THE MAGAZINE OF MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY » SPRING 2019 PIECES OF HOME International students share the mementos that remind them of home. page 32 MEET THE NEW BOSS Patrick F. Leahy named 10th president of Monmouth. page 04 TALKING TAXES “The Most Tax-Efficient Man in America” takes our questions. page 06 SIGNS OF LIFE Living with a terminal diagnosis. page 24 GRADUATE STUDIES Contents Features | Spring 2019 YOUR FUTURE: BACKSTORY » Cancer survivor Melissa Surdez, MASTERED Johnson & Johnson’s 2016 Working Mother Information Session of the Year, will give the keynote address at a March 28 Women’s Lead- 4/13 @ 10 a.m. ership Conference on campus. Story, p. 24. REGISTER @ MONMOUTH.EDU/INFO Continue your studies by pursuing a graduate degree at Monmouth University. Programs include: • Addiction Studies • Athletic Training • Anthropology • Business Administration (M.B.A.) • Clinical Mental Health Counseling • Communication • Computer Science • Criminal Justice • Education - Teaching, M.S.Ed., M.Ed. and Ed.D. options • English (M.A. and M.F.A.) • History • Information Systems • Nursing (M.S.N., D.N.P.) 24 28 32 • Physician Assistant SIGNS OF LIFE DRAWN OUT PIECES OF HOME Seven years ago, Melissa When Frank Gogol International • Social Work Surdez was given six months began processing a students share - Traditional/Advanced Standing M.S.W. to live. Now her message is, personal tragedy, he the mementos • Software Engineering “terminal” doesn’t mean you turned to an unexpected that remind them • Speech-Language Pathology NEW PROGRAMS: have to stop living. source: comics. of home. Graduate scholarships available for eligible students. • M.S. in Athletic Training • M.F.A. in Creative Writing photo MATT FURMAN Spring 2019 MONMOUTH 01 732-571-3452 | West Long Branch, NJ MU206017_GRAD_Ad-8x10.5_Generic_NewPrograms.indd 1 1/30/19 4:22 PM Contents letters Departments | Spring 2019 MONMOUTH » VOL. 38, NO. 2 12 14 44 Monmouth magazine is published thrice annually by the Monmouth University Division of Enrollment Management. Vice President for Enrollment Management Robert D. McCaig, Ed.D. Associate Vice President, The Front Marketing & Communications currents » RESEARCH & REFLECTION Tara Peters ’94, ’99M TELL Editor US 06 10 12 Tony Marchetti NEED TO KNOW CONCEPTS SOUNDING OFF Assistant Editor WHAT Doug Stives, CPA, “The Most In search of America’s Professor John Morano’s Breanne McCarthy Tax-Efficient Man in Ameri- favorite rock band. eco-adventure novels give YOU ca,” takes our questions. voice to the voiceless. Design & Layout Dog Ear Consultants As a senior criminal justice major, let him win.” It turned out to be a THINK TIDES » CULTURE & COMMUNITY Re: Fall 2018 I interned at the Monmouth very fun and friendly game, and Contributing Writers Email us at Pete Croatto Incredible photo! I was moved to County Youth Detention Center yes, he won. (He probably would magazine@ 14 16 17 Nick DiUlio tears reading the article on Mr. in Freehold, New Jersey. One of have won anyway, because my Morganne Dudzinski ’11, ’13M Hanlon (“Larger than Life”). the most interesting aspects of basketball skills back then were monmouth. THE INSIDER HOW MONMOUTH CAMPUS BRIEFS Kelley Freund Jennifer Moroch Fara this experience was observing not the greatest.) WAS MADE edu, or write us Senior Kayvon Paul is The scene at West Mark Gola via Instagram the interaction between inmates After graduation, I was em- already a force in the The early days of Long Branch. Maureen Harmon and corrections officers. I was ployed as a hotel and casino at Monmouth political world. Monmouth’s Fourth Estate. Meeri Kim I agree with giving employees most impressed with the pro- security officer and as a county magazine, Molly Petrilla an expanded paid family leave fessionalism exemplified by the investigator and special deputy (“Family Matters”). I remember officers despite the difficult situ- sheriff, before going back to Monmouth PLAY » SPORTS & FITNESS Melissa Kvidahl Reilly when starting in the workplace ations they often faced. Although school for paralegal certifica- University, they did not have employee it was a juvenile facility, some of tion and working as a paralegal, Photographers Alumni House, 20 22 23 John Davis leave to take care of a parent or the inmates were charged with senior paralegal, and ultimately Anthony DePrimo child. The only paid leave was for violent crimes and were con- as a case manager at several 400 Cedar FUTURE FOCUSED STRIKING A BALANCE SPORTS SHORTS Matt Furman six months, and you could stay at sidered very dangerous. There large law firms. It’s interesting Ave., West Megan Hart is making the Diego Zubieta finds ful- Recapping seasonal high- Mark Ludak ’81 home with your baby up to a year was a healthy mix of potentially to note that I was able to relate most of the opportunities fillment in two seemingly lights from the world of without pay. But you always had violent juveniles and others who my internship experiences to Long Branch, she’s getting on and off contradictory worlds: art Hawks athletics. Illustrators a job to go back to. They never may have just been in the wrong many of my current and past NJ 07764. the field. and football. John S. Dykes replaced you. I am a mother of place at the wrong time. employment experiences, both Submissions Nenad Cviticanin two adult children, and I can One of my most memorable in law enforcement and legal tell you it wasn’t easy when you experiences was a time when settings. for the Letters have to combine work plus your a correction officer and I were Michael Lodato ’82 page are subject On the cover children’s activities. observing inmates during out- to editing for The Back The Rest Graduate student Zainab Audu, pho- Sandra Cobo ’88 via Facebook door recreation, and I noticed tographed by Anthony DePrimo one inmate shooting baskets by clarity and » Class notes ALUMNI LIFE Letters, 03.Leahy himself. The officer asked the length and must named 10th presi- inmate if I could play a game with A meaningful Let’s include the dent of Monmouth, him. The juvenile, who was being 44 54 04. Explain This, 09. A experience detained for a somewhat violent Connect writer’s name, THE CHANGEMAKER THE MORNING MAN Day at the Beach, 18. Editor’s note: Last issue, we asked readers crime, accepted. As I walked For more content and address, and Karen Silva is leading a new Brad Hennessy takes you Alumni Roundup, 46. 400 Cedar Ave. to share stories about the hands-on learning onto the court, the officer photos, follow us on experiences they had at Monmouth. Read phone number effort to identify and assist behind the scenes at GMA. In Memoriam, 55. The West Long Branch, NJ 07764 the unedited responses at monmouth.edu/ quietly gave me a last-minute Twitter and Instagram: human trafficking victims. Recommender, 56. 732-571-3489 • monmouth.edu magazine. word of advice, “Make sure you @monmouthumag for confirmation. 02 MONMOUTH Spring 2019 Spring 2019 MONMOUTH 03 SPECIAL REPORT » Events & announcements Monmouth University Names n Dec. 14, 2018, the Monmouth University Board of Trustees announced that Patrick F. Leahy, Ed.D., would serve as the University’s 10th president, effective Aug. 1, 2019. Patrick F. Leahy 10th President O The announcement was made at an event in historic Wilson Hall, where the incoming CURRENT WILKES UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT TO START AUG. 1, 2019. president addressed the university community. BY MORGANNE DUDZINSKI Leahy emerged as the board’s unanimous selection from 2012. He first served as vice president of university rela- a diverse pool of more than 100 highly accomplished lead- tions, successfully completing a $129 million comprehen- ers in the nationwide search. He will succeed Grey J. Di- sive capital campaign. He was then promoted to executive menna, Esq., who will retire on July 31. vice president, where he was responsible for develop- “I am thrilled to begin my tenure as the next president of ment, government relations, undergraduate and gradu- Monmouth University,” said Leahy. “Monmouth has con- ate admission, intercollegiate athletics, planning, and in- tinually demonstrated its willingness to evolve to meet formation technology. Leahy also taught in the Business the needs of all students and is dedicated to serving an in- Leadership Honors Program. creasingly diverse student body. Before moving to Scranton, Leahy was co-founder and “As we move forward, we’ll build upon the strong founda- president of the Business Affairs Forum, a 15,000-member tion here at Monmouth and move toward even higher levels distance learning community based in Ithaca, New York. He of excellence and access. It is clear that the Monmouth com- has also worked as an investment officer for Allied Capital munity is a family. I, along with my wife, Amy, and our chil- Corporation, as an account executive at Deluxe Corporation, dren, am excited to be joining this family at the Jersey Shore.” and as a development officer at Georgetown University. Leahy comes to Monmouth from Wilkes University in Wil- A native of Towson, Maryland, Leahy graduated from kes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where he has served as president Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Arts in English lit- since 2012. Guided by a fundamental commitment to stu- erature. He earned dual master’s degrees in business admin- dent success, Leahy led the development of a comprehensive istration and labor relations from Cornell University, where strategic plan for Wilkes that focused the university’s efforts he was a Fried Fellow, and earned his Doctor of Education and resources on teaching, research, and civic engagement. from the University of Pennsylvania. The plan set the stage for key initiatives and accomplish- Leahy and his wife, Amy, have four children: Grace, 20; ments, including the introduction of 20 new academic Molly, 18; Jack, 14; and Brian, 12.