In The Know – Issue 110

Show Your Support For Equitable Higher Education Funding

Legislators are hearing our voices but there is still more work to be done! Join us in opposing funding cuts that will negatively impact Bloomfield College of Montclair State University and Montclair State University students both now and in the future. Help our students by contacting your representatives to show your support for equitable higher education funding in New Jersey.

Nominate a Staff Member for a Red Hawk Spotlight Today!

We are looking to highlight employees who make all areas of the University work. Nominate yourself or a fellow colleague that the University community should know more about. Red Hawk Spotlight aims to showcase everything from day-to-day work responsibilities and achievements to personal hobbies and interests.

In the News

• Jason Williams (Justice Studies) is quoted in a NorthJersey.com article about a major retailer’s decision to have store loss prevention associates wear body cameras. He is also quoted in another NorthJersey.com article about a new Paterson risk manager who aims to cut complaints against city police.
• Paul Bologna (Biology) is quoted in a Toms River Shore Beat article about clinging jellyfish; he also spoke to NJ.com and the Asbury Park Press about spotting the toxic species while gathering water samples in the Metedeconk River, which flows into Barnegat Bay.
• Greg Pope (Earth and Environmental Studies) is quoted in a NorthJersey.com article about the anniversary of last year’s wildfire smoke and whether this region will experience something like it again.
• Joel Penney (School of Communication and Media) spoke to the Associated Press about resurfaced allegations that Trump disrespected Black people on The Apprentice.
• Brigid Harrison (Political Science and Law) appeared on WNYC Morning Edition for a segment about civic engagement.
• Stephanie Silvera (Public Health) is quoted in this CBS.com article about Moderna’s combination COVID-19 and flu vaccine.
• Jonathan Caspi (Family Science and Human Development) was the featured guest on an episode of the Life’s Dirty Little Secrets podcast to discuss the dynamics of sibling relationships.
• Cortni Borgerson (Anthropology) and her research on the benefits of eating cicadas is discussed on Los Angeles radio station KSI FM.
• Daniel Geltrude (Accounting and Finance) appeared on Newsmax to discuss the impact of high grocery and childcare costs.

June is Pride Month

• View photos of employees and more from the third annual Montclair Pride Festival.
• Pride month celebrates the importance of acceptance and equality for all members of the LGBTQIA+ community. The LGBTQ center provides resources that help make the University an inclusive environment supportive of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

New Looks for Rocky and Roxy Coming Soon!

• Rocky and Roxy’s new looks are debuting next month! Please take inventory of where the current mascot looks are utilized in your respective areas (including websites and print) in preparation for the update. Be on the lookout for official photos of the mascots in the coming weeks!

Reminders

• Free summer memberships at the Student Recreation Center are available for employees from now through July 30. Membership provides unlimited access to the center’s fitness equipment, Group X fitness classes, indoor heated pool and more. An employee ID will be required to access the building. No registration required.
• All professional staff, librarians and CWA personnel who are assigned a 35-hour work week, are eligible to work an extended day/four-day schedule through Friday, August 9. The Summer Work Schedule will not be followed during the holiday weeks which include Juneteenth and Independence Day. All personnel will follow their normal work schedules during the aforementioned holiday weeks.
• Take advantage of employee discounts via the State Employee Discount Program and the Bloomfield Business Discounts list.
• Download the Parking Logix app to check for available parking on campus.
• Request our pupscot, Pebbles and Rocky the Red Hawk at your upcoming events!
• Lost and found items may be brought to the Student Center information desk in the 2nd floor lobby. Browse the inventory of lost items or file a claim for lost items.
• To receive training on the use of hemorrhage/bleeding control and Narcan kits, contact EMS at 973-655-7836 or ems@montclair.edu.

Support for Staff and Faculty

• The Employee Assistance Program provides free, confidential support services for employees and their families – including locating resources for substance abuse, mental health and self-help. For more information, view the CONCERN brochure.
• Concerned about a student’s well-being? Please fill out a CARE Report form to connect students to mental health support and resources. Faculty and advisors can complete an alert via Navigate for academic concerns.
• If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988, the nationwide 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support, 24/7.
• Email successcenter@ascendiumeducation.org or call 833-707-1220 for assistance with student loan repayment support. Visit MSU GradReady website for additional resources available to help with managing your financial needs.

Kudos

• To Teresa Fiore (World Languages and Cultures), who was selected for the 2024 NEH Summer Workshop, “Creative Spaces/Contested Spaces: Reinterpreting Italian American Public Art in New York City.”
• To Stephen Ruszczyk (Sociology), who has been granted a Fulbright United States Scholar Program award to conduct research in Ecuador on how young people think of the future in the context of climate change and other crises.
• To Stefanie Brachfeld (Office of Research), who was selected for the seventh cohort of the APLU COR Research Leader Fellowship Program.

Social Media Post of Note

#RedHawkPride  #MontclairPride

Have an item you’d like included in Kudos or Reminders? Want to nominate a staffer for our spotlight? Use this form to tell us. Read more about our people and programs in the University News Center and in back issues of In the Know. And find out what’s happening on campus in the Events Calendar.