19 Memorable Moments of 2019

Another monumental year in the books! From winning a national championship and academic accomplishments to a viral Commencement proposal, we’re counting down some of our favorite moments of the year for Adelphi’s 19 Most Memorable Moments of 2019.

Score! Women’s lacrosse takes home national championship.
As of 2019, the Adelphi women’s lacrosse team has appeared in 10 Division II title games and won nine. This was a roller-coaster season: The Panthers bowed out of the first round of their league championship, but got a new start in the NCAA tournament and took home the big prize. At Adelphi, women’s LAX is a dynasty in the making.

Students shine at largest and most inclusive Research Conference to date.
All undergraduate and graduate students were welcome to showcase their projects at our 16th annual Research Conference. We also introduced new categories, such as video game design and the creative and performing arts. As a result, this year’s event was 30 percent larger than last year’s, with a record number of projects submitted. We expect next year’s conference—renamed the Adelphi University Scholarly and Creative Work Conference—to be even bigger and better.

Adelphi royalty! We crown newest Prestigious Panthers.
What makes a Prestigious Panther? They must be academically on top, creative, innovative, globally aware, collaborative, innovative and—filled with #PantherPride. Our three newest Prestigious Panthers (seniors Tyler Coyoc, Amanda Considine and Zach Hopkins) certainly exemplify what being a Prestigious Panther is all about.

The campus is immersed in the arts at the Fall Arts Festival.
In the fall, the Adelphi community enjoyed a day enjoying and participating in the arts. Students chalked up walkways with original art, displayed piñatas they created, gave music, dance, poetry and theatrical performances, and participated in an augmented-reality poetry hunt.

Alum Molly Cuevas runs across the U.S. for charity.
Molly Cuevas ’16, MS ’17, was a field hockey star at Adelphi. This year, she put on her running shoes and in three months ran 3,000 miles, from California to Montauk, raising more than $60,000 for the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF).

First-year students unplug from their cellphones for a week—and make headlines. Visiting associate professor of English Donna Freitas, PhD, challenged her first-year seminar class to give up their cellphones. The experiment was covered by CBS, PIX 11, Inside Edition, Newsday and more.

Green Panthers join the New York City Climate Strike.
Our Panthers joined the thousands who took to New York City as part of the Global Climate Strike. Students, faculty and staff made their voices heard on environmental issues.

Beloved professor becomes an Adelphi legend: Sal Primeggia
Plenty of Panthers have said they took his courses even when it wasn’t required of them, just to be in his class. Professor of sociology Salvatore (Sal) Primeggia ’64, MA ’66, PhD, is a favorite for a good reason. He earned his title of Adelphi Legend through his “crazy, inventive” teaching process.

Transgender Pride flag flies on campus.
In 2019, a Transgender Pride flag was raised alongside our LGBTQ+ Pride flag. We are proud to be an inclusive campus with 4.5 out of 5 stars on the Campus Pride Index.

Once again, we rise in the rankings. It was another impressive year for Adelphi’s rankings and recognitions. Our University’s upward trajectory continues to be noticed by publications and rankings such as U.S. News & World Report, the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education, Forbes, Money and Niche. And our College of Nursing and Public Health was again named a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education.

The Great Owl Rescue: Panthers, Public Safety Save Baby Owl.
Our Panthers have hearts of gold! When juniors Christina Sourlis and Taylor Arma saw an animal in need, they sprang into action—with our Department of Public Safety and Transportation officers joining in to help. Thanks to them, the owl has been rehabilitated and released back into the wild.

Communications major makes movie debut. Bravo, Chris Alvarez!
Communications Professor Terrence Ross gave senior Chris Alvarez a starring role in his film El Padrino. The film—which was screened on campus—also featured the combined talents of a number of Adelphi professors, staff members, students and alumni.

We hit the largest number of applications in Adelphi history.
For the fourth year in a row, Adelphi had the largest number of applications ever and enrolled one of our most diverse classes to date. The Class of 2023 started their new lives as Panthers during two exciting summer Orientation sessions.

Panthers put pawprints on the UC renovation.
Students, faculty and staff added their names to Adelphi history when they signed a steel beam that will be on view when the new Ruth S. Harley University Center opens its doors in 2020.

Umoja African Dance Society debuts at Midnight Madness.
Adelphi has many dance groups that represent different cultures. Our newest, Umoja African Dance Society, promotes African culture through African, Caribbean and AfroBeat dances. The group debuted at this year’s Midnight Madness and was a huge hit with the crowd.

Stepping out: We marched with Pride.
Adelphi marched in the WorldPride Parade for the first time in 2019.

Chuck D. ’84 (Hon. ’13) brings hip-hop history back to campus.
Adelphi’s former Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Perry Greene, PhD, interviewed one of our favorite alumni about hip-hop, his time at Adelphi and his days at Adelphi’s legendary radio station, WBAU.

Professor’s archaeological discovery goes global.
Back in 2002, on a dig in Greece, Adelphi Professor Anagnostis Agelarakis, PhD, and a group of students recovered the remains of 57 individuals who lived 2,000 years ago, including those of a man who had a very distinguishing feature—a perfectly round hole in his chest. The groundbreaking study concluding that the hole was evidence of an execution was covered in more than 50 news outlets in the United States and abroad—including Live Science, Forbes, Newsweek, Archaeology Magazine, the Daily Mail and Fox News.

“Marry me!” Nursing grad’s Commencement proposal goes viral.
A diploma and a ring! Krystal Richards, MS ’19, had an extra-special graduation when she received her master’s degree in nursing, an engagement ring—and then went viral. The Shade Room and Essense covered this magical moment that received more than three million views.

Honorable Mentions

Academic excellence:

• Michael D’Emic, PhD, assistant professor of biology, discovered that a carnivorous dinosaur species replaced its teeth as often as sharks do. The study has made headlines around the world, including with The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, Fox News, CNN and Newsweek.
• Women in STEM unite for Adelphi’s first-ever Women in Science and Computing Conference.
• Twin students Stephanie and Kristen Dulovic give Adelphi a presence in a giant 3D periodic table of the elements in the New York Hall of Science in Corona, Queens, New York, by designing the section for—what else?—AU Gold.
• Adelphi hosts 2019 AIESEP International Conference for the first time. The theme of the conference was “Building Bridges for Physical Activity and Sport.”

Amazing alumni:

• Filmmaker Todd Robinson ’82 screens his latest feature, The Last Full Measure, at the Adelphi Performing Arts Center (Adelphi PAC).

• Adelphi women’s lacrosse star and MBA candidate Chelsea Abreu ’19 is named NE10 Woman of the Year (2019).

• Mirirai Sithole ’12 appears in two Netflix hit TV series—Russian Doll and Black Mirror—and also in the critically acclaimed play School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play, a recorded version of which aired on PBS.

• Jac Bernhard ’16 performs a screamo version of Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

• Alexa Froccaro ’15, Gianna Froccaro ’09 and friends showed off their brilliant trivia skills on an episode of the popular TV game show Cash Cab.

Theater legend selfies with students

Theater star Alan Cumming worked on an upcoming concert theater piece with students as part of a recent New York Theater Workshop retreat at Adelphi.

Record-breaking Giving Day

The Adelphi community was a part of something BIG—1,600 Panthers and friends helped raise an impressive $153,800 for dozens of programs and initiatives during the annual Giving Day, making it the most successful ever.