August 2024

Friends,

The summer is a special time of year at the College and is a time to refresh and recharge for the year ahead. 

Our faculty are advancing their research, our facilities teams are modernizing the campus, and our staff are preparing to welcome our new and returning students. While some of our students have been busy working as summer interns, others have been attending academic camps — including our new STAR program — and some have even travelled and studied abroad. 

For me and “First Lady” Laurie, our summer highlight was a quick trip to the UK — where we previously lived — to host a welcome dinner for our Honors students, who are studying abroad at Oxford University. We visited with Honors Program Director Dr. Meghan DeWitt and our students on campus and thanked our Oxford University hosts and UC Berkeley partners. We also met with recent UK STAC alumni and supporters and visited high schools in order to develop international pipeline programs. 

The 23 STAC Honors students are primarily rising seniors who receive full scholarships covering tuition and room/board for the 3-credit course and numerous cultural and historical experiences.

In addition to taking classes at one of the most prestigious universities in the world, the students travel throughout England and visit sites such as the British Museum, Stonehenge, Bodleian Library, Charles Dickens Museum, and Big Ben, and can also tour the homes of Shakespeare, Rudyard Kipling, and J. R. R. Tolkien. 

As our Honors students prepare to return home this weekend, please read below to learn more about another very special summer here at STAC.

Regards,

The College's new Spartan "STAR" Summer Program is designed to help prepare select incoming freshmen for academic success and the transition to college life. The FREE four-week program began in mid-July and will conclude next week. 19 students have been offered the fantastic opportunity to live on campus and earn 6 credits towards their college degree, while living on campus, getting a feel for campus life and igniting their passion for learning. Special thank you to Mary Vota, Director, Student Success and Rayven Johnson, Assistant Athletic Director, and Senior Woman Administrator & Academic Success, for their leadership in building this exciting new program.

Our Summer STEAM camps for grammar school students was a success! Students entering grades 5-9 explored the fundamental principles of electricity, sustainable energy, as well as mathematics and architectural concepts. President Daly and Laurie help build Wind Energy projects with our STEAM campers on Tuesday!

Our STEAM Camps are made possible by the generous support of Orange & Rockland Utilities and National Grid Ventures/Community Offshore Wind. Alanna Russo, Director, visited and presented to the students today.

The College's Summer Literacy Program provides young learners in need of extra literacy support with the skills to be strategic and joyful readers and writers.

Students work in small groups or individually with certified teachers completing their master’s degrees in Literacy or Special Education at St. Thomas Aquinas College, and the program is supervised by our School of Education faculty.

High school students are on campus for an unforgettable week at our STEM Exploration Summer Program. Students are discovering the world of STEM, earning college credits, and becoming part of our vibrant campus community.

The one-week overnight learning experience immerses local high school students in STEM fields, igniting their passion to ask questions, uncover answers, imagine possibilities and create something new. During the Program, students met with the College's STEM Advisory Board at a luncheon to learn more about different fields and career paths. This program is made possible by a generous grant and support from Veolia.

St. Thomas Aquinas College's Honors Program students were led by Dr. Meghan DeWitt, Associate Professor of Mathematics and Director of the Honors Program on their three week trip to Oxford. The trip, offered through the Oxford/UC Berkeley Extension Program, which we have been a part of for over 30 years, enables honors students who are entering their senior year to live and study at Oxford.

St. Thomas Aquinas College is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Montefiore Nyack Hospital designed to make affordable undergraduate and graduate degrees accessible for the hospital’s employees.



Montefiore Nyack Hospital employees holding an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree from a regionally accredited institution can transfer up to 70 credits, paving the way for a seamless transition to earning their bachelor’s degree.

The St. Thomas Aquinas College campus is hosting East Ramapo Central School District students and teachers so they may provide special education services for nearly 250 students this summer. The District is utilizing 23 classrooms on our campus, and we are providing essential safety, custodial, and other services. We are utilizing our campus to support the special education needs of our community partners — a wonderful example of Living Our Mission.

Permit Received/Construction to Begin!

The College's “Eye to the Sky” SKAE Astronomy Center coming this Fall 2024 on campus will include a state-of-the-art Telescope Observatory, as well as a classroom for astronomy and astrophysics programming. The Observatory's powerful telescope will allow for the observation and measurement of planets, stars, asteroids, comets, and galaxies.

Construction Near Completion!

The College is building a new Volleyball Center and additional athletic amenities, including golf simulators, softball and baseball batting cages, and equipment for Club, Intramural, and Summer Camp programs.

St. Thomas Aquinas College is proud to announce its involvement in a pioneering higher education initiative, which has secured a $3.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program. President Daly will serve on the Advisory Board.

The College has recently secured additional grants from The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, Motorola Solutions Foundation, and The Hearst Foundations to advance education and create incredible academic opportunities for our students.

St. Thomas Aquinas College has been awarded a New York State Higher Education Capital Matching Grant (HECap) in the amount of $359,375 to invest in a series of outdoor athletic and fitness upgrades on campus.

The College's Athletic Field will be re-turfed, to ensure safe and competitive play continues for years to come. Additionally, two outdoor basketball courts will be installed in the rear parking lot to increase the opportunity for Spartans to engage in informal shoot arounds and pick-up games.

St. Thomas Aquinas College is proud of the newest addition to our athletic lineup: club-level Women’s Flag Football Team, debuting in Fall 2025.

As flag football's popularity reaches new heights, St. Thomas Aquinas College is proud to embrace this fast-growing sport, which melds the strategy and thrill of traditional football with a vibrant, dynamic twist. Flag is a non-contact sport with fast-paced passing and receiving, but fewer players on the field without the bulky equipment. There are 7 players on each side competing for 4 quarters on a 70 yard field. Every drive counts!

Check out St. Thomas Aquinas College's feature on three of our incredible employees! We are delighted and proud to introduce you to the following individuals:

Alexandria Porter

Laboratory Manager, School of STEM

Fatima Ceesay '26 Hospitality Management Major

Michael Hagopian '10, '15

Principal of George Washington Elementary School in Mahwah, NJ