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Impending Winter Storm

Due to the impending storm, all classes and activities at Kean’s main campus in Union, Kean Ocean and Kean Skylands will operate remotely on Sunday, January 25, and Monday, January 26. 

The University will observe a Winter Wellness Day on Tuesday, January 27, following the storm. Classes and activities will not run, and employees are not expected to work. 

Due to ongoing power problems at the Kean Ocean Gateway Building, all classes and activities at Kean Ocean will also be conducted remotely on Friday, January 23, and Saturday, January 24. This only applies to Kean Ocean. 

Only essential personnel should report to work as scheduled during the remote period or on Tuesday. Employees with questions about their status should consult their supervisor. 

Keanu’s Kitchen will remain open for residential students on the Union campus from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday. 

All vehicles parked on the Union campus must be relocated to the Vaughn-Eames overnight parking lot by 6 p.m. on Saturday to allow for storm cleanup. Vehicles parked elsewhere on campus are subject to relocation. 

Kean Ocean Grad Helps Build a ‘Field of Dreams’ for Special Needs Children

May 12, 2023
Brielle Mowad is 3rd from left, Jacquelyn Machat is 2d from left. Both graduated from Kean Ocean.

Kean Ocean graduates Brielle Mowad, third from left, and Jacquelyn Machat, second from left, both volunteered with Field of Dreams in Toms River.

To Kean Ocean graduate Brielle Mowad, developing the Field of Dreams inclusive playground in Toms River was a labor of love.

Mowad, who graduated summa cum laude in January and will walk at Kean’s Undergraduate Commencement on Thursday, May 18, was inspired by her younger brother, Gavin Kane, now 12, who experienced a severe traumatic brain injury as a toddler.

She and her family, with the help of volunteers from Kean Ocean and others, created the complex, which includes an expansive and accessible playground, a baseball field, a basketball and bocce court, a walking path and much more. 

“I still get overwhelmed with emotion when I see all of the people enjoying the park,” Mowad said, who studied forensic psychology at Kean. “Before we opened, many of these families had nowhere to go.”

Mowad’s stepfather, Christian Kane, began planning the inclusive park in 2017 to provide Gavin with a place to play baseball close to home. As the family shared their story, the idea took off. Toms River donated the land, and the State of New Jersey earmarked funding toward construction. Gov. Phil Murphy paid a visit to the site. With the support of a prime sponsor, the park’s name became RWJ Barnabas Health Field of Dreams. 

Mowad and her former Kean Ocean Psychology Club co-president Jacquelyn Machat of Brick, who also graduated summa cum laude in January, led fundraisers and recruited volunteers for the playground, which opened in April 2022.

“It was incredible to share something so personal and important to me with my friends from Kean Ocean,” said Mowad, of Toms River. 

Other Kean Ocean organizations, faculty and students supported Mowad’s work and the park, too.

“Brielle is a natural leader, who leads for others and not herself,” said Jane C. O’Brien, Ph.D., Kean Ocean coordinator and advisor of the School of Psychology.  

Assistant Professor Alexandra Stribing, Ph.D., of the School of Health and Human Performance, along with students, ran a basketball class for children with disabilities. Students enrolled in Professor Linda Attanasio’s special education class developed a program guide to the park. 

Kane, who is now the park’s executive director, said he is “forever grateful” for the University’s support. 

“I believe our partnership will continue to grow as the complex continues to assist more special needs families,” he said.

This summer, Mowad will work full-time at the park. In the past, she managed social media and the website, and created a program for local high school students to do community service there. She ultimately plans to go to law school, focusing on special education and family law. 

Mowad said she chose Kean Ocean after graduating from Ocean County College because she did not want to leave her family – and its work on Field of Dreams.

“I was able to challenge myself in my studies, work alongside wonderful professors and be involved in the community, while still getting to watch my little siblings grow up and stay involved with Field of Dreams,” she said. “Kean Ocean had everything I was looking for, without needing to leave home.”

Located at 1505 N. Bay Avenue in Toms River, RWJ Barnabas Health Field of Dreams is a private complex for special needs families, who can apply for membership at no cost. To learn more or apply, visit rwjbhfieldofdreams.com.

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