New Faculty Spotlight — Lents, Marenco, Martens, Zibulsky
Stacie Lents
Assistant Professor of Theater
College at Florham
How long have you been at FDU?
Fifty-eight days. I love the job.
If you could meet anyone in the world, whom would you pick? Why?
If I am allowed to revive people from the dead and take them out for a meal à la Caryl Churchill in Top Girls, then I’d certainly start with Jane Austen because of the wit, the women and the wonderful endings. (Incidentally, in this scenario, we’d be going somewhere really terrific like Per Se or Picholine, which would turn magically free for the evening.) I’d invite Marie Antoinette because of the cake, by which I mean the metaphor (although I’d hope that after all that, she’d be game for some dessert). I’d also like to be joined by the very not-dead Clinton (secretary of state, not former president), because I agree with her concession speech; it is time for the glass ceiling to be cracked, and she started us off with some hairline fractures. (I’m paraphrasing.) I would like both William Shakespeare and the Earl of Oxford to attend and, at some point between appetizers and dessert, I’d like the two of them to reveal who wrote what.
What book or film did you recently enjoy? Why would you recommend it?
Pride and Prejudice always. Anything by Anthony Trollope or Edith Wharton. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. They all understand something about love. (Different somethings.)
Something I’ve always wanted to learn is …
… Spanish.
My first job was …
… babysitting. (Also toddler sitting, teenybopper-sitting. Lots of sitting.)
One of the things I have in my refrigerator all the time is …
… very little.
Complete the phrase: People would be surprised to know that I …
… almost failed home economics in seventh grade. On reflection, people might not be that surprised. Sewing that button really got me.
My biggest challenge is …
… acute and chronic workaholism. I am also embarrassingly bad at field hockey, which I played in high school.
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 political speechwriter for a visionary, and I would like to coach said visionary politician in the delivery of these speeches. I would not like to be a professional field hockey player.
Julio Marenco
Senior Lecturer of Business, Latino Promise Program
Metropolitan Campus
How long have you been at FDU?
I have been an adjunct for four years prior to becoming full time this year.
If you could meet anyone in the world, whom would you pick? Why?
John F. Kennedy. I would love to have a conversation with him about the hows and whys of what was likely to be the rest of his presidency. Plus, it would be interesting to also know what his conversations with J. Edgar Hoover must have been like.
What book or film did you recently enjoy? Why would you recommend it?
I just recently watched the movie “Law Abiding Citizen.” Throughout the entire movie, you are on the edge of your seat trying to anticipate the next attack by the man who lost everything and has nothing left to lose. It’s a really good balance of action and drama because you see the crime-drama aspect as well as the action-film feel. It’s definitely a must-see movie!
Something I’ve always wanted to learn is ...
… how to speak one more language. I just recently traveled to China, and I am most likely going to start studying that language.
My first job was …
… a women’s shoe salesman for Thom McAn in Union City, N.J., during my sophomore year in high school.
One of the things I have in my refrigerator all the time is …
… leftovers from my mom’s cooking, which I managed to sneak out with.
Complete the phrase: People would be surprised to know that I ...
… enjoy running and have completed several races of different distances. My goal is to complete my first marathon by 2011.
My biggest challenge is …
… trying to keep my focus on completing a marathon and, just like everyone else, sweets.
What profession other than your own would you most like to attempt, and what profession would you want nothing to do with?
I always wanted to be an architect; however, math was never my strong point.
Martin Martens
Associate Professor of Management and Program Coordinator of Business Programs
FDU-Vancouver
How long have you been at FDU?
Three-and-a-half months.
If you could meet anyone in the world, whom would you pick? Why?
Elsa Davidson, current curator of the South Georgia Museum, located in Grytviken, South Georgia [in the southern Atlantic Ocean]. I’d like to meet her because it would require a trip to South Georgia. That would be a great way to do further research and collect more data on my research on Sir Ernest Shackleton and add new material for my presentations about his leadership.
What book or film did you recently enjoy? Why would you recommend it?
Climate Cover-Up: The Crusade to Deny Global Warming, by James Hoggan. This book just came out and is a great exposé on the coordinated efforts by a few organizations to deny global warming and confuse the public about climate change. This book demonstrates how these organizations have prevented substantial action from happening so far.
Also the movie “La Grande Séduction,” about a small remote Québec fishing village’s attempt to attract a doctor to the community. Québec films have a very different sense of narratives that are quite entertaining. The movie is also a very humorous look at the problems with medical care in Canada. Even with subtitles, it is just hilarious. If you understand French, the language-based jokes are side-splitting.
Something I’ve always wanted to learn is ...
… cabinet making.
My first job was …
… making pizzas for Ken’s Pizza in Gering, Neb. My hands still have scars from the burns caused when my hands slipped while pulling pizzas out of the ovens.
One of the things I have in my refrigerator all the time is …
… kimchi.
Complete the phrase: People would be surprised to know that I ...
… belonged to a Hawaiian hula group and have danced with the group at public events.
My biggest challenge is ...
… avoiding the urge to collect more research data when I should be writing articles with the data I already possess.
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 an oceanographer. Even though I grew up on the prairies, I’ve always found oceans to be quite fascinating. I would want nothing to do with oil-rig drilling. I was a roustabout for a couple of months back in 1980 to help pay for my undergraduate degree. It is an absolutely filthy job, I could never get clean after working for seven days, 12 hours a day.
Jamie Zibulsky
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Metropolitan Campus
How long have you been at FDU?
Eight weeks.
If you could meet anyone in the world, whom would you pick? Why?
Since I did not get the chance to meet President Barack Obama when he came to FDU’s campus, I would like to make up for that by meeting him at some point in the future. I have spent the past several years working with at-risk students in the public-education system, and talking to our president about current and potential federal initiatives that can help these children would be a wonderful opportunity for me.
What book or film did you recently enjoy? Why would you recommend it?
I really enjoyed reading Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout, a series of short stories that all either directly or peripherally involve the title character. I would recommend this book because it is thoroughly engaging, and I felt deeply invested in the outcome of each story. Interestingly, the main character is quite difficult to like and is not entirely sympathetic. Because the stories span over decades of her life, however, I ended up developing a deeper understanding of her perspective and enjoying the quirks of her personality more as I continued to read.
Something I’ve always wanted to learn is ...
… how to scuba dive. I will hopefully be certified by the end of this year and start off 2010 by going on an open-water dive in Mexico.
My first job was …
… working at a children’s book store, under the table, throughout late elementary school and middle school. I got an early start on my career as a reading researcher and shared some good book recommendations with the parents of my classmates!
One of the things I have in my refrigerator all the time is …
… healthy snacks. I enjoy eating food that is good for me, but have the disposition of a toddler and get cranky if I don’t eat every three hours. I always have yogurt, hummus and carrots or fruit handy for a morning or afternoon snack.
Complete the phrase: People would be surprised to know that I ...
… can’t whistle or snap, but can speak fluent Pig Latin.
My biggest challenge is ...
… finding time to enjoy all of the things that make for a balanced life — I am constantly trying to do a better job of staying in touch with family and friends, reading more “fun” books instead of “work” books, baking goodies and enjoying the outdoors.
What profession other than your own would you most like to attempt, and what profession would you want nothing to do with?
I have always wanted to run a bed and breakfast. Providing people with a cozy place to stay, delicious meals and snacks and advice about the best things to do in the area sounds like a very rewarding job, and I hope that, someday, it will be my “retirement” job. I have been lucky enough to work in a field that allows me to help others in a variety of ways for the past several years, and I would not want to have a job that did not provide such opportunities.
