Ramapo College to Dedicate Anisfield School of Business

President Peter Mercer (center) and Mark Yamout ’79 (left), recipient of this year’s Delta Mu Delta Award, with Richard and Millicent Anisfield during the dedication of the Anisfield School of Business building.

(Mahwah) – At a dedication ceremony Monday, April 28, 2008 for the Anisfield School of Business on the campus of Ramapo College of New Jersey, Richard and Millicent Anisfield of Saddle River announced a $3 million gift to the school that bears their name.   In 2006, the Anisfields made a $2.5 gift to facilitate construction of the new academic building.  At the time, it was the largest single gift in the history of Ramapo College.  This second significant gift brings the total of the Anisfields’ donation to the college to more than $6 million.

“Millicent and I are proud of Ramapo College and its fine faculty, students, staff and administrators who are responsible for the institution’s high stature in the academic world,” said Richard Anisfield.  “We are delighted to contribute to the continuing growth of Ramapo and its college community.”

The gift will be used to complete the fifth floor of the building and to support future programs of the business school.  Features will include a state-of-the-art Trading Floor Simulation Room, four classrooms, a seminar room, a board room, a director’s office and placement services offices.  The Trading Floor Simulation Room will be a highly technical specialty space with ample wall space for screens and scrolling tickers.  It also will be an attractive space for student clubs that manage portfolios and for on-going contests that use virtual portfolios to compete.

Among those present at the dedication were Congressman Scott Garrett; Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney; Dr. Peter P. Mercer, president of the college; and The Reverend Dr. Vernon C. Walton, chairman of the college’s Board of Trustees.

“The completion of the Anisfield School of Business underscores the importance of long-term relationships with business and philanthropic leaders in the community,” said Walton.  “Truly, without the support of Richard and Millicent Anisfield, there would not be a newly constructed business school.”

The Anisfields’ initial gift of $2.5 million provided $1 million toward construction of the building, $1 million to endow the deanship, $250,000 for endowed student scholarships and $250,000 for faculty research.  Previously they contributed more than $500,000 in various annual and restricted endowments.
Sleek, modern and a central focus to the main entrance to Ramapo College, the Anisfield School of Business is the culmination of an exciting transition in the business school’s history.

The 86,000 GSF facility meets current and projected classroom and other academically related space needs.  Nearly $10 million has been pledged to date in private support for construction and programs of the business school, which cost $32 million and opened Fall 2007.

“The dedication of the Anisfield School of Business represents the fulfillment of a goal to augment our rigorous business program grounded in the liberal arts with a state-of-the-art facility,” said Dr. Peter P. Mercer, president of Ramapo College.  “We are exceedingly grateful to Millicent and Dick Anisfield for their ongoing support.”
The current enrollment of the Anisfield School of Business is more than 1,200 students.  The school offers majors or concentrations in Accounting, Economics, Finance, Information Systems, International Business, Marketing and Management.  Students may also pursue minors in Economics, Information Systems and International Business.  There are 34 full-time faculty, all of whom hold advanced degrees in their teaching and research areas.  In addition, many faculty members are seasoned practitioners who bring a wealth of business insight and experience to the classroom.

“The Anisfield School of Business is an organization on the move,” said Dr. Lewis Chakrin, dean of the school.  “We are committed to the mission of producing future generations of responsible, effective business leaders, and we believe that in order to succeed in this mission we must continually improve and evolve to meet the ever changing needs of the global economy.”

“The Anisfields’ additional, incredibly generous gift will be used toward the completion of the fifth floor, originally designed for expansion, and to support future programs of the business school,” said Cathleen Davey, vice president of institutional advancement and executive director of the Ramapo College Foundation.

The Anisfield School of Business will be housed on the lower level and the first three floors of the facility, comprising 14 “smart” classrooms, two of which will be high-tech lecture halls, study lounges, an E-mail lounge, faculty and adjunct offices, break-out rooms for seminars and a dean’s suite.  This will make it possible to locate all business classrooms and faculty offices in one facility.  In addition, the school will contain the Sabrin Center for Business Excellence, named in honor of Murray and Florence Sabrin; the Roukema Center for International Education, named in honor of Congresswoman Marge Roukema; and nursing teaching facilities.

“Dedicating the Anisfield School of Business is a magnificent moment in the history of Ramapo College,” said Robert Tillsley, chairman of the Ramapo College Foundation’s Board of Governors.  “The building is a testament to the support of the Anisfields and their commitment to an outstanding academic business program in a liberal arts college.”

Ramapo College Foundation Raises $38.8 Million

Lawrence and Theresa Salameno of Allendale Announce $3 Million Donation

(MAHWAH, NJ) – As supporters and friends of Ramapo College of New Jersey gathered Friday evening to celebrate a $40 million capital campaign, a surprise announcement of a $3 million gift came from Allendale residents Lawrence C. and Theresa Salameno.

The gift will support renovation of the A and B Wings of the Academic Complex, endow a Center of Excellence in British Studies and a Dean’s Scholarship Fund in the School of American and International Studies. In recognition of the gift, the school will be renamed the Salameno School of American and International Studies.

“This is a tremendous moment for the College,” President Peter P. Mercer told the crowd. “This generous gift from longtime supporters of the College builds on a series of major gifts over the past few years that will enable Ramapo students to fulfill their promise. It is with great humility and gratitude that I thank all of you who have brought us to this point. As the campaign continues, I know we will prevail with your help.”

The Salamenos have a 10-year affiliation with Ramapo College and are known throughout the region as generous philanthropists for education. Their daughter, Francesca, is a 2006 graduate.

“Theresa and I are so pleased to be able to help the College move forward in its Capital Campaign, specifically the School of American and International Studies, whose graduates  will help shape and inform our increasingly complex world in the years to come,” said Mr. Salameno. “The benefit of a stellar education is one of the best advantages we can bestow upon the leaders of tomorrow.”

Mr. Salameno, semi-retired, is Senior Executive Vice President and Vice Chairman of Permal Group Inc.,  (The Permal Group), part of Legg Mason, which offers investors access to hedge funds of funds. He joined Worms and Company Inc. (Permal) in 2000 as a director and executive vice president-new business development and has been responsible for product, marketing and distribution strategy .A 1966 graduate of Cornell University, he received his J.D. degree from the Cornell University School of Law in 1969.

Mrs. Salameno, a professional chef, is a member of the Ramapo College Board of Governors and serves on the Executive Committee. She is a member of the Board of Trustees at Stonehill College, volunteers with the Bringing History Alive program at Colonial Williamsburg, is on the board of the John Fell House and serves on the Executive Committee of the Valley Hospital Auxiliary.  Mrs. Salameno is active in her parish, where she is developing a new educational program for the first through sixth grade and is in the process of launching an International Youth and Business Etiquette program for non-profits and educational institutions throughout the region. The couple also volunteers with Peace First, a schools program that promotes non-violence.

They share their philanthropy with the Valley Hospital Foundation in Ridgewood, the Saddle River Day School, Oak Knoll School, Colonial Williamsburg, Cornell University and Stonehill College, as well as other organizations.

In 2006, the Salamenos made a $500,000 challenge grant to name the Salameno Spiritual Center. The non-denominational sanctuary for reflection, meditation and dialogue opened in Fall 2010. The $1.5 million Center is on the banks of Kameron Pond in the center of campus. The Salameno’s initial gift led to a succession of others that ultimately funded the 1,525-square-foot facility.

In 2007, the Salamenos were honored at the College’s Distinguished Citizen’s Dinner for their support of higher education.

The Ramapo College Foundation’s Capital Campaign had raised $35.8 million, prior to the Friday announcement by the Salamenos.  Gifts were made by alumni, members of the Ramapo College Board of Governors and area corporations to fund capital projects, endowments for students and programs, and support faculty development and research.

Cathleen Davey, vice president of Institutional Advancement and executive director of the Foundation, told the gathering that the campaign, the largest in the College’s history, will conclude by June 2013. However, Davey told the crowd that the Foundation will strive to far surpass the initial goal.

“This is our moment to push boundaries; to further the promise of today’s student as well as that of each student who will someday walk beneath the College’s historic arch,” she said. “There is unmistakable momentum. There is no denying that this is Ramapo’s moment.”

Guests at the North Jersey Country Club Friday included donors, members of the College’s Board of Trustees and Board of Governors.

Other major gifts included:

More than $6 million was donated in recent years by the late Richard Anisfield and his wife, Millicent, a longtime member of the Ramapo College Board of Governors. The couple’s support made possible the new Anisfield School of Business and the Global Financial Markets Trading Lab.

“I fell in love with Ramapo,” said Mrs. Anisfield recently. “It’s wonderful and rewarding to be part of Ramapo and to watch the College’s growth in size and stature. Our higher admissions standards, diverse student body, and the quality and vigor of the faculty continue to impress me.”

In 2010, after 25 years of supporting the College, Myron “Mike” and Elaine Adler gave $2 million to build the Adler Center for Nursing Excellence, to provide space, lab and equipment for the College’s rapidly expanding and highly acclaimed nursing program.

“The labs that will be built will have state-of-the-art equipment so the students can better understand what’s going on in the world of medicine and how they can take it a step above,” said Mrs. Adler. “In these classes, they also learned that if they listen to the patient, they learn a lot. Maybe they can do something to forge on and do something that is even greater. I look forward to Ramapo being a leader in the nursing field in New Jersey and beyond.”

For more information about the campaign, and opportunities for giving, please contact Cathleen Davey at 201-684-7612.

College Dedicates Sharp Sustainability Education Center

Celebration underscores more than 20 years of corporate support for higher education

(L to R) Toshiyuki Osawa, chairman of the board and CEO of Sharp Electronics Corp. and Ramapo College President Peter P. Mercer.

(MAHWAH, NJ) – Friends and supporters of Ramapo College joined the community today in dedicating the Sharp Sustainability Education Center to thank Sharp Electronics Corporation for more than 20 years of support during their 100th anniversary year.

Since 1989, Mahwah-based Sharp Electronics Corporation, the U.S. subsidiary of Japan’s Sharp Corporation, has supported a multitude of projects on campus totaling more than $1.63 million, including donations of electronic equipment to funding for a performing arts theater, a fitness center and most recently a space dedicated to educating students throughout the region about sustainable living.

Support for the Sharp Sustainability Education Center aligns with the company’s social and environmental interests. One of Sharp’s core values is to contribute to global environmental conservation by creating both energy saving and clean energy-creating technologies. Sharp is a world leader in the production of solar panels and strives to conduct business in an environmentally conscious manner.

The Center is a demonstration space for sustainability practices and includes classroom laboratory space, hosts forums for discussion of and symposia on sustainability issues such as water use, open space, land use and development and alternate energy. It is also the headquarters for the New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability.

Toshiyuki Osawa, the Chairman of the Board and CEO of Sharp Electronics Corporation, attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“Ramapo College’s decade-long leadership in sustainability education is truly remarkable,” said Mr. Osawa. “We are very proud to contribute to and attach our company’s name to the Sharp Sustainability Education Center as part of our strong relationship with Ramapo College.”

Sharp provided financial support for the construction of the Center and also significant solar products for demonstrations and educational instruction inside the building. In addition, the corporation has been a Business Partner since 1990 and has been a loyal and generous donor to the Distinguished Citizens Dinner, the Annual Golf Outing and the Performing Arts Dinner Series.

“While Ramapo College has grown both in size and student population since its founding in 1969, the College has not failed in honoring its nascent commitment to sustainability,” said Peter P. Mercer, President of Ramapo College.  “Sharp has been both a steadfast partner and a visionary resource to Ramapo College throughout this process.  It is my privilege to formally recognize their thoughtful and generous contributions through this dedication.”

The Center also allows for advancement of the College’s education outreach programs by offering classes to area schoolchildren.

Paul Hoffman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Science Center served as keynote speaker for the dedication.  “I am delighted to take part in the dedication of the Sharp Sustainability Education Center,” said Hoffman.  “Ramapo College has a rich history of environmental and sustainability education.  The completion of this Center further highlights the College’s commitment to these necessary and important issues, as well as the advances in our understanding and implementation of them.” As part of its efforts to contribute to conservation and education, Sharp recently donated an LCD video wall to Liberty Science Center.

Sharp Electronics Corporate Vice President and Ramapo College Foundation Board member David Alai, and other senior management leaders from Sharp were present. The dedication is one of the highlights during Sharp’s 100 year anniversary celebration.

Other major donors to Ramapo College and our Environmental Studies alumnae attended the event, as well as faculty and students.  Other local corporate partners such as BD, Prudential Financial, Stryker, UPS, BMW of North America, Sony, New York Stock Exchange Technologies, KPMG, and Price Waterhouse Coopers also participated.

Ramapo College Breaks Ground on New Adler Center
for Nursing Excellence

Facility will house highly-acclaimed nursing program

(L to R) Professor Edward Saiff, Assemblywoman Marlene Caride, Mahwah Mayor William Laforet, Elaine Adler, Mike Adler, Assemblyman Timothy Eustace and Ramapo College President Peter P. Mercer at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Adler Center for Nursing Excellence at Ramapo College.

(MAHWAH, NJ) – As friends, nursing students, faculty members and administrators looked on, Myron and Elaine Adler broke ground today for Ramapo College of New Jersey’s new Adler Center for Nursing Excellence.

In November 2010, the Adlers made a $2 million gift to name the Adler Center for Nursing Excellence.  The Adler Center will be the new home of Ramapo College’s highly-acclaimed and expanding Nursing programs, as well as state-of-the-art labs to enhance the education of Ramapo College students in the sciences.  Ramapo’s undergraduate Nursing program has had significant increases in enrollment since its inception in 1993, and a Master of Science in Nursing Education was added in 2002.  More than 460 students are enrolled in both Nursing programs and will use the facilities of the Adler Center for Nursing Excellence.

“Nurses are on the forefront of healthcare,” says Kathleen Burke, R.N., Ph.D., the director of the Ramapo College Nursing programs.  “The Adlers’ gift, and the subsequent Center for Nursing Excellence, increases our ability to prepare future generations of nursing professionals for the challenges they will face in their careers.”

The new Adler Center for Nursing Excellence features three simulation rooms where students will learn to address emergencies involving their computer-simulated patients.  Nursing faculty located in a control room recreate medical scenarios that play out each day in hospitals, making each patient encounter unique.  Students are videotaped and, in a debriefing room, they receive invaluable feedback from their instructors on how to improve their skills and reaction times.

A Nursing Skills Lab will teach students the necessary basics of nursing, including physical assessment of a patient and the many procedures that make up skilled nursing.  The Adler Center also features an Anatomy and Physiology Lab, computer labs, as well as general purpose classrooms.  A conference room, a café with gallery space and an assistant dean’s suite are incorporated into the plans.  The 36,000 square foot Adler Center will be connected by an overhead walkway to the science building that is currently undergoing a complete renovation.

The Adlers have been consistent supporters of Ramapo College for more than 25 years.  Mrs. Adler is a member of the Ramapo College Board of Governors and the couple has provided numerous gifts to support the College’s The Fund for Ramapo College, student scholarships, the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, the Distinguished Citizens Dinner, the Golf Outing.  They have also provided a capital gift for the Adler Theatre in the Berrie Center for the Performing and Visual Arts.

“Ramapo College is extremely fortunate to have earned the friendship and generosity of Mike and Elaine Adler,” says Dr. Peter P. Mercer, president of the College.  “Their focus on, and commitment to, health care issues, and now our ability to graduate students from our Nursing program who will have the benefit of state-of-the art training facilities, has a tremendous impact on the health care field.”

The Adlers founded The Adler Aphasia Center in Maywood, NJ in 2003 and have been honored nationally for their work in helping individuals with the disorder redevelop their communication skills.  Mr. Adler is a member of the board of the National Aphasia Association and has served on the board of Hackensack University Medical Center and the United Jewish Community of Bergen County.  Mrs. Adler is a trustee of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation for Humanism in Medicine, the Center for Interreligious Understanding and a founding board member of Gilda’s Club of Northern New Jersey.  She also serves on the board of the Community Resource Council and the USA Toy Library Association and is vice president of the Jewish Home and Rehabilitation Center in Rockleigh, NJ.