Erik Swartz, PhD

Erik Swartz, PhD, professor and vice dean of “”»å±š±ō±č³ó¾±ā€™s Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences, has been working for 10 years to teach football players tackling techniques that allow them to avoid contact to their head. The program he has developedā€” ā€œhelmetless tackling trainingā€ or Ā (the ā€œuā€ has been added to make the acronym sound like a quarterbackā€™s call to have the ball snapped)ā€”involves a series of supervised drills where players remove their helmet and shoulder pads to practice a safer form of tackling.

With the NFL and college playoffs at hand after a season when concussions and even fatal head injuries made news, we talked with Dr. Swartz, who oversees the Ammon College departments of Health and Sport Sciences and Communication Sciences and Disorders, about the program and the encouraging research it has produced.

How did you decide to get involved in efforts to reduce head injuries in football?

My background is in athletic training, and Iā€™ve worked as an athletic trainer where I was responsible for treating injuries on the football field. One of the things that scared me the most was if there was a catastrophic head or neck injury. I was trained to care for players medically, but the problem on the field is that the equipment they wear to prevent injury becomes a barrier to treatment. So I spent the first part of my career as a researcher focused on the best way to remove equipment to access the airway and chest in an emergency situation in order to provide rescue breathing.

Eventually, I became more interested in ways to prevent head and neck injuries, especially as helmet-to-helmet hits became more common in football. Iā€™d been playing rugby for a number of years, and I never saw anybody lead with their head when making a tackle, and I never saw head-to-head contact. Thatā€™s mainly because rugby players donā€™t wear helmets, so itā€™s natural for them to keep their head out of the way.

So I began thinking about ways to bring this natural instinct to keep your head out of the way into football.

So are helmets themselves a part of the problem?

Well, helmets are required in football, and for good reason. But they introduce what is called risk compensation. People adjust their behavior to the risks they perceive, and the introduction of protective equipment can create a false sense of security.

Football itself is a good example, because before helmets were required, the game had fewer deaths and catastrophic spine injuries. But once helmets started to be required and got better, players started tackling headfirst. Things like spear tackling, when players launch themselves headfirst into ball carriersā€”that didnā€™t exist before helmets were required.

Football has created rules to make it illegal for players to use their helmet to tackle, and new designs and materials have made helmets better able to protect the head and absorb impact forces. But those advances in technology continue to perpetuate that false sense of security. So the football helmet actually is a large piece of what enables headfirst contact.

How can helmetless training help reduce headfirst tackling?

It can reinforce playersā€™ natural instinct to protect their head. Our training drills are designed to ingrain the motor control to keep the head out of the way and to absorb the impact of a tackle with the shoulders and top of the chest. The idea is that players will then react appropriately in full-contact situations.

How does ±į³Ü°Õ°ÕĀ® training work?

The ±į³Ü°Õ°ÕĀ® program is composed of a series of helmetless drills performed in practices throughout the football season. The initial drills are very basic; players practice keeping their head on the proper side of a stationary tackling dummy, depending on which shoulder theyā€™re using. Players then perform drills practicing the same technique on a teammate holding a tackling shield. The final set of drills are more dynamic, as teammates holding shields move unpredictably, requiring players to react quickly and correctly.

Research is an integral part of your program. Have you found that helmetless training is effective?

±į³Ü°Õ°ÕĀ® was developed as an evidence-based program with a goal of discovering whether helmetless training would lead to fewer head impacts in practices and games, tracking those impacts using sensors. When we conducted our first study, players who participated in helmetless drills reduced head impacts by 30 percent by the end of just one season of drills.

Weā€™ve been conducting studies with high school football teams in Hawaii since 2019, and what weā€™ve found is even more encouraging. Players who participated in our drills at least 60 percent of the time significantly reduced head impacts over the course of a season.

How are you getting the word out about the effectiveness of the program?

Weā€™ve been working hard advocating our approach, promoting the program as much as we can. Weā€™ve published our research in professional publications like the , hosted conferences and appeared on news programs. I was about the program.

The NFL is aware of our efforts. We won one of their Head Health Initiative grants, which supported a study across five high schools. I was on an NFL medical subcommittee for a number of years as well.

Has helmetless training been widely adopted by teams?

You would think it would be, but we do encounter skepticism. Coaches, I have found, donā€™t necessarily like to be told what to do, especially from someone whoā€™s not a coach. Or they feel theyā€™re already teaching proper tackling themselves.

Our hope, though, is that it can be something that is incorporated into football on a widespread basis, most importantly on the youth and high school levels.

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Until the work is safely completed,Ā South Avenue will be closed to traffic from Rockaway Avenue to Brompton RoadĀ starting at approximately 3:30 p.m. today, January 2, 2025.Ā We encourage you to access or leave campus viaĀ  Cambridge Avenue.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call theĀ Public Safety Command Center at 516.877.3511.

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Throughout the year, “”»å±š±ō±č³ó¾±ā€™s faculty, administrators and students shared their stories and expertise on some of the dayā€™s most important topics, such as mental health, parenting, economics, health and education trends, and the presidential election.

As we look back on the past year, here are the ā€œtopā€ media stories featuring Adelphi in 2024:

January

The Hill,

College of Arts and Sciences Dean Vincent Wang, PhD, penned an op-ed about the recent election in Taiwan. This story has an estimated reach of more than 465 million and has been picked up by more than 130 outlets.

Inside Higher Ed,

Matthew Wright, PhD, associate professor and chair of physics, asks fellow STEM educators to write more in his recent op-ed.

Financial Times,

The outlet published an op-ed/letter by Mariano Torras, PhD, professor and chair of finance and economics.

Long Island Business News,

Andy Atzert, EdD, dean of the College of Professional and Continuing Studies, shares how higher education institutions like Adelphi support working studentsā€™ growing needs.

February

ABC7 New York,

A recently published article featuring a collaboration with Meredith Whitley, PhD, a professor in “”»å±š±ō±č³ó¾±ā€™s sport-based youth development program, focused on youth sport participation and its impact on the U.S. economy and mental health.

theScore, The

Greg Bouris, assistant teaching professor in the Ā鶹ֱ²„ School of Health Sciences and sport management program director, shares his expertise on the state of Major League Baseballā€™s free agent pool.

GOBankingRates,

Ganesh Pandit, DBA, professor and chair of the Department of Accounting and Law, suggests that individuals audit their monthly spending to meet their financial goals.

Newsday,

Shawana Singletary, assistant vice president and chief enrollment officer, shares how higher education institutions can support their applicants during this yearā€™s FAFSA delays.

March

CBS News New York,

The Lawrence sistersā€™ journey to nursing school at Adelphi is featured. This story was syndicated several times across the country.

Dazed,

Mariano Torras, PhD, professor and chair of finance and economics, is quoted extensively.

Newsday,

Elizabeth Palley, PhD, professor in the School of Social Work, co-authors an essay on better pay for child care workers.

April

GOBankingRates,

Mariano Torras, PhD, professor and chair of finance and economics, shares extensive insights about wealth and class.

CBS MoneyWatch,

Greg Bouris, assistant teaching professor in the Ā鶹ֱ²„ School of Health Sciences and sport management program director, discusses WNBA salaries and Caitlin Clarkā€™s impact on the future of the sport.

New York Post,

“”»å±š±ō±č³ó¾±ā€™s programs in environmental studies are featured. Brian Wygal, PhD, professor and chair of anthropology and director of environmental studies and sciences, also discusses related careers. This story was also featured on Yahoo Lifestyle.

May

News 12 Long Island,

Members of “”»å±š±ō±č³ó¾±ā€™s menā€™s lacrosse team celebrating their championship win are included in a feature.

GOBankingRates,

Ganesh Pandit, DBA, professor and chair of “”»å±š±ō±č³ó¾±ā€™s Department of Accounting and Law, shares his advice on items individuals can cut from their budget this year.

The Jerusalem Post,

Opening remarks from David Machlis, PhD, associate professor of finance and economics, to higher education leaders on a recent trip to Poland, are published in an opinion piece.

Newsweek, Larry Josephs, PhD, professor of psychology, weighs in on the importance of honesty and financial transparency in personal relationships.

June

City & State New York,

President Christine Riordan is among a list of education leaders preparing the next generation for their future.

Scientific American,

Emily T. Cowan, PhD, assistant professor, who joined the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology faculty in early 2024, co-authors an op-ed on varied forms of memory.

Healthline,

Deborah Serani, PsyD, senior adjunct professor of psychology, shares her extensive expertise on the mental health impact of trying to relax.

WCBS Radio 880:

Shawana Singletary, assistant vice president and chief enrollment officer, joins DRIVE TIME with Michael Wallace to discuss the drop in FAFSA applications in New York state.

July

University Business,

“”»å±š±ō±č³ó¾±ā€™s pre-college summer programs are highlighted as an effort for colleges to remain competitive for prospective students.

Homes & Gardens,

Robert Doud, JD, adjunct professor of accounting and business law, provides legal advice.

Menā€™s Health,

Psychology Professor Larry Josephs, PhD, weighs in on the impacts of infidelity.Ā  Yahoo Lifestyle also featured the article.

WalletHub,

Rakesh Gupta, associate professor of decision sciences and marketing, is a featured expert.

News 12 Long Island,

The story features the .

August

Glamour,

Stavroula Kyriakakis, PhD, professor of social work, weighs in on the impact of marketing films depicting domestic violence.

Fortune, (paywall restricted)

Department of Accounting and Law Professor and Chair Ganesh Pandit, DBA, provides insights on the complication of this tipping structure. The story was also posted by (not behind paywall).

Insight Into Diversity,

“”»å±š±ō±č³ó¾±ā€™s Summer Institute in Mathematical Epidemiology is announced as a 2024 recipient of the Insight Into Diversity Inspiring Programs in STEM Award.

Newsday,

Shawana Singletary, assistant vice president and chief enrollment officer, shares how Adelphi plans to help families navigate ongoing FAFSA delays.

September

CNN International,

Anna Akerman Berman, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Communications, is quoted in this article about sexual abuse prevention. This article was also featured by AOL, MSN and national television outlets.

Parents,

Lea Theodore, PhD, professor of psychology, weighs in on the impact of bathroom policies on children. The article was also featured by MSN and Yahoo Lifestyle.

Health,

Deborah Serani, PsyD, senior adjunct professor of psychology, provides expertise on the immobilizing freeze response to panic.

Long Island Business News,

“”»å±š±ō±č³ó¾±ā€™s standing in the U.S. News & World Report rankings is mentioned. and also covered these results.

October

The Hill,

An op-ed by Robert Goldberg, James F. Bender Clinical Professor of Finance, is published.

PRWeek,

“”»å±š±ō±č³ó¾±ā€™s Director for Media Relations Taylor Damian ā€™14 discusses the importance of communication majors and professionals in the age of AI and misinformation.

Huff Post,

Psychology Professor Larry Josephs, PhD, shares a biological and historical perspective on the preference for taller men in society.

Global Security,

Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Vincent Wang, PhD, weighs in on the potential impact of the meeting of world leaders.

November

The New York Times,

Stephen Shore, EdD, clinical associate professor of special education, is quoted about the groundbreaking new PBS Kids show on which he advised.

What to Expect,

Lea Theodore, PhD, professor of psychology, is quoted extensively in this article about how play kitchens can help foster important skills for children.

UN Chronicle,

Mariano Torras, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Finance and Economics, authors an article about economic issues.

Newsday,

K.C. Rondello, MD, clinical associate professor of public health, shares his thoughts.

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CBS News,

Erik Swartz, PhD, vice dean and professor in the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences, is quoted about his research on players not wearing helmets.

BBC,

Katherine Fiori, PhD, professor of psychology and associate dean for foundational psychology and faculty involvement, discusses the socio-emotional goals of older adults.

The post Breaking News: Top Moments of 2024 for Adelphi in the Media appeared first on Ā鶹ֱ²„.

Dear Adelphi Community,

As the holiday season arrives, I want to take a moment to reflect on the year weā€™ve shared and express my heartfelt gratitude to each of you for what you bring to the Adelphi family.

Our story is filled with countless examples of what makes our community special. Together, weā€™ve overcome challenges and seen incredible successes, thanks to our collective dedication to our mission. Weā€™ve become more diverse and inclusive, showing profound respect and understanding for one another. And weā€™ve pursued innovation with a passion for learning and research that positively impacts the world around us.

As we look ahead to our next chapter in the new year, let us carry forward these values and common goals that unite us. Iā€™m thankful to be part of such an extraordinary community, and I look forward to all we will accomplish together in the year ahead.

During the holiday break, I encourage you to cherish your time with friends and loved ones, set exciting new goals for yourself, and find new experiences that inspire you. I wish you and your family a joyous holiday season and a happy new year!

All the best,
Christine M. Riordan, PhD
President

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Winter break runs Monday, December 23, 2024, through Wednesday, January 1, 2025 and winter intersession runs January 2, 2025, through January 22, 2025. (See theĀ Universityā€™s academic calendar).

If you will be traveling during this time, the Department of Public Safety and Transportation encourages you to think about safety and prepare for the unexpected.Ā Below, we share some helpful and informative tips to help keep you safe.

Safety Tips

Extreme cold weather can cause serious threats to health and safety. See ourĀ Safety Tips WebsiteĀ for information about preparedness and awareness in the areas of travel, gift giving for children, shopping, home and cyber fraud.Ā TheĀ Ā is another useful resource.

Winter Driving Preparedness

While it is important to stay off the roads during dangerous winter weather, having an emergency supply kit will ensure you are prepared in case you must venture out or if winter weather changes for the worse.

An emergency supply kit should include basic supplies, including water, non-perishable snacks, a first aid kit, a cell phone charger, a flashlight, blankets and other items to keep you warm (boots, mittens, warm clothing, etc.). You might wish to also include jumper cables, flares, shovel/ice scraper, etc. For more information, view theĀ .

It is always best to be prepared and have nothing happen than for something to happen when you are unprepared.

If you have any questions or concerns, donā€™t hesitate to call theĀ Public Safety Command Center at 516.877.3511.

Have a happy and healthy Winter Intersession!Ā 

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The University will be closed for winter break from Saturday, December 21, 2024, through Wednesday, January 1, 2025, withĀ no Panther Express shuttleĀ serviceĀ available during this period. The final shuttle service will end at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, December 20, 2024.

Regular shuttle service willĀ resume when the University reopens on Thursday, January 2, 2025.Ā See the currentĀ Panther Express shuttle schedule, regularly updated by theĀ Department of Public Safety and Transportation.

Leaving a vehicle on campus during the break?

You must move your vehicle to either the Motamed or Nexus underground parking garages before departing campus; this will help facilitate snow removal from surface-level parking fields in the event of a storm. Vehicles not parked in the designated locations will be ticketed and possibly towed if University operations are interrupted.

As a reminder, all vehicles parked on campus must have aĀ current Ā鶹ֱ²„ decal.

Staying on campus during the break?

Public Safety is here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

• Call Public Safety at 516.877.3511 or ext. 3507.

• Blue light emergency call boxes and red phones around campus will connect you with Public Safety.

• Visit the Public Safety in Levermore Hall, Suite 113 or the Command Center on the west side of Levermore Hall.

Our officers not only patrol the campus and respond to emergencies but can also escort community members to a residence hall or vehicle, help with car troubles on campus, and help you travel safely on our local shuttles.

If you have any questions or concerns, donā€™t hesitate to call theĀ Public Safety Command Center at 516.877.3511.

Have a happy and healthy holiday season and winter break!Ā 

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With winter approaching, “”»å±š±ō±č³ó¾±ā€™s Department of Public Safety and Transportation is prepared for the possibility of inclement weather impacting our campus community. Below is information about how we alert you in the event of a school closing. Please note that the same protocols used to determine the closure of our Garden City campus also determine closures at “”»å±š±ō±č³ó¾±ā€™s satellite centers.

Public Safety will alert you through RAVE, the Ā鶹ֱ²„ Mass Notification System. Please take a moment now to and preferences.

“”»å±š±ō±č³ó¾±ā€™s weather-related closings will be announced on radio, television, and the University website. Check the following stations for major storm closings/delays:

AM

• 1100 WHLI

FM

• 92.1 WLNG
• 98.3 KJoy
• 97.5 WALK

TV

• News 12
• NBC News
• Campus AU TV News

You can call “”»å±š±ō±č³ó¾±ā€™s weather advisory phone numbers, shared below and on the back of your University ID.

• Garden City Campus: 516.877.6870
• Hauppauge Center: 516.877.6871
• NYC-Brooklyn Center: 516.877.6872
• Hudson Valley Center: 845.471.3348

In inclement weather, it is important to drive carefully and leave plenty of time to get to your destination.

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ā€œThis event was created for students by students,ā€ she continued, ā€œspearheaded by the Graduate Students Pinning Subcommittee.ā€

More than 110 people attended, including the students being honored, their family and friends, faculty, staff, and alumniā€”and, another firstā€”the newly established Alumni Advisory Board, which Dr. Proios said ā€œWill be a renewable resource for all of our students, past and present.ā€

A New Tradition Begins

The first to take the stage was Xiao-lei Wang, PhD, dean of the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences (CEHS). She highlighted Adelphi’s commitment to students and alumni working toward their respective educational or career goals.

Dr. Proios, who served as the event host, addressed the students with what she referred to as ā€œthemes of optimism and resilience, that together anything is possible, aligning with our CSD mission statement: You Can, I Can, We Can, Create New CSD Futures!ā€

Kiera ā€œKekeā€ Venza, a second-year graduate student, spoke eloquently about forging unbreakable bonds through supportive relationships with classmates at Adelphi. ā€œShe, alongside other pinning committee members, played pivotal roles mobilizing and sharing the vision that became our first pinning ceremony,ā€ said Dr. Proios.

Alumni Advisory Board members Joy Minkoff, MS ā€™99; Paola Rodriquez, MS ā€™23, and Angela Allegretti ’11, MS ’13, each took the stage and shared her unique path from student to present day. Their presentations included photos from the past and present to show the different environments in which a career in communication sciences and disorders will take you.

Then the official pinning began. Dr. Proios announced each student by name. One by one, the students came to the stage and received their pins from Anne-Marie Skvarla, director of the Hy Weinberg Center for Communication Disorders, and Angela Murphy, associate director of student success in field experiences for CEHS.

Dr. Proios thanked ā€œall those who have made this journey and event possible,ā€ including Kerry Scalere and Barbara Clemens, CSD administrative assistants who helped organize and support this event; Stacey Barbato, director of operations for CEHS; Erik Swartz, PhD, CEHS vice dean and professor, for his unwavering support; the pinning subcommittee; and first-year CSD graduate assistants Lodwica Silva and Taylor Slicklein for volunteering their time to help.

ā€œA special thank-you went out to all families and loved ones for standing by the side of our matriculating students as a source of strength throughout their journey,ā€ said Dr. Proios. ā€œThis event was as much for the students as it is for their families.ā€

Steven Cox, PhD, associate professor and director of the CSD Graduate Program, gave the closing remarks, ending the evening with positivity.

ā€œA new tradition was created from the vision, teamwork and commitment to our students,ā€ said Dr. Proios. ā€œWe are looking forward with excitement to the next pinning ceremony to continue the new tradition of honoring our own CSD future rising professionals.ā€

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