Special Investigator Alumna Calls SJU Profs Her “Windows to the World” of Crime-Fighting
A typical day of work is anything but typical for Deirdre Matthews ‘12G. It might entail conducting interviews, analyzing documents, testifying in court, or executing search and arrest warrants. Matthews is a Special Investigator with the City of New York, a position she has held since 2015. She is responsible for overseeing all city agencies and anyone who does business with the city to ensure integrity. She also conducts criminal investigations of city employees regarding allegation of corruption, fraud, and official misconduct and makes policy and procedure recommendations for these agencies.
English Professor Receives Prestigious Wilson Fellowship
Shanté Paradigm Smalls, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of English at St. John’s University, has won a 2017 Career Enhancement Fellowship for Junior Faculty from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. The fellowship is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and administered by the Wilson Foundation. It helps exceptional junior faculty achieve tenure by facilitating their scholarly research and writing during the fellowship period.
Community Names Government & Politics Professor “Person of the Year”
Professor of Government and Politics Azzedine Layachi, Ph.D., is the new “Person of the Year” for his community in Valley Stream, NY. He was recognized by the community for his dedication to special needs children and his superb record as a youth soccer coach. This honor, along with Layachi’s record of accomplishments, appeared on the front page of the December 28, 2016 issue of the Valley Stream Herald.
SJU Students Discover Art and Service in New York City
Students in adjunct associate professor Judy Cooperman’s Discover New York class, which focuses on public art in New York City, completed a mural project to fulfill their Academic-Service Learning requirement in the fall 2016 semester. The mural depicts the four seasons in New York City, and is displayed in Ozanam Hall of Queens Nursing Home.
Alumna Pays Opportunity Forward Through Research and Patient Care
Vanessa Naimoli ‘01C, ‘04G credits “little pieces of opportunity and kindness” with helping her build a successful career as both a research scientist and psychiatric nurse working to give others hope and opportunity to move forward.
Dual Degree Student and Ozanam Scholar Blends Passion for the Arts with Commitment to Social Justice
Jeremy Ashton ’17C ‘18G came to St. John’s University from Orlando, FL in the fall of 2013 because he was offered a scholarship through the selective Ozanam Scholars Program.
Focusing on Body, Mind, and Spirit, Alum Helps Veterans Heal
“There are a lot of veterans out there who are really suffering,” said Dan Libby ’09Ph.D., Founder and Executive Director of the Veterans Yoga Project (VYP). “But if you can teach somebody a practice that helps them feel a little less pain—it makes it all worthwhile.”
Physicist Lands Supercomputer Time Fund for SJU
The allocation makes use of the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE), a virtual system for scientists to share computing resources, data, and expertise.
St. John’s Debate Society Holds Historic Internet Debate with Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan
The St. John’s University Debate Society held its first ever formal debate over the internet with a University located more than five thousand miles from the Queens campus.
Three NIH AREA Grants Awarded to Biology Faculty
All received $495,000 to support their research programs within St. John’s University.