Two St. Francis College Students Fulfill the Promise of The Gates Scholarship

While waiting for a train outside Union Station in Washington D.C., Nidia Perlata '18 and K-Andrea Limol '19 decided they wanted to explore the city... they never guessed that three years later they would be sharing an apartment in Brooklyn and working towards undergraduate degrees at St. Francis College.

The two young woman were in Washington for a leadership conference for the Class of 2014 Gates Scholars, funded through an educational scholarship program set up by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

K-Andrea says they each had several hours to wait for their trains after the conference was over, but no one else wanted to leave the station to explore the city, except for Nidia.

"We both thought, 'We're in D.C.! What's wrong with these people?!'" said Limol, a political science major who wants to go to graduate school to become an environmental engineer.

The two asked friends to watch their suitcases while they visited Capitol Hill, the Washington Monument, and the White House. They barely made it back in time.

"A conductor had to literally re-open the doors for me to get on the train," said Nidia, also a political science major with an economics minor.

After that day together, the two had a little contact on Facebook, but no lasting connection.

Students apply to The Gates Millennium Scholarship when they are high school seniors. It is unique among scholarship programs in that it covers full tuition, plus room and board, and adds a stipend for books and other costs. It even pays for graduate programs in selected fields.

The two of them came to St. Francis College on very different paths. Nidia was born in the United States, but raised in the Dominican Republic. She came back to New York in ninth grade and had to re-learn English. St. Francis College was an easy choice for her.

K-Andrea was born in the Federated States of Micronesia, which became independent from the United States in 1986. Through a compact, its citizens can live, work, and study in the U.S. without visas. She first attended another college in New York, then studied for a time in Alaska before transferring to St. Francis.

They hadn't spoken for two years when a Facebook anniversary notification showed a photo of the two of them from D.C. on Nidia's timeline.

"I noticed that it said K-Andrea went to St. Francis and I couldn't believe it," said Nidia.

She contacted K-Andrea and the two have struck up a close friendship. In addition to sharing many of the same classes, they pooled their stipend money to find an apartment together and recently visited Peralta's family in the Dominican Republic.

Both say the scholarship is life changing.

"I feel like I would be at a state school and working a job," said Nidia. "With the stipend, I can focus on my studies."

"We're always talking about how blessed we are. I don't think we'd even be in school without the scholarship," added K-Andrea.

There is no requirement for service to maintain the scholarship, but giving back is strongly encouraged and each woman plans to make that part of their career.

Nidia was inspired by a trip to Nicaragua in high school as well as her experiences in the Dominican Republic and the U.S. to become an elected official. After she graduates from St. Francis College in May, she plans to attend graduate school for public policy.

K-Andrea wants to return to Micronesia after graduate school and use her knowledge to tackle the problems that global warming is already bringing to her island home.

St. Francis College, founded in 1859 by the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, is located in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. Since its founding, the College has pursued its Franciscan mission to provide an affordable, high-quality education to students from New York City's five boroughs and beyond.

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St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201
www.sfc.edu

Dexter Henry mixed his love for sports with video production and started his own entrepreneurial venture, Backpack Broadcasting.

(Learn about Backpack Broadcasting)

The St. Francis College Center for Entrepreneurship welcomed him on January 30, 2018 to talk to Entrepreneur students about the Advantages and Disadvantages of being an Entrepreneur.

Many entrepreneurs rely on the support of various angel investors, but imagine the impact a 'Super Angel' can have on launching and growing your start-up venture?

(Watch Funding Your Start-up Venture)

St. Francis College welcomed Rodolfo Bellesi (Co-founder & Principal, Ikove Venture Partners) and Ian Sosso (Founder & Managing Partner, Monte Carlo Capital) to talk about Funding Your Start-Up Venture on January 31, 2018. The lecture focused on the differences between the start-up ecosystem in the United States and across the Eurozone as well as the role of a Super Angel.

President of St. Francis College, Miguel Martinez-Saenz offered opening remarks at the event which is part of the St. Francis College Center for Entrepreneurship's #buildyourBRAND lecture series.

"Unlike the customary VC method of providing substantial funding to a few potential 'unicorns,' the super angel model seeds many high-potential startups with less funding and significant mentoring. During this nurturing process, the super angel determines which start-ups have the highest probability to successfully scale. Super angels are ideal partners for college-based entrepreneurs," remarked President Martinez-Saenz.

The #buildyourBRAND series brings leaders in business and industry to campus to share their expertise with the growing St. Francis College student entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Ikove Venture Partners bridges the gap between R&D funding and VC funded rounds by providing not only capital, but also by acting as a "Startup Nursery TM" and installing a multi-layered due diligence process aimed at vetting the most promising technologies and creating the right teams to bring those technologies to market.

Monte Carlo Capital is a group of business angels that has built an ecosystem of active co-investors and experienced advisors. They have a significant deal flow and look to select the best teams with a unique and disruptive business model. MCC has investments in Europe, Asia and North America. They focus on Seed and Series A and typically like to be the lead investor.

The St. Francis College Center for Entrepreneurship engages with academic and community partners to grow a collaborative entrepreneurial ecosystem. It fosters student efforts to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and support them in becoming ethical and socially responsible leaders. The Center helps turn great student ideas into great realities.

30 Second & 5 Minutes Videos to Run During ESPN3 Games & Online

They come from New York City and around the world; St. Francis College students and faculty who work together for the common goal of improving themselves and the world around them.

Nurses, financial analysts, future lawyers and teachers; these are the recent graduates and current students who tell their story in new videos produced by St. Francis. The 30 second and 5 minute videos are available on the College's website sfc.edu/2018video. The 30 second video will also appear during basketball games airing on ESPN3 beginning with this Saturday's contests at 1:00 and 4:00pm.

"It's a challenge to tell the story of St. Francis College in such a short format, but we did our best to pack it all in," said President Miguel Martinez-Saenz. "Everywhere we look, we see students achieving their dreams; our faculty right there beside them, guiding, mentoring, showing them what's possible. These videos show the world what we do every day."

Coming from The Bronx, Adama was sure she wanted to go to law school. She wasn't sure about Brooklyn though, until she visited and found a beautiful tree-lined neighborhood with a community that supported her every step of the way. Now she attends Brooklyn Law School.

Marcus transferred to St. Francis for the athletic and academic opportunities, parlaying a scholarship for swimming with access to the biggest and best corporations into a dream career. Right after graduation, he begins working full-time at J.P. Morgan Chase.

After seeing a taste of what St. Francis College has to offer, the next step is to bring prospective students and their families to campus to meet these people and others in person. Open House is scheduled for April 22.

Meet the Students and Faculty

Adama '16 – When Adama's family came to New York from Sierra Leone, they instilled a strong dedication to education. Adama took that to heart and set a goal of becoming a lawyer. From her first day at St. Francis College, she stayed focused on that goal but also branched out academically. A Political Science major with a minor in Communication Arts who commuted from from The Bronx, Adama worked several jobs while attending College and after graduation continued studying in earnest for the LSAT. Her hard work paid off and she is now studying law at Brooklyn Law School.

Alexander '18 – Alexander wanted to get off Staten Island for college, but he still wanted that small-town community atmosphere that he grew up with. St. Francis College fit the bill perfectly and helped him focus on his career dreams. Now, as President of the Student Government Association and with experience working with people in his community Alex has a strong desire to make a difference in people's lives. He currently holds an internship at a law firm in downtown Brooklyn; supporting criminal defense attorneys from arraignment through trial and sentencing. His next stop is law school with a future goal of working in government.

Annais '18– Annais transferred to St. Francis College to take advantage of the small class sizes and affordability. At St. Francis she's found the personal attention and community she wanted. A Math major with an Economics minor and a 4.0 GPA, Annais is also the school record holder in Women's Track & Field for the 5k indoor and 10k outdoor events, and was a finalist for NEC Scholar Athlete of the Year. She plans to attend graduate school to earn a Master's Degree in teaching, with a focus on secondary mathematics.

Arianna '19 – Arianna jumped right in to co-curricular activities at St. Francis College. In her first year, she joined a number of organizations and even founded a new club, the local chapter of Girl Up: A United Nations Foundation, which helps girls living in developing countries. Now, she oversees more than 40 student clubs as Speaker of Sacor (Student Activities Counsel of Representatives). Last summer she spent 10 days in Greece on the Philoxenia Program College Trip, where she met with government officials and visited archeological and cultural sites. Even with all her responsibilities and a double major in Economics (Public Policy) and Political Science, Arianna maintains a 4.0 GPA and hopes to attend law school and open her own business. She now runs her own travel, fitness, and wellness site, UncoverMore.com (@uncovermore on Instagram).

Dillon '17 – Dillon was part of the first class of undergraduate students to graduate from the four year Bachelor's Degree in Nursing. And like the vast majority of his classmates, he passed the NCLEX Nursing Certification Exam. He's now working full-time as a nurse at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. His classmates have gotten job across the city at hospitals and institutions including; NYU, Maimonides Medical Center, Visiting Nurse Services, and several others.

Marcus '18 - Marcus came to St. Francis College from Brazil to study Economics with a concentration in Finance. He used his skills as a swimmer to earn a scholarship that afforded him the opportunity. He served as Captain of the Men's Swimming & Diving team and holds several College records at various distances. Marcus interned last summer at J.P.Morgan Chase and will begin working there full time upon graduation.

Romello '19 – Romello is a Sociology major from Brooklyn. Attending St. Francis was made possible by a generous scholarship and Romello works hard to show his appreciation and pay it forward. He is known around campus for the hours he spends helping his fellow students at events, and by working in various offices. It was a natural progression for him to become Vice President of the Student Government Organization. His ultimate goal is to become a guidance counselor or therapist and serve as a role model for the young people in his neighborhood.

Faculty

Chemistry Professor Gerard Davidson believes in a collaborative, student-centered approach to learning. He uses the flipped classroom model where students come to class to master the work they studied at home. He is then able to guide them as they work alone and in groups on their road to educational discovery.

Psychology Professor Marisa T. Cohen takes a hands on approach to teaching, offering her students the opportunity to conduct research on their own and as part of the Self-Awareness and Bonding Lab (sfc.edu/sabl), which she co-founded with Professor Karen Wilson.

St. Francis College, founded in 1859 by the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, is located in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. Since its founding, the College has pursued its Franciscan mission to provide an affordable, high-quality education to students from New York City's five boroughs and beyond.

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St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201
www.sfc.edu

St. Francis College Professor Marisa T. Cohen Answers in a Newsweek Video

The idea of love at first sight is a common plot twist in fairytales and rom-coms, but does love at first sight exist? St. Francis College Psychology Professor Marisa T. Cohen explains in a Newsweek video that the phenomenon has more to do with infatuation than Cupid's arrow.

"It's not so much love at first sight, it's more like infatuation at first sight which exists," said Dr. Cohen, who explains that evidence supports infatuation over love because of the halo effect. The halo effect is the tendency for people to judge someone based upon an initial impression. Where dating is concerned, a partner may view a person who is attractive as more intelligent and trustworthy.

Professor Cohen lays out the facts about love in a video produced for Newsweek (Learn about love at first sight http://bit.ly/2stS6Xn).

Dr. Cohen is the author of From First Kiss To Forever: A Scientific Approach to Love (Open Books, 2016), which takes current research and everyday experiences and offers lessons readers can put to use in their own lives.

About Dr. Marisa T. Cohen

Dr. Cohen obtained a B.S. in Biology and Society with a minor in Education from Cornell University. She received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, with a concentration in Learning, Development, and Instruction from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Associate Professor of Psychology at St. Francis College, she teaches experimental, educational, developmental, and general psychology courses. Cohen co-founded the Self-Awareness and Bonding Lab, which centers on the subfields of relationship science and social psychology. Dr. Cohen's main research interests are gender differences in dating and relationship behaviors, peoples' perceptions of love and infidelity, and consensual non-monogamy.

St. Francis College, founded in 1859 by the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, is located in

Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. Since its founding, the College has pursued its Franciscan mission to provide

an affordable, high-quality education to students from New York City's five boroughs and beyond.

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More Than 70 Future Nurses Celebrated in Annual Tradition

The largest incoming class of students admitted to St. Francis College's undergraduate nursing program were honored at the Fourth Annual Nursing White Coat Ceremony, on February 2.

"This ceremony has become an important rite of passage for students who have achieved academically and can now pursue their dream to become registered nurses," said Eleanor Kehoe, Chair of the Nursing Department.

The ceremony continues a tradition that adds special meaning in recognizing the vital role nurses play in the health care system.

More than 200 students are now enrolled in the undergraduate BS in Nursing at St. Francis, with the first class of graduates having performed remarkably well on their NCLEX Nursing certification test.

Last year's graduates are now working across the city at hospitals and health care organizations including; New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist, NYU, Maimonides Medical Center, Visiting Nurse Services, and several others.

The College places a heavy focus on technology in its four year undergraduate Nursing program as well as its two-year RN to BS program. A Sim-lab features a collection of robot simulators that mimic thousands of symptoms for students to diagnose. All the work is captured on video, giving instructors the opportunity to pinpoint specific areas for improvement.

White Coat ceremonies first became popular more than 20 years ago and were exclusively for students in medical school. They have spread to Nursing in an effort to create a stronger sense of community among all healthcare workers and recognizing their value as part of the healthcare team.

St. Francis College, founded in 1859 by the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, is located in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. Since its founding, the College has pursued its Franciscan mission to provide an affordable, high-quality education to students from New York City's five boroughs and beyond.

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St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201
www.sfc.edu

The politics of the United States pre-Civil War was far more complicated than most people think, says Pulitzer Prize winning historian Steven Hahn in a lecture held February 6, 2018.

(Learn about Pre-Civil War Politics)

Steven Hahn, winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in History, is Professor of History at New York University. He is author of A Nation Without Borders:The United States and its World in an Age of Civil Wars, 1830-1910; The Political Worlds of Slavery and Freedom; and A Nation Under Our Feet: Black Political Struggles in the Rural South from Slavery to the Great Migration.

The talk was part of the Spring 2018 Senior Citizen Lecture Series, "From New Nation to World Power: Culture, Politics, and Society in the United States, 1789-1896."

The series was organized by History Professor Sara Rzeszutek.

TriBeta Biology Honors Society Opens Chapter at St. Francis College

A new Honor Society comes to St. Francis College and with it, the opportunity for students to apply for research grants and present their work at national conventions.

The newly formed Chi Delta Gamma chapter of the Beta Beta Beta National Biological Honor Society (TriBeta) held it opening induction ceremony February 9, 2018, adding more than 60 people to the chapter. Among the inductees were 31 Nursing students, 25 Biology majors, and 8 Biology and Health Promotion professors.

Annemarie Bettica, Ph.D., a retired biology professor from Manhattanville College presided over the event, which featured candles, the presentation of an honors charter, recital of pledges, and the distribution of certificates and keychains.

"It was a lot of work to put his evening together, but it was so worth it!" said TriBeta Faculty Advisor and Chair of the Biology, Health Promotion, and Health Care Management Department Kathleen Nolan. "We now have a new TriBeta chapter, complete with elected students officers. Hopefully, the chapter will enhance everyone's involvement and experience in the biological sciences."

Planning for the ceremony and preparations for the students were handled by Noemi Rivera '12, Biology Academic Advisor and Departmental Assistant who was also inducted into TriBeta.

There are three flames on the TriBeta logo which represent: scholarship in the biological sciences; dissemination of biological knowledge; and research.

The TriBeta Honor Society has 626 chapters around the US. It was founded in 1922 and promotes cooperation in biological research and scholarship.

St. Francis College, founded in 1859 by the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, is located in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. Since its founding, the College has pursued its Franciscan mission to provide an affordable, high-quality education to students from New York City's five boroughs and beyond.

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St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201
www.sfc.edu

St. Francis College students, faculty and friends had a chance to meet the Mets legend Ron Darling at an event to raise awareness for the Robert J. McGuire Scholarship Fund on February 1, 2018.

(Watch The SFCTV Story by Danielle Francavilla)

The Mets 1986 World Series champ learned about the McGuire Scholarship through his old boss, Fred Wilpon, owner of the Mets, who started the program and has been instrumental in raising more than $1.3 million to provide scholarships to students who otherwise would not be able to afford a quality, private college.

Darling's talk focused on Livin' the Dream - Failure, Triumph, Living and Giving Big Dreams. He said that while all his accomplishments on the baseball diamond were great, the best moment for his family was when he opened his acceptance letter to attend Yale.

(Watch Ron Darling's Talk)

More than 60 St. Francis College students are now benefitting from the McGuire Scholarship and Darling says he's happy to raise the profile of the program and help support the McGuire scholars in a number of ways.

About Ron Darling:

Ronald Darling is an American former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Ron played for multiple MLB teams including the New York Mets, Montreal Expos and Oakland Athletics.

Darling is currently fulfilling his post-career dream as a color commentator for national baseball coverage on TBS as well as for the Mets on both SNY and WPIX. In addition to his role as commentator, Darling is a national broadcaster for the MLB Network.

During his 13-year baseball career, Darling amassed a 136-116 won-loss record, with 13 shutouts. He threw 1,590 strikeouts and had a 3.87 ERA. As an all-time highlight Darling was picked for the All-Star team in 1985. Darling was considered to be one of the best fielding pitchers of the time, and won a Gold Glove Award in 1989.

About The Kenneth D. Daly - National Grid Lecture Series
Kenneth D. Daly '88 has been with National Grid for 30 years and is President of National Grid New York, which serves 4 million customers and provides electricity and natural gas to customers in New York State. A graduate of St. Francis College, Daly is currently a member of the College's Board of Trustees and has been an adjunct professor at the college since 1992. Mr. Daly has personally endowed two full scholarships to provide opportunities for needy students to attend the college and has mentored and hired over 100 graduates of the college.

The goal of the lecture series is two‐fold; to bring experts from a wide range of backgrounds, expertise, and accomplishment to St Francis College where they can share their perspective and outlook on a host of critical issues, and to further expand student's educational experiences outside the classroom. The goal is for the lecture series to foster student interest and engagement as responsible citizens.

About The Robert J. McGuire Scholarship
The Robert J. McGuire Scholarship was established in 2015 to support St. Francis College's mission to offer an affordable, quality, private college education to students who have the promise and passion but may not have the means. Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of Mr. Fred Wilpon, Chairman and CEO of the NY Mets, and his wife Judy, as well as other generous McGuire Scholarship benefactors, the program has already provided more than $1.3 million in scholarships to 60 students.

Fred Wilpon, Ron Darling, Ken Daly and other lead benefactors of the Robert J. McGuire Scholarship have all been All-Stars in this life-changing endeavor, helping us move closer to the current $1.2 million Wilpon challenge grant. There is no cost to attend the event - but all attendees will be encouraged to support the McGuire Scholarship - Wilpon Challenge and become a partner in helping others live their dreams.

St. Francis College English Professor Ian Maloney explored the Origins of Early National Literature in America on February 20, 2018 as part of the Spring 2018 Senior Citizen Lecture Series, "From New Nation to World Power: Culture, Politics, and Society in the United States, 1789-1896."

(Learn the Origins of Early National Literature in America)

Professor Maloney is an expert on 19th century American literature. He is the author of Melville's Monumental Imagination and several additional pieces on Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, William Apess, and Saul Bellow. He is also the Coordinator of the Walt Whitman Writers Series at St. Francis College. sfc.edu/waltwhitman

Speakers for the series, From New Nation to World Power, are programmed by History Professor Sara Rzeszutek.

St. Francis College welcomed Professor and Author Deborah Gray White to speak about Women Slaves in the Antebellum South on February 13, 2018 as part of the Spring 2018 Senior Citizen Lecture Series, From New Nation to World Power: Culture, Politics, and Society in the United States, 1789-1896."

(Learn about Women Slaves)

Author of the groundbreaking Ar'n't I A Woman? Female Slaves in the Plantation South, Deborah Gray White is the Board of Governors Professor of History and Professor of Women's and Gender Studies at Rutgers University. Her other works include: Telling Histories: Black Women Historians in the Ivory Tower; Let My People Go: African Americans 1800-1865; and Too Heavy a Load: Black Women in Defense of Themselves.

Speakers for the series, From New Nation to World Power, are programmed by History Professor Sara Rzeszutek.

Making International Women's Day Everyday

Ever since St. Francis College went co-ed 50 years ago, many successful women have graduated from the institution to become successful leaders in a variety of fields. Now, many of these women are coming together to grow the Women Leadership Network (WLN) at St. Francis College.

After a series of introductory and workshop events, the WLN hosted its first in a series of Power Breakfast with special guest Lorraine Fisher, Senior Director of Media Relations of MLB Network. The event was an opportunity for 20 SFC students to hold a meaningful, in-depth conversation with a leader in the communications field. The purpose of these breakfasts is to encourage our students to not only have a seat at this table, but also have a voice.

"Spending breakfast with Lorraine was so much more powerful than seeing her speak on a panel or in a big lecture hall," said Communication Arts major Danielle Francavilla '19. "The conversation flowed. We had the opportunity to ask plenty of questions and Lorraine offered great perspective on building my dream career."

The next WLN Power Breakfast on March 27 features Maya Nussbaum (Founder & CEO Girls Write Now) and Jessie McGuire (Executive Director, ThoughtMatter Branding). The two will lead a discussion on Female Empowerment, Finding Your Voice, Creative Communication, Networking, Branding, and Leadership.

Once again, this will be an exclusive, intimate conversation for SFC students, providing them with amazing access to expertise. St. Francis College juniors and seniors who want to participate, as well as women who would like to host a breakfast are welcome to email development@sfc.edu.

"On this International Women's Day, we wanted to draw special attention to the generosity of our alumnae and friends of the College in helping to grow the next generation of leaders," said Katherine O'Hagan of the Women's Leadership Network and Associate Director of Scholarship Giving at St. Francis. "WLN's goal is to expand the resources of the College in order to prepare our students for success in their field of interest. We know that building a strong network of alumnae and friends is crucial to achieving that goal."

A third breakfast is schedule for April 24 with St. Francis College alumna Rose Lanard '84, Chief Diversity Officer of S&P Global.

Biographies

Maya Nussbaum has grown Girls Write Now over the last two decades from a loose association of women writers into a dynamic, volunteer-powered community, and a nonprofit after school program distinguished by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities as one of the top 15 in the nation, by the Nonprofit Excellence Awards as one of New York's top 10 nonprofits, by Time Out New York as one of the best places to volunteer, and by Youth INC with the Innovators Award for improving the lives of New York youth. Maya has been named one of the Top 40 Feminists under 40 by The Feminist Press, one of the Top 20 Philanthropists under 40 by The Observer, a Local Hero by Metro New York, an Education Hero by The New York Times, a Diane von Furstenberg (DVF) People's Voice Nominee, and a 2016 White House Champion of Change.

Jessie McGuire, Executive Director, Strategy at ThoughtMatter Branding Agency has spent the last decade as a strategic powerhouse working with companies like Kimberly-Clark, P&G, Danone, and Colgate Palmolive. Throughout her career, she has played a key role in transforming billion-dollar brands into social icons, both on the client and agency side. She absorbs consumer trends and uncovers insights to ignite brilliant solutions. As a facilitator of ideas, Jessie collaborates across the agency to further push creativity. Her profound knowledge of consumer behavior inspires and motivates us all to create meaningful work that sparks engagement, moves culture, and connects consumers to brands on the deepest of emotional levels.

Women Leadership Network Mission

WLN supports and encourages the development of leadership skills in our students and young alumnae by providing opportunities to collaborate with each other and to network with more experienced career women who support St. Francis College. This network will be used to empower our students, reconnect with our alumnae and network with new friends while growing the SFC community through professional, educational and social events.

St. Francis College, founded in 1859 by the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, is located in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. Since its founding, the College has pursued its Franciscan mission to provide an affordable, high-quality education to students from New York City's five boroughs and beyond.

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St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201
www.sfc.edu

Women Making Media From The Silent Era To Virtual Reality

FREE & Open to the Public - More information at sfc.edu/womensfilmfest

On March 19, the 3^rd Annual SFC Women's Festival launches a four-day celebration of bold and expressive films made by women, which will also feature thought-provoking panel discussions with industry professionals and a Visual Reality session.

(Watch the SFCTV Preview of the 3^rd Annual Women's Film Festival)

"It's our goal to create a bridge between female college filmmakers and professional female filmmakers which will encourage collaboration, cooperation, and coordination," said St. Francis College Communication Arts Professor Augusta Palmer, a festival Co-Founder.

The festival begins on Monday at 2:00pm with the screening of Shoes (1916) by silent film director Lois Weber with live piano accompaniment by acclaimed pianist Ben Model. The first panel discussion at 4:00pm explores The Past, Present, and Future of Women's Film Production with academy award nominee Immy Humes, VR innovator Theresa Loong, and Kate Saccone of the Women Film Pioneers Project at Columbia University. The opening reception at 5:15 pm is followed by a screening of films in competition for the festival's prizes.

On Tuesday, a workshop on Social Media Charm School at 11:10am and a Pitch Workshop at 1:20 are sponsored by crowdfunding platform Seed & Spark and led by filmmaker and crowdfunding guru Christina Raia. Screenings will follow at 3:30 pm then another interactive workshop with Mary Lannone and Urvashi Gandhi of Breakthrough titled From #MeToo to #ActToo, begins at 4:30. Lannone and Gandhi will discuss the future of #MeToo and how to turn this moment into a sustainable movement to create cultural change. They will discuss ideas for daily actions people can take to change our environment, disrupt gender norms, and help to ensure that no one else will ever have to say #MeToo.

At 11:30am on Wednesday, the filmmaker and Celluloid Ceiling author Gabrielle Kelley and editor Meaghan Wilbur from 2 Dope Queens (HBO) will present the Rising Up: Global perspectives on the Celluloid Ceiling sponsored by #GALSNGEAR. This will be followed by a 1:20 screening of films in competition and a 3:00pm panel Making Media for Social Change, with a screening of an excerpt from Heroines of Health and panel discussion with documentary filmmaker Lisa Russell. Leslie Wright from the Zonta Clube of New York also introduces an excerpt from Little Stones by Sophia Cruz.

On Thursday, the festival's closing day, the first screenings begin at noon with a selection of experimental films by women curated by Roberta Bonisson. Filmmakers will be present for Q&A afterward. Next is a panel with Lisa Russell, Christian Delsol, and Karen Palmer on Breaking Boundaries: Visual Reality and Immersive Story Telling. The Virtual Reality viewing session begins at 2:30 pm and is followed by Managing Your Entertainment Business, a discussion of filmmaking & entrepreneurship with Thembisa Mshaka, author of Put Your Dreams First: Handle Your (Entertainment) Business, Lauren Magura of Cinematcher, and Marie-Helene Carleton of ScreeningRoom.org. The festival Awards ceremony will be in Founders Hall at 5:30pm with a closing reception at 6:30pm.

The Festival is a collaborative production of the Communication Arts Department, Center for Entrepreneurship, Office of the Academic Dean, the Women's and Gender Minor, and the Honors Program at St. Francis College. The festival is also supported by Seed and Spark, a crowdfunding entertainment platform, the Alamo Drafthouse movie theater, ScreeningRoom.org, Cinematcher, Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), the festival has partnerships with #GALSNGEAR, Breakthrough US, and the Athena Film Festival. Festival Director and Co-Curator Augusta Palmer and Co-Curator Roberta Bonisson are available for interviews.

Attached Photo: Ur Dead To Me – Courtesy Yonoko Li

St. Francis College, founded in 1859 by the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, is located in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. Since its founding, the College has pursued its Franciscan mission to provide an affordable, high-quality education to students from New York City's five boroughs and beyond.

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St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201

www.sfc.edu

How accurate was Martin Scorsese in his depiction of Five Points for his major movie Gangs of New York?

Tyler Anbinder, consulted on the film and tells us what's true... what's movie magic... and why (1:01.30). He spoke at St. Francis College on February 27, 2018 as part of the Spring 2018 Senior Citizen Lecture Series, "From New Nation to World Power: Culture, Politics, and Society in the United States, 1789-1896."

(Learn about Five Points & 19th Century New York)

Anbinder is Professor of History at George Washington University. He has written extensively on the history of New York City, including Five Points: The 19th Century New York City Neighborhood That Invented Tap Dance, Stole Elections, and Became the World's Most Notorious Slum; Nativism and Slavery: The Northern Know-Nothings and the Politics of the 1850s; and City of Dreams: The 400 Year Epic History of Immigrant New York. Five Points was named a Notable Book by the New York Times (2001) and one of "Twenty-Five Books to Remember" by the New York Public Library (2001).

Speakers for the series, From New Nation to World Power, are programmed by History Professor Sara Rzeszutek.

The St. Francis College Entrepreneurship Club welcomed three current students to talk about their businesses for a Peer to Peer workshop on March 8, 2018.

(Watch SFC students talk about their businesses)

Sydney Bell '19 (Sydney Bell Photography), Fallon Raimo '18 (Infamous Vigilante), and Josh Dezil '21 (Jdbundles) offered tips on how get a company started, their inspirations and their hopes for the future.

Arianna Sartzetakis '19 (Uncover More) moderated the discussion.

Learn more about the St. Francis College Center for Entrepreneurship.

The way to teach children underwent a major upheaval at the end of the 18th century as Maria Edgeworth revolutionized children's literature. Rebecca Shapiro, an Associate Professor of English at City Tech, talked about Edgeworth's new approach in a lecture held March 6, 2018 at St. Francis College as part of the Spring 2018 Senior Citizen Lecture Series, From New Nation to World Power: Culture, Politics, and Society in the United States, 1789-1896.

(Watch Maria Edgeworth and Children's Literature)

Shapiro studies eighteenth and nineteenth century literature and dictionary writing, and is author of Principles of Applied Lexicography: An Historical Anthology.

From New Nation to World Power was organized and programmed by History Professor Sara Rzeszutek.

Comic books and graphic novels offer a unique medium to explore the intersection between law and justice, two ideas that often sit in opposition to each other. On October 20, 2018, St. Francis College will host the Graphic Justice Research Alliance (GJRA) Annual Conference to explore this connection. (More Information on the Conference)

The keynote speaker for the conference will be Ann Nocenti, the acclaimed comic book writer, editor, journalist, and filmmaker whose work includes The Seeds, Daredevil, Catwoman, Katana and much more. Her talk will be free and open to all. There is an admission fee for the rest of the conference.

The theme for this year's Graphic Justice Discussions is 'Law, Comics, Justice', and promises to provoke a lively discussion relevant to scholars, artists, practitioners, policy-makers, writers, fans, and the general public.

The Graphic Justice Research Alliance (GJRA) is currently accepting 250-word abstracts for academic papers, workshop proposals, interviews or poster presentations. The following themes and many others which may be explored include:

• Human rights discourse and visual representation,
• Criminality and policing in comics,
• Justice vs law,
• Vigilante justice in visual narratives, and
• Gender, violence and representation.

The themes should draw attention to the connections and ruptures between law, comics, and justice, and look at how they are invoked across cultural, institutional, public and private domains.

Abstracts are due by July 10 and should be submitted to St. Francis College Sociology & Criminal Justice Professor Nickie Phillips at nphillips@sfc.edu. Applicants are asked to include a 150 word bio about themselves.

Registration for Law, Comics, Justice is $20 for GJRA members and $25 for non-members. Students are free.

The GJRA is a multidisciplinary research network exploring the crossover between law and justice and comics of all kinds.

About Ann Nocenti
Legendary comic writer and editor Ann Nocenti has lent her distinctive voice to numerous beloved comic book runs, including her writings for Marvel's Daredevil and DC's Catwoman, Katana, and Green Arrow. She will offer her observations about the industry, as well as reflections on her latest project, the forthcoming The Seeds, a new four-issue series in collaboration with artist David Aja. The series is part of a new line of Berger Books published by Dark Horse Comics and is described as "An eco-fiction tech-thriller ... a story of love beyond race and gender, and of the resilience of both human and animal kind."

The St. Francis College Communication Arts Department and the Career Center hosted Communications Career Day featuring alumni and experts from Marketing, Promotions, and Video Production on February 12, 2018.

(Learn about Communication Careers)

Panelists included:

• Andrew Slips '10 (Promotions Manager, Turner Sports)
• John Tantillo '73 (The Marketing Doctor)
• Carl Coulanges '08 (Adjunct Professor / Video Broadcasting Teacher)
• Trish Rubin (Marketing & Brand Consultant)

About the Panelists
Andrew Slips '10 graduated from St. Francis College Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in Communications: Advertising. During his last semester at SFC, Andrew interned at Turner Broadcasting with Cartoon Network, leading to a full-time position at CNN Digital as a Sales Representative. In 2013, Andrew joined the Promotions Marketing team at Turner Sports as Coordinator before becoming Assistant Manager and now Manager. He currently works on the NBA business managing the ideation and execution of sponsorship programs for official marketing partners.

John Tantillo '73 is an Independent Consultant for the NYC Department of Small Business Services. He writes "The Marketing and Branding Lens" for Newsmax, analyzing the topics of the day from a marketing and branding aspect. He has worked on local/national campaigns using his experience as an applied research psychologist to understand the meteoric rise of political brands like Obama, Trump, and Sanders. Dr. Tantillo has written numerous articles which have been published in major US news organizations which include, FoxNews.com, Washington Times, The Daily Caller and Talkers Magazine. He has also appeared on national US and Foreign TV/radio programs, and has recently appeared twice on French Television where he explained the "Trump Brand." As the author of the popular book, "People buy brands, not companies," he counsels clients on the value of individual products/services (Brand) rather than on corporate identity (Company).

Carl Coulanges '08 is an Adjunct Professor at St. Francis College and High School Teacher at St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School. He graduated from St. Francis College with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Arts: Concentration Film and Broadcasting. While working towards his Master's Degree in Communication Arts, he free-lanced for three years with Show of Force, working in the Post Production Department as Head Logger for a six-part documentary series titled "Circus", which aired on PBS in 2010. In addition, Carl worked on other projects as Assistant Editor, including "Seacom" and "Haiti's Heroes" for The Abundance Foundation. He is now a full time high school teacher at St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School in West Islip, NY where he teaches Video Production, Communications, and Public Speaking, and moderates the Video Broadcasting, Radio, School Newspaper, and Culinary Clubs. He is also the Social Media coordinator.

Trish Rubin, MA/MPA is a Consultant, Author, Speaker and Educator who provides marketing and brand consulting services for the fast paced, transparent world of communication to business, governmental agencies, nonprofits and educational institutions. Trish uses the dynamic, ever-changing field of marketing and branding to guide a new age conversation between business and education leaders - a 21st century conversation that develops workplace readiness for the near future in our digital age. Her consultancy is distinguished by a national profile in K-16 education, including projects in research, training and development with the US Department of Education. As national literacy consultant to USAToday Education, she developed communication programs for national audiences. Trish's most recent book, BrandED: Tell your Story, Build Relationships, Empower Learning, adapts business brand/marketing tenets and strategies for international education leaders who must define their schools in a digital age and build co-branding relationships. A professionally trained public speaker, Trish is a Marketing instructor at Baruch College in the International Business Program Division and is an Instructor at IESEG School of Management in Paris.

St. Francis College welcomed Katharine Lee (Rutgers University)on March 20, 2018 to talk about The Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society & Women's Reform Movements as part of the Spring 2018 Senior Citizen Lecture Series, "From New Nation to World Power: Culture, Politics, and Society in the United States, 1789-1896."

(Learn about Philadelphia's Female Anti-Slavery Movement)

Katharine Lee holds a Ph.D. in History from Rutgers University. Her dissertation is titled "'The Young Women Here Enjoy a Liberty': Philadelphia Women and the Public Sphere, 1760s-1840s. She teaches in the Rutgers University Department of History, the Douglass Residential College, and the Rutgers Honors College.

Speakers for the series, From New Nation to World Power, are programmed by History Professor Sara Rzeszutek.

St. Francis College hosted a double celebration March 9 & 10, 2018; the 20th anniversary of the Institute for International and Cross-Cultural Psychology (IICCP) and the 30th anniversary of Meaningful World.

(Watch Asian Perspectives)

The two day event features lectures and panel discussion on topics as varied as how climate change is leading to a psychological emergency; post-traumatic growth in Haiti, India, and Cambodia; and a dissection of the Italian diaspora.

This discussion, moderated by St. Francis College Faculty Director of General Education Michele Hirsch, features Asian Perspectives with:

• Sonia Suchday (Globalization, Spirituality, and the Youth in India)
• Rash Jaipal (Psychological Costs of Development for Youth in Sikkim, India)
• Jaskiran Mathur (Revisiting Trauma Through Popular Culture)
• Ghazals Afzal (Afghan Women: Trails, Travails, and Creative Expression)

The conference also hosted Rami Seo's Project World Music Ensemble which celebrated Korean Culture with a Fan Dance, Sons, and Drum Dance.

The Institute for International and Cross-Cultural Psychology (IICCP) sponsors research and publications in international and cross-cultural psychology; promotes, develops, and implements workshops, symposia, lectures, and conferences at St. Francis College; involves students in cross-cultural research and the institute's programs; fosters a sense of involvement in the cultural richness of the St. Francis College community; and creates network ties with other interested psychological institutions in the USA and abroad.

The Association for Trauma Outreach & Prevention (ATOP) Meaningful World is dedicated to fostering a meaningful, peaceful, and just world in which every individual enjoys physical, mental, social, financial, ecological, and spiritual health.