Smart Growth & Infrastructure | ��Ƶ

How ��Ƶ Is Making Sustainability a Campus Priority

yigarcia — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 13:26:06 +0000

��Ƶ has a long history of sustainability—from a community garden to a geothermal heating and cooling system to the recent construction of a solar panel roof on the Center for Recreation and Sports, adding to the existing solar panels on Swirbul Library. Now ��Ƶ is expanding its commitment to improving energy efficiency and creating an environmentally friendly campus.

It begins with Kyungmin Lee, PhD, the inaugural director of sustainability in the Office of Sustainability and assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences. “My role is to bring students, faculty and staff together to advance sustainability initiatives across the campus at ��Ƶ,” Dr. Lee said.

At the heart of ��Ƶ’s push for sustainability is (STARS). Managed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), STARS is a framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance.

“Participating in STARS is an opportunity to bring our existing efforts together and establish a sustainability direction for future work,” Dr. Lee said. “We want to recognize what our campus community has already accomplished and make it more visible.”

Measuring What Matters: The STARS Initiative

As a STARS participant, ��Ƶ will gather data on various aspects of campus life, including academics, food and dining, buildings and grounds, and more, and earn points toward a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum rating.

The STARS initiative will involve the entire campus. “Students can help collect and analyze the data, and brainstorm and propose possible sustainability projects,” Dr. Lee said. “Faculty can support these projects with students so they can be implemented on campus, and staff can bring knowledge about how the University operates and what is feasible to implement on campus.”

STARS data collection and sustainability projects will be coordinated and reported by the Sustainability Task Force, while Sustainability Fellows will brainstorm and carry out the actual projects.

��Ƶ junior Laurel Owen and first-year student Mahan Nanandhan have already signed on to assist with data collection.

“For now, we’re learning how to collect data for the STARS reporting system,” said Nanandhan, an environmental studies major. “They updated it recently from version 2.0 to 3.0, so it’s a whole process, but we’re getting there.”

For Owen, also an environmental studies major, the work is personal. “I’m a huge nature lover,” she said. “I was raised to respect the natural world, and I wanted to channel that into action.”

Beyond the rating itself, Dr. Lee sees STARS as a way to connect to efforts already happening across campus. “People may already be doing sustainability work in different departments, but without knowing who is doing what,” Dr. Lee said. “This process will give us a reason to connect with each other across departments, share information and identify opportunities to work on sustainability initiatives together.”

New Ways to Live and Learn Green

To integrate sustainability into campus life and the academic curriculum, ��Ƶ is developing a new Living and Learning Community and a first-year seminar focused on sustainability.

The Living and Learning Community will bring together a group of students to live on campus in the same dorm hallway. “The idea is to have a group of students with shared interests and cohort them so they feel a sense of community,” said Aaren Freeman, PhD, professor of biology and chair of environmental studies and sciences.

Students will decide what sustainability practices and activities they want to undertake, and ��Ƶ will provide support. “If they want to compost, we’ll provide the materials,” Dr. Freeman said. Students can also participate in cleanups, invasive species removal and other projects that interest them.

Meanwhile, the first-year seminar, themed Into the Wild and taught by two environmental studies faculty members, will emphasize campus sustainability through field trips and classroom learning. Students have the opportunity to shape the course. “The professors have academic freedom to teach the class how they want, but we’re all working together on this,” Dr. Freeman said. “There’s a lot of room for modification and feedback along the way.”

Both initiatives are set to begin in Fall 2027.

Students Leading the Charge

In addition to assisting with STARS data collection, ��Ƶ students are shaping the campus sustainability efforts.

Owen, president of the , a student club that coordinates volunteer sustainability opportunities in the community, attended the first STARS workshop with other members of the EAC. There, they presented their list of demands to improve sustainability on campus. Many of those demands will form the foundation of future STARS projects.

Nanandhan, who also attended the workshop, plans to go to law school so he can help draft and implement environmental policy. “I want to make an impact,” he said. “I don’t want to just sit by and watch people run things and leave some of us out. I want everyone to feel heard.”

For Owen, the stakes reach well beyond ��Ƶ’s campus. “It’s about thinking about the future of the planet and of humanity, and doing our part so generations after us will have an earth to live on that’s sustainable,” she said.

Interested in becoming involved with STARS? Contact us at sustainability@adelphi.edu.

Learn more about sustainability at ��Ƶ.

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��Ƶ Turns a Roof Challenge Into a Solar Opportunity

ckatz — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 21:09:53 +0000

When the roof over ��Ƶ’s Center for Recreation and Sports (CRS) failed prematurely, leadership faced an unexpected challenge. The original roof manufacturer was no longer in business, leaving the University with an unplanned replacement project. Rather than viewing the incident as a simple setback, facilities management saw a unique opportunity.

Under the leadership of Robert Shipley ’05, assistant vice president for facilities management, the facilities team proposed pairing a mandatory roof replacement in 2022 with a modern solar energy installation.

“We had to replace the roof, so the question became: How do we make the most of that investment?” said Shipley. “Pairing the new roof with solar gave us an opportunity to solve an immediate problem while doing something that will benefit ��Ƶ for years to come.”

Today, that vision is a reality. A new 295 kW rooftop solar array on the CRS is fully energized and producing clean electricity on the 75-acre Garden City campus.

With this greener approach, ��Ƶ is also saving green: between $20,000 and $26,000 per year.

In fact, over ��Ƶ’s 20-year agreement with Greenskies Clean Energy, projected savings come out to approximately $600,000—an astonishing number that easily recovers the capital expense of replacing the roof.

Strategic Partnerships and Financial Savings

Bringing the solar installation to life required careful planning. ��Ƶ began working with SolarKal, a commercial solar advisory, in 2022 to guide the project through evaluation and competitive procurement. Following the procurement process, the ��Ƶ Board of Trustees selected Greenskies to develop, construct, own and operate the system.

The 546-panel array was completed without requiring up-front capital investment from the University for the solar infrastructure itself. Under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement with Greenskies, ��Ƶ purchases the electricity generated by the system at a discounted rate compared to standard utility pricing with PSEG Long Island.

“Smart growth and sustainable infrastructure are key priorities for ��Ƶ, and this project aligns directly with those goals,” said Carol Ann Boyle, MBA ’17, vice president of campus operations. “Bringing more solar online is a major step toward ��Ƶ’s cleaner, more sustainable future.”

Installation officially began in July 2025. While physical panel placement was straightforward, the project team faced significant weather delays due to something everyone on campus will remember: one of Long Island’s coldest and snowiest winters in recent memory.

“Projects like this take close coordination from development through construction and interconnection,” noted Carson Mislick, director of project delivery at Greenskies Clean Energy. “We’re proud to have worked alongside ��Ƶ and SolarKal to bring the project across the finish line.”

Neil Sharma, SolarKal co-founder and chief commercial officer, added, “As a New Yorker with a personal connection to ��Ƶ, this has always felt like a hometown project to me. After working toward it for years, it’s especially rewarding to see it come to life.”

Expanding a Decades-Long Legacy of Sustainability

The new rooftop array is the latest chapter in ��Ƶ’s long history of environmental initiatives:

2003: Installed a geothermal heating and cooling system in Residence Hall A, cutting electricity reliance for the facility by approximately 30 percent
2006: Earned recognition during EPA compliance inspections as the only regional educational institution to pass with zero fines or penalties
2011: Commissioned a 50 kW solar installation on the roof of Swirbul Library
2016: Added a 2 MW campus cogeneration plant to improve overall energy efficiency
2025: Regained official arboretum status for green spaces and implemented food waste reduction practices in dining services

These cumulative efforts earned ��Ƶ a spot in The Princeton Review 2025 Guide to Green Colleges.

��Ƶ’s 75-acre campus, with more than 100 species of trees and shrubs, has renewed arboretum status.

Looking Ahead to Future Green Initiatives

��Ƶ continues to expand its green roadmap under the guidance of a new Sustainability Committee, launched in Fall 2026.

As part of an overarching $55 million campus modernization project, information technology and facilities management teams are working together on a project to relocate and upgrade the campus data center that will boost operational energy efficiency. The University has also installed new HVAC systems and energy-efficient windows in the Hagedorn Hall of Enterprise.

Looking further ahead, the facilities team is exploring additional solar array installations on the Hy Weinberg Center for Communication Disorders and Angello Alumni House.

With the CRS system energized and delivering clean power, ��Ƶ proves that even unexpected infrastructure challenges can turn into long-term opportunities for sustainable growth.

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A New Chair and Trustee, Both Healthcare Innovators, Bolster ��Ƶ Board

ckatz — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 16:25:39 +0000

��Ƶ has added two highly distinguished leaders in the healthcare field to its board of trustees. Even more noteworthy, both leaders share a similar journey—Achan as a first-generation American and Dowling as an immigrant. That shared background gives them a deeply felt empathy for the experiences of so many ��Ƶ students today.

Leonard C. Achan ’99, a graduate of ��Ƶ’s nursing program whose connection to the University includes 10 years of service as a trustee and generous support of student scholarships and spiritual life on campus, is a healthcare innovator and executive, philanthropist and artist born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens.

Michael Dowling, who grew up in poverty in Ireland before immigrating to the United States, built Northwell Health into New York state’s largest employer and the Northeast’s largest healthcare provider. As CEO of the nonprofit, based in nearby New Hyde Park, New York, he helped develop longtime alliances with ��Ƶ that provided critical clinical and educational opportunities for our students.

“Both of these leaders have made an incredible impact on our community,” said ��Ƶ President Michael Balboni ’81, JD. “Chair Achan’s story truly embodies the ��Ƶ spirit and is a shining example of our strength in producing leaders in nursing, health care and business. And Michael Dowling shares ��Ƶ’s deep commitment to the public good. His compassion and dedication to helping others throughout his career are a true reflection of his character.”

Leonard C. Achan ’99

Chair Achan’s connection to ��Ƶ is rooted in a deep personal commitment to the University’s mission of transforming lives through education, service and compassionate care. He brings that devotion to his new role as board chair. He succeeds acting chair William Fuessler ’79, who now serves as vice chair.

Like many of his fellow ��Ƶ nursing alumni, Achan began his career at the bedside, first as a medical ICU nurse and than as an adult acute care nurse practitioner, embodying ��Ƶ’s core values of care, clinical excellence and service to others. As his leadership expanded into senior executive roles across top-tier institutions—including Mount Sinai Health System, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Hospital for Special Surgery—Chair Achan consistently championed innovation that enhances patient care. As an entrepreneur, he co-founded and served as chairman of Quality Reviews Inc., a digital health platform used by more than 150 hospitals that elevates the care experience for more than 30 million patients nationwide. Today, he is president and CEO of LiveOnNY, a vital nonprofit dedicated to lifesaving organ donations and supporting donor families, further extending the spirit of public health and empathy nurtured during his student days at ��Ƶ.

Beyond his professional achievements and his leadership as a trustee, Chair Achan has provided transformational philanthropic support for ��Ƶ and its students. He has championed opportunity by establishing the Leonard Achan Sr. Endowed Scholarship, honoring his father by supporting students passionate about the arts, nature, the environment and public health. He invested in compassionate care by creating the Zosia “Gigi” Levine Endowed Scholarship for Mental Health—honoring his wife’s grandmother, a Holocaust survivor—to provide needed assistance to future generations of mental health counselors. And this past June, his generous gift supporting spiritual life and the inclusive, community-minded mission of ��Ƶ’s Interfaith Center was recognized by the renaming of the center as the Achan Family Interfaith Center.

“Opening that ��Ƶ acceptance letter was a spark of light,” Chair Achan said in a . “I was a first-generation American and an inner city youth in Queens. I never thought I might go to college. ��Ƶ became a beacon that showed me the way to the future I aspired to.”

“Being a trustee has given me such great perspective,” he continued. “I can still reflect back on being a student, so I know our students have dreams too, and I believe they will fulfill those dreams because of their foundation at ��Ƶ. Through the support of the University, through board governance, through philanthropic support, I have this privilege of helping bring those dreams to life.”

Michael Dowling

Michael Dowling, who joined the board in September, brings his legacy of global leadership in healthcare, public policy and crisis management to the University.

As president and CEO of Northwell Health for more than 24 years, he provided the visionary leadership that helped Northwell grow into a clinical, academic and research enterprise with more than 106,000 employees and nearly $25 billion in annual revenue.

Prior to Northwell, Dowling served in the New York state government for 12 years, including seven years as state director of health, education and human services and deputy secretary to former Gov. Mario Cuomo, and later as commissioner of the Department of Social Services. A native of County Limerick, Ireland, he earned his undergraduate degree at University College Cork and his Master of Social Work at Fordham University, where he served as a professor of social policy and assistant dean of the university’s Graduate School of Social Service and director of the Fordham campus in Westchester County.

He was named a “Titan” on the TIME100 Health 2025 list and ranked No. 1 on Modern Healthcare’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare in 2022. Dowling is the acclaimed author of several books, including his memoir, , a moving account of his hardscrabble upbringing and the educational journey that helped him transcend it.

“I’m extraordinarily proud to join the ��Ƶ board,” Dowling said. “I look forward to lending my insight and expertise to the University and working with President Balboni and my fellow board members to strengthen ��Ƶ’s standing as a preeminent institution for healthcare education.”

Dowling and Chair Achan both experienced the power of education to transform lives. As trustees, both have the power to extend ��Ƶ’s ability to make a life-changing impact on new generations of students while also enhancing the University’s leadership in healthcare.

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��Ƶ Awarded $982,000 to Launch No-Cost Regional Entrepreneurship Experience for Students and Aspiring Business Founders

tshah — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 16:31:39 +0000

��Ƶ has been awarded $982,000 through the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency’s to establish the ��Ƶ Entrepreneur Experience. Fully funded by the grant, this regional program is provided at no cost to a select group of undergraduate and graduate students in the (WSB) as well as nonmatriculated participants. The initiative is designed to position aspiring entrepreneurs to launch, grow and sustain new ventures—and prepare them for real-world 21st-century opportunities.

This program focuses on high-growth sectors—such as AI, cleantech and software—identified by Empire State Development, New York state’s chief economic development agency. It will also address high-need, under-resourced public sectors facing critical local shortages, such as behavioral health, eldercare and social services, and will connect participants with real-life project-based externships.

“��Ƶ is proud to be nationally recognized for its commitment to social mobility. The ��Ƶ Entrepreneur Experience will further advance that focus across and beyond the Greater New York City region,” said MaryAnne Hyland, PhD, dean of the Willumstad School of Business. “The program will support new businesses in high-growth and high-demand industries in New York, and the program participants will have a holistic experience that will support strong outcomes in a new model for economic development.”

Launching the Next Generation of Student Founders

The ��Ƶ Entrepreneur Experience connects aspiring entrepreneurs with the New York area’s business and innovation scene. Over nine months, ��Ƶ students will complete six four-week sprints, developed by ��Ƶ business faculty, to build the knowledge and skills to launch a venture. Enrolled student entrepreneurs will learn from a faculty-led curriculum, discussions and lectures with experts, and support from coaches and peers.

Launching in February 2027, the program’s first two cohorts of 20 students (Spring 2027 and Fall 2027) are open to both ��Ƶ students and nonmatriculated individuals seeking to launch their own business. Eligible entrepreneurs must live, work or attend school in one of the following counties:

New York: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk
New Jersey: Essex, Hudson

��Ƶ will partner with to provide strategic and comprehensive consulting for this program, tapping into the firm’s data-driven, human-centric expertise in equitable development and sustainable growth building. An additional partnership with , a platform that facilitates project-based externship experiences, will allow the ��Ƶ Entrepreneur Experience to provide hands-on opportunities for participants to develop go-to-market strategies, products and fundraising skills.

The ��Ƶ Entrepreneur Experience targets startups within two sectors:

High-Growth: Biotech, cleantech, software/AI and fintech, aligned with .
High-Need: Healthcare, behavioral health, social services and EdTech, aligned with ��Ƶ’s nursing and public health, psychology, business administration, artificial intelligence, social work, education, and the sciences offerings to address regional workforce gaps.

Strengthening the Greater New York City Ecosystem

Leveraging ��Ƶ’s Garden City campus and its midtown Manhattan Center, the initiative connects student founders across Greater New York, including all five New York City boroughs, Long Island and northern New Jersey. Local government, nonprofit and regional startup partners are also invited to engage with this opportunity.

Applications to the program are open now through January 19, 2027, for the inaugural February cohort, and ongoing for Fall 2027 enrollment. Applicants must be the original founder of their startup idea.

Rooted in Top-Ranked Business Education

The ��Ƶ Entrepreneur Experience builds on the academic prestige and proven track record of the Robert B. Willumstad School of Business. Accredited by AACSB International, a distinction only held by fewer than 6 percent of business schools worldwide, ��Ƶ’s WSB ranks as the No. 1 undergraduate business school on Long Island by Poets&Quants and is recognized among the best in the nation by The Princeton Review.

Furthering its reach across the region, the school has expanded its programs to ��Ƶ’s Manhattan Center, offering flexible learning pathways such as its new Flex MBA, enabling students to earn a degree in as little as one year.

For more information on applying, investing, partnering and mentoring, visit the ��Ƶ Entrepreneur Experience site, and contact aee@adelphi.edu with questions.

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Healthcare Visionary Michael Dowling Joins ��Ƶ Board of Trustees

ckatz — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 21:34:08 +0000

Dowling, who built into New York’s largest private employer and the Northeast’s largest healthcare provider, brings his legacy of global leadership in healthcare, public policy and crisis management to the University.

Dowling’s appointment reinforces the University’s commitment to aligning its academic programming with the immediate, evolving needs of New York’s healthcare sector.

“Michael Dowling knows firsthand what the modern workforce demands,” noted ��Ƶ President Michael Balboni ’81, JD. “Our vision is to be Long Island’s preeminent institution for healthcare education, and Michael’s guidance will be invaluable as we graduate the next generation of frontline healthcare workers, administrators and mental health professionals.”

��Ƶ has been named a Best College among National Universities for eight consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report, and for the past three years. One of the largest nursing schools in New York state, the ��Ƶ College of Nursing and Public Health (CNPH) has steadily risen the national rankings in recent years for both its undergraduate and graduate programs. ��Ƶ’s CNPH is also the home of its Clinical Education and Simulation Lab (CESiL), the only lab of its kind on Long Island to be accredited by the .

��Ƶ’s Powerhouse Governance Team

Dowling joins ��Ƶ’s highly experienced and respected board of trustees, known for its diverse expertise, deep tenure and civic reputation—adding his global heavyweight status to an already formidable governance team. He joins Leonard C. Achan ’99, a fellow healthcare and business leader and CEO of LiveOnNY, who was recently named chair of ��Ƶ’s board.

President Balboni’s background in policy and homeland security, paired with the healthcare dominance of Dowling and Achan, positions ��Ƶ’s board as a coalition of New York’s most experienced, crisis-tested leaders.

“I’m extraordinarily proud to join the ��Ƶ board,” said Dowling. “The University has a long, proud history of providing students with rewarding career opportunities in healthcare and so many other professions throughout Long Island and the entire metropolitan area. As the longtime CEO at Northwell, where we developed mutually beneficial clinical and educational alliances with ��Ƶ, I’m well aware of the many talented nurses, public health professionals, administrators, mental health counselors and other graduates who helped fill vital roles within our health system. I look forward to lending my insight and expertise to the University and working with Mike Balboni and my fellow board members to strengthen ��Ƶ’s standing as a preeminent institution for healthcare education.”

Dowling’s appointment follows the recent addition of four new trustees with diverse insights in law, business, real estate, infrastructure and higher education, and underscores ��Ƶ’s commitment to utilizing enterprise-level, external leadership to thrive and address the complex challenges of higher education.

Social Impact and Shared Values

Unlike other corporate executives who join university boards, Dowling has a Master of Social Work and began his career as a professor of social policy. While his background mirrors ��Ƶ’s dedication to community impact, he is also widely recognized for taking a stand on some of the nation’s toughest societal issues—from gun violence prevention and the youth mental health crisis to caring for an aging population.

“As seen in his transformative work, Michael shares ��Ƶ’s deep commitment to the public good,” President Balboni added. “His compassion and dedication to helping others throughout his career are a true reflection of his character.”

In addition to his healthcare leadership, Dowling brings higher education and corporate governance experience to ��Ƶ. He served on the board of trustees of Fordham University for eight years and held board appointments with BankUnited, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the Foreign Policy Association and the Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School at University College Dublin.

About Michael Dowling

Michael Dowling is CEO Emeritus of , having served as its president and CEO for more than 24 years before stepping into his current advisory role in October 2025. Under his visionary leadership, Northwell grew into a clinical, academic and research enterprise with more than 106,000 employees and nearly $25 billion in annual revenue.

Prior to Northwell, Dowling served in the New York state government for 12 years, including seven years as state director of health, education and human services and deputy secretary to former Gov. Mario Cuomo, and later as commissioner of the New York State Department of Social Services. A native of County Limerick, Ireland, he earned his undergraduate degree from University College Cork and his Master of Social Work from Fordham University, where he served as a professor of social policy and assistant dean of the university’s Graduate School of Social Service, and director of the Fordham campus in Westchester County.

He was named a “Titan” on the TIME100 Health 2025 list and ranked No. 1 on Modern Healthcare’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare in 2022. Dowling is the acclaimed author of several books, including Leading Through a Pandemic: The Inside Story of Humanity, Innovation, and Lessons Learned During the COVID-19 Crisis (Skyhorse, 2020); The Aging Revolution (Skyhorse, 2024); and his memoir, (Arcade, 2020).

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Appointment of University Counsel Elizabeth Cheung-Gaffney and Establishment of the Office of Legal Affairs

yigarcia — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:00:30 +0000

Dear ��Ƶ Community,

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Elizabeth Cheung-Gaffney, JD, as ��Ƶ’s general counsel, as well as the formal establishment of the Office of Legal Affairs.

This strategic shift to internal legal counsel was one of my first priorities after taking office in June. ��Ƶ has traditionally relied on outsourced legal services from external law firms, and transitioning to a dedicated, in-house legal model will allow us to operate with significantly greater efficiency, improve response times, reduce external legal costs and provide proactive, hands-on guidance to units across our University. In the evolving landscape of higher education regulations, governance and compliance, having on-campus legal leadership integrated into our daily operations will prove essential to our long-term success.

About Elizabeth Cheung-Gaffney

Liz brings a wealth of higher education, administrative and legal expertise to ��Ƶ, making her a highly respected leader in regional higher education circles. Most recently, she served as university counsel and secretary to the board of trustees at Long Island University (LIU), where she managed university compliance, board governance, collective bargaining agreements, litigation, student affairs and NCAA compliance.

Prior to LIU, Liz served as general counsel and interim executive director for New York University’s Office of the President Emeritus, as well as general counsel and senior program officer for The Catalyst Foundation for Universal Education. Earlier in her career, she was a first-chair litigation and arbitration attorney with the New York City Department of Education’s General Counsel Office and practiced complex commercial litigation at law firms in Washington, D.C., and New York.

Liz earned her Juris Doctor from Notre Dame Law School, where she served on the Journal of Legislation staff. She completed her B.A. in Economics and Political Science at Columbia University. At Columbia, she was an Academic All-Ivy League soccer student-athlete. She was inducted into the Columbia Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016. Liz is also a published scholar on sports law and humanitarian development.

Office Structure and Responsibilities

Reporting directly to the president, the newly established Office of Legal Affairs oversees and manages all university legal matters, risk management and regulatory compliance.

The following units benefit from this new organizational structure:

Contracts and Policies: Oversight of university contract review, management and institutional policy frameworks now fall under the Office of Legal Affairs.
Office of Community Concerns and Resolutions: This office reports directly to University Counsel.
Title IX Office: University Counsel provides executive legal oversight and administrative supervision for the Title IX Office, ensuring full compliance with federal, state and institutional standards.

I look forward to working closely with Liz and the Office of Legal Affairs as it develops into a trusted resource and partner to everyone in our community. If you have any questions about this restructuring or how you can engage with Legal Affairs, feel free to contact me.

Please join me in warmly welcoming Liz to ��Ƶ as she helps guide our institution forward.

Sincerely,

Michael Balboni ’81, JD
President

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Nursing Leadership: New York State Awards $450,000 for Simulation Lab

ckatz — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 15:23:14 +0000

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Message from the Executive Director of the Manhattan Center

ckatz — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 20:37:29 +0000

Premier academic programs and workforce development are moving NYC forward.

Located five minutes from Grand Central Terminal and an eight-minute walk from Times Square, ��Ƶ is bringing a robust set of elite graduate and professional academic programs to this new location, including master’s degrees in AI/machine learning, social work, business, psychology and education and doctoral degrees in the learning sciences and global higher education leadership. A 15-month accelerated bachelor’s degree in nursing rounds out the offerings for 2026–2027, with more programs to be added each
year.

The brand-new space features an extension of ��Ƶ’s Swirbul Library, nursing simulation lab, state-of-the-art classrooms, community clinic and more. Designed with today’s students in mind, there are meeting and study spaces on all floors, as well as lounge areas for informal gatherings. We will welcome our accelerated nursing and STEAM education programs, which will begin classes in the summer.

Right now, we are putting on all the finishing touches and accepting applications for summer and fall starts. For more information or to request a tour, contact manhattancenter@adelphi.edu.

We are excited to welcome you all to the ��Ƶ Manhattan Center.

Jennifer Lancaster
Dean of the College of Professional and Continuing Studies
Executive Director of the Manhattan Center

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��Ƶ Appoints Four Exceptional Alumni to Board of Trustees

yigarcia — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 19:01:40 +0000

“Each of these individuals brings with them a wealth of expertise, deep professional accomplishments, a personal connection to our community and a profound commitment to our University’s mission,” said ��Ƶ President Michael Balboni ’81, JD. “As we work together to guide ��Ƶ into its next era of excellence, their diverse insights will be vital to our future growth and success.”

Kristopher Amplo ’00 is a seasoned entrepreneur and executive with a dynamic career spanning construction, real estate and philanthropy. As president and CEO of J.C. Steel Erectors Corp., he leads a commercial steel company of more than 300 employees and $100 million in annual sales, delivering landmark projects such as UBS Arena, LaGuardia and JFK Airports, and TSX Broadway. His real estate ventures include multifamily developments, self-storage facilities and vacation rentals across the United States. He is also deeply committed to charitable work, founding the Amplo Family Foundation and co-founding the DezyStrong Foundation, while serving on the boards of multiple nonprofits. With prior experience as a history teacher and business owner, he holds degrees from SUNY Farmingdale, ��Ƶ and Stony Brook University, and currently contributes his expertise to several industry boards, including the Subcontractors Trade Association and Allied Building Metal Industries.

Becoming a member of the board of trustees is very humbling. To be able to give back to a university that has provided so many opportunities for my life and the lives of thousands of others is something I look forward to in many ways. ��Ƶ is a great university, and I am excited to be a part of making it even better in the future. Go, Panthers!”

Kristopher Amplo ’00

LeeAnn Black ’83 is the chief operating officer of Latham & Watkins, where she oversees the firm’s global business operations, financial management and strategic direction. Under her leadership, Latham has expanded significantly, while maintaining the culture that defines its success. Black has been instrumental in Latham’s rise as a top global law firm, overseeing its international growth and operational evolution. She has championed innovation and the early adoption of technologies to enhance efficiency and client service. A certified public accountant, she began her career as a senior auditor at Arthur Andersen & Co. and now draws on three decades of leadership experience at Latham. She has been recognized as a trailblazer in the legal sector and was named one of the Top 10 Innovative Individuals in North America by The Financial Times in 2017. Black previously served on the ��Ƶ President’s Advisory Council, chairs the board of trustees of The Chapin School, and devoted 15 years to the board of Pro Bono Net, an organization dedicated to expanding access to justice. She is also co-chair of ��Ƶ’s annual Women’s Leadership Conference.

I am honored and excited to serve as a trustee of ��Ƶ and to give back to an institution that has played such an important role in shaping who I am today. I look forward to supporting its continued growth, advancing opportunities for students, and helping ensure that future generations benefit from the same spirit of excellence, community and purpose that has long defined ��Ƶ.”

LeeAnn Black ’83

Bruce A. Jones ’82, PhD, is a renowned educational leader, scholar and administrator who is currently a professor of political science in the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University. He previously served as Howard University’s senior vice president for research and was instrumental in securing its historic R1 Carnegie Classification. Over a dynamic career spanning higher education and public education policy, Dr. Jones has held prestigious academic and administrative posts, including vice provost for academic affairs and interim dean of the Graduate School at the University of Houston. He has also held endowed faculty chairs at the University of South Florida and the University of Missouri. A proud alumnus who earned his undergraduate degree from ��Ƶ, he has a PhD in political science from Columbia University. His research foci include leadership and public policy in higher education and K–12 education, the politics of education, the sociopolitical history of education, studies in community development, and institutional assessment and program evaluation in education and the nonprofit sector.

Words cannot begin to convey the level of excitement I hold about becoming a member of the ��Ƶ Board of Trustees. This is an honor of a lifetime as ��Ƶ has and always will hold a special place in my heart and mind.”

Bruce A. Jones’82

Walter P. Schmidt ’84 is a co-founder of Rockwood Capital, a prominent private equity real estate investment firm, and has 40 years of experience in real estate investment on behalf of institutional clients. He served as a senior managing partner until 2022, when he became senior partner focusing on strategic client relationships. With the formation of Harrison Street Asset Management in 2025, he continued as senior adviser. He began his career in 1984 with Touche Ross & Co (currently Deloitte). He is a member of the Pension Real Estate Association, AFIRE and INREV and served on the President’s Advisory Council of ��Ƶ. He also serves on advisory boards serving youth development programs in the United States and Central America.

��Ƶ gave me the opportunity for academic excellence in a richly diverse community. It is an honor for me to contribute to the advancement of this legacy for current and future generations.”

Walter P. Schmidt ’84

In addition to welcoming new trustees, the board welcomed back Charles J. Fuschillo ’83, Dennis J. McDonagh ’78 and Michael J. Tiedemann ’89 during the past year after they had previously stepped away due to other obligations.

Learn more about the ��Ƶ Board of Trustees.

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A Safe Bet: ��Ƶ Is One of New York’s Safest College Campuses

tshah — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 17:42:15 +0000

A campus should feel like more than just a place to study—it should be a home away from home. By making our Garden City campus a safe and secure environment, ��Ƶ has done just that.

Over the years, ��Ƶ has been consistently ranked as one of the safest colleges in both New York state and the country by reputable organizations such as and BackgroundCheck.org. But it’s not just these organizations reporting this. It’s the students, too. In past ��Ƶ Student Quality of Life surveys, 92 percent of students felt well-informed about how to respond to campus emergencies, while 94 percent reported feeling safe on the Garden City campus.

Safe Town, Safe Campus

��Ƶ’s 75-acre campus is located in the suburb of Garden City, New York. According to local law enforcement statistics, violent crime is exceptionally rare in Garden City, falling well below both the New York state and national averages. Garden City is also ranked as one of the by several sources.

With Garden City as its backdrop, ��Ƶ has taken further action to ensure students’ safety at their home away from home. ��Ƶ maintains an emergency notification system that can quickly inform community members of any campus incidents. The University also offers an active safety and crime prevention program, including comprehensive safety training. Additionally, all entrance doors to University residence halls are permanently locked 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Any access to dormitories requires an authorized electronic student ID card.

Hop on a Shuttle for Safety

Making regular runs around campus, the Panther Express provides free shuttle bus transportation to nearby train stations, supermarkets and shopping plazas—particularly during the nighttime.

Credit for security on campus goes to the Department of Public Safety and Transportation. The department is committed to transparency and regularly issues a fire and safety report which outlines practices, incidents that occurred on campus and responses to those incidents.

��Ƶ’s officers also patrol the Garden City campus—often on bicycles —24/7, 365 days a year. But students don’t need to rely solely on patrolling officers. Students have direct, immediate access to campus security. In the event of an incident, they can dial “5” from any on-campus phone, use the blue light emergency call boxes scattered across the grounds or call the emergency line at 516.877.3511.

Not Just Safe. Safe From Pesticides, Too

��Ƶ’s campus is more than just a safe space. It’s also a beautiful green space with prestigious accreditation. In October 2025, ��Ƶ renewed its Level I Arboretum Accreditation through , part of the esteemed Morton Arboretum registry. Valid until October 2030, this accreditation places ��Ƶ on the global registry of accredited arboreta and public gardens. And it’s not hard to see why.

For more than 20 years, ��Ƶ has maintained a 100 percent pesticide-free campus that’s fostered a rich biodiversity. Its campus has since become a gorgeous landscape that’s home to more than 100 different plant species, some of them with unique backstories. The azaleas on the flagpole lawn were planted by the Class of 1935 and have thrived for nearly 100 years. The vibrant pink cherry trees and rose garden have become iconic visual landmarks on campus during the springtime.

Plans are currently underway to label plant species and weave the arboretum into academic programs. There’s also a plan to develop a dedicated arboretum campus map that shows key points of interest, allowing students and visitors to explore notable plant specimens across the grounds.

This prestigious arboretum accreditation underscores ��Ƶ’s unwavering commitment to sustainability. But the University’s biodiversity does more than just protect the planet.

It offers a vibrant, living oasis that provides students with moments of calm and reflection—proving that a truly safe campus is one that protects both the body and the mind.

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Smart Growth & Infrastructure | ������Ƶ

How ������Ƶ Is Making Sustainability a Campus Priority