Hofstra Magazine

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| 1944 - 1969 | 1970 - 1979 | 1980 - 1989 | 1990 - 1999 | 2000 - Present | New Arrivals/Marriages | In Memoriam | Catching Up With |

Lenore Sandel (M.S. '63, Ed.D. '70)

What is her Hofstra history?

Lenore Sandel has been both a student and a professor at Hofstra. Dr. Sandel joined the Hofstra faculty in 1964 after receiving a master's degree in reading in 1963. Prior to that, her first full-time position, as a clinician/diagnostician in the Reading/Writing Learning Clinic, was created for her by the director of the Reading/Writing Learning Clinic, Dr. Miriam Schleich. Dr. Sandel retired in 1992 after a long and illustrious career at the University, but continued to work as an adjunct professor. In 1994 she was named professor emerita, a tribute to her "long and meaningful service as an accomplished member of the faculty."

In 2000 Dr. Sandel made a generous donation of her historically valuable collection of children's books to the Special Collections Department of the Hofstra Library. She continues to contribute to the Reading/Writing Learning Clinic as a reviewer of children's and professional books.

Some of the highlights of her career?

Beside being a professor emerita, Dr. Sandel served as a supervisor of student teachers and a doctoral candidate adviser. She continues for the 19th year as a facilitator of the Network on Language, Literacy, and Literature (formerly Whole Language) under a grant from the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Dr. Sandel is a frequent contributor to professional journals and was a familiar speaker at professional conferences. She was recognized for her service reviewing applications for the Javitz Gifted and Talented Students Education Program. This program was under the Office of Education Research and Improvement in the U.S. Department of Education.

Since retirement, Dr. Sandel has written and edited several books, including Personal Qualities of a Language Arts Teacher, Teaching With Care and Historic Research Monograph, Development of Language. She is currently at work on a book for the Peter Lang Publishing Group on the importance of developing personal characteristics in the preschool years.

What are her strongest memories of Hofstra?

"Receiving the first doctoral degree awarded at Hofstra is a highlight. That was in 1970. At commencement, three of us were to receive doctoral degrees. The secretary of the University, Robert Noble, placed me first, respecting my role as a woman, with two candidates from the School Psychology Program following.

"I also remember vividly the excitement on campus in 1963 when Hofstra College became Hofstra University.

"I treasure a collection of unsolicited notes from my students. I worked with more than 150 doctoral students and numerous graduate students, who persevered under personal pressures, and many wrote to express their appreciation for my understanding and caring. Students continue to keep in touch through visits or mail.

"The close association of colleagues and the mutual respect we had for each other made teaching at the University a great personal joy. Dr. Harvey Alpert was my professor, my mentor and my chairperson and remains my dear friend. I am also in touch with Dorothy Rauch, whose husband, Sidney, was an esteemed colleague; Dr. Miriam Schleich and her daughter; and Dr. Harold Tanyzer."

How did she come to Hofstra?

"I first came to Hofstra for a conference held by the National Conference of Christians and Jews, in the summer of 1959. They offered me a $50 scholarship, which helped defray the $90 fee for the three-credit graduate course. Having a foot on campus, I decided to register for a course on teaching reading. After that, I never left. I taught in the Reading/Writing Learning Clinic while I was earning my degrees. I started as a clinician/diagnostician, then became a faculty instructor, an assistant professor, and an associate professor and finally attained the rank of full professor."

The family 411?

Dr. Sandel lives in Rockville Centre, Long Island, with her husband, Leonard, who is a former mayor of the village. Her daughter, Susan, is a recognized dance therapist in Connecticut.

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Robert Viagas (B.A. '77)

What is he doing now?

Robert Viagas a theater author, editor and radio personality, is host of Playbill Radio and editor of The Playbill Broadway Yearbook. Robert founded and managed news services for Playbill.com, Theatre.com and Broadway Television Network, and currently serves as program director of Playbill Broadcast and as editor of Playbill Books.

As program director for Playbill Broadcast, Robert hosted the "Radio Playbill" magazine show on Sirius Satellite Radio from 2002 to 2006. He now manages and reads the hourly news for Playbill Radio, which rolled out a new format in June 2007. He hosted the official live Web cast of the Tony Awards in 2000 and from 2002 to 2007, and has served as editor of the special Tony Awards Playbill since 2002. He is a member of the New York Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle. He also wrote the script for the official walking tour of Broadway, hosted by the League of American Theatres and Producers.

Called "encyclopedic" on theater by The New York Times' CyberTimes, Robert is also an alumnus of the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop librettist program, where he studied under Susan H. Schulman '64. He has written librettos for two musicals, City of Light and Perfect World, both of which have had readings in New York.

How did he first become interested in theater?

Robert first studied chemistry and biology at Hofstra. A high school friend of Robert's who had become a critic for his college newspaper often asked Robert to accompany him to Broadway shows since he always got two tickets. "I owe it all to being really tall. I'm 6'4". At the time, Times Square was a dangerous place. I think he just picked the biggest friend he could find."

Robert realized he had found what he wanted to do in life. "I got a job as a theater critic for the Franklin Square Bulletin when I was 17. I walked in with a copy of Variety under my arm, which I bought strictly as a prop." He got the job, and later became arts editor for Hofstra's Chronicle. "I realized I liked working at the newspaper more than I liked working in the laboratory." He switched his major to communication with a minor in theater.

Who were his favorite professors at Hofstra?

Robert names Drama Professor Howard Siegman, who he says "... was such a great teacher, so inspiring," and Communications Professor Dorothy McClennon. Of her, Robert remembers, "She was a wonderful teacher - a fantastic teacher. She made me want to apply myself as a journalist."

How did he begin his career?

In 1976, while at Hofstra, Robert received a summer internship at Newsday. "I started as wire room clerk. I had to know all the reporters and what they were working on. If a story came over one of the wires that had to do with what the reporters were working on, my job was to rip the story off the teletype machine and hand it to the reporter. When the reporter finished his story, he would rip it out of the typewriter - they were just beginning to convert to computers - and would yell 'Copy!' I would get that story and give it to the city editor."

Upon graduation, Robert went to work for Gannett Westchester Newspapers and carved out a beat doing regional theater reviews. He became arts editor for the weekly Fairfield Press and later for the daily Stamford Advocate, both in Connecticut.

How did he end up at Playbill?

"Someone heard that a company called Prodigy was starting up to send out news on something called the Internet. I went to work for them and saw the potential for theater."

When ,Playbill approached Prodigy about placing an online theater encyclopedia on the Internet, Robert convinced them instead to put a theater newspaper online. They did, and "it took off like a rocket." Today Playbill's online club has 400,000 members from across the country and around the world. Robert recently oversaw the launch of Playbill Radio online (www.playbillradio.com) and does the news at the top of the hour.

Best memory of Hofstra?

"Wednesday nights, when we put The Chronicle to bed, we were up until 1 or 2 in the morning. Then we would all go to Jack-in-the-Box, which back then was the one fast food place open all night."

Hofstra students with whom he would like to reconnect?

Robert names Steve Bedney, who was music editor for The Chronicle, and Joan Verdon, The Chronicle's editor-in-chief.

What Broadway musical song best describes his outlook on life?

"It's Not Where You Start, It's Where You Finish," from Seesaw.

The family 411?

Robert lives in Mamaroneck, New York, with his wife, skating coach Catherine Ryan, and sons Benjamin and Nicholas.

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Doreen Cammarata (B.A. '91, M.S.Ed. '92)

What is she doing now?

Doreen Cammarata, a licensed mental health counselor, is a consultant specializing in grief and bereavement counseling. She is also an adjunct instructor of counseling at both Hofstra and Florida Atlantic University. Seeing the need for material addressing the issue of loss by suicide for young children, Doreen self-published a book on the subject, Someone I Love Died by Suicide, which is available through her Web site, www.griefguidance.com.

She is president of the Palm Beach County chapter of the Association for Death Education and Counseling and served on the board of the local chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

What is the most rewarding part of her job?

"What I enjoy most about my work is making a difference."

What inspires her work?

Doreen understands grief on both a professional and a personal level. When she was 17, she lost her mother to suicide. For Doreen, this was a life-shaping experience. "After my mom died, I swore I would honor her life and make her life into a positive experience," she said.

How did she decide to attend Hofstra?

Through Carole Smitten, her high school counselor, who was later her professor at Hofstra, Doreen worked through her grief and developed the courage to pursue counseling as a profession. "Carole is my mentor," she says. "She's the main reason I went into the counseling program. She supported me and encouraged me to pursue my goals and dreams."

Favorite Hofstra memories?

"I have two: looking out from the top floor of that wonderful library and watching the Jets practice from my dorm room."

Classmates with whom she would like to reconnect?

Doreen Cox.

The family 411?

Doreen lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, with her husband, Michael, and her three sons, Christopher, 9, Nicholas, 6, and Dominic, 3.

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Allan Dart (B.A. '97)

His Hofstra history

Allan was an audio/video/film major. He was a contributor to The Chronicle and Nonsense. He also participated in Hofstra's intramural basketball and softball leagues.

What is he doing now?

Allan is managing editor for Starlog, a magazine that covers the worlds of science fiction, fantasy and adventure in film, video, books, electronic games, CDs, comics and art.

His favorite Hofstra memories?

"I have very fond memories of working in the AV Department. It started off as just a job to help pay for tuition, but ended up becoming a great refuge for friends, fun and good-hearted tomfoolery. We took to heart the Animal House line, 'I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part.'"

How did he come to be managing editor of Starlog?

"I had interned for Fangoria [Starlog's sister magazine, which focuses on horror] for credit during my senior year. Then in 2000, Starlog Group [which owns Starlog and Fangoria] was looking for an editorial assistant for some teen magazines. I hadn't worked in publication since my internship, but I still knew how to read and write. Milburn Smith [Starlog's associate publisher] hired me, and then a year later, I was moved over to work with Starlog Editor David McDonnell. Shortly afterward, I was promoted to managing editor at Starlog.

What does he enjoy most about his work?

"I've always loved literature and English courses, and took a great deal of them at Hofstra. Syntax, grammar and the English language have always fascinated me. So that, along with covering action, fantasy, science fiction and comic book movies and TV series for Starlog, is a nice combination."

Any advice he would offer to current students who want to work in publishing?

"I would recommend doing internships while at Hofstra. Like most industries, the key is often connections and whom you know. Also, there aren't many lucrative positions in the editorial side of publishing, so if that's the field you're interested in, look for places that have room for promotion and advancement."

Any long-lost Hofstra friends with whom he would like to reconnect?

"I would like to see my buddies from the AV Department and some of my friends that I fell out of touch with. Hopefully, they've lost more hair and put on more pounds than I have!"

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Rachael MacIsaac (B.A. '06)

What is she doing now?

Rachael MacIsaac is currently living and working in south Louisiana as a member of the Teach For America Corps.

Teach For America seeks to eliminate educational inequality by building a diverse, highly selective national corps of outstanding recent college graduates who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools in the nation's lowest-income communities. The program is very selective. In 2006 almost 19,000 individuals applied to Teach For America. Only 2,500 were accepted and placed in 25 regions across the country.

Rachael's Hofstra history?

Rachael majored in psychology and religious studies. She was also involved with the Newman Club and Student Government Association and performed as a Hofstra mascot at athletic events. During her senior year, she was part of the Hofstra group of students and administrators who spent the 2006 spring break in New Orleans volunteering in the Hurricane Katrina cleanup and recovery effort.

Hofstra professors who influenced her most?

"Kim Gilbert [sociology]. She was supportive, genuinely encouraging and personally invested in all her students." Rachael also recalls lifechanging advice she received from Political Science Professor Stephen Schneider. "He told us to volunteer our time to a worthy cause. I took it so seriously that I applied only for volunteer opportunities rather than graduate school."

How did her studies at Hofstra help her with her career?

"My background in psychology has helped me greatly with classroom management and serving students with disabilities."

What does she enjoy most about her work?

"I love my students. They are challenging, but always amusing." Rachael continues, "All students deserve an excellent education, so although the allure of higher income positions is tempting, giving yourself to teach in a low-income community for two years is more rewarding than any salary."

Classmate with whom she would most like to reconnect?

Jasmine Mercado '06.

| 1944 - 1969 | 1970 - 1979 | 1980 - 1989 | 1990 - 1999 | 2000 - Present | New Arrivals/Marriages | In Memoriam | Catching Up With |

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