Faculty, Staff — Update, In Memoriam, Announcing, Welcome November 2024

Update

Irene Oujo, communications/English, and executive director, Hispanic Center (Metro), was named a fellow for the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo. The one-year fellowship program was designed to increase diverse representation in executive and senior-level positions in higher education. Oujo will join other fellows in an array of leadership-development activities that will prepare them for leadership roles in the full spectrum of institutions of higher learning, with an emphasis on Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and Emerging HSIs. To read more go to “Irene Oujo Named to HACU’s Leadership Academy.”

As part of an initiative of the Division of Student Affairs to formalize a partnership with the TED organization, a team from FDU was invited to attend the TED at Work Leadership Intensive and the TEDNext conference held from October 22 to 24 in Atlanta, Ga. The FDU team included Uchenna Baker, vice president for student affairs and Division III athletics administration and dean of students; Traci Banks, associate vice president for strategic initiatives (Flor); S. Craig Mourton, assistant vice president for student affairs (Metro); Rosa Hanco, director of first-year experience/student leadership programs (Flor); and Loren Darzano, assistant director of campus life for student engagement (Metro). FDU was the sole university invited to the leadership intensive and the group was also the only higher education/student affairs team at the TEDNext conference. The group will present a series of micro-workshops (30- to 40- minute quick learning sessions via Zoom) to various University constituencies starting in the spring semester that will bring back to FDU a wide range of thoughts and ideas that were covered at the two events.

a group of people smile and pose for the camera. they stand behind large block TED letters.

At the TEDNext Conference in Atlanta, Ga., are, from left, Traci Banks, associate vice president for strategic initiatives (Flor); Rosa Hanco, director of first-year experience/student leadership programs (Flor); Uchenna Baker, vice president for student affairs and Division III athletics administration and dean of students; Loren Darzano, assistant director of campus life for student engagement (Metro); and S. Craig Mourton, assistant vice president for student affairs (Metro). (Photo by TED staff member.)

Florham Campus faculty members George Cochrane, fine arts/studio arts, and David Daniel, creative writing, and director, MA in creative writing and literature for educators, attended the 36th Annual Southern Festival of Books, held from October 26 to 27, in Nashville, Tenn., to promote their recent collaboration, What Love Is: Book One. Published by Nirala Publications, New Delhi, India, the book features poems by Daniel and art by Cochrane.

Linda Raffaele-Mendez, psychology (Metro), is leading a team of school psychology graduate students who are participating in this semester’s Bogota CARES (Collaboration to Access Resources to Expand Supportive Services) program. Funded by the New Jersey Department of Education, the program was designed to have graduate students provide mental health services to students in grades K–12 in high-needs schools.

As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, Patricia Bazán, foreign languages/literature (Flor), spoke about her latest book, Seis Nébulas Peruanas, in September at the Florham Campus, sponsored by the Latin American Studies Program. Published by Mesa Redonda Editorial, her book narrates six stories of love and death within the Peruvian milieu.

A group of faculty and administrators have collaborated to run several events as part of the Civil Discourse Initiative, which was created by the Office of the Provost and the Division of Student Affairs. Three events were organized: a film screening of “The Other Son,” a faculty and staff workshop on “Managing Difficult Conversations” and a LEAD NOW workshop for students on “Managing Difficult Conversations: A Path Toward Enhancing Civility.” Among those who facilitated discussions after the screening were S. Craig Mourton, assistant vice president for student affairs (Metro); Jim Om, director of campus ministry (Metro); and Lauren Elgin, campus chaplain and IT business relationship manager (Flor). Presenters at the September 26 Provost Leadership Council workshop were Ayana DaSilva, social work, and field coordinator, Master of Social Work program (Flor); Madelyn Ferrans, law (Flor); Benjamin Freer, psychology, director, psychology/counseling, and cofounder, Center for Empathy Research and Training (Metro); Robert McGrath, psychology; and Tiffany Timberman, social work (Flor). In addition, presenters at the September 18 LEAD NOW workshop included Juhi Bhatt, associate dean of students and University director for student rights and responsibilities; Freer; and Mourton.

A discussion on “The 2024 Elections: A Discussion on Voting, Civil Engagement and Why It All Matters” was held on November 1 at the Florham Campus and via Zoom. The panelists included Peter Woolley, political science (Flor) and founding director, public/global affairs; and students Ashley Sperduto, president, Women in Criminal Law Club, and Elizabeth Tapia, president, Mock Trial and Latin American Student Organization. David Biel, research and instruction librarian, Monninger Center for Learning and Research (Flor), served as moderator.

“Women governors in the United States use more communal language than male governors in their State of the State addresses and tweets and achieve greater policy success,” a study by Kara Alaimo, communication, and deputy chair, communication (Metro), was published in Communication and the Public journal. On November 14, she led an online seminar on “Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Teens and How to Limit Its Impact” as part of the GPS Parent Series. Alaimo also wrote the following: “When parents are on their phones a lot, here’s what happens to their kids,” “How to win the fight with kids over phone use, “Kids are being sexually assaulted by people they meet on social media. Here’s how to prevent it,” “Teens are feeling pressured and burned out. Here’s how to help, “What all those sexy Halloween costumes are doing to kids” and “Why you’re more likely to solve your problems on a therapist’s sofa than on social media” for cnn.com; and “Why the U.S. Can’t Bridge the Divide at the Kitchen Table,” for time.com. She talked about her book, Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls — And How We Can Take It Back, in a conversation with Agie Markiewicz-Hocking, assistant dean for curricular initiatives/assessment, Becton College (Metro), at the Metropolitan Campus Library on October 24.

President Michael Avaltroni was listed among NJBIZ’s 2024 Education Power 50, where he was recognized for his “outside-of-the-box thinking and innovative collaborations and partnerships” as well as “important initiatives such as engaging the community in a strategic-planning process that led to the ‘FDU Will Soar’ plan.” He was one of the speakers at the “Restructuring Higher Education in New Jersey: Thirty Years of Change, Future Challenges” conference held on October 15 at Rowan University, Glassboro, N.J.

David Nguyen, head women’s volleyball coach, athletics (Metro), has been named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s (AVCA) Thirty Under 30 honors program, which recognizes up-and-coming coaches in different sectors of the sport. Nguyen, who is on his third year as the Knights head coach, is also a tw0-time NEC Coach of the Year. In 2022, the Knights won the first NEC title in program history and booked their first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. To read more go to “Nguyen Named to AVCA Third Under 30 List.”

A review by Daniel Cassino, government/politics and executive director, FDU Poll (Flor), of the book The Claremont Run: Subverting Gender in the X-Men by J. Andrew Deman was published in the Contemporary Sociology journal on October 29. He also wrote several op-eds for The Times of India: “Message in a beer” published on October 10, “American election story is one of two belts and a fractured country” on October 21 and “Hey Elon, govt isn’t X” on November 8.

In commemoration of the 85th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II in Europe, a virtual panel discussion was held on October 23. The panelists were Benjamin Rifkin, Russian and University provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, on the Soviet and Polish perspective; Nicholas Baldwin, dean, Wroxton College, on the British and French perspective; and Robert Houle, history (Flor), on the German perspective. Gary Darden, history and chair, social sciences/history (Flor), moderated the discussion.

Omer Topaloglu, marketing, and chair, management/marketing/entrepreneurship (Metro), was part of the executive committee of the Third Society of North American Scholars Interdisciplinary Research Conference, “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Higher Education.” This year’s conference was held in October at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Conn.

Irene Oujo, communications/English, and executive director, Hispanic Center (Metro), announced that the Hispanic Center was celebrated at the state capitol in Trenton, N.J., on October 28. The Senate and General Assembly presented a joint legislative resolution commending the Hispanic Center for its “immeasurable contributions” benefitting the Latino community and for its “meritorious record of service and commitment.” Hispanic Center students toured the statehouse, watched the day’s proceedings and met numerous legislators, some of them FDU alumni. The group was joined by President Michael Avaltroni; Robert Pignatello, senior vice president for strategic initiatives and government/community affairs; Luz Helena Flores, associate director for recruitment/community, Hispanic Center (Metro); and Annette Della Salla, Becton College (Metro). To read more go to “Hispanic Center Honored at NJ State Capitol for Outstanding Contributions to the Latino Community.”

a group smiles for the camera. they wear business attire.

With President Michael Avaltroni (second from right) at the state capitol in Trenton, N.J., are, from left, Annette Della Salla, Becton College (Metro); Julio Marenco, MAS’07 (Metro), member of the New Jersey General Assembly for the 33rd legislative district; Irene Oujo, communications/English, and executive director, Hispanic Center (Metro); Luz Helena Flores, associate director for recruitment/community, Hispanic Center (Metro); and Robert Pignatello, senior vice president for strategic initiatives and government/community affairs. (Photo by Tim Larsen.)

Madelyn Ferrans, law, and Bruce Peabody, government/politics and director, Florham Institute for Lifelong Learning (both Flor), were among the presenters at a discussion on the “Supreme Court Review and Preview” held at the Florham Campus on October 8.

Mihaela Leonida, chemistry and preprofessional studies/graduate school adviser (Metro), chaired a session at the 10th Annual Conference of AnalytiX-2024 held in Dublin, Ireland, in October. She also did a presentation there on the “Green Approaches to Enhance Oxidoreductases Used in Amperometric Biosensors for Medical Applications.”

Faculty and staff members from both the Metropolitan and Florham campuses served as advisers to a cross-disciplinary team of FDU students that competed at the Fourth Annual HSI Battle of the Brains National Competition held in October in Orlando, Fla. The advisers were Luz Helena Flores, associate director for recruitment/community, Hispanic Center (Metro); Laila Khreisat, computer science and associate dean, Becton College (Flor); Eun-Jeong Ko, entrepreneurship (Flor); and Avimanyou Vatsa, computer science (Metro). The FDU team placed third out of 18 colleges from across the country — winning $10,000 and two scholarships: computer science majors Oliver Villalta received a scholarship from Dell Technology and Valentina Torres Da Silva, was awarded a scholarship from eBay. To read more go to “FDU Team Places Third in HSI Battle of the Brains National Competition.”

Lia Romeo, Becton College (Flor), was the winner in Urbanite Theatre’s Modern Works Festival — a five-day festival for female playwrights — for her play, “A Nice Motherly Person.” The play, which was chosen from among more than 300 works submitted, explores the challenges of new motherhood and riffs on characters familiar to fans of Peter Pan.

Irene Oujo, communications/English and executive director, Hispanic Center, and Eleni Mylonas, rhetoric/composition and director, FDU Center for First-Generation Scholars (both Metro), led the Provost’s Leadership Council Workshop on “Serving Our Latinx and First-Gen Students” on October 16 via Zoom.

Christina Bottiglierie, physician assistant (PA) studies and clinical preceptor, PA program (Flor), won this year’s New Jersey State Society of Physician Assistants (NJSSPA) Preceptor of the Year Award for going “above and beyond in guiding and mentoring future healthcare providers.” She has more than 22 years of experience in family medicine and has been mentoring PA students in a clinical setting.

Neelu Sinha, computer science, and Rama Madhavarao, Becton College (both Flor), announce that computer science majors and twin brothers Christopher and Michael Shapiro helped with their volunteer work at the Madison Rotary and Repair Café Team Up for “Reduce, Repair and Recycle” event on November 2 in Madison, N.J. Christopher and Michael showcased their skills at the tech table — helping fix lamps, CD players and radios, and salvaging computer hard drives. “It’s commendable that Christopher and Michael spent the better part of their Saturday — from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. — doing community service,” Sinha said. “And aside from their technical performance, they exhibited exceptional communication skills and were exemplary FDU ambassadors.”

a group smiles for the camera. they hold signs that read "it's fixed," and "repair cafe."

At the Madison Rotary and Repair Café (all from the Florham Campus) are, from left, student Christopher Shapiro, Rama Madhavarao, Becton College; Neelu Sinha, computer science; and student Michael Shapiro.

Benjamin Freer, psychology, director, psychology/counseling, and cofounder, Center for Empathy Research and Training (Metro), presented at a Lunch and Learn event on October 23 at Collab @ Bell Works in Holmdel, N.J. He talked about the Empathetic Leadership Certificate, which will be offered by the School of Psychology and Counseling in partnership with Silberman College of Business, at Bell Works in early 2025.

Bradford Hurlbut, senior associate vice president/director of athletics (Metro), announced a multi-game agreement with the YES Network, which will see seven FDU sporting events air live on the YES Network and The Gotham Sports App in the 2024–25 season. Among the FDU games that will be aired are women’s basketball (Knights vs. Saint Peter’s Peacocks) at noon on Saturday, November 23; and the men’s basketball Battle of the Bracket Busters rematch (Knights vs. Saint Peter’s Peacocks) at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 26. To read more about the agreement and view the complete list of FDU games that will be aired go to “FDU Announces Multi-Game Broadcast Agreement with the YES Network.” In addition, Hurlbut announced partnerships with Toyota of Hackensack and with Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360). In addition to becoming FDU athletics’ Official Auto Dealer, Toyota of Hackensack also holds the naming rights to the FDU Field House and will contribute to ongoing improvements to the athletic training room. The tie-up with IC360, on the other hand, will allow FDU athletics to use ProhiBet, IC360’s prohibited-bettor technology, to raise the standards of integrity in competition and provide a top-tier student-athlete experience. It will also allow for educational training for student-athletes, coaches and administration staff through IC360’s proprietary e-learning platform.

Benjamin Rifkin, Russian and University provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, cowrote the article on “Pedagogical Training for Future Literature-in-Translation Faculty Members,” which was published in volume 48, No. 1 (2024) of the ALD Bulletin (formerly known as the ADFL Bulletin). The ALD Bulletin is a journal published by the Association of Language Departments, a subsidiary of the Modern Language Association.

Zakia Clay, social work, and director, Master of Social Work (MSW) program (Flor), announced that MSW student Keara Davis has been selected to join the 2024–2025 Council on Social Work Education Minority Fellowship Program. The fellowship is designed to enhance training for graduate students committed to delivering mental-health services to underrepresented and underserved racial/ethnic minority persons with or at risk for mental-health and/or substance-abuse disorders.

“Strays,” a short drama written by James Rana, BA’98 (Metro), Becton College (Metro) and award-winning actor/playwright, was among those screened at the 19th Annual Teaneck International Film Festival held from November 7 to 15 in Teaneck, N.J. It tells the story of a Pakistani immigrant, played by Rana, living alone in Coney Island until a stray cat enters his life and brings him the gift of friendship. A talkback held after the screening was participated in by Rana and producer Jane Kotlyar.

Two faculty members and three graduate students from the Vancouver Campus received funding to help with the Destination British Columbia® research project on “Understanding Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Reconciliation Journeys Across British Columbia’s Tourism and Hospitality Businesses: An Initial Look.” The FDU research group was composed of Jarrett Bachman, hospitality/tourism management; interim director, International School of Hospitality, Sports, and Tourism Management; and scholar-in-residence, Destination BC; Michael Lever, hospitality/tourism management; and hospitality management studies graduate students Donabel Marie Alba, Ria Emmanuella and Keziah Lin.

Nick Hodgman, assistant athletic director of athletic training, athletics (Metro), announced that FDU Athletics has entered into a multi-partnership agreement that will make Excel Physical Therapy the official physical therapy provider of the Knights. According to Hodgman, “For years, Excel provided our student-athletes with elite medical care and with them back in the fold, we feel it will only improve the student-athlete experience here at FDU.” To read more go to “Excel Physical Therapy Named Official Physical Therapy Provider of FDU Athletics.”

Kathleen Lyons, rhetoric/composition and acting director, Foundational Writing Program (Flor), served as a moderator at a talk on Alien Soul: Oral Histories of Great Migration Newark, the latest scholarly work by Katie Singer, MFA’04 (Flor), faculty associate, humanities/arts/cultural studies, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Ariz., on October 28 at the Florham Campus.

Stephanie Gaitley, head women’s basketball coach, athletics (Metro), celebrated her 700th career victory with the Knights 62-59 victory over the American University Eagles on November 8. This has made her the 17th coach in Division I women’s basketball history to reach the 700-win milestone. Gaitley currently ranks sixth in Division I wins among all active NCAA women’s basketball coaches. To read more about her go to “Stephanie Gaitley Wins 700th Career Game as Head Coach” and to “The Ball Is in Their Court.”

Michael Walkey, senior director, strategic enrollment management (Van), announced that the Vancouver Campus has contracted student recruitment team members based overseas to connect with potential students, visit high schools and attend recruitment events. Olabisi Adebiyi, who is based in Lagos, Nigeria, attended the Premiere Academy University Fair in Nigeria. She recruits students from all over Africa and, in September, travelled to Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya, along with multiple locations in Nigeria. Abitha Latheef, who lives in Kochi, India, recruits all over South Asia and has been to Dubai, Sri Lanka and various cities in India. Both Adebiyi and Latheef have met with students and parents who are interested in learning more about studying in Canada. According to Walkey, “Since Olabisi and Abitha started with us, we have seen dramatic growth in the number of applications and enrollments from their respective markets.”

Colleen Coppla, senior vice president for University advancement, was one of the honorees at the 2024 Tribute to Women and Mary A. Mulholland Service Award Luncheon held on November 15 at the Morris County Golf Club, Morristown, N.J. The luncheon honors outstanding women who serve as exemplary role models for the youth in the area through their vocations or avocations. Funds raised at the event support the child-abuse prevention programs spearheaded by the Boy Scouts of America.

Cathy Liggett, deputy director of athletics, athletics (Metro), announced a new partnership agreement that will make Segovia Steakhouse the presenting sponsor of the 2024–25 of the Knights women’s basketball season. To read more go to “Segovia Steakhouse Named Presenting Sponsor of FDU Women’s Basketball.”

In the news …

Kara Alaimo, communication, and deputy chair, communication (Metro), was a guest on WGN9 TV’s Morning News on “Deconstructing social media’s impact with new book ‘Over the Influence.’ She was also interviewed in the November article “Think twice before sharing photos of your kids online, experts say,” published in Fashion Daily News.

President Michael Avaltroni was interviewed for the Forbes.com November article “Innovation Is Alive And Well At Fairleigh Dickinson University,” by Eli Amdur, BA’68 (Ruth).

James Almeida, entrepreneurship (Flor) and dean, Silberman College, was quoted in the October msn.com article “Nutley Commissioner Joins Fairleigh Dickinson Business Hall of Fame.”

Stephanie Gaitley, head women’s basketball coach, athletics (Metro), was featured in the article “An Ocean City basketball legend brings her team to town,” posted on pressofatlanticcity.com in September.

Kenneth Schneider, senior vice president for enrollment management and chief strategy officer, was quoted in the October Jersey’s Best article “Boosting enrollment by meeting the needs of a wide variety of students.”

Wenyi Kuang, supply chain management (Metro), was quoted in the October article “Worried about moving scams? States with the most moving complaints, according to our 2024 study,” on usatoday.com.

Heidi Fichtenbaum, senior project manager facilities operations, facilities (Metro), was quoted in the September article “Absorption in the Landscape: Building biodiversity and connectivity in the urban environment,” posted on aiaphiladelphia.org.

Jack Castleberry, head men’s basketball coach, athletics (Metro), was quoted in the October Clayton News-Daily article “Fairleigh Dickinson faces tall task in opener at Miami.”

Robert Pignatello, senior vice president for strategic initiatives and government/community affairs, was mentioned in the November ROI-NJ article “Numb from networking: Was a month spent from event-to-event smart — or silly?”

Daniel Cassino, government/politics and executive director, FDU Poll (Flor), was a guest in the following TV and radio programs and podcasts: in Civic 101: A Podcast on “What is the Cabinet? And how do appointments work?”; in Fox 5 on November 10, “NJ Now: Red wave sweeps nation, shakes NJ’s blue hold”; “Red in CRUX’s daily video news guide on October 28, “Pollster Dan Cassino Says Polls Favoring Donald Trump Are Overcompensating For His Shock 2016 Win”; in The Economist’s podcast on October 18 about “Will gender decide the US election?” based on an article that appeared in The Economist; Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) “The Current,” CBC News Network Live and CBC News Live, where he talked about gender, masculinity and race in the 2024 election; the My9 New Jersey Now October 6 episode about the 45,000 dockworkers return after the strike; the October 2 episode (“Mr. Veep”) of the Vox podcast “Today, Explained,” where he explained how Vice Presidential candidates Tim Walz and JD Vance represent the future of American masculinity; and on PIX11 News on September 27 about Mayor Eric Adams’ next steps.

He was quoted by various sources about the following FDU polls:

Cassino was also quoted in the following articles: “‘Be a man and vote for a woman’: Kamala Harris’s unlikely edge in America’s masculinity election” (theguardian.com); “How many New Jersey residents are registered to vote in the 2024 general election?” (northjersey.com and Bergen Record); “Crypto bros v cat ladies: gender and the 2024 election” (The Economist); “Why are election polls all over the place, and which should you pay attention to?” (The Boston Globe); “Why Barron Trump has become Donald’s secret weapon; As the election enters its final stages, the Right is trying to woo America’s young men — making the ex-president’s youngest son invaluable” (The Telegraph); “Kean, Altman trade barbs, lean into support for Israel, Jewish community at debate” (jewishinsider.com); “As Andy Kim seeks promotion to Senate, new boundaries leave little competition in 3rd District” (New Jersey Monitor and yahoo.com); “Charlamagne The God: Tim Walz Isn’t ‘Garbage … I Just Don’t See the Impact’” (breitbart.com); “How will gender shape the presidential election” (spectrumlocalnews.com); “Abortion an ‘urgent’ mobilizer to the polls as candidates seek middle ground” (Yahoo News and njtoday.news); “N.J. is already setting records for early voting, with long lines reported” and “Congresswoman joins raucous N.J. governor’s race to take over for Murphy” (nj.com); “Essex GOP manages ‘incredible turnout’ after Italian bakery cancels event over Trump flags” (savenewjersey.com); “Fox’s 2020 Arizona call was a political earthquake. Could it happen again?” (The Washington Post and msn.com; “The economy drove New Jersey voters’ shift to the right, experts say” (New Jersey Monitor); “How did Democrats fail to drive voter turnout in New Jersey?” and “Heading into election, economy looked good — on paper. Here’s why that didn’t help Harris” (northjersey.com); and “Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy: Will the DOGE have bite to its bark?” (msn.com and The Economic Times).

In Memoriam 

Sherwin Klein, emeritus, philosophy (Metro), died on June 10, 2024, at the age of 91. He joined FDU in 1965 as professor of philosophy at Edward Williams College, which is now part of FDU Lifelong Learning. He retired in 2013. Predeceased by his wife of 54 years, Eleanor Minkoff Klein, he is survived by his children Charles Klein (Jo-Ellyn) and David Klein (Naomi); and grandchildren, Jason, Dylan, Sarah and Julia.

Leo Rogers, Jr., retired executive director, Rothman Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies (Flor) died on October 3 at the age of 88. After leaving his early days in higher education for Howard Savings Bank, Newark, N.J., where he worked his way to the presidency, he returned to academia in 1989 to direct the newly established Rothman Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies — which was part of the Silberman College of Business. In 1993, he was instrumental in the establishment of the Family Business Forum at the institute, under which the Family Business of the Year awards were established. He retired in 2003 but remained active with the forum. He also served briefly as interim dean of the Silberman College of Business in 2002. In 2014, he was honored at the Institute’s 25th anniversary celebration. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Carole Garibaldi Rogers; his sister Geraldine (“Jeri”) Rogers; his sons and their families: Douglas Rogers, Melanie Boyd and Evan and Caden Rodems-Boyd; and Matthew Rogers, Liz Burkhart and Theo, Carter and Owen Rogers; along with several nieces and nephews.

Richard Wisch, retired associate dean of Petrocelli College of Continuing Studies (Metro), died on November 11 at the age of 81. He joined FDU in 1981 as an associate professor of hotel management. In June 1982, he was inducted into the Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, a world-renowned culinary society that later made its home at FDU’s Florham Campus. He served as director, international hospitality/tourism management, and led the program through a period of impressive growth and distinction. In 2003, he was appointed associate dean of the International School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (now known as the International School of Hospitality, Sports, and Tourism Management). He retired in December 2012 after more than 30 years at the University. In honor of his outstanding leadership of the International School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, the Dr. Richard Wisch Educator of the Year Award for faculty in the school was named to him.

Announcing

Edward Davies, BA’18, MSA’20 (Metro), assistant director of alumni affinity and athletics, University advancement (Metro), and Alexis Ballistreri, BA’21, MAT’22 (Flor), were married on October 13 at The Hamilton Manor.

Welcome

The University welcomes new full-time and part-time employees who joined FDU as of November 12.

Welcome to Joan Agresto, assistant to director of theater, School of the Arts (Flor); Kelly Alaimo, academic adviser, Academic Advising and Student Support Services (Flor); Daniel Baker, vice president for enrollment management (Metro); Dondago Bellamy, assistant men’s/women’s track and field coach, athletics (Flor); Megan Brodbeck, coordinator for student affairs/admissions, pharmacy/health sciences (Flor); Riley Burke, coordinator, disability support services (Flor); Diamond Carnall, psychological counselor, Wellness Center (Flor); Samantha Harvey, administrative coordinator for occupational therapy program, pharmacy/health sciences (Flor); Leeanna Henry, academic adviser, Academic Advising and Student Support Services (Flor); Errol Jeffrey, assistant men’s/women’s track and field coach, athletics (Metro); Kimberly Monestime, adult psychiatric nurse practitioner/case manager, Wellness Center (Flor); Jeiselyn Morales-Blasucci, project coordinator, NSF-EPIIC-CAFE, grants/sponsored projects (Metro); Barbara Pujols, wellness coordinator, student health services (Metro); Anthony Puntolillo, assistant football coach, athletics (Flor); Charlene Rejouis, office manager for student wellness services, Wellness Center (Metro); Jodi Ryan, recruitment specialist, public/global affairs (Metro); Angela Santiago, academic coordinator for high-school programs, Petrocelli Center (Metro); Shannon Saymaz, registered nurse/case manager, student health services (Metro); Jennifer Segui, advisement counselor (bilingual), Academic Advising and Student Support Services (Metro); Dina Valenzuela Soler, administrative assistant, enrollment services (Van); and Raeshauna Sumter, academic adviser, Academic Advising and Student Support Services (Flor).

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