor Prudence born to Dana Silva (BA, ’05) and Bruno Silva

In Memoriam

Guy Stern (BA, ’48; LHD, ’98)

Jules R. Block (BA, ’52)

Mathilde Huckins (BA, ’52)

Constantine Ricci (BA, ’52; MA, ’55)

Alfred Roman (BBA, ’52)

Joseph L. Scalise (BA, ’52)

Kathleen Horst (BA, ’53)

Robert Allen Dixon (BA, ’54)

John Alexion (BBA, ’55; MBA, ’58)

John D. Cicerani (BA, ’55; MSEd, ’55)

Edith Anderson (MSEd, ’56)

Miles B. Borden (MSEd, ’56)

William J. Nickel (BBA, ’56)

Janice Brown (BA, ’57)

James A. Cromarty (BBA, ’57)

Robert W. Keith (MBA, ’57)

Richard T. O’Toole (BBA, ’57)

Dr. Richard V. Munch (BA, ’58)

John Baumann (BBA, ’59; MSEd, ’63)

Donald Laux (BS, ’59)

Marion M. Munisteri (MSEd, ’59)

John G. Newman (BA, ’59)

Bruce Hotton (BA, ’60)

William M. Gillen (BBA, ’61)

Ida Oberlander (BS, ’61)

Beverly Vitale (BBA, ’61)

Joseph Delucia (MA, ’62)

Arthur R. Klampert (BA, ’62)

Thomas McAvoy (MSEd, ’62)

James McGunnigle (BA, ’62)

Paul P. Ostwald (BBA, ’62)

Thomas A. Foster (BBA, ’63)

Norman Janowitz (BBA, ’63)

William D. Olyha (MSEd, ’63)

Robert Brand (BS, ’64)

Gerard W. Lambert (BA, ’64)

Victor S. Middlebrook (MBA, ’64)

David J. Fish (BBA, ’65)

Robert W. Giambattista (MSEd, ’65)

James Gibb (BSEd, ’65)

Ida G. Nelson (MSEd, ’65)

Joel Rubin (BS, ’65)

Ellen Crystal (BSEd, ’66)

Dannel Iden Schwartz (BA, ’66)

Henrietta Isler (BA, ’67; MA, ’69; PhD, ’71)

John R. Campbell (MSEd, ’68)

Ronald Fradkin (BA, ’70)

Harry Lutz (BBA, ’70)

Sally A. Young (MA, ’70)

Craig Lewis Dreilinger (BA, ’71)

Melinda Proctor (BA, ’71)

Gayle Jeffries (BA, ’74)

Robert B. Rizzi (MA, ’74)

Susan Gass (BA, ’75)

Carol Brownstein (MA, ’76)

Austin R. Dridge (BA, ’76)

Donald Rasoli (BA, ’76)

John J. Robinson (EdD, ’76)

Gary F. Rupert (BBA, ’77)

Vicki Dicke (MBA, ’79)

Cindy Lewis (BS, ’79)

Walter Paul Andersen (BBA, ’80)

Michelle Bergenfeld (BA, ’80)

Robert Schifellite (BBA, ’80; MBA, ’81)

Pamela Frankel (BSEd, ’81)

Alice M. Hudder (BA, ’81; MA, ’87)

William R. Karaktin (BA, ’81)

Christopher Dillon (MSEd, ’83; Certificate of Advanced Study, ’84)

Sona Averill Wyman (PhD, ’83)

Michael A. D’Amato (BBA, ’86)

Elaine G. Ajello (MA, ’87; Certificate, ’00)

Margaret Mary Kramer (BA, ’88)

Donald Niebuhr (BBA, ’88)

Linda Spilka (BA, ’89)

Colleen A. Millan (MA, ’90)

Barbara Berger (MSEd, ’92)

Robin B. Slane (MA, ’92)

Ann Linda Jensen (MSEd, ’93)

Samuel Millens (BA, ’95)

James Finnerty (BBA, ’00)

Daniel C. Garvin (BA, ’02)

Jayar Maleke Santos (BA, ’02)

Jennifer E. Videtta (BA, ’09)

Matthew Napolitano (BA, ’12)

Esther M. Hayes (MSEd)

SUPPORT THE NEXT GENERATION OF THE

PRIDE

SCAN TO GIVE

Whether your gift is large or small, your commitment is important to the University and to generations of Hofstra students. Only with your support can Hofstra continue to have the best resources, faculty, and programs, and provide scholarships and fellowships.

Hempstead, New York 11549

Issue No. 2 • Spring 2024

Laparoscopic arms on the da Vinci surgical system robot infiltrate a plastic shell, representing a patient’s abdomen, during a training exercise at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. The practice is part of the new Surgical Skills Training course developed by the American College of Surgery that provides undergraduate medical students the exposure and acquisition of basic surgical skills normally reserved for later-year residents.