Mike Magpayo Takes Charge as Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Fordham
BVM Sports 03-31-2025
Fordham University has appointed Mike Magpayo as its new head men’s basketball coach, following a national search. Magpayo, who previously led the University of California, Riverside to notable achievements, will be officially introduced at a press conference on April 2. He aims to build on Fordham’s 122-year basketball legacy, bringing a mix of New York City’s vibrancy and academic rigor to the program. Magpayo expressed excitement about this opportunity, highlighting the potential he sees for the team’s future.

AI model transforms material design by predicting and explaining synthesizability
Phys.org 03-27-2025
A research team has successfully developed a technology that utilizes Large Language Models (LLMs) to predict the synthesizability of novel materials and interpret the basis for such predictions. The team was led by Seoul National University’s Professor Yousung Jung and conducted in collaboration with [Joshua Schrier, the Kim B. and Stephen E. Bepler Chair of Chemistry at] Fordham University in the United States.
This research was also covered in EurekAlert!

Kelly meets 88-year-old grandfather behind viral graduation ceremony TikTok
NBC’s The Kelly Clarkson Show 03-27-2025
Kelly [Clarkson] meets John [Lenehan], an 88-year-old Korean War veteran who recently achieved his goal of graduating from Fordham Business School in Manhattan 68 years after originally enrolling! John dials-in with his granddaughter Clare to share why he was inspired to finish his degree after dropping out in 1961, and Clare shares the overwhelmingly positive response they’ve received since posting his heartwarming graduation video on TikTok.

Their Catholic School Went Broke. They Found Another. It Went Broke Too.
The New York Times 03-29-2025
Gerald Cattaro, the executive director of the Center for Catholic School Leadership and Faith-Based Education at Fordham University, cites a combination of factors: the proliferation of charter schools, the diminishing ranks of religious staff who once served as the backbone of the Catholic school system and financial hardship within the communities that the schools serve.

Taiwan faces the Chinese threat with fortitude
Dario Las Americas
“If we take into account that international public opinion is ‘occupied’ with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the need for rearmament in Europe, and Israel’s war against Hamas, we might think that the time is right for an invasion, but I imagine they don’t want to do it because the Chinese economy is not going through its best moment, and a maneuver of this type could lead to international condemnation and the subsequent application of economic sanctions,” Fordham University political science professor Mario Tavares told DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS.

Elon Musk railed against Delaware. After a struggle, legislators agreed to slow lawsuits against controlling shareholders.
The Philadelphia Inquirer 03-25-2025
At its roots, “corporate law is simple: ‘Though shalt not steal,’” said Sean Griffith, a law professor at FordhamUniversity. He compared past Delaware cases to “morality plays” in which judges reviewed whether boards had done enough to ensure shareholders’ interests were protected. But ruling against Musk’s billions even after shareholders endorsed the payout may be “logically compelling but politically untenable,” Griffith added.
This article was picked up by MSN and The Daily Gazette.

Book Review: ‘Racial Innocence’ questions myth that Latinos can’t be racist
New York Amsterdam News 03-27-2025
Both Black and Latino communities have faced decades of discrimination. The Black community — composed of African Americans and others of African descent — confronts race-based discrimination, while Latinos confront ethnic discrimination. The two groups have frequently joined together to fight for civil rights. Yet, as Fordham University Law Professor Tanya Katerí Hernández points out in her 2022 book, “Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias and the Struggle for Equality,” there are also conflicts between the two groups that need to be acknowledged.

From waitlisted to admitted: Strategies for getting admitted from the waitlist
preLaw 03-27-2025
“It’s not too late to make connections with law schools that have waitlisted you. If you haven’t had a chance to do so, go on a tour of the law school. Try to connect with alumni of the school. Continue to show interest. Hopefully you may have met admissions representatives at a law fair already. If not, many admissions offices hold zoom office hours. Go and introduce yourself,” wrote Hillary Mantis, assistant dean for the prelaw advising program at Fordham University.

Black gun ownership is on the rise. These Boston instructors are at the forefront.
The Boston Globe 03-26-2025
It all makes perfect sense to Nicholas Johnson, a Black man who teaches law at Fordham University in New York. “I grew up in Black gun culture,” Johnson said. “I grew up in rural West Virginia; everybody had guns.” But as a young faculty member, he felt a chill in the air whenever he discussed the Second Amendment. “If you were a good liberal and had a good social conscience you were supposed to be anti-gun,” Johnson said. “And I wasn’t.”

Barbara Lee wants to be mayor after 30 years as a legislator. Can she make the switch?
The Oaklandside 03-25-2025
Industries aren’t locally owned anymore, “so across the country, mayors are put in the position of being salespersons for their cities to try to attract investments,” said Chris Rhomberg, a sociologist at Fordham University and author of No There There: Race, Class, and Political Community in Oakland. “It has changed the function of local government to be more entrepreneurial while at the same time trying to protect quality of life for local residents.”

Marketing Expert Publishes New Book to Help Young Professionals Stand Out in Career Development
Business Council of Westchester 03-26-2025
In addition to being a best-selling author, Ross Cohen is CEO and founder of Co-Communications, TEDx speaker and adjunct marketing professor at Fordham University. Brand Up 2.0 is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and sold at select college bookstores nationwide.

Finding Flannery: How the Catholic Writer Became My Literary Guide
National Catholic Register 03-25-2025
To cancel Flannery would be to cancel her contribution to the scholarship of African American culture, which West has begun to chronicle. Fordham professor Angela Alaimo O’Donnell pointed out that Flannery “exposed the evils of racism” in her fiction while actively working out her own ambivalence and need for conversion.

Navigating Life’s Terrain With Trust in God
The Tablet 03-28-2025
“This Lent, let us pull our personal crosses while trusting that the Lord will guide us safely across treacherous terrain. If we allow the Lord to be our musher and hear his voice, then the sled we’re dragging will feel a whole lot lighter. We will cross the finish line of our personal pilgrimage. We will complete our own Iditarod,” wrote Veronica Szczygiel, PhD., director of online learning at the Graduate School of Education at Fordham University.

Denzel Washington Wants to Turn His Latest Shakespearean Show Into a Feature Film
Comic Book Resources 03-25-2025
This isn’t Washington’s first time playing Othello, having portrayed him during his Fordham University days. He has also ventured into other Shakespearean projects, having portrayed Marcus Brutus in the 2005 Broadway revival of Julius Caesar and the 2021 film adaptation of The Tragedy of Macbeth, which earned him his most recent Best Actor Oscar nomination.
This article was picked up by MSN, and Washington’s role in Othello was noted in WTLC (BlackAmericaWeb), ScreenRant (Head Topics), and AllHipHop.

Paramount+ Hit Series Tulsa King, Starring Oscar® Nominee Sylvester Stallone, Promotes Chris Caldovino, Mckenna Quigley Harrington and Mike “Cash Flo” Walden to Series Regulars for Season Three
Criticologos 03-25-2025
McKenna Quigley Harrington made her feature debut in Susie Searches, alongside Rachel Sennott and Kiersey Clemons. While attending Fordham University, she starred in the world premieres of Rules of Desire and Irish Rep’s Off-Broadway production of Made by God. Born in Washington DC, McKenna grew up in Mexico City and returned to Mexico to study acting at the studios of Patricia Reyes Spíndola and to shoot the telenovela pilot La Promesa.

A Hedge Fund Firm Ventures Into Active ETFs
Morningstar 03-27-2025
Outside of work, [Brett] Barakett and his wife Meaghan believe in giving back to the community. To that end, they have created a number of scholarship funds throughout North America, including at Harvard University, Brown University, and Fordham University. The scholarships help students in need of financial assistance and honor their son Lincoln, who unexpectedly passed away in 2020 when he was 2 years old.

Stefania Venusio Amicucci’s New Book, “Through a Child’s Eyes,” is a Poignant Tale Designed to Help Children Understand What It Means When One of Their Parents Has Cancer
Times of San Diego 03-27-2025
Fulton Books author Stefania Venusio Amicucci, a loving wife and mother of two who graduated from Fordham University in the Bronx, NY, with a BS in Accounting, has completed her most recent book, “Through a Child’s Eyes”: a heartfelt story of two sisters who discover that their mother is sick and discuss the ways that their lives change as they work as a family to fight her cancer.

NOT I and ROCKABY Are Coming to The Broadwater Black Box Theatre Directed & Performed By Jeni Jones
Broadway World 03-31-2025
She [Jeni Jones] earned her BA in Theatre Directing & English Literature from Fordham University in NYC & her MFA in Directing for Film, Theatre, and Television from CalArts. As a Film Executive she has been credited for her creative contributions to numerous films.

Once-isolated Albania hopes for Israeli tourist boom with launch of El Al direct flights
Jewish Telegraph Agency 03-28-2025
After earning a master’s degree in business analytics from Fordham University, [Harel] Kopelman ended up in Albania by chance four years ago while traveling the globe. “I fell in love with the country,” said Kopelman, who now speaks fluent Albanian in addition to his native Hebrew and English. “People are super friendly, everything is accessible, and you’re close to nature. It’s like the Wild West, because it’s an untapped market.”

Medical Spotlight: Castle Connolly Private Health Parnters, LLC
Boca Magazine 03-27-2025
Richard R. Bobé, M.D., board-certified in internal medicine, received his undergraduate degree from Fordham University and his medical degree from the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center. He cares for his patients using an integrative approach that leans heavily on behavioral lifestyle changes. His own expertise as well as that of his specialist connections provide his patients with a supportive and secure health care system.

A Conversation With Randall Kennedy
The American Prospect 03-27-2025
“I have participated in numerous debates over affirmative action in which the matter at issue was whether a Black student would attend the University of Michigan Law School as opposed to the Michigan State Law School, or attend the Columbia Law School as opposed to the Fordham Law School. If you are a plausible candidate for admission to any of these law schools, you are a college graduate with an impressive record,” said Randall Kennedy, the Michael R. Klein chair at Harvard Law School.

Musk-Linked Corporate Law Overhaul Criticized by Delaware Judge
Bloomberg Law 03-27-2025
Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster spoke about the changes at Fordham University School of Law on Wednesday evening, less than 24 hours after Gov. Matt Meyer (D) signed a bill designed to lower the guardrails around insider deals, reduce shareholder access to texts and emails of board members, and strengthen a presumption that they’re legally independent.

Fordham hosted the 14th annual Armenian Mentor Forum
The California Courier 03-31-2025
On March 28, close to 100 Armenian-American professionals and students converged on Fordham University in Manhattan for the 14th annual Mentor Forum. Leaders in a consortium of 12 diverse Armenian organizations collaborated to organize this annual forum — co-chaired by physician Larry Najarian and engineer Raffi Jamgotchian — to match talented students with experienced mentors across a wide array of careers.

Book Review: PLUNDERED: How Racist Policies Undermine Black Homeownership in America
New York Amsterdam News 03-27-2025
Dr. Atuahene was in New York City last week to participate in a discussion about her book with New York State Senator Cordell Cleare. She spoke at an NYU Law School event on Thursday, March 20, sponsored by New York University’s Center on Race, Inequality and the Law, and Fordham University’s Center on Race, Law and Justice.

CM Salamanca honors three key figures in Bronx community during annual Women of Distinction Celebration
The Bronx Times 03-26-2025
In addition to her work at Mothers On the Move, Salaman serves as Chair of Flourishing in Community, an EPA-funded grantmaking initiative supporting community-based organizations in Region 2. The program, part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Thriving Communities initiative, is hosted by Fordham University.

Martial arts: Midtown Jiu Jitsu has strong showing at New York City tourney
Daily Freeman 03-27-2025
Kingston’s Midtown Jiu Jitsu had a powerful debut in the Jiu Jitsu World League New York Tournament with nine gold medals by its adult and youth athletes over 14 divisions on March 22 and 23 at Fordham University.

Dennis McDougal, best-selling author and former P-T, Press-Enterprise writer, dies
Los Angeles Daily News 03-26-2025
[Dennis] McDougal, throughout his career, also contributed regularly to the New York Times. His work won countless awards, including the George Foster Peabody Award, Fordham University’s Ann M. Sperber Award for the nation’s best media biography, and an Edgar nomination from the Mystery Writers of America for best true crime, his website says.

NPR and Member stations win 2025 Gracie Awards
NPR 03-25-2025
Bittersweet Memories of the ‘Brooklyn’ Dodgers
WFUV / Fordham University
News Feature — Sports [Radio — Student]

Washington, a 1977 graduate of Fordham College at Lincoln Center, said, “This is a 48-year journey for me. Forty-eight years ago, I played Othello at 22, right down the block at Fordham at Lincoln Center. I go past it every day on my way to rehearsal. It’s fascinating to have been too young for the part, and some may say now, too old. Forty-eight years experience, 48 years of pain, pleasure, and life has informed my approach to playing the role.” 

Father Baker, a Jesuit priest, celebrates Mass at Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles, every Sunday the team plays there.

“I come from what feels like a baseball family,” he told Blakefield Magazine, which is published by Loyola Blakefield, the Jesuit college preparatory school in Towson, Maryland, where Father Baker has served as president since January 2024. “It’s my father’s favorite sport. … [W]e spent a lot of time together with baseball as the centerpiece.”

Father Baker, who earned a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s in philosophy from Fordham in 2002 and 2009, respectively, leads a pregame liturgy in the Orioles’ pressroom in connection with the group Catholic Athletes for Christ. He became involved thanks to his friend and former mentee Nick Martinez, a Fordham baseball star who was drafted by the Texas Rangers in 2011 and is currently pitching for the Cincinnati Reds.

(In 2021, Martinez was one of two Rams to earn a medal at the Tokyo Olympics.)

As they were catching up in 2023, Martinez told Father Baker about the need for a priest to celebrate Mass at Yankee Stadium. He signed on, and the rest, as they say, is history.

“I just always found myself around the game a lot and loved to play,” he told Blakefield Magazine. “But above all, it’s the people that baseball has brought into my life that I’m most thankful for.”

Read the full story on fordhamsports.com.

Reporting on a Journalism Conference

To give his Nonfiction Writing Seminar students real-world industry exposure, English adjunct instructor John Hanc, a professional writer, journalist, and book collaborator, invited them to the annual American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) conference in February at the midtown Manhattan campus of the Fashion Institute of Technology. An enrichment grant from the Dean’s Office at Fordham College at Rose Hill covered the cost of the passes. 

Nine students were able to attend and met him at the event. The most interesting workshop, he said, was a “pitch slam” which featured aspiring authors pitching their book ideas to a panel of literary agents.

“I said to my students, ‘Listen to how these authors pitch their books, listen to the kind of books they’re pitching … I want you to learn—what did the agent like? What did they not like? That can help you in your career.’”

Hanc asked them to take notes and present their learnings afterward to the class.

“They organized it into a PowerPoint, and each of the nine had interesting observations. It was just great—I was so proud of them.”

A Real-World Introduction to End-of-Life Care

Noticing a growing interest in medical humanities at Fordham, theology professor and department chair Brenna Moore, Ph.D., partnered with psychology professor Rachel Annunziato, Ph.D., associate dean of strategic initiatives, to pilot a Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) course called “Spirituality, Health, and Healing.” 

The class examines the role that spirituality plays in our health and well-being. With funding from a CCEL grant, the class recently visited Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, the only hospital in the country that offers palliative and hospice care to adults with life-limiting illnesses. 

Seeing the Calvary staff caring for patients in their final hours was eye-opening for her students, Moore said. “We realized how often death and dying take place in hospitals behind closed doors and how much more compassionate our world looks when we are open and attentive to this stage of life.”

Seeing British Democracy at Work

As part of his Philosophical Ethics course, Fordham London adjunct professor Piers Benn brings students to the House of Commons to watch Parliament in action. “I have run this trip many times since 2015,” he said, “and usually we witness routine ministerial questions and debates.”

But on March 3, “we hit the jackpot,” Benn said. “We all watched the Prime Minister [Keir Starmer] address the House on defense spending, Ukraine’s sovereignty, and his meeting with Trump. There followed questions from the leaders of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, Nigel Farage, and several others.” A student of his recounted the proceedings, and the trip, in The Fordham Ram.

1. Tuesday, April 1, 1 – 2:30 p.m.:
Ghosts Between the Lines: Historical Fiction and the Haunted Page

Award-winning novelist and Fordham-NYPL Jewish Studies Research Fellow Rachel Kadish will discuss her writing process, as well as the power and challenges of bringing history to life through story. Room 109, McMahon Hall, Lincoln Center | Register here

2. Wednesday, April 2, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.:
One-Hour Retreat: Easter Hope

Take a pause with this guided reflection on hope during the Easter season. It’s open to students, staff, faculty, and alumni and a sandwich lunch is included. Room 109, McMahon Hall, Lincoln Center | Register here

3. Friday, April 4, 1 – 2:30 p.m.:
Lunch and Learn—Exploring Executive Authority: Legal Perspectives on Recent Developments

This FitzSimons Presidential Initiative on Civics and Civility series continues with Fordham Law professors discussing the legal and constitutional implications of the President’s early actions in office, and the challenges they face in the courts. Room 3-03, Fordham Law School, Lincoln Center | Register here

4. Thursday, April 3, 6 – 9 p.m.:
Films Worth Talking About Even if Difficult: Akira

Considered the most influential, feature-length anime film, Akira takes on challenging topics such as social unrest and political corruption that faculty and staff will discuss after the screening. Pizza will be served! Visual Arts Complex Screening Room, Lowenstein Center, Lincoln Center 

5. Monday, April 7, 4:30 – 7 p.m.:
TEDxFordhamUniversity: Propelling Humanity Forward

President Tania Tetlow, climate justice advocate Elizabeth Yeampierre, cancer researcher Ronald A. DePinho, M.D., and other Fordham alumni and faculty members will be delivering TEDx talks at Lincoln Center this month. Seats in McNally Amphitheatre have sold out but there are still tickets left for the in-person livestream watch party followed by a reception with refreshments. 140 W. 62nd St., Lincoln Center | Tickets: $15 general, $10 students | Register here

6. Tuesday, April 8, 1:15 – 6 p.m.:
Research Forum: Good Business That Comes from Good Business

Explore how companies can shape a more sustainable and equitable future while boosting the bottom line with faculty, students, and industry leaders at this half-day forum hosted by the Gabelli School’s Responsible Business Center. Bateman Room, Fordham Law School, Lincoln Center | Register here

7. Wednesday, April 9, 5 p.m.:
American Exceptionalism: Catholic Perspectives on a Troublesome Notion

Celebrate the installation of Thomas Massaro, S.J., as McGinley Chair with his inaugural lecture examining the troublesome notion of American exceptionalism through a Catholic lens. Keating First Auditorium, Rose Hill | Register Here

8. Tuesday, April 9, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.:
Voices Up! Spring Concert

Fordham’s biannual music series, organized by Distinguished Professor of English and Music Lawrence Kramer, presents the vocal-instrumental ensemble Primavera, which will be performing works by Philip Glass, Samuel Barber, and more. 12th-Floor Lounge, Lowenstein Center, Lincoln Center 

9. Sunday, April 13 – Sunday, April 20:
Holy Week Services

Join Campus Ministry to celebrate the most sacred week in the Christian liturgical calendar, Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. (Check the Campus Ministry calendar for updates on details.)

10. Tuesday, April 15, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.:
Lunch and Learn—Power of the Purse: How Congress Sets Law on Funding

This FitzSimons Presidential Initiative on Civics and Civility talk examines how Congress allocates federal funds, and what current executive branch actions could mean for the future. Lincoln Center | Register here 

11. Tuesday, April 22, 7 – 9:30 p.m.:
Nurith Aviv Film Festival: Translating Screening and Conversation

Fordham’s Center for Jewish Studies and Center on Religion and Culture have partnered with Centro Primo Levi to present a film retrospective honoring French and Israeli filmmaker Nurith Aviv. Kicking it off is a screening of her film Translating, which explores the art of translation as an act of devotion and defiance, followed by a discussion with Aviv. Anthology Film Archives | Free with registration by April 15 | Register here

12. Wednesday, April 23, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.:
Lunch and Learn—International Relations and Trade: How Do Tariffs and Trade Agreements Affect Americans?

Fordham faculty breaks down the changes in U.S. trade policy and how these decisions will ripple through to consumers. Lincoln Center | Register here

13. Wednesday, April 23, 5 – 6 pm:
Reid Writers of Color: Keynote Featuring Saidiya Hartman

Acclaimed author and Columbia University English professor Saidiya Hartman is the keynote speaker of this annual lecture devoted to celebrated writers of color. Keating Third Auditorium, Rose Hill | Register here

14. Wednesday, April 30, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.:
Lunch and Learn—The 14th Amendment: Rights of Natural Born Citizens and Non-Citizens

The final lunch and learn in the FitzSimons series, this session focuses on the constitutional right of birthright citizenship and how it’s being tested today. Rose Hill | Register here

15. Wednesday, April 30, 7 – 10 p.m.:
WFUV High Line Bash Featuring The English Beat

WFUV’s annual bash includes a night of music and food at City Winery, headlined by ska greats The English Beat. Spread the word and support Fordham’s award-winning public media station. City Winery, Pier 57, Manhattan | Get tickets

Before we dive in, we want to hear your recommendations as well! Share your favorite spots using this form and we’ll add them to the list.

Here are six recommendations for noontime nibbles and happy hour hangouts near the Lincoln Center campus, from Fordham faculty and staff: 

1. Kashkaval Gardens , 852 9th Ave.

A staple of the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood since 1997, Kashkaval Gardens comes recommended by both Associate Professor of Theology John Seitz and DAUR’s Rachel Kartinger, associate director of young alumni and student engagement. 

Kartiganer recommends bringing a few friends to the cozy spot known for their Mediterranean tapas and sharing the 4-dip sampler and the kale salad. “I am not a big kale person but this salad has converted me,” she said.

2. Alfie’s Kitchen & Craft Beer Bar, 800 9th Ave.

According to Daniel Marcus-toll, adjunct professor at Fordham’s School of Law, Alfie’s is the perfect spot for end-of-semester celebrations.

Specializing in craft beer, cocktails, and “elevated comfort food,” Alfie’s has happy hour specials that run until 7 p.m., seven days a week. 

For a midday break, try the $20 lunch deal, which includes a burger, fries, and a beer.

3. Kung Fu Little, 811 8th Ave.

Kung Fu Little is a short subway ride from campus, but according to Holly Curtis, Fordham’s assistant provost for corporate relations, it’s well worth the trip (or, a delivery order). 

This fast, casual Midtown spot specializes in steamed buns, soup dumplings, and ramen made with fresh hand-pulled noodles.

4. The Independent Cafe, 61 W 62nd St.

Inside the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center is the Independent Cafe, which sells reasonably priced sandwiches and coffee drinks that are, admittedly, similar to the offerings of other cafes nearby. 

But what is unique about this spot are the free live performances you can sometimes catch from one of the cafe tables. That’s what makes it a favorite for Sharif Mowlabocus, associate professor in the Department of Communication and Media Studies.

5. Breads Bakery, 1890 Broadway

Breads Bakery offers fresh-baked breads, pastries, sandwiches, salads, and espresso drinks. According to Audrey Gilbert, director of marketing strategy, the spinach and feta burekas are unforgettable. 

Gilbert says she’s also a big fan of the chocolate babka, which was once named the Best Babka in New York by New York Magazine.

6. Burrito Box, 885 9th Ave.

Sometimes you just need some Mexican food. When those moments arise at work, Polly Kaplan, associate director of academic affairs and academic records, turns to Burrito Box. 

The hole-in-the-wall shop just two blocks from campus has been serving standard Tex-Mex faire in the neighborhood for over 20 years, including many vegetarian options.

Bonus Picks

Tartinery, 10 Columbus Circle, Third Floor: On the upper level of the Shops at Columbus building is an outpost of Tartinery, a French cafe-bar known for its open-faced sandwiches, pastries, and coffee. For Sarah Gambito, professor of creative writing, the stand-out menu item is the warm goat cheese salad, which includes bacon, pine nuts, and toast. 

The Greek Kitchen, 889 10th Ave.: For a quick lunch or a meal before a Lincoln Center performance, Linda Loschiavo, Director of Libraries, heads here for the fresh, well-prepared food. She recommends the grilled chicken platter, the keftedes (pan-fried meatballs), and their traditional Greek salad. As a bonus, Loschiavo says their large portions make it easy to share dishes with colleagues.

Justino’s Pizza, 881 10th Ave.: Patricia Rodriguez, Director of Operations and Events at the Graduate School of Social Service, is a big fan of the consistently flavorful food and dependable delivery at Justino’s. Their pizza is excellent, she said, and they have the best meatball parm hero on a toasted garlic roll.

When the City Stopped (Cornell University Press, 2025) tells the story of the pandemic through the voices of New Yorkers who were unable to flee the city or work from home. 

Author Robert Snyder, Ph.D., the Manhattan borough historian, collected narratives, interviews, and poems from groups such as Queens Library’s Queens Memory Project and Fordham’s Bronx COVID-19 Oral History Project. Fordham’s interviews were conducted in 2020 by researchers affiliated with the Bronx African American History Project.

“The most compelling narratives that I put in the book, including the Fordham narratives, are about people who saved themselves, but then they went out, and they helped others,” said Snyder, who is also a professor emeritus at Rutgers University.

Focusing on essential workers, Snyder sought out stories from healthcare workers, grocery clerks, community activists, and transit workers.

Tales from a City Under Siege

Of the roughly 20 interviews conducted for the Bronx COVID-19 Oral History Project, Snyder chose four, including Maribel Gonzalez, the owner of the South of France restaurant, and Ralph Rolle, a drummer and owner of Soul Food Snacks Cafe.

Another Fordham interview subject, Patricia Hernandez, described the stress of commuting from her home in East Tremont to John Jay College of Criminal Justice and to her job as a sales clerk at a T-Mobile in Kips Bay, where employees were deemed essential workers.

“I really didn’t have a choice but to go to work and get paid,” said Hernandez, who lived with her mother and sisters and had to help pay the bills. 

On the subway, she said she was “pretty much in fear the whole time.” 

“You’re really in an environment where you feel like you are surrounded by COVID.” 

Nichole Matos, another Bronx resident interviewed, lost her job at a Riverdale gym 24 Hour Fitness and was forced to quarantine after she was potentially exposed to COVID-19.

“You get tired of eating the same thing, watching the same things, reading the same things for class, and meeting for these virtual classes,” she said.

The Resilience of the Bronx

Veronica Quiroga, a 2020 graduate who conducted the interviews with Hernandez and Matos, was majoring in African and African American studies when the pandemic hit; she quickly shifted from conducting interviews for the Bronx African American History Project to the COVID-19 project. 

She’s proud of the attention the project brought to struggling businesses. She’s also grateful to the people who shared their stories.

“Nobody knows more than the people themselves what they go through during these times,” she said.

“The fact that people are willing to get on a public platform and be so vulnerable demonstrates not only the resilience of the people of the Bronx but also the potential that lies within them.”

Highlighting Disparities  

Carlos Rico, a 2021 Fordham graduate who was the lead coordinator for the oral history project, said that interviewing Bronx residents prepared him to think more deeply about the income and racial disparities that left so many Bronx residents exposed to the pandemic in ways that others were not.

It’s a skill he uses daily as an assistant district attorney in Brooklyn, a job he landed shortly after earning a law degree from Fordham Law School last year.

“I’m proud of the way that we were able to communicate with neighbors of the University and make that space so they could feel heard,” he said.

What’s driving the trend? While some smaller clusters reflect poverty and lack of health care, “by and large, these much larger pockets are in places where people just have an aversion to vaccines, likely due to misinformation,” said economics professor Troy Tassier, Ph.D., author of The Rich Flee and the Poor Take the Bus, a 2024 book focused on socioeconomic aspects of controlling outbreaks.

Eighteen states, from New York to Alaska, have reported a total of 378 measles cases as of March 21, and 17% of them required hospitalization, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. There has been one confirmed death, of an unvaccinated school-age child in Texas. That’s where the real surge has been, with 327 cases reported since late January, the state’s health department said.

Two percent of cases in the current national outbreak involved people who were fully vaccinated. While two doses of the measles vaccine are 97% effective at preventing the disease, vaccinated people can still get “breakthrough” infections amid an outbreak in their communities, according to the CDC. 

More people are seeking exemptions to states’ vaccination requirements, citing personal or religious reasons, Tassier said. The number reached an all-time high in the 2022-2023 school year, contributing to a 2% decline in vaccinations nationally, he wrote on his Substack, citing CDC data. That leaves the national rate at approximately 93%—which is worrisome, Tassier said.

Why is a 2% drop in our national vaccination rate a cause for concern? 

That drop isn’t happening evenly across society; it’s happening in specific places. If every population that you can think about—every school district, every community, every county, every state—had a 93% vaccination rate, we’d be in pretty good shape. The problem is we get 93% because most counties have near 100% coverage and other counties have 60% coverage. And that’s more dangerous than having everybody at the same level.

So how does that relate to social networks like Facebook?

Your social network spreads out in layers—you connect with people you see every day, then work colleagues, then friends you see rarely. And then you might connect with an old friend who opens up 20 more connections to your high school crowd. Epidemics kind of spread the same way. When a kid gives measles to a friend a couple counties away and they’ve got a bunch of unvaccinated friends, then it spreads from one social network to another. And then it sort of pockets itself again and replicates in that county. Then it could go to another county and another.

Tell me more about the trends and your predictions.

Outbreaks like the one in Texas are becoming more common because of these pockets of unvaccinated kids. It used to be that our vaccination rates and the distribution of vaccines were more evenly spread across the country, so that we had only a handful of cases every year, but that started to change around 2010. Since then, every two or three years you get a year where there’s hundreds of cases, or even more than a thousand.

So in some ways, this outbreak isn’t that bad. But the danger with measles is that once it takes hold in an unvaccinated population, it just goes everywhere. If a school has only 70% vaccine coverage, and an infected kid walks into the lunchroom, that’s a whole lot of kids exposed. And it lingers in the air for as long as two hours—through that lunch period and the next one and the next. We’re going to get a case in one of these schools that’s going to make this outbreak look really, really small. I’m amazed it hasn’t happened yet. An outbreak in New York City fueled a thousand-plus U.S. cases in 2019.

Are the unvaccinated risking only their own health?

No. The danger is that not everybody can be vaccinated. Some immunocompromised kids, for medical reasons, can’t be vaccinated. And folks like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. want to talk about parent choice and all of that, but that kid doesn’t have a choice. He can only stay home from school and live at home or go out in the world. 

Track the outbreak on the CDC’s website.

In this month’s installment of What’s on My Desk, Lambert shares the stories behind some of her favorite mementos. 

Pieces of the Caribbean

Sitting on Lambert’s desk are reminders of her roots in the Caribbean. “I got this boat in a market in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The folks in the boat made me think about the Middle Passage and slavery, which is one of the areas that I study. I also added some shells to the boat. These are from Grenada, where my family is from,” said Lambert, who wrote her first book about her ancestral country. “Inside the boat is also a nutmeg, a major spice in Grenada. When I return to the island, I always try to carry back something with me.” 

Beside the boat are dried sea fans found on the beach in her husband’s native Jamaica, as well as a coral rock found on the beach in Grenada. “[The beach items still] leave behind little bits of sand in my office, which I love,” said Lambert.  

A Teapot with a Dual Significance

Lambert treasures a teapot that once belonged to her parents. “My dad was born in Grenada, an island colonized by the British. The Commonwealth was a big cultural thing, so he was really into the monarchy. Anytime there was a royal wedding or something like that, he woke up early to watch it on television. Growing up, we had the Charles and Diana teapot, tea towels, and other things like that. After my dad passed away in 2019, I saw the teapot at his house and brought it back to New York with me. What’s ironic is that it’s a symbol of colonialism, and I became a scholar who studies anti-colonial movements, including the movement away from British colonialism in the Caribbean. But this teapot also reminds me of my dad.”

A Teapot That Encourages Healthy Habits

A former student gifted Lambert another teapot. “I like teas like Earl Grey, green tea, and ginger tea,” she said. “Coffee isn’t great for me. Someone here at work got me into Café Bustelo, which is a strong coffee, so I’ve been weaning myself off of it by getting back to drinking tea.”

The Wall of ‘Saints’

In front of Lambert’s desk is a wall covered with photos and artwork. Some are paintings created by relatives who live in Jamaica: the bottom right painting of the drummer, which reminds Lambert of her percussionist husband, and the painting of plants. 

On the right side of the wall are prints of prominent Black writers, including James Baldwin (in the bottom right frame), Octavia Butler (in the bottom left frame), Audre Lorde (in the upper middle frame), and Toni Morrison (in the black-and-white photo with a necktie). “As someone who is also a writer and a scholar of literature, I sort of think of these folks as my saints,” Lambert said. “They encourage me.”

Framed in the top right-hand corner is a painting of a child in a flower, created by Mark Feijão Milligan II. “This reminds me of a lost child. There’s a lot in African diasporic literature about children who exist between the living and the dead. They were born, but didn’t live a long life, or they’re trying to come back. This painting makes me think about those children who are stuck in an in-between space,” Lambert said.

People, Places, and Paintings

Tucked into a corner of her office are memorabilia, including photos of Lambert’s three godchildren. “My friend Danielle, who’s their mom, took my role as godmother very seriously. She passed away from cancer last September, but she ensured that her children are surrounded by people who really care about them.” 

‘A Good Reminder’ of Excellence

On Lambert’s desk is a framed portrait of her and her husband, as well as a Beyoncé nameplate — a “comical” birthday gift from her Fordham colleague Yuko Miki. “I’m not in the BeyHive or anything like that, but I’m a fan of Beyoncé,” Lambert said. (Fun fact: Fordham President Tania Tetlow has the same nameplate in her office.) 

“For me, what would Beyoncé do?” Lambert questioned. “She would be excellent. She is excellent in what she does, and she’s focused and driven. That’s sort of a good reminder for all of us. But also, I shall never be Beyoncé,” she said, laughing. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

For Fordham grads Dana Covarrubias and Lilian Rebelo, working on the stylish murder mystery comedy Only Murders in the Building—alongside stars Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, and Martin Short—has been a killer experience. The show, which gives its three podcaster lead characters a new murder to solve each season, has earned critical praise and devoted fans both for its striking design and comedic performances.

Costuming the ‘Best-Dressed Show on TV’

Growing up in San Antonio, Texas, Covarrubias was “obsessed with clothes and fabric.”

“Most parents take their kids to a playground to play, and my parents took me to the mall,” she half-jokes. “I would hide in the clothing racks and just rub all the fabrics on my face.”

Covarrubias also became obsessed with theater as a sixth grader, and once she arrived at Fordham, the interdisciplinary nature of Fordham Theatre allowed her to work both behind the scenes and onstage. During her junior year, a friend who was directing a show asked her to do costume designs, and she says she “started falling in love with it more and more.”

After graduating in 2007, Covarrubias got an internship in the costume department of the sketch comedy show The Whitest Kids U’ Know. “My very first day on that job, I walked in and I saw a bunch of costume crew members building a giant bear costume, and they were just covered in brown fur and had glue guns and they seemed like they were having the best time,” she recalls. “And I was like, ‘Oh, you can get paid to do this.’”

Covarrubias spent the next decade-plus designing for critically acclaimed shows like Master of None, Claws, and Ramy. It was in 2020 that her agent told her about an opportunity: a new series starring Gomez, Martin, and Short that would follow their characters as they try to solve a series of murders via their true crime podcast.

“Once I found out who the cast was, I was trying not to freak out,” she says. “But then once I got the call that I was hired, the line producer of season one was like, ‘Oh my God, can you believe we get to work with Steve Martin and Martin Short? This is insane.’ And that was the first time I let myself be like, ‘I can’t believe this is happening.’” As the lead costume designer of the show, Covarrubias has been nominated for three Emmys, and the characters’ outfits have attracted a fanbase all their own. Gomez’s in particular have inspired fawning coverage from Vogue, Elle, and W—all of which touched on viewers’ longing for her looks—and Defector called the series the “best-dressed show on TV.”

Design Guided by the Search for Connection

Covarrubias’ approach to designing the series is guided by the idea that it’s a show about people trying to find connection, she says, and the original script gave some character traits that influenced costume choices off the bat.

Martin’s character Charles, for instance, makes the same omelet every day, so Covarrubias knew he would find comfort in sameness and would have a limited color palette. Short’s Putnam, on the other hand, is a theater director and a narcissist, and Covarrubias knew his costumes would have to be showier and more colorful.

For Covarrubias, the job as lead costume designer—while it includes everything from creating a season’s mood boards to shopping to being on set to monitor every new costume as it’s introduced—often starts with creating relationships, “knowing how to interact with the producers and the directors and having those creative conversations, and then [building] your relationship with the actors.”

“As a costume designer, you’re often the first person that an actor is meeting when they come to the job,” she says. “You have that responsibility and you represent the show in a lot of ways.”

An Actress’s ‘Dream Project’

In the show’s fourth season, one of those actors was Rebelo, a 2021 Fordham Theatre graduate who played Ana, the daughter in a family that occupies an apartment in the somewhat mysterious western wing of the titular building.

She was drawn to Fordham, like Covarrubias, because of the holistic style of learning she could bring to her acting training.

“I really love learning and I love school, so going somewhere that would allow me to keep learning other things alongside my acting was really important to me,” says Rebelo, who also majored in Latin American and Latino studies. “I find it makes you a better actor, makes you a better person, to be able to know a little bit of everything.”

After graduating during a mid-pandemic lull in acting jobs, Rebelo stayed sharp by doing as many readings, workshops, and auditions as she could while working survival gigs. The New Jersey native had gotten an agent from her senior showcase at Fordham, and in the summer of 2023, landed what she says was her biggest job to date at the time, a role in the West Coast premiere of My Dear Dead Drug Lord—a play from which she had performed a scene as part of her senior showcase.

Back in New York in early 2024, Rebelo got an email from her agency telling her there was an audition for season 4 of Only Murders. After a first reading over Zoom and a subsequent callback, Rebelo got word she landed the part. Filming began less than a month later, beginning what Rebelo calls a “dream project … start to finish.”

“I was acting around legends, literal legends,” she says. “Daphne Rubin-Vega is playing my mother, and I am just hanging out with her in the green room and talking to her. And then every time we were filming, I was sitting across the table from Martin Short and Selena Gomez and Steve Martin. I was just trying to soak it all up.”

Rebelo, who just wrapped up a role in The Irrepressible Magic of the Tropics at INTAR Theatre in Manhattan—where she interned as a Fordham student—says that one of the most memorable experiences of her time on Only Murders came at the very beginning of filming: her first costume fitting with Covarrubias and her team.

“They kept putting me in all these outfits and I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is awesome,’” she says. “I felt like the coolest person on earth.”