News at Adelphi

Hear Eduardo Vilaro ’85, recognized by the Ford Foundation as one of “America’s Cultural Treasures,” talk about the impact of his Adelphi dance degree. And learn why Patrick O’Shaughnessy, DO, MBA ’13, president and CEO of Catholic Health, believes an Adelphi education “builds great people.”

Watch Adelphi’s president, provost, board of trustees chair, and faculty and student leaders share words of encouragement, new perspectives and compelling life stories. Their messages highlighted a day to remember.

Capping off an exceptional year for Adelphi University Athletics, the program has just been awarded all three of the 2024 NE10 Conference Presidents’ Cups. Highlights this year: a hard-fought National Championship for men’s lacrosse and a run to the national title game for women’s lacrosse. The Presidents’ Cups are the NE10’s highest honors given to the top-performing programs in the conference.

Adelphi’s graduate students—from age 20 to age 64—hail from 23 states and 24 countries. The exceptional strength and diversity of this class reflect Adelphi's increasing emphasis on graduate education, an important tenet of our Momentum 2 strategic plan.

These extraordinary students, many of whom missed their in-person high school graduation four years ago due to the pandemic, were excited to celebrate with classmates, family and friends. Adelphi President Christine M. Riordan noted, “This ceremony is a testament to your hard work and dedication.”

Despite proven potential to thrive at the college level, neurodivergent students often face challenges. Adelphi’s answer is the innovative Bridges to Adelphi program, offering academic coaching, career training and a first-in-the-nation sensory room to boost student success. This award-winning program is a national model for providing equity and access to higher education.

Becoming a mother while enrolled in the undergraduate accounting program at the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business did not slow this Adelphi student down. In fact, she continued right through to graduate studies and is now working toward an MBA. Meet Janary Mojica Martinez ’23 and her baby Kairo, and see how the School of Business has supported her inspiring academic journey.

This fall, Adelphi made significant jumps in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of colleges and undergraduate programs. In the recently released U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate School list, Adelphi’s programs in nursing, public health, audiology and social work all made ranking jumps. Read about these exceptional programs, and learn why they are gaining national recognition.

Reaching alumni around the nation, the Momentum 2 Presidential Reception Tour is an opportunity to share our news with friends and supporters as we prepare to launch our fundraising campaign, the Momentum Campaign: Extraordinary Impact. At each stop across the country, our alumni will be sharing stories of the extraordinary impact of their Adelphi education.

Undergrad Nino Burjanadze, a Levermore Global Scholar, has been selected for a semester-long internship with The Washington Center Academic Internship Program in Washington, D.C. She will advocate for better resources for schools located in areas with funding challenges, like Native American reservations and low-income housing communities.

Begun six years ago with a few volunteers and a dream, Adelphi’s annual Women’s Leadership Conference has become a premier event welcoming more than 350 professionals, industry leaders, alumni, students and community members—along with nationally recognized keynote speakers—to promote leadership for women.

According to nurse.org, 80 percent of nurses say their patient care units are inadequately staffed, and almost 90 percent felt burned out in the past year. America’s nursing shortage is in need of a new solution, which inspired Professor Edmund J.Y. Pajarillo, PhD, to find one. Read what he and other nurse educators recommend to support the nursing workforce by increasing the number of nurse educators.

Despite physical and mental health challenges stemming from his time in the military, Gavin Walters, MSW ’20, is now thriving as director of a veterans program in two counties in New York state and facilitator of a coalition that covers the entire state. Adelphi’s Hudson Valley Center—and an exceptionally dedicated professor—made a life-changing difference for Walters.

An Adelphi professor changed the course of this brilliant NASA researcher’s life—by connecting her with internships, helping her secure an opportunity with the National Science Foundation and serving as an extraordinarily caring mentor.

At the Adelphi University Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, the postgraduate programs in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy have made history by surviving—and thriving—for 60 years. Learn how the programs have evolved through the decades of psychoanalytic thought, from Sigmund Freud to today’s new approaches.

The data is in: The average annual salary for the Class of 2022 is almost 30 percent higher than the national average for baccalaureate graduates. Students who received a graduate degree earned an average base salary of $90,853. Explore other impressive results from the yearly survey by the Center for Career and Professional Development.

Krista Aliscio ’23 anchored the women’s soccer team throughout its trip to the Division II Final Four this fall while working on her master's degree in school psychology. Jamie Yonker ’22 continued studies for her master's degree in exercise science even as she led Adelphi’s volleyball team back to the NCAA tournament. Both share how much work it took to excel as athletes and NE-10 Conference honor roll students.

In this op-ed published by Inside Higher Ed, Matthew J. Wright, PhD, department chair and associate professor of physics, acknowledges that scientists often lack the skills to communicate their ideas—but must do so for the good of science. See how he became a stronger writer and how other STEM faculty can, too.

Chad Williams, MSW ’23, a Queens, New York, native and dedicated social work PhD student, works for the New York City Administration for Children’s Services while completing his doctorate. He recently authored a children’s book with his daughter that encourages young girls to feel empowered and confident. Williams’ goal: to continue to find ways to tie social work to the arts.

A new TV show, Carl the Collector, will be the first PBS animated series starring a character on the autism spectrum. Stephen Shore, EdD, clinical associate professor, who is on the spectrum himself and is a globally recognized expert on autism from the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences, was called in to advise.

A $2.49 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, the largest ever received from the NSF by the University, will fund scholarships for high-achieving, Pell-eligible students from local high schools who want to major in STEM fields.

Who are Gen Z, and how can we understand them better? Two of our faculty members have recently published research providing insights into the mental health challenges facing this distinctive group and its political viewpoints. Now 20 percent of the American population, Gen Z individuals are a powerful voice for change.

Meet two students in Adelphi’s highly selective—but life-changing—Early Assurance Program. One was able to start dentistry school at just 20 years old, while the other will already be a medical resident at 24—four years earlier than average.

Meet the four inspirational winners of this year's Mother-Scholar Awards, honoring parents who return to Adelphi, often through the College of Professional and Continuing Studies, to complete their degrees. Flexible scheduling and personal mentoring help create a sense of belonging and help these time-challenged students “stay on track to success.”

Carl Mirra, PhD, associate professor in the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences, has made several service trips to Ukraine, and sees a school system in transformation. “We are witnessing a historic moment where democracy is being forged in schools and society amidst a crisis," he explains.

The U.S. Digital Corps, a program launched in 2021 by the White House to bring civic-minded early-career technologists to serve in the federal government, has selected Adelphi alum Lylybell Teran ’22—one of just 4 percent of applicants chosen for this honor. Meet Teran and hear why this project is so important for her career and the veterans who will benefit from her work.

Whether it is getting Adelphi involved in state environmental initiatives, addressing the challenges of food waste on campus, or studying shorebird ecology for the National Park Service, these environmental science students are making remarkable strides for our planet.

See why Adelphi is one of just 10 universities throughout New York state to earn the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award. Steps taken include a Hispanic-Serving Institution Task Force to build resources for Hispanic students, new career support for neurodivergent students, and a thriving mentoring program with a 100 percent graduation rate.

When the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum decided to refresh the way it presents itself to the public, it tapped David Pierce, assistant professor of art and art history, to help lead the project. This designer, painter, filmmaker and animator spent the summer in Hanoi to begin working with the museum to develop a new logo, signage, brochures and other materials.

MS student Samuel Sey spent the summer conducting research as one of Adelphi’s competitive Jaggar Community Fellows. Unique to Adelphi, Jaggar internships advance student careers with paid internships while supporting important nonprofit missions.