Faculty, Staff — Update, In Memoriam, Welcome November 2025

Update

Combination photo: book cover on left and person on right

Matthieu Boyd, literature and chair, humanities (Flor), published a new translation of the early Irish epic Táin Bó Cúailnge, “The Cattle-Raid of Cooley.” Originally composed in the Irish language in the early Middle Ages, this is widely considered Ireland’s equivalent to Homer’s Iliad. Boyd has been praised for his work and has been called “one of the best young scholars in the field of medieval Celtic studies today,” by Joseph Falaky Nagy, Henry L. Shattuck Professor of Irish Studies at Harvard University. Falaky Nagy predicts that Boyd’s work here is “bound to be read and used by many scholars, students, and general readers interested in Irish heroic saga and the fascinating world, both real and imagined, it reflects.” To read more go to “Professor Publishes New Translation of Ireland’s National Epic.”

President Michael Avaltroni and Daniel Cassino, government/politics and executive director, FDU Poll (Flor), have been recognized among New Jersey’s most influential education leaders. The annual list honors individuals who are “helping to make New Jersey a better place to live, work and do business through their professional accomplishments and public service in the education sector.” To read more go to “Two FDU Leaders Named to 2025 NJBIZ Education Power List.” The complete list, which features 69 honorees, appeared in NJBIZ’s September 15, 2025, edition.

James Gifford, humanities, coordinator of Core program and director of Editorial Committee, Fairleigh Dickinson University Press (Van), had his chapter on “Orwell, Anarchism, & Revolution” published in The Oxford Handbook of George Orwell. He also did several presentations: “The Anarchist Fantastic: Genre, Disappointment, and Radical Nostalgia” at the Anarchism Across the Arts conference at the University of Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia Canada, in March; “From Easter Eggs to Clinamen: A Theory of Allusion in Lawrence Durrell, Samuel Delany, and David Eddings” at the Louisville Conference on Literature & Culture Since 1900 at the University of Louisville, Ky., in February; and “Pamela Dean, Allusion, and the Word Incarnate: The Mythic Method in Modern Fantasy and Its Modernist Frame” at the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts in Orlando, Fla., in September. At the Florida event, Gifford was also the Scholarly Respondent and chair for the creative panel featuring readings from recent novels by Hugo and Nebula award winners and finalists John Kessel, Brenda Clough and Tenea Johnson. In addition, he joined the Research Standing Committee of the British Columbia Council on Articulation and Transfer.

Janet Boyd, writing and interim dean, Becton College (Metro), and Mutiara Mohamad, University director, Programs in English for Academic and Professional Success (Metro), were appointed co-directors of FDU’s Global Scholars Program for its New Jersey campuses effective fall 2025. They join Gudrun Dreher, director of the Global Scholars Program at the Vancouver Campus.

Group of people wearing hard hats and holding shovels to break ground on new construction

Anita Rivers, second from right, and William “Pat” Schuber, right, join leaders, donors and officials at the groundbreaking for the new History Museum at Historic New Bridge Landing.

Anita Rivers, chief community relations and workforce development officer, and William “Pat” Schuber, homeland security (Metro) and former Bergen County Executive, were among those who broke ground on a new 3,750-square-foot museum at the Historic New Bridge Landing in River Edge, N.J., for the Bergen County Historical Society.

Martha Papson Garcia, director, veterans services (Metro), participated in the “Fostering Education Pathways for Women Veterans” panel at the Women Veteran Symposium held at the Metropolitan Campus on November 7. The discussion gave her the opportunity to share the results of her doctoral dissertation on “The Consideration of Institution Fit and Institution Match by Veterans Using the Post-9/11 GI Bill When Choosing to Attend a Regional 4-year University. Matthew Wells, executive director, New Jersey Small Business Development Center at FDU (Metro), was also a panelist.

Roger Forsthoff, Becton College (Metro), led an interactive talk about “Violence, Family and Self” in October at both the Florham and Metropolitan campuses. The discussion covered what mass killers and serial killers teach people about their own families and how it could shed a light on the subtle dynamics of domestic violence.

Scott McGregor, accounting and chair, accounting/taxation/law/information sciences, and Yigal Rechtman, Silberman College (both Flor), were among the 2025 Ovation Award winners (Exceptional Educators category) who were chosen by the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Derek Phillips, director, MS in clinical psychopharmacology program (Metro), received two awards at the American Psychology Association (APA) Convention held in Denver, Colo., in August: “Distinguished Contribution to the Advancement of Pharmacotherapy at the National Level” from APA Division 55 (Society for Prescribing Psychology) and “Distinguished Professional Contribution” from APA Division 42 (Psychologists in Independent Practice). On November 17, he will become the inaugural director of psychiatry at Arcus Behavioral Health & Wellness, a nonprofit group psychology practice in Chicago, Ill., that is dedicated to serving the LGBTQIA+ community. Phillips was elected to several posts: 2026 chair of the APA Designation Committee for Postdoctoral Education and Training Programs in Psychopharmacology for Prescriptive Authority, known as the APA RxP Designation Committee; president-elect of APA Division 42 in 2026. He was also appointed to the Illinois Clinical Psychologists Licensing and Disciplinary Board. Phillips cowrote the article “Enthusiasm for RxP grows as the field makes a substantial & cost-effective public health impact: A response to Robiner & Tompkins” published in the June 2025 issue of Clinical Psychology: Science & Practice.

Man in chef's attire working on a dish

Alumnus Chad Schoonveld, BA’08, MS’21 (Metro)

Jong-Chae “JC” Kim, sports management and chair, International School of Hospitality, Sports, and Tourism Management (Metro), announces that alumnus Chad Schoonveld, BA’08, MS’21 (Metro), has been named captain of Team USA for the 2028 Culinary Olympics, which will be held in Stuttgart, Germany. Schoonveld is a professor and department chair at Brookdale Community College’s culinary arts program. Making the team involved an intensive screening process that included interviews, background checks and a multi-day tryout at Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I. Schoonveld earned the highest score and a gold medal in the competition — securing his spot on the team. To read more go to “This Chef is Olympics Bound!”

Allen Cohen, music (Flor), will speak about “Scoring the Movies: A History of Film Music” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at the Livingston (N.J.) Public Library. His lecture will trace the evolution of music written for film and will illustrate this journey with audio and video examples. Cohen will also discuss the aesthetics of film music, its role in storytelling, the variety of styles composers use and the technological changes that have shaped the art form.

“Governing access and agency: cooperative and non-cooperative forms influence small-scale fisher livelihood vulnerability and adaptation,” a study led by Fiona Gladstone, human geography (Metro), was published in Ecology & Society on September 30. The research analyzed five fishing communities in Baja California Sur, Mexico, between 2018 and 2023. It examined how cooperative and non-cooperative governance arrangements influenced responses to COVID-19, climate variability, and shifting policy landscapes. Supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Gladstone’s research underscores the need for climate adaptation and fisheries policies to account for the wide range of vulnerabilities across different organizational structures worldwide. To read more go to “Study Reveals How Governance Shapes Fisheries Resilience.”

Meghan Sacks, criminology and coordinator, criminology/criminal justice (Flor), and Amy Shlosberg, criminology (both Flor), hosted a live episode of their Woman and Crime podcast on November 5 at the Florham Campus. Titled “Women and Prison: Voices from Edna Mahan,” the episode featured women who were formerly incarcerated at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, Clinton, N.J. They shared their stories and struggles and spoke about what life beyond the prison walls was like. The facility had recently been in the news regarding its scandal, impending closing, and dismissal of charges against prison guards. To read more go to “‘Women and Crime’ Live at FDU.”

Two book covers: one in Turkish, one in English

From left are the Turkish and American covers of Kara Alaimo’s book.

The Turkish edition of Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls – And How We Can Take It Back, by Kara Alaimo, communication and coordinator, communication (Metro), was published by Doğan Egmont Publishing Co. in October. This is the first non-English edition of her book, whose Turkish title translates to Online Traps. According to Alaimo, her involvement in Collaborative Online Interactive Learning (COIL) was instrumental in having her book published in Türkiye (previously known as Turkey). Alaimo teaches a COIL course called International Communication with Prof. Banu Bicakci from Izmir University of Economics in Türkiye each semester. And it was through Prof. Bicakci’s connections that Over the Influence ended up being published there — by one of the largest publishers in the country. She also wrote the following analysis pieces for CNN: “You haven’t screwed up your kids by letting them use social media. An expert has tips for what to do”; “Kids are getting smartphones at much younger ages than many experts recommend. How to handle it”; “What your teenage son is really seeing on social media, according to new survey”; “Exhausted? The reason may be how you’re using technology.”

President Michael Avaltroni was one of the speakers at the September 30 event on the “Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Healthcare — What It Means to Your Business,” sponsored by the Commerce & Industry Association of New Jersey and held at the Florham Campus.

Eleanor McGlinchey, psychology and director of clinical training (Metro), cowrote a study on “Prioritizing Sleep Health in Foster Care: Trauma-informed Considerations for Policy,” which was published in the September 18 issue of the Social Policy Report journal of the Society for Research in Child Development. This report provides four evidence-based and trauma-informed policy considerations to inform states’ policies to protect and promote foster children’s sleep health and development.

“Longitudinal Measures of Masculinity and Femininity: Stability, Change, and Trump” an article by Daniel Cassino, government/politics and executive director, FDU Poll (Flor), was published in the Politics & Gender online journal on November 14. On October 15, he spoke about “Polling Insights on NJ’s Gubernatorial Race and Key Statewide Contests” at Ocean County College in Toms River, N.J. Cassino cowrote the study on “Femininity, LGBTQ Identity and Paranormal Belief: Doing Gender and Religious Individualism,” which was published in The Sociological Quarterly. He also wrote the following op-eds for The Times of India: “What Mamdani has in common with Trump,” “An uncommon assassination” and “Why Trump wants US military in American cities.”

Camila Mafla, chemistry laboratory and instrumentation manager, and Christian Traba, Olsen College (both Metro), cowrote the article “Synthesis of Antimicrobial Nanocomplexes Using Argon Plasma Chemistry,” which was published in the ACS Applied Nano Materials journal on October 9.

Marc Diener, psychology (Metro), cowrote the article “Therapist affect focus and patient outcomes in psychodynamic therapy: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis” published in Psychotherapy journal’s September issue.

Omer Topaloglu, marketing and chair, marketing/management/entrepreneurship (Metro), delivered a talk about “Beyond the Bin: Why Food Waste Hurts More Than We Think” on September 14 as part of the TEDx Bergen County Academies Voices of Tomorrow event. The presentation was based on a paper he cowrote, “The impact of retail strategies, utilitarian benefits, shopping and holiday habits on consumer’s food waste behavior,” which was published in the June 23, 2025, issue of the Journal of Foodservice Business Research.

Lynette Pujol, deputy director, MS in clinical psychopharmacology program, and Derek Phillips, director, MS in clinical psychopharmacology program (both Metro), cofounded the American Board of Psychopharmacological Psychology, which is provisionally affiliated with the American Board of Professional Psychology. Phillips serves as founding president and Pujol is founding vice president.

Carolynn Julien, associate provost for research and sponsored projects (Metro), is inviting full-time FDU faculty members to apply to the SEED Grant Funding Opportunity, a program that supports small, partnership-driven projects that broaden participation in regional innovation and research ecosystems. The project requirements are as follows: the Principal Investigator (PI) must be a full-time FDU faculty member (any rank; tenure track or clinical track); must include at least one external partner (e.g., higher education, industry, government, healthcare, nonprofit); must show a clear path to sustain collaboration beyond the seed year; and must be accompanied by a one-page partner letter confirming role, partnership, and readiness to participate in the proposed project. The deadline to submit applications is Friday, December 5, at 5 p.m. EST. Winning faculty members receive up to $5,000 per project. In addition, Julien announced that the Office of Grants and Sponsored Projects has launched a Grant Writing Support Service that has been made possible by the National Science Foundation EPIIC Award. This is available for faculty members who are preparing proposals in which FDU is the lead institution. They are encouraged to seek this support early in the proposal-development process. Registration is necessary for grant-writing assistance. For inquiries on the SEED Grant Funding Opportunity or the Grant Writing Support Services contact Jeiselyn Morales-Blasucci, project coordinator, grants/sponsored projects (Metro), at j.moralesblasucci@fdu.edu.

Peter Woolley, political science (Flor) and chair, public/global affairs, moderated discussions/conversations with New Jersey Governor candidates Jack Ciattarelli (Republican nominee) and Mikie Sherrill (Democrat nominee) when they visited the Florham Campus in October. At the annual conference of the American Political Science Association held in September, Woolley did two presentations: “Perceptions of Segregation, Diversity, and Solutions” with Daniel Cassino, government/politics and executive director, FDU Poll (Flor); and “Policy Research and Residential Segregation.”

As part of the Division of Students Affairs Wisdom Wednesday Series, Juhi Bhatt, University associate dean for student affairs, presented on “Understanding Generation Z: A Leadership Workshop” on November 5 via Zoom.

Man with books

On Tuesday, November 18, Frederick Engram, Jr., higher education (Metro), will speak about “Black Joy! As a Powerful Tool of Resilience and Resistance in Education and Society” as part of the Honors Lecture Series of the Cheyney University Honors Academy in Pennsylvania. In October, he discussed his book, Black Liberation through Action and Resistance: MOVE, in a conversation with Shabaz Brown, director of the Intercultural Student Engagement Center, University of Texas at Arlington, at the Pan-African Connection Bookstore and Resource Center in Dallas, Tex. Engram, who is pursuing a master’s degree in legal studies at Seton Hall Law School in Newark, N.J., was featured on the library’s screens because of his book. He was also a panelist at a virtual discussion on “Anti-Blackness and Public Policy” presented by the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Committee on Public Policy.

“Artist in Garden,” an oil painting by Richard Castellana, emeritus, humanities/fine arts (Metro), was among those on display at the “Vertical Visions” exhibit, which will run until Friday, November 14, at the University Hall Art Gallery on the Metropolitan Campus. The group exhibit features works by artists from the Blue Mountain Gallery.

In September, Kyle Kattelman, political science, director, Fairleigh Institute for Lifelong Learning, and coordinator, individualized studies BA with social science concentrations (Metro), spoke about “Terrorism to an American: Using the American Identity to Understand the Framing of Political Violence” at the Metropolitan Campus Library and via Zoom.

Mary Templeton, nursing, director of clinical laboratories (Metro) and Student Nursing Association (SNA) faculty adviser, announces that the Student Nursing Association (SNA) on both the Metropolitan and Florham campuses spearheaded a donation campaign in support of global health in Cusco, Peru. During a two-week period, members of the University community were asked to donate vitamins, personal-hygiene products, sanitizers and disinfectant wipes as well as a variety of medical supplies such as gloves, bandages, antiseptics, pain relievers and allergy medicines. The SNA worked with the pediatric residency group of Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, N.J., who will be sending one of their residents to Peru in December.

Smooth Sailing logo, woman and SUCCESS logo

Narmene Hamsho, center, is involved with both Smooth Sailing and S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

Narmene Hamsho, psychology (Metro), is co-principal investigator of a federal grant from the Institute of Education Sciences that was obtained with the help of FDU’s Office of Grants and Sponsored Projects. The $3.6-million grant, which covers a five-year period (2023–2028), will be used to “evaluate the efficacy of the Smooth Sailing professional development (PD) program for improving the student-teacher relationships (STRs) and academic, social and emotional-behavioral outcomes for early elementary-age autistic students.” The research will take place in elementary schools in urban and suburban communities across Massachusetts and California. Participants will include 150 general-education teachers in kindergarten through second grade who have one or more autistic students in their classrooms, 150 autistic students and students’ parent(s). Hamsho is the lead author of the article, “We Need our own Movement: Embracing Cultural Humility to Reframe Western Perspectives of Autism for Global Contexts,” in press with School Psychology International. According to Hamsho, “This article builds on the larger scope of work that the S.U.C.C.E.S.S. (Supporting Underserved Communities to Cultivate Engaged and Successful Students) research lab is putting forward, which is seeking to shed light on global disparities in autism research and understand the needs of the most underserved communities around the world.” She founded the S.U.C.C.E.S.S. lab, which is based within the College of Psychology and Counseling. The lab’s research team is interdisciplinary and includes student research assistants at the high school, undergraduate and graduate levels of training. “We greatly value learning from different perspectives, so we even have FDU students who are working across the University majoring in criminal justice and writing,” she added.

On October 13, Christopher Stubbs, mechanical engineering/mechanical engineering technology (Metro), co-led a virtual workshop on “Applied AI for Academic Impact,” which focused on responsible and ethical AI in academia and explored how to AI can be used effectively across academia’s three core areas: teaching, research and operations. Sponsored by the Office of Grants and Sponsored Projects, the workshop was made possible by U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Award #2433183.

Metropolitan Campus administrators and staff who presented at LEAD Now workshops hosted by student life this fall included Uchenna Baker, vice president for student affairs and Division III athletics administration and dean of students (“Self-reflection on Our Own Leadership”); Kristin Cothran, director, Transforming College Campuses (“The Rule of Thirds Mindset and Mental Well-being”); Loren Darzano, assistant director of campus life for student engagement (“Who Needs Lemons? Creating Intentional Flexibility”); and Rosa Santana, University director for career development (“The Hook-Up [Professional Edition]: Where Connections Click and Careers Grow”).

Becton College faculty members were among the contributors to volumes 103 and 104 of The Year’s Work in English Studies. They are James Gifford, humanities, coordinator of Core program and director of Editorial Committee, Fairleigh Dickinson University Press (Van) — Chapter 1 Poetry and Chapter 4 Genre; Orion Ussner Kidder, English for Professional Success and coordinator, Vancouver Academic Writing Centre (Van) — Chapter 6B Comics (volume 103 only); Adam Rudder, humanities and program coordinator, BA in individualized studies (Van) — Chapter 7A African American Writing; Michael Cotto, literature (Metro), Chapter 7B African American Writing (volume 104 only); and Antonio Velásquez, Spanish (Metro) — Chapter 9 Latino, Asian American and General Ethnic Writing. Gifford edits the chapter on “American Literature: The Twentieth Century” and has been contributing to The Year’s Work in English Studies for more than 15 years.

Five headshots of men

From left are James Gifford, Michael Cotto, Orion Kidder, Adam Rudder and Antonio Velásquez.

Robert McGrath, psychology and deputy director of clinical training (Metro), cowrote the article “Prescribing psychologists already make a difference: A response to Robiner and Tompkins,” published in the June issue of Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice.

Opie, general manager, WFDU-FM (Metro), announces that WFDU Nights will be held at 7 p.m. at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, N.J. on Saturday, November 22, with Tommy James and the Shondells; and on Saturday, December 13, a Holiday Doo Wop featuring Jay Siegel’s Tokens, Chris Montez, Joey Dee, Brian Hyland, The Excellents, The Fireflies, Classic Sounds and Tom Schizzano & The LAR Enterprises Band. WFDU-FM’s DJs will be at the event for a meet-and-greet with its listeners before the shows start. WFDU Nights were also held in October featuring “The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA” and “Bachman-Turner Overdrive: The Roll On Down the Highway 2025 Tour.” The events are made possible by bergenPAC’s support of WFDU-FM.

Empathy Training sessions hosted by the Center for Empathy Research and Training were held at the Metropolitan and Florham campuses this fall semester. The workshops were led by Juhi Bhatt, associate dean of students, University director for student rights and responsibilities/deputy Title IX coordinator; Benjamin Johnson, psychology (Metro); and Amanda Zelinski, pharmaceutical science (Flor).

In the news …

Hispanic Center and Center for Student Success administrators and staff Irene Oujo, executive director; Luz Helena Flores, associate director for recruitment and community; and Arianne Alvarez, transition specialist (all Metro), were interviewed in the November 9 episode of “Tiempo” at ABC7 News, where they talked about the Hispanic Center and its special educational offerings such as FDU Promise/Latino Promise Program, Avanza, Gateway to the Future/Puerta al Futuro and HACER.

Peter Burkholder, history (Flor), was quoted in The Chronicle for Higher Education article “Why Does the Trump Compact Talk About Grading? The desire for objective grants connects to broader ideas about merit” posted on October 16.

President Michael Avaltroni was quoted in the article “‘Downton Abbey’-like college campus in England sold to N.J. alumni group,” posted on msn.com and nj.com.

Kyle Kattelman, political science, director, Fairleigh Institute for Lifelong Learning, and coordinator, individualized studies BA with social science concentrations (Metro), was quoted in the article “League forum marks Constitution Day with urgent call to defeat democracy,” posted on thepressgroup.net. He was one of the panelists in the Constitution Day discussion hosted by the League of Women Voters Northern Valley in September at the Westwood (N.J.) Community Center.

Peter Woolley, political science (Flor) and chair, public/global affairs, was interviewed on WBAI-NY about New Jersey’s and Virginia’s elections for governor in October and on the September 28 episode of The Point with Marcia Kramer on “What impact will Mike Sherrill’s Navy records have on New Jersey governor’s race?” He was quoted in the following articles: “Bramnick and Cryan Go Head-to-Head Post-Election Day,” on insidernj.com; “Debate challenges arise in Jersey City’s runoff election,” on yahoo.com; “President Trump’s ‘big, beautiful’ budget bill is impacting the N.J. governor’s race. Here’s how.” on cbsnews.com; and “Transportation Secretary Duffy blames Democrats for shutdown; polls disagree” on msn.com.

Kara Alaimo, communication (Metro), was interviewed by CNN for the feature “They grew up online. Now some teens are choosing to log off.”

Damien Holland, executive director of operations (Van), was quoted in the article “Discover your future with FDU Vancouver’s first open house,” posted on vancouverisawesome.com in October.

Opie, general manager, WFDU-FM (Metro), was quoted in the following: “Inside Fairleigh Dickinson University’s radio station, broadcasting since 1971” on northjersey; and “WFDU: How One Small Radio Station Hopes To Conquer the Future By Mining the Past” on medium.com.

Daniel Cassino, government/politics and executive director, FDU Poll (Flor), was interviewed in the following shows: on NPR Radio’s Weekend Edition Sunday’s November 2 episode on “New Jersey and Virginia’s races will be powered by the soaring cost of electricity”; on Fox5 on “Connecting America,” USA Today’s streaming news show on September 30 about the New York City Mayoral Race; My9 New Jersey Now on November 3 about the “NJ Gubernatorial Election Preview,” on October 27 about “National vs. Local Issues in the Race for Governor,” October 21 about “The Evolving Political Landscape,” on October 6 in a “One-On-One with Democratic Nominee for N.J. Governor U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill” and on September 22 about the “Governor’s Race and Transparency”; and on News12 New Jersey on September 10 about a recent FDU poll on “NJ Voters Say Farming Central to NJ Economy.” He also was interviewed on WABC-AM and on WOR 710 AM about the gubernatorial race.

Cassino was quoted in various publications about the following FDU polls:

He was also quoted in the following articles: “Voters’ anger over high electricity bills and data centers loom over 2026 midterms” (abcnews.go.com, borneobulletin.com, thewashingtonpost.com, spectrumlocalnews.com [Associated Press]); “Voter Discontent Over Rising Electricity Costs Shapes Midterm Elections” (ssbcrack.com); “NJ Gov. candidates head into the final stretch” (pix11.com); “Jack Ciattarelli Walks the Trump Tightrope in Jersey” (time.com); “Soaring electricity bills could be the sleeper campaign issue of 2025” (illuminem.com); “Soaring electricity bills are squeezing households as utilities seek higher rates” (cbsnews.com); “Brutal attack ads hide grim truth: Neither N.J. gov candidate will save your wallet” (nj.com); “New Jersey Hispanic, Latino voters swung sharply to Mikie Sherrill — wiping out 2024 GOP gains, data shows,” “Ciattarelli enjoys Trump’s support but walks a fine line appealing to voters in MAGA-bashing NJ” and “Ciattarelli’s allies seize on Mikie Sherrill’s cautious campaign as NJ gov race heats up: ‘The Kamala Harris of New Jersey’” (nypost.com); “Mikie Sherrill enlists prominent Democrats in bid for New Jersey governor” (phillyvoice.com); “Jack Ciattarelli Chances of Winning NJ Governor One Day to Election: Polls” and “Full List of New Jersey Democrats Endorsing Ciattarelli Over Sherrill” (newsweek.com); “The entire NJ Assembly is up for election. What do you need to know for November?” (northjersey.com); “NJ Governor’s Race Heats Up As Mikie Sherrill Leans on National Star Power” (newhopefreepress.com); “Gov. Murphy Wants Role as South Jersey Advocate Part of His Legacy” (thesunpapers.com); “Ciattarelli plans for lawsuit: The latest drama in the race for New Jersey governor” (yahoo.com and PIX11); “Why Mikie Sherrill makes N.J. Dems so nervous” (nj.com); “New Jersey’s 80 Assembly seats on ballot Tuesday” and “Dem lawmakers come to Mikie Sherrill’s aid in her bid to become NJ governor” (newjerseymonitor.com); “Ciattarelli, Sherrill discuss state’s economic hurdles” (usatoday.com and northjersey.com); “Polls Reveal Front-Runner in NJ Governor’s Race” (newsbreak.com); “‘Political fault lines’: ‘Soaring’ utility bills ‘haunt candidates’ in competitive races” (newsbreak.com and alternet.org); “Montclair Gets Write-In Candidate in School Board Race. What Are Her Chances?” (montclairlocal.news); “Soaring electricity bills could be the sleeper campaign issue of 2025” (washingtonpost.com); “Four weeks left in NJ’s rough-and-tumble race for governor” (newsfromthestates.com and newjerseymonitor.com); “After heated political campaign, Sherrill faces tough budget realities as NJ governor,” “Trump’s threat to kill Hudson River Gateway tunnel was a political gift to Democrats,” “Early voting surges in New Jersey’s gubernatorial election,” “A Ciattarelli defamation lawsuit against Sherrill may violate NJ election rules,” “NJ Dems outpacing GOP in mail-in gubernatorial ballots by 125K, state data shows” and “A microcosm of the NJ governor’s race? Welcome to Morris County” (gothamist.com); “A Jersey guy’s pitch to voters: My family’s ‘been here for 100 years’” (Politico and yahoo.com); “What the numbers say about Mikie Sherrill’s big win in NJ governor’s race” and “NJ governor’s race: Where to watch first Sherrill, Ciattarelli debate” and “Q&A: What is microbetting? How addictive is it?” (njspotlightnews.org); “Ciattarelli Appeals to Nativist Voters in N.J. Governor’s Race” (talk995.com and newsmax.com, ); “Where To Watch First Sherrill, Ciattarelli Debate on Sept. 21” (myveronanj.com); and “What to watch for during Sunday’s gubernatorial debate” (newjerseyglobe.com).

In Memoriam

Deborah “Debbie” Daniele, former circulation coordinator at the Metropolitan Campus Library, died on October 23. She had been with FDU until August 2025 and had been the library’s circulation coordinator for the last 27 years. She is survived by her husband of 43 years, Peter; son Peter (Michele); grandchild, Aiden; twin sister, Judith Skorupa, assistant to the head of technical service, Metropolitan Campus Library; sister-in-law, Karen (Tom); brother-in-law, Alfred (Theresa); and nieces and nephews, Joanne, Thomas, Jamie, Anthony, Kyle, Chelsea, Alexa and Rocco.

Welcome

The University welcomes new full-time and part-time employees who joined FDU as of November 10, 2025.

Welcome to Kyoko Akiba, recruitment coordinator, recruitment (Van); Richard Burchell, University director of environment health/safety, Office of General Counsel (Metro); Theron Cromer, assistant director, financial aid (Flor); Leticia Espino, office manager for student wellness services, Wellness Center (Metro); Joshua Flowerman, assistant baseball coach, athletics (Flor); Samantha Fox, director of government and community affairs, Office of Strategic Initiatives and Government and Community Affairs (Flor); Jordan Glatt, associate vice president for health partnerships and development, University advancement (Metro); Alexis Godfrey, administrative assistant, Center for Psychological Services (Metro); Anna Gonzalez, advancement gift processing specialist, University advancement (Metro); Jonathan Gonzalez, senior desktop engineer, University systems and networking (Metro); Alp Haider, clinical assistant professor, physician assistant studies (Flor); Kevin Hernandez, IT service desk operator, information resources and technology (Metro); Haley Kandler, learning disability specialist, Regional Center for Learning Disabilities (Flor); Robert Kelly, learning disability specialist, Regional Center for Learning Disabilities (Metro); Zhong Yu Lian, international student adviser, student services (Van); Justin Lounsberry, officer, public safety (Flor); Hasham Mahmood, registered nurse/case manager, Wellness Center (Flor); Angela Muriale, assistant to dean, Olsen College of Engineering and Science (Metro); Matthew Pirrello, academic adviser, Academic Advising and Student Support Services (Flor); Michael Pozyc, assistant men’s basketball coach, athletics (Flor); Mohamed Ramadan, personal computer support specialist, computing services (Metro); Jonathan Rodriguez, research and instruction librarian, Monninger Center for Learning and Research (Flor); Lydia Romero-Borjas, medical records administrative assistant, Wellness Center (Flor); Ramin Shadmehr, associate provost for academic affairs (Van); Erin Sinatra, assistant softball coach, athletics (Flor); Kevin Thomas, officer, public safety (Flor); Hellena Trent, assistant director of student union and campus engagement, student life (Metro); Meghry Tutunjian, administrative assistant to graduate program director/graduate admissions coordinator, psychology/counseling (Metro); and Arisel Vasquez, administrative coordinator, Transition to Practice Program, nursing/allied health (Metro).

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