December 1, 2015
Celebrating Giving
The collective generosity of Adelphi students, faculty, staff and alumni is truly impressive and a hallmark of our University. Since the start of the school year, many of you have generously supported a range of causes, including those to alleviate hunger, cure breast cancer, support student scholarships or to give voice to those who have faced injustice.

Student clubs, such as fraternities and sororities, and our athletic teams--even the young students at the Alice Brown Early Learning Center--have been leaders of this effort. We created this infographic to depict the profound impact of your collective efforts. You can learn about these highlights, as well as many other University initiatives, here.
 
Thank you for being so generous. 

 
Giving can be measured in the hours of service given as well as the number of dollars raised and donations collected. Yet there are less tangible but equally important outcomes to celebrate and share. Through our generosity, we change lives, and this spirit of giving permeates Adelphi and has deep roots in our past.
 
In November, we celebrated the life and legacy of Gordon F. Derner, Ph.D., founding dean of the Gordon F. Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, who would have turned 100 this year. I was moved by the memories shared by Derner Institute faculty and alumni at the celebration. This video, shown that day, captures some of their stories and encapsulates the powerful influence of Dr. Derner's abiding commitment to diversity, his kindness, his exuberance, his vision and his mentorship. I hope you will take a few moments and discover for yourself the lasting gifts that Adelphi educators like Dr. Derner give our students every day.

This time of year often inspires us to help others, look out for our neighbors and lend our voices to important calls for justice. What I have come to learn about Adelphi is that, regardless of the time of year, community service is at the core of our spirit. Through individual and group volunteerism, our students, staff and faculty share their time and talent to serve and make a difference in the community. I would welcome hearing more news about your events and their impact. Please share your updates with me on social media by tagging @PrezRiordan.

This has been a special fall for my family as we have gotten to know so many of the people who make Adelphi such a remarkable place. During this time of celebration, Bob, Mikaela, Mason and I (and Georgia too!) hope you have a season filled with peace, joy and good health. Best wishes from my family to yours.



All the best,
Chris

Christine M. Riordan, Ph.D.
President
CAMPUS UPDATE
Share Your Expertise

Adelphi's people are our most extraordinary asset. As we work to expand awareness of Adelphi, it is increasingly important that we showcase the expertise of our faculty and staff. Creating opportunities for faculty and staff members to speak to the media as subject experts is one important way we can do that. Another is to identify speaking engagements--with high schools and community colleges, community and business groups, libraries, etc.--for Adelphi experts. Toward these ends, we are developing a comprehensive experts list that will be available to the media and other organizations that are seeking speakers.
 
We invite all members of the faculty and staff to go online to opt in to the new experts and speakers database. The University communications team will work closely with the media and the Adelphi admissions office to identify opportunities that align with area expertise. You can opt in to speak to media, local community or business groups, high school or community college classes or all three. 
 
Thank you in advance to all who join in this effort.

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Honoring an Adelphi Legend

For more than 40 years, Ronald S. Feingold, Ph.D., professor emeritus, has shown remarkable dedication to Adelphi and its Ruth S. Ammon School of Education, in which he served as a faculty member, department chair and dean. He has ensured that Adelphi sets the standard in preparing first-rate scholars and practitioners in the field of education, and he is widely admired for his own scholarship and advocacy in the physical education profession. Dr. Feingold has also been generous in his philanthropic support of Adelphi. On November 6, 2015, Adelphi honored his outstanding contributions by dedicating the Ronald S. Feingold Computer Classroom in Woodruff Hall. We captured the festivities in photos. Thank you, Ron!
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Chemistry for the Greater Good
 
Publishing a peer-reviewed paper in chemistry is no mean feat, especially for undergraduate students. But Adelphi students have achieved this more than once since 2014. In October, Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters published the second in a series of papers co-authored by Adelphi students. The latest paper, whose lead authors are Sierra Beck and Samantha Muellers, summarizes their work, undertaken with Brian Stockman, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry (and the last author listed on the article), to investigate pharmaceutical treatments for trichomoniasis--an increasingly prevalent sexually transmitted disease. Beck was supported this past summer by a Horace McDonell Summer Research Science Fellowship, and her achievement is a testament to the combined power of philanthropy and faculty mentorship. Read more about the impressive student research in Dr. Stockman's lab. 
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Called to Mentor
 
Chotsani West, M.A. '07, was an up-and-coming television producer in New York who mentored youth in her spare time when she realized that her volunteer work was in fact her calling. Her aha moment led to a bold career shift into education and social services and eventually an M.A. in Educational Leadership and Technology from Adelphi. In 2014, she came back to Adelphi to implement the Adelphi University Mentoring Program. This groundbreaking program is designed to enhance student academic success, particularly the success of students of color, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. You can see West's passion and the program's impact in a new video. 
SHOUT-OUTS
Recognized for Excellence
In the past month, accolades have abounded for Adelphi faculty, students and staff. Here, we celebrate a few. Our congratulations to:
  • Adelphi University Athletics for its phenomenal fall season, with three teams advancing to the NCAA Division II championships--men's soccer (advanced to the first round), women's soccer (advanced to the third round) and  volleyball (will play in the first round this week); women's soccer and volleyball were also the Northeast-10 champions
  • Patrick R. Coonan '78, Ed.D., dean of the College of Nursing and Public Health, who received the prestigious Melanie C. Dreher Outstanding Dean Award for Excellence in Chapter Support from Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing
  • Robert Bornstein, Ph.D., professor, who received word that he will be recognized with the 2016 Distinguished Contribution to Assessment Psychology Award from the American Psychological Association Division 12, Section IX, joining an impressive group of scholars who have also received this award
EVENTS
We have had an eventful fall semester. Thank you to everyone who attended the array of dialogues, lectures and performances. Please take a moment to enjoy some photos from our past events. And our semester isn't over yet!

December at Adelphi is full of cultural events. I know it's a busy time of the year, but I hope that you can sample some of the vast array of performances at the Adelphi University Performing Arts Center (AUPAC). Some particular highlights include:
 
Fall Dance Adelphi: Martha Graham From Wednesday, December 2, to Sunday, December 6, 2015 (various times), the Adelphi Department of Dance presents a compilation of some of Martha Graham's most brilliant works. The program, performed by Adelphi students, will also feature works choreographed by faculty members Frank Augustyn, Orion Duckstein and Adelheid B. Strelick.
 
Trevor McQueen: Our Way On Friday, December 18, 2015, at 7:30 p.m., AUPAC honors the 100th birthday of Frank Sinatra and the 90th birthday of Sammy Davis Jr. with an evening of classic songs and melodies performed by McQueen, who has had several sold-out concerts at Birdland in New York City.
 
Adelphi student performances that you don't want to miss:
Adelphi Opera Theatre on Saturday, December 5, 2015, at 8:00 p.m. at AUPAC
Adelphi Concert Band on Tuesday, December 8, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. at AUPAC
Adelphi Chamber Music Ensemble on Wednesday, December 9, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. at AUPAC  
Freshman Showcase: The Secret in the Wings, on Thursday, December 10, to Sunday, December 13, 2015 (various times), at AUPAC
Adelphi Jazz Ensemble on Friday, December 11, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. at AUPAC
Fall Dance Showcase on Saturday, December 12, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at AUPAC
Adelphi World Music Ensemble on Monday, December 14, 2015, at 5:00 p.m. at AUPAC
Adelphi Flute Ensemble on Monday, December 14, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. at AUPAC
A Staged Reading of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens on Sunday, December 20, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. at AUPAC

Be sure to consult the  AUPAC calendar for a full list of upcoming performances.  
ADELPHI IN THE NEWS
In November, 100 media stories covering Adelphi appeared in the top 100 national media outlets, with more than 350 stories appearing in total. In the past month, Adelphi experts have been featured in a number of stories. Some highlights of recent coverage include:  
You can keep up with the ongoing coverage via the weekly roundup on the Adelphi website and with our dedicated Twitter feed, @AdelphiUMedia.