L.I. How Did We Get Here? Project Description
Project Description
With the generous support of a $1.5 million grant (2018) from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, Molloy University embarked on an innovative and ambitious project titled "Long Island: How Did We Get Here?" This initiative, led by Molloy's Office of Advancement, seeks to reinvigorate the study of history by infusing its lessons into the realm of public policy on Long Island. By delving into the region's rich historical tapestry, this project aims to illuminate the context and relevance of historical events in shaping contemporary public policy initiatives and debates. Furthermore, these insights are disseminated here to foster community education and engage the public in critical discourse.
Understanding the historical underpinnings of these subjects allows policymakers and community leaders to grasp the complex interplay of factors that have influenced their development and to envision innovative solutions that build upon historical context, fostering a more holistic and context-driven approach to leadership and decision-making.
The Gardner family has been a part of Long Island history since Lion Gardener became the first English settler on Long Island, through the time of the American Revolution and their 400 years of ownership and stewardship of Gardner Island. The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation provides funds to local historical societies, special history repositories of records and artifact collections in area libraries, history camps, scholarship grants, and many other projects by regional institutions dedicated to preserving the lessons of Long Island’s history to be shared and appreciated now and far into the future.
"Long Island: How Did We Get Here?" actively promotes community education through various platforms. Public forums, seminars, and digital resources will be leveraged to disseminate knowledge and encourage open dialogue among our community leaders, as well as scholars, policymakers, and the broader Long Island community. By fostering public discourse, the project aims to empower citizens to engage meaningfully in critical conversations about the region's past, present, and future gaining a deeper appreciation of the region's historical legacy and its impact on contemporary issues.
Research for the project was carried out by 19 doctoral students from the Education Leadership for Diverse Learning Communities (Ed.D.) program of Molloy's School of Education and Human Services.
Project-related work is archived through Preservica that combines all core functions for successful long-term active digital preservation and secure access into a single, intuitive, and fully supported application aligned to the OAIS ISO 14721 standard. Research products are available to the academic community and the public as part of the project materials.
The "Long Island: How Did We Get Here?" initiative culminated in the creation of a series of impactful videos. These seven videos distill the comprehensive research and historical insights gathered by the Gardiner Research Fellows into a visual narrative that connects Long Island's past with its present challenges and opportunities. By capturing the essence of each subject, these videos serve as engaging educational tools that empower the public, policymakers, and scholars to engage in meaningful discussions about the region's history and its role in shaping contemporary issues.
Project Leadership Team
Long Island: How Did We Get Here? is a cross-disciplinary project with contributions from the Educational Leadership for Diverse Learning Communities doctoral program, the Sustainability Institute at Molloy, the Department of History & Political Science, the Molloy Office of Community and Government Affairs, and other University faculty and staff. The leadership team consists of:
Edward Thompson, Vice President of Advancement, conceived of the project and secured funding from the RDL Gardiner Foundation.
Project director: Neal Lewis, director, Molloy Office of Community and Government Affairs
Project coordinator: Angela Zimmerman, director of development & alumni relations
Funder liaison: Dr. Sherry Radowitz, senior director of grants & sponsored programs
Project faculty research advisor: Dr. Allison Roda, assistant professor of education
Dr. Andrea Honigsfeld, Dean & Director, Educational Leadership for Diverse Learning Communities doctoral (Ed.D.) program
Project faculty liaison: Dr. Kathy Maurer Smith, former dean, graduate academic affairs
Project assistant: Andrew Manitt, research director, Sustainability Institute
Demosthenes Maratos, communications coordinator, Sustainability Institute
Project archivist: Christine Yu, assistant director of organizational effectiveness
Grant manager: Deborah Waldron, associate director of grants & sponsored programs
Project graduate assistant: Juliana Groder