spring 2016 issue

B A R R Y M A G | 3B A R R Y M A G | 2

AT A GLANCE

16 CLASSICAL MIAMI MUSIC FEST BRING SUMMER OF CULTURE TO BARRY

22 OSCAR-WINNING SCREENWRITER ALEX DINELARIS RETURNS TO BARRY

24 THREE AWARD-WINNING ACTORS MENTORED BY BARRY THEATER PROGRAM

28 LIONS . . . FOUNTAINS . . . AND STATUES!

30 ON A ROAD LESS TRAVELED

02 AT A GLANCE

05 CAMPUS CURRENTS News from across the university.

08 FUNDING THE FUTURE Highlights of grants.

35 SPOTLIGHT ON SPORTS Barry’s student athletes.

40 GIVING PRAISE Recognizing award winners.

42 BUCCANEER BOOKSHELF Selected books by Barry faculty.

43 CLASS NOTES Alumni news and updates.

SPRING 2016*Departments *Features

THE MIAMI MUSIC FESTIVAL RETURNS TO BARRY FOR SUMMER 2016. (FIND OUT MORE ON PAGE 16)

photo credit: Margarita Rentis


ON THE COVER: Celebrating the Arts

CURRENTS c a m p u sPRESIDENT Sister Linda Bevilacqua, OP, PhD

VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS Sara B. Herald, J.D.

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT FOR BRAND MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Kimberly Cox

MANAGING EDITOR Catherine Grieve

NEWS EDITOR Jessica Alexandre

ART DIRECTOR Artis Design Group

WRITERS Jessica Alexandre Gladys Amador Suzanne Beckmann Glenn Bowen, PhD Catherine Grieve Dennis Jezek, Jr. Jim McCurdy Ashton Spangler Walter Villa Rebecca Wakefield

PHOTOGRAPHY & ILLUSTRATION Elizabeth Besade Perez Daniel Bock Photography Alicia Donelan Javier Herrera Jim Hogue Justin Namon Mery Olivera Margarita Rentis Woo Supreme Natalie Tavares

PRINTER Bellak Color Graphics, Inc.

Barry Magazine is published biannually for all current students and their parents, alumni, trustees, employees, and other friends of Barry University.

Communications may be addressed to:

Barry Magazine Department of Brand Marketing and Communications 11300 NE 2nd Avenue Miami, FL 33161

[email protected]

Unsolicited manuscripts and art must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Copyright© 2016 Barry University www.barry.edu

Dear Friends,

When I last wrote to you, the Barry University community was in the early stages of celebrating the 75th anniversary of our founding in 1940. As this noteworthy year comes to an end, we are thankful for the unforgettable memories that have been added to our personal and institutional books of life. We have had a remarkable 75th!

Through a variety of occasions - social, cultural, academic and athletic - we expressed Barry’s notable history and current reality, our empowering mission and core commitments, and the transforming elements of living a Barry life.

During the year we enjoyed connecting with alums who shared stories of their student days. I particularly appreciated reading their email messages that highlighted special persons, events and experiences that, to this day, remain in their hearts as treasured memories.

Several alums shared one of my memories of being grateful for the cultural events that shaped our knowledge and appreciation of literature, music, theater and art. My classmates and I remember being required to attend the annual Culture and Lecture Series that offered us marvelous opportunities to meet nationally and internationally acclaimed lecturers, musicians, artists and actors. We learned to appreciate the universality of the arts and their fundamental and lasting impact on our growth as cultured and educated persons.

Those experiences fuel my desire to augment Barry’s cultural heritage and cultural literacy offerings, to increase our academic offerings in the fine arts, to renovate and create physical spaces to support such expansions, and to advance Barry’s re-emergence as a cultural arts center in South Florida.

For 75 years, we have been blessed with talented, credentialed and accomplished Fine Arts faculty members. Current faculty members offer outstanding educational programs. They also reflect our commitment to share the richness and beauty of their creative genius and that of our students and graduates through theatrical, dance and musical productions and recitals, art, photography, and graphic design exhibits. They boost our attractiveness and accessibility to local communities and schools, musicians, artists and actors, musical and theatrical organizations.

Throughout this anniversary year we have thanked God for the generosity of individuals, corporations and foundations that have shown their esteem for Barry by their financial support. We value the trust they have placed in us to be faithful to our Catholic identity and Dominican heritage.

We are especially grateful to benefactors who share our vision for the Fine Arts and whose financial assistance benefits our academic programs and helps us showcase our splendidly diverse offerings in the performing, visual and graphic arts. We are committed to providing the spaces and places for our students and faculty to flourish.

I hope the feature stories in this Barry Magazine illumine, soothe and delight you.

Blessings,

Sister Linda Bevilacqua, OP, PhDClass of ’62

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

INTERIM DEANS NAMED TO PERMANENT POSTS

Dr. Albert Armstrong, Dean of the School of Podiatric Medicine

Dr. Albert Armstrong, a Barry alumnus, was appointed interim dean in 2013-14 when Dr. Jeff Jensen transitioned to the role of senior research director of Barry’s Paul & Margaret Brand Research Center. Since 2003, Dr. Armstrong has been a full-time faculty member in the School of Podiatric Medicine and has served as associate dean since 2011.

He is a nationally recognized expert in podiatric radiology and is highly regarded within the podiatric medical community, both locally and nationally, as a clinician and an academic. He holds board certifications from the American Board of Podiatric Medicine and the American Board of Wound Management. His professional memberships include the American Podiatric Medical Association and the American Society of Podiatric Medicine.

Dr. Armstrong is on the medical staff at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami, where he did his residency. He has been published numerous times in peer-reviewed journals and has lectured at several scientific and research conferences throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

Dr. Jill Farrell was appointed interim dean following Dr. Terry Piper’s retirement at the end of the 2014-15 academic year. She has been a full-time faculty member in the Adrian Dominican School of Education since 2001 and served as associate dean since 2011.

She has led the School of Education in the development and implementation of off-shore academic programs such as those currently offered in the Bahamas. Dr. Farrell was also a highly regarded K-12 teacher and administrator in Miami-Dade County. She served as principal of The Jacobson Sinai Academy from 1998 to 2001 and she continues to build strong collaborations between Barry and local school systems.

Dr. Farrell earned her doctorate in curriculum and instruction/instructional leadership at Florida International University. She also holds an MS in elementary education and a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Dr. Farrell is active in local, state and national professional organizations. She has published articles in a variety of professional journals and presented at numerous local, state, national and international conferences.

Her current research focuses on self-study, action research, classroom inquiry, teacher leadership, collaboration and empowerment, and arts integration.

Dr. Jill Farrell, Dean of the Adrian Dominican School of Education

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MLKDAY OF SERVICE

40 DAYSOF PEACEIn celebration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Barry University observed 40 Days of Peace with programs including service projects, dialogues on social issues, film screenings and discussions, as well as advocacy efforts. The Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) coordinated Barry’s 40 Days of Peace observance with events sponsored by the CCSI and the Department of Campus Ministry in the Division of Student Affairs, the School of Social Work and its Center for Human Rights and Social Justice, and the Department of Sociology and Criminology in the College of Arts and Sciences. The events were organized around six themes: human trafficking, poverty and food access, military veterans, domestic violence, refugees in America and the school-to-prison pipeline.

EACH YEAR, BARRY CELEBRATES DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING,

JR.’S BIRTHDAY WITH ITS DAY OF SERVICE PROJECTS ON

THE SATURDAY PRECEDING THE LATE CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER’S

HOLIDAY. THIS YEAR, HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS TURNED

OUT TO SERVE AT A VARIETY OF LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT

MIAMI-DADE AND BROWARD COUNTIES. AMONG THE

PROJECTS, BARRY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS BUNDLED FRESH

PRODUCE AT THE URBAN GREENWORKS COMMUNITY FARM

IN LIBERTY CITY; PUT A FRESH COAT OF PAINT ON THE GANG

ALTERNATIVES AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM BUILDING IN

LITTLE HAITI; AND CLEANED CLASSROOMS AT DOCTORS

CHARTER SCHOOL IN MIAMI SHORES.

Barry University’s School of Social Work hosted Stand for Hope, a concert benefiting human trafficking awareness and education. In addition to musical performances, distinguished speakers from the local anti-trafficking movement gave voice to the nuances of human trafficking and how the community can collectively intercede on behalf of victims.

STAND FOR HOPE

Nearly 50 Barry students, faculty and staff traveled to Tallahassee to participate in Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD). Organized by the National Association of Social Workers-Florida Chapter, the event takes place during the Florida Legislature’s spring session.

“On the first day, all participants attended a training session during which NASW-FL provided a summary of all relevant bills and those identified for lobbying. On the second day, the social work students met face-to-face with legislators, attended Senate and House committee hearings, and visited the Florida Supreme Court,” reported Fabio A. Naranjo, an instructor at Barry’s School of Social Work.

Barry students were able to meet with their district’s representatives in both the Florida House and Senate and advocate for legislation they felt most passionate about.

Christine Anderson, MSW ’16, a graduate assistant and secretary of Barry’s Student Social Work Association explained, “LEAD is an incredible opportunity for students to not only witness macro level social work first hand but to become active participants in the process. LEAD allows students to see how important it is for all of us to be the voice of change.”LE

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Two groups of Barry volunteers participated in Feed My Starving Children’s South Florida Community MobilePack. One group represented the School of Social Work; the other consisted of service-learning students, Barry Service Corps fellows and the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) staff.

The Barry students, faculty and staff were among approximately 30,000 volunteers who helped to prepare more than five million meals for distribution in communities abroad. The Barry groups assisted with hand-packing meals specially formulated for malnourished children to be sent to mission partners running orphanages, schools, clinics and feeding programs around the world.

“During our volunteer shift, along with several hundred other community volunteers, we helped to prepare more than 500,000 meals to be shipped overseas,” reported Ashton Spangler, a CCSI staff member.

FEEDING THE CHILDREN


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BARRY RECOGNIZED WALTER BRUEGGEMANN,

PHD, WITH ITS 2016 YVES CONGAR AWARD FOR

THEOLOGICAL EXCELLENCE. THIS AWARD

ACKNOWLEDGES A THEOLOGIAN WHOSE

ACHIEVEMENTS FOLLOW IN THE TRADITION OF

YVES CONGAR, OP (1904-1995), A DOMINICAN

FRIAR AND THEOLOGIAN WHO PUSHED THE

CHURCH TO LET GO OF OUTMODED IDEAS AND

BE A PART OF THE MODERN WORLD.

Dr. Brueggemann is the William Marcellus McPheeters Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Columbia

Theological Seminary, a past president of the Society of Biblical Literature, and an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. His books include “Psalms:

New Cambridge Bible Commentary,” “Sabbath as Resistance” and “Reality, Grief, Hope.” He recently received the Niebuhr Medal from his alma mater, Elmhurst College.

In January, Dr. Brueggemann lectured at Barry on “The Gospel in an Economy of Extraction.” He discussed the biblical testimony to an alternative economy in the midst of a predatory political economy that recurs in Scripture and in our contemporary world. The lecture resonated with the powerful witness of Pope Francis concerning wealth, power and those left behind.

The 2017 Yves Congar Award for Theological Excellence will be awarded on Tuesday, January 17, 2017 to Barbara Reid, OP, PhD. For more information, contact Vicki Bailey at 305.899.4887 or [email protected].

Y V ES CO N G A R AWA R D

FUNDING OUR FUTURERECENT GRANTS AWARDED TO BARRY UNIVERSITY

$225,000 from the Florida Blue Foundation, an affiliate of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences to create and implement a statewide nursing leadership development program.

$54,927 from Florida’s Department of Education for the Adrian Dominican School of Education’s College Reach-Out Program.

$569,000 from Florida’s Department of Elder Affairs for the School of Social Work’s Public Guardian Program.

$10,000 from the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation for the Dr. Harold Norman Nursing Scholarship.

$1,245,993 from the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Nurse Faculty Loan Program.

$348,436 from the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences’ Advanced Education Nursing Traineeship Program.

$55,895 from the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences’ Nurse Anesthesia Traineeship Program.

$32,000 from the Kalliopeia Foundation for the School of Law’s Center for Earth Jurisprudence.

$20,081 from Miami-Dade County for the School of Social Work’s Neighborhood Technical Assistance Program.

$5,000 from Miami-Dade County’s Department of Cultural Affairs for the College of Arts and Sciences’ production of “La Traviata.”

$3,000 from Miami Salon Group for the College of Arts and Sciences’ production of “La Traviata.”

$100,000 from the Hugoton Foundation for equipment for the expansion and advancement of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences Simulation Center.

$10,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association for a Latino Americans: 500 Years of History grant to be used for public programming about Latino history and culture.

$3,000 from Safe Schools South Florida for the School of Social Work for board development and strategic planning.

$1,000 from Service for Peace for Barry University’s 2016 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

$5,000 from Unite Miami Shores for Barry University’s work with the Community Learning Partnership of Greater Miami Shores.

$93,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the Adrian Dominican School of Education's work with Kids In Distress’ HEART (Housing, Empowerment, Achievement, Recovery & Triumph) project.

$20,000 from The Villagers, Miami-Dade County’s oldest historic preservation organization, for preservation of historic seats in the Shepard and Ruth K. Broad Center for the Performing Arts.

B OA R DNEWS

WELCOMING A RETURNING TRUSTEEThe Barry University Board of Trustees recently elected Gregory F. Greene,

MBA ’88, to return to the board for a four-year term and to serve as one of its

vice chairs. Greene previously served on Barry’s board from 2007 to 2014. He is executive

vice president and chief administrative officer for Ryder System Inc. Greene is a member of Ryder’s Executive Leadership Team and is responsible for leading the company’s information technology, human resources, corporate communications and public affairs functions. He is also a former member of the board of the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

EDUCATOR NAMED PRESIDENT OF ALUMNI BOARDThe Barry University Alumni Board of Directors elected Noreen Bevilacqua Virgin ’68 as its newest president. Virgin joined the Alumni Board of Directors in 2012. She was an educator with Miami-Dade County Public Schools for over 40 years. She also worked in Prince George’s County, Upper Marlboro, Maryland. During her tenure, she served as a classroom teacher, an elementary school counselor, a lead teacher, an assistant principal and a principal. Virgin was recognized as a Teacher of the Year and a district finalist for Principal of the Year. She is currently an associate with Max International LLC, a h e a l t h a n d w e l l n e s s Company in Salt Lake City, Utah. As a network marketing professional, she works with the Miami team, Global Wellness Community, with a mission to empower people to experience better health, success and significance.

BY THE NUMBERS

STATE

PRIVATECOUNTY

$ 623,927

$ 289,000

$ 25,081

$2,681,332TOTAL:

Country

Private

State

Federal FEDERAL

$1,743,324

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The premiere of Founding Our Future and the keynote presentation by author Jo Piazza and a panel of Adrian Dominican Sisters were highlights of Founders’ Week. As part of its 75th Anniversary celebration, Barry presented Founding Our Future—personal interviews of 25 Adrian Dominicans Sisters who served as faculty, administrators and presidents from 1940 to the present. These short feature stories capture the spirit of Barry through the Sisters’ experiences, and illustrate how their lives influenced Barry’s history and culture. Preserving their stories, Barry honors our Adrian Dominican heritage and the Sisters’ contribution to making Barry what it is today.

Jo Piazza, author of the nonfiction book about progressive nuns, “If Nuns Ruled the World: Sisters on a Mission,” and a panel of Adrian Dominican Sisters discussed their current vision and reflected on how this unique legacy calls sisters to action today. The distinguished panel included Sister Carleen Maly, OP, director of Adrian Rea Literacy Center, Sister Nancyann Turner, OP, director of the Rosa Parks Children and Youth Program, and Sister Kathy Nolan, OP, coordinator of the Office of Global Mission, Justice and Peace for the Adrian Dominican Sisters.

Founding Our Future, Barry’s living history project, can be viewed

at www.barry.edu/archive

Celebration of our Adrian Dominican Legacy & “If Nuns Ruled the World: Sisters on a Mission"

FOUNDING OUR FUTURE:

THE FOUNDERS’ WEEK TRADITION, AS IT IS

KNOWN TODAY, WAS INAUGURATED IN 2008

BY PRESIDENT SISTER LINDA BEVILACQUA,

OP, PHD, TO SERVE AS AN OPPORTUNITY

TO CELEBRATE BARRY’S HISTORY, PAY

TRIBUTE TO ITS FOUR FOUNDERS, HONOR

ITS DOMINICAN HERITAGE AND REFLECT

ON ITS MISSION AND CORE COMMITMENTS.

IN NOVEMBER, THE BARRY COMMUNITY

SHOWED ITS BARRY PRIDE BY TAKING PART

IN FESTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE WEEK,

INCLUDING FOUNDERS’ MASS, THE SAINT

DOMINIC STATUE DEDICATION, ARBOR DAY

CAMPUS PLANTING, A MOONLIGHT MADNESS

PEP RALLY, A 5K FUN RUN AND MORE.

FOUNDERS’ WEEK


REUNION & HOMECOMING WEEKEND

COMMEMORATING BARRY UNIVERSITY’S

75TH ANNIVERSARY, THE 2016

HOMECOMING THEME WAS “RETRO.” THE

WEEKLONG CELEBRATION WELCOMING

ALL BARRY ALUMNI BACK TO CAMPUS

FEATURED SPECIAL EVENTS INCLUDING

A HOMECOMING MASS, DANCE, GAMES

AND COMPETITIONS, A TAILGATE AND

PLENTY OF SCHOOL SPIRIT.

THE CLASS OF 1966 ALSO WAS INDUCTED

INTO BARRY’S GOLDEN SHIELD SOCIETY

AND CELEBRATED ITS 50TH GRADUATION

ANNIVERSARY WITH A CHAMPAGNE

BRUNCH, AND 12 IMPRESIVE ALUMS

WERE HONORED AT THE DISTINGUISHED

ALUMNI AWARDS LUNCHEON.

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As part of Founders’ Week, Barry students, faculty and staff enjoyed a fun and festive afternoon of student performances, games, food and team competitions during Community Fest. Competitions included musical chairs, bed races, and the infamous and thrilling obstacle course.

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RISING STAR Elizandra Pierre, MS ’09Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist RISING STAR Natalie Bieule ’11Paralympic Athlete

RISING STAR Matthew Sherman, MS ’11Founder & CEO, jugofresh

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUSJean-Paul Dardenne, MS ’03Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships, New Orleans Saints & New Orleans Pelicans

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUSDr. Marvin Diaz-Lacayo, MBA ’91Physician/Hematologist-Oncologist

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUSJoseph Fernandez ’94President, Florida Region of BNY Mellon Wealth Management

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNARai Johnson ’96, MSW ’13Health and Wellness Director, Board Member & Alumna, Lotus House Women’s Shelter

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNAEileen Maloney-Simon ’75CEO, YWCA of Greater Miami-Dade County

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNARoymi V. Membiela ’86Corporate Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Baptist Health South Florida

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUSJorge A. Plasencia ’01Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO, República

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNAJennie Weiss Block, OP, MBA ’88, MA ’98, DMin ’07Theologian & Author

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNALaurie Weiss Nuell, MSW ’83Community Activist & Philanthropist

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS

Barry University honored 12 alumni for their distinguished professional achievements, contributions to the community and support of the university with its Distinguished Alumni Awards (DAA). The outstanding honorees, through their work and daily lives, exemplify Barry’s core commitments of Knowledge and Truth, Inclusive Community, Social Justice and Collaborative Service.

The ninth DAA event, held at the Hilton Miami Downtown during Homecoming Week, featured a networking reception, a luncheon and the award ceremony. In honor of Barry's 75th Anniversary, the ceremony opened with Sister Linda Bevilacqua presenting 12 returning honorees

with a Distinguished Alumni lapel pin. Several of the past honorees graciously served as presenters for the 2016 honorees.

The returning honorees in attendance were Maria Mas Blet ’01; LaCriscia Fowlkes, MBA ’07, MS ’07; Mirta Fuentes ’01; the Honorable Z.C. Allyson Maynard Gibson ’75; Gregory Greene ’88; Laurent Lamothe ’96; Nelson Lazo ’84; Dr. Joan Lutton, MS ’77; Heather Rohan ’77, MBA ’89; Janis Smith, PhD ’02; Steve Stowe, MBA ’03, MS ’03; and Joy Taylor ’09. Taylor, a host on Fox Sports Radio, also served as host for the festivities.

THE 2016 DAA HONOREES

FESTIVAL OF NATIONSFestival of Nations is one of Barry University’s largest cultural events and has been part of Barry’s tradition since 1995. Showcasing the richness and diversity of our international culture on campus, the exciting event, held during Reunion Weekend, included student-sponsored country booths, food, music and dance, games and performances.


Eighteen-year-old Amanda Lund wasn’t sure she should apply to participate in the Miami Music Festival this year. After all, as a freshman straight from the small town of Snellville, Georgia, it seemed unlikely she would make the cut for the highly competitive classical music festival hosted and sponsored by Barry University.

The festival, now in its third year, attracts auditions from college students around the world. This year, more than 1,000 students auditioned for approximately 350 slots. But Lund, and fellow vocalist Yanessa Morillo-Delerme, were the only two Barry students to get accepted into the program.

“It was a big shock to get in,” Lund said. “I’m super excited.”

The Miami Music Festival was founded in 2014 by artistic director Michael Rossi to fill two big gaps he saw in the classical music world — a more affordable training experience for students and the dearth of classical offerings in Miami during the summer season.

“I was doing a lot of conducting and recruiting students for music festivals in Italy,” Rossi said. “I had a realization that we could do the same thing here in the States, cut

the cost in half and give them 10 times more.”

The initial year, the festival opened at Florida International University with 140 students. But with enthusiasm for the program growing, Rossi decided to move the festival to Barry University, which offered many more amenities for performance, including the Shepard and Ruth K. Broad Performing Arts Center, a 980-seat mid-century modern proscenium theater.

With Barry’s participation, the festival has grown to 250 students last year and about 350 this year. Students typically stay in campus dorms during the festival, which has nearly doubled its run to eight weeks. They perform in Barry’s Andy Gato Gallery, Pelican Theatre and Cor Jesu Chapel, as well as the Broad Center.

Dr. Giselle Elgarresta Rios, an associate professor of music, immediately saw the festival's potential when Rossi approached the university. She championed the cause and found the Barry Executive Committee more than receptive.

Rios, who serves as festival director to coordinate the programming with the university as well as a voice teacher to participants, said the festival brings thousands of

classical music fans to campus, often for the first time, to listen to some 60 performances open to the public at a low cost. One popular event is the family opera, aimed at children and last year included an instrument petting zoo.

“It’s important that Barry host this because it also attracted 40,000 people who had not been at Barry before,” Rios said. “It expanded Barry’s visibility, attracted other organizations to work with us. They saw our theater and mission.”

But more than that, the festival offers instruction by top-notch professionals in opera, orchestra, piano and conducting. This year, the festival created the Miami Wagner Institute, a tuition-free program for dramatic/lyric in transition singers led by Metropolitan Opera soprano Christine Goerke and other distinguished professionals.

“It’s wonderful because it provides them an outlet to work with very highly recognized faculty at the top tier of their profession,” said Rios. “You need to inspire the students

in order to motivate them to study a very difficult profession. Here they are inspired by teachers who have great skill and musicality.”

That’s exactly what Amanda Lund is looking for from her experience.

“I want a better understanding of classical techniques,” she said. “I came to Barry partly because my grandmother

went here (for nursing) and then I fell in love with it. This just adds even more to that.”

Rossi said the Miami Music Festival is growing in size and quality and he credits Barry University’s role in

helping to make that a reality.

“Everyone loves being there,” he said. “We’re grateful to the university. With facilities like the Broad, it’s a hidden gem. People are becoming aware of it.”

For details, visit miamisummermusicfestival.com.

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BY REBECCA WAKEFIELD

THE FESTIVAL, NOW IN ITS THIRD YEAR, ATTRACTS AUDITIONS FROM COLLEGE STUDENTS AROUND THE WORLD.

photo credit: Margarita Rentis

photo credit: Javier Herrera

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CELEBRATION OF THE PERFORMING & VISUAL ARTS

AS PART OF ITS 75TH ANNIVERSARY SCHEDULE OF EVENTS, BARRY OPENED ITS DOORS AND INVITED THE PUBLIC TO ENJOY SEVERAL CULTURAL EVENTS.

“LA TRAVIATA” The fully-staged operatic production by Guiseppe Verdi was directed by Beverly Coulter, DMA, professor of music, at the Broad Center for the Performing Arts.

“OUR TOWN”This classic play by Thomas Wilder presents life in the small town of Grover’s Corners. John Manzelli, associate professor of theater, directed four performances at the Broad Center for the Performing Arts.

75TH CELEBRATION OF PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITIONThis exhibition at the Andy Gato Gallery featured more than 100 images from the early years of Barry University. Curated by Silvia Lizama, the fine arts department chair, faculty and students, the exhibition captured historic images of the university and student life.


MUSIC: 75TH ANNIVERSARY PAST AND PRESENT Latin Grammy-winning flutist Nestor Torres joined Barry University music students, faculty and alumni to perform a lively mix of classical and jazz music, including “Successors,” an original piece by Torres symbolizing Barry's goals for the future. Dr. Giselle Elgarretta Rios, associate professor of music, conducted the performance.

“SYLVIA”The play, written by A.R. Gurney, premiered off-Broadway starring Sarah Jessica Parker. “Sylvia” presents a dog’s perspective on her owners’ frustrations with middle age and their move to a big city. Hugh Murphy, associate professor of theater, directed four performances at the Broad Center for the Performing Arts.

“SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA” In this one-woman play performed at Cor Jesu Chapel, Sister Nancy Murphy, OP, brought to life the 14th century saint and patroness of the Dominican Order.

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Miami legend Gloria Estefan doesn’t often depart from her Latin pop roots, but when an Oscar-winning Barry alumnus asked her to get funny, dark and dramatic on stage, she savored the challenge.

In January, students, alumni and supporters of Barry University enjoyed the rare treat of a salty-tongued Estefan mixing it up with veteran actors Danny Aiello, Matthew Rauch, Jennifer Grace, Betsy Graver, Ted Koch and Paul Tei ’91 for a dramatic reading of the play “Still Life” at the Shepard and Ruth K. Broad Center for the Performing Arts.

The play was written by Barry alumnus Alex Dinelaris, who has publicly credited his stint at Barry in the late 1980s for “saving” him during a tough moment in his life. Dinelaris has done quite well in three decades of writing, acting, directing and producing. Last year, he won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay for “Birdman or (the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” a film he co-wrote with Alejandro Iñárritu, Armando Bo and Nico Giacobone.

He is a co-producer of “The Revenant,” “The Bodyguard” musical and original plays “Red Dog Howls,” “The Chaos Theories” and “In This, Our Time.” He wrote the book for the Broadway smash hit musical “On Your Feet!” — the

story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan that has been selling out every night at the Marquis Theatre, one of the largest and most successful theaters in New York.

He also serves as co-creator and executive producer of the upcoming Starz series, “The One Percent,” starring Ed Helms, Hilary Swank and Ed Harris. His film, “The Year of the Monarchs” is currently in development with Mandalay Entertainment and he is currently co-writing a film with director Guillermo Del Toro.

Dinelaris was eager to repay a debt of gratitude to Barry University and the memory of Patricia Minnaugh, the late chair of the fine arts department and head of the theater program who offered the penniless teen a full scholarship to attend. Although he only stayed two years, Dinelaris recalls his time at Barry as the impetus for his slow, determined march toward the creative success on stage and screen.

“I was drowning, and Barry University basically saved me,” he recently told The New Tropic.

Dinelaris brought to Barry not only performances by Estefan, Aiello and others, he and “Still Life” co-director John Manzelli ’93, Barry associate professor of theater, also hosted a workshop and forum for local high school and Barry students aspiring to be actors, writers and directors.

“Still Life” is based on Dinelaris’ coming to terms with his father’s death from cancer and his inability to write for months after. The main character, a famous photographer, finds herself caught in the torpor of depression after losing her father. Lost in a waking nightmare, she can’t pick up her camera again, until she meets a marketing analyst drawn to her dark photographs by his own morbid fascination with death — including possibly his own.

Dinelaris read the part of the analyst opposite a brilliant Jennifer Grace, a New York actress who lost her own husband to cancer less than six months ago. The sparkling banter between the two wounded souls as they haltingly courted each other underlined the difficulties and rewards of living fully despite an uncertain future.

OSCAR-WINNING SCREENWRITER

ALEX DINELARIS RETURNS TO BARRY

"I was drowning, and Barry University basically saved me."



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Paul Tei was a punk rocker who came to Barry University in the late 1980s to play soccer. But a legendary theater professor changed his mind, setting him on the path to pursue acting, directing and writing for stage and screen.

That same Barry professor also influenced the paths of John Manzelli and Chaz Mena, who attended Barry at roughly the same time as Tei. All three alums recently earned coveted Carbonell Award nominations.

The 40-year-old Carbonell Awards honor excellence in theater in South Florida, and are among the nation’s senior regional arts awards. Of nine honorees this year, these three classmates were nominated — Manzelli, best actor for “Fully Committed” at Broward Center for the Performing Arts; Mena, best actor for “Betrayal” at Zoetic Stage; and Tei, best supporting actor for “Buried Child” at Palm Beach Dramaworks.

All three actors credit Patricia Minnaugh, then-director of Barry’s theater department, for drilling into them a work ethic and respect for craft that has underscored everything they’ve done since graduating.

“She was the catalyst,” said Manzelli, a 1993 graduate (BA in theater and political science) and now associate professor of theater at Barry. “She was a very tough cookie, but the mother of the program. She had an ability to inspire and demand at the same time. We learned how to be both professionals and artists.”

“She was a mother to us all,” agreed Mena, a 1991 graduate (BA in theater and English literature). “She taught us how to make a living in an ethical way and to be humbled by the craft. That’s what I learned — it ain’t about you. She spared no egos.”

Tei, a 1991 graduate (BA in Theater), considered Minnaugh a mentor and took her untimely death in a car crash very hard.

“She died one semester before I graduated,” he said. “When she died, things went south. I left and went on to grad school.”

All three actors went on to successful careers and graduate degrees at other institutions. Mena and Manzelli spent several years working on stage and television in New York and elsewhere. Tei worked in Los Angeles, among other cities. Each has previously won a Carbonell or two, among numerous other recognitions of their work in acting or directing.

The three Barry alums also have often crossed paths in productions — appearing on shows such as “Bloodline” and “Burn Notice,” among others. They also have worked together in various stage productions over the years.

“I did my first professional acting show with Chaz in ‘True West,’ and my first directing job in ‘Waiting for Godot’ with John,” Tei recalled.

Mena taught for a few years at New World School of the Arts and has acted in numerous productions. He is a company member of Zoetic Stage.


Chaz Mena, pictured with Amy McKenna in “Betrayal” photo credit: Justin Namon

THREE AWARD-WINNING

ACTORS MENTORED BY

BARRY THEATER PROGRAM

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Manzelli, besides his duties at Barry, is currently theater director for the award winning City Theatre-Miami, which hosts the nation’s largest short play festival, and served as associate director for The Naked Stage.

Tei is the founder and director of Mad Cat Theatre Company. He has directed over 80 productions in Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, England and Scotland, and appeared in numerous television shows.

When Manzelli came back to Barry eight years ago to teach, he reached back into that golden era of Barry graduates to enhance the coursework offered to today’s Barry theater students. Both Tei and Mena have taught

classes at Barry.

“[Minnaugh] instilled the idea that you’re not just an actor. You learn everything that goes into the art form,” said Manzelli. “So all of us have succeeded in multiple areas. I’ve taken what I learned from her.”

“It’s really nice to see what John’s done,” said Tei. “He’s brought back the alumni from that era.”

Another key element Manzelli said he’s kept from the Minnaugh era is to give students opportunities to ply their trade in the community, not necessarily common

in university theater programs. “Eighty to ninety percent of our students will have worked professionally before they graduate,” he said.

“Kids who go to Barry are getting bang for the buck,” said Mena. “It’s a wonderful, cosmopolitan place to teach.”

John Manzelli in “Fully Committed”

photo credit Natalie Tavares

Paul Tei pictured with Rob Donohoe in “Buried Child”

photo credit: Alicia Donelan

“Minnaugh instilled the idea that you’re not just an actor.

You learn everything that goes into the art form.”


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Silvia Lizama, BFA ’79, c h a i r o f B a r r y University’s fine arts department, is an a w a r d - w i n n i n g photographer. Her latest series, “Lions, Fo u n t a i n s a n d

Statues,” won her a full 2015 South Florida

Cul tura l Consort ium Grant. It was displayed at

the Andy Gato Gallery on campus February 19–April 23,

2016.

Lizama’s work, exhi- bited nationally and internationally since 1978, has appeared in prestigious shows such as American Voices at the Smithsonian and b een f ea tu red in collections such as the

Lehigh University Art Ga l l e ry Co l l ec t ion

(LUAG). A second-time winner, she earned her first

South Flor ida Cultura l Consortium Grant in 1992.

The inspiration for this collection of 45 hand-colored photographs was a statue

of a lion commandeering the front lawn of a house Lizama saw while driving around her hometown of

Hollywood, Florida. Captivated by the image, Lizama spent the next two years driving around Hollywood on Saturdays and Sundays seeking unique scenes of lawn statuary to photograph. To obtain the best shots, she returned several times to photograph her subjects from different angles in varying degrees of sunlight.

Lizama then applied her signature hand-coloring to her favorite pictures from the sessions. The result is an alluring set of hand-painted photographs that somehow manage to transform everyday scenery into magical landscapes.

The new series debuted at the University Galleries of Florida Atlantic University in a show that highlighted all 12 winners of the 2015 South Florida Cultural Consortium Grant. FAU’s Ritter Gallery showcased the art September 11–November 7, 2015; its Schmidt Center Gallery hosted the exhibition September 19–October 31, 2015. From there, prints from “Lions, Fountains and Statues” were displayed at the ArtMedia Gallery in Miami’s Wynwood district November 20, 2015–February 5, 2016, before her complete series landed for its grand finale at Barry’s Andy Gato Gallery. LUAG has since purchased a photo from the series for its collection.

A Barry alumna, Lizama has an interesting history with the institution. Her mother worked for the university as a secretary and all four of her older sisters are also alumnae. A summer job in Barry’s cafeteria when she was a teenager provided Lizama with her first work experience. It was in 1979 at a wedding held in that very same cafeteria that she met her

SILVIA LIZAMA’S LATEST AWARD-WINNING PHOTOGRAPHY SERIES FEATURED AT THE ANDY GATO GALLERY

BY SUZANNE BECKMANN

LIONS… FOUNTAINS … AND STATUES!

husband. Interestingly, not only has Lizama since become chair of Barry’s fine arts department, the space that once housed the cafeteria in which Lizama held her first job and met her husband is now the Andy Gato Gallery.

Born in Havana, Cuba, Lizama’s family arrived in Miami in November 1960. It was shortly thereafter that her mother first introduced her to the hand-coloring that has become her trademark. Her mother took a Prismacolor marker and colored in Lizama’s hands and cheeks on her black-and-white citizenship photo. She remembers it vividly. “Some images never leave your head,” she recalled. “That one never left.”

A hand-coloring assignment in an undergraduate class at Barry reignited Lizama’s interest in the technique. “It made the photographs unique, one of a kind,” she explained. “You can’t paint the same photograph twice. The professor who introduced her to this approach, Steve Althouse, later became chair of the fine arts department.

After graduating from Barry, Lizama went on to work for photographer Mario Algaze at Gallery Exposures, Miami’s first photo gallery, which opened its doors in 1979. She then accepted a part-time teaching position at the University of Miami, where she unearthed her passion for teaching. From there, Lizama earned her Master of Fine Arts in Photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology in upstate New York.

Althouse, her former professor and mentor, subsequently offered her a part-time teaching position at Barry. A year later, in 1987, she began teaching photography at the university full time. Eight years ago, when Althouse retired from academia to pursue his career as an artist-photographer, Lizama became chair of the fine arts department.

Next up, Lizama’s “Home Sweet Home” photograph of her childhood living room, will be highlighted in Elsie Miranda’s “Retazos de Memorias” (Shreds of Memory) art project, which is slated to premiere in the spring of 2017.

In the meantime, you might see her driving around near campus or in Hollywood, searching for her next muse.

To learn more or view Lizama’s photography, visit her website at www.silvializama.com.

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ON A ROAD LESS TRAVELEDBY SUZANNE BECKMANN

BARRY PROFESSOR AND ALUMNA LAUNCHES FOUNDATION TO EMPOWER CUBAN ARTISTS AND PROMOTE HUMAN DIGNITY


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United States and Cuban governments announced they would begin to normalize relations after a 55-year stalemate. Of the accord, she stressed, “Every day one hears about promoting the entrepreneurial spirit and the potential for high-yield investing on the island. For me, this ‘golden gamble’ is not the starting point. The greatest asset on the island is the people. The task is to empower them to make the necessary changes to make the people free and their country thrive.”

After being granted a sabbatical, Miranda rented her home to fund her research, which was conducted primarily through candid conversations with average Cubans she encountered on the street that centered on their daily lives, experiences and realities. It was insights from a young Cuban artist that inspired Miranda’s vision for her art project. “His articulation of reality was so powerful to me because he was not focused on the fact that as an artist he earned far more money than the average Cuban, or that he was able to travel where other citizens are not,” she explained. “Instead, he zeroed in on the fact that his dignity as a person emerged from his self-determination.”

Miranda describes her “Retazos de Memorias” (Shreds of Memory) concept as “non-verbal articulations on canvas of Cuban memories from both sides of the Florida Straits.” It is only through symbols and metaphors that one can freely express themselves in Cuba. The subtle yet powerful statements being made by Cuban artists through this symbolism is what she feels makes their work so compelling.

Although still a work in progress, “Retazos de Memorias” is slated to debut in Miami next spring with funds raised through the Cuban Evolution Foundation. Theological consciousness will be integrated into the show by coupling

the artwork with powerful excerpts from Exodus, along with Psalms 13 and 141. The Biblical significance of the number 12 (12 Apostles, 12 Tribes of Israel) will also be incorporated by featuring 12 artists who currently live in Cuba and 12 from the diaspora. A piece titled “Home Sweet Home” by Havana-born artist, Silvia Lizama, chair of the fine arts department at Barry, will be part of the exhibit.

No stranger to supporting fine arts, Miranda organized the fundraising that opened the Andy Gato Gallery on campus in 2008. Andy and Miriam Gonzalez, her dear friends, are the gallery’s primary benefactors.

Never one to rest on her laurels, Miranda is currently working in partnership with the fine arts department to invite Cuban musicians to teach master classes at Barry, with collaborative performances planned throughout the greater Miami area.

A doctoral alumna, Miranda earned her DMin in Practical Theology from Barry in 2003, after publishing her thesis, “Redeeming A Dangerous Memory: gay, lesbian and Catholic.”

To learn more about “Retazos de Memorias” or make a donation, please visit the Cuban Evolution Foundation’s Facebook page or email Miranda at [email protected].

“Nothing could have prepared me for the ensuing narratives of obedience and despair, hope and struggle, love and loss, that I heard all week long.”

When Elsie Miranda, a Barry associate professor of practical theology and its director of ministerial formation, signed on to spend a week in Cuba teaching a class in theology in July 2014, she never imagined the road would lead her to establishing a nonprofit to help promote the evolution of critical consciousness and human dignity through the use of education and art.

Miranda was born and raised in Miami to parents who’d fled Santiago in 1961. Having never set foot on the island, nor taught a class in Spanish, Miranda eagerly accepted the invitation from the Archdiocese of Santiago to teach this continuing education course at La Escuela de Verano in El Cobre.

Armed with meticulously prepared lessons for her class, “Identidad y Reconciliación” (Identity and Reconciliation), Miranda experienced a rude awakening on the first day when she was unable to access her electronic files. Relying solely on her human memory, she subsequently engaged

her 39 students in a five-day dialogue about their own lives that explored the complexity of Cuban identity within an organic understanding of Christ that could lead to reconciliation.

“Nothing could have prepared me for the ensuing narratives of obedience and despair, hope and struggle, love and loss, that I heard all week long,” Miranda recalled. “I learned about how their struggle for survival or ‘sobrevivencia,’ had hacked away at the standards of personal and social ethics that had informed Cuban culture prior to the revolution.”

As tears rolled down her cheeks as she bid farewell to her students, Miranda found herself longing to do more. Knowing she had a mission, but not yet sure what it was, Miranda vowed to return to Cuba to find out.

Her approval to start the Cuban Evolution Foundation was awarded on December 31, 2014, two weeks after the

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2015 Women’s Soccer Team Sunshine State Conference Champions

The Sunshine State Conference honored Barry tennis star and former Prime Minster of the Republic of Haiti Laurent Lamothe ’96 as one of nine members of its 2016 SSC Hall of Fame Class.

Lamothe was Barry University’s first men’s tennis All-American, reaching the NCAA Division II national quarterfinals in singles in 1993. He qualified for the NCAA national tournament twice during his career at Barry, and was a member of the Haitian national Davis Cup team in 1994 and 1995. He was voted team MVP twice, and in 1994, was an All-Sunshine State Conference selection. In 2000, Lamothe was named to the Barry University Athletics Wall of Honor.

LAURENT LAMOTHE ’96 SELECTED FOR SSC HALL OF FAME

Barry University men’s golf coach Jimmy Stobs has been inducted in the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Hall of Fame. The Buccaneers 14-year coach has won three national championships, and is the only coach in any NCAA division to win a title in both formats: stroke play and match play. After its initial championship in 2007, Barry repeated as national champs in 2013 and 2014.

Stobs was named GCAA National Coach of the Year in 2007 and 2013. He has won four South Region Coach of the Year honors and one Sunshine State Conference selection. His Buccaneer teams have won 32 tournaments.

Stobs coached the Bucs to a school-record eight tournament victories in 2013-14. He has guided Barry to seven straight national tournaments.

Stobs played professionally for 10 years on the Nike, Golden Bear, South American, Montgomery, South Florida and TransAct Mortgage Tours. He won 25 mini-tour events, including the 1998 Florida Open.

SPOTLIGHT ONSPORTS

COACH JIMMY STOBBS, A HALL OF FAMER

Laurent Lamothe with Michael L. Covone, Barry's director of athletics photo credit: Jim Hogue

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BARRY HOSTSMAKE-A-WISHCELEBRATION

BY GLADYS AMADOR

In 2003, the NCAA Division II formed an alliance with Make-A-Wish in order to connect student-athletes directly to a charitable cause. Since then, student-athletes at NCAA Division II institutions nationwide have put their rivalries aside and channeled their competitive spirits toward a common goal — raising money for Make-A-Wish. In 2013, NCAA Division II chose five institutions that achieved exemplary fundraising results and rewarded them with the opportunity to host an on-campus wish party. The party allows each institution to witness firsthand the life-changing impact of a wish. During Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, Barry University hosted one of the five celebrations. A 17-year-old named Jonathan who is battling Cystic Fibrosis had his heartfelt wish come true. A music aficionado, the Palm Beach resident’s wish was revealed before the men’s basketball game versus Palm Beach Atlantic. Local radio DJs from 97.3 FM, Ms. Kimmie, DJ Laz, Frankie P, and DJ Hercules, were spinning during Barry’s Homecoming, and Jonathan participated in the day’s event. The NCAA Division II alliance has generated nearly $3 million dollars in total for Make-A-Wish; $517,000 in FY13 alone. Fundraising at each institution is coordinated by the Student Athlete Advisory Council comprised of student athletes from each sport.

Barry has been one of the nation’s top Make-A-Wish fundraisers over the past 10 years. In 2014, the Buccaneers finished No. 2 in the nation.

While their adoptive parents and caregivers participated in a symposium, dozens of children were treated to a day of fun-filled activities at Barry.

It was FAPA Field Day, a major event of the Miami-Dade County Foster & Adoptive Parent Association. Nearly 200 children and youths came to campus with caregivers and program administrators.

Barry student-athletes, a group of science students and Barry Service Corps fellows facilitated art projects, sports, games and other activities organized by the Center for Community Service Initiatives and the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics in the School of Human Performance and Leisure Sciences. More than 150 Barry volunteers, including students enrolled in service-learning courses, lent a hand throughout the day.

The 139 participating athletes — including members of the men’s baseball, soccer, and tennis teams and the women’s golf, rowing, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball teams — led sports activities for children 7 years old through high-school age. Forced inside by the wet weather, the participants enjoyed indoor games such as table tennis,

jump rope, basketball and an obstacle course.

Dr. Bridget Lyons, senior associate director of athletics, and Amanda Knight, assistant director of athletics for compliance and special events, coordinated the sports activities.

As part of a science experiment, children of elementary- and middle-school ages learned about the DNA of strawberries. Dr. Leticia Vega, associate professor of biology, and Barry students who are members of the STEM Learning Community showed the children how to extract, isolate and observe the DNA of a strawberry in a matter of minutes.

Barry University hosted FAPA Field Day in partnership with Miami-Dade FAPA, Our Kids of Miami-Dade and Monroe Inc. and the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Caregivers attended workshops on human trafficking, home safety and post-adoption services. Lauren Schwal, an instructor in Barry’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences, provided training in first aid and CPR.

BARRY STUDENT-ATHLETES PROVIDE A DAY OF ACTIVITY FOR FOSTER CHILDREN

The Wall of Honor is one of the athletic department’s most cherished traditions. In April, Barry Athletics inducted its 2016 class of student-athlete alums: Fernanda Brino ’06 (volleyball), Thomas Hipp ’06, MA ’10 (men’s tennis), Emelie Karlsson ’05 (women's soccer), Patrick Rittenauer ’08 (men’s tennis) and Greta Trotman ’06 (women’s tennis). These five honorees earned a total of 12 All-America commendations and 15 Scholar All-America honors during their years at Barry.

Additionally, Dr. G. Jean Cerra, former dean of the School of Human Performance and Leisure Sciences and director of athletics, received the meritorious service commendation for her leadership in athletics. Under Dr. Cerra’s leadership, the Buccaneer athletic program attained overwhelming success at the conference, regional and national levels, including six national championships under her watch as dean.

ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT INDUCTS

WALL OF HONOR CLASS


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to do what’s best for her. Then once we put it together (as a team), it works really nicely because we are already good as individuals. He brings our best qualities together.”

Rankovic said he started rowing at age 12 in Serbia, where he immediately took to the sport. He said most of the kids he first competed with at the Smederevo Rowing Club in Serbia are still friends he keeps in touch with today.

Shoop, who is one-for-one — one full year at Barry and one national championship — agrees with Rankovic in that rowing has been a great vehicle for making lifelong friends. She keeps in touch with the eight other women who were on the boat with her when they won Olympic gold on August 17, 2008.

“I’m this average person,” said Shoop, a native of Charlottesville, Virginia, “and there is this great, amazing thing we did (in the Olympics). I still can’t believe it’s part of my life.”

Now she’s part of something else that is pretty terrific — the making of a championship rowing program at Barry.

Rankovic became Barry’s first full-time rowing assistant in 2011 and took over as the head coach in September 2013. “I saw potential in Barry,” he said. “You need athletes who can row at the next level, and we brought in a great coaching staff.”

As with all college sports, recruiting is a big part of the puzzle. Barry’s rowing team features athletes from seven nations: Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Serbia, Spain, Venezuela and the U.S. Rankovic has a recruiting budget, which he uses to fly around the country and the world, getting to know these athletes and their families to see if they have the right character to fit into the Barry program.

Some arrive with rowing experience, and some learn on the fly as was the case with Ellie Hartman, a 5-8 junior who was a skier in Colorado.

“She was sick and tired of the cold weather,” Rankovic said. “She had never rowed. But she had the tenacity.

“Over time, she learned the skill (of rowing). Within a year, she accelerated. She was in our first eight.”

While most of Miami sleeps, the defending national champion Barry women are rocking and rowing.

Under the cover of darkness, Barry’s rowing team begins its weekday workouts at 5:45 a.m., just outside the Shane Water Sports Center on Miami Beach. Together, the 26 women on the roster share stunning sunrises with head coach Boban Rankovic and assistant coach Lindsay Shoop.

These magnificent athletes use their muscles — arms, backs and legs — to power their sleek racing boats as they glide around Indian Creek, a protected three-mile stretch of water that opens up to Biscayne Bay.

Serving as the backdrop to their practices are impressive homes and high-rise condos, some worth more than $50 million. But these women are not here to gawk at the architecture. They’re here to work, and they take their orders from two former Olympic athletes.

“Little over-grip on the handle,” shouted Shoop during a recent practice.

Shoop, a two-time NCAA All-American at the University of Virginia, won a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and was inducted into the U.S. National Hall of Fame in 2014.

Rankovic, who is from Serbia, competed for his native country in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, finishing eighth.

Both Rankovic and Shoop are still young and fit, with long-and-lean bodies that give the impression they could still row at an elite level. Rankovic, 37, is 6-foot-3. Shoop, 34, is 6-1. That youthfulness helps in relating to their athletes, who generally range in age from 18 to 23.

Barry’s Rosie Boncheva, a 5-9 senior from Bulgaria who is majoring in psychology, said Rankovic gets teased because he is too nice. “He sees the potential in every athlete,” Boncheva said. “He pushes each one

FORMER OLYMPIC ROWERS LEAD BARRY'S WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP ROWING TEAM

MAKING CHAMPIONS

Rankovic said he and Shoop can recognize athletic potential because of their own experiences in the sport. “We know the attitude it takes,” he said.

What it takes, in part, is hard work — and not just on the water. The women lift weights and do other on-land exercises such as a bridge run on Key Biscayne every other week.

And that’s not all. Before practice can start, they have to carry out the oars and their 200-pound boats. After practice

is over, the lug everything back and also clean the boats.

During a typical 90-minute practice, the women row 12,000 kilometers. Rankovic and Shoop follow them around on motorboats, using a stopwatch to monitor their times and their eagle eyes to spot flaws in technique.

Shoop said the women on the Barry team are extremely receptive to coaching.

“You have to convince them that something you are teaching them is faster—that’s the key,” Shoop said. “When they listen, it makes you feel like you are good at what you’re doing. But you are still constantly wondering: How can I get them better? What works? What drill can I employ?

“The girls work really hard, but they are also light-hearted. They love to race. When you can work them harder and teach them something and then they smile at the end of it, how can you not be having fun?”

Lindsay Shoop, assistant coach

Boban Rankovic, head coach

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SISTER LINDA BEVILACQUA, OP, PHD, was honored by the Greater Miami Shores Chamber of Commerce as its 2016 Citizen of the Year. Barry's president was recognized for her long-term dedication to guiding the Chamber's "hometown" university to its 75th anniversary.

The Faculty of Nursing Science of the Episcopal University of Haiti inducted JESSIE COLIN, PHD, RN, into its Difference in Haiti Nursing Honor Society. Dr. Colin, professor and director for Barry’s Nurse

Educator, Nursing Executive Leadership and PhD programs, was honored in recognition for her dedicated service and work as chair of the Episcopal University of Haiti’s governing board.

GEORGE FISHER, PHD, professor of chemistry, was given the 2016 Local Section Outreach Volunteer of the Year Award for the South Florida Local Section of the American Chemical Society.

ANDREA GREENBAUM, PHD, professor of English, was selected as a Sundance Institute Intensive Fellow for her project, “36,” a psychological-paranormal thriller about a widower, unraveled by his grief, who

comes to believe that the world will end unless he can locate and gather the Lamid Vovnicks—36 righteous individuals mentioned in the Jewish mystical texts of Kabbalah and Talmud.

SARA B. HERALD, J.D., vice president of institutional advancement and external affairs, was honored with the Margarita and Rick Tonkinson Community Service Award, one of the prestigious Spectrum Awards for Women which recognize outstanding women whose efforts have made significant contributions to the quality of life in South Florida.

The South Florida Digital Alliance granted HERNAN LONDONO, PHD, Barry’s associate chief information officer, their Education Award for the community internships he facilitates for students studying computer information systems. Dr. Londono aligns the academic skills and strengths of students with meaningful internships through South Florida Digital Alliance (SFDA) community organizations. The program addresses the community service missions of both Barry University and the nonprofit SFDA, for which Dr. Londono serves as a board member.

Two members of Barry University’s School of Social Work faculty were recently named among Legacy Magazine’s 2015 Top Black Educators. TISA MCGHEE, PHD, a s s i s tant pro fessor , earned placement on the Legacy South Flor ida l i s t , and SHARON SINGLETON, DSW, associate professor, earned a spot on the L egacy Miami l i s t i ng f o r demonstrating an outstanding level of professional achievement and commitment to civic engagement.

GLORIA SCHAAB, SSJ, PHD , assoc iate professor of theology, received Mount St. Joseph University’s St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Medal Award for her contributions to the Church and world in an area of theology, including scripture, systematics , spirituality, ministry and historical theology.

LILLIAN SCHANFIELD, PHD , p r o f e s s o r o f English, was honored with the Delta Award at the Sigma Tau Delta 2015 International Convention for outstanding service at multiple levels of the International English

Honor Society. Dr. Schanfield is retiring in May after serving on Barry’s faculty for more than 40 years.

Alice Burch, Mayor of Miami Shores, Sister Linda Bevilacqua, OP, PhD, and Jonathan Meltz, President of the Greater Miami Shores Chamber of Commerce Barry Stamps Leadership Scholar and ADSOE

senior, BETHANY DILL, was featured in the January issue of the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation newsletter. In a Q&A, Dill touched on topics ranging from her enrichment experiences to long-term goals, and anyone reading can see why this dynamic, passionate and driven student is deserving of the scholarship. Barry University partners equally with the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation, founded by Penny and E. Roe Stamps, to provide full leadership scholarships for

undergraduate students. As a recipient, Dill has been afforded an education rich in cultural experiences and life-changing internships in support of her commitment to human rights.

A shared mission of promoting, seeking and advocating for social justice brought Dill to Barry University from her home state of Ohio. During her time at Barry she has interned with both the International Justice Mission and Human Rights Watch. Her honors thesis focuses on the educational needs of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, especially in the context of refugee trauma. She credits her scholarship and the Stamps’ generosity for the profound realization that the power of advocacy on behalf of others can make a difference.

Dill plans to pursue a master’s degree in refugee studies, a law degree and maybe one day even a PhD. But for now, she wants to enjoy her last semester as a senior with friends and faculty. She notes, “Encompassing it all, though, whatever professional goals I do or don’t meet, I hope that I will use the opportunities I have been afforded to benefit others, to let ‘even one life breathe easier,’ as Emerson wrote. That is the best kind of success.”

To read the entire Q&A, visit: stampsfoundation.org/2016/01/19/featured-scholar-bethany-dill


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IN MEMORIAMChrysanthe C. Bamman ’73Dennis E. Bonny ’07, MA ’10John T. Bourn ’84Edward A. Fischer ’92Mark D. Francois, MS ’07Annette Hockman, MA ’88David C. James ’99Mary A. Price, MSW ’68Glenn L. Russell ’95Judith A. Salinetro ’91, MSW ’93Laurette Shahinian, J.D. ’08Robert A. Silver, MS ’70Joan B. Slebodnik ’53Wayne R. Thonen, MS ’69Barbara B. Witty ’52

1964 Phyllis (Teschke) Hopkins and her husband, Bill, recently sold their mountain home to move to a cottage in a retirement community in northeast Georgia. She is one of Barry's Ambassador Circle donors, through her annual contributions to the Sister M. Trinita Flood, OP, Scholarship Fund. Hopkins, who began at Barry studying to be a legal secretary, credits Sister Flood, then a dean and advisor, for helping her break the news to her parents that she instead wanted to become a teacher. After graduating from Barry, Hopkins enjoyed a successful and rewarding 33-year career teaching ancient and medieval history.

1984 Dr. George Salis earned the Certified Business Economist (CBE) designation from the National Association for Business Economics (NABE). Among the inaugural class of CBE recipients, Salis was recognized at the 2015 NABE Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

1988 The Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists honored Frank Mottek with its Distinguished Journalist Award for 2015 in the radio category. An award-winning broadcast journalist with more than 30 years of experience, Mottek is the voice of business news in Los Angeles and currently anchors the morning drive business reports on CBS station KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO and the KNX Money Hour.

1993 John Steinberg ’93, DPM ’95, was elected secretary-treasurer of the National Surgical Society, a 7,200-member American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons group.

1997 Sandra Thiele, MS, is the associate dean for general education at Keiser University’s Lakeland, Florida, campus.

2000 Vanessa Blanco has been appointed director of Nova Southeastern University’s San Juan, Puerto Rico, campus.

Zameer Upadhya was named one of Houston Business Journal’s 2015 “40 Under 40” business leaders.

2003 Florence (Taylor) Barner, a trial attorney and former prosecutor, is running for Broward County Court Judge in an election to be held on August 30, 2016.

2007 Sarah Meaker is recruiting registered nurses nationwide as a talent acquisition manager for Northstar Staffing Solutions.

2010 Stephanie Sanchez is a news assignment planner at WSVN in Miami.

2014 Three months after graduation, Natasha Alexander, MPA , received a promotion. Soon after that, she applied for an adjunct instructor position at a local college. Alexander writes, “Everything I learned at Barry could not have come at a better time. I was able to put all of my learning into practice. I aced my panel presentation interview. I’m glad I chose Barry to further my education!”

Tiffany Walters, J.D., joined the Melbourne office of Gray Robinson, P.A. as an associate.

2015 Abraham Laznik earned his registered nurse certification, and is working in a step-down unit at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale.

Laura Purks, MPA, enjoyed walking in Barry’s graduation ceremony held in Fort Myers. Purks writes, “It was inspirational. Thank you Barry for making it possible for me to further my education while working full time, being a wife and mother. I feel like I can do anything now!”

What’s your news? Share your personal and professional experiences and accomplishments with your Barry family. Visit www.barry.edu/alumniupdate to submit class notes.

BUCCANEER BOOKSHELF

THE TROPES OF WAR: VISUAL HYPERBOLE AND SPECTACULAR CULTURE

Andrea Greenbaum, PhD , professor of English and director of the Professional Writ ing

Program, explores narratives of war and how they are constructed. She examines the remnants of war and documents how those who return and record their memories—whether through the construction of graphic novel memoirs, documentary films, photojournalism, or by working to heal wounds by making peace—endeavor to excavate these broken pieces. Dr. Greenbaum contends that the theatre of war has been transferred from physical space to virtual space and that the interconnectivity of warfare, a stream of information which we have the ability to manipulate and control, has been redefined, and is, in fact, viral.

NEOLIBERALISM, ECONOMIC RADICALISM, AND THE NORMALIZATION OF VIOLENCE

This interdisciplinary volume analyzes the wide-scale societal impact of neoliberal economic policy on contemporary life. Synthesizing perspectives from fields such as communication, philosophy and economics, among others, the authors argue that market-driven public institutions promote antisocial thinking, discourage critical reflection and inure individuals to inequity and cruelty. But Vicente Berdayes, PhD, professor of communications, and his co-editor assert that these currents are not terminal, and the book concludes by identifying conditions potentially leading to a more civil and egalitarian future.

IF GOD IS FOR US: CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVES ON GOD AND SUFFERING.

How can God permit misery and suffering in an individual or group of people if God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving, as most believe God to be? Gloria L. Schaab, SSJ, PhD, associate professor of theology, examines this question from many individual viewpoints and different Christian perspectives. She designed this book for a course she created at Barry: “THE 308: God and Suffering in the Jewish and Christian Traditions.” Dr. Schaab explains that there are many ways of understanding, speaking about and encountering God in the midst of human suffering based on Scripture and the Christian tradition.

THE ROADS TO CONGRESS 2014

Sean D. Foreman, PhD, professor of political science, and his co-editor capture the intrigue of the mid-term elections in the latest installment of in this biannual series of essays. The book covers the substance of topics that impacted the 2014 campaign cycle: voter suppression laws passed in many states, the role of Super PACs and independent expenditures in the campaigns, and the use of social media by members of Congress running for reelection. Case studies follow the path of ten House and seven Senate races from inception to election postmortem. The book reveals that the roads to Congress, while similar in so many ways, each follow a unique route to Capitol Hill.

MASTERING SELF-MOTIVATION: BRINGING TOGETHER THE ACADEMIC AND POPULAR LITERATURE

Recognizing society’s growing obsession with self-improvement and academics’ increasing interest in positive organizational behavior and psychological capital , Michael Provitera, PhD, associate professor of organizational behavior, seeks to bridge the gap between market-driven self-help dreams and academic research.

11300 NE 2nd AvenueMiami, FL 33161-6695www.barry.edu

Book today: 1.800.438.7672 | [email protected] | www.barry.edu/travel

Cultural Cuba: Havana to Cayo Santa MaríaAPRIL 2017An insider’s perspective of the vibrant island

Alaskan Glacier CruiseJULY 2017A round-trip cruise from Seattle through the Inside Passage

More ways to explore the world with Barry University Alumni Association:

SAVE $100 WHEN YOU BOOK BY JUNE 15!

Costa Rica: Rainforests, Volcanoes & Wildlife January 14–22, 2017

U N C O V E R A D V E N T U R E , T O G E T H E R .

spring 2016 issue

Documents