Date: Jan 25, 2011

Alumnus Gives Back Helping Students Stay Active Citizens

Hofstra University seniors Alex Moore and Kenny Cordero Rubinos are recognized as Center for Civic Engagement's first Metzger-D'Innocenzo Endowed Scholarship interns

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY- Hofstra University's Center for Civic Engagement has named the first two interns to be awarded the Metzger-D'Innocenzo Endowed Scholarship, a donation funded by Hofstra alumnus James C. Metzger '83 in honor of his favorite faculty member, History professor Michael D'Innocenzo.

Seniors Kenny Cordero Rubinos and Alex Moore were recognized at a meeting with President Stuart Rabinowitz, Provost and Senior Vice President Herman Berliner, Senior Vice President Patrica Adamski, Dr. Cynthia Bogard, Director of the Center for Civic Engagement, as well as Professor D'Innocenzo and Jim Metzger.

The first of the two scholarships stemmed from Metzger's donation of $25,000, which was presented when Professor D'Innocenzo was honored with the American Historical Association's Eugene Asher National Distinguished Teaching Award in early 2009.  Mr. Metzger was so enthusiastic about the launching of the endowed student internship that he offered to match that scholarship for a second student during the next three years.  In addition, Jim Metzger's original grant helped to generate another $25,000 in contributions, establishing in perpetuity an additional student internship.

Peruvian-born Kenny Cordero Rubinos is a senior with a double major of Political Science and History and a minor in Latin American and Carribean Studies.  "These two internships are incredibly valuable to Center for Civic Engagement," said Rubinos. "It gives us the ability to continue our goal of communicating to students about the benefits of getting involved on campus and informed on what is happening in the world."  Kenny plans to attend law school after his graduation in May.

Senior Alex Moore agreed.  "I feel honored to be named one of the first recipients of this internship to help me follow my passions with the Center for Civic Engagement," Moore said.  "The CCE is important to me because of the unique opportunity it affords me and my fellow interns to organize around important issues and engage our peers in thought and discussion on topics important to our times."  Alex is an honors student, a Global Studies major with a minor in Fine Arts and dance.  After graduation she hopes to study on a Fulbright Scholarship in Senegal.

Both students are heavily involved in on-campus activities in addition to Center for Civic Engagement. They played a major role in developing and executing many of the CCE activities including the annual CCE event Day of Dialogue, which consists of an entire day of discussion with students, faculty, staff and special guests addressing key public policy issues and challenges.

James C. Metzger Hofstra '83 was an all-American lacrosse player at Hofstra and one of the top 3-sport athletes to come out of Suffolk County's Half Hollow Hills High School.  He is now Chairman and CEO of The Whitmore Group, located in Garden City and specializing in insurance and financial services.  Mr. Metzger is known for his generosity to Big Brothers and Sisters of Long Island, to Hofstra University and many other Long Island programs.

Believing that informed and involved students are more likely to participate in the democratic process, Hofstra University founded the Center for Civic Engagement to encourage students to become active citizens. Among the principles the Center stress are freedom of speech and expression, respect for others, appreciation for diverse persons and viewpoints, the ethics of public issues, personal and group empowerment, social and economic equality, and preservation of the environment.

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution of higher education where more than 12,000 full and part-time students choose from undergraduate and graduate offerings in liberal arts and sciences, business, engineering, communication, education, health and human services, honors studies, a School of Law and the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine.  With a small average class size (22 students) and low student-teacher ratio (14-1), the University also provides excellent facilities with state-of-the-art technology, extensive library resources and internship programs that match students' interests and abilities with appropriate companies and organizations.  The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future.  Located in Nassau County, New York, on over 240 acres, the University is less than an hour from midtown Manhattan.
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