THE ST. FRANCIS COLLEGE MAGAZINE | WINTER 2018, VOLUME 82, NUMBER 1 TERRIER BOARD OF TRUSTEES ALUMNI BOARD OF DIRECTORS Winter 2018 Volume 82, Number 1 CHAIRMAN PRESIDENT Terrier , the magazine of St. Francis College, Denis Salamone ’75 Robert L. Smith ’72 is published by the Office of Marketing and Communications for alumni and friends of TRUSTEES VICE PRESIDENT Hector Batista ’84 Patricia Moffatt Lesser ’77 St. Francis College. Bro. William Boslet, OSF ’70 Linda Werbel Dashefsky SECRETARY Rev. Msgr. John J. Bracken Vice President for Kevin T. Conlon ’11 William Cline Government and Community Relations Edward N. Constantino ’68 DIRECTORS Stephen DeSalvo Bro. Leonard Conway, OSF ’71 Joseph M. Acciarito ’12 Director of Engagement and Annual Giving Catherine Cooney-Burke James Bozart ’86 Thomas F. Flood Kenneth D. Daly ’88 John J. Casey ’70 Vice President for Advancement Mary Beth Dawson, Ph.D. Salvatore Demma ’09 and ’11 EDITOR William F. Dawson ’86 Joseph Hemway ’84 Dorothy Henigman-Gurreri ’79 Tearanny Street Jean Desravines ’94 Executive Director of Gene Donnelly ’79 Sarah Bratton Hughes ’07 Marketing & Communications Catherine Greene Mary Anne Killeen ’78 Miguel Martinez-Saenz, Ph.D.* Josephine B. Leone ’08 PHOTO EDITOR Leslie S. Jacobson, Ph.D. Alfonso Lopez ’06 Edwin Mathieu James H. McDonald ’69 Webmaster Barbara G. Koster ’76 Jesus F. Linares ’84 Kathleen A. Mills ’09 CONTRIBUTORS Michael C. Macchiarola Kevin M. Nash ’78 Vanessa O. De Almeida ’00 Michael A. MacIntyre ’97 Jonathan K. Ng ’07 Associate Director of Engagement J. Christopher Mangan ’83 Antonevia Ocho-Coultes ’04 Robert DeVita ’15 Lawrence A. Marsiello ’72 Josephine M. Pagliughi ’13 Director of Athletic Communications Victor J. Masi, DO ’89 Dyanne Marie Rosado ’95 Zanna Shapiro Gino P. Menchini Danielle Rouchon ’92 SFC Today Writer Walton Pearson ’83 Theresa Spelman-Huzinec ’88 Joseph A. Stuto ’09 Chandra Persuad Judy Rice, ’78 Lois Elfman Bro. Christopher Thurneau, OSF John F. Tully, Esq. ’67 PLEASE ADDRESS ALL Thomas J. Volpe** LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TO: Editor * Not elected Terrier Magazine ** Emeritus and Non-Voting St. Francis College 180 Remsen Street, Room 7304 Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201-4305 OR VIA E-MAIL TO: [email protected] KEEP IN TOUCH WITH ST. FRANCIS ONLINE SEND US YOUR NEWS! Connect with St. Francis College, read up on the latest campus news, and watch out for talks and At the Terrier, we are always looking for new special alumni events through social media. ideas for stories and spotlights. If there’s someone you’d like to read about, please @sfcny For more information, please contact the Office send a note to [email protected]. @sfcalumni of Advancement at [email protected]. The opinions and viewpoints expressed in Terrier are not neces- https://www.linkedin.com/school/ Download a digital copy of Terrier or view sarily those of St. Francis College, its trustees or administration. st-francis-college/ multimedia related to articles found in Designed in New York City by mnd.nyc. youtube/stfrancisny Terrier at: sfc.edu/terrier. youtube/sfcterriers Message from President Miguel Martinez-Saenz, Ph.D. To all in the St. Francis College family, ow that our fall semester at St. Francis College has come to a close—with a student body that is among the most diverse and high-achieving in our history—I wanted to touch base with just a few quick updates about the N important work being done by our incredible faculty and staff, work that our believers make possible. Thanks in large part to our strong partnerships with our alumni, parents, friends of the college, including our widows and widowers, foundations, corporations, and elected officials from all levels of government, St. Francis has been able to grow our academic programs, expand and upgrade our facilities, and ultimately earn national recognition that reinforces the many special things happening right here in Brooklyn. As you know, while we may be a small school, we dream big. That’s why I’m particularly excited to share these latest milestones: SFC ranked in top 15 nationally intern with startup companies and for student economic mobility by network with the hundreds of compa- The Chronicle of Higher Education nies based at Industry City. Two “Entrepreneurs in Residence” will I truly believe that going to college is serve as liaisons between the College only meaningful if we can deliver on and more than 450 businesses and the promise of student success…both will assist student entrepreneurs in during their time on campus and, developing business skills including importantly, beyond. That is why I am leadership, self-reflection, managing so proud to report that The Chronicle others, and communication. of Higher Education recently named St. Francis College as Again, if we hope to continue making economic mobility a one of the top 15 colleges in the entire nation for student reality for our students, then we must engage in a thoughtful economic mobility. They measured the percentage of college manner with those sectors of our economy demonstrating true students born between 1980 and 1982 to households in growth potential and offering real pathways to success. We are the bottom 20% for income and who then reached the confident that SFC Innovate can open that door to the innovation top 20% for individual earnings in 2014 (meaning they economy and I look forward to sharing additional updates on would have attended college in the early 2000s). St. Francis its success in the coming months. ranked number three in the United States among four-year private institutions, reinforcing our long-held belief in the Our 160/50 Celebration transformational potential of higher education. This year we remember, celebrate and believe! We remember However, The Chronicle also highlighted a recent paper it all began in 1858 when a group of Franciscan Brothers came by the National Bureau of Economic Research indicating to Brooklyn and opened this institution in 1859. We celebrate that fewer students from low-income families are enrolling at 160 years of changing lives through the gift of an SFC education high-mobility schools. This is obviously a discouraging trend, and in a special way the last 50 years when lay women joined which is why our commitment to providing a high-quality, the religious women who were the trailblazers, all enhancing private college education that everyone can afford continues the student body and student experience of the College. Finally, to be our enacted mission, a mission that the Franciscan we believe the best is yet to come. Please be sure to read the Brothers of Brooklyn started 160 years ago. With your ongoing 160/50 article to learn more about this milestone year and loyal and generous support, all can be assured that we remain the activities associated with the celebration. laser focused on remaining a “college of opportunity.” Opportunity, innovation, and integration make us who we are—you and all believers in our Big Dreams make it all SFC Innovate opens at Industry City to connect possible. For this and so much more, the students and all in students to the innovation economy the St. Francis College family, offer our heartfelt thanks. That core focus on opportunity and access is perhaps nowhere In peace and friendship, more concretely illustrated than in the opening this fall of SFC Innovate at Industry City in Sunset Park. SFC Innovate is a new center dedicated to enhancing hands-on, co-curricular experiences and career exploration which will connect students to New York’s leading edge innovation economy. The office, a partnership between St. Francis College and Miguel Martinez-Saenz, Ph.D. Ikove Venture Partners, will give students the opportunity to President, St. Francis College ST. FRANCIS COLLEGE TERRIER | WINTER 2018, VOLUME 82, NUMBER 1 1 From the Director of Engagement and Annual Giving would like to express how excited I am to have joined St. Francis College as the Director of Engagement and Annual Giving this past summer. I come to SFC with almost 20 years of I experience working in higher education, the majority in Advancement and Alumni Relations. Very early in my career, it became apparent to me that there is enormous potential within the unique connection between alumni and their alma mater. It then became my life’s work to help alumni leverage this relationship. The key is simply becoming engaged with the college in whatever way works best for you. Whether you walked across are ways that you can serve. the graduation stage just a We look forward to sharing couple of years ago or if that such opportunities with you memory is now very distant, throughout the year. you are what made and what Every academic institution continues to make St. Francis will tell you that keeping College a special place. On in touch with alumni is an your journey through life, SFC enormous challenge. This will always be part of your story. challenge is a major priority With the coordinated efforts for our team. Please take a of the Alumni Association minute to visit sfc.edu/alumni/ Board of Directors, President contactus/alumniupdate Miguel Martinez-Saenz, Ph.D., SFC Engagement and Annual Giving Team: to provide us your updated the deans and administrators Benjamin Ciesinski, Stephen DeSalvo, and Vanessa De Almeida ’00. personal and professional of all the academic depart- information. ments, and student services, we are planning new programs, I always look forward to hearing from alumni, whether it is events and benefits with real impact. a great story or any suggestions you may have; I am interested We invite you to reimagine the ways you can stay connected in how you think the alumni association should evolve over and involved.