Mount Saint Mary College Magazine Summer 2015

Mount Saint Mary College

magazine Newburgh, New York

Summer/Fall 2015

Summer Research

Students put skills to work for science, business, and the arts

Commencement 2015

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Letter from the President

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Mount Saint Mary College Magazine Volume 37, No. 2 The Office of Marketing and Communications prepares this magazine for alumni, students, parents, and friends of the College.

EDITOR / ART DIRECTOR Dean DiMarzo MBA ’13

SENIOR WRITER Matt Frey ’05 MSEd ’10 PHOTOGRAPHER Lee Ferris CONTRIBUTORS Joan Gambeski Michelle Iacuessa ’94 David Spiegel COPYEDITORS Janet Gianopoulos Mayde Pokorny

CIRCULATION 8,000 ©2015

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)

Dear Alumni, Students, Parents, and Friends of Mount Saint Mary College,

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hat an exciting time to be on campus.

Classes are in full swing. The air is crisp, and the trees on the hills across the Hudson are a riot of color. For Alumni and Family Weekend, we were delighted to welcome many of you to the Mount and to share with you the highlights of what has been happening here.

Our commencement exercises and the festivities surrounding them were high points of the year.

Our Nurse Practitioners received their white coats in a special ceremony marking the start of their careers as full-fledged medical practitioners. At the pinning ceremony for our Nursing undergraduates, there was an added surprise when one of those pinned also received a marriage proposal on stage!

In the following pages, you will have a chance to “meet” eight of our “stellar seniors” and to learn about their remarkable activities, as well as those of many other students. One of them excels at breaking codes. Others are athletes who have distinguished themselves academically; some have given research presentations on campus or have been inducted into Honor Societies. Still others have been doing wonderful work with Big Brothers Big Sisters, supporting Newburgh Ministry, running a “College Day” for local fifth graders, and helping with heart screening throughout the community.

We kicked off the summer with a record-breaking College Golf/Tennis Tournament followed by our sixth annual, Dominican Philosophy conference—attended by one hundred participants, some of whom hailed from Oxford, Berkeley, Notre Dame, and the University of Chicago. In July, two volumes of the Saint John’s Bible, the first completely handwritten and illuminated Bible to have been commissioned by a Benedictine Abbey since the invention of the printing press, arrived on campus. Throughout the year, faculty will incorporate these volumes into course work and lectures.

This summer, we welcomed two new and extremely talented administrators— Dr. Ilona McGuiness, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Dr. Mark Newcomb, Executive Vice President, who are both interviewed in this issue. This fall, we also welcomed nine new, full-time faculty members in disciplines ranging from Business to Natural Sciences.

If you’ve been to campus recently, we hope you enjoyed your visit. If not, we hope you’ll plan a visit soon!

Cordially,

Carson Daly

Inside

News 2

Scholars visit from China

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Abandoned sites art show

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Students visit Stock Exchange

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Philosophy Workshop

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St. John’s Bible on display

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Fanjeaux journal

Academics

14 Commencement 2015

8

New faculty

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Faculty authors

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Q&A with VPAA Ilona McGuiness

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Q&A with EVP Mark Newcomb

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Annual conference on literacy

12 Code breaker 12 Hispanic honors society debuts 12 Teach the Change 13 Depression across the Lifespan 13 iRoc and Honors symposiums

Service 26 Sharing science for life 26 Professor inspires philanthropy

6 Cardinal Dolan visits

7 A time for fun

26 Students aid heart screening 26 Donation drive ends school year 27 College Day for fifth graders

Athletics 29 Coaches run Renegades camp 29 Athletes earn honors and awards 29 Coaches take on new roles 30 Athletics hosts golf outing

10 Research experience

26 Serving the community

Alumni & Friends 31 Bed & breakfast beckons 31 A day at the races 32 Alumni Notes 38 Bringing the Mount to the Sisters 38 Benefactors meet students 39 Liberty Street gatehouse 39 Desmond Campus celebration

28 Spring season roundup

36 Annual Invitational

40 Bourne Grant supports literacy 41 Looking Back: 1927 dedication

News from the Mount

Intercontinental journey Professors David Cai (left) and Meiya Wei (center) present Mount Saint Mary College President Dr. Anne Carson Daly (right) with a Chinese scroll, to thank her for the Mount’s hospitality.

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or visiting faculty from Yang-En University in Fujian Province, China, Mount Saint Mary College was their introduction to American education and hospitality.

Business professor Liang Jiang, and English professors David Cai, Meiya Wei and Evonne Lin joined the Mount community for more than a month to participate in academic research, cultural exchange, and cementing partnerships between the Mount, founded in 1960, and Yang-En University, which opened its doors in 1987.

The Chinese professors arrived on campus in April for their first visit to the United States, living on campus while learning about the college and culture.

The visitors observed Mount classrooms and met with staff, faculty, and president Dr. Anne Carson Daly. They got additional doses of American culture by seeing “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” on Broadway, visiting the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and catching a New York Yankees game.

Cai said one of his goals was to better understand American academic assessment techniques, including student learning outcomes.

“The students here [in America] feel very confident to express their feelings, and they propose so many critical ideas to solve problems,” said Cai. “This is the most important difference – American students are more critical and confident. This is something Chinese students could learn from.”

Cai added that he was very thankful for the opportunity to live and learn at the Mount. “One of the best ways to globalize the campus is by bringing the scholars to our students,” said Emily Marmo, director of international programs.

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Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SUMMER/FALL 2015

Visiting professors from China’s Yang-En University, in the Mount’s Chapel of the Most Holy Rosary.

Left to right: David Cai, Liang Jiang, Mount Professor Sr. Margaret (Peggy) Murphy, OP, Meiya Wei and Evonne Lin.

News Notes Mount hosts guidance counselor workshop

Nearly 100 guidance counselors attended the annual Mount Saint Mary College Guidance Brunch and workshop. Speakers included Mount Professor of Education Frances Spielhagen.

Interview secrets from the pros

Desmond enthralls with photo gallery At the Mount’s Desmond Campus for Adult Enrichment, viewers explored long-forgotten hospitals, schools and factories through “Abandoned Hudson Valley,” a photo exhibit featuring work by Liz Cooke and Andy Milford.

“I think there is something inherently beautiful in the ruins,” said Cooke.

Added Milford, “With my camera, I try to draw attention to places that are a bit more obscure…places with stories to tell.”

The Desmond Campus offers a wide variety of noncredit classes and events throughout the year. Learn more at msmc.edu/Desmond

At a Career Center event, students and alumni practiced interviewing with employers from various fields.

Interviewers included Don Presutti, a technical manager for FOX News Channel in New York City; Tom Weddell of Vanacore, DeBenedictus, DiGiovanni & Weddell, LLP; and Pamela Suett of New York Medical College Graduate School.

Speaker sheds light on suicide prevention

Trish Nelson, author of “It Was No Accident,” discussed her family’s experience with suicide during a presentation to more than 100 students, faculty and staff at the Mount.

Online Extras MSMC Magazine online

You’ll find this issue, past issues and links to additional content including photos, videos and stories at msmc.edu/Magazine

Artists on Campus

Linda Kolar earned best in show for her work “Sentinels” at the 40th Annual Artists on Campus Fine Art Show at the Mount. Sara Baloga, admissions counselor, was awarded first place in Hudson River Valley Scenes with “Approaching Storm,” shown above.

Student stories

Our students and alumni have great stories to tell and they are sharing them on our Knight Life blog at msmc.edu/KnightLife

Alumni: Share your news!

If you have news, we’d love to share it with your fellow Mount alumni.

Submit your alumni notes at msmc.edu/Notes

News, photos and videos

Stay in touch, and see all the good news (and great photos!) coming from the Mount by following us at msmc.edu/Connect www.msmc.edu

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Analyzing the Stock Exchange

Mount business students visit New York City’s Financial District

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ore than two dozen Mount business students visited the New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan, getting an inside look at the investing they were studying.

Sponsored by the college’s School of Business, Student Business Association (SBA), and Career Center, the trip took students on a walking tour of Financial District sites in New York City, culminating with the Stock Exchange.

Peter Greco, a business student with a concentration in finance, was surprised to see fewer people on the floor than he expected. Greco’s tour guide explained that over the last decade or so, much of the business has moved online.

A highlight of the visit, Greco observed, was the closing bell. “Everyone was cheering,” he said. “It was like you’d see in the movies.”

“This was a great experience,” said Thomas Barnes, business student and SBA secretary.

Kathleen O’Keefe, associate director of the Career Center, and Regina Eisenbacher, administrative assistant, organized the outing.

“Just watching the students on the Stock Exchange floor listening to the traders and asking questions was so incredibly rewarding,” said O’Keefe.

O’Keefe praised Anne White, president of the SBA, who “played a tremendous role in building student interest and organizing the trip.”

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Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SUMMER/FALL 2015

In addition to the Stock Exchange, students also toured the financial district in New York City.

SAINT JOHN’S BIBLE

Fr. James Brent, OP leads a session at the Thomas Aquinas Philosophy Workshop.

James Finn Cotter, longtime Mount professor of English; Alexander Florez ’15; and Barbara Petruzzelli, director of the Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center, view the Saint John’s Bible.

Scholars examine the Thomistic philosophy

College hosts rare illuminated Bible

bout 100 modern-day scholars, including two from China and one from Mexico, converged at Mount Saint Mary College recently for a workshop exploring the wisdom of 13th century university priest Thomas Aquinas of the Order of Preachers (OP).

The theme of the fifth annual Thomas Aquinas Philosophy Workshop was “Aquinas and the Philosophy of Nature.”

The scholars were welcomed by the Mount’s chair of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Charles Zola, who directs the Catholic and Dominican Institute; Mount president Anne Carson Daly; and Thomistic Institute director Fr. Thomas Joseph White, OP, of the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. Fr. White, an assistant professor of systematic theology in Washington, explained that the conference offered “the possibility for students of St. Thomas Aquinas to explore the depth of his philosophy of nature in dialogue with modern science.”

In addition to Fr. White, this year’s presenters included Fr. James Brent, OP and Michael Gorman of The Catholic University of America (Washington, D.C.); Alfred Freddoso and John O’Callaghan of the

Mount Saint Mary College kicked off its momentous “Year with the Saint John’s Bible Heritage Edition” in June.

The Heritage Edition, a two volume fine art reproduction of the original Saint John’s Bible, will remain at the Mount campus throughout the 2015-16 academic year.

The Saint John’s Bible, commissioned by the Benedictine monks of Saint John’s Abbey and University in Minnesota, is the first handwritten and illuminated Bible produced in more than 500 years. Using medieval inks, materials and methods, a team of 20 artists and calligraphers — under the direction of Donald Jackson, world-famous senior scribe to the British royal family — worked for 15 years to create the seven volumes that comprise the Bible.

The Heritage Edition was created to share the majesty of the Saint John’s Bible with a number of educational institutions across the world.

The Mount’s participation was sponsored by the Catholic and Dominican Institute, the Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center, and the college’s Division of Arts and Letters.

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Fr. Thomas Joseph White, OP (right) speaks with Anna Halpine, founder of the World Youth Alliance and a Mount Saint Mary College trustee, and another attendee.

University of Notre Dame (Indiana); Candace Vogler of the University of Chicago (Illinois); William E. Carroll of Oxford University (England); Fr. Michael Dodds, OP of the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (California); Edward Feser of Pasadena College (California); Reinhard Huetter of Duke Divinity School (North Carolina); and Jennifer Frey of the University of South Carolina.

The workshop was sponsored by the Mount’s Catholic and Dominican Institute, The Thomistic Institute of the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., and The Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture in Indiana.

www.msmc.edu

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Cardinal Timothy Dolan, center, celebrated Mass on July 25, closing the weeklong Camp Veritas at the Mount. Left to right: Anne Carson Daly, president; Cardinal Dolan; and Bishop Peter Byrne. Below: Mass in the Kaplan Recreation Center Gymnasium.

1,000 attend ‘Veritas’ Mass at the Mount About 1,000 visitors packed the Kaplan Recreation Center recently for a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

The Mass culminated Camp Veritas, a “play and pray” week at the college in July. Nearly 600 seventh- through 12th-grade students from the tri-state area and beyond enjoyed activities like soccer, volleyball, swimming and more. They also gathered for daily Mass, prayers and plenty of conversations about life.

Veritas is Latin for “truth,” as in the Mount’s motto: Doce Me Veritatem, or “Teach me the Truth.”

The Mass was not the first time Cardinal Dolan has visited the Mount.

He was awarded an honorary degree at the college in 2009, during the 50th Anniversary event honoring the Dominican Sisters of Hope. In 2012, visiting for a summer gathering of priests, he also discussed faith with residence life staff and campus chaplain Fr. Francis Amodio, O.Carm.

In September of 2014, the cardinal blessed the newlytransformed Dominican Center.

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Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SUMMER/FALL 2015

Bell, Nolan an

d Bott in Fan

jeaux, France

Journey to Fanjeaux Three Mount sojourners recently made a pilgrimage in the footsteps of Saint Dominic de Guzman.

Following Dominic’s missionary trail in Fanjeaux, France were Ellen Bourhis Nolan, director of career development with the Career Center, and media studies students Jennifer Bott (production) and Kate Bell (journalism).

Nolan documented the experience, excerpted here.

May 27: We arrive at Fanjeaux, a 12th century hilltop town surrounded by rolling, well-groomed fields of sunflowers, wheat and grapevines.

May 28-June 9: We learn about St. Dominic through the places he frequented, the paths he traveled, and the monastery he created. Learning about his preaching and his main principle, truth, I comprehend the mammoth task that Dominic, the sisters and priests undertook at a volatile time in history and religion.

June 10: I am facilitating a group in unearthing their own charisms, one of Dominic’s basic tenets. I pore over readings and understand charism as a gift we have been given that we may share with the world.

After helping each person discover their charism, I am finally able to see my own – showing others the unique gift that God has given them.

June 10-17: From the wonderful roommate I came to know, to the way in which my own charism is revealed to me, situations present opportunities to learn more and more about myself, my uniqueness and how to share my gift. I am thankful for the light that has shined upon me and for the opportunity God has given me, through the Dominican Sisters, to unveil my own charism.

Since returning, I find myself in my role as career counselor better assisting students and alumni to recognize their own charisms so that they may utilize them in their lives and careers.

Spring Weekend

Students enjoyed a block party with a barbecue, games, student performances, a comedy show, and live music at the annual Spring Weekend celebration.

Celebrating

Siblings At Spring Siblings and Family Day, Mount students and their families enjoyed a carnival, a craft hour, a delicious dinner, and more. www.msmc.edu

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ACADEMIC news and notes

New faculty The Mount welcomes several new faculty members for the Fall 2015 semester: Christina Alvey, assistant professor of mathematics; Regina D. Pappalardo, assistant professor of media studies; Elizabeth Harper, assistant professor of biology; Thomas McKibbin-Vaughan, assistant professor of physician assistant studies; Christine Berte, assistant professor of nursing; Antonia Brewer, instructor of nursing; Daniel Pena, visiting assistant professor of biology; La Juan Bethune Booker, instructor of nursing; and Peter Gregory, visiting assistant professor of business, as well as librarians Jennifer Park and Derek Sanderson.

Roumen Vragov now has a dual appointment as assistant professor of business and information technology.

Faculty authors The Faculty Library Committee and the Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center celebrated the achievements of faculty who have recently published books, articles and essays.

The authors were School of Nursing faculty Ann Corcoran, Priscilla L. Sagar, Debra Hrelic, Teresa Hurley, Nancy Spear Owen and Anne-Marie Uebbing; Arts and Letters professors James Cotter, Dean Goldberg, Eric Langstedt, Stephanie Pietros, Nancy Von Rosk and Marie-Therese Sulit; Mathematics and Information Technology faculty Margaret Larrousse and Bojan Lazarevic; Social Sciences faculty Yasmine Konheim-Kalkstein, Amanda Maynard and Glenn Reynolds; Natural Sciences professor Lynn Maelia; Philosophy and Religious Studies professor Robert Miller; Education faculty Rebecca Norman and Frances Spielhagen; and Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center librarians Derek Sanderson, Denise Garofalo and Vivian Milczarski.

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Q&A with Ilona McGuiness

Vice President FOR Academic Affairs

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lona McGuiness, the college’s new vice president for academic affairs, comes to the Mount from Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore, where she served for many years as the dean of first-year students and academic services.

She now oversees the Mount’s two schools and six academic divisions, and is also responsible for the library, curriculum and instruction for online degree completion, the Center for Student Success, the Registrar’s office, the Honors Program, International Programs, the Writing Center, and Institutional Research.

Q: What do you see as a good quality of the Mount?

A: What amazes me is how much the faculty love and respect their students. That gets to the heart of what an authentic college community is all about: a love of teaching, which inspires in students the love of learning.

Q: Is there something you’d like to see at the Mount that’s not here yet?

A: Wouldn’t it be great if we worked toward developing more courses in the arts and, at the same time, deepened our liberal arts programs in a parallel way? We could have a writing major one day, and more humanities majors, since they help us to understand the cultures and communities that art reflects.

Q: Who is your hero, and why?

A: Eleanor Roosevelt. She grew into a public figure, a force who worked for the benefit of ordinary people, and she never even held office, nor was she educated in politics or political science. Mrs. Roosevelt once said when she faced an impasse, “We must do the things we think we cannot do.” She lived by those words. I try to.

Q: What advice do you have for new Mount students?

A: We are given one life to live; we are not allowed to waste it. Study what you love – study it deeply – and your education will serve you well as you take your place in the world.

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SUMMER/FALL 2015

Focus on literacy

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Q&A with Mark Newcomb EXECUTIVE Vice President

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he college recently appointed Mark Newcomb as executive vice president. He arrived from the University of Saint Thomas in Houston, Texas, where he served as director of the Master of Liberal Arts and the undergraduate degree completion programs. At the Mount, he will oversee strategic institutional planning, management, assessment and compliance.

Q: What do you see as stand-out good qualities of the Mount?

A: The unquestionable beauty of the campus and our commanding view of the Hudson; the camaraderie and goodwill among the faculty members; and the great-heartedness of our students who are everywhere leading tours, praising their professors and the academic programs, and helping to get the word out about what a wonderful place the Mount is to live and to study.

Q: Is there something you’d like to see at the Mount that’s not here yet?

A: I only wish there were more of Mount Saint Mary College – in terms of space for housing operations and support offices for the service of our students. I would love to see a centralized student activity center with a host of resources for student support and recreation, with rooms for students to launch and conduct new clubs and activities.

ount Saint Mary College recently hosted the 22nd Annual Conference on Literacy, titled “Engaging All Readers.”

Sponsored by the Mount’s Collaborative for Equity in Literacy Learning (CELL), the event explored a variety of topics through more than a dozen presentations, including “Reaching Readers in the Digital Age” by Ludmilla Smirnova, Mount Division of Education; “Storytelling: A Performative and Empowering Art” by Laconia Therrio, professional storyteller, and Jane Gangi, Mount Division of Education; and “Ideas Worth Spreading?

Engaging Students in Multimodal Literacy Activities” by Matthew Freedman, Newburgh Free Academy, and Matthew Hollibush and David Gallagher, Mount Division of Education.

The keynote presenter was awardwinning author Tony Abbott, who has written more than 100 children’s books. Titles to his credit include “Firegirl,” “Kringle” and “The Postcard.”

Q: Who is your hero, and why?

A: Theodore Roosevelt is among the people I admire in many ways. He worked very hard to break up monopolies, give laborers fair wages, and added millions of American acres to national land and wildlife conservation initiatives.

Q: What advice do you have for new Mount students?

A: Embrace the wonders of your time here and your studies to the fullest. Go see that play, get on the field and play, stop in to the chapel to pray – this is your time to find and cultivate your best self, and the Mount has so much to offer you in that precious process of discovery and growth.

Author Tony Abbott was the keynote speaker at the 22nd Annual Conference on Literacy. www.msmc.edu

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SURE

Summer Undergraduate Research Experience puts classroom knowledge into action

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ount students had the opportunity to investigate nearly 20 stimulating subjects in a plethora of fields through the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE).

Above: A. Sebastian Morales and assistant nursing professor Anne-Marie Uebbing study a possible “app� as a heart failure education strategy.

Top: Thomas Sarro led hands-on biology lessons at the Mohonk Preserve.

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Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SUMMER/FALL 2015

The earthen scent of the Mohonk Preserve forest and the warm summer sun set the backdrop for a SURE lesson led by biology professor Thomas Sarro. About a dozen students explored ecological concepts including succession, the problem of invasive organisms, the difficulties involved in forest management and how fire is used as a vegetation management tool.

Under the guidance of Natural Sciences chair James Moran, an associate biology professor, students Steven Spencer and Allister Collins spent the summer researching the immune responses of lab mice to the innovative blood substitute OxyVita. Developed by the OXYVITA Corporation in New Windsor, N.Y., OxyVita could be manufactured as both a liquid and a powder, and is the first working blood substitute in powder form in the world.

For English major Amanda Wright, the SURE session was all about the sweet sound of classic jazz. Wright and her mentor, Nancy Von Rosk, associate professor of English, delved into an iconic period of American history and edited

an upcoming book, “New Approaches to the Jazz Age.” Wright helped with research and gathering materials such as photographs, primary sources and scholarly articles, as well as with editing the essays.

“I left with a more in-depth understanding of the Jazz Age, including lesser-known texts and authors,” said Wright.

Other SURE projects included a feasibility study of a smartphone application as a heart failure education strategy,

by A. Sebastian Morales and assistant nursing professor Anne-Marie Uebbing; and Dominick DeCaterina and assistant biology professor Douglas Robinson researching antibiotic resistance in bacteria isolated from nestling American Crow samples.

Students showcased their findings at the SURE Symposium on September 28 at the college. After presenting, the students were treated to a lecture by keynote speaker David P. Craig, a professor of biology and avian ecologist at Willamette University in Oregon, who presented “Lessons about Friends and Foes from the American Crow.”

Top: Dominick DeCaterina (left) and assistant biology professor Douglas Robinson researched American Crow samples.

MIddle: Dharamhet Khangura presented his findings.

Bottom: Toni Navarro used binary operations on different types of graphs to see what kind of patterns are present. www.msmc.edu

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Code breaker

It sounds like something out of a James Bond flick: using nothing but your own wits, decode three ciphers to find a hidden message in four days or less.

For Ryan Seifts, a Mount chemistry major, it was all in a day’s work.

Seifts took part in Kryptos, a national competition hosted by Central Washington University that challenges undergraduate students to decode, or cryptanalyze, hidden messages within a 96-hour period. This year, 167 college students from 21 states entered.

Seifts successfully cracked two of the three ciphers. He credits much of his success to techniques he learned in a number theory course taught by Jennifer Bready, associate math professor and division chair.

The weekend of the Kryptos contest, Seifts also attended the 69th annual Eastern Colleges Science Conference at Niagara University. The intrepid Mount student cracked ciphers during the seven-hour car ride and any time he had a break.

He noted that the techniques employed in coding or decoding the ciphers are the same as those used for securing websites, credit cards and other facets of life in the digital age.

“You want to make sure that data isn’t taken by someone who isn’t supposed to see it,” he said.

“The applications are all over the place, but most people don’t think about it.”

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Associate professor Victor Azuaje inducts students into the Mount’s new Hispanic Honor Society. Left to right: Lisbel Tavarez, president; Samantha Popel, secretary; and Susan LaBella.

Hispanic honor society debuts

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hrough the hard work of Victor Azuaje, associate professor of Hispanic studies, and student Lisbel Tavarez, the Mount introduced a new honor society: the Alpha Alpha Eta chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society.

The first three Mount members were Tavarez, president; Samantha Popel, secretary; and Susan LaBella.

Tavarez hopes that current and future members of the honor society will gain “a better understating of Hispanic studies as a major and a career path.”

The chapter of Sigma Delta Pi is the Mount’s 14th honor society, alongside societies for science, mathematics, English, education and more.

Alumni ‘teach the change’ to area youth

“Teach the Change” was created for the benefit of underrepresented student populations who might be interested in the teaching profession.

The event panel welcoming high school students included Mount alumni Justin Lewis ’12, MSEd ’14; Phillip Stewart ’15; and Benjamin Liberatore ’11.

Lewis now teaches at Waianae Elementary School on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. He was present via technology, but his advice to the young students summed up simply and powerfully: “School isn’t a vacation. Sometimes my students complain: ‘It’s too hard.’ But that’s how you learn and grow.”

Throughout Stewart’s time as a Mount student, he lent his skills to literacy programs for local children at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center. Stewart noted that teachers have the ability to inspire their pupils to be greater than anyone imagined.

Liberatore, an administrator for the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, said, “If you want to be a teacher, get used to being busy. But I had tremendous support. I was never alone. And that’s what a good teacher does.”

“Teach the Change” was organized by education faculty, in conjunction with the Mount’s Center for Adolescent Research and Development (CARD), and the Office of Admissions.

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SUMMER/FALL 2015

Gary Greenberg, psychotherapist and author, discusses “Depression Across the Lifespan” at the Mount.

Shedding light on depression Gary Greenberg, author and psychotherapist, brought his expertise for a presentation on “Depression Across the Lifespan” at the Mount.

The commonly-used test for depression, notes Greenberg, consists of nine factors associated with the disorder. A patient only needs to exhibit five of the nine traits to be diagnosed with depression, and there are more than 100 possible combinations.

The concept of combating depression with medication, Greenberg added, is born out of the desire to “cure” patients in the same way one would cure strep throat with antibiotics. While some patients respond well to medication, others do not.

Thus, the best way to handle depression is to custom tailor the treatment to the patient, he concluded.

Greenberg is a contributing editor for Harper’s Magazine. He is also a recipient of the Erikson Institute Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Coverage by the Media.

The talk was co-sponsored by the Mount’s Center for Adolescent Research and Development (CARD), the Center on Aging and Policy, and the Kaplan Family Foundations.

Students and faculty view projects at the iROC Poster Symposium.

Student’s share research

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ount students showcased their original research at two prestigious events: the Honors Research Symposium and the Investigating Research on Campus (iROC) Poster Symposium.

About 40 students participated between the two events, including those majoring in Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, English, Mathematics, Business and more.

Presentations included “Dietary Habits of Nursing Students Before Exams” by Shawna O’Leary and her mentor, Jill Sussman, associate professor of nursing; “Contextualizing ‘The Actor’s Nightmare’ ” by William Biersack and his mentor, James Phillips, associate professor of theatre; “Heroes in the Modern Age: Exploring Byronic and Epic Heroes in the Comic Book Universe” by Imani Stamper and her mentor, Stephanie Pietros, assistant professor of English; “Exploring the Use of Fractals in Music” by Aaron Ricci; “Voting Theory” by Hope Schaumburg; and “Annotation of Chromosome 4 Contig 35 in Drosophila Elegans” by Devin Caugh, Richard Pitt and mentor Evan Merkhofer, assistant professor of biology.

Devin Caugh (center) and Richard Pitt (far right) describe their project, “Annotation of Chromosome 4 Contig 35 in Drosophila Elegans.”

www.msmc.edu

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James Finn Cotter, PhD, Professor of English, carries the ceremonial mace to lead the Commencement procession.

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Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SUMMER/FALL 2015

Left: Dr. Anne Carson Daly, president of Mount Saint Mary College, congratulates nursing graduate Emani Wilmore at the 2015 Commencement Ceremony.

Below: students from the Class of 2015 prepare for Commencement.

Celebrating the

Class of 2015 M

ount Saint Mary College recognized nearly 600 graduates and three honorary degree recipients at its commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 16.

This year, the college awarded 476 bachelor’s degrees, 105 master’s degrees, and four post-master’s certificates. Nearly 150 students earned degrees in nursing and related fields, and 120 earned degrees in business.

The ceremony was presided over by Albert J. Gruner, chair of the Mount Saint Mary College Board of Trustees.

As a bagpipe skirl filled the air, James Finn Cotter, longtime Mount English professor, once again bore the ceremonial mace and led the long procession into a gigantic canopy packed with families and friends of the graduates.

The graduating students hailed from 11 states, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Oregon, California, Illinois and North Carolina.

College president Anne Carson Daly congratulated fac-

ulty, parents and students on a job well done.

“As you head out into the world to seek your fortune, you take with you the love, the good wishes and the prayers of all those you have known here,” she said. “Your life path may take you very far from the Hudson Valley, but what you have learned and experienced here will go with you.” www.msmc.edu

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No matter where the new alumni wind up, she said, “Mount Saint Mary College is a place where you will always be welcome.”

going to start your “newYou’re job or internship with enthusiasm and earnestness.

You’re going to give value for value every day.

I promise you, the happiest people wake up every day and ask, ‘How can I be of service?’

”

George V. Lombardi, MD 2015 Commencement Speaker and honorary degree recipient

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Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SUMMER/FALL 2015

Honorary degrees awarded to three leaders The assembly then heard from honorary degree recipient George V. Lombardi, MD, doctor of internal medicine and infectious disease specialist.

Dr. Lombardi, originally from New York City, has put his medical expertise to use across the globe. In 1984, he spent seven months in eastern Kenya researching schistosomiasis, a disease afflicting 80 percent of natives in the region at the time. This ground-breaking study established the efficacy of chemoprophylaxis in treating the infection.

By 1989, Dr. Lombardi had built a respected medical practice, specializing in tropical diseases at New York Hospital Cornell Medical Center, when he was summoned to Calcutta, India. The patient was Mother Teresa. Dr. Lombardi is credited with diagnosing the source of her infection and fever, and this diagnosis proved life-saving for the nun.

His retelling of the inspiring story aired on World Science Day 2013, and went viral on YouTube.

Dr. Lombardi had simple, poignant advice for the new Mount graduates.

“You’re going to start your new job or internship with enthusiasm and earnestness,” he said. “You’re going to give value for value every day. I promise you, the happiest people wake up every day and ask, ‘How can I be of service?’”

While building a career, falling in love and starting a family, not everything will go as planned, Dr. Lombardi reminded the graduates.

“You’re going to stop, and mourn, and cry, and you’re going to pick yourself up, and you’re going to go forward like a comet with love and hope and talent,” he said. “Do it with moxie, and this is how you’ll make your life your own.”’

The college awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Science to Carl E. Meyer, president and CEO of The Solar Energy Consortium; and to James P. Smith Jr., president of Advance Testing Company, Inc. Meyer is a proven industry executive with more than 35 years of experience in the energy and economic development sectors of the Hudson Valley and New York State.

The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC), headquartered in Kingston, N.Y., is an industry-driven, not-for-profit, publicprivate partnership dedicated to providing regional manufacturers with technical and business support services.

Meyer retired as president and CEO of Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. and executive vice president of CH Energy Group, a publicly traded holding company headquartered in the Hudson Valley. He also served on the Board of Trustees of Mount Saint Mary College from 1998 through 2008, as both a member and chair. Through his generosity, the Meyer Business Research Center in the School of Business was established at the Mount.

Smith is president and Founder of Advance Testing Company, which he started in 1984 in Newburgh. Since

Left to right: Albert J. Gruner, chair of the Mount Saint Mary College Board of Trustees; honorary degree recipients James P. Smith Jr. and George V. Lombardi, MD; Mount president Anne Carson Daly; and honorary degree recipient Carl E. Meyer.

“Mount Saint Mary College is a place where you will always be welcome.”

Dr. Anne Carson Daly President, Mount Saint Mary College

John T. Reilly, professor of history (right), accepts the 2015 Faculty Award, presented by Lee Fothergill (left).

John Reilly honored with Faculty Award At the Commencement Ceremony, John T. Reilly, a professor of history for four decades, was presented with the 2015 Mount Saint Mary College Faculty Award.

A Mount faculty member since 1975, Reilly is the second longest-serving professor at the college, after James Finn Cotter, professor of English.

There were only two history professors at the Mount in the mid-1970s, and Reilly taught nearly all available courses in the field. He helped to build the program to include five full-time professors in its current incarnation.

“John has devoted tremendous energy and diligence to our teaching profession and instilled the love of history in generations of students,” announced Lee Fothergill, professor of mathematics. “His knowledge of history is profound and he shares his knowledge and passion with his students.”

that time, the company has grown to a mid-size business with more than 100 employees during the peak construction season. In 1995, Smith also founded Atech Center, Inc., which specializes in construction materials testing course development and training.

From 2001 through 2010, Smith served on the Mount Saint Mary College Board of Trustees and co-chaired the $11 million capital campaign that successfully transformed the Dominican Center into a splendid multi-use facility.

In a speech to the graduates, Mary Kathryn Bocskocsky ’15, president of the student body, characterized the Class of 2015 as loving and generous.

“Throughout the last four years, we have watched and cheered on our fellow classmates, leaders and teammates with the hope of achieving success,” said Bocskocsky. “Equally important was our commitment to service in the community,” she said, noting the Class of 2015’s efforts to support Newburgh Ministry, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Hudson Valley Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, and many programs at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center.

“I can proudly say that the Class of 2015’s school spirit was always a force to be reckoned with,” she said. www.msmc.edu

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More than two dozen students received their white coat at Mount Saint Mary College. Front row, left to right: Meggin Sabatino, Lecia Gannon, Jaimie Tropin, Joyce Hill, John Mazzei (New York State Nurse Practitioner Student of the Year), Zohra Ludmerer, Diane Volk, Margot Houghtaling, Theresa Clearwater, Francisca Frimpong and Michael Ciaffone. Back row, left to right: Rochelle Scott, Rebecca Fried, LaJuan Bethune Booker, Robin Gumaer, Maureen Stewart, Katerina Listopad, Jennifer Miano, Ursula Petricek, Emani Wilmore and Theresa Halloran. Not pictured: Nicole Trapani, Samantha Kelly, Romilda Canale, Karen Kennedy, Michelle Galliga and Ashley Carr.

Nurse Practitioners receive white coats

A

bout a week before Commencement, more than two dozen nurse practitioner students were honored at a White Coat Ceremony — the first at the Mount — reflecting the transition of the novice nurse practitioner to the professional nurse practitioner role.

Nurse practitioners are advanced practice nurses who provide high quality health services. They can diagnose, treat and prescribe across a wide range of health problems.

According to assistant professor Anne-Marie Uebbing, keynote speaker at the ceremony, Mount nurse practitioner graduates can now enter primary care practices, including family health and internal medicine, or practice in acute care settings such as hospital positions and urgent care/fast track health access points.

Mount nurse practitioner grads, she added, “will be addressing the urgent need for direct access to healthcare for patients. They will provide sound clinical practice with a solid nursing background.”

Right, top: Linda Ruta, MSN, Director of Graduate Nursing Education, speaking at the White Coat ceremony.

Right, bottom: Michael Ciaffone, a nurse practitioner graduate who also spoke at the ceremony, receives his white coat.

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Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SUMMER/FALL 2015

Friends and family presented pins to the Mount’s newest nurses. Salli Slack, bottom right, also received an engagement ring.

Pinning ceremony celebrates 80 new nurses

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s part of Commencement 2015, the Mount’s School of Nursing held a pinning ceremony for 80 new graduates of the college’s nursing program.

College chaplain Fr. Francis Amodio, O.Carm. blessed the pins, which were presented to the graduates by chosen family members and friends.

The Mount Saint Mary College nursing pin displays the college seal and motto, “Doce Me Veritatem,” which translates as “teach me the truth.”

College president Anne Carson Daly congratulated the nursing students on a job well done.

“All of you here today being pinned have majored in nursing. But your real apprenticeship has been in love,” she said. “Love of neighbor, love of learning, love of science, but most of all, love of helping others and sparing them pain.”

Mount professors Jeanne Roth, Jill Sussman and Andrea Ackermann offered the graduates words of encouragement and advice for their upcoming nursing careers.

“It never ceases to amaze me as to the depth of excitement, emotion and pride I feel when looking at each class

of accomplished nursing students,” explained Sussman, keynote speaker. “Whatever you do, make it count, make it purposeful, and approach each situation with kindness.”

Brianne Smith ’15, president of the Nursing Student Union and recipient of the ANANY Future Nurse Leader and the School of Nursing Leadership awards, gave her reflections, crediting the group’s professors with molding them into the nurses they are today. She added that the students’ upcoming nursing careers will be rewarding.

“As a nurse, we will touch the lives of many on a daily basis,” said Smith. “It is a beautiful thing to realize we will have the power to help heal and comfort.”

For Salli Slack, the ceremony represented not only the culmination of her college career, but also the beginning of her journey through married life.

While Slack was being pinned by her parents, Sara Gentry and Graig Slack, her boyfriend crept up on the stage, and bent down on one knee. When Slack turned around, she was overjoyed and accepted the proposal, to thunderous applause from the crowd. www.msmc.edu

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Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SUMMER/FALL 2015

Choosing Mount Saint “Mary College has made us leaders who can handle any challenge. We are ready to start writing the next chapter of our book.

”

Mary Kathryn Bocskocsky ’15 president of the student body

www.msmc.edu

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Congratulations

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Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SUMMER/FALL 2015

Class of 2015!

www.msmc.edu

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the CLASS OF 2015

Social Sciences

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ecent Mount grad Sean Melfe, a psychology major, lives by a simple, powerful philosophy: “Although our struggles are not all alike, we need to embrace what we are faced with, because it is through that struggle that we become better, more equipped individuals.”

Applying that practical ideology to his studies, Melfe earned the title of Aquinas Scholar, and was inducted into two honor societies.

“I am very appreciative of professor Yasmine Kalkstein with her unique and captivating approach to teaching,” Melfe said. “She always taught the subject at hand, but often went further to develop the speaking, writing and educating skills of each student.”

During his internship at the Hudson Valley Cancer Resource Center, he saw firsthand the physical and psychological issues a cancer diagnosis may bring.

Melfe’s goal is to become a Physician Assistant in a trauma setting.

Natural Sciences

H

annah Mulhall, a biology/ pre-med major, spent her summers researching immune responses of lab mice to the cutting-edge blood substitute, OxyVita. Through the Mount’s Student Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE), Mulhall teamed up with associate biology professor and division chair James Moran.

“Being able to work independently has really prepared me for graduate school,” Mulhall revealed.

This fall, she is pursuing a doctorate degree in microbiology and immunology at New York Medical College.

All of the Mount science professors “helped me grow into the student and person that I am today, including Dr. Moran,” she said. “He gave me the freedom to work on my research with OxyVita but was always there to answer my questions.”

Mulhall received the Edith S. Lessor Scholarship and was inducted into three honor societies.

Nursing

S

hawna O’Leary began her Mount nursing courses with a passion for the profession. When she graduated in May, she had honed that passion into a fulfilling career path, and was recognized with the Sigma Theta Tau Award in Nursing.

“Our classes gave us experience in both the hospital and the community, as well as prepared us to deal with cultural, ethical and financial issues that challenge healthcare,” O’Leary said.

She credits professors like Jill Sussman for making her into the nurse she is today. “I hope that one day I can accomplish as much as they have,” she revealed.

Singing with the campus ministry choir added an important spiritual component to her rigorous academics.

Her real-world work experiences while earning her degree included the health center at Ramapo for Children and also Danbury Hospital. O’Leary recently began a new position at Danbury Hospital as a graduate nurse.

Philosophy and Religious Studies

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mily DiBiase, an English major with a minor in religious studies, was a familiar face at campus ministry activities. “Campus ministry supported my faith life and instantly became my second family,” she said.

The 2014-15 president of the Mount’s Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society chapter, DiBiase received the Dominican Sisters of Hope Scholarship in 2013, and The Virginia Davidson Memorial Scholarship for Excellence in English in 2014.

She plans to earn a master’s degree in theology at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y. Robert Miller was one of DiBiase’s mentors. “It was in his Introduction to New Testament class that I realized I wanted to pursue theology in graduate school,” she said. “He opened my eyes to the academic side of religion that I had never explored before.”

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A sampling of stellar new graduates

Business

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aura Lomolino, a business student, completed her bachelor’s degree in three years and started graduate courses last semester.

Originally undeclared, the Mount’s Center for Student Success aided with her direction, suggesting business. “I was welcomed with open arms into the School of Business,” said Lomolino. “The faculty is not only caring, but they want to see you succeed and will work hard to make that happen.”

She notes that professor Colleen Kirk’s “enthusiasm and passion for teaching the subject really sparked my interest, ultimately inspiring me to declare a concentration in marketing.”

Lomolino received the Presidential and Leadership scholarships, completed the college’s rigorous Honors Program, and is a member of the Delta Mu Delta honor society (business).

“It’s amazing to see how much I have grown as a person,” Lomolino noted. “My experiences at the Mount allowed me to break out of my shell.”

Arts and Letters

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ictoria Trocino, a public relations major, was on her way to Ireland only days after commencement to begin an internship at a PR firm in Dublin.

Trocino says the milestone wouldn’t have been possible without the aid of professors James Beard, Sr. Catherine Walsh, OP, and Eric Langstedt, as well as Career Center associate director Kathleen O’Keefe.

“The knowledge I’ve gained from these individuals goes beyond the classroom,” Trocino testified. “I’ve learned everything from the fundamentals of writing press releases, to how to professionally network, dress for business, and write the perfect résumé and cover letter.”

Trocino held public relations positions in the Student Government Association and the Resident Living Counsel. “At the Mount, I wasn’t a number, but rather a name and a face,” she explained. “I was able to make my mark on the college community.”

Education

W

illiam Biersack, a mathematics/education student, was well-known on campus as managing editor of the Mount Messenger student newspaper, and through his participation in James Phillips’ theater productions.

Phillips aided him in “collaborating with others, thinking creatively, managing time, and most importantly, finding my voice,” Biersack revealed.

A recipient of the Presidential Scholarship, Biersack is a member of two honor societies.

The Mount’s education program was transformative, he said. It helped him “realize that this was the field I want to dedicate myself to.” Associate professor Jane Gangi “fostered my love of lifelong learning, both as a student and as a teacher.”

Biersack has been working as a substitute teacher for Wappingers Central School District and intends to pursue a Master of Science in Education degree at the Mount.

Mathematics and Information Technology

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n May, Alexander Florez earned a degree in mathematics with a concentration in secondary education. The son of Colombian immigrants, Florez is both a first-generation U.S. citizen and the first in his family to obtain a college degree.

“It was a privilege to work with the entire math department,” he explained.

“The professors have unique teaching styles and provide a relaxed, positive learning atmosphere.”

Florez received the Presidential Scholarship, was inducted into two honor societies, and was president and co-director of the Mount acting troupe Improvology.

Outside of the classroom, Florez served as a peer tutor for the Center for Student Success and an orientation leader for Student Activities.

He is seeking a master’s degree in literacy education at the Mount. www.msmc.edu

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GIVING BACK The Mount community at work

Students of Susan Vorsanger’s Poverty in the U.S. course with Roni Austin, director of the Youth Empowerment Center.

Professor inspires philanthropy

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tudents of Susan Vorsanger, associate professor of human services, recently awarded a grant to the Youth Empowerment Center in Newburgh, N.Y. According to Vorsanger, students of her Poverty in the U.S. course contributed $5 each to a class grant fund.

Each student selected an organization that he or she believed should receive the grant, then wrote a paper and gave a class presentation on that organization’s behalf.

By class vote, the grant was awarded to the Youth

Empowerment Center, which hosts a bilingual program for youths age 8-24, providing educational and career counseling.

Pastor Roni Austin, director of the center, received the donation from student Kenneth Robinson, who championed the organization in his class presentation.

“We want the youth to know that they don’t have to be stuck in poverty,” said Austin. “Education can give them hope.”

Psychology students share science for life

Yasmine Kalkstein, assistant psychology professor, and Mount student volunteers taught about 30 Girl Scouts the practical science of happiness.

Through the Mount’s Beginnings in Psychological Science program, Tabitha Paez, Lauren Romao, Alexis Balles and Julia Bianco, as well as Mount alumna Chelsea Hepburn ’14, gave the scouts a jumpstart on their Science of Happiness badge, which requires the girls to design their own research project.

After a short talk from Kalkstein, the Girl Scouts wrote letters of gratitude or forgiveness, as research has shown that focusing on others can increase one’s own happiness, Kalkstein explained.

The girls then pondered a question: “Can watching something sad make you feel sad?” and vice versa. The scouts formulated a hypothesis, and headed home to collect more data.

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Students donate to Newburgh Ministry

Nursing majors assist in heart screening Five Mount nursing students assisted with electrocardiograms and measured participants’ blood pressures during a Heart Screen New York program.

Under the tutelage of Nancy Spear Owen, instructor of nursing, the students aided 283 youths ages 12 to 25.

The goal of the free event, held at Monroe-Woodbury High School, was to increase awareness of sudden cardiac arrest in youth and to impart the importance of cardiac screenings and early detection.

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SUMMER/FALL 2015

The end-of-year exam time also brought a “final” act of kindness from Mount students, who filled two pickup trucks with food and clothing donations for the Newburgh Ministry charitable organization.

Through a program spearheaded

by Roger May, Jr., assistant director of Campus Ministry, and the college’s Residence Life directors, students were encouraged to donate non-perishable food and gently-used clothing as they packed up for the semester.

May was pleased with the results.

“I’m really, really impressed with the students,” he said. “People could throw away all kinds of good stuff as they’re moving out for the end of the semester, so why not donate those things?”

“Hopefully, this will inspire students to be mindful of other times in the year when they could be giving as well,” said May.

Big Brothers Big Sisters cultivate hope

Children from the Big Brothers Big Sisters program at work in the Hope Garden, above, and expressing a hope for the future, above right.

Mount Saint Mary College’s Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter has planted a Hope Garden at Newburgh Free Academy’s main campus.

Each Little Brother/Sister, mentored by a Mount student, wrote down his or her hopes for the future and tucked them into a box in the garden.

The Hope Garden will remind the children of those dreams when they attend the high school in a few years.

“A lot of our Littles will be the first ones in their families to graduate high school,” noted Kailyn Zanella ’15, former chapter president.

The group received donations for the garden from Lowe’s Home Improvement and Adams Fairacre Farms.

Earlier in the semester, Big Brothers Big Sisters hosted “Bowl for Kids’ Sake” at Bowling Time in New Windsor, N.Y. The event raised $1,140 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County.

Mount students provide mentoring for about 20 children ages 6-14 from the City of Newburgh. Members of the chapter meet with their Littles several times per semester to encourage and empower the at-risk children.

“As a mentor of four years and as the president of the organization at MSMC, my relationship with my Little has been extremely rewarding,” said Zanella. “The children we work with are extremely deserving and all have bright futures ahead of them.”

A sneak peek for fifth graders

Approximately 50 Horizons-on-the-Hudson fifth graders spent the day with dozens of Mount student volunteers to get a glimpse of college life.

Mount students shared a lively college experience with nearly 50 fifth graders from Horizons-on-the-Hudson School, hosted by the college Conversations to Inspire Reading Children’s Literature with Engagement (CIRCLE) club, the men’s lacrosse team and the women’s soccer team.

The event allowed the fifth graders, armed with their own IDs and class schedules, to interact with approximately 60 Mount students in various facets of college life.

Mount volunteers hosted mini-classes in nursing, math, science, English, business and information technology. In addition to learning the relationship between heart rate and activity level, the fifth graders created fictional companies, complete with website, logo and video pitch.

Lindsay Roe, president of the CIRCLE club, noted, “CIRCLE’s goal when structuring this event was for Newburgh fifth graders to appreciate what college entails, and more importantly, to recognize it as being accessible to them.”

Nursing student Tristan Earle said “Their smiles were worth the time and effort each of us put into the project.” www.msmc.edu

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ATHLETICS

Knights online

Spring season round-up Softball The softball team had an incredible run, 19-11 overall and 12-2 in league, to win the 2015 Skyline Conference Softball Regular Season Title and make the Championship Tournament.

The Knights dominated Skyline postseason awards, with Jessica Mushel earning Softball Coach of the Year, and freshman Cindy Connoly named Pitcher of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Connoly was joined by Stephanie Karcher, Michelle Surdan, Chelsea Dexter and Courtney Barbara on the All-Skyline First Team. Danielle Soto and Shannon Sommer made All-Conference Second Team.

Women’s Lacrosse The women’s lacrosse team earned a spot in the Skyline Conference Championship Tournament for the third consecutive year after going 5-2 in Skyline games. The Knights fell in the semifinals. Claire Duffy, Nicole Scicutella and Katie Gattoni earned spots on the Skyline Women’s Lacrosse All-Conference First Team. The three combined to set six new major

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Visit the new online home for Mount athletics at msmcknights.com

Andrew Conn and Matt Cahill were named to the Skyline Baseball AllConference Second Team.

single-season records, as well as four major career records.

Men’s Tennis The men’s tennis team qualified for the Skyline Conference Championship Tournament after going 3-3 in conference matches. The No. 4 seed Knights took on Yeshiva University in the semifinal round of the tournament, falling 5-1 in a competitive match. Dan Witke earned Skyline Men’s Tennis All-Conference Second Team honor.

Baseball The baseball team went 6-8 in the Skyline Conference, narrowly missing the Championship Tournament. The Knights were the only team to take down top-seeded St. Joseph’s College (L.I.) during the regular season.

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SUMMER/FALL 2015

Men’s Lacrosse For the first time in the program’s history, two members of the men’s lacrosse team were named to the Skyline Men’s Lacrosse All-Conference Team. Dylan De Meo was named Conference Rookie of the Year, and was joined by Michael Capetola on the All-Skyline Second Team. The Knights finished 5-10 overall, 2-4 against Skyline opponents, and missed the Tournament by a single game.

Track and Field The men’s track and field team set eight new program records this season, while the women’s team accounted four new record marks.

Cheerleading The Mount cheerleading team made history this season, bringing home the championship banner after finishing in first place at the JAMFest Cheer and Dance Nationals Series.

Mount sweeps sporting awards Sophomore Isabella Tartaglione Tartaglione of the Mount women’s tennis team and junior Sam Watson of the Mount men’s swimming team were named the 2014-15 Skyline Sporting Award recipients in voting conducted by the league’s directors of athletics.

Tartaglione registered four victories in singles play and three wins in doubles action this season. In addition to playing on the tennis team, she served as Student Activities Programming Board secretary, a Leadership Scholar, an orientation leader, a Relay for Life participant, a member of the Change for Charity Club in 2013-14, and interned with the Mount’s sports information office. Tartaglione is an admissions ambassador, and has been elected Student Government Association secretary and Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society secretary.

A team captain this past season, Watson placed first in the 200-yard backstroke (2:06.95) and second in the 100-yard backstroke (58.55) at the 2015 Skyline Swimming Championships, as the Mount finished second overall. He also volunteered to swim the 1,000-yard freestyle at the Championship in an effort to help the Knights obtain more points in the team standings. Watson works with Catholic Charities, volunteers with the AARP Tax-Aide program, and participates in Relay for Life and The Giving Tree, sponsored by Campus Ministry. He is also a member of the Mathematics Honor Society, and tutors teammates in math and business while running a weekly study hall for the team.

Athletic honors and awards

Austin Stewart of the men’s basketball team was named to the 2014-15 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court.

Danielle Rodriguez received the 2014-15 Skyline Conference Women’s Swimming Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.

A total of 58 Mount student-athletes were named to the Skyline Conference Winter/Spring Sports Honor Roll.

Coaches take on new roles Jessica Mushel was promoted to assistant director of athletics after serving for more than a year as assistant to the director of athletics. She will also continue her role as head softball coach while taking on new duties.

Daniel Drury was promoted to head swimming coach after serving as assistant coach for the last two seasons. The women’s team has won four straight Skyline Conference Championships, and an improving men’s team has finished runner-up at the Conference Championship Meet in backto-back years.

Between drills, Steve Sosler gives a pep talk at the Renegades baseball day camp.

Mount coaches lead Renegades baseball camp While the boys of summer swung away at Dutchess Stadium at night, the next generation of ballplayers was immersed in a Hudson Valley Renegades day camp led by the Mount’s head baseball coach, Steve Sosler.

For a week in July, nearly 65 youths, ages 8 to 14, strengthened their fundamentals and picked up some advanced skills though batting exercises, pitching tutorials, catching drills and more.

According to Sosler, mentoring the youngsters isn’t much different from coaching their college counterparts.

“A lot of the things, believe it or not, are similar,” he explained. “We’re teaching basic mechanics: outfielding ground balls, swinging, that kind of stuff.

We just take that to a higher level with the college teams.”

In addition to Sosler, other baseball gurus lent their skills to the camp, including Mount assistant coach Trevor Purcell.

“These campers are really getting a chance to pick our brains and learn from us,” explained Sosler. “We think they’ll take something from this camp that they can use on their summer team, travel team or anywhere else.”

This is the second year the Mount has aided with the summer Renegades baseball camp at Dutchess Stadium.

“It seems to be getting better and better,” Sosler said. “It’s a great opportunity for the college and for us [the coaches]. Working with these guys is a lot of fun.”

The current academic year marks Sosler’s sixth season as head baseball coach at the Mount, following six seasons as an assistant coach for the program. www.msmc.edu

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Mount Athletics golf outing garners support

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he Mount athletic department welcomed around 100 golfers for the 7th Annual Mount Saint Mary College Athletics Golf Outing, which raises money to benefit the college’s 21 athletic programs.

Despite forecasts to the contrary, the weather provided a beautiful morning and afternoon for all to enjoy through their 18-hole endeavors at the Powelton Club. Attendees feasted on a continental breakfast in the morning, a barbecue lunch at the turn, and enjoyed a cocktail hour and dinner buffet after the final hole.

The foursome of Nick Wells, Andy DeSousa, Phil Consorti and Tim Bruno finished with the day’s low score to take first place. Mike Koegel, Jack Warns, Doc Silinavich and Mike Rogers, sponsored by Anaconda Sports, took second place, while Tom Azzara, Ryan Williams, Mike Catania and Hall of Famer Brendan Twomey ’04 placed third. Wells took home the Longest Drive Award, and men’s soccer head coach Kevin Longacre won the Closest to the Pin competition.

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ALUMNI PROFILE

No time to rest for bed and breakfast owner John Hughes ’84

O

pening a bed and breakfast marked the beginning of a rewarding new career for John Hughes ’84.

The Gardner Farm Inn in Troy, N.Y. is a 5,000 square foot residence with five guest rooms. It was originally built in the 1700s and has been upgraded to include modern amenities while retaining its old-world charm.

According to Hughes, the inn was the natural next step in his path of people-oriented occupations, including college admissions, aiding adults with disabilities, and 25 years in fundraising.

Hughes, who graduated with a psychology degree and elementary/special education certification, credits much of his success to his time at the Mount.

“I can’t stress enough the importance of a strong liberal arts background,” he explained. “No matter what your major, the liberal arts give you a strong core and critical thinking skills that prepare you for whatever direction your career may take.”

Hughes also noted that being involved in student government and other extracurricular activities at the Mount “helped me develop as a leader.”

Some of his most influential Mount mentors, says Hughes, are former professors Srs. Frances Berski, OP, education; Patricia “Pat” Sullivan, OP, mathematics; Catherine Walsh, OP, arts and letters; and Jean Bedotto, OP, education; as well as Sr. Ann Sakac, OP, the college’s fourth president.

Hughes’ advice to current Mount students is “to be open to what life has to offer you,” he said. “It’s a big world out there with many wonderful opportunities. Be mindful. Be present. Be open. Believe in yourself. And whatever you do, do what you love and always have fun.”

Bottom row from left: Mary D’AcchilleSuleski ’84, Lynn Colicchio ’84, Mary Murphy Cure ’84. Top row from left: Eileen (Hughes) Weir ’85 and Deidre DiStefano ’85.

A day at the races Mount alumni enjoyed a funfilled day at the races during opening weekend at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The day began in Troy, N.Y. at the Gardner Farm Inn, owned by John Hughes ’84. In true “Mount family” style, John had many of his classmates joining in to give a helping hand including everything from sweeping the floor to food prep.

After brunch, all gathered at Saratoga Race Course and enjoyed both the horses and the camaraderie.

We hope you’ll be able to join us when we gather next year! www.msmc.edu

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Alumni Notes 1966

Sr. Maureen Chicoine, RSCJ starts her second year at Duchesne House for Volunteers in New Orleans, staffed

by Religious of the Sacred Heart. The house hosts young adults (16-30) working to rebuild New Orleans, La., 10 years after Katrina. Students are aided in reflecting, learning about the unique New Orleans culture and meeting its wonderful people. See www.duchesnehouse.org for more information.

intervention specialist. It has been a wonderful and rewarding career. She looks forward to spending time with her husband, Butch, and their nine grandchildren.

Sr. Maureen Sullivan, OP retired this spring after teaching theology at St. Anselm College, N.H., for 26 years. “I will miss teaching but I hope to remain theologically engaged by giving talks at various conferences, and this past year I became a member of the [Mount Saint Mary College] Board of Trustees which is a great honor ... it is a delight to be back.”

1973

Jayne (Jarvis) Henninger and husband, Ron, enjoyed traveling in July to Amsterdam, then a river cruise to Budapest and Prague.

Jayne works full time at Remedy Intelligent Staffing.

She is the proud grandmother of beautiful granddaughter, Mavis Jayne, and arranges work so she and Mavis can go daily to the zoo, Children’s Museum or library for fun storytime.

1972

Linda (Fabbri) Keithley recently retired from Batavia Elementary School in Ohio after 38 years in education, beginning as a first grade, preschool and ESL teacher, and then 29 years as a kindergarten teacher and reading

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Linda (Settoducato) Christy and the ladies of CC412 had a wonderful New York City getaway in April. They went to see the Broadway play “Beautiful” (the Carole King musical) and it reminded them of their time at the Mount.

Joseph O’Connor, EdD, a lecturer and speaker for 25 years, was recently the guest speaker at the St. Agnes Senior Club, Rockville Center, N.Y., where he spoke about “A Healthy Mindset: The Four C’s.”

1977

Nanci (Furman) Itzla retired from the Orange County Department of Health, where she was a senior public health educator.

She resides in the Town of Wallkill, N.Y., is active in local politics, and volunteers for hospice.

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SUMMER/FALL 2015

New books by alumni Linda (Canosa) LaPolla ’71 has published a children’s picture book called “Dream Along with Me.” She was inspired years ago while taking a Children’s Literature course at the Mount. “It took many years but I finally followed through,” she wrote. The book is available at Xlibris.com in both hardcover and softcover, and at barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com in softcover.

Jeanne Curtin ’90 is excited to announce that her first book, “Brave,” is published and available in paperback and on the Kindle. “It’s been an arduous, yet amazing journey from the beginning to ‘The End.’”

1979

Kevin Dick’s wife of 17 years, Rosemarie, and their cat, Cocoa, recently joined Kevin in Appleton, Wis. He’ll be working for Encapsys LLC. “It’s sad to leave the comfort and familiarity of Newburgh where we both grew up, but exciting to be offered this opportunity,” wrote Kevin.

“Thank you MSMC for giving me the tools to come this far!”

Mary Beth (Iwanicki) Elgin enjoyed a beautiful summer in New York’s Finger Lakes region with her husband, Steve.

They have a quiet, peaceful empty nest and are keeping busy. Son Matthew just completed an MBA at Imperial College in London and begins law school at George Washington University. Daughter Liz will earn her BSN from St. John Fisher College.

Elaine (Maurici) Snider sends regards to her Class of 1979 friends. Living in Spokane, Wash., she met and married in 1974 “a wonderful man, Rodney Snider. He succumbed to myelofibrosis (a bone marrow cancer) at the Mayo Clinic where we were receiving treatment.” Elaine sold her shop (On Sacred Grounds: Coffee, Tea & Specialty Shoppe) and is looking for new opportunities.

1982

Anne (Ennis) Fitzgerald, her husband, Robert and their three dogs have relocated to Bluffton, S.C. Robert retired and Anne will enjoy some time off before resuming work as an insurance consultant.

Christine Baker ’95 was inducted into the Mount Saint Mary College Athletic Hall of Fame April 17.

She was also keynote speaker at the Hooding and Awards Ceremony on May 15.

1983

Michael Fraser, a high school psychologist in the Greater Johnstown School District, and his daughter Samantha Fraser, a graduate student in the School Psychology Program at the College of Saint Rose, were selected to present a workshop on “The Four Hurdles of Success” at the Daniel Memorial Institute National Independent Living Conference in Orlando, Fla. The Institute’s mission is to provide quality services for youth and families by helping professionals, clients and organizations establish and maintain effective independent living programs.

Laurie Ann (Iuzzini) Lawrence is a Gifted Collaborative teacher at Unity Grove Elementary, Locust Grove, Ga., and continues to work with grades K-5 in the Gifted Education Program at Woodland Elementary, Stockbridge, Ga. She helped design a 42-week Gifted Endorsement course for teachers and currently teaches two of the five modules. Laurie resides with husband, Dennis Lawrence ’86 and their son, Andrew, in McDonough, Ga.

1986

Donna (Smith-Peretin) Falquero is enjoying a great life with her blended family of five boys, four grandchildren, four dogs, two cats and four horses. Donna obtained additional credentials in Lean Six Sigma and started Level Look, PLLC. She visits hospitals across the country as a QI coach, and is under contract with Abt Associates for the CDC-funded EMPower Breastfeeding initiative.

Tom Fuller ’97 resides in the Albany, N.Y., area with wife, Carla, and their two boys, Elijah and Quentin, shown above. Carla is an elementary teacher for the Albany City School District. Tom works for 3M Health Information Systems as a client service representative.

www.msmc.edu

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Alumni Notes 1988

Lynn (Page) Moynihan lives outside of Austin, Texas, with husband Keith and their three sons.

1996

Carol Ponsolle is the evening charge nurse at Mount Saint Joseph Convent in New Windsor, N.Y. She provides nursing care to the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

1999

Ron Vales, after graduating with a BS in accounting, went on to earn a Master’s in Organizational Leadership at Mercy College. Remembering how much he enjoyed Business Law at the Mount, Ron decided to pursue a career in his company’s legal department, which required the degree in accounting.

2000

Joseph Polvere, in his 15th year teaching elementary school in Tenafly, N.J., has also worked as an adjunct professor at Mercy College and New Jersey City University since 2006. He serves as vice president of the Tenafly teachers union, and resides in Bergen County with wife Tonia, son Tyler, and daughter Lily.

2003

Lori Kasprzak made a career switch in February 2015.

After 10 years teaching Spanish K-12, she now works for Carolinas HealthCare System in patient access, using her Spanish in a different capacity. She enjoys the job and is always learning and meeting interesting people.

Carolinas HealthCare System is on the Forbes Best Employers list.

2008

Katie Goodrich graduated in May 2015 with a PhD in Food Science and Technology from Virginia Tech, and is employed as a Research Investigator at DuPont in Newark, Del.

2010

Karen Doll obtained specialty certification as a CVNP (Cardiovascular Nurse Practitioner) in 2014. Working for Horizon Family Medical Group in cardiology, she established in-office stress testing and echocardiogram services. Karen has moved to Charleston, S.C., to begin a new adventure: working at the Medical University of South Carolina in the new Aortic Center.

Amanda Lasher accepted an adjunct faculty position at the Mount, teaching qualitative and quantitative social research methodology. “It was a great experience being a student at the Mount; however, I am excited to have the opportunity to be on the other side of the desk.”

Angelo LaRosa is a special education teacher at Newburgh Free Academy in Newburgh, N.Y. Kathleen Spinelli received tenure in special education with the Arlington Central School District. She is currently working on her National Board Certification.

Kristen Falkner is a Spanish teacher at Pearl River High School in Pearl River, N.Y.

Send us your news!

Alumni notes are a wonderful way to let your classmates know about your professional and personal achievements.

Submit your news at msmc.edu/Notes

Stay in the loop

Have you joined the MSMC alumni group on Facebook or LinkedIn? Or tuned in to watch a livestream of the Knights in action? You can find a wealth of ways to stay connected by visiting msmc.edu/Connect

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Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SUMMER/FALL 2015

Births

2000

Melissa (Dahl) Haydt and husband, Eric, welcomed their fourth child, Lucas Daniel Haydt, in January 2015.

Lucas joins brother, Tyler, and sisters Isabella and Abigail.

Melissa is a neonatal intensive care nurse at the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, Westchester Medical Center.

2003

Marriages Above: Scott Tabone ’08 married Elizabeth Damiano ’10 on October 12, 2014. The wedding Mass was celebrated in the Chapel of the Most Holy Rosary. Scott and Elizabeth teach in the Peekskill City School District.

John Carroll ’89 and Heather Ross ’89 were married on April 23, 2015 in Wallingford, Conn.

Above: Matt Frey ’05 and Sarah Shepherd ’05 were married on July 3, 2015 in the Chapel of the Most Holy Rosary in the Dominican Center. Fr. Francis Amodio, O.Carm., campus chaplain, celebrated the Mass. Ian Frey ’02 was best man and Kristy Wormann ’05 was a bridesmaid. Matt and Sarah live in Garnerville, N.Y.

In Memoriam Elizabeth “Betty” Cashin Reed (MSMA 1934), mother of Mary Reed McTamaney ’68, passed away June 8, 2015.

John Egan ’99 passed away July 5, 2015.

Mary Jane (Hughes) Gedgard ’64 passed away July 7, 2015.

Sr. Janice Heery, OP ’67 passed away July 14, 2015.

MSEd ’98, passed away June 27, 2015.

Linda Libertucci, mother of Maria (Libertucci) Swiader ’88, passed away May 27, 2015.

Patricia Paterson, mother of Amy (Paterson) Quinn ’07, MSEd ’12, passed away July 16, 2015.

Marguerite McDermott, mother of Beverly (McDermott) Mennerich ’69 and grandmother to Carrie (Mennerich) Burns ’97,

Margaret “Meg” Schneider ’88 passed away July 14, 2015.

Melissa Moriarty Chaput and her husband, John, announce the birth of their second son, Cooper Paul Chaput, born on November 11, 2014. Cole is very happy to have a little brother.

Courtney Kain announces the birth of her son, Theodore Davis Kain, born January 28, 2015. Teddy joins Anna, who is enjoying her role as big sister.

2009

Courtney (Gompers) Godfrey and Danny Godfrey ’11 welcomed Blake Daniel Godfrey on July 8, 2015. Blake was 6 pounds 15 ounces, and 19.5 inches long.

Anthony J. Spano, father of Joseph Spano ’77 and grandfather of Anthony Spano ’08 passed away June 26, 2015.

John Spear, husband of Mary V. Spear ’98, passed away June 26, 2015.

www.msmc.edu

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Golf & Tennis Invitational

M

ount Saint Mary College’s 37th Annual Invitational Golf and 4th Annual Invitational Tennis Tournament grossed more than $125,000 for the college.

It was the highest grossing year for the tournament since its inception.

The event honored the late Frederic McCurdy (golf), founder of GTI Graphic Technology in Newburgh, N.Y., and Tim Tenney (tennis), CEO of Pepsi Cola of the Hudson Valley.

At the tournament awards dinner, McCurdy’s son, Rick, performed the song “Leader of the Band” written

by Dan Fogelberg as a tribute to his own father.

“It was deeply moving,” said Joseph Valenti, vice president for college advancement.

About 300 friends of the college enjoyed the event.

Photo gallery

View more photos online at msmc.edu/flickr

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Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SUMMER/FALL 2015

www.msmc.edu

37

John and Maureen Albarino with Margaret McCarthy ’15, recipient of the Joseph Scalia Memorial Scholarship.

Laura Nicholls shares features of the Saint John’s Bible as Roger May, Jr., assistant director of campus ministry, looks on.

Bringing the Mount to the Sisters Fr. Francis Amodio, O.Carm., director of campus ministry, celebrated Mass in July with the Dominican Sisters of Hope living in Mount Vernon, N.Y. Laura Nicholls, an art educator and instructor at the Mount’s Desmond Campus, shared the artwork of the Saint John’s Bible and Joan Gambeski of College Advancement provided campus updates.

Mount Saint Mary Academy alumna Catherine Sheehan with Sr. Jean Lawrence Strack, OP (Sr. Regina May) and Sr. Estelle Kilpatrick, OP (Sr. Maris Stella).

Sisters Jorene Cieciuch, OP (Sr. Helen Roberta), Lorraine Ferguson, OP (Sr. Ann Gregory) and Eileen Breen, OP (Sr. Eileen).

Vince Mazzie with Benjamin Hayes ’15, recipient of the Vassar Brothers Medical Center Nursing Scholarship in memory of Sandra Mazzie.

Sandra ’84 and William Haight with Shawna O’Leary ’15, recipient of the Gertrude Rowe Haight Scholarship.

Benefactors meet students

Laura Nicholls, Sr. Lorelle Elcock, OP ’66 (Sr. Elizabeth Anthony), Fr. Francis Amodio, O.Carm., Sr. Grace Ball, OP (Sr. Marie Francine) and Roger May, Jr.

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Sr. Catherine Walsh, OP ’70 (Sr. James Catherine) visiting with Sr. Veronica Miller, OP (Sr. Rosemary Katherine).

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SUMMER/FALL 2015

Donors met scholarship recipients at a lively recognition brunch in May. Thanks to the generosity of these Mount benefactors, scholarship awards were presented to students in various fields, including nursing, education, science and business.

The brunch also celebrated about 200 members of the Mount’s 14 honor societies, Honors Program students, Ralph Scholars, and Aquinas Scholars.

Sr. Juanita Morales, OP and Josephine Ford.

Bob Ulrich and Charlie Ford chat at the celebration.

Desmond Campus participants celebrate The Desmond Campus for Adult Enrichment recognized volunteers and benefactors at an event in June. Inspired by Desmond participants, a new endowment fund is being established to help support facilities and programs for the community.

Sr. Sylvia Bielen, OP reminisced about her friendship with the late Alice Curtis Desmond, who bequeathed her estate to Mount Saint Mary College for the benefit of “lifelong learners.” Volunteer instructors Charles Ford and Marion Imperatore expressed their appreciation for the programs and staff, making special note of the friendships made and knowledge shared over the years.

Joan McAdam, Sr. Sylvia Bielen, OP, Jennifer Laubach and Lisa Gallina.

Mount Saint Mary Gatehouse Mount alumni and visitors may recall the former gatehouse on Liberty Street, captured here by photographer Tom Daley circa 1959.

Albert Hostek, landscape architect and father of Mount Saint Mary Academy alumnae Susan Hostek Hahn and Nancy Hostek Logan, designed the plantings for the Mount property, including the forsythia seen here. According to Mary Reed McTamaney ’68, City of Newburgh historian and Academy graduate who shared this photo, the building was razed following a fire. A statue of the Virgin Mary graces the site where the gatehouse once stood. www.msmc.edu

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best thing to lift people up is to get them a better education, “The and where can you get a better education locally than, in my opinion, Mount Saint Mary College. ” John H. Smith Sr., Representative of the Anne F. Bourne Memorial Fund

Proud students display their self-published books. They’re joined by their Mount Saint Mary College graduate tutors; faculty Janine Bixler and Nancy Benfer; John H. Smith Sr. and Wilbur Higgins; Karen VanHouten Minogue; Senator William Larkin; and William Kaplan.

Bourne Grant supports literacy program

T

he Anne F. Bourne Memorial Fund of the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan recently awarded a grant to Mount Saint Mary College’s Collaborative for Equity in Literacy Learning.

Part of a $21,000 commitment through 2015 that includes scholarships for African-Americans from Newburgh attending the Mount, it will be used to purchase teaching materials, children’s books, and a sound system for student presentations.

John H. Smith Sr. and Wilbur Higgins, representatives of the Anne F. Bourne Memorial Fund, and Karen VanHouten Minogue, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan, were recognized for their generosity at a recent literacy program at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center. Several young students read pages from their self-published illustrated books.

“We had a great opportunity with an excellent college right in our community that we could partner with,” explained Smith. “The best thing to lift people up is to get them a better education, and where can you get a better education locally than, in my opinion, Mount Saint Mary College.”

Higgins added, “I’m happy to be helping these kids. You have to have an education to succeed in this world.” He also noted, “Mount students will get the opportunity to work with a very diverse group of children. I’m sure it will help them in their future careers as teachers.”

Minogue said that the Collaborative for Equity in

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Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SUMMER/FALL 2015

Literacy Learning shows literacy “begins very, very early.

At-risk youth need programs like this, especially during the summer, when they might otherwise be sitting in front of the TV.” Established in 2012, the collaborative provides tutoring and out-of-school literacy activities for children preschool to grade 12, with a focus on reading, conversation, and activities. It explores multicultural, award-winning books, offers family literacy programs, and more. Each semester, about 60 Mount graduate and undergraduate teacher candidates help instill a love of reading in local youth as part of their community fieldwork requirement.

The collaborative is spearheaded by professor Janine Bixler, chair of the Mount’s Education division. “The Mount is very grateful to receive this grant and we look forward to continuing to serve our community,” she said. “We’re also grateful to have this beautiful space here at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center,” she said, thanking Senator William J. Larkin, businessman and philanthropist William Kaplan, and the Kaplan family.

In addition to Bixler, the Collaborative for Equity in Literacy Learning is made possible by Mount professors Rebecca Norman, Jane Gangi, David Gallagher, Matthew Hollibush, and Nancy Benfer ’04, a fourth-grade teacher at Bishop Dunn Memorial School.

Collaborative programs are provided at the Armory on weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings during the fall and spring semesters, and on weekday mornings in summer. Family Literacy Night and other special events are offered throughout the year.

Looking back

I

n October of 1927, the main building of Greater Mount Saint Mary was dedicated in a ceremony presided over by Cardinal Hayes, Archbishop of New York.

It served as the Motherhouse for the Sisters of Saint Dominic and was the site of Mount Saint Mary Academy/High School. The building is now known as the Dominican Center, and still houses the Chapel of the Most Holy Rosary, dedicated in 1928.

Mount Saint Mary College 330 Powell Avenue Newburgh, NY 12550

Save the Date

NOVEMBER

12-14 15 16

Theatre: The Women of Lockerbie

Admissions Open House Lecture: On the Relationship Between Faith and Science

December

4 6

Mount Saint Mary College Sixth Annual Gala Reception Christmas Vespers: Lessons and Carols

See more at msmc.edu/Events

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Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SUMMER/FALL 2015