Excellence in Education Leadership

Sister Mary Amelia Cetera, O.P. ‘54

Sister Amelia Cetera has become a legend in the Education Department at Caldwell College, where she still continues her work.  For over four decades she has devoted her efforts to the development of outstanding teachers. Her former students quickly recall the innovative and practical methods she gave them, and their effectiveness throughout their careers.

Sister Amelia has worn many hats in her career, some simultaneously.  From 1958-69, she was Director and Instructor of the Caldwell College Reading Center.  From 1969-78, she was Chairperson of the Education Department, as well as Supervisor of student interns and teachers.  At this time, she also held the position of Coordinating Supervisor of Dominican Schools. Over the next six years, Sister Amelia served as Administrator at Mt. St. Dominic Academy in Caldwell and Our Lady of Lourdes in Mountainside. In 1985, she returned to campus as an academic advisor in Continuing Education and in 1989, she became Assistant for Placement Services and a professor in the Education Department.  Although she became part time in 1998, she continued to supervise our student teachers in the surrounding districts. Today, Sister Amelia is the staff member who screens all applicants to the Education program, including review of student credentials, interview and advisement.

Beyond chronology and titles, what has made Sister Amelia legendary are her accomplishments.  She designed first the B.A. in Education, then a B.A. in Early Childhood Education. She developed the internship program in collaboration with Caldwell/West Caldwell Public Schools.  Sister Amelia served as college advisor for the honorary professional education fraternity, Kappa Delta Epsilon and founded the Gamma Gamma Chapter of that fraternity at Caldwell. She has presented at numerous conferences and has served on professional boards, in addition to her membership in professional organizations.

Alumnae who were not Education majors remember Sister Amelia as the Dean of Residence (nine years) or Sodality Moderator (eighteen years).  Her characteristic humility and quiet advice endeared her to many students. Faculty and staff have appreciated her diligence and empathy for children and have learned from her serenity in times of conflict.

Sister Amelia received her B.A. in English from Caldwell, her M.A. in Elementary Education from Seton Hall University, and completed doctoral studies in Curriculum and Teaching from Columbia University.  She holds certifications as Teacher of English, Teacher of Social Studies, Elementary School Teacher and School Administrator.

Excellence in Human Resources

Irene M. Sinteff ‘73

Irene loves the excitement, challenge and adventure of change which has led to a career in Human Resources with roles in education, manufacturing, high tech, biotech, services and healthcare.  She enjoys building relationships and working with people from diverse cultures, educational backgrounds and motivations.

Irene changed from teaching and recruiting roles in education to managing computer-based learning and testing centers for Control Data, a cutting edge training technology in 1981.  Organizational change led her to Human Resources Management positions with CMS/Volex and a unit of Pharmacy Corporation of America which drew on her skills in Spanish, teaching and management. In 1991 she earned the Professional in Human Resources certification.  As organizational needs shifted, Irene was hiring, training and redeploying employees and researching the relatively new field of outplacement counseling.

In 1996 Irene realized the dream of serving in Peace Corps.   She taught human resources, change management and career transition in the Russian Far East.

Since 1998, Irene has managed a portfolio career which includes training and career consulting for Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH) and Tandem Training & Consulting.  Irene dusted off her teaching license and used her human resources background to guide a private career business school through reaccreditation and a transition after an acquisition.  She recruited for a biotech start-up and healthcare organization and managed a Federal Grant-funded Career Center. For LHH, Irene has managed several Career Centers. One earned the 2008 President’s Award.  Irene regularly teaches college courses and workshops. In a new endeavor Irene is facilitating a public job search networking group. Education, human resources and change management are the threads that link the roles.

After receiving her B.A. in Spanish and Education at Caldwell College, Irene obtained an M.A. in Spanish Literature from Ohio University, a M.Ed. in Counseling from Bridgewater State College (Bridgewater, MA), a graduate certificate in Management from the University of Hartford (CT) and a Certificate in Human Resources from Stonehill College (Easton, MA).

In her free time, Irene teaches skiing to persons with visual impairments, autism or developmental delays with Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sport.  She is a Toastmaster and an active member of professional associations. Irene and her husband, working to meet the third goal of Peace Corps to bring knowledge learned in service back home, have hosted over 50 guests from former Soviet countries visiting the U.S. through Community Connections programs.

Excellence in Student Affairs in Higher Education

Patrick Lamy, Ph.D ‘91

Patrick Lamy has spent the past eighteen years developing and demonstrating leadership in many areas of student affairs in higher education.

Patrick started his career as a Counselor/Summer Program Resident Director for the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) at Caldwell College in 1990, while finishing his own degree.  He accepted the position of Resident Area Director at Bloomfield College in 1992. Since 1992, Patrick held several positions at Bloomfield College which included: Residence Life Coordinator in 1993; EOF Counselor/Coordinator at the Tutorial Services for the Educational Opportunity Fund in 1996; Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Officer for the College since 2000.

Patrick was named Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students in 2004.  As a member of the President’s Executive Team, Patrick provides leadership for 84 full and part-time employees within the Division of Student Affairs.  He joins the Executive Team in long-range strategic planning for the College, and organization and development of varying aspects of campus life. He coordinates investigative inquires about student satisfaction and performance and provides direction for recruiting and retaining students, marketing college programs, and developing outreach programs to enhance  global awareness and cultural diversity among a very diverse student body. Patrick has also served as Adjunct Faculty/Instructor at Seton Hall University and Bloomfield College.

Although both of Patrick’s parents did not have high school level education, they were quite familiar with the value of education, and perceived educational achievement as the foundation for life success.  Patrick inherited his passion for education from his parents, and is a sound advocate of educational opportunity, particularly for students from disadvantaged economic backgrounds. He has pledged his life’s work in this area, and perceives his interactions with students as the most rewarding experiences of his profession.  He is married to Tami Nobles-Lamy who is also an alumna of Caldwell College.

In 1991, Patrick received his Bachelors of Arts degree in Biology from Caldwell College followed by a Masters of Arts in Education and Human Services from Montclair State University and a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Seton Hall University.  Patrick is very active in the broader Essex County Community where he serves as a mentor to several young men and women in high school and in college. He is a recognized member of Who’s Who Among American Colleges and Universities Professionals; American College Personnel Association; American Counseling Association; and the Association for the Study of Higher Education.  He is a member of the Editorial Board for the Leadership Exchange Journal from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators; the previous member of the several conference planning committees for the American Association of Colleges and Universities and the New Jersey Association for Affirmative Action in Higher Education. Patrick has written and co-authored numerous essays and articles and has presented at several national and local conferences.  Some of Patrick’s scholarly interests include strategies to bridge the cultural divide between academic affairs and student affairs; collaborations to strengthen student-centered learning; and research on retention of first-generation college students.