THE MAGAZINE OF MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY » SUMMER 2017 Monmouth’s new president, Grey Dimenna, is ENJOYING THE RIDE Q&A » page 04 MAN IN THE MIDDLE Prof. Saliba Sarsar on living through the Six-Day War and its aftereffects. page 22 CATCHING GHOSTS Faculty and students hunt stealthy killers in Barnegat Bay. page 32 SUMMER LOVIN’ A graphical look at how we view love in America. page 08 Contents Features | Summer 2017 22 28 32 MAN IN THE MIDDLE A CUT ABOVE THE REST CATCHING GHOSTS Saliba Sarsar ’78 has dedicat- David Perez ’17M and an Faculty and students hunt ed his life’s work to healing innovative program are stealthy killers that are the differences between the making an impact on decimating the Barnegat people of Israel and Palestine. youth literacy. Bay ecosystem. BACKSTORY » Illustrator Brian Hubble created this series of collages as a motif for Saliba Sarsar’s life experiences. Story, page 22. illustration BRIAN HUBBLE Summer 2017 MONMOUTH 01 Contents letters Departments | Summer 2017 Zelaya and Morissa Schwartz omit and we have been together since. any reference to the degree pro- TELL This June we celebrated our 50th grams they are pursuing. … We take Anniversary. MONMOUTH » VOL. 36. NO. 4 pride in our students, faculty, staff, William H. ’67 and Lynn C. 07 12 18 Monmouth magazine is published and alumni and would like to know US (Townsend) Wesp ’67 thrice annually by the Monmouth more about their connections to this University Office of External Affairs. institution. I encourage you to re-ex- WHAT pand the content of the articles and Vice President for to allow all of us an extra measure of External Affairs An undeserved pride of place. YOU Jason Kroll Redesign reactions Chad Dell, Ph.D. awa r d Wow to the wow! The new Mon- THINK I was disturbed and disgusted to The Front Associate Vice President, mouth is so crisp, clean, and smart The writer is an associate professor in Mon- read that Monmouth University Marketing & Communications looking. What a great job! mouth’s Department of Communication. Email us at bestowed an environmental honor currents » RESEARCH & REFLECTION Tara Peters ’94, ’99M Pat Dodd Ryan ’09 magazine@ to Christine Todd Whitman (“Cam- pus Briefs,” Spring 2017). As head Editor monmouth. The spring issue is a classic and of the EPA on 9/11, Whitman gave 04 07 08 10 Tony Marchetti the new gold standard of college Cupid strikes edu, or write us knowingly false information to GREY BOT MAN SUMMER EXPLAIN THIS mags. the people working on the World MATTERS Giuseppe Licata LOVIN’ How to take Assistant Editor Clancy Boynton ’68 The full stories behind these #MUx2 sub- at Monmouth Breanne McCarthy missions can be found at monmouth.edu/ Trade Center site and repeatedly A candid Q&A is coding his way A graphical look at great smartphone magazine. magazine, assured the public that the air to the top, one photos. Plus: What’s What a fantastically supreme, with Monmouth’s how we view love Creative Director Monmouth was safe to breathe—knowing all ninth president. chatbot at a time. in America. “HDR”? exceptional, amazing makeover. I We met on Irene’s first day of Tiffany Wysocki University, the while that it was not. In my love it! school and got married on her last. opinion, Whitman has the blood of Les Gwyn-Williams ’73 How cool is that? We have three Alumni House, TIDES » CULTURE & COMMUNITY Design & Layout the first responders who have died Dog Ear Consultants children and six grandchildren 400 Cedar or are dying from cancer and lung There are many things to like and have known each other for Ave., West diseases on her hands. She ruined 12 14 15 16 Contributing Writers about the new Monmouth mag- 52 years. Not only must we thank her environmental reputation and THE FRUITS OF HOW BEHIND A DAY AT Alexander Gelfand azine. The editorial content and Monmouth for providing us with Long Branch, lost her credibility as a “leading Maureen Harmon the heft and feel of the magazine THEIR LABORS MONMOUTH THE MUSIC THE BEACH a great education, but also for NJ 07764. voice for the environment.” Ryan Jones suggest “quality.” That said, I think being the very foundation of our One group’s quest to WAS MADE 10 things to know Still life along Daryl Becker ’72 Melissa Kvidahl the color palette is a big mistake. wonderful life together. Submissions reduce food waste The pedestrian about Monmouth’s the coast at Long There’s little to suggest I’m looking John ’71 and Irene (Ajello) Van de for the Letters Editor’s note: In a September 2016 interview on campus, and what student-run record Branch, New Jersey underpass. Photographers at my alma mater’s magazine. Red, Zilver ’71 with The Guardian, Whitman denied inten- you can do at home. label. Cardoni page are subject tionally misleading the public about the air while attractive in the magazine, quality at Ground Zero while apologizing to Tina Colella isn’t part of the Monmouth brand! We met in the old study hall, first to editing for those who were affected by breathing it. PLAY » SPORTS & FITNESS Anthony Deprimo Beyond that, where are Mon- floor of the Great Hall, in ’65. I clarity and Matt Furman mouth’s symbols? The blue “M” walked Lynn to her next class and length and must Ryan Struck ’07 is nowhere to be found. I don’t made a date for the weekend. I 18 20 mind the nameplate, but it’s no knew she was the one that day, include the Corrections END OF AN ERA SPLASH BROTHERS Illustrators great shakes either. So, I’d give the In the spring 2017 issue, the photo Eric Hanson writer’s name, Justin Robinson reflects on an amazing Two alumni recall their wet and wild days magazine a solid “A” for content at the top of page 32 was incor- Brian Hubble Hawks career. performing as clown divers. but a “C” for emotional connection address, and rectly credited to Andrew Cohen. Michael Witte with the 50,000 of us who once phone number The picture was taken by Mark walked Monmouth’s halls. Others, Ludak ’81. We regret the error. for confirmation. On the cover no doubt, will disagree. President Grey Dimenna on his Mitchell Shivers ’70 1995 Road King outside Doherty The Back The Rest House. Photo by Matt Furman. In truncating the copy, you left out Class notes » ALUMNI LIFE Letters, 03. one of the most important ele- Campus ments: the subjects’ connections to Briefs, 11. Monmouth University. James Mack 38 41 Alumni is identified as “a biology profes- THE CHANGEMAKER WHAT IT’S LIKE Roundup, 40. sor,” which suggests he could work Michele Evering-Watley ’89 On the air with Celebrations, West Long Branch, NJ 07764 anywhere. In fact, he is a long-serv- LEFT: Bill and Lynn (Townsend) Wesp at Spring is fighting Zika at home and Bloomberg Radio’s Dave 45 & 46. 732-571-3489 ing Monmouth University professor. Weekend in 1965 and in abroad. Wilson ’80. In Memoriam, 48. www.monmouth.edu Similarly, the articles on Adriana Hawaii last February. 02 MONMOUTH Summer 2017 Summer 2017 MONMOUTH 03 Currents RESEARCH & REFLECTION NEED TO KNOW » Topics & trends Grey 11 Shades of Grey Matters 1 As the first person A CANDID, ANNOTATED Q&A WITH to hold the position, MONMOUTH’S NINTH PRESIDENT. Dimenna established the organizational INTERVIEW BY TONY MARCHETTI framework of the Office of the General n February, Grey Dimenna, Esq., was appointed Counsel. president of Monmouth University. Dimenna, who retired as vice president and general counsel 2 Nancy Kaplen, I Dimenna’s wife, is from Monmouth in 2015, returned at the request of a retired attorney the Board of Trustees following the retirement of who worked in the former president Paul Brown. The board will soon New Jersey Attorney General’s office for begin a national presidential search, but Dimenna 26 years. has said he is not interested in being considered as 3 the incumbent beyond the conclusion of his contract, Dimenna owns sev- en bicycles and rode which runs through June 30, 2019. That hasn’t 5,507 miles in 2016. stopped him from embracing his new role with gusto. 4 A 1995 Road King. For those who don’t know you, here, as more departments began and asked if I could help out I can you share a little about reporting to me. Part of that re- 5 He owns two: an couldn’t say no. And Nancy was your background? flects the expansion of the federal electric Stratocaster very supportive of me doing this. I’ve been involved in higher and state laws and regulations af- and an acoustic Monmouth is like a family to me. education most of my career, first fecting higher education, and part resonator. That’s one of the special things at the New Jersey Attorney Gen- of it was related to Monmouth about this place.6 eral’s office where, among other becoming a more advanced insti- 6 Shortly after his assignments, I represented New tution. After I retired, I traveled a return, Dimenna You’ve seemingly been every- Jersey’s nine state colleges and lot with my wife, Nancy,2 rode my wrote in an email to where on campus since return- was director of governmental af- bicycles3 and my Harley4, and I students and em- ing. Has that been intentional? fairs in the Department of Higher started learning to play guitar.5 ployees, “Although I want to be as visible as pos- Education.