Department of Mass Communication

Adjunct Faculty Members - Department of Mass Communication

 

Tom Callahan

Tom Callahan is an award-winning reporter with over 20 years experience writing for THE NEW YORK TIMES and numerous national magazines. He has been an adjunct professor of Mass Communications at Iona College since 1996 and has almost three decades experience as a teacher on both the high school and college level.

As a free-lance journalist, Callahan worked for both the business and regional section of THE TIMES, writing over 120 articles for the Westchester section. Before THE TIMES, he worked as a free-lance reporter for the Westchester Gannett newspapers, specifically for the Sunday supplement. He also has extensive experience as a writer for national publications. Since 1989, he has been a contributor to PARADE MAGAZINE, the largest circulation publication in the United States with a readership of 71 million. He worked for 16 years as a contributing editor of a lifestyle magazine. He has written over 250 articles for national publications, including AMERICAN HERITAGE, BETTER HOMES, McCALL'S and THE WRITER.

In addition, Callahan is the co-author of two history books published by READER'S DIGEST GENERAL BOOKS. He did numerous writing assignments for THE DIGEST over a ten year period. His agent is currently trying to sell a non-fiction book proposal which would become a major work of investigative reporting, as well as a novel.

In 1987, Callahan received the Catholic Press Association Award for Best Feature Reporting. In 1997, he was nominated for a Robert F. Kennedy Award for a feature article he published in PARADE.

As a reporter, Callahan has covered a wide variety of subject areas, from politics to business to music to sports. He has also done every kind of reporting, from news to features to Internet work. He has also done corporate and nonprofit writing for organizations including IBM, ITT, the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation.

At Iona, Callahan has taught both graduate and undergraduate courses in journalism. The courses he has taught include news reporting and writing, feature writing, on-line journalism and advanced news reporting. He earned his masters degree in communications from Fordham University and his undergraduate degree from Manhattan College. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the American Society of Journalists and Authors.

John Driver

John Driver has had an unusually diverse and distinguished career starting in the original Broadway company of “Grease” and as Bill in “Over Here” (Theater World Award). On Broadway he directed “Teddy & Alice,” “Shakespeare’s Cabaret,” Off Broadway he directed, co-wrote, co-starred in “Scrambled Feet” and his production of the “The Immigrant” won an Obie for outstanding leading actor. Recently his production of “Trapped Family Singers” at the NYFringe won the award for outstanding performer. And this season he directed “Hot and Sweet” the largest production at the New York Music Theatre Festival at St Clements with a cast of 28, including Tony Award winner Katie Finneran and Lea Michele, current star of “Spring Awakening.” As an author he is an alum of BMI’s Composer, Lyricist and Librettist’s workshops and co-authored “Chekhov in Yalta” (Los Angeles Drama Critic’s Award) and the musical “Crazy Like a Daisy” based on the novel “Lisa & David.” For Fox Television he is a former Coordinating Producer of “America’s Most Wanted,” and for ABC he directed all 13 episodes of the series “Jelly Bean Jungle.” For MCA universal he directed Ace award winners “Alice in Wonderland,” and “Red Shoes.” He has staged multi-million dollar live and mixed media events all over the world in such venues as the Atlanta and Honolulu Convention Centers, and the grand ballrooms of Claridges in London and Prague Castle. His documentary “The Life of a Cooperative Community” won Best Feature Documentary in the 2006 North East Cable Television Awards. As Co-artistic director of Innovative Stages where he has guided the embryonic development of 50+ new plays and musicals and is currently Co-Executive Producer and Co-Creator of a new 3-D animated children’s’ series for Inspired productions. He can be seen on television as a recurring Guest Star playing Federal Prosecutor Gervitz and Police Commissioner Morris in the innumerable reruns of “Law & Order” and “Law & Order SVU.”

Mary Durkin

Mary Durkin is Vice President of Marketing for Delahaye, the research division of Medialink Worldwide. She brings over 20 years of experience having spent most of that time in national marketing and communications at Deloitte and Touche. Before joining Delahaye, Mary was Director of Marketing for a high-tech professional services firm focused on the development of enterprise-wide information portals. She has a Masters Degree from the College of New Rochelle in N.Y., and a BA degree from the City University of New York. She is an adjunct professor for the Marketing Graduate School at Mercy College, in Dobbs Ferry N.Y., and an adjunct professor in the Mass Communication Department at Iona College. Mary is also a member-of –the-board for the International Association of Business Communicators’ (IABC) Connecticut chapter.

J. Thomas Failla

J. Thomas Failla, BA, Political Science, Central Connecticut State, MBA, University of New Haven. Mr. Failla’s insights into the field of mass communications are based on the leadership roles he has held in major corporations, higher education and local government.
His career started in journalism in 1968 for daily newspapers and later the Associated Press, where he specialized in reporting on energy and environmental issues.

In 1976, he began his association with corporations. Until 1998, he was either an executive or consultant serving such companies as AMAX, American Airlines, Bayer, Perrier Group of America, Purdue Frederick and Union Carbide. For many of those years, he was also a guest lecturer on the media and mass communications at Fairfield University, the University of Connecticut, Central and Western Connecticut State universities.

In 1998, he was appointed director of Business and Industry Services and the Workforce Education Institute at Norwalk Community College where he also teaches business and political science courses. He continues in those capacities currently.

In 2002, he was appointed adjunct assistant professor at Iona College in New Rochelle, N.Y. where he teaches a graduate level seminar on Propaganda and Persuasion for the Department of Mass Communications.

Mr. Failla is also chairman of the Conservation Commission in Weston, Conn. where he has served on town land use boards and commissions since 1989.

His specific expertise includes: journalism and mass communication, public relations, the internet, scientific and technical writing, training and organizational development, environmental regulation and public policy.

Gerald McKinstry

Gerald McKinstry has been a professor of journalism at the college since 2003. He is a staff writer for The Journal News in Rockland County where he covers the Town of Orangetown, its five hamlets and four waterfront villages. Prior to that position he was editor of the Standard Star and Review Press, two weekly newspapers of The Journal News, covering Bronxville, Eastchester, Tuckahoe and New Rochelle. The Journal News is one of Gannett Co.’s daily newspapers covering Rockland, Putnam and Westchester counties. Gannett operates 101 daily newspapers in the United States, including USA Today.

During his tenure as editor, McKinstry won a New York Press Association award for editorial writing and managed a team of journalists that won awards for design, photography and coverage of local government. In 2004, McKinstry won Whitney Radio’s Media Award for providing a new voice in Westchester County. He’s won several Gannett Mighty Pen awards for commentary, editorial and news writing.

Prior to working full-time at the newspaper, he was a freelance sports writer, covering local sports and writing features. Before starting his journalism career, he worked in municipal government and not-for-profits.

He earned a master’s degree in journalism from Iona College and has a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from Manhattan College. He has also studied at The Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College.

A native of Yonkers, N.Y., he lives in Manhattan with his wife, Amy.

Michael G. Meaney

Michael G. Meaney, a longtime Westchester reporter and editor, is assistant metro editor/central Westchester for The Journal News, the Gannett Co. Inc.’s daily newspaper for Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties. He directs coverage of municipal and community news in 18 cities, towns and villages, including White Plains, Port Chester, Tarrytown, Scarsdale and Greenburgh. He also occasionally reports for the newspaper.
Gannett is the nation's largest newspaper company, with 101 daily papers, including USA Today.

An adjunct assistant professor, Mike has taught News Reporting and Writing in Iona’s graduate journalism program and Journalism in the undergraduate program.

Education: Bachelor of Arts in English from Fordham University, Master of Arts in Communication from Iona.

Native of: Brooklyn, N.Y. Now lives in Westchester County.

Jeanne M. Salvatore

As Vice President of Consumer Affairs for the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I), Jeanne Salvatore plays a highly public role in representing the Institute and the insurance industry.
Ms. Salvatore works closely with national and local media, appearing often on radio, TV and in print as a spokesperson for insurance-related issues that directly affect the consumer, both individual and commercial. She also serves as the industry liaison to numerous consumer, education, safety and community-based organizations, including the Consumer Federation of America, the National Consumers League and Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City and the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation.

Ms. Salvatore has fulfilled a variety of roles since joining I.I.I. in 1988. Among her earlier achievements, she became an expert on the issue of insurance fraud and was instrumental in the development of a national agenda to combat it, and co-authored Fighting the Hidden Crime: A National Agenda to Combat Insurance Fraud. She also has served as I.I.I.’s director of crisis communications, and produced a series of state-specific auto-safety conferences that culminated in a national conference. She also directed communications programs on insurance topics such as claim filing, disaster preparedness and home safety.

Before joining I.I.I., Jeanne was an account executive with Creative Programming, Inc., a New York-based film and video company, where she organized production activities for two cable TV series and produced infomercials and corporate videos. She was also sales and marketing representative in photographic services for Color by Pergament, Inc.

Ms. Salvatore is an active member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and served a president of the New York chapter in 2000. She holds a BA in English from Villanova University and an MA in Communications from Columbia University. She continues to be fascinated by the academic aspects of mass media, has created a series of seminars on media relations for PRSA-NY, and is an adjunct professor in the graduate school of Mass Communications at Iona College.

Jerome S. Silber

Jerome S. Silber has been an adjunct member of the Mass Comm faculty of Iona for 15 years. At Iona, he has taught Mass Communications Law & Ethics at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. In addition, Professor Silber has taught “Internet Law & Issues,” a graduate-level advanced seminar addressing the issues and implications of the on-line era. Professor Silber has supplemented his tenure at Iona by teaching at the New School for Social Research and at the College of New Rochelle.
Professor Silber received his BA from the City University of New York, cum laude, with highest departmental honors in Television/Radio. He went on to obtain a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Pennsylvania State University and a law degree from Pace University in White Plains. .

Currently Director of Law and Public Policy for MCI in Rye Brook, Professor Silber previously was a lawyer with the New York City law firm of Rosenman & Colin, where his practice covered FCC regulatory issues, mergers and acquisitions, antitrust issues, and counseling of broadcast stations and cable systems. He also has worked for ABC Radio News in a non-legal capacity.

Professor Silber’s thesis on the First Amendment rights of broadcasters was published as Journalism Monograph by the University of Kentucky.

Professor Silber has lectured before the National Association of Broadcasters, the International Radio & Television Society, and the Telecommunications Policy Conference Seminar.

Joe Staluppi

Joe Staluppi started his own company, Boom Advertising Inc. in 2007 and has been an adjunct instructor teaching Advertising Writing at Iona College since 2005.

Joe has been in the advertising business for over 25 years. He has worked at some of the top ad agencies in the New York area like Young & Rubicam, DMB&B, McCann Erickson, Bozell, J Walter Thompson and Brushfire. At these agencies he has created many brand building campaigns for clients such as Crest, Norelco, Pampers, Black & Decker, Mass Mutual, New Jersey Tourism and Lottery.

Joe is the recipient of over 50 creative awards including The One Show, The Clio, The ANDY, The ADDY, and The International Advertising Festival of NY Gold Medal. His advertising has appeared in the Communications Arts Advertising Annual and Adweek’s Best Spots.

A 1977 graduate of Pratt Institute, Joe resides in Dobbs Ferry with his wife Ginny and their two sons, Joey and Frankie.

Stacey Torrano

Stacey Torrano began pursuing her passion for Mass Communications and Media Studies more than a decade ago. After earning her AA in Mass Communications with a broadcasting focus from WCC, she continued her studies at NYU, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Culture and Communication Studies in 1996. While earning her MA in Corporate Communications degree from Iona, Stacey began teaching, starting with English Language Arts in the Yonkers Public School system.

Although she intends to return to the classroom as a student, Stacey has continued to increase and practice her knowledge and love for the communications field through a career as a Communications Consultant with agencies and through self-employment. Her client list has included Hill and Knowlton, Motts, and Pfizer. In addition to her position at Iona teaching Mass Media to undergraduates, she is currently employed with an international communications corporation.

For fun? Scrabble!

James W. Wyckoff

James W. Wyckoff, APR is an accredited communications professional with over 25 years of experience in public relations, advertising, publications, marketing, public affairs, and video production. He has served both agency and corporate entities, for a variety of organizations, as well as health-oriented profit and not-for-profit organizations.
Most recently director of communications for AMDeC, the organization promoting biotech and biomedical research activities in New York state, Wyckoff began his career at ad agencies Albert Frank-Guenther Law/FCB, Doyle Dane Bernbach, and Richard L. Doyle Associates before moving to the client side as Director of Communications at College of Mount Saint Vincent, The Hospital for Special Surgery and Olsten Health Services, and was Assistant Vice President of Communications at Columbia University Health Sciences Division. He has also handled strategic marketing projects for Thomson Corporation and others.

Through the years, James has been involved with a number of organizations in marketing and public relations. He is a former President of the Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing Society of Greater New York (HPRMS), and the New York Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). He currently teaches public relations and advertising for New York Institute of Technology, Iona College and City College as an adjunct professor, and will be a lecturer in the Masters in Strategic Communications program at Columbia University in Fall 2004.