SUMMER 2010
FEATURE STORY:
The Ramapo Experience: Faculty, Student Collaboration Inside and Outside the Classroom PAGE 2
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT We are proud of our students’ achievements and of the tremendous dedication of our faculty and staff that make their successes possible. We are also grateful to the many contributors who fund and support these endeavors.
In the fall, Ramapo College will offer a new Master of Arts in Sustainability Studies (MASS) program. Our students will hone their skills in communications, problem analysis and adaptive management in this important emerging field; our graduates will become the leaders of tomorrow in education, science and public policy.
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
It is my pleasure to share with you our newest Ramapo Magazine. As you turn the pages you will see just a sample of the outstanding faculty and student collaboration and experiential learning opportunities at Ramapo College.
Such opportunities are at the core of the College’s four pillars: interdisciplinary curriculum, international education, intercultural understanding and experiential learning. They are what make a Ramapo education unique and invaluable.
It is fitting that Ramapo College, which has longstanding undergraduate programs in Environmental Sciences and Environmental Studies, will be the first institution of higher learning in the State, and the region, to offer such a graduate program.
The two-year program is based exclusively on evening classes, which will be held in the College’s new Sharp Sustainability Education Center. The Center provides a “smart” classroom space and supports environmental literacy across disciplines while serving as the campus hub for advanced study on sustainability issues. We are also exploring options to create a program that will allow our undergraduates to take masters-level courses in their senior year and secure a master’s degree in five years. We are grateful to everyone whose efforts made this new program possible and to members of the College and the external community for their continued support and dedication to our mission.
PETER P. MERCER, Ph.D.
President, Ramapo College of New Jersey
As we all seek to improve our academic offerings within the constraints of the State’s fiscal crisis, the MASS program meets an important emerging societal need yet does not diminish our undergraduate offerings – instead, it builds upon our existing strengths.
The winners of the Diversity Resilience Essay Contest at the Diversity Convocation (L-R): Joyce Sweeny ‘11, Amanda Deltuvia ‘11, President Peter P. Mercer, Therese Bertollo ‘10 and Tania Alvarado ‘13 Ramapo’s Greek organization raised money for charities addressing poverty and AIDS in Africa during Greek Week. President Peter P. Mercer joined the students at Rita's Ice in Mahwah for the fundraising event.
President Peter P. Mercer joined Ramapo students for a group photo during Greek Week.
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Ramapo Magazine COLLEGE EXECUTIVE OFFICERS Peter P. Mercer, Ph.D. President Beth E. Barnett, Ed.D. Provost Cathleen Davey Vice President for Institutional Advancement
SUMMER 2010
Feature Mariya Bistrina ’10 participated in the Alternative Spring Break program in Guatemala. Here she is conversing with two Guatemalan girls from the town of Cajolá.
Dorothy Echols Tobe, Ed.D. Chief Planning Officer BOARD OF TRUSTEES A. J. Sabath ‘93 Chair BOARD OF GOVERNORS Robert Tillsley Chair Jonathan N. Marcus '93 Alumni Association Board Chair Margaret Mullen Friends of Ramapo Board Chair RAMAPO MAGAZINE STAFF Cathleen Davey Editor-in-Chief Anna Farneski Executive Editor Mary Cicitta Managing Editor
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S F E AT U R E S
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Cynthia Burns Foundation Editor Carolyn Herring Photo Editor DESIGN: Words and Pictures Creative Service, Inc. This magazine can be made available upon request in alternate media. Requests should be directed to: 201.684.7611 Alumni contact and change of address: Purvi Parekh at 201.684.7115 STUDENT AFFAIRS CONTACT: Miki Cammarata at 201.684.7591 Ramapo Magazine is produced by the Office of Marketing and Communications.
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The Ramapo Experience: Faculty, Student Collaboration Inside and Outside the Classroom
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College news Faculty news Planned giving Grant news Foundation news Alumni news Class notes Datebook
President Peter P. Mercer (left) and Board of Trustees Chairman A. J. Sabath '93 (right) welcome new Trustee, George C. Ruotolo, Jr. (center).
Front Cover (L-R): Assistant Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience Christian Reich and Michael Goldman ’10 examine a slide as part of the research afforded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Visit our Web site at www.ramapo.edu
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THE RAMAPO EXPERIENCE:
FACULTY, STUDENT COLLABORATION INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
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By Chris Hann
amapo has long embraced the notion of learning outside the classroom. Experiential learning, in fact, has been memorialized as one of the four pillars of the College’s mission. With this package of stories – one on each of Ramapo’s five schools – we explore the ways in which professors and students take the learning experience beyond the walls of the classroom and, just as often, beyond the campus.
At Ramapo, those efforts take on many forms. An Earth Day-themed symposium organized by senior Emmy Black and Assistant Professor of Music Ben Neill. Alternative Spring Break trips to Guatemala led by Associate Professor of Spanish Iraida Lopez. Cutting-edge research into human gene expression conducted by Professor of Biology Paramjeet Bagga and his students. The list goes on.
Our package, no doubt, is incomplete. We had not nearly the space to publish all there is to tell about outside-the-classroom learning experiences at Ramapo. But we think our stories present a picture that reflects and celebrates Ramapo’s robust culture of learning, a culture that in many ways defines a Ramapo education. 2
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(L-R Seated): Lindsay Sanchez '10, Contemporary Arts, Dean Bobo '10, Theoretical and Applied Science, Maria Kheyman '13, American and International Studies. (L-R Standing): Michael Goldman '10, Social Science and Human Services, Mihail Velekov '10, Anisfield School of Business, Marissa Dragone '10, American and International Studies and Maria Zalokostas '10, American and International Studies
Photo credit: Warren Westura
Kevin Sabastian ’04 used an experiential learning obligation to land his first professional gig. He tried out for “West Side Story” as a required audition in Associate Professor Terra Vandergaw’s Career Prep for Theater course and was cast in the role of Action, the leader of the Jets street gang performed at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. Pictured: Kevin Sebastian ’04 (center) on stage in “West Side Story”
School of Contemporary Arts
When she traveled to Austin, Texas, in March for the annual South by Southwest Music and Media Conference, senior Lindsay Sanchez ’10 posted daily to The Get Down, the music blog she started in Music Professor Roger Johnson’s Senior Seminar in Music. For Sanchez, a double major in music and journalism, her time in Austin, made possible by a $1,000 grant from Student Affairs, was something close to heaven on earth. The conference, consisting of 2,000 music acts, is perhaps America’s most heralded gathering of independent-label musicians. Over five
days Sanchez listened to dozens of bands, attended workshops with music industry pros, networked like crazy, and got very little sleep. Oh, and, she also met her hero.
Walking down the street one day in downtown Austin, Sanchez came face-to-face with Bob Boilen, the host of “All Songs Considered,” National Public Radio’s weekly podcast devoted to new music. Sanchez considers “All Songs Considered” the epitome of her craft, which makes Boilen, in her eyes, an indie music demigod. Sanchez stuck out her hand. “Bob Boilen,” she blurted, “I’m a big fan.” She gave him a business card – she’d had them printed just before the conference –
and told him that she had applied for a summer internship at “All Songs Considered.” After five whirlwind days in Austin – “the most fun I ever had,” she says – Sanchez flew home exhausted, exhilarated, and hopeful that she might get to spend her summer honing her craft with her hero.
Sanchez’s launch of The Get Down and her excursion to Austin are the sort of outside-the-classroom experiences that define a Ramapo education. Within the School of Contemporary Arts, those experiences take on a multitude of forms. Professors travel, lecture, and publish books. Journalism students serve internships at local newspapers and radio and television
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stations. Theater students perform in on-campus and off-campus productions, and music students and professors play in venues from Mahwah to New York—and beyond. In 2006, at the Public Theater in New York City, Professor of Theater Maria Vail and her colleague Sheila Tousey collaborated with playwright Sam Shepard in presenting “Bottlehouse,” a play based on Shepard’s poetry and short stories. Two years ago “The Rising of the Sun,” a song by Hsu-nami, a band started in 2005 by Ramapo student Jack Hsu, became the theme song for the Chinese basketball team at the Summer Olympics in Beijing.
As a theater student, Kevin Sebastian, who graduated from Ramapo in 2004, used an experiential-learning obligation to land his first professional gig. As a junior, Sebastian took Career Prep for Theater with Vandergaw, who required all students to audition for an off-campus production. Sebastian tried out for “West Side Story.” To his Photo credit: Brian Reilly
“It gives students exposure to what we’re learning in the classroom in a real-world context,” Tobin Addington, assistant professor of Media Writing, says of Ramapo’s emphasis on experiential learning. “If they only make films or write articles or design posters within the school, they can develop a false sense of quality. Exposing them to working outside the classroom helps them
open their eyes to how good their work has to be.” Work done by CA students and professors is routinely evident across the Ramapo campus. Already in 2010: • Vail directed a student production of “The Taming of the Shrew” at the Sharp Theater. • Associate Professor of Theater Terra Vandergaw directed a student production of “Alice in Wonderland” at the Adler Theater. • Students displayed their work at the Visual Arts Senior Show Showcase and at Media Collision, the Communication Arts showcase of student work.
Assistant Professor of Music Production and Industry Ben Neill and Emmy Black ’10 on stage before the Common Ground Symposium, an Earth Day celebration organized by Black, which took root during her independent study semester with Assistant Professor Neill.
great surprise, he was chosen to play the role of Action, the leader of the Jets street gang. He was 21 years old when the play opened at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. “From just a simple assignment,” Sebastian recalls, “I got into one of the most amazing productions I’ve ever had a chance to be a part of.”
Last year Sebastian, who makes his living as a professional actor, returned to Ramapo to teach a seminar on the business of acting. “It made me feel really proud, as well as old,” he says with a laugh. “I love to be able to give back like that.”
Jackie Byrne, a 2008 grad now trying to make a living as an actress and comic, says she still benefits from the “family vibe” created by the theater faculty. “I guess it says something that I can still e-mail my professors and they still know who I am,” Byrne says. “I think they truly are rooting for us.”
Shakespeare's classic romp, “The Taming of the Shrew,” a student production, presented in the Commedia style with a Shanghai twist, was performed by Ramapo students in April. The production was directed by Professor of Theater Maria Vail.
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Contemporary Arts professors also stay busy outside the classroom. John Peffer, assistant professor of Art History, recently published “Art and the End of Apartheid” (University of Minnesota Press). Bonnie
Lindsay Sanchez ’10 launched The Get Down, a music blog she started in Music Professor Roger Johnson’s Senior Seminar in Music. Sanchez is pictured in the College radio station, where she listened to more than 2,000 music acts to develop and maintain the music blog.
Lower Manhattan. Before coming to Ramapo in 2008, Neill toured extensively, playing a three-belled trumpet of his own design that he calls a mutantrumpet. In September he will perform in “Persephone” – he calls it “a sort of rock opera” – with the singer Mimi Goese and the actress Julia Stiles at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Student artist Abrahim Siddiqui ’08 displayed his work at the 2008 Visual Arts Senior Show Showcase, part of the annual Media Collision event.
Blake, professor of Design & Interactive Media, received the Fred and Florence Thomases Faculty Award this year “for significant and ongoing contributions to the development of the college.” Associate Professor of Journalism Edna Negron spent two weeks last December as a Fulbright senior specialist in China, lecturing on convergence journalism.
“It was an eye-opener,” Negron says. “You can imagine it was a challenge talking about journalism in China because they have such a different system.”
Contemporary Arts students sometimes collaborate with their professors. One such project was “Common Ground: Connect-
ing Humans, Music, Art and the Natural World,” an Earth Day celebration organized by senior Emmy Black ’10 and Ben Neill, assistant professor of Music Production and Industry. The festival, which took place on campus April 22 and 23, took root during Black’s independent study semester with Neill. Together they coordinated a series of lectures, screenings, panel discussions, and musical performances. “It’s quite an interesting, innovative, very Ramapo-ish kind of thing,” Johnson says of their efforts. Neill knows a few things about organizing music festivals. In 2008 he organized concerts for the River to River Festival at the World Financial Center Winter Garden in
Internships play a critical experiential role for Ramapo’s CA students. Minerva Vasquez ’10 interned this spring at WWOR-TV in Secaucus, then got hired for a six-month training program with Fox News in New York. “This internship got me thinking this is what I want to do,” Vasquez says.
“In the end, it’s up to the student to make her own opportunity,” Addington says. “We can provide some of the skills and motivation, but then it’s up to them.”
As for Lindsay Sanchez, a few weeks after arriving home from South by Southwest, she learned that she had been chosen for a ten-week summer internship at “All Songs Considered.” “Now I have a really huge opportunity this summer to knock it out of the park,” Sanchez says, “and that’s what I plan on doing.”
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the program symbolizes Ramapo’s egalitarian approach to higher education. “It’s not an elitist program,” Felix says. “It’s for any student who wants to do research. The big plus is they’re really getting prepared for a career. We’re finding that more students are going for their Ph.D. after graduation from Ramapo College. It’s excellent preparation for them to go on to grad school.”
School of Theoretical and Applied Sciences
A dozen posters reflecting several years’ worth of student research projects line the hallways outside the office of Associate Professor of Environmental Science Eric Wiener. His own research focuses on the health of forests, and his students’ posters, presenting research done under his supervision, carry such august titles as “Growth Trends Over the Past 30 Years For Four Hardwood Tree Species” and “Tree Selection by Foraging Male Red-Eyed Vireos.” The posters also represent a steadfast commitment by the School of Theoretical and Applied Science to helping students gain research experience, both in the lab and in the field. “Students take ownership of their projects,” Wiener says. “The fun thing is that putting all these projects together really gives you a sense of the bigger picture.”
For TAS students, the bigger picture has long involved conducting research with a mentoring faculty member. Perhaps no other school on campus has so formalized the experiential learning component of a
(L-R): Sandralynn Veech ’10 with Associate Professor of Biochemistry Art Felix at the Honors Convocation where Sandralynn won the Faculty-Student Research Award in Theoretical and Applied Science.
Ramapo education. TAS students enroll in the school’s Research Honors Program, begun in 2005, an elective curriculum in which students spend two semesters doing research jointly with their professors. In the 2009-2010 school year, 17 professors worked with 36 students in Research Honors, including eight who were enrolled for a second year. The students showcased their work in April at the annual TAS Student Research Symposium. To Art Felix, associate professor of Chemistry who helped found the Research Honors program with Dean Bernard Langer,
(L-R): Emma Rainforth, associate professor of Environmental Science and Geology, with Dean Bobo ’10 at the TAS Symposium, where Bobo displayed his research on dinosaur bones. 6
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Last fall Wiener worked with senior Kimberly Rodgers ’10 studying the health of trees in the Ramapo Reservation and trying to predict what the future of the forest might look like. Their findings: With nearly half the tree species on the decline due to nonnative insects, disease, climate change, acid precipitation, and other harmful trends, the sugar maple, a late successional species that is benefiting from the reduced competition, will dominate.
“It was a great opportunity,” says Rodgers, 21, of Stillwater, New Jersey, who graduated in January with a degree in environmental science, “because I got to do things that grad students normally do. It gave me a taste of what I could look forward to in graduate school.”
TAS professors take their student researchers to regional, national, and international conferences, giving undergraduates the uncommon experience of presenting their research findings to audiences consisting largely of professionals in their fields. Professor of Biology Paramjeet Bagga, who in 2002 started Ramapo’s bioinformatics program, among the first in the nation, says he has taken students to conferences in Canada, Germany, and Brazil. Since 2006 Bagga has co-authored three articles with student members of his research group in the peerreviewed journal Nucleic Acids Research. On a cabinet in his office he keeps snapshots of students at conferences from years past, and sounding not unlike a proud
parent, he will also tell you where they’ve gone since leaving Ramapo:
• Manolo Viotti, ’06, is now in a Ph.D. program in computational biology at Cornell; • Sophia Riccardi-Weise, ’05, earned a master’s in biotechnology from Columbia University and now works for a pharmaceutical company in her native Germany; • Maryum Kazmi, ’04, is in a nursing Ph.D. program at Harvard; • Rumen Kostadinov, ’05, is in a Ph.D. program at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School; • Garret Dancik, ’03, earned a Ph.D. in computational biology at Iowa State and is now an assistant professor at Northwestern State University in Louisiana. Two years ago, Dean Bobo ’10, a biology major from Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, decided to pursue a project through the Honors Research program. The 23-yearold plans to attend medical school, and his pre-med advisor, Professor of Biology Eta Rena Bacon, had advised him that any biological research would be helpful to his academic growth, though it’s probably a safe bet that she never mentioned anything about dinosaur footprints.
(L-R): Josh Seckler '13, Associate Professor of Environmental Science Eric Wiener, Natapat Songsakphisarn '12, Asha Popat '10 and Erica Dallas '12 participated in a field research project.
Professor of Biology Paramjeet Bagga helped establish the College’s bioinformatics program, among the first in the nation in 2002. (L-R): Bioinformatics students Sarah Carrante ’11, and Ritvik Dubey ‘10, Professor Bagga, Waleed Haso ‘10 and Viktor Vasilev ’10 conducting research
Bobo sought out Emma Rainforth, an associate professor of Environmental Science and Geology, after reading about her research efforts. “I approached her,” Bobo says. “I said, ‘Hey, did you figure out that problem with the dinosaur research? I saw it on her web site. I’m nosy like that.”
screw up and get away with it. It went really well, though. They asked hard, challenging questions. For the most part I was able to hold my own.”
Over spring break Rainforth and Bobo traveled to Baltimore for a regional meeting of the Geological Society of America, where Bobo presented their findings before an audience of 100. “This was nerve-wracking because these were professionals,” Bobo says. “I couldn’t
“Having semester-long projects you work on, like TAS Honor Research, gives you a lot more experience than taking one day out of the class and going into the field,” Rodgers says. “You spend a lot of time in one place, and it teaches you a lot more than a class could.”
That problem had to do with the speed at which dinosaurs traveled. Focusing their efforts on a dinosaur known as Coelophysis bauri, which existed 210 million years ago in the late Triassic period, Bobo and Rainforth spent two years researching the strides of dinosaurs to determine their rate of travel. They measured footprints and stride lengths, but determined that from those measurements it was not possible to reliably gauge hip height, a key element in determining speed. Their findings, Bobo says, refuted a long-held theory for calculating dinosaur speed.
Talk to TAS students and professors alike, and you hear the same thing: Undergrads don’t normally get these research opportunities, certainly not at a large research institution, where only graduate students engage in hands-on research. Bobo, who presented his dinosaur findings at the TAS Student Research Symposium in April, is now preparing a manuscript for the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Rodgers, besides working with Wiener on forest health, took part in a cooperative research program with the Meadowlands Environment Center in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, where in 2009 she studied more than 70 species of migratory birds. She also presented her findings at the Student Research Symposium.
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Anisfield School of Business
In the past three years no fewer than four teams from the Anisfield School of Business, consisting of a Ramapo undergraduate and professor, have collaborated to publish their research in peer-reviewed journals. Among them was a 2008 paper researched and written by Associate Professor of Economics Alexandre Olbrecht and senior Steven Bloom. Their work explored whether major league baseball players who attended college earn higher wages than those who did not (the short answer is no), and their paper was published in the Journal of Business and Economics Research.
“There are papers I write to further my career, and there are papers I write to help a student,” says Olbrecht, who is also the executive director of the prestigious Eastern Economic Association. “It’s much more about teaching him what research is like, and what it’s like to publish. It’s one of the projects, as a faculty member, you do to advance the academic career of an undergraduate.”
Therein, Olbrecht says, lies the Ramapo difference. The Anisfield School presents students with a wealth of experiential learning opportunities – internships and cooperative learning and study abroad programs – and chief among them is the chance to conduct research alongside their professors. Olbrecht says these occasions often turn out to be the students’ most meaningful academic experiences at Ramapo.
In his Comparative Economic Systems course, Olbrecht has groups of students give presentations on the economies of foreign countries. As part of their research, the students must travel to their country’s consulate in New York City to discuss economic issues with consular officials.
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(L-R): Professor of Finance Jason Hecht and Mihail Velekov ‘10 in the Anisfield School of Business Trading Floor Simulation Room
“Students look at me on Day One and you can tell they look like, ‘I so don’t want to do that,’” Olbrecht says. “At the end of the semester, you can tell it’s their favorite part of the class. The consular people tend to have fun with it. Just having a kind of professional business meeting is a good experience for the students. It adds a layer of understanding to their project. It gets at the root of what they want from experiential learning.”
Established in 1979, the Anisfield School has grown to more than 1,200 students and nearly 40 full-time faculty members, who keep busy with research of their own. Since 2008 Anisfield professors have authored more than 60 papers published in academic journals. The Anisfield School is in the midst of applying for accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the highest standard of achievement for business schools. Olbrecht’s appointment in the Eastern Economic Association also means that Ramapo serves as the association’s headquarters.
William Frech, professor of International Business, flew to Bangkok in June to present a paper he co-wrote last year with Veselina Stoyanova ’09, a Bulgarian student, then a Ramapo senior and now studying at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. The paper, “CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Viability: Government, Cultural and Academic Influences in the US and the EU,” has been accepted for publication in the Journal of International Management Studies.
Frech came to Ramapo 17 years ago, following a long career with IBM, to help set up Ramapo’s international business program. Since then the number of international business majors has grown from 25 to 100. Ramapo’s enrollment includes 103 international students, and Frech believes they contribute a vital dimension to a Ramapo education.
“They really enrich the classes,” he says. “They’re enthusiastic, well-rounded, and very smart or they wouldn’t be here. They
give the American students a feeling of, ‘Here’s your competition, guys.’”
True to Ramapo’s mission, the international business curriculum hews to an interdisciplinary approach, requiring, for example, two semesters of a foreign language and one experience spent abroad either studying or interning. “You can’t graduate with an international business major,” Frech says, “if you don’t have a passport.”
In March the Anisfield School convened an Alumni Networking Roundtable attended by more than 30 alumni and 85 students, among them Mihail Velikov ‘10,
conducted with Professor of Finance Jason Hecht and Julio Huato, associate professor of Economics at St. Francis College in Brooklyn. Last year Velikov presented a first draft of the paper, “Financial Instability and the Evolution of Foreign Exchange Exposure of European Firms,” at a conference at the London School of Economics. “It was,” he says, “quite an experience.”
He’s not alone. For many students, their future success is rooted in the uncommon experience of conducting research with their Ramapo professors while still undergrads. Olbrecht says that just doesn’t happen at a lot of other colleges.
Steven Bloom ’08 regularly joins other alumni at the ASB Roundtable Networking events.
in the Fed Challenge, an annual competition in which teams of students prepare mock presentations and policy recommendations to the Federal Open Markets Committee. “Shockingly, although Alex was never surprised, we advanced to the semi-finals,” he says.
Bloom also served as the student trustee on Ramapo’s Board of Trustees, a position that called on him to apply a variety of skills he’d honed in and out of the classroom. He testified before the state Assembly Budget Committee and wrote an op-ed in The Record of Hackensack.
Top center: Dick Anisfield, the former owner and CEO of Kurt Versen Company and top right: Bryan Steros ’98, director of major gifts at Seton Hall Law School and a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors and the ASB Alumni Advisory Board, speak with students about business opportunities. The Anisfield School of Business is named for Dick and his wife, Millicent.
a senior from Varna, Bulgaria. While at Ramapo, Velikov interned for MercedesBenz and a New York hedge fund, played three years of varsity soccer, held a series of part-time jobs, and served as president of the Math Club—and that’s just a dose of his extracurricular résumé. In the fall he’ll start his graduate studies at the University of Rochester’s Simon School of Business.
The highlight of Velikov’s academic career might have been the research he
“Doing research with students gives them an opportunity to progress into a different arena,” Olbrecht says. “Ramapo’s need is primarily teaching. We have very good researchers, but we have a strong emphasis on mentoring students. This work with Steve is just an example of what we do.” Bloom, who graduated in 2008 and now works as an accountant for Loreal, thrived on experiential learning opportunities while at Ramapo. He served in student government, worked as a research assistant for two business professors, and took part
After writing his initial paper with Olbrecht, Bloom approached the professor about another project, an examination of New Jersey’s system of higher education funding. He presented the paper earlier this year at the Eastern Economic Association’s annual conference in Philadelphia.
“That’s one of the reasons I chose Ramapo, that it offers so many opportunities like that,” Bloom says. “I think one of the things my employers have recognized is that I have the complete perspective on things—taking the knowledge I have in the classroom and applying it in the real world.” www.ramapo.edu
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School of Social Science and Human Services
Professor of Law and Society Jillian Weiss assigns a social justice project as part of the five-hour experiential learning project. Associate Professor Weiss discusses the parameters of a project with Adam Schwarzberg ’11.
Kim Lorber may have been 1,200 miles from New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina came ashore, but she found a way to help remake the decimated city, one book at a time. When the assistant professor of social work learned that the library at Southern University in New Orleans had been destroyed, she organized a book drive—aided by the Ramapo Social Work Club—which amassed 7,500 textbooks for Southern’s students. And when the university’s library could no longer accept donated books, Lorber simply found a new benefactor for her goodwill. The book drive she started in 2006, known today as Ramapo Readers, has donated another 25,000 books, mostly to schools in Paterson, New Jersey. “I became a social worker to be able to jump into the fray,” Lorber says. It’s a sentiment that might as well pass for the official motto of the School of Social Science and Human Services.
With more than 1,400 students studying 14 majors, SSHS occupies a unique historic role at Ramapo, having descended from the School of Human Environment, the first school ever established at the College. In its four decades’ of service, SSHS professors have conducted research across northern New Jersey and around the globe. 10
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Current faculty members have published 17 books and many more journal articles. Michael Bitz, assistant professor of Teacher Education, last year published “Manga High: Literacy, Identity, and Coming of Age in an Urban High School” (Harvard Education Press), a book spawned from the Comic Book Project, which Bitz founded at a New York City middle school in 2001. Dean Samuel Rosenberg and his wife, Jessica, an associate professor of Social Work at Long Island University, are working on the second edition of their 2006 book, “Community Mental Health: Challenges for the 21st Century” (Routledge). Professor of Political Economy Behzad Yaghmaian has been hailed for “Embracing the Infidels” (Delta, 2006), an account of the often tortured passage of Muslims who migrate to the West from Africa and the Middle East. Professor of Social Work Mitch Kahn has championed tenant rights throughout New Jersey for more than 20 years.
When Professor of Law and Society Jillian Weiss assigns the five-hour experiential learning project required in every class at Ramapo, she insists on a pro-active assignment rather than, say, mere attendance at a lecture or movie. When she teaches Introduction to Law and Justice, she requires students to embark on a project related to social justice. “I really want them to go out and interact with people, so it’s not something they read in the paper or saw on TV,” Weiss says. “I want them to look people in the eye.”
One student, Rebecca Star Falanga ‘12, circulated a petition opposing the cuts in education spending proposed by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Another student, Adam Schwarzberg ’11 served lunch in a local homeless shelter. Weiss says the experience got him wondering, “How did we get to this point?” “You could see that he had really thought
about this in a way he hadn’t thought about it before,” she says. “I think they get to see the reality of the concepts they’re studying in the classroom. This is a way to connect it with their real lives. It’s a useful way of getting them connected to the real world.” For students of Christian Reich, assistant professor of Behavioral Neuroscience, experiential learning takes place in a laboratory. Reich came to Ramapo three years ago and, soon after he received an $187,500 grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue research he began at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. With laboratory assistance from six to eight students each semester, Reich explores the cause of mood disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress. His research focuses on endocannabinoids, the neuromodulators in the brain that regulate stress and anxiety. His published papers have carried titles such as “Differential Effects of Chronic Unpredictable Stress on Hippocampal CB1 Receptors in Male and Female Rats.”
“We’re trying to figure out what this substance is doing in our brain with relation to stress, anxiety, fear, and depression,” Reich says.
While his student assistants set up experiments Reich says he serves as a “macromanager” in the lab.
“When you talk about experiential learning, this is as experiential as it gets,” Reich says. “I treat them as grad students. That’s the experience they get.”
One of his lab assistants, 21-year-old senior Michael Goldman ’10, a psychology major, says working with Reich has helped him decide his career path. This fall he’ll enroll in the Ph.D. program in behavioral neuroscience at the University of Binghamton, the same program from which Reich received his Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Social Work Kim Lorber founded Ramapo Readers in 2006, a book drive to collect textbooks for New Orleans' Southern University library. (Front row Seated): Claudia Montes (Second row Standing L-R): Wayne Harper ’13, Julie Sisselman ’11, Associate Professor of Social Work Kim Lorber, Professor of English Frances Shapiro-Skrobe, Kirsten Hatalla ’11 and Kate Muldoon ’11 collect and package books for the Ramapo Readers program, which to date has collected more than 25,000 books.
“I knew that I wanted to go to graduate school. I just didn’t know for what,” Goldman says. “So I just figured I’d give it a shot. His was the first lab I checked out, and I really liked the research he was doing.”
Kim Lorber recruited her own student assistants for Ramapo Readers, and she says the program would not have come this far without them. She’s also been aided by Frances Shapiro-Skrobe, a professor of English with the Teacher Education Program, who has networked with local libraries, community groups, and the United Jewish Appeal Federation of Northern New Jersey, and Teresa King, the manager of the campus bookstore.
(Anyone interested in donating books to Ramapo Readers may send an e-mail to ramaporeaders@ramapo.edu.) Among the student volunteers are two returning students, Claudia Montes and Wayne Harper ’13.
Now 50, Harper first enrolled at Ramapo in 1980—he played on the Roadrunners football team before the College dropped the sport—but he left school during his junior year. After many years spent mostly in the trucking business, Harper returned to Ramapo last fall. He’s majoring in social work and driving vanloads of books to Paterson’s P.S. 28 elementary school and Eastside High School.
“I love the idea of what Ramapo Readers is all about,” Harper says, “being able to be a liaison between books sitting on a shelf and a needy child sitting there by herself. That idea just intrigued me. It fell under that category like, ‘This is really doing something. This is really making a difference.’” And that, after all, is what motivates the organization’s founder. “I became a social worker to create change,” Lorber says. “Having stuff to me is not as important to making sure other people have what they need. This is my mission. I want to, by example, show students how you can create change, at no cost, and feel rich by it.”
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Photo Courtesy of Iraida López
Feature
A group of Ramapo students on Alternative Spring Break in Cajolá, Guatemala. (L- R): Walfred Molina Vail (Grupo Cajolá), Eduardo Jimenez (Grupo Cajolá), Caryn Maxim (Grupo Cajolá), Yaslie Pared ’11, Sarah Hildebrand ’11, Gabrielle Tracey ’10, Mariya Bistrina ’10, Kaitlin McGuinness ’13, Debra Stark, assistant director of The Cahill Center, Neha Nayyar ’11, and Taryn Blaustein ‘13
School of American and International Studies
The little Guatemalan girl was just 6 years old, and the question posed to her by the Ramapo student seemed innocent enough. It was May 2008, and Associate Professor of Spanish Iraida López was leading a group of Ramapo students on an Alternative Spring Break to the impoverished little town of Cajolá. One day she overheard an exchange between the student and the little
Mariya Bistrina ‘10 participated in the Alternative Spring Break in Guatemala. Here she is pictured with Mayan products imported from Guatemala and sold in the Ramapo Bookstore.
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girl. “He asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up, and she said a gringo – an American,” Lopez recalls. “That was hard to take.”
The girl’s response was not unfounded. López says in Cajolá, a town of 15,000, 40 percent of the local residents immigrate to the United States. Of those who remain, nine in 10 live in poverty. Seven Ramapo students had traveled to Cajolá with López to build brick stoves in the one-room homes of two local families, an experience that resonated long after they returned home. “The first time I came back I couldn’t stop thinking about the people in Cajolá,” López says. “I had to work through my feelings and emotions.”
López has returned to Cajolá with Ramapo students for two more alternative spring breaks, the sort of outside-the-classroom experience that abounds within the School of American and International Studies. Already this year AIS has pre-
sented a film series, a visiting writers series, and a World Language Symposium. Susan Hangen, professor of Anthropology and International Studies and author of “The Rise of Ethnic Politics in Nepal: Democracy in the Margins” (Routledge, 2010), lectured on that topic at the AIS Colloquium in April.
AIS professors often collaborate with students on research and other projects. Jeremy Teigen, an associate professor of Political Science who is writing a book about the military backgrounds of political candidates, has recruited students to help him generate a web-based storehouse of historical voting patterns across New Jersey. Roark Atkinson, an assistant professor of History who is writing a book about early American religious culture, has enlisted a student’s help in transcribing the diary of an 18th-century Anglican minister. Students are helping Professor of American Studies Stephen Rice find old American
history textbooks that will be made available for future students interested in exploring how the writing of history has evolved through history.
Teigen’s research has shown that while candidates often go to great lengths to bring attention to even undistinguished military service, their status as veterans does not translate to victory on the electoral battlefield. “The question is, why do we keep nominating them?” Teigen says. “It’s the only institution that goes back to the origins of the country. It denotes patriotism, competence, country, duty, service. It communicates a great deal with one word—veteran.”
Teigen says he implores students to get involved at some level of local politics. Political science majors are required to intern for an elected official, political party, or nonprofit organization. Recent years, Teigen says, have seen a growing interest among student Republicans, who have been responsible for bringing to campus conservative speakers such as Dick Morris, George Allen, and Ann Coulter.
Roark Atkinson, assistant professor of American History, and his research assistant, sophomore Maria Kheyman ‘13, working on The Diary of an English Minister.
Atkinson’s research into early American religious culture has relied heavily on an 18th-century diary written by a British cleric named Charles Woodmason, who came to America to preach in rough-andtumble corners of pre-Colonial North
Carolina. “It’s probably the most important diary that we have in the Colonial period in the south,” Atkinson says.
Woodmason’s diary, whose four volumes consume several thousand pages, is kept at the New-York Historical Society. An abridged version was published in 1953 as “The Carolina Backcountry on the Eve of the Revolution.” In the spring Atkinson hired sophomore Maria Kheyman, an international student originally from Russia, to assist in the transcription.
“Maria’s a great student,” Atkinson says. “She seems to really enjoy working with such an old document. When you work with a document that old for that long, you tend to enter that world. You’re dealing with this person’s hardships. He’s a difficult person to like, but he grows on you. He’s from London, but he comes to the far corners of the British Empire, and he’s hanging out with people who don’t like him very much.”
Rice’s work on what he calls the American History Textbook Project grew from Historiography, a course in which he explores how historians of different eras have presented issues such as slavery, the Cold War, and the women’s movement. “The writing of history is not a purely objective enterprise,” Rice says, a lesson he tries to impart to his students.
Eight students have actively worked on the project, Rice says, identifying 30 books to purchase, some at bargain-basement prices. Rice says one such volume, “The History of America from Columbus,” published in 1833, could be bought for $13. Once assembled, the books will be kept in Potter Library. “It’s really hands-on,” Rice says. “It’s students creating a special section in our library for as long as we’ll have a library. For me, in the last few years, this kind of project with
students has been especially satisfying. Ramapo really does make this a priority.”
Among the students contributing to the project has been senior Marissa Dragone ’10, a history major who plans to teach high school social studies. “It was such a great experience for me,” Dragone says. “The research aspect was wonderful in and of itself. But being able to work with Stephen Rice outside the classroom was awesome, too. I feel like I helped start something really important, and something I’m proud of.”
Professor of American Studies Stephen Rice worked on a historiography project involving the collection of old textbooks for the American History Textbook Project. Pictured with Professor Rice are the students who participated in the research project. (L-R): Maria Zalokostas ’10, Marissa Dragone ’10, Christina Connor, instructional and emerging technologies librarian and Professor Rice
For Mariya Bistrina ’10, two alternative spring breaks in Guatemala yielded a similar sense of mission. An accounting major from Bulgaria, Bistrina arranged for some of the colorful towels and coffee bags woven by the women of Cajolá to be sold at the Ramapo bookstore. “I certainly learned a lot,” Bistrina says of the trips. “I didn’t take many things for granted, but I guess I learned more to appreciate what I have. I also learned that each one of us can make an impact in life. We can help other people by doing small things.”
It’s just the sort of lesson conveyed when the learning process extends beyond the classroom. www.ramapo.edu
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Photo credit: Warren Westura
Ramapo Bequeathed Art Collection
Matthew Morris (left) and Frank Svehla (right) purchasing a sculpture by Haitian artist Edouard Duval-Carrie (center)
Art collectors Matthew Morris and Frank Svehla spent decades of adventurous collecting in the Caribbean. Both passed away in 2009 and, through their estates, made a generous gift of almost 90 works to the College including those by renowned Haitian renaissance masters Castera Bazile, Rigaud Benoit and Wilson Bigaud. The Morris/Svehla Collection, with an estimated value of $350,000, will become a permanent part of the College’s Rodman Collection.
Morris and Svehla had their first exposure to Haitian art through Selden Rodman, who amassed one of the foremost collections of popular arts of the Americas and the Caribbean. Morris liked to joke that initially, he and Svehla had a hard time finding beauty in some of the naïve works. They purchased most of their artworks with the help of Rodman. With purpose, Morris and Svehla added Haitian art to their collection that was missing from Ramapo’s, including a large, beaded flag by Constant, another prominent Haitian artist. With the addition of The Morris/ Svehla Collection, Ramapo College now possesses the largest academic Haitian art collection in the United States.
The generous gift was not a surprise to College administrators. For several years, the collectors had been having conversations with Rodman’s wife, Carole, and Sydney Jenkins, director of the galleries at Ramapo College, about leaving their growing collection to the College.
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now part of the non-Western Art History curriculum,” notes Jenkins. “Ramapo College has an increasingly important role as partial stewards of Haiti’s fertile cultural history since the January 2010 earthquake destroyed so much of the art there.”
Berrie Center Awarded National Endowment for the Arts Grant
The Angelica and Russ Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts recently received a $6,100 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts as part of American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius. The grant will help fund the project “Conversations in Behop: An Artist Residency with Dr. Barry Harris,” which will run from May 1 to January 31, 2011.
Dean Lewis Chakrin Elected Chairman of The Seeing Eye's Board of Trustees
Dean of the Anisfield School of Business Lewis M. Chakrin was elected Chairman of The Seeing Eye's Board of Trustees in March. The Seeing Eye, established in 1929, provides specially bred and Dean of the Anisfield School of Business Lewis Chakrin trained dogs to guide people who are blind. The Dean's association with The Seeing Eye began in 2005 when he joined the organization as a volunteer in the Donor & Public Relations Department; he became Vice Chairman soon after joining the Board. Photo Courtesy of The Seeing Eye
College news
Unsung Heroes Recognized for Community Service After a plea from the Flemington Food Pantry asking gardeners to bring excess produce to the pantry to feed those in need, Chip Paillex of Pittstown started Grow-a-Row, based in Hunterdon County that grows fresh produce to feed the hungry. For his efforts, Paillex was awarded a $50,000 Russ Berrie Award for Making a Difference.
Taking home the $35,000 award was Natasha Rodgers of Somerset. She founded The Simuel Whitfield Simmons Organization. During the past 10 years, without collecting a salary, she has conducted clothing, food and furniture drives and created a youth mentorship program.
Joan Schaefer of Bergenfield received the $25,000 award. In 1959, she realized there was a need for a girls’ sports league and founded the United Girls Athletic League Suburbia.
Eleven finalists were selected by a committee comprised of eminent New Jersey business leaders and professionals. Established in 1997, the Russ Berrie Award for Making a Difference honors Garden State residents for their unselfish dedication to serving others within the state.
The keynote speaker was Governor Thomas H. Kean, the former president of Drew University in Madison, NJ. Cash awards of $5,000 each were presented to the remaining finalists.
(L-R Seated): Honoree Joan Schaefer ($25,000), Angelica Berrie, President of the Russell Berrie Foundation, Governor Thomas H. Kean, keynote speaker, Ramapo College President Peter P. Mercer, Chair of the Russ Berrie Award for Making a Difference Advisory Board Josh Weston and Juan Roldan, who received a grant from the Berrie Foundation to purchase an IBOT wheelchair. (L-R Standing): Master of Ceremonies, Steve Adubato and winners Chip Paillex ($50,000), Natasha Rodgers ($35,000), Shaindy Schorr, Charity and Ryan Haygood, Adolphus Scott Jr., Mary Lou Wallace, Clair Insalata Poulos, Dr. Eugene Cheslock, Michael Ruane and Erika Rech.
Participants in the Ramapo College, MarshAccess conference on “Designing and Implementing Accessible Informal Science Education Programs”
In early March, MarshAccess held a national conference for professionals who provide informal science education to adults with disabilities and older adults with age-related limitations, and presented the model of program accessibility developed through the MarshAccess project. More than 50 science educators participated, shared ideas and networked.
The MarshAccess program was implemented in 2007 at the New Jersey Meadowlands Environment Center with a mission to create a national model for accessibility and assistive technology that adapts science programs for people with disabilities. Over the past three years, the model was developed using data col-
lected through observations, surveys and focus groups during a field testing process with groups of individuals from community organizations partnered with the College and the Center. The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and Ramapo College of New Jersey entered into a partnership in 2003 to develop a comprehensive environmental education program for schools and the general public.
The CantaNOVA Chorale of the Ramapo College performed the “Terezín Cantata” at the Bohemian National Hall in Manhattan in honor of the Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) commemoration in April at the Bohemian National Hall in New York City and Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer’s visit to the United States.
Associate Professor of Music Lisa Lutter directed the Chorale for the performance of the “Terezín Cantata,” which is an arrangement by composer Robert Convery of songs composed by Jewish children incarcerated at the Terezín Concentration Camp and subsequently murdered by the Nazis. Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer gave opening remarks to honor the survivors of the Terezín Concentration Camp living in the New York/New Jersey area. President Peter P. Mercer also presented the Prime Minister with an honorary award from the College.
Together, the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and the experienced team of educators from Ramapo College encourage the use of the environment as a classroom, increase awareness of the resources of the Meadowlands, and help communities recognize the critical issues that affect the Meadowlands District.
Ramapo College, Street Soccer USA, the Clinton Global Initiative Team Up Ramapo College’s Community Service Center has teamed up with Street Soccer USA (SSUSA) and the Clinton Global Initiative to help spread to word about SSUSA, raise money for the organization and change the way people view the issue of homelessness in the USA. SSUSA encourages social reform and change by organizing soccer teams comprised of homeless men and women to compete in local leagues. Players commit to change their lives by setting personal goals
CantaNOVA Chorale Performs for Czech Prime Minister, Honors Holocaust Victims
Photo Courtesy of Michael Riff
Photo Courtesy of Meadowlands Education Center
Ramapo College And MarshAccess Host National Conference On Accessibility, Science Education Programs
and are held accountable by the assistance of coaches and volunteers. Three students, Sarah Cipolli ’12, Lauren MacDonald ’12 and Quiona Beason ’11 joined Cahill Center Graduate Assistant Rachel LaForgia at the Clinton Global Initiative University Conference in Miami in April and worked the SSUSA booth. They signed up other college students from around the world up to support SSUSA and spread the word about the importance of positive social change.
Associate Professor of Music Lisa Lutter conducted a performance of the “Terezin Cantata” by Ramapo College's CantaNova Chorale in April at a Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) commemoration at the Bohemian National Hall in New York City in the presence of Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer.
The event was organized by the Permanent Mission of the Czech Republic to the United Nations and the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in New York, in cooperation with the Center of Holocaust and Genocide Studies. The event was part of the long-term efforts of the Czech Republic to prevent the international community from forgetting the horrors of Holocaust and honor its victims and survivors. www.ramapo.edu
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College news
Students Present Research Findings at TAS Annual Research Symposium
More than 40 students presented posters and talks describing their undergraduate research, scholarship and creative activities in the sciences at the ninth annual Theoretical and Applied Science Student Research Symposium held in April.
The research topics included how over-thecounter pain reliever acetaminophen affects the regenerative qualities of the mud worm, the implications for dinosaur speed estimates, the simulation and visualization of forest dynamics through computer technology and the microbial composition of the New Jersey Meadowlands, among others.
The symposium provided a research conference atmosphere during which students presented their results. Sponsored by LeCroy Corporation of Chestnut Ridge, New York, the symposium was a full-day event that highlighted faculty-student collaborative research in the sciences.
"The TAS Student Research Symposium provides an opportunity for students to present their research to others within the College community as well as to corporate research representatives from the broader professional community," said Bernard Langer, dean of the School of Theoretical and Applied Science.
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The Ninth Annual Theoretical and Applied Science Student Research Symposium was held in April. Participants included (L-R-Seated): Maria Young ’11, Christopher Scaffa ‘10, Kaitlyn Brown ‘10, Guanyu Tian ‘11, Marykathryn Tynon ‘11, Ritvik Dubey ‘10, Waleed Haso ‘10. (L-R-Standing-Front Row): Kimberly Finnegan ‘11, Sarah Carnant, Jenoy Alvarez, Tinisha Ricks ‘10, Ashley Halstead ‘10, Tiffany Simons ‘10, Jamie Moy ‘11, Michael Chiorazzo ‘10, Fadi Haso ‘10, Daniela Georgieva ‘10, Ivaylo Balabanov ’11. (L-R-Back Row-Standing): Shawna Burke ‘12, Christina Bartley ‘11, Veronica Cavera ‘11, Nicole Rodstrom ’10, James Marino ‘10, unidentified, Dean Bobo ‘10, Edward Priestner ‘10, Justin Cappuzzo ‘11, Jefrey Dodd ‘10, Nicholas Sposato ‘10, Rami Alrabaa ‘12, Viktor Vasilev ‘10
"These research projects provide a unique, educationally enriching experience for students as an incorporate part of their undergraduate educations in the sciences and mathematics."
Successful Middle States Re-Accreditation
The College has successfully completed the Middle states re-accreditation process and the team report is posted on the College web site http://www.ramapo.edu/administration/mid dlestates/. The College was found to be in very good shape, with an excellent faculty, student body, physical facilities and foundation that has consistently produced for the institution. The process for applying for re-accreditation involves examining the College's programs and services within the context of the 14 standards outlined in the Commission's Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education and the College's own mission.
Accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business Update
Accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) signifies the highest standard of
achievement for business schools. In academic year 2009-2010, the Anisfield School of Business made significant progress toward accreditation by AACSB and is now moving into the final phase of the process. The Self Evaluation Report was filed in April in which the school demonstrated that its business program meets all applicable AACSB standards. A peer review team visit is scheduled to take place in the fall of 2010 and the team will make their final recommendation to the board of AACSB by the end of 2010.
George C. Ruotolo, Jr. Joins College Board of Trustees
George C. Ruotolo, Jr. joined the Ramapo College Board of Trustees in April. Ruotolo is Chairman and CEO of Ruotolo Associates Inc., a fundraising and communications firm for philanthropic organizations. With George C. Ruotolo, Jr. more than 35 years in the industry, Ruotolo's expertise encompasses annual development, capital campaigns, planned giving, marketing and public relations programs for education, health and hospitals, churches, arts, social service, and community organizations on local, regional and national levels. His term extends through June 2012.
Educational Opportunity Fund Announces the “Pen Pal in College” Project
The Educational Opportunity Fund “Pen Pal in College” participants
The Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Program launched in March its latest community service endeavor, the “Pen Pal in College” project, which is an effort organized by students in the EOF Program's Chi Alpha Epsilon National Honor Society.
As part of this project, 38 students from Maria L. Varisco-Rogers Charter School in Newark, New Jersey have sent a letter to their college student pen pals in hopes of becoming acquainted and motivated to aspire to achieve a post-secondary education.
Through semester-long communication, the pen pals have encouraged the young students to work diligently on their reading and writing skills. In addition to mail correspondences, the pen pals also met on campus.
Photo Courtesy of Pam McBride
Board of Trustees Member Joins Habitat for Humanity in Thailand
(L-R): Homeowners Wirat and Tatiya Sapithak, Nancy DeVries ’77 and Board of Trustees member W. Peter McBride outside the home they built during a November 2009 trip to Thailand as part of the Paterson’s Habitat for Humanity/Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project.
Founding Faculty Member Publishes New Book
Professor Emeritus of History and founding faculty member Henry Bischoff has published a new book titled “A New Wave of Immigration in New Jersey: Diversity and Vitality 1940-2009,” which was commissioned by the New Jersey Historical Commission.
In his book, Bischoff presents a history of immigration in New Jersey, including its impact on economy, family and neighborhood life,
Board of Trustees member W. Peter McBride and his wife, Pam, with Nancy DeVries ’77, joined Paterson’s Habitat for Humanity on a trip to Thailand in November 2009 to build homes for the poor inhabitants of the Mekong River region as part of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project. The project was a weeklong building process in which more than 3,000 volunteers helped 166 families from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and China's Sichuan Province build homes for themselves and others. In return for the help in the building process, the families can then purchase one of the homes with a no interest mortgage.
The Paterson Habitat for Humanity group worked with Wirat and Tatiya Sapithak to help build their new home. The couple operates a small noodle cart, which provides the means for themselves and their two young daughters. Their previous home was a self-built temporary structure of wood and metal sheets, which had a leaking roof and a worsening termite problem. In order to control the termites, DDT was sprayed, which left the residence uninhabitable. Together, the Sapithaks and the Paterson team laid bricks, installed doors and windows, put on roofs and painted interior walls to build a new, sturdy and safe home.
politics, education and what is considered mainstream culture. The book explores the diverse anthropological aspects of immigration: places of origin, reasons for coming and where they have settled, the impact that the native citizens of the United States has had on the cultures that immigrants have brought to our country, as well as the relationship between the newest immigrants and those who have been living in the United States for a few generations.
New Jersey is ranked fifth among the states in number of immigrants and has a population that is considered the most diverse in the nation.
(L-R): Professor Emeritus of History and founding faculty member Henry Bischoff, President Peter P. Mercer and retired Vice President of Student Affairs Pamela Bischoff
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Faculty news Chapter Officers of the Golden Key Honour Society (L-R): Mark Bigica ‘11, Kelly Espino ‘12, Advisor and Assistant Professor of Law & Society Aaron Lorenz, Erin Fields, associate director of U.S. University Relations for Golden Key, Kyle Ulscht ‘12, Valensiya Tsvetanova ‘12 and Jessica Stephens ‘10 The Federal Challenge Team at the Federal Reserve Bank. (L-R): Steven Bloom ‘08, Madvee Muthu ‘06, Associate Professor of Economics Alexandre Olbrecht, Timothy Haase ‘06 and Levin Purn.
Economics Professor Appointed to Yonkers Rezoning Committee
Alexandre Olbrecht, associate professor of Economics, was appointed as a Steering Committee member for the Rezoning of Downtown Yonkers. The committee works to redesign the zoning designations for the riverfront area of city. The goal is to allow developers to quickly purchase private property and begin construction of their new
projects. The committee is tasked with creating a vision and zoning regulations that are consistent and economically feasible for developers, while simultaneously addressing constituent needs. To date $600 million in developments have occurred, another $1.4 billion are anticipated.
“Past Present” Selected for the 56th Oberhausen International Film Festival
Professor of Video Art & New Media Shalom Gorewitz
School of Contemporary Arts Professor of Video Art & New Media Shalom Gorewitz received a Teaching, Learning and Technology Roundtable (TLTR) funded 3-D animation grant “Past Present.” The animation was presented at the 56th Oberhausen International Film Festival in Germany in April and May. Two of his other works, “Constricted Light” (2004) and “Eclipse” (1993), which were also funded by past Ramapo Foundation and Scholarship support, are included in “L'Anima del Fuoco” exhibition held in Milan, Italy from March through June; translated the title means “The Soul of Fire” or “The Spirit of Fire.”
Contemporary Art Professor Selected as Visiting Artist in Iceland
Adjunct Professor of Contemporary Art Siena Gillann Porta has been selected to be the Visiting Artist at Varmahlid Haus in Hveragerdi, Iceland for June 2010, a city widely known for its international arts community. Professor 18
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Porta’s works have been exhibited and are in collections, both nationally and internationally. The professor was recently appointed Artist in Residence at The Brisons Veor Trust in Cape Cornwall, England.
Golden Key Charter Established
With the help of Assistant Professor of Law & Society Aaron R.S. Lorenz, Ramapo College was approved this year to establish a chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society on campus. Golden Key recognizes the top 15 percent of sophomores, juniors and seniors on campus, who will be honored at a Charter Recognition Event for academic excellence each year. Membership in the society includes benefits such as scholarships, career assistance, leadership training, and networking and publication opportunities.
Art Professor Selected as Graduate Colloquium Lecturer, University of Miami
Assistant Professor of Art History John Peffer has published the book “Art and the End of Apartheid” (University of Minnesota Press, 2009). In October, he was invited to present the 2009-2010 Graduate Colloquium Lecture at the Center for African and African Diaspora Studies at Florida International University in Miami, titled “Apartheid, Art, and Grey Areas in South Africa.” In November, he presented his work-in-progress on missionary photography and images of atrocities in Colonial Congo circa 1900 at the Religious Studies Seminar, School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and at the University Seminar on the Art of Africa, Oceania, and Native America at Columbia University.
Professor and Students' Work Featured in The Bryologist
(L-R): Katelyn Lukshis ’10 and Professor of Plant Ecology Eric Karlin, whose joint research efforts with the students will be published in the 2010 Bryologist.
Four Ramapo College students and alumni were part of a research team led by Professor of Plant Ecology Eric Karlin who recently completed two research projects on peat mosses (Sphagnum). The outcomes of the research will be published in the premier North American scientific journal dedicated to the study of mosses and lichens. The two papers, “Allopolyploidy in Sphagnum mendocinum and S.
papillosum (Sphagnaceae)” and “Microsatellite analysis of Sphagnum centrale, S. henryense, and S. palustre (Sphagnaceae)” will appear in the 2010 Bryologist. Graeme Gardner ’10 and Katie Lukshis ’10 are among the co-authors of the first paper; Melissa Giusti ’09 and Rebecca Lake '09 are among the co-authors of the second paper.
Business Professor Recognized for Becoming 1,000th Minority in KPMG Foundation Diversity Program The PhD Project, an award-winning program of the KPMG Foundation aimed at increasing diversity in America’s business management ranks, announced that Assistant Professor of Management Shalei Simms at the College’s Anisfield School of Business is the program’s 1,000th minority business school professor. Professor Simms recently defended her dissertation titled, "Why who you are at the time matters: An examination of the relationship between social identity salience and risky decision making.”
When The PhD Project was created by the KPMG Foundation in 1994, there were only 294 doctorally-qualified African-American, Hispanic American or Native American business professors in all U.S. business schools out of a population of more than 26,000. With Dr. Simms, there are now 1,000. Minority enrollment in business doctoral programs continues to climb, with more than 400 doctoral students from The PhD Project currently pursuing business Ph.D. degrees in universities across the nation. The PhD
Project was created to address the severe underrepresentation of African- Americans, HispanicAmericans and Assistant Professor of Native Americans Management Shalei Simms in management positions by encouraging more minorities to pursue business degrees, as well as better prepare all business students for today’s multicultural work environment.
Professor Bonnie Blake Receives Fred and Florence Thomases Award
Professor Blake has supplemented the education of her students by starting initiatives to broaden the ways in which they learn. She is responsible for the development of the graphic design curriculum at the College. Her contributions brought motion graphics into the graphic design program for students interested in designing for film and the broadcast industry. In conjunction with Associate Professor of Digital Media Stephen Jablonsky, continued curriculum development has created one of the most respected graphic design and interactive media programs in New Jersey. She is also the co-advisor of the Creative Media Club for
communication arts students who want more real-life experience. The club creates a community where students can enter competitions, build portfolios and network in preparation for a career.
Not only has Professor Blake made an impact on her students in the classroom, but her dedication and relationships with students continues in the field and off-campus. She initiated participation in the Design Derby, a scholarship competition where students create graphic media for real clients. Ramapo College has been the only college to win twice, in 2005 and 2008. The winning 2008 project called for the students to develop promotional materials for the Morris County Historical Museum in Morris Plains, New Jersey, and the students were honored for their work at the Art Directors Club of New Jersey Annual Awards Gala. Professor Blake is currently finishing a short film titled “Walking the Borderland” set to release in fall 2011. A number of her current and former filmmaking, audio and post-production
students are part of the production crew and will be credited in the film. “My relationship with students doesn’t stop in the classroom, and I still keep in touch with a great number of students who graduated,” she says. “I’m in contact with them constantly. We develop a bond, and I’m a mentor and a friend. When students have me as a professor, it’s a given that we will have a lifelong relationship.” Photo Courtesy of Jeff Rhode
Professor of Design and Interactive Media Bonnie Blake was this year’s recipient of the Fred and Florence Thomases Award, which is given annually to a faculty member who has made significant and ongoing contributions to the development of the College. Professor Blake was chosen for the award for her excellence in teaching, student evaluation, exhibitions and creative work. An award ceremony was held on March 31.
Professor of Design and Interactive Media Bonnie Blake, the 2010 Fred and Florence Thomases Faculty Award recipient, carried the Mace at Commencement in May.
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Planned giving
Creating a Legacy at Ramapo With Charitable Gift Annuities and Life Insurance Gifts
Creating a significant legacy at Ramapo College has added benefits with a charitable gift annuity as Board of Governors member Ralph Mastrangelo discovered. Last year, he and his wife, Elizabeth, created a $100,000 charitable gift annuity through the Ramapo College Foundation. The rates, set by the American Council on Gift Annuities according to age, are fixed and guaranteed for life. In addition to an immediate tax deduction, a portion of the payments are tax free and may further increase the return on the gift annuity. “A gift annuity is a tremendous benefit for us and Ramapo College,” Mastrangelo said. “We receive higher income payments than we did before and valuable income tax deductions. In addition, we will support future critical needs of the foundation.”
(L-R): Board of Governors member Ralph Mastrangelo and his daughters Gabriela, Cristina, Marissa and his wife, Elizabeth Mastrangelo, attended the Cast of Beatlemania performance at the Angelica and Russ Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts in April.
Life insurance gifts create substantial legacies at Ramapo College. Bernard J. Milano, a member of the Executive Committee of the Ramapo College Foundation Board of Governors and his wife, Sharon G. Pierson, just completed a $100,000 life insurance policy for the College. The policy will support their three endowments for student scholarships in accounting and communication arts. “We are pleased that this gift will provide much needed support to Ramapo’s students,” said Pierson, a School of Contemporary Arts adjunct professor at Ramapo College.
“In addition to increasing student scholarships, we will receive annual income tax deductions for the premium payments,’’ added Milano. “It's an easy plan to put in place that offers a win-win for all.”
Jonathan N. Marcus, Esq. ’93 created a $40,000 life insurance gift that will later support The Jonathan and Tammy Marcus Scholarship Endowment. “As a student, the scholarships I received meant so much to me,” Marcus said. “My wife, Tammy, and
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I believe it is important to ‘pay it forward’ and provide financial assistance to deserving students as my benefactors did for me. This gift will provide significant scholarship support for future Ramapo College students majoring in Law and Society.”
Age 60 65 70 75 80
(L-R): Bernard J. Milano and Jonathan N. Marcus, Esq. ’93, members of the Ramapo College Foundation Board of Governors, at the April meeting
What rate would you receive from a charitable gift annuity? (Rates effective July 1, 2010) Single Life Rate 5.2% 5.5% 5.8% 6.4% 7.2%
Rates from the American Council on Gift Annuities
To learn more about these possibilities, please contact Ellen Dudas, planned giving officer, at 201.684.7005 or mdudas@ramapo.edu. Information is also available at www.ramapo.edu/plannedgiving
Grant news
Ramapo College Receives Prestigious Award from the NSF
The Biology Research Suite in the School of Theoretical and Applied Science (TAS) will get a much needed renovation with the receipt of a nearly $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation.
The suite was developed more than 20 years ago as a shared research space that has seen continuous high use by biology faculty members working on research projects with undergraduate students and as a laboratory for students to learn the fundamentals and techniques of scientific research.
Currently, about 25 percent of Ramapo College students are enrolled in the School of Theoretical and Applied Science. Involving undergraduate students in research is a high priority of the school. Among the expected benefits are:
• Cell culture rooms that will allow greater organization when handling cells; an important aspect in obtaining accurate results with long-term differentiation cultures.
• Students working on microbiology projects will now have more options regarding how they perform experiments. In addition, a bacteria prep room will allow for expanding experimentation on protein expression in bacteria.
• A cold room will enable molecular biology work to be conducted more efficiently and make refrigerated storage space for reagents easily accessible.
Another major benefit of the project will be a dedicated space for regularly used laboratory equipment. Centralization of research instruments increases efficiency by introducing effective usage and management and time savings for experiments, leading to better outcomes for scientific studies. The greatest benefit, however, is bringing together research students working under different primary investigators in a common area. The student-to-student and student-tofaculty interactions will lead to greater collaboration and shared knowledge. The upgraded Biology Research Suite will enable the College to provide technologically progressive experiential learning opportunities to students. Undergraduates will have the opportunity to conduct experiments involving protein purification, cloning, microbial gene expression and tissue culture. They will be prepared to move seamlessly into research environments in industry or graduate schools because they will have a solid background using the technology and methods in place in these settings.
The Biology Research Suite renovation is scheduled to begin in January 2011 and will be ready for faculty and student use for the fall term. Funds for the extensive renovation were awarded to Ramapo College as part of the Obama administration’s economic stimulus program that encourages job creation through new construction and renovation. Ramapo College is one of only 20 small colleges and universities that received an award from this competitive program. The proposal, which required extensive development over several months, was written by Angela Cristini, professor of Biology, Ron Kase, associate vice president of Institutional Advancement, Claudia Esker, senior grants writer and Richard Roberts, associate vice president of Administration and Finance. All aspects of the original science labs will be completely demolished including HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems. New lab furniture will be custom designed and the latest scientific equipment will be installed. The project goes hand in hand with the emphasis on undergraduate research featured in the spring every year at the TAS research Symposium. It is also the beginning of a renovation plan for the science building.
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Foundation news
Photo Courtesy of Michael Siciliano '10
Bikers Rev Up to Raise Funds
With a thundering roar and a resounding cheer, more than 180 bikers and volunteers streamed from the College campus in the First Annual Ramapo Rumble held May 16. The event raised funds for student scholarships and undergraduate research programs. Inserra Shop-Rite Supermarkets was the event sponsor with additional support from benefactors Hiden Galleries, Kosco HarleyDavidson, Liberty Subaru, Liberty Hyundai and the Brewster Financial Group at UBS Financial Services.
The 2010 First Annual Ramapo Rumble Committee gathered with President Peter P. Mercer at the fundraiser in May. (L-R-Kneeling): Vice President of Institutional Advancement Cathy Davey, Senior Director of Development Kathleen Mainardi, Wendy DeSilva, Tammy Marcus and Randall Brewster. (L-R-Standing): Rick DeSilva, Jr., Lisa Ryan ‘84, Jonathan Marcus ‘93, Doreen Janes, David Hackett, Rick DeSilva, Sr., John Brewster ‘75 and Bob Hiden. Seated: Peter P. Mercer Photo Courtesy of Michael Siciliano '10
After departing the campus, riders completed an 80-mile course along scenic roads of northern New Jersey. Upon their return, participants and their families and friends enjoyed lunch sponsored by Inserra Supermarkets on the Bandshell lawn where they listened to music by the DRG Band. The event’s steering committee was composed of supporters from the business, legal and education communities as well as others who enjoy the freedom of the open road. The committee was composed of chairman and Board of Governor member Rick DeSilva, Rick DeSilva, Jr., John Brewster ’75, Randall Brewster, Board of Governors member Robert Hiden, Doreen Janes, David Hackett, Larry Inserra and Lisa Ryan ’84.
President Peter P. Mercer and Board of Governors Chairman Robert Tillsley thank the Inserra Family for their sponsorship of the First Annual Ramapo Rumble. (L-R): Frank Siclera, Marie Larsen, Robert Tillsley, Peter P. Mercer, Inez Gioffre and Larry Inserra, Jr.
More Than 300 Attend Scholarship Dinner
At the annual Foundation Scholarship Dinner, John Dwyer, the son of Marie and Francis J. Dwyer for whom the scholarship is named, met recipient Kelsey Goddard ’10. The scholarship benefits a high-achieving upperclassman that is majoring in Social Sciences and has an interest in effecting social change. Goddard, a 2010 graduate, majored in Psychology and was active in the Student Government Association. A highlight of the evening was the announcement of a new endowment, the Joyce Biener Scholarship. Alexander Biener, M.D. created this award as a surprise for his wife to recognize the support she has given her family and those in the community. Biener, whose son at-
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tends the College, also established this year the Marcel Biener Scholarship to honor his father.
More than 300 scholarship donors, recipients (L-R): John Dwyer met Francis J. and their families Dwyer Scholarship recipient Kelsey Goddard ’10 at the April attended the Scholarship Dinner. Scholarship Dinner held April 15. It was an opportunity for students to meet the donors who so generously fund their scholarships.
BMW's Newest Ramapo Intern
Ramapo Board of Governors member and Vice President of the Eastern Division of BMW of North America Wayne Orchowski, congratulates BMW Scholar Evelin Rodriguez ‘10 as President Peter P. Mercer celebrates Evelin’s new internship at BMW.
Palestroni Foundation's $50,000 Grant
(L-R): Stryker Environmental Health & Safety Manager Dominick Blandino, Christopher Scaffa ‘10, Matthew Romary ‘10 and Stryker Environmental Health & Safety Specialist Shannon Galary at Stryker
Internships at Stryker Orthopaedics
This past spring, Stryker Orthopaedics approached Ramapo College to assist in the creation of internships for students who could help the company develop a 2010 LEED Certification Initiative. This collaborative effort was spearheaded on the Ramapo College side by Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Geology Emma Rainforth. She recommended Christopher Scaffa ’10, a senior majoring in Environmental Science and Matthew Romary ’10, a senior majoring in
Legacy Society Members Enjoy a Day At Ramapo Ramapo College held its Sixth Annual Legacy Society Dinner at the Trustees Pavilion in February to honor alumni and friends who have created an endowment or who have provided for the College in their estate plans.
This year's event included "A Day at Ramapo College," offering those who attended an opportunity to audit classes taught by Assistant Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience Christian G. Reich, Assistant Professor of 3-D Design and Animation Ann E. LePore, Assistant Professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern History Pinar Kayaalp and Professor of Finance Murray Sabrin. Assistant Professor of Microbiology Thomas A. Owen presented a video lecture.
Environmental Studies. Both students were given responsibility for working with Stryker’s Environmental Health and Safety, the Indirect Procurement and the Corporate Responsibility departments to review the LEED application/certification process and assess where Stryker stood in the process. They also were charged with the review of current green initiatives to determine if any qualify for LEED credit and to obtain facility data to support potential credit qualification.
The Alfiero and Lucia Palestroni Foundation recently provided a generous $50,000 grant to the Ramapo College Foundation to support the Resource Learning Lab for the Office of Specialized Services. At the grant presentation (L-R): Executive Director Kristine Sayrafe, President Peter P. Mercer, Debbie Sena, Co-Founder and President Lucia Palestroni, Bill Sena, Palestroni Foundation Trustee Joseph Della Monica, and Antony Sena ‘13
During dinner guests enjoyed a State of the College update from President Peter P. Mercer and bananas Foster prepared by the president and his wife, Dr. Jackie EhlertMercer. The evening ended with a beautiful musical tribute by CantaNova.
Endowments and planned gifts from Legacy Society members provide student scholarships, fund faculty research projects and enhance campus facilities and programs. For more information on these gifts, please call 201.684.7005.
During the Sixth Annual Legacy Society Dinner guests enjoyed a staff served dessert of bananas Foster prepared by President Peter P. Mercer and Dr. Jackie Ehlert-Mercer.
Chuck and Carol Schaefer '84 joined the festivities at the Sixth Annual Legacy Society Dinner on February 4. Carol is a member of the College Board of Governors.
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Foundation news Business Partners Luncheon at Havemeyer House
Executives from the Business Partners program, along with colleagues from interested corporations, attended a luncheon hosted by President Peter P. Mercer and his wife, Dr. Jackie Ehlert-Mercer at the Havemeyer House in May. The program featured a roundtable discussion, “The State of the Economy,” led by Congressman Scott Garrett and Lawrence Salameno, executive vice president and director, Permal Group, Inc., an alternative asset management firm. Corporations represented at the luncheon included A&P, Alumia Solar and Energy Solutions, BD, Benjamin Moore, Beattie Padovano, C.R. Bard Inc., Century 21 Construction Corp., Dator Commercial Real Estate Agency, KPMG Foundation, Lakeland Bancorp, Inc., North Jersey Media Group, James R. Napolitano, LLC., Sharp, Sheraton and Fairfield Inn and Suites, Stryker, TD Bank and UBS Financial Services, Inc.
(L-R): Congressman Scott Garrett, President Peter P. Mercer and the Honorable Richard Martel, mayor of Mahwah, at the Business Partners luncheon
(L-R): Anisfeld School of Business Dean Lewis Chakrin, Senior Program Coordinator for BD Jennifer Farrington and President of KPMG Foundation and Board of Governors member Bernard Milano at the Business Partners luncheon
(L-R): Ralph Mastrangelo, Board of Governors member and chairman of the Business Partners Committee, guest speaker Lawrence Salameno and Robert Tillsley, chairman of the Board of Governors
UPS presents Annual Business Partners contribution to Ramapo College.(L-R): Vice President of UPS and Ramapo College Board of Governors member Gary Kallenbach presented President Peter P. Mercer and Vice President of Institutional Advancement Cathy Davey with their annual contribution as a member of the Business Partners. The corporate relationship began more than 20 years ago and remains strong.
Berrie Center Celebrates 10 Years of Eclectic Arts Programming
A Tenth Anniversary Celebration was held for The Angelica and Russ Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts in February. The event, featuring free activities, was open to the public and marked the decade of the arts by showcasing the work of current students, alumni and faculty with films, performances, concerts, lectures and exhibitions.
Among the highlights were an exhibition, “Tops in Ten: A Selection,” a multi-media exhibition in the Kresge Gallery showcasing seven visual arts alumni, a presentation of provocative exhibitions and a panel discussion, “Why an Arts Education When the World is Falling Apart?” moderated by Professor Emeritus Carol Duncan and former Ramapo College President Dr. Robert Scott, among others. An evening reception with music and dancing concluded the daylong celebration. 24
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Spring Dessert Reception
A dessert reception was hosted in the Angelica and Russ Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts by the Friends of Ramapo in April. Following the reception, guests enjoyed a student theater production of “Taming of the Shrew” in the Sharp Theater.
David Alai, and his wife, Cynthia, enjoy the Berrie Center's 10th Anniversary celebration. Alai, a member of the Board of Governors, is Corporate Vice President of Sharp Electronics. Sharp has been a staunch supporter of the arts and Ramapo College. The Sharp Theater in the Angelica and Russ Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts is a venue for performances by Ramapo students and the community.
The Tenth Anniversary Berrie Center Committee included Professor of Art Judith Peck, chair, Robert Modafferi, chief art handler/ registrar, Assistant Professor of Music Lisa Lutter, Associate Professor of Theater Terra Vandergaw and Professor of Design and Interactive Media and Bonnie Blake.
(L-R): Constantine “Gus” Vasiliadis and Margaret Mullen at the Friends of Ramapo dessert reception at the Angelica and Russ Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts in April. Vasiliadis serves as a director and Mullen as president of the Friends of Ramapo Board.
Alumni news Alumni involved with the Women’s Center influenced its evolution as much as the Center influenced their lives. They gathered to pay tribute to the Center’s founders, Lee Sennish and Barbara Harrison.
Women’s Center Relives the Revolution Alumni who were active in the Women’s Center gathered April 25 to relive the revolution. Founded in 1973, the Center’s mission, in part, strove to dismantle, from a feminist perspective, all forms of oppression, including those based on ability, age, class, ethnicity, gender, race and sexual orientation.
The event featured a timeline of historical events – both the College’s and the nation’s. Alumni had an opportunity to share their stories by adding significant events they recalled.
Photo courtesy of the Alumni Association
Lee Sennish and Barbara Harrison, founding directors of the Center, were honored. In her address to alumni, Sennish talked about the Women’s Center gaining acceptance by the campus community.
The audience also was regaled with Mandy Restivo’s ’99 account of her time as director and how the Center has evolved to be more inclusive, particularly of issues facing bisexuality and students questioning their sexual or gender identity. Kat McGee ’06 is the Center’s current director.
The Ramapo Roadrunners Alumni Ice Hockey team has been playing for 32 years. Five years ago Artie Chill ’74 set up the much awaited face-off against Fairleigh Dickinson University in March. The Ramapo Alumni team won 9-4.
(L-R): Women’s Center Founding Director Lee Sennish was welcomed to the alumni reunion by Mandy Restivo ’99 former director.
The reunion was hosted by The Women’s Center and the Office of Alumni Relations.
The Ramapo Roadrunners Alumni Ice Hockey Team
The Ramapo Roadrunners Alumni Ice Hockey team "iced" Fairleigh Dickinson University 9 - 4 in an alumni reunion face-off on March 27. Team organizer Arthur Chill ’74 said the alumni team has been playing for 32 years, first against the College's varsity team and later each other. Five years ago Chill arranged for the alumni team to play the alumni team of their 1970s’ ice rivals, FDU. Ramapo's team has won four of the five games.
Alumni Greek Reunion
Greek life at Ramapo College continues to offer students an opportunity to befriend those with similar interests and to demonstrate good citizenship through community service. At the Alumni Greek Reunion held April 17 more than 80 alumni reconnected and reminisced about their fraternity and sorority days at Ramapo College.
Fraternity brothers from Zeta Beta Tau at the April 17 Alumni Greek Reunion
Sister, sister! Alumni from Sigma Delta Tau at the April 17 Alumni Greek Reunion honoring Greek life at Ramapo College
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Alumni news Career Panel
Distinguished Ramapo alumni participated in an Alumni Career Development Series Career Panel on March 31 to discuss interview skills. The series was presented in conjunction with the Cahill Center.
Presented in concert with the Cahill Center, the Alumni Career Development Panel discussed the importance of interview skills. (L-R): Scott Stahlmann ’79 of TIAA-CREF, Melissa Schmieder ’00 of Budd Larner, P.C., Kimberly Albano ‘82 of ESPN Inc., and Jennifer Grinthal ’90 of Coperion Corporation Grinthal led the panel.
Trudy Hardy ’91 Receives Women’s Automotive Association International Spirit of Leadership Award Trudy Hardy ’91 received the Spirit of Leadership Award from Women’s Automotive Association International. The award recognizes significant contributions in the profession, community and family and those that have served as mentors and role models. Hardy joined MINI USA in 2001 to help launch the MINI brand; she is manager of Marketing, responsible for brand strategy, positioning, communication, research and events for MINI within the U.S. market. Hardy is a member of the Board of Governors at Ramapo College and volunteers her time with the Anisfield School of Business, where she is a frequent guest speaker and participates in alumni networking events and panel discussions.
Trenton Alumni Chapter Committee
The Mercer County Regional Alumni Chapter committee held their inaugural meeting in March at the Trenton Marriott in the Archives Lounge. Kara Brennan, assistant vice president for Institutional Advancement and Purvi Parekh ’01, ’04, assistant director of Alumni Relations hosted the group for an informational planning session to discuss future activity in the region. Joining in the planning were Chair of the Board of Trustees A.J. Sabath ’93, Andrea Bass ’80, Brian Bass ’79, Kevin Kavanaugh ’76, Jessica Patterson ’09, Tanya Washington ’02 and Wilbert Peji ’01. The group planned their upcoming kick-off event at the Trenton Thunder on June 17.
Trudy Hardy ’91 participated in the Third Annual Alumni Networking Roundtable in March. Hardy is a member of the Ramapo Board of Governors and participates in the Anisfield School of Business alumni networking events. On May 16 Trudy participated in the First Annual Ramapo Rumble. (L-R): Trudy Hardy '91, Mark Stollenmaier, Jennifer Caplan and Ken Stollenmaier
Washington, D.C. Alumni Reception
Washington D.C. alumni gathered at Cure Bar and Bistro in the Grand Hyatt for dinner and a visit with President Peter P. Mercer in January. Alumni who attended included Thomas Ammazzalorso ’95, Donna Huff ’82, Mark Lotwis ’83, Jeremy Melissari ’06, Rosa Pena-Lara ’02, Brian Reich ’91, Jonathan Seaman ’92, Anthony Spera ’90, Keith Suchodolski ’03 and Stephen Knott ’04. Also attending from Ramapo were Vice President of Institutional Advancement Cathy Davey and Assistant Vice President of Institutional Advancement Kara Brennan, who recruited the attendees to form the regional chapter committee. The group enjoyed hearing about the latest Ramapo news from President Mercer and shared stories about their Ramapo experiences. Future events will be planned for next year. Please contact Purvi Parekh ’01, ’04, assistant director of Alumni Relations at purvi@ramapo.edu or 201.684.7115 for more information or to join the committee.
ASB Hosts Third Annual Alumni Networking Roundtable
In March 2010 the College's Trenton Alumni Chapter Committee met to plan future events. (L-R): Purvi Parekh '01, '04 assistant director Alumni Relations, Kara Brennan, assistant vice president Institutional Advancement, Board of Trustees Chairman A.J. Sabath '93, Brian Bass '79, Andrea Bass '80, Kevin Kavanaugh '76, Jessica Patterson '09, Tanya Washington '02, and Wilbert Peji '01
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Alumni, ASB faculty and business partners participated in the Third Annual Alumni Networking Roundtable event. At these annual events business students are given the opportunity to network with Ramapo alumni including John Brewster ‘75, and learn about professional opportunities available in the workforce upon graduation from Ramapo.
Sharing and Caring at Nursing Reunion
At the Nursing Alumni Reunion’s 10th Anniversary, held April 18, more than 50 graduates of Ramapo’s Nursing Program caught up on their professional and personal lives. The nurses also received contact hours by
participating in a presentation, “So You Are Thinking About Graduate School – Hear from Fellow Alumni.”
Ramapo College is proud of the growth its Nursing Program has experienced and that alumni have chosen to remain a part of the campus community. More than 50 alumni attended the Nursing Reunion in April.
Champagne at Sunset
The Alumni Association toasted the Class of 2010 and their families at Champagne at Sunset held May 13 in the Bill Bradley Sports and Recreation Center Arena. The evening featured senior class memories and the traditional toast, followed by a dinner sponsored by the Student Development Student Committee. More than 725 guests attended the event, the largest gathering in the College’s history. Sponsors for the event were Grad Images, Liberty Mutual, Sheraton and Fairfield Inn and Verizon Wireless of Orangeburg, NY. Members of the Senior Legacy Drive presented the Class of 2010 gift at the Champagne at Sunset celebration. 716 donors contributed $11,515.00. (L-R): Associate Director of the Annual Fund Joyce Schader, President Peter P. Mercer, Kelsey Goddard ’10 and Laura Hahn ’11
(L-R): Joyce Biener, Ann Nieporent, Andrew Nieporent ’10, Adam Biener ’10, Sally Ng, Tom Ng ’10, Jay Everett, Kevin Ng, Dr. Alex Biener and Dennis Ng enjoy the festivities at the Champagne at Sunset celebration.
Phoenix Alumni Meeting
Alumni from Phoenix, Arizona held their first Alumni Chapter event in March at the District American Kitchen Restaurant in Phoenix. President Peter P. Mercer and Dr. Jackie Ehlert-Mercer hosted the group for dinner and a College update. Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management, Christopher Romano also attended the event. Alumni who were there included Paul Andrus ’80, Colleen Brosnan ’80, Ulrick Ceus
(L-R): Dr. Anthony DeCarlo ’77, recipient of the 2010 President's Award of Merit, and Chairman of the Ramapo Board of Trustees A.J. Sabath ‘93 reminisce about their years at Ramapo with President Peter P. Mercer.
’92, Percy De La Cruz ’98, Hilary Hartline ’91 and Jessica Trejo ’95. Even though 2,400 miles separate Mahwah, New Jersey from Phoenix, Arizona, this event brought alumni closer to their College. To join us and contribute to the future of this chapter, please call Purvi Parekh ’01, ’04, assistant director of Alumni Relations at purvi@ramapo.edu or 201.684.7115. www.ramapo.edu
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Q&A: Michael McCarthy
QA
Ramapo College has maintained a long-standing relationship with businesses in North Jersey through its Business Partners program. Corporations that participate support the College’s efforts to award student scholarships and provide faculty development opportunities through an unrestricted gift to the Business Partners program. Ramapo College encourages corporations to avail themselves of the wide range of benefits and privileges to augment their organizational needs.
For more than a decade, the College has been proud to have Stryker Orthopaedics as a Business Partners. The corporation also supports the College’s major events including the Distinguished Citizens Dinner and the Annual Golf Outing.
Michael McCarthy, controller, Accounting Operations and Planning, is Stryker’s Business Partners liaison. McCarthy participates in various special Business Partners luncheons hosted by Ramapo President Peter P. Mercer and the College’s prestigious research symposium sponsored by the School of Theoretical and Applied Science. This past spring, McCarthy was instrumental in working with the Ramapo College Foundation, Emma Rainforth, associate professor of Environmental Science and Geology at Ramapo College and key executives from Stryker to develop a cooperative education opportunity for two Ramapo College students. The students were hired to assist Stryker Orthopaedics in achieving LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification. In this capacity, the students will review and follow the LEED credit checklist, obtain data to support potential credit qualification and facilitate multi-department collaboration for project support. LEED concentrates its efforts on improving performance across five key areas of environmental and human health: energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, materials selection, sustainable site development and water savings.
&
Recently, we had the opportunity to talk with McCarthy about the partnership between Ramapo College and Stryker and its strong commitment to supporting Ramapo College.
Q: Stryker and Ramapo College have built a strong relationship over the past 13 years. Stryker’s annual support of the Business Partners program provides Ramapo College with an unrestricted gift. What is the importance to Stryker in supporting Ramapo this way?
MM: At Stryker Orthopaedics, we understand the importance of education and pride ourselves on providing world class medical education to the healthcare professionals we work with each and every day. Equally, we understand how important education is as a foundation to one’s growth and development. With Ramapo College only a few miles away, we know we have a business partner who stresses quality education as much as we do. We can always count on Ramapo College to assist us in various ways; from faculty/student research and knowledge-sharing to providing a talented pool of internship candidates. It has been a pleasure to work so closely with Ramapo College over the past two years.
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Q: The Business Partners program provides a mutually beneficial relationship for both Ramapo College and Stryker Orthopaedics. Please describe how Stryker benefits.
MM: As a member of the Business Partners program, Stryker benefits in a number of ways. First and foremost, we have access to the multitude of well-educated and highly driven students at Ramapo College, some of whom we get the chance to interact with professionally through our co-op program. Secondly, we continue to utilize the Ramapo College facilities for the many conferences, meetings and team building events we hold throughout the year. It’s nice to be able to hold meetings in such a great environment within a very short drive of our Mahwah headquarters.
Michael McCarthy, controller, Accounting Operations and Planning for Stryker Orthopaedics
Q: Many of our local corporate neighbors have joined Ramapo College as a Business Partners. Have you had the opportunity to meet others from the Business Partnerss program and, if so, what benefits do you see from this network? MM: Networking is very important and with our Business Partners relationship, I get the opportunity to meet with the large number of local businesses that also participate in the Business Partners program. The opportunity to meet fellow corporate leaders, exchange contact information and continually support our local community is very important to all of us at Stryker Orthopaedics Corporation. Ramapo College invites corporations to become Business Partners. For more information, please contact Kara Brennan, assistant vice president of Institutional Advancement, 201.684.7254.
Class notes
Dennis Pierce ’73 and his wife, Sandie, have been married for 26 years. They have three children: Jason 25, Dennis, 22, and Mary Beth, 17. Their oldest son, Jason, is an Army veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Dennis spent 30 years in the business world before attending Washington Theological Union, a Roman Catholic School of Theology and Ministry. He wrote his master’s thesis on Saint Francis de Sales. For the past four years, Dennis has been the director of Religious Education at Saint Stephen the Martyr Catholic Church in Middleburg, VA.
Howard Zuckerman ’73 is the deputy chief assistant prosecutor in charge of the adult trial section at the Essex County Prosecutor's Office in Newark, NJ.
Mauro Altamura ’76 has had a studio in the Neumann Leather Building, Hoboken, NJ for 20 years. Altamura teaches photography at New Jersey City University. Last summer he completed a second, Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing, at Rutgers University in Newark.
Patricia (Davy) De Lorenzo ’76 received a master’s degree in Family Counseling from Iona College and established a business, Serenity Facility. De Lorenzo, who is licensed and certified in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, specializes in abuse, addiction, anger, anxiety, depression, bereavement and women’s issues. She is married with three children and resides in Milford, PA.
James Vanderleeuw ’76 was appointed professor of Political Science to the Jack Brooks Chair in Government and Public Service at Lamar University. Vanderleeuw is director of Lamar’s Center for Public Policy Studies and has a doctorate from the University of New Orleans and a master’s from the University of NevadaReno. Vanderleeuw is co-author of a book on racial issues, “Race Rules: Electoral Politics in New Orleans, 1965-2006” and has published nearly 30 articles in professional journals.
Laurence Egerton ’81 was promoted to detective with the Wilmington, NC police department in November 2009 and is a domestic violence investigator. Egerton began his law enforcement career at age 55 and was sworn in June 2006. He attained the highest score on the state exam and credits his Ramapo College education for attaining such high scores. Egerton works on a force of more than 265 officers and had the highest statistics for the northwest sector of the city in the first six months of 2009. He was featured in news stories on national and local television in 2006/2007 and in a news story on police departments relaxing age restrictions.
John A. Heim ’81 was appointed chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University Medical Center at Princeton and will remain as general surgery residency site director. Heim received his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, The New Jersey Medical School. His post-graduate training included a residency in general surgery at the University of Connecticut-Hartford Hospital. Heim served at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York as a fellow in thoracic oncology and completed a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center, Rush Medical College, in Chicago, IL. Michael Ennis ’82 was named varsity baseball coach at Madison High School.
Chuck Givonetti ’84 has joined the Cambridge Trust Co. of Cambridge, MA as operations officer with the Solutions Management team. He is also the clerk and a member of the Board of Directors of the Animal Protection Center of Southeastern Massachusetts (www.apcsm.org). Givonetti and seven other community members founded the Brockton, MA non-profit organi-
zation in 2009 in response to another humane organization that would have to close their facility due to financial difficulties. The shelter remained open and annually helps more than 3,500 animals and their families with care and compassion.
Curtis “Curt” Benedetto ’85 is a broker/sales representative with Weichert Realtors. He has coached Mahwah recreation sports programs. He is a member of Real Source Board of Realtors, NJ Multiple Listing System, Garden State Multiple Listing System, the New Jersey State Board of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors. Benedetto is also a member of Weichert’s President’s Club, comprised of the top 1 percent of the company’s sales force nationwide. Kathleen DohertyHewins ’85 was named the West Milford Teacher of the Year and the Passaic County Teacher of the Year for 2009-2010. She has been teaching math and, prior to that, science in West Milford for the past 14 years.
Andrew Feingold ’89 and Lenacinth Simpson were married September 12. The ceremony was held at Hawthorne Gospel Church with the reception at the Tides Estate in North Haledon, NJ. The couple, who honeymooned in Greece and Turkey, resides in Westwood, NJ. Dominic D’Ambrosio ’93 has been appointed vice president and associate administrator of Schervier Nursing Care Center. Dominic has a master’s degree in Gerontology from Hofstra University in Long Island, NY. He is also a licensed nursing home administrator, certified aging services professional and an Eden alternative associate.
Marriages and Unions Andrew Feingold ’89 to Lenacinth Simpson Anita Toscani ’98 to Charles Good Daniel Kotkin ’02 to Beth Eileen Shilane ‘04 Michelle Masi ‘02 to Adam Lerner ‘04 Gina Holter ’02 to Jason Guadagnino Ronna Killins ’04 to Dexter Butters ’04 Gavin H. Millard ’04 to Margaret Kelleher Jaclyn King ’05 to Jeffrey Sutton ‘05 Anthony Dovi ’05 to Gina Sallustio ‘07 Andrea Schwartz ’05 to Steven Kochik Amy Mulhearn ’06 to Paul Hildebrand Diane Sroka ’06 to Vincent Michael Cooper ’06 Ronald Waldt ’06 to Elizabeth Moltzen Suzanne Antreassian ’07 to Sean Murphy Susan Braccini ’09 to Mark DiRoma Jennifer Lynn ’09 to Thomas Patrick Capstick
Helena C. Farrell ’93 published her first novel, “The Longest Goodbye: A Memoir” and is working on releasing a memoir, “A Hole in One.” Farrell is a member of the Dramatist Guild of America and, along with other plays, was the screenwriter and playwright of the off-Broadway romantic comedy, “Room for Rent.” She is completing her Doctorate in Letters at Drew University.
Catherine Ramey ’93 and her husband had a son, Ethan, born December 17. Ethan arrived in time for the holiday season.
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Class notes Colleen Hickey ’96 and Christopher Mullin announced their engagement. A September wedding is planned. Hickey is manager of a clinical psychology program.
In Memoriam Joan E. Patterson ’73
Dyane McMahon ’96 joined Gilda’s Club of Northern New Jersey as director of Development. McMahon previously served as director of Development of the New York City Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and has held executive positions with other disease-specific organizations such as The World Lung Foundation and the Valerie Fund, a New Jerseybased foundation that helps children with cancer and blood disorders.
Debra Christine Sheren ’74 Robert John Couillou ’75 David Luppino ’76 Dorothy C. Dabbs ’77 Mary T. Hinfey ’77 Michael J. Ricciardi Sr. ’79 Anne Feldstein ’81 Dorothy A. Welch ’84 Jean J. Florio ’87
Joseph M. Hibo III ’98 Dawn Seibel ’99 Vincent J. Finn ’00 Andrew David Lesser ’03
Kari Thomas Womack ’93 has been accepted into the graduate program at Middle Tennessee State University to earn a Master’s of Education in Administration and Supervision in Higher Education. Timothy Finley ’94 is an anesthesiologist at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, NJ. Dr. Finley, who is a member of the Center for the Rural Development of Milo (Crudem) Foundation, assisted with the earthquake relief efforts at Hospital Sacre Coeur in Haiti. He has traveled to Haiti seven times to share his medical expertise.
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Shirley Montanari ’97 was ordained at the Pompton Reformed Church and serves as associate pastor as well as pastor to the Classis of Passaic Valley. She was a member of Delta Mu Delta at Ramapo and has a master’s in Divinity from the New Brunswick Theological Seminary, NJ.
Rich Price ’97 and wife Jen are proud to announce the birth of their first child Zachary Richard Price on July 1, 2009.
Arlene Gulick ’95
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Eric Melniczek ’97 was named the director of Career Services at High Point University in High Point, NC. He previously served as the regional recruiting manager at S.R. Clarke in Blacksburg, VA. Melniczek holds a master of Arts in Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies with a focus in higher education and student affairs administration from Virginia Tech.
Daniel Jean ’97 has written a play, “Til Death Do Us Part? " to be staged at Where Eagles Dare Studios in New York City, NY. The two-character play chronicles the tumultuous post-wedding relationship of a young AfricanAmerican couple. Jean is director for the Center for Academic Advisement and First-Year Experience at Ramapo. The production features Dee BrightForeman, associate director of the Educational Opportunity Fund Program and Terrance Epps.
Daniel Jean ’97 and Aneesha Jean ’01 are the proud parents of the Jean boys.
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Christine KomoroskiMcCohnell ’98 published a memoir, “Only You, Christine, Only You.” The book reflects on living and growing to adulthood with cerebral palsy. The book details the author’s relationships with her parents, husband, siblings and close friends. KomoroskiMcCohnell has a master’s in Counseling from Seton Hall University and received post-master credits at Temple University. She is married and has a stepson and step-granddaughter. Komoroski-McCohnell teaches at Ramapo College and is designing a Disability Studies minor. She serves on the board of the Society of Disability Studies. Anita Toscani ’98 married Charles Good in 2001. They live in Hewitt, NJ. Toscani is a stay-at-home mom to Ryan, 8, Jennifer, 2, and Christopher 9 months.
Megan Charney Cormier ’99 and her husband, Keith, are the proud parents of Connor Marc. Upon arrival he weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces and measured 21 inches long.
Sean Powers ’99 was promoted to director of Admissions for Ross University School of Medicine and School of Veterinary Medicine, one of the largest universities for training physicians and veterinarians in the United States.
John Gil ’01 and Jennifer Herr announced their engagement. A spring 2011 wedding is planned. Gil is employed at Corporate Mailings and Fulfillment Solutions as a client services manager.
Christopher Hawken ’00 was sworn in as a police officer for the Montvale, NJ Police Department.
April Kamrath ’00 and Christopher Teigen announced their engagement. Kamrath is a pricing associate at Border States Electric, Fargo, ND. The wedding and reception will be held at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, Canby. Peter Seminara ’00 and his wife, Lauren, announced the birth of Brian Jack, who weighed 6 pounds and was born January 6.
Gina Holter ’02 and Jason Guadagnino were married on July 3, 2009 in a beach ceremony at the Ocean Place Resort and Spa in Long Branch, NJ. Holter attends graduate school at Montclair State University and is a social worker for the State of New Jersey. They plan to honeymoon later this year in Australia and they reside in Montvale, NJ.
Daniel Kotkin ’02 and Beth Eileen Shilane ’04 were married June 28, 2009 at the Grand Marquis, Old Bridge, NJ. Shilane has a master’s in Counseling and Personnel Services from Fordham University and is a unit leader/case manager with Community Care Behavioral Health in Piscataway, NJ. Kotkin works with the Bergen County Division on Disability Services in Hackensack, NJ as a Personal Assistance Services Program (PASP) coordinator. The couple resides in East Brunswick, NJ. Michelle Masi ’02 and Adam Lerner ’04 were married on August 2, 2008. Michelle is employed by the Plainfield Board of Education as a sixth grade special education teacher and Adam is a captain in the United States Air Force.
Ari Daniel Rabinowitz ’02 and Beth Rachel Sanders announced their engagement. An August wedding is planned in Ventnor, NJ. Rabinowitz is employed at Universal Tape and Supply in Somers Point, NJ. Jordan J. Shea ’02 was promoted to commercial loan officer at TD Bank.
Megan Callahan ’03 directed "Far Away" by Caryl Churchill as part of Buffalo's 2009 Infringement Festival: Art Under the Radar and "Deathtrap" at Lost Nation Theater in Vermont. She also choreographed "Mark Twain's A Murder, a Mystery and a Marriage: A Musical Melodrama," which is an American comedia de'll arte piece.
Andrew Christopher Ruoti ’03 and Kerri Kathleen Wright were married in June. Ruoti is a teacher at Orange-Ulster Board of Cooperative Educational Services in Goshen, NY.
Christina Tullo ’03, from Belleville was given an honorable mention award in the 15th annual Center Awards for her photography work “Seeking Asylum.” To view her award-winning work, go to http:// www.visitcenter.org/newsite/ gallery.php?artist=christina_tullo.
Cheryl Botsolas ‘04 and Christopher Botsolas announced the birth of their daughter, Laurence "Laurie" Jane Botsolas, born on May 18 at 3:53 p.m. She weighed 7 lbs. and measured 20 inches. She was named after her grandfather who passed away unexpectedly six weeks before her birth.
Jacqueline Candura ’04 and James Bates ’08 will marry July 17, 2010 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ.
Elyss Frenkel ’04 campaigned for a seat on the Fair Lawn Borough Council. She is serving her 13th year as a member of the Board of Education, two years as vice president and two as president. Frenkel teaches Business at Elmwood Park High School and operates a small business with her husband in Fair Lawn, NJ.
William Hannis ’04 and Megan Schwind ’06 announced their engagement. An October wedding is planned. Schwind teaches kindergarten. Hannis is a fourth grade teacher and a baseball coach. Both teach in Summit, NJ.
Ronna Killins ’04 and Dexter Butters ’04 were married on August 2, 2009. The couple honeymooned in Cabo, San Lucas. Killins is a producer at Fox News Channel and Butters is a pharmaceutical representative for Astrazeneca. The couple resides in New Brunswick, NJ.
Gavin H. Millard ’04 and Margaret Kelleher were married December 5, 2009 in Pluckemin, NJ. Millard is a paralegal at a law firm in Somerville, NJ. Kevin Sebastian Pertusiello ’04 performed the role of Sir John Melvil in Centenary Stage's production of “The Clandestine Marriage” in Hackettstown, NJ. Pertusiello’s performance was praised by theater critics of the The StarLedger The Daily Record and Recorder Community Newspapers.
David Roesch ’04 joined Parker & Partners Marketing Resources of Absecon, NJ as a graphic designer. Roesch is working towards his master’s in Public Relations at Rowan University and has his own freelance business, EM Creative Studio.
Jaclyn King ’05 and Jeffrey Sutton ’05 will marry on October 17, 2010 at the Twin Brooks Country Club in Watchung, NJ and will honeymoon in Aruba. Sutton is an allied healthcare recruiter at Onward Healthcare in Livingston and King is a teacher at Marlboro Montessori Academy, both in NJ.
Evelyn Magioros ’05 gave birth to Jonas Andre on July 3, 2009.
Ryan Mulligan ’05 was appointed to web content publisher at Entravision Communications. He has worked on a variety of web sites for independent films, actors, directors and small corporations.
Andrea Schwartz ’05 and Steven Kochik were married at the Bethwood in Totowa, NJ. Schwartz has a master’s from St. Thomas Aquinas and is a math teacher at Fair Lawn High School in Fair Lawn, NJ.
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Class notes Jessica Erin and Landon Ross Swaim ’05 announced their engagement. Swaim is a cost effectiveness reviewer with Solix Inc.
Josh A. Epstein ’06 a former captain of the baseball team who went on to play in the Israel Baseball League, joined the staff at TutaPoint.com, an online tutoring service. He is responsible for business development. Epstein also is assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the baseball program at Ramapo College.
Jolaine Graz ’06 and Brian Moreland announced their engagement. An October 2010 wedding is planned. Graz works at Dimensional Merchandising Inc. as a research and development chemist. The couple resides in Green Township, NJ.
Obie Hill ’06 and Siquina Anthony ‘09 were married on June 6, 2009 at Cornerstone Christian Church inWyckoff. The ceremony was performed by Tim VanDuyne ’89. They celebrated their first wedding anniversary with their daughter Ksena who was born in March 2010.
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Katherine G. McGee ’06, pictured with her fiancé, graduated from Pace Law School in August 2009. McGee is assistant director of Student Development and coordinator of the Women’s Center at Ramapo College.
Amy Mulhearn ’06 and Paul Hildebrand exchanged marriage vows in a private ceremony at Bethlehem Church in Randolph, NJ. Mulhearn is a licensed practical nurse and is enrolled in the Registered Nurse Program at County College of Morris.
Suzanne Antreassian ’07 and Sean Murphy announced their engagement. An August 2010 wedding is planned. Antreassian is studying for her master's in Occupational Therapy at Dominican College. She is a telemetry unit representative at St. Clare's Hospital in Denville, NJ.
Elizabeth Bartel ’07 is taking part in a new artist-in-residency program in downtown Davenport, IA and currently has her art work in a studio there. The program attracts top-tier art students in the nation to live in the downtown area and publicly display their works.
Tricia Cordasco ’07 and James Maka announced their engagement. Cordasco is employed as a coach at Rockaway Gymnastics.
Katherine Prtorich ’06 is working on her master’s in Counseling at the Madison, NJ campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University. She is employed by ShopRite of Newton, NJ as a pharmacy technician.
Diane Sroka ’06 and Vincent Michael Cooper ’06 were married in July 2009. Sroka is a graphic designer with Skyline New Jersey; Vincent is a financial adviser with Merrill Lynch.
Ronald Waldt ’06 and Elizabeth Moltzen were married on October 31, 2009 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Montvale, NJ. Waldt is a police officer in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. The couple resides in Montvale, NJ.
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Peter S. Kowalcyk, Jr. ’07 is a flight school student officer in the U.S. Navy. He is stationed in Pensacola, FL.
Julie Ann Kulinski ’07 was awarded a doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
Katelyn Mulligan ’07 graduated from Northeastern University in Boston with a master of Science degree. She is a document publisher in the regulatory department at BristolMyers Squibb in Lawrenceville, NJ.
Eric Popleik ’07 was sworn in as a Westfield, NJ police officer and is assigned to the Patrol Division. Popleik also volunteers as a rescue diver with the Point Pleasant Beach Rescue Squad.
Krista Rieder ’07 and Michael Provost ’08 announced their engagement. Rieder is an eighth grade social studies teacher at Macopin Middle School and coaches the freshman field hockey team in West Milford. Provost is finishing his master’s in business at Seton Hall University. The couple is planning a 2011 wedding.
Anthony Dovi ’05 and Gina Sallustio ’07 announced their engagement. Sallustio is employed by Hackensack University Medical Center as a pediatric nurse. Dovi received his master’s from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. He is employed as an admissions counselor at Ramapo College. Melissa Torra ’07 joined Beckerman, one of the largest independent public relations firms in the industry as an account executive. She handles clients in the financial and real estate sectors, including New Jersey-based commercial and multifamily real estate owners and developers. She was previously employed at G.S Schwartz & Co. Inc., a Manhattan-based public relations firm.
Brittany Lauren Davis ’08 announced her engagement to Michael Fixler. The proposal took place at the Haverstraw Marina overlooking the Hudson River. Davis is a graphic designer at an advertising agency. An October 2010 wedding is planned.
Amy Vander Fliet ’08 and Brian Delpriora were married in June 2009 on Long Beach Island, NJ. Vander Fliet is a chemistry teacher at Mahwah High School.
Erin Gorski ’08 was featured as the Innovator of the Year 2009 in the May 2009 edition of Alternative Press Magazine for her work with the Vans Warped Tour Eco Initiative. Vans Warped Tour is the world's largest youth-oriented music tour. Started in 2005, the Eco Initiative includes a recycling program at each of the tour’s 46 concert dates, solar powered stages, volunteer and non-profit coordination and biodiesel fueling of tour transportation.
Michael Adam Henzel ’08 and Taylor Barrett Pauley were married on August 8, 2009 at Lake Valhalla Club in Montville, NJ. Henzel is completing a master’s in Educational Leadership at the College of Saint Elizabeth. He is a technology coordinator for the Paterson, NJ school district. The couple resides in Hawthorne, NJ. Lindsay Kotula ’08 was promoted to staff level II accountant at WithumSmith+Brown, Certified Public Accountants and Consultants in Red Bank, NJ. Kotula is a member of the New Jersey Society of CPAs Honor Society.
Jessie Losch ’08 landed a part in a film, “Converse.” Before receiving the role, Losch worked as a preschool teacher. She spent last summer studying Shakespeare and classical acting in Oxford, England. She speaks fluent Spanish, has performed orations on the street corners of Manhattan’s Washington Square Park and carries around a notebook full of monologues she loves.
Kyle Mastropole ’08 was sworn in as the newest member of the Waldwick Police Department. This past August he completed a semester at New York Law School before being offered a position with the borough. Mastropole graduated from the Bergen County Police Academy.
Rebecca Milstein Shoyer ’08 earned a master’s from Rutgers University of Social Work. She graduated with a 4.0 grade point average. She is a licensed social worker at Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Cherry Hill, NJ.
Chariklia (Clairie) Vassiliadis ’08 is an assistant professor of Mathematics at Middlesex County College. Vassiliadis was named Woman of the Year by the Pan Cyprian Association. She holds a master’s in Applied Mathematics from NJIT and a master’s in Educational Technology from Ramapo College. Vassiliadis also is a founding member of the New Jersey Cypriot Association and a board member of a Pan Cyprian dance group.
Navy Seaman John T. Wessels ’08 completed U.S. Navy basic training at the Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, IL. The eight-week program included classroom study, practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival and shipboard and aircraft safety.
Susan Braccini ’09 married Mark DiRoma in December. The bride received her bachelor’s from Elon University and her master’s from Ramapo College. She is a special education teacher in Passaic County, NJ.
Jennifer Lynn Caprio ’09 and Thomas Patrick Capstick announced their engagement with an October 2010 wedding planned. Caprio graduated from Johnson & Wales University, Providence, RI with an Associate in Science degree in Culinary Arts and is pursuing an Optometry degree at SUNY College of Optometry, NY.
Mary C. Criscitiello ’09 joined R&J Public Relations LLC as an account coordinator.
Sandra V. Gonzalez ’09 was promoted to commercial portfolio loan officer at TD Bank.
Renee Grant ’09 is housing coordinator at Rowan University. She is pursuing her master’s in Higher Education Administration.
Brian M. Knorr ’09 married Rebecca Rivera on August 1, 2009. He is pursuing a doctorate degree in Physics at Lehigh University.
James Robinson ’09 and Kimberly Reynolds announced their engagement. An October 2010 wedding is planned. Robinson is pursuing a master’s degree in Education from William Paterson University, NJ. Darren J. Templeton ’09 is enrolled in an MBA program at Rutgers University in Newark, NJ. Templeton established Push to Walk, a business that provides one-on-one personalized exercise workouts for people with spinal injuries located in a 3,500 square foot facility in Riverdale, NJ.
Save The Dates | October 1 and 2 Spotlight on the Classes of 1985, 2000 & 2005
The Alumni Association is pleased to host an alumni reunion for the classes of 1985, 2000 and 2005 in conjunction with the annual SGAorganized Octoberfest on October 1 and 2. Celebrate the fifth, tenth and twenty-fifth anniversary of your Ramapo College graduation at this annual festive event. Highlights include a concert in the Bradley Arena Friday evening, men’s soccer and women’s field hockey games on Saturday, all afternoon carnival fun with games, a hayride, inflatables and other family-friendly activities, faculty lectures and campus tours. There will be a special reception for alumni from the classes of 1985, 2000 and 2005 Saturday evening. Those interested in serving on an organizing committee, attending or receiving additional information may contact Purvi Parekh, purvi@ramapo.edu or 201.684.7115. www.ramapo.edu
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Award of merit
Veterinarian Anthony J. DeCarlo ‘77 Receives President’s Award of Merit
At this year’s Commencement ceremony President Peter P. Mercer presented Dr. Anthony J. DeCarlo ’77 with the President’s Award of Merit. DeCarlo majored in Biology at Ramapo College and received a veterinariae medicinae doctoris degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1982. DeCarlo is the co-founder and co-owner of Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, one of the country’s premier privately-owned veterinary hospitals, located in Tinton Falls, New Jersey. The hospital was founded, along with Dr. Thomas Trotter, in 1986 on three principles that remain the guiding philosophy today: provide the best veterinary medicine and customer service, do what is in the best interest of the patient and client and give employees the tools they need to excel in their work. DeCarlo’s management practices and guiding philosophy enabled him to turn a two-doctor practice
into a unique and highly successful veterinary healthcare network of hospitals. Early in his career, DeCarlo was a pioneer in performing MRIs on small animals. He believed in making 24-hour emergency care available to pet owners and later became instrumental in expanding the availability of specialty services. Today, he has assembled one of the most comprehensive groups of veterinary specialists available to pet owners in a single location. His vision, philosophy and commitment to providing pet owners with medical options led to a further expansion of referral services to include 24-hour emergency and specialty care hospitals in Cherry Hill, Hillsborough and Linwood and a physical rehabilitation and medical boarding facility in Red Bank. The hospital is a proud supporter of many local charities, which aim to improve the lives of both
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animals and children. Personally, DeCarlo is active in the veterinary community and serves as president of the New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association and as a trustee for The Seeing Eye. He is a member of the Ronald McDonald Cancer Camp Executive Board and is also a proud volunteer and supporter of the Ronald McDonald Cancer Camp for Children and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monmouth County. For the past 20 years, he spends one week each summer as a volunteer counselor. Dr. Anthony J. DeCarlo '77
Ramapo Athletics Department Honors Senior Student Athletes
The Ramapo College Athletic Department honored its 54 senior student athletes on Sunday, April 25 at the Bill Bradley Sports and Recreation Center. The students are:
Cross Country and Track & Field: Brittany Stedler, Janel Stedler, Annalise Tracey, Gabrielle Tracey, Jon Lindenauer, Michael O’Hara, Kyle Price, Jake Stass, Jessica Horne, Patrick Sullivan, and Tim Thorne. Field Hockey: Mackenzie Cahill, Amanda Mavrakes, Erin Quigley, and Megan Tierney. Women’s Soccer: Jamie Andersen, Ashley Armstrong, Mallory Cornett, Jessica DaRold, Jessica Horne, Arielle Leva, and Margaret Sciarretta. Men’s Soccer: Matt Fleissner, Ian Tighe, and Justin Stone. Women’s Tennis: Kristine Austria and Alison Tukel. Men’s Tennis: Matthew Soos. Women’s Volleyball: Michele McKenna and Kaitlin Smith. Cheerleading: Brittaney Mangieri. Dance: Christina Bock, Carly Garie, Chelsea Goldstein, Alyssa Perri, and Lyndsay Smokowski. Women’s Basketball: Mallory Cornett. Men’s Basketball: Andre Kenny. 34
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The Ramapo College Athletics Department congratulated and honored its senior student athletes on Sunday, April 25 at the Bill Bradley Sports and Recreation Center.
Women’s Swimming: Jordan Chiavaro. Men’s Swimming: Peter Polgar. Men’s Volleyball: Kurt Backland, Elvis Cabrera, and Matt Scott. Women’s Lacrosse: Angela Belotta, Jourdan Chiavaro, Cassandra Hartline, and Megan Tierney.
Softball: Katie Donnelly. Baseball: Joey Cacchiola, Justin Donnarumma, Antonio Imbimbo, John McGuckin, Dan Mulligan, Mike Murano, Mark Ruggiero, Matt Scarber, and Pete Sita.
Baseball Team Adopts Child Through Friends of Jaclyn
This past spring, the Ramapo College Baseball Team adopted a child through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation and took on the responsibility of giving support and friendship to a young child battling a pediatric brain tumor. On January 31 at the Bill Bradley Sports and Recreation Center, the Roadrunners officially adopted Evan Hurwitz, an 8-year-old from Oakland, NJ, as their newest member.
Friends of Jaclyn is all about love, support, and friendship and that is exactly what the Roadrunners showed Evan, his mother Erika, father Brian, siblings Alyssa and Sam, and many friends and family that joined in the fun that evening. The team cheered for Evan and his family as they entered a room filled with Evan's favorite things: Disney, the color yellow, chocolate chip chunky cookies, pizza, and the New York Yankees. The team presented Evan with his “certificate of adoption” along with his official Roadrunner uniform. Coach Rich Martin and three Roadrunners capped off the special ceremony by singing "Swinging on a Star" while wearing top hats and mule, pig, and fish costumes, a tribute to Evan’s love of the theater. Rocky the Roadrunner surprised the children during dinner and posed for photos.
Michael J. Ricciardi, 1957-2010
The Ramapo College community was heartbroken at the passing in March of a dear friend and colleague, Michael J. Ricciardi. Mike became acting athletics director in July 2005 and was named athletics director in November 2006. He spent more than 28 years at Ramapo in many different leadership capacities.
He joined the Ramapo staff in 1983 as equipment and business manager. He served as the assistant women’s basketball coach and assistant and associate athletics director. Active in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, Mike was the conference women’s volleyball chair and also served terms as the league’s men’s soccer and baseball sport chairs.
He was the founder and commissioner of the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association and was a national leader in the sport of men’s volleyball. Mike’s pioneering efforts in the sport recently culminated in an announcement by the NCAA that a Division III men’s volleyball
Photo Courtesy of Brian Reilly '10
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Evan Hurwitz became an honorary member of the Ramapo College Baseball Team in January.
Nationally, more than 80 children with the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation have been adopted by teams at high schools and colleges. Jaclyn Murphy, now 15, was the organization’s inspiration. In 2004 she was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a malignant tumor; in 2005 she was adopted as an honorary member of the Northwestern University women’s lacrosse team. The Wildcats went on that year to record a perfect season, and then their first national championship in 64 years. Evan and his family attended every home game in the Spring and traveled to Florida in March to watch the Roadrunners open the 2010 season in Winter Haven. Throughout the season Evan and the team shared love, support, and encouragement that they plan to continue for years to come.
For more information on Evan, visit: www. caringbridge.org/visit/evanhurwitz/mystory For more information on the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, visit www.friendsofjaclyn.com
national championship will be implemented by the organization in 2012.
Stedler and Lindenauer Named Scholar Athletes of the Year
Seniors Janel Stedler and Jon Lindenauer, both of the Ramapo cross-country and track and field teams, were honored for holding the highest grade point average of all senior student-athletes. Stedler graduated in May with a bachelor's degree in Business Marketing after attending Ramapo on a Presidential scholarship. During her time at the College she was named to the college's Dean's List, the New Jersey Athletic Conference All-Academic Team, the Athletic Director’s All-Academic First Team, and the USTFCCA All-Academic Team. Stedler received the Student Leaders and Service Awards, and earned Alpha Lambda Delta honors in her freshman year. She was named to the Chi Alpha Sigma and the Delta Mu Delta Honors Societies, as well as the Golden Key Honors Society. She was named to Who’s Who and was a member of 1-Step. Stedler served as the President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and graduated holding a 3.912 grade point average. Lindenauer, our male scholar athlete, was a member of the Literature Club and a member of Catholics at Ramapo United. During her collegiate career, he earned USTFCCA AllAcademic Team honors and Dean’s List honors. He was named to the New Jersey Athletic Conference All-Academic Team and the Athletic Director’s AllAcademic First Team. He graduated in May with a bachelor's degree in Communications. The captain of the track and field team, Lindenauer accumulated a 3.785 grade point average. Associate Athletics Director and Academic Advisor for Student Athletes Kathleen Finnegan presented the award for “Female Scholar Athlete of the Year” to Janel Stedtler ‘10.
During Mike’s tenure, the athletics department grew from spon- President Peter P. Mercer Athletics Director Michael soring just five sports and Ricciardi '79 celebrated to the current 22. His Ramapo’s 40th Founders’ Day commitment to plac- in November 2009. ing academics before athletics helped make possible the steady increase in the student athlete graduation rate.
Associate Athletics Director and Academic Advisor for Student Athletes Kathleen Finnegan presented the award for “Male Scholar Athlete of the Year” to Jonathan Lindenauer ‘10.
A 1979 graduate of Ramapo College with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Metropolitan Studies, he later received his master’s degree in Human Resource Management from New Jersey Institute of Technology in 1996.
Ricciardi is survived by his wife Anna Marie, and their two children Michael Jr. and Christina.
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Datebook August 19
Immediate Decision Day
Immediate Decision Day allows students who are interested in attending Ramapo to apply and receive an immediate decision on their application. This year Ramapo’s Admissions Office will be offering students the opportunity to attend an Immediate Decision Day that is designed to maximize their interaction with faculty from the student’s particular area of interest. To be considered for a seat in our Immediate Decision Day Program, a student should be in the top 20% of their high school class with a critical reading and math SAT score of 1150 or greater or an ACT composite of 24 or greater, and a grade point average of 3.3 or higher. For information, and to see if you qualify for attendance, contact the Office of Admissions at 201.684.7300.
September 1 - October 8
Varian Fry, ASSIGNMENT: RESCUE, 1940-1941
A traveling exhibition from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum will be displayed at the College’s art galleries. The exhibition tells the story of an unlikely hero from Ridgewood, New Jersey who became the Varian Fry in Marseilles, France first American, and one of only 1940-1941 three, to be designated “Right-Annette Fry eous Among the Nations” by Yad Vashem, Israel’s national Holocaust memorial.
All programs and events associated with the exhibition are free and open to the public. For schedule details, call the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at 201.684.7409.
September 26
THE CENTER FOR INNOVATIVE & PROFESSIONAL LEARNING October 16
Performing Arts Dinner Series Presents Christine Ebersole
8 p.m. performance in the Sharp Theater at the Angelica and Russ Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts
Enjoy a gourmet dinner with an artists’ dessert following the performance. Join us for an evening with Christine Ebersole! Ms. Ebersole won the 2007 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her work in "Grey Gardens." She won the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Drama League Award and the Outstanding Performance of the Year Award. She also received a special citation from the New York Drama Critics' Circle and the Obie for her off-Broadway performance in "Grey Gardens.” In 2001 she won a Tony Award as Best Actress in a musical for the “42nd Street” revival and in 2003 she was Tony-nominated as Best Actress in a feature role for the “Dinner at Eight” revival.
"The kind of performance that comes along once in a decade and will be talked about for decades." - Variety
For information and reservations contact Liz Kloak at 201.684.6834.
October 16
Admissions Open House
Ramapo welcomes students and families to visit us at Open House, which provides a wonderful opportunity to tour Ramapo’s campus, speak with faculty and learn more about what Ramapo College has to offer potential students. For information contact the Office of Admissions at 201.684.7300.
December 12
Admissions Open House
Ramapo welcomes students and families to visit us at Open House, which provides a wonderful opportunity to tour Ramapo’s campus, speak with faculty and learn more about what Ramapo College has to offer potential students. For information contact the Office of Admissions at 201.684.7300.
Performing Arts Dinner Series Presents Eileen Ivers
7 p.m. performance in the Sharp Theater at the Angelica and Russ Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts
Enjoy a gourmet dinner with an artists’ dessert following the performance. Join us for an evening with Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul! Fiddler Eileen Ivers has established herself as the pre-eminent exponent of the Irish fiddle in the world today. It is a rare and select grade of spectacular artists whose work is so boldly imaginative and clearly virtuosic that it alters the medium. It has been said that the task September 29 Dedication of the Fifth Floor of of respectfully exploring the traditions and progression of the Celtic fiddle is quite literally on Eileen Ivers' shoulders. the Anisfield School of Business Ivers' recording credits include more than 80 contemporary and traditional albums and numerous movie scores. Eileen Featuring keynote address by Paul is hailed as one of the great innovators and pioneers in the Krugman, Nobel Prize winner, NY Times columnist, professor of Econom- Celtic and World music genres. ics at Princeton University and author. "She electrifies the crowd with a dazzling show of virtuoso playing," says The Irish Times. 4 p.m. The dedication will take place on the fifth floor of the Anisfield School of Business, followed by the keynote For information and reservations contact Liz Kloak at address in the Sharp Theater, in the Angelica and Russ 201.684.6834. Berrie Center for Performing and Visual Arts. For information contact Kara Brennan at 201.684.7254. 36
Ramapo magazine
www.ramapo.edu
August 1
Applications Due: Fall Certificate Programs
Applications to any of Ramapo’s Certificate Programs are requested by August 1 for students wishing to begin their coursework in the Fall semester. Please visit www. ramapo.edu/cipl to download the appropriate application.
The Certificate Programs offered are: • Business Essentials Certificate • Chemistry Teacher Certification • Middle School Certification (for elementary education teachers) • Yoga Studies Certificate • Yoga Teacher Certification • Web Development Certificate (Online) COMING SOON! CERTIFICATION FOR BIOLOGY TEACHERS
Center for Innovative & Professional Learning (A-233) Ramapo College of New Jersey 201.684.7370, cipl@ramapo.edu
September 10
Nursing Contact Hour Programs
Monthly Fall Programs Begin in September, Room ASB-422
Ramapo College of New Jersey is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the New Jersey State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. P 233-4/08-11. Please visit http:// www.ramapo.edu/cipl/nursing to download the registration form for the Fall semester contact hour workshops; first registration deadline is September 10.
For questions related to nursing programs, please contact: Margaret J. Greene, associate professor of Nursing Ramapo College of New Jersey Phone: 201.684.7206, mgreene1@ramapo.edu
September 14, 21 & 16, 23
Retirement Planning Today Workshop
6:30-9:30 p.m., B-224 Retirement Planning Today workshops are hosted by the Center for Innovative and Professional Learning on two consecutive Tuesdays and two consecutive Thursdays in September. Attendees choose to attend either two Tuesdays, September 14 and 21 or two Thursdays, September 16 and 23. To download the registration form, visit www.ramapo.edu/cipl/retirement.html or call the Center for Innovative and Professional Learning at 201.684.7370.
September/October
SAT Preparation
6-9 p.m., Sundays during Fall semester First class is 9/12/10 Ramapo College of New Jersey has partnered with Lentz & Lentz SAT Prep to offer a PSAT-SAT preparation course on campus in Fall 2010. Instruction is provided by Lentz & Lentz SAT Prep. Tuition: $420. Class sessions will be held in the Academic Complex at Ramapo College, Room B-224. To inquire or register, call 1-800-866-7287 (SATS) or visit www.lentzsatprep.com. For additional information, you may also e-mail: info@lentzsatprep.com
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED 505 Ramapo Valley Road Mahwah, NJ 07430-1680
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New Jersey’s Public Liberal Arts College
52ND COMMENCEMENT 2010
U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, who received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree, was the keynote speaker. He told students their excellent education and hard work will take them far in life.
a Ramapo education had uniquely prepared them to handle the challenges ahead. “Thoughtful solutions will emerge from thoughtful people,” Mercer said. “People who have learned to look at problems from many perspectives and analyze them critically.”
Adding to the 52nd Commencement celebration, President Mercer presented the President’s Award of Merit to Anthony J. DeCarlo ’77, VMD, who graduated with a bachelor’s of science degree in Biology from Ramapo and is co-founder and co-owner of Red Bank Veterinary Hospital.
(L-R): Immediate past Chairman of the Ramapo College Board of Trustees The Reverend Dr. Vernon C. Walton, Board of Trustees member W. Peter McBride, Chairman of the Board of Trustees A.J. Sabath ‘93, Board of Trustees member Thomas Zelante, Esq., U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, Alumni Association President Jonathan N. Marcus, Esq. 93, President Peter P. Mercer, Chairman of the Ramapo College Foundation Board of Governors Robert Tillsley, President’s Award of Merit recipient Dr. Anthony J. DeCarlo ‘77, Student Trustee Matthew Letinski ’10 and Board of Trustees member Gail P. Brady Photo Courtesy of Jeff Rhode
The largest graduating class in the history of Ramapo College participated in Commencement ceremonies on May 14. Surrounded by family, friends, faculty and staff, the 1,437 members of the Class of 2010 marched beneath the College Arch on their way to collect their diplomas. The symbolic procession beneath the Arch completes a journey students began on their first day on campus, when they walked beneath the arch, shook the hand of President Peter P. Mercer, and began their undergraduate career at Ramapo College.
Stephan Sarosh Dalal, the Class of 2010 representative, spoke of the sacrifices made by the graduates and their families to gain knowledge.
Ramapo College President Peter P. Mercer said that despite the economic downturn, Keynote speaker U.S. Senator Robert Menendez addressed the 2010 graduating class. Senator Menendez received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws.
(L-R): Marlene Botros ‘10, Danielle McCartan ‘10, Thomas Ng ‘10, Christine Mockert ‘10, AmandaRae Black ‘10 and Melissa Savarese ‘10 were all smiles after receiving their hard-earned degrees.
Jason Santoianni ‘10 posed for a photo with his family following the Commencement ceremony.