On April 22, the Manhattan College community gathered in celebration at the 2013 Faculty Convocation in the Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers.
One by one, colleagues, family members and friends approached the podium to read citations full of prestige, achievement and warm memories in a tribute to several faculty members’ longtime service to the College.
Brother James Wallace, FSC, vice president for the Office of Mission and chair of the Lasallian Education Committee, presented Lisa Rizopoulos, Ph.D., associate professor of education, with the Lasallian Educator of the Year award.
“One of the things I admire about Lisa is that she truly knows what ‘touching hearts’ meant to De La Salle and what it should mean to all of us,” Brother Raymond Meagher, FSC, assistant professor of education, read in the citation.
“Lisa strokes lightly the hearts of her students every day, but she also pushes, prods and challenges them because she is well aware that this is essential to their academic success,” he said.
In his congratulatory remarks, Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D., president of Manhattan College, said, “This is one of the greatest events of the year; colleagues telling stories about colleagues, gives voice and life and texture to the history of the College for the past 25, 50 or more years.”
William Clyde, Ph.D., executive vice president and provost, joined O’Donnell to award Bonus et Fidelis — good and faithful — medals to faculty for 25 and 50 years of service.
Nicholas Delillo, Ph.D., professor of mathematics, and Thomas Smith, Ph.D., professor of mathematics, received recognition for 50 years of service to the College.
Five faculty members were praised for their 25 years of service: Brother Robert Berger, FSC, associate professor of religious studies; Moujalli Hourani, Ph.D., associate professor of civil and environmental engineering; Luis Loyola-Cintron, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology; Patrice Tiffany, Ph.D., associate professor of mathematics; and Kathryn Weld, Ph.D., professor of mathematics.
Four faculty members were honored with the title emeritus. They included George B. Kirsch, Ph.D., professor of history; Richard Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., professor of management and marketing; Frederick Greene, Ph.D., professor of marketing and management; and William Brown, Ph.D., associate professor of civil and environmental engineering.
Mary Ann O’Donnell, professor emeritus of English and former dean of the School of Arts, returned to campus to present Br. Francis Bowers, FSC, Ph.D., associate professor emeritus of English, and former provost and dean of the arts and sciences, with special recognition for his 50-plus years of service.
Browse and download photos from the event.