The Monitor wanted to take a moment to shine a light on a faculty member who is no longer with us at Marymount but soared onto bigger and better opportunities for themselves, who is now the Director of Academic Affairs and Associate Director at the University of Connecticut, is Dr. Laura Tropp. Her time here will always be remembered by those she had an impact on, whether they were her colleagues and friends or students and mentors. 

Dr. Tropp made it a point to be there for everyone and support them in their dreams, no matter how little or big. She was there with kind words one day and tough love another. Hilarious stories about herself and her family, advice ready for pretty much anything, including academics,  and relatable rants about what new movie or show she is currently watching. Dr. Tropp never fails to put a smile on anyone’s face, she is a person who dedicates so much of her time to others and supports them, but she sometimes forgets to take care of herself. Which only showed the type of person she is inside and out, and the MMC community wanted to express the impact she had on them during the time she spent at Marymount, but first, a few words from Dr. Laura Tropp herself about her experiences at MMC: 

“When I first joined MMC, I was a new faculty member and still learning how to be in a classroom. I quickly realized how much I adored teaching. Later, I moved into chairing the Department and then, later, the Division of Communication and Media Arts. I was excited to work with my colleagues, especially Sarah Nelson Wright, to build a television studio that we now have on the 5th floor.

I have seen many students achieve wonderful things during their time at MMC. Some of my favorites have been watching a group of alumni regularly meet every month to form a writer’s group, taking my students on exciting trips, including visiting the Associate Press and Vice, and watching students grow and move into exciting careers. 

I’ve also been actively involved with working to restructure the Student Success Advising Area- a wonderful team! I will miss all my colleagues, but especially Peter Naccarato, the VP of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty, who was a real mentor to me. I also will especially miss all my colleagues in the Communication and Media Arts Division.” 

Now to hear from the MMC community about their experiences with Dr. Tropp: 

“Professor Tropp made us feel welcome from the moment we walked in the door on the first day of Freshman year. She took us under her wing and gave us advice with a sparkle in her eye, like she knew we were all going to be okay on the scary path through college. My favorite memory with Professor Tropp was this one day when she brought us customized bookmarks her kid had drawn for us with our names personalized on them. Just knowing she cared about us enough to bring in those bookmarks was a feeling I will never forget. I still use it to this day for my favorite books.,” said Ana Coakley, Senior. 

“Professor Tropp’s class at Marymount Manhattan College, Mediating Motherhood, has been the most difficult course I have taken at this institution to date. I say this not because she was a difficult instructor to learn from but because what she was teaching, dealing with different racial and ethical perspectives through the lens of motherhood in society, is simply not easy to grasp. For me, it took hard work to understand what we were learning along with why we were learning it. Circling back, it is Professor Tropp who made the desire to put in the hard work easy. Her passion for teaching this study was apparent in every lesson, so much so that it began to make me a passionate student too,” stated Erin Barnes, Senior. 

“Dr. Tropp takes care of the people around her—and she elevates the act of caring for others. I’ll never forget my first year in New York City: I didn’t have anywhere to go for Thanksgiving, so Dr. Tropp invited me into her home and immediately made me feel like part of the family. I miss her very much and try daily to bring her level of care and leadership to the department,” exclaimed Dr. Jenny Dixon, Associate Prof. & Chair of the Department of Communication & Media Arts. 

“Dr. Tropp is an inspiring mentor who supported so many faculty at MMC.  No matter what mess you’d gotten yourself into, she always responded with a cheerful, “Listen, here’s what we’re gonna do!”  She is a visionary.  When I arrived at MMC and took on the role of Director of the Center for Producing, she worked with me to completely overhaul and upgrade our facilities and never let seemingly insurmountable challenges get in the way.  Her drive led to our incredible media labs, and her tenacity still inspires me,” said Professor Sarah Wright, Associate Professor of Communication & Media Arts. 

“She was the best advisor I could’ve ever asked for. So kind, generous, helpful, and bubbly. From my start at MMC four years ago, she has helped and guided me so much along the way to be the best and most successful digital journalism student I could be. She was the one that convinced me to join The Monitor and then avidly cheered me on when I was quickly elected Editor-In-Chief in my second semester. And every day since then, she has been so amazing to work with and to have in my corner. She even helped me get into my top graduate school in London by writing the most generous and kind recommendation letter. I can’t thank her enough for everything she has helped me with and how much she has supported me throughout my college career. I miss her dearly but she is destined for bigger and better things. I miss her tons and wish her all the best in everything she continues to do and achieve,” said Gabrielle Fiorella, Senior. 

“I owe so much of what I’ve attained in my college career to Professor Tropp. She’s been there for me during the big moments and the small ones. I know I could call on her for advice on an internship in the same way I could call on her to talk about the best new shows to watch. I’m proud of how far I’ve come over the last few years, but knowing that she was watching me become the person I am now was my inspiration to keep going. It’s impossible to name one moment with Tropp that’s my favorite because every moment spent with her was memorable. I’ll always laugh when I remember the silly tangents she’d go on in class, and I’ll always smile when I see the bookmark her daughter made for our class Freshman year. Professor Tropp will always be my favorite person and I can’t wait to see what comes next for her. No matter where you are, Tropp, you’ll always be famous!” exclaimed Rayiah Ross, Senior. 

“Professor Tropp is a tremendous mentor, teacher, and leader. She took a chance on me when I first applied for my first teaching position at Marymount. She taught me how to show up for students and helped grow and shape the journalism curriculum and the Monitor, especially through difficult pandemic times. I miss her immensely and still plan to find her to launch that podcast she and I always talked about!” stated Professor Tatiana Serafin, Assistant Professor of Communication & Media Arts. 

“Professor Tropp is a second mom to me ever since she took me under her wing as one of the students she took it upon herself was going to mentor for my time here at MMC. I can’t pinpoint one moment that would have to be my favorite. Still, my favorite is made up of a tiny collection of those little quiet moments we would have to discuss what we are currently watching because we enjoyed the same things, never failing to put a smile on my face first thing in the morning. How much she showed, she cared, not just through her words but her actions every single day, impacted me so much to work harder to make her proud. I always hold onto that little bookmark she and her children made for my freshman journalism class forever. Professor Tropp will always have a special place in my heart,” I exclaimed. 

Dr. Laura Tropp made their mark on Marymount when it came to academics and lending a helping hand, and she will continue to be there for those she cares about. We wish you all the luck in any and all future endeavors!