American Chemical Society Honors Dr. Redden

Patricia Ann Redden, Ph.D., professor and chairperson of the Department of Chemistry was recently honored by the American Chemical Society (ACS) as part of the 2011 class of ACS Fellows, an honor bestowed upon 213 distinguished scientists who have demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in chemistry and made important contributions to ACS, the world’s largest scientific society. The 2011 Fellows were recognized at an induction ceremony on Aug. 29 during the Society’s 242nd National Meeting & Exposition in Denver.

“ACS is especially proud to honor these chemists during the 2011 International Year of Chemistry,” said ACS President Nancy B. Jackson, Ph.D. “The work they are doing will improve all of our lives as they unleash the power of chemistry to solve global challenges like providing clean water, sufficient food, new energy sources and cures for disease. But that’s not all. They’re also organizing scientific conferences for their peers, doing outreach with scouts and schools, and being mentors to the next generation of scientists.”

New Book: Conspiracy Films

Barna Donovan, Ph.D., associate professor and chairperson of the Department of Communications at Saint Peter's College, announces an exciting new book. Conspiracy Films: A Tour of Dark Places in the American Conscious is a history of conspiracy theories in modern American culture and on film.  From the Kennedy assassination to theories of crashed UFOs, hidden aliens, and September 11 conspirators, the book examines our fascination with paranoia and the entertainment it inspires. Congratulations to Dr. Donovan!

Sculpting the Air: Modern Works for Wind Instruments

Pianist and composer James Adler, Saint Peter's College fine arts department faculty member, is featured on a new CD titled Sculpting the Air: Modern Works for Wind Instruments. The CD is released on PARMA's Navona Records label, distributed exclusively through Naxos. Adler plays piano for his composition, "Reverie, Interrupted," with Jordan P. Smith on tenor saxophone.

The MP3 download is available from iTunes and Amazon. The physical disc, with enhanced content, is available from Amazon as well. Congratulations to James Adler!

Foreign Language Research and Teaching Press of Beijing Visits O'Toole Library

A delegation of representatives from the Foreign Language Research and Teaching Press of Beijing, China, visited Saint Peter's College on Tuesday, May 17 to discuss the teaching of Chinese in the United States and here at the College. The delegation was met by Lan Jiang, Ph.D., adjunct professor of Chinese, Rev. Mark DeStephano, S.J., chairman of the department of modern & classical languages and literatures, and David Ornstein, Ph.D., director of the O'Toole Library. Dr. Ornstein spoke to the group about the innovations that have been made in the College's library, giving particular attention to new research and archival facilities, as well as about the opportunities available to conducting research online.

The delegation made a donation to the College library through a variety of Chinese-language teaching materials, including books and computer programs, which will be incorporated both into the book collection and the data section of the new language laboratory that is being constructed through the College's Title V grant. The College's relationship with the Foreign Language Research and Teaching Press will be ongoing, as part of the expansion of the Asian Studies program.

Performances by James Adler

Pianist and composer James Adler, Saint Peter's College fine arts department faculty member, will be performing in the following events:

Memorial Day Concert with the ISO Symphonic Band
James Adler will make his second appearance at the annual Memorial Day concert at Green-Wood Cemetery with the ISO Symphonic Band, Brian P. Worsdale, founder and conductor. Mr. Adler will be guest soloist in George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. The concert is scheduled for Monday, May 30 at 3:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information and travel directions, visit: www.green-wood.com/2010/memorial-day-concert

Bacchanale: Music of Indulgence
Guest pianist James Adler will perform Sergei Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with QUO: the Queer Urban Orchestra on Thursday, June 23 at 8:00 p.m.

The Second Annual Pride Concert will take place at Church of the Holy Apostles, 296 Ninth Avenue (28th Street), New York City. Conductors are artistic director Seth Bedford and Susan Poliniak. Discounted tickets available from QUO's website: http://www.queerurbanorchestra.org/ 


In addition, PARMA Recordings is releasing James Adler's "Reverie, Interrupted" with Jordan P. Smith, tenor saxophone, and James Adler, piano, on a disc titled "Sculpting the Air: Modern Works for Wind Instruments."  The CD will be released on their Navona Records label on June 28. For more information: info@parmarecordings.com

Congratulations to Dr. Brian Hopkins!

Congratulations to Associate Professor of Mathematics Brian Hopkins, Ph.D.! Today, Dr. Hopkins will be awarded the NJ section of the Mathmetical Association of America teaching award at the Spring 2011 MAA-NJ Meeting and 8th Garden State Undergraduate Mathematics Conference (GSUMC). Saint Peter's College is proud as a peacock that Dr. Hopkins is the second College faculty member to receive this award, making the College one of only two New Jersey institutions with two faculty members to have been honored with this award.

The conference, held at Essex County College, will feature presentations by:
Leona Harris, The College of New Jersey: "Mathematical Modeling of Chemical Kinetics in the Body"
Jonathan Rogness, University of Minnesota: "Spherical Cats and Ham Sandwiches" (Joint GSUMC-MAA Speaker )
Richard De Veaux, Williams College: "The Seven Deadly Sins of Data Mining -- and How to Avoid Them"

James Adler and Friends in Concert

Don't forget to get your tickets for this exciting upcoming performance! Pianist and composer James Adler, Saint Peter's College Fine Arts Department faculty member, presents an evening of original compositions and traditional favorites at the Yamaha Piano Salon in New York City on Tuesday, April 12. Tickets are $15 (seniors/students $10) and may be purchased or reserved online.

If you can't wait until April 12, many videos of Mr. Adler's performances are available on YouTube. The video below is from a performance by him in December 2010.

Congratulations to Enzo Fonzo!

Tonight, at the Seventh Annual Dinner/Awards Night held by the Rotary Club of Jersey City, Saint Peter's College Director of Career Services Enzo Fonzo will receive a Community Service Award in honor of his contributions to the community. Rotary is the oldest and largest international service organization, and it offers these awards in keeping with the motto of Service Above Self. Congratulations to Enzo Fonzo for this outstanding achievement!

Yamaha Piano Salon Performance

Pianist and composer James Adler, Saint Peter's College Fine Arts Department faculty member, presents an evening of original compositions and traditional favorites at the Yamaha Piano Salon in New York City on Tuesday, April 12. Tickets are $15 (seniors/students $10). Tickets can also be reserved online and paid for at the door. Seating is limited, so buy your tickets today!
Concert time: 7:30 p.m.
Yamaha Piano Salon
689 Fifth Avenue
(enter on 54th Street), 3rd floor
New York City

The concert features the world premiere of four new works:

• Fantasy Grotesque on a Medieval Theme for Piano Solo, by James Adler
• Piano Fantasy on "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd", (from Sweeney Todd, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim) for Piano Solo, adaptation by James Adler
• A Song of the Road, for Lyric Baritone and Piano; poetry by James Whitcomb Riley and music by James Adler
• Five Bagatelles for Piano, by Johannes Somary (composed for and dedicated to James Adler)

Also featured in the concert:

• Reflections upon a September morn, for Mezzo-Soprano, Oboe/English Horn, and Piano; poetry by Walt Whitman and music by James Adler
• Reverie, Interrupted, for Tenor Saxophone and Piano, by James Adler
• Scherzino, by Leo Ornstein
• Selections from Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano, by Max Bruch
• Mephisto Waltz No. 1, by Franz Liszt

Joining Mr. Adler on this program will be guest artists Virginia Brewer, oboe and English horn; Christopher Grundy, baritone; Kate Maroney, mezzo-soprano; Fran Novak, clarinet; Jordan P. Smith, tenor saxophone; and Michael Vannoni, viola.

Presentation by 1010 WINS Reporter John Montone ’76

Students and faculty from Saint Peter's College are preparing for a special event on this Wednesday, March 9. The very popular morning drive street reporter for 1010 WINS, John Montone '76, will be speaking and engaging in a Q&A session at 12:00 p.m. Read more about him online, and listen to some of his recent segments and topics. General Manager of WSPC Radio-TV and Adjunct Professor of Communications Joseph J. Lamachia will moderate the event.

Experiential Learning in Microgravity

Last year, Saint Peter's College PARSE Institute participated in an exciting learning project that involved taking a flight into space. The full article is available online, but the recently completed video below offers a dynamic perspective on the adventure.

James Adler Performance

If you missed the concert last month, featuring James Adler, member of the Saint Peter's College Fine Arts faculty, you can now view it on YouTube. Clarinetist Fran Novak and violist Michael Vannoni are also featured in this performance of three movements from Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Viola and Piano, op. 83 by Max Bruch.

Saint Peter's Students Visit 1010 WINS

Recently, a digital audio productions class visited 1010 WINS Radio in Manhattan. David Plotkin, director of production for 1010 WINS, provided commentary on how digital audio production enhances the effectiveness and immediacy of the 1010 WINS radio operation. Students received a tour of the newsroom, the commercial production area, the terrestrial transmission and internet streaming nerve center for all CBS-owned radio stations in NYC and the live on-air studio. The students then had the opportunity for a thorough question and answer session before listening to examples of commercials and promos and learning how they were developed and produced.

This inspiring co-curricular opportunity was arranged by the General Manager of WSPC Radio-TV and Saint Peter’s College Adjunct Professor of Communications Joseph J. Lamachia. WSPC Radio can be listened to online.

Congratulations to Saint Peter's Ann Tritak, Ed.D.!

Last month, Ann Tritak, Ed.D., dean of the College's School of Nursing, was honored at the eigth annual Diva and Dons Gala. The event, sponsored by the Institute for Nursing, which is the charitable affiliate of the New Jersey State Nurses Association, honors men and women in nursing leadership across New Jersey who set high standards of excellence and make a notable difference in the lives of so many. The celebration was held at the Hyatt Regency in Princeton, N.J.

"The mission of the Institute for Nursing is to advance the nursing profession and the quality of health care in our communities through scholarship, research and education," said Dr. Mary Ann T. Donohue, President of the Institute for Nursing, "Our current goals include raising money to expand our scholarship and research programs. We want to bring more nurses into our profession and develop educational programs to keep nurses current on the major advances in health care. This effort is vital to improving the quality of health care in New Jersey."

Vickers Challenge

Dr. Leonard J. Sciorra, Ph.D., The Joseph E. Schuh, S.J., Professor of Health & Natural Sciences and chair of the Department of Applied Science and Technology, has been working on some amazing technology at the College. He and a group of undergraduate students have developed a cell culturing process that could have far-reaching medical implications - right in Gannon Hall.

A few years ago, Charles Vickers '47 decided to direct his philanthropy toward this emerging tissue culture work at Saint Peter’s College. His support named the Charles J. Vickers ’47 and Anne B. Vickers Tissue Culture Facility and helped to make possible and sustain Dr. Sciorra's work, which is likely to result in the first patent in the College’s history.

Mr. Vickers has decided to renew his investment in the tissue culture project by issuing the Vickers Challenge to fellow members of the College’s medical, health and science community. Mr. Vickers will match every dollar raised up to $100,000 between now and December 31, 2010. All gifts will be 100% tax deductible and can be made as multi-year pledges. Donations can be made online for this and many other College initiatives.

Holiday Quotets Concert

James Adler, celebrated pianist and adjunct lecturer in fine arts at Saint Peter's College, will perform three movements from Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Viola and Piano, op. 83 by Max Bruch. Additional musicians perfoming with Mr. Adler include clarinetist Fran Novak and violist Michael Vannoni. The concert will be held on Saturday, December 11, at 7:30 p.m. in New York City. Tickets and more information are available online.

Associate Professor Presents at Regional Mathematical Association of America Conference

Brian Hopkins, Ph.D., associate professor of mathematics at Saint Peter's College, was one of three invited speakers who gave an hour-long presentation for attendees at a joint meeting of the New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania/Delaware sections of the Mathematical Assoication of America. His talk was titled "Partition Dynamic ABC's: Avalance Models, Bulgarian Solitaire, and Combinatorial Proofs." A PDF of his presentation is available online. The conference was held at LaSalle University in Philadelphia, Penn.

Saint Peter's College Teaching in Space

Have you ever wondered what zero gravity is like? Is it true that everything just floats? This past summer, through the Saint Peter's College Practical Applications for Research in Science Education (PARSE) Institute, Jose Lopez, Ph.D., and Jim Clayton, Ed.D. '71 led a group of high school teachers on an exciting educational project culminating in a space flight on NASA's "Weightless Wonder." With an online video, you can get a real view of traveling in zero gravity. The group was composed of participants in the PARSE Institute Summer 2010 program, which is a paid, four-week institute for science teachers. The program consists of one week of instructional theory followed by two weeks of laboratory instruction and then a final week of lesson planning. The goal is for science teachers to experience a research laboratory and then develop concrete lesson plans ready to share with their students during the following school year. Applications will be accepted beginning in January for placements during summer 2011. Read the full story online about the "Weightless Wonder" and the PARSE summer program.

NJN News Visits CMST

NJN News Health and Medical Correspondent Sara Lee Kessler brings viewers inside the Saint Peter's College Center for Microplasma Science and Technology. Her interviews with Jose L. Lopez, Ph.D., director of the center and principal investigator, and WeiDong Zhu, Ph.D., director of research and co-principal investigator, put the innovative benefits of microplasma in laymen's terms. This brief video aired on NJN and is now available online.

Jersey City Artists Studio Tour

Beatrice M. Mady, M.F.A, associate professor of fine arts and graphic arts coordinator at Saint Peter's College, will be featured in this weekend's Jersey City Artists Studio Tour. This year's 20th anniversary event features hundreds of artists. Maps are available in the Hudson Reporter, and will also be available at tour tents at Grove Street and Journal Square PATH trains on Saturday and Sunday. The kick-off party will be Friday, October 1, from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., at Grace Church (39 Erie Street). The closing celebration will be on Sunday, October 3, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., at Parlay Studios (161 2nd Street).