The Big Picture
UAlbany atmospheric scientists Chris Thorncroft
and Ryan Torn are working to improve knowledge
and understanding of African Easterly Waves (AEWs)
and their relevance to a range of applications
vitally important for West African nations, including
hydrology and flood prediction, agriculture and crop
prediction, and malaria risk assessments.
UAlbany
University at Albany Magazine
Fall 2014, Volume 23, Number 2
www.albany.edu
1
6 A Writer’s Life
As both non-fiction writer and novelist, William
Nothdurft, B.A.’70 – a.k.a. Will North –
has enjoyed career success.
8 Thirty Under 30
UAlbany’s version of the popular list includes
alumni and students who work in medicine,
the law, finance, public service, education,
the arts, and many other fields.
24 Accidental Entrepreneur
“A doctor, a lawyer and a political consultant walk
into a bar” … and exit with a plan to start their
own business. Meet the aforementioned attorney,
Steve Cox, B.A.’81, co-founder of Utica, N.Y.-based
Adirondack Distilling Company.
26
“The Right Guy”
UAlbany Football Head Coach Greg Gattuso is looking
forward to his first season with the Great Danes.
29
Federal Student-Loan
Repayment: Understanding
Your Options
University at Albany Director of Financial Aid
Diane Corbett offers some common-sense
advice for those who have student loans.
Contents
Departments
2
From the Podium and Beyond
4
Out and About
28
Gifts at Work
30
Ask Geoff
32
The Carillon
(Alumni News and Notes)
52
The Last Word
Features
www.albany.edu
Mark Schmidt
From the Podium and Beyond
By Carol Olechowski
Pew, NIH Recognize
Rangan
Summer
2014
brought
Assistant
Professor
of
Biological
Sciences
Prashanth Rangan two prestigious
honors. In June, he was named a
2014 Pew Scholar in the Biomedical
Sciences. Six weeks later, Rangan
received a $1.43 million grant from the
National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Rangan, an RNA Institute affiliated
faculty
member
whose
research
focuses on developmental genetics and
biophysics, was one of 22 outstanding
early-career researchers honored by
The Pew Charitable Trusts. The award
provides flexible funding to support
some of the most pressing health
problems in the world.
The NIH grant supports Rangan’s
study of the ways stem cells control
their
differentiation.
Understanding
the biology of stem cells, said the
researcher, “can help with design of
therapeutics for regenerative therapy”
related to cancer and degenerative
diseases.
Theatre Major Stages an Encore
Here’s an announcement sure to be met with applause: The University’s
theatre major returns this fall within the newly created Department of
Music and Theatre.
“The re-established theatre major will provide an excellent curriculum that
embraces performance, production, literature and history to give students
a solid foundation for careers in the field, as well as continued study,” said
Dean of Arts and Sciences Elga Wulfert. “I anticipate a bright future for
both music and theatre.”
Svare Receives Fulbright
Fulbright Senior Scholar Bruce Svare will spend the Fall 2014 semester
assisting Thailand’s higher-education system in developing a contemporary
psychology program of study. While lecturing at Chiang Mai University,
Khon Kaen University and Burapha University, the UAlbany professor of
psychology and neuroscience will aid in curriculum development. Svare
will also spearhead the expansion of both undergraduate and graduate
psychology programs.
Joan Heffler
NIH Advisory Panel Appoints Belfort
Distinguished Professor of
Biological Sciences and RNA
Institute affiliated faculty member
Marlene Belfort has been named to
the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) Council of Councils. Panel
members advise the NIH director
on such issues as emerging scientific
opportunities; rising public-health
challenges; and knowledge gaps
requiring special emphasis, strategic
planning or coordination.
Belfort’s areas of interest include
molecular biology and biochemistry,
regulation of gene expression, and
biology of introns. She joined the
University at Albany faculty in 1985.
2
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
UAlbany
Magazine
Fall 2014, Volume 23, Number 2
UAlbany magazine is published twice a year for alumni,
parents, faculty, staff and friends of the University at
Albany, State University of New York. Our objective is to
produce a lively, informative publication that stimulates
pride and interest in UAlbany.
Vice President for University Development
Fardin Sanai
Director of Development Operations and
Assistant to the Vice President
Cecilia Lauenstein
Editorial Staff
Executive Editor
Carol Olechowski
colechowski@albany.edu
Art Director/Designer
Mary Sciancalepore
Writers
Kyle Adams; Diane Corbett; Christine Doyle,
M.B.A.’04; Jeff Gold; Karl Luntta; Marjory D.
Lyons, B.A.’50; Mike S. Nolan, B.S.’12; Jim
Sciancalepore, M.A.’93; Geoffrey Williams
Photographers
Kyle Adams; Gayana G Photography; Marty
Heitner; Mount Sinai Beth Israel; Colleen
Piccolino; Mark Schmidt; Rob Spring
Photography; John Strohsacker; Debra Todd
Researchers
Benjamin Brunjes, B.S.’12; Jennifer Casabonne,
M.S.’03; Deborah Forand; Agostino Futia, B.A.’01
Lisa Gonzalez, M.A.’03
Mailing Coordinator
Pushpa Royce
Web Editor
Melissa Fry, M.B.A.’12
Business Manager
Lillian Lee
The Carillon
Editor
Melissa Samuels
msamuels@albany.edu
Class Notes Editor
Stephanie Snyder
ssnyder@albany.edu
Art Director/Designer
Mary Sciancalepore
UAlbany magazine is available online at
http://www.albany.edu/news/index.shtml
The University at Albany’s broad mission of excellence
in undergraduate and graduate education, research
and public service engages more than 17,000 diverse
students in nine schools and colleges. For more
information about this internationally ranked institution,
please visit www.albany.edu.
Cover: In her “second home,” Madrid, Lisette
Miranda, B.A.’06, founded Professional Internships for
Networking and Connections (PINC), an eight-week
internship program created “to empower future female
leaders.” In “Thirty Under 30,” UAlbany salutes Miranda
and 29 other alumni – and future graduates – for
their early-career achievements.
Photo: Gayana G Photography
www.albany.edu
3
For more information about these stories,
visit us online at www.albany.edu/news/.
Liberty Terrace Earns LEED Gold Certification
Liberty Terrace, the apartment-style student-housing complex located near
Indian Pond on the east side of UAlbany’s uptown campus, boasts many energy-
saving, environmentally friendly features, including a geo-thermal heating and
air-conditioning system; energy-efficient windows and doors; green roofing; rain
gardens; and permeable pavement. The 20,000-square-foot facility has now earned
more bragging rights – as the first building at the University to be designated a
LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Gold facility.
Granted by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the LEED certification
verifies that a “green” building incorporates environmental, social and economic
benefits throughout its entire life cycle.
Campus Center Expansion Begins
Designed and constructed more than four decades ago to accommodate a student
body of 10,000, the Campus Center remains a hub of activity for the 17,000
undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at the University. This
summer, however, construction began on a $62.2 million expansion that will see
new amenities – including a 400-seat auditorium, a two-level fitness center, and
enhanced dining facilities that will house market-style food-service options –
brought to the building.
Completion of the 21,000-square-foot East addition is set for September 2015.
The 55,000-square-foot West addition will be completed in late 2016, as will
46,000 square feet of renovated space within the existing Campus Center. Spring
2017 is the anticipated opening date for the renovation and the West addition.
Mark Schmidt
Mark Schmidt
4
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
Out and About
By Christine A. Doyle, M.B.A. ’04
Connecting at the
Hearst Tower
Photos: Mark Schmidt
More than 200 UAlbany alumni gathered
at the Hearst Tower in New York City
March 6 for an exceptional evening spent
rekindling old friendships and creating
new ones. Hosted by University at Albany
Foundation President George R. Hearst
III, the reception was the kickoff event for
UAlbany Connects Metro NY, a program
aimed at giving New York City-area
alumni greater opportunities to connect,
network and socialize. Pictured are some
of the attendees.
Third Annual Bunshaft Lecture Photo: Mark Schmidt
At the third annual Bunshaft Lecture April 17, Adam Denenberg ’98 spoke
about his journey from UAlbany, where he studied computer science and
physics, to his current position as vice president of Engineering at The
Huffington Post. In Find Your Success Story: What I Wish I Knew When I
Graduated, Denenberg shared some of
the secrets he learned along the way
to becoming a successful engineering
leader. Here, Albert Bunshaft ’80,
left, poses with Denenberg. Bunshaft
and his wife, Caryn Bunshaft ’82,
established The Bunshaft Endowment
in the College of Computing and
Information to support the lecture.
Boston Area Rooftop Gathering
Kimberly A. Welsh ’89, managing director at Janney Montgomery Scott
LLC, hosted a June 16 gathering for fellow UAlbany supporters on her
office rooftop, which overlooks Boston Harbor. President Robert J. Jones
joined guests to share his vision for UAlbany and invite them to help
articulate that vision.
Celebrating Our Donors Photos: Mark Schmidt
At a June 12 reception honoring members of UAlbany’s giving societies (the
1844 Society, the Loyalty Society and the Heritage Circle Society), donors
got an exclusive sneak peek at the newly renovated fountain. Guests enjoyed
cocktails and hors d’oeuvres “poolside” after hearing from University
President Robert J. Jones about the project and its impact on the campus.
Jones also honored Loyalty Society and 1844 Society members Charles
Gibbs ’73 and Rene Gibbs ’75 for their 29+ years of consecutive giving.
Charles Gibbs ’73 and Rene Gibbs ’75 pose with
University President Robert J. Jones.
Loyalty Society members Jeff Hurwitz ’82
and Terry Hurwitz smile for the camera.
Shown, left to right, are Michelle Mahon ’09 of the University Development staff;
Janis Weilheimer ’84; Michael Weilheimer ’83; James Ioli ’73; Deb Ioli ’74; President Robert J. Jones;
host Kimberly Welsh ’89; Peter Pedro ’90; and Development staffer Mary Johnson.
www.albany.edu
5
Retired UAlbany Head Football Coach Bob Ford was the guest of honor June 7 at an
event attended by more than 350 alumni, parents, coaching peers, staff and friends.
Those attending enjoyed the view of Bob Ford
Field during the cocktail hour, then moved
to SEFCU Arena for dinner and the tribute.
Highlights included remarks from football
alumni representing each decade of Ford’s tenure,
reflections from Ford himself, and the taking
of a photo of Coach with his former players. In
addition, City of Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan
surprised Ford with the unveiling of a sign des-
ignating a portion of Western Avenue just off the
uptown campus “Coach Bob Ford Way.”
Women’s Networking
Reception
Photos: Marty Heitner
Stacy Kanter ’79 hosted UAlbany’s sixth
Women’s Networking Reception at
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
LLP in Manhattan. The invitation-
only reception, held April 29, afforded
professionals an opportunity to network
and socialize. Keynote speaker Joan Solotar
’86, senior managing director at The
Blackstone Group L.P., gave an inspiring
talk that sparked conversation.
Beth Wiener ’86, left, chats with featured speaker
Joan Solotar ’86 and host Stacy Kanter ’79.
Pictured, left to right, are event committee members Joan D. Rosenthal ’76; Joan S. Solotar ’86; Leslie H. Tayne ’93;
Beth M. Wiener ’86; Ellen Fine Levine ’78; Richelle N. Konian ’95; Roanne M. Kulakoff ’81; Patricia A. Caldwell ’75;
Caryn H. Tuckman ’75; Stacy J. Kanter ’79; Elizabeth Andrea Imperioli ’06; and Amy M. Knapp ’97.
From left, Division of University Development staffer
Jennifer Casabonne ’03, Patricia Caldwell ’75,
and Valerie Adler Leon ’93 enjoy the event.
Cara Veneziano ’13; Danielle Osterhout ’12; Lauren Ursaki ’13;
student Monica Kotowski; and Kathryn Pendergast ’13,
pictured left to right, display their UAlbany pride.
A Tribute to Coach Ford
Photos: Bill Ziskin
6
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
A
Writer’s
Life
By Carol Olechowski
William Nothdurft (Will North), B.A.’70
www.albany.edu
7
W
illiam Nothdurft – a.k.a. novelist Will North
– has crafted a career almost as colorful as the
settings of his books and the characters who
inhabit them.
Coupled with his University at Albany degree in English
literature, Nothdurft’s ability to adapt his writing
style to both fiction and non-fiction has brought him
acclaim in both genres. At SUNYA, as UAlbany was
then known, he belonged to Myskania; served as vice
president of his fraternity, Sigma Tau Beta; and founded
the literary magazine The Word. A member of the Class
of 1969, Nothdurft lost a semester because of illness and
graduated cum laude in 1970.
He went on to earn an M.A. in journalism at Penn State
but never worked in that field. “The environmental
movement was emerging, and I initially worked as
a writer and analyst in environmental planning and
management, a career that culminated in a senior
political appointment in the Carter Administration,”
Nothdurft remembered. “Promptly shown the door”
after the election of Ronald Reagan, he was approached
by some Washington, D.C., think tanks “to write
books about various public-policy issues,” he explained.
“Sounds dull, right? But my skills as a writer, thanks in
part to SUNYA, were such that people loved reading my
books, and decision-makers acted upon them.”
Nothdurft’s career evolved again when then-Vice
President Al Gore called to ask him to write a book on
reinventing the federal government to make it more
consumer oriented. “Suddenly, I was a ghostwriter,” said
Nothdurft. “After I finished Common Sense Government
(Random House) for the vice president, President Bill
Clinton called. (No, I am not making this up.) In three
months, we completed Between
Hope and History (Times Books), a
book about the president’s vision
for the country’s future at the
turn of the millennium.
“But at some point,” he
continued, “I began to believe
that my work on these subjects,
while successful, wasn’t really
making a significant difference
to real people in need. So I just
walked away from that career.”
Nothdurft relocated to Washington State, where the
editor-in-chief of Seattle-based Mountaineers Books
approached him. “A team of climbers had set off to find
out what had happened to the first Everest explorer, the
Englishman George Mallory, who disappeared in 1924
after being last seen tantalizingly close to the summit,
decades before Sir Edmund Hillary. Astonishingly, the
team found Mallory, frozen solid, on the Tibetan side
of the peak. Ghosts of Everest, the book I wrote for the
team, was an international sensation and won awards in
the United Kingdom and Italy. Publishers Weekly called it
‘a book of historic importance that reads like a detective
thriller.’ The ‘ghost’ who wrote Ghosts then went on to
write books for a team of dinosaur hunters, a famous
heart doctor, a ‘green-living’ proponent, and others.”
Later, Nothdurft turned from non-fiction to fiction,
completing his first novel, The Long Walk Home, in 90
days. “Two weeks later, there was a bidding war for
the book between three major New York publishers.
My agent said it was virtually unheard of, for a debut
novelist,” noted the author, who writes “using the
friendlier name ‘Will North.’ I’ve been writing fiction
ever since.”
North’s subsequent novels, Water, Stone, Heart and
Seasons’ End, have also garnered acclaim. Switching
genres again, he published the first in his “Davies &
West” British mystery series, Harm None, this past
summer. The second book in that series, Too Clever
By Half, will be published later this fall.
At the September 1995 White House launch of Common Sense Government,
Will North, left, talks with then-Vice President Al Gore, right, who asked him
to ghostwrite the book. Also pictured are lawyer and author Phillip K. Howard,
standing next to North, and then-President Bill Clinton, at Gore’s right.
North later “ghosted” Between Hope and History for Clinton.
8
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
They’re well educated. They’re original. They’re young. And they’re all University
at Albany alumni and students! In this issue, we proudly present UAlbany
magazine’s version of “Thirty Under 30,” a salute to some younger alumni – and
future alumni – who have already accomplished great things.
Under
30
Thirty
Allyson S. Impallomeni, B.A.’10
Age: 26
Major: psychology, Honors College
Minors: French and Judaic studies
Post-graduate study: M.S. in biology, 2012, from
New York University; post-baccalaureate in
pre-medical studies, Fordham University
Future study: St. George University Medical School,
beginning Fall 2014
Career plans: neurology: “I would love to work with
children diagnosed with developmental disorders.”
Rob Spring Photography
1
3
4
L
isette Miranda is helping to
foster confident, adaptable
women … a few interns at a time.
As the founder of Professional
Internships for Networking and
Connections (PINC), Miranda
has developed a life-shaping
experience for women aged 18
and over. The program, which just
hosted its first five participants this
summer, involves spending eight
weeks in Madrid in a combination
of internship placement and
cultural immersion. Participants
gain valuable work experience at
a variety of companies and take
important steps outside their
comfort zones.
“You have to be ambitious and
adventurous to do a program like
this,” explained Miranda. “But we
provide a safe, structured way to
have this experience.”
“Ambitious” and “adventurous”
are also good words to describe
Miranda. After a few years
of working in marketing in
Manhattan, the 2006 UAlbany
graduate moved to Madrid,
where she became certified as an
English teacher. She then worked
her way into top marketing
positions at two educational
companies. Inspired by a
strong female mentor, she
decided to pursue her vision
for PINC … basing it in a
country she had grown to love.
“Madrid is my second home,”
said the 30-year-old New
York City native.
Miranda ultimately hopes that
PINC will evolve into a community
of “alumni” – women who have
this unique, shared experience
and serious ambition. “We’re
looking to empower future
female leaders,” said Miranda.
By Jim Sciancalepore, M.A.’93
Lisette Miranda, B.A.’06
MENTORING IN MADRID
2
LY L E a n d M I L E S T H O M P S O N
John Strohsacker
Lacrosse Legends U
Albany senior Miles Thompson and his brother, junior Lyle Thompson,
are sociology majors who will graduate in Spring 2015. They are also
standouts in Great Danes athletics: In May, the attackmen became the
first joint winners of the Tewaaraton Award, lacrosse’s version of the Heisman
Trophy, and the first Native Americans to earn the honor. (“Tewaaraton” is the
Mohawk name for the sport.)
The siblings had a spectacular 2014. With cousin Ty Thompson, they led
UAlbany to a second consecutive America East championship and first-round
victory in the NCAA Tournament over top-ranked Loyola. Twenty-one-year-
old Lyle, the only player in Division I history to claim two 100-point seasons,
was one of five finalists for ESPN’s Best Male College Athlete (ESPY) Award.
Miles, 23, finished the season with 82 goals in 18 games, matching the all-time
Division I record for goals in a season set in 1990 by Yale’s Jon Reese.
In the 2014 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Championships,
Lyle and Miles spurred the Iroquois Nationals to their first medal, a bronze,
with a 16-5 victory over Australia.
– Carol Olechowski
www.albany.edu
9
Gayana G Photography
10
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
Amanda N. Prescott, Esq., B.A.’08
T H E I M P O R T A N C E O F L E V E R A G E
W
hen former English major Amanda N.
Prescott decided to attend law school,
she found her University at Albany
degree a great asset.
“The core of being a successful attorney is the ability
to be an excellent and efficient writer,” says Prescott,
who minored in women’s studies and criminal justice.
“All law-school exams are essays; therefore, I was
able to leverage my writing skills to excel on my final
examinations and become a member of the Law
Review [at the City University of New York School of
Law, Queens College]. All of my English courses at
UAlbany assisted me in being the skilled writer I am
today. Because of my English degree, I’m also able
to articulate proficiently and clearly in court while
advocating for my clients.
“Moreover, attending the University at Albany
has been a tremendous boost to my legal career,” added Prescott,
a 27-year-old associate attorney with the firm of Malapero & Prisco
LLP. “I interned at the New York State Assembly for a semester, and
it was through those connections and experiences that I was able
to obtain internships and clerkships with New York Supreme Court
and U.S. District Court judges while in law school.”
Prescott practices insurance-defense law in all five New York City
boroughs. “I represent several insurance companies in various
civil lawsuits ranging from slip-and-falls to labor-law disputes. I
negotiate settlements on behalf of the companies; if no settlement
can be reached, I handle all discovery and court appearances until
trial,” she said.
Alexis Imprescia,
B.S.’10, M.S.’11
Age: 26
Undergraduate major: accounting
Master’s: taxation
Employer: Ernst & Young
Title: tax senior
Location: New York, N.Y.
5
6
– Carol Olechowski
Rob Spring Photography
www.albany.edu
11
Robert (Robbie) Freeman, R.N., B.S.’10
A
s
a
human-biology
major
and
psychology minor at the University at
Albany, Robbie Freeman completed a
community-service internship that transformed
his life. “I volunteered at Albany Medical
Center’s ER and heart-transplant unit,” he
recalled, “and was amazed by the clinical
knowledge and bedside manner of the nurses.
I realized quickly that nursing was the right
profession for me.”
In fact, Freeman went on to graduate
from New York’s Phillips Beth Israel
School of Nursing (PBISN). Hired
at Beth Israel Medical Center,
he won its 2011 Novice Nurse
Award. Freeman used the award
money to create Nurse Net,
a free, interactive application
that allows users to access
information ranging from nursing and
medical abbreviations to news.
“Once I had the concept, I worked with a
friend with app-development experience.
It took about 12 weeks to get the app
operational and approved by Apple.
Nurse Net works on any Apple iOS
device (iPhone or iPad). There’s no special
equipment needed, and it can be downloaded
from the Apple store like any other app,”
Freeman explained.
By May 2014, Nurse Net had been downloaded
more than 200,000 times.
Freeman received an M.S. in nursing from
Excelsior College in Albany, a distance-
learning program, in 2013. He remains at
what is now Mount Sinai Beth Israel as a
clinical nurse specialist – medical surgical
quality, “a leadership position with a focus
on patient safety.” The Brooklyn resident also
participates in the Google Glass Explorers
program, consulting regularly with
other healthcare professionals “to
pilot ways we can use the technology
to improve patient outcomes.”
The courses he took at UAlbany “laid
a great foundation for my nursing
and pharmacology classes,” added
Freeman, 30, who won an athletics
scholarship and competed on the
University’s cross country and indoor and
outdoor track teams. “Being an athlete and
part of an incredible team that won numerous
conference titles showed me that we can
achieve great things together. In the hospital
setting, we also depend on the performance of
the entire team; teamwork and communication
are key. The stakes are higher. A win for us
is delivering excellent patient- and family-
centered care each day.”
8
Age: 30
Major: human biology
Minor: Spanish
Employer: Suffolk Obstetrics and Gynecology
Title: OB/GYN
Location: Port Jefferson, N.Y.
Cynthia Bernal,
M.D., B.S.’05
7
Focusing
on Patient
Safety
By Carol Olechowski
Rob Spring Photography
Mount Sinai Beth Israel
12
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
S
imone N. Sneed has a unique job title: social entrepreneur.
“A social entrepreneur pursues innovative
solutions to the pressing social challenges
of our time, such as poverty, environmental
sustainability,
educational
inequity,
by
leveraging enterprise,” explained Sneed, 29.
“The concept was coined in 1994 and rooted in a corporate-
sustainability framework. Most social entrepreneurs focus
on the triple bottom line: people, planet, profit. We want to
combine the best of the traditional non-profit sector with the
business acumen of the corporate sector.”
After completing her studies in sociology at UAlbany, Sneed
“spent the first ten years of my career as a strategist and
business-development specialist. I’ve worked with several
non-profits and have raised more than $15 million for
marginalized communities.”
Sneed shares her professional expertise with others through
Advice For A Brilliant Life (www.adviceforabrilliantlife.com),
created as a Times Union blog in 2006 when she recognized
that there was no online advice for young professionals
wanting to “move forward in our careers and our lives.” Nearly
eight years later, “my writing and my audience have both
evolved,” she observed.
“The goal of ABL is to provide socially conscious executives
and entrepreneurs tools to do good, be well and make money,”
added Sneed. Her average reader is “a 30-to-45-year-old
professional who likely works in the corporate sector, but is
dedicated to a cause and looking for information about how
to live in a more sustainable way, lead authentically, or fund a
social venture as a founder or board member.”
ABL also affords its editor-in-chief “a place to post the content
I write about social innovation, leadership and philanthropy
for various websites, such as CNN, The Huffington Post,
Cosmopolitan Latina and Stanford Social Innovation Review.”
In the past year, “I’ve upgraded the site and have
started to bring in additional writers,” she noted.
At 16, Sneed enrolled at UAlbany, envisioning
a transfer to Cornell University and a career in
orthopedic surgery. “However, at UAlbany, I found a home
where I was able to develop a great social network; I was
active on campus and enjoyed intellectual freedom. Through
the women’s-studies department, I was introduced to Holding
Our Own [HOO], a local women’s foundation. I later became
a member of its board, continuing in that role until I moved
to New York City in 2009. The time I spent with HOO and
my socially conscious peers organizing for women’s rights on
campus absolutely influenced who I have become and truly
laid the groundwork for my continued evolution.”
SIMONE N. SNEED, B.A.’04
Social Entrepreneur Extraordinaire
Under30
Thirty
9
By Carol Olechowski
11
A D VA N C I N G A L B A N Y
By Jim Sciancalepore, M.A.’93
T
hough he hails from Long Island,
Matthew Peter adopted Albany as
his home while attending UAlbany.
“I love this city,” said Peter. “It’s a
great place to live.”
Peter, 29, now has a hand in helping
to shape the city’s future – as chief
of Staff for Albany Mayor Kathy
Sheehan. His responsibilities include
managing the day-to-day operations
of the mayor’s office and collaborating
with an array of civic and community
leaders. Peter also takes an active
role in developing and implementing
policy.
Last fall, Peter served as campaign
manager for Sheehan, Albany’s first-
ever female mayor, and he helped her
win the general election on a platform
of progressive change. In Sheehan’s
first year in office, they have already
begun work on sustainability and
“walkability”
initiatives
that
will
enhance quality of life for the city’s
98,000 residents.
“I get energized by good policy,”
explained Peter. “It’s very gratifying
to make a difference.”
The magna cum laude graduate says
that his UAlbany education has served
him well in his career – especially
his study-abroad experience and
internship
opportunities
in
state
government.
It also helped him find his home.
www.albany.edu
13
F
our months after graduating from the
University at Albany with a degree in public
administration and policy, Joe Bonilla was not
only employed. He was self-employed.
Bonilla, with friend and fellow alumnus Rich Fazio,
founded Relentless Awareness, a public-relations
and advertising firm, in January 2012.
As its name suggests, Relentless
Awareness
provides
“non-stop
outreach through public relations and
digital outreach solutions to a variety
of clients,” noted Bonilla, 28. “We rely
on aggressive tactics for getting the word out
about their products, services, establishments or
candidacies.” Clients include Albany Mayor Kathy
Sheehan; Bow Tie Cinemas; the Washington
Avenue Armory; Mingle Restaurants; Nine Pin
Cider; and the Albany Distilling Company.
UAlbany prepared Bonilla well for the venture.
His experiences working with Albany Student
Television (ATV) and serving as Student Association
programming director, “tied in with such key
classes as Public Relations Writing with Mark
Marchand and Bureaucratic Politics with
Michael Christakis, were critical in developing
the necessary skills for public relations and
business,” he recalled. “I’ll add that I practically
grew up on campus: My mother, Adrienne Bonilla,
works for the University as assistant vice
president for Research.”
“A class called Sociology of Media
opened my mind to what the everyday
American was being shown in the
newspapers, on television and on the
radio,” said Fazio, 31. “I felt a need to tell a different
side of what the mainstream media were showing
and was able to, years later, with Joe’s help.
“Joe and I began working on projects that Capital
Region residents would enjoy; we started the
Knickerbocker Film Festival and other events,
which eventually allowed us to form Relentless
Awareness. I had the freedom to move anywhere
to conduct business, so I decided to move to South
Carolina.”
Thus far, Myrtle Beach and Greenville, S.C., “are
our main focus in the Southeast,” added Fazio,
who majored in sociology and minored in English
at UAlbany. “We have plans to expand to Atlanta;
Charlotte and Asheville, N.C.; and Florida.”
Most Relentless Awareness interns, and some
employees, “also come from the University,” said
Bonilla. “It’s an incredibly unifying factor to have
had such shared college experiences within the
same office, and even with our clients. A number
of them are also UAlbany alums.”
By Carol Olechowski
Joe Bonilla, B.A.’11
Relentlessly Ambitious
10
Joe Bonilla, center, poses with
his Knickerbocker Film Festival
co-founders, Rich Fazio, left,
and Joe Alindato.
Colleen Piccolino
Matthew Peter, B.A. ’06, M.A. ’07
“UAlbany helped me build a solid foundation to ensure I have a
successful future,” says Lisa Fund, 30. “The University taught
me how to balance my time, and confirmed the importance of
giving back to the community and being involved with the Alumni
Association. Without strong support from the athletics and math
departments, the School of Business and many mentors, I do
not think I would be where I am today.”
Fund today is at Goldman Sachs in New Jersey. Hired as
an analyst in July 2005, shortly after earning a degree in
mathematics, she has since held “a variety of roles” with the
firm. Currently, as manager of a Global Strategy and Change
Management team in the Securities
Operations Control & Quality Management
Group, Fund oversees “global projects to
help the organization optimize controls,
create efficiency and enhance service
levels.” The work affords her opportunities
for extensive travel: Recent business
has taken her primarily to Salt Lake City,
“where we have a large presence.”
Fund helps Goldman Sachs recruit for
Operations at various campuses and
serves as a mentoring champion. She is
also involved with the company’s various
diversity-affinity networks.
Outside
of
Goldman
Sachs,
Fund
volunteers with the Global Circle Steering
Committee of the non-profit American
Jewish World Service, a group of young
professionals
that
supports
AJWS’
efforts “to alleviate poverty, hunger and disease among the
most marginalized people and communities in the developing
world.” The organization also advocates for “gender equality,
global hunger relief, global health initiatives and basic
human rights.”
Fund’s philanthropic interests extend to the University. The GOLD
(Graduates of the Last Decade) alumna and former captain of
the women’s tennis team has spoken at math graduation and
various open houses, “sharing what UAlbany offers and what a
great education I received.” She also responded to an Alumni
Association challenge to encourage leadership gifts from young
alumni by endowing a scholarship fund. The award will support
a female student intending to follow
academic and career paths similar
to Fund’s.
“Having the Alumni Association
match half of the endowment
minimum is a fantastic way to
encourage and enable younger
alumni to start an endowment,”
observes Fund. “Each year, I try to
give a donation to UAlbany, and
I thought that [the scholarship]
would be a great way to confirm
my commitment to the University
and be able to impact a student’s
career. I am looking forward to
congratulating the first scholarship
recipient in the next few years and
following her successes, along with
those of future recipients!”
13
Under30
Thirty
Lisa Fund, B.S.’05
A Firm Commitment to UAlbany
14
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
By Carol Olechowski
12
Daniel Morales-
Armstrong, B.A. ’10
Age: 26
Majors: criminal justice and psychology
Advanced degree: Ed.M.’11, prevention science and
practice, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Employer: The Bronx Institute at
Lehman College-CUNY
Title: assistant director – ENLACE Program
Location: Bronx, N.Y.
Rob Spring Photography
T
wenty-eight-year-old Steve Severin possesses
the knowledge and determination necessary to
succeed in any field. But he credits the University
at Albany’s business curriculum and career services as
“key contributors to my success in my current career
path, information-technology audit.”
Severin majored in business administration and
graduated cum laude. Today, as assistant vice president,
Technology Audit, at Citi in New York’s Financial District,
“I manage and execute information-technology risk and
control assessments, from project scoping to report-
issuance phase, and assess inherent and residual
risks in order to develop and execute key information-
technology application-audit test procedures.” Severin’s
other responsibilities include “leading client-walkthrough
meetings in order to assess design and implementation
of key control areas, and aiding in the development
of value-added management action plans for findings
identified during fieldwork.”
A double concentration in finance and information
technology, Severin adds, “allowed me to hone my skills and excel in the business world. Without the
faculty and educational services provided by UAlbany, I would not be where I am today.”
Steve Severin, B.S.’08
A PATH TO SUCCESS
15
Elizabeth Skovron
Age: 21
Hometown: Tarrytown, N.Y.
Class year: senior
Graduation year: 2015
Major: sociology
Minor: bioethics
14
During Summer 2014, Skovron joined Town of Greenburgh [N.Y.]
Supervisor Paul Feiner and clerk Judith Beville to act on “the
dearth of internships and jobs for college students and recent
graduates. I sought them out after I wasn’t hearing back about
jobs and internships I had applied to months in advance.
“Unemployment/underemployment rates for college grads continue
to increase. I made it my job this summer to help students and
graduates gather and connect, face to face, with professionals and
entrepreneurs to network for prolific possibilities. The speakers at
the events I planned for July and August shared their ideas and
experiences. They also brainstormed with us about ways college
students and recent grads can be more entrepreneurial in creating
their own opportunities, despite the tough job market.
“My future plans include continuing to create meaningful
experiences for myself and others!”
www.albany.edu
15
Marty Heitner
– Mike S. Nolan, B.S.’12
By Carol Olechowski
16
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
Artistic Chain
Reaction
By Carol Olechowski
Fine arts majors Mic DeBellis, 23; Dana S.
Owens, 29; and Kateryne Lora, 22, met
in Nathan Meltz’s screen-printing class
at UAlbany. Their friendship became a
partnership with the June 2013 founding of
The Machine: A Creative Co-op in Albany.
The “Greenwich Village feel of Lark Street
and
the
surrounding
Center
Square
neighborhood”
convinced
Owens,
a
freelance graphic designer and illustrator,
that “a concept like ours would do well”
there. “We capitalize on passersby and on
Art on Lark, LarkFEST and other events.
We encourage other artists to bring in their
supplies and paint with us for our Mid-
Month Live Painting events, or at least
communicate with us.”
For graphic designer and DJ DeBellis,
Machine activity ranges from “screen
printing, custom tailoring and sewing, and
music” to “video shooting and editing.” Like
everyone else involved, he plans, organizes
and promotes “different events, artists, and
projects” at the co-op.
Public events at The Machine include
“music, live-art demonstrations, installations
and a farmers’ market,” explains DeBellis.
“We all work on different projects throughout
the studio and invite the public to do the
same. It’s a chain reaction of art.”
According to Lora, the Machine’s “First
Friday” series has “cultivated a fan base” for
the co-op. “We display new works and invite
the public to jam with us, musically and in
studio art. I hope The Machine will always
be a creative space that inspires us to exit
the norm, open our minds to new ideas and
exercise our creativity,” adds Lora.
Mic DeBellis, B.A.’13; Dana S. Owens, B.A.’13; and Kateryne Lora, B.A.’13
Under30
Thirty
Jacques Bastien, B.A.’12
ECLECTIC
ENTREPRENEUR
16
F
ounder and executive of multiple companies. Designer.
Writer. College professor. Media personality. And that’s all
within two years of graduation.
“I’ve been so busy for so long that I couldn’t imagine life
simpler,” noted the multi-faceted Jacques Bastien. Born in
Haiti, Bastien has been an entrepreneur since his high-school
days in Brooklyn, when he created and sold music beats
for aspiring artists. He continues to channel that energy in
numerous directions.
These days, the 24-year-old Bastien is largely focused on
running his Albany-based social media and interactive-
marketing agency, Boogie. He started the company in his dorm
room while a sophomore at UAlbany, and the venture has
evolved and grown since then.
Bastien credits UAlbany for providing him a strong foundation
for his business success, and he maintains strong ties to the
University. He currently teaches an interactive design course
as an adjunct professor, and Boogie employs several UAlbany
graduates (including his wife, Dahcia, a fellow 2012 graduate).
Perhaps the most important skill Bastien learned at UAlbany
was his ability to maximize his time.
“I’ve learned to operate effectively with four to five hours of
sleep,” said Bastien. “It’s difficult to imagine myself not having
so much to do.”
By Jim Sciancalepore, M.A.’93
17, 18, 19
From left, Kateryne Lora; Mic DeBellis; Dana S. Owens; Meghan Mason; UAlbany student
Kat Brockschmidt; and interns and 2014 UAlbany graduates Greg Villano, Marlee Mitchell and
Brittany Duffy enjoy working with other artists at The Machine. Lora, DeBellis and Owens founded
the creative co-op on Lark Street in Albany after graduating in 2013.
Visit The Machine online at
facebook.com/TheMachineACreativeCoop.
www.albany.edu
17
This story, excerpted from a Mechanicville
Mile post published Jan. 31, is printed with
permission.
C
asey Wittchen published her first book in January. And
the 21-year-old UAlbany junior has several more “in
the works.”
Wittchen was in high school when she wrote Behind Locked
Doors over the course of about six months; the edit took two
years. She is already working on Within Silent Graves, the
next installment in her planned Devils Grace series.
Set in Santa Monica, Calif., Behind Locked Doors is a young-
adult/urban-fantasy novel. It follows 17-year-old Tempest
Laurier as the search for her birth father plunges her into
a world of faeries and demons, adventures and secrets.
The investigation into her past “sets her on a crumbling
road of physical and psychological pain, along with loss as
relationships are tried and truths are discovered,” notes the
Amazon.com book description.
The cover was illustrated by family friend and artist John
Hebert, who based the drawing of Tempest on Wittchen –
fitting, considering that the protagonist seems to draw from
her creator’s personality. Wittchen observed: “A lot of people
said that when they read Tempest, she’s just like me. So
maybe Tempest, to a certain extent, draws from my own
experiences.”
Behind Locked Doors is the Mechanicville, N.Y., resident’s
first full novel. She published it herself using Amazon
CreateSpace. It’s available in both e-book and print formats.
A second edition of Behind Locked Doors, released in June,
“is slightly different from the [original] version,” Wittchen
noted. “I also signed a contract to have my book made into
an audio book. It will be narrated by Todd Haberkorn, an
incredible voiceover actor and a huge inspiration to me.”
Wittchen, a writer since age 4, is an English major at UAlbany.
She minors in Japanese, history, business and anthropology.
In May, Wittchen completed the first book in another series;
Forgive Me For I Have Sinned is slated for publication this
fall. She is currently writing Haven’s Wake, which begins a
third series.
Follow Wittchen on Twitter @NaturallyCasey or visit her
website, www.cawittchen.com.
Elizabeth Q. Gray, B.A.’08.
Age: 29
Major: philosophy, Honors College
Former employer: University at Albany
Titles: assistant director, Global Institute for Health and
Human Rights, and program assistant, International
Academic Program (left in May to “explore opportunities
in New York; Philadelphia; and Washington, D.C.
I look forward to moving to a new city at the end
of the summer.”)
Founder, director and project coordinator, The Wishi
Project. Gray raised funds to establish a school in rural
Ecuador for children of the indigenous Wishi community.
“The kids are advancing steadily, and we have partnered
with several organizations to support ongoing initiatives,
including further additions to the school building; the
development of traditional-dance and soccer programs;
and the introduction of storytelling, acting and writing
workshops.”
Co-founder and president, Board
of Trustees, Castle Island Bilingual
Montessori, “a not-for-profit school
in the urban core of Albany.” The
school, which serves Capital Region youngsters ages
3 to 6, “strives to meet the needs of its students through
an accessible and innovative early-education model
designed to foster a love of learning, independence,
innovation, and academic excellence in children from
diverse backgrounds and learning needs.”
Gray’s UAlbany experience provided her “the confidence
and skills to undertake larger projects after graduation.
I had the opportunity to take on initiatives I felt
were important and to realize them in a supportive
environment.”
Casey Wittchen ~ A Passion for Writing
By Kyle Adams
20
Kyle Adams/Mechanicville Mile
21
18
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
S
ince the 1960s, Detroit has struggled with economic
woes, population loss, surplus housing stock, curtailed
municipal services and a host of other issues. But
self-described “urban mechanic and futurist” Jason
Zogg sees his adopted hometown as a place where “everyone
matters,” and he’s eager to revitalize the city.
“A desire to do something I felt had a greater impact on the
world” led the Delmar, N.Y., native to Michigan in 2012. One
of 30 participants selected for the inaugural Challenge Detroit
Fellowship, he worked four days a week for DTE
Energy, a corporate sponsor of the program. Each
Friday for a year, Zogg and the other Fellows met to
address childhood obesity, food deserts and other
challenges affecting the community. Many of the
recommendations “have already been implemented
in one form or another,” he says.
Zogg, who enrolled at UAlbany as a Presidential Scholar, was
drawn to urban planning “as soon as I took my first course with
John Pipkin in 2003.” The class “changed my life. Suddenly,
I was looking at the world in a completely different way,”
says the former urban-planning/political science major,
who minored in business.
After three semesters of additional study, Zogg earned a
master’s in regional planning with a focus on transportation. He
relocated to Boston to work for consulting firm VHB Inc. There,
he became a LEED AP [Leadership in Energy & Environmental
Design Accredited Professional] and added to his knowledge of
electric-vehicle, airport, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
Today, as urban planner & strategy analyst at DTE Energy, Zogg
is involved with Energize Detroit, a company program seeking
“to stabilize, improve and transform the 15-plus downtown
blocks immediately surrounding the corporate headquarters.
Thirty percent of the land is vacant, with very few residential,
retail or entertainment venues.”
Zogg notes: “The position draws on everything
I learned at UAlbany. I frequently reference books
I used all the way back in The American City with
John Pipkin, Energy & Resources with John Delano,
or Bike & Pedestrian Planning with Jeff Olson.
UAlbany really set my foundation for a truly broad,
holistic understanding of urban planning and the key challenges
facing 21st-century cities.
“The multidisciplinary nature of the profession gives us
an
extraordinary
awareness
of
the
complexities
and
interdependencies involved in creating truly livable places of
lasting value that are loved,” he adds. “Urban planners create
places that are vibrant, economically viable, environmentally
responsible, healthy and safe.”
Under30
Thirty
Jason Zogg,
B.A.’07,
M.R.P.’08
22
REVITALIZING DETROIT
By Carol Olechowski
www.albany.edu
19
“We see an entire generation that is up for grabs … young people
who have been overlooked or underestimated by most media
outlets,” explained James Allen. “They consume content through
new channels: social and mobile. And they happen to be the largest
generation in American history.”
Allen was describing the concept behind Mic.com, a new media
outlet for which he is the vice president of Communications
and Strategy. Allen and his co-workers have an ambitious goal: to
be the most trusted and relevant news source for millennials.
Mic is certainly off to a good start: Its audience has grown by
more than 750 percent since early 2013. It currently reaches
more than 19 million monthly readers, an estimated two-thirds of
them under age 35.
As “keeper of the Mic brand,” Allen oversees brand strategy and
media relations – and serves as Mic’s liaison in Washington, D.C.,
and other industry communities.
Allen, 28, is no stranger to politics. While a sophomore at UAlbany,
he served as an intern to former U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton. Allen later
worked as campaign manager for U.S. Rep. John Carney’s successful
congressional campaign, and he was director of Communications for
Newark [N.J.] Mayor (now senator) Cory Booker.
“All of these roles gave me a deep understanding
of politics and journalism,” said Allen. “For me,
Mic is the best of both worlds: I get my political
fix, and I’m diving into the digital-media industry
at a very exciting time.”
James Allen, B.A. ’07
A NEW VOICE
24
By Jim Sciancalepore, M.A.’93
James Allen works with U.S. Sen. Cory Booker.
E
ric Fisher, chief meteorologist at WBZ-TV, the CBS
affiliate in Boston, had a unique childhood, to say the
least. “I was that kid sitting out on the porch with Mom
yelling at me to get inside during thunderstorms. I would
watch endless hours of The Weather Channel, get pumped
up for big snowstorms, and even had a backyard weather
station where I kept observations in a notebook. So you
could say the path was laid out. I knew I wanted to work in
weather,” recalls Fisher, 30.
As a high-school student in South Windsor, Conn., he
“took all the science classes possible.” When it was time
for college, “I looked solely at schools with meteorology
programs, and the University at Albany seemed the best fit.”
UAlbany’s atmospheric-science program, Fisher points out,
“is for those who are really into the weather – true ‘weather
geeks,’ as many of us proudly call ourselves! It’s not just
a program to breeze through and get on TV, and for that
I’m grateful. Professors [Lance] Bosart, [Mike] Landin and
[Chris] Thorncroft, to name a few,
were all excellent, laying down
the fundamentals of what we’d
expect out in the job market. And
even though there was not a
broadcasting program in place,
everyone in the department
made us comfortable in our love for
the weather so we could fully embrace
and enjoy our work – the key to success
in any job.”
Fisher returned to his native Massachusetts after graduation
to work at WGGB in Springfield. Four years later, “my strong
background in meteorology helped to get me a job at The
Weather Channel, which is pretty much the mother ship for
hard-core weather fans.”
WBZ has been home base for Fisher since 2013.
By Carol Olechowski
Eric Fisher, B.S.’06
“WEATHER GEEK”
23
Melissa
(Johnson)
Krumanocker,
B.A.’09, and
Zane
Krumanocker,
B.S.’09
Zane Krumanocker defines the
American Dream as “the never-
ending pursuit of reaching your
goals and enjoying every minute
of your life. Both are easier said
than done.”
Still, he and Melissa, married since August
2013, are giving the effort their all. The founders
of Cape Crabbers, which Melissa describes as
“a nautically inspired lifestyle
brand,” are “having fun creating a
product that people are excited to
wear” while “making it a point not
to take our brand too seriously.”
Ironically, the couple brainstormed
the line of T-shirts, hats and other beachwear
on a raw winter day in 2009. “The whole idea
was to work toward living on the Cape one day,”
recalls Melissa, who spent childhood summers
with her family on Cape Cod. “I was doodling
on a napkin and drew Petey the Crab [the
firm’s first logo], and Zane came up with
the name ‘Cape Crabbers.’ After a while, we
rebranded the company with our signature
CC anchor logo.”
The 27-year-olds “work only with domestic
manufacturers,”
Zane
says. To
launch
the business, “we learned to sew, screen
print and finish many of our products
in-house.” In 2012, they lived briefly on
Cape Cod, “spreading the word about our
quality made-in-U.S.A. apparel,” notes Melissa.
Now back in the Albany area, the Krumanockers
conduct most company business online
(www.capecrabbers.com).
Growing up in Troy, N.Y., the pair exemplified
the entrepreneurial spirit. “Melissa opened a
lemonade stand annually on the side of the
road by her grandparents’ pool,” remembers
Zane, a formerly self-employed
landscaper
and
DJ.
He
earned a degree in business
administration; “I felt the program
would be a great jumping-off
point for whatever path I wanted
to take,” Zane comments.
Initially a seasonal enterprise, Cape Crabbers
now operates year-round, reports Melissa,
who studied communication and psychology
at UAlbany. “Two summers ago, about 80
percent of our sales were made on Cape
Cod, or online to people in and around the
area. Today, we have sales in every single
state across the country. It’s really kind
of crazy!”
“Business has steadily grown,” Zane adds,
“and for that we are incredibly thankful. When
we started, we would make lists of friends
and family we thought would be willing to
support the brand. It was silly, but it helped
us realize the importance of recognizing your
target market.”
Under30
Thirty
“My work is my passion,” explained Jordan Edelson.
Whether you’re a fan of the NBA, Lady Gaga, beer, perfume
or a growing range of games, you may have held his work
in the palm of your hand.
Edelson is the CEO and founder of Appetizer Mobile, a
mobile-application development, consulting and marketing
company. The Manhattan-based business was formed
in 2009, and Edelson and his team have already scored
numerous wins.
From developing top-selling educational apps for
Montessorium – which were featured in two Apple iPad
TV commercials – to creating an experiential app for Lady
Gaga’s Little Monsters tour and digital bobblehead versions
of top NBA stars, Appetizer continues to expand its portfolio.
Edelson noted that the company is now emphasizing
the development of its own intellectual property and has
instituted an in-house design lab to drive innovative ideas.
“I love being creative and never feeling boxed in,” explained
Edelson, 29. “It’s very inspiring.”
Long before he arrived at UAlbany, Edelson
was taking technology in new directions; his
innovations included a digital-streaming channel
for video games, formed when he was just 17.
Edelson noted that the University gave him a
“perfect foundation” of communication and
business skills – a foundation that helps to
fuel his passion today.
JordanEdelson, B.A. ’07 Upwardly Mobile
By Jim Sciancalepore, M.A.’93
26
A M E R I CA N D R E A M E RS
– Carol Olechowski
25
20
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
www.albany.edu
21
As a business administration major in
UAlbany’s
Financial
Analyst
Honors
Program, Alfieri worked hard to attain that
dream. With friends Vincent Cisternino,
B.S.’08, and Michael Reynolds, B.S.’08,
he founded the University at Albany School
of Business Investment Group (UASBIG)
to “afford students the opportunity to
apply what they learn in the classroom in a
real-world portfolio-management setting.”
A summer analyst with Citi in 2006 and
with Goldman Sachs in 2007, Alfieri
joined the latter as a full-time analyst
after graduation. His expertise now also
includes “advising corporates in such
areas as initial public offerings (IPOs),
other forms of equity financings and
general corporate finance matters.”
Today, “I work on Goldman’s Principal
Strategic
Investments
team,
which
manages a portfolio of private-equity
positions with roughly $1 billion invested
across about 60 companies,” says Alfieri,
27. A board member for one of the
portfolio companies, he also assumes
director-level roles for other investments.
“Goldman’s culture is very team oriented
and driven. People know one another at
all levels,” Alfieri notes.
University connections have promoted
his career aims. David Smith, Hany
Shawky and Rita Biswas were among the
professors “helpful in shaping my learning
experience.” Alfieri is grateful to “alumni
like Michael Borys [B.S.’78, M.B.A.’79]
and Dan Byrne [B.S.’93, M.B.A.’96], who
came through the doors of GS before me
and helped make recruiting from UAlbany
possible.”
His mentors include Goldman Sachs
managing directors Dean Backer, B.S.’88,
and Stacy Bash-Polley, B.S.’89; Wellington
Management
Co.
Partner
Michael
Carmen, B.S.’84; and GoldenTree Asset
Management President Robert Matza,
B.S.’77. When Alfieri was seeking new
challenges at the company’s New York
office in 2011, advisers rightly predicted
that a new opportunity would arise when
the economy emerged from its slump. He
left for London shortly thereafter.
Alfieri is now following his mentors’
example: “I’ve helped some younger
alumni get interviews with Goldman Sachs,
or been part of the interview process. I
also try to stay connected with the school
through my participation on the UASBIG
Associate Advisory Board.”
By Carol Olechowski
Matthew Alfieri, B.S.’08
ALLEGIANCE TO UALBANY
27
M
atthew Alfieri is living a dream: working in London as vice president on
the Principal Strategic Investments team at Goldman Sachs. “I almost
don’t believe it’s real. It’s like an extended holiday,” he observes.
22
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
By Carol Olechowski
D
umbstruck, the application Mike Tanski and Peter
Allegretti created last year, also aptly describes
the UAlbany doctoral students’ reaction to the
popularity the app has achieved in a short time.
“The idea of sending a funny photo or video to a friend, or posting
something on social media, really boils down to one main concept:
to get a reaction,” observed Tanski, 24. “We figured if there was a
fast and easy way to capture those reactions, people would really
engage with the content. Turns out we were right!”
The Dumbstruck user “enhances a video or photo with
creative tools, such as stickers and memes, then sends
it to friends. When the image is opened, the app records
the viewer’s reaction and forwards it to the sender. The
message and the reaction are fused into one new piece
of content that can be shared to Facebook, Twitter and
other social media,” Tanski explained.
Tanski and Allegretti, Siena College graduates, met at UAlbany,
where they are enrolled in the doctoral program in informatics.
They started Doctored Apps “as a mobile app-idea lab,” launching
“the best ideas we had” as tech companies. “One of those ideas,
Dumbstruck, is now its own company, with about 20 employees
working in various capacities.”
Dumbstruck is “a powerful idea,” added Tanski. “Historically,
entertainers saw their audiences react. But radio, film and
television separated entertainer and audience. Dumbstruck
brings the audience back into the room. A few actors from the
cast of ‘Glee’ shared just four reactions to their social media, and
those reactions gained more than 126 days of viewing time. The
engagement metrics for Dumbstruck are much higher, on average,
than anything else these celebrities have ever posted to Twitter,
Facebook or Instagram.”
Naming the app took a while. “Peter really liked ‘Dumbstruck,’
but everyone else wanted a name that related more to
reactions and videos. Finally, we put all of our suggestions
into a hat, and Dumbstruck was the name we pulled
out, so we went with it. Everyone loves the name; it’s
very catchy. We used Peter’s hat, though – so I’m pretty
convinced [the drawing] was rigged!” Tanski joked.
The Dumbstruck team has “had multiple offers to move to California
and New York City, but the resources in Albany are just as good as
those elsewhere. Everyone at UAlbany was incredibly supportive,
willing to help any way they could to get us off the ground. To do our
part, we created internships that allow students to work and learn
from some of the best talent in the area, and we have hired past
interns to work with us full time. Others have taken the experience
and connections they made during their time with us and gone on
to get great jobs at top companies in the tech industry.”
Under30
Thirty
28
ABSOLUTELY DUMBSTRUCK
Mike Tanski
Ph.D. Candidate, UAlbany
Informatics Program
UAlbany graduate
students Peter
Allegretti, left,
and Mike Tanski,
right, created the
Dumbstruck app.
Colleen Piccolino
www.albany.edu
23
Age: 30
Major: criminal justice
Advanced degree:
J.D., Albany Law School
Employer:
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, LLP
Title: associate in the
Litigation & Arbitration Group
Location: New York, N.Y.
UAlbany, Laroche says, “prepared me well for law school
and the legal profession. I was lucky to have the opportunity to
study under a number of professors who had also practiced law.
One in particular, James Acker, became my mentor. Professor Acker
was very influential in my career path, and I still consider him a
source of guidance and support to this day.”
Adds Laroche: “The University offers countless opportunities,
and I took advantage of many of them. Two stand out. I played
Division I-AA football for Coach Bob Ford. Playing for him was an
honor, and many of the players on the team remain some of my
closest friends to this day. I also participated in UAlbany’s
moot-court program under Professor Acker; our team was very
successful, winning a regional tournament and reaching the
semi-finals of a national competition. That experience
ultimately shaped my decision to pursue a law degree.”
30
I
f the folks at Google will pardon the pun, Stacey Gammon is
truly an embodiment of the phrase “Google Plus.”
Gammon, who simultaneously earned her B.S. and M.S. in
computer science in four years at UAlbany, is currently a senior
software engineer for the Internet giant’s AdWords Editor
Team. Her team is responsible for providing solutions to help
large advertisers manage their immensely complex
“adword” accounts. But she also has another
passion: pet photography.
Gammon, 30, has photographed a veritable zoo
of animals for a range of customers, from animal
shelters and rescue organizations to private pet owners. It
started a few years ago when she volunteered to take shots
of a rescue dog to help the four-legged friend find a home.
And Gammon was hooked.
“I absolutely love doing pet photography,” explained Gammon.
“I love that I’m able to use my creativity and – most importantly
– I get to help shelters and other organizations that do such
important work.”
Gammon is grateful that Google’s corporate culture not only
allows but truly encourages employees to pursue their passions
outside work.
“Google is super supportive of outside pursuits, especially
activities that are creative or community-oriented,” she said.
“They know that happy people are better employees.”
Stacey Gammon,
B.S./M.S. ’06
PET PROJECTS
29
– Jim Sciancalepore, M.A.’93
Matt
Laroche,
B.A.’05, M.A.’07
Rob Spring Photography
24
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
By Carol Olechowski
STEVE COX, B.A.’81
Accidental
Entrepreneur
www.albany.edu
25
P
ull
up
the
website
for
A d iro n d ac k
D istilling
Company,
and
you’ll
see
what looks like the setup for a joke:
“A doctor, a lawyer and a political
consultant walk into a bar …” But it’s
actually the story of how Adirondack
Distilling got its start, says co-founder
Steve Cox.
“I’m
the
lawyer,”
acknowledges
the Oneida County, N.Y., assistant
district attorney. “I met Jordan
Karp when he managed the 1996
Congressional campaign of my then-
boss, Michael Arcuri, B.A.’81. One
day, when Jordan was really fed up
with D.C., he texted me, ‘Potato
vodka – let’s make it.’”
Karp and Cox “visited distilleries
around New York, watched YouTube
videos and took a distilling course at
Cornell University.” They drafted
a business plan with assistance
from the SUNY IT Small Business
Development Center, which serves
five Mohawk Valley counties, and
recruited third partner Bruce Elwell,
D.O., Cox’s longtime friend.
The partners’ decision to hand-
craft potables from local ingredients
“made good economic sense and
a much more compelling story
to market the products” in the
immediate area, observes Cox. “We
found strong demand for artisan,
local, quality products that aren’t
about to knock Grey Goose off the
shelf but have developed a growing,
loyal following.”
Adirondack Distilling’s vodka; gin;
and 1,000 Stills White Whisky,
which débuted last February, are also
gluten free. With gluten tolerance “a
larger issue overall,” Cox notes, “it
was a convenient by-product of our
choice to use 100-percent corn as
our mashing grain that it was gluten
free. We now have what we believe
to be the only gluten-free gin in New
York; this year, we rolled out bourbon
whisky that is also gluten free.”
Currently marketed in California,
Connecticut
and
New
York,
Adirondack
Distilling
products
“should be in four to five more states
very soon. We have already made
inroads with distribution channels in
Europe and in China. China is the
easier market to break into; American
craft whiskies are all the rage there,”
explains Cox.
Since its founding in 2011, Adirondack
Distilling has “won and placed well
in several major competitions,” he
adds. “The SIP Awards in Las Vegas
are judged by actual consumers – a
notoriously difficult group to win
over – and our vodka won platinum,
the top award available. We won
double-gold in the New York State
Fair Wine & Spirits Competition and
took a bronze at the San Francisco
International Spirits Competition.
Our bottle and packaging even won a
gold in that same category.”
The distillery’s workforce includes
the partners, their wives, a full-time
employee
and
several
part-time
staff. There are plans for expansion;
“our building was designed to house
a second still, which would about
double our capacity and will likely
be added in 2015. We will add
personnel as we go.”
As a political-science major at
UAlbany, Cox minored in journalism,
studying with “the great Bill Kennedy
and Bill Rowley.” He applied for
admission to the School of Business
but “didn’t get in.” Still, Cox “greatly
enjoyed” his University experience.
“I was later a newspaper reporter
for a while, and I continue to write
every day,” says the 1996 University
at Buffalo Law School graduate.
A self-described “accidental
entrepreneur,” Cox believes that “no
idea is too far out there to become
the foundation of a sound business
plan. If you are not a business person
already, there are plenty of resources
to guide you.”
Bruce Elwell, D.O.; Steve Cox, B.A.’81;
and Jordan Karp co-founded
Adirondack Distilling in Utica, N.Y.
26
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
RIGHT
Greg Gattuso
wanted back in.
Somehow, some way,
he had to have the
responsibility of being
a head coach again.
He yearned to be in
charge of a program,
running a team his way.
His style.
His rules.
His attitude.
His team.
By Jeff Gold
“THE
GUY”
Mark Schmidt
www.albany.edu
27
B
ut if not for the lucky timing of
reconnecting with an old friend,
Bob Benson, now UAlbany’s
defensive coordinator, the opportunity
never would have come.
“Honestly, I had no idea the [UAlbany
head coach’s] job was even open. But
the moment I found out, I was intrigued.
This was what I was looking for,”
Gattuso said.
Gattuso put together an application
immediately, becoming a candidate
just before the deadline. And his timing
could not have been better. Not only
did he want UAlbany; the University
wanted him. On Dec. 9, 2013, Gattuso
was named UAlbany’s football coach,
becoming just the second man to hold
the position. Bob Ford, who was in
charge for 44 years, led the Great Danes
to 256 wins.
“Bob Ford has done an incredible job
at Albany, taking it from a club team,
through the ranks and now into what I
believe is one of the top conferences in
the country,” Gattuso said. “He made
this a great opportunity for me and my
staff, and I want him to remain involved
in the program in whatever capacity
he’d like.”
Gattuso, 52, comes to UAlbany from the
University of Maryland, where he spent
the past three seasons as the defensive
line coach and the previous two as the
assistant head coach. Prior to Maryland,
he spent six seasons at the University
of Pittsburgh, primarily coaching the
defensive line, and 12 seasons as the
head coach at Duquesne University,
leading the Dukes to a phenomenal
97-32
record,
including
eight
conference titles.
Before getting involved in coaching,
Gattuso had an outstanding career as
a player. He was a star in high school
at Seton-LaSalle in Pittsburgh and
then at Penn State, where he was a
defensive lineman on the 1982 national
championship team.
Gattuso has coached on both sides
of the ball throughout his career, and
said he believed in a vertical offense
and an aggressive defense. However,
the task at UAlbany will be a challenge:
Last season, in their Colonial Athletic
Association début, the Great Danes went
1-11 overall and 0-8 in the conference.
The
move
from
the
Northeast
Conference to the CAA is a steep one,
both in terms of talent and scholarship
allotment. UAlbany is up to
61 scholarships now, two
short of the maximum.
“If you want a guy who
responds to challenges,
Greg is the right guy. He will compete at
anything,” said Tom Donahoe, who was
Gattuso’s high-school football coach
before becoming director of Football
Operations for the Pittsburgh Steelers
and GM of the Buffalo Bills. “On top of
that, he is a student of the game.”
Added New England Patriots defensive
lineman Joe Vellano, who played for
Gattuso at Maryland: “Not only is he
great at teaching technique; he has a
way of dealing with players. He can be
serious and funny, back and forth. That
is what you need.”
Gattuso has fully immersed himself in
the job and the community. He moved
to Albany with wife Colleen and younger
daughter
Kaitlin,
and
has
quickly
familiarized himself with his players.
“I might be the adopted father right now
because I didn’t recruit them, but they
are still my kids,” Gattuso said. “We will
concede nothing this year. The goal is
to win games. And pretty soon, it will be
to win the conference. And if you can
win the CAA, you can win the national
championship.”
Above, from left: Former University President George Philip, B.A.’69, M.A.’73;
John Bertuzzi, B.S.’76; Great Danes Football Head Coach Greg Gattuso;
recently retired coach Bob Ford; and UAlbany President Robert J. Jones
enjoy the UAlbany Football Alumni & Friends Golf Outing July 12 at the
Normanside Country Club in Delmar, N.Y.
28
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
Gifts at Work
By Karl Luntta
H
astings Murphy passed away Dec. 31, 2011, at age
94. Her $2.2 million bequest is one of the largest
gifts from an individual in UAlbany’s history, and the
largest for University Libraries support.
Her parents taught at NYSCT, and Hastings Murphy
grew up on what is now UAlbany’s downtown campus.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in library science at the
college and later completed master’s studies at Columbia
University. Hastings Murphy returned to Albany in 1948
to join the staff of the University Libraries.
She remained with the institution during its transformation
from college to state university. The first person to
hold the director of University Libraries title, Hastings
Murphy played an integral role in the libraries’ massive
growth during the 1960s. She retired in 1970 as head
librarian but remained involved with the Friends of the
Libraries, of which she was a founding member.
“This generous gift cannot be counted in dollars and
cents,” said George R. Hearst III, president of The
University at Albany Foundation. “The legacy of Alice
Hastings Murphy enriches our campus by advancing
the University’s libraries and
inspiring students to take their
learning and ambition to the
next level.”
To honor her parents’ memory and their many years of
service to the University, Hastings Murphy established
the Harry and Louise Clement Hastings Fund, which
supports the purchase of literary materials and the
preservation of library collections. Her fellow Friends
of the Libraries created the Alice Hastings Murphy
Scholarship to support students planning careers as
library professionals.
“Libraries and information services are a critical
component of the infrastructure at a public-research
university,” said University at Albany President Robert
J. Jones. “Alice Hastings Murphy’s generous bequest will
enhance the University Libraries’ capacity to support
innovative scholarly research and productive academic
inquiry by faculty and students alike.”
The Preservation Department will be named in
Hastings Murphy’s honor Oct. 10.
For nearly a century, Alice Hastings Murphy, B.A.’40, enjoyed a
close relationship with the New York State College for Teachers
(NYSCT) and its successor institution, the University at Albany.
Through a planned gift to the University, she will forever remain
connected with her beloved alma mater.
www.albany.edu
29
By Diane Corbett, University at Albany Director of Financial Aid
S
tudent-loan debt is a topic
being raised at both the local
and national levels. Frequently,
media stories describe the challenges
and struggles of recent graduates as
they try to fulfill their student-loan
repayment obligations.
At the University at Albany, we
remain committed to helping students
navigate the financial-aid process
while in school – and often, after they
graduate. And while we are pleased to
report that UAlbany students’ average
loan indebtedness amounts to $5,000
less than the national average, Office
of Financial Aid staff are concerned
about student debt and default.
Today, helping students understand
the importance of loan repayment
and the options available to them
is becoming more critical as they
transition to post-college life. The
following tips will assist UAlbany
alumni in formulating practical
loan-repayment strategies.
Take the first step.
Identify your U.S. Department of
Education-assigned federal loan
servicer(s). If you do not know this
information, find out at the National
Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)
website (www.nslds.ed.gov). You
will need your Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) personal
identification number (PIN) to access
your information. A duplicate PIN can
be obtained at www.pin.ed.gov.
Take charge.
Do not wait for your servicer
to contact you, as your contact
information may be outdated. Please
note that any private student loans you
may have borrowed are not included
in the NSLDS site. Work directly with
the lender from which you borrowed
the private student loan.
Know your
repayment options.
Under income-based repayment
options, payments change as your
income changes. Last year, the
Department of Education’s Federal
Student Aid Division emailed
approximately 3.5 million students
nationally, advising them of the
availability of such plans. At the time
this article was written, students were
automatically enrolled in the Standard
Repayment Plan, where payments
are a fixed amount for up to 10
years. Under this plan, the minimum
payment is $50 per month. However,
individuals who are having financial
difficulties may qualify for income-
based plans, such as Pay as You Earn.
Under income-based plans, the
payment amount is capped based on a
percentage of the individual’s income
and the number of years to repay the
loan is extended, with loan forgiveness
after a specified number of years. You
may want to use a loan-repayment
estimator prior to contacting your
loan servicer to help you determine
which repayment plan may be your
best option.
Further details on federal student-
loan repayment plans are available
at www.studentaid.gov/repay-loans/
understand/plans. This site has
a repayment estimator, as well as
information on loan consolidation,
forgiveness, cancellation and
discharge. Keep in mind that if you are
continuing your education as a degree-
seeking student and enrolled at least
half time, in-school deferment options
may be available to you.
Understanding your options for
educational loan repayment is essential
to securing a healthy financial future.
Be proactive. Avoid misinformation
by using the federal sites listed above.
Seek help if you are struggling to
make your student-loan payments.
Your UAlbany education is a great
lifetime asset and one of the most
important investments you have
made, to date. Continue to protect
that investment after graduation with
an informed and well-planned loan-
repayment plan.
Visit UAlbany’s Office of Financial
Aid online at www.albany.edu/
financialaid/.
Federal Student-Loan
Repayment:
Understanding
Your Options
Ask Geoff
By Geoff Williams, University Archivist Emeritus
30
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
University at Albany Archivist Geoff Williams, retired Sept. 2, looks
back at the physical and demographic changes UAlbany has
undergone in the past 27 years.
W
hen I arrived at the University at Albany in June
1987, the first thing to strike me was the massive
size of the Edward Durrell Stone-designed campus,
reputedly second only to the Pentagon as a continuous pour
of concrete in the United States. At that time, the University’s
uptown and downtown campuses remained almost completely
unchanged since the completion of Indian Quad in 1972. Only
one new structure – the “bubble,” opened in 1986 near the
Physical Education Building – had been added in 16 years.
There has been an enormous amount of construction since
I came. The photos below highlight some of those projects;
the date each building opened is in parentheses.
More capital projects have been completed, are under way or
are planned for the near future. On the downtown campus,
Husted Hall was completely gutted, remodeled and re-opened
in 2010. Last year, the University acquired the old Albany High
School as expansion space; it will house UAlbany departments
while the uptown and downtown campuses are remodeled over
the next decade. Construction has started on major additions to
the Campus Center extensions, and new science buildings are
planned for the east end of the Academic Podium. The whole
podium will be renovated to eliminate asbestos while upgrading
wiring and digital connectivity.
One of the first things I realized on starting work at the University
was how little was known about the school’s history. Preparing for
my job interview, I was unable to find any history of the State
University of New York at Albany. The only published history,
1944’s College of the Empire State, was 43 years old. While shaking
hands with incoming President Patrick Swygert in Fall 1990, I
mentioned that our 150th anniversary was coming up in 1994. He
quickly seized on that observation as a milestone around which to
build the University’s first major capital campaign.
The Cancer Research Center
(East Campus, 2005)
The RACC, now the SEFCU Arena (1992)
The Life Sciences Research Building (2004)
University Hall (2006)
The Campus Center
extensions (1994)
Empire Commons (2004)
Construction
1988-present
Looking Back:
MY YEARS AT UALBANY
Freedom Quad, first of the new
apartment-style housing (1988)
www.albany.edu
31
State Support
for the University’s
Operating Budget
46%
12%
1990
2014
Outside Funding Raised
$105
$193
$6.3
1990
1970
2013
200
100
50
150
Amount (in millions)
Swygert commissioned Professor Emeritus of History Kendall
Birr to write an up-to-date history of the University, A Tradition
of Excellence: the Sesquicentennial History of the University at
Albany, 1844-1994. As the book would not be published until
the sesquicentennial year, however, I was asked to provide the
president a brief history of the school. Over one weekend, I
created a 10-page sketch of important dates and events from 1844
to 1990 that has since evolved into a more comprehensive history
of the school. The Chronological History of the University at Albany,
SUNY, 1844-2008 – now about
175 pages long! – is accessible
online at http://library.albany.
edu/speccoll/chronology.htm.
I have enjoyed writing, and
speaking, too, in conjunction
with my work. For several
years, I’ve written “Ask Geoff”
for UAlbany magazine. The
column has focused on all
things great and small about the
University. I have also had great
fun over the years guiding alumni tours of UAlbany’s campuses
and speaking at a variety of alumni gatherings. Through alumni
feedback, I have learned many wonderful facts about the school.
On just about every front, including student and faculty
demographics, the University has changed dramatically since I
arrived 27 years ago. President Vincent O’Leary, who headed
the University when I first arrived, had made it a priority to
have the student body reflect the general makeup of New York’s
population. When O’Leary stepped down in 1990, 17 percent
of the undergraduate students were African American, Asian
American, Latino and Native American, and 5 percent of graduate
students were persons of color. Currently, according to UAlbany’s
Office of Institutional Research, those figures stand at 38 percent
and 15 percent, respectively. The faculty today also more nearly
mirrors state demographics. In 1990, only 20 percent of full-time
faculty members were women, and 10 percent were persons of
color. Today, women and persons of color account for 38 and 23
percent, respectively, of the full-time faculty.
Another dramatic change has been the decline in state support
for the University’s operating budget. In 1990, that figure was 46
percent. Currently, according
to UAlbany President Robert
J. Jones, New York State
provides just 12 percent of the
operating budget.
In response, the University
has sought private support.
The Annual Fund started
small in 1973, took off in the
1980s and exceeded $1 million
dollars for the first time in
1991-92.
UAlbany’s
first
comprehensive fundraising drive, the Campaign for Albany, raised
$55 million in the 1990s. Outside funds, which totaled only $6.3
million in 1970, had grown to $105 million by 1990, and, in 2013,
stood at $193 million. (That amount does not include CNSE
research and contract funding.) Research grants and contracts
support ground-breaking University research and stipends for
graduate research assistants.
At UAlbany, my particular interest has been in expanding knowledge
of and access to the school’s history, and in that I hope I have
succeeded. As I leave, I wish the University – and my readers – a
prosperous future. I have had a great ride as UAlbany archivist!
The Boor Sculpture Studio (2002)
East Campus (acquired in 1996), site of the
School of Public Health and an incubator
for bio-science business startups
CESTM, home of the Atmospheric
Sciences Research Center (ASRC)
and the National Weather Service,
and later, the College of Nanoscale
Science and Engineering,
or CNSE (1997)
The multisport stadium (2013)
Liberty Terrace, UAlbany’s newest
apartment-style dorm complex (2012)
The new track-and-field
complex (2014)
The Science Library, the first new
academic building constructed on the
uptown campus since 1969 (1999)
The new School of
Business Building (2013)
35 Carlton A. Coulter, founding member
of the Edward Eldred Potter Club, passed away
Jan. 4, 2014, at the age of 99 in Poughkeepsie,
N.Y. An active member in the Potter Club
Alumni Association, he attended the club’s final
anniversary, the 80th, in September 2011, and
gave a memorable presentation.
Class councilor: Edna Wright Smith,
Ednawrightsmith@aol.com
48 A note from your class councilor:
Gari Deliganis Paticopoulos traveled from
Florida to Albany in June to attend her grandson
Christopher’s graduation from the Albany
Academy. Marjorie Harland Harrington is
recovering from quadruple heart-bypass surgery
and is doing well. Annalee Levine Ginsberg
and Elihu celebrated their 59th wedding
anniversary July 3. Daughter Marsha and son-
in-law Neil celebrated their 24th anniversary
on May 27. Grandson Brett started his senior
year at Drexel U. He has received a scholarship
award for his service to the university and
has been featured in several articles in the
university newspaper. Younger grandson
Michael is a sophomore at Rutgers University.
Annalee hears frequently from Joan Sittner
Sherwood, as well as other classmates. They
don’t travel now because of health issues.
Donald Sayles writes from his home on the
Great Sacandaga that he has been sailing on
for 41 years. Dulcinea, a 22-footer made in
Canada, is a very safe boat whose 1,500-lb.
keel weighs the same as all the rest of the boat.
He spent 15 hours getting Dulcinea ready for
launching. Now Donald only
sails when his oldest son,
Doug, is with him. Donald
says he is convinced
that remaining physically
active contributes to a
long and happier life.
He downhill skied for
50 years and finally
gave that up at age 82.
Eleanor Holbig Alland
attended a weekend
in June celebrating
the 100th anniversary
of Chi Sigma Theta
Sorority and will share more about that in the
next issue. Joan Sittner Sherwood writes of
the passing of her best friend, classmate Anne
Gilleo Vondra, in January 2014. She and Anne
were roommates at Pierce Hall during their
senior year, and they made a promise to save
their money and take a grand tour of Europe.
Their dream came true, and on July 10, 1951,
they boarded the French liner DeGrasse in New
York City and visited France, Switzerland, Italy
and England. They flew home via TWA on Aug.
30, both declaring the trip “the high point of
our lives.” Anne had been a stroke survivor for
11 years.
Class Notes Councilor: Eleanor Holbig Alland,
ealland214b@nycap.rr.com
49 A note from your class councilor:
Joan Rourke McClelland died April 27, 2014.
After settling in Sedona, Joan became one of
the wonderful full-time volunteers who make it
such a vibrant place. She spent many hours on
committees helping to preserve the beauty of
the Sedona, Ariz., area. Bonnie Totten Adkins
and husband Lee have been very busy, as
usual. In March, two great-grandchildren were
added to their family. In May, Bonnie and Lee
traveled from Vermont to the Capital District
area to celebrate the Excellence in Alumni
Service Award presented to Joyce and Joe
Zanchelli. That same month, they flew to South
Carolina for a granddaughter’s graduation from
the University of South Carolina and saw her
off to South Africa with a Volunteers in Mission
team. In June, Bonnie and Lee celebrated their
24th wedding anniversary. In July, they held
a family reunion and attended the wedding
of a granddaughter; they were also looking
forward to the October wedding of a grandson.
Robertson Baker reports that his grandson
Benjamin completed his first year as a music
major at Syracuse. Elsa Cox Moberg is
proud of her granddaughter, who graduated
from UCLA in three and a half years and was
headed for Pepperdine Law School. In the
spring, Don Dickinson, who lives in Tucson,
visited his two daughters in the Bay Area. One
daughter is a cataloguer at the University of
California at Berkeley, and one is a children’s
librarian in Oakland. Richard Foster, who
lives in Sarasota, Fla., still spends part of each
summer on Lake Limekin in the Adirondacks.
Mary Jane Peris Fredericks reports that
her granddaughter Hannah will be attending
Siena College in the fall and that her grandson
Ian graduated from SUNY Oswego in June.
Mary Jane proudly announced that she has
four great-grandchildren. Jean Pulver Hague
still reports to her office to counsel families
the
Carillon
Alumni News & Notes
32
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
Joan Sittner
Sherwood and
Anne Gilleo Vondra
www.albany.edu
33
regarding educational options. She
is a certified educational planner
and a professional member of the
Independent Educational Consultants
Association. Jean and husband
Merl have children in California,
Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Granddaughter Katie, who graduated
from Colby, was married at Kiawah
Island in November 2013; grandson
Kevin, who graduated from Boston
College, is working for an investment
firm in Palo Alto, Calif., and will be
married this Labor Day weekend.
Granddaughter Jennifer is working for
an e-book company in Norwalk, Conn.;
granddaughter Jackie, a student at
the University of Connecticut, has
recently returned from a semester
in Barcelona. And grandson Thomas
is a student at Claremont McKenna
College in California. Ellen Fay
Harmon and her daughter Maureen
did not have to travel far in May (they
live in Albany) to attend the University
at Albany Alumni Association Gala
Awards Event, where they helped
Joyce and Joe celebrate receiving the
Excellence in Alumni Service Award.
Also in May, Ellen, husband Tom, two
daughters and one granddaughter
relaxed on a cruise to Bermuda.
There was a family gathering in July
to celebrate Ellen’s 87th birthday and
again in August to celebrate Tom and
Ellen’s 63rd wedding anniversary.
Their 11 grandchildren range in age
from 18 to 30. Bob Kittredge reports
that his wife, Diana, celebrated her
47th year as a naturalized U.S. citizen,
and states that “Britain’s loss was
Bob’s gain!” Bob helps distribute 300
or more boxes of food once a month
in the low-income neighborhood of
Pinedale in Fresno, Calif. Through
his Rotary Club, he was instrumental
in securing soccer uniforms and
balls for 75 children from Pinedale
Elementary School. In May, Bob
and Diana attended granddaughter
Kelsey’s graduation from the University
of Idaho. For July, they were planning
to rent two houses near Yosemite
National Park for their annual family
gathering. “Freddy “ Laemmerzahl
Miller, with her daughter and son-in-
law, participated in a “birdathon” and
spotted 82 different species in a
24-hour period. Birdathons are one
way of raising money for the Audubon
Club’s scholarship fund for teachers
and students. In May, Freddy traveled
from Oklahoma to Jupiter, Fla., to
spend time with son Dave; outings
included a cruise to the Bahamas and
a visit with granddaughter Kate in
Tampa. Anne Sulich Raser attended
her granddaughter’s wedding in
Lake Tahoe in June. Joe Zanchelli
and Joyce were looking forward to
attending their grandson Jonathan’s
beach wedding on July 27, 2014.
On May 3, Joyce and Joe enjoyed a
most memorable evening when they
were recipients of the UAlbany Alumni
Association Excellence in Alumni
Service Award. “Thank you, 49ers,
for making this possible; all the news
you supply helped to make this award
possible,” they wrote. Our planning
committee is hoping very much for
a good turnout for the Class of ‘49’s
65th reunion celebration on
Sept. 19-21.
Class notes councilor: Joe Zanchelli,
jjzanch@yahoo.com
50 A note from your class
councilor: Elise deSeve Brown
and Irwin Baumel remain in good
health and enjoy California, with
some wonderful travel mixed in.
A Message from Lee Serravillo ~ Executive Director, UAlbany Alumni Association
Opportunities to have fun, stay
connected and advance your career
W
e have made a tremendous
impact on the UAlbany
community this year, and
plans for 2015 are just as robust!
A recent highlight was the launch
of the Great Dane Pre-Game party,
which exceeded expectations by
more than doubling our attendance
goal. More than 1,000 alumni,
students, family and friends joined
the Alumni Association for its
newest Homecoming tradition in its
inaugural year. We hope to see you
for the second annual on Oct. 11
for food, games, music and great
college football.
We also expanded our outreach
to alumni when we created and
launched UAlbany Connects in
Metro NY and the Capital Region
early in 2014. Our goal is to bring
more varied events to engage
more alumni in these two critical
areas, so please keep an eye out
in the coming months for an email
highlighting these exciting events.
We continually ask our alumni what
more they would like to see from
us, and one consistent reply is
greater career support. In response,
we built a career advisory network
(UCAN), and we also launched
a career webinar series that
delivers the nation’s top career
authors and experts right to your
computer for live webinars. Visit
alumni.albany.edu and click on
Career Services to find out more.
Knowing how crucial our students
are to our current and future
success, we continue to engage
them in a variety of ways. Most
notably our DANEger Zone
initiative continues to expand. Our
DANEger Zone volunteers and staff
participated in 36 events, engaged
6,400 students and continued with
the tradition of distributing a T-shirt
to every new freshman and transfer
student arriving on campus.
Thank you for your past support.
We can’t wait to see what this year will bring.
How can you
Stay Connected?
u Join us at an event – meet
new people and catch up
with old friends.
u Engage with us and your
fellow alumni. Find our
social-media networks at
alumni.albany.edu.
u Network with us as a
graduate of the University at
Albany; your experience and
insights are invaluable to
current students.
u Volunteer with us to give
back to the University you
know and love.
u Support students by making
a contribution that helps
give UAlbany students the
tools they need.
34
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
They are preparing for a trip to Rome
and Naples. They plan to drive to
San Francisco to visit one of Irwin’s
daughters, then go on to Washington,
D.C., for their flight to Rome. Upon
their return, they will spend some
time in Washington collecting the
last of Elise’s possessions to take
back to California. Elise’s condo is
in the process of being sold; Irwin’s
home in Whittier will become their
permanent residence. The drive back
to California will include a visit to a
granddaughter in Houston. Another
granddaughter lives near Irwin and
manages his real-estate properties. A
pair of mallard ducks has taken over
their swimming pool; “if they are still
here when we return, we may have
to evict them,” they said. Audrey
Hartman White is now living in a Salt
Lake City retirement community near
son William White Jr.; “I will be far
from the east but one has to adjust.”
She has been planning a trip back to
Westerville, Ohio, in the spring. Her
husband died April 25, 2013. Audrey
thought she was doing great; she
flew to Orlando for a granddaughter’s
graduation from the University of
Central Florida; drove to Ocala to visit
Elly (Adams) Rapacz – then, out of
the blue, she had a major heart attack.
Ben and Gloria Jackson had two
grandchildren graduating last spring:
Jenna Willett from Kenyon College
and Lewis Smoot III from New Albany
High School in New Albany, Ohio.
Audrey Koch Feathers continues
to live in Queensbury, N.Y., near both
the Feathers camp on Jenny Lake and
the high school in South Glens Falls
where she, Richard, Sparky Vaughn
and BJ taught for several years.
Sparky stopped by one morning in
May. A little later that day, Audrey left
for Jenny Lake and a family gathering
celebrating multiple birthdays. Lila
Lee Silva Harrington wrote, “Life
has been good to me these past
five years here at Prestwick Chase
independent living facility in Saratoga
Springs.” The plethora of activities
keeps her involved in aerobics, a
book-chat club, poetry, bingo and
erecting bluebird houses. She also
serves on the executive board of the
in-house newspaper, The Chase, and
attends plays, concerts and lectures at
Skidmore College and the wider area:
Lila enjoys operas, plays and popular
shows at Saratoga Performing Arts
Center, Proctors, Cinemax and, not
to forget, the Saratoga Racetrack in
August. She is blessed with reasonably
good health and continues to drive,
making trips to Oneonta to visit family
and Maggie (Hosking) Winne. Lila
also keeps in touch with Jeannie
Bowen Walsh Gardner. Last spring,
the Silva clan was planning a July
family reunion – always a joyful event
– bringing together 70-plus family
members. At her children’s urging,
Lila will curtail solo trips to Vermont
and Canada, but, accompanied by
brother Bob, she will travel in August
to visit aunts, uncles and cousins.
She sends all her best to her fellow
alumni from the Class of 1950 and to
her Phi Delta sisters. Marjorie Lyons
is still directing plays, with more to
come in 2015. Marjorie’s dear friend
Barbara Smith Vosburgh, who
has always been a non-flyer, found
her granddaughter’s graduation from
Florida Atlantic University irresistible.
She recently flew to Florida for that
event; she and Marjorie, old friends,
had a joyous lunch together. Ruth
Marschner Boynton reports that
daughter Lois Boynton, a professor in
the School of Journalism and Mass
Communications at the University
of North Carolina, was chosen by a
vote of the senior class to give the
last lecture to the University on the
steps of the Morehead Planetarium
in Chapel Hill, N.C. Lois’ family are
(understandably) very proud of her,
as we all are. Dr. Malcolm (Mickey)
Slakter and his wife, Dr. Nancy
Suzuki-Slakter, planned to join their
three children, their spouses and four
grandchildren on a cruise to Alaska
out of Seattle in June. The reunion will
celebrate Malcolm’s 85th birthday.
Earline (Ken) Thompson Sorensen
hesitated to respond because “so little
seems to change in my life that I am
not sure it warrants an update. And
I suppose that is a good thing.” She
is still in Auburn, N.Y., and still enjoys
daily walks, tai chi, some golf, and
three or four trips a year. In June she
was at the Chautauqua Institute for
her annual week-long visit. “I really
love that place, the serenity and the
feeling of being shut off from the rest
of the world,” said Earline. In August,
she spent some time in Quebec. Her
four children and their families are all
doing well; Earline’s five grandchildren
range in age from 8 to 23. “My sincere
best wishes to all and an invitation to
call, e-mail, or visit.” Harold Sparky
Vaughn, one son, three daughters,
and two grandchildren were in
Vermont for the May wedding of his
great-niece. En route, he and son Eric
passed through Glens Falls, stopping
for a great visit with Audrey Koch
Feathers and, later, with Potter Club
brother Tom Yole ’52 and his wife,
who happens to be Sparky’s cousin.
He continues to be absorbed in a
project to maintain and preserve a
unique family library in San Marcello
Pistoise, Italy, and hopes to develop a
project in cooperation with the Rotary
Club of Bangkok, Thailand, focusing
on issues of child slavery. Three great
granddaughters and a great grandson
have been added to the family since
he last wrote.
Class notes councilor: Harold Vaughn,
vaughnha@aol.com
Alumni News & Notes
Gerd Schwartz, M.A. ’87, Ph.D. ’89, center, poses with UAlbany Alumni Association
President Timothy Murphy ’77, left, and University at Albany President Robert J. Jones, right,
after receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award at the 2014 Excellence Awards Gala in April.
Schwartz, deputy director, Fiscal Affairs, International Monetary Funds, was among 15 alumni
and friends of the University honored at the annual event.
52 A note from your class
councilor: I am sorry to transmit a
late report of the passing of Robert
Hausner Sept. 23, 2012. He was a
distinguished educator, both a teacher
and a business administrator. He is
survived by his wife, Phyllis, also a
member of the Class of 1952. We also
report with great sadness the loss of
Eleanor Rosenblum Roth. Eleanor, a
published novelist, always had plenty
of news to share with us. We send our
sympathies to the families of Bob and
Eleanor. You will be happy to know
that our friend Al Stephenson is well
on his way to complete recovery after
his long-term illness. He has regained
all the weight he lost (35 lbs.) during
the fall and winter and got through
his part-time teaching this spring. Al
could see his physical progress as
he started lecturing from a chair, but
by the end of the semester, he was
standing most of the time. With school
out this summer, he was hoping to
increase his stamina even more, as he
still tires easily. Al wanted to visit the
Capital Region during the summer; he
has several little grandnieces he looks
forward to seeing. He also said he has
begun selling his oversized document
collection. We had the privilege
of seeing part of his impressive
collection at one of our reunions. Tom
Holman writes from Naples, Fla.,
that he continues his relaxed lifestyle,
following the sun between St. Maarten
and Naples. Sounds like a nice
life, Tom! A nice note from Shirley
Feinstein Rosenbaum states
that, as a member of the League of
Women Voters, she’s the membership
director of the state league board
and the local board of Morgantown,
W.V. She is also a membership and
leadership development state league
coach. In addition, she is a violinist
with her community orchestra and
substitute teaches high-school English
several days a week in Mon County.
What do you with all that spare
time, Shirley? Her son Jonathan is
president of the League of Women
Voters (yes, the league has women
and men members) and a cellist in
the local orchestra. Jonathan is also
the chair of Positive Spin, a non-profit
community bike shop that aims to
empower people to repair bicycles,
find happy homes for unhappy bikes
and make bicycles more accessible to
the community. Shirley’s daughter, a
Juilliard piano major, has a children’s
music workshop in Kentucky and
also accompanies opera students
from the University of Kentucky. Her
husband, a string physicist, teaches
and lectures worldwide. Shirley’s
two grandchildren are studying viola
and cello. One had a successful bat
mitzvah last spring; the other will
have his bar mitzvah next year. Bill
Wiley reports that he and Jane have
been dealing with a number of health
issues and are commuting between
Hilton Head, S.C., and Jacksonville,
Fla., seeking medical care. Jane has
had back and balance problems,
and Bill had an atrial fibrillation
this past December. However, his
non-Hodgkins lymphoma is in total
remission (hallelujah!). Their family is
spread from Tucson to Geneva, N.Y.,
and from Indianapolis to Marietta, Ga.
The Wileys’ granddaughter in Tucson
is attending grad school for electrical
engineering in aerospace; she was
honored for her teaching-assistant
position in her first year. Another, back
from teaching English to students in
the Czech Republic, is now working
in a law firm in Geneva, helping less
fortunate people navigate this complex
world. She hopes to get into a doctoral
program in law and sociology. A
third granddaughter is returning to
college to become a paralegal. Jane
and Bill’s other three grandchildren
are in high school, 6th grade and
5th grade. Bill says: “Any of you who
get into this area (Hilton Head) are
always welcome. Give us a call at
843-341-7544.” Vickie Eade Eddy
always has news about her family.
Son Chris is a brigadier general in the
Air Force Reserves; he was named
to Olean’s Academic Hall of Fame in
June. Her daughter, Pam Eddy, Ph.D.,
teaches at William and Mary and has
authored and co-authored books on
leadership in community colleges.
She has also supervised some of her
doctoral students on trips abroad.
Vickie is equally proud of her other
three children, a high-school physical-
education teacher, a budget analyst for
the court system of Philadelphia, and a
marketing director for a non-profit that
hires people with disabilities. Nancy
Frey Pettinelli brings us the sad
news that she lost her husband just
five weeks short of their 53rd wedding
anniversary. She intends to stay in
their “starter” home so her address will
remain the same. She did have some
good news: her grandson, who was
confirmed, and her granddaughter,
who made her First Communion. Joan
Bennett Kelly has had a stressful
year trying to find a cure for Charlie’s
serious back problems. He is now
much better, thank goodness, but the
difficulty of finding care in two areas
as diverse as Vermont and Florida has
convinced them to give up their Florida
home and substitute an apartment in
New Jersey, which will put them close
to their children. They weren’t able to
get to all the graduations they wanted
to attend, but they did get to Sara’s
at Binghamton and to her last track
meet, where she did her personal
best. Sara was on a track scholarship.
Joan and Charlie also got to attend
their granddaughter’s graduation from
West Point; they are very proud she
wants to serve her country. She also
did her personal best at her diving
meet. Dorothy Simmons Van Der
Ven writes: “I still live as ‘Little Old
Red Riding Hood’ in the woods at
8036 Indian Hill, Manlius, N.Y. Please
come and visit.” She goes on to say
she would be very happy to show
you her Japanese tea hut, which
was created in memory of her son
Jacques. She continues to participate
in the Saturday Workshop for actors
and playwrights. Recently, Dorothy
www.albany.edu
35
Alumni News & Notes
All-Alumni
Wine Tasting
Oct. 10, 5-7 p.m
Lecture Center East Corridor
Start off the weekend activities at the
All-Alumni Wine Tasting, and enjoy the
view overlooking the newly renovated main
fountain. Connect with alumni from all
classes while enjoying a sample of
New York wines and cheeses.
Register at
www.alumni.albany.edu/homecoming.
36
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
and her long-hair teacup chihuahua
have become therapy-pet partners;
they visit people in nursing homes
and at an adult reading center. One
son and his family live in Skaneateles,
N.Y., and another son lives in Maine.
Dorothy concludes: “Life with all its
ups and downs is good and beautiful. I
am grateful and blessed. All blessings
to each of you.” Kitty Kloser Irons
is one busy lady. Easter saw Kitty and
husband Marty in Vermont with their
son; they returned there 10 days later.
Two weeks afterward, they were in
Detroit for the wedding of their niece;
10 days after that they were back in
Vermont for their granddaughter’s
graduation. (She had been inducted
into Phi Beta Kappa on their previous
visit.) In June, Kitty and Marty took
a cruise to Bermuda; in July, they
headed to Texas for their family
reunion and, in August, Granville, N.Y.,
for their annual two-week vacation
on a small lake. Whew! They’ll need a
rest. In the meantime, Kitty is occupied
with church activities, bridge, quilting,
book-discussion group, and theater
trips to New York City. With Quilts
of Valor, a small group in Goshen,
N.Y. Kitty makes quilts for wounded
servicemen and women to keep. Very
nice idea, Kitty. Your co-councilors,
Joan Barron and Joyce Zanchelli,
were in Albany to present our annual
scholarship. This year, we awarded
scholarships to two men in the
Department of Languages, Literatures
and Cultures. Joshua De Clerk, who
had a triple major in Spanish, Italian,
and French, and Michael Maneen, a
junior with a triple major in Russian,
French and international relations,
were the recipients. Both of these
young men were very pleased with the
award. Joyce Leavitt Zanchelli and
her husband, Joe, were recognized
May 3 with the Excellence in Alumni
Service Award from the University at
Albany Alumni Association. “We have
many of you to thank for helping us
win this prestigious award, for you are
the ones who supply us with news,
attend our reunions and help us keep
in touch with one another. Thank you,
classmates,” Joyce said
Class notes councilor: Joyce Zanchelli,
jjzanch@yahoo.com
53 A note from your class
councilor: Hello, Red Devils Class of
1953. Here’s news about your old
friends. The American Legion
presented Daniel Kelly the
Americanism Award for his work on
the World War II exhibit in his
hometown, Rye, N.Y. Dan sent us
pictures that showed him riding in a
Jeep in the 2014 Memorial Day
parade; he was looking quite dapper.
He went on to say, “Strange how it
took until retirement to return to my
Albany education, but I am totally
involved with history, especially as it
focuses on my hometown. It’s a far cry
from the world of IBM, which I also
relished.” Congratulations, Dan, on the
award! Rye is lucky to have you as a
devoted volunteer. This May, Dan took
a three-week trip to Germany and
England. Carolyn Gazulis Johnson
told us about her husband’s passing in
2013; our sincere condolences. She is
now living in Florida and says, “The
invite is open for visiting classmates.”
Carolyn loved traveling and has seen a
good part of the world. During the
Clinton years, she volunteered at the
White House and, because of her
background as an English teacher, she
was called upon to edit and correct
documents prepared by the president.
Your councilor wonders if he got good
Alumni News & Notes
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
2014
Sept. 5 GOLD Schmooze, New York City
16 SUNY Night at the Mets, New York City
19-21 Class of 1949 Reunion, Albany
19-21 Earth Tones Reunion, Albany
Oct. 10-12 Homecoming, Reunion and Family Weekend
10 GOLD Reunion, Albany
10 All-Alumni Wine Tasting, Albany
11 Great Dane Pre-Game, Albany
11 Great Dane Great Bash at WT’s, Albany
11 Volunteer Breakfast, Albany
Nov. 14 Uncubed Job Fair, New York City
Dec. 13 UAlbany vs Siena Basketball Game
and Pre-Game Party
For additional events
and details, visit
www.albany.edu/alumni
More than 200 alumni and friends enjoyed UAlbany Day at the Races at Saratoga Race Track Aug. 1.
grades from Carolyn. Reporting on
her children, Carolyn said that her
twin daughters are successfully
employed: one is a computer
teacher in San Francisco, and the
other is a lobbyist for the motion-
picture industry. Her son is a
professional golfer. Kitty
Brumfield Pickett reports that
she enjoyed the councilor’s
reminiscing in the class letter; it
brought about fond memories for
her. Kitty remembers: “I enrolled at
NYSCT in December 1950, when
my father was recalled into the
Army to go to Korea. (We lived In
Delmar and my mother planned to
sell our house and move to an
apartment in Albany.) I decided to
leave Mount Holyoke College and
transfer to State. I entered the
building with Minerva at the
entrance. The only person there
that day was Dr. Josiah T. Phinney,
whose wife had graduated at MHC.
We got along so well that I was
accepted, and I asked him to be
my advisor. I was very shy then and
made few friends, but even then I
knew I had made a good decision.
My father got to Japan and then
was sent home to pick up his job
with the NY Health Dept. I am very
proud of Albany, and because all
New York teachers have to have a
master’s degree, I applied to return
for another year. The dean of Men
asked me to take a job at
Brubacker Hall counseling 70
sophomores on half of the top floor.
Carolyn Gazulis got the other side
of that floor. It was a difficult and
rewarding year, and Carolyn and I
are still friends.” Joe Lombardi, in
response to a class letter sent in
March, remarked he had just
returned from a 15-day trip to
Cambodia and Vietnam. “We were
there during ‘Tet,’ their New Year’s
celebration. It was festive, decked
out with red banners (hammers
and sickles prominently displayed).
And beautiful flowers everywhere.
The Vietnamese were friendly,
cordial and open to Americans.
One can even buy a condo on the
South China Sea. The country is
open for business.” Alvin Brown
responded to the class letter’s
request for information, either past
or present, with this interesting
news: “After college graduation I
served in the Air Force and flew to
many places and islands in the
Pacific, including Japan. A number
of these were famous battle sites
in WWII. As a result, I spoke to
diverse senior groups and
veterans’ organizations about such
events. [I] am the historian/
archives person with a veterans’
organization.” Al went on to say
that he had authored two books
that are listed on Amazon. Based
on the description of the author, it’s
fairly safe to assume that Al is the
author of Native American Stories
and Spelling: A Mnemonics
Approach. Herb Thier has become
interested in programs for seniors
through organized university and
other programs. He indicated that
he would be further interested in
contacting others who have gotten
involved in this education for the
general public. In March 2014, he
was finally fully retired from UC
Berkeley after nearly 51 years as
an academic. In December, Herb
and his wife, Marlene, will be
celebrating their 60th wedding
anniversary by taking their
immediate family (10 now) on a
cruise. Congratulations on your
anniversary and your retirement,
Herb! Gary LaGrange happily
informed us that he had moved to
southern California and is enjoying
the beautiful weather. In response
to a questionnaire about a class
reunion, Joyce Turner Ogden
said, “I’m retired to a far corner of
the U.S. (only 60 miles from the
Pacific Ocean) so Albany is just too
far away to travel to reunions.”
She, along with your councilor,
would like to see more folks on our
Facebook group page. Just find us
at SUNY Albany Class of 1953. You
can reminisce, post comments to
your classmates, post photos – the
list of possible activity goes on.
Bob and Rosie Keller Hughes
have decided to downsize, sell their
home, and move to a condo near
their youngest son and his family.
First, Rosie had surgery on her
hammertoe. (She had anticipated
an easy recovery, since what could
happen in such a simple
operation? After the surgery, the
surgeon told her that recovery
www.albany.edu/giving
Alumni News & Notes
For more information about the positive impact your support
has on the lives of University at Albany students, or to make
a gift online, please visit www.albany.edu/giving.
Meet Hayley.
Hayley Calarco, a junior business major from Bridgeport, N.Y.,
and a recipient of the 2013 Citizen Laureate Nigro Companies
Scholarship, has been busy during her two-plus years at
UAlbany. A member of the Presidential Honor Society and a
research assistant in the cognition and language laboratory of
Dr. Jeannette Altarriba, Calarco also is president of Psi Chi, the
National Honor Society in Psychology. She plays intramural
volleyball, too. Calarco, who plans to earn a master’s in either
industrial/organizational psychology or human resources,
found Dr. Paul Morgan Jr. “an incredible teacher. He makes
students feel very comfortable and gives us every opportunity
to succeed. Every class was enjoyable.”
38
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
could last six months – he was right.)
Shortly after, Bob started having
horrendous pain in his back. After
many tests and lots of medications, it
was determined that the pain was
caused by the healing of a
compressed fracture in his spine.
Finding it progressively difficult to
manage the stairs in their house, they
decided to find a one-story condo and
appreciate and enjoy having someone
else maintain their abode. They’re not
yet ready for independent or assisted
living, but who knows what is down
the road. Bob and Rosie so enjoy their
grandchildren. They happily watched a
live stream of one of their
granddaughters get her master’s
degree with distinction from Pratt
Institute. Another happy moment was
seeing their oldest grandson dressed
in his tuxedo, all ready to go to his first
formal dance. Evi Iglauer is still
involved in her career: She continues
to work as a per diem (two days a
week) administrative law judge for the
City of New York. Evi spends long
weekends at the condo she owns with
her sister on the water on eastern
Long Island. She still travels at every
opportunity. Evi, too, shared memories
of our freshman year at State; “I
remember that song as we ascended
to the balcony, ‘We did it last year, now
you do it this year!’” Ruth Dunn Reed
replied to the question of when we
should have our next reunion: “I love
reunions – anytime. I go despite
severe hearing and sight loss. [I] Agree
with Rosie – college memories strong
and lasting.” Recalling our freshman
year, Ruth mentioned Mary McFarland
[one of the leading actors in the Frosh
Big 4; she had a lovely voice] was one
of her four roommates, and she later
dropped out of NYSCT. Ann Pelton,
Annie Oberst and Ruth lived in Miss
Cobb’s house the first part of the year
– no room elsewhere was available
– 18th and 19th century lived there
also!” It’s not expected that Ruth will
“friend” our Facebook page, since her
last comment was “I don’t compute or
twitter.” Ruth is still the spunky
redhead we all knew and loved at
State. Jordine Skoff Van Wontoch
is very active in several theatres and
on the Board of Directors of the Old
Globe Theatre, when she is home in
San Diego. To keep up on what is new
in the theatre, she went to London in
May and New York in June. Marion
Howard Bon replied to a query on
whether her email address, “born to
dig,” was indicative of a hobby in
petrology, anthropology or archeology.
“In retirement my husband and I have
had time to enjoy new avocations. He
(school administrator in another life)
and I (librarian) are busy with new
interests. He is doing a lot of volunteer
archeology, and I am a master
gardener, hence the digging
reference.” Marion described the
weather at home as cold and snowy
and very windy. She moved to
Delaware “to get away from snow and
cold in New York!” Carroll Judd was
given the Wright Brothers Master Pilot
Award in September 2011 for
promoting and practicing safe aircraft
operation for 50 consecutive years.
Juddie is still an active flight instructor
and has been the safety director for
45 years with the Stockbridge Valley
Flying Club in Syracuse, N.Y. Good for
you, Juddie! Rudy Desantolo had
been missing from our class list for
some time. Your class councilor
decided to try to find him on the
Internet and discovered his obituary in
Newsday, published Aug. 1, 2013:
“De SANTOLO - Rudolph on July 26 of
complications from Parkinson’s at age
82. He served as Former Assistant
Superintendent of Sachem Schools
and founded the Special Education
Program.” Vince Aceto retired 10
years ago – happily – as a SUNY
Distinguished Service Professor and a
Collins Fellow. He is working at IBM
East Fishkill, managing the library
online information services as an
external contractor. In April 2013, he
went for two weeks to Prague with his
best interpreter, his Czechoslovakian
wife. William (Bill) Whitwer hung up
his clerical robe in March when he
retired from the ministry after 58
years. Enjoy your retirement, Bill; you
have earned it! Wilma Nuber Cutler
enjoyed reading the class letter since
it sure brought back many memories
of our four years at Albany. Lucille
Roulier Guthrie was happy to spend
the winter in Venice, Fla., especially
since New York had such terrible
weather. She was looking forward to
going back north in May and hopefully
enjoying a nice, warm summer at
Brant Lake near Lake George. A report
on the Class Fund and the Next
Reunion survey: Donate the Fund to: 2
votes for the Art Museum; 12 for the
University Library, or to Other Group or
Individual; 2 to the education
department; 3 for a Scholarship to
Some Needy Student; and 1 for a
rehab of Minerva, if she is still
standing guard in the rotunda.
Growing the Class Fund Account: 4
wanted to present the money at our
next reunion, while 2 wanted us to
vote on the allocation of the fund at
the next reunion. When to Have the
Next Reunion: 2 wanted to gather for
our 61st in 2014; 8 liked the idea of a
62nd reunion in 2015 (2 also voted for
a get-together in 2015 or 2018); and
12 wanted no reunion until our 65th in
2018 (one respondent commented
“for anyone still alive then”). Based on
Alumni News & Notes
u Join a board committee.
u Help plan a milestone class reunion or an affinity reunion.
u Host or assist with planning an event in your area as a
regional volunteer.
u Assist at alumni events, such as Homecoming and
Big Purple Growl.
u Provide career advice and guidance to fellow alums and
students through UCAN: UAlbany Career Advisory Network.
u Represent UAlbany at Admissions receptions
or college fairs.
Contact alumniassociation@albany.edu
or 1-800-836-2586 for details.
U
UA?
WHO SAYS
CAN’T MAKE A
DIFFERENCE AT
Get involved on a level
that’s comfortable for you.
VOLUNTEER … The possibilities are endless:
the voting, we will present the class
fund to the University Library at our
65th reunion. In closing, your councilor
wants to encourage all of you to send
her your news either via e-mail or in
response to a class letter. Just as you
enjoy reading about your former
classmates, your classmates would
enjoy hearing about you. We were
such a great class, with good
fellowship, involvement in Red Devil
activity, and a love for the school
where Minerva reigned. We have not
seen many of our fellow 53ers for 61
years but I, for one, and I’m sure
others, as well, still hold all of you in
happy memories of four wonderful
years … a Camelot for many first-
generation Americans and for children
of parents who wanted their offspring
to have a good education despite their
financial circumstances. Weren’t we
lucky to go to State!
Class notes councilor: Rose Mary
(Rosie) Keller Hughes, rhughes5@
rochester.rr.com
54 A note from your class
councilors: Bradford and Ingeborg
Miller both celebrated their 80th
birthday in September at the historic
Fairmont Spa Hotel, Montebello,
Quebec. Their son, daughter-in-law,
and two grandsons traveled from
Cambridge, Mass., to join the party
on the banks of the Ottawa River.
Frank and Laura Giannone had a
wonderful vacation at their place in
Maui. Fortunately, they missed the
terrible winter in Rochester. They are
now in the process of getting the
gardens back in shape. Fortunately,
they have reliable help to do all of
the heavy lifting. They are looking
forward to attending the class reunion
in the fall. Gladys (Tink) Smith
O’Meara moved from Williamsburg
to Bailey’s Glen in Cornelius, N.C.,
in September. Beverly Dodge
Brousseau will become a great-
grandmother for the first time in
September. Her granddaughter is
expecting a girl. Joan and Fred Paul
will be visiting Israel for the first time
in early November. They will be part of
a tour led by the rabbi of our temple
in Albany. Certainly, they are looking
forward to this experience. After 23
years in Florida, John and Kimie
Parsons have moved to live with their
son in southern Maryland, thus also
moving closer to second son Leo, who
resides in Falls Church, Va. In addition,
they will be some 1,000 miles closer
to Son No. 3 in North Andover, Mass.
John and Kimie play duplicate bridge
twice a week in Lusby, Md. In March,
Stu and Myra Macnofsky were
flown to Kauai by their daughter
Robin and her husband, Bob, for Stu’s
80th birthday. Barking Sands, the
Navy’s Missile Facility hospitality, was
wonderful for the old Captain. The last
time Stu landed on a Kauai beach was
in 1956, as a LTJG on active duty.
Mary Ann Frascatore Corsi and
Carmen Corsi ’53 will be celebrating
their 58th anniversary this August.
They are blessed with three daughters
and seven grandchildren whom they
see quite regularly. After living on Long
Island for 52 years, they moved to
Montclair, N.J., to be close to family.
They are very active with their local
YMCA and try to go daily. Weekends
are spent in New York City. They also
enjoy traveling and are planning a trip
to Italy with their daughter and her
husband. They plan to visit Carmen’s
relatives, who live outside of Rome,
and then tour the Amalfi Coast.
Carmen and Mary Ann hope to attend
the 60th reunion this Fall. Naoshi
Koriyama shared that some of his
poetry was published in Bridging the
Waters: An International Bilingual
Poetry Anthology. He has been
working on a project of translating
12th-century medieval tales of Japan
into English. Shirley Callahan
Dillon reports that she is alive and
well, and hopes to make the reunion
this fall. John Allasio and his wife
Marge visited their daughter and her
family in California in February. Their
grandson and his wife were expecting
their first child in August; John and
Marge are thrilled to have their first
great-grandchild! John continues to
stay busy with Knights of Columbus
Council, bowling, and golf. Joan
Hartman is looking forward to coming
to the 60th reunion. John Granito
and wife Dolores White Granito ’53
are still living on Pine Island in Florida
from October to May and on Keuka
Lake, N.Y., during the summer. This
summer, they took another Viking River
Cruise with some family – this time
from Lyon through southern France.
Three of their grandchildren graduated
this summer: one from Ithaca College,
one from Penfield High School in
Penfield, N.Y., and one from Johns
Hopkins University. In July, Oklahoma
State University presented the sixth
annual John A. Granito “Leadership
Research Award.” Phyla Weaver
is still part-time house-managing a
503-seat 1926 theater as well as
volunteering to organize and train the
100 volunteer ushers. She recently
traveled to Albania, Slovenia, San
Francisco, Santa Barbara and Palm
Springs to visit with family and friends,
celebrate her grandson’s third birthday
and celebrate her own 80th birthday.
In late September, she will head off
to England to visit friends, then on to
Lisbon for several days before taking
a ship back to Miami. Jim Thompson
and fiancée Carol recently returned
from visiting Jim’s son in Springfield,
Va. Jim also celebrated the arrival of
his 10th grandchild; his son, Navy
Captain Scott Thompson ’91 and wife
Karen adopted a two-year-old boy
from China. They have three other
children, ages 14, 8 and 6. Jim is
still enjoying retirement, traveling
some, and spending summers at
Tupper Lake in the Adirondacks. He
looks forward to seeing classmates
at the fall reunion. Richard Shands
is now retired (for the second time)
and living in Clifton Park. He was a
Alumni News & Notes
www.albany.edu
39
Tracy Metzger ’83 interviews President Robert J. Jones during an alumni event,
An Informal Conversation with President Jones, in Albany in the spring.
40
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
superintendent for several years and
taught college courses, as well. He
is married to Peggy Neil and has five
children and 12 grandchildren.
Class Notes Councilors:
Bernice Gunsberg Shoobe,
bunnysh200@aol.com,
and Joan Paul,
fpaul1@nycap.rr.com
56 Esther Goldstein Printz
and husband Robert traveled to
Israel in June.
57 A note from your class
councilor: Beth Beehler Stefano
lives in Las Vegas near her son and
granddaughters. She quilts for charity
with a small church group, plays with
her granddaughters, and travels to visit
with other children and grandchildren
who are scattered across the country.
She visited with Marcia and John
Gauquie when they were in Las
Vegas in April. Marilyn DeSanta
DeLorenzo and Marilyn Leach Causey
’58 traveled to Barcelona, Prague, the
Danube, and Vienna. They attended
four concerts and visited the Gaudi-
designed structure in Barcelona, and
many churches and art museums.
Class notes councilor: Sheila Lister
Bamberger, hsbamb@verizon.net
59 A note from your class
councilor: The class recognition
breakfast will be held on campus Oct.
11, 2014, and the reunion committee
is planning some events for the
next day in celebration of our 55th.
Registration information will be made
available by the Alumni Association
at a later date; formal invitations
will be sent out closer to the date
of the events.
Class notes councilor: Miriam Russell,
miriamrussell83@yahoo.com
61 A note from your class
councilor: This was a milestone year
when most of us hit 75 and some
of us celebrated a 50th wedding
anniversary! If you did not receive
an email request for notes, please
send me your current email address
(melandsis@yahoo.com) to be added
to our class list. We hope that you had
a great summer. Judy Bleezarde
spent six weeks in the Tampa and
Ocala, Fla., areas this past winter.
She is looking forward to the summer
theater season at Barrington Stage
and Williamstown Theatre, and the
reopening of Clark Art Museum. She
also enjoyed NCAA finals for Williams
College teams in many sports. Bob
Sands has written a case study on
business planning, included in the text
Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the
Maghreb. The text was written by three
RPI colleagues and two colleagues
from Tunisia. The project was funded
by the U.S. Department of Commerce
and is published in English, French
and Arabic. Bob was a Fulbright Fellow
in Tunisia. The case study will also
be included in a text being prepared
for Libya. Bob Congemi shares that
his latest book, Les Yeux, is a group
of related stories about the eyes of
other people and their perception of
you. Elaine Romatowski Frankonis
lives with her daughter, son-in-law,
and almost-12-year-old grandson
in East Longmeadow, Mass. As part
of a home-schooling family, she is
on a constant and unanticipated
learning curve. She is in her 13th
year of blogging at www.kalilily.net
and continues to write and publish
her poetry. The latest appears in
the current issue of Mused: The
BellaOnline Literary Review. Elaine’s
daughter, Melissa, is actively involved
in the region’s (secular) home-
schooling community; her son, virtually
known as “The One True Bix,” lives in
Portland, Ore., and is the co-owner
and social-media manager for the
non-profit “The Belmont Goats,”
an experimental project that has
endeared the herd of 14 pygmy goats
to the hearts of urban Portlanders.
Elaine has become a suburban farmer,
a creative knitter, and a Facebook
fanatic. Thomas Virginia is still
living in Stamford, Conn., near his
two daughters and their families.
His oldest granddaughter, Natalie,
graduated from high school and is
heading to Dickinson College. Thomas
recently took both families to Turks
and Caicos for a family vacation. He
Alumni News & Notes
Elizabeth Demske ’61,’63 with
grandaughter Mirabelle
Close to a hundred alums from the classes of 1946-1977 attended the centennial anniversary of the Chi Sigma Theta Sorority (XEO) in June.
sees Debbie Traver Connolly on
occasion, as her daughter lives two
blocks from one of his daughters. He
also hears from Julie Steiner Rimel
and Ruby Campbell Cook at holiday
time. Following some health issues,
Jan Goodermote Newport and her
husband, Dick, sold their house of
over 48 years and bought a home
in a new townhouse development
outside Troy. They love it, enjoy the
snow without having to shovel or
plow, and love the summer without
cares of the lawn! This summer,
they celebrated their 55th wedding
anniversary. Jan’s eldest child, Scott,
turned 50 this year. He and Jan’s
daughter and her husband live in the
Capital District; Jan’s youngest lives
in Charleston, S.C., which makes for
a long trip to visit grandsons. Her
eldest grandson, Christopher, was
tragically killed by a hit-and-run drunk
driver 10 years ago at the age of 16.
Jan says, “It is the most tragic event
we have experienced, and while the
rawness has worn off, the pain never
leaves.” Jan and her husband are
both retired and remain active in their
church. They’re putting travel on hold
for now, as they aren’t as healthy as
they once were. Jan reports that her
mother is still alive at age 95 and lives
in assisted living nearby. Jan would
love to hear from former classmates!
Janet Beardsley celebrates her
75th birthday and her daughter,
Laura, celebrates her 50th this year.
LaRae Atwood Groves and husband
Gene celebrated their 50th wedding
anniversary by going to Europe over
the Pole from Anchorage, Alaska.
Both retired, they go “recreational
gold mining” in Alaska and in Arizona,
where they’ve enjoyed their Scottsdale
condo during winter. They’ve also
enjoyed many travels over the years
but miss the East. LaRae is looking
forward to reading alumni news and
says, “Greetings to all.” June Hunter
and husband Ken celebrated their
50th wedding anniversary in February.
They recently returned from cruise that
took them from Prague to Berlin via
the Elbe River; their next adventure will
be the western part of Alaska.
Class notes councilor: Mel Horowitz,
melandsis@yahoo.com
62 A note from your class
councilor: Elena Rabine Halady
winters in Florida with her significant
other, enjoying tennis, golf and
dancing. In March, Elena traveled
to New Orleans for an orthopaedic
convention. This summer, she
traveled to China. Hank and Pat
Maus traveled often this past year;
Hank thanked your councilor for
doing the class news. Susan Blank
had a volunteer experience with the
Israeli Army; she lived in barracks,
wore fatigues, did physical labor, and
enjoyed dining in the mess hall. Sheril
Joan McCormack would appreciate
a few more missives from classmates;
please email news to Sheril at
vanillastar202@yahoo.com.
Class notes councilor:
J. Sheril McCormack,
vanillastar202@yahoo.com
65 A note from your class
councilor: Mary Ann (Meindl)
and Bill Gray have both finally
retired, Mary Ann in 2009 and Bill
in July 2013, after teaching at the
University of Dayton (six years) and
the University of Toledo (38 years).
When Bill started at Albany, his goal
was to be a high-school guidance
counselor and boys’ basketball coach.
Along the way, Bob McMorris liked
what he was doing in his class, and
Bill was invited to apply to the doctoral
program in educational psychology
and statistics. Bob’s interest in Bill
completely changed Bill’s and Mary
Ann’s lives. They are very thankful for
the support the citizens of New York
State provided them for their degrees.
Our 50th reunion will be in October
2015; anyone interested in serving on
the reunion committee should contact
me at jmadnick@gmail.com.
Class notes councilor: Judy Madnick,
jmadnick@gmail.com.
66 James Ward, professor
emeritus of educational administration
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign, lives in Sahuarita, Ariz.
He chairs the Finance and Investment
Advisory Committee for the Town of
Sahuarita and recently was appointed
to a six-year term on the Pima County
Bond Advisory Committee.
70 Paula Camardella Twomey
lives in Ithaca, N.Y., and is an author.
She works at the Ithaca City School
District.
71 William L. Spearman
recently was elected chair of the
SUNY Ulster Board of Trustees in
Stone Ridge, N.Y. An alum of SUNY
Ulster, he is a 2006 inductee to the
school’s Hall of Fame. Prior to serving
on the college board, he was chair
and treasurer of the Ulster Community
College Foundation. Nelson Atkin
was presented the
Portland Opera’s
Aubrey N. Morgan
Award April 17, given
for distinguished and
extraordinary support
and service to the
company. It is presented annually,
and Nelson, the 27th recipient, joins
an impressive list of past recipients.
He provides pro bono representation
to the opera and to the Oregon Ballet
Theater, the Oregon Symphony and
the Oregon Children’s Theater. His
work for the opera dates to 1985.
Nelson has worked with the Portland
Opera to organize its business goals,
provide employment-law advice, and
represent its interests in negotiations
with musicians, chorus and stage
hands. Catherine Bertini was
recently interviewed by the Syracuse
Post-Standard. She currently teaches
at Syracuse University’s Maxwell
School of Citizenship and Public
Affairs. Prior to teaching at Syracuse,
Catherine ran the United Nation’s
World Food Programme and served as
undersecretary general to Kofi Annan.
Her full interview with the Post-
Standard can be found by searching
“Catherine Bertini Leadership” at
www.syracuse.com.
73 The final patent was granted
to Irving Mizus, M.D., for U.S.
8,105,284 B2, a slit-needle catheter
drainage system. It involves a closed
circuit that will access fluid cavities,
arteries and veins by percutaneous
catheter placement via a slit needle
without the need for a wire guide for
the purpose of drainage, monitoring
and infusion.
75 Philip Domenico is a
scientist who recently invented a new
class of antimicrobial agents that
are making some headway toward
commercialization. The bismuth thiols,
or BTs, as they are called, are now
approaching Phase 2 clinical trials.
However, the game changer is that
Philip’s BTs have just been given
“qualified infectious disease product”
(QIDP) status from the FDA to help
fast-track their development. The U.S.
has deemed his invention essential to
help overcome the problem of antibiotic
resistance. Philip, who currently lives in
Manhattan, grew up in Rome, N.Y.
76 Dr. Franz-Joseph Wehage,
Muskingum University
professor of German,
has been elected to
a two-year term as
first vice president of
the executive board
of Phi Sigma Iota, the
International Foreign Language Honor
Society. A member of the Muskingum
faculty since 1991, he received the
William Rainey Harper Award for
Outstanding Scholarship in 2002 and
2012. As part of his development of
the German program at Muskingum,
he created study-abroad opportunities
at both Deggendorf University and
Passau University. He has published
several books; the most recent,
Geschaftsdeutsch: An Introduction
to German Business Culture, was
co-authored with Gudrun Clay. During
his tenure as advisor of the Phi Sigma
www.albany.edu
41
Nelson
Atkin
Juan Orlando
Hernandez, M.P.A.’95
Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy
alumnus Juan Orlando Hernández, M.P.A.’95,
was inaugurated president of Honduras
earlier this year. Hernández, a 45-year-old
attorney, took office Jan. 27 and will serve a
four-year term. His wife, Ana Garcia Carias,
received a certificate of graduate study from
Rockefeller College in 1995.
Franz
Wehage
42
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
Iota chapter at Muskingum, seven of
the university’s graduates have been
awarded scholarships, including the
Dr. Henry Ward Church Scholarship,
the highest honor granted by Phi
Sigma Iota. He currently resides in
Nashport, Ohio. Nate Salant retired
as commissioner of the Gulf South
Conference, effective June 30. “It’s
been 22 years and its time to look for
the next challenge, whether in sports
or elsewhere,” the longest tenured
NCAA D2 commissioner said. Among
Nate’s accomplishments were the
creation of GSC-TV LIVE, the first-ever
conference-owned- and -operated
TV network (beginning with the 2000
football season), which grew to include
major regional sports channels and
ESPN-3, and twice repopulating the
league after severe membership loss.
“I used to say that my job was my
hobby and my hobby was my job, but
now that’s changed, so I think it’s time
to take some time off and then find the
next exciting opportunity,” Nate said.
77 Charles Schwartz now
lives in Monroe, Conn. He worked for
IBM in finance for 32 years and is
currently employed by the University
of Connecticut Health Center as an
accountant.
79 Bill Sobel was brought
on board in January as a weekly
columnist for CMSWire.com, a Web
magazine focused on intelligent
information management, digital
customer experience management,
and the emergence of social business
tools and practices. He lives with his
wife and daughter in Old Bethpage,
N.Y. Patrick J. McGuigan was
honored March 22 as the annual
Knights of Columbus “Person of the
Year” in Malvern, Pa. Ira Goldstein
completed his Ph.D. in informatics
in May 2011 and recently joined
the Siena College computer science
department as a visiting assistant
professor. Rev. Norman R. Macklin
received the doctor of ministry degree
in June from Faith Evangelical College
& Seminary, Tacoma, Wash. He is the
pastor of New Jerusalem Missionary
Baptist Church in Troy, N.Y.
80 Ellen Brotman, partner in the
litigation department of Montgomery
McCracken in Philadelphia, recently
served as a key member of the trial
team that successfully defended U.S.
Army Brigadier General Jeffrey Sinclair
in a rare, high-profile court-martial in
Fort Bragg, N.C. Ellen was named one
of the 2014 “Women of the Year” by
American Lawyer Media’s The Legal
Intelligencer, an honor highlighting the
achievements of top women lawyers
across the state of Pennsylvania. Al
Bunshaft has been named to the
100 Leaders in STEM. He is senior
vice president of Dassault Systemes
Americas, where he has instituted
science, technology, engineering
and math (STEM) initiatives. A board
member of the Massachusetts High
Technology Council and co-chair of the
Education and Talent Committee, Al is
also a member of the STEM committee
of the Clinton Global Initiative America
and of the Workforce Development
Committee of the Greater Boston
Chamber of Commerce. Al serves
on the advisory board of UAlbany’s
College of Computing and Information.
81 Errol Cvern was named to
the Customized Logistics and Delivery
Association (CLDA) board of directors.
Errol, president of Select Express and
Logistics, has been a member of CLDA
for 25 years. He has served on many
committees of the New York State
Messenger and Courier Association
and is currently its president. Richard
Gertler joined Davidoff Hutcher &
Citron’s commercial litigation group
as a partner in the Garden City, N.Y.,
office and will focus on commercial
and bankruptcy
litigation, corporate
governance and real
estate. Previously,
Richard was founding
and managing partner
at Thaler Gertler. Robert
Blau works for Bloomberg News
as an editor at large and managing
editor, reporting directly to the EIC for
Bloomberg Businessweek. He is also
a new member of the Pulitzer Prize
board. Elizabeth (Liz) A. Murphy,
now vice president of
External Affairs at PECO
(Pennsylvania Energy
Company), oversees
government and external
affairs activities for
Pennsylvania’s largest
electric and natural-gas
utility. Liz leads the company’s work
with local and state elected officials
and stakeholders, legislative lobbying
activities and policy development,
economic development and corporate
philanthropy and sponsorships.
82 Chemistry alumna Alanna
Schepartz has been elected to
the National Academy of Sciences,
Alumni News & Notes
Richard
Gertler
Elizabeth
Murphy
TO OUR NEW ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD MEMBERS
Lynn Gilmore
Canton ’71, ’73
Retired Regional Ad-
ministrator, Department
of Homeland Security,
Federal Emergency
Management Agency
Laura Geminiani
Cotugno ’09, ’11
Senior IT Auditor, KPMG
Angelo Maddox
’05
Entrepreneur and
Owner, Fresh & Fly
Clothing
Jillian Pasco,
’10, ’12
Government Affairs
Representative, New
York Independent Sys-
tem Operator (NYISO)
Welcome
Dr. José Luis
Calderon ’77
Visiting Associate Professor,
Department of Medicine,
Division of General Internal
Medicine & Health Services
Research, Keck School of
Medicine, University of
California, Los Angeles
a distinguished honor
in recognition of her
continuing achievements
in original research.
Alanna is a Milton Harris
’29 Ph.D. Professor
of Chemistry at Yale
University.
83 The John Marshall Law School
Alumni Association recently awarded
Brian Stephenson its prestigious
Distinguished Service
Award. The award
recognizes alums for
significant achievement
in their careers, sharing
their time and talent
at John Marshall and
supporting the school’s missions.
Brian is a trial attorney with private-
practice offices in Chicago and
suburban LaGrange, Ill. A stand-up
comedian, Brian also works with the
juvenile court system and regularly
uses his comedic talents to develop
positive programs for troubled youth.
Tom Sands, retired principal from the
Watervliet City School
District and longtime
resident of Saratoga
Springs, has been
selected to receive the
2014 Irving Schwartz
Distinguished Retiree
Award by the School Administrators
Association of New York State
(SAANYS). During his 25-year career
as a school administrator, Tom was
well known for mentoring many
aspiring school leaders; he continues
to mentor fellow administrators and is
a long-standing, dedicated member
of SAANYS. He was honored for his
contributions at an awards ceremony
May 9.
84 Elizabeth R. Bouchard,
co-authored an article for the peer-
reviewed journal American Catholic
Studies. “We’re Here for the Bodies”
is a history of the Albany Monastery
and the cloistered Dominican nuns
who lived there. Elizabeth also had
the honor of receiving the 2012
Excellence in Library Innovation
Award from the Academic and Special
Libraries Section of the New York
Library Association (NYLA). She has
been a librarian in the Capital Region
for nearly 30 years and is currently
the catalog librarian at the Bethlehem
Public Library in Delmar, as well as a
part-time reference librarian at Maria
College in Albany.
85 Brad Rabinowitz was
selected to play for Team Israel in the
World Lacrosse Festival in Denver in
July. Richard H. Golubow, a founding
member and the
managing shareholder
of Winthrop Couchot
Professional Corporation,
a premier bankruptcy
law firm located in
Newport Beach, Calif.,
received the 2014 Corporate INTL
Magazine Global Award as Bankruptcy
Attorney of the Year in California. The
awards recognize outstanding law
firms and attorneys for excellence in
expertise and service. Gary Farkas
is now systems analyst at Price
Chopper Supermarkets. He lives
in Niskayuna, N.Y.
Class councilor: Patty Salkin,
psalkin@tourolaw.edu
86 James L. Wright, partner
with Pulsar Advertising, has just
helped lead his team to become
the agency of record, along with
Arcade Creative Group, for MTA, the
largest transportation system in North
America. MTA encompasses New
York’s transportation system, including
the iconic subway. The account had
been handled by Korey Kay & Partners
for 22 years; the story of the MTA
win was recently covered in
The New York Times.
88 Martha Asselin, vice
president of Student Affairs at
Schenectady County Community
College, recently was appointed by
the SUNY Board of Trustees to serve
as acting president of the two-year
school. She lives in Scotia.
90 Adam Kinory, a 10th-grade
English teacher at the School of the
Future in Manhattan, is completing
his 23rd year for the New York City
Department of Education. National
Board-certified for the second time
recently, he looks forward to going
to work every day and would be
happy to talk with anyone considering
teaching as a career. Howard
www.albany.edu
43
Alanna
Schepartz
Tom Sands
Brian
Stephenson
2015 Excellence Awards
CALL FOR
NOMINATIONS
Recognize alumni and friends
of the University for their
outstanding achievements
and service. More details
and nomination forms
are available at
alumni.albany.edu/awards.
The nomination deadline is
Oct. 17, 2014.
Inspector Theresa Tobin ’88, ’11 of the New York City Police Department, second from right, and
John Jermyn ’14, second from left, were the featured speakers at the May Celebration of Vital
Volunteers, now in its sixth year. Also pictured: Warren Winslow ’73, Volunteer Council chair, left,
and Timothy Murphy ’77, Alumni Association president, right.
Richard
Golubow
44
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
Wright is now the executive director
of Ground Truth, a publication of the
Sankofa Restoration Project. Howard
resides in Beaufort, S.C. Michael
Rosenblut, president
and chief executive
officer of Parker Jewish
Institute for Health Care
and Rehabilitation,
was honored June 9
at the Primary Care
Development Corporation Spring
Gala in New York City. Michael, who
also serves as chairman of the board
of managers for AgeWell New York,
was recognized for his dedication
to expanding primary care and
transforming health care, as well as
for his leadership in bringing managed
long-term-care services to more than
3,000 people across seven counties
since AgeWell New York’s launch in
2012.
92 Beth L. Weatherby is now
provost/VP for Academic and Student
Affairs at Southwest Minnesota State
University. She lives in Marshall, Minn.
Charlotte Ghiorse brought her third
installment of AMERICAN GARBAGE to
the Mamapalooza
Rock Festival
this past May.
Karin Sloan
DeLaney, Esq.,
opened Sloan
DeLaney, P.C.,
in Baldwinsville,
N.Y. A boutique
law firm providing
advice and
assistance with trusts
& estates, elder law,
special-needs planning
and tax law, Sloan
DeLaney, P.C., serves
all of central New York
and points beyond. Karin
was formerly a partner at
Hancock Estabrook, LLP, and DeLaney
& O’Connor, LLP, of Syracuse, N.Y.
Kenneth Rosenberg was installed
as the 116th president of the Essex
County, N.J., Bar Association in April.
93 Leslie Tayne,
Esq., of the leading
debt-management and
resolution firm Tayne
Law Group, P.C., recently
was named among this year’s
Long Island Center for Business &
Professional Women’s 35th Annual
Achievers’ Awards honorees. Since
its establishment as a debt-relief law
firm in 2001, Tayne Law Group, P.C.,
has expanded into Manhattan, as well
as White Plains and Mount Kisco, N.Y.
Leslie lives in Melville,
N.Y. More information:
www.taynelaw.com.
John Bagyi, a member
(partner) in the Albany,
N.Y., office at Bond,
Schoeneck & King, PLLC,
has been listed in The
Best Lawyers in America® since 2007,
when he was the youngest labor and
employment-law attorney in New
York State to be recognized. John
counsels and represents employers of
all types and sizes in a variety of labor
and employment-related contexts.
He also provides a broad range of
employment-law and human-resource
training to executives, managers,
supervisors and employees. Carla
Rutigliano Shouldice has been
elected senior vice president and chief
of staff to New York Life Insurance
Co. chairman and CEO Ted Mathas. In
that role, Carla ensures the
oversight and coordination
of key strategic initiatives in
the Office of the Chairman
and CEO and provides a link
between the chairman’s office
and all other business areas
within the company, as well
as with external organizations.
She grew up in East Islip, N.Y.,
and currently resides in Dix
Hills, N.Y., with her husband
and their two children.
96 Maria Claudia André
of the Hope College Spanish
faculty received a travel
grant from the University
of Florida Center for Latin
American Studies to support
her work on two research
projects. Maria, a professor
of Spanish and chairperson
of the Department of Modern
and Classical Languages
at Hope, used the award to
travel to Gainesville, Fla.,
and conduct research at the
university’s Latin American
Collection. She currently resides in
Holland, Mich. Nicholas Cremona
has been named a partner
with Baker Hostetler, New
York, N.Y. He is a member
of the business group,
whose practice focuses
on corporate and financial
restructuring; bankruptcy
litigation; and debtor and creditors’
rights, including the representation of
secured lenders, creditors, debtors,
and fiduciaries in complex Chapter
11 proceedings and out-of-court
restructurings.
98 Stradley Ronon’s New York
office has added Harris Diamond as
counsel. Harris focuses
his practice on secured
and unsecured financing,
financial and corporate
restructuring, and
creditor representation.
He counsels clients
regarding a wide array of proposed
financial transactions, and also advises
clients on asset protection during
the restructuring and bankruptcy
processes.
99 James Webber, senior
scientist of Webber Environmental
Health Consulting LLC in Pleasantville,
N.Y., received the Moyer D. Thomas
Award from ASTM International
Committee D22 on air quality. He was
a research scientist specializing in
asbestos and hazardous nanoparticles
in the environment at Wadsworth
Center in Albany, N.Y., for 33 years.
James, who retired in 2012 and began
his consultancy work, is currently
an adjunct assistant professor at
UAlbany. He received the Wadsworth
Center Recognition Award from the
New York State Department of Health
in 2001, the Distinguished Dissertation
Award from SUNY in 1999, and the
New York State Department of Health’s
Commissioner’s Award in 1985.
00 Jennifer Tsyn is a business-
law attorney at Bond, Schoeneck &
King, PLLC. She advises individuals
and business entities (both publicly-
traded and privately held) on a
variety of matters, including contract
negotiations, corporate governance
Alumni News & Notes
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the UAlbany Alumni Group on
Through this free network of UAlbany alumni, you’ll
find inside connections to jobs, industry experts and
business partners. Use it to:
• Leverage the power of the UAlbany alumni network to
connect with other alums and their non-alumni contacts.
• Present yourself and your professional capabilities.
• Search LinkedIn’s job database and connect with UAlbany
alumni at companies around the world.
• Accelerate your career through referrals from
UAlbany alumni.
To register, visit www.linkedin.com
and search for “UAlbany Alumni.”
John Bagyi
Nicholas
Cremona
Leslie Tayne
Harris
Diamond
Karin Sloan
DeLaney
Design by Charlotte
Ghiorse
Michael
Rosenblut
and transactional matters. Jennifer also
assists clients with commercial real-
estate transactions, including leases,
purchases and sales. She represents
lending institutions and also represents
employers in employment-based
immigration petitions.
01 Thaddeus Pinckney, a.k.a.
The Muffin Man, delivers fresh-baked
muffins and breads to various charities
throughout the Capital Region. The
Muffin Man Gives is a registered non-
profit specializing in “dough-nating”
healthy, delicious muffins to food
programs and homeless shelters. With
the help of sponsors, manufacturers
and individuals, it offers special muffin
treats to those in need. For additional
information on The Muffin Man Gives,
visit www.themuffinmangives.org.
02 Renee Adamany received
the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for
Excellence in Teaching. Renee, an
associate professor in the Division of
Liberal Arts at Schenectady County
Community College, is the lead person
in the human-services A.S. and
A.A.S. degree programs. She teaches
courses in sociology, social work,
interpersonal and group dynamics,
integration of theory and child
maltreatment.
03 Jason Kennedy, director of
Strategic Initiatives/director of Supply
Chain at Price Chopper/Golub Corp.,
was named to the Albany Business
Review’s 2014 “40 under 40” list. He
resides in Niskayuna, N.Y
04 Dana Basnight-Brown
recently was honored with an
American Psychological Association
Early Career Achievement Award.
05 Brian Whitt was promoted
to chief operating officer of DWM
Facilities Maintenance, Latham, N.Y.
Dedicated to continuous improvement
and process enhancement, Brian’s
efforts have resulted in a 20-percent
increase in the company’s workforce
since 2013, and service that is
provided 14 percent faster than
DWM’s competitors’. The Iona
Prep Mothers’ Auxiliary is happy to
announce that this year’s Emerald
Isle honoree is Chris Trizano. Chris
and her husband, Rick, are both
University at Albany alumni and donate
to the school. The Iona Prep Mothers’
Auxiliary hosts the annual Emerald Isle
dinner honoring an Iona Prep mom
who has made great contributions to
the Iona Prep community and the local
community.
06 Virginia Fasulo is among
the first 50 Woodrow Wilson
New Jersey Teaching Fellows
recently announced by Gov. Chris
Christie. The highly competitive
program recruits both recent
graduates and career changers
with strong backgrounds in
science, technology, engineering
and math – the STEM fields – and
prepares them specifically to teach
in high-need secondary schools.
Each fellow receives $30,000 to
complete a cutting-edge master’s
degree program; in return, fellows
commit to teach for three years in the
urban and rural New Jersey
schools that most need strong
STEM teachers.
07 The board of directors of the
Museum Association of New York
(MANY)announced Devin Lander
www.albany.edu
45
Recent grads enjoyed a beautiful summer evening on the Hudson River
during the GOLD Happy Hour Cruise in June.
Great Dane
Pre-Game
Oct. 11
Get into the UAlbany spirit
before the Homecoming
football game. Enjoy food,
fun and entertainment.
Purchase the Great Dane
Pre-Game package, which
includes a football game
ticket, lunch buffet and
commemorative T-shirt,
for only $20. Free parking in the
Dutch Quad lot. Registration required.
For a detailed list of weekend activities, visit
www.alumni.albany.edu/homecoming.
46
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
Alumni News & Notes
as the organization’s new executive
director in June. Devin, who brings
years of legislative and advocacy
work built on a foundation of museum
and cultural heritage experience,
joins MANY after six years with the
New York State Assembly as deputy
legislative director for Assemblyman
Steve Englebright. He also acted
as staff director for the Historic
Hudson-Hoosick Rivers Partnership,
a public-benefit corporation created
by the New York State Legislature
to preserve, enhance and develop
the historic, agricultural, scenic,
natural and recreational resources
and waterways within the Northern
Hudson River region. Alexandra
Bresee Morgen joined Towne, Ryan
& Partners, P.C., in Albany, N.Y., as
an associate. She focuses primarily
on labor and employment, municipal
law and insurance defense litigation
matters. She received her J.D. from
Wake Forest University School of Law,
where she was the executive editor of
Wake Forest Law Review. Alexandra
was admitted to practice in New York
in 2010. Josh Sisskind recently
was certified as a GIS Professional
by the GIS Certification Institute.
Certification requires educational
achievement, professional experience
and contributions to the profession.
Josh is a GIS applications engineer
with Leidos in northern Virginia.
08 Zachary Halloran is a young
entrepreneur with a vision and passion
for giving. Inspired by his younger
brother, Zach launched the small
start-up Twill. His vision for Twill is to
provide the warmth of a blanket, along
with a message to motivate children in
need. Twill gives 100-percent organic
cotton blankets; for every customer
who purchases one, Twill donates
one. Zach, who has a bachelor’s in
sociology and a master’s in special
education, is no stranger to helping
others. More information: www.
mytwill.com
09 Alexandra B. Stevens joined
Goldberg Segalla in Garden City,
N.Y., as an associate. A member of
the firm’s Workers’ Compensation
Practice Group, she previously was
an associate with Bruno, Gerbino &
Soriano, LLP.
10 The work of poet Kristina
Johnson was featured in the Studio
Around the Corner presentation “The
Poetry of Painting & Treasures” in
Brewster, N.Y. Kristina’s work covers
an array of subjects dealing with
human emotions, nature and theory.
11 Joe Bonilla recently was
named one of Albany’s “40 under
40” by the Albany Business Review.
Joe is currently managing partner
and senior media director for the
public relations firm Relentless
Awareness. Sara J. Pruiksma was
hired as a design assistant at May &
Watkins Design. M&W Design, with
locations in both New York City and
upstate New York, holds national
recognition for its interactive children’s
exhibits across the United States.
Sara’s work can be viewed at www.
sarapruiksma.com. After three years
in her current position, Susan L.
Rogers, was promoted to associate
professor at SUNY Sullivan. Susan,
an active force at the community
college, was recognized at the 2014
commencement ceremonies with
the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for
Excellence in Faculty Service. She
has also been tapped to head SUNY
Sullivan’s new Division of Social
Sciences and Sustainability Studies
and is looking forward to starting her
new position as chairperson this fall.
14 Leslie Tolentino is among
the first 50 Woodrow Wilson New
Jersey Teaching Fellows recently
announced by Gov. Chris Christie. The
highly competitive program recruits
both recent graduates and career
changers with strong backgrounds
in science, technology, engineering
and math – the STEM fields – and
prepares them specifically to teach in
high-need secondary schools. Each
fellow receives $30,000 to complete
a cutting-edge master’s degree
program. In return, fellows commit to
teach for three years in the urban and
rural New Jersey schools that most
need strong STEM teachers.
New graduates played the Great Dane Toss, won prizes and learned
about GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) at the Alumni
Association’s GOLD tent at the Commencement Picnic in May.
Don’t Miss the Seventh
Annual GOLD Reunion
Join hundreds of other recent graduates,
meet up with old friends and see what’s new on
campus at the seventh annual GOLD (Graduates
of the Last Decade) Reunion, Oct. 10-11.
Check out some of the exciting events:
• Exclusive GOLD Party Friday Night
at the Pearl St. Pub
• Tailgate Party Saturday Morning
• Great Danes Football vs. Richmond
• Great Danes Great Bash at WT’s Saturday Night
For details, visit
www.alumni.albany.edu/homecoming.
Classes of
2005-2014
For a complete list
of class councilors:
www.albany.edu/alumni/avc.php
or call the Alumni Association at
(518) 442-3080.
www.albany.edu
47
Eric Fass ’02 and
Jennifer Gardner,
Oct. 6, 2013
Rachael Engle ’07
and David Labensky,
July 6, 2013
Nicholas Fahrenkopf ’08
and Katie Reed ’09,
Jan. 12, 2013
Katherine Clemm ’13
and John Asbach, Second
Lieutenant, May 31, 2013
Jacques Bastien ’12
and Dahcia Lyons ’12,
May 22, 2014
2005 – Josh Hewitt
and Kimberly Streger
Thousands of alumni gathered across the country to watch the Great Danes in their
numerous NCAA games. Here, alumni gathered at the Australian in New York City
to cheer on the men’s basketball team in its second-round NCAA game.
Corrections
In the Spring 2014 edition of “Alumni News &
Notes,” Madhav Marathe, Ph.D.’94, was incorrectly
identified as Madhay Marathe. We regret the error.
Nick Crounse ’01
and Sita Legac,
March 12, 2014
Weddings
Peter Maltin ’99 and wife Sara
welcomed daughter Isabella Marie
Cindy (Batista) Silva ’00 and
Francinildo Silva ’00 welcomed
son Nehemiah Oct. 1, 2013.
Ashley Prager Popowitz ’05
and husband Greg welcomed son
Noah April 24, 2014.
Births
48
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
Deceased Alumni
1930s
Marjorie Deheus Shaw ’32, March 29, 2014
Mary Calmes Mahony ’33, May 30, 2014
Carlton Coulter ’35, Jan. 4, 2014
Marion Lyon Paul ’35, April 10, 2014
Rose Dabrusin Levinson ’36, Nov. 21, 2009
Helen Jones Warner ’36, June 6, 2014
Helen Follett Relihan ’37, Jan. 11, 2014
Anna Sarcone Gaetano ’38, Dec. 25, 2013
Jean Edgcumbe Groff ’38, April 10, 2014
Robert D. Agone ’39, Jan. 31, 2014
Catherine Fleming ’39, Sept. 15, 2013
Dorothy MacLean Raymond ’39, May 17, 2014
1940s
Florence Gebe Gelderman ’40, March 27, 2012
Glenn Clark ’41, June 9, 2014
William Haller ’41, April 8, 2014
Marion Keables Hugos ’41, Dec. 17, 2013
Barbara Scott Lytle ’41, Jan. 9, 2014
Janet Macdonald ’41, June 13, 2013
Rosalie Goldblum Surrey ’42, March 29, 2014
Janet Kraatz Torrens ’42, Feb. 26, 2014
Marion Adams Flint ’43, April 22, 2013
Florence Pinkham Van Leuvan ’43, Jan. 17, 2014
Nellie Glod Gomsi ’46, June 1, 2014
Mary Seymour Owens ’46, Feb. 2, 2014
Ruth Lilienfeld Lesly ’47, June 1, 2014
Edith Tanenbaum Rudolf ’47, April 8, 2014
Marian C. Mieras Kirchhoff ’48, June 9, 2014
Frances Walsh Leonard ’48, Sept. 26, 2010
Anne Gilleo Vondra ’48, Jan. 23, 2014
Gloria Rand Winne ’48, Jan. 5, 2014
Bruce Brunner ’49, May 29, 2013
Joan Rourke McClelland ’49, April 27, 2014
M. Jean Munro ’49, May 6, 2012
1950s
Marion Oliver Kirby ’50, March 5, 2014
Rosemary Stoddard Walsh ’50, June 9, 2014
Barbara Carpenter Daring ’51, March 16, 2014
Robert C. Hausner ’52, Sept. 23, 2012
Ruby Anderson Morgan ’52, April 13, 2014
Elaine Blessing Richards ’52, March 23, 2014
Eleanor Rosenblum Roth ’52, Jan. 9, 2014
Walter F. Airel ’53, June 11, 2014
Robert H. Babcock ’53, Feb. 12, 2014
Rudolph Desantolo ’53, July 26, 2013
Wilmonte A. Nasutavicus ’53, March 24, 2013
Benjamin Button ’54, Jan. 21, 2014
Madelyn Meier Healy ’54, Feb. 13, 2013
Joyce Murray Losinger ’54, Nov. 17, 2013
Norma deRoos Stotz ’54, Jan. 9, 2014
Robert DeMichiell ’55, May 23, 2014
LeRoy B. Negus ’55, April 27, 2014
Jeanette M. Pietrantoni ’58, Jan. 21, 2014
Aurelia Frone Riley ’58, June 7, 2014
Robert J. Fain ’59, March 24, 2014
Grace Marie Palmisano Harvey ’59,
March 2, 2010
William D. Turnbull ’59, July 7, 2013
1960s
John H. Beza ’60, Jan. 13, 2014
Solomon Rosenfeld ’61, Feb. 22, 2014
Dale L. Vanepps ’63, Jan. 6, 2014
Linda Talbott Civill ’64, March 3, 2014
David C. Moore ’64, July 17, 2011
Paula Didio Steigman ’64, July 22, 2011
Donald E. Furgeson ’65, April 19, 2014
Raymond F. Leszczynski ’65, Jan. 30, 2014
Robert E. Luczynski ’65, May 8, 2014
MaryAnn Suss Moore ’65, April 29, 2013
Cynthia Rydell Moore-Lane ’65, Nov. 25, 2010
Roger F. Ayotte ’66, April 10, 2014
Russell A. King ’66, Oct. 1, 2013
Carolyn Ginter Dalzell ’67, Jan. 9, 2014
Paul D. Hoffman ’67, April 23, 2014
Terry A. Myers Cole ’68, June 9, 2014
Patricia Jones Bonavita ’69, Jan. 8, 2014
Richard Cummings ’69, May 18, 2014
Phyllis G. Zack ’69, Feb. 24, 2014
1970s
Clarence C. Lathey, Jr. ’70, Jan. 16, 2014
John S. Levato ’70, Feb. 13, 2014
Marlene Martin ’70, Jan. 3, 2014
Kathleen A. Murphy ’70, Sept. 6, 2013
Mary A. Orlyk Smith ’70, April 19, 2014
Marian Haith Wales ’70, April 28, 2011
Margaret M. Doyle ’71, April 6, 2013
Suzette E. Geary ’71, Jan. 2, 2014
Esther Schwarzman Goldfine ’71, Feb. 06, 2009
Jonathon J. Brandes ’72, June 21, 2014
Lance H. Bromley ’72, March 23, 2014
Norma Finke ’72, Feb. 22, 2014
Phyllis G. Goldstein ’72, Feb. 21, 2014
Mary A. Levine ’72, May 7, 2014
Martin G. Mattler ’72, Feb. 16, 2014
Stephen J. Short ’72, May 13, 2014
Eleanora C. Baldwin ’73, Dec. 25, 2013
Renee M. Cudhea ’73, April 9, 2014
Barbara H. Hughes ’73, March 10, 2014
John C. Messina ’73, May 6, 2014
Brian H. Perlee ’73, June 19, 2014
Laurie Feit ’74, Jan. 10, 2014
George Nealon ’74, Feb. 19, 2014
Albert C. Seeland ’74, May 9, 2011
Christine Missoff Beauregard ’75, April 24, 2014
Michael J. Hay ’75, Feb. 26, 2014
John F. Walsh ’75, Oct. 1, 2008
John E. Barrett ’76, April 1, 2014
Judith S. Brown ’76, March 30, 2014
Thomas P. Hope ’76, May 12, 2014
Gary T. Vazquez ’76, Aug. 25, 2013
John V. Adamson ’77, Jan. 24, 2014
Michael Dono ’77, Jan. 16, 2014
Kenneth A. Alverson ’78, Aug. 7, 2013
Rebecca L. Dytman ’78, Feb. 5, 2014
Barry T. Berberich ’79, May 9, 2014
Sheldon M. Bosin ’79, April 15, 2014
Charlotte A. Hood ’79, May 5, 2014
1980s
John J. Foldy, Ph.D. ’80, April 25, 2014
Sharon Phillips Belrose ’81, Dec. 16, 2013
Frank T. Cianciotto ’81, Jan. 26, 2014
David A. Froehlich ’81, March 21, 2014
Michael K. Isbell ’81, Dec. 29, 2013
Barbara Segall Levine ’81, Feb. 23, 2014
Hope Y. Yukawa ’81, Nov. 27, 2005
Katherine M. Griffin ’82, Jan. 3, 2014
Ronee K. Brimberg-Clark ’84, June 5, 2014
David Hirsch ’84, March 1, 2014
Alumni News & Notes
www.albany.edu
49
UAlbany
Here are the best ways to reach us!
ADDRESS, E-MAIL, PHONE
OR JOB CHANGES
E-mail: proyce@albany.edu
Mail: Pushpa Royce
Office of Development Services, UAB 209
University at Albany
1400 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12222
ALUMNI NEWS AND NOTES
E-mail: alumniassociation@albany.edu
Lee Serravillo, Executive Director
Mail: Alumni Association
Alumni House
University at Albany
1400 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12222
Ph: (518) 442-3080
Fax: (518) 442-3207
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
E-mail: colechowski@albany.edu
Mail: Carol Olechowski
Editor, UAlbany Magazine
University Development, UAB 214
University at Albany
1400 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12222
Ph: (518) 437-4992
Fax: (518) 437-4957
Todd C. Redding ’85, Feb. 24, 2014
Virginia Beatty Bopp ’86, June 6, 2014
Sharon Bachman Skarshinski ’88, Jan. 7, 2014
1990s
Sandra M. Greenberg ’90, Feb. 21, 2011
Barbara L. Schoen ’90, June 6, 2014
David T. Chowenhill ’94, March 26, 2013
Isabel M. McGuire ’94, March 13, 2014
Patricia A. Regan-Bianchini ’95, May 10, 2014
Stephen A. Tierney ’95, May 15, 2014
Jason R. DeJoy ’96, Jan. 7, 2014
Roxanne R. Merrill ’96, Jan. 21, 2013
Michelle L. Gordon ’99, Jan. 1, 2014
2000s
Victoria L. Kuilema ’03, March 28, 2014
Dennis V. D’Eredita ’06, June 7, 2014
Jessica L. Keto ’07, March 19, 2014
2010s
Eric Savage ’12, March 13, 2014
Sean T. Gailor ’13, May 24, 2014
Deceased Faculty/Staff
Donald A. Biggs, Professor, Counseling Psychology, 1978-2004,
March 16, 2014
Donald Forst, Lecturer, English, 2007-2014, Jan. 4, 2014
Philip Fossa, Assistant Professor, Hispanic and Italian Studies,
1965-1973, March 19, 2014
Morrison C. Haviland, Librarian, 1967-1977, Aug. 9, 2012
Thomson Littlefield, Associate Professor, English, 1956-1962,
July 11, 2013
William M. Moore, Director of Physical Education, Athletics and
Recreation, 1983-1987, Dec. 22, 2013
Steven I. Pflanczer, Associate Professor, School of Social Welfare,
1969-1991, Feb. 8, 2014
Pauline M. Vaillancourt, Associate Professor, College of Computing
and Information, 1969-1970, June 11, 2014
Jayne Vandenburgh, Secretary, President’s Office, 2000-2008,
Oct. 26, 2012
Authors
EDITORS
50
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
&
www.albany.edu
51
Richard Morgan, B.S.’69, recently published his fourth
book of poetry, Hebrew Lessons – Poems from my Jewish Heart.
The collection of poems addresses being human, spirituality,
the Bible and God. Hebrew Lessons seeks an audience who like
poetry, or may not even know they like it, but are interested
in the challenge of being human and spiritual at the same
time. Morgan has written for 50 years; he currently resides
in Beach Haven, N.J.
Paula Camardella Twomey, B.A.’70, is the author
of several books, including Ten Fairy Tales in Latin.
Twomey lives in Ithaca, N.Y., where she works for the
Ithaca City School District.
Mitchell Silver, B.A.’71, has recently published his third
book, The Veterans of History: A Young Person’s History of
the Jews. Silver has taught philosophy at the University of
Massachusetts/Boston since 1982. He lives in Newton, Mass.
Edward Lopatin, B.A.’74, M.P.A.’76, is the author of How
To Survive Your Vacation: Eighty Surefire Recommendations To
Make Sure You Have A Great Time And Return Home In One
Piece. The book includes 20 true stories about Lopatin’s
travels to 53 countries and 35 states, along with important
travel-survival strategies, including staying healthy; buying
travel insurance; avoiding pickpockets, burglars, and
unscrupulous merchants; and learning the culture and
language of the country you are visiting.
Michelle Edwards, B.A.’76, is the author of Max Makes a
Cake, one many children’s books she’s published in recent
years. An award-winning author and illustrator, Edwards will
publish her next picture book, A Hat for Mrs. Goldman, in
2016. More information: http://www.michelledwards.com.
Manuel A. Ossers, M.A.’78, Ph.D.’87, published Estudios
Literarios Dominicanos. The book is a selected compilation
of 14 of Ossers’ published articles and conference papers
on the literature of the Dominican Republic. It includes
an inside illustration by his daughter, Cristina K. Ossers,
a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Ossers is a professor of Spanish language and Spanish-
American literature and culture at the University of
Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Vincent Aiello, B.A., ’81, released his second legal thriller,
The Litigation Guy. The story involves a terrorist threat
against the Coronado Bay Bridge in San Diego. Aiello is
also the author of the acclaimed best-seller Legal Detriment.
Peter Bannigan, M.B.A.’82, is the author of Awakening:
Nikey & Tee and Holy Evil: Nikey & Tee, both adult sci-fi/
fantasy e-books. In Awakening, Nikey and Tee discover they
are Celtic witches in the pagan tradition with abilities to
manipulate energy. The Church is convinced Nikey is the
reason for the perversion infecting its clergy. In Holy Evil,
Nikey, Tee and others become aware they are the long-lost
survivors of a mythical Celtic tribe that explains their powers
as they battle the Church, the special unit dedicated to
eliminating them.
Karen Amster-Young, B.A.’87, is the co-author of
The 52 Weeks: Two Women and Their Quest to Get Unstuck,
With Stories and Ideas to Jumpstart Your Year of Discovery.
Amster-Young lives in New York City. More information:
http://the52weeks.com/.
Joe Serio, B.A.’87, published the first two of six books in
his Get the Nerve series: Overcoming Fear: 50 Lessons on Being
Bold and Living the Dream and Public Speaking: 50 Lessons on
Presenting Without Losing Your Cool.
Scott B. Cooper, B.A.’90, is the author of The A to Z of
Civil Depositions in Pennsylvania, published by PBI Press.
Sue Cannone-Calick, B.A.’93, recently co-authored
Independent Reading in the Age of the Common Core through
Scholastic. Cannone-Calick is a middle-school English
language-arts teacher in the Ardsley Middle School, where
she has taught for 18 years. She lives in Irvington, N.Y.
Sarah Yaw, B.A.’95, is the author of You Are Free to Go, a
2013 Engine Books Novel Prize winner and her first novel.
She shares that one of the characters in You Are Free to Go
is a UAlbany alum. Yaw’s novel is available for pre-order
at Amazon.com and will be released in September. More
information: www.sarahyaw.com.
Jennifer Degl, B.S.’99, is the author of From Hope to Joy:
A Memoir of a Mother’s Determination and Her Micro Preemie’s
Struggle to Beat the Odds. Degl shares the story of her life-
threatening pregnancy; the miracle birth of her daughter,
Joy, at 23 weeks; and the four months in the NICU that
followed. Degl aims to provide hope to women struggling
with high-risk pregnancies, encourage expectant mothers
to educate themselves before electing cesarean deliveries,
provide families of premature babies a realistic look at what
lies ahead in their NICU journey, and show that miracles
can happen and hope can turn into joy. More information:
www.fromhopetojoy.com.
Cara Long, B.A.’01, published her first collection of short
stories, Partly Gone, in June. A graduate of the English
program, she participated in a short-fiction workshop series
conducted by James Lasdun at the New York State Writers
Institute in 2012. Long’s collection of stories was begun
with a piece written for the workshop. More information:
www.unsolicitedpress.com.
52
UAlbany Magazine • Fall 2014
The Last Word
By Marjory D. Lyons, B.A.’50, M.S., Ph.D.
S
tanding in line at the UAlbany alumni luncheon in
Fort Lauderdale a few years ago, I heard the woman
ahead of me introduce herself: “Helen Jones Warner.”
“Who?” I sputtered. “My high-school English teacher and
UAlbany grad, Helen Jones Warner?”
Later, I visited Helen at her home in Delray Beach. Smiling,
she exclaimed, “Oh, I would have known you anywhere!”
We settled on the couch and looked at photos in my 1950
Pedagogue. Helen smiled at pictures of Hawley Hall and
Minerva. In The Crystal – the 1946 yearbook from my alma
mater, Port Jefferson High School in Long Island, N.Y. – my
former teacher pointed to students and faculty, recognizing
them from 68 years before and asking about them.
We later spoke about our experiences at UAlbany. As
17-year-olds from tiny New York towns (Granville for
her; Miller Place for me), we were the first in our families
to attend college. I asked, “How has your education been
important to you?” Helen paused, then laughed:
“Well, I’m glad I got it! And it got me a job!”
Helen’s education also benefited the South Florida medical
community. Told by her doctor that Boynton Beach’s
Bethesda Hospital needed a medical library but lacked
funding, Helen enrolled at UAlbany, “substituting in
libraries for the experience.” While she earned her degree,
funds were raised for the facility – and, on graduating, Helen
started the medical library. Today, the plaque at the library
honors Helen Jones Warner for her 15 years of service.
As teacher and librarian, Helen was happy with her life.
“I liked getting along with a variety of people,” she said. I
nodded, transfixed that my teacher, almost 100, was telling
me about her life and work.
“People used to think that libraries were just books,” said
Helen. But they are actually media centers “with pictures
and movies” that afford young people, especially, access to
information. “That’s the key, access!” Helen added.
Helen Jones Warner, B.A.’36, M.L.S.’67, passed away
June 6. Her former student, Marjory D. Lyons, B.A.’50,
M.S., Ph.D., is founder and president of Telling Your Story,
a specialty publishing company producing books of memoirs,
life stories and business histories for private clients.
During their visit, Marjory D. Lyons, in red, and Helen Jones
Warner, her former teacher and fellow alumna, shared memories
of their undergraduate years at the University at Albany.
Debra Todd
Debra Todd
Debra Todd
Three months after the December 1844 founding of
the New York State Normal School, known today as the
University at Albany, developer and philanthropist James
Wadsworth left a bequest of $300 designated for the
school’s first library. Today, Wadsworth’s generous legacy
lives on in UAlbany’s three state-of-the-art libraries,
which collectively house more than 2 million volumes.
Like James Wadsworth, you can
invest in UAlbany’s future.
For information about including the University
at Albany in your estate plans, please contact
Lori Matt-Murphy
Office of Gift Planning
University at Albany, UAB 226
1400 Washington Avenue, Albany NY 12222
(518) 437-5090 or
(888) 226-5600, toll free.
UAlbany’s very first
benefactor made a gift
with lasting impact.
You can, too.
1400 Washington Avenue
Division of University Development
University Administration Building 209
Albany, NY 12222
Non Profit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Burlington, VT 05401
Permit No. 378
www.albany.edu
Homecoming 2014
Family & Reunion Weekend ~ Oct. 10-12
We’re a little more than a month away from the
biggest annual gathering at UAlbany! Bring your
Great Danes spirit, and we’ll do the rest. Take
in the vibrant autumn colors as you enjoy the
weekend’s festivities: Wine-Tasting Reception –
Alumni Breakfast – Great Dane Pre-Game with
food and entertainment – Football vs. Richmond
– Sorority Coffee Hours – GOLD. Reunion – Legacy
Reception – Great Dane Great Bash at WT’s.
Bring family, friends and classmates, and
share a weekend of memories, fun and
excitement! For details, visit
www.alumni.albany.edu/homecoming.
CC BY 4.0