A $25 million gift from alumnus Mario J. Gabelli was celebrated at a lavish brunch next to Hughes Hall, the 50,000-square-foot dormitory that will be transformed into a cutting-edge home for CBA, now named the Gabelli School of Business (GSB).

Gabelli, GSB ’65, who appeared via video for the Homecoming ceremony, called education a key driver of job creation, which is the primary priority for the United States.

“What underscores our country is meritocracy, the rule of law and the free market system, and one of the underpinnings of meritocracy is education. One of the things I want to do is continue this process of meritocracy,” he said.

“Education is the great leveler, and for us to have Fordham at the forefront of this requires faculty, facilities, financing, fabulous students and an intense competitive environment.”

His gift brings to $43 million the amount that the Gabelli School has raised as part of Excelsior | Ever Upward | The Campaign for Fordham. The school’s $60 million campaign includes:

• $30 million for the renovation of Hughes Hall;
• $15 million to create endowed faculty chairs in accounting and taxation, communications and media management, entrepreneurship, ethics, global financial markets, information systems, management systems and marketing;
• $7.5 million for endowed scholarships; and
• $7.5 million for academic initiatives.

Donna Rapaccioli, GSB ’83, dean of the Gabelli School and the Fordham business faculty, noted that in its 90 year-existence, the school has been a nomad, shuttling between 10 different locations. A state-of-the-art, centralized home will enable it to build on its success and create a place for it at the global table of business.

“By using a unique approach that couples liberal arts education and business education—an approach that provides distinctively global views and emphasizes students’ personal and professional development—the Gabelli School represents the future of business education,” she said.

Stephen Freedman, Ph.D., provost of the University, noted that the physical transformation of Hughes Hall—built in 1891 and named for Fordham’s founder Archbishop John Hughes—is being paired with transformational academic initiatives.

“The goal is to propel the school to a premier position as an institution known for educating ethical business leaders who succeed in a range of leadership roles and thrive in a global economy,” he said.

“Encouraging our students to challenge their intellect and deepen their knowledge and skills is a foremost priority at Fordham,” Freedman continued. “We strive to achieve this goal through a diverse faculty of scholars and practitioners and curricula designed to inspire creativity, curiosity and lifelong learning.

“Steeped in the Jesuit principle of cura personalis, a Fordham education challenges students to achieve even greater personal growth in all aspects of their lives— intellectual, moral, social and physical.”

Continuing the theme of transformation, Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, said that Gabelli’s gift forever altered how the public views Fordham, and that it will help transform the way Fordham teaches students.

“Mario traces the formation of his character to the education that he received here at Rose Hill. A very grateful son of the Bronx now wishes to give back to the institution that formed him for life and formed him for success,” he said.

“It will transform the way our faculty educate our students—students who will emerge as business leaders with a difference. Business leaders whose lives are marked by confidence, conscience, compassion and deep commitment to the cause of the human family.”

“It is impossible to overstate how much Mario Gabelli’s gift means to Fordham, and to higher education,” said Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham. “His extremely generous gift will greatly enhance Fordham’s ability to deliver a world-class business education. The University community, including those who will join us in future generations, are deeply in his debt.”

Fordham University formally announced the gift at the College of Business Administration (now Gabelli School of Business) capital campaign kickoff at the Homecoming celebration on September 25, 2010, at the Rose Hill campus (see video below). The gift will allow Fordham to expand student scholarships and faculty chairs, and it will be crucial to the creation of the Center of Global Investment Analysis, which will bring together students, faculty, and professionals in the financial community to enhance scholarship in the study and understanding of capital markets.

Gabelli, a philanthropist, investor and chairman and CEO of GAMCO Investors Inc., is a native of the Bronx and resident of Greenwich, Conn. He is a second-generation American, the first in his family to attend college and a summa cum laude graduate of the former College of Business Administration at Fordham. He also holds an M.B.A. from Columbia University. His wife, Regina Pitaro, a 1976 graduate of Fordham College at Rose Hill, and a member of the Board of Trustees of Fordham University, echoes Gabelli’s support of education.

“Education is the great leveler, the engine of America’s meritocracy, and it must remain so for the country to compete in the global economy,” Gabelli said. “My grandfather died in a coal mining accident in western Pennsylvania, one hundred years ago, and my family always stressed the importance of education as a stepping stone to creating a better life. I am proud and blessed to be able to contribute to that effort.”

Gabelli’s gift brings the total raised in support of Excelsior | Ever Upward | The Campaign for Fordhamto $364.8 million, and CBA (now Gabelli School of Business) funds raised to date to $43 million. The gift to Fordham is part of Gabelli’s long-term philanthropic strategy to support education, as well as other causes.

Other organizations he has supported through the Gabelli Foundation or the Gabelli Family Foundation at the Jewish Communal Fund include Columbia Business School, Boston College, Roger Williams University, University of Miami, Fordham Preparatory School, Montefiore Childrens’ Hospital School Health Program, the National Italian-American Foundation and the American-Italian Cancer Foundation.

“Very simply, Mario Gabelli has put Fordham Business at the table in the financial capital of the world,” said Donna Rapaccioli, Ph.D., dean of CBA (now the Gabelli School of Business) and dean of the business faculty. “He both understands and fervently believes in the transformative power of education, and with his very generous gift, he will transform the way business students are educated at Fordham.”

“I love it. It just smells so new,” she said.

Katherine’s mom, Cheri McNabola, said she was thrilled that her daughter will live in the dormitory, which—along with Salice and Conley Halls—officially opened its doors to students on Aug. 30.

Cheri’s joy was apparent, even though she had to ride the train from Connecticut to Rose Hill by herself that morning while the rest of the family traveled by SUV. With the vehicle full of Katherine’s stuff, there was simply no room for her.

“It’s OK; I’m allowed to embarrass her. I’m her mother,” Cheri McNabola joked on her way into her daughter’s four-person apartment, while dad Jack McNabola wheeled in a tall stack of plastic containers—all belonging to Katherine.

“At least she’s got the room for it,” added Cheri, as she surveyed the sunny environs. “This apartment is wonderful. It’s got such great light and even a living room.”

Katherine McNabola and her three roommates were among 460 students to inaugurate CSC, as the new buildings are called.

Campbell Hall was built thanks to Robert E. Campbell (CBA ’55) and his wife, Joan M. Campbell. Thomas P. Salice (CBA ’82) and his wife, Susan Conley Salice (FCRH ’82), are the benefactors of Salice and Conley Halls. They are the first dormitories to open at Rose Hill since O’Hare Hall in 2000.

The new halls consist of four towers in two buildings on the southwest side of the campus near Fordham Road. Only upperclassmen get the honor of living there; approximately 70 percent of residents are seniors, while the rest are a mix of juniors and sophomores.

Unlike typical university dormitories, CSC offers “urban lifestyle” housing with modern amenities and technologies.

Fordham’s first LEED-certified Gold buildings, the new halls offer several living arrangements. Apartments are designed to house four students in four single rooms or two double rooms; five students in five single rooms; or six students in three double rooms. More than half of the rooms offer single occupancy.

The apartments are fully furnished and boast air conditioning, climate control within apartments and kitchens equipped with dishwashers and microwaves. It is the kitchen that most excites Matt Tracey, a senior in Fordham College at Rose Hill.

“I cannot wait to cook!” he said. Matt’s mother, Jolene Tracey, promptly chimed in that she will miss her son’s cooking.

“He sure has some lucky roommates,” she said.

Matt said that the first dinner at his apartment would be a lamb dish with a special reduction. “All you need is a skillet,” he said.

“I can’t tell you enough how happy I am that I no longer have to buy a meal plan,” he added.

The new residence halls are a step up from the drab dorm rooms of yesteryear. They feature brightly colored accent walls in the living rooms and bedrooms, and sleek lighting fixtures throughout. The first-floor laundry room is another bonus. Student athlete Kim Capicotto, a senior in the College of Business Administration, said she likes the open design of the “laundry lounge.”

“It’s much better than having to go the basement—and the appliances are brand new, which means everything dries faster,” she said.

Amenities and interior design are not the only perks for CSC residents. The new halls will offer a variety of programming, said resident assistant Alex Slavtchev, a senior in Fordham College at Rose Hill.

“We want to foster community,” Slavtchev said. “A lot of programming will focus on transitioning from college to real life. It’s not just for seniors; it’s something that sophomores and juniors should start thinking about, too.”

Career Services at Fordham will be on hand every Wednesday to help students polish their resumes and plan their careers. The Office of Academic Affairs also will be an integral part of programming, as will the Office of University Mission and Ministry.

In fact, the leader of University mission and ministry was CSC’s first resident, having moved in two weeks ago.

“I was the only guest at a 460-room hotel,” said Monsignor Joseph G. Quinn, vice president for University mission and ministry. His residence continues Fordham’s tradition of an “integrated living community” style of housing.

“These are truly 21st century facilities; our students are so blessed to have such extraordinary residences,” Monsignor Quinn said. “I can’t get over how quiet the buildings are. I can’t hear the Metro North trains. It’s amazing.”

Monsignor Quinn has arranged for motivational speaker and New York Times bestselling author Matthew Kelly to speak to CSC students on Wednesday, Sept. 8.

“It is one of the many activities we will have to help our students leave here with a more discerned feeling about what they are supposed to do in life,” he said.

“It was exciting to see a University embrace an interdisciplinary approach to teaching French literature that involves not only literature, but film and more,” said Saint-Just, a scholar specializing in French Caribbean film who will teach in the Department of Modern Languages and Literature.

Saint-Just and Janssen-Selvadurai were among 57 faculty members, instructional staff and post-doctoral teaching fellows who recently joined the University. They were welcomed to campus on Aug. 27 as part of an all-day orientation.

The cohort holds degrees from Princeton, New York University and Vanderbilt, among other leading institutions. Their specializations include conservation genetics, evolutionary ecology, female entrepreneurship and Christian spirituality. Geographically, they hail from places as close as New England, as far as Hawaii, and further still—such as China and Siberia.

The orientation included a luncheon address from Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham.

“Fordham is on the move,” Father McShane told them. “Our ambition is that we will become a national university and a force with which to be reckoned.”

“On Sunday, Fordham will welcome 1,885 freshman with an average SAT of 1249. We have made tremendous progress, largely due to my predecessor, Father Joseph O’Hare, [S.J., president of Fordham from 1984 to 2003], but also due to the work of our very dedicated faculty. They are our greatest endowment.”

Father McShane said Fordham students expect a lot from their faculty.

“Love them,” he said. “Do not insult them with low expectations.”

“I’m going to pass English 12 – I know it,” Mejia said with a smile and conviction on a recent July afternoon from the Fordham Road-based center, which recently began its third year in operation.

Mejia is one of the nearly 1,000 kids to have worked toward earning high school credits at the RETC 21st Century Community Learning Center (CLC), which offers online classes to help students who are behind in credits catch up in order to graduate. Credits are earned using software from PLATO Learning, an Illinois-based firm that specializes in educational learning products. The software is aligned with New York State Standards and allows students to complete lessons, take tests and then move to the next level at their own pace.

Launched in September 2008 by Fordham’s RETC-Center for Professional Development, CLC operates after school and throughout the summer. During the 2009-2010 school year, 515 high school credits were earned through the 21st Center for Community Learning.

“We’ve had a real significant impact,” said Leah Tillman, Ph.D., director of the CLC. “In June, I attended the graduation for West Bronx Academy for the Future—a very small high school. Out of 41 graduates, 20 were in our program. And out of Jane Addams graduating class of roughly 225 seniors, 20 percent went through our program.”

Students learn about the center through guidance counselors, word of mouth or even Google, Tillman said. “We now have a list of about 35 students who are waiting to get into the program.”

Tillman credits the center’s success to its comprehensive approach: in addition to credit recovery in math, English Language Arts and other subjects, the program includes:

•    mentoring by undergraduate students of Fordham University, who have been screened and trained to work with student participants;
•    participation in University and cultural events on campus; and,
•    technology training for parents. (Parental involvement is required in most cases.)

Ron Jacobson, Ph.D., an associate vice president for academic affairs who works in a supervisory and cooperative role with RETC, said the CLC is actively bettering the lives of members of the Bronx community.

“I am proud Fordham is able to share its expertise to assist by enabling students to catch up and by empowering them to envision future learning opportunities,” he said.

The center was launched in 2008 thanks to a $2.4 million grant awarded to Fordham’s RETC from the New York State Department of Education. The funds allowed for the hiring of licensed New York City teachers who work part-time and serve as a resource for students. Two high school graduates—and CLC alums—were also brought on part-time to assist with clerical duties.

A handful of Fordham undergraduates work as tutors, while others, such as Fordham Football player Thomas Lloyd, serve as volunteer mentors.

“I like giving back to the community. You just feel good when you do it,” said Lloyd, a rising junior in the College of Business Administration. “I can relate to the kids. I grew up in New Orleans, La., but as a minority, we have similar backgrounds, and we talk about family life and everyday things. I try to motivate them and tell them that if they work for it, they can succeed. And I’ve already seen numerous success stories.”

Students regularly visit the Fordham campus with their mentors to eat meals provided by Sodexho in the cafeteria. It’s just another way for students to get more accustomed to the idea of life beyond high school.

Teresa Lupo, a senior professional developer with the RETC, works closely with the teachers and students in the program. This past spring, she developed a college preparatory leadership club for about 12 students in the program who are college bound but unfamiliar with what to expect as a college student.

“Undergraduate students involved with various Fordham clubs introduce these students to various aspects of college life, such as money saving and budgeting tips, dorm life and studying habits,” Lupo said. “It’s especially helpful for our students, one of whom will be stepping off a train and onto a college campus this fall—a campus he hasn’t even visited.”

The RETC’s overarching mission has always been to provide access to technology to historically underserved populations, said Steven D’Agustino, Ph.D. director of the RETC.

“In our first year, it was very transactional, students did the work and got their credits,” he said. “In year two, we realized we needed to look at the social and emotional aspects of the students and we did that with our mentors, our programming, our teachers and more. It’s been a strong part of their success.”

Representatives from academic business schools around the world gathered on June 23 at Fordham to support the first United Nations-sponsored initiative to promote social responsibility in business.

At a daylong conference, the “Second Global Forum for Responsible Management Education,” some 200 leaders discussed how management education might best develop and promote responsible international corporate leadership. Among the talking points from the day’s plenary sessions were:

— Does the economic and financial crisis make sustainability a necessary strategy in developing corporate operations?
— What are the gaps in today’s business education?
— What characteristics make a corporation a global leader that is both an economic developer and a social steward.

The conference was sponsored by Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), the 2007 initiative between the U.N. and international business schools to incorporate universal values into the schools’ curricula and research. More than 300 business schools from 62 nations have already adopted the PRME.

The conference participants set a goal of seeing PRME adopted by 700 additional business schools by 2015.

“The time has come for scholarship to match the move toward corporate social responsibility,” said Kiyo Akasaka, U.N. under-secretary general for communications and public information, delivering the keynote at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus. “Peace and security, sustainable development, and the protection of human rights for all depend on our ability to collectively address these issues that affect the lives of ordinary men, women and children.”

Akasaka said that educators are responsible for shaping the “mindsets of future business leaders” and for acting as advocates for a new era of sustainability in business.

In his talk, Akasaka drew particular attention to Fordham’s partnership with the U.N. on such issues as the preservation of biodiversity, the protection of human rights and its efforts to alleviate world poverty.

“This great institution has a noble history of inspiring its young men and women to a life of service,” he said.

Donna Rapaccioli, Ph.D., dean of Fordham’s Business Faculty and College of Business Administration, said the University had engaged Fordham business faculty in developing lasting research and curriculum changes that re-enforce the principles of PRME.

“Promoting responsible management education is part of our university’s overall mission of educating competent, compassionate leaders dedicated to the cause of the human family,” said Rapaccioli.

The Fordham-based event was a prelude to the U.N.’s Global Compact Leaders 2010 Summit, held June 24-25 in New York City. The historic summit attracted 1,500 leaders from business, civil society, labor, finance, government and academia to collectively address the 21st century’s most pressing global challenges.

CBA’s marketing area was ranked fourth in a new list of specialties released by Bloomberg BusinessWeek magazine. In addition, the college was ranked eighth in ethics; ninth in business law; 19th in finance; and 23rd in accounting.

“I often tell prospective students not to put too much emphasis on the rankings, as they can be overly simplistic measures of academic quality,” said Donna Rapaccioli, Ph.D., dean of CBA and the Fordham business faculty. “That said, specialty rankings do provide insight into the quality and opportunities available to students interested in specific disciplines. I am especially proud of the marketing, business law and ethics areas.

“Studying marketing in New York City provides students with opportunities for hands-on experience you can’t find in many other locations. Recognition for the quality of our ethics area reinforces our Jesuit approach to educating business leaders as men and women of conscience,” Rapaccioli added.

Dawn Lerman, Ph.D., associate professor of marketing and chair of marketing for the Schools of Business Administration, said the marketing faculty is passionate about the subject they teach.

“They are also passionate about our students and about giving our students an opportunity not just to study marketing, but also to experience marketing,” she said.

“Many members of our faculty are closely connected to industry which affords us many unique opportunities such as transforming traditional course assignments into consulting projects for company clients and bringing high-level executives on campus.

“New York is our classroom. It’s not unusual for our Rose Hill students to venture into Manhattan with their professor to see marketing in action,” Lerman added.

Bloomberg BusinessWeek surveyed more than 85,000 students at more than 100 top business schools and asked them to rate their programs’ performance in a dozen academic disciplines ranging from accounting and ethics to marketing and sustainability. The list ranked specialty areas from the 50 top undergraduate business programs.

The honors for CBA come on the heels of good news for Fordham’s Graduate School of Business Administration (GBA). CEO Magazine ranked its executive MBA (EMBA) program among the top 25 global MBA programs in its spring 2010 issue.

Inclusion in the top 25 “tier-one” status means the Fordham program “demonstrates a high level of innovation and thought leadership; class sizes are moderate, senior faculty are used and the makeup of students is diverse,” according to the magazine, which is published in London by the Callender Media Group.

“This is very positive news, as it allows for the continued positive momentum of our program,” said Francis Petit, Ed.D., assistant dean and director of executive programs for GBA.

The Fordham EMBA program is ranked in the Spring 2010 issue within the North America/Global EMBA Rankings. Programs are listed alphabetically and include Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Georgetown, New York University and Wharton.

In April, the EMBA program was ranked 25th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. GBA’s marketing specialty area was ranked 23rd nationally in that same issue.

While students from Fordham College at Rose Hill were honored at Encaenia, the College of Business Administration feted its most accomplished seniors at the annual CBA Awards Night in Keating Hall.

Nearly 100 CBA students received medals for their accomplishments in the areas of accounting, finance, management, entrepreneurship and marketing. Students were also recognized for their excellence in academic, community and humanitarian endeavors, and for their leadership skills.

“Millennials are said to be overexposed on Facebook and always connected to a computer or by text messaging. But that interconnectedness has taught you a sense of responsibility,” said Donna Rapaccioli, Ph.D., dean of CBA and head of the business faculty at Fordham. “I see it with the implicit support you’ve shown each other through the internship opportunities you pass along and the interview tips you share.

“You are transparent and committed to each other. You do what those behind the companies that were supposedly ‘too big to fail’ could not do,” Rapaccioli added.

CBA chose two valedictorians because both students held perfect 4.0 GPAs throughout their academic careers at Fordham.

Candice Sorbera, who will earn a degree in finance, said Fordham students have an uncanny way of approaching opportunities.

“We understand that jobs don’t just appear on campus or fall out of the sky and into our laps,” she said. “Rather, they are achieved through ravenous hunger and conscious seeking. As we embark on our journey into the real world, I’m not worried about any of our futures. I know the type of character we all possess and I believe it will take each and every one of us where we want to go.”

Adam Milavec, who specialized in accounting, said he and his fellow graduates should encounter challenges with a “refuse to lose” mentality.

“During our college careers, we have built a foundation for success,” he said. “We will be able to draw from a well-rounded Fordham education to meet the demands of an increasingly competitive business world.”

The salutatorian, Joshua Strauss, an accounting major, also was honored.

“Fordham has a distinct meaning for us all,” he said. “Fordham means an education from one of the finest institutions in the world. Fordham means friends, who I see here tonight, and who will become the future leaders of Fortune 500 companies.”

The CBA Alumnus of the Year Award was presented to Christopher Fitzmaurice (CBA ’84), who was the head of U.S. Dollar Interest Rate Trading when he retired from Citigroup in 2006. Today he leads thecapital campaign fundraising effort for Hughes Hall, which will be transformed into the new home for CBA.
New “Senior Legacy” awards were given to those who helped create new paths for future CBA students to follow, and those who developed new clubs or revitalized existing programs at Fordham.

Among those honorees were:

• Angela Luongo and Anu Joseph, who helped found the Fordham chapter of Smart Women Securities, a club that focuses on investment education for undergraduate women;
• Sally Reyes, who helped found the Fordham chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting; and
• John Skelton, the first CBA student to be drafted into the National Football League.

Faculty members also were honored. The CBA Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence went to James Kelly, Ph.D., a lecturer in economics and finance, who works with the CFA Institute and advised a group of students who were given the opportunity to manage a small portion of Fordham’s endowment this year.

Dennis Cappello, adjunct assistant professor of business law, who has inspired many students to pursue law school after graduation, was the part-time faculty honoree.

Zaily Valloy (left), a CBA junior and first-generation Hispanic of Dominican ancestry, and Geraldine Reyes (right below), a CBA junior from Westchester of Dominican ancestry, will each receive a $10,000 scholarship award, a Goldman Sachs mentor, and a student advisor from Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

In addition, Valloy was chosen to present an award to Goldman Sachs’ Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Lloyd Blankfein, at the annual HSF Dinner held Sept. 30 in New York.

“This was truly a proud moment for Fordham,” said Donna Rapaccioli, Ph.D., dean of CBA, “And an absolute accomplishment for these young women.”

The scholarships are available annually for female Hispanics who have completed their sophomore year, who quality for FAFSA financial aid and who have maintained a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. The award goes to 10 women each year.

Fordham joined New York University in receiving two each of the inaugural awards. The remaining awards went to University of Texas at Austin (4), Rutgers University (1) and Baruch College (1).

Move aside, Iron Chef. The Fordham University community showed on Nov. 7 that it knows a thing or two about cooking.

Students, staff and family gathered at The Marketplace that night to sample the finalists of the “So You Think You Can Cook” culinary competition. The tasting was a part of the University’s Family Weekend festivities.

The competition, sponsored by Hospitality Services, invited the Fordham community to submit recipes for consideration as Fordham’s signature dish. The winning dish will be selected by the votes of the tasting public and will be added to the Hospitality Services menu rotation at the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses.

This year’s competition featured entree options, following last year’s successful contest for Fordham’s signature dessert. The Maroon Velvet Cake recipe submitted by Rick Manista, then a senior at Fordham College at Lincoln Center, won the prize and has been a featured item in the University cafeterias and at events throughout the year.

This year’s seven finalists were selected from more than 30 recipes submitted to the contest based on their appeal to students and how well the recipe’s integrity would be preserved in mass-production.

Brian Poteat, general manager of Hospitality Services, said the competition serves as a way for his office to reach out to the Fordham community.

“We try to find ways to pull the community into what we do,” Poteat said. “The culinary competition is a fun way to find out what food our customers enjoy the most.”

Poteat said the 60-member Student Culinary Council (SCC) also serve as “eyes and ears” to help Food Services constantly improve its offerings. The council has subcommittees focused on residential dining, retail, nutrition, sustainability and publicity.

Christine D’Urso, a junior at Fordham College at Rose Hill and co-president of the council, said SCC gives students a proactive way to make their voices heard.

“It’s not just kids complaining,” D’Urso said. “We are bringing our concerns directly to the managers and participating in the process to make things better.”

Poteat said sustainability and nutrition have been areas of great importance to students this year. Hospitality Services has responded by improving its vegetarian entree options, enhancing the vegan station, and adding gluten-free items to the menu. They also purchase from local suppliers wherever possible.

SCC member Johnny Keaney, a junior in the College of Business Administration, and his roommate, Jake Braithwaite, also a junior in CBA, were the proud authors of one of the finalist recipes, Buffalo Chicken Pasta. The students agreed that dishes featuring buffalo sauce rank high among Fordham students’ favorite foods.

When asked why people should vote for his Buffalo Chicken Pasta, Keaney offered, “It’s the hottest dish at the hottest college in America.”

Antonia Pinckney, a registered dietitian and mother of CBA sophomore Sean Pinckney, created her entry, Fettuccini with Shrimp and Escarole, to demonstrate the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Sean said he would vote for his mother’s recipe.

“Of course she’s a great cook,” Pinckney said. “She’s Italian.”

Poteat said he hopes the contest will become a Fordham tradition. He is exploring the possibility of publishing a Fordham cookbook with the recipes that have been submitted over the years.

The Fordham community will have one more chance to sample the contest’s offerings and vote for their favorite. A final tasting will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 1 to 2 p.m. at The Marketplace. The winner will be announced shortly afterward.

The seven finalists are:

• Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Johnny Keaney and Jake Braithwaite, CBA juniors

• Butternut Squash Risotto
K. Mannah Kallon, Fordham parent

• Cheese Tortellini with Apples and Walnuts
Amy Harper, administrator, area coordinator for Integrated Learning Communities

• Chicken and Artichokes
Michelle Graham, Fordham parent

• Chicken Cacciatore with a Flare
Ann Gannon, administrator

• Deebe’s Lamb
Deebe Modrzynski, Fordham parent

• Fettuccini with Shrimp and Escarole
Antonia Pinckney, Fordham parent

On Thursday, Nov. 5, Fordham’s Fed Challenge team won the first round of the New York Federal Reserve Bank’s Fed Challenge. Fordham’s team is one of six out of the starting 30 to move on to District semi-final and final rounds on Friday, Nov. 20.

The Fordham team consists of Andrew Vigliotta, Filippo Bianchi, and Robert Pergament, economics majors at Fordham College at Rose Hill; and Anu Joseph and Michael Cropano from the College of Business Administration. The team’s faculty advisor is Mary Burke, Ph.D., clinical associate professor and associate chair for undergraduate education at Fordham.

The Fed Challenge is a competition in which teams of five students present an analysis of the overall U.S. economy as if they are part of the Federal Open Market Committee. Based on this economic analysis, they then must recommend specific monetary policy actions. The presentations are 20 minutes long and are followed by 15 minutes of questions from the judges.

The winning team of District’s final round will compete in the national finals at the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Dec. 2.