TO: EDITORS AND REPORTERS
FROM: Mary Beth Zeman, Director of Public Relations
DATE: May 13, 2002

SUBJECT: William Paterson University Commencement on May 21
--Graduates Include 16-Year-old Student

William Paterson University in Wayne will hold its 175th commencement ceremony on Tuesday, May 21 at 10:30 a.m. on Wightman Field. The rain date is Wednesday, May 22, also at 10:30 a.m. A total of 968 students are scheduled to receive degrees. Bachelor’s degrees will be conferred upon 809 undergraduates; 159 students will receive master’s degrees.

Highlighted below are a number of graduating students who would make interesting feature stories. These students will be available on campus on commencement day either before or after the ceremony, or in advance by telephone through my office. If you are interested in speaking with one of these students, please call me at
973-720-2966.

16-Year-Old William Paterson University Student to Graduate
Hoda Bastani of Montville, just a few days past her 16th birthday, will become William Paterson University’s youngest graduate as she receives a bachelor’s degree in biology.

She earned a 4.0 grade point average, and was selected to carry the banner for the College of Science and Health during commencement, an honor given only to the highest-achieving graduates. She was named to the dean’s list and the national dean’s list and received the University’s Arnold and Myrna Speert Scholarship and Presidential Scholarship.

College graduation is just the latest accomplishment for this young woman, another step toward her future goal of becoming a physician. Bastani is currently applying to medical schools and hopes to specialize in neurology, a discipline she became interested in while taking a class in neuroscience at William Paterson. But she wants to keep an open mind, realizing that medical school might reveal other interests.

Encouraged and supported by her parents who immigrated to this country from Iran when she was just one year old, Bastani, who was home-schooled in the first and third grades, excelled at academics from a very young age. She entered County College of Morris directly from the eighth grade and earned an associate’s degree in chemistry before enrolling at William Paterson two years ago.

Since she is too young to drive, her parents or her older sister drove her to school
each day. She says her classmates often didn’t realize how young she is, but she is
accustomed to being with people of all ages at her mosque where she teaches a class in religious studies.

In addition to her studies on campus, she formed the Muslim Students Association and served as its first president. She was a member of the Galen Society, a preprofessional club for students interested in the health sciences, and the Pathways to Academic Success in the Sciences (PASS) Program, which provides hands-on training and research experiences for undergraduate minority students. Bastani also worked as a tutor at the Science Enrichment Center.

PROFILES OF OTHER GRADUATING STUDENTS:

BURLINGTON COUNTY:
Wendy DeMarco, Cinnaminson: DeMarco, who is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communication, wrote, produced and directed an original work as her senior project for the Honors Program in Performing Arts. DeMarco debuted "Traditional Friends" in a two-night William Paterson Unversity production. Young writers are often told to write about what they know and DeMarco took that information to heart as she deftly wrote about a group of university students and their experiences in her two-scene play. DeMarco is seeking a job in technical theatre as a leg in her journey to become a director.

MERCER COUNTY:
Karen Hollywood, Princeton: An international student from Scotland, Hollywood will earn a master’s degree in history. Hollywood, who holds a degree in history and American studies from the University of Dundee in Scotland, combined her interests in both Scottish and American immigration in her master’s thesis project, which explored the history of Scottish immigration to New Jersey, particularly the Scottish communities in Kearny and Bricktown. Hollywood conducted interviews with more than 100 people as part of her original research. Her work recently garnered the attention of BBC Radio Scotland, which interviewed her in April for its show "The Reel Blend" as part of the network’s coverage of the annual Tartan Day parade in New York City.

MONMOUTH COUNTY:
Sarah A. Barba, Manalapan: Barba, who will receive a bachelor’s degree in nursing, served as president of the New Jersey Nursing Students (NJNS) during the 2001-2002 academic year. In addition to her statewide service, Barba was president of William Paterson’s Student Nurses Association and organized a health fair in cooperation with the University’s Career Development Center. Funds raised from the 29 exhibitors were used to establish a scholarship for sophomore and junior students in the nursing program. She also created a multimedia presentation titled "Nurses: An Endangered Species," which she developed and produced for New Jersey high schools to promote the profession. For this presentation, she received a special award from the New Jersey Nursing Association. This summer she will study holistic nursing at a program in London, England. She has been hired for the fall as a labor and delivery nurse at Morristown Memorial Hospital.

MORRIS COUNTY:
What makes these nurses tick?
Five graduating nursing students have created a health education Web site designed to educate residents of Morristown about the significant risk of contracting Lyme disease. The project grew out of the Nursing Department’s requirement for seniors to conduct a community health assessment. Caryn Peters of Lake Hopatcong and Donna Whyte of Hamburg, both adults who have returned to school for a nursing degree, and three traditional-age students, Lauren Kersbergen of New Providence, Avani Patel of Wayne and Danielle Robinson of Collingswood, developed the Web site, which includes a risk assessment and information on ticks, signs and symptoms of Lyme disease, diagnosis and testing, treatment, prevention and resources. The Web site can be accessed at www.morristown.com/LymesDiseaseNJ/Tickindex.html, which is a link on the Morristown Web site.

PASSAIC COUNTY:
David Kuehl, North Haledon: Kuehl, a 30-year-old Gulf War veteran, will receive a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He graduated high school in 1989 and immediately enlisted in the Air Force for four years. He was stationed in Turkey during the Gulf War; he later participated in the post-war humanitarian operation in Northern Iraq. After the service, Kuehl was working as a warehouse manager when he decided to fulfill his longtime desire to go to college.

Tom Lucas, West Milford: Lucas, who has been a successful Manhattan restaurant owner, a psychiatric researcher and a special education teacher, will begin a new career as a school counselor after receiving his M.Ed. at William Paterson. Lucas, who grew up in the family restaurant business, worked as a researcher in the children’s ward of a Boston hospital after earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in developmental psychiatry. But when the opportunity came to open a Manhattan restaurant with a relative, he jumped at it. Eighteen years later and the owner by then of three restaurants, Lucas thought the time was right to walk away and return to school. He enrolled at William Paterson and earned a certification in special education.

Lissy Maraj, Clifton: Maraj, who will earn a bachelor of science degree in nursing, is one of only 20 students in the nation awarded a Helene Fuld Trust Fellowship, designed for outstanding nursing students who wish to achieve a new level of skills and who aspire to nursing leadership positions when they complete their education. Maraj is a member of the New Jersey Nursing Students Association, and she was recently awarded a scholarship from the New Jersey Nurses Association. She was inducted into Sigma Theta Tau, the International Nursing Honor Society, where she was presented with a merit award for achievement in nursing. Her goal is to become a pediatric nurse practitioner and later a neuroscience researcher, also in pediatrics.

Paola Melo, Haledon. An international student, Melo was 15 when she arrived in the U.S. from South America when her mother, a diplomat with the Colombian government, was transferred to New York City. Unable to speak English, she was put into ESL classes for two years. By the time she enrolled at William Paterson, she was fluent in the language. Melo, who will earn a bachelor’s degree in political science, was president of the Political Science Club, and secretary general for the University’s Model U.N. program. She received an Alumni Scholarship and a scholarship for African American and Hispanic students. She plans to work for a semester and then go on to graduate school; her goal is a career in international affairs and politics.

Joohune Pyune, Wayne: Pyune will be the first student to earn a master’s degree in fine arts at William Paterson. A native of Korea, Pyune works in an unusual medium – dye-sublimation – a process that involves transferring digital images from the computer to large-format printing on fabric. Her designs, which include colorful images on layers of sheer fabric, are on view through May 20 in the University’s Power Art Center Gallery. Pyune’s parents are coming from Seoul for commencement.

SUSSEX COUNTY:
Nancy Gianni, Andover: Gianni had two goals for 2002: finishing her degree before she turns 50, and beginning a teaching career that has been on the back burner for almost 30 years, since she received an associate’s degree from the County College of Morris. Gianni will earn a bachelor’s degree in women’s studies with a minor in political science. She is ready for new pursuits, having previously served a one-year term as mayor of Washington Borough, and seven years as an elected official there. Gianni also will receive the Women’s Studies Department’s Norma Van Dyke Award for Excellence in Women’s Studies.

Barbara Psaroudis, Hamburg: Psaroudis, a 50-year-old registered nurse who works at St. Claire’s Hospital, will receive her bachelor's degree in anthropology with the highest G.P.A. in the department. Psaroudis is already on her second career, having spent 14 years working for the telephone company. She switched her major from nursing to anthropology because she found it so interesting. Despite her non-traditional age, she joined the Anthropology Club at the University and has been an active participant in extracurricular activities. Her husband, children, and 86-year old mother will be attending commencement.

Dan Rowen, Vernon: Rowen, who will earn a bachelor’s degree in biology cum laude, came to the University through its Sponsored Student Program, a special admissions and support program for students whose high school academic records may not reflect their full range of talents. Rowen, who earned a number of prestigious scholarships, also completed the University’s rigorous Biopsychology Honors Program, has been actively involved in undergraduate research projects and will pursue an independent study project at the University this summer that focuses on spatial learning and memory. Rowen who served as president of the Student Alumni Council on campus during the 2001-2002 academic year, coordinated a regional student alumni council conference that brought more than 200 students from the Northeast to the William Paterson campus in March. He plans to continue at William Paterson in September in a teacher accreditation program and following its completion to teach high school biology or chemistry.

NEW YORK CITY:
Nakeeba Wauchope, Jamaica, New York: Wauchope, the daughter of reggae recording artist Sister Carol, will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in communication, having completed a number of internships as part of her academic program. Through the National Student Exchange Program, she took classes at California State University at Northridge, and interned at NBC Entertainment and Sony Entertainment in Los Angeles. While in California, Wauchope also landed a spot as a contestant on BET’s "On the Beat," a hip hop sports trivia game show. Wauchope was a member of William Paterson’s women’s basketball team. Currently working part-time at NBA Entertainment in Secaucus as a videotape librarian, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in sports management.

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5/10/02
For Further Information, contact:

Mary Beth Zeman, Director, Public Relations 973-720-2966