John Jay College Alumni News

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Interim Executive Board

Michael F. McCann
BS'74, JD
President

Richard Gallo
BS'79, MPA'82, MA '85,
First Vice President,

Teresa Coaxum
BA'93, MPA'08
Second Vice President

Larry Cunningham
BS'97, JD
Third Vice President

Thomas Belfiore
BA'79, MA'96
Treasurer

Suzanne Chiofolo
BA'00
Secretary & Long Island Coordinator

Honorary Members

James Brito
BS'05
Staten Island Coordinator

Daniel Cabrera, Jr.
BS '87, MPA '93, Washington, D.C.
Coordinator

Ronald Spadafora
BS '86
FDNY Coordinator


With Special Thanks to retiring Commissioner Lawrence W. Mulvey who welcomed us at Nassau County Police Headquarters for the 2011 Connect and Reconnect Open House, ... to speakers and panelists at recent student events: Hon. Mary Gotsopoulis, Hon. Marguerite Grays, Markus Green, Seny Taveras, Kenneth Thompson; to the Alumni Scholarship Committee Thomas Belfiore, Suzanne Chiofolo and Linda Reynolds for identifying our 2011-2012 scholar;...to the Reunion Awards Committee Richard Gallo (chair), Linda Gimlett, Nicole Hanson, Oscar Odom III for identifying reunion honorees, … and to guides and volunteers: Michael Scaduto, Andrew Schweighardt and Louie Lang for offering critical support at student-oriented events...we acknowledge and deeply appreciate your enthusiastic involvement and continuing support for the Alumni Engagement Program.


Building the College's Future Brick by Brick
Join the growing ranks of alumni taking the unique opportunity to leave their mark upon the College by purchasing a brick ($250 or $500), a tree ($1,000) or a bench ($5000) on the Jay Walk, a 60,000 square foot esplanade that will link Haaren Hall to the new building on 11th Avenue. It's a way to both commemorate a significant person in your life as well as provide needed scholarships for our students through a tax-deductible donation. To learn more about this campaign, click here or call 212.237.8688.

Jay Walk donors may purchase 2011 ALUMNI REUNION TICKETS at special rates!

See April 12th Alumni Reunion information below.


To All John Jay Alumni Holding the M.S. Degree in Forensic Science:

The Forensic Science Master's Program is updating its alumni database. Please send your contact information by June 1, 2011 to the Program Director, Professor Margaret Wallace, at mawallace@jjay.cuny.edu. It would be very helpful if you would:

* include the term "MS FOS Alumni" in the subject
* note your preferred e-mail address
* provide your home/business contact information and date of graduation

Thank you for your cooperation.

Margaret M. Wallace, Ph.D.
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Department of Sciences
445 West 59th Street
New York, NY 10019

College News
John Jay in Top 20% of Nation's MPA Programs
When it comes to Master of Public Administration programs, John Jay is ahead of Baruch, New School University and Pace University, and is outranked by only Columbia and New York universities, according to the U.S. News and World Report's 2012 Best Graduate Schools. The CUNY Graduate Center Doctoral Program in Criminal Justice at John Jay was also ranked by the publication as one of the top 10 programs in the nation, ahead of the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, University of Florida and Northeastern University. The ranking is a "tremendous honor," said President Jeremy Travis. "We are proud that our graduate programs continue to solidify the reputation of John Jay College as the thought leader in criminal justice."

Professor David Kennedy Awarded 2010-2011 Hatfield Scholar Award
In recognition of his nationally-acclaimed strategies for reducing violence, Professor David Kennedy, Director of the Center for Crime Prevention and Control at John Jay College, was the recipient last month of the 2010-2011 Hatfield Scholar Award. Kennedy's practice-focused "action research" approach to public safety have been utilized in some of the country's most troubled communities. Working with the Boston Police Department, Kennedy's "Operation Ceasefire" program cut the city's youth homicide rate by two-thirds and has been applied in dozens of other cities. His work on neighborhood drug markets led to the "High Point" drug market elimination strategy, now being implemented in many other jurisdictions and replicated by the U.S. Department of Justice. In addition, Kennedy is co-chair of the National Network for Safe Communities, an organization dedicated to reducing crime, the incarceration rate, and addressing the racial conflict associated with traditional crime policy. The Hatfield Scholar Award was established by the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University in Oregon. Named for the state's former Governor and Senator, the award is offered to exceptional scholars whose careers exemplify the Award's ideals of public interest, scholarship and public service.

Forensic Psychology Faculty Published in Top Journals
John Jay College ranked among the highest in a recent study of the institutional affiliations of authors published in the top three forensic psychology journals. "This is a great honor for John Jay College and is a testament to the hard work of the faculty in the Psychology Department and the quality of their research," said Karen Terry, Interim Associate Provost and Dean of Research and Strategic Partnerships. The study, conducted by Mary E. Schnorf and Jeffrey L. Helms of Kennesaw State University in Georgia, analyzed 554 articles published from 2004 to 2008 in the refereed journals Law and Human Behavior; Behavioral Sciences and the Law; and Psychology, Public Policy and Law. John Jay, it found, ranked third in the number of faculty members listed as authors of non-duplicative articles. Twenty different John Jay faculty authors were identified as having produced the articles – more than any other school in the final ranking, according to the study.

John Jay Students Attend Annual Law Day
As they advance through their academic and professional careers, students were urged to reach back and help others by the many stellar jurists and attorneys on hand to offer encouragement and advice at last month's annual Law Day. More than 225 students registered for the all-day event sponsored by the Pre Law Institute. Ida L. Castro, Vice President for Social Justice and Diversity at the Commonwealth Medical College in Pennsylvania and the first Latina to chair the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, gave the Samuel and Anna Jacobs Foundation Lecture on Law and the Legal Profession. The students' response to hearing about the Bronx-born Castro's rise as a labor lawyer, litigator and faculty member at Rutgers University and the City University School of Law was "out of control," said Vielka Holness, Director of the Pre Law Institute. They reacted similarly to the day's alumni honoree, New York State Supreme Court Justice Marguerite A. Grays (BA, 1979), who spoke to them of reaching for dreams and working hard to achieve them. Grays, who earned both an associate's and bachelor's degree at John Jay, can also claim three nieces and a sister-in-law who are either alumnae or students.


Events
THE 1960'S: THE STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE INTENSIFIES
Monday, April 4, 2011                                7:00 PM

The GI, Anti-War Coffee Houses. Speaker Barbara Garson: author; playwright; and social activist.

This series of lectures will examine the efforts to achieve justice in the U.S. during the 1960's.

John Jay College
899 10th Avenue, Room 206/207T
New York City


Mosques, Veils, and Madrassas: Muslims and Institutions of Justice in Pluralistic Societies
Thursday, April 7, 2011                              6:30 PM

Homeland Values; Homeland Communities: Has History Repeated Itself? With speaker David Cole: John Carroll Research Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center. This event is part of series that seeks to enhance awareness of the experiences and challenges of Muslims living in America and Europe at a critical time.

John Jay College
899 10th Avenue, Rm 630T
New York City

Human Rights Seminar Series Spring 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011                              6:00 PM-8:00 PM

John Jay's Center for International Human Rights, the PhD/MA Program in Political Science, and the Global Studies Collective present "Assessing Compliance: The Role of Human Rights Monitoring." This series explores how monitoring mechanisms are utilized to assess compliance with international human rights norms and standards. The subject of this lecture will be the Sentence Enforcement Monitoring Mechanisms of the Ad Hoc and Hybrid International Criminal Tribunals. The speaker will be Richard Culp, Associate Professor of Public Administration, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York.

CUNY Graduate Center
365 Fifth Avenue, Room C197
New York City

THE 1960'S: THE STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE INTENSIFIES
Monday, April 11, 2011                                7:00 PM

The 1960's: A Reporter's Eye View. Speaker Carl Bernstein: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author.

John Jay College of Criminal Justice
899 10th Avenue, Room 630T
New York City

Alumni Reunion
Tuesday, April 12, 2011                                6:00 PM

ConnectandReconnect@ John Jay: 2011 Alumni Reunion
President Jeremy Travis and Alumni Board President Michael F. McCann, BS '74, JD invite all alumni, faculty, staff and students graduating in the class of 2011 to the 2011 Alumni Reunion.

The Endowed Alumni Scholarship, Distinguished Faculty Award and Distinguished Alumnus Award will be presented to Naithram Singh, B.A.'13, John Matteson, J.D., Ph.D, and Larry Loesch, B.A.'77, respectively.

RSVP: Tickets are required: $35-Single; $60-Double, $25-Graduate Student, $10-Seniors and $200-Table (8). Special rates for Jay Walk Donors are: $30–Single; $50-Double; $20-Graduate Students; $5-Seniors; and $150-Table (8). Please include in your response: your name, degree, class, email and guest's name (if any).

You may purchase tickets or make donations online at https://johnjay.jjay.cuny.edu/2011alumnireunion or make your check payable to:

"John Jay College Foundation" and mail to: 2011 Alumni Reunion; John Jay College of Criminal Justice; 555 West 57th St., 608 BMW; New York, NY 10019. To make a Jay Walk donation, please see lead article "Building the College's Future Brick by Brick." For 2011 Reunion information contact: jkemp@jjay.cuny.edu or 212.237.8547.

We look forward to welcoming you on April 12th!

John Jay College
899 10th Avenue, 4th floor
New York City

Mosques, Veils, and Madrassas: Muslims and Institutions of Justice in Pluralistic Societies
Thursday, April 14, 2011                                6:30 PM

Roots of Fundamentalism. Speaker: Scott Atran, Presidential Scholar at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Visiting Professor of Psychology and Public Policy at the University of Michigan.

John Jay College
899 10th Avenue, Room 630T
New York City

Protection Gaps and Responses: Challenges and Opportunities
Wednesday, April 27, 2011                             5:00 PM

The Center for International Human Rights (CIHR) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are organizing an event to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 50th anniversary of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. The focus of this event is gaps in the international protection framework, and in its implementation, which is a key sub-theme of the 2010 High Commissioner's Dialogue on Protection Challenges.

John Jay College
BMW Building, Room 615B
555 West 57th Street
New York City

Mosques, Veils, and Madrassas: Muslims and Institutions of Justice in Pluralistic Societies
Thursday, April 28, 2011                                6:30 PM

The Hijabi Monologues. The experiences of American Muslim women portrayed by an all John Jay College cast. Produced and directed by Professor Lorraine Moller.

John Jay College
North Hall Building, Room 1311
445 West 59th Street
New York City

2011 Job & Internship Fair
Thursday, April 28, 2011                         3:00 - 7:00 PM

Career Development Services Director Will Simpkins invites all alumni to the 2011 Job & Internship Fair. Whether you are a job seeker or a representative of your employer -- all alumni are welcome! No preregistration is required, however, all job-seekers MUST wear professional attire and have a valid John Jay College Alumni ID. If you do not yet have an alumni ID, you may obtain one on the day of the fair (with proper identification), or you may contact Alumni Relations at (212) 237-8547 to request your card in advance.

Employers' Representatives: To represent your employer, please register at https://jjay-cuny-csm.symplicity.com/events/2011Fair. There is a small fee for employers. Facebook Updates: To keep up with Career Development Services news, please consider joining their Facebook group (http://tinyurl.com/johnjaycareerfacebook).

For further information - careers@jjay.cuny.edu or (212) 237-8754.

John Jay College
899 10th Avenue, 4th Floor
New York City

Mosques, Veils, and Madrassas: Muslims and Institutions of Justice in Pluralistic Societies
Thursday, May 5, 2011                                6:30 PM

The 99 and Challenging Muslim Stereotypes. Speaker Naif Al-Mutawa, creator of The 99, comic-book heroes used to reinforce positive messages about Islam.

John Jay College
899 10th Avenue, Room 630T
New York City

Connect and Reconnect Open House in Washington, DC
Wednesday, May 11, 2011                          6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

President Jeremy Travis, Alumni Association President Michael McCann (BA '74, JD), Washington, DC Coordinator Daniel Cabrera, Jr. (BS '88, MP '93) and the Alumni Board cordially invite all John Jay alumni to an Open House in Washington, DC. Refreshments will be served.

RSVP to Jerylle Kemp, Director of Alumni Relations at jkemp@jjay.cuny.edu. Please be sure to provide your full name, degree(s), graduation years(s) and your email address. For more information, call 212.237.8547.

Casa Italiana Hall
595 Third Street, NW (at 3rd & F Streets)
Washington, DC


Alumni Spotlight
 Yvette C. Burton (MA '94)

In November 2010, Yvette C. Burton (MA '94) was named CEO of the Arcus Foundation, a non-profit organization that dually supports advancement of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) social justice, and the conservation of the great apes. It is the latest in a series of high-profile posts held by the 45-year-old alumna. Beginning in 1992, Burton served as the New York City Department of Health's Director of Lesbian Health. She then moved on to the National League for Nursing as an organizational development director for the group's constituent agencies. Until her recent appointment, Burton worked for more than a decade as a global business development executive at IBM. While her career path may seem "fragmented from the outside," said Burton, a constant theme has run through her professional life: "people, process, organizations – how the various constellations of those things result in intended outcomes of change." Burton comes from a police family. Her grandfather was an NYPD officer in the Bronx's 44th Precinct. He was killed in the line of duty when Burton was 11. "I was almost raised by a community of police officers in that old-style precinct," she said. "When I came from school I went to the pizza parlor and they watched me until my grandfather got back. I grew up with a very different orientation about what policing could be." In addition to the master's in Criminal Justice she holds, Burton also has a doctorate from the Fielding Graduate University in Organizational Systems and Human Development. "Being the granddaughter of a fallen NYPD officer, I always grew up with a respect for the law and also the complexities of administering it," she said. John Jay was a pivotal juncture in her academic career, Burton noted. "I thought John Jay was world-class because it had faculty that were subject-matter experts, but were also practitioners," she said. Burton uses skills learned at John Jay when speaking with the White House, she said, about public policy, cost-benefit analysis, how to deconstruct the implications of a given policy and understanding the development of a policy. Not only did she refine the "raw skills" she had when she entered the College, Burton believes she also came away from the experience with a greater confidence and awareness. "The confidence to be clear about only what I know, and also be humbled by what I don't know, and the importance of having that awareness in going in and impacting lives and organizations."

Student Highlights

 John Cusick

Driven by a passion for juvenile justice, John Jay student John Cusick spent eight days in Egypt this past January holding workshops for teenagers from Cairo's Maadi Narmer School. "We did social empowerment workshops with the kids, whether it was questioning authority, or just getting them to talk about politics in general, getting them to open up about fears they had, gender issues," he said. "Once they starting talking about these different issues, we were there to provide support, how to network, how to blog, how to do all these different things." A future lawyer, Cusick is a 21-year-old junior majoring in Humanities and Justice and a Pre Law Institute student. His zeal for juvenile justice began last year, he mentioned, when he interned with Judge Judy Harris Kluger, Chief of Policy and Planning for the New York State Courts and her problem-solving courts. "I got into juveniles because the law here in New York– -- 16 is the age of criminal responsibility --– is in really, really bad shape," he said. "That's driven me to get into law...it's kind of been refined to something in the international realm with juveniles." Interested in pursuing a JD/PhD, he would ideally like to attend New York University School of Law because of its partnership with Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. "Right now I'm looking at a lot of schools," said Cusick. A recipient of the Rising Sophomore Scholarship, Cusick is active in a number of clubs including the Debate Society. In addition to serving on the judicial committee of the Student Government this semester, Cusick is the founder and president of the new Redefining Juvenile Justice Club. Cusick and a classmate also created a group called Youth International Empowerment YIE, under whose aegis they visited Egypt. Cusick said they hope to bring YIE to John Jay as a club.

Office of Alumni Affairs, 555 West 57th Street, Room 608, NY, NY 10019 ' Phone 212.237.8547, Email: alumni@jjay.cuny.edu, http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/alumninews