IMPORTANT: Gmail will only display a portion of this newsletter. To view the full newsletter, scroll to the very bottom of the email and click on "View entire message."
FACULTY HIGHLIGHT
Dr. Sue Talley | School of Music Associate Dean, Manhattan Campus
 
1. What brought you to Nyack? 
I first became officially acquainted at Nyack when Dana and I performed in chapel and master classes some years ago. I had long heard of the music program and we were honored to be invited by then Prof. Marion Howe. When the New York City campus was in formation, Dr. Jeff Mackey asked us if we would consider applying to teach there. I remember the day we first visited--it was quiet in the summer. "Things will start hopping very soon!" Dr. Mackey promised. They did! It was tremendously exciting for us to be asked to use our teaching and performance skills in the creative ways that Dr. Turk envisioned, of course--as you can imagine!

2. What is your favorite Nyack College experience?
Wow! That's a tough one. Some of the funny occurrences will never be forgotten, nor will the adventures in Italy leading Chorale and GS-L tours, but I think graduations are hard to beat. They're long, sometimes very warm up there in our faculty regalia--but it's a thrill to see "our kids" on the threshhold of their world-changing careers. The sound of the bagpipes always makes me stand up tall and proud of Nyack College and our graduates!
 
3. Favorite food: 
You mean, "Favorite: Food?" Well, yes! I do like food. I think good food is a global phenomenon and there are good cooks in every culture I've ever encountered. Cheese runs very high among my priorities, though. I grew up on a dairy farm and I've never gotten over it!

4. Latest Interesting Read: 
I'm starting Hidden Figures. Anybody else? Now that we've been introduced to the slightly-fictionalized version by Hollywood, I can't wait to read the "real thing." It's about those heroic African American women who were instrumental in the space program, of course. 

5. Interesting Fact: 
I once won a doubles table tennis championship. What a great game. I miss it---hope that now I've got my left foot fixed, I'll be able to play again soon. And I suppose anyone who visits the apartment must know that I drive Dana crazy acquiring musical instruments. Besides piano, I play and teach the recorder family (love that!) and I also play some Irish whistle, Indian flute, harp, cello, dulcimer, harmonica, ocarina, etc. Folk music is a favorite of mine. How blessed I am that the Lord gave me the ability to play "by ear"--and then, my parents sacrificed to start me on piano lessons so I could learn to sight read.
   
6. Anything else you would like to include: 
I'm looking forward to being with my colleagues and friends from both campuses for the April 7 event at David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center. That's another thrill. Making music together is even better than making it all by yourself! Just do it as unto the Lord--there is never a dull moment with Him calling the shots!
FACULTY HIGHLIGHT
Dr. Christopher Dost | Dir. of Online Programming, Asst. Prof. of Old Testament, ATS 
 
1. What brought you to ATS? 
I first found out about ATS from my grandmother, who was a member of the Foxborough, MA, C&MA church. I first came to ATS in 2000 to study Greek, but soon enrolled in the MA Old Testament program, which I completed in 2003.

2. What is your favorite ATS experience?
The professors were always the best part of ATS for me. Everyone under whom I studied was great, but it was thanks to Prof. Widbin that I was bitten by the Hebrew bug!
 
3. Favorite food: 
Oatmeal

4. Latest Interesting Read: 
Elitzur A. Bar-Asher Siegal's Introduction to the Grammar of Jewish Babylonian Aramaic

5. Interesting Fact: 
I was a jazz bass player in my former life.
   
6. Anything else you would like to include: 
Dr. Dost's book, The Sub-Loco Notes in the Former Prophets of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, was published in May 2016 by Gorgias Press. He has several forthcoming book publications including:
  • The Masorah of the Latter Prophets: Codex N (The Jewish Theological Seminary Library 232.) Texts and Studies. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press. 
  • A Brief Introduction to the Aramaic Targumim. Gorgias Handbooks. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press.
  • Jesus' Bible. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
  • Ezekiel, Job, Song of Songs, Qohelet, Esther (Rishon and Sheni), and Chronicles in Paul V. M. Flesher, ed., The Targum Bible. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press.
STAFF HIGHLIGHT
Ms. Jennifer Scott | School of Music Administrative Assistant, Rockland Campus 
 
1. What brought you to Nyack? 
I'm proud to call Nyack College my alma mater and my home away from home.  My heart has always felt at peace here, and am so blessed I get to serve alongside such wonderful people.  So, I guess you can say that aside from the Lord's plan for my life, my heart brought me back to Nyack!

2. What is your favorite Nyack College experience?
Singing at both Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center surely rank high for me as favorite experiences since graduating. To be truthful, touring is my favorite experience and I get to do that every year! I enjoy meeting brothers and sisters in Christ and introducing them to our students and their amazing talents. And then there's the added benefit of getting to see God's country. I highly recommend it!
 
3. Favorite food: 
Pizza, New York style

4. Latest Interesting Read: 
It's hard to find time to sit and really get into a book for more than a chapter, but I have been going through Beethoven's Hair: An Extraordinary Historical Odyssey and a Scientific Mystery Solved by Russell Martin this past year. It's a fascinating look at the historical journey a lock of Beethoven's hair has taken through the centuries. I'm looking forward to finishing it soon!

5. Interesting Fact: 
I'm a big Doctor Who fan. There's evidence of that in my office if you look hard enough! What you don't see is my collection of "Whovian" stuff at home as well. If the show is on, I won't even take a phone call! I'm also a long-time NASCAR fan. I'm happy the season has started back up, but bummed that my racer, Carl Edwards, is no longer on the circuit. I've been keeping an eye on Chase Elliott though; he's been quite impressive week after week!
   
6. Anything else you would like to include: 
I enjoy researching my family's history during the summer. My sister and I have been working on it together for about ten years now. Our oldest relative that we have found is our 13th great grandfather, William Walderne, who was born in Wiltshire, England during the War of the Roses in 1455! It's so exciting to find new connections. For me, living in the Rockland County area has been rewarding as most of my relatives lived right around the Nyack area and I've found many of their headstones.

After our last faculty assembly in Manhattan in January, I got to stand right  where my 8th great grandfather, Resolved Waldron, lived with his family when he was Peter Stuyvesant's deputy sheriff. According to a 1660 map of Manhattan, their home was two houses south of Wall Street on Broadway.This photo (pictured right) doesn't look like much, but to me, it's me connecting to my ancestors!
The Nyack College School of Music  in Concert 
at David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center

















Dear Colleagues: 

Plan to join us on Friday, April 7, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. for this showcase of our School of Music's  gifted students, alumni and faculty. Once again, on the stage of David Geffen Hall (formerly Avery Fisher Hall), these talented singers and musicians will present "Holy, Holy, Holy," a program of diverse genres at this iconic cultural arts venue.Ask anyone who has attended one of our past Lincoln Center concerts--you simply do not want to miss this incredible evening!

We've been able to keep ticket prices at the same incredible value ranging from just $10 to $25. I strongly recommend purchasing your tickets in advance. You can purchase tickets by phone via CenterCharge 212.721.6500, at www.lincolncenter.org or in person at the David Geffen Hall Box Office (132 W. 65th Street, New York, NY).

Join me in spreading the word of this one-of-a-kind event--invite your family and your friends. This is an uplifting evening at a world-class venue at a great price that showcases Nyack and our amazing students. Don't miss the opportunity to be part of it!

Finally, pray with me for this concert. Pray for wonderful weather. Pray for health and strength for both our student performers and our faculty as they diligently prepare. And finally, pray for a full house to enjoy this concert and experience Nyack at its best.

Looking forward to seeing you April 7 at Lincoln Center.

Jeff Quinn
Vice President for College Relations

 


The Evangelical Theological Society Northeast held its annual meeting at Nyack's Rockland campus on Saturday, March 25 from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. This event that was open to students and the general public featured keynote speaker Dr. Guy P. Waters, the James M. Baird, Jr. New Testament professor at Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) in Jackson, MS.

The four Nyack College professors who made presentations during the meeting included:

Dr. Cleotha Robertson spoke on "The Staff of God and the Polemic of Yahweh in the Book of Exodus," which is a study that looks at the use of the staff in Exodus against both its biblical and Egyptian backgrounds. The examination of the term for staff points to its polemical use in the Exodus narratives. Dr. David Emanuel presented his paper, "Towards an Old Testament Theology of Work," that surveys words and expressions that reflect the notion of "work" in the Old Testament. It then relates the Old Testament concepts to our contemporary understanding of work. Dr. Jefferey Garcia presented "The Historical Jesus, a Tanna? Rabbinic Discourse on Charity and Deeds of Loving Kindness in the Gospels and Early Rabbinic Thought." This study is intended to compare two pericopae from the Synoptic Gospels with texts from early Rabbinic literature, and considers some of the importance of using the latter for uncovering some of the earliest Jesus traditions. Dr. R. Steven Notley's presentation, "Reimagining the Parables of Jesus," is a study intended to encourage a reimagining of the Gospel parables in light of the broader rabbinic genre in order to better identify the theological message of the historical Jesus. To read more, click here.

Baby Face

Melissa Ruttanai and husband, Neil Friedman, welcomed baby boy Kobe Griffin on February 18, 2017 at 2:05 a.m.  
Family Matters

Dr. Elaine Lux married Thomas Koman on June 12, 2016. Congratulations to the happy couple on their upcoming one-year wedding anniversary!

Dr. Elizabeth Simon
and her husband are grateful to announce that God has blessed their family with two additional members, in marriage to their respective children, between 2015 and 2017: Anthony Vecchi and Larah Varghese.


Anthony, who grew up in Brooklyn, married their daughter Prisca Simon in May 2015 at the Greentree Country Club, New Rochelle, NY. They reside in Brooklyn where Anthony is specializing in Internal Medicine and Prisca practices Optometry. 

Their son, Finney Simon, married Larah Varghese in January 2017 at the Granada Presbyterian Church in the Coral Gables section of Miami, FL. Both weddings were officiated by Rev. Russell Hodgins of Westchester Christian Worship Center in White Plains. Larah grew up in Vienna, Austria, and was educated in London before being employed in New York City. Finney and Larah work in private equity and investment banking, respectively, and are residing in Miami.

Favorite Pastimes 

Dr. Marie Herseth Kenote 's joy in life is spending time with her two-year-old granddaughter, Eden, who teaches her so much about humility, the joy of the Lord and passion for life. 

She enjoys researching family history, especially the history of relatives who came from Norway in the mid to late 1800s, two of which homesteaded in the northwestern part of North Dakota. To understand more about these topics, Dr. Kenote is reading Prairie in Her Heart: Pioneer Women of North Dakota by Barbara Witteman and Women of the Northern Plains: Gender and Settlement on the Homestead Frontier 1870-1930 by Barbara Handy-Marchello.

Food for Thought

Dr. Elaine Lux has discovered new vegan options that are both delicious and healthy! Here is a yummy vegan recipe for the Ultimate Vegan Lasagna.  

Kids Say the Darndest Things!

Margie Jennings' seven-year-old son, Charlie, asked, "Mom, when I go to college, can I go to Nyack College?" Proud Mom responded, "Yes, Charles. Yes, you can!" 

Vacations

Dr. Marie Herseth Kenote spent a week last summer in North Dakota and Minnesota connecting with family history, walking the farms and towns and meeting relatives, some newly discovered! She has plans of returning this summer as well and also has a trip to Norway planned to visit family in the Sognefjord and Hedmark regions. She visited family in the Pacific Northwest last summer. The photo pictured is of Dr. Kenote and her sisters drying nectarines during a visit to Washington State.

Faculty Achievements 

Dr. Amy Davis Abdallah will be the featured speaker at the Metro District of The Christian and Missionary Alliance Women's Retreat scheduled Friday, March 31 through Sunday, April 2 at the Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club in Galloway, NJ. The theme is "Empowering Womanhood." To read more, click here. Dr. Davis Abdallah was a speaker at West Point at a women's cadet tea in February where there were over 200 cadets in attendance and at which 175 copies of her book, The Book of Womanhood, were purchased. 
Dr. Gordon Boronow 's article, "Democrats Throw Poor Kids Under the School Bus (Again)," was published by The Christian Post on February 9, 2017. His comments were quoted in "Trump's Cabinet Is Super Rich. Is That a Problem?" by Michael Gryboski published by The Christian Post in December 2016.
Dr. James Danaher's  book, Jesus' Copernican Revolution: The Revelation of Divine Mercy, is among a group of 22 finalists competing for "Book of the Year," in the religious non-fiction category. Three winners--gold, silver and bronze--will be announced in June. 
Rev. Charles Galbreath was inducted into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi at Fordham University. Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest, largest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Its chapters are on more than 300 campuses in the U.S., and each year more than 30,000 members are initiated nationwide. 
Dr. Stanley John 's article, "Coworkers of the Great Commission," was published in the Jan/Feb Alliance Life magazine.



Dr. Marie Herseth Kenote was program director of the Annual Bach Birthday Bash in March, that featured faculty and students. She and Dr. Tammy Lum will co-direct the Chamberfest Concert on April 20 with students in the Chambermusic class. Dr. Kenote directed Hymnfest and the 19th Century Music Concert in the fall of 2016. Her outreach programs with Nyack music students include Market Street Mission (fall 2016) and a visit to Harmony Christian School in March.  


Dr. Maureen Kroning
 
developed an educational program and created a simple-to-use model called "The 4As Approach to Providing Spiritual Care" to provide spiritual care education that was submitted for publication to the Journal of Christian Nursing. She presented a Spiritual Care Quality Improvement (QI) project at Good Samaritan Hospital Health Fairs in October and November, and presented "Providing Spiritual Care in Nursing Practice" at Nursing Ground Rounds in February at Good Samaritan Hospital.
 
Her publications include: "Are we losing the calling to care for others," published in the Journal of Christian Nursing in January; "Dimensions of Care," a co-published article that was chosen for the cover of Nursing Management and published in January; and "Integrating Spiritual Care in Nursing Practice," co-authored with Phyllis Yezzo, chief nursing officer at Good Samaritan Hospital, that was accepted for publication in Nursing Management Journal in November.   
Dr. Soo-Il Lee (pictured center) was presented with two awards in 2016 by the Korean American Behavioral Health Association, Inc. (KABHA): the Recognition Award on Clinical and Managerial Leadership as Residence Manager by the Department of Psychiatry of Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center and the Community in Action Award for individual volunteer and group therapy service for women in need. 
Dr. Peter Park published an article, " Laboratory Aquaponics: Bringing Fish Farming, Gardening, and Miniature Biospheres into the Everyday Classroom," in collaboration with colleagues at Duquesne University and Borough of Manhattan Community College. This work involves the use of aquaponics in the science classroom. Aquaponics is a method of farming aquatic animals and vegetables or fruits simultaneously, using an inter-connected system designed to utilize nitrogenous wastes generated by aquatic animals to fertilize plants growing in a soil-less growing bed.
Staff Achievements
Carol Ann Freeman wrote an article, "Using Jump Rope Rhymes to Teach English," that was published in fall 2016 in the Christian English Language Educators Association (CELEA) publication. The article is based on Carol Ann's research conducted while in Hungary last summer using jump rope rhymes to reinforce English language learning.
Earl S. Miller is founder and co-coordinator of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratory Contest as well as co-chair of the Nyack Center Black History Month Celebration. Nyack College, Dominican College, Rockland Community College and St. Thomas Aquinas College once again joined Orange and Rockland Utilities to sponsor the 2017 Oratory Contest. This year, ten local high school students participated in the contest. 
Wanda Velez was on the roster of dynamic speakers for The HOPE Gathering  in March, an annual event that convenes women from more than 60 different New York City churches to share stories of the impact God has had in and through their lives.   
Keep us in the loop!

Please send your latest achievements including books published, research completed, honors received from professional organizations, fellowships awarded, oversight or development of service- learning projects, and work with community organizations to Erica Videc at [email protected].

Please provide details (who, what, where, when, why) and the significance of news in relationship to our core values, where possible. High resolution digital photos that you can share for publication are welcome. (Please note: copy may be edited for length.)

 

Don't forget...you're invited to submit information to the "Life After Hours...On My Time Clock" section of Class Act. We want to hear about the books you've read; fun vacations you've taken; cooking/baking skills (share your recipes); family tree updates; good habits; and unknown talents. Share your good news with us!

Like us on Facebook Join the Nyack College Alumni Facebook group or the Alliance Theological Seminary Alumni Facebook group to connect with classmates and receive important updates on alumni news, upcoming events, and campus happenings!

Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Twitter @nyack_alumni for alumni news, upcoming events, and campus happenings!