Alumni Association Newsletter (December 2009)

At the Fall 2009 Career Fair, students and employers were greeted by volunteers:

At our Voices from the Field roundtable, a lawyer, a chemical biologist, and an educational administrator seamlessly shared their professional experiences and life lessons with undergraduates. For their wise counsel and a memorable afternoon, our hats are off to:

In closing, we extend our sincere thanks to every alum who has volunteered during the year. We appreciate your time and effort in giving back to the College and to our students in such meaningful ways. Happy Holidays to all!
Jerylle Kemp, Director of Alumni Relations

Time to Celebrate
More than 300 supporters, friends and members of the John Jay community came together on October 29 for the 2009 Educating for Justice Gala, which honored Herb Sturz together with Lynn and Jules Kroll for their lifelong contributions to public service and civic betterment. A former New York City deputy mayor and creator of such programs as the Vera Institute for Justice and The After-School Corporation, Sturz received the Award for Social Entrepreneurship. In presenting the award, Jack Rosenthal, President of the New York Times Company Foundation, described Sturz as "the most imaginative and effective public policy innovator of our time." Award-winning author and media critic Ken Auletta presented the Award for Civic Leadership to Lynn and Jules Kroll for their deep and enduring commitment to philanthropy and public service. Jules Kroll, Chairman of the John Jay College Foundation, is a pioneering figure in the modern corporate investigative and security industry. His wife, Lynn, is a veteran leader of numerous non-profit institutions, including the UJA-Federation of New York and the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services. The evening's festivities included entertainment by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist of the Broadway hit "In the Heights," and Henry Butler, the legendary New Orleans-based jazz and blues pianist. The gala raised a record-breaking sum of more than $560,000 including a generous contribution of $50,000 by Dick Tarlow, a member of the John Jay College Foundation Board. The proceeds of the evening will benefit various student programs. (From the left are presenter Jack Rosenthal, honoree Herb Sturz, presenter Ken Auletta, honorees Jules and Lynn Kroll, and President Jeremy Travis.)

John Jay, an "Institution of Consequence"
In his annual State of the College, President Jeremy Travis described a college that has undergone a tremendous change. "A few short years ago, we made a commitment to undertake a fundamental transformation of the College. Today, we can look back with tremendous pride on the progress we have made. We should be very proud of the distance we have travelled over the past five years." Travis noted that over these years, John Jay has made great strides in attracting baccalaureate students. He also pointed out that 50% of the full-time faculty were hired over the past five years. He acknowledged the College's new graduate programs in International Crime and Justice and in Forensic Mental Health Counseling as well as the new liberal arts undergraduate majors in English, Economics, Global History and Gender Studies. The College has formed educational partnership with a number of CUNY's community colleges to provide joint associate-baccalaureate degree programs. "We will continue to occupy a distinctive place in the world as a liberal arts college with a justice mission, 'educating for justice.'" he said. Describing the extent of faculty research and scholarship as "a research juggernaut," Travis reported that in the last year alone the College was awarded $16.2 million in grants—more than doubling in the past four years. He also announced the development of a new master plan that will take the College to its 50th anniversary in 2014. "As we move toward John Jay @ 50, we should consciously create strategic partnerships that will benefit our students, our faculty and our alumni. No other institution in the world can claim that its faculty are so deeply involved in so many pressing issues of justice and injustice…we should ensure that the College remains an institution of consequence." To read the full text of the State of the College Address, click here.

What's Going On?
Would you like to share your recent career and/or personal achievements with your fellow alums and the John Jay community? Let us know what you're doing these days. Your submissions will be considered for inclusion in the alumni class notes section of the upcoming spring edition of the John Jay Magazine. Just click here and fill in the information.

Homecoming 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009	4:30 PM Indoor Tailgate with Free Pizza
	5:00 PM Women's Basketball vs. Lehman
	7:00 PM Men's Basketball vs. Lehman

Show your pride in John Jay College by supporting the Men's and Women's Basketball teams at this year's Homecoming. Homecoming is a time for alumni to Connect & Reconnect to your alma mater and your former classmates, all while cheering on the Bloodhounds. Homecoming is free for all who attend and promises to be entertaining and exciting.

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

Occasional Series on Reentry Research
A Natural Experiment on Residential Change and Recidivism: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina
Friday, December 11, 2009 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

The Prisoner Reentry Institute cordially invites you to "A Natural Experiment on Residential Change and Recidivism: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina" by David Kirk, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Texas at Austin. Men and women coming home from prison often return to the same geographic place they lived prior to their incarceration. This research explores the impact returning to the same place has on recidivism rates in pre- and post-Katrina New Orleans. Discussants will include Andrea Evans, Chair of the New York State Board of Parole, and Dorick Scarpelli, Program Director of the NYC Justice Corps.

RSVP to Amelia Thompson at 212.484.1399 or amthompson@jjay.cuny.edu.

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

Great Music for a Great City Concert Series: A Baroque Holiday
Saturday, December 12, 2009 7:30 PM

Come hear a magical concert of music by baroque composers, Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and Purcell, that evokes memories of the joy and comforts of the holiday season. The concert will be enhanced with readings by actor Eli Wallach.

Admission is free.

John Jay College
Gerald W. Lynch Theater
899 Tenth Avenue
New York City

Continuing Education Open Houses
Monday, January 11, 2010	5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday, January 25, 2010	5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday, February 1, 2010	5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

The Office of Continuing and Professional Studies would like to introduce you to the wide variety of courses being offered this spring – courses that are designed to meet you professional needs, personal development and enjoyment. Offerings range from in-depth issues in criminal justice and career development to personal growth. Come, enjoy some refreshments, and meet the faculty who are internationally known experts in their fields.

John Jay alumni receive a 10% discount. For more information, click here, call 212.237.8663, or email cep@jjay.cuny.edu.

John Jay College
BMW Building
555 West 57thh Street, Room 613B
New York City

Alumni Open House in New York City
Friday, January 22, 2010 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

President Jeremy Travis; Michael McCann (BS '74, JD), Alumni Association President; and the Alumni Board cordially invite all alumni to attend this open house as part of the continuing series to Connect & Reconnect at John Jay. Refreshments will be served.

To RSVP, please confirm your attendance by phone, 212.237.8964 or email to jkemp@jjay.cuny.edu. Please be sure to include your full name, degree(s) and graduation year(s), email address, and the date of the event you will attend. For more information, contact Alumni Relations at 212-237-8547.

John Jay College
899 Tenth Avenue, Theater Lobby
New York City

Alumni Open House in Staten Island
Thursday, January 28, 2010 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

President Jeremy Travis; Michael McCann (BS '74, JD), Alumni Association President; and James Brito (BS '05), Staten Island Coordinator; cordially invite all alumni to attend this open house as part of the continuing series to Connect & Reconnect at John Jay. Refreshments will be served.

To RSVP, please confirm your attendance by phone, 212.237.8964 or email to jkemp@jjay.cuny.edu. Please be sure to include your full name, degree(s) and graduation year(s), email address, and the date of the event you will attend. For more information, contact Alumni Relations at 212-237-8547.

Ruddy & Dean Restaurant
44 Richmond Terrace
Staten Island, NY 10301

5th Annual Harry F. Guggenheim Conference on Crime and Justice in America: What Works? What Doesn't? What Don't We Know?

Monday, February 1, 2010	9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday, February 2, 2010	9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

The John Jay Center on Media, Crime and Justice is pleased to host this two-day conference that brings together journalists, academicians, practitioners and legislators from around the country for wide-ranging discussions on criminal justice issues facing the United States, and to promote informed debate through the media on those issues. Speakers will include Bernard Melekian, the incoming Director of the COPS program, Assistant Attorney General Laurie Robinson, National Council on Crime and Delinquency President Barry Krisberg, newly elected Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams, and former NYC Corrections Commissioner Martin Horn. The event will also feature the presentation of the College's fifth annual Awards for Excellence in Criminal Justice Reporting.

For an agenda and to register click here. For more information, call 212.484.1175 or email cmcj@jjay.cuny.edu. Please note; the deadline to register is January 27, 2009. (Breakout sessions on February 2 are workshops for journalism fellows; however, we have reserved 30 spaces for Guggenheim attendees. Registration will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.)

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

Alumni Spotlight
"When I said I was interested in forensic science, everyone said, ' Oh, so you want to be Quincy?'" says Lydia de Castro (BS '91). Before such TV series as CSI were aired, she entered the field working in the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), one of the country's premier forensic science agencies and home of the largest public DNA laboratory in the U.S. She always had an interest in science. What led her to this career was an internship with the OCME. "I was able to work with the medical/legal investigators who went to the scene. I also was able to work with the evidence and identification units as well as with the serology lab, before the office was doing DNA." That was 20 years ago. Today she is a Criminalist IV in the Forensic Biology Department and works primarily in the areas of murder, assault and sexual assault. "The thing about forensic science is that we get a return. You can see immediate outcomes especially with the advent of the DNA databanks. A profile goes into the databank. There could be a match. You have the potential of seeing a result and, even if it's not an immediate result, you have information that will be of help in the investigation of a crime." In addition to performing scientific analyses, she trains and supervises other personnel, and serves as an expert witness in the field of forensic biology. "One of the things I always anticipated was that sooner or later in my career I would have to deal with a mass disaster." For de Castro that first disaster was 9/11, which became one of the most extensive processes of identification and reassociation on record. "We had to put aside the horror of it. What we did was to get to work. It was personally satisfying for me that I was able to rise to the occasion and find the strength and will to use the knowledge I have. I went to John Jay to be able to do this. It gave us a lot of pride in the Office of Chief Medical Examiner that we were able to do what we did." Just a couple of months later, she would be handling the crash of AA Flight 587 in Rockaway. Sharing her knowledge and expertise, de Castro has made numerous presentations to the medical community and other agencies concerning the forensics involved with sexual assault. In 2007 she was the recipient of the Lydia Martinez Collaboration Award from the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault.