Spotlight — Westbrook, Miller, Latson, Isquith
Randall Westbrook
Campus Coordinator, Community College Partnership, Raritan Valley Community College; Instructor/Adviser, Peter Sammartino School of Education
College at Florham
How long have you been at FDU?
Just short of 10 years (it will be 10 years in October).
If you could meet anyone in the world, whom would you pick? Why?
W.E.B. DuBois, [American civil rights activist, historian and author]. He was the first person in the United States to articulate the complexities of race and education — two issues that best define my intellectual interests.
What book or film did you recently enjoy? Why would you recommend it?
The book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. I am a fan of Doris Kearns Goodwin and have a curiosity about the psyche of Lincoln and his administration.
Something I’ve always wanted to learn is ...
… to play the piano.
My first job was …
… assistant cook in a nursing home.
One of the things I have in my refrigerator all the time is …
… cool, filtered water. It’s economical and environmentally friendly.
Complete the phrase: People would be surprised to know that I ...
… have performed on three albums as a singer or musician.
My biggest challenge is ...
… figuring out how to be brief in answering questions like this!
What profession other than your own would you most like to attempt, and what profession would you want nothing to do with?
I would like to be a professional sports coach. I’d like to see if my motivational techniques translate from the classroom to the playing field. I wouldn’t want to be a cliff diver. I’m not crazy about heights, and don’t have the technique to make jumping from jagged rocks safe …
Patricia Miller
Human Resources Employment Administrator
Metropolitan Campus
How long have you been at FDU?
Fourteen years.
If you could meet anyone in the world, whom would you pick? Why?
Joyce Carol Oates, because she’s my favorite author.
What book or film did you recently enjoy? Why would you recommend it?
Slumdog Millionaire: A Novel, by Vikas Swarup. It is beautifully written with a universal human insight.
Something I’ve always wanted to learn is ...
… how to write a bestseller.
My first job was …
… with Mutual of New York Insurance Co., in the commission department.
One of the things I have in my refrigerator all the time is ...
… cheese.
Complete the phrase: People would be surprised to know that I ...
… once was a pretty good tennis player.
My biggest challenge is ...
… staying on my daily exercise program.
What profession other than your own would you most like to attempt, and what profession would you want nothing to do with?
I would like a profession in art history, and I would not want to work in the meat industry.
Sarah Latson
Lecturer of Journalism
College at Florham
How long have you been at FDU?
Since fall 2007.
If you could meet anyone in the world, whom would you pick? Why?
It’s hard to choose just one person, but I keep coming back to Anna Quindlen [best-selling novelist and Newsweek columnist]. I like her writing style, and I would love to ask her for some tips about my own work. I’m a fan of her columns, especially those that relate to parenting.
What book or film did you recently enjoy? Why would you recommend it?
I have a two-year-old son, so I spend a lot of time reading children’s books. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is one of his favorites, and I think it has helped him with his ABCs. When I have time to read for myself, I gravitate toward essay compilations and memoirs. I recently reread The Year of Magical Thinking, by Joan Didion.
Something I’ve always wanted to learn is ...
… how to ski. But, frankly, I’m scared. I prefer solid ground.
My first job was …
… as a cashier at Kings Supermarket.
One of the things I have in my refrigerator all the time is …
… soda. I need my daily dose of caffeine.
Complete the phrase: People would be surprised to know that I ...
… recently bought a house in my hometown, right down the street from my parents. In a few years, my husband and I will send our son to the same elementary school that I attended.
My biggest challenge is ...
… time management.
What profession other than your own would you most like to attempt, and what profession would you want nothing to do with?
I’m a journalist by training, but when I worked as a newspaper reporter, I was always interested in teaching. At FDU, I get to combine both passions. I would not want to be a mapmaker because I have a poor sense of direction.
Irwin Richard Isquith
Professor of Biological Sciences
Metropolitan Campus
How long have you been at FDU?
Forty-one years.
If you could meet anyone in the world, whom would you pick? Why?
[American physicist] Richard Feynman. I would like to chat about diverse topics with him to appreciate the way his mind worked.
What book or film did you recently enjoy? Why would you recommend it?
“Slumdog Millionaire.” It’s an upbeat film (which is too rare), which shows an exotic part of the world and way of life.
Something I’ve always wanted to learn is ...
… how to be a better judge of people. I trust everybody (at least, initially).
My first job was …
My first full-time job after earning my PhD was assistant curator in the Department of Limnology at the Academy of Natural Sciences and consultant to the Franklin Institute, both in Philadelphia, Pa.
One of the things I have in my refrigerator all the time is …
… grapes.
Complete the phrase: People would be surprised to know that I ...
… watch too much television.
My biggest challenge is ...
… keeping focused on a specific problem or set of problems and not letting my mind wander unto tangents.
What profession other than your own would you most like to attempt, and what profession would you want nothing to do with?
I would like to attempt to be a civil engineer. I want nothing to do with being a physician.
