Terrier Volume 79, Number 1 - Fall 2015 | Page 3

Jessica Lynch ’15, Biology Professor Alison Dell, Veronica Peña ’18, and Phil Taitt ’16 are just some of the St. Francis faces you’ll see around the city for this year’s promotional campaign. Message from President Brendan J. Dugan ’68 I’m proud to bring you news of a remarkable year of ‘firsts’ here at St. Francis College. F or the first time, we held our Spring Commencement outside on Pier 2 of Brooklyn Bridge Park. The forecast called for rain but the clouds parted just before our graduates processed. We held an unforgettable ceremony under bright, blue skies, in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge (page 4). Excitement on campus was also at record levels this past spring as Men’s Basketball won the NEC regular season title, hosted three playoff games, and qualified for the NIT for the first time in 50 years (page 10). Women’s Basketball went on the road for their NEC playoffs and went one better, winning the NEC Championship and making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in College history. As our Nursing program grows, we took an important step in recognizing our legacy of success and held our first White Coat ceremony. The ceremony honors our students for their dedication to becoming the best nurses they can be and the compassion they will show for their future patients (page 9). Not everything was a first though, for alumnus Francis Roland ’40. This spring marked the 75th anniversary of his graduation from the College (page 14). For several years, Health Promotion Professor Starr Eaddy has guided her students in hosting an annual health fair. It’s real-world experience that gives them an edge in finding jobs after they graduate (page 8). In this issue of Terrier, we also introduce you to two current Terriers, religious Sisters from Vietnam, who travelled halfway around the world to learn the skills they will need to change the lives of people in their home city (page 3). The Sisters have dedicated their lives to giving back and so have hundreds of you. It’s important that we thank you for all that you do to support our educational mission. Your generosity makes it possible to maintain our affordable tuition and offer generous scholarships to keep attracting students who go out and so proudly represent St. Francis College in the community (page 18). Looking forward to another year of firsts, Brendan J. Dugan ’68 President ST. FRANCIS COLLEGE TERRIER | FALL 2015 | 1