Words — Patrick Verel

Words, words, and more words!

As an associate editor for Fordham University’s department of media relations, I pen an average of three to four stories a week. Pieces include next-day coverage of conferences, panel discussions and lectures on campus, profiles of students and professors, and news about academic programs, fundraising, and physical construction on campus.

I primarily cover Fordham College at Lincoln Center, the Graduate School of Education, the Graduate School of Social Service, and the Louis Calder Biological Field Station in Armonk, NY. These are a few of my most recent pieces.

Humanitarian Assistance Graduate On Front Lines of Ukraine Refugee Crisis

When Russian forces invaded Ukraine in March, it triggered a tremendous upheaval in neighboring Moldava. Joseph Lowry, a graduate of Fordham’s IDHA relief worker training program, shared what it was like to be there to help refugees.

On an Urban Beach, Checking in on a Living Fossil

Less than 200 yards from the roar of the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn, an intricate mating ritual that’s as old as the dinosaurs takes place every spring like clockwork.

Prompted by a Global Pandemic, Fordham Moves to Distance Learning

In March, 2020 Fordham was forced to cease all in-person instruction. In this, the first news story to cover it, I explain how it happened.

Biology Grad Student Lauded for Research into Brain Chemistry

Devin Rocks, a Ph.D. candidate working to address the causes of depression and anxiety in women, was hailed as a future leader in the field for his work with the brains of mice.

For Celebrated Hip-Hop Journalist, a Second Act at Fordham

Scott Poulson-Bryant, an assistant professor of English, explores personal transformation in his work. He’s made a few changes in his own life as well.

Although She Beat the Travel Ban, Iranian Law Alumna Faces New Challenge

Fordham Law alumna Fahimeh (Farimah) Kashkooli depended on the United States for medical care for her daughter Alma. President Trump’s ban on travel from Iran made that much, much more difficult.