In the Know – Issue 70

Campus Hosts Both Bonner Leaders and NextGen Corps

Administrators, faculty and staff and student leaders from around the country came together for two different major events to share the importance of civic engagement and gain leadership and public-service skills.

Take Charge of Your Career

Looking to develop your management skills? Human Resources Learning and Development Summer Learning Series helps employees assess and develop skills and behaviors that are critical for success.

Trailblazing a Path to Sustainability

PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies’ Green Teams summer internship program continues to bring together aspiring environmental leaders.

The Origins and Significance of Juneteenth

History Professor Leslie Wilson explains how June 19 became a day of celebration and its path to becoming a federal holiday.

Educational Leadership Grad’s Story Goes Viral

Since graduation, CEHS graduate speaker and single dad Desmond Durham has received national attention. Check out his appearance on Sherri, where he and his son received a big surprise.

In the News

• Greg Pope (Earth and Environmental Studies) was tapped by NJ.com (twice!), NJ Spotlight News and CBS News New York to address last week’s air quality emergency caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires.
• Stephanie Silvera (Public Health) spoke to NJ Spotlight News, NorthJersey.com and Gothamist about public health concerns regarding the wildfire smoke.
• Master’s graduate Desmond Durham (the student commencement speaker for CEHS) continues to receive media kudos for his achievements, including Good Morning America, The Atlanta Black Star, Because of Them We Can (a news site that celebrates stories of Black excellence), popular feel-good Instagram account @tanksgoodnews, and most recently, daytime talk show Sherri, where Durham and his son, DJ, were presented with a trip to Legoland in Florida.
• Paul Bologna (Biology) is spreading the word about jellyfish safety this summer, via outlets including USA Today, FOX Weather, NJ.com, NJ101.5, The New York Post, local ABC News affiliates, The Daily Voice and iHeart radio stations.
• John Smallwood (Biology) was interviewed by The New York Times about the mystery of the vanishing American kestrels. He is also quoted in this NorthJersey.com article about why many bird species in New Jersey are endangered or declining.
• Emily Isaacs (Office of Faculty Excellence) is quoted in this Inside Higher Ed article about how AI tools both help and hinder equity in education. Isaacs is also quoted in this NJ.com article (picked up by MSN.com) about the use of AI in New Jersey colleges, which also mentions the University’s recommendations to faculty about the use of AI by students.
• Jason Williams (Justice Studies) is mentioned in this New York Times article about the state takeover of Paterson’s police department.
• Milton Fuentes (Psychology) participated in an episode of San Francisco’s KCBS Radio podcast, “It’s Generational,” discussing growing perspectives around mental health hygiene.
• Stefanie Batten Bland (Theatre and Dance) is featured in an episode of the Al Jazeera podcast “The Take” exploring the work and impact of the late Tina Turner, and is also quoted in this Chronicle of Higher Education article about modern-dance pioneer Martha Graham.
• Research by Eva Goldfarb and Lisa Lieberman (Public Health) is cited in this Wellbeing.com article about ways to have conversations with children about sex.
• Jordanna Maziarz (Undergraduate Admissions) and Katia Paz-Goldfarb (Hispanic Initiatives and International Programs) are quoted in this NJBIZ article about how New Jersey colleges are embracing diversity efforts.
• Anthony Advincula (Center for Cooperative Media) was featured on NPR’s All Things Considered discussing Sino Monthly, a magazine that has become a mainstay of New Jersey’s Chinese community.
• Colette Feehan (Biology) is quoted in this article for the Food & Environment Reporting Network’s AG Insider news service, which focuses on Feehan’s research into seaweed farming.
• Emily Adams (University Police) is quoted in this TAPInto article about Asbury Park’s Jersey Pride parade. Adams marched with the New Jersey LGBTQ Law Enforcement Liaisons.
• An essay by Tiger Roholt (Humanities and Social Sciences) titled “Smartphones and Meaningfulness” was featured on the American Philosophical Association’s blog.
• Elizabeth Emery (World Languages and Cultures) was interviewed for Radio France’s France Culture for a program about the Musee d’Ennery and its founder Clemence d’Ennery.

In Case You Missed It

Upcoming Events

• The American Red Cross will be on campus for a blood drive on Wednesday, June 28. Schedule your appointment and receive a $10 gift card by email plus a chance to win a home theater package.
• Join Johnny Lorenz (English), translator of Crooked Plow, the award-winning and globally acclaimed Brazilian novel by Itamar Vieira Junior, in conversation with Patricia Matthew (English), Wednesday, July 5. Registration for the event is free.

Reminders

• Nominations are now being accepted for the Fall 2023 Leadership University, a program for newly hired or newly promoted leaders (director, associate director, assistant director with two years or less in the role) to assist in meeting their career goals. Nominations must be made by division vice presidents by Wednesday, July 12.
• Explore the 2023-2024 Learning and Development Catalog for a variety of leadership and professional development opportunities including project management and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
• The Center for Academic Success and Tutoring has received free campus-wide access to Go2Knowledge from June 2023 to May 2024. Go2Knowledge hosts over 300 prerecorded and 150 additional live webinar topics in a range of Higher Education-specific topics designed for faculty and staff.
• The Student Recreation Center is offering employees free summer memberships from June 1 to July 30. Membership provides unlimited access to the Center’s state-of-the-art fitness equipment, motivating Group X fitness classes, indoor heated pool and more.
• The deadline for completing the Title IX and Sexual Misconduct training has been extended through Friday, June 30, 2023.
• Several elevators on campus are scheduled for testing and will not be operating on certain dates and times. Visit the elevator testing schedule news item for the latest information.
• Need a pre-college program for your high schooler? Montclair’s new summer offerings include programs in pre-law, film and TV production, entrepreneurship, and the opportunity to explore the art and culture of New York City.
• Human Resources provides a full range of services on campus at 18 Normal Avenue. Stop by to discuss employee benefits, tuition waivers, payroll matters or retirement planning. Questions regarding the satellite office location? Contact HR at hr@montclair.edu or 973-655-7736.
• The new University Calendar is here! Powered by the University’s room booking system, 25Live, all event listings should be entered here moving forward. Still need training? Register for online or in-person training.
• The Employee Assistance Program provides free, confidential support services for University employees and their families – including locating resources for substance abuse, mental health and self-help. For more information, see the attached CONCERN brochure.
• Worried about a student’s well-being? Please refer them to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).
• If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988, the new nationwide 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support, 24/7.

Kudos

• To Janet Ruane (Sociology, Emerita) whose book Dreams of a Lifetime: How Who We Are Shapes How We Imagine Our Future has won the American Sociology Association Culture Section’s Mary Douglas Award for Best Book.
• To Christopher Parker (Classics and General Humanities) who is serving as the teaching artist for a creative aging initiative project this month called Nature, Objects, and Remembering for adults 60+ who are participating in Club Sequoia, a senior enrichment program at Jewish Family Service & Children’s Service of Clifton-Passaic.
• To Andrew Mees (University Communications and Marketing) who spoke at a Times Higher Education/Inside Higher Ed workshop at MIT where he explained how Montclair is growing its national reputation by placing faculty members in the news media as expert sources.
• To Blanca Vega (Educational Leadership) and Jane Sanchez Swain (University College) for presenting on “Exploring Intersectional Servingness in Northeast Hispanic Serving Institutions” at the NASPA Region II Conference for student affairs administrators held at Pace University.
• To the Asian Languages Programs (World Languages and Cultures) for organizing East Asian cultural activities at Hillside Elementary School.

Social Media Post of Note

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.