Conferences
Thomistic philosophy workshop returns to MSMC
Photos by Lee Ferris
Dozens of scholars from around the world explored the wisdom of 13th century Dominican friar St. Thomas Aquinas at an annual Philosophy conference hosted at the Mount this spring.
The theme of this year’s workshop was “Aquinas on Evil.” The event combined presentations by philosophers with panel discussions and debate sessions. The workshop was co-sponsored by the Mount’s Catholic and Dominican Institute and the Thomistic Institute at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C.
A sea of scholars were welcomed to the conference by Charles Zola, assistant to the president for Mission Integration, associate professor of Philosophy, and director of the Mount’s Catholic and Dominican Institute; Fr. Dominic Legge, OP, director of the Thomistic Institute in Washington, D.C. and associate professor of Dogmatic Theology at the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies; George Abaunza, former vice president for Academic Affairs at the Mount; and Fr. Ambrose Little, OP, assistant director of the Thomistic Institute and instructor in Philosophy at the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies.
Inspiring business women share kets to success
Photos by Lee Ferris
A local business owner and two highly successful Mount alumnae returned to their alma mater recently to share their professional experience with the next generation of students.
The Women’s Leadership Forum, sponsored by the college’s Office of Alumni Engagement, featured a panel discussion with Maxine Lindsay-Shillingford ’98, US Army veteran and director of Nursing for Perioperative Service at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center; Kathryn Rose ’91, founder and chief executive officer of getWise; and Grace Sanchez, owner of Field Trip (on Liberty Street in Newburgh) and founder of The Grace Group.
The three discussed how they followed in the footsteps of the Dominican Sisters – the women who founded the Mount in 1959 – and made their mark with service, hard work, and a commitment to their community.
Lindsay-Shillingford, a Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) student during her time at the college, credited much of her success to the hands-on, real-world learning she received at the Mount: “The leadership experience I had at the Mount through the co-op program was invaluable,” she noted. “Had I not had that foundational experience as a Nursing student, I would not have been able to be thrust into the leadership position I have today.”
Alternate approaches to physical, mental health
Photos by Lee Ferris
The college recently hosted the “Alternative Approaches to Physical and Mental Health” event on campus. The panel discussion explored the use of Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration (MNRI), a method that its creators say can help bring increased mental peace and physical health.
The event was co-sponsored by the Center on Aging and Disability Policy (CADP), the Center for Adolescent Research and Development (CARD), and the Kaplan Family Foundation.
Following greetings by Lawrence Force and Paul Schwartz, professors of Psychology at the college, the audience heard a keynote talk by Alana Bencivengo, PT, DPT, a pediatric physical therapist. Bencivengo detailed the impact MNRI has had not only on her patients’ lives, but on her own as well, especially through the focus of primary reflexes. Primary reflexes are patterns that are stored in your brainstem before you are born, and they help you learn, grow, and develop.
Additional panelists included Dr. Cathy Rehfus-Wilsek, former associate professor of Healthcare Management at the Mount; Kathryn Sajdak, LCSW-R, a psychotherapist and adjunct instructor of Social Sciences at the Mount; and Lisa Nathan, who is involved with ProActive Caring.
Celebrating diversity through literature
Photos by Lee Ferris
The 29th Annual Conference on Literacy, “Celebrating Our Many Languages,” explored how the complexities of language can be harnessed to improve the learning experience. The event was presented by the college’s Collaborative for Equity in Literacy Learning (CELL), in collaboration with the Center for Adolescent Research and Development (CARD).
The conference featured two keynote speakers. The first was Thanhhà Lại, a New York Times bestselling author who presented “Building a Hybrid Voice.” Lại was born in Vietnam and now lives in New York with her family.
The second speaker was Sunil Singh, an author, storyteller, and math educator, who presented “Mathematics is Filled with Romance and Wonder: So Why Don’t We Teach It That Way?” Singh is passionate for math history/narrative, leading workshops across North America.
In between the keynote talks, attendees enjoyed a variety of workshops, including “Zooming In: Using Digital Technology to Expand Vocabulary,” “To Be A Writer: Identity and Identification,” and “The Art of Writing.”
Ending elder abuse through education
Photos by Lee Ferris
The Center for Aging and Disability Policy and the Pre-Law Society organized a panel discussion outlining the many ways aging adults face abuse and neglect.
The Center for Aging and Disability Policy (CADP) recently partnered with the Pre-Law Society to present a panel discussion exploring the issue of elder abuse.
The event opened with a keynote speech by Lawrence T. Force, Ph.D, LCSW-R, professor of Psychology and director of CADP. Force encouraged the audience to “age loudly,” unapologetically advocating for themselves throughout the aging process.
Panelists included AnneMarie Maglione, director of the Orange County Office for the Aging; Tim Murphy, director of the Orange County Protective Services; and Cathy Rehfus-Wilsek, former associate professor of Healthcare Management at the Mount.
All three speakers agreed that the best tool against elder abuse and negligence is education. They stated that the more family members and aging adults themselves know about the services available to them, the better equipped they will be at detecting signs of abuse.
The impact of racism on health, medicine
Photo by Matt Frey
Christie VanHorne recently presented “The History and Impact of Racism in Public Health and Medicine.”
Health educator Christie VanHorne, president and founder of CVH Consulting, recently presented, “The History and Impact of Racism in Public Health and Medicine,” for Nursing students and local health professionals.
The event was sponsored by the Mount’s School of Nursing, the Mu Epsilon Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, and the Catskill Hudson Area Health Education Center.
VanHorne presented several historical factors that contribute to health disparities and discrimination, going as far back as 1619 and from as recently as last year.
One example VanHorne discussed were sterilization laws. In the 1970s, the Indian Health Service along with collaborating physicians performed sterilizations on thousands of Native American women. This was because the insurance payout to the operating physician was considerable, said VanHorne.
“Women were often tricked or didn’t even realize they were getting a hysterectomy,” she explained. “It would often happen when they were in for another procedure.”
VanHorne also discussed a four-decade study by the United States Public Health Service that examined untreated syphilis in Black men. Starting in 1932, about 400 Black men with syphilis were told they were being treated, but they received no such care. The study only came to an end when the public became aware of it through an Associated Press newspaper article in 1972.
These historical factors have led to generational mistrust, said VanHorne, which affects current events like the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
“Imagine if your mother or grandmother was a victim or forced sterilization. Imagine that your parent was a victim of the syphilis study,” she said. “Imagine that you’ve never gone to a doctor that trusts my lived experiences or they don’t prescribe me medication because of the color of my skin. Those are realities.”
