LIU Spring 2020 Magazine

SPRING 2020

Introducing Long Island University's GEORGE POLK SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS

A MESSAGE FROM

DR. KIMBERLY R. CLINE,

PRESIDENT

Dear Friends, The strength and resiliency of Long Island University have never been more evident than during the early months of 2020. The LIU community is displaying courage, fortitude and resolve as the world grapples with the impact of COVID-19. The University is proud to salute the heroic efforts of these extraordinary men and women while celebrating additional stories of exceptional success.

LIU Magazine chronicles the work and lives of the University’s finest and most remarkable individuals. The first two pages of this issue are devoted to saluting those whose valiant endeavors in recent weeks exemplify the highest ideals of LIU. Other stories highlight profound achievements, including the launch of the George Polk School of Communications, seven decades of the prestigious George Polk Awards in Journalism, LIU Pharmacy’s state-of-the-art Metabolomics and Pharmacogenetics Lab and a $2 million gift from the 2007 Forbes Entrepreneur of the Year Clint Severson and Conni Ahart that will establish the Veterinary Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Management Center within the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Our many proud achievements to this point are a testament to the arduous work and passionate devotion of LIU’s outstanding students, faculty and alumni. The University’s incredible momentum has continued into the new decade as we embark on the next chapter at LIU. We know even greater progress lies on the horizon and I thank you for your support of Long Island University.

Sincerely,

Kimberly R. Cline

President, Long Island University

JOIN SH A RK NATION Show your colors with Long Island University apparel

liu.edu/shop

2

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

IN THIS ISSUE Spring 2020

DR. KIMBERLY R. CLINE President, Long Island University COMMUNICATIONS LAUREN MELONE SILVERBERG Chief Communications Officer DR. JESSICA HAYES Chief of Staff and University Relations LAUREN PANKRATZ Senior Creative Director MARY STUDDERT Associate Director of Communications ZAC HOWARD Assistant Director of Marketing EMPLOYER & ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT DR. WILLIAM E. MARTINOV, JR. Director of Athletics, Chief of Employer and Alumni Engagement

FEATURES Courageous Responses

4 – 5

71st Annual George Polk Awards

6 – 7

George Polk School of Communications

8 – 9

Veterinary Medicine

10 – 11

LIU Pharmacy Adds Metabolomics & Pharmacogenomics Lab

12 – 13

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Four Decades at Memorial Sloan Kettering

14

News Corp's Chief Technology Officer

15

Creating Pathways at JP Morgan Chase

16

Roey Hershkovitz Joins Capitol Studios

17

Engineering Apollo

18

Healing Trauma with Yoga

19

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT International Partnership in Artificial Intelligence

20

DR. ANDY PERSON Chief of Strategic Planning

Forty Years of Educating Gifted Youth

33

LIU Hope Scholars Program

34

JOAN YONKE Director of Development and the Annual Fund

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

MOREEN MITCHELL University Director of Employer and Alumni Engagement MICHELLE NIMETZ Associate Director of Employer and Alumni Engagement CATHERINE SNEDECOR Assistant Director of Media Relations, Athletics

Stay connected! Visit LIUalumni.com or email liualumni@liu.edu to share News and Notes or update your alumni profile, address, and/or contact information.

To read LIU Magazine online, visit issuu.com/liumagazine

Copyright ©2020 by LIU. All rights reserved.

Groundbreaking Researcher Leads Medicinal Chemistry

21

International Experts Join LIU

24 – 25

Evidence Based Practices for School Inclusion

26

Novel-Writing Biologist

27

Distinguished Faculty

28 – 29

From Blackstone to Brooklyn

30

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Student Success Stories

35

Athletics

36 – 37

ACADEMICS Preparing LIU Graduates

22 – 23

Quality Investments

31

LIU Cares

32

Branching Out

46

DEPARTMENTS Newsroom

38 – 39

On The Shelf

40

Alumni Events

41

Class Notes

42 – 45

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

3

SPECIAL FEATURE

COURAGEOUS RESPONSES

A

s the world grapples with the impact of COVID19, Long Island University has made substantial contributions toward the international mission of combating this global pandemic. The impressive list below represents only a few of the hundreds of individuals from the LIU community who are making a difference.

The University salutes these heroic efforts, and expresses its appreciation for alumni who are first responders — firefighters, law enforcement officers, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, physicians, physician assistants and respiratory therapists.

KEEPING THE NATION INFORMED LIU alumni working in media are delivering breaking news and ongoing developments to their respective audiences.

Brian Kilmeade (’86), Fox News, and Lynda Lopez (’96), WCBS 880 in New York City, are reporting on the latest updates from around the world. Meanwhile, Michael Ozanian (’81), executive editor at Forbes, is covering a number of the financial ramifications of COVID-19. In the spirit of solidarity, Roger Luce (’85), co-host of the long-running WBAB radio show "Roger and JP," was featured in Newsday for his efforts to foster unity amongst New Yorkers.

NATIONAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHT LIU RESPIRATORY CARE Lisa Shultis, director of LIU’s respiratory care program, is training her students how to operate ventilators and donated the University’s reserve supply of ventilators for use in the makeshift hospital set up inside New York City’s Javits Center. She has shared her expert insight with several national media outlets, including CNN, NPR and The Huffington Post. LIU’s bachelor of science in respiratory care program is one of only four accredited baccalaureate programs in respiratory care in New York.

STUDENT VOLUNTEERS GAIN INVALUABLE EXPERIENCE Over 90 students from the PhD in Psychology program are contributing to hospitals and clinics across the country, working in telehealth or in direct service with patients. Trainees and clinicians are currently working in hospitals across the country. LIU students working in the Psych Services Center in downtown Brooklyn came together to create a crisis-oriented, brief counseling program to be delivered via telehealth to fellow students in need. The students have rushed to learn a new model of counseling appropriate to the situation, and how to deliver it via telehealth.

Additionally, over 180 pharmacy students have worked either in a hospital pharmacy, community pharmacy or both. Moreover, hundreds of LIU students in pharmacy, physician assistant and psychological services programs, as well as over 1600 nursing students, are participating in virtual clinics.

4

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

FOX & IHEAR TMEDIA BENEFIT CONCER T FOR FIRST RESPONDERS CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION RAISES $8 MILLION First Responders Children’s Foundation, founded by Long Island University Board of Trustees member Alfred R. Kahn (’84, H’05), teamed up with Fox Corporation and iHeartMedia for a special benefit concert that paid tribute to front line first responders of COVID-19. Hosted by music legend Elton John, “FOX Presents the iHeart Living Room Concert for America” aired March 29th at 9 p.m. on all FOX platforms and iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide.

The event raised nearly $8 million for coronavirus relief and attracted some 8.7 million viewers according to Nielsen ratings. The hour-long, commercial-free broadcast featured performances by Alicia Keys, Backstreet Boys, Billie Eilish, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mariah Carey, Tim McGraw and others.

SHARK NATION ON THE FRONT LINES The University is honoring the courageous efforts of first responders through social media. The LIU Athletics Instagram page has posted dozens of photos submitted by former student-athletes who are now serving as firefighters, nurses, law enforcement officers, nurses, physical therapists and respiratory therapists. In addition to these individuals, Cary Epstein, professor of health and physical education, is working as an Emergency Medical Technician at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan and Steve Kaufman (’77) is the supervising pharmacist at a Duane Reade in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood.

GENEROSITY ON DISPLAY Hutton House students are donating their course tuition fees to the Hutton House Endowed Scholarship Fund, which provides annual scholarships to three LIU undergraduate adult students over the age of 25. Coincidentally, this year's three winners are all in the health care field — nutrition major Jonathan Slavik and nursing students Vivien Varga and Amanda Carballo. “It is an honor and privilege to receive the Hutton House Scholarship and I can't thank the members of Hutton House enough for their generosity and for believing in me,” Carballo said.

Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan, adjunct professor in business administration, hosted a donation drive for personal protective equipment (PPE) on Saturday, March 28, with the Syosset-Woodbury Chamber of Commerce and Accounting Brew at the Syosset Library.

REMEMBERING MARILYN HOWARD & RENE TUBILLEJA

Marilyn Howard

Dr. Rene Tubilleja

Long Island University mourns the loss of Marilyn Howard and Dr. Rene Tubilleja (’19). Howard, a second semester LIU Family Nurse Practitioner student, contracted and succumbed to the COVID-19 virus while serving on the front lines of her hospital’s valiant efforts during this pandemic. Marilyn was a well-respected colleague and an exceptional nurse who will be sorely missed by everyone who knew her. Rene was a recent graduate of the Palmer School PhD program. He contracted the COVID-19 virus while caring for his ill wife, who had also tested positive for the virus.

NURSING STUDENT PENS HEAR TFELT OP-ED FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Molly Yeo, a nursing student in LIU’s Honors College, exhibited her extraordinary writing skills in a powerful Op-Ed for The New York Daily News. Yeo reflected on how COVID-19 has revealed what is most important in life and reminded her why she decided to become a nurse.

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

5

FEATURE STORY

71

ST ANNUAL

F

or over 70 years, LIU has been the proud home of the George Polk Awards in Journalism, the first major award of its kind to recognize reporting across all media. This prestigious honor focuses on the intrepid, bold, and influential work of the reporters themselves, placing a premium on investigative work that is original, resourceful, and thought-provoking. In May 1948, while covering the civil war in Greece between the authoritarian government and the communists, CBS correspondent George Polk's body turned up floating in a bay, hands and feet bound, shot at point-blank range in the head.

Among the many journalism greats who are Polk laureates are Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, Walter Cronkite, Edward R. Murrow, Christiane Amanpour, Peter Jennings, Norman Mailer, Diane Sawyer, Seymour Hersh, Glenn Greenwald, and more.

The George Polk Awards are conferred annually to honor special achievement in journalism. Winners are chosen from newspapers, magazines, television, radio and online news organizations. Judges place a premium on investigative work that is original, requires digging and resourcefulness, and brings results.

VIRTUAL POLK AWARDS CEREMONY This year, Long Island University recognized the winners of the 71st Annual George Polk Awards in a video presentation ceremony posted on the Polk Awards website: www.liu.edu/polk.

6

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

NATIONAL REPORTING AWARD Lomi Kriel of the Houston Chronicle for revealing previously unreported aspects of the Trump Administration’s immigration policy and tactics that extracted a heavy and sometimes lethal toll on Latin American refugees, including the continued separation of some families without apparent reason.

INTERNATIONAL REPORTING AWARD Mark Scheffler, Malachy Browne and the Visual Investigations Team of The New York Times for using local plane spottings, satellite imagery, cockpit recordings and Google Earth tools to map and geolocate the attacks to establish that Russian pilots in Syria bombed four hospitals, a busy commercial street and a refugee camp, killing scores of civilians.

ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING AWARD Helena Bottemiller Evich of Politico for describing how a politicized Department of Agriculture ignored its own climate action plan, devoted a miniscule portion of its budget to climate change, which it acknowledges is the gravest threat to food production, and buried a study warning of lost nutrients in rice, the leading source of nutrition for 600 million people, provoking a highly regarded scientist to quit in disgust.

LOCAL REPORTING AWARD Brian M. Rosenthal of The New York Times for unearthing a pernicious scheme by unscrupulous lenders to drive up the price of taxi medallions and turn huge profits by selling them to unsophisticated cab drivers with loans they could never repay, leading borrowers into financial ruin so devastating at least nine committed suicide.

SPECIAL AWARD Nikole Hannah-Jones of The New York Times and contributors to “The 1619 Project,” a supplement published on the 400th anniversary of the advent of American slavery, using essays by journalists and scholars to explore the role of slavery in history and its enduring effects in contemporary American society.

MILITARY REPORTING AWARD Craig Whitlock of The Washington Post for forcing the release of interviews conducted about the Afghan War as part of a five-year, $11 million federal “Lessons Learned“ project.

BUSINESS REPORTING AWARD Dominic Gates, Mike Baker, Steve Militech and Lewis Kamb of The Seattle Times for first exposing the cooperative arrangements between Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration that led to approval of design changes in 737 Max jets blamed for two crashes, killing 346.

FOREIGN REPORTING AWARD Azam Ahmed of The New York Times for risking his safety time and again to portray the reality and impact of violence perpetrated by gangs, drug cartels and even police in firsthand dispatches from Brazil, Jamaica, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, where he is stationed as the Times Bureau Chief.

POLITICAL REPORTING AWARD

MAGAZINE REPORTING AWARD

Chance Swaim, Jonathan Shorman and Dion Lefler of The Wichita Eagle and Luke Broadwater and the staff of The Baltimore Sun for turning journalistic intuition into deep dives into public records that revealed municipal misconduct leading to the ouster of mayors in both cities.

Lizzie Presser of ProPublica and The New Yorker for “The Dispossessed,” an account of how speculators use legal loopholes associated with “heirs’ property” laws in the South to seize black-owned ancestral lands, uprooting lifelong residents who assume their homes and property have been passed down to them.

JUSTICE REPORTING AWARD

FINANCIAL REPORTING AWARD

Lisa Gartner of The Philadelphia Inquirer for “Beaten, Not Silenced,” which exposed a pattern of violent physical abuse of boys housed at the Glen Mills Schools, a 193-yearold reformatory in suburban Delaware County.

TELEVISION REPORTING AWARD

METROPOLITAN REPORTING AWARD

John Sudworth of BBC News for “Inside China’s Hidden Camps,” which documented the reality of camps authorities established in Xinjiang province to indoctrinate hundreds of thousands of Muslims in an effort to erase their religion and culture.

Newsday for “Long Island Divided,” a series three years in the making that exposed an endemic pattern of discrimination by suburban realtors steering homebuyers of color away from white enclaves in violation of federal and state law.

Noah Buhayer, Caleb Melby, David Kocieniewski and Lauren Leatherby of Bloomberg News for groundbreaking stories on how wealthy, wellconnected individuals perverted the stated intention of “opportunity zone” incentives in the 2017 federal tax code for their own profit.

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

7

COVER STORY

L

ong Island University is comprised of individuals who are fueled by unwavering devotion, steadfast resolve and uncompromising character in pursuit of excellence. Few figures in American history embody these ideals better than CBS correspondent George Polk, who gave his life to uncovering and telling the truth through intrepid reporting amid the Greek Civil War in 1948.

Every year since his death, LIU has honored the laudable work of journalism by conferring a prestigious award in his name. Today, the George Polk Awards are one of the highest honors given in the field of journalism.

The University is taking another monumental step in advancing this proud legacy by announcing the George Polk School of Communications. Graduates of the Polk School will carry forth the highest standards of professionalism and integrity represented by the extraordinary list of Polk Laureates, a list that includes Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, Walter Cronkite, Edward R. Murrow, Christiane Amanpour, Peter Jennings, Diane Sawyer, Norman Mailer, Seymour Hersh, Jane Ferguson, Glenn Greenwald, Anna Deavere Smith, and other journalists of distinction.

“The Polk School will prepare students to achieve success in a global society,” President Cline said. “The School will build on LIU’s existing communication programs to produce informed, critically-minded, and engaged citizens that will document, influence and shape the world around them.”

The mission of the Polk School is to prepare technologically adept, forwardthinking, analytical, curious, resilient, and responsible communication

8

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

GEORGE POLK The George Polk Awards memorialize George Polk, a CBS correspondent who was murdered while covering the civil war in Greece in 1948.

professionals for success in a global society. The Polk School is committed to quality undergraduate and graduate programs in communication that emphasize the relationship between theory and practice.

“In addition to expanding on LIU’s existing programs, the Polk School will offer new, in-demand programs,” said Dr. Randy Burd, LIU’s Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. “These new programs will focus on various forms of media design and content creation, emphasizing new technologies and emerging platforms, artificial intelligence, on-camera and online reporting, video and audio documentation, and podcasting.”

The University believes in freedom of expression, integrity, and creativity and encourages collaboration and independent thinking as we prepare future scholars, professionals, and leaders for a lifetime of service and learning.

“Brooklyn is in the heart of the media capital of the world, New York City,” said Eric Krasnoff, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “The Polk School will attract students from around the world to our vibrant campus, where they will engage in experiential learning opportunities that maximize the enriching environment and continuous dynamism that surrounds them.”

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES The George Polk School of Communications Advisory Committee: media practitioners, communication professionals, alumni, and former Polk Award winners will advise the School's leadership regarding its strategic goals and connections to industry.

Polk Writer/Professor in Residence Program: noteworthy practitioners will elevate the status of the Polk School, the Residence Program will recruit new students and provide Polk students earning and networking opportunities.

Polk Scholars Program: the expansion of awards will attract high-achieving students committed to excellence in the field of communication, media, public relations and journalism.

Led by interdisciplinary faculty-scholars and practitioners, the Polk School will be known for: • I nnovating on the cutting edge of communications, media, and journalism • T eaching students requisite 21st century skills that are practiced across a diverse content creation and delivery platforms •D eveloping communication, research, writing, quantitative analytic, and creative skills •C o-creating high-impact collaborations among students from communities with diverse demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds, and among disciplines across campus

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS • BA in Journalism •M FA in Creative Writing • BA in Communications • BA in Media Arts • BA in Sports Communication & Marketing • MFA in Writing & Producing for Television

Robin Hemley, Director and Polk Professor in Residence of the George Polk School of Communications

Robin Hemley will serve as Director and Polk Professor in Residence of the George Polk School of Communications. Hemley is a winner of a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Nelson Algren Award for Fiction from The Chicago Tribune, and three Pushcart Prizes in both fiction and nonfiction. Hemley has published 14 books and his stories and essays have appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Chicago Tribune, and many literary magazines and anthologies. Hemley received his MFA from the Iowa Writers Workshop and directed the Nonfiction Writing Program at The University of Iowa for nine years. Most recently, Hemley served as Writer-in-Residence and Director of the Writing Program at Yale, in Singapore.

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

9

FEATURE STORY

LIU’s College of Veterinary Medicine is one of only four vet med programs in the Northeast and is the first in the New York metropolitan area

VETERINARY MEDICINE

$2 MILLION GIFT TO ESTABLISH VETERINARY ENTREPRENEURSHIP, INNOVATION AND MANAGEMENT CENTER

F

or nearly 100 years, Long Island University has educated students who embody the entrepreneurial spirit that creates innovative solutions that change the world.

Moreover, the University as an institution has exemplified entrepreneurship in its storied history. LIU is home to the Nation’s first school of professional accountancy, New York’s first college of pharmacy, the prestigious George Polk Awards in Journalism and LIU’s unique Global College, which offers the only accredited four-year bachelor’s degree program of its kind in the world.

10

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

Long Island University’s College of Veterinary Medicine represents another pioneering achievement, as the first accredited veterinary college in the New York metropolitan area and only the fourth in the Northeast, joining the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University and Tufts University.

On the heels of this historic achievement, the University announced a $2 million gift from the 2007 Forbes Entrepreneur of the Year Clint Severson and Conni Ahart for the new College of Veterinary Medicine, opening Fall 2020. The donation will establish the Veterinary Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Management Center, located within the College of Veterinary Medicine.

“Conni and I are dedicated to the expansion of higher veterinary learning and medical advancement in the veterinary field,” said Clint Severson. “The Veterinary Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Management Center will enable LIU’s College of Veterinary Medicine faculty to create new paths and fresh solutions in veterinary education, and provide students with real-world experience along with traditional classroom training.”

As members of the Council of Advisors for the new College of Veterinary Medicine, Clint Severson and Conni Ahart are noted philanthropists dedicated to animals, and the entrepreneurship training that is much needed in veterinary medicine. Mr. Severson was the chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Northern California-based Abaxis, a cutting-edge medical devices company that enables physicians and veterinarians to respond to the health needs of their clients at the point-of-care.

The Veterinary Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Management Center will focus on Entrepreneurship and Management, supporting LIU Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students who are interested in veterinary concept/product development and clinic management. The Center will engage students across multiple disciplines including management and business, and offer students Veterinary Entrepreneurship and Management scholarships and fellowships.

“Clint Severson and Conni Ahart’s partnership with LIU’s College of Veterinary Medicine exemplifies their deep commitment toward pioneering research and animal care,” said Dr. Kimberly R. Cline, President of Long Island University. “We are grateful for their generous gift that will give LIU the resources to be at the forefront of veterinary education.”

The College has secured partnerships with more than 50 affiliates, including primary care and specialty clinics, zoos, research laboratories and shelters, where students will gain real world experience in surgery, diagnostic support, intensive care and other areas critical for successful veterinary practice. At full enrollment, the veterinary school will serve 400 students, with 100 in each graduating class.

“Mr. Severson and Ms. Ahart’s support of LIU’s College of Veterinary Medicine will allow students the opportunity to develop entrepreneurial initiatives designed to move concepts from theory to practice, as well as create partnerships with industry and venture capitalists,” stated Dr. Randy Burd, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo awarded LIU $12 million as part of New York State’s investment in transformational local health care initiatives, helping to establish Long Island as a biotechnology research corridor.

“Clint Severson and Conni Ahart’s gift allows us the opportunity to expand on our commitment to prepare a globally competent, practice-ready, entrepreneurial veterinary workforce capable of addressing current and future needs of animal health,” added Dr. Carmen Fuentealba, Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. “Learning financial aspects connected to veterinary training is critical. LIU College of Veterinary Medicine students will correspondingly receive training in financial management and business practice in the curriculum, and through mentoring via the new center.”

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

11

FEATURE STORY

LIU Pharmacy Adds Metabolomics and Pharmacogenomics Lab

E

stablished in 1886, only three years after the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences was the first school of its kind in the New York City metro region. Yet even more important than LIU Pharmacy’s illustrious history is its continuous innovation in research and education.

Led by Dr. John Pezzuto, Dean of the College, LIU Pharmacy faculty is comprised of globally recognized researchers who make important contributions in drug discovery and development as well as molecular pharmacology. Dr. Pezzuto, winner of the prestigious Volwiler Research Award from American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, serves as the editor-in-chief of Pharmaceutical Biology and is widely known for identifying the cancerprevention aspects of resveratrol, a chemical found in grapes and grape products.

The University recently tapped Dr. Bhaskar Das, a world-renowned researcher, to lead the new Core Facility in Medicinal Chemistry at LIU Pharmacy (read more about Dr. Das and the facility on page 21). Dr. Das joins LIU from The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

He has received 20 grants from the National Institutes of Health, while his 18 patents have earned more than $100 million.

Dr. Jeffrey Idle, a world leader in the metabolomics and pharmacogenetics fields, is the co-discoverer of the first genetic polymorphism of cytochrome P450. His work

12

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

has been instrumental in moving therapeutics towards precision medicine. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Royal Society of Biology, and the British Pharmacological Society and founder of the academic journal Pharmacogenetics and Genomics.

The College recently opened a new, state-of-the-art Metabolomics and Pharmacogenomics laboratory. The lab boasts liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) capabilities, together with molecular biology and genomics analyses.

The lab’s high-powered instruments allow for the measurement of the large array of metabolites necessary for metabolomics and combined with pharmacogenomics instrumentation, provides for systems pharmacology research breakthroughs. Amalgamating LIU Pharmacy faculty research and resources paves the way for breakthroughs in precision medicine.

“We believe that the way to provide precision medicine in the future is to measure both the genetic difference between people to explain individuality, and interactions with the environment,” said Dr. Idle.

Dr. Idle points out that numerous other factors play a prominent role in the comprehensive analysis, such as prescription drugs, over the counter medicines, lifestyle factors, diet, smoking, and alcohol. “They all move the needle,” he said.

“Genetics don’t really completely predict your behavior with regard to a particular drug and the dosage you need.”

Over the past two years, Systems Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics at LIU Pharmacy has collaborated with labs in the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Harvard University, sharing samples and findings.

“Our team goal is to be able to let the FDA know which problems are running a good return on investment, specifically in terms of best ways to promote product quality and availability,” said Dr. Kenneth Morris, Director of the LIU Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Analysis. “By in large the quality is very good, and while all oversight vehicles have their place, not all oversight vehicles are equally beneficial.”

There are two aspects to the project. Initial efforts will be directed toward developing a statistical model that will provide insights into the effectiveness of FDA efforts. Researchers will draw upon data from public sources as well as FDA-provided information to predict which inspection activities lead to higher drug product quality.

Given the challenges of inferring cause with observational studies, the second project will be comprised of behavioral experiments to better develop an understanding of the trade-offs between, and conditions under which, collaborative or adversarial approaches are more effective.

“Success means assisting the FDA in maximizing their resources more effectively. FDA budgets have historically been underfunded, so it is crucial for our team to provide help for best ways to demonstrate utility and continuous improvement,” Dr. Morris said. “Adverse drug events cause nearly one million emergency room visits each year while serious drug product recalls have increased each year over the last decade.”

From the Victorian era to the digital age, LIU Pharmacy continues to play a notable role in advancing pharmaceutical research and education.

Additionally, LIU is one of five universities participating in a wide-ranging research project with The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The project awards $1.7 million to five universities. Once completed, the research will help the FDA better understand how to employ its quality management resources when inspecting drug companies’ manufacturing operations, thus benefiting consumers.

LIU’s primary role is to provide manufacturing plants with pharmaceutical product and regulatory expertise to ensure product characteristics contributing to potential risk is identified and included in overall assessed risk, including recalls, warning letters, and adverse events.

Locating the “right” data from public and FDA sources also requires reconciling terminology so that the correct data are included in product characteristics. In turn, the relative potential impact on risk is accurately captured. FDA oversite effectiveness requires data curation and modeling of diverse and various sized data sources, and data scraping must be an efficient and iterative process.

Dr. Jeffery Idle is a world leader in the fields of metabolomics and pharmacogenetics.

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

13

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Four Decades at Memorial Sloan Kettering

WITH 37 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS SENIOR FINANCIAL EXECUTIVE, MICHAEL GUTNICK BRINGS PERSONAL GENEROSITY, LEADERSHIP AND FISCAL EXPERTISE TO LIU’S BOARD OF TRUSTEES

F

or Michael Gutnick (BS in Accounting, ’68), member of LIU’s board of trustees and recently retired Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the value in helping others is a lesson he learned when he was young.

Gutnick grew up in Brooklyn, raised by parents with meager financial means. The modest lifestyle inspired him to pursue a potentially lucrative career field, which, to Gutnick, meant finance.

“Because I was so financially tight in my youth, I thought, if I could, I would have a financial career of some kind,” he said.

“I didn’t have time to think of other careers because making money was my prime objective as a young man.”

Initially he wasn’t certain that college was his best route for success in the field, but his high school bookkeeping teacher advised him to pursue higher education after Gutnick scored a 100% on the New York State Regents Exam. The counsel proved wise and Gutnick went on to earn a scholarship to LIU where he majored in accounting and earned an inclusion on the dean’s list before graduating with honors.

From good advice to tuition funding, Gutnick discovered benevolence and appreciated generosity at an early age. “All throughout my life there’s always been someone helping me along,” he said.

In 1968, the then-Big Eight accounting firms recruited students on LIU’s campus and Gutnick’s exemplary performance landed him a position at Arthur Andersen (the largest public accounting firm at that time). He worked there for ten years and, as a result, achieved his childhood dreams of earning a

14

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

comfortable living. The subsequent longing for more led him to consider a different career focus.

“All my clients focused their energy on earning the maximum profit, which was my focus when I was young,” Gutnick said.

“I thought, ‘There are important goals in society other than making the maximum amount of money. How can I do that?’”

In 1977, a friend of Gutnick’s referred him to the Chief Financial Officer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the largest and oldest private cancer center in the world, which resulted in his appointment in several key leadership positions.

The move proved permanent as Gutnick spent 42 years at Memorial, ascending to Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer. During his tenure, the hospital grew in size from a few thousand employees in Manhattan to over 18,000 employees in three states, in addition to a revenue growth from less than $600 million in 1977 to roughly $6 billion in 2019. Most importantly, Gutnick and his team of financial analysists and actuaries were able to demonstrate the long term survival benefit of treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering and fund world class research which will continue to improve diagnostic and treatment programs.

“It was just a love story for 42 years.” Gutnick said, the theme of purpose driven work drew Gutnick back to the University that helped him land his first job. His early success allowed him to write donation checks to LIU decades ago, but ultimately his leadership and insight as a board member has been an even greater contribution. “The highest level of personal satisfaction can be achieved by investing both personal time and money in a philanthropic project.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

N E W S CO R P ’ S

N E W CH I EF TE CHNO LO GY O FFICE R ADEPT WITH CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY, DAVID KLINE USES HIS BUSINESS DEGREES FROM LIU TO HELP CHANGE CULTURE

F

or most people, their first job is not a stepping stone toward their future career or ultimate vocation in life. Yet such was the case for David Kline (BS in Marketing, ’89, MBA, ’92), Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at News Corp, when, at 17 years old, he accepted a part-time position as a data entry clerk at North Shore University Hospital, part of Northwell Health, New York State's largest healthcare provider and private employer.

Mr. Kline grew up in Long Island and had his boyhood sights set on becoming a lawyer. He dabbled in computers prior to joining the hospital, but it was through his work there that he discovered a passion for the world of data processing. This gave him new inspiration via the birth of management information systems, or, what Mr. Kline calls “seeing technology from the ground up.”

The development was gradual, however, not instantaneous. When Mr. Kline enrolled at LIU in 1985, he chose to study businesses management and marketing. His eyes were still set on going to law school upon graduation, but his superiors at North Shore were so thrilled with his work that they offered to fund an MBA for Mr. Kline if he continued to work at the hospital. The offer was too good to pass up, yet Kline accepted it for more than just a monetary incentive. He had discovered a new skillset and satisfaction in the overlap over business and technology.

“As I was doing the management work, it led me to realize that I really love talking to people,” Mr. Kline said. “I really loved trying to figure out what they needed and supplying that, which led to marketing.”

His MBA intertwined his two skills by teaching him how to put a business plan around a technological need. “It put framework over why I was doing it,” he said. “It really put two and two together for me, connecting the dots to leadership and management.”

After nearly a decade at North Shore, Mr. Kline took a position as Vice President and Director at Integrated Systems Group in 1996. After two years in that role he became the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Rainbow Media Holdings in 1998, where he spent nearly a decade. In 2007, Mr. Kline moved to Discovery Communications for three and a half years as Executive Vice President (EVP) and CIO. Then in 2010, Viacom hired him as its EVP of Technology, CIO and Chief Technology Officer. He began his new role at News Corp in January 2020.

The numerous different executive positions attest to Mr. Kline’s desire to keep learning, a trait he believes no one ever had to teach him.

“It’s inherent to be analytic and curious and try to solve problems,” he said. “I think that one of the wonderful things about being interested in technology is how we can change culture. I call it ‘the art of possible.’”

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

15

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Creating Pathways at JP Morgan Chase FROM INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING TO FINANCIAL MARKETS, JUSTIN GRANT (BA IN JOURNALISM, ’06) USES HIS JOURNALISM BACKGROUND TO TACKLE NEW CHALLENGES IN A FAST-PACED INDUSTRY

W

atching basketball has taught Justin Grant a lot over the years.

The game’s most prominent influence is the impact it made on his post-secondary education. Grant, currently Vice President of Corporate Communications at JPMorgan Chase, grew up in Clinton Hill, just a short walk from the University’s campus in the heart of downtown Brooklyn. As a result, he was a die-hard fan of the Charles Jones-led LIU basketball teams of the late 1990’s.

Grant’s avid fandom made his college selection an easy decision. “I always wanted to go to a school that has a Division I basketball team,” he said.

Watching basketball also taught him the importance of versatility. Grant admires and mimics the attitude of veteran players who adapt their style of play as they continue to improve their game—a mindset he applies to his own career. “It’s no different than Kobe Bryant, after every season going to work on a different part of his game,” Grant said. “He was a high-flying guy in the beginning of his career and then towards the end he evolved into a really good jump shooter and post up guy. The lesson for me in watching him develop was you always have to sharpen the skills you possess—while adding new ones to your toolbox..”

For those who work in the fast-paced world of digital media, change happens quickly. Not unlike the NBA’s 24-second shot clock, Grant gives himself a time limit.

“I try to operate with a 3-year clock,” he said. “The idea is: you get into a role, you learn the role, you absorb it, you grow in the role you do your absolute best.

And then after three years you ask yourself. ‘How else can I contribute? What else can I do to grow my skillset? How else can I evolve?’”

Making a difference for minority communities through his work is something near and dear to Grant’s heart as well. He leads communications for JPMorgan Chase’s “Advancing Black Pathways” initiative, which the bank formed in 2019 to improve the financial health of the black community through a focus on three areas where Black Americans have historically trailed other groups: wealth creation, educational outcomes and career success.

Grant’s interest in capital markets began with his first job at Thomson Reuters in 2006. After nearly three years as an equities reporter, he moved onto ABC News, where he worked as a reporter within the network’s investigative unit. His work on the Bernie Madoff story reignited his interest in how the capital markets function.

In 2013, Grant began his transition from traditional journalism to communications within the financial services sector beginning with a role as an editor at Fidelity Investments, where he oversaw content creation for a firm-wide audience of nearly 40,000 employees. He was then recruited for a role as Assistant Vice President at Oppenheimer funds which he held through 2018, when he was recruited to a Vice President position within Goldman Sachs’ Global Investment Research Group. He spent a year at GS before moving onto JPMorgan Chase.

“I’ve worked at some pretty prestigious places and I have colleagues from Ivy League schools,” he said. “I’m going toe-to-toe with them and I’m from Long Island University. That has always made me proud. You can go to our school and make a really good career for yourself with the education that you get here.”

16

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Photo by Justine Ungaro

Roey Hershkovitz Joins Capitol Studios as Vice President

AFTER NEARLY TWO DECADES WITH CONAN, ROEY HERSHKOVITZ IS INNOVATING NEW TECHNOLOGY AT THE WORLD’S LEADING MUSIC COMPANY

F

ew career fields have undergone more significant technological shifts this century than those within the entertainment industry. From the digitization of music to the streaming service revolution in television, the disruptive changes demand constant innovation from those working in the field.

For Roey Hershkovitz (BFA in Communication Arts & Broadcasting, ’00), Vice President of Capitol Studios and Digital Studios Universal Music Group – the world’s leading music company – the education he gained at LIU prepared him for the challenges of adaptation that awaited him after earning his degree.

Growing up in South Orange, New Jersey, Hershkovitz considered other schools in New York, but fell in love with LIU’s broadcasting program after meeting Jean Carlomusto, Professor of Media Arts and Director of the Television Center.

He discovered both his exceptional talent and personal satisfaction in the behind-the-scenes work of TV production via a program offered at his high school, so he targeted universities that offered degree programs in related fields.

Hershkovitz knew that it was important to attend a college with a close proximity to Manhattan, and, through his conversation with Carlomusto, realized that LIU offered him the opportunity to work in a state-of-the-art television studio as early as his freshman year.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do that anywhere else,” he said. “I felt very at home. We spoke about what the studio was capable of and what we could build there. It really stayed with me and made an impression.”

While at LIU, Hershkovitz earned an internship at NBC, working on the Late Night with Conan O’Brien. After graduating, he accepted a full-time position in postproduction, which led to work as a field producer and music coordinator for the show in May of 2000. He moved out to Los Angeles with the Conan team for The Tonight Show in

2009. During his decade-long run with NBC, Hershkovitz also co-produced multiple episodes of The Office. In 2010, he moved with the show to TBS and was elevated to Music Booker of Conan in 2017. Throughout his tenure, Hershkovitz produced appearances by top-tier acts like U2, Pearl Jam, Bon Jovi, Coldplay, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, The Lumineers and Childish Gambino, among others.

“In many ways I grew up there,” he said of his time with the Conan team. “Where I am today is a result of the time I spent with them. Conan is the kind of guy you want to work for and I was lucky enough to be with him a long time.”

After nearly 19 years with Conan, Hershkovitz took his music background and production expertise and landed another dream job at the legendary Capitol Studios. Working in the iconic Capitol Records tower in Hollywood, he oversees five studios and four mastering suites, and is currently working on a new initiative of mixing music in Atmos, a burgeoning immersive sound technology developed by Dolby Laboratories.

Looking back, Hershkovitz appreciates his early experience, as it exposed him to the challenging aspects of production. Entering the career without delusions of grandeur, he adopted the drive necessary to succeed in an industry that doesn’t operate on a 9 am to 5 pm schedule with 40-hour work weeks.

“Whether it’s television or music, studios require a ‘whatever it takes’ approach,” he said. “It’s not a glamorous job where you’re a barrel-cuffed executive who comes and goes.”

For some, an internship may save them a decade pursuing a career in a role or field that does not suit them. “That’s a tremendous gift to figure out at 20 and 21, as opposed to 10 years later,” he said.

Of course, others, like Hershkovitz, may discover their vocational calling. “Or, you might find yourself as a 21-year-old kid going, ‘There’s nowhere else I want to be,’” he said. “And that’s a wonderful position to be in, no matter what the road ahead ultimately ends up bringing.”

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

17

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

ENGI NE E RI NG A P OL L O RICHARD CUCCO HELPED ENABLE ONE OF THE MOST CELEBRATED ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN HUMAN HISTORY

L

istening to Richard Cucco (BS in Engineering, ’66), who served as the lead test engineer during the Apollo missions, explain the intricacies of operating the Lunar Module is like watching John Madden diagram a football scheme during an NFL broadcast. While two men could not be more different in disposition, their respective audiences are left captivated and convinced that the speaker has worked in an environment unlike any other they have encountered in their life.

Cucco speaks with the modest temperament of a methodical, dispassionate problem solver, one that reveals the determined, uncompromising resolve exhibited by the men and women who turned the science fiction mission of landing on the moon into a world-changing reality.

“At the time, I thought, ‘This is a job that has to be done. We have a commitment stated by our president, John Kennedy, to get to the moon by the end of the decade,’” Cucco said.

“We didn’t know we couldn’t do it, we didn’t know we weren’t supposed to be able to do it. We just did it.”

The son of a dairy delivery man, Cucco was born in Queens and raised in Hicksville, NY. After attending Chaminade High School, he decided to stay close to home for college and attended LIU. Though he never had ambitions of becoming a scholar, his post-secondary education revealed his true skillset.

“I’m a hands-on person,” Cucco said. “I’m not very good at book learning, but throw me a problem and I can fix it. If I can’t fix it, it probably can’t be fixed.”

This rare gifting was not lost on his first employer. Northrop Grumman, the largest military aircraft company in the U.S. at the time, recognized Cucco’s exemplary ability and hired him in as a reliability engineer in 1966. When Grumman received the contract to develop, test and deliver the Lunar Module, Cucco began working on Environmental Control Subsystem for that vehicle.

Courage was another common trait that marked those who worked on the Apollo missions, one that was not exclusive

18

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

to the astronauts. In fact, Cucco once nearly lost his life during a routine pressure test of the Lunar Module. At conclusion of the procedure, he climbed in the cabin, which was pumped full of nitrogen to simulate oxygen levels in space. After taking one breath, he noticed that his vision was tunneling down, losing about 40% of vision in each eye. Having been forewarned in training sessions, he understood the threat and immediately exited the cabin.

“In the second breath I would’ve been dead,” Cucco said, adding that the test protocol was subsequently changed to avoid further risk. “That one sticks out in my mind. ‘Wow, I was that close. One more breath and I would not be here.’”

Cucco’s unflappable instincts kept him alive and moving forward toward accomplishing one of the most daunting tasks in human history.

Following the termination of the Apollo missions, Cucco worked on NASA’s Skylab and Space Shuttle programs through the early 1990’s. In 1977, he began working at IBM, which had sourced the shuttle’s software programming and computer hardware. Over the years, he stayed active and adventurous through NASA intramural sports, masters bridge tournaments, antique automobile repairs, and participating in offshore powerboat races.

Cucco bounced around New York, Texas and Florida for work, and currently lives in Houston. Last year, he participated as a panelist during the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. In addition to reconvening for the event, Cucco still keeps in close contact with members of his team on the Apollo missions. The group became close friends, bonded by their tireless work together. Of course, none of them knew the legacy they were leaving.

“Did I think about the impact of what we were doing at the time? Not really,” Cucco said. “We were going to get it done, come hell or high water. That’s the best way I can describe it. In retrospect, I look back and think: what an achievement.”

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

H EA L IN G T RAUM A W I TH YO G A BETH SHAW IS ON A GLOBAL MISSION TO SHARE THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF YOGA “Enabling me to form a routine that I still stick with today was a really beautiful thing,” she said, recalling time at LIU. Shaw began as a shy freshman and went on to become Homecoming Queen, her confidence boosted by a leadership role in student government. “I enjoyed my time a lot in college. It enabled me to bloom and blossom as a person.”

After graduating, Shaw contemplated a career in writing, but decided to work in advertising instead. Two years later in 1994, she founded YogaFit, recognizing the limitless potential of the unique workout, which cohesively engages the mind and body more than any other form of exercise.

At the time, yoga was far from mainstream. That meant Shaw had to persuade many who were still unfamiliar with the nascent workout. None of this deterred her confidence, which was emboldened by youthful ardor.

“I just kind of did it,” Shaw said. “I was in my twenties and I’ve always been really persistent so I didn’t know that I couldn’t do it. I just kind of forged ahead, starting small and it grew.”

YogaFit has proved to be a leader in the captivating movement that has swept across the globe over the last thirty years, now boasting a network of over 250,000 Yoga, Fitness and Wellness students worldwide and over 50 different educational programs.

W

hen Beth Shaw (BS in Business, ’92), founder and President of YogaFit, talks about the power of personal growth and transformation, she can offer her own life and career as an example.

Growing up in New York City, Shaw was a precocious child who loved to read. One in particular left an enduring mark on her life: The Hidden Persuaders, a popular book published in 1957 that examined the psychological aspects behind consumer motivation. The book awakened in Shaw a curiosity and fascination with marketing and advertising.

Shaw graduated from the prestigious Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan before attending LIU, where her literary foundation led her to become the Health and Fitness editor for the University’s student newspaper. In addition to discovering her strong yet undeveloped writing skills, Shaw established a consistent workout routine that proved foundational to the balanced, active lifestyle she has preached and embodied for the past three decades.

The remarkable ascent has led Shaw to grow as a professional. In addition to her claim to fame as a celebrated entrepreneur, fitness pioneer and wellness expert, she is also the author of four books, an esteemed public speaker and an influential philanthropist and animal activist. Still, she insists on learning more and began an executive education program at Harvard Business School last year.

“People always ask me ‘Did you ever envision the business getting so big?’” Shaw said. “I never really spent a lot of time envisioning how big it would go. Of course, from a business owner I want it to be much bigger.”

The same lifelong drive to improve has her reaching further than ever.

“To me, it hasn’t even hit where it needs to go and it will go one day,” she said. “I feel like what I’m doing is not just a job. It’s a calling. It’s a spiritual mission. It’s changing people’s lives and healing people. When you’re purpose driven and mission driven, you don’t slow down for very long because you know the universe has bigger plans for you and your business.”

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

19

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

Digital Engineering and Artificial Intelligence Dr. Mohammed Cherkaoui, PhD Deputy Chief Research and International Officer Louis and Johanna Vorzimer Endowed Chair

The fourth industrial revolution requires university 4.0.”

L

ong Island University is uniquely positioned to help lead the modern world into the largely uncharted waters of artificial intelligence. As part of an international partnership with Dassault Systèmes®, a world leader in 3Ddesign and engineering software headquartered in France, LIU will propel a dynamic pharmaceutical ecosystem that fosters research, education and training, which will fuel the University’s new program in Artificial Intelligence.

The collaboration will establish an innovation platform that serves to advance industry-relevant research with an advanced learning lab and design center in the most vibrant regions of the United States, New York City and an emerging Biotech Corridor in Long Island.

Leading the program is Dr. Mohammed Cherkaoui, recipient of the France Medal from the National Center for Scientific Research, the largest fundamental science agency in Europe. Cherkaoui also received the Obama Award under the Material Genome Initiative and the Lorraine Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer. An award-winning professor, author, internationally recognized researcher, and nuclear engineering pioneer, Cherkaoui is also a member of both the Moroccan Academy of Science, as well as the European Commission.

“The fourth industrial revolution requires university 4.0,” he said. “Linkages are being formed with international corporations with innovative Artificial Intelligence applications designed to advance personalized medicine.”

20

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

Courses in the Artificial Intelligence program align with LIU’s signature research areas support burgeoning new fields in Artificial Intelligence. Students will gain direct experience related to image processing, virtual worlds, conversational agents, drone navigation and quantum computing—necessary preparation required for the fourth industrial revolution industry.

TRACKS OF STUDY: • Artificial Intelligence • Robotics and Cobotics • Analytics and Business Intelligence • Cyber Security • Pharmaceuticals The tracks in the bachelor’s and master’s degree programs are an optimal fit for industry and future workforce needs.

After graduating, students can pursue a PhD in various national and international research labs, or work for companies and startups in a large variety of industries.

With the constructed 3D Experience Learning and Design Center, no other institution of higher education will compare with LIU’s facilities, attracting the best and brightest students from around the world.

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

Groundbreaking Researcher Leads Medicinal Chemistry Dr. Bhaskar C. Das, an internationally recognized expert in the field of Boron Chemistry, joins LIU from the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine to lead the University’s new Medicinal Chemistry program

T

he Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has a number of institutes and programs established to bring together faculty and students towards becoming leaders in pharmaceutical and biomedical research.

Pharmaceutical scientists and clinical faculty conduct research and provide training to professional and graduate students.

The mission of the institutes and programs is excelling in science education and research by accelerating discovery, development and manufacturing of new drugs for treatments of various diseases. The University’s goal is training the next generation of scientists who will combat cancer, diabetes and obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, addiction and aging. Research is conducted in major areas of the pharmaceutical sciences:

• B asic Research: cancer, asthma, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, HIV

• Drug Discovery and Validation • Lead Identification and Optimization • P harmacology, Efficacy and Predictive (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion–toxicity)

• P reclinical development: Safety, Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics

the Promotion of Science International Fellow, and received numerous awards, including the British Pharmacological Society Research Collaboration award and The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Center Excellence Young Investigator Award.

“I look forward to training dedicated students to gain a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms that cause diseases—so that we can ultimately improve treatments, elevate public health and save lives,” said Dr. Das, who joined LIU from the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.

Dr. Das directs The Laboratory of Boron in Brain Biology at LIU and his research aims to identify biomarkers and development of novel pharmacological agents for neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases and brain cancer. He is a reviewer of many national and international funding agencies including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Alzheimer Associations, American Heart Association as well as institutions in Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, India, and Spain.

Dr. Das joins a faculty of renowned researchers at LIU Pharmacy, including its Dean, Dr. John Pezzuto, who identified the cancer-prevention aspects of resveratrol (a chemical found in grapes) and Dr. Jeffrey Idle, who is the codiscoverer of the first genetic polymorphism of cytochrome.

• Formulations and Manufacturing, Regulatory Support To lead LIU Pharmacy’s new Medicinal Chemistry Program, the University tapped Dr. Bhaskar Das, who has performed groundbreaking research in brain cancer therapy, obesity, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease. He has received 20 grants from the National Institutes of Health and currently holds $4 million in active grants. His 28 patents have earned over $100 million and he is the recipient of the prestigious Boron in the Americas Award. Dr. Das was also a Japan Society for

I look forward to training dedicated students to improve treatments, elevate public health and save lives.”

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

21

ACADEMICS

PREPARING LIU GRADUATES FOR 21 ST CENTURY OPPORTUNITIES

L

ong Island University’s Research and International Office partners with colleges, departments, academic and nonacademic units, senior leadership, and the greater LIU community to promote diversity, grow international engagement, innovation, entrepreneurship, and cultural understanding in order to enrich and propel LIU’s overall mission for becoming a globally engaged research and education enterprise.

GLOBALLY ENGAGED RESEARCH AND EDUCATION Driven by global demand for new technologies development, and building on historic LIU strengths in business, health, education, psychology, humanities and community engagement, LIU is cultivating research capacity, and securing funding from all over the world.

Grounding LIU research planning is an integrated FiveSignature Research Area Platform designed to build research communities and fuel collaborations—leading to innovative proposals and industry solutions:

FUTURE OF BUSINESS

ONE HEALTH

DATA ANALYTICS/ ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

INNOVATIVE CURES

RESILIENT COMMUNITIES

21st Century commerce requires well-informed computational and digital literacy and new financial, marketing and emerging technological management tools attuned to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

One Health is the nexus between human, animal and environmental health and forms the basis for important research and discoveries to ensure the planet’s wellbeing.

Data is ubiquitous across all scientific and technological inquiry fields, and artificial intelligence is an essential driver of economic development, professional activities, and future workforce training.

Research focused on translational, digital diagnostics, therapeutics and treatments of human disease through precision healthcare and personalized medicine.industrial internet of things, and 3D printing.

Research centered on improving qualityof-life, leading to healthy, sustainable and vibrant communities.

The Digital Engineering Initiative is a distributed ONE-LIU research enterprise with future DHEI hubs on the LIU Brooklyn campus, and the LIU Post campus.

22

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

LIU’S RESEARCH AND INTERNATIONAL OFFICE HAS EXPERTISE IN FEDERAL RELATIONS, RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT, AND GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH A PRIMARY GOAL TO SUPPORT LIU FACULTY AND STUDENTS Faculty Success Since the new Research and International Office implementation, current faculty proposal submissions increased significantly—fifty percent since 2018. Faculty achieved numerous successes in 2019—including first-time prestigious awards from organizations like the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Research Council of Norway, among others.

To enhance LIU faculty success, the LIU Research and International Office established a Research Advisory Council; negotiated a favorable indirect cost rate; offered a universitylevel Faculty Seed Grant competition, as well as created an electronic proposal submission portal, in addition to updating proposal guidelines, and strengthening grant compliance.

The office also delivered over 20 proposal training sessions, as well as fostered one-on-one faculty mentoring.

LIU students benefit from LIU Research and International Office support Under faculty direction, students have the opportunity to participate in high-impact research—life-changing “learnby-doing” experiences that inspire and open new career pathways.

This past year, through various recruitment events, LIU offered students a chance to learn about research and global opportunities available through the LIU Honors College and the Freshman Year Experience. When asked about the ways research opportunities benefit students, Jenny Columbus, LIU Research Development Strategist, said, “Students who experience high-impact learning practices, like undergraduate research or study abroad, will graduate with deeper self-awareness, a keener ability to communicate and acute powers of observation. Gaining cultural competencies enables individuals to be more productive in an international economy.”

“LIU’s emphasis on research plays an important role in improving undergraduate and graduate education outcomes,

specifically in connection with industry and future workforce needs,” said Dr. Richard Nader, Chief Research and International Officer.

New innovative academic programs and connected research The new Artificial Intelligence program is under the direction of Dr. Mohammed Cherkaoui, Vorzimer Chair Professor and Deputy Chief Research and International Officer; students may now opt to earn a BS and an MS in Artificial Intelligence. In conjunction with international partners, planning is underway for novel academic and research linkages with LIU’s Digital Health and Engineering Initiative.

Targeted collaborative research linkages will place LIU at the forefront of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Personalized Medicine, and Cybersecurity.

LIU’s Digital Health and Engineering Initiative is enabled by a strategic partnership with Dassault Systèmes® In December 2019, LIU and Dassault Systemès “3D EXPERIENCE” formed a partnership to establish a Digital Health and Engineering Initiative (DHEI) with a focus on pharmaceutical and drug research and development needs, and to work in tandem with the I-495 Tech Corridor (from Brooklyn to Brookhaven) to support economic development. The DHEI will co-locate with the T. Denny Sanford Incubator.

DHEI plans to build 3D Experience Learning Centers, FabLabs and high-tech labs and incubators to attract research funding, start-ups and innovative “idea-to-product” platforms that advance industry-relevant research, economic growth and advanced manufacturing.

Inspired by LIU’s commitment to giving students the opportunity to work alongside experts in the field, LIU in partnership with Dassault Systemès, will offer new research and workforce training opportunities from Brooklyn to Long Island and beyond. LIU’s collaboration with Dassault Systemès will drive a dynamic pharmaceutical ecosystem that generates jobs, education and digital health workforce training. “LIU has the power to transform the higher education landscape for the next generation who will be living in a world that will be much different than ours,” said Dr. Randy Burd, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.

“At LIU and through the Research and International Office, we’re paving the way for that reality.”

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

23

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

INTERNATIONAL Walsh and her team organized and participated in Tsunami Relief in Sri Lanka, Hurricane Katrina Relief project in Biloxi, Louisiana, and surgical programs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and Monrovia. The initial concept of providing medical aid for disaster relief has blossomed into a 20-year relationship with Jamaica WI. “The Jamaican Program has become a clinical rotation site for multiple colleges and universities,” Walsh said.

“Nursing and medical students, art therapy and music therapy students, clinical mental health counseling and speech students come together to care for 10 communities delivering primary care to a second generation of families.”

LIU faculty and students from all programs will have the opportunity to build a relationship with new communities in Jamaica, changing the health care of a population one person at a time.

Dr. Denise Walsh, Dean of the School of Health Professions and Nursing and Chief Global Health Officer at LIU

O

ne of life’s profound paradoxes is the way in which tragic circumstances often spawn positive consequences. For Dr. Denise Walsh, Dean of the School of Health Professions and Nursing and Chief Global Health Officer at LIU, the untimely loss of her mother to cancer inspired her new career, one that has benefited the health and wellbeing of thousands. The influence of Walsh’s work in health administration will only grow in scale as she progresses through her first year at the University.

A native of Long Island, Walsh moved to Scranton, Pennsylvania to complete a BS in Health and Physical Education and relocated to Fairfield, Connecticut with her husband, where the couple settled down and began raising their family.

After her mother passed, she decided to become a nurse and went back to school at the nearby University of Bridgeport in 1983. After starting off in the newborn intensive care unit at Bridgeport Hospital/Yale New Haven Health, Walsh pivoted to administration, serving for ten years as the Clinical Services Manager at the hospital’s Women’s Care Center.

Seeing the need for global humanitarian health responses, she founded PRN Relief International Organization in 2004, a non-governmental organization that provides regular medical care to those in need living in various countries. PRN stands for Physicians Residents and Nurses, an abbreviation in medicine that denotes “as needed.”

24

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

In 2007, Walsh moved to Liberia as a Senior Fellow Yale University/Clinton Foundation in International Healthcare Management, partnering with Ministry of Health in the turnaround of Redemption Hospital in Monrovia. Two years later, she moved to Ethiopia, where she oversaw the first Master’s in Hospital Administration program at Jimma University and Addis Ababa University. Walsh moved back to New York in 2010, accepting a position as Associate Dean at Molloy College’s Hagan School of Nursing.

With the University’s emphasis on engaged learning, international collaboration and litany of outstanding healthrelated academic programs, Walsh’s leadership role at LIU was a match made in heaven.

“We’re a global society now,” she said. “It’s almost a mandate that students understand their role in global health and global issues, and expand their footprint in the world.”

The timing is coincidental, if not serendipitous, given that the World Health Organization tapped 2020 as “Year of the Nurse and midwife,” in honor of the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale.

Walsh’s expertise and connections will complement those already in place at the University. When other countries need assistance, students and faculty at LIU are qualified, capable and willing to answer the call from foreign governments.

“We have all the educational programs that they’re looking for,” Walsh said. “If a community or country needs to develop capacity in establishing programs, educating students and caring for patients, why shouldn’t LIU be the one to do it?”

EXPERTS A

s a native Texan turned New Yorker, Dr. Ryan Buck has always benefitted from seeing the unique power of cultural amalgamation. The diverse environments cultivated a passion for international collaboration, one that has marked Buck’s remarkable career to this point.

For the last two decades, Buck has led diverse initiatives to develop sustainable institutional partnerships that increase research collaborations, improve educational outcomes, expand faculty and student mobility, and enhance education abroad programs.

JOIN LIU TO GROW SIGNATURE AREAS

work with a rigorous training in cutting edge technology necessary for success well into the future.

“The Polk School brings together journalism and communication, but also brings in media arts and how we look at big data to tell stories,” he said.

Creating solutions like these to help solve the world’s biggest questions is part of what drew Buck to Connolly College.

“Education needs partners and real-world actors. How do we ready our students to enter a competitive and collaborative marketplace?” he said. “It doesn’t just happen on a campus, it happens on a campus and beyond. That connection with the ‘beyond’ is what I’ve done throughout my career and what I’m working on here at Connolly College.”

LIU’s thriving institutional partnerships gave Buck confidence that the University was a perfect fit for him. “There’s no better constellation of local and global partners than New York City and there’s really no better partner at a university than LIU is right now,” he said. “Matching those two groups up and creating synergies that make sense for our students, faculty and strategic vision that’s what I’m here doing with my colleagues.”

Buck brings a wealth of expertise that will supplement LIU’s emphasis on experiential learning, interdisciplinary approaches to education, and the co-creation of collaborative and inclusive environments that supports student success in the classroom, in the lab, and beyond.

After earning his master’s degree in international politics, Buck volunteered as a teacher in the Peace Corps. He managed the Khorol Community Resource Center in Ukraine and taught throughout the Russian Far East. In the early 2000’s, Buck relocated to New York City where he worked with community centers in Brooklyn to build collaborations with higher education institutions. In 2015, he moved back to his home state to take the position of Assistant Vice President for International Affairs at Texas State University.

Before joining LIU, Buck served as Vice President at the Texas International Education Consortium in 2018. Over the years, he has lived in numerous metropolitan cities, including New York City, London, Prague, Vladivostok, Dallas and Houston.

As Dean of Connolly College, Buck will oversee the new George Polk School of Communications, which will blend the timeless ideals exemplified by George Polk’s legendary

Dr. Ryan Buck, Dean of Connolly College

“We really have all the magical components to contribute to our students and society,” he said. “There’s an unmatched dynamism at LIU that doesn’t exist on the same levels elsewhere. It’s an unrelenting work ethic among our researchers and students to figure things out, engage the world, learn in ways that are transformational for the individual and the communities they represent.”

There’s an unmatched dynamism at LIU that doesn’t exist on the same levels elsewhere.”

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

25

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES FOR SCHOOL INCLUSION LED BY DR. KATHLEEN FEELEY AND POWERED BY $19 MILLION IN EXTERNAL FUNDING, THE CENTER FOR COMMUNITY INCLUSION AT LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY IS HELPING THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN THE REGION AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY

educational system could benefit from more inclusive practices. In 2008, she founded CCI to help provide LIU students and the community at large with an understanding of how people with and without disabilities can learn, play and live together.

“I knew training professionals in evidence based practices before they entered the field would impact systems change,” Feeley said. “It was through CCI that I put together a fabulous team of professionals and by pursuing external funding, it has led us to where we are today.”

Dr. Kathleen Feeley

M

any people discover their career passion at a young age, while others find it later in life. For Kathleen Feeley, volunteering at her local YMCA in Queens when she was in seventh grade left an indelible mark. It was then that she first worked with children with disabilities.

As a young adult, Kathleen went on to teach in New York City’s schools, where she took interest in augmentative communication (electronic systems for children with communication disorders). She moved to Minnesota to earn her PhD and studied with world-renowned experts in the field of disabilities.

When Kathleen returned to New York, she learned that Long Island’s

26

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

To date, CCI has garnered more than $19 million in external funding. Part of CCI’s mission focuses on educating families to ensure they are integrally involved in decision making for their children within schools and communities. Feeley praised the collaborative effort of the members of her team and especially lauded the work of Helene Fallon, Associate Director at CCI. “Helene has been a champion for families both across the state and on a national level,” Feeley said. “Having her as part of our team and being awarded these grants has been one of our biggest successes.” Another focus of CCI is to empower educational organizations to implement evidence based strategies, bringing Kathleen and her team of professionals into schools across the Island.

In addition to her work at CCI, Kathleen maintains an extensive research agenda,

recently published a two-volume book, entitled: Off to a Good Start: A Behaviorally Based Model for Teaching Children with Down Syndrome, and teaches courses at LIU. As part of Kathleen’s course on inclusive education, LIU students embark on a semester-long assignment where they work to make an entity to which they belong inclusive. Past examples include: Greek life, after school clubs, and sports programs. In many cases, the change continues long after the students complete the assignment.

“LIU Post students are learning inclusive practices and in turn making change in their communities, with the goal being, the change extends to where they work. When they enter the field, they have already had experiences making change. They see how easy it is.” Kathleen further notes, “It’s not that challenging to include a person with a disability in anything we do.”

The Center for Community Inclusion at Long Island University has earned funding from: • The U.S. Department of Labor • New York State Education Department • Autism Speaks • The Doug Flutie Foundation

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF A NOVEL-WRITING BIOLOGIST

I

n one sense, Dr. Bill Schutt (BA Biology, ’78) is still doing today, professionally, what he did recreationally during his youth. Although he has since grown his knowledge from nascent to erudite, compiling a litany of remarkable accolades in the process, the curiosity that drew him to biology remains as strong as ever.

“I always loved peering under rocks and logs, and collecting the animals I found there,” said Schutt, Professor of Biology on the Post campus. “I had weird pets growing up: a monkey and every kind of snake and lizard.”

Like many kids, Schutt idolized Jacques Cousteau.

Unlike most people’s childhood ambitions, he was lucky enough to follow through on these dreams.

Graduating high school, Schutt knew what his undergraduate major would be. As a local, he wanted to commute to school and admired LIU’s broad-based biology curriculum. Once there, he appreciated the smaller class size and the accessibility of his professors. “The teachers cared,” Schutt said. “That’s still a strength of this school. If you’re an undergrad here, you’re not just a number.”

“I had amazing mentors and they inspire my current student interactions. Like me, they’re excited about different aspects of biology, but may not know how to ask the right questions. It’s my job to help them explore the possibilities that a degree in biology can offer.”

lowed, garnering rave reviews from The New York Times, Boston Globe and elsewhere. Schutt also scripted two TED-Ed videos (and is working on a third) that were among the site’s top ten mostviewed videos in 2018 and 2019. His most recent TED-Ed, explaining how blood transfusions work, came out in February and gained 250,000 views in the first ten days.

Schutt co-authored his first novel, Hell’s Gate, in 2016. It chronicled the adventures of R.J. MacCready, a zoologist version of Indiana Jones.

A sequel, The Himalayan Codex followed in 2017 and The Darwin Strain, debuted in 2019. Schutt is currently working on a solo novel and a nonfiction book on the natural history of the heart.

Schutt has written two dozen peer-reviewed articles. Topics range from terrestrial locomotion in vampire bats to the “precarious, arboreal copulatory behavior” of a marsupial mouse. His research has been featured in Natural History, The New York Times, Newsday, The Economist, and Discover.

Schutt has given talks all over the world. Most recently he was invited to present the prestigious Darwin Day Lecture at Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum.

At events like these, he always promotes the University. “I graduated from LIU and I’m very proud of that fact.”

Schutt also draws upon his theater experiences at LIU while teaching the newer members of Shark Nation. “I try to be animated and excited about everything. I use great graphics and I’m always looking for memorable examples.”

Schutt is a Research Associate at the American Museum of Natural History, where he often takes students. One of them landed a position there.

An active member of the North American Society for Bat Research, he served on their board of directors for eight years.

Schutt first book, Dark Banquet: Blood and the Curious Lives of Blood-Feeding Creatures was published to serious acclaim in 2008. In 2017, Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History, fol-

Dr. Bill Schutt signs books following his Darwin Day Lecture at the Royal Ontario Museum.

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

27

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

DISTIN GUISHE D

VICTOR LUSHIN

MICHAEL ROSSI

SYED OSMAN

Assistant Professor, School of Health Professions

Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science Director, International Studies Program

Associate Professor of Data Analytics College of Management

Dr. Victor Lushin is an Assistant Professor in the School of Health Professions Department of Social Work and Public Health, where he teaches social work research and capstone courses. Prior to joining LIU, Lushin was a Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine Center for Mental Health and a Research Scientist and Adjunct Lecturer at NYU Silver School of Social Work. Lushin is currently still an International Research Consultant for Russia’s Higher School of Economics.

He has published numerous articles and has received grants for his research focusing on families affected by the opioid crisis, autism services, and implementation science. Lushin is the recipient of the New York State Senate Excellence in Community Service Award for advocacy on behalf of adolescent drug offenders for treatment as an alternative to incarceration, and for dissemination of health and social wellness information among immigrant populations.

Dr. Michael Rossi is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and Director of the newly created International Studies Program at LIU. He earned his PhD at Rutgers University, where he also taught multiple courses in the subfields of Comparative Politics and International Relations for more than 15 years. His areas of research focus on democratic development and good governance in Eastern Europe, with a particular emphasis on the former Yugoslavia. He has published in Nationalities Papers, Foreign Policy, the London School of Economics European Institute, and TransConflict. His most recent work is a collaborative project with seven other scholars on parastates, which are disputed territorial entities that claim independence and sovereignty in violation of international law.

Prior to joining LIU as an Associate Professor of Data Analytics, Dr. Syed Osman was a member of the marketing measurement and analytics team for Amazon Prime. His team developed a machine-learning model to measure the impact of advertising (including product recommendations) on customer purchases. Programming languages included Python, SQL, R, and STATA. Dr. Osman’s current research focus includes using causal inference and predictive machine learning and econometrics models in the data science and business intelligence fields. As a Research Associate at the Harvard Kennedy School in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Dr. Osman consulted on Data Cleaning and Design Variables. He received an MS from the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics, and a PhD in Economics from Texas Tech University.

If you are interested in supporting faculty initiatives, please contact Charles.Rasberry@liu.edu or 516.299.2784.

28

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

FACU LT Y

SARAH HINCHCLIFFE

HENRY HAN

ILENE RATTNER

Associate Professor, School of Professional Accountancy

Associate Professor of Data Analytics College of Management

Dr. Sarah Hinchliffe is an Associate Professor in the School of Professional Accountancy. Prior to this, Dr. Hinchcliffe held the following academic positions: Assistant Professor (University of Akron), Visiting Professor (College of William and Mary), Visiting Scholar and Researcher (Harvard Law School), Tenured Academic Faculty (University of Melbourne), and Visiting Faculty (University of Hong Kong).

She served as the Team Manager for International Taxation and Compliance for the Australian Taxation Office in Melbourne, and was Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Australian Taxation, the prestigious Australian law journal. She has published over 45-refereed articles in international journals of law and accounting, as well as several books.

Dr. Hinchliffe received a Bachelor of Laws from Monash University in Australia, a Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of New England, an MS in Accountancy from the University of Akron, and a PhD in Law from Victoria University in Australia.

Dr. Henry Han joins LIU as an Associate Professor of Data Analytics from Fordham University, where he was Director of the Laboratory for Big Data and Analytics and an Associate Professor with tenure. Dr. Han has published 53 peer-reviewed journal articles in high-profile research journals. His earlier research focused on bioinformatics and genetic modeling, while his most recent research interests incorporate applications of block chain technology in the financial technology sector.

Additional research interests include health-informatics/bioinformatics; cybersecurity, machine learning, and Artificial Intelligence. Dr. Han has received 14 research grants from prestigious institutions, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). At present, Dr. Han has one book manuscript under contract titled “Fintech Data Analytics: Theory and Hands-on Applications.� He obtained a Master of Computer Science and a PhD in Applied Mathematics and Computational Sciences at the University of Iowa.

Assistant Professor of Nursing, Harriet Rothkopf Heilbrunn School of Nursing Dr. Ilene Rattner is an Assistant Professor of Nursing at the Harriet Rothkopf Heilbrunn School of Nursing. Prior to this role, she was Director of Academic Clinical Affairs at New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing, where she was responsible for contracts and clinical site placements for 1100 undergraduate and graduate nursing students every trimester. Dr. Rattner is interested in opioid use and misuse, and completed her dissertation on substance use and misuse among nursing students. Accordingly, she established a Substance Use and Misuse Committee at Meyers College of Nursing to facilitate development and implementation of policies and guidelines for students and faculty. Professor Rattner received the Distinguished Administrator Award from NYU Meyers College of Nursing, and the Violet Award for Administrative Excellence from NYU. She received her undergraduate degree in Nursing from Long Island University, and her EdD in Educational Leadership and Management from Drexel University.

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

29

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

From Blackstone to Brooklyn DRAWING UPON HIS BACKGROUND AS AN EXECUTIVE, RAY PULLARO IS BRINGING THE WALL STREET EXPERIENCE TO STUDENTS IN LIU’S SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

R

the Blackstone Alternative Asset Management Executive and Investment Committees. The company went public a year later, in 2007. As Managing Director, Pullaro managed a portfolio that exceeded $31 billion in assets under management and employed more than 115 professionals.

ay Pullaro, Dean of LIU’s School of Business, Public Administration and Information Sciences, has a knack for trying new things, and a reputation for making those endeavors remarkably successful. As a kid growing up in Poughkeepsie, New York, he had early ambitions of working as an engineer. He went on to become the first in his family to attend college, graduating from Yale University.

“At that point, I decided to take what I thought would be a one-year sabbatical,” he said. “During that time, I taught economics, for what I imagined was just going to be for fun. Before I knew it, I was thinking seriously about a second career in academia.”

While at Yale, Pullaro changed his major to East Asian Studies and learned to speak Chinese. As a student, many of the world’s top companies sent recruiters to campus, so Pullaro ending up accepting an offer at UBS O’Conner upon his graduation in 1991.

The position led him to work in Philadelphia, Switzerland and London, where he went on to hold the role of Director, European Emerging Markets.

While at the company, Pullaro worked through a series of mergers and acquisitions.

“That was a really great start to my career,” he said. “I was there through all of those iterations and got not only the experience of being a trader and Wall Street investor, but also living through the reorganizations and disruptions of what can happen through a series of mergers and acquisitions.”

After nearly a decade at UBS, Pullaro decided to move back to New York City in 1999 to start a family, as well as a new chapter in his career. He worked for three years as a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers before returning to UBS as Senior Investment Officer and Executive Director in 2003.

The Blackstone Group beckoned him back to work again on Wall Street in 2006, where he served on both

30

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

Ray Pullaro spent over two decades on Wall Street before joining LIU in 2015.

Working with students is the most important driver.”

Pullaro joined LIU in 2015 as an assistant dean at LIU’s AACSB-accredited business school at the Post campus.

Three years later, he became interim dean over the School of Business, Public Administration and Information Sciences in Brooklyn and was named dean a year later in 2019.

Since joining the University, Pullaro has helped lead enrollment efforts and launched innovative initiatives.

Perhaps chief among these is LIU-iF, a student-managed investment fund (read more about LIU-iF and LIU-iQ on page 31).

“I’ve embraced academia as a second career, and now what I consider a calling,” Pullaro said. He has completed all of the coursework and comprehensive exams toward his PhD and is presently working on his dissertation. Of course, Pullaro’s most rewarding investment is the one he makes on campus each day.

“Working with students is the most important driver as to why I’m in this second career.”

ACADEMICS

Quality Investments TWO UNIQUE BUSINESS INITIATIVES, LIU-IQ AND LIU-IF, ARE PAYING IMMEDIATE AND SUBSTANTIAL DIVIDENDS FOR THE UNIVERSITY AND ITS STUDENTS

A

mong the litany of innovative educational initiatives launched in recent years at LIU, two of the most effective have been the complementary LIU-iQ, a student-run consulting program, and LIU-iF, a student-managed investment fund.

Besides sharing catchy names, the programs feature student-run executive boards that collaborate with one another. Both create professional opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to work with real clients at some of the world’s top companies.

At LIU-iQ, student consultants execute semester-long business cases for domestic and international companies, through which they gain the managerial, analytical and interpersonal skills needed to successfully land internships and full-time positions. Top performing students are also given the opportunity to participate in all-expense paid international business trips.

“We are taking engaged learning to a new level, giving our students opportunities to develop the confidence and real-world experience that personify an entrepreneurial spirit—an advantage they can use to succeed in any field they choose,” said Dr. Robert Valli, Dean of the College of Management. “Our graduates enter the job market having already directly applied their education to meaningful work.”

LIU students participate in the international consulting network ICON, comprised of six university partners from around the globe, including Brazil, China, Mexico, Sweden and the U.S. Students work in teams to generate innovative, sustainable business strategies that deliver quality service for both profit and non-profit organizations, culminating in an immersion trip and presentation to clients in leading global technology clusters.

Students participating in LIU-iF co-manage a six-figure portfolio. They analyze a particular sector of the market and eventually vote on and present stocks for investment to the fund once they gain sufficient experience.

ROBER T GELABER T Robert Gelabert (BS in Business, ’16) was among the first group of students to participate in LIU-iQ. He interned at Luxottica, the world's largest company in the eyewear industry, and accepted a position as a Business Analyst. Now Senior Strategy Analyst, Gelabert says he wouldn’t be where he is today if not for the program.

“LIU-iQ provided me with the ability to differentiate myself from other students in the job market,” he said, “Employers took great interest in my time with the program. I directly attribute the job offers I have received to my time with LIU-iQ."

“It ends up looking a lot more like experience on your résumé, rather than a class,” said Ray Pullaro, Dean of LIU’s School of Business, Public Administration and Information Sciences. “Employers are looking for students that are involved outside the classroom. They’re not just looking for the student with a 4.0—they’re looking for the student that’s got a sense of real involvement in their community. Those are markers for success.”

In addition to boosting a résumé, the experience proves invaluable in face-to-face meetings.

“You’re the technology sector analyst, for example,” Pullaro said. “You made a recommendation to invest in Apple and the stock went up or down and here are the reasons why you made that investment. You can talk about that in an interview for thirty minutes.”

Naturally, word of the exceptional programs has spread and companies actively recruit students on both campuses.

“Since we launched, we’ve had meetings with JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, AIG, New York Life, American Express and others,” Pullaro said. “Those are real, highprofile companies that are coming here to hire our students.”

I directly attribute the job offers I have received to my time with LIU-iQ.”

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

31

ACADEMICS

LIU CARES

E X C E PT I ON A L S E R V I CE L E A R N I N G THROUGH GENEROSITY AND SACRIFICE, LIU STUDENTS EMBODY THE UNIVERSITY’S HIGHEST IDEALS IN THEIR FUNDRAISING AND COMMUNITY SERVICE campus. Circle K is the world’s largest student-led collegiate service organization. The philanthropic efforts of our dedicated students, employees and alumni enable LIU to produce socially engaged and intellectually vibrant global leaders. The University also held a Casino Night fundraiser and multiple blood drives, with over 100 total donations.

During the holiday season, the LIU Promise office hosted a Holidays in Brooklyn food drive in which eight campus departments and student organizations participated and donated a total of 829 items, along with a toy drive in partnership with NYC Service Secret Snowflake which resulted in 107 toys donated.

LIU Students assist park rangers with a cleanup project in Randall’s Island Park.

S

ervice has always been central to the mission of Long Island University. By equipping students with a dynamic education, the University serves the communities around the world as LIU alumni go on to create, transform and inspire lasting global change through their work.

Yet in more tangible, personal and immediate ways, current students at LIU give back to the local community. Through its LIU Cares Initiative, the University connects thousands of students, employees, and alumni to be leaders in volunteerism and community engagement. These groups donate nearly 150,000 volunteer hours each year to worthy causes, and have raised over $350,000 to support groundbreaking cancer research through Relay for Life.

32

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

LIU empowers its students, employees and alumni to engage in impactful fundraising and volunteer efforts during LIU Cares Month each March. Last year over 155 students and employees completed over 800 hours of community service with national organizations.

Nearly 30 events were planned for this year, including those raising money for timely causes such as the wildfires in Australia, as well as an entire week dedicated to raising money for Relay for Life.

This fall, students took time to paint basketball courts and recess areas for schools in low-income areas, assisted park rangers with a cleanup project in Randall’s Island Park and provided animal care at Bideawee Animal Shelter. Additionally, LIU established a new Circle K chapter on its Brooklyn

Exceptional individuals left their mark on behalf of the University as well.

Jared Sarcka, Director of Student Engagement, represented LIU as the featured speaker for NYC Service’s Convening of College/University Partners for best practices in engaging students in service. Jared highlighted best practices in the field of student affairs and how the LIU Promise model inherently leverages those best practices as it reduces silos and increases student interaction with advisors, mentors, and opportunities for engagement.

Amanda Finch, Associate Director of Student Engagement, was one of 30 professionals across the country selected to attend Stanford University Pathways of Public Service and Civic Engagement Institute. Developmental framework will be implemented in 2020 LIU Cares Programs and LIU will continue to have representation on the Pathways international work-group.

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

Forty Years of Educating Gifted Youth THE CENTER FOR GIFTED YOUTH AT LIU PROVIDES THE RESOURCES NECESSARY FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN TO REACH THEIR MAXIMUM POTENTIAL

I

n 1979, Long Island University identified society's special responsibilities for children with demonstrably superior intellectual ability and established The Center for Gifted Youth.

The Center brings together two important elements of education for the gifted: 1) extraordinary teachers recruited from leading high schools, middle schools and elementary schools in the metropolitan area, and 2) university-level facilities. These two factors, combined with an administrative and psychological team schooled in the needs of gifted children, give the program unique strengths in producing positive benefits for young people who receive admission.

The Center’s curriculum is written two years above the child’s chronological age and is constructivist in nature.

The underlying philosophy is a commitment to the development of the intellectual potential of each child. The purpose is to provide learning experiences for children with superior intellectual ability that will deepen and extend their intellectual interests, as well as develop the skills of independent learning. Classes are taught at a faster pace and in greater depth than in most schools. The program is designed to augment programs in local schools.

Objectives of the Center for Gifted Youth: • To provide opportunities for gifted students to relate to each other intellectually and socially • To provide activities at appropriate levels and pace • To maximize problem solving and creative thinking experiences • To focus on leadership development • To increase self-awareness by promoting realization and acceptance of one's capacities and an understanding of one's needs and interests

“We are unique because parent workshops are integral to the gifted program,” said Dr. Lynne Manouvrier, Director of the Center. Manouvrier won the 2019 Gifted Visionary of the Year Award for her work exploring the indicators and the identification process in gifted education. With more than 45 years of working in education, Manouvrier has received grant funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and was the recipient of the Founders Day award for the creation of literacy centers and a Special Education Resource Center and Library in the East Meadow School District.

The Center promotes the joy of learning in a challenging, but supportive environment. The award-winning program offers a variety of courses including Vex Robotics, Advanced Physical Computing with Raspberry Pi and Python, Global Perspectives in the Arts, Superheroes in Literature, Math in Architecture and Chemical Detectives.

“These sessions are run by a psychologist who explores a variety of issues, including social, emotional, educational and family concerns,” Manouvrier said. “Parent workshops provide research and resource material in gifted education.”

Dr. Lynne Manouvrier, Director of the Center, and Henry Mazer, Headmaster for The Center for Gifted Youth, pose with students.

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

33

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

LIU HO P E S C HO LA RS P RO G RAM: AN AWARD FOR DRIVEN STUDENTS

Long Island University remains committed to providing new pathways for students from underprivileged backgrounds. These efforts are aided by steady increases in the University’s endowment over the past six years, made possible by generous donor support, which has placed LIU in its strongest position in the University’s nearly 100-year history.

HO P E S C H OL A RS C A N AT T E ND LI U T UI T I O N FREE At the end of 2018, LIU announced the Hope Scholars Program. First-time freshmen from New York with the highest need — zero estimated family contribution — who score at least a combined 1100 on the SAT or an ACT equivalent and have a 90 average in high school will be eligible for this new scholarship program. LIU will match federal and state financial aid, and is seeking to raise $5,000 per student annually to secure their ability to complete college.

STUD E N T IN IT IAT IV E S •C areer and Internship Connections — meet global leaders and industry executives in New York City •S tudy Abroad Opportunities — explore the world through a unique international experience • Research Collaboration — contribute toward meaningful, cutting-edge discovery • Personal Mentorship — learn from a peer mentor, success coach, and successful alumni in chosen field •E nrichment Activities — pursue educational passions through the many benefits of living in New York City •C ommunity Engagement — supplement education through service opportunities on campus and in the area • F ull Tuition Coverage — provide funding through LIU Scholarships & State/Federal Financial Aid Hope Scholars are supported by a success coach, peer mentors and alumni who have been successful in their chosen field. Access to career and internship connections, the opportunity to collaborate with researchers producing cutting-edge discoveries, and a wealth of service learning opportunities make LIU one of the most well-rounded universities in the country.

LIU prides itself on the unique and vibrant experience it offers all students. Hope Scholars will benefit from all of the opportunities offered at a multi-campus university straddling the urban and suburban centers of one of the world’s greatest cities while receiving the personal, tailored support

34

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

they need to succeed both in and out of the classroom.

Importantly, Hope Scholars will study at a university that provides access to world-class internships, service learning opportunities, and a culture of community engagement.

ENTRANCE GUIDELINES • • • • •

SAT: 1100 High School Average: 90 Expected Family Contribution: 0 NY Resident First-Time Freshman

CONTINUING CRITERIA • • •

Maintain 3.0 GPA Complete 30 credits per year 8 semesters

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

STUDENT SUCCESS STORIES

AMANDA CLOUSER

YALITZA SEPULVEDA

Class of 2020 LIU Pharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)

Class of 2021 LIU Brooklyn Business Administration

Amanda has served as president of the Rho Chi Honor Society, a senator in the American College of Clinical Pharmacy and a PR representative in ACE – The Health Practitioners Society. She is also involved in several other student organizations and clubs including American Pharmacists Association, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, iGive, PLS-Phi Lambda Sigma Leadership Society, Lambda Kappa Sigma, and the Sonny Archer Foundation. Amanda has given numerous presentations at professional meetings and interned at a hospital, medical center, and pharmacy.

DANIEL MCCLURE Class of 2020 LIU Post Criminal Justice

Daniel has served as a Resident Assistant and the Wrestling Captain. He has made Dean’s List all four years since he arrived at LIU. Daniel is a member of the National Honor Society as well as Phi Eta Sigma. He made Academic All-American Honors and placed third in the New York State Collegiate Wrestling Tournament. Additionally, Daniel interned with the United States Postal Inspection Service.

Yalitza is President of the LIU Marketing Society and is involved in the National Society of Leadership and Success, as well as Relay for Life fundraising.

She has served as a Public Color Volunteer, made Dean’s List and is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society. In 2018, Yalitza interned at the Supplements NY Show Room in New York as part of a fashion marketing and merchandising internship. She also worked with the marketing team for the Day and Night-All Service event in New Hyde Park.

ALIYAH GRANT Class of 2021 LIU Global Global Studies

As a freshman and sophomore student studying in Costa Rica and Italy, Aliyah produced marketing content for LIU Global's YouTube and social media pages. She then applied her video skills during her time as a junior in Australia to secure an internship with the Bryon Bay International Film Festival. Global courses have helped her realize her passion for decolonizing storytelling, and Aliyah hopes to explore this concept more during her Senior International Research and Internship Semester during which she will be conducting her own case study on this topic.

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

35

L

O

N

G

I

S

L

A

N

D

U

N

I

V

E

R

S

I

T

Y

ATHLETICS WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY The Long Island University women’s ice hockey team capped a magical inaugural season when the Sharks defeated Saint Anselm 1–0 to capture the New England Women’s Hockey Alliance Championship.

BASEBALL The Long Island University baseball team was selected fifth in the NEC preseason poll by coaches of the conference. The Sharks earned their first victory on Sunday, February 16, taking down USC Upstate 5 – 4.

36

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

SOFTBALL

EQUESTRIAN

Announced by the Northeast Conference, the Long Island University softball team was the team to beat in 2020.

The Sharks earned seven first place votes as the top team in the 2020 NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll, as the prohibitive favorite in their quest for a 15th NEC title.

The Long Island University equestrian team opened up the spring schedule on Sunday, February 23rd at the Pratt IHSA Show, and finished as the high point team for the seventh show in a row.

L

O

N

G

I

S

L

A

N

D

U

N

I

V

E

R

S

I

T

Y

ATHLETICS The men’s and women’s track & field teams completed a successful indoor campaign. The Sharks captured 14 medals including five event wins at the 2020 Northeast Conference Indoor Championship.

WOMEN’S TRACK The women’s track & field team earned a third place team finish at the Northeast Conference Indoor Championships.

The Sharks posted seven medals including a pair of champions in seniors Stephanie Esogenwune and Taylor Parker.

MEN’S TRACK The men’s track & field team rolls into the spring season after a fifth place finish at the 2020 Northeast Conference Indoor Championship in February. LIU captured seven medals and three event wins at the indoor championship.

MEN’S LACROSSE

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Men’s lacrosse freshman Sean Boll scored five goals in his collegiate debut, becoming the third LIU player in as many years to do so. He joins teammates Jake Gillis (5 goals) and Will Snelders (8) as freshmen who scored five or more goals in their debut.

The women’s lacrosse team kicked off the 2020 season on February 8 when they took on Rutgers. The Sharks were picked to finish fifth in the Northeast Conference preseason poll. LIU won the first game of the season when they defeated Manhattan, 7–5 in the home opener.

The Long Island University women’s tennis team started the season 7–5 in dual matches. The Sharks were picked to finish second in the Northeast Conference preseason poll, and received three first place votes.

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

37

L

O Gov. N Andrew G I S L A N D U N I Cuomo announced that LIU would receive

V

E

R

S

I

T

Y

NEWSROOM $12 million in state funding to help open the region’s only veterinary medicine college. (Photo courtesy of Suffolk County Democratic Committee)

ACCELERATING LIFE SCIENCE INNOVATION Team BRKLYN INNOSEQ, led by LIU student Nini Fan, was accepted to ELabNYC, the largest life science accelerator on the East Coast.

ELabNYC researchers collectively receive the second largest amount of funding from the National Institute of Health. The team’s groundbreaking MaMome app helps optimize the health of mothers and infants, during and after pregnancy, by providing tailored dietary advice.

TOP RANKED LIBRARY SCIENCE & HOMELAND SECURITY PROGRAMS Long Island University’s Master of Library Science (MLS) degree ranks among the best in the nation by Intelligent.com. Others recognized included: University of Alabama, George Washington University, Indiana University, University of Kentucky, Louisiana State University, University of Maryland, Northeastern University, University of Oklahoma, Penn State University, Purdue University, Rutgers University, University of South Carolina, Syracuse University, University of Tennessee, Texas A&M University, University of Wisconsin, University of Washington and Virginia Commonwealth University.

38

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

LIU JOINS WORLD’S SECOND LARGEST NURSING ORGANIZATION LIU’s Harriet Rothkopf Heilbrunn School of Nursing received its charter as Omega Nu Chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society. More than 150 faculty, students, alumni and community leaders from the University were inducted into Sigma, which brings numerous benefits and international recognition to its members. Founded in 1922, Sigma is the second-largest nursing organization in the world, with more than 135,000 active members.

L

O

N

G

I

S

L

A

N

D

U

N

I

V

E

R

S

I

T

Y

NEWSROOM LEADING EDUCATION REFORM IN NEW YORK CITY Long Island University hosted over 900 administrators and teachers for two social emotional learning (SEL) training sessions, in conjunction with the Sanford Institute. The sessions were held on the Brooklyn campus and featured the First Lady of New York City Chirlane McCray, NYC School Chancellor Richard Carranza and LIU President Dr. Kimberly Cline. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a partnership between the City’s Department of Education and Sanford Harmony, a research-based PreK-6 SEL program. In partnership with LIU, Sanford Education Programs and National University System have provided an early-childhood education to 8 million children through more than 18,000 schools across the nation.

MODEL UN TEAM WINS IN GERMANY LIU’s Model UN team won the Distinguished Delegation Award at the National Model United Nations (NMUN) conference in Erfurt, Germany and met Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of Germany.

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPOR T’S TOP TEN

AWARD FROM GOVERNOR'S REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNC IL As a part of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's Regional Economic Development Council initiative, LIU's School of Health Professions and Nursing was awarded $275,000. The investment will go toward an Interprofessional Skills Lab and an Image Replication Lab to provide stateof-the-art facilities to develop psychomotor skills and improve clinical expertise of LIU graduates.

Long Island University boasts one of the nation’s best acceptance rates for international students, according to the latest top ten rankings from U.S. News & World Report. The list also includes Indiana University, University of Cincinnati, George Mason University, Colorado State University, the University of Texas Arlington, Pace University and Iowa State University, among others.

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

39

L

O

N

G

I

S

L

A

N

D

U

N

I

V

E

R

S

I

T

Y

ON THE SHELF Healing Civil War Veterans in New York and Washington, D.C.

By Heather Butts (The History Press)

Heather Butts, JD, MPH, Co-Director of LIU’s Honors College on the Post Campus, published her second book, entitled Healing Civil War Veterans in New York and Washington, D.C. Using her erudite knowledge in the field, Butts chronicles those who fought, healed and suffered from PTSD long after the end of the Civil War. The book examines key figures from the era, including Frederick Douglass, Medal of Honor winner Mary Edwards Walker, Clara Barton and others who were instrumental in supporting healthcare for soldiers and medical workers.

Feminist Applied Sport Psychology: From Theory to Practice

By Dr. Leja Carter (Routledge)

Feminist Applied Sport Psychology: From Theory to Practice is Dr. Leja Carter’s first book.

With an emphasis on women and transwomen athletes and exercisers of color, Dr. Carter introduces the reader to feminist, black feminist, and womanist sport psychology, offering an alternative and powerful approach to working with athletes. The book was published by Routledge Press, the world's leading academic publisher in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Miracle Moments in New York Giants Football History

By Tom Rock (Sports Publishing)

Tom Rock (BFA in Communication Arts, 1995), an award-winning sports journalist for Newsday and LIU alumnus, published a new book on the New York Giants. Miracle Moments in New York Giants Football History chronicles the Giant’s illustrious 95-year history and was featured on NBC 4 New York’s “Sports Final” with Bruce Beck.

Rock’s articles have also been included in the 2005 edition of The Best American Sports Writing.

Healing Trauma with Yoga: Go From Surviving to Thriving with MindBody Techniques

The Low-Fat Lie: Rise of Obesity, Diabetes, and Inflammation

By Dr. Glen D. Lawrence (Universal Publishers)

In The Low-Fat Lie: Rise of Obesity, Diabetes, and Inflammation, Dr. Glen D. Lawrence, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, debunks the common advice to consume less fat. Lawrence describes how the false condemnation of saturated fat arose from a misunderstanding of how the human body regulates cholesterol. He argues that the misinformation has had a profound, adverse impact on public health.

The Crazy Bunch

By Willie Perdomo (Penguin Books)

By Beth Shaw (Blue River Press)

Beth Shaw (BS in Business, ’92) president and founder of YogaFit Training Systems, published her fourth book, Healing Trauma with Yoga: Go From Surviving to Thriving with Mind-Body Techniques. The book serves as a practical guide to understanding and healing the origins and effects of trauma. It provides valuable, innovative tools to assist in addressing and working through anxiety, depression and PTSD as well as other trauma-related health challenges.

Willie Perdomo (MFA in Creative Writing, ’12), released his fourth book, The Crazy Bunch. This immersive collection of poetry chronicles a weekend in the life of a group of friends coming of age in East Harlem in the early nineties. As a native of East Harlem, Perdomo creates a vivid portrait of the violence that threatens the lives of this young “crew”, while reflecting on the nostalgia of growing up in this legendary neighborhood.

Have you recently written a book or made an album?

Let us know about it and we’ll gladly include it “On the Shelf”!

We’re proud to promote work by our talented University alumni and faculty.

Contact: liu.edu/alumni/submit 40

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

L

O

N

G

I

S

L

A

N

D

U

N

I

V

E

R

S

I

T

Y

ALUMNI EVENTS LIU offers many opportunities to stay engaged with the community and continue your educational and professional growth long after graduation.

Mark your calendars and plan to join us for upcoming events.

VIRTUAL EVENTS

ONLINE DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSE

We are producing virtual events that are fun, informational, and relevant. Keep an eye out for the following events coming up:

We've teamed up with NTSI to bring you online defensive driving courses. Receive a discount on car insurance and reduction in points once completed. Discount and reduction vary from state-to-state. Currently only available for alumni residents of NY and NJ.

• Virtual Masterclasses led by LIU Professors • Zumba • BINGO, and many more!

For more information and to register for events, please visit: liu.edu/alumni/events Feel free to email us at LIUalumni@liu.edu if you have any suggestions.

New York Course: lms.ntsi.com/registration/LIU-NYOLDDC New Jersey Course: lms.ntsi.com/registration/LIU-NJOLDDC

Check our website at liu.edu/alumni for the most up-to-date alumni information, news, and events.

Get your Annual Alumni Membership today! community.liu.edu/liualumnimembership For $10 a year, alumni will receive: • Alumni ID card • Alumni email address with Microsoft Office 365 • Access to LIU’s job portal Handshake

Tell us your story! Share your personal milestones and professional accomplishments with the LIU community!

Visit liu.edu/alumni/submit to send your story.

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

41

CLASS NOTES

CLASS NOTES TELL US YOUR STORY! SHARE YOUR PERSONAL MILESTONES AND PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS WITH THE LIU COMMUNITY Visit liu.edu/alumni/submit to send your story.

1950s ELIOT TIEGEL (BS in Journalism, ’57), a prominent journalist in the entertainment industry for nearly fifty years, passed away on Monday, April 6, 2020 at the age of 84. Tiegel’s work covered music, records, radio, television and films for regional and national publications, such as Billboard magazine, Television/Radio Age, Weekly Variety, and the Hollywood Reporter. His most recent books include Latinization of America: How Hispanics Are Changing the Nation's Sights and Sounds and Overexposed: The Price of Fame: The Troubles of Britney, Lindsay, Paris and Nicole.

1960s MANUEL KARELL (BS in Biology ’64) is a doctor, artist and fashion designer. He has practiced family medicine for over fifty years and is the inventor of 19 U.S. Patents.

RICHARD W. CUCCO (BS in English, ’66) worked at Grumman Aircraft after graduation and went on to operationally test the Lunar Module Environmental Control System (ECS), which resulted in the successful Apollo 11 through 17 Lunar landings and surface explorations and went on to work at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Following his career in aerospace, he served as a member of IBM's Global Services customer support teams.

STEPHEN EINHORN (BS in Business, ’66) was elected into the Home Entertainment Hall of Fame. He served as President & Chief Operating Officer New Line Home Entertainment, where he worked from 1990 – 2008.

1970s EDWARD PITTARELLI (BS in Physics, ’70) was recently elected Vice President of the Board of Trustees at Alpine Learning Group. He is a member of the Bergen County Work Force Development Board Project Search and Disability Committees.

KEN BARAT (BS in Chemistry, ’70) published his seventh book on laser safety, entitled Laser Safety Practical knowledge & Solutions—IOP. He spent over twenty years as Laser Safety Officer at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with the U.S. Department of Energy.

42

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

RONALD L. SMITH (BA in English, ’74) is the author of 19 books, including a biography of Johnny Carson, and now a singer/songwriter at BMI, the largest music rights organization in the U.S. His photography has been featured in national magazines and used during TV news broadcasts, such as TV Guide, Penthouse and People.

BRIAN M. ROHAN (MBA, ’75) is the president and founder of Rohan Engineering, P.C. He has over fortyeight years of engineering and building experience, serves as a Construction Superintendent for the New York City Department of Buildings and is the recipient of three awards from the American Society for Testing and Materials.

THOMAS O’BRIEN (MBA, ’76) is the Director of Business Development for KLD Labs, Inc., one of the leading suppliers of real time machine vision and data acquisition solutions for the Transportation and Industrial sectors. He is involved in introducing automated machine vision solutions that inspect, measure and predict maintenance cycles, advancing the state of good repair for commuter, passenger, heavy, light and freight railways throughout the world.

PAUL THOMAS FORTUNATO (BA in Business, ’78) is a Partner of Fortunato Sons Contracting, Inc., where he manages 250,000 square-foot of Class A Office Space at Airport Corporate Center and several light industrial buildings in Bohemia, New York.

1980s BRETT THOMAS SPEAR (BS in Biochemistry, ’80) is Professor of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics at the University of Kentucky, where he has worked since 1989. He earned his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and did a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Molecular Genetics at Princeton University.

CAROL REYNOLDS-SROT (BA in Journalism, ’80) is University Editor at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. Reynolds-Srot spent decades as an editor in the newspaper industry before moving into academia seven years ago.

JIM HOARE (MA in Music Education, ’81) is Executive Vice President at Theatrical Rights Worldwide, a full-service musical theatre licensing company, and has been involved in theatre & music education for over forty years. He has directed world high school premieres (Once on This Island and Les Miserables School Edition) and has taken numerous productions to the International Thespian Festival Mainstage.

In 2011, he received the New York State Theatre Education Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

PATRICK BELL (BS in Accounting, ’87) is Assistant Vice President and Senior Project Manager at Eagle Bank in Bethesda, Maryland. He has over 15 years of accounting experience and has held positions at Ernst & Young, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. ELIZABETH LODA (MBA ’87) is the founder of Women’s Financial Network (WFN) and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who’s Who, the world’s premier publisher of biographical profiles. In addition to founding WFN, Loda has also served a member of the Advisory Board of Women in Philanthropy and as the chairperson of the Grants Committee in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

FRANKLIN COLEMAN (BA in History, ’88) is the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs & Communications at the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. Prior to that, he worked six years as VP of media relations at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and was the press secretary for former U.S. Senator D'Amato and Chief of Staff for Representative Schneider.

LISA PULITZER (BFA in Communication Arts, ’88) appeared on ABC’s 20/20 to discuss the disappearance of Natalee Holloway nearly 15 years ago. Pulitzer co-wrote the book, Portrait of Monster: Joran van der Sloot, a Murder in Peru, and the Natalee Holloway Mystery. Pulitzer is an eight-time New York Times best-selling author and the author of 50 non-fiction books.

Elizabeth Loda

DEBBIE DE LOUISE (BA in English, ’89) is an award-winning author of seven published novels. Her latest book, Sea Scope (2019) has been nominated for a 2019 Author Academy Award.

DANA PAUL PERNA (BA in Music, ’81) is the music director of the Daytona Beach Civic Orchestra and host of the Dana Paul Perna Power Hour Show since 2018.

JOHN M. GALLAGHER (BA in Political Science, ’89), Assistant United States Attorney, was confirmed to a federal judgeship in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Gallagher previously served as chief of the Allentown branch of the U.S. attorney’s office. He has been a federal prosecutor for nearly 15 years.

EMILY ZAINO (BS in Business Administration, ’83) is the Florida Regional Sales Executive at Distinguished Programs, a national insurance program manager. Prior to joining Distinguished Programs, Zaino served as sales and business development executive for Travelers Insurance.

JOHN P. KIERNAN (BS in Accounting, ’84) is Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Veeco Instruments, a leading manufacturer of technologies. Kiernan previously served as Senior Vice President of Finance, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer. He is responsibile for all finance, tax, treasury and investor relations functions at the company.

TARA LYNN MASIH (BA in English, ’85) is an award-winning author. She won a 2019 Inspirational Women in Literature Award from AITL Media. Her debut novel, My Real Name is Hanna, for young readers and adults, has won four book awards, including The Julia Ward Howe Award for Young Readers, presented by the Boston Authors Club. She has published fiction, poetry, essays, profiles, and articles, and her essays have been read on NPR.

1990s ACE ANTONIO-HALL (BFA in Film, ’90) is an American urban fantasy and horror writer. Oware Mosaic, set in a postapocalyptic Ghana in the year 2025, garnered praise from Publishers Weekly and multiple New York Times bestselling authors. Additionally, Antonio-Hall’s short story, “Raising Mary: Frankenstein", was nominated for “Horror Story of the Year” at the 19th Annual Editors and Preditors Readers Poll.

JAY P. MCCONIE (BS in Accounting, ’90) is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The First of Long Island Corporation and The First National Bank of Long Island. McConie has been employed as Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of the Bank since 2015.

DAVID H DOUGLAS (BS in Math and Computer Science, ’92) is entering his 25th year of employment at the Suffolk Cooperative Library System. In 2017, he was appointed library trustee at the Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in Setauket, New York.

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

43

CLASS NOTES

Khemraj Singh Rambhajan proposed to Loveprit Kaur Dhesi on January 11, 2020 on the LIU Brooklyn Campus bridge where he first saw her at LIU. Both graduated from the School of Business in 2014 and both currently work in accounting for PWC.

JOSH MARGOLIN (BFA in Journalism, ’92) is the Chief Investigative Reporter at ABC News. He covered the 1992 shooting of Mary Jo Buttafuoco, a case that garnered national attention at the time, during his senior year at LIU as part of his internship with Newsday. Following his graduation, Margolin would go on to co-win a 2005 Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Reporting for The Star-Ledger. In 2011, he co-authored The Jersey Sting, a bestselling book about one of the biggest political corruption cases.

GENE PAGE (MFA in Photography, ’94) is a professional photographer. He shot publicity photos on The Walking Dead for nine seasons and recently finished work on The Right Stuff for the National Geographic channel, which covers the Mercury Seven astronauts.

SEPH RODNEY (BA in English, ’97) is senior editor and writer for Hyperallergic. He has written for CNN Op-ed pages, American Craft magazine and NBC Universal.

His book, The Personalization of the Museum Visit, was published by Routledge in May. Rodney is also a frequent guest on the podcast “The American Age.” JANE AGBONTAEN (BS in Physician’s Assistant, ’98) is Senior Brand Director for myopia management–Americas at CooperVision, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses and related products and services.

Agbontaen has more than 20 years of professional experience in health care and with large medical device players, including Hologic, Abbott Medical Optics and Johnson & Johnson DePuy Synthes.

44

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

CHRISTOPHER BLAKE (MBA, ’99) is Director at Greystone & Co., a leading national commercial real estate lending, investment, and advisory company. Blake boasts more than two decades of experience in commercial real estate loan origination and finance, including 20 years at Astoria Bank (now Sterling National Bank).

JACQUELINE MAGUIRE (MS in Criminal Justice '99) is the special agent in charge of the Criminal Division of the FBI's New York Field Office. After 9/11, Maguire served as the lead agent for the investigation into the five hijackers of American Airlines Flight 77. She received the 2006 Attorney General's Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security and the 2009 Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service.

2000s DINAMARY HORVATH (BA in International Relations, ’01, MA in Political Science, ’02) was named a Top 50 Lawyer for Massachusetts in 2019, making the cover of The Top 100 Magazine. She is the founder and principal of Maxe Law, a firm that focuses on employment law specializing in workplace investigations and compliance training.

ROB FAVATA (BA in Criminal Justice, ’03) is a firefighter for the Fire Department of New York Ladder Company 10 in lower Manhattan. In 2011, he won a winning a Gold Medal at the World Police & Fire Games in New York City for his World Record with his bench press of 385 pounds.

ANNCHARLOTTE TAVOLACCI (BFA in Fine Art, ’03; MA in Clinical Art Therapy, ’12), an adjunct graduate professor at LIU, was selected as an artist for the Sing for Hope Piano Project, where she used a piano as a canvas on public display in Central Park and Jamaica Hospital. She was one of twelve artists selected from around the world to attend an Artist in Residency in Nova Scotia and has presented lectures at NYC's Parsons New School, the Museum of Art and Design, and Frank Sinatra School of Design.

CHRISTINA RAU (MFA in Creative Writing, ’05) is the author of the Elgin Award winning science-fiction feminist poetry collection Liberating The Astronauts (2017), as well as the chapbooks WakeBreatheMove (2015) and For The Girls, I (2014). She serves as Poet In Residence 2020 for the Oceanside Library and is the founder of Poets In Nassau, a reading circuit on Long Island.

LATAYVIA BROWN (BS in Journalism, ’07) is the founder of Professionally Inspired, LLC, a business service that partners with non-profit, high school and faith-based organizations that works with young people to improve outcomes. She is an award-winning social entrepreneur who has been featured in LV Magazine, Faith Grind and Inspired podcast, the "First-Gen Lounge" podcast, Bronx Community Television, among other media outlets. Last year, she was recognized by Making the Impossible Possible Inc, the Brooklyn Borough President, and various members of Congress as an outstanding citizenship Hall of Fame.

GREGORY CIOFFI (BS in Childhood Education ’09, MS in Adolescence Education, MA in Theatre ’13) played a featured role as a mobster in The Irishman, one of the most anticipated movies of the year. Set in Pennsylvania during the 1950’s, the film depicts notorious organized crime figures Jimmy Hoffa, Frank Sheeran and Russell Bufalino. Directed

by Martin Scorsese, The Irishman stars Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. Cioffi has experience in the genre from a previous role in AMC’s The Making of the Mob. Additionally, he played the lead role of Marc Riou in Silenced, which won Best Long Island Film at the 2016 Long Island International Film Expo.

WILLIE PERDOMO (MFA in Creative Writing, ’12) is an award-winning poet and author. His latest book is The Crazy Bunch (2019). He wrote The Essential Hits of Shorty Bon Bon (2014), a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and winner of the International Latino Book Award, Smoking Lovely (2004), winner of the PEN Open Book Award, and Where a Nickel Costs a Dime (1996), a finalist for the Poetry Society of America Norma Farber First Book Award. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Norton Anthology of Latino Literature, Poetry, Bomb Magazine, and African Voices.

LAUREN COMITO (AC in Public Library Administration, ’12) and CHRISTIAN ZABRISKIE (AC in Public Library Administration, ’12) were named co-winners of Librarian of the Year award by Library Journal. Comito and Zabriskie met at LIU and went on to found Urban Librarians Unite, a group of library professionals and advocates working to build community centered 21st-century libraries across the country.

KHEMRAJ SINGH RAMBHAJAN (BS, MS in Accounting, ’14) proposed to LOVEPRIT KAUR DHESI (BS, MS in Accounting, ’14) on the bridge at the Brooklyn campus where he first saw her at LIU. Both Rambhajan and Dhesi currently work in accounting for PricewaterhouseCoopers.

MIKAELA HOUGHTON (BA in Global Studies, ’16) is Manager of Affiliate Growth and Development at Raising A Reader, a national nonprofit organization offering local agencies an evidence-based early literacy and parent engagement program. She was named “30 Under 30" by The Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Atlanta for her work at Georgia Asylum and Immigration Network, a nonprofit, immigration law firm in Atlanta.

2010s JUSTIN BARTON (MBA, ’10) is the new Vice President of Digital Strategy and Partnerships at Black Enterprise Magazine. He previously served as Head of Analytics and Digital Strategy at SJR. Prior to that, he held leadership positions at iHeartMedia, Viacom, MailOnline, InteractiveOne, Disney ABC Television Group and The Adecco Group.

YAO HONG (AC in Public Library Administration, ’10) is the director of Technical Services of the Queens Public Library, where she has worked since 2007. Prior to that, she spent 14 years at the New York Public Library. Hong was recently elected to serve on the executive team at OLCL, a global library cooperative, on its North America Regional Councils.

She is also President of the Chinese American Librarians Association.

Dinamary Horvath

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

45

ACADEMICS

B RANCHING OUT TILLES CENTER’S SENSORY IMMERSION THEATRE IS WORKING TO MAKE ARTS EDUCATION MORE INCLUSIVE TO ALL STUDENTS IN SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

N

o academic discipline inspires those from all walks of life more than the performing arts. The arts as a whole unite and encourage human beings to pursue meaningful endeavors and exhibit virtuous character toward their fellow man. LIU’s highly esteemed performing arts programs have equipped students to achieve their lifelong dreams and produced Broadway performers and Hollywood actors alike.

The University is home to Tilles Center for Performing Arts, Long Island’s premier concert hall. Tilles Center staff ensure some of the world’s top performers visit campus each year, yielding many of the region’s most exciting events.

Recent guests include Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, Diana Ross, Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Kesha, Jason Derulo and The Bacon Brothers, to name a few. Tilles Center was the first to bring the New York Philharmonic to Long Island and Bruce Springsteen’s legendary “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” was recorded onsite.

Of course, not all inspiring performances come from those with critical acclaim and international fame. Some of the most inspiring work comes from those who educate, those who sacrifice and those who overcome obstacles en route to prodigious achievement.

Tilles Center is empowering, equipping and enabling these individuals through numerous arts education programs, none more remarkable than the Sensory Emersion Theatre, which will debut Branching Out this spring.

Branching Out is an original work of sensory-immersive theater with music, created by Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, specifically designed for individuals on the autism spectrum and those who may have limited movement, sensory and/or complex communication needs.

46

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

This multi-sensory theatrical experience is about a journey through the four seasons.

“Our Executive Director Bill Biddle and Director of Education and Outreach Stephanie Turner’s vision has always been to grow the arts education programs, in particular the sensory friendly programs,” said Shari Linker, Director Communications and Engagement at Tilles Center. “Tilles Center’s arts education program is so robust, it’s hard to find something that does anything on the scale that we do.”

Branching Out is a homegrown production that has been workshopped in local schools. LIU students designed the logo and sets. Eventually, Tilles Center’s Sensory Emersion Theatre may be a national phenomenon.

“Over the last several years, we’ve noticed the need for more programming related to those with sensory issues,” Linker said.

“Once it’s complete, we’ll have performances here, but we’ll also showcase it at schools on Long Island and eventually those outside the Long Island community.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

To view upcoming events, please visit: tillescenter.org/events/

COVID-19 Scholarship FUND Your gift helps students who have lost a parent due to COVID-19.

Long Island University has established the COVID-19 SCHOLARSHIP FUND to support students who have lost a parent due to the pandemic.

Help us harness the power of the LIU alumni network to strengthen these students with the certainty that the LIU community is here to support them.

In these difficult times, your generosity will provide the opportunity these students need to pursue their education, putting them on a path to meaningful and successful lives.

To make a gift, please visit liu.edu/giving, call 516.299.3801, or e-mail joan.yonke@liu.edu.

LIUMAGAZINE | Spring 2020

47

Nonprofit U.S. Postage PAID Long Island University

LIU Magazine 700 Northern Boulevard Brookville, NY 11548

JOIN US NEXT SEASON! FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT TILLESCENTER.OG facebook.com/tillescenter

instagram.com/tillescenter

A002-20

FOLLOW US

Tillescenter.org • 516.299.3100 LIU POST. 720 NORTHERN BLVD. BROOKVILLE, NY 11548