Mount Saint Mary College Magazine Spring 2014

Mount Saint Mary College

magazine Newburgh, New York

Linking a rich history and a whole new world The Procession of Books Dominican Center transformation James F. Cotter Villa Library Dedication

Spring 2014

DO CE ME

IVER EM TAT

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B U R G H, N

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Not long ago, it seemed springtime would never arrive. We endured a long Northeast winter with snow on our grounds and a chill in the air.

Underneath it all, it turns out a whole new world prepared to burst forth.

Each springtime, perennial plants return, rivers run, and the landscape becomes verdant.

As we on the Mount campus have sought to balance our pillars of prayer, community, higher learning, and mission, and our personal health and recreation, I’ve found myself contemplating the “perennial” nature of us human creatures, the winter and the challenges we face at times, and the Lenten season which draws our hearts to internal life and eternal life.

There’s an oft heard saying that the greatest glory of living lives is not in never falling, but in rising every time you fall.

We need only ask our graduating seniors how they have changed during their college years. And now, they prepare to change, again, and again.

Mount Saint Mary College has changed over time: most definitely in the number of people who now enjoy our campus, and the number of students who have joined the graduation processions.

Yet, real change, like the perennial plants renewing themselves for springtime, receives its breath of life from God. It is only by changing, by refocusing our prayer, rethinking the heart of our community, improving

MOU NT

Dear alumni, students, parents and friends of Mount Saint Mary College,

E LEG OL

A letter from the President

INT MARY C SA

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine Volume 36, No. 1

our study and work habits, contemporizing our service – and by persevering and rising if we fall – that we move towards perfection.

I am inspired by the good work of so many at the Mount.

Read more about our people, programs, news and events in this magazine and at our website, www.msmc.edu I wish the Mount Saint Mary College community a blessed Passover and Easter season, as we anticipate our exciting college celebration of Commencement.

God bless,

Fr. Kevin E. Mackin, OFM President

The Office of Community Relations prepares this magazine for alumni, students, parents and friends of the College.

EDITOR Janet Gianopoulos

ART DIRECTOR Dean DiMarzo MBA ’13

CONTRIBUTORS Matt Frey ’05 MSE ’10 Joan Gambeski Michelle Iacuessa ’94 David Spiegel Production DESIGNER Sten Miller Perkins PHOTOGRAPHY Lee Ferris

COPYEDITING Matt Frey ’05 MSE ’10 Jane Hanley Mayde Pokorny

CIRCULATION 11,000 ©2014

WEBSITE magazine.msmc.edu EMAIL magazine@msmc.edu

MOUNT SAINT MARY COLLEGE Newburgh, NY 12550 845-561-0800

ADMISSIONS 888-YES-MSMC (888-937-6762)

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Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | Spring 2014

Contents

Villa Library named for longtime English

professor

8 On the cover — Procession of books from Curtin Memorial Library to the Dominican Center.

Photo by Lee Ferris/Mount Saint Mary College

Student Journal | Mathematics major Mark Botta

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Math in today’s world | Vast professional landscape

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News from the Mount | Community service, promotions and more

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Health care track | New physician assistant program

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A whole new world | Library transition, book procession

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Constants and challenges | Professors publish adolescence book

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Business abroad | Mount welcomes Latin American students

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Journey of a lifetime | Students observe fauna in New Zealand

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Healing hands | Nursing students aid Dominican Republic poor

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Ambulance ride-along | Senior hits the road

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Propelled to leadership | Maxine Lindsay-Shillingford ’98

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Research on campus | Professors showcase work

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Service with a smile | Mount lauds Newburgh Ministry’s 30th

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Sports roundup | Swimming, hoops and Knights in the Community

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Beverage business man | Students meet mentors

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Alumni notes | The latest from Mount graduates

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Friends of the Mount | Profiles and pledges

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13 MSMC Magazine online! www.msmc.edu/magazine Find more stories, photos and archived issues online.

www.msmc.edu

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Mount reputation helps math major on road to success

STUDENT JOURNAL

By Mark Botta ’14 Major: Mathematics, adolescence education/special education Hometown: Chester, New York

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hen I came to the Mount as a freshman, my biggest concern was that I didn’t know anybody – it was starting again from scratch. And because I’m a commuter, I didn’t think I’d have many chances to make friends or join organizations on campus.

I’m glad things turned out just the opposite.

I’m a proud member of the education honor society, Kappa Delta Pi. Also, through Math Club and Kappa Mu Epsilon, the mathematics honor society, I teach students at Bishop Dunn Memorial School college level math. My best friend Sara Kelleher and I try to teach them advanced stuff in a simplified version. It can be a little tough, but the results are usually great.

It reinforces to me how smart today’s students are, and I can use that to inform my teaching when I have my own classroom.

Through tutoring and my fieldwork, I know I’ve made the right choice for my career. I have observed and taught lesson plans at Warwick Valley High School; Middletown High School; Newburgh Free Academy

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North Campus; and many others.

I always knew I would study at the Mount because it’s a great teaching school. Whenever I talked to one of my high school teachers, they told me that due to the Mount’s stellar reputation, employers would be impressed to see “Mount Saint Mary College” on my résumé.

The other reason I chose the Mount is the quality of the professors.

I’ve had so many great experiences with so many professors here at the Mount, it’s hard to keep track. For example, Lee Fothergill was fantastic for calculus I and II; and Joan Miller really gets to the heart of what it is to be a teacher.

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | Spring 2014

They really get the bigger picture and pass that message along so well to their students.

My time at the Mount has also strengthened my faith. When I was a freshman, my sister Brittany and I set up our class schedules so that we could hang out with each other during breaks.

One of them happened to be at the same time as the daily mass with Fr. Francis Amodio, O. Carm. It was nice to celebrate faith with my family like that.

Brittany graduated in 2013, and now she teaches kindergarten students at Success Academy in New York City.

In addition to my college activities, I’ve been a volunteer firefighter with the Chester Fire Department since I was 16 years old. I love helping my community this way. It’s a good feeling to help out somebody in need. We have training every week to brush up on our old skills and learn new ones, too. It’s almost like a second family because they’re there for you if you ever need anything.

My friends and professors here at the Mount have become a sort of family for me as well – one I know I can share my teaching achievements with for years to come.

Professor Lee Fothergill and math major Maggie Fallon aid the Mount Math Club at Bishop Dunn Memorial School.

What does math mean in today’s world?

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he answer is simple, says Mount Saint Mary College professor Mike Daven.

“Math is everywhere,” he explained.

“We teach our students that math is not just the high school or grade school algebra that you learned.”

Applied math is a branch of mathematical methods typically used in science, engineering, business, and industry.

Mount calculus students learn to determine the rate at which quantities change, which is useful in analyzing the stock market. It can also be a major part of studying viruses. “The Ebola virus grows at a very different rate than others,” Daven explained. “We can quantify that. What if we introduce factors that will slow that rate of contagion spread? You can study those things mathematically.”

Mount students develop skills that employers value, including critical thinking, effective communication, the ability to work as part of a team, leadership potential, self-motivation, and proficiency with technology.

“The work world is all about communication and problem solving,” said professor Lee Fothergill. “We impart that to our students.”

Teacher preparation is another

priority. The college’s Family Math Night events, held periodically at area schools, give Mount students unique fieldwork experience while they serve the community. They host fun math activities designed for each grade level, including: how creating computer programs, such as video games, requires math; what parabolas are and how they are utilized in baseball; and the link between mathematics and a class schedule.

“Our future teachers are helping the students get excited about mathematics the same way we are,” said Fothergill.

“The hope is they’ll gain a better appreciation for math, and maybe become math majors themselves.”

He added, “This also gets our future teachers interacting with students. The more often they’re in front of students, the more comfortable they are going to be in their student teaching and in their own classrooms.”

Fothergill is advisor for the Math Club, organized by Mount math majors and others interested in the field. The Mount chapter of Kappa Mu Epsilon, a national honor society for mathematics, encourages its members to serve local communities.

And serve they do. Members from both organizations enrich students

from nearby Bishop Dunn Memorial School through non-traditional math lessons. Kappa Mu Epsilon and the Math Club also hold contests, competitions, and lectures, as well as attending professional workshops and conferences.

By taking part in these activities, Mount students can shine during job interviews, said Fothergill.

“In today’s work world, you need to do more than just 120 credits,” he explained. “You want to tell a story about what you’ve done at the Mount, and volunteering and giving back to the community is big. This kind of service is what separates Mount students from everyone else.”

Longtime math professor Sr. Pat Sullivan, OP, who graduated from the Mount 50 years ago, notes that she and her colleagues are passionate about helping their students succeed.

Division chair Jennifer Bready agrees. “Math professors at the Mount always have their doors open, and students feel free to come and ask questions. The dialog that occurs between students and professors helps to empower them in their pursuit of mathematical knowledge.” www.msmc.edu

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News from the Mount

Dominican heritage in France

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nother group of Mount folks made a pilgrimage in the footsteps of Saint Dominic’s missionary trail in France: Asma Neblett, media studies-journalism; Sarah Favata, history/education; Charles Zola, director of the Catholic and Dominican Institute; Douglas Robinson, biology faculty; and Beth Roeper, former health services director.

“The experience was very powerful, but very humbling too – it was faith in a very raw form,” said Neblett. For more than a week, “We got to live it, to act it out. The experience brought longevity and authenticity to the

Douglas Robinson examines a skull found on top of a sarcophagus in Albi

At the Bishop’s residence in Albi, now part of the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum: sojourners Zola, Roeper, Neblett, Favata, and Robinson. message of being a Dominican at the Mount.” Neblett and Favata earned credits in a course on France in the Middle Ages.

The sojourn strengthened Favata’s Catholic roots. “I was pulled in by the religious component,” said Favata.

“By studying the religion and history, I feel more connected to my college. As a Mount ambassador giving tours, it made me more knowledgeable and I can share that with other people.”

Robinson viewed the journey in a scientific light. “In evolution-

ary biology, we don’t know what traits organisms had and what allowed them to survive though time, but we can get some insight by examining them,” he explained. “I wanted to learn what facets of this branch of Catholicism led to its long-term survival.”

The Dominican Order is “a survivor of time,” he said, in part, because “Dominic was very good at meeting challenges. He instilled those principles in his early followers.” Robinson also enjoyed the historical aspect of the journey. Funding for the pilgrimage was provided by the Dominican Sisters.

CELL and local groups promote literacy The Collaborative for Excellence in Literacy Learning (CELL) and the Newburgh Armory Unity Center are collaborating with the Newburgh Enlarged City School District. Children engage in literacy experiences at the Armory, permitting them to use their background knowledge and experiences to bridge new learning. Equally important, education students engage in learning about and with children and

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parents beyond school, in programs that specifically address teacher preparation and effective literacy education.

CELL enthralled local children with a Family Literacy Night on April 3.

Directed by education professor Janine Bixler, other Mount faculty who have participated in CELL include Mount professors David Gallagher, Jane Gangi, Matt Hollibush, Rebecca Norman and Peter Witkowski.

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | Spring 2014

Erin Correa, English, and Anthony Hazzard, history, read to youngsters.

HEOP namesake honored At the 58th annual meeting of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU) in Albany, Fr. Kevin E. Mackin, OFM, Mount Saint Mary College president, joined in honoring former New York State Assemblyman Arthur O. Eve, recipient of the 2014 John Jay Education Award.

This marks the 45th anniversary of the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), which part of the Center for Student Success at the Mount, offering academic and personal support services to ensure that students have the resources to flourish.

Arthur O. Eve is congratulated by Fr. Kevin E. Mackin, OFM.

Mount’s Sigma Tau chapter earns ACE Award The Mount’s Sigma Tau Chapter 451 of Kappa Delta Pi, the international honor society in education, received an Achieving Chapter Excellence (ACE) award at the KDP 49th Biennial Convocation in Dallas, Texas. The ceremony marked the second in a row in which Sigma Tau was recognized.

Also, Lauren Brunetti, chapter president in 2012, received a Distinguished Chapter Officer award, and faculty counselor Ludmila Smirnova was presented with a certificate commemorating her decade of service. Sigma Tau is dedicated to service-learning in the local community. Recent efforts included “Literacy Alive” at an elementary school, the long-running “Adopt a Family” program, and a book fair at

Barnes & Noble. Members also serve with the Mount’s Collaborative for Equity in Literacy Learning (CELL).

Front: Janaina Barham Middleton, Meghan Bauer, Nicole Golder, Lindsay Panko, Ericka Knox. Back: Elizabeth Doung; Christina Sayegh; Kaytlin Zanella; Stephanie Ruger; professor Smirnova; former chapter president Brittni Troy and president Alexandria Hercules.

Mount hosts blood drive Members of the local community gave the gift of life at a recent Mount blood drive, yielding 165 pints. “This blood is vital to the community to save many lives,” said professor Andrea Ackermann, chair of nursing. Along with professionals from the New York Blood Center, members of the college’s Nursing Student Union were among those assisting at the event.

Stephanie Arroyo donates blood.

Photo by Sara Baloga ’14.

Mount community raises money for typhoon relief After Typhoon Haiyan ripped through the Philippines, Mount students, faculty and staff quickly raised $1,109 to purchase food, water, medical supplies and other necessities.

They partnered with The Philippine Nurses Association of America, Inc. “We would like to thank you,” said Luz Tenefrancia-Llasos, PNAA chair of community outreach/global health. “The money raised…will surely help in the achievement of our initiative.” The Mount efforts were spearheaded by Priscilla Sagar, nursing professor; Emily Marmo, international studies; and the Student Government Association, overseen

by Sandra Cefaloni-Henderson.

Sagar, with family in the Philippines, “couldn’t believe the destruction, and it devastated me just looking at it…We are so glad the money will go to the rehabilitation phase.”

Sharing ministry through theater

The one-man play “Fish Tale: The Story of Peter” at the Mount took a poignant look at the disciple’s life. Written and performed by renowned actor John Maxwell, “Fish Tale” weaves together the events leading up to the trip to Jerusalem, the night in the Garden of Gethsemane, and Peter’s gut-wrenching denial.

The performance was sponsored by the Catholic and Dominican Institute, campus ministry, arts and letters, and student activities. www.msmc.edu

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Mount in the News The Rev. Glenn I. Henricksen discusses The Beatles.

Fr. Kevin, seen here with Stephanie Jacks, leads a prayer.

Service celebrated Fr. Kevin E. Mackin, OFM, Mount president, invoked the 39th Annual Interservice Club Luncheon, which brought together service organizations in the greater Newburgh area. “We should applaud each other with gratitude for the many volunteers, service clubs, and organizations here,” said Fr. Mackin. Nursing major Stephanie Jacks, president and founder of the

Mount’s Rotaract Club, discussed the role of young people. “We need to keep people inspired and enthusiastic about what they do, and also, reflect on service and what it means,” she said. Rotaract emphasizes community service at the local and international levels. Service clubs at the Mount also include Big Brothers Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity, Aging United, Delta Leadership Society, MSMC Serves and Knights in the Community.

Promotions at the Mount

Victor Azuaje, associate professor of Hispanic studies with tenure, is teaching basic Spanish II, Spanish for business, masterpieces of Hispanic literature II; advanced Spanish composition; and independent study.

Dean Goldberg, associate professor of media studies with tenure, is teaching media problems and practices; media studies coordinating seminar, film noir; communication arts internship courses; and independent study.

Monica Merritt, associate professor of education with tenure, is teaching methods in mathematics for childhood education; literacy in content areas for adolescence education; and mathematics methods.

James Moran, associate professor of biology with tenure, is teaching principles of microbiology; immunology;

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seminars in biology and chemistry; and independent study.

Jill Sussman, associate professor of nursing with tenure, is teaching three courses in mental health nursing and a lab in mental health alterations.

Lee Fothergill, professor of mathematics, is teaching elementary statistics; analytic geometry and calculus II; and a pair of coordinating mathematics seminars.

Debra Hrelic, professor of nursing, is teaching courses on nursing care of the childbearing family, with labs.

Dianne Murphy, professor of nursing, is teaching international nursing courses and courses in complex health problems.

Frances Spielhagen, professor of education, is teaching English methods; social science methods; and curriculum and assessment in social studies 7-12; and graduate courses in differentiated

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | Spring 2014

A Long and Winding Road After five decades, life goes on for the music of The Beatles. Professor James Cotter arranged for the Rev. Glenn I. Henricksen to discuss how the band’s music has moved so many, and how it will continue to affect us in the future. Henricksen taught religious studies at Mount Saint Mary College, and also chemistry at Mount Saint Mary Academy; he is now retired. The Steinthal Lecture was established in memory of former Mount professor and noted physician Dr. Eric Steinthal, by his son, Nicholas. instruction; content methods; and theory, research and application of adolescent development.

Joan Miller, professor emerita of education, is retiring. She has recently been teaching content enhancement for adolescent learners; and a graduate level course in research-based instruction for students with disabilities.

Sr. Patricia Sullivan, OP, professor emerita of mathematics, was in the first graduating class at the college 50 years ago. She has been teaching elementary functions; modern abstract algebra courses; and an independent study course.

Iris Turkenkopf, professor emerita of biology, has served a 39-year career at the Mount including appointments as professor and chair of the division of natural sciences. She was academic dean and vice president for academic affairs, before passing the torch to VPAA Mary Hinton in 2013.

Mount offers physician assistant program

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ount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y. is now taking applications for its 3/2 physician assistant program scheduled for launch in 2014-15.

Students accepted into the program will be immersed in the Mount’s rigorous natural sciences undergraduate curriculum for three years. Following completion of the undergraduate requirements, successful applicants will complete their studies in the Mount’s physician assistant program (pending Accreditation-Provisional) in two years, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s in physician assistant studies.

Steven G. Sweitzer, P.A.-C, directs the graduate program. A Lieutenant Colonel in the N.Y. Air National Guard Biomedical Sciences Corps, he has also been in private neurosurgical practice for 25 years in Connecticut, and served on the Allied Profession Medical Staff at Yale New Haven Health System, St. Vincent Medical Center, Bridgeport Hospital and Griffin Hospital.

His experience includes teaching healthcare management, and he

has had extensive involvement in the clinical education of physician assistant students while on clinical rotations in surgery at all facilities where he was in clinical practice. Educated at the University of Bridgeport, Northeastern University, Cambridge College and Nova Southeastern University, he is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants since 1985.

Director Sweitzer belongs to the American Academy of Physician Assistants and is a member of The Physician Assistant Education Association.

Mount Saint Mary College has applied for accreditation from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). The Mount graduate program in physician assistant studies anticipates matriculating its first graduate class in May 2016, pending the Accreditation-Provisional, which is a status for a new PA program that has not yet enrolled students, but at the time of its comprehensive accreditation review has demonstrated its preparedness to initiate a program in accor-

dance with the accreditation standards of the Review Commission.

The American Academy of Physician Assistants describes a physician assistant as a healthcare professional who is trained and licensed to practice medicine under the supervision of a physician. The PA license allows one to perform medical or surgical duties delegated by a physician. This involves working as part of the healthcare team employed by hospitals, multispecialty organization, inner city clinics, or being the only medical provider in smaller, remote clinics. Physician assistants provide a broad range of healthcare services traditionally performed by physicians.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 40 percent increase in employment of physician assistants in the next decade. At Mount Saint Mary College, more than 37 percent of current first year students are pursuing health professions, notes college president Fr. Kevin E. Mackin, OFM. “Our strong career preparation and reputation in various health fields bode well for this program,” said Fr. Mackin. www.msmc.edu

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A whole new world

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his winter, and as the spring semester launched, Mount Saint Mary College celebrated a procession of people, programs and publications, reminding all of the transformations at this beloved hilltop of education.

In recognition of 50 years of service, the Villa Library was named in honor of a longtime English professor still carrying a torch for literature.

“James Finn Cotter has been described as a 21st century Renaissance man, here at the Mount and in the wider academe circles,” explained Fr. Kevin E. Mackin, OFM, president, during a hearty tribute. “Jim simply has a passion for lifelong learning, and his passion makes for great leadership.”

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How fitting an eponym for the library housed in what used to be the college’s first building. The wood-paneled, Victorian-era James Finn Cotter Library has been a cozy historic hub for presentations and celebrations.

Cotter is the author of “Inscape: The Christology and Poetry of Gerald

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | Spring 2014

Manley Hopkins,” “Beginnings: The First Twenty-Five Years of Mount Saint Mary College,” and “A New Life: Learning the Way of Omega.” A celebrated translator of Dante’s “Commedia,” he is a seasoned theater and arts reviewer, a recipient of a Fulbright-Hays lecture grant and a National Endowment of the

at the Mount Humanities grant, and president of the International Hopkins Association. He has penned articles on Hopkins, Dante, Chaucer, Sir Philip Sidney, and J.D. Salinger. As poet and literary critic, he’s been published in many periodicals.

In his five decades at the Mount, he has inspired scores of students and fellow professors. “It was said – and will be said – that you are an accomplished scholar,” said Sr. Catherine Walsh, OP, at the dedication. “But I will also say that you’re an exceptional teacher.”

With Professor Cotter, there’s no such thing as an “easy A” unless you love the material with a similar passion. And Stephanie Weaver, a senior English major, noted of Cotter: “You have focused not only on literature and theory, but also on the intellectual development of your students.”

Following the tributes, the esteemed professor gave a humble smile to the standing-room only crowd – friends, colleagues and family including his siblings, his children, and his grandson,

“I’m a great fan of C.S. Lewis and his book, ‘Surprised by Joy.’ Certainly I’m surprised by joy today.”

— James Finn Cotter

Dante – and thanked those who helped mold him into the scholar he is today.

“It’s a great honor,” said Cotter, who served as master of ceremonies at the Mount’s first formal commencement ceremony for nearly three dozen students in 1964.

He pointed out that the year he began at the Mount, 1963, was also when author C.S. Lewis passed away.

“I’m a great fan of C.S. Lewis and his

book, ‘Surprised by Joy.’ Certainly I’m surprised by joy today.”

During the dedication, Cotter treated listeners to a brief lesson from one of his own books. He also donated “Codices Illustres: The World’s Most Famous Illuminated Manuscripts 400 to 1600” by Ingo F. Walther and Norbert Wolf, to the college’s collection.

Moving on up On a wintry day more than a half century ago, Mount Saint Mary College students lined up at the door to Aquinas Hall – constructed in 1963 – and transferred hundreds of books from the Villa.

Aquinas was nearing completion, on a campus that would continue to grow through the years.

In 1964, Mount Saint Mary College conferred 30 bachelor of arts and three bachelor of science degrees to its first full graduating class. At recent ceremonies, the Mount has congratulated more than 600. www.msmc.edu

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Completed entrance stairs in the Dominican Center.

Book procession from Curtin Memorial Library to the Dominican Center.

From left, Fr. Kevin E. Mackin, OFM, Sr. Catherine Walsh, James Finn Cotter, and Mary Dana Hinton

“The opening of the Mount Saint Mary College Library in the Dominican Center is a milestone in the history of Mount Saint Mary College.”

— Barbara Petruzzelli

The population of residential students grew from 12 to around 1,000.

This year, on a wintry day similar to that of the first library transfer, students, alumni, faculty, staff, friends and neighbors formed a human chain and passed selected books from Aquinas up the outdoor stairway and into the recently opened Dominican Center: new site of the Mount Saint Mary College Library.

Professor Cotter started the books at the old library. Fr. Mackin received them at the new library. Along the chain were representatives of each of the college’s disciplines, including Sr. Marion Beagen, OP, and Sr. Pat Sullivan, OP, members of the community since before the first book procession in 1963.

Also on hand was Sr. Margaret Anderson, OP, of Newburgh Ministry.

The selected tomes symbolized the breadth of the Mount’s academic programs. The new library contains about 100,000 volumes, audio visual materials, and access to numerous electronic databases of journals and other scholarly articles.

“The opening of the Mount Saint Mary College Library in the Dominican Center is a milestone in the history of Mount Saint Mary College,” explained Barbara Petruzzelli, Mount librarian.

“The college will find this one of the best places on campus for authentic learning.”

The overall Dominican Center project has been complex, with hundreds of meetings: owners, attorneys, architects, contractors, subcontractors, mechani-

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cal/electrical/plumbing, etc.

“It has taken nearly 500 days and many workers to craft this into what will be a dynamic and innovative livinglearning space,” noted Fr. Mackin. “The contractors and staff put in around 275,000 hours of work transforming the Dominican Center, with an average manpower per day of 75 people, and 2,300 gallons of paint!”

Plus the many internal meetings about the library, which contains topics including those of more than 50 present-day faculty and administrator authors.

“Where better to attain the sense of continuity than in this library, which will also enclose the archives of Mount Saint Mary College and Mount Saint Mary Academy,” added Fr. Mackin.

He recognized especially Petruzzelli, and the library staff, professor Larry Force and Barbara for their leadership on the campus campaign, Joe Valenti and advancement staff, Jim Raimo and Maryann Pilon and the facilities and operations staff, and many others. This flagship building involves all areas of the college.

Students have been enjoying the transformed 1927 Dominican Center since January. Moreover, as they’ve used the new library and lecture rooms, worshipped in the historic Chapel of the Most Holy Rosary, communed in the café, and seen the unique residential opportunities with “top-of-the-world” views, many hope to ascend to this flagship site after the housing lottery this spring.

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | Spring 2014

Longtime employees Thirty-three Mount employees were honored recently.

50 years of service: James Finn Cotter (holding the plaque naming the Villa library the James Finn Cotter Library).

35 years: Sr. Catherine Walsh, OP. 30 years: Rosario Edic.

25 years: Margaret Bussigel, Sr. Marion Beagen, OP. 20 years: Kathleen Goff, Rimma Vilshanetskaya, Lynn Maelia, Nancy Mazza, and Randy Prizzia.

15 years: Mary Jo Amerkanian, Sharon Mankiewicz, Faye Denisar, John Grimm, Kathleen HarringtonWright, Durward Entrekin Jr., Priscilla Sagar, Jill Hubert-Simon, and Jill Brennan-Cook.

10 years: Sandra Fisher, David MacLean, Lilian Cuadrado, Michael Strano, Laurie Orr, Sandra Cefaloni-Henderson, Daniel Shea, Daniel Cruz, Joseph Pastorello, Maria Vazquez, Jeanne Roth, Agnes Wagner, Michelle Iacuessa, and Roberta Bertola.

Centers of Excellence

Examining adolescence Cutting edge research in new CARD book

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ount Saint Mary College professors from across academic fields contributed research to a new book, “Adolescence in the 21st Century: Constants and Challenges.”

Professors Frances Spielhagen (education) and Paul Schwartz (psychology) edited the book, released in January 2014, which consists of topics presented at Center for Adolescent Research and Development conferences. Spielhagen, Schwartz and psychology professors Sarah Uzelac and Amanda Maynard co-founded the center five years ago, to foster research initiatives endemic to contemporary adolescents and young adults.

Both practitioners and researchers will find the book useful, said Spielhagen, because it compiles the most current research on important aspects of adolescent development.

“We asked, what are the things that are constants in the lives of adolescents, and what are challenges that might be happening now, like social media. The chapters speak to those questions,” explained Spielhagen. “These are very interesting pieces that we were not talking about in terms of adolescents even 10 years ago.”

Among the chapters are Talk to Me: Mothers’ Experience of Communicating with their Young Adolescent Daughters, by Debra A. Hrelic, professor of nursing, where she chronicles communication between mothers and their 13- to 19-year-old daughters.

Hrelic’s study discovered positive relationships and good communication, in contrast to popular belief.

J. David Gallagher, associate professor of education, examines how – and what – students read in Adolescent Literacy Development and the New Literacies: Challenges and Possibilities.

What it means to be literate is evolving, Gallagher explains. He examines “new literacies,” particularly those related to

Mount graduate Donna Perk ’02 uses to advantage young learners’ interest in technology.

Below, Professors Frances Spielhagen (left) and Paul Schwartz lead the introduction at a recent conference. technology, and the role they play in adolescent development.

Sr. Margaret Murphy, OP, professor of religious studies, and Diane Bliss, SUNY Orange County Community College, help educators cultivate a culture of peace and respect in Education of Peacemakers: Raising College Students’ Awareness of and Respect for the “Other.” In light of historic and recent events of mass violence, Murphy and Bliss describe the various approaches to teaching a world religions course in two- and four-year institutions.

Rae Fallon, associate professor of psychology, examines a longitudinal, qualitative case study of a child born with a positive toxicology to crack cocaine in Prenatal Cocaine Exposure –Two Decades Later: A Case study. The study is designed to follow the young child into young adulthood. The current investigation examines her ability to adapt to her school, home, and community.

The Relationship Between Student Service-Learning and Participation in Organizational Citizenship Behaviors,

by Moira Tolan, professor of business,

documents college students’ participation in service-learning projects and their future contribution to organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs), such as helping others who have been absent and giving advance notice when unable to come to work. Tolan explains how service-learning projects can prepare students for future OCBs. Upcoming from Spielhagen is “Fabulae Caeciliae: A Latin Curriculum for Elementary and Middle Grades,” an illustrated Latin primer, scheduled for a spring 2014 release. www.msmc.edu

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Students expanding their world

Brazil business students complete courses at Mount

At the recent graduation ceremony, Latin American students enjoyed a tradition started by Fr. Kevin E. Mackin, OFM, Mount Saint Mary College president, by giving themselves a hug for a job well done.

New program welcomes Latin American students

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he hot track in international study is FAME: finance, accounting, management, economics, and related fields.

Recently, 94 Latin American students from International Business School–São Paulo completed a three-week program at Mount Saint Mary College. The students, from Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina and Guatemala, took business and English classes, which focused on business English as a second language.

Courses were presented in five tracks, matching the students’ areas of professional interest, including: • Marketing and value management – Moira Tolan, professor of business, and Colleen Kirk, assistant professor of business • Competitive project management – James Griesemer, associate professor of business • Strategic thinking and analysis – Andrew Weiss, business chair, and Moira Tolan, professor of business • Corporate financial management – John Yelle, adjunct professor of business • Health care management – Susan Schulmerich, assistant professor of nursing, and Veronica McMillian ’12, BSN

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In addition, the following Hudson Valley-based executives made presentations: • Harold King, executive vice president of the Council of Industry • Kevin Kennedy, senior manager – operations of Veeco Instruments • Peter Stanway, CEO of Selux Corporation • Manfred Roeschel, senior vice president of Commercial Metals Company • Carl Meyer, CEO of Center for Global Advanced Manufacturing • Dr. Hal Teitelbaum, MD, CEO of Crystal Run Healthcare • Peter Gregory, director of U.S. Operations for Valley Fresh Direct Students and faculty were hosted in the new Dominican Center, which provided residential accommodations, a library, and classroom space.

“The Latin American students had a wonderful time and spoke highly of our beautiful campus, excellent faculty, and friendly student body,” explained Emily Marmo, the college’s director of international studies.

Allen Koehler, the Mount’s assistant director of international admissions and recruitment, joined the admissions

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | Spring 2014

From left, Allen Koehler, assistant director of international admissions and recruitment; Liliana Peralta-Zapata, student from Dominican Republic; Emily Marmo, director of international studies; and Ronald Lawyer, a student from Ghana.

staff recently. “I’m really excited to join the team at the Mount,” said Koehler.

“I’m looking forward to working with the staff to bring more students from all corners of the globe to the college.”

The Mount has several international alumni. Among them are some student athletes.

Jennifer Mocanu ’12 recently began playing professional basketball in Germany, as starting shooting guard of TSV Krofdorf-Gleiberg. The psychology major was Skyline Conference Player of the Year for the 2011-12 season, and was part of the Mount Saint Mary College Knights basketball team that made the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament twice.

Carlos Valdez ’12 was drafted to play in Puerto Rico’s top professional basketball league, the Baloncesto Superior Nacional, by the Guaynabo Mets.

Valdez was the first player in Mount history to record 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.

Students expanding their world

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Chris Lorch and Dorian Shann study a sea star on the Sandy Bay (Marahau) tidal flat.

Sean Harrison examines an Australian possum.

The endangered takahé, a flightless bird, makes its way across the lawn at the Tiritiri Matangi scientific reserve.

Science abroad: A New Zealand story

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ount Saint Mary College students and faculty stepped into a whole new world of science and discovery recently.

Biology professors James Moran and Douglas Robinson, and 10 students, spent three weeks in New Zealand. The course has several foci: the diversity of the birds of New Zealand; the impact that humans have had on them; and strategies that have been implemented by the New Zealand government’s Department of Conservation and other organizations.

Over 80 million years, “The animals didn’t evolve with any terrestrial mammals on the two main islands of New Zealand, which make up a landmass about the size of California,” explained Robinson. “No mice, no rats, no cats, no dogs – just birds.”

The birds lost the ability to fly over time because there were no major predators. When humans brought animals like dogs and cats, the flightless birds were defenseless. Up to 70 percent of bird species were eliminated.

The Mount group studied at nature

preserves, where the native birds have a chance to thrive.

“We saw a species of bird called the takahé, and there are fewer than 300 left,” said Robinson. “They’re only found in New Zealand.”

Robinson and Moran created a “classroom on the go” to make any activity academic. “Our hike to Fox Glacier helped students learn about how glaciers form, the physical dynamics of glaciers, and the different properties of glaciers,” explained Robinson. “While sea kayaking to our campground in Abel Tasman National Park, students had the opportunity to observe a seabird colony and formulate hypotheses regarding its location on Adele Island in Tasman Bay.” In addition to science, “We also developed practical skills associated with international travel, budget management, meal preparation, and cooperation with a small group of individuals for an extended period of time,” explained Moran.

Students learned about the culture of the native New Zealanders, the Maori.

In the city of Rotorua, a stronghold of Maori culture, they received a traditional welcoming and meal.

The journey, a general science course, was not limited to science majors. Sean Harrison, a business major with a minor in biology, said that the trip opened his eyes to new concepts and cultures.

In addition to studying the country’s unique bird population – such as the takahé and the Kiwi, a well-known symbol for New Zealand – “I learned a lot about myself,” Harrison said. “It’s certainly the longest and the farthest I’ve ever been from home, so I feel like I’ve become more independent, and I’ve learned how I react to situations I’m not normally in.”

The Mount sojourners also included Jack Capetola, Kristen Maddock, Lara Guindi, Dorian Shann, Chris Lorch, Jason Lorch, Kate O’Driscoll, David Hobbs, and Stephen Macleod. Preparations are underway for a return trip, which will include a Kiwi bird radio tracking and release program, among other new experiences. www.msmc.edu

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Students expanding their world

Lending healing hands abroad

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ore than a dozen Mount Saint Mary College seniors recently made a humanitarian journey to the Dominican Republic, nearly 1,700 miles away from home.

The students were joined by Mount faculty members Dianne Murphy, Ann Corcoran and Linda Ruta.

The group headed to impoverished areas known as bateyes – populations of workers located near sugarcane manufacturing operations – to assess residents’ health and provide care to individuals and families. They settled in the community of San Pedro de Macoris.

According to Murphy, the students handed out 450 “health packs,” containing soap, a toothbrush, toothpaste, bandages and more. Mount faculty, students and staff, their families, and members of the greater Newburgh, N.Y., community donated the supplies, including thousands of vitamin pills, all of which had to stay in their original packaging until the group arrived. Then, the vitamins were divided into packs of 30 and distributed.

Rounding out the supplies were over-the-counter pain relievers, medication to fight parasites, first aid provisions and antacids.

The students taught basic first aid techniques – such as how to clean and bandage small wounds – and handed out supplies such as antibiotic ointment, tape and bandages to those in need. They also provided information on hygiene, such as the importance of washing one’s hands.

The Mount team also visited Casa de Luz (“House of Light”), a home for children with special needs. They provided vitamins, baby wipes, ointment to relieve diaper rash, infant and children’s pain relievers, washcloths, shampoo, and baby powder.

“This is a big team project for the students,” Corcoran explained. “They put a phenomenal amount of work in the trip, including obtaining donations to bring to the bateyes, preparing medications for distribution, and then seeing patients.”

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Nursing major Samantha Killmer aids a boy at Casa de Luz, a home for children with special needs.

During their five-day stay, the seniors aided more than 1,000 people.

The journey marks the Mount’s third group trip to the region. “It became more familiar,” observed Corcoran, of her return visit. “I felt more seasoned. I was able to do things more efficiently this time around. But in terms of the community needs, it’s much like the last time: There’s still a big medical need there.”

The Mount group encountered ailments such as ear-, tooth- and headaches, parasites, goiters, high blood pressure, allergies, open wounds, fungal infections, rashes, urinary tract infections, and more.

Christian Plaza said the visit gave

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2014

him and his classmates more than just a chance to practice their nursing techniques.

“We provided as much treatment and personal care as possible,” he explained. “We really tried to listen and treat our patients as people, not just the next one in line.”

The clinics where the students served came as a bit of a shock to Gabriella Scaglione.

“When you go to the doctor’s office in America, you go to a sterile area,” she said. “Here, a church and a school were our clinics, with sheets as our dividers. You could hear everything going on, and it required a bit of an adjustment.”

Students expanding their world

Their clinical work in hospitals throughout the tri-state area helped prepare the seniors, explained Rachel Berglund; however, in the bateyes, “You had to truly adapt,” she explained. “All of the supplies you have in the hospital, you don’t have in the clinic.”

Supplies, they said, were exhausted quickly.

“But the fact that we could provide some help, and speak with them personally, was therapeutic for them,” said Plaza, who speaks fluent Spanish, and easily communicated with the people of San Pedro de Macoris. Other Mount students and faculty spoke through translators.

“Reading body language was very important for us,” explained Brittney Jones. “Even if we didn’t understand Spanish, we often knew what areas to target: for example, if a patient was holding his ear or rubbing his arm.”

And by the second day, said Emily Blew, the students had learned enough Spanish to understand basic sentences and symptoms.

The experience helped the seniors strengthen their nursing skills, including patient assessment, prioritization, and becoming a more autonomous nurse. They also knew when to ask a physician for help, pointed out Berglund.

“It was a humbling experience,” said Jones. “Everyone – kids, grandparents, and parents – was giving us hugs. They were so patient and so kind, and they hadn’t had anything to eat or drink because they were waiting on line to

see us. They all smiled.”

Scaglione said the conditions required her to rely more on educating the patient. For example, she told asthma patients to keep away from the smoke created from burning both garbage and sugarcane.

She added, “As an American nurse, it’s easy for us to tell a patient to take medication with food. But one gentleman I cared for, who had high blood pressure, couldn’t take his pills because he didn’t have food. That really touched my heart.”

Blew said the trip strengthened her Christian faith.

“When I came back, I was so thankful,” she explained. “It reinforced that I should speak to God more often to thank Him for what I have, not just ask for something when I’m in need.”

In addition to Mount faculty and Plaza, Scaglione, Blew, Jones and Berglund, the sojourner servants in the group were: Brianna Passaretti; Kristie Guarino; Samantha Killmer; Chelsea Fasano; Nicole Petkevicius; Katie Dwyer; Samantha Bova; Elyssa Nigri; Gretchen Hafner; Kathryn Lynn; and Kelly O’Connor. The seniors were joined by alumna nurse Theresa Shalley-

Russo ’85 of Nesconset, N.Y., and Dr. Paul Saladino of Newburgh, N.Y. When asked if they would go on another humanitarian trip, the students replied enthusiastically: Yes. “We were very tired and we worked very hard,” Jones said. “But we felt ecstatic. We all felt like we achieved something great. We really wanted to stay longer – we had more to do and there was so little time.

“Not only did I grow as a nurse, but I grew as a person.”

Below, Christian Plaza, a Mount senior, provides medical attention in a shanty town in the Dominican Republic.

www.msmc.edu

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Students expanding their world

Another lane of health care

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ith ambulance lights flashing and sirens blaring, Mount Saint Mary College senior nursing students are hitting the road with emergency medical technicians.

Amanda Rolfs, a nursing student from Westwood N.J., recently shadowed EMTs from Mobile Life Support Services, which operates more than 50 ambulances and emergency response vehicles in the Hudson Valley, and responds to more than 80,000 calls per year.

Rolfs’ 12-hour shift, part of professor Dianne Murphy’s complex health problems/critical care course, is just one component of the Mount’s robust clinical experiences.

Throughout the afternoon and evening, Rolfs and EMT Garry Bickler of New Windsor, N.Y., answered calls for help, including an injury due to a fall, a diabetic crisis, a patient who had experienced a seizure, and a pair of patient transports from one facility to another.

In each case, “We got their vitals and stabilized them before getting to the hospital,” explained Rolfs.

She could have chosen a morning ride-along. But for Rolfs, an aspiring emergency room nurse, the evening shift was the road for her. “I figured we’d have the most calls at that time,” she explained. “I like the excitement.”

Much like the emergency room, Rolfs says that while shadowing the EMTs, she learned to “expect the unexpected.” As they arrived at one address, a large dog snarled at them through the window before the caller could answer the door.

With a better understanding of what occurs before patients arrive at the hospital, Rolfs said she can provide more informed health care.

“It’s important to know the steps before; steps that you don’t really think about as a nurse,” Rolfs noted. “When nurses receive patients at the hospital, we already know their heart rate and their other vitals, thanks to the work of EMTs. You take for granted that they deliver patients in the best condition possible, including starting an I.V. for you.”

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Senior nursing major Amanda Rolfs prepares for her ride-along experience with emergency medical technicians Garry Bickler, EMT (center) and William Colon, EMT. She added, “I appreciate EMTs a lot more now. The time it takes to get to the hospital can mean life or death.”

Patients are in good hands with Rolfs, a cheery and passionate preservice nurse. The Mount’s required hands-on experience for nursing students, beginning in sophomore year, got Rolfs practicing her craft quickly.

“That helped a lot,” she said. “I feel so much more independent because I feel comfortable with what I’m doing as a nurse.”

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2014

Students in Murphy’s complex health problems course complete a wide range of clinical work, including a semester in the intensive care unit, one-day rotations both in the emergency room and the cardiac catheterization laboratory, and an ambulance ride-along: all strong team-building experiences.

“It’s like putting all four years together into this one class, and it’s really helping to shape me into a nurse,” explained Rolfs. “Professor Murphy is a fantastic teacher.”

Students expanding their world

Propelled to leadership

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hen Maxine LindsayShillingford came from Jamaica to Mount Saint Mary College about 20 years ago, she thrived in her new realm of academic opportunity.

“The Mount prepared and propelled me into nursing leadership,” she explained.

As a U.S. Army nurse, a captain promotable to major, she is currently assigned to a combat support hospital’s intensive care unit.

As a civilian, she is administrative nurse manager for the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Bronx, N.Y., where she oversees daily operations and management of the emergency department.

Capt. Shillingford was “drawn to nursing from childhood.”

Nurses in her town “had the ultimate respect of the community,” she explained. “They personified elegance, professionalism and class. I have clear memories of us as children in the district, running to the neighbors’ house, peeking through a window…to catch a glimpse of Nurse Frances delivering a baby.”

When Shillingford told her mother about her plans to become a nurse, the woman replied in the Jamaican Creole known as Patois: “You can do it my child. That’s why I have to make sure that ha sen yuh to school.”

At Mount Saint Mary College, Sr. Leona DeBoer, OP, nursing, and the late Virginia Davidson, English, “understood that I was coming from a whole different culture, adjusting to college as well as to the States,” explained Shillingford. “They didn’t just have an interest in my education, but also in me as an individual.”

Janet Zeman of the Career Center helped Shillingford hone her profession through an internship.

Many others helped her to become the woman she is today, she said, including her HEOP counselors, Dwight Henry and Edwena Chance; former Mount president Sr. Ann Sakac, OP; former dean of students Harry

Steinway; biology professor Thomas Sarro; and psychology professor Paul Schwartz. The 1998 graduate added, “I must also acknowledge the numerous sisters at the mother house who tutored me.”

From improved housing and classroom space to upgraded technology, Shillingford is impressed with the Mount’s progress as an educational institution. “Each time I visit, I’m excited to see the changes,” she said.

“Some of my professors are still teaching the next generation of students, who will become great leaders.”

Extracurricular opportunities also helped Shillingford shine. Working as a resident assistant prepared her for her role as a manager. Volunteering at a soup kitchen increased her sense of duty and humility. And her time with the Mount’s Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter taught her patience and love.

“Coming from Jamaica, I had already the sense of community service,” she explained. “The Mount helped me to develop that spirit of giving back.”

Shillingford’s advice to current Mount students is to “stay focused on why you are in college. Your college education is the foundation to your entire future. What you do and the decisions you make today will greatly impact your tomorrow.”

Above, Maxine Lindsay-Shillingford speaks with a co-worker. Photo

by Lynne Kantor, Medical Media, James J. Peters VAMC, Bronx, N.Y.

Shillingford in military regalia.

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Dean Goldberg, communications, discusses “Semiotics and the Cinema.”

Mount professors showcase research

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any members of the Mount Saint Mary College faculty have enlightened both the campus and the local community through Investigating Research on Campus (iROC), a showcase of research presentations.

“The goal of the iROC seminar series is to provide a forum for Mount faculty, staff, and students to present research proposals, preliminary data, and completed projects,” explained Doug Robinson, assistant professor of biology and coordinator of the iROC program. “The presentations feature all academic fields and are open to all community members.”

Michael Boms, biology, kicked off the 2013-2014 iROC series with “The Amazon – Past, Present, and Future.”

The popular presentation featured Boms’ take on Amazon ecology, its native peoples, its present destruction, and its future, as well as thousands of

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photographs that he took while studying in the region. Boms received his training in environmental sciences, nutritional sciences, and biochemistry.

“Women Environmental Artists: Unearthing Connections and Context,” by speaker Maria Minickiello, encompassed historical and contemporary art history, ecological study, and personal interviews in her exploration of women environmental artists. Minickiello, the Mount’s executive director of curriculum and instruction for online and adult degree completion, showed how art, society, and economics inform, inspire, and influence the work of these artists, and the contexts and challenges that they face.

The iROC series continued with “The Impact of Economic Cycles on the Career Aspirations and Values of College Students,” by business professors Moira Tolan and A. Reza Hossain, who shared recent findings addressing

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2014

the career expectations and workplace values of “New Millennials.” Their research also explored whether the prolonged economic downturn has altered student priorities regarding careers and values. The study, which includes data from New York college students from 2010 and 2013, found that students rank comfort and security as the two most important workplace values. The professors also noted that male and female participants have similar workplace expectations, which has not always been the case for some generations.

In her talk “The Effect of the Holocaust on Jewish-Catholic Relations,” Sr. Margaret Murphy, OP, a professor of religious studies at the college, discussed post-World War II developments in Jewish-Christian relations.

Sr. Murphy quoted Pope John Paul II, who stated that it is “necessary for us Christians and Jews to…be a blessing to one another.”

Sr. Cecilia Murray, OP, religious studies, reveals why the Hudson Valley remains the mastodon capital of the world.

“Here at Mount Saint Mary College, we have experienced that blessing with extraordinary relationships with the local Jewish community,” Sr. Murphy said.

If you think twice before buying that lottery ticket, you’re in good company, says B. Erin Fairweather, assistant professor of economics. In “Small Stakes Risk Aversion: Evidence from the Lab,” she stated that economists have found that subjects are risk averse – they try to avoid risk at the expense of higher returns – even when the stakes of the bet are very low. Fairweather challenged her audience to view the situation in a different way: risk aversion might have a strong link with disappointment aversion. In other words, the thrill of winning may be dwarfed by the disappointment of losing.

“When Tragedy Makes Us Laugh: The Case of the Willow Song and ‘Othello,’ ” by Stephanie Pietros, assistant professor of English, was the first iROC presentation in Mount Saint Mary College Library’s new Dominican Center location. According to Pietros, the song is used during a moment of heightened drama. However, in two other plays performed around the same time as “Othello,” the Willow Song is

Sr. Margaret Murphy, OP, religious studies, discusses post World War II developments in Jewish-Christian relations.

invoked in a comedic satire of a lovesick man.

“If an audience member had happened to see one of those earlier plays, I think he or she may rightly have come to associate that song with comic parody, making the scene in ‘Othello’ less tragic,” explained Pietros.

Sr. Cecilia Murray, OP invited listeners to “Meet the Mastodons of Orange County,” and find out why the Hudson Valley remains the mastodon capital of the world. While volunteering at Museum Village in Monroe, N.Y., Sr. Murray was asked to research and write an article about their resident mastodon, Harry, whose remains were found in Harriman, N.Y., around 60 years prior. She also studied what life was like in the Hudson Valley during the last major ice age, when the massive mastodons thrived.

“We live in a vast mastodon cemetery that has already yielded 70 skeletons,” with the possibility of discovering more, said Sr. Murray.

Has bullying become a common part of adolescent socialization – as seen in young adult books like “Lord of the Flies” and films like “Mean Girls” – in single sex classrooms? Accord-

ing to Frances R. Spielhagen, education professor, and Vivian Milczarski, co-author of chapters in “Debating Single-Sex Education: Separate and Equal,” single-sex schools and classes are a growing phenomenon in the United States. At the same time, teachers, parents, and the general public have become more aware of bullying, especially among adolescent students.

Dean Goldberg, associate professor of communications, discussed “Semiotics and the Cinema.” Since his days as a film student, Goldberg has been interested in – and influenced by – the study of signs and symbols. Though examples in film, he discussed how we, as humans, communicate in life and in art.

Other iROC presenters included Drew Weiss, business, on “What, If Anything, Is a Faculty”; Yasmine Kalkstein, social sciences, on “Googling Your Way Through Pregnancy”; and Adam Kalkstein, of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, on the importance of Earth Day. The season finale is a student research poster symposium on May 1. More than 100 Mount students from an array of disciplines presented their research in the first iROC season. www.msmc.edu

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Ché-la Devonshire, a senior Mount student, provides Newburgh Ministry’s free clinic with easy-to-understand information on a variety of patient concerns.

Alexandra Kleine, a senior Mount nursing student, takes a patient’s blood pressure at Newburgh Ministry’s clinic, under the tutelage of Dr. Frank Imbarrato, president of Christian Medical and Dental Associations – Hudson Valley.

Mount partnership with Newburgh Ministry grows

Strengthening community through service

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ervice comes naturally for Ché-la Devonshire, a senior Mount Saint Mary College nursing student.

At Newburgh Ministry, Devonshire researches the major health issues facing patients of the charitable organization’s free clinic, Ministry Medical Link.

Her goals are simple: reduce the spread of disease and improve Newburgh’s public health through patient education. Her focus is on creating easy-to-read pamphlets that patients can take home with them.

By coordinating with Nancy Owen, community nursing instructor, Devonshire aims to help patients with diabetes make better food choices, help flu patients contain the spread of sickness to family members, and more.

“One of my biggest goals as a nurse is making sure that people get the care that they need,” said Devonshire. “I want to provide them with as much

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accessible information as possible to maintain a healthy state.”

Mount students have a long history of service with Newburgh Ministry, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

On Thursday mornings, Dr. Frank Imbarrato, president of Christian Medical and Dental Associations – Hudson Valley, volunteers with the ministry’s free clinic. In addition to his duties as a doctor, Imbarrato leads Mount nursing students at the clinic.

Alexandra Kleine and Vanessa Saravia recently spent six weeks serving there in a community nursing project.

“I’ve learned how to prioritize more effectively, and document things more accurately,” said Saravia. “Time management was difficult at first, but this experience has helped with that, too.”

Kleine explained that while applying her nursing techniques, she improved her patient interaction skills.

“You have to talk to patients about

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2014

their medical issues, sure, but developing a trust with the patient is extremely important as well,” she said. “You should ask about their job, their home life, and put them at ease.”

The benefit is mutual, said Imbarrato, who had been working towards creating the free clinic for quite some time. Mount volunteers, he said, allowed the project to take off.

“It’s a privilege and an honor to partner with Mount Saint Mary College’s nursing program,” explained Imbarrato, a family doctor who practices in Monroe, N.Y. “The students have been an absolute joy. I look forward to an ongoing relationship with the Mount.”

Also serving at the clinic are Dr. Craig Ammott and Dr. Juan Goyzueta.

Colin Jarvis, executive director of Newburgh Ministry, says local reaction to the clinic has been very positive: Up to 20 patients are seen in the three hours it is open each week.

“And it is needed,” said Jarvis.

Mount accounting major Amanda Pecorella works with AARP volunteer Al Stipak to help prepare a tax form for a Newburgh resident.

“It’s one of the ways we serve the community.”

The clinic is a way Newburgh Ministry holds true to its mission statement, which says, in part, to “believe in the dignity and worth of each person.”

And for the students, service learning speaks to the heart of the Mount Saint Mary College motto, “Doce Me Veritatem” – teach me truth.

The bond of service between the Mount and Newburgh Ministry doesn’t end there.

MSMC Serves, campus ministry’s service-learning and community outreach program with campus-wide participation, has been highly successful since its inception last year.

In addition to campus events such as a coat drive and a Christmas gift collection, collaborations with Newburgh Ministry have provided many unique opportunities.

At Newburgh Ministry, English major Margaret Leclercq enriches young children through a Saturday morning “Jumpstart” program.

Including Leclercq, more than a dozen students serve at Newburgh Ministry on a regular basis: Colleen Jones and her sister, Maggie, Diana Martinez, Stephanie Weaver, Bridgette Leyva, Casey Veneziano, Bryanna Paoli,

Vanessa Saravia, a senior nursing student at the Mount, discusses medicine usage with a patient at Newburgh Ministry’s clinic.

Kalyn Drasher, Austin Stewart, Shannon Cieciuch, Katie Harrington, Teresa Nocella, Ariana Marcello, and Nichole Lopez.

Mount students also maintain the organization’s Facebook page; help with day-to-day operations such as stocking the ministry’s thrift store; and perform secretarial tasks, among other responsibilities.

“We are thrilled with how MSMC Serves has raised our students’ awareness and participation in service-related activities,” said Alexander J. LaPoint, assistant director of campus ministry.

He added, “Newburgh Ministry has been an invaluable resource in developing our program. Their flexibility and willingness to work with us has really made the initiative possible.”

In the weeks leading up to April 15, Newburgh Ministry provided free tax preparation for middle- and lowincome families in the area, with the aid of Mount accounting students. The assistance program is a partnership between AARP TaxAide Foundation and the Mid-Hudson CASH coalition.

Amanda Pecorella, a freshman, and Trevor Pungello, a graduate student, recently lent their accounting skills to the effort. Both students passed a competency test before serving.

“I like to help people, so this was a great way to help while getting experience at the same time,” said Pecorella, an aspiring certified public accountant.

Sr. Margaret Anderson, OP, Mount Saint Mary College Board member; Sr. Patricia Sullivan, OP, professor of mathematics; and Fr. Francis Amodio, O.Carm., campus chaplain and director of campus ministry; are all members of the Newburgh Ministry board.

Sr. Sullivan says the Mount students’ service has made a world of difference.

“Anytime I go to Newburgh Ministry, there’s always one of our students there – on the phone, folding clothes, or teaching local children,” she explained. “The sisters at the ministry are so appreciative of the students. They have nothing but the best to say about them.”

More than 50 percent of Mount students engage in community service as part of their coursework, or through club participation.

“At Mount Saint Mary College, according to our mission, we are to educate the whole student,” said Fr. Amodio. “We hope this experience of service will become a part of them. When they graduate from the Mount, it will be a value that they would naturally share in their communities.” www.msmc.edu

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Sports roundup

MSMC KNIGHTS

Spring came swimmingly

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he Knights women’s swimming team won its third consecutive championship title, and the men’s team had its highest finish ever, second place, in the Skyline Conference Championships this season. Coach Danielle Lindner won both men’s and women’s Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year. Lauren Becerra, majoring in public relations, is the Skyline Conference Women’s Swimmer of the Year.

The Metro Collegiate Championships were another great event for the Knights, as more program and personal records were broken at the final meet of the season for both teams.

The day started with freshman Regina Zeoli, a nursing major, setting a program record in the 200-yard backstroke.

Qualifying for the finals, Zeoli edged her mark with a time of 2:20.59.

The Knights also had two women’s 400-yard freestyle relay teams break the previous program record. The “A” team of Becerra, Meghan Seaman (nursing), Danielle Rodriguez (biology/pre-med) and Allison Sciucco (biology) grasped the new record time of 3:52.49, while the “B” team of Amanda Bocekci (criminology), Jessica Daigle (physical therapy), Zeoli and Kira Adler (psychology) finished right behind them at 3:53.73. In the finals, Becerra, Adler, Seaman and Zeoli bested the record once again with a time of 3:48.82.

Becerra set a pair of individual distance records for the 1,650-yard freestyle. Seaman also shattered her personal best in the 1,650-free, and Daigle showed the most improvement.

Stellar seniors were Ellen Slocum, a mathematics major, and Alli Turnbach, psychology.

The men’s 400-yard freestyle relay team set a new program record in the preliminary round, as the team of senior Mark Bohlinger (accounting), Jason Lorch (biology/pre-med), Sam Watson (mathematics) and Ryan Murray (history/

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Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2014

Men’s and women’s swim teams education) swam 3:26.83 to beat the previous record which Bohlinger, Lorch and Watson were all part of last year.

Watson set a personal best in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:06.15, which qualified him for the finals.

Lorch, Bohlinger and Camilo Gonzalez (biology/pre-med) all set personal bests in the 100-yard freestyle with times of 52.40, 52.62 and 54.02, respectively.

Murray qualified for the 200-yard breaststroke finals with 2:21.41. He beat that in the finals with a time of 2:19.28.

Senior Conor Dowd (biology) swam his best career time in the 200-yard butterfly with 2:12.31. Christopher Sagan (business) destroyed his previous best time in the 1,650-yard freestyle relay, cutting almost 90 seconds off to 19:34.89.

Sean Sullivan (information technology) also cut significant time off his 1,650-free by finishing in 20:30.18.

The Mount women finished the tournament in 14th place.

Skyline rival Maritime College finished 17th. The Mount men took 15th place. Maritime men took 17th.

The Knights together beat 10 program records at the Metros, setting the bar high for 2014-15.

Basketball highlights

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he Kaplan Center had yet to see a single-digit deficit at the final buzzer of any men’s or women’s basketball game this season, up until the March 5 matchup.

In the closest game at the Kaplan Center this season, the Mount Saint Mary College men’s basketball team fell to Kean University in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Metro Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament quarterfinals, 73-67.

The game came down to the final two minutes. Senior guard Donte Howell drained a deep three with 2:08 to go to give the Knights a 67-66 lead after fighting back throughout the second half. Those were the final points for the Knights, as Kean went on to score the final seven points of the contest to grab the win and advance to the semifinal.

Howell made 5-of-6 treys for the Knights, and added a team-high five assists to his 20-point night. Joseph Henain scored 14 and pulled down eight rebounds, while Joseph Stabach hit four threes for 12 points.

The Knights concluded their season

SKYLINE TEAM Four Mount Saint Mary College student-athletes were named to the Skyline All-Sportsmanship Team for the 2013-14 winter sports season:

with a 21-7 overall record. They fell two wins shy of the program record, but matched a high mark with 16 Skyline Conference victories.

Kudos to this year’s seniors on the team: Anthony Cipriano, psychology; Joseph Henain, biology; Donte Howell, physical therapy; Steve Phillips, history/education; Chris Pisciotta, business; Joseph Stabach, mathematics/education; and A.J. Uhl, history/education.

The women’s basketball team fell just short of a victory, dropping a heartbreaking 73-69 to SUNY College Old Westbury on their Senior Day season finale. Knight seniors Kaeley Miller, biology; Jessica Perrone, English/education; and Rachel Perrone, history/education, were honored prior to the tip-off. The Knights trailed entering the second half, but cut the lead to two with 10 seconds to play, then lost to free throws.

Rachel Perrone finished her career with a bang, scoring 25 points and pulling 14 rebounds. Lauren Romao hit three three-pointers en route to a 15-point effort, dishing out a team-high five assists.

Jessica Perrone and Natalie Candarelli

Women’s Swimming, Danielle Rodriguez; Men’s Swimming, Conor Dowd; Women’s Basketball, Natalie Candarelli; Men’s Basketball, Steve Phillips

Men’s basketball team

Women’s basketball team hit 10 points each, grabbing seven and six rebounds, respectively. Miller got the start on Senior Day and grabbed a careerhigh seven boards. The Knights’ season concluded with a 5-20 overall record, including a 5-9 Skyline mark. They placed sixth in the Skyline Conference.

Rachel Perrone was named to the 2013-14 Skyline Women’s Basketball AllConference Second Team. She enjoyed a spectacular season, with 16.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game on the season.

Earlier this season, she surpassed the 1,000-point career milestone. Over the final 13 games, she averaged 21.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, and set a new career-high with 26 points on February 8 and again on February 15. www.msmc.edu

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Sports roundup

Knights in the Community

The men’s basketball team hosted Newburgh Boy Scout Troop and Pack 105 recently.

Men’s basketball team hosts scouts

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tudents in Mount Saint Mary College’s athletics program are team players on the field and in the community. Knights in the Community encompasses all 20 varsity teams and their coaches. Student-athletes volunteer service, with each team helping various organizations during the year.

In what has become an annual tradition, the men’s basketball team recently hosted the Newburgh Boy Scout Troop and Pack 105 for a day of basketball at the Kaplan Recreation Center.

The Scouts competed in games of Hot Shot and Knock-Out, as well as some three-on-three challenges, during their time in the gym. At the end of the session, each scout was given a basketball jersey signed by the team and coaching staff.

“We have had Pack 105 here on campus annually for five straight years,” explained head coach Ryan Kadlubowski, “and every time, the kids and our players have a blast. To see the smiles on their faces because they are able to play alongside our players is priceless.”

Kadlubowski says that the Mount student-athletes look forward to playing basketball with the scouts every year “just as much as the kids do.”

“The entire group shoots around,

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participates in contests together, and they all make a personal connection with each other that lasts forever,” he said. “They remember all of the guys’ names and their numbers, and we see a lot of the kids and their families attending our games and supporting our team while wearing our jerseys. We are just glad and thankful to be able to return the support.”

Moving from the court to the classroom, members of the Mount’s athletic community recently participated in Read Across America.

In celebration of seminal children’s author Theodor Seuss Geisel – better known as Dr. Seuss – men’s basketball coach Kadlubowski and women’s basketball coach Mike Coppolino served as readers to the students of Temple Hill Academy in New Windsor, N.Y., part of the Newburgh School District.

Listeners ranged from grades three through five.

This isn’t the first time Kadlubowski has volunteered for Read Across America; the head coach took on similar service duties last year as well.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2014

give back to my community, and stress the importance of reading at every level of education,” said Kadlubowski. “The kids really look forward to the day and we have a lot fun reading together.”

Past Knights in the Community projects have included the women’s tennis team visiting coach Gina Danon’s elementary school class to read, and helping with the Easter egg hunt at Downing Park; the men’s basketball team volunteering for a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society event; men’s tennis members and cross country teams doing playground restoration and enhancement; baseball and softball clinics with Little League; track and field doing holiday decorations; lacrosse in community cleanup and reading days; soccer joining senior apartment residents for cake, coffee and chats; swimming clinics; and volleyball members in a walk for housing.

Mount Saint Mary College’s athletic teams are committed to Knights in the Community. The teams look forward to volunteering their service in future events both on and off campus.

Mount Alumni

Meet a Mentor Dinner

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tudents from a myriad of academic fields were eager to learn from Jack Belsito, CEO of Voss of Norway, who served as keynote speaker at the 4th Annual Meet a Mentor Dinner. Belsito, along with a dozen successful Mount graduates and friends of the college, provided students with valuable connections. The event was organized by the Office of Alumni Affairs.

During his keynote speech, Belsito discussed his professional journey, and how he has grown personally.

“Please let success be your own definition, and not somebody else’s,” he told the students. “That’s the single biggest piece of advice I can give you…

I’m successful because my family loves me.”

He added, “I’ve been blessed to do something that I enjoy.”

The career triumphs of Charles P. Frank, global alliance manager for IBM and a Mount Saint Mary College trustee, were inspiring for Angelo Biondo, a business major with a concentration in sports management.

“Mr. Frank taught me to keep persevering, no matter what,” Biondo explained. “Life is going to take you so many ways. Just keep going, because eventually you’ll get to where you need to be.”

Frank emphasized that professionals can benefit from being flexible in their career path.

“Students don’t have to pick one career and march to that tune,” he said.

“Their needs and wants will change, and what they learn here is a foundation for the future.”

James P. Kelly ’97 taught English for a decade in the Arlington Central School District in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. before beginning a second career as community habilitation supervisor at Occupations, Inc. of Orange County.

“I enjoy taking the opportunity to give back to the college, but also the community,” Kelly explained. “It’s a big world out there, and the stu-

Jack Belsito, CEO of Voss of Norway, mentors Mount business seniors (left) Fallon Witte, Tara McDermott, Amanda Ashmore, and (right) Leanne O’Reilly. dents are in a good place at the Mount.

They have a good beginning to their career.”

Crystal Johnson ’06, a senior accountant at Walden Savings Bank, has ongoing discussions about interview tips, job skills and more with some of the students she mentored at previous dinners.

“At these dinners, Mount students don’t just find a mentor for one night – they might find one for life,” she said. “And it’s really rewarding to give advice.”

Nicholas Shannon ’03 discussed how he puts his degree in communications to work as the executive director at the Chamber Foundation of the Dutchess County Chamber of Commerce.

“I want to give the students an idea of the experiences I’ve had since graduating from the Mount, and how well the Mount has prepared me,” he said.

According to Joseph Valenti, vice president for advancement at the Mount, 75 percent of executives point to mentoring as playing a key role in their careers, and more than 60 percent of college graduates list mentoring as a key criterion for selecting an employer.

Other Mount alumni bringing their advice to the table were Marilyn J. Ejercito ’77, director of patient services at Orange County Department of Health; Eileen M. Toomey ’86, a nurse at Orange County Department of Health; Sean Glander ’06, an accountant at Vanacore, Debenedictus, Digovanni and Weddell, LLP; Katherine E. Kuhfahl ’12, a teacher at Rockland BOCES; Christopher S. Boydston ’11, a forensic psychologist at Downstate Correctional; Amy M. Peluso ’00, principal of Scotchtown Avenue School; Lisa Neer ’97, a school psychologist in the Highland School District; and Craig R. Filippini ’03, chief information officer at SRSsoft.

Ellen Daley, vice president of communications of Orange County Chamber of Commerce, was the college’s director of public information for several years. She made a point of emphasizing the importance of critical listening and communication skills.

Daley added that she was impressed with the dedication of the Mount students.

“They want to be here, they want to learn, and they want to get ready for what’s out there,” she said. www.msmc.edu

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Mount Alumni

Alumni Notes 1966

Nancy (Rust) Sutherland, Eileen Caulfield, Kathy Dempsey Jillson and Ellen McWalters Mullally reunited after 25 years. The highlight was visiting Kathy’s brother, Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and wife Deanie. (pictured at left)

Bernadette Tourtual works part-time as a clinical social worker at Lowcountry Pastoral Counseling Center and at East Cooper Medical Center in South Carolina. She is a member of St. John the Beloved Church where she facilitates a Centering Prayer group, and is a Eucharistic Minister and lector. She also volunteers for Meals on Wheels.

Kathy (Gardella) Garth retired from teaching. Her mother will turn 100 in December and is in good health.

Kathy and her husband of 46 years have two sons and five grandchildren.

1969

Libby (Brennan) Wentzell’s eldest grandchild, Estelle, played in a special basketball game in Nashua, N.H., in February. The other two grandchildren are enjoying preschool.

1970

Valerie Arena credits her six years in the convent as a catalyst for her love of academia.

During 41 years of teaching, she received 15 scholarships and several grants to complete her graduate studies.

She studied at The Globe in London, wrote speeches for political figures and wrote for travel brochures under Valerie Arena Travelroads. She retired June 7, 2013.

Sharon (Rowan) Krause and husband, Duane, have been married for 42 years and live in Connecticut. They have one daughter and three grandkids. Sharon has worked

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1977

in customer service at Paper Roll Supplies for 16 years. She writes for a scriptural reflection booklet for the Archdiocese of Hartford. Sharon is a lector at St. James Church, where she also teaches CCD classes.

1972

Beth Scannell-Desch and Mary Ellen Doherty were keynote speakers at the 36th Annual New Jersey Emergency Nurses Association Conference in March. In April, they presented their most recent research, “After the Parade: Military Nurses’ Reintegration Experiences following Deployment to the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars,” at the 26th Annual Scientific Sessions of the Eastern Nursing Research Society.

Beth is a professor at Adelphi University and coordinator of graduate and undergraduate programs, Adelphi Hudson Valley Center. Mary Ellen was promoted to full professor with tenure at Western Connecticut State University. She also serves on the WCSU’S Institutional Review Board, which governs all faculty and

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2014

student research.

Roberta (Gerdes) Hilton has been teaching kindergarten for 21 years. She has two grandsons, Aidan and Elias, and will be celebrating 40 years of marriage in December.

1973

Madelyn (Ochse) Folino has been the director of the Florida Public Library for 16 years. Madelyn is a professional storyteller and founded the Black Dirt Storytelling Guild.

She is also State Liaison for the National Storytelling Network.

Madelyn and husband, Ross, have been married for 38 years and have four children.

1975

Renzy Henshaw retired in 2005 and lives in Orlando, Fla. He was deputy chief of the Orange County Fire Dept., an avid golfer and a Red Cross volunteer.

James Ray retired from the NYS Dept. of Correctional Services after 32 years.

Doree (Kane) Bush was confirmed into the Catholic Church on Easter Vigil 2013.

Also, Doree and husband Steve welcomed a third grandson.

Patrice (Ford) Fogarty celebrated her 20th wedding anniversary in 2013. She plans on retiring and moving to Florida.

Leah (Palinkos) MacFarland is a nurse manager, specialty clinics, at Castle Point and Montrose Hudson Valley Health Care System VAs. Susan (Moffo) Mylak retired after 17 years of owning a clothing store. She and husband, Robert, just finished building a home in California.

1979

Karen (Schlicht) Abernathy and husband, Kent, celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary. Karen retired after 20 years in the ICU at Riley Children’s Hospital to take a position in a pediatric clinic in Indianapolis.

Kent works for Governor Pense as chief of staff of environmental management. They have three sons and two granddaughters.

Carol Eaton has been married for 33 years and has three children, ages 31, 29 and 23.

Their occupations: physical therapist, special education teacher, and senior in college.

Her husband works for the US Army. Carol is a nurse case manager for Broadspire.

1980

Christine Feroli is a part-time nurse practitioner. She retired from the VA Medical Center after 32 years. Christine enjoys attending programs at the Mount’s Desmond Campus.

Hilary (Hallas) Mitchell is the director of disability at Pitney Bowes, Inc. and earned her MBA from Quinnipiac University.

Therese (Licata) Paff teaches English at Monroe-Woodbury Middle School. She has two grandchildren; Parker, 4, and Nicholas, 2.

1981

Jeanne Fitzpatrick, after 24 years in clinical informatics, is now working in dialysis for DaVita and volunteering as an EMT. She is studying for her pre-hospital RN certification. She has three sons: Jamie, a junior at West Chester University; Jack, a junior at Penn State who will graduate as a 2nd Lieutenant Marine; and Joseph, a sophomore at Downingtown East High School.

1982

Linda (Dobias) Dombroski works at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., as the director of patient

care services of a Telemetry Medical-Surgical unit, and is an adjunct professor at the Mount. She has been married for 30 years to Gregory.

Anne Fitzgerald, Mary Theresa (Richardson) Evans, Nancy (DeSantis) Bigari, Camille (Murphy) Kennedy and Kathleen (Lappin) Wurgler gathered recently and video chatted with Diane (Corrado) Schillace from Palm Harbor, Fla. (pictured on next page) Tracey (Kemble) Stillman tutors mathematics students and does test prep with WyzAnt. “There’s nothing like watching young people regain confidence and enjoy math,” she said.

Kathleen (Lappin) Wurgler has been an emergency department RN for 26 years.

Her oldest daughter, Hannah, is getting married in August.

Daughter Grace joined the Army and is stationed in Georgia. Her son, James, graduated from college. Her youngest daughter, Tess, is a high school junior. In July, Kathleen was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and finished treatment.

She is already back to work.

1983

Kim (Macaluso) Hebert is an IV nurse educator for Omnicare.

1986

Yonette Shepherd has worked as a probation officer for 25 years in Queens, N.Y. She has two children and one granddaughter. Her youngest will soon attend college.

Marriages

Births 1964

Mary Jane (Hughes) Gedgard welcomed twin grandchildren, Gavin and Grant, born January 6, 2014.

Reilly Fay wedding

2002

Kelly Corr married William Duque on October 26, 2013 at The Grandview in Poughkeepsie.

2003

Laura Quicquaro married Danny Nolan on November 10, 2012. Lauren (Lupario) Stegmeier was maid of honor and Diana (Rakowski) Maturo was a bridesmaid. Other ’03 alumni in attendance were: Bridget (Marrer) Stegmeier, Mary (Slattery) Egan, Danielle (Iudica) Moloney and Mike Stegmeier.

2007

Dena J. Vriesema, daughter of Cheryl (Dickson) Gross ’06, married Michael Clifford on January 3, 2014.

2008

Maureen Barry and Ryan D’Amico were married on May 24, 2013 at Our Lady of Victory Church in Floral Park, N.Y. Jennifer Macheska ’09, Shannon Egan ’08 and Jennifer Lindner were bridesmaids.

2013

Brittany Reilly, daughter of Bart and Diane (McKeegan) Reilly ’79, married Liam Fay on November 30, 2013 at Sacred Heart Church in Newburgh.

1966

Jayne (Jarvis) Henninger’s son, George, and his wife, Joy, have one granddaughter, Mavis Jayne, born November 17, 2013.

1971

Mari Olga (Alonso) Kelley and her husband welcomed grandchild Sofia Madeline Kelley on October 15, 2013. Their son, Maj. Richard Scott Kelley, arrived from Afghanistan just in time to welcome her.

1975

James and Margaret (Angelo) Ray welcome their second granddaughter, Emelia, born on November 28, 2013.

1977

Leah (Palinkos) MacFarland welcomes a grandson, Henry, who joins cousins Kaley, 7, and Logan, 5.

1997

Angela Brust-Balogun and husband, Tunde, welcomed a son, Delancey, in July 2012.

2000

Joe Polvere and wife, Tonia, announce the birth of a daughter, Lily, on June 15, 2013. Lily joins her brother, Tyler, 5.

2003

LeeAnn (Doherty) Van Koppen and husband, Chris, welcomed a son, Thomas Robert, on January 13, 2014. www.msmc.edu

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Mount Alumni 1987

1999

Luci (Levesque) Porter has been married to husband Rick for eight years. Luci has worked at Waterbury hospital for 25 years and is currently working in the ER.

Colleen Napora was appointed regional coordinator for the National Board for Professional Teachers for the second year.

2000

1990

Kellieann (Dell) Moroney received her master’s in literacy in 2008. Kellieann worked for the NYC Department of Education for 14 years and recently became a Title 1 math teacher.

She has been married to John since 1997 and is mother to Emma, 11, and Caitlin, 9.

Brendon and Eileen (Bohan) Perini have been married for 21 years and live in East Rockaway, N.Y. They have two children, Liam, 15, and Siobhan, 12. Eileen is a teacher and Brendon runs a plumbing supply company.

1992

Brian White’s debut novel, “Cuba After Dark,” is available on Amazon.com and iTunes.

1993

Lt. Colonel Frederick Davidson is chief of army public health nursing at Blanchfield

Anne Fitzgerald, Mary Theresa (Richardson) Evans, Nancy (DeSantis) Bigari, Camille (Murphy) Kennedy and Kathleen (Lappin) Wurgler.

Army Community Hospital, Fort Campbell, Ky.

1994

George Dewey is corporate sales manager for HALSAmd in Greenwich, Conn. He has two sons with wife Lynn: Tommy, 9, and Cash, 5.

Rob Walenty and wife, Melissa, have three children: Drew, 11; Evan, 9; and Alayna, 7. Rob works for Novartis Oncology.

1996

Allan Diamonti, of Atlanta, Ga., works as a portfolio analyst for a bank. Allan completed his MBA in human resource management at St.

2002

Lisa Devlin and her partner have recently started a mobile grooming business, Tails and Tubs.

Leo University.

1997

Angela Brust-Balogun is the program director of The Commission on Economic Opportunity’s YouthBuild program.

Rachel (Cook) Wilson is serving as the executive director for the Orange County Youth Bureau. She has three kids, ages 7, 11 and 15, and will be celebrating her 20th wedding anniversary in July.

1998

Joe Polvere teaches graduate education courses for New Jersey City University and Mercy College. He also serves as vice president of the Tenafly, N.J. teachers union.

Janis (Majewski) Goerres is pursuing her master’s degree in adult education at Penn State World Campus.

Kelly (Corr) Duque worked in advertising for 12 years and is an account executive at ABC TV. Diana (Broas) Klima has worked at Finkelstein & Partners in Newburgh, N.Y., since 1998, and became a paralegal in 2006.

2003

John Hutton earned a master’s degree in education from the Mount. “I will always be grateful to the college for that opportunity. Presently, I am completing my seventh year

MSMC Alumni Directory No matter where their lives have led them, Mount alumni all share a common bond: where they got their start.

That’s why the Mount Saint Mary College Alumni Association is working on a new publication designed to help alumni reconnect with each other. This new alumni directory will include comprehensive biographical listings with contact information, career overviews and family highlights for more than 14,000 Mount graduates. Readers will

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also learn what’s in store for the future.

Harris Connect is the largest print directory publication company in America. Mount Saint Mary College graduates will be contacted by phone, email and mail over the next few months to verify and update their contact and career information.

All updates are returned to Mount Saint Mary College. Harris Connect is only collecting information for purposes of the directory, and it will not

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2014

be released to any third parties. You decide whether or not your personal information is published in the directory; make your wishes clear to the representative with whom you speak.

Please help us make sure this publication is full of the latest information about you and your fellow alumni. It is a great way to stay connected to the Mount Saint Mary College alumni community.

in a kindergarten/pre-school environment in Tampa, Fla.”

In Memoriam

Nancy Quackenbush is a special education teacher at Washingtonville High School.

Tom Anderson, brother of Sr. Margaret Anderson, OP ’67, passed away November 5, 2013.

Laura (Quicquaro) Nolan and husband, Danny, live in Rockville, Md., where Laura works as a project manager for JBS International, Inc.

Eleanor Every Baynes ’82 passed away November 21, 2013.

Catherine Ann Di Cesare ’70 passed away January 23, 2014.

2006

Enny Pichardo is a freelance reporter and producer for Univisión. He interviews, investigates, writes, produces and broadcasts stories for Noticiero Univisión, Despierta América and Aquí & Ahora.

2009

Robert Curtis teaches physics and engineering at Delaware Valley High School in Milford, Pa. “I love doing this and thank MSMC for helping me get here,” he said.

2010

Joseph Fantozzi is an accountant at the Institute of Audio Research. “Intramurals helped me stay in shape, which helped me obtain 37 matches on Tinder recently,” he said.

2013

Brittany (Reilly) Fay teaches fourth grade at Temple Hill School. Her husband, Liam, is a deputy sheriff for Orange County. They live in New Windsor.

2014

Lauren Truss served in both Peace Corps and AmeriCorps and currently works for the International School of Tucson in Arizona. She plans to pursue her MPA at the University of Arizona.

John Anthony Gassler, Jr. ’02 passed away November 25, 2013.

Parading for St. Patrick’s Day

Sharon (Podwill) Henry ’76 passed away January 9, 2014.

M

Barbara (Supple) Howley ’79 passed away December 10, 2013.

ore than two dozen Mount Saint Mary College faculty, staff, alumni and friends recently hit the streets in the 253rd New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Pictured front row, left to right: Kathleen Barton ’13; Ellen Bourhis Nolan ’11, director of career development; Ana Johnsen ’88; Eileen Swart; and Ashley Wittens ’12. Back row, left to right: Joan McAdams, coordinator of community education; George Burke ’84; William Swart, coordinator of graduate education programs; and Knut Johnsen.

Share your news!

Alumni Notes are a wonderful way of letting your classmates know about your professional and personal achievements.

Just visit the website at www.msmc.edu/notes

Follow us on Facebook!

Stay up-to-date on all the latest news and events from the Mount!

Just visit the website at msmc.edu/facebook

John C. Hughes ’84 passed away on April 3, 2014.

Ruth Iacuessa, grandmother of Michelle Iacuessa ’94, passed away January 27, 2014.

Peter J. McManus, brother of Nancy Mazza ’99, passed away January 16, 2014.

Salvatore “Sal” Mazza, husband of Nancy Mazza ’99, father of Courtney Mazza ’05, Justin Mazza ’04 and John Mazza, passed away January 26, 2014.

Donald Nickerson, husband of Janet Nelson Nickerson ’80, passed away November 29, 2013. www.msmc.edu

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Friends of the Mount

Elizabeth “Betty” Cashin Reed, Mount Saint Mary Academy Class of 1934 and Mary Reed McTamaney, Mount Saint Mary Academy Class of 1964, Mount Saint Mary College Class of 1968

Mount is all in the family for mother and daughter

Forthcoming 80th and 50th Reunions from MSMA

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t 97, Mount Saint Mary Academy alumna Betty Cashin Reed speaks fondly of her time attending the school. Reed’s parents, John and Elizabeth Cashin, were Newburgh natives whose families arrived in the U.S. from Ireland during the American Civil War. “Growing up, I always wanted to attend the Mount and was grateful for the chance to take the scholarship exam,” said Reed, who is believed to be the academy’s oldest living graduate. “It was a full day of testing held on both sides of the river.”

The expectations for the young women were quite high. “The sisters made us keep our noses right to the grindstone. You had to do your homework,” Reed explained. “Every student

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who received an academy diploma was considered very smart and the education was comparable to some colleges.

We had wonderful teachers.”

Reed made life-long friends, including classmate Helen Crowley Hostek.

Hostek was a boarder whose family owned Crowley’s Milk Company. The Crowley family always made sure that the sisters were taken care of during the Great Depression.

Hostek and Reed each had daughters who attended the academy, with Hostek’s daughters Susan Hostek Hahn graduating in 1957 and Nancy Hostek Logan in 1958.

After Reed graduated in 1934 in a class of eight, she attended SUNY Albany with dreams of becoming a teacher. When her father lost his job,

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2014

she returned home to help her family.

“My first office job was for the Kalamazoo Stove Company on Broadway in Newburgh, making $10 a week – and that was a six-day week,” she recalled.

A trailblazer for working mothers

Reed moved on to the Newburgh Savings Bank. At that time, only single women who did not have the added responsibilities of caring for children could work there. Reed was the first married bank teller at the institution.

“I also became the bank’s first working mother. Bank president Harry Smith supported me because he knew I did a very good job,” she added.

Reed worked at many jobs in business and education, with the help

Friends of the Mount of her parents for child care duties when needed. In 1950, her son, Bob, was born blind and required special schooling in the Bronx. That added a bi-weekly commute to the Reed’s schedule.

In 1959, Reed was recruited by former president Sr. Catherine Imelda, OP, to join the academy staff. She retired in 1972 to spend more time with the love of her life, husband Benjamin, who died in 1992. He served as a policeman, World War II army medic and career firefighter who became chief of the Newburgh Fire Department. The couple had three children: the late Bob Reed, Kate Reed Kriff of Plattsburgh, N.Y. and Mary Reed McTamaney of Newburgh, N.Y. When McTamaney was a student at the academy, Reed was president of the Parents’ Association. “My mom was so grateful for the scholarships we each received, so she worked hard to raise money so that other scholarships could be awarded. I grew up knowing the importance of being appreciative and ‘giving back’ for the kindnesses we received,” said McTamaney.

Reed is also the longest-seated member of the Catholic Daughters of America in Newburgh, with a 77-yearlong association.

Prolific writer, historian and librarian With more than 500 columns written in the last decade alone, Mary Reed McTamaney is an accomplished historian whose stories are read regularly by her devoted followers.

“During my years at the Mount, we were required to write constantly,” said McTamaney. “We had institutional pride pushing us. We absorbed that pride and it was reflected in our work.”

Many former Newburgh residents subscribe to the Mid-Hudson Times so they can enjoy McTamaney’s column on regional history, and keep informed about Newburgh.

“Mary is a skillful writer who is able to recount interesting stories of Newburgh’s past, often with links to more recent history,” said Mary Anne

Brickhouse of New Hampshire who, like McTamaney, graduated from both the academy and the college.

Having a natural curiosity and a desire to help people from all walks of life, McTamaney pursued graduate studies in library science at SUNY Albany and Long Island University. In 1959, she married Dave – co-founder of Chapter 537 of the Vietnam Veterans of America and founding member of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh – just one week before he was sent to Vietnam as a combat photographer. Two years together in Germany, where McTamaney worked in an American library, followed.

Once home, David started a 32-year career as a high school teacher and McTamaney continued as a librarian, a full-time career that spanned 36 years.

McTamaney served a wide range of patrons: from the general public at Newburgh Free Library and Tuxedo Library, to students at Newburgh’s North Junior High School, the MonroeWoodbury School District and at her alma mater, where she served as library director from 1988 through 1995.

The Newburgh Historical Society, Newburgh Preservation Association and the NYS Documentary Heritage Committee are among the organizations that benefit from McTamaney’s expertise and leadership. “I enjoy keeping our history, and especially our local history, alive and relevant,” said McTamaney, current City of Newburgh historian.

Planning for a golden celebration McTamaney is collaborating with academy classmates to plan for their 50th reunion celebration in October.

“We are looking forward to catching up and seeing how everyone is doing.

I miss our classmates. We are at a great age now,” she said. “Of course, celebrating my 50th and mom’s 80th will be very special.”

SAVE THE DATES Mount Saint Mary Academy/High School Annual Reunion Saturday, October 4, 2014 Former students, faculty and staff from all years are welcome to join in the annual reunion celebration to be held in the Dominican Center at Mount Saint Mary College. For more information, contact: Eileen McDonald Sassmann MSMA ’62, President Mount Saint Mary Academy/High School Alumni Association P.O. Box 2174, Newburgh, NY 12550 Phone: 845-297-2405 Email: eileen@leverageinc.biz

Mount Saint Mary Academy Class of 1964 50th Reunion October 3-5, 2014 The members of the Class of 1964 have begun planning for their 50th reunion. For more information, contact the Reunion Planning Committee co-chairs: Rose Roscino Talbot 845-564-6581 rmtalbot1@verizon.net Mary Reed McTamaney 845-562-8419 newburghhistory@usa.com Kathleen Xanthis Maksomski 845-561-5224 dmaksomski@aol.com www.msmc.edu

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Friends of the Mount Rose Roscino Talbot and her husband, Maurice

Giving back with gratitude Rose Roscino Talbot ’64 MSMA, ’68 MSMC

“T

he Mount played a big role in my life, and is still part of it today,” said Rose Roscino Talbot, who graduated from Mount Saint Mary Academy in 1964 and Mount Saint Mary College in 1968.

“I guess you could say that the Mount is just in my blood.”

A Newburgh native and resident, Talbot began her relationship with the Dominican Sisters in kindergarten at Sacred Heart Elementary School.

“From early on, the sisters instilled in me a moral compass which has influenced my entire life,” she said.

She continued her Dominican education at the academy and then at Mount Saint Mary College, earning a bachelor’s degree in English with dual certification in elementary and special education. She spent 34 years at Gidney Avenue School in Newburgh, teaching first grade and kindergarten for a total of 17 years. Talbot then taught elementary computer science for the next 17 years when Newburgh schools were beginning the Magnet School program.

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“I know that standards remain high at the Mount, as I would often work with student teachers in my classroom,” said Talbot. “Teachers educated at the Mount are highly regarded in our profession.”

She added, “Attending private school was a privilege, and my parents sacrificed so that I could be educated at the Mount.”

Her mother worked in the coat factories in Newburgh, and her father, an Italian immigrant, was a general contractor. Later on, as his business grew, Talbot’s father built homes in Cornwall and named the street Rose Hill Park in honor of his daughter.

“For a while now, I have wanted to pay tribute to my parents and honor their memory,” Talbot said. “Supporting the Dominican Center project seemed appropriate. They so enjoyed the beauty of the Chapel of the Most Holy Rosary, as do I, so it was a good match.”

Talbot and her husband, Maurice, made a gift together as well.

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2014

During a recent visit, Maurice observed students studying together in the common areas in the new library.

“I know how important the Mount is to so many,” he said. “It represents an important anchor and you know the quality of the education that you are going to get.”

He grew up in Orange, Mass., the oldest of nine children. The couple met during one of the many social “mixers” held for Mount Saint Mary College women and Marist College men during the 1960s.

Today, Talbot is working with her academy classmates, including Mary Reed McTamaney and Kathleen Xanthis Maksomski, to plan a 50th reunion for the Class of 1964. “I have enjoyed getting back in touch with our classmates and look forward to celebrating our milestone together in October,” said Talbot. “The Mount campus is as beautiful as ever and we look forward to welcoming back home those from near and far, to celebrate our connections to one another and the Mount.”

Sean Creighton mentors students at the Meet a Mentor Dinner.

Alumnus founds marketing firm ALUMNUS PROFILE Sean Creighton ’92

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ometimes it was a rough road for communications graduate Sean Creighton ’92, but with a strong Mount Saint Mary College education and some old fashioned hard work, he founded Boulevard One Marketing Consultation – and became his own boss.

Boulevard One Marketing Consultation in New Rochelle, N.Y. is a strategic marketing firm.

“We specialize in branding, promotions, event marketing, entertainment marketing and content development,” explained Creighton. “We look to develop sound marketing strategies that build and shape brands in the consumer’s minds.”

Their clients include Grey Goose Vodka, iChannel Media, The Shark Bar and Grill, Corzo Tequila, and Spike DDB. “I always knew I’d start my own company, and I knew that each place I worked was leading me up to where I am now,” said Creighton. “I was laid

“My experience and education at the Mount laid the groundwork for my entrepreneurial spirit.”

off a few times and I know now that it was a blessing in disguise.” After being laid off from his last job, he started Boulevard One Marketing. “I never looked back. I love being creative and, more importantly, being independent and my own boss.”

“My experience and education at the Mount laid the groundwork for my entrepreneurial spirit. I used my knowledge of how to use media, which I learned from Mount classes, to help me market and promote events. I even did a major concert at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie in 1992 before graduation.”

James Beard and Sr. Catherine Walsh, OP were the two professors who had the greatest influence on Creighton.

“I’m also an adjunct professor at Westchester Community College and I find myself repeating things that Mr. Beard and Sr. Catherine said to me 25 years ago,” he explained.

Creighton’s advice to Mount students today is “Don’t ever give up. I’ve had friends and people I truly respect tell me to change my dream, do something more stable, etc. If I had listened to them, I’d be a disgruntled employee at some firm in Manhattan. I’m still not where I want to be in my career.

I have a ways to go and I’ll never give up. You can’t!”

When asked about his favorite memory of his time at the Mount, Creighton replied, “I remember my first day at freshman orientation like it was last week. I met some really great people and I’m still in touch with them. I have many good memories while at the Mount. It was honestly the best time of my life. But that first day is the one that sticks out.” www.msmc.edu

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unt Saint Mary Col Save the dates!

September 26–28, 2014