Ramapo Magazine

Faculty in the News

The New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame named Philip Anderson, Ph.D., professor of physics, a New Jersey Inventor of the Year for 2001. The awards ceremony took place in February at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Anderson has twenty-nine U.S. patents and more than one hundred patents worldwide, covering amorphous metals, sensors, and medical, automotive, and security devices.

Those ubiquitous white plastic security tags hanging from garments in stores are a component of an electronic surveillance system Anderson invented. This invention helps prevent theft, but has also been modified by hospitals to protect babies from possible abduction, and to prevent patients from wandering away from a convalescent or psychiatric facility. Owners of discount, variety, home improvement, hardware, entertainment, and specialty stores say Anderson’s invention is their top choice for security.

Daniela Buna, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics, is a recipient of the Fatima El-Fehria International Award for Women in Science, given to two women annually by the Women in Science International League in recognition of achievements in the fields of science, technology, and medicine. Buna was recognized for her outstanding contributions in physics, scientific research, and education, and particularly for developing diagnostic imaging protocols.

The awards are named for Fatima El-Fehria, a Moroccan woman who, over 1,200 years ago, donated all her money to build the Karaouiyine University in Fez-Morocco, considered to be the first university ever established. Buna was given the award in a ceremony at the United Nations by Princess Dr. Nisreen El-Hashemite, executive director of the Royal Academy of Science International Trust, and Dr. Farouk El-Baz of the Third World Academy of Science.

Rosetta D’Angelo, professor of Italian studies and literature, visited a “container school” in South Africa with local teachers and representatives of the board of education.

Rosetta D’Angelo, Ph.D., professor of Italian studies and literature, joined a People to People Ambassador delegation of multicultural/multilingual educators to examine the role of language and culture in the emergence of the new South Africa and its educational system. The delegation visited universities in Pretoria and Cape Town as well as boards of educations and schools, including “container schools,” where children, mostly Zulu, are schooled in industrial-style containers like one might see in a shipyard. On a visit to Robben Island, delegates learned first-hand about the treatment of political dissidents under Apartheid and met Ahmed Kathrada, friend and colleague of Nelson Mandela, and author of Letters from Robben Island.

Henry Frundt, Ph.D., professor of urban sociology, recently received two prestigious awards for his book, Trade Conditions and Labor Rights: U.S. Initiatives, Dominican and Central American Responses. The Latin American Studies Association’s Labor Section selected it as the best book published on the subject between 1998-2000. In addition, the Middle Atlantic Council of Latin American Studies awarded it the Arthur P. Whitaker Prize for the best book published on all subjects between 1998-1999.