Monday, February 1, 2016
Defining the Modern Metropolitan University
Welcome, Panthers, to the Spring 2016 semester! A warm welcome back to all of our returning students, faculty and staff and a special welcome to all of you who are new to the Adelphi family. 

While I know many of you used the winter break to work on your research, to travel and to reconnect with your family and friends, I am so happy to see our classrooms, labs and even our parking lots full again. 
 
Over the last few weeks some important projects have come to fruition. All of them enhance our community connections and help Adelphi define what it means to be a modern metropolitan university.
  • Thanks to weeks of collaborative work, we launched the Diversity at Adelphi website. The site, designed to be a resource for the Adelphi community, demonstrates our intention to serve as a model for a socially just and inclusive institution. I extend my sincere thanks to the Diversity Committee for their hard work, insight and many contributions. 
  • Based on the feedback you shared during my 100-Day Listening Tour, we have taken action to improve dining services on the Garden City campus. A number of you expressed dissatisfaction with the value, hours, customer service and availability of high-quality dining options. We have started working with our contracted vendor, Lackmann Culinary Services, and its parent company, Compass Group, to review offerings and operations and make changes. Already, the dining halls have some new options, such as all-day breakfast and a dedicated vegetarian station at Post Hall and Neapolitan pizzas and Latin cuisine at the University Center Cafe. We have launched an updated dining website where you can share your thoughts.  Students can also communicate with dining managers through the new Text2Solve program.
Earlier today I launched the strategic planning process at the faculty meeting. Adelphi has  a strong foundation and the potential to continue evolving as a a great, modern metropolitan university. Working together through this process, we will harness the momentum of the fall semester and turn our efforts and attention to shape a future responsive to global challenges. Adelphi is at its best when we partner and collaborate. One of the greatest assets of this University is our people, and we are calling on everyone's intellect, passion and ingenuity to help us define our next chapter. I invite you to learn more about the strategic planning effort. 

There is so much great news coming from our university. I hope you will read on about the accomplishments of fellow community members and take the time to update me on your news. 

Christine M. Riordan, Ph.D.
President
 
CAMPUS UPDATE
New Neuroscience and Supply Chain Management Degrees Address Emerging Demands 
 
In January, Adelphi rolled out two highly anticipated degree programs--a B.S. in Neuroscience and an M.S. in Supply Chain Management. Both are designed to address shifting workforce dynamics.

Breakthroughs in neuroscience are unlocking some of the mysteries of human behavior and of disorders such as depression, anxiety, autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. Adelphi's B.S. in Neuroscience, a joint offering of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Gordon F. Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, puts students at the leading edge of this work.
 
As business becomes increasingly global, organizations need experts who can manage complex supply chains. Adelphi's M.S. in Supply Chain Management, offered by the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, will prepare graduate students for the expanding field of logistics.
 
Growing From Deep Roots in Social Justice 

Taking bold action on social issues has been a hallmark of Adelphi dating back to our roots on Adelphi Street in Brooklyn. As we are kicking off Black History Month today, I wanted to highlight the feature stories in the latest issue of AU VU magazine--in particular, "Justice for Whom?" and "Diverse Voices." In these and other articles, you can see how today's students, faculty and alumni are addressing issues of race and social justice through literature, policy and activism.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Community Fellows Give Back and Get Ahead
 
For students looking to make a difference in the nonprofit sector, Adelphi's Jaggar Community Fellows Program is an excellent opportunity. The program places ongoing students in paid summer internships at area nonprofit organizations. The unique program is one of the many ways that Adelphi gives back to the community while creating opportunities for students. Former fellows have described the experience as life changing. Participation by nonprofit organizations has risen steadily to a high of 60 in 2015. This year, Adelphi is offering internships to 63 undergraduate students and seven graduate students. The application deadline is Tuesday, March 1, 2016. Apply today.
  

STAFF SPOTLIGHT
A. Brian Leander, Ph.D.: A Leadership Coach for the Nonprofit Sector
 
A. Brian Leander, Ph.D., assistant director of Adelphi's Center for Nonprofit Leadership, has more than 20 years of experience in leadership development, executive coaching and organizational strategy consulting. At Adelphi, he and his team lend their expertise to nonprofit leaders and organizations. In a recent interview, he discussed his role and shared some hard-earned wisdom. 
 

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Improving Hospital Care Is a Matter of Life or Death

Running a hospital well or badly has life-and-death consequences. Wei Liu, Ph.D., assistant professor, and Susan Zori, D.N.P., clinical assistant professor--both in the College of Nursing and Public Health--know this all too well from their experiences as hospital nurses and their more recent pursuits as academic researchers. In separate studies, they have examined how hospitals can operate more effectively. Dr. Liu examined hospital communication patterns and their effect on medication management at a major hospital in Melbourne, Australia.
 
Dr. Zori is finding new ways to boost nurses' critical-thinking abilities, based on her findings that such skills are crucial in providing safe and effective patient care.
 
SHOUT-OUTS
 
Every day, Adelphi students, faculty and staff show their talent and commitment to the community through their work on campus and beyond. Here are some recent examples:

Della Hudson, associate dean of student affairs, who is involved with the Nassau County chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc.--a nonprofit that works to improve educational opportunities for African American families--was essential in bringing the organization's popular teen leadership summit to campus. More than 170 high school students and their parents attended the event on January 9, 2016, which featured Khalilah Harris, deputy director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans.
 
Adelphi theater students earned significant recognition at the regional Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCATF) in January. Lucas Iverson and his partner Kaila Galinat were among 16 finalists--out of 175 nominees--for the  Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Auditions. Casey Lombardo won the regional Stage Director and Choreographers Society Directing Fellowship and will be attending the national festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in April.
 
We are so fortunate to be part of a world-class university that is deeply connected to the world's greatest city, where thriving centers of art and commerce serve as laboratories for our students and provide innumerable opportunities for our alumni. Recently, two of our alumni have made tremendous breakthroughs in the New York theater scene. Mirirai Sithole '12 received a rave New York Times review for her performance in the off-Broadway production of Mother Courage and Her Children, and José Leon '14 is currently performing at Brooklyn Academic of Music (BAM) in the Charles Mee play The Glory of the World. 
 
Adelphi students, faculty and staff are being recognized far and wide for their achievements and contributions. Some recent examples:

Long Island Business News has recognized Alan Cooper, associate dean of the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, as a 50 Under 50, and Maureen Leslie, assistant director for off-campus programs at the Hauppauge Education and Conference Center, as one of the Top 50 Women in Business.

Yetunde Odugbesan-Omede, adjunct professor, was named by OloriSupergal.com as one of 20 Influential African Women Entrepreneurs and Leaders in America to Watch in 2016.    
Congratulations and thank you to all! 

 
EVENTS 
 
CNN's chief national correspondent will give the William E. Simon Lecture in American Civilization and Values on Wednesday, February 24, 2016, at 7:00 p.m., in the Thomas Dixon Lovely Ballroom of the Ruth S. Harley University Center.

The popular satirical singing group will perform on Wednesday, March 9, at 7:00 p.m., in the Thomas Dixon Lovely Ballroom of the Ruth S. Harley University Center. Paws and Rewind, Adelphi's student a cappella group, will be the opening act.
 
Presidential Inauguration
Join us for this festive occasion--the formal installation of Adelphi's 10th president and a celebration of Adelphi as a modern metropolitan university with deep roots. The ceremony starts at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, March 11, 2016, in the Center for Recreation and Sports. 
 
Adelphi will hold its 16th annual President's Gala, the University's largest scholarship fundraising event, on Saturday, March 12, 2016, at The Garden City Hotel. This event draws the region's top civic, business and community leaders as well as Adelphi trustees, alumni, friends, students, administrators, faculty and staff to celebrate our honorees and the University.  

Adelphi will hold its 120th Commencement on Sunday, May 22, 2016, at 10:00 a.m., at a new venue--the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater. More details to come soon!
 
ADELPHI IN THE NEWS
In January, 68 media stories covering Adelphi appeared in the top 100 national media outlets, with more than 600 stories appearing in total. In the past month, Adelphi and its experts have been featured in a number of stories. Some highlights of recent coverage include:  
 Margaret Gray, Ph.D., associate professor, on the topic of "Who is harvesting your farm-to-table produce?" On WNYC, Dr. Gray noted that the farmworkers she has studied, who provide the labor supporting the farm-to-table trends, are "afraid to ask for change," despite oppressive working conditions including long hours without overtime pay or, in some cases, even a day off. 
 
Election coverage is heating up, and Robert Bornstein, Ph.D., professor, commented on Minnesota Public Radio's classical music show, Classical MPR, on why political advertisements work and the power of the exposure effect. He explained that the constant repetition of a name or a face can cause some degree of attraction.
 
For an article on turbulence in the financial markets, Newsday turned to Robert Goldberg, clinical assistant professor, who advised, "The best thing investors can do is to do nothing, assuming they have a well-thought-out investment strategy that is focused on short-term, intermediate-term and long-term goals." 

Newsday and FIOS1 News covered the Nassau County Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Teen Summit, "Courage to Conquer," held at Adelphi on Saturday, January 9, 2016, which attracted about 170 participants and featured Khalilah Harris, deputy director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans and Madeline Singas, Nassau County district attorney.

Mark Grabowski, J.D., associate professor, published two op-eds in various outlets. One, on the U.S. Supreme Court's recent hearing on affirmative action, was picked up by The Hill. The other, on on the controversy surrounding a Virginia high school teacher's assignment to write Islamic religious statements, was published by The Roanoke Times, The Island Now and Long Island Press.

Adelphi was named one of the 50 Safest Colleges in America by Backgroundchecks.org, based on its low rate of campus crime.

You can keep up with the ongoing coverage via the weekly roundup on the Adelphi website and with our dedicated Twitter feed, @AdelphiUMedia.