College Happenings September 2025

Henry P. Becton College of Nursing and Allied Health

Information sessions on a variety of nursing and allied health programs will be held via Zoom through December.

Information sessions on the new and soon-to-be launched BS in respiratory therapy program were likewise held over the summer.

For inquiries email CONAH@fdu.edu.

Maxwell Becton College of Liberal Arts and Education

Constitution Day Lecture

Constitution Day clipart with flag and CapitolFDU is celebrating its 21st Constitution Day event with a lecture on “Who Is a Citizen?” by Chris Rasmussen, history (Metro), on Wednesday, September 17, from 2:30 to 4 p.m., in the Auditorium of the Metropolitan Campus Library and via Zoom.

The free event is open only to members of the FDU community. It is being cosponsored by the social sciences, history and criminal justice department and the FDU Library. Registration is necessary for those attending via Zoom. For information contact Jessie Ribustello, office administrator/circulation assistant, Metropolitan Campus Library, at ribustel@fdu.edu.

Fall Theater Offerings

Art, communication, and media will stage two comedies this fall that embrace the theme of individuality and being true to one’s heart: “You Can’t Take It With You” by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart and “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare. Both will be performed at the Dreyfuss Theater, Dreyfuss Building, Florham Campus.

At the heart of “You Can’t Take It With You” is the eccentric Sycamore family, whose home is filled with fireworks, snakes and a refusal to follow convention. When Alice Sycamore falls in love with Tony Kirby, the son of a wealthy, strait-laced family, their worlds hilariously collide. It will be staged from Friday, October 3, through Sunday, October 5. Performance times are 7:30 p.m. on Friday and on Saturday; and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.

It is directed by Lauren Shields, BA’18 (Flor), Becton College (Flor); with set design by John Ehrenberg, theater production manager (Flor); lighting design by David Landau, film (Flor); and costume design by Susanne Houstle, Becton College (Flor) and set/costume designer for stage/film.

Shakespeare’s most popular comedy, “Much Ado About Nothing,” includes two intertwined but different stories of romantic love. The production is being presented as part of the THEA3358 Acting Shakespeare course, and will feature a different cast for each performance. It will be performed from Friday, November 21, through Sunday, November 23. Performance times are 7:30 p.m. on Friday with the opening cast; 2:30 p.m. with the opening cast and 7:30 p.m. with the closing cast on Saturday; and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday with the closing cast.

Patrick Polsin, theater (Flor), will direct the production, with lighting design by David Landau, film (Flor).

Ticket prices for both performances are $15 for the general public, $10 senior citizens 65+ and $5 FDU community and students. It is highly recommended that tickets be purchased online in advance because performances sell out quickly. When available, a limited number of tickets may be sold at the door. For information go to FDU Theater Season. 

Writing Workshops

The Metro Writing Studio is holding free events this semester — writing workshops via Zoom and in-person ESL Casual Conversations.

Upcoming virtual workshops to be led by faculty/staff members (all Metro), will include:

  • “Essential Spoken English for International Students”
    Paul Caruso, professional tutor, Metro Writing Studio
    Wednesday, October 8, 6–7:30 p.m.; Thursday, November 6, 6–7:30 p.m.
  • “Introduction to MLA 9th Edition”
    Yelena Shekhtman, Becton College, and tutor, Metro Writing Studio
    Thursday, October 9, 10–11:30 a.m.
  • “Basic Grammar”
    Rochelle Moskowitz, Becton College
    Thursday, October 9, 1:30–3 p.m.; Thursday, October 23, 1:30–3 p.m.
  • “Introduction to APA Format”
    Danielle DesFosses, associate director, Programs in English for Academic and Professional Success, and tutor, Metro Writing Studio
    Thursday, October 9, 6–7:30 p.m.; Tuesday, November 4, 6–7:30 p.m.
  • “Advanced APA Format”
    Helen Kuttner, Becton College, and tutor, Metro Writing Studio
    Wednesday, October 15, 4–5:30 p.m.; Wednesday, November 12, 4–5:30 p.m.
  • “Accessible Tutoring Strategies”
    Kathleen Lyons, rhetoric/composition and assistant director, University writing program
    Monday, October 20, 3–4 p.m.
  • “Creating the Works-cited List”
    Yelena Shekhtman, Becton College, and tutor, Metro Writing Studio
    Thursday, November 6, 10–11:30 a.m.

In-person workshops on “ESL Casual Conversations in English,” led by Rochelle Moskowitz, will be held on Thursday, November 6, and on Thursday, November 13, from 1:30 to 3 p.m., at the Metro Writing Studio, Second Floor, Metropolitan Campus Library.

Participants should log on to the Zoom meeting 10 minutes before the presentation times.

For information and Zoom links go to Metro Writing Studio, call 201-692-2166 or email Julia Wagner, rhetoric/composition, and director, Metro Writing Studio (Metro), at jawagner@fdu.edu.

Gregory H. Olsen College of Engineering and Science

In celebration of National Chemistry week, the department of biochemistry, chemistry and physics and the Hudson-Bergen Chemical Society is hosting a lecture on “AIE Materials — Using Phenazine Derivatives” by Viktorija Miseljic, PhD candidate, chemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn., and FDU alumna (BS’21 [Metro]).

The free lecture will be held on Thursday, October 16, in Room 4468, Dickinson Hall, at the Metropolitan Campus. The event starts at 5 p.m. with pizza and refreshments, with the lecture following at 5:30 p.m.

RSVP is necessary by Sunday, October 5. To RSVP and for information, contact Mihaela Leonida, chemistry and preprofessional studies/graduate school adviser, at mleonida@fdu.edu, or Ish Kumar, physics, at ikumar@fdu.edu (both Metro).

College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Graduate Open Houses, Information Session

Virtual open houses for the Master of Public Health (MPH) program and virtual information sessions for the Master of Social Work (MSW) program will be held this fall. The events will include program overviews and Q&A sessions with faculty.

Registration is necessary. For information contact Tracy Templin, executive director for admissions/enrollment operations, pharmacy/health sciences (Flor), at tracyt@fdu.edu.

Save the Date

The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences will be holding its fall open house on Saturday, November 15, from 9 a.m. to noon, at 230 Park Avenue, Florham Park, N.J.

For inquiries contact Tracy Templin, executive director for admissions/enrollment operations, pharmacy/health sciences (Flor), at tracyt@fdu.edu.

Silberman College of Business

Hall of Fame Gala

Silberman College will hold its annual Hall of Fame Gala, which honors accomplished alumni and benefactors, on Friday, October 17, at the Florham Campus. The cocktail reception will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Stern Portico, Hennessy Hall, with dinner following in Lenfell Hall, Hennessy Hall.

4 honorees

From left are honorees Leonard Green, Sarah Hassan, Clinton Lewis, Jr. and Arleen Paladino.

This year’s honorees are Sarah Hassan, BS’09, MBA’10 (Flor), fund manager, Dynagrow Capital, Boca Raton, Fla.; Clinton Lewis, Jr., MBA’94 (Metro), chief executive officer and member, board of directors, AgroFresh Solutions, Philadelphia, Pa.; Arleen Paladino, MBA’84 (Flor), chief financial officer, Crum & Forster, Morristown, N.J.; and Leonard Green, chairman/founder, The Green Group, Woodbridge, N.J., and adjunct faculty member, Babson College, Wellesley Hills, Mass., who is this year’s recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The cost to attend is: $650 per person ($500 tax deductible) and $250 ($100 tax deductible) for young alumni (classes of 2020–2025) with a five-ticket limit. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Proceeds will fund student scholarships and academic programming in Silberman College.

Attire for the event is cocktail, and valet parking is available. RSVP is necessary by Monday, October 6. For information go to Silberman College Hall of Fame Gala or email Mary Sakin, assistant dean, corporate engagement/student success, Silberman College (Flor), at sakinm@fdu.edu.

Public Affairs Lecture Series

The School of Public and Global Affairs is sponsoring the fall 2025 Public Affairs Lecture Series (PALS), which will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Mondays at the Bickford Theatre at Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, N.J.

  • “Managing Risk in the Age of Agentic Economy — Blockchain/Crypto, AI, Quantum and Much More …” on September 15, with Merav Ozair, financial technology/analytics, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C., and global emerging technologies expert;
  • “An Uncertain European Future: War, Economic Competitiveness and the Future of Alliances,” on September 29, with Heather Conley, senior adviser, Evenflow Macro LLC, Arlington, Va.;
  • “Powershift, the Gulf Countries, the United States and the New Middle Eastern Order” on October 6, with Steven Cook, senior fellow, Council on Foreign Relations, Washington, D.C.;
  • “What Does Criminal Justice Reform Now Mean for the U.S. Supreme Court and America in the Fall of 2025?” on October 13, with Douglas Berman, Newton D. Baker-Baker & Hostetler chair in law; executive director, Drug Enforcement and Policy Center, Moritz School of Law, Ohio State University;
  • “A World Without Rising Powers: How Population Decline and Economic Stagnation are Ending an Era of Global Upheaval — and Bringing New Threats” on October 20, with Michael Beckley, director of Asia program, Foreign Policy Research Institute, Philadelphia, Pa., and political science, Tufts University, Medford, Mass.;
  • “Can the Public Rely on Polling to Accurately Predict the Outcomes of the U.S. Elections,” on October 27, with Daniel Cassino, government/politics and executive director, FDU Poll (Flor);
  • “Death with Dignity: The Status of Medically Assisted Dying in New Jersey and Other States” on November 3, with Paul Armstrong, retired judge of the New Jersey Superior Court, and senior health administration fellow/judge in residence, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.;
  • “Issues and Challenges Facing New Jersey’s Next Governor” on November 10, with Benjamin Dworkin, director, Rowan Institute for Public Policy and Citizenship, Glassboro, N.J.; and
  • “Advances in Career Research: Innovative Cancer Immunotherapies” on November 17, with Andrea Schietinger, Catherine and Frederick R. Adler Chair for Junior Faculty, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, N.Y.C.

Subscriptions to the series are available for $120 at Public Affairs Lecture Series. Those interested should fill out a subscription application and submit it with the payment electronically or by mail (check [made payable to FDU] to Donna Sadowski, senior coordinator for off-campus programs, School of Public and Global Affairs, FDU, 1000 River Road, H-DH2-13, Teaneck, N.J. 07666. Walk-ins may check-in at the Bickford Theatre front desk and be put on the waiting list. A walk-in fee of $20 will be charged. Walk-ins will be admitted 10 minutes before the lecture starts. For information call 201-692-7171, email palsboard2025@gmail.com or go to Public Affairs Lecture Series 2025.

4th SNAS Conference to Be Held

Silberman College of Business is hosting the Fourth Society of North American Scholars (SNAS) Interdisciplinary Research Conference on “Technology and Humanity,” which will explore the emergence of data-driven technologies and their profound impact on human development. The day-long conference will be held on Friday, October 10, in Hennessy Hall at the Florham Campus.

This year’s keynote speaker is FDU Trustee Micheline Nader, bestselling author, healthcare entrepreneur and philanthropist, who will speak about “LEAP Beyond AI: Reinventing Leadership and Human Intelligence.” Benjamin Rifkin, humanities and University provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, will deliver the opening remarks.

James Almeida, entrepreneurship (Flor) and dean, Silberman College, will be one of the panelists at a discussion on “The Integration of AI into Higher Ed Curriculum.” Other panelists include Oya Tukel, dean, Martin Tuchman School of Management, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.; and Nawal Ammar, dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Rowan University, Glassboro, N.J.

Omer Topaloglu, marketing and chair, marketing/management/entrepreneurship (Metro), is the general chair for the conference committee. For more information go to SNAS Interdisciplinary Research Conference.

Graduate Open Houses

The School of Public and Global Affairs will be joining the Idealist Grad Fair on Tuesday, September 30, from 5 to 8 p.m., at the Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W 18th Street, N.Y.C. The fair has been connecting prospective students to the most innovative social-impact graduate programs worldwide since 2004.

The school will also hold open houses for the Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) degree, Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree with specialization in healthcare management and Certificate in Healthcare Management. They will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the following dates and locations:

  • Thursday, September 18, Cafeteria, Clara Maass Medical Center, 1 Clara Maass Drive, Belleville, N.J.;
  • Tuesday, September 23, Cafeteria, 4 Valley Health Plaza, Paramus, N.J.; and
  • Thursday, September 25, Holy Name Administrative Offices, 3 University Plaza Drive, Hackensack, N.J.

For information email Christina Costa, MHA program manager (Metro), at c.costa1@fdu.edu. She will be at the college fair and open houses to answer questions and assist prospective students with their applications.

Faculty Colloquia

The School of Public and Global Affairs is hosting monthly Faculty Colloquia via Zoom — on select Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. EST — on a variety of topics.

Upcoming colloquia are “New Jersey’s Off-Off Year Bye Election,” with Jon Corzine, former New Jersey governor and U.S. senator; Jon Bramnick, New Jersey senator representing 21st Legislative District; and Daniel Cassino, government/politics and executive director, FDU Poll, on October 29; “Focusing on the Human in the Age of AI: Compassion in the Undergraduate Curriculum,” with Benjamin Rifkin, humanities and University provost/senior vice president for academic affairs, on November 19; and “Global Health Leadership and Financing Without the United States,” with Arnold Okpani, global health/human services (Van), on December 10.

The colloquia are free and open to the public. For information contact Peter Woolley, political science (Flor); interim associate provost (Van); and chair, public/global affairs, at woolley@fdu.edu.

Wisch Scholarship for ISHSTM Students

The founding of the Dr. Richard Wisch Scholarship was announced this spring at the Third Annual Hospitality and Tourism Alumni Reception and Celebration. Named in honor of the late Richard Wisch, former director of the International School of Hospitality, Sports, and Tourism Management (ISHSTM), the scholarship will support undergraduate ISHSTM students with tuition assistance.

To help support the scholarship fund go to Giving to the Wisch Scholarship. For more information about the Wisch Scholarship email thefundforfdu@fdu.edu or call 201-692-7007.

Sport Management Study Abroad

For the sixth year, 15 sport management students traveled to Wroxton College in Oxfordshire, England, as part of the courses SPAD4000 International Sports Administration (undergraduate) and SPAD6630 Global Sports (graduate).

Group inside Manchester City Stadium changing room

At the changing room at Etihad Stadium, home of the Manchester City Football Club in Manchester, United Kingdom are, front row, from left, graduate student Johnny Plaut; and JC Kim, chair, International School of Hospitality, Sports, and Tourism Management; back row, from left, undergraduate students Jacob Novick-Maxwell, Connor Dillon, Reese Jones, Shane Black, Santiago Jimenez and Peter Lee; graduate student Hector Torres, University graphic designer, communications (Metro); and undergraduate students Jude Walker, Jake Nemcek, Taniaya Morris, Jacob Grunt, Michael Nowobilski and Jonathan Kotlyarevsky. (Not in photo: undergraduate student Tyler Denner).

The group was led by Jong-Chae (JC) Kim, chair, International School of Hospitality, Sports, and Tourism Management. “This weeklong trip offers students the chance to experience a variety of sports settings in a different cultural context, meet academics and sports business professionals active in the United Kingdom and develop a business mindset that empowers them to create opportunities for themselves,” he said.

This year’s trip featured the addition of Manchester, which gave the group the chance to visit Manchester United and the Manchester City Football Club. “Whenever a new city is added, it brings opportunities for our students, which is truly rewarding,” Kim added.

To offer an evolving component to the sport management curriculum, Kim plans to expand the trip’s coverage to other cities such as Birmingham, Oxford and Wolverhampton and to another country such as France.

To read more go to “Wide World of Sports.”

Wroxton College

Country gardens, William Shakespeare and British flag and Big Ben

This fall, Wroxton College will be hosting three immersive programs that will give participants the opportunity to spend one or two weeks at the abbey while enjoying thoughtful exploration, intellectual exchange and cultural discovery.

Program costs, which includes most meals, may be higher or lower depending on the number of participants. The cost of airfare is not included.

  • The Country Houses and Gardens: Power, Taste and Landscape in English History
    October 2–16
    Program cost: $3,507
    Examine how landscape and architecture continue to reflect major themes in English society. Highlights include guided visits to estates and gardens; lectures and seminars; real stories behind the grand estates; and behind-the-scenes access, guided walks across gardens and discussions in the college’s Buttery Pub. For more information go to the tentative day-by-day itinerary.
  • Shakespeare in Context: Stage, Society and the English Renaissance
    October 16–29
    Program Cost: $3,560
    Step into the world of William Shakespeare and rediscover the power of his words. Highlights include live performances plays such as “Twelfth Night,” “Measure for Measure,” “Troilus and Cressida” and “Othello”; guided excursions to Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford; lectures and seminars; sessions on adaptations of Shakespeare’s works (theatrical, cinematic, television and radio); and opportunities for post-performance discussions and group learning. For more information go to the tentative day-by-day itinerary.
  • Britain Today: Politics, Culture and Identity in the Changing Nation
    November 6–13
    Program Cost: $1,365
    Immerse yourself in the heart of post-Brexit Britain to engage with the questions shaping the future of the United Kingdom. Highlights include in-depth exploration of post-Brexit Britain; curated mix of lectures, discussion-based seminars, immersive excursions and film screenings; expert-led sessions; trips to London, Blenheim Palace, Kenilworth Castle, Oxford University, among others (all transportation and admission fees are included). For more information go to the tentative day-by-day itinerary.

For more information about these programs go to Wroxton Experiences or email admin@wroxton-college.ac.uk.