This academic year, Mount Saint Mary College bids a fond farewell to four outstanding professionals with more than a century of service to the college community between them.

Margaret Bussigel, professor of Sociology, enjoys both teaching and research. One of her greatest joys is helping students acquire the skill of applying sociological perspectives to their understanding of the world around them. One particularly notable project, funded by the Department of Social Services, involved evaluating an innovative approach to providing services for victims of domestic violence. Bussigel was also invaluable in helping to launch the college’s Center for Community Engagement, which provides resources for faculty members to include community engagement and service learning in their classrooms.

Dr. James DiLorenzo, consulting physician, has been aiding students at the Mount’s Health and Wellness Center since 1980. A Newburgh native, Dr. DiLorenzo joined the St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital Medical Group in 2011, where he still serves patients daily. Part of the Mount community for almost 40 years, he feels privileged to have watched the college grow in many ways over the decades.

Sr. Margaret “Peggy” Murphy, OP, professor of Religious Studies, has been serving the Mount community since 1999 and has been a Dominican sister since 1962. She’s been involved in the fields of Counseling and Education, has been a national conference speaker on Child Development and Mental Health issues, and is a New York State Certified Substance Abuse Counselor. At the Mount, she has been the well-beloved leader of the college’s Heritage Tour and has taught hundreds of students about Dominican spirituality, world religions, and more.

Stanley Pycior, a professor of History at the Mount, has been enriching the college community since 1992. In addition to his teaching work, over the years Pycior has served as Chair of the Division of Social Sciences; lent his skills to Mount workshops such as “1916 – The Pivotal Year,” which chronicled Ireland’s 1916 Easter Rising incident; and mentored countless students. One of the respected professor’s greatest joys is keeping his knowledge of history fresh and vibrant, including a sabbatical where he spent weeks poring over the League of Nations archives in Geneva, Switzerland. It was the experience of a lifetime for the dedicated historian, who was excited to share his findings with his students and colleagues back at the Mount.