CR AV OS ER CH S CO Y W AM UN INS PIO TRY NC NS NA AA HIP TIO N P. 15 AL FALL/WINTER 2014
i n v i g G Back
FLASHBACK
Brother John E . Daly
teaches a class ou tdoor s, 1965
l, 1965 Spellman Hal
Photos selected celebrate Iona’s 25th (1965) and 50th (1990) anniversaries.
, 1990 Mazzella Field Construction of
FROM THE ARCHIVE
Student Government Association, 1990
MEMORY LANE Heritage Week in April 2015 kicks off the celebration of our 75th anniversary and we are looking for your memories and photos. Share with us by emailing iona75years@iona.edu. See more about Iona's 75th plans on p.12.
IN THIS ISSUE
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President's Message
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Letters to the Editor & Iona in the News
UNDER THE GINKGO TREE 6
On Campus
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Sports Report
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Academic Focus
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Giving Back
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On the Job
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Alumni
FALL/WINTER 2014
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Find more stories, photos, video and other content online at www.iona.edu/magazine — just look for this symbol throughout the magazine.
Inspired by the legacy of Blessed Edmund Rice and the Christian Brothers, community engagement is engrained in every aspect of the teachings and culture of Iona College. The action of “giving back” truly encircles the core values of the College – from mission trips and volunteerism to the generosity of our students, alumni, faculty and staff. These core values are what enables Iona community members to move the world, whether on-campus, in the local community or on a global scale.
This issue is printed on Rolland Enviro100 Print, which contains FSC certified 100 percent post-consumer fiber, is EcoLogo and Process Chlorine Free certified and is manufactured using renewable biogas energy. By selecting this eco-friendly paper, Iona College saved the equivalent of 170 trees, 163,944 gallons of water, 16,778lbs. of waste, 55,124lbs. of CO2 and 141 million BTUs of energy compared to printing on virgin paper. *Source: Environmental Paper Network
ving Gi Back
From the President
Pat Quinn receives congratulations from members of the Iona Rugby team — see p. 26.
As we approach the celebration of Iona’s 75th anniversary in 2015-2016, I find myself increasingly contemplating the stories of the first three-quarters of a century of Iona College. There are many inspiring stories – among them, the founding of Iona by the Christian Brothers, the mission of Iona, the continued growth of both our campus and our vision, and the impressive legacies of accomplished alumni, faculty and campus leaders. The story that resonates most with me centers on the theme of this issue: Giving Back. The two words “giving back” are part of the moral fabric of Iona College. We appreciate and are grateful for having received much from others and, in return, give to many. We see this in the stories of our Christian Brothers still involved in the day-to-day operations of the College, the events during Make a Difference Week, in the stories of Gaels including Barbara Netter, Pat Quinn and Erika Enlund, who in different ways have given of themselves to move the world. The stories of Iona continue to be written every day. Each issue of this magazine features remarkable individuals, Iona Gaels, who live the mission and serve as the living legacy of the College. As we move forward in writing this year’s Iona story, I am pleased to share with you that we have enjoyed a positive start to the 2014-2015 year, from an outstanding
new freshman class, to the outlook for the College as illustrated by the S&P’s and Moody’s upgrades to Iona’s credit rating. Iona was one of only nine colleges and universities in the nation to be upgraded by Moody’s. It is encouraging to be recognized by the financial ratings organizations, as these ratings reflect Iona’s mission-based decision making, a shared vision, and execution of shared strategy toward transforming the lives of young men and women who go on to give back and move the world. Iona has launched new academic programs, new academic centers and institutes, and a new Speech, Language & Hearing Clinic at Holy Family. The College also has substantively grown the campus, curbed tuition increases and provided record levels of scholarships to students, while making key investments in faculty development and high-impact educational practices, and striving to raise more support for Iona students and faculty. All in all, it has been a promising prelude to the start of our 75th year. Let me be among the first of many to say, “Happy 75th Birthday, Iona!”
Read more about S&P's rating and other news.
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Iona College Magazine
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MAGAZINE
Todd A. Wilson Editor in Chief Suzanne Augustyn Design and Creative Services Suzanne Flood Managing Editor Tsahai Amazan Bianca De LeÓn '11, '13MA Monika Graff Dawn Insanalli '99MS Ian Sacks '16 Madison Sudano '16 Contributors Paul J. Sutera Senior Vice President of Advancement & External Affairs Elizabeth Faia Orgera '10MBA Director of Alumni Relations Iona College Magazine is printed twice a year, and is distributed to alumni, friends, faculty and staff. © 2014 Iona College The magazine may be viewed online at: iona.edu/magazine
INVEST IN THE FUTURE By giving to the Fund for Iona College you demonstrate your passion for our unique mission. At the same time, you also show that you understand how donor support is required to help cover the cost to educate each of our students. Rarely does your generosity have the opportunity to impact so many. Your annual investment in Iona combined with those from parents, faculty, staff, and friends provides a daily versatile, vital resource for Iona College’s continued operation and growth. Dollars from the Fund for Iona College are flexible and immediately available for what matters most – student life and learning. Each year, we focus our efforts on those priority projects that are most urgently needed on campus, such as internships, faculty training, financial aid, or student programs.
Make your gift today! www.iona.edu/support (914) 633-2412
Address correspondence to: magazine@iona.edu or mail to: Todd A. Wilson Iona College Joyce Advancement House/ DeSantis Alumni House 715 North Avenue New Rochelle, NY 10801
NEXT ISSUE Iona Magazine will celebrate 75 years of the College’s history in our Spring/ Summer issue in 2015 — and we need your help. We invite you to send Iona stories, photographs or other memorabilia that to you help tell the story of Iona College in the its first 75 years. Please limit text to 50-100 words if possible, and include your full name and Iona affiliation (if applicable, Iona degree and class year), as well as a daytime phone number or email address. Send to the address noted above.
HOW ARE YOU MOVING THE WORLD? Bayonia Marshall ’15 is gaining leadership skills through Iona clubs and organizations to help her move the world. Alfred F. Kelly Jr. ’80, ’81MBA has moved the world from the board room to the Super Bowl. Caitlin Mitchell ’11, ’13MBA, an IT business analyst at PepsiCo, began as an intern herself, thanks to an Iona alumnus connection. Professor Sunghee Lee, Ph.D., is preparing students to move the world through hands-on research. Gaels from all walks of life are moving the world in many different ways. Check out our Move the World website to read these and other powerful stories from fellow Gaels. Are you moving the world? We want to hear from you – submit your own story and show us your Gael pride.
Visit the Move the World website at iona.edu/movetheworld.
YOUR TURN To the Editor:
While studying for my Ph.D. at St. John’s University in 1967, I was on the staff in the Chemistry Department. During the summer months I was teaching organic chemistry lecture and lab. In it I had a total of seven Irish Christian Brothers and the very first female student at Iona by the name of Elaine Wooten. She was an excellent student receiving top grades both in class and in the lab. I found it rather humorous when I compared her setting up the lab apparatus for the experiment with those of the Brothers. Hers was neatly arranged and properly attached, while theirs was somewhat of a Rube Goldberg setup using books, clamps, cork rings and anything else for means of support. And she was of the fairer sex? Additionally her tests and lab notes were a joy to read, being beautifully penned and legible. She finished the course with an A in both classes. She later joined the Peace Corps as far as I know.
IONA IN THE NEWS
The highly regarded National Science Foundation (NSF) featured an article on Professor Sunghee Lee, Ph.D. (Chemistry), her dedication to mentoring students and her ability to integrate research and education. Some of Professor Lee’s research is funded by the NSF so the recognition is an honor.
Move-in Day and the Class of 2018 were the talk of the town earlier this semester, featured in stories on News 12, Regional News Network, the New Rochelle Roundup and more.
Frank R. Cervi, Ph.D. ’58
Kelly Dombrowski ’16 was featured in the New York Post recapping her experience attending an exclusive Taylor Swift listening party at the singer’s private residence.
Photo courtesy of Christian Johnston
I failed to mention that I was also an undergraduate at Iona, of course majoring in chemistry. Our group was the very first to establish the Iona Chemistry Society, my being its first secretary, Donald Connolly as vice president, and Patrick Grosso as president. We had great fun going on field trips, attending lectures, doing seminars, and even setting up a very extensive Chemistry Exhibit. We have pictures of us and the displays shown on page 165 of the 1958 ICANN yearbook (see below).
Read these and other news stories.
To the Editor:
I would like to thank Iona College for giving me a basketball scholarship back in 1949. I broke my ankle my senior year in high school and had serious doubts about my future. Two great coaches, Artie Wilkens and Jimmy McDermott, trusted my ability and took a chance on a 17-year-old Bronx street kid. I had four fine years playing for the mighty Gaels. I congratulate my terrific team mates, especially Richie Guerin on being inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. I was drafted by the New York Knicks in 1953 after I graduated. After two years in the Army, I fortunately made the Knicks team in the 1955-56 season. Though I played briefly, I am proud to have been the first Ionian in the NBA. I am also delighted to be in the Iona Hall of Fame. I taught school and coached, mostly in the San Francisco Bay Area, retiring in 1997. I loved my career and I am grateful for all of God’s wonderful blessings. I now live in the Palm Springs, Calif., area. I am happy with my beautiful wife, our daughter and four sons. I continue to follow all sports avidly, especially Iona, the Knicks, the Yankees and the 49ers. Greetings to the Iona Family, especially the 50’s gang! Bob Santini ’53
To the Editor:
A super education from Iona College prepared me for a multi-discipline career and for multiple careers: Math teacher, science teacher, special-needs teacher. Computer programmer, systems analyst, staff manager. Now I own my tutoring company. Thank you, Iona! Tom Bierman ’65 4
Iona College Magazine
WRITE TO US!
We welcome your letters in response to the content of the magazine, and about all things relating to Iona College. Please address letters to: Iona Magazine, Joyce Advancement House/DeSantis Alumni House, Iona College, 715 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY, 10801, or to magazine@iona.edu. Please include your full name, Iona class year(s) and degree(s), address, email address, and daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity and length.
on campus | sports report | academic focus | on the job
NOTEWORTHY CORNER STONES OF IONA HISTORY Iona College’s Steps in Tradition heritage tour celebrates the rich history of Iona and appreciation of our beginnings through various campus buildings, statues and memorials. Given year-round, the heritage tour is a popular event during College celebration weekends, including Homecoming and Reunion. The tour begins in the campus quad near the iconic St. Columba statue and first bronze Celtic cross.
Photo by Monika Graff
If you take a closer look, you will find bits of the Isle of Iona in both – in the form of stones. The bronze Celtic cross fixed in the pavement has several stones from the Isle of Iona’s shores embedded within it. Additionally, a large round stone is situated on one corner of the St. Columba statue. Visitors are encouraged to run their hands across the stone as they pass the statue on the tour.
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“Hold the stone in your palm: It fills it, warm when your need is for warmth, cool when you seek the touch of shadow. Its weight gives pleasure. One stone is not like the Iona College Magazine other.” – Unknown
ON CAMPUS
WELCOME, CLASS OF 2018 AND THE 2014–2015 ACADEMIC YEAR!
CONVOCATION Iona College welcomed students, faculty and staff to the 2014–2015 academic year at the annual fall Convocation on September 9. President Joseph E. Nyre, Ph.D., delivered an update on the state of the College, and welcomed the best qualified freshmen class in more than five years. In his update, President Nyre spoke highly of the accomplishments within the College’s strategic plan due to the hard work of all involved.
GO NEW RO! 2014 In July, 22 incoming freshmen got a jumpstart on their college experience by dedicating time to our Iona in Mission: Go New Ro 2014 program. Go New Ro is a service program that gives students the opportunity to contribute to Iona and the greater New Rochelle community. This year’s theme was “GPS: Growth, Purpose, Service” and during their time in the program students assisted with two local food programs, conducted a shoreline cleanup and visited aging Christian Brothers.
MOVE-IN WEEKEND
Convocation was also a time for the College to recognize several faculty members for their dedicated service. The Senior Faculty Award was given to two recipients – William Egelman, Ph.D. (Sociology), and Fredrica Rudell, Ph.D. (Marketing). The Junior Faculty Award was given to Carol Shansky (Fine & Performing Arts), and the Adjunct Faculty Award was given to John LaMassa (Scientific and Technological Literacy). In a new Iona tradition, two faculty members – Sunghee Lee, Ph.D., of the Chemistry Department, and Elena Procario-Foley, Ph.D., of the Religious Studies Department – were awarded with engraved wooden chairs commemorating their status as endowed professors. Convocation also featured a keynote presentation from Mark S. Kiselica, Ph.D., Iona’s new provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs, on the topic of “Helping Iona Students to Succeed: Challenges and Strategies for a Catholic College in the Era of Diverse Millenials.”
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Iona College Magazine
On August 24, the Class of 2018 converged onto campus and marked the beginning of their Iona journey. In true Iona spirit, returning students, athletes and staff members all pitched in and helped our newest Gaels – carrying everything from pillows to refrigerators. Throughout the day, Gaels even took breaks from moving to pose for a Gaelgram welcoming home the #Classof2018! View more Gaelgram photos from Move-in Weekend.
Photos by Dawn Insanalli
The 2014–2015 academic year has begun and Iona welcomed 800 first-time, full-time freshmen students to our community. Even before classes began, our newest Gaels were busy immersing themselves and starting their journey to move the world in many ways. Welcome home, Class of 2018 – we look forward to seeing what the next few years bring for you at Iona!
HOMECOMING & FAMILY WEEKEND GALLERY October 17–19, 2014
Photos by Dawn Insanalli & Monika Graff
View our 2014 Homecoming & Family Weekend photo gallery.
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ON CAMPUS STUDENT VOICES – ACROSS ALL MEDIUMS Hear directly from Iona students on all things Iona. Our students are using their time and talents to tell the stories of Iona in print, video and radio.
The Ionian: the College’s student-run newspaper which reports on current events relevant to the Iona campus community was recently digitized. Digital issues from 1941 to early 2010 are available through the College’s Libraries and the remaining issues are expected to be available by the end of the year. Visit the current website for the newspaper at ioniannews.com. North Avenue Nation: a multimedia hub, dubbed “the beat of Iona College” that features student work from WICR, ICTV, the Mass Communication Department YouTube channel and class-assigned blogging features. Visit the channel at youtube.com/IonaFacebookTV. WICR (Iona College Radio): Iona students produce programming for an online listening experience. WICR streams on both Live365.com and UStream.tv – just search “WICR.” ICTV (Iona College Television): Iona news featuring thoughtful interviews and commentary on important issues and events at Iona College and in the community. Visit youtube.com/ICTVgaels for the latest videos. Hear directly from Iona students through The Ionian, North Avenue Nation, WICR (Iona College Radio) or ICTV (Iona College TV).
MOVING THE WORLD + MAKING A DIFFERENCE In October, Iona celebrated Make a Difference Week – an annual tradition that offers a full week of service and advocacy opportunities on-campus and in the local communities. The week-long celebration kicked off with food collections at local grocery stores, cleaning of local parks and neighborhoods, and building projects for Habitat for Humanity. The momentum continued throughout the week and branched out to include awareness walks for autism, suicide prevention and cancer; tutoring and even panel discussions on volunteerism. In total more than 25 different service activities occurred during Make a Difference Week. While many events are traditions at Iona, new events and service projects are established each year growing the week each time. One event, “No Hair for a Day,” allowed participants to “hide” their hair for the day to stand in solidarity with those who have cancer while fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Another event, “Homeless for a Night,” challenged students to sleep on the steps of Spellman Hall for the night to raise awareness of the homeless population and their struggles. All in all, Make a Difference Week was a great success and our Gaels proved, once again, that giving back is at the heart of Iona College.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, INTERNATIONAL! In July, Iona hosted 20 high school students from Colegio Lincoln, a private high school in Argentina, for a two-week educationalcultural camp focusing on the mass communication field. The camp provided hands-on experience, and an international understanding of the world of broadcasting, journalism, advertising and public relations. Students engaged in classes taught by Iona faculty and participated in various projects from shooting, editing and producing videos to creating advertising and public relations campaigns. While attending the camp, the students were also able to experience historic and cultural aspects of the New York metropolitan area including a Broadway musical, the New York Times printing plant, a Circle Line tour and more. The camp, a new venture for Iona College, was a collaborative project between the Office of Conference Services, the Mass Communication Department and the Office of English as a Second Language.
Iona’s School of Business was recognized as one of the top 50 Graduate Schools by Salary Potential in a list published by PayScale.com. Iona was ranked 46th out of 605 graduate schools.
DINNER SERIES PROVIDES INDUSTRY INSIGHTS For the past six years, the School of Business, through the Center for Sports and Entertainment Studies, has hosted the Careers in Sports, Entertainment and News (SENN) Dinner Series, a private event which is open to members of the Iona community – students with a declared commitment to the major, faculty, staff and alumni. The purpose of these dinners is to bring context to the classroom experience by providing informal discussions led by accomplished guest speakers who work in the fields of sports, entertainment and news. These industry professionals share industry insights, reflect on their own career path and influences, and advise attendees on career planning and advancement opportunities. Past Dinner Series speakers have included professionals – many of which are Iona alumni – from organizations such as the National Football League (NFL), New York Daily News, NBC Universal, ESPN Radio and more. Upcoming Dinner Series: February 10, 2015
All Dinner Series events will take place at 6 p.m. in the Hegarty Room, Hynes Athletics Center, unless otherwise noted. Watch videos of past SENN Dinners.
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Iona College Magazine
ARRIGONI CENTER: RESTORED & REVITALIZED On October 19, Iona College gathered to celebrate, and rededicate, the Arrigoni Center – a beautiful and prominent gathering center on the Iona campus. During the last year, the Arrigoni Center underwent a much-anticipated restoration to return the building to its original splendor. This restoration was made possible by the generosity of benefactor, Edward Arrigoni ’56, ’91H. The Arrigoni Center is named in loving memory of Ferdinand E. Arrigoni, father of Edward Arrigoni. Brother Joseph Cussen, CFC ’57, provided the opening remarks for the rededication, noting that Mr. Arrigoni has given unfailing support to the College over the years on several projects from strengthening athletics facilities, libraries and more, in addition to the latest Arrigoni Center restoration. President Nyre also expressed his sincere thanks to Mr. Arrigoni and referenced the Arrigoni Center as a vital component of our College community. The Arrigoni Center serves as a place of worship, as well as a place for campus receptions and events. President Nyre remarked that he, as well as the rest of the College community, were excited to watch the Arrigoni Center expand and improve for the benefit of the students, faculty and staff. At the conclusion of the rededication ceremony, President Nyre presented Mr. and Mrs. Arrigoni with a commemorative platter as a token of Iona’s appreciation, and as a thank you for their undivided love and support of the College.
KEEPING THE MOMENTUM GOING While the start of summer break meant getting some much-needed down time for many Gaels, our Facilities Management and Information Technology staff members jumped into action on many campus improvement projects. Several renovations were made throughout our academic buildings to allow us to continue providing a top-notch educational experience to our students. Smart-classrooms in Amend Hall, Cornelia Hall, McSpedon Hall, Spellman Hall, Hagan Hall, Murphy Center and the Iona College Arts Center were updated with new equipment including document cameras and webcams. Iona’s first collaborative learning classroom was also piloted this summer and permanently established in a classroom in Murphy. This classroom features new-style student desks which are easily moved to create different classroom layouts in order to enhance the learning environment. Additionally, a classroom in Hagan Hall was transformed into a video conferencing classroom. During the summer, the College worked with Chartwells food service to improve the dining experience for students, faculty and facelifts. New food concepts including subs and sushi are in the process of being introduced in both The Vitanza Dining Commons and Robert V. LaPenta Student Union. Earlier this fall, the College and Chartwells also debuted a food truck which will provide a varying menu at several campus locations at different times. Additional updates to campus included a rebuilding of the front stone steps of Cornelia Hall and the replacement of common area lighting in Loftus Hall with LED options to reduce energy and further Iona’s commitment to being a green campus. The College is also in the process of implementing a campus lock-down system that will allow Campus Safety to secure all exterior entrances on the major campus buildings from the Security Annex.
Chartwells hosted a naming contest for the food truck — find out which name won!
The Hynes Athletics Center Pool also received a much-needed upgrade – replacement of the liner and water lines as well as some aesthetic enhancements to the doors and pool deck. This project was completed in the early part of the summer and was ready in time for the many summer camps that took place on campus.
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ON CAMPUS
EXPANDED SPEECH CLINIC AIDS COMMUNITY AND STUDENTS ALIKE Earlier this year, Iona secured use of building space from Holy Family Parish of New Rochelle to create the newly expanded Speech, Language & Hearing Clinic. The clinic – a teaching facility that supports Iona’s new master’s program in Communication Sciences and Disorders – offers professional and affordable services to the local community. Currently, the clinic provides services to 70 clients of all ages in both individual and group sessions. Any individual that presents a significant speech-language delay or disorder is eligible for services. Clients are referred to the clinic from a number of places – local school districts, physicians and hospitals, and even other clients. “With the expansion, we are now able to offer services to more clients and provide additional times to meet the needs of working families,” said Maria Armiento-DeMaria, director of the clinic. The new clinic space is state-of-the-art, featuring 13 dedicated treatments rooms with live observation suites for client families. The previous home of the clinic consisted of only four rooms, which were used for treatment services, classes and office space. Another new feature is a digital observation lab which allows for remote observation of sessions. Other features include dedicated student study space, a conference room, audiology booth and more.
Students in both the undergraduate and graduate program have the opportunity to work at the clinic. Students are trained to complete all of the activities that a certified clinician would complete at a professional office. Training includes documentation protocol, varied caseloads of clients and more. While undergraduate students are prepared to go on to graduate-level clinic experiences, graduate studies are prepared to fully transition to the workforce.
Photos by Dawn Insanalli
“The clinic is an important aspect of our curriculum,” said Armiento-DeMaria. “Students have the opportunity to integrate their knowledge from academics and apply it by providing speech-language services to individuals with communication disorders and delays.”
Top: Ribbon cutting ceremony. Center: Maria Armiento-DeMaria, director of the clinic, works with a client. Bottom: A young client receives services.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Two new members will join Iona’s Board of Trustees starting in January 2015. Eric L. Robinson, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the educational psychology department, and director of the Baylor University Center for Developmental Disabilities. Previously he was the senior policy advisor and chief of staff to the President at Iona. Margaret (Maggie) C. Timoney ’89, ’92MBA is currently the managing director of Heineken Ireland and has been with the company since 1998. While a student at Iona, she was a member of the women’s basketball team and a long-time holder of the leading scorer record. (Record was broken in fall 2014. See p. 15 for details.) 10
Iona College Magazine
ADVANCING IONA IN ALL DIRECTIONS The conclusion of the 2013-14 academic year marked the successful end of the second year of Iona’s strategic plan, Advancing Our Legacy and Defining Our Future. The second year of the plan saw substantial successes and progress was made in leaps and bounds as 27 project teams committed to a long list of charges in all six areas of change. “Year two will likely be remembered as the busiest in the fiveyear plan, in terms of hours spend, people involved and goals advanced,” said President Joseph E. Nyre. “It also clearly set the stage for our formidable tasks the next three years.” REDEFINING CAMPUS During this second year of the strategic plan, the Iona College Board of Trustees approved the new campus master plan, which will oversee expansion projects such as the new seven-story residence hall with commercial space on the group floor at the site of the Mirage Diner (see p. 13 for more). Also included are plans to expand and renovate the science building, a new School of Business building, creation of a performing arts venue and a reconfigured arena complex. Iona also saw the completion of new on-campus resources – the International Center, the Center for Student Success, and the Business Analytics Institute and its first initiative, the Center for Health Care Analytics, in the School of Business.
Save The Date THE IONA COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES PRESENTS THE
2015 SCHOLARSHIP AWARD GALA
Diamond Jubilee Celebration HONORING
MR. JAMES P. HYNES ’69, ’01H THE LEGACY AWARD HIS EMINENCE, TIMOTHY M. CARDINAL DOLAN ’14H THE BLESSED EDMUND RICE HUMANITARIAN AWARD
April 10, 2015
REDEFINING EDUCATION One major initiative completed during year two was the updating of the College’s Core Curriculum and the development of a Comprehensive Program Review Policy. Additionally, the College established a new master’s program in Communication Sciences and Disorders, and new master’s and bachelor’s concentrations in Cyber Security in Computing Science. Year two also saw the development of a partnership with the Thomas Paine National Historical Society, granting Iona College the ability to form the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies, the first of its kind. Iona also established its first fully endowed professorship – the Iona College Board of Trustees Endowed Professor in Science – the first of several endowed professorships it hopes to have by the end of the strategic plan. REDEFINING IONA During the beginning of year two, the College debuted a new website which focused on telling the Iona story and advancing the Move the World brand message. The College also created a position of Christian Brother Advisor to the President, which will help insure the advancement of the Christian Brothers’ heritage at Iona College. Additionally an enrollment management advisory committee was developed to inform and assist efforts in admissions, and the Office of Conference Services was created to market the campus to outside organizations for rental.
ALUMNA APPOINTED AS DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS Earlier this fall, Iona appointed Elizabeth Faia Orgera ’10MBA as director of Alumni Relations. Orgera’s journey with Iona spans several years – starting with an internship in the Athletics department dealing with sports information. She spent the next five years in Iona’s Athletics department working on marketing, sponsorship and ticket operations. It was during that time that Orgera forged and cultivated relationships with many Iona alumi and became an Iona alumna herself, earning an MBA at the College. In 2012, Orgera was provided with the opportunity to transition her skills to the work of another area of the College – Advancement and Presidential Events. During the last two years she has gained an abundance of experience helping plan and execute several events for Iona alumni – from golf outings to galas. Now, she will take the helm in leading and engaging Iona’s alumni base of more than 40,000. “Lizzie has gained impressive experience at Iona working in Athletics and in Advancement & External Affairs,” said Paul J. Sutera, senior vice president for Advancement and External Affairs. “She knows our alumni well and as an Iona graduate herself, she will help us take our alumni relations efforts to new levels. The Alumni Association Board and I are excited about her serving in this key role.”
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ON CAMPUS IONA AT (NEARLY) 75 YEARS Plans are being made for more than a year’s worth of celebration and commemorations of Iona’s 75th birthday starting in spring 2015. “Iona is a college that’s nearly 75 years young,” said President Joseph E. Nyre. “Though younger than many colleges in our part of the country, Iona has had faculty, students and alumni who have done extraordinary things in the world for three-quarters of a century – and we will work to continue that tradition for at least the next 75 years.” The commemoration officially kicks off with Heritage Week in mid April. The Loftus dinner will have a 75th anniversary theme, as will most of the other regular events such as Hands Around Iona and Relay for Life. The Heritage Week committee is still planning events and other anniversary-related projects. Another significant 75th milestone will be the annual Trustee Scholarship Award Gala, a major fundraiser scheduled on April 10 in the Waldorf Astoria New York (see page 11 for more).
75 Years Founded 1940
A special College convocation is being planned for September 2015, officially 75 years after the first president, Br. William B. Cornelia, welcomed MAROON the first class at Iona – on September 19, 1940, according to Br. Charles B. Quinn’s book, First Fifty Years. & GOLD $27.50
MAROON & GOLD LEGACY
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MAROON & GOLD LEGACY
2015
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CHRONICLING 75 YEARS OF IONA COLLEGE SPORTS Peter Kollmann & Jeff Castellano
MOUNTAIN LION
LEGACY
Other and projects being planned for fall 2015 include service and service-learning efforts, music festival, Chronicling 75events Years of Iona College Sports and a special mass. Maroon & Gold Legacy traces the history of every Iona College varsity sport, from men’s basketball in 1940 (Iona’s founding year) to recently added programs, such as women’s lacrosse. Presented in eight chapters, the book also features upfront pieces by President Joseph Nyre, Ph.D., and Board of Trustees Chairman James Hynes, as well as a complete appendix of all-time records. With more than 200 black-and-white and color photographs, Maroon & Gold Legacy is the first and only book that provides a complete history of Iona’s strong athletic tradition. Maroon & Gold Legacy pulls together little-known facts and beyond-the-headline stories. It is a compelling and informative read for all—from avid followers of Iona athletics to alumni, students, parents, faculty and administrators. Iona College, a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), is a special place distinguished by exemplary athletic achievement, a legacy that has been 75 years in the making. Maroon & Gold Legacy is that special book that captures and replays all of the thrilling moments.
Br. Harry M. Dunkak, Ph.D. ’51, emeritus professor of history, is compiling a history of Iona during the last 25 years to complement Br. Quinn’s First Fifty Years. Two more recent alumni, Jeff Castellano ’06 and Peter Kollmann ’06, have published a history of Iona Gaels athletics, Maroon & Gold Legacy. Video and timeline projects along with other exhibitions on Iona history will also be featured in the celebration year – which will extend into spring 2016, in commemoration of Iona’s first year, 1940-1941.
Questions, suggestions, as well as Iona memories and photos, should be addressed to iona75years@iona.edu. Cover photo credits:
The next issue of Iona Magazine will focus largely on the 75th anniversary. Also, see more about events and other special commemorations at iona.edu/75. 2005 men’s cross country—Tim O’Dowd/ IrishRunner.com Miki Hogg, volleyball—Peter Kollmann Richie Guerin—Iona Sports Information Sarah Jackson, softball—Peter Kollmann
NORTH AVENUE IMPROVEMENTS ONGOING New Iona Residence Hall/Mixed Commercial Use Facility On North Avenue Iona is working with the City of New Rochelle on preliminary plans and related zoning change requests for a new College residence hall/mixed commercial use facility on North Avenue. Since President Nyre’s arrival in mid 2011, the College has engaged in a series of community meetings with neighbors and elected officials resulting in renewed support from the College and City of New Rochelle to develop North Avenue. In June 2013, the New Rochelle City Council enacted a new special permit that allows for the development of college-related uses in the North Avenue Zoning District. In line with the 2013 special permit, Iona College has filed an application for a seven-story mixed-use development with taxable, commercial uses on the ground floor and six floors of student housing for approximately 300 students. The new facility will be constructed on the Mirage Diner property acquired in January 2014, along with several properties behind the diner located on White Oak Street. The street level of the new facility will be a restaurant both for the community and campus, along with other retail operations, which will add taxable commercial space to North Avenue. Roadway And Storefront Enhancements Also Underway Iona has made additional investments in the improvement of North Avenue. Earlier this year, the College agreed to assist the City in funding roadway improvements on City property in the vicinity of campus – particularly, cleaning and repainting the brick roadway by Iona’s main gate. Iona entered into a partnership with the City to improve storefronts along North Avenue near the College, which will provide financial assistance to property owners for replacement of signage and awnings for their businesses. In September 2014, the New Rochelle Municipal Arts Commission approved plans filed by the College to replace signage and awnings on storefronts located along the southwest corner of Eastchester and North avenues, down to the fire station. See more info and images of the progress Weather permitting, the work will be completed this winter. on North Ave. improvements. 12
Iona College Magazine
CREATE AN EVERLASTING LEGACY Endowments play a critical role in shaping the future of Iona. These investments are so easy, yet many have not even thought to consider them as a way to support the College. With an endowment, monies are placed in a fund and invested to generate income on a continual basis. The original investment remains untouched, yet the income earned each year is used to benefit critical areas of need. We are in a time of rising tuitions and increasing need for financial aid for many students who attend Iona. As we move forward, increased endowment contributions will be critical to achieving the financial flexibility required to make vital investments in the College. Earnings from endowments have, and will continue to be a stream of crucial support for Iona. Endowments to Iona College aid: •
Recruitment and retention of world-class faculty
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Attraction of the highest quality students
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Enrichment of our curriculum and programs to prepare students to thrive in a changing, interconnected world
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Maintenance of affordable tuitions as we seek to enroll a socioeconomically diverse student body
The continued growth of endowed scholarship opportunities at Iona is needed to ensure that our deserving students are provided with the appropriate financial aid to move the world and become valuable contributors to society.
We continue to both attract highly qualified students but also serve the Iona mission of making our type of education available to all who will benefit from it. We need to have long-term endowed scholarship funds that will allow that to continue in perpetuity. Mary Beth Carey, Vice President for Enrollment Management
Endowments are a way to leave a lasting legacy that will make a positive impact in the lives of Iona students for years to come. We are thankful for all of the support we have received in the past and look forward to working with families and friends to continue to build this valuable resource. Consider establishing, or contributing to, an endowment today and ensure your gift now will continue to benefit the College. By adding your name, or the name of a loved one, to an endowment fund, you create an enduring legacy for generations to come. For more information on endowments and how you can make a gift, please contact Paul J. Sutera, senior vice president for Advancement & External Affairs, at (914) 637-2710.
Photo by Dawn Insanalli
Ronald M. DeFeo '74, '13H, Chairman, CEO & President, Terex Corporation, Iona Trustee
ALUMNI & FRIENDS VOLUNTEER ADVISEMENT September marked the first meeting of the newly formed Dean’s Advisory Board for Iona’s School of Arts & Science. The Dean’s Advisory Board was formed to advise the dean on ways to strengthen the programs of the School of Arts & Science, improve the schools outreach to the community, increase support for the school, and better serve the students and faculty.
For more information or to rent space, please contact:
In true Gael spirit, Iona community members have always been eager to pitch in and donate their time and talents to the College. The Advisory Board is comprised of 17 alumni and friends of Iona College from all walks of life (see iona.edu/magazine for full list).
Cindy Zapata
At the inaugural meeting of the Advisory Board, members heard from current students, alumni, faculty and staff on various Iona programs and initiatives from service learning and scholarly activities to fundraising and advancement. Members also attended a lecture by Rudin-Driscoll Distinguished Visiting Professor, Johnetta Betsch Cole, Ph.D., on the topic of diversity. Getting to hear different perspectives on all aspects of Iona provided the members with a unique understanding that will allow them to better serve in their new roles.
Director, Office of Conference Services 914-637-7790 | czapata@iona.edu www.meetationa.com
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ON CAMPUS RUDIN-DRISCOLL LECTURE FOCUSES ON DIVERSITY On September 4, Iona hosted Johnetta Betsch Cole, Ph.D., as part of the Rudin-Driscoll Distinguished Visiting Professorship. Cole is director of the Smithsonian Institutions’s National Museum of African Art and former president of Spelman College. Her lecture, “The Pedagogical Case for Diversity and Inclusion in American Higher Education,” stressed the importance of understanding all different ethnic backgrounds. According to Cole, having a well-rounded perspective on other ethnicities is a key part of a well-rounded education. Her lecture also spoke to the various roadblocks within academic diversity and the issues of bigotry and racism in society as a whole. The lecture was well-timed, as Iona looks to expand its diversity and global engagement under the direction of provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, Mark S. Kiselica, Ph.D. View a recording of Johnetta B. Cole’s lecture.
IONA ACQUIRES FILM ARCHIVE By Ian Sacks ’16 New Rochelle was a center for silent film-making during the 1910s, and Iona College has reached back into the roots of the city’s history by acquiring the Thanhouser Film Archive. Iona has struck up a partnership with Ned Thanhouser, the president of the Thanhouser Company Film Preservation, Inc., and grandson of Edwin Thanhouser (the founder of the studio). The College’s involvement in this endeavor has been spearheaded by Dean DeFino, Ph.D., professor of English and director of the Film Studies program, and David Cundy, professor of Mass Communication. Iona will have digitized versions of Thanhouser’s films along with digital copies of several postcards, posters and documents related to the Thanhouser studio. “This is an opportunity to talk about our cultural history in New Rochelle, but it’s also an opportunity to kind of own a piece of silent film history, a significant piece of silent film history,” said DeFino, who first proposed the idea of acquiring the film archive around 2009-10. “This is an opportunity to redress what I think is a gaping hole in the history of film.” Thanhouser has recovered 225 films. However, when he was growing up, Thanhouser believed that all of his grandfather’s films had been destroyed because Ned’s father had told him that Edwin did not think they merited being preserved.
"This is an opportunity to talk about our cultural history in New Rochelle, but it’s also an opportunity to kind of own a piece of silent film history." 14
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All this changed in 1986, when Ned was watching PBS and found a Thanhouser film coming on the screen, which sparked his involvement in collecting the films. From 1909 to 1917, the Thanhouser Company produced more than 1,000 films here in New Rochelle under the direction of Edwin Thanhouser and his wife, Gertrude. The stars of the films were extremely popular and received attention from the national press, according to New Rochelle historian Barbara Davis. Edwin Thanhouser, who was known as the “Wizard of New Rochelle,” used the entire city for his films and would often film ordinary events, such as a fire truck going to fight a fire, for the films. Shooting these scenes caught the attention of numerous people, who would line up to watch the films being shot. “I’m thrilled that Iona is going to have this film institute,” said Davis. “[The Thanhouser studio] really put New Rochelle on the map during that time period, made New Rochelle well known and for very good reason because it was such an important studio.” Iona will be receiving the artifacts in upcoming months. The pieces will then be inspected and scanned before they will be made available to the public. The date at which the archive will open has yet to be determined.
SPORTS REPORT
IONA MEN’S & WOMEN’S TEAMS FINISH IN TOP 10 OF NCAA DIVISION I CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS AVERY WINS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Iona College women’s cross country junior Kate Avery claims the 2014 NCAA Championship with a first place finish at the LaVern Gibson XC Course on November 22. Avery is the first female student-athlete in Iona athletics history to win a national championship, and second student-athlete overall to earn the distinction. In its second-ever appearance at the NCAA Championship, the Maroon & Gold finished ninth overall. A native of Newton Aycliffe, England, Avery is also the first British woman to win the NCAA Cross Country Championship, a year after becoming the first-ever medalist from the U.K. Avery completed the race with a time of 19:31.6, more than eight seconds ahead of the second place finisher, Wisconsin’s Sarah Disanza. She improved on her third place standing from 2013 and completed the trifecta of winning the MAAC, NCAA Northeast Regional and NCAA individual championships. “I don’t really know how to put it into words,” Avery said when speaking with The Ionian about her win. “It’s just fantastic, and I still can’t really believe that I won a national title.” The Gaels ninth place team finish was the best in school history. Graduate student Rosie Clarke was the Maroon & Gold’s second finisher in 60th place (20:56.6). Graduate Tara Jameson (21:06.0) came in 78th, junior Melissa Hawtin (21:40.3) was 167th and Regina Neumeyer (21:47.2) was 183rd to round out Iona’s scorers. Iona completes its most successful cross country season in history after winning the MAAC Championship for the ninth straight year, the NCAA Northeast Regional Championship for the first time and the ninth place finish at the NCAA Championship.
Keep up-to-date on all the latest happenings in Iona Athletics on our official website ICGaels.com Watch live and on-demand features and events on IonaInsider.com Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @ICGaels Get your official Iona Gear on ICGaelsGear.com Search “Iona Gaels” in the App Store or Google Play Store to find Iona Athletics official mobile apps for your iPhone or Android device
ATHLETICS HIGHLIGHTS The men’s cross country team finished eighth at the 2014 NCAA Championship, earning its 11th Top 10 finish in the last 12 years. The first five Gaels to finish the race were separated by less than 15 seconds with senior Jake Byrne being the first Iona runner to cross the finish line in 49th place with a time of 31:04.2. Men’s basketball freshman Schadrac Casimir scored a freshman single game record 40 points in the team’s 126-76 victory over Delaware State on November 26. The team also set single game records for points scored, three-pointers and assists in the game. Women’s basketball senior Damika Martinez became the first player in program history to score 2,000 career points in the team’s win over Stony Brook on November 30. Martinez broke Maggie Timoney’s (’89, ’92MBA) career scoring record of 1,894 vs. Sacred Heart two weeks prior. As of December 17, she has scored 2,057 points in her career, fourth most in MAAC history. Her teammate, junior Joy Adams became the 24th player at Iona to record 1,000 points in the Sacred Heart contest. Both the men’s and women’s soccer teams were recognized by the NSCAA for excelling in the classroom as both were recipients of the 2013-14 Team Academic Award. A total of 861 collegiate soccer teams (279 men, 582 women) posted a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher, thereby earning the NSCAA Team Academic Award for the 2013-14 academic year. Of that total, 188 schools had both their men’s and women’s programs recognized. Fall/Winter 2014
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ACADEMIC FOCUS
Mark Kiselica, Ph.D., joined Iona in July 2014 as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. Kiselica earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Saint Vincent College, his master’s degree in Psychology from Bucknell University and his Ph.D. in counseling psychology from The Pennsylvania State University. Prior to joining Iona, Kiselica was vice provost for The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), former dean of the School of Education at TCNJ and an assistant professor of counseling psychology at Ball State University. Iona magazine writer Madison Sudano ’16 talked with Provost Kiselica about his first few months in the position and at Iona. As Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, what is your role at Iona? I’m in charge of three large domains of the College. All of the academics – so the deans of both schools report to me. In another way, I’m in charge of all academic and faculty matters. Also, all of student affairs and student life reports to me, so that includes things like residence life and the counseling center report to me. Each of these departments has their own administrator who reports to me. The third; the librarians and the IT professionals all report to me. What drew you to Iona and the position? When I realized I was ready to be a provost, I wanted to work at a small school where students come first, and preferably Catholic. So between the job and those characteristics, Iona was kind of the perfect fit. How has your background prepared you for your position at Iona? The first is that, I was a professor for 24 years. I was at Ball State University for four years and The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) for 20 years. I have been a chairperson, an associate dean, a dean, and a vice provost. I also have experience in working in student affairs positions before teaching. And, at TCNJ, I was in numerous positions involving the library. So, I really had the right background and experiences to help with this job. What do you look forward to most since joining the Iona College community? Becoming a part of the community and participating in the life of the campus. Getting to know students and faculty and the professionals 16
Iona College Magazine
who work in student life and the library. It’s a privileged life to work with people like that. Every single day I say a prayer of thanks for the privileged life that I have – coming to a place like this where students come first. What has surprised you most about Iona? I’m not sure if I’ve had any surprises. I have known about Iona for years. During my interviews, and since I’ve been hired, all of my impressions of Iona have been confirmed. What are your priorities for Iona during the upcoming year? There are a few things that I’m focusing on. One, I have a number of diversity initiatives that I’m heading. Two, I want to support the teacher-scholar model, which means helping our faculty to be both excellent teachers and scholars in their fields. Three, I am greatly interested in student retention and graduation – in other words I’m dedicated to helping students succeed. What changes can Iona students, and community members, expect to see? I don’t know if these are changes, but they can expect for me to be a very visible provost. I regularly attend academic forums, faculty presentations, student activities, and they can expect that I’m very accessible. At Convocation, you spoke about Iona’s need to expand the diversity of our community. How do you plan to initiate that? So, the first thing is to create a supportive environment for diversity. That includes supporting the people from all backgrounds who are here already – both students and employees. Developing recruitment and hiring practices that will help further diversify our student body and our employee ranks. Another example between the two is promoting academic forums that are focused on diversity issues. What is one thing that you think those outside the Iona community should know about the College? It is a very special place and that the campus is an oasis. It’s a beautiful setting where people care about each other and help students to reach their fullest potential.
PUBLISHED AND PRESENTED Jeffrey W. Alstete, Ed.D. (Management) and Nicholas J. Beutell, Ph.D. (Business Administration) presented a paper titled “Instructional Techniques and Delivery Formats in Capstone Courses” at the 74th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management in Philadelphia on August 4. They also authored a book chapter, “For-profit versus Non-profit MBA: A Strategic Analysis,” in the book On the Threshold of Change: Shifting Paradigms in Education. Mitchell Bard (Mass Communication) presented his paper “Just Like Fox News?: MSNBC’s Prime-Time Coverage of Health Care Reform in August 2009” at the 97th Annual Convention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication in Canada in August. George Bournoutian, Ph.D. (History) had his book History of Wars recently published as a Persian translation. He also presented the lecture “Russo-Iranian Wars and Diplomacy and the Formation of the Modern Armenian State” at The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR). Jack Breslin (Mass Communication) served as a paper session discussant and moderated his panel session “If They Bleed, Should They Lead? – The Media’s Coverage of Crime Victims,” featuring victim advocate Kim Goldman at the 97th Annual Convention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication in Canada in August. Robert Burriesci, MBA (Marketing) recently published a book, The Education of an Adman. Christina Carlson, Ph.D. (English) Anthony Kelso, Ph.D. (Mass Communication) Cathryn Lavery, Ph.D. (Criminal Justice) and Meryl Nadel, DSW, LCSW, ACSW (Social Work) received the “Immersive Service-Learning Mini Grant” through the Office of Service and Experiential Learning and the Provost’s Office. These faculty members will be designing and implementing domestic or international service-learning courses for the spring 2015 semester. Paolina Centonze, Ph.D. (Computer Science) will present a full-day training session on “Cloud Security and Privacy” at the Annual Computer Security Applications Conference
(ACSAC) in New Orleans in December 2014. Teresa Delgado, Ph.D. (Religious Studies) served on the faculty of the Forum for Theological Exploration’s annual week-long summit for doctoral students, this past June at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. She also served on the faculty of the Hispanic Theological Initiative’s annual summer workshop for Latina/o doctoral students in theology this past July at Princeton Theological Seminary. Alexander Eodice, Ph.D. (Philosophy) and Kim Paffenroth, Ph.D. (Religious Studies) secured a competitive grant from the Center for Philosophy of Religion, University of Notre Dame. Sibdas Ghosh, Ph.D. (School of Arts & Science) co-authored a journal article on “Bison: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow” in the Natural Areas Journal. He also co-presented on the topic of “Arabidopsis Thaliana ACR2 Gene – A Potential Candidate for Genetic Engineering of Plants to Develop New Cultivars for Arsenate Tolerance” at the American Society of Plant Biology Meeting. Madalyn Barbero Jordan (Br. Kenneth Chapman Gallery) released a CD of 12 original songs with her duet partner Nicole Alifante. The CD is titled “Madalyn & Nicole” and can be sampled at CDbaby.com. Victoria L. Ketz, Ph.D. (Foreign Languages) was a round table discussant on “Media and Migration from Africa to Spain: The Politics of Containment” at Hofstra University in October. Joshua Klein, Ph.D. (Criminal Justice) was recently a guest speaker on the topic “White Collar Crime, Politics, and Emergency Preparedness” at the Westchester Emergency Communications Association. Cathryn Lavery, Ph.D. (Criminal Justice) has been elected as Executive Counselor for the Victimology Section for the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. John W. Mahon, Ph.D. (English) recently participated in a workshop led by Ralph Alan Cohen, founder of the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Va., at the Shakespeare Association of America annual
meeting in St. Louis, Mo. In the workshop, “Finding Signals for Performance in a Shakespeare Text,” Mahon “performed” two Shakespearean passages for colleagues, under Cohen’s direction. Chrissy Martins, Ph.D. (Marketing) attended and successfully completed the New York Campus Compact’s Institute on Academic Service-Learning in partnership with St. John’s University and Iona’s Office of Service and Experiential Learning. Tricia Mulligan, Ph.D. (Political Science) presented at the 2014 Annual Eastern Regional Compact Conference on the topic of “Critical Engagement and Service in the Dominican Republic: Moving Toward Advocacy.” Thomas E. Mussio, Ph.D. (Italian) gave a presentation titled “Political Reform in Dante’s Providential History” at the College of New Rochelle in April. Meryl Nadel, DSW (Social Work) co-presented the paper “Summer Camp and Group Work: A Natural Fit” at the International Association for Social Work with Groups in Alberta, Canada. Br. Robert Novak, Ph.D. (Physics) presented “Maps of [HDO]/[H2O] on Mars near Northern Summer Solstice (Ls = 87°) and mid-Summer (Ls = 141°)” at the Annual Meeting of the Planetary Science Division of the American Astronomical Society in Tucson, Ariz., November 9-14, 2014. Drs. Michael J. Mumma and Geronimo Villanueva of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center are co-authors. Kim Paffenroth, Ph.D. (Religious Studies/Honors Program) presented a paper “Pre-Christian Classics in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition” in September at The Idea of a Catholic College conference at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. George Priovolos, Ph.D. (Marketing/ International Business) presented his paper “Political Risk, Nearsourcing, and Supply Chain Management in the Healthcare Industries” at the 2014 Business and Social Science Research Conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia. He also served as a session chair at the Academy of Business Research (ABR) Fall 2014 Conference in Atlantic City, N.J., and presented a manuscript titled “How Strategic
Alliances with Industry can Serve S-Schools from Decline” which won a Best Paper Award. George Priovolos, Ph.D. (Marketing/ International Business) and Vincent Maher, JD (Management/ Business Administration) recently presented two manuscripts entitled “Challenges and Opportunities in the Health Care Industries of Emerging Markets: Mind the Supply Chain Gap” and “When the Law Complicates Management: The Case of Marlise Munoz” (with E. Maher) at the 16th Annual International Conference of the Global Business and Technology Association (GBATA) in Baku, Azerbaijan. Their paper “Failure of Healthcare Sector May Raise Political Risk and Threaten Future Economic Growth in Emerging Markets” was presented at the 2014 European Business & Management Conference (EBMC) in Brighton, U.K. Additionally, their manuscript “When Technology Complicates Management: The Case of Jahi McMath” (with E. Maher) was presented at the 2014 Cambridge Business & Economics Conference of the Association for Business & Economics Research (ABER) in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Elena Procario-Foley, Ph.D. (Religious Studies) presented a lecture on the history of Catholic-Jewish relations before and after World War II at the Community Synagogue in Port Washington, N.Y., in May. She has also been chosen as chair of the Board of the Holocaust, Genocide and Interfaith Education Center at Manhattan College. Gregory Selitto Ph.D. (Mathematics) assumed the leadership of the Faculty Development and Travel Committee on July 1. Carol Shansky, DMA (Fine and Performing Arts) presented a paper titled “The Hebrew Orphan Asylum Band of New York City, 1874-1940” at the St. Augustine Symposium on the History of Music Education in May. Amy Stackhouse, Ph.D. (English) gave a presentation titles “Why College in the 21st Century” as the 2013 Jerry Gaff Award recipient at the AGLS conference in Atlanta during September. Marlin Thomas (Samuel Rudin Academic Resource Center) had his play, “Burqa & Rifle,” performed by the Manhattan Repertory Theater in October.
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GIVING BACK
BEING OF SERVICE TO OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY. VALUING OTHERS AS EQUALS. BEING OPEN AND ACCEPTING. Those are just some of the beliefs woven throughout the mission and teaching of the Congregation of Christian Brothers. The Brothers dedicate their lives to serving others, especially those who are marginalized, and are deeply invested in building communities. These values are an important cornerstone of Iona College and serve as a guide for the education, community and culture that is engrained in the College.
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Giving Back BROTHERS OF IONA COLLEGE WHEN IONA COLLEGE OPENED ITS DOORS IN 1940, NINE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS WERE AMONG THOSE READY TO GREET THE FIRST CLASS. While almost 75
years have passed, the College is fortunate enough to have a constant reminder of our history, and the Christian Brother values, through the everyday presence of Brothers who continue to guide the College in staff and volunteer roles. Three Brothers, among many others, who are shaping the future of Iona today, are Brother Kevin Griffith, CFC, ’83; Brother Dennis Gunn, CFC ’93; and Brother Jason Ford, CFC ’01.
“Do as much as you can for other people."
“I joined the Christian Brothers because I wanted to give back what I had received from the Brothers who taught me,” said Br. Griffith. Br. Griffith is currently serving as the province leader of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers of North America and is one of the newest members of Iona College’s Board of Trustees. He adds that it gives him great joy knowing that in a small way he has had a positive influence on young lives. Helping to prepare Iona students to be the next generation of educators is Br. Gunn, professor in the Education and Religious Studies departments. “One of the greatest opportunities and one of the greatest blessings I’ve had is to actually see many of my students go on and do amazingly transformative things,” said Br. Gunn. He was drawn to the Christian Brothers by the ideas of giving back and being of service to others, but also teaching and the Congregations internationality. Br. Ford is the assistant director of admissions and transfer counselor at Iona. Br. Ford interacted with Christian Brothers throughout his years in high school and college, and always felt something was missing in his life and that he wasn’t fully complete. After being contacted by Br. Griffith years ago about the possibility of becoming a Brother, Br. Ford started spending time with the Brothers in community. He realized that being in prayer and having a common mission helped to fill that sense of not being complete with which he was conflicted.
This page: Lima, Peru, where Br. Gunn spent time teaching impoverished youth. Opposite page: Garden behind Christian Brothers' residence overlooking Mazzella Field and Hynes Athletic Center.
(L-R) Brother Jason Ford, CFC ’01, Brother Dennis Gunn, CFC ’93.
Brother Kevin Griffith, CFC, ’83
BEING OF SERVICE THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS BELIEVE THAT GIVING BACK STARTS WITH BUILDING COMMUNITY. Br. Griffith explains that the central theme
really focuses on loving one another and being of service to your neighbor. Adding to that sentiment, Br. Ford makes reference to the Essential Elements of a Christian Brother Education, which speaks to being of service to those on the margins. “I’ve always looked at the gifts that we have, have to be shared with as many people as we can come into contact with, and allow them to experience those gifts,” said Br. Ford. “If you have the ability to give back – whether just of your time, whether your talents, whether your treasures – do as much as you can for other people.” He adds that, in his opinion, putting yourself fully into something gives back one hundred fold. “Part of giving back as a Brother is that we never do what we do alone” added Br. Gunn. “But that we’re really members in community who work together for the common good, for a common mission.” Community-building brings the Brothers to areas where people are struggling – and these areas are not only in the United States, but internationally as well. Br. Gunn notes that he has had the opportunity to work in eight different geographic areas with the Brothers, from Boston all the way down to Bolivia. He recalls his time spent teaching impoverished youth in Lima, Peru. Br. Gunn notes that one of the most memorable things about his experience was that his students always wanted to share everything with him – including their food. Knowing that these students came from such poverty, yet they were generous enough to want to share the little bit of food that they had, was inspiring. “That experience really gave me the opportunity to be of service, but in many ways they served me,” said Br. Gunn. Br. Gunn believes that he has grown as a person because he has grown as a person in community. Br. Ford echoed a similar sentiment while living in Miami and seeing families living in poverty making the commitment to send their children to Catholic school by giving what they could. He says that working with students, and seeing and helping them through some of their major milestones, is extremely rewarding. “My concept of the world is much larger now, and I think that’s a huge part of what shaped me as the person I am today,” said Br. Ford of his time spent in several marginalized communities. One phrase that Br. Gunn repeatedly comes back to is “think globally, act locally” – referencing that it’s not necessarily about the large-scale projects, but rather affecting one individual that has a ripple effect. “It’s in bringing that sense of community to the lives of individuals and then seeing them go out – that’s an amazing experience,” said Br. Gunn.
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"We never do what we do alone."
Giving Back THE SPIRIT OF IONA COLLEGE “COMMUNITY IS AT THE HEART OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN BROTHER, AND COMMUNITY IS AT THE HEART OF IONA COLLEGE” NOTED BR. GUNN. “Iona College isn’t simply about what happens in the classroom, but it’s about building community among the students.”
One way that Iona works to build community among our students, as well as the local and global community, is through service opportunities. Br. Griffith notes that the campus ministry and Iona in Mission are two prime examples of how the College is reaching out to meet the spiritual needs of students and to provide outreach service to people on the margins of society. The spirit of the Christian Brothers, however, goes beyond serving others in a volunteer capacity. “I think the biggest part of the mission that I see alive at Iona is that true care and concern for every single person” said Br. Ford. He adds that at the College everyone is looked at as a person and an integral part of the Iona system, and people are respected for their differences. This notion is truly at the heart of the Christian Brothers as the Brothers look at everyone as an equal and do not pass judgment. Br. Ford has seen this first-hand at the College, where students who have nothing in common are drawn together and somehow find a common thread in order to be supportive of each other. That is a true definition of community. Br. Gunn echoes the community feel of Iona, calling it an “intimate campus,” one in which students feel connected to and feel as though it is their home away from home. “That, I would say, in many ways is the vision that the Brothers had when they first founded Iona, and that is still here today.” Iona students, faculty and alumni are all giving of their time, talents and resources in many ways. Read more inspiring stories about giving back throughout this issue. Iona's expanded Speech, Language & Hearing Clinic on p. 10 Alumni and friends providing advisement to the School of Arts & Sciences on p. 13 Barbara Netter moving the world of cancer gene therapy on p. 22 Erika Enlund living Iona's mission on p. 23 Pat Quinn sparking the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge on p. 26
Iona College students clean up the stream near Beechmont Lake as part of Iona in Mission Go New Ro 2014.
Photo by Dawn Insanalli
Jason Motte striking out cancer on p. 27
ON THE JOB Photo courtesy of Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy
SUPPORTING SCIENTIFIC ADVANCEMENTS Barbara Netter ’79MA always wanted to give back and she can recall her involvement in public welfare work with her mother from a young age. Netter’s passion for giving back led her to a career as a practicing therapist for more than 30 years after earning her graduate degree in pastoral counseling from Iona. Working with clients and helping them restore their self-esteem gave Netter a great deal of satisfaction. “Beginning at Iona was just a wonderful experience – it was heaven on earth” said Netter, reflecting on her time at the College. She recalls the professors and staff being a joyful group with enormous faith, and being able to interact and learn from them reinforced her own faith and helped her. “Having some faith-based work was wonderful because basically I am a spiritual person” said Netter. After experiencing the loss of her daughter-in-law to breast cancer, and a cousin to another form of cancer, Netter and her late-husband Edward found another way to give back – by moving the world of cancer gene therapy. In 2001, Barbara and Edward, founded the nonprofit organization, Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT) to fund high-potential research in the fields of cell and gene therapies. “It was based upon enormous faith in knowledge and logic that answers for the treatment of cancer would come through concentrated research in gene and cell therapy” said Netter of the decision to found ACGT. ACGT has provided nearly $25 million in grants to fellows and researchers looking at gene therapy as an alternative way to treat and prevent cancer. Netter notes that there are about 30 people alive and cancer-free today through gene and cell therapy as a result of ACGT’s sponsorship of two doctors at University of Pennsylvania and Memorial Sloan Kettering. In addition, ACGT works to educate the public about cancer gene therapy and its potential as a treatment, as well as fostering better collaboration within the scientific community to ensure the best advances as possible. “I would like to see us soon work with biotechs and partnering with pharmas,” said Netter. “Because this field is totally exploding now.”
"I always wanted to give back. I was always that kind of person."
As for her fellow Gaels, Netter encourages them to simply begin where their passions lie: “My advice to students is to really follow your passions and that will lead you where you want to be.”
GIVING A VOICE TO MINORITY COMICS Sheena Howard ’05 has an impressive résumé. Her accomplishments include assistant professor, founder of the NerdWorks organization, public speaker, media analyst and author – just to name a few. Now she can add Eisner Award winner to her credits. After graduating from Iona with a bachelor’s in business administration and marketing, Howard pursued a master’s in graphic design from New York Institute of Technology. It was there, while working on her dissertation on The Boondocks comic strip, that her passion for comics led her down a new path. “I became increasingly frustrated with the myriad of books on comic history that did not mention one single black artist,” said Howard. “I decided that this void needed to be filled.” Howard’s frustration led her to publish her first book, Black Comics: Politics of Race and Representation (2013). The book is an introduction to the historical timeline of black comic strip cartoonists and publications ranging from comic books to graphic novels and cartoon strips. Howard’s book was published at a time when she thinks the comic industry is focused on adding, and expanding, diverse characters – including female and minority characters. In July, Howard’s book was selected as the Eisner Award winner for the Best Scholarly/Academic Work category at Comic-Con International in San Diego – an amazing feat for a book that was first rejected by several publishers. She even won over two books in her category from a publisher who had rejected her. Howard credits some of her perseverance through the tough road to get her book published to her time spent at Iona. “I experienced some life-changing challenges at Iona College,” said Howard. “Particularly, as a writer I have been told that ‘I can’t,’ or things are not possible. But the strength I gained as a young person at Iona molded me into a stronger, more driven person today.” Like many other Gaels, Howard is working hard to move the world around her. “I believe my purpose is to make people aware of the structural constraints [of the comic industry], make people aware of harmful media representations of minorities and preserve the experiences of under-represented groups in whatever way I can,” Howard said. She advises students to seek out mentors – people they can trust, talk to and ask for career and personal advice – and to think creatively about their career paths. “Sometimes, the skill sets that we have as a college student are not obvious to us. Think outside the box.” As for her résumé, Howard has plans to add a few more accomplishments. “I plan to use NerdWorks as a vehicle to offer interest-free loans to women of color in the arts and technology. I would also love to get more involved with local politics,” said Howard. She is also considering pursuing a Master of Law degree within the next few years.
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PILOTING THE FUTURE OF PORTFOLIOS Earlier this year, Richard Persen ’69 returned to the halls of Iona – this time as an instructor. After meeting Sibdas Ghosh, Ph.D., dean of the School of Arts & Science, Persen was invited to develop and teach a pilot class on e-portfolios. Persen worked with The Gerri Ripp Center for Career Development to recruit volunteer students from the Class of 2017 to be a part of the pilot class. E-portfolios are on the rise – providing an easy way to show potential employers an individual's work, rather than just telling them about it. Using Taskstream, a cloud-based software, Persen took the students through the entire e-portfolio process – from identifying and understanding personal artifacts to include in an e-portfolio to differentiating e-portfolio types. L-R: Richard Persen '69; Paul Beaudin, Ph.D., associate dean; David Broussard '17; Phyllis Blake '83, director of The Gerri Ripp Center for Career Development.
Gaels who want to take their current resumes and portfolios to the electronic level are in luck – it seems this class is here to stay.
LIVING THE MISSION While at Iona, Erika Enlund '13 was selected to be a part of the Iona in Mission immersion trip to New Orleans. At the end of the week-long experience, her team ended their trip with a meal and time for reflection at the house of Christian Brothers in the area. It was then that Enlund learned of the Christian Brother Lay Volunteer Program. “I was sold immediately,” said Enlund. “New Orleans stole my heart in the first day, so once I found out that there was a house that took in volunteers for a year to live and work…like I said, I was sold.” In addition to her own reaction to the idea of the program, Enlund was able to hear from two Iona alumni who were living in the community where the program took place. Having direct access to information, and assurance from fellow Gaels, sealed her decision. Enlund committed to spending a year, post-graduation, with the Brothers in New Orleans. The Christian Brother Lay Volunteer Program is a unique arrangement which pairs volunteers with Christian Brothers for the opportunity to work with the marginalized, and those in need, while also living in the community that they serve. Enlund was assigned to the Lantern Light Ministry, a segment of the Rebuild Center that is a center for the homeless and working poor of Greater New Orleans. The Lantern Light Ministry, a nonprofit organization run by the Presentation Sisters, assists individuals with obtaining identification cards, résumé/cover letter writing, assistance with food and prescription drugs and much more. But more importantly – “a compassionate presence in the community,” said Enlund.
ic and appreciation for diversity, and she fondly remembers the Iona staff member charged with diversity initiatives for the Office of Student Development during her time as a student. “She really challenged my way of thinking and opened my eyes to the broad spectrum of Erika Enlund and a guest of the Ministry. diversity related issues,” Enlund said. “That, without a doubt, definitely helped me within my role at the Rebuild Center.” Her advice to other Iona students who may be interested in a similar opportunity – “Go for it.” While Enlund recognizes her classmates’ desires to jump into the workforce and starting to pay back loans, she notes that they are in the perfect window to take advantage of unique opportunities like the Lay Volunteer Program. “Taking time off from ‘working’ and going to school, and losing yourself in others, is so rewarding,” Enlund said. “It allows you to catch your breath, play a little, give back and learn about yourself in a new way.”
During her time in New Orleans, Enlund estimated she came into contact with at least 3,000 different individuals who fell into the marginalized category and needed assistance. She also went on to say that no matter the individuals' circumstances and the reasons why they came to Lantern Light Ministry, the most important thing was that they entered a safe space where they would be treated like human beings. She enjoyed the time she spent chatting with individuals who often feel invisible because people avoid eye contact with them. “I gained an understanding about the ‘whole person,’” said Enlund of her interactions with patrons. “Everyone on Earth is just desperately craving interaction and connection…that’s something I really gained an understanding of.” She valued Iona’s commitment to ethics and diversity during her time as a student. Enlund credits Iona with developing her strong work ethFall/Winter 2014 23
ALUMNI
(Years in red indicate a reunion year)
1950
Edward J. Reulbach Jr. and his wife Claire celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on November 11. Edward and Claire are the proud parents of seven children, 17 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Military Academy. He has also been asked to speak at additional conferences in Amman, Jordan, and Turkey.
1959 Edward J. O’Keefe, Ph.D., has published the third edition of his text, Self-Management for College Students. Ed taught psychology at Marist College for 42 years before retiring to Bonita Springs, Fla.
1963 John W. Mooney, DDS, received the Daniel M. Laskin Award for an Outstanding Pre-doctoral Educator at the 96th Annual Meeting, Scientific Sessions and Exhibition of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) in Honolulu, Hawaii.
1954 Bernard P. Bernsten was recently featured in an article in the Capital Gazette, the local newspaper for the Greater Annapolis, Md., area. The article spoke about Bernie’s time volunteering and coaching sports during the last 40 years and his plans for the future as he retires.
1955 Joseph R. Quinn and his wife Anne recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a vow renewal. A total of 61 members of their immediate family were in attendance for the special occasion. The couple have 10 children, 26 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
1958 Jerry Brooker recently traveled to Kosovo where he spoke at the University of Pristina and the Kosovo 24
Iona College Magazine
1978
John T. Coleman has joined United Bank as a private mortgage banker helping to cover the Fairfield County market.
1980
Bill Martin shared a photo of a recent gathering of members from Iona’s cross country team in the late 1970s at a restaurant in Brooklyn.
1966
Thomas L. Jones maintains an online collection of his writings, titled Orange and Magenta. He is happy to report that the 16th edition is now available online at thomasleejones.com. Daniel D. Sheehan has joined Retirement Benefits Group, LLC, a retirement plan consulting and wealth management advisory firm for the Central Coast. Sheehan is based in San Luis Obispo and will offer retirement plan services and wealth management strategies to clients on the Central Coast and beyond.
1969 Richard D. Persen left the halls of Iona College 45 years ago and he is proud to announce that he has returned to Iona as guest curriculum developer and instructor for a pilot e-portfolio class. Rich was invited by Sibdas Ghosh, Ph.D., dean of the School of Arts & Science to design and teach the first e-portfolio course. Rich solicited the help of Phyllis Blake ‘83, director of The Gerri Ripp Center for Career Development at Iona College to recruit students for the class. Taskstream was selected as the first e-portfolio tool. Read more on page 23.
1973
Vincent DeSantis ’84MBA was awarded with the 2014 CFO of the Year Award in the big business category at the annual ceremony hosted by Westfair Communications. He is currently the CFO of Phelps Memorial Hospital in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.
(L-R) Bill Hogan ’78, Vin DeLuca ’80, Bill Martin ’80, Mark McCabe ’79, Anthony Fiorentino ’77, John Corrigan ’80 and Tom Raymond ’80.
1985
Robert P. Russo earned a master’s degree in systemic theology from Lourdes University in 2011. He has been published extensively in Catholic Library World and Catholic Books Review. Robert has been happily married to his wife, Patty, for 19 years and they are pet parents to a golden retriever named Honey Michelle Russo.
1989
Maria L. Hadala ’89MSEd was named Yonkers, N.Y., 2014 Teacher of the Year by Mayor Mike Spano. Nancy Kriz-Jezik ’89MS is an adjunct professor at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y., teaching “News Writing” and “Introduction to Public Relations.” She was an adjunct professor at Iona College during the 1990s.
1990 Nadia-Maria C. Matthie was recently named partner at KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory services firm. The firm operates from 87 offices with more than 23,000 employees and partners throughout the U.S.
1992 Carol Marie Davis ’92MS has authored and illustrated three children’s stories: The Adventures of Moon Spirit, Anna Heart of a Peasant, and The Yomy Tales: An American Experience. She credits the communication skills that she learned at Iona as inspiration behind these books.
2000 Peter J. Rapacioli was recently named vice president, store manager, for the TD Bank branch in downtown Rye, N.Y.
2004 Juan J. Diaz was recently named TD Bank vice president, store manager, of the Bronx-Parkchester branch. Prior to joining TD Bank, Juan served as senior branch manager at Sterling National Bank in Forest Hills, N.Y.
Southeastern New England Chapter). Matt is director of business development for PR Newswire in New England. Joseph L. Sheehan ’05MBA is a business development specialist at Mercedes-Benz USA. Joe has been with the company since 2011.
2007
Tashica S. Clarke, NCSP ’10MA is a school psychologist in the New Rochelle, N.Y., school system. She also serves as a member of the Iona College Association Board of Directors. In her spare time Tashica is a cheerleading coach for the Iona College Cheerleading Team and the New Rochelle High School Modified Cheerleading team.
2008
Gabrielle Simpson ’10MA was recently featured in an interview with Ebony.com as young, fresh talent making major strides in her career. Gabrielle is also featured on Iona College’s Move the World website.
Jennifer A. Ullrich is currently employed by Oppenheimer Funds, Inc., as an associate manager in their corporate events department. She was elected to the Leadership Council of The Children’s Village in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., as co-chair of the events committee.
2005
Sheena C. Howard was the recipient of an Eisner Award in the Best Scholarly/Academic Work category at Comic-Con International in San Diego for her first book, Black Comics: Politics of Race and Representation. Read more on page 22. Matthew M. Miller ‘07MA was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for PRSA/ SENE (Public Relations Society of America,
Read the Ebony.com article.
2009
Daniel F. Corridon has been appointed CEO of Stay Fit Housing a Santa Monica, Calif., based company. Stay Fit Housing services Fortune 500 companies combining the benefits of flexible-stay serviced apartments with a wellness lifestyle.
2013
Richard A. Giacovas is proud to announce that he is a full-time producer at News 12 Westchester.
Scholarship from Health Leaders of New York, a local chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives. The award is given to deserving students who have demonstrated academic excellence, community service involvement and have shaped their vision and desire toward becoming our future healthcare leaders. Michael Ritz proudly announces that he is a production assistant with SportsNet NY.
2014 Matthew R. Donlon proudly reports that he is a production assistant at the media desk with Fox News. Katrina Frederick is currently working as a production assistant with ABC News in New York.
SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE! Your classmates and fellow alumni want to know what you are doing, and not everyone is on Facebook or Twitter! Be sure to send us your recent baby photos, marriage announcements and job updates. Please submit your text, as well as any photos, to alumni@iona.edu or by mail to the Office of Alumni Relations, Iona College, 715 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10801. Please note: Class Note submissions may be edited for length, clarity and style.
Christopher Miceli was awarded the 2014 HLNY Achievement Award of Distinction
remember relive reignite reunion weekend
May 15-16, 2015 Celebrating graduates of class years ending in “0” and “5,” although all graduates are welcome to come back to Iona College and join the festivities!
Fall/Winter 2014 25
ALUMNI CHALLENGING OTHERS TO GIVE BACK On March 8, 2013, Pat Quinn’s life changed. Quinn attended Iona and was a member of the rugby team – an all-around active individual. In 2011, after playing in an all-day softball tournament, he noticed a twitch in his left arm. Brushing it off as fatigue from the long day, he thought nothing of it. When the twitch was still there a few weeks later he started on a long journey, meeting multiple doctors and specialists before he finally got an answer. Quinn was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. A few months after his diagnosis, Quinn and his family and friends banded together to participate in an ALS fundraising walk. That’s when the Quinn for the Win foundation was born. The name stuck, and soon the foundation started conducting their own small-scale fundraisers – basketball tournaments, raffles, golf outings and more. Fast forward a few months and Quinn for the Win is a thriving, fundraising machine. The major goal of the foundation is to support the biggest and most aggressive ALS research organizations by donating their proceeds to ALS TDI, a research organization based in Boston, and the ALS Association. If you have heard of ALS recently, it probably had something to do with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which took social media, and the world, by storm this summer. Quinn was one of the jump starters behind connecting the challenge to ALS. When it started, the Ice Bucket Challenge – where an individual is challenged to dump a bucket of ice water over their head, or donate to a charity – was not connected to a specific cause. Quinn noticed a video from a local family in Pelham that conducted the Ice Bucket Challenge for an ALS charity, and that was the springboard needed to connect the videos to the greater cause. Quinn’s camp, with the help of others, got about 50 people to jumpstart the ALS videos and within 48 hours, Quinn saw his entire Facebook newsfeed flooded with ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos. The rest is now history. Thanks to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, the ALS Association saw more than $100 million in donations flood in, a major spike from the $2.8 million they typically raised during the same time period. Quinn was interviewed across many media outlets this summer for his role in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge – from TV to newspapers and radio. Though the interviews were a bit repetitive, Quinn noted that as long as people are calling, he will do interviews – anything in the name of getting the ALS message out the there. Quinn is truly moving the world of ALS research – one video, one event and one dollar at a time. For more information on Quinn for The Win and to support Quinn on his journey with ALS, visit www.Quinn4TheWin.com.
UPCOMING EVENTS MARK YOUR CALENDAR APRIL 10, 2015 DIAMOND JUBILEE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD GALA PRESENTED BY THE IONA COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Join us for an evening celebrating Mr. James P. Hynes '69, '01H and His Eminence, Timothy M. Cardinal Dolan '14H.
MAY 15-16, 2015 REUNION WEEKEND All alumni are welcome to join us for a weekend of festivities. Special celebrations will be in order for graduates of class years ending in “0” and “5.” Visit us online for the full events calendar and to register. We look forward to seeing you!
Watch Pat’s interviews with Iona College TV & North Avenue Nation.
Top left: Iona College Rugby team Top right: President Joseph E. Nyre and sons, Henry (left) and Charlie Bottom left: Iona College's Advancement & External Affairs division Bottom right: Iona's mascot, Killian the Gael
View Iona ice bucket challenges online!
The Iona College community was at the front of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge this summer. Meghan Cramsie ’16 and Kara Cramsie ’17 are Pat Quinn’s cousins and they helped nominate several of their fellow Gaels. 26
Iona College Magazine
Check out just a few of the Ice Bucket Challenges at Iona.
SHELF LIFE Thomas O. Kelly II ’59 recently co-authored US Presidents From Awesome to Awful: The Best 3 in a Row & The Worst 3 in a Row.
Ralph L. Corrigan, Ph.D. ’59 recently published El Salvador at a Crossroads: Salvadorans Speak Out About the War, Repatriation, and Their Hopes for the Future.
William R. Nevins ’69 recently released his book, Heartbreak Ridge and Other Poems.
David M. Dziena ’93 recently co-authored Catholic Prayer Book for the Separated and Divorced.
Louis B. Spirito ’73 recently published a memoir titled Gimme Shelter.
Stephanie A. Raimondi Hoina ’87 recently published her first book, Kissing Atticus Primble.
Rachel Russo ’09MS recently published How to Get Over Your Ex: A Step by Step Guide to Mend a Broken Heart Italian American Style.
Carol Marie Davis ’92MS has authored several children’s books including the recently published The Yomy Tales: An American Experience.
Alfred M. Manganiello ’75 recently published a business and management book titled Ravioli Rules: A Manager’s Guide to Get the Workplace Cooking.
STRIKING OUT CANCER Former Gael Jason Motte is striking out more than opposing players as a relief pitcher with the St. Louis Cardinals – he is also striking out cancer. Mott, and his wife Caitlin, established The Jason Motte Foundation in 2010 when Caitlin’s grandfather was a cancer patient at a hospital in Memphis, Tenn. The foundation hosts numerous events in order to raise money for cancer research while providing “comfort and care where there is a need for those affected, either directly or indirectly, by cancer of all kinds.” In 2014, Motte was named as the St. Louis Cardinals’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award – an annual award given to a Major League Baseball player who “demonstrates the values Clemente displayed in his commitment to community and understanding the value of helping others.” To learn more about Motte’s foundation, visit www.jasonmottefoundation.org. Fall/Winter 2014 27
AN IONA LIFE CHARLES F. O’DONNELL, PH.D. (1938–2014) Charles F. O’Donnell, Ph.D., a well-respected and admired alumnus, and staff member, passed away on January 23, 2014. O’Donnell graduated from Iona in 1960 with a Bachelor of Economics and went on to receive his master’s and doctoral degrees in Economics from Fordham University. O’Donnell’s tenure at Iona included being an esteemed professor, chair of the Economics Department, as well as serving as the dean of both the School of Arts & Science and the Hagan School of Business at varying times. While serving as dean of the School of Arts & Science, he oversaw the revision of the College curriculum and helped develop a program to help students transfer from community college to Iona. O’Donnell was also a member of several committees at Iona including Academic Senate, Dean’s Council, the Strategic Planning Committee and many others. During his career at Iona, he received the Br. Arthur A. Loftus award in 1980 for Education and the Bene Merenti Award in 2001 for 30 years of devoted service to the College. Outside of Iona he held numerous other positions over the years, including research director of the Joint Legislative Committee on the State of New York Economy (1971-73), chair of the Westchester Council on Aging (1973-74), chair of the New Rochelle Citizens Task Force on Budget (1976) and others. In 1997 he was also recognized for his significant contributions to the Middle Atlantic Association of Colleges Business Administration with an honorary lifetime membership. Upon his retirement, O’Donnell was a professor emeritus of Finance at the College. O’Donnell’s contributions to Iona have left a lasting legacy. In fact, his three children were also Iona graduates — Keara O’Donnell Gordon ’90, Charles F. O’Donnell Jr. ’93 and Caitlin O’Donnell Greatrex ’95, who is also an Iona Economics faculty member.
Anthony J. Bellitto ’53 Jerome V. Brown ’58 Patrick J. Cahill ’62 Mauro M. Cassano ’64 Robert C. Cody ’69 James J. Coffey ’54 James P. Coughlin ’58 Peter E. Cunningham ’49 Anthony J. Damore ’50 Robert J. Deierlein ’52 Lionel A. DeSilva, CSP ’78 Joseph W. DiDonato ’60 John P. Dublin ’90 Edward J. Duffy ’50 Judith A. Enterlin ’85 Vincent D. Farrell Jr. ’72 James P. Ferry ’86 Michael J. Flanagan ’60 James J. Gagnon ’70 George M. Gannon ’49 John D. Gleeson ’63 Benedict J. Groeschel ’66 Stephen H. Hager ’77 Richard E. Hansen ’66 Raymond A. Harron, MD ’53 Gerald T. Hartnett ’51 Cornelius P. Healy ’50
Iona College Magazine
List as of December 1, 2014
IONA COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Board of Directors | 2015 Election Voting for the 2015 election will take place through Iona Connection, our alumni website, during March 2015. Visit www.ionaconnection.com starting March 1 to see the list of candidates and cast your vote.
For more information: contact the Office of Alumni Relations at (914) 633-2390 or alumni@iona.edu.
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James F. Higgins ’53 Frederick E. Kellogg Jr. ’76 Kenneth E. King ’56 Edward S. Lampinstein ’95 Daniel A. Lauber, CFC ’76 James J. Mahoney ’54 Louis Martir ’79 A. M. McAndrew ’55 Thomas E. McAndrews, MSW ’63 William P. McNeill ’59 A. G. Michelini ’50 Robert W. Moretti Sr. ’60 Paul R. Moss ’67 Stanley T. Mrus ’72 John J. Nevins, DD ’54 William J. O’Brien ’56 Salvatore L. Olivieri ’55 William G. Pendergast ’71 Rodolfo E. Perdomo ’89 Anthony A. Pizzarello ’49 Richard M. Risinit ’59 Edward P. Rochford ’50 Susan E. Rose ’84 Ronald J. Semenza ’59 Gary E. Sullivan ’86 Edward J. Winnis ’57
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!
LEAVE YOUR LEGACY AND BUILD ON OURS History tells us that Saint Columba left his legacy through the education of monks on the Isle of Iona. By naming Iona College as beneficiary of a planned gift, such as a bequest, charitable gift annuity, or charitable trust, you will benefit the College through your foresight, and you will be eligible for membership in the Saint Columba Legacy Society. Planned gifts can be structured to: • minimize your tax burden; • provide income to you during your lifetime if you need it; and • ultimately benefit Iona College at some point in the future. To learn more about planned gifts, please contact Greg Teeter, associate vice president for Major & Planned Giving, at (914) 637-7749 or gteeter@iona.edu and ensure that you are listed among the members of the Saint Columba Legacy Society.
HOMECOMING & FAMILY WEEKEND See more on p. 7
Photo by Dawn Insanalli