Fordham Visual Artwork on Display

Fordham University seniors majoring in visual arts will be on center stage this semester.

Biweekly exhibits featuring work for their senior theses are on display shows now through May 16. The exhibits are featured at the Center and Pushpin Galleries in Lowenstein Center on Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus.

“Students are responsible for everything from coming up with an initial thesis idea, making the body of work that explores that thesis, writing the artist statement that explains the thesis, installing the work in the gallery, designing the postcard invitations for the show and having them printed, organizing the reception for the show, and finally documenting and taking down the show,” said Casey Ruble, artist-in-residence and gallery coordinator. “The opportunity to have a solo or two-person show in a gallery space in the heart of New York City, the art capital of the world, is quite rare, especially for undergraduate students.”

The following students will exhibit their work this year:

Jaclyn Perrone (Feb. 14 to Feb. 24, Center Gallery)
Stephanie Butikis (Feb. 26 to March 5, Pushpin Gallery)
Aubrey Stallard and Charlotte Canner (Feb. 27 to March 9, Center Gallery)
Katie Fitzsimmons and Cynthia Chou (March 8 to March 29, Pushpin Gallery)
Olivia Kozlowski and Jeremy Sinsimer (March 13 to March 31, Center Gallery)
Paulie Dibner and Jennifer Melo (April 1 to April 19, Pushpin Gallery)
Matt Marci and Marika Robak (April 3 to April 18, Center Gallery)
John Roman and Martha Frazier (April 21 to May 1, Center Gallery)
Anne Kunsemiller (April 22 to April 29, Pushpin Gallery)
Kate McWatters and Kelly Weiner (May 2 to May 16, Pushpin Gallery)
Ivana Morgan and Elushika Weerakoon (May 4 to May 16, Center Gallery)

—Gina Vergel

Fordham Seniors are Red Carpet Finalists

Fordham University seniors Justin Shackil and Garry Van Genderen have been selected as one of three team finalists of student correspondents who will cover the Academy Award ceremonies in Los Angeles on Feb. 22.

Shackil and Van Gendreen submitted a video entry to the “Oscar Correspondent Contest,” a joint promotion by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and mtvU, TV’s 24-hour college network. Their video was first selected as one of the top 10 by representatives of the Oscars and mtvU from hundreds submitted by students around the country. An online vote conducted by mtvU propelled them to the ranks of the final three.

All three finalists will get to cover the Oscars for mtvU and for their college newspapers but only the number one winner of the poll voting will get to be on the red carpet during the event, and awarded credentials for access to backstage press rooms. You can see Justin and Garry's video below.



Voting continues until Friday, Feb. 20, when the winner will be announced at a press conference. To encourage people to vote for him, Shackil has established a Facebook page.

Watching the Detectives

Mark Naison, Ph.D., professor of African American studies and history at Fordham, is joining the detectives. Naison will be one of the subject matter experts on the PBS series The History Detectives, in the episode airing Monday, February 23, at 10 p.m. on Thirteen/WNET.

The segment concerns whether 1520 Sedgwick Avenue—where Kool Herc (Clive Campbell) held his first parties when launching his career as a DJ—was the birthplace of hip hop.

Naison is the principal investigator for the Bronx African American History Project.

IPED Student a CFA Scholarship Winner

Holomo Koni Kourouma, a Fulbright Fellow studying in the International Political Economy and Development program (IPED) at Fordham, has received a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) scholarship from The New York Society of Security Analysts (NYSSA).

Kourouma holds a bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Conakry, Guinea. Before enrolling in the IPED program, he spent eight years as finance manager for ExxonMobil’s Guinean subsidiary and worked for Catholic Relief Services.

“Meeting the CFA Charter requirements will allow me to respond to the demand for sound analytical skills and uncompromising ethical behavior in the financial market," Kourouma said. "Ultimately I will build on these skills, behaviors and experience to better address developing countries’ investments and financing needs.”

NYSSA and CFA Institute have awarded scholarships to five candidates taking the June exam. Scholarship winners are a select group that meets strict criteria which take into consideration a number of factors, including experience and interest in the investment profession, adherence to ethical standards, financial need and commitment to NYSSA and CFA Institute. Scholarship recipients received awards valuing more than $2,000. NYSSA provided free registration and materials for the Weekly Review, and CFA Institute waived the CFA exam program fees.

GSAS Alumna Named to Influential APA Committee

Scyatta A. Wallace, Ph.D., (GSAS ’02) associate professor of psychology at St. John’s University, has been appointed to the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Psychology and AIDS (COPA) for a three-year term. She began her term on Jan. 1.

"Psychologists have a lot to contribute to shaping HIV/AIDS policy and informing HIV/AIDS research given our expertise in understanding decision making and behavior," Wallace said. "This is important for informing prevention and treatment efforts."

In her new position, Scyatta will be one of six COPA members to help shape the APA’s policy regarding the HIV epidemic. All members are chosen for their expertise and commitment to AIDS-related issues.

The APA is a scientific and professional organization that represents psychology in the United States, and, with 148,000 members, the largest association of psychologists worldwide. It supports legislation on mental health issues, encourages new research initiatives and assists community-based organizations with volunteer members.

Scyatta said she first became interested in the problem of HIV among youth when she was a doctoral student at Fordham. For her practicum in applied developmental psychology, she was assigned an evaluation of HIV testing and treatment among homeless youth at a Manhattan outreach center.

Today, Scyatta’s research is funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She focuses on HIV prevention among African-American youth, and looks at factors that affect their risk-taking and substance abuse behaviors.

Scyatta taught at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn before moving to St. John’s in 2008.

—Janet Sassi