Arts and Sciences Newsletter From Adelphi University

Dear Friends,

Welcome to our fall issue of ASCEND. Our faculty are talented professionals dedicated to student success. They stay at the forefront of their fields. That's why we're recognizing their accomplishments by inaugurating the Dean’s Innovation Grants this fall, in addition to continuing to support our Adjunct Faculty Grants. We invite you to peruse their projects.

The Horace G. McDonell Summer Research Science Fellowships have supported undergraduate research in the College of Arts and Sciences. We highlight our McDonell Fellows' experience to illustrate how this high-impact practice exponentially grows a student’s intellect and enhances inclusivity.

The College is the main designer and provider of general education, which is foundational to an Adelphi education and is required of every Adelphi student. Jacqueline Johnson, PhD, associate professor of sociology and interim department chair, and Salvatore Petrilli ’05, EdD, associate dean for academic operations and general education in the College of Arts and Sciences and University co-chair of general education, explain the exciting changes coming to the renamed gen ed, now called PATH.

Our alumni highlight spotlights Laraine Fletcher ’61, PhD, anthropology and sociology professor emerita, who has spent her life researching the Maya, mostly in Mexico and Nicaragua.

Autumn is a refreshing season, with the arrival of the Class of 2026. We invite you to our Fall Arts Festival to be held on campus on October 12.

Associate Dean Andrea Ward, PhD, has been asked to serve as interim associate provost for student success in the Office of the Provost for one year. We wish her well and welcome Tandra Chakraborty, PhD, the recent chair of the Department of Biology, to the Office of the Dean as interim associate dean for student success and strategic initiatives.

Lauren Rosenblum, PhD, CAS Coordinator of Interdisciplinary Studies

We welcome Lauren Rosenblum, PhD, as the first coordinator of interdisciplinary studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Rosenblum has been a lecturer in the General Studies Learning Community since 2016. She received her PhD in English from Stony Brook University, her MA from the John W. Draper Program in Humanities and Social Thought from New York University and her BA in English from Barnard College, Columbia University. She has taught an interdisciplinary course called Party 360: Why We Party, and has incorporated interdisciplinary aspects to some of her other classes, such as World of Ideas. Dr. Rosenblum currently serves on the CAS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council as well as other University committees.

“I am excited to work with the Adelphi College of Arts and Sciences community in support of our interdisciplinary programs,” she said. “Through my experience teaching the 360 seminar and other interdisciplinary courses, I have seen firsthand students’ enthusiasm for courses that engage multiple disciplines and approaches. I also know of many faculty members who are interested in participating in these courses. In this position, I look forward to inviting students and faculty to further explore the potential of interdisciplinary studies at Adelphi.” You can reach her at lrosenblum@adelphi.edu.

Dean's Student Circle
This award honors students who have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.85 or above. A ceremony honoring these students was held on April 27.

Mentor Breakfast
Each Dean’s Student Circle member is invited to honor an outstanding faculty mentor who has played a significant role in their success and share a few words of appreciation. This year's breakfast was held on May 9.

Adjunct Faculty Grant Recipients' Reception and Presentation of Their Research
Sunday, October 9
The four adjunct faculty grant winners in CAS will present their scholarship to members of the CAS community.

Artivism
Tuesday, October 11
Artivism Panel Discussion: The Refugee and Immigration Crisis: Transforming Mindsets and Practices via the Arts.

Fall Arts Festival “Peace of Art: Fostering Dialogues Through the Arts”
Wednesday, October 12

This year's theme for our annual event is how we can use the arts as a tool for social connection and dialogue to resolve political, social, economic and personal conflict.

Kendall Moore: Can We Talk?: Underrepresented Communities in STEM fields
(for students)
Friday, October 14

Kendall Moore: Can We Talk?: Underrepresented Communities in STEM fields
(for faculty)

Friday, October 21
Kendall Moore, PhD, an award-winning documentary filmmaker and a journalism and film media professor at the University of Rhode Island, will present her film, Can We Talk? Difficult Conversations With Underrepresented People of Color: Sense of Belonging and Obstacles to STEM Fields. Chotsani West, MA ’07, executive director of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, will facilitate conversations between both groups and Dr. Moore.