News

News Notes for Faculty, Staff and Students

Philip Cioffari, English, an award-winning author and filmmaker, has written a new book, Dark Road, Dead End, whose hero works undercover for the U.S. Customs Service investigating wildlife smuggling in the Everglades. This is Cioffari’s third work of fiction. He also wrote Jesusville, Catholic Boys, and A History of Things Lost or Broken, a short story collection. Cioffari wrote and directed a feature film, Love in the Age of Dion.

Benjamin Evans, nursing, is one of just 20 recipients of the 2014 Diva and Don Award given annually by the New Jersey State Nurses Association’s Institute for Nursing to nurses in the state who have made extraordinary contributions to the nursing profession in New Jersey.

Gabe Wang, sociology, has received a fellowship from the Korean Society to study the culture and people of Korea. He will spend the fall semester researching in the Asian country.

Gabe Vitalone, a retired professor on staff for more than 34 years, recently participated in the New Jersey Senior Olympics in the 90-95 age group and earned three gold medals in race walking, and one silver medal in the shot  put. His wife, Evelyn, won the gold three times in various races in the 80-85 age group. This qualifies them for the National Senior Games next year.

Payton MacDonald, music, will perform five concerts this semester, including his first as a Dhrupad singer.  In addition to this ancient form of Hindustani classical music, he will also perform his new solo marimba piece, To See, and a new composition for his previous ensemble, Alarm Will Sound. MacDonald, the recipient of a Fulbright Award, recently spent a year studying music in India.

Jean Fuller-Stanley, College of Science and Health, was honored as an outstanding Woman in Education by the Passaic County chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., at their annual Harvest of Hope Achievement Luncheon.  She is one of 10 educators so honored in the county this year.

Nicole Davi, environmental science, was invited to take over the Instagram account of the International Center for Photography for a week in October. Takeovers allow users to provide content to companies, a hot new trend. Davi sent out tree-ring expedition photographs to the center’s 8,000 followers.

Three students, Aviv Florenthal, Kayla-Lynn Kasica, and Alex Vaccarella, participated in this year’s Financial Planning Challenge in Seattle, Washington from September 19-21. This national competition, sponsored by CFP Board, Financial Planning Association, and Ameriprise, brings together CFP Board Registered baccalaureate programs from across the nation competing in different phases of the development and presentation of a comprehensive financial plan. The students placed third in the competition.

Adonis Rivie, a biology student, won first place in the physiology section at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference in San Antonio, Texas, held earlier this month. His research mentor is Jaishri Menon, biology.

James Teng, marketing and management sciences, received a 2014 Bright Idea award from the New Jersey Policy Research Organization Foundation for his paper entitled, "Stackelberg solution in a vendor-buyer supply chain model with permissible delay in payments."