FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: DANIELLE N. MAC KAY, (845) 398-4020

(SPARKILL, NY - August 24, 2006) -- Patricia Boggia Magee, a former Executive Director of Reach Out and Read of Greater New York and founder of the Rocking Chair Project, has been named to the St. Thomas Aquinas College Board of Trustees, announced Dr. Margaret M. Fitzpatrick, S.C., College President.
Ms. Magee's background spans 38 years of education starting as an elementary teacher at the William O. Schaefer School in Rockland County (NY) and several inner-city schools in Syracuse (NY). She went on to instruct and supervise student teachers at American International College (MA). In 1991, she became the Director of the Ready to Learn Early Childhood Parenting Program at Women & Children's Health Services in Philadelphia (PA) whose work focused on developing successful parenting strategies for at-risk families in urban environments.
Ms. Magee served as Executive Director of Reach Out and Read (ROR) of Greater New York, a pediatric early literacy intervention program, for six years. Her work as Executive Director helped raise over two million dollars for ROR which placed over one million books into the homes of economically disadvantaged children.

Recently, she resigned her position at ROR to establish The Rocking Chair Project, a non-profit organization that provides glider rocking chairs, free of charge, to economically disadvantaged expectant mothers. Ms. Magee has written and helped develop several publications on the topic of parent education and childhood development. Building Blocks, Come With Us to Playgroup and her most recent book, Raising a Happy, Confident, Successful Child: 52 Lessons to Help Parents Grow, provides parents with information and advice to support them as motivators and educators of their children.
"We are excited to welcome back one of our own to join the Board," Dr. Fitzpatrick said, "Patricia's lifelong dedication to education exemplifies our mission at the College. Her extensive and diverse background will bring aid to our Board as she helps to shape the future for our students and our institution."
Ms. Magee graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas College in 1968. She and her husband have four children and two grandchildren and currently reside in Woodbury (CT).

MORE ABOUT ST. THOMAS
St. Thomas has expanded its offerings to include: a Master of Science in Education, a Post Masters Certificate program in Education, a Master of Science in Teaching, a Master of Business Administration program, a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Science in Education, and an Associate of Arts and an Associate of Science degree, the latter two offered at the West Point Military Academy. In addition, St. Thomas is the host campus for a Master of Science in Social Work program offered by New York University.

The College's 2,400 full and part time students major in one of 31 programs offered in five division areas: The Humanities; Business Administration; Social Sciences; Natural Sciences & Mathematics; and Teacher Education or are enrolled if one of our graduate programs. The College offers a full scholarship Honors Program which provides students with a Summer Study experience at Oxford University in England. In addition, there are several study abroad opportunities and strategic alliances designed to offer expanded opportunities for students. For example, students can major in mathematics at St. Thomas for three years and then enter an engineering program at either George Washington University or Manhattan College as part of a dual degree program.

St. Thomas offers study abroad opportunities in Ireland, Italy, Hungary, Nova Scotia, Brazil and Japan. The College currently includes 21 buildings, the most recent one an additional residence hall. It's most recent academic building project is Costello Hall, an Art, Sciences & Technology Building. This state-of-the-art facility includes new science labs, an art gallery and two multi-media theatres along with additional technology classrooms.