Jean Levitan, William Paterson University professor of public health, with students

William Paterson University’s bachelor’s degree program in public health has become one of eight undergraduate programs in the nation to be accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

In this, its first round ever of accrediting such undergraduate programs, CEPH invited only a handful of programs to apply for consideration. William Paterson University was among those invited, and ultimately, one of only eight to earn recognition thus far. According to CEPH, another 13 undergraduate programs are currently in the application process. As part of that process, CEPH representatives visited William Paterson in the spring to learn more about the University’s public health program by touring facilities, interviewing faculty and students, and reviewing organizational charts and budgets.

For more stories about William Paterson, scroll down:

William Paterson University Student Researcher Discovers Threatened Bat Species at High Mountain Park Preserve in Wayne
William Paterson Receives $200,000 for Scholarships from the Give Something Back Foundation
Winners Announced At Russ Berrie Institute’s 10th Annual National Sales Challenge At William Paterson University’s Cotsakos College of Business

“I believe this accreditation speaks to the fact that our undergraduate program is extremely strong, anchored by a superb faculty and state-of-the-art curriculum,” says Kenneth Wolf, dean of the University’s College of Science and Health. “Accreditation by an organization such as CEPH provides external validation that reaffirms the dedication of the faculty. We are very proud of this accomplishment.”

Among the highlights of the University’s program, noted by CEPH in its accreditation report are:

• All of the full-time faculty have doctoral-level training in areas such as health education, community health and socio-medical sciences
• Many adjunct faculty members hold significant leadership positions in professional public health practice
• Full-time and adjunct faculty are active in their disciplines as, among others, peer reviewers and journal editors, presenters and planners for professional meetings and officers of professional associations
• Practitioners from diverse backgrounds are involved with the program as guest lecturers, in service learning and/or research opportunities
• Curriculum allows students to gain experience in various areas of public health
• The required, graded and supervised internship affords students the chance to apply knowledge acquired through academic and practical activities.

Undergraduate program accreditation in public health is altogether new, according to William Kernan, associate professor and chair of William Paterson University’s Department of Public Health. Until now, no agency was tasked with reviewing and accrediting such programs; CEPH only accredited graduate programs and schools of public health.

The University’s undergraduate program in health education was previously approved by the SOPHE/AAHE Baccalaureate Program Approval Committee (SABPAC) – an approval held for about 25 years, through spring 2015. Nationwide, there were about two dozen such approved programs, so again, William Paterson was one of a select group. SABPAC, however, was phased out when CEPH became involved with undergraduate programs.

Julia MacDonald, William Paterson University senior biology major and bat researcher

William Paterson University Student Researcher Discovers Threatened Bat Species at High Mountain Park Preserve in Wayne

William Paterson University senior biology major Julia MacDonald and Lance Risley, William Paterson University professor of biology and bat researcher, discovered a federally threatened species of bat at High Mountain Park Preserve in Wayne. MacDonald and Risley confirmed the presence of Northern Long-eared Bats, a nationally threatened species, during the first known bat study at the 1,260-acre Preserve, which borders the University.

An acoustic recording device was used to detect the bats’ location and two male long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) were briefly captured in mist nets in July and fitted with tiny radio transmitters. The bats were radio-tracked for several days and led the researchers to several roost trees inside the Preserve.

MacDonald’s research is especially significant because the population of the Northern Long-eared Bat, once fairly common in forested areas in New Jersey, has declined about 95 percent in recent years due to a fungus known as White Nose Syndrome, which became prevalent in 2009.

Both the Nature Conservancy, which administers the High Mountain Preserve, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife, which monitors threatened and endangered species, are interested in her findings. While not an official designation, some bat experts have referred to the Northern Long-eared Bat as an indicator species of healthy forest. This species is particularly good at foraging in dense vegetation and not only catches flying insects, but also takes insects from plant surfaces.

“Independent research has definitely opened my eyes to how much work is involved,” MacDonald says. “You can only learn so much in the classroom; being able to conduct fieldwork and process the data really has given me the whole experience.”

Robert Carr, founder and chair of Give Something Back Foundation, and Kathleen Waldron, William Paterson University President

William Paterson University Receives $200,000 for Scholarships from the Give Something Back Foundation

William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey, has received a $200,000 donation from the Give Something Back Foundation (Give Back) that will provide 10 low-income students from northern New Jersey with the opportunity to attend William Paterson and graduate in four years with no cost for tuition and fees or room and board.

The gift was announced during a reception on the William Paterson University campus by Robert Carr, founder and chairman of Give Back, which is focused on providing scholarships to students of modest means to help them realize their full potential by achieving a college education.

“Give Back is excited to expand its scholarship program in New Jersey and provide our scholars with the option of receiving a college degree in four years from William Paterson University—an institution that shares our vision of making a college education available to qualified students of modest means,” said Carr.

“Scholarship support can be transformative for students in need of financial support who are seeking to make higher education a priority,” says Kathleen Waldron, president of William Paterson University. “We are grateful to Robert Carr and the Give Something Back Foundation for their generous gift in support of students whose hard work in high school will make them eligible for a scholarship-supported William Paterson University education in the future.”

Give Back is currently recruiting ninth graders throughout the state to apply to its program, as well as mentors to support accepted students through high school. For more information, visit www.giveback.ngo.

Victoria Reyes of William Paterson University, Overall Sales Challenge individual winner, and team member Brian Potoczak of William Paterson University, which took third place as a sales team.

Winners Announced at Russ Berrie Institute’s 10th Annual National Sales Challenge at William Paterson University’s Cotsakos College of Business

The Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales (RBI) at William Paterson University’s Cotsakos College of Business hosted the 10th Annual National Sales Challenge, an intense series of selling competitions and workshops held at the University’s campus in Wayne, N.J., from November 16 to 18, 2016.

More than 100 college students representing 31 universities from across the country, as well as from Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland, participated in the competition. This year, 113 executives from 16 sponsor companies participated in the National Sales Challenge, the largest executive attendance in its history.

The competition is designed by the University’s Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales to strengthen students’ sales skills and offer them an opportunity to network with business executives from companies around the country who will judge the events and serve as sponsors.

Competitions included the sales role-play event, which used a selling situation from sponsor ADP, and a speed-selling competition, which requires students to rotate through tables seated with company executives to pitch themselves for two minutes for a generic job.

Winners are as follows:

UNIVERSITY SALES TEAM
1st Place – University of Wisconsin-Parkside; team members are Nicole Thomsen and Jack Nickeas
2nd Place – University of Louisiana-Lafayette; team members are Caeleb Young and Salvadore Crifasi
3rd Place – William Paterson University; team members are Brian Potoczak and Victoria Reyes
4th Place – Utah State University; team members are Karlie Arave and Jeremy Bowe

SALES CHALLENGE CHAMPION–INDIVIDUAL WINNERS
1st Place – Victoria Reyes of William Paterson University
2nd Place – Jack Rickeas of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside
3rd Place – Nicole Thomsen of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside
4th Place – Caeleb Young of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette

SALES ROLE-PLAY COMPETITION
1st Place – Nicole Thomsen of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside
2nd Place – Salvadore Crifasi of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette
3rd Place – Victoria Reyes of William Paterson University
4th Place – Caeleb Young of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette

SPEED-SELLING COMPETITION
1st Place –Margaret Newton of Baylor University
2nd Place –Jack Nickeas of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside
3rd Place –Caleb Ellison of Baylor University
4th Place –Sam Garwood of Clarkson University

Participating schools for 2016 were:
Ball State University
Baylor University
Bloomsburg University
Clarkson University
Edinburgh Napier University
Georgia Southern University
High Point University
James Madison University
Kansas State University
Metropolitan University of Denver
Nicholls State University
Penn State Harrisburg
Plymouth State University
Purdue University
Siena College
Southern New Hampshire University
St. Catherine University
State University of New York at New Paltz
Temple University
The Citadel
The College of New Jersey
University of Arkansas (Little Rock)
University of Central Oklahoma
University of Louisiana-Lafayette
University of Texas (Arlington)
University of Wisconsin (Parkside)
University of Wisconsin (White Water)
Utah State University
Western Michigan University
Widener University
William Paterson University

The National Sales Challenge was held in University Commons and the Russ Berrie Professional Sales Laboratory, a unique computerized multimedia facility that simulates business office environments in the University’s 1600 Valley Road building. William Paterson offers a bachelor of science degree in professional sales through the Department of Professional Sales, and provides training programs for sales professionals in the Laboratory.

A video about the National Sales Challenge at William Paterson University can be seen at http://bit.ly/2flerKF.