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Hitting a Home Run for Saint Peter's University

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Ed Moskal '79 serves as assistant coach and academic moderator for the Saint Peter's baseball team.

It was the ninth inning of a men's baseball game, and the Saint Peter's Peacocks were down by seven runs against longtime rival Montclair State on April 5, 1979. The Peacocks chipped away in the ninth and found themselves trailing by three on the scoreboard when Ed Moskal '79 stepped up to the plate with two outs and two strikes and belted his second home run of the contest — a three-run blast — giving the Peacocks a spectacular 14-13 comeback win.

Thirty-four years after that historic hit, Ed continues to knock it out of the park through his continued service and philanthropic efforts not only at alma mater, but in the community as well.

Getting Involved

At Saint Peter's, he is an assistant professor in the computer and Information sciences department and is a fixture in the University's baseball program. He sponsors and hosts a freshman baseball retreat that is run annually in conjunction with Campus Ministry at his home in Lake Mohawk, N.J.

Ed is also on the board of trustees at Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Paterson, and has worked on a number of information technology projects for Bishop Arthur Joseph Serratelli that involve service learning projects with Saint Peter's students.

Ed gives back to Saint Peter's financially, as well. He has named the Saint Peter's Athletics Department in his will and has made donations to the baseball team.

"In life, it's important to give back and help others," Ed says. "That's where you get the greatest satisfaction out of what you do."

Attending Saint Peter's

It was the Jesuit principle of being a "man for others" that Ed learned at Saint Peter's as an undergraduate student.

Upon the advice of his father, Ed entered the University for an invaluable learning experience - coupled with the opportunity to play baseball.

"My father went to Prep and spent a semester at Saint Peter's prior to being drafted into the Marines during World War II," Ed says. "He told me about the high quality education I would get from the Jesuit college and how it would set me up in the job market and in furthering my education."

Ed took his father's advice. During his time at Saint Peter's, he had challenging courses and held a three-year internship at The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey - all while being a star player on the baseball team.

With his busy college schedule, it was his professors that, according to Ed, "cared for and helped" him, in particular Alessandro Calianese, Ph.D. '56, from computer science; Vincent McInerney, Ph.D., of English; and Francis Varicchio, Ph.D., of mathematics.

Entering the Real World

After receiving a Bachelor of Science in management from Saint Peter's in 1979, Ed was offered a position as a programmer analyst at Ronson Corporation. Due to his undergraduate course work and internship, he was ready for this challenge and accepted the position.

"Saint Peter's and the courses I took here made me ready for the work world and the challenges of life," Ed says. "The Saint Peter's experience allowed me to enter the job market upon graduation. The internship at The Port Authority was my ticket and then my career just took off."

And take off it did. From 1979 to 1983, Ed worked at Ronson, as an adjunct professor of computer science at Middlesex County College and as a contract programmer for Software Design Associates. During this time, he also obtained a Master of Science in administration from the University of Notre Dame in 1982 and a Master of Science in management science from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1983.

With three prestigious degrees under his belt, Ed climbed up the corporate ladder at his next employer, American Cyanamid Company. He spent 11 years with the company and served in several managerial positions. He then went on to work as a senior manager at Ernst & Young LLP from 1994 to 2001, leading the New York office information systems and security consulting practice by working on engagements for many Fortune 100 clients.

More Valuable Than a Textbook

In 2001, Ed left the corporate world to pursue a career in education. It was his belief that the know-how he gained from real life experiences would be more valuable to students than what they could learn from a textbook.

He taught as an adjunct professor in the information technology department at the County College of Morris in 2001 and as an adjunct professor in the computer science department at Montclair State University from 2001 to 2006.

"It is great to bring work experience into the classroom," he says, "especially when you can bring actual business scenarios, cases and projects to the classroom. The students really engage you, which is followed by a dynamic exchange of information between professor and students."

In 2003, Ed returned home to alma mater and joined the Saint Peter's family as an assistant professor. In 2006, he also embarked on familiar territory outside of the classroom when he became an assistant coach and the academic moderator for the baseball team, having served as the head baseball coach at County College of Morris for four years before dedicating his time to Saint Peter's.

Moskal is proud of the academic achievements of the baseball team. He says, "This past semester, we achieved the highest GPA in baseball program history with a 3.28 GPA overall for the 34 players."

Why Donate?

His intricate involvement with Saint Peter's throughout the years - from a young student to a valued employee - is the reasoning behind Ed providing for Saint Peter's in his estate planning.

"We need to be proactive and not be stagnant," Ed says. "Our mission needs to be at the forefront of all we do, and I believe our faculty, administration and staff are dedicated to it."

He also encourages other alumni to make a similar gift to the University.

"It will positively affect so many students and enhance the University that you are so proud of," he says. "What a great way to give back what you received when you were once a student."

And giving back to Saint Peter's can mean the difference between a student being able to receive an education and lost potential due to financial difficulty.

"Never say no, because you can and should do everything you can in your power to help make the University better - develop a new course or curriculum; work on committees; help and mentor students; and support faculty, administration and staff. So make a donation, volunteer your time and make Saint Peter's part of your estate planning."

Ed Moskal is the father of Tommy, a 2012 graduate of Xavier University with a degree in electronic media, and Christina, who received a bachelor's in accounting in 2010 and a master's in business administration in 2011 from Georgian Court University.

Find Out How You Can Help

Contact Linda S. Moore, J.D. at (201) 761-6128 or lmoore2@saintpeters.edu to discuss your legacy to Saint Peter's.

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Information contained herein was accurate at the time of posting. The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. California residents: Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. Oklahoma residents: A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. South Dakota residents: Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.

   

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