VOLUME 17 | NUMBER 2 Summer 2015
CROSSROADS
For alumni of Sage College of Albany, the Sage Graduate Schools and the former Junior College of Albany and Sage Evening College
SAGE READY TO BE. KNOW. DO. MORE Centennial Campaign for Sage Closes in on $50 Million Goal! >>> Page 2
Alumni Weekend Photos
Golf Standout Joins NYSGA Staff and MORE Alumni News
Career Planning and Alumni Relations Partner to Help Grads Get MORE from Their Careers
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DEAN’S MESSAGE
JOANNE CURRAN, PH.D.
CROSSROADS Published by The Sage Colleges Office of Communications & PR
Dear Friends, As I write, we are preparing for the 2015-2016 academic year and The Sage Colleges’ Centennial Celebration in 2016. I hope you will make it a point to visit, participate in special events and talk up the college during this time! Students this year were enthusiastic about supporting Sage into the future. The classes of 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 donated $25,000 to the $50 million Centennial Campaign for Sage to bring “hydration stations” for refilling water bottles to campus. The filling stations will make the campus more user friendly — as will the addition of several banks of lockers in a number of buildings for commuter students.
director of communications & marketing Shannon Ballard Gorman SGS ’13 editor Elizabeth Gallagher art director Sarah Statham SGS ’08 contributing writers Deanna Cohen Elizabeth Gallagher
Sage College of Albany received a major donation to fund diversity initiatives and a scholarship program for SCA students. I’m also thrilled to report that we’ve received a large grant from New York state to support underrepresented students in the sciences.
contributing photographers Tamara Hansen Matt Milless Kris Qua Allan Stern
Sage College of Albany and the graduate schools continue to grow. We had 70 more graduates this year than last, and our student body grows more diverse as well.
graphic designer Simona Bortis-Schultz/figure8
Students selected Pamela Ko, J.D., associate professor in the School of Management, as Faculty Member of the Year. We said farewell to Professor Harold Lohner from Art + Design. He was looking great at graduation, ready to move on to another adventure. Professors of Psychology Sybillyn Jennings, Ph.D., and Susan Cloninger, Ph.D., are leaving after a combined 75 years of service to the college. We wish them all a happy retirement. On a sadder note, Cheryl MacNeil, Ph.D., a longtime faculty member in Occupational Therapy, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.
the sage colleges office of communications & pr 65 1st Street Troy, NY 12180 Tel: (518) 244-2246 Fax: (518) 244-2398 E-mail: crossroads@sage.edu
Once again Sage’s athletics program held its own in the Skyline Division. The Gators earned 15 awards including two Player of the Year and two Defensive Player of the Year honors. Kai Deans ’15 became Sage’s first All American after leading the men’s basketball team to Skyline regular season and tournament championships. Deans broke Sage’s record for points in a game (33) and season (468). Soccer’s Gus Trinidad ’15 earned his third Skyline First Team award and leaves Sage as the Gator’s career scoring and assists leader. Men’s Basketball Coach Brian Barnes and Women’s Soccer Coach Andrew Gamarra were named Coach of the Year in their sports. Barnes went on to garner ECAC Metro and NABC Regional Coach of the Year accolades for leading the Gators to their best season in program history (23-5) and first NCAA tournament. Eleven of Sage’s 15 teams garnered post-season berths, including women’s volleyball, which won the Skyline regular season and conference tournament. Our students serve our local community and stand for social justice. The StudentAthlete Advisory Committee, led by women’s soccer player Teagan Waddingham ’15, participated in fundraising and awareness events including Walk a Mile in Her Shoes and Toys for Tots and collected items for Adopt a Family, clothing drives and school supplies drives. Members of the Scholars Program volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and Khidr Joseph ’17, Mirka Soler ’16 and Dale Carhart ’17 traveled to Africa this summer with the Crossroads Africa service program. The Sage motto “To Be, To Know, To Do” describes us well. The Dean’s Summer Reading Program is thriving. We read Warren St. John’s Outcasts United this summer, about a refugee soccer team and its coach. The book addresses challenges for immigrants to the United States and their new communities. We hope to sponsor a number of events associated with the book over the next year – including a visit from the author on October 2. You are invited to participate, and we’d love to see you. I hope you remember Sage fondly. Sincerely,
“To Be, To Know, To Do” Sage’s motto for nearly 100 years Sage founded in Troy, 1916; in Albany since 1949
Mission Statement
The mission and purpose of The Sage Colleges is to provide the individual student with the opportunity and means to develop and advance personally and professionally, and thus to be successful in achieving life goals; to contribute to the larger society a group of diverse, thoughtful and competent citizenleaders who continue to be engaged in the pursuit of lifelong learning; and to translate learning into action and application, recognizing the obligation of educated persons to lead and to serve their communities.
About the Cover
Alumni and students celebrated the kickoff of the $50 million Centennial Campaign for Sage this spring (middle). So far, gifts to the campaign have supported upgrades in Esteves Science Hall, bottle-filling stations, and improvements to the Armory at Sage including artificial turf in the drill shed for athletics teams to train on (top); and technology in the Art & Design Technology Center and the Armory’s George Alden Trust classroom (bottom).
PRESIDENT’S PAGE
SUSAN C. SCRIMSHAW, PH.D.
Alumni and students, faculty and staff, elected officials and community members celebrated on March 5, when President Susan Scrimshaw announced that Sage is closing in on its goal to raise $50 million by its centennial in 2016. She made the announcement during a party to kick off the public phase of the Centennial Campaign for Sage. Turn the page to read MORE>>>
At Commencement
President Scrimshaw with commencement speaker Nancy Sothern Mueller RSC ’65, founder of Nancy’s Specialty Foods; Tip Simons, chair, The Sage Colleges Board of Trustees; David Alan Miller, music director and conductor, Albany Symphony Orchestra; and Madeline Ruether Kennedy, fundraiser for Lou Gehrig’s Disease research and former nursing professor. Sage awarded degrees to 797 graduates and honorary degrees to Mueller, Miller and Kennedy at its 98th commencement on May 16.
In the News
President Scrimshaw delivered the keynote address to the Medical Anthropology Society of Switzerland in Basel, Switzerland, on June 4.
View photos and watch the archived webcast at Sage.edu/commencement.
On Campus
President Scrimshaw has been named co-chair of the Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education, an initiative of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. In March, she led the Forum’s meeting on “Nursing and Midwifery Investment and Enterprise.”
President Scrimshaw, Athletics Director Dani Drews, Head Men’s Basketball Coach Brian Barnes and assistant coaches with Sage’s men’s basketball team, after the team won its first Skyline Conference Men’s Basketball Championship in February. CROSSROADS Summer 2015
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ADVANCING SAGE
CENTENNIAL 2016
“Through early leadership gifts to the Centennial Campaign for Sage, we have already been able to accomplish some crucial improvements on the eve of our second century. We have increased Sage’s endowment by 30 percent with gifts that support academic scholarships and programs. We have been able to make improvements to campus facilities including the Esteves School of Education – which is named after our lead donor and former board chair, Donna Esteves. Other projects that have already benefited from this campaign include labs in Esteves Science Hall in Albany, the School of Health Sciences’ Simulation Center, the Armory at Sage and new campus garden spaces.”– President Scrimshaw
SAGE READY TO BE. KNOW. DO. MORE The Centennial Campaign for Sage raised more than $40 million toward its $50 million goal since the campaign’s “quiet phase” began in 2011, said President Scrimshaw to a jubilant crowd gathered to kick off the public phase of the campaign in March. By May, nearly $42 million had been raised.
Sage Raises MORE than $40 Million Toward Goal of $50 Million by 2016
The Centennial Campaign for Sage will support scholarships, academic programs, facility renovations and upgrades, and an endowment for faculty and campus needs. In fact, during the quiet phase, gifts to support scholarships and academic programs have helped increase the endowment by more than 30 percent. A lecture series has been established at the Esteves School of Education and improvements have been made to campus facilities including the Armory at Sage, Esteves Science Hall and Froman Hall, the site of the M & T Bank Stock Market Trading Simulation Center opening this fall.
Learn MORE at Centennial.Sage.edu
DID YOU KNOW? Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage started Russell Sage College in 1916 with a gift of $500,000. $500,000 in 1916 has a value today of almost $11 million.
Project Jumpstart (2000) raised $14.5 million.
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$17.3 million
Students & Scholars (1994) raised $17.3 million.
$14.5 million
Previous Capital Campaigns:
1994
ADVANCING SAGE
CENTENNIAL 2016
Allan Stern and Sarah and Frank Slingerland at the public announcement of the Centennial Campaign for Sage. Freddie’s student lounge at Sage College of Albany is named in honor of Frank Slingerland’s mother, Fredericka Voorhaar Slingerland. His brother, Don Slingerland, is a member of the Junior College of Albany’s Class of 1975.
Rachel Pombo [M.S., School of Management, 2011] and Past President of the Alumni Association Kristen Hanlon [MBA, School of Management, 2004].
Elected officials including Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino (pictured) and New York State Assemblyman John McDonald, III attended the celebration. Jimino’s two daughters are Sage graduates.
Associate Professor of Management Eileen Brownell, Trustee Carrie Hillenbrandt and Dean of the School of Management Kimberly Fredericks, Ph.D., MPH, RD.
Dashawn Alderman SCA ’18, Trustee Donna Esteves, Mirka Soler SCA ’16, President Scrimshaw and Hayley Quinn SCA ’16. Esteves gave $10 million – the largest gift to Sage, ever – during the campaign’s silent phase, positioning the Centennial Campaign to become the most successful fundraising effort in Sage’s history. The students represented student government at the celebration. Student government contributed $25,000 to the campaign for capital improvements on campus including “hydration stations” for filling water bottles. CROSSROADS Summer 2015
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ACADEMIC NEWS
SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT Kim Fredericks Named Dean of the School of Management Kim Fredericks, Ph.D., MPH, RD, has been named dean of Sage’s School of Management. Fredericks had been an associate dean, associate professor and graduate chair in the School of Management for the past four years. She has been instrumental in many initiatives within the school, most recently Sage in Saratoga (see article on page 5) and Startup Grind, a global community of startups with a presence in Albany. Fredericks’ scholarly work focuses on social network analysis and evaluation within the public and nonprofit health care sectors. She has been a consultant for entities including the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation, the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, OMG Center for Learning, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Center for Creative Leadership, the American Evaluation Association and the Missouri Institute of Mental Health. Her work has appeared in journals including New Directions for Evaluation, the American Journal of Evaluation, the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, and the International Review of Public Administration. Fredericks holds a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition from Russell Sage College [1992] and a master’s degree and doctorate in Public Administration from the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College.
SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES Theresa Hand Named Dean of the School of Health Sciences Professor of Occupational Therapy Theresa Hand, OTD, OTR/L, CHT, has been named dean of Sage’s School of Health Sciences. She joined the faculty in 1993 as a clinical instructor in the Occupational Therapy program and was promoted to assistant professor in 1998 and associate professor in 2011. She became chair of the Occupational Therapy program in 2008 and added the program director role in 2010. She has also held leadership positions
in health care organizations. A Certified Hand Therapist, she was a member of the Evidence Based Practice subcommittee for the American Society of Hand Therapists and an item writer for the Certified Hand Therapy Exam. Hand completed a bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of New Hampshire, a master’s degree in Health Services Administration at Sage [1997] and an O.T.D. at Creighton University.
Remembering Cheryl MacNeil Cheryl MacNeil, Ph.D., associate professor of occupational therapy, died peacefully in Vienna, Austria, on April 24. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 and had traveled to Vienna to seek alternative treatment with support from Sage students, faculty, staff and friends. “She provided an example to all of us of courage and persistence,” said President Scrimshaw. A committed researcher herself, MacNeil inspired students to pursue their own interests and taught skills to design and implement research ideas in courses including Research Methods for the Health Professions and Research Seminars I and II. Many of her students received research awards and a team of students recently presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association national conference.
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MacNeil collaborated with colleagues within Occupational Therapy and across disciplines. She and Theresa Hand wrote a curricular evaluation published in the fall 2014 edition of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy and presented at the national educational summit for the profession. MacNeil and Professor of Psychology Patricia O’Connor, Ph.D., created a Drug Free Community Coalition mentor program with grant support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. She was active on various governance committees and the Institutional Review Board at Sage, and known regionally and nationally for her work supporting the mental health peer support and recovery community.
A memorial service was held at Sage on May 7. “Cheryl asked that people tell stories,” said Barbara Thompson, OTD, LCSW, OTR/L, professor of occupational therapy. “She knew that stories unite communities, and her final wish was that we remember her within the fabric of her multiple and interconnected communities.”
ACADEMIC NEWS
FACULTY ACCOLADES SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
MORE at Sage.edu/spotlight
New! “Sage in Saratoga” MBA Program
Women’s Views: The Narrative Stereograph in Nineteenth-Century America by Melody Davis, Ph.D., assistant professor of art, will be published this fall by the University of New Hampshire Press. This social history analyzes narrative stereoviews and their primary audience, middle-class American women at the end of the 19th century. Davis argues that narrative stereos bridged domestic settings and the public world; through various gendered stereotypes, power dynamics, comical situations, and scenes of serious and playful innuendo, narrative stereos allowed women to navigate social, sexual and economic changes.
The School of Management will begin offering a Master of Business Administration program in Saratoga County this fall. Two classes will be offered, one night a week at Hudson Valley Community College’s TEC-SMART facility in Malta, New York. The location – approximately 25 miles from Sage’s campuses in Troy and Albany – is in a busy technology park and is convenient to professionals who work in the tech park, or pass it on their commute. “Sage in Saratoga is ideal for anyone who is looking for a condensed program, but prefers a classroom environment to an online option,” said Kimberly Fredericks, Ph.D., MPH, RD, dean of Sage’s School of Management. The professional MBA program is designed to develop leaders for high-level positions within complex organizations. The program is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). Sage in Saratoga is the latest of several graduate and continuing education programs that Sage offers off campus. The Esteves School of Education offers a doctorate in Educational Leadership at an extension site in New York City and the School of Health Sciences offers an RN to BSN program at Glens Falls Hospital. More Sage graduate and undergraduate programs will be offered at TEC-SMART in the future, said Fredericks.
A Author, Illustrator and Sage Professor Matthew McElligott Presents to Elementary Students
Francesca Durand, Ph.D., assistant professor of educational leadership at the Esteves School of Education, coauthored two papers that were presented at the American Educational Research Association annual meeting in Chicago in April: “The Role of Proactive and Adaptive Leadership in the Adoption and Implementation of Two Major Policy Innovations” and “Cradle-toCareer Education Initiatives: Understanding the Policy Process from Policy Advocacy to Policy Formation.” Tracy McLeod, Ph.D., assistant professor of special education at the Esteves School of Education, and graduate student Karley French presented “Utilizing an Action Research Approach to Explore and Implement Behavior Management in Inclusive Classrooms” at the American Educational Research Association annual meeting in Chicago in April.
RETIRING FACULTY Sage saluted retiring members of the faculty and administration at the end of the academic year. The honorees included: Susan Cloninger, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology, 36 years Nancy DeKorp, Ed.D. Assistant Professor, Education, 11 years Connell Frazer, Ph.D. Director of Special Projects, 29 years Esther Haskvitz, PT, Ph.D., ATC Dean, School of Health Sciences, 11 years Author, Illustrator and Professor of Graphic + Media Design Matthew McElligott – pictured with students at Craig Elementary School in Niskayuna, New York – frequently visits schools to talk about books, art, writing and the creative process. Nearly a quarter million copies of his award-winning children’s books – including Even Aliens Need Snacks, Even Monsters Need Haircuts, the Benjamin Franklinstein series and the new Mad Scientist Academy: The Dinosaur Disaster – have been published in six languages on five continents. In early 2015 he visited schools throughout New York state and as far away as Arkansas.
Sybillyn Jennings, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology, 39 years Harold Lohner Professor of Art, 33 years
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ALUMNI NEWS
Hello Sage Alumni, New alumni from the Class of 2015, welcome to your alumni association! We’re glad to have you join us. This summer and fall find us just a few months away from Sage’s 100th anniversary in 2016. There is lots to celebrate during this landmark in our school’s existence. This also marks the end of my two-year term as president of the alumni association. I’m thrilled to have taken part in the growth of the association, and to work with so many talented and dedicated individuals whose mission is to show the world how great Sage is. As an alumni association, our goal is to deliver this message to our alums, especially those who haven’t been with us for a while. So much has changed – we’ve reached new heights and are positioned for even more. It’s truly been a great time to be involved with Sage. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity and I look forward to the leadership of the next association president, Mike Markou [M.S., School of Management, 2010].
Paul Hook JCA ’86, Alumni Association President
As always, I invite you to sign up for your alumni card at Sage.edu/alumni/card, so that you can take advantage of the many programs available to the Sage family. Stop by and check out the school. Come back to your campus. See the great changes that have been made. And don’t be surprised at all if you get a chill of campus pride. In fact, you should expect it. Paul Hook President, Alumni Association
Connect with the Alumni Association Facebook.com/pages/Sage-Alumni-Association/37070697296898
Twitter.com/SageAlbanyAlum
Update your contact information at Sage.edu/alumni: Select your school from the menu on the left, then select “Update Info.” We use this information to send invitations to alumni events in your area and news from the college (Many invitations are sent electronically, so please include your email address.) To share personal or professional news in class notes, please write to crossroads@sage.edu.
ALUMNI WEEEKEND 2015
ALUMNI ART SHOW Forty-five alumni artists were featured in “Alma Mater” at the Little Gallery. The show ran throughout April, with a special reception on Alumni Weekend.
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ALUMNI WEEEKEND 2015
SAGE SIPS Nearly 200 alumni and special guests attended Sage Sips art, wine and food celebration in the Armory.
TOURING CAMPUS Alumni visited the Opalka Gallery for the 37th annual Photo Regional.
ALUMNI BASKETBALL GAME Alumni basketball players and fans returned for their annual basketball game.
See more photos from the weekend at Sage.edu/alumni/albany/alumni_scrapbook CROSSROADS Summer 2015
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DOING MORE
CARMEN DUNCAN
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR LEADS NONPROFIT
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armen Duncan, MSW, SCA ’08 is the founder and CEO of Mission Accomplished Transition Services, an organization that supports young men and women, ages 1324, as they set personal and professional goals and grow into adulthood. Mission Accomplished became a legal entity in 2012, but Duncan began building it at Sage, when she conducted a community needs assessment as a class project. “Executive coaching is common for CEOs, but there wasn’t something comparable for young adults,” she said, describing Mission Accomplished as a supplement to academic advising and guidance counseling. She was also driven by a challenging personal experience: Duncan faced homelessness as a teenager and knows how transformational a support network beyond school and family can be. “People saw potential in me, beginning with my parents and case worker at Equinox,” she said. “Now nurturing potential in young professionals is my mission. For teenagers and young adults from all economic backgrounds, it is motivating when someone besides teachers and parents take an interest in you.” After graduating from Sage with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Duncan earned a Master of Social Work at the
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University at Albany and a certificate in nonprofit management and leadership at UAlbany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy. She worked in the community service field in the Capital District during and after graduate school while also building support for Mission Accomplished. When she formally established the organization in 2012, it depended on volunteer leadership. Today, Mission Accomplished has full- and parttime staff as well as interns during the school year, and Duncan is committed to hiring two more part-time positions by the end of the year. More than 350 young people have participated in its group and individual coaching programs and workshops that address concerns from study skills and job performance to building healthy, respectful friendships and romantic relationships. Teens and young adults from all backgrounds participate and scholarships are available. In the past year, Duncan and Mission Accomplished began working with students enrolled in an entrepreneurial thinking and social action program at a local private school, and administered the Albany County District Attorney’s restorative justice program for teenagers. It is called Project Growth, and it places young offenders
in paid, supported employment as an alternative to incarceration. The young people use their wages to pay restitution, and may keep their income once that responsibility is met. “Project Growth coalesced with our mission to support teens and young adults,” said Duncan. “It combines work, accountability, and building relationships with professionals who care. It is a perfect match.” In addition to running Mission Accomplished, Duncan is an adjunct professor at UAlbany’s School of Social Welfare and a research assistant for the National Foster Youth Action Network. She is a fellow of the New Leaders Council; a member of the New York State Office of Child and Family Services Runaway and Homeless Youth Advisory Board and the Albany County Department of Probation Juvenile Community Accountability Board; and former chair of the Sponsorship and Scholarship Committee of the Capital District YMCA Black and Latino Achievers Program Advisory Board. Learn more at matransitionservices.org.
DOING MORE
ZACH SULLIVAN
GATOR JOINS STAFF AT NYS GOLF ASSOCIATION
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usiness grad and former Gator golf team captain Zach Sullivan SCA ’14 recently joined the staff of the New York State Golf Association, where he’ll work on member recruitment – both individuals and clubs – as well as help run the association’s 11 amateur championships and several series events throughout the state. He previously worked at Van Schaick Island Country Club in Cohoes, New York, with mentor and former Sage coach Luke Scala, the club’s head golf pro. “I felt like what I was doing at the course impacted people’s lives whether it was just saying hello and helping members get their bags to their golf carts, helping
kids learn the game in junior camps, and when we would run adult camps and I would see someone’s face light up after they hit the first good golf shot of their life,” said Sullivan. He also organized and ran tournaments, which helped him stand out for the opportunity at NYSGA. Sullivan began playing golf in high school but took a year off when he started college at a large state school that didn’t have a golf team. “I was itching to play competitive golf again,” he said, and a friend at Sage encouraged him to check out opportunities with the Gators. After transferring, Sullivan became the most-decorated golfer in Sage’s history, earning four Skyline Conference All-Star awards as well as
recognition for sportsmanship and academic achievement. With his Sage degree in hand, Sullivan is preparing for another big exam. The United States Golf Association – which administers U.S. Open events – requires its officials to attain a 92 or higher on a 100-question exam every four years. Sullivan is preparing to take the exam for the first time this summer, in the hope of qualifying to officiate at USGA events throughout the country. “You can learn so many valuable life lessons while playing this game,” said Sullivan, citing etiquette, integrity and a commitment to continuous improvement as examples. “I love that you aren’t necessarily playing against a person or team, but against yourself and the course. Not many sports are like that. If you can master your mind and the course, you will succeed.”
Athletics Involvement Makes MORE of Sage Experience Sullivan played four seasons of golf with the Gators – and one season of volleyball, in his senior year, when the men’s team was short a few players and his roommate convinced him to try out. “I not only made the team but was a regular player in the lineup. It was one of the most enjoyable seasons that I ever had.” “Being involved with athletics meant everything to me while in school,” he continued. “I had a full course load, worked part time, and had practice or competition almost every day. I learned how to organize myself to maximize my efficiency. As team captain, I was responsible for getting the most out of myself and my teammates. These leadership skills are very useful today because I am responsible for running tournaments by myself. I must lead volunteers to make sure the event runs smoothly.” He hopes current students will take Sage’s Centennial year tagline – Be. Know. Do. MORE – to heart. “Do MORE!” he said. “Extra activities really made my college experience awesome.”
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DOING MORE
NICOLE HOLEHAN
Q&A WITH AWARD-WINNING TEACHER How have you seen lives change through health education? I have students email me from college to tell me about choices that they made because they knew I would be proud of them! I have had students quit using drugs and seek therapy for eating disorders, selfinjurious behaviors, anxiety or depression.
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icole Holehan [M.S., Esteves School of Education, 2006] graduated from college with a degree in Biology and the intention to become a physician assistant. In the interim she accepted a position as a substitute teacher – and it changed the course of her career. “Within a few months, I made so many connections with the kids. I loved teaching and being able to inspire, motivate and help guide students like so many of my teachers had done.” Now a teacher for 11 years – she just finished her eighth year as a health teacher at Shenendehowa Central Schools – the Sage alumna and adjunct professor was named 2014’s Health Education Teacher of the Year by the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. In an interview for the Spotlight column on Sage.edu, she shared her strategies for helping high school students succeed and acknowledged the Sage professors that inspired her.
How do you help students apply what they learn in your classroom to their daily lives? I teach skills-based Health Education in accordance with New York state and national standards and the New York State
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Health Education Guidance document. We also have to incorporate literacy strategies into our curriculum. I teach five periods of Health a day to students in grades 1012 with varying abilities, home lives and learning styles. Each student connects with the curriculum differently. I use a lot of strategies in my classroom that coincide with college and career readiness skills. My students use online learning platforms in both blended learning and flipped classroom structures. They learn how to be self-directed learners in a teacher facilitated, studentcentered learning environment. As for my assessments, I usually allow my students to choose information in their lives that coincide with the unit being taught. The students then have to apply the skill being taught to how choices that they make will affect their future. For example, in the nutrition unit, how their food choices and exercise impact their motivation, health, medical insurance, etc. I turn whatever lesson I can into a game. It doesn’t matter if you are teaching kindergarteners or seniors, you say the word “game,” everyone turns into kids! I get to see the fun, goofy side of my students. Some teachers can never say that. One of our board members brought an article to a board meeting about “leaving room for the fun.” I never forgot that article and it is so true.
I tell my students, “You can do anything … but not without your health.” Most of them understand that, but I worry about the students who don’t. Good health starts at home. For those students who don’t have families that value their health, it is challenging to get them to understand its importance. Health Education in our state isn’t taken as seriously as it should be. Students can’t be expected to be the best at learning if their bodies are always ready for a nap from lack of proper nutrition and exercise, drug abuse, not enough sleep or constant distress. In the private sector, most companies have a staff wellness program because healthy employees make a more productive environment, use less sick time and are more motivated to succeed. We need student wellness plans implemented across New York state. Instead, it seems that more testing requirements are being implemented. Health Education doesn’t even have a director in the New York State Education Department. I am thrilled to have a small part in making New York’s students the healthiest versions of themselves.
How did your Sage education prepare you for your career? I learned all of the teaching methodologies at Sage. Health Education Professors John Pelizza, Ph.D., and Nancy DeKorp, Ed.D., were amazing and offered different perspectives. Professor Pelizza taught me how to connect with and inspire my students. Professor DeKorp taught me the essentials of writing lesson plans and learning experiences. Both prepared me well. I am now an adjunct professor at Sage and hope to have this impact on the candidates that I teach. This interview has been edited and condensed. To read it in its entirety, please visit Sage.edu/spotlight/holehan-award.
CLASS NOTES
Frances Callahan [Sage Evening College, 1996] and Mike Markou [M.S., School of Management, 2010], pictured with President Scrimshaw, were honored during Alumni Weekend. Frances, a realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, Blake Realtors; past president of the Alumni Association; and a Rotarian and a volunteer with Umbrella of the Capital District, received the Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumnus award. Mike, vice president of the Alumni Association and dean of students at Bryant & Stratton College, received the Outstanding Young Alumnus award. Nikki DeMagistris SCA ’11 [MAT, Esteves School of Education, 2012] owns Sip Paint and Create, and led mini art classes at Sage Sips. Visit Sippaintandcreate.com to learn about hosting your own painting party.
under 40 by the Albany Business Review. She is a human resources professional at Stewart’s Shops. Project D: Classified, a sci-fi horror feature starring Jeff Kirkendall JCA ’88, premiered at the Madison Theater in Albany on June 27. Also premiering on the same bill: The Hunt, a suspense short written and directed by Jeff. The event was mentioned in Albany newspapers the Times Union and Metroland and on local news broadcasts. Mike McGeown-Walker [M.S., Forensic Psychology, 2011] worked as a case manager at a federal residential re-entry facility before attending law school at the University of Massachusetts School of Law. He was selected for an internship with the Michigan Innocence Clinic through the University of Michigan during the summer.
John DeVito [MBA, School of Management, 1996] was named senior vice president and team leader of government banking at First Niagara. He will lead a team of municipal banking relationship managers across the bank’s multi-state footprint. John has more than 22 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has been with First Niagara for three years.
Jennifer Kercull [M.S., School of Management, 2009] has been named one of the Capital Region’s 40 leaders
commemorating the bicentennial of Washington Park at the Albany Institute of History & Art. Since graduating from JCA, Gina has taken classes toward her BFA at Sage. She works at Albany Medical Center, in Health Information Systems as an Enterprise document management analyst.
Gina Verrelli JCA ’89 was among the alumni who participated in the Alma Mater 2015 art show at the Little Gallery in April. Her entry was an acrylic seascape called Summer Day; it was inspired by her sister Angela, who encouraged Gina to pursue art and who passed away from Lou Gehrig’s disease shortly after Gina completed it in 2014. Gina’s landscapes have been included in several shows sponsored by the Colonie Arts League and the Arts Center of the Capital Region and her photos were included in an exhibit
Senior Nutritionist for Price Chopper/Golub Corporation Ellie Wilson, R.D. [M.S., Esteves School of Education, 2002] (right), received Sage’s Outstanding Dietetic Preceptor award at the 2015 Nutrition Lecture presented by CDPHP. The dietetic internship relies on local dietitians who volunteer as mentors, said Associate Professor Keri McComb, M.S., R.D., CDN (left). “Ellie Wilson has consistently mentored our interns over the past 10 years giving them exceptional community and management experiences … In all aspects of dietetics from practice to public policy, her collective expertise is unparalleled.”
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CAMPUS SPOTLIGHT
CAREER SERVICES
HELPING SAGE GRADS GET MORE FROM THEIR CAREERS “Preparing leaders who represent Sage through the world of work is important to me” Meet Marah Jacobson-Schulte, Director of Career Planning
Director Marah Jacobson-Schulte describes the Career Planning office as a resource for every stage of a person’s working life. She – and assistant directors Shatoya Michel and Amanda Shaw – meet with prospective and enrolled students who have questions about job outlooks in various fields; speak to business, health care, creative services and education leaders with positions they hope to fill with Sage grads; host a slate of events from business etiquette workshops to networking receptions; and conduct mock interviews, review résumés and advise job hunters ranging from an undergraduate seeking an internship to an alumnus seeking an office position after running his own business. In each of these instances, a strong partnership between Career Planning and Alumni Relations will increase the value of Sage’s assistance. Jacobson-Schulte described a recent meeting with a Health Sciences major who wants to go to
graduate school eventually and is looking for guidance about what type of positions to pursue in the meantime. While online resources are a great place to start, they can’t provide the nuanced information that a person who has “been there” can, said Jacobson-Schulte. Thanks to Sage’s supportive alumni community, she can connect the young woman with a Sage graduate who can answer the industryspecific questions the undergrad is weighing. Alumni volunteers help Career Planning do MORE, and alumni frequently seek counsel from Career Planning as well – its services are available free of charge. “I’ve worked with many, many alumni who are changing careers as well as people who have been laid off or are re-entering the workforce,” she said. “Typically, these alumni have an amazing network and I help them tap into that. I can also help them to articulate how their wealth of experience in one field applies to a new career.”
“Preparing leaders who represent Sage through the world of work is important to me,” said Marah Jacobson-Schulte, new director of the Office of Career Planning. She joined Sage in November 2014 after serving as director of Experiential Learning and Community Engagement at the College of Saint Benedict and St. John’s University in central Minnesota. “I’ve always had one foot on campus and one in the community,” she said of building partnerships that enrich higher education. She is particularly eager to collaborate with Alumni Relations in order to extend the reach of both offices. “Joint initiatives will help alumni who want to reconnect with Sage to do so in a meaningful way; offer online and in-person networking opportunities for alumni who are seeking employees for a position and alumni who are job hunting; and benefit students, who are eager to meet and learn from alumni.” PHOTO: Ashley Bell-Bryington, pursuing a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy in the School of Health Sciences, consults with Career Planning Director Marah Jacobson-Schulte.
CONNECT with CAREER SERVICES 1 Visit Sage.edu/resources/career_ planning and register with Sage’s Professional Network. After you register on SAGElink, you’ll be able to scan available positions, post openings at your company and network with fellow alumni. Career Planning and Alumni Relations also hope you’ll consider joining “ProNet,” and volunteering as a career mentor. This may entail speaking at a workshop or occasionally fielding questions about your career path or industry from students and alumni via email or phone.
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CROSSROADS Summer 2015
2 While you’re at Sage.edu/resources/ career_planning, explore its array of online resources, from resume formatting guides to links to job boards, job fairs and professional associations.
3 Make an appointment to speak
with one of Sage’s career counselors – in person, on the phone or over email or Skype.
4 Stay in touch with Career Planning! “We’re not a once and done shop. There’s almost always a reason for us to follow up with each other,” said Director Marah
Jacobson-Schulte. “Whether you connect with us as an employer, a volunteer or a job seeker, you’ll come away energized!”
Recent Graduates: Please Respond to the Graduate Placement Survey! Career Planning surveys new Sage graduates at regular intervals – answers are confidential and used in the aggregate to help Sage identify trends, better serve students and alumni and comply with reporting requirements from government and accrediting organizations. Thank you for participating!
CAMPUS SPOTLIGHT
INTERIOR DESIGN/ATHLETICS
INTERIOR DESIGN COLLABORATES WITH OPALKA GALLERY TO PRESENT ART OF VIDEO GAME DESIGN “I knew this show would present design challenges,” said Opalka Gallery Director Elizabeth Greenberg, who reached out to Assistant Professor of Interior Design Janice Medina in late 2013 to talk about space planning for “From Concept to Console: Art and Aesthetics in Video Game Design,” opening on September 1. Medina immediately thought of her Contract Design II class, in which students complete a project for a non-residential space. Exhibit design would be an engaging departure from more typical restaurant and retail projects, said Medina. Greenberg, who is curating the show with adjunct art professor Ed Ticson, said her intent is to present game design as fine art. Despite gaming’s digital associations, she wanted to limit the use of monitors and she was concerned about finding elegant framing options on a budget. “I wanted something well-designed, but not overly designed,” she said. “Other than that, I didn’t give too many parameters. We were still planning the exhibit itself when this project was assigned to the students.” Robert Brisson SCA ’15, who worked on the project with Jessica Dorsett SCA ’15, Kimberly Houle SCA ’15 and Lacy O’Brien SCA ’15, described the initial brainstorming sessions as akin to playing an action game: “As designers, our minds are moving at a million miles a minute,” he said. “Initially, we were coming up with dramatic and complicated concepts,
but as we talked more with Elizabeth, we came to the conclusion that a simple approach would serve the artwork better.” In addition to regular meetings with Greenberg, the students worked with the Art + Design Technology Center on campus, which helped them visualize how to present work usually experienced as an electronic file. They also used the Technology Center to create a floor plan and a scale model of the Opalka Gallery – complete with moveable interior parts – that was used to plan the Regis Brodie and Mike Glier exhibits last season, and will assist in exhibit design in the future. The student-designers’ proposal to Greenberg included a “traffic flow” for visitors; graphic walls, framing options and lighting concepts; and fabricated pixels intended to make visitors feel as if they have entered a game-world. While the final exhibit design reflects input from a professional, Greenberg said the
students’ work will help make the show a success. “The best exhibit design pushes the curatorial vision forward,” she said. “Their ideas blew me away, and helped me to visualize the show in a way I hadn’t before.” “From Concept to Console” will include iterations of work from early drafts through final in-game imagery from Machinarium (Amanita Design, Czech Republic); Skylanders SWAP Force (Vicarious Visions, Albany, New York); The Dream Machine (Cockroach, Inc., Sweden); The Unfinished Swan (Giant Sparrow, Santa Monica, California); Transistor (Supergiant Games, San Jose, California); and Tengami (Nyamyam, United Kingdom), among others. PHOTO: Trustee Chet Opalka, President Susan Scrimshaw, Professor Janice Medina, Lacy O’Brien SCA ’15, Jessica Dorsett SCA ’15, Robert Brisson SCA ’15 and Kimberly Houle SCA ’15.
NYS ASSEMBLY HONORS MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM State Assemblyman John T. McDonald III invited Sage’s Skyline Championship-winning men’s basketball team to the New York State Capitol on May 20, where he introduced the team on the legislature floor and presented a resolution recognizing the Gators’ achievements. The team – undefeated at home in Kahl Campus Center this season – won the Skyline conference title and a spot in the NCAA Division III tournament in February. Coach Brian Barnes and forward Kai Deans ’15 received multiple honors from the Skyline Conference, ECAC, D3Hoops.com and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Deans set records this year for most points in a game (33) and most points in a season (468). He closed his career with 826 points in two seasons as a Gator. Follow the fall teams at Sagegators.com CROSSROADS Summer 2015
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THE $50 MILLION CENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN FOR SAGE is an ambitious fundraising campaign to take Sage into its second century. Centennial Campaign gifts of any amount support academic programs, facility renovations and upgrades, and an endowment for faculty and campus needs.
Thank you for helping Sage Be. Know. Do. MORE
Centennial.sage.edu
A special opportunity is available during the Centennial Campaign for Sage:
A personalized 12” x 12” Centennial brick will honor donors who make a $500 gift, and a personalized 4” x 7” marble tile will honor donors who make a $1,000 gift. The bricks and tiles will be featured prominently outside of Kahl Campus Center on the Sage College of Albany campus and on Ferry Street Plaza on the Russell Sage College campus. Centennial.sage.edu/bricks-and-tiles Office of Institutional Advancement 65 1st Street, Troy, N.Y. 12180 (800) 898-8452