Five professors from Fordham College at Lincoln Center celebrated their retirements at a party held May 10. From left, Kristen Lauer, Ph.D., associate professor of English, 42 years at Fordham; Astrid O’Brien, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy, 53 years at Fordham; Fred Harris, Ph.D., professor of French and comparative literature, 42 years at Fordham; Charles Kelbley, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy and adjunct professor of law, 47 years at Fordham; and Anne Mannion, Ph.D., associate professor of history, 53 years at Fordham.
As the Class of 2012 said its farewell to Fordham, several members of the faculty, staff, and administration also bid the University adieu.
These individuals, who represent many facets of the University, are retiring after serving more than 400 years collectively at Fordham.
Elaine Gerald, assistant dean of admissions for the Graduate School of Social Service (GSS), has enjoyed a 25-year career at Fordham. Through her role as dean of admissions, she said she has had the opportunity to merge her work as a manager, practitioner, and teacher. She taught numerous classes at GSS in the areas of substance abuse and group work. Prior to coming to Fordham, she worked in a drug treatment program and focused on career development issues for people reentering society.
Nicholas Lombardi, S.J., the associate director of online services at the Francis and Ann Curran Center for American Catholic Studies, has been at Fordham nearly 40 years. During that time, he has split his time between teaching and administrative duties. He created the Faculty Resource Center in 1996, ran its website, and started live streaming and video archiving features. Father Lombardi taught computer science, Latin tutorials, and senior values seminars in cyberspace ethics. This August, he will become pastor of St. Anthony’s parish in Oceanside, N.Y.
James McCabe, co-director of University Libraries, retires after 22 years at Fordham. Among his legacies is the William D. Walsh Family Library on the Rose Hill campus, the design and construction of which he launched when he arrived in 1990. He introduced an electronic catalogue system to the Fordham library system, providing fast access to material outside Fordham libraries and transforming the way students, faculty, and staff used the library. He also fostered connections between Fordham and New York libraries, serving as president of two local library organizations.
Also retiring this year are: Joe Weber, a stationary engineer at the Rose Hill high-pressure power plant, who left in April after 31 years at the University. He began his Fordham career as a refrigeration engineer. Sister Monica Kevin, Ph.D., counselor to retired faculty, leaves Fordham after more than 50 years. Before assuming her current role, Sister Monica was a science professor and served as dean of the summer session during the 1990s.
