FALL 2015 GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS Roosevelt's new president, Ali Malekzadeh, talks about his career and plans for the University. PAGE 22 PAGE 52 Meet Patricia Harris, Roosevelt’s new chair of the Board of Trustees. Recommend Roosevelt to a Relative or Friend As a Roosevelt alum, you’ve accomplished a lot and are proud of your achievements. Now it’s time to encourage your son, daughter, neighbor or friend to get the same outstanding education you did. At Roosevelt University, they can have it all: Excellent academic programs Small classes Professors who care about their students An ideal location in downtown Chicago Affordable tuition and helpful financial assistance Intercollegiate athletics Countless opportunities for internships, mentorships and jobs in Chicago and the metropolitan area Roosevelt provided you with the skills you needed to succeed. Please tell a future student about the University that gave you a start. They can start by calling our Office of Admission at (877) 277-5978. FALL 2015 22 The School Year Begins During Roosevelt's Convocation on Aug. 21 in the Auditorium Theatre, new students were encouraged to send a tweet to President Ali Malekzadeh. ROOSEVELT REVIEW FALL 2015 1 fall 2015 / Volume 20, Number 2 17 Signing Off Rick Nieman (BA, '87) reminisces on his career and being one of Holland's most influential television journalists. 26 “We'll Figure It Out Together” Roosevelt honors student Desire Bernard comes from a tradition of giving. This includes regularly helping a homeless man in a Chicago park. 31 Going the Distance Alum Leo Solarte looks to make his mark on Chicago's real estate scene. 40 The Composing Process Roosevelt's Stacy Garrop describes how she composes music for chamber ensembles, choirs and orchestras. 34 DEBUTING CHICAGO'S NFL DRAFT “we were in the limelight like never before.” JUDIE GREEN CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER AUDITORIUM THEATRE OF ROOSEVELT UNIVERSITY Rising Above 10 A mentoring program that pairs black male teens from Chicago with successful black men at Roosevelt University is receiving accolades and donor support. 5 Events Calendar 8 President's Perspective 46 University News 58 Athletics 64 Scholarship Spotlight ON THE COVER Ali Malekzadeh, former Alumni News dean of business at 66 Kansas State University, became Roosevelt's 67 In Memoriam sixth president on July 1. Read about his 71 Board of Trustees career and plans for Roosevelt on page 22. 72 Honor Roll of Donors ROOSEVELT REVIEW FALL 2015 3 Have a question? Have a comment? We can help. Connect with us. Letters to the Editor, Articles in Roosevelt Review Thomas R. Karow, Editor (312) 341-3512 | [email protected] #RURA2015 “Got to meet #reslife President Ali Giving to Roosevelt University Malekzadeh today Jan Parkin, Interim Vice President, at move in! Institutional Advancement So excited for (312) 341-4327 | [email protected] all the new things Alumni Relations he will do for Yvette Garcia, Director, Alumni Relations Roosevelt!” (312) 341-3626 | [email protected] @shellbell94 AUGUST 15, 2015 Admission Follow Roosevelt on Instagram: instagram.com/rooseveltu Christy Hoke, Interim Assistant VP, Admission/Financial Aid (312) 341-4364 | [email protected] Career Development “To the freshman at @RooseveltU: Jennifer Wonderly study hard & get to know your professors. Director, Career and Professional Development They are great mentors w/connections in (312) 341-3558 | [email protected] all fields.” #RUFIRSTDAY @RepMikeQuigley AUGUST 28, 2015 Musical Events Elizabeth Sustar, Director of Performance Activities, Follow Roosevelt on Twitter @RooseveltU Music Conservatory (312) 341-2238 | [email protected] Theatrical Events “You r the best! Kendall Kelley, Managing Director, Roosevelt University Theatre Conservatory (312) 341-6355 | [email protected] of Chicago! Great memories.” Intercollegiate Athletics Frisco Saint Adams SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 John Jaramillo, Associate Athletic Director (312) 341-3829 | [email protected] Follow Roosevelt on Facebook: Facebook.com/RooseveltUniversity Renting a Space at Roosevelt Jodi Daily, Director, Conference Services (312) 341-3543 | [email protected] EDITOR | Thomas R. Karow EDITORIAL BOARD Thomas R. Karow Assistant Vice President, Public Relations CREATIVE DIRECTOR | Patrick J. Lytle Patrick J. Lytle Associate Vice President, Marketing and Chief Marketing Officer ASSOCIATE EDITOR | Laura Janota Ali Malekzadeh President Jan Parkin Interim Vice President, Institutional Advancement WRITERS | Laura Janota, John Jaramillo, Thomas R. Karow, Erica Masini, Jan Parkin Samuel Rosenberg Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs DESIGN | Right Angle Studio, Inc. Roosevelt Review is published two times a year by PHOTOGRAPHY | Bob Coscarelli, Bill Hanyzewski, Roosevelt University. There is no subscription fee. Nathan Mandell, Josh Schweigert, Steve Woltmann Roosevelt University 430 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605 ILLUSTRATION | Dave Cutler (312) 341-3500 | www.roosevelt.edu 4 ROOSEVELT REVIEW FALL 2015 EVENTS Performances Sports Enrollment DEC 5 MARCH 18-21 NOV 2 JAN 30 JazzFest The 39 Steps Women's Basketball Junior and Senior Jazz Showcase, A fast-paced whodunit vs. UIC Visit Day 806 S. Plymouth Ct. O'Malley Theatre UIC Pavilion Chicago Campus JAN 31 MARCH 29 NOV 24 FEB 20 Men's Basketball Scholars Day Symphony Vivid 2016 vs. UIC Chicago Campus Orchestra Concert CCPA Annual Showcase Auditorium Theatre UIC Pavilion Harris Theater for MARCH 12 Music and Dance APRIL 9 DEC 21-22 Admitted Student 205 E. Randolph Dr. Undergraduate CCPA Conservatory Women's Basketball Roosevelt Holiday Preview Day FEB 18-21 Choirs with the Illinois Chicago Campus Philharmonic Orchestra Hoops Tournament Legally Blonde Trinity Christian College Goodman Center the Musical APRIL 2 A hilarious and JAN 27 Admitted Student APRIL 9-10 Undergraduate heart-warming Men's Basketball Graduate Opera Preview Day musical production vs. St. Ambrose O'Malley Theatre Monteverdi's The Chicago Campus Coronation of Poppea Goodman Center “You r the best! Studebaker Theater, Roosevelt University MARCH 2 410 S. Michigan Ave. FEB 13 of Chicago! Symphony Orchestra Men's and Women's and the Professional APRIL 15 Basketball vs. St. Xavier Great memories.” Diploma in Opera Student Composition Goodman Center Young Artists Frisco Saint Adams SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 and Dance Collaboration Studebaker Theater, Ganz Hall MARCH 29 Follow Roosevelt on Facebook: 410 S. Michigan Ave. Softball vs. St. Xavier Facebook.com/RooseveltUniversity APRIL 28-MAY 1 Rosemont, Ill. MARCH 18-19 The Baker's Wife Undergraduate A bittersweet and offbeat APRIL 2 Opera Concert fable of life, love and bread Baseball vs. Ganz Hall O'Malley Theatre Robert Morris Crestwood, Ill. APRIL 30 Baseball vs. Trinity International Crestwood, Ill. MAY 5-7 View a full CCAC Softball list of events at Tournament roosevelt.edu/ Rosemont, Ill. calendar CCPA JazzFest ROOSEVELT REVIEW FALL 2015 5 TAKING THEIR OATH Seventy-three members of the College of Pharmacy’s class of 2018 take the Oath of the Pharmacist during the traditional White Coat Ceremony, which marks the beginning of one’s entry into the pharmacy field. 6 ROOSEVELT REVIEW FALL 2015 ROOSEVELT REVIEW FALL 2015 7 PRESIDENT’SPERSPECTIVE 8 ROOSEVELT REVIEW FALL 2015 PRESIDENT’SPERSPECTIVE Forward Looking BY ROOSEVELT UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT ALI R. MALEKZADEH MY FIRST WEEKS AND We also know that our first MONTHS as Roosevelt step must be to increase University’s sixth president have undergraduate and graduate flown by in a blur of excitement, enrollment, which is imperative challenges and surprises. for our financial well-being. Every day brings a barrage of We must have the programs in new information and requests place to ensure higher retention for decisions and solutions to and graduation rates. We must problems. I am very humbled turn to our community for help to have been entrusted with in raising the additional dollars this remarkable opportunity to that support scholarships, lead one of America’s distinctive laboratories, faculty universities into the future. development and student life. Last spring Roosevelt University We must carefully examine celebrated its founding in our structure and operations to 1945 when the president and make sure we are effective and faculty of the YMCA College fiscally responsible stewards of our educational mission. And courageously refused to I also hope you will consider comply with the prevailing we owe our community a clear and compelling vision of who working with me on two custom of racial and religious new ideas meant to improve admission quotas. Now – as we are today and why we are a great choice for students. Roosevelt student retention and we enter our 70th academic graduation: an undergraduate year – we look forward to a mentoring program and an new phase of our history. undergraduate professional What should we be? What can development program. I led we be? What will we be? both activities in the business We know what we are. We are As we enter college at Kansas State an urban – and suburban – University, impacting thousands university. We have an unusually our 70th of students, and would like racially and economically to bring these programs to diverse population of students. academic Roosevelt undergraduates to We offer the opportunity to year, we look advance their confidence, skills study in a variety of programs and ability to succeed. But I will in one of the greatest cities forward to a need your help. Please watch in the world. We have a