MMC Adjunct Professors Bring Real-World Experience Into the Classroom

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Communication Arts Kenneth Crab, Ph.D., and communication arts major Barry Nelson ’11 watch and discuss the 1960 classic Psycho.

Adjunct Instructor in Dance Kristina Berger, B.A., teaches Modern Dance II. During her eight years at MMC, Berger, a principal dancer with the Erick Hawkins Dance Company and performer with many other troupes in the United States, Europe and Asia, has fostered the growth and improvement of many dance students. 

“The level of the dancers at Marymount Manhattan College keeps escalating,” Berger said. “The respect, dedication and true hunger for learning remains constant, and that is incredibly refreshing as a teacher.” 

Berger’s alumni fill many roles in the dance community. Christina Ilisije ’07 and Lauren Jaeger ’08, for example, are members of the critically-acclaimed Buglisi Dance Theatre in New York City. Jaeger also teaches with Berger at the Steffi Nossen School of Dance in White Plains, N.Y. 

Adjunct Instructor in Speech-Language Pathology/Audiology Deanna Twain, M.F.A., advises sociology major Nicole Pinhas ’13.

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Communication Arts Kenneth Crab, Ph.D., has taught at MMC since 2005. Crab teaches a variety of classes, including Manhattan Movie Experience, in which students examine films made in New York City. 

“We study how New York City features as a character, rather than just background, in the films under scrutiny,” Crab said. “We look at how the city is integrated into the narratives we analyze, and how this relationship of a unique urban environment to the movies has evolved over the course of film history.” 

Crab’s students have visited the Museum of the Moving Image and have also attended presentations at the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting. 

Adjunct Assistant Professor of International Studies Amit Bhattacharyya, Ph.D., will teach Population and Development in spring 2010. Bhattacharyya notes the confrontation of terrorism, strengthening the United Nations and the World Bank and managing the technology revolution as important topics in international studies. 

Bhattacharyya has lived and worked in many different countries, bringing a global perspective to his students. His experience enables him to advise students pursuing careers in international relations. 

“[My] students are imbued with idealism, and are frequently inspired by the examples and lessons that I discuss,” said Bhattacharyya, a retired United Nations Civil Servant. “Students come to me for advice on pursuing careers in public service both domestically and internationally.” 

Adjunct Instructor in Speech-Language Pathology/Audiology Deanna Twain, M.F.A., teaches Writing in the Liberal Arts and two levels of American Sign Language (ASL). Twain has established internships to give selected students who have completed her second-level class opportunities to work with the deaf community. 

Under Twain’s supervision, students commit to at least 110 hours of work per semester at organizations serving deaf persons. They meet with her once per week to discuss their experiences, and Twain remains in close touch with on-site supervisors to ensure students meet their commitments. 

“One of the purposes of these internships is to give students hands-on experience working within the deaf community and putting their signing to work,” said Twain, a certified ASL interpreter who is in her 10th year as a member of the adjunct faculty. “Students are placed within organizations where deaf New Yorkers are looking for jobs. Our students help them look for jobs, help them with résumés and then actually go on interviews with them either to interpret or facilitate. This is a service that usually is not provided by the interviewers.” 

“In addition to bringing our expertise and knowledge of our subjects into the classroom, we can not help but bring in the excitement, challenges and ideas that we face in our working world,” said Twain, regarding her role as an adjunct professor. “I often raise an issue that I have dealt with and apply it creatively to an in-class discussion, and it never fails to generate a spark of new and fresh thinking from my students.” 

Adjunct Professor of Business Management Anthony N. Corrao, M.B.A., provides insight to his students from more than 20 years of experience in financial services. Corrao taught Introduction to Management in fall 2009. He has worked for major Wall Street firms including Prudential-Bache, Citigroup/Smith-Barney and, currently, Oppenheimer and Co. 

“Wall Street is a fast-paced, stressful environment,” Corrao said. “Little mistakes can cause large financial errors, so it’s important to be attentive and detail-oriented.” 

Diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma (a cancer) as a child, Corrao is a survivor of nearly 40 years. He relishes the opportunity to share his professional expertise with students. 

“Adjunct professors gain a real sense of satisfaction from sharing with students the knowledge we have gained over the years,” said Corrao, a recipient of a Teaching Recognition Award in Business Management at MMC Honors Day 2009. “I believe my experience outside of academia has made me a better professor and that students have benefitted from that.”

Marymount Manhattan College is an urban, independent, liberal arts college. The mission of the College is to educate a socially and economically diverse student body by fostering intellectual achievement and personal growth and by providing opportunities for career development.

Published: December 18, 2009