News

CNR Alumna & Bronx Cultural Beacon Celebrates Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

Anonymous — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 18:52:26 +0000

CNR Alumna & Bronx Cultural Beacon Celebrates Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/05/2023 - 14:52 Mercy College News Black History Month

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College of New Rochelle alumna Stephanie Woods CNR SNR ’17 at graduation with commencement speaker BET's Mrs. Debra Lee.

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The life and career of Bronx native and College of New Rochelle (CNR) alumna Stephanie Woods CNR SNR ’17, is a tapestry of significant cultural and social moments. She is a photojournalist, writer, health care supervisor, community volunteer, and an ardent enthusiast and supporter of hip-hop music and culture. Everything she does reflects her upbringing, in which she was motivated by the potential of music, art, and community to enrich circumstances for herself and those around her.

Woods' journey is marked by her resilience and adaptability. After dropping out of college upon learning she was pregnant with her daughter in 1993, Woods discovered photography. She became a member of Al Sharpton’s National Action Network Photo Club in the early 2000s. She took photos of a hip-hop summit organized by Sharpton, which ignited a passion for capturing hip-hop culture. At the summit, she was approached by Harlem World Magazine and eventually asked to be a contributor.

She later re-enrolled in CNR later in life, juggling college, career and motherhood. When it became too overwhelming, she told one of her CNR professors that she was thinking about quitting. “He said, ‘What do you want to get out of this experience?’ I told him I wanted to be a good example for my child and future grandchildren,” she said. “He told me to stick it out, and I did — for the next generation.” In 2017, the same year her daughter graduated from college, Woods proudly earned her bachelor’s degree from CNR with Magna Cum Laude honors.

Today, Woods’ full-time position with 1199 National Benefit and Pension Fund, the union of frontline health care workers, 1199SEIU is augmented by her service to her community. She has sustained her commitment by serving on Community Board No. 10 in the Bronx, where she co-chairs the Youth and Education Committee.

Woods’ love for the world of hip-hop was not merely professional but deeply personal, intertwined with the love she shared with her late husband, Todd Dale McKinney, a hip-hop fashionist and music connoisseur also known as “DJ ToddOne.” In honor of his memory, and to help celebrate 2023 as the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Woods donated artifacts from her husband’s personal collection to a Bronx-based museum. The Universal Hip Hop Museum, slated to open in 2024, will house her husband’s shoes, hoodies, hats, jewelry, and more.

Still a working photojournalist, she has been covering 50th-anniversary events for Harlem Magazine. “This is more than a celebration, it’s recognition that hip-hop is a cultural movement,” said Woods. “It’s an opportunity to uplift and honor all those pioneers from the early days.”

Woods is also pleased more women in hip-hop are now being recognized, such as the trailblazing female rappers Sweet Tee, Jazzy Joyce, The Anointed MicCheck Gail Hall aka-DJ Flame, CoCoa Chanelle and McSha-Rock. These are just a few of the women of hip-hop who positively influenced Woods. Not to mention Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Salt & Pepa, Spinderella and Mone Love. “I’m appreciating the notoriety these wonderful hip-hop royals have received these past months as we celebrate the hip hops 50th anniversary.”

Woods was delighted to learn that Mercy offers classes in hip-hop music and culture. She once taught a class at Community School 55 in the South Bronx. Principal Luis E. Torres, M.S. ’00 invited her to be “Teacher for a Day.” “I told the kids stories about some of the famous entertainers and rappers I’d photographed, like A Boogie Wit da Hoodie and Doug E. Fresh,” she recalled. I told them if they wanted careers in entertainment to think of all the possibilities — not just in rapping, but in fashion, photography, journalism, entertainment and digital media.”

She believes those who study the music and culture of hip-hop can benefit in many ways, including greater confidence in themselves and what they can give to the world. “Hip-hop made me feel good –it opened my eyes to a culture that I never thought I would view as a photographer,” she said. “I learned that if you want to do something about the things that affect your life you have to be authentic, stay true to what you want out of life, and use it as your aspiration.”

Photo of A Boogie Wit da Hoodie by Stephanie Woods.

Photo of Big Daddy Kane by Stephanie Woods.

Celebrating Mercy College Faculty Excellence

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 20:28:55 +0000

Celebrating Mercy College Faculty Excellence Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 06/01/2023 - 16:28 School of Business School of Education School of Health and Natural Sciences School of Liberal Arts School of Social and Behavioral Sciences Mercy College News

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Mercy College Assistant Professor of English Laura Proszak, Ph.D. holding the Teaching Excellence Award.

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On May 12, Mercy College held the 2023 Faculty Recognition Ceremony to celebrate faculty members receiving promotions, tenure, and awards. Approximately 100 people attended the event on the Dobbs Ferry Campus.

“The work faculty members do is incredibly important. It is intellectually challenging and multifaceted, requiring skills in teaching, research and service — and often administration too,” said Linda Bastone, Ph.D., associate provost for faculty affairs. We can’t do enough to celebrate the faculty and recognize their work. And of course, their impact on students can’t be overstated,” said Bastone.

The first portion of the ceremony featured 40 faculty poster presentations focused on pedagogy and research. The ceremony began with opening remarks by Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Eva Fernández, Ph.D., President Tim Hall and President of the Faculty Senate Matthew Hyland, Ph.D.

“From A to Z, you oversee everything, from gateway programs to experiential education,” Fernández said in compliment to Mercy faculty. “You’re moving forward to mastery and dedicated to the success of our students.”

Hall’s remarks echoed those of Fernández. “I commend you for your work and wish you every success,” he said.

“You all deserve to be appreciated,” said Hyland, in his address to the faculty. “Thank you for your passion for Mercy College, a very special place.”

Then, the dean of each school honored faculty members who received promotions and tenure and those retiring. Finally, various administrators presented awards for faculty excellence, innovation and research.

Peter West, Ph.D., dean of Mercy’s School of Liberal Arts, cited the recognition ceremony as one of his favorite events of the year. “It really is a great time where faculty get to recognize their peers and where they get to be recognized for their full dedication to every aspect of teaching and scholarship.”

Congratulations to the following faculty for achieving important career milestones and recognitions.

Promoted to professor:

Saliha Bava, Ph.D.
Amanda Gunning, Ph.D.
Nannette Hyland, Ph.D.
Kathleen Kenney-Riley, Ed.D.
JungKang Miller, Ph.D.
David Wang, Ph.D.

Promoted to associate professor:

Ben Abelson, Ph.D.
Dana Horton, Ph.D.
Maureen MacLeod, Ph.D.
Astrid Mel, Ph.D.
Chun Zhou, Ph.D.

Awarded tenure:

Matthew Hyland, Ph.D.
Chun Zhou, Ph.D.
Dana Horton, Ph.D.

Honored at retirement:

Diana D’Amico Juettner, J.D.

Teaching Excellence Award:

Deborah Mumford, Ed.D.
Laura Proszak, Ph.D.

Faculty Innovation Award:

Elise Arnold-Levene, Ph.D.

Faculty Fellow:

Haley Collazo, MS, L.IS, M.A.

Online Teacher of the Year:

Laura Policar, Ed.D.

Outstanding Research Award:

Marc Palmieri, MFA, M.A.

William F. Olson Chair Award:

Caitlin Wiesner, Ph.D.

Texaco Research Endowment Award:

Narasimhaswamy Banavara, Ph.D.

Honorary Master of Pedagogy Degrees:

Marc Campo, Ph.D.
Joshua Gaetjen, MFA
Kevin Kulic, Ph.D.
Peter Minorsky, Ph.D.
Stacey Senita

Finalized Agreement: College of New Rochelle and Mercy

Anonymous — Fri, 15 Feb 2019 17:30:00 +0000

Finalized Agreement: College of New Rochelle and Mercy Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 02/15/2019 - 12:30 Mercy College News

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THE COLLEGE OF NEW ROCHELLE AND MERCY COLLEGE FINALIZE AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE SEAMLESS PATH TO EDUCATION
Facing Closure, CNR Recognizes Mercy College as Preferred Institution Based on Strong Financial Position and Complementary Academic Programming

The College of New Rochelle (CNR) and Mercy College announced today an agreement between the two institutions creating a seamless pathway for CNR students to continue their education. Both colleges are currently in the process of obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals to fully effectuate this agreement.

This agreement allows CNR students in good standing the opportunity to transfer to Mercy College, as CNR’s designated preferred institution for almost all academic disciplines offered by CNR, subject to regulatory approval. The agreement also offers an improved financial arrangement, as most CNR students will see the same or lower tuition and will not lose credits or time toward graduation. Mercy College hopes to retain many of the CNR faculty and to continue to use some of CNR’s current facilities in New Rochelle and at some of its New York City campuses, creating a more seamless transition than any other area institution could. To facilitate the Mercy College use of current CNR facilities, both Mercy College and CNR will work with CNR’s creditors to secure leases that are key to accommodating the operation of programs at these facilities.

“Since the onset of the financial crisis in 2016, The College of New Rochelle community has worked diligently to sustain the College. These collective efforts on the part of the Board, administration, faculty, staff, alumnae, and community partners have made possible the graduation of more-than 1,800 students during the past two commencements, including the 2018 commencement over which I had the honor and privilege to preside,” said Dr. William Latimer, President of The College of New Rochelle. “Despite our successes, the financial status of the College underscored the necessity to identify an institution that would provide a safe haven for students first and foremost while also doing our best to protect faculty and staff and CNR’s Ursuline legacy. We are blessed that our work with Mercy College provides the basis to accomplish each of these aims. By virtue of alignment of mission, quality of the education provided, geographical proximity across Westchester and NYC, and comparable or lower cost, we could not find a better institution to facilitate the transition of students in a seamless manner to continue their education than Mercy College. There is much work left to do but CNR stands ready and able to facilitate the process to enable students to continue their education and complete their degrees with Mercy College.”

“Mercy College has taken over the responsibility of serving The College of New Rochelle students so that they are able to continue their education uninterrupted and graduate on time,” said Timothy Hall, President of Mercy College. “More than providing them a new educational home, the agreement has been carefully considered and implemented over many months to go above and beyond to create a seamless pathway for CNR students to join the Mercy College community with minimal disruption to their academic careers. Our recent academic growth and strong financial profile make this rare opportunity possible and, the long-term impact will be a stronger Mercy College.”

CNR will wind down operations due to financial difficulties and is expected to close following the summer 2019 semester in August. CNR students will then begin the fall 2019 semester at Mercy College. Mercy College is recognized for its commitment to student success through a broad range of comprehensive academic programs and support services provided to a diverse student body.

Mercy College and CNR share a number of similar program offerings, most notably in nursing studies and adult education, which encompass the greatest number of current CNR students. For degree programs not currently offered at Mercy College, Mercy is in the process of seeking regulatory approval to begin offering those courses at the start of the fall 2019 semester. Increased programmatic offerings will not only accommodate as many CNR students as possible but create expanded opportunities for existing Mercy College students.

About Mercy College
Founded in 1950 by the Sisters of Mercy, Mercy College is an independent, coeducational college that offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs within five schools: Business, Education, Health and Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts and Social and Behavioral Sciences. With campuses in Dobbs Ferry, Bronx, Manhattan and Yorktown Heights, the vibrancy of the College culture is sustained by a diverse student body from around the region.

About The College of New Rochelle
Founded by the Ursuline Sisters in 1904, The College of New Rochelle comprises four schools – the School of Arts & Sciences, the School of Nursing & Healthcare Professions, the Graduate School and the School of New Resources for adult learners. Based at its historic home in New Rochelle, the College also operates five other locations in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Harlem and Yonkers.

About the Mercy College/CNR Agreement
The agreement pertains only to the CNR student body being given the opportunity to seamlessly integrate into Mercy College. It is not an acquisition, merger of, or partnership between the two institutions, and Mercy College is not assuming any level of ownership of The College of New Rochelle, or any responsibility for its debts or financial obligations.