A PRESIDENTI AL UNIVERSITY BUSH JOINS THE ROSTER OF WORLD LEADERS WHO’VE TAKEN THE STAGE AT LIU

PIONEERS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

BEHIND THE SCENES IN BROOKLYN

Five Graduates Blazing a Trail in the Digital Media Era

From LIU’s Campus to Food & Beverage Prominence

A Closer Look at LIU’s New Acting Program

YOU ARE OUR LEGACY

Your gift to the Annual Fund helps make your LIU degree more valuable!

Long Island University has earned more national recognition than ever before because of YOU. Alumni leaders and friends—like YOU—advance the mission of the University through your successes, honors, and awards. We are proud of all you have achieved. YOUR GIFT HAS POWER Your support is crucial to help LIU students achieve their dreams. FUND A FUTURE Scholarship funds play a critical role in recruitment, retention, and graduation. YOU can make a dream come true with your gift to the Annual Fund for LIU. Please visit liu.edu/donate, call 516.299.2883, or e-mail nathaniel.pazik@liu.edu.

LIU MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018 LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

IN THIS ISSUE FEATURES

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

A Presidential University

COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING

Serving Up Success

SCOTT SCHOEN Chief Marketing Officer

A Five-Star Program

34 Driven, Devoted, and Determined

GORDON TEPPER Director of Public and Media Relations

Research & Discovery

Post Production

Excellence on Display

KIMBERLY R. CLINE President, Long Island University

EDITORS

12 OneLIU

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT 36 Student Success In and Out of the Classroom 38 Post Athletics

ZAC HOWARD Assistant Director of Marketing

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

MICHAEL MORRISEY Project Manager

A Convincing Performance

Runway to Success

SPENCER RUMSEY Associate Director of Public and Media Relations CONTRIBUTORS LLOYD RIBNER Deputy Director, Athletics CATHERINE SNEDECOR Assistant Director of Media Relations, Athletics VIRGINIA KLUITERS Editorial Marketing DESIGN LAUREN PANKRATZ Senior Designer ALUMNI RELATIONS WILLIAM MARTINOV Chief of Alumni and Employer Relations MOREEN MITCHELL University Director of Employer and Alumni Engagement JOAN YONKE Campus Director of Employer and Alumni Engagement

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.

Starstruck by the Universe

40 Brooklyn Athletics

DEPARTMENTS

24 Conserving the Past, Unveiling the Future

Valuable Partnerships

Fiscal 2018 Financial Summary

26 LIU Pharmacy

On The Shelf

Alumni Events

Class Notes

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT 28

Xerox Chief Executive

Taking Care of Business

32 An Unscripted Career

A MESSAGE FROM

DR. KIMBERLY R. CLINE, PRESIDENT Long Island University is proud of our dynamic campuses, world-class faculty, and motivated, exceptional students. We are propelling our University to national recognition as a globally engaged teaching and research institution. The University has made significant progress toward each of the goals in our strategic plan. We are working together to innovate higher education by integrating classroom instruction with experiential learning opportunities, combining the arts and sciences with the practical education needed for professional careers. The stories in this edition of the LIU Magazine will show the wonderful accomplishments of our students, faculty and alumni. I am proud to share them with you.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

FEATURE STORY

A PRESIDENTIAL UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH JOINS THE ROSTER OF WORLD LEADERS WHOâ€™VE TAKEN THE STAGE AT LIU TO SHARE THEIR VIEWS

Former President George W. Bush speaks at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at LIU Post on Oct. 25th.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

resident George W. Bush took the stage at Tilles Center for the Performing Arts for an affable evening of enlightening conversation that touched on his relationship with his father, his new-found love of painting and his emotional experience at Ground Zero after 9/11. Bush recounted his visit to Ground Zero in the days following 9/11, when he focused the nation’s attention on the utter devastation right in the heart of Manhattan and vowed that the world would soon learn about the resilient spirit of the city and the country. His words gave voice to the selfless actions of countless first responders and added to their resolve. Bush also recalled how nervous he was at Yankee Stadium when he took to the mound and threw the first pitch of Game 3 of the World Series in October because the last thing he wanted to do was come up short in front of that huge hometown crowd. President Bush and Congressman Steve Israel, chairman of the Global Institute, conversed like two political colleagues. Indeed, they had first gotten to know each other when Bush was in the White House. Their amiable discussion on Oct. 25th ranged from the political to the personal. Israel asked Bush if he recalled any profound moments he had shared with his father during his own presidency. The 43rd president recounted his experience at the Washington National Cathedral for a memorial service held for the victims of the 9/11 attacks three days after the tragedy. After delivering his remarks, he took his seat and suddenly felt a hand reach out to hold him. It was the reassuring grasp of his father, President George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st president of the United States, telling his son that he’d done fine. On a lighter note, Bush described how he astonished his mother Barbara Bush by learning how to paint. She didn’t think he had any artistic talent, he said with a laugh, but he proudly proved her wrong. His paintings honoring the sacrifice

and courage of America’s military veterans are now touring the country in a collection called “Portraits of Courage.” Bush’s arrival came less than two weeks before the midterm elections but he didn’t weigh in on any races. When Israel asked him if he’d ever sought his father’s advice, he replied, “If I had, he would have told me to send my briefers to him in Houston or Maine. Then he would give me advice.” At the end of the program, the former president was given a standing ovation. Earlier this year, Long Island University welcomed former Vice President Joe Biden to the Tilles Center as part of the Global Institute’s ongoing lecture series. Last fall, former President Bill Clinton joined Israel for an engaging discussion on current issues ranging from international relations to college affordability and gun violence. These prestigious leaders were just the latest in worldrenowned speakers to come to LIU to share their insights. Previous guests of the Global Institute have also included former Secretary of State General Colin Powell and General David Petraeus. The University is proud to have created a forum that lets them present their unique vision of historical events that have shaped our world. Their experiences and perspectives offer incomparable value to the LIU community. As Chairman Israel explains, the Global Institute’s goal of hosting these in-depth conversations is to provide a solid platform on which to build a deeper appreciation of the conditions facing our planet. “The Institute has become the place that really helps people understand,” Israel told reporters recently. “We don’t do it through academic course work; we do it by bringing world leaders here. If you’re a foreign leader and you’re in our area, you know that this is a stop you want to make.” •

Among the special speakers brought to Brookville by the Global Institute of LIU are former Secretary of State Colin Powell, President Bill Clinton, General David Petraeus and Vice President Joe Biden.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

FEATURE STORY

SERVING UP SUCCESS

KEN ARETSKY poses in front of his eponymous restaurant, Aretskyâ€™s Patroon, located on East 46th street in Manhattan

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

Few industries demand more adaptation than that of the food and beverage sector, as prominent restaurateur Ken Aretsky, celebrated chef Sarabeth Levine and Baltimore brewmaster Steve Demczuk can attest. Long before the arrival of student-run businesses, LIU was fostering the entrepreneurial spirit. Whether it’s a wine glass, a beer growler, or a mimosa, these alumni can toast to that!

oft used by early New Yorkers. “We got very lucky. God put me in the right spot at the right moment,” he said.

t’s been said about New York,“If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.” With an unparalleled drive for success comprising the ubiquitous cultural milieu, the colloquial trope underscores the acute challenges of carving out success amid tremendous competition. Ken Aretsky (Post ’64, B.A. in Business) first tasted the excitement of the hospitality industry world as a boy, when his father would deliver seltzer to local restaurants. Recruited to play football at C.W. Post in its early years, Aretsky graduated in 1964. After sustaining success with his first restaurant, Truman’s, in Roslyn, he set his sights on the bright lights of New York City in 1978, opening Oren and Aretsky’s, a sports bar on the Upper East Side, with his close friend Oren Stevens. The bar became a watering hole for the then-despondent New York Rangers hockey players, searching for respite from the press. When the team eventually found its winning streak on the ice, the Rangers became the toast of the town. The players remained loyal to their host, informing the voracious NY media that all interviews would be conducted at Oren and Aretsky’s. Suddenly, business was booming like the loudspeakers at Madison Square Garden. “There are times in life when you can’t explain why things happen,” Aretsky said. “It was really magical. But I also thought, how long could this hold up? You’re riding the crest of a wave.” The timing proved serendipitous, as 21 Club owner Marshall Cogan sought a magical touch to revive the iconic former speakeasy. Rest is a word unfa-

As the restaurant ages, the name fits in more ways than one. Aretsky laments the decreasing attention to detail within the industry. “There are a lot of great restaurants in New York, but there’s no sense of ownership,” he said. “The minute you come in the front door, I want you to feel like a million dollars.”

A self-trained chef, Sarabeth Levine’s cooking now boasts international recognition. (Photo courtesy of Sarabeth Levine)

miliar to most entrepreneurs, so when Cogan pitched Aretsky on running the restaurant, ambition trumped the familiarity of his thriving sports bar. By dint of an innovative floorplan, enchanting aesthetics, and Aretsky’s affable temperament, 21 once again reached national prominence as Manhattan’s premier nightlife destination, with a reputation for hosting A-list celebrities. As the nocturnal lifestyle took its toll, Aretsky pursued a new endeavor in 1995. While perusing potential options with a real estate agent, he fawned over a building on East 46th street that was home to the elegant Christ Cella steakhouse. Later that week, the agent called to inform Aretsky the building was for sale and the restaurant was looking to close. In one fell swoop, he became the landlord and owner of Aretsky’s Patroon, named after the old Dutch word meaning “landowner,”

On a refurbished leather booth at this beloved establishment, now a staple of Midtown East, Aretsky recently sat and reflected on his time at the University. “I’m so proud of what it’s become,” he said. As one who encourages innovation in others, he affirms LIU’s emphasis on entrepreneurship. “I want people to think about what they want to do and go create it.”

arabeth Levine (Post ‘64, B.A.; H ‘14) had no ambitions for opening up a restaurant, much less becoming a household name in Manhattan, with 11 stateside restaurants in New York City, Long Island, Key West Florida, along with newer locations in Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Dubai. Four decades ago, as a single mother supporting two daughters and holding a mixed bag of jobs from nursery school teacher to bathing suit designer, she met Bill Levine, a contractor and businessman working on a new café in need of a signature item. As fate would have it, Sarabeth held onto a 200-year-old treasured family recipe for an orange-apricot marmalade crafted by her French grand-merè. The two conjoined their talents and lives,

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

selling pastries with a fruity spread. Once New York magazine got a taste of the new Upper West Side treats, word traveled quickly and Levine’s culinary reputation grew as more and more New Yorkers recognized her catchy first name. While the original store is no longer open, its baked goods can be found at full menu restaurants around the city. “It was a business that just happened; it wasn’t planned,” she said. Once things took off, she discovered the incessant work demands and planning required. “If you’re a lazy person, forget about it. I didn’t make money for three years. You have to work at it — money just doesn’t happen.” Now, 37 years later, Levine oversees the vision casting and cuisine options for her 23 restaurants across the globe, with a prestigious James Beard Pastry Chef of the Year award on her résumé. Still, she enjoys putting on an apron and working in the kitchens of her restaurants. “I have to wear many hats,” she said. “There’s always something happening. Every day I go home exhausted. I’m 75 years old, but I’m still running around like a 30-year-old lunatic. It’s so bizarre that I still do all of this, but I just love what I do.” While acknowledging the invaluable opportunities current Post students have so they can learn the challenges and excitement of running a business in college, Sarabeth is quick to point out that the motivation must be genuine. “It’s about having a passion about what you love,” she said. “You have to really feel it. If it’s your hobby, make it your career.”

y the time Dr. Stephen Demczuk (Post ’76, M.S. in Cell Biology) finished his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, he was well on his way to making a career out of one of his childhood hobbies. As a boy growing up in Baltimore, he enjoyed early morning trips to the shore with his dad, where

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

1 Sarabeth Levine turned a 200-year-old family recipe for orange-apricot marmalade into culinary masterpiece that catapulted her into the world of fine food. (Photo courtesy of Sarabeth Levine)

the two would go fishing or crabbing. This consistent exposure to marine life in his developmental years planted a fascination with nature. After studying biochemistry as an undergrad at Maryland, Demczuk pursued his Masters in Cell Biology from Post, drawn by some friends he had on the lacrosse team. Upon graduating from LIU, he began his post doc in Geneva, Switzerland, where he had “near religious experiences with beer.” Demczuk started writing for the beer magazine American Brewer, thinking about the culture of beer and even began brewing his own beer. One day it dawned on him: his childhood passion for science and newfound fascination with hoppy beverages had a distinct overlap. As he puts it, “There’s a lot of science in beer.” So, in 1995, Demczuk changed careers, swapping microbiology for microbrews. He formed the first beer-of-the-month club in Europe, called Beer Around the World, which involved importing beer into Luxembourg, boxing it up and shipping it within the EU. One supplier of his beers was Wolfgang Stark, who

imported beer from all over the globe. One day Stark asked Demczuk if he would consider making a beer in Germany and using an American marketing theme. Thus, RavenBeer was born in 1998, registered in Baltimore — the home of literary giant Edgar Allan Poe, whose famous poem inspired the company’s name, which predates the city’s NFL football team, the Ravens. While Demczuk’s extensive scientific background enhanced his understanding of beer, it didn’t translate to the fundamentals of starting a company from scratch. “I was pretty naïve about setting up a business and running it,” he admits. However, like Levine and Aretsky, he embodied a trait not found in textbooks or lectures. What was the key to building a successful craft beer company in a tepid beer climate? “I guess it’s fortitude, believing in what you have, and your passion and your love,” he said. “You’ve got to have all of that to withstand the bad times. You’ve got to show that to people

around you who can support you.” Now distributed in Maryland, Washington D.C., Delaware, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia, RavenBeer continues to grow, having just released its 20th anniversary lager. Demczuk appreciates the explosion of craft beer across the country. Still, he treasures the memories of the ascent.

“Almost every time we do a beer festival, people come up to our stand and say, ‘You guys without a doubt have the best beer,’” he said. “Hearing things like that in the doldrums was encouraging. That was something that always kept me going.” •

2. Opened in 1995, Aretsky’s Patroon is now a staple of Midtown East. (Photo courtesy of Ken Aretsky) 3. Stephen Demczuk stays involved with the brewing process from start to finish. (Photo courtesy of Stephen Demczuk) 4. RavenBeer has won multiple awards, both for taste and branding, including World Beer Championships Silver Award. (Photo courtesy of Stephen Demczuk) 5. Demczuk poses with a freshly sealed can of the 20th Anniversary Raven Special Lager. (Photo courtesy of Stephen Demczuk)

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

FEATURE STORY

A FIVE-STAR PR OG R A M

Amid the Public Relations industry’s seismic shift with the explosion of digital media, LIU’s litany of success stories, exemplified by these stellar alumni, demonstrate the PR program’s excellence and versatility.

labeled social media, she pitched her bosses on the now ubiquitous concept of strategic social media marketing. Once given the green light, she began the Social 101 road show to clients. Now, with a Silver Facebook Studio award and a Cannes Cyber Lion nomination on her résumé, she maintains a reputation for bringing brands to life on social media.

JANET CAPUTO KARP

“It’s kind of crazy to me to think that I built a career on something that didn’t exist when I was in high school,” she said. “I’m always having to learn, but I’m a naturally curious person.”

(POST ‘08, B.F.A. IN PUBLIC RELATIONS) Senior Vice President, Activation, MRY

A pioneer in social media marketing, Janet Caputo Karp started at Tenthwave Digital, where she launched the social strategy department, serving clients such as Jim Beam, eBay, PayPal, Martha Stewart, Pepperidge Farm and Campbell’s Soup brands, before taking roles at Time Out New York and R/GA en route to her current role of S.V.P. at MRY. Learning on the fly and working with new technology has proved to be Caputo Karp’s M.O. over the years. With a burgeoning platform being

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

when he joined the National Basketball Association as its director of marketing communications. He then moved to Madison Square Garden as its Vice President of Communications, before moving to his current role at Lagardére, a global network of leading sports and entertainment properties. Tiso recalls the early days of cutting out press clippings and appreciates the memories, yet senses the future may be brighter for those breaking into the business today. “Everything is becoming PR these days,” he said. “While traditional media is shrinking, the avenues for PR people to communicate is expanding. It’s a very fertile field for people to look into as a career option.” Among the practical skills Tiso learned at Post, and one of the most helpful traits he acquired, was that of common courtesy.

CARMINE TISO (POST ‘98, B.F.A. IN PUBLIC RELATIONS) U.S. Vice President, Communications, Lagardére

Always interested in sports, Carmine Tiso made his way into the arena

“It’s a people business,” he said. “It sounds basic, but treating people with respect and being kind goes a long way.”

DANIELLE CIRAMI-GILLIS

MIKE RAU

DAYNA GHIRALDI

(POST ‘00, B.F.A. IN PUBLIC RELATIONS)

(POST ‘05, B.F.A. IN PUBLIC RELATIONS)

Vice President, Events and Tradeshows, Northstar Media

Vice President of Theatrical Publicity, Lionsgate

Owner/Director of Publicity, Big Picture Media

Danielle Cirami-Gillis has made her career in the live events world, working for powerhouse publishing companies, Northstar Media, Questex Media UBM, and Advanstar. In her current role, she oversees the strategic management and growth of more than 20 annual live events and meetings affiliated with the meetings’ media brands.

Destined for the stars, Mike Rau landed a publicity position at New Line Cinema in Los Angeles just a year after graduation. He moved up the ladder, went to Paramount Vantage, and was recruited as a senior account executive at 42West. He then went to Summit Entertainment, working as V.P. of national publicity before assuming his current role at Lionsgate in 2014.

With a conspicuous work ethic and unapologetic passion, entrepreneur Dayna Ghiraldi converted her connections from internship experiences and early positions into potential clients for her entertainment-based company, Big Picture Media, launched in 2007. The firm leads campaigns for high-profile music and film events, with clients featured at MTV VMAs and the APMAs, as well as festivals like Sundance, SXSW, Warped Tour, and more. This year, it publicized and led the New York City Parks Department’s Summer Stage 2018.

Over the years, she has earned substantial recognition for her work performance and customer relations, recently receiving the highest honor from Collaborate magazine’s “Top 40 under 40.” As a people person and social butterfly, Cirami-Gillis knew by her sophomore year that the PR program promised her success. “It was a natural fit for me,” she said. “I started taking a few classes and said, ‘This is absolutely what I want to do.’ I love to always be at the forefront of information.” In a field with a wide variety of specializations, the program equips well-rounded graduates. “It touches so many different areas,” she said. “It gives you the foundations and the building blocks. The basics of good writing skills, business ethics and tactics, and all the other things we learned about, I apply on a daily basis.”

With his love for movies, Rau and PR were a match fit for a Hollywood romance. “I’ve always been fascinated by understanding what drives consumers and brings attention to products and issues,” he said. “Coupled with my passion for entertainment, and film specifically, it was a perfect marriage to set out and pursue a career in Film PR.” Finding the right school was the easy part. Rau’s sister graduated from Post and the University was one of the first schools to offer a dedicated concentration in PR. “Post taught me the fundamentals of publicity though courses dedicated to press release writing, special events, propaganda, the history of public relegations, crisis PR and so much more,” he said.

In addition to her role as a publicist, Ghiraldi may slip into the role of unabashed fangirl, proud mother, or protective big sister for her clients, proving that personal connections with clients can enhance professional outcomes. “You want a publicist who is passionate about what they’re pitching, not looking for a paycheck,” she said. When it comes to entrepreneurship, Ghiraldi feels fortune favors the bold. “I was not afraid to fail. I’m going to make this work or die trying.” Of course, there’s no substitute for hard work and intuition. “Early on, I would fall asleep with my laptop on my chest. I didn’t start my own company to sleep in,” she said. “Mostly, I just trust my gut and it’s worked out so far.” •

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

OneLIU

A REAL GAME CHANGER FOR THE UNIVERSITY’S ATHLETIC TEAMS

tarting next fall, Long Island University’s athletic programs at the Post and Brooklyn campuses will be unified into a single NCAA Division I program. Under the rubric “OneLIU,” all teams will compete at the highest level of college sports in the 2019–2020 academic year. The move was announced on October 3 by LIU President Kimberly R. Cline at a news conference held in Manhattan at the historic New York Athletic Club, which drew national attention. “Long Island University is a nationally recognized teaching and research institution,” said Dr. Cline. “We understand the importance of athletics in enhancing our brand nationwide by unifying our university community and our 200,000 alumni around the world. Our student-athletes competing at the highest-level plays a major role in this. We are extremely pleased that the NCAA has embraced this vision for our university’s future.” Noreen Morris, commissioner of the Northeast Conference (NEC), which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), readily agreed. “The unification of the Division I and Division II athletic teams into a more robust Division I program will have long-term benefits for LIU and the Northeast Conference from an athletic, academic and community standpoint,” she said. The teams’ colors and nicknames will also undergo a transformation, as the athletes will play under the new blue and gold banner. Students and alumni will help choose a fresh mascot to rally around. The transition elevates seven teams at LIU Post from Division II into Division I, including men’s and women’s cross country and golf teams, as well as men’s lacrosse. The LIU Post Pioneers football team will join the Football Championship

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

Subdivision (FCS) of Division I. (LIU Brooklyn doesn’t field a football team.) The Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium in Brookville will also get an upgrade to meet NCAA standards with improved sightlines and revamped grandstands. Both LIU Post men’s and women’s basketball and track & field teams, plus women’s bowling, fencing, softball, swimming and volleyball will move to Brooklyn, where a multi-purpose athletic facility will be built in 2019. Brooklyn will also get new women’s ice hockey and water polo teams. No sport will be eliminated. “As a longtime partner of LIU, I applaud President Cline and the University for their efforts to advance both the academic and athletic programs,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of BSE Global, the parent company of the Brooklyn Nets and the Barclays Center. “Barclays Center is a neighbor to the Brooklyn campus, and we have enjoyed hosting many of the University’s college basketball games over the years. We are looking forward to continuing our role in helping to elevate the student-athlete experience.” With OneLIU, all current scholarships to student-athletes will be honored through their graduation. “We take the ‘student’ in ‘student-athlete’ seriously, and we will work one-on-one to ensure that all student-athletes graduate on time, with an LIU diploma,” said Dr. Cline and Debbie DeJong, LIU Director of Athletics, in their October announcement. In LIU’s history, its sports teams have combined for 23 national championships, 215 conference titles, 362 AllAmerican Athletes and six Olympians. “This is an exciting beginning to the next chapter in LIU Athletics,” DeJong exclaimed. • For more information, go to: one.liu.edu

1. Long Island University takes center court at the Barclays Center. 2. On hand to make the announcement at the historic New York Athletic Club with LIU President Kimberly R. Cline (third from left) and Noreen Morris, commissioner of the Northeast Conference in the NCAA (third from right) was Derek Kellogg, Head Coach of LIU Brooklyn’s Men’s Basketball, who’s holding the ball. 3. A day to come on the field at LIU Brooklyn.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

RESEARCH & DISCOVERY P OI N T S TOW A R D A BR I GH T F U T U R E

From left to right: Dr. Richard Nader; Dr. Jeffrey Idle; Dr. Randy Burd; Dr. Thomas Inzana; Dr. Omar Tliba.

esearch makes it possible for faculty members to pursue their passions for discovery. Sponsored research enables them to follow their curiosity wherever it may lead. Ultimately what they find advances knowledge and gives LIU graduates the intellectual discipline to become informed citizens. With this goal in mind, LIU is becoming a globally engaged research and education enterprise. A look at these recent additions to the University’s roster shows the kind of vision that LIU is striving to create by hiring accomplished academic leaders and dedicated faculty members who are engaged in research of national and international importance. By incorporating their cutting edge discoveries into the curriculum, they enhance the classroom experience for the next generation of students. Dr. Randy Burd, who led the University of Arizona’s global research and strategic partnerships in its office of Research, Discovery and Innovation, has come to LIU to be the new Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. He is responsible for maintaining the rigorous academic quality of the educational programs taught by LIU faculty members across all the campuses. Previously, at the University of Arizona, Dr. Burd, who was a professor of nutritional science, helped to connect faculty to a range of new international research opportunities with his extensive expertise in technology and innovation driving his development team. His own research has been funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Institutes of Health, and the American Institute for Cancer Research Foundation, as well as private industry.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

“First and foremost, ensuring academic excellence and positive student outcomes is my highest priority,” said Dr. Burd. “With innovative leadership, top-notch faculty and engaged students, I see great things on the horizon at LIU.” Taking another important step forward in its continuing advancement as a nationally recognized teaching and research university, Dr. Richard Nader has become Chief Research and International Officer. His role as head of LIU Research includes strategic planning and connecting faculty to funding opportunities, both nationally and internationally. He also guides LIU Global, where he’ll strive to support faculty-driven research and intellectual engagement around the world. Dr. Nader brings 30 years of experience in research and international affairs to LIU. Most recently, he served at Mississippi State University, where he led efforts in international development, education and research, including work with its College of Veterinary Medicine. At the University of North Texas (UNT), he began its research development office and worked to secure major international and domestic research awards. Before that, Dr. Nader worked at the National Science Foundation’s Office of International Science and Engineering and at Texas A&M University. “Research and creative activities are noble pursuits,” explained Dr. Nader. “A university values faculty because they pursue truth through discovery, and pursue peace through freedom of expression, debate and understanding the human condition. Teaching, research, and service are the key means of accomplishing the university’s goals, and for universities to thrive, they must excel at all three missions.”

Dr. Jeffrey Idle, a recognized pioneer in the new field of precision medicine, has joined LIU as Endowed Professor and Director of the Division of Systems Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics at The Samuel J. and Joan B. Williamson Institute of the Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (LIU Pharmacy). “Precision medicine takes into account the differences between individuals to find patient-centric approaches to improve treatment,” explained Dr. Idle, who previously had been a professor and research fellow at the University of Bern in Switzerland. In addition, he serves as a consultant in metabolism and a scientific contractor with the Center for Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. Dr. Idle is one of the world leaders in metabolomics and pharmacogenetics. Metabolomic studies use mass spectrometry to identify small molecules produced through metabolic processes in cells, tissues, organs, biological fluids and other organisms. His breakthrough work in this field and in pharmacogenetics has been instrumental in developing treatments tailored to specific patients. Dr. Idle is the founding editor of Pharmacogenetics, and is the highly-cited author of more than 430 original scientific publications. In his new lab at LIU Pharmacy, he and his team are equipped with state-of-the-art liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry equipment, along with genomic analysis of DNA. “The research we will conduct at LIU is about improving outcomes for patients,” Dr. Idle said. Dr. Thomas Inzana is the new Associate Dean for Research at the College of Veterinary Medicine. A native of Rochester, N.Y., he attended the University of Georgia before returning home to earn his doctorate at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. He did his postdoc in clinical microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Medical Microbiology, the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (Honorary), a Fellow of the American Academy for Microbiology, and, most recently, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Before coming to LIU, he spent 31 years at Virginia Tech. “I was always interested in science,” said Dr. Inzana. Early in his college studies, he took a microbiology course that inspired him to become the clinical microbiologist he is today. At LIU, he’ll be teaching microbiology while continuing his lab work, mentoring faculty, and overseeing the College’s research program. With a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA), Dr. Inzana is examining the regulation of virulence factors by a bacterium that causes disease affecting cattle and sheep. Over the years he’s received more than $9 million in funding from sources such as USDA, the National Institutes of Health,

and the Department of Defense. He holds three patents including a vaccine developed for swine respiratory disease that was marketed by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI). Now he’s hoping to develop a vaccine for bovine respiratory disease caused by the pathogen Histophilus somni. “A lot of my work these days is on bacterial biofilms,” he said, referring to the thin, slimy film of bacteria that adheres to surfaces. “The good point is that biofilms don’t induce a highly robust inflammatory response so the disease isn’t so severe. The bad news is that they’re very difficult to get rid of because they’re more resistant to antibiotics and host defenses.” In humans, he pointed out, a chronic middle ear infection is typically in the form of a biofilm, as is cystic fibrosis. Dr. Inzana has advice to junior faculty: “Focus on your research. Everything that is taught today was at some point someone’s research.” Dr. Omar Tliba, who joined the LIU faculty this fall, has an extensive background in understanding human and animal health. Currently funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, he’s researching why some asthma patients don’t respond to the most commonly prescribed medicines such as corticosteroids. After getting his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in Algeria, where he was born, he went to France in 1996 to pursue his studies in biomedical sciences, thanks to a nationally competitive scholarship. Over the next five years, he attended several French graduate schools and research institutes, such as the National Institute of Agricultural Research (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, INRA) and the Pasteur Institute in Paris. He received masters’ degrees in immunology and infectious diseases and a doctorate in animal health, while also publishing five scientific articles. Since he’s been in the United States, he’s served on the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, and Rutgers University. “One of the reasons I came to LIU,” said Dr. Tliba, “is because I wanted to be in a vet school environment at a university and return to the research passion I had as a veterinary student.” As he explained, making the switch from human to animal research is not a major change, scientifically speaking. “The definition of allergy in animal health and human health is somewhat similar,” he said. The tools used to study allergic diseases may differ, he added, but “the laboratory techniques we employ are pretty identical…and the conceptual and intellectual skills are largely transferable.” One reason he’s been focused on asthma is that his aunt died from a fatal attack at the age of 44, and the disease runs in his family. He suffered from it himself. “It was everywhere when I was a kid,” Dr. Tliba recalled. “That’s one of my motivations.” As Dr. Tliba continues his research, he is looking forward to teaching at LIU. “When you interact with students, they make you grow at many levels,” he said. “It’s a dynamic process that I enjoy because it makes you grow, both as a scholar and a teacher.” •

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

POST

PRODUCTION THE BROOKVILLE CAMPUS HOSTS HIT TV SHOWS AND A-LIST MOVIE STARS.

he 2018 calendar year has been eventful for LIU across the board, including: playing in NCAA Tournaments, hosting former President George W. Bush and Vice President Joe Biden, presenting the prestigious Polk awards in journalism, making breakthroughs in research, and adding several new, internationally renowned faculty members. But one ongoing undertaking is also attracting attention to the University, albeit unbeknown to most viewers.The LIU Post campus is increasingly the scene for prominent actors making movie and television productions. In May, Sean Hayes, best known for his starring role in “Will and Grace,” filmed portions of his new movie in Hillwood Commons and the Interprofessional Simulation Center. Just weeks later, popular Netflix show “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” starring Ellie Kemper, shot key scenes on the Great Lawn and at Humanities Hall. Comedian Pete Holmes staged sequences for his hit HBO show “Crashing” in the campus gardens in June. Most recently, Adam Sandler and Idina Menzel made appearances in October while filming an upcoming romantic comedy. The cameras began rolling in 2013 when location scouts for “The Rewrite,” a romantic comedy starring Hugh Grant, Marissa Tomei and J.K. Simmons, visited LIU Post campus. The plot focused on a former Hollywood screenwriter turned discontented adjunct college professor (Grant) who falls for a single mother (Tomei) going back to school, so the enchanting university grounds were ideal. Since then, LIU Post’s production credits include: “The Blacklist” with James Spader; “Madam Secretary” with Tea Leoni, Tim Daily and Bebe Neuwirth; “Blindspot” with Jaimie Alexander and Sullivan Stapleton; “The Following,” featuring Kevin Bacon; “Instinct” with Allan Cumming; and “Royal Pains” with Henry Winkler, Mark Feuerstein, Paulo Costanzo, Hal Linden and Gary Cole. With its unique combination of historic Gold Coast buildings from Long Island’s fabled past, modern classrooms, lushly landscaped gardens, the equestrian center and riding trails, a state-of-the-art recreational facility, open fields and wooded areas, LIU Post offers directors and producers an abundance of options for shooting. The 330-acre, selfcontained campus less than an hour from Manhattan provides plenty of staging opportunities – not to mention an ample supply of available extras. “Many of our campus buildings are adaptable for filming,” said Rita Langdon (Post ’91, B.S. in Journalism; ’95, M.A. in English; ’17, MPhil), campus historian and dean of the LIU School of

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

Professional Studies. “If show producers need a hospital setting, then our nursing facilities are ideal. If they require a country-looking estate, we have four historic mansions, horse stables and scenic grounds. Lorber Hall was transformed into Southampton Village Hall for ‘Royal Pains,’ and Hillwood Commons served as the faux Syracuse bus terminal for the TBS show, ‘The Detour.’ ” The LIU Post Film and Entertainment Division has been working with location scouts to bring movies and television shows to the Brookville campus since 2013. In many cases, LIU Post students become actively involved: acting and musical theater majors serve as extras, film majors work as production assistants, and journalism and photography students produce stories and visuals for social media and news outlets.

Among the benefits, LIU Post senior Rob Banish got some hands-on experience helping Sean Hayes film his new movie on campus. Still active in the Film and Entertainment Division, Langdon founded the program along with LIU Post’s Conference and Guest Services Director Theresa Duggan (Post ’10, M.P.A.) and associate director Jennifer Lopez-Silvero (Post ’04, B.S. Health Care Administration). Langdon, who also serves as an adjunct professor in the Communications and Film Department, enjoys connecting students with the working professionals on set, as well making occasional appearances on camera. “This past summer, Sean Hayes welcomed our students to appear as background actors in a country fair scene,” she added. “The LIU Post Equestrian team were riders in a ‘Blacklist’ episode, mimicking an Irish countryside.” As anyone can plainly see, visits from big name movie and television stars are par for the course at LIU. But no matter who appears on screen, for us LIU Post always steals the show. •

With its unique combination of historic Gold Coast buildings from Long Island’s fabled past, modern classrooms, lushly landscaped gardens, the equestrian center and riding trails, a stateof-the-art recreational facility, open fields and wooded areas, LIU Post offers directors and producers an abundance of options for shooting. 1. Henry Winkler talks to LIU students during a break in filming “Royal Pains.” 2. Production crew prepares to film for HBO’s “Crashing” starring Pete Holmes. 3. HBO’s comedy star Pete Holmes poses with LIU Post students Mathew Betz and Sue Ye near the Great Hall.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

Among the photographs by Dana Gluckstein on display in DIGNITY: Tribes in Transition currently at Steinberg Museum of Art are: 1. “Chanter, Hawaii, 1996;” 2. “Samburu Girl, Kenya, 1985;” and 3. “Young Boy at Religious Festival, Bhutan, 2010,” who holds a toy rifle. Dana Gluckstein praised the lighting at the Museum’s new exhibition space (4) as rivalling some of the world’s top galleries. 5. Professor Frank Olt works with a ceramics student on her clay model. 6. Steinberg Museum of Art Director Barbara Applegate stands among a display of sub-Saharan West African sculptures from the Museum’s Collection in the innovative Visible Storage Suite.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

EXCELLENCE ON DISPLAY

LIU POST’S NEWLY RENOVATED STEINBERG MUSEUM OF AR T RAISES THE PROFILE OF THE UNIVERSITY’S STRONG VISUAL AR TS DEPAR TMENT.

he fabled North Shore of Long Island epitomizes an idyllic atmosphere conducive to ingenuity. Whether exhibited through prodigious buildings, business ideas, TV pilots, or web design, the University grounds at LIU Post have long cultivated an environment of creativity. As the brisk fall wind blows leaves from cedars, oaks, and elms, Steinberg Museum of Art, which reopened to the public in October, beckons chilly wanderers into its immaculate halls.

The University recently completed a $1.2 million renovation to the Museum, which brings a Manhattan-esque gallery to a college campus already flush with inspiring work, natural beauty, and artistic creation. Currently displayed are stunning images from Dana Gluckstein’s DIGNITY: Tribes in Transition. The exhibition chronicles Gluckstein’s decades spent photographing Indigenous Peoples as they struggle to maintain their identity in a changing world. LIU Post students never lacked access to exceptional art, with New York City’s museums just a train ride away from the Brookville campus. In fact, they need not travel more than a ramble across campus to see exhibits akin to the ones found in the halls of The Met and Guggenheim. The stunning remodel enhances Steinberg Museum of Arts’ profile, now certain to attract more work from prominent artists. New, state-of-the-art climate control allows the University to showcase art work with specific temperature and humidity requirements. Running until March 3, 2019, DIGNITY is already attracting attention. “This exhibition is one that gets us started quite well,”said museum director Barbara Applegate (Post ’97, B.A. in Art History; ’03, M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies). “People have been calling and scheduling their visits.” Applegate considers Steinberg Museum of Arts “the front porch of the University.” Originally established in 1972, the Museum moved from Hillwood Commons to its current location in 2015. Indeed, the glass doors beneath the regal columns of the B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library welcome the setting sun and usher curious pedestrians into the space. “Our mission in the museum is to consistently provide an environment that explores the visual arts,” she said. Exhibitions are rotated four times each year, featuring the work of prominent international artists like Gluckstein with

that of faculty members, M.F.A. students, and local artists. Critics often lament the fact that museums only display a small portion of their collections. In an effort to buck the trend, Applegate helped design a visible storage space adjacent to the main gallery. Inside the vault are glass walls containing shelves and sliding displays which reveal ancient Mayan artifacts, historic pictures of New York, and prestigious oil paintings alike. In all, the LIU’s Permanent Collection contains nearly 4,000 objects. In addition to drawing inspiration from work at the Museum, students try their hands in ceramics, painting, and photography through classes at the University. Once they build a foundation with each craft, they choose a specialization to refine. The Art Department maintains a stellar reputation, in large part due to its outstanding faculty. One of the prominent constellations, the team of Frank Olt (Post ‘78, B.F.A. in Art; ’80 M.F.A. in Art) and Dan Christoffel, ensures that students have the opportunity to work in a well-appointed ceramics studio. The two internationally commissioned artists relish the merging of talents. “Dan and I have the opportunity to collaborate on work, team teach, and build a real environment here,” Olt said. “Frank and Dan are like a dynamic duo,” Applegate observed. “They really work together beautifully to embrace our students and give them a sense of permanence here.” Naturally, Olt feels bullish on the program as a destination for driven artists, but he also recognizes the influence on students likely to pursue other vocations. He explains the benefit for all students with an inadvertent pun. “This stuff really rubs off,” he said, shortly after washing fresh clay off his hands. “Just being in a really creative environment. Creativity isn’t just limited to visual artists.” For those determined to make it a career, there isn’t usually a need for convincing. “Art is sort of a calling,” Olt said. “I got a calling in high school.” In terms of convincing prospective students already aware of their calling, Olt keeps it short and simple: “The elevator pitch is: You’ve already decided to be an artist. This is a great incubator.” •

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

A CONVINCING PERFORMANCE

WITH A NEW STUDIO MODEL, PREMIER FACILITIES, AND AWARD-WINNING TALENT, LIU ACTING PROGRAM LOOKS THE PAR T IN 2018.

reativity flows freely for acting majors on LIU Brooklyn’s campus. Enter the numerous acting or performance spaces and you can discover students in rehearsal, analyzing theater scenes alongside their professors, or perfecting their craft with supportive peers. The palpable creativity is hardly shocking considering LIU Brooklyn’s downtown location places students in the center of New York City’s hottest borough for the arts, located just a few blocks away from top venues, including the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM); Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA); Brooklyn Arts Exchange (BAX); and the independent film industry. This prime location makes it easy for students to connect with the growing downtown Brooklyn arts, film, and theatre scene, as well as Broadway and Off-Broadway, regional theatre companies and the Manhattan film, video and webcast industries. Already the University is gaining traction as a powerful institution in the New York City acting and theater worlds. Scott Krawczyk, Dean of the Richard L. Conolly College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, points out that the school is taking advantage of the arts opportunities in the area by branching out to local arts organizations. Earlier this year, the University announced a partnership with renowned theater company The New Group and launched its new B.F.A. program for Acting in Theatre, Film and Television. The new B.F.A. program was founded on the studio model; students will study stage acting, voice, and movement under the supervision and guidance of faculty in collaboration with the award-winning New Group. The University’s partnership

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

with The New Group ensures that B.F.A. acting students have access to the same premiere facilities used by professionals in the industry. The tight-knit cohort of 25 students will get a close look at all aspects of the acting industry. Dean Krawczyk notes that LIU Brooklyn’s B.F.A. program stands out from others because students will be able to “break out of the conservatory style model and be business-oriented, entrepreneurial, and manage all aspects of the [acting] industry,” leaving them equipped to be working actors and skillful in their artistry. But the excitement doesn’t end there. In addition to premiere spaces off-campus, LIU Brooklyn has its own performance spaces. A fully equipped Television Writer’s Studio (TVWS), created by Emmy-Award winner and “Blazing Saddles” screenwriter Norman Steinberg is on campus. The studio provides a space for real-world television acting experience. For live performances, LIU Brooklyn is home to Kumble Theater, a dynamic, state-of-the art, 320-seat venue, and the historic Paramount Theatre, which served as a live performance venue from 1928 –1962 hosting artists such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Miles Davis. Currently undergoing renovation, the Paramount Theatre will reopen in Fall 2019 as part of an entrepreneurial and experiential learning partnership with Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment. The revamped venue will provide a variety of opportunities for LIU Brooklyn students to gain hands-on industry experience, including internships, work-study programs, part-time jobs, and more. Dean Krawczyk notes that the University continues to look into the possibility of partnering with other organizations as

1 1. LIU students take classes at Steiner Studios, a 305,000-square-foot Hollywood-style production and support facility in the historic Brooklyn Navy Yard. 2. Jesse Eisenberg and Kunal Nayyar in The New Group production of “The Spoils.” (Photo credit Monique Carboni) 3. Renderings of exterior renovations to the Paramount Theatre. 4. Renderings of interior renovations to the Paramount Theatre.

well, such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Theatre for a New Audience at Polonsky Shakespeare Center. Dean Krawczyk notes that he is excited for LIU Brooklyn to rejuvenate its long tradition of performing arts. The school is working on outreach to prospective students. “We’re hopeful,” he said. “We’re targeting certain performing arts high schools in an attempt to make these new opportunities visible for high school kids who already self-identity as creative and want artistic futures. We want to make sure that we reach out, market [ourselves] well, and visit some of these schools.”

Dean Krawczyk sees a bright future for LIU Brooklyn’s B.F.A. Performing Arts program, “Frankly, I think kids all over the world will want a Brooklyn experience. What we anticipate, as a characteristic of our campus, is that the student body will be diverse. We really want to see underrepresented groups in our cohorts. That will be a natural feature and strength for the program going forward.” On a recent visit to campus, prospective high school seniors Kora and Ava Duvall were struck by the kinetic energy on campus. The twin sisters, who made the trip from Kentucky all the way to LIU Brooklyn to tour the Performing Arts program, were enthralled. “I like how welcoming the whole environment is, and how much freedom all the students have,” Kora said. “The teachers care about the artistry of the individual student.” •

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

RU NWAY T O S UC C E S S UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF INDUSTRY EXPER T CHERIE SEROTA, LIU POST’S FASHION MERCHANDISING PROGRAM IS LOOKING RATHER GLAMOROUS THESE DAYS

businesses or they could work for a big company and be well versed in all the business aspects expected of them in today’s fast-paced, global fashion industry.”

tifs at the Louvre, met with students and signed copies of her popular book Couture Confessions.

The faculty lineup is star studded from the top to bottom, with vision casting from Serota and College of Management Dean Robert Valli, both of whom are prominent authors, and classes taught by industry professionals like Margaret Nicklas, a branding executive at Nine West Group, and Caryn Hirshleifer, one of the owners of luxury retailer Hirshleifer’s.

Behind-the-scenes access to runway shows, garment centers and museum exhibits provide invaluable exposure and networking opportunities for students.

As part of the College of Management, the B.S. in Fashion Merchandising teaches students business fundamentals and entrepreneurship, while fostering creativity in marketing and branding, with each class tailored to instruct industry-specific minutiae.

Those are just a few of the experts that students interact with on a weekly basis. Each semester they also rub elbows with some of the world’s biggest fashion icons beginning with events and shows at New York Fashion Week in September, visits to Women’s Wear Daily, The Doneger Group, and to meet prominent fashion designers at their New York City headquarters in between, capped off by an annual trip abroad.

“We’re educating students on a broad spectrum,” Director Cherie Serota said. “They can go out and start their own

During last year’s trip to Paris, Pamela Golbin, Chief Curator of Fashion and Textiles at the Musée des Arts Décora-

When students aren’t soaking up expert knowledge, they are working with real products. The Student Body, one of LIU Post’s student-run businesses, is a boutique offering contemporary clothing. In addition to picking out the clothing and working the floor, the program utilizes the boutique to teach students how to craft a business plan, with detailed strategies for social media, marketing, and branding. The program also boasts 25 top-ofthe-line Pucci mannequins, donated by Saks Fifth Avenue in Huntington last December, along with 50 highfashion vintage couture gowns from

ew York City is the fashion capital of the world, and LIU Post’s School of Business is approaching 20 consecutive years on The Princeton Review’s annual list of best business schools. Joining those two assets was the logic that fueled the University’s decision to launch a Fashion Merchandising program in 2015.

It should not come as a surprise to see the program en vogue just three years later. With field trips abroad to Europe’s fashion capitals, internationally renowned guest speakers, access to industry-leading adjunct professors, frequent visits to Manhattan, a student-run boutique on campus, and much more, the excitement and pace are a perfect fit for such an ambitious degree.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

“It’s important to be in touch with the global fashion scene,” Serota said.

“They get to feel and sense the fast pace of the industry,” Serota said. “It’s great for them to see what goes into a line from concept to completion.”

top designers, such as Jacques Fath, Ungaro and Yves St Laurent as part of its fashion archive. Over the summer, students conducted a runway fashion show in Hillwood Commons for an enthused audience of more than 200 during LIU’s annual Summer Honors Institute (SHI).

LIU STUDENTS HAVE MET:

The final project of the program is a senior capstone that requires students to create a fashion start-up, beginning with the inception of an idea all the way to the launch of a product, crafting a logo and coming up with a comprehensive business plan in the process.

Andy Hilfiger — Fashion Designer ebecca Minkoff — Fashion Designer; R Founder of eponymous line

“To apply the knowledge and skills they acquired in their four years here and take it to the next level before going out and doing it on their own,” Serota said, “is really the heart of our mission.” •

i Jong Lee — Fashion Designer; M Founder of eponymous line hillip Lim — Fashion Designer; P Co-founder of eponymous line

hep and Ian Murray — Founders S of Vineyard Vines amela Golbin — Chief Curator of P Fashion and Textiles at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs at the Louvre J . Michael Stanley — Managing Director Rosenthal & Rosenthal; LIU Post alumnus J amie Ross — Fashion Director at The Doneger Group argaret Nicklas — Vice President, M Licensing for Nine West; formerly Michael Kors and Anne Klein

lex Badia — Style Director for Women’s A Wear Daily artin Andersson and J.D. Ostrow — M Creative Director Menswear and Chief Marketing Officer at Theory, respectively

1. Fashion Merchandising students with Vineyard Vines founders Shep and Ian Murray. 2. Students pose in front of the Eiffel tower during their trip to Paris in March. 3. Serota and students get a hands-on tour at Mood Fabrics in Manhattan’s garment district.

LIUMAGAZINE LIUMAGAZINE | Fall| 2018

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

CONSERVING THE PAST, UNVEILING THE FUTURE INSIDE LIU’S FAR-REACHING PROJECT TO PRESER VE LONG ISLAND HISTORY

ince its founding almost six decades ago, the LIU Palmer School of Library and Information Science has played a vital role in the preservation of Long Island’s storied past. As the sole Long Island-based library and information science program, and as the leading information school in the metropolitan area, the Palmer School continues to make an important contribution to conserving our cultural heritage under the inspired leadership of Dr. Gregory S. Hunter, a nationally renowned archivist, who directs the “Digitizing Local History Sources” project.

“From Huntington to the Hamptons, from Fire Island to Gardiners Island, the history of Long Island is rich and varied,” said LIU President Dr. Kimberly R. Cline at the inaugural Gardiner Foundation Symposium held this summer at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum. “Through this project, we’re now bringing that history to life.” With a generous grant of more than $2 million from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, Dr. Hunter, who also serves as director of the Palmer School’s Certificate of Advanced Study in Archives and Records Management, was able to establish a graduate student cohort of Gardiner Foundation fellows who earn tuition remission for each semester they

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

participate in the project. He also purchased a state-of-the-art digitization system, the DT Atom, which can handle a wide range of archival materials from centuries-old deeds to a ceremonial ribbon distributed at President Abraham Lincoln’s funeral procession. “I’m not building a collection for Long Island University,” said Dr. Hunter, who was part of the team that created the Electronic Records Archives for the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C. “We’re working as a partner with the historical societies, who control the digital images. At no cost, the historical societies have their materials preserved in a cloud-based archival system called Preservica, which also provides public access.” As Dr. Hunter sees it, the project’s goals are to safeguard the Island’s historical materials, increase access to them, and provide Palmer School students with the necessary technical skills they’ll need to advance their own professional careers. The project began in the fall 2017 semester with six master’s students, two doctoral students and two faculty members, including Dr. Hunter and Information Studies Professor Dr. David Jank. Through their work in the field and in the Palmer School’s Digitization Laboratory, students have captured more

than 25,000 images and accumulated over 5 terabytes of data from the collections of dozens of historical societies on the Island. And they’ve only just begun — the project is funded through 2022. This fall, Dr. Hunter and the Palmer School received another Gardiner Foundation grant award of almost $700,000 for a new Robert Moses archival project in partnership with the New York State Department of Parks and the New York State Archives. As president of the L.I. Parks Commission and as chair of the State Parks Council, Moses, the master builder chronicled in the Pulitzer-Prize-winning biography The Power Broker, did more than anyone in New York to shape Long Island’s parks and recreation, bridges and highways, and so much more. The Robert Moses archives, currently housed in three locations — two on Long Island and one upstate — is a huge and mostly intact collection of photographs, letters and architectural drawings. Now, thanks to the Palmer School, this remarkable legacy, once it’s digitized, will be preserved for posterity and available for research. “What we’re doing is timeless,” said Dr. Hunter. “Thomas Jefferson saw the need for it; Lin-Manuel Miranda in “Hamilton” saw the need for it. Really, what we’re trying to do at the Palmer School is use the generous funding from the Gardiner Foundation to tell the stories of Long Island.” •

1. Dr. Hunter and one of his Palmer School students, Wendy Ambrozewicz, prepare to scan a fragile document using the DT Atom digitization device at LIU Post while grad students Kelsey Renz and Drew Fullshire, (2.) conduct their archival research work at the Southhold Historical Society. 3. A beaming Dr. Gregory Hunter joins Gardiner Foundation Executive Director Kathryn Curran, on his right, and others gathered at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum for the inaugural Gardiner Foundation Symposium.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT

LIU PHAR MACY HA S T H E R I GHT PRESCRIPTION F O R R E S E AR C H BREA K THRO U G HS

The Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (LIU Pharmacy) is committed to offering a robust platform for driving important discoveries in pharmaceutical and biomedical research. An impressive roster of academic talent in this vital field continues to inspire the next generation of leaders by challenging our students to outperform their expectations and achieve something that can truly make a difference in people’s health.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

Our aim at LIU Pharmacy is to improve human understanding of the underlying mechanisms that cause disease and discover the best ways to improve treatment. It’s all part of LIU’s ongoing mission to become a nationally recognized teaching and research university. Here’s a quick look at a handful of researchers who are hard at work every day pushing the boundaries of scientific possibilities at LIU Pharmacy. Leading by example, Dean John Pezzuto, Ph.D., D.Sc., is principal investigator of a program funded by the California Table Grape Commission to study the effect of grapes on health. He is well-known for his work with resveratrol and has been continuously funded by extramural sources, most prominently by the National Institutes of Health, since 1977. Kenneth Morris, Ph.D., is the Director of the Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Analysis at LIU Pharmacy. Dr. Morris is a former site leader for the National Science Foundation and an advisor for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Since 2013, he’s been an active member of the American

Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. Recently Dr. Morris was awarded a grant from the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Technology and Education (NIPTE), an elite pharmacy research consortium, to study the “Pharmaceutical Quality Scorecard Development.” The focus of his primary research is in pharmaceutical material science. He’s been internationally recognized for his work on dosage form design, and he’s credited with modernizing dosage form development. Another Institute Director at LIU, Rutesh Dave, Ph.D., who heads the Natoli Institute, investigates a variety of dosage forms that are necessary to move new drugs from the laboratory bench to the clinic. He is also interested in other aspects of pharmacy, such as the stability and the value of drugs after their expiration date. His funding comes from a variety of hospitals and pharmaceutical companies.

Coming to LIU Pharmacy in 2016, Anait Levenson, M.D., Ph.D., is studying how to cure prostate cancer. Throughout her career, Dr. Levenson’s research has been supported by the Department of Defense, the NIH, and the California Table Grape Commission. Dr. Levenson is the first LIU faculty member to get the NIH’s R15 AREA grant (Academic Research Enhancement Award), which is intended to help schools improve their research environment. [To read more about her impressive achievements, turn to Page 34 in this issue.] This summer at the International Social Pharmacy Workshop (ISPW), held in Leuven, Belgium, John M. Lonie, R.Ph., Ed.D., an associate professor of social and administrative sciences at LIU Pharmacy, was the keynote speaker. The ISPW is a biennial conference that focuses on the psychosocial aspects of medication use and the resulting policy

implications on healthy systems around the globe. In his keynote speech, Professor Lonie discussed how pharmacists can help their patients learn to alter their unhealthy lifestyles and habits. In particular, he outlined the important role pharmacists have in making sure their patients adhere to taking their medications, which is a chronic problem. Professor Lonie is an active proponent of pharmacists’ employing the principles of health coaching. At LIU Pharmacy, they are just a handful of the talented and dedicated faculty who are committed to empowering aspiring pharmacists and innovative pharmaceutical scientists. We’re well on our way to achieving our goal of having LIU Pharmacy ranked within the Nation’s Top 20 pharmacy education programs by 2030. •

1. Preparing samples at The Samuel J. & Joan B. Williamson Institute. 2. John M. Pezzuto, Dean of LIU Pharmacy & Vice President of LIU Health and Research, is leading the way. 3. Taking a closer look at The Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Analysis.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

XE ROX C HI E F E X E C U T I V E S TEV EN BA N DROW C ZA K HOW ALUMNUS STEVEN BANDROWCZAK TOOK WHAT HE LEARNED AT LIU TO THE CORPORATE SUITE AT XEROX

Looking back, Steven Bandrowczak (Post ’88, B.S. in Computer Science) admits he’s taken a rather unconventional route to reach the C-suite at Xerox, where he’s currently the company’s president and chief operating officer. “I am one of the most unlikely people to be sitting in this office,” he exclaimed. Born on Long Island, he grew up in Copiague — “an environment that is not the CEO capital of the world,” as he put it. He spent his last two years in high school working weekends slicing cold cuts in the meat department of a local deli and clamming in the Great South Bay to support himself while taking AP courses and staying on the honor roll.

“It wasn’t about going to college at that point,” he said. “I never even applied because I had no money. It wasn’t even on my radar.” After he graduated, he did heavy construction for the Long Island Rail Road as a union member of Laborers’ Local 1298, spiking rails, digging holes and pouring concrete. He hasn’t picked up a welding torch in decades, let alone driven a bulldozer or a backhoe loader. Since his appointment to this iconic Fortune 500 company in June, he’s had far different things on his mind. “Over the last couple of months, I’ve been focusing on how do we take Xerox to a new level,” Bandrowczak said. “How do we redefine the future of the company?” The challenge, he explains, is responding to the ever-changing demands of technology and staying competitive in this digital world. Along the way he’s lived in five states and had offices in some 30 locations around the world, racking up 5 million frequent flyer miles —“too many!” he said. Before joining Xerox, Bandrowczak was chief operating officer and chief information officer for Alight Solutions, based in Illinois. He handled the company’s global supply chain, shared services, product development, I/T strategy and operations, enterprise risk management and real estate. Previously he was the president of Telecommunication Media and Technology at Sutherland Global Services and senior vice president for Global Business Services at Hewlett-Packard Enterprises, transforming the organization with a focus on automation, business intelligence and labor optimization. During his career he’s held senior leadership positions for several multi-billion-dollar global companies, including Avaya, Nortel, Lenovo, DHL and Avnet, where he oversaw 40 acquisitions during his decade as CIO.

Xerox President Steven Bandrowczak is all smiles with LIU Post students in the College of Management.

The first significant step on his career path began when he completed a six-month program in computer operations, after his future father-in-law, Sal Guigliano, told him in no uncertain terms that he had to return to school because he had the potential to go much further. It helped matters that Guigliano had also been his mentor and his boss. With his certificate in hand, Bandrowczak started working

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

STEVEN BANDROWCZAK shares his business acumen with interested students at the LIU Post College of Management.

the graveyard shift at Schweber Electronics and going to school full-time during the day. “Oh, sleep was so overrated back then!” he said with a laugh. “I think I’m still there — I still get up at 4 o’clock in the morning and work crazy hours!” That introductory level job eventually led him to Unisys, which not only put him through Nassau County Community College, it also helped him get his B.S. from LIU, starting in 1987. “I could take multiple classes on the weekends, and it worked out very well for me,” he recalled. “The computer science classes were awesome. The accounting side gave me a great background and a tremendous leap into the business world.” He credits his blue collar background with instilling the work ethic he has today.

“It gave me an appreciation for every level of success I’ve had — and how hard it is to get there,” he said. He and his wife Donna, now married 39 years, were childhood sweethearts. “We literally grew up a block from each other,” he said. “Without a doubt she is my rock.” Now living in Greenwich, Connecticut, they have a daughter, Maree, now 27, who was born in New York but grew up in Arizona when dad moved the family there to be closer to his new job. His advice for students is to not shy away from taking the hardest path. “I have never been afraid of taking chances,” Bandrowczak said, adding that he’s run the New York City marathon once, the Long Island marathon twice, and completed six half-marathons. “It’s always about believing in yourself, taking a chance and working hard. I approach every day as a learning opportunity.” •

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

TAKING CARE OF

BUSINESS

LIU BROOKLYN ALUM DANIEL MESSINA MAY HAVE HUNG UP HIS BASEBALL CLEATS BUT HE NOW MAKES THE PITCH FOR QUALITY MEDICINE.

added, “your drive and your mental acuity come into play, and you focus on thinking about the finish line.” Running helped him get through losing both his parents in a few short years. An only child, they were a very closeknit family, “like brothers and sisters,” as he put it. For the last 30 years of her life, Messina’s mother was wheel-chair bound as she battled Multiple Sclerosis, which drove him to become actively involved as a board member of the National MS Society. “My parents inspired me to do everything I’ve done in my life: Be the best you can be no matter what and always give back,” he exclaimed. He and his wife Debra have two children: Daniel, and Lianne. Neither followed him into hospital administration. His son is an executive in an energy company and his daughter is a teacher.

In no small way, Daniel J. Messina, Ph.D., FACHE, LNHA (Brooklyn ’80, B.S.), has come full circle. Born and raised on Staten Island, Dan now works a few miles from where he grew up. These days he is president and chief executive officer at Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC), which has 2,500 employees, 487 beds, and a $350 million budget. Considering he’s run in nine New York City marathons as well as climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mount Blanc, Messina could probably make the dash from his office to his childhood home and back in minutes, if he were so inclined. “My knees have caught up with me,” conceded Messina, who started running in his 40s after coaching for 23 years. His best time for the marathon was 4:07:09. “Hour number three is right when things start getting a little tough,” he said. As the four-hour mark approaches, he

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

Messina started his professional career in the field of respiratory therapy while he was thinking about going to medical school. Drawn to health-care management, he eventually became a department supervisor at Doctors’ Hospital, a small, physician-owned medical facility in Staten Island, New York. Then he spent the next three decades working in New Jersey, holding the position of vice president, operations and marketing, at Union Hospital in Union, N.J.; vice president of operations at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, N.J.; senior vice president and chief operating officer at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, N.J.; and system chief operating officer at CentraState Healthcare System in Freehold, N.J. Having his roots in the clinical side of healthcare has greatly prepared Messina for his current role as a hospital administrator, he says, because it helps remind him that the day-to-day questions that typically arise when running a hospital are first answered by the question: “What is best for the patient?” He came to RUMC in 2014.

“I’ve always liked challenges, and I felt I was up for a new challenge,” said Messina. “To be part of helping move this organization — a hospital I was actually born in and where my great uncle was a surgeon — into the next era of health care appealed to me.” Academically, he took a more circuitous route in higher education, which included getting his A.S. in Liberal Arts and Science from the College of Staten Island, B.S. in Health Science specializing in respiratory therapy from LIU Brooklyn, Master’s in Public Administration in Health Care from LIU Post (’82) and his Ph.D. from Seton Hall University. Messina began his studies at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, part of the City University of New York (CUNY), after he was recruited by the baseball coach. Messina was a very talented right-handed pitcher. He played baseball growing up on Staten Island and pitched for the varsity team at New Dorp High School. He says his best pitch was his curve ball. 2

“My arm rarely rested,” he recalled recently. He finally quit playing hardball when he turned 43. He had received a baseball scholarship to play at LIU Brooklyn, where he says, “I probably had the best time of my life.” He continues to stay in touch with his teammates. He has a special fondness for Frank Giannone, his Blackbirds baseball coach, and the late Charles “Doc” Turner, the legendary athletic trainer. Both men were inducted into the LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds’ Hall of Fame. Doc Turner was a “pretty magical guy,” Messina said, recalling that he would treat players with homeopathic remedies. “One of the favorites I’ll always remember was that he’d wrap my arm in bee pollen.” It worked, he said. He credits Giannone as well as his high school coach John Pecoraro for instilling a high level of competitiveness that has propelled him throughout his life. “I love the work, the people and the wonderful mission of Richmond University Medical Center,” he said with a laugh. “I’m a semi-workaholic and trying not to be a complete one.” Despite his workload as a hospital administrator, Messina still finds time for teaching courses in health management as an adjunct professor because it gets him out of the office and helps him “stay on top of things,” he explained, adding that he does not want to “walk into a classroom one night and somebody asks me a question I can’t answer!” His advice for students today is to remember that sports adage: How bad do you want it? “In large part, we are in control of our destiny,” Messina said. “I think there’s a lot more opportunity if we get a little bit more strategic about where we want to be in our lives.”

1. & 2. Daniel Messina, center, takes a break in the dugout with his Brooklyn Blackbirds teammates. 3. Daniel Messina poses with his wife Debra at a recent gala for the Richmond University Medical Center

Looking back, Messina said, “LIU Brooklyn has a special place in my heart.” He may not be throwing a breaking ball anymore but his college education is still helping him stay ahead of the curve. •

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

AN UNSCRIPTED CAREER Ian Brier (Post ’00, B.A. in English) was born and raised in the Bronx, the son of LIU Post philosophy professor emeritus, Bob Brier, the famed Egyptologist. With a degree in English and a résumé that boasts screenwriting, news research and war documentaries, he is now Creative Director at Showtime.

Eventually, you moved to Egypt for work. What prompted that? I wanted to get more chops when it came to field production. This was right after 9/11 and it was during the run-up to the war in Iraq. I knew there was going to be a lot of foreign coverage from the Middle East and I tried to get the foreign desk to send me over there at the time. Nobody was really willing, but I was sub-textually told, ‘If you’re over there already, there’ll be freelance coverage.’ So, I went over there on my own dime and within a week had lots of work. What brought you back?

You started off in news. How did you end up changing directions? My very first job in television was at MSNBC, which was brand new at the time, right around 2000. It was a great experience for me, but simultaneously I knew I wanted to write and produce and be involved in the storytelling end of the business. I knew of a documentary series about historical American wars that Fox was starting. Through my time working on the shows, I got my first Associate Producer credit and my first opportunity to run a postproduction process, script writing, various sort of nuts-and-bolts stuff. It was my first dip in that pool.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

I was a little homesick and I missed New York. I moved back and the only gig I found was a one-hour film I wrote for Nat Geo called “Inside” about the Detroit PD. Shortly after, a friend who had done some editing for Showtime got me a meeting with executives here and that’s when I began. In 2012, they hired me permanently. Seems like that’s been a good fit. What’s kept you around? At Showtime, there’s a really good work-life balance. When you consider the television industry in general, that is not an industry that has a good work-life balance, but here there is one. That is precious beyond words. Also, we do so much of our work in-house. We have all of our own post-production facilities, audio facilities, design department and animation;

it’s all here. The fact that it’s all in the same building is an unbelievable benefit. You can prototype an idea, try things out, get people’s opinions, and mix and match different disciplines. That’s heaven to someone who likes doing creative stuff. What’s it like producing content that entertains people across the world? It’s crazy and it doesn’t get old. I continue to be so grateful that the thing I work on every day — sometimes really grind away at — eventually people see that work. It’s not anonymous. We put it on the internet, and then it’s on TV, and then we get to watch people respond to it in real time. That is just unbelievably satisfying. And the part of it where you’re on set shooting with a movie star who you’ve known your whole life and they’re saying the words that you wrote, that will never be uncool to me. How has your English background at Post shaped your career? I became much more dexterous with the written word. If you want to work in the film industry, a huge part of your success is going to be your ability to convince someone of an idea you have. Someday you’re going to have make a room full of people nod their head in agreement, and being a blackbelt communicator is the thing that’s going to let you do that. •

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

STA RSTR U C K B Y T HE UN IV E RSE

PULLED INTO THE FIELD BY HIS FASCINATION WITH BLACK HOLES, LIU POST PHYSICS PROFESSOR STEVE LIEBLING WAS DESTINED FOR ACADEMIC STARDOM.

of his nature, however, developed at a slower pace. “I always loved black holes. Physics, not so much,” he said. “When I was ten, I’d go to the library and read these science books that didn’t have math.”

Dr. Steve Liebling speaks with an unassuming modesty about his accomplishments, like winning the prestigious Buchalter Cosmology Prize, and exudes a boyish ardor for his vocation. Ask him to expound on his accolades, such as his selection for fellowship with the American Physical Society (APS), and he might respond, “It means I’ve stuck around and done good work.” But inquire what’s inside a black hole and watch his disposition tilt on its axis. “There’s nothing inside,” he said, smiling. “It’s gravitational energy. It takes a lot of energy to curve space-time.” Growing up in Houston, Texas, on the heels of the Apollo missions, Liebling recalls an intrigue with space during his youth. The computational elements

After earning his B.A. in Physics from Brown University, Liebling pursued his Ph.D. at the University of Texas at Austin. While there, he began losing interest and considered changing course. Already two years into the program, an advisor suggested Liebling at least earn his masters by conducting a research project. The counsel proved to be pivotal, as the endeavor lit the fuse for a dynamic career. Liebling ended up staying and earning his Ph.D.

“It’s very sporadic,” Liebling said. “I’m dealing with two grant proposals. I’m working with these people in Spain to debug a code. I’m on sabbatical next semester.” He plans to visit Argentina, Spain, and Canada, studying for one month in each country. Intermingled with his curiosity for the universe is a bewilderment that few share his zeal for learning about his areas of expertise. “If I had met me when I was a kid, I’d be asking just tons of questions,” Liebling said. “I feel like people don’t ask me enough.” •

“I liked physics, but not the physics classes,” he said. “Once I got involved in research, I realized that’s what I wanted to do. It was a calling.” Celebrating his 20th year at the University in 2018, along with his 20th wedding anniversary with his wife Tiffany, he stays busy. In September he received an MRI grant from the National Science Foundation for a high-performance computer cluster and recently completed research funded by NASA. The daily grind shifts week to week, with further exploration always on the horizon.

Dr. Liebling walking students through the proper use of scientific equipment.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

ne of the preeminent cancer researchers in her field, Dr. Anait “Ana” Levenson is the first faculty member at LIU to receive the prestigious R15 AREA grant (Academic Research Enhancement Award) from the National Institutes of Health, which is given to strengthen the research environment of schools that have not been major recipients of NIH support. At present, she is studying strategies for curing prostate cancer. Previously, she did extensive research on breast cancer. The connection is logical to her because both cancers are hormonedependent: estrogen for breast cancer, androgen for prostate cancer.

D RIV EN, DEV O TE D, A N D DET ER M I NE D LIU PROFESSOR DR. ANAIT S. LEVENSON IS POISED TO MAKE BREAKTHROUGHS IN CANCER RESEARCH.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

As a professor at the proposed new College of Veterinary Medicine at LIU Post, pending its accreditation, she’ll continue her work without a hitch because humans aren’t the only species to succumb to that disease. As she knows well, animal models are very important for understanding the mechanisms of cancer progression. Her focus has been on targeting the MTA1 protein in cancer bone metastasis after she discovered that natural bioactive compounds found in grapes and blueberries such as resveratrol and pterostilbene could potentially inhibit its spread. Born in Armenia, Dr. Levenson moved to Russia, where she received her M.D. and Ph.D. degrees in Moscow. When she came to the United States more than two decades ago, she completed

her postdoctoral training in Chicago at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Her postdoc mentor in the Breast Cancer Program was Dr. V. Craig Jordan, a pioneering scientist known as the “Father of Tamoxifen,” because he helped develop the drug that gave hope to thousands of women. “With Craig Jordan, we knew we were participating every day in cancer research that could save people’s lives,” she said. Later she became one of his research faculty in the Breast Cancer Program and found the experience truly inspiring. She credited Dr. Jordan for encouraging her to write and publish papers — she’s now the author of more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, five book chapters and over 90 abstracts — as well as present results of her studies at national and international conferences. He also introduced her to other leading figures in her field. In 2002, she became an associate professor at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery in Northwestern University’s Comprehensive Cancer Center at the medical school. One of her lab partners was Dr. Robert Satcher

Jr., an assistant professor, who became the “first orthopedic surgeon in space” as a NASA astronaut aboard the space shuttle Atlantis. “It was very exciting,” she recalled watching her former colleague orbit the Earth. Before coming to LIU Pharmacy in 2016 and becoming an Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, she was an associate professor and then a full professor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi, where she studied prostate cancer with a grant from the Department of Defense. In addition to mice models, she had human tissue samples for her investigation. She was honored for her work with an Excellence in Research Award. Looking at the trajectory of her academic life, she knows that maintaining a serious level of research is a tough row to hoe, but the rewards are worth it. “You don’t get grants if you don’t have publications,” she said. “You don’t have publications if you don’t have data. And you don’t have data if you don’t put it all together.” Dr. Levenson’s research is currently sup-

ported by the DOD, NIH and California Table Grape Commission. In recognition of her expertise, she now serves as a scientific reviewer on several panels for the NIH and DOD, reviewing grant submissions herself and, she admits, drinking “a lot of coffee” with her fellow panelists gathered in Washington, D.C., for two and a half days of intense work. Dr. Levenson is an active reviewer for many journals and serves on several editorial boards, and also belongs to professional societies. She is a former vice president of the American Council for Medicinally Active Plants (ACMAP) and continues to be an active member of its Board of Directors. Her advice to students is to be resilient and stay determined. “You have to love what you’re doing — you have to be passionate about it — otherwise you’re not going to thrive,” Dr. Levenson said. “If you want to survive in this business, you have to learn how to write, you have to learn how to present, and you have to learn how to publish.” As Dr. Levenson has demonstrated, she’s mastered all three skills — and she’ll impart her knowledge to the next generation of students at LIU. •

The new College of Veterinary Medicine, pending its accreditation, will enhance LIU’s research endeavors.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Erica Ferrara Class of 2019 — LIU Post Double majoring in Geology and Environmental Sustainability

Olivia Kavanaugh Class of 2019 — LIU Post Art Education Throughout her time at Post, Olivia Kavanaugh has held positions such as Student Government Association President, Vice President and Secretary; the President and Philanthropy Chairman for the Panhellenic Sorority Council; the Co-Chair for the Don Monti Move A-Thon and has served as a Resident Assistant and Orientation Leader.

Currently Vice President of SGA, Erica Ferrara oversees the Campus Quality and Security Committee, she is also a graduate assistant for the Center for Sustainability. Erica created the Coalition for Conservation student club, which helps educate students on issues happening in the area and organized the first student farm at LIU Post. She hopes to use these experiences to continue her work toward pursuing a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering.

Michael Chin Class of 2019 — LIU Brooklyn Journalism

Shaun DeGennaro Class of 2020 — LIU Post Accounting As a T. Denny Sanford Scholar, Shaun DeGennaro is actively involved around campus as a Dean’s Scholar and Resident Assistant. Now in his junior year, he embodies LIU Post pride as the school mascot, Peter the Pioneer. Outside the classroom and off the field, Shaun also earned a 2nd degree black belt in Shaolin Kempo. He currently interns at an accounting firm, Perlson L.L.P., and aims to work at a Big Four accounting firm after graduating with an M.B.A.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Michael is the Editor-in-Chief for the Seawanhaka school newspaper. He is also involved with the moving team and has helped raise funds for cancer research and awareness with the Commuter Students Union during Relay for Life. He interned at SNY (Sports Network), the home of the Mets. Fluent in English and Cantonese, he plans to work in sports journalism.

Abigail Sollecito Class of 2018 — LIU Post Health Sciences A member of the Women’s Lacrosse team and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Abigail chose a business minor to learn how to turn her childhood passion for sports and dolls into a future career as a physical therapist. Her ingenuity earned her a $2500 scholarship from Women In Toys (WIT), through LIU Post’s Institute of Branding & Licensing.

Camila Gomide First-year student — LIU Global, Costa Rica Center

Rina Sarfraz First-year student — LIU Global, Costa Rica Center

An international student from Brazil, Camila Gomide currently holds a leadership position as one of LIU Global’s Ambassadors, serving as a contact for other potential international students. She volunteers weekly at a local community center teaching English, and will soon be volunteering with a sea turtle protection program in a community on the Pacific coast. She aims to one day work at an organization that addresses migrants’ most basic needs.

Rina Sarfraz was selected for a leadership position as the student Public Relations & Marketing Editor for the Costa Rica Center, along with being chosen to be a student representative by her peers. Her passion for human rights has led her to organize several successful school events for her peers on current global issues. She hopes to continue studying international law/human rights and intern as an LIU Global student with humanitarian organizations to help prepare herself for a career in this field.

IN AND OUT OF THE

CLASSROOM Samuel Greenberg Class of 2019 — LIU Brooklyn Biology and Physics President of the Student Government Association, Samuel is an experienced student leader active in many organizations on campus, including Jewish Leadership Association and Alms Alliance. He is a summer researcher at Johns Hopkins Hospital and a published author for McGraw Hill, with medical school ambitions. His current work involves research on aging and the breakdown of heart muscles. “I love the time I have spent at LIU I have met some amazing friends and professors,” he said. “I have a great appreciation for this school and how it has helped me develop as an individual.”

Here’s a quick look at nine talented young people who are making the most out of their educational experiences at Long Island University. Ziva Shomshonov Class of 2019 — LIU Brooklyn Nursing Born and raised in Brooklyn to Azerbaijani and Israeli parents, Ziva Shomshonov is a member of the LIU Student Nursing Association, the National Student Nurses of America, and Alpha Chi Honor Society. She was a semi-finalist in the New York State Science and Engineering Fair for her Microbiology project: The Effects on Lavender and Manuka oil on Escherichia coli. Ziva has volunteered in several off-campus initiatives with Maimonides Medical Center (MMC) Pediatric Playroom, and Activities of Daily Living (ADL).

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

POST ATHLETICS NEW ACCOLADES, CONTINUED DOMINANCE

WOMEN’S SOCCER

FOOTBALL

Despite a setback in the East Coast Conference championship, the women’s soccer team earned a trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament as the No. 5 seed in the East Region. After taking down No. 4 Southern New Hampshire, the Pioneers knocked off top-seeded Franklin Pierce University to advance to the regional finals. Senior Hillevi Eklow earned ECC Goalkeeper of the Year honors for the second-straight season, helping lead LIU Post to a 14 – 4 – 4 overall record.

The LIU Post football team completed its third unbeaten regular season in program history, finishing the year 10 – 0 with a win against the University of New Haven in the Northeast-10 Conference championship game. The Pioneers set a new program record with 15-consecutive wins dating back to the 2017 season, leading to head coach Bryan Collins being named the NE10 Coach of the Year. Senior Jake Carlock earned NE10 Defensive Player of the Year accolades, and defensive back Nazir Streater’s sensational one-handed interception (below) snagged the No. 1 spot for Week 6 on ESPN’s SportsCenter’s broadcast of the Top 10 College Football Plays of the Week.

WRESTLING The Pioneer wrestling team earned preseason praise in Division II, starting the year ranked No. 19 in the country by Division II Wrestling Coaches Association. Two-time All-American graduate student Joe Calderone opened the year as the topranked wrestler in the nation in the 141-pound weight class. Calderone finished last season with a 32 – 9 record, capturing All-America accolades and Academic All-America recognition.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

BRIDGETTE SOARES

For most, closing out their career with an undefeated season and a National Championship would be the highlight of their senior year. Not for Bridgette Soares (Post ’13, B.A. in Criminal Justice).

MEN’S SOCCER The LIU Post men’s soccer team captured its fourth-consecutive East Coast Conference title in 2018, finishing with an overall record of 14 – 5 –1. Graduate student Lukas Ostermann was named the East Region Player of the Year by the Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association after finishing the year ranked second in the country in goals (23) and points (52). Nine student-athletes garnered All-ECC recognition as they helped lead the Green and Gold to the No. 2 seed in the East Region championship.

Both of her parents, Ronald and Kim, had enlisted in the Marine Corps. As a senior in high school, Soares planned to follow in their footsteps and join the Marines immediately after graduation. Her parents balked at her missing out on a college education, so Soares enrolled at LIU Post and attended Officer Candidate School (OCS) during the summers following her freshman and junior years. In 2015, Soares received orders to deploy to Okinawa, Japan, where she had the opportunity to send platoon-sized elements to five different countries and fill an individual Augment Billet in the Middle East. “While fulfilling this billet, I had the opportunity to work in a joint environment and with our coalition partners,” Soares said. “It was great to be able to have a hand in mitigating the risks our forces face in both Iraq and Syria.” During her most recent deployment, Soares completed an assignment at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, where she worked security and protection for the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, an operation targeted to defeat ISIS.

FIELD HOCKEY Senior Emily Miller rewrote the record books for the LIU Post field hockey program this season. Compiling 25 goals and 15 assists, Miller set new program records for career goals (91) and career points (213). During a win against Adelphi, Miller scored her 85th career goal to pass Carlee Dragon for the top spot, and later surpassed Dragon during a win against Stonehill when she tallied her 196th career point.

With a lifetime of accomplishment already logged before her 30th birthday, Soares treasures her time in school and on the playing field. “LIU Post had a huge impact on me and still does till this day,” she said. “I continue to talk to my old coaches and teammates. They’re lifelong friends and helped me develop into the leader I am today. Without their guidance and mentorship, I probably wouldn’t be where I am today.”

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

BROOKLYN ATHLETICS ADVANCING THE CHAMPIONSHIP TRADITION

BASKETBALL

MEN’S SOCCER

The men’s basketball team, under the direction of secondyear head coach Derek Kellogg, started the 2018 –19 season 3 – 0 before heading to Ireland for the Belfast Classic regular season tournament.

The LIU Brooklyn men’s soccer team had a golden fall season, going 6 – 2 in the Northeast Conference, and winning the 2018 NEC Championship title on their home field in Brooklyn. The Blackbirds, under the direction of head coach TJ Kostecky, now in his 20th year, beat No.4 seed FDU and No.3 seed Bryant en route to the program’s second trophy in four seasons, and 15th in school history. Kostecky and his staff were named the NEC’s Coaching Staff of the Year. Sophomore Erik Johansson was named the NEC’s Defensive Player of the Year, and freshman goal keeper Sam Ilin was named the NEC Rookie of the Year. The Blackbirds also had seven All-NEC honorees, the most of any team in the league; seniors Rasmus Hansen and Filip Nordström, junior Marius Koss and sophomore Fredrik Mathisen earned first team All-NEC honors, while Ilin was named second team All-NEC, and both Ilin and classmate Huib Achterkamp were named to the NEC’s All-Rookie team. The Blackbirds entered the 2018 NCAA Tournament by taking on No.18 nationally ranked West Virginia in the first round on November 15 and fell short, losing 4 – 2.

Against Ivy League foe Brown, the Blackbirds led by as many as 15 points, and trailed by as many as 11, but LIU went on top when it mattered most, taking the lead with one second left on the clock, and eventually beating the Bears, 83 – 81. Junior Julian Batts led the Blackbirds, scoring 26 points. Five days later, LIU Brooklyn had another thrilling last second win over Fairfield, 89 – 87. Senior Raiquan Clark led the Blackbirds to the victory, as he scored 20 of his game-high 33 points in the second half, including the go-ahead three-pointer with 37 seconds left, and the game-winning jump shot with 1.3 seconds on the clock. And on the women’s side, first-year guard Brandy Thomas has been sensational for the Blackbirds to open her collegiate career. The Long Island native has averaged a double-double through the first three games of the season.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

GIOVANNI SAVARESE

SWIMMING The LIU Brooklyn women’s swimming team is off to the best start in program history. Now in its fourth season of competition, the team began undefeated, going 6 – 0 in their first six dual meets. Heading into the ECAC Championships in December, the Blackbirds are 8 – 2 this year, including three wins over Northeast Conference competition. First-year standout Amanda San Juan has helped lead LIU to its impressive start, capturing four NEC Rookie of the Week accolades, shattering multiple school records in the process. The Blackbirds will begin the second half of their season slate after the new year, and take on the rest of the NEC at the 2018 –19 NEC Championships, February 13 –16 at the Nassau County Aquatic Center.

Growing up in Venezuela, Giovanni Savarese (Brooklyn ’98, B.S. in Marketing) knew he wanted to get an education, and playing soccer was the means to that end. LIU Brooklyn gave him that opportunity. He was familiar with the University’s rich athletic tradition and the strong reputation of the soccer team in particular. The opportunity to play, study and live in New York City proved to be all he ever dreamed as a child, as he learned how to adapt to an ever-changing environment. After graduation, Savarese won a United Soccer League championship in 1995 with the Long Island Rough Riders, playing alongside future MLS stars Tony Meola and Chris Armas and claiming MVP honors that season. He was drafted by the New York/New Jersey Metro Stars (now the New York Red Bulls) in the MLS Inaugural Player Draft in 1996.

VOLLEYBALL The LIU Brooklyn volleyball team continued its dominance in the Northeast Conference in 2018, winning their third straight regular season championship title, seventh in the last eight years, and 11th in school history. The Blackbirds will host the NEC Championship tournament for the ninth time in 11 years as the top seed, and hope to win the program’s 12th overall championship title, and earn the league’s automatic qualification to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season. LIU was led by NEC Coach of the Year Ken Ko, and went 12 – 2 in the NEC in the regular season. The Blackbirds also had the NEC’s Defensive Player of the Year, Natalia Rivera, and two All-NEC honorees, first teamer and the 2017 NEC Player of the Year senior Viktoria Fink, and second team honoree for the second season, junior Filippa Hansson.

Following his playing career, Savarese decided to pursue coaching. He has proven his soccer savvy is championship caliber on the sideline as it was on the pitch, leading the Portland Timbers to a Western Conference Championship and MLS Cup appearance in his first season as head coach in 2018. While the school has grown substantially since he graduated, Savarese’s advice for current students exhibits the paradigm he employed while at LIU Brooklyn. “What I think is important is to embrace everything they have around, what New York City brings,” he said. “Try to find your own path, but also learn from those that already had success.”

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

ACADEMICS Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that LIU would receive $12 million in state funding to help open the region’s only veterinary medicine college. (Photo courtesy of Suffolk County Democratic Committee)

NEW YORK STATE’S BIG INVESTMENT New York State is investing $12 million to help build the College of Veterinary Medicine at LIU Post as part of the state’s $72 million investment to support three transformative local health care initiatives, it was announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on May 18. The University is creating the new College to help fill a void in the industry. Currently, there are only 30 schools of veterinary medicine in the United States and just three are in the Northeast. None of these is located in the New York metropolitan area.

V AL UABLE PAR TNERSHI P S CREATING I-495 RESEARCH CORRIDOR As a national teaching and research institution, Long Island University was the perfect host for a conference led by Congressman Tom Suozzi that brought together national and regional leaders on the “495 Research Corridor.” The name is a play on the road number of the Long Island Expressway (I-495) and connecting the world-class institutions on Long Island including LIU, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and others, to create a high-tech jobs and research corridor to rival Silicon Valley. Speakers included LIU Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Randy Burd who spoke about the University’s commitment to cutting-edge research and innovation.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

In a story reported by Newsday, Cuomo said that the new LIU veterinary school in Brookville, in conjunction with projects proposed for Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Northwell Health in Manhasset, would give a big boost to the region’s push to develop biotechnology—and further the creation of a “research corridor” on Long Island. “We have to invest in the future economy,” Cuomo reportedly told the Long Island Association, a non-profit business advocacy group, at its annual dinner held in Woodbury last Friday night. “The future economy, I believe, and more importantly you believe, is going to be in the life sciences cluster.” Pending approval, LIU’s College of Veterinary Medicine hopes to enroll 100 students each year in a four-year doctoral program. As quoted in Newsday, LIA President Kevin Law said that these three projects that the governor wants to fund “are going to significantly strengthen the research corridor that we have been trying to establish on Long Island, from Brookhaven National Laboratory to the Genome Center in Manhattan.”

Rep. Tom Suozzi talks about transforming Long Island’s economy during a panel discussion held at LIU Post on Sept. 24th.

BIG SCORE AT POLO MATCH Long Island University continues to build community support for the LIU College of Veterinary Medicine as well as the University’s other important equestrian and veterinary programs.

With a check in hand New York State Sen. Carl Marcellino (on the left) joins LIU President Dr. Kimberly Cline and Gerald Chasin (on the right) along with other equestrian enthusiasts.

At the 2018 Inaugural LIU Classic Polo Match and Lawn Party at the Meadowbrook Polo Club, New York State Senator Carl L. Marcellino announced a $750,000 state grant to support construction of the veterinary school. LIU continues to advance this critical initiative, which would be the first College of Veterinary Medicine in the New York metropolitan area.

HONORING THEODORE ROOSEVELT’S LEGACY Sagamore Hill, once the home of President Theodore Roosevelt, set the stage for a major announcement on Oct. 26 by Long Island University: the formation of the Theodore Roosevelt Institute, which will contain many of his writings and archived material. Starting next fall, the new institute will serve as a dedicated resource for research, public seminars, lectures, international scholars, educational programs and conferences focused on the enduring legacy the 26th president. Standing on the porch where President Roosevelt once addressed the nation were LIU President Dr. Kimberly R. Cline; Assemb. Charles D. “Chuck” Lavine (D-Glen Cove); former Congressman Steve Israel, chairman of the Global Institute at LIU; Sagamore Hill National Historic Site Superintendent Kelly Fuhrmann; and Tweed Roosevelt, the president’s great-grandson, who is chief executive officer of the Theodore Roosevelt Association and will head the new institute. Assemblyman Lavine secured $250,000 in state funds to renovate Lorber Hall at LIU Post so it can house both the institute and the association. Israel is a member of the board of the TRA.

Tweed Roosevelt talks about the importance of preserving his greatgrandfather’s legacy. Also on hand for the announcement are Sagamore Hill National Historic Site Superintendent Kelly Fuhrmann, Assemb. Charles Lavine, LIU President Dr. Kimberly R. Cline and former Congressman Steve Israel, who chairs the LIU Global Institute.

DIGITIZING LOCAL HISTORY LIU’s Palmer School of Library and Information Science held its inaugural Gardiner Forum Symposium to celebrate the first year of the Digitizing Local History Project, an ambitious archival program funded with a more than $2 million grant from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation. LIU professors and students are working with 26 historical societies to digitize their archives. So far, they have scanned more than 20,000 documents, and plans are well underway to further expand this successful program.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

2017 – 2018

ANNUAL REPORT LIU continues to thrive during a period of great challenges in higher education. We are charting an upward trajectory that has been recognized both for academic excellence and financial management. During FY 2018, our immediate focus has included strengthening academic programs; hiring and building talent; enhancing student academic excellence and achievement; and strengthening the University’s brand. Total operating revenue exceeded $344.9 million. Total operating expenses were $326.4 million, generating an operating surplus of approximately $18.5 million. Net assets grew 7.1% to $437.0 million from $408.0 million over the previous year. In addition, more than $94 million in institutional scholarships was provided to students. For the fourth consecutive year, tuition increases were held at 2%, fulfilling a commitment the University has pledged to its students through 2020. This rate adjustment for FY 2018 was well below regional and national averages (the average tuition increase at private universities nationwide was 3.6% in 2016 – 2017). Our endowment’s fair market value was $230.1 million as of August 31, 2018. This total represents an increase of 16.9% over the value at August 31, 2017, and an increase of 201.2% from the same date in 2010. This growth has resulted in the University significantly exceeding our original goal of a $200 million endowment by 2020.

E NDOWMENT VALUE : F Y 2 0 1 0 – F Y 2 0 1 8 AC T UAL S (with Projections through FY 2020) 320.0

280.0

$ MILLIONS

270.0

230.1

220.0

197.0

170.0

138.5

120.0 70.0 20.0

76.4

78.2

86.9

FY 10

FY 11

FY 12

FY 13

99.6

FY 14

117.0

FY 15

FY 16

FY 17

Strategic plan goal: $200 million by 2020

255.0

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

FY 18

FY 19

FY 20

B AL ANC E S HE E T Balance Sheet (000’s Omitted)

2018 Total

2017 Total

University

Operating

$103,208

$116,496

Endowment

$230,104

$196,953

$10,640

$13,498

Prepaid expenses and other assets

$7,425

$5,692

Contributions receivable, net

$6,547

$8,122

$11,004

$12,926

ASSETS Cash and investments:

Accounts receivable, net

Notes receivable, net Deposits with trustees

$10,863

$10,572

$297,464

$299,739

$677,255

$663,998

Accounts payable and accrued expenses

$14,305

$16,126

Deferred revenue-cash collected for fall semester

$32,655

$35,119

Other liabilities

$23,855

$22,866

Interest rate swap liability

$12,906

$18,499

Land, buildings, and equipment Total Assets LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS Liabilities:

Long-term debt

$100,471

$104,728

Liability for postretirement benefits

$43,755

$44,965

U.S. Government refundable grants

$12,278

$13,467

$240,225

$222,770

$341,367

$322,201

$29,607

$24,153

Total liabilities Net Assets Unrestricted Temporarily Restricted Permanently Restricted Total net assets Total Liabilities and Net Assets

$66,056

$61,874

$437,030

$408,228

$677,255

$663,998

LIU’s fundraising efforts in FY 2018 took in approximately $35.7 million in new cash, new pledges, prior fiscal year pledge payments, and planned gifts. $13.2 million of that was in new cash payments, pledges payments, and realized planned gifts, a 43.5% increase over FY 2017. This success continued the strong start to the second year of the University’s capital campaign. As of the end of August 2018, the University had amassed $58.5 million in gifts and pledges toward its five-year goal of $150 million.

We are grateful to our donors for their generous support to provide world-class programs and initiatives for all LIU students. LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

ON THE SHELF Sex, Drugs, And Creativity: Searching for Magic in a Disenchanted World By Dustin Kahoud and Danielle Knafo (Routledge) Dustin Kahoud (Post ’14, Psy.D.) and Danielle Knafo, Ph.D., professor of psychology and coordinator of the Serious Mental Illness Concentration at LIU Post, examine how self-destruction vies with the creative process in the pursuit of imaginative breakthroughs. Artists rely on fantasies both to create and destroy, the authors write, and understanding this underlying connection can help therapists work more effectively with them.

LESSER LIGHTS S A N DY M C I N TO S H

The World According to Jack: A Dog’s-Eye View with Self-Help Advice for Other Dogs

By Jennifer Rauch (Oxford University Press)

By Jack “K-9” Newport (Assisted by John and Ann Newport) (Transcendent Publishing)

Jennifer Rauch, Ph.D., professor of journalism and communication studies at LIU Brooklyn, examines how people are using and producing media, as influenced by the Slow Food movement’s transformation of how we grow, buy and eat. The focus here is how we consume information. She hopes to nurture a media ecosystem that is more satisfying for people and more sustainable for the planet.

Lesser Lights: More Tales from a Hamptons’ Apprenticeship

Beauty Beyond Telling: The Story of Cedar Breaks National Monument

By Sandy McIntosh (Marsh Hawk Press)

By Josh LaMore (Zion National Park Forever Project Publication)

This second collection of memoirs by Sandy McIntosh (Southampton ’70, BA) follows the critically praised “A Hole In the Ocean” and continues McIntosh’s coming of age story set in the famous arts colony on Long Island’s East End. Included are his adventures in filmmaking with Norman Mailer and Ilya Bolotowsky as well as his encounters with Truman Capote, Jean Stafford, P.G. Wodehouse and others.

Radical Revolution By Stephen Saunders (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform)

Stephen Saunders, RD, casts a compelling argument in favor of animal liberation that draws on historical examples of human oppression and compares them to the plight of animals in the world today.

Slow Media: Why Slow Is Satisfying, Sustainable and Smart

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah is often called a hidden gem. As the National Collegiate Honors Council’s first Partners in the Parks Fellow, Josh LaMore (Brooklyn ‘14) recounts how hundreds of thousands of visitors have come to this lofty clime where the “beauty is beyond telling,” and the air is crystal clear.

Big Guns By Steve Israel (Simon & Schuster)

John Newport (Brooklyn ’63, BS in Business Administration), who has a Ph.D. in public health, wondered what was going on inside the head of his four-legged friend and that prompted him to collaborate with Jack, his 10-pound Chihuahua mix, on this novel project. Here, “Jack” tells his fellow canines how to “train your (human) parents.”

It’s All Love By Gil Defay (GIL-XL)

Trumpeter, composer and arranger Gil Defay (Brooklyn), a noted sideman in the New York City music scene, has played with Mariah Carey, Wyclef Jean, Ariana Grande, Wynton Marsalis and Tito Puente, to name a few. The tracks on this debut album reflect his wide range of styles, from funk, jazz, soul and R&B to the world music of Haiti, Brazil and Africa.

Trauma and Madness in Mental Health Services By Noel Hunter (Palgrave MacMillan)

Former Congressman Steve Israel, LIU Post’s distinguished Writer-in-Residence and Chairman of the Global Institute at LIU, has written a scintillating satire of the gun lobby as he takes aim at the cozy relationship between America’s top business leaders and our political representatives.

Clinical psychologist Noel Hunter (Post ‘16, Psy.D.) is an advocate for the rights of people diagnosed with mental disorders. Her new book combines first-person perspectives from a range of diagnostic categories in this exploration of recovery which draws upon neurology, genetics, psychological theory, racism and discrimination.

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 these upcoming events: February 2

February 19

February 22

February 28 – March 2

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Announcement of George Polk Award winners

RAIN — A Tribute to the Beatles: Abbey Road

Post Theater Company at LIU Post Campus

Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, 8 p.m.

The National Press Club, Washington D.C., 11 a.m.

Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, 8 p.m.

The Maestro makes his final tour with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra before he steps down as Music Director in 2019 — a can’t miss event!

To underscore the crucial role of quality journalism in American democracy, LIU will host a press conference to announce the winners of the 70th Annual George Polk Awards. This event will also feature a panel discussion with topic to be announced at a later date.

In celebration of the anniversary of Abbey Road, RAIN will bring the greatest hits of this epic recording to life, in addition to all your early Beatles favorites.

WILD PARTY The Little Theater Mainstage, 7:30 p.m. Prohibition, the roaring twenties, speakeasies, and secret wild parties! Join us for Andrew Lippa’s steamy musical retelling of Joseph Moncure March’s 1928 poem about excess and violence. Winner of the Drama Desk, Outer Critic’s Circle, and Obie awards, this dark, brilliant story races toward an unexpected conclusion.

April 4

March 21

Foreigner: The Hits On Tour Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, 7:30 p.m. With ten multi-platinum albums and sixteen Top 30 hits, Foreigner is universally hailed as one of the most popular rock acts in the world, responsible for some of rock and roll’s most enduring anthems including Juke Box Hero, Cold as Ice, Hot Blooded, Waiting for a Girl Like You, Feels Like the First Time, and the worldwide #1 hit, I Want to Know What Love Is.

George Polk Awards Seminar at LIU Brooklyn Campus Kumble Theater, 6:30 p.m. The Polk Awards Seminar offers attendees to enjoy a discussion and Q&A session relating to this year’s Polk Award winners.

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

April 5

April 26 – 28

70th Annual George Polk Awards Luncheon

Post Concert Dance Company at LIU Post Campus

The Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan, 11 a.m. Many of today’s most important and influential journalists gather to celebrate the work of the winners of the 70th Annual George Polk Awards.

The Little Theater Mainstage, 8 p.m. Join the dancers as they celebrate the experience of bringing dynamic new dances to the stage for the Spring Dance Concert. Check our website at liu.edu/alumni for the most up-to-date alumni information, news, and events.

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 | 2018

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 WILLIAM ROZEA (Post ’59, B.S. in Business Administration) and his wife APRIL ROZEA (Post ’60, B.A. in Psychology), who first met on the Brookville campus in 1956, recently visited the radio studios at LIU Post for a special alumni recording. They were on hand to donate the first home-run baseball ever hit by a Post varsity player to Jarron Jewell, who handles Archives and Special Collections at the B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library. As Rozea recalled, his team had to retrieve that ball in the spring of 1957 because they had just two. His hit was the only run of the game for the home team: they lost to Adelphi 3 –1.

1960s MICHAEL BIVONA (Brooklyn ’60, B.S. in Accounting) recently published his seventh book, “Boaters: Beware of Repair Bills.” He said that he enjoys writing and living in New York and Florida with his wife of 54 years, Barbara. As a CPA and former CEO of Manchester Technology, he retired from the accounting profession and the computer enhancement industry two decades ago. He was interviewed and quoted by Jim Cramer’s The Street, U.S. News & World Report, Fox Business News, Forbes and other media outlets. An award-winning author, he was the recipient of the LIU Distinguished Alumni Award in 2007. STAN PELOFSKY (Brooklyn ’62, B.S.) reported that after receiving his M.D. degree from the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine in 1966 he served in Da Nang, Vietnam, as an active duty physician in 1968. Four years later he completed his neurosurgical residency at OU Medical Center. In 2001 he was elected president of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Currently he is in neurological practice in Oklahoma City. HOWARD SCHWACH (Post ’62, B.A. in History) published his first adult novel as an e-book after publishing several books for school kids. BERNARD BERMAN (Post ’64, B.A.) is a semi-retired patent attorney at a law firm in Cleveland, Ohio. KEN TOMCICH (Post ’64, B.S.) is currently a self-employed tax preparer in Arlington, Va., after retiring from government

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

service where he was a program manager and logistics analyst. He spent 25 years with USMC and 18 years with USN. JOHN KANAS (Southampton ’68, B.A. in History/Political Science) was named senior advisor and vice chairman at Carlyle Global Financial Services Partners, based in Washington, D.C. Kanas is currently chairman of BankUnited, a former portfolio company of The Carlyle Group. He is a member of the board of trustees of Weill Cornell Medical College. In 2007 he received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship. He received an honorary degree at LIU Post’s 2015 Commencement. ROBERT A. MILLER (Brooklyn ’68, B.A. in History) retired from the Department of Homeland Security after leaving a position with the Small Business Administration. WILLIAM “BILL” REINHARDT (Post ’68, B.A.) was named chairman of the Board of Directors at the Metropolitan Bank Holding Corporation, based in New York. He has been a senior director of Alvarez & Marsal, a global professional services and consulting firm, since 2008. LENNI ROSENFELD (Brooklyn ’68, B.S. & M.S.) retired as a public school guidance counselor on Staten Island, NY. In the early years of her career, she taught elementary school. After she took maternity leave, she went to work for the New York City central Board of Education doing staff development. ELAINE AGNES FINNBERG HERNDON, Ph.D., (Brooklyn ’69, B.A. in Psychology) received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who in May. She was a well-known and well-respected clinical psychologist who specialized in behavioral medicine and forensic psychology. She passed away on November 6 after a long battle with cancer. She had lived in California since 1976 and had been married for 33 years to the late Rodney Herndon.

1970s ARTHUR SLATE (Post ’70, B.A. & M.A.) retired as director of IT Systems Analysis for the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance and currently works with Enterprise Holdings in Massachusetts.

JEFFREY RISENER (Brooklyn ’73, B.S.) is the director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics in the Oceanside School District on Long Island, and the author of “How to Raise Your Child in the World of Sports.” He’s a former head coach of the varsity men’s basketball team and assistant athletic director at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. BARRY VOLIN (Post ’74, B.A., and Post ’81, M.P.A.) was named executive vice president of Medicare & Operations at the Philadelphia-based Health Partners Plans.

refuge underground in Ukraine during World War II. Her book received the 2018 Skipping Stones Honor Award. DANNY SIMMONS (Brooklyn ’85, M.P.A.) saw his artwork highlighted in a show at the Arthur Rose Museum of Claflin University in South Carolina. A former LIU trustee, he is an abstract expressionist painter and co-founder and vice chairman of the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation and Rush Arts Gallery.

DENISE ANDERSON (Southampton ’75, B.A. in Sociology / Elementary Education) teaches elementary school in the Richardson Independent School District in Richardson, Texas and eager to connect with her former classmates. STEPHEN DEMCZUK, Ph.D. (Post ’76, M.A.) celebrated the 20th anniversary of RavenBeer, the Baltimore-based brewery that he founded. He created this craft beer in Europe and named the beer in tribute to Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, “The Raven.” BOBBY GUTHENBERG (Post ’76, B.A.) retired from a 42year career teaching math subjects at St. Francis Preparatory School, a private school commonly known as St. Francis Prep, in the New York City borough of Queens. In June he watched his grandson graduate, marking the first time in St. Francis’s 150-year history that a teacher retired as his grandchild graduated. Guthenberg is a LIU Post Radio Hall of Fame inductee (2015) where he also currently volunteers his time. JEFFREY ACKERMAN (Brooklyn ’79, M.B.A.) joined Sterling National Bank as managing director and vice president.

1980s STEPHEN BREEN (Post ’80, B.S.) was named chief financial officer and treasurer at The Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse. ROBERT KIRALY (Post ’80, B.S.) was named senior vice president and chief risk officer at Empire National Bank.

April and Bill Rozea, who first met on the Brookville campus in 1956, recently came to the LIU Post radio studios and donated the first home-run baseball ever hit here to LIU’s Jarron Jewell, so she can preserve it for posterity.

FRANK ABEL (Post ’86, M.A. in Music), a retired music teacher, was hired as conductor of the Roosevelt High School Marching Band. Under his leadership, the band has played to acclaim at the Newsday Marching Band Festival, Barclays Center in Brooklyn and Riverside Church in Manhattan. Besides teaching music for almost 30 years, Abel toured the United States and Europe with the legendary Etta James, Luther Vandross, Ben E. King and Cuba Gooding Sr.

WILLIAM “BILL” STEVENS (Post ’83, B.A.) was hired as senior vice president, retail sales, at Foresters Financial.

THOMAS SCHIRRIPA (Post ’86, B.S. in Accounting), who previously served as chief financial officer and managing member at Cowen Prime Services in Garden City, was hired as a controller at DSJ CPA in Westbury, N.Y.

CHRISTINE FINN (Post ’84, B.A.; ’86, M.S. in Childhood Education; ’99, Advanced Certificate in School District Leadership) was named superintendent and principal at Shelter Island Schools on the East End of Long Island. She embarked on her career in public education by teaching first and fourth graders in Brentwood on Long Island’s South Shore.

LAWRENCE HOLZBERG (Post ’87, B.A. in Political Science), managing director of sales and strategic initiatives at Wealth Advisory Group LLC, was appointed a trustee at the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.

WALTER MOLOKIE (LIU Pharmacy ’84, B.S. R.Ph.) was named CEO at MediFirst Solutions, Inc., where he heads their Concierge Concepts Rx. TARA LYNN MASIH (Post ’85, B.A.), a writer and editor, published her debut novel for young adults called “My Real Name Is Hanna,” which was inspired by a family who sought

JEFFREY SCHNEIDER (Brooklyn ’87, B.S.) was appointed to the IRS Advisory Council. DEBORAH DEGRASSI (Post ’88, M.S. in Library Science) retired after 38 years serving as the head children’s librarian at Bellmore Memorial Library on Long Island. Degrassi’s retirement was featured in a Newsday article because she started working there when she was in high school.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

CLASS NOTES

1990s IRYNA COHEN (Post ’90, B.S. in Physics and Math) was awarded Lux Life Magazine’s 2018 Most Outstanding Range of Interior Design Services for the work she’s done with her company Well Designed Living. DR. CHRISTOS KYROU DPM (Post ’92, B.S.) was named to the Board of the Atlas Foot Alignment Institute. ROSS FELDMAN (Post ’93, B.S.) said that after spending about 20 years in financial services, banking and professional services, he is chief technology officer and head of strategic development at CompuCom, a leading IT services provider in Charlotte, North Carolina. JOHN A. GAULLUCCI, JR. (Brooklyn ’93, M.S.) was named the 2018 Person of the Year by Dominican College in Orangeburg, N.Y. ARTHUR PHIDD (Brentwood ’94, M.B.A.) was named senior vice president, chief information officer, at BNB Bank. He had previously been vice president and CIO at Community Preservation Corporation and chief technology officer with DJI Holdings. SHELDON K. RENNIE (Post ’94, B.A.) was nominated by Delaware Gov. John Carney to serve as Superior Court Judge in New Castle County and subsequently confirmed by the state senate. Prior to his appointment, Judge Rennie had been a judge of the Court of Common Pleas. ALEX RESNICK (Post ’94, B.S.), a partner at Wild, Maney & Resnick, was named president of the New York State Society of CPAs, Nassau Chapter. DAN VITO (Post ’94, B.A. in Education) was named the New York State Assistant Coach of the Year by the New York State High School Football Coaches Association. He coaches football at East Rockaway Junior-Senior High School. He reportedly credited his Uncle Joe Vito for inspiring him to become a football coach when he played for him as an 8-year-old on the East Rockaway Raiders in the local Police Athletic League. DAVINDER ATHWAL (Post ’95, M.A. in Accounting) was named CFO of Blucora, Inc., based in Irving, Texas. MICHAEL CHARLES VETTER (Post ’95, B.F.A. in Education) is a music teacher for kindergarten through grade 12 on Long Island. He is the advisor for Tri-M music Honors and Lighting & sound, and the director of the concert band, the jazz band and the marching band known as the Oceanside Sailors Marching Band, which was the USSBA 1A New York State Champions in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009 and AllStates Champions for 2004. The jazz band won first place at WorldStrides, the Boston music competition, in 2018.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

DR. JAY KEEHN (Brooklyn ’97, M.A. in Education, School Psychology) was named executive director of the Union Institute & University Florida Academic Center in Hollywood, Fla. JOHN SPICCIATIE (Brentwood ’99, M.B.A. in Business Administration) is executive director of St. James Investment Advisors. He has spent more than 40 years in financial services, including BlackRock and BNY Mellon and JPMorganChase.

2000s CARA PEKARCIK (Southampton ’01, B.S. in Psychobiology) was named Mentor of the Year by the Biotechnology Institute. She has been teaching science at North Quincy High School in Massachusetts since 2006 and was honored as the 2018 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year. BRIAN S. LOCKE (Post ’02, M.S.), a retired lieutenant colonel, was named director of the G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Center for America’s Veterans at Mississippi State University (MSU). He had served as a professor of military science and department head for MSU’s Army ROTC program. HOWARD M. HUTTON (Brentwood ’03, M.B.A.) is celebrating his eighth year as owner and president of GDA Hockey, a professional hockey player agency based in St. Louis, Missouri. KIMBERLY LIBERTINI (Post ‘03, M.S.) said that as head of Georgia-based Goodgrief Works, LLC, she launched a new app to provide support and understanding to family members as they cope with grief “in the days, weeks and months that follow.” TIMOTHY PETERSON (Post ’03, M.S.) was appointed to the faculty of Long Island High School for the Arts. He’d received an Adjunct Award from LIU for his work on the Small Film Festival. He’s a member of the Long Island Visual Professionals. KATE FULLAM (Southampton ’04, B.S. in Marine Science) was named executive director of the Amagansett Food Institute. She previously served as communications manager for The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University. DAVID PRICE (Brooklyn ’04, B.S.) is the senior vice president and head of Internal Audit at New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). MARIE E. DONNELLY (Post ’05, School of Education degrees in School Business and School District Administration) was named assistant superintendent for business and operations at Seaford Union Free School District on Long Island. CHRISTY GARDNER (Post ’05, B.A.), a disabled veteran who lost both legs during a peace-keeping trip to Asia in 2006

and now resides in Lewiston, Maine, is the current national record holder in shot put, discus and javelin as one of the best para-athletes in the country. She played on the 2018 world champion Team USA Women’s Para Ice Hockey sled hockey team. She also won the DAV Victories for Veterans award. She is in training to qualify for the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan. DANIEL REHMAN (Post ’05, College of Education, certificate in School District Administration) was named superintendent of West Hempstead Schools on Long Island. TOM VAUGHN (Brentwood ’05, M.B.A.) was named director of operations for Suffolk County under Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. He has served the county in three different administrations. STEVEN BIRKELAND (Post ’06, M.S.) is celebrating his fourth year as chairperson of Committee on Special Education One in the Bronx, which oversees the referral, evaluation, identification and provision of special education services to students from 2.6 years to 21 years of age. He joined the New York City Department of Education as a school counselor in 2016. MATTHEW “THIA” ELLIOTT (LIU Global ‘06, B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies) is a designer, researcher and artist currently living in Brooklyn. Elliott was a University of South Florida Peter R. Betzer Fellow at the College of Marine Science in 2008 and subsequently performed dive research at the Aquarius Habitat, oceanographic research off the Eastern Seaboard in the Atlantic Ocean as well as in the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic Ocean. Elliott was part of the teams that worked on the Deepwater Horizon Blowout and helped to discover a seasonal current in the Arctic Ocean. WILLIAM “BILL” MCDERMOTT (Post ’07, B.A.) was named interim State Attorney of Worcester County, Maryland. He graduated summa cum laude with honors as a criminal justice major. SETH NARINE (Brooklyn ’07, B.A. in Economics) got married in June to Jonique Aingeal Hewitt. He is an associate director of the affiliation and budget office in the finance department at New York City Health and Hospitals/Bellevue. YITZCHOCK ULLMAN (Hudson ’07, M.P.A. in Health Administration) was named receiver of taxes for Ramapo, N.Y. He had been a town councilman and acting town supervisor. LILIANA CALLE (Brooklyn ‘08, B.S.) was selected to be an associate at the 2018 Women’s Addiction Services Leadership Institute. DANIELLE DIMAURO-BROOKS (Post ’08, M.A. in Art History), who has been teaching at Suffolk County Community College for eight years, has been honored with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, given out by

the State University of New York in recognition of superior professional achievement. She’s a professor of history, faculty advisor of the Women’s Club, and co-chair of the FOCUS Committee and chair of the Take Back the Night Planning Committee. MELISSA GALLARO (Post ’08, M.B.A.) was named vice president of GEICO in addition to her position of vice president of GEICO Insurance Agency. She joined the company in 2002 as a sales counselor at its Long Island regional office and eventually relocated to Fredericksburg, Va. MICHAEL BENDER (Post ’09, M.S. in Library Science) and his wife Heidi plan to open Split Rock Books, a bookstore in Cold Spring, N.Y., a village along the Hudson River just north of West Point. They envision the Main Street store as “a place to explore and find things you didn’t know you wanted.” ALEXANDER MONELLI (Post ’09, B.F.A. in Film) showed his first feature-length documentary, “At the Drive-In,” as the official selection of the Long Island International Film Expo. This award-winning work also screened at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood as an official selection of Dances With Films. More information is on Facebook.com/AtTheDrivein.

2010s MARC GROSSBLATT (Post ’13, M.A. in Library Science) traveled from Key West, Florida, to Havana, Cuba and “learned a lot” about the country’s history. He plans to go back in 2019. EVE THOMAS (Brentwood ’14, Homeland Security) became the first female police chief of Knoxville, Tennessee. SIENNA P. GARRAWAY (Post ’15, B.A. in Communications and Design) hosts her own radio show on Sirius XM called “The Culture Trap With Swaggy Sie.” ANTHONY LOSARDO (Brooklyn ’16, B.S. in Accountancy) has officially launched his long-awaited Bayside Brewery. He reportedly first hatched the idea in 2012 and subsequently left his union job to learn how to become both a businessman and a brewmaster. JENNIFER SHEPARDSON (Post ’16, B.A. in Communications and Design) was honored with two Folio Awards from the Fair Media Council, based on Long Island, for her video work on MYLITV. STEVEN LIANTONIO (Post ’17, B.S. in Business) was hired as a staff accountant at DSJ CPA in Westbury, NY. TYLER STETTLER (Post ’17, B.A.) was on tour with the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey as an Artistic Fellow with the company, now in its 22nd season. NATALYA ROMANYAK (LIU Pharmacy ’18, PharmD) was chosen as a fellow at the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy.

LIUMAGAZINE | 2018

Nonprofit U.S. Postage PAID Long Island University

LIU MAGAZINE 700 Northern Blvd. Brookville, NY 11548-1327

SPAMALOT

RAIN

FOREIGNER

ONE NIGHT OF QUEEN PERFORMED BY GARY MULLEN & THE WORKS

A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES

BEST MUSICAL 2005 TONY AWARD

SPAM is a registered trademark of Hormel Foods, LLC, used with permission here.

FEBRUARY 22

MARCH 21