In The Know – Issue 139
Posted in: In the Know
College for Education and Engaged Learning Welcomes Future Educators from South Korea to Montclair
Clinical interns from Busan National University to gain insights into American classrooms through visits to Montclair’s partner schools.
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Updates
The Community Fitness Lab
The Community Fitness Lab offers fitness assessment services to those looking to improve their well-being, performance, and overall health. The Lab offers testing, evaluations, and consultations with an Exercise Physiologist who will interpret test results and offer advice on how to use findings to design a training regimen that will be as effective as possible. Assessments include Body Composition, Cardiovascular Fitness, Strength, and more. Contact fitnesslab@montclair.edu for more information.
Montclair Community Garden
We’re excited to announce that the Montclair State Community Garden is returning for its 7th growing season—and we’d love to have you back!
If you’re interested in managing a garden plot for 2025, please note that all gardeners must commit to maintaining their plot for the entire season. Due to high demand, we are offering 20 plots on a first-come, first-serve basis, with preference given to group applications.
No experience is needed and educational workshops will be provided during the year. Students, Staff and Faculty members can apply.
Important Information:
- Apply to join the Montclair Community Garden
- The deadline to Apply is Wednesday, March 12
- The Community Garden will run from April 2025 to the end of fall semester.
If you’re unable to commit to the full season, we encourage you to partner with a group to help share responsibilities or you can join the Garden Club.
For any questions, reach out to the Garden Manager, Brittney Portes at portesb@montclair.edu and the Office of Sustainability at sustainability@montclair.edu. We hope to see you in the garden again this year!
Reminders
Campus Events and Promotion
As a reminder, University events are open to everyone. When promoting events, please be sure to include this messaging on all event listings, flyers and submissions to the weekly Events Digest.
World’s Fair Day Menu Selection
Help select the menu for World’s Fair Day by voting for your top four food choices. World’s Fair Day will be held on Thursday, April 24 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Alumni Green. Contact Casey Coleman, colemanc@montclair.edu for any further questions about World’s Fair Day.
Join Tri-Alpha: The First-Generation Honor Society
Were you the first in your immediate family to attend college or earn a bachelor’s degree? If so, we invite you to apply to the Tri-Alpha First-Generation Honor Society (Alpha Alpha Alpha).
Who can join?
- Current undergraduate students who have completed at least 30 credits and have a 3.2 GPA or higher.
- First-generation faculty and staff who earned a bachelor’s degree.
- First-gen alumni who meet the definition of a first-generation college student.
Why join?
Membership in Tri-Alpha is for life. All members receive a certificate and pin recognizing their achievements. As a member you will be able to mentor current first-gen students while networking with first-generation scholars and professionals.
Tri-Alpha membership is a mark of academic excellence, resilience, and leadership, helping you stand out to graduate programs and professional networks.
Join us in building a stronger, more supportive first-gen community at Montclair!
Apply by Friday, March 7, 2025. For more information and to apply, visit the Tri-Alpha website or email trialpha@montclair.edu.
In The News
(Articles may require a subscription to view)
- Jason Williams (Justice Studies) was featured on this NBC4 segment discussing the impact of economic boycotts. He was also interviewed by USA Today.
- David Galef (English) wrote this article for the Chicago Tribune talking about how AI is starting to create writing in a way that’s similar to humans. The article was also republished by Yahoo! News.
- Thomas Franklin (Communication and Media) is cited as the photographer in this Wichita Journalism article, featuring images that highlight the realities of homelessness and Bergen County’s efforts to address it.
- Manveer Mann (Marketing) was cited in this NJ.com article talking about the effectiveness of economic boycotts.
- A recent joint research study conducted by Bond Benton (Communication and Media) and Daniela Peterka-Benton (Justice Studies) for the Center for Strategic Communication is cited in this Guardian article about the rise in harmful speech on X.
Kudos
- To Brian Krist (History) who was appointed to the New York State Board of Regents on March 4. The Board of Regents is composed of 17 members selected by the Legislature for five year terms: one member from each of the state’s 13 judicial districts and four members serve at-large.
- To Dawn Marie Hayes (History), for appearing on the Italian American Podcast to talk about her past and current research on a formative though often overlooked chapter in the history of Italy, including directing The Norman Sicily Project, which recently received major support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
- To the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Coaching Staff who were named Coaching Staff of the Year for the 2024-2025 season in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. Women’s Staff: Karin Harvey, Katie Sire, Courtney Cunningham, Zach Ammirati and Dawn Cerrone. Men’s Staff: Justin Potts, Sean Rossi, Will Bishop and Zach Warech. The men’s coaching staff were also selected by their peers as the John K. Adams Coaching Staff of the Year.
- To Jill Rosenberg (English), who won the St. Lawrence Book Award. Her short story collection, “Now I’m Photogenic and Other Stories I Tell Myself”, will be published by Black Lawrence Press in the summer of 2026.
- To Daniela Peterka-Benton (Justice Studies) and Bond Benton (Communication) who’s research on stigmatizing language online has been featured in the global campaign by Special Olympics “Revolution is Inclusion.” Their research identified a 207.5% increase in ableist slurs in social media.
- To Patricia Virella (Educational Leadership), who was invited to join the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) 2025 Planning Committee for the national and international conference.
Social Media Post of Note
The NJAC? RED.
Photo of the Week
Women’s History Month Flag Raising – University Photographer: John LaRosa
Quick Links
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.