November 11, 2008
Queens, N.Y. -
St. John’s University’s The School of Education will host its
100th Anniversary Convocation on Thursday, November 13 at 8 p.m. in
Bent Hall on the Queens campus. As the School of
Education continues to celebrate its centennial, this special
convocation will honor four women who have made significant
contributions in the field of education.
Margaret “Peg” D’Angelo ‘70ED will be awarded with the St.
John's University President's Medal, while Carol A. Gresser ‘59ED;
Shirley A. Griggs, Ed.D., and Josephine M. Pacini will each be
conferred with the degree of Doctor of Pedagogy. These
honorees have enriched St. John's University with their
contributions and services to education.
The School of Education at St. John's University will celebrate
its 100th Anniversary throughout the 2008-2009 academic school
year. Under the leadership of Dr. Jerrold Ross, Dean since
1995, The School of Education kicked off its 100th year with a Gala
Dinner at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan, followed by a visit
by Department of Education Chancellor Joel Klein, and will host
additional events planned to celebrate the historic
anniversary.
D’Angelo, who is currently serving as the Chair for The School
of Education’s Centennial Leadership Committee, will be honored
with the President’s Medal for her humanitarian efforts. This
medal is given to an individual who has achieved exceptional
personal and professional success, and/or rendered outstanding
service to the University or society.
Pacini is a distinguished educator who has spent her life
sharing her love and enthusiasm for languages with students of all
ages and backgrounds, stressing both the beauty of language and the
diversity and wonder of other cultures. Her exceptional
career in teaching languages includes various schools throughout
New York City and her passion to share the joys of culture and
language has made a significant difference in the lives of
countless students.
Gresser, a former President of the New York City Board of
Education and Professor of Education at St. John's
University, is a stalwart advocate for students throughout
New York City, where she has worked diligently on their behalf and
utilized her many talents to brighten their educational
futures. She displayed leadership in handling an expense
budget over $9 billion and successfully leading two chancellor
searches. In 1998, The School of Education established the
Carol Gresser Forum, which brings guest lecturers to campus twice
each year to discuss the state of education in New York City Public
Schools.
Griggs has been involved with The School of Education since 1969
and is Professor Emerita of Counselor Education. A passionate
educator, she has written several books that examine and
investigate ways to improve teaching styles, research and education
for teachers to effectively teach their students. Professor
Griggs has established a memorial scholarship for The School of
Education students to take advantage of as these students grow into
future educators.
For general information on this event, or any other 100th
Anniversary events, please contact Gail Osnato, Director of
University Events 718-990-1358. For media inquiries please
contact Dominic Scianna, the Assistant Vice President of Media
Relations at St. John's University 718-990-6185 or sciannad@stjohns.edu.
Please visit www.stjohns.edu/news.