SPRING 2012
Felician Launches
its First Doctoral
Program!
Dr. Muriel M. Shore
Dean and Professor, Division of Nursing
and Health Management
PAGE
1
Table of Contents
SPRING 2012
The Office for Institutional Advancement,
Felician College, publishes Focus on Felician.
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Celeste A. Oranchak
Director of
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FEATURE STORIES
Nursing Unveils College’s First Doctoral Program…..................................... 1
Convocation Highlights Student and Faculty Achievements….................... 2
Gardineer Honored for Academic Excellence.............................................. 3
Felician is an independent co-educational Catholic/Franciscan College founded and sponsored by the Felician Sisters to educate a
diverse population of students within the framework of a liberal
arts tradition. Its mission is to provide a full complement of learning
experiences, reinforced with strong academic and student development programs designed to bring students to their highest potential
and prepare them to meet the challenges of the new century with
informed minds and understanding hearts. The enduring purpose
of Felician College is to promote a love for learning, a desire for
God, self-knowledge, service to others, and respect for all creation.
Departments & Other Features
Campus Chronicles............................................................................................. 4
Franciscan Heritage............................................................................................. 8
Alumni..................................................................................................................... 9
Sports.................................................................................................................... 12
L-R Margaret A. Daingerfield, RN, director of the DNP program and
associate dean and associate professor, Department of Graduate
Nursing; Dr. Shore, Ann a Lucena S. Yrad, RN, primary care nurse
practitioner; and Ellen DiChiara, RN, Teaneck school nurse and
family nurse practitioner, Olde Towne Optimal Health, Nutley.
Nursing Unveils
College’s First
Doctoral Program
Felician College has added Doctor of Nursing Practice
(DNP) to its extensive roster of degrees. This the first
doctoral-level program offered by the College.
The 40-credit curriculum was specifically designed for
nurses with a master’s degree who seek to advance their
educational preparation for professional practice leadership. The initial cohort of students is expected to enroll in
May 2012. Students in full-time study can expect to complete the program in just over two years.
According to the American Association of Colleges of
Nursing, 153 DNP programs exist nationwide, and an additional 160 are under development.
“Nursing requires both practice experts and nurse scientists to expand the scientific basis for patient care,” said Dr.
Muriel M. Shore, Dean and Professor, Division of Nursing
and Health Management. “Doctoral education in nursing is
designed to prepare nurses for the highest level of leadership in practice and scientific inquiry.”
According to Shore, the practice-focused doctorate is
essential to the preparation of nurse leaders to meet the
changing demands of this nation’s complex healthcare
environment.
Felician’s unique DNP program offers a curriculum that
blends distance education, practical experience, and two
on-campus residencies. The cohort-based education model,
where students share the educational journey, goals and
experiences, often establishes professional connections lasting beyond doctoral study.
The Nursing Division held an information session and reception
to announce the addition of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
degree to the college’s division of nursing and health management
programs. The DNP degree is the first doctoral-level program
offered by Felician College.
“Students are not a number at Felician,” said Shore. “Our
doctoral students will feel this spirit and support throughout their time at Felician.”
DNP courses are taught exclusively by a mix of DNP and
PhD, doctoral prepared faculty certified in distance education. The curriculum, which is based upon the American
Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Essentials of Doctoral
Education for Advanced Nursing Practice and the American Organization of Nurse Executives core competencies
for nurse executives, offers two tracks of study: Advanced
Practice and Executive Leadership.
Graduates of the DNP program are prepared to lead, organize, plan and manage healthcare operations and services
across all healthcare sectors. Doctoral prepared advanced
practice nurses will provide leadership in the direct care of
individuals, families and populations. Doctoral prepared
nurse executives are equipped to provide leadership in the
area of indirect patient care through
the management of healthcare
delivery systems. There are unlimited employment opportunities for
graduates of the program due to the
changing healthcare industry and
growth of new sector arenas.
Candidates for the DNP program must be registered nurses
licensed by the State of New Jersey. “We offer a bridge
program specially designed for individuals with a degree
in a field other than nursing,” said Shore. “After they successfully complete the bridge program requirements, they
would then apply to enroll in the DNP program.”
Dr. Muriel M. Shore, Dean and Professor, Division of Nursing and
Health Management
1
Convocation Highlights Student
and Faculty Achievements
Felician College recently held its fourth annual Academic
Honors Convocation to celebrate student and faculty
achievements. The event was attended by students and their
families as well as faculty, staff and friends of the College.
“Father Armstrong is a world-renowned expert on Saint
Francis of Assisi and Saint Clare of Assisi,” said Sister Theresa. “He has devoted his life to studying and disseminating the teaching of Saint Francis and Saint Clare.”
In her welcome, Felician Provost and Vice President for
Academic Affairs, Sister M. Rosita Brennan congratulated
the 200 students who received certificates in recognition
of their academic excellence. She then announced that Dr.
Margaret Gardineer was the recipient of the 2011-12 Academic Excellence Award.
Born on Long Island, New York, Regis John Armstrong, a
Capuchin Friar Minor and an expert on Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Clare of Assisi, has authored nine books and
many journal and encyclopedia articles as well as edited
a number of other books. He earned a PhD in Historical
Theology and Spirituality from Fordham University, and
served his confreres in various positions of formation and
administration.
Nominations for the Academic Excellence Award are made
by members of the Felician faculty.
“Dr. Gardineer is an outstanding scholar, a giving volunteer and a special teacher who has touched many lived during her years at Felician College,” said Sister Rosita as she
read from one of the nominations. “While it is easy for an
instructor to receive positive reviews from strong students,
one of our more challenged students called this professor
‘one of the good ones.’”
Felician College President Sister Theresa Mary Martin then
presented The Reverend Regis J. Armstrong with an honorary doctorate.
2
(L-R) Muriel Shore, Ed.D., Dean, Nursing and Health
Management;Beth Castiglia, Ph.D., Dean, Business and Management
Sciences; Edward Kubersky, Ph.D., Dean, Division of Arts and Sciences;
Dolores Henchy, D. Min., Dean, Assessment, Institutional Technology
and Faculty Excellence; Rev. Regis J. Armstrong; Brother Kevin Smith,
OSF, Ph.D.; Rose Rudnitski, Ed.D., Dean, Division of Teacher Education; Fahmi Abboushi, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Off Campus and Online
Programs; Ann Guillory, Ed.D., Assistant Vice President, Academic
Support Services/Director of EOF; Sister Mary Rosita Brennan.
Gardineer Honored
for Academic
Excellence
Sister Theresa Mary Martin was bursting with
pride as she presented the 2011 Faculty Excellence
Award to Dr. Margaret Gardineer. Sister Theresa
noted that Dr. Gardineer not only ranks among the
best of the best, she is by far the most respected
and admired “Master Teacher” in the history of
Felician College. The scholarship of teaching and
learning, an irrevocable commitment to “Students
First,” and a defining presence of Franciscan Spirituality make Dr. Margaret Gardineer an irreplaceable “Spark of the Divine.”
An Associate Professor and former Chair of the
English Department, Gardineer developed the
reading and writing components for the Educational
Opportunity Fund’s Summer Program and for
JumpStart; both programs that aim to help students
who need a little extra help to succeed in college.
“I remained at Felician because of the College’s
Mission and the students,” said Gardineer. “Many
Felician students are the first ones in their family
to graduate from college and I like working with
students who aspire to a better life for themselves
and their families.”
After more than 25 years at Felician, Gardineer
continues to be excited about learning and
teaching. When asked about her future she talks
about continuing to teach and publish on Victorian
prose and West African literature.
“I want to teach international literature in order
to show students how different literatures are
interconnected with the world at large,” she said.
1. Rev. Regis J. Armstrong and Sister Theresa
2. Melissa Bilecky, Zachary Milkewicz, Angel Trigoso, Jamie Rifkowitz
and Pamela Gonzalez were among the students honored at Convocation.
3. (L-R) Sister Rosita Brennan, Rev. Regis J. Armstrong, and Sister
Mary Aquinas Szott, President, Board of Trustees.
4. Dr. Elizabeth Zweighaft leads the faculty procession.
Dr. Margaret Gardineer received the Faculty Excellence
Award from Sister Theresa.
3
Campus Chronicles
L-R: Maria Magdalena Vallellanes, Sister Marilyn Marie Minter,
Sister Virginia Tomasiak and Peter Unanue.
Christmas at Felician:
A Beloved Tradition
More than two hundred friends of Felician College gathered at the annual Christmas at Felician celebration this
past December. The first speaker, Sister Antonelle Chunka,
recalled that Sister Theresa first introduced the Central European Christmas custom of the sharing of the wafer to the
College community more than 25 years ago. The tradition,
which some say is more than 2,000 years old, was alive and
vibrant at Felician as guests opened their wafer packets and
strolled around the large room sharing their wafers with
other guests and exchanging blessings and sentiments of
good will.
The high point of the event was the presentation of the
2011 President’s Medallion to Peter Unanue, Executive Vice
President of Goya Foods, Inc. and three Felician Sisters: Sister Maria Magdalena Vallellanes, Sister Virginia Tomasiak
and Sister Marilyn Marie Minter.
The coveted award acknowledges individuals who have
gone above and beyond to serve the Felician community.
“Peter Unanue is a proponent of his faith and a larger than
life example of all that is good and kind and true,” said
Sister Theresa.
Sister Maria Magdalena, whose magnificent voice could
have easily flourished on the Broadway stage, is often accompanied by the talented but modest Sister Virginia on
keyboard, and the musically exuberant Sister Marilyn on
guitar and vocals. The popular trio has been sharing their
God-given talents with the Felician community and beyond
for more than three decades.
Rutherford Resident Awarded
Scholarship
Felician College student Michel Caufield of Rutherford, NJ
was awarded a UPS Scholarship through the Independent
College Fund of New Jersey.
The scholarship, one of fourteen distributed in the state,
was made possible by a grant from the UPS Educational
Endowment Fund administered by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) in Washington DC.
Nationally, CIC and the UPS Foundation teamed up to provided nearly $1.45 million in student scholarships this year.
The monies were distributed through state-based private
college associations around the country.
“ A college degree opens the door to countless opportunities,” Said Ken Sternad, president of the UPS Foundation.
“UPS takes great pride in our partnership with CIC and in
our support of thousands of students over the years who
have been able to pursue an education from our nation’s
private colleges.”
Sister Theresa then turned to Sisters Maria Magdalena,
Virginia and Marilyn and said with a smile, “I also wanted
to honor a ‘Sister music maker’ and wonder of wonders, a
trio emerged.”
4
Campus Chronicles
BSHA Degree to be Offered
at Raritan Valley
Felician College and Raritan Valley Community College
(RVCC) have signed an agreement that will enable students of the community college to pursue a Bachelor of
Science in Healthcare Administration (BSHA) degree.
“I am going to start a teacher education advisory board
with people from the Catholic and public schools,” she
said. “I have already spoken to one of our alumni who is a
teacher – a graduate of our programs who also supervises
one of our student teachers – about serving on the board.”
Rudnitski is also planning to take a hands-on approach to
attract students into the Teacher Education program.
“Felician is proud of its longstanding partnership with
Raritan Valley Community College and excited to be adding the Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration
degree to our offerings there,” said Dr. Muriel Shore, Felician’s Dean of Nursing and Health Management. “Students
will enjoy a seamless, easy transition from their associate
degree program into Felician’s bachelor program.”
“I am going to work with some faculty and some students
to recruit good people who want to become teachers,” she
said. “We are also looking at offering more on-line graduate programs.”
“The new agreement with Felician College is a great opportunity for RVCC graduates interested in a career in
health administration to complete their Bachelor of ScienceDegree,” said RVCC President Dr. Casey Crabill. “Felician
College is one of our University Center partners, so students have the added convenience of being able to continue
their education right on RVCC’s Branchburg campus.”
“My values and commitments are strongly congruent with
Felician College’s, “she said. “I am particularly interested
in developing teacher leadership in the kind of student
who chooses Felician College for its Franciscan values.”
The program is specially designed for individuals who
hold full-time jobs while pursuing a four-year degree.
Courses will be offered in an accelerated, eight-week
format, one night per week with students completing two
courses – one hybrid and held on-site and one online – per
each eight-week session.
“This new bachelor program combines the strengths of
Felician’s Nursing and Healthcare Management, and Business and Management Sciences divisions,” said Dr. Beth
Castiglia, Felician’s Dean of Business. “Graduates will be
well prepared to meet the growing need for management
professionals in the areas of medical and health services.”
Dr. Rose Rudnitski to Lead
Teacher Education
“My vision is to focus on quality,” said
Dr. Rose Rudnitski, Felician’s new Dean
of Teacher Education. “Quality programs, designed and taught by quality
faculty.”
A veteran educator with a strong history of leadership,
Rudnitski brings with her enthusiasm, experience and a
deep understanding of the values that imbue the student
experience at Felician.
After earning a doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia
University, Rudnitski joined the State University of New
York at New Paltz. There she chaired two different departments, served as Associate Dean, and led the college-wide
faculty as a two-term Presiding Officer, as the SUNY Faculty
Senator, and as Presiding Officer of the graduate faculty.
Now that she is heading Felician’s Teacher Education Division, Rudnitski will not only draw on her extensive higher
education experience, she is also inviting ideas from the
education community at-large.
Educational technology, reading and literacy are some of
the courses that are being considered.
One focus of the Teacher Education program, which
dovetails perfectly with the mission of the College, is the
concept of social justice.
“We do not balk at taking students with whom we have to
work hard… whom we have to support in order for them
to succeed,” said Rudnitski. “And we want them to be that
kind of teacher when they go out into the field. Service,
servant leaders, servant teachers -- these are our priorities.
“We also plan to get involved with the College’s United
Nations program and we are looking to work with the
Sisters in Haiti to train teachers and principals for schools
there,” she added. “Like Saint Francis, we want to go into
the world preaching the gospel with action, and using
words if necessary.”
King James Bible Celebrated
Felician College celebrated the 400th anniversary of the
King James Bible with a conference titled “Holy Words”
on Wednesday, November 16, 2011.
Scholars from the College’s departments of English and
Religious Studies as well as guest experts gave readings
and lectures exploring and celebrating diverse perspectives
of this popular translation of the Holy Bible.
“The King James Bible is still the best selling
book of all time,” said Dr. Sherida Yoder.
“It is considered the most important
cultural influence of the western
world…it shaped our hymns, our
poetry, our aspirations.”
Dr. Mara Zukowski, Religious Studies presented
“Limitations of Language:
KJB’s Unintentional
Misogyny in Genesis
Creation” at the celebration of the
anniversary
of the King
James Bible.
5
Campus Chronicles
Felician to Offer RN to BSN
at Kimball Medical Center
L-R: Michael Mimoso, acting Executive Director, Kimball Medical
Center; Sister Theresa Mary Martin, President, Felician College; Art
Goon, VP, Enrollment Management, Felician College; and Dr. Muriel
Shore, Dean of Nursing, Felician College.
Felician College and the Lakewood-based Kimball Medical
Center have signed an agreement that will enable Kimball
nurses to pursue a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree
on-site at the Medical Center.
“I take great pride in partnering with Kimball Medical Center in offering our RN to BSN Fast Track Program to make
lifelong learning accessible for their nurses,” said Sister
Theresa Mary Martin, Felician College’s President. “In the
end, it is the consumers of healthcare in New Jersey that
will benefit most from our partnership.”
Felician’s RN to BSN Fast Track program offers courses
taught by a distinguished interdisciplinary faculty from
Nursing, Business, and Arts and Sciences. Students take
very specialized course work in Global Health, Business
Dimensions of Health Care, Computer Informatics and
Security, Health Care Policy and Politics, Nursing Research
and Leadership and Management. “Our innovative 17-month RN to BSN Fast Track Program prepares nurses for leadership roles in patient-centered care and management,” said Muriel Shore, Dean of
Nursing at Felician. “The recent Institute of Medicine Report on the Future of Nursing calls for 80% of nurses to
have a baccalaureate degree by 2020. Kimball Medical
Center is to be congratulated for their foresight in preparing their workforce to meet this goal.” The RN to BSN Fast Track program was established to
meet the needs of working registered nurses by offering
classes one day a week. Since 2003, Felician has enrolled 59
cohorts into its Fast Track Program. Kimball Medical Center will enjoy the distinction of being Felician’s 60th cohort.
In addition to offering classes at its Lodi campus, Felician
has cohorts at Monmouth Medical Center, East Orange
General Hospital, Mercer Country Community College,
Middlesex County Community College and Sussex County
Community College.
Destiny Barnette: Success
Through Hard Work
In Destiny Barnette’s senior season of women’s basketball
at Felician College, everything seems to be falling into
place. And for the suddenly high-scoring guard, her success has been no accident.
Barnette averaged 9.6 points combined for her first three
seasons as a Golden Falcon. She was scoring 20.0 points
per game in 2011-12, a total which tied her for the Central
Atlantic Collegiate Conference lead. On Jan. 28, she scored
her 1,000th career point, and ranked sixth among Felician’s
all-time scorers with 1,039 points. At that time, the Golden
Falcons were in first place in the CACC’s North Division,
6
Campus Chronicles
just took my workouts more seriously.
If you’re not in shape, how can you
compete?”
She credits Felician’s head athletic
trainer, Naoya Sato, for making a
marked improvement in her conditioning. Sato, also a certified strength
and conditioning specialist, says Barnette quickly became a star pupil.
“The purpose of training is to gain
endurance, speed, quickness, and
strength,” Sato said. “Destiny has
improved in all four components. This
year she was also able to improve and
motivate her teammates. It’s been a
pleasure to see her grow up as a person and as a basketball player.”
Her most recent successes almost
never happened. The summer before
her junior year, she was ready to quit
basketball to spend more time with
her daughter, Destiny Thompson, who
was 5 at the time.
“Being a Division-II athlete takes a lot
of energy physically and mentally, and
takes away a lot from family time,”
she said. “But the seniors who were
involved in the program made me see
the bigger picture -- that degree -- and
my parents told me they enjoyed seeing me do what I enjoy.”
Her extended Felician family has also
been a source of comfort.
and were already guaranteed a return trip to the conference playoffs.
“I recognized the fact that I was one of only two seniors,
and it was my time for it to be my team,” Barnette said of
her offensive explosion. “I was never an offensive player,
but shots have to come from somewhere, and when I realized all my seniors (from 2010-11) were gone, it quickly
became second nature.”
Barnette, a Paterson native who attended Passaic Tech,
attributes a great deal of her success to simply taking better
advantage of the resources around her.
“It was good to make use of Felician
resources like the counseling center,”
Barnette said. “Coach (Steve) Fagan is
great on and off the floor. He always
brings his family around, he pushes
community service -- he just pushes us
to become better people, and that all
Destiny Barnette
comes out on the floor. And one of the
most relaxing things (about Felician)
for me is Sister T (Sr. Theresa Soltys
from Campus Ministry). She brings a sense of love and
compassion, which is important at such a small school.”
After drawing from many sources of inspiration both on
campus and off, Barnette is poised for a strong finish. She
is on track for her bachelor’s degree in “sociology.” The
nightly basketball challenges, she says, are what she will
miss the most when her career is over.
“You don’t know what Division-II is like until you experience it,” Barnette said. “You’ve gotta show up every night.
The competition is what makes it fun, and I love to compete.”
“My work ethic has improved the last two off-seasons,”
she said. “I worked more on the offensive end, but I also
7
Franciscan Heritage
I remember thinking that it
would be impossible to hear the
Mass. But as soon as it began,
it was as if someone had hit the
mute button; everyone around us
became silent. I was amazed at
how everyone came together and
united for a worship ceremony.” Emmanuel “Manny” Rosas, an
Accounting major, said that the
experience taught him much.
“We had the opportunity to see
and hear what Holy Father has
to share by way of advice to us
all,” he said. “We also had the
opportunity to visit Avila, home
of Saint Teresa, to see first-hand
where she was raised, as well as
some of her manuscripts, relics, and the church built in her
former home. We also visited the
Church of Our Lady of Almudena, the patroness of Madrid. The history and tradition
that resides within the church is unbelievable. It is a place
where you can actually feel what Jesus must have gone
through and what he did for us.” Catholic World Youth Day:
A Life-Changing Experience
By George Abaunza
Last year I traveled to Spain with five students to attend
Catholic World Youth Day. The event, which attracts
hundreds of thousands of youth from all walks of life, is
celebrated once every two or three years.
“This particular experience showed me how strong the
faith of the youth in the Catholic Church and Jesus Christ
is still,” said Nursing major Sruthi Vallikkunnel. “It was a
humbling experience seeing youth from different parts of
the world gather for one reason – God. Attending Mass
with over one million people and still hearing nothing but
the Mass was unbelievable. Hearing the Pope speak to us
and receiving his final blessing filled my heart with joy.
Listening to him helped me realize that God’s love is the
only love we truly ever need to fill the empty spaces in our
hearts, and that our faith is the foundation that our lives
are built upon.”
The students, who represented all four of the College’s Divisions, received partial scholarships to attend the gathering. The direct impact of the experience on their lives was
evident from their own impressions.
“I desired to be a part of this pilgrimage because I could
not think of a better way to build the strength of my faith
than by immersing myself with others who, although from
drastically different backgrounds and cultures, have the
same beliefs as I do,” said Janelle Biamonte,
a Teacher Education major who graduated in
2011. “World Youth Day gave me the opportunity to go outside the parameters of my comfort
and rediscover my faith in a new way.”
Maria Lopez, a pre-law, Philosophy major,
said she was almost at a loss for words when
asked to describe her experience. “To be in
the presence of our Pope was an opportunity
like no other. I can still close my eyes and relive
the moment when, after countless hours spent
sitting under the sun in Plaza de La Cibeles, the
Pope made his way to us,” recounted Maria.
“To be so close to the Holy Father was a lifechanging experience.”
“To get over a million young people to unite and participate in a holy event was amazing,” said Kelsi Ludwigsen,
a pre-med, Biology major. “When our group gathered to
attend the first Mass, people everywhere were talking. Top. (L-R) George Abaunza, Janelle Biamonte, Kelsi Ludwigsen,
Emmanuel “Manny” Rosas, Maria Lopez and Sruthi Vallikkunnel.
Bottom. The Catholic World Youth Day celebration was held in Spain
8
Alumni
CLASS NOTES
‘11 Cathryn M. Cavallo and Cory George Dunn
have set the date! The couple will wed at St.
Joseph’s Church in East Rutherford on July
4, 2013 and host their reception at The Westmount Country Club in Woodland Park, NJ.
Cathryn is a teacher at McKenzie School in East
Rutherford, NJ. Cory works with his father,
George Dunn, running the family’s plumbing
business - George Dunn Plumbing & Heat.
’11 Melissa G. Davis is focused on finding a job as a
social worker or secretary.
’11 Christina M. Demytrk is attending Seton Hall and
working towards a Master’s degree in Nursing with CNL
certification.
’11 John Dreher feels better equipped to face the mount-
ing challenges and complexities that evolve in his workplace
now that he has completed his studies at Felician. In the
future, John may pursue an advanced degree in business.
’11 Robert J. Ferrence is planning to buy a new RV
and travel for a while.
’11 Cristina M. Pinto has been named staff accountant
at MSPC Certified Public Accountants and Advisors P.C.
in Cranbury, NJ.
‘11 Celina Polkowski passed her state exam and is
now an emergency room nurse at Clara Maass Medical
Center. Celina is looking forward to a great career!
’10 Elizabeth Meringer is currently a kindergarten
teacher in Parsippany, NJ.
’09 Jason Romer continues to chase his professional
basketball dream! Jason attended an NBDL tryout last
summer in Chicago and was offered a contract making him
eligible for last November’s NBDL draft. Although he was
not drafted, he saw this setback as just a temporary deferment of the dream. Jason currently plays in the semi-professional Eastern Basketball Alliance with the New York
Wizards. He also works full-time as a desktop support
analyst for an investment bank in Manhattan.
’09 Renee A. Vecchio gave birth to a
beautiful baby girl on 10/11/11. Emma Rose
Vecchio, was 6 lbs, 12.8 oz and 19.8 inches
at birth. ’08 Joelle Palummieri is engaged to Donald
Prisco. Joelle is currently a 1st grade teacher in Lodi
public schools and Donald is a senior financial analyst at
the defense aerospace company, BAE Systems. The happy
couple is planning a summer 2012 wedding.
’06 Izabela Bacza was sworn into office as
Wallington Councilwoman on January 6, 2012.
Izabela also received her Funeral Director
License and has opened her own business,
Izabela Funeral Service LLC.
’05 Anthony Latona currently works in the food
brokerage industry and has also launched his own clothing
line, Flawless, in the spring of 2011. Anthony is involved
in every aspect of his new clothing line from designing to
attaching labels.
’05 Denise (Balady) Stefanelli was awarded a
plaque of appreciation from the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in October 2011. Three Confraternity of
Christian Doctrine (CCD) directors whose parishes bring
in the highest Holy Child Association per capita offering
to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson were given this
award, but Denise received first place. She is currently
the CCD Director of Madison’s St. Vincent Martyr Parish
and heads numerous programs for children and families
from pre-kindergarten through the eighth grade. Denise
is married to Michael Stefanelli, has a toddler, Nicholas,
and is expecting another child soon. The family resides in
Nutley.
’05 Lisa M. Van Es-Watkins and Joseph Watkins were
married on October, 29 2011. Lisa is a special education
teacher in Secaucus and Joe is a sales representative for
Anheuser-Busch. The couple currently resides in Secaucus, NJ.
’04 Lynette (Carpenter) Nichols is expecting a
baby girl on June 5, 2012.
’03 Donna (Moore) Hughes is a grandma
again! Her daughter gave birth to a baby girl
on September 8, 2011. Alaina Quaneesha Patrick, joins big sister Haliae, age 2. ’03 Colleen Jarvis was named to the Board of
Mickey’s Kids Charitable Foundation. The Foundation is currently raising funds for “Canine Assistants”.
Last year they sponsored one dog for a young boy with
MD from southern New Jersey and this year they hope
to raise enough money to sponsor two dogs. Colleen is
honored to be part of this great organization. These dogs
make all the difference in the lives of individuals who are
lucky enough to get one.
’00 Danine M. Bernardo-Meloni married Marco
Antonio Meloni on March 26, 2011 in East Hanover, New
Jersey.
’99, ’04 Susan L. (Caruso) Hilger is currently a special
educator at Garfield High School.
’99 Valera A. (Reed) Hascup, PhD, MSN, RNC, CTN,
CCES, received the Professional Leadership Award from
ONE NJ, Organization of Nurse Executives in NJ, on December 9, 2011.
’98, ’00 Lori A. (Johnson) Walker, Director of Alumni
Relations at Felician College, and her husband Robert, are
expecting a baby girl this June.
’95, ’99 Marlene Bauer Pissott was appointed chair
of the Women’s Institute Advisory Board by the Bergen
Community College’s Women’s Institute. Marlene has
been an active member of the Institute since its inception
9
Alumni
in 2009. She has participated in the Institute’s “Meet the
Experts Mentor Sessions” and recently presented a seminar “Marketing Self Sufficiency for Small Business” at the
Third Annual Women’s Institute Conference in October.
’93 Margaret M. (Michaliszyn) Cocuzza has
joined OHI of Lakewood and Toms River where she will
work with the medical team to handle all aspects of patient
care. Prior to OHI, Margaret worked as a nurse practitioner at the Minute Clinic of CVS for the Central NJ region
and the Trenton New Jersey State Prison. She is a member
of American College Nurse Practitioners, American Academy Nurse Practitioners and American Nurses Association
of Critical Care.
’93, ’97 Kevin Connors was inducted into the Pi Lamb-
da Theta International Honor Society and Professional
Association in Education on November 7, 2011. He is currently in a graduate program at William Paterson University and has a 3.9 GPA.
ing active! Presently, Regina is a Trustee at Saint Margaret of Cortona RC Parish and has also begun her term as
President of the Felician College Alumni Association. In
addition, due to a wonderful opportunity at the Felician
College Scholarship Auction, Regina became a character in
the James Patterson novel “Kill Alex Cross”.
‘78, ‘81 Ruth A. Wittman-Price has created a nursing
graduate program at Francis Marion University, worked
with the department to receive full accreditation and saw
last semester’s graduates pass their RN exam. In addition,
Ruth completed the LEAD program and was selected as
one of 20 candidates nationally to participate in a yearlong
program for upcoming educational leaders. She has also
published a book titled “Fast Facts for Developing a Nursing Academic Portfolio” and has given presentations and
written articles on many nurse- related topics.
’71 Wanda E. Gozdz was appointed to the
’92, ’11 Carmen R. Costa completed the Business
Graduate Program at Felician College in September 2011
and received her MBA.
’90, ’04 William Dorrity is currently attending Hudson
County Community College in Jersey City, NJ to prepare
for NJ Praxis for teacher certification.
’84 Colleen P. (Krull) Frankenfield was
appointed President and CEO of Pleasant View
Retirement Community in Manheim, PA by the
Board of Directors. Colleen joined the Pleasant
View staff as VP of Operations in May 2011.
Colleen will lead 350 employees who serve
430 residents to keep strong the great institution
inherited from the Founders more than 55 years ago.
She resides in Westchester, PA with her husband Joe and
daughters Ashley and Kaitlyn.
Florida Architecture & Interior Design Probable
Cause Panel (PCP) in February 2011. Additionally, Gozdz and her running partner Anna
ran the 40th Space Coast Half Marathon on
November 27, 2011. She finished with a time
of 2:21:18 and placed 9th (out of 51 racers) in the
60-64 age group. Wanda also completed the Disney
Princess Half Marathon in her personal best time of 2:20:02
and placed 16th (out of 204 racers) in the 60-64 age group.
Auction Exceeds Expectations!
’80 Rigica N. Constantindes and Stephen
R. Missbrenner wed on October 23, 2011. The
reception was held at the Upper Montclair
Country Club and the couple honeymooned
at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in the Grand Cayman Islands. Rigica was recently awarded “The
Presidents Award” by the United States Tri-States
Olympians Association at the Capsouto Freres Restaurant in New York City. This award was given to her for
outstanding dedication to her students at Union City High
School and for her continued support of the association.
’80 Joan A. Gillman’s workshop proposal “Rocket
Building is Out of This World”, has been accepted for the
first STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
Forum and Expo which was held in Atlantic City, NJ during the middle of May. Joan showcased the type of work
she does with her middle school students at The Calhoun
School in NYC.
Kaersten Deeds and Stephanie Holleran look over the many beautiful baskets in the silent auction.
More that $94,000 was raised at Felician’s 17th Annual
Auction on March 9, 2012. The annual event, which was
co-chaired by Steve Lo Iacono and Hon. Anthony Scardino
Jr., attracted over 200 alumni, faculty, staff and other Felician friends.
’79 Regina T. Coyle has retired from a medical sales
Guests enjoyed a sumptuous dinner and had the opportunity to bid on a variety of fabulous items during the live
auction portion of the evening. In addition, hundreds of
position with AMGEN, a world leader in biotechnology. Although she is enjoying her retirement, she is still stay-
10
Alumni
Thank You
to our Auction sponsors!
Cocktail Reception
H2M Architects, Alfred Sanzari Enterprises,
160over90 and Joseph and Cheryl Marino
Family Foundation Inc.
Journal
Felician Franciscan Sisters, Goya Foods Inc.,
Liberty Mutual and Sanzari Companies
Floral
Rosemarie and Lou Aloia and Foundation
for Free Enterprise
Valet
donated goods and services grouped in one-of-a-kind basket arrangements made this year’s silent auction one of the
most exciting in memory!
Felician College Alumni Association
Proceeds from the event will support scholarships for Felician students.
in memoriam
(top) Felician Council of Regents member Dennis A. Maycher shares
a moment with Trustees and auction co-chairs Anthony Scardino, Jr.
and Stephen Lo Iacono. The event attracted more than 200 alumni
and friends of the College.
’84 Fern D. Hemmert, December 28, 2011
’87 Ann Zimmerman, November 11, 2011
(middle) Michelle Budz, Kristen Carrion and Lauren Hunter are
among the many Felician students who benefit from the proceeds of
the annual auction.
’76 Camille (Bruno) Galanti, January 20, 2012
(bottom) Rick Dabagian of Action Graphics and Felician Trustee John
J. Mazur enjoy the sumptuous fare at the auction’s cocktail hour.
11
Sports
Keleenna Onyeaka
Fagan Named
Women’s
Basketball Coach
of the Year
Felician College head coach Steve Fagan of Howell has
been voted the 2011-12 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year by his
coaching peers.
Fagan, in his fourth year at Felician, earns a conference
Coach-of-the-Year award for the first time in his career. He
is also the first Felician women’s basketball coach to win the
honor in the Golden Falcons’ 13 years in the CACC. Fagan
is the second Felician CACC
Steven Fagan
Coach of the Year this academic
year, joining John Brennan of
men’s cross-country.
Fagan guided the Golden
Falcons to the CACC North
Division regular-season championship with a 14-5 conference
record. It is the first time in
program history that Felician
has finished in first place in the
league or division. Along the
way, the team set school records for consecutive wins (10)
and conference wins.
“This award is about our team,”
Fagan said. “It’s about a group
of young ladies working together for a goal. The head coach is only as good as his players
and his staff. The staff is the glue that keeps the program
together. It’s definitely a program award.”
Felician graduated five seniors, including first-team allconference selection Quay Baskerville, off of its 2010-11
squad that placed third in the CACC North. The Golden
Falcons were chosen to finish third again this season, but
instead captured the division by one game over pre-season
favorite Caldwell College.
Fagan is a native of Staten Island, N.Y., and a 1993 graduate of Pace University. He has made previous collegiate
head coaching stops at St. Francis (N.Y.) College, Globe
Institute of Technology, and John Jay College.
By winning their final four Central Atlantic Collegiate
Conference matches of the regular season, the Golden
Falcons finished sixth in the league standings and qualified
for their first conference tournament in five years. An upset
of No. 3 seed Dominican (N.Y.) College in the first round of
the playoffs brought Felician its first trip to the semifinals
since 2005. The season ended there with a 3-1 loss to eventual champion Nyack College.
Freshman defender Keleenna Onyeaka was chosen to the
All-CACC First Team. Senior forward Adrian Sutcliffe
and junior midfielder Josh Delva were All-CACC secondteam honorees, Delva for the second time. Onyeaka and
senior midfielder Kevin Sinic were named to the CACC
All-Tournament team. The Golden Falcons also placed
three players -- Sutcliffe, senior forward Mike Azzato and
sophomore defender Lau San Filippo -- on the conference’s
All-Academic squad.
Sutcliffe led Felician in scoring with nine goals and three
assists. A pair of freshmen, Rafal Krauze and Anthony
Tsouhnikas, spent time in goal, with each recording five
victories. The Golden Falcons set a school scoring record
with a 12-0 victory over Lincoln (Pa.) University in their
home opener on Sept. 8, with senior forward Jadean Blasse
becoming the first Felician male to ever score five goals in
one game.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
The 2011 Felician women’s soccer squad turned in the program’s best season in 10 years.
MEN’S SOCCER
The 2011 Felician men’s soccer team enjoyed one of its most
successful seasons in recent memory. With a 10-10 overall
record, the Golden Falcons tied for the second-most victories
in program history, and won its most games since 2002.
12
With an 11-6-1 overall record, Felician achieved its first winning season since 2001 and its most victories since that season. The Golden Falcons won their final three regular sesaon
games to go 9-3 in CACC play, setting a school record for
conference wins and finishing in second place in the league
standings. It was the team’s best placement since winning
the regular-season crown in 2001. The season ended with a
3-1 CACC quarterfinal loss to Dominican on Nov. 1.
Sports
Boston. Albano, who placed sixth in that race, and Vander
Wiele, who was 23rd, became the first Golden Falcon runners to ever make an NCAA All-Region team. Felician also
had its best finish ever at a regional meet, placing seventh.
Albano and Kicha were Academic All-CACC honorees,
both for the second time.
WOMEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY
The Golden Falcons’ 2011 women’s cross-country squad
fielded no returning runners from the previous season, and
featured a line-up of six freshmen and one first-year transfer. The team’s best finish was its eighth-place result in the
CACC Championship.
Junior Alyssa Collier and freshmen Sylvia Bialy and Lianne Rossi were the team’s top three runners.
Allie Couzo
The Golden Falcons spent one mid-season week ranked
among the top 10 teams in the Division II East Region by
the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. It
was the first regional ranking for any Felician women’s
program since the school joined the NCAA in 2002.
Junior goalkeeper Allie Couzo was elected to the All-CACC
Second Team. Couzo had one of the best seasons ever for a
Golden Falcon keeper, going 10-6 with a 1.37 goals-against
average, 5.88 saves per game, and four shutouts. Junior
midfielder JoJo Pisani was an Honorable-Mention AllCACC honoree. Felician put six players -- Couzo, Pisani,
sophomore forward Alysia Arcona, junior defender Jenn
Hesse, junior defender Jen Jimenez, and sophomore defender Katie McDermott -- on the CACC All-Academic Team.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Senior libero Ashlee DiSalvo made the CACC All-Academic team for the third time, the most possible. She was
joined on the squad by sophomore setter Gabby Migliore
and sophomore outside hitter Ann Scherer. DiSalvo was
also named the CACC Student-Athlete of the Month for
October, an award which combines scholarship, athletic
accomplishments and citizenship.
The Golden Falcons also ran a successful “Dig Pink” fundraiser to support breast cancer research on Oct. 20, raising
more than $700 for Susan G. Komen for the cure.
Sophomore middle blocker Alexa Scrivanich set a singleseason school record for attack percentage (.196).
Senior forward Stephanie Jimenez led the team with 10 goals,
and Arcona finished second in the CACC with 10 assists.
MEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY
Felician continued its dominance of the Central Atlantic
Collegiate Conference men’s cross-country scene. At the
league championship meet on Oct. 24, the Golden Falcons
claimed six All-CACC runners in winning the team title for
the ninth time in the program’s 12-year history. Junior Rob
Albano was named the conference Runner of the Year after
finishing first in the race.
Along with Albano, earning all-conferece honors were
junior Taylor Trumbetti (3rd place), senior James Vander
Wiele (4th), junior Tim Kicha (8th), freshman Keenan
Huggins-Filozof (9th) and freshman Stephen Omari
(12th). Head coach John Brennan was voted the CACC
Men’s Coach of the Year by his peers, and the Golden
Falcons were also accorded the annual Team Sportsmanship Award for the first time. Vander Wiele became the
third male in program history to be named All-CACC four
times, joining Alex Wright and Jay Rodgers.
More school history was made two weeks later, at the annual NCAA D-II East Region Championship on Nov. 7 in
Alexandra Scrivanich
NON-PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
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PERMIT NO. 809
hackensack, NJ 07601
262 South Main Street
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SEPTEMBER 24, 2012
26 T H A N N U A L
Felician College Golf Classic
Arcola Country Club • Paramus, New Jersey
Call 201-355-1306
This golf tournament sells out. Make your reservations now!