Adelphi has always strived to have an impact on our students. These days, we’ve made it our mission to go even further. Our goal is to have an extraordinary impact, leading us to develop new ways to support student success, increase academic offerings and widen access to an Adelphi education.

So Adelphi is proud to announce the largest fundraising initiative in our history—TheÌęMomentumÌęCampaign: Extraordinary Impact.

Our goal is ambitious: to raise $100 million for our students, our mission and our future. It’s a big goal, with a big purpose: to ensure that Adelphi can continue making an extraordinary impact for generations to come.

Adelphi Rising

Why are we launching theÌęMomentumÌęCampaign now? It’s the right time.

Adelphi has never been stronger. In the past few years, we have enrolled several of the largest and most diverse classes in our history. We’ve seen remarkable increases in retention and graduation rates. We’ve introduced more than 50 newÌęacademic programs. Our students are graduating into rewarding and well-paying careers. And we’ve made a dramatic rise in theÌęnational rankings.

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These were just a few of the inspiring lessons delivered to about 350 attendees by 24 industry leaders, including noted alumni and members of theÌęÂé¶čֱȄ Board of Trustees. In the audience were women at varying stages of their careers and students from Adelphi as well as from 15 area high schools.

According to President Christine M. Riordan, the goal of the popular conference was to “discuss how women can use education to break down barriers, inspire each other to strive for greatness and maximize our value in every career field. Higher education is uniquely positioned to develop solutions to today’s workforce trends, from the rise of AI to remote work and a stronger emphasis on diversity initiatives.”

The day opened with keynote speakerÌę, founder and CEO of BrainTrust and author ofÌęÌę(Wiley, 2024). She spoke about the importance of cultivating relationships and urged the audience to develop what she calls a brain trust: a group of people who advise a leader.

Adapting to variations in the business world was the theme during the panels that followed, focusing on building diverse workplaces, philanthropy, success stories of women of color, flexibility in career choices, and building allies and mentors.

Artificial Intelligence, Inclusivity

One of the breakout sessions that drew a crowd was “Tech Trailblazers: Leading in the AI Age.” It was moderated by Anita D’Amico, PhD ’84, founder and CEO of Code Dx, and the panelists included Linda Chan, vice president of information technology at Amphenol Corporation; Kees Leune, PhD, Adelphi associate professor and chair of theÌęmathematicsÌęand computer scienceÌędepartment; and Kevin Goodman ’00, MBA ’03, an Adelphi trustee and global director of Go To Market at LinkedIn. They addressed how AI will change the workplace and the importance of learning not only the technology, but also its limitations.

Dr. Leune emphasized that AI is only as smart as the information it’s fed, saying, “AI makes mistakes. AI does not make decisions. It’s the job of the human operator to know what they’re doing to catch those mistakes.”

The “Leading Inclusively: Building Diverse and Equitable Workplaces” panel addressed best practices for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB).

“A 2023 article by McKinsey & Company cites that the global market investment in workplace DEIB-related efforts was estimated to be $7.5 million in 2020,”

Cassandra Alvarez ’09, chief of staff and chief diversity officer for the New York City Department of Veterans’ Services, said in her opening. “And as Kendra [Bracken-Ferguson] said earlier, each of us has unique value that we bring to the table, so that is why DEIB is so incredibly important—because of the unique perspectives and values that we all bring to the organizational settings where we find ourselves.”

There were opportunities throughout the day to network or get a professional headshot taken. New this year were the Career Support Hub, where career counselors reviewed attendees’ rĂ©sumĂ©s or LinkedIn profiles and provided general career guidance, and theÌęCareer ClosetÌępop-up collection site, which offers donated professional business attire to students free of charge. More than 160 items were collected at the conference.

Relentless Resistance

Trends and women’s value in the workplace were key messages during the onstage conversation between Anna Zinko, assistant vice president for student affairs at Adelphi, and keynote speaker Jennifer Hyman, co-founder and CEO ofÌę, a service that allows customers to rent designer clothing and accessories for a fraction of the retail price.

“So much about the journey is about failing, learning, putting one step in front of the other and trying again,” Hyman said. “I think the only reason why I’m up here today is that I have the resilience to just keep on moving, [and] that your positivity and your forward momentum [are what keep] you in the game.”

[Pull quote] “Your positivity and your forward momentum [are what keep] you in the game.” —Jennifer Hyman, Co-Founder and CEO of Rent the Runway

The Women’s Giving Circle and Women’s Leadership Conference Endowed Fund Support Future Leaders

TheÌęWomen’s Giving CircleÌęis a powerhouse group of women philanthropists who recognize Adelphi students, alumnae and friends, and enhance the community through collective giving. Victoria Rodriguez received the third annual Women’s Giving Circle Endowed Scholarship, and Alyssa Rashid ’24 and Jonay Jackson ’23 were the recipients of the respective 11th Annual Women’s Giving Circle “Courage to Inspire, Strength to Empower” undergraduate and graduate essay contests.

TheÌęÌęwas created in 2022 to support programming, leadership activities and other opportunities to empower Adelphi women. Thomas A. Kline, EdD, vice president of University advancement and external relations, said, “I am extremely excited to share that, due to the generous support of our donors, steering committee members, and with leadership gifts from LeeAnn Black and Loretta Cangialosi, we have raised more than $100,000 to support women’s leadership this year, and the endowed fund will soon surpass $500,000! Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this cause.”

Save the DateÌęfor the 2025 Women’s Leadership Conference on March 29.

This story was featured in the 2024 Issue of theÌęÂé¶čֱȄ Magazine.

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Now she’s started a new chapter: On April 5 and 6, she opened the book on Adelphi’s first Writers & Readers Festival.

Hoffman envisioned the festival as an event that would bring literature fans from the University and wider communities together to celebrate storytelling and the imagination. More than 300 attendees came to participate in workshops pertaining to writing and publishing and meet both established and aspiring authors.

“I am thrilled to help lead this inaugural event, which embodies our shared passion for the written word and for Adelphi’s mission to transform lives,” said Hoffman.

Part of Our Heritage

The author opened the festival with Steven Isenberg, JD, ’00 (Hon.), board of trustees chair emeritus, who said that Adelphi “is a natural spot for this endeavor because our foundation rests on inquiry, scholarship, curiosity, exploration of ideas and arguments, and the inner life of the world around us.”

Rob LinnĂ©, PhD, professor in the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences and co-founder and director of the Alice Hoffman Young Writers Retreat, noted, “I see the thread of our history running through the festival. Even when Adelphi was starting as an academy in Brooklyn, the arts were essential to our reason for being. I don’t think we will ever lose that part of the mission, because it runs deep.”

Hoffman presented the Elaine Markson ’51 Award for Excellence in Publishing to Lisa Lucas, at the time a senior vice president and publisher at Penguin Random House. The award is in honor of another alum: , who was among the first women to own a literary agency and served as Hoffman’s agent.

RenĂ© Steinke, professor of English and director of Adelphi’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program, presented the Donald Everett Axinn Awards in Creative Writing to emerging authors and poets.

Words of Praise

“As a new professor at Adelphi, I was very proud to be a part of this festival,” Steinke said. “I loved that the festival was named for both writers and readers, and for Alice Hoffman, who originally had the vision for it, and who was such an inspiring and brilliant presence.”

Dr. LinnĂ© said, “Having the opportunity to chat with some favorite authors in a small setting was different from any other book festival I’ve experienced. I loved reconnecting with the former students and alums who turned out. Some of my students who attended felt like a whole new world was opened to them.”

Join us on April 4–5, 2025, for next year’s festival.

This story was featured in the 2024 Issue of theÌęÂé¶čֱȄ Magazine.

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Luke Cooper ‘98, JD: Tech Entrepreneur Goes From “Mud to Magic”

Adelphi provided the support and opportunities to help him overcome adversity.

Luke Cooper ‘98, JD

Luke Cooper ‘98, JD, grew up in the housing projects of Bridgeport, Connecticut, at a time when major companies were leaving the city, taking away plenty of good jobs and leaving behind the sort of despair that led his father to abuse drugs and be sentenced to prison when Cooper was 12.

But a love of basketball and the opportunity to attend Adelphi on a basketball scholarship provided a lifeline that allowed Cooper to find his niche and become a successful tech entrepreneur. In 2006, Cooper co-founded Caldwell Technology Solutions, which was sold two years later for about $55 million. In 2008, he founded Fixt, a mobile device repair app, which he eventually sold for more than 11 times its revenue. He is now the founding managing partner of Latimer Ventures, a firm that invests millions of dollars in enterprise technology companies founded mostly by people of color who lack access to capital. “We’re recognizing the incredible talent, capability and resourcefulness of these entrepreneurs,” he said.

Set for Success

Compared to his upbringing, Adelphi’s Garden City campus, 66 miles from Bridgeport, “felt like a million miles away,” he said. “Adelphi was a welcoming place with tons of resources. It was my introduction to becoming an adult.”As a senior class vice president, four-year starter on the Panthers basketball team, and member of theHistory Honors Society and OmegaPsi Phi, Cooper became empowered at Adelphi.“It was liberating,” he said. “The dormitory was my first time having my own space. That’s not a thing you often have growing up in abject poverty. I remember having so much support at Adelphi and so many friends.”

Cooper found a parental figure in Gloria Grant Roberson ‘80, MS‘88, an associate professor of English and reference librarian at Adelphi and the author of a book on acclaimed writer Toni Morrison.“She was like a mom to me,” Cooper said. “She gave me a ton of encouragement and love and a general understanding that I was valuable. My mom was stretched super thin and my dad was in prison. But Professor Grant Roberson was very supportive.”

Attending Adelphi events also helped Cooper grow. At one event, he asked a question of former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev.“I’m sure it was a question about war,” Cooper said. “It was incredible having that proximity to power. I felt that right to say the things I need to say in a room with no fear. Adelphi gave me that.”

Facing Adversity at Home

After he earned his degree in English, he attended graduate school with an eye toward a business career—and rescuing his dad.“I thought the best way to go into business was to become a lawyer,” said Cooper, who acquired his law degree at Syracuse University. “I had people around me at Adelphi who paid the first $200 for the LSAT prep course that helped me get into law school.”

Once he became a lawyer, he argued successfully for his dad’s release in 2001. But his father relapsed into addiction and passed away in 2013. In 2014, his daughter was struck with Stage 4 cancer and needed treatment; she is now cancer free.

Cooper said, “Those things made me stronger, wiser and helped me build deeper empathy that helps in how I support the entrepreneurs I work with. You have to be open to help them in whatever way they show up.

“No Mud, No Magic”

The phrase he uses to describe how he has conquered adversity and achieved success is “no mud, no magic.” He explained: “A lotus flower still grows beautifully despite emerging from mud. To become successful, you need to overcome adversity and be resilient.”

Ewa Sobczynska ‘04: Planting Seeds for Global Change on a Grassroots Level

The international studies major has built on the values learned during her time at Adelphi.

Ewa Sobczynska ‘04

For Ewa Sobczynska‘04, becoming an Adelphi student was “complete luck,” she said. When she was a university student in Poland studying applied linguistics, she came to the United States on tour with the choir. While visiting her aunt in New York City before heading back home, she met some Polish Americans, one of whom had graduated from Adelphi.

When Sobczynska said she’d like to come and live in New York for a year, he suggested that she go to Adelphi to talk to Richard Garner, PhD, who was then dean of the Honors College. “Dean Garner was so kind, so warm and so intellectually engaged,” Sobczynska said. “He helped me get a scholarship, which helped me conquer a financial barrier. He excelled at community— part of his mission was to create a community where people could bring their best selves.”

A Perfect Fit

With the support of her professors, Sobczynska overcame differences in the American education system and a slight language barrier. She wasn’t shy about speaking up in an academic environment that was a “perfect fit,” relishing both the Honors College community and the one she joined as an international studies major.

She was mentored by professor of political science and international relations Katie Laatikainen, PhD. To this day, she stays in contact with both Dr. Laatikainen and Dr. Garner, and has returned to campus on occasion to talk to current students. Although Sobczynska initially wanted to be a translator, Dr. Laatikainen’s Global Issues 101 class empowered her to engage in what was happening in the world— rather than be a support person— and ultimately led her to get her master’s degree in international relations at Georgetown University.

Making a Difference in People’s Lives

From there, Sobczynska began her ongoing career at the World Bank, as well as consulting work with international organizations, such as the China-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Today, after serving for several years as chief of staff for the South Asia regional vice president, she is the region’s senior operations officer. As such, she is taking a “learning year” as part of a smaller team that’s focused on what environmental and social sustainability might mean in the South Asian context.

“We’re engaging with clients in the countries we work in and reaching the poorest and most disadvantaged,” she said, noting she always wanted to work at a grassroots level with those in need.

She views the World Bank as an amazing organization. “For me, the most memorable moments are seeing firsthand the projects that we finance with loans and the kind of impact they have.”

She reported that she was in Pakistan in December on a project. “We are working to bring the local government institutions to the people in an isolated and disadvantaged region of western Pakistan and to give the communities the opportunity for decision-making about small local grants and investment, for example, whether to build wells or roads. It will take three to four years before we see results on the ground—in the meantime, it is important to work closely with local government, community organizations and traditional leaders to set up the structures to make it happen.”

A Different Perspective

Sobczynska, who describes herself as a curious person, credits her career success in part to her level of intellectual engagement as an international studies student, as well as to growing up in Poland during a time of political transition, which gave her the motivation and perspective needed to oversee projects that change lives for the better.

Malika Grayson ‘11, PhD: A STEMinist on a Mission

At Adelphi, the international student from Trinidad and Tobago got started on her path toward becoming a mechanical engineer, author and advocate for women of color in the sciences.

Malika Grayson ‘11, PhD

When Malika Grayson ‘11, PhD, was a high school student in her home country, Trinidad and Tobago, she hoped to find an undergraduate experience that would offer a gateway to engineering and also be close to some extended family who lived in New York City. Adelphi met those requirements, though it was a campus visit with her mother that cemented the deal.

“I came for a weekend, had a great time, met a lot of great people and I loved the campus,” Dr. Grayson said. ”It was a little culture shock for me, coming from an island and a close-knit family. I didn’t want to get to college and feel lost—and at Adelphi, I didn’t. It had excellent academic opportunities, of course, but also campus activities that kept us engaged at many different levels. There was a family feeling that I really appreciated.”

The physics major enjoyed exposure to ideas and fields beyond the sciences. She edited the Oracle yearbook, served on the Student Activities Board and was a residence hall monitor. She was a co-founder and president of Females of Culture United for Success, treasurer of Black Students United, a member of the Physics Club and a physics and math tutor. An art history assignment took her to the Museum of Modern Art for the first time— and sparked a longtime love of museums—and she also loved dance classes, particularly African dance.

Another attraction was Adelphi’s 3+2 program with Columbia University, in which a student can earn an Adelphi undergraduate degree and then study engineering at the Ivy League school. Working with her physics mentor, Sean Bentley, PhD, associate professor, however, moved Dr. Grayson toward thinking about completing a doctorate instead of just a master’s degree. “Through conversations with him, I realized that I did not have to follow the path that was laid out for me,” she said. “It was as simple as recognizing I did not have to stop at a degree in physics. If I wanted to learn more, why not pursue a PhD?”

Getting HOODED

She continued to a doctoral program at a different Ivy, Cornell University—becoming the second Black woman to earn a PhD in mechanical engineering there, and the first from the Caribbean. Her research focused on developing wind energy in urban areas. She has since worked at Northrop Grumman, a global aerospace, defense and security company, in a variety of roles: software developer, research and development manager, principal system engineer, application portfolio manager and, as of late 2023, system engineering manager.

She also served with multiple employee resource groups, including Victory Over Impairment & Challenge Enterprise, Northrop Grumman Women’s International Network STEM function and the African American Task Group. Along the way, in 2020, Dr. Grayson published a book,ÌęHOODED: A Black Girl’s Guide to the Ph.D.,Ìęand is featured in another, Wall of Wonder: Cornell Women Leading the Way in Science, Technology, and Engineering. She also founded STEMinist Empowered, an organization focused on “bridging the representation gap” and supporting women of color who pursue graduate degrees through mentorship and personal statement reviews.

“I continue to ask, ‘What more can I do?,’” she said. “When I’m open to opportunities and flexible, that’s when I get the best results.”

Eduardo Vilaro ‘85, ‘24 (Hon.): Dancing His Way to Success

The CEO and artistic director of Ballet Hispánico searched for community and found it in the arts—and at Adelphi.

Ask any dance aficionado to name the top companies in the world and Ballet Hispánico would be on the list. It’s the largest Hispanic arts organization in the United States, with a repertory that celebrates its culture. Its dancers regularly take the stage at New York City Center and have performed at major cultural venues around the world.

But according to Eduardo Vilaro ‘85, ‘24 (Hon.), who succeeded founder Tina Ramirez as artistic director in 2009 and CEO in 2015, “We can’t just be in the fancy theaters. I learned from Tina that an arts organization that’s not based in its community is just a vanity project. We look for how we can connect to marginalized communities.”

Through its Community Arts Partnership programs, Vilaro has taken his dancers into jails and detention centers or to work with migrant children living in temporary housing. The company brings pride to Hispanic communities, but it also brings Latino culture to audiences of any and every ethnicity. “This is an organization about inclusion and I love when other people learn about my culture,” he said.

Finding a Home Onstage and in the Studio

Vilaro was born in Cuba in 1964, shortly after the Cuban revolution. When he was 6 years old, his parents immigrated to the United States, settling in the South Bronx. Vilaro had to adapt to being in a new country, learning a new language, dealing with the pressure to assimilate and how to come out to his family. He longed to find connection and belonging.

He found this when he was in a performance in the eighth grade. “The moment I stepped out in front of the audience, I felt love, I felt acceptance, I started feeling like I belonged. That’s what the art form gave me.”

Vilaro attended dance classes, which led to a scholarship to Adelphi’s dance program. “I loved every minute of it,” he said, citing teachers who had been professional dancers with renowned companies and how he’d learned other skills, like production direction and theater tech, “which is so important for my career. Every time I walked into a theater, I was fearless because of what I learned at Adelphi.”

Perhaps most importantly, “I was part of a community of dance students that was very diverse, and it was so beautiful because we found such comradery with one another.”

Paying It Forward

Nonetheless, he said there were dancers in the program with more experience. “I was in the back of the pack and catching up because I hadn’t had the resources to be in classes since I was 6 years old. And, in fact, that’s why [Ballet Hispánico offers] the Pa’lante Scholars initiative for dancers like myself, who have the talent but not the resources.” Ballet Hispánico also offers internships, and if an Adelphi dance student is interested, “I’d love to see them,” he said.

Every time I walked into a theater, I was fearless because of what I learned at Adelphi.”

Chris Armas ‘94: Soccer Success With a Team Approach

An Adelphi mentor taught this soccer standout the importance of diversity, respect and acceptance.

Chris Armas ‘94

During a career of success as a soccer player and coach, Chris Armas ‘94 has never forgotten that Âé¶čֱȄ is where he learned he could achieve his dream.

Born in the Bronx, New York, and reared in working-class Brentwood on Long Island, Armas displayed soccer talent at an early age. He found a mentor in Bob Montgomery, his coach on a team of elite teenage players on Long Island. Montgomery’s full-time job was men’s soccer coach at Adelphi. That made Armas’s college choice easy.

“When I played for Coach Montgomery, I paid attention to how he ran practices and video sessions, how he communicated, how he treated every player with respect, and how he motivated us,” said Armas, now in his first season as coach of the Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer.

Those life lessons helped the physical education major succeed as a four-year letter winner and All-American at Adelphi, a six-time MLS All-Star, the 2000 USA Soccer Athlete of the Year, and a midfielder who played 66 games for the U.S. National Team after playing in eight games for the Puerto Rico National Team. (His mother was born in Puerto Rico.) Before landing his current role, Armas coached Adelphi’s women’s team, the New York Red Bulls and Toronto Football Club in MLS, and Manchester United of England’s Premier League. “Success as a coach is about much more than strategy,” Armas said. “A bigger part is being able to manage people from different cultures and backgrounds, communicate effectively, get others to see the value in each person and bring them together as a team.”

Diversity Is a Strength

What Armas learned in classrooms at Adelphi was supplemented by the experience of playing on culturally diverse soccer teams.

“Our team was like the United Nations,” he said with a laugh. “We had players who were Hispanic, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Jamaican, British, Irish and Israeli. One of my teammates invited me to visit Israel during spring break. That was enriching. At Adelphi, it didn’t matter where you came from. All of us pulled for each other.”

In 2002, the Adelphi network helped lift Armas’s spirits after he sustained a major knee injury in an exhibition match and developed a staph infection weeks before he would have played for Team USA in the World Cup. Coach Montgomery was among those who visited him in the hospital. “No matter who you are, you’re going to experience setbacks,” Armas said. “It’s how you manage that adversity that determines whether you’re going to be successful. I worked hard to recover, and I learned not to get too high or too low, to keep things in perspective.” Armas recovered well enough to earn the MLS Comeback Player of the Year award in 2003.

Adelphi’s Family Feeling

Another influential figure for Armas at Adelphi was professor of sociology Salvatore Primeggia ‘64, MA ‘66, PhD. “I admired his passion for teaching; he was engaging,” Armas said. “You couldn’t come to class and hide. He would ask questions that made you want to contribute. The methodology he used to reach people was so interesting.”

Armas also met his wife, Justine Izzo Armas ‘98, at Adelphi. She worked as a nurse on the front line during the pandemic. Their two sons, Christopher and Aleksei, play soccer at Adelphi.

He describes Adelphi as a “campus where people know your name and you have a voice, where the classes are smaller and you get to know your professors and learn one-on-one. You can get involved in social activities and clubs on campus. If you want to play sports, the coaches care about you and want you to succeed. There’s a family feeling at Adelphi. That’s the beauty of the school.”

Charleen Jacobs-McFarlane ‘06, PhD ‘23: The Power of Nursing

This nurse researcher is dedicated to studying a disease that affects the Black community.

Charleen Jacobs-McFarlane ‘06, PhD ‘23

Nursing is in Charleen Jacobs-McFarlane ‘06, PhD ‘23’s DNA. “My parents were from the Caribbean, and both were nurses,” she said. “My mom wanted both my sister and me to get BSN degrees as a starting point for careers with many different directions.”

She said that Adelphi’s nursing program was well known and well respected: “When I think about it, it really did set me up for success.”

She has since become a successful specialist in sickle cell disease, an inherited red blood cell disease that affects as many as 100,000 African Americans and for which, until recently, no new drug therapies had been developed since 1905.

A magna cum laude BSN graduate, Dr. Jacobs-McFarlane credited Adelphi’s emphasis on the power of nursing with her early success. As she sees it, Adelphi-trained nurses are expected to be leaders, whether working at a patient’s bedside, being a nursing manager or executive, or as a clinical practitioner.

“You can become an expert in many different things. I’m able to use my knowledge, skill and education to help people improve their lives and ensure that they are living fulfilling lives. It’s what sets us apart,” she said. “It’s what matters to me the most as a nurse.”

A Focus on Sickle Cell Disease

As a master’s degree student at Hunter College, a Mount Sinai internship piqued Dr. JacobsMcFarlane’s interest in sickle cell disease—and eventually led to a job as a sickle cell practitioner in the hospital’s hematology department. Following that, her mentor in a Montefiore Hospital pain management program encouraged her to pursue her PhD.

She chose to return to Adelphi. “I knew it had a very good, established and flexible PhD program,” she reported. “All the classes were on Fridays, so I could work 10-hour shifts and have Fridays off. It was great.”

Most important, she recalled, “I felt welcomed and included and like I was back at home. She said Professor Patricia Donohue-Porter, MS ‘78, PhD ‘87, “was the best ever. She’s the PhD program director, and her caring, nurturing ethos just trickles down to everyone and disperses to the rest of the faculty. I was one of the lucky ones to get her as my dissertation chair.”

Last year was a banner year for Dr. Jacobs-McFarlane, who got married and earned her PhD. She is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. In this role, she is assessing whether sickle cell disease patients experience inequities in accessing care.

She continued, “We have quality indicators—such as education levels, where patients live and work, what insurance they may have and transportation to medical appointments—that affect their health that we can use to see if patients are getting appropriate care.”

Expanding Her Options

At the same time, she continues working as a nurse practitioner in Mount Sinai’s Comprehensive Sickle Cell Program, where she provides nursing care for 400 to 450 sickle cell patients. And as an assistant professor of nursing at Lehman College in her native Bronx, New York, she relishes the diversity of both fellow faculty and students.

She is looking forward to learning what her new degree might lead to. “I’m just starting over again, you can say, and starting something that I’m not used to doing in my everyday work. With my PhD, I can use research to effect change in the lives of those with sickle cell disease.”

Blakely Murphy ‘19: A Beautiful Mind

After undergoing brain tumor surgeries, this future psychologist was drawn to helping others overcome obstacles and learn resilience.

Blakely Murphy ‘19

When Blakely Murphy ‘19 receives her PhD in psychology, she’ll bring a unique perspective and understanding of the complexities of the human brain, but also of what can go awry—because she experienced it herself.

At the age of 11, the top student from Smithtown, New York, was playing in a basketball game. She suddenly felt ill and abruptly went to the sidelines. By the time her mother made it from the stands and to her side, the sixth grader was twitching and exhibiting other signs of what her mother immediately recognized as a brain seizure. Shortly before Blakely was born, her father had experienced similar symptoms and been diagnosed with an inoperable glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer, and died at the age of 31.

Murphy’s seizure on the basketball court passed quickly and she insisted on returning to the game, but troubling symptoms continued and she was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Fortunately, it was noncancerous and determined to be unrelated to her father’s glioblastoma. Still, it needed to be removed. Murphy became the youngest person to undergo invasive brain surgery, and she was kept awake during the procedure to help doctors minimize damage to functional brain tissue. She returned to school just six days later, but for the next two years she was tired and forgetful and her grades dropped. With hard work and the support of her family and teachers, she learned to fight through it and once again excel.

The tumor returned when she was 15, but this time she was treated using a new, highly innovative technique called Brainpath, which is minimally invasive, with far less risk of damaging healthy tissue and a shorter recovery time for patients.

Becoming Resilient

The experience led Murphy to “question what promotes resilience and how to help individuals build on their strengths to overcome obstacles.” She decided to pursue psychology and chose Adelphi because of its “excellent reputation” in the field.

Scholarships covered most of her tuition and fees, relieving the financial burden on both her and her mother. “I want donors to know that their support can give students opportunities they might not otherwise have. It really can alter the trajectory of someone’s life; it did mine.”

Her tumor returned in her sophomore year of college. Murphy said her Adelphi professors “were very flexible and accommodating” to ensure that she could stay on track despite being out for a week for surgery. “All of my psychology professors were so encouraging. I asked a million questions, went to office hours, got a lot of support. I can’t say enough good things.”

She is also grateful for the Emerging Scholars Program, which enabled her to do research with professor and chair of psychology Katherine Fiori, PhD, who is also associate dean for foundational psychology and faculty involvement, and led to the publication of three papers. “That’s where I realized I could see myself doing that kind of work,” Murphy said.

No Stopping Her

Murphy is now a doctoral student at George Washington University. She hopes to provide therapy and psychological assessment to college students and collaborate with faculty on critical research.

Her tumor returned two years into her doctoral program. Yet she remains undeterred. If anything, the experience gives her a deeper appreciation for what she has, to “be present in the moment, take advantage of opportunities and live life to the fullest,” she said. “Several times I didn’t know if I’d wake up from surgery, so I don’t worry much about the things I can’t control. How lucky I am to be here.”

This story was featured in the 2024 Issue of the Âé¶čֱȄ Magazine.

The post Empowered: Seven Inspiring Stories About the Impact of An Adelphi Education appeared first on Âé¶čֱȄ.

Justyna Widera-Kalinowska, PhD, professor of chemistry, whose research interests range from nanotechnology to novel semiconducting materials and their hybrid composites.

As energy policy and industry leaders work to fortify the long-term security of our clean energy supply, Dr. Widera-Kalinowska has been busy investigating a better alternative to silicon. In collaboration with colleagues at the University of Warsaw, as well as former Adelphi undergraduates Stephanie Dulovic ’20 and Sophia Casto ’20 (who participated in this research as part of a National Science Foundation International Research Experiences for Students grant), she published her findings in the paper “Comparative studies of properties of CdSe/POMA hybrid films electrodeposited on HOPG, Au and Pt substrates,” which appeared in the journalÌęSurfaces and Interfaces in July 2022.¹

The paper demonstrates that the choice of substrate material in the manufacturing process has a direct influence on the chemical structure and photoelectrochemical properties of the resulting semiconducting nanoparticles and polymers. Notably, Dr. Widera-Kalinowska and her team were able to establish that the combination of these semiconductors will yield the “most optimal hybrid materials for the most efficient conversion of solar energy into electrical energy”—a process that can be applied in everything from hazardous waste treatment to alternative energy sources and solar fuel production.

Dr. Widera-Kalinowska credits the project’s success to the power of collaboration, both with her students and with fellow scientists around the globe. Adelphi students played a vital role in shepherding the research to completion, gaining hands-on experience in advanced instrumentation and topics in photochemistry, material science and nanotechnology. They also spent several months in Poland working alongside experts in the lab. “My students were able to learn that science is an international language,” she said. “No matter our nationalities, partnerships like this make it possible for people to help each other find solutions that alleviate global concerns.”

In that spirit, Dr. Widera-Kalinowska is now planning a new research project with her U.S.-Polish team in the hope of developing additional hybrids that contain novel semiconducting materials. “We want to gain a better understanding of the basic working principles of these semiconducting nanohybrid materials,” she said. “Our goal is to make these materials more effective in their potential applications as alternative energy sources, tools of environmental remediation and producers of solar fuel.”

¹ÌęWidera-Kalinowska, Justyna, and Stephanie Dulovic, Sophia Casto,Ìęet al. “.”ÌęSurfaces and Interfaces, vol. 22, October 2022.

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Philip Rozario, PhD, is a professor in the School of Social Work whose focus is aging and issues facing older adults.

Chrisann Newransky, PhD, associate professor, and Philip Rozario, PhD, professor, both of Adelphi’s School of Social Work, who had already been partnering in New York City with Harlem’s Emma L. Bowen Community Service Center through a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, saw an opportunity to engage local populations who were feeling the worst effects of social distancing. After recruiting several Adelphi students to help with study design and implementation, they launched CafĂ© Photovoice at the Bowen Center in 2021, where it still remains on permanent display.

Photovoice is a participatory research method that puts the tools of documentation in the hands of participants. People in treatment at the Bowen Center were given a camera to capture moments in their daily lives during the pandemic, including their use of mental health and substance use services. In addition to offering service providers and policymakers firsthand insight into how people access their services, this methodology also enabled participants to connect with peers facing similar circumstances.

Chrisann Newransky, PhD, is an associate professor in the School of Social Work whose focus centers on healthcare issue, social inclusion and evaluation research.

Julissa Adames-Torres, a doctoral candidate at the time who received her degree in 2021, and Master of Social Work student Shelita Birchett Benash, who received her degree in August 2022, led efforts to recruit participants, facilitate group discussion sessions and visually present data. “Julissa brought with her years of experience and training in group facilitation and clinical social work, which were essential in establishing rapport with all participants and engaging them in the process of photovoice,” Dr. Newransky said. “Shelita, who is a trained photographer and artist, combined her creative skills and social work knowledge to highlight and amplify participants’ voices using their images and words in the graphic presentation of their concerns.”

For Dr. Adames-Torres, the experience was a deeply meaningful one. “I was able to connect with the participants’ resilience,” she said, “which meant engaging with them as they shared their lived experiences, understanding their present circumstances during a pandemic and processing moments of hope for the future.”

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In 1954, researchers Peter Armitage, PhD, and Richard Doll, MD, developed the first widely accepted model of carcinogenesis. “It is still, to a great degree, the foundational model we use today,” said Dr. Hiller. “You start with a healthy cell. Then the cell undergoes some numberÌęnÌędiscrete irreversible mutations, each with some waiting time. At the end of the series of mutations, you get your first cancerous cell.”

In the years since Drs. Armitage and Doll published their model, however, the mathematical and scientific standards for disease modeling have grown more rigorous. Dr. Hiller wanted to see how well their work had stood the test of time. In collaboration with Gabriella Smokovich ’21, MS ’22; Andrew Velasquez-Berroteran ’22; and Eleni Zamagias ’21, MS ’22, all Adelphi students at the time, he and colleagues at Western Carolina University scrutinized each part of the model, hoping to unpack the logic behind it. “We wanted to know which assumptions were necessary to make the model fit real-world data,” Dr. Hiller said.

Smokovich, Velasquez-Berroteran and Zamagias were responsible for re-proving the proofs in the model. They also conducted historical research and examined the probability of various case scenarios. Eventually, the group identified a surprising result: No stochastic process—a mathematical technique for modeling random events, such as gene mutations—exists that can account for all of the assumptions at the same time. “Only by relaxing the assumptions could we create a stochastic model that fit the data,” Dr. Hiller said. “My students were able to prove original mathematical theorems no one else had proved before. It showed them that they could be successful as applied mathematicians.”

Their findings were published as “An Axiomatic and Contextual Review of the Armitage and Doll Model of Carcinogenesis” in the 2022 edition ofÌęSpora: A Journal of Biomathematics.¹

The students all agree that they gained invaluable experience. “Completing this research not only allowed me to dive further into a topic that I found interesting, but also helped me learn how to present myself in a professional environment,” said Zamagias.

Smokovich, who now teaches at a high school in Queens, turns to the project for inspiration in her classroom. “When I teach the concepts of statistics, I challenge my own students to choose a question they have interest in and do a basic statistical analysis, as I share my own research journey,” she says. “Our work reminded me that I can do whatever I put my mind to.”

^1ÌęHiller, Josh, and Gabriella Smokovich, Andrew Velasquez-Berroteran, Eleni Zamagias, et al.“An Axiomatic and Contextual Review of the Armitage and Doll Model of Carcinogenesis.”ÌęSpora: A Journal of Biomathematics, vol. 8, 2022, pp. 7–15.

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Since 2017, the pair have worked to create a framework that school psychologists can use to set LGBTQ+ youth up for success in college. They invited Frances Mandracchia, MA ’22, an Adelphi graduate student at the time, to present “Framework for Evaluating LGBTQ Students’ High School to College Transition” at the annual meeting of the National Association of School Psychologists in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. deLeyer-Tiarks had previously worked with Mandracchia on the Adelphi Pride Committee. “His promise as an emerging scholar,” she said, made him the ideal candidate to serve as the face of the project on a national level.

The framework relies on the integration of three theories: first, minority stress theory, which posits that LGBTQ+ people experience distinct stressors as a result of their minority identity; second, social capital theory, which asserts that social connections, such as support from family and a robust friend group, are necessary to function effectively in society; and third, college readiness, a composite of different behavioral variables that acknowledges the importance of motivation for students adjusting to college (a cognitive trait often lacking among LGBTQ+ youth). From there, Drs. deLeyer-Tiarks and Luh identified four areas—peer, family, school and individual characteristics—that school psychologists can target to design and implement culturally informed best practices.

The next step, Dr. deLeyer-Tiarks reports, is to put their framework to the test. “Before we run trainings or publish in practitioner-oriented materials, we want to be completely sure these interventions and assessments do what they’re supposed to do,” she said. “But it’s clear that LGBTQ+ students are much less well prepared for college than their cisgender, heterosexual counterparts, and we want to do something about that.”

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Since then, Drs. Krasinski and Wygal have continued to discover and excavate sites across Alaska in the hopes of unearthing artifacts and animal remains that could further expand our understanding of the human past. “We want to know where the First Alaskans came from and what they left behind,” Dr. Wygal said. Their publications on recent findings at the Holzman site—one of the oldest in the Americas, about 70 miles from Fairbanks—prove that even the smallest fragments of evidence can be culturally significant.

Exploring the Last Ice Age

“Archaeological Recovery of Late Pleistocene Hair and Environmental DNA from Interior Alaska” (Environmental Archaeology: The Journal of Human Palaeoecology, January 2022) tracks their recovery and identification of ancient bison hair specimens and environmental DNA from sediments dating back to the end of the last Ice Age, approximately 12,000 years ago.¹ÌęWhen compared to existing data, reconstructions of these specimens can bring to life the hyperlocal environmental transformations that occurred during a time of dramatic climate change.

“Mammoth Ivory Rods in Eastern Beringia: Earliest in North America” (American Antiquity, January 2022) reports on the recovery of two mammoth ivory tools “in the broader context of late Pleistocene bone and ivory technology,” yielding insight into ancient Alaskans’ acquisition and use of mammoth ivory.²

While these findings have been met with tremendous excitement from the scientific community, Drs. Wygal and Krasinski have another audience in mind when digging. “We’re thinking of how Alaska Indigenous communities want to see these projects progress, and the questions they have about their own ancestors. The age of helicopter science is over,” Dr. Wygal said. They have initiated community-based archaeology—an Indigenous-centered approach that is swiftly gaining momentum in the field—to ensure digs are conducted fairly, respectfully and inclusively. “Euro-American colonization has resulted in significant loss of land access for Indigenous peoples across the country,” Dr. Krasinski noted. “Now, instead of taking the lead in archaeological investigations, we are working to support and empower Indigenous communities to care for their heritage as they consider appropriate, like their ancestors did before them.”

Inspiring Adelphi’s Anthopology Students

This philosophy is one Drs. Wygal and Krasinski are careful to impart to their students. “The narratives we’re uncovering with this research are far richer and more complex than what we typically see reflected in popular culture because of collaboration,” Dr. Krasinski said. “I hope students who work with us are gaining appreciation for Indigenous peoples and the importance of preserving these sites for future generations. Ultimately, it’s about creating reciprocal relationships with people and the environment—learning to steward the land rather than exploit it.”

Their discoveries provide many opportunities for student research in Adelphi’s on-campus archaeology lab, which Dr. Wygal describes as a “bustling hub where undergraduates get to do graduate-level work.” Students learn to catalog, photograph and analyze the specimens recovered from the field. Drs. Wygal and Krasinski invite a handful of promising scholars to accompany them on trips to dig sites in Alaska, while some students attend field programs at other institutions.

The research team is currently supervising several independent student projects that build on their findings from the Holzman site. Anthropology major MacKenzie Pina, a junior, is running geochemical analyses on sediment samples to understand Ice Age dietary and cooking habits as well as migration patterns. This summer, Pina will be traveling to Koobi Fora in Africa for her field training. Anthropology major Lillian Barber, a sophomore, is reconstructing and analyzing a set of stone tools, which promises to shed light on ancient toolmakers’ methods. Barber will be an intern at the American Museum of Natural History this summer. And Casey Greenbaum, a fourth-year anthropology student, is analyzing the importance of waterfowl at the Holzman site and will be attending an archaeological field school in Bulgaria this summer. Taken together, their work offers a holistic perspective that Dr. Krasinski believes is key to understanding humanity. “I want students to think about the world in terms of interwoven themes,” she said. “The knowledge and skills we are gaining provides important contexts for living in an interconnected world.”

^1ÌęWygal, Brian T., Krasinski, Kathryn E.,Ìęet al. “.”ÌęEnvironmental Archaeology, published online: 31 Jan 2022.

²Wygal, Brian T., Krasinski, Kathryn E.,Ìęet al. “.”ÌęAmerican Antiquity, vol. 87, iss. 1, January 2022, pp. 59-79.

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Research by Dr. Agelarakis has been widely published in scholarly journals and covered by news media throughout the world.

Led by Iosif Lazaridis, PhD, and David Reich, PhD, at Harvard University, the project was a cross-disciplinary initiative dedicated to developing the first-ever comprehensive archaeogenetic history of the Southern Arc during the Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages, dating back about 7,000 to 3,000 years. Along with more than 200 co-authors from around the globe, Drs. Lazaridis and Reich turned their findings into a trio of studies published inÌęScienceÌęin August 2022: “The genetic history of the Southern Arc: A bridge between West Asia and Europe,”¹Ìę“A genetic probe into the ancient and medieval history of Southern Europe and West Asia”²Ìęand “Ancient DNA from Mesopotamia suggests distinct Pre-Pottery and Pottery Neolithic migrations into Anatolia.”³ÌęThe research used a data set of unprecedented scope and size to close “major gaps in sampling in time, space and cultural context” (“The genetic history of the Southern Arc”), in the process decoding some long-standing mysteries about migration patterns, cultural diffusion and linguistic evolution among early Indo-European peoples.

Dr. Agelarakis’ Shanidar Cave sample, which dates back to the ninth millennium B.C., established a prehistoric baseline for project researchers working on later periods. Armed with information about Shanidarians’ age ranges, genders, diets, anatomy, travel patterns and survival ratios, they were able to identify connections between different groups that traversed the Southern Arc, as well as the cultural practices, skills and technologies they brought with them. According to Dr. Agelarakis, the project’s novelty cannot be overstated. “This is something I’m excited to tell my grandchildren about, how we’re able to complete a massive worldwide project that relies solely on ancient genomic samples,” he noted. “We’re the first to be able to substantiate these kinds of conclusions through molecular tracking.”

The project also lays important groundwork for other research. A recent study Dr. Agelarakis co-authored with another team, “Ancient DNA reveals admixture history and endogamy in the prehistoric Aegean” (Nature, Ecology & Evolution, 2023), builds on work completed by the Lazaridis-Reich project to illuminate connectedness in an entirely different region. In analyzing the flow of genetic signatures in Crete, the Greek mainland and the Aegean Islands between the seventh and first millennia B.C., the authors were able to confirm the biological dimensions of certain cultural transitions that had never before been mapped. Ultimately, they write, “Our results highlight the potential of archaeogenomic approaches in the Aegean for unraveling the interplay of genetic admixture, marital and other cultural practices.”

While Dr. Agelarakis looks forward to continuing his work on the Shanidarian samples, he is most excited about sharing the broader lessons of archaeogenetics with his students. “In some ways, these perspectives appear to be new, but really they’re just strengthening what we’ve been saying all along, that we are all siblings,” he explains. “Genetically speaking, our differences are minuscule; it’s only in our upbringing and our education that we create difference. We all began as hunters and gatherers in prehistoric times. I always tell my students that we have to use this data to fulfill our responsibility as custodians to the Earth—that we have to look to our common past in order to ensure a common future.”

¹ÌęAgelarakis, Anagnostis, et al. “.”ÌęScience, vol. 377, Iss. 6609, 26 August 2022.

²ÌęAgelarakis, Anagnostis, et al. “.”ÌęScience, vol. 377, iss. 6609, 25 August 2022, pp. 940-951.

³ÌęAgelarakis, Anagnostis, et al. “.”ÌęScience, vol. 377, iss. 6609, 25 August 2022, pp. 982-987.

⁴ÌęAgelarakis, Anagnostis, et al.Ìę“.”ÌęNature Ecology & Evolution, vol. 7, 2023, pp. 290-303.

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