College Places Students in Record Number of Internships

Dominican College students were placed in more internships during the 2016-2017 school year than ever before. Evelyn Fiskaa, Director of Career Development, said students were placed in 103 paid and unpaid internships.听

Fiskaa said students benefit from internships in a number of ways. 鈥淚t gives them an opportunity to try out a field to see if they really like that field or not.听 It鈥檚 an opportunity for them to build some skills in their area of interest,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a resume builder, an opportunity to have a mentor, and also to develop professional contacts and networking for the future.鈥�听

In addition, Fiskaa said many large companies are looking to hire student interns full time after they graduate.

Dominican College students intern in a variety of locations throughout the tristate area. A number of new organizations were added to the list this past year, including the MSG Garden of Dreams Foundation, Columbia University, and the Hackensack University Medical Center.听听

Fiskaa attributes the increase in internships to the addition of an internship coordinator/career counselor in her office who assists in meeting with students and doing classroom presentations. In addition, the College has cultivated more relationships with employers. She said there is an increased awareness among faculty about the benefits of internships as well.

(more…)

September 15, 2017

College Welcomes Class of 2021

Freshmen moved into Hertel Residence Hall on Thursday, August 24.

The 2017-2018 school year has begun with the arrival of the Class of 2021.听 Freshmen moved into Hertel Residence Hall on Thursday, August 24, 2017, with the help of Orientation Leaders and athletes. From Thursday evening through Saturday, all freshmen participate in Orientation activities which help them become familiar with the College and make new friends.听 听

鈥淣ew Student Orientation is an exciting and important time.听 Our Charger family grows and our student leaders show the best of Dominican College. As we welcome new students, we endeavor to teach them Dominican values and principles, and share the spirit of our founders, which will serve them in the pursuit of a fulfilling career and life, 鈥�听 said Christine Dilts, Assistant Dean for Student Development.

The Fall Semester gets underway on Monday, August 28.听 Most freshmen (35.6 percent) plan to study Nursing. Other popular majors include Athletic Training, Biology, and Criminal Justice.听

听

August 25, 2017

Hennessy Center Expansion Completed

The new Hennessy Center Fitness Room include 30 pieces of cardio equipment.

There鈥檚 a major addition to the Dominican College Campus. Construction of the $5 million expansion of the Hennessy Center has been completed. The expansion includes a new lower level with a state-of-the-art fitness center. The general public can sign up to use the fitness center, and alumni can join for a deeply discounted rate. The annual fee for alumni to join is $150.听 The annual fee for the general public is $300.

The new fitness center is about four times larger than the former fitness room and has 30 pieces of cardio equipment as compared to six in the old room. There is also an aerobics room with bikes for spin classes.听

V.P. of Student Development John Burke said, 鈥淚 think our teams are going to be fitter and in better shape. For coaches who are recruiting, the new fitness center is a huge advantage.鈥�

The expansion includes a new, regulation-size NCAA gym on the same level as the current gym, which will allow for more intramural sports and 鈥渙pen gym鈥� time for the general student population. There are also new coaches鈥� offices, a new recruiting room/conference area and an athletic training area with two whirlpools.

Fundraising for the expansion continues and there are naming opportunities available for the new rooms. If you are interested in donating, or would like to learn more about the Hennessy Center project, please contact V.P. of Institutional Advancement Dorothy Filoramo at dorothy.filoramo@duny.edu.

To find out more about joining the fitness center, visit

听

听

 

July 31, 2017

Dominican College Adopts Test-Optional Policy

First-time freshmen applicants for the Fall 2018 semester will not be required to submit a standardized test score for admission to the College. Dominican College is the first college in Rockland County to adopt a test-optional policy, which is a growing trend nationwide.听 According to FairTest, the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, more than 950 colleges and universities nationwide have announced test-optional policies.

听鈥淲e have found that a student鈥檚 overall high school academic record is the best indicator of a student鈥檚 success in college and the research backs that up,”听 said College President Sr. Mary Eileen O鈥橞rien, O.P., Ph.D.听 鈥淲e鈥檝e also been particularly concerned that studies indicate performance on standardized tests is closely linked to family income and education level, and may be biased against certain minority students.鈥�

Sr. Mary Eileen added that this new policy aligns with the mission of Dominican College, which is focused on maintaining 鈥渁 student-centered climate鈥� that 鈥渟erves a diverse community of students.鈥� She said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 hoped that this new policy will re-focus both students and parents on what really matters — day-to-day performance in the classroom and the personal characteristics of the student. 鈥�听

听All test-optional applicants will be expected to complete a minimum of 16 units of college-preparatory coursework:

  • 4 units of English
  • 3 units of mathematics (including Algebra and Geometry)
  • 2 units of a laboratory science
  • 2 units of social sciences
  • 5 additional units in any of the above subject areas (and/or in a foreign language).

Certain students will continue to be required to submit SAT or ACT scores, including those who have been homeschooled, have completed a General Education Diploma (G.E.D.), do not meet the above 16-unit requirement, and international students. In addition, international students whose native language is not English are required to submit the Test of English as a Foreign Language (T.O.E.F.L.) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination scores.

Applicants must indicate on the Dominican College admission application or the Common Application whether they want the standardized test scores to be considered for admission. 听If a student has previously sent scores to the College and later indicates on the application that the scores should not be considered, the scores will be deleted from the college admission system. Students who change their minds about whether test scores should be considered, after submitting an application, must send an email to admissions@duny.edu.

For more information about the new policy, please email admissions@duny.edu or call 845-848-7901.

July 18, 2017

Dominican College Adopts Test-Optional Policy

First-time freshmen applicants for the Fall 2018 semester will not be required to submit a standardized test score for admission to the College. Dominican College is the first college in Rockland County to adopt a test-optional policy, which is a growing trend nationwide.听 According to FairTest, the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, more than 950 colleges and universities nationwide have announced test-optional policies.

听鈥淲e have found that a student鈥檚 overall high school academic record is the best indicator of a student鈥檚 success in college and the research backs that up,”听 said College President Sr. Mary Eileen O鈥橞rien, O.P., Ph.D.听 鈥淲e鈥檝e also been particularly concerned that studies indicate performance on standardized tests is closely linked to family income and education level, and may be biased against certain minority students.鈥�

Sr. Mary Eileen added that this new policy aligns with the mission of Dominican College, which is focused on maintaining 鈥渁 student-centered climate鈥� that 鈥渟erves a diverse community of students.鈥� She said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 hoped that this new policy will re-focus both students and parents on what really matters — day-to-day performance in the classroom and the personal characteristics of the student. 鈥�听

听All test-optional applicants will be expected to complete a minimum of 16 units of college-preparatory coursework:

  • 4 units of English
  • 3 units of mathematics (including Algebra and Geometry)
  • 2 units of a laboratory science
  • 2 units of social sciences
  • 5 additional units in any of the above subject areas (and/or in a foreign language).

Certain students will continue to be required to submit SAT or ACT scores, including those who have been homeschooled, have completed a General Education Diploma (G.E.D.), do not meet the above 16-unit requirement, and international students. In addition, international students whose native language is not English are required to submit the Test of English as a Foreign Language (T.O.E.F.L.) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination scores.

Applicants must indicate on the Dominican College admission application or the Common Application whether they want the standardized test scores to be considered for admission. 听If a student has previously sent scores to the College and later indicates on the application that the scores should not be considered, the scores will be deleted from the college admission system. Students who change their minds about whether test scores should be considered, after submitting an application, must send an email to admissions@duny.edu.

For more information about the new policy, please email admissions@duny.edu or call 845-848-7901.

July 18, 2017

Professor Teaches Summer Engineering Course in Rome

Dr. Kathleen Hinge is standing in front of the Pantheon, her favorite structure in Rome, Italy.

Assistant Professor of Physics and Mathematics Kathleen Conlon Hinge, Ph.D. , 听is teaching an engineering course at John Cabot University in Rome this summer.

Dr. Hinge said the experience is deeply gratifying. 听鈥淭o be in a city that has seen so much history is overwhelming.听 My favorite is the Pantheon because of the engineering behind it.听 It鈥檚 just a marvel of architecture and engineering, as well as history, 鈥� she said.听

This is Dr. Hinge鈥檚 second summer teaching at John Cabot University.听 She and her husband are embracing the Italian culture and taking Italian classes this year.听

In addition to teaching Physics and Mathematics at Dominican College, Dr. Hinge is the Science Department Coordinator.

听

 

July 17, 2017

Two Biology Students Awarded Highly-Competitive Research Fellowships

Students Christina Joseph and Kimberly Acevedo (left to right) have been awarded paid fellowships to conduct research on the Sparkill Creek this summer.

Two Dominican College Biology students have been awarded highly-competitive paid research fellowships to fund their summer research work on the Sparkill Creek. Kimberly Acevedo and Christina Joseph will be working a minimum of 10 weeks this summer on their projects and will be using听a Dominican College research laboratory in the Prusmack Center.

Biology Professor Dr. Bernadette Connors said, 鈥淪tudents involved in these fellowship programs are afforded opportunities to contribute to the general body of scientific knowledge in the field of environmental microbiology. The work done by these research fellows will further grow the Environmental Sciences program at Dominican College, making the institution a regional center for work of this sort.鈥�听

Acevedo received an American Society of Microbiology Undergraduate Research Fellowship, which entitles her to a $4,000 stipend, plus an invitation to present her work at the 2018 meeting in Atlanta, GA. Her research focuses on understanding and analyzing the biodiversity of microbial and viral life in the Sparkill Creek and the Piermont Marsh. Just 24 of these fellowships were awarded nationwide.听

Christina Joseph received a Tibor T. Polgar Fellowship through the Hudson River Foundation. She will receive a $3,800 stipend, along with $1,000 for supplies.听 The focus of her work is to compare the Sparkill Creek in Rockland County and NJ to the Pocantico River in Westchester County.听 Only eight Polgar Fellowships were awarded.听

听

 

July 3, 2017

College Honored For Blood Donations

Sr. Barbara McEneany and Sr. Bernadette Burke accepted a certificate from County Executive Ed Day and the New York Blood Center at the Rockland County Blood Donor Appreciation Breakfast.

Dominican College was honored on June 14, 2017, at the Rockland County Blood Donor Appreciation Breakfast for being the top college in blood donations in the County for 2016. For the past 28 years, Sr. Barbara McEneany has organized two blood drives a year at the College.听

鈥淭his is an important mission for me because I have known people who would have died unless they received blood at critical times in their lives,鈥� said Sr. Barbara. 鈥� I believe that students are more and more seeing the need to donate blood as a necessary part of their schedule.听 When sign-up time comes around to recruit pledges for the fall and spring blood drives, students are for the most part eager to give the gift of life. 鈥�

Sr. Barbara and Sr. Bernadette Burke accepted the certificate from County Executive Ed Day and the New York Blood Center during the ceremony at the Fire Training Center in Pomona. Sr.听 Bernadette is a 鈥済allon donor鈥� — regularly donating blood four times a year.听

 

June 15, 2017

Nursing Program Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary

Division of Nursing听administrators and faculty toasted each other to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Program.

The Dominican College Nursing Program celebrated its 40th Anniversary on Thursday, June 8, with a gathering of alumni, students, Nursing faculty, and College administrators at the Granito Center.听 During the reception, everyone raised their champagne glasses as Dr. Nancy DiDona, Director of the Division of Nursing, gave the toast. 听In part, she said, 鈥淢ay we continue to nurture, heal, and enlighten the mind, body, and spirit of those we meet.听 As nurses, may we keep in mind that it does not matter that no one remembers our names or our faces, but that they remember how we made them feel.鈥�

The Honorary Speaker at the reception was Sr. Kathleen Sullivan, O.P., Chancellor of External Affairs. Sr. Kathleen spoke about how the nursing program was developed by visionary and creative women in response to local needs.听 鈥淚t is my great pleasure at this significant moment in the history of the program and in the history of the College to acknowledge their magnificent, generous, and inspirational work 鈥� work that has helped to define the Dominican Difference not only for our nursing students, but for the community that we serve,鈥�听 she said.听

Sr. Kathleen continued, 鈥淭he graduates of the Dominican College Nursing Program have attained a reputation of excellence within their profession and within the institutions in which they serve and have brought the stature of the College as a responsive institution achieving its commitment to Excellence, Leadership, and Service, to new levels of recognition in our community and among our peers. 鈥�

The Celebration Reception was hosted by the Department of Alumni Relations.

听

听

 

June 12, 2017

County Executives Answer Business Leaders’ Questions at College Forum

Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus and Rockland County Executive Ed Day participated in the County Executive’s Forum at Rosary Hall. Palisades Institute Executive Director Stan Jacoby moderated the event.

Rockland County Executive Ed Day and Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus were at Dominican College on Wednesday, June 7, to take part in the annual County Executives Forum sponsored by the Palisades Institute.The County leaders spoke about economic development, the fiscal health of their counties, and a host of other topics.听听

During a question and answer period, both leaders said they were opposed to an increase in the tolls on the Tappan Zee Bridge. County Executive Day said he fears an increased toll would discourage shoppers coming to the Palisades Center Mall from Westchester.听 In addition, he said, truck toll increases could trickle down to higher prices for consumers. 鈥淧lease resist the urge to compare the tolls to the GW or to the Whitestone Bridge.听 There鈥檚 no comparison.听 Compare it to the Bear Mountain or any bridge north in the Hudson Valley region,鈥� said Day.听

County Executive Neuhaus discussed the transformational effect that flights from Norwegian Airlines coming into Stewart Airport will have on the region. 鈥淚 am going to be bringing in 7,000 people a week to that airport.听 It鈥檚 going to double the amount of flights and double the amount of people coming in there,鈥�听 said Neuhaus.

Both Day and Neuhaus are Republican County Executives who began their four-year terms in 2014.

The Palisades Institute was created in 1990 as part of Dominican College to serve business, government, and not-for-profit organizations in Rockland and nearby counties. The Institute encourages professionals to integrate the concepts of leadership, quality, and ethics to achieve long-term success.

听

 

June 7, 2017

College Holds 63rd Annual Commencement

Raymond J. McGuire, J.D, Citi’s Global Head of Corporate and Investment Banking, delivered the Commencement Address at Dominican College’s Graduation Ceremony on May 21, 2017.

More than 530 Dominican College students received their diplomas on Sunday, May 21, 2017, during the 63rd Annual Commencement Exercises at the Westchester County Center in White Plains. The Class of 2017 included the first seven students to earn the newly-offered Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.

Raymond J. McGuire, J.D., Citi鈥檚 Global Head of Corporate and Investment Banking, delivered the Commencement Address. The graduate of Harvard College, Harvard Business School, and Harvard Law School worked his way up to the top of the Investment Banking field from modest beginnings in inner city Dayton, Ohio, where he was raised by his mother, a social worker. McGuire has advised on numerous transactions valued at well over $600 billion, including advising Time Warner on its $108 billion transaction with AT&T, the fifth largest merger and acquisition transaction of all time.

During his address, McGuire gave the students advice on how to live their lives. 鈥淕ain respect through how well you perform and admiration through the deeds that you do.听 Trust is the most hallowed bond in any relationship.听 Treat it as you would the most heartfelt prayer,鈥� he said.听 鈥淏e slow.听 Be slow to give your word.听 Never, ever compromise it.听 Ignore the odds.听 Neither you nor I would be here if we had listened to them.鈥� He concluded by urging the students to become leaders, to make a difference, and stressed that their moral compass is non-negotiable.听

At the Commencement, McGuire was presented with an honorary degree, Doctor of Humanities. Mary P. Leahy, M.D., CEO, Bon Secours Charity Health System received the honorary degree of Doctor of Science. Other honorees included Jill A. Warner, LCSW, Executive Director/CEO, Jawonio, who received the Veritas Medal, and Amy Pitiger Noelle, 鈥�96, who received the Badami Outstanding Alumna Award.听

The Class of 2017 included 370 students who earned undergraduate degrees and 167 students who earned advanced degrees.

听


by on

May 23, 2017

Criminal Justice Coordinator Receives Faculty Award

Academic Dean Dr. Thomas Nowak presented Dr. Tara Parrello, Coordinator of the Criminal Justice Program, with the Academic Dean’s Award for Faculty Service on May 17, 2017.

The Academic Dean鈥檚 Award for Faculty Service was presented to Dr. Tara Parrello, Coordinator of the Criminal Justice Program, 听during the College Service Awards Ceremony on May 17, 2017.

Before handing Professor Parrello her plaque, Academic Dean Dr. Thomas Nowak listed her many accomplishments and activities at the College and described her as one of the most visible faculty members at campus events. 听

鈥淭ara鈥檚 dedication to all students and to the College as a whole is evident in everything she does. She unselfishly spends innumerable hours seeing to the needs of our students, her colleagues, and Dominican College as a whole,鈥� said Dr. Nowak.听

Professor Parrello鈥檚 accomplishments include recruiting professionals to teach part-time, instituting new courses, making courses available online, and placing students in internships. She serves as advisor to the Criminal Justice Club and moderator of the Criminal Justice Honor Society. In addition, Professor Parrello organizes a variety on and off-campus events.听

Criminal Justice is the College鈥檚 second most popular major, behind Nursing.

 

May 17, 2017