Dominican College Hosts MLK Day of Service

Students, staff, and community members volunteered on Saturday, January 18, 2020 as part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. 聽The event was sponsored by Volunteer New York! and took place in the Granito Center.

鈥淢LK Day is a day millions across our country choose to come together as volunteers, inspired by a message of hope and equality, and enact positive change by addressing local needs,鈥� says Volunteer New York! Executive Director, Alisa H. Keston. 鈥淲e鈥檙e especially thankful to Dominican College for their partnership in bringing our 10th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service to Rockland in such a special way.鈥�

Volunteers worked on a number of projects for children, seniors, and deployed service members.聽 In addition, some volunteers were trained in Hands-Only CPR.

January 19, 2020

U.S. Senate Confirms Dominican College Alumna as Federal Judge

Alumna and Trustee Emeritus Mary Kay Vyskocil has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as a federal judge.

The U.S. Senate voted on December 19, 2019 to confirm alumna Mary Kay Vyskocil, 鈥�80, as a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York. 聽Vyskoscil has served as a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge since 2016.

Prior to being appointed as a judge, Vyskocil was a partner in the New York Law firm of Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett LLP.聽 During her 33-year career at Simpson Thacher, Vyskocil litigated some of the most significant insurance and reinsurance cases, representing major domestic and foreign insurers in complex coverage litigations, including numerous arbitrations, jury trials, and appellate arguments. She represented Swiss RE Ltd. In litigation arising from the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and has also represented JPMorgan Chase & Co. and the Travelers Cos. Inc.

Vyskocil graduated summa cum laude from Dominican College and attended St. John鈥檚 University Law School.聽 At Dominican College, she was the first recipient of the prestigious Badami Outstanding Alumna Award, was inducted into the Alumni Hall of Achievement, and was named an Alumni of Distinction.

After serving two 15-year terms on the Dominican College Board of Trustees, Vyskocil was named a Trustee Emeritus in 2018.

December 20, 2019

U.S. Senate Confirms Dominican College Alumna as Federal Judge

Alumna and Trustee Emeritus Mary Kay Vyskocil has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as a federal judge.

The U.S. Senate voted on December 19, 2019 to confirm alumna Mary Kay Vyskocil, 鈥�80, as a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York. 聽Vyskoscil has served as a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge since 2016.

Prior to being appointed as a judge, Vyskocil was a partner in the New York Law firm of Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett LLP.聽 During her 33-year career at Simpson Thacher, Vyskocil litigated some of the most significant insurance and reinsurance cases, representing major domestic and foreign insurers in complex coverage litigations, including numerous arbitrations, jury trials, and appellate arguments. She represented Swiss RE Ltd. In litigation arising from the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and has also represented JPMorgan Chase & Co. and the Travelers Cos. Inc.

Vyskocil graduated summa cum laude from Dominican College and attended St. John鈥檚 University Law School.聽 At Dominican College, she was the first recipient of the prestigious Badami Outstanding Alumna Award, was inducted into the Alumni Hall of Achievement, and was named an Alumni of Distinction.

After serving two 15-year terms on the Dominican College Board of Trustees, Vyskocil was named a Trustee Emeritus in 2018.

December 20, 2019

Business Leaders Discuss the Internet of Things

Tom Gilley, Chief Technology Officer at Convergia Communications, was the guest speaker at the Palisades Institute forum “Defining the Future: The Internet of Things.”

Business leaders had plenty of comments and questions about how internet-connected devices are rapidly changing the world we live in at the Palisades Institute forum, 鈥淒efining the Future:聽 the Internet of Things.鈥澛犅� Tom Gilley, Chief Technology Officer at Convergia Communications, was the guest speaker at the December 11, 2019 forum in Rosary Hall.聽 Gilley said connected products increase effectiveness and optimize revenue.

鈥淎ny time you are changing a part of your infrastructure, whether it is in your home, a small company, or a large company, you should think about what your connected product strategy is,鈥� said Gilley.

Gilley suggests businesses that are changing lighting, HVAC, and business systems consider connected products.聽 While connected products have many benefits, Gilley said there are concerns about security and privacy.

At the beginning of 2019, there were about 7 billion internet-connected devices.聽 That number is expected to explode to 21 billion by 2025.

 

December 12, 2019

New Pre-Athletic Training Track in Health Sciences to Start in Fall 2020

Dominican College鈥檚 Health Sciences Program will include a new pre-athletic training concentration beginning in fall 2020.  The New York State Education Department has approved the change to the Bachelor of Science in the Health Sciences degree.

鈥淢any of our students are interested in careers in fields related to professional sports.  Currently, we have a sports management concentration within the business management major,鈥� said Academic Dean Thomas Nowak, Ph.D. 鈥淭he pre-athletic training track in the health sciences provides an exciting second option for students who want to be involved with sports as a career 鈥� even possibly on the professional level.鈥�

Other tracks in the Health Sciences Program include pre-occupational therapy, pre-physical therapy, and a general track.  The new pre-athletic training concentration will allow students interested in a master鈥檚 degree in athletic training to complete all the prerequisites needed.  Across the nation, the professional degree required to become a certified athletic trainer is changing from a bachelor鈥檚 degree to a master鈥檚 degree based on guidelines from the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education.

November 22, 2019

Former New Jersey Net Michael O鈥橩oren Inspires Charger Athletes

At the annual Tip-Off Dinner (pictured left to right), women’s basketball coach Bill Diener, Trustee Michael McLaughlin, former NBA player Michael O’Koren, and men’s basketball coach Joe Clinton.

The 2019-2020 women鈥檚 and men鈥檚 basketball team got advice on how to be successful on and off the court from former New Jersey Net standout Mike O鈥橩oren at the annual Tip-Off Dinner on October 24, 2019.

O鈥橩oren said that during his career he learned that fundamentals, confidence, and camaraderie are all key to performing well on the basketball court.聽 At the University of North Carolina, Koren was an All-American athlete and played under legendary head coach Dean Smith.聽 He was a first round selection of the New Jersey Nets in 1980 and played with the club for ten years.聽 O鈥橩oren then moved on to coaching as an assistant coach with the Nets, the Washington Wizards, and Rutgers University.

College trustee and former Charger basketball player Michael McLaughlin, 鈥�90, told the athletes in attendance, 鈥淎s great of a player as he is, off the court he is an even better person.鈥�

O鈥橩oren鈥檚 advice to the athletes went beyond tips for a successful athletic career.聽 He told them to be successful in life they needed discipline and should strive to make their parents proud. 鈥淵ou know the difference between right and wrong,鈥� he said. 鈥淔ollow that right path and make them proud and good things will certainly happen for you.鈥�

The Tip-Off Dinner was held at the Casa Mia House in Blauvelt, NY.

October 25, 2019

Dominican College Ranked a Top Performer on Social Mobility by U.S. News & World Report

Dominican College has been ranked as a Top Performer on Social Mobility by U.S. News & World Report in their 2020 Best Colleges list.聽 Dominican College was ranked #19 out of Regional Universities North for social mobility.聽 Top performers in this category are more successful than other colleges at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded Pell Grants.聽 Most of these federal grants are awarded to students with adjusted gross family incomes under $50,000.

President Sr. Mary Eileen O鈥橞rien, O.P., Ph.D. said, 鈥淲e are delighted to be recognized for helping 聽economically challenged students to succeed.聽 Dominican College has always welcomed students of all economic backgrounds and strongly believes that everyone deserves a top quality education.鈥�

Dominican College is the top ranked college for social mobility in Rockland County.聽 聽For more information and the complete list, visit the .

October 18, 2019

Dominican College Ranked a Top Performer on Social Mobility by U.S. News & World Report

Dominican College has been ranked as a Top Performer on Social Mobility by U.S. News & World Report in their 2020 Best Colleges list.聽 Dominican College was ranked #19 out of Regional Universities North for social mobility.聽 Top performers in this category are more successful than other colleges at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded Pell Grants.聽 Most of these federal grants are awarded to students with adjusted gross family incomes under $50,000.

President Sr. Mary Eileen O鈥橞rien, O.P., Ph.D. said, 鈥淲e are delighted to be recognized for helping 聽economically challenged students to succeed.聽 Dominican College has always welcomed students of all economic backgrounds and strongly believes that everyone deserves a top quality education.鈥�

Dominican College is the top ranked college for social mobility in Rockland County.聽 聽For more information and the complete list, visit the .

October 18, 2019

Criminal Justice Students Participate in Police Boot Camp

Joe Nyce Parrello spoke to criminal justice students about how to promote better police community relations within our schools and in the streets.

Criminal justice students who are considering a career in law enforcement took part in the College鈥檚 first Police Boot Camp on October 3, 2019 in the Hennessy Center.聽 Motivational speaker and Harrison Police Officer Joe Nyce Parrello administered the Cooper physical fitness test to the aspiring police officers and encouraged the students to become officers only if they are doing it for the right reasons 鈥� to make a difference and to help people.

鈥淏eing a police officer is an amazing job.聽 You have the opportunity to affect the lives of thousands of people over the course of your career,鈥澛� he said.聽 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 also a very dangerous job and a very tough job.聽 Right now it is not easy to be a police officer in the United States.鈥�

Parrello believes that individual police officers can be part of the solution by always treating others with respect and by building relationships in the community.聽 He is a cousin of Tara Parrello, Ph.D., Coordinator of the Criminal Justice Program.

October 9, 2019

Volunteers Package 10,000 Meals for the Hungry

Volunteers packaged 10,000 macaroni and cheese meals in the Lawrence Room of Rosary Hall on September 27, 2019.

The Dominican College community packaged 10,000 macaroni and cheese meals for the hungry by partnering with The Outreach Program, Inc. during Founders Week. 聽聽More than 130 students, faculty, administrators, and staff volunteered on the assembly lines that were set up in the Lawrence Room of Rosary Hall on September 27, 2019.

The Outreach Program Regional Manager Ted Swartwood said Dominican College鈥檚 assistance is appreciated, 鈥淗unger is a real issue wherever you go and the meals will go to people who really need them.聽 One in five people in the greater Rockland County area do not know where their next meal is coming from.聽 These meals will help.鈥�

About 9,000 meals were delivered to People to People for distribution to local families and the remainder are being kept in the College food pantry for students.聽 The Outreach Program is a nonprofit organization focused on providing safe water, food, medical care, and education to children and those in need at home and abroad.

October 8, 2019

Business Forum Addresses Trends Defining the Future

Senior Vice Presidents at Capital Group Kathy Nalywajko and Greg Singer spoke to business leaders at a forum entitled, “Defining the Future: Trends Transforming the Way We Live.”

The world is quickly changing and business leaders heard about trends that are transforming the way we live during a Palisades Institute forum on October 3, 2019 in Rosary Hall.

Greg Singer, VP and Investment Director at Capital Group, said three major trends are the growth of cloud computing, advances in medical research, and the increase in global air travel.聽 鈥淓veryone is very worried about volatility in the markets right now and the risk of an upcoming recession.聽 We see volatility likely to stay and a recession likely to happen in the next couple of years,鈥� he said.聽 鈥淏ut at the same time, there are multi-decade trends going on and companies that are going to get through the recession to the other side and that can create attractive investments. 鈥�

Singer advises business owners to make sure their businesses can get through the stress of a recession, noting that companies with volatility and debt are particularly at risk.聽 Singer was joined on the panel by Kathy Nalywajko, VP at Capital Group.

The aim of the Palisades Institute of Dominican College is to encourage leaders in business, government, and not-for-profit agencies to integrate the concepts of leadership, quality, and ethics to achieve long-term success.

October 3, 2019

New Food Pantry Opens On Campus

Virginia Reeves, sister of Sr. Catherine Howard, cuts the ribbon on the new Sr. Catherine Howard Food Pantry. College President Sr. Mary Eileen O’Brien is on the right.

A new food pantry for students has opened on the Dominican College campus.聽 A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Sr. Catherine Howard Food Pantry took place on Friday, September 27, 2019.聽 聽The pantry is located in the Sullivan Library and is open on Tuesdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Melissa Leigh Grau, Director of Community Engagement & Leadership Development, said the goal is to help students so they are able to pursue an education with as few barriers as possible.聽 鈥淪tudents who self-identify as needing food assistance, as well as students referred by faculty or staff, will have access to shelf-stable food staples, as well as on-the-go snacks like granola bars and peanut butter,鈥� she said.

Social work students Jhanya Squires and Arabia Shearn (left to right) both worked to get the Sr. Catherine Howard Food Pantry up and running in the Sullivan Library.

Grau said her office is working with the Social Work Department and the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt on the project.聽 The Sisters have donated money from several fundraisers toward the pantry, which is staffed by a social work intern. 聽The pantry was named in honor of Sr. Catherine Howard, who served as president of The Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvelt and as a College trustee.聽 The talented administrator and social worker died on November 9, 2018.聽 She is remembered for her dedication, kindness, and selflessness.

October 1, 2019