On the Front Lines—in the Library

Practicums are the signature pedagogy of social work education, typically completed at a social services agency. Several years ago, the School of Social Work began to build out a new branch of practicum placements: libraries.

“Libraries are embedded in their communities and are therefore an organic fit for practicums,” said Livia Polise, director of field education at the School. She and her colleagues have successfully implemented partnerships with libraries throughout the tristate area, from Nassau County to the Hudson Valley.

Now these partnerships are becoming a “lifeline” for communities, Polise said. “Libraries continue to provide social work services in places when other models of service provision have been disrupted.” As agencies downsize and shutter in response to executive orders, patrons can turn to library social workers for free, no-questions-asked help with housing, domestic violence, food security, healthcare, employment and mental health.

Micah Schneider, a faculty practicum liaison for the School, said the experience of a library placement has changed overnight. “Last fall, my students were doing very typical work: filling out SNAP applications for patrons, facilitating staff trainings, sitting in on support groups.” When the new executive orders began to take effect, however, library patrons began to panic, and social work students had to step up fast. Now, they’re working on the front lines, right alongside their clients. “Students have been the first line of contact for people who are having mental health crises or can’t get a passport,” Schneider said.

In libraries and other practicum placements, Adelphi students are undertaking work that’s central to one of the University’s strategic goals: fostering stronger community ties while maximizing a shared purpose. “Our interns have to walk around the library, talk to people, let people know they’re there and how they can help,” Polise said. “In essence, they have to build community.”

Providing Personalized Support in Tough Times

“We meet people where they are.” It’s a common phrase in the social work profession, one that honors a client’s background, choices, and strengths and limitations alike. As students complete what Schneider calls “incredibly difficult” placements, SSW faculty are granting them the same treatment.

For Schneider, whose students are holding “very heavy stories,” a temperature check is always necessary. “I make sure the student is grounded and feels safe where they are. Sometimes the weight of what they’re seeing in the field right now is overwhelming. There’s so much fear, anxiety, loss.”

Many Adelphi students are dealing with the personal consequences that have come with the recent change of administrations, both out loud and in private. The University is meeting them there, too. “We don’t know the life experiences or circumstances that our community members carry with them each day,” Polise said. “But Adelphi has to be a loud ally anyway. When we’re not explicit about inclusion, the implicit message is one of exclusion.”

Equipping and Empowering Students

On campus, School of Social Work faculty and staff are creating spaces to empower student action. This is also part of the School’s learning approach: teaching students how to make an impact outside of one-to-one client work. As Polise said, “Social work isn’t always about sitting with a client. Sometimes it’s about ‘macro’ work, which is about engaging with systems and structures, being a good citizen and advocating for policy reform.

The School sponsors an annual, schoolwide social action activity that trains students to become advocates for social change. Practicum courses include professional development activities emphasizing antiracism, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, which have been expanded to include regular community engagement and action spaces. In these sessions, students learn more about recent political developments and how to effectively contact their legislative representatives. “We want to make sure students know what to expect and especially how they can incorporate their own stories,” Polise said. “We don’t coach them to say anything in particular. We tell them, ‘Find something that’s important to you and make a call.’”

Polise’s team is also hosting a series ofÌę professional development workshops that spotlight diverse communities. At a time when divisive rhetoric is on the rise, these workshops enable students to process lived experiences that differ from their own. But reflection is not the end goal, even if students are revisiting problematic assumptions or gaining cultural competency. “The point is to act,” Polise said. “They should be thinking about how to better support people and communities in their work.”

Staying Committed to the Road Ahead

With so many methods, practices and systems in flux, SSW students are building a new foundation, digging deep into the roots of their profession. “It’s innately political,” Schneider said. “Our role is to protect the marginalized. But my students know that. That’s why they’re still doing this, even when it’s difficult.”

Professor Elizabeth Palley, JD, PhD, director of the School of Social Work PhD program, who has taught at Adelphi for more than 20 years, said students today are far more politically engaged than they once were—a product of the University’s efforts to diversify its student body. “There are fewer students coming in because they want to be private therapists,” Dr. Palley said. “They’ve felt the impact of policy on their communities firsthand.”

Even as the current federal administration seeks to eliminate programs aimed at diversity and inclusion, Dr. Palley notes that the . “In order to reapply for accreditation, we still have to demonstrate how we’re addressing DEI and antiracism,” she said. “We’re working to comply with the CSWE’s requirements.”

While the future of social work is unclear under the current federal administration, School of Social Work students and faculty remain committed to the school’s mission: living out social justice in everything they do. In fact, Schneider, who formerly served as the School’s assistant director of practicum education, elected to leave their full-time role at Adelphi last year and join a nonprofit organization. “I was so moved by the stories I was hearing daily from students in the trenches with their clients,” they said. “I found myself longing to be there with them, side by side.”

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The Fellows Program: Giving Back, Paying Forward

Demitrieus’ desire to share the lessons he’s learned along the way inspired his next big idea: the Âé¶čֱȄ Leadership Fellows Program. He wanted to connect with current students and offer leadership and career advice to future executives. Partnering with Adelphi’s Office of Advancement and External Relations, Demitrieus helped lay the foundation for the Fellows Program, which launched in Fall 2024. A select group of students, known as Student Leadership Fellows, enjoy opportunities to interact with prominent alumni, or Executive Fellows. This collaboration has already made a lasting impact on the students and alumni involved.

Student Leadership Fellows got the chance to listen to the lessons Demitrieus shared over a meal he cooked for them in his New York City apartment. “I love working with students,” Demitrieus said, and his enthusiasm for listening to their stories is contagious. It is the conversations shared and relationships formed that have allowed the Fellows Program to take shape.

The first in his family to graduate high school, Demitrieus recalls the challenges he faced as he connects with other first-generation students who aspire to their own business success. Bridging what can be a “gap between book smarts and street smarts,” he notices that the students he’s met in the Fellows Program remind him of himself at that age. They are “hardworking and driven,” and he encourages them to learn from any experience life might throw at them.

Meaningful Mentor Relationships

Demitrieus arrived at Adelphi as a transfer student from SUNY Cortland in the late 1960s on a lacrosse scholarship, and soon discovered that teamwork, an entrepreneurial spirit and a game-winning attitude could take him to the highest levels of corporate success. He’s eager to share the credit for his success with mentors he was lucky enough to connect with during his career. Those relationships helped him build effective strategic teams—teams he is also quick to credit for contributing to his success. “Making myself available as a mentor and perhaps a role model to aspiring students was an easy and a quite natural extension of my everyday endeavors,” Demitrieus explained.

Roller Coaster Ride to Success

His career path didn’t exactly follow a straight line and, he said, was more like “sitting in the front seat of a roller coaster.” Demitrieus’ journey was never boring: from working at a Big Five accounting firm, to exploring the oil and gas industry, to heading up commodities trading at a major investment banking firm. He was tapped for management positions in Asia, which he recalls as a “transformational” time in his life—an opportunity he used not only to lead, but also to listen and learn. He worked to restructure the multinational SK Group and, soon after, his management career accelerated in the American high-tech and telecom sector at Ixnet, Frontier Communications and in industrial services engineering, where he served as CEO of Toronto-based Alumna Systems. After serving as president of Sherwood Valves and Harsco, Demitrieus diversified his corporate experience into biometrics and was eventually named CEO at EyeLock. Now, as managing director of Jameson Associates, an investment management and financial advisory firm, he leverages his extensive operating experience—and his listening skills—to provide clients with strategic and funding guidance.

At every turn of his journey, Demitrieus cultivated relationships and focused on “people-driven leadership,” which are the lessons he imparts to business and finance students in Adelphi’s Robert B. Willumstad School of Business. His own experience in college centered on the connections he made as an and as a student, and the relationships that sustained him—most importantly, his marriage to high school sweetheart and Adelphi alumna Lynn, MA ’72, and his long friendship with lacrosse teammate Tom “MoTown” Motamed ’71. The Adelphi community , and Demitrieus’ latest involvement with Adelphi is a tribute to their unique fellowship.

Demitrieus is a true coach and a mentor to Adelphi students, as he encourages them to think deeply about engaging and collaborating in “people-to-people environments.”Ìę “There’s a difference,” he notes, “between someone who’s really smart and someone who’s really effective,” and, often, it’s a willingness to truly listen and learn. His openness to lifelong learning reflects an important goal not only for the newest Adelphi Leadership Fellows, but for everyone: “to go home smarter than you were when you started the day.”

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The orchestrated a remarkable year, concluding the season with a 26-8 record. Under the guidance of Head Coach Dave Duke, the clinched their first NE10 regular-season championship since the 2011–2012 season, marking a significant milestone in the program’s history. This achievement propelled them into the NCAA Tournament, their first appearance under Duke and the program’s first since 2012, when they were led by James Cosgrove, now an NCAA Division III National Champion at Trinity College in Connecticut.​

Individual accolades further underscored the team’s success. ’s defensive prowess earned him the NE10 Defensive Player of the Year title. ’s exceptional leadership was recognized with his first NE10 Coach of the Year award, making him the first Adelphi men’s basketball coach to receive this honor. Offensively, both Andres Fulgencio and Dayshaun Walton were named NE10 First Team All-Conference, with Walton also securing a spot on the NABC All-District First Team.​

Men’s Lacrosse: Eyes on the Prize

The began its national title defense with high expectations, bolstered by its No. 1 preseason national ranking. A significant highlight leading up to the season was goaltender , making him the first Adelphi men’s lacrosse player to earn consideration for what is considered the Heisman Trophy of men’s and women’s college lacrosse. Renner was also honored by USA Lacrosse Magazine as its . The Panthers have already begun imparting their dominance with a 9-0 start to the season—making them one of only three teams in the country to still possess an undefeated record.

Swimming and Diving: Kakimseit’s Stellar Splash

The made waves this season, powered by the . His outstanding contributions were pivotal in Adelphi’s historic runner-up finish at the 2025 NE10 Championship in February, the program’s best since joining the league in the 2009–2010 season. Kakimseit’s individual point total of 60 earned him the prestigious NE10 Men’s Swimmer of the Meet honor. Then in March, he added to his trophy case by picking up his second-consecutive Swimmer of the Year award. He wasn’t the only aquatic Panther to win top awards from the conference, though. Freshman was honored as the NE10 Rookie of the Year, becoming the third Adelphi swimmer in four years to win the award, following Kakimseit in 2024 and in 2022. ’sÌęelection as Coach of the Year for the second-straight year completed Adelphi’s domination of the conference’s major awards.

Women’s Basketball: A Resilient Run

Under the leadership of alumna Head Coach Sade Jackson ’14, the Adelphi showcased resilience and determination. They advanced to the NE10 semifinals for the first time since their impressive 27-3 run in 2020, concluding the season with a balanced 15-15 record.

Softball: A New Chapter Begins

The Adelphi ushered in a new era with the appointment of Katie Apostolopoulos as the 10th head coach in Adelphi’s storied softball history. Apostolopoulos aims to build upon the solid foundation established over the past six seasons under Carla Campagna, who departed for Division I Iona University last summer. The team’s future looks promising as they strive to continue their legacy of success.Ìę

A Testament to Excellence

These accomplishments have propelled Âé¶čֱȄ to a close second place in the through the winter season, reflecting the collective success of its athletic programs. As the Panthers continue to excel, they embody the spirit of champions, inspiring pride and anticipation for future triumphs within the Adelphi community.

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Since then, adult students have become an increasingly important part of the Adelphi community, and the University continues to create new ways to support them—no matter where they are in their academic and career journeys.

From onboarding programs for working adults returning to school for graduate degrees, to certificate programs and summer courses, and to caregiver resources and family-friendly campus spaces, Adelphi offers a range of services for adult and nontraditional students. This growing support reflects the University’s core commitment to student success and is part of the effort to reach goals set in our Momentum 2 strategic plan.

“We aim to meet adult students where they are to make their degree obtainment as easy and seamless as possible, while still providing rigorous programs to help them achieve their learning and career goals,” said Sandra Castro, PhD, associate dean of the College of Professional and Continuing Studies (CPCS). “We’ve had senior citizens and former students in their mid- to late twenties complete their degrees. We have something for everybody.”

Helping adults readjust to academic life

When Professor Edmund J.Y. Pajarillo, PhD, began teaching master’s degree courses in the Âé¶čֱȄ College of Nursing and Public Health, he noticed that adult students returning to school years after graduating from college frequently struggled with new technologies and the academic demands of graduate school.

“I wondered,” Dr. Pajarillo said, “how do you level the playing field for these students who come to the graduate program at different points in their lives?”

He wondered only for a short time before creating what he calls the Equitable, Targeted and Structured (ETS) Onboarding Program. Introduced in 2019, this first-of-its-kind program offers new students training in using online databases for research, refreshers in scholarly writing, and a guide to academic support services and resources offered by the University.

Now the program, which Dr. Pajarillo is helping expand to other degree programs at Adelphi as well as to four other universities across the nation, has been with recognized with an Innovative Academic Support Initiative award from the .

Flexible online and certificate degree programs

Adult students have their pick of online, on-campus and hybrid programs, as well as courses to match their lifestyle and personal needs. They can also receive customized support to build the program that works best for them.

“In CPCS, we have our own academic advisers who work with students from the time that they’ve matriculated up until graduation,” Dr. Castro said. “We help them prepare their plan of study, make sure that they’re taking the appropriate courses for their program, and address any issues that may come up along the way.”

Adelphi offers a growing list of notable online programs, including the online Master’s Degree in Education, which was named one of the nation’s Best Online Grad Programs by U.S. News and World Report. Adelphi’s and were also both named Best Online Programs of 2024 by Forbes. Outside of two- or four-year degree programs, students can also take advantage of Adelphi’s many in areas such as allied health, technology and paralegal studies.

CPCS is also the only Adelphi unit that offers self-paced online programs—and the first to offer an —allowing adult students to create their own learning schedules.

“‘Online’ doesn’t have to just mean logging into a virtual classroom at a certain time,” Dr. Castro said. “These programs have been designed to be self-paced and engaging for adult students, which is incredibly valuable when you’re juggling many responsibilities in your life.”

Adelphi even runs summer courses specifically geared towards adult learners who want to earn credits outside of the academic calendar year.

Dedicated support for caregivers

Many adult students earn their degrees while also caring for their children and elderly loved ones. To support these students, Adelphi launched the Caring for Caregivers scholarship program.

“We’re proud of this program because, for many, this type of care work gets no recognition and very little government support,” Dr. Castro said. “That’s why we also offer student counseling and mentorship to make sure each student’s coursework is going smoothly and steadily.”

For those on campus, Adelphi also created a new family-friendly space in the Swirbul Library to provide a welcoming and engaging place for students with children. The space is equipped with books, toys, crayons, comfortable seating and safety gates, so caregivers can visit the library and focus on their studies while keeping their children occupied.

This is just one of the latest mindful resources that Adelphi launched to help adult students earn their degrees and take the next step in their careers—whenever they are ready. As Dr. Castro said of the College for Professional and Continuing Studies, “We think of our academic unit as not just a resource for a moment in your life, but one for lifelong learning.”

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Their conversation on April 4 will be moderated by award-winning author and playwright and host of the hit podcast You Are What You Read. Audiences will also get a special sneak peek at Parker’s powerful new project, The Librarians, a documentary she executive-produced.

Celebrating the Pleasures of Reading and Writing

The Adelphi 2025 Writers & Readers Festival, founded by Adelphi alumna and New York Times bestselling novelist will celebrate the pleasures of reading and writing with students, teachers, librarians, emerging writers and the local community. Attendees can get an inside look at the art of writing and the business of publishing, connect with fellow book lovers, and have the chance to meet and hear from prominent authors, including Hoffman, Trigiani, Alvin Hall, Ann Leary, Elinor Lipman, Lise Olsen, Jennifer Baker, Matthew Klam, Lisa Genova, Lee Woodruff, Laura Zigman, and more.

“Stories connect us. Whether on the page, the stage or the screen, they shape our understanding of the world, ignite our imaginations and deepen our empathy,” said Hoffman, author of more than 40 works of fiction, including . “As we gather to listen, reflect and celebrate the written word, I hope festival attendees will discover new ideas, fresh inspiration and a renewed love for literature.”

See the Full Schedule of Events and Registration Information

The Adelphi Writers & Readers Festival will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on April 4, and 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on April 5, at the University’s Garden City campus. The two-day event will include panels and keynotes with bestselling authors, and professional development workshops with literary agents, book editors, writing coaches and Adelphi professors from the MFA in Creative Writing program, as well as conversations with writers and publishing insiders about the art and business of publishing.

Registration for the event is limited and is now open. and see the full schedule of events.

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Mansour was principal cellist of the University of Notre Dame Symphony Orchestra and has performed Piatigorsky International Cello Festival. Photo credit: Cathryn Farnsworth

Now a musical theater star in her own right, Mansour is part of Larson’s legacy. A winner of a 2023 from the American Theatre Wing, she came to Adelphi at the end of January to perform her own music in the 2024–2025 Larson Legacy Concert Series at the Âé¶čֱȄ Performing Arts Center.

Mansour is just one of the young stars—including Michael R. Jackson, Max Vernon, Zoe Sarnak, Larry Owens and Benjamin Velez—who have appeared in Larson Legacy Concerts since their inception in 2015. Their performances highlight the impact that Larson—the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, lyricist and playwright who graduated from Adelphi’s theatre program in 1982—continues to have on artists today.

“I had the time to push myself as a writer”

Larson knew about the importance—and scarcity—of time to an artist. His autobiographical musical, tick, tick
 BOOM! traces the life of an aspiring composer as he struggles to achieve success before his 30th birthday.

Now the Jonathan Larson Grant, established by his family in 1996, the year of Larson’s untimely death, has provided musical theater artists like Mansour with this most valuable resource—time—to help them build their careers and pursue their goals.

“Being a writer in New York City can be very financially difficult, especially when taking opportunities like residencies and workshops (which are amazing!) can hinder you from taking on a full-time position,” said Mansour, who is also a , Dramatists Guild Fellow and recent nominee for a Marvin Hamlisch International Music Award. “Thanks to the Larson Grant, I had the time to push myself as a writer and the bandwidth to do so. It allowed me to work as a composer full time last year, and I was able to grow so much artistically because of that.”

Mansour is no stranger to success, having been selected for the DreamWorks Theatricals, MTI & NBC Universal Emerging Writers Program and winning the 2023 Write Out Loud Project contest for her song , written with playwright and lyricist abs wilson. Mansour has also served as the principal cellist of the University of Notre Dame Symphony Orchestra and a selected cellist in the 2016 Piatigorsky International Cello Festival, performing at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California.

A legacy concert to remember

Mansour highlighted work from her musical in her concert at Adelphi. Written in collaboration with the lyricist and librettist Sophie Boyce, the musical tells the story of 16th-century feminist poet Emilia Bassano, who some believe to be the subject of Shakespeare’s “Dark Lady” sonnets. Mansour also performed work from her musical , a pop-country musical she wrote with abs wilson.

“Being part of the Larson Legacy Concert Series at Adelphi was such a rewarding experience,” Mansour said.Ìę“Everyone was so supportive, and it was such a great way to get to showcase some of my work and honor Jonathan Larson.”

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Balalaos, who was diagnosed with dyslexiaÌęand ADHD as a child, was drawn to Adelphi’s 5-year Scholar Teacher Education Program (STEP) because she planned to be a special education teacher. She said she “found her groove” at the University.

“I always felt like there was this big difference between me and the other kids in terms of how my intelligence was perceived when I was in elementary, middle and high school. And then when I went to Adelphi, it felt like everybody was on the same field,” she said. “I didn’t feel like I was always going to be known as the kid who was in special education.”

Academics, Volunteer Work and an Internship Launch a Unique Career Path

She credits her major in psychology with a concentration in child development for preparing her to work with the children who come to the museum, while her graduate degree in elementary and special education helps her with the programming she creates. But for Balalaos, who is a member of the LGBTQ community, it was her gender and sexuality studies minor that “helped me to take a deeper dive into the world of diversity, equity and inclusion. It opened up my eyes to the impact that people can have on the world,” she said.

It was through her Jaggar placement at the Long Island Children’s Museum in Garden City that Balalaos learned about the accessibility aspect of diversity. She quickly realized that she “wanted to have conversations about how we could help the kids with disabilities who come through our museum.” She was still in the STEP program and interning at the museum in 2015 when she helped it launch a museum-wide access initiative called LICM4all.

“The main goal of the LICM4all program is to create a more inclusive and accessible museum by not only making physical changes that exceed compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but also by considering access in every aspect of the museum every day,” Balalaos said.

Becoming a Powerful Advocate Through Service Work

The organizational skills needed to enact this goal, she said, were nurtured as a busy undergraduate who was a mentor for the Bridges to Adelphi program for neurodiverse students, an Orientation leader, and an employee at the Center for Recreation and Sports. In her sophomore year, Balalaos joined the campus American Cancer Society and was in the first group of students to run Adelphi’s Relay for Life in 2013. The American Cancer Society offered her advocacy opportunities, including traveling to the Capitol to train other college-age people and lead fundraising seminars. She was even invited to speak at conferences.

“Working with the American Cancer Society was a really big part of my college career and it helped me catch that nonprofit bug. I use those skills today to speak at conferences for the museum. That would’ve been a lot scarier if I weren’t already having those experiences throughout my college career,” said Balalaos, who is also a board member of the and a peer reviewer for the and the

A month before she graduated, the Long Island Children’s Museum offered Balalaos a job and she suddenly realized she didn’t want to be a teacher. “I always felt like I wanted to have a career that would have an impact and center around social justice,” she said. “At that point I fell in love with museums and the positive change I was making.”

Today Balalaos also uses her advocacy skills as a member of the Huntington LGBTQ+ Task Force on Long Island and in writing about museum accessibility for publications like Museum, the magazine of the American Alliance of Museums, and Hand to Hand, published by the Association of Children’s Museums, and for Able News, which is published by another Adelphi alum, Emily Ladau ’13.

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“Just 10 percent of Fortune 500 companies are run by women CEOs today, despite research showing women in leadership roles increase productivity and profit,” said President Christine M. Riordan. “That’s why facilitating equitable women’s leadership through action is so important to us at Adelphi. Our annual Women’s Leadership Conference serves to inspire, support and engage women in discussions about how to innovate and thrive in any career field.”

This year’s conference will offer several panels, discussions and sessions with industry leaders who will offer valuable insights on topics including leading with confidence, imposter syndrome, the importance of self-care, side hustles and negotiation strategies.

“Being in attendance for the 2024 Women’s Leadership Conference as an Adelphi student was a transformative experience,” said Victoria Rodriguez, now a senior. “This conference has enabled me to connect with inspiring and powerful women leaders across various industries, gain invaluable insights and build a strong network.”

2025 Keynote Speaker: Juju Chang, Emmy Award-Winning Co-Anchor of ABC News Nightline

Juju Chang, the Emmy Award-winning co-anchor of and a regular contributor to and , has a “superpower”: incredible compassion that shines through in everything she does—from always being willing to lend a helping hand to inspiring others—especially with her storytelling abilities. Throughout her career reporting on the most pressing issues of our time, Chang has become a symbol of hope and resilience, shining a light on the best of humanity in the hardest of times.

Chang’s work has received numerous awards, including multiple Emmys, Gracies, a DuPont, a Murrow and Peabody Awards. She is also a member of the

With the rise of hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, Chang, who was born in South Korea and witnessed prejudice against her family firsthand, has leveraged her platform to become a much-admired champion of social change.

2025 Brunch Keynote Speaker: Kindra Hall, Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Award-Winning Storyteller

Kindra Hall, a go-to expert for storytelling in business and beyond, is the bestselling author of Stories That Stick: How Storytelling Can Captivate Customers, Influence Audiences, and Transform Your Business (HarperCollins Leadership, 2019). The book debuted at No. 2 on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list, and companies like Forbes and Gartner say it “may be the most valuable business book you read.” Her second book, Choose Your Story, Change Your Life (HarperCollins Leadership, 2022), is one of the Next Big Idea Club’s top 10 happiness books, and her newest book, The Story Edge (HarperCollins Leadership, 2024), inspires leaders to harness the power of stories to win in business.

Hall is a sought-after keynote speaker trusted by global brands to deliver messages that inspire teams and individuals to better communicate the value of their company, their products and their individuality through strategic storytelling. She is the former chief storytelling officer at Success Magazine, where she shared the inspiring, often untold, stories of achievers like Daymond John, Deepak Chopra, James Altucher and Misty Copeland in print and on the podcast Success Stories With Kindra Hall.

Other Benefits of Attending

Attendees at the Women’s Leadership Conference will also be able to have professional headshots taken, meet with financial advisers, have their rĂ©sumĂ©s reviewed and update professional networking sites.

Sponsors include Âé¶čֱȄ’sÌęOffice of Advancement and External Relations, Division of Student Affairs and Student Government Association, along with , , , , and .

The conference is open to the public as well as members of the Adelphi community, including students, alumni, faculty, staff, parents, families and friends of the University. General admission for Women’s Leadership Conference is $30 in person (with an additional $20 for dinner) and $10 for online access. Admission is free for Adelphi and high school students. Learn more and register for the Âé¶čֱȄ Women’s Leadership Conference.

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These vivid images, each with accompanying poetry and captions, are among 30 photographs in the exhibit CafĂ© Photovoice: The Sequel, which reveal powerful stories of healing by nine men and women in mental health and substance use recovery at the in Upper Manhattan. The exhibit also offered a collaborative opportunity for Adelphi’s School of Social Work students and faculty to immerse themselves in a community-based evaluation study that focused on participants’ voices.

Bilingual and Interdisciplinary Partnership

Chrisann Newransky, PhD, associate professor and director of the IDEATE Interdisciplinary Education and Training Experience in the School of Social Work, said the images and caption writing documented how the participants’ environment impacted their recovery in a powerful and bilingual approach to using art for social change.

“One aspect of the project that beautifully highlighted our Adelphi student population is that a social work graduate and a fine arts student worked on our research team to ensure that the project could be fully bilingual in English and Spanish, and culturally appropriate. This is important because 60 percent of the clients at Emma Bowen speak Spanish and have a Latinx background,” Dr. Newransky said.

Combining Therapy With a Creative Outlet

Ana Rodgers, directorÌęof the Bowen Center, said her integrated behavioral health program incorporates evidence-based practices to provide both therapeutic intervention and a creative outlet in a community that is made up predominantly of people of color. Photovoice Worldwide—a nonprofit that promotes ethical photography for social change, using photographs to help document participants’ lives—provided training and support for this intervention.

In describing the participants’ experience, Rodgers said: “They’re actually going out into their community and taking pictures while doing a lot of reflective thinking and self-awareness about what it’s like to be them in their world. And that creativity piece is really essential, because it helps to elevate the therapeutic intervention to a real-life experience.”

Social Work Students Use Photography for Social Change

This is the second Bowen Center CafĂ© Photovoice exhibit that included Adelphi social work students. The first time Dr. Newransky and Philip Rozario, PhD, professor of social work, helped implement the project was during the COVID-19 pandemic, in a virtual format. This time, they enlisted research assistant and Master of Social Work graduate Rhaida Maldonado, MSW ’24, who co-facilitated in-person group sessions with Michael Blecher, a student in Adelphi’s PhD in Social Work program. Dr. Newransky said these social work students provided participants with cameras and talked about safety and the ethics of consent in photography, as well as techniques like lighting. The participants went out into their neighborhoods to take photos armed with a research question, which was then the focus of their next group discussion and caption writing. The social work team interviewed the participants about these experiences, which are now, along with the photos and captions, part of the data for the project in which the participants explained their photos and other aspects of their recovery.

Dr. Newransky reached beyond the School of Social Work to get help from Rebeca Romero, a bilingual Adelphi senior majoring in graphic design and business management. Romero laid out the photos, poems and captions in 18 x 12-inch pieces for the gallery and created the design images for the exhibit’s program, signage and factsheets, all in both English and Spanish.

Maldonado, who is also bilingual, said the project utilized skills she had recently learned in a social work class. “It was interesting to see how the clients integrated the artwork,” she said. “Sometimes clients don’t know how to put things into words or how to express what they want to say. But a picture gives them the opportunity to express based on perspective.”

School of Social Work Working in the Community

The participants—many of whom not only wanted to use their names but also speak openly about their work—asked to have a formal in-person exhibit of their photos for their community. This took place on December 19, 2024, and was covered in a segment on . Newransky and team will share their experience with other community organizations at the Bronx Wellness Center in March, and hope to bring the exhibit to Adelphi in April or May.

Rodgers said working with Adelphi has been an exciting growth experience for the center and clients. “Individuals who are walking through our doors don’t often have contact with higher education or opportunities to learn from a professor or a graduate student,” she said. “So it creates this beautiful intersection of those worlds and helps people see that opportunity is all around—and that collaboration is necessary and important for recovery in healing communities.”

Maldonado said that helping to lead this program as a recent social work graduate was an equally positive experience for her. “It provided valuable insight into how we can leverage our educational backgrounds to serve those who might not have a voice. It emphasized the importance of using the skills, knowledge and opportunities gained through our degrees to create a meaningful and positive impact within our communities.”

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