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August 31, 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
Sterling Bank Foundation Awards Grant to Support Student Success
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
Palisades Institute Discusses Impact of COVID-19 on Women in Business
Tammy Jersey, President, TKJ Associates, was one of the panelists participating in the Palisades Institute forum on “The Impact of COVID-19 on Women in Business and Its Implications for the Future.”
The Palisades Institute held a Zoom panel discussion on “The Impact of COVID-19 on Women in Business and Its Implications for the Future” on March 10, 2021, as part of its continuing series on the pandemic’s wide-ranging effect on businesses.
Ivan Rudolph-Shabinsky, Director of the Business Administration Division at Dominican College and co-moderator of the event, said that the pandemic is creating a so-called “shecession.” “It’s hit women harder than previous recessions. When you look at every previous recession — it’s impacted financial markets; it’s impacted the goods-producing sectors where men have historically held the majority of jobs,” he said. “This pandemic has impacted pretty much the service sector most severely and that’s a sector that’s over-represented by women, so they’ve been hit in a big way there.” Rudolph-Shabinsky added that women have also been forced out of the workforce or had to adjust their work because of caregiving responsibilities for children.
The panelists all agreed that companies and businesses have had to be flexible and responsive to operate successfully through the pandemic. When it comes to lessons we’ve learned, Tammy Jersey, President, TKJ Associates said, “I think one of the most important things that companies have started to do, and need to continue doing, is be open to new ways of operating, which means being willing to be flexible, being willing to hear new ideas and experiment with them, and to remove responses that might have been there in the past, like ‘no,’ and ‘I can’t,’ and ‘but.’”
Other panelists included Susan Gerard, Director, Human Resources, SUEZ North America, and Kate Wysokowski, Regional & Community Affairs Manager, Orange & Rockland.
March 10, 2021
College VP Joins Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp. Advisory Board
Joseph Valenti, Dominican College Vice President for Institutional Advancement, has joined the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp. (HVEDC) Advisory Board of Directors.
The Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp. (HVEDC) announced on November 17, 2020 that Dominican College Vice President for Institutional Advancement Joseph Valenti has joined the HVEDC Advisory Board of Directors.
Mike Oates, President & CEO of HVEDC, said, “Developing a partnership with local educational institutions is important to grow the regional economy. We look forward to further developing a relationship with Joe and his team at Dominican College to help create and prepare a developed workforce that will keep skilled workers living and employed in the Hudson Valley.”
HVEDC is the leading economic development agency for the seven-county region of Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Ulster, and Sullivan counties. The public-private partnership markets the region as a prime business location to corporate executives, site selection consultants, and real estate brokers.
Valenti said he looked forward to working with the HVEDC Board and has long admired their leadership skills and dedication to the betterment of the greater Hudson Valley community.
December 4, 2020
Students Welcomed Back to Campus
All students had their temperature taken before moving into their residence halls. They are required to take their temperature and fill out an online screening form daily.
Dominican College welcomed students back to campus at the end of August following the COVID-19 outbreak and a move to remote learning in spring. The move came after a comprehensive, 32-page College Reopening Plan called “Dominican College – Moving Forward” was submitted to New York State, outlining plans to reopen the College safely. The plan was the culmination of months of work by the Reopening Coordinating Committee, led by Chair Sr. Kathleen Sullivan, Chancellor for External Affairs, in conjunction with the President’s Cabinet.
The committee was guided by the following principles:
- Dominican College will fulfill our mission and meet our standard of excellence.
- The health and safety of our college community are both paramount. Protecting our students, faculty, and staff is the starting point for each decision.
- We will be flexible and innovative in the face of evolving circumstances.
- We will heed our responsibility to ensure the College’s financial strength and stability.
The plan sets forth requirements for students, faculty and staff to wear face masks and to complete an online screening questionnaire, including a temperature check, each day they plan to be on campus. Additional protective measures include the presence of hand sanitizer at all entrances/exits and in high traffic areas, and frequent cleaning and disinfection of campus buildings.
Classrooms, the dining hall and offices throughout campus have been reconfigured and/or modified to allow for social distancing. In addition to face-to-face classes, students are able to take courses remotely with the hyflex and hybrid models of teaching. Furthermore, capacity in residence halls was reduced to ensure the health and safety of the College community.
Included in the plan is a Dominican Cares Pledge for students to commit to taking precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The pledge begins by stating, “Dominican College is a community of caring. Now more than ever, it is imperative that we all share in the responsibility for keeping our community safe. The conditions of the COVID-19 global pandemic require every one of us to commit to responsible actions and to being an accountable member of both the Charger and Dominican College community. “
Complete details of the reopening plan are available here.
September 4, 2020
Criminal Justice Professor Awarded Faculty of the Year Award from Honors Council
Tara Parrello, Ph.D., was recently named the 2020 Honors Professional of the Year in the faculty category by the Northeast Regional Honors Council.
The Northeast Regional Honors Council has honored Tara Parrello, Ph.D., as the 2020 Honors Professional of the Year in the faculty category. Parrello is Coordinator of the Criminal Justice Program at Dominican College and an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Sociology.
Since Parrello was secretly nominated for the award by two colleagues, the announcement surprised her. “I was absolutely floored, humbled, and completely blown away,” she said. “I didn’t even know this honor existed, so to receive an award never expecting it was so exciting.”
The winner of the award must demonstrate a dedication to honors education, be passionate about the honors program, and be an advocate for students. Parrello is a member of the Dominican College Honors Committee and has mentored students in the Honors Program.
June 16, 2020
College Administrators Raise Money to Construct Well in El Salvador
Dorothy Filoramo and Ryan O’Gorman met with local officials and members of the community in El Salvador to make preparations for a new well to be constructed.
Three villages in El Salvador will finally have access to a clean, plentiful water supply thanks to the efforts of two College administrators. Dorothy Filoramo, former VP for Institutional Advancement, and Ryan O’Gorman, Director of Retention and Student Success, are both members of the Rotary Club of Pearl River and were recently awarded a Rotary International grant of $27,000. That money coupled with the $58,000 they had previously raised will be used to construct a new well for the communities of Sol Naciente, Once, and San Francisco.
“The residents’ quality of life will improve with access to clean water for cooking, bathing, and washing their clothes,” said Filoramo. ”They have been relying on meager supplies and buying water. This will mean clean water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for three communities.”
O’Gorman added, “For us, we take clean water for granted because we turn on the faucet, there it is, and we drink it. Whereas for them, they are appreciative and want to assist us in bringing them clean water.”
Filoramo and O’Gorman established partnerships with Rotary Clubs in San Miguel, El Salvador and Pune, India, as well as with Dominican College and Molloy College to assist with the project. In addition, they have traveled to El Salvador several times to arrange for the purchase of land, for test drilling, and for a hydrological study. Filoramo and O’Gorman plan to return to El Salvador in January to be there for the beginning of the well construction project, which is expected to take two months to complete.
Each year, students and administrators from Dominican College and Malloy College travel to Sol Naciente to volunteer at a children’s day camp that is run by a Dominican Sister, Sr. Flor Buruca, of Amityville, NY, who grew up in El Salvador. It was during one of these service trips about four years ago that Filoramo and O’Gorman first discovered the need for clean water in the community and learned that the well used by residents was running dry.
September 20, 2019
High School Students Participate in Summer Science Program
Students in the RISE program are shown here removing invasive plants that are suffocating native and ornamental species.
Dominican College hosted a three-week summer research experience for high school students in July. The free program is called RISE (Research Immersion in Science and Ecology) and was generously funded by Orange and Rockland Utilities.
Biology Professor Regina Alvarez said the 15 high school participants in the program were mature, intelligent, and highly motivated to learn. “Our aim was to expose the students to different STEM and environmental science fields and to nurture and promote their interest in science,” she said.
During the first week of the RISE program, students were introduced to a range of STEM fields and careers through various workshops. Students then worked with undergraduate mentors and a scientist, to complete a project during the second week. The projects focused on the Sparkill Creek and included chemical descriptions, microbiological and viral genomics, and botanical and ecological surveys. The program concluded with students learning how to analyze data and prepare a poster presentation. On July 26, 2019 the students presented their work at Dominican College to their families, friends, and teachers.
August 3, 2019
Senior Class Gift Unveiled
Members of the Senior Gift Committee unveiled the 2019 Senior Class Gift, a new entrance sign to the College, on the eve of their Commencement.
A beautiful new sign at the campus entrance was unveiled on Saturday, May 18, 2019. The sign, which features the College logo in raised letters on a bright red background, was a gift from the Class of 2019.
The Senior Class Gift has become an annual tradition at Dominican College and is a way for graduating seniors to show their appreciation to the College. “Each senior class leaves a legacy at the College,” said Sal Pennino, Sr. Advancement Officer, who advised the student members of the Senior Gift Committee. “The students also learn about giving back to the College, which is important because the College relies upon the generosity and involvement of its alumni.”
Past senior gifts include the Charlie the Charger statue, the Hennessy Center flag pole, the Alumni Book of Remembrance, the Student Life Wall Mural in the Granito Center, and the Flame Art Sculpture.
The members of the 2019 Senior Gift Committee were Autumn Rogers-Vazquez, Bryanna Pimienta, Byany Vasquez, Christine Ditzel, Cliona Smith, Courtney Sakosits, Jovana Jones, Julissa Jones, Kelvin Rosario, and Stephanie Denis.
May 19, 2019
Students Present Research During Psychology Conference
Psychology students and professors pictured above participated in the Hudson Valley Undergraduate Psychology Conference .
Students in the Senior Seminar in Psychology class presented their Senior Research Projects during the Hudson Valley Undergraduate Psychology Conference on May 3, 2019, in the Prusmack Center.
Coordinator of Psychology Dr. Kelly Johnson said the students each gave a 15-minute “paper talk” or presentation. “Public presentations like this help students hone their presentation skills, as well as increase interest in a potentially new topic with people in and outside of Psychology. Sharing findings in this way is how we develop the field of Psychology,” she said.
Dr. Johnson said the professors primarily evaluated the students on the following: how well the reviewed literature supports their hypothesis; the soundness of the research design; the clarity and accuracy of the results; and the quality of the conclusions. The students were also judged on the quality of their presentation style.
May 5, 2019
College Hosts Regional History Conference
Dr. Michael Decker, Executive Director of Phi Alpha Theta, (left) with History Professor Christoper Libertini, at the Phi Alpha Theta New York-New Jersey Regional Undergraduate History Conference.
Dominican College hosted the Phi Alpha Theta New York-New Jersey Regional Undergraduate History Conference on Saturday, April 27, 2019 in the Prusmack Center. Phi Alpha Theta is a national history honor society.
The conference attracted students from eight area colleges and universities to present their papers. In addition to the three Dominican College presenters, there was also participation of students from Adelphi University, Georgian Court University, Marist College, Mercy College, SUNY-Albany, SUNY-New Paltz, SUNY-Plattsburgh, and West Point.
“An event like this is a great reminder that the liberal arts–and history in particular–are still very popular among students. It was truly gratifying to see so many students overflowing with passion to share their historical research and to listen to the research of other undergraduates,” said History Professor Christopher Libertini. “Dominican College proved to be an ideal venue to host such an event with its central location to so many area colleges and universities and its proximity to some of New York’s important historical sites dating back to colonial times.”
Students at the conference heard from keynote speaker Dr. Michael Decker, Executive Director of Phi Alpha Theta. Preceding the conference, there was a free walking tour of Old Tappan.
April 29, 2019