Faculty, Staff — Update, In Memoriam, Announcing, Welcome
Update
Bernard Dick, English/communications; coordinator, MA in media/professional communication; and co-director, art/media studies (Metro), is the author of Claudette Colbert: She Walked in Beauty, part of the Hollywood Legends Series published by the University Press of Mississippi, Jackson, Miss.
Harry Keyishian, English and director of editorial committee, FDU Press (Flor), has been invited to speak at an international conference devoted to William Saroyan’s centennial in Yerevan, Armenia, from October 6 to 10. Keyishian, who has written extensively about Saroyan over the years, will speak on “Saroyan and Immigration.” He is co-presenting “Undecided: A Film Series,” screenings of classic and modern films dealing with elections in the United States, on Thursday evenings at the Morristown (N.J.) Library beginning September 25. He
Stephen Armeli, psychology (Metro), co-presented a poster on “Mean Levels and Yearly Changes in Coping and Enhancement Motives as Moderators of the Negative Affect-Drinking Association Among College Students” at the Research Society on Alcoholism Conference in Washington, D.C. He also co-presented “The Moderating Effect of Affect Regulation on the Association Between Daily Pain and Negative Mood Among Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients” and a poster on “Alcohol Use Motives and Norms as Predictors of Drinking Level and Problems” at the Annual Conference of the Eastern Psychological Association held in Boston, Mass. Armeli is co-author of “A Serotonin Transporter Gene Polymorphism (5-HTTLPR), Drinking to Cope Motivation, and Negative Life Events Among College Students,” in press with the Journal Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
Paulette Laubsch, administrative science and director, MS in homeland security (Metro), was interviewed on security training by Government Security News. Laubsch and Ronald Calissi, executive associate dean for off-campus credit programs, Petrocelli College, and director, administrative science (Metro/Flor), attended a University and Agency Partnership Initiative Annual Conference at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif.
Christopher Capuano, psychology; director, psychology; and vice provost for international affairs (Metro), co-presented “Parents’ Expectations of Their Child’s Weight Loss” at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine in San Diego, Calif.
Faculty and staff from the College at Florham were among the honorees at the campus’s Student Government Association’s (SGA) annual Maddy Awards. The awardees included Michael Avaltroni, chemistry and chair, chemistry (Outstanding Service to the University by a Faculty Member); Jeff Gourley, food service director, Gourmet Dining (Outstanding Service to the University by a Staff Member); Kenneth Betz, economics (Adviser of the Year); and Eric Range, resident director, residence life (SGA President’s Choice Award).
Edward Babulak, information systems (Van), wrote two book chapters in Handbook on Heterogeneous Next Generation Networking: Innovations and Platform, which is currently in press with Information Science Reference. He delivered two keynote presentations: “Trends in Discrete Event Simulations,” at the conference of the European Modelling Symposium 2008 held at Liverpool Hope University, United Kingdom, and “The IT Age and Future Education,” during the 6th International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Applications in Stara Lesna, The High Tatras, in Slovak Republic. Two of Babulak’s conference papers — “Future Transport and Internet Technologies” and “Information Technologies in Transportation” — were selected and published in IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) conference proceedings in Austria and the United Kingdom. He also is scheduled to do a presentation on “IT Age and Future Communications Technologies” in the Second IEEE International Conference on Internet Multimedia Services Architecture in Bangalore, India, in December.
David Langford, director of athletics (Metro), will be among the honorees in 4G’s Book Club Inc.’s Fourth Annual Celebration of Men on September 21.
Andrew Eisen, psychology and director of undergraduate studies, BA/MA in general-theoretical psychology and Child Anxiety Disorders Clinic (Metro), co-wrote “The Unique Impact of Parent Training for Separation Anxiety Disorder in Children,” published in Behavior Therapy.
Leonard Grob, emeritus, philosophy (Metro), co-edited Anguished Hope: Holocaust Scholars Confront the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, which was published by Wm. B. Edermans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Mich. In the book, “13 Holocaust scholars — both Jewish and Christian — candidly address the challenges, risks and possibilities embedded in the discouraging, long-lasting Palestinian-Israeli conflict.”
In July, Lois Gordon, English (Metro), was a guest of the Cunard Line on the Queen Mary 2, where she gave three lectures on Nancy Cunard, great-granddaughter of the steamship line’s founder. The lectures were delivered in the ship’s Planetarium, taped and broadcast on the in-house television station during the transatlantic crossing from New York to Cherbourg, France. While in France, Gordon met with a French producer who had taken an option to film her book, Nancy Cunard: Heiress, Muse and Political Idealist. She also traveled to London, where she wrote a review of the play “A Slight Ache,” by Harold Pinter, with whom she met. An interview with Gordon conducted by a Chinese journalist was published in a popular Chinese magazine on high culture. A Chinese edition of the Cunard book is scheduled for publication. An essay Gordon developed from a speech she delivered during the Samuel Beckett Centenary Celebration at the University of New Mexico was published as part of a collection of essays from leading Beckett scholars worldwide. A manuscript she evaluated for Yale University Press was published, and Gordon’s comments were used in advertising and on the book’s dust jacket. Gordon also reviewed submissions for a special edition of Texas Studies in Literature and Language focusing on James Joyce and Samuel Beckett.
Samuel Feinberg, psychology (Metro), co-presented “ADHD Throughout the Lifespan” at the spring meeting of the Bergen County Psychological Association in Tenafly, N.J., and discussed “Writing in Psychology” as part of FDU’s Writing in the Careers Program.
In June, Harvey Lowy, computer science/management information systems (Metro), was named IBM Academic Initiative Faculty Spotlight Educator of the Month. The IBM Professor Spotlight recognizes professors across the globe who, in collaboration with IBM, have demonstrated a long-term commitment to teaching students emerging technology skills.
William Roberts, social sciences and director, Public Administration Institute (Metro), was a judge of the Research Papers in History at the Beacon Conference for the Student Scholars 2008 held at Bergen Community College, Paramus, N.J. The awards ceremony is held annually to celebrate the best student scholar research at the community college level. He was guest speaker at the French Language Students Awards Ceremony held at FDU’s Metropolitan Campus. The ceremony was conducted by Kathleen Stein-Smith, director of public services, Weiner Library (Metro), who honored students in her French classes for their outstanding achievements during the spring semester.
“Interior/Exterior”
by Richard Castellana.
Paintings by Richard Castellana, humanities/fine arts and director, BA in interdisciplinary studies (Metro), are on exhibit in Edward Williams Gallery, Metropolitan Campus, through September 26.
Thomas Kennedy, creative writing, and Walter Cummins, emeritus, English, and editor emeritus, The Literary Review (both Flor), organized readings by Danish authors Benn Holm and Dy Plambeck and Danish poets Niels Hav and Pia Tafdrup in bookstores in Copenhagen, Denmark. Cummins and Kennedy read English translations of the Danish originals and also led discussions after the readings. Kennedy’s essay, “I am Joe’s Prostate,” published in New Letters was selected as the best essay published in an American magazine at the 43rd Annual National Magazine Awards sponsored by the American Society of Magazine Editors. The Association of Writers and Writing Programs sponsored a panel on Kennedy’s fiction titled, “Thomas E. Kennedy: A Lifetime in Literature,” at its annual conference in Atlanta, Ga. Six professors, writers and editors spoke about various aspects of Kennedy’s work.
Eamon Doherty, administrative science and director, Cyber Crime Training Laboratory (Metro); Joseph Devine, administrative science (Metro); William “Pat” Schuber, administrative science (Metro); Joel Liebesfeld, FDU alumnus (MAS’07 [Metro]); and Liebesfeld’s son, Todd, co-wrote A New Look at Nagasaki. The book includes both historical and personal accounts (of Doherty’s uncle) of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945.
At the meeting of the Spina Bifida Association of the Tri State Region, Judith Kaufman, psychology and director, MA in general-theoretical psychology (Metro), presented “Education After High School: Rights and Responsibilities to Accessing Accommodations” and “Cognitive Issues of Adults with Spina Bifida and Medical Care Management.” She also co-presented “Coping Style and Adjustment to College,” with psychology graduate student Sameena Groves, “Ethnic Identity and Adjustment to College,” “Parent Relationships and Adjustment to College” and, with Groves, “Athletic Engagement and Adjustment to College” at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Society in Chicago, Ill. Kaufman also was named to the editorial board of the Journal of School Psychology.
John Cowen, elementary education/reading and program coordinator, literacy (Metro), edited Doveglion: Collected Poems, commemorating the centennial of Filipino-American poet Jose Garcia Villa. As part of the centennial, Cowen and Luis Francia, Asian/Pacific/American Studies, New York University, will read and give a personal analysis of Garcia Villa’s poetry on Monday, September 22, at New York University’s Kimmel Center.
Howard Libov, film and assistant dean, Becton College (Flor), with the help of his students, created “Favorite Son,” a film about an aging minor-league baseball player who returns to his hometown, still haunted by a childhood secret. In connection with his film, Libov was featured in the article “Professor Makes Film with Students, Loaned Camera, Tiny Budget,” published at Bloomberg.com.
Over the summer, Vincent Varrassi, director, Regional Center for College Students with Learning Disabilities (Metro), did a policy podcast on the “Transition from High School to College for Students with Learning Disabilities” for the National Center for Learning Disabilities. He also participated in a teleconference series co-sponsored by the New Jersey Statewide Parent Advocacy Network, the New Jersey Department of Education and the New Jersey Office of Special Education Programs. He spoke on “Students with Disabilities and College: Whatever Happened to My IEP?”
The Sustainable Enterprise Fieldbook: When It All Comes Together, a collection of essays edited by Jeanna Wirtenberg, director, external relations/services, Institute for Sustainable Enterprise (ISE) (Flor), William Russell, research fellow, ISE; and David Lipsky, Silberman College, was published by Greenleaf Publishing, Sheffield, United Kingdom, and AMACOM Books, a division of the American Management Association. Authors and contributors to the book include Daniel Twomey, management and director of international partnerships, ISE; Kent Fairfield, management (Flor); Joel Harmon, management and director of research, ISE (Flor); Dick Knowles, Govi Rao; Terri McNichol; and Doug Cohen. The book will be launched on October 2, see College Happenings http://inside.fdu.edu/otw/0809/happenings.html.
Robert McGrath, psychology and director, PhD program in clinical psychology and MS program in clinical psychopharmacology (Metro), has been nominated to run for president of the American Psychological Association. He presented “Combining Binary Tests to Make Binary Decisions” at the Oregon Research Institute and “Response Bias. Uh. What is It Good For? Absolutely Nothin’” at the University of Oregon department of psychology, both in Eugene, Ore. He has written “Predictor Combination in Binary Decision-making Situations,” in press with Psychological Assessment and co-written “Concurrent Validity of the Candidate and Officer Personnel Survey (COPS),” in press with the International Journal of Police Science and Management. He also wrote “Should Psychologists Prescribe?” printed in the Open Minds Newsletter. McGrath and Cynthia Radnitz Bergstein, psychology (Metro), co-wrote “Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Major Depression in Veterans with Spinal Cord Injury,” published in Rehabilitation Psychology.
Nandita Ghosh, English (Flor), was guest editor of the International Feminist Journal of Politics, which focuses on the experiences of women writers, scholars and activists worldwide. She also wrote “Women and the Politics of Water: An Introduction” for the issue.
A biographical sketch of Kathleen Stein-Smith, director of public services, Weiner Library (Metro), will be included in the 50th Anniversary Edition of Marquis Who’s Who of American Women®.
James Barrood, executive director, Rothman Institute (Flor), and the Rothman Institute of Entrepreneurial Studies, have been recognized as a small business advocate by The New York Enterprise Report magazine.
In October, Teresa Montani, education; associate director, education; and director, learning disabilities (Metro), will be presenting at the Council for Learning Disabilities Conference in Kansas City, Mo. The first presentation will be on “Short-term Intervention for Students with Math Difficulties: Does it Work?” and the second presentation will be with Miriam Singer, education and director, QUEST (Metro), on the topic “Collaboration Between General and Special Educators from the Apprenticeship Teacher’s Perspective.” Montani will speak on “Response to Intervention: Beyond What Works” in Albuquerque, N.M., on October 23.
Katharine Loeb, clinical psychology (Metro), co-wrote several articles: “Family-based Treatment for Adolescent Eating Disorders: Current Status, New Applications, and Future Directions,” in the International Journal of Child and Adolescent Health; “Family-based Treatment of a 17-year-old Twin Presenting with Emerging Anorexia Nervosa: A Case Study Using the ‘Maudsley Method,’” in the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology; and “Subtyping Undergraduate Women Along Dietary Restraint and Negative Affect,” in Appetite.
Aixa Ritz; Michele Barto; Kirsten Tripodi; Donald Hoover; Joseph Tormey, all hospitality/tourism management (Metro); Iris Gersh, hospitality management (Metro); and John Hughes, hospitality/tourism management (Flor), attended the 2008 Annual International CHRIE (Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education) Conference in Atlanta, Ga. The conference’s theme was “Welcoming a New Era to Hospitality Education.” In May, Tripodi presented “The Importance of Consistency in Training and Service, How Can We Maintain the Standard of Services and Professionalism That Our Members Demand?” at the Club Managers Association of America Assistant Managers Educational Meeting.
Gonzalo Perez, coordinator of student recruitment/career development, computer sciences/engineering (Metro), was elected to the Guttenberg (N.J.) Board of Education.
Neil Massoth, psychology; Ruxandra Ritter, University College and graduate student, clinical psychology; and Debra Davis, graduate student, clinical psychology (all Metro), co-presented “Masculinity, Ego Development and Political Ideology” at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Society in Chicago, Ill.
On August 20, Denise O’Shea, systems librarian/technical support specialist, Weiner Library (Metro), discussed “Blogging, RSS and Libraries” at the Newark (N.J.) Public Library for a meeting organized by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association – New Jersey Chapter. In June, she co-presented “Federated Searching” at the New Jersey Library Association’s FutureTech Symposium for Libraries held at The College of New Jersey, Ewing, N.J. During the annual meeting of the New Jersey Library Association on May 1 in Long Branch, N.J., O’Shea talked about “Blogging, RSS and Academic Libraries: Applications and Technology.”
Ronald Dumont, psychology and director, PsyD/MA in school psychology (Metro), presented “Current Developments and Trends in Assessment of Learning Disabilities” and “Best Practices in Assessment and Diagnosis of Learning Disability” at the International Conference of School Psychology at the University of Crete, Rethimno, Greece. Dumont co-wrote “Differential Ability Scales — Second Edition (Neuro)Psychological Predictors of Math Performance for Typical Children and Children with Math Disabilities,” published in the journal Psychology in the Schools. He also co-wrote several chapters — “Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children — Fourth Edition,” “WISC-IV Subtests,” “Interpreting the WISC-IV,” “Stanford Binet Intelligence Scales — Fifth Edition,” “Differential Ability Scales — Second Edition,” “Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children — Second Edition” and “Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children — Fourth Edition Integrated” — for the book in Assessment of Children: Cognitive Foundations, published by Jerome M. Sattler, Publisher, Inc., La Mesa, Calif.
“What’s Wrong with CSI,” an essay by Roger Koppl, economics/finance and executive director, Institute for Forensic Science Administration (Flor), was published in Forbes magazine.
Left photo: Marie Roberts, fine arts (Metro), poses in front of one of her banners prepared for “Figment,” an an art exhibit on Governor’s Island (photo credit Eliza Rinn).
Right photo: One of Roberts’ works served as a backdrop at the Village Voice Siren Music Festival at Coney Island, N.Y.
Murals by Marie Roberts, fine arts (Metro), were included in The New York Times article on Steve Powers – Creative Time
Robert Vodde, director, criminal justice (Metro), successfully defended his dissertation for his PhD at the University of Leicester, United Kingdom.
At the Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting, Mihaela Leonida, chemistry and coordinator of preprofessional studies in the sciences (Metro), co-presented “Enzyme Electrodes Using Lactate Dehydrogenase Modified with Ionic Liquids,” with undergraduate students Sujan Shrestha and Amol Kafle, and “Metal-loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles with Antibacterial Activities,” with Gerhard Haas, University College (Metro), and undergraduate students Thong Vo and Sudeep Banjade. In July, Leonida chaired a section and presented “Media Used by Old Iconographers for the Control of Granulometry” at the 32nd American Romanian Academy of Arts and Sciences Congress in Boston, Mass.
In Memoriam
Andonis Decavalles, emeritus, English (Flor), died on June 9 at the age of 88. He joined FDU in 1961 as professor of English and comparative literature and retired in 1992. He is survived by his wife, Poppy; his three daughters, Anna, Maria and Gigi, and their husbands; and seven grandchildren.
Catharine Fogarty, retired librarian (Ruth), and BA’80 (Ruth) died on July 26 at the age of 89. She joined FDU in 1962 and retired in 1987. She is credited with creating the library’s New Jersey Room collection. She was predeceased by her husband, Cornelius, and her daughter, Mary Ellen. She is survived by her sons, Neil, John and Mark and grandchildren Elizabeth and Brendan.
Frank Krueger, retired gardener (Flor), died on June 8 at the age of 90. He was a professional gardener at the College at Florham for 41 years before retiring in 1998. Krueger was honored for the restoration of the campus’s Clowney Gardens and Italian Gardens. He was predeceased by his wife of 43 years, Margaret, in 1999, and six siblings. He is survived by his sister, Anna Jarosz, and her family, and several nieces and nephews.
Harry Marmion, retired business law (Metro), died on August 14 at the age of 77. He joined FDU in 1980 as vice president of academic affairs. He was also a professor at the Silberman College of Business until his retirement in 1992. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Patricia Hurley Marmion; his daughters and sons-in-law Elizabeth and Tierney Carlos, Sarah and Bruce Zabriski and Sheila and Don Breakell; and grandchildren Norah, Maeve, Niamh, Evan, Neal, Clara, Conor, Clare and Liam. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Harry A. Marmiano Scholarship Fund at La Salle Academy, 44 East 2nd Street, New York, N.Y., 10003, would be appreciated.
Jean Willis, emerita, history (Metro), died on July 6 at the age of 89. She joined FDU in 1964 as visiting instructor in history and retired in 1989. She is survived by 21 nieces and nephews and many grandnieces and grandnephews.
Announcing
Births
Dina Arela, admissions services clerk, undergraduate admissions (Metro), and her husband, Jeffrey, announce the birth of their son, Jeycob Emil, on May 29, 2008. He joins older brother, Jeydin Eman.
Amber Charlebois, chemistry (Flor), announces the birth of her daughter, Victoria Rose, on June 2.
Shweta Kulkarni Van Biesen, assistant to associate vice president, communications/marketing (Metro), and her husband, Peter, announce the birth of their son, Sayan Peter, on August 1.
Welcome
The University welcomes new full-time and part-time employees who joined FDU as of September 9, 2008.
Welcome to Rafael Alix, network analyst, University systems/security (Metro);
