Mount Saint Mary College Magazine Spring 2015

Mount Saint Mary College

magazine Newburgh, New York

Spring 2015

Inauguration of our sixth President Anne Carson Daly, PhD

Sending #OomphForKaty Celebrating international education A humanitarian journey Staging the “Book of Days�

DO CE ME

N

EW

IVER EM TAT

.

B U R G H, N

Y.

MOU NT

E LEG OL

INT MARY C SA

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine Volume 37, No. 1 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 Emily DiBiase ’15 Joan Gambeski Michelle Iacuessa ’94 David Spiegel DESIGNER Sten Miller Perkins COPYEDITORS Janet Gianopoulos Jade Hanley ’15 Jane Hanley 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)

A Letter from the Vice President for College Advancement Dear Alumni, Students, Parents, and Friends of Mount Saint Mary College,

T

he campus is once again experiencing all the joys that come with spring. As the beautiful Hudson Valley returns to life, we who spend our days at the Mount find ourselves re-energized.

Soon, thousands of friends and family members will celebrate Commencement with us: the culminating event of the academic year. It’s exciting to see our graduates go out into the world thoroughly prepared to make a difference.

The first months of 2015 saw a college community building a future that is certain to live up to the finest traditions of the Dominican Sisters. At no time was that more evident than on March 12. In the presence of two former Mount presidents and hundreds of alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends, we celebrated the inauguration of the college’s sixth president, Anne Carson Daly, PhD. The campus-wide event was an affirmation of our founding principles and an expression of our desire to carry those principles forward to serve future generations.

Dr. Daly has come to a college whose students understand that their education is not derived solely from lectures and textbooks, but also from service. Through initiatives such as tutoring elementary school students at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center, taking part in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Make a Book program, and participating in the Relay for Life fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, our students learn that the knowledge and skills they receive at the Mount can and should be used to serve the world around them.

Many events on campus help to prepare our students for that role. The Alumni Office’s Meet a Mentor dinner gave them the opportunity to get to know many accomplished, local professionals, including Mount alumni! Guest speakers regularly invited by the Catholic and Dominican Institute and our academic programs give our students the chance to learn from individuals with varied expertise and impressive records in diverse humanitarian endeavors. Their work is shaping the world around us.

In the pages of this issue, you will see our founding principles in action: students learning from dedicated faculty; being mentored by staff, alumni and trustees; and being aided by generous individuals who believe in the Mount’s mission and in our students. In short, you will see the best of the Mount’s scholars in action, learning and serving in a way that makes us proud.

On behalf of the entire Mount Saint Mary College community, I thank all of you who have helped make these success stories possible. Thanks to you, the Mount is going strong!

All the best,

Joe Valenti Vice President for College Advancement

Inside

News 2 2 3 4 4 5 6 6 8 8 10 10

Road Scholars New Director of Security & Safety Mock Interview Week The Chemistry of Apple Cider Catholic and Dominican Institute New Student Days 2015 Meet a Mentor Dinner Q&A with Roger May Poetry readings “Inquiry and the Common Core” 22nd Annual Health Fair Plagiarism awareness workshop

Faculty 18 The Inauguration of the Mount’s Sixth President

12 13 13 13 14 15 16 17

Volunteering in Vietnam Faculty vs. Honors Student Trivia New book teaches Latin Q&A with Daniel Shea Research on campus East Asia lectures Sip & Psych series 4th Annual Volleyball Showdown

Features 7 International Education

9 Book of Days

22 Student teachers 23 International scholars on campus 24 Photo: Above the mighty Hudson

Service 28 28 30 30 31 31 32 32

11 Employment Fair

26 Humanitarian Journey

AgeLink grand opening “Are You My Brother?”

Prom Fest Q&A with Himali Pandya Nursing blood drive Sigma Theta Tau donation Literacy tutoring Tax helpers

Athletics

33 Knights in the Community 36 Winter season highlights 37 Hall of Fame induction

Alumni & Friends

29 Relay for Life

38 #OomphForKaty

40 42 46 47 48 49

Alumni Notes Vow renewal Christmas luncheon Dominican Legacy Scholarship Barth memorial fund Photo: Looking Back

News from the Mount

Participants in the Road Scholars program visit a variety of historic Hudson Valley destinations, including Washington’s Headquarters in Newburgh, shown above.

Promoting lifelong learning

T

his summer, the Mount will host several Road Scholars sessions. Since 1996, the Mount has offered the popular program for adult learners, featuring classes, field trips, and the opportunity to explore the scenic Hudson Valley. Participants have the option to live on campus while enjoying themes like Exploring the Hudson Valley and The Roosevelts: Life and Legacy of Franklin and Eleanor. For more information, visit msmc.edu/roadscholars The Desmond Campus of Mount Saint Mary College houses the college’s Community Education program. Participants enjoy local day trips, activities, and classes in the arts, health and wellness, technology, and more. For information, visit www.msmc.edu/desmond

Desmond Campus, located a few miles from the main campus, hosts Community Education programs.

New director of Security and Safety Mount Saint Mary College recently hired Matthew Byrne, former chief of the Middletown, N.Y. police department, as the college’s director of Security and Safety.

Byrne comes to the Mount with 24 years of experience in law enforcement.

He retired in 2009 from the Middletown Police Department, where he was chief since 2002. He served as deputy chief of police for the Town of Mount Hope beginning in 2011.

“His experience leading a large police department in Orange County

2

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

brings great value to the Mount,” stated Michael O’Keefe, the Mount’s executive director of Operations and Security and Safety. Byrne “possesses a professional demeanor that will benefit both the security department and the college.”

Byrne is pleased with the opportunity to help “keep the college safe 24 hours a day, 365 days a year” for students, faculty, staff and visitors.

“I’m very glad to be part of the team here at Mount Saint Mary College,” he explained.

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

Mount student Ryan Demers is interviewed by Don Presutti, of FOX News Channel in New York City, during Mock Interview Week.

Students learn interview secrets from the pros

T

he Mount’s Career Center recently gave students and alumni the opportunity to practice interviewing with employers from various fields.

Ryan Demers, a digital media Mount Saint Mary College student, interviewed with Don Presutti, ON ATTENTI T a technical manager for FOX News MOUN TS STUDEN Channel in New York City. “This is my February 16-19, 2015 first serious interview,” said Demers, “and I think it helped me a lot.”

For Anthony Fragomeni ’13, the experience pinpointed his strengths and weaknesses. “Now I can work on improving,” Fragomeni said. “It was MOUNT STUDENTS: Don’t miss this opportunity to practice your interview very encouraging.” skills with employers from various fields and receive valuable feedback. Both Skype and traditional interviews will be offered.

Beth Wagner of Orange Regional Sign up at the Career Center, AQ 151 Medical Center offered helpful advice: from February 2-11 Interview times fill up quickly!

“Research the organization you’re applying to and have some questions that you want to ask, either about the area you’re interested in or the company as a whole.”

Mock interview sessions also featured Adelphi University; Advance Testing Company, Inc.; Finkelstein & Partners; the Goshen School District; Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress; Independent Living, Inc.; Mobile Life Support Services; New York Medical College Graduate School; Orange County Partnership; and Vanacore, DeBenedictus, DiGovanni & Weddell, LLP. The event was conducted by Heather Fitzsimmons, coordinator of co-ops and internships.

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

Mock Interview Week

For more information, contact Heather Fitzsimmons: 845-569-3567 or heather.fitzsimmons@msmc.edu

Sponsored by the Career Center — Connecting College and Career

Find more Career Center news and events online at www.msmc.edu/CareerCenter

Alumni: Share your news!

Did you get a new job, earn a promotion, win an award, get married, or have a child? 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

3

Catholic and Dominican Institute events

T

he Mount’s Catholic and Dominican Institute, directed by assistant professor of philosophy Charles Zola, hosted several public talks recently.

Charles Zola and Sr. Ann Willits, OP

Lenten lecture series Over the course of three nights, Sr. Ann Willits, OP, a Dominican Sister from Sinsinawa, Wis., presented a trio of Lenten lectures.

Lent, noted Sr. Willits, is to be celebrated. Instead of viewing it as “40 days of obligation,” she encouraged the faithful to enjoy “40 days of observation.”

“I hope that…we might see with new eyes,” she said.

According to Sr. Willits, Dominican spirituality and Lent share the common ground of helping friends, family, and even strangers to flourish.

Sr. Willits has headed parish missions, retreats and conferences throughout the world, including the United States, South America, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Europe.

Pride and Piety Saint Thomas Aquinas, 13th century scholar, and Jane Austen, 18th century novelist, were born 550 years apart – but according to Br. Aquinas Beale, OP, they have much more in common than one might think.

According to Br. Beale, the staying power of Austen’s works may lie in her ability to portray human nature.

In a manner similar to the teaching of Aquinas, Austen

structures the lives of her characters according to the ends that they wish to achieve and the choices they make in doing so.

Br. Beale professed simple vows in the Dominican Order in 2012 and is engaged in graduate studies at the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

Getting to the core of apple cider The Mount Saint Mary College community enjoyed the sweet side of academics with the talk “The Chemistry of Making Apple Cider.”

According to speaker Timothy MacMahon, a chemistry professor at SUNY Orange, hard apple cider has a surprising history in the United States.

In colonial times, people drank more cider than water or beer, as cider was safer than the water found in many cities and towns.

In 1755, George Washington ran for a position in the House of Burgesses, the first legislative assembly in the American colonies, and lost. The next time, he had apple cider at his rallies,

4

Timothy MacMahon discusses the history and chemistry of apple cider.

including in the voting booth. Then, Washington won by a landslide.

The beloved beverage’s heyday in America was brief, beginning in the 1700s. By the late 1800s and early 1900s, cider was shunned, due in part

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

to the Temperance Movement.

The event was sponsored by the Mount’s Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center, the Mid-Hudson American Chemical Society, and the Mount’s student chapter of the ACS.

New Student Days Class of 2019 gets to know the Mount at events for accepted students

This spring, accepted students had a chance to talk with faculty, meet current student leaders, explore campus clubs, and enjoy the College Bowl competition at the Mount’s New Student Day events.

www.msmc.edu

5

Sean J. Tierney ’96, right, mentors students, including Joshua Allen, left.

Alumni mentor pre-professionals

A

bout a dozen successful graduates recently returned to campus to mentor a new generation.

The Meet a Mentor Dinner, organized by Alumni Affairs, provided forward-thinking students a chance to gain valuable insight into the work world, while breaking bread with various Mount alumni.

The career triumphs of Sean J. Tierney ’96 of Citi Private Wealth Management were inspiring for Joshua Allen, a financial advisor earning a master’s in business administration at the Mount.

Brianna Croce, a senior education student, said speaking with Katherine E. Kuhfahl ’11, a teacher at Rockland BOCES, was a major boon to her preparation.

Scott Tabone ’08, a special education teacher at Peekskill Middle School, advised, “Really enjoy what you’re going to school for. That way, working won’t feel like work.”

Other Mount alumni bringing advice included: Sean Glander ’06, an accountant at Vanacore, DeBenedictus, DiGovanni & Weddell, LLP; Magda Reyes ’10, a plant accountant at Anheuser-Busch; Tara Doughty ’01, director of program management at Hospicom; Johanna Seidel ’13, a marketing strategist at Media Solstice Marketing & PR; Jonathan Geissler ’13, a marketing strategist at Hudson Valley Technology Development

6

Keynote speaker John Bliss

Center; Amy Desouza ’11, a critical care RN at St. John’s Riverside Hospital; Che-La Devonshire ’14, a nurse at Vassar Brothers Medical Center; Christopher Boydston ’11, a psychologist at Downstate Correctional; and Sr. Lucy Povilonis ’72, principal of St. John’s School and Mount trustee.

Speaker John Bliss, principal of NonProfit Solutions LLC, and founder of BlissPR, told students “business and life as a whole is a learning experience, and if you can’t learn technology, new skills, and more, you’ll be left behind.”

Other notable mentors included Mount president Anne Carson Daly and her twin sister Maura Daly, a Fulbright Scholar and former government executive; Virginia Smith, Newburgh branch manager with Ulster Savings Bank; Suzanne Bliss, president and CEO of the Northeast Region of the Arthritis Foundation; and Mount trustees Greg Cooper, a CPA with Cooper Arias LLP, and Harrison H. Buxton III, senior vice president of wealth services with UBS Financial Services.

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

Q&A

Meet Roger May, Jr., new assistant director of Campus Ministry

Originally from Maryville, Tenn., Roger May, Jr. earned an associate’s degree in biblical studies from Indiana Bible College and a bachelor’s degree in organizational communication from Middle Tennessee State University.

Q. What drew you to the Mount’s Campus Ministry?

A. I love the fact that Campus Ministry at the Mount is so involved with other departments in the school so that more people benefit from what each has to offer. I have also been so impressed with how welcoming and kind everyone has been since I got here.

Q. What are you most excited about in your new position?

A. The opportunity to have a positive impact in the Mount community, especially in the area of spiritual growth. I am a firm believer that no matter how good we are in any area of life, there is always room to grow, and I’m excited about the chance to facilitate that growth in others and see it in myself.

Q. What is one thing you’d like the college to know about Campus Ministry?

A. The number one most important thing about Campus Ministry at Mount Saint Mary College is that it is for everyone. It can be easy to think of something called “campus ministry” as a club for super-religious people, but I want to make a clear call that people of every religious persuasion and those with none at all are welcome! There simply are no barriers to who we are willing to serve. I’m here to help in whatever way I can.

Celebrating international education

E

arly this spring, Mount students explored a multitude of cultures from around the world during International Education Week, co-sponsored by the Offices of Student Activities, International Programs, and Counseling and Disabilities.

International events included Native American dance teacher Joan Henry leading a traditional peace ceremony; a celebration of the Chinese New Year; screenings of seminal African American culture films “The Color Purple” and “Malcolm X”; Salsa dance lessons with the college’s Latino Student Union; a performance of the reggae band Royal Khaoz; and The Annual Cultural Expo, wherein students enjoyed music, artifacts, food, literature and more from various countries.

The Mount offers a host of options for students to study abroad, including summer programs in Florence, Italy; London, England; and Madrid, Spain. www.msmc.edu

7

Poets Barbara Adams, left, and Robert Milby, above, shared their work as part of the Mount’s annual spring poetry series.

Creative Campus celebrates poetry

T

he Mount community ushered in the spring season with its annual poetry series, this year featuring acclaimed authors Barbara Adams and Robert Milby.

The readings, sponsored by the Arts and Letters Division and the Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center, were part of the Mount’s Creative Campus initiative.

“My poems are very much influenced by where we are in the Hudson Valley, the Hudson River itself, and the scenes I have experienced,” explained Adams. “Your environment affects what you write.”

Adams has published two books, “Hapax Legomena”

and “The Ordinary Living.” She won the Robert Frost Foundation Award for Poetry in 2007, and the Negative Capability Fiction Prize for a short story in 1999.

Milby dedicated his reading to former Hudson Valley poet Russell Chaney, who passed away earlier this year.

Milby has given more than 300 featured readings.

His first book of poetry is “Ophelia’s Offspring,” and a second, “Victorian House: Ghosts and Gothic Poems,” is pending publication. Milby also has narrated two spoken word CDs: “Revenant Echo” and “Underground.”

Educators learn new teaching strategies Barbara Stripling, senior associate dean for the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University, recently hosted a workshop for teacher candidates and area educators at Mount Saint Mary College.

She kicked off the half-day long event with her presentation, “Inquiry and the Common Core.”

“Inquiry has the power to lift students to a new level of independent learning,” Stripling explained. “As librarians and educators, our understanding of the inquiry process and skills enables us to collaborate in designing powerful instruction, teaching the thinking skills of the Common Core, and motivating students to discover the joy of learning.”

The second part of the event featured an interactive workshop, “Teaching Strategies for Active, Inquiry-Based Learning.”

The workshop provided hands-on experience with a variety of strategies that can engage students in critical reading and inquiry, including carousel brainstorming, conversation

8

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

Barbara Stripling, a senior associate dean at Syracuse University, addresses teachers during a two-topic workshop at the Mount.

questions, point-of-view annotations, alternative perspective writing, and “save the last word for me.”

The workshop was sponsored by the Mount’s Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center, Dutchess BOCES, Orange-Ulster BOCES, and Sullivan BOCES.

The “Book of Days” cast and crew.

‘Book of Days’ brings modern drama to stage

A

n unexpected death brought new meaning to life for a small town in “Book of Days,” the latest play presented by the Mount Saint Mary College theater group.

Directed by associate professor of theatre, James Phillips, “Book of Days” was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lanford Wilson.

“I want to do modern theater from time to time, so students get experience with what is currently done in professional theaters around the country,” Phillips explained.

The storyline: Dublin, Missouri, is known for its theater, the church, and the cheese factory. But in the wake of the mysterious and violent death of one of their own, residents are forced to reexamine long-held values surrounding their community. In the process, one woman opposes both the church and the leadership of the cheese plant, and is transformed into a small town version of the character she’s playing on stage: Joan of Arc. The cast and crew included William Biersack, Joseph Certa, Anthony Cona, Brenna Cooney, Thomas Fallon, John Ferretti Jr., Alexander Florez, Rebecca Gordils, Adrianna Gregory, Meghan Hartnett, Emily Howitz, Benjamin Lindenauer, Danielle McGrath and Steven Scodes.

They rose to the occasion, Phillips praised. “Helping them discover their voice as an artist is really gratifying,” he noted. www.msmc.edu

9

Mount hosts 22nd annual health fair

T

he 22nd annual Beth Roeper Health and Wellness Fair this spring attracted hundreds of students and community members.

Sponsored by the Mount’s Health Services Wellness Center, and David Melby with the Rose & Kiernan Inc. insurance agency, the fair featured free health screenings, interactive exhibits, door prizes and raffles.

The fair is named for former Health Services director Beth Roeper, who recently retired.

Some 50 vendors offered their services, including health care organizations, medical insurance companies, student clubs and campus departments.

Mount students Jasmine Montes and Olivia Thompson enjoyed healthy foods and consulted with a representative of Innate Chiropractic in Newburgh, N.Y. about spinal health.

“I have a couple of personal health issues that should be addressed, and that’s what’s happening right now,” Montes explained. Added Thompson, “There’s plenty of things I don’t know about health. This is where I can get more information that could help me in the future.”

The Mount’s 22nd annual Beth Roeper Health and Wellness Fair attracted hundreds of students and community members.

Writing Center hosts practical workshops The Mount’s Writing Center recently taught students the different forms of intentional and unintentional plagiarism and how to avoid them at a Plagiarism Awareness Pizza Party. The event included working with tutors, question and answer sessions, and anti-plagiarism video games.

The Writing Center sponsors a variety of helpful events throughout the year, including a three-part series on the intersections of writing and the Dominican Charisms. Spanning two semesters, the series included Writing as Truth; Writing as Leadership; and Writing as Community.

Writing Center tutors assist students in all stages of the writing process, including brainstorming and organizing ideas; structuring sentences, paragraphs and essays; strengthening argumentation; incorporating research; appropriate systems of citation; and improving grammar and style.

“Our goal is for every writer to learn and practice at least one writing skill during every consultation,” explained Gina

10

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

Students learned about different forms of plagiarism at the Writing Center’s Plagiarism Awareness Pizza Party.

Evers, director. “When writers leave the center, we want them to feel confident in their ability and know what the next steps are for their continued improvement.”

Students make connections at employment fair

S

tudents came equipped with résumés and dressed for success, as national and regional employers offered fulltime positions, internships, and summer jobs during the college’s 15th Annual Employment Fair.

Interviewing more than 200 students and alumni were some 70 employers from civic, corporate and nonprofit organizations, including Crystal Run Healthcare, Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union, the New York City Police Department and the NYC Department of Education.

The fair, conducted by the Career Center, was sponsored

by Northwestern Mutual, Target, Verizon Wireless, Balchem Corporation, Edward Jones financial services, Isagenix International, LLC. and United Natural Foods Inc. “The recruiters told us that they were impressed with the quality of our students’ preparation, professional attire, polite manners, well-prepared résumés, engaging personalities and motivation,” said Janet Zeman, executive director of the Career Center.

Business major Mark Vesely said friendly recruiters gave him some important advice: “Have confidence whenever you’re talking to somebody, because employers notice that.”

Jade Hanley, an English major, found that the employment fair was a great opportunity for students who will soon be graduating.

Successful Mount alumni were in no short supply. Sean Glander ’06 and Erin Blabac ’03 of Vanacore, DeBenedictus, DiGovanni & Weddell, LLP, noted that many alumni have cultivated excellent careers with their firm. www.msmc.edu

11

FACULTY news and notes

Above: Priscilla Sagar, professor of nursing, seated, with senior students after a lecture at the Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Vietnam.

Mount nursing professor lends expertise in Vietnam

P

riscilla Sagar, a Mount Saint Mary College professor who specializes in transcultural nursing and has published textbooks on the topic, recently lent her expertise to a burgeoning medical school in Vietnam.

Sponsored by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Sagar served for two weeks as visiting faculty at the Health Volunteers Overseas nurse education training site at The Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy. The university, which boasts an academic center and hospital, provides health care for more than 20 million people in 18 provinces.

Hue University is designing its first

12

master’s in nursing program, and Sagar assisted with the process. She was the second American nursing professional to serve in this endeavor.

“The Vietnamese nurses are very devoted to the profession,” she observed.

Sagar views her time at Hue University as a continuation of work she began in 1997, during her first two Vietnam service trips. At that time, she taught nurses at Ho Chi Minh City Medicine and Pharmacy University.

In another accolade, Sagar was recently among 14 leaders in nursing education, practice and administration to be inducted as a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine.

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

Priscilla Sagar (center), professor of nursing, receives a plaque for her work at the Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Vietnam.

Q&A

Meet Daniel Shea, chair, Division of Arts and Letters Cover and inside illustration from “Fabulae Caeciliae: Cecilia’s Stories,” written by education professor Frances Spielhagen

Bringing Latin to life Mount professor pens formula for elementary/middle schoolers

T

he use of Frances Spielhagen’s new book, “Fabulae Caeciliae: Cecilia’s Stories,” in U.S. classrooms proves that Latin is alive and well, she says.

“One of the things I’ve learned over four decades of being an educator is that Latin doesn’t die,” explained the education professor. “Latin enhances one’s understanding of the English language.”

Published by Royal Fireworks Press, “Fabulae Caeciliae” is an illustrated story primer that provides an introduction to Latin. The book follows the life of the title character, Cecilia, in ancient Rome. The unique illustrations by artist Loel Barr combine photographs with detailed drawings.

Through the accompanying images on each page, young students can grasp the words’ meaning and develop their vocabulary gradually. According to Spielhagen, even adults who have not studied the language will be able to teach it to both students and themselves.

The primer is already in use in classrooms in Washington and Arkansas, with more on the horizon.

The book is the first in a planned series of four, with the upcoming books chronicling Cecilia growing up. By the end of the series, students will have learned the equivalent of a typical Latin 1 high school course.

Faculty team wins trivia challenge A baker’s dozen of Mount professors recently won a hard-earned victory in the Honors Program Students vs.

Faculty Trivia Challenge, sponsored by the Student Honors Council.

Stellar faculty and students from all Mount schools/divisions went head-to-

head in categories including academics, Mount facts, and popular culture. Rounds consisted of three multiple choice questions from each category, with alternate questions in the event of a tie.

After 20 rounds, the faculty pulled ahead with a score of 14-6.

Daniel Shea, associate professor of English, celebrated his 10­-year anniversary with the Mount earlier this year.

Shea assumed the role of chair of the Division of Arts and Letters in 2014.

Q: What drew you to the Mount and made you want to become a professor here?

A: The perfect combination of location and identity. A small liberal arts college on the banks of the Hudson River: it’s the kind of place one reads about in novels. It’s also small enough that every student matters, so I grew to appreciate the intellectual rigor and close connections that shape outstanding individuals.

Q: What is your favorite part about teaching at the Mount?

A: There are two kinds of schools.

Some are so large that students become part of something much bigger than themselves. Other kinds enable students to stand out, where a school’s identity and the student’s sense of self resonate. I much prefer teaching in the latter.

Q: What is your favorite class that you have taught and why?

A: I particularly enjoy my Fairy Tales class, since every student has some experiences with these stories. Most people know there’s more going on than Disney’s latest marketing trend, so they always have something to say.

Q: What is one piece of advice that you have for college students today?

A: Learn how to write! If you’re looking to advance past an entry­-level position, no matter what your career, there is no skill more in demand and more capable of getting you noticed than the ability to write well. www.msmc.edu

13

IROC PRESENTATIONS

Mount showcases research on campus

Top right: Roumen Vragov, assistant professor of information technology | Above: Matthew Freedman, English teacher at Newburgh Free Academy, presented along with Mount Education professors Matthew Hollibush and David Gallagher.

O

nline auctions, IPOs, and TED Talks took center stage recently in iROC (Investigating Research on Campus) presentations at the Mount.

“The iROC seminar series provides a forum to present research proposals, preliminary data, and completed projects,” explained Doug Robinson, biology assistant professor and coordinator of the program.

Education professors Matthew Hollibush and David Gallagher, and English teacher Matthew Freedman of Newburgh Free Academy, presented “Ideas Worth Spreading: An Examination of the Use of TED Talks to Engage Students in Multi-Modal Literacies.” Hollibush and Gallagher teach the Senior Talks technique, inspired by lectures featured in TED (Technology, Entertainment,

14

Ying Xiao, assistant professor of finance

Design) conferences, to teacher candidates at the Mount, for use in their future classrooms.

Ying Xiao, assistant professor of finance, discussed extrapolation errors in initial public offerings, noting “pre-IPO firms that grow faster, compared to their counterparts, are valued more at initial public offerings, but their long-term

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

stock performance is worse.”

Students planning a research project got a jumpstart with “Research with Human Subjects: The ABCs of the IRB (Institutional Review Board)” by Frances Spielhagen, education professor and IRB chair, and Eric Langstedt, assistant communications professor and IRB member.

Roumen Vragov, information technology assistant professor, discussed how websites like eBay can maximize business potential in “Designing Online Auctions: Lessons from the Laboratory.”

Ryan Williams, director of planning and research, discussed how the Mount gathers and analyzes data in “Benchmarking Institutional Performance at MSMC: Using Data to Assess Progress on Strategic Plan Goals.”

The iROC season culminated with a student research poster symposium.

David C. Kang discussed aspects of East Asian religion, politics and culture at his recent lectures.

Renowned East Asian studies speaker visits the Mount

Asian religion, politics topics of lectures

D

avid C. Kang, a distinguished speaker on East Asian studies, presented a pair of provocative talks at Mount Saint Mary College.

In “Religion and Politics in East Asia,” Kang claimed that while European history is rife with religious wars and conflicts, the same cannot be said for East Asia.

He noted that people generally choose a single religion: For example, one is either Jewish or Christian, but not both.

However, “The fundamental way East Asian religions work is very

inclusive,” said Kang. “You can easily be a Christian Buddhist.” It is perhaps that inclusiveness, Kang concluded, that kept major religious conflicts from occurring in East Asia.

Kang’s second Mount lecture was titled, “The U.S. Pivot and Regional Security in Northeast Asia: Reassuring Friends or Allowing Competition?”

In a survey of the major East Asian countries, the gross domestic product of China’s economy was 8 percent of the region’s total in 1988. Japan’s was 70 percent. But today, China’s economy represents nearly half of the region’s

total wealth, and Japan has dwindled to one quarter.

“The power transition in East Asia is over,” he said.

Kang, a professor of international relations and business at the University of Southern California, also directs the university’s Korean Studies Institute.

His lectures were co-sponsored by the Distinguished Speakers Bureau of the Northeast Asia Council of the Association for Asian Studies, the Korea Foundation, and Mount Saint Mary College. www.msmc.edu

15

Sip & Psych

Student psychology symposium debuts

M

ount Saint Mary College recently kicked off the Sip & Psych series, wherein senior students present current research in the field while their peers enjoy a spot of tea.

The first topic, “The Nature and Power of Interests,” had seniors Alexis Balles and William Morrissey examining the correlation between personality traits and job skills.

Morrissey noted that an individual’s greatest interests often develop when he or she is a child, and these last through adulthood.

According to Morrissey and Balles, “researchers hypothesize that personality and cognitive ability develop after one’s interests have.” Interests, added the latter, can be used to determine a possible career path.

In “Don’t Worry, Be Sad! On the Cognitive, Motivational and Interpersonal Benefits of Negative Mood,” LeihShane McLaren, Kaitlyn Byrnes, Tabitha Paez, and Rebecca Sylvestre revealed that negative feelings played a role in the survival and reproduction of early humans. Such moods made them more aware of their environment and helped fuel the instinct to fight if necessary.

The Sip & Psych series is spearheaded by Yasmine Kalkstein, assistant psychology professor at the Mount.

16

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

Above: Seniors William Morrissey, a psychology and history double major, and Alexis Balles, a psychology major, delve into the correlation between personality traits and job skills.

Top: LeihShane McLaren explains why sometimes a bad mood can be a good thing.

Volleyball Showdown ‘Top Gun’ faculty victorious in volleyball In the Fourth Annual FUNd Volleyball Showdown at Mount Saint Mary College, the “Top Gun” faculty team shot down the “Knight Strikers” student team in two out of three games.

This marks the first time the faculty team has won the friendly competition, which raises revenue for the college’s Annual Fund.

Knight Strikers Student Team Geraldine Yniguez; Roman Khomyn; Victoria Trocino; Liz Duong; Isabella Tartaglione; Ryan Hayes; Olivia Bogle; Steven Spencer; Matt Cahill; Kyle McNiff; Sean Betterly; Ryan Turton; Logan Kurtz; Elizabeth Cipriano; Connor Bean; and Justin Perez.

Top Gun Faculty Team David Gallagher (Goose), associate professor of education; Eric Langstedt (Iceman), assistant professor of communications; Matthew Hollibush (Maverick), assistant professor of education; Caitlin Houlihan (The Hooligan), assistant director of Student Activities; Jeremy Girsch (Girsch-Win), financial aid counselor/work study coordinator; Evan Merkhofer (Merk-a-nator), assistant professor of biology; Ellen Bourhis Nolan (No Net Nolan), director of career development; Derek Sanderson (Big Swede), assistant librarian for access services; Joyce DeFont, athletics; John Nicoletti, network administrator; and Corri Nicoletti, instructional technology specialist.

www.msmc.edu

17

2015

Inauguration The liberal arts open the mind and heart, not only freeing “ the soul from prejudice and ignorance and pettiness, but also helping to free it for justice, and generosity, and wisdom.�

President Anne Carson Daly

Three presidents: From left, Sister Ann Sakac, OP, PhD, Anne Carson Daly, PhD, and Father Kevin E. Mackin, OFM, STD.

18

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

With her talents, her We are delighted to “experience, “have her vision for selected a president

the pursuit of truth “inBy all fields of knowledge,

the college, her character, and her heart, I know Dr. Daly will continue to be an outstanding leader.

help to shape a society in which every person enjoys dignity and respect.

”

Mysia H. Hoogsteden ‘84 President of the Alumni Association

with excellent academic credentials who has also worked successfully in the worlds of government and business.

”

Dr. Albert J. Gruner Chair of the Board of Trustees

”

Sr. Leona DeBoer, OP Professor Emerita of Nursing

Mount celebrates sixth president:

Anne Carson Daly, PhD

T

he Mount Saint Mary College community and friends celebrated the inauguration of Anne Carson Daly, the college’s sixth president, on Thursday, March 12.

INT MARY C SA

VERI M TATE

.Y .

EW

DO CE ME

LEGE OL

MOUN T

Inauguration Celebration N

Succeeding Fr. Kevin E. Mackin, OFM, STD, she was appointed unanimously by the college’s Board of Trustees after a competitive nationwide search.

Before coming to the Mount, Dr. Daly served as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina, where she led more than 160 full- and part-time faculty; oversaw the educational program of almost 1,700 students; supervised more than 50 majors, minors and concentrations; and managed the staff, budgets and programs of all academic departments. She also helped to lead Belmont Abbey through its 10-year reaccreditation.

Mount trustees, campus personnel, student leaders and regional leaders/partners such as Sen. William J. Larkin, Jr., Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, Newburgh businessman and philanthropist William Kaplan, Bishop Dominick J. Lagonegro, DD, and Newburgh mayor Judy Kennedy, were present in recognition of Dr. Daly’s service to the college.

Among those who praised Daly were Mysia Hoogsteden ’84, president of the college’s Alumni Association and member of the presidential search committee; Sr. Leona DeBoer, OP, professor emerita of nursing; Irene Nunnari, professor emerita of arts and letters; Laura L. Anglin, president of the Commission on Independent Colleges & Universities; Sr. Ann Sakac, OP, past Mount president; and William Richards, president of State University of New York (SUNY) Orange.

Dr. Albert J. Gruner, chairman of the college’s Board of Trustees and former

B U R G H, N

Anne Carson Daly

Sixth President of Mount Saint Mary College

www.msmc.edu

19

President Anne Carson Daly greets Bishop Dominick J. Lagonegro, DD, prior to the Inauguration Mass.

The Chapel of the Most Holy Rosary in the Dominican Center was the setting for the Inauguration Mass.

James Finn Cotter, professor of English, leads the faculty procession into Aquinas Hall Theatre for the ceremony.

Dr. Albert J. Gruner, chair of the Mount’s Board of Trustees, presents Anne Carson Daly with the College Charter.

chair of Ulster Savings Bank, noted that the presidential search was “a time intensive, demanding process” and the results speak for themselves. “We could not be more pleased with the outstanding job that Dr. Daly is doing,” he said. “We are delighted to have selected a president with excellent academic credentials who has also worked successfully in the worlds of government and business.”

During part of the Reagan, Bush and Clinton administrations, Dr. Daly served as Senior Education Research Analyst at the National Advisory Council on Educational Research and Improvement, which advised the President, the Congress, and the Secretary of Education on educational matters nationwide. From 1994 through 2000, at Pfizer, Inc., the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, she supervised Policy Communications on five continents.

Student body president Mary Bocskocsky thanked Daly for her commitment to strengthening the Mount community.

“President Daly exhibits the qualities of an accomplished leader,” Bocskocsky said.

English professor James Cotter offered gratitude for her support of the Mount’s academic programs. As the longestserving member of the Mount faculty, Cotter carried the ceremonial mace, emblazoned with the college’s motto “Doce Me Veritatem” (Teach Me the Truth).

Cotter passed the mace to Fr. Mackin, who entrusted it to Dr. Daly.

President Daly thanked the many faculty, staff, students and friends of the college who made the inauguration celebration possible, as well as the Dominican Sisters of Hope who founded the college more than 50 years ago.

The new president noted that the college’s focus on the liberal arts and “the triad of goodness, truth and beauty” rose out of the Dominican commitment to prayer and learning.

“The liberal arts open the mind and heart, not only freeing the soul from prejudice and ignorance and pettiness, but also helping to free it for justice, and generosity, and wisdom,” Daly explained. “The good, true and beautiful is

20

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

The college’s

first five presidents

Father Kevin E. Mackin, OFM, and Dr. Anne Carson Daly at the Inauguration Ceremony.

Mary Bocskocsky ‘15, student body president, said, “President Daly exhibits the qualities of an accomplished leader.”

the natural focus of the liberal arts, because contemplating the truth is the highest good of the mind; contemplating the good is the highest intellectual goal of the spirit; and contemplating beauty is the highest intellectual goal of the senses.”

She added, “Here at Mount Saint Mary College, we have a great and caring community…who exemplify in their own lives the good, true, beautiful.”

Daly earned her bachelor’s degree in English and history from Mount Holyoke College, and her MA and PhD in English literature from Johns Hopkins University. She has taught at Johns Hopkins, the University of Notre Dame and Georgetown University.

A member of Phi Beta Kappa, she co-translated a major work on the founding of the Jesuits from French to English, and has penned more than 80 articles and reviews on a wide array of topics, including literature, religion, architecture, education and business. She has also given more than 100 lectures throughout the United States and Europe.

Mother Leo Vincent Short, OP 1959-1964 At the request of Mother Leo, Superior of the Dominican Sisters of Newburgh, New York State amended the college’s charter on October 30, 1959, and Mount Saint Mary College became a four-year liberal arts college. Mother Leo authorized the admission of lay women in 1960.

Sister Mary Francis McDonald, OP, PhD – 1964-1972 Sister Mary Francis McDonald was part of the college’s founding faculty, teaching the classics.

She served as its first Dean of Students, expanded the faculty and Board of Trustees, and supervised changes to the curriculum.

William T. O’Hara, JD 1972-1976 William O’Hara was appointed the college’s first lay president in March 1972. He instituted the forerunner of the college’s continuing education program, providing enriching non-credit courses and programs for the region.

Sister Ann Sakac, OP, PhD 1976-2008 During Sister Ann’s presidency, enrollment grew from 877 to more than 2,600 men and women. The college added new programs and engaged in an expansive building and renovation program with the Kaplan Family Mathematics, Science & Technology Center, the College Courts, Sakac Hall, and the Elaine and William Kaplan Recreation Center.

Fr. Kevin E. Mackin, OFM, STD 2008-2014 Father Kevin oversaw completion of many initiatives outlined in the strategic plan that he helped to develop; started the Catholic and Dominican Institute; launched and successfully concluded a $10 million capital campaign; and oversaw the transformation of the Dominican Center. www.msmc.edu

21

Each student “teacher brings something new into the classroom, and I learn plenty of new things from them.

”

Nancy Benfer Cooperating educator hosting Mount student teachers at Bishop Dunn Memorial School

Left: Mount student teacher and history major Brian Kimbark at work in a sixth grade classroom at Van Wyck Junior High School.

A classroom of their own

Mount student teachers take next step

S

tephanie Rivera’s love of teaching, and her students’ love of learning, led to a very lively fourth grade classroom at Bishop Dunn Memorial School.

Rivera, a mathematics major on the childhood education track, said her student teaching placement with cooperating educator Nancy Benfer was as beneficial to her as to her students.

Under Benfer’s tutelage, Rivera refined her lesson creation technique, enhanced her utilization of Smartboards, and improved her behavior management skills.

Rivera was the third Mount student Benfer mentored since the beginning of the academic year. “The Mount always prepares the student teachers very well,” Benfer explained. “Each student teacher brings something new into the classroom, and I learn plenty of new things from them.”

Rivera revealed that the Mount’s education program “really prepared me for my student teaching.” Rebecca Norman, assistant professor of education, was a major influence. Norman “helped me so much with my language arts and how to plan lessons,” Rivera said.

Elsewhere in the college’s network of student teaching sites, Brian Kimbark felt at home in his placement at Van Wyck Junior High School in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. “I was a little nervous about teaching sixth grade,” said Kimbark, a history major on the childhood education track, “but this experience has been fantastic. I’m considering getting a middle school extension now.”

The teacher candidate is just as proficient at training

417 22

Bachelor’s and master’s degree candidates in the Mount’s education program

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

Stephanie Rivera teaches students in Nancy Benfer’s fourth grade class at Bishop Dunn Memorial School. Benfer is a 2004 graduate of the Mount.

students in multiplication as he is ancient Chinese dynasties, and through it all, the children remain focused and attentive.

Kimbark said that his cooperating teacher, Linnette Correale, is “a great model for what I want to be doing in the class.”

“He came in extremely prepared,” Correale confirmed.

“Within the first week he was teaching classes. The kids love him. When he talks, they listen.”

3,554

Mount alumni who have received education certification

Above: Visiting scholars from Latin America explore a greenhouse at Continental Organics in New Windsor, N.Y. Top right: Patty Gilson of Continental Organics with students.

Ashley Knox, study abroad coordinator, presents to the international visitors.

Above and right: A closing ceremony concluded the visiting students’ three-week session.

International students immersed in Hudson Valley businesses

F

or Latin American scholars hosted by Mount Saint Mary College, examining the business model of Continental Organics in New Windsor, N.Y. was a breath of fresh air.

Through the International Business School – São Paulo, the Mount’s Office of International Programs and the Mount’s School of Business, nearly 100 students from Brazil and beyond learned the ins and outs of business in the United States during the threeweek winter interim.

The students attended marketing, English and business courses on the college campus. They also took field trips to the Museum of American Finance on Wall Street, St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital in Newburgh, and the IBM Executive Briefing Center and Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie.

As part of their course in strategic

management, students visited Continental Organics, an aquaponic farm specializing in GMO-, pesticide- and hormone-free vegetables. Inside massive greenhouses, the plants thrive in a nutrient-rich solution.

According to Emily Marmo, director of international programs at the Mount, the courses helped prepare the Latin American students to be employed in the global market.

Through the Mount, “These students have been exposed to alternate business environments, cultural exchange, United States pedagogy and teaching styles, different communication methods, and more,” she explained. “And with a dozen countries represented in the student population, there is a tremendous international component to all their learning and living environments.”

Mount School of Business chair Andrew Weiss noted “the faculty are

School of Business chair Andrew Weiss with international students.

unanimous in how wonderful these students are to work with. They’re bright, cooperative and attentive.”

Contributing Mount professors for the Brazil connection also included Moira Tolan, Veronica McMillian, Colleen Kirk, Glenn Tanzman, John Yelle and John Capron, business; and Anne-Marie Uebbing, nursing. Ashley Knox, study abroad coordinator, helped oversee the program.

The collaboration with International Business School – São Paulo launched in early 2014. www.msmc.edu

23

Above the mighty Hudson

“How the Mount campus has grown!” is a frequent comment from Mount alumni and the college community.

Here’s the 2014-15 version of the 60-acre campus, with the transformed Dominican Center, new baseball/softball fields, turf field, tennis courts, and expanded parking. Come visit and take a new look around on Alumni and Family Weekend in September 2015!

Photo by Lee Ferris

GIVING BACK The Mount community at work

A regional hospital that Mount nursing students and faculty visited in the Dominican Republic.

Healing hands Nursing program helps out in impoverished Caribbean region

Newburgh UNITED STATES

Dominican Republic

Right: Benjamin Hayes, a nursing major, aids a disabled boy at Casa de Luz, a home for children with special needs.

26

I

nstead of taking a spring break, several students in the Mount Saint Mary College nursing program gave their time and efforts in a humanitarian journey to the Dominican Republic.

The students, joined by Mount faculty members Dianne Murphy, Ann Corcoran and Linda Ruta, headed to impoverished areas known as bateyes to assess residents’ health and provide care to individuals and families.

According to Murphy, the group handed out some 800 “health packs,” containing soap, toothpaste, a toothbrush, a washcloth, over-the-counter pain relievers and more. Mount faculty, students and staff, their families, and community members donated the supplies.

The humanitarians also toured the Hospital Regional in San Pedro de

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

Top left: Mount nursing students, including Alyssa Bavuso, left, and Irene Santiago, right, worked in Dominican Republic clinics where rooms were separated not with walls, but sheets. Bottom left: A brief respite between projects.

Top right: Mount nursing students, faculty, and other volunteers in the Dominican Republic.

Bottom right: Jessica Martinez, left, and Kelly Baker feed a disabled child in an impoverished shanty town.

very little access to health care, and because of “There’s that, small health problems get worse and worse. ”

Mount nursing student Brianna Perazella

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

During their five-day stay, the students and their Mount mentors aided more than 2,000 people.

In the bateyes, “there’s very little access to health care,” explained student Brianna Perazella. “And because of that, small health problems get worse and worse.”

The Mount group encountered ailments such as earaches, toothaches, headaches, high blood pressure, infections and dehydration resulting from unclean water supplies.

Irene Santiago said the experience strengthened the students’ skills, including patient assessment, prioritization and becoming a more autonomous nurse.

Their clinical work in hospitals throughout the tri-state area helped prepare them, explained Mackenzie Rohde.

However, in the bateyes, the tools students have in the

United States were in short supply.

“We talk about critical thinking skills in class, but this gave us a great opportunity to use those skills in the field,” said Rohde.

When asked if they would go on another humanitarian trip, all the students replied enthusiastically: Yes. In addition to Mount faculty and Rohde, Santiago and Perazella, the sojourner servants in the group were: master’s candidates Kristina Thompson, Theresa Halloran, Kaye Saludares, Christian Plaza, Ron Vales and Diane Volk; accelerated students Jacquelyn Augusto, Amy Locitzer, Jessica Torres, Benjamin Hayes and Jennifer Goldstein; and traditional undergrad seniors Kelly Baker, Sarah Muller, Jessica Martinez, Danielle Piperato, Maggie Mowbray, Sonya Mattera, Alyssa Bavuso and Caprice Cervone.

Also participating was Murphy’s daughter, Kristie, who is a registered nurse and a Mount alumna.

The journey marked the Mount’s fourth group trip to the Dominican Republic. www.msmc.edu

27

Big Brothers Big Sisters

AgeLink senior program opens

T

he Newburgh community recently celebrated the grand opening of AgeLink, an innovative new program for seniors.

AgeLink is a collaboration between the college’s Center on Aging and Policy, the Orange County Office for the Aging, SUNY Orange, and the Newburgh Armory Unity Center.

Services at the Armory include caregiving, health insurance counseling, and personal assistance. The program is staffed by student volunteers from the Mount who are trained in services for the aging. Most speak both English and Spanish.

“We’re delighted at Mount Saint Mary College to serve at the Armory, learn from some of our older citizens, and have a chance to offer them great opportunities,” said Mount president Anne Carson Daly.

Not only will AgeLink be a benefit to the college, to the Armory, and to the City of Newburgh, “it’s also being looked at as a model for other entities across New York State,” explained Lawrence Force, psychology professor and director of the Mount’s Center on Aging and Policy.

Force thanked William Kaplan, local businessman and philanthropist, for providing space for the AgeLink program at the Armory, and Jeffrey Kahana, history professor and co-director of CAP. Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus, a 1996 graduate of the Mount, announced he was pleased that AgeLink will provide seniors with the help and care they require.

AgeLink is the latest in a long line of collaborations between Mount Saint Mary College and the Newburgh Armory Unity Center. Ongoing projects include literacy programs for children, courses for Spanishspeaking individuals to learn English, family reading nights, and more.

Ribbon cutting ceremony officials above, left to right: Danielle Diana-Smith, assistant director of the Orange County Office for the Aging; Lawrence Force, psychology professor and director of the Mount’s Center on Aging and Policy; Judith Kennedy, Newburgh mayor; Brian Mahar, representing Sen. William J. Larkin, Jr.; Steven Neuhaus, Orange County Executive and 1996 graduate of the Mount; William Kaplan, chair of the Newburgh Armory Unity Center Board of Directors; James DelViscio, executive director of the Newburgh Armory Unity Center; Anne Carson Daly, president of Mount Saint Mary College; AnnMarie Maglione, director of the county Office for the Aging; James Kulisek, Orange County Legislature, District 6; and Curlie Dillard, Orange County Legislature, District 4.

28

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

Kailyn Zanella, club president, reads to her “Little” for inspiration before a drawing session.

Club participants illustrate storybook The “Littles” of Mount Saint Mary College’s Big Brothers Big Sisters student club recently channeled their inner artists to help illustrate the upcoming book, “Are You My Brother?”

Authors Michele Winchester-Vega and Natasha Vega, who previously published “Are You My Sister?,” will use several of the pictures in their new book.

After sharpening their drawing expertise at the Ann Street Gallery in Newburgh, the Littles got to work.

Some wrote short stories to accompany their pictures, and Mount mentors submitted their own stories for consideration.

The book will highlight positive interactions between siblings and celebrate brotherhood.

“The Littles did a really great job drawing, even if they don’t have a brother,” explained Mount senior Kailyn Zanella, club president. “In that case, they drew what their connection to their ‘Big’ means to them.”

When “Are You My Brother?” is published, the proceeds will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County.

Mount Relay for Life co-chair Anthony Cona (center) walks the first lap bearing a stars and stripes superhero shield.

Co-chairs Diana Pernicano and Anthony Cona discuss their battles with cancer.

Mount Relay for Life raises more than $36,000

I

n late March, Mount Saint Mary College’s sixth annual Relay for Life earned $36,500 for the American Cancer Society through the efforts of students, faculty, staff and volunteers from the community.

More than 400 members of 32 teams took turns walking laps from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Survivors, including students, faculty and alumni, were guests of honor.

The Mount Relay Leadership Committee of approximately 20 students was led by media studies major Anthony Cona and nursing major Diana Pernicano, who are both cancer survivors.

Cona was diagnosed with lymphoma when he was a young boy. After a decade in remission, he has been free of cancer for about two years.

Pernicano began her battle in 2013

Above and below: Participants support cancer survivors and raise funds at the Relay for Life event in the Elaine and William Kaplan Recreation Center.

when she found a lump in her neck during a hands-on lesson in a nursing class. She credits the course with saving her life. Pernicano received treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma and is now free of the disease.

Caitlin Houlihan, assistant director of Student Activities, said, “These students immersed themselves in Relay and the mission of the American Cancer Society because they truly believe they can be the generation that finds a cure for cancer.”

The Mount’s Relay for Life was sponsored by the Colleges Against Cancer club, Student Activities, and the American Cancer Society.

The college will continue collecting Relay donations through August 2015.

Anyone wishing to donate can contact Houlihan at caitlin.houlihan@msmc.edu or 845-569-3113. www.msmc.edu

29

Q&A

Himali Pandya, Leadership Development Coach The Mount’s Leadership Development Program welcomed Himali Pandya as coach in June 2014. The program, which cultivates and mentors student leaders on campus, seeks to provide the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to be an effective leader, both on campus and in the world.

Q: What drew you in about the Mount?

A: There are so many things that drew me to the Mount! I love everything from the beautiful campus to its student-centered approach to the friendly staff. More than all of that, I enjoy working directly with students.

Mount students are born leaders and I feel lucky to help them along their journeys.

Q: What is your favorite part of the Leadership Development program?

A: My favorite part is the Leadstrong series. This is a monthly event open to all students that aims to assist students in garnering one specific aspect of leadership (communication, networking, conflict management, etc.).

These events are usually in collaboration with another office on campus or with an invited guest speaker.

Q: What is one thing you’d like the campus community to know about Leadership Development?

A: You do not need to already be a student leader to start developing your skills. Furthermore, the leadership development program and one-on-one mentoring are available for all students at the Mount. My office is Hudson 112.

Please stop in.

30

Mount students sort donated prom dresses in preparation for Prom Fest, which was held at the Mount in late March. The event drew 100 families.

Prom Fest provides $1,000 for scholarship

P

rom Fest, offering high school students the opportunity to find affordable prom dresses, earned more than $1,000 for the St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital Scholarship Fund.

The scholarship will be awarded to a current Mount Saint Mary College student.

Held at the Mount, the Prom Fest project collected gently used dresses from students, faculty, staff, local businesses and area residents.

In addition to the Mount, there were dress drop-off points located throughout Orange County.

Prom Fest co-coordinator Himali Pandya, leadership development coach at the Mount, praised students for their dedication to the project.

“It was so lovely to see our Mount students giving back to their community in this way,” she said. “They always go above and beyond when it comes to service and I am proud to witness that.”

Pandya thanked St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital for helping to make Prom Fest a success.

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

Prom Fest volunteers Julie Curtis, left, a nursing major, and Allison Sciucco, a biology major, sort through donated dresses to be sold for $10 each.

Support for a healthy start Nursing students donate supplies for infants

M

ount nursing students recently donated 21 large boxes of baby care items to the Newburgh Ministry, a local charitable organization.

The Mount community donated the items at the behest of the college’s Mu Epsilon Chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

Supplies included diapers, baby wipes, lotion, soap, shampoo and more.

“The Newburgh Ministry was most gracious and thankful to everyone who donated and volunteered,” said Nancy Spear Owen, Mount instructor of nursing and a faculty advisor for Mu Epsilon.

“The hygiene closet was low on these types of donations, so it was very meaningful to them.”

Mount nursing majors and members of Mu Epsilon, left to right: Jennifer Bunnell, Katarina Soler, instructor of nursing Nancy Spear Owen, and Shanna Sapienza.

Nearly 500 donations collected at blood drives Students, staff and members of the local community gave the gift of life at Mount Saint Mary College blood drives this academic year, to the tune of 465 donations.

“This blood is vital to the community to save many lives,” said professor Andrea Ackermann, chair of the college’s nationally-accredited School of Nursing. Blood donations are essential for surgeries, treatments and emergencies, she explained.

Along with medical professionals from the New York Blood Center, members of the college’s Nursing Student Union (NSU) were among those assisting at the event.

“I want to commend the leadership of Brianne Smith [NSU president], members of the NSU, and other volunteers,” said Ackermann. She also praised the faculty who assisted.

The New York Blood Center awarded a $500 scholarship to Smith for her aid.

Jenna Bump, a nursing student, donates at the college’s recent blood drive. www.msmc.edu

31

Amanda Pecorella aids Javareah Joseph of Newburgh, N.Y., in preparing a tax form at the Newburgh Ministry.

Tax-time helpers

M

ount Saint Mary College accounting students recently provided free tax preparation for middleand low-income families at several sites in New York’s Orange County.

The assistance program is a partnership between the AARP TaxAide Foundation and the Mid-Hudson CASH Coalition.

The Mount students served at Newburgh Ministry, Newburgh Free Library, Mulberry House senior center in Middletown, Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union, Port Jervis Library, St. Andrew’s Church in Walden, Montgomery Town Hall and Pine Bush Library.

They trained for at least 40 hours through classroom work with certified instructors and self-study, then passed an IRS certification exam before putting their skills in service.

Mount students sharing their accounting techniques were Amanda Pecorella, Brianna Bartlett, Matthew D’Addario,

Courtney Kelly consults with longtime AARP volunteer Al Stipak.

Ashley Durbin, Jessica Morra, Justin Perez, Glenda Rojas, Luisa Sanchez, Shikha Gupta, Thomas Barnes, Courtney Kelly, Garrett Roeber, Samuel Watson, Richard Casmus and Katherine Morey.

Participating alumni were Jeffrey Cousin ’13, MBA ’14; Trevor Pungello ’13, MBA ’14, and Ryan Maher ’13, current MBA student.

“It is really inspiring to our many retired volunteers to work side-by-side with such nice, young, energetic, enthusiastic soon-to-be professionals,” said David Weaving, Hudson Valley CASH Coalition chair and Orange County TaxAide volunteer coordinator.

Helping young readers bloom Students from Mount Saint Mary College recently tutored local elementary school children in literacy for an entire semester at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center.

To promote experiential learning for Mount students, education professors Janine Bixler and Rebecca Norman held a total of four graduate courses, leading the grad students in providing tutoring for children in grades K-6 from the Newburgh Enlarged City School District and beyond, twice a week.

With a one-to-one child to teacher candidate ratio, each future educator was able to form a meaningful bond with a student, explained Norman.

“Holding courses at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center allows Mount teacher candidates to work with a diverse set of students,” Norman explained. “It also aids students who need extra help in literacy to strengthen those essential skills.

32

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

Enhancing literacy at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center.

Reva Cowan and Debbie Hill also teamed up to teach an education practicum experience to Mount students at the Armory.

Bixler and Norman concluded the semester with parent conferences and student presentations.

Knights in the Community Mount women’s lacrosse players helped out at the Hudson Valley SPCA.

K

nights in the Community has become an important tradition for Mount Saint Mary College athletic teams. All 21 athletic programs take part in community service events throughout the year to give back to the community, as well as raise money and awareness to benefit research for diseases. Recent efforts by the Knights display a wealth of good will.

Team helps clean things up for dogs at the SPCA The women’s lacrosse team lent a hand this March at the Hudson Valley SPCA in New Windsor, N.Y. Team members helped by walking and bathing the dogs and raking out the turnout yard. The team has worked with the HVSPCA for the past three seasons.

“It was a great experience working with the dogs,” said junior Jen Gries. “All the animals deserve a good home and I look forward to volunteering more of my time there.”

Combatting hunger at Food Bank of the Hudson Valley The Food Bank of the Hudson Valley had assistance sorting thousands of pounds of food this winter. The women’s basketball team and the men’s tennis team volunteered their time and efforts.

“The team was honored to be able to serve the community by helping organize and package food for the Hudson Valley Food Bank,” noted men’s tennis head coach Eric Sturgis.

Women’s basketball head coach Michael Coppolino agreed. “We highly recommend any team, family or individual looking to give back to the community to help this organization,” he said.

Soccer Clinic for Girls

Nearly 50 youngsters attended the women’s soccer team’s free soccer clinic in the Kaplan Family Recreation Center on February 21.

“It was a great way for our student-athletes to give back to the community that supports them,” said head coach Brelynn Nasypany, “and to be able to offer young girls of the community a chance to play with college student-athletes who they look up to.” www.msmc.edu

33

Friendly competition

Players from the Knights men’s and women’s basketball teams played against the Special Olympics N.Y. Hudson Valley Flames.

A great opportunity for the teens with disabilities to “ interact with different people and demonstrate their abilities. ” James DelViscio, director of the Newburgh Armory Unity Center

Special Olympics in the Hudson Valley The Knights men’s and women’s basketball teams squared off against the Special Olympics N.Y. Hudson Valley Flames in an exhibition game April 11 at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center.

The Flames scorched the Knights, 61-59.

James DelViscio, director of the Armory, said the game was “a great opportunity for the teens with disabilities to interact with different people and demonstrate their abilities.

It shows that people with disabilities can do many things.”

34

The event was spearheaded by Special Olympics coaches Mary and Greg Cooper.

Annual Basketball Day with Boy Scouts

Newburgh Boy Scout Troop Pack 105 attended a day of basketball at the Kaplan Family Recreation Center with the men’s basketball team in March.

The Scouts competed in games of basketball hot shot, knock-out, and three-on-three during their time in the gym. At the end of the session, each of the participants received a basketball jersey signed by the team and coaching staff.

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

“We have had Pack 105 here on campus for six years in a row now, and both our players and the kids always enjoy it,” said head coach Ryan Kadlubowski. “They all make a personal connection with each other that lasts forever. They remember all of the guys’ names and their numbers. We see a lot of the kids and their families attending our games...we are just glad and thankful to be able to return the support.”

Reading Program

The women’s tennis team visited head coach Gina Danon’s Walden Elementary School class for a Buddy Reading Program in March. The

students read books with the team and then decorated the classroom with St. Patrick’s Day crafts.

“It was nice to go to the classroom and have the kids show off their reading skills because they are super proud of them,” said Knights sophomore Isabella Tartaglione.

National Girls and Women in Sports Day a huge success Approximately 75 girls joined the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Mount Saint Mary College female student-athletes and coaches for the Third Annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day in February. The event, featuring an afternoon of fun and learning, was held in the Kaplan Recreation Center and Hudson Hall.

Women’s tennis team members at the Buddy Reading Program

National Girls and “Women in Sports Day at MSMC is about encouraging young girls to play sports and be okay with being strong and tough!

”

Women’s basketball team members at the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley

Danielle Lindner SAAC Advisor and Senior Woman Administrator

All of the girls participated in various sports clinics, including softball, basketball and cheerleading/gymnastics, as well as team-building games and making their own sports-themed door tags. The day finished with a relay race using skills they had learned.

The women’s soccer team with attendees at their free soccer clinic

Smile Drive

America’s Toothfairy Smile Drive, sponsored by Oral B, is a national campaign focused on oral care for at-risk children and teens. This spring, the Knights track and field teams collected more than 200 toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste, nearly 80 containers of dental floss, and more than 300 bottles of mouthwash, all of which were donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Newburgh.

Men’s basketball team members with boy scouts on basketball day

www.msmc.edu

35

KNIGHTS Winter season highlights

Women’s Basketball After a one-year hiatus, the women’s basketball team earned its way back into the Skyline Conference Championship Tournament as the No. 4 seed. This was also the Knights’ first time in the tournament under the tutelage of head coach Michael Coppolino. The Knights came within seconds of beating top-seeded Farmingdale State College in the semifinal round, but lost on a buzzer-beater at the last second. Senior Natalie Candarelli earned a spot on the All-Conference Second Team after the team captain turned in an excellent final season.

Women’s Swimming

Men’s Basketball

Men’s Swimming

The team claimed its fourth-straight Skyline Conference Championship, outscoring all of its competitors combined at the meet. Junior Lauren Becerra took home her third Skyline Conference Women’s Most Outstanding Swimmer Award, and head coach Danielle Lindner was named the Skyline Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year for the third time in her three years at the Mount. Freshman Kate Bell earned the title of Skyline Conference Women’s Swimming Rookie of the Year. The team claimed 16 All-Conference spots at the championship meet, and set 18 new program records.

A young men’s basketball team missed the Skyline Conference Championship Tournament in 2014-15, going 8-17 and 7-11 in the Skyline.

In the final game of the season, the Knights picked up the victory over defending champion Purchase College, giving Ryan Kadlubowski his 100th career win as head coach of the men’s basketball team. Knights took home the Skyline Conference Men’s Basketball Rookie of the Week award six times throughout the 2014-15 campaign, signifying how bright the future is for the program.

The men’s swimming team finished as runner-up at the Skyline Conference Championship meet for the second year in a row, trailing only Maritime College, which won its eighth-straight Skyline Title.

Knights freshman Ryan Ward had a spectacular weekend at the championships, and was rewarded for his effort by being named Skyline Conference Men’s Swimming Rookie of the Year.

The Knights claimed seven AllConference spots at the championship meet, and set four new program records this season.

36

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

Athletics Hall of Fame

CLASS OF 2014

T

From left: Dan Twomey, Christine Baker, Ed Hanley, Matt Hallock, Nikomi Thompson, Mary and Gene Damm.

he Athletics Hall of Fame has assembled some of Mount Saint Mary College’s most accomplished career team players — as inductees and in audience — for its annual ceremonies inaugurated in 2013. The newest members of the Hall of Fame were celebrated this April: Christine Baker ’95 led women’s basketball to a 69-31 overall record in her four years, two Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships, and the Hudson Valley Women’s Athletic Conference championship.

She was a two-time HVWAC All-Star, two-time All-WIAC Team, an Eastern College DIII Metro Region First-Team All-Star, and All-Metropolitan DIII Team member. Baker finished as the program’s leading scorer with 1,526 points in four seasons.

Gene Damm was men’s swimming coach from its induction in 1997 until 2012. He was named Skyline Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year and holds a Level-5 ranking from the American Swimming Coaches Association. He coached five Skyline Men’s Swimmers of the Year, one Rookie of the Year, 20 Skyline individual champions, 20 swimmers to still-standing program records, and the only two men in program history to achieve

ECAC Open qualifying times.

Mary Damm, a three-time Skyline Women’s Swimming Coach of the year, led the program to five Skyline Conference championships in her 15 seasons as head coach. She finished her career with a 123-91-3 overall record and a winning percentage of .500 or better in 11 of 15 seasons. She coached four Skyline Women’s Swimmers of the Year, seven Rookies of the Year, two All-Stars, 31 individual and relay champions, and 15 swimmers to still-standing records.

Matt Hallock ’99 was a four-time Skyline Baseball All-Conference Team member, four-time Knickerbocker All-Conference Team, Skyline Rookie of the Year, ABCA New York Region First Teamer, NCAA New York Region All-Tournament Team member, and DIII All-American Honorable Mention. He finished second in the nation with a .518 batting average, 11th in walks, and still holds re-

cords for batting average in a season, on-base percentage in a season, and career on-base percentage. He hit .382 over his career, scored 124 runs, and picked up 122 RBI. Ed Hanley ’94, during his career with the men’s soccer team, saw the Knights go 45-26-1, including a 13-6 record, and was the Offensive MVP his senior season. When he graduated, Hanley held the program records for career goals (25) and still holds the records for career assists (24) and career points (74).

Nikomi Thompson ’03 finished women’s volleyball with eight program records, including most service aces in a four-set match, five-set match, single-season, and career. Named to the Skyline Women’s Volleyball All-Conference Team thrice, she had 839 kills and 1,231 digs throughout her career. In addition, Thompson finished her softball career with a stillstanding record of 2.29 ERA and a record single-season ERA of 1.65. She was named as a pitcher to the ECAC Division III Softball Metro Region Second Team and the Skyline Softball All-Conference First Team, and to the Second Team as a batter. She finished with a .331 batting average and .442 slugging percentage. www.msmc.edu

37

Kathryn Starck Monte, a 2006 Mount graduate, recently received a double lung transplant.

Monte ’06 and her husband, Joseph Monte.

ALUMNI PROFILE

Inner strength and support aid nursing grad’s recovery The hashtag took social media by storm.

Monte, as she appeared in the 2006 MSMC yearbook.

38

In December 2014, social media lit up with celebrities like Kevin Bacon, Blake Lively and Matthew Broderick displaying signs that read “#OomphForKaty.”

The goal was to bolster moral support for Kathryn Starck Monte, a 2006 nursing graduate of Mount Saint Mary College, whose lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis had taken a turn for the worse.

Monte had received a double lung transplant in 2011, but a year later, she suffered a bout of acute rejection and kidney failure.

“Ever since that episode, my body started shutting down,” she explained.

Monte’s friends created #OomphFor-

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

Katy after she revealed that well wishes, “especially from people I don’t know, give me a little ‘oomph’ to keep fighting.”

“Every day I woke up to see more people rallying and supporting me and I just kind of knew everything was going to be okay,” she said.

A kidney donated by her sister in July 2014 put Monte back on the lung transplant list, and a pair of lungs became available this February. That transplant was completed at New York-Presbyterian/ Columbia University Medical Center. By mid-April, her lung function was at nearly 60 percent.

Monte is taking medications that help her body adjust to her new organs, but they make her prone to infections. However, so far, so good, she noted.

Monte said that her battle with cystic fibrosis was a major influence on take nursing courses at the Mount.

“I was always so impressed with my nurses and knew that from an early age that was what I wanted to do,” she said.

Many Mount professors have influenced Monte’s development as a student and as a person, including Margaret Bussigel, professor of sociology, and James Beard, professor of communication arts.

“The close-knit relationships with the professors and students really helped me to aspire to be the best I could with a lot of health conditions on my plate,” she said. “It allowed me to become independent and proud of the person and leader that I knew I

could be.”

After graduation, Monte was a registered nurse at Flushing Hospital in Queens, N.Y. in the neonatal intensive care unit. She is currently focusing on regaining her health, but in the future, she plans on getting a master’s degree in nursing, going back to work, and starting a family with her husband, Joseph Monte.

“I also hope that I can continue to spread awareness about how important organ donation is and get more people to sign up to be registered donors,” Monte said. “For the rest of my life, I will forever be thankful to both of my donors, their families, and my sister, and I hope that I make them proud.”

Learn more News about Katy www.oomphforkaty.com Become an organ donor www.organdonor.gov Organ donation facts

➽ Over 120,000 people in the United States are in need of organ donations.

➽ Every 10 minutes

1 person joins the organ donation list.

➽ 18 people

die every day in the United States while waiting for a transplant.

➽ 80-90%

of organ transplants are successful Source: donatelifeny.org www.msmc.edu

39

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

Submit your news at msmc.edu/notes

1966

Sr. Maureen Chicoine, RSCJ, is resident staff at Duchesne House for Volunteers in New Orleans, welcoming schoolsponsored juniors and seniors, college students, and young alumni for short-term service and cultural immersion experiences. Volunteers serve with post Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts, projects for the homeless, and environmental restoration. Visit Facebook: Duchesne House for Volunteers.

1967

Mary (Castiello) Peduzzi and husband, Al, have been married for 46 years, and enjoy retirement and travel, especially cruising. They play golf, like boating, and volunteer at church and local charities, especially the state-licensed nonprofit treatment center where Al is president. Their biggest joy is having their children and three grandkids nearby.

Mary Lois Connell and her sister Janet retired to Green Valley, Az. Mary became involved in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Arizona. She has served as chair of the Curriculum Committee, and recently was elected vice president of the OLLI-UA Board of Directors, on which she chairs the Membership and Outreach Committee.

She belongs to two astronomy clubs and is active in The Women of Quail Creek, a social organization supporting veterans and active military and their families.

40

1968

Donna (Krause) Flynn retired in January 2014 from Arnold Worldwide, where she was a functions manager.

1969

Lynn (Bertholf) Priebe retired from teaching in 2010. She spends time as a volunteer for the Sullivan County Historical Society and the Time & the Valleys Museum in Grahamsville, N.Y. Lynn and her husband Keith, also retired, have three wonderful grandchildren: children of Kim Priebe Krodel ’98 and her husband Rob.

1970

Sr. Jo-Ann Iannotti, OP, had an exhibit titled “Intimate Spirits: Photography and Poetry in Conversation” at The Clare Gallery in Hartford, Conn.

1971

Sr. Connie Koch, OP, preaching promoter for the Dominican Sisters of Hope, is pastoral assistant for faith formation, director of the RCIA and a youth minister at Holy Family Parish in New Rochelle, N.Y. She is also chaplain for the Westchester County Department of Public Safety and the Westchester County Police.

Paula (O’Bryon) Kordich and daughter, Tara, opened a fabric studio, Amelia’s Garden, at 340 Delaware Ave. in Delmar, N.Y.

1972

Nancy (Cuomo) Bailey’s book “No Slam Dunk” written by New York Times bestselling author, Ken Abraham, will be published by Revell/Baker Book Group in June 2016. Nancy is

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

also talking with a film company about having a movie produced from the book. Visit her website to get the scoop: www.NoSlamDunk.com Mary Ellen (Scannell) Doherty published “Planting the Seeds of Midwifery in Nursing Students” and “Qualitative Analysis of the ACNM Annual Student Reports” in the Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health. She also co-authored “After the Parade: Reintegration Experiences of Military Nurses from Iraq and Afghanistan” with her sister, Elizabeth Scannell-Desch, published in the Journal of Psychosocial and Mental Health Nursing in May. They’ll present their latest research to The American Association for the History of Nursing and the European Nursing History Group collaborative conference in September. Doherty and Scannell-Desch are busy writing their second book: “Nurses After War: Reintegration Experiences from Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Roberta (Gerdes) Hilton retires this September after 23 years teaching in Onslow County, N.C. She has been married for 40 years to Robert, a retired Judge Advocate USMC. They have two sons, Anthony and Daniel, and two grandsons, Aidan and Elias.

1973

Joseph O’Connor gave a “Help Yourself To Happiness” presentation to the Buddhism Club at Hofstra University in December.

He and wife Ellen (O’Brien) O’Connor are still taking their Lindy lessons and loving them.

They look forward to a Lindy cruise this May, leaving from New Orleans.

1974

Ellen (Byrne) Jimenez retired last June from Montgomery County Schools in Maryland after teaching for 31 years. She and husband Ralph are enjoying retirement in Spring Hill, Fla. They are involved in several church groups. The only thing missing, they say, is their three children and six-monthold grandson, Brendan.

Mary Ann Kadera Klicka won a $500 scholarship for her college at the Pennsylvania Association of Developmental Educator’s Annual Conference.

She will choose one of her mathematics developmental education students at Bucks County Community College to receive the scholarship.

Elaine Preston’s husband, Albert, passed away just before Christmas 2012; they were married for 65 years. Elaine has a son and two daughters, and 10 grandchildren. “I shall always cherish the education I received at the Mount,” she said.

1975

Tricia (Ryan) Dosiek retired in 2014 after 40 years of teaching special education and elementary education in New York State and abroad.

James Ray retired from the NYS Dept. of Corrections after 32 years of service.

Nancy (Rust) Sutherland retired after 37 years teaching in Upper Pittsgrove School District, Salem County, N.J. and relocated to Florida. She is active in her father’s church as youth group leader, is involved with the Community Garden growing vegetables for the needy, and represents the church at the local elementary

Alumni Notes school for student needs from clothing to school supplies. In February, she was honored by the United Methodist Women with the Outstanding Community Service Award. Researching her genealogy, she is awaiting certification for membership in Daughters of the American Revolution.

Nancy and her husband have been married for 27 years.

Son Matt, 24 is a teaching assistant in New Jersey.

1976

Joan Donahue enjoyed more than 32 years at the Defense Logistics Agency, which later branched off into the Defense Contract Management Agency. She retired as DCMA Deputy Test Director in 2009 and has been enjoying retirement.

She became a timeshare owner in 2014 and has been happily filling her time with a mix of travel, social activities, reading, volunteering, swimming, and stationary bicycling.

1977

Leah (Palinkos) Macfarland retired as nurse manager for the specialty clinics, including oncology/hematology, at the VA Hudson Valley Health Care System at Castle Point and Montrose. She is enjoying her retirement, her grown children, and her grandchildren.

“A big hello to all of my MSMC dorm mates who I have never forgotten and I shared stories about with the nursing students we have here at the VA!” she said. “Time for another get-together!”

Join us in Saratoga Join fellow Mount alumni for a fun-filled day at the Saratoga Race Course. We will gather first at Mount grad John Hughes’s ’84 new bed and breakfast, Gardner Farm Inn, located at 59 Brunswick Road in Troy, N.Y. for breakfast and then head over to the race course.

Date: Saturday, July 25, 2015 Breakfast: 10 a.m.

Race Course Gathering: 12:30 p.m., Grandstand Reserved Seating Tickets: $35 per person (includes breakfast, reserved grandstand seat and admission into the race course) For more information, contact the Alumni Office at alumniaffairs@msmc.edu or 845-569-3286.

Alumni Professional Development Symposium and Luncheon

Care: The Priority In Caregiving Maintaining personal resiliency in the midst of Nursing’s challenges Date: Saturday, October 24, 2015 Time: 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Location: Aquinas Hall, Mount Saint Mary College Contact hours/CE credits available Special invitations extended to Mount alumni and their guests, Mount undergraduate and graduate students, and Hudson Valley nurses For more information visit msmc.edu/alumnisymposium

www.msmc.edu

41

Mount alumni renew their vows

S

everal Mount Saint Mary College alumni who met their spouses-to-be or got married at the college gathered to renew their wedding vows on April 11 in the Chapel of the Most Holy Rosary.

The couples were Torry ’03 and Marisol ’03 Williams,

Mysia Haight-Hoogsteden ’84 and Hank Hoogsteden; and Meline (Pittman) Radenberg ’87 and Paul Radenberg.

Fr. Francis Amodio, O.Carm., chaplain and director of campus ministry, celebrated the mass.

Alumni Notes MaryAnn (Robertson) McManus, a special education teacher in a self-contained classroom for students with autism, plans to retire at the end of this school year.

1979

Kevin Dick started a new job with Encapsys, a division of Appvion, as a formulation chemist. Encapsys microencapsulates a range of raw

42

materials and products used for consumer, industrial, and institutional applications.

Kevin, his wife Rosemarie, and their cat Cocoa planned to relocate after the harsh Wisconsin winter.

Donald Grieco has taught in public schools in New York, Virginia, and Florida. After pursuing his master’s degree, he decided to attended law school

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

and received a degree of Juris Doctor Licensed. He served as an attorney and counselor-oflaw in Florida and New York.

He also was a prosecutor in the Bronx, with the Army JAG within the Pentagon, State Attorney’s office in the 12th Judicial Circuit in Florida, and private practice.

He has successfully completed more than 100 jury trials and more non-jury trials.

Lisa (Ledford) Nazzarro lives in Florida since retiring as an assistant principal.

She keeps busy volunteering with children’s groups, taking photography courses, and working as a part-time nanny for an adorable four-year-old.

Her daughter Kristen will start law school at Florida International University in Miami in September. Life is good.

Top left: Marisol ’03, Torry ’03 Williams and their sons Bottom, left to right: Paul and Meline (Pittman) Radenberg ’87; Fr. Francis Amodio, O.Carm., chaplain and director of campus ministry; Mysia HaightHoogsteden ’84 and Hank Hoogsteden; and Marisol ’03 and Torry ’03 Williams

1980

Barbara (Phinn) Cerrito is happily married for more than 19 years. Her daughter Rachel is completing her first year of college. Her son Joseph graduates from high school in June, then is off to college.

Jackie (Humpf) Ike is a supervisor at Marchon Eyewear where she just celebrated 25 years of service. Jackie has been happily married for 21

years. She has no children, but she loves her animals.

“Miss the good old days at the Mount,” she says. “ I talk about them all of the time!”

1982

Michael J. Fraser is a psychologist in the Johnstown School District and a professor in the Bryant & Stratton College system. He is also a sports psychologist consultant for various teams and athletes throughout

Top right: Meline (Pittman) Radenberg ’87 and her husband, Paul Bottom right: Mysia Haight-Hoogsteden ’84 and Hank Hoogsteden

the country. He is the Founder of Mind Gym Associates, which can be viewed at: http://vimeo. com/19759473 Karen (Capellini) Petrosino has been married to husband Glen for 33 years. Karen has worked at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson, N.Y., a magnet-designated hospital, for 26 years: presently as a certified wound care nurse for 17 years.

1984

John Hughes is opening the Gardner Farm Inn, a bed and breakfast, in Troy, N.Y. Stay tuned for the grand opening.

Julianne (Delio) LaForge is an RN case manager for HealthSouth Treasure Coast. She celebrated her 15-year wedding anniversary this year to her best friend, Alan.

They have two sons, a grandson, a granddaughter, and a chocolate lab named London. www.msmc.edu

43

Alumni Notes 1985

Kim (Rabczewski) Dodson works with the U.S. Postal Service as a rural mail carrier.

Kim (McGarity) Hammond is an adult nurse practitioner and currently works as a supervisor for the heart failure program at North Shore University Hospital, and she is a reviewer for the joint commission. Kim also travels to Haiti several times a year to do medical missions.

1987

Diane (Natoli) Ritters began teaching undergraduate psychology courses at the Mount in August 2014. Diane is enjoying being back on the campus and working with the students!

1988

Matthew Haynes and wife, Kay, have four children: Justin, Blake, Billy, and Madison. Matthew has worked in the database marketing industry for 20 years. He has assisted both the DNC and RNC in updating voter files, helped non-profits raise funds, and recently helped a startup solar company running its sales division. Matthew has coached 35 youth sports teams and recently became a marathon runner.

Roderick Perpetua, at age 50, transformed his career from finance to health and wellness as a health coach. He is currently pursuing a PhD in natural medicine.

1989

Margaret (Killeen) Shafer, RN BSN CPN, works at the Pediatric Pulmonary and Cystic Fibrosis Center in Long Branch, N.J. She and husband, Robert, have been married for 21 years and have twin sons, Tyler and Ryan.

44

1990

Maura (Ryan) O’Sullivan is chairperson for the guidance and counseling department in the Levittown School District.

She and husband Jerry live in Belle Harbor, N.Y., with daughters Julia, age 9, and Siobhan, 5. Maura is training to walk the AVON 39-mile Walk for Breast Cancer for the second time.

1991

Sherri (Ihburg) Cortland recently had her fourth book, “Guide Group Fridays,” published by Ozark Mountain Publishing.

1992

Ira Hancock was invited by the National Association of Distinguished Professionals to be interviewed about cognitive styles and learning strategies on September 20, 2013 (listen on spotliteradio.com Studio C). Ira wrote a study skills article for SOAR newsletter, and was asked to provide a quote for a revised second edition study skills program.

He is a certified LifeBound Academic Coach affiliated with the National Tutorial Association, and is also certified as a coach in self esteem elevation and instructor of success for middle school students, and for habits of the mind/ executive functions (cognitive control) and stylistic profiles.

1993

LTC Frederick Davidson, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Fort Campbell, Ky., will transfer to his new position as assistant deputy commander for nursing, Martin Army Community Hospital, Fort Benning, Ga.

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

1996

Jody-Ann Buckle Powell is a family nurse practitioner in New York City, and an adjunct professor in a nursing program in the Bronx. She recently published a children’s book titled “Sundara’s Favorite Color,” available online and in bookstores nationwide.

Allan Diamonti resides in the suburbs outside Atlanta, Ga., where he works as a portfolio analyst for a regional bank. He completed his MBA in Human Resource Management at St. Leo University.

1999

Erin Sheedy started her new position with New York State Office of Children and Family Services in October 2014.

2003

Brett Arteta was appointed 2014 Chair IEEE Mid-Hudson Section Engineer in the Electric Substation Design Section of Central Hudson Gas & Electric.

John Hutton published his first book titled: “A Daily Dose of Innocence” containing life observations, good humor, and other reflections from the viewpoint of a father, grandfather, teacher, and former soccer coach. It is available on Amazon and Kindle.

2005

Najiba (Jonigan) Meskadi is so proud to be a Mount graduate. She looks forward to visiting soon and introducing her children to the Mount. She received her PhD in 2009, while teaching at Marist College.

2006

Catherine (Schultz) Weber was promoted to adjunct

assistant professor at Suffolk Community College.

2007

LaSheena Brown is in her third year as equipment manager/purchasing agent for the Adelphi University athletic department’s 22 varsity sports.

She is head coach for the girls varsity basketball team at The Waldorf School in Garden City. She was a 2014 recipient of the NCAA/NACWAA Institute for Administrative Advancement, and also a 2015 recipient of the MOAA/NCAA Division II Grant.

2010

Pete Berman lives with his family in Orange County, N.Y., and continues to be active in many business interests in the Hudson Valley.

Robert Curtis is working as an engineering and AP physics teacher at Delaware Valley High School in Milford, Pa. Amanda Lasher earned a master’s with a concentration in aging at SUNY Albany and became an LMSW. She works for Access: Supports for Living (formerly Occupations, Inc.) as senior behavior clinician for their residential program, working with individuals who have intellectual/developmental disabilities with co-occurring psychiatric diagnosis. She provides behavioral interventions to the individuals, as well as assisting her supervisor in working with other clinicians and implementing policies.

Angel Santana was appointed by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to serve as his Bronx Regional Representative on March 20, 2015.

Alumni Notes 2011

In Memoriam

Shannon McNally is a 6th grade math teacher in Queens, N.Y.

Rose Anne (Culligan) Boyle ‘80 passed away March 17, 2015.

Amanda Truffi works in Newburgh for an agency that offers services to individuals sustaining a traumatic brain injury, to help them gain independence and reestablish their role in society. She ran the day program for nearly three years. This winter, she switched agencies and works as a service coordinator for the same population of individuals. “The work is incredibly interesting and rewarding,” she said.

Karen (Giancarlo) Cappuccetti ‘83 passed away January 25, 2015.

Virginia Cuomo, mother of Nancy (Cuomo) Bailey ’72, Patricia (Cuomo) Walcott ’76, and Carmela (Cuomo) Bell ’78 passed away March 28, 2015.

Richard Hartling, father of Jennifer (Hartling) Dube ’94, passed away April 2, 2015.

2012

Laura Condon graduated in 2014 from SUNY Cortland with a master’s degree in literacy (birth-grade 6). In 2013-14, she taught in a 12:1:1 special education class for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. Laura currently teaches 2nd and 3rd grade special education for the Ithaca City School District.

Marriages 1996

Danielle Criscione married her best friend, Steven Micallef, on May 9, 2014, at Our Lady of Pompeii Church in Greenwich Village, N.Y.C.

1997

Ismael Gerena married M. Nicholas Nazar in March, 2015.

Ismael graduated with an MA in clinical psychology from Saybrook University in 2014

2001

Brian Granata was appointed director of athletics at Arcadia University in 2012. He married Allison Kelly Seaman in July 2014, and they reside in Blue Bell, Pa.

Treyton Dean Morse

2010

John Como married fellow Mount alum Allison Hauser on July 12, 2014.

Births 1994

Ed Hanley, wife, Maureen, and daughter, Aileen Elizabeth, welcomed Shannon Anne, 8.7 lbs and 20 inches, on October 1, 2014. Aileen and Shannon are exactly 13 months apart.

All live in Oakdale, Long Island.

1997

Angela Brust-Balogun, husband, Tunde, and son, Delancey, welcomed a baby girl, Aramide Balogun, May 27, 2014. The family moved into a new home in November.

2004

Courtney Douglas and David Legg, married in 2013, welcomed their first child, Lillian Grace Legg, in September 2014.

2006

Shane Bell and Jennifer (Van Tassel) Bell ‘05 welcomed son Riley Shane Bell, born January 3, 2015, at 9:22 a.m. weighing 6 lbs, 7 oz. Shane is associate director of operations for Army Athletics at the United States Military Academy. Jennifer is a 3rd-5th grade special education teacher at Brinckerhoff Elementary School in the Wappingers Central School District.

2009

Christina (Galli) Prego gave birth to a baby boy on March 5, 2015. Christina is a middle school math teacher in the Newburgh Enlarged City School District.

2010

Arlene Iadarola, mother of Cheryl (Iadarola) Mynahan ’77, passed away January 11, 2015.

Rose Mary (Flaherty) McAndrew, mother of Rosemary (McAndrew) Kuruc ’77, passed away January 1, 2015.

Mary Leckie-Gould ‘89 passed away February 26, 2015.

Giuseppa (Pontearso) Robinson ’96 passed away September 21, 2014.

Eileen (Dugan) Rooney ’65 passed away January 2, 2015.

Lillian Sladewski ’72 passed away November 12, 2014.

Albert Preston, husband of Elaine Preston ’74, passed away in December 2012 .

Krystin (Olszewski) Morse and her husband had a baby boy, Treyton Dean Morse, in February 2015.

www.msmc.edu

45

1

2

Academy graduates and community celebrate

A

lumnae, Dominican Sisters, faculty and friends gathered at the Powelton Club in Newburgh in December for the annual Christmas luncheon organized by the Mount Saint Mary Academy/High School Alumni Association. For information about events throughout the year, contact Joan Gambeski in College Advancement at joan.gambeski@msmc.edu or 845-569-3218.

3

1 Cherilyn Shea Craig, Patricia Sharpe Pawliczak, Catherine Lukacs Windrum, Karen Hennessey Denisi, Rosette Donato Anderson, Susan DeCrosta Rossi, Karen DeCrosta 2 Frances Arnold Wirth, Theresa Bevans Arnold, Mary Arnold Gould 3 Sr. Joann Boneski ’65 OP, Sr. Frances Irene Fair, OP, Sr. Cecilia Murray, OP 4 Sr. Mary Aquin McDonald, OP, Estelle McDermott Whalen, Nadine Reilly Healy

46

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

4

and I are pleased to provide this scholarship “Myinhusband honor of these women and to assist future Mount students in benefitting from a Dominican education. ” — Elaine Squeri ’64

Elaine Squeri ’64, Sr. Patricia Sullivan, OP, ’64, and Ron French, Mount Saint Mary College.

Elaine Squeri ’64 and Ron French create endowment

Dominican Legacy Scholarship Fund established

S

tudents pursuing careers in education will benefit from the generosity of Mount Saint Mary College alumna Elaine Squeri ’64 and her husband, Ron French, who have made a leadership gift to create the Dominican Legacy Endowed Scholarship Fund.

The scholarship honors the college’s founders, the Dominican Sisters of Newburgh. “My personal experience with the Dominican Sisters, from school days through college days at the Mount, had a profound effect on my life,” said Elaine. “Their commitment to education and service inspired me in so many ways. My husband and I are pleased to provide this scholarship in honor of these women and to

assist future Mount students in benefitting from a Dominican education.”

Applicants for the award will be incoming freshmen, or current Mount sophomores or juniors, who demonstrate a commitment of service to others, plan to become teachers, and have financial need. The first scholarship will be awarded for the 2015-16 academic year.

For information about making a gift to the Dominican Legacy Endowed Scholarship Fund or other scholarship opportunities, contact Joan Gambeski, director of major gifts, at joan.gambeski@msmc.edu or 845-569-3218. www.msmc.edu

47

Janet Barth McHale, RN, BSN ’73, 1951-2014

Scholarship honors alumna M

ount alumni are paying tribute to Janet Barth McHale, RN, BSN ’73, by helping today’s nursing students fulfill their dreams. McHale succumbed to complications from a brain tumor in August 2014.

“During our time at the Mount, many of us formed friendships that would last a lifetime. Janet was one of those special friends,” said Claire McGovern Boland, RN, BSN ’73.

“Janet embodied the very essence of nursing – she was compassionate, smart, and hard-working.

Following the death of her husband, John, in 1985, McHale raised their three children – Meghan, Meredith, and John III – while devoting her professional life to caring for patients at North Shore/LIJ Health System. Her faith was her cornerstone. McHale graduated from St. Mary’s High School in Manhasset, N.Y., where she became a founding member of the St. Mary’s School Board and active member of the St. Mary’s Alumni Association.

“Janet appreciated the education she received at the Mount. It seems fitting for us to celebrate her life by supporting Mount nursing students,” Boland noted.

The first scholarship in Janet’s memory will be awarded in the 2015-16 academic year. For information about making a gift to the Mount Saint Mary College School of Nursing Scholarship Fund, contact Joan Gambeski, director of major gifts, at joan.gambeski@msmc.edu or 845-569-3218.

“Janet appreciated the education she received at the Mount. It seems fitting for us to celebrate her life by supporting Mount nursing students.”

— Claire McGovern Boland, RN, BSN ’73 Archival photo of Janet Barth McHale as a student

48

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

Looking back

B

efore Mount Saint Mary College was founded in 1959, the campus was already taking shape. Greater Mount Saint Mary, the main building that we now call the Dominican Center, was built in 1927. It served as the Motherhouse for the Sisters of Saint Dominic and was the site of Mount Saint Mary Academy/High School. Here we see the gymnasium and athletic fields to one side, and Casa San Jose, the elementary school, on the other. Bishop Dunn Memorial School would replace the Casa San Jose in 1950.

The Academy/High School closed in 1979, and the Sisters remained in the Motherhouse until 2011. In 2014, the transformed Dominican Center opened with a new library, café, and three residential floors.

In the foreground is the former Van Duzer mansion, “Rosenhof,” renamed the Villa Madonna by the Sisters. The Villa housed the junior and the four-year college’s classrooms, student residences, and the library until 1963, when Aquinas and Guzman Halls were built.

The Van Duzer estate carriage house, renamed the Domus Angelorum by the Sisters (now Whittaker Hall), is at the far right of the photo.

Mount Saint Mary College 330 Powell Avenue Newburgh, NY 12550

Save the Date Alumni and Family Weekend September 25-27, 2015

Upcoming Events JUNE

1

37th Annual Invitational Golf and 4th Annual Tennis Tournament

4 7

5th Annual Philosophy Workshop begins 40th Annual Artists on Campus Art Show and Sale

JULY

25 27

C4

Mount Saint Mary College Magazine | SPRING 2015

Alumni Gathering at Saratoga Race Course MSMC Athletics Golf Tournament