International Honor Society Recognizes Assistant Dean Susann Ragone

July 14, 2011

Staten Island Campus -

Recipient of Two Prestigious Honor Society Awards

Susann Ragone, Assistant Dean and Counselor of the Alpha Beta Gamma Staten Island campus Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, has been awarded the O.L. Davis, Jr. Counselor of Distinction Award and the Kappa Delta Pi Regional Counselor Award for the Northeast Region, by Kappa Delta Pi.

Kappa Delta Pi, an International Honor Society in Education, founded by Dr. William Bagley in 1911 at the University of Illinois, was established to foster excellence in education and promote fellowship among those dedicated to teaching. The founders had chosen the name from the Greek words representing knowledge, duty, and power. Pioneering from its beginning by including women as well as men, Kappa Delta Pi grew from a local chapter to the international organization it is today, comprising 582 chapters and more than 45,000 members.

The O.L. Davis, Jr. Counselor of Distinction Award is one of the highest honors that Kappa Delta Pi presents to its counselors. This award is designed to honor counselors who demonstrate service, personal scholarship, professional development, outstanding leadership of the chapter, and mentorship of the chapter’s student leaders. The Kappa Delta Pi Regional Counselor Award for the Northeast Region was created to recognize the dedication and excellence of a counselor and a leader who best represents the mission and ideals of the Society. This is a special honor, as it is determined by the Kappa Delta Pi Regional Coordinators as well as the Chapter officers.

Beginning her career at St. John’s in 1999 in The School of Education on the Staten Island campus, Assistant Dean Ragone has held positions including staff member and Assistant to the Dean. In 2004, she attained the position of Assistant Dean, a role she currently holds. As Assistant Dean, Ms. Ragone advises undergraduate students in The School of Education, monitoring their progress while also controlling the programs, courses, and graduation reviews of the students. Furthermore, Assistant Dean Ragone, has been the Counselor of the Alpha Beta Gamma Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi since 2003, having the role of identifying qualifying members, inducting the accepted students, and coordinating all of the events held by the Honor Society. She has played an instrumental role in many of the St. John’s events held by Alpha Beta Gamma, including the annual induction ceremonies, the latest of which was held on May 6, 2011. During this celebratory event, Ms. Ragone welcomed new inductees into the Chapter and acknowledged active members with certificates of participation, letters of recommendation and honor cords. Assistant Dean Ragone, along with Dr. Regina Mistretta, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator in The School of Education and Associate Counselor of Alpha Beta Gamma, and Staten Island campus members of Alpha Beta Gamma, also hosted the Dr. Seuss Read-A-Loud Pajama Party, a literacy event aimed at cultivating meaningful parental engagement in the literacy development of pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children.

Assistant Dean Ragone will be presented with the O.L. Davis, Jr. Counselor of Distinction Award and the Kappa Delta Pi Regional Counselor Award for the Northeast Region at the 2011 biennial Convocation, which will take place this fall, November 3-5 in Indianapolis.

To learn more about Assistant Dean Ragone, Kappa Delta Phi and The School of Education on the Staten Island campus, contact:

Ms. Fay Dimino
The School of Education
DaSilva Academic Center Room 207
Staten Island, NY 10301
(718) 390-4506
diminof@stjohns.edu