Mount History
Fr. Fluet blesses new crucifix for athletics center
Photo provided
Student-athletes and staff members gathered in the Elaine and William Kaplan Recreation Center for the blessing of a new crucifix for the building’s lobby.
Fr. Gregoire Fluet, Vice President for Mission and Ministry, suggested the addition of the new crucifix, which was made of hand carved wood from Northern Italy. The crucifix aims to celebrate the Dominican heritage of the Mount with the present and future generation of student-athletes.
“This crucifix will be a daily reminder of what Mount Saint Mary College stands for,” noted Shane Bell, director of Athletics, Recreation, and Physical Education at the college. “Not just for student-athletes, but all members of the MSMC community.”
Following the blessing of the crucifix, Fr. Fluet provided a blessing for the student-athletes.
Coming home again: Alumni return to campus for reunion dinner
Photos by Lee Ferris
Three generations of successful Mount Saint Mary College alumni, from the classes of 1964, 1969, and 1974, recently journeyed back to their alma mater for a reunion dinner.
The alumni and their families celebrated their accomplishments, caught up with old friends and professors, and saw what’s new at the college that launched their careers.
The event marked the 60th, 55th, and 50th anniversaries for the classes.
Lowell named employee of the year
Michael Lowell (left), assistant Athletic director and head women’s Lacrosse Coach, was named Employee of the Year for 2024. He is joined here by Dr. Robert Gervasi, President of the Mount.
Photo by Lee Ferris
Mount Saint Mary College recently named Michael Lowell, assistant Athletic director and head women’s Lacrosse Coach, as the college’s 2024 Employee of the Year.
Lowell received the award for his exemplary job performance; his positive attitude toward work responsibilities, co-workers, students, and campus visitors; and his willingness to carry out additional responsibilities beyond regular job assignments for the good of the Mount community.
He was nominated for the award by his co-workers.
Lowell is in his seventh season as head Women’s Lacrosse Coach. Under his guidance this past season, the Knights went 10-6, winning their most games since 2013. Lowell won both Skyline Conference and ECAC Coach of the Year. As the 4th seed, this was the highest the Mount has finished in conference since 2014.
The annual Employee of the Year selection was made possible by the Employee Satisfaction Committee, which was created to provide a voice for Mount staff to channel feedback and contribute towards creating a more engaging workplace environment.
Celebrating our Dominican heritage with Founders Day
Photos by Lee Ferris
The Mount celebrated the legacy of St. Dominic de Guzman and the college’s founding Dominican Sisters with its Founders Day celebration in October.
The college’s annual Founders Day honors the legacy of St. Dominic de Guzman and the Dominican Sisters whose vision guided the creation of the college, with this year’s celebration marking the 141st anniversary of the sisters arriving in Newburgh. The college’s Catholic and Dominican Institute (CDI) has sponsored the Founders Day celebration at the college every year for more than a decade.
To highlight the impact and significance of the college’s Dominican heritage, Charles Zola, CDI director, assistant vice president for Mission, and associate professor of Philosophy, put together an array of presentations, activities, and events for the college community to enjoy.
This included a presentation by Ann Garrido, associate professor of Homiletics at the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Mo., titled “Truth: The Fire in Our Bones.”
When searching for truth, Garrido looks to the teachings of St. Dominic de Guzman, founder of the Dominican order. Dominicans, she noted, have more than 800 years of experience wrestling with such questions.
“Deep within our Judeo-Christian tradition, there’s a sense that truth is what actually makes us human,” she said. “That it’s what animates us, it’s what puts fire into our bones. And it is a conviction that is mightily being challenged at this present moment in history. Not only in the United States, but in countries around the globe, there’s a love and appreciation for truth as the fundamental need for human existence.”
Garrido encouraged her audience to seek truth in their lives. After all, each individual’s perception of the truth affects not only themselves, but those around them as well.
“The beliefs that we hold have an impact on our life,” she said. “If in your mind you have a picture of reality that’s different than the way the world actually is, it’s not really the world that’s in danger, it’s us.”
Other Founders Day events included a reception for the Dominican Sisters in the James Finn Cotter Villa Library, a campus dessert reception, and a workshop at the college for first-year students led by Garrido.
White coats awarded at Mount’s Nurse Practitioner ceremony
Photos by Lee Ferris
Nearly 40 students from the Mount Saint Mary College Nurse Practitioner program were honored at the winter 2024 white coat ceremony right before the holidays.
The graduates’ white coats were presented to them by their chosen family members, from spouses and children to parents and grandparents.
The ceremony reflected the students’ transition to the professional nurse practitioner role. Nurse practitioners are advanced practice nurses who provide high quality healthcare services. They can diagnose, treat, and prescribe across a wide range of health problems.
After welcome speeches by Marilyn Lashlee, associate professor of Nursing and School of Nursing Graduate Coordinator, and Dr. Robert Gervasi, president of the Mount, students and their families enjoyed a congratulatory message from both Ann Marie Brooks, Interim Dean of the School of Nursing, and Anne-Marie Uebbing, associate professor of Nursing.
Graduate Nicola Broughton of Newburgh, N.Y. was selected to discuss the group’s progression through the Mount’s nurse practitioner program.
“Over the last several years we have taken on this journey, filled with late nights, rigorous coursework, long clinical days, moments of celebration [and] moments of doubt,” she said. “We are here today because of our sheer commitment to providing competent, compassionate care. Our journey has been challenging at times, yet we remain focused on the continued impact we have made – and will continue to make – on the communities we serve.”
After the graduates received their white coats, Carolyn Hoffman-Kaminski of Wingdale, N.Y. and Emma Sabini of New Windsor, N.Y. were recognized for excellence in their studies with the Sigma Award. Likewise, Chelsea Pal of Fishkill, N.Y. was honored with the Sr. Leona DeBoer Graduate Nursing Award, named after one of the Dominican Sisters who founded the Nursing major at the Mount.