Published: April 30, 2009

On April 15, the Rev. Robert R. Grimes, S.J., dean of Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), updated the members of the College Council on the state of the college at the close of this school year.

Grimes said that Fordham’s $500 million fundraising campaign was launched successfully after the Fordham Founder’s Award Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria on March 30. Grimes said that the Rev. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, has already raised $270 million; $60 million of that since January of this year.

In anticipation of Spring Preview day for Admitted Students on April 18, Grimes said that acceptances from admitted students were coming in more slowly this year than last year, but the rate at which they are arriving is on par with 2005. He urged faculty to call admitted students who indicated a preference for their department or major and to encourage them to choose FCLC.

By this time, all sophomores have declared their majors. Grimes announced that communication and media studies is once again the most popular major at FCLC, followed by psychology, natural science, theater, economics, political science, dance, English, visual arts, history, international studies and philosophy. Seventy-five percent of the student body majors in one of those 12 subjects.

Grimes named many students who were honored with prestigious fellowships this year. This has been the biggest year for Fulbright winners, with seven students from FCLC receiving the scholarship. Also, Siew Kwok, FCLC ’09, is a Marshall finalist; Anna Maria Oprescu, FCLC ’09, is a Rhodes finalist; Jasmine Mucha, FCLC ’09, is an Urban Fellows finalist; Catherine Pizzano, FCLC ’11, won a Natural Science Foundation (NSF) Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at Kent State Univeristy to study linear algebra; Peter Muller, FCLC ’10, won an NSF Summer REU at the Univeristy of Wyoming to study dynamic systems; Mohammed Usmani, FCLC ’10, won a NSF Summer REU at Brown Univeristy Medical School, as well as a Goldwater honorable mention; Kimberly Siletti, FCLC ’10, won an NSF Summer REU at Maynooth National University of Ireland; and Aleksandra Radyuk, FCLC ’10, won a Trinity College Dublin Summer Research Award.