(SPARKILL, NY – February 17, 2022) – St. Thomas Aquinas College (STAC) recently hosted the New York State Senate Black Excellence and Leadership Ceremony in its newly renovated Romano Student Alumni Center, where Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick recognized the achievements and work of exceptional Black leaders within the local community.
Black Excellence and Leadership award recipients included Jaclyn Cassagnol, Claudette Clarke, Shirley Crabbe, Calvin Demetrius, Pastor Nate Demosthene, Djinsad Desir, Gabrielle Hamilton, Justin Knowles, Dr. Dana Stilley, Eudson Tyson Francois and Charlene Weaver.
A discussion also revolved around St. Thomas Aquinas College’s firm commitment to inclusion and diversity on campus, as well as providing access to an affordable education.
“At St. Thomas Aquinas College, providing students with access to an affordable education is our top priority,” said STAC President Ken Daly. “We are honored to work together with Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick to recognize like-minded leaders in our local communities and help educate the next generation of students. I can think of no better day to celebrate these leaders than on February 12, the birthday of Abraham Lincoln.”
President Daly and STAC’s first-ever Chief Diversity Officer, Samantha Bazile both spoke at the awards ceremony sharing the College’s primary purpose of providing access to affordable education, and its firm commitment to inclusion and diversity on campus and beyond. Current STAC student Karla Zamora Guzman, a Criminal Justice major and Social Justice and Equity Student Ambassador, was also recognized at the ceremony.
During Black History Month in February 2021, STAC launched its Center for Social Justice (CSJ), which has reinforced the College’s commitment to the ideals of justice and equality. The CSJ is composed of the Social Justice and Equity Forum and Justice Studies Institute; both dedicated to the principles of social justice and equity on campus and fosters critical discussions on a range of social issues that promote respect, equity and justice.
Village of Upper Nyack Board of Trustees Regular Meeting (hybrid)
NOTE: This month’s meeting begins at 8 pm
When: February 17, 2022, 08:00 PM Eastern Time (the US and Canada)
Topic: Village of Upper Nyack Board of Trustees Regular Meeting
Where: Old Stone Meeting House, 357 North Broadway, Upper Nyack, NY 10960.
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Skoufis Introduces Legislation to Empower Cities to Crack Down on Negligent Landlords and Make Emergency Repairs
Senator James Skoufis (D-Hudson Valley) has introduced a new bill, S8146, that would create a pilot program allowing municipalities to perform emergency code enforcement repairs necessitated by landlord negligence. Costs of these repairs would be fronted by New York State, then levied against the landlord as a lien on their property tax bill and recouped by the state. Unpaid housing code violation penalties, associated costs, and fines would also be recouped in this way.
“For cities struggling to keep up with bad-acting landlords and their negligence, this program would be a gamechanger,” said Senator Skoufis. “Too often, cities lack the resources to adequately stay on top of code violations, resulting in dangerous and potentially life-threatening building conditions for tenants and neighbors. A program that gives cities the authority and capital to spring into action when a negligent landlord isn’t keeping up their end of the bargain will keep residents safe and help to eliminate blight, without ensnaring responsive and well-intentioned landlords which often occurs with top-down policies.”
“Senator Skoufis’ new legislation would give municipalities like ours another resource to make our communities safer.” said City of Newburgh Code Compliance Supervisor Charlotte Mountain. “This bill offers a solution for both tenants and landlords and reduces strain on the city’s budget.”
A similar program currently exists in New York City under its Housing Preservation and Development’s Alternative Enforcement Program. Senator Skoufis’ legislation currently sits in the Finance Committee.
Development in Nanuet
Rockland County’s commercial epicenter is undergoing massive redevelopment. Jerry Tuchband, a longtime resident and president of the Greater Nanuet Chamber of Commerce said: “We don’t want it to become a Route 17 the situation, but I think that what’s going on is just normal improvement to businesses that have been there for many, many years and need sort of a renaissance, but I don’t think it’ll become out of control.”
Under this plan several stores and the following businesses will be renovated:
Gateway Commons: Construction work should begin this spring on a five-story, 123-room Holiday Inn Express and a QuickChek.
The convenience store and a new drive-thru Dunkin’ Donuts will open by year’s end and the hotel following in 2023.
Vista Dinettes, Momoyama Sushi House, Tiny Trims Children’s Hair Salon,Huntington Learning Center, and the former Coupe Dance Studio and Chick-fila-A’s building would be demolished.
Rockland Plaza: Under plans filed by Brixmor Property Group, the Barnes and Noble/Petco building would be expanded. Modell’s in the adjacent building would be demolished.
St. Thomas Aquinas College Announces New “STEM@STAC” Advisory Board
(SPARKILL, NY – February 16, 2022) – St. Thomas Aquinas College (STAC) is proud to announce that its recently formed STEM Advisory Board held their inaugural meeting last evening. Composed of faculty, alumni, recognized industry leaders, and, most importantly, current STAC students, the STEM Advisory Board will help further the advancement of the “STEM@STAC” offerings.
STAC President Ken Daly said, “Having benefited from a strong STEM education and successful career in a STEM-related field, I know firsthand the value of a strong STEM education. The combined experience of our new STEM Advisory Board will help further our mission of providing a leading edge, transformative education designed to prepare our students for career success in a changing world.”
STAC’s School of STEM was launched last year on Earth Day as a reorganization of the prior School of Arts and Sciences, at which time we also relaunched our School of Arts and Social Sciences. Under the leadership of its first Dean, Dr. Bianca Wentzell — STEM@STAC provides an engaging, multi-disciplinary, experiential education that cultivates curiosity and critical thinking across a diverse portfolio of majors including biochemistry, biology, chemistry, computer science, exercise science, forensic science, mathematics, medical technology, and physics. The School of STEM has numerous partnerships with prestigious institutions for students to continue their studies upon graduation.
The STEM Advisory Board will be led by Robert Catell, Chairman of the Advanced Energy Research & Technology Center and the National Offshore Wind Research & Development Consortium, and former Chairman and CEO of KeySpan. “I am delighted to chair the STEM Advisory Board to ensure that STAC students benefit from emerging industry thinking and are provided real-world experiences and opportunities. I greatly value the talents of our Advisory Board members and appreciate their leadership and engagement with the students,” added Robert Catell.
STEM Advisory Board Members include:
● Robert Catell, Chair – Chairman, Advanced Energy Research & Technology Center and National Offshore Wind Research & Development Consortium, Former Chairman and CEO, KeySpan
● Kenneth Daly – President, St. Thomas Aquinas College
● Steve Bjornson – VP & COO of Vaccine Research & Development at Pfizer
● Orville Cocking – VP of Operations at Orange & Rockland Utilities, Inc.
● Lugduni DesRosiers ’20 – St. Thomas Aquinas College Alumnus, Software Engineer at Google
● Hasan Dewan – CIO of Our Crowd, St. Thomas Aquinas College Board of Trustees
● Jason Doling – VP of Communities and Partnerships at New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
● Thomas Flood – VP of Institutional Advancement at St. Thomas Aquinas College
● Rob Hornberger ’20 – St. Thomas Aquinas College Alumnus, Medical Student at Rowan University
● Andrew Lee – Faculty Representative, Assistant Professor of Mathematics at St. Thomas Aquinas College
● David Manning – Director of Stakeholder Relations/External Affairs at Brookhaven National Laboratory
● Maureen Mulhern – Director of Career Development at St. Thomas Aquinas College
● Carlos Nouel – VP of Transformation Programs, National Grid
● John Park – Director of Laboratory Services at The Valley Hospital
● Joe Riggio – Founder and President of Varsity House Gym
● Yacov Shamash – Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Stony Brook University
● Jennifer Stevens – Current Student Representative, Class of 2024 Forensic Science major, Lacrosse Player, Honors Program Member at St. Thomas Aquinas College
● Margie Turrin – Director of Educational Field Programs at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University
● Bianca Wentzell – Dean of the School of STEM, Assistant Professor of Biology at St. Thomas Aquinas College
“As our STEM offerings expand, we acknowledge the critical importance of framing the academic experience within the context of real-world experience. Our new Advisory Board will bring industry best practices, market needs and trends, and critical insights that will directly benefit our students,” said Dr. Bianca Wentzell, STAC Dean of the School of STEM. “The Advisory Board will also serve as an incubator for opportunities such as career partnerships and experiential learning programs.”