The founding of New York University in 1831 by a group of eminent private citizens was a historic event in American education. In the early 19th century, a major emphasis in higher education was on the study of Greek and Latin, with little attention to modern or contemporary subjects. The founders of New York University intended to enlarge the scope of higher education to meet the needs of persons aspiring to careers in business, industry, science, and the arts, as well as law, medicine, and the ministry. The opening of the University of London in 1828 convinced New Yorkers that their city, too, should have a university. The first president of New York University's governing council, Albert Gallatin, and his co-founders said that the new university was to be a "national university" that would provide a "rational and practical education for all." The result of the founders' foresight is today an institution of higher education at the forefront of America's urban research universities. Of the more than 3,000 colleges and universities in America, New York University is one of the 58 private institutions that are members of the distinguished

Association of American Universities. Among its stellar – and accessible – faculty are recipients of the Nobel, Abel, and Pulitzer Prizes; the MacArthur, Guggenheim, and Fulbright Fellowships; and Academy and Emmy Awards. The University includes 14 schools, colleges, and divisions at six major centers in Manhattan. In addition, the University operates branch campus programs in Westchester County at Manhattanville College and in Rockland County at Dominican College. Students come to the University from all 50 states and 150 foreign countries, and when they arrive at NYU they find a remarkable "campus of the city." Twenty-six residence halls offer a warm and friendly home-away-from-home. In addition to encountering outstanding faculty in the classroom and an extraordinary range of academic resources, newcomers find themselves in a dynamic setting for study and learning. Violet banners colorfully mark the buildings housing NYU. Behind these banners are unsurpassed resources: eight libraries holding well over three million books; the Courant Institute of Mathematics; Tisch School of the Arts; the Institute of Fine Arts; cultural and foreign language centers; sophisticated computer facilities; and art galleries. These resources, among many others, blend with the educational environment of one of the greatest cities in the Western World. New York City – the international center of finance, culture and communications – offers unmatched internship possibilities and job opportunities. Student life centers around Washington Square in the heart of historic Greenwich Village. More than 350 NYU clubs and organizations provide students with the opportunity to share interests and discover new ones. When not busy with university life, students can also explore the narrow, winding streets of the Village and discover shops and boutiques, restaurants and cafes, theatres and galleries. The Jerome S. Coles Sports & Recreation Center and the Palladium Athletic Facility enable all NYU students – from varsity athletes to those wishing to swim or workout between classes – to take part in an active sports program. For those who are sports fans, these venues offer exciting athletic

of eight major urban research Boston to Emory The success

most prestigious

events pitting NYU teams against their competitors, many of whom are members of the University Athletic Association, a league universities with an emphasis on academic achievement, stretching from Brandeis University in

University in Atlanta.of New York University graduates can be seen in their exceptional record of admission to the nation's graduate and professional schools; in the number of careers launched; and in the achievements of

alumni who are leaders in business, government and the arts - every sphere of public life. New York University graduates are represented in positions of leadership and influence throughout the nation: Jonas

Salk, developer of the first polio vaccine; John J. Creedon, President of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; Albert Sabin, developer of the oral polio vaccine; Lamar Alexander, former governor of Tennessee and one-time presidential candidate; Laurence A. Tisch, former Chief Executive Officer of CBS; Alan Greenspan, the long-time chair of the Federal Reserve; Dr. Robert K. Jarvik, developer of the first successful artificial heart; Joseph Heller, novelist; Larry Rivers, artist; film directors Spike Lee, Martin Scorcese and Oliver Stone; Henry A. Grunwald, former Ambassador to Austria; Constance Baker-Motley, the first black woman appointed as a United States district judge; and George D. Wald, Nobel laureate in biology.

COACHING STAFF

head coach ED CAESARSeventh Season ~ Career Record: 201-61 (.769)New York University (‘93)E-Mail: ejc1@nyu.eduOffice Phone: (212) 998-2068

Entering his seventh season as the head women’s volleyball coach at New York University, Ed Caesar has firmly established himself as one of the top teachers in the Division III game while helping the Violets maintain their place among the nation’s elite. Sporting a career record of 201-61 (.767), Caesar is ranked 10th among active Division III coaches in winning percentage. In five of his six seasons on the Violets’ sideline, Caesar has piloted the program into the NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball Championship. NYU reached the Division III National Championship Final in 2003, and then earned a trip to the Final Four in 2004.

Since his arrival at NYU, Caesar has collected the University Athletic Association (UAA) Coaching Staff of the Year award (2003), and was cited as the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III New York Region Coach of the Year in 2003, 2005 and 2006. In 2007, Caesar’s young team went 19-19 and advanced to the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III South Tournament semifinals. Erin Noonan captured the AVCA Division III New York Region Rookie of the Year award, while Noonan and captain Stacy Goto earned Honorable Mention All-UAA notice. In 2006, Caesar’s veteran squad notched a record of 33-7, captured four in-season tournament titles, won its fourth straight New York State Women’s Collegiate Athletic Association (NYSWCAA) Championship, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Prior to becoming the women’s head coach, Caesar served as an assistant coach for the NYU’s men’s volleyball team for eight seasons (1995-2002). He assisted head coach Jose Pina in leading the squad to two Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Division III Championships (2000, 2002), and to three EIVA/

Jennifer Gardikas has completed two seasons as an assistant coach with the New York Univer-sity women’s volleyball team after helping lift the Violets to national prominence as a student-athlete. She assists with recruiting and day-to-day operations of the program. Last season, Gardikas helped develop a talented young roster as NYU earned its sixth straight postseason invitation, finishing 19-19 and advanc-ing to the semifinals of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III South Tournament. She helped recruit freshman Erin Noonan, the Ameri-can Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III New York Region Rookie of the Year. In 2007, Gardikas’ first season as an assistant coach, the Violets went 33-7 and qualified for their fifth straight NCAA Division III Women’s Volley-ball Championship. They also won their fourth consecutive New York State Women’s Collegiate Athletic Association title. Before joining the NYU coaching staff, Gardikas was a three-year mem-ber of the Violets’ volleyball team (2003-05) and an integral part of the Vio-lets’ rise to national prominence. The Violets advanced to the NCAA Tourna-ment Sweet Sixteen all three years of her career, reached the Final Four twice (2003, 2004), and finished as national runner-up in 2003. Gardikas earned AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honors and was selected to the NCAA All-Tournament Team in 2003. As a senior, she earned AVCA Third Team All-America honors and was voted CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Second Team Academic All-American. A two-time team captain who set the NYU single-season record with 115 service aces in 2005, Gardikas was a First Team All-UAA selection in 2003 and a Second Team honoree in both 2004 and 2005. A 2006 graduate of NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study with a degree in marketing, Gardikas also works as an assistant equipment manager at the Palladium Athletic Facility.

A longtime friend of head coach Ed Caesar, Chris Pinto is entering his first season as an assis-tant coach with the New York University women’s volleyball program. Also in his second year as an assistant with the Violets’ men’s volleyball team, he will assist with game preparation, practice organization and off-season training programs. In 2008, Pinto’s first season with the NYU men’s volleyball program, the Violets enjoyed their finest showing ever: a 23-8 record (their second-most victories ever), their first-ever berth in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Tournament semifinals, and a #5 ranking in the final CBS College Sports Network/American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III Poll. Pinto arrived in Washington Square after having served as the head vol-leyball coach at Walt Whitman High School in South Huntington, NY, since 2004. He was named Suffolk County Coach of the Year and led Whitman to division championships in 2004-06. His squad also earned the New York State Scholar Athlete Team Award in 2006. Pinto, who has also coached at the Empire State Games, recently com-pleted a mentorship program at Athlete’s Performance, a state-of-the-art training facility in Tempe, AZ, which focuses on sport-specific training meth-ods. He holds certification in personal training, professional coaching and advanced nutrition, and is the founder and director of Performance Fitness, a strength and conditioning facility in Smithtown, NY. A 2005 graduate of C.W. Post University with a degree in physical educa-tion, Pinto will also serve as the strength and conditioning coach for the NYU women’s volleyball team. A native of South Huntington, Pinto resides in Huntington Station, NY.

assistant coach CHRIS PINTO

First SeasonC.W. Post University (‘05)E-Mail: cjp4@nyu.edu

assistant coach JENNIFER GARDIKAS

Third SeasonNew York University (‘06)E-Mail: jlg293@nyu.edu

AVCA DIVISION III ALL-AMERICANS

Brittany Warfield 2000 First TeamKatya Khmelnitskaya 2003 First TeamKatya Khmelnitskaya 2004 First TeamElena Drinka 2004 Second TeamElena Drinka 2005 First TeamKatya Khmelnitskaya 2005 First TeamJennifer Gardikas 2005 Third TeamElena Drinka 2006 First TeamNatasha Boysaw 2006 Honorable MentionCaitlin Grundman 2006 Honorable Mention

AVCA DIVISION III FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Elena Drinka 2003

AVCA DIVISION III ALL-NEW YORK REGION

Andrea Bryce 1998Molly Jahraus 1998Brittany Warfield 1999, 2000Serena Bountour 2001, 2004Katya Khmelnitskaya 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005Amanda Sparkman 2002Elena Drinka 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006Jennifer Gardikas 2003, 2005Natasha Boysaw 2006Caitlin Grundman 2006

AVCA DIVISION III NEW YORK REGIONFRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Brittany Warfield 1999Serena Bountour 2001Katya Khmelnitskaya 2002Elena Drinka 2003Erin Noonan 2007

AVCA DIVISION III NEW YORK REGION COACH OF THE YEAR

Ed Caesar 2003, 2005, 2006

ALL-AMERICA/ALL-REGION HONOREES

ElenaDrinka

KatyaKhmelniskaya

CAESAR THROUGH THE YEARS

2002 34-14 NCAA Sweet 162003 40-5 NCAA Finals2004 40-7 NCAA Final Four2005 35-8 NCAA Elite Eight2006 33-7 NCAA Second Round2007 19-19 ECAC South Semifinals

TOTAL 201-61 (.767)

NCAA Tournament appearances (1999, 2001, 2002). A 1993 NYU graduate with a bachelor’s degree in history, Caesar established himself as one of the Violets’ premier volleyball players. A four-year standout (1990-93) at middle blocker, Caesar set several team records, including most solo blocks in a match, most blocking assists in a season, and highest blocking average in a season. His one-season team record of 56 solo blocks, set in 1992, still remains intact. Prior to his coaching career at NYU, Caesar served as head coach of the boys’ varsity and the girls’ junior varsity volleyball teams at Half Hollow Hills High School on Long Island. During his tenure, Caesar led the boys’ team to the Suffolk County Championship and to the New York State Championship Tournament. In addition, Caesar also coached men’s and women’s Junior Olympic teams in 1993 and 1994.

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