Touro’s Seventh Annual Research Day

Photo by Sara Tabaei

On Tuesday, May 1, 2018, Touro College held its seventh annual Research Day at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine/Touro College of Pharmacy campus in Harlem.  Not only was this day a great opportunity for faculty and students to showcase their recent research in the form of poster presentations, it was also an opportunity to hear some renowned keynote speakers sharing their most recent research with our students, faculty, deans, and senior administration. 

In his welcoming note, Touro President Dr. Alan Kadish shared a story of a very young patient who had a rare disease called Batten disease. He went on to explain that though there is no cure for the disease yet, the doctors of this patient used translational research to stabilize the patient. Translational research is, according to Wikipedia, a rapidly growing discipline in biomedical research that applies findings from basic science to enhance human health and well-being. It aims to “translate” findings in fundamental research into medical practice and meaningful health outcomes to expedite the discovery of new diagnostic tools and treatments. With this story, Dr. Kadish conveyed how quickly science can progress when motivation and creativity exist.

Remembering Professor Richard Green

Brooklyn Botanic Garden (Photo by Richard Green)

Richard Green, one of the most beloved faculty members at Touro College, passed away quite un-expectantly in February 2015. Two years have passed but I still vividly remember his intense eyes, rich voice, and most importantly his passion for his students and teaching. His constant mission to find better ways of teaching and making learning easier and more pleasant was contagious. After every rather overwhelming conversation with him, I would get revitalized and would start thinking of how we could improve our teaching methods in the library so students better understand and take advantage of the many resources available to them for free.

Guest Post: Roles of Women in Academic Leadership

Panelists and attendees at the Women’s Leadership Council Panel Discussion

On Tuesday, March 8, 2016, the Women’s Leadership Council of Touro College sponsored a panel discussion entitled, “Roles of Women in Academic Leadership.”  This outstanding event celebrated National Women’s History Month, which is observed during March in recognition of women’s many accomplishments throughout history.  The extraordinary panel featured four Touro College women executives: Vice Presidents Nadja Graff, Eva Spinelli-Sexter, Marian Stoltz-Loike, and Dean Sabra Brock.  I, Dean Donne Kampel, moderated the event.  The five of us came together to describe our career experiences in higher education to a packed audience of women and men from inside and outside of the organization. Many women came to the event to learn more about how to become leaders and perhaps the secrets to success of the women who were discussing their careers.  

The Wayback Machine: Touro Library Homepage

Back to the beginning: The library website in 1998 (All images courtesy of the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine)

If you haven’t yet heard, we’re about to launch an updated, totally redesigned and mobile-friendly version of our library website. In preparation for its reveal, I thought I’d look back over the decades to see how the library homepage has evolved. Our website has gone through many incarnations since its inception in 1995. The first version I could dig up (shared here before) featured just ten links and a punchy hot pink welcome in to students in 1998.

Over One Million Hits

Over 1 million page views for Touro’s Encyclopedia of the Founders and Builders of Israel

Four years ago Touro College Libraries debuted its digitization of David Tidhar’s 19-volume Encyclopedia of the Founders and Builders of Israel, which can be found at www.tidhar.tourolib.org. This valuable resource is used by scholars and historians worldwide as well as by the Touro community. Recently, the Encyclopedia reached 1 million hits, and the views continue to grow.

The TCL Time Machine: The Long and Short of it

Getting started in the Archives, with over 60 very large cartons…and a stack of steno pads, seen at lower right in the foreground.

When I first began organizing the papers of Touro College founder Rabbi Dr. Bernard Lander, I was faced with a variety of documents and information, in an array of formats spanning several decades. Not surprisingly for an institution which started in the 1970s, much of the early history was on paper – photocopies, typewritten originals and handwritten, or longhand notes.

The TCL Time Machine: Smells like Teen Spirits

As we’ve seen in previous posts, Touro’s first library at 30 West 44^th street in Manhattan’s Clubhouse District mirrored the growth of the school itself, starting out small but quickly picking up steam and showing signs of bigger and better things to come.

Site Profile: 65 Broadway Library

The library at 65 Broadway is one of the newest libraries to open in the Touro system. The library opened in May 2009 at the Graduate School of Business and has since been serving students and faculty not only by helping meet their information needs, but also by providing a quiet, relaxing space to work.

The TCL Time Machine: Stepping Up to the Plate

In the spring of 1975, Touro College saw its first class of 41 men graduate.  That fall, as the young school entered its fifth year, designs were submitted for custom bookplates to be used in the steadily growing library. Rough sketches found in the Touro Archives show some of the designs that did not make the cut:

The TCL Time Machine: A Piece of Dr. Alan Kadish’s Past, Discovered in the Touro College Archives

The personal Judaica collection of Touro College’s founder and long-standing first President, Rabbi Dr. Bernard Lander, is available for all to use at the Lander College for Men in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens.

Shortly after the passing of Touro College founder and long-time President Rabbi Dr. Bernard Lander, of blessed memory, the Touro College Libraries were privileged to receive his personal library as a donation from the Lander family. His Judaica books were cataloged and given their rightful place of honor at the Lander College for Men.