The Board Bulletin is a twice monthly publication for the Board of Trustees that highlights
Ramapo College of New Jersey news and achievements.
January 10, 2012
Welcome: Bill Dator joins Ramapo
Board of Trustees
The New Jersey State Senate officially confirmed the appointment of
Mr. William "Bill" Dator, of Mahwah, to the Ramapo College of New
Jersey Board of Trustees last month.
Dator, a real estate broker for over 30 years, is a NJ licensed real
estate appraiser and a resident of Mahwah. He actually played a
pivotal role in determining the College's location. Working as a
Mahwah real estate agent at the time, Dator proposed the Stephen
Birch estate as a possible site for the new college.
A Monmouth College graduate, Dator has been named both the
Realtor of the Year by the Northwest Bergen Board of Directors and
Citizen of the Year by the Mahwah Chamber of Commerce.
Dator has been very involved in the Mahwah community throughout
his life. He has served as a Trustee of the Mahwah Museum, Vice
Chairman of the Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority, member
of the Mahwah Charter Study Commission, the President of the
Mahwah Chamber of Commerce, Battalion Chief of the Mahwah Fire
Department, and President of the Mahwah Ambulance Corps. Co 1.
He and his wife, Linda, are long-time supporters of the Ramapo
College Foundation, Distinguished Citizens Dinner, Golf Outing, and
the Havemeyer Edible Garden.
Dator will replace Gail Brady who has generously and admirably
served on the Board since 1993.
Move Over, Dolly! Moss Can Clone
Itself...
The National Geographic Daily News recently published the findings of
Ramapo College Professor Eric Karlin's research team. An excerpt
follows:
"A moss spreading throughout the Hawaiian Islands appears to be an
William "Bill" Dator, Trustee
ancient clone that has copied itself for some 50,000 years—and may
be one of the oldest multicellular organisms on Earth, a new study
suggests.
The peat moss Sphagnum palustre is found throughout the Northern
Hemisphere, but the moss living in Hawaii appears to reproduce only
through cloning, without the need for sex or production of spores.
All the moss populations sampled share a rare genetic marker, which
suggests they're descended from a single founder plant that was
carried via wind to Hawaii tens of thousands of years ago.
Since S. palustre is unisexual, having male and female plants, sexual
reproduction would not have been possible, said study co-author Eric
Karlin, a plant ecologist at Ramapo College in New Jersey.
Dr. Eric Karlin
Professor of Plant Ecology
You would expect one founding plant to have this rare trait. However,
it is unlikely that there were many founding plants with each one
having the same rare trait," he said.
National Geographic Daily News >
Commencement 2012: Wednesday, May
16 at Prudential Center
The College's 2012 Commencement ceremony will take place at
Prudential Center on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. Please
note that this is a change to the Academic Calendar.
The College reconsidered the Commencement arrangements after
consulting with students and College personnel. That feedback led to
the Senior Cabinet's endorsement of this initiative for three reasons:
2012 Commencement
Ceremony
at Prudential Center
Wednesday, May 16
1. To Address the Parking Deficit
Parking passes and a cap on vehicles per graduate will no longer be
necessary.
2. To Provide Shelter from the Storm
Graduates are guaranteed that they will have a Commencement
ceremony.
3. To Increase Guest Attendance
Graduates will be able to bring additional guests.
The Arching Ceremony will take place on campus on May 15 in the
early evening.
The College anticipates some financial savings from this change.
However, the true success of moving Commencement off campus and
of the Arching activities will be largely contingent upon the support
and participation of all members of the College.
Several colleges have moved their commencement ceremonies to off
site locations in recent years and Prudential Center has served as host
to many of them. We are confident that this change will enhance the
Commencement experience for our graduates and their guests while
2012 Arching Ceremony on
Campus
Tuesday, May 15
still maintaining the traditions we have all come to cherish.
More Information >
Real Roadrunner: Ken Walsh '11
Ken Walsh ’11 earned his degree in Information Systems from
Ramapo’s Anisfield School of Business. Upon graduation, Ken
accepted a position with AT&T Wireless as an Associate Application
Developer.
Ken Walsh '11
Ken served as Captain of the Ramapo College Varsity Men’s Cross
Country Team and the Men’s Track and Field Team. He also interned
for the U.S. Department of Defense for several years designing,
implementing, and testing virtualization solutions for the U.S. Army.
Friends Make Friends with Local Media
Friends of Ramapo was recently featured in an article in the Mahwah
Patch Neighborhood Files. Stan Richmond, president of Friends of
Ramapo, immediate past president Margaret Mullen, and member
Tammy Marcus were quoted in the article.
The article noted that Friends of Ramapo awards scholarships and
sponsors cultural events for the community. Friends of Ramapo has
awarded more than 100 scholarships and supported events such as
the Summer Concert Series and the Friends of Ramapo Community
Art Auction.
Friends of Ramapo take advantage of Ramapo College's cultural
programs, facilities, and have the opportunity to audit classes
depending on the level of membership.
Friends of Ramapo >
Contact Details
Brittany A. Goldstein, Special Assistant to the President
(201)684-7609, bwillia1@ramapo.edu
Have you visited the President's Post lately?
Friends of Ramapo President
Stan Richmond,
Immediate Past President
Margaret Mullen,
and Past President
Francis J. Rodriguez