News
Manhattan Will Honor Keynote Speaker, Novelist William Kennedy, With Honorary Degree at 169th Commencement
William Kennedy will deliver the keynote address and receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at Manhattan College’s 169th Commencement on Sunday, May 22. A novelist, Kennedy is the executive director of the New York State Writers Institute and 
professor of English at the University at Albany.
Manhattan College will award more than 700 degrees in some 40 major fields of study from its five schools in arts, business, education, engineering and science at its undergraduate Commencement on Sunday, May 22 at 1:00 p.m. Students who completed their studies in September 2010, February 2011 and May 2011 will participate in the ceremony in the College’s Draddy Gymnasium at 1:00 p.m.
Pictured above: William Kennedy
Graduate and Adult Degree Completion Program Commencement Changes Date to May 21
Manhattan College’s Spring Commencement for graduate and adult degree completion students will occur on Saturday, May 21 at 3:00 p.m. in Draddy Gymnasium. The decision was reached to change the graduation ceremony from May 25 to accommodate additional seating with a change in venue, and moving the ceremony to the weekend will better facilitate family traveling to the event.
The College will award more than 200 degrees to bachelor’s degree students from the adult degree completion program along with master’s degrees to those in the schools of education and engineering, and professional diplomas to students in the school of education. In addition, George J. Tamaro ’59, a structural engineer, will deliver the keynote address and receive an honorary Doctor of Engineering.
Pictured above: George J. Tamaro
Manhattan Hosts Accepted Students' Day
On Wednesday, March 30, some 1,400 people gathered on Manhattan College’s campus, including prospective students and parents, for the first of two Accepted Students’ Days of 2011.
“Manhattan College has always been a place that emphasizes both personal development and preparation for work, the search for meaning, as well as the search for satisfying employment,” said Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D., president of Manhattan College, during the morning greeting. “Students here are challenged to ask difficult questions about what they value, what they believe, who they are.
“We expect our students to leave here not just prepared for a job, but ready to contribute — to make the world a better place for their fellow human beings, a world more just, more equitable, more sustainable, more humane, more beautiful,” added O’Donnell. “We take seriously — as our founder, John Baptist de La Salle did — the cry of the less fortunate, and we search for ways to do something about the conditions that create inequity and injustice.”
The full day featured a unique opportunity for future students to hear firsthand about Manhattan’s various majors and courses from the schools of arts, business, education, engineering and science, sit in on a class, take a campus tour, learn more about the financial aid process, attend an ice cream social, and much more.
Read the featured news article and view photos»
Local Politicians and Community Leaders Gather on Campus For Community Reception
On March 22, more than 120 Riverdale community leaders gathered in Manhattan College’s Smith Auditorium for the annual Reception for Community Leaders hosted by Manhattan and the College of Mount Saint Vincent. The two colleges rotate hosting the event every other year to thank the local community for their hard work and commitment to serving Riverdale and the Bronx.
View photos of the event »
Phi Epsilon Kappa Inducts New Students and Honors Alumni and Former Faculty Member For Their Service
This year marks the 75th anniversary of Manhattan’s physical education department and recently the department inducted 10 students into Phi Epsilon Kappa and presented four distinguished service awards on Feb. 25. Phi Epsilon Kappa is the national honor fraternity for students pursuing careers in health, physical education and recreation, and active members strive to foster scientific research in physical education and related fields, and to promote community welfare.
Clifford Jean ’99, Mike Otero ’05 and Mike Rosario ’98, all physical educators in the South Bronx, were honored with service awards for their tireless commitment to improving the physical education programs at PS/MS 279.
“Through hard work and determination, these men have changed the culture of physical education in the school from gym class to quality physical education with expectations for learning,” said Shawn Ladda, Ed.M. and Ed.D., physical education and human performance professor at Manhattan College. “The school now has a clearly defined curriculum with goals and objectives matching interesting physical activities.”
In addition, Beth Barnett, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs at Ramapo College in New Jersey, was recognized for her 18 years of services at Manhattan College. Barnett’s career started at Manhattan in 1979 as the first woman faculty member in the physical education department, and led the school of education and human services as dean from 1993-1997. Throughout her career, Barnett has worked to shape physical education from publishing articles on childhood development, to funding proposals for bilingual education, and to being involved in numerous professional and community service organizations.
Barnett, Jean, Otero and Rosario are all prime examples to the new inductees on living the Lasallian mission by serving others through physical education.
College Mourns Two Members of The Manhattan Community
Bishop Patrick V. Ahern, a 1973 Manhattan College honorary degree recipient and student from 1937-1938 in the school of arts, passed away on March 19 at the age of 92. Ordained as a priest in the Diocese of New York in 1945 after attending St. Joseph’s Seminary, Bishop Ahern became an auxiliary bishop in 1970, and also served as Episcopal vicar of the Bronx, Staten Island and vicar for Development for the Archdiocese of New York.
Another member of Manhattan’s community, William F. Reilly Jr. ’49, Ph.D., associate professor emeritus of philosophy, passed away on March 6 at the age of 85. After graduating from Manhattan College, Reilly received his master’s and doctorate at Fordham University, and spent a year working at Bishop Loughlin. He went on to start his career at Manhattan in 1950 and played a huge part in the philosophy department during his 44-year tenure.
Faculty Attending Be an Engineer, Engineering Expo
Tim Ward, Ph.D., P.E., dean of the school of engineering; Richard Schneider, P.E., engineering academic advisor; Scott Lowe, Ph.D., associate professor in the school of engineering; and Robert Mauro, Ph.D., professor of electrical and computer engineering; will attend the Be an Engineer, Engineering Expo on April 3 to meet prospective students. The event at White Plains High School attracts approximately 1,000 of the best and brightest high school students interested in pursuing a career in engineering.
Graduate Student Presents on Tissue Engineering at Philadelphia Conference
Kathryn Scherpf, a chemical engineering graduate student, recently presented her research on tissue engineering at the 26th International Conference on Solid Waste Technology and Management in Philadelphia. Her research project was titled Crosslinking of Collagen Nanofibrils.
On Campus
Manhattan Celebrates 40 Years of Ann Clohessy
Family, friends, faculty and staff gathered in a packed Smith Auditorium on March 23 to honor Ann Clohessy’s 40 years of service at Manhattan College. Clohessy retired after working for 40 years for four Manhattan presidents most recently, as special advisor to Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D., president of Manhattan College.
“It’s good to see everyone here this afternoon to recognize Ann and, in doing that, recognize virtues that are increasingly rare: virtues of loyalty, commitment and selfless service, grounded in an abundance of faith, hope and love,” said O’Donnell. “Having served four presidents in her 40 years, she is a font of institutional memory and the most connected person in the Manhattan College community.”
“Words are inadequate to express the extent of gratitude of everyone here and of Manhattan College that you have served so extraordinarily well for 40 years,” added Brother Thomas Scanlan, F.S.C., former president of Manhattan, as he summarized his 22 years working with Clohessy.
Brother Robert Berger, F.S.C., associate professor of religious studies, also highlighted Clohessy’s commitment and expressed the numerous images that came to mind when commemorating her, “gratitude for a dedicated woman, admiration for a hard-working woman and awe for such a loving woman.”
Pictured above from left to right: Br. Robert Berger, Brennan O’Donnell, Ann Clohessy and Br. Thomas Scanlan
Harvard’s Jill Lepore Will Present at Christen Lecture on April 11
Jill Lepore, Ph.D., David Woods Kemper ’41 Professor of American History and chair of the history and literature program at Harvard University, will speak at Manhattan College on Monday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m. in Smith Auditorium.
Lepore will discuss The Tea Party and the Constitution as the speaker for the annual series. A staff writer for The New Yorker, she was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for New York Burning: Liberty, Slavery, and Conspiracy in Eighteenth-Century Manhattan.
Major Authors Reading Series Hosts Poet on April 19
The Major Authors Reading Series (M.A.R.S.), sponsored by the English department and the school of arts, present Tina Chang, Poet Laureate of Brooklyn, on Tuesday, April 19 at 4:30 p.m. in the O’Malley Library Alumni Room followed by a discussion. Chang is the author of Half-Lit Houses and co-editor of the anthology Language for a New Century: Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia and Beyond, and also teaches poetry at Sarah Lawrence College.
Manhattan’s Air Force ROTC Recruiting Students
The Air Force ROTC is actively recruiting full-time students interested in joining the program and becoming an Air Force officer after graduation. Participating officers in training can receive scholarships and $350-$500 monthly toward spending money and $900 per year for books.
View the Air Force ROTC brochure »
High School Guidance Counselors Visit Manhattan
Last week, 80 high school guidance counselors from the tri-state area visited Manhattan College’s campus to participate in a one-day professional development day. The event offered guidance counselors insight into Manhattan’s academic programs, admissions requirements, residential life, student activities, athletics and much more.
Hundreds of Jaspers Marched in New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Remembered Kate McNeil
Nearly 650 students, alumni, staff and family from the Manhattan College community marched in the 250th New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade, including members of Manhattan’s Gaelic Society and Pipe and Drums Band.
March 17 also marked the one-year anniversary of Kate Anne McNeil’s ’11 death, and she was certainly thought of during the parade, which she marched in yearly with her family. McNeil’s family, friends and roommates also gathered in Baldwin, N.Y., for a Mass at St. Christopher’s. In McNeil’s honor, a scholarship fund was established in 2010 for select Manhattan students participating in study abroad programs.
Alumni
Looking for Volunteers To Attend Accepted Students’ Day on April 6
The alumni relations office is in need of alumni volunteers to meet and greet accepted high school students and their parents on Wednesday, April 6 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. For more information, contact Joe Dillon in the alumni relations office by phone at (718) 862-7977.
St. Thomas More Law Lecture on April 28
Patricia M. Sheridan, J.D., assistant professor of law and pre-law advisor, and the Thomas More Law Society cordially invite alumni to attend this spring’s annual law lecture featuring guest speaker The Honorable Ronald L. Ellis ’72, U.S. magistrate, on Thursday, April 28, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. The free event will be held in the Alumni Room of O’Malley Library, first floor, and refreshments will be served.
Please R.S.V.P. by phone at (718) 862-7432 or e-mail alumni@manhattan.edu.
Alumni Has Tickets to King Lear
The alumni relations office has limited tickets available for the production of King Lear at the BAM Harvey Theatre in Brooklyn, N.Y., on May 1. Tickets are $75 per person for orchestra seats. For more information, call (718) 862-7432.
Financial Services Advisory Council Event on May 3
President Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D., and School of Business Dean Salwa Ammar, Ph.D., along with the Financial Services Advisory Council, cordially invite you to attend the ninth annual Financial Services Advisory Council Reception on Tuesday, May 3, 2011, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Yale Club of New York (50 Vanderbilt Ave. at 44th Street).
The cocktail reception and networking event will feature a panel discussion on the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Consumer Protection Act, including: James P. Bergin, counsel for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; Hector Gonzalez '85, partner for Mayer Brown; John Thurlow, managing director and chief operating officer of Americas Equities Credit Suisse; and Donald T. Vangel, advisor of regulatory affairs for the office of the chairman and principal of financial services office at Ernst & Young LLP.
The event is $40 per person and preregistration is required because limited space is available. For more information and to register, contact Kevin Brewer at (718) 862-7278 or e-mail kevin.brewer@manhattan.edu.
Alumni Society General Meeting on May 7
On Saturday, May 7, Manhattan College will elect alumni society officers at the general meeting, and all alumni are welcome to attend in the Charter Room at 9:00 a.m.
Jasper Open Golf Tournament
Please join Manhattan College for the 23rd annual Jasper Open on Tuesday, May 17 at Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Scarborough, N.Y. The day includes golf, brunch, cocktails and a wonderful reception featuring special guest, best-selling author James Patterson ’69.
Reunion Weekend 2011
Reunion Weekend 2011 will be held Friday, June 3—Sunday, June 5. Manhattan College welcomes home alumni who return to campus to celebrate the 142nd alumni reunion weekend. Classes ending in either 1 or 6 will have special receptions.
For more information on how you can be a part of your class’ organizing committee, please call the alumni relations office (718) 862-7977 or e-mail alumni@manhattan.edu.
Athletic Hall of Fame Nominations
Did you know that anyone can nominate a Manhattan athlete for the College’s Athletic Hall of Fame? Each year, we seek to induct a broad representation of qualified candidates. We recommend detailed attention when collecting and presenting biographical information to achieve the desired results in this competitive process. Nominations are due by Friday, June 3, 2011.
For more information or if you’d like to submit a nomination, please contact the alumni relations office at (718) 862-7432 or e-mail alumni@manhattan.edu. The 2011 induction ceremony will take place in November.
Upcoming Summertime Events
Save the date for some of our most popular events, including our luncheon at the Jersey Shore on Friday, July 22, the day at the racetrack in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on Friday, July 29, and the Construction Industry Golf Tournament on Monday, July 25 at the Westchester Hills Country Club in White Plains, N.Y.
Calling All Jaspers Celebrating 50 Years Since Graduation
Manhattan alumnus Jim Brown ’58 is looking to start a Jasper group for alumni that have celebrated 50 years since graduation or more. This group would meet during reunion weekend and hold additional events throughout the year. Would you like to learn more about the idea of forming this group within the Alumni Society?
Please send an e-mail to Jim Brown’s attention at alumni@manhattan.edu.
Become a Mentor at Manhattan
The Mentor Program provides opportunities for Manhattan College students to gain insight into their intended careers by being paired with professionals, generally Manhattan College alumni in those careers. Students grow educationally, personally and professionally as they learn about their responsibilities and employment options within their career path. The Mentor Program is always looking for new mentors in all fields to assist our students, particularly in computer engineering and software, business, communications, law enforcement (FBI) and psychology.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please contact Brother Charles Barbush, F.S.C., mentor program coordinator, by e-mailing charles.barbush@manhattan.edu or calling (718) 862-7519.
Jaspers Helping Jaspers
Since its inception in February 2009, the Alumni Society’s Jaspers Helping Jaspers initiative has posted more than 2,650 open positions on the College’s website. Alumni have contributed most of these job postings, but we need more.
Career services has identified mostly large companies where there are many alumni employed and will be reaching out to these alumni asking them to join our efforts to help unemployed Jaspers connect with open positions at their firms. In this economic environment, the personal touch of Jaspers Helping Jaspers is needed to help alumni who are unemployed and looking for work.
This is a call to all of our alumni who are business owners and those in management positions at other firms. Please lend a hand to assist your fellow Jaspers. We need more interaction between alumni and this program. If you have open positions, please send the information to Bernadette Blocker, coordinator of career development, via e-mail bernadette.blocker@manhattan.edu and if you’re looking for a job, send your résumé to Bernadette Blocker at the same e-mail address. If you would like to help our committee, contact Marjorie Apel, director of career development, by e-mail at marjorie.apel@manhattan.edu.
Giving to Manhattan
Please consider Manhattan College as you make your charitable gifts. Your support helps provide essential student programs and services that make this Lasallian Catholic educational experience uniquely Manhattan.
Should you have any questions, please contact the development office at (718) 862-7582 or e-mail thomas.mccarthy@manhattan.edu.
Alumni Resources
Learn more about resources and programs available to Manhattan College alumni »
Contact Your Alumni Office
If you have moved recently, have changed jobs or positions, or have any other new information to share, please remember to contact the College's office of alumni relations via e-mail at alumni@manhattan.edu.
For Manhattan Monthly questions or comments, please e-mail public_relations@manhattan.edu.
Welcome Back
Please join us in welcoming back Joe Dillon ’62. He will serve as interim director of the alumni relations for the few months.
Faculty/Staff
Faculty and Staff Accomplishments
Pamela Chasek, Ph.D., associate professor of government and director of the international studies program, was elected as the chair of the environmental studies section of the International Studies Association (ISA) at its annual convention in Montréal in March. She also presented two papers including: Best and Worst Practices in Multilateral Environmental Negotiations and Raising the Tempo: The Escalating Pace and Intensity of Environmental Negotiations.
Robert Geraci, Ph.D., assistant professor of religious studies, will present Virtually Church: Religious Participation in Video Games at Fordham University.
George Kirsch, Ph.D., professor of history, discussed Baseball, Nationalism, and the Civil War at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on March 31. In addition, after Kirsch’s lecture USMA’s bookstore held a book signing for his book, Baseball in Blue and Gray: The National Pastime During the Civil War.
Lisa Toscano, Ed.D., associate professor of physical education and human performance, and Tedd Keating, Ph.D., associate professor of physical education and human performance and chair of the department, will present Jasperfit (a personalized fitness program) at the National AAHPERD (American Association for Health Physical Education Recreation and Dance) conference in San Diego, Calif. This program will demonstrate Manhattan’s college-wide fitness program, including fitness pre-assessments and examples of designed exercise programs based on varying fitness goals and needs.
Staff Week
Manhattan College’s staff week celebration will take place the week of April 25. Stay tuned for further details regarding raffles and the luncheon.
Manhattan College Milestones
Congratulations to all of the following people who celebrated their 10th anniversary in April:
- Ellie Calabro, alumni relations
- Judy Cases, controller’s office
- Adeochun Hamilton, student financial services
- Mary Ellen Malone, college advancement
All milestones reflect full-and part-time service.
Sports
Manhattan’s Women’s Basketball Team Sets Record This Season
Last week, Manhattan’s women’s basketball completed their season at the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) losing to the University of Alabama but setting a new school record with 24 victories. This year’s team broke previous records of 20 wins during the 1986-87 and 2002-03 seasons. Manhattan also made the fifth national postseason appearance in program history, the first since the 2003 NCAA Tournament, and won a pair of postseason games for the first time.
WBI Adds Lindsey Loutsenhizer to All-Tournament Team
After leading the Manhattan’s women’s basketball team to the semifinals of the WBI, Lindsey Loutsenhizer, a junior forward, was recently named to the WBI All-Tournament Team. With an average of 16.0 points and 11.3 rebounds in three tournament games, Loutsenhizer also contributed 2.3 assists and 1.0 blocks during each of the games.
Manhattan Announces Spring 2011 JasperVision Schedule
Manhattan’s athletic department released the spring 2011 JasperVision webcast schedule in mid-March and select men’s and women’s lacrosse games from Gaelic Park will be webcast live exclusively at www.gojaspers.com.
The six-event package features three games for both the men’s and women’s lacrosse team throughout the month of April. Individual games are available for a cost of $2.95 each, while a season package including all six events can be purchased for $9.95.
Manhattan Athletic Yearbooks Are Now on Sale
Athletic yearbooks for the following Manhattan College teams are now on sale: 2011 softball and baseball, 2010-2011 women’s basketball, 2010 men’s basketball, 2010 men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball.
Soldinger Garners MAAC Pitcher of the Week Honors
John Soldinger, a Manhattan College sophomore, earned Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) pitcher of the week honors for the second consecutive week on March 28. During a March 26 game, Soldinger continued his stellar sophomore campaign by pitching his third complete game of the year and striking out a record 10 batters in a victory at Siena College.
Melissa Donnelly Named MAAC Player of the Week
On March 28, Melissa Donnelly, senior pitcher/infielder on Manhattan’s softball team, was named MAAC player of the week. Donnelly hit .600 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in four games against Lafayette and Quinnipiac last weekend.
GoJaspers.com
For all your Jaspers sports, breaking news and ticket information, visit GoJaspers.com