Alumni eNewsletter

Campus Connections

• St. John’s University makes The Princeton Review’s top 25 colleges in New York list.

• Graphic Design major Alpamys Yechshanov secured a spot on team Virtue, one of 11 top-achieving teams that competed this summer in the European Innovation Academy.

• St. John’s honored 13 outstanding alumni at its annual Alumni Convocation on October 19.

• Hall of Fame Men’s Basketball Coach Rick Pitino was honored by Queens Community House, one of the borough’s largest social service organizations, at its Fall Gala.

Campus Connections

• St. John’s health sciences students train on life-like mannequins in the new St. Vincent Health Sciences Center.

• St. John’s University’s Queens, NY, campus is celebrating 25 years of on-campus residence hall living.

• Kim Wilkerson ’84TCI was recently sworn in as Bermuda’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice.
  

• Go, Red Storm! We wish all student-athletes playing fall/winter sports a successful season.

  • The BIG EAST Conference has announced the St. John’s Men’s Basketball 2024–25 schedule.

  • Check out the 2024–25 Women’s Basketball game schedule.

• Associate Professor Syed Ahmad Chan Bukhari, Ph.D., has been awarded a grant by the US National Science Foundation to study the use of Artificial Intelligence in medical coding. View Dr. Bukhari’s award. 

Campus Connections

• Here are 11 things to know about Boston’s new Archbishop-Elect and St. John’s alumnus Richard G. Henning ’86C, ’88G.

• St. John’s entrepreneurs use Venture & Innovation Center resources to create new tech projects.

• Rising junior Nursing student Giuliana Fusco has received the Sister Mary Grace Memorial Scholarship for Healthcare to help her complete her education so she can pursue a nursing career in labor and delivery, maternal health, and newborn care.

• New York State Governor Kathy Hochul visited the Queens, NY, campus to tour the new St. Vincent Health Sciences Center opening this fall and learn more about the future renovation of Taffner Field House, which aims to create a best-in-class campus recreation center for the entire University community.

• An impressive 226 St. John’s student-athletes have been named to the 2023–24 BIG EAST All-Academic Team—the sixth consecutive year the Red Storm has had more than 200 student-athletes selected for this honor.

August 2024 St. John’s Alumni eNewsletter from St. John's University on Vimeo.

Campus Connections

• There is much excitement among members of the St. John’s University community as the St. Vincent Health Sciences Center is set to open soon.
• St. John’s resident students respond to the Vincentian question, “What must be done?” by donating food and other essentials as they moved out at the end of the spring semester.
• The entire St. John’s Golf team was in attendance to show their support as St. John’s Hall of Famer Keegan Bradley ’08CPS  was named Captain of the US Ryder Cup.
• Former St. John’s Men’s Basketball players Daniss Jenkins and Joel Soriano ’24CCPS will continue their basketball careers with the National Basketball Association.
• St. John’s Baseball player Xavier Kolhosser of Wappinger Falls, NY, was selected by the Minnesota Twins in this year’s Major League Baseball draft.

July 2024 St. John’s Alumni eNewsletter from St. John's University on Vimeo.

Campus Connections

• Mary Carole Schafenberg ’70Ed, ’80PD creates the first endowed professorship in The School of Education.

• Ozanam Scholars embrace their faith and service on a 10-day mission in Costa Rica.

• Tanaji T. Talele, Ph.D., Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, mentored a local high school student working on advanced scientific research.

• A recent conference held at St. John’s Manhattan, NY, campus highlighted the impact of climate change on the insurance industry.

• Michael Hampton, Head Coach, Men’s Baseball, has been named Coach of the Year by the Eastern College Athletic Conference.

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Campus Connections

• St. John’s University celebrated its 154th undergraduate-level Commencement on May 19.
• Henry “Hank” Watkins Jr. has been appointed Executive Director and Associate Dean of St. John’s Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science.
• Edward R. Dudley ’41L, the first African American to hold the rank of Ambassador of the United States, was honored posthumously.
• The Venture & Innovation Center held events this spring to cultivate entrepreneurship at St. John’s.
• BIG EAST Champions: St. John’s Baseball team secures 10th conference title with a 4-2 win over Georgetown.

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Campus Connections

• St. John’s students win big at the Eastern Psychological Association’s annual psychology conference.

• Crowds gathered on April 14 to say farewell to the Staten Island, NY, campus as it prepares to close at the end of the semester.

• Kathryn Daly Genova ’76Ed, Executive Director of the Humane Society of Harris County, has enjoyed several careers.

• Raymond Pun ’07C, ’13G is now the 2024–25 President-elect of the American Library Association.

• Employers engaged with St. John’s students at the Spring Career and Internship Expo on April 5.

• Food Bazaar expands their Free Throws for Meals program.

• The Annual Alumni Gala caps Reunion Week.

• Shahla Hussain, Ph.D., an Associate Professor in St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, was recently awarded a prestigious Presidential Grant that allows her to create an oral history project about the South Asian immigrant community in Queens, NY.

• Alumna Francilia Wilkins Rahim ’09TCB, ’11MBA started R.F. Wilkins Consultants 13 years ago to create a platform that would create economic access, opportunity, and security for those in disadvantaged communities.

• The excitement of those gathered in The Inn at New Hyde Park on March 23 was palpable as they honored accomplished alumnae during the third annual Celebrating the Women of St. John’s University Luncheon. 

• Audrey O’Connor, a Biology major and Chemistry minor set to graduate in May, spent last summer researching Celiac disease as part of a 10-week research program at Colorado State University. 

• The St. John’s Men’s Lacrosse team erased a four-goal deficit to win over LeMoyne, 9–7.

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Campus Connections

• Cybersecurity enthusiasts gather for St. John’s coding competition.

• Panelists from Catholic Media Group remind St. John’s students to hold true to industry values.

• St. John’s Olympians identify paths to success on and off the field. 

• Highlights from the St. John’s Baseball Bullpen Dinner

• The impact of climate change on Africa’s poor.

• Celebrate the start of the BIG EAST tournament with us!

Campus Connections

• St. John’s already strong entrepreneurial culture is getting a boost thanks to the new Venture & Innovation Center.

• Students in The Peter J. Tobin College of Business recently presented their investment recommendations for student-managed endowment funds.
  

• William Nieter, a retired St. John’s Adjunct Assistant Professor, wrote a book on Queens Alley Pond Park.

• The Center for Law and Religion at St. John’s School of Law has been named in honor of alumni Denise Melillo Mattone and Michael X. Mattone, in recognition of their transformative gift to endow the center’s activities. 

• Catch up on the Men's and Women's Basketball teams by watching the latest episode of the Red Storm Report.

Campus Connections

• St. John’s University honored veterans at several events.
• A lecture sponsored by the Vincentian Chair of Social Justice highlighted environmental justice issues in India.
• Despite the rainy weather, St. John’s students joined with other volunteers to help clean MacDonald Park in Forest Hills, NY.
• More than 100 members of the University community participated in a panel discussion focusing on “Artificial Intelligence and Evolution.”
• St. John’s Volleyball Coach Joanne Persico ’93MBA, ’09CERT was named East Coach Region Coach of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

Campus Connections

• St. John’s inducted eight new members into the Athletics Hall of Fame.
• Read the inspiring story of Karren Dunkley, Ed.D. ’97C, ’98G, ’98CERT, who is currently working as a consultant for the US Department of Justice.
• St. John’s has partnered with Perspectus, a Colorado-based leader in virtual reality (VR) technology, to transform how future health-care professionals are educated and trained.
• A launch event was held to celebrate the permanent online exhibit of groundbreaking campaigns from Ammirati Puris.
• Members of the University’s first Nursing class took their pledge on November 2.

Campus Connections

• Following the theme “Be Vincentian, be a listener,” St. John’s Founder’s Week focused on the art of listening and the benefits of service. 
• Gabriella Aordkian, a member of the Class of 2029 in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, was one of eight women chosen from a pool of nearly 4,500 applicants to receive a $2,500 Women in STEM Scholarship from Prysmian Group.
• Current and future generations of St. John’s University students will now have the most up-to-date research equipment available for their chemistry and biochemistry research thanks to a new endowment established in memory of James G. Connery ’67Ph.D. 
• Members of The McCallen society celebrated the legacy of giving at the annual McCallen Society Recognition Mass and Luncheon on September 14.
• Men’s Golf alumnus Ryan McCormick ’14CPS will compete in select PGA Tour events next season after finishing in the top-30 on the Korn Ferry Tour this year

Campus Connections

• Our new Johnnies are all settled in and ready for a successful semester!
• The University’s new Chaplain, Rev. Hugo Medellin, C.M. ’05C, offers students a supportive spiritual presence on campus.
• Don’t miss this article focusing on Sr. Jessica Castillo, F.M.A. ’10Ed’s journey to join the Salesian sisterhood.
• After five years in the pros, John Valente ’17CPS returns to St. John’s as an Assistant Coach of the baseball team.
• Check out the recently released BIG EAST Conference league schedule and root for the St. John’s Men’s Basketball team at Madison Square Garden, UBS Arena, or Carnesecca Arena.
• Be sure to support our Women’s Basketball team, who are ready for another stellar season!

Campus Connections 

• Edward Caban ’89SVC is now officially the first Latino commissioner of the New York City Police Department. 
• St. John’s employees recently participated in a day of service. 
• Day and overnight student orientation sessions are being held on campus this summer. 
• St. John’s senior Veronika Bilinski has been a cadet for five years with the Putnam County Sheriff Cadet Program in Carmel, NY. She now serves as the Cadet Department Police Chief. 
• Peicheng Chen, a member of the St. John’s Men’s Golf team, recently won the Lenox Advisors/NFP New York State Open at the Bethpage State Park Black Course.

Campus Connections

• Edward Caban ’89SVC is now officially the first Latino commissioner of the New York City Police Department. 
• St. John’s employees recently participated in a day of service. 
• Day and overnight student orientation sessions are being held on campus this summer. 
• St. John’s senior Veronika Bilinski has been a cadet for five years with the Putnam County Sheriff Cadet Program in Carmel, NY. She now serves as the Cadet Department Police Chief. 
• Peicheng Chen, a member of the St. John’s Men’s Golf team, recently won the Lenox Advisors/NFP New York State Open at the Bethpage State Park Black Course.

Campus Connections

• Rick Pitino, the new Men’s Basketball Head Coach and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, recently greeted athletic donors.
• The Office of Academic Service-Learning recently recognized two students for their service-learning commitments.
• St. John’s student Kallan Richardson recently finished sixth—and fist in his age group—in the Bermuda Half-Marathon Derby.
• John Honerkamp ’98C, ’08MBA is now Athletic Director at Chaminade High School. 
• Erica Jacobs, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, received the Primarily Undergraduate Institution Award from the American Society for Mass Spectrometry.

Campus Connections

• A topping-off ceremony on April 25 marked a new phase in the construction of the St. Vincent Health Sciences Center. 
• Students recognized Earth Day with a garden dedication.
• St. John’s online M.B.A. was recently ranked eighth in the country by Fortune.
• Learn why there is never a dull moment for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology major Julia Gonzales.
• St. John’s answers the call to the nursing shortage.

Leave a message for our graduates!

Campus Connections

• His Eminence Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Ph.D. ’10HON, Archbishop of New York, will serve as the distinguished speaker and an honoree at St. John’s University’s undergraduate Commencement Exercises on Sunday, May 21, at 10 a.m. on the Great Lawn of the Queens, NY, campus. 
• Vibhuti Arya, Pharm.D., M.P.H., FAPhA, Clinical Professor, Clinical Health Professions, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, discusses the evolution of patient care.
• Boston College theologian M. Shawn Copeland receives the Civitas Dei Medal.
• The late Anthony Varvaro, a former Major League Baseball pitcher and St. John’s Red Storm star, will be honored by Snug Harbor Little League.
• St. John’s Men’s Basketball welcomes a new coaching staff.
• NY1 focuses on St. John's origins.

Campus Connections

• Members of St. John’s Catholic Scholars made a pilgrimage to Rome and Vatican City earlier this year. 
• John Kaliabakos ’94P, Director of Pharmacy Services at Village Apothecary, has won an Impact Award for making a difference in New York City’s queer community. 
• Alumni couples recently cherished their St. John’s courtship as they renewed their vows.
• Rick Pitino is the new Head Coach for Men’s Basketball.
• In the latest Johnnies blog, read about a student’s grandfather who was part of the Greensboro Four.
• In this video, Rev. Aidan R. Rooney, C.M., M.Div., M.Th. ’78NDC, Executive Vice President for Mission, shares Final Lenten Thoughts and Reflection.

Campus Connections

• We want to help our Johnnies! Please use this platform to share information about those in need.
• St. John’s welcomed 39 students into the new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in the Fall of 2022.
• We are proud of the six St. John’s students who were recently named Gilman International scholarship recipients.
• Officer Bradley Hughes ’15CPS, a seven-year veteran of the East Hampton Town Police Department, took top honors as Officer of the Year for 2022.
• Johnnies Day was epic and we have the recap to prove it!

Campus Connections

• Johnnies Day—our first-ever social media spirit day—is February 11.
• St. John’s chapter of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA)–Academy of Student Pharmacists received two awards at APhA’s national conference.
• St. John's online programs inched closer to the top in the recently released U.S. News & World Report rankings.
• Alumni success story: Liz Faublas ’91SVC
• Coach Lou Carnesecca ’50C, ’60GEd, ’00HON celebrated his 98th birthday on January 5; click on the link to send him your well wishes!

Campus Connections

• A highly accomplished high school student is headed to St. John’s after earning a $225,000 Army Reserve Minuteman Scholarship.
• Wayne Robins, a music critic turned St. John’s adjunct professor, is now enshrined in the Long Island Music Hall of Fame.
• Fourteen notable St. John’s graduates who have achieved great personal and professional success were honored at the Alumni Convocation.
• This TV journalist’s award-winning path got its start at St. John’s.
• Red Storm supporters gathered recently for an evening with St. John’s Basketball—and raised more than $300,000 for the program.

Campus Connections

• St. John’s University has allocated one million dollars to endow a scholarship fund for students from the Staten Island, NY, campus who want to complete their studies on the Queens campus after the Staten Island campus closes in 2024.
• Carvens Lissaint ’14CPS, a St. John’s alumnus who played George Washington in the international smash Broadway hit Hamilton, discusses how life’s challenges have strengthened his faith.
• Student leaders from the University’s Ozanam and Catholic Scholars programs and its chapter of Catholic Relief Services recently toured the United Nations with Jim Claffey, the Congregation of the Mission’s (Vincentians) Representative to the UN.
• The Princeton Review includes St. John’s on its list of one of the country’s most environmentally responsible colleges.
• Two St. John’s Women’s Soccer players will further sharpen their already impressive skills on the BIG EAST All-Tournament team.

Remember your loved ones this month. Submit a name to our Virtual Book of Remembrance.

Campus Connections

• St. John’s University has formed a new partnership with Thrive For Life.
• This Communication Arts professor offers impressive internship opportunities for students.
• The University’s Homeland Security program fuels a doctoral student’s passion.
• Check out the honorees for 2022 St. John’s Athletics Hall of Fame.
• It is exciting to see the construction underway on the St. Vincent Health Sciences Center. The 70,000-square-foot project is expected to be completed in 2024. You can check out the progress being made on our live stream.
• A double alumna has been named the new Dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. 
• In his new autobiography, St. John’s alumnus Nelson A. Díaz describes how he was determined to achieve success despite the challenges he was faced with growing up in a family that struggled financially.

A Message from Mark A. Andrews, Director of Alumni Relations

Campus Connections

• St. John’s University steadily climbs U.S. News & World Report rankings.
• More than a dozen high school students got a taste of college life—and built successful college strategies—through the University’s collaboration with buildOn.
• An internship this past summer helped pave the way for this senior to pursue a biopharmaceutical career.
• This recently awarded McNair grant will help St. John’s improve disadvantaged students’ preparation for doctoral study.
• Gavin Hollowell earns a big league call-up with the Colorado Rockies.
• The Department of Education is spreading the word about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) waiver that expires on Oct. 31.

A Message from Mark A. Andrews, Director of Alumni Relations

• Sharks may hold the key to cure Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, according to a St. John’s researcher.
• This fall, two students from Bermuda will study at the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science thanks to a new scholarship program.
• Alison G. Hyslop, Ph.D., Associate Dean, Graduate Division, and Professor, Department of Chemistry, was named an American Chemical Society (ACS) Fellow for 2022 for her outstanding achievements and contributions to science, the profession, and ACS.
• Enjoy this profile of 2019 alumnus Christian Hernandez’s path to The Tonight Show.
• St. John’s alumna Rachel Daly ’16CPS’s team recently won the Women’s Euro Tournament at Wembley Stadium.
• The Department of Education is spreading the word about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) waiver that expires on Oct. 31.

A Message from Mark A. Andrews, Director of Alumni Relations

• This Associate Professor in The Peter J. Tobin College of Business molds the next generation of business leaders. 
• A St. John’s alumnus makes a difference for small businesses.
• Jayson Williams discusses the life lessons he has learned since his days as a standout player on the St. John’s Men’s Basketball team.
• In the latest addition of our Alumni Professional Development series, Alexander Katz ’17CPS, a professional left-handed pitcher who pitched for the St. John’s Red Storm and was part of the team that won the 2015 Big East Conference, discusses how he balanced life as a student-athlete and how he is doing now juggling his professional baseball career and his business Stadium Custom Kicks.

A Message from Mark A. Andrews, Director of Alumni Relations

Campus Connections

• A St. John’s faculty member in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has been awarded a National Institutes of Health grant to develop an inhalable COVID-19 vaccine.
• Criminal Justice students worked to get a conviction overturned for a man wrongfully incarcerated.
• Alumna Jane Clare Tierney Milza ’56NDC, ’76G is remembered for a service-focused life.
• St. John’s Queens, NY, campus offers several youth summer sports camps.
• André McKenzie, Ed.D., Vice Provost and Interim Chief Diversity Officer, was the Undergraduate Commencement speaker, as well as the recipient of the President’s Medal.

A Message from Mark A. Andrews, Director of Alumni Relations

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Campus Connections

• St. John’s brings back its spring carnival for students, staff, and faculty after two years featuring rides and local artists.
• The St. John’s Athletic Awards Dinner was held in Carnesecca Arena on Monday, May 2 and celebrated its athletes in all 17 sports.
• St. John’s University mourns the passing of former student-athlete, head coach, and Athletic Director Emeritus, John “Jack” Kaiser ’49C. 
• The students of St. John’s studying abroad are affected by the Ukraine invasion.
• St. John’s 2022 ROTC graduates had unconventional path to their graduation.
• A team of St. John’s University students placed third in prestigious national advertising competition.
• The Pickleball Johnnies are looking for volunteer coaches for the on-campus pickleball club – Wednesday’s until mid-June. If you have experience and would like to help out, please email Susan Damiani. 
• The London Alumni Chapter is excited to announce a summer social and dinner event. To register, please click here. 

 A Message from Mark A. Andrews, Director of Alumni Relations

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Campus Connections

• St. John’s University has been awarded $1.25 million in federal funds to help finance the construction of a new Health Sciences Center on the Queens, NY, campus.
• Susan Schmidt Horning, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of History, has a remarkable background in the music industry.
• Former St. John’s women’s soccer player Maia Cabrera is playing for the Dominican Republic as the team seeks to qualify for the Women’s Cup.
• The Office of Advancement honored the women of St. John’s at a luncheon; Head Volleyball Coach Joanne Persico ’91MBA delivered the keynote address.
• Thank you for joining us during our recent Reunion Week—it was wonderful to see so many alumni. We hope these event photos make you smile! Reunion Week 2023 will be the last week in April. Mark your calendars now and make plans to join us for all of the fun events.
• Need a replacement diploma case? Order one now online

 A Message from Mark A. Andrews, Director of Alumni Relations

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Campus Connections

• The Atlanta Alumni Chapter offers its first endowed scholarship to a Georgia native attending The School of Education.
• Applications are now being accepted for the University’s new Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
• Amir Garrett, a former member of the St. John’s Men’s Basketball team, now a baseball pitcher in the major leagues, joins the Kansas City Royals.
• Expect to see more of St. John’s. Check out our new brand awareness campaign.
• A team of eight drama minors from St. John’s University created a short film on the pandemic that was presented recently at the prestigious Toronto International Short Film Festival.