Faculty, Staff — Update, In Memoriam, Welcome
Update
For the third straight year, President Christopher Capuano and Dale Caldwell, executive director, Rothman Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Flor), were named to the NJBIZ Education Power 50 list for 2021. The list profiles leaders at education institutions who are responsible for managing organizations, making policies that directly affect the institutions or are directly responsible for imparting knowledge to students, apprentices and the citizenry at large. To read more go to “FDU President Again Named to the Power 50 List.”
On May 13, the borough of Bogota in New Jersey dedicated Second Place as Pat Schuber Place in honor of former Bogota Mayor William “Pat” Schuber, homeland security (Metro). This marked the 40th anniversary of his election to the office of Mayor of Bogota. First elected to the Bogota Borough Council, Schuber won a four-year term as mayor of Bogota. He then served nine years in the New Jersey Assembly for the 38th District, followed by three years as the Bergen County (N.J.) executive.
Works by Marie Roberts, art (Metro), were on display over the summer at two exhibits: “The Art of Coney Island: A Juried Exhibition Exploring the Spirit of Coney Island” at the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition Art Gallery in Red Hook, Brooklyn, N.Y., and “Coney Island State of Mind” at the Interchurch Center in New York City.
Grace Earl, pharmacy practice (Flor) and president, New Jersey Pharmacists Association (NJPHA), had an opportunity to meet New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and his wife, Tammy, in August at the Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township, N.J. At the event, New Jersey pharmacy leaders met with the governor, who expressed his appreciation to pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and students for helping administer COVID-19 vaccines to the community. Earl, who is an ambulatory-care pharmacist practicing at a primary-care physician practice, shared with Gov. Murphy the opportunities in which the role of pharmacists in outpatient-care practices can be expanded across the state. Aside from the NJPHA, members of the Garden State Pharmacy Owners and Independent Pharmacy Alliance were also present at the event.
President Christopher Capuano and Dale Caldwell, executive director, Rothman Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Flor) were selected to be part of ROI-NJ’s lists. Capuano was among the ROI Influencers: Higher Education 2021 – Honor Roll. Under his leadership, FDU reached its goal of becoming a Top 50 regional university in the Northeast. Caldwell, who is chair of the University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Advisory Council, was named among New Jersey’s Most Influential DEI Leaders for 2021.
In celebration of Constitution Day on September 17, Chris Rasmussen, history and deputy chair, social sciences/history (Metro), spoke about the history of the First Amendment in his lecture “Gimme an F! Freedom of Speech” at the Metropolitan Campus and via Zoom.
Cordelia Siporin, Becton College (Flor), restored “The Curse of Quon Gwon,” the earliest known film (1916) with an all-Asian-American cast and directed by female Chinese-American filmmaker Marion Wong. Siporin worked on the film for a year-and-a-half — restoring the missing title cards by studying the actors’ pantomime and translating it into an approximation of what she and silent-film scholars at Columbia University believe the actors were saying. A virtual screening of the film was held on June 4 as part of Columbia University’s Women and the Silent Screen Conference.
Khyati Joshi, education (Metro), was the guest speaker at a lecture on “Race and Religion: The Illusion of Religious Equality in the U.S.” held on September 28 via Webex. She spoke about what sparked her own interest in dealing with race and religion as well as discussed a comparison between racism and religious oppression.
Anastasia Rivkin, pharmacy practice and executive associate dean, pharmacy/health sciences (Flor), was selected to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education editorial board.
Carrie Shanafelt, literature (Metro), is the author of Uncommon Sense, a reconsideration of Enlightenment philosophy through the lens of Jeremy Bentham’s long-hidden manuscripts advocating for the full legal and social toleration of sexual and gender nonconformity. The book, which is being published by the University of Virginia Press, Charlottesville, Va., in November 2021, may be preordered.
Ron West, law/taxation, director of tax program and chair, accounting/taxation/law (Flor), received the Exceptional Education Ovation Award from the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJCPA). The annual Ovation Awards honor individuals whose exemplary efforts and stellar achievements are advancing New Jersey’s accounting profession. The NJCPA website reads, “West knows the value of integrating education with the accounting profession. With a background in law and accounting, Ron brings real-world experiences to his teaching.”
FDU faculty and staff members were among the members of the inaugural Master of Public Health class who graduated in May. Among them were Maria Elizabeth Concepcion, office manager/senior assistant to Vancouver Campus executive (Van); Julie Kalabalik-Hoganson, pharmacy practice and chair, pharmacy practice, pharmacy/health sciences (Flor); and Chadwin Sandifer, associate dean for student affairs/administrative operations, pharmacy/health sciences (Flor).
Karl France, head men’s volleyball coach, athletics (Metro), was selected to join the coaching staff of the 2021 USA Men’s Volleyball National Team Training Development Program. The program took place at the USA Volleyball National Training Center in Anaheim, Calif., in July.
Poet and essayist Harvey Hix, Becton College (Flor), is the author of The Death of H.L. Hix, a debut novel published by Serving House Books, South Orange, N.J. Serving House was cofounded by Walter Cummins, emeritus, English (Flor), and the late Thomas Kennedy, former faculty member in the MFA in creative writing program (Flor), in 2009. Hix’s book has been described as “wondrously funny and tragic” (Debra DiBlasi, author, Selling the Farm) and “such a joy to read — so cleverly constructed, so gorgeously written, so sharp and wry, amusing and insightful” (David Grand, creative writing [Flor] and author, Mount Terminus).
“Enrollment and Finance: An Exploration of the Community College Baccalaureate,” a dissertation by Jeremy Wright-Kim, higher education (Metro), received the 2021 Bobby Wright Dissertation of the Year Award from the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE). Named after Irvin Lee (Bobby) Wright, the ASHE Dissertation of the Year award annually recognizes one or more exemplary dissertations in the field of higher education. Award criteria include the high quality of the methodology employed and the significance of the dissertation topic.
Otito Iwuchukwu, pharmaceutical sciences (Flor), was elected American College of Clinical Pharmacology® (AACP) regent and will serve a five-year term. The regents’ primary responsibility is to set policy and annual or longer-term goals and objectives for the organization.
The French in Our Lives: Past, Present, Future — Influence and Implications, a book by Kathleen Stein-Smith, languages (Metro), is available for preorder. It will be published by Routledge in February 2022. In addition, two of her articles were also published: “Multilingualism for Global Solutions and a Better World,” in the September issue of the Journal of Language Teaching and Research; and “Bastille Day and Beyond,” in the July issue of Language Magazine.
Peter Burkholder, history (Flor), cowrote “A Snapshot of the Public’s Views on History: National Poll Offers Valuable Insights for Historians and Advocates,” which was posted on historians.org in August. He also cowrote the article “The Split in How Americans Think About Our Collective Past is Real — But There’s a Way Out of the ‘History Wars,’” published in the April 29 issue of TIME magazine.
James Rana, BA’98 (Metro), Becton College (Metro), assisted in the production of East Lynne Theater Company’s production of “Vaudeville Variety, which ran from June through August in West Cape May, N.J.
Evan Mager, head women’s lacrosse coach, athletics (Flor), was named as the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division III Boardwalk Region Coach of the Year. He is the first coach in program history to earn this honor. Mager is also the 2021 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom Women’s Lacrosse Coach of the Year. He led the Devils women’s lacrosse team to its first undefeated regular season in program history and to its eighth MAC Tournament Championship in 2021.
The FDU libraries hosted a panel discussion on “Cancel Culture and Viewpoint Diversity: Free Speech on Campus” in September. Panelists included Florham Campus faculty members Madelyn Ferrans, law; and Bruce Peabody, government/politics and director, Florham Institute for Lifelong Learning.
In the News …
Robert Valenti, associate vice president for auxiliary services (Metro), was quoted in the following articles: “Two college campuses offering Grubhub as food option this fall” on ROI-NJ in September, and “Grubhub, Transact Partner to Expand Off-campus Programs for Universities” on cr80news.com in August.
Peter Woolley, political science (Flor) and founding director, public/global affairs (Flor/Metro), was quoted in the June article “Two years of free college could soon be a reality for l0w- and middle-income students in New Jersey” posted on pix11.com.
Omer Topaloglu, marketing (Metro), was quoted in the May article “Is Under-Promising and Over-Delivering Still a Good Practice?” posted on fstoppers.com.
Patrick Cozza, wealth management and executive-in-residence, wealth management (Flor), was quoted in the WalletHub report on Best Credit Cards of 2021, which was released in July.
Robert McGrath, psychology (Metro), was mentioned in O Magazine’s “Small Steps, Big Changes” feature. Mcgrath and fellow positive psychologist Tayyab Rashid, MA’01, PhD’04 (Metro), Health & Wellness Centre, University of Toronto Scarborough, talked about the small steps people can take to fight negativity with positivity. They cowrote the article “Strengths-based actions to enhance wellbeing in the time of COVID-19,” which was published in the International Journal of Wellbeing.
Katherine Dunsmore, communication and director, MA in communication (Flor), was interviewed for the January article “Experts Weigh in on Current Job Market Trends” on zippia.com.
Jessica Pandolf, head women’s lacrosse coach, athletics (Metro), was interviewed on News12 New Jersey on “FDU expands athletic program to include women’s lacrosse team” in July.
John Niser, director, International School of Hospitality, Sports, and Tourism Management, was quoted in the following articles in May: “Pro tips for planning a long-distance road trip” (The Washington Post), “Ready for a Road Trip This Summer? Flexibility is Key” (USA Today) and “Safety makes it on the itinerary for road trips” (The Register-Mail).
Denise Rizzolo, public health (Flor), was quoted in the July healthline.com article “Different COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Among States Could Fuel Surges This Summer.”
Marie Roberts, art (Metro), was featured in the article “Marie Roberts: Sketching at Ground Zero to Bear Witness,” which was posted on the 9/11 Memorial Museum blog in September. The article also included the sketches she did at Ground Zero. She also was interviewed for the article “‘The Art of Coney Island’ Takes Center Stage at New Red Hook Art Show,” which was posted on brooklynpaper.com in July. Roberts also was quoted, and photos of her works included, in the following July articles about the exhibit: “Red Hook arts group to present ‘The Art of Coney Island’: Along with artists, sword-swallowers, magicians, mermaids” (brooklyneagle.com); “Coney Island Is Back and All Over Brooklyn Today” (Travalanche); and “Coney Island Art Comes to BWAC in Red Hook” (The Wave).
Madelyn Ferrans, law (Flor), and Peter Woolley, political science (Flor) and founding director, public/global affairs, were quoted in the August article “NJ’s Blue State Status Does Not Inhibit Segregation in Schools” posted on insidernj.com.
Scott Behson, management (Metro), was quoted in the WalletHub report on 2021’s Best and Worst States for Working Dads, which was released in June. He also did a video interview on Cheddar News about “What Can Employers Do to Make the Return to Office Easier?”
Peter Burkholder, history (Flor), was quoted in the September article “How Do Americans Understand the Past?” posted on waynedalenews.com.
Robyn Lubisco, sport management (Metro) and director, sport management (Flor), was quoted in the May nj.com article “Arenas, tournaments, classes. N.J. colleges are embracing esports more than ever.”
Rich Higginson, director of market research, FDU Poll (Flor), was quoted in the July article “Pandemic Still Taking a Toll on NJ Parents Struggling with Childcare” on New Jersey 101.5.
Angelika Szumilo, head women’s basketball coach, athletics (Metro), and Ella Fajardo, freshman and Knights point guard, were interviewed on News12 New Jersey on “3-on-3 basketball proves to be popular event at Tokyo Olympics” in August.
Daniel Cassino, government/politics and executive director, FDU Poll (Flor), was quoted in the following July–August articles about various FDU polls: “Payne has favorables of 37% in Newark, new FDU Poll says,” “Newark mayor favorables at 60%, new Fairleigh Dickinson poll says,” “New Jerseyans want the SALT cap gone, poll finds,” “Black Newark Residents Say Their Schools Are Segregated, Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll Says” and “Poll: Newark sees little or no progress on police reform, most residents say” (New Jersey Globe); “FDU Poll: Newark Residents Love Murphy, Baraka, Booker; Ignore Payne, DiVincenzo” (tapinto.net); “White residents now comprise less than half of Morristown’s population, census shows” (morristowngreen.com); “Rare Bipartisanship — Most NJ Voters Want SALT Cap Removed” and “Want to Legally Bet on NJ College Games? Your Vote Is Needed in November” (New Jersey 101.5); “Poll: NJ Voters Want Property Tax Deduction Restored,” (New Jersey Business and insidernj.com); “Voters in new poll say bring back federal tax credit on local taxes” (njspotlight.com); “New Jersey Voters May Not Approve of In-State Collegiate Sports Betting” (elitesportsny.com); “Amendment to allow bets on Rutgers, other N.J. college teams unlikely to pass, poll says” (nj.com); “New Jersey Voters Don’t Want Betting on College Sports” (insidernj.com); “Amendment to allow gambling on N.J. college teams? FDU Poll says don’t bet on it passing” (ROI-NJ); and “New Jersey Poll Finds Little Support to End Ban on In-State College Sports Betting” (casino.org). He also was quoted in the following articles: “Newark Clerk: No Special Election for Newly Appointed Councilman At-Large Larry Crump” (tapinto.net); “Voters showed little interest in primary election” (njspotlight.com); “Are You Ready to Be a Dad? 8 Questions You Need to Answer First” and “Questioning Masculinity Can Make You Happier and Smarter” (inverse.com); “9/11 brought us together. Why is the coronavirus pandemic tearing us apart?” (northjersey.com); and “9/11 brought a sense of national unity. Why has the pandemic been marred by division?” (USA Today).
In Memoriam
William Bocchino, retired management/computer systems (Ruth), died on November 24, 2020, at the age of 93. He served in World War II and in the Korean War, and attended New York University and Harvard University. He began teaching at FDU in 1958. He started FDU’s first computer lab at the Rutherford Campus and wrote three books on computers and one on management information systems. He retired from FDU in 1993. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Lee; six children from his first wife, Lucia Bocchino: Willa (Michael Millet) and Serena, BA’82 (Metro), (Stephen Keough, BS’86 [Metro]) and Joshua (Rebecca), David, Marcus (Marie) and Alexander (Elena); 10 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
Elizabeth “Betty” Feeley, retired associate dean for student services, Becton College; and retired chair of physical education (Flor), died on August 6, 2021, at the age of 94. She joined FDU in 1964 and started the women’s varsity teams in tennis, field hockey and swimming, and was appointed physical education teacher in 1965. She was a pioneer for women’s equality in sports well before Title IX existed. In 1968, she was promoted to instructor of liberal arts and gained tenure in 1973 as an assistant professor. She retired from coaching in the early 1980s to become the director of academic advising. Later she retired from teaching and served as director of the Madison Success program and director of academic advising. In 1993, she was promoted to associate dean for student services in Becton College, a position she held until her retirement in 2018. The Florham Campus Maddy Awards named her a Student Government Association Auditor’s Choice awardee in May 2004, and she was inducted into the Division III Hall of Fame in 2004. In addition, she was named Education Opportunity Fund Teacher of the Year and was inducted into Omnicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society. She was predeceased by her husband, Richard. She is survived by her daughters, Collen Bauer and Claudia Feeley, and her husband Brent Knudson; grandchildren Alex and his wife, Kim, and Alison Bauer; and great-grandchildren Andrew, Daniel, Katelyn and Olivia.
Gertrude “Trudy” Levine, retired professor of computer science (Metro), died June 22, 2021, at the age of 84. She began her time at FDU with a fellowship in 1974. In 1976 she became a part-time faculty member and math and computer science on the Metropolitan Campus. She rose to assistant professor in 1980, associate professor in 1989 and full professor in 1995. She retired in 2017, after 43 years of service at FDU.
Sister Margherita Marchione, emerita, languages (Flor), died on May 19, 2021, at the age of 99. She entered the Religious Teachers Filippini in 1935, received the habit in 1938 and made her religious profession of vows in 1941. She joined FDU in 1965, where she taught Italian language and literature. She was the first nun to become a tenured professor at the University. The author of more than 45 books and 100 articles, she wrote Peter and Sally Sammartino, which chronicled the lives of FDU’s founder and first president and his wife, the school’s first dean of admissions. In 2004, Marchione received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from FDU for her educational accomplishments; her commitment to the ideals shared by the Sammartinos; and her dedicated efforts to preserve the Sammartinos’ legacy. A Fulbright scholar and Columbia University Garibaldi Scholar, she is best known for her research on figures such as Philip Mazzei and Pope Pius XII. She was awarded national and international honors and received awards for her literary and historical accomplishments, and for her outstanding contributions to higher education and Italian culture. Marchione also was a trustee of the Opera at Florham.
M. Patricia Warunek, BSN’82 (Ruth), biological sciences (Metro), died on June 4, 2021, at the age of 79. She joined FDU’s Rutherford Campus in 1970 and rose through the academic ranks to full professor. At the Metropolitan Campus she also served as director of the Honors Program. She also contributed on a national level as a member of the prestigious Portz Scholarship Committee of the National Collegiate Honors Council. Warunek’s academic and research interests bridged two disciplines: in the department of biological sciences and in the Henry P. Becton School of Nursing and Allied Health. In 2006, she was honored with the Distinguished Faculty Award for Teaching. Warunek prided herself on tailoring her teaching to the changing needs of her students, developed new undergraduate and graduate courses and kept pace with the revolutionary findings in her field. She gained her BS in Nursing in 1982 from the Rutherford Campus, all the while teaching full time. Students considered Warunek the best teacher they have ever had, and they talked about her patience and professionalism. She is survived by her husband, David Warunek, Becton College (Metro); a brother, Thomas McGinn; eight nieces and nephews; 25 grandnieces (including Sheila, who was the “joy of her life”) and nephews; two great-grand-nephews; and many cousins and friends.
Welcome
The University welcomes new full-time and part-time employees who joined FDU as of September 17, 2021.
Welcome to Mabel Akinyemi, lecturer, biological sciences (Flor); Jill Ameiorsano-Crawford, learning disabilities specialist, Regional Center for Learning Disabilities (Metro); Jason Amore, senior vice president for University advancement; Uchenna Baker, vice president for student affairs and dean of students, enrollment planning/effectiveness; Danielle Balsamo, University admissions counselor, undergraduate admissions (Flor); Dominick Barbarulo, assistant athletic trainer, athletics (Flor); Tyler Beebe, director of computing services (Metro); Max Berkowitz, sports information director, athletics (Flor); Gabriella Buckley, campus life coordinator, residence life (Flor); Brenye Burr, officer, public safety (Flor); Denise Chiang, lecturer, hospitality/tourism management (Van); Matthew Chiarello, senior associate director of data management, undergraduate admissions (Metro); Andrea Cole, assistant professor, social work (Flor); Carlo Colecchia, data coordinator, international/graduate admissions (Metro); Michael Cotto, visiting assistant professor, literature (Metro); Regginald Daniels, head women’s basketball coach, athletics (Flor); Sharon Dobrina, assistant to director of nursing, nursing/allied health (Flor); Una Doddy, clinical assistant professor, nursing (Metro); James Donnelly, assistant director for admissions/financial aid, pharmacy/health sciences (Flor); Sydnie Fatt, social media/public relations manager, communications (Flor); Courtney Ferrick, academic coordinator, Petrocelli Center for Continuing Studies (Metro); Abigail Goldman, clerk, human resources (Metro); Daniela Gonzalez, associate director of admissions operations, undergraduate admissions (Metro); Brandon Hall, assistant men’s basketball coach, athletics (Metro); Kaitlyn Healy, assistant women’s basketball coach, athletics (Metro); Christopher Humphreys, assistant director, Educational Opportunity Fund (Metro); Christina Inteso, clinical assistant professor, pharmacy practice (Flor); Rohan Jamal, lecturer, pharmacy (Flor); Benjamin Johnson, assistant professor, clinical psychology (Metro); James Jones, lecturer, criminal justice (Metro); Preston Jones, assistant director of athletic communications, athletics (Metro); Elma Kaiser, assistant professor, social work (Flor); Jillian Kesheki, campus life coordinator for student affairs, residence life (Flor); Anna Klubek, clinical instructor, nursing (Metro); Alexandra Kostis, assistant to director of theater, School of the Arts (Flor); Wenyi Kuang, assistant professor, supply chain management (Metro); Eunsun Kwon, assistant professor, social work (Flor); Shannon Logan, senior assistant to dean, Silberman College (Metro); Joseph Lopopolo, building manager/assistant men’s lacrosse coach, athletics (Flor); Kendall Luy, head men’s/women’s track and field coach, athletics (Flor); Kendall MacHak, assistant athletic trainer, athletics (Metro); Aubrey McCarrick, officer, public safety (Flor); Emma McNamara, international admissions counselor, international/graduate admissions (Metro); Amisha Mehta, clinical assistant professor, pharmacy practice (Flor); Mildred Miqueo, administrator for clinical affairs/recruitment/external relations, nursing/allied health (Metro); Samantha Monaco, assistant athletic trainer, athletics (Metro); Freda Moore, assistant director for web operations, communications (Flor); Louis Morrone, officer, public safety (Flor); Christine Mueller, assistant professor, occupational therapy (Flor); Lauren Muniz, senior sponsored programs specialist, grants/sponsored projects (Metro); Matthew Olencki, University admissions counselor, undergraduate admissions (Metro); Niharika Padiyal, assistant director of student services, undergraduate admissions/enrollment services (Van); Jessica Pandolf, head women’s lacrosse coach, athletics (Metro); Douglas Pescatore, manager of business analytics/strategic planning, institutional research/assessment (Metro); Noelle Picone, assistant women’s soccer coach, athletics (Metro); Robert Pignatello, senior vice president for operations; Emmanuel Roman-Castillo, assistant baseball coach, athletics (Metro); Marina Saad, assistant professor, criminal justice (Metro); Rachel Petts Santer, assistant professor, clinical psychology (Metro); David Simpson, assistant director, Educational Opportunity Fund (Flor); Justine Soto, administrative assistant, psychology/counseling (Metro); Christopher Stubbs, assistant professor, mechanical engineering/mechanical engineering technology (Metro); Lauren Sullivan, lecturer, nursing (Flor); Ashley Taneja, lecturer, pharmacy (Flor); Anthony Turon, director of first-year experience/student engagement, dean of students (Flor); Jakyrra Tyson, director of precollege/middle college programs, Petrocelli Center for Continuing Studies (Metro); Charles Volpi, CRM system analyst, management information systems (Metro); and Jeremy Wright-Kim, assistant professor, higher education (Metro).