Faculty, Staff — Update, In Memoriam, Welcome
Update
Gary Darden, history and chair, social sciences/history (Flor), did a visual presentation on “The Making of a Cosmopolitan Capital: Washington, D.C., from Frontier Town to Global Metropolis” at the Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum in Lenox, Mass.
Khyati Joshi, education (Metro), led a parent workshop on “Talking to Your Kids About Race and Racism” on October 6 at the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, Scotch Plains, N.J.
Larry Goodin, Becton College (Metro), was recognized by Most Influential People of African Descent in the Class of 2021 Creatives 100 Edition (Humanitarian, Activism and Religious category) in support of the United Nations International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. He also is the Metropolitan Campus’ liaison to the U.N.
Pharmacy faculty members at the Florham Campus led a series of research seminars for their students. The presenters were Hyunah Cho, pharmaceutical science; Kathleen Frey, pharmaceutical science; Yong Guo, pharmaceutical science and chair, pharmaceutical science; Paiboon Jungsuwadee, pharmaceutical science; and Maria Leibfried, pharmacy practice.
Works by Marie Roberts, art (Metro), are virtually on exhibit in a solo show at Wagner College. In addition, she was invited to be part of a holiday group show, “Small Works,” at the Gallery GAIA in Brooklyn, N.Y. Roberts was also invited to make a painting for the installation, “Your Flowers Are So Lovely They Have Made Me Well Again,” as part of a storefront-recovery program. The installation featured 19 artists who teach in ART YARD BKLYN’s programs for kids, teens and adults. Each artist identified a plant with healing properties and brings it to the fore in an inspired painting. Roberts chose to paint jonquil daffodils because the bulbs planted after 9/11 give joy when the flowers pop up in the spring. In November, she gave two presentations via Zoom: she talked about Coney Island and her journey as a visual artist at The San Jose Art History Club in San Jose, Calif., and spoke about her work and its relation to Coney Island as part of the yearlong Culture Survey course at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
Greg Herenda, head men’s basketball coach, athletics (Metro), received the Courageous – Adult Award at the 2021 YMCA of Greater Bergen County Sports Award Banquet held on November 23 at The Terrace in Paramus, N.J. The only intercollegiate coach recognized at this year’s banquet, Herenda had overcome great adversity. In 2018, while attending the NCAA men’s basketball tournament Final Four, he suffered two blood clots and a high fever over 15 days — including eight in intensive care. He wondered if he’d ever walk again. Nearly a year later, Herenda had made a full recovery and was on the sidelines to lead the Knights to its first NCAA tournament victory in 2019. To read more about his story go to “Knights’ Herenda Set to Receive YMCA Honor This Evening.”
Anita Rivers, executive director of community relations, enrollment management (Metro), will be one of the panelists at the Live2Lead 2021 ZSolutions Leadership Conference on December 9 at the Fair Lawn (N.J.) Recreation Center.
James Gifford, English; director of University Core; and director of editorial committee, FDU Press (Van), participated in a panel discussion on “The Pandemic — One year later, what have we learned?” in the Joint Annual Meeting of the British Columbia Council on Admission and Transfer. He has completed 10 years as editor of the “American Literature: The Twentieth Century” chapter of The Year’s Work in English Studies, the qualitative narrative bibliographical review of scholarship on English literature published by Oxford University Press and the English Association. It is the largest and most comprehensive work of its kind and the oldest evaluative work of literary criticism. “The Riddle-Master of Critical World-Building,” Gifford’s review of the book Patricia A. McKillip and the Art of Fantast World-Building, was published in Extrapolation. His poem “Bear Creek” was published in NōD Magazine, and his story “Candy Crush” was published in Pulp Mag. In March, Gifford presented a paper, “Walking Beyond Omelas: An Expanded Vision of Anarchism, Ethics and Subjectivity in Ursula K. Le Guin,” for the 42nd conference of the International Associate for the Fantastic in the Arts. He was also featured in a Q&A panel of “Mythopoeic Award Winners” along with writers Theodora Goss (Boston University) and Yoon Ha Lee, and hosted by Dennis Wise (University of Arizona) in MythCon 51 in July.
Shreya Patel, pharmacy practice (Flor), led a continuing-education pharmacy curriculum on “Direct Oral Anticoagulants for Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism Events in Acutely Ill Patients: A Comprehensive Guide for the Pharmacist” on November 11. She also led presentations in September and October. This is funded by an educational grant from Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and administered by Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC.
On November 6, Yelena Aronson, computer graphics (Metro), moderated a conversation between artists John Matos, FDU alumnus (AA’80 [Metro]), and In Son, both Members of the Hackensack (N.J.) Art Club. The event, called “Creative Café: Diversity in the Arts,” was cosponsored by FDU and the following libraries: Johnson (Hackensack), Englewood, Fort Lee, Bergenfield and New Milford.
Florham Campus faculty members Rebecca Chace, creative writing and director, MFA in creative writing and literature for educators; M. Kathryn Douglas, college writing; Harvey Hix, Becton College; Eliot Schrefer, Becton College and The New York Times bestselling author; Minna Zallman Proctor, creative writing and editor-in-chief, The Literary Review; and René Steinke, English and director, MFA in creative writing; The Literary Review staffers Flower Conroy, MFA’14 (Flor), associate editor; Andrew Felsher, assistant editor and MFA student; Lisa Voltolina Grgas, BA’06, MFA’ 17 (Flor), supervising editor; and MFA students and alumni joined online literary events in November and December. At the events, participants excerpts from their published and unpublished works. The events were hosted and conceptualized by alumna Heather Lang-Cassera, MFA’14 (Flor); world literature editor, The Literary Review; and college lecturer/faculty adviser, Nevada State College, Henderson, Nev.
Bradford Hurlbut, director of athletics (Metro), announced that Rob Warren, head coach of men’s/women’s golf, athletics (Metro), has been promoted director of golf. An FDU graduate (BS’03 [Metro]), Warren is in his 14th season at the helm of the Knights’ golf teams. He is a four-time NEC Coach of the Year and has led the women’s team to eight NEC championships and the men’s team to seven top-three finishes. To read more go to “Rob Warren Promoted to Knights’ Director of Golf.”
Peter Woolley, political science (Flor) and founding director, public/global affairs (Flor/Metro), and Daniel Cassino, government/politics and executive director, FDU Poll (Flor), cowrote the November op-ed “Are Pollsters the Worst Part of the Campaign Season?” for the New Jersey Globe.
Metropolitan Campus faculty members Athos Varduoniotis, Petrocelli Center, and Thomas Swanzey, English, were in the cast of The University Players’ November production of Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis.” It was directed by Varduoniotis, who is also the student theater group’s faculty adviser.
Jimmy Robertson, head football coach, athletics (Flor), was named Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Coach of the Year — the first football coach in FDU history to receive the award. On November 20, he led the Devils to its first victory in the 2021 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) James Lynah Bowl against the Saint Vincent College Bearcats (38-19). In his first official year, Roberts guided the Devils football team to a 6-4 record, to a fifth-place finish in the MAC and to an ECAC Bowl Game in the team’s first time since 1999. In addition, six members of the football team earned MAC honors: quarterback Anthony Caserta, wide receiver Connor Perez, defensive lineman Kenny Hands, All-MAC First Team; offensive lineman Brendan Egan and kicker Chris DiMedio, All-MAC Second Team; and tight end/long snapper James Rosciano IV, All-MAC Honorable Mention. To read more go to “Robertson Named MAC Football Coach of the Year; Six Devils Earn All-MAC Honors.”
“Multilingualism in the Global Village,” an article by Kathleen Stein-Smith, languages (Metro), was published in the November issue of Language Magazine. She presented at various conferences in November: “La Langue française et la culture francophone aux États-Unis,” at the WikiConvention Francophone 2021; “French and Foreign Language Advocacy in the Post-Covidian Era,” at the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) 2021 Virtual Convention; and “World Language Advocacy — Building Language Skills and Cultural Knowledge in a Multilingual World” at the NHAWLT (New Hampshire Association of World Language Teachers) 2021 Conference. Stein-Smith also presented at several state foreign language education conferences in October: in Delaware (Delaware Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages), Virginia (Foreign Language Association of Virginia), Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania State Modern Language Association), Massachusetts (Massachusetts Foreign Language Association) and New York (New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers).
In the news …
Lloyd Ultan, history (Metro), was quoted in the October article “Colin Powell’s early life was steeped in Jewish culture and Yiddish. It stayed with him,” posted on forward.com.
Peter Woolley, political science (Flor) and founding director, public/global affairs (Flor/Metro), and Daniel Cassino, government/politics and executive director, FDU Poll (Flor), were quoted in the November northjersey.com article “Once considered a sleepy race, New Jersey’s contest for governor may now be a bellwether.”
John Niser, director, International School of Hospitality, Sports, and Tourism Management, was quoted in the following articles: “Where to find fall travel deals: Midweek flights, hotels that cater to business travelers” in USA Today in October; and “How Frequent Flier Programs Are Changing in a Changed World” in The New York Times in November.
Bojana Berić-Stojšić, public health and director, Master of Public Health program (Flor), was quoted in the October article “U.S. Lifting Travel Ban for Fully Vaccinated Travelers from 33 Countries,” posted on verywellhealth.com.
Fernando Alonso, business, Hispanic Center (Metro), and director, The Bergen County Hispanic Republican Association, was quoted in the November nj.com article “Qué pasó with New Jersey’s Latino vote? Neither party tried hard enough to secure it.”
Wenyi Kuang, supply chain management (Metro), was quoted in the October nj.com article “Supply chain issues: Expect to spend more, see fewer holiday deals.”
Peter Burkholder, history (Flor), was quoted in the October article “Yes, Americans Are Divided, and an Essay Arguing Otherwise Perfectly Illustrates Why,” posted on the Cato at Liberty blog. The article talked about a survey that he conducted with the American Historical Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Alex Delaney, head fencing coach, athletics (Metro), was interviewed for the November Amsterdam News article “Fairleigh Dickinson University fencing grows in stature.”
Dana Glazer, Becton College (Flor), was interviewed in the November northjersey.com article “Movie filmed in Ridgewood, Paramus written, directed by local resident.” His indie film, “A Case of Blue,” was released in October.
A photo of Khyati Joshi, education (Metro), was included in the October article “At Montclair’s First Diwali Festival: Joy, Dancing, Celebration, Visibility,” posted on montclairlocal.news. At the event, she told the story of the exile of Rama, the seventh avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu.
Daniel Cassino, government/politics and executive director, FDU Poll (Flor), was quoted in the following articles about recent FDU polls: “NJ voters want Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices: 88%” and “Once largely ‘unaffiliated,’ NJ voters now solidly Democratic” (njspotlight.com); “Older New Jersey Voters Overwhelmingly Want Medicare to Negotiate Drug Prices,” “FDU: Murphy Holds 25-Point Lead Among Older Voters” and “FDU: Denial of Systemic Racism Drives Opposition to Police Reform” (Insider NJ); “Poll Finds Murphy Up Big Among Older NJ Voters. A COVID Effect?” and “More NJ Residents Now Believe There Is a ‘War on Christmas’ — Do You?” (New Jersey 101.5); “N.J. voters 50 and older give Murphy 25-point lead over Ciattarelli, new poll shows” and “Murphy keeps 9-point lead over Ciattarelli in final days of N.J. governor race, another poll shows” (nj.com); “ReThink Energy NJ poll shows large majority of NJ voters support stronger action to address climate change” (PRNewswire); and “Older NJ Residents Say Medicare Should Bargain with Drug Makers” (New Jersey 101.5 and Insider NJ); “New dog whistles in this year’s race for NJ governor” (Spot On New Jersey and njspotlight.com); “Voters Once Again Will Weigh in on New Jersey Gambling” (thesandpaper.net); “FDU Poll: Both Murphy and Ciattarelli Backers Want Full Pension Payments” and “Message from the FDU Poll: The New Jersey Electorate Remains Racially Polarized —and that Accounts for the Closeness of the Gubernatorial Race” (Insider NJ and Spot On New Jersey); “FDU poll puts Murphy 9 points ahead of Ciattarelli” and “FDU poll finds college sports gambling narrowly losing 39–41%” (New Jersey Globe); “Another poll gives Murphy 9-point lead over Ciattarelli” (NJBIZ, Newsweek and MSN.com); “NJ Election 2021: Murphy, Ciattarelli make final pitches as big money flows in” (app.com); “As New Jersey enters the final days of early voting, Murphy maintains a polling lead over Ciattarelli” (The Washington Newsday); “Murphy Holds 9-point Lead Over Ciattarelli in Two New Polls on Eve of Election” (nbcnewyork.com); “New Jersey Ballot Question Includes Expanded College Sports Betting. Will it Pass?” (actionnetwork.com); “Poll Results Show New Jersey Sports Betting Ballot Question May Be On Shaky Ground” (elitesportny.com); “NJ Voters Pass on College Sports Betting Expansion” (law360.com); “New Jersey Voters Reject Amendment that Would Allow Betting on State’s College Teams” (covers.com); “As Voters Decide on College Tweak, NJ Sports Betting Rebels Look Back” (njonlinegambling.com); and “Pollster: Police Reform One Key Reason NJ Governor Race So Close” (New Jersey 101.5 and 92.7 WOBM). He also was quoted in the October and November articles “Republicans resurrect ‘War on Christmas’ rhetoric for the COVID era” (americanindependent.com); “They’re Not Dems. They’re Not Republicans. Why 2.4 Million NJ Voters Have No Party” (nbcphiladelphia.com), “What is the Murphy mandate for NJ in a second term?” (pix11.com and vegnanews.com); “N.J. Gov. Murphy ekes out a win, erasing big lead by GOP challenger” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette); “Murphy says he’s not changing after narrow win, but ‘we clearly need to touch more people’” (northjersey.com) and “Why Republicans are embracing Kyle Rittenhouse as their mascot” (The Guardian). Cassino was interviewed on the PIX11 Morning News to recap the Murphy-Ciattarelli debate highlights and grade the candidates.
In Memoriam
John Bullough, retired music (Metro/Flor), died on April 27, 2020, at the age of 91. He joined FDU’s Metropolitan Campus in 1964 as assistant professor of music. In 1969 he was appointed deputy of the fine arts department at the Florham Campus and was subsequently promoted to associate professor of music. He retired in 1990. He was an organist and choirmaster at Saint Paul’s Church in Englewood, N.J., for 22 years, and later served as interim choir director at Grace Church in Nyack, N.Y. He was predeceased by his wife, Dorothy Baines Bullough, and is survived by his children: John Jr. and his wife, Barbara; Lynn Bullough Lazar and her husband, David; and Patricia Bullough; and two granddaughters, Morgan Lazar and Alexandra Lazar.
Victoria D’Alessandro, retired assistant to the dean, Petrocelli College, (Metro), died on November 11 at the age of 88. She joined FDU’s Bursar Office in 1979. She then went on to Petrocelli College (originally Edward Williams College), where she served executive assistant in the Office of the Associate Dean. In 2004, she received the Pillar Award, an honor given to individuals who made extraordinary contributions to the University. She retired in 2012. Predeceased by her husband, Constantino D’Alessandro, she is survived by her children: Carmine (Sherri), Kurt (Lisa) and John (Leigh Ann); grandchildren Gabrielle, Christopher, Jimmy, Olivia, Emily, Luke, Elise, Matthew, Amanda and Michelle; and nephew, James Dramis.
Richard “Rich” Panicucci, emeritus, quantitative analysis (Metro), and alumnus, BS’64, MBA’96 (Metro), died on November 26 at the age of 78. He joined FDU in 1966 as lecturer in business management. He had a 45-year career with the University rising to the rank of full professor. He also served in a variety of capacities: chairman of the accounting and quantitative analysis, and later decision sciences departments; director of the Academic Advisement Center; NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative; associate dean for student services; and eventually assistant provost for campus life until his retirement in 2011. He was known for his advocacy of students and in 1980, he created and directed the first formal academic advisement center, which was duplicated University wide. The recipient of multiple University awards, he also received the Distinguished Faculty Award for Teaching. He also received several awards for his contributions and dedication to the athletics department —the Athletic Department Award for service to student-athletes in 2000, the Rogers Muse Award for his special contributions and dedication in 2004 and induction into the Division I Hall of Fame in 2012 as an administrator. In 2010 the Student-Athlete Service Award was permanently renamed The Richard Panicucci Student-Athlete Service Award. He is survived by his wife, Carol; brother, Ronald Panicucci; son, Richard, and his wife Michele; daughter, Lisa Johnson, and her partner, John Sciarra; and grandchildren, John, Sarah, Ryan and Aaron. The family would appreciate memorial gifts to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. To read more about him go to “FDU Mourns the Passing of Hall of Famer Rich Panicucci.”
Welcome
The University welcomes new full-time and part-time employees who joined FDU as of November 29, 2021.
Welcome to David Biel, research/instruction librarian, Monninger Center for Learning and Research (Flor); Darlene Cruz, associate director of annual giving, University advancement (Metro); Richard Cruz, accounting manager for financial reporting, accounting (Metro); Loren Darzano, assistant director of campus life for student engagement, campus life (Metro); Cassandra Deocera, assistant professor of and simulation learning coordinator, physician assistant (PA) studies program, pharmacy/health sciences (Flor); Marilena Desantis, psychological counselor, Counseling and Psychological Services (Flor); Alexandra Fitzpatrick, manager of prospect research/database, University advancement (Metro); Emmanuel Hall, officer, public safety (Flor); Christine Jansen, research/instruction librarian, Monninger Center for Learning and Research (Flor); Brandon Lake, officer, public safety (Flor); Leanne Minkoff, research/instruction librarian, Metropolitan Campus Library (Metro); Scott Nelson, periodicals coordinator/circulation assistant, Monninger Center for Learning and Research (Flor); Bhavinkumar Patel, coordinator of clinical affairs, physician assistant (PA) studies program, pharmacy/health sciences (Flor); Ashlee Pierce, coordinator of disability support services, Academic Support Center (Metro); Julia Powers, graduate admissions counselor, graduate admissions (Metro); Melissa Quinn, manager of social media, Silberman College of Business (Flor); Rebecca Reinfeld, staff nurse, physician assistant (PA) studies program, pharmacy/health sciences (Flor); Betzaida Rivera, senior enrollment services clerk, enrollment services (Flor); Marc Singer, director, Petrocelli Center for Continuing Studies (Metro); Arthur Steinmetz, library clerk, Metropolitan Campus Library (Metro); and Benita Wyche, administrative assistant, criminology/criminal justice (Metro).