Iona College’s mass communications department has made many great strides this year. The journalism department has strengthened its ever-growing relationship with the New Rochelle Patch and Iona College Television debuted their first annual film festival. The department’s latest success comes in the form of the outstanding achievement of Jack Breslin. Breslin, a dedicated mass communications professor, has been named the 2012 recipient of the Huge McCabe Award for Social Justice. The award will be presented at the commencement ceremonies on May 12. Breslin has been awarded for his involvement in as well as his constant encouragement of awareness for issues of social justice. “This award affirms what I came here for,” said Breslin, “to make a difference not only in the classroom, but also through service to the college and the community outside our gates.” The award is given in memory of Hugh McCabe, a former registrar of the college and father of a current faculty member in Hagan according to Carl Procario-Foley, Director for the Center of Campus Ministries and chair for the award. “Mr. Hugh McCabe was committed to service and social justice,” Procario-Foley said. Breslin has helped shed light on the issues of missing children and the rights of crime victims through his work with NBC’s “Adam,” a 1983 made-for-TV movie that told the stories of missing children, and through his work at “America’s Most Wanted,” where he fought for social justice for victims of crime. Breslin came to Iona in 2001 with a distinguished journalism career already under his belt and a passion for mass communications. He has mastered the art of incorporating themes of social justice into his teachings. This theme also plays a major role in his “Media Law and Ethics” course, a requirement for mass communications majors. He is also involved with Iona in Mission and has served as a moderator for three service trips to Africa, where he proudly participated in Karibu, a month-long International cross-cultural program. The program offers Brothers and those related to Edmund Rice the chance to experience life in Kenya through cross-cultural living, immersion and spiritually enriching group activities. Breslin has successfully tied social justice themes together with his mass communications experience and has generated a great interest outside the social justice department at Iona College. “Traditionally the award has honored those whose disciplines are more associated with social justice,” he said. “This says that mass communication can promote social justice as other professions and disciplines can.” Past recipients of this special honor include fine and performing arts department’s Catherine Mapp, religious studies’ Theresa Delgado and most recently social work’s Meryl Nadel. Breslin has said he is honored to join such a distinguished group of recipients. He said, “I hope that this honor encourages one member of the Iona community- student, alumni, faculty, staff- to step up and make a difference.”