Enter a Gabelli School of Business class taught by Christine Janssen.

Janssen, Ph.D., was so impressed with a company, Transfernation, that she offered last summer to have her Exploring Entrepreneurship class help it expand into the Bronx.

Transfernation is a startup nonprofit that serves as an intermediary between nine corporations and dozens of one-off events, and five Manhattan homeless shelters. The company is similar to City Harvest, except it leverages technology to coordinate the pickup of food from corporate luncheons, galas, and conferences.

Janssen, a clinical assistant professor of management systems and director of entrepreneurship at the Gabelli School, had previously invited Andra Tomsa, FCRH ’08, GSAS ’12, the founder of SPARE, which raises money for food banks, to her class.

As part of Fordham’s commitment as an Ashoka Changemaker Campus, she’s always looking to partner with entrepreneurs who are just getting started. This semester, her class is working with Cascada Dental Spa in Harlem.

“I love when people have goals beyond just making a buck. Whenever I can find folks who are social entrepreneurs, I love to bring them in,” she said.

Janssen split her class into five teams—to spearhead social media, look for corporate partners, look for groups to donate, recruit volunteers, and to design an official launch of Transfernation in the Bronx.

Danielle Gallagher, a junior new media and digital design major at Fordham College at Rose Hill who was part of the social media team, said working on behalf of Transfernation was one of the most unique experiences she’s had at Fordham.

“It was great to work through the unexpected twists and turns of everything. You really have to communicate with all the teams to make sure everything goes smoothly,” she said. “It’s something you can put on your resume and feel proud of yourself for doing.”

Transfernation was founded in 2014 by two students at New York University. Co-founder Hannah Dehradunwala said the company was initially focused on person-to-person food sharing, with the long-term goal of expanding to corporate clients/events. They quickly realized that collecting in bulk was the only feasible way to serve food shelter programs.

“Corporate/event food was a way for us to ensure and maintain a high quality standards for the food,” she said, noting that Transfernation drivers are required to pick up food within an hour of donation and then deliver immediately, to ensure it is fresh when redistributed.

The Fordham team established a preliminary partnership between Aramark, Fordham’s food service provider, and Bronx-based food kitchen and shelter Part of the Solution (POTS). It put together a list of students willing to transport the food to POTS’ Webster Avenue location, either by car or cart.

Dehradunwala said they’re transitioning over to an app that will be similar to Uber and Lyft, where corporate caterers and event planners can request a food pickup. The company can then claim the cost of the donated food as a charitable donation.

She said she is recruiting student drivers now, and expects deliveries in the Bronx to begin in early February or early March.

“We want this to be something that people can factor into their everyday schedules and not have to schedule large amounts of time for,” she said. “If you’re coming home from work, on a lunch break, or have time in between classes, you can help out.”

For Janssen, partnerships like those with Transfernation are an opportunity for students to learn that entrepreneurship is by definition taking risks and dealing with ambiguity.

“More often than not when they ask me how to do something or what the ‘right’ answer is, I tell them, ‘You’re dealing with a lot of unknowns. Get out there and talk to people and do your research,’” she said.

“I think one of the best ways to learn is through self-discovery.”

Football injuries have forced athletics departments to reconsider the dangers of the sport. How will schools adjust and what is the future of football?

According to USA Football, there has been a 27.7 percent drop in tackle football participation from 2010 to 2015 among children ages 6 to 14. This trend has led to a change of strategy among high school and college programs. For 2017, expect to see less hitting drills in practice, and less “honing of their craft” so that players can avoid injuries such as concussions.
Players who sustain concussions will also be out of active play longer due to new concussion protocols. This could impact financials, especially if a star player is injured. This is a scenario that can lead to less football and entertainment value, and possible drops in fan interest. Gate receipts, concession revenue, viewership, and social media activity may all be affected.
Expect to see a stronger kicking game in 2017, thanks to the fact that kickers now are not only former soccer players but former gaelic football and rugby players as well.

–Frances Petit, Ph.D., director, Gabelli School EMBA program and professor of business with concentration in sports marketing

Following the recent election, what you think the prospects are for start-ups and for small businesses?

Since Trump is a businessperson and an entrepreneur himself, I think he’s going to do a lot for small business. He’s going to focus on minimizing the tax and healthcare burdens on startups, which will give small business owners some breathing room (financially speaking). Another thing the Trump administration can (and likely will) do is vastly update the space where education and entrepreneurship collide. This would involve collaboration between the Department of Education and the Small Business Administration. Hopefully they will be able to do away with costly, outdated systems/processes and hone in on providing future-forward resources, support, and education for startups, the lifeblood of our economy. I am not only hopeful for the future of startups and small business under the Trump administration, I am excited that we will see some major restructuring that will benefit all of the innovators in this country.

Christine Janssen-Selvadurai, Ph.D., director of the entrepreneurship program in the Gabelli School of Business

Identity politics turned out to be polarizing in 2016. Are we facing more of the same?

In 2016, people on both right and left used code words which erased the complexity of people’s experiences. On the left, one can see this with the term “white privilege,” which has been used to dismiss the complaints of working class whites who have experienced downward mobility, and whose communities have been hit by drug epidemics. On the right, we see it with the term “illegals” as applied to undocumented immigrants. This erases the very real courage and sacrifice that many of the undocumented displayed in coming to America, and display every day in putting food on the table for their families. I would like to say that we will see less polarizing discourse in 2017, but I see no signs we have learned our lesson. I expect many more years of polarization and division before we come to our senses and recognize one another’s common humanity across lines of race, religion, and politics.

Mark Naison, Ph.D., professor of history and African and African-American studies

Has Hamilton inspired a new era of Broadway theater?

With 11 Tony Awards from a record 16 nominations, Hamilton has influenced everything from nontraditional casting in the way it embraced black and Hispanic actors to play historically white figures to presidential politics, using the stage as a modern day soapbox (in a message to Vice-President-elect Pence during a post-election performance). Theatrical ventures in the future are also sure to take note of Hamilton’s fierce social media outreach: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s final curtain call was streamed live on Facebook and his avid use of twitter connected famously with the show’s super fan contingency. Also influential are its inventive offshoots–the Hamilton Mixtape (in which the show’s songs are re-vamped by some of today’s brightest stars) and the Ham4Ham stage door outings–so popular they brought traffic to a screeching halt near the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Hamilton has inevitably become the gold standard in its triumphant ability to connect with theater goers on stage and on line.

–Stefanie Bubnis, associate director of Fordham’s theatre program

What will a U.S. shift in relations with Taiwan mean?

There are two possibilities. First, if president-elect Trump simply got caught violating a longstanding diplomatic principle and is not serious about this–if Beijing is clear-eyed, it will keep its responses pretty minimal, let the storm die down, and business will go on as usual.
If Trump is serious, then he’s possibly using Taiwan (and even Russia) to build leverage against the Chinese, hoping to extract a better long-term “deal.” If that is the case, this could be the the beginning of a chain of confrontational stances that draw in greater American military and economic power.
Expect a test of China within the first 100 days of the new administration, or the reverse.  Both sides will have an interest in escalation to demonstrate commitment, resulting in increased conflict–especially in places like the South China Sea, Taiwan, and perhaps the Koreas–but probably not war.

Raymond Kuo, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science

Is fake news a fad, or here to stay?

Sadly, I don’t think “fake news” is going away anytime soon. Juicy and provocative headlines meant to induce “clicks” are often too good for readers to pass up.  But there will be some new initiatives to fight it in 2017. For instance, Facebook users will have the ability to flag fake news content, so that others will be able to see quickly that some posts may not be truthful.  But that’s only addressing part of the problem.  Another issue is that Americans are not as media literate as one might hope. People don’t always look closely at who is creating the content they enjoy, to see if the source is legitimate–and they should. This is why we focus on critical thinking skills and analysis from the very first class in all our communication and media studies majors–to create the well-trained, ethical, truth-seeking journalists that our democracy needs to serve its citizens.

Beth Knobel, Ph.D., professor of communication and media studies

With a new administration more open to fossil fuels, where do you see green energy going in 2017?

It is unlikely that U.S. coal production, consumption, and employment will reverse their downward trends in 2017. Both the market-driven replacement of coal by natural gas and an increased focus on the environmental and human health concerns associated with fossil-fuel combustion in the wake of the Paris Climate Agreement make it likely that coal has peaked in the U.S. Technological advances in batteries for electric vehicles, spurred by federal funding, may lead to increased market penetration for these products, as well as the potential for greater reliance on renewable energy in coming decades.

The incoming administration seems intent on relaxing existing federal pollution regulations and eager to promote increased extraction of natural resources from federally-owned lands in the West. Without counterbalancing action at the state level, this myopic perspective would increase the environmental and health risks from economic activity and energy production, and remove the United States from a position of leadership on the issue of climate change.

— Marc Conte, Ph.D., assistant professor of economics

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Florio, a 2015 grad who majored in business administration with a dual concentration in entrepreneurship and marketing, was among handful of college seniors and recent grads from across the country to appear on a special episode of ABC program, which aired on Oct. 2.

The episode featured hit show, Shark Tank’s, “Mr. Wonderful,” Kevin O’Leary, putting college seniors through a sales boot camp on the art of the sell, prepping them for the show’s second annual sales challenge. After the field was narrowed down to three, the newly minted sales force headed to New York City’s Union Square Park to see which of the final contestants learned the most, in a competitive sales experiment captured on hidden camera.

The contestants had to sell cupcakes out of a truck from a company in which O’Leary had invested on Shark Tank, Wicked Good Cupcakes. O’Leary and ABC/ESPN anchor Hannah Storm provided live direction and commentary, and, in the end, Florio was the victor.

Christine Janssen-Selvadurai, the director of the entrepreneurship program at the Gabelli School, said she was “so proud of Tommy Florio’s representation of Fordham.” Watch the segment of 20/20 here.

The gathering was held at a 30,000-square-foot facility adjacent to Fordham’s Rose Hill campus that combines in a single location the Foundry, NYC Business Solutions services, and Workforce1 Career Center services for job seekers.

Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, said the Foundry, which is part of the Gabelli School of Business, is a great example of how the University is recommitting itself to the Bronx.

From the offices’ 7th-floor, north-facing windows, Father McShane pointed out Montefiore Medical Center, 1.5 miles away yet easily visible as the host of Fordham’s WFUV radio station antenna. The medical center is also close to Mosholu Parkway, where fashion icons Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein both grew up. They are examples of the entrepreneurial spirit of the borough that the Foundry hopes to tap, he said.

“Ogden Nash was wrong. ‘The Bronx? No Thonx’ is wrong. It’s yes to the Bronx, because it’s yes to the future,” he said.

“Never doubt the Bronx. Never underestimate the Bronx, never sell the Bronx short.”

Center co-directors Christine Janssen-Selvadurai, Ph.D., director of the entrepreneurship program at Gabelli, and Mitchell Fillet, lecturer in finance in the Schools of Business, also spoke, with Janssen-Selvadurai highlighting the Foundry’s goals:

• to support the Fordham community in developing and launching businesses;
• to create businesses that remain in the Bronx and spark economic growth
and job creation;
• to serve the greater Bronx community of entrepreneurs.

Donna Rapaccioli, Ph.D., dean of Gabelli, introduced three entrepreneurs at the gathering who are working with the Foundry to develop successful businesses, including Rhona Silver of CaterBid, which catered the event.

“What comes to my mind is the word promise, because every time I’m in this space, I think about the promise that each of our students has,” Rapaccioli said.

Robert Walsh, FCRH, ’81, GSAS ’83, commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services, recalled first sitting down with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to talk about the partnership with Fordham.

“We are a college town. How can colleges and universities open their doors to make our city a better place? As he always does, Father McShane said it’s a shared value, not only what we need from the community, but what the community needs from us,” he said.

“We’re all in here together, and we could end up building something powerful.”

Aditi Bagchi,

associate professor of law, LAW,

“ESPN Accused in Dish Case of Giving Comcast Better Terms,” Bloomberg, February 11

Tom Beaudoin, Ph.D.,

associate professor of practical theology, GRE,

“Woodford and the Quest for Meaning,” ABC Radio, February 16

Mary Bly, Ph.D.,

professor of English, A&S,

“How do Bestselling Novelists Court Cupid on Valentine’s Day?,” Washington Post, February 14

James Brudney,

professor of law, LAW,

“Nutter Seeks High Court’s OK to Impose His Terms on City Workers,” Philly.com, March 1

Charles C. Camosy, Ph.D.,

assistant professor of theology, A&S,

“Drone Warfare Faces Barrage of Moral Questions,” Catholic San Francisco, February 20

Colin M. Cathcart, M.F.A.,

associate professor of architecture, A&S,

“New York City Traffic Ranked the Worst Among the Nation: Study,” AM New York, February 6

Saul Cornell, Ph.D.,

The Paul and Diane Guenther Chair in American History, A&S,

“After Newtown: Guns in America,” WNET-TV, February 19

Carole Cox, Ph.D.,

professor of social service, GSS,

“Boomer Stress,” Norwich Bulletin, February 19

George Demacopoulos, Ph.D.,

associate professor of theology, A&S,

“Pope Resignation,” ABC, World News Now, February 28

Christopher Dietrich, Ph.D.,

assistant professor of history, A&S,

“Bad Precedent: Obama’s Drone Doctrine is Nixon’s Cambodia Doctrine (Dietrich),” Informed Comment, February 11

John Entelis, Ph.D.,

professor of political science, A&S,

“John Brennan,” BBC Radio, February 9

Howard Erichson,

professor of law, LAW,

“High-Stakes Trial Begins for 2010 Gulf Oil Spill,” Amarillo Globe-News, February 25

Laura Gonzalez, Ph.D.,

assistant professor of finance, BUS,

“Recortes al Presupuesto Podrían Afectar el Seguro Social y Medicare,” Mundo Fox, February 8

Albert Greco, Ph.D.,

professor of marketing, BUS,

“Why Would Anyone Want to Buy a Bookstore?,” Marketplace, February 25

Karen J. Greenberg, Ph.D.,

director of the Center on National Security, LAW,

“Alleged Sept. 11 Plotters in Court, but Lawyers Do the Talking,” National Public Radio, February 11

Stephen R. Grimm, Ph.D.,

associate professor of philosophy, A&S,

“Grants from Foundations and Corporations of More Than $100,000 in 2013,” Chronicle of Philanthropy, February 28

Tanya Hernandez, Ph.D.,
professor of law, LAW,

“Brazil’s Affirmative Action Law Offers a Huge Hand Up,” Christian Science Monitor, February 12

J. Patrick Hornbeck, Ph.D.,

assistant professor of theology, A&S,

“Vatican Conclave,” Huffington Post, March 4

Robert Hume, Ph.D.,

associate professor of political science, A&S,

“USA: Supreme Court Case Update – DOMA/Prop 8 Briefs Streaming In,” Gay Marriage Watch, February 28

Clare Huntington,

associate professor of law, LAW,

“Sunday Dialogue: How to Give Families a Path Out of Poverty,” The New York Times, February 9

Nicholas Johnson,

professor of law, LAW,

“Neil Heslin, Father of Newtown Victim, Testifies at Senate Assault Weapons Ban Hearing,”Huffington Post, February 27

Michael E. Lee, Ph.D.,

associate professor of theology, A&S,

“Tiempo: Watch this Week’s Show,” WABC 7, February 17

Joseph T. Lienhard, S.J.,

professor of theology, A&S,

“Remembering Benedict — the Teacher, the Traditionalist,” The Saratogian, March 1

Dawn B. Lerman, Ph.D.,

director of the Center for Positive Marketing, marketing area chair, and professor of marketing, BUS,

“Study: Google, Facebook, Walmart Fill Consumer Needs,” Tech Investor News, February 12

Paul Levinson, Ph.D.,

professor of communication and media studies, A&S,

“Will Oscar Host Seth MacFarlane Be Asked Back? Probably Not,” Yahoo! News via Christian Science Monitor, February 26

Hector Lindo-Fuentes, Ph.D.,

professor of history and director of Latin American and Latino Studies, A&S,

“Escaping Gang Violence, Growing Number of Teens Cross Border,” WNYC, December 28

Timothy Malefyt, Ph.D.,

visiting associate professor of marketing, BUS,

“On TV, an Everyday Muslim as Everyday American,” The New York Times, February 8

Elizabeth Maresca,

clinical associate professor of law, LAW,

“Poll: 87 Percent Say Never OK to Cheat on Taxes,” KWQC, February 26

Carlos McCray, Ed.D.,

associate professor of education leadership, GRE,

“Cops Nab 5-Year-Old for Wearing Wrong Color Shoes to School,” Take Part, January 18

Micki McGee, Ph.D.,

assistant professor of sociology, A&S,

“Do Self-Help Books Work?,” Chicago Sun Times, February 21

Mark Naison, Ph.D.,

professor of African and African American Studies and history, and principal investigator of the Bronx African American History Project (BAAHP), A&S,

“Professor: Why Teach For America Can’t Recruit in my Classroom,” Washington Post, February 18

Costas Panagopoulos, Ph.D.,

associate professor of political science, A&S,

“Analysis: Obama to Republicans – Can We Just Move On?,” WHTC 1450, February 13

Kimani Paul-Emile,

associate professor of law, LAW,

“Some Patients Won’t See Nurses of Different Race,” Cleveland Plain Dealer via AP, February 22

Michael Peppard, Ph.D.,

assistant professor of theology, A&S,

“Big Man on Campus isn’t on Campus,” Commonweal, February 20

Francis Petit, Ed.D.,

associate dean and director of Executive Programs, BUS,

“Marissa Mayer Takes Flak for Gathering Her Troops,” E-Commerce Times, March 1

Rose Perez, Ph.D.,

assistant professor of social work, GSS,

“Education Segment,” Mundo Fox, January 21

Wullianallur “R.P.” Raghupathi, Ph.D.,

professor of information systems, BUS,

“¿Qué Tiene Silicon Valley para Producir ‘Frutos’ Como Steve Jobs?,” CNN, February 24

Joel Reidenberg, Ph.D.,

Stanley D. and Nikki Waxberg Chair and professor of law and founding academic director of the Center on Law and Information Policy, LAW,

“Google App Store Policy Raises Privacy Concerns,” Reuters, February 14

Erick Rengifo-Minaya, Ph.D.,

associate professor of economics, BUS,

“Noticias MundoFOX 10PM Parte II,” Mundo Fox Noticias, February 8

Patrick J. Ryan, S.J.,

The Laurence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society, A&S,

“Pope Resignation,” WNBC, Sunday “Today in NY,” March 13

Susan Scafidi,

professor of law, LAW,

“Diamonds: How $60B Industry Thrives on Symbolism,” CBS This Morning, February 21

Christine Janssen-Selvadurai, Ph.D.,director of the entrepreneurship program at the Gabelli School of Business and co-director of both Fordham’s Center for Entrepreneurship and the Fordham Foundry, BUS,

“NYC Embraces Silicon Valley’s Appetite for Risk,” Crain’s New York Business, February 6

Ellen Silber, Ph.D.,

director of Mentoring Latinas, GSS,

“Mentoring Program Serves Young Latinas Aiming Higher in New York City,” Fox News Latino, February 25

Janet Sternberg, Ph.D.,assistant professor of communication and media studies, A&S,

“What are You Supposed to Do When You Have, Like, 106,926 Unread Emails?,” Huffington Post, February 25

Maureen A. Tilley, Ph.D.,professor of theology, A&S,

“Pope Resignation: Interview with Maureen Tilley of Fordham University,” WPIX, February 17

Terrence W. Tilley, Ph.D.,

Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., Professor of Catholic Theology and chair of the department, A&S,

“As Conclave to Select New Pope Begins, English-Speaking Cardinals Lead Charge to Reform Vatican,” Daily News, March 4

Peter Vaughan, Ph.D.,dean of the Graduate School of Social Service, GSS,

“Ceremony Held for NASW Foundation Award Recipients,” Social Work Blog, February 28

More features in this issue:

People

In Focus: Faculty and Research

Back to Inside Fordham home page

Copyright © 2013, Fordham University.

The gathering was held at a 30,000-square-foot facility adjacent to Fordham’s Rose Hill campus that combines in a single location the Foundry, NYC Business Solutions services, and Workforce1 Career Center services for job seekers.

Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, called the Foundry, which is part of the Gabelli School of Business, a great example of how the University is recommitting itself to the Bronx.

From the offices’ 7th floor, north-facing windows, he pointed out Montefiore Medical Center, 1.5 miles away yet easily visible as the host of Fordham’s WFUV radio station antenna. The medical center is also close to Mosholu Parkway, where fashion icons Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein both grew up. They are examples of the entrepreneurial spirit of the borough that the Foundry will tap, he said.

“Ogden Nash was wrong. ‘The Bronx? No Thonx’ is wrong. It’s yes to the Bronx, because it’s yes to the future,” he said.

“This is a day for celebration. Never doubt the Bronx. Never underestimate the Bronx, never sell the Bronx short.”

Center co-directors Christine Janssen-Selvadurai, Ph.D., director of the entrepreneurship program at Gabelli, and Mitchell Fillet, lecturer in finance in the Schools of Business, also spoke, with Janssen-Selvadurai highlighting the Foundry’s goals:

• to support the Fordham community in developing and launching businesses;

• to create businesses that remain in the Bronx and spark economic growth and job creation;

• to serve the greater Bronx community of entrepreneurs.

Donna Rapaccioli, Ph.D., Dean of Gabelli, introduced three entrepreneurs at the gathering who are currently working with the Foundry, including Rhona Silver of CaterBid, who catered the event.
“What comes to my mind is the word promise, because everytime I’m in this space, I think about the promise that each of our students has,” she said.

Robert Walsh, FCRH, ’81, GSAS ’83, commissioner of New York City Department of Small Business Services, recalled first sitting down with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to talk about the partnership.

“We are a college town. How can colleges and universities open their doors to make our city a better place? As he always does, Father McShane said it’s a shared value, not only what we need from the community, but what the community needs from us,” he said.

“We’re all in here together, and we could end up building something powerful.”

In April 2007, halfway through earning her doctorate, she was laid off from Citibank in a huge round of downsizing due to the weakening economy. This was the third time she had been a victim of downsizing since 9/11. Frustrated, yet determined, Janssen-Selvadurai came up with a plan.

“That same day, I decided I was starting my own business,” she said. “Before then, I never even entertained the thought. But when your back is up against the wall and jobs are scarce, starting your own business sounds like a pretty good option.”

She parlayed 20 years of experience in marketing, market research, new product development and business development into Denken Research and Consulting, a boutique firm providing research, writing, educational and consulting services for small businesses, particularly startups.
Inside Fordham sat down with Janssen-Selvadurai, Ph.D., lecturer in the management systems area, who spoke about starting her own business and how entrepreneurship naturally became the topic of her dissertation.

With your vast experience, venturing out on your own must have been easy, right?
“Not really. I had a lot to learn and was flying by the seat of my pants. I had an M.B.A.—from Fordham as a matter of fact—so I had taken a few relevant courses, but never had the chance to apply it.”

How did you come up with your dissertation topic?
“I have always been interested in how people learn, and I considered many avenues for my research, but when I launched my own business, it was a no-brainer for me to study how female entrepreneurs learn.

“I focused solely on women because there’s been a big surge of female entrepreneurs over the last decade or so. Many of the women I interviewed for my study didn’t necessarily have a business degree or background. They were just women who knew their craft really well and had the desire to branch out on their own. It was, therefore, not a big surprise when I found that their entrepreneurial learning experiences could be summed up as, ‘I don’t know how to start a business, but I’ll figure it out on the fly.’

“So I wanted to know how they became entrepreneurs and how they learned. I also wanted to find out where the gaps were and how I could help them become better, more successful entrepreneurs.”

What were some of your findings?
“Interestingly enough, most of these women didn’t see themselves as ‘real’ entrepreneurs. They would say things like, ‘Well, I haven’t made a million dollars,’ or ‘I haven’t turned a profit,’ or ‘I’m just a small operation.’ Yet when I asked them how they defined an entrepreneur, they all mentioned characteristics that they themselves possessed. Strange disconnect.

“Overall, these women were very motivated, dedicated risk-takers who liked to be in control. I had found those same characteristics in previous studies involving men. But unlike men, these women were driven by the desire to have a specific lifestyle—one that gave them a voice, freedom, perhaps flexibility to raise a family. They said, ‘I really don’t care if I make a million dollars. I want to do something fulfilling and rewarding.’”

Keeping in mind that you didn’t compare men to women in your study, what are some of the unique traits of female entrepreneurs?
“Men typically build businesses to grow them and sell them. They have dollar signs in their eyes. Women are different. For them, their business is their baby. They want to build it and keep it—not necessarily grow it into a behemoth. What they are really looking for is a fulfilling and rewarding career that enables them to do what they really enjoy, have a flexible schedule that works with their family obligations, and somehow give back to their communities or a cause they support.”

Nearly 100 business undergraduates received medals for achievements in accounting, finance, management, entrepreneurship and marketing. Students also were recognized for excellence in academic, community and humanitarian endeavors, and for their leadership skills.

Donna Rapaccioli, Ph.D., dean of GSB and of the Fordham business faculty, said students should take pride in the fact that they had accomplished much in their four years, and now had both the academic and life skills to succeed.

“You prepared tax returns in the local community and managed $1 million of the University’s portfolio, quite well I might add. You developed new service projects like the Edge College Prep program, you’ve launched businesses, and you’ve participated in the Dorothy Day Center and launched the Fair Trade Program,” she said.

She suggested students ruminate on Abraham Lincoln’s quote: “I don’t like that man. I am going to have to get to know him better.”

“Of course, Lincoln was talking about people, and his compassion was implied. But what I find really important about his words is that he’s telling us to keep an open mind, to investigate further,” she said.

“Tonight I encourage you to take Lincoln’s advice in a broad context. Anytime you think to yourself, ‘I don’t like that,’ whatever that may be—whether it’s new assignment at work, public speaking, or data analytics—remember the second part of Lincoln’s quote and rephrase it: ‘I am going to have to get to know it better.”

Craig Staub and Celeste Sipherd shared the stage as co-valedictorians.

Sipherd reflected on three aspects of her time at Fordham that were memorable: Her taking to heart the idea that the entire city was her campus; an internship she landed at Goldman Sachs; and the love she felt from the Fordham community when she learned of the death of her brother.

She urged her classmates to latch onto motivators instead of incentives.

“Service is love made visible, and what we love is what we will serve,” she said. “I hope we begin our careers with the right priorities, or the right decision-making criteria.”

Celeste Sipherd Contributed Photo

She harkened back to four years ago, when she and her classmates wrote college essays detailing grand plans for the future.

“Now many of us say that those dreams are unrealistic, that the 18 year-old selves were overly ambitious or optimistic. I would like to say to our 22 year-old realistic selves that we are wrong,” she said. “We can and will make a difference, but only if we are willing to continue to learn to progress, to remain humbler and to define success appropriately.”
Staub, a defensive back on the Fordham football team, highlighted the foundation he built at Fordham, via a Jesuit tradition rooted in philosophy, theology and the liberal arts

“As business students, it’s sometimes easy to downplay the importance of the liberal arts portion of the curriculum, yet it is the philosophy and theology teachings that have taught us to think outside the box and become well rounded people,” he said.

Joseph Mazzella, GSB ’82, was honored as 2012 GSB Alumnus of the Year Award. Mazzella, former managing director at Goldman Sachs, told attendees that there are unique opportunities on Wall Street for Fordham graduates. He was joined on stage by his wife Margaret, with whom he is celebrating his 25th anniversary.

“Everyone in this room should be proud of themselves. There’s a change going on, and it’s all because of you guys. So keep pushing,” he said.

Joseph Mazzella, GSB ’82,Margaret Mazzella, and Donna Rapaccioli, Ph.D. Photo By Michael Dames

Senior Bryan Matis, who was the Master of Ceremonies for the night, received the Patricia Ramsey Outstanding Thesis Award for his work “Do Shareholders Penalize Bank Boards and Management for the Financial Crisis?”

Gabelli faculty were also honored with the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence, which is given to two faculty members.

The winners, who were selected based on nominations from graduating seniors and full-time and adjunct faculty, were Christine Janssen-Selvadurai, Ph.D., lecturer in management studies, for full time faculty, and Mario J. DiFiore, Assistant Dean and Senior Advisor, for adjunct faculty.

Founded in 1841, Fordham is the Jesuit University of New York, offering exceptional education distinguished by the Jesuit tradition to approximately 14,700 students in its four undergraduate colleges and its six graduate and professional schools. It has residential campuses in the Bronx and Manhattan, a campus in Westchester, the Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station in Armonk, N.Y., and the London Centre at Heythrop College in the United Kingdom.
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