Get a taste of the college experience at Mount Saint Mary College’s open house for high school students on Sunday, January 29, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the campus, 330 Powell Ave. in Newburgh, N.Y.

Prospective freshmen and their families can learn about undergraduate programs preparing students for careers in health professions, business, education, social services, communication/media, math, science, philosophy, and other fields.

In addition to the regular open house program, the Natural Science Division will be doing special sessions for students and families interested in learning more about the Mount's science majors.

High school students may speak with academic advisors about their plans, while being wowed by the college’s magnificent views of the Hudson River. Advisors and counselors will help students regarding application, transferring credits, and obtaining financial aid.

Meet faculty and current students, tour labs, and discover internships and research opportunities.

The Mount launched a new criminology major in the Fall 2016 semester. Formulated by Mount associate criminology professor Jenifer Lee-Gonyea, PhD, the major explores the varied aspects of crime, from victimization and the criminal justice system to exploring society’s response to criminals and the reasons people break the law. Those who complete the criminology program will have many career options, including positions in law enforcement, corrections, community service agencies, child welfare programs, adult protective services, mental health, and more.

The college also recently received approval for 5-year BA/MSEd degree programs in history or math, and adolescence education, either with or without dual certification in special education. Teachers in New York are required to earn a master’s degree within five years of their initial certification, so the program will help students complete their training in a shorter period of time. It was spearheaded by the Mount’s divisions of Social Sciences, Mathematics and Information Technology, and Education.

For more information or to register, call 1-888-YES-MSMC (1-888-937-6762), email admissions@msmc.edu, or see the college website at www.msmc.edu

_{William Carroll}

William Carroll, a theology faculty member of the University of Oxford, will present “The Philosophy of Nature and Contemporary Science: Why Thomas Aquinas Remains Relevant” on Thursday, February 2 at 7 p.m. at Mount Saint Mary College.

The free public talk will take place in Room 218 of the Mount’s Dominican Center, 330 Powell Ave., Newburgh, N.Y.

The lecture aims to answer a simple question: Is there any value for contemporary science in what St. Thomas Aquinas claims as principles for the philosophy of nature?

“Thomas does offer crucial insights about the world the empirical sciences describe, especially concerning what natural substances are, how they differ from machines, as well as the distinctions between living and non-living entities,” explained Carroll. “Thomas’ philosophy of nature does not replace the discoveries of the natural sciences, nor do these discoveries render obsolete this philosophy of nature.”

Carroll’s research and teaching concern the reception of Aristotelian science in mediaeval Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, and the development of the doctrine of creation; and the encounter between Galileo and the Inquisition. He has also written extensively on the ways in which mediaeval discussions of the relationship among the natural sciences, philosophy, and theology can be useful in contemporary questions arising from developments in biology and cosmology.

The author of “Creation and Science” (London, 2011) and several other books, Carroll has given lectures at the Jubilee Session of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and at the Vatican Observatory’s Institute on Astrophysics. In May 2007, he spoke at a symposium on the philosophy of cosmology held at the Royal Society in London. During the commemorations of the Darwin Year (2010), he was a speaker at conferences at the Lateran University in Rome, the University of Notre Dame, and the University of Vienna. In October 2010, he spoke at a conference on creation jointly organized in Moscow by the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church.

Carroll has a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

The lecture is sponsored by the Mount’s Catholic and Dominican Institute (CDI). CDI promotes the Mount’s heritage of St. Dominic; advances the Dominican charism of study and service; provides a forum for discussion of contemporary ethical issues; and enhances Catholic and Jewish dialogue. The Institute welcomes persons of varied faiths and acknowledges different religious traditions as essential to the college’s intellectual and spiritual life.

_{International students at the Mount learned about American business from three guest lecturers on January 12. Left to right: certified public accountant Robert Unger of Judelson, Giordano& Siegel, CPA, PC; Mary Molina, co-founder of Lola Granola Bar, Inc.; and Carl Jack ‘14, employment coordinator/agricultural project manager at NHS Human Services.} 

Mount Saint Mary College opened its doors to more than more than 60 international scholars on January 9, 2017.

Through the International Business School – São Paulo and the Mount’s Office of International Programs, the Mount’s School of Business is hosting the students, who will continue learning on campus and via field trips to local businesses through January 26.

Hailing from about a dozen different countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, Turkey, Hungary, and Colombia, the scholars are attending marketing, English, and business courses on the Mount campus.

According to Ashley Knox, director of international programs at the Mount, the students are preparing to be employed in the global market “through intensive English language courses and providing them with a deep understanding of sustainable business, also known as green business.”

The international students learned American business practices firsthand from two successful Hudson Valley professionals – Mary Molina, co-founder of Lola Granola Bar, Inc. and Carl Jack ‘14, employment coordinator/agricultural project manager at NHS Human Services – on January 12.

Also that day, certified public accountant Robert Unger of Judelson, Giordano & Siegel, CPA, PC, delved into fraud, forensic accounting research, and compliance.

Later in the course, the students will take a hands-on field trip to IBM Thomas J. Watson Research in Yorktown, N.Y. A graduation ceremony for the scholars will be held upon their completion of the three-week course at the end of the month.

Students recognized for academic achievements

The following students were recently honored by Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y. for making the Fall 2016 Dean’s List.

The Dean’s List distinction is awarded each semester to students who have carried at least 12 graded credits with a minimum semester GPA of 3.5.

Fall 2016 Dean’s List:

Elizabeth Cappello, Mount Saint Mary College adjunct art professor, will kick off this semester’s Investigating Research on Campus (iROC) series with “Virtual Reality in the Art History Classroom” on February 2 at 12:45 p.m.

The talk will take place in the Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center at the Mount, 330 Powell Ave., Newburgh. It is free and open to the public.

The concept of virtual reality has enjoyed a boom in the last few years. Cappello will highlight examples of incorporating this kind of experience in the art history curriculum. She will also explain basic fundamentals of virtual reality as it exists currently.

“Using Google Glasses in a virtual reality environment, students are experiencing art history in an incredibly vivid and connected way,” explained Cappello. “In the Fall 2016 semester, I began using virtual reality as a way to increase student engagement with a subject some are learning for the first time.”

There will be several Google Glasses for attendees to try. All that is needed is a cell phone and the apps Google Cardboard and Google Street View for optimal viewing.

Cappello has been an adjunct at the Mount for five years in digital art and, most recently, art history. She works in technology for the Newburgh School District and is pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts in New Media and Web Design.

The goal of iROC is to “provide a forum for Mount faculty, staff, and students to showcase their research endeavors with both Mount Saint Mary College and the local community in a manner easily understood by attendees,” explained series coordinators Evan Merkhofer, assistant professor of biology, and Jennifer Park, assistant librarian for access and outreach services. Presentations include research proposals, initial data collection, and completed research projects.

Mount Saint Mary College is ranked a Top-Tier University by U.S. News & World Report, and offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs for careers in healthcare, business, education, social services, communications, media, and the liberal arts.

_{About 20 Mount alumni and their families enjoyed an afternoon of snow tubing at Thomas Bull Memorial Park in Montgomery, N.Y. on Saturday, January 14.} 

Nearly 20 Mount Saint Mary College alumni and their families enjoyed a networking brunch at their alma mater before hitting the slopes at Thomas Bull Memorial Park in Montgomery, N.Y. for some old fashioned snow tubing fun.

The recent unusually warm weather posed no problem to the adventurous alumni, thanks to the park’s abundance of manmade snow.

The brunch was hosted by Mysia Haight-Hoogsteden '84, president of the Mount Saint Mary College Alumni Association. The event was sponsored by the Mount’s Alumni Office and planned by the Mount Saint Mary College Young Alumni Committee: David Lambert '02, Meghan Darcy '12, Brian Klose '13, Ryan O'Grady '15, Sean Glander '06, Sam Sinatra '12, Mary Ann Raftery '13, Mary Bocskosky '16, Ryan Reeves '09, Sean Barton '13, and Margaret Treacy '13

_{Sean Glander ’06 and his daughter enjoyed \ snow tubing with his fellow Mount Saint Mary College alumni.} 

Mount Saint Mary College is proud to announce a new addition to its Childhood Education Grades 1-6 program: dual certification for teaching birth to grade 2.

Teacher candidates who choose to take the program will earn an extension certification that permits them, upon completion, to teach in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classrooms. The program requirements include 6 credits in birth to grade 2 coursework in addition to all of the requirements of the Mount’s existing Childhood Education Grades 1-6 program.

Monica Merritt, associate professor of education at the Mount, says that the option is “a needed addition to the Mount’s graduate education programs.”

“Many candidates have an interest in teaching kindergarten, and teachers in universal pre-kindergarten classrooms in New York State are now required to hold birth to grade 2 certification,” she explained.

The birth to grade 2 certification option comes on the heels of the Mount’s new 5-year BA/MSEd degrees in history and math, announced in the Fall 2016 semester. Every discipline in the Mount’s adolescence education program now has a 5-year option, including English, biology, and chemistry. These 5-year programs are available either with or without dual certification in special education. Teachers in New York are required to earn a master’s degree within five years of their initial certification, so the programs will help students complete their training in a shorter period of time, noted Merritt.

Mount Saint Mary College’s rigorous education program has produced two New York State Teachers of the Year in the last decade: Debra Calvino ‘81 (2010) and Dana McDonough ‘91, MSEd ’00 (2016).

But Mount education students begin making a difference long before earning their diplomas. They enjoy many real-world, experiential learning opportunities during their Mount training.

The college’s Collaborative for Equity in Literacy Learning (CELL), established in 2012, provides tutoring and out-of-school literacy activities for children pre-school to grade 12 with a focus on reading, conversation, and activities. CELL explores multicultural books, offers family literacy courses, and more. Each semester about 60 Mount teacher candidates, graduate and undergraduate, help instill a love of reading in local youth through CELL as part of their community fieldwork requirement.

In addition, a Mount literacy program for underprivileged children, hosted by the Newburgh Ministry charitable organization, was awarded a $15,000 technology grant from Warwick Savings Foundation in December 2016. The afterschool initiative is a collaborative venture between the Mount’s Sigma Tau chapter of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) – the International Honor Society in Education – and Newburgh Ministry, which has been serving disadvantaged members of the community for more than three decades.

The Mount’s nationally accredited education program embeds fieldwork in coursework beginning in sophomore year, and earns high marks in preparing students for New York State licensure.

_{Fr. James Brent, OP, of the Catholic University of America, discusses “Foundations of Philosophical Knowledge of God in Aquinas” at a previous workshop.}

Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y. will host the seventh annual Thomas Aquinas Philosophy Workshop, “Aquinas on Metaphysics,” from June 29 to July 2, 2017.

Space is limited. The registration deadline is May 15, 2017.

Sponsored by the Mount’s Catholic and Dominican Institute, The Thomistic Institute of the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., and The Notre Dame Center for Ethics & Culture in Indiana, the workshop will explore Aquinas’s thoughts on the metaphysical. In the writings of Aquinas, metaphysics holds an honored place among the speculative philosophical disciplines. This workshop takes up the core principles of Aquinas’s metaphysics to consider their perennial importance and contemporary philosophical applicability.

The first day of the conference will be devoted to graduate students, in philosophy or adjacent disciplines. The second and third days will combine presentations by philosophers with periods for discussion and debate.

Required texts for this conference are:

• Aquinas, “De Ente et Essentia”
• Aquinas, “Commentary on the Metaphysics, Book IV”
• Lawrence Dewan, “Form and Being” (The Catholic University of America Press, 2014)

Speakers include Fr. James Brent, OP of the Catholic University of America; Jeffrey E. Brower of Purdue University; Edward Feser of Pasadena College; Fred Freddoso of the University of Notre Dame (emerita); Michael Gorman of The Catholic University of America; Steve Long of Ava Maria University in Florida; John O’Callaghan of the University of Notre Dame; and Candace Vogler of the University of Chicago.

The Catholic and Dominican Institute promotes the Mount’s heritage of St. Dominic, advances the Dominican charism of study and service, provides a forum for discussion of contemporary ethical issues, and enhances Catholic and Jewish dialogue. The Institute welcomes persons of varied faiths and acknowledges different religious traditions as essential to the college’s intellectual and spiritual life.

The Institute is directed by Charles Zola, associate professor of philosophy and division chair.

In addition to the annual philosophy workshop, the Catholic and Dominican Institute arranges lectures during the academic year.

To register, visit www.msmc.edu/CDI

For more information, call 845-569-3467.

_{Mary Stuart Masterson discussed her work with the up-and-coming Kingston media business, Stockade Works.}

Mount Saint Mary College recently hosted Upstate Venture Association of New York’s (UVANY) 2017 Annual Celebration, featuring local investors, entrepreneurs, and keynote speaker Mary Stuart Masterson discussing the area’s film and media production industry.

The event highlighted some of the most notable investments made in 2016 in the region, including the newly-launched Hudson Valley Startup Fund, which provides seed capital and support for rising Hudson Valley businesses.

“The Mount has always had a very strong commitment to business here in the Hudson Valley,” explained Charles Frank, chair of the Mount Saint Mary College Board of Directors. “Expanding those businesses is not only a great benefit to us, but also to the region.”

Frank added that one of the “hallmarks of the Mount’s commitment” comes in the form of highly qualified Mount grads and interns lending their skills to local businesses, forming a strong relationship between the college and the community.

_{RIGHT: Charles Frank, chair of the Mount Saint Mary College Board of Directors, reaffirmed the college’s commitment to local business at the Upstate Venture Association of New York’s 2017 Annual Celebration.}

Keynote speaker Masterson’s acting career includes roles in “At Close Range,” “Some Kind of Wonderful,” “Fried Green Tomatoes,” “Benny and Joon,” and the Broadway musical, “Nine.” She also directed “The Cake Eaters” starring Kristen Stewart.

Masterson shared her vision for Stockade Works, a net zero media arts production company based in Kingston, N.Y, which focuses on growing the film, television, and media production industry in Upstate New York.

“We need to create a robust ecosystem to nurture the entertainment sector of the local economy,” Masterson said. “It isn’t just a case of if you build it, they will come. It is a combination of tax incentives, substantial expansion in the scale of those facilities, education, and perhaps most importantly, access to the highest level of professionals in media today where we will succeed…Makers of the highest level will come if people whom they know and trust steer them to this amazing opportunity we all built.”

Masterson noted that Stockade Works already has “boots on the ground in the Hudson Valley.” Through their annual Crew Boot Camp, Stockade Works will offer training to residents in motion picture and new media production. Their first Crew Boot Camp is slated for 2017 in preparation for their first TV pilot, “Kids Like Us.”

_{First-year Mount Saint Mary College students delve into the inner workings of viruses in the Science of Viral Discovery course. The students, all non-science majors, found, isolated, and studied their own undocumented virus last year, and will continue their studies in the second half of the course during the Spring 2017 semester.} 

At Mount Saint Mary College, a lab class buzzes with about 20 first-year students, clad in goggles, examining slides under microscopes, and taking notes.

Each student has discovered a previously undocumented virus and is diving deep into its RNA and beyond to see what makes it tick.

And not a single one of the scholars is a science major.

The Science of Viral Discovery is a classroom-based undergraduate research experience that introduces students to concepts and methods involved in scientific discovery. Using state-of-the-art technology, the students isolated, identified, and characterized viruses known as bacteriophages – viruses that infect bacteria.

“The overarching purpose of the class is to give students a research experience that they otherwise wouldn’t have had,” explained Evan Merkhofer, assistant professor of biology, who teaches the course. “Doing true research really gives students a better understanding of the nature and process of science.”

Many of the problem-solving skills learned in the Viral Discovery course can be applied to any field of study, not just the natural sciences, he noted.

Students taking the course were tasked with obtaining their own samples, which came from soil samples taken on campus. Because viruses mutate so often, explained Merkhofer, two students could take a sample only a few feet away from each other and wind up with completely different specimens.

Although we tend to think of them as a health risk, most viruses only infect bacteria, noted Merkhofer. “If it weren’t for viruses, bacteria would overrun the planet,” he said.

As the course progressed, the students utilized a variety of microbiology techniques to isolate a single virus, winding up with a test tube full of exact copies. They named their unique virus and uploaded their findings to a database at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in New York City, so that others may browse the data – or even continue the students’ research.

The Science of Viral Discovery gives students a good idea of what parts of a virus infect its host bacteria, and why some viruses are better at that than others. By answering these questions in the lab, the Mount students might be building the framework for other discoveries down the line. For example, scientists might be able to discover a cure to bacteria-based illnesses by studying the viruses that infect them.

“You never know what the full implication of these discoveries could be,” Merkhofer said. “They could change the world one day.”

In the second part of the course, which began with the Spring 2017 semester, students will use the genetic information they discovered last time to identify the genes present in their viruses. Then, the students will compare these genes with those of viruses that have been previously discovered.

About 14 of the 19 students who took the first part of the course have elected to take the second. “They really have ownership of this project,” Merkhofer said. “It’s great to see non-science majors taking such an interest in this course and developing their skills.”

At least one student in the course is considering becoming a biology major, he said.

Jacqueline Copeland of Newburgh, N.Y., a Mount Saint Mary College biology/pre-med student, will continue the college’s Investigating Research on Campus (iROC) series with “Getting a Jumpstart: Pursuing Basic Science Research as an Undergraduate” on February 16 at 4 p.m.

The talk will take place in the Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center at the Mount, 330 Powell Ave., Newburgh. It is free and open to the public.

Copeland has conducted her research, “Identification of Generic Interactions Associated with Prp5 Using S. Cerevisiae as a Model,” with the aid of Evan Merkhofer, assistant biology professor at the Mount. Their study of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, better known as baker’s yeast, could one day be used to help more fully understand diseases like cancer.

“Hopefully if we learn more about this protein in yeast, we can translate that knowledge to humans,” Copeland explained. “About 85 percent of their splicing genome is homologous to ours.”

Copeland will also discuss the impact that this undergraduate research has had on her evolution as a student and as an up-and-coming biologist.

The goal of iROC is to “provide a forum for Mount faculty, staff, and students to showcase their research endeavors with both Mount Saint Mary College and the local community in a manner easily understood by attendees,” explained series coordinators Merkhofer and Jennifer Park, assistant librarian for access and outreach services. Presentations include research proposals, initial data collection, and completed research projects.

Mount Saint Mary College is ranked a Top-Tier University by U.S. News & World Report, and offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs for careers in healthcare, business, education, social services, communications, media, and the liberal arts.

_{More than 60 international scholars completed a three-week business course at Mount Saint Mary College on January 26.} 

More than 60 students from across the globe completed a three-week business course at Mount Saint Mary College on Thursday, January 26.

Through the International Business School – São Paulo and the Mount’s Office of International Programs, the college’s School of Business hosted the scholars, who learned standard U.S. business practices. Hailing from a dozen different countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, Turkey, Hungary, and Colombia, the scholars began taking marketing, English, and business courses at the Mount on January 9, after arriving to the campus on January 7.

In addition to regular classes, the international students enjoyed panel discussions lead by local entrepreneurs and visited leading area businesses, including the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. The IBM trip was facilitated by Charles Frank, chair of the Mount Saint Mary College Board of Directors. “Every one of you has the potential to be a great leader,” said Frank to the international students.

On the weekends, the scholars soaked up American culture by visiting landmarks in New York City and beyond. Many students from warmer climates also experienced snow for the first time while studying at the Mount.

The graduation ceremony was streamed online, allowing friends and family of the international scholars to view the event live.

Orange County Executive and Mount grad Steven Neuhaus ’96, a guest speaker at the graduation, encouraged the students to “never quit” on their careers.

“Strive to get the job you want, because at the end of the day, to be happy is the most important thing for you, your friends, and your family,” Neuhaus said. “The best way to learn is to overcome your struggles.”

_{Orange County Executive and Mount grad Steven Neuhaus ’96 encouraged the international students to “never quit” in their pursuit to strengthen their careers.} 

According to Ashley Knox, director of international programs at the Mount, the courses helped prepare the international students to be employed in the global market.

“It’s been such a marvelous three weeks with you all,” said Knox. “I’m very impressed with your drive to learn, your career goals, and your proficiency in the English language. …You have what it takes to be amazing business people. It’s been an inspiring experience for all of us.”

Aldo Brunhara of Brazil, institutional relations director for International Business School, was proud of the scholars’ accomplishments.

“They are outstanding students,” he said. “They learned a lot about how to do business in America, globalization, project management, finance, and strategic thinking.”

_{Elizabeth Cappello, Mount Saint Mary College adjunct art professor, discusses virtual reality in the classroom.} 

Ever wish you could explore an Egyptian pyramid, the Parthenon in Athens, or just get close to some of the world’s greatest art masterpieces? Elizabeth Cappello, Mount Saint Mary College adjunct art professor, explained how anyone can do just that with a cellphone and a cardboard device that folds into a small box.

Cappello – who kicked off this semester’s Investigating Research on Campus (iROC) series with “Virtual Reality in the Art History Classroom” at the Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center on February 2—discussed how she stumbled upon Google Cardboard and gave her art history class at the Mount an exciting spin.

“Typically, art history is a lecture and a text book with pictures,” said Cappello. “But in today’s world, that kind of learning really doesn’t work well.”

The idea to merging virtual reality technology into her art history class came to her last year after receiving a Google Cardboard with her New York Times subscription. Cappello, however, said she initially tossed it aside. “I didn’t pay it much mind and it kind of sat in my house for a little bit before I put it together.” She adds that once she downloaded the Google Cardboard app and began using the simple device, “it was incredible.”

_{A Mount Saint Mary College student uses Google Cardboard, an inexpensive gateway into the world of virtual reality.} 

Using the inexpensive item – it’s typically sold for $6 to $12 – students in her art history class were able to tour locations like the Parthenon, the Frank Lloyd House, the Chrysler Building, and other well-known architectural works.

“It really enhances the learning experience. When you have the virtual reality component you are moving your body and touring the locations as if you were there, and getting in close to art pieces that you would only normally see in photographs,” said Cappello.

“It was a great experience,” said Eric Flores of Newburgh, N.Y., a freshman and one of Cappello’s art history students. “It kind of allows you to travel around the world without traveling.”

Attendees of the lecture got the opportunity to use the Google Cardboard device and even pondered the use of virtual reality in other fields such as psychology, medical fields, and the business world.

Cappello has been an adjunct at the Mount for five years. She runs the technology department for one of the schools in the Newburgh School District and is pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts in New Media and Web Design.

The goal of iROC is to “provide a forum for Mount faculty, staff, and students to showcase their research endeavors with both Mount Saint Mary College and the local community in a manner easily understood by attendees,” explained series coordinators Evan Merkhofer, assistant professor of biology, and Jennifer Park, assistant librarian for access and outreach services. Presentations include research proposals, initial data collection, and completed research projects.

_{Mount Saint Mary College faculty, staff, and students donned red shirts, ties, pants, and bracelets on Friday, February 3, to support National Wear Red Day. The initiative aims to fight heart disease in women through raising funds and awareness}.

Though it may have looked like an early Valentine’s Day celebration, the Mount Saint Mary College community “went red” on Friday, February 3, for a different cause: to help stop heart disease.

National Wear Red Day, founded in 2003 by the American Heart Association (Go Red For Women) and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, raises funds to fight and awareness to curtail heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, nearly half a million American women per year die from heart disease, making it the number one killer of women in America.

According to Go Red For Women, the risk of heart disease decreases with a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Kathleen O’Keefe, associate director of the college’s Career Center and member of the Orange County Heart Association Executive Leadership Team, facilitated the Wear Red event on the Mount campus.

The college community has raised nearly $500 and donations are still being accepted at https://tinyurl.com/REDMSMC

Funds raised will be used to support educational programs about the risk for heart disease and stroke as well as for research into increasing cardiovascular health.

More than 60 students from across the globe got a sneak peak of IBM’s newest technology as part of a three-week business program at Mount Saint Mary College.

Through the International Business School – São Paulo and the Mount’s Office of International Programs, the college’s School of Business hosted the scholars, who learned standard U.S. business practices. The students hailed from a dozen different countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, Turkey, Hungary, and Colombia.

During their stay, the scholars visited leading area businesses, including the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, N.Y.

The trip gave students a unique insight into how research is conducted at the center and how the company leverages its core competencies into competitive advantages in the marketplace. Senior executives from IBM discussed major initiatives planned for the coming years. Presenters included Charles Frank, global financial services sector solution lead for the IBM/Cisco Global Alliance and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Mount Saint Mary College.

The highlight of the visit was a robot named Jessica from IBM’s Cognitive Environment Lab. The bipedal, humanoid robot could answer a broad range of questions ranging from “Where are the bathrooms?” to “What is the weather like today?” This technology could eventually be used as a concierge in hospitals, hotels, and more.

_{William Carroll, a theology faculty member of the University of Oxford, discussed how the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas remains relevant in modern science on Thursday, February 2 at Mount Saint Mary College.}

William Carroll, a theology faculty member of the University of Oxford, discussed “The Philosophy of Nature and Contemporary Science: Why Thomas Aquinas Remains Relevant” on Thursday, February 2 at Mount Saint Mary College.

One might think that there’s no value for contemporary science in what the 13th century philosopher St. Thomas Aquinas claimed as principles for the philosophy of nature. Carroll, however, disagrees.

“Thomas does offer crucial insights about the world the empirical sciences describe, especially concerning what natural substances are, how they differ from machines, as well as the distinctions between living and non-living entities,” explained Carroll. “Thomas’ philosophy of nature does not replace the discoveries of the natural sciences, nor do these discoveries render obsolete this philosophy of nature.”

Carroll’s research and teaching concern the reception of Aristotelian science in mediaeval Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, and the development of the doctrine of creation; and the encounter between Galileo and the Inquisition. He has also written extensively on the ways in which mediaeval discussions of the relationship among the natural sciences, philosophy, and theology can be useful in contemporary questions arising from developments in biology and cosmology.

The author of “Creation and Science” (London, 2011) and several other books, Carroll has given lectures at the Jubilee Session of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and at the Vatican Observatory’s Institute on Astrophysics. During the commemorations of the Darwin Year (2010), he was a speaker at conferences at the Lateran University in Rome, the University of Notre Dame, and the University of Vienna. He also recently spoke at a conference on creation jointly organized in Moscow by the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church.

Carroll has a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

The lecture was sponsored by the Mount’s Catholic and Dominican Institute (CDI). CDI promotes the Mount’s heritage of St. Dominic; advances the Dominican charism of study and service; provides a forum for discussion of contemporary ethical issues; and enhances Catholic and Jewish dialogue. The Institute welcomes persons of varied faiths and acknowledges different religious traditions as essential to the college’s intellectual and spiritual life.

Mount Saint Mary College student Kiera Ahern of Kings Park, N.Y., registers for the college’s blood drive on Wednesday, February 8. Along with medical professionals from the New York Blood Center, members of the college’s Nursing Student Union (NSU) were among those assisting at the event. The Mount’s NSU was recently recognized by the New York Blood Center for their frequent blood drive efforts, collecting a combined yield of more than 1,000 pints in the last two years alone. 

_{Phil Royle, head of Community and Project Relations of Legoland New York, discussed the possibility of a new park in Orange County and how it would create job opportunities.}

With fewer than 100 days until graduation, Mount Saint Mary College seniors flocked to the “Students Today, Employees Tomorrow, Knights Forever” professional development conference on February 10.

Sponsored by the college’s Career Center and the Office of Student Activities, the fourth annual conference featured breakout sessions, a panel of successful Mount alumni, and a networking reception. Topics included salary negotiation, grad school preparation, pointers on searching for a job, how to give a great interview, and financial tips for young adults.

The alumni panel consisted of Alexander Florez ’15, a mathematics teacher at Most Precious Blood School in Walden, N.Y.; Tabatha Mays ’14, a human resources associate and receptionist at The Arc of Orange County; Jessica Mlinar ‘13, J.D., a medical malpractice litigation attorney; Karen Neary ’15, a registered nurse at Westchester Medical Center; Anthony Ragaglia ’16, a productions trainee with the NBA; and Margaret Treacy ’13, a marketing and new business associate at Cornerstone Family Healthcare.

Florez warned the seniors against dismissing job opportunities “because they aren’t ideal,” citing flexibility as one of the keys to career success. There are many different ways to use a Mount degree, he noted.

Other Mount alumni offered their advice in written form in a packet given to each participating senior. Che-La Devonshire ’14, a registered nurse at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, suggested that the seniors be “relentless” in their job searches. “Know what you want and work toward it,” she said. “Become a part of where you want to work and get your foot in by volunteering time to their facility.”

Steven Neuhaus ’96, Orange County Executive, touted the value of internships, noting that he interned with the State Assembly while he was a student at the Mount. “It opened doors and provided the experience that led me to become Chester Town Supervisor, and later, Orange County Executive,” he explained.

Phil Royle, head of Community and Project Relations of Legoland New York, was the event’s keynote speaker. He examined the impact the proposed Legoland theme park could have on Orange County from an employment perspective.

According to Royle, the park would generate 800 construction jobs, 500 fulltime jobs, and 800 part time/seasonal positions. He noted that Legoland typically attracts about 1.5 to 2.5 million visitors a year, about 30 percent of which would be tourists.

_{Jake, a yellow lab, helps students de-stress at the Mount’s Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center.} 

You won’t be buying them candy or flowers this Valentine’s Day, but chances are your pets are among the greatest loves of your life.

According to Rae Fallon, Mount psychology professor, bonding with animals is easy because they love us unconditionally.

“We are a compassionate people, and we want to show our love in a way that won’t be rejected,” said Fallon. “Usually a pet will reciprocate; a human being won’t necessarily love back. When we give love to a domestic animal, we pretty much know they’ll love us too.”

She pointed out that well-known psychologist Sigmund Freud theorized that our two basic needs are love and work.

Love is “part of who we are,” said Fallon. “It’s a basic drive, it’s a basic need for us, like food and water. We need to feel that we are part of something besides ourselves. We need to know that we are valuable and capable.”

In her class on the psychology of stress, Fallon teaches students that oxytocin, the calming “hugging hormone,” is released when humans embrace. A similar effect can be achieved by interacting with an animal, she explained.

Research has indicated that watching, petting or talking to an animal can lower blood pressure and heart rate, and can also reduce mental distress and anxiety levels.

“In this world that’s overwhelmingly stressful for many of us, interacting with an animal may be a good way to handle it,” Fallon explained.

In what has become an end-of-the-semester tradition, trained therapy dogs are invited to the Mount library to give students, staff and faculty a chance to take a break.

Like all aspects of life, too much of a good thing – in this case, love of one’s pets – can be harmful, warns Fallon.

“Whether it’s an animal or another human being, anything where one is willing to give up his or her personhood is not healthy,” said Fallon. “We must take care of the other important things as well, like relationships with other people.”

The cliché rings true, notes the psychology professor: “Moderation is the key. The ancient Greeks had it right.”

Psychology is a popular field among Mount Saint Mary College students. The study of psychology educates about oneself and others, and helps establish careers in many areas, including counseling, social work, education, health professions and police work.

Patrick DeLuca of Newburgh, N.Y., a professor of biology and medical technology at Mount Saint Mary College for nearly four decades, passed away earlier this month.

DeLuca joined the Mount Saint Mary College community in 1970, barely a decade after the college was founded. He experienced the graduation of the college’s first male students in the 1970s, the birth of the Desmond Campus for adult enrichment in the early ‘90s, and the construction of Sakac Hall in 2003 before he retired from the Mount in 2007.

DeLuca remains one of the longest serving professors in the history of the college.

He is survived by his wife, Rosalie.

“Pat was a best friend from our first days at the Mount,” said the college’s longest serving faculty member, James Cotter, professor of English. “I value his spiritual seriousness, his learning in the sciences, and his dedication to students. He contributed greatly to the growth of the college with his teaching and collegiality.”

Mount alumni were saddened by the news of DeLuca’s passing. Cathleen (McManus) Blair ’90, one of DeLuca’s former students, said, “Dr. DeLuca made microbiology my favorite class. He will be truly missed.”

DeLuca was a 1966 graduate of Saint Michael's College in Colchester, Vt. with a bachelor’s in biology and a 1975 graduate of Fordham University in Bronx, N.Y. with a Ph.D. in microbiology.