COLLEGE OF MOUNT SAINT VINCENT6301 RIVERDALE AVENUE | RIVERDALE, NY 10471 | PHONE (800) 665-CMSV | (718) 405-3345 | WEB:WWW.MOUNTSAINTVINCENT.EDU

To enrich its strong under-graduate liberal arts educa-tion, the College of Mount

SaintVincent is revising its core cur-riculum for the first time since the1980s, with input from students,professors, and administrators.

A core curriculumprovides a broadfoundation of general knowledge,with the goal of making studentswell-rounded individuals.Having acore curriculum is a requirementfor accreditation by the MiddleStates Commission onHigher Edu-cation, says Dean of the Under-

graduateCollegeDr.PaulDouillard.

According to Dr. Douillard, one ofthe main concerns in revising thecore was to increase the varietyand number of available courses tofulfill requirements. CMSV’s cur-rent core encompasses a wide vari-ety of fields, including literature,fine arts, philosophy, religion/re-ligous studies, economics, psychol-ogy, and mathematics. While theidea of a well-rounded educationwill continue, the core will be re-duced by 6 credits, from 55 creditsto 49. This will give students moreopportunities to take electives out-side of their majors.

Students will also have more

choices within the core itself. Dr.Sarah Stevenson, Associate Profes-sor of English, is spearheading theoverhaul of the Mount’s core cur-riculum. She says students will stillbe required to take English litera-ture, but will now have a choice oftaking a drama class or a poetryclass to fulfill the requirement.

In the sciences, rather than takingthree credits of biology, three ofmath, three of chemistry, and so on,students can now select one mathcourse, one science class, and then athird in eithermath or science, saysDr. Douillard.

Another innovation will be a fresh-man seminar program. Students

Continued on page 4

college of mount saint vincent

NEWSSpring 2012Alumnae/i, Students, & Friends

A SOLID COREIN THE BIG APPLEBy Raanan Geberer

By Raanan Geberer

SPOTLIGHT ON:Center forUndergraduateResearch

There was a time in the not sodistant past when graduate schooladmission was based primarily ona student’s G.P.A. and perform-ance on the GRE.As admission tohigher education at all levels hasbecome increasingly competitive,many graduate schools now re-quire evidence of research skills.

To help students hone their criticalthinking, build areas of expertise,and develop strong research skills,the College of Mount SaintVincent

established aCenter forUndergrad-uate Research in 2010, according toDean of theUndergraduate CollegeDr. Paul Douillard. The goal of theCenter is to formalize and central-ize research that was already under-way at theMount.

Last year, roughly 25 students pre-sented original research at under-graduate research and professionalconferences, and the numbers aresteadily increasing. Although theywork with faculty advisors, stu-dents get the primary credit fortheir work, says Director of theCenter for Undergraduate Re-search and Assistant Professor ofSociology Dr. Omar Nagi.

Dr. Omar Nagi, Director of theCenter for Undergraduate

Research

Continued on page 7

ver the past 10 years, the College ofMount Saint Vincent has strategicallyleveraged its historic strengths to builda student body that is both its largest

and among the most academically gifted inthe school’s more than 100 year history.

The outcome of this ongoing effort to main-tain academic excellence is a tremendously ac-complished and talented freshman class.

We spoke with senior administrators Dr. GuyLometti, Provost and Dean of Faculty; Dr.DiannaDale,Vice President for StudentAffairsand Dean of Students; and Tim Nash, VicePresident and Dean of Admission and Finan-cial Aid, as well as members of the freshmanclass to discuss what thismeans for the College.

“There’s definitely been recognition among the professors here at the College that this current student body isamong the most intellectually engaged in our history,” says Dr. Dianna Dale.

Building on a Solid Foundation ofAcademic Excellence By Pat Conti & Erin Walsh

�

Vice President for Student Affairs andDean of StudentsDr. Dianna Dale chats with members of the freshmanclass.

O

Continued on page 6

2 Spring 2012

�Assistant Professor of Sociology and Director of the Mount’sMentorship Program Kristin Lawler was quoted in HR Executivein January on the value of mentorship. The Mount’s MentorshipProgram, launched in the fall of 2009, pairs successful alumnae/i,Trustees, and friends with dedicated students eager to gain insightinto the skills necessary for success.

�Mount Saint Vincent Trustee and mentorMaria L. Ellis and bi-ology major Angeline Rivera ’13 were profiled in the Daily Newsabout their close bond forged through the Mount’s MentorshipProgram. Ms. Ellis, a salesperson at Manhattan real estate agencyCiti-Habitats, is exposing her mentee to a different lifestyle and ishelping her to achieve personal goals. “I think working with Maria,I just know that I’m always going to have a backbone in addition tofamily and friends,”Angeline said in the publication.“You always getthat one on one push to really accomplish your goals.”

�Nursing major and avid pho-tographer Joy Sarabosing ’12was selected by the New YorkTimes to photograph theMount’sstress ball making workshopduring finals. Her photos werefeatured in the Jan. 22 edition ofthe newspaper.

— Chelsea Daus ’12

COLLEGE NEWS

aroundcampus

CMSV in the

MEDIAPerhaps you missed the photos taken by Mount student JoySarabosing in the “newspaper of record” this past January?Highlights of this and otherMount news featured in regionaland national publications…

Mount mentors Dr. C.S. Rani (far left) and Maria L. Ellis(far right) at the Harvard Club with Mount studentsMinajiah Scott, Angeline Rivera, and Sonia Ramos.Robert Mecea/NY Daily News

To view a complete listing of the Mount’s recent press coverage,visit http://www.mountsaintvincent.edu/cmsvmedia

DUST OFF YOUR DANCING SHOES!SCHOLARSHIP TRIBUTE DINNER MAY 7thThe annual Scholarship Tribute Dinner will be held onMay 7, 2012at the New York Public Library. This year’s distinguished honoreesare C. Edward (Chuck) Chaplin, President, CFO, and CAO of MBIAInc., and William J. Fishlinger, Esq., Chairman and Chief ExecutiveOfficer of WRM America. Visit www.mountsaintvincent.edu/tributedinner to purchase your ticket.

SAVE THE DATE: REUNIONTheMount’sReunionWeekendwill be held on June 8, 9, and 10, 2012,for classes ending in “2” and “7.” A special tribute will be paid to theClass of 1962, which is celebrating its 50th reunion, and the Class of1987, which is celebrating its 25th reunion. Reunion Weekend is awonderful time forMountAlumnae/i to celebrate and reconnect withfellow classmates. Visit www.mountsaintvincent.edu/reunion.htmfor more information.

DANCE TAKES CENTER STAGERenovations are slated to begin this sum-mer on two dance studios at theMount—one of which will double as a wrestlingroom in the Mount’s original gymna-sium, and the other will occupy a spacein Spellman Hall. The College also plansto add a dance minor, which will benefitfrom the upgraded dance studios.

YOU’RE ALL HEART LUNCHEONThe School of Professional and Continuing Studies hosted “You’reAll Heart,” a luncheon celebrating the hard work and valuable con-tributions of local nonprofit organizations, in February. TheHebrewHome in Riverdale received an award for its longstanding partner-ship with theMount, and the College’s “Partnering in Excellence” ini-tiative, was also announced. Sixty employees from 20 local non-profitorganizations attended, including senior administrators from theCerebral Palsy Association of New York, Riverdale NeighborhoodHouse, Hebrew Home for the Aged, Bronx Chamber of Commerce,Kingsbridge Heights Community Center, World Vision, Toastmas-ters, Literary Freedom Project, the Council for Economics Education,Seventh Avenue Center for Family Services, St. Margaret of Cortona,Head Start, and the Bronx News Network.

President Charles L. Flynn, Jr. spoke at the luncheon on the

Joy Sarabosing’s photo thatran in the New York Times.

�Hebrew Homeemployeesreceived theMount’s awardfor outstandingcommunitypartnership atthe “You’re AllHeart” luncheon.

Spring 2012 3

importance of partnering in tough economic times, while Dean ofthe School of Professional and Continuing Studies Edward Meyerpresented the Partnering in Excellence Initiative, a unique opportu-nity for local businesses to offer employees continuing education atthe Mount at a discounted fee. For more information about this ex-citing new initiative, contact Assistant Director of SPCS and Grad-uate Admissions Christine Leake at (718) 405-3269.

“WORDS” DANCE THEIR WAY TO DISNEYTheMount’sWordsDanceCompany completed fundraising for theirhighly-anticipated trip toDisneyWorld inOrlando,Fla. fromAugust 5-11, 2012. Words President Joseph Saldoriga ’12 and 11 dance com-pany members will participate in dance workshops, and perform onDisney’s main stage.Words combines traditional andmodern styles ofdance, with the goal of enriching the Mount’s performing arts.

MOUNTSTUDENTS SPENDSPRINGBREAKGIVINGBACKFor more than 40 years, Mount students have volunteered with theChristian Appalachian Project (CAP). This year, six students and twochaperones continued this tradition during Spring Break. In the past,students have helpedCAP volunteers build homes in the impoverishedAppalachian region of Kentucky. Their extra hands and helping heartsprovided disaster relief in response to the damage caused by devastat-ing storms in Kentucky this past March.

On March 11, four senior nursing students, accompanied by Direc-tor of Campus Ministry Cecilia Harriendorf, S.C., traveled toGuatemala for the Mount’s Second Annual Service-Learning trip tothe country. This service-learning project is a collaborative effort ofthe Office of Campus Ministry, the Department of Nursing, and theSisters of Charity. The trip allows senior nursing majors to employthe skills they have gained at the Mount to address the health needsof indigent Guatemalans.

CMSV LAYS THE GROUNDWORK FORRESTORATION OF ART MAJORPlans are in the works to expandMaryvale Hall to add a state of theart sculpture studio. This addition will make it possible for the futureexploration of reinstating the Mount’s art major.

— Chelsea Daus ’12

COLLEGE NEWS

DidYouKnow?

Editor Erin Walsh, Director for College RelationsContributing Writers Chelsea Daus ’12, Raanan Geberer,Christina Gonzalez ’09, Paul Leonard

Photography Ben Asen, Dana Maxson, Robert Mecea, Christina Gonzalez ’09

College of Mount Saint Vincent News is a publication of the College ofMount Saint Vincent Office of Institutional Advancement & College Relations.

Madeleine Melkonian, Vice President for Institutional Advancement &College Relations

Address all Letters to the Editor and suggestions for future issues to:Erin Walsh, Director for College Relations, College of Mount Saint Vincent,6301 Riverdale Ave., Riverdale, NY 10471, (718) 405-3345 orerin.walsh@mountsaintvincent.edu

Send all Address Changes and Alumnae/i Updates to: Alumnae/i RelationsOffice, College of Mount Saint Vincent, 6301 Riverdale Ave., Riverdale, NY10471, (718) 405-3336 or alumnioffice@mountsaintvincent.edu

COLLEGE OF MOUNT SAINT VINCENT NEWS

� Learning the Business of SportsThe Mount now offers a sports management minor (for non-Business majors) and concentration for Business majors. Stu-

dents learn what it takes to succeed inone of the top industries in the U.S.through classroom visits from seasonedprofessionals, intensive projects, guestlectures, and internships. Students in theprogram also have the opportunity totake advantage of the Mount’s NYC lo-cation by volunteering at events for theNew York Mets, the New York CityMarathon, and others. For more informa-tion, visitwww.mountsaintvincent.edu/sportmanagement.

� Bienvenido Latin AmericanStudies MinorThe Department of Modern Languages is now offering a minorin Latin American Studies. The Latin American Studies minoris designed to provide students with greater awareness, appre-ciation, and understanding of the diverse people and culturesin Latin America. The program is an area-specific culturalstudies alternative to the Spanish minor, which allows stu-dents to take up to two courses from other departments,making them more versatile in an increasingly competitiveglobal job market. For more information, visit www.mountsaintvincent.edu/latinamericanstudies.

� Learn English at the Mount’s Institute forImmigrant ConcernsThe Mount’s Institute for Immigrant Concerns has recentlylaunched an English Program for International Students. The

Mount’s IntensiveAmerican - English Language Pro-gram (IAELP) for International Students providesan integrated skills approach. Students acquire theEnglish skills to speak fluently and confidently andto write accurately in preparation for their future

academic goals. Students enrolled in the IAELP Program qualifyfor the I-20 Visa. For more information about this innovativeprogram, call the Institute for Immigrant Concerns at (212)421-9538, or visit www.mountsaintvincent.edu/iic.

� Mount Alumnus Walter Galiano, Jr.Named Top Teacher in New York CityCMSV alumnusWalter Galiano ’04,M.A. ’06 was rated the topteacher among 18,000 NYC public school teachers in the City’sTeacher Data Reports, a controversial attempt to assess exactlyhow much individual teachers impact the progress of their stu-dents, using demographics and past student performance ontests, among other factors, to gauge the best and worst educatorsin the five boroughs. According to an article in the New YorkTimes, Mr. Galiano taught for nearly a decade at P.S. 205 nearthe Bronx Zoo and was promoted to Assistant Principal of P.S. 69in the Bronx in 2010.

— Chelsea Daus ’12

C M SV

Director of the SportsManagement minor,Jonathan Rosenberg

4 Spring 2012

COLLEGE NEWS

will be able to sign up for a seminar oftheir choice,duringwhich theywill notonly learn about a particular subject,but how to ask questions, completeoriginal research, develop ideas, andother “building blocks”of learning.

The revised core curriculum is await-ing official approval. Changes will bephased in over a period of time, andcourses are still being developed, saysDr. Stevenson.

The new curriculumwill firmly posi-

tion the Mount for a new phase ofeducational excellence.

“Students will feel that they havesome control over their courses, andbe engaged by the exciting coursesthat the new core will offer,” says Dr.Stevenson.

“The increased attention to criticalthinking, in particular, and to activeinquiry, will prepare our studentswell as they embark on careers orgraduate school,” she says. �

A SOLID CORE IN THE BIG APPLE

TheCollege ofMount SaintVincent sponsors co-operative programswith various esteemed insti-tutions of higher learning, which allow studentsto earn credits towards advanced degrees whilepursuing their bachelor degrees at the Mount.

Students begin taking graduate courses in theirjunior year, so that they get a head start onearning their advanced degrees. These coursesthey take as juniors and seniors often count to-wards both their bachelor’s at CMSV and theirgraduate degrees at the host institution.

These programs include: a doctor of podiatricmedicine offered in conjunction with the NewYork College of Podiatric Medicine; a master’sof occupational therapy offered with Colum-bia University; a doctorate in physical therapywith NewYorkMedical College; a degree in op-tometry with SUNY State College of Optome-try; and two master’s degrees with St. John’sUniversity, one in sociology and the other incriminology and justice.

One of the newest cooperative programs at theMount is a biomedical sciences partnershipwith Brown University. The Mount is one offour partner institutes with Brown,with the re-newal of Brown’s Initiative forMaximizing Stu-dent Diversity (IMSD) grant, says AssistantProfessor of Chemistry Janet Rollins, whohelped spearhead theMount’s partnership withthe Ivy League university.

Brown hopes to receive $3million from the Na-tional Institute of Health (NIH), which will

allow it to support 12 Ph.D. students a year at$40,000 per student per year. As part of thisprogram,Mount students will get priority sta-tus when applying to graduate programs in thebiomedical sciences at Brown. Two studentsfrom the Mount have already been acceptedand one is awaiting a decision as of this spring,says Dr. Rollins.

Dr. Andrew Campbell of Brown has also sub-mitted a T36 grant, also from NIH, which in-volves a collaborative partnership betweenfaculty from theMount and Brown.Under thisarrangement, Dr. Rollins will partner with aprominent reproductive toxicologist fromBrown, and the two will submit a research plan.

“If funded, undergraduate students will spenda summer up at Brown doing research on thisproject,” says Dr. Rollins. The grant is currentlybeing reviewed.

“Both of these programs will help our studentssucceed in the sciences, opening doors to theexciting world of biomedical research,” says Dr.Rollins.

Dr. Alfred D’Anca, Associate Professor andChair of the Department of Sociology, said stu-dents who apply to programs at St. John’s needa 3.5 GPA in sociology and an overall 3.0 G.P.A.

“They apply to St. John’s in the second semes-ter of their sophomore year at the Mount,” hesays.

“On being accepted, they can start taking mas-

ter’s level courses in their junior year. Whenthey graduate from the Mount, they alreadyhave earned 12 graduate credits.”

So far, two juniors are enrolled in the program,with a Mount sophomore set to apply and sev-eral freshmen on track to begin studies that willeventually lead to earning both a bachelor’sfrom theMount and a master’s from St. John’s,he says.

Dr. D’Anca says cooperation between theMount and St. John’s is a natural fit becauseboth schools have a Vincentian tradition.

Provost Guy Lometti says a combined bache-lor’s and M.S.W. program in cooperation withFordham University is currently awaiting ap-proval by the state.

Another new cooperative agreement programis the doctor of pharmacy in conjunction withSt. Joseph’s University, says Professor of Biol-ogy and Director of the Division of NaturalSciences Dr. Patricia Grove ’74.

“I think it’s awonderful program for our studentsin the biologymajor and also in the biochemistrymajor,” she says. “One student is currently at St.Joseph’s, and she’s doing very well.”

According to Dr. Lometti, theMount’s cooper-ative programs leading to advanced degreesallow students to save time and money, whilealso building their body of knowledge and pro-fessional credentials. �

Continued from page 1

Dean of UndergraduateCollege Dr. Paul Douillard

Associate Professor ofEnglish Dr. Sarah Stevenson

THE MOUNT PARTNERSWITH ESTEEMED COLLEGES& UNIVERSITIES TO OFFERACCELERATED DEGREES

By Raanan Geberer

Spring 2012 5

Last fall, several College of Mount Saint Vincent studentsheaded to the U.K. to participate in the Mount’s exchangeprogram with St. Mary’s University College, Twickenham, inLondon, England.With their feet now firmly planted back on

American soil, they report an overall positive experience, withfriendly fellow students and faculty and a keen interest in Americafrom their British counterparts.

This unique program allows Mount students to study for one se-mester in London,while their British peers can study in the Big Appleas part of the exchange program. TheMount’s study abroad programin England is the latest in the College’s full roster of study abroad of-ferings, which includes programs in Russia, Japan, Italy, Canada, andGuatemala.

At St. Mary’s, Mount students lived on campus and took courses intheirmajors, as well as other subjects. SociologymajorMahabir Samuel’12 took two sociology courses, “Experience and Society,” and “Race

and Representation,” a po-etry course, and completedan internship in London.

Classes were divided intotwo parts: a lecture bythe professor, followedby a seminar. Fellow so-ciology major Jamelia

Bastien ’12 says the semi-nar sessions “were alwaysinteresting because of thediverse backgrounds ofthe students in the class.”

Both students found afriendliness and informal-ity among most of the

LONDON CALLING

Continued on page 9

A Theater with anEmphasis on

COMMUNITY

Cahill Lounge, which is currently an area where members of the Collegeof Mount Saint Vincent community come to hang out, exchange ideas,and complete coursework, is poised to become an entirely different kind

of meeting place.

As students return for classes in the fall,they will find Cahill transformed froma sea of chairs and tables into theMount’s first dedicated black box the-ater.

And it won’t just be returning stu-dents who will be taking notice.

“It’s incredibly exciting to provide ac-cess to live theatre to students, faculty,and community members in thisspace,” says Assistant Professor ofCommunication Brad Crownover,who is coordinator of the Mount’stheater program and oversees theCollege’s theater minor.

It’s that program that will benefitmost from what will be known as

Cahill Theater.However, Dr. Crownover believes the ripple effects wouldlikely be felt across campus.

“In my time at the Mount, I’ve seen a growing interest in theater andperformance,” he says. “Having a high quality space to do productionswill be a real asset for our students across the board.”

Construction on the new Cahill Theater will take place during the sum-mer, with a target completion date of Aug. 31.

Once completed, the space will also be the new home of Red MonkeyTheater Group, founded in 1999 by O’Neill National Theater alum TalAviezer, whose love of classic drama, and Shakespeare in particular,seemed like a perfect fit for the Mount.

Mr. Aviezer referenced the Mount’s connection to one of the greatestShakespearean actors of all time, Edwin Forrest, who, during his heydayin the mid-19th century, built the castle that he named Fonthill Castle,a Mount landmark beloved by the College community for 100 years.

“It would be amazing to stage a production of Macbeth here,” he says.“But we’ll probably start with a comedy instead.”

Red Monkey’s inaugural play at the Mount will take place this fall.

And while the honor of the first play to be staged at the new Cahill The-ater is still up for grabs, Mr. Aviezer said the second production, debut-ing in January 2013, is all set.

So what can students, faculty, and staff expect out of the College’s blackbox theater as the cold winds of a Riverdale winter once more return tocampus?

The answer may surprise some, and delight others: Shakespeare’s “AMidsummer Night’s Dream.” �

Dr. Brad Crownover is coordi-nating and developing theCollege of Mount Saint Vincent'stheater program, which willinhabit its renovated new homelater this year.

Top:Jamelia Bastien ’12

at Stonehenge.Below, one of her

night shots ofLondon.

Right: MahabirSamuel ’12

By Raanan Geberer

By Paul Leonard

Indeed, Dr. Dale’s words are validation for thoseworking in Admissions and elsewhere at the Col-lege, who have so keenly focused their efforts onbuilding upon the school’s strong foundation ofacademic excellence.

According to Dean Tim Nash, the Mount has em-ployed a targeted recruitment strategy to attract atop-notch pool of students, which involves reach-ing out to a wider geographic area and bettercommunicating the College’s strengths, includingits strong academic programs and outstanding in-ternship opportunities.

“Our admission counselors frequently visit highschools in Long Island and New Jersey, as well asWestchester and Rockland Counties, and aredoing a significant amount of follow-up in theseareas, in order to pull in more of the top per-forming high school students,” he says.

The accomplishments of the freshman class areindicative of steady progressmade towards the re-alization of the Mount’s 10-year strategic plan,says Provost Dr. Guy Lometti.

“In order to continue to best serve our students, byproviding them with an excellent, well-roundedliberal arts education, the College has set forth sev-eral strategic goals,” he says. “First and foremost,the College aims to grow, and that growth mustbe accompanied by sustainable excellence. Thisyear’s freshman class is indisputable evidence thatwe are on target to achieve this goal.”

To continue to attract high-achieving students,the Mount has continuously updated its campusand facilities, in order to provide amenities thatmatch the caliber of its faculty and student body.

This fall, the new Men’s Wrestling Team willbe housed in a renovated wrestling room. TheCollege is also adding two professional-qualitydance studios, the first step towards adding adance minor.

Plans are in the works to add a sculpture studio toMaryvale Hall, which lays the groundwork to re-instate the Mount’s fine arts major. Spellmancafeteria will be completely gutted during sum-mer 2012, and replaced with a brand-new facility,featuring expanded dining options.Cahill Loungewill be transformed into Cahill Theater, the Col-lege’s first black-box theater,whichwill be home toMount thespians, as well as the professional the-ater company, Red Monkey Theater Group.

These efforts have attracted an incoming fresh-man class that has a median SAT score of 1030and a cumulative high school GPA of 85 percent.For fall 2011, theMount received 3,323 applicantsand enrolled 438 students, an all-time record.

“We’ve really made some great progress in reach-ing students from a much broader spectrum interms of diversity and accomplishment,” DeanNash says.

This diverse group of freshman includes severalNational Honor Society members, as well as ahost of students who are passionately interestedin community service, says Dean Nash.

One student who is representative of the stellarstudent body is class president and biologymajorRodcliff Wint ’15.

As class president, he holds a seat on the College’sExecutive Council, and is a founding member ofthe FamilyMulticultural Awareness Organization.He is also a member of the College’s food servicescommittee.

For Rodcliff, being an active member of the cam-pus community is what college is all about.

“My brother toldme that (being active is) the bestroute to go, because it opens up many avenuesthat help make the most out of the college expe-rience, which is really what drove me to becomeso involved,” he says.

And Rodcliff is not alone. In fact, this year’s fresh-man class is comprised of numerous bright, am-bitious students who’ve set the bar of excellenceincredibly high.

Freshman English major Todd Gable ’15 writes

for the school newspaper, theMountTimes, andis an editor for the College’s literary magazineTheUnderground.He is also a tour guide for theOffice of Admission and is very involved withthe Campus Ministry.

“I guess for me, I really just want to make theMount as great a place as possible,” he says. “Ithas such a wonderful atmosphere and is an in-credible school with a lot of opportunities. I’mtrying to do my part in making it even better.”

The Warwick, Rhode Island native chose theMount after a chance encounter with recruiterMike Donahue, and hasn’t looked back.

“I met Mike at a college fair during my senioryear of high school and the way he presentedeverything about the College made me feel like Iwas home,”Todd says.“I felt welcomed here eventhough I hadn’t been to the campus yet.”

Perhaps no one would agree with Toddmore thanfellow freshman and psychology major RebeccaGuzman ’15.

“I chose the Mount because my best friend wasplanning on going here for nursing and she toldme to check it out, so I did and just loved it,” shesays. “I liked the fact that it’s a small school witha tight community. I really love it here,” Rebeccasays.

Rebecca is vice president of the freshman class,and is a member of the Media Club, Casa Latina,and the Family Multicultural Awareness Club.

With a solid foundation of academic success tobuild upon, both Dr. Dale and Dean Nash areconfident that the College of Mount Saint Vin-cent has a bright future ahead.

“We have a good plan in place and will continue toemploy the same recruitment strategy that we haveover the past couple of years, which has proven tobe so effective,”Dean Nash says.�

6 Spring 2012

CAMPUS NEWS

ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS

DR. DIANNA DALEDr. Dianna Dale is anexperienced highereducation administra-tor and educator whoholds a doctoral de-gree in education lead-ership from DrexelUniversity and has abroad background ineducation and student

affairs. Dr. Dale has been with the Collegeof Mount Saint Vincent since 2009, and isVice President for Student Affairs and Deanof Students. She is passionate about help-ing students achieve their fullest potential.

DR. GUY LOMETTIA well-publishedscholar, Provost andDean of Faculty Dr.Guy Lometti earnedhis B.A. at theCitadel, M.A. atQueens College, andPh.D. at the Univer-sity of Wisconsin. Heformerly served as

dean of the Graduate School at the Col-lege of New Rochelle, and is foundingdean and professor of the School of Com-munication and the Arts at Marist Collegein Poughkeepsie, NY.

Building on a Solid Foundation of Academic ExcellenceContinued from page 1

Spring 2012 7

CAMPUS NEWS

THE MOUNT GOESGLOBALThe College of Mount Saint Vincent School of Professional and

Continuing Studies offers a bevy of international exchange programs.

This past March, President Charles L. Flynn, Jr. and Dean of the School

of Professional & Continuing Studies Edward Meyer signed agreements with

Beijing Normal University-Zuihai, China, to begin a “2+2 Program” for under-

graduate business students from China. The program allows business students from Beijing

Normal University-Zuihai to continue their junior and senior years of study at the Mount.

Mount students will also have the opportunity to explore China at Guangzhou University.

This program is a cooperative agreement for Mount students to spend a semester abroad,

taking classes in English, and exploring China’s vibrant culture. The School of Professional

and Continuing Studies also recently welcomed President Philip Esler of St. Mary’s Univer-

sity College, Twickenham, England this past February. The visit was a step toward the real-

ization of a true exchange program for St. Mary’s students and Mount students interested

in studying abroad. The Mount will welcome six St. Mary’s students this coming fall.

— Chelsea Daus ‘12

PARTICIPANTS Continued

TIMOTHY NASHTimothy Nash is VicePresident and Deanof Admission and Fi-nancial Aid. He joinedthe Mount as dean ofadmission and finan-cial aid in 2001. Hewas promoted tovice president in2005. He holds an

M.A. in human resource managementfrom Salve Regina University, a bachelor’sdegree in communication from the Uni-versity of Rhode Island, and more than20 years experience in enrollment man-agement and higher education.

RODCLIFF WINT ’15Rodcliff Wintgraduated fromUnion Square HighSchool for HealthProfessionals andHuman Services,where he playedJV and VarsityBasketball andwas a member of

the Drama Club. He is currently presidentof the freshman class. He is also the co-founder of the Family MulticulturalAwareness Club and sits on the ExecutiveCouncil and food services committee.

REBECCA GUZMAN ’15Rebecca Guzman is a graduate from St.Catharine’s Academy in the Bronx and a

Throgs Neck native.She is a psychologymajor. Rebecca isvice president of thefreshman class, aswell as a member ofCasa Latina, FamilyMulticultural Aware-ness, and the MediaClub.

TODD GABLE ’15Todd Gable is fromWarwick, Rhode Is-land. He graduatedfrom Bishop Hen-dricken High Schooland is currentlystudying English atthe Mount. Todd isan active member ofthe campus ministry,

a writer for the school newspaper, Mount-Times, an editor for The Underground lit-erary magazine, and a tour guide for theAdmission Office.

At these conferences, students showcase theirwork according to the conventions of their dis-ciplines. Some illustrate their research and find-ings visually on a poster and some deliver oralpresentations, says Professor of Biology and Di-rector of the Division of Natural Sciences Dr.Patricia Grove ’74.

Topics have ranged from the analysis of hip-hoplyrics and the examination of treatments forautism to the impact of the civil rights move-ment on NYC schools. Students frequentlychoose a worthwhile research project from aconversation with a faculty advisor, says Dr.Nagi.

Under Dr. Nagi’s direction, Mount seniorsSarah J. Roman ’12 andNizarysVargas ’12 re-cently wrote “AdvertisingWhat?,” a paper com-paring advertising for Victoria’s Secret andbreast cancer research. Using illustrations fromads, they found that both used sexy images ofyoung women to get their messages across.

Nizarys says, “Breast cancer is not somethingthat should be simply advertised. It is a seriouscondition, and not a ploy to be sexualized.”Sarahagrees, adding, “The study has made me moreaware of how people perceive things in life, so Ihave a better understanding to teach others.”

Sophomore teacher education and sociologymajor Jane Holbrook ’14 is doing research onthe Science Communicators Forum, an organ-ization that utilizes active learning techniquesin schools in rural India to transform educa-tion with limited resources.

“Doing this research has given me a platformto write my honors thesis,” she says.

As a result of her research and her travels toIndia, Jane is interested in joining the PeaceCorps after graduation.

“Obviously I have much more research andwork ahead of me, but the more research I havedone, the more I have become interested in thesubject,” Jane says. “The research has become apassion and motivated me in ways even I can-not believe.”

All three students praise Dr. Nagi for his helpand support.

“Dr. Nagi has really been the catalyst to the re-search I am doing now,” Jane says.“He is alwaysavailable to helpme and has walkedme throughevery part of the research process. I also appre-ciate that he has givenme the space to think ab-stractly and produce my own ideas while beingthere to guide me in the right direction.” �

SPOTLIGHT Continued from page 1

8 Spring 2012

FACULTY FOCUS

ssistant Professor of Chemistry Dr. JanetRollins is drawn to flies like the said insectis drawn to honey.

Much of her research at theMount and at Rock-efeller University centers on the cell and devel-opmental biology of male and female germ cellsin the fruit fly Drosophilamelanogaster. She firstbegan researching fruit flies as a doctoral candi-date at St. John’s University inQueens, under thetutelage of her professor Dr. Chris Bazinet.

“I thought I wanted to do molecular biology atfirst, but after doing a rotation in Dr. ChrisBazinet’s lab, I realized cell and developmentalbiology was much more interesting and excit-ing,” she says.

“The lab studied male fertility, but one of themutants I was working with was female sterileas well, and I learned all about both develop-mental systems. The fruit fly Drosophilamelanogaster is a wonderful model system tostudy this process. There are many moleculartools often free to the research community and65 percent of the genes in the fly are the same asin humanswith a lot less redundancy of genes. Ifyou knock out the only gene in flies, you canstudy the role of that gene directly.”

Besides being a prolific researcher, she alsomen-tors outstanding science students and helpsthem to secure competitive research internshipsthatmake themmore attractive to top-tier grad-uate programs.

Q:What does your research entail?A: My current research project is studying therole of the post-translationalmodifier SUMO insperm development. When our genes get tran-scribed into messenger RNA and then the mes-sage is translated into proteins, often thoseproteins are not in their active form until theyare modified. This is sometimes necessary forvarious developmental processes to occur. Thesmall ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) is a tag

that decorates proteins,whichwill either activateor de-activate the protein orchestrating theproper development of the tissue. I just pre-sented my research at the 53rd AnnualDrosophila Research Conference in Chicago,where it was well received.

Q:Describe your relationshipwithRockefellerUniversity andwhat you do there.A: In the spring of 2008, I received a two-yearvisiting professorship grant from the AmericanSociety of Cell Biology,Minorities Affairs Com-mittee (MAC) that allowedme to perform sum-mer research in a prominent scientist’s lab. Thefirst summer, I went to theUniversity of Torontoto work in Dr. Julie Brill’s lab studying a bio-chemical pathway and its role in development.This turned out to be a ‘fruitful’ experience,leading to three publications in top tier journals.

The next summer, I worked in Dr. PatriciaMorris’ lab on Manhattan’s Upper East Side atRockefeller University’s Population Council.Dr.Morris is an expert in mammalian and humanfertility. The SUMO project started in this lab;since it has been shown in humans that SUMOis reduced in males with fertility problems, wehave been examining the mechanism of how

SUMO affects sperm development in flies be-cause there is only one SUMOgene and three inhumans, allowing us to isolate the gene.

I have doneworkwith Rockefeller University forthree summers, and in the summer of 2010, twoof my research students from theMount,AstridEstevez ’11 andDavidGuerrero ’11,worked aspaid interns and gained invaluable research ex-perience.

Q: You have mentored many high-achievingscience students. How do you get the best outof your students andhelp them to realize theirfull potential?A: I know that my passion for research and sci-ence can be contagious and the students catchthe bug. We attend research conferences regu-larly, where the students present and sometimeswin awards for their presentations, such asDavid Guerrero ’11 and Ana Uruena ’11, whoearned top honors nationally for their work.This is a great experience for the students. It notonly allows them to perfect their presentationskills, but it also provides them with the oppor-tunity to network with other graduate and un-dergraduate students.

JANET ROLLINS

By Erin Walsh

A “Fruitful” Career in Teaching & Research

MAKING STRIDES IN THE SCIENCESThe following individuals have graced the pages of ourpublications when they were standout undergraduates. As Mountalums, they are successfully forging their paths in the sciences.

Alexandria Bobe ’11, Ana Uruena ’11, and Albert Bararwandika ’10are carrying on the tradition of achievement that they began atthe Mount, in Chicago, Texas, and in New York City.

After graduation, Alex enrolled in a post-baccalaureateprogram at the University of Chicago. She is currentlydeciding which university she will attend to pursue doctoralstudies in molecular and cell biology, after being acceptedto Brown University, Columbia University, University ofChicago, and University of Texas Southwestern.

“The Mount has helped prepare me by always supportingand encouraging me to be successful and instilling a solidscience foundation that I was able to build upon during myresearch experiences,” she says.

Ana is currently studying for her Ph.D. in genetics anddevelopmental biology at the University of TexasSouthwestern.

“Thanks to the guidance and support I received at the Mount, Igot into a top graduate Ph.D. program and am holding my ownjust fine,” she says.

Albert is currently a medical student at Albert Einstein College ofMedicine.

“The Mount was key to getting where I am today,” Albert says.“Before I came to the Mount, all of my education was in French,so having small classes and professors who took their time to giveme extra attention helped me get through college successfully.”

Ana Uruena ’11

Albert Bararwandika ’10

Alexandria Bobe ’11

A

— Christina Gonzalez ’09

Continued on page 9

Spring 2012 9

FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS

David Aliano (Assistant Professor of ModernLanguages and Literatures) became the associateeditor for the Ethnic Studies Review and wasappointed to the National Association for Eth-

nic Studies this past fall.Dr. Aliano also gave twoconference presentations:“Re-Imagining the Na-tion: Italian NationalNarratives Abroad (1922-1945)” at New Directionsin Italian and ItalianAmerican History: A Con-ference in Honor of PhilipV. Cannistraro in New

York, N.Y., and “The Challenges and Rewardsto Teaching in a Study Abroad Program,” at theXXXIII AlphaMuGammaNational Conventionin Los Angeles, Calif. In April, he presented thepaper, “Transnational Migration Then andNow: Italian and Central American Experi-ences Compared,” at the National Associationfor Ethnic Studies Annual Conference in NewOrleans, La.

Cathryn McCarthy Donahue (AssociateProfessor of English) presented a paper entitled“Mistrawthe: Subverting the Natural Order” inthe Pearl Poet's Cleanness at the 36th Interna-tional Patristic, Medieval, and RenaissanceStudies Conference at Villanova University inOctober.

Tania Friedel (Assistant Professor of English)presented the paper, “Refuge and Refuse: TheStreet, the Cabaret, and the Theatre in RudolphFisher’s Harlem Stories,” at the 8th Annual In-terdisciplinary Conference: Modernist Man-

hattan in March. She also presented the paper,“The Poetics of the Penitentiary: Reformationand Resistance in Prison Literature,”at theAHAconference at the University of Louisville, inMarch.

Robert Jacklosky (Chairperson and Profes-sor of English) published a short story, “Barbi-cide,” in Constructionmagazine.

Rajkumar Kempaiah (Assistant Professor ofBusiness and Economics) presented the article,“Global Analysis and Benchmarking StrategicAlignment Maturity in IT Service Industry,” atthe South Dakota International Business Con-ference this past fall.

Seonhee Cho (Assis-tant Professor of TeacherEducation) published areview of the book,“Academic Writing in aGlobal Context,” inCrit-ical Inquiry in LanguageStudies. She also pre-sented the paper, “Sec-

ondary Content-area Teachers’ Perceptions ofFairness Regarding Assessing English LanguageLearners,” at the SETESOL conference, Rich-mond,Va.

Cynthia Meyers (Associate Professor of Com-munication) published the article, “The Prob-lems with Sponsorship in Broadcasting,1930s-1950s: Perspectives from theAdvertisingIndustry,” in the Historical Journal of Film,Radio and Television this past September. Shewas a faculty fellow at the International Radioand Television Society in November 2011.

Dr.Meyers also presented two competitive con-ference papers in March: “Resist the Usual:Young &Rubicam’s Soft Sell Strategies in RadioComedy Programming,” at the Society of Cin-ema and Media Studies Conference in Boston,Mass., and “Changing Industry Views of Audi-ence Toleration of Commercials: Hulu vs. Net-flix,” at “What Is Television? A Conference toExplore the Past, Present, and Future of Televi-sion,” in Portland, Ore.

Michelle Scollo (Assistant Professor ofCommunication) presented “Elaborations onNonverbalWays of Com-municatingwithNature,”as part of a panel entitled“Finding the Voices ofNature: Listening BeyondWords,” at the NationalCommunication Associ-ation’s 97thAnnual Con-vention in November inNewOrleans, La.

Joseph M. Skelly (Chair and Professor ofHistory) recently wrote the peer-reviewed arti-cle“Muslim-West Relations: The Importance ofModerate Muslims,” for ABC-CLIO’s researchdatabaseWorld at War: Understanding Conflictand Society.He published a review of the bookMy Brother, My Enemy: America and the Battleof Ideas across the Islamic World (Amherst:Prometheus Books, 2010) in Israel Journal ofForeign Affairs. In 2011, he was named to theIrish Voice’s “Irish Education 100,” which rec-ognizes the top 100 Irish Americans in highereducation in North America.

Facultynews & notes

Q:What’s your favorite aspect of teaching at theMount?A: The diverse student population is important to me. Growing up inNew York City, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love the size of theMount; I worked at St. John’s University for many years, which hasmore than10,000 students. The small size of the Mount makes for amuch better,more intimate learning environment. Students have theopportunity to participate in research because they are not competingwith graduate students for precious research slots. The students arewonderful, hard-working kids.

Q: What would you ultimately like to accomplish from yourresearch?A: Biology and chemistry are becoming less isolated and more inte-grated, which leads to important collaborations with scientists in di-verse fields. Collaborating with other scientists gives my students andme the opportunity to learn and grow as a scientist. As scientists, welearn from the past work of other scientists through the literature.Myultimate goal is to contribute to the body of knowledge of science.Training students in the field is and always will bemy true goal as a sci-ence educator. As a colleague of mine once said,“I am not here to winthe Nobel Prize, but to train the next Nobel laureate.” �

people they met in London. Jamelia recalls that some of her classmatesfrom St.Mary’s not only surprised her on her birthday, but they also cele-brated Thanksgiving – an American holiday – together.

Although they were more than 3,000 miles from home, Mount studentsfound many similarities with St. Mary’s University. Dean of the School ofProfessional and Continuing Studies Edward Meyer says, “St. Mary’s is aprivate college on the outskirts of the city, similar to the Mount here inRiverdale.”

Of course, the students didn’t spend all their time studying. St. Mary’s of-fered weekly activities for students, such as karaoke, quiz night, interna-tional student night, and more.

“These events bring amajority of the campus together to share a laugh andhave a good time,”Mahabir says.

Students were also encouraged to explore London’s great cultural institu-tions, the U.K., and other locations in Europe.

Overall, both students were glad they had the opportunity to study abroadand to learn about a different, although similar, culture and people. �

LONDON CALLING Continued from page 5JANET ROLLINS Continued from page 8

10 Spring 2012

A DAY IN THE LIFE

The American Broadcasting Company (ABC)has been a starting point for many communi-cationmajors from the College of Mount SaintVincent.

Many Mount students have interned with thevenerable broadcasting corporation in the pastdecade, a considerable feat given the stiff com-petition. ABC receives more than 400 applica-tions from the Tri-State area, but only some 60to 75 interns are accepted per semester, saysLinda Henderson, internship coordinator forABC.

ABC only accepts applications from studentswho have a permanent address within the Tri-State area, says Ms. Henderson. The companyoffers interns many different opportunitiesspanning multiple divisions, including news,sports, programming, production sales, andmany more.

Some of the interns at ABC have secured full-time employment with the broadcasting giant,as producers and even supervisors. TwoMountstudents, Lisa Gentile ’13 and David Booker’12, are currently interning at ABC.

Lisa, a communicationmajor, chose the intern-ship because she hopes to break into the fieldof television production.

“I wanted to learn how a show like “LIVE! withKelly” is run, and also gauge the overall envi-ronment of the office,” she says. “I also knewthat being there would help give me a betteridea of what I want to do as a career.”

She attended ABC’s internship recruitmentnight, bringing several copies of her resume,and was interviewed by two different depart-ments within ABC, “LIVE! with Kelly” and theproduction department.

Later that month, Lisa received a call from anemployee at “LIVE! with Kelly,” offering her aninternship. She reports toABC on Tuesdays andThursdays, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Lisa is responsible for many different tasks, in-cluding overseeing the maintenance of thegreen room and dressing rooms, and answer-ing phone calls from guests confirming theirtickets for the show.

“Ticket confirmations have to be entered into abinder every day,” she says. “We have to checkthe confirmation phone line as well and enterthe guest names. We also have to look at the

comment email and check our comment phoneline for any feedback that viewers have aboutthe show,” Lisa says.

Lisa also prepares fact sheets for guests ap-pearing on the show;makes copies of DVDs of

past shows; distributes incoming mail for pro-ducers; and labels the dressing room doors forguests.

Lisa says that she enjoys being on set and learn-ing from the producers.

THE ABC’s OF BROADCASTING

By Divac Chiverton ’12

Lisa Gentile outside the“LIVE! With Kelly” studios.

David Booker outside of ABC.

David Booker at the cornerof Peter Jennings Way andsuccess.

Lisa Gentile is ready to enter thefamed broadcasting company foranother day’s work.

��

�

�

Spring 2012 11

ATHLETICS

With the addition of Men’sWrestling for the 2012-13 aca-demic year, Ryan Cooley has beennamed the program’s first headcoach. Mr. Cooley comes to theMount after a four-year career atNew York University and acoaching stint at Hunter.

While at NYU,Mr. Cooley servedas a team captain as a senior withthe Violets, and used his talentand wrestling experience with theprogram at Hunter starting in thefall of 2008. While at Hunter, heassisted with the day-to-day run-ning of the program, which in-cluded recruiting, scheduling,fundraising, and providing aca-demic support.

On the competition side, Mr.Cooley mentored one nationalqualifier and one student-athletewho advanced to the NCAATournament in 2009 and wasnamed the City University ofNew York Athletic ConferenceMale Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

He graduated with a bachelor ofarts inmathematics fromNYU in2007, and currently resides inBrooklyn, N.Y.

Q: What will the team add to thefull athletics roster at theMount?A: I’m looking to fill out my ros-ter with student athletes whowant to succeed in the classroom,as well as on the wrestling mat. Inaddition to their academic andathletic responsibilities, I expectmembers of our team to be activein all aspects of campus life. Oneaspect of life on campus that Iwill expect all wrestlers to be in-volved in is supporting other ath-letic teams.

Q: Share with us your recruitingmethods.A: This year I’ve cast a broad netin recruiting. Since being hiredlast summer, I’ve attended highschool wrestling meets almostevery weekend with the goal ofmeeting as many student athletesas possible. I’ve attendedmeets inNewYork City, as well as on LongIsland, and inWestchester,Mon-roe, Orange, and RocklandCounties. I’ve travelled to Albanyon a few occasions for big tour-naments. I’m regularly in contactwith wrestlers I’ve met at tourna-ments, as well as some athleteswhom I haven’t met, but who areinterested in theMount. Over thelast few months, we’ve started togain momentum by receivinglarge numbers of applicationsand a few commitments fromstudent athletes, and I expectthose numbers to rise once thewrestling season ends and highschool wrestlers start to focusmore on their plans for next year.

Q: What do you love most aboutwrestling and coaching the sport?A: There’s a quote that’s oftencredited to legendary IowaWrestling Coach Dan Gable (al-though I’ve heard him admit thathe never said it): “Once you’vewrestled, everything else in life iseasy.”

When I was young, I played al-most every sport and was verysuccessful in most of them.Wrestling was the only sport thatI didn’t experience success inearly on. Since I wasn’t successful,I invested more time in wrestling,because I viewed it as a challenge.As my commitment to the sportgrew, I began to see results.

In many sports, attributes thatathletes have little or no controlover, such as height or speed, playhuge roles in determining howgood they may become.

In wrestling, these attributes playa role, but a lack of talent or nat-ural ability can be overcomethrough hard work and commit-ment. Usually the wrestler whohas worked the hardest will expe-rience themost success.Wrestlingdemands a high level of commit-ment, hard work, and discipline,and these traits carry over into allaspects of life. My coaches in-stilled these traits in me when Iwas young, and they have shapedtheman that I am today. I hope todo the same thing formy student-athletes.

�NEWWRESTLINGCOACH RYAN COOLEYBrings His SignatureMoves to the Mount

Wrestling coachRyan Cooley

By Erin Walsh and Michael Doughty

Architectural rendering ofthe new wresting room

“There is somuch hard work thatgoes into making the show hap-pen, and everyone, including in-terns, has a special job,” she says.“Without even the smallest jobs,the show would not go on.”

AnotherMount student currentlyinterning at ABC is David Booker’12.

David is a big sports fan and choseto intern at ABC sports because heknew that it couldhelphimachievehis dream of either appearing on-air or working as a producer forsports broadcasting.

He attended an ABC internshipfair, and was interviewed by thesports department. A few weekslater, he received a call from thedepartment head, offering himthe position.

David interns at ABC Wednes-days, Fridays, and Saturdays from6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. He helpsput together the nightly newssportscast that airs at 11:30 p.m.by watching games, writing high-lights, logging videos, and going toNewYork sporting events to inter-view players. He covers all of theNew York sports teams, and haseven met some of the players forthe NewYork Knicks.

His favorite aspect of the intern-ship is being out on the field andinterviewing the star players.

“I enjoy coming in and workingwith the anchors and producer tohelp them with their show,” hesays. “The atmosphere is ideal.Everything is laid-back and hu-morous. We get the job doneevery night.”

David has learned that, in televi-sion, like many other endeavors,it takes hard work and dedicationto excel.

“It takes a lot to become a sportsanchor or a sports producer, butonce you get your foot in thedoor, everything seems to flow,”he says. �

6301 riverdale avenueriverdale, new york 10471-1093

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAID

Permit No. 5198

White Plains, NY

college ofmount saint vincent

FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS, the College of Mount Saint Vincenthas enabled students from every background to fulfill their destinies.Whether that dream is to be the first member of your family to graduatefrom college, or to realize your goal of becoming a doctor, lawyer, scientist,or teacher, the College provides students with the necessary education tocombine their passion with practical skills to realize their dreams.

Help enable the next generation ofMount students to realize their dreamsby giving to the Annual Fund today.

Visitmountsaintvincent.edu/annualfund.phpto make your secure, tax-deductible

online donation.