The College has more than 75 different study abroad programs.
Marist continues to offer among the strongest study abroad options in the country, with its full academic year study abroad program ranking No. 1 in the nation in participation among US master’s degree-granting institutions, according to the latest Open Doors report for the 2020–2021 academic year. Marist also ranked among the top 10 institutions in the country for its semester-length abroad program (5th), total number of students abroad (5th), and overall study abroad participation (9th).The report is published by the Institute of International Education in collaboration with the US Department of State.A global education is a foundation of the Marist learning experience, which is why the College has more than 75 different study abroad programs including semester-long, full academic year, and short-term study abroad time frames designed to enable students to stay on track with their studies while giving them access to rich cultural experiences.In addition, the Marist Italy campus in Florence offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in partnership with one of the most established and innovative educators in Florence, Italy, Istituto Lorenzo de’ Medici. The Marist Italy experience has become one of the College’s most distinctive offerings and draws interest from students around the world.“Study abroad has become a signature aspect of the Marist experience, with about half of our students studying abroad prior to graduation in recent years, which is nearly five times the national average,” said Dr. John Peters, dean of International Programs at Marist. “Navigating a new context and culture is often cited by students as pivotal and transformative. Our students have these incredible opportunities to learn about themselves and the complexity and diversity of our shared story through international and intercultural exploration.”The latest rankings for Marist’s study abroad program came less than a year after the program received the Senator Paul Simon Award for its freshman year abroad programs in Italy and Ireland. The award is one of the most prestigious a college or university can receive for excellence in international programs.
Alumni survey responses were key to identifying priorities.
A committee representing all members of the Marist College community is developing a new strategic plan for the College.“This plan will serve as the blueprint for Marist’s future,” said Marist President Kevin C. Weinman, “building upon all that this incredible institution has accomplished to date while charting a bold and ambitious vision for its future.”Weinman announced the kickoff of the strategic plan process in a May memo to Marist staff. He said his goal is to provide a proposal to the College’s Board of Trustees for their review and approval at the board’s May 2023 meeting.The initiative is being led by a steering committee made up of deans, faculty members, staff members, and Student Government Association president Gabriel Borbon ’23. Co-chairing the committee are Dr. James Snyder, dean for academic engagement and associate professor of philosophy, and Dr. Emily Saland, vice president of strategic initiatives and chief of staff.One of the committee’s first tasks is to assess the impact and outcomes of Marist’s 2018–2023 strategic plan. The committee also is seeking input for the new plan from all facets of the College community—faculty, students, staff, alumni, and friends.For updates on the new strategic plan, visit https://www.marist.edu/strategic-plan-2023
Marist Announces First Senior Leadership Position Dedicated to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Following a national search, Marist College announced the appointment of Dr. Edward P. Antonio to the newly created position of vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Antonio brings nearly 20 years of advanced DEI experience to Marist, having served most recently as chief diversity officer at Concordia College in Minnesota. He also has 25 years of experience teaching undergraduate and graduate students at universities in Europe, Africa, and the US. At Marist, he is leading the inaugural office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, partnering with President Kevin Weinman, his colleagues on the President’s Cabinet, and faculty and staff across the campus to develop a strategic direction for DEI initiatives, build community, establish a system of accountability, and develop resources to support diversity initiatives.“We must continue to make progress towards the College’s goal of becoming a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable institution,” said Weinman. “While this work is the responsibility of each and every member of our community, it also requires vision and coordination by skilled leaders. Dr. Antonio has a proven track record as a DEI strategist and has implemented initiatives at other academic institutions with great success. I look forward to working closely with him to achieve similar successes here at Marist.”“I am excited to be joining Marist at this pivotal moment in its history,” said Antonio. “What is especially exciting about the role of the vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Marist are the many opportunities it provides to motivate and galvanize the College for good, transformative change.”Antonio had served at Concordia College since 2017, where he created DEI training and educational programs to support faculty and staff in their work with students. He also helped to create a yearlong Inclusive Teaching and Diversity Leadership Certificate program for faculty and staff and provided training to academic departments on implicit bias and belonging. In partnership with campus leaders, he also created and secured various scholarship programs for students from marginalized communities.In addition, Antonio supported and consolidated LGBTQ+-related work at Concordia, overseeing a program designed to empower students to develop empathy and understanding of difference through storytelling. He participated in the creation of the Bias Incident Response Team and chaired the Diversity Council.Prior to his time at Concordia, Antonio served as associate dean of diversities at Iliff School of Theology in Colorado. There, he created the Office of Diversity and played a lead role in the strategic planning process. He worked to ensure that DEI was embedded in the curriculum, directed the Social Justice Program, and coordinated one of Iliff’s signature programs on identity, power, and difference. He was also responsible for creating and overseeing the Title IX office.Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at MaristMarist’s commitment to DEI and social justice is reflected in initiatives such as the Marist College Diversity Leadership Institute and the Marist Center for Social Justice Research. Antonio will build on these initiatives while also creating new opportunities. As a member of the President’s Cabinet and a visible presence on campus, he will also have a strong voice in all institutional initiatives and priorities.“The College community is already doing important social justice work toward equity, diversity, and inclusion,” said Antonio. “My work and leadership at Marist will be informed by the values of equity, inclusion, and belonging. I will work with all stakeholders, with all members of the College community to embed these values in everything that Marist is about and in all its structures, policies, procedures, practices, and relationships. I know that students, staff, and faculty are ready to go beyond diversity to the next phase, to become a more deeply welcoming and inclusive college with a strong culture of belonging, an actively anti-racist culture, and a shared equity mindset. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead and guide this essential work.”
Three Marist College professors within the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences have received prestigious Spencer Education Grants to enhance their research focused on social justice and equity.
Dr. Carol Rinke and Dr. Christina Wright Fields together have been awarded a Spencer Education Grant to conduct their research entitled The Storied Experiences of Teachers of Color through Photovoice. Dr. Vanessa Lynn also received the grant to study the undergraduate education and faculty experience of criminology and criminal justice programs and the curriculum surrounding race. Lynn’s research is entitled Race Pedagogies in Criminal Justice/Criminology.Rinke, who is assistant dean for the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences and associate professor of education, and Wright Fields, assistant professor of education, are partnering with researchers from Rutgers University-Newark, including Rinke’s prior research partner, Dr. Lynnette Mawhinney.This work will continue and extend Rinke and Mawhinney’s co-authored book, There Has to be a Better Way: Lessons from Former Urban Teachers, which was released in 2019. “In previous research, we found that teachers of color were subject to microaggressions in many educational workspaces. This project is an effort to dig deeper into the particular experiences of teachers of color in P-12 schools, using their own perspectives to shape counter-narratives of schooling,” said Rinke.The research will utilize the Photovoice methodology in partnership with three groups of 20 educators to capture their experiences with visual findings. This methodology allows research participants to capture their everyday realities and visually provide valuable insights and data to the investigators.“We selected this methodology and applied it to P-12 teachers because we valued the way it encouraged participants to capture their own realities, rather than an outside researcher doing so on their behalf — we found it to be an empowering approach,” said Rinke.The motivation for this research stems from the frequent experiences of educators challenged by a system that is resistant to change and adaptability, leading to increased turnover within the profession. Rinke, Wright Fields, and the researchers at Rutgers University-Newark aim to understand the disillusionment for educators of color. “This project is an effort to engage directly with teachers, understand what may be some sources of this disillusionment for teachers of color in particular, and engage educators in a collective effort to challenge those experiences,” said Rinke. Dr. Vanessa Lynn, assistant professor of criminal justice, alongside researchers at Idaho State University, will conduct research over the next three years on how faculty learned how to discuss race in Criminal Justice and Criminology courses. “Our study aims to examine how the educational experiences of faculty who teach in criminology and criminal justice programs shape the pedagogical practices related to race within their classes,” said Lynn.Lynn, along with Dr. Deirdre Caputo-Levine of Idaho State University, will interview faculty across the nation and examine professors' syllabi in undergraduate-level courses. “Our study will allow us to investigate the relationship between graduate school experiences and the ways that faculty members construct race as an object of knowledge within courses in criminology and criminal justice programs,” said Lynn.In her research, Lynn hopes to understand how academic departments educate on bias within the criminal justice system.With three faculty members being awarded grants from the Spencer Education Research Foundation across two different studies, Rinke highlights the importance of their social justice and equity focus.“It’s quite significant that three faculty members from within Social and Behavioral Sciences have been awarded grants from the Spencer Educational Research Foundation for projects focused on issues of social justice and equity,” said Rinke. “The long-standing efforts of our faculty to engage with the local community around topics of mutual importance are now being recognized externally and supported in their application and expansion.”
A National Institutes of Health grant will offer Marist students the opportunity to complete 10-week lab-based research experiences over three summers.
Marist has received a $346,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the chromatin-mediated maintenance of genomic integrity in germ lines.Associate Professor of Chemistry Elisa Woolridge is leading a team comprised of Associate Professor of Biology Megan Dennis; part-time Marist faculty member Dr. Paula Checchi; Dr. Teresa Lee, assistant professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts–Lowell; and Dr. Gordon Lithgow, director of interdisciplinary research at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in California.Through this grant, Marist students have the opportunity to complete 10-week research experiences over three summers in the laboratories of Drs. Lee and Lithgow. In addition, Marist students will benefit from the development and implementation of course-based undergraduate research experiences within several of Marist’s biology laboratories. The work is anticipated to provide insight into the causes of human reproductive disorders and will generate findings that inform therapeutic strategies for infertility.
The National Science Foundation support will allow students to focus on academic success and improve performance in gateway STEM courses as they pursue undergraduate degrees in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, or environmental science.
The National Science Foundation has awarded Marist’s School of Science a $1,480,254 grant to support high-achieving low-income students in STEM majors. Eleven freshmen, majoring in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, and environmental science, started their journey as scholars in the program this fall.The project, entitled "Gateway to Success: Combining Financial, Academic, and Psychosocial Supports to Promote Academic Success of Low-Income STEM Majors," was spearheaded by Dean of the Marist School of Science Alicia Slater and Associate Dean Neil Fitzgerald. School of Science Associate Dean Neil Fitzgerald. Photo: Carlo de Jesus/Marist College.“This grant is a major milestone for the School of Science and a valuable tool in our efforts to help all students reach their full potential,” said Slater. “It is our hope that theprograms we begin for the S-STEM scholars will promote the academic success of alllow-income students in the future.”The overall goal of the project is to increase STEM degree completion among high-achieving undergraduates with significant financial need. In particular, the project willallow students to focus on academic success and improve student performance in gateway STEM courses. It includes strong mentoring and career planning support while fostering a sense of belonging to both the campus and community and adding to the professional formation of students’ science identities.“Expanding educational opportunity is one of our very highest priorities,” said Marist President Kevin Weinman. “This grant increases Marist’s ability to attract, enroll, and retain a diverse group of talented students regardless of their financial circumstances, and we are grateful to the NSF for recognizing the importance of this work.”Over its six-year duration, this project will cover all billable charges for a total of up to 23 full-time students or “S-STEM scholars” pursuing undergraduate degrees in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, or environmental science as well as a laptop and research and travel funding. Students will participate in a funded summer bridge program, take gateway classes as a cohort, reside in a living–learning community, have dedicated faculty advisors, and receive experiential and employment opportunities to reduce financial need and provide valuable discipline-based experience.All S-STEM scholars will also take Marist’s liberal arts core, reflecting Marist’s mission of developing well-rounded students.
Marist students won 3 of 26 scholarships available across the US from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Three Marist fashion students were honored this past fall with design scholarship awards from the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). The winners, Allissa Divak ’23, Marina Matozzo ’23, and Tara Sears ’23, earned 3 of a total of 26 CFDA scholarships available across the country. The awards are $25,000 scholarships, funded by sponsors, for undergraduate juniors and first-year graduate students graduating in 2023 who are enrolled in a fashion design program at an American college or university.
A Fulbright grant will allow biomedical sciences major Shivani Patel ’22 to pursue her commitment to improving palliative care in the United States by supporting research on unique models of such care in India.
Shivani Patel ’22 has been selected as a 2022–2023 Fulbright US student grant recipient, giving her an opportunity to study youth volunteerism within the palliative care sector in India. Palliative care is a form of preventative medicine that utilizes a holistic, individualized approach to improve the quality of life by relieving suffering.Patel began her grant period in Kolkata, West Bengal, attending healthcare management research seminars. There she also volunteered at Nirmal Hriday, Mother Teresa’s Home for the Dying Destitutes, in Kalighat, Kolkata. She spent time with the female patients, caring for their wounds, feeding them and performing chores for them. Then she moved to the Institute of Palliative Medicine in Kozhikode, Kerala, where she has been observing patient care and taking part in workshops and courses.Patel, who majored in biomedical sciences degree and minored in chemistry, was a huge part of the campus community both on and off-campus during her time at Marist. As a first-generation student, she says she was always service-oriented because it was a great way for her to learn about the world and develop her own passions. Her activities have included serving as a hospice volunteer in her hometown of Danbury, CT.She was involved in a number of extracurricular activities on campus, most notably with one of Marist’s largest student fundraising endeavors, “Hudson Rally for St. Jude,” for which she served as executive director during her senior year. This work contributed to Marist being recognized by St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital as a top recruiting and fundraising college. She also was involved in Marist’s Upward Bound program.Following her Fulbright grant year and future studies, she plans to become a pediatrician.“My experiences at Marist have deepened my commitment to pursuing a career in medicine,” she said. “For me, engaging with my community has always been a reciprocal, moving experience of learning, growing, and giving back. As an aspiring pediatrician, it would be a privilege to nourish a positive outlook on healthcare amongst families and children in my community.”Marist has been recognized by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs four times over the past 10 years as a High Producing Institution for US Fulbright Student Grants.The Fulbright Program is primarily funded through an annual appropriation made by the US Congress to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. More than 2,200 US students and more than 900 US college and university faculty and administrators are awarded Fulbright grants annually. Fulbright alumni have become heads of state, judges, ambassadors, cabinet members, CEOs, and university presidents, as well as leading journalists, artists, scientists, and teachers.
Marist’s School of Management welcomes Dr. Will Lamb as dean.
Following a national search, Marist College appointed Dr. Will Lamb as dean of the School of Management. Lamb brings a wide variety of experience to Marist, most recently serving as dean of graduate and adult learner recruitment at EAB Global, where he helped colleges and universities improve the strength of their academic programs and grow their enrollments. He previously served as dean of the LaPenta School of Business at Iona College, the Murata Dean of the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College, and associate dean for graduate programs at Ohio University.
“Dr. Lamb comes to Marist and to the School of Management at an exciting and pivotal time,” said Dr. Kevin Weinman, Marist president. “With growing undergraduate enrollment in the school, several renowned graduate programs, and a transformational renovation and expansion of the home of School of Management, the Dyson Center, now underway, the School is poised for an incredible future. I was immensely impressed with Will’s vision, strategic thinking, and excellence as an operational leader, and I have great confidence that Will can take the School to new heights.”
“My experience at EAB has provided a unique opportunity to learn about the market for higher education, and to work with people at nearly every type of school and in all regions of the country,” said Lamb. “This position at Marist College offers an opportunity to work in a student-centered, liberal arts environment at a moment in the College’s development that presents significant opportunities for the School’s future growth and direction.”
Lamb has extensive experience working as both faculty and dean at several institutions with highly regarded business schools. During his leadership of Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, he oversaw the faculty’s revision of the business curriculum and made significant enhancements to the MBA, MS in public accounting, and MS in finance programs. He also oversaw the development of Iona’s online MBA program.
At Babson, he was responsible for the oversight and administration of the College’s four MBA programs, MS in accounting, and MS in management—programs that served more than 1,000 graduate students annually. While there, he led the development of two new programs: the MS in finance and the MS in business analytics.
While at Ohio, Lamb moved through the ranks from assistant professor to director of the MBA program, chair of management systems, and associate dean for graduate programs. Prior to Ohio University, he served as assistant professor of management at Millsaps College in Jackson, MS.
“The School of Management at Marist is renowned for its graduate and undergraduate programs,” said Lamb. “With this tremendous foundation already in place and the coming expansion and transformation of the Dyson Center, our students will have world-class resources at their fingertips to grow and succeed in their future endeavors.”
He has a PhD from Virginia Tech and a BA and an MEd from the University of Virginia.
