Fellows of the 2010 Class

Ph.D., Philosophy, New York University

Associate Professor and Chairperson

Philosophical ethics in biomedical issues, particularly embryonic stem cell research. The ethical dimensions of world hunger and poverty.

“As a Vincentian Fellow, service learning is an integral part of my ethics’ courses. I credit its inclusion to the Vincentian Fellows for having inspired me to make students more keenly aware of issues plaguing our society and enable them to become life-long agents of positive social change. Interacting with other fellows has reinforced my belief that solutions to existing social problems surpass the scope of any one discipline.”

St. John's University

Dr. Weber holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from New York University and is currently an Associate Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Division of Humanities in the College of Professional Studies. She was named a Vincentian Research Fellow in 2010. Dr. Webber has done significant research in the area of philosophical ethics with an emphasis on the moral issue of suicide. Presently, her research is focused on biomedical issues, particularly embryonic stem cell research. Dr. Webber has published and presented widely and has served on numerous committees both within and outside of the University.

Pharm.D., Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, St. John’s University, NY

Associate Clinical Professor and Assistant Dean for Experiential Pharmacy Education

St. John's University

Dr. Kanmaz earned her Doctor of Pharmacy at St. John’s University, where she has served since 1996 with an interim three-year appointment as clinical science manager at Abbott Virology Laboratories. She is currently the Assistant Dean for Experiential Pharmacy Education and Associate Clinical Professor in the College of Pharmacy at St. John's University. She has received several grants directed toward the care of patients with HIV/AIDS and disadvantaged persons in high poverty situations. Dr. Kanmaz most recently reported on the controversies regarding cancer screening recommendations. She is also a certified Smoking Cessation Counselor. Dr. Kanmaz has provided leadership to several internal committees and the Accreditation Council for the Pharmacy Education Steering Committee. She joined the Vincentian Research Fellows in the Class of 2010.

Ph.D., Business Education with an area of concentration in Management, New York University

Associate Professor & Chair

Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, Poverty, and Social Justice from a business perspective

“I feel very fortunate and honored to be appointed as a Vincentian Research Fellow. It has enabled me to improve my teaching by allowing me to implement and evaluate innovative teaching techniques by developing a new perspective to my course work and classroom strategies. I am better able to introduce my business students to social justice issues.”

St. John's University

Dr. Forte earned her Ph.D. in Business Education with a concentration in Management from New York University and joined the faculty of St. Johns in 1994. She was named a Vincentian Research Fellow in 2010. Dr. Forte has focused her research and her writing on issues of Business Ethics and Corporate Responsibility with special emphasis on moral reasoning of managers as influenced by age, gender, and education. She received a Senior Specialist Fulbright Award and spent the summer of 2008 in Italy. She has presented papers internationally and is a frequent presenter at the Annual International Vincentian Business Ethics Conference.

Ph.D., Biological Oceanography, The City College of New York, CUNY.

Associate Professor

St. John's University

Dr. Cantelmo earned his Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography at the City University of New York and was named a Vincentian Research Fellow in 2010. He has received several awards for his course development and teaching. For example, his course in Ecological Principles was selected by the Center for Educational Policy Research (CERP) as a model of best practice for Advanced Placement Environmental Science. Furthermore, Dr. Cantelmo is recognized as an innovator in the development of science methodologies and programming for various age groups and community members. Before joining academe, Dr. Cantelmo was an ecologist at Texas Instruments and developed a biological database for the Hudson River. Currently, he serves as an Environmental Advisor to the Holy See Mission to the UN as part of the Faculty Expert Program of the Vincentian Center and is active on the Board of Directors of “Soundwaters.”

J.D. Brooklyn Law School

Associate Professor
Director of the Child Advocacy Clinic

St. John's University

A graduate of Hunter College of the City University of New York, Professor Baum earned her law degree with distinction from Brooklyn Law School. Jennifer served as a senior staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society Civil Law Reform Unit in New York where she litigated law reform cases, provided legal support to advocates, and conducted legal training for poverty law practitioners. Her law reform litigation resulted in the creation of a New York City policy ensuring appropriate provision of medication to detained children. She is the co-founder and co-director of the Immigrant Children’s Justice Project, a collaborative program involving the Child Advocacy Clinic and the Immigration Clinic at St. John’s School of Law. This collaboration recently achieved a ground breaking result concerning the rights of detained children to seek protection of the Family Court in matters of abuse or neglect. (In re Daniel T.H. (2nd Dept, 2011)). She is currently associate professor of Clinical Legal Education, the Director of the Child Advocacy Clinic, and a Vincentian Research Fellow, Class of 2010.

Ph.D., Economics, City University of New York , Graduate Center

Professor
Academic Director of the Financial Services Institute

At present time, I have been working with Prof. Silliman on a project of taxation policy that should reduce the boom and bust cycles (especially in housing). While this is not a topic specifically related to poverty, it is related to sustainability.

“As I recently became a Research Fellow, attending programs sponsored by the Vincentian Center has certainly enriched my lectures by adding the focus on poverty and ways to lift oneself out of it.”

St. John's University

Dr. Tomic earned his doctorate in economics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Dr. Tomic joined the Economics Department of The Peter J. Tobin College of Business at St. John's University in 1987. Presently, he is a Professor of Economics at the Tobin College of Business and serves as the Director of the Financial Services Institute; the mission of this institute is to promote knowledge, research, and understanding of financial services. This mission is delivered in the annual conference that the Institute organizes. Dr. Tomic is also the editor of the peer-reviewed journal The Review of Business, a publication of the Tobin College of Business. The Review of Business includes articles from all business disciplines, and its goal is to attract additional articles with respect to microfinance and poverty. Before joining St. John’s University, Dr. Tomic served in the commercial world by working for a commodity trading firm as well as serving as a consultant for the Petroleum Industry Research Associates. He has published and presented widely on a range of economic topics including mergers and acquisitions, privatization, and dollarization, and he focuses much of his work on global issues and trends. Dr. Tomic was awarded a Fulbright in 2000, and he has also been the Regional Editor and on the Board of Directors for the Global Business and Technology Association.