The Marist Institute for Public Opinion has brought Marist College distinction around the world. And the institute’s renown is a combination of reputation and education.

The Marist Institute for Public Opinion at Marist College prides itself on opening doors for students. From the classroom to the collection of data on national issues, it’s the student workers who power the Marist Poll.Founded in 1978, the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, commonly referred to as the Marist College Poll or MIPO, was the first college-based research center to include undergraduates in conducting survey research. Today thousands of Marist students have participated in polling, workshops, courses and seminars, field trips, and internships. “Over the more than 40 years since the Marist Poll first started measuring public opinion, we have changed our technology many times as the Poll gained recognition for its accuracy and newsworthiness,” said Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, the Poll’s founder and director. But the formula has always stayed the same. If the idea is something I would have liked to pursue as an undergraduate, then we find a way to make it happen at Marist.”Dr. Lee M. MiringoffAlong the way MIPO has become one of the top polling institutes in the country. Its polls are cited by news media worldwide and it received top grades from website FiveThirtyEight, which specializes in opinion poll analysis. The NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll was one of five polls used by the nonpartisan, nonprofit Commission on Presidential Debates to determine eligibility for the 2020 general election presidential and vice presidential debates. To be chosen, a poll had to meet three requirements: reliable frequency of polling and sample size employed, methodological rigor, and the survey’s longevity and reputation. The NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll was the only college-based survey to be included in the group of qualifying polls. The other four were the ABC/Washington Post Poll, CNN Poll, Fox News Poll, and the NBC/Wall Street Journal.“It’s really exciting,” said Amelia Morel ’21, a MIPO worker and alumna now working at NY1 News in New York City. “It’s cool to see that people are recognizing our work.”MIPO’s students are its backbone. The undergraduate workforce’s main contributions are interviews that provide the Poll’s results, but it contributes much more. Just about every aspect of the Marist Poll — from its polling to its media platforms to its data analysis — involves students.Engaging students in the Marist Poll has been a key objective since its inception. The idea for a polling institute at Marist was born out of a classroom activity that Miringoff designed when he was teaching in the fall of 1978. He guided 100 students in conducting an exit poll in Dutchess County, where Marist is located, tallying the responses by hand. “I think what makes the Marist Poll unique from any other poll, even polls that are at other colleges and universities, is the Marist Poll has always been an educational vehicle for the students at Marist College,” said Dr. Barbara Carvalho ’79, the director of the Marist Poll. Barbara Carvalho '79Every student starts as an interviewer who makes phone calls and collects the responses. They read carefully worded questions and click the answer that the respondent gives on a computer screen. Interviewers can be promoted to the managerial position of coach or head coach, who assists interviewers and works with administrators as well. The work is done in teams: one head coach, one or two coaches, and 10 to 12 interviewers. There are other positions beyond the polling side of the MIPO operation that upperclassmen can fill including field assistant, media assistant, podcast production assistant, and many more. Students from various disciplines see the Marist Poll as a workplace that’s appropriate for their field of study. The job appealed to Morel and Victoria Howard ’21 — both political science majors, and the former graduated with a double-major in poli sci and journalism — because it offered a chance to work in areas relevant to their studies. Michelle Maloney ’22, who is studying cyber security, simply saw MIPO as an interesting part-time job opportunity. Hannah Kirk ’20 who now manages the survey center started working with the Marist Poll two weeks into freshman year at Marist because the job is an easy one to secure. “It’s pretty much a guaranteed job as long as you go through all the training processes and you take it seriously,” she said.“I definitely love the job because of how many people I get to talk to, which started out as mostly me interviewing people,” Howard said. “I liked talking to constituents. But then, growing from there, being a coach, you get to interact with other students and help them complete their calls.”Working with the Marist Poll offers plenty of exciting opportunities, such as election-related events and field trips. In their most recent trip, students traveled to the New Hampshire primaries in February of 2020. “We got to see one of the debates in New Hampshire, we went to several rallies for presidential candidates, we got to be in the audience for Meet the Press with Chuck Todd. That was really cool,” Morel said. “It was like being a reporter and following the New Hampshire primary. That was such a unique experience.”Just a month after the trip, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated an overhaul of MIPO’s operation. Until the pandemic, rows of students would make calls in MIPO’s survey center, located on the third floor of the Hancock Center, gathering answers from respondents nationwide. In mid-March, when the pandemic led New York State to order the closure of most of its organizations, including all colleges and universities, MIPO implemented a polling system that allowed Marist students to conduct telephone polling from their homes. More than 200 students participated in virtual polling during the 2020 spring semester. In several regards, it actually made the job easier. “It’s hard to find anything positive to say about a pandemic but what it did was it broke down the walls, figuratively, in Hancock where we had a fixed number of workstations,” Miringoff said. The new software allows them to deploy double the number of interviewers, which allows them to run polls more frequently. Carvalho said that students didn’t have any trouble switching to an online workplace. It was one thing that actually kept everyone all connected.During the fall 2020 semester, the Marist Poll continued to use a remote polling setup in addition to its on-premises operations. Similarly, the Poll continued to record Poll Hub, its weekly podcast, coordinating with students remotely.Students participated in polls done in collaboration with the Marist Poll’s longstanding national polling partners NPR and the PBS NewsHour, monitoring public opinion on a range of issues. The Poll teamed up with its battleground-state polling partner, NBC News, to conduct eight polls on the presidential contest in the most competitive electoral states: Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.The pandemic also created the right environment to create an internship program, College 2 Career. “The C2C program developed during the height of the pandemic,” said Mary Griffith, director of media initiatives and polling news. “We recognized a need for Marist students who may be missing out on the opportunity to experience an internship because of the situation and the circumstances in which we were all living.” C2C has two tracks: the news/marketing side, which combines social media content creation, public relations, and marketing, and the data/project-managing side, which involves statistical analysis and polling. In spring 2021, the Marist Poll welcomed 12 C2C student interns from a variety of majors.With so many avenues for learning, MIPO clearly is dedicated to the student experience first. The latest expansion of the Marist Poll is a pre-college program that launched this summer. Students enrolling at Marist can take a three-week course called “Data Science for Polling and Political Communication” that features lessons about the purpose/impact of polling, the actual experience of conducting a poll, and creating social media content. In the course of fulfilling its academic mission to educate, MIPO has raised awareness of Marist College enormously. According to the media monitoring service Meltwater, the Marist Poll generated an ad equivalency of more than $743 million in 2020.But at MIPO, name recognition and stature are not the main sources of motivation. Six of the nine Marist Poll administrators attended the College, and their goal is to offer an educational experience for their fellow Red Foxes. Howard says that recruiters have noticed the Marist Poll on her résumé and asked about her experience with it. “I think being a poli sci major from Marist and working four years at the Marist Poll shows that it wasn’t just a major,” she said.Kirk said MIPO offers students valuable communication skills. The unique nature of the job — talking with strangers over the phone seeking information and opinions from them — can be a trial by fire at first but still helps students learn.“I think it helps students know how to properly phrase questions and how to speak professionally,” she said. “That’s something that I’ve noticed — a lot of students don’t necessarily have those skills, which is totally understandable if you’ve never had an internship or a job before. But being able to be the first step for a lot of students in the professional atmosphere…is a great resource that the Marist Poll offers.”Revamped and Ready: The Marist Poll’s Client ServicesThe Marist Institute for Public Opinion may be best-known for its public opinion polling, but there’s another, equally as important dimension to the Institute — its Client Services division.The Marist Poll has conducted proprietary research for several of the world’s most influential businesses and organizations for decades. Building on that longstanding history, the Marist Poll recently enhanced its client services offerings in the wake of a global pandemic. From a new high-tech remote survey center to expanded products and services (including Marist Poll Open Surveys which provide cost-sharing benefits to clients), virtual focus groups, online surveys, and consulting services, the Marist Poll is well-equipped to fulfill the needs of clients in need of high-quality, scientific-based research that will provide the crucial insights needed to make key business and organizational decisions.  The revitalized client services arm of the Poll was a silver lining as the survey research industry and the world, at large, grappled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through hard work and innovative thinking, the Marist Poll team addressed those challenges head on and crafted new opportunities. “The coronavirus pandemic led us to reevaluate the way we operate and the types of products and services we offer to our clients,” said Mike Conte, director of data analysis at the Poll. “In adapting to the increasingly virtual work environment, we focused on developing our product and service offerings to ensure that we remain a strong presence in the research field and continue to grow and evolve as a premier research organization for years to come.” The Marist Poll’s Client Services division has collaborated with leaders in the world of business, including IBM, Marriott, Yum! Brands, and the Children’s Health Fund.  p { overflow-wrap: normal; }

Moss and Terrence Echols ’21 Also Selected for Unique Mentorship Program

Kaylin Moss ’21 has received the 2021 Generation Google Scholarship, a Google-sponsored program. She is one of 42 college students nationwide to win the award. Moss is majoring in computer science with a concentration in software development.The Generation Google Scholarship was established to help aspiring students pursuing computer science degrees excel in technology and become leaders in the field, according to buildyourfuture.withgoogle.com. Selected students receive $10,000 USD (for those studying in the US) or $5,000 CAD (for those studying in Canada) for the 2021–2022 school year. The scholarship is awarded based on the strength of each candidate's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, demonstrated leadership, and academic performance.Moss was also one of two Marist students selected for the inaugural Gumbo Coalition University Mentorship Program. Moss and Terrence Echols ’21 each received a $1,500 scholarship from Resorts World Casino.Following a competitive application process, Echols and Moss were selected to enroll in the mentorship program sponsored by Resorts World Casino.They were two of 10 college students who earned the opportunity to participate in the intensive six-week virtual mentorship program to hear from prominent authors and speakers from all over the nation.The lecture series is based on Marc Morial’s book The Gumbo Coalition: 10 Leadership Lessons That Help You Inspire, Unite, and Achieve. Students in the program read chapters of the book and participated in virtual discussions with other leaders on the topics and lessons contained in the chapters.“Throughout history, effective leadership has guided us through the most challenging times,” said Michelle Stoddart, vice president of community development at Resorts World New York. “Now more than ever, a new generation of students must be equipped to lead boldly in the face of the medical, political, and environmental challenges we face as a country. By teaming up with the renowned civic leader and former New Orleans mayor Marc Morial, Resorts World is proud to present the Gumbo Coalition University, a virtual platform that will shape the leaders of tomorrow.”Morial, who was mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002, is president and CEO of the National Urban League, the nation’s largest historic civil rights and urban advocacy organization. Both Marist students learned about the Gumbo Coalition University Mentorship Program from Desmond Murray, associate director for the employer experience in the Marist College Center for Career Services. Their applications included an essay discussing their professional experience and career-related goals. Candidates who advanced to the next round were invited to meet virtually with the program’s speakers and talk about what leadership meant to them.Echols majored in communications with a concentration in public relations/advertising and has already begun graduate work in Marist’s five-year dual degree program in integrated marketing communication. He was a student-athlete on the men’s basketball team and a senior researcher in Marist’s chapter of the American Advertising Federation. As an AAF member, he wrote copy and helped prepare presentations with his group for the National Student Advertising Competition. “Collaborating with everyone using online platforms like Zoom, FaceTime, and Google Meet has really helped me get comfortable having meaningful conversations in a virtual environment,” Echols said.He mentioned how joining the Marist Radio Club as a freshman inspired him to create his own podcast, which has helped him articulate his thoughts and ideas on a variety of topics. This summer he is interning with Galaxy Media, a multidimensional media company that services clients in Syracuse, NY. He has thought about owning his own advertising agency one day but definitely aspires to a leadership role in marketing or public relations. He said participating in the Gumbo Coalition University Mentorship Program aligned with these goals.“I’m learning how I can be someone who others look to for guidance, and that’s inspiring.”Moss participated in the Marist/IBM Joint Study program for one year and completed a virtual internship with IBM in the summer of 2020. “The joint study exposed me to a lot of public speaking roles and presentations,” she said. “So I felt like I had a lot to draw on from that experience when applying for the (Gumbo Coalition University Mentorship) program.”In October 2020 Moss founded a chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) at Marist. The honor society’s main goal is to create an inclusive community for Black students and other students who are interested in pursuing opportunities in technology, engineering, and other sciences. In addition, Moss was recently named the winner of the health technology company Zillion’s Women in STEM Scholarship. She was chosen for her commitment to learning, perseverance, and advocacy for women in science. Moss sees computer science as an industry where she can hone her artistic talents.“In my career, I want to focus on things like software development, web design, user interfaces, and anything else that creates new digital experiences.” 

Rowing Alumni Pay Tribute to Bill Austin

On Dec. 5 in Poughkeepsie, 21 alumni who were rowers at Marist in the 1970s got together to honor former crew coach Bill Austin. Bill was presented with a framed and signed picture commemorating the dinner that he hosted for the rowers during their September alumni weekend. Throughout his eight-year head coaching stint spanning the late ’60s thru mid-’70s, Bill brought together countless oarsmen to represent Marist, most of whom remain close friends to this day.

17 Dec 2021

The College offers students the opportunity to study all around the globe or spend freshman year in Florence or Dublin.

Marist College was recently ranked second in semester-length study abroad and academic-year study abroad programs for master’s level colleges and universities in the latest Open Doors report, a U.S. Department of State-sponsored report, for the 2019–2020 academic year. Rooted in the ideals of the Marist Brothers, a global education has always been at the heart of Marist’s culture and curriculum. The College offers students the opportunity to study all around the globe as well as at Marist’s Florence campus in Italy. First-year students have unique year-long opportunities to study through the Freshman Florence Experience and the Freshman Dublin Experience. Living, studying, and exploring in the heart of the Renaissance, students in the Freshman Florence Experience spend their entire first year in Florence, Italy. Or Marist freshmen can spend their first year exploring the cultural history of Dublin, Ireland.Semester, Faculty-Led Short-Term, and Summer Programs With a global education being a foundation at Marist, the College offers 75+ study abroad programs, enabling students to stay on track in their studies while expanding their cultural experience. A range of semester-long, academic year, and short-term study abroad opportunities allow students to customize an experience to best fit their interests. With no academic restrictions, every major — including sciences and technology — offers the opportunity to gain a cultural perspective.Dr. John Peters, dean of international programs, finds that students who have the opportunity to study abroad are exposed to new experiences that allow them to grow as students and professionals. “International and intercultural engagement is a signature aspect of the Marist experience, and an important part of this is our abroad program. Through study abroad, our students not only experience new horizons but also reexamine the familiar through a new lens,” said Peters. “Learning to successfully negotiate and thrive in unfamiliar cultures and environments helps students to develop many of the skills we seek to foster as educators, including flexibility, problem-solving, and global competency.”Marist was also highlighted in other rankings in the Open Doors report. The College was ranked second in the number of students participating in study abroad, up from ninth in 2019. Additionally, with 46 percent of students participating in study abroad opportunities, Marist ranked seventh for undergraduate students participating in study abroad. Organized and distributed by the Institute of International Education, Open Doors is a comprehensive resource that examines data on U.S. students studying abroad for credit at their home institutions. The report is released annually. 

06 Jan 2022

On Saturday, May 22, the sidewalk along the Marist riverfront popped with a blue, orange, purple, and yellow covering, each color taking up a roughly 20-foot strip of the carpet that stretched from the Marist Boathouse to the very end of the walkway.

On Saturday, May 22, the sidewalk along the Marist riverfront popped with a blue, orange, purple, and yellow covering, each color taking up a roughly 20-foot strip of the carpet that stretched from the Marist Boathouse to the very end of the walkway. The light posts were decorated with streamers matching the corresponding color on the ground. Folding chairs were set up six feet apart alongside the grass, facing the river. Marist students lined up inside the boathouse, flaunting the creations by their classmates, ready to walk the runway for the 35th annual Silver Needle Runway Show. “Open your eyes past the distorted lenses you have built,” a voice implored through the speakers placed behind the audience before the models began their strut. “Liberate your mind to the world beyond your perspective. Now, what will you see?”The producers of the SNR show had been asking themselves that question for roughly a year. Bringing the show back to an in-person spectacle took exhaustive planning. After SNR 34 had to transition to a completely online venture because of the pandemic, this year’s edition of the Marist Fashion Program’s annual show looked, unlike any show before it. It was outside. There was a virtual show in addition to the in-person one. It was an entirely student-produced show, save for the efforts of Faculty Director Juan-Manuel Olivera-Silvera. Several factors changed in the show’s production that made it happen. The most impactful change was the omittance of outside help. Due to a crunched budget and social distancing guidelines to follow, there was no outside production company or experienced professional model corps at the SNR team’s disposal, unlike in years past. The production team had to make do with the resources they had. Olivera-Silvera — who is a senior professional lecturer of fashion and the Fashion Program’s internship coordinator in addition to being the SNR faculty director — wants SNR to be a “laboratory of innovation” for his students. They had to make the laboratory look different this year, but still, the experimentation produced results that the team was proud of.The student production team for this 35th edition of SNR was formed shortly after the virtual 2020 show. They started meeting on Zoom to get to know each other before working more with the show during the school year. Creative Director Ariana Pittelli ’21 took the reins on the “aesthetic visual” — the color palette and story that created the theme they wanted to express. Production Directors Kennedi Hudnut ’21 and Elizabeth Knight ’21 organized three sub-teams: model, wardrobe, and logistics. All in all, more than 30 students came together to tackle the production aspect of the show.The 18 designers, all of whom were seniors, created their outfits with the theme SNR35: illusion in mind. “Our whole goal is to give a deeper message about how your perspective is similar and we all see the world differently, but we need to recognize that and try to undo some of the walls we’ve built,” Pittelli said. Since working around the coronavirus pandemic was the theme of last year’s show, they wanted to do something different while still providing a meaningful, relevant message. “We thought a lot about the societal issues going on, like Black Lives Matter, and all the prejudice in our world,” Pittelli said. “We wanted the show to be a chance to recognize that and give people the message of, ‘We need to undo this illusion.’ ” Designer Jenna Mitarotonda took inspiration from traditional Scottish clothing by incorporating plaid designs and shades of red and light brown into all her designs. Her collection featured skirt-like shapes with baggy sleeves and black boots. She started designing the collection in the fall. Sketching the idea is the first part, followed by draping — taking pieces of fabrics and applying them on a dress form — and then making the actual garments, some of which were scrapped or redone. “I would say this whole design process is trial and error because you learn from your mistakes, or sometimes mistakes are actually really successful,” Mitarotonda said.The trial-and-error nature of collection designing is the same across the board, but the actual steps are not. Designer Natalie Ford is not a fan of draping. Instead, she focused on pattern making, which she took a class in and developed a knack for. She found inspiration in grocery stores, an idea she had had since freshman year. Her collection featured two ensembles with bright colors reminiscent of candy and one dress depicting waffles, accessorized by a round handbag with a waffle design and golden-brown color. Chloe Goldstein’s collection took inspiration from Morocco, which she visited for a few days while studying abroad in Italy in the fall of 2019. She utilized her line of handmade macrame bags in her pieces. Her collection focused on sustainability. She omitted the use of non-natural fibers and toxic dyes and sourced everything from small vendors. It took more time, research, and connecting with small businesses to make her collection, but for her, it was well worth the effort to make it more eco-friendly. The models for the show were all students. Hailey Keenan, a sophomore majoring in fashion merchandising, was selected as a model for Jenna Mitarotonda’s collection. Her only experience modeling had been for a capping project last year. She sent an audition video and auditioned in person before being selected to model Mitarotonda’s collection. Keenan and two other models met with Mitarotonda a week before the show for fitting. Production Director Kennedi Hudnut said that the team working out the logistics themselves and having only fellow students at their disposal involved a big learning curve. They didn’t realize the entirety of the picture that went into logistics, which included obtaining fire inspections and permits. “Stuff like that, we never thought we’d have to do being in the fashion show production class,” she said prior to the show. “But I think it’s going to make us grow stronger as a class and it’s really a great thing to know that it’s all student-run, from top to bottom.” The SNR project served as a capping class for Fashion students but was open to students of any major within the School of Communication and the Arts. The expansion drew students with a wide array of skills. And the production crew needed to reach even further within the Marist community to make the show go. Pittelli said they tapped several departments to set up certain aspects of the show — Athletics for tents, IT for Wi-Fi hotspots, the Marist Media Center for live-streaming capabilities. She added that the sense of feeling rewarded is not due just to their hard work, but because they’re setting up the group of younger students to take the reins and continue to thrive. Along with the in-person show, the SNR team created virtual content. They streamed the show live on Vimeo, using multiple camera angles and shots A 12-minute YouTube video shows the models’ walks around the Colonel Oliver Hazard Payne estate, a mansion owned by Marist 20 minutes north of the main campus on the west side of the river. They also created a documentary and a 17-minute film titled What you’ll see. The story follows Eliza, a young woman, going through the motions of her life without trying to find much more.“The virtual show has a greater reach than you could ever have with an in-person show, so that’s really important,” Pittelli said. “We’re always thinking about the future of the class, the future of the Fashion Program, the future of the industry, and [we] try to instill that into our teams and give them the experience they need moving forward in the industry. So it only made sense to do this.”Olivera-Silvera said the pandemic forced the fashion industry into some introspection. He said that due to the high costs and the copious amounts and forms of waste— trash, electricity, energy— that fashion shows produce, the current system wasn’t sustainable. “The pandemic has brought to light the fact that the industry needed to change, and the virtual platforms have been an amazing vehicle to bring that change,” he said. “Going forward, I think the virtual show will always be something that Marist Fashion does,” Production Director Elizabeth Knight said.The SNR show has been a staple of Marist Fashion for decades. But now they’re looking to become more than that. Leaning heavier into digital content is just one of the ways they’re doing so. SNR started a newsletter called “Through the Needle”, a four-part publication that took readers behind the scenes of the show. They also launched “More Than Fashion: The SNR Podcast,” a five-episode series that discusses different aspects of fashion with a guest. SNR launched their own social media accounts rather than use those of the Fashion Program. “It’s all about creating buzz for us,” Pittelli said. “We’re trying to make SNR not just a school fashion show, but a brand.”The College already has a strong reputation as a school for the study of fashion. This past May, Forbes named Marist one of the “Best Colleges That Are Shaping the Future of Fashion.” Forbes lists only 10 programs worldwide, only four of which are in the United States.The efforts to further expand as a brand went down to the wire during the week of the show. Olivera-Silvera consulted three different weather apps to ensure the team would be ready for anything. They prepped for bad weather by placing umbrellas behind every seat, stashing some for the models, and putting a rain date in place. Luckily, it wasn’t needed, as the weather was cooperative enough for the show to go on.Everyone came together the night before the event for a dress rehearsal around 5:00. A tent on the side of the boathouse, out of the sight of visitors, served as their headquarters. Olivera-Silvera gave instructions about walking paths for the models and pitched in to help where it was needed as everyone prepared for a test run. Models changed into their outfits on the second floor of the boathouse, which was restricted to everyone but the models themselves and a few SNR staffers. The first floor had water bottles, snacks, wipes, cotton swabs, lint rollers, hair straighteners, cotton balls, and more. SNR staffers strung a banner across the opening of the boathouse to mark the start and end of the runway. Members of the SNR creative team manned the upstairs balcony, working with the video and sound side of the operation after the models were ready. The models started their walk in the tent and through the first floor of the boathouse. They began their first practice run around 6:30. Olivera-Silvera watched from the side, offering tips to models as they walked. A few practice runs later, the only thing left to do was put on the show the next day. Or actually, to put it on five times: to accommodate the large audience SNR always draws, they organized five shows debuting every half hour, beginning at noon and ending with their last show at 6:00.On the day of the event, the SNR team’s check-in station featured two big tents with other elements of the show and the Fashion Program to explore — merchandise tables for SNR and Mporium, a student-run boutique, a funhouse mirror painted with SNR colors, a table promoting the new student-run magazine Measure, and a separate tent showing a short film on a projector.  John Bartlett, the director of the Fashion Program, spoke to the SNR production students before the show. “What you all have accomplished this year is Herculean.”He also addressed the audience at the start of the event. “Design students, you have simply moved me with your talent, your creativity, and your natural gifts — and also, your ability to lift each other up. You are all going to go very far in this industry and in life.”To see a video of SNR35, go to www.marist.edu/snr35. For related media, go to https://linktr.ee/silverneedlerunway 

10 Jun 2021

Dr. Kevin C. Weinman takes over as Marist’s fifth president.

Looking at President Kevin C. Weinman’s calendar during his first months at Marist would make anyone’s head spin. On Oct. 4, Weinman took over the role of president from Dennis J. Murray, who led Marist for nearly 40 years. Since then, Weinman has taken part in more than 300 meetings to get to know students, alumni, faculty, staff, parents, and community members and attended dozens of athletic contests, theatre performances, concerts, and cultural celebrations. He holds open office hours to engage individually with students and hosts weekly lunches with faculty and staff to get to know them better and hear what is on their minds.  He also welcomed alumni to Marist’s Homecoming and Reunion celebration on the campus green.“There is so much to experience each and every day and evening at Marist. I have really enjoyed crisscrossing campus to take it all in, meet so many people, and learn as much as I can — and as quickly as I can — about this amazing institution,” he said. He came to Marist from Amherst College, where he served as chief financial and administrative officer, and previously Dartmouth, where he was assistant vice president of finance. But he has no plans for Marist to imitate either institution. “Marist has a unique combination of values, strengths, and assets that no other college or university can match. My primary focus is to build upon the elements that make it distinct.”Education On and Off CampusHis own academic journey encompassed both the liberal arts paired with a career orientation. A first-generation college student, Weinman enrolled at Notre Dame thinking the point of college was to get an accounting degree and a job. Along the way he discovered a love for history and double-majored in accounting and history. He went on to earn an MBA from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. He then pursued an MA in history from the University of Colorado and a PhD in history from the University of New Hampshire. Outside of academe, Weinman indulged his passion for exploring, especially for traveling by back roads. By the age of 24 he had visited all 50 states, mostly in a beat-up Toyota 4Runner followed by a two-door Ford Escort once the 4Runner was pushed beyond its breaking point. There was one epic road trip in particular, a three-week camping tour of the West that, perhaps thanks to his budgeting skills, cost under $300 in total (“lots of Wonder bread,” he recalled). He also enjoys competitive outdoor sports and has completed seven marathons, nine half-Ironman triathlons, and 32 half-marathons. Calling himself a “compulsive counter,” he has maintained a spreadsheet since 2004 where he has logged every ride, swim, run, and even kayak paddles (“even though I know that those are supposed to be just for fun,” he quipped). He passed 50,000 total miles in 2021.After college and graduate school, he held a number of senior roles in finance and marketing at corporations before deciding to pursue a career in higher education. It was at Arthur Andersen in Charlotte, NC, that he met his wife, Beth, who worked there as well. She is a contract administrator and associate controller for an engineering research and development company in Amherst, MA. Their son, Alex, 20, is a college student at Colorado College, and their daughter, Brooke, 17, attends high school in Massachusetts. Once Brooke finishes high school, Kevin’s family will join him full-time in Poughkeepsie. For now, Kevin and Beth each feel like they can drive the Taconic with their eyes closed (“though we know that is a very bad idea,” Kevin reassures us) from the many weekend traverses in either direction between Poughkeepsie and Western Massachusetts for mini family reunions.Challenges and OpportunitiesWeinman has boundless enthusiasm for Marist’s future. “Marist has retained the very best of a liberal arts tradition while becoming a leader in pedagogical innovation,” he said, citing programs such as the doctorate in physical therapy and rapid growth across a variety of disciplines where Marist has unique strengths such as cybersecurity, fashion, and sports communication, giving students more exciting options for learning than ever before.But challenges lie ahead, he acknowledged. One obstacle Marist already faces is that the number of high school graduates is declining, especially in the Northeast. Competition is increasingly intense for talented students. Marist will need to continue to distinguish itself from other institutions by telling its story to prospective students around the globe, he said.“We will need to continuously innovate in and out of the classroom to provide our students with an outstanding experience and send them off to do incredible things in the world.”In his previous academic positions, Weinman saw up close the impact that philanthropy can make on an institution, which is why he and Beth, just two months after joining the Red Fox community, made a pledge to give $250,000 to the College. Their generous gift will support a number of priorities designed to improve the quality of a Marist education for all students and make it more accessible and equitable for talented students regardless of their financial situation.Beth and Kevin Weinman“In my short time here, it is already abundantly clear to me that Marist is thriving, yet has the potential to achieve even greater heights,” Weinman said. “One of the ways Marist can do so is to attract, enroll, and retain a diverse group of talented students and enable them to experience the full range of curricular and co-curricular offerings once they arrive, regardless of their financial circumstances. Our pledge is intended to be one small step towards helping all of our students to reach their full potential and get the most out of their Marist experience.”“Members of the Board are extremely pleased that Kevin and Beth have decided to provide not only their time and talents to making Marist the very best it can be, but also the generous contribution of their financial resources,” said Ross Mauri, chair of Marist’s Board of Trustees. “Their support is an early indication that they have a deep commitment to Marist College and have tremendous confidence in its future.”Their pledge will support five institutional priorities:•    Expand the Dennis and Marilyn Murray Endowed Scholarship Fund, which provides financial assistance to extremely talented students who might not otherwise attend Marist. The fund, now valued at over $3 million, was established in the Murrays’ honor in 2016. •    Create the Presidential Internship Support Fund to assist students with financial need in securing internships in fields where such experiences are often unpaid and thus create barriers for students with financial need to pursue careers in these fields. •    Create the Presidential Academic Travel Fund to enable students with financial need to enroll in courses that include a travel component. •    Create the Presidential First Year Academic Support Fund to enhance the support that incoming students receive to assist in their successful transition to Marist. •    Contribute to the Marist Fund. The fund, which raises over $1.3 million annually, is an important means by which Marist alumni, parents, and friends provide financial support to the College. With their pledge, the Weinmans are excited to begin a lifetime of giving to Marist. “Beth and I believe that an investment in Marist College is an excellent one. As president, I will do all I can to ensure that these and other sources of support will have the highest degree of impact on the College and its students,” Weinman said. Kevin and Beth invite Marist alumni, parents, and friends to consider supporting the College in ways and at amounts that are meaningful to them. “With the collective support of its community, Marist can achieve great things,” Weinman said, “and become the very best institution of higher education that it can be.” 

07 Jan 2022

Marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, this class is unique in every way.

The Mindset List, aka the “always/never” list, is a compilation of key points about incoming college students. Created at Beloit College in 1998 to reflect the world view of entering first year students—and to help faculty understand incoming classes—the list started with the members of the class of 2002, born in 1980. In 2019, the list moved to Marist, becoming the Marist Mindset List. The list is widely considered a cultural touchstone.Read more

07 Sep 2021

Marist is grateful to alumni and foundations for their generous support

The Marist College community was delighted to welcome upperclassmen, transfers, and first-year students for the 2021–22 academic year. The campus is bustling once again as classes and activities are in full gear. From academics to athletics, the Marist College experience is made possible only because of the generosity of dedicated alumni, parents, trustees, and friends. We are pleased to share news of recent gifts to the College.Scholarships remain Marist’s most urgent fundraising priority, and alumni continue to step forward to help deserving students realize their dreams of a Marist education.Trustee Don Duet ’88 and his wife, Madoka, have expanded their exceptional support of scholarships for top technology students through the Duet Family Technology Scholarship program. The Duets’ recent pledge includes the creation of renewable term scholarships for an incoming freshman in 2022, 2023, and 2024, as well as the establishment of an endowed technology scholarship that will exist in perpetuity. Their support has significantly enhanced the College’s ability to attract, enroll, and retain some of the most sought-after future leaders in computer science and information systems and technology in the nation.Marist Trustee Rob Shanahan ’83 and his wife, Heather, recently made a generous gift to establish the Shanahan Family Endowed Scholarship. Beginning in the fall of 2022, this scholarship will be awarded to a freshman enrolled in the School of Management with strong leadership potential and demonstrated financial need. A business major during his years at Marist, Rob played on the Marist hockey team and went on to an accomplished career as a technology executive and entrepreneur, serving most recently as president and CEO of Lightower Fiber Networks.Joshua ’99 and Carolyn Matheus ’02 recently made a generous pledge to launch a new endowed scholarship, the second endowed scholarship that they have established at Marist.Dedicated alumni couple Joshua ’99 and Carolyn Matheus ’02 recently made a generous pledge to establish a new endowed scholarship that further supports the College’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. The Joshua & Carolyn Matheus Diversity Scholarship will be awarded to entering freshmen pursuing undergraduate degrees in STEM majors offered in the School of Computer Science and Mathematics and the School of Science. Preference for this renewable scholarship will be given to historically underrepresented students and first-generation college students. Josh and Carolyn have also made a special gift to activate the scholarship while the endowment is building, which has enabled an initial award to be granted to a deserving freshman who entered this fall. This is the second endowed scholarship that Josh, a managing director in the Technology Division at Goldman Sachs, and Carolyn, associate professor of information systems and director of Marist’s Honors Program, have established at Marist. The Joshua & Carolyn Matheus '99/'02 Endowed Scholarship was created in 2017 and supports women in STEM majors.Longtime Marist supporters Frank ’70 and Maureen Liantonio, founding members of the Marist Legacy Society, recently made a generous pledge to expand the Liantonio Family Foundation Endowed Scholarship. Originally established in 2015, the scholarship provides assistance to academically talented students majoring in business with demonstrated financial need. A member of the Class of 1970 50th Reunion Planning Committee, Frank also made a generous gift to support the Class of 1970 Scholarship. The Class of 1970 successfully established a new endowed scholarship in honor of its 50th Reunion, which will be held in the fall of 2022. Led by 50th Reunion Gift Co-Chairs Bill Leber and Ed Zujkowski, the Class of 1970 Scholarship surpassed the endowment threshold with more than $66,000 raised and welcomed its first scholarship recipient this year. In addition to Bill and Ed, the 50th Reunion Planning Committee members include Bill Dourdis, Larry Kazemier, Bro. John Klein, FMS, Frank Liantonio, Jim McGlumphy, Anthony Miserandino, Bro. Sean Sammon, FMS, Doug Stuart, Ed Walzer, Bob Krenn, Jack McGowan, and Vince Begley. The late Martin Gyves actively participated as a Committee member as well. The Committee’s ongoing engagement and outreach to classmates are contributing significantly to building enthusiasm for the Class of ’70’s landmark celebration.In celebration of its graduation from Marist 50 years ago, the Class of 1971 launched a scholarship drive to create an endowed fund to assist students with significant financial need. Co-Chaired by classmates Phil Glennon, Dr. Anne Berinato Matheus, Mike McNeely, Dr. Terry Mooney, and Dr. Steve Wysowski, the effort far surpassed its goal of raising $50,000 with over $102,000 committed to date. In addition to the co-chairs, Gift Committee members include Louis Emery, Tom Ferrara, Ed Fogarty, Joe Gebbia, Don Hinchey, Jack McDonnell, Terence Nash, Bill Rooney, and Bill Spenla. Their excellent work was complemented by the terrific outreach efforts of members of the 50th Reunion Planning Committee which, in addition to the co-chairs and Gift Committee members, include Jim Aridas, Bob Bergin, Paul Browne, Dean Gestal, Russ Jones, Brendan Mooney, John Murphy, Tony Parga, Patricia Picco, Joe Rubino, Jim Steinmeyer, Bill Thonack, Mark Tynan, and Bob Yurch. The first Class of 1971 Scholarship will be awarded in the fall of 2022 during the Class of 1971’s 50-Year Reunion.  The Louis Greenspan Charitable Trust has made another significant commitment to the College to further build the endowment of the Louis Greenspan Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship has made a significant impact over the years, providing invaluable financial assistance to 39 deserving Marist students since it was first awarded in 2004. The longstanding support and advocacy of Greenspan Trustees Dan Curtin and Gary Koch has advanced a number of priority capital projects as well as this meaningful scholarship initiative over the years.Christopher Bricker ’91 and his wife, Jennifer, recently established a new endowed scholarship in memory of Jennifer’s father, Michael C. Holland.Christopher Bricker ’91 and his wife, Jennifer, recently established a new endowed scholarship in memory of Jennifer’s father, Michael C. Holland. Created to honor his extraordinary commitment to serving the public, the scholarship will be awarded to a first-year student who has shown a strong devotion to community service. Chris, who serves as head of Alliance Bernstein Arya Partners and a member of the board’s Operating Committee, cites his Marist experience as a key factor in his career success. As head of AB Arya Partners, he is responsible for the leadership, strategic direction, and overall results of the group. Chris and Jennifer are very excited that their daughter, Amanda, is a member of the Class of 2025.Dedicated Marist couple Elizabeth (“Beth”) Marshdoyle ’75 and James (“Jay”) A. Doyle ’75 are generously supporting the establishment of a new endowed scholarship in loving memory of their infant daughter.Dedicated Marist couple Elizabeth (“Beth”) Marshdoyle ’75 and James (“Jay”) A. Doyle ’75 are generously supporting the establishment of a new endowed scholarship in loving memory of their infant daughter. The Emily Marie Doyle Scholarship will be awarded to a first-year student majoring in science with demonstrated financial need. Preference will be given to environmental science majors, though consideration may also be given to students majoring in biology or chemistry. Beth, an executive at Apple, Inc., majored in environmental science at Marist and went on to earn a master’s degree from The Ohio State University and an EdD from Northeastern University. As one of 14 children, Beth greatly appreciated the scholarships she received at Marist. Jay, a political science major who also earned a master’s degree from The Ohio State University, is a senior project director at AECOM. A cross-country and track student-athlete at Marist, Jay values the important role that the Marist community has played in his life.The Lavelle Fund for the Blind has again made a meaningful gift to support scholarships for blind or visually impaired students at Marist in memory of beloved Trustee Bro. Jim Kearney, FMS ’53. Brother Jim served on the Lavelle Fund Board since its inception in 1999 and chaired the board’s Scholarship Committee. Marist is honored to offer these scholarships in memory of Brother Jim, who in the great tradition of the Marist Brothers dedicated his life to teaching and service.Marist also recognizes the continued generosity of the James J. McCann Charitable Trust. The trust recently provided a grant extending its invaluable support of scholarships for deserving traditional-age Marist students who live in Dutchess County and graduate from county high schools. This is the 53rd year the trust has supported this special program that has benefited innumerable local students who have gone on to complete their degrees at Marist.The James J. McCann Charitable Trust has also made possible landmark athletic facilities that continue to serve Marist and the entire Hudson River Valley community well. Over the years, support from the trust and its trustees — the late John “Jack” Gartland, Jr.; his late son, Mike Gartland; Mike’s son, Patrick Gartland; the late Richard Corbally; and Richard’s son, John Corbally — truly has been transformational.The premier annual fundraising event to benefit School of Management scholarships for seniors was the School of Management Advisory Board Golf Outing. This year’s outing at the Saint Andrew’s Golf Club in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, honored one of the School’s most successful graduates: Marist Trustee and co-founder of Priceline.com Tim Brier ’69. Pictured with Tim, far right, are classmates Dan Mahoney, Bill Rowley, and Tim Keneally.The School of Management (SoM) Advisory Board, led by Chair Tim Keneally ’69, again raised meaningful support to provide scholarships for graduating seniors who demonstrate both academic excellence and financial need. For the third consecutive year, the board will award six one-time scholarships in the amount of $5,000 each to deserving SoM students to help reduce the burden of their student loans. In addition, the board’s fundraising efforts this year include garnering support for an endowed scholarship that will help ensure that much-needed assistance continues to be available for SoM students for generations to come.The premier annual fundraising event to benefit this important scholarship initiative was the SoM Advisory Board Golf Outing. This year’s outing, held Sept. 27, 2021, at the Saint Andrew’s Golf Club in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, honored one of the School’s most successful graduates: Marist Trustee and co-founder of Priceline.com Tim Brier ’69. The outing significantly surpassed its fundraising goal, securing more than $65,000 toward term and endowed scholarships. Special thanks go to dedicated Golf Committee members Michael Babic ’04, Tim Keneally ’69, Greg Garville ’74, Kevin Hogan ’02, Tom Murray ’02, Maureen Solero, and Kim Viggiano ’02 for their outstanding work leading this successful and impactful effort.

26 Oct 2021