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Mercy Mission  / News
Responding in Mercy to Afghanistan and Haiti
salvetoday Posted On August 20, 2021


As the University prepares for the start of a new academic year, the community has been carefully attending to the health and well-being of Salve Regina’s students, faculty and staff, and is looking forward to being together once again.

And yet there is so much more on. Salve Regina’s neighbors in Afghanistan, Haiti and around the world are facing violence, uncertainty and unrest, and the global humanitarian needs are urgent.

Please join the University in prayer and action to respond to its neighbors in need.

God of mercy and hope,
You bring life where there is death,
You accompany us in the midst of chaos,
You meet us in our suffering. 

Be with our neighbors in Afghanistan and Haiti today,
With all those whose homes and sense of home have been lost,
With all those whose dignity and rights have been obscured,
With all those seeking refuge, safety, and wholeness of life. 

Stir our hearts to see and to act.
We are the hands, we are the feet
Through which your mercy lives.
Hold safe all who serve.

Help us:
To live as neighbor.
To practice kinship.
To build peace.
Amen.

To join the Sisters of Mercy in reaching out to advocate for the resettlement of Afghan allies and refugees, see here.

To contribute to the work of Catholic Relief Services in Haiti and the Middle East, see here.

To contribute material donations to an earthquake relief shipping container headed to Haiti, see attached graphic from the Center for Community Engagement and Service on how to donate.

May Salve Regina’s shared commitment to Mercy, Catholic higher education also be a transformational work in the world.


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Athletics
Women’s volleyball earns Marine Corps and AVCA Team Academic Award
salvetoday Posted On August 20, 2021


The United States Marine Corps (USMC) and the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) have recently announced the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award winners for the 2020-2021 season.

Salve Regina women’s volleyball team was among the 1,281 collegiate and high school teams to earn this honor. The award honors volleyball teams that maintain a year-long grade-point average of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale or 4.10 on a 5.0 scale.

“This award is a huge accomplishment for our student-athletes,” said Sebastian Noordzy, Salve Regina’s women’s volleyball head coach. “As we know, 2020-21 was a very tough year, but despite all the adversity our student-athletes were facing, they were still able to achieve excellence in academics, posting a 3.561 total team GPA.”

Kathy DeBoer, AVCA’s executive director, echoed these thoughts in her press release announcing the awards.

“Even though teams might not have played during their usual season or may not have competed at all during the past year, coaches still found ways to lead their players to academic excellence,” DeBoer said. “This is a testament to the important role volleyball coaches play in their players success both on and off the court.”

For the complete list of recipients and more information from the AVCA on this award, click here.

Featured photo by Getty Images/Matt_Brown


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Athletics
Seven Salve Regina basketball players land on the NABC Honors Court
salvetoday Posted On August 17, 2021


The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) recently announced the 2020-21 NABC Honors Court, recognizing more than 1,350 men’s collegiate basketball student-athletes who excelled in academics during the past season. Salve Regina’s men’s basketball has once again earned the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award, and the Seahawks had seven players qualify for the NABC Honors Court.

“I could not be more proud of our seven upperclassmen and their outstanding academic achievement of the NABC Honors Court,” said Sean Foster ’97, men’s basketball coach. “These student-athletes set the tone for our group in a variety of majors by prioritizing a high level of consistent academic focus throughout a challenging year. They have exhibited tremendous leadership on campus, in the classroom and on the basketball court under difficult circumstances.”

The seven students on the NABC Honors Court are listed below:

  • Thor Brochu ’21, chemistry
  • Cameron Collins ’21, administration of justice
  • Kevin Kelly ’21, finance
  • Stephen Natola ’21, biology
  • Chris Peasley ’22, accounting
  • Andrew Richards ’22, administration of justice
  • Mikey Spencer ’22, financial management

The NABC Honors Court highlights the talents and gifts that these men possess on the court and the hard work they exhibit in the classroom. In order to be named to the Honors Court, a student-athlete must meet a high standard of academic criteria. The qualifications are as follows: Academically a junior or senior and a varsity player; cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the 2020-21 academic year; students must have matriculated at least one year at their current institution; member of a NCAA Division I, II, III, or NAIA Division I or II institution with a NABC member coach.

Click here to see the full 2020-21 NABC Honors Court.


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Mercy Mission  / News
Mercy Mondays: Meet the Exploratory Day of Service leaders for fall 2021
salvetoday Posted On August 16, 2021


The mission of Salve Regina’s annual Exploratory Day of Service, put on by the Office of Community Engagement and Service, is to provide a common experience for incoming students that encourages a commitment to service and creates a shared opportunity for reflection and learning.

During the Exploratory Day of Service, student volunteers will be dispersed throughout Aquidneck Island to support and meet the needs of local community agencies and individuals. This year, the event will be held on Tuesday, September 7, from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

Meet the Exploratory Day of Service Leaders for Fall 2021

Colin Cannon, ’24, religious and theological studies

Colin Cannon ’24

During this past year, Cannon has participated in the Fall Service Plunge, as well as Service Plunge 2.0.

Cannon has been very involved in Salve Regina’s theater program, as he is a member of Stagefright, and he’s been in the cast of two shows. In the upcoming semester, Cannon also plans to be a member of the newly established improv club, Completely Scripted Improv.

Outside of classes, clubs and service, Cannon enjoys spending as much time as he can with all his friends. His advice for first years at Salve Regina is to not be afraid to try new things, reach out to others and try to make a friend.

Kaelie G. Piscitello, ’24, elementary and special education major

Kaelie G. Piscitello ’24

Piscitello is a Pell Honors student from Massachusetts, and she has fallen in love with Newport over the past year. At Salve Regina, she has enjoyed participating in Best Buddies, the Student Education Association and the Service Plunge.

Additionally, Piscitello was recently hired as a writing tutor for Salve Regina’s Academic Center of Excellence (ACE). Outside of school and service, Piscitello enjoys dancing, playing the piano, spending time with friends in Downtown Newport and walking the Cliff Walk.

Her advice to incoming first years at Salve Regina is to say hello to everyone your first few weeks. Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with someone new; because you never know who your next best friend may be.

 

Sofia Doukakis, ’24, biology/medical technology major

This past fall was the first time Doukakis participated in the Service Plunge. Over her past year at Salve Regina, she has been involved in many different campus clubs and activities. Doukakis is on the Women’s Track and Field team and is a member of Protect our Wildlife and Hydroponics Club.

Outside of service and being in the classroom, she enjoys being outside, exploring new music and being with her friends.

Her advice to first years at Salve Regina is to not be afraid of meeting new people! Everybody is in the same boat as you and looking to make friends.

Rose Bottari ’24, marketing major with a minor in studio art

This past year, Bottari participated in the Fall and Spring Service Plunge, and she also became a service advocate. Bottari was a service advocate at the Team Fame program at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, where she worked with Newport students to receive the after-school help they needed.

Outside of service and being in the classroom, Bottari enjoys being with friends. Her advice to incoming first years at Salve Regina would be to try new things and just make the most of every opportunity.

If anyone is interested in the Exploratory Day of Service or other service opportunities, contact the Center for Community Engagement and Service at community.services@salve.edu or 401-341-2440.

This post is part of an ongoing series called Mercy Mondays that highlights Salve Regina’s dedication to its Mercy Mission. Search the tag Mercy Mission for more updates on the Mercy branches of Salve Regina.

Featured photo is from the Exploratory Day of Service in 2019. 


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News  / Salve Spotlights
Steven Peterson ’18, helps prevent teen suicide through local and statewide advocacy
salvetoday Posted On August 13, 2021


Steven Peterson ’18, who earned a degree in social work at Salve Regina, has been on a mission to help prevent teen suicide ever since he graduated. After years of hard work, his local efforts in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, have now made ripples across the state of Rhode Island.

Steven Peterson ’18

Peterson was born and raised on Aquidneck Island in Portsmouth, where he grew up watching his mom work at Salve Regina. So when it was time for him to pick a college, it was an easy choice.

“I was just around Salve my whole life,” he said. “I grew up on the campus …. In the end, I picked Salve because of the view, the programming, and it was something that I was comfortable with.”

Peterson started at Salve Regina in 2014 as a double major in psychology and administration of justice. However, he switched to social work after he sat down and had a conversation with Dr. Mary Montminy-Danna, professor of social work, during his sophomore year. She, along with another friend of his who was also a social work major, inspired him to switch majors.

“I knew what I wanted to do,” he said. “I wanted to go into counseling, and I wanted to go microlevel and work with kids.”

The moment that changed everything

During Peterson’s last semester at Salve Regina, something happened that would shape his future purpose and passion. It was in February 2018 that a 15-year-old from Portsmouth named Nathan (Nate) Bruno took his own life. Bruno had no history of mental illness and had exhibited no signs of struggle, and his death was a shock to the community.

“He passed away, and it really shook me, because I had struggles when I was in high school, and suicide was something that crossed my mind,” said Peterson. “I looked at Nathan — a kid in my hometown — and that could’ve been me.”

Peterson had personally known Bruno and many of the high schooler’s friends because of work and volunteering that Peterson had done in the community. Because of these connections, Peterson reached out to three of Bruno’s male friends.

“They said, ‘We need help. We don’t know what to do, and nobody’s doing anything for us,'” recalled Peterson. “So at the time in a class for social work, we had to write an article that could be published. So I picked mine about the support that teenage boys get and the perception on it.”

Peterson wrote a 12-page paper in which he interviewed Bruno’s friends and some other high schoolers. Through this research paper, he realized that teenage boys don’t often feel supported — and even if there is support, boys often don’t know how to utilize that support. Parents and teenagers are often confused about the resources they can access, even in schools. Peterson saw a real need for further awareness and support for teenagers, especially boys.

“I approached Nate’s friends and asked, ‘Do you want to read my paper?'” said Peterson. “They said, ‘Yes.'”

The beginnings of Be Great for Nate 

This was the catalyst for everything that would follow. After the high school boys read the paper, Peterson started meeting regularly with them. This evolved into a program for any high schooler regardless of gender called Be Great for Nate (BG4N) — which was a phrase one of Bruno’s friends had used in the days following his death.

“We were so small at that point, and we continued to grow and grow until the summer of 2018 when it became a full fledge nonprofit called Be Great for Nate,” explained Peterson. “So I started with three teenage boys, and now we have 106 high schoolers that are part of the program.”

While Be Great for Nate is the name of the nonprofit, the main program that the nonprofit runs is called the Every Student Initiative, according to Peterson.

Peterson (far left) mentors teenagers through his nonprofit Be Great For Nate.

“[Every Student Initiative is] a youth-led suicide prevention group that aims to be a culture of connections,” he explained. “So we have these kids join this program on the basis that we want to bring an end to suicide. There’s almost 5,000 young lives lost to suicide every year, and every one of those could’ve been prevented if it wasn’t for the fact that society makes it an option, and we need to be the ones to change that.”

Teenagers apply to be part of the Every Student Initiative, and they then go through orientation — which includes suicide prevention training. They are assigned jobs and tasks through the Every Student Initiative, giving them a sense of purpose and shared responsibility, and they can also request to have education on a variety of topics — including mental health and wellness, college and career questions, or how to cook or do things around the house. The teens also have monthly meetings, which were held virtually on Zoom during the pandemic, and other events. All of this helps to create a system of support for each other, according to Peterson.

Passing the Nathan Bruno and Justin Flatt Act

But the advocacy hasn’t stopped at just the local level in Portsmouth. Peterson and those involved in BG4N have also helped lead the initiative to get a legislative bill passed in the Rhode Island Senate called the Nathan Bruno and Justin Flatt Act. This bill, which was officially passed in June 2021, will ensure middle schools and high schools statewide have greater awareness and training around suicide prevention for youth. The bill also includes policies around when and how parents are notified when there is something stressful going on for a child at school.

“Our version of the bill requires all school personnel in every capacity that talks to a child—even the custodians and the lunch workers — to be trained ever single year to be trained in suicide prevention training,” Peterson explained. “We’re the first state to require grades sixth through twelve to also have to go through suicide prevention training every single year. So for six straight years they have go through it.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by BG4N (@begreatfornate)

Throughout all of this work and advocacy, Peterson went on to graduate Fordham University with a master’s degree in social work, and he is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Rhode Island. But he is still deeply connected to Salve Regina; in the fall of 2021, Peterson will be joining the Salve Regina social work department as an adjunct professor. Be Great For Nate is also holding a gala for the nonprofit on August 20 at Ochre Court.

Overall, Peterson is proud of the work he’s been able to do so far, but he knows that preventing youth suicide will take more action within communities. Youth suicide is on the rise, and the pandemic has made things even worse, according to Peterson. Mental health among teens is at an all-time low.

“We’ve failed for so long when it comes to this issue that we can’t fail anymore,” he said. “It’s not just going to be talking about changing things, it’s going to be the action of actually changing things that makes the difference. The only way we stop suicide is together; it’s completely preventable, and it’s going to take all of us to make that happen.”

Salve Spotlights is a series of people-centered stories periodically featured on SALVEtoday. Check out the tag Salve Spotlights for more stories.


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Event Coverage  / News
Attend the Salve Summer Sizzler, picnic on Ochre Court lawn
salvetoday Posted On August 10, 2021


The Office of Alumni, Parent and Family Programs is inviting the Salve Regina community to come to the Salve Summer Sizzler on Sunday, August 15, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

This will be the first in-person event that the office has hosted in over a year, and the event is open to Salve Regina staff, faculty, students and alumni, as well as friends and family. To purchase tickets, please so do through Eventbrite. Each registration includes one drink ticket, summer bites and a $5 donation to The SALVEfund, which allows more than 85 percent of students to receive financial assistance during the academic year.

The Salve Summer Sizzler will be held on the lawn at Ochre Court overlooking the Cliff Walk’s ocean view. There will be beverages and food like Del’s Lemonade, classic New England chowder, clam cakes, burgers, hot dogs and a cash bar. Attendees can picnic on the lawn, and picnic blankets and tables will be available to guests. Guests can also feel free to bring their own chairs and blankets.

During the event, attendees can enjoy lawn games like Cornhole, Kan Jam, Giant Jenga and Ladderball. There will also be live music by the Peter Davis Trio featuring members of Salve Regina’s very own music faculty. There will be two 45-minute sets for music.

The event will be following University and current CDC guidelines in regards to COVID-19. Editor’s note: With recent changes to guidelines, this means that indoors, all individuals whether vaccinated or unvaccinated will need to wear a mask on campus. Outdoors, individuals do not need to wear a mask, but social distancing will be required.

Tickets are $30 per adult. Children under 15 are $15, while children under 4 are free. To purchase tickets, please so do through Eventbrite. Each registration includes one drink ticket, summer bites and a $5 donation to The SALVEfund.

Featured photo by Getty Images/Evgeniia Siiankovskaia


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Mercy Mission  / News
Mercy Mondays: Letting yourself be found in transition – a devotion by MaryAnne Davey
salvetoday Posted On August 9, 2021


As a member of the Salve Regina community, I have the pleasure of calling our beautiful campus my work home. At this moment of emerging from the pandemic, I am holding much in my heart as I contemplate a merciful transition into our new reality. As we step forward collectively from this time of global trauma, how are we showing mercy to ourselves and others? How are we letting go of the fear and opening our hands to receive the new beauty both before and within us? How are we letting ourselves be found in the midst of this transition?

MaryAnne Davey, director of the Mercy Center for Spiritual Life

As I walk around campus, I have developed a habit of asking God to mercifully find me in surprising and new ways. My eyes, heart and mind are attuned to what is before me as I walk gazing mindfully at creation. In these moments of tranquility, the clutter dissipates and clarity emerges. It is in these moments that God finds me with tender mercy.

My senses are attuned to creation and the slow yet meaningful eruption of possibility. The daffodils in early spring gave way to tulips at Easter. Then the rhododendrons paved a path for the roses and hydrangeas. Each of these new flowers poke their heads up from the earth and slowly let the sunshine and nourishment guide them into their fullest bloom.

As I contemplate the delicate yet strong blossoms, I realize that for the flower, emerging from the bulb is one of the most important acts. It gives way to possibility. For us, as we think about our transition with continuing difficulties and changes due to the pandemic, let us take some courage and lessons in mercy from the flowers and bulbs before us. Let us believe in the potential of who we can be as a people formed through these ever-changing challenges and transitions that the world continues to face.

As we do so, we must allow ourselves to seek the sunshine and allow the grace and mercy of God to nurture us as we emerge into more uncertainty. But our roots are even stronger as we continue to learn in new ways about what anchors us as a community.

As we recognize this rootedness, let us also open ourselves to receive the ever-present gift of mercy from God. This mercy not only roots us and but gives us wings of possibility to become more than we imagine. As we move forward collectively, let us gaze with new eyes upon the mercy of God in creation, in our world and mostly within ourselves.

Written by MaryAnne Davey, director at the Mercy Center for Spiritual Life

This post is part of an ongoing series called Mercy Mondays that highlights Salve Regina’s dedication to its Mercy Mission. Search the tag Mercy Mission for more updates on the Mercy branches of Salve Regina.


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Event Coverage  / Graduate News  / News
Graduate students encouraged to attend Graduate Student Association’s inaugural meeting
salvetoday Posted On August 3, 2021


The newly founded Salve Regina University Graduate Student Association (Salve GSA) will be holding their inaugural meeting on Friday, August 6, from noon to 1 p.m. It will be held virtually on WebEx at this link.

“I’ve met the most incredible fellow graduate students over the last four years of my doctoral studies,” said Ian R. Nesbitt, the first president of Salve GSA. “Through it all, I hoped we could have more opportunities to deepen our personal and academic connections. Our GSA seeks to do just that, with an additional core mission of advocacy around graduate concerns.”

Fundamentally, the Salve GSA has three overall principal missions: academic and professional development; fellowship and social enjoyment; and advocacy to the Salve Regina leadership. The goal of Salve GSA meetings will be to develop thoughts and ideas around these matters for the future of Salve Regina’s graduate programs.

“Our fellow graduate students should expect the opportunity to express their interests and concerns …. Coming together will help us connect personally and academically,” said Nesbitt. “I’m keen to learn what other students are studying, researching and writing. Further, I’m excited to share what I’ve found and am developing. As for advocacy, by harmonizing the wisdom of our … graduate students, we hope to offer ideas to leadership for growth.”

Nesbitt and Tracey Cunningham Martins, vice president of Salve GSA, will run the first meeting on August 6. Graduate students from all programs are invited to join this initial meeting to connect with one another, inspire new ideas for graduate programs and flourish in their academic areas of interest.

“By coming together as graduate students, we can share mercy, wisdom and clarity amongst ourselves and further the work of Mercy worldwide,” said Nesbitt. “We set our foundation upon Salve Regina’s mission of Mercy and believe it to be world-transforming.”

For those who cannot attend on August 6, the Salve GSA will hold monthly meetings at noon on the first Friday of each month. The next official Salve GSA meeting will be Friday, Sep. 3, at noon. Several graduate students have expressed an interest in meeting at other times, so ideal meeting times will continue to be discussed.

For more information, please contact Ian Nesbitt at ian.nesbitt@salve.edu.


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Uncategorized
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education asking for feedback on nursing department
salvetoday Posted On August 3, 2021


Salve Regina’s Rodgers Family Department of Nursing will undergo a comprehensive evaluation visit October 20-22, 2021 by a team representing the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The team will be tasked with evaluating the University’s master’s (MSN) and doctoral (DNP) programs, both of which have been accredited by the commission since 2016.

Officially recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a national accreditation agency, CCNE is an autonomous accrediting agency, contributing to the improvement of the public’s health. CCNE serves the public interest by assessing and identifying programs that engage in effective educational practices. As a voluntary, self-regulatory process, CCNE accreditation supports and encourages continuing self-assessment by nursing programs and supports continuing growth and improvement of collegiate professional education programs.

As part of the evaluation process, CCNE provides the opportunity for program constituents and other interested parties to submit, in writing, third-party comments concerning Salve Regina’s MSN and DNP programs. The third-party comments should relate to the CCNE Standards for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs (2018).

CCNE shares third-party comments with members of the evaluation team prior to the visit, but at no time during the review process are these comments shared with the program. All third-party comments submitted to CCNE must be written in English, consistent with CCNE’s policy on Conduct of Business in English. Only signed comments are accepted, and public comments must be directed to thirdpartycomments@ccneaccreditation.org.

Written third-party comments must be received by CCNE no later than September 29, 2021 for consideration.


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News  / Salve Spotlights
Vigen Ciottone ’20 accepted to top graduate program in international studies
salvetoday Posted On July 29, 2021


Vigen Ciottone ’20 has been accepted to Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), which is widely considered to be one of the top programs for international studies in the country. “I was absolutely thrilled when I found out,” he said. “I’m still in shock.”

Ciottone said that SAIS was founded in the 1940s to prepare men and women to cope with the international responsibilities of the U.S. following the end of World War II. He is excited for the opportunity to enter this academic legacy, and he also recalls the ways in which Salve Regina prepared him for this new challenge.

When Ciottone first arrived at Salve Regina, he was unsure what he wanted to major in, but his interest was sparked by an international relations class that he took as a first-year student. “I fell in love with it,” he said. “I could not get enough of international relations.”

After that class, Ciottone decided to major in history and political science. While at Salve Regina, he was part of the Nuala Pell Leadership Program and conducted research alongside Dr. Jim Ludes, executive director of the Pell Center. Ciottone also had two internship experiences as an undergraduate: one with a branch of the Raytheon Company in Rhode Island and one with the majority whip of the Rhode Island State House.

Ciottone (third from the left in the back row) was part of the Nuala Pell Leadership Program at Salve Regina.

The SAIS program is the only one of its kind that truly has an international experience, and Ciottone spend his first year in the program in Italy and his second year in Washington, D.C. He is excited that the program allows students to choose two concentrations – one of which is a mandatory emphasis on international economics.

After graduating from SAIS, Ciottone plans to attend law school and eventually pursue a career in public service. He is grateful that it all started at Salve Regina, and he wants to make sure that the faculty and staff know how much he attributes his success to the University.

“Salve was the pinnacle reason to my acceptance to this program, because of what I was introduced to while here,” he said. “Through the faculty [and] the wonderful community in Newport, I was able to open my eyes and open doors to some things I didn’t even imagine. It allowed me to shoot for the stars, so I can’t thank Salve enough.”


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