Acclaimed Christmas Concert to be Held on December 2

Each year, approximately 500 people attend the Dominican College Christmas Concert featuring the Rev. Alphonse Stephenson and the Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea.

A beloved Dominican College tradition continues on Sunday, December 2, 2018, with the Annual Christmas Concert featuring the Reverend Alphonse Stephenson and the Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea.  The concert will be held at 3 p.m. in the Hennessy Center on the Dominican College Campus at 495 Western Highway in Blauvelt, NY.

The concert features 40 classically-trained musicians, directed by Father Alphonse, who was the conductor and musical director of the 1980’s Broadway run of A Chorus Line.  The orchestra, which will be accompanied by three vocalists, is made up of some of the area’s finest musicians and performs concerts throughout the region.

Tickets for the concert are priced at $35 for General Admission, $30 for seniors and veterans, and $20 for students under age 22 with a school ID.  Concert tickets include a post-performance dessert reception.  In addition, a holiday buffet will be held in the Granito Center at 1 p.m. before the concert, at a cost of $20 per person.

To purchase tickets, visit https://dccollege2021.wpengine.com/christmasconcert2018/, e-mail specialevents@duny.edu or call 845-848-7406.

November 13, 2018

Basketball Season Kicks Off With Tip-Off Dinner

Tip-Off Dinner guest speaker Frank McLaughlin of Fordham University with his nephew Michael McLaughlin ’90, a former Charger basketball player and current Dominican College Trustee.

As the 2018-2019 basketball season was about to get underway, Charger athletes  were told that their character was their most important possession.  They were encouraged to have discipline and stay focused. The words of wisdom came from special guest speaker Frank McLaughlin at the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tip-Off Dinner on October 25, 2018.

Mc Laughlin is a member of the ECAC Hall of Fame and New England Basketball Hall of Fame.  He was a standout basketball athlete at Fordham University and was drafted by the New York Knicks.  His coaching career included serving as assistant coach at the University of Notre Dame and head coach at Harvard University.  McLaughlin then returned to Fordham to take over as athletic director.  In 2012, he was promoted to associate vice president of student affairs for athletic alumni relations at Fordham – a position he still holds.

“Winning is extremely important.  You are getting ready to start the season. You’ve got to understand that winning is important.  I get that because I’m from Fordham and Vince Lombardi was a Fordham man and there was nothing more important than winning – except winning the right way,” said McLaughlin. “I think you’ve got to remember that as the season starts.  Lombardi always preached to his team that it was God, country, family, and then team.”

Trustee and former Charger basketball player Michael McLaughlin ’90 explained that the idea behind the Tip-Off Dinner is to energize the players and have speakers that give insight into what made them successful.  He described his uncle Frank McLaughlin as an incredible human being.  “Were’ trying to give you guys role models, not just on the court, but off the court,” he said.

The Tip-Off Dinner was held at the Casa Mia House in Blauvelt, NY.

October 26, 2018

College Hosts Forum on Cybersecurity

The presenters at the Palisades Institute Forum on cybersecurity were Mikhail Falkovich, Director of Information Security, Consolidated Edison Company (shown on the left) and Tony Cetera, Chief Information Security Officer, New York University Information Technology.

Two cybersecurity experts shared their advice with business leaders during a Palisades Institute forum called “Cybersecurity:  Protect Yourself and your Business.”  The presenters at the forum on October 10 were Tony Cetera, Chief Information Security Officer, New York University Information Technology, and Mikhail Falkovich, Director of Information Security, Consolidated Edison.

Companies were advised to follow five steps when devising their security plan – identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover.  Even with planning, there is a danger of an attack, said Cetera.  “People are the weakest link.  I think that’s probably an important message that I want to send,” he said.  “You can put lots of tools and technologies in place, but if someone makes a mistake or clicks on the wrong thing because they are not paying attention, that’s when the attacker gets in.”

The experts recommended phishing testing, using benign emails, to find out which employees might be susceptible to an attack.  Another recommendation was that companies consider having cyber insurance.

October 16, 2018

Student Receives Statewide Award for Social Work

Senior Nelcy Garcia received the New York State Social Work Education Association (NYSSWEA) Student of the Year Award .

Senior Nelcy Garcia received the Undergraduate Student of the Year Award from the New York State Social Work Education Association (NYSSWEA) in October 2018.  The award is given in recognition of a student’s passion for social justice and dedication to academic achievement, college and departmental leadership, and service to diverse populations.

Nelcy said there are a number of factors that have contributed to her passion for social justice.  “Being an immigrant, having strong family role models, and my personal experiences of injustice, have all led to my acquiring a sense of responsibility and understanding that positive community involvement is my moral obligation,” she said.

Nelcy was recognized for her organization of a peaceful protest to highlight discriminatory hiring practices against people with disabilities.  She is also a member of the Rockland Immigration Coalition and interns at the office of New York State Assemblymember Ellen Jaffee, translating for constituents and working on projects related to children and families.

October 9, 2018

Annual Healthcare Symposium Focuses on Groundbreaking Cancer Treatment

Former trustee and cancer survivor Jon Prusmack, Dr. David S. Siegel, Chief of the Division of Multiple Meloma, Hackensack University Medical Center and Dr. Joel W. Beetsch,  Vice President, Global Patient Advocacy, Corporate Affairs, Celgene Corporation (shown left to right) were speakers at the 6th Annual Healthcare Symposium at Dominican College.

The 6th Annual Healthcare Symposium focused on CAR T-Cell Therapy – a groundbreaking new cancer treatment that has had promising results in clinical trials.  Former College Trustee and cancer survivor Jon Prusmack is one of just 20 people nationwide to take part in a clinical trial using CAR T-Cell Therapy to treat multiple myeloma.  One year later, Prusmack is cancer-free.

Prusmack opened the health symposium by telling his success story.  He started the clinical trial after his cancer mutated and chemotherapy, which he had been on for 15 years, was no longer effective.  “The end result is no chemotherapy.  You live a normal life.  Does it work forever? Nobody knows.  It’s still in clinical trials.  But for the one year, that I’ve been on it, it’s been terrific: live a normal life; work hard; no chemo; energy.  I just feel terrific,” he said.

The speakers at the October 5, 2018 event were Prusmack’s physician, Dr. David S. Siegel, Chief of the Division of Multiple Myeloma, Hackensack University Medical Center, and Dr. Joel W. Beetsch, Vice President, Global Patient Advocacy, Corporate Affairs, Celgene Corporation.  Celgene has worked on developing this new therapy.

Dr. Siegel said CAR T-cell Therapy is an enormous step forward for all oncology.  So far, the therapy has been tested only on blood cancers, however, clinical trials are beginning for treating solid tumors.  The therapy involves removing T-cells from the body and modifying the cells in a lab to be able to identify cancer cells. The modified T- cells are grown and expanded and then injected back into the patient.  The CAR T-cells bind to cancer cells and kill them.

The Health Symposium was held in the Fury Lecture Hall in the science center bearing Prusmack’s name.

October 6, 2018

Chargers Win CACC Golf Championship

In September, the Chargers won their third CACC Golf Championship in program history.

The Dominican College men’s golf team won the 2018 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Golf Championship held September 29-30, 2018 at the Deerfield Golf Course in Newark, DE. The Chargers compiled team scores of 298 both days to finish the tournament with a final score of 596 (+36) to win their third CACC Tournament in program history, after winning back-to-back championships in 2001 and 2002.

For alumnus Keith Prokop ’14, who coaches the team, winning the championship was a dream come true. “It meant everything. My goal for our college program here was to complete three things: win a CACC, win a Regional Championship, and attend a National Championship. This was the last thing on the list that this team needed to accomplish,” he said.

Coach Prokop attributes the victory to the players’ hard work and dedication, as well as to the great competition among his players. For the spring season, Coach Prokop hopes the players will improve both mentally and physically so that they have a chance to win the NCAA East/Atlantic Super Regionals and another chance to compete in the NCAA Division II National Championship.

 

 

October 3, 2018

New Inductees Welcomed into Athletic Hall of Fame 2018

Five individuals and one team were inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Friday, September 28, 2018 in the Granito Center.

A record-breaking team, four standout athletes, and one longtime coach were inducted into the Dominican College Athletic Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Friday, September 28, 2018 in the Granito Center. The new inductees include: the 2005 Men’s Soccer Team;  Brian Mackey ’08, Golf; Courtney Marks ’00, Volleyball; Corey Fleetwood ’96, Basketball; Rick Gianetti, Service; and Bobby Mulligan, Basketball.

2005 Men’s Soccer Team

The 2005 men’s soccer team holds the school record with 17 straight wins and won the first NCAA Tournament berth in school history.  The team was ranked in the top ten in the nation and first in the region by the New England Region by NSCAA. The team also retained its Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference regular season and tournament titles.

Former Assistant Soccer Coach Lou Fratello fondly remembered the players’ camaraderie. “They were brothers on and off the field. They were all together, all the time, and in the true sense of the word.  They were eating, sleeping, playing, working, pushing each other to be better,” he said.

In 2005 men’s soccer team played 20 games and gave up just 11 goals all season.

Brian Mackey ’08, Golf

Brian Mackey was the first athlete in school history to qualify for an NCAA National Championship and the first to win an NCAA Northeast Regional Individual Championship.  His list of honors includes: three-time Division II PING All-Region Northeast Team selection; four-time All-CACC honoree; 2008 Charger Award recipient; and four-time Dominican College Men’s Golf MVP recipient.

Athletic Director Joseph Clinton said even with all those awards, Mackey remains one of the most humble guys he knows. “With all the things he’s done, he doesn’t have a big head.  He’s a winner.  He’s a gentleman in every sense of the word,” said Clinton. “I can’t say enough good things about him.”

Mackey apologized for getting choked up when he spoke.  “There’s one honor that I have really cherished to this point and that was the fact that I got to play for my dad who is here,” he said. Wayne Mackey was the former men’s golf coach. Brian Mackey continues to play professional golf and won three tournaments in 2018.

Courtney Marks ’00, Volleyball

Courtney Marks was “phenomenal on the court” according to John Burke, V.P. for Student Development and Dean of Students, who coached the team when she played.  She had 3,115 assists – second in all-time program history.

Burke credits Marks with assisting him in coaching the team. In addition, he said Marks was a good student and helped to start several service projects, including the Big Brother, Big Sister Program, which continues on today. “She is small in stature, but has a huge heart and she really allowed our program to sustain a couple of good years,” he said.

Marks was a two-time recipient of the DC Women’s Volleyball Most Valuable Player Award.

Corey Fleetwood ’96 Basketball

Clinton, who also serves as head basketball coach,  thanked former player Corey Fleetwood for giving his heart and soul to him and said he will never forget it.  “He took the team and we got as high as 15th in the country and he kind of carried us on his back,” said Clinton.

Fleetwood thanked his father for instilling in him the love of the game, while always being kind and gentle.  Then he thanked Coach Clinton.  “He was my second father.  He was kind, but he was tough. He wouldn’t settle for anything except my best and that’s what I wanted to give him because he believed in me,” he said.

Fleetwood was a two year team captain, honorable All-American, three year All-CACC selection, 8th all-time in program history in rebounds, and a member of the 1000 Point Club.

Rick Giannetti, Service

Longtime Baseball Coach Rick Gianetti asked all his former players to stand at the induction ceremony and thanked them.  “I’m standing here because of you guys,” he said.  Now in his 27th year at Dominican College, Giannetti said, “I’ve spent more than half of my life here.  I owe everything in my adult life to this place – everything.”

Clinton said he was very proud of Gianetti’s accomplishments. “This is my observation with Rick.  He is a baseball guy.  Baseball has been his life.  The passion and love he has for the game is a marvel to watch every day,” he said. “He has the same passion and love of this game that he had when we first started.”

Gianetti has 784 Dominican College coaching victories; his teams have won 15 CACC Tournament Championships and made 10 regional tournament appearances.  His other accomplishments include being named ECAC Coach of the Year, nine-time CACC Coach of the Year, and six-time Regional Coach of the Year.

Bobby Mulligan, Basketball

Bobby Mulligan, a star basketball player who tragically died more than 30 years ago at the start of his senior year, was posthumously inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Mulligan had amassed 912 career points at Dominican College, and certainly would have reached the 1,000 point mark if he had played his senior year.

A letter from Mulligan’s sister, Mary Sue, who lives in California, was read during the ceremony.  “We are truly grateful for your recognition of Bobby.  Since his death, we have come to know the values Dominican College and the athletic division hold true and we are honored that you believe Bobby held these values as well,” she wrote.

Mulligan was a beloved student, remembered for his generosity and his volunteerism.  His good friend and teammate Billy Hofmann ’89 said the choice of Mulligan to enter the Athletic Hall of Fame was a “great choice and well-deserved.”

September 30, 2018

College Celebrates Founders Week

Father Brian Walker, O.P., sang a gospel hymn during his keynote presentation for Founders Week.

Dominican Friar and Itinerant Preacher Father Brian Walker, O.P., kicked off the celebration of Founders Week 2018 on September 24 with his keynote presentation, which addressed racism.  Fr. Walker talked about the life of St. Martin de Porres, who was of mixed race and is the patron saint of racial harmony.  Although he faced many injustices, St. Martin dedicated his life to helping others.  St. Martin had unique healing powers and founded a residence in Lima for orphans and abandoned children.

“When we have our doubts about whether or not we are being treated right,” said Fr. Walker, “let us take a lesson from him and ask the question, ‘Are we treating others right?’”

Fr. Walker surprised the audience by belting out a beautiful gospel hymn during the speech.  “If I can help somebody as I pass along, then my living shall not be in vain,” he sang.

Founders Week celebrates the spirit of the Dominican Order.  Other highlights of the week–long celebration include:

  • Walking in the Footsteps of Dominic — Students Jeantil Beltre and Sierra Sheridan spoke about their mission trip to Fanjeaux, France.
  • Living the Legacy – Wendy St. Felix, DNP, ’17 and 2018 Badami Award recipient talked to students about the effect a Dominican College education had on her life.
  • Spirit of the Founders Recognition Luncheon – Sr. Barbara McEneany and her sister Sr. Carmel McEneany, who passed away in February,  received the Spirit of the Founders award.
  • Preaching in Action – Dominican College volunteers prepared 10,000 meals to be distributed through local food banks and charities.

Founders Week concluded on Saturday, September 29 with the 68th Annual Dominican Sisters Festival, which featured games, food, and pony rides.

September 25, 2018

OT Students’ Invention Moves Ahead in Statewide Competition

Recent graduate Amanda Fortuna is shown here building a prototype of a battery-powered reacher. The invention was selected as a semi-finalist in a statewide competition.

An invention of Dominican College Occupational Therapy (OT) students has been chosen as one of 25 projects to move ahead in a New York State Department of Health (DOH) competition.   The DOH Aging Innovation Challenge encourages New York students to develop innovations to assist aging New Yorkers and their caregivers in completing activities of daily living.

Recent OT graduate Amanda Fortuna took the lead in submitting the idea for a battery-powered reacher, which was conceived with some of her classmates during an Advanced Practice OT course.  “Typically in field work or clinical scenarios that we’ve been in, we’ve seen that people are given reachers, but they don’t have the grip strength to maintain a grasp to pick up an item,” she said.

In order to become a semi-finalist, Fortuna had to submit a written proposal. For the next phase of the competition, Fortuna and former classmate Samantha Kromer are developing a prototype.  They must submit a video demonstrating the use of the battery-powered reacher for bathing, dressing, and meal preparation by November 1.  Five finalists will be awarded $5,000 and the developers of the top innovation will be awarded $25,000.

September 6, 2018

College Welcomes Class of 2022

Our Welcome Team of upperclassmen helped new students move into Hertel Hall on Freshman Move-In Day

The Class of 2022 has arrived on the Dominican College campus.  The new students moved into Hertel Hall and Rosary Hall during Freshman Move-In Day on Thursday, August 23.  They then attended a two-day orientation with many activities, including sessions on leadership and academic success, a game show, and a barbecue.

Melissa Grau, Director of Community Engagement and Leadership Development, said the Freshman Orientation is all about connections. “It’s about connecting with new people. It’s about connecting with this campus and it’s about connecting with themselves so that they are really able to find their place and succeed here academically, socially, and in every way,” she said.

There are 294 registered students in the Class of 2022.  The most popular major among freshmen is nursing, followed by biology, teacher education, management, and criminal justice.

 

August 27, 2018

High School Students Attend STEM Camp at College

Dominican College junior Tahinah Lamour (left) is shown here mentoring Spring Valley High School students to help them extract DNA from water samples collected in local ponds.

Twelve Rockland high school students are attending a 3-week science camp at the College this summer.  The experience is called RISE (Research Immersion in Science and Ecology) and is being held on campus from July 22 through August 10.  The program is free and was funded through a generous grant from Orange and Rockland Utilities.

“The program is important because it’s exposing high school students to the sciences and they are doing hands-on projects that they may not have the opportunity to do somewhere else,” said Biology Professor Regina Alvarez.

The students are taking samples of the Sparkill Creek and local ponds and using microbiology and chemistry to analyze the samples in the College laboratories.  The students are also studying the biodiversity of the area with botanical and ecological surveys. In addition to the three College professors working with the students, five Dominican College students are working as mentors with the high school students.  On Friday, August 10, the high school students will present their findings during a ceremony in the Lawrence Room in Rosary Hall at 7 p.m.  Family and friends are invited to attend.

August 1, 2018

College Offers New Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences Degree

Dominican College will begin offering a new undergraduate degree this fall – a Bachelor of Science in the Health Sciences.  The College recently received approval to begin offering the new degree from the New York State Education Department.   This degree furthers Dominican College’s long tradition of providing top-notch educational programs, particularly in the fields of healthcare.

Students who study Health Sciences can pursue degrees in a number of Allied Health professions, such as Physical Therapy (PT), Occupational Therapy (OT), Athletic Training, Speech-Language Pathology, or Physician Assistant.

Director of the Allied Health Division Pamela Story, OTD, OTR/L, said there are three tracks offered within the new Health Sciences Program.  “We have two tracks specifically designated as pre-professional tracks – one for OT and one for PT,” said Story.  “There is a third general track that has a lot of flexibility in it and a lot of space for electives.” The students in the third track can use the electives to take pre-requisites for graduate studies in other fields such as speech-language pathology or athletic training.

Dominican College offers a Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy and a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.  Most students in those advanced programs earned their undergraduate degrees at other institutions.  Students earning the new B.S. in Health Sciences degree at Dominican College may now decide to apply for the OT and PT graduate programs at Dominican College as well.

For more information about the new Health Sciences Program, please contact our office of Admissions at admissions@duny.edu or 1-866-4DC-INFO.

July 13, 2018