News In Brief

NJCU School of Business Launches Stock Index for Top 50 NJ Companies

New Jersey City University’s School of Business launched the NJCU New Jersey 50 Index — an index of publicly traded equity securities designed to be a barometer of the New Jersey economy. Developed by the NJCU School of Business and calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices, the NJCU New Jersey 50 Index is a first for New Jersey and the larger tri-state area that is the country’s financial hub, and puts the New Jersey City University School of Business at the forefront of the exchange trader product industry.

Reflecting the health of the eighth largest GDP (gross domestic product) contributor in the U.S, the NJCU New Jersey 50 Index will serve as a report card for economic growth and job creation, thereby making its movements of interest to investors, business leaders, economists, politicians, and the general citizenry of New Jersey. The NJCU New Jersey 50 Index may be used as a yard stick for the State’s overall health and speed of its economic growth, as well as those of the businesses that populate it, according to Dr. Bernard McSherry, founding dean of the NJCU School of Business.

NJCU Student Honored as Campus Compact 2018 Newman Civic Fellowship

Campus Compact, a Boston-based non-profit organization working to advance the public purposes announced that Sergio Crespo, a junior chemistry major at NJCU, is one of the 268 students who made up the organization’s 2018 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows, The Newman Civic Fellowship is a one-year fellowship for community-committed college students from Campus Compact member institutions. The fellowship honors the late Frank Newman, one of Campus Compact’s founders and a tireless advocate for civic engagement in higher education. In the spirit of Dr. Newman’s leadership, Campus Compact member presidents and chancellors are annually invited to nominate one community- committed student from their institution for the fellowship. These nominees are individuals who have demonstrated

an investment in finding solutions for challenges facing communities throughout the country and abroad. Crespo is the Founder and President of the NJCU Dreamers organization, a member of the Honors Program, and a regular participant in a majority of the NJCU Center for Community Service projects and initiatives. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides a variety of learning and networking opportunities, including a national conference of Newman Civic Fellows in partnership with the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate.

The fellowship also provides students with pathways to exclusive scholarships and post-graduate opportunities. Fellows from the Garden State will also be invited to act in an advisory capacity for NJCC’s Changebuilders project.

Inner-City Teens Hone Workplace Skills through NJCU and Development School for Youth

The NJCU School of Business recently partnered with the Development School for Youth – All Stars Project, Inc. Kicking off partnership, students met with mentors from companies including Goldman Sachs, Port Authority of New Yoirk and New Jersey, AIG Funds Canada, St. Peter’s University, and SunAmerica Asset Management. Through series of rigorous, high-level workshops and training sessions, young people aged 16 to 21 experience the business world and learn to perform as professionals. Business leaders from top companies conduct workshops and provide training in leadership and business, including resume-writing, networking, public speaking, and dressing in a professional manner. Program graduates are then placed in six-week, paid summer internships, where they continue to develop their leadership and professional skills.

STEM Student Research Symposium

NJCU students involved in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines shared their research during the annual NJCU Student Research Symposium, sponsored by the NJCU Scientific Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI). The symposium operates under the umbrella of SURI, which was officially approved by Dr. Daniel Julius, NJCU Provost, in 2015.

“The SURI approach to the symposium is to partner with student clubs to prepare and run the event, and to invite students from across campus and within different departments to present their research,” said Dr. Natalia Coleman, SURI Founder and Director. SURI is a faculty-driven initiative founded with the vision of providing research opportunities for all STEM students at the University. One of the proven successful ways to improve the quantity and quality of student training in STEM subjects is to integrate cutting-edge research into the undergraduate curriculum. SURI serves as a central clearinghouse for research opportunities for undergraduate students, and promotes a unified vision and culture of undergraduate research.

A. Harry Moore School Wins PIX11 ‘Fuel My School 2017’ Contest

The A. Harry Moore School won the Fuel My School 2017 contest sponsored by PIX11. The school was presented with a $10,000 check to be used on school supplies or technology – items the School cannot afford but feels would make a difference in the lives of their students. The television station sponsored the initiative for a second year to help public school students achieve their academic goals through a donation of upgraded classroom and technology supplies. Elementary, middle, and high school students, teachers and parents from public schools throughout New Jersey, the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester County, and Long Island were invited to submit an essay explaining how their school makes a difference. More than 500 essays were submitted.

Marketing Students Earn National Certifcate in Principles of Public Relations After Graduation

Four young NJCU alumni have passed the Certificate in Principles of Public Relations Examination through the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB), a professional accreditation board for public relations and related fields that includes nine participating organizations. College seniors are eligible to take the examination six months before or after they graduate. The Certificate in Principles of Public Relations is an entry-level certificate designed to demonstrate a fundamental level of knowledge for graduates entering public relations and related professions that helps those who earn it #StandOutInPR. The NJCU alumni who earned the Certificate are Thi Swander ’16, Nicole Ortiz ’16, Nicole Manzione ’17, and Monika Palkowski ’17.

NJCU Students as Berlin Travelers

NJCU students visited the Sachsenhausen Nazi work camp in Oranienburg, Germany, during a faculty-led study abroad trip to Berlin. The eight-day trip was organized by Dr. Peri Yuksel, Professor of Psychology, who is a native of Berlin.

Upon return to campus, students shared what they learned about themisery endured by work camp prisoners, who were corralled into over-crowded living spaces, where they daily faced starvation, disease, and death. One student said the conditions reminded her of what she saw when she visited former slave dungeons in Ghana. In addition to visiting the work camp, the students met and interacted with German policy makers, educators, school psychologists, and scholars. They took part in academic workshops and learned about humanitarian aid in times of crisis. They compared the German and U.S. education systems through a visit to a German high school, and attended a session of the House of Representatives of Berlin. They also learned about the German immigration system.

Dance Icon Judith Jamison Shared Her Wisdom at NJCU

The iconic dancer, choreographer and Artistic Director Emeritus of the renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Judith Jamison NJCU School of Business as part of the 2017-18 Presidential Speaker Series. As a dancer, Ms. Jamison became one of modern dance’s great performers and she was appointed Artistic Director of the company in 1989 at the request of Alvin Ailey, himself. During her tenure, she shaped the company into the foremost modern dance troupe in the country, and built a permanent home and school for them in Manhattan. Ms. Jamison has received many awards for her accomplishments as an artist and director, and she is being inducted into the 2017 Crain’s Hall of Fame this month, which honors leaders from business, philanthropy, and the arts who have left a major impact on New York. Sharon Ambis, Chair of the NJCU Arts Advisory Board and the Director of Marketing at Jersey City Medical Center/RWJ Barnabas Health, moderated a Q&A after Ms. Jamison’s keynote speech.

NJCU Hosts 6th Northeast Regional Security Education Symposium

NJCU’s National Security Studies department formally established a chapter of the Order of the Sword and Shield, Omicron Sigma Sigma, on campus, and inducted more than 100 honor society students.

New Jersey possesses one of the most complex and immense cybersecurity networks in the nation. Still, said Patrick Rigby, Chief of Staff for the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, “We always need to be accurate with our information and communicate with the public, while making sure we contain a situation or incident. We especially need to ensure our information is accurate as we work with the press and are getting that information out to reporters.” Rigby’s remarks were made as part of a panel discussion on Media and Security Coverage during New Jersey City University’s 6th Northeast Regional Security Education Symposium.

The symposium was hosted by the University’s Professional Security Studies Department in the Skyline Room at the NJCU School of Business. NJTV anchor Mary Alice Williams, the other guest panelist, said journalists are often faced with the decision of whether or not to publish classified information they obtain. “This always comes down to common sense,” said Williams, and often depends on whether disclosing or withholding information will more likely result in jeopardizing people’s lives. “There is always that line between not telling everybody and telling everybody,” Rigby said. Graham Kates, a CBS investigative reporter, served as moderator for the panel discussion, which was part of a day-long agenda focused on exploring national, corporate, and cybersecurity implications related to the public and private sectors. Guest speakers included NJCU alumna Lynn Costantini, Cybersecurity Compliance and Oversight Manager at the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities; Krista Mazzeo, Senior Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst, New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell – New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness; and Brian McDonough, Director of Environmental Safety and Security, Carepoint Health – Hoboken University Medical Center.

LATI Colloquium

Professor David Blackmore and Assistant Professor Virginia Ochoa-Winemiller of the Latin america, Caribbean, and latino Studies program organized and hosted the Inaugural LATI Colloquium at NJCU on Aptil 5, 2018. The day-long colloquium highlighted the scholarly and creative work of NJCU faculty and Students working in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Latin communities in the United States.

NJCU Model UN Team Received Awards

On March 25-29. The NJCU deleagtes, formed by students in the UN Workshop class, participated in the annual conference of the National Model UN (NMUN) in New York City. Political Science Major Elmira Amirkhan Zozarro beaut out over 140 competitors to earn Outstanding Position Paper Award of the General Assembly Committee. The NJCU team also received an Honorable Mention Delegation Award. The Students taking aprt in this year's NMUN event were Ammer Abdin, Abdul Salam Abdul Razak, elmira Amirkhan Zozarro, Ian Anderson, Laura Bustamante, Adrian Ghainda, Claudia Gomez, Yan Mireles, Christie Ortiz Peguero, William Ospina, and Ashley Stewart-Brown. Representing Singapore this year, they participated in the simulation of six model UN committees. Dr. Ning Liao, Assistant Professor of Political Science and instructor of UN Workshop, served as faculty advisor. This is the third year that the NJCU delegation received national accolades at the NMUN conference.

Congratulations to the Class of 2018!

NJCU awarded 1,935 graduate and undergraduate degrees at its commencement ceremony on May 22, 2018. An honorary doctorate was presented to the Honorable Jose L. Linares, Chief Judge, United States District Court for the District of New Jersey – Newark Vicinage. The Presidential Medallion was awarded to NJCU alumnus Bob Delaney ’85, legendary National Basketball Association referee and NBA Cares Ambassador, who built a distinguished career as one of the NBA’s highest-rated crew chiefs.

With the help of the Offce of Military & Vetaran’s Services, NJCU celebrates all of its veterans who graduate from the University each year. From doctoral students to undegraduates, Elaine Gargiulo and Randi Fontanez ensure that student veterans successfully complete their programs. Congratulations to the veterans amongst the Class of 2018 and thank you for your service!

Jersey City Leadership Awards Celebrate Four Impact Makers

On June 7, the NJCU Foundation honored four acclaimed individuals whose contributions to the City and people of Jersey City represent the pinnacle of excellence in the areas of the arts, innovation, and community building as a lifelong legacy.

The inaugural honorees, who were recognized for the tremendous impact they have had on Jersey City and their efforts to positively transform our community, are:

• Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop (Service)
• Angelo J. Genova, Esq., Senior Partner, Co-Founder and Chairman, Genova Burns, Attorneys-At-Law  (Innovation)
• Stefania Panepinto, Founder, Panepinto Galleries (Arts)
• The late Thomas Stanton, Jr., a Jersey City banker, visionary and prime mover committed to the renaissance of his hometown, who helped transform the City’s waterfront into the thriving corporate and residential hub it is today (Legacy, awarded posthumously).

NJCU’s School of Business hosted the Build Your Dream Business Pitch Competition. Five students were selected to pitch their startup idea to a liveaudience and a group of business experts in entrepreneurship.

Si-Yo Music Society Foundation Honored NJCU at Carnegie Hall

Si-Yo Music Society Foundation presented its inaugural Sau-Wing and Jean L. Lam Award to the NJCU Caroline L. Guarini Department of Music, Dance and Theater (MDT) on Friday, April 27 at Carnegie Hall. The Award honors those who educate, inspire, and support the next generation of musicians from all backgrounds. “The NJCU MDT exemplifies the spirit and purpose of the Foundation’s founders with its dedication to the highest standards of artistic excellence,” said Maestro Cho-Liang Lin, chair of the event’s honorary committee. Si-Yo Chairwoman and President Eva Lerner-Lam agreed.

“The Department serves a diverse student population at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, contributing in a truly meaningful way to the educational, intellectual, cultural, and socio-economic environment of the surrounding urban region and beyond,” she said. The award is named in honor of Sau-Wing and Jean L. Lam, who co-founded Si-Yo in 1966 with violinist Ma Si-Hon and pianist Tung Kwong-Kwong, in order to support artists who studied, taught and performed Western classical music.

NJCU Student Selected for Competitive Federal Internship

Shanayah Jones, a graduate student in the Department of Professional Security Studies, will be interning at the North American Aer Defense Command (NORAD)/US Northern Command in Colorado Springs, CO, in summer 2018. She is one of ten students selected nationally to participate in the Volunteer Student Internship Program. Ms. Jones will return to NJCU in the fall to complete her MS Degree in National Security with a dual specialization in National Security and Cyber Security.

After graduating, Ms. Jones plans on working in forensic psychology because it combines her love for psychology, law, and an insatiable urge to help protect innocent people. While being a full-time student, Ms. Jones has been in the United States Army Reserve for nearly five years and works alongside Judge Advocates as a Paralegal Specialist in the JAG Corps. As a civilian, Ms. Jones also works full-time as a Site Supervisor for Allied Universal and part-time as a Legal Secretary. The internship program will provide Ms. Jones “an opportunity to work hand-in-hand with my brothers and sisters in arms” but on the civilian side, rather than as a soldier. Ms. Jones hopes to gain a greater understanding of national security issues, policies, and operations. “The internship will help shape me for the rest of my life and I cannot wait to begin!”

Grad Students Receive Surprise from Ellen DeGeneres

NJCU graduate students Maria Morgana and Susan Saab, both of whom teach at the McKinley School in North Bergen, received a surprise donation of $50,000 to build a library and media center from TV celebrity Ellen DeGeneres when the teachers appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”. Morgana is earning a master’s degree in Educational Technology. Saab is earning her master’s in the Reading Specialist Program, within the Literacy Education Department at NJCU. McKinley School students mounted a social media campaign to promote events for a “Read Across America” campaign in February and asked DeGeneres to come to the school to read with them. Instead, the talk show host invited Morgana and Saab to Los Angeles to appear with DeGeneres on her show.

Morgana described for the audience the love and commitment she felt for her students, but explained some of her low-income students had to sometimes go without basic necessities, such as breakfast. Minutes later, DeGeneres announced $25,000 was being donated from Walmart and Feeding America to help the McKinley School. Then, the show displayed a live shot from the McKinley School, where Morgana’s students were presented with another $25,000 check.

NJCU Joins New Coalition to Promote Business Growth in Hudson County

The New Jersey Small Business Development Center at New Jersey City University is a founding partner in a new coalition of business, civic, and education groups that have formed the Hudson County Consortium for Business Growth. The Hudson County Consortium intends to support business growth and development through the design, plan, and coordinated delivery of educational programs to better serve entrepreneurs, start-ups, early stage, and mature businesses. In addition to NJCU’s Small Business Development Center, the other founding partners are: the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce; Hudson County Community College, Center for Business and Industry; Hudson County Economic Development Corporation; and the Hudson County Office of Business Opportunity.

The Consortium, which will provide access to educational programs throughout Hudson County, also intends to support the Hudson County Office of Business Opportunity in its efforts to assist businesses in becoming eligible for certifications and in gaining access to procurement opportunities at the county, state, and federal levels, as well as in the private sector.

NJ Governor Phil Murphy on Campus to Talk with NJCU Students

NJCU hosted a roundtable discussion in April at which Governor Phil Murphy strongly voiced his commitment to making higher education moreaffordable for New Jersey students. He noted that NJCU “is giving people a shot at a higher education.” The Governor’s proposed 2019 budget contains $8.5 million for the expansion of Tuition Aid Grants (TAG) and the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF), which is known as the Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) at NJCU. “Our goal is to keep a college degree within reach for working families and those who come from economically disadvantaged areas,” said Governor Murphy. “These investments will ensure that students can continue to realize their dreams because no one should be deprived from getting an education based on where they’re from, or their background, or current economic status, or their abilities. This is a matter of fairness that will lead to a stronger future for our students and for New Jersey.”

Governor Murphy was joined at the roundtable discussion by NJCU students enrolled in the Opportunity Scholarship Program, Acting Secretary of Higher Education Zakiya Smith Ellis, Senator Sandra B. Cunningham, Chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee, Assemblywoman Angela V. McKnight and NJCU President Sue Henderson. Governor Murphy’s college affordability plan strengthens student assistance for Tuition Aid Grants (TAG) and the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) by $7 million and $1.5 million, respectively. It is projected that Proposed Fiscal Year 2019 TAG funding of $432.9 million will aid more than 67,500 students, which will mean an increase of nearly 3,500 TAG awards over this year.

New Rain Garden at NJCU

NJCU’s rain garden is complete! Rain gardens are designed to reduce runoff rainwater by allowing the water to be absorbed into the ground where it is purified by natural processes. The new rain garden is located behind the Visual Arts Building.