Alumni | ��Ƶ

Long-Lost 50-Year-Old Adelphi Class Ring Finally Back Where It Belongs Thanks to Some Amateur Sleuthing

yigarcia — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 15:10:54 +0000

Can a class ring, buried underground for decades, find its way home? This one did.

Mike Johnston, a local metal-detecting enthusiast, discovered a buried ��Ƶ class ring from 1976 in late September. The unexpected recovery sparked a true detective effort to find its rightful owner.

Johnston found the ring at West Hills County Park in Melville, New York, buried “about seven inches down”—like finding a needle in the proverbial haystack. He had only begun pursuing that hobby in January, although “I’ve wanted to do it my whole life.”

In a striking coincidence, the Class of 1976’s 50th Reunion was scheduled for Adelphi’s Spirit Weekend on October 18—just weeks after the discovery.

“I Googled ‘��Ƶ Class of ’76’ and saw that its 50th Reunion was coming up,” Johnston recalled. “I kinda got chills and wanted to track down the owner as soon as possible.”

A Dead End, Then Help From Alumni Relations

The first clue was a dead end, briefly. He connected with Megan Stewart, ��Ƶ’s director of alumni relations, who said that, at first, they thought the initials inside the ring were “LOC.” But after checking the 1976 yearbook, she said, “We couldn’t find a graduate with those initials.”

Once he gave the ring a more thorough cleaning, however, Johnston realized that the initials actually were “LDC.”

That discovery was the key to solving this mystery. Armed with that new info, Stewart resumed sleuthing in the 1976 yearbook on October 1 and was able to match the initials to Lawrence D. Cohen.

Lawrence (known to friends and family as Larry) grew up on Long Island and had died in Florida in 2021. Stewart immediately reached out to Cohen’s widow, Anita, to share the news that her late husband’s Adelphi ring had finally been found.

I turned out that Anita did not even realize his ring had been lost.

“He never mentioned losing his class ring,” Anita said. But the Melville location “made sense,” since he and his family lived in the Melville-Huntington area of Long Island, New York. Interestingly, “Larry was an avid metal-detecting enthusiast,” she recalled. “He had all the equipment and we think he lost his ring while he was metal-detecting in that area.”

Like a “Message From Heaven” From an Alum

Anita was “incredibly moved,” Stewart said. “She couldn’t be happier to have something that belonged to her husband returned to her. She described it as feeling ‘like a message from heaven.'”

Anita reflected on what the discovery meant to her family:

“He left us too soon, in 2021, and to find his ring like this brings him back in our memories. The whole family has had a chance to reminisce. He was very smart, kind and intense, he loved God and made friends everywhere. He was so, so funny, always making everybody laugh. Everyone loved Larry.”

Cohen majored in physical education at Adelphi, but later changed course. “He went on to become a podiatrist and worked in Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens, until we moved to Florida in 1996.”

Anita, herself an Adelphi alum, got her bachelor’s degree in fine art and liberal arts in 1982. “I am still an instructor at Crealdé School of Art in Winter Park, Florida,” she said. “I teach painting and drawing to children, and I also teach adults silver metal clay jewelry.”

The Cohen family, left to right: daughter Michelle, Anita and Lawrence Cohen ’76

Missing Spirit Weekend, But There in Spirit

Although both attended Adelphi, the couple didn’t meet on campus.

“We met on Long Island at a Messianic Congregation in 1982,” Anita recalled. “We were inseparable after that.” Married in 1986, they raised a daughter, Michelle, who is now a registered nurse.

While Anita is unable to return to the Garden City campus for the Class of 1976 50th Reunion during Spirit Weekend (October 14 to October 18), Stewart ensured the piece of history would arrive safely.

“We’ll be sending the ring to her in Florida so it can be back with her family where it belongs,” Stewart said.

The Enduring Adelphi Connection

The unearthing of a 50-year-old ring—decades after it slipped away—serves as a poignant bridge between the past and present just as Larry’s classmates gather for their 50th Reunion milestone (to be held October 17 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.).

For Stewart, the story highlights the strength of the University community. “It feels like a wonderful example of how the Adelphi connection can endure across generations and decades,” she observed.

Thomas Kline, EdD, Adelphi vice president of University advancement and external relations, observed, “To see Lawrence’s ring make this miraculous journey back to Anita against all odds—especially as we approach the Class of 1976’s 50th Reunion—is incredibly inspiring. It is a profound reminder that no matter how much time passes, our Adelphi family remains deeply connected.”

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Alumna Judith Ammerman Commits $500,000 for Adelphi’s First-Generation Students

yigarcia — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 20:13:51 +0000

At ��Ƶ’s 26th Annual Gala in September 2026, Judith Ammerman, MA ’64, MS ’73, committed $500,000 to establish an endowed scholarship for first-generation students. She joined President Michael Balboni ’81, JD, and Thomas A. Kline, vice president of University Advancement and External Relations, to sign her gift agreement prior to the event.

Ammerman’s commitment provided a fitting start to the evening’s theme: A Celebration of Firsts. The Judith Ammerman First-Generation Endowed Scholarship Fund will support eligible undergraduate students who are the first in their families to attend college.

“There was no more perfect way to begin our ‘Celebration of Firsts’ than by honoring Judy’s extraordinary generosity,” Kline said. “Her profound commitment to our first-generation students perfectly captures the spirit of Adelphi, ensuring that the doors of opportunity remain wide open for those ready to pave a new path for their families.”

Ammerman is a lifelong champion of learning, having taught mathematics at for nearly 30 years after several years teaching in Roosevelt, New York. Now retired and living in Florida, she made a special trip to Long Island for the celebration.

Her gift reflects a lifelong belief that education can change a student’s future and create opportunities for generations to follow. In advice to the students her scholarship will support, Ammerman said, “Being the first in the family has some responsibilities! Get yourself off to a good start, crack open those books, write those papers and do a great job! Remember you have an obligation to set a good example for the rest of your family.”

A message from Judith Ammerman, MA ’64, MS ’73, displayed at Adelphi’s 2026 Gala encourages first-generation students to embrace their education and the example they set for their families.

The new scholarship builds on her earlier $1.5 million planned gift to Adelphi. Announced in 2023, that separate estate commitment is intended to establish three endowed funds supporting undergraduate scholarships, faculty development, and University facilities and projects.

“Judy’s steadfast belief in our students is truly inspiring,” said Thomas A. Kline, vice president of University Advancement and External Relations. “Between her generous planned gift and this new endowed scholarship, her philanthropic impact will create a powerful ripple effect—removing barriers for our first-generation students and empowering them to achieve their boldest goals.”

Nearly half of Adelphi’s students are first-generation, including junior nursing student Liana Esau, who spoke at the gala about the pride and responsibility that distinction brings.

“As a first-generation student, I know I carry the hopes and dreams of those who came before me, and create new possibilities for those who will come after me,” Esau said.

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Echoes of a Single Day: How Adelphi Remembered, Survived and Healed After 9/11

yigarcia — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 15:04:44 +0000

From classrooms on campus to the upper floors of the World Trade Center, the lives of Adelphi students, faculty, alumni and leadership were irrevocably intersected by catastrophe. Twenty-five years later, their stories reveal how a single morning continues to echo across generations, offering a timeless blueprint of resilience, community and courage.

“Time Seemed to Stand Still”: President Michael Balboni’s Classroom Recollections

For ��Ƶ President Michael Balboni ’81, JD, September 11, 2001, began in a classroom. Then a New York state senator, he was serving as an adjunct faculty member, teaching a political science class on campus, when he received a phone call with the unbelievable news.

“Time seemed to stand still,” President Balboni recalled in a message sent to the Adelphi community on the eve of the 25th anniversary. “In that classroom, fear, confusion and grief washed over us, but so did a profound sense of shared humanity.”

That shared ordeal forged an indelible bond between President Balboni and his students—one he carries with him to this day. In the painful weeks that followed, he attended dozens of memorial services for constituents, neighbors and friends. Yet amid immeasurable sorrow, he discovered enduring hope in the quiet resilience of ordinary people—those who chose, day after day, to board trains back into a city with a smoldering skyline, displaying their own powerful brand of bravery.

For current Adelphi students who were too young to remember or not yet born, President Balboni emphasizes that 9/11 remains an active lesson in human strength. “You do not need to wear a uniform or rush into a burning building to be brave,” he wrote. “Courage is often found in the resolve to keep moving forward, to lend a voice of comfort to those who are grieving, and to show up for your community when it is hardest to do so.”

Inside the Tower: Dr. Nicholas Cagliuso’s Survival and the Lifelong Call to Serve

Nicholas Cagliuso Sr., PhD, MPH

While news was reaching the Adelphi campus, Nicholas Cagliuso Sr., PhD—now an adjunct faculty member in Adelphi’s —was at ground zero itself.

Dr. Cagliuso had recently started a job on the 86th floor of the World Trade Center’s North Tower. He arrived that morning at about 8:20. About 25 minutes later, the plane struck the building.

To Dr. Cagliuso, the initial impact felt like an air conditioner blowing out. Soon, however, thick smoke began to roll in. Looking out the window, he saw desks, tables and office chairs falling past the glass. Acting quickly, he used a hammer to break a floor-to-ceiling window to bring crucial oxygen into the smoky room, creating a rush of wind so powerful it nearly tore a door off its hinges.

As Dr. Cagliuso and two co-workers entered the stairwell to begin their descent, his decade of EMT experience and fire service training kicked in: Assess what is happening, then act.

The journey down was treacherous. As the building shifted, stairwell doors jammed, forcing them to find alternate routes past darkened elevator shafts. Along the way, Dr. Cagliuso stopped to assist when Port Authority police called for CPR-trained responders, helping a struggling women down a flight of stairs.

As he neared the mezzanine, the South Tower collapsed, shaking the North Tower violently. Firefighters breached a wall to redirect evacuees to another staircase. Stepping onto the mezzanine level, Dr. Cagliuso spotted two airplane seats lying amidst the debris.

Finally reaching the street, he fled the complex. Approximately 10 minutes later, the North Tower collapsed. He walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to fire headquarters, eventually reuniting with his wife and father.

Looking back, Dr. Cagliuso does not view September 11 as a sudden turn in his life, but as a “crystallizing moment” that reaffirmed his devotion to public service. Today, he brings that lived experience directly into the Adelphi classroom, teaching emergency management students the practical realities behind safety theories. He stresses preparedness, vigilance and the importance of helping others.

“Our Lives Have Changed”: The View From Campus

Back on campus in Garden City, shock quickly turned to a collective effort to comprehend the tragedy.

Just two weeks into her first year at Adelphi, Amanda Barbieri ’05 watched the chaos unfolding in Lower Manhattan on a television in her dormitory’s common area. The reality hit close to home for the campus community. Many were terrified because they had family members who worked in or around the Twin Towers.

The personal impact was staggering for young students. “It was terrifying because the week before, I had gone up to the observation deck of the Twin Towers,” Barbieri recalled in an interview published this fall on September 10 in USA Today. “I couldn’t imagine getting out of there once you were in.”

Looking back, Barbieri, now a behavioral therapist, noted how profoundly the event shaped her outlook on life. “As a kid, I don’t know if I really understood it yet,” she reflected, fighting back tears. “But I know as I’ve gotten older, nothing is ever promised. That was something that was there one minute, and gone the next, along with the people that were in it.”

The front page of the September 21, 2001, issue of The Delphian

Just 10 days after the towers fell, The Delphian, Adelphi’s student newspaper, captured this exact heartbreak and sense of suspended reality across campus.

“Our Lives Have Changed,” read the bold page one headline of The Delphian. “The death toll is expected to reach ‘the thousands.'” An editorial summarized the inescapable reach of the tragedy across the University community: “There may not be a person at ��Ƶ who has not, in one way or another, been affected by this tragedy.”

Community Members Lost

The fears expressed on the pages of The Delphian were realized for many in the Adelphi family.

Among those lost was James Ostrowski ’88, who was working as a bond broker on the 104th floor of the North Tower at the Cantor Fitzgerald office. When American Airlines Flight 11 struck the building at 8:46 a.m., it hit directly below Cantor’s offices, severing all stairwells and elevator shafts in the impact zone and cutting off any chance of escape. Ostrowski died alongside 657 of his colleagues, just one day before his ninth wedding anniversary. He was 37 years old and left behind his wife and three young children.

Professor of art and art history Christopher Saucedo

Christopher Saucedo, a professor of art and art history who joined Adelphi’s faculty in 2012, lost his brother Gregory, a New York City firefighter, in the attack. Deeply affected by his brother’s death, Professor Saucedo created a series of works honoring him and others who perished that day. The series, Requiem MMI, includes portraits of his brother along with images of the World Trade Center floating on an azure background. Requiem MMI is on view at Adelphi as part of the University’s remembrance on the 25th anniversary of the attacks.

Describing the works, Professor Saucedo wrote, “I wanted the works to exist outside of time, both before and after September 11, 2001. I needed it to remind me of the event that changed everything and still not make me sad. Mostly I wanted to see that blue sky and hopefully hear the voice of a cherished friend, if only as a distant echo.”

Twenty-five years later, his story, along with those of President Balboni, Dr. Cagliuso, student journalists and those who perished, form an essential tapestry of Adelphi’s history. They serve as a poignant reminder that while 9/11 reshaped our world forever, the spirit of community, service and quiet courage remains unbroken.

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A New Chair and Trustee, Both Healthcare Innovators, Bolster Adelphi Board

ckatz — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 16:25:39 +0000

��Ƶ has added two highly distinguished leaders in the healthcare field to its board of trustees. Even more noteworthy, both leaders share a similar journey—Achan as a first-generation American and Dowling as an immigrant. That shared background gives them a deeply felt empathy for the experiences of so many Adelphi students today.

Leonard C. Achan ’99, a graduate of Adelphi’s nursing program whose connection to the University includes 10 years of service as a trustee and generous support of student scholarships and spiritual life on campus, is a healthcare innovator and executive, philanthropist and artist born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens.

Michael Dowling, who grew up in poverty in Ireland before immigrating to the United States, built Northwell Health into New York state’s largest employer and the Northeast’s largest healthcare provider. As CEO of the nonprofit, based in nearby New Hyde Park, New York, he helped develop longtime alliances with Adelphi that provided critical clinical and educational opportunities for our students.

“Both of these leaders have made an incredible impact on our community,” said Adelphi President Michael Balboni ’81, JD. “Chair Achan’s story truly embodies the Adelphi spirit and is a shining example of our strength in producing leaders in nursing, health care and business. And Michael Dowling shares Adelphi’s deep commitment to the public good. His compassion and dedication to helping others throughout his career are a true reflection of his character.”

Leonard C. Achan ’99

Chair Achan’s connection to Adelphi is rooted in a deep personal commitment to the University’s mission of transforming lives through education, service and compassionate care. He brings that devotion to his new role as board chair. He succeeds acting chair William Fuessler ’79, who now serves as vice chair.

Like many of his fellow Adelphi nursing alumni, Achan began his career at the bedside, first as a medical ICU nurse and than as an adult acute care nurse practitioner, embodying Adelphi’s core values of care, clinical excellence and service to others. As his leadership expanded into senior executive roles across top-tier institutions—including Mount Sinai Health System, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Hospital for Special Surgery—Chair Achan consistently championed innovation that enhances patient care. As an entrepreneur, he co-founded and served as chairman of Quality Reviews Inc., a digital health platform used by more than 150 hospitals that elevates the care experience for more than 30 million patients nationwide. Today, he is president and CEO of LiveOnNY, a vital nonprofit dedicated to lifesaving organ donations and supporting donor families, further extending the spirit of public health and empathy nurtured during his student days at Adelphi.

Beyond his professional achievements and his leadership as a trustee, Chair Achan has provided transformational philanthropic support for Adelphi and its students. He has championed opportunity by establishing the Leonard Achan Sr. Endowed Scholarship, honoring his father by supporting students passionate about the arts, nature, the environment and public health. He invested in compassionate care by creating the Zosia “Gigi” Levine Endowed Scholarship for Mental Health—honoring his wife’s grandmother, a Holocaust survivor—to provide needed assistance to future generations of mental health counselors. And this past June, his generous gift supporting spiritual life and the inclusive, community-minded mission of Adelphi’s Interfaith Center was recognized by the renaming of the center as the Achan Family Interfaith Center.

“Opening that Adelphi acceptance letter was a spark of light,” Chair Achan said in a . “I was a first-generation American and an inner city youth in Queens. I never thought I might go to college. Adelphi became a beacon that showed me the way to the future I aspired to.”

“Being a trustee has given me such great perspective,” he continued. “I can still reflect back on being a student, so I know our students have dreams too, and I believe they will fulfill those dreams because of their foundation at Adelphi. Through the support of the University, through board governance, through philanthropic support, I have this privilege of helping bring those dreams to life.”

Michael Dowling

Michael Dowling, who joined the board in September, brings his legacy of global leadership in healthcare, public policy and crisis management to the University.

As president and CEO of Northwell Health for more than 24 years, he provided the visionary leadership that helped Northwell grow into a clinical, academic and research enterprise with more than 106,000 employees and nearly $25 billion in annual revenue.

Prior to Northwell, Dowling served in the New York state government for 12 years, including seven years as state director of health, education and human services and deputy secretary to former Gov. Mario Cuomo, and later as commissioner of the Department of Social Services. A native of County Limerick, Ireland, he earned his undergraduate degree at University College Cork and his Master of Social Work at Fordham University, where he served as a professor of social policy and assistant dean of the university’s Graduate School of Social Service and director of the Fordham campus in Westchester County.

He was named a “Titan” on the TIME100 Health 2025 list and ranked No. 1 on Modern Healthcare’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare in 2022. Dowling is the acclaimed author of several books, including his memoir, , a moving account of his hardscrabble upbringing and the educational journey that helped him transcend it.

“I’m extraordinarily proud to join the Adelphi board,” Dowling said. “I look forward to lending my insight and expertise to the University and working with President Balboni and my fellow board members to strengthen Adelphi’s standing as a preeminent institution for healthcare education.”

Dowling and Chair Achan both experienced the power of education to transform lives. As trustees, both have the power to extend Adelphi’s ability to make a life-changing impact on new generations of students while also enhancing the University’s leadership in healthcare.

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Because of a Scholarship: Gifts That Transform Lives

ckatz — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 18:02:49 +0000

In a single moment, relief replaces doubt. Scholarships deliver an unforgettable message from the alumni who walked these halls before them:

We see your struggle, we believe in your potential and we are here to help you stay.

Bennis Sujak ’21, MA ’24

Healing the Healers: Support for Mental Health Professionals

For Bennis Sujak ’21, MA ’24, the path to becoming a mental health counselor was intensely personal. “The topic of mental health is highly stigmatized in my culture, and I grew up sheltered from discussions surrounding it,” shared Sujak, the son of Muslim immigrants from Yugoslavia. “Struggling with my traumas and mental health, I always felt an intense desire to better understand myself and human nature as a whole.”

Lindsey Kupferman, MA ’02, PhD ’06

The financial burden of graduate school loomed large, threatening to derail his calling—until the Kupferman Family Endowed Scholarship stepped in. The funding didn’t just alleviate Sujak’s stress; it validated his entire journey. The scholarship’s founder, Lindsey Kupferman, MA ’02, PhD ’06, knows that lifting this burden “makes life a little bit easier for one student.” For her, funding this scholarship is a meaningful way to continue her family’s legacy of helping at-risk youth by supporting the very students who will one day heal them.

A Way for Dancers to Move Forward

Committing to a life in the arts is a beautiful but terrifying leap of faith. For dance major Sophia Nibbe ’25, the financial strain of pursuing her passion was daunting. Then, she received the Tina Bolton Endowed Scholarship. The support, she said with immense gratitude, was “beyond anything I could have ever hoped for,” allowing her to fully dedicate herself to her art without the crushing anxiety of how to pay for it.

The scholarship’s founders, Jeffrey Bolton ’61 and his wife, Tina, a former Broadway dancer, created the fund because they understand that struggle firsthand. “I know how difficult it is to commit yourself to a career in dance and support yourself,” Tina shared, offering Nibbe the exact encouragement she needed to keep moving forward.

Sophia Nibbe ’25, center, with arm raised

A Lifeline for the Next Generation of Teachers

Senior Itzel Guzman Juarez knows the exact feeling of that financial weight lifting. Pursuing her degree in the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences came with overwhelming pressure, but a scholarship changed everything. “This scholarship made me realize that even when you think your efforts are invisible, there is always someone noticing your hard work,” she said, describing the life-changing relief she felt.

Grateful scholarship recipient Miguel Velasquez ‘23, MA ‘24, now a high school teacher, with donor Diane Abbey ‘59

The person noticing her was Diane Abbey ’59. Abbey intimately understands the terror of an interrupted education; she faced sudden financial hardship as a junior and was saved only when Adelphi’s late dean of women, Ruth S. Harley, quietly arranged financial aid. “I owe her a career, a life,” Abbey reflected. Today, Abbey pays that exact miracle forward to students like Guzman Juarez and Miguel Velasquez ’23, MA ’24. Thanks to her generosity, Velasquez was able to stay at Adelphi and is now an educator himself. “The impact I make on students is shaped by her spirit of giving,” Velasquez noted, proudly sharing that he has since started an organization providing school supplies to children in Central America.

Scholarships do more than help students earn a degree. They empower future leaders, inspire lifelong generosity and create a legacy of opportunity that transforms lives for generations to come.

For Athletes, a Way to Reach the Ultimate Goal: Graduation

Kris Amplo ’00

Balancing the rigorous demands of the classroom and the field is a monumental task for student-athletes—one made incredibly stressful without financial backing. Recognizing this, Kris Amplo ’00, a former Adelphi lacrosse standout, created the Amplo Family Foundation Men’s Lacrosse Endowed Excellence Fund and the Joseph LaRosa Scholarship. His gifts give current players the ultimate assist: the chance to reach graduation without crippling debt, ensuring they can absorb the life-changing lessons of teamwork and resilience he once learned from his own coaches and professors.

Scholarships helped first-generation student Kyle Lewis ’26, Adelphi’s 2026 Male Athlete of the Year.

The Power of Paying It Forward

Vincent Tizzio ’89

At its core, receiving a scholarship is about so much more than tuition dollars. It is a profound declaration that a student matters. Vincent Tizzio ’89, who founded the Salvatore Primeggia Endowed Scholarship, captures this perfectly: A scholarship “tells a student that someone sees their potential and believes in them before they’ve fully found their footing,” he explained. For the students standing on the edge of having to leave Adelphi, a donor’s generosity is everything. It replaces their agonizing “what-ifs” with profound gratitude, transforming their fear into a lifetime of confidence, achievement, and a deep, enduring desire to one day do the same for someone else.

Sal Primeggia, PhD ’64, shaped thousands of lives in Adelphi classrooms. Today, that legacy lives on through the endowed scholarship in his name.

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Small Campus, Huge Impact: A Legacy of Adelphi Firsts

yigarcia — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 13:16:20 +0000

First University Dance Program

In 1938, Adelphi, then open only to women students, became one of the first American colleges to establish a university dance program, founded and run by internationally renowned modern dance pioneer Ruth St. Denis. At that time, dance was typically grouped alongside physical education. Today, Adelphi’s conservatory-level dance program prepares students to become professional dancers and dance educators. Recent dance MFA grad Frida Molina ’23 is now performing with some of pop’s biggest stars—including Bad Bunny.

Modern dance was the focus of the department in its early days.

First Scientific Computer Minor

No university in New York state had a scientific computing minor until Fall 2019. That is when Adelphi’s program, developed with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York, addressed a shortcoming that had long plagued science undergrads: an inability to write code for highlevel research. Adelphi’s scientific computing program gives students majoring in sciences the computer and data analysis skills needed for an advanced degree in their discipline or for work in a research setting.

An Adelphi student monitors a screen at Long Island’s Brookhaven National Laboratory.

First Private Coeducational University on Long Island

��Ƶ holds the distinction of becoming the first private coeducational university on Long Island, breaking ground in Garden City in 1928. The first building raised was beautiful Blodgett Hall, still proudly standing almost 100 years later.

Designed by the renowned architectural firm McKim, Mead and White, Blodgett Hall today is home to five academic departments.

First University-Based School of Psychology

Professor Gordon F. Derner, PhD, who founded the school in 1972.

Psychology majors at Adelphi build on the ingenuity and compassion of the late Gordon F. Derner, PhD. The longtime professor founded the nation’s first university-based professional school of psychology in 1972 as well as Adelphi’s clinical training program in 1951. For more than 55 years, the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology has earned international recognition for its innovations in psychology and related disciplines. “I believe that the artificial schism between mainstream psychology and psychoanalytic theory has been detrimental to both,” observed Professor Robert Mendelsohn, PhD. “I appreciate that the Derner School is one place where the integration of psychoanalysis into mainstream psychology occurs every day.”

One of the First College Radio Stations in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

On the air in 1982.

Adelphi’s groundbreaking student-run station, WBAU, is one of the only college radio stations cited by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The station was one of the first to give significant airtime to hip-hop. In the early 1980s, program director Bill Stephney gave a platform to Adelphi classmate and popular Long Island DJ Carlton Douglas Ridenhour ’84, ’13 (Hon.), on his Mr. Bill Show. The world knows Ridenhour by his professional name, Chuck D.

First in Nursing Leadership

Adelphi made history by establishing the first Central Collegiate School of Nursing in New York state. In response to an urgent need for nurses during World War II, this became one of the largest collegiate units of the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps. Thirty-nine years later, Adelphi became the first on Long Island to offer a doctoral program for nurses. It remains one of the few in the state. Adelphi’s nursing program is now among the highest ranked in the country; the undergraduate program jumped an unprecedented 32 points in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report rankings.

Adelphi had one of the largest collegiate units of the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps.

First in Women’s Lacrosse Championships

Adelphi’s women’s lacrosse team was the first (and currently only) in NCAA Division II history to win three straight national championships (2009 to 2011). If that wasn’t dynastic enough, after a two-year break, the team won four more in six years.

The 2009 National Champions celebrate.

First in Student Success for Learning Differences

Professor Emeritus Fred Barbaro, EdD, founder of the Learning Resource Program.

The Learning Resource Program, the first of its kind at a university, was founded in 1979 by the late Professor Emeritus Fred Barbaro, EdD, who taught in the ��Ƶ School of Social Work. It allows students with “invisible disabilities” such as ADHD and dyslexia to thrive in college. Around 100 students annually are enrolled in this life-changing program. They have weekly sessions with a learning specialist, receive assistance with career planning, and participate in group and individual sessions with a clinical social worker.

Nearly 40 years later, Adelphi unveiled the first sensory room at a college or university for students on the autism spectrum as part of its nationally recognized Bridges to Adelphi program. A color-changing hurricane tube assists with emotional regulation, weighted balls and blankets offer sensory stimulation and low lighting offers a calm respite from the stress of college life.

The next firsts for Adelphi await. Regardless of whether it’s in academics, entertainment, athletics or student access, one thing is certain: Adelphi’s impact will travel far beyond Garden City.

Adelphi was the first college or university with sensory room for students on the spectrum.

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What Can You Do With a Biology Degree?

tshah — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 17:32:26 +0000

For science lovers, a degree in biology is the perfect fit. At ��Ƶ, biology students benefit from a robust curriculum that equips them for success in a variety of fields.

“Rapid expansion in biotechnology, health technology, corporate sustainability and data analytics has driven high demand for employees with backgrounds that an education in biology delivers far beyond traditional academic or clinical roles,” said Matthias Foellmer, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Biology.

Adelphi’s curriculum ensures a broad education in several core areas of biology, including genetics, evolution, ecology, physiology, developmental biology, molecular biology and cell biology. Students enrolled in the undergraduate and graduate program also get hands-on research opportunities, receiving training in qualitative analysis using advanced state-of-the-art methods and applying the scientific method.

“We prepare our students for today’s careers in the biological and medical professions, but also offer several transferable skills which makes our students suitable candidates for employment opportunities in a wide variety of fields,” Dr. Foellmer said.

These three alumni prove just how versatile a biology degree can be.

Put a Science Mind to Work in the Courtroom

When Hira Javed ’16, MS ’18, JD, enrolled at Adelphi for the BS in Biology program, she was set on becoming a pediatric neurologist. But while volunteering at a hospital during grad school—also at Adelphi—she met a nurse practitioner who had switched to advocating for patients’ rights. “She started fighting on the legal side for her patients, and I thought that sounded awesome,” Javed says. That chance encounter led her to explore a legal career—and ultimately swap the MCAT for the LSAT.

An Adelphi professor helped her identify her legal specialty, pointing her toward patent law, something she’d never considered before. “They said to me, ‘If you want to go to law school and you still really love science, have you considered patent law?’” she recalls. “That was definitely a pivotal moment in my career.”

After earning her law degree, Javed joined a Washington, D.C., law firm, where she practiced patent litigation and privacy law. Her biology background proved more useful than expected. “Studying biology helped me become very detail oriented, and to use the analytical side of my brain,” she says. All of those hours she spent sifting through dense scientific papers at Adelphi translated directly to legal work, too, teaching her to zero in on the key pieces of data methodically rather than getting lost in the details.

In April 2026, Javed took her career a step further, accepting a clerkship with a magistrate judge in the Southern District of Florida. “When you take a step back and realize you’re helping move justice forward, it’s a really powerful feeling,” she says.

Help Migraine Patients Reclaim Their Lives

Monika Mikolajczak ’17, MD, still thinks of the fruit flies she cared for as a biology undergrad at Adelphi. Practically every morning for nearly two years, she came into the lab to prepare fly food and count the flies for a mitochondrial research project—work that eventually contributed to a published paper. “I wouldn’t have had that opportunity if I’d gone to a school with much larger classrooms,” Dr. Mikolajczak noted. “It’s not easy to get into a lab and do research—there’s a lot of funding that goes into it, and not everyone wants students involved with their research.”

That experience in the lab also honed the critical-thinking skills she relies on as a headache medicine fellow at Mount Sinai. “My biology education taught me to think through evidence and avoid jumping to conclusions,” she said.

Her path to that fellowship wasn’t a straight one. While becoming a physician was always a calling, she pursued other early ambitions, including physical therapy and, before that, shark research. But it was during her four-year neurology residency at Northwell Health that she found her calling. During rounds with a mentor in her second year, she watched a nerve block bring near-immediate relief to a migraine patient in the emergency room. “Anyone with migraines knows how terrible the emergency room can be—there’s a lot of light and noise, it’s not a fun place to be. So if you end up in the emergency room with a migraine, you’re desperate at that point,” Dr. Mikolajczak said. “Just helping him regain his function and be able to leave the emergency room feeling better was so rewarding.”

Turn a Study Abroad Trip Into a Dream Career

When Candice Marcos ’12, MS ’14, MA ’16, started her undergraduate biology degree at Adelphi, she had her sights set on medical school. Looking for ways to stand out as an applicant, she signed up for a three-week study abroad trip to Australia focused on environmental science. What she found there changed everything. Snorkeling and conducting field research in the water, she came home with a new direction. “After that, I decided I wanted to be in the field of marine biology,” she says.

Now, Marcos is head of education at Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she uses her biology degree every day. In particular, her experience researching marine animals while a grad student at Adelphi helped her understand these creatures, knowledge she regularly shares with visitors to the aquarium. Her six-year stint as a science teacher in Nevada also equipped her with the skills to develop education programs that resonate with visitors, as well as provide professional development for her staff members.

“My career combines my two worlds—biology and education,” Marcos says. “I teach important animal conservation concepts while getting up close to the animals.”

She stresses that her dream job wouldn’t have happened without a willingness to say yes—even to opportunities that seemed unrelated. Case in point: a part-time dental assistant role she almost left off her résumé turned out to be one of the things that set her apart from other candidates for her current role. “Don’t be afraid to take the side quest because you’re still gaining skills,” she says. “It’s better to try something and know for a fact that it’s not for you, than to not try it and always wonder ‘What if?’”

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That’s Entertainment: Award-Winning Adelphi Alumni

yigarcia — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:47:19 +0000

Through media like film, music and television, the arts and entertainment are a cornerstone of our daily lives.

The arts are a cornerstone of the Adelphi experience, too. They always have been, and they remain alive and well. Our graduates are making their mark in every medium, and our arts programs continue to nurture future artists, change makers and dreamers.

After all, many of those dreamers got their start right here at Adelphi.

Tonys, Emmys and a Pulitzer Prize

With Emmy Awards, Tony Awards, a Student Academy Award and a Pulitzer Prize, our alumni prove that while the journey begins in Garden City, the destination is often center stage.

Primetime Emmy Award winner Todd Robinson ’82 roomed with one of Adelphi’s most celebrated alumni, Jonathan Larson ’82. Larson, of course, is known for writing the hit Broadway musical RENT, which went on to win four Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize. But Robinson has achieved a wildly impressive career himself. Over the years, he’s served as writer, producer and director for both films and television, such as The Legend of Billy the Kid, White Squall (directed by Ridley Scott), Lonely Hearts and The Last Full Measure.

Peter Principato ’87 at the 2016 Emmys

Peter Principato ’87 won a 2016 Primetime Emmy as executive producer of the breakout comedy series Key & Peele. A President’s Advisory Council member, Principato is now chairman of Artists First, a talent management and production company with offices in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. Principato is known for being exceptionally generous with his expertise.

“More than anything, I love nurturing creative people to help them achieve their greatest aspirations,” he noted. He demonstrates this commitment through the Principato ’87 Moving Image Arts Scholarship. This award is presented annually to a communications student who demonstrates outstanding creativity and perseverance in the pursuit of a career in the arts. He also created the Peter Principato ’87 Theatre Arts Endowed Scholarship Fund to fuel the dreams of students who aspire to a career in the performing arts.

Scott James ’84 is another Emmy winner. “At Adelphi I got the personal attention I needed as an aspiring writer,” he said. “The creative process is nurtured when a teacher actually reads your work and you have a meaningful conversation. That can’t happen in a giant lecture hall.” As a news director, he created the long-running investigative series You Paid For It, for which he won three Emmy Awards for Television News. He continues to work as a veteran journalist for The New York Times. He’s a Lambda Literary Award finalist for Debut Fiction for his 2007 novel SoMa and the New England Society Book Award winner.

Since graduating from Adelphi, Jeff Filippi ’82 has built an impressive career in sports broadcasting. Best known for his work at MSG Networks, he has overseen coverage of the New York Knicks, Rangers and Islanders, and the New Jersey Devils. Filippi has also produced four Winter Olympic Games. “��Ƶ provided a terrific foundation as I prepared for my career in broadcasting,” he said. “From the communications department to the college radio station, WBAU, where students had the hands-on ability to create content and manage people while being responsible for operating budgets—it all gave me experience, understanding and insight that proved to be invaluable.” Filippi has won two national and 25 local sports Emmy Awards during his career.

A Remarkable Achievement for Students in the Class of 1975: A Student Academy Award for Their Music Documentary

Richard O’Neill ’75, one of the creators of What the Notes Say, was an invited guest at the Student Academy Awards segment during the 2025 New York Film Festival.

Fifty years ago, a group of Adelphi communications students made a film called What the Notes Say, a documentary about Philadelphia’s Settlement Music School that highlighted how disadvantaged students can flourish by creating beautiful music. The documentary was researched, shot and edited by 14 exceptionally dedicated young filmmakers: Kurt Derner ’72, Tom Bisset ’74, Sharon Thompson ’74, Ken Cohn ’75, Dorie Hightower (Caplan) ’75, Richard O’Neill ’75, Rosemary Ravinal ’75, Walter Trepashko ’75, Richard Baron ’76, Patrice Benneward ’76, John Bencivenga ’76, Sean Britt ’76, Karen Grossman ’76 and John Costello ’77.

The film’s faculty advisers—Paul Pitcoff ’65, Marge Hudson, EdD, and Len Price— submitted What the Notes Say to the Third Annual Student Academy Award competition in 1976. Two students, including O’Neill, were flown to Hollywood for the ceremony. And they won.

What the Notes Say was celebrated at the Class of 1975’s 50th reunion last year. “The award has stunned people throughout my life,” said O’Neill. “It opened the door at our local PBS station, WCNY-TV, to them doing my health, happiness and success show Cycle of Health, my radio show Checkup From the Neck Up and ”Medical Student Minute” now on YouTube. And this all started with Professor Pitcoff accepting me into his Advanced Filmmaking class.”

Live From New York—It’s Adelphi Alumni: Emmy Awards for SNL

Bob Palladino ’78 at the soundboard at Saturday Night Live

Given Adelphi’s close proximity to New York City, it’s no surprise that a number of alumni have landed jobs at the iconic sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live (SNL). Robert “Bob” Palladino ’78 went to Adelphi with dreams of becoming a film editor but found himself drawn to the world of sound instead. “Studying at Adelphi gave me the opportunity to work with like-minded, talented students,” he said. “The professors fostered a professional atmosphere during productions, which no doubt contributed to my career in entertainment.” Palladino got his start on SNL as a music mixer before shifting to production mixing, a role that he occupied for more than 40 years. Palladino won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Sound Mixing for SNL’s 40th and 50th anniversary specials.

Kim Kachougian ’90, MA ’91, and husband with their Emmy Awards

Kim Kachougian ’90, MA ’91, earned a BFA in theater design and a master’s degree in theater education. She worked on off-Broadway shows and commercials before landing a job on SNL. Kachougian and her husband now work as the show’s art directors, choosing props and set decorations. In 2024, and again in 2026, the pair won Emmy Awards for Outstanding Production Design in a Variety Series.

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From the Adelphi Stage to the Hit Drama, The Pitt: An Emmy Winner Shares His Story

ckatz — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 23:19:40 +0000

In a recent interview with Adelphi, Iverson reflected on the success of The Pitt and how his BFA in acting from the ��Ƶ College of Arts and Sciences helped him.

Iverson, left, as a theater student in a 2017 production of Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs. Iverson credits personal attention from professors and early productions like this one with launching his acting career.

Tell us a bit about how your Adelphi training prepared you to win the audition—and nail this role as James Ogilvie?

Iverson: The gift of Adelphi was that it instilled qualities in me by which I now define myself. I learned curiosity, ambition, tenacity, hope and drive. Grad school at Yale taught me camera training, but Adelphi professors gave me the foundation I needed as an actor.

Do any professors stand out?

Iverson: (Associate Professor) Maggie Lally ’82 was very important to me. (Professor Emeritus) Brian Rose taught me Shakespeare. And (Professor Emeritus) Nick Petron, MA ’70, literally saved me. I only had a 1.9 GPA in high school—I was a terrible student—but Nick saw my audition and saw something in me. You’d have to ask him what it was.

Later on, Nick would take me into the city to see my first Broadway shows. Brian Rose shaped everything I know about Shakespeare. After I graduated, I was able to work all over the country doing Shakespeare—it was my bread and butter. I am very indebted to Adelphi.

What was a specific point in your early career where staying in this industry felt almost impossible—and what kept you from walking away?

Lucas Iverson ’17 (left) shares a moment with fellow actor and Emmy winner Noah Wylie, who gave Iverson guidance and mentoring in his role on The Pitt.

IVERSON: I didn’t really have that moment. I worked at a restaurant in Union Square, carrying sides (excerpts of a script) in my pocket, then I coached debate, then I did auditions and then I fell into my bed at 1:00 a.m. I was intoxicated with the grind. I was in pursuit of a life that I wanted—a life as an artist.

For our theater students: What was a risk or choice you made in creating your character that felt terrifying at the time, but ultimately paid off?

Iverson: I think the best choice is to not try to “make” a choice and not take a risk. You have to trust that you yourself are exciting; you are unique—and the role will come from within you.

For our students: Which actors really inspired you and taught you more about the acting craft on The Pitt?

Iverson: Everybody! Patrick (Ball) and I had overlapped for two years at Yale. He was sort of my landing pad.

Beyond that, I love everyone so much. Gerran (Howell) and Noah (Wyle) especially helped me. Noah was an inspiration and a mentor; he would whisper acting advice in my ear. I take those lessons forward.

Can you share a note about The Gilded Age?

Iverson: I had never done TV work before, and the first day was terrifying … you need to intuit that the camera is there, but not look at it. I got it on the third try, I think.

Did you know, when you began filming, that there was something extraordinary, or Emmy-winning, about this show, The Pitt?

At the BAFTA pre-Emmy Tea Party, Iverson joins The Pitt cast member Supriya Ganesh.

Iverson: I remember getting the job and then realizing this show is bigger than I thought. The genesis of the show is for healthcare workers. It is all for them. Everyone else comes second. They are the heroes of the modern world, and they can never get enough credit. It is the greatest honor in the world to share this show with the healthcare community.

Who was the very first person you texted or called after your win?

Iverson: My mom. I wrote “OH MY GOD” in all caps.

Please share a word of advice or encouragement for our theater students.

Iverson: First, be a sponge. Exhaust yourself. Then wring yourself dry, and wake up and do it all over again. Adelphi can set you up with an opportunity to do that.

Second, be deeply grateful for the gift you have been given, and then do something with it.

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NYPL Researcher Spotlight: Vincent Calvagno

cscala — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 14:38:01 +0000

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