Biology Students Research Work Published  

Madison Newman

Three 2022 biology graduates have had the research they completed at Dominican University New York published in Microbiology Resource Announcements, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.  Bernadette Connors, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, said students Madison Newman, Darlenys Sanchez and Anna Acosta studied the impacts of pollution in our local waterways and the persistence of potentially harmful bacteria in the water.  The students worked in summer 2021 and throughout the 2021-2022 academic year on the research.  The work was supported by a National Science Foundation grant to Connors (award #1950018).

Darlenys Sanchez and Anna Acosta

Connors said students who work on research projects at Dominican University have a unique opportunity to understand science from the perspective of research scientists.  It is particularly impressive that the students had two articles published.  “Publishing in a peer-reviewed journal means that other scientists in the field have recognized the quality and value of this work,” she said. “These publications not only promote science but are necessary to advance students in the STEM field, be it the workforce or graduate school.”

Two of the students, Newman and Acosta,  will start their Ph.D. in fall 2023.  Newman presented the work at the Beta Beta Beta NE1 regional convention at Elmira College in 2022, earning second place in the poster category.  She also presented the work at a joint lab meeting at UMass Amherst with the Ma Lab.  The papers published were titled “Taxonomic Profiling of Microbes in Glyphosate-Treated Sediment Microcosms” and “Amplicons, Metagenomes, and Metatranscriptomes from Sediment and Water.” 

March 19, 2023

Lady Chargers Win 2023 CACC Championship

The Dominican University New York women’s basketball team after winning the CACC Championship Tournament.

The Dominican University New York women’s basketball team won their second Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Women’s Basketball Championship in the last three years after defeating the top seed from the north division, Post University, 63-54, on March 5, 2023, The final game in the Championship Tournament was played at the Gallagher Athletic, Recreation and Convocation Center on the campus of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

Cayla Howard (Naugatuck, Conn.) poured in 21 points and eight rebounds to lead the Lady Chargers in the victory. Alexis Suarez (Poughquag, N.Y.) added 14 points, while handing out seven assists, grabbing five rebounds and swiping a pair of steals, as she was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Tanasha Mills (New City, N.Y.) followed with 13, as those three — along with Chidinma Ndukauba (Brooklyn, N.Y.) — were named to the CACC Women’s Basketball Championship All-Tournament Team.

Dominican held a 33-26 lead at halftime and led throughout the second half. Post, though, didn’t fold and pulled to within two at 54-52 with 2:30 remaining on a three-point basket from Haines. However, the Lady Chargers countered by scoring the next nine points including seven from Howard on five throws and a layup with just :28 left. The closing surge sealed the win and Dominican’s championship celebration.

The Lady Chargers held a narrow 11-8 lead after the first 10 minutes, but then went for 22 points in the second quarter in building the seven-point lead at the break. The teams played to a 12-all ledger in the third quarter before Dominican’s closing surge capped it.

Dominican was a hot 7-of-13 from beyond the arc including Mills‘ perfect 3-for-3 clip from deep. Howard was 2-for-3 as well.

March 10, 2023

Dominican University Secures $1.98 Million Federal Grant for Enhanced Technology

Russell Diaz, Chief Information Officer, works with student intern Romauld Alexander in the IT skills lab.

Dominican University New York has been awarded a $1.98 million federal grant to provide the campus community with enhanced technology, increased broadband access, and additional IT training and support.  The grant is part of the Biden Administration’s Internet for All initiative and comes from the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

The NTIA announced that 61 minority-serving colleges and universities across the country received grants through the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program.  Dominican University New York was the only institution of higher education in New York State to receive a grant.    

“We are so grateful to have secured this grant which will enable us to fund technological improvements on campus and will greatly enhance the educational experience of our students,” said Sr. Mary Eileen O’Brien, O.P., Ph.D., President, Dominican University New York.    

The project entitled “DU Connections: Building Broadband and IT Capacity” has a number of components. 

  • Wireless access on the Dominican University campus will be improved with the addition of wireless access points.  
  • The University will purchase hotspot access equipment, Wi-Fi extenders, and headphones to be lent to students for long-term use.
  • Additional IT staff members will be hired to offer technological training and support to students, faculty, and staff on internal systems such as Jenzabar, Blackboard, the DUNY app, and other software packages that support the educational mission.
  • Video cameras and podcasting equipment will be purchased to facilitate experiential learning with technology on campus and enhance remote learning. 
  • Additional student interns will be hired in the IT office to offer additional assistance to the DU community and to strengthen their skills. 

These activities will be developed and administered by a project leadership team that will be led by Russell Diaz, Chief Information Officer.   

March 1, 2023

Veolia Funds New STEM Program for High School Students

Bill Madden, left , of Veolia presents a check on campus to Regina Alvarez, Sr. Mary Eileen O’Brien, and Joseph Valenti.

Thanks to Veolia, Dominican University New York is partnering with Spring Valley High School on a new STEM program.  The company donated $10,000 to fund the program in which students will research the water quality at the Spring Valley Memorial Park pond and other sites. 

Regina Alvarez, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology, said the students will work at Dominican University, Spring Valley High School, and out in the field.  “They are going to learn how to do environmental testing and sampling of water and it’s going to involve several different things.  We have chemistry kits.  We are going to do DNA sequencing.  We are going to do microscope work.,” she said. 
“We are going to do very frequent samples to get a good picture of the health of the water body.”

The Veolia donation will be used to purchase equipment including bacterial analysis kits, microscopes, slides, filters, and DNA sequencing.  Chris Graziano, Vice President/General Manager of Veolia Water Operations in New York said, “We are committed to contributing to our local communities with the same dedication with which we service and protect their environment and economy.”

The program will expose students to STEM fields, let students do authentic research, and examine the state of a much-used pond as a service to the community. 
 

January 30, 2023

Dominican University Recognized as a Lactation Friendly Worksite

Sr. Mary Eileen O’Brien, President, tours the new Mothers’ Lactation Room in the Prusmack Center with Lisa Kayal, Director of Human Resources.

Dominican University was one of three Rockland County businesses and organizations recognized in January for being a lactation friendly worksite by Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert.

The announcement came after Dominican University opened a newly renovated Mother’s Lactation Room in the Prusmack Center where employees or students can pump breast milk for their babies. The equipment in the room was funded through a New York State Creating Friendly Communities (CBFC) Grant. 

“Dominican University is so pleased to announce the opening of our new Mothers’ Lactation Room and we thank the Rockland County Department of Health (RCDOH)  for all of their support in this very important initiative. This comfortable, convenient, and private location provides nursing moms with the supplies needed to pump and refrigerate milk for their babies.  We are committed to supporting all of our nursing moms who are balancing the demands of their personal life with work or education,” said Lisa Kayal, Director of Human Resources. 

Recognized worksites implement several steps to achieve Lactation Friendly Worksite recognition, including creating a written lactation-friendly office policy, implementing environmental changes such as designating lactation spaces and training staff, and supporting individuals while they continue to breastfeed and return to work.

.

January 23, 2023

Students Volunteer in El Salvador

Dominican University New York students returned to El Salvador in January to volunteer at summer camps after the trip was canceled for two years because of the pandemic and staff changes.  Three students traveled to La Union, El Salvador from January 2-11, 2023, to work with children at two camps. 

Dana McStowe, Director of Community Engagement & Leadership Development, went along with the students.  “We are there to bring joy to these kids and help them to have a great week.  This is something the children look forward to all year.  For a lot of them, it is a highlight of the year,” she said. 

The Dominican University students and Malloy University students assist the children with arts and crafts, music time, and sports.  After camp each night, the students also have the opportunity to interact with community members by having meals or attending mass with them. 

January 16, 2023

Coach Clinton Earns 500th Win

Head Men’s Basketball Coach Joseph Clinton celebrates his 500th career coaching win with his team and assistant coaches.

Dominican University New York Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Joseph S. Clinton, earned his 500th career coaching win on January 7, 2023, as the Chargers rallied from a 12-point deficit to defeat the Wilmington University Wildcats, 73-67, in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) action on Coach Baxter Court in the 15th Annual James Clancy Memorial Game.

The victory gives Coach Clinton his 500th career coaching win with his overall record now standing at 500-409 overall and improves his CACC record to 333-201.

At the time of the victory, Dominican was ranked ranked 16th in the nation in both the D2SIDA National Media Poll and the NABC National Rankings, and 14-1 overall and 6-0 in the CACC.

A Wildcat dunk put Wilmington ahead, 31-19, with 3:45 remaining in the first half when the Chargers rallied with a 10-0 run to close out the half and cut the deficit to 31-29.

Wilmington led most of the second half until a Wahaad Johnson (Brooklyn, NY) layup with 5:04 left to play put the Chargers ahead, 58-57.  That began a 17-9 game-closing run by Dominican to lift them to a 73-67 victory.  Johnson had five points during the run, including a crucial three-point basket.

CACC Player and Rookie of the Week, Javel Cherry (Poughkeepsie, NY) led all scorers and three Chargers in double figures with 17 points.

Seth Sharif-Brown (Hackensack, NJ) recorded a new career high of 16 points and had the team’s only double-double with 11 rebounds.  Johnson finished with 15 points, while Justin Copman (Cumberland, MD) pulled down nine rebounds, three assists and seven points.

January 13, 2023

Dominican University New York Receives Nursing Education Award

Nursing Professor AnneMarie McDermott instructing students.

Dominican University New York has been honored for its commitment to improving nursing education.  The University received the Assessment and Impact Award for Nursing Education from Skyfactor Benchworks, a Macmillan Learning brand.  The award celebrates the innovative ways that nursing schools create positive education experiences within their programs.   

Dominican University was recognized for maintaining one-on-one connections with students during the pandemic and purchasing a simulation lab to provide instruction for students. 

“Nurses provide hands-on care, support, and treatment for people when they’re at their most vulnerable, and successful nursing education creates nurses who are ready for that incredible challenge. Our team is pleased to recognize Dominican University New York, King University and Thomas Jefferson University as being best-in-class in listening to the needs of nursing students and teaching them how to deliver safe, quality patient care,” said Steven Ray, Vice President of Enterprise Solutions, Macmillan Learning. 

The three winners were selected using a multi-step evaluation process that included an analysis of multi-year assessment data by the Benchworks Analytics and Research Team.  The programs selected had the best results or best increases in performance as determined by survey scores.  Skyfactor Benchworks assessments are the most widely used programs in nursing education and have been available for nearly 25 years.

January 6, 2023

Dominican University Partners with SAGE Scholars to offer FastTrak Pre-Admission

Dominican University New York has partnered with SAGE Scholars to offer FastTrak, an innovative nationwide admissions program where colleges offer high school seniors a preliminary admissions decision before the student applies.

Emma Fortunato, Director of Admissions, said Dominican University was among a select number of colleges chosen by SAGE Scholars to participate in the inaugural year of FastTrak, which is a big benefit for students. “It takes away the stress of having to go through the application process and find out if you are going to be admitted,” she said.

Fortunato explained that FastTrak is only available to students whose parents work for companies that offer SAGE Scholars tuition rewards as an employee benefit. 

Dr. James B. Johnston, president of SAGE Scholars and creator of the FastTrak program said, “There is an emerging trend in higher education to simplify, streamline and make the college admissions processing time and cost efficient and less frustrating for students, families and the colleges.”


—

December 12, 2022

Dominican University Student Awarded Prestigious Research Stipend

Marlon Valverde-Suazo has been awarded a $5,000 research stipend, funded by the National Science Foundation.

 A senior Information Technology (IT) student from Dominican University is one of just 100 students nationwide to receive a prestigious research stipend funded by the National Science Foundation.    Marlon Valverde-Suazo was awarded a $5,000 research stipend to participate in The National Data Mine Network.  The goal is to ensure that students at Minority Serving Institutions have access to cutting edge courses, research opportunities, and industry partnerships.  Purdue University established The Data Mine, to teach data science to undergraduates from all majors. 

Valverde-Suazo has access to data science training materials, materials, and high-performance computing from Purdue University.  In addition, there are corporate partners who enable the students to learn data science with hands-on work.  Valverde-Suazo has been working with Bayer.  He meets remotely with his partners and peers for several hours each week.  “They have lessons and programs in which you learn all the coding language you need for the project,” he said. 

Valverde-Suazo hopes that this all leads to even bigger things in his future.  “I plan on trying to work at NASA or an aerospace or astronomy facility and this is one of the biggest steps to head me toward my goal,” he said. Jovan Zigic, Instructor of Mathematics and Physics, suggested Valverde-Suazo apply for the stipend because of his talent and passion for programming and software development. 

November 9, 2022

Students Learn Life Lessons from Former NBA Executive at Basketball Tip-Off Dinner

The Dominican University men’s and women’s basketball team’s with Tip-Off Dinner speaker Kevin Carr and Trustees Michael McLaughlin and Joe Charles

A former NBA executive was the special guest speaker at the 2022-2023 Dominican University NY Basketball Tip-off Dinner.  Kevin Carr, a former NBA Vice President and the Founder and CEO of PRO2CEO LLC, shared the lessons he has learned throughout his life with the men’s and women’s basketball teams.  He was an engaging speaker who held the student’s attention by often yelling out questions to the students and making them repeat the answers. 

Carr explained that he grew up in the projects and his parents had a total of 10 marriages among them. His mom dreamed of a better life and moved the children to Florida so that she could work at Disney.  She successfully built a career for herself there and insisted that Carr read and studied.  Carr’s brother became a college football player, but unfortunately did not have a back-up plan when he was injured, so he dropped out of school.  Carr regrets that his brother didn’t get the help that he needed. 

“What am I saying to you as young student-athletes? Ask for help if you are struggling,” said Carr.  “Talk to your parents, talk to the counselors, talk to the support office, wherever it is, if you have a problem while you are in school.”

Carr encouraged the students not to go to school to play ball, but to go to school to graduate, and stressed that talent is not enough.  By staying focused, and keeping out of trouble, Carr eventually became a successful NBA executive.  However, he later decided to create a new company PRO2CEO so that he could work out of his home and have more time for his family.  PRO2CEO is a is a career transition and business development consulting firm. 

The message to the student-athletes was that there are many ways to be successful in life. “It’s amazing to be an NBA player, but it’s also amazing to be an awesome Dad and awesome son, to be an awesome best friend,” said Carr.   

The Tip-Off Dinner was held at the Pearl River Saloon on November 3, 2022 and is an annual tradition to celebrate the beginning of the basketball season.

November 4, 2022

Dominican University New York Steps Up Commitment to Esports Program

The above photo depicts the anticipated design of Dominican University New York’s new Esports Arena.

Dominican University New York is stepping up its commitment to competitive gaming on campus with the construction of a new, state-of-the-art Esports Lounge and Gaming Center.  The Esports Center will be equipped with more than 24 PC stations, a streaming room, digital media stations, and a broadcasting suite. 

The University first entered the world of competitive gaming in spring of 2022, through a partnership with TeamMETA, a full–service esports management and development company. “As a TeamMETA–represented school, we not only teach and inspire, but we give schools access to play against some of the most well-known teams in the country,” said Christopher Leonard, owner of TeamMETA. “We are excited to help build something really special at Dominican.”   

The Esports Center will also include a practice area, as shown in the rendering above.

Dominican University Senior and Esports President DeAntae McFarlane said that the first season of esports at DU was a big success, “We have teams currently competing in Smash, Call of Duty, and Rocket League with more games to be added soon. It was so exciting to have key wins in our first season against D1 Baylor University and Florida Atlantic.” 

The esports program uses a team of coaches to provide the esports athletes with a rigorous training schedule and help them become better players. Each week, students learn a new skill based on their games of choice and skill levels.  Non-competitive gamers who just want to play for fun are also welcome to join the esports program. 

Construction of the new Esports Center is expected to start in spring of 2023 and be completed by next fall. 

Prospective students interested in learning more about the program should fill out this questionnaire.

October 18, 2022