The year 2022 marked a return to normalcy as the St. Joseph’s University, New York community continued to adjust to life post-pandemic. We took a look back on the year that was and highlighted the top stories of 2022 in our Year in Review.
Note: Links to stories from January – April 2022 refer to the University by its previous designation, St. Joseph’s College.
January
MFA students were invited to a writer’s conference: Two students in the Writer’s Foundry at the Brooklyn Campus earned scholarships to attend writing workshops last summer.
ACES helped an aspiring nurse follow her dreams: The ACES program is a safe place for Adailed “Adi” Marshall Garcia to dream about her future as a nurse.
February
SJNY professor tackled ethics and the pandemic: Michael Burke, Ph.D., was featured on C.A.F.E. 229, a public affairs program produced by the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation.
‘Living Our Mission’ returned for a third season: SJNY President Donald R. Boomgaarden Ph.D., hosted the third season of the CFN TV series.
Brooklyn Campus Book Club donated books to kids: The Book Club teamed up with the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association for International Book Giving Day.
Go Green Club made sustainability fun: The club encouraged students to get creative while helping the environment.
March
SJNY celebrated Sister Elizabeth A. Hill ’64, CSJ, J.D., during Sisters Week: The University’s sixth president was honored at a National Catholic Sisters Week celebration.
First-of-its-kind research grant developed at St. Joseph’s: The research fellowships provided about $4,000 per student for a 10-week summer research project.
April
Brooklyn Campus hosted its annual Spring Fling: Student Life organized the first Spring Fling since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Blood drive saves lives: More than 40 members of the Brooklyn Campus community donated enough blood to save more than 120 lives.
We became St. Joseph’s University! The institution earned university status Tuesday, April 12, officially becoming St. Joseph’s University, New York.
Toast to the Graduates event celebrated Brooklyn graduates: Annual Student Life event allowed graduates an opportunity to reflect on their time at St. Joe’s.
May
40 students presented at the Honors and Student Research Symposium: Students from seven departments — art, science, history, mathematics, biology, sociology and psychology — were represented.
ACES celebrated its 20th anniversary: Current and former students and staff gathered at the Center for Fiction.
103rd Commencement was held at Nassau Coliseum: In total, 977 bachelor’s degrees and 381 master’s degrees were awarded to students University-wide.
June
SJNY students were selected for a Microsoft summer program: Abhishek Pokharel ’23 and Christopher Stewart ’23 were invited to the prestigious Microsoft Data Science Summer School.
Writer’s Foundry professor published her first novel: Cleyvis Natera’s debut novel — “Neruda on the Park” — was published by Penguin Random House.
Biology faculty-led study abroad trip in Greece: In one of the largest faculty-led study abroad trips yet, 16 students traveled to Greece as part of the course BIO 210: Science Without Borders.
July
President Biden awarded St. Joseph’s alumna Medal of Freedom: Sandra Lindsay RN ’99, DHSc, was the first American to be vaccinated against COVID-19 outside of clinical trials.
Play written by Brooklyn’s Director of the Academic Advisement Center debuts off-Broadway: Jake Shore’s show “Hit the Wall,” played at The Kraine Theater in July and August.
August
Brooklyn Honors students visited Greece: A dozen travelers enjoyed an educational, fun-filled trip, packed with visits to museums, restaurants and historic landmarks.
September
SJNY climbs U.S. News & World Report rankings: The University moved up 30 spots from last year’s rankings, landing at No. 48 for top universities in the Regional Universities – North category.
The University honored the victims of Sept. 11: Remembrance ceremonies were held at the Long Island and Brooklyn campuses. President Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., spoke at the Brooklyn Campus event.
More than 250 attended Brooklyn’s Welcome Back BBQ: Students, faculty and staff reunited under sunny skies during Common Hour on Sept. 15 for food and carnival-style games.
October
Campus Ministry hosted its second biannual Mission Day on Oct. 15: The event gave students, faculty and staff a chance to live out the University’s mission at the Sisters of St. Joseph property in Brentwood.
Clubs at both campuses raise thousands of dollars for Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Beta Upsilon Delta Sorority’s Brooklyn Campus sisters held a Kahoot Breast Cancer Awareness Trivia Day event to help spread awareness of the importance of screening and research.
November
University was awarded a grant for student veterans’ success: St. Joseph’s was awarded more than $559,000 by the U.S. Department of Education’s Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Grant Program.
SJNY hosted the second-annual Esse Non Videri Gala Awards Dinner: Among the honored were six alumni who have achieved transformational success in their healthcare careers.
Heather Barry, Ph.D., was named a ‘Power Woman of Long Island’: SJNY’s Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and her fellow recipients were celebrated as women who “help make Long Island the thriving and vibrant place it is to work, live and do business.”
President Boomgaarden was named to the annual PoliticsNY Power Players in Education List: The list recognizes public officials, superintendents and scholars – among others – dedicated to ensuring educators are well-equipped for the classroom.
December
Sustainability Committee and Department of Biology hosted a duckweed seminar: The event honored former SJNY biology professor Dr. Mohammad Rana, a botanist who lectures around the world, inspiring others to help their communities.
Student groups spread joy during the holiday season: Among the groups were Brooklyn’s NSSLHA and Campus Ministry, who joined forces to collect gifts for St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital and Toys for Tots.
The University community came together for a holiday message: Students, faculty and staff spread festive cheer for the University’s annual Holiday Message.
