SJC Long Island’s 2016 was historic in more ways than one. Celebrating its 100th year, the College underwent significant improvements to its campus, including beautification upgrades to its grounds, a renovated student lounge and a new coffee shop. The College also enjoyed visits from honored guests and lecturers and hosted Phillip Phillips at our Centennial Celebration concert.
Join us as we take a look back at SJC Long Island’s year that was.
January 2016
Alternative Winter Break. A dedicated group of 20 students and staff members from St. Joseph’s College (SJC) opted for an alternative winter break trip this year, traveling to Moore, Oklahoma, a city still reeling from the effects of recent flooding and winter storms, and a 2013 tornado.
Nonprofit of the Year. The Melville Chamber of Commerce honored SJC with the 2015 Nonprofit of the Year Award, recognizing the College for its community support, mentorship and sincere interest in doing what is best for business, residents and those who visit Long Island.
A legacy leaves us. S. John Raymond McGann, C.S.J., passed away on Jan. 6 at 91. During her longstanding career at the College, she made extraordinary contributions to SJC Brooklyn and SJC Long Island. She served as chairperson of the Department of Education, and remained lovingly devoted to SJC since 1956.
An exciting new opportunity for graduate students. A new graduate degree, M.S. in Forensic Computing (MSFC) was announced. Intended for practitioners in information technology, criminal justice and accounting, and for students who want to embark on a career in these growing and expanding fields, MSFC enrolled its first students in fall 2016.
February 2016
Celebrating our SJC sweethearts. Dozens of alumni have found their sweethearts in SJC’s classrooms, libraries and extracurricular organizations. In honor of Valentine’s Day, we saluted some of the many alumni who came to St. Joseph’s as individuals and left with a love to last a lifetime.
Stellar Student-Athletes. Three SJC Long Island student-athletes were named to Skyline Conference’s 2015 Scholar-Athlete of the Year in their respective sports.
SJC LI Students Attend the NH Primaries. Ten students from SJC Long Island were given a unique experience when their professors, Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci and former U.S. Congressman Tim Bishop, organized a trip to the New Hampshire presidential primary on Feb. 9.
SJC Awarded Grant. St. Joseph’s was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation to establish the College’s first Institute for Ethics and Global Social Justice.
Assisting Nature. SJC LI Biology students/faculty conducted applied research and engaged in service learning right outside our back door.
March 2016
Broadway’s Ali Stroker Visits. Ali Stroker, the first actress in a wheelchair to appear on Broadway, spoke at SJC Long Island about overcoming limitations.
Student Veterans Association Nationally Recognized. SJC’s Student Veterans Association (SVA) was named Chapter of the Month for March 2016 by the Student Veterans of America, a coalition of student veteran groups on college campuses around the globe. There are 1,292 chapters nationwide.
Hosting a national psychology conference. On March 11-12, SJC Brooklyn played host to the 2016 Division 36 Mid-year Conference on Psychology, Religion and Spirituality. The two-day event featured workshops, paper and poster presentations, and guest speakers from renowned institutions. Visitors arrived from 26 states, as well as international guests from Taiwan, Canada (Ontario and Quebec), Georgia, India, Belgium and Germany.
Hinduism and Universality in Religion. As the eighth installment of the annual Dr. Reza Khatib and Mrs. Georgianna Clifford Khatib Lecture series, St. Joseph’s College had the honor of hosting Dr. Kusumita P. Pederson, professor of religious studies at St. Francis College.
April 2016
A Relay For Life Record. SJC Long Island raised more than $30,000 toward cancer research, the highest total raised since the College began participating in the event five years ago.
Alternative Spring Break 2016. While most students vacationed during spring break, a group of SJC Brooklyn and SJC Long Island volunteers traveled to South Carolina to restore homes devastated by mass flooding.
The Innocence Project’s Barry Gibbs. Exonerated after 17 years spent in prison, Barry Gibbs was wrongfully imprisoned for second-degree murder. On April 14, Gibbs visited SJC Long Island to share his story.
May 2016
A New Option for Psychology Majors. SJC announced the addition of a new specialty track in industrial-organizational psychology to its B.A. in Psychology at both its SJC Long Island and SJC Brooklyn campuses.
Never Stop Learning. A profile of 92-Year-Old Michael Pope ’16 was featured in the May 5 edition of the Daily News.
The Right Side of History. Political analyst Michelle Bernard presented the 2016 Presidential Lecture “More Than Single-Issue Voters: How Today’s American Women Are Changing the Face of Feminism.”
SJC Long Island’s Class of 2016. On May 21, St. Joseph’s College celebrated the undergraduate Class of 2016 by conferring 776 degrees at the institution’s two commencement ceremonies at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury.
June 2016
Venturing on a Grecian Odyssey. Members of SJC Long Island traveled to Greece as part of the school’s Honors Program study abroad course.
A new opportunity for nursing. SJC introduced the new Master of Science in Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) program, admitting its first class in fall 2016 at SJC Brooklyn and SJC Long Island.
July 2016
SJC at the DNC. Three SJC students were part of an elite group of students from colleges and universities who attended the 2016 Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia from July 25-28.
Catching ’em all! Dr. Christopher Frost, SJC’s senior vice president, discovered PokemonGO and shared with the SJC community essential tips for success.
August 2016
New Degree in Studio Art. SJC Long Island announced a 45-credit, Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art with concentrations in painting, digital design, printmaking, ceramics and crafts as an art form.
A New Place to Perch. The Perch, SJC Long Island’s newest cafe and coffee spot, opened in August.
Confronting the Myth of Freshman Failure. SJC professor Paul Ginnetty, Ph.D., helped dispel the illusion of inadequacy in freshman students — a quality that more students possess than you’d think.
September 2016
Centennial Concert. Students, alumni and friends joined celebrated St. Joseph’s College’s 100-year anniversary a the Centennial Celebration concert, featuring platinum recording artist Phillip Phillips.
National recognition. St. Joseph’s College was once again included in U.S. News & World Report’s 2016-17 list of top Regional Universities in the north, and ranked No. 7 on Washington Monthly’s 2016 “Best Bang for the Buck” list for colleges in the Northeast, beating out Yale and Princeton.
SJC Alum Heads HR at 9/11 Memorial. We profiled SJC graduate and former U.S. Marine Heidi Hayden ’97, M.S. ’05, the chief people officer at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.
So You Think You Can Dance? The dance team seeks continued success with team choreographer Theresa Stone after her debut on FOX’s hit show.
Presidential Series Are Back. After a four-year hiatus, the collegewide event returned in 2016 to host prominent authors, influential reporters and political icons present at SJC.
October 2016
Alum Doubles As an Officer and Therapist. Suffolk Police Sgt. Kenneth Roche earned a psychology degree from St. Joseph’s College in 2003. He owns South Shore Mental Health Counseling Services.
Making a Difference. More than 80 students, alumni and staff of SJC Long Island performed valuable community service this fall in SJC Long Island’s Make A Difference Day (MADD).
Golden Eagles Gear Up for Playoffs. All seven SJC Golden Eagle fall athletic programs reached the 2016 Skyline Conference playoffs.
November 2016
Hannah Moore, Philip Gillespie and Michael Salgado with The U.S. Coast Guard.
President Named to Brooklyn Power List. SJC President Dr. Jack P. Calareso, Ph.D., is named to City and State’s 2016 “Brooklyn Borough 50” list.
A Week-long Celebration of Our Vets. The Student Veterans of America brought the College community together to celebrate Veterans Day with a series of events.
Alumni Dedicate Newly Refurbished Board Room. Continuing its long and rich history of supporting their alma mater, SJC alumni dedicated SJC Long Island’s newly refurbished Board Room in O’Connor Hall.
What Are You Thankful For? OnCampus set out on campus to ask students, faculty and staff what they are thankful for this year.
December 2016
A New Vision for Long Island. SJC students Jase Panebianco and Emily Rooney served on the Retaining Youth on Long Island panel at Vision Long Island’s Smart Growth Summit.
Special Education Activist Gives Back to the College. Dr. Frances P. Connor ’40 dedicated her life to promoting special education. In 2015, she left the College a $220,000 donation from her estate.
New Programs. New Opportunities. SJC announced the addition of two new programs for spring 2017: a five-year, combined Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a specialty track in industrial psychology and Executive M.B.A.; and a fully online Advanced Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis.
‘Tis the Season. Recapping SJC Brooklyn’s holiday efforts to give back, volunteer and donate during the season.
SJC Service Circle held a Mother/Baby Shower presenting @MercyCenters w/donations from #SJCNY. https://t.co/vlNkCIay0G #SJCNYGives
— St. Joseph’s College (@SJCNY) December 21, 2016
