College and School Happenings
Maxwell Becton College of Arts and Sciences
Theater Offerings
The School of the Arts wraps up its fall-semester productions with the musical “Seussical” and the play “Miss Julie.”
Based on the book by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, “Seussical” weaves a story about friendship, loyalty and love, and will run from Thursday, November 17, through Sunday, November 20, in Dreyfuss Theater, Dreyfuss Building, at the Florham Campus. Performance times are 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Cynthia Thole Loewus, musical theater (Flor), is directing and choreographing the production.
For the second year in a row, the University Provost’s Office is sponsoring a Community Day for FDU faculty, staff, students and their families at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 20, where they can enjoy a free matinee performance of “Seussical.” To order free tickets for themselves and their families, FDU faculty, staff and students can go to Current Season and use the code FDUSEUSS to redeem up to four free tickets as long as tickets are available. Ticket reservations are on a first-come, first-serve basis. After the show, dessert and hot beverages will be served and a raffle for prizes will be held.
“Miss Julie” by August Strindberg is a story of love, power and heartbreak — and one of the most famous examples of naturalism on stage. Miss Julie is a determined aristocrat who has just broken up with her fiancé. She celebrates by pursuing Jean, a charismatic and educated valet to her father. This play explores class, gender politics and sexuality —and asks whether it’s possible to transcend any of them in the name of love. Performance dates and times are Thursday, December 1, through Saturday, December 3, at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, December 4, at 2:30 p.m., at the Barn Theater, Florham Campus. It will be directed by Nolan Hennelly, theater (Flor), with lighting design by David Landau, film (Flor).
Ticket prices 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 at FDU Event Tickets because performances sell out quickly. When available, a limited number of tickets may be sold at the door. Audience members are encouraged to wear face masks while attending the performances. For information go to FDU Theater Season.
Breakfast Forum
Benjamin Rifkin, dean, Becton College, will speak about “Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: Historical and Political Contexts” at a Breakfast Forum on Thursday, December 1, in Lenfell Hall, Hennessy Hall, at the Florham Campus. Jason Scorza, vice provost for international affairs and philosophy/political science, will serve as moderator.
The free event is cosponsored by the Maxwell Becton College of Arts and Sciences and the Office of Alumni Relations. A continental breakfast will be served at 8:30 a.m., followed by the presentation at 9 a.m. and a question-and-answer period at 10 a.m. Registration is necessary. To register and for information go to Breakfast Forum with Dean Rifkin.
LGBTQIA+ Poster Exhibit
As part of LGBTQIA+ History Month a student-poster exhibit on “The Biology of HIV/AIDS and Antiretrovirial Therapy” will be on display until Thursday, December 1, on the north side entrance of the Monninger Center for Learning and Research at the Florham Campus. Monninger Center hours are Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m.–11 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; and Sunday, 2–10 p.m.
As part of a dialogue with Luis Carle, photographer/artist and visual arts consultant, New York City Housing Authority, two biology student groups created posters on the biology of HIV/AIDS. The FDU student chapter of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology chose to focus its poster on the history and mechanism of HIV/AIDS, whereas the FDU Pre-Health Society focused on the development of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) treatment.
The exhibit was cosponsored by the biological sciences department, the FDU libraries and the student organizations Progress Pride Club (Florham Campus) and SPECTRUM (Metropolitan Campus). For information contact Patricia Melloy, biology (Flor), at pmelloy@fdu.edu.
Biology Seminar
As part of this semester’s Biology Seminar Series, Kavitha Govindasamy, research assistant/teaching specialist, Rutgers University, Newark, N.J., will speak about “Calcium Signaling in Malarial Parasite,” on Thursday, December 8.
Sponsored by the department of biological sciences, the free seminar will be held from 5:30 to 6:20 p.m. in Room 4468, Dickinson Hall, at the Metropolitan Campus. For information call 201-692-2391.
Winter Festival
The annual Winter Festival concert will be held on Monday, December 12, from 7:30 to 9 p.m., in Dreyfuss Theater, Dreyfuss Building, at the Florham Campus.
The event will feature performances of popular, seasonal and concert music by music faculty members Kevin Brown, bass; Allen Cohen, piano and director, FDU Chorus; Ansy Francois, woodwinds; Mariana Karpatova, voice; Jane Seaman, voice; Peter Toth, piano; and Elzbieta Winnicki, violin; FDU Chorus; and the FDU Band.
Tickets are $5 and free for FDU students. For information email Allen Cohen at alcmusic@fdu.edu.
Election 2022 Debrief
The Dean’s Office of Becton College sponsored Election 2022 Debrief: An Analysis and Discussion on November 15 at the Florham and Metropolitan campuses.
Speakers at the Florham Campus were Gary Darden, history and chair, social sciences/history; Madelyn Ferrans, law and codirector of prelaw program; and students Briana Louro, senior government/law major, president of Politics and Law Club; and editor-in-chief, FDU Politics and Law Journal; and David Schneider, junior government and politics major.
At the Metropolitan Campus, discussants were Fernando Alonso, business; Chris Rasmussen, history and deputy chair, social sciences/history; William “Pat” Schuber, homeland security; and Kara Alaimo, communication, Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y., who will be joining FDU as associate professor of communication on January 1, 2023.
‘Why Your Vote Matters’
A panel discussion on “Why Your Vote Matters: The 2022 Midterm Elections,” was held on October 19 at the Florham Campus and via Zoom. Discussants were Daniel Cassino, government/politics and executive director, FDU Poll (Flor); and government/law majors Shytail Clay and Seena Kesht. David Biel, research/instruction librarian, Monninger Center for Learning and Research (Flor), served as moderator.
The discussion was cosponsored by the FDU libraries, social sciences/history department, Florham Institute for Lifelong Learning and Student Government Association.
Silberman College of Business
Gala Raises Scholarship Money; Alum Donates $1 Million
The Silberman College of Business hosted its Hall of Fame Gala on September 20 and raised more than $160,000 for student scholarships and academic programming with donations from honorees Maroa Velez, BS’77 (Ruth), general partner, Brown Brothers Harriman; Robert Stern, BS’08 (Flor), president, Riviera Hospitality Group; Barclays, winner of the Silberman Award for Social Change; and other guests.
Richard Brenner, one of the gala honorees, executive committee member, Silberman College of Business Advisory Dean’s Board and chair of the Student Endowment Fund Investment Committee and the Silberman College Council of Ambassadors, announced that he and his wife, Beth, would be donating $1 million to the Silberman Endowed Scholarship Fund. “This endowment fund is so important, as it is a gift that will keep on giving,” he said. “It will help grow our endowment into a sizable scholarship fund that can help educate the future leaders of tomorrow. We welcome others to join us in the gift that keeps on giving by considering a planned gift.”
To read more about this year’s gala go to “Silberman College of Business Hall of Fame Gala thrills at a unique and new venue — 1776 by David Burke.”
Family Businesses Recognized
The Rothman Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship held its 30th Annual New Jersey Family Business of the Year Awards on October 19 at the Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, N.J. Dennis Mikula, president of Mikula Contracting, was the keynote speaker. Sally Glick, principal/chief growth strategist, Sobel & Co. LLC, and Dale Caldwell, executive director, Rothman Institute (Flor), served as masters of ceremonies.
The ceremony honored family businesses from around the state that were recognized for their dedication to the industry, family values, vision and contribution to their communities and the New Jersey economy. According to Caldwell, “Family businesses are the backbone of our economy because they are the single biggest job creators. They account for over 50 percent of the GNP and 35 percent of Fortune 500 companies.”
This year, 11 family-owned businesses from around the state were honored for their dedication to their industry, family values, vision and contribution to their communities and the New Jersey economy.
This year’s winner for the Over $10 Million Category was Eastern Janitorial Company, a commercial cleaning service in Parsippany, N.J.; the finalist was Alfred Sanzari Enterprises, Hackensack, N.J.; and the semifinalists were AWT Environmental Services, Inc. (Sayreville); Equilliem (East Brunswick); and Walters Group (Barnegat).
For the Under $10 Million Category, the winner was Roman Jewelers of Bridgewater, N.J.; the finalist was Traphagen CPAs and Wealth Advisors, Oradell, N.J.; and the semifinalists were Shovlin Mattress Factory (Fanwood), York Building Services (Moonachie) and Telecloud (West Union).
The award for New Family Business went to F&S Digital in Ventnor City, N.J.
The winners will be featured in the December issue of New Jersey Business Magazine, a publication of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, and were announced on page 14 of Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey’s Commerce Magazine.
The event was cosponsored by Sobel and Co. LLC, Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey, C3 Workplace, Lasso Creative LLC, New Jersey Business and the New Jersey Business and Industry Association.
Lee Gildart and Oswald Haase School of Computer Sciences and Engineering
The New Jersey Department of Education selected FDU as one of only two higher-education institutions to be awarded a grant for computer-science education under its Computer Science for All Initiative.
This year, FDU will receive $333,330 and, if funds are available, may receive another $333,330 next year. The grant will help the University create hubs that will provide high-quality professional learning for educators and resources for school districts to increase computer-science opportunities for students. It will also help build partnerships with stakeholders to promote the growth of computer-science education.
To read more go to “New Jersey grants FDU $333,330 for computer science.”
International School of Hospitality, Sports, and Tourism Management
The New Jersey Chapter of the Club Managers Association of America (NJCMAA) held a Food and Wine Experience on October 11 at the Crestmont Country Club in West Orange, N.J. The evening featured live music, specialty desserts and a Student Chapter Fundraiser Wine Raffle. The wine pull, which encouraged NJCMAA members to each donate two bottles of wine, raised more than $2,000 to benefit the FDU CMAA Student Chapter.
“Due to the generous donations from the clubs and attendees at the event, we will be able to send between eight to 12 students to CMAA’s World Conference in Orlando, Fla., in February 2023,” said Kane Pappas, hotel/restaurant/tourism management and assistant to the director, International School of Hospitality, Sports, and Tourism Management (Metro), who organized the event. ISHSTM has been sending students to the CMAA World Conference for 10 years.
School of Psychology and Counseling
The Center for Empathy Research and Training (CERT), housed in the School of Psychology and Counseling, was cofounded this year by Benjamin Freer, psychology and director, psychology/counseling (Metro), and Steve Dranoff, psychologist and president, D&D Consulting, Clifton, N.J.
CERT, through empathy-training methods and applied psychology research, engages and teaches individuals and groups to become proactive change agents for social transformation by preventing, mitigating and resolving aggressive behavior in the global communities. CERT’s goal at FDU is to foster a culture of language of empathy that is consistent among leadership, faculty, staff and students.
Two-day Empathy Trainings led by Freer and Dranoff were held at FDU’s New Jersey campuses in November. Participation was voluntary, and those who completed the training received a Certificate of Completion.
Future trainings are planned. For more information contact Benjamin Freer at bfreer@fdu.edu.
School of Public and Global Affairs
FDU Chiefs Circle
The School of Public and Global Affairs together with the Office of Alumni Relations hosted the FDU Chiefs’ Circle Induction Ceremony and Reception on October 13 at the Florham Campus. The event celebrated and honored FDU alumni who have served as chiefs of police. The first class of inductees included 26 police chiefs and a county sheriff.
Chief Louis Anemone, president, Anemone Consulting, Inc., Nanuet, N.Y., and former chief, New York Police Department, was the guest speaker.
For a complete list of alumni who are part of the FDU Chiefs Circle and to read about their accomplishments go to Chiefs Circle.
MPA Open House
The School of Public and Global Affairs will hold an open house for the Master of Public Administration program exclusively for employees at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) on Thursday, December 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Port Authority Building (Building 14), JFK International Airport, Jamaica, N.Y. For information call 201-692-2741 or email mpa@fdu.edu.