Congressman Pascrell Announces More Than $3 Million For William Paterson to Kick Off Alternate Route Teacher Certification Program

Initiative will address teacher shortages in high-need urban districts

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-08) has announced that William Paterson University has been awarded over $3 million in federal grant funding through the Department of Education’s Transition to Teaching program. The grant will help address critical teacher shortages in high-need northern New Jersey school districts through use of an alternate route teacher certification program. Federal funding will be made available over a five-year period.

William Paterson University to Host Conference on New Jersey Poet William Carlos Williams From June 18-20
—Conference to focus on Williams’s famous epic poem, Paterson

Paterson, the epic poem by the modern American poet and Rutherford native William Carlos Williams, will be the focus of the Third Biennial William Carlos Williams Society Conference to be held at William Paterson University in Wayne from June 18 to 20, 2009.

University Sponsors State History Day Competition

Students at History Day event

More than 350 students from around the state came to the University on May 2 for the annual New Jersey History Day competition with projects related to this year’s theme “Individuals in History: Actions and Legacies.”

University Welcomes “Thomas Jefferson” to Campus

Steve Edenbo as Jefferson

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the annual Abram Kartch/Thomas Jefferson Lecture on May 6, an interpreter of the third U.S. president made an appearance to an audience filled with more than 350 students from local high schools.

Steve Edenbo presented the one-man show in Shea Center on campus. His presentation opened with questions from the audience, and progressed to discussion and debate from a Jeffersonian point of view.

The Abram Kartch/Thomas Jefferson Lecture Series began in 1985 after Abram Kartch, a retired Paterson businessman and Jefferson scholar, provided William Paterson with an endowment to establish and continue the series. It is designed to provoke discussion about the relationship of Jefferson’s words and thoughts to modern society.

Arnold Speert Announces Retirement After 24 Years as William Paterson President

President Arnold Speert

—President Speert led institutional growth into a comprehensive university

Arnold Speert, who guided William Paterson University’s development into a comprehensive university with an increasing breadth of academic programs and a modernized campus, has announced his retirement after 24 years as president.

Under President Speert’s leadership, the institution progressed from a college into a university, successfully completed its first major fundraising campaign and upgraded and expanded its facilities. He became the institution’s sixth president on September 1, 1985.

University Confers More than 2,000 Degrees During 2009 Commencement Ceremonies

Master's degree recipients at the graduate ceremony

Internationally acclaimed artist Ben Jones ’63 received the President’s Medal and honorary degrees were conferred on Ms. Carla Temple, former member of the University’s Board of Trustees, Peter Fan, MD, outgoing member of the Board of Trustees, and the Honorable Bonnie Watson Coleman, assemblywoman and majority leader, New Jersey General Assembly, as part of William Paterson’s 186th commencement ceremonies on May 19.

Faculty Honored for Achievement in Scholarship, Teaching and Service

Faculty honored for achievement were (back row, from left) Claire Leonard, biology; John Peterman, philosophy; Brad Gooch, English, and Jane Hutchison, library; (front row, from left) Cyril Ku, computer science; Carole Sheffield, political science; Yingcong Dai, history; Diane Falk-Romaine, music; and Lily Prince, art.

Nine faculty members were honored for their outstanding achievements in scholarship/creative activity, teaching, and service during the fifth annual Faculty Recognition Luncheon held on May 19 in conjunction with the University's 186th commencement ceremonies.

William Paterson's Own Grads

As part of our traditional commencement report, we feature faculty and staff who have earned their degrees from William Paterson University and also include family of faculty and staff who graduate. Below are graduates who participated in the University’s 186th commencement on May 19.
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News Notes

Five William Paterson athletic training majors served as medical volunteers at the 2009 Boston Marathon in April. Seniors Nicole Callaghan, Monique Gerald and Marc Voicechovski and juniors Giana Albruzzese and Brittany Howell, accompanied by instructor Jaclyn Norberg, ATC, joined with thousands of other volunteers at the annual event. Norberg worked in the medical tent next to the finish line, while the students were assigned to the “medical wheelchair sweep team,” assisting runners who they felt needed help at the end of the race. “The students were able to see first hand how finishing 26.2 miles can take a toll on the runners’ bodies, and how walking the 20 feet to the medical tent can be almost impossible after running such a long distance,” says Norberg.

Baseball Makes Run to NJAC Championship Game

The third-seeded William Paterson baseball team (24-17) overcame an opening loss to reach the championship game of the double-elimination New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Tournament, producing wins against top-seeded Kean (8-2) and sixth-seeded Rowan (10-4) before falling to fourth-seeded TCNJ (8-2) in the final.

Guadango Earns Second All-America Award with Third-Team Acknowledgement

Mike Guadango

For the second straight year, William Paterson outfielder Mike Guadango (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Northern Highlands) earned a spot on the Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-America Team when he received third-team accolades on May 22.

Softball Team Advances to NCAA Tournament

William Paterson (35-9) capped off a memorable 2009 season by reaching the final of the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament Regional, losing to eventual national champion Messiah 6-1 in the deciding game. The Pioneers won the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Softball Tournament, earning their fourth conference championship and receiving their 11th NCAA Tournament bid since 1990.

Reilly Selected as a Second-Team All-American

Meghan Reilly

William Paterson senior third baseman Meghan Reilly (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) has been named to the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III All-America Second Team, the group announced May 14.