April 2009
News & Notes

Congressman Pascrell Delivers Keynote Address at Leadership Conference
The "skills for good leadership” was the theme of the Student Leadership Development Conference held on Feb. 27 by Montclair State University’s Center for Career Services and Community-based Learning.

The event combined workshops on skills, competencies and characteristics of leadership with faculty, corporate partners, and staff, and started with a keynote address from Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (8th district of New Jersey) and remarks from event sponsor Nick Iannitelli '99 (pictured left), senior partner of New York Life and Company.

At the event, Congressman Pascrell, a former New Jersey educator, was honored with a certificate of appreciation presented by SGA President Ron Chicken (pictured above with President Susan A. Cole) on behalf of the students of Montclair State for his dedication and support, and for championing the cause of education.

MSU to Host NCAA Division III Softball Championship
Montclair State University, home the Montclair State University Softball Stadium and the Yogi Berra Museum, will be the site of the 2009 NCAA Division III Softball Championship. The 15-game tournament, played over the course of five days, will take place May 15-19. A champion will emerge from the eight-team double elimination play. The original field of 59 teams will be announced on Monday, May 4.

"We are very proud to host the 2009 NCAA Division III Softball Championships this year," says Holly Gera, Montclair State's director of athletics. "We are looking forward to sharing our campus and our outstanding facilities with the visiting teams and their families."

The history of softball at Montclair State University began in 1966 and, to date, Montclair State has won 965 games, including three New Jersey Athletic Conference championships and five NCAA regional titles. Montclair State has appeared five times
in the NCAA Division III Softball Championship, the last in 1997 when it finished as the national runner-up.

"The softball committee and I are confident that Montclair State will do an outstanding job of hosting the softball championship," states Jan Gentry, NCAA assistant director
of championships.

The softball championship began in 1982 with Eastern Connecticut State capturing the title over host Trenton State College. Current Montclair State head coach Anita Kubicka played in that final.

Check here for more information and ticketing.

Traders to Teachers: Prepare to Teach Math through
Accelerated Program
Montclair State University is pleased to announce the Traders to Teachers Program,
an accelerated three-month program which allows displaced financial services employees to obtain public school certification to teach mathematics.

The program will begin in September, and is a collaboration between the College of Education & Human Services and the College of Science & Mathematics. It will require applicants to pass a math aptitude test and complete an application process that includes spending one day observing in schools. Successful applicants will spend three months in an intensive, full-time program learning mathematics and how to teach it, and spending one day each week observing and beginning to teach mathematics in a middle school or high school. Upon conclusion of the program, candidates will also have to pass the required content knowledge Praxis examination.
The N.J. Department of Labor will fund the cost of the program for participants. During the first year of teaching, the program will provide intensive induction support and mentoring.

An information session will be held on April 13, 4 - 5:30 p.m., University Hall, Room 1070. Click here to register. For more information regarding this program, please send an e-mail message to mathteach@montclair.edu with your name, address, phone number and any questions you may have.

MSU Celebrates New Theresa and Lawrence Inserra Endowed Chair in Italian/Italian American Studies
President Cole and Willard P. Gingerich, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, hosted a gala evening on February 18, to celebrate the establishment of the Theresa and Lawrence R. Inserra Endowed Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies. UNICO National, the largest Italian American service organization in the United States, partnered with Montclair State to raise funds to establish an endowed chair in Italian and Italian American studies at the University.

Lawrence Inserra, Jr. made a major gift to Montclair State to name the chair in honor
of his parents. He is president of Inserra Supermarkets, Inc., which owns and operates 22 ShopRite supermarkets in Bergen, Passaic, and Hudson counties in New Jersey and in Rockland County, N.Y. Inserra spoke about how happy he was to name the chair in honor of his beloved parents, his mother Theresa and his late
father Lawrence.

The Inserra Chair assures the distinction of Italian and Italian American Studies at Montclair State in perpetuity and supports a focus of study on issues related to Italian American culture. The evening’s program included remarks from Montclair State leaders and special guests, cocktails and hors d’ouevres, and a musical performance of Italian songs and arias by talented students from Montclair State’s John J. Cali School of Music. In addition, President Cole and UNICO national president Kathleen Strozza presented a framed proclamation to Inserra announcing the establishment of the chair. (pictured above.)

For more photos from the event, click here.

Post-MBA Certification Available
The School of Business at Montclair State is accredited by AACSB International, the premier accrediting body for college-level Business programs world-wide. Only about a third of the programs in North America hold this prestigious accreditation, a mark of excellence in business education. In 2005, the MBA program celebrated its 25th anniversary. It now serves more than 300 MBA students on campus and through its satellite program at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft on Saturdays.

If you already have your Master's you might want to consider a post-MBA certification program. A post-MBA certificate consists of a total of 12 semester hours/four courses, selected from the list of designated MBA electives for the concentration in each offered subject. Certificates are available in the following areas: Accounting, International Business, Management Finance, Management Information Systems and Marketing.

Reminder: Legacy Scholarship Deadline, April 13
Each year, the Montclair State University Alumni Association Scholarship Committee considers applications of entering full-time freshman who are the children or grandchildren of a Montclair State University graduate.

Interested students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) indicating MSU as one of the recipients.

A completed application form and the accompanying 200 word essay must be received by the Office of Alumni Relations by Monday, April 13.

Cast your ballot for the MSUAA Executive Board
Voting is underway for the 2009-2010 Executive Board of the Alumni Association.
Click here for a printable ballot. Signed ballots must be received by Friday, May 25.

College of the Arts Launches Electronic Newsletter
The College of the Arts has launched a new e-news publication for CART students and alumni. From events to the latest news on faculty, staff, students and alumni, everything you need to know is at your fingertips. Click here for the first issue.