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News and Notes
News&Notes
Alumni share stories of success
The “Alumni Knight Panel: Where Are They Now?” event was hosted by the Mount’s Student Business Association (SBA) and featured five recent Mount alums: Eddie Arnold ’21, a business development representative at Verity, a financial technology company; and former Mount Student Government Association president; Nicole Dreisbach ’20, a staff accountant for Fox Corporation in New York City; Dominic Mandile ’21, a police officer in the Village of Washingtonville, N.Y.; Mark Olsen ’20, MBA ’21, program manager at Cross Valley Health & Medicine; and Kristen Renta ’20, MBA ’21, account executive with the New York Yankees.
The alums shared their unique paths, from searching for a job during their time as a Mount student to transitioning from college life, and where they are now in their professional careers. For example, Mandile started at the police academy before he graduated from the Mount. Time management was key to his success, he explained.
“I had to adjust to [a packed schedule] really soon and it was really hard in the beginning,” Mandile explained. “Once I graduated, it became easier.”
The panel was moderated by Elizabeth Petrellese, chief communications officer of the SBA and a Sports Management major.
Center earns $50K grant for project
The Center on Aging and Disability Policy (CADP) was recently awarded a grant for $50,000 from the New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) for phase two of their COVID-19 response project: Teaching MindfulnessBased Stress Reduction to Individuals with Intellectual/ Developmental Disability (I/DD): A Train-the-Trainer Course.
CADP’s COVID-19 response project began in 2020, and expanded their Proactive Caring Program to tackle the additional stress placed on caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the aid of the DDPC grant, CADP used the Train the Trainer curriculum for the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) model, developed in the first phase of this ProActive Caring grant project, with the goal of developing a statewide curriculum and teaching agency staff, school personnel, and other caregivers how to train I/DD individuals in MBSR.
The School of Nursing (SON) was recently awarded a $1.6 million, three-year Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) Grant from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The NWD program focuses on the recruitment, support, retention, and graduation of nursing students from underrepresented groups. It increases nursing education opportunities and assists students from disadvantaged backgrounds to become baccalaureate-prepared nurses by providing academic and financial support.
The grant was one of nine HRSA NWD grants awarded nationwide. “We’re thrilled to implement a NWD program,” said Dr. Jason N. Adsit, president of the college. “Our receipt of this competitive funding further acknowledges and sustains the Mount’s commitment to diversity in an inclusive and equitable environment.”
The grant will assist 150 nursing
The Nursing Workforce Diversity grant assists undergraduate nursing students from underrepresented groups.
Back to nature: pop-up petting zoo
Students enjoyed the company of some fuzzy friends with a popup petting zoo at the start of the Fall 2022 semester. They had a great time interacting with the small menagerie, which included goats, rabbits, snakes, chickens, and even a baby kangaroo. The event was spearheaded by Two by Two Animal Haven Inc. and sponsored by the Mount Activities Programming Board (MAP).
students during the three years of the grant award, from 2022 to 2025. It will also allow the Mount to expand support to nursing students to ensure their successful completion of their education.
“The School of Nursing is proud to be recognized as one of nine NWD grant awardees,” said Linda Kelly, project director and assistant professor of Nursing at the college. “Part of the expectations for student NWD grant recipients is to engage in programming with other NWD students, attend tutoring for academic support as needed, and receive peer or professional mentoring. Another expectation is for service.”
Nursing students in the program gave back to their community recently with handwritten letters to encourage and empower women and girls.
“The Pen and Pizza Write Night” event benefited the Letter Project, a female-led organization with the mission to send letters to women and girls who need extra love, support, and encouragement. The letters are delivered throughout the U.S. and England.
“It was a very heartwarming experience and students felt happy to empower others who are struggling,” Kelly explained.
Mount honored
A top college in the North
The Mount was recognized as a top school in the 2022-2023 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings.
On U.S. News and World Report’s comprehensive lists of top-tier regional universities, the Mount was ranked one of the best colleges in the category of Regional Universities North. They also ranked the Mount as one of its 2022-2023 Best Colleges in Social Mobility and Best Undergraduate Nursing programs.
Return on Investment
The Mount ranks in the top 10 percent nationally among 4,500 colleges and universities for return-oninvestment at 30 years and beyond, according to a recent report by Georgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce 2022.
This is based on the net present value (NPV), or how much a sum of money in the future is valued today. This metric includes costs, future earnings, and the length of time it would take to invest and earn a specific amount of money over a fixed horizon.
Nursing education Excellence
The Nursing Schools Almanac 2022 rankings of the best U.S. nursing schools recently named the Mount one of the top Nursing schools in three categories: n The 100 Best Nursing Schools in the Mid-Atlantic: 77th n The 90 Best Nursing Schools in New York: 27th n The 75 Best Nursing Schools in the New York City Metro Area: 21st
News&Notes
Khurana-Baugh and Horodyski
Board chair earns fundraising award
Michael Horodyski, president and CEO of Wallkill Valley Federal Savings and Loan, and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Mount Saint Mary College, was honored for his outstanding service to the community by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) of the Greater Hudson Valley in November.
As part of the 16th annual National Philanthropy Day ceremony, hosted at the Powelton Club in Newburgh, the AFP of the Greater Hudson Valley named Horodyski “Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer.” The AFP gives this award to an individual who exemplifies dedication to the nonprofit sector and the professional fundraising in the Greater Hudson Valley. Horodyski was honored for his 25-plus years of service to the local community.
Horodyski was nominated by Nikki Khurana-Baugh, vice president for Advancement at the Mount.
“As Board Chair, Mike is always willing to go above and beyond in giving of his time, talent, and treasure,” said Khurana-Baugh. “Under Mike’s leadership, the college established several new fundraising initiatives to directly benefit our students during these financially difficult times. A few examples include the Student Emergency Needs Fund, the Donor Scholarship Fund, and the Internship Fund.”
Charles Zola, CDI director, assistant to the President for Mission Integration, and associate professor of Philosophy at Mount Saint Mary College, celebrates Founders Week with members of the Dominican Scholars of Hope and the college’s mascot, Mack the Knight.
Showcasing Dominican heritage
In early October, the Mount’s Founders Week celebrated the legacy of St. Dominic de Guzman and the Dominican Sisters, whose vision guided the creation of the college.
The Catholic and Dominican Institute (CDI) has sponsored the Founders Week celebration at the college every year for more than a decade.
A highlight of the celebration was a talk by Shannen Williams, University of Dayton professor and African American historian, revealing how generations of Black nuns fought against racism and sexism.
“When you ask Black Catholics why they stay, despite the fact that so much of what they have faced in the church was discriminatory, they say ‘We’re not leaving this church.’ What it means to be Catholic is to be universal, and we made the church Catholic,” she explained.
Later in the week, Jon Damru, access and outreach services librarian, presented “The Saint John’s Bible: Word of God and Work of Art.” The Saint John’s Bible is the first hand-written Bible in centuries. The Mount owns a copy of the Heritage Edition of this masterwork, one of only 299 fullsize fine art reproduction copies in the world. Attendees enjoyed access to the seven-volume set during the event.
Mount joins CUMU
The Mount recently joined the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU). CUMU is the longest-running and largest organization committed to serving and connecting urban and metropolitan universities and their partners. The coalition is dedicated to the creation and dissemination of knowledge on the issues that face urban and metropolitan campuses and the communities they serve.
Alice Adesanya worked with biology professors Suparna Bhalla and Evan Merkhofer on research last summer as part of the SURE program.
Biology major Jasmine QueenO’Connell shares her SURE project with Christopher Norment, emeritus professor of Environmental Science and Ecology at the State University of New York- Brockport.
Sharing summer research findings
From the natural sciences to criminology, nearly two dozen Mount students presented their original projects at the Mount’s recent Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Symposium.
Coordinated by James Moran, associate Biology professor, SURE is an opportunity for students to work alongside Mount professors as they explore a research topic of their choosing.
Jasmine Queen-O’Connell presented “The Effects of Diet on the Growth and Development of Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) Tadpoles” with faculty mentor Doug Robinson, associate professor of Biology. She fed some tadpoles different plants and noted their changes every three days. She discovered that those fed romaine lettuce and clover had larger growth and mass than those fed maple and oak leaves.
Other projects include “Academic Language & Adolescents: in Their Own Words” by Addison Parker and Emily Irish with faculty mentor Alexis McBride, assistant professor of Education; “Incarceration Through Statistics in New York State” by Thomas Sullivan with faculty mentor Christina Alvey, assistant professor of Mathematics and Chair of the Division of Math & IT; and “Worldwide CoLaboration” by Allison Espana, Stephanie Montano, and Dennis Rodriguez with their faculty mentor Micah Modell, assistant professor of Information Technology.
The future of community at the Desmond Center
Dozens of local residents attended the inaugural Community Listening Session of the Desmond Center for Community Engagement and Wellness.
Genesis Ramos, executive director of the Desmond Center, said the session helped to determine how the center can better serve the Newburgh community.
The center aims to be an informed and responsive community fixture, providing basic health and wellness services that fill the gaps and meet the needs of community residents. As the initiative continues to grow, the administrators of the Desmond Center want to hear from their neighbors in the local community.
“We have laid out the foundational work for the center and its mission through our collaborative efforts with community partners, programming, and the launch of our needs assessment to determine the gaps we can fill,” said Ramos. “We are committed to creating a wellness footprint that is responsive and welcoming to all community members.”
One of the center’s goals is to partner with existing organizations in Newburgh and beyond to help amplify the volume of, and access to, health and wellness services available to the community, she added.
News&Notes
Bishop Dunn students find fun in science
The children of Bishop Dunn Memorial School were excited to learn how fun science can be at the Mount.
The students of Jodie Fahey, associate professor of Chemistry, mentored children from kindergarten through fourth grade in small projects that examined the pH of various household liquids, asked children to form their own hypotheses, and more.
The college maintains a close relationship with Bishop Dunn Memorial School. Mount Education students do fieldwork at the school, under the guidance of seasoned Bishop Dunn faculty.
Annual BDMS Cupcake 5K raises $17K
Bishop Dunn Memorial School (BDMS) held their annual Cupcake 5K Run/Walk on the Mount campus this fall.
Students of BDMS, parents, and members of the community joined together and raised more than $17,000.
The first half was the Mini Cupcake Race for children ages 10 and under consisting of a quarter mile run around the baseball field. The second was the adult run comprising two laps around the entire campus finishing back behind the elementary school. Upon completion, runners and walkers enjoyed tons of cupcakes, snacks, and music from local radio station K104.7.
“Once again, we had fabulous weather for our annual event,” said Nancy Benfer, Bishop Dunn Memorial School principal. “We received generous support from the Mount… Fr. Greg Fluet [Mount chaplain] led us in prayer, security spread throughout campus to keep us safe, and Kappa Delta Pi members cheered participants on and distributed water.”
The registration fee for the approximately 200 participants will be used to provide student scholarships and improvements to school facilities.
About 200 people participated in the BDMS Cupcake 5K fundraiser.
See more photos at msmc.edu/msmcfamily
Parents and siblings get a taste of the Mount
Mount students and their families had a great time at the college’s Family Weekend. They mingled with classmates and professors, played games, ate traditional fall foods, and took in some live dance performances by the college’s Dance Team at an on-campus carnival. Families also cheered on their sons and daughters in a Family Feud-style game, enjoyed a Paint ‘n’ Sip event with wine and cider, and attended a concert by renowned guitarist Francesc de Paula Soler, who traveled to the college from Barcelona.
Students took part in a poverty simulation in November.
Simulation builds understanding of poverty for students
Mount Saint Mary College students experienced the struggles faced by families in need during the annual Poverty Simulation Experience last semester.
The simulation was created by the Missouri Community Action Network and was facilitated on the Mount campus by Sonya Abbye Taylor, associate professor of Education and chair of the Division of Education; Zoe Mathews and Nicole Porcelli from the Newburgh Teacher Center; and Education student Lindsay Byer.
Participants were either placed into family units where they played the role of a disadvantaged individual, aged anywhere from infancy to adulthood; or they provided services and assistance from organizations like Social Services, childcare facilities, schools, and employers, amongst others.
Each task consisted of a 15-minute timeframe which represented a whole week for a struggling family. Students were immersed in the frustrations in the everyday life of those in need as they set out to obtain necessities for their families.
“An event like this is important for us in the Education field because it offers a glimpse into the lives of children and teens who desperately need our kindness, our empathy, and our respect,” said Byer.
Mount Saint Mary College teacher candidate Julianne Olinger works with a student in the Knight Lights program.
Left: A dozen incoming freshmen helped at a build for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh. Right: Faculty and students assembled Blessing Bags.
Knights in the Community
Service has long gone hand-inhand with the Mount experience. From work on local homes to mentoring children, the Fall 2022 semester once again saw our Knights in the community.
Building a better future
Members of the Mount community donned hard hats, work gloves, and safety goggles to aid in builds for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh.
In August, a team of faculty and staff did demolition work that included pulling up floorboards, disassembling a deck, and clearing the overgrown backyard of a local Habitat home. In October, students, faculty, and staff removed debris from the backyard at a second location to prepare for the building of a retention wall.
“There’s nothing like a mission in action,” said George Abaunza, vice president for Academic Affairs. “It was incredibly fulfilling to work on this alongside colleagues in service to our community, especially when you know that the impact of the work being done will directly benefit a family that will someday soon occupy that home and have a chance for a fresh start.”
A day of service
In the week before classes began, dozens of incoming Mount Saint Mary College freshmen got an early start on service.
More than 40 students from the college’s Summer Bridge Program – which helps new students transition smoothly from high school to college – lent their skills to three local organizations.
At the Newburgh Armory Unity Center, the students got local children excited about academics during Saturday morning enrichment programs. At a Habitat build site, the incoming Mount freshmen pulled up their sleeves, put on their work gloves, and reinvigorated the backyard of a home on North Miller Street. Meanwhile, another group helped to pack and organize hundreds of donations at the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley in Cornwallon-Hudson.
Knight Lights help young readers
The Knight Lights Reading Buddies program brought literacy to life for children at the Newburgh Free Library throughout the Fall 2022 semester.
Knight Lights provided reading practice and help for young students who are developing their fluency, comprehension, and love of reading. Each child was paired with a Mount teacher candidate to choose books, read, and have conversations about the literature.
The Mount students came from classes taught by longtime Education professors Janine Bixler and Rebecca Norman.
“Children benefit from working with additional reading models and becoming more acquainted with their public library,” Bixler noted.
Norman echoed Bixler’s sentiments: “As a parent, I love Knight Lights because it gives my children a chance to engage in reading with people who are not their parents or teachers,” she explained.
Blessing bags brighten Newburgh
Several of the Mount’s departments collaborated to help those in need throughout local Hudson Valley counties through a “Blessing Bag” donation campaign.
As part of the celebration of the college’s Founders Week – which honors the legacy of the Dominican Sisters who created the college – Campus Ministry collaborated with the Mount’s Honors Program, the Dominican Scholars of Hope (DSH), and the Alpha Chi honor society to create dozens of Blessing Bags.
With generous donations from the Mount community, around 45 bags were assembled, consisting of essential personal care items and toiletries catered to either men, women, or both. The event has become an annual tradition at the college.
About a dozen students in the FYE program helped maintain the community garden at the Mariandale Center in Ossining.
Students learn about service with the sisters
Through the First Year Experience (FYE) program, about a dozen Mount students took part in a community service project at the Mariandale Center’s community garden in Ossining
The students were overseen by Mike Daven, professor of Mathematics, Charles Zola, assistant to the President for Mission Integration, director of the Catholic and Dominican Institute, and associate professor of Philosophy, and Mark Lewin, adjunct instructor of History.
The Mariandale Center is a retreat for spiritual, personal, and communal growth that is sponsored by the Dominican Sisters of Hope. The center’s garden supplies fresh produce to local Hudson Valley food banks and pantries.
During their visit, the Mount students cleared out dead plant debris in the garden to prepare it for winter, while also learning about organic gardening and the types of plant species grown on the land.
“The garden is a small, but important, means of addressing economic inequalities in the local community,” said Zola. “The students found time to reflect and contemplate the beauty of the community garden and grounds of Mariandale.”
The Mount group also went on a reflection tour with Sr. Bette Jaster, OP, Environmental Program Specialist. She focused on how human actions and care affect the environment, and how the sisters are working to preserve life and biodiversity on the grounds.
Through the FYE program, students participate in communitybased learning events related to diversity, inclusion, and equality. The program is rooted in the four Dominican Pillars of study, spirituality, service, and community, and is directed by Gina Evers of the Mount’s Writing Center.
