Fordham Faculty in the Field: Serving Bilingual Education Classrooms

Diane Rodriguez

The High School for Health Careers and Sciences in the Washington Heights section of New York City offers students the opportunity to learn in their native language.

Diane Rodriguez, Ph.D., associate professor at Fordham’s Graduate School of Education (GSE), researches bilingual education, and in this video, she observes a class in action at the northern Manhattan school. In the video, she says that programs like this affirm the diversity of the students, develop critical thinking skills in two languages, manifest a positive classroom environment, and foster inclusion and participation of all students.

The high school’s Transitional Bilingual Program provides students with instruction in their native language in order to ensure students don’t fall behind in content areas while learning English.

“When schools promote the development of bilingual students’ first language,” says Rodriguez, “students tend to experience academic success.”

Watch the entire video below, and for more on multilingual education programs at GSE, visit the Fordham website.

-Rachel Roman

Professor Christina Greer to provide analysis during NYC elections

Christina Greer, assistant professor of political science, will be a busy bee providing analysis during the New York City elections on Nov. 5.

Greer will appear on CNBC’s “Worldwide Exchange” at 5:20 a.m., and later that evening, she’ll join a panel to provide live analysis on NY1 when the polls are open. She’ll likely be on to provide more analysis once a winner is declared.

Greer was quoted by the Associated Press in a story that appeared nationally over the weekend about the race to succeed three-term Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

“It seems like the city wants a Democrat right now,” said Christina Greer, political science professor at Fordham University. “Five terms of heavy-handed government has tired people out. People are ready for something different.”

This caps a busy year for Greer, whose newest book, “ Black Ethnics:  Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream (Oxford University Press, 2013), was published earlier this fall. Watch a video interview with Greer about the book via NY1 on Fordham’s YouTube channel, where you can find several video clips of our faculty in the media.

-Gina Vergel

Fordham Jesuits and Faculty Discuss Pope Francis in the Media

Pope Francis (Image via Wikipedia)

Buzzworthy is not a word one would normally associate with a global religious leader, but it’s apropos for Pope Francis. 

The news media is greatly interested (rightfully so) in what the Pontiff has to say, and, naturally, it results in opportunities for Jesuits and faculty from Fordham University to offer analysis.

A 12,000-word interview published on Sept. 19 by major Jesuit publications around the world, including the New York-based America magazine, created the latest “buzz.” In the exclusive interview, Pope Francis said that the Roman Catholic Church has become disproportionately obsessed with condemning abortion, gay marriage, and contraception.

Father Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, will discuss the Pope's insightful interview on the Charlie Rose show on Friday evening. He'll be joined by Father Matt Malone, S.J., editor of America. Check local listings here. 

“The interview brims with Pope Francis' fundamental optimism about human beings – and his confidence in our ability, individually and collectively, to discern what is good and what is of God,” J. Patrick Hornbeck, Ph.D., chair of the department of theology, told The Christian Science Monitor.

Hornbeck also gave an interview on television about the Pontiff, as did colleagues, Maureen Tilley, Ph.D., and Father John J. Shea, S.J. Watch below:

Maureen Tilley, Ph.D., professor of theology, on WPIX.

Patrick Hornbeck, Ph.D., chair of theology, on Al Jazeera America.

Father John J. Shea, S.J., director of campus ministry at Lincoln Center, of WPIX.

Don't forget to keep up with Fordham news on Twitter and Facebook, where we update faculty in the news often.

- Gina Vergel