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From the psychological effects of social distancing, to the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis, the Dyson College community is working to advance our understanding of the ongoing pandemic. Student, faculty, and alumni researchers are working on a wide range of projects with both immediate relevance, and long-term implications, that will enable the world to move forward.

Here’s a look at some of the most significant work so far.

Mental health

The pandemic has undoubtedly had a significant impact on psychological wellbeing, and Associate Clinical Professor Linda Escobar Olszewski, PsyD, is studying the effects on one specific student group: athletes.

“The financial implications of COVID-19 resulted in early career termination of thousands of athletes across the country, throwing them into an identity crisis during a time of global instability,” she said. “Our study aims to investigate the double burden of COVID-19 plus early forced ‘retirement’ on NCAA athletes’ identity, health behaviors, self-esteem, and mental health.”

Escobar Olszewski, who is also the clinical director of ���ҹ�����’s McShane Center for Psychological Services, is working with Mitchel Figueroa ’25, PsyD, and two outside researchers.

She notes that since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, mental health concerns among athletes are up as much as 250 percent from the NCAA’s highest previously reported totals.

“Having a better understanding the mental health impacts of the double-burden of COVID-19 and forced ‘retirement’ may highlight and capture the degree of impact these combined events have on student-athletes, and may inform universities of the mental health needs of student-athletes that results from the disruption, a population that has a great need for services, but whose mental health is often overlooked,” Escobar Olszewski said.

Her colleague, Barbara A. Mowder, PhD, is looking at another group: parents. As a researcher, one of Mowder’s core projects has been the development of the Working with Parents Manual, a training manual for counselors, psychologists, and other mental health professionals on working with parents and/or those who anticipate parenting in the future. The goal is to design a tool to assist parents in acquiring the understanding and behaviors to support the developmental needs of their children. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mowder began working with several Doctor of Psychology (PSYD) in School-Clinical Child Psychology students to assess the efficacy of the manual and the ways in which the virus may be impacting parents and parenting.

“This research has the potential to discern the myriad ways in which the pandemic has affected individuals in terms of their parent role and associated parenting behaviors,” Mowder said. “In turn, it may assist mental health professionals in identifying parenting needs during this time of increased stress as well as developing options and avenues for fostering parenting strengths.”

Economic ramifications

Data shows that during the Great Recession of 2008, workers in occupations that could be most easily automated by mechanization or technology experienced job losses in greater numbers. Julieth Saenz Molina ’15, Economics, coauthored a report for the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia looking at how the same trend is occurring now as a result of the pandemic.

“While the research focused on the short-term effects of automation during the pandemic, a prolonged economic crisis could lead to permanent job losses due to increases in labor-replacing automation, such as it happened after the Great Recession,” Saenz Molina said.

She was involved in several research projects as a ���ҹ����� student, and plans to continue monitoring the trends of automation based on updated employment data, as well as the broader economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the responses by different governments.

“I am currently working on analyzing the role cash transfers have had in aiding nations in overcoming the detrimental effect of the pandemic on economic development,” Saenz Molina said.

The effects of remote work

Two Department of Public Administration faculty members are looking at how different groups of workers are being affected.

Associate Professor and Department of Public Administration Chair Gina Scutelnicu, PhD, has coauthored a paper analyzing how telework is impacting government workers. The research looked at how successful the transition to forced telework has been for federal employees during the COVID-19 crisis and how working experiences and arrangements adopted during COVID-19 may affect the future of telework.

“This study is among the first ones to examine telework in a comprehensive way through self-reported narratives of federal workers, thus assessing the lived experiences of telework in a holistic way,” Scutelnicu said.

Her findings indicated a generally positive perception of the transition to full-time telework in terms of productivity, performance and work-life balance, with the exception of working parents. Results were more mixed in terms of job satisfaction, social integration and supervisor support; however, data also showed that federal employees anticipate more work will become remote-eligible as society moves to a new normal. This suggests that while there are challenges that public and nonprofit organizations need to address for a remote workforce, telework can be an attractive human resource management strategy for both emergency preparedness and recruiting younger employees.

Clinical Assistant Professor Ric Kolenda, PhD, is looking at how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected gig workers. He began studying this freelance workforce in 2009, and since then it has continued to disrupt and shape our economy in new ways.

“Gig workers are a small but growing part of the economy, but more importantly, they have shown to be critical during the last several months, while also being exposed to the virus at higher rates along with other essential workers,” Kolenda said.

In addition to providing a better understanding of conditions for gig workers during the pandemic, he hopes his current research will help identify creative solutions to the unique issues they’re facing.

Kolenda plans to complete the research with the help of a paid graduate assistant.

Public perception and stopping the spread

“Understanding how the public perceives novel coronavirus/COVID-19 is a critical factor in developing public health strategies to reduce the disease spread and for treatment and prevention planning,” Clinical Associate Professor Christopher Godfrey, PhD, said.

Godfrey, who is also director of undergraduate psychology on the New York City campus, is examining how various factors—including sociodemographic characteristics, housing, access to services, and health psychological considerations such as risk perception, health literacy, and trust in government—may influence American adults’ perceptions of COVID-19, seasonal influenza, and vaccines and treatments for these diseases.

The main project is a national survey of 3,000 individuals, and graduate students are leading secondary investigations focusing on the experiences of women, communities of color, first responders, and economically disadvantaged populations. In partnership with Professor of Psychology June Chisholm, PhD, and Associate Professor of Psychology Michele Zaccario, PhD, they will be looking at topics including how the pandemic is affecting online and family social networks and parenting practices of new moms, regional differences in African-American women’s COVID-19-related health care experiences, and health information literacy and COVID-19 risk among high COVID-risk groups.

Valerie Patritti ’20, MS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, is on the front lines of the pandemic. As a fellow of the Association of Public Health Labs and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, she is analyzing the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2 genomes. The purpose of her work is to decipher the genetic code of individual virus samples in New York City and determine if SARS-CoV-2 is changing through genetic mutation, with the goal of using the information to help with surveillance and contact tracing efforts.

She gained the experience necessary to prepare her for this research while a student at ���ҹ�����, where she worked closely with chemistry professors Zhaohua Dai, PhD, and Nigel Yarlett, PhD.

“Even though the pandemic has been a difficult time for many, I am happy to have been given this unique opportunity to aid in a national emergency,” Patritti said.

���ҹ����� to reduce its energy consumption by 20% by 2023

NEW YORK and PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. (November 17, 2020) – The U.S. Department of Energy has and highlighted its efforts to save energy and reopen its buildings safely. Through quick action and a commitment to reopening all three campuses — its undergraduate and graduate campuses in Lower Manhattan and Pleasantville, and the Elisabeth Haub School of Law in White Plains—in a safe and sustainable manner, ���ҹ����� was able to achieve 30% to 40% energy savings compared to the same period in 2019.

Ryan McEnany, director of energy and resiliency at ���ҹ�����’s Department of Facilities and Capital Projects, noted that the unexpected realities of the pandemic demanded flexibility and innovation.

“This showcases the hard work that we undertook including additional responsibilities such as becoming experts by researching the ever-changing Centers for Diseases Control and New York State recommendations, filtering through new and effective technologies to improve indoor air quality, and setting up campus with signage to allow for proper social distancing,” said McEnany.

Notably, ���ҹ����� has emerged as a key leader in the Department of Energy’s “Better Buildings Initiative,” which involves over 950 commercial, public, industrial and energy organizations. The idea behind the initiative is for innovative organizations like ���ҹ����� to share their sustainable energy strategies and practices, thus providing a blueprint for others to follow that lead.

Collectively, Better Building Initiative organizations have saved close to 1.8 quadrillion B-T-U’s of energy, equivalent to nearly $11 billion, and more than 105 million tons of carbon dioxide. As a participant in the Better Buildings Challenge, ���ҹ����� has pledged to a 20% energy reduction campus-wide by 2023 and is well on its way to achieving that goal.

, the Better Buildings Initiative highlighted ���ҹ�����’s commitment to its mission and praised many of the strategies the University implemented, which included productive and efficient air-conditioning cycling during the summer months, continuous energy audits to ensure standards were being met, and an overhaul of steam traps and steam system distribution.

Additionally, the Better Buildings Initiative praised the manner in which ���ҹ����� maintained sustainable energy use while also implementing necessary COVID-19 safety measures that include, but are not limited to: installation of ultraviolet lights in bathrooms to help sterilize air, installation of bipolar ionization in some large public spaces on the New York City Campus, reorganizing the traffic flow of buildings, and installation of non-septic elevator buttons.

Ibi Yolas, vice president of facilities and capital projects, credited ���ҹ�����’s accomplishments in this area to the tireless work of staff, and the University’s overall commitment to a sustainable future.

“I am thankful for my team who worked tirelessly to find the right solutions and keeping their focus on the best and most effective existing and emerging strategies,” said Yolas. “And also thanks to the diligent work of the COVID task force and others who made it all possible.”

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, ���ҹ����� remains committed to exploring and implementing strategies focused on improving both campus health and campus-wide energy efficiency.

���ҹ����� has for decades been a leader in environmental stewardship. The university offers a number of undergraduate and graduate degrees in environment studies, environmental science and environmental policy, as well as a professional certification in ecology. Additionally, The Elisabeth Haub School of Law (Haub Law) is one of the top ranked programs in the country for environmental law, a signature program at the school, and The ���ҹ����� Environmental Policy Clinic has gained a national reputation for its work developing innovative environmental protections on a range of issues.

���ҹ����� was recently featured and earlier this year, in partnership with Con Edison, ���ҹ����� installed a Solar Tree on its Pleasantville campus. In 2015, ���ҹ����� also unveiled its Environmental Center Complex that includes classrooms and a replica of the former farmhouse building which serves as a key facility for faculty and students.

About ���ҹ�����

���ҹ����� has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success as a result of its unique program that combines rigorous academics and real-world experiences. ���ҹ����� is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides. From its beginnings as an accounting school in 1906, ���ҹ����� has grown to three campuses, enrolling 13,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in more than 150 majors and programs, across a range of disciplines: arts, sciences, business, health care, technology, law, education, and more. The university also has one of the most competitive performing arts programs in the country. ���ҹ����� has a signature, newly renovated campus in New York City, located in the heart of vibrant Lower Manhattan, next to Wall Street and City Hall, and two campuses in Westchester County, New York: a 200-acre picturesque Pleasantville Campus and the Elisabeth Haub School of Law in White Plains. or on our news website.

A team of students from Drake Law School won the first annual Elisabeth Haub School of Law Environmental Law & Policy Hack Competition.

The students, Bradley Adams and Kathryn Leidahl, won a $2,000 prize that goes toward implementation of their proposal to tailor landscape ordinances to support Cedar Rapids, Iowa’s stormwater management.

Three teams were chosen as finalists for the first annual Elisabeth Haub School of Law Environmental Law & Policy Hack Competition, an environmental law and policy problem-solving event that invites students to propose an innovative and practical response to a current environmental challenge and awards seed funding to support implementation of the winning concept.

Two other teams along with the Drake team were selected as finalists by a panel of ���ҹ����� faculty: The University of Colorado Law School team, Leah Vasarhelyi, Lucas O’Brien and Dillon Clayton, who proposed producing climate-friendly landscapes in Denver that promote mitigation and adaptation to climate change. And the Vermont Law School team, Mariana Muñoz and Arielle King, who proposed developing “micro pocket wetlands” in Hartford, Vermont, to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

“The finalists were all very impressive in their knowledge of their target communities and the ways environmental law, policy and politics intersect at the local level,” said Prof. Katrina Fisher Kuh, Interim Executive Director of the Environmental Law Program at Haub Law, who organized the competition. “Each of these proposals would bring great benefits to their communities and would also provide a useful model for climate change mitigation in New York and Westchester County.”

Law students around the country were challenged to propose policies that local governments can use to create vegetative spaces that will help to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The virtual presentation of team proposals and the announcement of the winner took place on November 13.

This competition is intended to orient law students toward the development of practicable environmental policy; encourage students to collaborate with policy stakeholders, including from government and the community; catalyze the conceptualization and implementation of innovative solutions to pressing environmental problems; and further our commitment to advancing environmental protection.

Students were invited to contemplate the complex law and policy questions posed by local management of climate-friendly vegetative spaces and to offer nuanced analysis and concrete guidance for a specific community or communities facing these questions. Teams were invited to select a specific jurisdiction upon which to focus or to make a proposal addressed to typical municipal laws.

The final-round judges who chose the winner are Prof. Julie Cheslik of the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law; Prof. Shelby Green of Haub Law; Christopher Rizzo, a Haub Law alumnus and a Litigation, Environmental Law, and Land-Use lawyer with Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP; and Daniel Zarrilli, Chief Climate Policy Advisor and OneNYC Director, NYC Office of the Mayor.

Honors the Memory of DJ Henry with Education and Empowerment

WESTCHESTER and NEW YORK (Oct. 16, 2020) – To educate and empower the ���ҹ����� Community on topics connected to social and racial justice, inclusion and equality while honoring the memory of former student Danroy “DJ” Henry Jr., who was killed by a police officer 10 years ago, ���ҹ����� will host the inaugural Social Justice Week, the University today announced.

The week-long series runs from Oct. 26 to Oct. 30 and includes social justice-centered programming consisting of nearly 50 events created by students, faculty, staff and alumni. ���ҹ����� is committed to being an anti-racist institution and Social Justice Week supports education, empowerment and passion. Events are free and some are open to the public.

“This October marks 10 years since the tragic death of DJ Henry, a promising young ���ҹ����� student and football player,” said Marvin Krislov, ���ҹ�����’s president. “As we reflect on his life, I am pleased that our campus community is choosing to celebrate DJ’s legacy with this Social Justice Week series of programming. I hope this annual event will serve as a recommitment to work toward our goals of equality and other positive change.”

The week will kick off with an overview of how ���ҹ����� students are leading the charge on advocacy and making a difference on campus and in their communities. Other highlights include a conversation with the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement; a discussion with the president of the National Urban League; presentations about topics such as diversity in the workforce, the gender gap in the technology field, and a conversation with a death row exoneree, among many others topics.

Many of the events are centered on the tragic death of DJ Henry, a ���ҹ����� football player who was shot and killed by a police officer in 2010. On Oct. 26, there will be a screening and discussion of the 48 Hourssegment, The MFA program will be hosting “Poems in Power” in partnership with the Henry Family. There will also be a campus rally on Oct. 29—DJ Henry’s birthday (he would have been 31) and ���ҹ����� Athletics will retire his No. 12 football jersey. To learn more about his story, you can , the foundation established by DJ Henry’s parents.

“We created Social Justice Week to highlight the importance of social justice and to acknowledge the circumstances of DJ Henry’s murder,” said ���ҹ����� student Ashley DeSalvo, a student organizer and ambassador of Unity and Social Justice with ���ҹ�����’s Student Government Association. “Issues of social justice affect all of us. There is not enough time in one week to cover all of the moving pieces that influence our lives, but we hope that the events and activities of this week spark interest and passion that will encourage students to continue this work.”

Suede Graham, coordinator for Student Development and Campus Activities at ���ҹ����� noted that planning such a series of events was empowering as students, faculty and staff came together for something that was much bigger than themselves. “The students here are so passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and they are doing an excellent job of holding the university accountable in their passion,” said Graham. “I found myself nearly getting emotional reading through the submissions because I realize the levels of empathy individuals within our community hold.”

About ���ҹ�����

���ҹ����� has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success as a result of its unique program that combines rigorous academics and real-world experiences. ���ҹ����� is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides. From its beginnings as an accounting school in 1906, ���ҹ����� has grown to three campuses, enrolling 13,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in more than 150 majors and programs, across a range of disciplines: arts, sciences, business, health care, technology, law, education, and more. The university also has one of the most competitive performing arts programs in the country. ���ҹ����� has a signature, newly renovated campus in New York City, located in the heart of vibrant Lower Manhattan, next to Wall Street and City Hall, and two campuses in Westchester County, New York: a 200-acre picturesque Pleasantville Campus and a Law School in White Plains. or on our news website.

The ���ҹ����� Storytelling Fellowship for Equity and Inclusion is providing new opportunities to promote diverse creatives.

With the inception of the ���ҹ����� Storytelling Fellowship for Equity and Inclusion, funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Dyson College has a new opportunity to play an important role in fostering diversity and equal representation.

Launched in fall 2019, the fellowship program was created as a springboard to amplify diverse voices. Open to sophomores and juniors, it provides training and mentorship through monthly workshops, seminars, and events geared toward developing creative excellence and mastery of the writing craft, as well as assistance with graduate school applications and career and job search guidance. Fellows also receive a stipend and a paid summer internship to equip them with the knowledge and experience to enable success.

“This program gives an opportunity for students whose voices might not otherwise be heard to write,” program coordinator Lucia Burns said. “Representation matters, and we all want to see ourselves in stories, whether in plays, television, film, or fiction.”

The inaugural cohort of nine participants began in spring 2020 after a comprehensive application and interview process. They attended several panel discussions with industry professionals, including “Working Writers in New York,” featuring playwright and screenwriter Dustin Chinn, screenwriter/director/producer Sue Kramer, and young adult author and founder of We Need Diverse Books Dhonielle Clayton; “How to Pitch,” featuring entertainer Mo Brown and writer Rashaun Allen; and “How to Get the Most out of Your Internship,” featuring Andrew Tolbert, senior director of kids and animation at Hello Sunshine, and Cishawn Randolf, director of human resources at A + E Networks. During summer 2020, the students interned at arts, media, and technology organizations including New York Stage and Film, Clubbed Thumb, Girl Be Heard, Firelight Media, 9 Story, Valiant Entertainment, and Art Garage.

“Our overall goal is to help diversify writers’ rooms across the spectrum of arts organizations by developing a growing cadre of excellent and knowledgeable writers from currently under-represented groups to tell their compelling stories,” Burns said.

Meet the Fellows

The inaugural cohort of ���ҹ����� Storytelling Fellowship for Equity and Inclusion participants includes these writers from across the nation and around the world.

Cheyenne Anderson ’21

“In fourth grade, I had a writing teacher, Mrs. Clark, who had us write short stories, and she told my parents that mine was one of the best she had read from a kid my age,” Cheyenne Anderson said. “I took the compliment and ran from there!”

Today, she’s an acting major, International Performance Ensemble program, who is actively involved at ���ҹ�����. During the 2019–20 academic year, she served as president of Stand Up! Productions, a student theater organization, and represented the ���ҹ����� School of Performing Arts in the Student Government Association. As a storyteller, she’s produced poems, plays, and other work grounded in authenticity.

“I believe in the necessity of telling lots of different kinds of stories with unflinching honesty, and I try to do that through whatever medium best suits the story,” Anderson said.

The truth about her own story is that it hasn’t always been an easy one. Originally from Kentucky, Anderson struggles with chronic mental and physical health conditions, and her path to ���ҹ����� took her through boarding school, a gap year, and community college.

Now, she’s using her own experience as inspiration to forge a career as a multifaceted theatrical artist and producer.

“The ���ҹ����� School of Performing Arts is a really fantastic program, so not only did the rigor of the artistic training draw me, but doing a tour of campus when I was sixteen really solidified for me that ���ҹ����� is a wonderful community with a fantastic location and caring peer group,” Anderson said. “[As a fellow] I hope to gain a network of colleagues and mentors, along with a sense that my writing is worthy of being taken seriously.”

Luis Bermudez Jr. ’21

For Luis Bermudez Jr., writing is like “a puzzle.” “By the end of the story, everything will fit together and make sense, but the story itself will be chaotic,” he said. “I love invoking emotions and aim to write stories that will induce them.”

A film and screen studies major, he typically focuses his writing on the goal of entertainment and emotion, so it’s no surprise that music inspired his interest in storytelling. “I love artists who can tell a story with such vivid imagery that we all believe it happened the exact way they explained it,” he said.

Bermudez, who started out on ���ҹ�����’s Pleasantville campus before transferring to New York City, hopes to sell scripts as soon as possible, while pursuing directing and film production. He’s thankful that the fellowship has placed him in an atmosphere to be able to work toward those goals.

“This fellowship is a great way to build connections and learn from people who are already [successful],” he said.

When he is not polishing his latest story or screenplay, Bermudez is an active participant in ���ҹ�����’s intramural sports program.

Michelle Chan ’21

As a student in New York City, Michelle Chan has found plenty of new inspiration for her multifaceted work.

“The opportunities that come from living and learning in this unique city are one-of-a-kind,” Chan said.

While the directing major, International Performance Ensemble program, is interested in a variety of disciplines, she hopes to pursue a career as a director, bringing the stories of our communities of color to life and exploring themes of cultural fusion and identity.

Before starting at ���ҹ�����, Chan spent several years growing up in Hong Kong. As a student, she served on the board of Stand Up! Productions throughout her freshman and sophomore years, helping to produce full-length performances and new works. Now, she’s looking to further expand her artistic community through the fellowship.

“I hope to create a network of other writers from diverse backgrounds and help each other navigate this industry that hasn’t made it easy for us to tell our stories,” she said.

Jemma Harris ’21

Jemma Harris first discovered her passion for writing through books. Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, she recalls living as a squatter—when there wasn’t enough money for rent—so perhaps reading offered an escape from the challenges of real life.

“I’m a big fan of detail, and I like to use genre as a way to tell meaningful stories in a way that can address reality without slapping the reader in the face with it,” Harris said.

A film and screen studies major with double minors in creative writing and journalism and digital storytelling, she hopes to find future success as a screenwriter and novelist.

“I applied to the fellowship in hopes that it would provide instructive or mentoring experience within different fields of writing beyond what’s available in a classroom, and give me a greater sense of connection to the school I’m graduating from,” Harris said.

At ���ҹ�����, she is also involved in Stand Up! Productions and Feminist Allies.

Jada Henry ’21

For Jada Henry, storytelling is a way to recount memories and reorganize them through a different lens. She describes her writing as “naturalistic” and “abstract,” as she tries to keep the realism in her stories while also incorporating unorthodox themes.

“I’ve always been connected to storytelling,” she said. “I continuously try to keep a sense of reality so that the stories I write are like that of old friends reminiscing over whacky memories.”

When Henry isn’t capturing her memories on paper, she spends her time as secretary of ���ҹ�����’s multimedia club, POP TV. The film and screen studies major is also a fourth-year Women’s Leadership Initiative mentor and recently celebrated the publication of her first fictional thriller, The Principles of Good Taste and Ornament.

“As a creator, often the biggest obstacle is yourself, so I am thrilled to have a piece of work I am proud of to my name,” Henry said.

Before coming to ���ҹ�����, Henry had never ventured out of her hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas. Looking ahead, she intends to pursue screenwriting and acting in the film industry and believes the fellowship is an integral stepping-stone to those dreams.

Georges Yogolelo Mbuyu ’22

Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, Georges Yogolelo Mbuyu came to New York City to work toward degrees in both political science and English literature and language at ���ҹ�����. Mbuyu, a member of ���ҹ����� Music Group, the University’s music club, and an active representative of the Alpha Kappa Sigma fraternity, first discovered his passion for writing through a high school English teacher.

“[He] taught me that writing was an indispensable tool,” Mbuyu said. “We got to write and record our own shorts. It rarely felt like a lesson, and I’ve loved writing ever since.”

Today, as a fellow, he is honing his craft with new stories and friends, and through his writing he hopes to take the audience on a journey to discover real meaning.

“It’s seeing the uniqueness of all our lives that excites me and makes me want to share that [enthusiasm] with everyone I can through stories,” Mbuyu said.

Janvi Patel ’21

Janvi Patel is fascinated with hearing and recording people’s stories. Double majoring in American studies and art, she came to ���ҹ����� to be in New York City, and she’s already had plenty of life experience as a world traveler, international volunteer, and adventurer—she overcame a fear of heights and water by cliff jumping with a friend.

With her writing, unapologetically wordy and descriptive, Patel likes to take readers on their own journey, one in which they forget their current surroundings.

“I like creating experiences for others through my stories that make them question their morality, existence, and society,” she said.

As a kid growing up in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, she was mesmerized and delighted by stories and books she discovered while exploring the town’s public library, as well as her school library. At ���ҹ�����, she’s actively involved in several student organizations, including Blend 41, Aphros Literary Magazine, ���ҹ����� Music Group, the LGBTQA Center, Setter Stage, and ���ҹ����� Film Club.

As a fellow, Patel hopes to learn and engage with other writers, and she has big plans for the future, which include working in government and conservation, writing books, volunteering, and designing a school where she can help create mindful, meaningful curricula that are free and accessible for students.

Benjamin Daniel Ravelo ’21

Working toward degrees in computer science and English, Benjamin Daniel Ravelo has loved stories and comics since childhood.

Born and raised in New Jersey, he describes his storytelling style as an exploration of strange, fantastical environments and real, universal truths, infusing a poetic language and a bit of fun along the way.

“I love to cast my net into various genres, often science fiction, and try to fish out a truth to convey to the reader,” Ravelo said. “The higher the concept and the more relevant the theme, the better.”

He credits his experience with undiagnosed anxiety during his middle school years with helping to make him who he is today, and looking ahead as a fellow, he hopes to grow in his craft as a writer and gain opportunities to make further connections, especially in the world of comics and graphic novels.

He has already taken a significant first step, having co-written a mini-comic that has received positive audience response.

Justin Winley ’21

Film and screen studies major Justin Winley is a transfer student from Harlem who describes himself as the kind of kid who read the dictionary for fun and often played around on his dad’s old typewriter, fascinated as he watched the words formed in his mind print out before his eyes in real time.

His parents encouraged him to read from an early age, and as a writer, his favorite subject is the human connection.

“I explore the way people change over time, through relationships and trauma and everything else that can happen to us over the course of our lives,” Winley said. “This is what ties my poetry to my prose, my screenplay to my songwriting.”

At ���ҹ�����, he serves as vice president of ���ҹ����� Martial Arts, a student organization he co-founded, and he is a member of both the Black Student Union and the Caribbean and African Student Association. As a fellow, Winley is developing relationships with working writers in the Tri-State area.

“I am connected to several like-minded and equally gifted/talented individuals who are all eager to build, and that prospect keeps me excited and optimistic about the future of art,” he said.

He looks forward to further collaborations, and his ultimate goal is to work in the film industry as a “one-man pitch machine,” developing screenplays for film and television with opportunities for him to perform.

National Award Honors Ordinary Citizens Doing Extraordinary Acts of Public Service

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – September 25, 2020 -- A ���ҹ����� nursing student who founded an international first responder organization in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes in Haiti has won a 2020 Jefferson Award, a prestigious national honor that recognizes America’s top change makers and ordinary citizens who are doing extraordinary acts of public service.

In selecting Jacqueline Cassagnol for a National Award for Outstanding Public Service, Multiplying Good, the nonprofit organization that administers the Awards, cited the Rockland County resident’s on-the-ground life-saving volunteer work in Haiti and her subsequent creation of , Inc., which provides health education, first-aid and disaster preparedness training to people in the United States and Haiti. Since the organization was established in 2011, it has educated and trained more than 350,000 community members in critical life-saving skills.

Cassagnol, a doctoral candidate in nursing at ���ҹ�����’s College of Health Professions, is the first student from ���ҹ����� to earn the national honor, and the third member of the ���ҹ����� community. She joins an impressive list of people who have earned an award that is often considered the “Nobel Prize for Public Service.” This year’s other national winners include actress and activist Kristen Bell, Youth Villages CEO Patrick Lawler, and TOMS clothing brand.

“I couldn't be prouder of Jacqueline Cassagnol’s many accomplishments, now including becoming ���ҹ�����'s first-ever student national Jefferson Award winner,” said ���ҹ����� President Marvin Krislov. “���ҹ����� students are committed to serving our community, and Jacqueline embodies that. I'm impressed and inspired by her leadership, hard work, and dedication. She is truly deserving of this great honor.”

Over the past four decades, the list of Jefferson Award recipients has included hundreds of national figures — both public and private —more than 63,000 unsung heroes, and tens of thousands of employees and young people that represent the good that is happening in communities across the country. The list of winners includes an impressive who’s who of cultural icons, political dignitaries and everyday community members and volunteers.

“For nearly 50 years, we’ve used recognition to inspire everyone to find a way to serve others,” explained Hillary Schafer, CEO of Multiplying Good. “By celebrating service on a national stage, we elevate the spirit of America, the resiliency of its people, and the good that is all around us.”

“Jefferson Award recipients represent the highest level of service to others,” Schafer continued. “By telling their stories, we encourage them to do even more and inspire others to make a difference through service.”

The Jefferson Awards is the nation’s largest and longest-running awards ceremony honoring public service. The Awards, which are traditionally held twice a year at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., were entirely online this year. It was presented as a one-hour streaming video and aired a collection of inspiring stories that celebrate unparalleled service to others. It also included special recognition of One in a Million awards campaign winners who've had a positive impact through service in the face of crises.

���ҹ�����, a champion of the Jefferson Awards since 2008, also held a virtual viewing party that included staff, students and faculty. Cassagnol was among 12 local bronze award winners and was chosen to represent ���ҹ����� at the virtual awards ceremony.

In addition to winning a national Jefferson Award, Cassagnol has earned many other honors for her work. She was named “Nurse of the Year” by the March of Dimes at its Fifth Annual gala in New York; designated a “Rising Star” by the Rockland Economic Development Corporation at its Annual Forty Under 40 Reception in 2014; presented with the Safe Community Award by Volunteer New York; and inducted into the New York Academy of Medicine in November 2018. In 2019, the New York Yankees named Jacqueline a “Nurse Hero,” and she won the Haitian American Young Citizen of the Year Award from the U.S. Haitian Chamber of Commerce.

In her acceptance remarks, Cassagnol congratulated her peers and noted that it was a great honor to represent ���ҹ����� at the Awards.

“I am so grateful to ���ҹ����� and Multiplying Good for recognizing extraordinary public service,” Cassagnol said. “Congratulations to all of the recipients of this prestigious award tonight. Your contributions, your sacrifices, your collective enthusiasm clearly are making a significant difference. You are all leaders, highly deserving of the recognition you have received.”

Dr. Harriet R. Feldman, dean of the College of Health Professions and the Lienhard School of Nursing at ���ҹ�����, and past Jefferson Award recipient, said Cassagnol was an inspiration and example for others.

“I applaud our student Jacqueline Cassagnol on this extraordinary honor,” Dean Feldman said. “Her dedication to the well-being of local, regional and global communities will surely inspire others in the ���ҹ����� Community and beyond about the importance of service. We are very proud of her!”

About Multiplying Good

Multiplying Good is a national nonprofit that uses service to others and recognition as tools to unleash potential, inspire individuals, and transform lives. It has offices in 11 communities across the country, delivering on-the-ground impact where it is needed most. Founded in 1972 by Sam Beard, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Senator Robert Taft, Jr., the organization has recognized the extraordinary public service of thousands with its Jefferson Award. Additionally, Multiplying Good fuels personal growth and leadership development through a continuum that starts with engagement and culminates in recognition. To learn more, visit or follow Multiplying Good on , , , , and .

About ���ҹ�����

���ҹ����� has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success as a result of its unique program that combines rigorous academics and real-world experiences. ���ҹ����� is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides. From its beginnings as an accounting school in 1906, ���ҹ����� has grown to three campuses, enrolling 13,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in more than 150 majors and programs, across a range of disciplines: arts, sciences, business, health care, technology, law, education, and more. The university also has one of the most competitive performing arts programs in the country. ���ҹ����� has a signature, newly renovated campus in New York City, located in the heart of vibrant Lower Manhattan, next to Wall Street and City Hall, and two campuses in Westchester County, New York: a 200-acre picturesque Pleasantville Campus and a Law School in White Plains. or on our news website.

$200,000 State Grant through State Sen. Harckham’s Office Paves Way for Resource Center for Student Veterans

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – September 21, 2020 – President Marvin Krislov joined New York State Senator Peter Harckham, student veterans and campus leaders on Monday for a grand opening of ���ҹ�����’s Student Veterans Center on its Pleasantville campus.

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The new center, which was made possible with the help of a $200,000 grant secured by Senator Harckham, will serve as a one-stop resource center for student veterans at ���ҹ�����, which has hundreds of student veterans and dependents across its campuses, including 60 in Westchester. The new SVC is centrally located on campus inside the Kessel Student Center. Watch a video of the .

“���ҹ����� has a proud tradition of supporting student veterans and their families, and this new Student Veterans Center, our first space dedicated exclusively to their needs, will help us deliver on that mission,” said President Krislov. “We are grateful to Senator Harckham for his support. He shares our firm belief that we must go above and beyond to serve those who have served our country.”

“The new Student Veterans Center at ���ҹ�����’s Pleasantville campus will be an important resource for the ���ҹ����� veterans community, and I am pleased to have supported its creation from the start,” State Sen. Harckham added. “These days, more veterans of our Armed Services are pursuing postsecondary educations, and their needs differ somewhat from typical college students in terms of certain resources and socialization. ���ҹ�����’s Veterans Center is a recognition of this shift in the student body, and will be met with wide appreciation as a result.”

The SVC will offer a central location on campus to connect, socialize and use the school's resources. Veterans, for example, will be able to obtain information on how to work with, and navigate, the VA, as well as the various educational benefits student veterans are entitled to including the Forever GI Bill, Post 9/11 GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon Program and Vocational Rehab.

“This is a dream come true,” said Steven Garcia, a USMC Veteran and Past President of the Student Veterans of America’s Pleasantville chapter. “Bringing veterans together at one central location will be great for the entire ���ҹ����� community. This space will be essential in helping connect veterans with available resources at ���ҹ����� and get them the support they need to be successful. I want to thank Senator Harckham and ���ҹ����� for making this possible.” ​

“We are here today because like many others, Senator Harckham recognizes and believes in the importance of community building,” said Sukh Singh, a USMC Veteran and member of ���ҹ�����’s Class of 2021. “The SVA has put in countless hours to receive more recognition in our community. So, this is a crucial milestone for ���ҹ�����’s student veterans who finally have a space to grow and support one another in their pursuits of higher education.”

Senator Harckham last year joined student veterans and university leaders to announce the project. Construction on the new Student Veterans Center began this past winter – delayed only slightly because of the pandemic -- and was completed over the summer.

“Student veterans contribute to the diversity and campus life here at ���ҹ�����,” said COL (Ret) Peter Riley, director of ���ҹ����� Office of Veterans Services. “It is terrific that veterans have their own Center. It gives them a place to use the computers, study, relax, commiserate and support each other. We appreciate all the effort that Senator Harckham and his staff did to open the Veterans Center. COVID-19 might have delayed its opening, but could not prevent it.”

About ���ҹ�����

���ҹ����� has a proud history of preparing its diverse student body for a lifetime of professional success as a result of its unique program that combines rigorous academics and real-world experiences. ���ҹ����� is ranked the #1 private, four-year college in the nation for upward economic mobility by Harvard University’s Opportunity Insights, evidence of the transformative education the University provides. From its beginnings as an accounting school in 1906, ���ҹ����� has grown to three campuses, enrolling 13,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in more than 150 majors and programs, across a range of disciplines: arts, sciences, business, health care, technology, law, education, and more. The university also has one of the most competitive performing arts programs in the country. ���ҹ����� has a signature, newly renovated campus in New York City, located in the heart of vibrant Lower Manhattan, next to Wall Street and City Hall, and two campuses in Westchester County, New York: a 200-acre picturesque Pleasantville Campus and a Law School in White Plains. or on our news website.

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Professor Leslie Yalof Garfield Tenzer was awarded the 2020 Goettel Prize for Faculty Scholarship for her article, “Social Media, Venue and the Right to a Fair Trial,” published by Baylor Law Review (71 Baylor L. Rev. 421 (2019)). The Goettel Prize was created in 2004 to encourage and recognize outstanding scholarship by members of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at ���ҹ����� faculty. Each year, members of the tenured and tenure-track faculty are invited to submit their work for consideration (on an anonymous basis) by a selection committee of outside reviewers. This year's committee consisted of three distinguished law school professors: Professor Troy McKenzie of NYU Law School; Professor Michele DeStefano of University of Miami Law School; and Professor Richard Bales of Ohio Northern University Law School. Haub Law Professor, Emily Waldman, notes that, Professor Tenzer's winning piece "tackled a very timely and pressing issue: whether and how judges should recognize social media's potential influence on jurors."

Professor Tenzer notes that “[i]t is an incredible honor to have been recognized among my scholarly colleagues at ���ҹ�����, all of whom I so deeply respect for their thoughtful and provocative work.”

Marc Gironda '00 found his interest in becoming a psychologist through his love of music.

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Why do we like certain music over others? Why are some melodies so emotionally powerful and moving, such as Beethoven's Ode to Joy, that they are performed and beloved by virtually all people across all generations?

A graduate of the PsyD program in school-clinical psychology, Gironda, plays both the piano and trumpet, and is most fascinated by the universality of music, its timelessness, and presence in every culture.

He is also interested in musical perception.

“I enjoyed investigating how musicians versus non-musicians process music in the brain, as well as the similarities between music and language,” Gironda said. “Most aspects of how we perceive and understand music, both emotionally and cognitively, were interesting to me.”

As an undergraduate, he earned bachelor’s degrees in both music and psychology at Colgate University, but it was his coursework in applied psychology that led him to ���ҹ�����’s APA-accredited PsyD program on the New York City campus.

Today, Gironda credits ���ҹ����� with not only providing an academic curriculum that prepared him for his current work and practice, but also access to professors such as Richard Velayo, with whom he presented research at conferences sponsored by the American Psychological Society and Eastern Psychological Association.

His rigorous field placements were also a big part of the making of this dedicated professional.

Gironda worked as a school psychologist at the Pequannock Township School district in New Jersey, as well as with children and adults, in both inpatient and outpatient settings, at Hackensack University Medical Center and Morristown Memorial Hospital (now Morristown Medical Center).Although it was a challenge to balance the demands of graduate school with the expectations of fieldwork, it left him feeling confident about his abilities as a practicing psychologist.

“I felt there was an excellent balance between academic and real-world preparation through my ���ҹ����� education,” Gironda said.

He currently works at in Livingston, New Jersey, focusing on children, adolescents, young adults, and their families. Recognized as a “Top Kids’ Doc” by NJ Family magazine, he sees patients with a range of issues, from anxiety and depression to adjustment after divorce and changing family situations, and has a special interest in working with individuals with autism, intellectual disabilities, and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

“The work can be hard, but it’s ultimately very meaningful when I can make a difference in an individual’s life,” Gironda said.

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I chose Digital Cinema and Filmmaking as a major because I have always been interested in the film industry, and I was also very impressed by the program at the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences on the Pleasantville campus. The courses include many hands on assignments, the equipment available to students is quite impressive, and an internship is required in order to graduate. This spring 2018 semester, I enrolled in the travel documentary course to Puerto Rico, the focus of which has been the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. The process of creating a documentary in such a short amount of time has been complicated and a lot of work. However, the memories I have made are ones I will remember for a very long time. I am also a Dyson Scholar in Residence, and it has been a great experience to live within a diverse community of students in the residence hall. After graduation, I hope to do camera work or editing for a comedy or reality TV show. It would make going to work something I love to do.