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A Festive Affair
Amid the background sounds of a jazz ensemble, the tinkling of glasses, and the mingling of voices could be heard exclamations of recognition like "Is that really you!" as hundreds of alums came back to John Jay last month for the 2008 alumni reunion. More than 250 graduates from the late 1960s through 2007 were on hand to connect and reconnect to their alma mater and to each other. In the convivial crowd was Vincent Dougherty (MA '75), the Florida Coordinator of the Alumni Association. He retired from the NYPD in 1996 as a captain in the Brooklyn North Narcotics District and now spends part of the year in the Sunshine State. "I'm so excited to be here," said Linda Ciccarello (BS '78) who was pregnant with her son, Vincent (BS '01), at the time of her graduation. Both mother and son recalled how much they enjoyed attending John Jay. Vincent, who majored in criminal justice as did his mom, has been working as a supervisor with the Administration for Children's Services for more than six years and recently obtained a master's in social work. "In the course of my career I've hired a lot of John Jay graduates and interns," said Steven Pasichow (BS '78). He spent 26 years with the NYC Department of Investigation leaving as an assistant commissioner. He's now the Assistant Inspector General with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. After graduating with a BA in government and public administration in 1984, Carmen Valasquez went on to Temple Law School with a full scholarship. She's a practicing defense attorney who has received a number of citations for her pro bono work with the immigrant community and was recently honored by the New Visions Democratic Club in Queens. "I was very blessed to have attended John Jay. As a criminal attorney, I see our alumni all over the criminal justice system as police, corrections officers, prosecutors and judges."
The festive occasion also marked the presentation of the first Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship to Michelle Hershkowitz (left) who is featured in this month's Student Highlights. The Leadership and Service Award was given by President Jeremy Travis (second from the left) to Alumni Association President Michael F. McCann (BS '74, JD) (center top). The reunion honored Katherine Ramsland (MA '00, PhD) (center bottom) of DeSales University who has published 31 books and over 400 articles about serial killers and related topics and Jannette O. Domingo, Dean of Graduate Studies (left), who has brought a wealth of administrative, teaching and student service experience to the College since joining the faculty in 1974.
College's MPA Program among the Top
In its 2008 "Best Graduate Schools" survey, US News & World Report ranked John Jay's Master of Public Administration Program in the top 20% of the nation's MPA programs. Only three public policy programs in New York City - NYU, Columbia and John Jay - were among the top rankings. The College's MPA program beat out those of Baruch, the New School and Pace University. One of the unique features of John Jay's MPA program is that it has two tracks: a traditional track and the inspector general track. "This ranking is a tremendous honor and underscores the talent and commitment of John Jay faculty," said President Jeremy Travis. Echoing the sentiment was Dr. Marilyn Rubin, Director of the MPA Program, "It is gratifying to see that our faculty's scholarship and the College's academic capabilities are recognized."
John Jay Receives Over $580,000 in Grants from the Department of Homeland Security
The College recently received two grants from DHS to support education, research and professional development efforts to train the next generation of homeland security experts and scholars. President Jeremy Travis noted that, "These grants solidify John Jay's role as a premier research institution for the study of terrorism and other domestic security issues."
- $291,835 will be used to recruit and train an interdisciplinary group of criminal justice faculty and students in the CUNY Criminal Justice Doctoral Program. The grant will also support undergraduate John Jay Criminal Justice Honors Program efforts to teach and conduct research on homeland security and terrorism. Professor Stephen Rice of the Department of Law, Police Science and Criminal Justice Administration and Professor Joshua D. Freilich of the Department of Sociology are co-principal investigators for the project.
- $288,768 will be used to enhance the focus of the graduate curriculum in homeland security and increase the ability of early career faculty to conduct research involving the social, behavioral and economic sciences. Entitled "Educating Tomorrow's Homeland Security Leaders Today," the grant will help create a homeland security science, technology, engineering and math community of students and support the retention and recruitment of minority graduate students interested in homeland security careers. Professor Peter Romaniuk of the Department of Government is the project director.
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 fall edition of the John Jay Magazine. Just click here and fill in the information.
The Lingering Effects of 9/11
The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is offering an insurance-like benefit to help cover mental health and substance use treatment for NYC residents affected by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Sometimes it takes a while to recognize your symptoms and you might not immediately connect them to 9/11. The program provides free or low-cost coverage, easy enrollment and flexible treatment choices. For information on eligibility and enrollment, click here or call 877.737.1164.
Immigration, Justice and Crime: Where Do We Go from Here?
Reporting the Full Story
Monday, June 2, 2008 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Join journalism fellows, immigration experts, advocates and law enforcement officials for a candid discussion about immigration and law enforcement. Lunch will be served.
RSVP to CMCJ@jjay.cuny.edu or call 212.484.1175.
John Jay College
899 Tenth Avenue, Room 630T
New York City
International Conference: Justice and Policing in Diverse Societies
Monday through Thursday, June 9 -12, 2008
John Jay College will host an international conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Justice and Policing in Diverse Societies. This conference will seek to provide a forum where civic leaders, international governmental organizations, government officials, police, the legal community and scholars can discuss collective concerns that include oppression, crime, terrorism, conflict and instability, and the efforts used to combat them.
The conference will be held at the Ritz-Carlton, San Juan Hotel, Spa and Casino. A block of rooms has been reserved for conference participants at a special base rate of $195 per night (not including miscellaneous fees and taxes).
Full-conference registration through June 8, 2008 is $250. Full registration includes all receptions, plenary addresses, sessions, workshops and the gala closing dinner.
For more information about the conference and to register, go to http://www.jjay.cuny.edu/ic/.
Ritz-Carlton, San Juan Hotel, Spa and Casino
San Juan
Puerto Rico
Private Investigator Course
Monday through Thursday, June 16 -19, 2008 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
The Security Management Institute has developed a program for individuals who wish to enter the field of private investigations. This program has been specially designed to develop basic knowledge and skills for the practitioner who is, or anticipates being, a private investigator. The program focuses on the challenges faced by investigative personnel who are not in law enforcement and will benefit both the beginner and the accomplished investigator.
The cost of the program is $450. Alumni receive a 10% discount.
For more information and to register, click here or call 212.237.8638
John Jay College
BMW Building
555 West 57th Street, Room 615B
New York City
Crime Scene Profiling
Profiling Offender Characteristics from Crime Scene Behaviors
Tuesday, June 17, 2008 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
This workshop will outline the latest scientific research on how specific patterns in an offender's behavior at a homicide crime scene can be reliably used to identify the characteristics of the offender. Training will include: an introduction into the psychological principles of crime scene profiling; understanding behavioral evidence as an investigative forensic tool; identifying the most reliable features on which to focus in a crime scene; the psychology of offender behavioral patterns and victim targeting; and determining offender characteristics from crime scene evidence.
Evaluating a Profiling Report
Wednesday, June 18, 2008 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
This workshop will outline the latest scientific thinking on the reliability of information in profiling reports, and will outline guidelines on how such reports may be evaluated to assess their value in investigations. Training will include: an introduction into using psychological and behavioral evidence as an investigative forensic tool; outline scientific research on the validity of profiling; outline the scientific evidence on the reliability of offender profiling reports; and guidelines on how to commission and assess a report and use it in an investigation.
These workshops, offered by John Jay's Continuing Education Program, will benefit a wide range of criminal justice related agencies, in particular homicide and violent crime investigators, crime analysts, prosecutors, and psychologists. These courses will given by Psychology Professor Gabrielle Salfati, an internationally recognized expert on offender profiling. For more detailed information, click here.
The cost for each workshop is $495 or $895 for both. Alumni receive a 10% discount.
To register go to http://johnjay.augusoft.net/ or call 212.484.1101.
John Jay College
899 Tenth Avenue
New York City
VIP Protection Course
Monday through Thursday, June 23 - 26, 2008 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
The Security Management Institute has developed this program for individuals tasked with the responsibility of providing physical security for persons at risk such as corporate executives, professional athletes, entertainment celebrities, political personalities, and their families. The program covers protective security practices modeled on those of the NYPD, the US Secret Service and the Diplomatic Security Service of the US Department of State.
The cost is $550. Alumni receive a 10% discount.
For more information and to register, click here or call 212.237.8638
John Jay College
BMW Building
555 West 57th Street, Room 615B
New York City
Reel Reentry Series: Sherry Baby (2006)
Tuesday, June 24, 2008 5:00 PM - 7:30 PM
The Prisoner Reentry Institute is pleased to announce the launch of its Reel Reentry Series with the film, Sherry Baby (2006), starring Maggie Gyllenhaal. Written and directed by Laurie Collyer, the film documents a 19-year old woman who has been transformed by her three-year stay in prison. Upon her release, Sherry Swanson sets out to regain custody of her young daughter. A moderated discussion will follow.
RSVP to Amelia Thompson at amthompson@jjay.cuny.edu or 212.484.1399.
John Jay College
899 Tenth Avenue, Room 630T
New York City
In this issue, Alumni News continues to feature the members of the John Jay Alumni Association Board of Directors and Coordinators.
Anthony Lebron (BS '03), 3rd Vice President
In the event of a disaster -- natural or man-made -- the emergency plan that will be used by the New York City Department of Correction will be one that, in large measure, is based on the work of Captain Anthony Lebron. Currently assigned to the Brooklyn Detention Complex, Lebron has spent more than 16 years with the department where he has served in a variety of assignments. While working in the Office of the Assistant Chief for Emergency Preparedness, he was responsible for the writing and promulgation of the policies to be used in times of an emergency. He also has served in headquarters, the Manhattan Court Division and the George Motchan Detention Center. As a result, he has developed broad-based professional expertise in the following areas: central punitive segregation, emergency services, crime scene and homicide investigation, gang intelligence, protective custody, along with gay and general population housing. Lebron, who majored in legal studies, is also an active member of the NYC Correction Chapter of the Latino Officers Association and the National Latino Officers Association and Labor Council.
And the Winner Is ….
Michelle Hershkowitz, a sophomore with a near-perfect grade point average of 3.9, is this year's recipient of the first John Jay College Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship. A forensic psychology major, she is a member of the Honors Program. She was inducted into Phi Eta Sigma, the National Honor Society for Freshmen and is on the Dean's List. Her class work has been described as "of unusually high quality" and her class participation as nothing short of "ebullient and thought provoking." In many respects, her academic performance at the College is a continuation of her accomplishments in high school, where she won the Jewish History Award of Excellence and competed in the New York State Mock Trial Tournament. Not only are her academic achievements considerable, but she has also consistently shown a deep concern for others. She volunteers for many events at her synagogue. In high school, she dedicated much of her time to community service programs and served as a mentor, tutor and freshman adviser. At John Jay, she is a member of the Law Society. Hershkowitz also has the distinction of being the first president of the College's campus chapter of Hillel, where she is working with the Jewish student community as well as the entire student body. Her compassion for those in need was clearly demonstrated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when she traveled to New Orleans as a Hillel volunteer to assist in recovery efforts. "I'm so excited and honored especially being the first one to receive this scholarship. It will allow me to concentrate on my studies and be as good as I can be," she said. After she graduates, she hopes to pursue an academic program that combines both a law degree with a master's in psychology.
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