FALL 2020 CALDWELL UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

CU Welcomes President Matthew Whelan

CU Champions Respond to Covid-19

The Resilient Class of 2020 A CALL TO ACTION: IMAGINE YOUR IMPACT

You can help our current students fulfill their promise by making a gift for a scholarship this year. Caldwell graduates take their education and the university’s mission and values into a world in need of fresh ideas, energy and commitment. Your gift, made today, will help put a student’s dreams within reach. Your gift. Their future. Imagine your impact. caldwell.edu/donatenow | Email: [email protected] | CALL: 973-618-3241 volume 12 ISSUE 2

CALDWELL UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE FALL 2020 Caldwell University Magazine is produced for alumni and friends twice each year by the News and Media Relations Office at Caldwell University. Its goal is to provide news and information about Caldwell University’s students, faculty, staff, alumni, and administration. We 14 welcome your comments and The Legacy Continues suggestions! Please email us at [email protected].

19 Editor A Summer of Painting Colette M. Liddy ’13 M.A. Writers & Contributors Nicole M. Burrell ’09 Lori Funicello Christina Hall table of contents Patricia Levins Meghan Moran ’07 John Tagliaferri 4 CU Welcomes President Matthew Whelan Copy Editor 11 Caldwell Is a Hispanic-Serving Institution John Jurich PHOTOGRAPHY 12 Teaching In the Pandemic: Lessons In Ingenuity Linda Maher Alan Schindler 20 CU Champions Respond to Covid-19 Design Graphic Imagery, Inc. 23 #Faith – Campus Ministry Uses Virtual Outlets Vice President, Enrollment 24 Black Lives Matter Vigil Management and Communications 27 New Head Women’s Volleyball Coach Stephen Quinn 30 Leadership and Empathy in Action: Tanya Freeman ’08 Address comments and questions to: 31 Lessons Learned from Traveling the Globe: [email protected] Caldwell University Magazine Barbara McFadden ’82 120 Bloomfield Avenue Caldwell, NJ 07006 On the cover – Caldwell University’s new president, Matthew Whelan, Ed.D.; General information Marchelle Boyd ’15, a graduate student in the MSN in population health program and a www.caldwell.edu primary nurse who served patients with COVID-19, and Anamika Sharma Paudel ’20, 973-618-3000 a care coordinator at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for patients with 4 COVID-19 or cancer.

Caldwell University Welcomes President Matthew Whelan PRESIDENT’SLETTER

Hello, Caldwell family, As I sit here today and try to think of meaningful and inspirational We are able to continue to serve these students because they words to describe my journey to Caldwell from December 2019, benefit from your generous donations of scholarships, internships, when I first learned about the opportunity to today at the end of guidance and mentorship so they can become the first in their July, I cannot help but get distracted by the sadness, tragedy and families to graduate from a university, especially one as dedicated to massive disruption brought on by COVID-19. A term interrupted. their personal, professional and spiritual lives as we are. Commencements not held. Internships and seasons canceled. Jobs We have seen some other great accomplishments recently—our lost. Economic disaster. Social injustice. Rampant illness. Families designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, grant funding from devastated. But then it hit me. A divine intervention, if you will. the National Science Foundation, international accreditation for Times like these are exactly why the educational mission of Caldwell top-ranked programs such as the master’s and doctorate in Applied University and the legacy of the Sisters of St. Dominic must continue Behavior Analysis, student awards and a herculean effort by the to thrive! combined group of faculty, staff and administrators who completed the Restart Plan for the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Why? Because we train the nurses—like Marchelle Boyd’ 15, Higher Education. And there is much more that you will read featured in our champions article in this issue—who served patients about in this issue. through their journey to recovery or their final hours. Because we know our graduates are doctors and researchers battling the Your contributions to Caldwell, as students, faculty or staff virus on the front lines to quickly develop a vaccine and effective members, alumni, trustees, community members or friends make a treatments. Because our faculty have generously given of their difference. In big or small ways, your contributions all matter. You time away from Caldwell to work on new teaching and learning matter. And together, as one human race, we all matter in the eyes tools and to produce more meaningful outcomes than ever before. of God. Because our professors are dedicated to providing our students with I’m looking forward to meeting you soon, in person, to keep you contemporary research—like Dr. Agnes Berki, who is spending abreast of all of the good going on here--from yesterday, today and her sabbatical on COVID-19 and infectious disease studies. for tomorrow. I’ll call on you for your help along the way so we can And mostly because our alumni are scattered throughout the continue the legacy of the Sisters. No matter who we are, where we country and around the world—teachers, social and public health live, or how we got here, we all have something to contribute, and workers—like Emily Stabile ‘18, another of our CU champions for that, I’m thankful! featured in this magazine—business executives, artists and of course Sisters, and in a host of other careers and vocations looking to us for inspiration. They are finding that inspiration here, not just in the accomplishments of today but also in their living memories of Matthew Whelan, Ed.D. treasured years at Caldwell. President Perhaps most of all, we are committed to our legacy because our students are learning from all of our Caldwell family listed above who are inspiring them during the most disruptive period in higher education history.

2 CALDWELLMAGAZINE You, like Renee, Can Make a Difference in the Lives of Future Caldwell Students Renee (Irene) Sinteff ’73 has enjoyed a great deal of life and career success, much of which she attributes to her education at Caldwell College for Women. Sinteff’s deep gratitude to Caldwell prompted her to include Caldwell University in her will. As a former Peace Corps volunteer, she believes that “service opens the world” to each of us.

“I truly believe that the more well-rounded we become as a result of education, the more we see what we have in common with one another. I would love for my future gift to Caldwell to provide students with an opportunity to travel abroad and experience other cultures.” Sinteff’s legacy speaks to a place that is a cornerstone in her life. As she says, “I’ve always been connected to Caldwell … to me, it’s home.”

To learn more about the ways in which you can support Caldwell through your will, visit http://plannedgiving.caldwell.edu or contact Lori Funicello at [email protected] or 973-618-3226.

The Saint Catherine of Siena Circle gratefully acknowledges alumnae and friends who have included Caldwell University in their wills or estate plans.

Cougars PLEASE KEEP ONE “COOP” APART AT ALL TIMES Come 6’

HAND Together WASHING GUIDE The return-to-campus and faculty task forces have 2 APPLY SOAP been planning for the new academic year. 1 WET YOUR HANDS

4 RINSE HANDS Cougars Come Together LATHER FOR The university is following the restart standards for 20 SECONDS 3 institutions of higher education that were mandated DO YOUR PART

USE A TOWEL TO TURN OFF TAP AND 6 TO OPEN DOOR DRY HANDS WITH by the state of New Jersey and is keeping abreast of 5 PAPER TOWEL PRACTICE SOCIAL any developing guidance and mandates from state DISTANCING government and public health officials. COVER YOUR FACE

ELBOW COUGH Innovative communications tools, signage and & SNEEZE messaging have been created to keep students and WASH YOUR staff safe and to remind them of their responsibilities HANDS FEEL SICK? for social distancing, face coverings and hygiene. STAY HOME

CALDWELLMAGAZINE 3 CALDWELLSPOTLIGHT Caldwell University Welcomes President Matthew Whelan: Becoming a President in Unprecedented Times When Matthew Whelan was thinking COVID-19 has drastically changed to Caldwell after serving as vice president about joining Caldwell University, he our way of life. Caldwell’s core values for university enrollment strategy and found himself recalling his days as a of respect, integrity, community and relationship development at Stony Brook student at Mercyhurst College in Erie, excellence are a foundation on which University, which serves undergraduate, Pennsylvania. “It was a chance to return “all of us can stand and fight any type graduate and professional program to something that helped me in my of injustice we see—economic, social students from across the U.S. and around life—a small, Catholic or racial.” Consider the world. He held key leadership roles university where respect alone, he says. at Stony Brook with undergraduate and students don’t get We recognize people “Can you imagine graduate admissions, financial aid, the lost,” says Dr. Whelan, as individuals and what the world would registrar’s office, enrollment management, who became the ninth “ be like if we all began student services, fundraising, facilities, and president and first not as part of a huge to look at each other strategic initiatives for several campuses. male lay president as individual human He was previously vice president for in Caldwell’s history 600-person class. beings, as creations of strategic initiatives at Stony Brook. on July 1. The size of God? That would go a Whelan also served at St. John’s University, Caldwell, he says, is part ” long way for all of us in Hofstra University, William Paterson of the fabric of the educational, student-life solving social ills that plague us right now.” University and Mercyhurst College, his and spiritual experiences. “We recognize But, he stresses, “It will take everybody.” undergraduate alma mater. He helped people as individuals and not as part of a coach a women’s soccer team to an Respect is something he and his seven huge 600-person class.” NCAA Division II Final Four appearance siblings learned from their parents growing and taught graduate students in higher Taking the leadership reins at Caldwell up in Denville, New Jersey. There were education administration. Along the way was an opportunity for him to support other important lessons, too: “how to get he has had good mentors, in particular a mission he had experienced as a first- along... politeness and that you can’t always Dr. Andrew Roth, who led two Catholic generation college student—a mission he win…and they taught us that sometimes colleges and who continues to inspire him, believes can change the lives of students you have to compromise and sometimes demonstrating “that a career in higher and generations of families. “I would you don’t. Compromise for solutions, but education was also a vocation.” not be where I am today without having never compromise your values,” says Dr. gone to a small Catholic university where Whelan. And then, of course, how to do Experiencing the first day on the job as a I had people take an interest in me and the dishes and iron—“some of the skills it university president during a pandemic is people who assisted me educationally and takes to run a large household.” certainly a road less traveled. Dr. Whelan otherwise and helped form me into the was pleasantly surprised by Caldwell Dr. Whelan has carried those moral (and person I am today.” faculty and staff who drove by beeping practical) values with him throughout horns and shouting well wishes from cars He believes the value of Caldwell University his 30-plus years in higher education in decorated with spirited welcome signs lies in its mission of providing a strong public and Catholic institutions. He came while he and his wife, Kathy, and two liberal arts foundation that can help students, faculty, staff and administrators across the educational and career spectrum to “see the beauty in others and the beauty in what they do.” The goals of pursuing truth and contributing to a just society are particularly important to live out, he says, at a time when there are cries for racial equality and when

4 CALDWELLMAGAZINE CALDWELLSPOTLIGHT be out and involved in the community,” Dr. Whelan says. The “when we are able part” is a COVID-19 reality. “We are trying to rebalance and plan every single day,” he says of the university’s work in following government and public health guidelines and planning for fall classes and operations. Dr. Whelan is moved by the passion with which members of the CU family have responded to COVID-19—as doctors and nurses, in social service agencies, protecting hometowns and cities in law enforcement, in the food industry and working behind the scenes to ensure funding is continually available to support all those front-line operations. “Caldwell President Matthew Whelan, Ed.D., two of his daughters and his wife, Kathy, wave to staff and faculty at the people are everywhere, and so helping drive-by welcome greetings on July 1. their communities is really living out the Caldwell mission,” Dr. Whelan says. And of his three daughters waved from the and ICE issued guidance requiring collaborating with the university alumni are sidelines. Then they attended a prayer international students to return to their benefactors and partners whose “time, talent service in the campus chapel with the home countries for the fall semester if their and treasure” are more critical than ever— cabinet members—socially distant—to ask universities did not provide classroom- whether through their financial assistance or for God’s blessing upon the university and based instruction. Dr. Whelan personally supporting students in their communities. President Whelan’s leadership. Scripture visited the students to assure them that Though Caldwell is a physical place, it also readings focusing on the Dominican pillars he and the university administration were is a “sense of being,” he says, a commitment were recorded by students and played back doing all they could to provide classroom- to taking the core as Dr. Whelan lit candles. “That meant so based instruction and values and mission much to me and my family,” he says. that he was working on wherever students and the state and national Since then, he and the university restart Caldwell people are graduates go. levels with other higher teams have been making sure campus education leaders to “ everywhere, and These days Dr. Whelan operations are COVID-ready for the urge the government to is engaging and fall semester—a “hardening of the so helping their reverse that guidance. In listening to as many infrastructure,” he says. “It is up to the end, the government people as possible to us to do everything within our power communities is rescinded the decision. learn everything he while we’re dealing with this to keep our Dr. Whelan also partici- really living out the can about Caldwell students, faculty and staff as safe as possible pated in the Black Lives University. He especially to mitigate risk but also to ensure the Caldwell mission. Matter candlelight vigil wants to hear from continuity of the educational experience with students on campus students to learn who for our students.” ” in July. they are and why they chose Caldwell President Whelan is eager to be among and “to make sure we are living up to the “They’ll see me,” the new president Caldwell University students as soon as promise of a Caldwell education.” promises students. “They’ll see me in the he can. He has already met some—like cafeteria when we are able; they’ll see me He is looking forward to the fall semester the international students who are living at the athletic events when we are able.” “in whatever format we are in, which with in the residence halls since closed borders He and Kathy are “huge supporters” of the grace of God, will include students on during the pandemic prevented them culture—the arts, athletics, service and campus,” he says, so Caldwell can begin to from returning home. Within a week academic events. “Colleges and universities return to “normalcy or the new normal while after Dr. Whelan started his job, the are just enlivening places to be, so we will we continue to deliver the best Caldwell U.S. Department of Homeland Security experience possible.” His immediate goal is to learn what makes Caldwell tick. And then, among his many ideas, he has a long term one in mind. “We’ll start to plan for the centennial, [which comes] in 19 years. Our focus is on preserving the legacy the Sisters began more than 80 years ago. Nothing is more important.” n —CL

CALDWELLMAGAZINE 5 CALDWELLACADEMICS THE RESILIENT CLASS OF 2020

Anamika Sharma Paudel ’20 received a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration. She is working at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center as a care coordinator for patients with cancer and COVID-19. It is a story they will be telling future and first responders in hospitals, grocery generations all their lives. A story of how stores and public health organizations. in the middle of the final semester of their On May 17, the students made it to the university careers, life was abruptly changed finish line, earning their university degrees as they were pushed inside due to a with the tenacity and passion needed to worldwide pandemic and social distancing. go out and contribute to a just society. All but a few had to leave campus. At the virtual celebration, Sister Kathleen Athletics, concerts, presentations, club Tuite, O.P., vice president for student events and celebrations were canceled if life, prayed, entrusting the graduates they could not take on a virtual form. to God’s hands. “May God, who began Tough? You bet. But once they got past this good work in you, carry it through the shock, members of the Class of 2020 to completion, and may God give you met the challenge head on with resilience, the grace to make wise choices and to be expressing gratitude for all they did have faithful to your commitments … and keeping focused on their goal of Lamar-Shea Chang ’20 received a Bachelor of earning their degrees. “May God bless you with the foolishness to Science in Computer Information Systems and Biology with a minor in Chemistry. He has been think that you can make a difference in the They joined their peers, professors and selected as the Class of 2020 undergraduate world so that you will do the things that staff members on Google Hangouts Meet, ceremony commencement speaker. others tell you cannot be done, and may Zoom or Blackboard. Students, professors, your integrity be a gift to the world and in computer information systems and staff and coaches were valiant as they may the spirit of God be with you always.” biology with a minor in chemistry. The strove to humanize the technology, graduate ceremony commencement reaching out to those in need and At the time of this magazine’s printing, speaker is Marisa Juliano, who received bringing academic excellence, talent a graduation ceremony was planned for her master’s in clinical mental health and “air hugs” to the communications. Sunday, Sept. 20. The undergraduate counseling with a specialization in art commencement speaker is Lamar Along with their studies, many students therapy on May 17 and holds a bachelor’s Shea-Chang, who earned a bachelor’s n were going to their jobs, as essential workers degree in psychology from Caldwell.

6 CALDWELLMAGAZINE CALDWELLACADEMICS CLASS OF 2020 Daniela Lucca Trevor Sharpe Lauren Mantari Vanessa Mantione Chemistry Criminal Justice Psychology Social Studies & UNDERGRADUATES Aarion Romany Kate Bielitz Samantha Martinez Secondary Education BACHELOR OF ARTS Chemistry English Psychology Siddiq Douglas Allison Osorio Shawn Blaise Carissa De Franco Catherine Mazzolla Sociology Applied Language: Communication and English Psychology Frank Durkin Helping Professions Media Studies Daniel Houldsworth Dwayne McCormick Sociology Frank Sciacca Amarachi Chuka-Maduji English Psychology Franchesca Rochester Art Communication and Bianca Caruso Sabrina Micciche Sociology Danielle Andersen Media Studies English & Elementary Education Psychology Peter Vasquez Art & Psychology (Art Therapy) John Compagno Jamie Giaquinto Ashley Mondati Spanish Kirsten Bashford Communication and English & Elementary Education Psychology Hannah Morris Art & Psychology (Art Therapy) Media Studies Aimee Jimenez Jailene Perez Spanish & Secondary Education Emily Braisted Daniel De Pierola English & Elementary Education Psychology BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS Art & Psychology (Art Therapy) Communication and Brittany Patten Lia Pezzato Kelle Lalier Mackenzie Brunquell Media Studies English & Elementary Education Psychology Art/Graphic Design Art & Psychology (Art Therapy) Anthony Ecanosti Jamie Weglarz Taylor Piacentini BACHELOR OF SCIENCE Summer Bryson Communication and English & Elementary Education Psychology Art & Psychology (Art Therapy) Media Studies Yarilitza Ayala Nina-Rose Barcenas Deirdre Radburn Accounting Melissa Bustamante Nicholas Firestone English & Secondary Education Psychology Art & Psychology (Art Therapy) Communication and Alexa Barbosa Media Studies Jordann Perez Amber Raines Accounting Natalia Gonzalez English & Secondary Education Psychology Art & Psychology (Art Therapy) Katerin Gomez Mahogany Edwards Communication and Tiffany Rodriguez Lydia Ramirez Accounting Isabella Montalvo English & Secondary Education Psychology Art & Psychology (Art Therapy) Media Studies Roshana Hassan Accounting Prabhat Gurung Quin DeLaRosa Elizabeth Rebeiro Brigitte Rodriguez History Psychology Art & Psychology (Art Therapy) Communication and Bijen Manandhar Media Studies Luca Cacciottolo Melanie Reid Accounting Kyla Serafica Mathematics Psychology Art & Psychology (Art Therapy) Precious Kirby Aubrey Melville Communication and Sonu Sarraf Stefania Rotondo Accounting Sarah Soto Mathematics Psychology Art & Psychology (Art Therapy) Media Studies Thania Mondati Christopher Lepore John Scimone Elizabeth Ruedemann Accounting Bayanne Waqqad Mathematics & Psychology Art & Psychology (Art Therapy) Communication and Brenda Nunez Media Studies Secondary Education Jill Anne Salerno Accounting Prithy Adhikary Adam Criaris Psychology Biology Jonathan Marquez Mehruz Shafana Communication and Music Jennifer Schlageter Accounting Amelia Biswas Media Studies Adamarie Santiago-Nieves Psychology Biology Daniela Solis Julieanne Miele Music Agustin Silva Accounting A’Riane Branch Communication and Pedro Liriano Psychology Biology Audrianna Surujnauth Media Studies Music & Secondary Education Helen Solomon Accounting Gipeum Choi Angeles Paredes Tiffani Mathew Psychology Biology Aastha Thapa Communication and Political Science Samantha Stagg Accounting Jasly Garriga Media Studies Josel Sanchez Psychology Biology Lizah Tuladhar Nicholas Petroski Political Science Daan Vianen Accounting Shreyoshi Hossain Communication and Kristina Sutovic Psychology Samantha Westervelt Biology Media Studies Political Science Ivory Whitaker Accounting Janis Jimenez Taylor Phillips Rachel Alessandra-Cordasco Psychology Jack Zosulis Biology Communication and Psychology Megan Barreto Accounting Chedis Joseph Media Studies Sarah Brading Psychology and Biology Filip Axelsson Lily Taylor Psychology Elementary Education Business Administration Kavleen Kaur Communication and Alexandra Cicero Maria DiSpigna Biology Media Studies Sagar Basaula Psychology Psychology and Business Administration Anwar Khalil Clarissa Thelisme Lilibeth Corrales-Cordero Elementary Education Biology Communication and Carlos Bermudez Psychology Erin Flohr Business Administration MiJi Kim Media Studies Christian Cruz Psychology and Biology Emily Butera Renard Blount Psychology Elementary Education Business Administration Stefanie Konboz Criminal Justice Dana DePasquale Abigail Geddes Biology Justin Cabrera Umberto Brusadin Psychology Psychology and Business Administration Roksana Korbi Criminal Justice Elementary Education Jennifer Gaughran Biology Justin Childers Vincent Capece Psychology Amanda Johns Business Administration Kofi Mireku Criminal Justice Psychology and Meghan Grundhauser Biology Kendell Frink Elementary Education Ian Cavanagh Psychology Business Administration Anika Sanjana Criminal Justice Lidia Hughes Gianna Lange Biology Markiah Holmes Pritchett Psychology and Chednet Charles Psychology Business Administration Shweta Sapkota Criminal Justice Elementary Education Hellem Jaquez Biology Acosta Kittles III Sister Sali Antony Griffin Ciccone Psychology Business Administration Ngima Sherpa Criminal Justice Social Studies Meghan Koplish Biology Anthony Obando Tracy Jorge Gianna Cifelli Psychology Business Administration Anniyah Snelling Criminal Justice Social Studies Helen Lacunza Biology Kathy Pocztarski Samantha Roake Vaughn Covington Psychology Business Administration Marina Verhagen Criminal Justice Social Studies Christina Lebron Biology Malaysia Rojas-Daniels Connor Douglass Allison Diaz Psychology Business Administration Maria Lesniewski Criminal Justice Social Studies & Chemistry Secondary Education

CALDWELLMAGAZINE 7 CALDWELLACADEMICS

Daniela Diaz Nancy Benedetto Anthony Parada Alicia Rodriguez Jennifer Salas Business Administration CIS/Information Technology Health Science Sport Management Nursing Aneudi Felix Aayush Bhusal Nikole Popo Luis Rullan Aleksandra Szczepanski Business Administration CIS/Information Technology Health Science Sport Management Nursing Kaitlyn Fersch Saugat Dahal Adam Robbs Dale Thomas Jr. Natalia Tomczyk Business Administration CIS/Information Technology Health Science Sport Management Nursing Michael Fiore Aamosh Dahal Maxwell Stith Andrew Timothy Laura Useini Business Administration CIS/Information Technology Health Science Sport Management Nursing Gavin Gilroy Arun Joshi Leticia Thompson Dustin Walicky Brianna Valeri Business Administration CIS/Information Technology Health Science Sport Management Nursing Timothy Gitin Abinash Karki Nicholas Enriquez BACHELOR OF SCIENCE Julianna Verso Business Administration CIS/Information Technology Healthcare Administration IN NURSING Nursing Sonia Godoy Tejada Chinedu Ogoemesim Samantha Eveland Roksana Adamek Bethany Washington Business Administration CIS/Information Technology Healthcare Administration Nursing Nursing Fernando Gonzalez Madhu Paudel Ruth Jimenez Oluchi Akumuo Jacob Zajac Business Administration CIS/Information Technology Healthcare Administration Nursing Nursing Samuel Gonzalez Jr. Nicholas Peteya Monica Rivera Gina Alfano Marzena Zegar Business Administration CIS/Information Technology Healthcare Administration Nursing Nursing Denis Gray Krisjames Tito Salgado Anamika Sharma Paudel Amelica Amy Tracy Belli Business Administration CIS/Information Technology Healthcare Administration Nursing Nursing R.N. to B.S.N. David Hmelovsky Shradha Sharma Erlend Aase Barbara Anastasi Sheila Holbert Business Administration CIS/Information Technology Marketing Nursing Nursing R.N. to B.S.N. Michelle Jessup Gaurav Sharma Mattia Cella Jasmine Bejar Virginia Lataro Business Administration CIS/Information Technology Marketing Nursing Nursing R.N. to B.S.N. Simen Johansen Simon Shrestha Anthony Frascati Jasmin Boukhadcha Laurie Marin Garcia Business Administration CIS/Information Technology Marketing Nursing Nursing R.N. to B.S.N. Arden Kassaleh Bigyan Karki Ahmad Harrison Courtney Caferra Michelle Wolf Business Administration Computer Science Marketing Nursing Nursing R.N. to B.S.N. Jeffrey Knight Tobias Block Roshan Mallepati Shrestha Katherine Clancy Catherine Adelhoch Business Administration Financial Economics Marketing Nursing Nursing Second Degree Alec LaTorraca Daniel Brongo Huong Nguyen Haley Collins Stephanie Almazan Business Administration Financial Economics Marketing Nursing Nursing Second Degree Robert LaTorraca Bibhab Ghimire Gianni Palumbo Jamie Cruz Gabriel Angeles Business Administration Financial Economics Marketing Nursing Nursing Second Degree Malvina Leka Michael Hess Ashley Strobel Marcus Florencio Michelle Citron Business Administration Financial Economics Marketing Nursing Nursing Second Degree Ruud Lutterman Bijaya Kalakheti Maryalexandra Vera Elizabeth Giambattista Daniel Fleming Business Administration Financial Economics Marketing Nursing Nursing Second Degree Amanda Luzniak Binay Oli Nicole Chavez Aisha Goncalves Brady Heher Business Administration Financial Economics Public Health Education Nursing Nursing Second Degree Kimberly Martinez Kornelia Paszcza Leanna Chen Sherif Habib Rebecca Levy Business Administration Financial Economics Public Health Education Nursing Nursing Second Degree Katlynn Oriole Marlene Alvarez Jayna Cowley Erin Hansen Patricia McManus Business Administration Health Science Public Health Education Nursing Nursing Second Degree James Papamakariou Sara Bearden Melanie Cruz Alyssa Ippolito Roxanne Moncrieffe Business Administration Health Science Public Health Education Nursing Nursing Second Degree Daniel Popo Samantha Bensen Jessica Johnston Kristina Jaeger Veronica O’Neill Business Administration Health Science Public Health Education Nursing Nursing Second Degree Raymond Ramos Tianna Burton Marissa Laterza Amanda Joyce Gina Pecora Business Administration Health Science Public Health Education Nursing Nursing Second Degree Marquez Roberts Kathleen Compagno Christina Misiur Colleen Lashley Danielle Schenk Business Administration Health Science Public Health Education Nursing Nursing Second Degree David Samuel Samantha Curiel Natalie Ricca Stefani Mathew Kalyn Schwartz Business Administration Health Science Public Health Education Nursing Nursing Second Degree Andrew Thompson Gabrielle da Silva Talia Ross Curdel Mcfarlane-Pierce Edith White Business Administration Health Science Public Health Education Nursing Nursing Second Degree Antonio Tyler Alexandra Greaves Sofia Torres Ashley McVeigh Erika Vecchiet Business Administration Health Science Public Health Education Nursing R.N. to B.S.N. w/Second Degree Butool Usmani Ziykara Hicks Kimberly Valladares Valentina Meza Business Administration Health Science Public Health Education Nursing Charmain Winchester-Mark Danielle Hutcheson Kareemah Williams Thu Nguyen Business Administration Health Science Public Health Education Nursing Crystal Zamora Tatiana Ifill Maryam Abdul-Ghani Chisom Okafor Business Administration Health Science Sport Management Nursing Lamar-Shea Chang Kensy Jean Nicholas Cerbone Nosakhare Osagie CIS/Business Health Science Sport Management Nursing Anthony De la Rosa Lynve Laurard Conner Garzon Emily Osborn CIS/Business Health Science Sport Management Nursing Congratulations Brooke McPherson Michael Maduka Kenneth Matta Ceyli Reyes CIS/Business Health Science Sport Management Nursing John Potter Kyara Mendez Bryan Norton Melissa Rini CLASS OF CIS/Business Health Science Sport Management Nursing 2020

8 CALDWELLMAGAZINE CALDWELLACADEMICS

GRADUATES Brittany Barnstead Alyssa Udijohn Marie Tonini Christopher Brid Doctor of Philosophy M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/School Master of Business Administration Art Therapy Concentration Art Therapy Concentration Counseling Concentration Susan Hayes Kristy Cerullo Ph.D. in Educational Leadership Amanda Bitterman Nicholas Diaz Lindsey Van Schaik Master of Business Administration (Higher Education) M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/Clinical M.A. in Counseling/School Stephanie Checchio Art Therapy Concentration Mental Health Concentration Counseling Concentration Keisha Shay Master of Business Administration Ph.D. in Educational Leadership Danielle Blackwell Adam Eltouny Taylor Welsh Stephanie Coe (Higher Education) M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/Clinical M.A. in Counseling/School Master of Business Administration Art Therapy Concentration Mental Health Concentration Counseling Concentration Lauren Goodwyn Joanna DePierro Ph.D. Applied Behavior Analysis Rebecca Colson Shannay Fletcher Franco Antonucci Master of Business Administration M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/Clinical M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction Briana Ostrosky Erin Friedland Ph.D. Applied Behavior Analysis Art Therapy Concentration Mental Health Concentration Catherine Lefkowitz Master of Business Administration M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction Leslie Quiroz Courtney Coolbaugh Majin George Irielis Garcia Ph.D. Applied Behavior Analysis M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/Clinical Heather McCarthy Master of Business Administration Art Therapy Concentration Mental Health Concentration M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction DOCTORATE OF Tori Geardino EDUCATION Chelsea Darling Michelle Goncalves Sierra Mitchell Master of Business Administration M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/Clinical M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction Michelle Rosenberg Art Therapy Concentration Mental Health Concentration Robert Jakob Ed.D. in Educational Leadership Stephanie Rodetis Master of Business Administration (K-12) Morgan DeGilio Anthony Nieto M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/Clinical Liam Kearney MASTER OF ARTS Sean Whipple Master of Business Administration Art Therapy Concentration Mental Health Concentration M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction Ana Alban Marlaina Etheridge Dianna Rosario Molly Kievit M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis Nicole Couso Master of Business Administration M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/Clinical M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction Jessica Amador Art Therapy Concentration Mental Health Concentration Karen La Paz M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis Louis Ferrara Master of Business Administration Leila Farahani Melissa Simone M.A. in Education Administration LaToya Benders M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/Clinical Latrese Laporte M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis Art Therapy Concentration Mental Health Concentration Jennifer Pulizzano Master of Business Administration M.A. in Education Administration Alex Brune Lydia Fulton Angelica Valderrama Briana Lupinaccio M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/Clinical Fidaa Abuhaltam Master of Business Administration M.A. in Literacy Instruction Ashley Callahan Art Therapy Concentration Mental Health Concentration Megan Maffei M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis Jessica Garrett Romell Ballentine Nicole Couto Master of Business Administration M.A. in Literacy Instruction Talia Crabb M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/School Rhett Munson M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis Art Therapy Concentration Counseling Concentration Lorraine Donnelly Master of Business Administration M.A. in Literacy Instruction Jasmine Dursun Jeanine Glass Jennifer DalCorso Clifford Parvelus M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/School Cassandra Lange Master of Business Administration M.A. in Literacy Instruction Krista Fleck Art Therapy Concentration Counseling Concentration O’Shane Rennie M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis Laura Holland Kristen Ditchko Kristin Reale Master of Business Administration M.A. in Literacy Instruction Carleana Hickey M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/School Patricia Ryan M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis Art Therapy Concentration Counseling Concentration Rosalyn Ayala Master of Business Administration M.A. in Higher Education Courtney Kane Anna Jones-Lofton Theresa Eskow Thomas Seidell M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/School Tiffany Bonsall Master of Business Administration Art Therapy Concentration Counseling Concentration M.A. in Higher Education Angela Magnusson David Semaya M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis Marisa Juliano Denise Galluzzo Sharaea Boyd Master of Business Administration M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/School M.A. in Higher Education Patricia Murphy-Fyfe Olha Shchur M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis Art Therapy Concentration Counseling Concentration Jennifer DeJesus Master of Business Administration M.A. in Higher Education Stephanie Ortiz Bailey Marcucci Cassidy Kologrivov Alessia Smaldone M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/School Megan Fedey Master of Business Administration Art Therapy Concentration Counseling Concentration M.A. in Higher Education Shannon Raimondo Agatha Smerak M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis Courtney Medina Tori Liaci Dawn Hull Master of Business Administration M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/School M.A. in Higher Education Renata Ribeiro Art Therapy Concentration Counseling Concentration Irene Tymikiw M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis Schyler LaMattina Master of Business Administration Genaya Palmer Anne McGrath M.A. in Higher Education Bryan Rickoski M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/School Chad Bennett Edaine Mitchell M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis Art Therapy Concentration Counseling Concentration Master of Business Administration, M.A. in Higher Education Accounting Katie Romer Alexa Perillo Jenelle McLeod M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis Maria Robinson Robert Brandt M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/School M.A. in Higher Education Kandace Somers Art Therapy Concentration Counseling Concentration Master of Business Administration, M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis Mason Traino Accounting Katherine Rubbe Bridget Miller M.A. in Higher Education Christina Song M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/School Carely Genao M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis Art Therapy Concentration Counseling Concentration Wajia Zahur Master of Business Administration, M.A. in Higher Education Accounting Alexzandria Tragno Francesca Russo Lori Mundy M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/School Andrea Grenci Norma Lopez-Persaud M.A. in Special Education/ Master of Business Administration, Victoria Vergona Art Therapy Concentration Counseling Concentration TOSD (Strand 1) Accounting M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis Masha Schwalbe Kelsey O’Connell Gissette White M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/School Chabwera Phillips Erica Perez M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis Art Therapy Concentration Counseling Concentration M.A. in Special Education/ Master of Business Administration, TOSD (Strand 1) Global Business Jennifer Albright Gillian Small Debora Pedro M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/School Domonique Scala Art Therapy Concentration Art Therapy Concentration Counseling Concentration M.A. in Special Education/ TOSD (Strand 1) Allyson Bales Kaitlyn Teeling Antoinette Pilla M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/ M.A. in Counseling/School Anne Smith Congratulations Art Therapy Concentration Art Therapy Concentration Counseling Concentration M.A. in Special Education/ TOSD (Strand 1) 2020CLASS OF

CALDWELLMAGAZINE 9 CALDWELLACADEMICS Student Accolades Yaman Thapa ’22, a biology and chemistry and rooting for me since my freshman major, won the “I Am Generation Equality” year,” and Dr. Lena Campagna, assistant online article writing competition professor in the Department of Sociology sponsored by The Zerone Magazine, and Criminal Justice, who “actively UN Women Nepal and LOCUS 2020. encouraged” her, peer-revised her article Her article “Significant Turns” focuses on and even helped set up at the conference. intergenerational dialogue and was slated Communication to be published on the online outlets for and media studies UN Women Nepal. graduate Prabhat Shweta Sapkota ’20 won first prize from Gurung ’20 along the New Jersey Academy of Science in the with staff member 2021 senior academy research presentation Avilasha Joshi ’21 Colette Liddy and health or medicine category. She was college and greatly affects their physical Dr. Nancy Blattner awarded a grant from the Independent and mental well-being,” said Joshi, a senior. were recognized College Fund of New Jersey (ICFNJ) She was happy for the challenge to present with an honorable for her research. Sapkota received a as an undergraduate among a group of mention Gabriel bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor participants who had already graduated. Award for the video in chemistry from Caldwell on May 17 “I was able to meet different people from on Caldwell’s year with The Saint John’s and is working at Quest Diagnostics as different colleges and universities who have Bible. Gurung did the filming and editing, a medical technician in a microbiology a similar degree or career choice as mine, Liddy the producing and Dr. Blattner was clinical lab. She is grateful to the ICFNJ, which was extremely refreshing.” She is on-air talent. The Gabriel Awards recognize her professors and the university for their grateful to her professors Dr. Yang Cai, the best in film, broadcasting and cross- support. “I cannot thank the university chair of the Department of Sociology and platform media and honor works that enough for providing students like me Criminal Justice and professor of sociology, support themes of dignity, compassion, with an appropriate platform and all the who she says “has been supporting community and justice. n required materials to broadcast our talent in the form of research projects.” In the ecology, environmental or marine science category, Sudeep Khadka came in second and Madison Perry in third. Venisse Abanilla, Kriti Sitaula, Yaman Thapa and Saliha Ulgur received honorable mentions. Avilasha Joshi ’21 gave a poster presentation on her research on “Friendship Pattern of International Students at Caldwell University: Assessing Segregation in Cultural and Cross-Cultural Relations” at the Eastern Sociological Society’s 90th annual meeting in Philadelphia in February. Joshi, a sociology and communications School of Natural Sciences and media studies major with a minor in The Department of Natural Sciences was renamed the School of Natural Sciences effective literature, focused on how international July 1 now that it has become one of the largest academic units at Caldwell. Associate students make friends and the causal Dean William Velhagen, Ph.D., says he and his colleagues are proud that growing relationship between different nationalities numbers of science majors have been accepted into internships and into Ph.D. and health and their adjustment level in college. “A profession programs at prestigious institutions. “Students and faculty have also been study on this relationship is important awarded several grants to conduct research and to support scholars. I am grateful to the because a student’s adjustment level has university cabinet for recognizing the accomplishments of our faculty and students.” a great impact on his/her outcomes in

10 CALDWELLMAGAZINE CALDWELLACADEMICS Applied Behavior Analysis programs earn international recognition for excellence The Association for Behavior Analysis International’s (ABAI) Accreditation Board has awarded reaccreditation to Caldwell University’s Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and first-time accreditation to its Ph.D. in ABA program. Caldwell now becomes one of only seven universities worldwide with ABAI accreditation for both its master’s and doctoral programs.

According to ABAI, accreditation is awarded only to programs demonstrating high levels of Cindy Herrera ’22, an honors student, is involved in many campus activities including being an admissions comprehensiveness, rigor and quality related to campus ambassador. the science and practice of behavior analysis. The site visit evaluation report on Caldwell’s programs applauded the faculty’s “strong scholarly activity” and “student-centered Caldwell University Is Designated approach to teaching.” The report also noted that the opportunities for training of students in a Hispanic-Serving Institution the programs’ Center for Autism and Applied Behavior Analysis provide an “individualized Earlier this year Caldwell University was a degree. She is doing it not only for herself practicum experience” that results in students formally recognized as a Hispanic-Serving but also for her parents who have worked becoming “high-quality ABA practitioners.” Institution by the U.S. Department hard for her benefit. “I try to become their of Education Office of Postsecondary hopes and dreams for what they envisioned “We are very proud that the excellence of our ABA degree programs has been recognized by Education. The designation reflects the in themselves,” said Herrera, who is a ABAI,” said Ken Reeve, professor of applied growth in enrollment of Hispanic students campus ambassador for the Admissions behavior analysis and graduate program at the university and the welcoming Office. A criminal justice major with co-coordinator at Caldwell. “Our students environment Caldwell has created for three minors—pre-law, criminal forensics benefit from a rigorous scientist/practitioner the students. The and psychology— model in our programs that prepares them for designation makes Herrera appreciates clinical, academic and leadership positions in the university eligible Caldwell University how the university the field. This allows our graduates to effect real to compete for federal values its Hispanic progress in the lives of others, particularly those grant programs recognizes me and the students and gives diagnosed with developmental disabilities such as managed by the “ them opportunities autism spectrum disorder.” HSI Division of the entire Hispanic population to celebrate their U.S. Department cultures through The Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis program was launched in 2005 and the Ph.D. of Education. as students who can change academics, clubs program began in 2009 amid a growing demand and even food in Stephen Quinn, the future. I will always be for ABA practitioners in New Jersey and beyond. the dining hall. vice president The Center for Autism and ABA opened in 2010 thankful for that. “Caldwell University of enrollment to provide training and research opportunities for recognizes me and management and graduate students and to serve individuals with ” the entire Hispanic autism and their families. communications, population as students who can change the said Caldwell is proud to receive this future. I will always be thankful for that.” Since the lockdown, the center has launched recognition. “Our Hispanic students virtual in-home instruction through a telehealth have enriched our campus life for years. Caldwell University joins over 500 model developed to meet the needs of the learners Caldwell is a place where students share the designated HSIs in 25 states that serve ranging in age from 3 to 20. Faculty members richness of their cultures and know they two-thirds of all Hispanic students enrolled and graduate students incorporate innovative have support in exploring and pursuing in higher education in the U.S. n ideas into their remote teaching for children, teens their academic and career goals.” and young adults with autism spectrum disorder. The graduate students develop strategies to Cindy Herrera is a first-generation college engage parents, who are very appreciative of the student who is pursuing her dream to earn training to help them through an average day.

CALDWELLMAGAZINE 11 CALDWELLACADEMICS TEACHING DURING THE PANDEMIC: LESSONS IN INGENUITY

When the tsunami of the COVID-19 brain images and implantations and discuss decompress and “not worry about work,” pandemic hit in March, professors the intersection between reality and comics Ferraro says. He selected motivational transitioned quickly to remote teaching. and popular media. In the future, whether movies to help them realize “that they To prepare for remote learning, the learning takes place in the classroom or could get through this and that things were Offices of Academic Affairs, Information remotely, Sigurjonsson hopes to invite going to get better.” Technology, and Online Education held other professionals from around the world Students in English Professor Mary several robust workshops for faculty and to “pop in for 10 minutes” to talk to his Ann Miller’s Intro to Poetry course staff. The Jennings Library staff and the class. He found the small class size was very attended virtual poetry readings featuring Office of Academic Affairs collected devices helpful for prompting discussions. “They CavanKerry Press authors. They chose from across the campus, and the Office could chime in,” he says. poets’ books to review in the customer of Information Technology updated the The final project requires students to create review section on Amazon.com as part of computers for students. The library staff a superhero. This year the students leaned a service-learning project in this course. organized and created a checkout plan. toward themes on healing, empathy and Miller normally runs the service-learning Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. calmness, something Sigurjonsson found component by hosting public readings for Barbara Chesler reached out to faculty interesting in light of the pandemic. As poets at the Caldwell Public Library but members to ask them to contact students tough as the health was quickly able to see who might need a device. crisis has been, he to adapt to the Professors ingeniously enhanced learning believes the forced Creating art is always a virtual format via Zoom, Blackboard, Google Hangouts digital environment crisis based on uncertainty… and broaden Meet or other formats while reaching out is benefiting “ the number of to make sure students had the information pedagogy. “We are the objective is to explore, poets who could and tools they needed to persist. Jon all learning.” participate in the Sigurjonsson, assistant professor in the fail and succeed. project. She was “What was the last School of Psychology and Counseling, grateful for the thing that made says the class he had the “most fun” in was ” CavanKerry staff’s you smile?” is a question that Assistant the 400 level course Heroes & Villains: enthusiastic support including how they Professor of Business Sal Ferraro asks his The Psychology of Comic Books. From recorded and publicized the readings and students at the beginning of each class. a psychological framework, the course sent books to students whose Amazon Students will respond with everything explores how comic books have addressed orders were delayed. from how they enjoyed a cup of coffee to concepts such as power, discrimination and talking to their mothers. “It is a good way When Art Professor Kendall Baker left the human psyche and how the characters to have them take a small break from all campus during the shutdown in March, delve into what triggers and motivates the stress of school,” says Ferraro. When he packed up everything he would need human psychology. The class met on classes switched to remote learning to keep to teach remotely including supplies Zoom, and for one class Sigurjonsson some consistency, Ferraro would send for demonstrations. “Creating art is invited a colleague who works for the out an email with a motivational quote always a crisis based on uncertainty,” he French Academy of Sciences to talk before each class, and he put in place says.”The objective is to explore, fail and about neuroimaging. Video Wednesday, featuring a Ted Talk. succeed.” This process of discovery was Comic books, says Sigurjonsson, often Ferraro also planned Sunday movie nights. tested by the lack of in-person classes and feature stories involving brain and He and the students would gather on studio time. The lessons Baker teaches machine interface or mutations. In his Google Hangouts Meet and enjoy the films in three-dimensional design proved most class, students read comics and articles on together virtually. It was a way for them to challenging, requiring his students to

12 CALDWELLMAGAZINE CALDWELLACADEMICS understand negative space—the area around and between the subject(s) of an image—and to have an understanding of the role Every Dog has its Day of texture. He studied tutorial platforms, then taught using the at Jennings Library tutorials accompanied with his annotations. For his photography classes, he used GIMP, a free graphics editor used for image retouching and editing and free-form drawing, and Darktable, a free and open-source photography application software and raw developer. To adapt his 3D design and digital photography classes for remote learning, Baker suspended a laptop from the ceiling in his study on a simple trapeze, allowing his students to see the technical demonstrations on the work table below. The computer screen on the far side of his workbench displayed the students’ view and allowed for comments on the chat feature. In his sculpture class, students moved their smartphones, virtually circling a sculpture, even viewing the interior spaces. Performing these camera movements also increased students’ awareness of the many possible perspectives and aspects of 3D form and texture of their work. Whether learning from a computer screen suspended in full view of family or amid the cacophony of Zoom calls in the background, students persevered. Baker is grateful to his colleagues in the Visual Art and Design Department, both full- time and adjunct, whose innovative solutions and dedication to helping students he found inspiring. Victoria Swanson, instruction and assessment librarian, and her co-worker Chime.

Dr. William A. Velhagen Jr., professor of biology and associate When Caldwell University moved online in March, Jennings Library dean of the School of Natural Sciences, started to explore became a completely digital resource. Librarians and staff pivoted distance learning options upon first hearing about COVID-19. quickly to continue to provide students and faculty assistance with Since he teaches anatomy, foremost in his mind was the need research, instruction and circulation remotely. The library was open for an innovative way to present labs online. Labs involve all the online, serving the Caldwell University community. “The library staff senses; how, he wondered, would he teach students to perform a did an amazing job moving our services online. Their creativity and virtual dissection, outside a classroom setting? versatility allowed for a smooth, successful transition during an uncertain time,” says Library Director Heather Cook. He consulted with colleagues at other colleges and learned that some went to their campuses, did experiments and recorded Library instruction and citation workshops were held live via Zoom and them. But he wanted a better solution. One publishing company Google Hangouts Meet or were recorded and posted for asynchronous he knew of offered a computer-generated virtual body through learning. In-person events were quickly moved online. Kim Lynch, which the viewer could see the layers of human skin. It seemed reference services and archives librarian, created short instructional a viable solution for teaching, but Velhagen wanted something videos on how to use library resources and posted them to social closer to his ideal. media to reach students there. They were more successful than Quibi! Circulation manager Roseann Pennisi and circulation assistant Monica After watching many helpful webinars offered free of charge by Duran were flooded with inter-library loan requests for electronic journal book publishers, he found McGraw Hill Connect, a platform articles and ebook chapters and were able to fulfill requests for students combining course management with sophisticated learning and and faculty in the middle of research. reporting tools customizable for a wide range of teaching styles. Once the spring semester ended, librarians had a chance to breathe The technology offered virtual online labs, including dissection, and assess, but they continue to work and prepare for the fall. Lynch and visuals with accompanying details—more than 11,000 found that chat stats had risen dramatically. Cook and Librarian Victoria structures in 260 views, allowing students to view and dissect Swanson created library orientation videos for faculty and graduate real cadavers. students for virtual orientation. Librarians, staff and student workers In addition to their teaching, we have heard stories of professors implemented a library takeout program for a contactless circulation and staff who have reached out quietly to ensure students were service to start in mid July and continue in the fall semester. faring well during these unprecedented times. For example, after In the fall, librarians will partner with a Caldwell working group on a closed borders kept international students from going home, campuswide book discussion on anti-racism. Ellen Johnston, cataloging a professor would treat them to takeout dinners from a local and reference librarian, created an anti-racism research guide to provide restaurant. As one student wrote in an email to this unsung information and resources. hero, “…I really appreciate everything that you have done for us on campus, for we are extremely grateful for your kindness Cook says, “The library staff are working hard on a plan and preparing and consideration. You have definitely made our stay here much to reopen Jennings Library safely so we can all get back to campus and to the in-person community we love.” n more enjoyable and bearable…” n

CALDWELLMAGAZINE 13 CALDWELLACADEMICS The Legacy Continues

14 CALDWELLMAGAZINE CALDWELLACADEMICS

The Legacy Wall in the Student Center Hall of Flags has been updated adding our new president, Dr. Matthew Whelan’s photo and three new panels chronicling events and achievements. The beautiful display was created by our partners at Graphic Imagery Inc. Take a closer look at the legacy wall by visiting www.caldwell.edu/legacywall.

CALDWELLMAGAZINE 15 CALDWELLFACULTY&STAFF Faculty & Staff Notes Agnes T. Berki, MSc Ph.D., associate Valerie D. Lewis-Mosley, adjunct Megan Matesic, professor in the School of Natural lecturer in the Department of Theology research analyst Sciences, is taking part in a sabbatical and Philosophy, had her article “My in the Office that aims to develop and validate new unbridled tongue challenges inequities that of Institutional diagnostic tools to survey the SARS-CoV-2 threaten Black women’s lives” published in Research and virus in COVID-19 patients. Berki is the National Catholic Reporter on July 9. Assessment, working with Biota Inc., New York, where earned a Ph.D. Thomson J. Ling, Ph.D., professor among her responsibilities she is working in higher and associate dean in the School of on state-of-the-art precision infectious education Psychology and Counseling, Karla disease diagnostics using next-generation leadership, Batres, Miguel Rodriguez and Maricia sequencing and AI-powered software management and Hughes, associate director of residence to detect, characterize and monitor policy from Seton life, had a presentation examining best COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. Hall University. practices for achieving equity in higher Her dissertation was titled “First-Year Kathleen Boreale, assistant professor education accepted for the National Retention of Students with Disabilities in in the School of Nursing and Public Conference on Race and Ethnicity. The Higher Education.” Health, earned a Ph.D. in nursing from presentation was titled “You’re a minority- Rutgers University. serving institution, now what? Moving the Mary Ann Miller, Ph.D., professor of needle to be truly minority-serving.” English, moderated and participated Ruth M. DeBar, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA, in a roundtable titled “Curating the professor of applied behavior analysis, Maria Lupo, M.F.A., M.A., ATR-BC, Catholic Imagination: Editors’ Roundtable co-authored five research papers that were adjunct professor in the School of Discussion” at the Third Biennial Catholic presented at the 46th annual convention Psychology and Counseling, had a solo Imagination Conference: The Future of of the Association for Behavior Analysis exhibition in February at Warren County the Catholic Literary Tradition at Loyola International, held virtually. DeBar also Community College in Washington, University Chicago, Sept. 19-21, 2019. co-authored two research papers published New Jersey, featuring 20 paintings from At the conference she hosted an evening in Behavioral Interventions and Behavior her Intruder series including a presentation poetry reading from Presence, a poetry Analysis in Practice. to the campus on the art of art therapy. journal she edits, and exhibited the journal In March, Lupo’s artwork was included Meghan Deshais, Ph.D., BCBA-D, at the book fair. From March 5-7, Miller in the exhibition “A Place Called Home” assistant professor in the Department of exhibited Presence at the book fair during at Studio Montclair Gallery. A doctoral Applied Behavior Analysis, co-authored the annual conference of the Association candidate in medical humanities at Drew a study in the Journal of Applied Behavior of Writers and Writing Programs in University, Lupo is the recipient of a Analysis and three paper presentations San Antonio. 2019-20 Paul Drucker Arts of Respect and one poster presentation at local and fellowship for her project “Oh What My Kenneth F. Reeve, Ph.D., BCBA-D, national conferences. Eyes Have Seen.” professor of applied behavior analysis, James Flynn, Ph.D., associate professor had a paper accepted for publication in Neil Malvone, of theology and philosophy, chaired a the journal Behavioral Interventions. assistant colloquium on virtue at the American The paper, which investigated how to professor of sport Philosophical Association Central Division teach children their caregivers’ contact management and conference in Chicago in February. information in case they are lost, was co- esports business, authored with his M.A. in ABA student Susan Hayes, moderated the Tiffany LaFond and ABA department director of Collegiate Sports colleagues. Ken was a co-author on four institutional Management additional papers accepted for publication research and Group’s Sports in behavior analytic journals. He served as assessment, Summit panel an invited discussant for the symposium received a Ph.D. on “The Future “Theoretical and Experimental Aspects in educational Growth of of Emergent Stimulus Relations” at leadership Athletics at the Association for Behavior Analysis from Caldwell Historically Black Colleges and Universities International’s virtual convention in May University. (HBCUs)” on June 30. The panel featured of 2020 where he was also a co-author with sports management professionals who his students and colleagues on five research discussed the challenges and opportunities paper presentations. Ken also served as a of HBCU athletic programs in the wake of guest associate editor for the journal The the coronavirus pandemic.

16 CALDWELLMAGAZINE CALDWELLFACULTY&STAFF

Psychological Record and was selected Jason C. research papers presented virtually at the to join the editorial board of the journal Vladescu, Ph.D., annual convention of the Association Perspectives on Behavior Science. BCBA-D, for Behavior Analysis International. NCSP, LBA He gave invited presentations for the Sharon A. Reeve, Ph.D., BCBA-D, (NY), associate Nebraska Association for Behavior professor of applied behavior analysis, professor of Analysis conference in Omaha and the was a co-author along with her doctoral applied behavior annual Autism: Challenges and Solutions student Eileen Milata and ABA colleagues analysis, co- conference in Moscow, held virtually. on a research paper investigating how authored five He joined the editorial board for the to teach adolescents with autism how to papers in press peer-reviewed journal Behavior Analysis: make store purchases with a debit card. or published in Research and Practice and accepted the The paper was published in the journal peer-reviewed 2020 B. F. Skinner Foundation New Behavioral Interventions. Sharon was also journals (The Researcher Award in the area of a co-author on a research paper published Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and applied research. in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis The Psychological Record) and several investigating teaching adults to arrange safe infant sleep environments. Along with her students and ABA colleagues, she was also a Colleen O’Brien, campus ministry director, and Katherine Kopec ’21, attended co-author on six research papers presented the Catholic Relief Services Student Ambassador Virtual Voices conference July at the Association for Behavior Analysis 20-21. Kopec joined students from around the U.S. to learn about advocacy with International’s virtual convention in May congressional leaders, writing a letter to a news editor and leveraging social media. of 2020. The presentation topics included This year’s conference focused on issues of migration and hunger and participants had teaching classroom social skills to children a chance to meet virtually with congressional staff members. with disabilities and teaching children with autism spectrum disorder how to follow directions. Sharon also served as Bob Mann, professor in the Department of an article reviewer for multiple ABA and Communication and Media Studies, won first place autism journals. in the podcast-news feature category in the Garden State Journalists Association Memorial Journalism Award Rosa Mirna Sanchez, Ph.D., O.P.A., competition for his “Hot Media with Bob Mann” podcast associate professor of Spanish language, episode titled “Make My Day.” The episode focused on the literature and culture, presented her paper movie “Richard Jewell” and featured investigative reporter, “Identidad y autenticidad en ‘Ahora que professor and past president of the Society of Professional vuelvo, Ton’ de René del Risco Bermúdez” Journalists Hagit Limor. at the XXVI Congreso Internacional de Literatura y Estudios Hispánicos, held in virtual format June 18 to 19. Faculty and staff awards Andrei St. Felix, Dr. Nancy Blattner received the Caldwell Cup, which is awarded to an employee director of the who has made a unique contribution to the campus. The winner is someone who has Educational exhibitied a superior professional approach that goes beyond mere job description Opportunity and that uniquely benefits Caldwell University and whose positive personal influence Fund program, demonstrably affects the university community. had her article “Calling on our The Excellence in Teaching Award was presented to Anne Marie Callahan, professor beautiful forms in the School of Business and Computer Information Systems. of prayer during The Mission in Action Award was presented to Tom Duggan, director of dining the COVID-19 services for Gourmet Dining, who provided meals during the pandemic to the pandemic” students who were living on campus and off-campus students facing food insecurity. published on Duggan also coordinated the distribution of food donations from the campus the National community’s food drive. Black Catholic Congress website. The Graduate Faculty Mentorship Award was presented to Meghan Deshais, assistant professor, Department of Applied Behavior Analysis, clinical supervisor, Center for Autism and ABA.

CALDWELLMAGAZINE 17 CALDWELLLIFE Now on Display! Works from the Class of 2020 The senior project exhibitions for art majors in the Class of 2020 were canceled when the campus went remote due to the pandemic. When this group of graduates was asked to share some of their work for publication, four artists were happy to step forward, and we are happy to celebrate their creative accomplishments!

Kelle Lalier Inspirational Musicians Matte Paper Danielle Andersen Left to right: Danielle, Jill, Reva Artist Statement: My exhibit features Oil on canvas digital portraits of musicians that showcase the ways in which each Artist Statement: The subject matter of my exhibition is a generational study featuring personality, musical genre and unique my maternal grandmother, my mother and me. My goal was to create emotive portraits overall aesthetic inspire me. I enjoy through the use of an exaggerated color palette coupled with evocative facial expressions. including small details in my work that The use of color in my paintings signifies certain associations I have with the subjects of will only be noticed by people familiar the paintings. with each artist.

Jennifer Storm Flying Fish Acrylic on canvas Artist Statement: My exhibition depicts scenes from nature featuring juxtaposed and/or imaginary Emily Braisted twists. This painting of koi Static Motion fish is set against a night sky. Plaster; plaster on tulle I find great inspiration in Artist Statement: My exhibition focuses on simplicity and fragility. contrasting black with pops What appears to be flexible, sturdy and lightweight is transformed of bright color and enjoy the into something immobile, fragile and heavy. My work attempts ways in which the dark and to examine the phenomenon of ballet as a representational light work together in a interpretation of Degas. complementary manner.

18 CALDWELLMAGAZINE CALDWELLLIFE

continually reached out to them and how they would run into the Sisters of St. Dominic on campus. And “Ray and Dom” made the work fun, “continuously cracked jokes, fed us and made sure we remained hydrated,” said Deneisha. “Dom forces us to take breaks,” making sure they would not get dehydrated, said Joshi. Lunches were good too. Tom Duggan, director of dining services for Gourmet Dining, never stopped working, making sure that meals were ready in the cafeteria and that donations from the food pantry were out. Minotti made runs to the famous Andrea Deli in Orange, New Jersey, to pick A Summer of Painting up chicken cutlets, mac and cheese and homemade pizza. Every morning in the summer they would biology major from Trinidad and Tobago; get up and put on their paint-splattered Akwasi Osei-Du, a financial economics and In the evenings when temperatures would clothes and their pandemic-required masks mathematics major from Ghana, and Jose drop a bit, the crew would often gather in and report to work to paint the campus— Perez Ramos, a financial economics and the quiet of the campus for Perez’s workout areas of Mother Joseph and Dominican marketing major from Spain. sessions, joined by the other students living Residence Halls, the Student Center and in the dorms. The rising senior from Spain “It is like a family here,” said Sherstha the Administration building. Perhaps when started his social distance exercise classes of the tiny summer crew. Sure, it was a their peers return to campus most will on the green between Dominican and challenge at first when the other students not notice the fresh paint brightening up Rosary halls after students saw him doing dispersed in March, but then they saw a room or the painstaking precision used his routine. “They asked me if they could how the campus community reached out, on the molding, but these eight students work out with me, and of course I said yes. providing them with meals seven days a will know. How could they walk past those It actually felt like a compliment to me.” week and constantly making sure they walls and forget the summer of 2020— The students got pretty serious about the were cared for. “The painting experience the summer when these international sessions, creating a WhatsApp group chat. is a great opportunity for me to be able students, who could not return home to interact with other students so that As international students they shared with borders closed in the lockdowns, my time on this campus is not spent one some of the same challenges—when to lived in a community in the residence hundred percent isolated,” said Deneisha find time to talk to family in other time halls, painted, became friends and painted Williams ’23. zones and identifying the most convenient some more? How could they forget the technology to use across the miles. hands-on education that built their Most of the students vocabularies with the language of drop had never painted before It was a summer of cloths, painter’s tape and rollers, primer, but they became quite learning the skills of palettes and sandpaper? proficient at it. The job …it’s been an art a trade, but most of “is enervating” and at the all it was a season that Raymond Williams, director of plant that improves on a same time enjoyable, said “ provided invaluable operations, and Domenico Minotti, Deneisha. It is a skill the experience in learning operations manager, were happy to hire daily basis. students know they will how to adapt to life’s the students. “They have been fantastic,” use in the future whether changes and seeing that said Williams. Painting, painting and more ” for employment or in painting their kids’ there are silver linings even in challenging painting. And in between, they bonded and bedrooms—“a lifelong trade beneficial to times—like focusing on the opportunities learned about each other’s ends of the earth. my future,” said Deneisha. Osei-Du ’22 presented to them for personal growth. The dynamic team consisted of Maftuna appreciated the education process. “From As Osei-Du said, engaging in teamwork Alimjanovna, a biology major from learning how to prepare the rooms and helped them form a little community of Uzbekistan; Avilasha Joshi, a communication floors before painting to painting the walls friends with a shared goal of producing a and media studies and sociology major; by rolling them in a controlled manner, it’s quality product. It’s a community he hopes Abhishank Khadka, a communication been an art that improves on a daily basis.” the students “will carry on from these times information systems major, Utsav KC, into the future” in the larger community of Their gratitude is obvious the minute you a financial economics and mathematics Caldwell University. n start talking to them—gratitude for all the major; Sambid Sherstha, a public health little things, like how the administration —CL major from Nepal; Deneisha Williams, a

CALDWELLMAGAZINE 19 CALDWELLLIFE Champions Marchelle Boyd, BSN ’15 Khaliah Douglas ’13 Caldwell University

alumni, students,

faculty and staff

heard the call and Serving COVID Patients in She investigated crime the Hospital scenes and visited morgues swiftly stepped up during the outbreak Marchelle Boyd served coronavirus patients for nearly three months during Khaliah Douglas works as an officer to the front lines, the pandemic, which made her realize with the Union County Sheriff’s Office how much she wants to be a nursing in the Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) professor or to enter hospital leadership. Unit, and she is an adjunct lecturer at helping and healing “I want to educate and teach the next Caldwell University in the Department generation of nursing professionals,” of Sociology and Criminal Justice. said Boyd, citing the shortage of nurses. Douglas has worked in CSI for three throughout the Boyd, who holds a BSN from Caldwell, years and is responsible for processing is a primary nurse in a medical surgery all homicide- and police-involved unit at Robert Wood Johnson University shooting scenes in Union County. She COVID-19 outbreak. Hospital Somerset and was reassigned to also has assessed, processed and solved a COVID-19 unit from March to May. shooting investigations, infant deaths, We celebrate some “When an emergency hits, you learn a lot burglaries and aggravated assault cases about yourself and the virus,” said Boyd, in the county. During the initial wave of who is chapter president of the Middlesex the COVID outbreak she wore personal of the many heroes Regional Black Nurses Association and protective equipment ranging from gloves is studying in the Master of Science in and KN95 masks to full-body Tyvek Nursing in Population Health program. suits while investigating crime scenes from our Caldwell During the peak, Boyd reached out to and visiting morgues to view autopsies. family members of patients via FaceTime The work was definitely challenging at to connect them with their loved ones times, she says, but she remained readily University family. who were dying. “I felt a responsibility available to serve the community. Douglas and obligation to my patients and their is extremely grateful to members of the families … it was truly heartbreaking but Union County community for their important.” She appreciates how she and “generous donations throughout the her colleagues were there for each other entire COVID-19 pandemic.” She says and became closer as a team. Boyd, who these offerings helped keep her safe so will be a graduate assistant in nursing at she could keep the community safe. “The Caldwell in the fall, hopes people emerge PPE, hand sanitizer, lunch donations and from the pandemic with a better sense of prayers truly went a long way.” community—of “What you do affects me.”

20 CALDWELLMAGAZINE CALDWELLLIFE Respond to COVID-19 Tom Duggan Brittany Gaule ’21 Marisa Juliano ’17, M.A. ’20

Feeding Students Throughout Serving grocery store Her Art Therapy Helped the Pandemic Reflects customers at the height of Isolated Seniors CU Promise and Mission the pandemic Marisa Juliano spent several months If ever someone deserved the staff Mission Brittany Gaule is a rising senior at serving COVID-19 patients and high- in Action Award this year it was Tom Caldwell University majoring in risk seniors in Sycamore Living, a senior Duggan, director of dining services for psychology and minoring in human wellness community in East Hanover, Gourmet Dining. And he received it at resource management. In addition to her New Jersey. As a lifestyle engagement honors convocation May 7. Throughout studies at Caldwell, she has been very associate, Juliano created personal activity the pandemic, Duggan provided meals involved in campus ministry throughout kits to provide stimulating pastimes to the students who were still living on her time at Caldwell. She has selflessly for isolated seniors. She was part of campus and students off campus who served others by volunteering her time in an innovative program that connected faced food insecurity. With the assistance midnight runs for the homeless among residents with their families and the of chef Kevin Oates, Duggan made sure other outreach efforts. Sycamore Living staff through the use of the students had nutritious meals seven Alexa Echo Shows, allowing face-to-face During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gaule days a week. He stocked the fridge with communication that would otherwise has been a hero in her part-time job as three meals a day Monday through Friday have been impossible. Juliano, who holds a grocery store cashier at ACME. She and then made sure the weekend entrees, a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a and her father have worked at ACME salads and sandwiches were ready to go. minor in sociology, received her Master of for several years. Gaule is no stranger He and Oates tried to cater to the likes Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling to hard work, but her days during the of the students, many of whom were with a specialization in art therapy on May height of the pandemic were anything but international students who could not 17. She credits her time at the university typical. As a cashier, she served hundreds return home. Duggan also coordinated with preparing her for the job. “Being in of customers a day. They stood in long the distribution of food donations from the program has undoubtedly prepared lines and arrived more stressed than the campus food drive. “The community me to jump in the front lines during this usual. Gaule is an outgoing person and has been extremely generous,” he said. pandemic,” Juliano says, “as counseling normally makes conversation with her Sister Kathleen Tuite, O.P., vice president theory and technique come into play customers. However, increased protective of student life, said Duggan is a frontline as well as the art therapy perspective.” measures, such as masks worn in public hero. In addition to ensuring sustenance Through the unique combination of places and sneeze guards at each register, for students on and off campus, she said, he traditional counseling and therapy made conversation with the customers took time to engage with the students and techniques with the innovative application she greeted much more challenging. to ask them how they were each day. “He of new technology, Juliano has been able Nonetheless, Gaule persevered and made truly cares and in so doing, reflects the CU to offer care to isolated patients in a way the best of the situation. She is surely promise and mission.” that brings true connection. “I have heard a champion and an example of selfless stories about fear, loss, death but also of service to others at Caldwell. Asked hope and prayer for a better world after how she felt about working during the this.” Juliano has been selected to serve pandemic, Gaule said, “Life isn’t about as the commencement speaker at the waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about graduate ceremony for the Class of 2020. learning to dance in the rain.” continued on page 22

CALDWELLMAGAZINE 21 CALDWELLLIFE CU Champions Respond to COVID-19 continued from page 21

Roksana Korbi ’20 Amanda Mascolo ’21 Emily Stabile ’18

Serving in the E.R. as Her Mental Health Operating a Health a Student During the Counseling Skills Helped Department COVID-19 COVID-19 Outbreak Seniors with Isolation Call Line Working in a hospital emergency Amanda Mascolo was able to work with Emily Stabile works for the Fairfax department as an emergency technician seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic County Health Department in Virginia during the COVID-19 pandemic, because of the training she received and throughout the pandemic she has Roksana Korbi administered tests for at Caldwell University. “My time and operated a COVID-19 call line. She vital signs, EKGs, phlebotomy and blood experience from Caldwell’s academic has played a vital role in giving the glucose monitoring. She observed nurses program has prepared me to be patient, community guidance and information and doctors donning and doffing personal empathetic and understanding of this on the coronavirus on everything from protective equipment to ensure that the population especially during this time,” testing sites to symptoms to easing right sequence was followed to avoid said Mascolo, a graduate student in anxieties. A public health education contamination. Korbi, who received her the mental health counseling program. graduate, Stabile is normally employed bachelor of arts degree in biology May Mascolo is a lifestyle engagement as a school health aide for the county 17, was also responsible for transporting associate at Sycamore Living, a senior health department, responding to patients from their cars to the hospital wellness community in East Hanover, emergencies, administering medications, rooms, taking them on a route with New Jersey, helping residents navigate conducting vision and hearing screenings, minimal contact and then hooking them the challenges and isolation that came and handling other health-related tasks up to monitors. “Working during the with COVID. She recognized that, in in an elementary school. The county outbreak made me more convinced that I addition to the activities she could provide follows a public health model and has want to pursue a career in medicine. It is patients, such as kits containing art nurses in school health rooms just once saddening and unfair for patients to have supplies, she could offer them the gift of a week to oversee all tasks. Working to go through this virus.” She is grateful companionship. She formed bonds with during the coronavirus outbreak has to the Natural Sciences Department some of the residents, helping them feel been an experience Stabile will never faculty who gave her support in less alone during a time of unprecedented forget. “I have had the chance to use my academics and guided her toward separation. “Many of the skills I have public health knowledge from my time internship opportunities. learned throughout my counseling courses at Caldwell and my time at the health have helped me to be able to work with department to help the general public the residents,” Mascolo said. calling in with inquiries.” People are very grateful for the service. “It is the best feeling to be able to help people get the help and care that they need.”

22 CALDWELLMAGAZINE Dominican Connection CALDWELLLIFE How Campus Ministry Is Using Virtual Outlets to Keep #faith: the Community Connected The goal of Campus Ministry at Caldwell was very overwhelming University is to connect students and and anxiety provoking, but the rest of the university community to the rosary helped me to faith and service opportunities. So how keep my head. I enjoyed does such a ministry function when the joining with our group unprecedented happens and people must each week for just a few be reached remotely? For the director of moments of contemplation Campus Ministry, Colleen O’Brien, this and prayer. It reminded challenge proved to be one she could tackle me that even if we’re using modern technology. virtual, we’re still a strong community at Caldwell.” “The goals stayed the same,” O’Brien said as she reflected on ministering during While the virtual rosary COVID-19. “Another goal we added provided a great means was to make sure people found a source of connection, Campus of comfort and peace during that time.” Ministry has also created a way for the Campus Ministry managed to create that CU community to share space through two weekly programs. First, personal stories of faith. the staff began offering a virtual rosary at Through Faith Fridays, the start of the quarantine. During that available on YouTube, time, there was a reading of the day, a short students share their stories reflection, an offering of prayer intentions is in my life. It helps me trust in His plan and tell others why their faith plays such a and then a recitation of the rosary, all that He has, because I believe that He has a large role in their lives. accessible through Google Hangout Meets. plan for everyone.” These scheduled meetings gave people an “I do feel as though I learned a lot from Dennis Martin ’21 recalled how he was easy way to join a prayer group that could these interviews,” O’Brien said. “These going through the steps for membership meet their spiritual needs, even if they aren’t conversations I have all the time and participation in the Catholic Church weren’t students. with students, and getting to sit down with through the Rite of Christian Initiation of them in this way “I think it was nice Adults (RCIA) prior to the lockdown. Even helps even me to that going virtual though the pandemic delayed his reception There is something see what their larger allowed even our of the sacraments, he was thankful for views and thoughts alumni to join in along being part of the RCIA program. “ beautiful when it is an are on faith.” with our students, “This feels like a natural process,” Martin faculty and staff that adult who is still trying O’Brien appreciates said of the program. “You’re allowed to joined,” O’Brien said. seeing interviewees to figure things out. critically think about the decisions you express themselves. O’Brien knows that make and how you’re applying those. “These students offering a routine And you’re able to really meditate on those have an ”incredible depth of faith and can help to keep people on track during thoughts. You’re able to really let it sink in.” understanding of who God is in their uncertain times. “I know for myself I lives, that I believe they have something Even as the world struggled with the pain might not have picked up the rosary every to teach us all,” O’Brien said. and suffering brought on by COVID-19, week to pray, but then there was something Martin recognized that his journey to look forward to.” Sofia LoSardo ’23 was interviewed for the through RCIA was the perfect first Faith Friday program and exemplified that Brooke McPherson ’20, who assisted in step to unpacking the mysteries of faith. depth in her talk with O’Brien. running the virtual rosary, feels the same “There’s something beautiful when it’s an way. “It was very helpful to just have “I would describe my faith as a reason for adult who is still trying to figure things out,” the routine of doing something each me to get out of bed,” she said during her he said. “Who does not have all the answers. Wednesday. I’m a creature of habit, so conversation. “It really helps me learn how Who is completely lost just like everybody having all my schedules suddenly trashed to trust God. It helps me see what Jesus continued on page 24

CALDWELLMAGAZINE 23 CALDWELLLIFE continued from page 23 Dominican Connection else in this world right now and who’s individual abilities, which is limited. You seeking to learn more about their faith and have to believe in something higher. Even For several years, the Grotto Rosary try to apply that in some way that they can.” when it’s hard.” Ministry at CU has been meeting once a month to pray for the intentions In her interview, alumna Alumna Christine of the CU family. Members of the Millien ’19, a staff Danielle Schiavone ’19 I talk to God like community are invited to submit their talked about serving as member in the EOF prayer petitions online. Participants a nurse. She works in I’m talking to my office, shared how she gather by the grotto near the pediatric ICU, and as “ relies on God in all Motherhouse, in the chapel on campus COVID-19 cases surged best friend. aspects of her life even or virtually on Google Hangouts Meet. at the hospital, her unit in public speaking. She For information, contact Andrei St. transitioned to caring for ” prays, “God I need you Felix at [email protected] or Laura critically ill adults, helping to decompress to speak through me.” She says she has an Ziegert at lziegert @caldwell.edu. the swamped adult side of intensive care. open dialogue with God. “I talk to God Schiavone spoke about how vital her faith like I’m talking to my best friend.” was as she prepared for whatever came her Thanks to the virtual rosary and Faith way each day. Fridays, Caldwell University believers “My faith has always been a tremendous are keeping their connection strong, the part of what I do,” she said. “I pray every thread of faith securing them to each other day on my way to work and I pray every with a hope that does not shift or change day on my way home. If you don’t believe with the circumstances of the world. That that the power of prayer is going to help connection—that faith—is something we you through things, then you’re leaving can all believe in. n #faith your faith up to science, which is limited. —Nicole Burrell ’09 You’re leaving faith up to your own Black Lives Matter Vigil

A candlelight vigil in support of Black Lives Matter was hosted on campus July 21 by Lambda Tau Omega Sorority, Inc., to stand in solidarity against racial injustice and police brutality. Students, faculty and staff, Caldwell Mayor John Kelley, borough council members and members of the Caldwell Police Department attended. The event was emceed by Lambda Tau Omega sister Thara Dambreville; student speakers included Mariano McGaskey (Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.) and Cindy Herrera (Lambda Tau Omega Sorority, Inc.) and Caldwell University president Dr. Matthew Whelan.

Mariano McGaskey, a brother in the Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., spoke at the BLM vigil.

24 CALDWELLMAGAZINE CALDWELLATHLETICS

Caldwell Athletics Director Corino Selected #faith to Serve on Division II Management Council Caldwell University Assistant Vice eight Division II independent institutions); Corino was a member of the NCAA President/Director of Athletics Mark A. two representatives from the Division II All Divisions Men’s Basketball Rules Corino was selected to serve on the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Committee from 2012 to 2016 and was a Division II Management Council as the and two at-large positions to help achieve member of the NCAA Division II Men’s representative of the Central Atlantic diversity of representation. Basketball Regional Advisory Committee Collegiate Conference. from 2003 to 2006 and 2008 to 2012. Corino, in his 32nd year as Caldwell’s Corino was part of the ECAC Board of The Management Council reports directly athletics director, is president of the Directors from 2007 to 2014, while serving to the Presidents Council and is charged CACC Directors Council and was the as the ECAC third vice president from with recommending administrative policy CACC Athletics Director of the Year 2010 to 2012 and as second vice president and regulations that govern the division. in 2017-18. In from 2012 to 2014. The Management Council reviews and acts addition, he represents on recommendations from the Division the group at the I am extremely honored In addition to II committee structure and from Division league’s Presidents his lengthy list II representatives to committees with Council meetings. “ for the opportunity to of administrative association-wide functions. The council He has assisted in duties at Caldwell is responsible for appointing Division II strategic planning serve on the Division II and the CACC, representatives to those committees. for the conference Management Council. Corino doubles as and has helped the university’s men’s “I am extremely honored for the spearhead new efforts basketball coach and opportunity to serve on the Division that will enhance ” is one of the all-time II Management Council,” said Corino. the championship experience for the winningest college basketball coaches in “I look forward to working with my conference’s student-athletes. Corino New Jersey history. He has won 592 games colleagues across Division II to improve the previously represented the conference on during his prestigious career, and he was student-athlete experience and promote the the DII Athletics Directors Association, enshrined in the Caldwell Athletics Hall of Division II model.” made up of athletics directors throughout Fame in 2016. In 2018, Corino received The Management Council has 28 members, the country who work with the NCAA the Collegiate Athletic Administrators including one administrator or representative on administrative issues. of New Jersey’s prestigious Garden State from each of the Division II multisport Award, and Caldwell University named the Corino has served in various roles on voting conferences; one administrator or playing court in the George R. Newman regional and national levels. He served representative of Division II independent Center in his honor. n on the NCAA Compliance Think Tank institutions (provided there are at least National Committee from 2016 to 2018. —JT

CALDWELLMAGAZINE 25 CALDWELLATHLETICS Winter Recap > Men’s Basketball Covington and Bowling Rapach Earn All-Conference Honors

> Women’s Basketball Lebron Sets Program Three-Point Record

> Spring Season Cut Short Due to COVID-19 Pandemic Men’s basketball player Vaughn Covington ’21

The women’s bowling team finished their University in December. The Cougars career with 237 trifectas. Lebron earned regular season with a 43-54 record. The defeated Norfolk State University 64-54 her third CACC All-Academic honor and Cougars were scheduled to compete in the in the Fort Myers Tip-Off Classic in was joined by graduate Alessia Smaldone East Coast Conference Championships at November. Senior Vaughn Covington (Malnate, Italy) and sophomore Ana the end of March but the championships (Sicklerville, New Jersey) earned CACC Gonzalez Martin (Toledo, Spain) in were cancelled due to the pandemic. Third Team All-Conference honors after earning all-academic recognition. Freshman Jenna Rapach (Hazleton, leading the team with 64 assists and 33 The spring sports of baseball, softball, Pennsylvania) earned ECC First Team steals. Senior Daan Vianen (Nieuwegein, men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse and track All-Conference honors as she finished with Netherlands) earned CACC All-Academic and field saw their seasons cut short due the second highest overall frames average Team honors, while Vianen and fellow to the COVID-19 pandemic. Baseball and in the conference. Caldwell ended the senior Ruud Lutterman (Dalem, softball had just started their seasons over year ranked twelfth in the final National Netherlands) were named to the spring break in Florida, playing seven and Tenpin Coaches Association Division II/III National Association of Basketball six games respectively. Women’s lacrosse coaches poll of the season. Coaches Honors Court. played four games prior to the cancellation Men’s basketball finished their season with Women’s basketball ended their season of the season. Men’s lacrosse, competing in 12 wins and registered eight victories in with eight conference wins and finished in their first season, recorded the program’s Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference third place in the CACC North Division. first victory with an 11-4 victory over play. The season featured two regular Senior Tina Lebron (Manalapan, New American International College on season contests against Division I Jersey) broke the program record for February 29. n opponents including a trip to Rutgers career three-pointers as she finished her —JT

32ND ANNUAL SAVE CALDWELL UNIVERSITY THE DATE GOLF monday, OUTING June 21, 2021 BENEFITING STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS Essex Fells Country Club, Essex Fells, NJ Sponsorship opportunities still available! For more information, please contact Meghan Moran at 973-618-3552 or [email protected]. www.caldwell.edu/golf

26 CALDWELLMAGAZINE CALDWELLATHLETICS Amy Berry Tabbed to Head Women’s Volleyball Program

to the CACC where I once played as an High School for one season and qualified athlete to now lead a strong program of for both the Shore Conference and state my own. I am very excited to get this tournaments in 2015. season going!” Berry continues to be active in competitive Berry has been vice president and director volleyball as a player. She competes in of operations at the Garden State Elite indoor, grass and beach volleyball and in Volleyball Club since 2017. She develops 9-man volleyball, an Asian form of the and implements multiple training game played on concrete. programs for the club, manages its Berry played for Georgian Court’s social media content and coaches at volleyball team from 2009 to 2012 and various age levels. Berry previously served was a member of the women’s track and as the head women’s volleyball coach field team. In volleyball, she was a CACC at the County College of Morris for Second Team All-Conference selection three seasons, guiding the Titans to the as a senior and finished her career with conference playoffs in each season. 993 kills, 667 digs, 89 service aces and “We are very excited to have Amy Berry 90 total blocks. Berry was a three-year lead our women’s volleyball program as captain for the Lions and was part of their its next head coach,” said Corino. “As 2009 CACC championship squad. She a former player in the CACC, she has was a two-time conference champion in The Caldwell University Athletics familiarity with the league, and when the javelin, qualifying for nationals in Department named Amy Berry to lead combined with her previous coaching 2011. Berry was voted the department’s the women’s volleyball program. Berry experience, she has the necessary most valuable player in her senior year. In was a four-year standout player at background to lead our talented program. addition, she represented the CACC on Georgian Court University, a fellow We expect her to continue the success the National Student-Athlete Advisory Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference the program has experienced and remain Committee for three years. competitive within the conference.” school, and has an extensive background Berry graduated from Georgian Court in in the volleyball community. Berry has coached volleyball at PowerZone 2014 with a degree in exercise science with “I would like to thank Mark Corino and Volleyball Center for two years and was a a concentration in women’s coaching and a Caldwell Athletics for the opportunity to club coach at the Ocean County Volleyball minor in psychology. n Club for two years. She served as the become a part of the Cougar family,” said —JT Berry. “It is an absolute blessing to return interim volleyball coach at Jackson Liberty Fall 2020 Season Delayed to Spring 2021

The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference President’s Council announced that intercollegiate competition will not occur during the fall 2020 season due to safety concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. The affected sports include men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, women’s tennis, men’s and women’s cross country and men’s and women’s basketball. The Collegiate Sprint Football League and the East Coast Conference, governing sprint football and women’s bowling respectively, followed with similar announcements to delay the fall seasons to the spring semester.

The conferences are committed to providing the fall and winter student-athletes with meaningful seasons of intercollegiate competition for all fall and winter student-athletes commencing after Jan. 1, 2021.

Regularly scheduled spring sports were not affected by the announcement and will be conducted as scheduled. The decisions are subject to change, and all Cougar fans should follow the latest updates on athletic contests on caldwellathletics.com.

CALDWELLMAGAZINE 27 CALDWELLDEVELOPMENT Meeting This Moment, One Call at a Time

The Class of ’68 at the 50th reunion.

It’s a Tuesday morning, and former Elaine Tweedus ’66, one of the first volunteers in the program, wrote of her experience Caldwell trustee Dorothy Cunningham ’49 as a volunteer caller: is enjoying a lively chat with current trustee Kathleen Barabas ’85. The next day Anna When asked if I would participate, I hesitated. What kind of conversation could I have with a Nelson ’88 and Lucy Anello ’56 share total stranger? The only thing Virginia [her assigned call recipient] and I had in common was some of their treasured Caldwell memories that we both had attended Caldwell back when it was Caldwell College for Women! We had as they speak on the phone. During the graduated in different years and had different majors; our paths had never crossed on campus. rest of the week, 14 other alumni are So I nervously phoned Virginia on a Wednesday morning back in April. We chatted for more on scheduled phone calls, talking about than an hour and a half! After talking a bit about our Caldwell backgrounds, we discovered Caldwell and all manner of topics with that she and my father had worked for the same company and knew some of the same people! fellow graduates they’ve never met. What goes on here? In subsequent conversations, I learned that Virginia had spent her early years in Baltimore, Maryland. My husband and I would go to Baltimore each summer for the colossal Baltimore This group of newfound friends belongs to Antique Show and also visit the museums, the Inner Harbor, and dine at many of the great Caldwell Connect, a program that began seafood restaurants. Virginia knew all of them, and we reminisced over the great soft-shell as a concept in February. The arrival of crabs in the springtime, and the lobster imperial at Mo’s, a Baltimore culinary landmark. the pandemic and physical distancing Virginia and I speak every week. We reminisce about our travels in Europe and across the guidelines made a compelling case for the United States. Funny, two people who have never met have shared so many of the same initiative: It matches alumni volunteers experiences. We have serious conversations, but we laugh a lot too. I’ve welcomed Virginia with alumni who are homebound for any into my family of friends and look forward to our calls as much as she does. reason and want more social contact. It’s an opportunity for those at home to hear Caldwell Connect is fulfilling the university’s mission to serve, by creating relationships that are university news, enjoy a conversation and especially comforting and sustaining at this time. At a future time, a special event will be held build a new relationship. Currently, there on campus so that these new friends can share the delight of meeting each other in person. are 16 volunteer matches, and organizers plan to expand the program. For more information, email [email protected] or call 973-618-3242. n —Christina Hall

28 CALDWELLMAGAZINE CALDWELLDEVELOPMENT

Lilly Endowment Awards Second Grant to Encourage High School Students to Explore Spirituality High school students yearn for opportunities to ask difficult and probing questions about their faith and the moral dimensions of contemporary challenges. In 2015, Caldwell University received a four-year grant to establish GRANTS a residential summer program, the University Receives Two National The university will receive a five-year Spirituality and Leadership Institute, Science Foundation Grants to $1.2M NSF DUE Robert Noyce Teacher on campus for high school students and Support Science and Math Majors Scholarship Program grant for 21 Caldwell’s undergraduate spiritual mentors. Caldwell University undergraduate students beginning this The major focus was to study theological was awarded a National fall to prepare effective secondary STEM works and to examine how their faith calls Science Foundation educators (grades 7-12) in local high-need them to lives of service. (NSF) Division districts. The project, “Building STEM In 2021, a new five-year $222,000 grant of Undergraduate Teachers’ Capacity to Create Authentic will continue this work under a “Disciples Education (DUE) and Original Classroom Experiences,” on the Way” theme that will expand on the Scholarship in Science, Technology, will offer future STEM teachers advanced idea and vision of what it means to be a Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) pedagogy and content training with an disciple as a young person. Participants will Program grant to support the retention educational emphasis on engaging in be immersed in intellectual, spiritual and and graduation of 18 high-achieving, low- and teaching STEM. This intervention practical ways of living as they focus and income majors in biology, chemistry or couples hands-on STEM teaching via early build on different aspects of discipleship, mathematics. The five-year federal grant of field experiences with an innovative and such as leadership, arts and spirituality, and $650,000 will help to develop the project, comprehensive educational approach called prayer methods. All programming will be titled “Increasing Enrollment, Retention, the CREATE to EDUCATE initiative. aimed at helping young people to have a Graduation, and Job Placement by This initiative will partner scholars with greater understanding of their ability to Supporting the Connections of Commuter CU faculty to develop multimedia STEM be disciples in today’s world and to have STEM Undergraduates to Faculty, Peers, instructional materials to be used during an initial full experience experimenting and Industry,” and will enhance student their field placements and in-service teaching. with and using the suggested discernment interactions with STEM faculty. Dr. William Velhagen, associate dean of the tools. The program will help young people Dr. Darryl Aucoin, assistant professor in School of Natural Sciences and a biology intensify connections to their faith in areas of the school of natural sciences, leads the professor, says they are excited to have interest and help them to envision how they project team of professors including Drs. been awarded this grant, which will help can become faith leaders in their community, Agnes Berki and Marjorie Squires, Dr. students become effective science and math school, church, family, workplace and even Patricia Garruto, professor of mathematics, teachers at high-needs school districts. online through social media. and Dr. Marisa Castronova ’18, lecturer “We hope that having great teachers will and researcher. lead to more students choosing careers in STEM.” He will head an interdisciplinary The project team will study how well new faculty team that includes Dr. Edith Ries, interventions help commuter students to professor of education; Dr. Patrick Sime, develop meaningful relationships with professor of mathematics, and Dr. Marisa Colleen O’Brien, director of campus resident students and with faculty. Team Castronova ’18, educational researcher. ministry, is a seasoned youth minister in members anticipate that the project will The team will collaborate with two local higher education, who will lead this effort generate new knowledge about the impact educational agencies in Passaic City and supported by an array of CU spiritual of supplemental instruction on commuter Clifton and will recruit local transfer mentors and an assistant youth minister. students’ science identity, retention, degree students from Passaic County Community She hopes it will help students deepen their attainment and career choices. Findings College and Union County College. faith. “We are working to engage current can help other colleges nationwide to and future faith leaders in our community better support the success of STEM and help them discover the many ways God commuting students. is calling them to live and be in the world.” n

CALDWELLMAGAZINE 29 CALDWELLDEVELOPMENT Leadership and Empathy in Action: Tanya Freeman ’08, Esq.

In 2008—nearly 20 years past what she Freeman enrolled at Caldwell College, had planned for, Tanya Freeman graduated attending classes on nights and weekends from Caldwell College. “God determines while working full-time and raising six the path of our lives,” she says. young children. Any student looking for inspiration to achieve a goal need only She grew up with four siblings in a family think of Freeman’s journey. headed by a single father, who had big dreams for his children and impressed After graduating cum laude from Caldwell financial support for unexpected and upon them the value of education. College, Freeman took the next step in emergent needs to students enrolled in Despite his lack of formal education, he fulfilling her dream, when she earned her the EOF program. nevertheless encouraged all his children juris doctorate, cum laude, from the Jacob Natalia Tomcyk ’20, one of the many to learn, grow, and achieve. His vision for D. Fuchsberg Law Center at Touro College. students who benefited from Freeman’s Freeman, which became her dream when Today, Tanya Freeman Law, LLC, located generosity shared, “Due to the EOF she was eight years old, was for her to in East Hanover, specializes in family Student Emergency Fund, I was able to become an attorney. law, including divorce, child and spousal graduate this semester and finally become The challenges Freeman’s family faced support, child custody, and domestic the nurse I’ve dreamed to be and help when she was a child brought about violence. Freeman’s six children now range others during these difficult times. I am financial hardships that placed her on a from age 13 to 30; three of her children ever so grateful and can’t wait to change non-traditional path to college. Tragedy have graduated from college and two have the world.” struck when her beloved father died master’s degrees. EOF program students come from difficult when she was just 14 years old; during For her dedication to advocacy, family, socioeconomic backgrounds. Due to a the remainder of her adolescence, she was service, and community, Freeman has lack of financial security, these students raised by her older siblings and extended received numerous awards. In 2014, often face obstacles that can prevent them family. Freeman credits the lessons her former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie from remaining in school. Considering father taught her with helping her to appointed Freeman to Newark’s University her struggles as a young woman, Freeman remain focused and resilient. Hospital Board of Directors, for which she hopes to serve as a role model and mentor After high school, Freeman attended now serves as Chair of the Board. She was to students from financially challenged Marymount College, but in her junior year named Family Lawyer of the Year by the backgrounds. She has been a motivational had to drop out when she could no longer Hudson County Bar Association in 2016. speaker at several EOF events and is afford the tuition. She landed a full-time providing mentorship to an EOF student In 2018, Freeman received Caldwell job at a prominent insurance company and who aspires to a law career. In the current University’s Veritas Award, its highest her career quickly took off. Then one day COVID-19 crisis, the EOF Student alumni honor, for Excellence in Law and she was considered for a promotion, one Emergency Fund has become a vital Family Services. In 2019 she established that required the college degree she had source of support. n the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) never obtained. Student Emergency Fund to provide —Christina Hall A Day of Gratitude Celebrates Caldwell’s Heroes The COVID-19 pandemic has created a growing groundswell of educational expenses. This total eclipsed last November’s Giving support for health care workers and first responders in this country Day appeal by 1,000%—in great part, thanks to Bromberg’s and around the world. On May 5, Caldwell University joined other leadership, which energized many in the Caldwell community. charitable organizations around the globe for #GivingTuesdayNow, “It was my honor and privilege to be able to participate in a special day of giving designed to meet the urgent needs caused a meaningful effort to make a difference in creating future by the pandemic. caregivers,” says Bromberg, adding, “The needs are great; An email appeal went out to alumni, asking for their support scholarships to advance our future heroes and first responders for students working as health care providers, including nursing provided me with a unique opportunity to give.” students, EMTs and other first responders. To make a gift to support a future hero or first responder, visit University trustee Lisa Murtha Bromberg ’80, Esq., was inspired to www.caldwell.edu/donate.now. help this fundraising effort and offered to match every gift made up to a total of $10,000. By 11 p.m. on May 5, $10,000 was raised online, which, added to Bromberg’s matching gift, netted $20,000 to help nursing students and first responders cover some of their

30 CALDWELLMAGAZINE CALDWELLDEVELOPMENT Lessons Learned from Traveling the Globe: Barbara McFadden ’82 “Do what you can. Where you are. With what you have.” This quote might serve as Barbara McFadden’s mantra. Nearly four decades after graduating from Caldwell, she continues to live the values she learned here as a student and, as such, is a steward of the university’s mission. In a gesture of gratitude to Caldwell, she recently established the McFadden Scholarship to help support a returning student this year. A native of Cranford, New Jersey, McFadden is a mother of four and is an ESL teacher. She has wide-ranging interests, chief among them travel. From Ireland to Australia, to walking 500 miles McFadden in Soroti with a new friend. on the Camino Santiago pilgrimage apiece; despite stifling heat, there were no images. The girls peppered the teachers in Spain, McFadden continues to find fans, let alone air conditioners. The girls with a raft of questions, such as: “Can you fascination and inspiration in learning had only two dresses each—one for school, sing your national anthem?” “Please tell us about other peoples and cultures. one for play. They went barefoot, had to about slavery in the United States.” “Where A relentless enthusiast, McFadden naturally make do without books and wrote with do you live?” and “Who is Harry Potter?” pencils worn to the nub. Their heads were said yes when, in July of 2019, a friend At the end of their two-week stay, shaved to protect them from lice. invited her to go on a trip to Uganda McFadden and her group left Soroti before sponsored by their church. Nine other Yet the girls never complained, despite dawn for the trip back to Kampala and the parishioners formed a group that made sitting shoulder to shoulder on wooden long flight home to the U.S. She took with the journey to Soroti, Uganda, to teach benches while attending classes six days her a treasure trove of warm memories; the students of St. Ann’s Madera Girls’ a week, including an evening class. At she left the contents of her two suitcases in Primary School. the end of each class, they rose, saying in Soroti, returning to the U.S. with just the Traveling to a third world country is vastly unison, “Thank you for teaching us. May clothes on her back. McFadden regrets that different from making a trip to a European God bless you!” she didn’t bring an extra carry-on stuffed with books for the students she met. country, notes McFadden. Her group had McFadden and her group were housed to arrange for hepatitis A and yellow fever on the school campus in spartan dorms “Sometimes it’s good to get out of your vaccinations and received prescription located a few feet from the classrooms. They ZIP code to see how others live and antimalarial medication, all while pondering fell asleep at midnight beneath mosquito struggle for survival,” says McFadden. the 7,700 miles of air they had to travel. netting, serenaded by the girls’ singing, “The necessities of life are almost Leaving the U.S., McFadden and her travel and awoke to their joyful morning songs. impossible to obtain in Uganda. I think partners made the 15-hour trip to Dubai; McFadden’s group visited the nearby nursery about the girls, now returning to their the next leg, to Entebbe, Uganda, took six school, the National School for the Blind homes, with very little to keep them and a half hours. After a one-night stay at a and a local girls high school. They enjoyed healthy in this global pandemic. The seminary in Kampala, the group boarded a delicious meals that included fruits and lack of health care, medications, good van for the eight-hour ride to Soroti. Upon vegetables grown on the school grounds, sanitation, literacy and employment their arrival, they were greeted by the sweet along with rice and free-range chicken. [are all pressing issues].” She says the lessons she learned in Soroti remain in her sounds of hundreds of barefoot students As the volunteer teachers worked with the mind to this day. n singing songs of welcome. students, they noticed that the girls were McFadden and her group taught in fascinated by all things American, including ­—Christina Hall classrooms jammed with nearly 100 girls cell phones, on which they could see their

CALDWELLMAGAZINE 31 CALDWELLALUMNI Alumni Director Receives Irish Echo’s 40-Under-40 Award Director The Rutherford, New Jersey, resident has Moran is grateful that her parents, of Donor held several positions in higher education Deborah and Daniel, believed in the and Alumni at Caldwell since she received her Bachelor importance of Catholic education and Engagement of Arts degree in 2007. She has worked in sent her and her brother and two sisters to Meghan Admissions, Campus Ministry, Student Catholic schools. That background, Moran Moran ’07 was Life and now in Alumni Affairs where said, taught her to cherish community and honored with she engages and builds relationships with to recognize the importance of giving back. a 40-Under-40 alumni of all ages. “My journey through When she is not engaging with alumni, award by the higher education at my alma mater has planning events or writing enewsletters, Irish Echo on been such a blessing in my life. I have had Moran is a trustee for the Rutherford Feb. 21. the opportunity to make connections with Irish American Association and coaches Director of Donor and Alumni many wonderful students and alumni over sixth-grade CYO basketball at St. Mary’s Engagement Meghan Moran The awards was honored by the Irish Echo the years,” said Moran. in Rutherford. as a Top-40-Under-40 2020. recognize those individuals She learned more about what it means to As Irish Echo president Ray O’Hanlan who are under 40 and have through their be Irish when she was 19 years old and wrote, “The winners bring pride to careers brought pride to themselves, their worked as a nanny for an Irish family in the story of the Irish in America, and families, their communities, Ireland, Irish Rutherford. The family “took me in as indeed of the Irish around the world.” America and the United States of America. their own,” Moran said, and from that she Congratulations, Meghan. You bring learned to “cherish the Irish tradition of great pride to Caldwell University. n Moran and the 39 honorees were welcoming others into your home, sharing celebrated at the Manhattan Club at a story and becoming family.” Rosie O’Grady’s.

Distance Learning Brought His Dream Up Close: Rocco L. Miscia Jr. ’01

There’s a saying that everything his first four classes at Caldwell College completely online, finding old is new again. Although the kind of work-life balance he needed to achieve his dream and remote learning has become a set an example for his then 5-year-old daughter. successful method for instruction After earning his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Caldwell during the pandemic, it’s College, he went on to earn a master’s in administrative science important to note that the from Fairleigh Dickinson University. In 2002, after retiring as a university was on the vanguard police captain, he became director of the Essex County College of distance learning way back Public Safety Academy, where he worked for 14 years. Last year, in 1996 when it was known as he was recruited by Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp to Caldwell College. become his chief of staff. Miscia previously served as an adjunct That year, when Rocco L. faculty member in Caldwell University’s Department of Sociology Miscia Jr. enrolled in the and Criminal Justice. Pictured, left to right: Miscia, his wife Alternate Route Program, Anne and their daughter Rachel. Miscia says Caldwell provided a supportive environment that he had already earned an helped nontraditional students assimilate, and he is grateful for associate’s degree at a community college, in 1981, and 15 the external degree program, an innovation that benefited adult credits from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, students with busy professional and personal schedules. “The faculty where he trained. He had worked as a police officer in his and staff were understanding, helpful and accommodating in hometown of Montclair for 19 years before he attended a getting me back into the education mode after a 15-year hiatus,” he presentation on the external degree program at Caldwell. Once says. “Not only the education but the encouragement I received at he realized he could take online classes while still working full time, Caldwell helped me decide to continue my education and earn my his goal of completing a bachelor’s degree and becoming a police graduate degree.” n captain seemed attainable. Thanks to the flexibility of online classes, which were not widely available elsewhere at the time, Miscia took —Christina Hall

32 CALDWELLMAGAZINE CALDWELLALUMNI Alumni President Letter from Alumni Association Board President Elaine Bauer Zabriskie ’73 Dear Fellow Alumni, in memory of… We are all adjusting to new faces, new environments and, in many cases, new ways of life as 2020 unfolds before us. Please remember these We bid adieu to Dr. Nancy Blattner in June and thank her for her deceased alumni and family numerous accomplishments and contributions to Caldwell University. We welcomed the arrival of Dr. Matthew Whelan to our campus as Caldwell members in your prayers. University’s ninth president! Dr. Whelan hails from New Jersey and has held various positions in the academic world, most recently as the vice Rosemary J. Gelshenen ’43 president for university enrollment strategy and relationship development at Stony Brook Marilyn Hardier Baker Shea ’49 University in New York. Let’s all extend a Caldwell welcome to Dr. Whelan and support him Margaret Jevnik Gentles ’50 in his new position. Irene Gorski Young ’51 I would also like to welcome the Class of 2020 to the ranks of Caldwell University alumni and Dorethy Muldoon Mulligan ’52 encourage you to participate in the activities of the Alumni Association. We are so glad to have Mary “Mariette” Reilly ’52 you join us! Please reach out to the Office of Alumni Affairs with any questions that may arise. Sister Margaret Virginia Blum, O.P. ’53 And as we try to work our way through the difficulties and challenges that have come to Barbara Somers Fitzsimmons ’57 define 2020 as an unprecedented year in world history, it would be gratifying to acknowledge the many initiatives that Caldwell University has undertaken to manage and ease the effects Anne D’Auria Blackburn ’60 of the health crisis brought on by the coronavirus. Our Development Office has set up an Carol Ann Codey Lott ’60 emergency fund for students who may need some help at this time, and Campus Ministry has Elaine Grogan Fiorello ’61 also set up a food drive for students and their families. On our champions page, we are proud Sister Dolores Procassini, O.P. ’63 to highlight the stories of our nursing and public health students and faculty who are on the front lines responding to COVID-19. We are so grateful for the dedication and professionalism Sister Clarita Mayer, O.P. ’65 demonstrated in these initiatives. Thank you! Please stay safe, everyone. n Marie Ley Platt Mother of Joan Marie Platt Mazulewicz ’66 and Marilou Platt ’78 and sister of Sister M. Martha, O.P. Elaine Bauer Zabriskie ’73 Frank Fiquet Hanna President, Alumni Association Husband of Patricia “Trish” McNally Chiarell ’70 Constance Scholl Schaub ’70 Claudia Ann Pietrowicz Kerr ’71 Sister Francis Margaret Smith ’75 Richard H. Ingram Jr. Brother of Sharon Dwyer ’03 2020-2021 Caldwell UniversitPleasey rememberAlumni Asso ctheseiation deceased alumni and Debra Murray Board of Representatives Sister of Sundra Murray ’04 family members in your prayers. PRESIDENT MEMBERS Suzanne Radest Koransky ’06 Elaine Bauer Zabriskie ’73 Nicola Armenti ’15 Alexis Demby ’08 VICE PRESIDENT Rosemary Hilbert ’96 Eileen Frances O’Loughlin James Stark ’14 Kaitlyn Kazalunas ’16 Sister of Vice President of Student Life Sister Javier Lewis ’14 Kathleen Tuite, O.P. ’93 and daughter of SECRETARY Marisa Juliano ’17 ’20 donor Frances Tuite Anna Nelson ’88 Jonni Lucas ’96 Maureen Murnane TREASURER Lynne Giachetti Machtemes, Esq. ’98 Former member of the Board of Trustees Roxanne Knott-Kuczborski ’03 Sundra Murray ’04 Rita Wolpert LIAiSON TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Noel Ruane ’70 Former faculty member Mary Sellitto-Curcio ’83 STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES Anton Massopust Megan Norton ’22 Former adjunct professor

CALDWELLMAGAZINE 33 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID 120 Bloomfield Avenue Caldwell, NJ Caldwell, New Jersey 07006 Permit No. 25

Homecoming and Family Week will be going virtual this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We can’t wait to welcome you back to campus when it’s safe for us to do so, HOMECOMING AND FAMILY WEEK but in the meantime, we will celebrate online! Check out the VIRTUAL EVENT alumni website or social media MONDAY, SEPT. 21 – FRIDAY, SEPT. 25 for a full list of virtual events!

Visit caldwell.edu/alumni/homecoming or contact [email protected] for more information.

21304 6.20