St. Joseph’s Long Island campus unveiled The Sister Jane Fritz, CSJ Center for Computing and Collaboration on Wednesday, honoring the late S. Jane Fritz’s enduring impact on the University and celebrating the longtime professor as a pioneering educator who cared deeply for students’ success.
More than 100 members of the St. Joseph’s community — including S. Jane’s family and alumni who were taught by the sister during her 37 years as an educator at St. Joseph’s — attended the event, held on the ground floor of the campus’ Business Technology Center.
“She started our department and she taught almost everything in the computer science curriculum,” said Victoria Hong, chair of the campus’ Mathematics and Computer Science Department and director of the of the M.S. in Cyber Security program.
“Teaching and working with students was always her greatest passion. She worked tirelessly to attract women to the field. It was very important for her to have the underrepresented group of women be in computing,” added Hong, while tearfully reflecting on her longtime colleague S. Jane, who passed away in 2022.
The new center dedicated to S. Jane features a computer lab that includes a colorful, wall-length mural of a beach scene, paying homage to S. Jane’s love for spending time relaxing at the beach. There is also an area just outside of the lab that offers a creative glimpse at the history of computer science.
S. Jane’s accomplishments were many, and her positive affect on the University was astounding. Here are some examples:
- Developed a partnership between the University and Brookhaven National Laboratory.
- Founded the campus’ she founded the Computer Honor Society and the computer and math clubs.
- Co-authored papers on mathematical thinking and computer programming, as well as textbooks.
- Influential in bringing millions of dollars in grant money to the University.
- Served as a mentor to many faculty and staffers.
S. Jane was also remembered for her vibrant personality and adventurous spirit. In particular, she was heralded for her influence on students’ success.
“Thanks to her, we have a robust internship program and students. No doubt or no exaggeration, there’s probably over 100 students that have to thank her for the jobs they have and the career trajectory that she put them on,” Hong said.
In 2022, the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph established the S. Jane Carolyn Fritz Scholarship in Computer Science. The scholarship is awarded to full-time Long Island Campus undergraduates majoring in computer science, who have demonstrated financial need and have at least a 3.0 GPA.
St. Joseph’s University President Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., spoke eloquently about what S. Jane meant — and still means — to the institution.
“When you walk into the room, the computer lab, and you see the delightful mural of the ocean, which I know she loved and which the students captured so beautifully, you get a little bit of a sense of what she was like and the depth of her personality,” he said. “Someone who understood so much about computer science and mathematics …, but someone who loved to sit on the beach and simply watch the sunset. All of those things came together in her in such a beautiful way.
“All of this is to honor her and to thank her for the incredible impact that she had and is still having today,” Dr. Boomgaarden added.
