Donor Spotlight: Christine Houston '86

Christine Houston earned a B.A. from Hofstra in economics. She was a commuting student, and, like many students, she juggled part-time jobs to help pay for her education. Though her time on campus was limited due to her busy schedule, she remembers, “I had several great professors, especially those in economics and the international business classes — in fact, I took my first Chinese language classes at Hofstra.”

Today, Ms. Houston is the founder and managing director of ESGI, a fully retained executive search firm specializing in senior-level appointments in Asia for a select group of multinational clients. The firm serves a range of diverse industry sectors, with its main areas of expertise in financial services, technology and real estate. In 2005, under Ms. Houston’s leadership, ESGI was ranked by Asia Money as one of the Top 10 Best Headhunting Firms in Asia.

Ms. Houston entered the executive search profession in 1986 when she joined Korn/Ferry International. She was a partner in the New York office for five years, during which she led and managed crossborder
searches with Asia. In 1990 she joined the New York office of TASA (now known as TMP Search), and in 1994 she became the managing partner of the Hong Kong office. During her tenure with TASA in Hong Kong, she headed the Financial Services and Technology Practices in Asia, including Japan.

Ms. Houston is a generous contributor to The Fund for Hofstra University. She says she has stayed involved with University “because the education I received at Hofstra has been integral to my success.”

She is also a member of Hofstra’s Women in Leadership program, which highlights the accomplishments of successful Hofstra alumnae and is becoming a professional resource and network for alumnae and current students. Ms. Houston advises students and recent graduates to be on the lookout for professional opportunities and challenges that will move their careers along, perhaps in directions unanticipated. “Always keep your eye on your goal, and don’t get distracted or discouraged by the ‘tasks’ right in front of you,” she says.

“What always has worked well for me is to take the opportunity that provides the greatest ‘stretch.’ For example, when I graduated I had two job offers ... one in Garden City and one in New York City. The former actually paid more, and I would have not had major commuting expenses. But I chose to take the New York City job, since I felt that if I took the local job I would become too complacent. And so from New York I went to Tokyo, back to New York and then to Hong Kong, where I have been for 17 years.”

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Donor Spotlight: Daniel Spahr '02

Daniel Spahr was an active and engaged student at Hofstra, who took advantage of four study abroad programs and fell in love with travel and the experience of selfdiscovery. His first study abroad experience to Italy would later inspire him to publish a memoir, The Montepulciano Mob, in 2010. The book details Dan’s first time being away from his family and outside the country as he learned about himself, his peers, and the world away from his home on Long Island.

Dan says this first study abroad experience and the three others that followed — to Madrid, Australia and Venice — instilled in him a love for adventure and exploration. He says each of the study abroad programs “hold very different memories for me. They really helped me expand my ability to see the world and to understand different cultures.”

After graduating from Hofstra in 2002, Dan relocated to the
West Coast — a move he says he would “not have had the guts to make” had it not been for his time abroad. He began to work as a part-time teacher, while also pursuing a Master of Arts in school
ounseling. Upon completing the M.A., he worked in the Bay Area of San Francisco for several years as a high school counselor. He followed that up with a position as a day counselor and job coach for five mentally disabled adults. While doing all this, he volunteered his time to and financially supported Under One Roof, which raises money for HIV/AIDS charities in San Francisco.

He emphasizes again the value of study abroad and how it changed his outlook on life. “As a counselor both in New York and California, I’ve been able to use my experiences abroad to understand how people come from other countries to live in this country and how scary it can be. You learn to have empathy for these people.”

Proceeds from the sale of Dan’s memoir, The Montepulciano Mob, benefit a scholarship he has

established for the Hofstra in Venice program. “I created the scholarship to help other students have the experience that I did. I created it particularly for that program because Venice has always been my favorite city. If I had to live anyplace outside America, I would choose Venice.” 

Though he graduated less than a decade ago, giving back to Hofstra is a priority for Dan. “I wanted to make sure the torch is passed. I wanted to find a way to help people and give back to a place and aprogram that helped me become the person I am today.”

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Donor Spotlight: Donna Diamond '86

Donna Diamond, who earned an M.B.A. from Hofstra with a concentration in business computer information systems, is the chief administrative partner and COO of Chernoff Diamond & Co., LLC, a
benefits and risk management advisory firm she co-founded with Alexander Chernoff in 1980.

At the time she was pursuing the M.B.A., Ms. Diamond was juggling her studies with a full-time career. She was very appreciative of the flexibility that Hofstra graduate studies offered her. “I attended Hofstra as a part-time, evening graduate student. The program and classes accommodated my working schedule, an important consideration at the time. The education I received was varied and comprehensive.”

Ms. Diamond has been an involved alumna – contributing to The Fund for Hofstra University and through her membership in the University’s Women in Leadership organization, a group that serves as a resource for current students and other alumnae with round-table discussions, mentor-mentee relationships, panel discussions and networking events.

“I believe any organization that supports women in a leadership role is important for society as a whole,” she said. “I think of the influence we can have in shaping how gender roles are equalized and what the world will look like in the years to come.”

Ms. Diamond first became involved with Women in Leadership after meeting Hofstra University’s Assistant Vice President for Development and Alumni Affairs Meredith Celentano at the kick-off meeting for the 2010 “Every Woman Matters: A Walk for Women and Their Families,” a fundraiser for the North Shore- LIJ Health System’s new Katz Institute for Women’s Health and Katz Women’s Hospital. “What interested me in participating in the Women in Leadership Program was to be a part of an organization with other successful women and whose objective is to provide programs and activities to assist students and alumnae in many different areas, including mentoring,” she said.

Ms. Diamond has a success story from which students can learn. Chernoff Diamond has grown from a modest staff of three to more than 100 employees, partners and senior executives with offices in Garden City, New York; Manhattan; and Glastonbury, Connecticut. “We’ve built this business from the ground up,” she says. “Our staff members have developed careers here based on opportunities for advancement, challenging work, professionalism, great values, the level of client service, work environment and benefits.”

Just as Chernoff Diamond has evolved significantly since its founding, Ms. Diamond appreciates how recent Hofstra news has enhanced the University’s local and national profile. “With the addition of the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine at Hofstra University and now with the imminent launch of a School of Engineering and Applied Science, Hofstra has secured its place as the preeminent school of higher learning on Long Island. These advances are critical to the economic development and the future of our region.”

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Donor Spotlight: Jeffrey D. Straussman '66

Jeffrey D. Straussman came to Hofstra on a music scholarship, a trumpet player from Queens who was, by his own admission, hardly a star student in his first few semesters. Then he took a political science class with now-Professor Emeritus Herb Rosenbaum, whose involvement in the issues of the day sparked an interest in school he’d never had before.

“I was getting mainly C’s for quite awhile in the beginning,” said Dr. Straussman, a Fulbright Scholar who became dean of Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at the University of Albany in 2006. “When I started to look back at my Hofstra days, it really was a couple of very good professors who turned me around.”

“They were some very good teachers who cared about what they were doing, who interested me and excited me about intellectual pursuits,” Dr. Straussman said. “It had an important effect that led to a slow change in my academics in terms of seriousness and success.”

In fact, Dr. Straussman became a political science major and went on to a distinguished career in academia. He earned a master’s degree in political science and a doctorate in the discipline from the City University of New York. Before joining the University of Albany, Dr. Straussman was associate dean of the Maxwell School and chair of public administration at Syracuse University, where he taught for many years.

A widely published author in the areas of finance and budgeting, with a particular expertise in administrative reform in transitional countries, Dr. Straussman has taught and consulted in dozens of countries, including Macedonia, Israel, Venezuela, the Czech Republic, the People’s Republic of China, Bulgaria, Brazil and India.

He will be leaving the University of Albany later this summer to teach at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

It was only very recently though, that Dr. Straussman took time to consider the path his life might have taken had it not been for the scholarship that started his college career and the professors who motivated him to be a better student. “After many years and some reflection, I realized the value of my time at Hofstra and said to myself, ‘it’s time to give back a little,’” Dr. Straussman said of his decision to support the University. “I thought — I’ve had a successful career and I had that scholarship … so I went online, and I donated.”

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Alumni of the Month- May 2011

Cara Castronuova ’04

“Boxing and martial arts teach you focus, discipline and how to be strong through adversity. It’s about bouncing back up after being dealt a crushing blow, whether in the ring or in life. It is this mentality that has played a crucial role in my success, and keeps me striving for more in life.” 

Cara, the newest fitness trainer on NBC’s hit show The Biggest Loser, is a two-time Golden Gloves winner who was once ranked nationally by USA Boxing. Born in Elmont, New York, Cara began boxing at the age of 5 in the family garage with her father, a former Marine. She wrestled in high school and college, and graduated from Hofstra University with a Bachelor of Arts in communications. Cara won her first New York Golden Gloves championship at Madison Square Garden in 2005. Following the win, she started competing nationally and was ranked No. 2 in the nation by USA Boxing. She went on to win numerous titles. Certified as a boxing coach by the New York State Athletic Commission, she is also a personal trainer certified by the ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association). She has worked as a reporter and fitness writer for New York and boxing press outlets, and as an announcer and sports commentator for various boxing venues throughout New York City, such as Madison Square Garden.

Darrell Lerner ’96, ’99

“There is a shortage of quality programmers, and the demand is going to increase in the future. Knowing how to program opens up so many doors: from great job opportunities, to positioning yourself to open your own Internet start-up, as well as simply being able to build websites for fun.” 

Darrell is the co-founder of SNAP Interactive, Inc., a leading provider of online dating applications for social networking websites. SNAP has developed social dating applications on Facebook, such as AreYouInterested.com, which currently has more than 40 million installations. Darrell’s responsibilities include handling business, operational, and legal features for SNAP. He also performs many of the regulatory and administrative tasks associated with a publicly traded company. Darrell previously served as president, CEO, chairman, chief financial officer, secretary and treasurer of Universal Flirts Corp.
Prior to joining SNAP, Darrell founded an Internet sports company that operated fantasy sports games for major media partners, including WFAN Sports Radio and Daily Racing Form. He served as CEO and president of Fantasy Sports Net, Inc. for three years.

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Alumni of the Month- April 2011

Lauren Ruotolo ’00 

“I would tell students to explore every opportunity given to them, because you never know what can happen. Never reject anything that could offer you direction in life, and do not fear taking chances.”

As director of entertainment promotions at Hearst Magazines in New York City, Lauren develops strategic partnerships with television and cable networks, music labels and movie studios. She recently helped produce the E! Entertainment Style Network show Running in Heels, which focuses on the inner workings of Marie Claire fashion magazine. She is currently working on three one-hour specials with Scripps Networks for Esquire, The Food Network, and Good Housekeeping magazine. Lauren’s success has been hard-won. Born with a rare genetic disorder known as McCune-Albright Syndrome, Lauren stands 4 feet 2 inches tall. Throughout her life, Lauren has met this challenge with determination, faith, bravery, and love from her family and friends. Her first-person essay “Get Shorty,” published in Marie Claire magazine in 2009, shared her philosophies about living with McCune-Albright Syndrome. She recently published her first book, titled Unstoppable in Stilettos — A Girl’s Guide to Living Tall in a Small World, where she discusses her struggles and achievements.

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Alumni of the Month- March 2011

Ty Fuller ’00 
“Hofstra gave me an edge in numerous ways. The information I learned, from geographic information systems to hydrogeology and sedimentation, gave me a competitive advantage in my career. The professors of the Geology Department also maintain a close relationship with alumni. Dr. J Bret Bennington was directly responsible for my current employment. He not only encouraged me to attend a
networking dinner engagement, which eventually led to an interning opportunity, but also drove me to the interview when I did not have a car.”

While still in high school, Ty was asked by a teacher what he wanted to do after graduating from college. He joked that he wanted to save the world and make money doing it. He never anticipated that years later he would be working for the largest groundwater supplier in the United States. Ty, who graduated from Hofstra with a Bachelor of Science in environmental resources, is a senior hydrogeologist at Suffolk County Water Authority, responsible for overseeing the drinking water wells and conducting research on groundwater quality for more than one million people. During his time at Hofstra, Ty was active in the Geology Club and developed a passion for public speaking, which would become a valuable skill in his future career. He has more than 10 years of experience as a hydrogeologist, and has turned his high school dreams of success into reality.

Scott Nicholson ’88

“Hofstra students need to understand that the real world is not easy. It is an extremely competitive and fast-paced environment that can offer incredible opportunities with the right synergies of passion, desire, and drive.” 

Scott is the author of Seeds of Achievement: The Ultimate Roadmap for Young Adults on Obtaining Success, Prosperity, and the Winning Edge in Life. The book offers knowledge and strategies to achieve life and career success, prosperity, happiness, inner joy, confidence, and personal pride. Scott’s natural athleticism enabled him to excel in both baseball and football at Hofstra. After graduating from Hofstra with a B.A. in communication arts, Scott briefly pursued a career in television sports broadcasting in Washington, D.C. In 2005 he created Xtraordinary Home Products, which focuses its manufacturing on innovative kitchen technologies for major U.S. retailers such as Kmart, QVC, Avon, and Bed Bath & Beyond, to name a few. In 2008 the company developed the Perfect Brownie™ baking pan, which became a No. 1 selling baking item in the United States.

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Alumni of the Month- February 2011

Sergio Argueta ’03 

“My experiences as a sociology student and campus leader frame my fondest memories of Hofstra University. My introduction to the social sciences came by way of a rigorous academic program, under the tutelage of great professors who inspired me to challenge the world.” 

Sergio is among the youngest and most influential community activists on Long Island. He is founder and executive director of S.T.R.O.N.G. Youth, Inc. (Struggling To Reunite Our New Generation), one of the leading gang prevention and intervention agencies in the northeastern United States. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in political science from Hofstra University, where he served as president of Hofstra’s Organization of Latin Americans and senator in the Student Government Association. He was awarded the Turner Fellowship at Stony Brook University, where he earned a master’s degree in social work. Sergio recently became an adjunct criminal justice professor at Nassau Community College and is considered a leading regional expert on gangs and youth violence.

Joel Simkins ’98 

“Don’t wait until graduation to figure out what you want to do. Start looking today for internships and other learning opportunities that will differentiate you from your peers at Hofstra and other universities. ... Many of the people you know today, or will meet right after graduation, will form the foundation of your career network for many years to come.” 

As a Hofstra student, Joel interned at VZB Partners, a hedge fund managed by a Hofstra alumnus, where he gained pivotal real-world experience. He has held a number of high-profile positions since graduating, including senior associate at Moody’s Investors Service, associate analyst for Bear Stearns and for Deutsche Bank Securities, and vice president and senior gaming and leisure analyst for Prudential Equity Group, as well as managing director and senior gaming and leisure analyst for Macquarie Capital. Joel is a frequent guest speaker on Bloomberg Television and CNBC, where he discusses the gaming and lodging industries. In 2009 Institutional Investor magazine named him “the best up and coming gaming and lodging analyst on Wall Street.” Joel currently serves as director-senior gaming, lodging, and leisure
analyst for Credit Suisse Securities.

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Alumni of the Month- January 2011

Jennifer Santorello ’09 

“Having past business experience really helped me become a business teacher and branch out within the school. I decided to start teaching after I had a few rough years in the business world. I had a love for teaching from the time I was younger ...” 

Jennifer started a career in the business world before coming to Hofstra to pursue an M.S.Ed. Now a business teacher at the Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School on Long Island, Jennifer was recently selected as the Julian A. Milkes Outstanding New Business Educator by the Business Teachers Association of New York State. She teaches courses in marketing, law and accounting and has served as assistant chapter adviser of DECA, an association of marketing students. Jennifer is active in many community activities, including fundraisers for the Little Shelter, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and Dress for Success Foundation.

Bret Strauss ’02 

“My favorite experience at Hofstra was student teaching. I was thrilled to finally have the opportunity to use all the tools and resources I gathered from the courses in the program. It truly felt like the culmination of all my hard work. During that time, I developed my teaching style and cemented my belief that teaching was what I was meant to do.” 

Bret graduated from Hofstra with an M.S.Ed. in business education and was hired by the Valley Stream Central High School District. In 2004 he received the Outstanding New Business Educator Award by the Business Teachers Association of New York State. He was promoted to department head of career and technical education in 2008 and currently serves as the full-time dean of students. Bret oversees the school store and serves as the adviser for Future Business Leaders of America, which has won numerous state and national awards. He is also treasurer of the Long Island Business Teachers Association and serves as an adjunct professor in Hofstra’s Department of Teaching, Literacy and Leadership.

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Alumni of the Month- December 2010

Alexa Silverman ’08

“My fondest memory [of the University] is my first day at Hofstra in September 2005. As a transfer student, I expected my needs to be swept under the rug. I quickly realized that Hofstra was the type of school that would help me to assimilate and reach my goals.” 

In summer 2009 Alexa and a close friend founded a 501(c3) nonprofit organization, NY Fresh Connections, with a mission to engage young adults in meaningful service through leadership, professional development, and hands-on events. Alexa is currently a law student at New York Law School. She recently competed in the Charles W. Froessel Moot Court Competition, which led to a seat on the New York Law School Moot Court Association. She is involved in the pilot program of the New York Law School POWER Mentor Program and is a candidate for the New York Law School Public Service Certificate.

Daniel Spahr ’02 

"Up until I had come to Hofstra, I had never been very social, and when I heard about Entertainment Unlimited and Hofstra Concerts, I quickly joined. ... Those two organizations gave me so many real-life experiences that I never could have had in a classroom.” 

One particularly special part of Dan’s Hofstra experience was the study abroad opportunities, the first of which was five weeks in Italy. Following graduation, he began to work as a part-time teacher, while also pursuing a Master of Arts in school counseling. He later worked in the Bay Area of San Francisco as a high school counselor and followed that up with a position as a day counselor and job coach for five mentally disabled adults. He also volunteered his time to and financially supported Under One Roof, which raises money for HIV/AIDS charities. In 2010 he published a memoir, The Montepulciano Mob, about his first study abroad experience and what he discovered about himself, his peers, and the
world. Proceeds benefit a study abroad scholarship that he established at Hofstra.

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Alumni of the Month- November 2010

Karin Duncker ’84

“Don’t be afraid of hard work, and learn to be flexible. It may sound trite, but you really can achieve your dreams if you believe you can and are willing to do the work.” 

As president and CEO of the New York Biotechnology Association (NYBA) from 1998 to 2006, Karin grew the NYBA from a startup to the fifth-largest state biotech association in the United States. She established high-value membership programs, created the association’s branding campaign, and produced annual conference programs that maintained net profits of 35-45 percent throughout her tenure. She was recognized as one of the Top 100 technology leaders in New York by Crain’s New York Business (2001) and was Featured Industry Executive in Biotech Magazine (2003). Currently, Karin is founder and CEO of KMS Consulting, which provides executive coaching and advisory services to nonprofit associations.

Lidia Szczepanowski ’87 

“Learn from, enjoy and appreciate your remarkable years at Hofstra. There will come a point in time in your life when you will look back and will be grateful that you did. Also, remember to be humble, have integrity and stay true to yourself. Use your achievements to inspire others.”

Lidia has shown remarkable ingenuity and ambition throughout her career. Following graduation from Hofstra, she attended law school and opened her own practice, The Szczepanowski Law Firm, P.C. She created the interactive website AskLidiatheLawyer.com to help people who need basic information about finding an attorney. She also founded Everything Lidia, Inc., an organization that presents motivational seminars designed to educate women about practical and effective defensive techniques while helping to empower them and build confidence. In November 2007 she founded the National Organization for Women’s Safety Awareness, Inc., to provide more information, awareness, and knowledge about women’s safety issues.

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Alumni of the Month- October 2010

Nabeel Kahn ’00 

“Set your priorities. While at work, focus on work only, and set aside enough time for your personal life regularly.” 

Nabeel found success in the construction industry after earning a Bachelor of Business Administration at Hofstra. However, playing and introducing people to the sport of cricket has become as much of a passion for him as his career. During his time at Hofstra, Nabeel started a cricket club with fellow international students. Nabeel comes from a family of cricket players, and that has inspired him to attempt to take cricket to the next level in the United States and establish a U.S. team presence at the 2020 Olympics. He is currently pursuing of a master’s degree in construction management at Columbia University.

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Alumni of the Month- September 2010

Lauren McCullough ’04 

“Social networking sites have given college students an enormous amount of control over their future. There’s no better way to show a prospective employer that you’re smart, savvy and informed than by having a well-executed personal social media strategy.” 

Lauren is an award-winning journalist and social media enthusiast. She has traveled around the country to speak about multimedia journalism, and she lectures on the use and importance of social media in the newsroom. In her role as social networks and news engagement manager for The Associated Press (AP), Lauren oversees the newsroom’s social media efforts. She was recognized by The Associated Press Managing Editors Association with the 2008 John L. Dougherty Award. She has also been awarded two AP Beat of the Week awards for her work with citizen journalists during the 2009 Hudson River plane splashdown and the 2007 Minnesota bridge collapse.

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Alumni of the Month- Summer 2010

Claudia Gabel ’00 

“All the comparative literature classes I took at Hofstra gave me the critical thinking skills that are needed to be an effective book editor, and the creative writing courses challenged me a lot. I was able to forge successful careers on several fronts because of that, and I consider myself very lucky to be part of an industry that has enriched my life ever since I was a little girl.” 

Claudia earned a Master of Arts in English and American literature from Hofstra. She deviated from her original plan to pursue a Ph.D., and instead decided to follow her love of creative writing and books into the world of publishing.

In 2007 Claudia’s first young adult series, In or Out, was published by Scholastic/ Point. The four books are loosely based on her life and feature two best friends who grow apart during their freshman year of high school. Currently, Claudia is a senior editor at Katherine Tegen Books, and her newest novel, Romeo and Juliet and Vampires, was published by HarperTeen in August 2010.

Robert Harrison ’75 

“Don’t blame others for your shortcomings, and remember to give thanks to those who have helped you along the way. Try to keep connected with your fellow Hofstra classmates after graduating; networking will benefit your future. Be humble, be honest, and be fair.” 

After graduating from Hofstra, Robert became a successful communications manager, published poet, cartoonist, newspaper and documentation photographer, children’s book writer, historian, playwright, baseball history re-enactor, docent, and magazine staff writer, as well as a sought-after guest speaker on radio and television and at various events. Robert has participated in numerous Hofstra Cultural Center conferences and has donated photographs to the Hofstra University School of Law and Hofstra Bird Sanctuary websites. In fall 2005 Robert was asked by Hofstra Assistant Dean for Special Collections Geri E. Solomon to photograph every September 11 memorial site on Long Island. The photos were featured as part of the 2006 Hofstra University Museum exhibition Voiceless in the Presence of Realities.

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Meet the 2010-2011 Alumni of the Month

The Alumni of the Month feature of the Alumni Affairs website showcases alumni who are doing interesting and exciting things, or who have made exceptional contributions to their chosen field or profession.

For information on how to nominate a graduate, please visit hofstra.edu/alumni and click on “Recognition & Awards.” 

The nominations of an alumnus may be based on the following: 

• Doing something particularly interesting or different. 
• Making outstanding achievements in his/her profession. 
• Setting a positive example, either by philanthropy, balancing work and personal life, or showing a loyal commitment to Hofstra and the community. 

To read more in-depth profiles of each honoree, visit hofstra.edu/Alumni/AOTM.

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A Look at Some of the Events That Made 2010-2011 a Golden Year With a Diamond Weekend - May 2011

Celebrations Bring Hofstra’s 75th Anniversary to a Close

Hofstra’s 75th Anniversary Gala was held at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex on May 5 to celebrate the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine and its inaugural class. The honorees were Leo A. Guthart, CEO, Topspin Partners, LP, and former chair of the Hofstra University Board of Trustees, and Roy J. Zuckerberg, former vice chairman of Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and former chair of the North Shore-LIJ Health System Board of Trustees. Both gentlemen serve as co-chairs of the School of Medicine’s Steering Committee. Approximately 900 people attended the gala, and the event raised $1.35 million for School of Medicine student scholarships.

“Do the show you want to do!” Phil Rosenthal ’81 advised undergraduate students celebrating commencement on May 22 at James M. Shuart Stadium. Mr. Rosenthal’s speech (available for viewing at hofstra.edu/commencement) was called one of the year’s 10 best by TheDailyBeast.com. Seated next to him on the dais was his wife, actress Monica Horan ’84 (“This is one more thing I got from Hofstra,” he exclaimed as he presented her to the audience). In all, approximately 2,000 students graduated that day. The speaker at the graduate ceremony was former Prime Minister of the Netherlands Jan Peter Balkenende, and New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman gave the address at the Hofstra University School of Law commencement.

More May News ... 

• Hofstra’s Department of Fine Arts and Art History presented its annual Student Art Show from May 4 to 13 at Calkins Hall. The show featured more than 100 pieces of the finest artwork created by Hofstra students in painting, drawing, 3-D, photography, design and new media. At the opening reception on May 4, awards were presented to recognize the finest student art work in a variety of categories. The Outside Juror Award was judged by graphic designer and illustrator Isabel Roxas.
• At its annual spring concert on May 7, the Hofstra Symphonic Band, directed by Peter Loel Boonshaft, premiered a new musical composition, “Pompeii,” by Satoshi Yagisawa, one of Japan’s most preeminent composers. Mr. Yagisawa had flown to New York from Japan in April in order to rehearse with the students, allowing them the unique opportunity to work on a new piece with the internationally renowned composer. “Pompeii” was commissioned by Hofstra to be performed by the University’s Symphonic Band.
• Alumni and parents around the country celebrated Hofstra’s 75th anniversary with specialty cakes at regional events throughout the year. Among them was the Hofstra Club of Washington, D.C., at its spring reception on May 17. Regional celebrations werealso hosted in Stamford, Connecticut; Boca Raton and Port Charlotte, Florida; Baltimore, Maryland; Hackensack, New Jersey; White Plains, New York and on Long Island.
• The Hofstra community was deeply saddened by the passing of Professor of English Dana Brand on May 25. Dr. Brand was a former chair of the English Department and taught all genres and periods of American literature. He had been on the Hofstra faculty since 1989. He was the author of The Spectator and the City in Nineteenth-Century American Literature (Cambridge, 1991) and numerous articles on topics in English, American, and French literature, philosophy, and film. He was also a personal essayist and the author of 2007’s Mets Fan, a collection of essays about his experiences as a baseball fan, and 2009’s The Last Days of Shea.

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A Look at Some of the Events That Made 2010-2011 a Golden Year With a Diamond Weekend - April 2011

Hofstra Bids to Host 2012 Presidential Debate

Hofstra President Stuart Rabinowitz announced on April 15 that Hofstra University submitted a formal application to the Commission on Presidential Debates to host a 2012 presidential debate. Hofstra University was the host of the third and final presidential debate between then-Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain on October 15, 2008.

Earlier in the month, the Commission on Presidential Debates released the list of submitted applications, and of the 12 applications received from across the country, Hofstra’s was the only application from New York state.

“Hosting the debate in 2008 was a remarkable experience for our entire community. Our students, faculty and alumni were proud to host one of the most important events of the presidential election,” said President Rabinowitz. “Hofstra University’s size, location and facilities make our campus an ideal setting for a presidential debate, and allows our students a are and extraordinary opportunity to participate in the democratic process.”

Hofstra University has again proposed the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex (“the Arena”) as the venue for the debate, and the adjoining Physical Education Building as home for the media center and support services for the Commission on Presidential Debates. Other Hofstra University facilities have been selected for support services for media and visitors.

“Hofstra’s emphasis on academic disciplines such as presidential studies and suburban studies is a unique connection between the debate, American culture and history, and Hofstra’s scholarly strengths,” noted President Rabinowitz. In 2008 the University hosted the award-winning Educate ’08, a yearlong series of lectures, classes and events focused on the issues and history of presidential campaigns, politics, and debates. 

In 2006 Hofstra University launched the Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, led by Dr. Meena Bose, to build on the scholarship of the Hofstra Cultural Center’s renowned presidential conference series hosted by the University since 1977. The National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University®, led by Executive Dean Larry Levy, was launched in 2003, incorporating the existing Long Island Studies Institute, to study the unique issues of the suburbs, now home to more than 50 percent of all Americans. The center studies the suburbs through the lens of the “laboratory” of Hofstra’s surrounding area, which includes Levittown, America’s “first suburb,” and often publishes national polls focusing on the political climate of the suburbs.

More April News...

• The Frank G. Zarb School of Business announced the fall 2011 launch of an online M.B.A. program with a focus on strategic business management. The program is taught by full-time faculty members and has a global and industry focus with residency requirements that include interaction with New York City industry leaders and global corporations.'
• The Chronicle, Hofstra University’s student newspaper, celebrated 75 years of publishing with an April 2 alumni reunion that also included current student staff members.
• The Hofstra Cultural Center presented the conference 1935: The Reality and the Promise, April 7, 8 and 9, 2011, in honor of the University’s 75th anniversary. Scholars were invited from all disciplines to present papers exploring the reality of 1935 and the promise of events, personalities and culture, from the local to the global. Highlights included a banquet address and special presentation for students by former NBA champion Kareem Abdul- Jabbar, executive producer of the documentary film On the Shoulders of Giants, about the Harlem Rens, the first black owned and operated basketball team from Harlem, which won the first World Basketball Championship in 1939. The conference co-directors were Professors J Bret Bennington, Michael D’Innocenzo and Zenia DaSilva.
• Hofstra University School of Law and Wright Risk Management co-hosted a conference on April 8 designed to help school administrators address cyberbullying issues. Educators, lawyers, policymakers and mental health professionals gathered to examine current laws concerning cyberbullying and discuss intersecting issues regarding the First Amendment, school liability and criminal justice.
• A panel of experienced corporate leaders demonstrated the process of effectively responding to a corporate crisis during a Socratic Panel on April 11. The Socratic Panel provides a unique opportunity to teach the audience how to effectively respond to a crisis by observing a panel of experienced professionals in action. The program moderator was Richard Torrenzano, chief executive of The Torrenzano Group, a global expert in crisis communications.
• Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Maraniss was the keynote speaker for the conference Into Sunlight: The Impact of War on the Social Body, From the Vietnam Era to the Present, April 14-16. Mr. Maraniss’ book They Marched Into Sunlight inspired Hofstra dance faculty member Robin Becker to choreograph an evening-length dance, Into Sunlight, and also to develop this interdisciplinary conference addressing current conditions of war through the historical lens of the Vietnam era. The conference also featured the world premiere of a new theatrical work, titled Undeclared History, directed by Conference Co-Chair and Professor of Drama and Dance Cindy Rosenthal. Hofstra’s Department of Drama and Dance commissioned Hofstra alumnus Isaac Rathbone ’00, co-founder of Oracle Theatre, to write this original play, set on the Hofstra campus. The script was drawn from the oral histories of Hofstra alumni during the Vietnam era — veterans, activists, journalists, and faculty.
• A reception celebrating the career of Dr. Harold M. Hastings, professor of mathematics, physics and astronomy and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, was held at the Hofstra University Club on April 14. All event proceeds benefited Hofstra students participating in scientific research. Neil Donahue, associate dean of Hofstra University Honors College, said in a speech that evening, “‘The Harold’ is not only one of Hofstra’s greatest professors ever — in terms of longevity and productivity in multiple areas on many levels — he’s also one of our greatest students, a lifelong learner, a multidisciplinary polymath with endless curiosity and an unending willingness to share the experience of learning. In whatever direction your thoughts will go, chances are you’ll meet Harold on his way back. He’s been there already.”
• Hofstra University appointed Dr. Robert Brinkmann as its first director of sustainability studies. Dr. Brinkmann will draw from the University’s strengths in global studies, geography and suburban studies to develop a multidisciplinary degree program examining social, ecological and environmental resource management. Dr. Brinkmann said he hopes to build a program that focuses on the unique challenges to creating sustainable suburbs.

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A Look at Some of the Events That Made 2010-2011 a Golden Year With a Diamond Weekend - March 2011

"The Play's the Thing"

After 61 Shakespeare Festivals, the Department of Drama and Dance found yet another way to put an inventive spin on Hofstra’s greatest annual tradition. March 10-20, The War of the Roses, A One-Evening Version of Shakespeare’s Henry VI Trilogy made its debut at the John Cranford Adams Playhouse. Professor of Drama and Dance Royston Coppenger was the creative force behind this new adaptation of the trilogy. He noted that the trilogy “contains some of [Shakespeare’s] greatest speeches and his most compelling characters, including Queen Margaret, Richard Duke of York, a hilariously slanted English take on Joan of Arc, and the young nobleman who emerges at the end as the future Richard III. And then, of course, there’s the character of Henry VI himself: hapless, devoutly religious, and horrified by the carnage that ensues as England implodes under his weak reign.” In another creative, yet bold move, by Professor Coppenger, Hofstra student Allie Rightmeyer, a petite young woman, was
cast as Henry VI. “It actually works very well,” said Ms. Rightmeyer before the premiere of the play. “The character of Henry is one of the most thoughtful and caring. In the eyes of many of the other court members he’s not ambitious or aggressive enough to rule.” Her portrayal of Henry served the play well in that Henry was certainly outsized in both appearance and demeanor by the other characters.

Also adding to the Shakespeare Festival’s imaginative qualities was its companion play, What Fools! – a one-hour version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream – adapted by longtime English professor and Shakespearean scholar Maureen Connolly McFeely and directed by Associate Professor of Drama and Dance Jean Dobie Giebel. This was the fourth year the festival featured a short adaptation of a Shakespeare play, designed to introduce young theatergoers to the works of the Bard. What Fools! took young audiences into a modern high school setting. Set at “Athens High,” Professor Giebel described the adaptation as “Archie meets the X-Men.” The portrayals of Titania and Oberon were inspired by comic book superheroes, and Puck was Oberon’s sidekick.

Another major part of the Shakespeare Festival tradition is the Festival Musicale performed by the Hofstra Collegium Musicum, directed by Professor of Music William E. Hettrick. This year’s musicale was titled “These Mortals Be.” The Collegium Musicum includes ensembles of voices and historical instruments from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and this particular musicale presented selections from the 13th through 19th centuries, all about living creatures, both animal and human.

More March News ...

• Hofstra alumnus and New York Timessports columnist George Vecsey ’60 returned to campus in March as part of the University’s 75th anniversary celebration to speak to students about his storied career as a sports columnist and best-selling author.
• The student-run Hofstra Association for Graphic Arts (HAGA), in conjunction with The Career Center, presented a career networking event titled “Not All Artists Are Starving” — A Night of Networking on March 1. Hofstra alumni Mario Bakalov ’00, ’03; Linda Graceffo-Vorbach ’79; Christina Makrakis ’03; and Rodrigo Sanchez ’03 were among the professionals who participated in this panel discussion about career opportunities in the arts.
• Hundreds of Hofstra students and alumni put the finishing touches on their resumes, dressed in their finest business attire and attended The Career Center’s Spring Job and Internship Fair on March 2.
• Hofstra alumnus Alan Colmes ’71, nationally syndicated radio host, television personality, political commentator and author, returned to campus on March 16 to talk to students about his broadcast and literary career.
• A panel of journalists and political analysts dissected media coverage of President Obama on March 22. What’s the Message? Evaluating White House Media Coverage and Strategy featured Robert Siegel, senior host of NPR’s All Things Considered; Mark Jurkowitz, associate director of the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism; and Hofstra’s Kalikow Center senior presidential fellows, Howard B. Dean III and Edward J. Rollins.
• The School of Communication presented a March 23 conference titled Communication, Technology and Democracy: A Hofstra 75th Anniversary Symposium. What Happens to Democracy When Everyone Talks at Once? 
• On March 26 Hofstra’s Joan and Arnold Saltzman Community Services Center presented a Community Services Day. Highlights of the day included free speech and hearing screenings, a concert for children, demonstrations of treatments that utilize virtual reality technology, and parent and family presentations.
• More than 150 alumni from the Department of Drama and Dance gathered at Hofstra on March 27 to pay tribute to Professor Emeritus of Drama Richard Mason, who passed away on November 26, 2010. Deborah Madison ’77, coordinator of the memorial, spoke of Dr. Mason’s profound impact on the lives of his students. Many graduates came from as far away as the West Coast to attend the service, and sometraveled from outside the country, including Russia and Iceland. Dr. Mason joined the Hofstra faculty in 1964 and retired in 1993. He received Hofstra’s Distinguished Service Award in 1979 in recognition of his dedication to his students, his colleagues and his community.
• On March 30 Howard B. Dean III, former Democratic presidential candidate and senior presidential fellow at Hofstra’s Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, delivered the2011 Arnold A. Saltzman Lecture on the State of the Union.

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A Look at Some of the Events That Made 2010-2011 a Golden Year With a Diamond Weekend - February 2011

Students Celebrate a Sweet Valentine’s Day

Candy, art and a scientific look at kissing were the ingredients for the February 11 to 14 Sweet Valentine event series. Programs included a decadent chocolate tasting sponsored by Hofstra University Honors College; chocolate giveaways presented by Entertainment Unlimited; an exhibit and lecture by artist Sid Chidiac, who paints with chocolate; a lecture by scientist Sheril Kirshenbaum, author of The Science of Kissing: What Our Lips Are Telling Us; the unveiling of the Hofstra crest, created in chocolate by Mr. Chidiac; and a cookie lovers reception sponsored by Hofstra Dining Services.

More February News ... 

• Hofstra University’s Center for Climate Study (HUCCS), in partnership with the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, New York, unveiled the first phase of an exhibit on climate change funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The exhibit features ongoing research by a team of Hofstra professors, including Dr. Myla Aronson and Dr. Russell Burke from the Biology Department, Dr. J Bret Bennington and Dr. E. Christa Farmer from the Geology Department, and Dr. David Weissman from the Engineering Department.
• The Hofstra University Museum opened two exhibitions. The original exhibit Soweto Art: From the Collection of Violet and Les Payne, commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Soweto Uprising, was on view at Emily Lowe Gallery and included approximately 40 paintings and works on paper by artists of Soweto, South Africa. 1930s Art in America at the David Filderman Gallery provided a “snapshot” of the visual arts in America during the 1930s.
• To celebrate the music and spiritualism of pop superstar George Harrison, Godfrey Townsend and other musicians from The Alan Parsons Project performed with an ensemble of Indian Kirtan musicians in “Here Comes the Sun” – The Musical, Mystical Journey of George Harrison on February 11. Hofstra’s Hinduism instructor, Joshua M. Greene, officiated the concert. Mr. Greene studied yoga with George Harrison in the early 1970s.
• Hofstra’s International Scene Lecture Series for spring 2011 began in February with a focus on U.S. foreign and economic policy. The first event of the series was titled “The Austerity Budget,” on February 16, featuring Richard Wolff, emeritus professor of economics, University of Massachusetts.
• The Department of Drama and Dance offered high school students the opportunity to take two days of dance classes with Hofstra’s accomplished faculty. This inaugural High School Dance Festival on February 21 and 22 culminated with a studio performance on the Hofstra campus.
• Hofstra seniors Luz Pena and Philip Robibero were the winners of the mtvU “Oscars Correspondent Contest.” The first round of this national competition required teams of students to submit videos that were judged online and by mtvU judges. As one of the three top teams, Ms. Pena and Mr. Robibero were flown to Los Angeles where they covered Academy Awards pre-events. Upon winning, these talented students were given a coveted spot on the red carpet for the Academy Awards on February 27 and access to the backstage press rooms so they could cover the Oscars for MTV News and mtvU.

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A Look at Some of the Events That Made 2010-2011 a Golden Year With a Diamond Weekend - January 2011

A Grand Reopening for the Fitness Center

After a 13-month renovation, the Hofstra Fitness Center celebrated its grand reopening on January 26, with more than 100 students waiting outside at the crack of dawn to be among the first to enter the facility. The architect on the project was Peter Gisolfi Associates.

Four new spaces were among the highlighted features of the center: an expanded weight room, a spin (cycle) room, yoga studio and aerobics room. Also included in the center’s makeover were the resurfacing of the running track, the expansion of the second floor lounge, a boxing area, computer station, and most impressively, the addition of state-of-the-art CYBEX cardio and strength training exercise equipment. The Fitness Center now also offers a wider variety of classes – among them cycle (spin), Zumba, Pilates and yoga.

Senior Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Recreation and Intramural Sports Pat Montagano says reaction to the expanded Fitness Center has been “extremely positive. The students love the look, high-energy feel, and all that it provides.” 

She says the cardio and strength-training equipment have been the most popular additions. Students appreciate that the second-floor weight circuit is ADA compliant, and the equipment is set up in a way that easily allows them to get a complete workout in 30 minutes. Attendance in the group classes is also up, with cycle classes being the best attended, but Zumba and toning are not far behind. People are even running on the resurfaced track more than ever before. Ms. Montagano says average daily attendance is close to 1,000.

She continues that the Fitness Center is “much more of a destination now. Students come to exercise, take a class, play a game of pick up ball or simply hang out. It’s also a very popular stop on admissions tours where reactions have been overwhelmingly positive.”

To view photos of the renovation and for more information on Fitness Center policies and alumni membership fees, visit hofstra.edu/fitnesscenter.

More January News … 

• The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts selected Hofstra’s School of Education, Health and Human Services for its Partners in Education program. The mission of the program is to integrate the arts into the classroom curriculum.
• Hofstra Entertainment presented the acclaimed but rarely performed Night of January 16th by Ayn Rand. Directed by Bob Spiotto ’84, Night of January 16th invited members of the audience to serve as the jury in this stirring courtroom drama.
• The National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University® and a group of universities led by the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom were awarded a three-year grant to launch the Cultures of the Suburbs International Research Network.
• Hofstra University’s Center for Civic Engagement named seniors Kenny Cordero Rubinos ’11 and Alex Moore ’11 as its first two intern-recipients of the Metzger-D’Innocenzo Endowed Scholarship, funded by Hofstra alumnus James C. Metzger ‘83 in honor of his favorite Hofstra faculty member, History Professor Michael D’Innocenzo.
• Hofstra University’s Small Co-Ed Cheerleading team took top honors at the 2011 Universal Dance Association (UDA)/Universal Cheer Association (UCA) National Competition in Disney World, Orlando, Florida, for the third consecutive year and the fifth time in the last six years. Hofstra’s Dance Team, also competed at Disney World, placed third in Division I Hip Hop and ninth in Division I Jazz.

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A Look at Some of the Events That Made 2010-2011 a Golden Year With a Diamond Weekend - December 2010

Midyear Commencement Features CNN’s John King and Alumnus Robert McKeon

The fall 2010 semester offered one more cause for celebration: midyear commencement on December 19.
Approximately 600 undergraduate, graduate and law students participated in the ceremony. CNN’s John King, anchor of John King, USA, was the guest speaker, and Hofstra alumnus Robert F. McKeon, chairman and principal owner of Kemark Financial Services Inc., received a Doctor of Humane Letters.

More December News …

• Law Professor Vern R. Walker established the Law, Logic and Technology Research Laboratory, which strives to conduct empirical research on legal reasoning.
•  The Dance and Dance Education Programs and the Association for the Help of Retarded Children (AHRCNassau) hosted a celebratory, end-of-semester performance on December 8 at Dempster Hall. Hofstra’s Dance and Dance Education Programs have been working with the AHRCNassau for two years to help adults with mental disabilities explore their creativity through dance. All Hofstra participants volunteer their time by choreographing and leading workshops each week for AHRC-Nassau participants under the direction of Anita Feldman, director of the B.S. in Education – Dance Education program at Hofstra.
• Hofstra University and its School of Law were deeply saddened in December by the death of Eric J. Schmertz, distinguished professor emeritus of law and dean of Hofstra University School of Law (1982-1989). In addition to his affiliation with Hofstra, Professor Schmertz was one of the nation’s most noted arbitrators and experts in labor law and was a former commissioner of labor relations for the City of New York. When Professor Schmertz joined the Law School as a charter faculty member in 1969, he was already a former assistant vice president of the American Arbitration Association, and had been executive director and a three term member of the N.Y.S. Board of Mediation. In May 1981 he was named the Edward F. Carlough Distinguished Professor of Labor Law, occupying the school’s first endowed chair. The following year he was appointed dean and served for seven years.
• The Center for International Financial Services and Markets, in collaboration with Hofstra’s Zarb School of Business, presented a conference titled Social Responsibility in Business in the 21st Century. The conference banquet featured an address by former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and former Chairman and CEO of ALCOA Paul O’Neill. The daytime keynote speaker was Stanford University Professor Joseph Grundfest, who discussed why the topic of corporate social responsibility is, and will always be, controversial. The conference also featured a thought leadership panelwith Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. CEO Richard Daly.

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A Look at Some of the Events That Made 2010-2011 a Golden Year With a Diamond Weekend - November 2010

Taking a Closer Look at Education and Health Issues

The School of Education, Health and Human Services (SOEHHS) embraced the 75th anniversary celebration by presenting programs analyzing various aspects of public education and educational policies, as well as the nation’s health challenges and achievements. November also saw the establishment of a center focused on innovative teaching, research and technical assistance in the classroom.

Public Health Challenges and Achievements: 1935-2010 on November 4 and 5 looked at achievements that have been made in public health and in areas where more work and resources are needed. Sponsored by the SOEHHS, the Hofstra Cultural Center, Hofstra University School of Law and Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, faculty, students and alumni, together with leaders in the fields of public health policy, research, advocacy, education and practice, examined critical milestones of the last seven decades. One popular panel, “The Public Health Response to Environmental Trauma,” was led by Dr. Irwin Redlener ’64, president and co-founder of the Children’s Health Fund.

This panel focused on children and the ongoing national and international governmental, humanitarian and medical efforts aimed at improving educational development and opportunities for children and families who have experienced major trauma.

Other notable conference guests were Dr. Vicki Breitbart, president of the Public Health Association of New York City, and Dr. Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Hofstra students also presented posters on conference themes.

The SOEHHS momentum continued on November 12, but with a change of focus. 75 Years: The Transformation of Public Schools examined the evolution of public education, evaluated the impact of federal policies ranging from No Child Left Behind to the Race to the Top program, and explored the latest trends in education reform. 

This conference was presented by the SOEHHS, the Hofstra Cultural Center and the New York State Teacher Opportunity Corps. Three leading educational researchers – Dr. Mary Driscoll of Florida State University, Dr. James Gee of Arizona State University, and Dr. Jean Anyon of The Graduate Center/CUNY – delivered keynote speeches highlighting topics such as psychology of learning, urban education and literacy, and games and learning.

Also in November, the SOEHHS established the Center for Scholarship, Development and Outreach (CSDO). The center serves as a central hub for innovation, scholarly research, and technical assistance for school districts, health organizations and community groups. CSDO Director Edward J. Zero joined Hofstra with 37 years of administrative experience to his credit. He most recently served as district superintendent and executive officer of Eastern Suffolk BOCES.

More November News … 

• The Center for International Financial Services and Markets, in collaboration with the Frank G. Zarb School of Business at Hofstra University and EisnerAmper LLP, presented the conference The Future of Alternative Investments in the Post-Crisis Environment on November 2. Breakfast keynote speaker Richard Ketchum, chairman and CEO, FINRA, discussed the role of hedge funds and private equity in the future.
• Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Stephen Dunn ’62 read excerpts from his poetry and met with students as a featured guest in Hofstra’s “Great Writers, Great Readings” Series. Mr. Dunn is the author of 16 books, including Different Hours, which won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for poetry. His newest collection of poems, Here and Now, was published by W.W. Norton in spring 2011.
• CNN’s Carol Costello led a November 10 forum titled Social Networking, Privacy and Bullying, which addressed the increasing use of technology, particularly social media, in bullying. The event also included first-hand accounts from victims of bullying. It was moderated by Mary Anne Trasciatti, associate professor and chair of the Department of Speech Communication, Rhetoric and Performance Studies.
• Hofstra University’s Department of Drama and Dance presented Clifford Odets’ Awake and Sing! at the Black Box Theater in the New Academic Building, November 12 through 21. The play, which was first produced in 1935, was performed as part of Hofstra’s 75th anniversary festivities.
• Hofstra University’s Dance Program presented its annual Fall Dance Concert, titled Coming Together, Moving Forward. As part of Hofstra University’s 75th anniversary celebration, the concert featured the University’s full-time dance faculty members – Robin Becker, Stormy Brandenberger, Anita Feldman and Rachel List – performing together for the first time on the Hofstra stage.

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A Look at Some of the Events That Made 2010-2011 a Golden Year With a Diamond Weekend - October 2010

Engaging Students in Current Events

With midterm elections only weeks away, October was a time for the campus to focus on the political, social and economic issues facing the nation. On October 13 the National Suburban Poll for the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University® revealed that half of suburban Americans disapproved of President Obama’s performance and that the majority of independent swing voters in the suburbs were favoring Republicans in the midterm elections.

This news out of Hofstra was followed by the first New York state gubernatorial debate on October 18. Hofstra partnered with News 12 Networks and Newsday to host the event, which was held in front of a live audience of invited guests, including community members, local leaders, and Hofstra students. All seven candidates in the race – Charles Barron, Andrew Cuomo, Kristin Davis, Howie Hawkins, Jimmy McMillan, Carl Paladino and Warren Redlich – participated.

An October 21 symposium, titled U.S. Presidential Leadership at the United Nations: Evaluating the Past 65 Years and Looking Ahead to 21st Century Governance, featured a keynote address by the Honorable Zalmay Khalilzad, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Iraq and Afghanistan. The symposium was sponsored by the Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency and the Hofstra Cultural Center. The first half of the day was made up of panel discussions with scholars from Hofstra and other universities and research institutes, including the United States Military Academy at West Point, the Congressional Research Service, and Ohio State University. The keynote address was followed by a panel discussion with Ambassador Khalilzad and Hofstra’s Kalikow Center Senior Presidential Fellows Howard B. Dean III and Edward J. Rollins. 

On October 27 students immersed themselves in a variety of issues impacting the nation’s political climate. Hofstra’s Center for Civic Engagement’s eighth annual Day of Dialogue promised an itinerary full of timely topics, debates, panels and performances, addressing issues such as immigration, the economy and the proposed Muslim cultural center near the former World Trade Center site.

Attention then turned to offering a select group of Long Island high school students the opportunity to delve into local politics. On October 28 nearly 100 teens gathered at Hofstra for the Renew New York High School Convention – Considering New York’s Structures and Challenges, where they were given a forum to discuss and debate critical state issues and devise reform proposals that were presented to a panel of experts from journalism, academia and government. 

More October News … 

• Five Hofstra graduates from the Class of 2010 who earned a 4.0 GPA were named recipients of the Albert I. DaSilva Memorial Endowed Scholarship. The late Mr. DaSilva was a noted entertainment lawyer. His wife, Zenia DaSilva, is a professor of romance languages and literatures, who has served on the Hofstra faculty for more than 50 years. The recipients of the scholarship were Chelsae E. Donley, Eric H. Hertzman, Meghan L. Horan, Robert A. Marrero, and Mary M. McElroy.

• On October 6 the Hofstra University Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency hosted a panel titled Teaching the Midterm Elections: How Will the 112th Congress Influence Policy Making for the Obama Administration? A Conversation for Educators. This program for Long Island middle school and high school social studies teachers featured Hofstra adjunct education instructor Regina M. Follo, as well as Hofstra Kalikow Center Senior Presidential Fellows Howard B. Dean III and Edward J. Rollins.

• Hofstra University’s Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology partnered with the New York Chapter of the International OCD Foundation to present a conference on obsessive compulsive disorder on October 16.

• On October 16 Hofstra University School of Law held its 40th anniversary kick-off celebration and alumni reunion. More than 250 alumni returned to campus for the event, which included a series of presentations and discussions, including “40 Years of Impact: A Panel Discussion with Deans Malachy T. Mahon, Monroe H. Freedman, Stuart Rabinowitz and Nora Demleitner,” moderated by Professor Emeritus Burton Agata, a member of Hofstra Law’s charter faculty. Then-New York Governor David A. Paterson ’82 made a guest appearance as keynote speaker at the evening reception.

• On October 19 President Stuart Rabinowitz and several members of the Board of Trustees, along with special friends and guests, dedicated The Helene Fortunoff Theater in the Daniel L. Monroe Lecture Center. Helene Fortunoff is a member and former chair of the Hofstra University Board of Trustees.

• The evolution of literature and culture was the focus of an October 22 symposium, KAPOW! From Pulp Fiction to Google Books: Celebrating the Evolution of Popular Culture From 1935 to the Present, presented by the Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library. Guests included former comic book writer and editor Bob Rozakis ’73, known for his work at DC Comics in the 1970s and 1980s.

• WRHU 88.7 FM, Radio Hofstra University, and the New York Islanders announced an agreement to broadcast all 82 Islanders games during the 2010-11 National Hockey League season. Hofstra students had the opportunity to serve as color analysts and sideline reporters throughout the season.

•  The Actor’s Life on October 21 featured alumni from the drama program sharing anecdotes about performing on the Hofstra stage and how they parlayed that experience into successful careers in the performing arts. Guests included Joan See ’55, Susan Sullivan ’64, Tim Errickson ’93, Fred Berman ’94 and Kelly Ruth Cole ’08.

• The second annual Celebration of Suburban Diversity Banquet on October 26 honored six Long Islanders for promoting multicultural understanding. The banquet, sponsored by the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University®, raised money for diversityrelated research and scholarships. Among the honorees was Athelene Collins, senior associate director of the Hofstra Cultural Center. 

• The Department of Drama and Dance presented the musical Cabaret at the John Cranford Adams Playhouse, October 22 to 31. Joel Grey, who starred in the original Broadway production and movie, was the subject of an original musical production presented by Hofstra Entertainment in early November titled Shades of Grey — A Musical Tribute to Joel Grey, conceived, directed and performed by Bob Spiotto ’84, executive producer of Hofstra Entertainment.

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A Look at Some of the Events That Made 2010-2011 a Golden Year With a Diamond Weekend - September 2010

Let's Get This Party Started!

Though classes for the 2010-2011 academic year began on September 1, much activity and planning was focused on Hofstra’s Diamond Weekend, September 23-26, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the day Hofstra officially opened its doors for classes: September 23, 1935. Planning for this commemorative occasion actually began three years earlier, with a small charged with developing academic and social events that would honor the evolution of the University and also examine what was and is happening locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

Events held over the Diamond Weekend included a convocation that featured an address by award-winning journalist Ted Koppel; an edible confection by Charm City Cakes in the shape of the Axinn Library and Unispan; a Diamond Reception honoring alumni, faculty and friends who impacted Hofstra’s history; “Live at 75” – an outdoor carnival and concert featuring musical groups spanning the decades, such as Sha Na Na, Blue Oyster Cult, Lisa Lisa, Public Enemy, Fountains of Wayne, and Trey Songz; and homecoming and class reunions. Awe-inspiring fireworks by Grucci preceded a stand-up performance at the Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex by comedian Jimmy Fallon, who later that evening made a guest appearance on Saturday Night Live.

Diamond Weekend and the many other events that followed gave all areas of the University an opportunity to shine. 75 Stories for 75 Years was an exhibition at the David Filderman Gallery that showcased photographs, documents and other materials highlighting Hofstra research, memorabilia and alumni stories throughout the decades. An ambitious timeline of photographs and text was mounted on the original Hofstra Unispan. Hofstra also unveiled its Oral History Project. Starting the spring before, 11 students were selected and trained to work as oral historians on behalf of the University. They interviewed more than 100 alumni and friends who shared various aspects of their Hofstra experience. The students recorded and transcribed these histories, which are now part of the University’s Special Collections. Highlights can be found online at hofstrastories.com.

More September News … 

• The Department of English announced the fall 2011 launch of an M.F.A. in Creative Writing program. Students may concentrate in dramatic writing, fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction. The M.F.A. is considered a terminal degree — appropriate for those who want to pursue specific writing disciplines and/or careers in publishing, teaching, and editing, among others.

• Hofstra began a new M.A. in Linguistics program with a specialization in the emerging science of forensic linguistics — the first program of its kind in the United States. The study of forensic linguistics — the examination of language and the law — is increasingly being used as a tool of legal professionals, law enforcement, and the intelligence community. Dr. Robert A. Leonard, the program director, is a longtime professor at Hofstra, internationally recognized as an expert in this field of study.

• Hofstra University’s Muslim Chaplain’s Office and the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) co-sponsored a two-day symposium, End of Life Issues: Ethical and Religious Perspectives, examining the intersection of ethics, faith, and culture in medical decisions about terminal and life-threatening illnesses. 

• PatchU, a new network of partnerships between local Patch online publications and leading journalism programs at colleges and universities, made its debut at Hofstra. Through this arrangement, students earn course credit and gain journalism experience by writing and reporting for Patch’s local publications.

• The value of a liberal arts-based college education was the focus of a symposium, The Future of Liberal Arts in the 21st Century, which was the first in a series of conferences and symposia planned as part of Hofstra’s 75th anniversary celebration. This event was sponsored by Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and featured a keynote address by Michael Bérubé, a professor at Pennsylvania State University.

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A Look at Some of the Events That Made 2010-2011 a Golden Year With a Diamond Weekend - Summer 2010

School of Medicine Opens New Facility and Begins Recruiting Its First Class

There is nothing that represents how far Hofstra has come – and how much more it aspires to achieve – than the opening of the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, which will make Hofstra only the third university in the New York region to have both a law school and a medical school. In July of 2011 the University welcomed the inaugural medical school class, a pioneering group of 40 of the best and brightest students in the nation.

Just over a year ago, on June 8, 2010, Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz, North Shore-LIJ Health System Chief Executive Officer Michael Dowling, and Medical School Dean Lawrence G. Smith, M.D., held a press conference to announce that the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine at Hofstra University had obtained the necessary accreditations to recruit its first class. The stage for this announcement was the School of Medicine’s new North Campus facility, a 47,000-square-foot structure. The building, previously known as Weeb Ewbank Hall, served as the New York Jets administrative offices and training headquarters since the late 1960s. A $12.5 million New York state grant funded a major renovation to convert the building into a state-of-the-art medical school.

Of the accreditations that allowed the School of Medicine to move forward, Dr. Smith said, “This is the culmination of 2 1/2 years of planning, discussion and research, on the part of hundreds of people, to create a cutting-edge medical education curriculum that responds to the modern system of health care. This is not only the beginning of a new era for both Hofstra University and North Shore-LIJ Health System, it is also the end of a long process, a process in which we focused on patient care, on rigorous science, and on the health of our population, to come up with a new and innovative curriculum.”

Hundreds of physicians, scholars, administrators and leaders from both Hofstra University and the North Shore-LIJ Health System have created a cutting-edge, scientifically rigorous, patient-centered medical school curriculum. On June 4, 2010, the New York State Education Department’s Division of Professional Education gave final approval of the medical school’s educational program. Previously, the Regents of the State of New York granted the University the right to confer the M.D. degree. These two approvals provided the final authorization necessary to enroll an initial class. The University also received approval from the State Education Department for its Ph.D. program in molecular basis of medicine. The School of Medicine will also offer a joint admission M.D./Ph.D. and Ph.D. programs.

More Summer 2010 News …

• Hofstra’s School of Education, Health and Human Services announced a new online master’s program in educational leadership and policy studies with a concentration in higher education.

• Hofstra alumnus, actor and singer Robert Davi performed A Tribute to a Legend: Davi Sings Sinatra in July.

• Matthew Vuolo ’10 , a physics major, was named the recipient of the Astronomical Society of New York’s 2010 undergraduate prize for his paper “Ultra-Dense HII Regions in NGC 247.” He was recommended for the prize by Christina Lacey, Ph.D., associate professor of physics and astronomy.

• The School of Communication hosted J-Div, which stands for Journalism Diversity. The free, two-week program invites high school students from the New York metropolitan area to investigate and report on some of the important issues facing their hometowns and Long Island.

• The Frank G. Zarb School of Business was ranked in the 2011 edition of The Best 373 Colleges as one of The Princeton Review’s “Great Schools for Marketing and Sales Majors.”

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Faculty Publications and Research Activities - School for University Studies

Marilyn Buono, adjunct assistant professor of English and writing coordinator/assistant director of administration, was a presenter at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) National Convention in Orlando, Florida, in November 2010. She was also invited to present at the 2011 summer conference of the Whole Language Umbrella, which is presented by NCTE.

Lynn Cohen, adjunct assistant professor, wrote a new collection of poems titled Dreams and Dreamers, published by Blue Light Press and 1st World Publishing. Martha Hollander, Hofstra associate professor of fine arts and winner of the Whitman Award under current U.S. Poet Laureate W. S. Merwin, said this of Dreams and Dreamers: “Lynn Cohen’s poems are tender elegies for lost youth, passion and ease.”

Arthur Dobrin, professor, saw the publication of his newest book, The Lost Art of Happiness (Prometheus Books). In this work, Professor Dobrin makes the argument that our pervasive and gnawing sense of dissatisfaction is mainly self-inflicted. As long as our culture emphasizes individual needs and wants as the primary focus of life, says Professor Dobrin, we will never find happiness. He contrasts our culture’s obsession with the individual with the emphasis on community found in more traditional cultures, where levels of satisfaction appear to be much greater.

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Faculty Publications and Research Activities - School of Communication

Skip Blumberg, special assistant professor of radio, television, film, produced Master Teacher Rowena Gerber, which was screened at the International Educational Resources Network Conference and Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Carol Greider Interview, which was screened at the Yale University Center for Dyslexia and Creativity Conference for College Admissions Officers. He was a judge for the My Hero Film Festival and an admissions adjudicator for the New York state Department of Education’s Summer School for Media Arts.

Evan Cornog

Evan Cornog, dean of the School of Communication, began his deanship responsibilities in summer 2010. Dr. Cornog served as an associate dean at Columbia University School of Journalism for more than a decade, and handled a variety of responsibilities during his tenure there. He led fundraising efforts, coordinated the development of a new curriculum, directed the school’s new Master of Arts program and served as publisher of the Columbia Journalism Review. Dr. Cornog is also the author of several books on politics and press – expertise he honed as press secretary to New York City Mayor Edward I. Koch and as a freelance writer and editor whose stories have appeared in publications such as The New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, Slate and The Boston Globe.

Ethan de Seife, assistant professor of radio, television, film, authored the book Cheerful Nihilism: The Films of Frank Tashlin, to be published by Wesleyan University Press. He also authored a book chapter, “Tish-Tash in Cartoonland,” for the University of California Press anthology Funny Pictures (Charlie Keil and Daniel Goldmark, editors).

Susan Drucker, professor of journalism, media studies and public relations, had her book Regulating Convergence, co-edited with Gary Gumpert, published by the Peter Lang Publishing Group. She is also now the series editor of the Peter Lang Communication Law Book Series. She was also a co-editor on Urban Communication Reader, Volume 2 for Hampton Press. She and Gary Gumpert wrote “Freedom of Expression in Communicative Cities,” which appeared in Free Speech Yearbook, Vol. 44, pp. 65-84; and “Analysis: Division and Gaza,” which was published in Greek News, October 3, 2010.

Carlo Gennarelli, assistant professor of radio, television, film, produced a short experimental film called Time Peace in May 2010. It is an exploration of temporal distortion and a haunting mediation on the 9/11 attacks on New York City. It was a juried winner at the Long Island Biennale held at the Heckscher Museum in Huntington and was screened in November at the Big Apple Film Festival in Manhattan and the Zero Film Festival in Brooklyn.

Peter Gershon, associate professor of radio, television, film, co-authored “Teaching Television Production in the Age of YouTube” with James N. Cohen for the Journal of Media Education. He organized a panel titled “Pedagogy and Production in the Age of YouTube, Revisited” for a meeting of the Broadcast Education Association, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, in April 2010. As part of that panel, he presented “From ‘Remix’ to the L.I. Edge: A Short History of Web Television at Hofstra University.”

Victoria Geyer-Semple, assistant professor of journalism, media studies and public relations, was a keynote speaker and was inducted as an honorary member of the Hofstra chapter of Golden Key International Honour Society in November 2010. Her recent publications include “Using Social Networking Effectively: Facebook Is Not Just for Friends” for the Bayport-Blue Point Gazette (T. Reid, editor).

Lisa Merrill

Lisa Merrill, professor of speech communication, rhetoric and performance studies, was awarded the Eccles Visiting Professorship in North American Studies at the British Library for her research titled “Performing Race and Reading Antebellum American Bodies: The Construction and Reception of the Nineteenth-Century Performances of Gender, Race, and Nationality.” She presented a talk titled “Intermingling Images: Seeing and Acting (Out of) Categories of Racialized Identities” at the International Slavery Museum, Liverpool, and School of Journalism, Media, and Communication, University of Central Lancashire, sponsored by the Centre for the Study of International Slavery, in Liverpool, England, in May 2010.

Paul Mihailidis, assistant professor of journalism, media studies and public relations, serves as the resources editor of the Journal of Media Literacy Education and is on the board of directors for the National Association for Media Literacy Education. Recent publications include “Developing New Parameters for Global Media Literacy: The Salzburg Academy on Media & Global Change” for the Journal of Media Literacy; “New Frontiers in Global Media Education,” co-authored with Susan Moeller, for Communication Today; and “From Information Reserve to Media Literacy Learning Commons: Revisiting the 21st Century Library as the Home for Media Literacy Education,” co-authored
with Valerie Diggs, for Public Library Quarterly (London, UK: Routledge).

Christine Noschese

Christine Noschese, associate professor of radio, television, film, is the writer, director and producer of both narrative and documentary films. Her documentary Keep On Steppin’ won Best Short at the Newburyport Documentary Film Festival and was exhibited at festivals nationwide, including BET and HBO’s Urban World Festival. Her work-in-progress, June Roses, a narrative feature, was selected by Women in Film and Television to be shown at its series at the Anthology Film Archives.

Bob Papper, Lawrence Stessin Distinguished Professor of Journalism and chair of the Department of Journalism, Media Studies and Public Relations, announced the 2010-2011 renewal of his grant for the RTDNA /Hofstra University Annual Survey, now in its 17th year. The survey analyzes various aspects of electronic journalism. He saw the publication of the fourth edition of his Broadcast News and Writing Stylebook. He originated and arranged for Hofstra University to be the original “founding partner” for AOL’s PatchU. Formally announced in September 2010, the other 12 schools participating with patch.com include Stanford, UN C, Northwestern, Missouri, Berkeley and USC. Professor Papper was also named the 2011 Teacher of the Year for the School of Communication and was recognized at the May 5 Hofstra Gala and at the May 22 commencement activities.

Bob Papper

Larry Russell, associate professor of speech communication, rhetoric and performance studies, received the Ellis-Bochner Autoethnography and Personal Narrative Research Award for the article “Learning to Walk,” which appeared in the International Review of Qualitative Research.

G. Stuart Smith, associate professor of journalism, media studies and public relations, is the author of a textbook published by the University of Missouri Press, titled Going Solo: Doing Videojournalism in the 21st Century. He also served as a presenter and moderator on the panel “Is the Television News Package Passé?” at the Broadcast Education Association national conference in Las Vegas in April 2010.

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