WP Magazine Fall 2014

Fall 2014

New Pesce Family Mentoring Institute Empowering students through mentoring

The Magazine of William Paterson University

Inside New Pesce Family Mentoring Institute

Brings Together Alumni and Community Partners to Empower Students

22 Tom Fitzgerald ’89

D E P A R T M E N T S

4 16

Athletics

Undergraduate Research in the Sciences Gives Students an Edge

36 Parting Shot

28 M argaret Landi ’74

INSIDE BACK COVER

Arts, Entertainment & Lectures

Cakes, Candy, and Cupcakes Sweeten His Life

24 M aking an Impact

29 Alumni Connections

Events

Storytelling Via Social Media in DC

23 Chris Paseka ’04

Newsbeats

18

Ensuring Ethics in Animal Research

10 New York Voices (Events) FALL 2014

Twitter @wpunj_edu

POSTS & COMMENTS

Juliana marie • @julemarieeeee fall at willy p is so beautiful

Instagram #TwillypFall14 anameliapolanco

rebeccasutsut

Nicholas Huba • @nicholashuba Homecoming day at @wpunj_edu it’s ways good to be back. #pioneerstrong Kevin Knight • @KevinKnightNJ Excited for #WPHomecoming tomorrow! Did play-by-play for @ wpunj_edu @WPUPioneers on TV & @ BraveNewSports in 90’s @wpunj_Alumni Kayla Stepinac • @CollegeKiid_ Loving my life at #WPU. It really is my home away from home <3 @wpunj_edu @TwillyP

intellect_21

robertjpgraham

Jess Seilheimer • @JaeSelle I was so honored to deliver the keynote speech this morning @wpunj Freshman Convocation. What a memorable experience, and opportunioty to lunch w/staff, faculty & meet President Waldron.

Mac P • @Macp333 Seeing the New York City skyline from my building at #willyp will never get old Tom Fitzgerald • @FitzFox5DC I can’t make it to @wpunj_edu Homecoming so I’m just hanging with my buddy “Billy Pat” #CheersPioneers #WPAlumni

Vanessa • @x_StayxStrong_x @wpunj_edu My #FutureCollege that I’m excited to apply for! Just two more years!

Tom Westervelt • @TomWestervelt77 Just applied to transfer to William Paterson! So excited!

We welcome letters to the editor.

Send correspondence to: Editor WP, The Magazine of William Paterson University P.O. Box 913, Wayne, NJ 07474-0913 or feel free to drop us a note by e-mail at wpmag@wpunj.edu

Follow the University at: facebook.com/mywpu twitter.com/wpunj_edu instagram.com/wpunj youtube.com/WilliamPatersonU

Support a student’s education with a gift to Every gift, every year, at every level, makes a difference for our students.

Nearly 100% of WP students work to afford college.

wpunj.edu/giving

More than 80% of our students receive financial aid.

receive

students 0 0 0 , 2 r e Ov rships. y Universit

2

FALL 2014

schola

The Magazine of William Paterson University EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Dear Friends

Stuart Goldstein Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement MANAGING EDITOR

Mary Beth Zeman Senior Director, Public Relations ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Douglas Hamilton ’75, President of the Alumni Executive Council Janis B. Schwartz, Executive Director of Alumni Relations Sharon Ryan, M.Ed. ’96, Assistant Director, Alumni Relations and Communication Rodney Cauthen ’97, Alumni Associate Gina Buffalino, Alumni Specialist Mary Ann Cooper ’70, Contributing Editor MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

Heather Brocious, Christine Diehl, Theresa E. Ross ’80, Phillip Sprayberry; Barbara E. Stoll ’93 M.A. ’94 DESIGN: Nadia Esposito ’04, Bob Verbeek ’95 PUBLICATION DESIGN: Brandspa, West Orange, NJ Allan Gorman, Art Director; Suzanne Giovanetti, Designer PHOTOGRAPHY: Nadia Esposito ‘04; Catalina Fragoso ‘15; Rich Green; Roy Groething; Larry Levanti; Sharon Ryan, M.Ed. ’96; Bob Verbeek ’95

At William Paterson University, we are committed to providing the resources our students need in order to succeed. During the 2013-14 academic year, we raised $4.5 million in new donations and commitments in support of the University, its students, and academic excellence—a significant increase of 45 percent over the previous year.

EDITORIAL:

WP is published by the Office of Marketing and Public Relations. Views expressed within these pages do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or official policies of the University. © 2014 by The William Paterson University of New Jersey, www.wpunj.edu ADVERTISING AND EDITORIAL OFFICES

WP, The Magazine of William Paterson University Office of Marketing and Public Relations William Paterson University 300 Pompton Road, Wayne, NJ 07470-2103 973.720.2971 wpmag@wpunj.edu SEND CHANGES OF ADDRESS TO:

Office of Alumni Relations, William Paterson University The Allan and Michele Gorab Alumni House 42 Harmon Place, North Haledon, NJ 07508 973.720.2175

WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY

Kathleen Waldron, President Warren Sandmann, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Stephen Bolyai, Vice President for Administration and Finance Pamela L. Ferguson, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Miki Cammarata, Vice President for Student Development Reginald Ross, Vice President for Enrollment Management BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Frederick L. Gruel, Chairperson Anna Marie Mascolo, Vice Chairperson Deborah Zastocki, Secretary Maureen Conway ‘66, Lourdes Cortez, Robert Guarasci, Brad Neilley ‘80, Linda Niro ’76, William J. Pesce ‘73, Henry J. Pruitt, Jr., Robert H. Taylor, Trustee Emeritus, Nazila Yekanifard

We continue to benefit from alumni and friends who are engaged in the life of the University. On September 10, we were honored to dedicate the new Pesce Family Mentoring Institute in the University’s Career Development Center, established through a significant gift from Will Pesce ’73, a long-time member of our Board of Trustees, his wife Henrietta ’72, MA ’75, and his children Michael and Katie (see article on page 18). It was a very special day as we celebrated this powerful and generous gift from two of our alumni who met at the University and for the first time brought their children to our campus. It was so moving to hear Will and Henrietta talk about the faculty who mentored them on campus, and their desire to help our students imagine their own futures. We are so thankful for their support.

Earlier this summer, we benefited from newer friends of the University.

In June, I traveled to Shanghai, China to receive the first $150,000 check toward a $600,000 gift from the Shanghai William Chinese Art Foundation to support our Center for Chinese Art (see article on page 4). We received a $400,000 gift from the Holly Beach Public Library Association to be used for student scholarships, which will be of enormous help to our students who struggle with the cost of attending college. Scholarships continue to be one of our fundraising priorities. We are proud that over the past three years, we have increased our scholarship endowment by 57 percent and in the past year the William Paterson University Foundation awarded 375 scholarships totaling nearly $600,000.

These generous gifts will make a true impact on William Paterson University.

We look forward to partnering with many more alumni and friends of the University to provide transformative experiences for our students.

Sincerely, Kathleen Waldron President EDITOR’S NOTE: With this issue of WP, we are proud to unveil a new look—marking the first major update of the magazine’s design since its premiere in 1998. With its enhanced focus on graphics, we hope you find it more readable and accessible. Please let us know what you think; send us an email at wpmag@wpunj.edu.

FALL 2014

3

Newsbeats SPECIAL VOLUNTEERS Pam Brillante ’88, MEd ’92, professor of special education and counseling, organized more than 50 student and faculty volunteers from the College of Education and the College of Science and Health to assist with the Special Olympics 2014 USA Games, which were held for the first time in New Jersey.

The volunteers assisted in several events, including the Young Athletes Festival, which provided an opportunity for children with disabilities ages two to seven to be introduced to the world of sports.

President Kathleen Waldron (fourth from right), with (left to right) Zhiyuan Cong, professor of art and director of the Center; Zhipeng Ding, Ching Yiu, Shengzhan Ding, and Daryl Moore, dean of the College of the Arts and Communication

Shanghai William Chinese Art Foundation Pledges $600,000 for Center for Chinese Art The University’s Center for Chinese Art, one of the country’s premier centers for the appreciation of Chinese art, has received a $600,000 pledge from the Shanghai William Chinese Art Foundation in Shanghai, China.

The Shanghai William Chinese Art Foundation was created to further enhance American understanding of Chinese art and culture. The gift to the University’s Center for Chinese Art will support its mission of promoting understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture and art through a variety of programs, including master artist exchanges, exhibitions in the University Galleries featuring important Chinese artists, and programs such as lectures and cultural events.

“It is a great honor to formalize the relationship established between the Shanghai William Chinese

4

FALL 2014

Art Foundation and William Paterson University,” says President Kathleen Waldron, who traveled to China to accept the gift. “We are so grateful to our new generous benefactors and partners, Ms. Ching Yiu, Mr. Zhipeng Ding, Mr. Shengzhan Ding, and the Shanghai William Chinese Art Foundation. Through their commitment we will be able to provide more programs and continue to invite important Chinese artists to share their knowledge and culture with our students, faculty, and community.”

1,035

NEW SPACES!

President Kathleen Waldron breaks the ribbon for the University’s new Pioneer Parking Garage on September 10. The new garage increases the University’s parking capacity by 22 percent.

EAT YOUR GREENS

L

ooking to boost your diet with the most nutritious foods?

Watercress, Chinese cabbage, chard, beet greens, and spinach top a list of 41 “powerhouse” fruits and vegetables, according to research conducted by Jennifer Di Noia, associate professor of sociology.

Di Noia, who has a public health background, looked at which foods provide 10 percent or more of 17 critical nutrients –including fiber, potassium, protein, calcium folate, vitamin B12, vitamin A, and vitamin D–per 100 calorie serving. Her research, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention journal Preventing Chronic Disease, marked the first time the nutritional values of nutrient-dense fruits have been ranked to provide a measurable tool for nutrition education and dietary guidance. The top four fruits? Red pepper, pumpkin, tomato, and lemon.

“Higher-ranking foods provide more nutrients per calories,” says Di Noia, whose research gained extensive national visibility in the media. “The scores may help focus consumers on their daily energy needs, and how best to get the most nutrients from their foods. The rankings provide clarity on the nutrient quality of the different foods and may aid in the selection of more nutrient-dense items within the powerhouse group.”

KELLY MCNERNEY ’14 FEATURED IN INVESTMENT NEWS Investment News, the leading information source for financial advisers, is tracking new grad Kelly McNerney ’14 during her first year as a financial services professional.

McNerney, who landed a position as an associate financial planner with Fox, Joss & Yankee Financial in Reston, Virginia, was profiled in the June 29 issue of the publication. She also wrote a blog article about her new job.

To see more about DiNoia’s research, visit bit.ly/jenniferdinoia

FALL 2014

5

Newsbeats GOVERNOR CHRISTIE AND SECRETARY HENDRICKS ATTEND GROUNDBREAKING FOR NEW BUILDING

G

overnor Chris Christie (center) and Secretary of Higher Education Rochelle Hendricks (far right) participated in a formal groundbreaking ceremony on June 10 for the University’s new academic building, which is partially funded by the state’s Building Our Future Bond Act. Joining in the ceremony were (left to right) Elizabeth Hohnecker ’14, a graduate student in communication disorders; Warren Sandmann, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs; and Fred Gruel, chair of the Board of Trustees. The $40 million project will provide general-use classrooms as well as specialized classrooms and clinical spaces for nursing, communication disorders, and public health. Completion is scheduled for 2016.

Cheng Library Launches A variety of materials pertaining to the University’s history, including yearbooks, student newspapers, course catalogs, books about the University, and a collection of documents connected to Hobart Manor are now available for perusal online as part of a new digital collection compiled by the Cheng Library.

The William Paterson University Digital Collection contains approximately 1,600 items to date. “By digitizing these items, we are making these materials available to alumni, faculty, staff, students, and researchers around the world,” says Kurt Wagner, assistant director, library information systems.

Funding for the project came from gifts in memory of Lorraine Cheng, who died in December 2012 and with her husband, the late David Cheng, was the library’s benefactor.

The Lorraine Cheng Digitization Center is equipped with state-of-theart scanners for digitization of printed materials and photographs, a book edge scanner for bound materials, and a large format photography studio set-up.

The project began as an effort to preserve correspondence, newspaper clippings, documents, and photos pertaining to Hobart Manor, the national historic site that is the centerpiece of campus.

In addition to the Hobart Manor Collection, the collection includes issues of The Beacon and The Pioneer Times, the two student newspapers on campus; a large number of Pioneer yearbooks, which date back to 1925; and undergraduate course catalogs dating from 1978. The collection also includes several histories of the

NEW MURAL GRACES CAMPUS A wall at the rear of Raubinger Hall adjacent to Hobart Manor is the site of a vibrant new mural painted by students in a summer class on the theory and practice of mural painting taught by art history professor Alejandro Anreus and painter and adjunct professor Kyle Coniglio.

The project, suggested by President Kathleen Waldron, was executed by undergraduate art majors Jenny Alcantara, Mary Angus, and Michael Calabro and graduate student Dana Apicella. The mural references landmarks on campus and in Paterson.

To see a video about the mural, visit bit.ly/wpmural

6

FALL 2014

WELCOME, PIONEERS! Jess Seilheimer ’97, chief strategy officer at MWW Group, one of the nation’s top mid-sized public relations firms, gave the keynote address at the University’s annual Convocation for new students on September 18. “A great day, and nice to be back in an environment that had such a positive effect on me,” she said on Twitter.

Digital Archive University, including Paterson State College: A History 1855-1966 (also known affectionately on campus as “the orange book”); and William Paterson University, a pictorial history published in connection with the University’s 150th anniversary in 2005. Online visitors to the collection can also view selections from the University’s Joan and Gordon Tobias Collection of African Art. “The collection is fully searchable through Google and adheres to the latest library cataloging standards so it allows anyone to conduct research in these collections,” says Wagner.

“We look forward to the evolution of the collection and welcome any suggestions for additional items we should include.”

To access the archive, visit bit.ly/digital-wpunj

FALL 2014

7

Newsbeats Kevin Burkhardt ’97 Tells Grads:“Dream Big” As a rising star in the field of sports broadcasting, it’s hard to believe that Fox Sports broadcaster Kevin Burkhardt ’97 —the University’s 2014 commencement speaker— nearly gave up on his dream of a career in broadcasting 11 years ago to take a job as a car salesman. “It was, without

a doubt, the turning point in my life,” he said in his address at the May 14 ceremony.

“What it did was make me more determined than ever... it jumpstarted the desire in me that I didn’t want to settle.”

Now, he reaches a national audience broadcasting National Football League and Major League Baseball games on Fox, after seven years as the Mets

sideline reporter on SportsNet New York (SNY).

“Today is about dreaming big,” he told the graduates. “I am a proud William Paterson graduate here today. Life is about experiences...I wouldn’t be here today without the experiences I gained (at William Paterson).

Now, it’s your turn. Today is the day all of your dreams start to come true.”

Honorary degree recipients (left to right) Dr. Mary O’Neil Mundinger, former dean of the School of Nursing at Columbia University; Bucky Pizzarelli, renowned jazz guitarist; and Robert Taylor, William Paterson’s first trustee emeritus

CHOOSE NEW JERSEY William Paterson University is among the first higher education institutions in the state to collaborate with Choose New Jersey, a state organization designed to encourage and nurture economic growth throughout New Jersey, including a focus on making the state’s most distressed cities engines for growth and opportunity.

“We are proud to join Choose New Jersey and collaborate with business leaders to help advance the state’s economic and workforce development agenda,” says University President Kathleen Waldron.

Brad Neilley ‘80

8

FALL 2014

Education professor Sondra Akins, who has dedicated her career to science education, is one of 211 African American scientists included in the HistoryMakers Collection, an oral history collection recently acquired by the Library of Congress.

BRAD NEILLEY ’80 APPOINTED TO BOARD OF TRUSTEES

B

rad Neilley, global vice president of human resources/chief human resources officer for Pentax Medical and a 1980 graduate of William Paterson, has been appointed to serve on the Board of Trustees.

“We are delighted that Brad Neilley is joining our Board of Trustees,” says President Kathleen Waldron. “Brad’s expertise in business management in general, and human resource management in particular, will provide valuable insight and leadership for the University.

As an alum, he brings special knowledge about the University that gives him a unique perspective on the institution.”

Neilley joined Pentax Medical, a global manufacturer of medical devices with offices in more than 20 countries worldwide, in 2014. Previously, he served from 2010 to 2014 as vice president, human resources, for ABM Industries.

Prior, Neilley held a number of executive leadership positions at other Fortune 500 companies.

A member of the board of the William Paterson University Foundation since 2010, Neilley earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from William Paterson, an MBA in international business from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a post-graduate executive education certificate in strategic management from The Wharton School of Business.

UNIVERSITY ESTABLISHES DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY DEGREE William Paterson has expanded its doctoral level programs to include a doctor of psychology degree. A professional doctorate designed to prepare graduates for practice in psychology, the new program will provide training and coursework in clinical practice and research.

FALL 2014

9

Newsbeats STORY OF NEW JERSEY EXPLORED THROUGH 35 OBJECTS

N

ovels, musical instruments, audio recordings, textiles, family heirlooms, farming implements, and Native American artifacts are among the objects on display as part of a new exhibition, 35 in 350: The Story of New Jersey, on display in the University Galleries through December 12.

The exhibition, presented in conjunction with the statewide celebration of the 350th anniversary of New Jersey, explores the state’s diverse cultural heritage. Co-curated

by Kristen Evangelista, director of the University Galleries, and Harry Weil, an adjunct professor of art history, the exhibition narrates the experience of living in New Jersey through 35 objects selected by individuals from throughout the state who represent diverse ethnic, social, and religious backgrounds and a range of vocations.

“35 in 350 reveals how local populations have contributed to the state’s diversity—historically, culturally and politically,” says Weil. “It’s a snapshot of New Jersey taken by those who call it home.”

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sundays November 9, 16, and 23 and December 7 from noon to 4 p.m. in the Ben Shahn Center for the Visual Arts on campus.

10

FALL 2014

UNIVERSITY NEW HOME OF INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FINANCE The Cotsakos College of Business is the new home of the International Journal of Finance, an established academic journal focusing on topics in corporate finance, financial institutions, investments, international accounting, economics, and finance. The journal, which is published four times a year, is co-edited by John Malindretos, associate professor, and Ge Zhang, assistant professor, both members of the Department of Economics, Finance, and Global Business.

TEEN SUNSCREEN USE DECLINES A study by Corey Basch, assistant professor, public health, published in the Centers for Disease Control journal, Preventing Chronic Disease, found an 11 percent decline from 2001 to 2011 in the number of teens using sunscreen, an alarming trend. Her research gained national and international coverage, including a television interview with NBC Global.

To see the video, visit bit.ly/coreybasch

University’s First Female President Ahead of Her Time This year marks the 60th anniversary of the appointment of Marion Emory Shea, EdD, as president of Paterson State Teachers College, as the University was known in 1954, making her the first female president of a New Jersey teachers college. in 1955 to 2,672 in 1966 (up 400 percent); faculty appointments increased from 35 to 212 in 1966.

Campus buildings completed included the library, Wightman Gym, and Wayne Hall. She also presided over a significant revamping of the curriculum.

In an era when most women earned only high school diplomas, she earned a BS, AM, and a doctorate from New York University, and was a graduate of the Glassboro Normal School, where she was a member of the faculty until 1936, when she transferred to Newark State Teachers College. There, she rose to the rank of full professor (of English) and stayed until she assumed her presidency at William Paterson.

During her tenure, the institution experienced unprecedented growth.

Enrollment increased from 531

As president, she spoke to the campus community many times. The first such occasion was during the college convocation held on October 8, 1954. She

stressed the opportunities and responsibilities of the college’s students as they prepared to take their place as teachers of children and leaders in the community. The following spring, May 18, 1955, she spoke at an inauguration ceremony, the first for the college.

“The function of education is, as many of us see it, to supply not only knowledge but also power,’’ she said.

“Power to understand the universe and the social world in which we exist, and to understand…that the world will be a different place twenty-five years hence when the present student becomes a leader.”

GIFT FROM HOLLY BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION SUPPORTS SCHOLARSHIP A generous gift of $400,000 from the Holly Beach Public Library Association will be used to establish an endowed scholarship fund to support students with financial need.

“For many of our students, a scholarship can make the critical difference in their ability to afford a William Paterson University education,” says Pam Ferguson, vice president for institutional advancement.

“We are tremendously grateful for this very generous gift, which will help transform the lives of our students by placing our excellent academic programs within their reach financially so that they can succeed in our classrooms, laboratories, studios, and as graduates in the competitive workplace.”

To read the complete text of Dr. Shea’s inaugural address, go to bit.ly/MarionShea

FALL 2014

11

Newsbeats NEW FULBRIGHTS

C

laire Donaghy, professor of nursing, and He Zhang, associate professor of art history, have been selected as Fulbright Scholars for the 2014-15 academic year. The Fulbright Program, America’s flagship international educational exchange program, is one of the most prestigious scholarship programs worldwide. Their selection brings the number of Fulbright Scholars on the faculty to 41.

Donaghy, a nurse practitioner whose career as a nurse spans four decades, will teach nursing courses and assist with faculty development at the University of Rwanda in Kigali. She also plans to serve with Rwanda Smiles, a joint effort of Operation Smile, Smile Train, and the Rwandan Ministry of Health that provides

UNIVERSITY TO STUDY TEACHER PERSISTENCE IN URBAN SETTINGS The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) has awarded a 2014 Research Fellowship in Educator Preparation to William Paterson in partnership with Kean University and Rowan University. The one-year fellowship will provide researchers $30,000 to study the persistence in urban classrooms of teachers prepared through varied certification pathways.

Researchers will explore how and why varied pathways to teaching contribute to teachers’ retention in urban school districts through at least their fourth year on the job.

12

FALL 2014

NEW FACES

life-changing surgery to Rwandans born with a cleft lip or cleft palate. She also plans to teach advanced cardiac life support and pediatric advanced life support courses through the International Division of the American Heart Association.

Zhang specializes in comparative studies between Pre-Columbian American cultures and Asian cultures, and Chinese Silk Road art traditions.

During her Fulbright year, she will travel to India, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan to conduct research on the icons and techniques used in carpets and tapestry in Central Asia in the fourth to seventh centuries. She has twice been awarded grants for her research from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

DISTINGUISHED LECTURER SERIES PROGRAM TO EXAMINE THE BIG QUESTIONS How does someone tell a compelling story about science on the radio? Robert Krulwich, the co-host of Radiolab, the Peabody Award-winning National Public Radio program that examines big questions in science, philosophy, and the human experience, will provide an inside look during his multimedia Distinguished Lecturer Series appearance on Friday, November 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Shea Center.

Reginald Ross has been appointed vice president for enrollment management.

Ross comes to the University from Long Island University’s C.W. Post campus where he was associate provost and dean of admissions. Prior to joining Long Island University in 2012, he served as vice president for enrollment management at Coppin State University in Maryland, dean of enrollment management at Montclair State University, and in a number of positions at Bloomfield College.

Paul Glassman is the new dean of the David and Lorraine Cheng Library. Most recently, Glassman served as director of library services at Felician College since 2008. Previously, he was the assistant dean for reference services and collection development at Hofstra University, and director of the library at the New York School of Interior Design. Earlier, he served in several administrative positions at museums.

Jazz Alumni Direct, Star in New Documentary The poignant relationship between jazz legend, trumpet player, and William Paterson permanent artist-in-residence Clark Terry, and his former William Paterson student Justin Kauflin ’08 is the subject of a new documentary by first-time director and William Paterson alumnus Alan Hicks ’07 that is making news and winning awards across the country.

Keep on Keepin’ On, which premiered at New York’s TriBeCa Film Festival in April, tells the story of Kauflin, a pianist who lost his vision at age 11 from a rare eye disease (see profile, WP Magazine, Spring 2013) and suffers from severe stage fright, and the bond he forms with Clark Terry, then 89 and beginning to lose his sight as a complication of diabetes. When Kauflin is invited to compete in an elite international competition, Terry’s health takes a turn for the worse; the film follows them as they tackle the toughest challenges of their interwoven lives.

Hicks, a drummer and native of Australia who graduated from

the University with a bachelor’s degree in jazz studies, was inspired to make the film based on his own experience with Terry at the University. Hicks was among a number of students Terry mentored during several years on campus, and was one of six students in an ensemble that worked with Terry for a year.

Hicks enlisted his friend and fellow Australian, cinematographer Adam Hart, and they used Kickstarter to fund the project, raising more than $43,000 to support filming. They shot 350 hours of footage over four years. Renowned producer Quincy Jones, who at age 13 was Clark Terry’s first

student, stopped by Terry’s home in Arkansas one day during filming and became interested in the project; he eventually came on board as a producer.

The film has already won numerous accolades, including the best audience and best new director awards at the 2014 TriBeCa Film Festival, and best documentary at the 2014 Seattle International Film Festival, and has been screened at other film festivals across the country. The film premiered in Los Angeles on September 19 and New York on October 3.

For more details, visit keeponkeepinon.com

FALL 2014

13

Newsbeats Young Baseball Players Risk Injury When Taught to Play Like Adults Teaching a young baseball player by modeling the techniques used by their Major League Baseball idols could contribute to child athletes being injured on the diamond.

“A lot of coaches try to mimic techniques used by adults and professional athletes because they want children to be champions on the field, but these techniques do not respect the growth and development of the human body,” says Jason Wicke, assistant professor of kinesiology and lead author of a new study published in the journal Sports Biomechanics.

Training like an adult can have

14

FALL 2014

long-term effects and could lead to increased injuries, warns Wicke, who directs the University’s Human Motion Research Laboratory.

Furthermore, children who succeed as athletes when they’re young will not always succeed when they’re older because of the improper training.

“Adults have different body types and are much stronger. Children need to be taught the proper mechanics for their age and evolve their technique as they grow,” says Wicke. For example, techniques taught to children should limit the amount of stress put on the bones, tendons, and ligaments to allow them to properly grow and ensure long-term stability in the joint.

To see NJTV’s report on Wicke’s research, visit bit.ly/jasonwicke

LIST OF NATION’S TOP UNIVERSITY SALES PROGRAMS INCLUDES WP

T

he University has been recognized in the 2014 list of Top University Sales Programs for its Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales in the Cotsakos College of Business. The list, released by the Sales Education Foundation of Dayton, Ohio, highlights William Paterson as one of the best locations for hiring sales professionals.

University Announces Inaugural Class of Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellows A quality assurance scientist for a major pharmaceutical firm. A special events manager for the American Cancer Society. A PhD geologist from Nigeria. A chemistry teacher from India.

These individuals are among the first accepted into William Paterson University’s inaugural cohort of Woodrow Wilson New Jersey Teaching Fellows, a highly competitive program that recruits both recent graduates and career changers with strong backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, and math—the STEM fields—and prepares them specifically to teach in highneed secondary schools.

Twelve Fellows are attending the program at William Paterson, each receiving $30,000 to complete a specially designed, cutting-edge master’s degree program based on a year-long classroom experience in partnership with the Paterson

In Memoriam

and Passaic school districts. In return, Fellows commit to teach for three years in the urban and rural New Jersey schools that most need strong STEM teachers. Throughout the three-year commitment, Fellows receive ongoing support and mentoring.

William Paterson’s inaugural class of Fellows includes Alexander Aleynik of Englewood Cliffs, Caitlin Ament of Little Falls, Randolph Dorcent of Roselle, Virginia Fasulo of Wantage, Olugbenga Ige of Newark, Tenzin Jigmey of Jersey City, Danielle Kinloch of Nutley, David Kornitzer of Wayne, Steven Kuipers of Wayne, Jacqueline Kuzora of Milford, Eric Nyabeta of Paterson, and Angie Rivera of Haledon.

IT IS WITH GREAT SADNESS THAT WE MOURN THE PASSING OF TWO MEMBERS OF THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY

Henry Heluk, assistant professor of special education and counseling, died March 12, 2014. He was 68.

Heluk joined the University community in 2001 after nearly 20 years as a guidance counselor at Fieldstone Middle School in Montvale, where he also coached the girls basketball team and the track team. He had previously served in the U.S. Army in the intelligence division as a crypt analyst and was assigned to a post in Turkey. A graduate of the University of Miami, he earned a doctorate from Columbia University.

“Henry was an exemplary colleague and a friend,” says Paula Danzinger, professor and director of the University’s professional counseling program. “He encouraged, supported, and mentored students as well as junior faculty. He was always there to consult with and to bounce around ideas with. He was a steadying influence on the program and on me personally and I feel his loss daily.”

Vernon McClean, retired professor of Africana world studies, died August 31, 2014. He was 72. McClean joined the University faculty in 1969 as an assistant professor of history and director of the Black Studies Program; he subsequently became the founding chairperson of the African, African-American, and Caribbean Studies

Department, which was later renamed Africana World Studies. McClean served as a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow in 1980 and as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at Princeton University in 1985.

He retired from the University in 2007. A graduate of St. Augustine College, he earned a doctorate in education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

“Vernon McClean was one of the earliest advocates at William Paterson of what is now called Africana World Studies,” says Robert Rosen, professor of English. “He served for many long years on the Race and Gender Project Steering Committee and his knowledge, dedication, and wry sense of humor were invaluable.”

FALL 2014

15

Athletics Former Offensive Lineman Johnson Joins Football Professional Ranks Former William Paterson offensive lineman Dashawn Johnson signed on to the practice squad of the Arena Football League’s (AFL) Cleveland Gladiators. The signing came on the heels of his selection as one of 28 undrafted players invited to the NFL’s Green Bay Packers rookie orientation camp and tryout on May 17.

A member of the 2013 All-New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Second Team, Johnson started in all nine of his appearances at left tackle. The 6’ 4”, 310-pound lineman saw action in 37 games during his four-year career as a Pioneer (2010-13), starting 31 times. He capped his time at William Paterson by participating in the 2014 Dream Bowl Senior Football AllStar Game in January 2014 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Johnson is the third Pioneer to draw the interest of pro scouts during the last five years. Former cornerback Leer Biddle signed with the AFL’s Philadelphia Soul in 2012, and wide receiver Joel Rivera received a tryout with the New York Jets in 2010.

16

FALL 2014

SOFTBALL RETURNS TO NCAA TOURNAMENT SPOTLIGHT Pioneer Softball returned to the NCAA Tournament spotlight, earning the program’s 12th bid with a 31-11 overall record during 2014. The team earned the top seed and hosted the NJAC Tournament following a 15-3 regular-season league mark.

Shortstop Katelyn Miele ’14 anchored William Paterson in the field and at the plate, earning her fourth career all-NJAC award with a first-team selection and garnering spots on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region First Team and All-Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Second Team.

Sophomore outfielder Kelsey Wimmershoff was a first-team all-conference and second-team all-ECAC pick.

Inside the circle, the Pioneers relied on freshmen Gabrielle Castelli and Allison Podmajersky.

Castelli, a five-time NJAC Rookie Pitcher of the Week, was named to the All-NJAC Second Team and NFCA All-Region Third Team with a team-best 13-3 record. Podmajersky was twice selected as the NJAC Rookie Pitcher of the Week, finishing with a 9-7 record.

25 PIONEERS INDUCTED INTO

CHI ALPHA SIGMA

The William Paterson Department of Intercollegiate Athletics recognized the outstanding academic achievements of 84 student-athletes at its first Student-Athlete Academic Awards Luncheon in spring 2014.

Twenty-five Pioneers were inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, a national student-athlete honor society for juniors and seniors with a minimum 3.4 grade point average.

Pioneer Swimmer Spends Semester in South Korea

Ruth Midence at the Demilitarized Zone

Who needs an offseason pool workout when you have an abundance of stairs? For William Paterson swimmer Ruth Midence of Union City, a semester spent studying at South Korea’s Dankook University had some unforeseen advantages.

“There were 17 flights of stairs, so that was my exercise,” the current senior said with a laugh about the hilly terrain.

The recipient of the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Midence made her second trip

to South Korea as an exchange student last spring. After finishing her swimming season at William Paterson in February, she spent four months in Yongin, a 45-minute ride from Seoul, taking five classes as well as a language course.

Midence was one of approximately 700 American recipients of the Gilman Scholarship, applying after Susan Godar, professor of marketing and management, mentioned it in one of her marketing classes.

The opportunity was a perfect fit, since Midence transferred to William Paterson in order to resume swimming competitively, but also to take advantage of the University’s academic offerings.

“I really wanted to swim again, and a lot of my friends were already going to school here,” said Midence of her decision to become a Pioneer.

“I really wanted to learn Korean, and William Paterson has a global business major, so it was a great fit.”

During her time at Dankook, Midence was able to not only benefit academically from the semester abroad, but also absorb the culture with visits to iconic locations like the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

“The biggest challenge for me was communication because some of the older people don’t know a lot of English, and transportation was also sometimes tough,” she recalls.

“But the best part was meeting new people and seeing a lot of the sites in the area.”

The Dean’s List student is considering attending graduate school overseas, and eventually would like to work abroad in a behindthe-scenes field such as human resources or operations. But first, she will complete her final collegiate season in the pool while finishing her bachelor’s degree in January.

HERUDEK GARNERS ALL-LEAGUE AWARDS AS GOLF COMPETES IN FIRST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP The William Paterson golf program competed in its first conference championship, and senior Frank Herudek of Randolph took advantage of the opportunity by finishing among the top five individuals at the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) Championship last April in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

The 17 flights of stairs that run through Dankook University

wpupioneers.com FALL 2014

17

18

FALL 2014

New Pesce Family Mentoring Institute Brings Together Alumni and Community Partners to

Empower Students

BY THERESA E. ROSS ‘80

WHEN WILL PESCE WAS ABOUT TO GRADUATE FROM WILLIAM PATERSON IN 1973, HE WAS UNCERTAIN ABOUT HIS OPTIONS. PESCE WAS THE FIRST IN HIS FAMILY TO ATTEND COLLEGE. HE NEVER DREAMED OF GRADUATE SCHOOL UNTIL TWO OF HIS PROFESSORS CONVINCED HIM TO PURSUE AN MBA. PESCE, RETIRED PRESIDENT AND CEO OF JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC., OFTEN TELLS THE STORY OF HOW THAT INITIAL, INFORMAL MENTORING PUT HIM ON THE PATH TO CAREER SUCCESS.

Now Pesce and his family have decided to establish a formal mentorship program that will help more William Paterson University students succeed academically and beyond the campus. Pesce, his wife Henrietta ‘72, MA ’75, and their children Michael and Katie have donated a generous gift to establish the Pesce Family Mentoring Institute.

“My hope is the Pesce Family Mentoring Institute will offer students the timely intervention, support, and counseling that I received informally many years ago,” says Pesce.

The goal of the Institute will be to connect undergraduate students with professionals, including alumni and community partners, through networking gatherings, in-person discussions, an online community, and other career development opportunities. The Institute is based in the University’s Career Development Center.

Students in the program will be able to learn about networking, internships, resumé writing, interviews, opportunities to shadow a professional, business etiquette, and more.

The University has eagerly begun the process of pairing students with mentors, reaching out to alumni, community partners, and friends of the University.

President Kathleen Waldron believes the Pesce Family Mentoring Institute is a perfect fit for William Paterson and its commitment to support students in all aspects of life. “Our mission as a public institution is not only to offer an excellent and affordable education but to smooth the transition to the next step of a student’s life, whether that is graduate school or a career,” she says.

“More than 40 percent of William Paterson students are the first in their families to attend college,” Waldron continues. “As a public university, we have a wide variety and diverse population of students. They don’t all have the connections, the networks, and the preparation for post-graduate outcomes that are important to their futures. The Pesce Family Mentoring Institute will provide them with invaluable advice, encouragement, knowledge, and networking opportunities.”

Pesce, a member of William Paterson’s Board of Trustees since 2002, and his family look forward to the Institute making a difference in the lives of William Paterson students for many years to come. “We believe respected role models and thoughtful, engaged mentors can have an enduring, positive influence on students,” he says.

FALL 2014

19

Pesce recalls how his mentors at William Paterson, Professors Marty Laurence and the late Prabhaker Nayak, had a big impact on his life. “They saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself,” he says. “They spoke about opportunities that were unimaginable for me at that time, for example, encouraging me to think about going to graduate school.

I was a bit resistant at first for financial reasons. With their encouragement and advice, I was able to do it. I went right from receiving an undergraduate degree in business from William Paterson to earning an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business.”

President Waldron views Will and his family as excellent role models. “We are tremendously grateful to the Pesce family for making this Institute possible,” she says. “It will give alumni and friends of William Paterson an opportunity to help our students in a more personal and rewarding way.“ “At John Wiley & Sons, Will was known for developing a nurturing and supportive culture within the company which gave it an enormous competitive advantage,” adds Waldron. “That is the type of person he is. Will and Henrietta have been strong supporters of the University for many years. They wanted to do something that would benefit our students.”

Sharon Rosengart, director of the Career Development Center at William Paterson, is leading the development of the Pesce Family Mentoring Institute.

“Matching a student with a mentor opens up a whole new world,” she says. “It’s an opportunity for the student to interact with professionals in his or her area

of interest, whether they are business executives or freelance artists.”

“About 85 percent of William Paterson students work 20 hours or more per week,” she adds. “That means they have very little opportunity to network. If a student is working part time at Starbucks or in a doctor’s office and is an aspiring artist, that student will have no exposure, other than his or her professor, to individuals in a chosen career. So partnering students with a mentor is a great way to open their eyes. It’s an opportunity for them to talk through some of their concerns about the field they’re planning to enter.”

To apply to the program, students and mentors simply need to fill out an application at the Career Development Center located in the Machuga Student Center.

After this selection process is completed, advisors will match up mentors with students and will invite them for a kickoff orientation in the fall. Mentors and mentees will also develop an agreement between themselves. “Ideally we would like them to meet once a month, whether it’s on the phone, via Skype, or in person.

There will be at least two major events and our office will touch base throughout the year,” says Rosengart.

When students have questions about academics or careers, Rosengart and her staff are available to help in other ways by suggesting the research they can do and the people they can contact.

“Students who take advantage of career counseling resources do better overall,” she says. “If they don’t have strong writing skills, they can take advantage of the Writing Center, and it’s amazing how their writing starts to improve. If they

Will Pesce ’73 with mentoring candidates (left to right) Adrian Huerta, Quashe Edwards, Mathhew Montague, Emily Bruno, and Gabriela Salvador

20

FALL 2014

Director of Career Development Sharon Rosengart

don’t understand something in class, it helps to speak with the faculty member and go over it again. When students take advantage of tutoring, it’s remarkable how their grades improve. And when students say that they’re thinking about going into a particular field, I will sometimes recommend that they speak with an alum I know in that industry.”

“When students obtain help, I see a big change in them,” adds Rosengart.

“They’re so much more prepared, more confident about their skills and the choices they’re making. It makes all the difference in the world.“ Once the student connects with someone in the job market, it can lead to referrals to a friend or colleague in the industry, she says. It can also lead to connections to professional organizations, such as the New Jersey Accounting Society, for example. A mentor might invite a student to a meeting, where there are even more opportunities for networking with other professionals in the field.

“By sophomore and junior year, students need that connection,” says Victoria Nauta, associate director, Career Development Center. “In today’s job market, the internship is the entry-level job. And students often need to have two internships on their resumé, not just one.

Fifty percent of internships turn into fulltime jobs,” she adds. “Once students have that internship, it’s the foot in the door.

They have experience on their resumé and are marketable.”

The Pesces have been significant benefactors of William Paterson for decades.

Will and Henrietta previously established the Aniello J. Pesce Scholarship in honor of Will’s father to support outstanding first-generation students from the Cotsakos

College of Business. They also established the Maureen and Patrick O’Connor Scholarship in honor of Henrietta’s parents, to support deserving first-generation students majoring in education.

At one of William Paterson’s annual scholarship luncheons, Pesce met Manny Garcia ’04, a recipient of the Aniello J. Pesce Scholarship. The two have stayed in touch over the years. When Garcia was interested in entering a financial leadership and development program similar to one that Pesce experienced, he reached out for advice. “We talked, and I gave him some advice, served as a reference, and he did get into the program,” says Pesce.

Sometime later, Garcia considered getting his MBA at NYU’s Stern School of Business. And once again, Garcia followed in Pesce’s footsteps.

“Matching a student with a mentor opens up a whole new world.”

SHARON ROSENGART

“What started out as a scholarship luncheon introduction has now come full circle,” says Pesce. They stayed in touch, and when Pesce told him about the Pesce Family Mentoring Institute program, Garcia was enthusiastic.

“I congratulate Will and his family for setting up this Institute because it will be very beneficial to students,” says Garcia. “Without Will’s advice, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Like him, I was the first in my family to attend college. He helped me many times along the way.

And when I’m done completing my MBA a year from now, I would like to participate in the program and be a mentor.”

Pesce understands the rewards of mentoring and has a vision of what it will mean for the University. “I am absolutely convinced there are many people who are either connected to William Paterson, or who work or live in the area and would love to contribute to the success of our students but don’t know how to go about doing it,” says Pesce. “We can enable it by helping to identify those people, bring them in for an orientation, and provide them with the tools to do it. We can enable it through the Pesce Family Mentoring Institute.“

One Mentor’s Advice: Ask for What You Want

W

hen Kayla-Lynn Kasica, an accounting major at William Paterson, landed an internship at one of the most prestigious accounting firms in the nation, she was thrilled. Although she was still in her junior year, Kasica knew this could be her dream job after graduation.

Days before finishing up the internship, Kasica wondered if the supervisors would offer her a job.

Should she go home from the internship and hope that they called her in a few weeks? Would it be appropriate to ask for a job?

Not sure what to do, she called Victor Ricci ’89, MBA ’95, executive vice president of Dotcom Distribution.

Kasica met Ricci at a William Paterson alumni-sponsored mentoring event and periodically asked him for advice.

Ricci’s take on this dilemma was simple: “Ask for what you want in life. You’re 21 years old and have nothing to lose,” he assured her. “Tell them how you feel.“ Following an hour-long phone discussion with Ricci on how to handle it, Kasica requested a meeting with the firm’s head audit partner, human resources manager, and campus recruiter. She met all three together and explained why she genuinely wanted to work for the firm.

The managers smiled broadly because they had planned to offer her the job at a farewell luncheon that afternoon.

Instead, they gave her the good news on the spot.

Later that day, she received a call from the campus recruiter. He told her how impressed they were that she had asked for the job. “In all our collective years of experience at big four accounting firms, none of us had ever witnessed an intern asking for a job,” he said. They were pleased with her performance, but even if they were not, he said, the fact that she called a meeting and outlined her interest in the position was so impressive that they all agreed they would have offered her the job anyway.

Kasica will graduate in May 2015, and then plans to study for her CPA license. She is set to begin her job in November. Thanks to her mentor, she learned a valuable lesson: Ask for what you want and you might just get it.

Kalya-Lynn Kasica seeks advice from her mentor, Victor Ricci ’89, MBA ’95

FALL 2014

21

Tom Fitzgerald ’89 STORYTELLING VIA SOCIAL MEDIA IN DC

T

BY BARBARA E. STOLL ’93, MA ‘94

om Fitzgerald ’89, an Emmy Award-winning reporter for Fox 5 News WTTG in Washington, DC, embraces storytelling to reach his audience with the news.

“Anyone can relate a set of facts,” he says.

“What I try to do on television is to present those facts in an engaging, creative, and humorous way that makes them think. I owe the audience that. Storytelling is an important core component of the news report.”

Adding to the story? Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. “Social media has changed the news game dramatically and forever,” he says. “I don’t know how a reporter can exist in a media environment without it. Social media is a wonderful gift and I’m thankful to be in the business at this time. I get story ideas from Twitter frequently, and also tweet news items; sometimes that’s the only way I’ll send news out because it’s immediate.”

Fitzgerald plies his craft during WTTG’s “Good Day DC program,” “Fox 5 News at 5,” and “NewsEdge at 6,” where he is an on-air political reporter. He also is responsible for the Fitz File, a daily web column. “The Fitz File is a ‘cheat sheet’ for the day ahead of what’s happening in D.C. with a few laughs thrown in to start your day,” he says. He also covers political stories, providing a local DC angle to national stories.

A 1989 graduate of William Paterson with a bachelor’s degree in communication, Fitzgerald was a student of the legendary journalism professor Herb Jackson. “Herb Jackson was the closest thing to Ben Bradlee that I’ve been exposed

22

FALL 2014

to in my life,” he says. “He was a real hard news guy who was tough on us—he treated us like reporters in a newsroom, not students in a classroom.”

Fitzgerald remembers that Professor Jackson instilled in him a sense of healthy skepticism, and the necessity of questioning everything, including motivation and what might be behind the curtain. That work ethic has taken him from his beginnings at Channel 34 in Monmouth County to a role as one of the first on-air correspondents for News12 New Jersey, where he covered the 9-11 attacks, and in 2003 to WTTG. The recipient of three Emmy Awards, five Emmy nominations, and several Associated Press awards, he received a Radio Television Digital News Association Edward R. Murrow Award for “Campaign U,” a project he participated in with American University’s School of Communication that helped frame key issues of the 2008 presidential election through student analysis of the candidates and campaigns in written presentations and a live webcast.

Now, as he celebrates 25 years in the television news business, Fitzgerald reflects on how his role has changed.

“Until now, television news was a one-way street,” he says.

“We turn on the TV and it talks to us. Social media has blown that away. I now know who our viewers are because I can have a conversation with them and they can tell me what they do and don’t like. It adds a whole new dimension to what we do.”

Want to connect with Tom Fitzgerald? He can be reached on Twitter at @FitzFox5DC.

I

BY BARBARA E. STOLL ’93, MA ’94

t was a warm September day in 2010 when Chris Paseka ’04 had a life-changing moment. Idly walking through downtown Red Bank with his future husband and business partner, Jesse Bello, both daydreaming of one day leaving their corporate jobs to start a small business together, they came upon a storefront for rent that drew them in.

“After joking for years about opening a small shop, we were consciously looking for a downtown area where people could walk in,” Paseka says. “We looked in Hoboken, we looked in Montclair, we looked in Ridgewood and Westfield.

We just didn’t get the right feel. We actually walked into this building in Red Bank and didn’t say a word to each other. We literally walked in the door and just knew this was the right place for us.”

Within a week, each had resigned from their jobs, but had to decide what kind of business to open. Paseka, who has a degree in communication from William Paterson, had always thought about opening an old-fashioned candy store, while Bello had some professional experience with custom cakes. They combined these interests with a hot trend —cupcakes—and opened Sugarush, their bakery on East Front Street in Red Bank, on December 26, 2010 during a snowstorm that blew in and left 33 inches of snow on their doorstep.

Dismayed, they carried on. “We cleared our storefront, and opened our doors,” Paseka remembers. “And the community supported us by buying cupcakes.” Today, Sugarush, which features the only cupcake bar in the state, has garnered accolades for its products and was named best cupcakes and best bakery in New Jersey by New Jersey Monthly magazine. The store also has been featured on several national television networks.They recently competed on the Food Network Show Rewrapped, with Paseka emerging as the victor.

Gratified by the ongoing support offered by the community, Sugarush donates a portion of the proceeds from sales of their signature Sugarush cupcake to select non-profits and good causes in town.

“It’s important to me to give back to the town,” Paseka says. “I was brought up to help my neighbor. I would never feel right making money and not giving back to organizations that help people in need. There are so many important organizations, school fundraisers, charities, etc. out there that are doing good for people, or helping the community. From food banks to arts programs, to helping create awareness for cures/prevention, every little bit helps. I guess, in some way, I feel guilty that I cannot put the time I would like to into these same causes. Running a business seven days a week keeps us from doing that, so I hope what little we do makes a difference.”

Chris Paseka ’04 CAKES, CANDY, AND CUPCAKES SWEETEN HIS LIFE FALL 2014

23

Making an Impact UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH IN THE SCIENCES GIVES STUDENTS AN EDGE

BY MARY BETH ZEMAN

24

FALL 2014

Saadia Chaudhry sits at a table in the Engineered Nanomaterials Laboratory in Science Hall West on campus. On this warm summer day, she is intensely focused on the chemical solutions in front of her.

Chaudhry is working with nanoparticles—microscopic objects that can be 500 to 100,000 times thinner than a single human hair—as part of a cutting-edge research project headed by Bhanu Chauhan, professor and chair of the University’s Department of Chemistry.

“Research in the field of nanotechnology has very significant implications for industry, from the microprocessors in our cell phones to new biomedical applications such as drug delivery methods,” says Chauhan, who has been conducting research in the field for 15 years. “The students who assist me in research in my lab are at the cutting edge in terms of the techniques they learn.

They gain a skill set that will be an advantage whether they pursue a job or seek an advanced degree.”

“It’s very intense,” says Chaudhry, who spent five hours each day in the lab along with two other students.

A chemistry major who has been a member of Chauhan’s lab since January, she says her involvement in research “makes me love what I do more—the deeper I go, the more I want to do.” Her immediate goal? Preparing a poster for the American Chemical Society’s national meeting in San Francisco. In the long-term, she plans to pursue a doctorate in organic chemistry.

Over the past decade, more and more attention has been focused in higher education circles on the benefits and advantages of undergraduate research, particularly in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields. According to a 2007 white paper issued by the American Council of Learned Societies Teagle Working Group in Liberal Education, “When students collaborate with teacher-scholars on research, students learn firsthand how experts think about and solve practical problems; their teachers become role models, mentors, and guides for continuous, lifelong learning.”

“Technology is changing so rapidly that something a student learns as a freshman could be obsolete two to three years later,” says Kenneth Wolf, dean of the University’s College of Science and Health. “If we are going to be educating our students for a world yet to be identified, they have to learn to be consumers of knowledge. We need to give them a skill set to be a

lifelong learner. What better way to do that then through a research experience?”

On a broader level, undergraduate research has been documented as a “high-impact practice” that should be included in any student’s collegiate experience. The National Survey of Student Engagement, perhaps the nation’s most widely used assessment of collegiate quality based on best practices in undergraduate education since its inception in 2000, continues to demonstrate that research with faculty is an important indicator of a quality undergraduate education. In addition to the skills a student gains in his or her discipline, such an experience has been positively associated with other key forms of engagement, including higher-order learning, quantitative reasoning, collaborative learning, discussions with diverse others, and a supportive environment.

At William Paterson, the College of Science and Health has a long-standing commitment to providing undergraduate research opportunities in the sciences.

Since 1992, through its Center for Research, the College has facilitated and encouraged faculty and student research that culminates in publications in peer-reviewed journals, presentations at research conferences, and/or applications for external funding. In the past five years alone, more than 170 students have participated in research experiences with faculty.

In addition to funding through the Center for Research, students can apply for research internships through the Garden State-Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (GS-LSAMP). Initiated by the National Science Foundation, GS-LSAMP is an alliance of nine New Jersey colleges and universities, including William Paterson, working to increase the number

At work on their research projects: Large photo: Student Saadia Chaudhry; Small photos, left to right: Professor Jaishri Menon, far right, with students, left to right, Bill Manzo, Adonis Rivie, and Joyce June; student Joyce June; student Qiaxian Johnson

FALL 2014

25

of under-represented minority graduates in the STEM fields. In summer 2014, the University supported paid research internships for 25 students through the program.

“The number of students who want to participate increases every year,” says Danielle Desroches, professor of biology, who serves as the University’s academic coordinator for the grant. Students who apply must be majoring in a science, as well as demonstrate interest in research through participation in monthly meetings about research organized by Desroches.

During the fall semester, students who conducted research during the previous summer make presentations about their projects; in the spring, faculty members discuss the projects for which they are seeking students. The meetings regularly draw 90 to 100 students and faculty.

“Research opens a student’s horizons,” says Desroches. “They learn material outside the classroom, get to know their professor better, have a chance to publish, to present, to travel, to increase their writing and overall skills, to network with faculty or employers—these are all positive skills for any student interested in medical school, a graduate or professional program, or the workplace.”

Among students selected for a summer 2014 research experience were Adonis

Rivie and Joyce June, both of whom are conducting research as part of an interdisciplinary research project conducted

by Jaishri Menon, professor of biology, and Kevin Martus, professor of physics.

Menon, an expert in physiology and vertebrate morphology, is studying tadpole metamorphosis and tail regeneration and collaborated with Martus, an expert in plasma physics, to look at wound healing after exposure to a plasma jet.

“In tackling any research problem, there are so many issues and aspects, but when you involve people from other disciplines, you approach the problem with more flexibility,” says Menon. “It is more creative, but also more hard work—each person has his or her own ideas. It is helpful to us as faculty researchers but it especially opens doors for students who get a broader, more in-depth experience.”

Martus, who has had an undergraduate student presence in his lab for nearly two decades, says the key is to let the students think about how to solve the problem.

“When you are working with students, they have ideas, and we try them,” he says. “A student might have a different approach than I do, but if it works, that’s fine. It’s what we are here to do—thinking and learning.”

For Rivie, a senior majoring in biology, working on this project has provided

“RESEARCH OPENS A STUDENT’S HORIZONS. THEY LEARN MATERIAL OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM, GET TO KNOW THEIR PROFESSOR BETTER, HAVE A CHANCE TO PUBLISH, TO PRESENT, TO TRAVEL, TO INCREASE THEIR WRITING AND OVERALL SKILLS, TO NETWORK WITH FACULTY OR EMPLOYERS…” DANIELLE DESROCHES

26

FALL 2014

a tremendous opportunity to refine his lab skills. “As a biology major, the regular course load is mostly theory, but in the lab, I am able to learn the techniques and practice them every day,” he says. As part of the project, Rivie uses the University’s state-of-the-art confocal microscope to analyze the effect of plasma on wound healing and tail regeneration of tadpoles—a high-level technique that in many colleges would only be taught to graduate students.

“Professor Menon has faith and trusts in our abilities to learn these skills; she is truly a mentor.”

Rivie, who began working in the lab in 2012, has been able to present his research at several conferences, including the Emerging Researchers National Conference in STEM held in Washington, DC in February 2014. He and former student Raphael Ezuduemoih earned a second place award for their poster presentation in the biological sciences category; more than 650 students from around the country participated in the event.

He also earned a second place award at the University’s own 8th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Biological and Chemical Sciences, held in April on campus. The symposium was launched in 2007 by Menon to give University students a professional platform through which to showcase their talents and share their research achievements with faculty and their peers. The event, which drew 27 research abstracts through word of mouth in its first year, has quadrupled. This year’s event featured 102 student participants from 27 institutions, including Yale University, Columbia University, Rutgers University, and the University of Alabama, as well as a lecture by renowned chemist and Nobel laureate Sir Harold Kroto.

“This has grown to be a very significant event for our student researchers, an opportunity for them to present their work in a competitive environment,” says

Chauhan, who has joined Menon as co-organizer. “Students see that we are providing them with a top education and research experiences; it brings them confidence they can compete nationally.”

For many faculty, mentoring a student brings their own experiences full circle. Mick Griffiths, an assistant professor of environmental science, is a native of Australia, who completed his undergraduate work in geosciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst as a study abroad student. “I was exposed to high-profile people in my field,” he recalls. “I took an oceanography class and did some research work with a professor who had a National Science Foundation grant.

He encouraged me to apply to graduate school.

That experience shaped my career.”

Now, Griffiths, a geochemist whose research is focused on issues related to climate change, is collaborating with Marty Becker, professor of environmental science, and undergraduate student Bryan Gonzalez on a project using Becker’s extensive collection of fossilized shark teeth that date back 100 million years.

“This is a potentially new way to look at seawater chemistry based on the elements incorporated into the shark teeth during growth,” Griffiths explains. Through Griffiths, Gonzalez, who began working on the project during the past academic year, was able to continue his work this past summer at the Rutgers Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences as part of the National Science Foundation-funded Research Internships in Ocean Sciences program.

A native of Bolivia, where a diminishing glacier has led to a water crisis, Gonzalez became interested in research after hearing Griffiths do a presentation. “He told me that in order to understand the climate of the future, I had to understand its past,” Gonzalez says. After initially working on a project looking at drought in the western United States, he switched to the project involving shark teeth. “It’s new, it’s pioneering,” he says. “Professor Griffiths is giving me a tremendous opportunity. Choosing to attend William Paterson was the best decision I could have made.” He is planning to attend graduate school.

“Bryan is a prime example of the benefits of research,” Griffiths says. “He had no clue what he wanted to do but research opened his eyes to the possibilities. It can be a springboard at a pivotal point when it can have a big impact.

As a faculty member you have an opportunity to really direct a student —that’s why it’s fun.”

Student Adonis Rivie examines images on the confocal microscope

FALL 2014

27

A

BY BARBARA E. STOLL ’93, MA ‘94

“I have a great responsibility for the animals used in the discovery and the development of new treatments,”

s a veterinarian, Margaret Landi ’74 has always been concerned about the treatment of animals. She brings that perspective to her role as vice president and chief of animal welfare, ethics, and strategy for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), one of the world’s largest global healthcare companies.

Landi is charged with ensuring the care, welfare, and ethical treatment of a wide variety of animals used in the research and development of GSK’s numerous pharmaceuticals, consumer healthcare products, and vaccines—including development of a vaccine against the Ebola virus. “I have a great responsibility for the animals used in the discovery and the development of new treatments,” she says. “I recognize the controversial aspect of that, and my team works diligently to ensure high standards for the care, welfare, and treatment of those animals.”

Landi, who holds a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Pennsylvania, is currently pursuing a master’s degree in bioethics to enhance her role at GSK, a new position she is the first to hold in the company. “I realized how I shaped the role would define it for the future, not only for me but also for my successors,” she explains. “My training has been in science and veterinary medicine, yet medical advances have created situations that never existed in the past. I believe that it is important for me to be educated in the relatively new field of bioethics in animal research.”

Her coursework has added a deeper dimension to her work, she says. “For instance, bioethics calls for not harming a participant and giving autonomy and justice where possible to test subjects,” she says. By becoming trained and knowledgeable in various schools of philosophy and different approaches to ethical questions, Landi says she is able to move discussions about animal care from a utilitarian approach to one focused on moral considerations.

Noting that she hopes to earn her degree in bioethics in 2017—36 years after receiving her William Paterson degree in biology—Landi credits the late biology professor John Rosengren with being a mentor and helping her develop a sense of curiosity. “He taught me to look for answers in unusual places,” she recalls.

“People who work in research are really looking for alternatives, different ways to ask questions that need to be answered, and are driven to improve the health of humans and animals.”

Those questions have also become personal for Landi. Diagnosed with polymyalgia rheumatic, a rare form of arthritis for which the only treatment is steroids, she has joined a clinical trial at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York that is testing a different approach. “While I hope to benefit from the drug being tested, I realize this trial is about the possibility of finding new treatments for others,” she says. “It is a fascinating experience being involved in a clinical trial after working on the preclinical side for so many years.”

Margaret Landi ’74 BIOETHICS AND ANIMAL WELFARE 28

FALL 2014

Alumni Connections Homecoming 2014: Pioneer Strong!

Hundreds of alumni and members of the campus community were “Pioneer Strong” as they gathered on campus for Homecoming 2014 on September 20, 21, and 22. Events, which drew more than 800 alumni and students, included a pre-football game celebration with a Jersey shore theme featuring game booths, prizes, and lots of food; tailgating in Lot 5, and the traditional Homecoming football game against Salve Regina. Other events included evening stargazing on Wightman Field, a comedy show in Shea Center, the annual alumni softball game and barbecue, a showcase of the Cheng Library’s new Digital Archive, and a reception in the University Galleries for the new exhibition, 35 in 350: The Story of New Jersey, in celebration of the state’s 350th anniversary. The weekend wrapped up on Monday with the University’s sixth annual golf outing.

For more photos, visit facebook.com/wpunj FALL 2014

29

Alumni Connections

Members of the Class of 1964 gather in the University Commons for a group photo

Class of 1964 Celebrates 50th Reunion

Members of the Class of 1964, who graduated when the University was known as Paterson State College, returned to the campus May 12 and 14 to celebrate their 50th reunion. Events included a luncheon and attendance at Commencement ceremonies at the Izod Center, where they joined the academic procession.

Annual Summer Bash a Hit with Young Alums Nearly 100 University alumni gathered for the Young Alumni Chapter’s annual Summer Bash on July 19 at Bar A in Lake Como. Attendees enjoyed a barbecue and drinks, beach games, fun WP giveaways, and, most of all, catching up with old friends.

Janis Schwartz, executive director of alumni relations (right), enjoys Ice Bar with Nadia Esposito ‘04

Alumni Cozy Up at Ice Bar Thirty alumni beat the summer heat on August 7 by chilling out at the Minus 5 Ice Bar in New York City, where everything is made of ice—even the glasses! Everyone was outfitted with warm coats and gloves – and special WP hats—before enjoying cool cocktails, music, and an LED light show in a winter wonderland filled with ice sculptures and themed ice rooms.

For more photos, visit facebook.com/wpunj

30

FALL 2014

Kristin Bonczek ‘11 (left) and Alexis Malafatopoulos ‘10 enjoy their game prizes

YAC BBQ Members of the Young Alumni Chapter gathered at the Alumni House in early June to celebrate with an end-of-year barbecue.

The group meets regularly throughout the year to plan events and initiatives targeted at young alumni.

Alma Diaz ‘11, Naima Ricks ‘11, and Tiffany Rice ‘11

Alumni Association Grants Fund University Initiatives This year, the William Paterson Alumni Association has awarded $40,000 in grants to support important University initiatives. These grants were made possible, in part, through the generosity of alumni gifts to The Fund for WP. Grant support for this year includes:

Cambridge Summer Program Alumni Hold Reunion Alumni who have participated in the University’s annual Summer Program at St. Edmond’s College at Cambridge University in England returned to campus in June to reminisce about their experiences. The unique study abroad program, directed by Michael Principe, professor of political science, began in 2000 and offers students the opportunity to study comparative politics in a foreign setting.

• $25,000 to the Pioneer Retention Grant program.

The program awards grants to students at risk of leaving the University due to a small amount of financial need.

• $8,000 to provide additional support to the First-Year Seminar program.

• $7,000 to underwrite the production of The People of Paterson, a film documentary being produced by Vincent Parrillo, professor of sociology.

Michael Principe (front row, far left), professor of political science, with returning Cambrige Summer Program alumni

New Student TV Show Profiles Alumni

Alumni success is the focus of a new student-produced campus TV show, Career Path, launched last semester. The show invites alumni to return to campus and share their success stories.

To date, seven William Paterson alumni have been profiled: • Tara Bernie ’93, senior field producer for NBC’s Access Hollywood • Dave Philp ’90, entertainment professional and assistant professor of music management at William Paterson • Trish Kramer ’03, licensed marriage and family therapist • Jane Garnes, MA ’82, artist, photographer, and retired educator • Dr. Marco Ferrucci ’05, chiropractor • Steve Guberman ’01, founder and creative director, Fifth Room Creative • Amvrosios Ioannidis, MBA ’12, chief brand and marketing officer, Onco 360 More alumni will be featured this fall.

To view the interviews, visit www.wpunj.edu/coac/departments/communication/galleries/career-path.dot

Tara Bernie ’93 (left) on the set of Career Path with the show’s host, student Sandy Ibrahim

FALL 2014

31

Alumni Connections Mourning the loss of… ’29 EVELYN KAUFMAN Pompton Plains, NJ February 28, 2014

’37 VINCENZA DI CHIARA Rutherford, NJ March 5, 2014

’39 DOROTHY M. BECICA Palmer Township, PA March 26, 2014

’44 LAURA (CROUCH) HUNT Freeville, NY April 17, 2014

’51 HAROLD STEINDLER Hillsdale, NJ December 30, 2013

’52 ELEANOR MARY LOMAURO

Pittstown, NJ May 13, 2014

’53 CHARLES C. AQUINO St. Augustine, FL January 26, 2014

’59 MAGDALEN CIRIGNANO

Manasquan, NJ April 8, 2014

’66 ROSEMARY T. CARTON

ARLENE PAMPINELLA Clifton, NJ February 10, 2014

’64 WILLIAM H. FAUERBACH JR.

Wayne, NJ March 3, 2014 MARY ANN O’KEEFE Montclair, NJ February 14, 2014 THERESA WAGEHOFFER Pequannock, NJ May 4, 2014

Matamoras, PA March 26, 2014

ISABELLA (GREENBERG) MARKOWITZ

Fair Lawn, NJ

April 26, 2014

32

FALL 2014

Long Valley, NJ March 6, 2014

’73 ELIZABETH M. BOYER Rockaway, NJ December 20, 2013

’74 PATRICIA ANN BIANCHI Milton, DE January 6, 2014

’75 DONALD T. JONES Livingston, NJ April 26, 2014

ROSE (SZAFERMAN) PAUL

Cherry Hill, NJ Unknown

’68 VIRGINIA CARPIGNANO

’76 BRIAN CRISAFULLI

Walkersville, MD April 22, 2014

BERTHA (BRODSKY) GOLDMAN

Passaic, NJ

April 21, 2014

CONSTANCE (TERHUNE) SHEPPARD

Millville, NJ

January 12, 2014

’69 JEAN (POST)

PRIDEAUX, MEd Tryon Estates, NC June 10, 2014 H. THEODORE STEMPEL River Vale, NJ January 12, 2014

West Caldwell, NJ February 16, 2014

’71 VIENO POPE

Largo, FL January 4, 2014

CAROL RUSSO Kinnelon, NJ March 16, 2014

’72 RITA I. BEHSON, MA ‘77 Denville, NJ February 26, 2014

ELIZABETH LEWIS PYNE Chapin, SC June 5, 2014

RENEE SEKULA Wayne, NJ December 29, 2013

Branchburg, NJ February 4, 2014

JAMES FAIRLEY Boynton Beach, FL January 28, 2014 JAMES GREYDANUS West Palm Beach, FL December 27, 2013 WILLIAM IOZIA Seaside Park, NJ May 12, 2014

INA (GARFUNKEL) FABRIKANT

Paramus, NJ

December 30, 2013

’81 HELEN GERSON South Orange, NJ April 19, 2014

North Plainfield, NJ May 2014

Vineland, NJ January 19, 2014

’83 CHRISTOPHER BLAKE Wayne, NJ December 19, 2013

’84 PATRICIA ANN (MARINO) LAWLER Wayland, MA March 27, 2014 ’87 GENEVIEVE (CALI) PICARELLI Paterson, NJ February 5, 2014 ’91 ROBERT S. CARDELL Nutley, NJ April 1, 2014

’93 MARK BECKER

’78 JOHN ROSE

Fair Lawn, NJ May 3, 2014

ERIKA (HOLMSTRUP) STEINBAUER

Ocean Grove, NJ

March 3, 2014

VINCENT G. WALTERS East Stroudsburg, PA May 27, 2014

’79 ANTANAS A. AIDUKAS

Paterson, NJ September 25, 2013 AMELIA LEMBO Lecanto, FL March 20, 2014

’80 JAMES M. COURTER Lincoln Park, NJ February 24, 2014

DEBORAH (BOEHR) KOZLINA Independence Township, PA April 5, 2014

’82 GAIL W. PETWAY

’77 SALLY SINGH

’70 EVELYN T. MARTIN

’65 RICHARD GASSMAN

Congers, NY December 26, 2013

’67 LORRAINE ADDEO

’61 FRANCIS DE BELL Pequannock, NJ February 26, 2014

HAROLD MCGLEW Montague, NJ April 3, 2014

Hillsdale, NJ February 26, 2014

’95 JEFFREY R. DAU

Haledon, NJ May 13, 2014 WILLIAM D. LASALA Asheboro, NC December 29, 2013

’98 KATHRYN DI GUGLIELMO Hasbrouck Heights, NJ February 24, 2014

WP SWEETHEARTS 3,774 alumni are married to other WP alumni

Class Notes 1949

MARY (LOBOSCO) ZANFINO’s handmade Christmas cards were on display at the Totowa Public Library. Zanfino’s cards have gained acclaim for her use of watercolors in her scenic nature and wildlife paintings. Born in Paterson, the 86-year-old has lived in Totowa for more than 60 years and has been making her creations since 1993. She also dabbles in other areas of art such as stained glass and silhouettes, including folk art on wood as well as regular picture paintings.

1966 JAMES P. MACK, EdD, of Ocean Township received Monmouth University’s coveted “Distinguished Teacher Award” for 2014. Mack is a professor of biology at the university, where he has taught for 41 years.

1969

ALAN R. NOBLE has published his newest book, Climbing for Roots: Christian Foundations for the Young. The book covers the doctrines of Christian faith from a young person’s perspective...WILLIAM JOHN OLIVER retired after 43 years as an educator. He taught AP and honors chemistry at Fair Lawn High School and was adviser for the school’s Chemistry League teams.

1970

MARY ANN (ROSS) COOPER has announced the release of the memoir Once We Were Eight by Raymond Fishler. She was the book’s editor.

1971

JOHN B. ALFIERI was named principal of Bernardsville Middle School. Alfieri was previously superintendent of schools in Livingston.

1973

RONALD M. BERKMAN, president of Cleveland State University, was profiled in Cleveland Jewish News. Since assuming the presidency there in 2009, he has elevated the school’s academic status and steered the transformation of its Ohio neighborhood...GREG D’ALESSIO, MA ‘77, received the Man of the Year Award at the 2014 NARFE (National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association) State Convention in Orlando, Florida. D’Alessio received the award for his advocacy work in his congressional district and for his leadership and dedicated service as Chapter 0033 President.

He resides in St. Augustine, Florida. ...MICHAEL DONOW has been appointed part-time interim business administrator for the Ho-Ho-Kus Public Schools...ANN F. GROSSI was named

2014 Alumna of the Year and inducted into the County College of Morris’s Alumni Wall of Fame. She was honored for her outstanding personal achievements, community service, and commitment to the school’s alumni association.

Grossi currently serves as Morris County Clerk.

1965

JOHN SHEEHAN, a guitarist, singer, and songwriter, performed a program featuring the lute and the guitar at the Dorothy Henry Library in Ringwood.

1976 CHARLES CUCCIA was appointed business administrator and chief municipal financial officer for Little Falls. He also served as the township’s qualified purchasing agent.

1977

RICHARD ALLSTON is the director of the New Jersey Polyphonic A’Cappella Community Ensemble...SUSAN BULANDA’s book, Soldiers in Fur and Feathers, Animals That Served in WWI: Allied Forces won third place in the non-fiction category of the National League of American Pen Women national contest...

JO-ANNE (SCHLESER) MCCAUSLAND was selected as Teacher of the Year at Pearl Sample Elementary School in Virginia. She also represented the entire school system as this year’s Culpeper County Public School’s County Teacher of the Year...NICHOLAS MULICK, an attorney who heads his own firm in Tavernier, Florida, has been appointed to the Sixteenth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission...FRANK TAMBERELLI was appointed director of small business and entrepreneurial development for Stanly Community College in North Carolina.

1978

JAMES A. FIFE, a retired history teacher for Harrison High School, was selected by the Harrison Town Council to serve as interim mayor...KAREN (NELSON) NEMETH published a book for leaders, administrators, and directors in early childhood education titled Teaching Young Dual Language Learners: A Guide for PreK-3 Leaders...THOMAS J. PISZCZATOSKI was appointed chief human resources officer at St. Mary’s Medical Center and Palm Beach Children’s Hospital in Palm Beach, Florida...DOUG SNELSON published his latest book, Who’s Got the Face? The 48-page, rhyming children’s picture book follows a playful, energetic dog named Face through his day and in the process teaches children about the various parts of a dog’s anatomy.

1979

EDWARD COOKE, a second grade teacher at Byram Lakes Elementary School, was honored as one of the district’s recipients of the Governor’s Teacher Recognition Award…

FRANCIS MCENERNEY of West Orange was named the 2014 Essex County Irishman of the Year. A partner in McEnerney, Brady & Co., a certified public accounting firm, he is involved in numerous community organizations...ANDREA (TURATTI) ONORATO has been named executive vice president—director of retail operations for Valley National Bank.

1980

JOHN FELICE of River Edge is the Bergen County Freeholder Chair Pro Tempore and works for Roche Diagnostics where he specializes in sales of medical devices for New York-area hospitals...KATHY-LYNN (FRANK) GARIBOLDI is the lead designer and owner of reInvented Spaces, an interior design firm in Raleigh, North Carolina...FRANK PAVESE performed a piano concert at the Mahwah Public Library.

1981

JOSEPH DIGIACOMO, a teacher at Montville Township High School, was recognized as one of the district’s Teachers of the Year.

1982

LORELEI (NIEMI) MOTTESE, the director of government relations for Wakefern Food Corporation, was inducted into the Connecticut Food Association Hall of Fame. She also received the 2014 Griffin Report Women of Influence Award.

1983 FRANK CORRADO has been named a senior accountant for Suncoast Mental Health Center in Fort Pierce, Florida…DONALD GUY GENERALS JR. was appointed president of Philadelphia Community College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He previously served as vice president for academic affairs at Mercer County Community College.

1984 JOSEPH CERCONE was appointed as an adjunct clinical assistant professor at Midwestern University Arizona College of Optometry...CLINT HOFFMAN was appointed mayor of Wall Township. He served as deputy mayor in 2013.

1985

WAYNE MARTIN was named to the board of directors of the Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan in Montgomery, New York. He is a partner with GKG, a certified public accounting and business consultant firm.

1986 DENISE MIHAL became the sixth female hospital president in the Novant system as she was named president of Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

1987

WILLIAM J. MATTNER was named vice president of clinical engineering services for TriMedx, a healthcare technology management organization...JO-ANNE (CARUSO) MITCHELL was selected as the 2013 Realtor of the Year for the Passaic County Board of Realtors and the New Jersey Association of Realtors.

1988

BRAD E. MUNIZ, CPA, was elected president of the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants for a one-year term...

SCOTT SERBIN was named president of the New Jersey Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is the director of provider marketing at Emergency Medical Associates in Parsippany.

1989 MIKE BRUCHAC was on the panel for the talk “Beyond IQ: Why Character Matters in Education” at Caldwell’s First Presbyterian Church. He is the vice principal at Morristown High School...MARIANNE WILLIAMS retired as principal of the Willard School and was honored by the Ridgewood Board of Education with the dedication of the Marianne Williams Media Center during the school’s awards ceremony.

1990

ERIC ALEXANDER, a jazz saxophonist, was profiled in the June 2014 issue of Downbeat magazine. His latest CD, Chicago Fire, was recently released…LORRAINE STANCHICHBROWN was named assistant director for the 11th annual Palm Beach Poetry Festival in Palm Beach, Florida. A published poet, she teaches at Nova Southeastern University.

1991

William Paterson sweethearts and music majors ALEX BOCCHINO and ELENA BOCCHINO are both music teachers. Alex teaches in the Summit Public Schools, where he directs the Summit High School Percussion Ensemble and works with the marching and jazz bands. He also serves as director of percussion studies at Caldwell College. Elena is the vocal music director at Butler High School where she was named Teacher of the Year in 2012. She is also the adult choir director and cantor at St. Ann’s Church in Parsippany. Their three children are involved in music as well.

Wedding bells for...

2006

KEVIN KOHAN to Carolina Rue (3/1/14)

FALL 2014

33

Alumni Connections 1992

CHRISTINE (TORSIELLO) KEAVENEY was appointed assistant vice president/ senior mortgage underwriter of the retail lending department of Sussex Bank...MICHAEL LOMBARDI was promoted to senior vice president, domestic sales by Earth Networks, the company known for its WeatherBug applications...HOPE MAY was honored by Central Michigan University at its Woman of the Year Luncheon for her work in human rights and international criminal justice that includes and promotes the work of women. She is a professor of philosophy at Central Michigan University.

1993

DR. RICHARD S. HUMISTON, owner of Humiston Family Chiropractic in Hendersonville, North Carolina, recently celebrated the 14th anniversary of his business.

1994 CHAD BERGACS received the 2014 Hall of Fame Alumni Award presented by the Kingwood Township Education Foundation.

Bergacs is an Emmy Award-winning video editor for NBC...VICTOR HAYEK was appointed superintendent of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional school district…DONNA (TOTH) SHELICHACH became the new principal of John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Wayne.

She has been with the Wayne school district for 18 years.

1996

GREGG CARUSO is the editor of Science and Religion: Five Questions, a collection of interviews with influential and prominent philosophers, scientists, theologians, and others. He is an associate professor of philosophy at Corning Community College in New York…MARK TOBACK, MEd, was named superintendent for the Wayne public schools.

was promoted to vice president, community development manager for TD Bank in Ramsey...

JOE WALKER and his wife Melissa are the owners of Jersey Strength Systems, a fitness center in Pompton Lakes...DANIEL B. YOUNG was promoted to lieutenant of the Vernon Township Police Department. He is a 13-year veteran of the department.

2000

BARBARA COHEN retired from Bloomfield High School where she worked as a guidance counselor for more than a dozen years...MARTY CRAWN is the new studio manager for Paul Kiesche Design, a high-end custom graphic design and illustration studio ...MICHELE R. PILLARI was appointed superintendent of the Woodland Park School District.

2001

JAIMEO BROWN, a jazz drummer, was profiled in the June 2014 issue of Modern Drummer…JEFFREY BURR was featured as guitarist with the Vince Lateano Quartet during an appearance at a Jazz in the Neighborhood event in Long Beach, California... ANDREW YOUNG, president of Garden State Commercial Cleaning Services and TruBlu Carpet Care, was one of 28 entrepreneurs from the Philadelphia area to participate in the Goldman Sachs “10,000 Small Businesses-Philadelphia” class at Community College of Philadelphia. Young spent 14 weeks at the college studying a business and management curriculum designed for small business owners.

2002

1998 ALEXIS COLE performed at the 34th annual Sarasota Jazz Festival in Florida. She is a jazz vocalist with several CDs to her credit.

LISA MARIE (BRADLEY) COATES was named assistant education administrator/ vice principal for the Grafton Integrated Health Network in Richmond, Virginia...MICHAEL A. MAYER was named district supervisor of athletics/instruction supervisor for the Waldwick schools...STEPHANIE PRIMAVERA was appointed principal of Apshawa Elementary School in West Milford. Primavera previously taught second and third grade at the Aaron Decker Elementary School in Butler for 10 years...ANDRE RICHBURG was named dean of enrollment management and college relations at Atlantic Cape Community College in Mays Landing. Richburg previously served as the school’s director of recruitment and admissions.

1999 LOUIS FRANZETTI won his first Indy United States Bowling Congress Open Championship Tournament title. Franzetti was the College Bowler of the Year in 1998...

JENNIFER MEISTEN was named principal of Beck Middle Academy in South Carolina...JOE PURCELLA was named head football coach for Teaneck High School...ROXANNA VIVANCO

2003 CHRIS PERROTTA has been promoted to principal at the accounting and business advisory firm Nisivoccia LLP in Mount Arlington.

Perrotta, a CPA, is a member of the Commercial Audit Group...Vocalist SARAH VERSPRILLE performed with the new age band Pure Bathing Culture at the Flying M Coffeegarage in Nampa, Idaho.

1997

BRYAN HOLT was named head football coach for J.P. Stevens High School in Edison…

MIKE LAUTERHAHN, head coach for the William Paterson baseball team, was profiled in the April 2014 issue of 201 Magazine.

34

FALL 2014

2004

ITAY GOREN was featured as a pianist with the Gabriel Chambers Ensemble in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania. Goren is the founder of the Open Door Concert Series at Ramapo College... Guitarist DANIEL HINDMAN performed with the band Pure Bathing Culture at the Flying M Coffeegarage in Nampa, Idaho...SAMANTHA MCCOY is the new director of the West Caldwell Public Library. She was formerly the director of the Lee Memorial Public Library in Allendale…

Artist DIANE NEGLIO displayed her artwork at a recent charity event held at Bograd’s Furniture in Riverdale...JAMEEL M. ROBERTS is a music producer who co-produced the Usher single, “Good Kisser,” and the Omarion single “You Like It.” Roberts has also worked with Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, and Kelly Rowland.

2005

BRIAN MCCARTHY, a composer, arranger, and saxophonist, celebrated the release of his latest album, This Just In, during a concert at Town Hall Theatre in Rutland, Vermont…

TIM WALSH has launched eleven nine studios, a full-service advertising agency in Toms River whose services range from traditional print to social media marketing.

2008

MATTHEW CORVO, a social studies teacher at Hawthorne High School, was named Hawthorne Teacher of the Year...TRACEY DITOLLA was a featured artist at the 2014 Art Walk in Washington in Warren County. She is a painter who focuses on watercolors and collage...NOORUS S. KHAN was elected president of the Essex Chapter of the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants. She is a manager for Smolin Lupin & Co., PA in Fairfield.

2007

KIMBERLY BATTI, MFA, a visual arts teacher at Indian Hills High School in Oakland, has helped transform the program to offer more variety of course choices to students...DANIEL ESTEVES was sworn in as a police officer in Kearny…NIKKI MARRA is a producer for 1210 WPHT-AM in Philadelphia and also appears on a rock music show on 103.7 FM in Atlantic City.

2009

CARLOS O. CANO was selected as one of 18 participants from across the country for College Board’s Enrollment Leadership Academy. Cano is an assistant director of admissions at William Paterson...JOSE MARTINEZ, a classical vocalist who is a graduate of Rosa Parks High School in Paterson, returned to perform there as part of a special alumni choir concert.

2010 JESSICA PURN, a teacher of children with autism at Ryerson School in Wayne, is working to launch an after-school program for children with special needs.

2011 FREDY AREVALO was appointed as a science teacher at Waldwick Middle School...

ANTHONY DYKSTRA became part of AFR/ eLEND’s new marketing team. He is serving as marketing/web designer...JUDITH RHEA PUNZALAN is an analytical chemist at Bristol-Myers Squibb…NICHOLAS J. SCHEIBNER earned the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designation. He is employed by Baron Financial Group...BILLY TEST, a jazz pianist, performed as part of the Johnstown Concert Series in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

2012 BRENDA BELOHOUBEK returned to the New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera’s stage to perform in La Traviata...DANIEL CASILLO joined the ranks of the Montville Township Police...DANIEL COLANERI was a contestant on Wheel of Fortune...DAVE FERRAZZANO was sworn in as a patrol officer for the Township of Washington Police Department...DAVID HERTEL is the Chamber Ambassador for the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce in New York. He is the co-owner of the Blackberry Inn Bed and Breakfast in Watkins Glen…RYAN LEE started a new career opportunity with KPMG LLP in finance and accounting.

2013

RYAN BARCKLEY worked on the Telethon Planning Committee for the inaugural Livingston High School TV Studio Telethon…

DANIEL BELFIORE, MBA, is an economic development specialist with the U.S. Small Business Administration...MICHELLE CORTESE is an apprentice at Rock City Tattoo & Piercing in Belleville...Air Force Airman MARIO M. MASCITELLI graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas...STACEY MCCAFFERY and AMANDA ZOOK presented a classical chamber music concert at Mahwah Pubic Library as part of its Summer Music Festival. They are twothirds of the Harlow Trio, a group that formed as a student ensemble at William Paterson…

TODD ROMANO is an assistant football coach at James Caldwell High School...SIOBHAN (FINN) TAUCHERT was appointed principal of Betsy Ross Elementary School in Mahwah.

2014

RAYNA CARUSO is the new softball coach at Madison High School...NICOLE WALLS is a first-year assistant coach for the Bordentown High School softball team.

JERSEY LOYAL Of our more than 72,000 WP alumni, 54,782 currently reside in New Jersey!

Patricia L Supplee ’72 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Alumna Receives Fulbright Specialist Award PATRICIA L. SUPPLEE ’72 was selected for a Fulbright Specialists project at the National Defense University in Phnom Penh, Cambodia during January and February 2014. Supplee assessed and developed English as a second language curricula and materials for Cambodian military personnel who are part of United Nations Peacekeeping Forces.

Supplee holds a doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University.

The Fulbright Specialists Program, created in 2000 to complement the traditional Fulbright Scholar Program, provides short-term academic opportunities (two to six weeks) to prominent U.S. faculty and professionals to support curricular and faculty development and institutional planning at post-secondary, academic institutions around the world.

Alumni Play Instrumental Role in Vermont Right-to-Know Food Labeling Legislation

Michael Bucca ‘04 Wins Sports Emmy

Two alumni—JEFF WEINSTEIN ’90 and ROBB KIDD ’94—have been critical players in a recent effort in Vermont to pass a bill requiring the labeling of products containing genetically modified foods.

MICHAEL BUCCA, a 2004 graduate of William Paterson with a bachelor’s degree in communication, won a 2014 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Technical Team-Studio for his work on MLB Tonight on the MLB Network. The Sports Emmy Award recipients were chosen by a blue ribbon panel of industry peers and honored during a special ceremony in New York City on May 6.

Weinstein, founder and managing partner of Two Guys in Vermont, a specialty food business that sells all-natural soups made with local fresh ingredients from family farms, and Kidd, the Vermont organizing representative for the Sierra Club and until recently the organizer for Rural Vermont, a political advocacy organization, were among those advocating for the bill.

“My primary role was to engage and identify activists to advocate for our desired results,” says Kidd. “I recruited Jeff to testify to the legislature, and to speak to the media. Jeff’s company produces soups sourced with ingredients from mostly Vermont farmers and is committed to sourcing natural and non-gmo ingredients. He become a prominent supporter of the campaign, and thereafter became a board member

Jeff Weinstein ’90 (l) and Robb Kidd ’94 (r), with Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin

of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group.” Both were on hand when Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signed the legislation.

The two alumni, who both live in Montpelier with their wives and families, were not always on the same side of the issue during their days on campus: Weinstein served as SGA president in 1988-89, and Kidd was an SGA representative. “Jeff and I were frequently at odds with each other over many issues, including some hostile exchanges in the Beacon,” says Kidd.

Virginia Alumna Lauded for Interior Design Work

Bucca, who works as a freelance technical manager and technical director for broadcast productions, also teaches as an adjunct professor in the University’s Communication Department.

He credits communication professor John Rhodes with helping in his success.

“Without his faith in me, I would not have had the wonderful career I have had,” Bucca says.

Michael Bucca ’04 and his Emmy Award

ALIZA MALEC SPINDELL ‘87, co-owner of RoomAntics Interiors, was recently in the spotlight: Her Fairfax, Virginia company was voted Best Interior Designer in Northern Virginia Magazine’s 2014 Best of NoVA Survey.

Spindell and fellow co-owner Anita Buchheim launched their company in 2005. She began her design career in 1993 when she started her own business, Deco Art Interiors; she later began to design her own line of children’s bedding, furniture, accessories, and sold a line of boutique children’s bedding and accessories under the name of Sleep Boutique. She has since expanded her knowledge of textiles and into kitchen design.

A graduate of William Paterson with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, Spindell takes “great pride in using my understanding of human interactions to create rooms that are as practical as they are lovely.”

She and her husband, GEORGE SPINDELL ’84, director of retirement products for ICMA-RC, are a sweetheart couple. They recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary!

Aliza Malec Spindell ’87 (right) and business partner Anita Buchheim of RoomAntics Interiors.

FALL 2014

35

PartingShot

HUMANS OF WP

The wonderful diversity and individual stories of the William Paterson University community are on full display in Humans of WP, a new student-driven project that connects viewers and builds University pride.

To view, see the University’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram sites, or visit humansofwp.tumblr.com PROJECT BY JACLYN ANTONACCI ’14, MA ’16 AND KIM CASAMENTO ’13, MA ‘15 • PHOTOGRAPHS BY CATALINA FRAGOSO ‘15

36

FALL 2014

Events ART UNIVERSITY GALLERIES

Ben Shahn Center for the Visual Arts Monday through Friday: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm November 16, 23, and December 7 Noon to 4:00 pm Admission is free.

35 in 350: The Story of New Jersey Through December 12, 2014 COURT GALLERY

Tall Tales: Recent Work

by Yuji Hiratsuka November 3-December 12, 2014 EAST GALLERY

Ink, Press, Repeat: National Juried Printmaking and Book Art Exhibition November 3-December 12, 2014 SOUTH GALLERY

JUROR’S TALK:

Juror Susan Tallman discusses contemporary printmaking and her selections for Ink, Press, Repeat November 10, 2014, 11:00 am

John Sebastian

JAZZ ROOM

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra November 16, 2014, 4:00 pm

Black Violin

LECTURES & CONFERENCES

SHEA CENTER

DISTINGUISHED LECTURER SERIES

JAZZ ROOM

Inside Science with Radiolab’s Robert Krulwich November 14, 2014, 7:30 pm

Lou Donaldson Quartet November 23, 2014. 4:00 pm

SHEA CENTER

SHEA CENTER

JAZZ ROOM

New York Voices with the William Paterson Jazz Orchestra December 7, 2014, 4:00 pm SHEA CENTER

WP PRESENTS!

Florence LaRue and The 5th Dimension December 13, 2014, 8:00 pm SHEA CENTER

MUSICAL SALON SERIES

Beethoven Birthday Bash December 14, 2014, 2:00 pm

34th Annual Bilingual/ESL Conference December 5, 2014 8:30 am- 3:30 pm

DISTINGUISHED LECTURER SERIES

Author, Sports Analyst, and Philanthropist Mitch Albom March 27, 2015

WP PRESENTS!

John Sebastian November 1, 2014, 8:00 pm

Valentine’s Day Celebration with Catherine Russell February 14, 2015

24th Street Theatre: Walking the Tightrope November 18, 2014, 10:30 am, 12:30 pm

Musical Salon Series February 22, 2015

SHEA CENTER

JAZZ ROOM

Marlene VerPlanck Meets Scott Robinson and The Saxes November 9, 2014, 4:00 pm SHEA CENTER

WP PRESENTS!

Eaglemania March 7, 2015 WP PRESENTS!

Les Yeux Noirs: Gypsy Klezmer March 15, 2015 WP PRESENTS!

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes March 28, 2015

The Sketch Comedy Show December 12, 2014, 7:00 pm HOBART HALL

WP PRESENTS!

Dr. Kaboom: The Science of Santa December 20, 2014, 2:00 pm

WP PRESENTS!

Juggler Greg Kennedy February 28, 2015

SPECIAL EVENTS Continuing and Professional Education Job Fair January 8, 2015, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm 191st Commencement Ceremony May 13, 2015, 10:00 am

Mutts Gone Nuts November 15, 2014, 2:00 pm

ONSTAGE CAFÉ AT SHEA

SHEA CENTER

SHEA CENTER

WP PRESENTS!

ONSTAGE CAFÉ AT SHEA

Fred Hersch Trio November 2, 2014, 4:00 pm

Theatre for Children with Autism: Theatreworks USA’s Curious George December 11, 2014, 10:00 am

1600 VALLEY ROAD

Black Violin February 5, 2015

JAZZ ROOM

WP PRESENTS!

THEATER & COMEDY

MUSIC

SHEA CENTER

Lou Donaldson

SHEA CENTER

5th Annual Educational Technology Conference December 12, 2014 8:30 am- 3:30 pm

HOBART MANOR

WP PRESENTS!

Mutts Gone Nuts

IZOD CENTER

SHEA CENTER

Ruined by Lynn Nottage November 11-16, 2014 HUNZIKER BLACK BOX THEATRE

The Comedy Improv Show December 3, 2014, 7:00 pm HOBART HALL

Trial and Treason by S.W. Senek December 3-14, 2014 Winner, 11th Annual New Jersey Playwrights Contest – Play Series HUNZIKER BLACK BOX THEATRE

ALUMNI EVENTS “Making it Happen! Turn That Brilliant Idea into a Reality,” Webinar presented by Robin Gurin ‘82 November 5, Noon “Job Search for the Mature Worker: Please Act Your Age!” Webinar presented by Bob Weingartner ‘80 November 12, Noon “Major Myths and Career Truths,” Webinar presented by Deborah Sheffield, Career Development Center December 2, Noon Pioneer Society Luncheon December 5, 2014, noon UNIVERSITY COMMONS BALLROOM

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Dr. Kaboom: The Science of Santa

Alumni Events: Office of Alumni Relations, 973.720.2175, wpunj.edu/alumni Art: University Galleries, 973.720.2654, wpunj.edu/coac/gallery Conferences: Center for Continuing and Professional Education, 973.720.2463, wpunj.edu/cpe Music, Lectures, Theater & Comedy: Shea Center, 973.720.2371, wp-presents.org UNIVERSITY CALENDAR: wpunj.edu/calendar

FALL 2014

37

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID WAYNE, NJ PERMIT NO. 44

Office of Marketing and Public Relations 300 Pompton Road, Wayne, NJ 07470 http://www.wpunj.edu

facebook.com/wpunj

24

SCIENCE: Undergraduate Research Provides an Edge