TCNJ faculty make an impact on what New Jersey’s K–12 students will learn. Continue Reading
Category Archives: The Prairie
Time of his life
Swimmer wins gold at NCAAs. James McChesney ’24 touched the final wall of his 200-meter freestyle swim and popped his head out of the water to see the scoreboard. His time: 1:34:74. Fast enough to be the Division III NCAA national champ. Fast enough to break an NCAA record. And fast enough to be the… Continue Reading
How I Got Here: Julia Mayernik ’24
No matter her pursuit, TCNJ’s softball backstop has home covered. My family comes first. We are each other’s biggest cheerleaders when it comes to any accomplishment. There’s so much pride in all that our family has achieved. My sister played softball at TCNJ before me, and my family and I watched her from the bleachers… Continue Reading
Two for the road
We caught wind of two alumni who participated in athletic feats of endurance this fall. Thomas Ruggia ’98, CEO of Samsara Vision and TCNJ Foundation board member, completed the Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Heather Fehn ’94, MA ’96, the college’s chief of staff to the president, finished the Berlin (Germany) Marathon, which is… Continue Reading
How I Got Here: Michael Bussanich ’25
Goaltending for a Division I club ice hockey team is a childhood pipe dream come true. My dad took me to see the New York Rangers play the New Jersey Devils when I was 6 years old. Henrik Lundqvist was the Rangers’ goalie. His play was so athletic and he made a lot of flashy… Continue Reading
A scholarly road
Barbara Gitenstein writes a memoir of the life that set her up to lead. Throughout her life, R. Barbara Gitenstein, former president of TCNJ, has held books and scholarship in the highest esteem. Her pursuits since she retired from the college in 2018 indicate she still does. She recently published a memoir; and she and… Continue Reading
Making room for animals
A growing number of students turn to pets for comfort. Kaela Edwards ’23 started her college career rather uneventfully. She was a public health major and a member of the TCNJ trackand field team. Despite having some mild depression and social anxiety inhigh school, she settled in well to thecollege experience. But early in her… Continue Reading
From TCNJ to the state’s top teacher
Christine Girtain ’94 leads the way in science education. When Christine (Stenzel) Girtain ’94 won the 2022–23 New Jersey State Teacher of the Year she felt it validated the hard work she’s put into her 28-year career as a science teacher in the Toms River Regional School District. In her role as director of authentic… Continue Reading
Lioness leaders
Meet TCNJ’s academic deans. A first for the college, they are all female. 1. Sunita Kramer, Science “Science has become more specialized as our knowledge has advanced. Addressing the most complex societal problems will require collaboration and opportunities for students to engage in creative, cross-disciplinary problem-solving.” Fun fact: “I love to grow plants, vegetables, and… Continue Reading
How I Got Here: Addison Savela
At the intersection of brains and brawn is TCNJ’s strength and conditioning coach. I am half meathead, half exercise scientist. I like to lift big, but I also want to do it the right way so that I don’t burn myself or my athletes out. I was always a big kid. As a high school… Continue Reading