The Bergen Community College Newsletter 2015 & 2016 NCMPR Medallion Winner
Spring 2017 • Volume 4, Issue 2
Donors Support Student Success
T
he holidays came early for more than 70 students thanks to the generosity of contributors to the Bergen Community College Foundation, netting students $100,000 during a December ceremony. Despite the College’s low tuition relative to its quality — Bergen ranks No. 1 in the state for associate degree graduates — cost remains a challenge for many students who juggle their education alongside jobs and familial responsibilities.
Students become eligible for scholarships by achieving various academic and demographic benchmarks assigned to each award. The Foundation leads the application and disbursement process, which has totaled nearly $20 million since its inception in 1982. Contributions to the Foundation can be made at tinyurl.com/GiveBergen or by calling (201) 447-7117. The Foundation will begin to refill its scholarship coffers with its largest fundraiser of the year, Club Monte Carlo, March 30 at the Venetian in Garfield. Highlighted by fabulous food and drinks, a 50/50 raffle, music, casino-style games and prizes from donors such as Walt Disney World and the New York Giants, visit tinyurl.com/monte2017 to plan your getaway to Bergen’s social event of the spring! n
Aviation Program Soaring to New Heights I
t’s a bird! It’s a plane! (No, really, it’s a plane). Recently, aviation enthusiast Woody Saland retired the “Onex,” a 16-foot, singleseat airplane he constructed from a kit produced by Sonex Aircraft, and sought to donate it to an organization that shared his passion for flight. Given the College’s attention to aviation — the main campus includes two flight simulators to enhance its academic program – Dean of Mathematics, Science and Technology PJ Ricatto, Ph.D., did not want to let the opportunity fly by. “Bergen has developed a nationally recognized STEM curriculum that responds to workforce needs and prepares students for entry into the best research institutions in
the nation,” Ricatto said. “The institution has also received considerable support from grants, foundations and individuals like Woody Saland. Their generosity enables the College to raise the bar even further, which is very exciting for our students.” The Bergen Community College Foundation officially accepted the Onex at the main campus in December. Aside from its status as a showpiece for the aviation program and the institution as a whole — plans exist to brand the aircraft with Bergen logos and colors — students will use the plane for ground-based handson training in instrumentation, engineering and repair, complementing the skills learned in the classroom. n
Thursday, March 30, 6:30 p.m. The Venetian 538 River Road, Garfield, NJ tinyurl.com/monte2017
Campus Calendar
Ethan Greenbaum
T
The Performing Arts Distinguished Artist: Larry Kirwan Ireland – A History in Song March 30, 7:30 p.m. Ender Hall Lab Theatre Tickets.bergen.edu
he alleys, streets and avenues of New York City inspire the mixed media works of art professor Ethan Greenbaum who recently completed his first international solo exhibition at Paris’ Galerie Pact. “A lot of inspiration comes from the city where I find various moments of contradiction or strangeness that occur because of such dense spaces,” Greenbaum said. Entitled “Cold Frame,” the professor, who joined Bergen’s faculty in 2006 after earning a master of fine arts from the Yale University School of Art, took cues from the late American artist known for his abstract architectural photography, Aaron Siskind. Similar to Siskind’s work, Greenbaum’s hybrid process also draws references from buildings and surfaces. However, the professor’s myriad snapshots of manmade objects — mainly taken with his smartphone — provided only a starting point for his mixed media. Using industrial manufacturing equipment to transform stills into 3D carvings made of plywood, acrylic sheets and countertop surfaces, Greenbaum creatively displayed varying points of view in his exhibition, such as a reflection of a building in a car window. “Something I’ve always been interested in is photographing a subject matter in a way that makes it a little unfamiliar as well as a little more surreal, surprising and unusual in the way that it’s presented,” he said. “That’s the point of the common connection.” Prior to his solo exhibit, Greenbaum’s work was also on view in a group show at the Stems Gallery in Brussels. A return engagement, another solo exhibit of his work in Brussels is slated for November. Additionally, in March, Greenbaum’s work will be featured at The Armory Show — a premier New York City art fair founded in 1994. n
An Enemy of the People April 7, 8, 13, 14 and 15 Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre Tickets.bergen.edu
Award Finds Peace
“Vibrant” Art Exhibition February 15 – March 31 Gallery Bergen Oh, Coward! March 2, 3 and 4 Ender Hall Lab Theatre Tickets.bergen.edu Tales from Earth, Inc. March 9, 7:30 p.m. Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre Tickets.bergen.edu Club Monte Carlo March 30, 6:30 – 11:30 p.m. The Venetian, Garfield tinyurl.com/monte2017 New Student Open House March 30, 5 – 7 p.m. Main Campus
STEM C2 Research Summit April 21, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Moses Family Meeting & Training Center (TEC 128) Commencement 2017 May 18, 10 a.m. MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
A Schedule for All Seasons Spring 3: March 20 – May 9 Summer: Visit bergen.edu/registration for dates!
2
FACULTY FOCUS
I
n 2009, Bergen faculty, staff and students sought to begin a dialogue on global conflict and the path to forgiveness by establishing the Center for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation. This work has now received recognition from one of the most prestigious community college honors in the country. For its educational initiatives, exhibitions, performances and dialogues rooted in civic engagement and encouraging Bergen students to become more responsive local and global citizens, the Center earned the John and Suanne Roueche Excellence Award sponsored by the League for Innovation in the Community College. Under the co-direction of Associate Dean of College and High School Partnerships David Eichenholtz, Ph.D., and Professor Tom La Pointe, the Center has become a regional center for the study of problems related to political and ethnic violence and a leading voice on the causes and consequences of the Armenian genocide. The Center also sponsors grants for faculty members conducting research and scholarships for students. Professors Ellen Feig, Ph.D., Cristina Haedo and Sarah Shurts, Ph.D., and Beverly Margolies comprise the Center team. n
Inside Bergen • The Bergen Community College Newsletter |
Spring 2017
2
1
5
3
6
4
8
7
9
1. Bergen recognized the newest members of its internationally ranked chapter of Phi Theta Kappa last semester. 2. The 2016 Literary Arts Series welcomed poet Ocean Vuong, the author of Night Sky with Exit Wounds, which won the 2016 Whiting Award, to campus. 3. The annual Rip the Runway fashion show featured student designers and models.
10 4. Despite a title that requires clearing your throat, respiratory care program students Sumi Thomas, John Carlo Davila, Christopher Bautista and Bianca Veloz won the New Jersey State Society for Respiratory Care Sputum Bowl. 5. In recognition of her practical classroom application of theory and topics, Professor Barbara Davis, Ph.D., earned the institution’s NISOD Excellence Award. 6. Toddlers had their teeth examined as part of the dental — hygiene program’s annual Give Kids A Smile Day– its first in the Health Professions Integrated Teaching Center.
07. Commencement 2016 keynote speaker Bakari Lee, the chair of the Association of Community College Trustees, returned to open Bergen’s Black History Month celebration. 08. Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty, Ridgewood purchased $500 in grocery store gift cards for the Center for Food Action Pantry at the College. 09. The latest graduates of the renowned nursing program received their pins at the end of the semester. 10. Gallery Bergen recently featured “Art@Large,” a showcase of work from Habitat for Artists.
Inside Bergen • The Bergen Community College Newsletter |
Spring 2017
3
Five local leaders from education and trade began terms on the board of trustees Feb. 8: Joseph Barreto, Patrick Fletcher, Mark Longo, Carol Otis and Sheetal Ranjan … The members of the New Jersey legislature will recognize Executive Assistant to the PresidentUrsula Parrish Daniels, Ed.D., at the State House for her legacy of contributions to the African American community … Robin Buxton (Rose Robbins), who carried the distinction of being the first person hired by the institution — even predating Bergen’s first president — passed away at 95 … New Gifts Coordinator Bridget McLaughlin received the Volunteer of the Year award from the Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce.
2016 NCMPR Gold Medallion Winner
The Gold Standard
The Bark is Back T
his fall, the Bulldogs hung three new banners. For the first time in its history, Bergen raised three National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Region 19 championship flags in fall sports – men’s soccer, women’s cross-country and men’s cross-country – tying the mark for same-academic year championships set in 1978-79. Individually, Justine Conca, who finished in first place in the region’s closing meet, secured all-American honors, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association East Region Women's Athlete of the Year award, and spots on first-team all-region and all-Garden State Athletic Conference. Head coach of the men’s and women’s teams Deana Dedovitch earned U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association East Region Coach of the Year and region coach of the year honors in both sports. The soccer team, which repeated as region 19 champion, was led by coach Fredy Herrera, who won coach of the year for the second consecutive year. Additionally, student-athlete Nadia Vaso became the first player in Bergen history to earn the 2015-16 John Stauff Female Scholar Athlete of the Year award, which honors a female student-athlete who excels both in academics and athletics. In addition to maintaining a 4.0 GPA, which earned her the NJCAA Pinnacle Academic Achievement award, she participated on a team of Bergen business students who won the inaugural New Jersey County College Case Competition sponsored by Rutgers Business School-Newark in April and notched back-to-back region and conference first-team honors in 2014 and 2015. n
F
or the second consecutive year, Bergen earned a District 1 Medallion Award from the National Council on Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) for this publication, receiving first place honors in the category. District 1 includes more than 650 colleges. n InsideBergen is a publication of the Office of Public Relations. Send feedback to lhlavenka@bergen.edu.