President Peter P. Mercer announced the recipients of the Ramapo College President’s Staff Recognition Awards on June 3, 2016.

The President’s Staff Recognition Program consists of three award categories: Staff Excellence in Service, Staff Leadership, and the Team Project Award.

The 2016 recipients of the Staff Excellence in Service Award are Joan Richards of Fort Lee, Linda Checchi Kavan of River Edge, and Vincent Tomaselli of Wayne. The Award is presented to individuals that, in that year, provided exemplary service by fostering cooperation, collaboration and open communication among college constituents

Joan Richards, Director of Nursing Simulation, was noted for her commitment to high quality student learning, for launching the Simulation Center in the recently opened Adler Center for Nursing Excellence, and for her impact beyond the Ramapo campus with groups such as Valley Hospital. Richards was commended as “an exceptional mentor, kind, considerate and non-judgmental, adding that “her approach is always one of inclusivity.”

For more stories about Ramapo, scroll down:

Ramapo College Athletics Receives Two NCAA Grants
Jane Addams Papers Project At Ramapo College Receives $108 Grant

Linda Checchi Kavan, Coordinator of Events and Conferences, was recognized for her excellent service and for consistently going above and beyond expectations to deliver support to the faculty, staff, and renters who run programs at Ramapo. Kavan’s performance was compared to that of an air traffic controller, noting “Linda doesn’t fly the planes. She doesn’t fuel them up, or serve the complimentary beverages to passengers. Rather she makes sure every one of those planes is lined up, takes off or lands with precision, resulting in a seamless flow of arrivals and departures.” She was further commended for her attention to detail, consideration of others, and collegial approach to planning.

Vincent Tomaselli, Public Safety Officer, was described as “the epitome of the College.” He was commended for greeting everyone on campus with respect and a smile. His warm, helpful and patient personality was described as an embodiment of Ramapo’s mission and values. Tomaselli was also lauded for going above and beyond his position by extending unconditional kindness in every interaction. From students to guests, many people have attributed their positive experiences and attitudes towards Ramapo to Tomaselli’s delightful and thoughtful manner.

The 2016 recipients of the Staff Leadership Award are Suzanne Badawi, Ellie Esposito of Verona, and Janelle Ferraro of Wantage. The recipients were recognized for assuming a leadership role and successfully effecting positive change.

Suzanne Badawi, Director of Field Education in the Social Work program, was recognized for her distinctive leadership in building the infrastructure, personnel, and training for mandatory field work assignments for the Bachelors of Social Work and the recently launched Masters of Social Work. Badawi’s field placement leadership enabled the BSW program to more than triple in size. Further, she was commended for having developed meaningful relationships with several new community partners and, as a result, establishing 65 new field placements for MSW students in the fall 2016.

Ellie Esposito, Program Assistant in the Master of Business Administration program, was recognized for her leadership and her “commitment to excellence with a smile.” Esposito was commended for seeing several projects through to completion, no matter the task or the obstacles that may have emerged. Specifically, she devised a customized communication protocol for new MBA applicants, led an effort to assess and ultimately replace the vendor for the MBA program’s Boot Camp, and took the initiative to repurpose an unused pantry into an instructional supply closet.

Janelle Ferraro, Program Assistant/Graphic Designer, was recognized for the high quality and responsiveness of her work as well as for her outreach and support of students. Ferraro, an alumna of Ramapo College, was commended for developing a moving memorial tribute for a late benefactor, volunteering to provide guidance to the Yearbook Club, and stepping in to assist the School of Contemporary Arts with delivery of its graphics design curriculum. “All of her work is done on time and is of top quality,” commented President Mercer.

The Team Project Award is awarded to a group of employees who achieved a significant outcome or completed a significant project. It is further focused on recognizing collaboration across units/departments. The Team Project Award was presented to 14 representatives of the College’s divisions of Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, and Institutional Advancement. Team members collaborated to design and develop a “leave-behind” publication for local businesses and community groups to highlight and summarize the many ways Ramapo can partner with external constituents. In addition, the team was commended for generating efficiencies and effectively supporting the goals of the College. Team members included: Mary Cicitta, Sandra Diaz, Rosa Diaz-Mulryan, Danielle Graziani, Jose Hernandez, Melissa Horvath-Plyman, Robert Josic, Timothy Landers, Patricia Laprey, Alexandra Simone, Debra Stark, Lori Walker, Rayna Wendell, and Charles Willett.

“It brings many of us tremendous satisfaction and joy when we are recognized for doing excellent work, for going above and beyond the call of duty, for exceeding expectations, or for motivating a colleague,” said President Mercer, “Ramapo College is fortunate to be home to many talented and compassionate personnel whose extra efforts and exemplary service make the College a great place to work and study.”

Ramapo College Athletics Receives Two NCAA Grants
Ramapo College of New Jersey has received two grants from the NCAA which are earmarked specifically for the Athletics Department.

The Division III Ethnic Minority and Women’s Internship Grant is a two-year grant program that provides funding for entry-level administrative positions at NCAA Division III schools and conference offices to encourage access, recruitment, selection and the long-term success of ethnic minorities and women.

During each year of grant funding, the NCAA provides $23,660 to support the salary of the hired intern and $3,000 in professional development funding. Recipients are required to provide a $3,700 minimum in-kind gift for each year of the grant. The grant will be used for a full-time 10-month Sports Performance Coordinator position.

“This is a great step in our overall strategic plan to increase diversity in our staff on campus and one of our goals to better integrate Athletics with the overall college vision and plan,” said Christopher Romano, Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs.

The NCAA Choices Grant provides funding for NCAA member institutions and conferences to integrate athletics into campus-wide efforts to reduce alcohol abuse. NCAA Choices recipients must partner athletics with other campus departments in the development and implementation of effective campus-wide alcohol education projects.

The NCAA Choices grant is made possible through a donation from Anheuser-Busch Inc., and provides funding for a three-year project with a maximum award of $30,000 across the three years.

Jane Addams Papers Project At Ramapo College Receives $108 Grant

The National Historic Publications and Records Commission, a department of the National Archives, has awarded the Jane Addams Papers Project a one-year grant of $108,240 to support the project’s work at Ramapo College. The Jane Addams Papers started work at Ramapo in September 2015, with the goal of creating a digital edition of the correspondence and writings of the founding mother of American social work.

“We have made a great start by scanning the documents from microfilm and mounting images and transcriptions online,” said Cathy Moran Hajo, Editor and Director of the Jane Addams Papers Project at Ramapo. “Students at Ramapo have the opportunity to learn about digital history and historical research by working at the Addams Papers. They describe and transcribe documents, and research and write descriptions of the people, organizations, and events mentioned in the documents to help readers understand the content. Students are also gaining experience in public history work, by blogging and using social media to reach the general public.”

NHPRC funds for 2016-2017 will support the continuation of work on the digital edition, and will allow the project to expand its staff to begin work on the final three volumes of the six-volume Selected Papers of Jane Addams, published by the University of Illinois Press. Hajo said that each of the volumes will include approximately 250 of the most historically significant documents, transcribed and fully annotated. “Volume 4 will cover the dates 1901-1912, years in which Addams was a leader in the settlement movement, the woman suffrage movement, and the Progressive Party,” Hajo said.

“I am grateful to the NHPRC for their support of the Addams Papers, and to our students for the wonderful work they have accomplished in our first year at Ramapo,” she added.