Welcome to Edition 58 of This Week at NJCU for February 13, 2023. This once-weekly Monday publication will inform the university community about all events happening each week over the next eight days on campus and offer important announcements. To submit your event or announcement for the February 20, 2023 edition, please use the form at the bottom of this communication.

All listed times are Eastern Standard Time (EST). All events are in-person unless otherwise noted as online, via Zoom, or hybrid.

Please scroll down to the end of this message to see our sections highlighting current faculty, staff, student and alumni news and an In Memoriam section to honor those alumni, faculty, staff, or students, who have passed.

Share your news with us at communications@njcu.edu.

NJCU is excited to announce that we have partnered with JBJ Soul Kitchen to open a non-profit Community Restaurant that serves healthy and delicious meals to guests on the main NJCU campus, regardless of your ability to pay.

Who can dine here? Anyone who wants to enjoy a healthy and delicious 3-course meal by making a minimum donation of $12. NJCU students, faculty, or staff with food insecurity may volunteer time instead of paying.

The Office of Marketing and Communications is providing free professional headshots for you to use on your Faculty & Staff Directory pages or LinkedIn profile. Just stop by to see our university photographer, Paul Gargiulo. We'll offer these sessions at least one day each month, so if you can't make this one, check This Week at NJCU for future dates.

Join TLC for a workshop hosted by Tylra Lee-Cummings from the School of Business to discuss the best ways to market yourself for future jobs.

You are invited to join us for the final weeks of the Department of Educational Technology 2023 Winter Webinar Series. The series is geared towards public educators, administrators, school library media specialists, technology directors, and paraprofessionals. Sessions are 60 minutes, interactive, and engaging, and offer plenty of time for all participants to ask questions.

Webinar registration is ongoing, and best of all, it is free for all registered participants. Webinars are running during January and February.

You are cordially invited to join us for the NJSBDC at NJCU School of Business Ribbon Cutting and 45th Anniversary Celebration! While NJSBDC is not new to New Jersey, Hudson County, or NJCU, we are excited to announce we have now joined the NJCU School of Business.

We would also like to introduce you our new Regional Director Sheila Harris-Adams and the amazing team who join her in educating and empowering the businesses and entrepreneurs in Hudson County and throughout the state.

Prior to the ribbon cutting, you will have an opportunity to hear from all the key stakeholders with NJSBDC, NJCU, local and state dignitaries. You will also meet some of the partner organizations who will be working closely with NJSBDC at the NJCU School of Business.

Additionally, this event will feature a sneak peek at some of the programs, initiatives, training opportunities, and workshops the new team has designed to serve the small, minority, veteran, and LGBTQ businesses throughout the state.

Register today to be the first to see our new offices and learn all about what NJSBDC at NJCU School of Business has planned for 2023 and beyond!

Build Your Professional Brand
Monday, February 13
4 p.m.

(See Spotlight Events for more information)

NJSBDC at NJCU School of Business Ribbon Cutting and 45th Anniversary Celebration!
Tuesday, February 14
9:30 a.m.- 12 p.m. 

(See Spotlight Events for more information)

The NJCU Counseling Center is having a Valentine's Day Table.

We will be having a raffle and giving away amazing gifts.

Announcing JBJ Soul Kitchen
Tuesday, February 14
Hours of Operation: 11 a.m.- 2 p.m.

(See Spotlight Events for more information)

Join the ladies in TLC on Valentine's Day for fun conversations, and arts and crafts.

We will also raffle off some fun science souvenirs. 

Questions? Email BiologyClubNJCU@gmail.com

Learn about internship opportunities with KidGrit, a holistic youth enrichment organization.

Hear from KidGrit co-founder Jeffrey Jordan, NJCU's Senior Associate Director of Athletics for External Operations and Development and a member of the NJCU Lawrence R. Schiner Athletics Hall of Fame, on his career journey in sports, education, and entrepreneurship.

Open to all majors.

Help support Black-owned businesses by attending our pop-up shop. 

In the final regular-season home game of the 2022-23, the Gothic Knights will seek to clinch the New Jersey Athletic Conference regular season championship and No. 1 seed in the upcoming NJAC Tournament for the first time in school history. Prior to the game, NJCU will honor its 2023 Senior Class on Senior Night!

In the final regular-season home game of the 2022-23, the Gothic Knights will seek to clinch a berth into the New Jersey Athletic Tournament. Prior to the game, NJCU will honor its 2023 Senior Class on Senior Night!

Professional Headshots
Thursday, February 16
10 a.m.- 12 p.m., and 1-3 p.m.

(See Spotlight Events for more information)

Testing provided by RWJBarnabas Health.

Early detection can save your life.

Gift cards will be issued.

No events scheduled

No events scheduled

Presidents' Day

The University will be closed in observance of Presidents' Day

NJCU and TheDream.US, the nation’s largest college and career success program for undocumented immigrant students, announced a new partnership to provide scholarships for New Jersey immigrant youth to achieve their higher education dreams.

Through the new partnership, New Jersey’s immigrant youth will be eligible to apply for TheDream.US National Scholarship. The National Scholarship is for Dreamers who are about to graduate high school or earn a GED; current community college students; and current university students, including current NJCU students.

Full eligibility information for the National Scholarship available HERE. The award is for tuition and fees of up to $33,000 total for a bachelor’s degree. | Read More in NJCU News

The University Advisement Center has launched our new Instagram account! This page will be the best way to keep up to date with all that’s happening in the UAC Office!

Please be sure to follow us @NJCU_UAC

Earn a Certificate in Digital Skills Training for FREE

The Grow with Google HSI Career Readiness Program allows NJCU students to gain the digital skills they need to find and land jobs and internships that they need to be successful. Once they complete a module, students will receive an official Google certificate that they can put on their resume as well as a Google Swag Bag. The program is 100% free for NJCU students! Sign up today!

If you have any questions, please contact Career Success Lab Graduate Assistant Camila Saez at csaez@njcu.edu or visit Grossnickle Room 103.

If you are a freshman or sophomore looking for a support system on campus, TLC is the community you've been searching for! To qualify you must be a first-generation student, income eligible, or a student with disabilities, and a US citizen or US resident. Enter for a chance to win a gift card!

We have updated the Faculty & Staff Directory templates so that you can now add your profile picture, CV/resume, a bio, your educational background, professional affiliations—and anything else that you feel is important for people to know about you.

Providing more profile information is a way you can show that you care about providing personal support to our students, so we encourage everyone to take advantage of these new features. Our Interim President's profile is a great example of what you can do with yours.

We have refreshed the NJCU logos and formalized our branding guidelines. By presenting our brand consistently, we can positively influence how people think and feel about NJCU. In the long run, this helps us recruit more students and faculty and raise more money to support programs and student scholarships.

As a part of that work, we've provided photos, email footers, Zoom backgrounds, PowerPoint templates, and more that you are free to use when you communicate about NJCU. 

Keep an eye out for announcements about Brand Ambassador Trainings. We'll be offering Zoom sessions on branding best practices soon.

Stop by throughout the week to learn about the services provided by the office of Tutoring and Academic Support Services. During your visit, we will show you how to register and self-schedule appointments for tutoring, academic coaching, and academic workshops.

Want to register and book appointments now? Visit the Tutoring and Academic Support Services course found on Blackboard. All students have access. 

Contact:
Dr. John Blicharz, Director
Tutoring and Academic Support Services
The Hub, Guarini Library, 1st Floor
201-200-3513
thehub@njcu.edu

Looking for an internship or job? The State of New Jersey is a top employer looking for new talent. Find out what opportunities are available and show the State how our students and alumni are the best group of diverse workers and leaders around.

Particularly recruiting for instructors in the areas of High School Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics), High School Math (Algebra II and Geometry), and High School ELA (11th and 12th grade).

Job Qualifications

For any questions, please reach out to njcuprecollege@gmail.com.

The Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies Center is hosting its annual LATI Colloquium at NJCU. Each year, the Colloquium highlights scholarly and creative work of faculty, staff, students, and alumni from NJCU and from other colleges and universities in the area.

If you have any questions about submissions or about the LATI Colloquium, please contact LATI Center interim co-director Dr. Marcelo Fuentes at mfuentes2@njcu.edu

We are looking forward to your participation in this event!

Have you been looking for the moment to fulfill your career dreams in a new field or advance in your current industry? Our online courses allow you to earn the industry-recognized certification you need to achieve your new career dreams.

The Children’s Learning Center is now enrolling children for the Spring semester! 

CLC Highlights:

Learn More:
To enroll your child or learn more, call 201-200-3342 or email the CLC at njcuclc@njcu.edu.

The NJCU Career Success Lab is happy to announce that New Jersey City University is now partnering with Handshake, a career management platform to help students and alumni discover new career paths and find jobs and internships. 

What’s Handshake?
Handshake is the #1 site for college students to find jobs. Career offices at 1,400+ higher ed institutions utilize Handshake and there are 750,000+ employers recruiting on Handshake—from every Fortune 500 company to nonprofits, startups, and more. Schools that join Handshake see on average a 3x increase in the size and diversity of their employer network.

Claim your account today and get recruited by
the top employers for full-time, part-time jobs
and internships—no experience required. Use the link below or download the App.

Please know that on July 16, 2022, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline became “988,” replacing the previous 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) number. Today, “988” is the three-digit, nationwide phone number to connect directly to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. By calling or texting 988, you’ll connect with mental health professionals 24/7 that provides confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress. Those experiencing a mental health crisis or those worried about someone who may need crisis support can call this number.

Veterans can press “1” after dialing 988 to connect directly to the Veterans Crisis Lifeline which serves our nation’s Veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and those who support them. For texts, Veterans should continue to text the Veterans Crisis Lifeline short code: 838255.

These centers are supported by local and state sources as well as the Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7, confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress.

*This 7-Week challenge is to accrue a minimum of 10,000 steps per day on most days of the week. The person with the most steps at the end of the semester wins. Your phone’s step counter, Fitbit, or Apple watch can be used. This is on the honor system and you are responsible for entering your own steps on the following Google Sheet.

Please take a screen shot of your weekly steps for your records and in case, we ask for proof. Trophies and/or T-shirts will be awarded to the top three participants in each category

To sign up for any activity, please stop by the JMAC weight room OR email Sergio Villamizar at svillamizar@njcu.edu.

OPEN GYM SPRING 2023
Open Gym for the Spring Semester is Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

The open gym schedule is subject to change without notice due to practices, events, or rentals

Everyone must present a valid ID to enter the facility. There are no exceptions.

This bi-weekly drop-in group aims to create a safe space where currently enrolled students can identify potential stressors and set goals for the upcoming week, engage in conversations around wellness and connect with other students by giving and receiving support and feedback.

Wade Hudson, publisher and writer, will share the story of his publishing company, Just Us Books, and discuss writers and publishers that came before him.

This TLC workshop, hosted by Tavares Johnson from NJCU's HR department, will discuss what you need to know when applying for a job and after you get hired. 

Attendees: 

For inquiries, email Melissa Faulkner at mfaulkner1@njcu.edu

Open to all current first-gen graduate or professional students, this national symposium features a keynote address, plus intentional networking and professional development opportunities tailored to the strengths and needs of a first-gen population.

Registration is open! All registrants must have a NASPA profile to successfully register, which is free to create.

▶️ Come learn about the TRiO program at NJCU
▶️ Win free TRiO merch

Questions? Contact us:
Phone: 201-200-2204
Email: tlc@njcu.edu

Help us celebrate TRiO DAY by joining us virtually on Zoom to hear more about NJCU TLC alumna Kiran Chaudhry '19.

Our NJCU Counseling Center is celebrating International Women's Day.

Join us for games, gifts and raffles.

Join us, meet the staff, and learn more about the TLC family and the benefits the program has to offer!

To qualify you must be a first-generation student, income eligible, or a student with documented disabilities, and a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident.

Tibetan-Australian musician and singer Tenzin Choegyal takes us on a musical journey to the Himalayas, connecting and inspiring through music, song, and imagination.

With performances from NJCU Multi-Style Strings Ensemble Director Martha Mooke, and special guest Jesse Paris Smith.

The silent films of famed French cinematographer Georges Méliès are set to a live score by French musicians Alcoléa & Cie in this charming ciné-concert entitled “Right in the Eye.”

Right in the Eye (En plein dans l’oeil) is a multimedia show composed of 12 films by Georges Méliès, a pioneer of the cinema and a wizard of special effects.

On stage, three virtuoso musicians play some 50 different instruments, including rare and unique ones, breathing fresh impetus into these cinematographic gems.

In a subtly-staged setting, in perfect symbiosis with the imagery, the musicians transport us in an inventive production, performed both onstage and onscreen, that reflects the creative genius of Méliès.

A Chorus Line examines one day in the life of a dancer, vying for a spot in the chorus of a Broadway musical. After the first round of cuts, each dancer is asked to speak personally about themselves. Discomfort opens into revelation, confession leads to redemption, and within the bright, outwardly homogenous chorus, the audience begins to see each dancer’s individuality. Based on real Broadway dancers’ stories, compiled by dancer and choreographer Michael Bennett, and with an award winning score by Marvin Hamlisch, A Chorus Line is a funny, heartbreaking, and refreshingly honest journey through these stories of strength, determination, and fortitude on the path to artistic fulfillment.

The mission of Pedagogy Day is to bring together scholars, educators, and students to exchange ideas on current evidence-based teaching and learning practices. The theme for 2023 focuses on how the human mind functions in a distracted world through sustained attention. How can we minimize distractions, e.g., by filtering out irrelevant stimuli during a learning process? Let’s critically engage in the assessment of digital education for effective usage and growth.

Keynote
Ann Wallace, Poet Laureate of Jersey City
"Celebrating 30 Years of Surviving Cancer and Poeming for Community Healing"

Ann Wallace graduated from Drew University in 1992, one month after her cancer diagnosis. Photo courtesy of Ann Wallace.

If you have any questions, you can reach out to Prof. Lukas J. Helikum (School of Business) at lhelikum@njcu.edu.

Join us for this free spring concert featuring the NJCU Brass Studio.

Join us for the NJCU Multi-Style String X-travaganza with special guests Regina Carter, Celil Refik Kaya, John Benitez, and Joe Deninzon!

In lieu of an admission fee, we kindly ask that you offer a contribution to the Multi-Style Strings Scholarship Fund.

This year, our annual gala represents a return to what is most important to all of us: helping our students change their lives for the better through higher education.

The event will feature student stories and performances, as well as an opportunity to network with NJCU alumni, students, friends, faculty, and staff, all while enjoying cocktails and dinner. 

When you reserve a ticket for yourself or a group, please also consider sponsoring a deserving student so they may enjoy the event. Dinner begins at 7 p.m.

Proceeds will benefit the NJCU Foundation and its mission of supporting the University and its students.

Join us for this free NJCU Classical Guitar Studio Spring Concert: Guitar Favorites from Renaissance to the 21st century.

The Gen Ed Symposium celebrates critical and creative work done by students in any General Education course!

Save the date and bring your friends and classmates!

Please submit your own proposals for the General Education Symposium at the link below! 

For more information, contact Professor Joshua Fausty, Gen Ed Symposium organizer, or Professor Scott O'Connor, Director of General Education.

Directed by Patrick Burns, the NJCU Symphony of Winds and Percussion will present Hidden Gems, an evening of music consisting mainly of works which are rarely performed today. The repertoire, created over the course of nearly a century, represents composers from Japan, Great Britain, and the United States, and features two compositions by Clifton Williams (1923-1976) on the 100th anniversary of his birth.

The NJCU Spring Choral Concert will take place on Sunday, April 23 at 3 p.m. in the Margaret Williams Theatre. The concert is free and open to the public. Featuring the NJCU Concert Chorale under the direction of Dr. Robert Prowse, the program will center around the Requiem of John Rutter. Rutter’s inspiring and uplifting music is a cross between classical and popular styles, on traditional Latin and English texts. The Concert Chorale, a student choir of 45 singers, will also perform the work as part of a massed choir at Carnegie Hall in March.

Join us for this free spring concert featuring the NJCU Woodwind Studio.

Sponsored by the NJCU Jazz Studies Program.

Reservations: Call 917-385-0703

The program will be announced soon and will run 5-11 p.m. both days.

SciFi Ensemble is a string quartet with percussion, specialized in movie and video game music. It combines music and body make-up in the same show, creating a fresh, genuine, and fun experience for all audiences. An original show with exclusive arrangements and a multidisciplinary artistic team form the basis of this unique project.

SciFi Ensemble was born with the aim of making known the great compositions of both cinema and television, with a big emphasis on video game music. Showing a repertoire, with great names and high-quality scores that are not usually heard in concert.

Let yourself be carried away by the music of the classics of animation, the dazzling energy of the heroes and heroines of video games, and the fantasy of science fiction hits.

NJCU Opera Workshop will present Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Così fan Tutte (They Are All the Same!) on Saturday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 7 at 3 p.m. The performances will take place at NJCU’s West Side Theatre. Directed by Dr. Robert Prowse, and sung by NJCU voice students and alumni, the opera will be performed in Italian with English dialog. A favorite of the comic opera repertoire, Così fan Tutte tells the story of a pair of lovers who foolishly make a bet that their fiancées will be loyal to them, even in the face of great pressure to be unfaithful. Costumes, disguises, and outlandish plot twists ensure fun for cast and audience alike.

The NJCU Pop/R&B Ensemble will be performing a variety of songs dating from the 1960s to the present day. It's a fun and joyful concert that you won't want to miss.

Donna M. Farina, Ph.D., Professor of Multicultural Education at NJCU, published an op-ed in The Jersey Journal entitled "Tell the whole story of NJCU, please".

Farina writes: "NJCU’s programs, from nursing to criminal justice to security studies, build capacity and expertise in Hudson County. Everywhere I go, I meet the results of the outstanding work of my colleagues on the NJCU staff and faculty."

Read Donna's passionate plea by visiting the article link.

The men's volleyball team had three players earn accolades last week. Senior Daniel Esteva (Union, N.J./Union) was named the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Defensive Player of the Week and the Skyline Men's Volleyball Libero of the Week. Senior co-captain outside hitter/opposite James Bajor (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) was recognized as the Skyline Player of the Week. Meanwhile, freshman setter Alex Casais (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) was named NJAC Rookie of the Week. | Read more about the Skyline awards

In women's basketball, junior guard Damaris Rodriguez (Secaucus, N.J./Secaucus) was named NJAC Player of the Week for the second week in a row, the fourth time in the past five weeks, and fifth time this season. | Read more about the NJAC awards

Additionally, on February 8, Rodriguez recorded just the sixth triple-double in program history, the first of her career, and NJCU's first since 2018, when the nation's No. 1 leading scorer tallied 30 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds in a 93-76 win over Stockton. | Read more

Do you have news to share? Email communications@njcu.edu

Lizette Louis '09 (B.F.A. in Art - Illustration) of Rahway, N.J. is one of two artists whose work is commissioned by St. George’s Episcopal Church at 550 Ridgewood Road in Maplewood, N.J. She studied Art at NJCU and is now part of the Ethan Allen interior design team in Englishtown. | Read more

Do you have news to share? Email communications@njcu.edu

Alvin Neiman, CPA, a former accounting professor at then Jersey City State College and a resident of West Orange, N.J., passed on February 3, 2023, at the age of 77. After leaving the institution, he joined Caldwell University in 1988, and taught for over 35 years. | Obituary

If you would like to submit information for the In Memoriam section, please contact: communications@njcu.edu.

Past alumni are memorialized on the In Memoriam section of the NJCU website.

All events/announcements must be submitted no later than Wednesday at noon to be included in the weekly email newsletter that will be released on the following Monday.