Nine Retiring Manhattan College Faculty Members Earn Emeritus Status

Salwa Ammar joined the Manhattan community as dean of the O’Malley School of Business in 2009. During her tenure, she spearheaded many initiatives that transformed and modernized the school including new student engagement, career development and academic programs, faculty proposals and innovative faculties. Ammar also supervised the development of the business analytics major, the five-year B.S./MBA degree, the online MBA and MBA Bridge programs and the undergraduate business analytics competition BAC@MC (Business Analytics Competition at Manhattan University).

In order to enhance academic programs, Ammar planned and secured funding for a finance lab and planned its integration into the classroom. She also strengthened the school’s relationship with the New York City business community. These efforts resulted in new opportunities for fundraising, student and faculty research, internships, placement of graduates, and enhanced the overall visibility of the school.

Although Ammar stepped down as dean in 2017, she stayed on as a business analytics professor through spring semester 2022. Ammar spent a total of 35 years working in higher education at Le Moyne College and Manhattan University and published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles.

Joan Cammarata dedicated her entire career in higher education to Manhattan University starting in 1984. As a devoted professor of Spanish, she was honored with the Costello Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2018. Many of her former students looked to her as a mentor. Some even followed Cammarata’s example and received master’s degrees and became respected colleagues. Recognized as an expert in early modern Spanish literature, especially women’s literature and Cervantes, Cammarata has published several books and articles. Throughout her career, she also served as president of the Northeast Modern Language Association and the Cervantes Society of America.

At Manhattan, she was involved in a number of committees including the Council for Faculty Affairs, Educational Affairs Committee, Manhattan University Senate, University Curriculum Committee. She was a representative to the Board of Trustees committee on development, and chaired the Brannigan Grants committee for 29 years.

Brother Patrick Horner was born in Yonkers, New York, and first came to Manhattan University as a student at Manhattan Prep, where he attended for his freshman year of high school.

Br. Horner earned his bachelor’s degree from The Catholic University of America in 1968 and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Albany. Prior to joining the faculty at Manhattan University, he taught at La Salle Institute in Troy, New York.

As a medieval scholar, Br. Horner has a love for Chaucer. He also was celebrated with the 2015 Costello Excellence in Teaching Award and will teach one final class at the University in the fall: Classical Origins. 

More than 30 years ago, Carol Hurwitz arrived on the campus of Manhattan University. She became part of the joint Mathematics and Computer Science department. With her doctorate in algebraic topology and self-study, Hurwitz was able to teach advanced courses in both disciplines.

Thanks in large part to Hurwitz’s leadership as department chair for six years, the computer science department blossomed and became its own independent department. During Hurwitz’s first sabbatical, she earned a Master of Computer Science from University of California, Berkeley.

In addition to Hurwitz’s role as professor, she was director of the Association of Computing Machinery regional programming contest for nine years. Hurwitz participated in governance meetings for the international contest each year. She also was the chair of the Council for Faculty Affairs at Manhattan and managed the revision of the Faculty Handbook.

As a professor of religious studies, Stephen Kaplan teaches a first-year course, the Nature and Experience of Religion, geared toward veterans. As part of the Veterans at Ease program, veterans participate in a four-day retreat in a beautiful environment off campus. During the retreat, they receive an introduction to yoga theories, the value of meditation and other stress-reduction techniques. Thanks to Kaplan first launching a trip for veterans to combat stress and PTSD in 2015, veterans who come to Manhattan University are able to take part in this unique program.

Kaplan started at the University in 1981 and served as the chair of religious studies, chair of faculty welfare committee and chair of the CFA. In 2020, Kaplan was recognized for his work with veterans by the New Bronx Chamber of Commerce.

At the Faculty Recognition Convocation in 2022, Kaplan’s citation noted, “He has served in every important task a faculty member might be asked to serve, and he serves students with vigor —drawing them out of the academic torpor inflicted on them by the structures of our educational system and forcing them to genuinely confront the world, sometimes for the first time.”

Elizabeth Kosky began her journey at Manhattan University in 1963 as a graduate student. She was among the first female students in the graduate education program when all undergraduate courses were male only. After receiving a Master of Arts in counseling, Kosky went on to achieve many firsts in Manhattan University history.

Kosky’s firsts at Manhattan University included becoming the first female instructor in the graduate education program in 1967; serving as the first female full-time assistant professor in education in 1969; being the first woman in the department of Education to earn the rank of full-time professor in 1989, and the being first woman to hold the position of director of graduate programs in 1990.

When the dean suddenly passed away in 1992, Kosky was appointed acting dean of the School of Education and Human Services–again, the first woman to hold this position. In 1993, she served as the first woman to chair the Education department. During the 1994-95 academic year, she also was the first honoree from the School of Education and Health to receive the Distinguished Lasallian Educator award.

Janet McShane joined the Manhattan University department of Mathematics in 2014 after spending nearly two decades at Northern Arizona University where she attained the rank of full professor. The search committee was impressed by her publication record in algebra, algebraic combinatorics and pedagogy; her extensive involvement in the activities of the Mathematical Association of America; and her outreach to communities that are underrepresented in the mathematics field.

During the eight years that McShane has been a member of the University faculty, she taught 15 different courses, earning praise from students in all of them. She also was selected as chair of the department of Mathematics when she was hired and held this role until 2020.

When former School of Science Dean Constantine Theodosiou, Ph.D., chose to return to the faculty in 2020, McShane became interim dean from 2020-21 and was a faculty member this last year.

Brother Augustine Nicoletti, or “Brother Gus” as students and faculty in the education department affectionately called him, arrived at Manhattan in 2004. He inspired several students to become teachers and followed his calling as a De La Salle Christian Brother. As an associate professor of education, Br. Augustine focused on methods of education and psychology. He taught on both the undergraduate and graduate levels and served as chair during his tenure.

After a visit to Ethiopia in 2016, Brother Augustine returned to Ethiopia and served as president of the Ethiopian Catholic University. He also was principal of St. Vincent Strombi in Bull Savannah, Jamaica.

After passing away unexpectedly in January 2022, Graham Walker, receives posthumous emeritus status to recognize his many contributions at the University. Walker was an active member of the faculty, teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels of mechanical engineering since joining the faculty in December 1992.

Walker helped develop and teach courses in the biomechanics and aerospace fields, and advised countless graduate students on research projects. His work resulted in the establishment of the mechanical engineering program’s biomechanics concentration, which is helping to inform the upcoming aerospace concentration. In addition, he established a link with the orthodontic department at Montefiore Hospital and has worked with their students on various projects.

In 2006, Walker was recognized as the Distinguished Lasallian Educator of the Year. He was the faculty adviser of the Mini Baja club, traveled on two different service trips to Honduras with Campus Ministry and Social Action, and was an early advocate of an environmentally friendly curriculum within the Mechanical Engineering department.