_{The Mount’s Paul Schwartz, a professor of psychology, recently celebrated his 40th year with the college.}

Nearly 50 longtime Mount Saint Mary College personnel were honored at the annual service awards event on Friday, December 15. 

Psychology professor Paul Schwartz recently celebrated an important milestone: his 40th year of teaching at the Mount.

Schwartz started his career at the college in 1977.

“It seems like yesterday I was sitting with Sr. Agnes Boyle, OP discussing starting salary and my responsibilities, and then last week I received a letter from [Mount President] Dr. David Kennett thanking me for my 40 years of service,” he said. 

The best part of his time with the Mount so far has been the lasting impact he’s made on his many students throughout the decades. 

“The most rewarding aspect of teaching for me, and I’m sure is the same for everyone at Mount Saint Mary College, is the relationships you develop with the students,” Schwartz explained. “You watch them come is as freshmen – a little anxious, and a little insecure –  then see them walk across the stage four years later as confident young adults. And you know you were a part of that process, and you had an impact on their lives and their future.”

The second- and third-longest serving Mount employees were Susan Petronella, administrative assistant with the Division of Natural Sciences, who celebrated her 35th anniversary; and Elaine O’Grady, Vice President for Students, who celebrated her 30th anniversary with the college. 

In addition to Schwartz, Petronella, and O’Grady, the following employees were recognized: 

5 YEARS – 2012
Megan Morrissey, Center for Student Success; Karidis Tubo, School of Nursing; Sandra Brandman, Community & Educational Services/Desmond; Carlos Tonche Jr., Registrar; Jane Gangi, Division of Education; Matt Frey, Marketing and Communications; Robert Miller, Division of Philosophy and Religious Studies; Antonia Brewer, School of Nursing; Julia Murray, Athletics; Brian McGann, Student Affairs; Kathleen Venable, Division of Mathematics/IT; Michael Coppolino, Athletics; Brett Cimorelli, Information Technology; Douglas Smith, Facilities; Trevor Purcell, Athletics; and Peter Carofano, Athletics.

10 YEARS – 2007
Michael O’Keefe, Operations; Maryann Pilon, Facilities; Lynn Frank, College Advancement; Joseph Bell, Security; Maureen Rivera, Student Activities; Jill Sussman, School of Nursing; Dakin Roy, Information Technology; Barbara Seymour, Health Services; Marie-Therese Sulit, Division of Arts and Letters; Carolyn Quoma, College Advancement, Carl Hoegler, Division Natural Sciences; Glenn Reynolds, Division of Social Sciences; Vera Rubeo, School of Nursing; and Lisa Galina Alvarez, Adult Degree Completion/Graduate Admissions.

15 YEARS – 2002
Frances Spielhagen, Division of Education; Karen Johnson, Security; Delbra Lane, Security; Lee Fothergill, Division Mathematics/IT; Amanda Maynard, Division of Social Sciences; Maria Fernandez, Facilities; and Candelaria Pinzon, Facilities.

20 YEARS – 1997
James Raimo, Facilities and Operations; Karen Ulrich, Adult Degree Completion/Graduate Admissions; and Norma Pettus, Security.

25 YEARS – 1992
Thomas Dubetsky, Security; Joseph Dzierzyk, Grounds; Carmen Vergaray, Facilities; James Whitaker, Operations; and Stanley Pycior, Division of Social Sciences.
 

_{Mount Saint Mary College pinned more than 30 nurses on Saturday, December 16.}

Mount Saint Mary College held a pinning ceremony for more than 30 graduates of the college’s accelerated nursing program on Saturday, December 16. 

Associate Nursing Professor Susan Schulmerich, co-chair of the Mount’s School of Nursing, led the ceremony and offered the graduates words of encouragement.

Fr. Gregoire Fluet, director of Campus Ministry and campus chaplain, blessed the pins, which were presented to the graduates by chosen family members and friends. 

Michael Olivette, vice president for Academic Affairs, congratulated the graduates on a job well done.  

“As accelerated students, getting to this point has been particularly challenging, especially given all the other obligations many of you have had to deal with concurrently with your studies,” said Olivette. “For that, you really should be extra proud.”

He added, “You are about to embark on one of the most important journeys of your life.” 

Keynote speaker Dianne Murphy, Mount nursing professor emerita, gave the graduates advice for their upcoming nursing careers. 

“The best way to predict your future is to create it,” she said. “I advise everyone to eventually continue your nursing education, whether it be for specialty certification or master’s degrees in nursing administration, as a nurse anesthetist, a nurse practitioner, or in nurse education.”

_{Florence Ostagne of New Windsor, N.Y. was pinned by her parents and her son, Lawrence.}

Caroline Geraci of Cornwall-on-Hudson, N.Y., recipient of the Sigma Theta Tau Leadership Award, credited the group’s professors with molding them into the confident nurses they are today. 

“That you for sharing you knowledge and your expertise with us,” she said. “You helped shape us into critical thinkers…Our education at the Mount has prepared us to go out into the nursing field, where we will continue to be lifelong learners. Down the road, as we become senior nurses, I hope we will always remember our beginnings and will impart our knowledge to educate others.”  

The students were full of praise for their families. Lisa Caldwell-Moskowitz of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. thanked her loved ones “who have been on this ride with me from the start. Thank you to my son, Mason, and daughter, Rebecca, for…giving me the motivation to never give up on this dream.” 

Nursing award recipients were Liza Ferrante-Murphy of Highland Mills, N.Y., who was given the General Excellence in Nursing Award; Parminder Bhangoo of Wappingers Falls, N.Y., who received the School of Nursing Clinical Excellence Award; Theresa Muschett-Diaz of New Windsor, N.Y., who earned the School of Nursing Leadership Award; Marissa Dixon of Saugerties, N.Y., who earned the Spirit of Nursing Award; and Christina Fitzula of Shohola, Pa., who got the Perseverance Award. 

To close out the ceremony, the proud graduates recited “A Nurse’s Prayer,” which speaks of dedicating one’s life to helping others.

Additional Mount graduates who received their nursing pin on December 16 are: Jennifer Gagliardi of Monroe, N.Y.;  Susmitha Nallur of New Windsor, N.Y.; Kayla Butler of Newburgh, N.Y.; Paige Gennarelli of Monroe, N.Y.; Breana Negersmith of Wappingers Falls, N.Y.;  Florence Ostagne of New Windsor, N.Y..; Lindsay Campbell of Bloomingburg, N.Y.; Brittany Gilligan of Kingston, N.Y.; Malgorzata Potocka of Newburgh, N.Y.; Sean Carroll of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; Allison Gordon of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; Lisa Ryan of Montgomery, N.Y.; Jeanette Castillo of Marlboro, N.Y.; Daniel Graff of Lagrangeville, N.Y.; Ashley Sanda of Pawling, N.Y.; Lori DeFreitas of Poughquag, N.Y.; Brittney Jones of Monroe, N.Y.; Jennifer Skeats of Highland, N.Y.; Alexandra DeLuca of Westwood, N.J.; Cereka McPherson of New City, N.Y.; Heather Swart of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; Jadia Mincey of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; Cara Walsh of Marlboro, N.Y.; and Meghan Murphy of Montgomery, N.Y. 

_{Roger May, assistant director of Campus Ministry (right), and Mount student Alyssa Picard of Torrington, Conn. (far right) deliver dozens of clothes, toys, and food items to a gift collection for a local family, co-sponsored by Walden Savings Bank.}

With the holidays in full swing and the Fall 2017 semester at an end, the Mount Saint Mary College community had one last gift to give a Newburgh family in need this season.

The Napoli family suffered a tragic loss the day after Thanksgiving this year when their home was destroyed in a fire. Five of the Napoli children survived, but unfortunately, their mother and two-year-old sibling passed away. 

In the wake of the tragedy, the Town of Newburgh Police Benevolent Association (PBA), the Orange Lake and Winona Fire Departments, and Walden Savings Bank came together to organize a gift drive for the children.

Meanwhile, Roger May, assistant director of Campus Ministry at the Mount, was trying to find something to do with extra food, clothing, and toys that the campus community had donated after the deadlines for previous Campus Ministry drives this season, which included providing 650 gifts for local families and sending clothing to storm-ravaged areas in Puerto Rico. The college had also collected dozens of food items during its recent Celebration of the Season Holiday Concert. 

When May heard about the Napoli’s story, he knew exactly what to do. 

Just a few hours later, May and Mount junior Alyssa Picard of Torrington, Conn. delivered two bags of clothes, cases of water, toys, and more than 60 food items to the Walden Savings Bank staff, who will send it on to the Napoli family. 

Other Mount service projects this winter have included a coat drive sponsored by the Office of Alumni Affairs and Campus Ministry, the Mount Knights’ Adopt-a-Family initiative that collected more than 100 gifts for those in need, and an Honors Program gift-wrapping fundraiser for the Dominican Sisters of Hope.

_{Rebecca White, a Mount Saint Mary College nursing graduate student, presented “Increasing Cultural Competence of Home Infusion and Home Care Nurses” at a networking event in December.} 

Rebecca White, a Mount Saint Mary College nursing graduate student, recently presented her research “Increasing Cultural Competence of Home Infusion and Home Care Nurses” at the “Healthcare and Immigrant Populations: Letting Our Voices be Heard” networking event at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. 

“Cultural competency is a prevalent issue in all areas of nursing, education, practice, and research,” said White. “Home infusion nurses have a responsibility to include culturally competent practices in the care they provide.”

White reported on an educational program provided at a home infusion agency in the lower Hudson Valley. A structured, U.S. federal health care agency, nurse-oriented program was administered to eight voluntary nurse participants to increase cultural competency. 

“A comparison of pre-intervention to post-intervention data demonstrated a 65.71 percent increase in posttest mean scores of nurse participants,” White noted.

The event was a collaboration between the Transcultural Nursing Society (TCNS) Northeast Chapter and ten other organizations, including the Mount’s Mu Epsilon Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, the national honor society for Nursing. 

White also presented her research at the Mount’s Graduate Nursing Research Symposium on November 29, 2017. 

Mount Saint Mary College received a grant for $500,000 from Empire State Development to continue ongoing campus renovation projects. 

Plans include the expansion of facilities for the college’s School of Business and School of Nursing, improvements to the Aquinas Hall Theatre, renovations to dormitory space for veterans, and improved handicap accessibility to Aquinas Hall.

Mount Saint Mary College President Dr. David Kennett congratulated all involved in securing the grant, including Joseph Valenti, vice president of Advancement; James M. Raimo, vice president for Auxiliary Services; Maryann Pilon, executive director of Facilities and liaison for Strategic Space Planning; Carolyn Quoma, director of Research and Grants; and Ryan Williams, director of Institutional Research.

“These capital improvements will greatly aid us in strengthening important programs,” said Dr. Kennett.

Michael Olivette of Millbrook, N.Y. was recently named Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) at Mount Saint Mary College. 

Olivette joined the Mount in 2015 as Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs and had filled the position of interim VPAA since May of 2017. His performance “has been exceptional,” noted Dr. David Kennett, interim president of Mount Saint Mary College. 

The VPAA is responsible for the administration of all academics, including the Mount’s School of Business and School of Nursing, as well as the college’s six Divisions (Arts and Letters, Education, Math and IT, Natural Sciences, Philosophy and Religious Studies, and Social Sciences).

The VPAA also oversees the Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center, Online Education, First Year Experience, the Registrar’s office, advisement for the college’s Adult Degree Completion Program, the Writing Center, the Center for Career and Experiential Education, and the Honors Program. 

Olivette received both his master’s and doctoral degrees in Social Psychology from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Public Affairs and College of Arts and Sciences.  

In 1990, Olivette joined the faculty at Syracuse University, where he remained for nearly 17 years. In 1999, he assumed the role of Associate Dean in the College of Human Services and Health Professions.  

In 2007, Olivette became Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Panuska College of Professional Studies at the University of Scranton, where he remained for three years. He also served from 2010 to 2015 as Dean of the Division of Natural and Health Sciences at Westchester Community College.  

Olivette has published a number of journal articles and conference proceedings and coauthored one book.

_{Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler delivered the keynote address at the United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region’s substance abuse prevention conference on January 11, hosted at Mount Saint Mary College.}

A Community Conversation Around Substance Abuse Prevention, presented by The United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region and hosted at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y., drew about 100 professionals from various fields on January 11.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler delivered the program’s keynote address. 

Hoovler, a former police detective, said that Orange County is approaching substance abuse issues in the area through a three-part strategy: education, to help keep people away from drugs in the first place; the empowerment to seek treatment, to help people who are addicted; and enforcement, to attack the suppliers of illegal drugs before they can affect the community.

“This problem has to be solved from a multidisciplinary approach, where law enforcement is the last option: where when all else fails, we defer to law enforcement when someone is acting in a manner that endangers the community,” explained Hoovler. Increased drug prevention education in schools and addiction treatment “when a person is ready, willing, and able” can help keep the community safe and lower the need for law enforcement involvement, he said. 

The program also consisted of a panel discussion on substance abuse prevention, involving several individuals leading the fight against substance abuse in the Mid-Hudson region. In addition to Hoovler, the panel consisted of: Jim Conklin, the executive director of The Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Council; Elaine Trumpetto, the executive director of The Council on Addiction Prevention and Education of Duchess County; Michele Tugade, associate professor at Vassar College; Susan Salomone, executive director of Drug Crisis in Our Backyard; Dean Scher, Catholic Charities Community Services of Orange and Sullivan Counties; and Tammy Rhein, the director of Chemic Dependency/Adult Mental Health of the Orange County Department of Mental Health.

Participants also benefited from focus groups, facilitated by members of the United Way’s Community Impact Council.

_{The Four Gospels, published by the Golden Cockerel Press, was printed in an extremely small quantity. Mount Saint Mary College’s Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center acquired number 38 out of 500, donated by James Finn Cotter, Mount professor of English.}

Author, poet, and educator James Finn Cotter, the longest-serving professor at Mount Saint Mary College, recently donated the rare book The Four Gospels to the Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center on campus.

The Four Gospels, printed in 1931, was limited to a mere 500 copies, of which the Kaplan Library acquired number 38. It was published by the Golden Cockerel Press, located in England. Artist Eric Gill created the type and the illustrations – which are wood engravings – for the book. 

Cotter, a professor of English with the Division of Arts & Letters, donated the tome from his extensive personal library to complement the college’s recent purchase of the Saint John’s Bible Heritage Edition, a fine art reproduction of the original Saint John’s Bible: the only handwritten and illuminated Bible produced in more than 500 years. 

“With the acquisition of the Saint John’s Bible, I felt that The Four Gospels…would be a worthy companion volume,” explained Cotter. “The Four Gospels is considered the prime example of 20th century private press publications of limited editions with its many original illustrations, beautiful text design, and integration of letters, words, and decoration in the tradition of The Book of Kells.”

The Four Gospels’ “spare black and white style makes for a perfect complement to the elaborate colorfulness of the Saint John’s Bible,” noted Derek Sanderson, assistant librarian for Instruction Services and coordinator of Saint John’s Bible activities. “It is stark, but still beautiful, whereas the SJB is quite elaborate, but also beautiful. Gill also highlights different aspects of the Gospel stories than the SJB does. In that sense, you could say he interprets it differently.”

Barbara Petruzzelli, director of the library, thanked Cotter for his contribution.

“The Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center is grateful to Dr. Cotter for his generous donation of such a rare, important, and beautiful text,” said Petruzzelli. “Adding yet another dimension to Dr. Cotter’s distinguished legacy here at the Mount, The Four Gospels will be a source of inspiration to the college community for generations to come. Gill’s work is a fitting companion to the art of the Saint John’s Bible, for both study and reflection.”

The Four Gospels can be found across from the Circulation Desk, on the second floor of the Dominican Center. 

Educators, houses of worship, and other organizations interested in hosting Saint John’s Bible related programs should contact Sanderson, who will help facilitate such events. He can be contacted via email at derek.sanderson@msmc.edu 

_{James Finn Cotter, a longtime professor of English at Mount Saint Mary College, recently donated The Four Gospels to the Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center from his extensive personal collection. Cotter plans on donating more of his books to the college at a later date.}

Mount Saint Mary College is proud to announce the reception of a $100,000 endowed scholarship fund from Warwick Savings Bank.

The Warwick Savings Foundation Endowed Scholarship Fund will provide financial assistance to several Mount teacher candidates, specifically targeted towards students hailing from Orange County with a preference for those in engaged in the college’s Teach the Change or Teacher Opportunity Corps initiatives.

The Mount’s legacy of education has long been recognized in the teaching field. In the last decade alone, two alumni have been named New York State Teachers of the Year. Additionally, new programs such as Teach the Change, a program focusing on strengthening the teaching profession in the Hudson Valley and cultivating teacher candidates from local high schools, and Teacher Opportunity Corps, which pairs teacher candidates with priority, at-risk school districts, further prepare students for all types of teaching environments. 

In addition to the Warwick Savings Foundation fund, the college also recently announced another new scholarship for Education students – the $1,000 Why Teach? Education scholarship, presented to full-time freshmen who have demonstrated their commitment to teaching. Award recipients are eligible to receive $1,000 for each year that they remain enrolled in the Education program and are in good academic and social standing. Students may apply for the scholarship at www.msmc.edu/scholarships 

Mount Saint Mary College’s third president, Dr. William T. O’Hara, passed away on January 16, 2018 in Rhode Island.

O’Hara joined the Mount in 1972 as the college’s third president and a professor of Constitutional Law. Throughout his four-year tenure at the Mount, he oversaw the development of the Center for Community and Educational Services, a program that allowed adult students to attend classes on the weekends. The program was the forerunner to the college’s current continuing education program. 

O’Hara also established the Business Administration program, began fundraising for a student center on campus, and was passionate about using the Mount’s research and educational opportunities to benefit the local community as well as its students.

O’Hara left the Mount in 1976 to become the fifth president of Bryant University in Rhode Island and professor of Management, a position he held until retiring in 1989. 

James Cotter, professor of English and longest-serving faculty member at the Mount, remembers O’Hara with fondness.

“President Bill O’Hara was a good friend of the faculty who did much to increase our numbers and pay scale with his innovative leadership,” Cotter noted. “He began the Business program and Communication Arts and strengthened the liberal arts at the college. He was a devout Christian who put his beliefs into practice by his kindness, honesty, and fidelity to duty. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him at the Mount.”

An obituary for O’Hara can be found here. 

Mount Saint Mary College’s Dean Goldberg, associate professor of Communication Arts and Film Studies, was recently named president of the Newburgh Ministry Board of Directors.

Goldberg had been serving as vice president of the Ministry since January 2017.

The Newburgh Ministry is a culturally diverse, grassroots organization located in the City of Newburgh’s east end. It serves the area’s low-income and homeless populations. 

“I’m delighted to be able to work hand in hand with our executive director, Colin Jarvis, and the people at the Newburgh Ministry,” said Goldberg, noting that he began his association with the charitable organization about four years ago when the Mount Media team created a video for the Ministry’s 30th anniversary. “With the help of Mount Saint Mary College’s Schools of Nursing and Business, the Division of Education, our own college ministry, as well as so many volunteers and agencies here in Orange County, we look forward toward our own expansion of services and a very rewarding year.”

The Mount has collaborated with the Newburgh Ministry for years, enhancing both organizations’ service to the community and fostering hands-on learning opportunities for Mount students. The powerful partnership has led to the creation of community literacy programs, countless donation drives, and scores of students who integrate service into the fabric of their education and their daily lives. 

For example, cooperation between the Newburgh Ministry and Mount Saint Mary College has led to the successful Jumpstart program. Developed by Mount teacher candidates, Jumpstart is a literacy class for at-risk elementary and middle school students. Run by Mount volunteers, the goals of the program are to improve children’s life perspectives, develop their reading and writing skills, and increase their confidence in their abilities.

Through the college’s Campus Ministry, students regularly donate hundreds of food and clothing items per year to the Newburgh Ministry, as well as volunteering their time. 

As part of the long running Medical Link program, the Mount’s School of Nursing has assisted Newburgh Ministry’s physician in charge through the aid of nursing students, who temper their classwork with the real-life experience. The School of Business has also volunteers their time and students, including helping the underserved complete their taxes in February, March, and April through the Tax Aide program.

Other Newburgh Ministry achievements include a thrift store where local people in need can purchase necessities, and the Winterhaven shelter, which has provided those without homes a warm place to spend the night for more than a decade. 

In addition to Goldberg, Sr. Margaret Anderson, OP, Mount Saint Mary College Board vice chair; Sr. Patricia Sullivan ‘64, OP, professor emerita of mathematics; and Fr. Francis Amodio, O.Carm., former campus chaplain, are all currently serving or have served as members of the Newburgh Ministry board. 

The Newburgh Ministry’s upcoming 35th anniversary gala will be held in Hudson Hall at Mount Saint Mary College in October 2018.

Mount Saint Mary College announces the appointment of Amy Beard of Highland, N.Y. as project coordinator for Prevention, Advocacy, and Intervention Programs, effective January 2018. 
 
Beard is responsible for coordinating campus efforts to prevent and effectively respond to violence and stalking. She will ensure that students, faculty, and staff receive comprehensive training regarding their rights and responsibilities under relevant law and campus policy; oversee campus education efforts such as Take Back the Night marches, the Clothesline Project, and other events; and coordinate with college officials, student groups, and off-campus community partners like the Newburgh Police Department, Safe Homes of Orange County, and more.

Beard comes to the Mount from Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Ore. where she taught sociology. She also volunteered extensively with the Jackson County Council Against Domestic & Sexual Violence in Medford, Ore., where she was chair of the Survivor Services Committee, co-chair of the Executive Committee, and Chair of the Domestic Violence Awareness Month Committee. 
 
Her position at the Mount was funded through a $300,000 Department of Justice grant secured by the Mount last year to fund the college’s multidisciplinary approach to combat all forms of dating, domestic, and sexual violence/stalking on campus and beyond. 

Programs coordinated by Beard will increase students’ knowledge on how to identify, prevent, and report violence. They will benefit all students, with particular attention paid to the needs of historically underserved populations.

Another example of Mount Saint Mary College’s proactive stance on campus violence is the “It’s On Us” campaign, launched last year. On the first night of that program, nearly 600 students took the pledge to end sexual assault on college campuses.
 

Douglas Robinson, associate professor of biology, snapped this photo of a bald eagle at Mount Saint Mary College during the campus’s Open House on Sunday, January 28. 

The sighting didn’t ruffle any feathers for Robinson, who is a behavioral ecologist focused on avian breeding biology. Through various research projects, Robinson has been marking crows since 2001, focusing specifically on the crows of the Newburgh, N.Y., area since 2011. 

High school students who missed Sunday’s open house but still want to see what the Mount has to offer are in luck: The college will host informational tours of the campus on Saturday, February 10 starting at 10 a.m. To register, visit www.msmc.edu/rsvp 

Like the groundhog seeing his shadow to predict six more weeks of winter, some on campus have taken the appearance of the eagle as a sign that the Philadelphia footballers of the same name will emerge victorious in the upcoming Super Bowl.

_{Mount Saint Mary College, 60 miles north of New York City, is ranked a Top-Tier Regional University by U.S. News & World Report, and offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs preparing students for careers in healthcare, business, education, social services, communication/media and more.} 

Mount Saint Mary College was recently awarded a nearly $15,000 grant for a National Security Agency project titled “The Cybersecurity Labs and Resource Knowledgebase (CLARK) – A Prototype.”

The grant, awarded by Towson University, was secured by Sagar Raina, assistant professor of Information Technology in the Division of Mathematics and Information Technology at the Mount. 

Raina is a sub-principal investigator on the project and will study the usability of the Cybersecurity Labs and Resource Knowledgebase system developed by Towson University. The study will involve development of questioner methods, data collection, and analysis to evaluate the usability of the CLARK prototype.

According to Raina, “Usability is a critical component of information systems. Usability is defined as how effectively, efficiently, and satisfactorily a user can complete a task using a system.”

_{RIGHT: Mount Saint Mary College’s Sagar Raina, assistant professor of Information Technology in the Division of Mathematics and Information Technology, recently secured a nearly $15,000 grant for a cybersecurity research project.} 

Raina earned a doctoral degree in Information Technology from Towson University. His work has been published in top-tier conferences like World Conference on Information Security Education (WISE) and Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education (CISSE).

For students interested in a career in internet security, the Mount’s Division of Mathematics and Information Technology offers a Cybersecurity concentration for undergraduate IT majors. The program provides comprehensive coverage of technical, ethical, legal, and contemporary topics in the field; skills to identify and mitigate security vulnerabilities in software applications, operating systems, computer networks, and mobile networks; and an insider understanding of the mathematical algorithms behind encryption and decryption techniques.

There is an increasing demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals in the workforce. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 200,000 cybersecurity-related jobs remained unfilled in 2016, which is projected to grow by 18 percent by the year 2024. The median annual wage for an information security analyst was above $90,000 in 2016.
 

_{Mount Saint Mary College faculty, staff, and students donned red shirts, ties, pants, and bracelets on Friday, February 2, 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 2, 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 for research and programs 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, director of the Center for Career and Experiential Education, facilitated the Wear Red event on the Mount campus.

Mount Saint Mary College is proud to announce a series of ongoing, eco-friendly improvements to the campus.

Beginning in the Fall 2017 semester, the Mount entered into an Energy Performance Contract with the John W. Danforth Company in Tonawanda, N.Y. and ECG Group in Smithtown, N.Y. This initiative promotes various mechanical, lighting, and weatherization improvements self-funded through the energy savings. 

In addition to making the college more environmentally friendly, it’s estimated that the project will save the Mount nearly $400,000 in utility and operating costs in the first year following implementation.

“We have made significant progress since starting the project,” noted Maryann Pilon, executive director of Facilities and liaison for Strategic Space Planning. 

Completed upgrades include installing high efficiency condensing boilers across campus, weatherization improvements to various residence halls and buildings, and interior and exterior LED lighting retrofits.

According to Pilon, to date about 80 percent of the planned lighting retrofits have been completed in all administrative buildings and residence halls. 

“The new lighting provides brighter, whiter light than the older lighting systems while providing a longer useful life, and cuts down on the required maintenance of bulb changes,” she explained. 

When the lighting retrofit is percent complete, nearly 11,000 fixtures throughout campus will have been updated. The bulbs will not need to be changed again for a decade.

Upcoming major projects in the spring, following Commencement in May, include replacing rooftop heating units around campus with more efficient models, replacing the PoolPak dehumidification and water temperature system in the Kaplan Recreation Center, and making improvements to various temperature controls units. Exterior lighting will also be retrofitted throughout the spring and summer.

Pilon noted the success of the program required aid from many employees of the college. She thanked Dr. David Kennett, Mount Saint Mary College Interim President; James M. Raimo, vice president for Auxiliary Services; Arthur Glass, vice president for Finance and Administration; Douglas Smith, assistant director of Facilities; and the Mount Saint Mary College Board of Trustees for “supporting this very important project which promotes more efficient systems, energy savings, and is environmental friendly.” 

_{Dr. David Kennett, Mount Saint Mary College interim president, got the ball rolling on February 1 by reading the first pages of News of the World to the eager crowd of students, faculty, and staff.}

Seven hours, 53 readers, and 209 pages.

With Dr. David Kennett, Mount Saint Mary College interim president, leading the charge, the Mount community came together on Thursday, February 1 to read aloud the entire News of the World novel by Paulette Jiles. 

The event kicked off the Knight Reading program, the Mount’s inaugural campus-wide shared reading experience. News of the World will figure prominently into other Knight Reading events this semester, including book discussions, academic luncheons, and expert talks. 

The reading began at 9:30 a.m. with Dr. Kennett. Volunteers, including Mount students, staff, and faculty, passed the torch periodically until the entire book was completed, only a few minutes before 4:30 p.m. 

About 120 people dropped in to listen throughout the day, with many staying for the duration and following along in their own copies of the book. 

News of the World is a historical fiction novel set in the late 1800s in which Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd is tasked with delivering a young orphan named Johanna to her relatives. Their 400-mile journey proves difficult and dangerous, but soon, the two begin to trust each other. Upon completing their trip, Captain Kidd is faced with a tough choice: give Johanna to her reluctant relatives, or kidnap her and raise her as his own.

The reading event was meticulously planned down to the minute by Barbara Petruzzelli, director of The Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center.

“It seems fitting to stage a read-aloud of a novel where the spoken word figures so prominently,” noted Petruzzelli. “Thank you to everyone who helped to make this project a success.” 

The read-aloud was co-sponsored by the Office of Academic Affairs, the Office of Student Affairs, the Kaplan Family Library, the Division of Arts & Letters, the School of Business, the Division of Education, the Division of Math & Information Technology, the Division of Natural Sciences, the School of Nursing, the Division of Philosophy & Religious Studies, and the Division of Social Sciences.

_{Four HEOP students recently attended the Inclusive Leadership Conference at Temple University in Philadelphia, Penn. From left: Harmony Cross, director of HEOP at the Mount; Giselle Martinez of Newburgh, N.Y., Sophomore Class Representative; Stephanie Ortiz of Elmhurst, N.Y., Junior Class Representative; Maria Rivera of the Bronx, N.Y., Senior Class Representative; Christian Lorenzo of Staten Island, N.Y., Freshman Class Representative; and Andres Carpio, HEOP academic counselor.}

Four Mount Saint Mary College students from the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) recently represented the Mount at the Inclusive Leadership Conference in Philadelphia, Penn.

The annual conference, hosted by Temple University and Campus Philly, helps collegiate student leaders to discover their own unique leadership abilities and foster this in others.

The Mount attendees, who serve on the HEOP Leadership Council, spanned all four class years and were nominated by their classes to be on the council.

The students were Christian Lorenzo of Staten Island, N.Y., Freshman Class Representative; Giselle Martinez of Newburgh, N.Y., Sophomore Class Representative; Stephanie Ortiz of Elmhurst, N.Y., Junior Class Representative; and Maria Rivera of the Bronx, N.Y., Senior Class Representative.

“The mission of the HEOP Leadership Council at Mount Saint Mary College is to prepare members to become leaders, advocates, and global citizens, by first leading within the HEOP community,” said Harmony Cross, director of HEOP at the Mount. 

HEOP provides educational opportunities and support to traditionally underserved students who have strong academic potential, but would otherwise be excluded from higher education due to circumstances of academic and economic disadvantage.

Cross, who accompanied the students to the leadership conference with HEOP Academic Counselor Andres Carpio, noted that the Mount students came back eager to implement what they had learned.

“Our students had a phenomenal time learning how to advocate for themselves and others and are now more motivated and empowered to make a difference on our campus,” said Cross.

Jeffery Lyons, a five-time New York Emmy Award winner, will discuss his life, career, and memories of revered actor Orson Welles on Friday, March 2 at 6:30 p.m. at Mount Saint Mary College.

The talk, free and open to the public, will take place in Aquinas Hall Theatre on the Mount campus, 330 Powell Ave., Newburgh, N.Y. The doors open at 6 p.m. 

The event will include a special 75th anniversary screening of the 1943 film Jane Eyre, in which Welles plays the leading man opposite Joan Fontaine. 

Lyons, who received a Mount Saint Mary College Honorary Degree in 2002, has reviewed more than 15,000 movies and 900 Broadway and off-Broadway plays; interviewed nearly 500 actors; written or co-authored seven books; and co-hosted three national movie review shows on PBS, MSNBC, and NBC.

After graduating from Syracuse Law School with a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 1969, Lyons conducted his first professional interview for NBC radio’s iconic Monitor program with Debbie Reynolds. 

Lyons began his journalism career working for the Newhouse Newspapers. He was seen nationally on The Independent Network News via Tribune Broadcasting, and in 1982, Lyons was chosen over 300 aspirants to co-host Sneak Previews, the famous PBS movie review program which he co-hosted for 12 seasons (1982-92 and 1994-96).

In 1996, Lyons joined WNBC as their film and theater critic. He also reviewed movies with his son Ben Lyons on MSNBC’s At the Movies in 2003. He continues his career reviewing movies on WCBS radio in New York and through national syndication on Lyons Den radio, and occasionally on TV. 

His most recent and highly-acclaimed book is What a Time It Was! Leonard Lyons and the Golden Age of New York Nightlife, a sequel to Stories My Father Told Me, Notes from the Lyons Den. Both are collections of anecdotes from his father’s iconic Broadway column, along with his own interviews. 

This lecture is made possible by Mount Saint Mary College’s Samuel D. Affron Memorial Lecture Series and the Affron family. 

Jerome S. Affron, a former Mount trustee, established the Samuel D. Affron Memorial Lecture Series in honor of his father in 1982. A native of Kingston, Samuel D. Affron served on the Board of Education in Beacon for many years. 
 

Mount Saint Mary College students enjoy immersing themselves in local history.

Raquel Rodriguez of North Baldwin, N.Y. recently visited Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site in Newburgh, N.Y. She marveled at the Hasbrouck house where Gen. George Washington lived and worked during some of the most critical months of the Revolutionary War.

_{RIGHT: Mount Saint Mary College student Raquel Rodriguez of North Baldwin, N.Y. recently enjoyed some experiential learning opportunities at Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site in Newburgh, N.Y.}

Alanna Curran of Goshen, N.Y. headed to the West Point Museum and enjoyed learning more about the Civil War – including seeing the military uniforms close up.

Rodriguez and Curran visited the sites through courses taught by John T. Reilly, a longtime professor of History at the Mount. A faculty member since 1975, Reilly has served the college for four decades. He is the second longest-serving professor after James Finn Cotter, professor of English. 

In the mid-1970s, there were only two History professors at the college, and Reilly taught nearly all available courses in the field. Reilly helped to build the program to include five full-time professors in its current incarnation.