Defining the LIU Experience How will you expand horizons for future Blackbirds and Pioneers?
Endless opportunity. Determination and vision. Impact and influence. The world beckons for a new kind of education and LIU is answering that call. There is no greater purpose than developing a passion for inquiry and creativity among LIU’s 20,000 students. The LIU experience is extraordinary and creates fuel for thought, propelling students on personal and professional trajectories that are unparalleled.
INVEST IN THE FUTURE. Giving back to Long Island University strengthens the value of an LIU degree, impacts critical rankings found in U.S. News & World Report, and signals confidence in your education and the future of LIU. There’s strength in numbers, and LIU alumni are 200,000 strong. Please visit liu.edu/donate or LIUalumni.com to support LIU.
A MESSAGE FROM THE
PRESIDENT
I
t is with great enthusiasm that I share our most recent issue of LIU Magazine as we begin our 90th year. As you read about our students, faculty, and alumni, you will see firsthand how LIU is delivering a unique education that combines rigor in the classroom with engagement beyond our campuses. Our vision is one that builds on the strength of our motto, Urbi et Orbi–to the city and to the world! We are a University committed to building, educating, and inspiring a collaborative community of socially engaged, intellectually vibrant, global leaders, and thinkers.
Through LIU’s most recent strategic plan, Education Beyond Boundaries: LIU 2020, we are working hard to explore the wide-ranging, diverse opportunities that the University has to offer while creating ethical leaders and lifelong LIU partners in the process of learning, debate, and discovery. Academic excellence is the foundation of our education. We believe excellence is rooted in a broad awareness of global dynamics and realized by equipping students to solve real problems in real time. By working hand in hand with unparalleled faculty, students at LIU are empowered to develop and implement ideas that challenge the limits of a college education and create value to change the world for the better. There is no greater purpose than developing a passion for inquiry and creativity among LIU’s 20,000 students. In fact, we are a living laboratory where great minds come together to serve the world, where our distinctive community is strengthened, and where we help students dream, discover, and define their success in ways that last forever. The world calls for a new kind of education and LIU is answering that call. In our feature story, we shine a light on LIU Health, a University-wide initiative designed to offer students unmatched opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others and to be the driving force behind their own careers. As the region’s most comprehensive university health care program, in one of the fastest growing industries in the United States, we are committed to serving the brightest minds, employing the highest standards of clinical
practice and training, and addressing compelling societal needs related to health and wellness. The article also highlights a number of our distinguished alumni, who are working each and every day to help address the next century’s health care priorities. You will also read about some of our campuswide initiatives that promote innovation and entrepreneurship. As a palpable entrepreneurial spirit takes hold and students prepare to lead in professional and academic worlds, LIU has set out to expand educational opportunities that encourage innovative thinking in new spaces, with new teachers and mentors who are serial entrepreneurs in their respective field. From the halls of the Mott Hall Bridges Academy, to the shores of Long Island’s East End, you’ll see how LIU students, faculty, and alumni alike are using their talents and energy to impact the world around them. In this New Year, we have much to celebrate in both our history and our future. Thank you for your continued support and commitment to this remarkable institution.
Dr. Kimberly R. Cline President
IN THIS ISSUE 14 LIU is improving the health and wellness of our communities through strong health care programs, a focus on team-based service, and the leadership of world-renown faculty and alumni.
Shaping Those Who Shape the Future
28 LIU creates a new paradigm for educator excellence and student achievement.
36 Professor Stephen Tettelbach’s career-spanning passion for the bay scallop has helped restore Long Island’s East End.
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Dr. Kimberly R. Cline President Michael S. Glickman P’99, ’01 Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & University Advancement Danielle Bucci Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications Douglas Bouchelle Graphic Designer Barbara C. Mlawer Chief Communications Officer STAFF WRITERS: Elliot Olshansky Assistant Director of Communications
NEWS 6
60 Years of Post Pride: Homecoming 2015
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Celebrating 50 Years of Global
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Tilles Center Commemorates 35 Magical Years
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Student Scholarship Spotlight
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The Biology of Innovation
SPOTLIGHT
Allison Schlapp Associate Director of Communications and Publications CONTRIBUTORS: Rachel DeLetto Elliot Gerard Jim H. Smith ALUMNI RELATIONS: Ryan Attard Reilly P’03 Director of Alumni Relations: LIU Post, LIU Brentwood, LIU Riverhead, and Southampton 516-299-2263 I Ryan.Reilly@liu.edu
Christine M. Lunsford Director of Alumni Relations: LIU Brooklyn, LIU Pharmacy, and LIU Global 718-246-6397 I Christine.Lunsford@liu.edu
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.
Contact LIU Magazine
Communications and Marketing 700 Northern Blvd. Brookville, NY 11548 magazine@liu.edu liu.edu/magazine Copyright © 2016 by Long Island University. All rights reserved.
10 I The Impact of Philanthropy
A conversation with Steven J. Kumble, H’90, chairman and founder of Corinthian Capital Group, LLC
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Advice for the Ages: From Graduation to Retirement Q&A with Ginger Dean P'03 and Mike Bivona B'60
PROFILES 12
Sharon Sternheim
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James Macri P’65
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Nadia Lopez B’05
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Day in the Life: Steve Bandrowczak P’89
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Geraldine B'66 & Harry Goldhammer
LIU LEGACY 40
Little Mistakes are Big Mistakes
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Dominick Anile P’59 Honored as Winningest Coach in Division II History
HOMECOMING 2015 ALUMNI, PARENT AND FAMILY WEEKEND
LIU Post held its largest homecoming in University history and celebrated the 60th Anniversary of its founding in October 2015.The four-day festival of events included the bringing together of distinguished alumni and celebrities, including Seth Meyers, Kristin Chenoweth, Brian Kilmeade ’86, Joe Gatto ’98, and Sarabeth Levine ’64. Over 10,000 alumni and friends came back to campus for more than 20 events. See photos at PostHomecoming.liu.edu.
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Years 50 C E L E B R AT I N G
OF
GLOBAL
Alumni, faculty, and staff of Friends World Institute, Friends World Program, Friends World College, Global College, and now LIU Global, joined together in May to celebrate 50 years of world education. Alison Weeks ’85, emcee of the Global Reunion stated, "There is nothing that shaped my early adulthood more than LIU Global. The world was not only our campus, but our experiences were seen through the lens of solving the world's most pressing problems.”
“I continue to be impressed by the faculty, students, and leaders at LIU Global. Our world is globally connected making the education received at LIU Global all the more important and useful in today’s society.” - AlisonWeeks ’85
WHAT'S YOUR LEGACY? Create a better tomorrow by including LIU in your will today. You can direct your gift to any campus, college, school, or program. Your gift will help prepare the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and doers, and inspire answers to tomorrow's biggest challenges.
Giving options include: • You can give us appreciated stocks, bonds, or mutual fund shares • Make us a beneficiary of your will or revocable trust, creating a gift that costs you nothing during your lifetime • Give us life insurance you no longer need • Make us a beneficiary in your retirement plan
We’ll be happy to give you the details. Please contact Patrice Panza: 516-299-3759 I LIUalumni@liu.edu
TODAY'S LESSON Everything at LIU is an experience. Every class is a moment to actively engage in learning, and anywhere can be a classroom.
C E L E B R AT E S
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M AG I C A L Y E A R S
Acknowledging the evening’s honorees, Chris ‘66 and Jack Bransfield, and newly retired Tilles Center Executive Director Elliott Sroka, LIU President Dr. Kimberly R. Cline said, “Our honorees are welldeserving of tonight’s honor, and each has worked hard to create invaluable opportunities for students and the larger community around Tilles Center’s exceptional programs.” The dedicated fundraising efforts of key community leaders and Tilles Center council members raised nearly $1 million in support of ongoing operations and the newly created Elliott Sroka Endowed Fund for Classical Music. The honorees shared their heartfelt appreciation for the performing arts center, along with their own determination to ensure the vibrancy of cultural arts on Long Island. Chris and Jack Bransfield have had
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a significant impact on the community through leadership positions in the arts and not-for-profit organizations. Jack retired as the president and COO of Roslyn Savings Bank and Chris dedicated her career in education. Long-serving member of the Tilles Center Council and Post alumna, Lorinda de Roulet ‘86 was acknowledged for her and the de Roulet family’s contributions to the arts center throughout the decades, and awarded LIU's Presidential Medal at the gala. The evening also announced the appointment of William R. Biddle as the new executive director for the Tilles Center. The warmth and exuberance of the gala matched the thrilling performance by Ms. Chenoweth, known for her Tony-winning role as Glinda the Good Witch in the smash hit Wicked, along with her Emmywinning turn on Pushing Daisies, acclaimed work on Glee and numerous performances on Broadway, in film, and on television. The evening’s performance included Moon River, Fathers and Daughters, Little Sparrow, a truly Oklahoman version of the A Chorus Line hit Dance: Ten; Looks: Three and ended with an audience-accompanied encore of God Bless America.
Photos by Constance Brukin
Over 2,000 people gathered on the LIU Post campus at Tilles Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, October 10, 2015, to enjoy the incredible talent of award-winning actress and Broadway sensation Kristin Chenoweth, who headlined Tilles Center’s 35th annual gala. The evening included an elegant celebration under the stars.
TURN YOUR ALUMNI STATUS INTO A PAIR OF FRONT-ROW SEATS Just another great reward of being an LIU alumnus
A WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT AWAITS,
from marquee stars to the avant-garde. Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at LIU Post brings you artists at their peak, including luminaries such as Natalie Cole, Jay Leno, Audra McDonald, Wynton Marsalis, William Shatner and more. For new talent and diverse cultural experiences, visit the state-of-the-art Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts at LIU’s Brooklyn Campus. Either way, you’ll enjoy exclusive savings available only to LIU alumni like you.
For a full calendar of upcoming performances, visit
tillescenter.org and kumbletheater.org. At Tilles Center: Jay Leno, Natalie Cole, Anything Goes, and
At Kumble Theater: Drake & Fabulous, The Nutcracker -
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.
Neville Dance Theater, The Opulence of Integrity, and Young Dancemakers Company
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The impact of
PHILANTHROPY A CONVERSATION WITH STEVEN J. KUMBLE, H’90, CHAIRMAN AND FOUNDER OF CORINTHIAN CAPITAL GROUP, LLC Steve Kumble has maintained a position of leadership and a deep personal commitment to Long Island University for more than 30 years.
faculty, the University has positioned itself as an important institution of higher learning, helping to shape the next generation of leaders.
With nearly six decades of professional experience, Kumble has had a wide-ranging and prosperous career. After graduating from Harvard University Law School in 1959 and spending nearly two decades practicing corporate law as a founding partner of an international firm, Kumble moved on to the world of finance, and today serves as Chairman of Corinthian Capital Group, LLC, a private equity firm he founded in 2005 to work with entrepreneurs and management teams to assist companies in realizing their untapped potential.
This is such an exciting time for LIU, and it has been such a privilege to witness these changes firsthand.
Beyond his professional success, Kumble has maintained a strong commitment to philanthropy in supporting various centers of education and arts and culture. It was his passion for the arts that led him to establish Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts at LIU Brooklyn, an anchor of Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District that fosters an intimacy between performers and their audiences, and is impeccably crafted for the dramatic and technical demands of dance, music, and theatrical productions. Kumble Theater is an elegant 320-seat theater designed to nourish artistic exploration and development by LIU students and emerging artists while providing the entire community greater access to an exciting range of Broadway-quality, classical, and cutting-edge professional performances. You have been a member of LIU’s Board of Trustees since 1983. How has the University changed during that time? I am a great believer in the power of education and being a part of LIU’s transformation from a small regional university to one of the largest and most comprehensive universities in the country, is truly inspiring. The past three decades have been about growth and expansion in the classrooms and across our campuses. From new buildings and academic programs, to a stronger administration and outstanding
You’ve served in various leadership roles over the course of your career. What was one of the most important lessons about leadership you learned early in your professional life? To be a leader, you have to be able to make meaningful decisions without hesitation. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t fully analyze the facts and situation on the ground, but when you come to the right conclusion, you have to move forward vigorously and without wavering. I believe that confidence is core to being a successful leader. You’ve had a wide-ranging career. What kind of advice would you give to somebody who is switching his or her career midstream? Your career path isn’t always laid out for you like a road map; it evolves as you do. Many people often start their career in one path and wind up going in a completely different direction, just like I have. But change can be exciting if the right opportunity presents itself. Hard work shouldn’t be underestimated, particularly to make sure you understand the new business that you’re involved in, which often times comes along with a whole new language and set of rules and regulations. When making a transition, keep your eyes open for the contributions you can make in your new role. Coming from a different industry gives you the advantage of having a different (and sometimes innovative) way of looking at things. If you have a new idea or see something you think could be improved, don’t be afraid to voice your opinion. If you are motivated to continue to make suggestions and work hard to carry them out, in many cases this will result in additional responsibility, which usually comes along with advancement and recognition.
As the namesake of Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts at LIU Brooklyn, philanthropy has played an important role in your life. Can you speak to the importance of the arts in today’s society? The arts in all of the various ways in which they are presented, have a way of beautifying your life and existence. It brings meaning and purpose to humanity, and quite frankly, few things are better than a captivating piece of art, a beautiful piece of music, a fantastic ballet or a great Broadway show. I consider myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to contribute to the creation of Kumble Theater, and its evolution into a dynamic venue for presenting a broad range of performances has exceeded my wildest expectations. I go to the theater with some frequency and it’s always exciting to watch our students perform, showcasing talents and exposing the surrounding community to such high-level offerings. Kumble Theater is an anchor of downtown Brooklyn’s new Cultural District. Did you ever envision that Brooklyn would emerge as one of the hottest cultural destinations in the country? Absolutely not! I was born in Borough Park, Brooklyn, and words can’t explain the impact of this borough’s renaissance. As more and more talented young people continue to move to the area, Brooklyn has truly become a hotbed not only for incredible artistic genius, but also talent across all fields of industry. It’s simply wonderful to watch our students and alumni take advantage of all this community has to offer, and also make meaningful contributions to furthering its development. I can only imagine what my parents would say seeing how far their little "shtetl" has come. What advice would you give to a recent graduate about doing what they are passionate about? Pursue your passions. Life may not always turn out to be what you expected, but if you don’t dream big, stay inspired, and work hard, you’ll never know just how fulfilling life can be.
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Photos by John Halpern
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Sharon
Sternheim
PHILANTHROPIST AND ENTREPRENEUR, CARRYING ON THE FAMILY LEGACY “All great things begin with a vision, a dream,” Sharon Sternheim told the attendees at this year’s LIU Pharmacy Gala an elegant evening at New York City’s storied Rainbow Room, when she was introduced as the event’s honoree. “If you push yourself beyond the farthest place that you think you can go, you will be able to achieve your heart’s dream." “I never dreamed about success. I knew that I had to work for it, but if it were not without the help and guidance of my late husband, Howard, I would not be here tonight.” Though Mrs. Sternheim is not an LIU alumna, it would have been challenging to find an honoree whose family history was more deeply interwoven with the storied history of LIU’s Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Sternheim’s father, Hyman Gooderman, a 1933 graduate of LIU Pharmacy’s predecessor Brooklyn College of Pharmacy, owned Thea Drugs, a retail pharmacy in Brooklyn where Sharon began her foray into the pharmaceutical world working for her dad. And her late husband, Howard Sternheim ’54–fondly remembered by the nickname he sported, “Left Hook,” when he captained the LIU Brooklyn’s basketball team– founded Vanderveer Pharmacy, also in Brooklyn. Vanderveer Pharmacy would become the first store in the enormously successful Thriftway
Drug Corporation, of which Mr. Sternheim was president. Awarded the College’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 1998, he was vice chair of the College’s Council of Overseers at the time of his death, in 2002. The Thriftway chain numbered 13 New York City pharmacies that year, including Zitomer Pharmacy, which the Sternheims acquired in 1977. The lavish Madison Avenue landmark, once described by New York Magazine as a “pharmacy on steroids,” marked its 65th anniversary this year. Involved with Zitomer for nearly a quarter of a century, Mrs. Sternheim has managed the operations since 1992. While she sold half of the Thriftway chain to her husband’s business partners in 2003, she retained one Thriftway, part ownership of another, and two Zitomer stores. In addition, she has built on the prestigious Zitomer brand with a line of cosmetics, Z New York, which are sold at the Zitomer stores, and recently opened a children’s toy boutique, Zittles. What began as a drugstore has grown, under her leadership, to become a “mini department store in the heart of Manhattan’s ritziest neighborhood.” “The people in the neighborhood love the store,” she says. “We owe our success to the fact that we know them personally. We know their names, their grandparents’ names, their children’s names.
It’s all about customer service. That’s the secret of success.” Success has given her both the time and wherewithal to support a wide range of causes. In 2003, in memory of her late husband and in recognition of his long affiliation with the National Association of Chain Drug Stores– a trade association of whose board she is a longstanding member–she established the NACDS Foundation Howard Sternheim Internship Program at LIU. Each year a promising LIU Pharmacy student is selected to spend the summer working with the foundation to enhance his or her understanding of the chain community pharmacy. Mrs. Sternheim, an LIU trustee since 2011, is also a member of the LIU Pharmacy Council of Overseers since 2012 and co-chair of the Board of Trustees Development Committee. She supports many charitable causes. “I was very moved to be chosen as the honoree of this year’s pharmacy gala,” she says. Though she’s quick to note that her family owes its success to its LIU roots, she doesn’t hesitate to add that hard work and a strong desire to benefit the community also played an important role. “I’m old fashioned,” she says. “I love what I’m doing.”
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Hyman Gooderman ’33
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Where will LIU graduates find good jobs in the future? For many of them, the promise of rewarding careers lies in the sprawling landscape of healthcare. It is a field that grows seemingly broader and deeper with each passing year, as well-trained professionals are required to fill more and more specialty roles. And LIU is in the thick of it. “Healthcare has grown so much in the past few years,” says Stacy Gropack, interim dean of Health Professions and Nursing at LIU Post and former associate dean at the University’s Brooklyn campus. “Employment in the healthcare and social assistance industry is projected to grow by 29 percent through 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is more than twice as fast as the projected total employment growth overall.”
offers 90 different healthcare-related degree programs. Though the University has neither a medical or dental school, it is strongly focused on the ever-expanding range of other, supportive roles that modern healthcare demands, requiring thoroughly prepared professionals in a dizzying range of clinical settings. Thousands of LIU alumni—in such diverse roles as nursing, health information management, exercise and sports science, speech-language pathology and audiology, And with the huge baby boom generation medical imaging, surgical technology, growing older, that trend is likely to continue psychology, pharmaceutics, and many for many years to come. More than, arguably, others—help to keep the region’s health any other school in the greater New York area, “machine” running smoothly every day. LIU is preparing students who are interested in healthcare careers to take advantage of “We work hard to understand how the field that growth. is evolving and shifting, what its workforce needs will be in the future,” says Gropack. “LIU has so much to offer,” says Gropack. “We’re very in tune with that, and the majority Indeed! In 10 different colleges, at the Post of our graduates find employment right away.” and Brooklyn campuses, the University
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Team-Based Service The rapid growth of the economy’s healthcare sector is reflected in the school of Health Professions and Nursing’s burgeoning student population. In 2007, when Barry Eckert, dean of the school, arrived in Brooklyn, the student population was just under 700. In the ensuing eight years it has swelled to nearly 2,000. What those students are encountering, as they embark upon a quest for employment after completing their LIU education, is a world in which, as Eckert says, with understatement, “The paradigm of healthcare is changing.” The prevailing model for healthcare service now is increasingly focused on patient care delivered by a support team of professionals who can address the patient’s needs from multiple perspectives. From the classroom to field experiences, the demands of that model are woven into the fabric of an LIU healthcare-oriented education at every turn. Consider, for instance, the fact that the entry point for many freshmen and transfer students is the School’s 129-credit Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences program. The science-based major accommodates students who, though united in their collective interest in healthcare, are contemplating careers in many different health-related fields, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, pharmacy, physician assistant, medical imaging or health information management. Offering a broad overview of healthcare, the BS in Health Sciences program includes 30 electives that allow students to uniquely tailor their academic programs, preparing themselves for a specific career track following graduation or developing the requisite credentials to apply for graduate school. “The LIU Brooklyn campus now offers more health programs than any other campus in the New York area,” says Eckert. Students’ skills and knowledge are also honed through the School’s—and the University’s—strong commitment to experiential learning. Thanks to longstanding, mutually beneficial relationships with more than 50 medical centers—including such esteemed facilities as Beth Israel Medical Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and the Hospital for Special Surgery—students complete their clinical practice requirements in real world settings and often go on to rewarding careers in those same healthcare facilities. “Our overall placement rate is very high,” Eckert boasts, “and several areas—physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant—enjoy 100 percent placement.” A similarly high placement rate distinguishes other health-related programs across the University, such as
the Department of Biomedical Sciences, which offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees that prepare students for demanding jobs in both clinical and academic labs and in other clinical roles, such as operation of sophisticated heart/lung equipment during surgical procedures. Storied Past, Bold Future When renowned pharmaceutical researcher John Pezzuto came to LIU, earlier this year, to fill the role of dean at LIU Pharmacy, he was quick to pay homage to the college’s
long history and strong traditions of academic excellence. “Being so deeply steeped in history and tradition, this college generates pride and vast opportunity,” he said. “I have been impressed by the strength of the faculty, the excellence of the students, and the commitment of the administration.” Pharmacy has 11,000 living alumni, a strong history, and a U.S. News & World Report ranking among the highest in the nation. It boasts three newly constructed, endowed research facilities in its Wet Lab Building that dramatically expand the capacity to support faculty research, foster graduate school training, accommodate industrysupported research, train students in computer-based predictive models of drug safety and efficacy, and partner industrial scientists with academic to conduct meaningful research on problems associated with solid dosage forms and instrumentation. But since arriving, last summer, Pezzuto has devoted much of his time to establishing a plan aimed at "developing a stronger curriculum for the 21st century, expanding global opportunities for collaboration with other prominent academic institutions and with leading companies, and significantly expanding research and scholarship in the college,” he says.
Those projected changes reflect changes in the profession that are every bit as significant as the sea change that has swept across other areas of healthcare in the past two decades. “When I went to school, the academic emphasis was on knowledge of drug facts,” says Anna Nogid ’01, director of the Division of Pharmaceutical Practice and a member of the faculty since 2003. “Now the emphasis is much more heavily on the communication skills. More and more, pharmacists play an important role understanding patients, monitoring their medications, and interfacing between them and physicians. It’s one reason why a third of
Dr. John Pezzuto World Renown Scholar and Researcher Leads LIU Pharmacy
A leading expert on biology-driven natural drug discovery and characterization, especially as it pertains to cancer chemotherapy and cancer chemoprevention, John Pezzuto was named dean of LIU Pharmacy earlier this year. Recipient of the 2015 Volwiler Research Award by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, Pezzuto is known worldwide for his discovery of resveratrol, a chemical component of grapes and grape products with demonstrated efficacy as a cancer preventative.
the education our students get is experiential. It’s important for them to develop a real understanding of what pharmacy work is like in the real world today.” Martin Brown, associate dean in the college’s professional program, echoes her point. “When I came to LIU, the pharmacy program was a five-year program leading to a BA. Now it is a six year doctoral program,” he says. “The emphasis has evolved from pharmaceutical-centered to patient-centered, today’s model for healthcare delivery. Today’s pharmacists are expected to play a much more hands-on role in contemplating the therapy for each patient and developing individualized plans for each patient.”
Pezzuto earned a B.S. degree in chemistry from Rutgers University in 1973 and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in 1977. Before coming to LIU, Pezzuto was the founding dean of the Daniel K. Inouye College at the University of Hawaii in Hilo. Launching the college of pharmacy there in 2006, he recruited a faculty of prominent experts and, over the next nine years, built the college into a highly ranked institution.
Pharmacists are expected to be more hands-on, and so are many other healthcare professionals. Clinical psychologists. Diagnostic medical sonographers. Health administrators. Healthcare managers. Family nurse practitioners. Geriatric nurses. Physical therapists.
Photos by Don Hamerman
At LIU the young people who will fill those roles and many others are being prepared for the future right now. And the high standards to which they will be held as they embark upon demanding and rewarding careers are being defined on a daily basis, just as they have been ever since LIU Pharmacy's predecessor, the Brooklyn College of Pharmacy, debuted nearly 130 years ago.
Before Hawaii, he served for four years as professor of medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology and dean of the College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences at Purdue University. Earlier in his career he was a member of the faculty of the University of Chicago at Illinois, rising through the ranks from assistant professor to head of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy. Pezzuto is the author of more than 500 publications, co-inventor of several patents, editor of four books, and a member of 11 editorial boards of international journals.
Industry Leaders in Healthcare LIU alumni are leading the way MICHAEL P. GUTNICK, BA ’68, CPA
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center In 1968, when lifelong Brooklyn resident Michael Gutnick was a senior accounting major at LIU’s Brooklyn campus, several “Big Eight” accounting firms came to campus. “They were recruiting at LIU for the first time,” Gutnick remembers. One of the firms, Arthur Andersen, hired him and Gutnick immediately put his LIU education to work, making himself indispensable. “I had the energy to outwork them,” he says. “I devoted my early career to keeping all of my clients satisfied.” Gutnick spent nine years with the large international public accounting firm, rising to the position of audit manager. By 1977, however, he felt the need to make a change. “I was looking for something more meaningful,” he recalls. “I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. I wanted to work for a company with a mission.” He found that meaning at Memorial Sloan Kettering, the oldest and largest non-governmental entity in the United States that is solely focused on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients and related research and education. In the ensuing 37 years, Gutnick has held such positions with Memorial Sloan Kettering as senior vice president, finance; controller; director of planning and control; and director of methods and audit. Today, as executive vice president and chief financial officer, he is responsible for financial accounting and reporting, financial planning, and real estate acquisition for the 14,000-plus employee, $5 billion entity that is Sloan Kettering. He is an active member of LIU's Board of Trustees.
I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. I wanted to work for a company with a mission. Michael P. Gutnick, BA ’68, CPA
WINIFRED B. “WINNIE” MACK, RN, BSN ’76, MPA ’85
Regional Executive Director North Shore–LIJ Health System
Winnie Mack had earned her associate’s degree in nursing from Nassau County Community College and was employed as a dialysis nurse at Nassau County Medical Center in 1972 when she began to work on her BS in nursing at LIU Post nights and weekends. “My goal," she says flatly, “was to grow in my career. To do that you need an education.” At LIU she found the ideal environment. Taking classes after long hours on the job, she found herself in classes populated by other nurses like herself. “The program targeted nurses who had their licenses and wanted to advance to the next level,” she says. “The courses I took at Post were phenomenal. Not only were we learning on the job and sharing our professional experiences with each other in the classroom, but had experiential learning opportunities in different clinical settings throughout the area. And the professors were excellent." When Mack decided to pursue her master’s degree, driven by the same career motivations, she returned to LIU. “I wanted to make a transition to administrative roles,” she says. Once again LIU accommodated her need to balance employment with her education by offering night and weekend courses. After completing her MPA in 1985, she joined Nassau County Medical Center as assistant director of nurses. In the 30 years since then she has held high level administrative and nursing positions at several New York area hospitals and healthcare organizations, including Continuum Health Partners’ Beth Israel-St. Luke’s Roosevelt Health System, Winthrop University Hospital, Stony Brook University Hospital and Southside Hospital. In her current role at North Shore-LIJ's eastern region, Mack oversees Glen Cove, Hintington, Plainview, Southside, South Oaks, and Syosset hospitals. In 2013, Mack received LIU Post’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
The courses I took at Post were phenomenal. Not only were we learning on the job and sharing our professional experiences with each other in the classroom, but had experiential learning opportunities in different clinical settings throughout the area. And the professors were excellent. Winifred B. “Winnie” Mack, RN, BSN ’76, MPA ’85
VELMA SCANTLEBURY-WHITE, PH.D., BS ’77
America’s first African-American female transplant surgeon A native of Barbados, Dr. Velma Scantlebury-White overcame both racism and misogyny to become a leader in her field. After immigrating with her family to the United States in 1970, she enrolled in high school in Bedford-Stuyvesant and she earned a four-year scholarship to LIU’s Brooklyn campus. While she had found scant encouragement in high school for her dream of becoming a doctor–one guidance counselor told her to “forget college” and seek a job at Brooklyn’s King County Hospital, where she volunteered. At LIU, an African-American biology professor named W. Reeves Smith took her under his wing and was “very encouraging.” Majoring in biology and pre-med, she graduated with honors in 1977. After LIU, she applied to medical school at Columbia and Yale, both of which accepted her. “I chose Columbia because it was close to home,” she says. She was one of 10 African-Americans in her class. It was during her first year at Columbia that she decided to become a surgeon, eventually zeroing in on pediatrics. Once again she was discouraged by faculty members who told her, “my hands were too small and I was the wrong color.” As an intern and resident at Harlem Hospital, however, she found a strong mentor in Dr. Barbara Barlow, director of pediatric surgery, with whom she spent five years. In the third year of her residency, Scantlebury joined Dr. Mark Hardy, a leading transplant surgeon, for six months, assisting him with his research on transplantation using animals. It was during that experience that she became interested in transplantation. In 1989, after completing a fellowship in transplantation surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, she joined the faculty of that university’s School of Medicine as an assistant professor of surgery. In doing so she became America’s first African-American female transplant surgeon. Today she is associate director of the Kidney Transplant Program at Christiana Care Health Services in Delaware, one of the nation’s largest health care providers.
LIU Brooklyn Unveils Stateof-the-Art Nursing Facilities In fall 2015, nursing students at LIU Brooklyn resumed classes in a brand new high tech learning environment. Made possible with a $10 million grant from Helaine Lerner and Joan Rechnitz, daughters of Harriet Rothkopf Heilbrunn B’32, H’98 and Robert Heilbrunn (honorary member of the Class of 1932), H’98, LIU Brooklyn opened a state-of-the-art nursing education facility with the introduction of the Harriet Rothkopf Heilbrunn School of Nursing. The school includes a simulated clinical patient care environment with multiple rooms occupied by robotic patients of different ages and with different ailments, utilizing technology to reproduce real health care situations. Designed to simulate a working hospital, the school is equipped with educational laboratories and classrooms with specialized equipment. Simulation rooms replicate clinical settings where students engage in hands-on training with robotic patients. From intensive care to pediatrics to “Sim-Mom” in the maternity ward and post-natal units, scenarios are organized and monitored by faculty and staff in “control rooms,” where
ELI FELDMAN ’66 President and Chief Executive Officer Emeritus Metropolitan Jewish Health System “My undergraduate experience at Post was great,” says Eli Feldman. “We had a lot of terrific opportunities and interesting projects to work on. It was an exciting time to interact with the faculty.” Feldman did not set out to become a leader in the healthcare field. After graduating from Post with a B.S. degree in business administration, in 1966, he landed a fulltime position in real estate. He had been accepted as a master’s candidate in land management at the University of California, Berkeley. But it was not to be his destiny. “A number of family members were physicians,” he recalls. “They encouraged me to explore career opportunities in hospital management or long-term care.” So, in 1967, taking their advice to heart, he responded to an advertisement for an entry level job at the Metropolitan Jewish Health System. It was not a very auspicious start. “In the beginning, I sorted mail,” he says. But he was determined to succeed and, putting his LIU education to work, soon earned a reputation for his business acumen, rising steadily through the ranks to his current position at the helm of the 108-year-old $1.1 billion organization. Under his leadership, MJHS expanded to nine business units and some 25 programs and services, including pediatric and adult hospice, skilled nursing and sub-acute care, certified home healthcare, adult day healthcare, senior housing, development of assistive technology, and applied research.
They encouraged me to explore career opportunities in hospital management or long-term care. Eli Feldman ’66
computers are equipped with viewing programs behindone-sided mirrors overlooking each room. LIU is known for its university-wide emphasis on experiential learning as well as academic excellence—and the new infrastructure of the Heilbrunn School of Nursing embodies this approach. Director of Laboratory Resources and Simulated Learning Kelynne Edmund B’02, ’07 explained that the simulation facilities allow students to take on case studies and mock scenarios that require them to react to changing situations and address rare complications utilizing the same equipment and procedures as a working hospital or health care center. All student simulations are filmed, then reviewed as a group in “debriefing sessions,” where professors—many of whom are practicing RNs—provide feedback and insight that allows students to improve their skill and develop proficiency in clinical environments. “Our new school, where state-of-the-art simulation learning laboratories provide a setting for students to apply knowledge, skills, and abilities needed in real-life, helps them gain mastery in cutting-edge health care techniques and technology,” said Dr. Judith Erickson, dean of the Harriet Rothkopf Heilbrunn School of Nursing. “Our students will graduate with the skills and experience necessary to perform optimally in a wide range of contemporary health care settings throughout New York City and beyond.”
LIU Promotes Global Health and Service Learning Service learning and community engagement is a core component of LIU’s health programs. The Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy departments at LIU Brooklyn took this commitment to a global stage last spring when a group of volunteers took an alternative spring break LIU to Belize City, Belize, to offer their services to children with special needs. The team—composed of two physical therapists, two occupational therapists, a pediatric neurologist, and 12 students—was led by Dr. Dale Coffin, assistant professor and academic fieldwork coordinator for the Department of Occupational Therapy at LIU Brooklyn, a native of Belize. While in Belize, the team volunteered at the Inspiration Center, a first of its kind non-government organization that provides physical and speech therapy, community based rehabilitation, basic medical services, and social support for the holistic care of children with disabilities and their families. Their work included consulting and treating children from three months of age to 16 years of age with a myriad of physical and behavior issues. LIU faculty and students also hosted educational sessions and training for field officers who provide direct care to the families of Belize. They are currently developing a tele-heath initiative to continue to provide remote consultation to those in need.
Move-A-Thon This 10-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping, constant-movement marathon, held in November, raised over $16,000 for the Don Monti Memorial Research Foundation, to fight pediatric cancer. The Move-A-Thon brought together hundreds of students, faculty, staff, and alumni to raise awareness and funds to unite the community around a great cause.
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LIU Post is home to the Joseph, Tita and Don Monti Genetics and Human Development Laboratory, which provides comprehensive evaluation to the community through scientific, clinical, and psychological testing.
LIU Brooklyn Professor Invited to Present Report on International Drug Policy at UN in Vienna Dr. Sheila Vakharia, a third-year assistant professor in the Department of Social Work at LIU Brooklyn, traveled to Vienna, Austria to participate in the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs on September 24. Alongside drug policy experts from across the globe, Vakharia presented the findings of a report she authored based on a study conducted by the New York and Vienna NGO Committees on Drugs and their Civil Society Task Force (CSTF) to identify the priorities and concerns that should be addressed in the upcoming United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on Drugs, which will be held in New York City in April 2016. The UNGASS will convene member states to reassess the current global drug control system prohibiting the use, possession, manufacture, and cultivation of all drugs, which has been in place since 1961. “How well have we’ve been dealing with controlling drugs? How well have we been managing the health and wellbeing of people who use drugs? What are some of the unintended consequences of the current drug control policy?” are some of the questions that will be addressed, Vakharia said. In addition to delegates from the UN, two subcommittees—New York NGO (non-government organization) Committee and a Vienna NGO Committee—were created to represent the civil society voices, such as treatment providers, organizations that work with people who use drugs, families affected by drugs, and drug advocacy organizations. The CSTF developed a Web-based survey that was distributed to NGO organizations in countries around the world asking what priorities should be addressed at UNGASS in April. But when the responses started coming in—thousands of surveys in dozens of languages—the committee needed someone to analyze and translate the data into a report summarizing the results. Vakharia, who worked as a clinical social worker specializing in individual and group counseling of drug users before earning her Ph.D., and is a
regular participant in the New York NGO meetings on drug policy, volunteered for the job. “I really wasn’t expecting any sort of financial reimbursement or opportunities to go speak or anything. I just thought the work needed to be done and someone needed to do it fast. I was willing to be that person,” she said. For two weeks Vakharia pored over “hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of surveys.” The resulting report—based on the translations available at the time (English, Persian, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Italian, and Turkish)—outlined key issues that representatives of NGOs across the world want taken into account in planning the UNGASS agenda. The report was adopted as the official recommendations of the CSTF and was released to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the Head of the UN General Assembly Special Session, and other high level international officials. CSTF was invited to attend the CND fifth intersessional meeting in Vienna to discuss the report. Vakharia was chosen as the representative. “It’s moments like this that remind you that you, as an academic, can use your voice and platform to help affect real change,” said Vakharia upon her return from Vienna. “All too often, we find ourselves writing for one another in peer-reviewed journals which never make it into the public sphere.” She said that a large number of delegations attended the presentation in Vienna. “It is heartening to know that the perspectives of civil society are valued by UN delegations and it is our hope that these perspectives will find their way into the decisions that are made as we move forward towards the UNGASS.” Vakharia is currently expanding the report to incorporate feedback from respondents in France, Spain, Russia, and dozens of other countries, and is working with LIU Brooklyn social work students to analyze the data. She was invited to present the report at a Civil Society Hearing at the UN in New York in October and hopes to have the opportunity to participate in the UNGASS proceedings in April.
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James
Macri ’65
IDEAS THAT CHANGE THE WORLD By Jim H. Smith
Sons of Italian immigrants, James Macri ’65 and his older brother, Vincent ’61, both named for their father, Vincent James Macri, became Long Islanders when they, with their parents and their sister, Josephine, moved east to the beckoning countryside during the post-World War II construction boom. The Macris settled in the Hempstead hamlet of Oceanside and all three children were educated in the public schools. But when it came time for college the young men inclined toward LIU Post. It was conveniently located nearby and had a solid reputation. And it was where the Macri brothers became the first members of their family to attend college. After graduating from LIU, Vincent enrolled in the University of Virginia School of Law and went on to a distinguished legal career. James, on the other hand, had what he describes as a “strong predilection for science.”
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Athletically inclined, James played both football and lacrosse as an undergraduate. And academically, he found himself increasingly interested in biomedicine, the rapidly evolving branch of medical science in which the principals of biology and other natural sciences are studied in the context of clinical practice, especially with respect to physiology. He could not have known, at the time, how dramatically his interest in this area of research would impact his career. And his life. Neural Tube Research and AFP At New York University, Macri earned his doctorate in basic medical science. It was just as he was commencing his doctoral work, in 1966, that he met Jane Druhl while vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard. The Penn State coed would soon become his wife and the couple would have a family of four
children. Each was special, of course, but the first, Deanne, born in the early 1970s, redefined Macri’s life. “Deanne was born with a birth defect, spina bifida,” explains Macri. “It set me on a research course that led to my life’s work.” Spina bifida occurs as a baby is growing in the womb and the developing spinal column fails to completely close. Approximately eight babies are born in the United with the disorder or a similar birth defect every day. It is the nation’s most common permanently disabling birth defect. After completing his doctorate, Macri began his career at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, where he served as a member of the faculty until 1973. That year he joined the Nassau County Medical Center, now the Nassau University Medical Center. “I was hired
to head up the hospital’s research center,” he says. “When Deanne was born we began to explore structural birth defects aggressively.” Macri remained at Nassau County for five years and, as he puts it, “made major discoveries.” His research was heavily focused on the development of tests that could anticipate birth defects by measuring biochemical markers in maternal blood without having to actually draw and sample amniotic fluid, the fluid surrounding a fetus within the womb. In 1976, while he was still at Nassau County Medical Center, he created the nation’s first prenatal screening program for spina bifida and other neural tube disorders (NTD), defects of the embryonic structure that develops into the central nervous system. In 1978, he joined the faculty of the School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, and in a short time he had turned his lab into “one of the first in the world to connect computers directly to lab equipment,” he says, with pride. “The lab results went directly to the computers which conducted comparisons of data and printed results for mothers.” It was a technological advance that propelled the laboratory’s research to a whole new level. It was at Stony Brook that his research into alpha fetoprotein (AFP) began to be rewarded with major advances. AFP is a protein that is produced by a fetus. Macri’s research showed that while the protein is ever-present in amniotic fluid and also in the bloodstream of the mother, its levels of concentration can increase or decrease if the fetus has certain congenital defects. High levels are a red flag for NTD. And they can be detected in mothers’ blood as early as the first trimester of pregnancy. Invaluable Assurance In 1983, upon the foundation of nearly a decade of research, Macri launched his own company, NTD Labs, on Long Island. “Establishing a private business is very challenging,” he says. “It demands a much greater set of skills than simply doing research. From day one, however, our company was a success.” Practically overnight he developed neonatal screening and testing services for 45 states and many sites abroad. The company was serving the needs of universities, medical centers, laboratories and physicians, and other fetal medicine specialists worldwide. “We had over 100 employees and we were regularly processing an enormous volume of samples,” Macri says. NTD Labs was much more than simply a successful screening center, however. Equipped with state-of-the-art robotics and proprietary software, the scientists in Macri’s lab were also able to constantly develop and refine better methods for collecting and analyzing samples. Early in the 1980s, Macri and his colleagues made a startling discovery that significantly expanded the utility of AFP testing. That discovered that not only the increased presence of AFP, but also its absence in maternal serum can be a marker for birth defects. “We had never really explored the meaning of low AFP levels,” says Macri. “One of our residents had screened a young pregnant woman who presented with low AFP levels. She subsequently delivered a baby with Trisomy 18.” Sometimes called Edwards Syndrome, Trisomy 18 results from an error in cell division early in fetal development that adds a chromosome to the 18th pair. Occurring in an estimated one out of every 2,500 pregnancies in the United States, it results in significant medical complications that can be life-threatening in early childhood. Macri’s team began to find more and more cases of low AFP levels foreshadowing the births of babies with chromosomal disorders. The discovery led to development of the world’s first prenatal screening program for Down Syndrome, another common birth defect caused by incorrect cell division. By the spring of 1984, Macri had published a paper about the discovery. “For the first time it was possible to do more for mothers than just ask their age,” says Macri, referring to the fact that older mothers, over age 35, are at increased risk of having babies with such chromosomal
disorders. While the risk does, indeed, increase with maternal age, 80 percent of babies with Downs are born to women under 35, a statistical consequence of the fact that younger women have more babies than older women. In 1989, Macri and his NTD colleagues discovered yet another marker for Downs. Beta hCG is a hormone produced by the cells of an implanting embryo. It can be detected in mothers’ blood very early in pregnancy. This led to development of tests for chromosomal abnormalities that were not only sophisticated, but enabled doctors to screen mothers earlier than ever possible previously.
Establishing a private business is very challenging. It demands a much greater set of skills than simply doing research. From day one, however, our company was a success. “The extraordinary value of this program is twofold,” Macri said, at the time. “Ninety-five percent of women in the United States who use (the new screening procedure) in the first trimester will receive invaluable assurance that their pregnancy is progressing normally, and for those women identified as being at risk, this opens the door to review diagnostic options with their physicians at a very early stage. This is truly empowering to pregnant women.” Macri and his staff followed up the hCG discovery with the development, in 1991, of methods for using dried blood-spot collection in prenatal screening. That made it possible to conduct biochemical screening procedures worldwide, including in remote areas where the exceedingly hot climate is not conducive to methods used by NTD in the United States. The Best Thing I Ever Did In 2006, Macri sold NTD Labs to Perkin Elmer, a large, international corporation with interests in a wide range of health-related technologies, including environmental analysis, food and consumer product safety, medical imaging, drug discovery, diagnostics, biotechnology, genetic testing and diagnostics, and others. Today, he and his wife divide their time between residences. While they maintain a home in Manhattan they spend the bulk of their time on their 250-acre farm on the Connecticut River in Vermont where—often as not aided by their six grandchildren—they make maple syrup, Jane raises giant draft horses, and James restores vintage Land Rover vehicles. “I was actually apprehensive about retirement,” says the man whose research led to standard-of-care screening procedures for pregnant women, “but I quickly realized it was the best thing I ever did.” In 2012, Macri was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award at LIU Post’s 54th commencement and took a financial leadership role in the development of LIU Post’s Bethpage Stadium.
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Meet theDeans
1. DR. NICHOLAS RAMER
LIU Post College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dr. Ramer currently serves as the acting dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at LIU Post. Prior to this appointment, he served as the College’s assistant dean and associate dean before assuming the dean’s position this summer. Ramer has two bachelor's degrees in chemistry and mathematics and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
2. DR. JOHN M. PEZZUTO
Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy (LIU Pharmacy) Dr. Pezzuto is a world-renown researcher and recipient of the Volwiler Research award. He is widely known for identifying the cancer-prevention aspects of resveratrol, a chemical found in grapes and grape products.
3. DR. EDWARD ROGOFF
LIU Brooklyn School of Business, Public Administration and Information Sciences Dr. Rogoff was a founder of the CUNY Center for Student Entrepreneurship and was instrumental in developing Baruch’s top 10 nationally ranked undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship programs.
4. DR. DAVID COHEN
LIU Brooklyn Richard L. Conolly College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dr. Cohen holds his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from LIU Brooklyn, with a Ph.D. in biology from New York University. Cohen’s research has been published in the American Journal of Botany and other scientific journals and has secured over $8 million in grant funding throughout his career.
5. DR. BARRY S. ECKERT
LIU Brooklyn School of Health Professions Under Dr. Eckert’s leadership, enrollment has nearly tripled; five new health programs have been added as well as over 10 new health minors. Eckert has also collaborated with deans across LIU Brooklyn and LIU Post to develop and launch an Interprofessional Education Program.
6. DR. STACY J. GROPACK
LIU Post School of Health Professions and Nursing Stacy Gropack currently serves as the acting dean of the School of Health Professions and Nursing at LIU Post, formally serving as associate dean of the School of Health Professions at LIU Brooklyn. She holds a Ph.D. from New York University in higher education. Her primary clinical experience is in pediatric physical therapy to children with developmental delay.
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7. DR. VALEDA DENT
11. DR. BARBARA GARII
Dr. Dent holds master’s degrees from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. from the Palmer School at LIU. In 2014, Dent was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship and spent eight months working in Uganda conducting research on rural village libraries.
Dr. Garii has designed and managed implementation of an innovative, clinically rich model of teacher preparation that integrates intensive clinical experiences with face-to-face and online coursework. Garii created bridge-models of teacher preparation to support STEM graduates and has collaborated with the Department of Education to implement teacher preparation policy mandates and pipeline implementation for academic excellence.
Dean, University Libraries and Interim Director, Palmer School of Library and Information Science
8. DR. ROBERT M. VALLI LIU Post College of Management
Dr. Valli served as director of the largest student-led consulting organization in the U.S. at the University of Illinois and is an internationally-renowned authority on innovation ecosystems and the convergence of higher education, business, and technology. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the UC Berkeley, and received his Ph.D. from the Department of Engineering at Cambridge University.
9. DR. NOEL ZAHLER
LIU Post College of Arts, Communications & Design Dr. Zahler is a highly respected composer, researcher, and administrator who has led departments, schools of music, and interdisciplinary programs at universities across the nation. Zahler, who previously as head of the School of Music at Carnegie Mellon, is the recipient of numerous awards and prizes, including a National Endowment for the Arts Consortium Commission, a Fulbright/Hayes Fellowship to Italy, two MacDowell Colony Fellowships, and an Aaron Copland Foundation Grant in support of recording.
10. DR. SYLVIA BLAKE LIU Hudson
Dr. Blake earned her doctorate at Teachers College, Columbia University, has authored instructional materials and articles in refereed journals, been a frequent conference presenter, and a former president of NYSATE (New York State Association of Teacher Educators).
LIU Post College of Education, Information and Technology
12. DR. DONNA DI DONATO LIU Riverhead and Brentwood
Prior to coming to LIU in February 2014, Dean Di Donato served as Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs at Stony Brook University where she assumed overall administrative responsibility for undergraduate academics including the Honors College, Undergraduate Research, Academic Standing, Academic Integrity, and Undergraduate College Initiative.
13. DR. AMY GINSBERG LIU Brooklyn School of Education
Dr. Ginsberg is a New York State licensed psychologist with a clinical focus on identity development and psychological aspects of disability. Ginsberg’s research agenda reflects a broad range of interests including the relationship between psychology and stuttering, school violence prevention and intervention, blended learning in higher education, and the effects of social and cultural factors on mental and physical health.
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Battle OF THE Mascots
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Shaping Those Who Shape the Future LIU Creates New Paradigm for Educator Excellence and Student Achievement
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Long Island University is revolutionizing the way nearly 10,000 children learn and thrive in over 470 classrooms across 53 New York schools. As a strategic partner of the Sanford Education Collaborative, the University is spearheading the Northeast region expansion of two groundbreaking educational PreK-12 programs—Sanford Harmony and Sanford Inspire—to create more positive peer relationships in classrooms and efforts to empower teachers. “LIU’s nationally recognized Schools of Education—LIU Brooklyn School of Education and LIU Post College of Education, Information, and Technology—are dedicated to participating in initiatives that transform education and seeking partners who align with our standards. In partnership with the Sanford Education Collaborative, we share a common vision to inspire teachers to create environments that value children as individuals, elevate equity, and promote a harmonious early education,” said LIU President Dr. Kimberly R. Cline. Innovation demands passion, commitment, and the perseverance to see an idea through completion. The Sanford Harmony Program, disseminated by LIU in more than 50 schools in the Northeast region, embodies these ideas by reshaping the dynamics of relationships at the formative pre-K to sixth-grade level—instilling concepts of inclusion, mutual respect, and empathy that can impact future generations. In September, LIU-nominated elementary school teacher Thania Hernandez of P.S. 9 in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, was bestowed the nationally recognized Sanford Education Center’s “Outstanding Teacher of the Year” award for her dedication to the vision of the Sanford Harmony Program. “Sanford Harmony asks students to focus on our shared commonalities while respecting our differences. The program’s vision is working towards bettering the lives of our students by fostering respect and cooperation,” said Ms. Hernandez. LIU is also disseminating the Sanford Inspire Program throughout the region, providing professional development
for inservice teachers at no cost. Sanford Inspire is a movement committed to exploring, applying, and sharing acquired knowledge about what it means to be an inspired educator, build an inspired pre-K-12 school, and inspire a collaborative community. “As students who participate in these programs progress through school, their enhanced relationship skills and engagement with their teachers will have a ripple effect on their fellow students, their families, and their communities,” said Dr. Cline. The Sanford Harmony and Inspire programs are being implemented across the country through the Sanford Education Collaborative, a network of nine leading universities committed to providing a comprehensive approach to student learning and development. The programs were created through the visionary thinking and generous support of legendary entrepreneur and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford. With a spot on Forbes’ list of top 50 Biggest Givers, Mr. Sanford is a devoted advocate of children’s health and education and has donated more than $30 million toward the creation of the Sanford Education Programs. Originally researched and developed at Arizona State University, National University’s Sanford Education Center is overseeing the expansion of the programs to classrooms nationwide with LIU managing the Northeast region. To learn more about the Sanford Education Programs, please visit liu.edu/Sanford.
Sanford Harmony asks students to focus on our shared commonalities while respecting our differences. The program’s vision is working towards bettering the lives of our students by fostering respect and cooperation. WINTER 2016 | LIU MAGAZINE
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THE UNTAPPED POTENTIAL OF AN EDUCATIONAL LEADER
Nadia
Lopez ’05
It all started with a chance encounter in January 2015 with 13-year-old Vidal Chastanet walking around his Brownsville neighborhood, a community with one of the highest crime rates in New York City.
Brandon Stanton, the photographer and writer behind the wildly popular “Humans of New York” blog, stumbled across the eighth grader while on the hunt for his latest subject to feature. Stanton decided to ask Chastanet about the most influential person in his life and was surprised by his response. “My principal, Ms. Lopez,” Chastanet said, explaining how she creates a positive learning environment, holding the kids in his socio-economically challenged neighborhood to high standards of success. Determined to meet this inspirational educator, Stanton tracked down Principal Nadia Lopez B’05 at Mott Hall Bridges Academy, the school she founded in 2010. After learning that Lopez was in the middle of raising money to send her students on a trip to visit Harvard, and finding her just as inspiring as Chastanet did, Stanton decided to start a fundraising campaign to join the cause. At the time, Lopez had no idea just how much these encounters with Stanton would forever change not only her life, but also the lives of Chastanet and her other students, referred to as scholars, at Mott Hall Bridges Academy in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., by immigrant parents—her mother is from Guatemala and her father from Honduras—the value of a great education was instilled in Lopez from an early age. Although she initially studied to become a nurse, Lopez realized that wasn’t her true calling and changed paths to enter the field of education after the birth of her daughter in 2001. “I realized I wanted to be for many children what I would expect for her, which is a great educator who would have tremendous impact on her life.” To pursue her new goal, Lopez enrolled at LIU Brooklyn, where she participated in the New York City Teaching Fellows program and graduated with a Master’s in Education in Teaching Urban Adolescents with Disabilities. Lopez cites her time studying at LIU as helping to shape her as an educator. It was through her participation in the Issues in Urban Education class taught by Professor Colleen Walsh that Lopez said she learned how to take a solution-oriented approach to teaching kids by involving students, parents and their communities—a philosophy that Lopez continues to follow today. “Colleen’s teaching helped me recognize that there is a problem, then you need to focus on the solution. She helped me realize that you need to identify the issues the kids are most challenged with, analyze all the resources available in the community, and, in appropriate cases, create some type of programming that would bridge the gap that children are experiencing.” After graduating from LIU Brooklyn, Lopez went on to found Mott Hall Bridges Academy, a public middle school with a focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math), in 2010. In crafting the proposal for the school, Lopez turned to another LIU professor, Dr. Wendi Williams, for guidance. Dr. Williams served on the Advisory Board for Mott Hall Bridges Academy and played an important role in defining critical elements of Lopez’ proposal. “Wendi pushed me to think around social-emotional learning and assisted in terms of helping shape the way the school looks with the type of programming we provide.” Although Mott Hall Bridges Academy is located in the center of one of the most underserved communities in the United States, Lopez holds students to high standards and refuses to let that stigma define them. Instead of concentrating on punitive measures, Lopez focuses her school’s efforts on developing the self-esteem of her scholars and empowering children by instilling
in them the possibility that they can succeed. “Education plants the seed for our children to become great, all they need is equity and access that will give them the opportunity,” said Lopez of her teaching philosophy. Dr. Williams affirms that Lopez holds true to her approach to education in practice. "I have found myself to be in awe of the sense of purpose and community that Nadia has brought to the students, families and the Brownsville neighborhood surrounding Mott Hall Bridges Academy. She brings love, intentionality and accountability to her work to transformative effect. She represents the best of what LIU has to offer.” As dedicated as she is to helping her scholars reach their highest potential, Lopez is the first to admit that at times she has felt overwhelmed by her job. In fact, just a couple of days before Stanton met Chastanet, Lopez was about ready to give up. She feared she wasn’t really making a difference because at times it was hard to see the impact of her efforts. That all changed once she saw the “Humans of New York” post and realized that she had a bigger purpose. “Once I read the comments, I was so appreciative and thought ‘how dare I be upset or feel overwhelmed.’” Lopez isn’t the only one whose life was transformed by the show of support. After the “Humans of New York” coverage went viral, Stanton was inspired to launch a fund raising campaign for Mott Hall Bridges Academy’s scholars to visit Harvard and expand their idea of their own potential. The campaign took off and has raised more than $1.4 million, hundreds of thousands of dollars above the original goal, resulting in the funds being used for additional purposes. The campaign supports summer learning programs and scholarship opportunities for the school’s graduates in addition to the trips to Harvard, which Lopez said have played a vital role in helping her scholars, and their families, realize that there is no cap as to what they can achieve in their future. While at Harvard, her scholars were given the opportunity to take classes where they engaged in the same style of learning as they did in their middle school. Through these classes, and in speaking with students at Harvard who were able to attend as a result of scholarships and financial aid, the perceived intellectual and financial barriers to higher education began to break down. “This experience changed the conversation because the kids could see firsthand where they were supposed to be focused on going next. Not to say that they were all going to attend Harvard, but this experience demystified misconceptions about going to college.” Lopez first realized the importance of exposing underprivileged students to higher education years earlier. In 2008 through 2010, LIU gave Lopez the opportunity to host gender specific empowerment summits on campus that connected hundreds of children from public schools throughout Central Brooklyn. “LIU was not only an institution where I was conferred a degree in special education, but also a learning partner. I attribute my passion to providing children with social-emotional support as result of the University being generous in offering space and believing in me. This is the power of education; where so many lives were transformed at those events and for many, it was their first time on a college campus.”
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day IN THE
life
Follow in the footsteps of LIU alumni to find out what it takes to be a leader in every area of the professional world. 32
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Steve Bandrowczak P’89 BS in Computer Science
SVP Global Business Service, Hewlett-Packard Co. With more than 35,000 employees in 4,000 offices in 160 countries around the world, SVP and CIO of Hewlett-Packard Steve Bandrowczak is a busy man. But for a top leadership executive at one of the largest technology companies in the world, he doesn’t spend much of his time managing. “Good leaders put the right people in place and don’t spend a whole lot of time inside the operation,” said the jovial and magnetic executive from Copiague, Long Island. “I think that’s the difference between a manager and a leader: Managers want to get down into how the day-to-day operations are working…I’m there to create an environment of leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation.” Instead, the LIU Post alumnus spends most of his time— 20 plus-hour days, 365 days-a-year—“team building.” He travels to offices around the world to meet with employees and host classes, such as women in leadership and early career development, to inspire them to exceed their potential; He talks to clients about the capabilities HP has to help them lower their costs and improve their customer service and sales operations; He also frequently participates in conferences and events where—alongside international experts and policymakers—he speaks on how technology is changing business and how to bring innovation into traditional businesses in different economic environments. “Technology is changing and creating new business paradigms, but it requires a certain boldness. It requires disrupting the old way of working. I teach people how you do that,” said Bandrowczak. Aside from mentoring young colleagues and employees, Bandrowczak said one of the most rewarding parts of his role at HP is the opportunity to experience many international cultures and to see the good the company does in the world. In some economies, such as Poland, Costa Rica, and Hungary, he said, HP is the largest employer. “What we do matters to the economy, to the government, to schools, to people, so we take that very seriously. It’s my job to make sure that employees know they are part of a greater good.”
4 a.m. “Part of being a successful leader is being able to drive and create energy,” said Bandrowczak. “If I don’t come with energy every day and I don’t have the passion every day, then I’m not doing my job.” Which is why, he said, it’s important to start his day with an early run.
6 a.m. Since HP is a large international operation, Bandrowczak starts every day scouring the news around the world. By 6:30 a.m. he is online with members of his staff and will participate in “at least 7 or 8” conference calls with regional offices and town hall meetings throughout a typical day.
12:30 p.m. “Leaders are not born, they are made. If you want to be great at anything, it’s hard. It takes hard work. Even now, every day I wake up at 4 a.m. and I try to learn something about the industry and leadership. You have the opportunity every day here on campus to work hard and grow and educate yourself on the way to success.”
1:30 p.m. One of his favorite parts of the job is mentoring future generations of leaders. The average age of his employees is 26, so he makes time to talk to students and young professionals whenever possible. After Convocation, where he delivered the keynote address to LIU Post's class of 2019, he sat down with Kristy O’Connell, class of ‘16 (marketing major) and Nicholas Butera, class of ‘16 (finance major) to share career advice over coffee.
2 p.m. Popular guy on campus, Bandrowczak chatted with faculty members, including Dr. Stanley Kline, professor of history and political science and director of the Hornstein Center for Policy, Polling, and Analysis.
2:30 p.m. Bandrowczak hops in one of his favorite “technology disruption” businesses, Uber, headed for Manhattan. With employees in every time zone, there is no idle time. He’ll participate in a conference call with team members in Poland and at the HP headquarters in Palo Alto, Ca., along the way.
7 p.m.
Steve addresses a crowd of business people and international ambassadors at a Bloomberg economic forum event in NYC.
9:0 5 p.m.
Bandrowczak catches up with colleagues and checks
5:15 p.m. Bandrowczak stops in to HP’s NYC office for a board meeting where he gets an overview of a new software program.
in with his wife Donna while he waits for his plane. Although his schedule is “24 by 7 by 365” and often 20 plus hours long, he makes it a point to start the day with coffee or sit down to a meal at the end of the day together. “I try to have great quality time because I don’t have a great quantity of time with my family.”
A DV I C E FO R
Ginger Deen P’03 is a women's money mindset expert and licensed psychotherapist best known for her personal finance blog, Girls Just Wanna Have Funds. Her popular e-course, “The Money Cure,” empowers women to drop the money drama, break through financial ceilings, and dominate their zone of genius. A regular contributor to Elle and Teen Vogue, Deen shared her top advice for students and new graduates who are preparing to enter the working world. What financial/career advice would you give to yourself as a college student? First, take some time off to “find yourself” before heading to graduate school. Get a job in an area that interests you. In doing this, you’ll gain more life experience and be able to make an informed decision about exactly what you want to do with the rest of your life. You might even discover that graduate school isn’t necessary. Also, drop the “because I deserve it” attitude about spending. The only thing that got me into was more debt. Resist the urge to shop for things you don’t need. You might have a shiny new credit card that you signed up for on campus, but your best bet is to cut it up…or to pledge to use it only in the event of a legitimate emergency. By the way, last minute spring break plans do not count as an emergency.
Obviously, job security plays a major role in your financial health, so what are the best industries for job and financial security? My advice has always been to secure a job or career that requires you to be licensed or certified—they are regulated because they are in demand. The healthcare job market lives up to that standard and it’s a huge industry that will never die. However, you need a plan. You have to be strategic in choosing what area to enter based on market saturation and demand. Attend industry events and ask seasoned professionals in the field how they got where they are. Study their career trajectories. Ask about the downsides and pitfalls, the best and worst parts of their job, etc.
What are some smart career moves entry-level professionals can take to get off to a strong start in their chosen field? First, get a mentor. Learning from someone who has been through it and can give you an insider perspective is invaluable. The LIU alumni network is a great source of contacts.
...set yourself apart by focusing on a specific problem or issue and becoming the go-to specialist in that area. 34
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Also, network with others in your field via workplace connections and industry events. Study the career trajectories of successful professionals in your field and duplicate them. In many cases, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. Perhaps most important, be the best. Get that extra certification or license, since the right credentials can make you the ideal candidate an employer is looking for.
What is the most important factor in standing out and getting ahead in today’s business world? Providing a service that others desperately need. Contrary to popular opinion and practice, throwing a wide net only results in sifting through what you don’t need. You set yourself apart by focusing on a specific problem or issue and becoming the go-to specialist in that area.
What are the best ways new graduates can manage their financial obligations (e.g., student loans) while also pursuing their career dreams? Learn good money management skills early. Kill the credit card debt, and make sure to use your card wisely, if you use it at all. A general rule when you’re trying to keep your balance low is to never spend more than 30 percent of the limit on your card. Following this rule is a great way to develop your money management skills because it teaches you to be disciplined about how you spend your money. Also, review your spending at the end of each month while keeping your financial goals in mind: paying your bills on time, keeping your debt low, etc. This will help to keep you accountable, since you’ll be tracking your spending and your progress towards your goals every month. Get an app like Mint, Hello Wallet, or Pocket Smith that gives you the ins, outs, and projections for your money. I am partial to Pocket Smith because of the cash flow projection calendar, but all of these apps give you the ability to aggregate transactions from all of your bank and credit accounts. This way, you’ll get a nice overview of your spending, while gaining insight into your specific spending habits. Did you spend too much money at the supermarket? Or do you need to cut back on eating out after work or on the weekends? Having that kind of insight will help you adjust your behavior and put your spending habits in line with your goals.
Photo by Don Hamerman
F R O M G R A D U AT I O N
T H E AG E S :
N TO RETIREMENT Michael Bivona B’60, a certified public accountant, retired from the accounting profession and the computer enhancement industry almost 20 years ago. He is an award-winning author and is the recipient of Long Island University’s prestigious Distinguished Alumni Award (2007). He has been interviewed and quoted by Jim Cramer’s The Street; U.S. News & World Report; Fox Business News; Forbes and many other Internet and magazine publications. After spending the majority of our lives working hard to raise families and grow careers, thinking about retirement can be both intimidating and exciting. What are your key tips to ease the transition into what’s next? Considering that people may spend as many years after retiring as they did working, it’s wise to start building bridges as early as possible to things that they might want to do after leaving the workforce. People should not think of retiring as the last phase of their lives. They should think of it as a time to rewire themselves for new adventures that they are passionate about. These are the encore years of their lives and could be the most fulfilling in terms of doing the things they always wished to do but didn’t have the time while they were raising families and concentrating on careers.
What is the biggest surprise new retirees face? The biggest surprise retirees face is the number of years they might live after leaving the workforce. People who retire in their 60s may well live 30 years or more after retiring. The amount of money required for retirees to maintain their lifestyles during their encore years is staggering, and occupying their time constructively for such long periods of time requires lots of experimenting and soul searching well in advance of retiring. A great place to explore options is on the AARP website, which features a card game called "Life Reimagined." It allows participants to explore various types of post-retirement possibilities, and it also allows them to interact with other retirees who have developed successful plans for their encore careers using that website.
What is the most important financial lesson you wish you knew while planning for retirement? Well, it would have been nice to know how long I was going to live and what my physical condition would be along the way. I'm approaching my 20th year in retirement, and fortunately, I'm still enjoying my encore years since I rewired. For me, my encore turned out to be writing. As far as an important financial lesson goes, I posed a similar question to Professor Emeritus Philip Wolitzer when I was a student at LIU. He said, “When investing your money, if the opportunity seems too good to be true, then there probably isn't too much truth in the information that you're investing your hard-earned money in. So make sure that you do your homework before investing, as your financial future may be at stake.”
What steps can we take at different stages in life to prepare financially for retirement? Being a Certified Public Accountant set the stage for my being a little more conservative than most. Prior to age 50, most of my investments were in aggressive blue chip stocks that paid dividends. I rarely invested in stocks unless they had a history of paying dividends consistently. At age 50, I invested my age in quality bonds, including municipal bonds. As I aged, my portfolio reflected my age in quality bonds and the balance in conservative dividend paying blue chip stocks. When I reached age 60 I invested almost all of my portfolios in quality bonds and U.S. treasuries, as I was more concerned about a safe income flow than asset growth.
People should not think of retiring as the last phase of their lives. They should think of it as a time to rewire themselves for new adventures that they are passionate about.
What tips would you give younger LIU alumni that they can use to start growing a nest egg early in their careers? Although growing a nest egg at an early age might be the furthest thing from young people's minds, it should be an important part of their strategy, not only for retirement, but for life. It's wise to stash a few dollars away for the future, to buy a home, or to use in an emergency. As for the long term investment strategy, I think that young people should take sound financial risks, always investing in themselves above all other investments. In my case, I took many personal risks, such as starting an accounting practice, then retiring from the accounting profession to become a co-owner in a computer enhancement company. There is no doubt that the best nest egg is to be successful, and that will only happen if young people have the confidence to invest in themselves first. WINTER 2016 | LIU MAGAZINE
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Dr. Stephen Tettelbach’s careerspanning passion for the bay scallop has helped restore the ecology, economy, and culture of Long Island’s East End. On a summer morning in August, the waters of Hallock Bay off Orient, Long Island are glassy and green as a small center console boat approaches a cluster of beach ball-sized buoys. LIU Post Professor of Biology Dr. Stephen Tettelbach and three research associates step into “foulies”—rubber overalls commonly used for fishing and inclement weather. “Hookers in position!” shouts the ship’s captain, Scott Hughes S’92, a Marine Science graduate from LIU’s former Southampton College, with a chuckle. Hailey Brosnan P’13, currently working on her Master of Science in Biology at LIU Post, grabs a long pole with a hook on the end and leans over the side of the boat, hooking one of the buoys and pulling in the attached line. She hoists a cinder block onto the side of the boat and efficiently removes the attached algae-covered bags. “These are spat bags,” she says, holding up a dripping sack. At the end of the day, these sacks will be cleaned and, hopefully, baby scallops will be found and counted, confirming the ongoing effectiveness of the decade long research and restoration efforts to rejuvenate the once decimated population of Peconic Bay scallops.
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Tides of Change Once a primary harvest for the East End’s baymen, the Peconic Bay's scallop population was driven to near extintion by waves of toxic, nitrogenheavy algae known as “brown tide.” Tettelbach, then a popular young professor of marine science at the LIU’s former Southampton College who had been involved in planning and conducting restoration efforts since the mid1980s, wrote a proposal for a grant to support a large restoration effort. “What was going on out here before we started the restoration—from 1995 to 2006—the population was very low. Harvest was 1-2 percent of the historical levels,” Tettelbach said. He reached into a barrel-shaped tank and pulled out a few multi-colored bivalves. “When scallops reproduce they have what’s called external fertilization. So the eggs and sperm are released into the water where the eggs are fertilized.” In the clear and simple language of a seasoned college professor, Tettelbach explained that after the egg is fertilized it develops a shell in just 24 hours, at which point the scallop larvae drift along in the tide for two weeks before they settle to the bottom and attach to something to continue growing. “Our theory was that the population density—how close they are to one another—was too low for successful fertilization. Our plan was to plant the scallops at very high concentrations, that way when it came time to spawn, the success rate was likely to be much higher. It’s not an earth shattering idea.” But it was the first time anyone had attempted this type of restoration at such an extensive level, and Suffolk County took notice. Environment is Economy In 2004, the county granted Tettelbach, working in partnership with the Cornell Cooperative Extension, $1.8 million in funding for a four-year restoration project, the first of its kind on Long Island. The progress of the project has been so substantial that the Suffolk County Water Quality Protection and Restoration Program has voted each year to extend funding, for a total of nearly $4 million over 11 years. Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski said that the research and work of Tettelbach’s team has had a huge impact on the region. "On the East End, the economy is the environment. So what they did with the scallop restoration project not only helped to bring back a population that is economically important, but also culturally significant,” Krupski said. In addition to the restoration efforts, the advocacy of Tettelbach and other scientists convinced the Department of Environmental Conservation to change the scallop harvest season (from opening in September to November), based on evidence of late spawning. The results of the restoration efforts were marked. The harvest in 2014 was near historic levels and new people are getting involved in an industry that was a main source of income on the East End for generations that had nearly disappeared. “We’re putting baymen back on the water,” said Hughes with pride. “It was
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a way of life many years ago and these guys haven’t been able to make a dime for a long time. It’s really cool on opening day just looking across the bay and seeing dozens of boats out to collect scallops.” Krupski also noted that the project ties in with efforts that town, county, and state are making to improve water quality. “The project raises the profile of how important it is to take care of this estuary. It raises the conversation up to a different level. It’s served a lot of purposes, it’s not just about scallops,” he said. Diving for Science Based out of a marine environmental learning center in Southold on Long Island’s North Fork, the project consists of multiple phases of fieldwork, data collection, and analysis. With more than 20 sites to monitor and millions of scallops to account for, it is a big project and a unique opportunity for Tettelbach to instill a passion for marine science and the real-world experience of scientific fieldwork in his students. Each summer he recruits LIU undergraduate and graduate students for paid internship positions, as well as high school student volunteers, to work with him and other researchers on the waters of the Peconic Bay. On a spat collection day, Tettelbach, Hughes, and interns Brosnan, Tyler Lewis P’15, and Marissa Velasquez, a senior at Cornell University, cast off early from Cedar Beach on Southold Bay and travel along the west side of Shelter Island, past Greenport and on into Orient Harbor, then into Hallock Bay where they visit more than a dozen sites to collect and re-deploy new spat bags. The spat bags are made of layers of plastic mesh that the scallop larvae will attach to when they settle to the bottom after their larval period. This portion of the research monitors changes in larval recruitment based on depth of the spat bags and compares numbers of scallops at each location year after year. The baby scallops that are collected are distributed into tanks at the lab and their growth is closely monitored. In the fall, juvenile scallops are placed in “lantern nets” and also planted to the bottom in specific locations that are conducive to scallop growth (e.g., protected from currents and silt cover), where they continue to grow, filtering and cleaning the water and contributing to the health of the Peconic Bay ecosystem. Then there’s everyone’s favorite: dive survey day. Almost all members of the project are certified SCUBA divers. Every two weeks during the spring and fall, the team wetsuits up and drops overboard to measure the scallop density at over 20 sites. Three divers go down at a time and take 50-meter lines with them, Brosnan explained. “We run them out in a Mercedes pattern and set an anchor each way. Then we follow the lines looking a meter in each direction counting all the scallops and predators we see.” The population density of adult scallops in a certain area informs the probability of successful fertilization of eggs once spawning occurs.
According to Velasquez, who has worked on the project for three consecutive summers, the free scallop populations they surveyed this summer looked healthy and well-populated, although numbers of baby scallops in the spat collectors was lower than previous years as of early August due to a late spawn, which Tettelbach and his team confirmed in October sampling.
thesis, which he put on hold to go out to sea for 2.5 years of training on a NOAA fisheries research vessel), said the experience he acquired diving and conducting marine research at LIU gave him a significant advantage that led to his current role as vessel operations coordinator and unit dive supervisor for the NOAA Corps, a uniformed, unarmed branch of the United States military.
The life cycle of a bay scallop is less than two years. Hopefully, before they become lunch for a spider crab or are collected by baymen during harvest season, the scallops will spawn and continue the cycle.
In addition to more than 500 dive hours, “working with Steve helped me develop that method of scientific questioning that’s so important in this line of work,” Europe said. For a professional marine scientist, it’s basically a dream job. According to Europe, “NOAA’s dive program has a really big impact on moving the boundaries of marine science forward from a research and operational perspective. It’s very exciting for me and I really enjoy it.”
Mentoring Marine Activists The job is strenuous manual labor, messy specimen collection, inclement weather, long hours counting scallops and processing data. But they also agreed that it doesn’t feel like work if you love doing it. “I don’t like sitting in an office. To be in the field and on the boat and diving all day, it’s an awesome experience,” said Brosnan, who plans to do fisheries observation in Alaska after finishing her master’s degree.
The project raises the profile of how important it is to take care of this estuary. It raises the conversation up to a different level. It’s served a lot of purposes, it’s not just about scallops. Al Krupski Suffolk County Legislator Hughes, who was a student of Tettelbach’s during his early years teaching ichthyology at Southampton College, agreed that the diving is his favorite part of the job. “Steve was the cool professor. Once I started diving with him looking for scallops, I was hooked.” Twenty-five years later they remain close friends and colleagues. More than 30 LIU students have worked on the scallop restoration project over the years. They have gone on to earn Ph.D.s and tenure-track positions teaching biology and marine science; rewarding jobs in medical and pharmaceutical research; fishery observation positions in Alaska, Hawaii, and South Africa; and positions working with the federal government on deep sea operations.
Altered Stable State In March 2015, Tettelbach—along with co-authors including multiple LIU alumni—published his third article documenting the progress of the scallop project, “Aspiring to an Altered Stable State: Rebuilding of Bay Scallop Populations and Fisheries Following Intensive Restoration,” in Marine Ecology Progress Series (Vol. 529:121-136 (2015)), the leading journal in its field. The paper presents data that confirms the restoration efforts have substantially increased the natural population of the species and helped to restore a major source of revenue for the region’s baymen. Tettelbach explained that originally the shellfish they planted were a significant portion of the population. Now the natural population is driving the growth. “Mother Nature has taken over, which is exactly what we hoped would happen,” he said. “When you go into a restaurant and you see Peconic Bay scallops on the menu, that’s us baby!” Hughes added, elbowing his friend with a laugh. Marveling at a handful of multicolored shells, opening and closing with individual personality, Tettelbach said that even though this success is a great achievement, he will continue the scallop restoration and related projects probably for the rest of his career. “I don’t know anyone that has the level of passion for what they do as Steve does. It’s really inspiring,” said Europe. Legislator Krupski echoed Europe, Hughes, and all the students that have worked with Tettelbach over the years in his admiration for the man and his work. But most importantly, Krupski said, Tettelbach’s role as an educator has passed on a passion for marine science and understanding of how important the estuary and its resources are to his students, the next generation of scientists and members of the Long Island community. "He’s a real asset to the community and to this important resource.”
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA Corps) Lieutenant Junior Grade Jim Europe S’05, P’12 (MS in Biology pending WINTER 2016 | LIU MAGAZINE
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Little Mistakes are
BIG MISTAKES By Dan Colarusso B’88, Executive Editor, Digital/Head of Global Programming Thomson Reuters
laugh, proud of the Brooklyn chutzpah we showed in challenging every corner of the campus and skipping more than our share of science and math classes to work on the paper. There was little sympathy for typos, tiny screwups, and pagination mishaps. To paraphrase his weekly refrain: If you can’t get the little things right, your readers won’t trust you on the big things.I try to remember that every morning before I leave the house: The little things are the big things and that trust is the only asset I have to trade with my readers (or these days, viewers and…ugh…users). There were thousands of lessons from him on everything from ethics to beat reporting to the imparting the obvious: Don't marry a woman not tolerant enough to understand our business and its demands.
I was a high-school underachiever. I took the Algebra Regents exam twice and the two scores didn’t add up to 100. When it came time for college counseling, a kindly old monk—it was an all-boys Catholic school—expressed his hopes that I was “good with my hands.” So, armed with self-awareness and a slight inclination for the written word, I ended up at the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University. Back then the school housed a journalism factory filled with adjuncts still fighting in the trenches of tabloids, trade rags, and wire services ready to put working-class students through their paces. And it was there I stumbled upon Kalman Seigel. Seigel was a former New York Times journalist who was spending his 60s in residence at the school. He took many of us under his wing—I remember his sage advice to Rocco Parascandola, then a classmate and now one of the great New York City cop reporters. “Rocco. Take a Valium.” That prescription was doled out often to me as well. It was his way of telling us to calm down, think before you do something, and then make it count. My great lessons came mostly in a weekly postmortem the day after our campus paper came out. I’d show up at his office and I’d see my work marked—no, spackled—in red. “Danny, it’s bleeding from every pore,” he’d say with a smile and then go over every page. When he got to the editorials, he’d
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The basic wisdom I learned at LIU remains paramount and passing it along is a kind of cosmic payback for what I became there. More important at that point in time, though, was that this man who’d achieved things beyond my comprehension—notably hard-hitting stories that left him vilified both by the Catholic press and Joe McCarthy, a long career at the world’s greatest newspaper, and a few books—made time for a butcher’s son. The relationship continued well after graduation; I’d drop by his house to talk shop, drink iced tea on his porch, and get enough tough love to remind myself in those difficult early days I was heading toward something as long as I kept learning. More than 25 years later, I manage a unit at Reuters that stretches across the world and across editorial platforms that didn’t exist for Kal Seigel. And daily, I come across young journalists far more savvy and worldly than I’ll ever be but who need to be reminded that in our line of work, everything matters and that it’s a high but infinitely worthwhile bar. Doing that means I must spend quality time withyoung people in a business that moves far too fast to be very forgiving or nurturing.
Now that we've launched the ReutersTV app, I depend on them as managers of others, trust and (worry about) them on dangerous field reporting assignments and, broadly, believe they have come to understand why we love some stories and why we hate others and how we should report them. I like to think they learned from me, but more likely I was just fanning flames that were already there, something equally important. As you age, you not only amass a few protégés, but your own mentor relationships change. You add a few; you drop a few; start to call some by their first names instead of "Professor." Their lessons over time become more like a compass— you choose different points for different paths. Since the late 80s, I’ve been lucky enough to have breathed in the wisdom of people who taught me, guided me, and in a couple of cases, even fired me. But to me, the basic wisdom I learned at LIU remains paramount and passing it along is a kind of cosmic payback for what I became there. It still deeply matters to me, and I try with various levels of success to be far more patient and far less profane in the process. The learning is constant. There are days when I still feel like the young journalist who, when he finally sold a freelance piece to The Times’ Sunday Business section, made his first call one to Kal Seigel, not to his own wife, mother or best friend. Years later at his campus memorial service, his wife reminded me of that call and remembered him beaming on the other end of the phone. To this day, I consider it the accomplishment of a professional lifetime. Dan Colarusso is the founding editor of Reuters TV, the world's first mobile TV news service, and manages all of its content and editorial teams around the world. He also is responsible for the overall direction of editorial, social media and commentary on Reuters.com and its related global web news sites. He still lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Katherine Hobson, and his daughter, Lydia. Originally published by LinkedIn Pulse, August 14, 2015.
Thank your LIU Mentor! Send us a note at magazine@liu.edu or #LIUMentor on Twitter or Facebook to share your story of a faculty member that inspired you in a way that has resonated throughout your career.
Grounded in Gratitude: Creating a Lasting Legacy for LIU Students By Jim H. Smith
“Gerry and I both feel fortunate that having college educations allowed us to have good careers,” says Henry Goldhammer, as he reflects upon the generous planned gift he and his wife, Geraldine ’66 recently made to LIU. “We feel good about being able to use some of our estate to help others have opportunities for success by giving them help getting the education they will need.”
work for a larger CPA firm. He remained there until in 1969, he was drafted and spent two years in the Army.
Henry Goldhammer was almost 18 when he met Gerry at a party hosted by a mutual friend, in September 1960, just before he began his education at CCNY and then Baruch College. Henry was almost a year older than Gerry, who was still attending high school, and he was smitten right away.
Henry’s military service took the young couple to Savannah, Georgia, where Gerry found employment as an elementary teacher in the local school district. When he was discharged, he took a job with Arthur Andersen, then one of the world’s largest accounting firms, in Atlanta. From there, they moved to the Tampa Bay area when he became the Controller of a large resort property. After teaching in the Atlanta schools, Gerry became a sixth grade geography teacher at Tarpon Springs Middle School in Florida, a position she held until her retirement in 2009. Henry fully retired four years later.
The two dated through college. Two years after their momentous meeting, Gerry enrolled in LIU Brooklyn. She graduated with a BS in elementary education in 1966. By that time she was Mrs. Henry Goldhammer. They had tied the knot on December 26, the year before and just celebrated their 50th Anniversary.
They now fill their retirement years with a variety of rewarding activities. Successful careers have given them the wherewithal to travel, support philanthropic activities, and play roles in a number of civic organizations in and around Palm Harbor, Florida where they now live.
She soon found employment at a Manhattan elementary school and, looking back on it now, says, “I was very fortunate to enroll at LIU. I got a fine education. The classes were small, for which I am very grateful. One had to be prepared.”
The endowed LIU scholarship which the legacy will be used for is named for Gerry’s father and mother. “My dad died in 1978 and my mom in 2012,” says Gerry. “They did not go to college and were very proud that I graduated from LIU and had a great career as a teacher. We thought that a wonderful way to remember them would be to leave a legacy gift to be used for a scholarship for a worthy student at LIU.
Henry, who had graduated from Baruch with a BBA in accounting in 1964, had landed a position with a small auditing firm in the city. He returned to Baruch for graduate study and then went to
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SCHOLARSHIP SPOTLIGHT Erik Solares
2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army LIU Post Class of 2017 | B.A. Graphic Design Raeford, N.C. The Michael Bivona Endowed Scholarship has helped my family and I be worry-free as I pursue something I love and at the same time, get help paying off my education here at LIU Post.
Ryan Herold
John Christopher Baglione
Crystal M. Bulgin
LIU Brooklyn Class of 2015 (winter) Dual Degree B.S./M.S. Accounting Brooklyn, N.Y. The Michael P. Gutnick Endowed Scholarship helped me to achieve my degree. Through internships and connections at LIU, I lined up a full time position with NYS Dept of Taxation and Finance as a tax auditor after graduation. I also plan to become a licensed CPA, CFE, and CMA and open my own accounting/consulting firm in the near future.
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Akida M. DeProspo
LIU Brooklyn Class of 2018 | B.S. Nursing Brooklyn, N.Y. The Harriet Rothkopf Heilbrunn Scholarship has given me peace of mind so I can focus on my goal of achieving the highest average possible, getting a prestigious degree in nursing, furthering my studies to become a nurse practitioner and hopefully opening my own health care facility someday.
Photo by John Halpern
LIU Post Class of 2016 Dual Degree B.A. History/M.S. Adolescent Education Albertson, N.Y. I have had some amazing educators throughout my own learning experience and my goal is to emulate the same type of engaging and creative learning styles that I was taught. I want to create an interesting, engaging and creative environment that students can not only learn within but thrive on as individuals. Receiving the John Turner Memorial Scholarship gave me additional confidence that I can make an impact as an educator.
LIU Brooklyn Class of 2017 | B.S. Biology Fridley, Minn. Through the Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship I was able to intern at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center and write a manuscript for a three year study about sleep disorders in head and neck cancer populations. This internship allowed me to do research alongside doctors and Ph.D.s, and gain a real understanding of what it is to do medical research. After this summer I knew that no matter what I ended up doing for my career, research would have to be a major part of it.
Alecia Nicole Weiterschan
LIU Post Class of 2015 | B.A. Art History and Theory Broadalbin, New York I am interning at an art organization called the NARS Foundation which happened because of the connection my former professor, Aileen Wang, made for me. I am so appreciative to have received The Rose Tilles Scholarship. I plan to continue to work within the field and with the goal of one day becoming a professor.
Roza Gavrilova
LIU Pharmacy Class of 2016 | Doctor of Pharmacy Russia The path to achieving my dream of becoming a pharmacist has been long and definitely not easy, but I never gave up and always believed in myself. The Robert and Susan Ph’96, P’01 DiGregorio Annual Scholarship has contributed to my academic success and has motivated me to continue my professional growth.
“Success is not about you, it’s about the good you can accomplish.” —Gary Winnick P’69 “College should prepare you to compare, articulate, compute, and to be a good human being with values.” —Irene Natividad B’71 “Find something you really love, work hard, and have faith. Whatever you believe in, just know that it’s within you.” —Mary M. Lai B’42, Treasurer Emerita, LIU
“Education is the lifeblood of humanity.” —John Kanas S’68 "Whether it’s life science or computer science, being knowledgeable and conversant in the language and operation of an industry will go a long way to helping find success after graduation.” —Eric Krasnoff, Chairman of the Board, LIU “Discover what you like to do and embrace it.” —Sarabeth Levine P’64
“Business is a team sport.” —Peter Gibson P’82
At LIU, the mentorship, support, and guidance of our diverse and innovative alumni are invaluable resources in helping the next generation of LIU alumni as they prepare for success after graduation. We encourage you to share your experience and insight and contribute to the continued legacy of greatness built upon an LIU diploma. Call LIU Alumni Relations to find out how you can become an Alumni Mentor and other ways to give back to LIU students. Want to mentor? Call us at 516-299-2263 or email us at LIUalumni@liu.edu. WINTER 2016 | LIU MAGAZINE
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STUDENT FEATURE
The Biology of Innovation and the Growth of Bayside Brewery When Anthony LoSardo ’17 came to LIU Post, he saw his education as a way to further the growth of his fledgling business, KGA Services.
flavor. “We were not optimistic about the success of the project,” Melconian said. Bacchus felt differently. Upon hearing about the project, he tracked LoSardo down in a parking lot on campus and delivered an impromptu presentation. “The method made sense to me. Not that it’s easy to do, but it’s easy to figure out how it can be done,” Bacchus said. The pair hit it off immediately and set to work.
He had no idea what direction the “growth” would take. After a chance encounter on his first day of class, LoSardo’s growing business is creating opportunities not only for College of Management students in the finance, marketing, and public relations departments, but for sophomore biology student Safraz Bacchus '18, whose efforts to develop an enhanced yeast are at the heart of KGA’s efforts to increase production at its Bayside Brewery. LoSardo turned to brewing in search of a career change while working in fire safety in New York City. Armed with little more than entrepreneurial spirit, a copy of Brewing Beer for Dummies, and the patience to endure the trial-and-error process, LoSardo developed his signature Bayside Ale recipe and founded KGA as Bayside Brewery in 2014. When LoSardo’s initial outreach to bar and restaurant managers yielded more orders than he could fill, he knew that he needed to learn to grow his business. “I wanted to get more educated in aspects of the business as it grew,” LoSardo said, “so I chose LIU.” Standing in line in the cafeteria talking about his idea to speed up the fermentation process, LoSardo was approached by another student and said, “I’m a biology student. We can help.” An introduction to Department of Biology chair Dr. Karin Melconian led to a meeting with the department board to discuss approval of a student internship at Bayside Brewery, which LoSardo hoped would produce a solution to his problem. What distinguishes LoSardo is that he uses fresh yeast to brew every batch of his beer to eliminate aftertaste, and while the results speak for themselves, the two-week fermentation process for fresh yeast presented a challenge for increasing production. Rather than resort to the common practice of regrowing old yeast from previous batches, LoSardo wanted to enhance the yeast to make it grow faster. The board was impressed, but skeptical. “It sounded like a fun project that would appeal to our students,” said Melconian. However, speeding up the fermentation process would require genetic alteration, WINTER | LIUaffect MAGAZINE 44 potentially having a2016 negative on
Bacchus began by cloning the yeast to reproduce the flavor profile of LoSardo’s “wort,” the sugary juice that eventually gives the beer its flavor. From there, he worked on modifying the yeast to speed the fermentation process, looking to associate professor of biology Ted Brummel for advice. “Dr. Brummel has been giving me a lot of guidance,” Bacchus said, citing Brummel’s own work modifying fruit flies as an influence. “A lot of the principles are exactly the same. Yeast is a slightly simpler organism.”
I wanted to get more educated in aspects of the business as it grew, so I chose LIU.
As Bacchus set about speeding up production—eventually cutting fermentation time to five days—LoSardo turned his attention to other aspects of the business while pursuing his B.S. in Accounting. LoSardo developed a relationship with Dr. Robert Valli, dean of the College of Management, and brought in LIU Post students to assist with Bayside Brewery’s marketing, public relations, and finances. LoSardo also worked with the Post Concert Dance Company to film a commercial for his beer at LIU’s Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, and has continued the relationship with sponsorship of the Company’s performances. “What Anthony and KGA Services have been able to do is a perfect illustration of why the LIU Post campus is such an ideal setting for entrepreneurship,” Valli said. “Everyone that Anthony needed to work with was right here on campus: marketing and finance students, dancers, and of course, biology students." Through it all, LoSardo and Bacchus continue to learn from each other. “I love talking to him because I feel like I get smarter in the process,” Bacchus said. “He always has good questions that you wouldn't think about. I'm explaining the science of this and that to him, but it helps me to understand it as well.” From a flask in an LIU Post lab to a brewery in Queens, business is growing—quite literally—at LIU.
LIU Post Athletic Hall of Fame Honors Winningest Coach in Division II History Dominick Anile P’59, Head Coach of Pioneers Football (1968-1979), Receives Inaugural Gary Wichard ’72 Medal of Service Ask longtime NFL executive Bill Polian about Dominick Anile P’59 and one of the first things that comes to mind is the impact he had on others.
of the Gary Wichard ’72 Medal of Service at LIU Post’s Athletic 10th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, an anchor event of LIU Post’s 60th Homecoming and Alumni Weekend.
“The most telling thing is that he mentored any number of scouts,” the former Indianapolis Colts president said of his longtime associate, noting the success achieved by Anile’s pupils. “David Caldwell, general manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars; Tom Telesco, general manager of the San Diego Chargers; Chris Polian, director of player personnel for Jacksonville—he’s got an outstanding lineage of scouts and executives that think so well of him.”
Anile’s relationship with the award’s namesake connects his coaching tenure at LIU Post and his 27-year career in NFL front offices. Wichard, an All-American quarterback for the Pioneers and a primary inspiration for the film Jerry Maguire, passed away in 2011 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
“That friendship remained strong,” Polian observed. “It was helpful in many ways, because he was very candid and honest about the information he gave us.”
Wichard’s work as an agent often brought him back into contact with his old coach. By the time Wichard’s client, Dwight Freeney, was drafted by the Colts in 2002, Anile was four years into his tenure as the team’s director of football operations, and had been working with Polian since 1995, when they began work on a scouting system that would ultimately help them build the Colts into Super Bowl Champions.
“Dom was always a great representative of Post on the national stage,” Collins said.
Current LIU Post head coach and athletic director Bryan Collins echoed the praise for the former Pioneers head coach. “The effect he had on players, the things that they went on to do, their service, really is from his ‘coaching tree,’” Collins said. “It’s such a great effect, not only on our athletic department, but the LIU Post community as a whole.” Anile’s impact on his players and their future service to LIU Post is one of the biggest reasons that Anile was honored as the inaugural recipient
“He was the guy who operated that system,” Polian said. “He taught the scouts how to scout. He created the nomenclature and the computer system that we used. He chose the psychological test that we used.”
And, when it came time to deal with Freeney— a four-time all-pro selection in Indianapolis— having his agent’s old coach in the front office proved beneficial.
And, as Anile assembled the talent who would lead the Colts to the pinnacle of the football world, his success reflected on his alma mater.
Anile’s success in the NFL was a continuation of the work he did as a coach at LIU Post, where his teams went 84-34-1 from 1968 to 1979. “His teams really put a small Long Island school on a national stage with their performance,” Collins said. Anile’s inclusion in the Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 2005 is a testament to that success. With the Gary Wichard ’72 Medal of Service, Anile’s legacy continues to be remembered and celebrated.
His teams really put a small Long Island school on a national stage with their performance NEW PRESS BOX AT BETHPAGE STADIUM NAMED IN HONOR OF VIN SALAMONE ‘63 This past October, LIU Post and the Department of Athletics formally dedicated the new, state-ofthe-art press box atop Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium. The press box, set to open in Spring 2016, was made possible by the generosity of Robert and Judith Higgins ’65, and named in honor of the University's former director of Athletics and longtime devoted alumnus Vincent Salamone ’63. “It is extremely overwhelming,” said Salamone. “I can’t thank Bob and Judy Higgins enough for
making the major donation, so that the press box is in my name. The student-athletes and the staff gave me so much at LIU Post.”
nearly doubling the department’s full-time staff in the process. He was inducted into the LIU Post Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.
Salamone’s LIU post career spans more than 50 years. After representing LIU Post as a threesport student-athlete (football, baseball, lacrosse), Salamone remained at his alma mater, spending 40 years as an athletic trainer and as the school’s head athletic administrator. As Athletic Director, Salamone added three new varsity women’s programs (soccer, lacrosse, and swimming),
Salamone co-founded both the Diamond Baseball Conference and New York Collegiate Athletic Conference, served as president of the Eastern College Athletic Conference, chairman of the NCAA Division II Men’s Lacrosse Committee, and was honored with the All-American Football Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award. WINTER 2016 | LIU MAGAZINE
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brooklyn athletics SPOTLIGHT
Adriana Viñas Joy LIU Brooklyn Class of 2016 In her senior season, Adriana has continued her reign as star libero (a player specialized in defensive skills) for Blackbirds women’s volleyball, driving digs in the team’s quest for their fourth straight NEC Tournament title. During her impressive run with the Blackbirds, the team has gone 44-0 against NEC teams over last three years. Adriana ranks third in LIU history with 1,496 career digs and is the first player in league history to earn the title of Northeast Conference Libero of the Year for three consecutive years. An international student from San Juan, Puerto Rico, she is majoring in marketing.
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post athletics SPOTLIGHT
Connor Drost
LIU Post Class of 2016 Connor played four seasons on the midfield unit for the Pioneers’ men’s lacrosse team from 2012-15. He amassed 139 career points (69 goals, 70 assists), to go along with 76 ground balls and 23 caused turnovers. Connor, who was a three-time All-East Coast Conference selection and a 2015 USILA All-America honoree, helped the Pioneers to three straight ECC titles and an NCAA Division II National Championship appearance in 2014. A Criminal Justice major from Wading River, N.Y., Connor also best demonstrated what it is to be a student-athlete, as he was named to the USILA Scholar All-America and CoSIDA Academic All-District teams in his senior year.
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