Faculty, Staff — Update, In Memoriam, Welcome
Update
Matthieu Boyd, literature and chair, literature/languages/writing/humanities (Flor), coedited and co-translated the book The Medieval French Ovide moralisé: An English Translation, which was published by D.S. Brewer, an imprint of Boydell & Brewer Ltd., Rochester, N.Y., in September. This anonymous 14th-century work — one of the longest and most influential French poems of the Middle Ages — retells Ovid’s Metamorphoses, a compendium of Greco-Roman myth. The FDU community can access the ebook, and all readers can follow along with the manuscript images referenced in the translation. Initially funded by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the translation represents more than a decade of work, including daily meetings on Zoom throughout the pandemic. To read more go to “FDU Professor Matthieu Boyd Co-Authors First Translation of Influential French Poem of the Middle Ages.”
“Our college students are struggling,” an op-ed by President Michael Avaltroni was published in The Star-Ledger on October 3.
Brian Mooney, education (Metro), hosts the podcast “FDU EdCast.” His recent guests included Kara Alaimo, communication and deputy chair, communication (Metro), in the episode on “Social Media, Society and Schools”; and Khyati Joshi, multicultural education (Metro), in an episode about “Antibias and Antiracist Teaching.” Mooney, who is also a DJ, hip-hop educator and the author of Breakbeat Pedagogy: Hip Hop and Spoken Word Beyond the Classroom Walls, was involved in two events that celebrated the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. He was one of the guest speakers at “50 Years of Hip-hop: A Talk with DJs on Media, Technology and Writing in the 21st Century” at the Metropolitan Campus, and he delivered the opening remarks for “Pass the Mic: Hip-hop Poetry Edition” at the Florham Campus.
David Landau, film (Flor), was the director of photography for the horror movie “From the Shadows,” which was released in September.
Kara Alaimo, communication and deputy chair, communication (Metro), wrote the following October and November op-eds for cnn.com: “Here’s one more reason to stop shaming parents,” “The problem with that annoying warning on your phones” and “When it comes to remote work, Stephen Schwarzman doesn’t get it.” In September, she was a guest on Fox5’s “Good Day New York,” where she talked about her book Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls — And How We Can Take It Back, which is available for preorder.
Joseph Stout, biological sciences (Metro), started a new podcast titled “Mind Body Evolution” based on some graduate classes that he teaches (e.g. Human Evolution, Darwinian Medicine and Human Physiology). According to Stout, the podcast investigates man’s origins on the Serengeti and looks at how diet and exercise needs have been shaped by evolutionary history. “It draws connections between our deep history and the strange world we have built for ourselves — how farming led to slavery and how our natural history pre-adapted us to develop eating disorders. Throughout the show, evolution is used as a reference point to explain how and why we got to where we are.”
Minna Zallman Proctor, creative writing; director, MFA in creative writing; and editor-in-chief, The Literary Review (Flor), was a guest at the “Colloquy: An Evening of Translation from New Directions” held on October 6 at Unnameable Books in Brooklyn, N.Y. Colloquy is an event series which invites translators to engage with live audiences in an exploration of the art of translation.
Edward Davies, BA’18, MSM’20 (Metro), assistant director of alumni affinity/athletics groups, University advancement (Metro), was among the honorees in the 22nd Annual Teaneck Chamber of Commerce’s Community Awards Dinner held on November 16 at the Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe. A Marine Corps veteran who was nominated by FDU’s Office of Veterans Services for the Community Service Award, he represented Teaneck’s Military Veterans. Davies received a plaque that read “in recognition of the members of our armed forces and all they have done to help preserve our freedoms, liberties and humanitarian aid past, present and future.”
Leonard Grob, emeritus, philosophy (Metro), is coauthor of the book Warnings: The Holocaust, Ukraine and Endangered American Democracy, which was published by Cascade Books, an imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers, Eugene, Ore., in July.
Higher education faculty members Frederick Engram, Jr.; Catherine Manly; and Ashley Robinson (all Metro), participated at the 48th Annual Conference of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, held from November 15 through November 18 in Minneapolis, Minn. Engram co-presented on “The Price is Never Right: Public Service Loan Forgiveness and the Invisible Costs for Black Students” and Manly was the chair for the session on “Supporting Transfer Students in STEM.” Robinson presented on “Marginalized Students’ Experiences with Bias Response Processes: Examining Equity and Expression,” co-presented on “Creating Broad-scale Change for Equity-based Teaching: Examining Frameworks, Policies and Practices in the Literature,” was a panelist on the discussion about “Scholars that Lunch: Honoring the Self Post-graduate School” and was a discussant for the topic on “The Work and Labor of Undergraduate Students.”
Mary Templeton, laboratory specialist, nursing/allied health (Metro), was nominated for The DAISY Nurse Leader Award ™ for Nursing Clinical Educators by the New Jersey League for Nursing and the DAISY Foundation. DAISY Nurse Leaders are celebrated for providing outstanding inspirational and compassionate mentorship. The award honors nurses internationally in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died from complications of the autoimmune disease Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP) at the age of 33. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem.
Benjamin Rifkin, Russian and interim University provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, did a poetry reading in Russian with English translations on October 18 at the Florham Campus. His reading focused on “Russian Poetry: Love, Mystery and Protest from the 19th–21st Centuries.”
Anita Rivers, executive director of community relations, Petrocelli Center (Metro), was among those honored as this year’s New Jersey History Makers during the fundraising gala of the Bergen County Historical Society on October 19. The honorees were recognized for their outstanding leadership, dedication and commitment to preserving and honoring New Jersey history. Proceeds will support the building of a new history museum at the New Bridge Landing Site in River Edge, N.J.
John Dean, education (Metro), and MAT’05 (Flor), received Gannett’s North Jersey Amazing Teacher Award, which is part of the company’s promotion to recognize excellence in the profession. A teacher for 19 years, he is a social studies and economics teacher at Teaneck (N.J.) High School. Dean also received a $5,000 check from Gannett.
Jarrett Bachman, hospitality/tourism management and associate director, International School of Hospitality, Sports, and Tourism Management (Van), announced that Maryam Bayatsarmadi, a graduate student in the Master of Hospitality Management Studies, has been selected as one of five winners of the Student Contest at the 2023 Canadian Tourism Industry Awards held on November 22.
Metropolitan Campus faculty members Mihaela Leonida, chemistry and preprofessional studies/graduate school adviser; Ish Kumar, physics; and Alice Benzecry, biological sciences, along with two of their students, published the paper “Green Synthesis of Zein-based Nanoparticles Encapsulating Lupulone: Antibacterial and Antiphotoaging Agents” in the November 2023 issue of ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering.
Duff Sheffield, general manager/program director, WFDU-FM, announced that WFDU received an Award of Artistic Excellence from the Bergen County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs “in appreciation of your commitment to culture and arts throughout the County of Bergen.” The award was presented during the 2023 Bergen County Awards at the Valley Brook Golf Club in River Vale, N.J., on November 9. WFDU also received a $5,000 grant from the county.
Carolynn Julien, University executive director, grants/sponsored projects (Metro), and Mohammed Elshaer, biochemistry and deputy chair, chemistry/biochemistry/physics (Flor), attended the National Science Foundation’s SUITED Workshop in October at Union College, Schenectady, N.Y. They were one of 12 teams from across the country selected to attend. Julien and Elshaer presented on the “Photodynamic Cationic Porphyrin Composites,” a research project that is focused on developing materials for facile water purification. Based on the research, the photodynamic composite material they have prepared is capable of disinfecting and decontaminating water. This photodynamic composite, which was invented by Elshaer, has a United States Patent (US 11, 603,437 B2) dated March 14, 2023.
In celebration of Pharmacy Week in October, faculty members from the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (all Flor) participated in a panel discussion on “Getting Involved in Academia.” They included Kathleen Frey, pharmaceutical sciences and director of research; Yong Guo, pharmaceutical sciences and chair, pharmaceutical science; Arjun Kalra, pharmaceutical sciences; Margaret Slugocki, pharmacy practice; and Michael Zaki, pharmacy practice. The discussion was moderated by Evan Weisberg, student affairs counselor, pharmacy/health sciences (Flor).
The Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education, has awarded a five-year, $3.6 million grant to the team that is evaluating Smooth Sailing, a professional development program for elementary-school educators. The research team’s co-principal investigators are Narmene Hamsho, psychology (Metro); Abbey Eisenhower, psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston; and Jan Blacher, distinguished professor of education, University of California, Riverside. To read more go to “Psychology Professor Awarded $3.6 Million Grant to Evaluate Autism-focused Professional Development Program for Educators.”
Bradford Hurlbut, senior associate vice president/director of athletics (Metro), announced that the Knights has entered into a multigame broadcast agreement with the YES Network. Under the agreement, eight of FDU’s basketball games will air live on the YES Network and the YES App during the 2023–2024 season. To read more go to “FDU Says YES! Knights Announce Multi-game Basketball Broadcast Agreement with the YES Network.” Hurlbut also announced that FDU is among the 11 Division I schools that will receive the NCAA’s Accelerating Academic Success Program grants for the 2023–24 academic year. The University will receive $100,000 to help “evolve student-athlete support services and to enhance the student-athlete experience.” To read more go to “11 DI schools receive Accelerating Academic Success Program grants.”
Gerard Farias, management (Flor), announced that last spring, his MGMT4640 Managing Projects and Organizations class focused on raising money and awareness for the Fightstrong Foundation last spring. The foundation was started by Joseph Nigro, BS’23 (Flor), a student in the class, and his family to help improve the quality of life for those who are currently battling or have battled any form of cancer. Under Farias’ guidance, the class composed of students from both the Metropolitan and Florham campuses, held two fundraising events: a tennis scrimmage between the two campuses and a 5k fundraiser run and walk. Both events raised $9,000 for the foundation, allowing it to help more families. To read more go to “Changing the Community One Class at a Time in MGMT4640 — Managing Projects and Organizations.”
Luz Helena Flores, associate director for recruitment/community, Hispanic Center (Metro), and Carlos Villalobos, coordinator, Hispanic Center (Metro), were among this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month Outstanding Community Award Recipients. They were honored for their contributions to the Hispanic community.
Rebecca Chace, Becton College (Flor), wrote an obituary for Edith Grossman, a literary translator known for translating Latin American and Spanish literature to English. It was published in The New York Times in September.
Rashard Mills, director of campus engagement/student union and chief student experience officer, and Anita Rivers, executive director of community relations, Petrocelli Center (both Metro), were part of the talkback held for the documentary “Hungry to Learn” at the Teaneck International Film Festival. Mills was a panelist, and Rivers moderated the discussion. The film, which is about the issue of hunger on college campuses and the choice students are forced to make between books and food, was screened on November 11. The screening was cosponsored by FDU and the Center for Food Action, of which Mills is a board member.
On November 12, award-winning jazz guitarist, Abe Ovadia, Becton College (Flor), performed at the Bethlehem Public Library in Delmar, N.Y., as part of its A Little Sunday Music Series. He shares his love of jazz with the next generation by performing in public schools and libraries across the United States.
On November 14, select faculty members and administrators spoke about how they navigated college and life as first-generation students at an event held at the Metropolitan Campus. The panelists included Mutiara Mohamad, director, Programs in Language, Culture and Professional Advancement (Metro); Irene Oujo, executive director, Hispanic Center (Metro); Vanessa Perez, director of academic affairs (Metro); Chris Rasmussen, history and deputy chair, social sciences/history (Metro); and Chadwin Sandifer, executive associate dean, pharmacy/health sciences (Flor). Eleni Mylonas, college writing (Metro), served as moderator.
Kerry Martinez, head women’s bowling coach, athletics (Metro), was a guest at the WFDU-HD3 radio show, “The Knight Zone,” on October 4, where he talked about the upcoming season, the history of FDU’s women’s bowling program and his transition into the role of head coach. Hosted by athletics graduate assistant Charlie Carbonetto, the show airs live 10 a.m. on Wednesdays and covers Knights athletics — from game highlights to interviews with student-athletes and coaches.
Charming Young Man, a new book by Eliot Schrefer, creative writing (Flor), was among the books featured in New Book Tuesday: October 10th at youngentertainmentmag.com. The book was published by HarperCollins.
LEAD Now workshops were held at the Metropolitan Campus this fall for its student leaders. Among the presenters were Uchenna Baker, vice president for student affairs/dean of students, “What’s Your Motivation”; Loren Darzano, assistant director of campus life for student engagement (Metro), “Lifting Up Our Leaders”; Kane Pappas, hotel/restaurant/tourism management (Metro), “Business Professionalism and Service Recovery”; Donna Robertson, University director of career development, “True Colors Showdown: Dive Into the Shark Tank”; Mark Robertson, coordinator for student outreach/career development, computer sciences/engineering (Metro), “Strategic Planning to Drive Results: Lessons from Big Brands”; and Paige Soltano, director of placement/outreach, Silberman College (Metro), “ABCs of Networking..”
Peter Woolley, political science (Flor) and founding director, public/global affairs, moderated the FDU Gubernatorial Conversations series, which featured prospective candidates to New Jersey Governor’s race in 2025, at the Florham Campus. Previous guests included Steven Fulop, mayor, Jersey City; Jack Ciattarelli, former New Jersey state representative; and Jon Bramnick, New Jersey state senator. Upcoming guests are Josh Gottheimer, congressman for New Jersey’s Fifth District; Ras Baraka, mayor, Newark; and Stephen Sweeney, former New Jersey state senator.
Metropolitan Campus faculty members Sunhee Yoon, BA’94 (Ruth), Becton College, and Julia Wagner, academic writing and director, Metro Writing Studio, curated an exhibit featuring the works of students in their Mixed Media Collage and Composition II classes. The exhibit, “Response to Invisible Room,” focused on the students’ own experiences post-Covid — the isolation, hardships and family bonding that occurred during lockdown. The students’ works were on display at the University Hall Art Gallery in October.
Kristin Giotta, director of athletics (Flor), announces that Terry VanAuken, business manager, athletics (Flor), has been promoted to assistant athletic director for business operations. VanAuken has been with athletics for nine years, most recently as business manager, and oversaw all aspects of the department’s financial expenditures as well as game and official contracts. To read more go to “VanAuken Named Assistant Athletic Director for Business Operations.”
Roger McMullen, Becton College (Metro), will receive the Maison G. deNavarre Medal Award, the highest honor from the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, during the society’s 77th Annual Scientific Meeting and Showcase being held from December 11 to 13 at the Sheraton NY Times Square, N.Y.C. He is being honored for his industry expertise and contributions to advancing cosmetic science. Among McMullen’s achievements: more than 30 publications in peer-reviewed journals and select textbooks; founding and editing the online magazine The Cosmetic Chemists; presenting at various scientific meetings, conferences and symposia; serving as an adjunct faculty member at FDU’s cosmetic science program for more than 10 years.
Evelyn Reid, literature (Flor), served as co-guest editor of the Journal of Basic Writing’s Special Issue on Democracy and Basic Writing, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of Open Admissions.
The University Players, the student theater group at the Metropolitan Campus, staged its fall production, “Curtain (or Lack Thereof) Call,” which featured four, 10-minute comedic plays, from November 30 through December 3. It was directed by Emory Osmani, art/criminal justice student. Athos Vardouniotis, Petrocelli Center, and Marie Roberts, fine arts (both Metro), are the theater group’s faculty advisers.
James Dougherty, chemistry and chair, chemistry/biochemistry/physics (Metro), announces that Cristina Altamirano, a senior biochemistry major at the Florham Campus, was named as one of the Governor’s STEM Scholars. She was only one of seven high-achieving students from Newark. To qualify as STEM scholars, applicants must maintain a grade point ratio of 3.50 or better, be New Jersey high-school sophomores to college doctorate candidates and must demonstrate proficient STEM skills. The chosen STEM scholars are given the opportunity to attend conferences, go on field trips and participate in research projects.
Sophia Li Ferry, associate director of graduate programs/recruitment/student support, Silberman College (Flor), wrote the article “Beyond academia: the view from where I sit” for the Silberman College blog.
Carmine Nogara, accounting (Metro/Flor); and Omer Topaloglu, marketing and deputy chair, marketing/information systems/decision sciences (Metro), were part of the Networking Sparks, the Women in Business Club’s “Business Speed Dating” event at the Metropolitan Campus. The event gave participating students the opportunity to connect with accounting, finance and marketing professionals gain valuable insights. On November 2, Topaloglu was the guest speaker at the “Honest Conversation with Youth” at Ramapo College, Mahwah, N.J., where he talked about the role of faith in his journey.
Editorial reviews by Peter Woolley, political science (Flor) and founding director, public global affairs; and Kenneth Greene, retired campus provost (Flor), were among those included in the Amazon listing for the novel Don’t Break My Rice Bowl, coauthored by Patricia Dodd Rykiel, BA’91 (Flor). A semiautobiographical novel by Rykiel’s father, Robert Dodd, set in Vietnam during the Vietnam War, it was published in November by Holey Jumper Press.
Benjamin Freer, psychology and director, psychology/counseling, and Stefanie Ulrich, director, Center for Psychological Services (both Metro), led a workshop on “Trauma-informed Approaches” for FDU faculty and staff in November at the Florham Campus and via Zoom. The event was part of the Provost’s Leadership Council’s ongoing workshop series for the academic year.
In October, Kathleen Stein-Smith, languages (Metro), presented on language advocacy at the Foreign Language Association of Virginia (Norfolk); the American Association of Teachers of French – NJ (New Brunswick); and the Massachusetts Foreign Language Association (Springfield) conferences. Her article, “The Appeal of French — Leveraging the Soft Power of French Language and Francophone Culture Globally and Locally in the Classroom and Beyond,” was published in the October 2023 issue of the International Journal of Contemporary Education. In addition, Stein-Smith’s book Le français autour de nous/French All Around Us, was featured at the Salon du Livre de Montreal and at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. She was quoted in several articles this fall: “College enrollment in foreign language courses plummets,” “Inconceivable: WVU [West Virginia University]’s plan to shut down language department could have detrimental impact on faculty and students, professors say” and “WVU’s humanities cuts spotlight value of liberal arts” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette); and “Scholars See Dangerous Precedent in West Virginia U.’s Plan to Cut Foreign Languages” (The Chronicle of Higher Education).
In the news …
Jack Castleberry, head men’s basketball coach, athletics; and Bradford Hurlbut, senior associate vice president/director of athletics (both Metro), were quoted in the November article “Fairleigh Dickinson to unveil new facilities after historic NCAA tournament win, ending awful shower room film sessions,” posted on yahoo.com. Castleberry was also quoted in the October article “‘We know who we are’: After historic March Madness upset, FDU basketball defied odds again,” on northjersey.com.
William “Pat” Schuber, homeland security (Metro), former Bergen County executive, was quoted in the article “Three decades later, the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line still has no Bergen spur. How come?” which appeared on northjersey.com as well as msn.com and Politico.
Benjamin Rifkin, Russian and interim University provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, was quoted in the November article “DEI statements are shaking up higher education. Here’s how New Jersey colleges use them,” on northjersey.com.
Bruce Peabody, government/politics and director, Florham Institute for Lifelong Learning (Flor), was quoted in the following articles: “New Clarence Thomas Report Throws Wrench in Upcoming Supreme Court Case” and “Trump Case Puts Supreme Court in Difficult Position” (newsweek.com); and “FellowshipLIFE Launches Lifelong Learning Program with Fairleigh Dickinson University” (seniorlivingnews.com).
Khyati Joshi, multicultural education (Metro), was quoted in the article “Stop Debating Whether Christian Nationalism is Christian,” posted on sojo.net.
Peter Woolley, political science and founding director, public/global affairs, was quoted in the November Insider NJ article “Phantom Mailer Seeks to Depress Gopal Turnout.”
Eleanor McGlinchey, psychology (Metro), was quoted in the November article “Daylight saving time ends soon: Here’s a plan to help you adjust,” posted on today.com.
Daniel Cassino, government/politics and executive director, FDU Poll, was interviewed in several episodes of New Jersey Now on My9 WWOR: The climate of the Garden State this election season on October 22, the Robert Menendez indictment on October 8 and Sen. Menendez indicted on bribery charges on September 24. He was quoted in the following articles about various FDU polls: “Parental Control Issue Narrows Democratic Lead in New Jersey Elections, Says FDU Poll” (Shore News Network); “Parental Involvement in School Curriculum Is Huge Election Issue And Favors GOP, Poll Says,” “70% of New Jerseyans want Menendez to resign, poll says,” “Poll: New Jerseyans Support Reinstituting the Corporate Tax Surcharge to Fund Transit” and “Poll: 44% of New Jerseyans Believe in Ghosts, 16% Say the New Jersey Devil Could Be Real” (New Jersey Globe); “54% Number of the Day: Support among new NJ residents for restoring corporate tax surcharge, giving revenue to NJ Transit” and “NJ Elections: A deeper look at polling on ‘parental rights’” (njspotlightnews.org); “70% of New Jersey residents want indicted Sen. Bob Menendez to quit, poll shows” (New York Post); “Poll: Majority of New Jersey wants Sen. Menendez to resign amid bribery charges” (nbcnewyork.com); “FDU poll: 70% of NJ residents want Menendez to resign” (njspotlightnews.org, northjersey.com and news12.com); “Time to go. Most N.J. residents say Menendez should resign amid bribery scandal, “N.J. residents actually say yes to a tax hike if it’s spent on this, new poll says,” “Abortion rights aren’t safe in N.J., Democrats say in campaigns for Legislature” and “Is the Jersey Devil real? 1 in 6 N.J. residents say yes, new poll says” (nj.com); “Bucco: FDU poll confirms N.J. parents don’t want Trenton raising their kids” (savejersey.com); “A troubling poll for N.J. Democrats” (Politico); “Poll: New Jersey voters want Menendez to resign” (News Leportale); “Majority of New Jersey residents polled say indicted Sen. Menendez should resign” (New Jersey Monitor); “Most New Jersey residents want Sen. Bob Menendez to resign, new poll finds” (northjersey.com); “Poll: New Jersey Democrats vulnerable to parental rights issues” (The Black Chronicle, chalkboardnews.com and headlineusa.com); “FDU Poll: Little support for ranked choice voting” (roi-nj.com); “FDU poll: 73% of Dems support Fulop’s plan to use corporate tax to fund NJ Transit” (hudsoncountyview.com); “Poll shows Democrats lose ground on question of parental control of public schools” (KYW News Radio); “Is the Jersey Devil Real? How Many NJ Residents Believe in Ghosts?” (New Jersey 101.5); “Battles over trans students’ rights could cost NJ Democrats in Tuesday’s election” (Gothamist); and “November to Remember: Can Republicans turn New Jersey red on Election Day?” (washingtonexaminer.com). Cassino was also quoted in the following articles: “Controversial Former Owner of MySpace Steps Down” (wired.com); “Rupert Murdoch exit may give Trump a Fox News ‘reset,’ Republican strategist says” (Reuters and emeatribune.com); “If the federal government shuts down, what happens to us in New Jersey?” (northjersey.com, Yahoo News and msn.com); “N.J. lawmakers added $1.5 billion to budget, but few funds went to competitive districts, “Local agency’s request to borrow money leads to spat between gubernatorial hopeful, GOP leaders, “As N.J. prepares to vote, guns largely missing from campaign trail conversation” and “Major issues nearly absent from campaign trail, advocates say” (New Jersey Monitor); “Fulop wants to abolish organization lines: Jersey City Mayor says county line system is ‘undemocratic’” (New Jersey Globe); “This is why reproductive rights are an issue in NJ’s legislative election” and “Family-friendly NJ Democrats turn to the middle as vote looms. Here’s why” (app.com); “After voting for Jim Jordan twice, N.J. Republican Kean changes mind on failed 3rd ballot” (nj.com); “New Jersey’s immigrants could be the difference on Election Day, but turnout’s a challenge” (msn.com and northjersey.com); and “Why NJ election realities spell danger for GOP and Democrats alike” and “Turnout for the 2023 election in NJ was small. Voting by mail helped Democrats” (northjersey.com).
In Memoriam
Christopher Devine, emeritus, chemistry/philosophy (Metro), died on October 7. He joined FDU in 1967 as assistant professor of chemistry and retired as professor emeritus in 2007. During his career, he served in a variety of roles including chemistry chair, Teaneck core director, University senate vice president and on numerous committees and task forces. He was inducted into Heritage Hall, which honors those who had a significant influence in the development and growth of FDU’s campuses and in the lives of its students and received both University and college teaching awards. As a faculty member, he taught 35 different courses and was a pioneer in online education — developing and teaching (on his own or with others) five online courses. He taught courses on all New Jersey campuses and was also part of a team-taught course at Wroxton College.
Neil Salzman, retired, political science (Flor), died on November 14, 2023, at the age of 83. He joined FDU in 1969 as instructor in history and rose to professor of political science. He also served as director of the Florham Institute for Lifelong Learning until his retirement in 2012. He is survived by his wife, Robin Flam; sons Aram and his wife, Maria; Noah and his wife, Smadar; and Gabriel and his wife, Emily; brother and sister-in-law, Alvin and Gail Salzman; and grandchildren, Isaac, Ella, Haggai and Eden. Memorial contributions may be made to the Parkinson’s Disease Support Group of the Mid-Hudson Valley; Hudson Valley Hospice; or the Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club, P.O. Box 487, Lagrangeville, N.Y. 12540.
Peter Walsh, emeritus, electrical engineering (Metro), died on March 6, 2023, at the age of 93. He joined FDU in 1963 as professor of physics and retired from the University in 1993. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Rosemarie (Imundo); children, Kathleen Blaiklock, MaryEllen Kearns, Susan Walsh, Carole Ray and Karen and Mark Westphal; 11 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Any memorial tributes to him may be made in the form of a donation to the Long Hill First Aid Squad, PO Box 145, Gillette, NJ 07933.
Welcome
The University welcomes new full-time and part-time employees who joined FDU as of November 10, 2023.
Welcome to Hussein Abdelhadi, officer, public safety (Flor); Samuel Altiero, assistant men’s lacrosse coach, athletics (Flor); Marisa Alvarez, administrative coordinator for pharmaceutical sciences/pharmacy practice, pharmacy/health sciences (Flor); Dana Baker, assistant professor, education (Metro); Suhair Bitar, lead account clerk, enrollment services (Metro); Melody Bobe-Galeano, sponsored program associate, grants/sponsored projects (Metro); Selena Brown, counselor, Regional Center for Learning Disabilities (Flor); Angel Camacho, administrative services clerk, nursing/allied health (Metro); Charles Celestin, assistant director/counselor/financial aid coordinator, Educational Opportunity Fund (Flor); Yingyi Chang, assistant professor, psychology (Flor); Naira Chaouch, assistant professor, civil engineering/civil engineering technology (Metro); Viviana Chavez, academic adviser, academic advising/student support services (Metro); Christina Costa, program manager, Master of Healthcare Administration, public/global affairs (Metro); Frederick Engram, Jr., assistant professor, higher education (Metro); Lisa Fell, academic adviser, academic advising/student support services (Flor); Paul Finkler, officer, public safety (Metro); Kailah Fortenberry, academic coordinator for high-school programs, Petrocelli Center for Continuing Studies (Metro); Fatasia Francis, officer, public safety (Flor); Aia Gamaleldin, clinical assistant professor, pharmacy practice (Flor); Jacob Hall, assistant baseball coach, athletics (Flor); Rosa Hanco, director of first-year experience/student leadership programs, Dean of Students (Flor); Alexis Hishaw, Office 365 systems administrator, University systems/networking (Metro); Analeigh Horton, assistant professor, rhetoric composition, and assistant director, college writing (Metro); Kathleen Lyons, assistant professor, rhetoric composition, and assistant director, college writing (Flor); Brandee Malloy, international student adviser, international student services (Metro); Catherine Manly, assistant professor, higher education (Metro); David Marconi, controller, accounting (Metro); Kervin Morgan, assistant men’s/women’s track/field coach, athletics (Metro); Donna Naturale, clinical associate professor, nursing (Metro); Jenna Nehls, clinical assistant professor, pharmacy practice (Flor); Carmine Nogara, assistant professor, accounting (Flor); Tyler Palmieri, officer, public safety (Flor); Beatrice Pocher, assistant athletic trainer, athletics (Metro); Michelle Pulgarin, voice services billing coordinator, telephone/voice services (Metro); Rosamaria Riccobono, head women’s lacrosse coach, athletics (Flor); Ashley Robinson, assistant professor, higher education (Metro); Kallan Ryden, coordinator, School of the Arts (Flor); Sara Sabol, head cheerleading coach, athletics (Flor); Joshua Spivack, building manager, athletics (Flor); Beth Steinfeld, clinical assistant professor, nursing (Metro); Emily Sullivan, assistant director of athletic facilities/operations, athletics (Metro); Christian Vasquez, admissions services clerk, undergraduate admissions (Metro); Steffani Walsh, human resources information system/payroll administrator, human resources (Metro); Atif Warriach, systems administrator (Linux), University systems/networking (Metro); and Kevin Zabo, assistant men’s basketball coach, athletics (Metro).