In the Know – Issue 31

Commencement Roundup

A little rain couldn’t dampen the celebration at MetLife Stadium. See the photos, videos and student stories from the event.

What’s in the Water?

Montclair’s own cyanobiologist Meiyin Wu, director of New Jersey’s only state-certified testing lab for cyanotoxins, explains how algal blooms may impact our water and what we can do to stay safe.

A Night of Gratitude

Celebration recognizes the power of donors and pays tribute to Josh Weston, a pillar of philanthropy.

Athletics Opens Women’s Performance Center

The new facility, located in the Red Hawk Athletic Annex just off Sprague Field, is the first of its kind and comes at a time when the nation is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX.

Jellyfish Safety and More Beach Tips

Headed down the Shore? Biology Professor Paul Bologna shares advice on jellyfish stings, sharks and more for the summer season.

In the News

• Leslie Wilson (History) contributed a piece dedicated to the Class of 2022 for NJ.com, as part of a series of graduation essays from notable New Jerseyans.
• A new column in The Record and NorthJersey.com will focus on women in sports and in the debut piece, reporter Melanie Anzidei mentions our history-making women’s baseball club as an example of stories she’d like to tell.
• Stephanie Silvera (Public Health) is quoted in this NJ Spotlight News article that asks whether scientists should consider changes to the vaccine as the virus mutates.
• The rain last Friday couldn’t dampen our joy. Check out the smiling faces in this NorthJersey.com photo gallery of our Commencement ceremony.
• Janet Ruane (Sociology) co-wrote an opinion piece for The Chicago Tribune about how, despite the challenges we face, Americans remain optimistic and still dare to dream.
• Patricia Virella (Educational Leadership) wrote a piece for the PBS NewsHour Classroom’s Educator Voice blog, providing advice to parents about what to do when their child is called a racial slur at school.
• Jason Williams (Justice Studies) is quoted in this NJ Spotlight News article about President Biden’s executive order aimed at strengthening police accountability, on the anniversary of the police killing of George Floyd.
• Shelley Bromberg (Communication and Media) was quoted in a Patch article after speaking at a Toms River high school auditorium naming ceremony for 2021 Nobel Peace Prize winning journalist Maria Ressa, her high school friend, who won for her courageous coverage of political corruption in the Philippines.

Reminders

• The Weekly COVID Newsletter is on summer break. But the COVID Dashboard will continue to be updated each Thursday. You can see the latest COVID data here.
• In the Know will be distributed monthly during the summer. Look for the next edition in mid-June. You can still submit kudos for inclusion, but due to space constraints, not every submission can be published.
• The world premiere of the dance performance Curriculum II by Bill T. Jones with Janet Wong and Company is at the Alexander Kasser Theater from June 9-12. For more info, visit PEAK Performances.
• Student Recreation Center memberships will be free for all faculty and staff from June 1 through August 1! Register here.
• The COVID Testing Center in Webster Hall will be closed on Friday, June 3. Details here.
• Watch for an invitation to complete a survey about the University’s Flexible Work Arrangements Policy. The survey will go to managers and all employees who are eligible for flexible arrangements in an email from Human Resources next week.

Kudos

• To Lucy McDiarmid, the Marie Frazee-Baldassarre Chair of the English Department, who has been named a Visiting Fellow of the Long Room Hub at Trinity College Dublin for spring 2023.
• To Wendy C. Nielsen (English) whose new book, Motherless Creations: Fictions of Artificial Life, 1650-1890, is being published at the end of this month.
• To Enza Antenos (World Languages and Cultures) whose partnership with the Association of National Advertisers Educational Foundation has led to the gift of an ANA University Membership for all faculty and staff from the global marketing agency Hearts & Science.
• To CSAM and Facilities staff for their work with the state climatologist to get a weather station installed on campus.
• To Grover Furr (English) on publishing a new book: The Fraud of the “Testament of Lenin.”
• To Mary Scott (Communication and Media) and students Ana C. Populim-Boykin, Maria Menendez, Madison Lopez and Dimitrios Rodriguez for earning an honorable mention selection in the prestigious PRSSA 2022 Bateman Case Study Competition for their “Let’s Talk Lymphoma” campaign.

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