The Aquin Players performed Once on this Island on March 4 and 5 on the stage of the St. Dominic School.
Live theater returned to Dominican College on March 4 and 5, 2022, with Once on This Island. Members of the Aquin Players theatre club, theatre students, and alumni performed in the Spring Musical on the stage of the St. Dominic School.
Director James Filippelli, Ed.D., Associate Professor of Fine and Performing Arts, said the return of live theatre to the campus indicated the return of normalcy,” The Aquin players of Dominican College originally staged this musical for a March 2020 opening. However, one week before opening, COVID placed it on hold for two years.” Six of the original cast members were able to return for the performance two years later.
Once On This Island is a coming-of-age musical with book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty. It is based on the 1985 novel My Love, My Love or The Peasant Girl by Rosa Guy. The musical is about a peasant girl, Ti Moune, who uses the power of love to bring people of different social classes together. It is set on a tropical island in the French Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean Sea.
March 7, 2022
Healthcare Symposium Focuses on Telemedicine
Joan Facelle, M.D., Former Rockland County Commissioner of Health and Vice Chair of the Dominican College Board of Trustees, moderated the 8th Annual Healthcare Symposium.
Dominican College’s 8th Annual Healthcare Symposium focused on Issues in the New Age of Telemedicine. The Zoom symposium on February 23, 2022, highlighted concerns about telehealth delivery, data security, privacy issues, and insurance coverage.
In her opening remarks, Panel Moderator Joan Facelle, M.D., Former Rockland County Commissioner of Health, said the topic of telemedicine was timely because of the tremendous growth in remote medical visits during the pandemic. “Telemedicine and telehealth visits have grown rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns, and health risks due to COVID-19 made these visits very attractive with obvious benefits,” she said.
Patients were encouraged to check whether remote medical visits were covered by their insurance company and to get the response in writing. The panelists who participated in the symposium included Abigail Richman, Family Nurse Practitioner, Firefly Health; Ernie Garcia, Director of Informatics & EMR, Cornerstone Family Healthcare; and Adria Goldman Gross, CEO & Founder, Medwise Insurance Advocacy, Division of Medwise Billing, Inc.
February 24, 2022
True Black History Museum Comes to Dominican College
Students visited the traveling True Black History Museum in the Granito Center extension in celebration of Black History Month.
The True Black History Museum, which shows visitors a snapshot of the history of African-Americans through photos, videos, and artifacts, came to Dominican College on February 16, 2022.
Janay Craft, Director of Operations for the museum, said that the idea of the traveling museum is to bring the museum to the people. “The goals are two things: to preserve the history of black people and to show that African Americans do have value. Those are the two main principles.”
Craft said she received a lot of positive feedback from the Dominican College students who visited the museum set up in the Granito Center extension. Dominican College sponsored the True Black History Museum visit in celebration of Black History Month.
February 17, 2022
College Launches New Public Health Informatics & Technology (PHIT) Programs
PHIT Program Manager Carrie Boericke
Beginning in fall 2022, Dominican College students will be able to study the interesting and expanding field of Public Health Informatics and Technology (PHIT). PHIT is a multi-disciplinary field applying data science skills to solve complex health care issues and to improve public health outcomes. The College will offer a PHIT concentration in both the Health Sciences major and the Information Technology major, a PHIT minor, and a post-baccalaureate certificate program for adults.
The College’s Health Sciences program and the IT program in the Business Administration Division have teamed up to lead the PHIT Force. “This is a terrific opportunity to expand career options for Dominican College graduates,” said PHIT Program Manager Carrie Boericke. “Becoming a public health informaticist will open up paths that are literally just coming into view on the horizon – both in private and public sector institutions. Data skills will be key to success and social mobility for today’s students.”
The PHIT program at Dominican College is funded through a $1.9 million PHIT Workforce Program grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). Dominican College was one of only 10 higher education institutions nationwide to receive this funding. The grant aims to strengthen U.S. public health information technology efforts, improve COVID-19 data collection, and increase the diversity of the public health IT workforce.
Dominican College’s PHIT courses will begin with an introduction to PHIT, including a discussion of career options and case studies of how it can be used to address health disparities in communities. Students will then hone data and project skills in an emergency response role-play exercise, simulating a public health emergency. All PHIT Force students will have a paid internship to cap off their studies, recognizing that employers are looking for real-world experience in job applicants.
A consortium has been developed to help administer the program. The consortium, which may expand, now includes Bon Secours Charity Health System, CorEvitas, Cornerstone Family Healthcare, Mount Sinai Health System, EmpiRx Health, and the New York State Department of Health. Consortium members will provide internship opportunities and feedback to keep the curriculum relevant for evolving employer requirements.
Prospective students interested in learning more about the PHIT Force program at Dominican College should email Assistant Professor Carrie Boericke at carrie.boericke@duny.edu.
February 3, 2022
Outlook on the Economy Delivers Mixed News
Jason Bram delivered the annual Outlook on the Economy on January 20, 2022 via Zoom.
During Dominican College’s annual Outlook on the Economy forum, community members heard how the pandemic’s effect on the economy was much different than the typical recession.
Jason Bram, a Research Officer with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, spoke via Zoom during the January 20, 2022 forum. “When things plunged in March and April 2020, I think a lot of economists thought that it would look like a recession, that is that you would have this drop off, and then have this very, very gradual recovery like you had in 2009-2010 up until now,” he said. “But what in fact you saw, was a very, very quick snap back. “
Bram said employment has continued to rebound briskly across the metro region, housing markets have been exceptionally strong, and office markets have been exceptionally weak. In addition, he said businesses reported widespread price escalation amidst supply disruptions and labor shortages, but remain optimistic about the outlook.
Bram’s research focuses on the U.S. economy, with a primary emphasis on the Federal Reserve’s Second District, which includes New York State, northern New Jersey, and southwestern Connecticut, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
January 24, 2022
Athletic Training Professor Honored Posthumously by State Organization
Shown left to right: Ray Flores, President of NYSATA, Jenna’s husband Leland Hach, and Jim Crawley.
Beloved Athletic Training Professor Jenna Tacinelli-Hach was honored posthumously by the New York State Athletic Trainers’ Association (NYSATA) on January 8, 2022. Hach’s husband, Leland, accepted the Kent Scriber Recognition Award on her behalf. The award honored Jenna’s contributions to the athletic training profession. Leland said the recognition meant a great deal to her family.
“To know the appreciation that her students and peers have for her is humbling,” he said. “Those of you who know Jenna well know that she would have probably not been overly excited about receiving the recognition. She may have even recommended others more deserving. She definitely would have accepted the award by speaking at 10,000 words a minute. For someone who loved being in front of a class, she shied away from the spotlight in general. I don’t think the impact that she has had on the world in general, or the ATA world specifically, can ever be truly quantified.”
The award was presented at the NYSATA meeting at the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. Jenna passed away on August 26, 2021, after a lengthy and courageous battle with brain cancer. She was the Coordinator of Clinical Education for the former Athletic Training Education Program at the College for nine years.
January 19, 2022
Men’s Basketball Team Ranked #1 in East Region Media Poll
The 2021-2022 Men’s Basketball Team.
The Dominican College men’s basketball team has been ranked #1 in the Division II Sports Information Directors Association (D2SIOA) East Region Media Poll, announced on January 17, 2022.
At the time of the poll, the Chargers had a 10-2 record. The Chargers have held the top spot in the East Region Media Poll since the Week 3 poll. Dominican College has defeated three of the teams in the top ten with victories over #2 St. Thomas Aquinas College, #6 University of New Haven, and #9 Adelphi University.
January 18, 2022
Athletic Training Alumni Inducted into Alumni Hall of Achievement
Christine Friel, Frank Alexander, and Yen Pam were inducted into the Alumni Hall of Achievement.
In a tribute to the former Athletic Training Program at Dominican College, three athletic training alumni were inducted into the Alumni Hall of Achievement on November 14, 2021. The new inductees are: Christine Friel ’10, for Excellence; Frank Alexander ’10, for Leadership; and Yen Pham ’17, for Service. The former head of the Athletic Training Program Jim Crawley, presided over the ceremony. Crawley is now an Assistant Professor in the Health Sciences program.
Christine Friel ’10, for Excellence
Christine Friel is the Assistant Director of Sports Medicine at the College of Mt. St. Vincent. Prior to that, she worked at Long Island University in Brooklyn as an Assistant Professor and Associate Head Athletic Trainer. Friel helped oversee athletic training coverage for 26 athletic teams.
“The best advice that I have received was to pay it forward. Having the opportunity to teach students and mentor graduate assistants that have crossed my path has been my favorite experience so far,” she said.
At Dominican College, Friel was a gifted student, a member of the Athletic Training Honor Society, and took part in clinical work at the United States Academy at West Point. After graduation, she earned a Master of Science in Advanced Athletic Training and Sports Science from LIU and earned the Dean’s Award for Clinic Excellence in Athletic Training.
During the award ceremony, Friel credited her parents with teaching her to “work hard, always show up, and get the job done with the best effort possible.”
Frank Alexander ’10, for Leadership
Frank Alexander remembers being a young boy meeting former Yankees pitcher David Cone. When he told Cone he wanted to be a Yankee when he grew up, Cone suggested he have a back-up plan as well.
“So my fall-back plan was to be a New York Yankee and then figure out how I could stay around baseball. Athletic Training really held the key to that door for me,” said Alexander. Now he feels fortunate to do what he does every day. .
Alexander is the athletic trainer and physician extender for Dr. Christopher Ahmad of Columbia University Medical Center’s Orthopedic Department. He works with Dr. Ahmad in his roles as team physician for the New York Yankees, New York Boulders, and the New York Football Club.
Alexander said earning a bachelor’s degree at Dominican College was an important stepping stone in his career. He also earned a master’s degree in kinesiology from A.T. Still University in Mesa, AZ.
Alexander co-authored a book several years ago with Dr. Ahmad called “Understanding Tommy John Surgery and How to Avoid It.” The book is geared toward children in fifth grade and older.
Yen Pham ’17, for Service
Yen Pham was recently promoted to Head Athletic Trainer for the Westchester Knicks of the G League. The G League is the National Basketball Association’s official minor league basketball organization.
At Dominican College, Pham was a talented and dedicated student who was focused on her studies and learning new skills. Pham served as president of the Iota Tau Alpha Athletic Training Education Honor Society and graduated cum laude. Upon graduation, Pham was hired by the Westchester Knicks to serve as Assistant Athletic Trainer after having done clinical work with the organization.
Like the other speakers, Pham recognized the heartbreaking absence of Jenna Tacinelli-Hach at the ceremony. Hach passed away after a lengthy battle with brain cancer in August 2021. “I got the Service Award, when it really it really should be the Jenna Award,“ said Pham. “She gave everything she had to the program. I wouldn’t be here without her and Jim.”
Pham has continued to give her time and talents to Dominican College, and has mentored more than ten students since graduating.
A photo of the three inductees will hang in the lobby of the Prusmack Center along with other members of the Alumni Hall of Achievement.
November 30, 2021
Penn State Researcher Discusses Crisis Informatics at Dominican College
AnnMarie DelliPizzi-Citardi, Blair Hoplight, Andrea Tapia, and Chris Libertini prior to Tapia’s presentation about crisis informatics.
Students heard a fascinating description of how social media is changing emergency response from Penn State University researcher Andrea Tapia, Ph.D., on November 8, 2021. Tapia is an Associate Dean for Research at Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology. She is also a Fulbright scholar, has worked with the United Nations and NASA, and is the sister of Dominican College Psychology Professor Blair Hoplight, Ph.D.
Tapia described how as a scholar of crisis informatics she and her team are working to build a system to help emergency responders gather information from social media. “We are not trying to get rid of the 9-1-1 operators,” she explained. “We are trying to make sure that they have the best information possible at any moment.”
Using a number of real-life examples, Tapia illustrated how bystanders to an emergency sometimes post videos or photos to social media instead of calling 9-1-1. The system she is working on will gather that information for emergency responders. Two hurdles she must overcome – identifying which social media posts come from bystanders and determining which ones are trustworthy. Her advice to those who want to help in an emergency is to call 9-1-1 first and then turn on your geo-locator and use hashtags so your social media posts about the emergency can more easily be tracked.
Tapia’s presentation in the Fury Lecture Hall was part of the Sr. Michelle Nugent Lecture Series and was presented by the Dominican College Division of Social Sciences.
November 12, 2021
Charger Athletes Get Advice at Annual Basketball Tip-Off Dinner
The 2021-2022 Men’s Basketball Team with Guest Speaker Justin Kobay.
As the 2021-2022 basketball season kicked off, Charger athletes got words of advice on “Winning in Life On And Off The Court.” At the annual Tip-Off Dinner, Guest Speaker Justin Kobay, CPA, Partner/Business Manager of LL Business Management, shared how he built a fulfilling and successful career as a business manager to music industry artists, producers, and executives.
After speaking with the players on the men’s and women’s basketball teams, Kobay had high praise for the athletes. “I think it’s amazing. I think they are all very motivated, very focused, and hopefully I gave them some insight on the big picture,” he said.
The 2021-2022 Women’s Basketball Team with Guest Speaker Justin Kobay.
Among Kobay’s advice: it is never too late to do what you want, figure out your strengths, always be yourself, and learn how to network. LL Business Management is based in Lake Success, NY and has an office in Los Angeles. Clients include Grammy-winning artist Lil Nas X, producer Timbaland, and musician Boots Riley.
The Tip-Off Dinner was held on November 4, 2021, at the Pearl River Elks Club. In addition to Kobay, the athletes heard from Master of Ceremony and College Trustee Michael McLaughlin ’89, Men’s Basketball Coach Joseph Clinton, and Women’s Basketball Coach Bill Diener.
November 5, 2021
College Awarded $6.4 Million in Federal Grants
Dominican College has received two federal grants totaling $6.4 million from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). These grants were secured to establish the STEM Opportunities for Hispanic and Low-Income Students (SOHLIS) Project and a Public Health Informatics & Technology Workforce Development Program (PHIT Workforce Program) that both aim to increase the diversity of students entering these fields.
“As a Hispanic-serving institution, Dominican College is in a unique position to educate a diverse student body in high-demand fields and help contribute to a more diverse workforce,” said Dominican College President Sr. Mary Eileen O’Brien, O.P, Ph.D. “These federal grants will enable us to establish comprehensive STEM and public health informatics technology programs, which will both go a long way in increasing educational and career opportunities for our students.”
Dominican College was awarded a $4.5 million, five-year grant from ED to develop the SOHLIS Project. This project will establish student services and curricular programs to increase Dominican College’s STEM program enrollment, retention, degree completion, and career entry. As part of this grant, Dominican College will partner with Rockland, Westchester, and Bergen Community Colleges to strengthen articulation agreements.
In addition, ONC awarded Dominican College a $1.9 million grant to develop and establish a PHIT Workforce Program which will include paid internships and career placement for students. The funds will be used to develop a proposal, to be submitted to the New York State Education Department for consideration and approval, for a PHIT concentration within the Health Sciences and/or Information Technology majors. The PHIT Workforce Program is funded through the American Rescue Plan and aims to increase the number and diversity of students entering the field of public health informatics technology to improve public health reporting and address systematic health inequities.
October 5, 2021
New Inductees Welcomed into the Athletic Hall of Fame for 2021
Derek Funsch, John Clarke, Margaret Porter Hamilton, Tom Maloney, Dana Rotio, and Ryan Clancy.
Five talented athletes and an enthusiastic basketball manager were inducted into the Dominican College Athletic Hall of Fame during a ceremony on September 24, 2021, in the Granito Center. The new inductees included: John Clarke ’75, men’s basketball; Dana Rotio ’08; women’s basketball; Ryan Clancy ’08, men’s soccer; Margaret Porter Hamilton ’12, women’s soccer; Tom Maloney ’10, baseball; and Derek Funsch for service.
John Clarke ’75, Men’s Basketball
Athletic Director and Head Men’s Basketball Coach Joseph Clinton marveled at Clarke’s statistics and said he asked Clarke’s former teammates to tell him what made Clarke so good. Among the answers, said Clinton, were, “Tenacious, he had a fire that burned inside that he was going to make sure his team won, very skilled player, had every shot in the book…he did amazing things in the clutch, if his team needed him, it was done.”
Clarke ranks fourth all time in men’s basketball history in points with 1,700 career points. In 77 games, he had 331 total free throws, 609 career field goals, and averaged 23 points per game.
Clarke was a transfer student and said his biggest accomplishment at Dominican College was meeting his wife Dora who was a student here as well.
Dana Rotio ’08, Women’s Basketball
John Burke, Vice President for Student Development, described Rotio as one of the all-time greatest basketball players at Dominican College because she had the ability and instincts to leap, steal, make things happen, and change the game on a dime. “And most importantly, every year that Dana was here the program got better,” he said.
Rotio sits eighth all-time in the Sue Heller 1,000 point club with 1,265 career points. A four-year member of the Lady Chargers she earned both All-CACC and All-Met honors, along with being named the 2007 ECAC Tournament Most Valuable Player. In her 120 game career she hit 400 career goals, 103 career three-point field goals and 355 career free throws.
At the ceremony, Rotio said she learned so many lessons and values playing at Dominican College that have helped her be successful both on and off the court. “Discipline, leadership, hard work, determination, and resiliency, are some of the other values that were instilled in me during my time as a Lady Charger,” she said. “I learned that giving up was never an option. We were physically tough, but we also learned the importance of mental toughness.”
Ryan Clancy ’08, Men’s Soccer
Clancy’s father, Jim, presented his son at the induction ceremony and described him as a natural athlete who began playing soccer in the backyard from the age of three. He recalled that his son played soccer, basketball, and baseball in high school – but particularly excelled at soccer.
At Dominican College, Clancy was a four year starter on the men’s soccer team. He ranks second all-time in program history in assists and is fifth in total points and goals scored. Along with his place in the Charger record book, Clancy was a three-time All-CACC honoree, a three-time CACC All-Tournament pick and a three-time All-Region selection. He also earned two CACC tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards.
In accepting the honor, Clancy referred to the title of entrepreneur Grant Cardone’s book “Be Obsessed or Be Average.” He then followed up with this advice, “Whatever you do, be obsessed and if you are not obsessed with it, find something you are obsessed with. I was obsessed with soccer and it will forever be a big part of my life.”
Margaret Porter Hamilton ’12, Women’s Soccer
Former Women’s Soccer Coach Phil Fluhr said Hamilton was a fantastic player who was fast, tough, and had both good instincts and soccer intelligence. “She was so aggressive that in a sense she didn’t show any fear all,” he said. “She just played hard. She was aggressive. She dived in a lot. She challenged and I don’t think anybody could withstand her shoulder charge.”
Hamilton was a two-year team captain and two-time CACC All-Tournament honoree. She ranks fifth all-time in Lady Chargers history in goals and eighth all-time in career points. Hamilton earned two All-CACC selections and one All-Region accolades.
In her remarks, Hamilton said, “Everything with Dominican has been special to me. There’s been a lot of ups and downs and my team has brought me a lot of joy.”
Tom Maloney ’10, Baseball
Maloney ranks sixth in the Charger 200 hit club with 207 career hits. Baseball Head Coach Rick Giannetti said the number of hits puts him in an elite club of only 11 players in the history of the program. “And he was by far our best player on a team that was #1 from day one to the last day of the season,” said Giannetti.
Maloney was both an all-CACC and All-Region honoree, along with receiving a CACC All-Tournament selection and was on the ECAC Division II All-Star First Team. Maloney is ninth all-time in Charger history in runs batted in.
Maloney thanked Coach Giannetti and said they shared a passion for winning. “I never met somebody who hated losing as much as I did until we met,” said Maloney.
Derek Funsch, Service
For the past 11 years, Funsch has worked as the men’s basketball team manager. Funsch thanked the incredible coaches and players for taking him along for an amazing ride. “Thank you Coach Clinton for taking me under your wing. You have been a mentor, a friend, and you have filled my days here at Dominican College with joy and humor.”
Clinton said Funsch was a great friend, the players love him, and he gets everyone “fired up” during practices and games. “The theme with Derek is the energy, the enthusiasm, the commitment, the loyalty, the responsibility,” said Clinton. “He is the heart and soul of our team.”
Dominican College has received two federal grants totaling $6.4 million from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). These grants were secured to establish the STEM Opportunities for Hispanic and Low-Income Students (SOHLIS) Project and a Public Health Informatics & Technology Workforce Development Program (PHIT Workforce Program) that both aim to increase the diversity of students entering these fields.