Greetings fellow alumni and friends,

As you may know, the Brooklyn and Long Island Alumni Boards work with the University to create an even more meaningful alumni experience for the more than 45,000 proud members in our Alumni Association. We are here for you and we want to hear from you!

Dr. Stephen Rockwell pens an in-depth look at the presidencies of Adams, Grant and Taft

St. Joseph’s University, New York’s Stephen Rockwell, Ph.D., professor of political science, this fall published his latest book: “The Presidency and the American State: Leadership and Decision Making in the Adams, Grant, and Taft Administrations.”

Published in October by the University of Virginia Press, the book was 13 years in the making, with Dr. Rockwell beginning the research phase shortly after publishing his previous book.

“The book challenges interpretations of the presidency that see most 19th-century presidents as weak and clerk-like, dominated by Congress, the courts and political parties,” explained Dr. Rockwell, a professor at SJNY’s Long Island Campus for 17 years.

Dr. Rockwell examines just how influential and independent John Quincy Adams, Ulysses S. Grant and William Howard Taft were.

After a decades-long career as a nurse, Eileen Lyston ’23 graduated from St. Joseph’s University, New York’s Online Campus with a B.S. in Human Services, the first step toward her goal of obtaining an MSW degree.

It was an objective she has put on pause while raising her now 22-year-old daughter.

“I had to put my dream on hold while raising my daughter, but I’ve always wanted to help others in a different way than I could with nursing,” she said. “I feel I am where I belong at this point in my life, even if it is unconventional. I believe in following dreams and fulfilling your mind and soul.”

As an adult student, Ms. Lyston was looking for flexibility when she enrolled in the University’s fully online campus, and she was able to attend classes and complete coursework on her own schedule. She was also able to apply life credits toward her studies and finish 48 credits within one year to earn her human services degree. She still works as a nurse, a career she has held for more than 29 years, currently working with people with disabilities who have serious medical conditions.

Caroline Kocher ’24 examines HIV and depression connection

“There are always better days ahead worth living for.”

That’s St. Joseph’s student Dominick Strebel’s approach to life. Diagnosed at age 11 with a rare form of brain cancer called Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, he has since endured chemotherapy treatments, recurrences and the trials of adolescence.

And now, after graduating from Sachem North High School with honors, the sophomore is a member of the Long Island Campus men’s golf and roller hockey teams.

“My diagnosis changed my life and the way I live day-to-day,” said Mr. Strebel, who majors in history adolescence education. “School was challenging to attend because of the fatigue from chemo, and the IV that I would have in my arm the whole week.”

He credits his family for giving him the strength to push on when the road ahead seemed long and arduous. With their help, he balanced the rigors of school and treatments, living a full life in the process.

“With their support, there was never a doubt that I would beat it and be where I am today, pursuing a degree and doing the things I love regularly,” he said.

Strengthening Student Life at SJNY’s Brooklyn Campus

Listening and action. Combining the two will fuel the success of David Gonzalez, the new student life director at St. Joseph’s University’s Brooklyn Campus.

The young administrator is committed to transforming student life by actively listening to students’ feedback.

“Listening to others, gathering assessment data, learning from colleagues, and gathering critical feedback to create an institutional environment of inclusion and satisfaction that keeps students at the University and have pride to be a student here,” Mr. Gonzalez said, outlining his vision for student life at the vibrant campus in Clinton Hill.

“We are learning that students want very specific programs and events, and we are working to ensure it happens,” he added. “The longer term goal is to better integrate student organizations in taking the lead in major campus events.”

Jonathan Galo, the new director of Campus Ministry at the Long Island Campus, is helping to usher in a new era of faith at St. Joseph’s University, New York.

Mr. Galo arrived at SJNY in July as the University was putting the finishing touches on the campus’ new Student Center, which features a new campus chapel and an inclusive multi-faith center.

Meeting the modern faith needs of the University and the surrounding community is a priority for Mr. Galo.

“I want to do more things interfaith related,” said Mr. Galo, the holder of two master’s degrees in Catholic theology. “We have this wonderful space in the new building that’s an interfaith room, so I want to do a lot more services and give students resources to learn about different faiths.”

Working with a faculty small grant, Igor Ivanovski, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology at the Long Island Campus, conducted research and presented a poster last June at the 2023 Northeastern Microbiologists: Physiology, Ecology, and Taxonomy (NEMPET) conference at the Minnowbrook Conference Center in Blue Mountain Lake, New York. Biology student Aiden Heller assisted in presenting the information in the poster, “Exposure to Vehicle Exhaust Influences Soil Bacterial 16S rRNA Composition.” The research showed that proximity to vehicle exhaust can influence the soil microbiology. Specifically, there were many unique and uncultured bacteria in soil directly next to the vehicle exhaust exposure. The work earned Mr. Heller a scholarship for the conference and it received tremendous positive feedback from the microbiology community. Harvard, Rutgers and Syracuse were among other institutions that presented at the conference. Dr. Ivanovski and Mr. Heller are set to publish a paper on the data generated.

Pamela C. Lovejoy, Ph.D., assistant professor of Biology at the Brooklyn Campus and St. Joseph’s alumna Rachel Tejiram ’22 are collaborating to publish research that the pair completed for Ms. Tejiram’s senior thesis in a scientific journal. Ms. Tejiram’s project examined the interaction of high or low-protein diets and exposure to atrazine, a commonly used herbicide, on longevity of Drosophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly. The small grant will cover journal publication costs.

Maria Isabel Alfonso, Ph.D., professor and chair of the modern languages department, organized the seminar “Cuba’s Alternative Public Spheres: Rehearsals of the Island that Could Be” for the American Comparative Literature Association Meeting in Chicago last March. Scholars analyzed how Cubans who partake in private entrepreneurship, autonomous artistic projects and grassroots organizations defy the structures of control that have prevailed on the island, crafting their own version of the country they foresee. Dr. Alfonso is now working on the documentary “Cuba from Within,” which addresses this topic.

James Blakeley, Ph.D., professor and chair of the history department, received a grant to present his work on the unusual arrangements between rural Catholics and Protestants to share churches and other sacred sites during the Reformation in Switzerland. Dr. Blakeley delivered the paper at the Frühe Neuzeit Interdisziplinär conference at the University of Arizona in Tucson. The event was attended by scholars from across Europe and North America.

Corinne Donovan, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at the Long Island Campus, is working on research focused on middle managers, examining their challenges and needs following the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a mixed-methods design, she is gathering feedback through focus groups, followed by a survey which allows for collection data from a larger sample. “We are in a time of extreme change in work processes and possibilities,” said Dr. Donovan, an industrial and organizational psychologist. “This research is designed to understand the needs of managers who must focus on meeting business outcomes while supporting multiple and varied needs of their employees. Managers are the unsung heroes of organizations worldwide.”

Anna Egbert, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at the Brooklyn Campus, conducted the HEARD (Health Equity, Awareness, and Resilience against Discrimination) Research Project, an undertaking supported by the SJNY Summer Grant 2023. She collected data — from a highly diverse sample of 554 individuals from across the United States — that allowed her to examine the impact of various stigmas on mental and physical health. A series of scientific findings from this project will be presented at the International Neuropsychological Society 2024 Meeting and Diversity Appreciation Day.

Susan Nakley, Ph.D., professor and associate chair of English, is co-editing “The Routledge Global Chaucer Companion” with Craig Bertolet, Hollifield Professor of English at Auburn University. Drs. Nakley and Bertolet have assembled a world-class team of Medievalists to write 40 chapters that situate the oeuvre of Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400) in a global context. These Chaucerians, who teach at universities from Oxford to Seoul, have pooled their expertise to demonstrate why we must study “The Father of English Poetry” from a non-Eurocentric perspective since emerging from COVID-19. Routledge is set to publish the volume in 2024.

Michael Burke, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy at the Brooklyn Campus, presented a paper at the Popular Culture Association National Conference in San Antonio, Texas, last April. The paper, “Breaching the Screen: Technohorror and Spectral Alterity,” defined technohorror as a genre that explores the contemporary concerns and fears about teletechnology (internet, social media, etc.) by depicting the spectral cooptation and breakdown of technology in various horror films.

Eunah Lee, Ph.D., assistant professor of philosophy at the Long Island Campus, presented at the Search for Humanity After Atrocity conference at Kean University in New Jersey and participated at the 2023 American Philosophical Association’s Eastern meeting as a commentator in Montreal. Through the University’s consortia, Dr. Lee also participated in NYU’s Faculty Resources Network Summer Seminar, “Sound + Vision: Pedagogy for Audio-Visual Media.”

Thomas Mainiero, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the Long Island Campus, conducted research in which he used modern mathematical machinery to unravel deep connections between information theory and geometry/topology, as well as questions about shared information and about the shape and size of a topological space. The research was presented at the 2023 Geometric Science of Information conference. Dr. Mainiero’s work involves a spin-off project, with Rutgers University colleagues Greg Moore and Roman Geiko, which ties into fashionable ideas from condensed matter physics.

Sam Bifulco ’16 expands Long Island Alumni Board

In his short time as Long Island Alumni President, Sam Bifulco ’16 has grown the association board to 18 members.

Since assuming the role of president this past summer, five new members have joined the alumni board, Mr. Bifulco said, while noting that each member brings their own unique and extensive experience.

“As President, it’s my responsibility to work hand-in-hand with the University to increase alumni engagement and provide outlets for alumni to reconnect with the University,” said Mr. Bifulco, who earned a bachelor’s in political science, criminal justice and human relations at SJNY and later obtained graduate and law degrees from other institutions.

Whether that engagement takes the form of participating in a mentorship program, attending an event, or through giving, it is his job to ensure that diverse avenues for participation exist so that all alumni can return to and feel welcome at the University during their post-graduate years.

Student-athlete. All-American. Medical school scholar. And now — National Student Doctor of the Year.

Former Brooklyn Campus basketball standout Michael Megafu ’16 has made a habit of succeeding, be it on the basketball court, in the classroom or on surgery rotations.

Accolades have a way of sticking to him, and in 2023, he was named the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine’s 2023 National Student Doctor of the Year.

“It is a privilege to be chosen amongst other institutions’ Student Doctors of the Year and to be the overall representative and winner of this award,” said Mr. Megafu, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from St. Joseph’s and was a fourth-year medical student at A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri, when he received the award.

“The prestige of this award is that I was chosen out of many qualified students across all osteopathic medical schools, making it highly competitive,” he added.

Dr. Gregory Bruno inspires change with new book on literacy in prison

For some time, Gregory Bruno ’12, Ph.D., had been abstractly interested in teaching literacy in prisons and jails.

He’d been compelled by how both the prison system and the education system were failing so many people, mirroring his own sense of disappointment with the education system after experiencing multiple setbacks during his time at a community college.

That’s what ultimately led the St. Joseph’s University, New York alumnus to begin working in jails and prisons. And it’s eventually what inspired Dr. Bruno to write his book, “Theory and Practice for Literacy in the Prison Classroom: An Inquiry Approach for Students and Educators.”

Four years. Outside of unique medical circumstances, NCAA student-athletes receive only four years of athletic eligibility.

But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jason Siriban ’21, M.S. ’23 became a six-year letter winner for the Long Island Campus men’s volleyball team.

“I feel incredibly lucky to play for six years here,” said Siriban, who graduated with an M.S. in Cyber Security last May. “Most student-athletes could only dream about doing that.”

Recruited by head coach Bill Kropp for the program’s second-ever season in 2018, Siriban retained two years of eligibility after an NCAA ruling compensated student-athletes whose 2020 seasons were abruptly cut short.

Siriban triggered those bonus seasons while pursuing a master’s degree, and last April, he and the Golden Eagles earned their fourth Skyline Conference championship.

Kropp coached Siriban at the youth level and knew all about the quality of character he’d bring to a newly established program when he recruited him.

“Jason is a coach’s dream,” said Kropp, whose leadership and vision have transformed St. Joseph’s into a nationally recognized program. “His versatility is a testament to his all-around skill. There’s nothing he can’t do on a volleyball court.”

Siriban played virtually every position for Kropp. Recruited as an outside hitter, he served stints as the team’s primary setter, libero and right-side hitter.

Over 30 U.S. states and countries are represented at the Brooklyn Campus’ St. George Residence. Among them is the nation of Andorra, a land-locked country between Spain and France.

Freshman Mireia Alba ’27 calls the tiny country in the Pyrenees mountains home. She’s a member of the Brooklyn Campus women’s volleyball team and is among a new crop of student-athletes from far-away places who choose to study and play at St. Joseph’s University, New York.

“I was looking for a good university in the U.S. where I could also play my favorite sport — volleyball,” said Alba, who had proposals from several prominent institutions. “But when I found St Joseph’s, I couldn’t resist.”

Alba was born in Spain and grew up living between Andorra and Barcelona. She started playing volleyball seven years ago and competed at a high level in Spain. Alba briefly studied at Lord Beaverbrook High School in Calgary, Alberta, but always had her sights set on America.

“The U.S. was always my very first option,” she said. “I love to discover new places and meet people from all over the world, and New York City is an exciting place to spend these years.

Alba is studying business administration and has settled in well as a Bear. She sees regular playing time with the women’s volleyball team and has forged
new friendships.

“St. Joseph’s was a great match for me because I can keep playing at a good level while studying at an excellent private university,” Alba said.

“My teammates gave me a warm welcome, and I’m very excited to be a member of the team,” she added. “I am learning from our coaches and appreciate the opportunity the school has given me.”