Idealist Graduate School Fair @ Fordham Lincoln Center

On June 19th, Fordham University will host an Idealist Graduate School Fair at the Lincoln Center campus. The Graduate School of Education, as well as other graduate schools at Fordham, will participate. We invite you to join us and learn more about the opportunities that a graduate degree or certificate from GSE can open up for you!

When: June 19, 2012
5:00 - 8:00 pm
Where: Pope Auditorium, Fordham Lincoln Center Campus
113 West 60th Street

Human Resiliency Institute: Edge4Vets N.I.C.E. Training at JFK Airport

GSE's Human Resiliency Institute Edge4Vets programcontinues to make strong progress in its effort to help veterans create successful "military to school" transitions. Today, John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City will roll out a new program, just in time for the busy summer travel season. Called Edge4Vets N.I.C.E. Corps, the program plans to use the skills of military veterans to help alleviate passenger frustrations at the airport. It takes airport employees who are also veterans and gives them N.I.C.E. (Neutralize Irritations Customers Experience) training.

The pilot program was designed by Tom Murphy, director of the Human Resiliency institute at Fordham GSE. He said the program would initially be in Terminal 4, and has 30 trained problem solvers ready to help. "What travelers want most," he said, "is for someone to care when things go wrong. They want someone who will step up and help." Veterans employed at a variety of airport companies – even airlines like JetBlue, Delta and American Airlines, and agencies like TSA– have signed up for the training.

Click the links below to read news stories and view video of this event:
NYOne
NY Daily News
ABC News
MSNBC
USA Today
BusinessInsider.com
Queens Chronicle

Dawn Jolly, a Fordham student/vet and coordinator for the
N.I.C.E. Corps, leads a customer service discussion with
veterans at JFK.

In Memorium: Phyllis Pitt

Phyllis Pitt, a doctoral candidate, field supervisor and adjunct instructor in the Graduate School of Education died on May 31 after being struck by a car in Brooklyn. She was a longtime public and private school teacher in Brooklyn yeshivas.

“We grieve with the family and loved ones of Phyllis Pitt,” said Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the University. “With one long and distinguished career behind her, she was struck down just as she prepared to embark on a new adventure. Her death is a loss to her students, her colleagues, and of course her husband and children. I know that the Fordham family joins me in keeping Phyllis and her loved ones in our thoughts and prayers.”

Pitt is survived by her husband, Michael, and two adult children. The family lives in Brooklyn. The University will publish details about services and memorials as they become available.

Fordham and Brooklyn Diocese Form CSAA

Brooklyn Catholic schools have a new way to earn accreditation, thanks to a recent partnership forged between Fordham and the Diocese of Brooklyn. The Graduate School of Education and the Diocese have jointly created the Catholic School Accreditation Association (CSAA), the establishment of which was marked at a signing ceremony at the diocesan offices on May 25.

“The purpose is to bring the credibility of a major Catholic university into the process of accrediting Catholic schools… We are focusing on the Catholic identity of schools and also focusing on academic excellence,” said James J. Hennessy, Ph.D., dean of GSE. “[It will also] help communicate more broadly about the high academic quality of accredited schools, thus boosting enrollments and perhaps reversing the trend of closing schools.”

Click here to read the full story in Inside Fordham.

From left, Thomas Chadzutko, superintendent of schools for the diocese, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn, Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, James J. Hennessy, dean of GSE, and Gerald Cattaro, executive director of GSE's Center for Catholic School Leadership.

Alumni News: Dr. Brian D. Monahan ('82) and Rashid Ferrod Davis ('03)

The Hendrick Hudson Board of Education announced its selection of Brian D. Monahan, Ph.D., as interim Superintendent of Schools, effective July 1. Monahan, currently serving as coordinator of graduate programs in educational leadership and technology at Pace University, brings nearly 40 years of experience as an educator to the Hendrick Hudson School District. He received his Ph.D. in curriculum and teaching with a specialization in language and literacy from GSE in 1982.

Rashid Ferrod Davis (M.S.Ed. Administration & Supervision '03) is the founding Principal of Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-Tech), and was recently interviewed for Principal's Office, a regular feature in the New York Times' School Book. In the interview, entitled "No Such Thing As Too Hard," Davis discusses the challenge of preparing his students for a rigorous science and technology curriculum, and college-level classes, even though many of them came from middle schools that may not have adequately prepared them.

Graduation Reflections

Left to right:
Kirsten Graham and Alyse La Rue
GSE Class of 2012

As they prepared to graduate, we asked our GSE Student Ambassadors and Graduate Assistants to reflect on their experiences at Fordham and at the Graduate School of Education. Alyse La Rue received an M.S.E. in Mental Health Counseling this May.

My time at Fordham was more than just the achievement of a master's degree- it was a time of personal growth as well. I began the Mental Health Counseling program unsure of what I had just gotten myself into, but I am leaving with a deep knowledge of my field and myself, friends and faculty that will be colleagues in the future, and as a leader. When I first came to Fordham I really didn't know what to expect. I was nervous; did I do the right thing going back to school? Was this degree going to to get me where I wanted to go? Could I really become a therapist? I chose Fordham because I knew I wanted a top-notch education, and when I left Admissions events I felt as if I had gotten a big hug.

Once I began the program, I realized that support I felt from the Office of Admissions continued. When I felt insecure about whether I would be a good counselor, my professors and classmates were there to support my growth. When my classmate Kirsten Graham and I thought that the counseling program would benefit from a student organization, we were welcomed with open arms and supported through the entire process of developing the Student Association of Mental Health Counselors (SAM). In addition to support, I gained invaluable knowledge and skills both in the classroom and at my internship that have left me feeling well prepared as I enter the workforce. Beyond counseling skills, I gained a better understanding of myself; who I was, and why I was going into this field.

While I am excited to see where my career will take me, a part of me is sad to say goodbye to Fordham. I look forward to staying connected with classmates and faculty as we all move on to the next phase of our lives.

Faculty Accomplishments: Michael Pizzingrillo Named New Superintendent of Schools For Diocese of Albany

The new superintendent of schools for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany says he wants to increase enrollment and boost the use of technology in classrooms.

"We need to look at what makes us successful and enhance it as much as possible," said Michael Pizzingrillo, who assumes the post after serving as deputy superintendent of schools for the Brooklyn Diocese. In 1995, he started in the downstate district as a junior high school math and science teacher and went on to work in central Catholic schools administration for nine years.

Pizzingrillo has been an elementary school principal at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Brooklyn, and an associate superintendent for strategic planning, government programs and public policy, the diocese said. He is an adjunct professor at the Graduate School of Education, where he is completing his doctorate in education leadership.