F E A T U R E  S T O R I E S

A R O U N D  C N R

C N R  S T U D E N T  N E W S

CNR Gospel Choir Sings at St. Patrick’s Cathedral
in Celebration of Black History Month.

The CNR Gospel Choir, under the direction of Roger Francis, sang at St. Patrick's Cathedral during a Mass sponsored by the Office of Black Ministry of the New York Archdiocese on February 4, 2007. The Mass was in celebration of Black History Month. Edward Cardinal Egan presided.

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Marzia Orru’s (SAS ’07) original lesson comparing slavery in the North and South was included in the Rye Historical Society’s curriculum guide distributed to the Rye Middle Schools. Marzia developed the two-day lesson as part of an independent study with Dr. Linda Swerdlow, Associate Professor of Education in the School of Arts & Sciences.

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Student Lobby Day In Albany

Students from The College of New Rochelle joined hundreds of other New York college students for Student Lobby Day in Albany, meeting with state legislators to discuss the importance of maintaining and increasing funding for financial aid (including TAP) in the state budget. CNR students include (l. to r.) Jane Castrignano SNR’08, Araba Adjei-Koranteng SAS’08, Jasmine Williams SAS’10, Niesha Walker SNR’07, and Ronald Nelson SNR’08.

A L U M N A E / I  S P O T L I G H T

Jackie Levin School of Nursing Graduate Nursing ’99 The College of New Rochelle

“My education in the Holistic Nursing track at CNR changed my life. The faculty was intellectually stimulating, emotionally supportive and spiritually attuned. Their instruction and guidance laid the groundwork for my personal and professional growth. Because of them I found an inner strength and my own north star to follow when I am going through a loss, transition or new experience. They shared themselves in ways that continue to inform my clinical practice and in my role as mentor to nurses and undergraduate and graduate students in holistic nursing.”

Jackie Levin, RN, MS, is a Holistic Clinical Nurse Specialist and Program Coordinator for the MindBody Patient Care Program at NYU Medical Center in New York City. Jackie is trained in Mind-Body-Spirit techniques involving Imagery, Relaxation Breathing, Healing Touch, Hypnosis, Pilates and Mindfulness-Based Meditation.  She has over 20 years of experience in the health and wellness field, holds BSN from the University of Vermont, a Masters in Holistic Nursing from CNR and a Pilates certification by Master Teacher Romana Kryzanowska. Previous to her current position, Jackie was the Nurse Manager in the Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. There she integrated holistic modalities in the management of chronic pain and in the interventional suite. She is the recipient of the New York Chapter of the Americans Organization of Nurse Executives (NYAONE) Best Practice Award for the Nurse Manager Wellness Program. She recently published “Unitary Transformative Nursing: Using Metaphor and Imagery for Self-Reflection and Theory Informed Practice” in Visions: The Journal of Rogerian Nursing Science.

F A C U L T Y / S T A F F  F O C U S

Dr. Amy Bass, Associate Professor of History and Honors Program Director in the School of Arts & Sciences, had her new series with Temple University Press debut in February with the publication of Tommie Smith's autobiography, Silent Gesture. The series is called "Sporting," and Tommie's book is the first title. It is also the lead title of Temple University Press’ spring catalogue.

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Dr. Kenneth J. Doka, Professor of Gerontology in the Graduate School, recently edited Living with Grief: Before and After Death published in February by Hospice Foundation of America.

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Kathie Lipinski, Adjunct Professor in the School of Nursing, has a private practice, Healing from the Heart. This program, open only to breast cancer patients and survivors, is sponsored by a grant from The New York State Department of Health, Community Based Cancer Support Services. Ms. Lipinski is a licensed Usui/Karuna Reiki Master and is nationally certified in therapeutic massage and bodywork.

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Dr. Mireya Perez-Bustillo, Associate Professor of Modern Foreign Languages in the School of Arts & Sciences,  has graduated from One Spirit Interfaith Seminary and been ordained as an Interfaith Minister, licensed by the State of New York to perform marriages as a marriage officiate. She plans to bring her knowledge of Latino/Hispanic culture to her ministry with a focus on Latino weddings and other life ceremonies. Her story "Safe" is forthcoming in Rogue Scholar's Journal. She is also presenting a paper on the work of Puerto Rican writer Lourdes Vazquez at the Center for Puerto Rica Studies of Hunter College-CUNY on April 19, 2007.

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Dr.  Roblyn Rawlins, Assistant Professor of Sociology in the School of Arts & Sciences, will speak later this month, on March 26, at Penn State Lehigh Valley Campus as part of Women’s History Month. The title of her talk is “Bad Mommies: The Historical Roots of Mother Blaming and Maternal Discipline.”

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Dr. Dennis Ryan, Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Philosophy in the School of Arts & Sciences, is speaking on March 21, 2007, at the Chapel and Culture Center at Rensselaer, in Troy, New York. The topic of his talk will be taken from his recent book, Dreams about the Dead: Glimpses of Grief.

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Pearl M. Sullivan, Coordinator of Retention Systems at the Co-Op City Campus of the School of New Resources, was the guest minister for the 1st Women Weekend Celebration of the Union Baptist Church in Ashland, Virginia on the weekend of March 3-4. Ms. Sullivan held a 2-hour workshop on Saturday and was the presiding minister for the Sunday service.

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Dr. Connie Vance, Professor of Nursing in the School of Nursing, presented a paper, "Empowering Women as Promotoras: A Model for Community-Based Health Education" at two Invitational Conferences in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic, (Global Health Education Consortium) and in Panama City, Panama, (Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology) on February 16 and March 2, 2007 respectively. This paper describes the interdispciplinary teaching project for rural health workers in Latin America sponsored by Hope for a Healthier Humanity and The College of New Rochelle. Professors Joan Arnold, Lynda Shand, and Margot DeSevo, and SN senior Marina Altvater serve on the Advisory Committee to this project. Professor Vance will be leading a teaching team to continue the project in El Salvador in late March. Her chapter “Learning the Ropes of Policy, Politics, and Advocacy," was recently published in Policy & Politics in Nursing & Health Care (Mason, et al), by Saunders Publishing Co.

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I N  M E M O R I A M

Dr. Ruth W. Johnson died on March 3, 2007, having lost her battle with cancer.  Ruth Johnson first joined the College in 1979 as Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing.  In 1984, she assumed the duties of Acting Assistant Dean in the School of Nursing and was appointed Assistant Dean the following year.  She left the College in 1989, returning five years later as the Campus Director of the Co-op City Campus.  In 1998, she left The College of New Rochelle to return to her first love, the discipline of nursing education.

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Dr. Ron Pollack, retired Director of Financial Aid, died on March 1, 2007, after an extended illness.  Ron joined The College of New Rochelle in March of 1978 as Assistant Dean for Administration in the School of New Resources.  In 1980, he was promoted to the position of Director of Financial Aid, the position he held until his retirement in June of 2005.