Inside - Rockland Community College

SCENE
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Fall
2015
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
For Friends and Alumni
3D Printing Smart Lab Boosts Regional Economic Development
S
urgeons at NYU Langone Medical
Center and other medical facilities
in the region are now using body
part models created at RCC’s 3D Printing
Smart Lab, such as a shoulder blade, foot
and sinus cavity, to prepare for surgical
procedures and explore treatment options
with patients.
Brent Chanin, founder and chief
engineer at Goshen, NY-based Mediprint,
takes diagnostic medical images such as
MRIs and CT scans, converts them into
3D-printable computer files and sends
them to the Smart Lab, which prints a 3D
replica of the anatomical feature.
“There’s no alternative technology that
can do what RCC’s lab does,” said Chanin.
“Being able to submit a file at no cost, and
get a 3D model back in as little as 24 hours
is unheard of.”
Mediprint is just one of a broad range of
New York businesses that take advantage
of the Smart Lab, which opened in 2014.
Businesses have embraced the potential
of 3D printing to help translate ideas
into marketable products and revenuegenerating enterprises.
The Smart Lab in RCC’s Haverstraw
Center offers manufacturers a proof-ofconcept center where they can evaluate,
customize and expedite prototypes in a
sandbox environment. Its services are
free for New York companies. The lab
Models of an abdominal
aneurysm, a kidney and
an ankle printed in the
3D Printing Smart Lab.
Accurate models can be used
by surgeons in preparation
for surgical procedures
Brent Chanin of Mediprint in Goshen, NY holds a
model of an actual patient’s kidney printed in the 3D
Printing Smart Lab at RCC’s Haverstraw Center
includes four CAD workstations with
SOLIDWORKS software, three 3D
printers, one 3D laser scanner, and six new
classrooms, with additional equipment
anticipated.
For Tim Englert of Valley Cottage, who
fashions rustic furniture out of reclaimed
logs, the ability to map precise dimensions
and envision the final product via a 3D
model helps him sell his idea to clients. “It’s
difficult to overestimate the value of having
a visualization tool at my disposal,” he said.
Referring to a table he recently crafted, he
said, “It would have taken me hours and
hours of technical drawing.”
Some companies, such as Anka Tool
and Die of Congers, which specializes in
plastic injection moldings, use the Smart
Lab several times weekly to take advantage
of its convenience, flexibility and cost
effectiveness. “If someone comes to us with
an idea and they can get free prototypes
instead of having to pay $1,000 for a mold,
it’s a savings for everyone,” said Anthony
Piselli Sr., a mechanical engineer at Anka.
Cost savings is also a primary attraction
for Leslie Roeder, who operates a NYCbased design firm and contracting business.
“I wouldn’t be able to continue in my
profession without this inexpensive tool,”
she said. “If I had to pay out of pocket
for 3D printing, I would be thousands of
dollars in debt. For designers, this changes
our world immensely.”
For more information, contact Mike Kluger at
the 3D Printing Smart Lab 845-786-5340.
Inside
Survivor Tree
2
Grant for STEM in high schools
3
Police Use of Force
3
Appointments4-5
Students of Note
6-7
Alumni Spotlight
8-9
Awards10
Honoring Veterans
11
Irish Culture Events
12
SCENE | 1
AROUND CAMPUS
SENIOR FAIR
ON CAMPUS
State Senator David Carlucci,
Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul
and RCC President Cliff L.
Wood meet at the 2nd annual
Rockland Seniors Fair in the
RCC Fieldhouse on August
26, attended by nearly
1,000 senior citizens. The
event was hosted by RCC,
Senator Carlucci and District
Attorney Thomas Zugibe.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
LECTURE
USE OF FORCE:
DECISION MAKING BY NY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Thursday, Dec. 10
1:30 to 2:45 pm
Technology Center, Ellipse
Free and open to the public
Presentation by retired FBI
Agent Steve Heubeck, currently the
Director of in-service training at the
Rockland County Police Academy.
Heubeck will provide visual scenarios
of violent situations and offer the
opportunity to test your judgment
on how you would handle it.
​
“SURVIVOR TREE” SAPLINGS PLANTED
One of three saplings planted at RCC that was propagated from the
Survivor Tree - a charred and broken pear tree unearthed from the
rubble of the World Trade Center. The Survivor Tree was nursed back
to health and replanted at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza in 2010.
9/11 COMMEMORATION HONORS
“THE MAN IN THE RED BANDANA”
Jefferson Crowther, father of Welles Remy Crowther,
a 24-year-old equity trader who gave his life rescuing
more than a dozen people on 9/11, speaks beside a red
bandana wreath at RCC’s 9/11 Commemoration.
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
SCENE is published quarterly by
Campus Communications
campuscomm@sunyrockland.edu
845-574-4032 • www.sunyrockland.edu
SCENE | 2
RCC FOUNDATION SELECTS
ALDEN H. WOLFE AS
“PERSON OF THE YEAR”
Alden H. Wolfe, Chair of the
Rockland County Legislature and
RCC Foundation Board member, was
selected as Person of the Year at the
conclusion of the RCC Foundation
Golf Outing on August 11. The event
raised $30,000 to help support the
extensive scholarship program at RCC.
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Art Students League Donates Sculptures
T
hanks to the “Model to Monument: Creating Art for Public Spaces” (M2M) program
at the Art Students League of New York, fifteen student sculptures now grace RCC’s
campus. Depicted here are five 2014 additions. M2M is under the direction of Greg
Wyatt, who was recently honored for his philanthrophy (see p10).
A Frolicking Stray, John Erianne
Wave, Anne Stanner
Spirit, Morito Yasumitsu
Ringo, Reina Kubota
Preservation High and Dry,
Anna Kuchel Rabinowitz
AT&T Contributes $10,000 for STEM Initiative in Rockland County High Schools
A
$10,000 contribution
from AT&T will support
the new Rockland
Community College STEM
Exploratory Research Program
for high school students. The
program, open to all Rockland
County high school students,
will provide unique handson experiences for students,
designed to build STEM
interest and skills through
research projects utilizing 3D
technology. There will be a
special focus on recruiting nontraditional students and those
who are underrepresented in
STEM careers. Students will
gain knowledge of engineering,
graphic design, CAD, and
3D prototyping concepts and
knowledge of industries that
AT&T Donation Launches STEM Project: Left to right: RCC President Dr. Cliff L. Wood; AT&T NY
President Marissa Shorenstein; AT&T Communications Ed Bergstraesser; RCF Board President
Judge Bill Sherwood; Senator William Larkin; ; Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski; North Rockland HS
student Kiara Rivera and State Senator David Carlucci.
require STEM-related degrees.
The contribution was presented
at RCC’s Haverstraw Center
on September 28 to the Rockland
Community Foundation to
support the program at RCC.
“AT&T’s partnership with
the Rockland Community
Foundation and Rockland
Community College further
enhances our commitment to
providing resources for STEM
related educational programing
in the Hudson Valley that will
result in the success of our
future workforce,” said Marissa
Shorenstein, president, AT&T
New York. AT&T’s support
for the STEM Exploratory
Research Program is part of the
company’s legacy of supporting
educational programs focused
on STEM disciplines in New
York through AT&T Aspire,
the company’s $350 million
commitment to education.
SCENE | 3
LEARNING
APPOINTMENTS
OPPORTUNITIES
FACULTY
Sara Annunziato,
Instructor of Nursing, brings
extensive teaching and
practical nursing experience
to her new position. For
the past nine years, she
served as an adjunct in Nursing at RCC. She
has also been a lecture/lab instructor for the
accelerated bachelor’s program at Dominican
College. Annunziato’s clinical experience
encompasses a range of settings, including
critical care and home care. She served for
seven years as clinical manager for Westwood
(NJ) Cardiology Associates and held nursing
positions in the coronary care units at Valley
Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ, and Westchester
County Medical Center.
Annunziato redesigned the curriculum
for a Fundamentals of Nursing course at
RCC, placing emphasis on increased use of
technology in the classroom. She earned a BS
in Nursing from the University of Delaware
and an MS in Nursing Education from
Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, NY.
Ronald de Ramon,
Instructor of Business, has
served as a Business adjunct
at RCC since 2008, teaching
Principles of Accounting and
Intermediate Accounting.
De Ramon has more than 25 years of
experience in accounting. As managing partner
of his own public accounting firm since 2003,
he provides an array of services including
audit and review opinions, business plans, and
consulting and tax preparation.
Previously, de Ramon worked as a staff
accountant at Sanford Zinman & Co. CPA of
Armonk and as field auditor and representative
for the NYS Department of Labor in White
Plains. He also taught Federal Income
Taxation at St. Thomas Aquinas College. De
Ramon earned a BS in International Affairs
from George Washington University and an
MS in Accounting from Lehman College,
CUNY.
SCENE | 4
Harry Lehrfeld, Instructor of Automotive Technology,
draws upon more than 30 years of experience, including
positions as shop foreman/lead technician with Aamco
in Pearl River and Middletown, and Cars Automotive
Service in Harriman. He served as an adjunct at RCC
in Automotive Technology.
Lehrfeld has served on several advisory panels, including the RCC
Automotive NATEF, RCC Automotive Technology and Precision
International. He is a National Coalition of Certification Centers (Nc3)
Certified Instructor and also holds Nc3 certifications in Electrical as well
as Advanced Diagnostic, Oscilloscope, Scan Tools and Torque. Lehrfeld
received a BS in Education from the City University of New York.
En-Shu Robin Liao, EdD, Assistant Professor of
English, has nearly 20 years’ teaching experience
encompassing all levels of education and expertise as a
translator and editor. She served as Assistant Professor
of English at SUNY Fredonia for five years, following
a tenure as postdoctoral fellow and guest lecturer at
Columbia University Teachers College. Her fields
of interest include multicultural education, internationalization of
curriculum studies and alternative representations of qualitative research.
Dr. Liao has taught at numerous schools, including the High School of
Math, Engineering and Science at City College and Columbia University
Chinese School. Before joining RCC, she worked as a bilingual
translator/editor for Voice of Hope Publishing Co. of Taiwan. Dr. Liao
earned her BA in English Literature and Language from Providence
University of Taiwan, and an MA, MEd and EdD in Teaching English
and English Education from Columbia University Teachers College.
Jeremy Juan Rodriguez, a full-time temporary
Biology lecturer at RCC for the past two years, has been
appointed Instructor of Biology and Chair of Science.
He previously served as a Science adjunct at the
College, and tutored students in the Tutoring Center
and Science Learning Center.
Rodriguez helped found RCC’s first club chapter
of the TriBeta National Biological Honor Society, and mentors chapter
members in their research. He contributes to a committee that writes
grants and establishes STEM education programs, and founded a
website to encourage greater competency in the biological sciences.
Rodriguez earned his associate’s degree in Science and Math from
RCC, a bachelor’s in Health Sciences and Emergency Medicine from
Stony Brook, an MS in Education from LIU-Rockland Graduate
Campus, and an MS in Human Anatomy and Physiology Instruction
from New York Chiropractic College.
APPOINTMENTS
Erica Santelmo, Instructor of Nursing, comes to RCC with a dozen years of diverse experience in nursing. Her teaching credentials
include instruction in pediatrics and medical-surgical nursing, clinical instruction in acute-care settings, skills laboratory instruction,
and simulation coordination. She has taught at Essex County College in Newark, Hackensack UMC/Mountainside School of
Nursing in Montclair, St. Paul’s School of Nursing in Queens, and was a teaching fellow at Rutgers University.
Santelmo has broad clinical experience as a research nurse, staff nurse, school nurse, and pediatric oncology nurse. She earned an
AAS in Nursing from Queensborough Community College, a BSN from University of Phoenix Online, and an MSN from Excelsior
College in Albany. She is pursuing a PhD in Nursing at Rutgers.
ADMINISTRATORS
David Kendall has
been appointed
Director of the
Liberty Partnership
Program,
which provides
comprehensive services to students
at risk of dropping out of school.
He has extensive experience in
collaborating with teachers and
families to support high-risk and
special education students. For
the past five years, he served as a
learning support teacher in reading
and math at the Excellence Girls
Charter School in Brooklyn, honing
his philosophy of teaching the
whole child, enhancing fluency in
teaching reading comprehension
and placing emphasis on Common
Core math and reading standards.
He previously served as a classroom
teacher in general and special
education, and as an educator in
outdoor and experiential settings.
Kendall earned a BS in
Psychology with a minor in Child
and Family Studies from SUNY
Stony Brook and an MA in
Learning and Instruction from the
University of San Francisco.
Corrine Spring has been appointed Coordinator of
International Students. She previously served as Director
of International Enrollment Services at Felician College
in New Jersey. In her first year there, thanks to her efforts
to streamline application requirements, the number of
international applications more than doubled. For the
previous eight years, she served in international admissions positions at
Fairleigh Dickinson University, NJ.
Spring has conducted and overseen international student recruitment in
more than 20 countries in Latin America, Asia, the Caribbean and the Middle
East, and has delivered presentations at scholarly conferences.
Spring received a BA in Communications from Rowan University and an
MA in Media & Professional Communications from Fairleigh Dickinson
University, where she earned a 4.0 GPA.
Jingfeng Xia, PhD, has been appointed Director of the
Library. Dr. Xia comes to RCC with almost two decades
of experience in library and information science, including
expertise in academic librarianship and management. Most
recently, he served as Associate Professor of Library &
Information Science and Director of the MLS-History
Dual Degree Program at Indiana University. Prior to that he held library
positions at Rutgers University, University of Florida and University of
Arizona.
Dr. Xia has authored or co-authored more than 40 peer-reviewed journal
articles, four book chapters, one edited book and a book to be published soon,
Scholarly Communication at the Crossroads in China (Oxford, UK: Elsevier
Ltd.). He holds a PhD in Anthropology and an MLS in Information
Resources and Library Science from the University of Arizona, and an MA
in Archaeology and BA in History from Peking University in Beijing.
SCENE | 5
STUDENTS OF NOTE
IN LOVING MEMORY
OF MELISSA
A memorial plaque and street sign outside
Performing Arts honor the memory
of Melissa Dimataris ‘13, who died of
leukemia in October 2013, shortly after
being awarded a SUNY Chancellor’s Award
and earning her AA in Performing Arts.
MEET OUR BLOGGERS
Art student Miranda Jodice
stands beside the artistic
donor wall she designed in
the Campus Fun & Learn
Child Development Center.
Students Risa Matsumoto, Sophia Wood,
Kimberly Jean Louis, Chaya Wagschal and
Yehudis Moskovits responded to an appeal
from Campus Communications to the
entire student body for bloggers. Check
out their perspectives on “Life at RCC” at
lifeatrcc.blogspot.com or click on the “B”
(blog icon) at www.sunyrockland.edu.
RCC SUMMER
CAMP
Campers at the RCC
Computer Camp show
their excitement over
learning new computer
skills in the Technology
Center computer lab.
SCENE | 6
STUDENTS OF NOTE
Coopersmith Hits the Gold as First Student Rep to RCC Foundation
H
onors student Alana
Coopersmith has
blazed trails as
a national-caliber archery
competitor despite the seeming
limitation of having vision in
only one eye. Now, she has
forged another milestone as the
first student representative to
the RCC Foundation.
Coopersmith will serve as
liaison between the Student
Government Association and
the RCC Foundation, which
awards scholarships to RCC
students and provides financial
assistance to the College in
general.
“Previously we had all
segments represented except
students,” said Don Cairns,
the Foundation’s Executive
Director. “This incorporates the
student body. It’s an avenue for
the students to know about the
work the Foundation is doing,
and vice versa. We can share
ideas and work collaboratively.”
Coopersmith has ascended
the ladder of competitive
Coopersmith will serve as liaison
between the Student Government
Association and the RCC Foundation,
which awards scholarships to RCC
students and provides financial
assistance to the College in general.
archery and currently ranks
10th among female collegians
nationwide. The fact that she
has won state and regional titles
and aspires to qualify for US
teams at global championships
is noteworthy considering her
right-eye blindness, which
necessitated her having to
learn to shoot left-handed
as her vision regressed. “I
had to compensate for and
overcome what difficulties I
had in re-teaching myself,” said
Coopersmith, who practices for
hours most days. “I’m proactive
and motivated.”
A student in the Mentor/
Talented Students Honors
Program focusing on Liberal
Arts, Coopersmith plans a
career in international relations
and politics in China, where
her parents own a fashion
design factory. She intends to
transfer to a four-year school,
possibly the University of
Texas at Austin or Purdue
University, and will double
major in Political Science and
International Relations with a
concentration in China.
TRANSFER UPDATE
Students from the Class of 2015 display T-shirts from the four-year colleges that accepted them for transfer: Kayuki Nakahara, Cornell; Ali Rehman, RPI; Sonia Varin, Pace
University; Torrin Fasion, Stony Brook, and Ashley Pellegrino, University of North Carolina. They are among 750 RCC students who transferred to four-year colleges this fall.
SCENE | 7
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Alumni Notes
JOSUANNE DENIS-FRASIER ’99
published her debut novel, Caged Bird
(UrbanEdge Publishing, 2015). “My RCC
experience changed my life completely.
Receiving my associate’s degree gave me
the boost of confidence I needed to go on
to pursue and earn my bachelor’s and then
my master’s degree. Without my degree
from RCC, I can’t imagine where I would
be. I am so thankful.” Josuanne earned
a BS in Business Administration from
Mercy College and a Master’s degree in
Urban Affairs from CUNY Hunter College. Josuanne spent 15 years working in the
nonprofit, social service sector. Learn more
at www.josuannedenis-frasier.com.
CHELSEA E. CARBONE
’08 earned her JD
from University of
Virginia School of Law
in June ’15. In 2010 she
earned a BA in English
& American Literature
from NYU.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science from Rice
University, DAN LASALLE ’08, Dan entered the Teach for America
program and has been teaching in West Philadelphia, a low-income,
high-crime neighborhood. He founded and runs a debate team for his
students. “Joining the RCC Debate Team was the single most formative
academic experience of my entire college career, and I wanted to give my
students the same opportunity,” he said. His debate team progressed to
the semi-final round at the Liberty Bell Classic, the city’s largest debate
team competition, becoming the first from a low-income neighborhood
to make it that far. “I encourage my students to attend community
college, telling them about my experience there. I continue to champion
that the quality of education I received at RCC was equal to that of Rice
University.” Dan is working on a master’s in educational psychology and
hopes to pursue a PhD. You can read more of Dan’s impressions in his
blog, www.teachtoimpassion.com, or follow him @teach2impassion.
PAOLA GARCIA ’10, Computer Information
Systems, works as a Web/Social Interactive
Developer for RNN/Fios1 News in Rye Brook,
NY. She is an adjunct at RCC teaching Web
Programming and Website Management. A native
of Costa Rica, she is also webmaster for Centro
Educativo Prof. Saul Cardenas Cubillo. Garcia
earned a SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student
Excellence at RCC.
SCENE | 8
MENDEL TAUB, ’14,
became qualified
and started working
as a Yiddish Court
Interpreter for the
New York State Unified
Court System. He also
received the Top Trainee
Award from the Ramapo
Valley Ambulance
Corps in June.
ZIV SCHWARTZ ’10 and SARI NICOLE
UGELL ’12, both M/TS Honors, got
engaged in June. Sari graduated from the
NYU School of Nursing and is presently
practicing nursing. Ziv earned his BS and
MS at Cornell University and began medical
school at Downstate Medical School in
Brooklyn this fall.
LEARNING
ALUMNI
OPPORTUNITIES
SPOTLIGHT
RCC Grad Perseveres to Earn
Degree After 50-Year Hiatus
A
casual conversation with an RCC Admissions
recruiter propelled Allen Rosenfeld back to
pursue his RCC degree, more than half a
century after his initial venture into post-secondary
education.
In 2008, while
providing pest
control services at
RCC, which he
had been doing
for more than a
quarter century,
Rosenfeld struck up
a conversation with
Elizabeth Solages,
an RCC admissions
recruiter for the
past 20 years. “I
told her that I had
started college but never finished, and she said to me,
‘You will finish!’” said Rosenfeld, of New City. “She got
me enrolled and all set up with the right classes, the
right teachers, and stayed on top of things right to the
end.”
With renewed determination and encouragement, he
graduated in Spring 2013, earning an AAS in Business
Administration. Back in 1960, Rosenfeld had enrolled at
CCNY to study accounting, but was detoured by family
and work responsibilities. After he got married, had
children, and dealt with his parents’ illnesses, he and his
family moved from Brooklyn to Rockland County, and
he had attended RCC between 1978 and 1980, taking
one class per semester before other responsibilities
pulled him away.
“I gave him a push, but he was willing to do the
work,” said Solages. “I’m very proud of him. I told him
it’s never too late to go back to school, and he managed
to get it done. He did not get discouraged.”
Rosenfeld had taken over his father’s pest control
business when the elder Rosenfeld passed away, and later
worked in Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland for
Orkin, a worldwide pest control company. He founded
his own company, ADM Pest Control, in 2001 after
returning to New York.
Rosenfeld, who is 75, is the fourth member of his
family to attend RCC, joining his sons, Marc ’87 and
David ‘84, and his wife Linda.
Rutigliano Climbing Ranks in
Basketball Coaching Realm
SEAN RUTIGLIANO ’05
is following the far-ranging
path that college basketball
coaches must, if they want to
reach the highest echelons
of their profession. His latest
stop, as Assistant Coach
at Lipscomb University in
Nashville, TN, continues his
ascent toward the top tier of
the coaching ranks in men’s
hoops.
Rutigliano is excited to
begin his first season with
Lipscomb, an NCAA Division
I institution and Atlantic Sun
Conference member. His
primary goal, though, has
nothing to do with wins and losses: “I want to affect as many lives in a positive
way as possible,” he says. That altruistic spirit was fostered at RCC under
Basketball Coach Rob Kurzinsky, whom Rutigliano followed to Kean University
in Union, NJ, for a volunteer assistant’s position, thus launching his coaching
career.
Rutigliano’s journey through Division I college basketball led him to assistant’s
positions at the University of Alabama in Huntsville; Ouachita Baptist University
in Arkadelphia, AR; and a four-year tenure at Army, all before he landed at
Lipscomb. At West Point, the highlights were many. He helped lead the Black
Knights to three consecutive 15-win seasons in 2012-2014, a feat the team last
accomplished in 1967-70. Last year’s squad defeated USC for Army’s first win
over a Pac-12 opponent since 1964.
Rutigliano also got to coach a player of whom he is deeply proud: Max
Lenox, a black man born to a crack-addicted mother and raised by two white
gay fathers. Lenox served as team captain the past two years. “To watch his
growth, to see him defy the odds and become a leader, was very special.” He
was inspired by his entire experience at West Point, explaining, “You’re leading
the sons and daughters of tomorrow, many of whom will be deployed overseas
to fight for our freedom. They are serving a 9- or 10-year commitment to our
country.”
At RCC, Rutigliano earned a SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student
Excellence and was an NJCAA Academic All-American in basketball and
tennis, two sports he still plays recreationally. After earning his AA in Liberal
Arts/Mathematics and Science, Rutigliano received a BS from SUNY Cortland
and an MA from Ball State University, both in Physical Education.
SCENE | 9
MILESTONES
New York Community College
Trustees 2015 Award Winners
Three individuals nominated by Rockland Community College were
selected to receive awards from the New York Community College Trustees.
The awards were presented at a banquet at the Otesaga Resort Hotel in
Cooperstown, NY on September 18.
ANNE M. BUSHNELL MEMORIAL AWARD FOR SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT
Dr. Arlene W. Clinkscale
Dr. Clinkscale, a distinguished educator since
1950, has served on the RCC Board of Trustees
since 2004, including ten years as Board Chair.
She was the first African-American woman to
lead a school district in New York State, serving
as Nyack superintendent from 1981 to 1987. She
also served as acting superintendent of schools in
Englewood, NJ, and taught as an adjunct at the City University of New York.
She earned a BS from Hampton Institute in Hampton, VA, a master’s degree
and professional diploma from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a
Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree from St. Thomas Aquinas College.
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA/ALUMNUS FOR CIVIC CONTRIBUTION
Roxanne Watson
Watson, a 1987 RCC graduate and current
RCC Culinary Arts student, is a heart transplant
recipient who has made it her life’s mission to
encourage others to sign up for organ donation.
Through her work with New York’s Campaign 4
Life and Donate Life NY, she has personally signed
up more than 8,000 potential donors. Watson
was selected as one of six winners among more
than 3,500 entries in a worldwide competition on life-changing goals, “This
is Your Life Change.” She and the other winners earned an all-expenses-paid,
two-week trip to an island in Fiji. Watson was cited for her donor registration
efforts and her dream to create a global organ donor foundation.
BENEFACTOR VISION FOR TOMORROW AWARD
Greg Wyatt
Wyatt is a world-renowned sculptor who
serves as director of M2M, the “Models to
Monument: Creating Art for Public Spaces”
program at the prestigious Art Students League
of New York. At his own expense, upwards of
$100,000, he has installed 15 large outdoor
sculptures throughout the RCC campus and
donated several of his own smaller models to the College’s Library.
The student sculptures were first displayed at various NYC locales and
relocated to RCC for long-term loan upon the suggestion of Wyatt, a
Rockland native. He plans to continue donating Art Students League
sculptures. Wyatt has also donated to RCC more than a dozen paintings
by his father, celebrated painter William Stanley Wyatt. .
SCENE | 10
Richard Voigt Rejoins Board of Trustees
R
ichard Voigt of New City has rejoined
the Board of Trustees after having
served from 2005 to 2012, the final two
years as Chair. Voigt was appointed by the
Rockland County Legislature for a five-year
term spanning July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2020.
Voigt’s extensive community involvement
includes current tenures on the boards of the
Rockland Conservatory of Music, and Helping Hands, which provides
services for the homeless, and past membership on the Community
Services Board. He was founder and board chairman of Open Arms, a
Haverstraw-based alcohol and drug rehabilitation center, and previously
owned and operated the High Tor Vineyards and Winery, which he
converted to farmland and later donated to the state.
Voigt earned a BA in philosophy from Yale and a master’s degree
from New York Theological Seminary. He has four children, two of
whom attended RCC. “I love the college and its president, Dr. Cliff
Wood,” Voigt said. “We have a good team here. I’ve lived in Rockland
for more than 40 years, and the College has never been in better shape
than it is now.”
Business Professor Publishes 2nd Edition of College Textbook
Martin Lecker, EdD, SUNY
Distinguished Teaching Professor,
Business, displays his textbook,
Conducting Business Ethically: A
Philosophical Approach (Kendall
Hunt Publishing, 2015).
Passings
We are sorry to report the passing of the following
current or former employees:
MARCY GOLDSTEIN,
retired support staff, Finance, July 17, age 75
ARLENE FINKELSTEIN,
retired support staff, Records, July 2
SUSAN PARRY,
Coordinator of Outcomes Assessment, July 24
JON TROTTA, adjunct faculty, Art, July 29
JANE E. ZRELACK,
retired support staff, Finance, June 16, age 90
We regret the passing of the following alumni:
KATHERINE MCINTYRE ’75,
Nursing, April 23, age 91
MARY TERESA O’SULLIVAN ’96,
Nursing, June 28, age 52
HONORING OUR VETERANS
“Rockland Community College
stands as an emblem in this generation
for its reception of returning veterans
coming home from a long war.”
— Dr. John R. Delisi ’09, Retired Corporal, US Marine Corps; adjunct faculty, Science – from
his acceptance speech as Alumni Veteran Honoree at the 2015 RCC Foundation Luncheon.
SALUTE VETERANS
HONOR SOCIETY
Eleven student veterans celebrate
their induction into SALUTE,
the veterans honor society at an
October 1 ceremony at the Hilton
Pearl River.
Seated: Rebekah S. Stanford, USA;
President Cliff L. Wood.
Standing, (l to r): Georgios
Boubaris, USA; Dan Greeley,
USMC; Leo Antony, USMC; Michael
Phipps, USN; Sean Lockwood,
USA; Rolando Llovera, USA;
Sujay Bhaskar, USMC; Frank
Plasencia, USA; Joseph Percoco,
USA; Jonathan Barnwell, RCC
Coordinator of Veterans Affairs; and
Chris Day, USA, Keynote Speaker.
Not pictured: Luis Gonzalez, USA.
STUDENTS VETS VISIT NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE
MARINE CORPS, QUANTICO, VA
KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL ON CAMPUS
Members of the Eagle Chapter of the Korean War Veterans march in an
honor guard rifle salute during a July memorial service at the Korean
War Monument at the Onderdonk Cemetery on RCC’s campus.
(r to l): Leo Antony, USMC; Jhamal Phipps ’12, USMC; Jonathan Winfield
’12, USMC; Sujay Bhaskar, USMC; Michael Polite-Coffie, USMC; Jonathan
Barnwell, Coordinator of Veterans Affairs; USMC; John Vitale ’12,
USMC and his grandson Brandon; Ryan Duffy and Leon Antony.
SCENE | 11
Non Profit Organization
US POSTAGE
PAID
Monsey, NY 10952
Permit No. 302
145 College Road
Suffern, NY 10901
Address Service Requested
THE GIFT OF MUSIC:
COMPOSERS OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA
UPCOMING EVENTS
February 24, 2016 • 7 pm, (Snow date, March 2, 2016)
Cultural Arts Theater
Free and open to the public
DECEMBER
3
Irish Genealogy
5
Eastern Cultural Heritage
6–14RYDE Nutcracker
11 RCC Senior Club
A multi-media program featuring live musical performances
of compositions by male and female composers of the African
Diaspora and showcasing artists in genres from classical to jazz.
Accompanying photo exhibit –
Technology Center Rotunda (2nd floor)
JANUARY
4
Wintersession begins
5
Nurses Pinning
8
RCC Senior Club
10 Tax Update
19 New Student Orientation
22 Wintersession ends
22 RCC Senior Club
23 Spring Semester begins
29-31Auto Show
FEBRUARY
2-3 Black Achievement Awards
11 Af. Am. History Mo. Photo Presentation
12 RCC Senior Club
12-15 RV Show
16 Club Fest
19-21 Suburban Home Show
20 Film by Ryan McNeill
25 Irish Heritage Film
26 Wallkill Kennel Club Dog Show
26 RCC Senior Club
27-28Rockland County Kennel Club Dog Show
Presented by the African American Historical Society of Rockland
County in collaboration with RCC’s Performing Arts Department
and the RCC African American History Month Committee
Info: 845-362-2126
James Reese Europe
and the Clef Club
Band 1914
The 2015-16 Robert Flynn
Irish Heritage
Festival
SELECTED UPCOMING
HIGHLIGHTS
DECEMBER 3
Irish Genealogy Seminar with Brian Conley
at Rockland Community College
FEBRUARY 25 (snow date Feb. 27)
Award-winning documentary,
Frederick Douglass and the White Negro
For details, visit our website
www.sunyrockland.edu/go/irishheritage or call 845-574-4471
MARCH
1The Art of Making Irish Tea and Irish Soda
Bread
13Play Reading– The Weir, by Conor
McPherson
31CrossRoads Ceili featuring Brian Conway,
premier Irish-American fiddler
Celebrating a year of Irish culture
through music, dance, theater and
exciting heritage presentations