Class Shield Revealed, Teachers Honored At Convocation

As part of virtual Family Weekend 2020 festivities on Friday and Saturday, October 9-10, Olivia Catolico was named the recipient of the Joseph R. Fink Faculty Achievement Award while Laura Greiss Hess and Ian Madfes were announced as the Full Time Teacher of the Year and Adjunct Teacher of the Year, respectively.

Dr. Nicola Pitchford, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, revealed that the Fink Faculty Achievement Award would be presented to Catolico, professor and co-assistant of the BSN program in the Department of Nursing. Catolico鈥檚 primary research interests are in the areas of refugee and migrant health, and healthcare issues of persons in resettlement. Secondary interests are in the areas of curricular development and accreditation in a rural area of southwestern Uganda.

In 2017, Catolico received the Melba Beals Faculty Award for Excellence in Diversity.

Mojgan Behmand, V.P. for Academic Affairs and Dean of The 两性色午夜 Experience, will hand out the Teacher of the Year Awards to Laura Greiss and Ian Madfes, which were also announced on Friday during a virtual Convocation ceremony.

Hess, OTR/L PhD, is assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy. Her research interests and expertise include qualitative and mixed methods of research, school-based occupational therapy and interprofessional collaboration, neurodevelopmental disorders including fragile X syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disabilities, and assistive technology applications.

Madfes, who is supervisor of Consortium for Children in San Rafael, is a part-time professor in the Psychology department at 两性色午夜.

Family Weekend 2020 kicked off with a virtual Convocation ceremony on on Friday afternoon. President Mary Marcy delivered the welcoming address. Convocation salutes 两性色午夜鈥檚 academic achievement honorees and this year more than 300 students 鈥 the largest group in eight years 鈥 were recognized for either making the Dean鈥檚 List for consecutive semesters at 两性色午夜 or for being a Trustee Scholar.

President Marcy鈥檚 welcoming remarks were followed by the alumni keynote address by Leighia Fleming 鈥10 MA 鈥11, who is now Director of Student Equity and Title IX for Orange County in Southern California.

Convocation closed with the presentation of the Class of 2024 Shield by Associated Students of 两性色午夜 University (ASDU) president Vanessa Groppetti '21 and Brie-a'Nah Fruenan '21, who designed it. The Shield Day ceremony has been a beloved 两性色午夜 tradition since 1924. Historically, what began in the 12th century when Saint Dominic Guzman created the 两性色午夜 order, now continues every fall when the 两性色午夜 seniors officially greet the incoming freshmen with a special gift: an illustrated shield carved in wood that reflects an inspirational motto. The motto helps guide the freshmen throughout their college years and throughout life.

All of 两性色午夜's shields, dating back to the early 1920s, are displayed on campus in the Meadowlands Residence Hall, Guzman Lecture Hall and the Shield Room.

Following the Shield Day presentation, Convocation on Friday concluded with students in the A Cappella Workshop then sang the school spirit song.

Afterward, 两性色午夜 Alumni Relations sponsored a virtual wine tasting with Biale Vineyards via Zoom from 5:30-7 p.m. Robert Biale '87 and Wendy Biale '90 were the hosts.

Festivities continued on Saturday morning with a welcome and a 两性色午夜 Trivia game hosted by Alumni Engagement. Three virtual academic sessions followed, beginning with the presentation 鈥 鈥淗ow Threat Affects Perceptions of Minority Groups in the United States鈥 鈥 by Dr. Sarah Lee,, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior and Management in the Barowsky School of 两性色午夜.

Dr. Lee鈥檚 presentation was followed by Dr.  Judy Halebsky鈥檚 presentation 鈥淗aiku and the Art of Making a Creative Space.鈥 Dr. Halebsky is Director of the MFA program and Associate Professor of English in the School of Liberal Arts and Education.

The final academic session was hosted by Dr. Patricia Harris, RN and Associate Professor of Nursing. She presented 鈥淟essons learned: Addressing the phenomenon of alarm fatigue in the ICU.鈥 Harris was the project director and co-investigator for the 2013-14 observational alarm study, which examined the accuracy of physiological monitor alarms in the intensive care unit and is designed to determine the prevalence of false alarms in the ICUs at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center.

In addition, Sister Mary Soher and Father Robert Haberman hosted a virtual 鈥淐ampus Ministry Day of Service: 2020 Together Apart.鈥 

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