College Holds Free Community Environmental Workshops Funded by O&R

Dominican College is holding free workshops to educate local residents about the environment and to teach them how to become good stewards of our communities.  The workshops are free and are funded through a grant from Orange & Rockland Utilities.

Regina Alvarez, Ph.D.,  Dominican College Assistant Professor of Biology and Instructor at the New York Botanical Garden, said that although many people are concerned about the environment, they often don’t realize how important nature is in cities and suburbs.  Nature, she stresses, is all around us, even in the most urban environments.

“We believe this workshop series will foster community wellness and a sense of connection to the natural environment in Rockland County,” said Alvarez.  “Learning about the world around us and how to care for it locally empowers the community to protect and advocate for the environment within which we all live. “

The workshops will take place at the Prusmack Center, 3 Campus Drive, Blauvelt, NY, on the Dominican College campus from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.  For more information, or to register for one or more workshops, please email DCWORKSHOPS@duny.edu

The four workshops scheduled are:

  • Introduction to the Biodiversity of Rockland County – Saturday, July 24, 2021  Alvarez will teach participants to recognize the biodiversity around them and to explore the connection between biodiversity and their well-being. 
  • Community Science: The People’s 21st Century Flora – Saturday, August 21, 2021  Daniel Atha, Director of Conservation Outreach, New York Botanical Garden, will discuss EcoFloras of North America.  This innovative model connects people to plant collections, nature, and urban biodiversity, combining existing knowledge from herbaria and libraries with real-time observations of plants and their ecological partners. 
  • The Natural History of Insects – Saturday, September 18, 2021  Ken Chaya, President of the Linnaean Society of New York and Instructor at the New York Botanical Garden, will delve into the world of the creatures that make up 84 percent of the animal kingdom. Participants will learn about the roles insects play in maintaining healthy ecosystems, as well as their fascinating life cycles and complex social systems.
  • The Unseen Universe: Microbial Diversity Under Our Feet – Saturday, October 16, 2021  Bernadette Connors, Ph.D., Dominican College Associate Professor of Biology, will guide participants in exploring the microbes from soil and water using next generation computational technologies.  Participants will also learn about the connection of microbes to environmental and public health.

The workshops are open to interested community members, local teachers, college students, and high school students.

July 19, 2021

Dominican College Teams Up with RCC to Help Students Earn Bachelor’s Degree

A modern technology center with many windows.

Dominican College and Rockland Community College (RCC) have signed a Dual Admission Agreement. The RCC Technology Center is shown above.

Dominican College and Rockland Community College (RCC) in Suffern, NY, have signed a Dual Admission Agreement to encourage students to earn a bachelor’s degree. The agreement guarantees that RCC students who successfully complete their associate degree will be admitted to Dominican College.

“This agreement helps to support and encourage RCC students who would like to eventually earn a bachelor’s degree,” said Sr. Mary Eileen O’Brien, O.P., Ph.D., President of Dominican College.  “We are committed to providing financial assistance and academic advisement to ensure that the RCC students have a smooth transfer to Dominican College. Ultimately, Rockland County and the surrounding areas will benefit with a more educated workforce.”

“Our partnership with Dominican College is another example of how we are working with regional institutions to ensure that our graduates can stay local and go far with an affordable, high quality educational experience that will provide them with a strong foundation for the career of their choosing,” said Dr. Michael A. Baston, president, Rockland Community College. “This agreement with Dominican College provides our students the ability to easily transfer to a prestigious four-year institution and take the next step in their career journey,” states Dr. Baston.

The agreement provides that:

  • RCC students who successfully earn an Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Science (A.S.), or Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.), will be guaranteed acceptance to Dominican College. The students are not, however, guaranteed acceptance to a particular program of study.
  • RCC graduates will qualify for a Dominican-RCC Transfer Student Scholarship of $3,000 to $12,500 for full-time study in any classroom-based undergraduate program. The award is renewable annually, provided students meet the terms of the scholarship.
  • The colleges will provide joint advisement to students to ensure that students are able to transfer from RCC to Dominican College without academic disruption.
  • Incoming freshman students who were not accepted for admission to Dominican College can “reverse transfer” to RCC, complete their associate degree at RCC, and then transfer to Dominican College.

    The Dual Admission Agreement takes effect immediately.  Interested students who sign an RCC-Dominican College Intent to Enroll Form will have dual admission to both colleges and receive advisement from counselors at both schools.

    Both Dominican and RCC are HSIs, Hispanic Serving Institutions, committed to Hispanic success in education and improving access to quality of postsecondary educational opportunities for Hispanic students; and to meeting the needs of business, industry, and government through the development and sharing of resources, information, and expertise.

    For more information, contact RCC’s Admissions Office at 845-574-4224 or admissions@sunyrockland.edu or Dominican College’s Admissions Office at 866-432-4636 admissions@duny.edu.

    July 14, 2021

    Head of Vaccine Development at Pfizer Delivers Commencement Address

    Kathrin Jansen in Commencement regalia delivering the Commencement Speech.

    Kathrin U. Jansen, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Head of Vaccine Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., delivered the Commencement Address to Dominican College graduates on Sunday, June 27, 2021.

    Kathrin U. Jansen, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Head of Vaccine Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., wished the Dominican College Class of 2021 “a lifetime of joyful learning and meaningful accomplishments” at the 67th Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, June 27, 2021,  at the Palisades Credit Union Park in Pomona, NY.

    During her Commencement Address, which was delivered virtually,  Jansen praised the graduates for persevering during an unprecedented time.  “You deserve recognition not only for having earned your degrees, but for having done so while contending with the extraordinary challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.

    Jansen then spoke about her experience with COVID-19 as a New York City resident who saw refrigerated trucks that served as temporary morgues lining a city block near her apartment.  “As chilling as the experience was for me, it was also a once in a lifetime opportunity to help save people’s lives,” she said. “As I walked back to my apartment the night I saw those refrigerated trucks, I decided that Pfizer would have to develop a vaccine to try to help end the pandemic.  What’s more – we’d have to do so faster than it had ever been done before.”

    Under  Jansen’s leadership, Pfizer developed the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive emergency use authorization for use in individuals 16 years of age and older from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It was developed in record-breaking time and is currently the only vaccine also approved for emergency use in adolescents 12 to 15 years of age.  Jansen explained that the vaccine was developed quickly without taking shortcuts by using a radical approach of carrying out required steps simultaneously,  instead of sequentially.

    The development of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is just the latest success in Jansen’s impressive 32-year career. She has also developed vaccines to fight the HPV virus and pneumonia. At the Commencement, the honorary degree of Doctor of Science was conferred upon Jansen in recognition of her remarkable contributions to the development of life-saving vaccines, her unwavering determination to help end a pandemic that has claimed more than 600,000 U.S. lives, and her steadfast devotion to science and data.

    Jansen ended her address by sharing with the graduates what she has learned since graduating. Her advice was: don’t waste time worrying; always trust your gut; value your alliances; express your gratitude to your valued partners; embrace opportunities and learn from detours and failures; and cultivate resilience. “It is abundantly clear to me that the Dominican Class of 2021 already has the quality of resilience in abundance,” she said.  “You survived a most difficult year and you are here with your friends and family to celebrate it – to celebrate you.”

    In addition to the undergraduate ceremony, graduate hooding and commencement ceremonies for Dominican College students earning advanced degrees took place on the Orangeburg, NY, campus throughout June.  A total of 525 students received degrees – 74 doctoral degrees, 109 master’s degrees, 340 bachelor’s degrees, and two associate degrees.

    June 28, 2021

    Class of 2020 PT Graduates Attain 100% Board Pass Rate

    For the third year in a row, 100% of Dominican College physical therapy graduates have passed the board exam within one year of graduation.  In addition to this achievement, the Class of 2020 Doctor of Physical Therapy students also had a 100% graduation rate.

    Emil Euaparadorn, PT, DSc, Director of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, attributes this success to a number of factors, starting with a revamped admissions process, “Besides looking at intellectual ability, we look at emotional intelligence.  We are looking for really mature students who will study – but more importantly – when they struggle, they will seek advice and listen to the advice of faculty.”

    Euaparadorn said that other improvements to the program included changes in curriculum, an increase in comprehensive, hands-on tests, and more intensive board preparation.  He says the clinical instructors have given amazing feedback on the quality of Dominican College students, and many students are offered jobs prior to graduation.

    Board exams are formally known as the National Physical Therapy Examination and are required to become a licensed physical therapist.

     

     

    June 3, 2021

    County Executives Upbeat During Palisades Institute Forum.

    Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus and Rockland County Executive Ed Day (shown here during a 2018 forum) both took part in the 2021 County Executive Forum via Zoom.

    After facing enormous leadership challenges over the past year because of COVID, regional leaders said they finally see the light at the end of the tunnel during the annual County Executive Forum on June 2, 2021.   The forum was held via Zoom and featured Rockland County Executive Ed Day and Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus.  Both Neuhaus and Day were very upbeat with COVID cases down, vaccinations rising, the economy bouncing back, and a strong housing market.

    Day said Rockland is looking beyond clinics to increase vaccinations, “The challenge now is to get ourselves out to communities to make sure that we get vaccinations to as many people as possible in whatever way is feasible.”

    The County Executive Forum is a long-standing tradition of the Palisades Institute and has been held annually since 2005.

    June 3, 2021

    NY Fed Researcher Discusses Economic Recovery After COVID

    Photo of smiling Jason Bram, wearing suit and tie and eye glasses.

    Jason Bram shared his thoughts on the post-pandemic economic recovery with community members on May 18, 2021, via Zoom.

    The message of the annual Outlook on the Economy presentation on May 18, 2021, was that the regional economy has shown signs of improvement now that COVID cases are down and vaccinations are on the rise.

    Jason Bram, a research officer with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, was the guest speaker during the Zoom forum.   “This downturn that has been declared a recession is much more like a natural disaster,” he said.  Bram explained that in a recession the recovery is very gradual.  However, he hopes the economy will turn around quickly following COVID, as it usually does following an earthquake or hurricane.

    Bram noted that consumer spending is up, the service sector is improving, and home prices have increased, except in Manhattan.  Inflation, however, is an area of concern.

    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.

    May 24, 2021

    Occupational Therapy Program Receives 10-Year Accreditation

    Three female students with a large poster on the campus quad.

    OT students during the Annual Research Poster Presentation on May 9, 2021.

    The master’s level Occupational Therapy Program at Dominican College has been accredited for 10 years – the maximum period that can be granted to an occupational therapy educational program. The determination was made by the Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), which accredits schools for five, seven, or 10 years based upon a self-study and onsite visit.  Pamela Story, OTD, Director, Division of Allied Health, said that  ACOTE considered compliance with 189 administrative, curricular, and fieldwork standards.

    “A ten-year accreditation is the highest level of accreditation that any occupational therapy educational program can achieve.  That a nontraditional weekend format program earned this level of accreditation under intense scrutiny and other challenges unequivocally affirms the high quality and rigor in its administrative, curricular, and clinical fieldwork content and processes,” said Story.  “I am so proud to be part of a group of brilliant, talented, dedicated, passionate, and expert faculty,  and an institution dedicated to supporting nontraditional programs that make a better way of life possible for those who would otherwise not have such opportunities. “

    As part of the extensive accreditation process, ACOTE interviewed administrators, faculty, adjuncts, current students, alumni, community fieldwork educators, and employers of graduates.

    May 20, 2021

    Baseball Team Wins CACC Title

    The Dominican College baseball team won the 2021 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championship on May 15, 2021 with a stunning 6-5 victory over the south second seed, Thomas Jefferson University, in a game played at Alumni Field in Philadelphia, PA. DC’s win secured the 18th CACC Championship in program history

    The game was scoreless until the top of the fifth inning when Dominican struck for a run on the two-out solo home run off the bat of second basemen Carmine Giordano (New Rochelle, N.Y.).  Jefferson would counter in the bottom half of the inning with the RBI single up the middle to make the score 1-1. Dominican scored in their half of the sixth inning as catcher Bobby Garbuio (Chappaqua, N.Y.) singled up the middle to plate Richard Paulino (San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic), who had led off the inning with an infield single and had moved into scoring position on an error to re-take a 2-1 advantage. TJU led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run over the left field fence to retie the score at 2-all and the game would remain tied until the ninth inning.

    In the top of the ninth, right fielder Brian Sanders (La Ceiba, Honduras) led off the inning with a single up-the-middle and later moved to second as Paulino was hit by a pitch to put two runners on with one out.  A walk issued to Garbuio loaded the bases for freshman left fielder Shane Hewlette (Deer Park, N.Y.) who delivered what would be a game-winning triple to center field that brought home all three runners to lift the Chargers to a 5-2 lead.  Two batters later, designated hitter Benjamin Meza (Miami, Fla.) scored Hewlette with a double down the left field line for the 6-2 lead.

    Jefferson rallied in the bottom of the ninth with three runs on two hits and a wild pitch and had the tying run on second base with two outs, but reliever William Espinal (Bronx, N.Y.) recorded the game ending strikeout for the win.  Hewlette, Sanders and Paulino all had two hits in the game, while Hewlette had a game best three RBI. Espinal picked up the win in two innings of relief, allowing three runs (none earned) on three hits and collecting five strikeouts. Starter Jaden Diaz-Lambert (Erial, N.J.) went five innings, allowing one run on four hits and recording seven strikeouts.

    For his outstanding play in the tournament, Hewlette was named the 2021 CACC Baseball Championship Most Valuable Player (MVP) and to the All-Tournament Team. Joining him on the all-tournament team from DC were: Sanders, Paulino, Diaz-Lambert and Espinal.

    The Chargers (19-13) earn the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA Division II East Regional Tournament slated to begin on May 27th.

     

     

     

    May 18, 2021

    Students Share Liberal Arts Research Projects Online

    Image of Liberal Arts Research 2021 website

    Students shared their capstone research projects on a website that showcases the research in communication studies, health sciences, and biology.

    Dominican College faculty and students were determined to move ahead with this year’s Liberal Arts Research Day after last year’s in-person event was cancelled due to COVID.  With hard work and ingenuity, students shared their capstone research projects on a website that showcases the research in communication studies, health sciences, and biology.

    “While this was something of a learning curve for both faculty and students, our Dominican students really rose to the challenge and created narrated posters, PowerPoint lectures with guided audio, and even digital video projects,”  said Mark Meachem, Ed.D., Director of the Division of Arts & Sciences.

    Meachem said the website offered some unexpected benefits.  Students learned how to quickly adapt their work and had a larger audience with more professors, family, and friends able to view the projects.   Because of that, the website may continue to be used even if Liberal Arts Research Day is held in person in spring 2022 as planned.  The event serves as a way for students to share their knowledge and also helps prepare them for graduate-level work and academic conferences.

    To view the students’ capstone research projects, visit:  http://courses.dc.edu/liberalartsresearch2021/

     

     

    April 30, 2021

    Men’s Golf Team Wins 2021 CACC Championship

    Freshman Alex Lundvall being presented with a plaque at the golf course.

    Freshman Alexander Lundvall was named the 2021 CACC Championship Tournament MVP.

    The Dominican College men’s golf team won the 2021 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Golf Championship held April 19, 2021 at White Beeches Golf and Country Club in Haworth, NJ.

    This is the program’s fourth CACC Tournament Championship with the others coming in 2001, 2002 and 2018.

    As a team, the Chargers finished with a combined score of 305 to win the CACC Championship, while Concordia College took second place with a score of 306.  Golde-Beacom College finished in third place (311), followed by Felician University (330), Chestnut Hill College (340), Thomas Jefferson University (345) and the University of the Sciences (354).

    Freshman Alexander Lundvall (Stockholm, Sweden) was the individual medalist with the low round score of 71 (-1).  On the front nine, Lundvall recorded two birdies on holes two and five and added a third on hole 11.  On the front nine, he finished with a 36 (-1) and followed with a 35 (E) on the back nine to earn All-Tournament honors.

    Alejandro Gomez Cervantes (Torreon, Mexico) finished in a tie for fifth place overall with a score of 76 (39, 37) to join Lundvall on the All-Tournament Team.  He recorded one birdie on hole 14.

    Freshman Nicholas Arrieta (Bucaramanga, Colombia) recorded a 77 to tie for seventh place and finish with three birdies on holes one, 14 and 17.

    Juan David Fajardo (Bogota, Columbia) and Daniel Acosta Murguia (Torreon, Mexico) both tied for 12th place after shooting an 81 on the day.  Acosta recorded a birdie on hole 17.

     

    April 21, 2021

    College Offers New Finance Major

    Dominican College will begin offering a new finance major,  beginning in fall 2021.  This new major is in addition to the other core major offerings for business students – management, marketing, and information technology.

    “We believe that the finance major will be quite popular,” said Ivan Rudolph-Shabinsky, Director, Business Administration Division. “Finance is an exciting field, with many new developments ranging from the crypto currencies and other block-chain applications to an increasing interest in sustainable investing.”

    Finance students might pursue a career as a financial planner, a wealth manager, a financial analyst, or a treasury department employee of a company or government agency, in addition to other finance-related jobs.

    For more information about the finance major, contact the Admissions Department at admissions@duny.edu.

     

    April 19, 2021

    Sterling Bank Foundation Awards Grant to Support Student Success

    Two OT students wearing masks speaking with classroom of students.

    Occupational therapy fieldwork students Chastity Kiely and Magdalena Yastion (left to right) teach students keys to academic success as part of the Take Charge! program. The students work under the supervision of OT Professor Catherine Cavaliere.

    The Sterling National Bank Charitable Foundation has awarded Dominican College a $10,000 grant to support programs that help students achieve academic success.  The grants will help pay for mentoring, tutoring, resources, and books to support students.

    “The Student Success Program, Charge Toward Success, and Take Charge! Occupational Therapy Program provide structure, accountability, and one-on-one support to students who are in need of it,” said Ryan O’ Gorman, Director of Retention and Student Success.  “Through these programs and one-on-one meetings with the occupational therapy fieldwork students, the undergraduate students feel more confident in their academics and improve their overall sense of well-being.”

    The new programs have increased student retention by as much as 17 percent and enabled students to stay on the path toward achieving a bachelor’s degree.

     

    March 25, 2021