LIU Magazine Fall 2017 by Long Island University

FALL 2017

A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES LIU GLOBAL

VALUABLE PARTNERSHIPS RESEARCH AND GRANTS

COMMITTED TO STUDENT SUCCESS STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

THE GLOBAL INSTITUTEâ&#x20AC;&#x2020;AT LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY HOSTS PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON

Your gift to the Annual Fund helps make your LIU degree

more valuable!

YOU ARE OUR LEGACY 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 In 2016-2017, we received a total of $9.3 million in gifts. This is crucial to help make LIU a top nationally recognized teaching and research university. FUND A FUTURE Scholarship funds play a critical role in recruitment, retention, and graduation. They make dreams come true. YOU can make a dream come true with your gift to the Annual Fund for LIU. Please visit liu.edu/donate, call (516) 299-3044, or e-mail jamison.skala@liu.edu.

In This Issue

Fall 2017

COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING:

Features

Student Spotlight

Jim Conenello Chief Communications Officer

Global Institute at LIU hosts Bill Clinton

Nicole Canada – LIU Post

Danielle Bucci Director of Strategic Marketing & Communications

Karla Dana– LIU Global

LIU Global: A World of Possibilities

Emily Anna Barba– LIU Brooklyn

Jon Schneider Director of Public Relations & Media Relations

ALUMNI RELATIONS: William Martinov Chief of Admissions & Enrollment Strategy

Alumni Spotlight

Sanford Scholars – LIU Post

Power Comes in Pairs

A Wealth of Experience: J. Michael Stanley

Student Success: In and Out of the Classroom

LIU Brooklyn Athletics

A Passion for Healing: Dr. Ani Kalayjian

Jamison Skala Director of the Annual Fund

A Worldly Curiosity: Cynthia Akuetteh

Purple Squirrel Economics: Anna Forsythe

Moreen Mitchell University 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.

20 Olga Gornostay – LIU Pharmacy

Faculty Spotlight 14

Safety in Numbers: Harvey Kushner

Reality Grounded in Hope: Dalia Fahmy

Committed to Student Success: Suzanna Gim

26 LIU Post Athletics

Departments 28 Remembering William de Neergaard and Robert Higgins 29 LIU Bookshelf 30 University News 32

Fiscal 2017 Financial Summary

34 Class Notes 36 Alumni Events

A MESSAGE FROM

DR. KIMBERLY R. CLINE, PRESIDENT Long Island University is rising to unprecedented levels of academic achievement and national prominence. We continue to receive recognition from respected ratings agencies including The Princeton Review, US News and World Report, Forbes, and Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings. Academics, research, and philanthropy are critically important to achieve our goal to further advance LIU as a nationally recognized teaching and research university. Our strides toward excellence in these areas are serving to build our reputation and brand. The news in this issue of LIU Magazine is evidence of the progress we are making in these areas. As an LIU alum, you are part of a proud tradition. With each passing year, our students, faculty, and alumni continue to influence their communities and the world with measurable contributions. We are very proud to share these with you. The true measure of a university's success is the success of its graduates. LIU has a powerful story to tell, a mosaic of thousands of individual achievements. Tell us about your journey and we will pass it on to our community.

FEATURE STORY

BILLâ&#x20AC;&#x2020;CLINTON AT THE GLOBAL INSTITUTE AT LIU PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON ADDRESSES CAPACITY CROWD AT TILLES CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

LIU MAGAZINE | FALL 2017

The Global Institute at LIU hosted President Clinton on October 5. The former president addressed the University and local community in an intimate and engaging setting. During the 2-hour event, the former president shared his unique insights on a variety of topics including college affordability, international relations, and immigration. Clinton spoke about foreign affairs and domestic issues, discussed the current state of the world, and recounted life lessons from his childhood and his time in office. Clinton then participated in a Q&A with Steve Israel, Chairman of the Global Institute, that touched on issues from gun violence to terrorism and college tuition.

Photo by: Steven Sandick

President Bill Clinton and Former Congressman Steve Israel at Tilles Center for the Performing Arts.

Photo by: Steven Sandick

Israel noted that the military acronym for

worried about Osama Bin Laden and

the geopolitical climate is VUCA—which

al-Qaida because he came from a wealthy

stands for Volatile, Uncertain, Complex

family and he lived in a cave, which should

and Ambiguous. The goal of the interview

tell you something. He believed what he

scholarship at Oxford University.

with Bill Clinton—and the mission of

was doing,” Clinton said.

“The state of the world is ambiguous and

experience and global perspective of

complicated,” President Clinton began.

respected world leaders and those with

“Current events look like the political

significant insight into the inner-workings

version of chaos theory in physics.”

of the mechanisms that guide our global

President Clinton was introduced by LIU President Dr. Kimberly Cline, who noted his many academic achievements from reading by age three to winning a Rhodes

In order to understand the complexities of

the Global Institute—is to harness the

society. Through this insight, we may find a roadmap with which to navigate this

While it’s clear that there are no easy answers and that the structure of our society is more divided than ever, Clinton counseled those in attendance at the event to remember that what connects us is more powerful—and plentiful—than

VUCA-enveloped world.

that which divides us. And not to forget

he told the audience they were free to

Israel presented some of our most pressing

young Bill Clinton, “You can’t think when

disagree with—as long as they had their

concerns–North Korea key among them—

you’re angry.”

own—was one based on interdependence,

to Clinton, asking his opinion.

the world, Clinton discussed the need for a framework. The one he laid out, which

something he cited as “the most

the words of his grandfather, who told a

LIU is proud to have created a forum to

fundamental fact of the modern world.”

Clinton responded by saying President

present the unique vision of historical

Trump should work with Russia, China,

events of a former president, and will

“In this age, you could build all the

South Korea and Japan in confronting

continue to provide unparalleled access to

walls you want, we are still connected,”

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, who

key thought leaders. The Global Institute

Clinton told the Tilles Center audience.

“has done and said more than enough to

at LIU Post will host similar events and

“Interdependence makes no value

be of grave concern.”

world-renowned speakers, including

judgment about whether that’s a good or bad thing. It can be a positive or a negative or, human nature being what it is, it can be and usually is, both. But if you don’t understand it and its inevitability, then you

When asked what international challenge made him “toss and turn the most” during

General David Petraeus in December and President George W. Bush in 2018.

his presidency, unsurprisingly, Clinton spoke of Osama Bin Laden. “I was always

can’t say ‘what next?’” FALL 2017 | LIU MAGAZINE

FEATURE STORY

Royal Palace of Madrid

A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES

Duleep Deosthale, PhD comes to LIU as the new Dean of LIU Global Academic Programs.Dr. Deosthaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s professional journey has taken him across the globe in academia, into the start-up world of Silicon Valley, and back home to higher education at LIU where his unbridled enthusiasm is matched only by his vast experience and deep expertise.

Fiji

Australia

Dr. Deosthale is the co-Founder & former Vice President of the Silicon Valley-based Admission Table and the former Dean and Professor of Humanities & Interim Dean at the School of Business at Manipal International University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He has served as Vice President for International Education at the Manipal Global Education (India) and oversaw all international education initiatives of the Manipal group of universities in India, Dubai, Malaysia, Nepal, and Antigua. He was President of the New York-based study abroad company KEI (Knowledge Exchange Institute) and has been a professor at both Marist College and the University of Alabama at Birmingham and worked as a visiting professor (MBA program) at the Fachoshule Tecnik Esslingen, Germany. Dr. Deosthale believes that a global experience lends itself to a multitude of skills that transfer into a post-graduation life and career, including communication, entrepreneurship, and a renewed focus on diplomacy and international relations, which are more important than ever. In creating true global citizens, the whole world opens to possibility. LIU Global provides exactly that pathwayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;offering a four-year global educational journey unmatched by any other university. LIU Global students are fully immersed in the cultures of eight or more countries on five continents through

LIU MAGAZINE | FALL 2017

a unique program that combines classroom instruction, field study, and professional internships. This makes LIU Global’s Bachelor of Arts degree in Global Studies the only one of its kind in the world. What brought you to LIU? In the last several years— and in my past life in academia—I encouraged students to go abroad. They would start off with a few weeks, then a semester. Some would go for a year. And some would make the unusual request, asking if they could enroll in a third semester? So obviously, there is great interest from students. When I found out about LIU and the program here, I said, “Wow! This is amazing. Is this a new program?” I found out that LIU Global has existed for several decades. It was a coming together of my personal belief in terms of what students should be doing and how it would be beneficial to what is happening around the world today. Why is it important for students to travel abroad? We live in a truly a global society. There should be no boundaries and no limitations. We are human beings, and we need to create a seamless society. But, for that to happen, we need to understand that every society, every country, every culture, every human being, and every family has elements which makes them different. You need to be able to live in that. Scratch the surface. Go deeper. Get uncomfortable. I always say, get more uncomfortable and you will find out more. Because when fear dissipates – the desire to learn becomes that much stronger.

Costa Rica

When you start appreciating this, you realize that the person on the other side is probably feeling the same way. If we all have our defenses up, we will never understand each other. When you learn how to let your defenses down you realize that it is not a scary world. It is a world of people; we just need to understand them. We must communicate with them, engage them, be in touch with them, reach out to them–allow a two-way dialogue to happen.

China

What kinds of careers do you see for graduates of LIU Global?

an opportunity to go there and set up the program. I was studying how widespread the disease was and how it impacted communities, particularly, isolated communities.

LIU Global Graduates have gone on to secure positions with leading organizations including the United Nations, OXFAM, UNICEF, the Earth Institute, the World Health Organization, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and many international nonprofits concerned with the developing world. They have built successful careers as linguists, analysts, scientists, journalists, teachers, social workers, diplomats, and professors. Many of our alumni have pursued graduate degrees in a variety of fields.

I wanted to explore the life of Zulus in South Africa, so I spent several days with a family in a Zula homestead. I was placed with a very large patriarchal family–in a very isolated and remote area. There was no TV, no electricity, barely any running water, and to top it all off, none of them spoke English! I spent several days with them—doing a lot of pointing and gesturing and smiling, trying to figure out what everyone was trying to say. It was a very challenging situation.

LIU Global creates tremendous opportunity to network across the world. When you look at the details of the program, you will see we have many opportunities to engage with local businesses, communities, governments, and the arts. We encourage each student to cultivate and move in the direction of whatever they feel is important and relevant, impressive, fascinating, or exciting for them.

But, it was truly exciting and remarkable. I learned a lot, and came away humble, learning that happiness and survival and things that we look at from our perspective are very different in remote cultures. There is an abundance of peace, quiet, tranquility, happiness, and excitement. All the things we are looking for, but prioritized differently in everyday life. The Zulus do much of the same things that we do, but we have our urban trappings. There, they have no limitations.

Can you think of a place you visited where the culture initially intimidated you? Many years ago, I developed a program on AIDS in South Africa for the NIH. I had

We are our own limitation.

FALL 2017 | LIU MAGAZINE

FEATURE STORY

s e m o c Power

ey are a h t r e h t e g o t t essive, bu r p alumni im r e u r o a f i o n e e m r lu h t a ut to these Individually ckoned with. We reached olittle bit more. force to be re wer couples to find out a po Rob Arning P’84 is Vice Chair – Market Development for KPMG. Lisa Arning P’84 (BA) and ’91 (MBA) is President of Admission Technician. How they met: Rob and Lisa first met at a Halloween Party at the South Cafeteria during their sophomore year. They met again weeks later, ran for student government together, and have been a couple ever since.

LIU MAGAZINE | FALL 2017

Favorite memories: “We remember the week school was closed after a record snow storm, walks on the Great Lawn, class in Hutton House, Jacques in the Rathskeller, Devo, Pizzaworks, Frye Boots and the Movie Theater.” Favorite professors: Professors Nathan Schmukler (School of Accountancy), Bonagura (School of Accountancy), Charles Barragato (School of Accountancy), Stanley Klein (Political Science), Roslyn Muraskin (Criminal Justice), and Ben Jacobson (Criminal Justice).

, Buonaiuto i k k a J & m o Arning, To line Monti Saladin a is L & b o o R ar ladino & C a S r u h t r A

to R (From Left

ight)

Today: “LIU Post is the foundation that our entire relationship began on,” Jakki said. We remember going back to Homecoming with our first born and later with our other two children. LIU Post has always felt like ‘home’ to us.”

The LIU difference: “We are both first generation college graduates,” Lisa said. “Neither one of us had any idea that LIU would be the impetus for our life together and the launchpad to our professional lives. LIU gave us the jumpstart we needed.”

as a freshman was like having a very large family. We became fast friends and did everything together as a group. The RAs that year were amazing (Grace and Scott) and we had so much fun. That’s why I decided to apply for an RA position.”

Today: Rob and Lisa were honorees at the Tilles Center Gala in 2016, in recognition of their ongoing commitment to education and the arts. “LIU has always been a part of our family life,” Lisa said. “Neither of us lived on Long Island before attending LIU. After getting married we settled here and raised our family. We have remained very involved and love taking Sunday drives back to LIU – one of the most beautiful campuses–filled with memories new and old.

Their shared experience as RAs helped Tom and Jakki become good friends by their senior year “That year, the RA training was conducted at PEAK,” Jakki said, “and [renowned psychologist] Kirkland Vaughans was the guest speaker.

“Our lives are filled with many circles of friends, contacts and mentors because of our connection to LIU. These relationships extended well beyond our years as students. It all started in the South Café…”

Tom Buonaiuto P’87 is President and COO of Empire National Bank and a Trustee of LIU. Jakki Buonaiuto P’87 is Marketing Director at Fulfillment Plus. How they met: Tom and Jakki were Resident Assistants (RAs) in their sophomore year at LIU Post. They were the only sophomores chosen as RAs. Favorite memories: “We loved all four years at LIU Post,” Jakki recalls. “Living in Lodge A

Favorite professors: Dr. Berliant (Philosophy), Dr. Reiner (Oral Communications) and Professor Nicolosi. “Dr. Berliant challenged me the most as a person,” Jakki said. “After my first philosophy class, I was asked join a Round Table led by Dr. Berliant with a small group of seven or eight students. We had the best discussions. I still use many of the topics in my profession to this day!” The LIU difference: “Believe it or not,” Jakki said, “Dr. Reiner’s oral communications class taught me how to behave and conduct my ‘public’ self in all situations. It impacted every facet of my business career. It didn’t matter what field I was in; my communication skills were well honed and have always given me the edge over my colleagues, and even competitors.”

Arthur Saladino S’67 is Co-Chair of the Don Monti Memorial Research Foundation, and a Trustee of LIU. Caroline Monti Saladino S’67 is President of the Don Monti Memorial Research Foundation. How they met: On the front steps of the administration building at Southampton College. The chain on Caroline’s bicycle broke, she looked up and saw Arthur’s smiling face. He fixed her bike! Favorite memories: Being in the first graduating class of Southampton College with 250 men and 43 women; enjoying the snow-covered campus in the winter, particularly tray sledding in front of the windmill. Favorite professors: Dr. Thomas Haresign (Science), Dr. Klubeck (Philosophy), Dr. Levinson (Philosophy), Dr. Willobhy (Humanities), and Dr. Barton (Science). Today: Through their cancer foundation, the Don Monti Memorial Research Foundation, Arthur and Caroline support the Genetics Counseling Program at LIU, Research at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and Patient Care at the Don Monti Center Centers throughout the Northwell Health System. LIU Post students hold a Move-A-Thon to support the Don Monti Foundation’s mission of Patient Care, Research, and Education.

FALL 2017 | LIU MAGAZINE

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

MICHAEL STANLEY

A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE Entrepreneurial Finance Leader Shares His Knowledge with Fashion Merchandising Students. LIU’s emphasis on experiential learning has made a big impression on one of the University’s most successful alumni. J. Michael Stanley P’75, Managing Director and Head of Factoring at Rosenthal and Rosenthal, the largest privately held factor and finance company in the United States, returned to the University as a guest lecturer for one of LIU trustee Cherie Serota’s courses in the Fashion Merchandising program. As one of the most influential and respected leaders in entrepreneurial finance, Stanley shared a wealth of experience with students, and what he saw while on campus made for an inspiring experience. The B.S. in Fashion Merchandising program offers students with an eye for style a unique interdisciplinary program with experts at the helm and close proximity to New York City, affording entree to

LIU MAGAZINE | FALL 2017

“fashion laboratories” where they can acquire experience in realworld environments. The Fashion Merchandising curriculum allows students to combine academic majors, such as marketing, public relations, management, economics, and journalism, with a Fashion Merchandising minor, giving them dual knowledge and skills that will enhance status with future employers. Proximity to fashion centers has afforded LIU’s fashion students opportunities for jobs and internships in the industry and allowed them to interact with leaders of the retailing and design universe, including the head of menswear for Ralph Lauren, executives from Macy’s, and President of the Americana Manhasset, Deidre Costa Major. “LIU’s fashion merchandising program is top notch,” Stanley said, “and I’m grateful that I was able to share my experiences and knowledge of the industry with such a talented and dynamic group of students." “It was such a thrill to come back to LIU. I loved my time there as a student and I always find it invigorating to be surrounded by so much energy, enthusiasm, and curiosity.”

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

a passiheartn for healing Association for Trauma Outreach and Prevention CEO Dr. Ani Kalayjian

hen Dr. Ani Kalayjian B'79 attended LIU Brooklyn, she was drawn to the nursing program, which gave her the foundation to follow her deepest passion: healing others.

The daughter of a survivor of the Armenian Genocide in 1915, in which an estimated 1.5 million perished, Dr. Kalayjian learned about her father’s ordeal after she emigrated to the United States at the age of sixteen. The Turkish government’s cover up of the genocide inspired Dr. Kalayjian’s life’s work. “I wanted to help people with their generational trauma, frustration, and anger against the Turkish people because of the revisionist history and agenda the government was pushing,” she said. Today, Kalayjian is the founder and CEO of the Association for Trauma Outreach and Prevention (ATOP), and works with the United Nations in countries around the globe. ATOP’s mission is to bring health,

justice, peace, transformation, and global education to afflicted people. ATOP’s Humanitarian Outreach Teams work to rehabilitate survivors from all over the world, making a difference in people’s lives by teaching them to transform tragedy and trauma into healing. “Our mission is to empower and heal as well as educate the next generation of youth, who are our future leaders, and nurture conscientious humans who are motivated by justice, peace, love and forgiveness,” Dr. Kalayjian said. “LIU helped me heal,” Dr. Kalayjian continued. “It’s where I learned about the UN. We have humanitarian missions with 46 countries in the world. We offer the learning and tools for resilience building.”

That’s enough to keep anyone busy, but Kalayjian isn’t stopping. In October, she released her seventh book, Forget Me Not: 7 Steps for Healing Our Mind, Body, Spirit, and Mother Earth. She is active in leading humanitarian relief outreach for Puerto Rico, and is preparing humanitarian missions to Armenia, the Middle East, and Haiti for 2018. You might think that someone who has been exposed to so much violence and trauma might have a dim view of the world and be pessimistic about the future. In Dr. Kalayjian’s case, you’d be wrong. “Although I am frustrated and deeply disappointed for the Turkish coercion and bullying at the UN, I keep my faith in both individual and collective power to influence and create peace in our hearts, minds, and bodies,” she said.

ATOP serves both developing and developed countries, focusing on those who have a current trauma, or a past trauma that they are working on and may still be still unresolved.

LIU MAGAZINE FALL 2017 FALL 2017 | LIU |MAGAZINE

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

A WORLDLY CURIOSITY

U.S. Ambassador to Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe Cynthia Akuetteh Cynthia (Archie) Akuetteh P'70 developed a healthy curiosity about the world while earning her history degree at LIU Post, but that didn’t mean she was rushing to join many of her globallyminded peers in the Peace Corps when she graduated in 1970. “All I could think about was, ‘I can’t leave my family for two years,’” Akuetteh recalled. Remarkably, Akuetteh went on to spend 40 years in international relations, leading to her current position as U.S. Ambassador to Gabon and the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe. “I was expected to stay in Washington,” Akuetteh said. “Going to New York was my first step toward seeing a much broader world out there.” Akuetteh came to LIU intending to major in biology, but she found herself drawn to history, along with the French language and the poetry of Khalil Gibran. “There was just so much more of the world than my little corner of Washington, D.C.,” Akuetteh said. After graduating with honors, Akuetteh continued her education at Columbia University. There, she was introduced to Operation Crossroads Africa,– “almost a mini-Peace Corps”–that sent college students as volunteers to work on projects in Africa. After her first experience volunteering in Africa, Akuetteh wanted more. Oddly enough, Akuetteh’s reluctance to join the Peace Corps had its advantages. She soon found herself working for the organization in Washington.

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“So much of life is being in the right place at the right time,” Akuetteh said. “At the time, the director for the Africa region said, ‘The next person I hire, I do not want to be a former Peace Corps volunteer,’ because almost all of the Corps was staffed with former volunteers. My Crossroads experience, working in Africa at the community level, gave me the relevant experience, so I was the next person that they hired.” After working for the Peace Corps in Washington and then in Ghana–where she was Deputy Country Director–Akuetteh joined the State Department, working on bilateral trade, economic sanctions, and energy policy. She also held positions at several U.S. Embassies. As Ambassador, Akuetteh promotes further growth, particularly through the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program. Between sending female entrepreneurs to the U.S. for exchange programs, bringing experts to Africa for workshops, and helping aspiring businesswomen navigate the U.S. market, Akuetteh is mentoring a generation of women working to bring their countries forward. Of all her responsibilities as Ambassador, being a role model may be the one Akuetteh takes the greatest pride in; not only for herself, but for the nation she represents. “I want people to see who America is,” Akuetteh said. “I think it’s important as a U.S. Ambassador to project U.S. values, to project our humanity, to project our interest in all countries developing, because it impacts all of humanity.”

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Forsythe with fellow panelists at an LIU Pharmacy discussion, “Understanding the Driving Forces of Pharmaceutical Pricing Today"

LIU PHARMACY GRADUATE & ENTREPRENEUR STARTS PURPLE SQUIRREL ECONOMICS LIU’s mission is to provide excellence and access in private higher education to people from all backgrounds. There may not be a better example of that mission than Anna Forsythe Pharm '95. Forsythe, the Managing Partner of Purple Squirrel Economics–providing health technology assessments and novel solutions for health care leaders–came to LIU Pharmacy in 1991 with a musicology degree from a Russian conservatory and just three dollars in her pocket. “LIU started everything for me,” said Forsythe, who founded Purple Squirrel as the next step in a career that’s included two separate stints at Novartis–most recently as Director of Global Health Economic and Market Access Oncology–in addition to working for several other pharmaceutical companies. Forsythe didn’t have money for her first semester’s tuition. Not sure where to turn, Forsythe met with Dr. Stephen Gross, then the Dean of LIU Pharmacy, for advice.

With Gross’s help in navigating the scholarship opportunities available, Forsythe found the resources to fund the beginning of her pharmaceutical education. From there, it was on Forsythe to earn the Maimonides Scholarship, which required top grades and the recommendation of Dr. Anthony Cutie, who oversaw the program. Forsythe earned a 4.0 GPA, impressing Cutie with her determination. Forsythe got the scholarship, and with it, a part-time job at Maimonides Medical Center. “I was extremely lucky,” Forsythe said. “Without Dean Gross and Dr. Cutie, I wouldn’t have graduated.” When Forsythe did graduate, she worked at Duane Reade before pursuing opportunities in industrial pharmacy. Then, what started as a two-month contract position working for Novartis turned into the beginning of nearly two decades in industrial pharmacy. “It was a huge risk,” Forsythe said, “but I wanted to try something more interesting. “Our contract was finishing,” Forsythe continued, “and they said, ‘Next week, we’re

only going to need a few people. Whoever knows Excel really well, raise your hand.' I raised my hand, but I had no clue what Excel was." “I went on the way home, bought Excel for Dummies, and studied all night.” She eventually became Associate Director at Novartis before moving on to Schering. A five-year stint at Savient Pharmaceuticals followed, and after her second tenure at Novartis and three years at Eisai, she founded Purple Squirrel in May 2016. On returning to LIU, where she teaches as an adjunct professor. “Some of my students said it was the most difficult class they’d taken at LIU,” Forsythe said with a laugh. “I approach it as if it’s real life. When the students go into the real world, they’re not going to be treated as students, and doing your best may not be good enough.” It’s a tough standard, but it’s the one that’s gotten Forsythe to where she is, and what she looks for in her employees– including one of her former LIU students– at Purple Squirrel.

FALL 2017 | LIU MAGAZINE

VALUABLE PARTNERSHIPS LIU’s vision is to become a nationally recognized teaching and research university. Supporting our expanded research activities requires additional sources of revenue from philanthropy and grants. Here are some recent exciting developments.

The New York State Department of Education is providing multi-year funding to Dr. Kathleen Feeley of the LIU Post Department of Special Education and Literacy through two separate five-year grants totaling $2,986,370. These grants fund training, websites, and technical assistance for families with children who have disabilities or are at risk for disabilities.

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The New York State Department of Education has awarded LIU Brooklyn a $500,000 grant to serve as a New Language Professional Development Center for Special Education Professionals in New York City. This grant funded the creation of the Bilingual/English as a New Language (ENL) Professional Development Center at the LIU Brooklyn School of Education. The Center addresses the shortages of certified preschool personnel by providing training in multiple areas related to bilingualism and teaching English as a New Language. A total of 330 school professionals are trained annually through this program. School of Education dean Dr. Amy Ginsberg is the director of the project, and Dr. Isabelle Barriere serves as a workshop developer and instructor. The National Science Foundation has awarded a grant of $398,471 to Dr. Isabelle Barriere, Associate Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, for an NSF Undergraduate Research Site Program “Intersection of Linguistics, Language, and Culture.” The grant, awarded over four years through 2020, is shared with a co-principal investigator from Brooklyn College. It provides

LIU Brooklyn has received an $80,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for the school’s Community Urban Sustainability Program (CUSP). CUSP will provide opportunities for campus members to investigate and address urban sustainability issues from an interdisciplinary perspective informed by the humanities. The program features experiential learning opportunities for students. The project will be led by Dr. Deborah Mutnick, Co-Director of the LIU Brooklyn Learning Communities, with a team that includes of Dr. Margaret Cuonzo, Dr. Timothy Leslie, Dr. Carole Griffiths, and Dr. Jay Shuttleworth.

fellowships to undergraduate students engaged in research on language. The Hearing Health Foundation has awarded an Emerging Research Grant of $30,000 to Visiting Assistant Professor of Communication Science and Disorders Dr. Katrien Vermiere to study “Rhyme Awareness in Children with Cochlear Implants.”

The Palmer School of Library and Information Sciences at LIU Post was awarded two grants totaling $1.5 million from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation to preserve vital historical documents pertaining to the history of Long Island. With the grant, LIU will digitize and preserve these documents held at historical societies across Long Island. Dr. Gregory Hunter is leading the project, and the items will be showcased at an annual Gardiner Symposium while promoting year-round visibility of the documents at these historical societies. The Jewish Foundation for the Education of Women has given $900,000 to fund three-year scholarships for 15 PharmD Students at LIU Pharmacy and 15 Occupational Therapy Students at LIU Brooklyn. The Pinkerton Foundation has given $75,000 to the Early College Scholars Program at LIU Brooklyn, which provides intensive academic support and mentorship to a select group of local high school students who earn college credits during high school. The Don Monti Memorial Research Foundation–led by Caroline Monti Saladino S’67 and Arthur Saladino S’67–has given $50,000 to fund the Don Monti Genetics Scholarship.

Assemblyman Charles Lavine secured $125,000 in New York State funding to go toward construction of an outdoor concert and festival space at Tilles Center for the Performing Arts.

Dr. Gregory Hunter trains students Drew Fullshire and Kelsey Renz to digitize historical documents.

FALL 2017 | LIU MAGAZINE

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

SAFETY IN NUMBERS As the director of one of the nation’s leading online programs in homeland security and counterterrorism, and one of the world’s leading experts on the subject, even Dr. Harvey Kushner, Professor of Criminal Justice marvels at the power of the internet. “I published a post to 16,000 LinkedIn followers asking if any students were interested in homeland security education in an online program,” Kushner said. “Within two days, it had 30,000 views. Then, I posted that I would be putting out a cyber policy newsletter, and got an additional 10,000 views.” Of course, Kushner is used to seeing the power of online communication in a very different way, particularly in 1998, following the bombing of U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. “I remember when I was working on the Embassy Bombing trial– I was an expert there–I was given Bin Laden’s CD-ROM, which was put out there on the web as a recruitment tool, a ‘How To’ manual to recruit and do dastardly deeds.” Since establishing the Criminal Justice program at LIU Post in the early 1970s, Kushner has witnessed–and reacted to– tremendous change in crime prevention. His work as director of the Homeland Security and Terrorism Institute at LIU Riverhead– recently ranked 10th by AffordableColleges.com among the nation’s online homeland security programs–reinforces the need to constantly adapt. “Criminal Justice is a relatively new discipline,” Kushner said, “When I first started the program here in the 70s, it was somewhat different. There were no computer crime courses. We didn’t have computer crime. But, it was a necessity to develop that.”

LIU MAGAZINE | FALL 2017

Dr. Kushner with Poland National Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz, while investigating the 2010 plane crash that killed Polish President Lech Kaczyński.

Just as criminal justice has had to adapt to fight computer crime, so too has the counterterrorism community been challenged to keep up with enemies’ online recruitment efforts. “It is a major recruiting tool,” Kushner said. “This is something that started when you first had listservs back in the ‘80s. International terrorists, domestic terrorists and what we call ‘transnational terrorists’–a group transcending different nations–used the internet, certainly for recruitment purposes." The changing face of crime continues to push Kushner to refine LIU’s offerings, ensuring that graduates are prepared to serve their communities. “When you’re in a program that has tremendous practical application,” Kushner said, “to educate and train people to go into the public and private sector to do the work that society needs to get done, you need to take a look around you and see how that’s changing.” In both criminal justice and homeland security, that means an increased focus on data and analytics. “As we move further into the 21st century,” Kushner said, “we’re going to have to deal with new technologies, cyber-analytics, big data, all of these things which can impact our discipline, from the traditional type of law enforcement to privatization, risk management, and risk assessment.” That constant process of adjustment is just part of the job of making sure that future generations of LIU graduates are prepared to keep our communities–and the world–safe.

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

REALITY GROUNDED IN HOPE Dr. Dalia Fahmy, Assistant Professor of Political Science at LIU Brooklyn and Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Policy, has been making the rounds sharing her expertise in U.S. foreign policy, world politics, international relations, causes of war, and politics of the Middle East. As global politics steadily grow more volatile, Dr. Fahmy’s expertise has become increasingly valuable. The keynote at the Women's March-NJ this past January, Fahmy offers a perspective of grounded reality tinged with hope. Her upcoming book, The Rise and Fall of The Muslim Brotherhood and the Future of Political Islam, looks at the role of Muslimhood and democratization. Her research in Egypt centered on the rise of what she calls the “illiberal intelligencia” in the wake of a coup that removed its democratically-elected president. “We hold up academics and intellectuals as vanguards of truth with a lower-case t,” she said. “But what happens when we are not? How does society fall apart and bleed into illiberalism and all facets of the society and institutions?” “When the liberal Intelligencia becomes illiberal–what is the future of democracy?” Fahmy asks. Fahmy has presented at Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, UCLALaw and Georgetown, among other institutions.

U.S. Institute of Peace and The Wilson Center. This summer, she was named NPR Source of the Week. At LIU, she aims to educate her students to not only understand the world, but to understand their capacity to change it.

We aim to allow students to see themselves as part of the intelligencia that will create our future society. “We are an aspirational country – so if we believe the deck is stacked against us, we are working against the mission of our country to become a more perfect union,” she says. “We aim to allow students to see themselves as part of the intelligencia that will create our future society." “Some come from difficult backgrounds. Some are the first to go to college or speak the language, our job is to teach them to have their own agency, to be able to affect the system, rather than have it affect them. They have gone on to Georgetown and Stanford or have gone on to work for congressmen. To awaken students to their endless possibility is the most rewarding part of my job here.”

She also spoke at the Asia Society in the spring on "Terrorism, Tolerance and Democracy," and has given presentations at the FALL 2017 | LIU MAGAZINE

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

COMMITTED TO STUDENT SUCCESS LIU professors are committed to their students’ success. Dr. Suzanna Gim, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice demonstrated that commitment in 2010 when she took students to Sierra Leone as part of a medical mission. “Sierra Leone is a very special place for me,” Gim said, “because that was the first place I visited with the idea that I wanted to create an opportunity for our students to see what pharmacy practice and health care are like in other countries.” Gim was in her sixth year at LIU Pharmacy, and she had recently completed a Master of Public Health degree at New York University with an emphasis in global public health. After completing the program, Gim aimed to incorporate her passion for health care around the world into her work at LIU. As it turned out, that was easier said than done. “That was a huge challenge,” Gim said, “because no one in the College of Pharmacy had done anything like that before. I had to figure all of that out on my own.” After successfully navigating the various concerns associated with international travel, Gim and her students went to Sierra Leone. When she returned, Gim expanded the scope of her work to include more medical missions, as well as international rotations, including student electives this fall in Israel and Austria. Wherever LIU Pharmacy students travel through Gim’s programs, it’s likely to be an eye-opening experience. “A lot of the students have never really traveled abroad,” Gim said. “It’s a very exciting thing for students to get the courage to

LIU MAGAZINE | FALL 2017

even want to try, and I see a lot of that when they’re actually on the mission.” No matter where they go, the experience opens students’ eyes to an aspect of pharmacy or health care they hadn’t considered before. When Gim brings students to developing countries on missions, the impact is even more pronounced. “Almost always,” Gim said, “they say that the trip helps them appreciate what they have at home a lot more. I think they also have a new appreciation for our profession. In a lot of the countries we go to, pharmacists are store owners; they don’t necessarily have a professional background.” Being able to work closely with doctors and nurse practitioners is an educational experience as well. "In a community setting, or even in a hospital setting, you talk to providers on the phone,” Gim said. “When we’re traveling, we get to spend time together. It’s a really rich experience, because they also get to help teach these other professionals what pharmacists do.” After starting and growing LIU Pharmacy’s international efforts, Gim has expanded the scope of her work again. She leads a global special interest group in the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy to help other schools develop international programs that offer the same eye-opening experiences that students get at LIU. “Maybe, through a small trip or any sort of contact,” Gim said, “they may get inspired and want to think outside their little box of life and try to do good in other ways.”

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

NICOLE CANADA IS

GOINGGLearthBAL Nicole Canada is a student in the inaugural Global MBA program at the LIU Post College of Management. One of three sisters, she is fierce, determined, and already considers herself a success.

at LIU Post. Students experience the cultures, economies, businesses, and public policies in Europe, Asia, and North America.

She comes to the Global MBA program via Google. Not as an employee (yet) but from the actual search function. This student has goals. A graduate of Penn State with two degrees (one in economics, one in international political science), she is looking to earn an MBA before applying for law school. Because her sights are set on a busy post-undergraduate career, she was looking for an accelerated MBA program that she could complete in just one year. So, she googled it. And LIU Post came up.

One of the most important lessons Canada is learning is the ability to be agile. “That’s one thing that Dean Valli teaches – agility. When I first met him he said, ‘That’s my favorite word. You’re going to hear it all year.’ And literally, all the time: agility. And I was never good with adaption and change. That was my biggest weakness and literally a month into it, this program took my biggest weakness and is turning it into a strength.”

I know being here that I am going to be successful. It’s not even a question at this point...

After meeting with Dean Robert Valli for two hours (“We didn’t just talk about the program,” she said. “We were just talking about life.”), she knew that LIU would be her home. “I like this,” she confided. “I really like this guy. I like this program. I think there’s a lot of potential here. I think I could really excel here.” The Global MBA program allows students to have immersive learning experiences at three world’s business centers: London, Shanghai, and New York. Students gain functional knowledge of business and experience engaged learning from three leading institutions: Gonville and Caius College at Cambridge, School of Management at Fudan University, and College of Management

Harnessing that strength is what Canada knows she must do to become a success. The confidence that LIU Post is giving her tells her that reaching her goals is inevitable. “With the College of Management, they’ve been so hands on,” she says. “So helpful. I feel like they want to see me win and I never really had that feeling. I know being here that I am going to be successful. It’s not even a question at this point, just—Nicole, you have to put in the work to make it happen. We could help you. Give you great professors, show you what you need to do, help you out whenever you need to be helped, but essentially, the ball’s in your court. Shoot your shot.”

FALL 2017 | LIU MAGAZINE

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

PERFECT BALANCE

Born in Mexico, Dana moved to the United States at a young age. She is fluent in both English and Spanish, which has proven to be quite useful during her travels. She plays four musical instruments, loves to draw buildings, has played soccer for ten years, and co-founded a Silicon Valley start-up in 2014. Dana chose LIU Global because it “presented a perfect balance between a traditional structure of formal education and a unique experiential aspect not offered by many programs globally,” she says. LIU Global integrates a series of semester-long, in-depth engagements with world regions that culminates in a Bachelor of Arts degree in Global Studies. Living and learning in eight countries (or more) and traveling to (as many as) six continents, students move eastward from Latin America to Europe, from Europe to Asia or Australia, and then back to North America for a final semester in New York City. The program inspires confidence, independence, and an expanded worldview.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”

— Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad

Karla Dana’s college experience may not resemble the typical college student’s —and that’s by design. A student of LIU Global, Dana studies in exotic locales all over the world, visiting eight countries in her eight semesters. This aspiring entrepreneur has enjoyed such varied experiences that she says have enriched her “both academically and as a person” from conducting an orchestra to transcribing ancestral legends in Costa Rica.

LIU MAGAZINE | FALL 2017

“The beauty about my degree is that it provides me with flexibility,” Dana says. “My personal focus throughout the LIU Global program has been on Social Entrepreneurship. I am passionate about this topic and intend to found multiple companies throughout my life with an ethical foundation that serves to address the world's most pressing problems.” Dana is currently in China, studying modern Chinese history and Mandarin Chinese, before she heads off to Australia next semester. “I have gotten rich experiences, a sturdy academic foundation in multiple subjects, and really good stories to tell for the rest of my life,” she says.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Emily-Anna Barba can't wait to go

EVERYWHERE Before coming to LIU Brooklyn, Emily-Anna Barba had never been to Japan. Now, she’s preparing to represent Japan. In early January, the President of LIU Brooklyn’s student government will travel to the Galapagos Islands to attend a National Model United Nations conference on San Cristobal Island. There, Barba will serve as the Japanese representative in simulated meetings of the UN Environment Assembly, which will discuss “Management and Reduction of Waste in Urban Areas” and “Eco-friendly Technology for the Protection of Oceans and Seas,” two of 10 topics related to climate change scheduled for discussion at the conference. “It’s very exciting,” Barba said. “I can’t wait to go.”

Researching solid waste management in Japan without being in the country may seem very difficult. However, after representing Ireland and Singapore at two previous Model UN conferences (one of which took place in Japan), Barba has gotten used to the process. “This paper is easier than the ones I’ve written in the past,” Barba said. “It shows what experience can do for you. You start working, and it all floods back.” Besides, challenging herself to look at the world from unfamiliar perspectives is what Barba enjoys most about Model UN. “Model UN is truly understanding the world,” she said. “It’s completely removing yourself from your own surroundings, taking the country you’re representing and creating yourself in their world.” Barba’s passion for exploring different global perspectives was sparked during her first year at LIU Brooklyn, while

studying utopian and dystopian fiction in a class with political science professor Si Sheppard. “Every class, he would blow my mind,” Barba said. “Toward the end of the class, he mentioned that there are people who do what we were doing, but in the real world, and that was Model UN.” As she completes her degree in Health Science, Barba has her eyes on a career with the real United Nations, the World Health Organization, or another group that takes on health challenges around the globe. “Health care in America is so different from the rest of the world,” Barba said. “We’ve created a different society.” For Barba, the skills that she has developed through Model UN are the key to developing the global perspective that she’ll need to put her education into action.

FALL 2017 | LIU MAGAZINE

SCHOLARSHIP SPOTLIGHT

Olga Gornostay (center) with colleagues on a community pharmacy rotation at Walgreens in Brooklyn in July.

BROADENING THE SCOPE

OF MEDICINE In the waning days of October, Olga Gornostay was on the verge of a career-shaping journey. A fourth-year student in LIU Pharmacy’s PharmD program, she was counting down the days before heading to Israel to begin an international rotation at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. “I don’t know what to expect,” Gornostay said before she left. “I just want to see how everything works, how pharmacy operates in Israel.” Gornostay is no stranger to international travel–she came to the U.S. from Ukraine 10 years ago–but traveling to Israel as a student pharmacist is a particularly exciting opportunity. “The health care field in Israel is one of the best in the world,” Gornostay said. “I want to learn as much as I can.” And, while Gornostay plans to practice in community pharmacy upon the completion of her degree at LIU, she’s looking forward to seeing how pharmacy is practiced in an Israeli hospital environment compared to the American setting she’s grown accustomed to. “I’m interested in seeing what interactions the pharmacists have with patients,” Gornostay said, “the differences in the health care systems, and even the legal side of pharmacy. Gornostay’s trip is one of three scheduled to take place in the 2017-18 academic year as part of LIU Pharmacy’s international

LIU MAGAZINE | FALL 2017

experiential elective rotation program. Another fourthyear student, Vera Berman, traveled to Austria this fall on a community pharmacy rotation, with an oncology rotation in Thailand scheduled for the spring semester.

“The health care field in Israel is one of the best in the world, I want to learn as much as I can.” “It’s important to expose students to other cultures, and allow them to have different experiences with other health systems,” said Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice Dr. Suzanna Gim, who also serves as LIU Pharmacy’s Director of International Affairs. “It helps them understand our health system better.” For her part, Gornostay hopes that seeing her profession in the context of a different country’s health care system will broaden her understanding of pharmacy itself, putting her in a better position to thrive as she begins her career. “The more I know about the medicine,” Gornostay said, “the more I can help myself and my family.”

SCHOLARSHIP SPOTLIGHT

Inaugural Cohort of

SANFORD SCHOLARS ARRIVE! In September 2017, LIU Post enrolled its inaugural class of 18 Sanford Scholars. These energetic, entrepreneurial students hail from various parts of the country representing geographic and ethnic diversity. Together, the Sanford Scholars comprise one of the most talented groups of individuals in the history of the College of Management. As they begin their LIU Post careers, the Sanford Scholars are participating in leadership workshops and taking on entrepreneurship challenges while working through a dedicated program of personal development and coaching to prepare them for successful entrepreneurial careers. LIU’s effort to recruit the most passionate student entrepreneurs from across the country for the Sanford Scholars Program builds on the University’s longstanding tradition of excellence in business education. The T. Denny Sanford Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute at LIU is the latest in a series of forward-thinking initiatives designed to build on that tradition and cultivate student entrepreneurship. LIU is the first private university in the region to participate in Start-Up NY, connecting the University’s innovative community of scholars to the young companies of New York’s vibrant entrepreneurial culture. LIU’s on-campus incubators are modeled on the shared workspaces at the heart of that culture, allowing students to collaborate on their own emerging ventures.

(Top left and Bottom right) Sanford Scholars with T. Denny Sanford (Top right) LIU Post College of Management Dean Dr. Robert Valli with Sanford Scholars and Dean’s Scholars (Bottom left) Sanford Scholars gathered on the LIU Post campus

As a national leader in student-run business, LIU’s students manage ventures that range from a computer/technology retailer and a college spirit store to a fashion boutique and an actual investment trading floor. Students also can work for a wide range of clients at LIU Post’s fee-based student consultancy, LIU-iQ Consulting, and develop executive-level experience, enabling them to graduate with résumés that command respect in any job market. The arrival of the inaugural class of Sanford Scholars brings new energy to these initiatives, and demonstrates how LIU’s partnership with celebrated entrepreneur and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford expands our ability to reach the most inventive and creative students. The Sanford Scholars’ formal program of immersive experiences at the School of Business and the new Sanford Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute are just a few examples of how LIU Post is continuing its proud legacy of innovation and leadership into its seventh decade.

FALL 2017 | LIU MAGAZINE

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Kames Furtick

Paul “P.J.” Usak

Class of 2018 - LIU Post

Class of 2019 - LIU Post

Business Administration

Lexington, SC

Bay Shore, NY

A member of LIU Post’s Honors College and the

P.J.’s business education–which

Omicron Delta Kappa and Phi Eta Sigma honor

he hopes will lead to a career in

societies, Kames is advancing her business

financial services–extends far be-

education as an Assistant to the Director of

yond the classroom. A defenseman

Business Operations at Tilles Center for the

for the Pioneers men’s lacrosse

Performing Arts. She’s been recognized for her

team, P.J. is a consultant with the

academic achievement with the Barron

International Consulting Network

Entrepreneurship Scholarship, which she said

(ICON) and secretary of the LIU-iF

“pushed me to want to excel even more in the

Investment Fund.

classroom.”

Ruhi Gandhi Class of 2018 – LIU Post Business Administration New York, New York / Mumbai, India When she’s not studying in LIU Post's AACSBaccredited School of Business, Ruhi puts her education into practice as a manager for the University’s student-run businesses, and as managing editor of Bottom Line magazine. According to Ruhi, earning the Max and Claire Pomerantz Award “helped me realize that all my efforts are recognized and that I’m headed in the right direction as I pursue my degree.”

Miranda Alldaffer

Kristina Huderski

Class of 2019 - LIU Post

Class of 2018 - LIU Post

Health Sciences with a minor in

Broadcasting Major/Journalism Minor

Health Care Administration

Sunnyside, NY

Nokesville, VA

Kristina’s work as a broadcasting

Miranda’s work toward her Health Sciences

major and a journalism minor

degree comes from a passion for caring for

brought her to LIU Post’s award-

others, which carries over to her work as a

winning student newspaper, The

Resident Assistant and Orientation Leader.

Pioneer, and campus radio station

She also supports LIU Post’s student athletes

WCWP. That work also prepared

as a cheerleader.

her for her internship at MTV. “It’s because of Post’s resources that I have been able to reach my goals,” she said.

LIU MAGAZINE | FALL 2017

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Ifeoma Emeh

Benjamin Kuzma

Class of 2018 – LIU Brooklyn

Class of 2019 – LIU Pharmacy

Health Science

Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)

Queens, NY

East Haven, CT

Ifeoma earned a scholarship for

Benjamin’s work toward his doctorate includes

her academic performance in high

assisting Dr. Grazia Stagni with her FDA-sponsored

school, and has continued her

research on microdialysis, which improve the avail-

record of academic achievement

ability of topical treatments. He serves as chair of

at LIU, earning admittance to the

LIU Pharmacy’s student chapter of the American

Alpha Lambda Delta honor society.

Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, and as

She is a leader in her sorority as

graduate hall director in LIU Brooklyn’s 490 Fulton

well, serving as vice president of

Apartments. “I enjoy attending LIU Brooklyn be-

Alpha Kappa Alpha.

cause it has so much to offer,” Benjamin said, “and because graduate students and undergraduates can interact daily.”

Eric Carter Class of 2020 – LIU Post Vocal Performance Dallas, Texas A recipient of the Joan Steinberg Vocal Scholarship, Eric puts his vocal training to work conducting church choirs and as a singer who’s performed at Carnegie Hall and shared the stage with the likes of Ike Stum, Nathan Myers, Aloe Blacc, and Myron

Kristin Oquendo

Luiny Monegro

Class of 2018 – LIU Brooklyn

Class of 2019 – LIU Brooklyn

Assistant and a member of the Long Island Sound

Business Management and Marketing

Vocal Jazz Choir.

Nursing Spring Hill, Florida Kristin has not wasted any time in getting involved at LIU Brooklyn. She serves as a Resident Assistant and as Executive Treasurer of LIU Brooklyn’s Student Government. As a member of Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Kristin has earned the Shirley Foy Scholarship. “I take pride in managing nursing school while remaining very active on campus,” she said.

Butler, among others. On campus, Eric is a Resident

Corona, NY Luiny received the Recognition Scholarship upon transferring to LIU Brooklyn, and is making the most of his time as a Resident Assistant in Conolly Hall, an associate at student-run technology store Browse, and as a walk-on member of the Blackbirds baseball team. According to Luiny, his scholarship “serves as a constant reminder of my successes throughout my college career.”

FALL 2017 | LIU MAGAZINE

BROOKLYN ATHLETICS Volleyball’s Success Knows No Borders As the LIU Brooklyn women’s volleyball team attempts to capture its second consecutive NEC championship, the women of head coach Ken Ko’s team know that their success is being cheered around the world… literally. The 2017 Blackbirds feature players from five foreign countries, two U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and the combination has yielded results on the court. Viktoria Fink, a junior outside hitter from Vienna, Austria, was named the NEC Player of the Year. She was joined on the All-NEC First Team by Nina Petranovic, a junior outside hitter from Polzela, Slovenia, while sophomore middle blocker Filippa Hansson (Ystad, Sweden) was named to the All-NEC Second Team. With Fink, Petranovic, and Hansson leading the way, the Blackbirds have proven themselves a force to be reckoned with. They posted the NEC’s best regularseason record for the third time in four years, going 11-3 in conference play and posting a perfect 9-0 record at Steinberg Wellness Center.

LIU MAGAZINE | FALL 2017

Blackbird Basketball takes the Court Under New Head Coach In beginning his first season at LIU Brooklyn, Derek Kellogg stressed that while the 2017-18 campaign is his 10th as a head coach, he still has a lot to learn. “I’m still learning about the team,” Kellogg said at the Northeast Conference’s media day. “I’m still learning about our guys, but they’re bringing it every day.” Kellogg – who came to LIU following nine seasons at his alma mater, the University of Massachusetts – inherits a team that finished second in the NEC in 2016-17 and posted a 20-win season for the first time since 2012-13. Now, he aims to take the Blackbirds to the next level. “I want to take all the positive stuff that these guys have done,” Kellogg said, “and continue to improve the program.”

LIU Brooklyn’s Rasmus Hansen Named NEC Men’s Soccer Player of the Year LIU Brooklyn junior Rasmus Hansen was named the 2017 Northeast Conference Men's Soccer Player of the Year on November 9. Hansen, a three-time first team All-NEC honoree, led the Blackbirds in goals (7) and points (18) during a regular season that saw the Blackbirds finish second in the NEC. The Greve, Denmark product and former NEC Rookie of the Year became the second consecutive LIU player to win NEC Player of the Year. Hansen is also the fifth Blackbird to win the award, joining the likes of NEC Hall of Famer Giovanni Savarese (1992) and Roger Chavez (1986).

Blackbird Field Hockey Leaps Forward When LIU began its inaugural season of field hockey competition in 2016, the women who signed on to be part of the first team in Blackbirds history knew the road wouldn’t be easy. Learning tough lessons along the way, it all paid off for the Blackbirds on September 29, when head coach Kyle DeSandes-Moyer’s team hosted Fairfield at LIU Field for the team’s first conference game as a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). Sophomore goalkeeper Molly Jannell made 15 saves against the Stags, backstopping LIU to a 2-1 victory, the first in program history. “The biggest thing was just our energy and effort,” DeSandes-Moyer said. “We just focused on our controllables. We are really happy with what we achieved.” The Blackbirds didn’t stop there. While MAAC road trips to Rider and Monmouth ended in defeat, LIU returned home to beat conference foes Siena and Bryant, then went to Fairfield, C.T., and defeated Sacred Heart. The Blackbirds’ first road win in program history gave them a 4-2 conference record in their first ever MAAC season, helping DeSandes Moyer earn the conference’s Coach of the Year award. As they continue to compete and gain confidence, DeSandes-Moyer’s Blackbirds are showing that they’re ready to soar.

FALL 2017 | LIU MAGAZINE

LIU POST ATHLETICS LIU Post Women’s Soccer Marks Best Record in History The LIU Post women's soccer team concluded their season with a 17-4-1 record, which marks the best record in program history. The green and gold advanced to the third round for the first time in 10 years (2007), dispatching the fifth-ranked Panthers in the process. The Pioneers battled their way through the NCAA Championship Tournament, ending its season in the east region title game. Though the Pioneers fought valiantly, they dropped a 2-0 decision to Mercy. Despite outshooting the Mavericks 6-1 in the first half, the Pioneers continued to pressure Mercy's backline and registered nine shots in the second half. In the 80th minute of the second half Heidi Serna scored off a cross by Noble trick that would ultimately prove to be too much to overcome. While the offensive barrage looked promising, the green and gold were unable to find the back of the net, leading to a final score of 2-0.

LIU MAGAZINE | FALL 2017

Pioneer Lacrosse Coach is a Hungry “Wolf” Taking over a program with three NCAA championships and eight national title game appearances to its name isn’t an easy task. It helps to have a Harvard pedigree. When the LIU Post men’s lacrosse team takes the field in 2018, it will mark the head coaching debut of Eric Wolf. Wolf came to LIU in June after two seasons as offensive coordinator at Harvard. In his previous job at Albany, he guided the nation’s top scoring offense for three consecutive years, and two Tewaaraton Trophy winners. Now, as a head coach, the Baldwin native will look to bring the same brand of offensive fireworks to Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium. "Our team really cares about each other,” Wolf said. “They are genuinely a thoughtful and caring group and I love being around them.”

LIU Post Field Hockey Repeats as Northeast-10 Champion

Pioneer Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Soccer Wins Regional NCAA East Title

Four different Pioneers scored as the LIU Post field hockey team captured its second-straight NE 10 Championship title with a 4-1 victory over Assumption College at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium on Saturday, November 4.

For the third time in four years, the top-seeded LIU Post men's soccer team won the NCAA Division II East Region title, after knocking off second-seeded Adelphi University, 3-0, on November 16. The win followed the Pioneersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; third consecutive East Coast Conference (ECC) Championship, and extended their unbeaten streak to 20 games (18-0-2).

With the win, the Pioneers improved to 18-3, earning them the top seed in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Sammy Bell opened the scoring in the second minute when she finished off a cross from Emilia Herran and the Pioneers later doubled the lead two minutes later when Kaycee Zelkovsky converted on a penalty stroke.

Junior Charlie Ledula opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, when he took on the Panthers' defenders by himself and finished for the game-winner. He was followed by Vittorio Argeri four inutes later and Lukas Ostermann in the 65th minute.

Arantxa Rosainz Caloca was the third Pioneer to score in the 27th minute when Julie Gysels sent Kate Melvin's set piece to Caloca, who rifled it and found the back of the cage.

LIU Post's keeper, the East Coast Conference Goalkeeper of the Year, made six saves in the match and posted his eighth shutout of the season.

The Greyhounds cut the deficit to two (3-1) on the other side of the break when Isable Primack bagged home a goal in the 51st minute, but Alyssa LoPresti's goal nine minutes later restored LIU Post's three-goal lead and secured the NE-10 Championship.

FALL 2017 | LIU MAGAZINE

Remembering

Robert Higgins Long Island University mourns the loss of Bob Higgins, an LIU Post alumnus and superior athlete. Higgins earned the coveted Athlete of the Year award during his tenure at Post for his excellence both in football and baseball. He was inducted into the LIU Post Hall of Fame. Higgins played football for the Pioneers for all four years of his LIU career, first as running back and then as a wide receiver in his senior year. He served the Pioneers proudly, earning school records for receiving touchdowns, single-season receptions, single-game receptions, singlegame receiving yardage, single-season receiving yards and longest punt. For the Pioneers baseball team, Higgins was a three-year starter at third and first base. His batting average was .303. He helped lead his team to a league title in his last year at Post, earning the distinction Most Valuable Player as a senior. Higgins signed with the New York Jets upon graduation and enjoyed a four-season run in professional football. He also played for the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Giants. An athlete. A gentleman. A Pioneer. Long Island University treasures the legacy Bob Higgins leaves.

Remembering

William de Neergaard Long Island University celebrates the life and accomplishments of alum William Field de Neergaard, who passed on June 5, 2017 at the age of 93. Neergaard was a distinguished LIU Brooklyn School of Pharmacy graduate after having served his country for two and a half years in the U. S. Navy during WWII in the Amphibious Forces. Neergaard served aboard the USS Wyandot as a landing boat officer in the Pacific Ocean. After completing his Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree at Syracuse University, Neergaard went to work at his grandfatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s neighborhood pharmacy in Brooklyn, which served as one of the only two 24-hour retail pharmacies in all of New York City until 1960. He served as Trustee Emeritus of Long Island University from 1988 until his passing; Member Emeritus and former chairman, Council of Overseers, Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy, LIU, from 1963 until his passing; member and former president, New York State Board of Pharmacy, 1967-78; Trustee, Faith Home Foundation, Brooklyn, 1975-2004; Former Trustee, Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Navy YMCA of Brooklyn; Former member and president, Brooklyn Rotary Club; Former member and chairman, Brooklyn Advisory Board, The Salvation Army; and Elder, Roslyn Presbyterian Church. In 1957 he was recognized as Young Man of the Year, Brooklyn Junior Chamber of Commerce; 1981, Outstanding Alumnus, AMS College of Pharmacy, LIU; 1987, Man of the Year, Montauk Club of Brooklyn; and 1998, Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, LIU. Long Island University appreciates William Field de Neergaard for his service and commitment.

LIU MAGAZINE | FALL 2017

BOOKSHELF T

The Bayard Street Tightrope Walker

BY EDUARDO CHIRINOS, TRANSLATED BY G.J. RACZ

(University of Montana Press)

BRIAN KILME ADE P’86

Andrew Jackson And the Miracle of New Orleans What do you know about the Battle of New Orleans? If you were paying attention in your history classes, what you probably remember is that the last battle of the War of 1812 was fought weeks after the war ended, because neither American nor British forces had received word that the Treaty of Ghent had been signed.

Racz, Professor of Foreign Languages and Literature, translates a posthumous selection of Chirinos’s poetry. One of Peru’s premier poets, Chirinos pays tribute to his time in the New York area in several poems.

Out of the Question: Selected Poems (1963-2003) BY LEWIS WARSH

(Barrytown/Station Hill Press) This anthology from Warsh, the Director of LIU Brooklyn’s MFA program in Creative Writing, includes “The Corset,” described by novelist Paul Auster as “not a poem so much as a new way of seeing the world.”

The Himalayan Codex: An R.J. MacCready Novel

BY BILL SCHUTT AND J.R. FINCH

That’s what Brian Kilmeade remembered, too. Then, the LIU Post alum and Fox and Friends host started writing Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans: The Battle That Shaped America’s Destiny (Sentinel). “I still wanted to do the book,” Kilmeade said. “Little did I know that the British had every intention of holding onto New Orleans after the war, even though the treaty was signed. They believed that Napoleon had no right to sell us the Louisiana Purchase, so we were going to have a hard time getting that back. That was the mouth of the Mississippi, and it would have prevented us from going westward, so there was a lot on the line.” Written with Don Yaeger–who also collaborated with Kilmeade on best-sellers about George Washington and Thomas Jefferson–Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans explores how Jackson led a coalition of militiamen, Native Americans, freed slaves, and even pirates against the world’s most powerful military force. It also chronicles how Jackson arrived at that moment, and how his success made America’s westward expansion possible.

(William Morrow) The second novel from LIU Post biology professor Schutt sends zoologist and adventurer Captain R.J. MacCready to Tibet. There, he seeks a creature that may hold the secret to humankind’s evolutionary future – or the key to its extinction.

Unearthing Shakespeare: Embodied Performance and the Globe

BY VALERIE CLAYMAN PYE (Routledge)

In Unearthing Shakespeare, LIU Post theatre professor Pye considers what the Globe Theatre in London, a modern replica of Shakespeare’s theatre, can contribute to a practical understanding of his plays. She relays this into training exercises for actors at all levels.

Cleopatra’s Needles: The Lost Obelisks of Egypt

BY BOB BRIER (Bloomsbury Egyptology)

“I wanted to talk about a great American success story that came of age through a battle that he was not supposed to win,” Kilmeade said, “a battle that military experts say is one of the greatest achievements in modern military history.”

All books are available at barnesandnoble.com

In the half-century between 1831 and 1881, three massive obelisks left Egypt for new lands. This turbulent era, caught up in “obelisk mania,” is recreated by LIU Post professor emeritus Bob Brier in all its glory.

FALL 2017 | LIU MAGAZINE

LIUNIVERSITY NEWS LIU IS AT THE TOP OF ITS CLASS The educational community continues to take notice of the transformation underway at Long Island University. For the second consecutive year, LIU Post rose more than 10 places in U.S. News and World Report’s rankings of top regional universities. The back-to-back years of doubledigit increases give the University the strongest upward trajectory of any school in the region. LIU Post was also rated for the first time in University history by The Princeton Review as one of the “Best in the Northeast.” The Princeton Review selected universities based on academics, staff visits, and 137,000 student surveys. The LIU Post College of Management has been rated by The Princeton Review as a “Best Business School” for the past 15 years. LIU has also been hailed by Forbes as one of 10 “Hot Colleges in the Making Under Innovative Management,” and recognized by the Equality of Opportunity Project as one of the top 20 selective private colleges on the “Overall Mobility Index.” Both LIU Post and LIU Brooklyn were ranked among the top 500 universities in the world in Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings.

LIU MAGAZINE | FALL 2017

GROUNDBREAKING ASTROPHYSICS DISCOVERY A group of professors from LIU’s physics and computer science departments made news in October as key contributors on a team that made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of astrophysics. LIU Brooklyn physics professors Dr. Michael Kavic, Dr. Matt Lippert, and Dr. John Estes, LIU Brooklyn computer science professor Dr. Christopher League, and LIU Post physics and mathematics professor Dr. Steven Liebling were partners in the discovery of a phenomenon called a neutron star merger. The finding has implications that help prove Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. LIU’s radio telescope in New Mexico helped observe the event for the first time. In an interview with News 12 Brooklyn, Kavic said, “It allows us to get a complete picture of the system, and the system is really very extreme. It’s a system where the

laws of physics are really pushed to their limits so there’s a great deal for us to learn by looking at it in all these many different kinds of ways, through all these many different kinds of instruments.”

A CARING NURSE AT HEART It’s only natural that Cecelia Funk would be drawn to the nursing program at LIU Brooklyn. After all, health care has been a central part of her life in a way few others can appreciate. Cecilia was born with a heart condition that required multiple surgeries and specialized care throughout her life. Her experience has fostered a passion for health and patient care, and now, after serving as a junior spokesperson for the

American Heart Association, Cecelia is pursuing her dream of becoming a nurse educator, which will also allow her to share her love of books and learning. “I sometimes think of my own life as chapter in a book,” Cecelia said, “in which the main character faces many challenges along the way. The challenges just add to the plot and expand interest in the story.”

INTERPROFESSIONAL SIMULATION CENTER OPENS care professionals. The lab promotes collaboration among future nurses and health professionals, preparing them for roles in an increasingly interdisciplinary health care environment.

The new state-of-the-art Interprofessional Simulation Center at the School of Health Professions at LIU Post celebrated its grand opening during Homecoming weekend in October. The Center is a critical part of the University’s experiential approach to educating health

The Interprofessional Simulation Center replicates a hospital setting, complete with mannequins that simulate patients on which students can safely practice clinical skills. “The ‘sim man,’ which is our most advanced mannequin, can do everything from giving blood to having a heart attack to simulating a seizure,” added Stacy Gropack, Dean of School of Health Professions and Nursing.

LIU PHARMACY RECEIVES GRANT FOR RESEARCH LIU Pharmacy’s faculty and students are hard at work on impactful research, leveraging opportunities generated by the University’s membership in an elite pharmacy research consortium. This consortium, the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Technology and Education (NIPTE), has seven top 10 schools in U.S. News and World Report’s ranking of college pharmacy programs among its membership, including the University of Minnesota, the University of Texas, and Purdue University.

One year after LIU joined NIPTE, two research grants have been expanded. In one grant, LIU Pharmacy is working with the University of Iowa on a clinical study for transdermal patches. This work is an example of the opportunities that faculty and students gain through membership in NIPTE. As LIU Pharmacy continues to conduct research the University’s goal is to become a top destination for elite pharmaceutical researchers and motivated graduate students.

The Salamone Family When Tom Salamone graduated from LIU Post in May, it was a unique event in the University’s history. Tom became a third-generation LIU Post graduate, joining his parents, Michael Salamone and Diana Srubinski, and his grandfather, former athletic director Vin Salamone, as Post alumni.

LIU Cares – Long Island Heart Walk More than 200 LIU Post students raised money for the American Heart Association in September at the Heart Walk at Jones Beach. Team LIU had the largest contingent of any of the 196 registered teams and raised $6,178, the sixth most of any organization. Participating student groups included four varsity teams and all fraternities and sororities. The LIU Post Cheer Team brought additional spirit to the event, cheering on participants as they walked the boardwalk.

LIU Cares – Read for the Record In October, LIU Brooklyn Campus Life and Jumpstart partnered to host a new LIU Cares tradition. LIU joined “Read for the Record,” a nationwide initiative where schools across America all read the same book on the same day. More than 80 preschoolers visited campus. Thirty-five LIU Brooklyn volunteers had lunch with the children, read the book Quackers by Liz Wong, and helped to facilitate engaging activities. Two celebrity guests, Jumpstart alumnae and Victoria Secret models Jourdana Phillips and Akua Williams, joined LIU student volunteers to read to the children. LIU Cares, a multi-campus, multi-dimensional initiative, provides access to evolving and active partnerships with community agencies and organizations, and is designed to connect LIU’s 20,000 students, 3,500 faculty and staff, and 200,000 alumni to the power of service through volunteerism and community engagement—locally, nationally, and globally. The mission of LIU Cares is to provide a destination for individuals at LIU to develop thoughtful approaches to community engagement, service learning and discovery.

FALL 2017 | LIU MAGAZINE

2016-2017

Annual Report LIU is thriving during a period when many of its peers have struggled. We are charting an upward trajectory that has been recognized both for academic excellence and financial management. During our fiscal year, which ended August 31, 2017, the University earned an improved credit rating from Moody’s and reaffirmed its rating with Standard & Poor’s, with a positive outlook issued from both rating agencies. In addition, more than $93 million in institutional scholarships were provided to students. LIU is thriving during a period when many of its peers have struggled. We are charting an upward trajectory that has been recognized both for academic excellence and financial management. With this momentum, our immediate focus is on strengthening academic programs; hiring and building talent; enhancing student academic excellence and achievement; and strengthening the University’s brand. Total operating revenue exceeded $358.1 million. Total operating expenses decreased to $326.8 million, generating

an operating surplus of approximately $31.3 million. Net assets grew 15.5% to $408.2 million from $353.4 million over the previous year. For the third consecutive year, tuition rate increases were held at 2%, fulfilling a commitment the University has pledged to its students through 2020. This rate adjustment for FY 2017 was well below regional and national averages (the average tuition increase at private universities nationwide was 3.7% in 2015-16). Our endowment’s fair market value was recorded at $196.9 million on August 31, 2017. This total represents an increase of 42.2% over the value at August 31, 2016, and an increase of 157.8% from the same date in 2010. This growth has positioned the University to significantly exceed our goal of a $200 million endowment by 2020.

Fiscal Year 2010 thru Fiscal Year 2017 Actual Endowment Value (Dollars in millions, with projections through Fiscal Year 2020) $320 290 260 230

197

200 170 140 110 80

76.4

78.2

78.6

86.9

FY10

FY11

FY12

FY13

99.6

117

220

240

260

138.5

50 20

LIU MAGAZINE | FALL 2017

FY14

FY15

FY16

FY17

FY18

FY19

FY20

Fiscal Year 2017 Revenue and Expenses (Dollars in millions)

88%

Tuition and Fees Tuition and Fees (net of scholarships) (net of scholarships)

2017 Revenues* 2017 Revenues*

$358.1m $358.1m

7% 4%

Gifts, GrantsGifts, & Grants Auxiliary Sales & Auxiliary Sales Other Sources & Services & Services Other Sources

30%

48% 48% 30% Salaries & Wages Salaries & Wages

General Expenses General Expenses

2017 Expenses* 2017 Expenses*

$326.8m $326.8m

17%

4% 17%

Fringe Benefits DepreciationDepreciation Fringe Benefits

Interest

Investment Return 320Investment Return for Operations for Operations 290 260 *Fiscal year ended August 31, 2017 (Unaudited) 230 200 170 LIU’s 140fundraising efforts in FY2017 took in approximately $9.3 million, compared to about $8 million for FY2016 – a near 17% increase. This success made for a strong start to the University’s capital campaign. As of the end of August, the University had 110 amassed $26 million in gifts and pledges toward its five-year goal of $150 million. 80 50 We 20 are grateful to our donors for their generous support to provide world-class programs and initiatives for all LIU students.

FALL 2017 | LIU MAGAZINE

Class Notes We want to hear from you, send us your news and photos! Submit class notes at liu.edu/alumni/submit to share your latest professional achievements and personal milestones. 1960s Martin Belitz, Pharm’60 is a Forensic Pharmacist at The Marpham Group. Jerome Factor, Pharm’60 is recently retired after a long career at Eli Lilly & Company followed by a second career as a pastry chef. Steve Pomerance, B’60 is an integrative pharmacist consulting on compounding for nutritional support and hormone therapy. Bill Siegel, B’63 is an Attorney who recently celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary with his wife Patricia (Patty) Mendola Siegel. Gerald Rudich, B’63 served in the US Army. Richard Maurer, B’64 is Principal Staff Physicist at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab specializing in radiation detection and its effects on electronics and humans for manned spacecraft. He has worked on building several spacecraft for NASA and the DOD, including New Horizons (first flyby mission to Pluto), The First Mercury orbiter, Van Allen Belt probes, the Near Earth Asteroid lander, and the first mission to see the sun in stereo. Brian Berenbach, B’65 is an adjunct faculty member at Georgia Institute of Technology teaching graduate courses in systems engineering. He recently retired from a career in engineering.

Mary Catherine Rubert, P’73 has a private law practice and volunteers with the church, zoo, art museum and collie rescue. Robert Cooperman, B’73 is a poet with 16 collections published. In 2000, he won the Colorado Book Award for Poetry for In the Colorado Gold Fever Mountains (Western Reflections Books). Manuel Cabrero, B’75 was awarded an Emmy in 2016 for a PSA on NY1 & NY1 Latino titled “We Are One”. A decorated Vietnam Army veteran (1969-1970), he was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for Valor. Darlene Narvae, P’76 is recently retired from a career as a licensed professional counselor in marriage and family. James Buckheit, P’77 is recently retired after performing nearly 38 years of public service. For the past seven years, he served as executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (State Association of School Superintendents). Prior to that, James spent seven years as executive director of the Pennsylvania State Board of Education. James celebrated retirement by riding his bicycle across the United States, starting in Yorktown, Virginia, and finishing in Florence, Oregon.

Joel Buckstein, B’65 is president of Geneva Worldwide, Inc. for the past 30 years. The company, established in 1903, is one of the largest language service providers in New York.

Stephen Wylder, P’78 is president of Compression Source, Inc. During his career, he built three industrial oil and gas sales companies. In 2007, he sold one of his companies to a Swiss OEM compressor manufacturer.

Richard Jundt, P’67 is president of Glyphix Advertising, founded in 1981.

Daniel Connor, S’79 is a college professor and a freelance animator/illustrator.

Ted Felix, B’68 is President of Forensic Financial Services Inc.

Domenic Sammarco, Pharm’79 is president of Palmer’s Professional Pharmacy. Retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U. S. Army, Domenic is also a former Connecticut Pharmacy Commissioner, in addition to being a Distinguished Alumnus at LIU.

Michael Bloom, B’69 is retired after a career as a physical education teacher and wrestling coach at Lawrence High School on Long Island.

1970s Helaine Weiss, B’71 is a stand-up comedienne and leads seminars for children and teens at Landmark Worldwide following a career as a New York City schoolteacher.

LIU MAGAZINE | FALL 2017

Lawrence Pollack, P’79 is Global Head of Tax with Hogan Lovells, which has been an international tax partner with KPMG since 1996.

1980s Robert Guliani, P’80 is an author and just published the book Never Quit (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform). The autobiography is a Long Island story of heartbreak and courage that all began back in 1973 when the sixteen-year-old Robert dove into a wave off Tobay Beach and emerged a quadriplegic. His struggle to graduate with his Syosset High School class, to attend LIU Post, to find gainful employment working for MetLife in the nascent days of computer programing, his eventual marriage, and his physical setbacks are all highlighted in vivid prose and personal anecdotes. Mary Bruckenstein, P’80 was recently inducted into the West Babylon High School Hall of Fame. She is a retired Nursing Supervisor, who sat on several boards of local hospitals and remains integrally involved in local politics. Bruckenstein mentored an Ethiopian orphan paraplegic who is now the Director of Ethiopian Women with Disabilities, and who won the Global Citizens Award in 2015 from University of California, Berkeley. Mark Bevilacque, P’80 Is president of Bevilacque Group, a marketing firm. Prior to starting his company, Mark ran his family’s printing business for 25 years. He currently donates time to various charitable organizations and is training to run a marathon. Barbara Meltzer, P’81 is on the Board of Coach House Players in Kingston, New York where she also acts and directs. She has been active in community theater in the Hudson Valley since 2009: acting, singing, dancing, stage managing, choreographing, and directing. Barbara also teach acting classes, During the summer of 2016 she stage-managed an Equity show in Woodstock. Barbara retired from parish ministry in the United Methodist Church in 2008. Tim Truitt, G’81 is Chief Administrative Officer of the University of California, San Diego. Tim is responsible for administrative operations for two organized research units,

handling revenue generation, fiscal activities, research grant/contract administration, and human resources management. Dr. Truitt is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) and engages in domestic and international consulting and fundraising. Dan Colarusso, B’88 is Executive Editor, Digital and Head of Global Programming for Thomson Reuters. Sungho Chung, P’89 is Senior Managing Director, KB Kookmin Card.

Staten Island, New York. She began teaching in 1997 after receiving her Bachelor’s degree in education and went on to earn a Master’s in counseling. Since then, Yvette has been working for the last 19 years for District 75. She works with emotionally disturbed students, and enjoys making a difference in their lives. William K. Lawrence, S’05 just published his first novel, The Punk and the Professor (Loyola University's AH Press, Maryland, 2017).

Andrena Wyatt, B’95 is Commissioner of Hempstead Housing Authority on Long Island.

Nicole (Niki) Howard, P’05 is the senior experience lead for IDEO Cambridge. As a human experience designer, she is passionate about using space, culture, and ritual to activate design thinking. Nicole supports the broader design community and curates employee and client experiences with regard to space, events and environments. Nicole holds multiple degrees in both Theater and Music from LIU Post and the Tisch school at NYU. In addition to her work at IDEO, Nicole has performed regionally, on and off Broadway, and written and produced several plays in New York City and Boston. Her passion for the arts has kindled her love for storytelling and creativity, both at IDEO and beyond.

Michael Raya, B’96 is CEO of West-Ward Pharmaceuticals Corp. Working for the company for nearly 26 years, Michael has grown the firm into the 7th largest generics manufacturer in the U.S.

David Durso, P’08 is associate attorney for Ruskin Moscou Faltischek P.C. and was recently appointed to the Advisory Board of Contractors for Kids, a 501(c)(3) charity organization.

Victoria Polonski, P’98 is a licensed professional counselor. She has served as a director for the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) since 2014 and is currently its vice chair of the board.

Beverly Koondel, P’09 is vice president of sales and marketing for the Mortgage News Network, Inc.

1990s Hernando Perez, B’91 is owner of Hernando’s Hometown Pharmacy. James Murphy, B’93 is publisher of The Newsletter for Community Pharmacists (PRN). PRN is in its 10th year of publication and is dedicated to providing community pharmacists with the latest information affecting their practice. M. Malcom King, B’94 has just published his second book of poetry, Word Drops on a Sunny Day.

2000s Yvette Charmant, B’00 is assistant controller at District 37, New York City’s largest public employee union. Nathan Heltzel, P’01 is a school counselor at Briarcliffe High School, Briarcliffe Manor, New York. Paula Cunningham, B’02 is a special education teacher in the New York City school district. She credits her excellent teachers at LIU, who were experts in the field of special education. Yvette Gonzales, B’02 is a school guidance counselor at South Richmond High School,

2010s Angela Garofalo, P’10 is a police officer for the New York City Police Department. Conor Reeves, P’11 is a financial advisor for Merrill Lynch. Deanna Forrester, P’12 is the director of annual giving for St. Thomas University. Patricia Iacobazzo, B’12 is a professor of communication studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Francesca Freeman, B’13 is a teacher at the New York City Department of Education. Marco Naguib, B’14 graduated with an MPH degree from New York Medical College in May 2016 and is currently pursuing a

Master's degree in healthcare informatics from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Yechiel Benedikt, B’14 is a licensed clinical social worker placed in an outpatient setting as well as providing in-home crisis intervention for families. He is currently in-training for CASAC, EMDR and Psychodrama certifications. Yechiel recently received a Clinical Excellence award at his clinic. He is grateful to the faculty and staff at LIU Brooklyn for providing a personalized and culturally sensitive learning environment with high academic standards. Natalie Charles, B’15 is a public health professional at Diaspora Community Services. She is proud of the LIU community and thankful for the opportunities that have been presented to her. Jessica Sexton, Pharm’15 is currently working in Miami, FL as a hematology/ oncology pharmacy clinical coordinator at the University of Miami Hospital. Lucie-Emily Rows, P’16 is a research associate with the clinical research organization ICON Laboratory Services. Maria Ryadchikova, P’16 is an art therapist at Russkoye Pole. The organization is focused on the rehabilitation and research programs for children under 18, diagnosed with oncological or hematological disease, and have either successfully finished the treatment or are on a treatment gap. Martez Smith, B’17 accepted a Provost's Fellowship to pursue doctoral studies at the University of Rochester. The program is the Nursing and Health Science PhD program in the School of Nursing. Martez will be researching the impact of kinship on health disparities among African diaspora LGBTQ communities. Lokmattie Channan, P’17 is currently a social worker at Samuel Field Y in Little Neck, New York. After being placed in two internships at the Queens Y of Forest Hills and Samuel Field Y prior to graduating in the spring, Samuel Field Y offered Lokmattie a full-time position working in their naturallyoccurring retirement community, Without Walls. She is pleased to have started working in the field of her choice so quickly upon graduating.

FALL 2017 | LIU MAGAZINE

ALUMNIEVENTS

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 alumni events:

January 4, 2018

LIU Mixer and Louis Vuitton Exhibit Tour (NYC)

January 27, 2018

LIU Brooklyn Athletics Hall of Fame Induction

March 4, 2018

LIU National Geographic: Encounter Ocean Odyssey

March 18, 2018

LIU Easter Egg Hunt

April 11-13, 2018

Florida Alumni Reception

Boca Raton—February 11th Miami—February 12th Tampa—February 13th

May 12, 2018

LIU Mother’s Day Luncheon

January 21-23, 2018

LIU Soul Cycle Event Roslyn—January 21st Woodbury— January 23rd Brooklyn—January 25th

April 5, 2018

George Polk Awards Seminar

April 16, 2018 April 15, 2018

LIU Spring Picnic Event

May 15, 2018

Golden Commencement – LIU Brooklyn

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

LIU Post Athletics Hall of Fame Induction and Student-Athlete Awards

May 24, 2018

LIU Gala

LIU MAGAZINE | FALL 2017

LIU Alumni Kids Playdate

April 6, 2018

George Polk Awards Luncheon

May 11, 2018

Golden Commencement – LIU Post

June 11, 2018

LIU Post Athletics Golf Outing

Tell us your story! Share

your personal milestones and professional accomplishments with the LIU community! Visit webapps.liu.edu/alumni to submit your story.

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

February 3, 2018

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Dirty Dancing

Beyond Beautiful: The Carole King Songbook

Animaniacs LIVE!

The Lettermen, The Association & Gary Puckett and The Union Gap

January 5 & 6

February 3

February 2

February 16

2017-18 SEASON SPONSOR New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Anrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.