UAlbany Magazine, 2016 March

THE FAR REACH OF
UALBANY ALUMS
Perry Ellis International Creative 
Director Michael Maccari, B.A.’85, 
demonstrates that University at 
Albany alumni are “Reaching 
Higher” and “Achieving More.” 
UAlbany
University at Albany Magazine • Spring 2016
Big Picture
UAlbany
University at Albany Magazine
Spring 2016, Volume 25, Number 1
	
6	
MYSKANIA Revealed
	
	
MYSKANIA played a pivotal role at the New York State 
College for Teachers – and inspired its members to 
continue serving the college and its successor, the 
University at Albany, years after they graduated.
	
9	
The Next Level
	
	
To ensure the University at Albany’s continued  
success, President Robert J. Jones has set in  
place an ambitious strategic plan that calls  
for increased outreach to the Capital Region,  
growth in enrollment, enhancement of academic 
programs, and physical expansion.      
	 13 	 The Far Reach of UAlbany Alums
	
	
In such diverse fields as fashion, publishing, 
journalism, medicine, business, and technology, 
UAlbany alumni offer proof positive that their  
studies prepared them well for success.           
Contents
Departments
	
2	
From the Podium and Beyond
	
3	
Where Are They Now?
	
4	
Gifts at Work
	
8	
Out and About	
	
28	
The Carillon  
(Alumni News and Notes)
	
48	
The Last Word 
Features
Bill Ziskin
www.albany.edu
Congratulations to the UAlbany women’s 
basketball team on winning its fifth straight 
America East Championship. The Danes earned 
their highest NCAA ranking to date (12) and went 
on to win their first-ever NCAA game, defeating 
fifth-ranked Florida 61-58. In the second round, 
fourth-ranked Syracuse posted a 76-59 victory 
over the UAlbany women.
Thanks to the women’s basketball team – and 
to all of our University at Albany athletes – for 
bringing another successful season to an exciting 
close. Year after year, you make us proud.
Go, Danes!
www.albany.edu
1
From the Podium and Beyond
Neurobiologist Laura Schweitzer, 
Ph.D., an experienced health-care 
executive and higher-education 
leader, was appointed vice president 
for Health Sciences and Biomedical 
Initiatives at the University at 
Albany last September.
Recognized for her roles in 
research, academic programs and 
workforce development, Schweitzer 
is committed to public engagement and the critical role 
of higher education in the community and as a driver of 
economic development. As president of Union Graduate 
College for six years, she oversaw Union’s merger with 
Clarkson University. She also served as vice president of 
Academic Affairs at SUNY Upstate Medical Center; as chief 
academic officer at Bassett Healthcare; and in a succession  
of administrative roles at the University of Louisville. 
Schweitzer holds a Ph.D. from Washington University 
in St. Louis and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in 
neuroscience at Duke University, where she was named to 
the research faculty. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in 
psychology from the University of Miami. 
In the Capital Region, Schweitzer chairs the board of the 
300-plus member, eight-county Council for Economic 
Growth (CEG) and serves on the New York Governor’s 
Regional Economic Development Council. At the national 
level, she serves on the external advisory committee for 
a National Science Foundation ADVANCE Institutional 
Transformation Program at the University of Cincinnati 
and on the faculty for the Executive Leadership in Academic 
Technology and Engineering Program at Drexel University.  
Schweitzer Is VP for Health Sciences and Biomedical Initiatives
Undergraduate 
Commencement 
Speaker Set
Eric J. Jolly, Ph.D., will deliver 
the commencement address 
at UAlbany’s undergraduate 
ceremony May 15. Jolly is 
president and chief executive 
officer of Minnesota 
Philanthropy Partners, a 
network of foundations, funds 
and organizations sharing 
knowledge and services to 
maximize the impact of 
charitable giving across  
the state.     
For more information 
about these and other 
stories, visit us online at  
www.albany.edu/news/.
Articulation Agreements Partner  
UAlbany, Albany Law School
Mark Schmidt
The University at Albany and Albany Law School signed two articulation agreements 
last November to enhance academic opportunities at both institutions.
Under the terms of the agreements, each school will recognize and accept credits for 
a range of specific courses from the other, saving both money and time for students. 
One, between Albany Law and the University’s School of Criminal Justice, will enable 
students to pursue a law degree with a master of arts in criminal justice. The other, 
with the College of Arts and Sciences, will provide more collaborative academic 
offerings for students pursuing both a law degree and an M.A. in history.
2 
UAlbany Magazine • Spring 2016
www.albany.edu
3
Where Are They Now?
By Carol Olechowski
The Paris Review 
Honors Davis 
University at Albany 
Professor of English, 
Writer in Residence 
and Writers Institute 
Fellow Lydia Davis 
joined authors Joan 
Didion, Philip Roth, 
William Styron 
and other literary elites April 5 when she 
received the Hadada, The Paris Review’s 
lifetime achievement award.
Davis is also a MacArthur Fellow and 
the recipient of the 2013 Man Booker 
International Prize.
Janie Airey
BRS/Gage
Ananou Is Named  
VP for ITS
Simeon Ananou 
joined UAlbany Feb. 
1 as vice president 
for Information and 
Technology Services 
and chief information 
officer. A longtime 
administrator and 
a student-focused leader with a deep 
appreciation for campus communities, 
systems, processes, and decisions driven 
by data analytics, Ananou previously 
served at Salisbury University in 
Maryland, where he was chief information 
officer and adjunct faculty in information 
and decision sciences. 
Ananou earned a B.A. in international 
relations from The Ohio State University; 
an M.B.A. in computer information 
systems from Barker College, Michigan; 
and a D.Ed. in administration and 
leadership studies from Indiana 
University of Pennsylvania.
A
cclaimed actress Carolee Carmello, B.S.’83, is back on  
 Broadway this spring in the musical Tuck Everlasting. As Mae 
Tuck, matriarch of a family of immortals, Carmello shares the stage 
with Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Michael Park, Terrence Mann, Fred 
Applegate, Sarah Charles Lewis, Robert Lenzi, Michael Wartella, 
Valerie Wright and Pippa Pearthree. The production, currently in 
previews, opens April 26 at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York City.   
Based on the award-winning Natalie Babbitt novel, Tuck Everlasting 
explores the theme of death and immortality, while delivering a 
powerful message about the importance of making the most of one’s 
life. Carmello has certainly done that: Her Broadway credits include 
1776, Kiss Me Kate, Sister Act, Finding Neverland and Mamma Mia! 
Carmello’s performances in Scandalous the Musical: The Life and 
Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson, Lestat and Parade earned her 
three Tony Award nominations.
In September 2013, the Albany native returned to campus for An 
Evening With Carolee Carmello, which was presented in conjunction 
with the weeklong inaugural celebration for University President 
Robert J. Jones. Carmello, who studied business and French at 
UAlbany, performed before a packed house.  
We wish Carmello and her castmates well as Tuck Everlasting  
begins its run. Break a leg!    
Carolee Carmello portrays  
Mae Tuck in Tuck Everlasting.
4
UAlbany Magazine  •  Spring 2016
Gifts at Work
UAlbany’s Stadium  
Scores a Name
Give us a “C,” an “A,” an “S,” an “E” and a “Y.” 
What does that spell? Casey – as in the University 
at Albany’s Tom & Mary Casey Stadium.
The stadium was named last fall with a $10 million 
donation from the Bernard & Millie Children’s 
Foundation, which was established by William 
Duker ’75 and his wife, Sharon, the Caseys’ daughter. In 
addition, the donation supports other University facilities, 
makes additional scholarships available for student-athletes, 
and addresses other athletics priorities.
University President Robert J. Jones noted that the gift 
“reflects the wonderful values Tom and Mary Casey instilled 
in their children about the importance of education and 
service to community. We are deeply grateful to the Bernard 
and Millie Children’s Foundation for this investment, which 
will have a positive impact on our athletics programs, our 
student-athletes, and the UAlbany experience for many  
years to come.” 
“Our parents passed down enduring family values,” 
saidfsiblings Thomas Casey ’78, Sharon (Casey) Duker, 
and Melissa (Casey) Faas ’01. “We are pleased to support 
UAlbany’s tradition of academic and athletic excellence, and 
proud to see our parents’ names attached to a great facility 
that is a valuable University and community resource.”
Completed in 2013, the 8,500-seat Casey Stadium is part  
of the University’s multisports complex. Its amenities  
include a scoreboard with a high-definition video display  
and point-source sound system. 
The stadium field is named for retired head coach Bob Ford, 
who helmed Great Danes football and remained with the 
program for 44 years, from its inception to its admission into 
the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). The field will now 
be known as Bob Ford Field at Casey Stadium. 
Blackstone LaunchPad Débuts at UAlbany
The Casey family
Mark Schmidt
Carlo de Jesus
The expansion of Blackstone Charitable Foundation’s 
LaunchPad program to the University at Albany and four  
other universities through a three-year, $4.5 million grant  
will nurture students seeking entrepreneurial success.
Blackstone LaunchPad in New York will connect UAlbany 
with other campuses, the business community and local 
entrepreneurs. Cornell University, New York University,  
Syracuse University, and the University at Buffalo are also
partners in the initiative. With a physical presence on each 
campus and access to the Blackstone LaunchPad Global 
Network Technology Platform, the program has the potential 
to generate some 4,000 new ventures and 6,000 new jobs 
statewide over the next five years.
Announcing the venture in October, UAlbany President Robert 
J. Jones said, “We deeply appreciate this investment from the 
Blackstone Charitable Foundation, and look forward to our 
continued collaboration as we support students in bringing  
their ideas to market – and attracting venture capital to our 
campus and our region.”
Sen. Charles Schumer added: “Blackstone’s LaunchPad 
program, with this new grant, will provide the tools that young 
entrepreneurs at our premier universities need to succeed and 
create the next generation of New York businesses.”  
New York is the eighth Blackstone LaunchPad region, joining 
Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Montana, California  
and Ireland.
Blackstone LaunchPad Executive Director Jan Woodcock, ’86, ’91;  
Professor Sanjay Goel; Provost James Stellar; Blackstone Senior Managing Director 
Michael Nash ’83; University President Robert J. Jones; Blackstone LaunchPad 
Global Director Alisha Slye; and student entrepreneur Elsie Essien  
officiated at the Jan. 27 ribbon-cutting ceremony.
www.albany.edu
5
UAlbany
Magazine
Spring 2016, Volume 25, Number 1
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
Publisher and Director of Development Operations
Cecilia Lauenstein
Editorial Staff
Executive Editor
Carol Olechowski
colechowski@albany.edu
Creative Director
Mary Sciancalepore
Associate Creative Director
Agostino Futia, B.A.’01, M.A.’08
Writers
Sarah Ammerman, B.A.’01; Christine Binney 
’05, ’07; Michele Flynn; Paul Grondahl, M.A.’84; 
Claudia Ricci, Ph.D.’96; Peter Hooley, B.A.’15;  
Jim Sciancalepore, M.A.’93;  
Stephen Shoemaker, B.A.’02
Photographers
Janie Airey; Carlo de Jesus; George Elder;  
Hannah Brigida Infantado; Kat Irlin; Paul Miller; 
John Nation/ Louisville Magazine; Michael Paras; 
Cory Parris; Mark Schmidt; Mary Layton  
Thompson; Bill Ziskin
Web Editor
Melissa Fry, M.B.A.’12
Researchers
Benjamin Brunjes, B.S.’12; Deborah Forand;   
Lisa Gonzalez, M.A.’03; Amy Johnston
Mailing Coordinator
Kim Verhoff
Business Manager
Lillian Lee
The Carillon
Editor
Stephanie Snyder
ssnyder2@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 ten schools and colleges. For more 
information about this internationally ranked institution, 
please visit www.albany.edu. 
Cover: Michael Maccari, B.A.’85 
Photo: Kat Irlin
www.albany.edu
5
Entrepreneurship comes naturally to 
Morris and Esther Massry and their 
family. So does philanthropy.
In the 1950s, the Massrys started the Janie 
Shop – a children’s clothing store named 
for their eldest daughter – in Troy, N.Y. 
Morris soon began acquiring neighboring 
retail buildings, transitioning to the real-
estate business, with a focus on apartment 
buildings, in the mid-1960s. 
The Massrys’ son, Norman, became 
involved in the family business as a child, 
mowing lawns and assisting with other 
tasks. After studying accounting at Bentley 
University, he returned to the company 
as an accountant but realized “I wanted 
to manage real estate.” And so he did, 
working with his father to build Tri City 
Rentals/Massry Reality Partners into a 
successful firm that operates in New York, 
Tennessee, Florida and Texas. 
According to Norman, the family 
orientation makes the business work. Julie, 
daughter of Norman and his wife, Micki, 
is manager of sales and marketing; son 
Murray serves as project manager. 
In turn, the Massrys share their success, 
supporting education, medical care, arts 
and other Capital Region causes. “We 
grew up with philanthropy,” recounts 
Norman. “My dad started giving as 
campaign manager of the United Way. 
I remember Julie painting the big 
thermometer.”
The family’s relationship with UAlbany 
began in 1987, when Morris became a 
director of the University’s Foundation  
board. The Massrys’ $5.25 million gift 
to UAlbany is their largest contribution 
to any institution or organization. “This 
gift makes sense,” observes Norman, 
“considering the magnitude and  
excellence of the University at Albany,  
the number of students it touches, and  
its impact on the Capital Region. 
“As we came to know President [Robert J.] 
Jones and his vision for the University, we 
became increasingly excited by what the 
money could accomplish. It is our most 
important gift, to date, for a fundamental 
reason: The University is critically 
important to the community.”
To underscore their commitment to 
UAlbany, the Massry family made a gift of 
$5.25 million in December 2014 to fund:
• an endowment to ensure that the new 
School of Business building remains a 
state-of-the-art resource for teaching, 
learning and research.
• speakers, conferences and visiting faculty 
to enhance the academic experience  
for School of Business students.
• the Massry Community Fellows 
Program, allowing students throughout 
the University to pursue internships 
with local non-profits – opportunities 
for which funding is not typically 
available – and to strengthen UAlbany’s 
commitment to community service and 
public engagement.
In September 2015, the School of Business 
building was named the Massry Center 
for Business to honor the family for its 
longstanding support of the University.    
– Michele Flynn
The Massrys Share Their Success
Paul Miller
6
UAlbany Magazine • Spring 2016
F
or the Fall 1991 Albany magazine, 
I 
wrote 
“Bring 
Back 
the 
Memories,” which described the 
rich Alumni Memorabilia Collection 
the Alumni House had recently donated 
to the University Archives. Among the 
records Alumni House turned over were 
the post-1946 papers of MYSKANIA, 
successor to the first student government 
created by the New York State College 
for Teachers Faculty Council in April 
1917. In the article, I asked whether 
anyone could fill in the gaps about 
MYSKANIA. The original MYSKANIA 
dissolved on March 25, 1946, in a quarrel 
with the student body and the Student 
Association 
over 
the 
undemocratic 
nature of election to the organization – 
members chose their successors – and, to 
a lesser degree, its secrecy.  
My request for additions to the collection 
brought a number of new acquisitions 
that helped us to explore and understand 
student life at the school. An important 
addition to our files arrived from Bernie 
Kerbel ’33, a former MYSKANIA 
member, in January 1992. He detailed 
the meaning of MYSKANIA’S Latin 
name, which, according to its original 
constitution, was supposed to remain 
secret, known only to initiates. Worried 
that the meaning of the name would 
be lost forever, Kerbel recalled the 
following as the elements contained in 
the acronym:
M 	 = “Minerva”  	  
Y 	 =  “iustidia” – “Y” for “I”
S 	 =  studien 
K 	 =  “que” – “K” for “Q”   
A 	 =  “ad” 
N 	 =  “nostra” 
I 	
=  “in”
A 	 =  “Alia” 
Kerbel also provided a rough English 
translation: “Minerva, guardian of justice 
and students in the school’s halls.” (Item 
7 of the handwritten 
graphic on the next page 
offers alternative Latin 
wording and a different 
English translation.) 
Kerbel’s letter repeated 
the story that the first 
MYSKANIA 
burned 
all 
its 
minutes 
and 
constitutions when it 
disbanded in 1946. He 
stated that he visited with a successor 
MYSKANIA in the early 1960s and 
explained to its members the acronym’s 
original meaning. They told him their 
predecessors said MYSKANIA was an 
acronym for the New York State College 
for Teachers, with an “M” substituted for 
“N” in “New,” and a “K” for the “C” in 
“College,” while the “ANIA” stood for 
“at New York in Albany.” The outgoing 
1946 MYSKANIA didn’t share the Latin 
meaning of the name, the ceremonies 
or past minutes with the recreated, 
democratic MYSKANIA elected in  
May 1946.
In the early 1990s, I believed the 
assertion – since proven incorrect – 
that the original MYSKANIA had 
destroyed all its records. Thanks to 
a 2006 donation we were required to 
keep secret for 10 years, we have fuller 
minutes of the first MYSKANIA than 
for the organization’s successor. The 
original MYSKANIA minutes were 
turned over to former chairman Michael 
Lampert ’73. While Lampert was on 
what he called a “friend-raising” visit to 
the Rochester area for the University’s 
Development Office in 1972, preparing 
for the inaugural SUNYA Annual Fund 
campaign the following year, he was 
approached by a former MYSKANIA 
member who gave him most of the 
organization’s missing pre-1946 records 
for safekeeping. Lampert turned them 
over to me in 2006, 60 years after  
the original MYSKANIA disbanded. 
The 
December 
1944-March 
1946 
minutes remain missing.
MYSKANIA’s records are important 
because 
of 
the 
pivotal 
role 
the 
organization played at the New York 
State College for Teachers. It was 
the first student government, initially 
known as the Student Council, but 
at its second meeting in April 1917, 
members chose the name MYSKANIA. 
Prior to 1946, the organization was 
responsible for representing the student 
body before the faculty. Its members 
created and/or governed and changed 
school traditions (Rivalry, Moving-up 
Day, etc.), most of them retained until 
the move to the uptown campus in the 
1960s. In 1921, MYSKANIA created 
and wrote the initial constitution for the 
Student Association, relinquishing its 
own leadership of student government. 
It approved the constitutions of Greek 
social and service organizations and 
clubs, including the State College News 
board and the Finance Board, and 
approved officer candidates for student-
funded organizations (primarily making 
sure that candidates for office had paid 
the student tax). Finally, MYSKANIA 
served as the student judiciary. 
As long ago as 1927-28, there was conflict 
between 
the 
original 
MYSKANIA 
and the Student Association, and the 
association’s 1945 constitution detailed 
why. The Student Association claimed 
the right to represent students before 
the Faculty Council and instituted direct 
election 
of 
MYSKANIA 
members, 
though, as MYSKANIA itself suggested, 
MYSKANIA Revealed
By Geoff Williams, University Archivist Emeritus
MYSKANIA 1917 from the yearbook, The Pedagogue
The word should probably 
have been “aulis.”
www.albany.edu
7
MYSKANIA’s dissolution notice was published  
in the March 29, 1946, State College News. 
partially from a list of 10 students 
chosen by outgoing members. Over the 
decades, successive Student Association 
constitutions, paired with the changing 
nature of the college as it evolved into 
a university, whittled away MYSKANIA 
functions 
and 
powers. 
A 
greatly 
expanded enrollment; relocation to 
the uptown campus; and abandonment 
of such NYSCT traditions as Rivalry, 
which ended in 1963, were also factors. 
By 1965, MYSKANIA’s judicial powers 
were gone; its last election was held in 
1978. The Student Association refused 
to 
fund 
MYSKANIA’s 
ceremonial 
functions, and the organization ceased 
to exist in 1979. University President 
Vincent O’Leary was inspired in 1982 
to embody MYSKANIA’s service aspects 
– for example, assisting at events and 
providing guides for high-school tours 
of the campus – in Purple and Gold.
MYSKANIA members, both pre- and 
post-1946, always selflessly supported 
their alma mater. To mention just 
two: Eunice Baird Whittlesey ’44, 
president of the Alumni Association 
during the construction of the Alumni 
House, also spearheaded the campaign 
to create the Veterans Wall of Honor, 
dedicated in 2001. After graduation, 
former MYSKANIA Chairman Michael 
Lampert ’73 immediately joined the 
Alumni Association Board of Directors, 
serving even while he was in law school 
and studying for his bar exams. He 
subsequently became the association’s 
treasurer, then president. Lampert’s 
longtime 
support 
of 
Rockefeller 
College has included funding student 
scholarships.
The Life and Death of MYSKANIA, 
written by Alfred Basch ’31 and 
published in 1984, offers more detail 
about the organization’s history. While 
writing his excellent work, Basch – 
unaware the 1917-44 MYSKANIA 
records existed – relied on student-
newspaper accounts. Now, the minutes 
and records from 1917-78 are available 
in the University Archives. A few gaps 
remain: There are no minutes of the 
original MYSKANIA from December 
1944 until its dissolution in 1946, from 
1952-53, and from 1964 through 1979. 
Please contact University Archivist 
Gregory Wiedeman if you have 
records 
to 
add 
to 
UAlbany’s 
MYSKANIA holdings. He can be 
reached at gwiedeman@albany.edu 
or 518-437-3936. 
Right, In 1946, 
students 
responded to 
a poll about 
MYSKANIA. 
Far right: Pictured, 
from 1941, is 
the only existing 
example of the 
original MYSKANIA 
initiation ceremony, 
handwritten by 
Mary Elizabeth 
Miller Drake ’41 
and donated by 
her daughter, 
Marsha Johnson. 
Note the slight 
difference in the 
Latin but general 
agreement on the 
English meaning of 
MYSKANIA.
8
UAlbany Magazine • Spring 2016
Out and About
By Christine Binney ’05, ’07
Second Annual Massry Lecture
Photo: Mark Schmidt
UAlbany students and local business leaders welcomed Mary E. Galligan to 
campus March 3 for the second annual Massry Lecture. Galligan, a director in 
Deloitte & Touche’s Cyber Risk Services practice, is also an FBI-certified crisis 
negotiator and crisis manager who served in leadership positions at the FBI  
for 25 years. She spoke about cyber risk and the importance of collaboration.
Shown, left to right, are Norman Massry, Micki Massry, Mary Galligan,  
and University President Robert J. Jones. The Massry family established the  
lecture to enrich the academic experience for University at Albany students.
The University at Albany Foundation’s  
36th Annual Citizen Laureate Awards
Photo: Mark Schmidt
On Nov. 11, UAlbany’s SEFCU Arena was transformed into an 
elegant event space for the annual Citizen Laureate Awards Dinner. 
Albany Medical College Dean Vincent P. Verdile, M.D., was named 
Academic Laureate; the Community Laureate awards went to William 
J. Cromie, retired president and CEO of Capital District Physicians 
Health Plan, and I. David Swawite, president and COO of Omni 
Development Company.
William Cromie, Vincent Verdile and I. David Swawite pose after  
receiving their awards.
December Commencement
Photo: Mark Schmidt
Forty-seven hundred graduates and guests packed the SEFCU Arena last 
Dec. 6 for Winter Commencement. Larry Gold, founder and chairman of 
SomaLogic, received an honorary degree. During the ceremony, UAlbany 
President Robert J. Jones proudly recognized the many first-generation 
graduates in attendance; 40 percent of UAlbany’s current undergraduates 
will be the first in their families to earn four-year degrees.  
Students prepare to participate in the December Commencement Ceremony. 
Faculty & Staff Donor Reception
Photo: Mark Schmidt
University President Robert J. Jones hosted a breakfast reception Feb. 
11 to thank the many faculty and staff who donated to the UAlbany 
Fund this year. Their generosity echoes their commitment and 
dedication to UAlbany, and their support demonstrates that they are 
making a difference in students’ lives. 
President Robert J. Jones presents Loyalty Society pins to David Mason,  
James Walser ’73 and Cecilia Lauenstein, pictured left to right, to honor  
each for making 25 consecutive annual gifts to the UAlbany Fund.
www.albany.edu
9
Paul Miller
The Next Level
O
n Feb. 23, UAlbany President 
Robert J. Jones stood in a 
classroom in the former Albany 
High School building, setting forth a 
bold plan to transform the century-old 
former public school building into a 
home for the University’s new College 
of Engineering and Applied Sciences 
(CEAS). Jones and a wide range of 
local 
elected 
officials, 
CEOs 
and 
neighborhood advocates had gathered in 
support of the University’s $20 million 
budget request for the first phase of 
renovations to the building. 
The planned restoration, which will cost 
a total of $60 million, is the centerpiece 
of the UAlbany vision for the largest 
and most strategic academic expansion 
in five decades. In addition to providing 
the first and only public option for 
engineering in the region, baked into the 
new college’s design is a focus on public 
engagement: The facility will include 
a 1,000-seat auditorium and space for 
collaborations with local schools and 
community organizations; and a “maker 
space” where local entrepreneurs can 
meet with faculty, graduate students, 
and post-docs to develop ideas for new 
products and start-up ventures. Jones 
fondly calls it “a game-changer.
While the $20 million capital request 
did not make it into the enacted state 
budget, Jones is not deterred. “We 
built a very solid foundation of support 
for the project, and we’ll continue to 
seek funding from multiple public and 
private sources.” Construction on the 
127,000-square foot building, which the 
University purchased for $2 million in 
2013 from the Albany school district, 
will proceed in phases. Meanwhile, the 
University is moving forward on other 
fronts of the new college, including 
the establishment of a new computer 
engineering degree program, which 
is awaiting approval from the State 
Education Department. The college will 
consolidate and expand several degree 
programs already offered by the former 
College of Computing and Information 
(CCI). Additional programs expected to 
be added to the new college in coming 
years include electrical engineering, 
environmental 
engineering, 
and 
biomedical engineering.
“Without an engineering program, there 
has been a whole cohort of students we 
could not recruit. Creating this new 
college is part of moving the University 
to the next level of excellence,” Jones 
said. “We need to make sure our offerings 
BY PAUL GRONDAHL, M.A. ’84
President Robert J. Jones is committed to  
moving the University at Albany “as quickly  
as possible to the next level of excellence.”
At a February news 
conference, University 
President Robert J. Jones 
discussed plans for 
UAlbany’s new College of 
Engineering and Applied 
Sciences (CEAS). 
10
UAlbany Magazine • Spring 2016
The Next Level
are more in line with the employment 
needs of the state, and that we have the 
high-demand degree programs today’s 
students want. It will also fundamentally 
raise our academic profile. Locating the 
college in the center of Albany reflects 
our commitment to public engagement, 
and being an outward-facing institution 
that recruits more women, more low-
income individuals and more people 
of color into STEM fields. We simply 
can’t afford to leave a large segment of 
our population behind.” 
Jones is leading a UAlbany that is the 
most diverse in the school’s history, to 
an extent that was unimaginable in 1909, 
when the set of buildings on Western 
Avenue known as the downtown campus 
was completed, or in 1914, when the 
institution officially became the New 
York State College for Teachers. In 
2016, nearly 43 percent of UAlbany 
undergraduates are students of color. 
Almost 40 percent are first-generation 
college students, and about 30 percent 
are eligible for need-based Pell Grants. 
UAlbany’s vibrant multiplicity is a 
marvelous asset that Jones wants both to 
celebrate and to serve. 
“We’re the most diverse campus in the 
SUNY system, and that’s a tremendous 
resource that we will continue to build 
upon,” he said. “UAlbany reflects the 
changing demographics of America, 
and we want to become a model for a 
multicultural university that provides 
an excellent education.” Excellence 
is the key, Jones says, to reaching his 
ambitious goal of 20,000 students by 
2020, a sizable increase from the current 
enrollment of 17,300. “It’s a stretch 
goal, but it’s reachable,” said Jones, 
noting that the number of applications 
and the Fall 2015 freshman class were 
the largest ever. 
“We project the College of Engineering 
and Applied Sciences will have 1,600 
students in four years. And we’re 
putting many pieces in place to expand 
enrollment. As we speak, Provost Jim 
Stellar is in China working with a 
Chinese university on a partnership that 
is expected to bring in 100 students each 
year for a decade.”  
Since taking over the president’s job 
on Jan. 2, 2013, Jones has been moving 
strategically, putting together the pieces 
to raise the institution’s academic profile 
and build upon its nationally ranked 
programs in criminal justice, social 
welfare, and business. “We want to 
move as quickly as possible to the next 
level of excellence. It was very clear from 
the beginning that this University was 
poised to move up, but it was one of the 
best-kept secrets in higher education. 
Part of what we need to do is tell our 
story more effectively,” he said. He has 
made no secret of his goal to elevate 
UAlbany’s national rankings as a public 
research university. 
In an interview in his third-floor 
University Hall office, a conversation 
about accomplishments and future 
projects was bookended by Jones’ 
lively anecdotes of dining with Stevie 
Wonder, Prince Albert II and Princess 
Stephanie, and Tony Bennett during the 
World Music Awards in Monaco (“I still 
get goosebumps thinking of it”); The 
Sounds of Blackness – the Minnesota-
based 
R&B 
group 
he 
performed 
with for three decades; of working 
on inspirational projects with Bishop 
Desmond Tutu in South Africa (“the 
only person allowed to call me Bob”); 
and of growing up as a Dawson, Ga., 
sharecropper’s son near the farm where 
Otis Redding was born (“I only knew his 
uncles”). “I use my own personal story 
to underscore that no matter what your 
situation is growing up, it should not 
define what you can become,” Jones said. 
“I remind young people that with hard 
work, determination, and commitment 
they can create their own destiny.”
Jones has developed national stature 
as a thought leader on the issues of 
diversity and public engagement in 
higher education. In February at 
North Carolina State University, he 
presented a lecture titled “Institutional 
In 2014, Jones spoke to members of the  
Albany community about the importance of  
public engagement to regional vitality.
Bill Pyke
Mark Schmidt
The Albany Promise, a 
regional, cross-sector 
partnership, brings 
together community 
leaders, including Albany 
Mayor Kathy Sheehan,  
to support a shared  
vision of cradle-to- 
career education.
www.albany.edu
11
Culture Change in Higher Education: 
Leadership and Inclusive Excellence.” 
That same month, in an extensive 
interview with The Chronicle of 
Higher Education, Jones addressed 
many of the same themes, focusing on 
making public-engagement a priority 
at public research universities. He 
stressed his commitment to working 
with the K-12 education system and 
serving as a co-convener of The Albany 
Promise, a cradle-to-career community 
partnership that is hosted at UAlbany. 
In addition, Jones serves on national 
boards, including Campus Compact, the 
Coalition of Urban Serving Universities 
and the Scholars at Risk Network. He 
is also a member of the Committee on 
Equal Opportunities in Science and 
Engineering, an advisory committee to 
the National Science Foundation.
Regionally, a major part of his public-
engagement 
portfolio 
is 
his 
co-
chairmanship of the Capital Region 
Economic Development Council along 
with James Barba, president and CEO 
of Albany Medical Center. During 
the past three years in that post, Jones 
has overseen the council’s vetting and 
awarding of tens of millions of dollars  
in 
economic 
development 
aid 
to 
businesses and municipalities across the 
Capital Region.
“Part of my job as president is being 
visible and engaged; serving as co-
chair of our regional council serves 
that purpose. I also feel an obligation 
to boost the economic vitality of the 
Capital Region,” Jones said. “We 
are working on a regional strategy 
that doesn’t pit one city against the 
other. We’re developing an economic-
development blueprint for this region 
for the next decade and beyond. I find 
the collaboration exciting.” 
Partnerships, 
collaboration, 
and 
expansion 
are 
strong 
themes 
of 
transformation in Jones’ presidency. In 
September the University announced 
an affiliation agreement with Albany 
Law School, creating important new 
academic opportunities for students 
and novel interdisciplinary research 
and grant prospects for faculty, and 
advancing the Capital Region’s role 
as a leader in higher education and 
innovation. 
It 
expands 
a 
20-year 
collaboration between UAlbany and 
the nation’s oldest independent law 
school – one that already includes a 
“3+3” program in which a student can 
receive an undergraduate degree and a 
law degree in six years (instead of seven), 
and multiple joint graduate programs. 
“The affiliation will give UAlbany 
students across majors access to legal 
education,” Jones said. “And for Albany 
Law students, our academic portfolio 
Community, business, 
education, and 
government leaders 
from the Capital 
Region gathered to 
express their support 
for the University 
at Albany’s plan to 
transform a century-
old former public-
school building 
into the College of 
Engineering and 
Applied Sciences 
(CEAS).
Paul Miller
12
UAlbany Magazine • Spring 2016
offers training in highly marketable 
subspecialties 
like 
criminal 
justice, 
cybersecurity, and public health. There 
are some powerful synergies that make 
both institutions stronger.”
Another 
initiative 
that 
Jones 
has 
overseen is the launch of the College of 
Emergency Preparedness, Homeland 
Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC). 
It is the first college of its kind in the 
nation, developed after Gov. Andrew 
Cuomo, in his 2015 State of the State 
Address, put out the call asking for the 
creation of such a school. Because of 
existing faculty expertise in homeland 
security 
and 
cybersecurity, 
and 
a 
strong foundation of related academic 
programs, UAlbany was chosen as the 
home of the new college. “CEHC is 
truly a groundbreaking development 
for UAlbany and for the state and 
nation,” Jones said. “These programs 
are preparing professionals to protect 
our state and nation against a new 
generation of challenges and threats.”  
CEHC will eventually be located in 
the future Emerging Technology and 
Entrepreneurship 
Complex, 
to 
be 
situated on 12 acres that UAlbany will 
acquire on the southwest corner of the 
Harriman State Office Campus. “This 
facility will bring together our world-
class resources in homeland security and 
emergency preparedness,” Jones said. 
“And the proximity to state agencies 
like the Division of Homeland Security 
and Emergency Services will allow 
us to strengthen our collaboration in 
these critically important areas.” In 
addition to CEHC, the 236,000-square-
foot building, known as E-TEC, will 
house the Department of Atmospheric 
and 
Environmental 
Sciences, 
the 
Atmospheric Sciences Research Center, 
and the National Weather Service, 
among other UAlbany assets. It will 
also serve as the hub of the New York 
State Mesonet, a UAlbany-led network 
of weather monitors designed to better 
prepare the state for dangerous storms. 
As the conversation turned to what will 
be required to finance the University’s 
ambitious expansion plans, Jones paused 
to gaze out his office window and to make 
a sweeping gesture toward another sign 
of UAlbany’s transformation: the Massry 
Center for Business, dedicated Sept. 17, 
2015, to honor the philanthropic family’s 
$5.25 million gift, at the time the largest 
in the University’s history. 
And just across the Podium rise the 
purple and gold bleachers of the Tom 
& Mary Casey Stadium. UAlbany 
announced last Oct. 8, less than a month 
after the Massry gift celebration, receipt 
of its largest gift ever: $10 million 
to support the football stadium and 
other facilities, expand scholarships for 
student-athletes and address additional 
priorities in athletics. The gift was made 
by the Bernard & Millie Children’s 
Foundation, which was established by 
the son of Bernard and Millie Duker, 
William Duker ’75 of Westerlo and 
New York City; his wife, Sharon (Casey) 
Duker; and their son, William “West” 
Duker. The stadium was named in 
honor of Sharon Duker’s parents. 
The back-to-back ceremonies of the 
$15.25 million historic donor gifts, have 
provided a boost to fundraising efforts. 
“Those were catalytic, transformative 
gifts,” Jones said. “They came from 
remarkable, 
philanthropic 
families, 
and they will make others take notice 
and follow their lead. In all, we’ve 
raised slightly more than $40 million 
in the past three years since I’ve been 
president, and that represents a new 
level of success for UAlbany.
“I have gotten some questions about 
whether I’m trying to do too much too 
fast, but it’s not in my nature to coast,” 
said Jones. “I realize we have multiple 
balls in the air, and I tell people they 
better learn to juggle. A president can’t 
do anything alone – I have a tremendous 
team working alongside me. I want to 
send a very strong message that while 
there is a lot of work to be done, UAlbany 
is on a very strong path to emerge as a 
leading public research university.”
In Fall 2015, the University family celebrated the namings of the 
Massry Center for Business and the Tom & Mary Casey Stadium.
The Next Level
Brian Busher
Mark Schmidt
www.albany.edu
13
THE FAR 
REACH OF  
UALBANY 
ALUMS 
These men and women in 
medicine, the arts, fashion, 
literature and business  
exemplify the University at  
Albany alumni campaign 
theme: “Reaching Higher, 
Achieving More.”
14
UAlbany Magazine  •  Spring 2016
14
UAlbany Magazine • Spring 2016
MICHAEL MACCARI, B.A.’85
A  G O O D  F I T
B Y  S A R A H  A M M E R M A N ,  B . A . ’ 0 1
www.albany.edu
15
erry Ellis International Creative Director Michael 
Maccari has made the most of his University at  
Albany education. Originally a math major with minors 
in business and fine art, “I wanted something more 
versatile, so I switched to English,” he remembers. 
“My art was always very realistic and precise, a lot of line 
drawings and graphic work; you could say it was mathematical. 
I had enough art credits to go in that direction, but I thought 
that a solid liberal-arts major, with more post-college schooling, 
could lead me in various directions.”  
After graduating from UAlbany, Maccari worked as a manager 
and sales representative 
in 
a 
photo-retouching 
studio, gaining valuable 
experience that would 
direct 
him 
towards 
his future career. He 
continued his education at the Fashion Institute of Technology, 
where he took a production class that made him realize he 
could have a career designing menswear. Maccari recalls: 
“Menswear was relatable for me, and given my mathematical 
background and pragmatic nature, it was a good fit. I was 
wearing Perry Ellis at the time, and a family friend worked 
alongside Perry. I was intrigued by the nature of the work; 
fabric research; and naturally, the application of sketching to 
something three-dimensional.”
As Maccari continued to explore his interest in fashion design, 
he built a slightly unconventional portfolio. “I sketched on 
various project envelopes coming to and from clients, literally 
stopping in the street to draw when something inspired me. This 
became my portfolio for the menswear design school: varied 
bits of ripped paper organized neatly in a book. The department 
chairman loved it, and I knew immediately I was on my way,” 
Maccari says.
Looking back at his time at UAlbany, Maccari says he wouldn’t 
change any part of his education. “Every piece contributes to 
the big picture,” he explains. “The mathematical start relates 
to the precision of menswear very directly, in terms of fit and 
proportion of details. The English background helps with the 
research each season, dreaming and writing about the ‘story.’ 
The fine-art foundation may be obvious, but finding your 
means of expression can only come after exploring various 
mediums. I had amazing 
fine-art instructors who 
pushed me to explore 
more deeply the work I 
was naturally drawn to. It 
provided focus, as well as 
exposure to similar artists and mentors.”
For those working toward their professional goals, Maccari 
shares this advice: “Explore your options fully, and don’t stop 
digging until you find and refine your passions. There can be 
many, and that’s a very good thing, but focus is important to 
understanding what really drives you. 
“My work is never 9-to-5. It’s a never-ending process, and  
one I enjoy immensely. Because of that, I often don’t consider 
it work.”
Before landing at Perry Ellis International in December 2013, 
Maccari worked for a variety of designers, including A/X Armani 
Exchange, Polo Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, and J. Crew.
Michael Maccari 
is pictured at his 
office, far left, 
and at the Fall 
2015 Perry Ellis 
Fashion Show in 
New York City.
George Elder
Kat Irlin
George Elder
P
16
UAlbany Magazine • Spring 2016
E
arlier this year, UAlbany accepted into its Presidential 
Scholars program Sophia, the daughter of alum 
Suzanne Murphy. Understandably, Murphy is proud 
of her daughter.
She is also very grateful to the University for her own education, 
which helped her to launch a highly successful 30-year  
career in children’s book publishing. Last May, Murphy was 
named president and publisher of HarperCollins Children’s 
Books, overseeing the operations of the company’s entire 
children’s division.
At UAlbany, Murphy majored in English and double minored in 
political science and history. She took full advantage of Albany’s 
offerings – both on and off campus. 
Living on State Quad, she was the first freshman in her dorm to 
take a bus downtown “to find out what was going on.” Murphy 
recalls, “It was really beautiful being in the state capital with all 
of its history and politics.” 
She also held down a job while in college, working at Albany 
Savings Bank in Colonie Center as a part-time teller.
Originally from Ossining, N.Y., Murphy was drawn to UAlbany 
because of its size and the breadth of its course offerings. 
In addition to completing her studies, she tutored teaching 
assistants in the Educational Opportunities Program, which 
caters to a wide diversity of students.
Her English classes – and what 
was then the brand-new Writers 
Institute – “infused me with a 
love of books,” Murphy says. “I 
gravitated to courses that really 
gave me a new perspective on 
the world.” She wrote for the ASP 
for two years and later co-chaired the campus Telethon, a 24-
hour televised pledge campaign to raise money for children’s 
charities. Students would audition to perform music, comedy, 
juggling or other routines. Murphy and her co-chair organized 
the campaign and also hosted an hour of the pledge drive on 
local TV.
It was during the spring of her junior year that Murphy visited 
the Career Center and ended up with an internship in publicity 
and marketing at Dell. There were four interns at Dell that 
summer, but Murphy was the only student representing a  
state university.
After she graduated, Dell hired her for a full-time job as a 
publicity assistant. From there, Murphy worked in positions at 
Simon & Schuster and Random House before landing a job as 
vice president of Marketing and Publicity at Scholastic Trade 
publishing. While at Scholastic, she shepherded the publication 
of major best-selling books, including the Harry Potter series 
and The Hunger Games trilogy. From there, she joined Disney 
Publishing Worldwide as vice president, publisher, spending 
five years in that position. Murphy says she was “crazy lucky” 
to get the top job at HarperCollins last year. It thrills her to walk 
down the halls and see so many classic, beloved children’s 
books, including Goodnight Moon, Where the Wild Things Are, 
Charlotte’s Web and The Chronicles of Narnia.
Since her daughter’s acceptance by UAlbany, Murphy says, the 
University “has been very much” on her mind. Should Sophia 
select UAlbany, she would be the third generation in the family 
to do so, as Murphy’s mother-in-law attended what was then 
the state university’s teaching college in the 1950s.
Looking back, Murphy says she credits UAlbany “for so many 
things, but particularly my lifelong love of books and working to 
make the lives of children and families better through reading.”
SUZANNE MURPHY, B.A.’87
A  L I F E L O N G  L O V E  O F  B O O K S
B Y  C L A U D I A  R I C C I ,  P H . D . ’ 9 6 
Suzanne Murphy’s degree in English prepared her well for her current 
position as HarperCollins Children’s Books president and publisher. 
Michael Paras
www.albany.edu
17
18
UAlbany Magazine • Spring 2016
Mary Layton Thompson
I
t’s been 35 years since Chris Corrado made a bet with a 
University at Albany math professor. He still remembers 
what he said.
“I bet her that I’d never use linear algebra in my job,” recalls 
Corrado, now chief operating officer and chief information 
officer for the London Stock Exchange Group. He chuckles. 
“And then after I graduated, I went to work for IBM. The first 
computer language I had to learn was APL, which is based in 
linear algebra.”
Corrado lost that bet, but he went on to win a string of highly 
impressive jobs. His work history includes six years at Morgan 
Stanley in New York City as a systems programmer; two years 
in Japan as chief information officer for the Far East; a return 
to New York as head of Infrastructure; a transfer to London for 
two years as CIO for Europe and Asia; then three years with 
Deutsche Bank as chief technology officer. Corrado went back 
to New York City to join Merrill Lynch as chief technology officer 
for Capital Markets.
When 9/11 struck, Corrado was working at Merrill Lynch in the 
World Financial Center. He helped to rebuild the capital-markets 
business, installing thousands of desktops and hundreds of 
servers – and relocating thousands of personnel – in a matter 
of days.
When Hurricane Sandy hit New York in 2012, Corrado was 
working at UBS. Once again he came to the rescue, handling 
the crisis for the financial-services investment firm.
Looking back, Corrado says his undergraduate education at 
UAlbany was excellent preparation for his career. He recalls 
how John Levato, then assistant dean and advisor, made him 
see how he could apply his major – business administration, 
with minor concentrations in math and computer science – in 
the real world of business. 
Then there was the statistics professor who encouraged 
Corrado to combine several of his educational interests into  
an emphasis on management information systems. At the 
time, MIS was exclusively a graduate program. But Corrado 
was in the first class of undergraduates who focused on  
MIS – an opportunity that laid the foundation for his very 
impressive career.
It wasn’t just academics at UAlbany that shaped his 
development, however. Each summer during his undergraduate 
years, Corrado stayed in Albany, working for the University’s 
Office of Residential Life as part of a team that repaired dorm 
rooms after students had vacated them. At one point, Corrado 
got his first chance to manage a group of workers: four young 
men on a University painting crew.
Today, he oversees 2,000 people for the London Stock 
Exchange’s technology and operational areas. Corrado 
runs the day-to-day operations of the exchange, information 
businesses, 
clearing 
and 
settlement 
businesses, 
and 
technology companies. In addition, he manages security, 
property and commercial services.
All in all, Corrado says UAlbany “was the best investment” he 
ever made.
When asked what he is most proud of in his illustrious career, 
Corrado doesn’t hesitate: “of helping people realize their full 
potential – i.e., getting others to do things they did not think  
they were capable of doing.” 
CHRIS CORRADO, B.S.’81
H E L P I N G  O T H E R S  
“ R E A L I Z E  T H E I R  F U L L  P O T E N T I A L” 
B Y  C L A U D I A  R I C C I ,  P H . D . ’ 9 6
www.albany.edu
19
20
UAlbany Magazine  •  Spring 2016
A
cclaimed journalist Tom Junod had not set foot on 
the University at Albany campus since his graduation 
35 years earlier, but a remarkable transformation  
took place when he returned to his alma mater last 
September at the invitation of the New York State Writers 
Institute. He led a writing seminar; met with students; and read 
“The Falling Man,” his celebrated Esquire magazine article 
about the World Trade Center terrorist attacks, at the State 
Museum as part of a 9/11 commemorative program. Nothing 
prepared the prodigal writer for the depth of emotion that  
struck him.
“It felt like a return, a homecoming and all those really wonderful 
feelings. I’m not exaggerating when I say my visit there was 
a high point of my writing career,” said Junod (pronounced  
Juh-NO), who lives in Marietta, Ga. He is a two-time winner 
of the prestigious National Magazine Award, for which he has 
been nominated a record 11 times.
Junod returned again April 16 to accept the Excellence in  
Arts & Letters Award from the Alumni Association during a gala 
at the Albany Country Club. “It feels great to receive that honor,” 
he said. “It’s wonderful. I couldn’t be happier.”
Junod saw a lot of his younger self reflected in the students he 
met in writing classes. “They were smart and underdogs and 
fighters just looking for a chance,” he said. “I realized by talking 
with them that the underdog role was part of my lineage, too.”
Junod reconnected with a former professor, Judith Barlow, and 
met a literary idol, Writers Institute Founder and Pulitzer Prize-
winning novelist William Kennedy. “Bill and I walked around 
Albany, which felt like I was touring heaven with St. Michael,” 
Junod said. “Bill had a story for every building and street corner. 
We also talked about the struggles of being a writer. It’s not 
an easy thing to write a great book, even for Bill Kennedy. It 
reminded me your heroes don’t get to be heroes because it 
came easy to them.”
TOM JUNOD, B.A.’80
R E C O N N E C T I N G  W I T H  
A L M A  M AT E R
B Y  P A U L  G R O N D A H L ,  M . A . ’ 8 4
Highlights of journalist Tom Junod’s return to UAlbany in September 2015 included,  
from left, a visit with New York State Writers Institute Founder William Kennedy;  
a seminar; and, at the state museum, a reading of “The Falling Man,” his famous  
Esquire magazine piece about the World Trade Center attacks in 2001.
UAlbany Magazine • Spring 2016
20
www.albany.edu
21
Hannah Brigida Infantado
Writing success did not come easily to Junod. The only 
journalism course he ever took was Fred LeBrun’s Journalism 
101 his senior year. He earned his way into the big leagues of 
journalism through a combination of grit, drive, determination 
and a few lucky breaks. His luckiest break was falling in love 
with his future wife, Janet Junod ’79, whom he met at SUNY 
Oneonta. Smitten, he transferred along with her to UAlbany  
his junior year.
Junod grew up in Wantagh, Nassau 
County. 
His 
father, 
a 
traveling 
salesman, sold women’s purses. 
Junod did not have a clear career path 
and tried economics and psychology majors before he found 
his passion in English. He began reading Joan Didion, Truman 
Capote, Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese and leading practitioners 
of The New Journalism. His English professors, particularly 
Barlow and Eugene Mirabelli, encouraged Junod’s enthusiasm 
for writing and his unorthodox essays. He graduated magna 
cum laude, published a few pieces in literary journals and 
met with many rejections when he applied for editorial jobs in  
New York City. He ended up a traveling handbag salesman 
like his father and got held up at gunpoint in a Los Angeles 
hotel room. The experience rattled Junod so badly he quit the 
business. He found a job writing articles for what he called “a 
third-rate trade magazine.” 
He refused to give up, kept writing stories and eventually broke 
into the big-time with articles in Sports Illustrated, Life and GQ. 
Junod became a protégé of GQ 
editor David Granger, who brought 
Junod along when he became 
editor-in-chief of Esquire magazine 
in 1997. Granger recently stepped 
down at Esquire, where Junod 
gained fame and considerable notoriety for deeply personal 
essays and celebrity profiles of Michael Stipe, Kevin Spacey, 
Nicole Kidman, Mister Rogers and many others. “David 
changed my life, and for 23 years he was my primary and ideal 
and reader,” Junod said. “We went through a lot together. David 
never lost that faith in the underlying sound of my writing.”
Along the way, the underdog from Wantagh has never  
stopped fighting. 
Junod has twice won  
the prestigious National 
Magazine Award, for which 
he has been nominated  
a record 11 times. 
22
UAlbany Magazine  •  Spring 2016
22
UAlbany Magazine • Spring 2016
SUSAN GAL ANDIUK, M.D., B.S.’76
B I O L O G Y/ G E R M A N  M A J O R 
S T E E R S  M E D I C A L  S U C C E S S
B Y  J I M  S C I A N C A L E P O R E ,  M . A . ’ 9 3
www.albany.edu
23
A
s fate would have it, Dr. Susan Galandiuk’s choice 
of double major at UAlbany would make a significant  
 impact on her life’s direction.
Galandiuk knew she wanted to pursue a career in medicine. 
Because she “always loved science,” her decision to major 
in biology made perfect sense. Opting to take on a second  
major in German – while less conventional, perhaps – was just 
as formative.
The daughter of German-speaking Romanian and Ukrainian 
immigrants, Galandiuk was interested in immersing herself 
in her parents’ native language. While at UAlbany, she 
participated in a summer program in Germany, where she 
visited the prestigious Wuerzburg University Medical School. 
She was instantly attracted to the school, and her two passions 
suddenly converged.
Galandiuk decided to pursue her medical degree at Wuerzburg, 
where she gained a more global, collaborative perspective on 
medicine. She also learned that she had a great affinity for both 
surgery and research.
“When I observed my first operation, I knew this was for me!” 
she said.
She completed a surgical internship in Wuerzburg and 
continued her training at the Cleveland Clinic. Though her 
career as a surgeon was well underway, Galandiuk missed 
the ability to do research, so she sought a place where she 
could potentially do both. She was awarded a fellowship at 
the University of Louisville In Kentucky, where – following a 
surgical residency at the Mayo Clinic – she would put down 
roots as surgeon, scientist and professor. By 1990, Galandiuk 
had found a home in Louisville.
She found something else, too: her husband, Hiram Polk, M.D. 
A noted surgeon, educator and researcher, Polk served as 
chairman of surgery at the University of Louisville for more than 
three decades. The two were married in 1993. 
It helps to have a spouse who also comes from the medical 
field, Galandiuk observed. “He understands the hours required 
and the demands of the job.” 
Galandiuk specializes in colon and rectal surgery, an area of 
medicine that people generally associate with cancer. She 
explained that many of her patients are facing more common 
afflictions, such as colitis and Crohn’s disease – conditions that 
often require management more than surgical intervention.
“I have some patients for life,” she noted. “I sometimes help 
three generations of the same family who are impacted by 
genetic disease.”
While patient care is admittedly her “first love,” Galandiuk is 
also energized by her passion for learning. “With research, 
there’s always something new – something that could allow me 
to help many people,” she said. “If I can learn something that 
puts me out of business, that would be a great thing.”
Galandiuk believes that people in the medical profession 
need to collaborate to advance their knowledge. The author 
of numerous articles, she has served on dozens of editorial 
boards and medical societies, and she is an adviser to the Food 
and Drug Administration and the National Institute of Health. 
She recently took on another demanding title: editor-in-chief of 
Diseases of the Colon & Rectum, the world’s leading academic 
journal for her specialty. She said that it’s vital for practitioners 
to share information – not just with fellow professionals, but 
also with health-care consumers.
“There’s been an explosion of content in health care, but not 
all of it is accurate,” said Galandiuk. “We need to ensure that 
everyone has access to quality information.”
In addition to her many health-care interests, Galandiuk 
said she is fond of the arts – particularly opera. She credited 
UAlbany’s emphasis on providing a balanced undergraduate 
curriculum with helping to cultivate an appreciation for things 
outside the realm of science. It’s one of several ways that the 
University helped shape Galandiuk’s life and career.
“My experience at UAlbany absolutely helped 
me do what I do today,” she said.
 Administration
Logo Sheet 1298.01
Galandiuk is an adviser to the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institute of 
Health. She recently took on another demanding title: editor-in-chief of Diseases of the 
Colon & Rectum, the world’s leading academic journal for her specialty.
John Nation/Louisville Magazine
24
UAlbany Magazine  •  Spring 2016
EDWARD  
FANDREY, B.A.’97
T H E  P O W E R  O F 
S E L F-A S S E S S M E N T 
B Y  S T E P H E N  S H O E M A K E R ,  B . A .’ 02
24
UAlbany Magazine • Spring 2016
www.albany.edu
25
W
ith 17 years at tech giant Microsoft, Edward 
Fandrey, who has risen through the ranks to be 
the company’s chief of staff for Worldwide Sales 
and Marketing, admits the company’s corporate 
values are now part of his DNA. 
“I didn’t really think I’d be at any one company this long,” he 
says. “But Microsoft keeps re-inventing itself” – a feat made 
possible by the organization’s willingness to look at itself 
critically. “You want to celebrate what you’re doing well, 
but you also want to focus on getting better and having a  
growth mindset.”
It’s a lesson Fandrey has applied to his own career. But before 
reporting directly to Microsoft’s chief operating officer, Kevin 
Turner – who runs the company’s massive $95 billion dollar 
Sales and Marketing Group – Fandrey got his first taste of 
self-assessment as a psychology major at UAlbany. In one 
course, he was asked to contemplate his life goals and was 
challenged to translate those goals into achievable milestones 
with measurable results. 
The course, Fandrey recalls, “was part of the many UAlbany 
core electives you could pick from. I didn’t sign up for it 
because I was the type that planned out every goal in my life, 
to be honest, but what I learned 
in that course about setting and 
achieving goals changed my life.” 
The assignments spurred him to 
build qualities that would  figure 
into his success. Says Fandrey: “I came from a small town; 
however, I had big dreams. But when I first mapped it out in that 
class, I realized I wasn’t doing anything in particular that was 
going to lead to accomplishing those goals.” The Long Island 
native recognized that if he didn’t take control of his life, he 
would return home after college and find a “pretty good job, but 
nothing great. It kind of scared me a bit, in a good way, and it 
motivated me to really get my act together to accomplish the 
dreams I had.”
Fandrey buckled down and during his senior year took 
advantage of the New York City-based recruiters – all of them – 
who came to the UAlbany campus looking for talent. He laughs 
as he remembers having as many as 14 interviews per day 
on campus with potential employers, ranging from insurance 
firms to manufacturers of road equipment. “My one navy-blue 
interview suit and the conservative red tie that my dad bought 
me when I was back for winter break really got a lot of practice.”
As a result, Fandrey got very good at interviewing and building 
his personal brand. He impressed an on-campus recruiter from 
Productivity Point International (now Productivity Point Global), 
a firm dedicated to providing computer instruction to business 
firms trying to keep pace with the somewhat new world of email 
and spreadsheets. But it wasn’t Fandrey’s familiarity with the 
technology and software of the time that impressed them. 
“They were really impressed by how I was able to present 
well, simplify and relate to business leaders and sometimes 
career-changers who were learning the PC for the first time,” 
he remembers. 
Those skills also impressed Microsoft, one of PPI’s clients, and 
led to an invitation to join that company three years later as 
a systems engineer in Manhattan. “It was kind of an overlay 
role where they wanted someone who knew technology but 
also was able to listen to customers and understand what 
Microsoft solution we could sell.” From there, Fandrey moved 
purely into sales and managed Microsoft’s global account for 
the Bank of New York Mellon. Later, in sales management, he 
led a business responsible for more than $300 million dollars in 
sales of software and consulting services for Microsoft’s largest 
New York-based clients.
Fandrey’s ability to transform and build high-performing sales 
teams and his impressive year-over-year results caught the 
eye of Microsoft Chief Operating 
Officer Kevin Turner, who asked 
Fandrey to move to Microsoft’s 
corporate 
headquarters 
just 
outside Seattle and take on his 
current role as chief of staff in 2013. Fandrey helps Turner set 
strategy and motivate a worldwide sales and marketing force of 
nearly 29,000 as Microsoft continues to transform from selling 
traditional “on-premises” products, such as Windows and 
Office, in favor of cloud-based software solutions like Office 365 
and Azure cloud platform. 
“Part of my role is to devise and execute a strategy for 
educating and motivating our sellers in 191 countries to speak 
with customers about the benefits of transitioning to the cloud,” 
Fandrey explains. The most recent of those transformations 
have kept Microsoft a top tech firm all these years, and he’s 
confident the company’s best days are ahead of it. 
Fandrey is just as optimistic about his own career, and the 
lessons gleaned by hustling from interview to interview on the 
UAlbany campus nearly 20 years ago still apply. “I learned 
never to underestimate the power of your personality, or to let 
anyone tell you that your career is predetermined and you can’t 
impact its speed and course. It’s meant so much to how I’ve 
achieved things at work and in life,” observes Fandrey.
Ed Fandrey, shown at Microsoft corporate headquarters,  
honed self-assessment skills as a UAlbany undergraduate.
Cory Parris
26
UAlbany Magazine  •  Spring 2016
Robert Reid, left, delivered the fifth annual 
Bunshaft Lecture at UAlbany last Nov. 5. 
Pictured with Reid are Caryn Bunshaft ’82 
and Al Bunshaft ’80, who established the 
lecture, and Kim L. Boyer, professor and 
dean of the College of Engineering and 
Applied Sciences (CEAS).  
ROBERT REID, B.A.’90
C O N S U LTA N T  A N D  C ATA LY S T
B Y  J I M  S C I A N C A L E P O R E ,  M . A . ’ 9 3
www.albany.edu
27
“
I enjoy helping clients succeed ... taking something from an 
idea on a napkin to an operating model is very rewarding,” 
said Robert Reid, founder and managing director of 
Vistrada, a management-consulting and venture firm.
The UAlbany alum has long excelled at helping people and 
organizations attain their full potential. 
Back when he was earning his B.A. in computer science from 
UAlbany, Reid took on a rather ambitious job to earn some 
extra spending money. He developed a custom computer 
program for a title-processing company in downtown Albany. 
The program was an automated order-entry system which 
eliminated the company’s paper-based approach. Unsure what 
to charge for his work, he asked for $500.
Reid recently spoke to the owner of this business, who declared 
it “the best piece of software I ever bought!” Even though he 
may have significantly undervalued his work, Reid was still 
grateful for the opportunity.
“I used the knowledge I had learned in school to create a 
solution that tied a business need to the technology ... which 
reinforced a potential career path,” he explained. “It was a 
moment of clarity for me.”
Reid would spend the next 25-plus years helping others 
succeed. Thriving at the intersection of business and technology, 
he worked his way into management and consulting roles at 
companies such as Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting), 
AT&T, Verizon, Goldman Sachs, American Express and 
McCann Erickson. He joined a venture firm in 2000 to help 
early-stage companies commercialize their offerings, which 
allowed him to work with over 20 venture-backed companies.
In 2007, Reid used the knowledge gained from his consulting 
and operational experiences to form his own 
company, Vistrada. The Manhattan-
based consultancy has grown steadily 
and currently boasts 35 employees 
coupled with a strong partner network. 
Vistrada serves a wide range of 
businesses, from large corporations to 
early-stage companies and start-ups.
“I get to work on projects that are important to our clients and 
easy to feel passionate about,” said Reid. “It’s very gratifying.”
Beyond his business, the married father of two has also 
deployed his consulting skills for other organizations – including 
his alma mater.
He has spent the past several years as an adviser for 
UAlbany’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. 
Recently, as featured speaker at the University’s Bunshaft 
Lecture, Reid shared his real-world perspective on business 
and entrepreneurship. 
Reid is happy to share his time with his University community. “I 
feel an obligation to give back,” noted Reid. “UAlbany gave me 
the tools and knowledge to excel and helped point my compass 
in the right direction.” 
He is also currently piloting a venture that will bring students, 
businesses and universities together through an online hub 
at talentjumpstart.com. The initiative, intended to help college 
students and graduates find internships and apply their 
education, will also make it easier for employers to recruit and 
cultivate talent.
In addition, Reid serves on the advisory board of the Universal 
Hip Hop Museum – sharing his business acumen to grow the 
organization’s influence and resources, and helping to support 
innovations such as virtual-reality exhibits. The museum’s 
mission is to teach, engage and inspire audiences around 
the world through the creativity and power of hip hop culture. 
“It’s inspiring to see the effort of the people involved who are 
already well established in the industry,” noted Reid. 
Reid, who immigrated to the United States from Guyana  
at age 13, attributed his passion and entrepreneurial 
spirit to his maternal grandfather, a 
successful Guyanese businessman. 
“My 
values 
are 
shaped 
by 
his 
accountability, work ethic and all the 
traveling he allowed me to experience 
in my early years,” said Reid.
“UAlbany gave  
me the tools and  
knowledge to excel.”  
Mark Schmidt
the
Carillon
Alumni News & Notes
28
UAlbany Magazine • Spring 2016
48  Joan Sittner Sherwood recently 
celebrated her 89th birthday. She has been busy 
getting her 51-year-old Mid-century modern 
church on the Washington State Historical 
Building Registry and bringing the church history 
up to date since 1995. Gari Paticopoulos is 
expecting her first great-grandchild this spring. 
Gari’s grandson and his wife live in Shanghai, 
and she visits them once a year. Viola Abrams 
Petterson of Coburg Village, Rexford, N.Y., had 
her first great-grandchild, a girl, recently. Betty 
Brignull of Valatie, N.Y., keeps a low profile and 
has been slowing down, but enjoys keeping up 
with classmates through class notes. Adrienne 
Iorio Caruso of Saratoga Springs still drives and 
enjoys traveling to nearby states with her friends. 
Lucille St. Priest is recovering from a major 
illness; she and her husband remain in their home 
in Forestburgh, N.Y. Wanda Tomasik Methe 
lives with family in Cohoes, N.Y. Eleanor Holbig 
Alland has lived at Ávila Retirement Community 
for 11 years now. She’s still active, drives her own 
car and does volunteer work.
Class notes councilor: Eleanor Holbig Alland, 
ealland214b@nycap.rr.com
49  A note from your class councilor: 
Three members of our class have passed away: 
Al Beninati, May 2015; Marie Fernandes 
Lowenstein, May 2015; and Ellen Fay 
Harmon, September 2015. Ellen attended 
our past three reunions and was a very active, 
creative member of our reunion committee. 
She will be sorely missed by the remaining 
members. Jake Schuhle and wife Betsy Franks 
Schuhle attended the wedding of their great-
granddaughter, Jocelyn, in southern Maryland 
last spring. Jocelyn and her husband are seniors 
at Cedarville College in Ohio. It looks like Jocelyn 
is following in the footsteps of Betsy, who also 
got married before graduating! Jake and Betsy 
celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary 
in September. Betsy pointed out that Harry 
O’Meara and wife Carol Scutt Meara, who 
retired to Jensen Beach, Fla., also married in 
September, just before their senior year began. 
On July 4, Bonnie Totten Adkins and husband 
Lee enjoyed a family reunion of 22 members. 
Lee’s family surprised him with a celebration 
at the family cottage on Lake Champlain on 
Labor Day weekend. Their grandson, Joe, was 
home for Christmas following a two-month tour 
of Europe with the Orkesta Mendoza. Ursula 
Neuhaus Schiff lives in a retirement community 
in Sarasota, Fla., and is in generally good health. 
Her two sons are based in California and visit her 
a couple of times a year. One, David, has retired 
from the wireless-communication field and is now 
trying his hand at substitute teaching. Richard 
Foster, also living in Sarasota, is a member of 
a choral group. He played a piano duet with the 
choral director in a recent production of The 
Follies. Jerry Reisner and wife Estelle live in 
Meadville, Pa., and say, “It is a gift to still be 
around.” Estelle still works two or three times a 
week. This past year they decided that having 
10 family members and two dogs around was 
too much for them, so they downsized to two 
children and 1 dog. Jean Pulver Hague is still 
counseling families about educational options. 
She has seven grandchildren and as of last June, 
one great-granddaughter. Two grandchildren will 
be graduating from college in May – one from 
Claremont McKenna in California and one from the 
University of Connecticut. Jean’s brother, George 
Pulver, whom many of her classmates knew, 
passed away in August. He was a judge in Catskill, 
N.Y.; his ceremonies were wonderful. Jean and her 
family are so very proud of the legacy he left in 
the community. “Freddy” Laemmerzahl Miller 
recently visited her son in San Francisco, where 
she enjoyed lunch with Bob and Diana Kittredge’s 
son, David. Freddy still lives in Stillwater, Okla. 
Bob Kittredge and wife Diana had a very busy 
2015: Their two granddaughters were married 
in California; Bob and Diana’s grown children 
threw them a surprise 60th wedding anniversary 
party in July; and, in August, they celebrated 
Diana’s 90th birthday at the Hunan Chinese 
Restaurant in Fresno, Calif., with 70 friends and 
family members. Bob continued cheerleading 
as a member of the Senior Dog Squad at the 
Fresno State football games this past fall. His 
and Diana’s first great-granddaughter, Eva Grace, 
was born in November. Gloria Maistelman 
Herkowitz’s grandson married in December; he 
is doing a medical residency in Philadelphia and 
his wife is a dental student at the University of 
Pennsylvania. Sadly, Gloria reported her husband 
passed away in September. Ann Sulich Raser 
recently visited her hometown, Endicott, N.Y., after 
a hiatus of 20 years. She resides in Los Angeles 
and is very pleased that her three grandchildren 
have relocated there from Atlanta. Bob Kloepfel 
www.albany.edu
29
A Message from Lee Serravillo  
Executive Director,  
UAlbany Alumni Association
celebrated his 90th birthday; his 
buddy Jack Kirby, who lives in 
Florida, is doing fine. Joe Zanchelli 
and wife Joyce are looking forward 
to their youngest grandson’s college 
graduation in May. The Class of 1949 
reunion committee and spouses met 
for lunch in Albany for a “keep-in-
touch” get-together in the fall. Those 
in attendance were: Bonnie Adkins 
and husband Lee; Joe and Joyce 
Zanchelli; Dick Zeller; and Loida 
VeraCruz, assistant director of Alumni 
Programs. Ellen Fay Harmon was 
sorely missed. Only 32 contacts are 
on Joe’s Class of ’49 email list. If you 
would like to be on the list, contact 
your class councilor.
Class notes councilor: Joe Zanchelli, 
jjzanch@yahoo.com
50  Earlene (Ken) Thomson 
Sorensen passed away in April. 
Irwin Baumel, age 91, and Elise 
DeSeve, age 86, are in good health. 
They spent two days in Budapest, 
Hungary, and enjoyed a UNIWORLD 
riverboat cruise to Amsterdam. They 
plan to go on another European tour. 
Susan, daughter of Audrey Koch 
Feathers and husband “Dick,” is 
director of the Eric R. Neisser Public 
Interest Program at Rutgers Newark 
Law School. Audrey and Dick taught 
at Rutgers University College for 
over three decades. Susan created 
the first public/pro bono interest 
program at Brooklyn Law College. She 
previously taught at Yale and Stanford 
law schools, and was assistant dean 
at the University of Pennsylvania 
Law School for nine years. Ken 
George created his 26th annual 
program of secular and traditional 
Christmas music and story, which 
was performed at a New Scotland, 
N.Y.-area Methodist church. Lila 
Lee Harrington recently flew to 
Arizona to visit her daughter, Leslie. 
Highlights included a day in Sedona 
with lunch at the Enchantment Inn, 
and a baseball game at the Cubs 
Club. Lila has enjoyed day trips to 
Vermont, Canada, and Maine with 
her friend Madge, and recently drove 
to Oneonta, N.Y., to visit Maggie 
Hosking Winne and a grandniece. 
Lila stayed busy with the sale of her 
Copeland Pond Cottage, the “end of 
an era” and family get-togethers at 
the cottage. She totaled her car in 
an accident last October, but no one 
was injured. She chose not to replace 
her car, as there are multiple ways of 
getting around the Prestwick Chase 
community in Saratoga Springs. She 
stays active with newspaper writing, 
Bingo, aerobics three times a week, 
poetry club, and Book Chat, to name 
a few. She also joined a Bible-study 
group at the Grace Fellowship Church. 
In September, Marjorie Lyons 
flew from her home in Florida to 
Indianapolis to visit her daughter, Gail 
Harpold, and son-in-law, Marty. She 
traveled with them to Kankakee, Ill., 
for Marjorie’s great-granddaughter’s 
third birthday celebration, and to visit 
her other great-granddaughter, year-
old Quinn. Marjorie continues to teach 
memoir-writing at a weekly session 
in Pompano. Five of the participants 
have completed and published their 
books. Marjorie’s company, Telling 
Your Story, has completed editing and 
publishing the eighth book of memoirs 
for a client. “I thought I was finished 
with this work, but they still call me 
and I say yes,” she says. Marjorie 
produced a play at her church, All 
Saints Episcopal in Fort Lauderdale, 
for the 10th year. The play, En Avant! 
An Evening with Tennessee Williams, 
was written and performed by William 
Shuman and won the 2013 NYC 
International Fringe Festival Solo 
Performance Award and received 
rave reviews from critics. Malcolm 
Slakter and his wife, Nancy, are still 
enjoying life one day at a time. Since 
Malcolm’s traveling days are over, 
they keep in touch with children and 
grandchildren with Facetime and 
texting. They visited with their younger 
son and two grandchildren last June. 
Malcolm is continually amazed that 
he is still alive and delighted that 
many classmates are, too. He and 
Nancy wish everyone good health, 
happiness, and an “aloha” from 
Hawaii. Harold “Sparky” Vaughn’s 
13th great-grandchild, Maxwell, was 
born in December. Sparky’s grandson 
was recently married at his daughter’s 
home in Shelburne, Vt. Sparky 
continues to develop an anti-human 
trafficking project in Thailand and 
Laos, which requires raising about 
$400,000 to finance it. He recently 
spent two months in Florence, Italy, 
with a group of D.C.-area Rotarians 
for a Capital Cities Exchange with 
Rotary Appia Antica. He attends 
monthly chamber music concerts at 
the Cosmos Club.
Class notes councilor: Harold Vaughn, 
vaughnha@aol.com
Introducing #UAlbanyPurpleFam
I
nspiring, influential and relatable human-interest stories 
have taken social media by storm. With the international 
success of projects like “Humans of New York” by author and 
photographer Brandon Stanton and numerous other social 
media accounts inspired by HONY, it’s impossible not to feel 
compelled to share the stories of UAlbany’s own. 
The Alumni Association recently launched an ongoing 
collection of stories, conversations featuring UAlbany 
graduates. Regional events, local alumni gatherings and our 
network of volunteers provide us with numerous opportunities 
to meet those who share their personal thoughts, experiences 
and ideas, and bring the project to life. Quotes are derived from 
interesting answers to basic questions and casual conversation, 
and new content is posted on Alumni Association social media 
accounts once or twice a week. These “mini profiles” are a 
mix of short quotes and casual conversations accompanied by 
head or full-body photos of the alum. 
The title of the project, “UAlbany Purple Fam,” is inspired 
by the “Purple Fam” phrase that originated from UAlbany 
student-athletes several years ago. It has become a commonly 
used reference to members of the entire UAlbany community 
on social media. We hope you’ll enjoy this ongoing project, 
and we welcome suggestions for alumni we might feature  
• Follow the #UAlbanyPurpleFam hashtag on  
social media to interact with posts and help  
share the UAlbany story. 
• View the project archive online:  
www.alumni.albany.edu/purplefam
• Want to be a part of #UAlbanyPurpleFam? 
Contact the Alumni Association via email at 
alumniassociation@albany.edu. 
“I wasn’t prepared for how important my role  
in empowering women would be.” 
– Alexandra, Class of ’02
EXCELLENCE IN ARTS & LETTERS
Celebrates alumni for outstanding achievements  
in music, literature and language, visual arts  
or performing arts
Tom Junod ’80, Writer
EXCELLENCE IN BUSINESS
Pays tribute to alumni for distinction in  
for-profit business 
Michael Nash ’83, Senior Managing  
Director, Blackstone
EXCELLENCE IN  
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Pays tribute to alumni for time volunteered to  
benefit a community or its non-profit institutions	
Valerie Jensen ’96, Founder,  
Prospector Theater
EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION 
Honors alumni for extraordinary distinction in  
the field of education, including pre-K through  
post-secondary classroom teaching, school  
services and administration/supervision
Robert M. Mauro ’09, Director,  
Irish Institute and Global Leadership  
Institute, Boston College
Teresa Thayer Snyder ’00, Superintendent, 
Green Island Union Free School District
EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC SERVICE 
Recognizes alumni for outstanding contributions to 
local, state or national communities, generally, but 
not exclusively, through opportunities in appointed or 
elected office or public-service non-profit organizations
Fredrick W. Erlich ’69, ’72, ’94, Founder  
and CEO, Living Resources
EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE &  
TECHNOLOGY 
Pays tribute to alumni for distinction in science  
and/or technology
Melinda S. Peng ’78, ’80, ’82, Head,  
Atmospheric Dynamics and Prediction 
Branch, Marine Meteorology Division,  
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI 
Honors an alumnus or alumna for an extraordinary achievement; or 
honors an individual who, over the course of a decade or more,  
has exemplified outstanding success in a chosen 
profession or outstanding service to society
Theresa A. Pardo ’82, ’90, ’98,  
Director, Center for Technology in  
Government, University at Albany
CITIZEN OF THE UNIVERSITY 
Recognizes a non-graduate’s outstanding  
contributions of service, leadership or a special  
gift to the University 
Lance F. Bosart, Distinguished Professor, 
Department of Atmospheric and Environ-
mental Sciences, University at Albany
EXCELLENCE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP 
Recognizes the accomplishments of an individual  
who has demonstrated the spirit, leadership and  
drive of an entrepreneur 
John S. Stevens ’95, Founder and  
CEO, Infinigy
INTERNATIONAL ALUMNI AWARD FOR  
EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT 
Recognizes international graduates who  
are highly distinguished in their professions and who 
have helped their nations and/or the world through 
outstanding contributions to government, science, art, 
education, business or human welfare
Ancell Scheker-Mendoza ’11,  
Director of Evaluation of the Quality  
of Education, Ministry of Education  
of Dominican Republic 
OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD
Recognizes early outstanding achievements in a  
chosen profession or field and/or service to the  
community by an alumnus aged 35 years or younger
Molly Guptill Manning ’01, ’02, Attorney,  
U.S. Court of Appeals Second Circuit; Author
EXCELLENCE IN ALUMNI SERVICE
Recognizes sustained leadership and service  
to the Alumni Association and the University  
by alumni
Timothy P. Murphy ’77, Retired Executive Vice President 
and COO, SUNY Research Foundation 
30
UAlbany Magazine • Spring 2016
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION RECOGNIZES  
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS 
Excellence 
Awards
 
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2016
MAKE YOUR NOMINATION FOR 2017: If you are interested in nominating 
someone for a 2017 Excellence Award, contact the Alumni Association  
at (518) 442-3080 or alumni@albany.edu. The deadline is Oct. 14, 2016.  
Visit www.alumni.albany.edu/awards for more details.
The University at Albany Alumni Association will bestow Excellence Awards on the following alumni and friends for their 
outstanding achievements and service. The awards were presented at the 2016 Excellence Awards Gala April 16.
52  Alta Stevenson visited 
New York City to see her son Mark 
receive the Maria Moors Cabot 
Award from the Columbia University 
School of Journalism for his reporting 
on violence in Mexico. He is an 
Associated Press reporter and UAlbany 
alum, and has lived in Mexico City 
for the past 20 years. Alta’s other 
son lives in Denmark, and her two 
daughters live in the U.S. Some of 
Alta’s grandchildren are having great 
experiences in Spain and Portugal as 
part of their college studies. Vickie 
Eade Eddy attended her grandson’s 
outdoor wedding in Seattle and 
recently celebrated the 85th birthday 
of her sister, Mary Bett ’51. Tom 
Holman reports that his sister lives 
in Big Stone Gap, Va., the same town 
as author Adriana Trigiana. When the 
movie adaptation of Trigiana’s “Big 
Stone Gap” was produced, Tom’s 
sister’s house was used in the film. 
Tom says, “It’s a strange feeling to see 
a movie set with Ashley Judd in my 
bedroom.” Tom was in Big Stone Gap 
for the movie release. Kitty Kloser 
Irons and Marty have had a quiet year 
but kept up with their usual activities, 
including bridge, church, book 
discussions and trips to New York City. 
Their oldest granddaughter, Megan, 
who is in the Peace Corps in Senegal, 
visited for three weeks this past winter. 
Evie Erdle Eisenhard and husband 
Robert are enjoying retirement in a 
John Ericson Community, Ashburn, Va. 
They head a welcome committee, and 
she manages one of six community 
book clubs. Mary Anne Lanni and 
husband Bob don’t get out much 
anymore, but Bob continues to send 
letters to the Albany Times Union 
concerning education reform. He 
recommends the book A Path Appears 
– Transforming Lives, Creating 
Opportunities by Nicholas Kristof and 
Sheryl WuDunn for those planning to 
leave money to a charity. Mary Anne 
reads for two book clubs and lunches 
with former colleagues from the state 
education department. Their four 
grandchildren are busy and productive: 
Leo is in Nigeria; Paloma is working 
in New York City; and Dave and Chris 
continue to work for the New York 
State Department of Taxation and 
coach basketball at their former high 
school. Thea VanDer Ven (Dorothy 
Simmons) reports that her grandson 
Ian joined the Navy last year. She 
recently accompanied her son Guido, 
his wife Nancy, and sister Grace to 
Ian’s graduation from boot camp and 
later flew to San Francisco to send Ian 
off as he left for a three-year stint in 
Japan. She plans to travel to Japan 
to watch Ian run a marathon and 
hopes to see a tea ceremony in Kyoto. 
Thea’s other son, Simon, is an artist. 
Bert Jablon and wife Myra attended 
a family wedding in Winter Park, Fla., 
last fall. They enjoyed a visit from their 
son Brien and his daughter Yarden, 
who reside in Israel. Al Stevenson 
states, “Well, the old horse is still 
pulling the plow.” He is teaching 
again for what he plans will be his 
last semester. He looks forward to 
spending time with friends in Orlando, 
and hopes to move there after 
retirement. Virginia Maurer Tracey 
sold her house and moved two miles 
south, closer to the landfill and the 
shooting range. She’s still singing, 
swimming and walking regularly, 
and hasn’t lost her sense of humor. 
Madeline Weitloft Huchro is still 
commuting between Westport, N.Y., 
and Florida. She had two falls that 
required hospitalization, but is feeling 
much better following physical therapy. 
Joyce Leavitt Zanchelli continues 
with her many activities, though she 
was slowed down a bit this winter 
following knee-replacement surgery. 
Her husband, Joe, says, “Joyce will 
soon be a bionic woman, as she will 
have had two knee replacements,  
a hip replacement and a new  
aortic valve!” 
Class notes councilor: Joyce Zanchelli, 
jjzanch@yahoo.com
53  Your class councilor is sorry 
to report that her husband and soul 
mate, Robert Hughes, passed 
away in August 2015. His favorite 
charities were Vincent House in 
Wayland, the Open Door Mission, 
and Sojourner House. Your councilor 
must also announce the passing 
of two more members of the class. 
Jeanne E. Simon Morrison Beebe 
died in October 2015. She was 
known as “Cookie Grandma” to her 
grandchildren. Jeanne had a number 
of degrees from higher-education 
venues, including the New York 
State College for Teachers at Albany; 
I’Université de Paris, Sorbonne, 
Paris, France; I’Université Poitiers, 
Tours, France; Teachers College, 
Oneonta; and Central Connecticut 
State University. Jeanne is survived 
by her husband, two children and 
two grandchildren. Francis Joseph 
Schatzle was a retired United States 
Navy officer with the rank of captain. 
He passed away in June 2015 in 
Annapolis, Md. Frank, a runner who 
competed against historic Roger 
Bannister, ran races and marathons for 
decades. He enjoyed a distinguished 
29-year naval career and retired 
in 1983. He was considered one 
of the top hurricane experts in the 
country. Frank is survived by three 
children and 10 grandchildren. 
Marie Hoffman reconnected with 
Joan Stocker Borden. Joan has a 
son, grandchildren and two great-
grandchildren. Retired from full-time 
teaching in Lansingburgh, N.Y., she 
enjoys going to Connecticut to visit 
her granddaughter, a lawyer in New 
York City. Joan’s grandson-in-law 
is a hedge-fund trader. Joan has 
two great-granddaughters and is 
looking forward to her grandson’s 
summer wedding. She has kept in 
touch with Tillie Malouf Hecox, 
her sorority mother, who lives in 
Utica, N.Y. Your councilor last saw 
Tillie at the 50th reunion. Anna 
Christodulu Brooks sold her house 
in Gloversville and moved closer to 
her daughter in Auburn, Ga. She lives 
in a senior-housing development. 
Kitty Brumfield Pickett says her 
handwriting “isn’t what it used to 
be” since she has multiple sclerosis. 
She lives in Charlottesville, Va., and 
would love to hear from classmates. 
Marion Howard Bon and Peter 
Bon have been married for 62 years. 
They have two daughters and two 
granddaughters. Marion is a retired 
high-school librarian. She went back 
to school to study horticulture at age 
70 and became certified as a master 
www.albany.edu
31
Alumni News & Notes
  SAVE THE DATE
W E E K E N D
Homecoming
O C T O B E R  7 - 9 ,  2 0 1 6
1
2
3
Please join the classes of  
2006, 1991, 1976, 1966 and 1961 and  
celebrate your milestone reunion this fall!
           LET US KNOW YOU’RE ATTENDING  
            The events are planned; all you need to do is come! 
  WE’LL ADD YOUR NAME TO THE INVITE
Your name will be included on the  
official reunion invitation. 
SPREAD THE WORD
Contact classmates to help  
boost reunion interest and attendance.
Are you in? Let us know!  
Visit alumni.albany.edu/host_committee.
32
UAlbany Magazine • Spring 2016
gardener. She has enjoyed working 
with the Sussex County (Delaware) 
Master Gardeners for more than 12 
years. Peter, retired from teaching and 
school administration, is now a very 
active volunteer archaeologist. Owen 
Smith reported that his daughter, 
Claire, a UAlbany alum, works for 
the Commission of the European 
Union in Brussels, Belgium. Sadly, 
his son, Owen, died in 1976. Owen’s 
son, Owen Daiki Yamauchi, works as 
a software engineer for Facebook. 
Owen said that the NYSCT professor 
who made a lasting impression on 
him was Harry Price. Owen has been 
married twice. His first wife, UAlbany 
alum Derilda, died of cancer in 2003; 
“we loved for 60 years,” he said. His 
second marriage was to Maryalice, 
to whom he has been “hitched” for 
eight years. Owen taught for 30 years, 
was a NYSTA field rep for four years, 
and an antique dealer for 32 years. 
He volunteers as a church sexton. 
He’s traveled to Belgium, England, 
Japan, France, Italy, Luxemburg, 
Holland, Germany, and Canada. 
Owen mentioned the passing of his 
college roommate, Dick Jacobson. 
He and his wife keep in touch with 
Dick’s wife, Margaret Eckert ’54. 
Margaret Hebert Wernette was 
selected to teach overseas in the 
Department of Defense schools after 
teaching three years in Saranac, N.Y. 
She spent one year in the following: 
Goose Bay, Labrador; Itasuki, Japan; 
Ankara, Turkey; and Bitburg, Germany. 
Margaret spent 33 years in London, 
where she met a Texan named Jack 
Wernette. They have been married 51 
years. Margaret retired after teaching 
high-school math for 40 years and 
relocated to her husband’s ranch 
in Castroville, Texas, last year. She 
recently visited with Barbara Grim 
Dann in Plattsburgh, N.Y. Dolores 
White and husband John Granito 
’54 continue to summer in Penn Yan 
on Keuka Lake and spend winters in 
Pine Island, Fla. They recently went 
on a Viking Cruise on the Dordogne, 
Garonne, and Gironde rivers. Their 
oldest granddaughter graduated from 
Fordham Law School and began work 
at a New York City law firm. Dolores 
and John spent July 4 in Philadelphia, 
where their youngest grandson is a 
University of Pennsylvania doctoral 
student. John is still doing consulting 
work, and Dolores is playing and 
making cards. Herbert “Herb” D. 
Thier is still active and having fun. 
Lucille Guthrie lives in Brant Lake, 
N.Y., from May until the beginning 
of October, and spends winter in 
Venice, Fla. Mary Preston Cooper 
wonders if classmates remember 
making apologies at the weekly 
student government assemblies for 
having broken any rules. She and 
her husband Ted have been married 
for 60 years and have nine children, 
eight of whom are college graduates. 
They have 13 grandchildren. Two of 
their sons live in Hawaii; the other 
children are scattered from Denver 
to Raleigh, N.C. Mary and Ted have 
traveled to Australia, Peru, Greece, 
Egypt, Costa Rica, and more. After 
she retired, Mary worked as assistant 
director for a Huntington Learning 
Center in Pittsford, N.Y.  In 1993, 
she and Ted retired to Florida, where 
she volunteers for Meals on Wheels. 
Sal Schaertl and husband George 
spent Thanksgiving with their three 
daughters and 10 grandchildren, all 
of whom are college grads with jobs. 
Marion Horn Doody is widowed, 
but her big accomplishments are her 
seven children – six sons and one 
daughter. She has traveled to Russia, 
Germany, Belgium, England, Wales, 
and Ireland. Bill Whitwer and his wife 
have been married 44 years. They 
have two daughters, a professional 
photographer and a nurse anesthetist. 
MAY
JUNE
JULY
SEPT.
OCT.
Alumni News & Notes
13 
Rockefeller College  
Alumni Awards
	
15 
Alumni Reception with 
President Jones  
at Hearst Tower
25 
GOLD Cruise, 
Troy
	
14 
Night at the Tri-City  
Valleycats, Troy 
20
Night at the  
New York Yankees  
vs. Baltimore
29 
Day at the Races
	
2 
UAlbany vs. Buffalo 
Tailgate
9 
GOLD Schmooze, NYC
7-9 
Homecoming
For additional events and details, 
visit www.alumni.albany.edu
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Milne 200 provided a nostalgic setting for the Class of 1955 60th-year reunion last September.
Bill spent 58 years in the ministry 
and started four Presbyterian 
churches. He recently retired at 
age 85. Bill’s hobbies are turkey 
hunting and piloting. He keeps in 
touch with classmate Vince Aceto. 
Bill’s website, www.Billwhitwer.
com, is read worldwide. He’d love 
classmates to visit the site. Louise 
Petfield Burns reported that after 
4.5 years in a nursing home, her 
husband, Roy, passed away. They 
were married more than 20 years. 
Louise has been going to several 
Bible studies and continues to sing 
in church choir. She also plays piano 
for an adult Sunday school class 
and a senior-adult choir. Her three 
daughters have visited Colorado 
over the past year and a half. Louise 
is in good health following several 
surgeries a few years ago. She 
traveled to Jordan and Israel for 
the third time last spring. Louise 
has fond memories of her college 
years, mostly of Big Fours and 
Miss Futterer’s drama classes. The 
Class of 1953 Facebook Group can 
be found at www.facebook.com/
groups/688873657809259. It is a 
great place to post old photos and 
to chat with classmates.  
Class notes councilor:  
Rose Mary (Rosie) Keller Hughes,  
rhughes5@rochester.rr.com
54  John (Jack) Cooper and 
wife Terry recently attended the 
Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 
Ashland, Ore. They visited their son 
and his wife in Albuquerque, where 
they attended the balloon festival; 
they also explored Santa Fe and 
Taos. Jack volunteered as a Meals 
on Wheels driver in Portland. Jack 
and Terry say, “Life is good and 
has been good to us – for which 
we are very thankful.” Marie Elder 
Sejersen and husband John both 
spent six months of 2015 fighting 
cancer. They remain positive and 
feel good. They purchased a new 
car and, after they were cleared 
by doctors, they made a three-
week, 3,700-mile road trip to visit 
their daughter in Indiana. They 
recently traveled to New Orleans 
and Biloxi, Miss. They welcomed 
another grandchild in December. 
Jim Thompson and Bill Floyd 
continue to meet with Albany-area 
friends monthly. Thirteen local class 
members gathered at Jim’s home 
for a Halloween-themed brunch 
last fall. Jim attended his 65th-year 
high-school reunion in Liberty, 
N.Y. He attended the retirement 
ceremony for Navy Captain Scott 
Thompson ’91 at the Hall of Heroes 
in the Pentagon and officiated his 
granddaughter Carissa’s wedding 
on the Vermont shore of Lake 
Champlain last summer. Bradford 
Miller and wife Ingeborg celebrated 
their 50th wedding anniversary 
with family at the Otesaga Hotel 
in Cooperstown, N.Y. Patricia 
Byrne Manning journeyed through 
Lecce, Martina Franca, Matera and 
Potenza and “stayed in everything 
from a cave to a convent” on a 
recent trip to Italy. John Zongrone 
and Rose Mary Bradt Zongrone 
visited their first great-grandchild, 
Brody, in Tucson last fall. Three 
grandchildren will graduate – 
from the Fashion Institute of 
Technology, Boston College and 
Syracuse University – this May. 
John is working at his insurance 
agency in Schenectady, and 
Rose Mary is enjoying retirement. 
Joan Mackey Stronach 
remains active with volunteering, 
bridge, and grandchildren and 
great-grandchildren. Howard 
Benenbock is doing well. Mary 
Ann Frascatore Corsi and 
Carmen are celebrating their 60th 
wedding anniversary this year. They 
are fortunate enough to see most 
of their family frequently, since all 
live in Connecticut, New Jersey, 
and New York. They traveled to the 
Amalfi Coast with family members 
in the summer. Mary and Carmen 
attended YMCA activities; they 
stay in their studio apartment in 
NYC some weekends and recently 
spent time in Naples, Fla. They 
invite classmates to visit if they’re 
in the Montclair, N.J., area. Naoshi 
Koriyama celebrated his 89th 
birthday. His translation of 90 tales 
from Konjaku Monogatari Shu (a 
12th-century collection of Japanese 
tales), titled Japanese Tales from 
Times Past, was translated with 
www.albany.edu/giving
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 Sara.
“A passion for helping others” has led junior Cassandra 
Edwards to prepare for a career as “a clinical psychologist 
within the criminal-justice system.” To that end, the Martin 
& Jean Goldsmith Scholarship recipient is majoring in 
psychology and minoring in criminal justice. One of her 
most memorable classes at UAlbany, Professor Victor Asal’s 
course on political violence, “opened my eyes to political 
issues in other countries,” observes Edwards, who plans to 
complete master’s and doctoral studies.  
Edwards, a dancer in the campus group Under Construction, 
also competes on UAlbany’s women’s basketball team and is 
looking forward to a great year for the team – and another 
appearance in the NCAA tournament. The recipient of 
the America East Elite 18 Award in women’s basketball 
for the highest G.P.A. for a student-athlete in the title 
game says her  favorite place on campus is the fountain: 
“It is absolutely beautiful, and a great place to escape the  
stress of school.”
34
UAlbany Magazine  •  Spring 2016
Bruce Allen and published by Tuttle 
Publishing in August. Dick Bailey 
has taken weekly t’ai chi classes at 
the local senior center for 11 years. 
Bonnie Brousseau and husband 
Armand traveled to Vermont to visit 
Armand’s daughter this year. Bonnie 
also attended her granddaughter’s 
wedding in October. Bonnie and 
Armand have one great-grandchild 
and another on the way. Bonnie is 
still quilting, and Armand stays busy 
playing golf. Frank Giannone and 
Laura Giannone celebrated their 50th 
wedding anniversary with 80 relatives 
and friends last August. They spent 
time enjoying the sun and sand in 
Maui with their daughter, Lisa. Laura is 
still recovering from hip replacement. 
Richard “Dick” Hannis was 
recognized for his community service 
through SCORE (Service Corps of 
Retired Executives) and for his work as 
CEO of Upstate NY Rural Initiative. He 
was awarded an honorary doctorate 
of commercial science by Paul Smith 
College; Dick helped establish the 
college’s business department, and 
develop and sustain the business 
curriculum. He and his wife, Jeannette 
Katz ’55, will take their fourth 
European river cruise this summer.
Class Notes Councilors:  
Bernice Gunsberg Shoobe, 
bunnysh200@aol.com, and Joan Paul, 
fpaul1@nycap.rr.com
55  The Class of 1955 celebrated 
its 60th reunion last fall. Events 
included a tour of both the uptown 
and downtown campuses, and a 
luncheon at the former Milne School. 
Jean Morris traveled from Hudson, 
N.Y., for the reunion. She is recovering 
from cardiac surgery and an auto 
accident. She was able to return to 
her job in retail this past fall. Ann 
Tobey traveled from Aurora, N.Y. 
She volunteers at a museum, and 
enjoys traveling and activities with 
family and friends. Bob Ashfield and 
friend Judy traveled from Houston; 
this was Bob’s first reunion, though 
he’s been a longtime supporter of the 
Class of 1955 and the University. Bob 
took early retirement from a 33-year 
marketing and sales research career 
with Shell Oil/Shell Chemical. He has 
started a business-consultant firm, 
as well as a publishing company. 
He’s active with the Junior Chamber 
of Commerce and volunteers for 
various organizations. Bob’s wife of 57 
years, Jane, died in 2014. Don Lein 
and wife Marian traveled from North 
Carolina. He led the class in singing 
the alma mater at the 
luncheon and shared 
memories of our Big-
4 production. Don 
took up competitive 
long-distance running 
in his 60s and has 
gained national recognition. He travels 
the country for competitions and to 
attend National Runners Organization 
events. Don recently walked his 
daughter “down the aisle” for her 
wedding, which took place during 
the Hospital Hill Half-Marathon in 
Kansas City, Mo. Melvin Gollub and 
Ada Elian Gollub enjoy their three 
children and their grandchildren, who 
are within driving distance of their 
home in Maryland. Ada enjoys bridge, 
and the couple enjoys theater and 
ocean cruises. Nancy Evans Bush 
and her partner, Nancy Fleming, 
traveled from North Carolina. Nancy is 
still an enthusiastic student of near-
death studies and looks forward to 
publishing her second book on the 
subject this year. She also maintains a 
website that hosts visitors from more 
than 130 countries. Bob Inglis and 
Dean Gilchrist Inglis ’56 have traveled 
to over 45 countries and volunteer at 
Tanglewood Music Center and with 
Meals on Wheels. Bob taught math 
and was a guidance counselor for 
30 years. Their sons are engineers; 
their daughter is a UAlbany alum. 
Allen Landreth and Nadine Watson 
Landreth included the reunion as 
Alumni News & Notes
Explore several ways to get involved 
and invest in UAlbany’s future:
• Join the Alumni Association board or a 
board committee.
• Become a regional volunteer and help 
host an event in your area.
• Share your career expertise with 
students and fellow alumni as a  
UCAN advisor.
• Help recruit new students, host a 
reception for prospective students or 
represent UAlbany at college fairs as 
an Admissions ambassador.
• Represent your class, plan reunions 
and compile class notes as a class 
councilor.
• Be part of a school/college  
advisory board.
• Show your pride online as a Social 
Media Ambassador.
For more details, contact the Alumni Association at  
1-800-836-2586 or email alumniassociation@albany.edu.
Stay connected – give back  
as an Alumni Volunteer!
Don Lein
part of their vacation, traveling from 
Florida. Nadine is a retired school-
library media specialist. She and Allen 
keep busy with their families and 
often socialize with Dorothy Croce 
Ferguson and Ed Ferguson, also 
Florida residents. Art Lennig, Fred 
Silva, and Bob Coan, all from the 
Albany, N.Y. area, also attended the 
reunion. Your class councilor received 
updates from several classmates 
who were unable to attend. Shirley 
Tucker Burtch taught middle-
school social studies in Oriskany, N.Y. 
She serves on the district board of 
education and the Oneida-Madison-
Herkimer Counties BOCES. She’s 
known as the village historian and 
fills in her time with gardening. Her 
husband, Ken, died in 2013. Luella 
Ptacek Smith tutors two Chinese 
boys in English to help them assimilate 
as new citizens. Grandchildren keep 
Wilma Baker Thornton busy. She 
also enjoys going on cruises, playing 
tennis, and bowling. Laura Bruno 
Laurence and her husband moved to 
Florida in 2014. They have six children 
and three grandchildren. Laura was a 
career teacher of high-school business 
subjects. Lorna Galbraith resides at 
a care facility in Lacy, Wash. Her son 
Richard lives in nearby Gig Harbor, and 
her daughter Suzanne lives in Olympia. 
Her son Sam died of a heart attack in 
2013. Lorna is enduring some medical 
issues, but is still in good spirits. She 
would love to hear from classmates. 
Your class councilor can provide her 
contact information. Despite health 
issues, Dorothy Croce Ferguson 
and Ed have traveled to Alaska; 
Cape Cod; the United Kingdom; and 
Savannah, Ga. They visit son Edward, 
an attorney in New York City. Don 
Capuano is retired from practicing 
law in Washington, D.C., and enjoys 
traveling and spending time with his 
grandchildren. Dave McKay and 
Bev Gustafson McKay of Hamilton, 
N.Y., recently celebrated their 60th 
wedding anniversary. They are in 
good health and volunteer at the local 
food cupboard and thrift shop. Dave 
serves on three boards, including the 
Madison County Public Defender’s 
board. They have a son who’s a 
retired teacher and six grandchildren, 
three of whom are teachers. Mary 
Dvorak Scott of Granville, N.Y., 
has lived in the North Country for 
many years. She stopped teaching 
after two years to raise her children. 
She became a businesswoman 
and spent several years operating 
a book-gift store. Mary enjoys daily 
two-mile walks around her scenic 
Adirondack village. After teaching, 
serving in the Army and working with 
MIT’s Lincoln Lab, Keith Russell 
spent 31 years as a computing/
software technician with Raytheon 
Corporation. He resides in Winchester, 
Mass., and enjoys his children and 
grandchildren.Angie Kavanaugh 
Telfer of Rye, N.Y., sends good 
wishes to the class. Chronic physical 
illnesses keep her close to home. 
Madeline Chini Derwin’s husband, 
Charles “Chuck” Derwin, died in 
March 2015. Chuck taught chemistry 
and physics in the Johnstown and 
Fonda-Fultonville high schools for 31 
years, and was a coach. He served 
on the board of education, taught 
at Fulton-Montgomery Community 
College, was a hospital volunteer, and 
enjoyed traveling. The Derwins have 
five children, 11 grandchildren, and 
one great-grandchild. The Class of 
1955 Fund has been prospering and 
has distributed $8,000 to 10 students 
in UAlbany’s graduate program in 
education. Carah Deal, the 2015 
award recipient, earned a bachelor’s 
degree in early childhood education 
from SUNY Geneseo and is enrolled in 
UAlbany’s master’s program in literacy.
57  Grace Mueller passed away. 
She was a world traveler and left 
behind many wonderful friends.
60  The Class of 1960 and guests 
from surrounding classes reunited 
on the downtown campus at the old 
haunts and enjoyed a luncheon at 
Milne during Homecoming Weekend. 
Those in attendance included: Jack 
Anderson; Hank Binzer and Patricia 
Binzer ’74; Hank Boehning ’59; 
Jeanette Leggieri Boehning ’62; Doris 
Hische Brossy, husband Charlie and 
daughter Krissi; Liz Aceto Bunch 
and husband Don; Young Hee Cho 
and John Sullivan ’61; Frances 
Wallace Cole; Douglas Penfield and 
Annette Elbaum; Dave Feldman; 
Charles Fowler; Joanne Basista 
Gascoyne and Richard Gascoyne; 
Art Hackett; Joan Ferrari Herman ’61 
and Carl Herman ’62; Paul Hooker; 
John Johnston; Sheila Doyle 
Jurinski and Neil Jurinski; Inese 
Klavins-Klavitis; Sunny Sundstrand 
Mullen ’61; Sue Updike-Porter; Phil 
Shepherd and Fran Cicero Shepherd 
’62; Lil Skadberg Upcraft ’62 and Lee 
Upcraft. Doug Penfield retired after 
44 years as an educational statistics 
professor at Rutgers University. He 
and wife Annette built a new home in 
an adult community in New Jersey.  
They spend summers at their home 
on New York’s Lake Champlain and 
winters cruising the Caribbean. 
Doug is looking forward to seeing 
classmates at the 60th-year reunion 
in 2020! Chuck Fowler is living in 
Exeter, N.H. He remains active with 
his consulting firm of 16 associates 
who assist local school boards with 
superintendent searches, strategic 
planning, and board training. He is 
president of the National Horace Mann 
League. He and wife Yolanda have 
three grown children and four grown 
grandchildren. Paul Hooker was 
www.albany.edu
35
The Class of 1960 Yellow Jackets created a buzz at their 55th-year milestone reunion  
held Oct.12 at the downtown campus.
Veterans Ronald Fiano ’66, ’67 and Patrick Corcione ’73  
visited the Veterans Wall of Honor in the University Library.
36
UAlbany Magazine  •  Spring 2016
recently the guest of honor at Shaker 
High School’s Class of 1965 50th-
year reunion. He was presented with 
a $1,000 check toward the Choral 
Fund at Proctors in Schenectady, N.Y. 
A longtime supporter of choral music 
and a volunteer at Proctors, Paul was 
honored by the creation of a fund 
in his name to provide free student 
access to choral-music performances. 
Sue Updike-Porter’s step-grandsons 
are in college, one studying 
engineering at Rice, the other playing 
soccer and studying at the College 
at Wooster in Ohio. Sue still lives 
in Menands, N.Y., and spends time 
volunteering at a homeless shelter 
homework-help program, reading, 
listening to PBS, and participating in a 
local quilt guild and three book groups. 
Mary Ellen Johnson of Guilderland 
and Mary Matey Garrett of 
Schenectady still get together and visit 
Nancy Marie Ryan, who now resides 
at Atria Guilderland. Janice Graham 
Kaliski moved from New Hampshire 
to the Sunnyside Retirement 
Community in Harrisonburg, Va.; her 
daughter and grandson live nearby. 
Inese Klavins-Klavitis looks forward 
to seeing the Class of 1960 again 
in 2020. Jack Anderson retired 
from teaching in 2008 and is living in 
Carmel, N.Y. He has three children and 
five grandchildren, and enjoys playing 
duplicate bridge with Poughkeepsie 
friends on a regular basis. He and 
several Kappa Beta frat brothers meet 
on occasion. Jack says, “My years at 
Albany were the best, bar none!” Liz 
Aceto Bunch and husband Don still 
live in North Carolina, but they are 
looking for a retirement community 
near their children in Alabama. They 
sold their boat, “Misty,” after sailing 
to many exotic locales. Art Hackett 
is living in a Gainesville, Va., active-
senior community, where he enjoys 
the fitness center, attending Lifetime 
Learning Institute classes and church 
activities, family visits, golf, and radio 
contesting. Fran Wallace Cole lives 
in Oklahoma with her son and family 
and spends summers in her cottage 
on the St. Lawrence River. Hank 
Binzer is teaching at Union College 
Academy for Lifelong Learning and 
is presenting a course on Paris and 
World War I. Bobbi Hungerford Leahy 
’57 and Dom DeCecco ’57, our 
Myskania freshman class guardians, 
sent regrets that they were unable to 
attend our reunion due to conflicting 
travel plans. Bernice Epstein Cohen 
of Hartsdale, N.Y., recently visited 
Brazil and took a river tour of Russia. 
She spends time with her son and 
family in New Jersey, and enjoys 
her granddaughters. Bernice is an 
accomplished ballroom dancer and 
belongs to various dance groups. 
Teresa Kerwin Lehr recently 
presented her paper, Rochester’s 
Great Tonsil Massacre, at UAlbany’s 
Researching New York conference.
Class Notes Councilors: Doris Hische 
Brossy, dbrossy@aol.com; Joan Cali 
Pecore, cueville@comcast.net
61  A note from your class 
councilor: The Class of 1961 will 
celebrate its 55th reunion this fall! 
Class members can send ideas 
to the class councilor and are 
invited to volunteer for the reunion 
committee. The class contact list also 
needs updating with your current 
email addresses. Bob Congemi 
finished writing his 12th book, The 
Spirit Travels Wonderful Distances. 
He is enjoying his 53rd year of 
continuous full-time teaching. John 
Sullivan published his third book, 
Raised by a Village: Growing Up in 
Greenport. Elaine Romatowski 
Frankonis continues to write poetry, 
do public readings, and facilitate 
a writer’s group. Her poems have 
been published in the latest issues 
of Naugutuck River Review and 
Common Ground Literary Review. A 
ballroom dancer, Elaine is learning 
the Argentine tango. Harold Jewell 
recently met Pete Spina for dinner 
in Rochester, N.Y. Pete continues 
to mentor new college presidents. 
He is president emeritus of Monroe 
Community College in Rochester and 
SUNY Polytechnic in Utica, N.Y. Bob 
Prong and wife Johanna Scholl Prong 
’62 retired in 1995 from Midlakes 
Alumni News & Notes
The Class of 1965 gathered for its 50-year reunion at the Albany Marriott in October.
Chi Sigma Theta sisters celebrate with Samantha Hutchins ’16,  
the 2015-16 recipient of the sorority’s scholarship.
www.albany.edu
37
Save the date for the biggest annual gathering at UAlbany. 
Bring your Great Dane spirit and enjoy weekend-long  
festivities, perfect for the entire family!
Welcome Reception • President’s Breakfast  
• Great Dane Pregame • UAlbany Football vs. Richmond  
• Speaker Series • GOLD Party • Milestone Reunions
SAVE THE DATE    OCT. 7-9, 2016
High School, Clifton Springs, N.Y., 
and moved to Burlington, Vt., to be 
near two of their three sons. Their 
third son lives in Florida. Bob and 
Johanna have four grandchildren. 
Judy Bacon Bleezarde visited 
Martha’s Vineyard for the first time 
last year. She is involved with the 
Williamstown Historical Museum, 
runs a book group, and plays golf at 
Taconic Golf Course in Massachusetts. 
Erna Olsen and husband Ken have 
been busy volunteering for The 
First Congregational Church of Old 
Greenwich, Conn. Their daughter 
and granddaughter traveled from 
Atlanta to visit and attended the July 
19th Founders’ Day event. Erna and 
Ken recently went on a two-week 
guided tour of Spain and Portugal. 
Nancy Rubin Bernstein recently 
spent time on Long Beach Island 
and in Sarasota, Fla. Mel Horowitz 
is enjoying an active retirement with 
recent travels to Las Vegas, Florida 
and Maine. She spends time with 
family and is a member of U.S.-China 
Peoples Friendship Association, 
Rotary and International Women’s 
Media Foundation. After recovering 
from lymphoma nearly 20 years ago, 
Mel recently suffered a setback. Her 
energy was restored by a new FDA-
approved drug. She says, “Thank God 
for medical research!” A Class of 1961 
ring was found near Olean, N.Y. Please 
contact Loida Vera Cruz of the UAlbany 
Alumni Association if you are, or know 
of, the owner.  
Class Notes Councilor: Mel Horowitz, 
melandsis@yahoo.com
62  Elena Rabine Halady 
celebrated the arrival of her 10th 
great-nephew. She recently spent time 
in DelRay, Fla., and Barcelona, and 
enjoyed a Mediterranean cruise with 
her boyfriend. She continues to enjoy 
tennis, golf, and ballroom dancing. 
Gene Altman and Shelly Levin Altman 
’66 celebrated their 50th wedding 
anniversary at a family gathering 
in Portland, Ore. Retired, Gene is 
a lifeguard and swim instructor at 
the Ciccotti Center in Colonie, N.Y., 
and is a SCORE mentor for small 
businesses. Linda Bosworth, Sue 
Blank, and Sheril McCormack 
recently vacationed in Key West, Fla., 
and were escorted around by Sheril’s 
nephew, Cliff. Hannah Schnitt-
Rogers celebrated the arrival of two 
granddaughters this past year. 
Class Notes Councilor:  
Sheril McCormack,  
vanillastar202@yahoo.com
64  During Homecoming, the 
Class of 1964 attended a reception 
unveiling the newly renovated student 
lounge in Pierce Hall. Formerly a 
women’s dormitory, Pierce Hall now 
serves mainly as a residence hall for 
transfer and international students. 
The lounge is a bright, welcoming 
location for students to meet and 
study. The renovations were supported 
by an $8,000 gift from the Class 
of 1964. Columba DeFrancesco 
Heinzelman and husband Dave spent 
three weeks driving along the Oregon-
California coastline. They visited 
Dave’s brother, and classmates Sandy 
Compo Campbell and Sara Healy 
Digiacomo along the way. David 
Simington and Bill Robelee joined 
the Kappa Beta reunion planning 
committee; the reunion is planned for 
Fall 2016. If you have any updates to 
share with your classmates, please 
contact your class co-councilors. 
Class note councilors: Alan Minarcik, 
amcmouse@hotmail.com, and Bill 
Robelee, wmrobelee31@gmail.com.
65  The Class of 1965 celebrated 
its 50th-year reunion during 
Homecoming. Classmates reconnected 
over the weekend at several events, 
including the President’s Breakfast, 
The classes of 1954 and 1964 raised 
funds during their reunions to renovate 
Pierce Hall on the downtown campus.
38
UAlbany Magazine  •  Spring 2016
Alumni News & Notes
Three generations of the Bronner family attended the  
President’s Legacy Reception at Homecoming 2015.
Sandra Borrelle, Christine Rodgers-Tavcar, Dana Coleman-LaPorta, 
Denise Austin and Donna Palermo-Vanacoro, all from the  
Class of ’83, recently reunited on an Alaskan cruise.
Faculty, alumni and students of the Department of Atmospheric and 
Environmental Sciences gathered at the UAlbany alumni reception  
during the Annual Meteorological Conference in New Orleans, Feb. 12.
Thousands of alumni, friends and fans gathered for the Great Dane Game Day pregame party on Homecoming Weekend.
Alumni kicked off Homecoming Weekend with an evening  
out at the Welcome Wine-Tasting Reception.
lunch at the WT, a cocktail reception 
and dinner, and a farewell breakfast. 
At the President’s Breakfast, the 
Class of 1965 was inducted into the 
Half-Century Club. A great time was 
had by all attendees, especially when 
reminiscing about our college years. 
The Class of ’65 is looking forward 
to even more participants at its 55th 
reunion in 2020! For those who 
did not attend the reunion dinner, a 
limited number of class directories 
are still available. If you are interested 
in ordering a copy for $5 plus $2 
shipping, please contact the Alumni 
Association at alumniassociation@
albany.edu. Kate Harvey Jacobs and 
husband John moved to Alexandria, 
Va., after seven years living in 
Tennessee. They are very excited to 
be nearer their kids and grandkids. 
Jeanne Bollt Tobin received 
her M.B.A. from the University of 
Maryland and is a C.P.A. She retired 
as an executive vice president of 
KeyCorp. She lives in Cleveland, Ohio, 
with her husband, Dr. Jordan Tobin. 
Jeanne is the president of a Reform 
Jewish congregation in Cleveland 
and serves in several leadership 
positions throughout the community. 
Together, Jordan and Jeanne have 
five children and 10 grandchildren. 
Dr. Peter Schroeck is conducting a 
three-week travel/study program in 
Konstanz, Germany. Participants enjoy 
the Lake Constance area and have the 
opportunity to improve their German-
language skills in a German-speaking 
environment. Information can be found 
at www.germanschools.org/Programs/
Adults.htm. Richard D. Smith went 
to Europe after graduation and taught 
English in France. He returned to 
Castleton, N.Y., to teach, married Jean 
Thayer ’66, and supervised at Milne 
for a couple of years. Richard retired 
in 2001 from the New York State 
Department of Motor Vehicles, where 
he served as analyst and program 
director of the highway-safety 
program. He now lives in Greeley, 
Colo., closer to his grandchildren. 
John Hunter’s blog, Cruisin’ the 
Internet, is featured in four Gatehouse 
Media newspapers in New York: The 
Hornell, Wellsville, and Corning daily 
papers and the Chronicle-Express, 
a weekly paper in Penn Yan. He has 
authored the blog for more than a year.
Class notes councilor: Judy Madnick, 
jmadnick@gmail.com.
70  Robert Iseman, founding 
partner of Iseman, Cunningham, 
Riester & Hyde LLP, has been 
named a 2015 Super Lawyer. He 
was recognized for his health-care, 
business-litigation and corporate 
practice. 
71  Lynne (Lesse) Lenhardt is 
president of the New York State School 
Boards Association.
73  Charlotte Biblow was 
recently recognized as a 2015 Leading 
Lawyer in Environmental Law. She is 
an attorney at Farrell Fritz, P.C. 
74  Joseph Caplan of Caplan 
Media Group, Inc., 
published Best of Van 
Wyck Gazette Community 
Magazine, featuring cover 
art by 3-D pop-art master 
Charles Fazzino. Joseph 
started the media company 
following a career with IBM and 
completion of an M.A. in community 
psychology from Marist College. 
75  Craig Borner served as 
assistant director of 
Continuing Education at 
Hudson Valley Community 
College from 1975-82. 
He was associate dean of 
continuing studies at The 
College of Saint Rose from 
1982-84, then relocated to Orange 
County, Calif., to open Riviera Coast 
Properties, a real-estate company. 
Craig has served on the Board of 
Directors of the Orange County 
Association of REALTORS® and was 
appointed president for 2016. He 
graduated from Pepperdine University 
School of Law in 2014.
79  Bruce Plaxen, senior partner 
of Plaxen & Adler, P.A., serves on 
the American Association for Justice 
Executive Committee. This is Bruce’s 
fifth election to the committee.
80  Andrea Thau, O.D., owner of 
Dr. Thau and Associates, is president-
elect of the American Optometric 
Association. Andrea previously served 
as AOA secretary and vice president. 
She was also the first female president 
of the New York State Optometric 
Association, the New York Academy of 
Optometry, and the Optometric Society 
of the City of New York. 
81  Kevin Fee joined the litigation 
team in Duane Morris’ 
New York office. Carl 
Cohen was appointed 
chief experience officer 
at Denihan Hospitality 
Group in New York City. 
Cory Cuneo was named 
director of Protective Services for the 
USS Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum 
in New York City. Brian Cuddy was 
appointed chairman of Roper/St. 
Francis Healthcare system. He is a 
neurosurgeon in Charleston, S.C.
82  TheBillFold.com published 
Paul Turner’s essay “My Two Months 
of Seasonal Work at an Amazon 
Fulfillment Center.”
83  Andrew Goldbaum was 
promoted to chief operating officer at 
international engineering firm Thornton 
Tomasetti. He previously served as 
chief financial officer of the firm. 
84  Patricia (Rhatigan) Groeber 
was appointed second-in-
command of the New York 
State Police. She is the first 
woman ever to serve as the 
first deputy superintendent 
of the state police. 
85  Patricia E. Salkin, dean of 
the Touro Law Center, was appointed 
the Touro Graduate and Professional 
Division interim provost. Kathy 
(Proszenyak) Ryan joined MDA 
Information Systems in Gaithersburg, 
Md., as marketing manager. Carol 
Perrin was appointed director of 
Residential Life at UAlbany.
www.albany.edu
39
Joseph 
Caplan
Craig 
Borner
Patricia 
Goeber
Carl Cohen
40
UAlbany Magazine  •  Spring 2016
86  Howard Miller of Bond, 
Schoeneck & King PLLC 
was recognized as a 
2015 New York Metro 
Super Lawyer in the  
field of Employment  
and Labor.
87  Global law firm 
Dentons recently named James N. 
Mastracchio partner in its global tax 
practice. He will also serve as chair 
of Dentons’ U.S. Tax Controversy and 
Criminal Tax practices.
90  Donna Bevacqua-Young 
was elected Magistrate 
Court judge for Santa Fe 
County in New Mexico. 
She will serve a four-year 
term. Todd Kornfeld 
joined Pepper Hamilton 
LLP as of counsel in the 
financial services practice group. 
He previously served as associate 
general counsel at Guggenheim Global 
Trading. Todd graduated magna cum 
laude from Boston University School 
of Law in 1996 and earned an LL.M. 
in corporate law from New York 
University School of Law in 1998. 
Carol Lawson Miller was named 
“School Counselor of the Year” by 
the New York State School Counselor 
Association, and was selected the 
2016 New York State representative 
and semi-finalist for the American 
School Counselor Association’s School 
Counselor of the Year Award. She was 
honored at the White House this past 
January. She published her first book, 
StarBound, last summer.
91  Aimee (Minbiole) Caruso 
was named 2014 Writer of the Year 
for a daily newspaper by the New 
Hampshire Press Association. She 
is a reporter for Valley News in West 
Lebanon, N.H.
92  Gary M. Segrue of Lakewood, 
N.Y., has been appointed 
director of St. Bonaventure 
University’s Office of 
Safety and Security. He 
was recently named the 
2015 Non-Commissioned 
Officer Supervisor of the 
Year at the New York State 
Troopers Police Benevolent Association 
Awards Dinner. Greg Hitchcock 
is a journalist and filmmaker. He 
freelances for the 
Houston Chronicle, 
The San Diego Union-
Tribune, the Los Angeles 
Times, and the Times 
Union. Dee Magnoni 
was elected 2017 
president of the Special 
Libraries Association. 
She currently serves as research-
library director at the Los Alamos 
National Library in New Mexico. Victor 
Tulchinsky completed an advanced 
structural acupuncture course for 
physicians at Harvard Medical School. 
Board certified in family medicine in 
private practice in Albany, he works 
with UAlbany pre-med 
students who observe 
family medicine and 
Japanese/classical 
acupuncture. EOP alum 
Latonia Williams-
Spencer received the 
2015-16 President’s 
Award for Excellence in Professional 
Service and the Chancellor’s Award 
for Excellence. She has worked at the 
University in three professional roles 
over 20 years. She serves as director 
of Student Financial Services and 
is a fiscal officer for the Division of 
Enrollment Management. 
93  New York Life Senior Vice 
President Carla Rutigliano was 
recognized in the 14th annual “Women 
Worth Watching” issue of Profiles in 
Diversity Journal. She resides in Dix 
Hills, N.Y. Wendy (Fortin) Roy was 
promoted to executive director at Ernst 
& Young. She is a member of EY’s tax 
practice. 
94  Jonathan Kuttin has become 
the No. 1 adviser at Ameriprise 
Financial Services. He runs a financial-
planning firm in 
Melville, N.Y. David 
Fischer of Sandler 
Training was 
recently featured 
in The New Yorker 
for his expertise in 
cold calling. Garry Murray is the 
community-relations specialist for the 
Northeast Kidney Foundation in Albany, 
N.Y. He is currently partnering with 
NFL alum Rashad Barksdale ’06 on 
the foundation’s Walk/5K/10K to be 
held this June. Garry has been with 
the organization since 2012. Eileen 
Casey joined the Crittenton Women’s 
Union Board of Directors. She serves 
as the senior vice president of Tax 
and Finance with Kraft Group LLC, 
Boston. Stephen Cirami was named 
Alumni News & Notes
Join us for UAlbany home 
football games this Fall!
Pregame Food,  
entertainment for kids, 
prizes and live music!
SEPT. 17
SEPT. 24
OCT. 8
OCT. 29
NOV. 5
NOV. 19
Latonia 
Williams-
Spencer 
Gary  
Segrue 
David 
Fischer 
Dee  
Magnoni
Alumni and friends in the Tampa area cheered  
as the UAlbany men’s basketball team took on the  
University of South Florida in November.
Todd 
Kornfeld
Dominic Varrialle ’91 recently 
went shark diving with his son.
Howard 
Miller
executive vice president and chief 
operating officer of Garden City Group, 
LLC., Lake Success, N.Y.  He has more 
than 20 years’ experience in executive 
operations and legal practice. 
95  Richelle Konian, founder and 
CEO of Manhattan-based executive 
search firm Careers on the Move, 
was named “CEO of the Month” by 
Acquisition International magazine. 
She celebrated 15 years of business 
in 2015. Richelle is a member of the 
UAlbany Alumni Association Board of 
Directors and the School of Business 
Dean’s Advisory Board.
97  Tara (Squazzo) Carthew 
was named assistant vice president of 
GEICO’s claims regional center in Katy, 
Texas. She previously served as branch 
manager for the operations center 
since its 2014 opening.
98  Adam Denenberg 
was named iHeartRadio’s 
chief technology officer. 
He formerly served as vice 
president of Engineering  
at The Huffington Post.
99  Ashwani 
Prabhakar joined 
Hodgson Russ as senior 
counsel in Buffalo, N.Y. 
He previously served as 
principal law clerk in the 
chambers of Surrogate’s 
Court Judge Margarita López Torres in 
Brooklyn, N.Y. Darice Polo is one of 40 
Cuyahoga County, Ohio, artists working 
toward a $15,000 fellowship through 
the Creative Workforce Fellowship.
00  Former UAlbany basketball 
team member Todd 
Cetnar was inducted into 
the Greater Amsterdam 
School District Hall of 
Fame in Amsterdam, N.Y. 
He is also a member of 
the UAlbany Hall of Fame 
and the Capital District 
Basketball Hall of Fame. 
01  Thomas W. Simcoe 
has been recognized in the 
2015 Upstate New York 
Super Lawyers Rising Stars 
list in the field of Estate and Probate. 
He is an attorney at Bond, Schoeneck 
& King PLLC. Marc A. Antonucci was 
named partner at Iseman, Cunningham, 
Riester & Hyde LLP. He practices in the 
areas of litigation and healthcare. Marc 
is a graduate of Leadership Tech Valley 
and the FBI Citizen’s Academy, and 
serves on the board of the Center for 
Disability Services Foundation, Inc. 
02  J. Eric Smith is president and 
CEO of the TREE Fund, Naperville, Ill. He 
previously served as executive director 
of the Salisbury House Foundation, 
Des Moines, Iowa. John 
McCann was named 
audit and tax manager 
at Teal, Becker & 
Chiaramonte CPAs, P.C., 
in Albany, N.Y. Previously, 
he served as audit and 
tax supervisor for the firm. 
03  Samson Brown is assistant 
defensive backs coach for the Denver 
Broncos. He has held positions with 
the Buffalo Bills, the New York Jets and 
the Green Bay Packers. Samson was 
a standout under retired UAlbany head 
coach Bob Ford. 
04  Curtis A. 
Johnson joined Bond, 
Schoeneck & King 
PLLC in Rochester, N.Y. 
His concentration is 
in complex corporate 
litigation. 
05  Mabel Nuñez 
launched Girl$ on The 
Money, a stock-market 
education platform that 
educates women in the 
areas of stock-market 
investment and creation of long-term 
wealth. She is the author of Stock 
Market Investing Mini Lessons for 
Beginners. Mabel holds an M.B.A. from 
Baruch College, New York City. NFL 
alum Rashad Barksdale will be the 
honorary host of the Northeast Kidney 
Foundation Walk/5K/10K in Albany, N.Y. 
in June. 
07  Timothy Buddenhagen is 
an employee-relations associate, 
supervisor of support services and 
applied skilled trades program 
www.albany.edu
41
Alumni and students made valuable connections at  
the annual Network NYC event in January.
Ashwani 
Prabhakar 
Adam 
Denenberg 
Todd  
Cetnar 
Thomas 
Simcoe 
John  
McCann 
Curtis  
Johnson
Mabel 
Nuñez
SARATOGA 
RACE TRACK 
P A R T Y  T E N T
Friday, July 29 
Noon-4 p.m. 
Join hundreds of Great Danes fans for a day of 
thoroughbred racing, food, games and prizes. 
Registration opens in June. 
alumni.albany.edu/events
42
UAlbany Magazine  •  Spring 2016
For a complete list of class councilors:  
www.albany.edu/alumni/avc.php  
or call the Alumni Association at (518) 442-3080.
Alumni News & Notes
coordinator at NYS & CSEA Partnership 
for Education and Training.
08  Amanda Gonin launched 
WeatherBrush, an iPhone app that 
provides hairstyling tips based on 
weather conditions. 
09  Diane Phillips earned a 
master’s degree in social work from 
Winthrop University.
10  CaTyra Polland 
relocated to Savannah, 
Ga., where she works at 
the Economic Opportunity 
Authority. She founded 
writing and editing company 
Career Prep. CaTyra, a 
development officer for the Shelter from 
the Rain Board of Directors, received the 
Point of Light Award in October. 
11  Alyssa Buonagura recently 
joined the Law Office of 
Christy Foreman, LLC, in 
Pittsburgh as an associate 
attorney. She previously 
served as law clerk to The 
Hon. Carol Hanna, judge 
of the Court of Common 
Pleas, Indiana County, Pa. 
Alyssa is a 2014 University of Pittsburgh 
School of Law graduate. Cathlene 
Schwartzbeck was named the campus 
president at the Branford Hall Career 
Institute in Windsor, Conn.
12  Zafir Uddin joined New York 
City-based Stribling & Associates as a 
residential real-estate agent. Jennifer 
Kemp was awarded a painting 
fellowship by the New York Foundation 
for the Arts. Only 2 percent of applicants 
receive this award. Michael Blaustein 
was named a “City & State 40 Under 40 
Rising Star” in New York City. He serves 
as senior associate at public-affairs firm 
Kivvit. Jermaine Wright competed on 
Season 2 of Food Network’s “All-Star 
Academy.” 
14  Lee Stanton was named 
campaign manager of Victoria B. 
Campbell’s Orange County Family Court 
campaign in Port Jarvis, N.Y., leading 
The UAlbany community donated nearly 1,000 pounds of food  
and $1,473 in cash through the annual Drive Out Hunger campaign.
Members of the 2006 championship men’s basketball team celebrated their  
10th anniversary at the Big Purple Growl & Ferocious Feast in February
CaTyra 
Polland 
Alyssa 
Buonagura 
www.albany.edu
43
W E D D I N G S
B I R T H S
Sean P. Barry ’09 and  
Elizabeth Marren,  
July 23, 2015 
Ian Smith ’13 and 
Allison Smith ’13,  
Oct. 17, 2015 
Stephanie Amann ’06 
and Lyle Winokur ’06 
welcomed son Micah 
Harry, Feb. 17, 2015
Nicholas Fahrenkopf ’08, ’13, 
and Katie (Reed) Fahrenkopf 
’09, ’11, welcomed daughter 
Adelaide Grace, July 27, 2015
John Ravas ’10 and  
Joslyn Williams ’10,  
Sept. 20, 2014
Kimberly O’Brien ’06 and  
Christopher Ramnauth ’07, ’10,  
Sept. 12, 2015
Matthew Stec ’10 
and Alessandra 
Rudovic ’10,  
Oct. 23, 2015 
Sapphire 
Williams 
Christopher 
White 
Nicole Jensen ’11 
and Christopher Ma-
cygin welcomed son 
Domenic Christopher, 
June 3, 2015 
Josh Sisskind ’07, ’08, 
and Kimi (Wolk)  
Sisskind ’07, ’09, 
welcomed daughter Ava 
Jillian, March 23, 2015  
Kathleen Baker ’05 and Joshua Baker ’03 
welcomed sons Jacob Tristan and  
Koda Jameson, June 16, 2015
the team to victory in the November election. He recently served as the 
sponsorship coordinator for the first annual Hudson Valley Fiesta Latina.
15  Josy Delaney received the Walking College Fellowship from 
America Walks and attended the second national 
Walking Summit in Washington, D.C., last fall. 
Sapphire Williams is AmeriCorps Family 
Services Coordinator at Flower City Habitat for 
Humanity in Rochester, N.Y. Christopher White 
joined Chiampou Travis Besaw & Kershner LLP, 
Amherst, N.Y., as a staff accountant.
Night at the Brooklyn Nets, APRIL 13
Summer Music Cruise, Albany, JUNE 25
Homecoming Party, OCTOBER 2016
NYC GOLD Schmooze, SEPT. 9
Once a Great Dane, Always a Great Dane!
#UAlbanyGOLD
www.alumni.albany.edu/GOLD
 Attention 2005-2015 Graduates!​
Stay engaged with your alma mater!  
Attend exclusive events, enjoy discounted  
services, network with fellow alumni, and more. 
44
UAlbany Magazine • Spring 2016
Alumni News & Notes
Deceased Alumni
1930s
Tarsilla Schuster Cromie ’34, April 28, 2013
Agnes Beck Vedder ’34, Aug. 15, 2009
Dorothea Gahagan Yates ’35, Jan. 26, 2015
Sebastian Albrecht ’36, Sept. 7, 2015
Isabel Davidge Glomb ’37, June 10, 2015
Martha E. Barlow Trumbull ’37, Nov. 24, 2013
Elizabeth M. Driscoll Darcy ’38, Aug. 25, 2015
Margaret Noyes Gregory ’38, Oct. 2, 2014
Ellie Mahsig Tunkel ’39, July 16, 2015
1940s
Dorothy Daniels Adle ’40, July 17, 2014
Doris Parizot Battersby ’40, Jan. 10, 2015
Norman Baldwin ’41, Jan. 21, 2015
Vincent P. Gillen ’41, Dec. 30, 2015
Tillie Rae Stern Lyons ’41, July 20, 2014
David Slavin ’43, May 8, 2015
Pauline Pasternack Rabinowitz ’44,  
  July 10, 2014
Shirley Mason Kessler ’45, Nov. 15, 2015
Louise Stone Smith ’45, Oct. 13, 2015
Helen Ramroth Willson ’45, Aug. 1, 2015
Ludima Gus Burton ’46, July 23, 2014
Priscilla Hayes Ewing ’46, Aug. 1, 2015
Elizabeth Hamilton Matalavage ’46,  
   Sept. 27, 2015
Charles V. Groat ’47, Nov. 21, 2015
Nicholas G. Sopchak ’47, July 22, 2014
Mary J. Giovannone Caruso ’48, Dec. 13, 2014
Irma G. Rosen Toplansky ’48, Dec. 22, 2015
Irene M. Galloway Bowman ’49, Dec. 19, 2015
Ellen Fay Harmon ’49, Sept. 3, 2015
William F. Sheehan ’49, Dec. 26, 2015
1950s
Warren W. Reich ’50, Dec. 29, 2015
Earline Thompson Sorensen ’50, April 17, 2015
Anne Braasch ’51, Dec. 31, 2014
Helen Gencsi Everett ’51, Sept. 24, 2015
Robert T. Kreiling ’51, Aug. 12, 2015
W. Warren Gibson ’52, Aug. 3, 2015
Alma Jackson Mastandrea ’52, Sept. 27, 2015
Kathryn R. Dando Murphy ’52, Oct. 19, 2015
Roslyn Jacobs Seidner ’52, Sept. 9, 2015
Thomas J. Singleton ’52, Nov. 2, 2015
John T. Therrien ’52, Oct. 1, 2015
Anna-Marie Yanarella Adach ’53, Dec. 20, 2015
Wilma Nuber Cutler ’53, Sept. 17, 2015
Robert J. Hughes ’53, Jan. 16, 2016
Milan M. Krchniak ’53, Dec. 2, 2015
Elizabeth J. Platt Ostrander ’53, Nov. 23, 2014
Veronica L. Price Sinander ’53, Sept. 30, 2015
Catherine A. Castaldo Sorrentino ’53,  
   Dec. 25, 2015
Richard Terzian ’53, Jan. 18, 2015
Helene L. Zimmerman ’53, Oct. 11, 2015
Paul Bourgeois ’54, Jan. 3, 2016
Shirley Edsall, Ph.D. ’54, Aug. 26, 2015
Richard H. Hasman ’54, April 10, 2015
Floyd H. Davis, Jr. ’55, Jan. 26, 2013
Shirlee A. Moore Szedlock ’55, Nov. 13, 2015
Dorothy J. Studley Humphrey ’56, July 24, 2015
Carol Greenhill Hudson ’57, Sept. 13, 2015
Alan C. Lewis ’57, Aug. 17, 2015
Grace A. Mueller ’57, July 7, 2015
Barbara K. Schaefer ’57, June 5, 2015
Rosemary Santonicola Henry ’58, Sept. 22, 2015
F. Clark McCafferty ’58, Sept. 19, 2015
Franklin D. Roth ’58, Oct. 29, 2014
Sandra Bove Badalucco ’59, Dec. 17, 2015
Bernard R. Coleman ’59, Aug. 11, 2015
Robert M. Devlin ’59, Nov. 4, 2015
1960s
Robert W. Austin ’60, Nov. 19, 2014
Susan L. Hanssen Crawford ’60, Jan. 8, 2016
Donald A. Milne II ’60, Aug. 29, 2015
John R. Lucas ’61, Aug. 29, 2015
Robert C. Niles ’61, Nov. 1, 2015
Richard I. Nunez ’61, Aug. 19, 2011
John A. O’Brien ’61, July 27, 2015
Myrna Lipschitz Sanders ’61, Dec. 9, 2015
James Sokaris ’61, Oct. 25, 2015
Anthony J. Califano ’62, Dec. 5, 2015
Douglas Daring ’63, Aug. 19, 2015
Richard Moore ’63, June 15, 2007
Dorothy Levine Rosenblum ’63, Aug. 8, 2015
Herman W. Wyld ’63, July 7, 2015
Robert H. Gibson ’64, July 3, 2015
Harriet Lorenzen Harter ’64, Dec. 25, 2012
Dorothy T. Tesch Miller ’64, Nov. 11, 2015
Marianne E. Lupica ’65, July 18, 2011
Kenneth R. Outman ’65, July 27, 2011
Marvin A. Pase ’65, July 9, 2015
Owen F. Davis ’66, Oct. 26, 2012
Hugh C. Gorden Jr. ’66, July 5, 2009
Marilyn D. Hayner ’66, Oct. 23, 2010
Faith Foster Miller ’66, Oct. 1, 2015
Judith Gelburd Treby ’66, Oct. 5, 2015
Herbert G. Weidemann ’66, July 14, 2015
Gretchen A. Bryant Wood ’66, Jan. 22, 2011
Joann Gay Brader ’67, Oct. 9, 2015
Laura N. Korotzer Goudket ’67, Sept. 18, 2014
Ann M. Waring Hallenbeck ’67, May 14, 2013
Diane M. Floody Leyhane ’67, July 13, 2015
John E. Neander ’67, Jan. 22, 2014
Donna L. Nichols ’67, Sept. 16, 2014
Judith A. Molmot Turner ’67, June 7, 2015
Susan Rasmussen Distefano ’68, Oct. 27, 2015
Richard P. Hamelin ’68, Dec. 23, 2015
Lorraine Maynard ’68, Aug. 15, 2015
Dan F. Fish ’69, Dec. 19, 2015
Thomas E. Lajeunesse ’69, Nov. 6, 2015
Milton R. Rivenburgh ’69, Dec. 5, 2015
1970s
Justin C. Beck ’70, July 18, 2015
Barbara J. Blanchard ’70, Aug. 27, 2015
Laraine A. Sagendorf Dell ’70, July 11, 2015
Georgia Howe Hartner ’70, Aug. 30, 2011
Kathryn E. Jackson ’70, Nov. 20, 2015
Kathryn F. Oates ’70, Aug. 30, 2015
Ernest D. Pirman ’70, Sept. 9, 2015
Walter E. Powers, III ’70, Jan. 5, 2016
Justin V. Bennett ’71, June 17, 2015
Edward Cerkowski ’71, July 9, 2015
Ron Chandran-Dudley ’71, Dec. 30, 2015
William Flanagan ’71, July 28, 2013
Elizabeth A. Barcomb Flynn ’71, July 3, 2015
Kathleen G. Frokedal ’71, Oct. 6, 2015
Marilyn A. Hickey, R.S.M. ’71, Dec. 22, 2015
Lorana R. Livingston ’71, Jan. 26, 2015
Paul H. Lohaus ’71, Nov. 11, 2015
Norman R. McConney, Jr. ’71, Jan. 1, 2016
Edward J. O’Connor ’71, Dec. 13, 2012
Louis J. Pitnell ’71, Jan. 16, 2016
Evelyn O. Vido ’71, Sept. 14, 2013
Patricia B. Webster ’71, February 11, 2015
Judith Einenkel Weir ’71, Oct. 9, 2014
Alphonse J. Angelino ’72, Dec. 19, 2015
Grace A. Lupo Cerniglia ’72, Nov. 5, 2014
Thomas J. Cunningham ’72, Sept. 25, 2013
John B. Delaney ’72, July 16, 2012
Constance Gooley ’72, Oct. 9, 2015
Lisa M. McNamara Holt ’72, Oct. 2, 2015
Robert W. Kuffel ’72, Dec. 2, 2012
Frank K. Lorenz ’72, Sept. 10, 2015
John L. Quimby, Jr. ’72, July 4, 2015
David O. Walker ’72, July 21, 2015
Alice R. Richardson Wilson ’72, Aug. 10, 2015
Diane E. Bailey ’73, June 2, 2015
Robert S. Christopher ’73, Aug. 14, 2015
Daniel L. Hudson ’73, May 21, 2014
Marjorie Sullivan O’Brien ’73, Dec. 12, 2015
Barry S. Sadoff ’73, Oct. 5, 2015
Michael L. Siembieda ’73, July 4, 2015
Jeffrey S. Stark ’73, Oct. 19, 2013
Robert J. Wahrman ’73, Dec. 25, 2015
William Coyner ’74, April 16, 2014
Dorothy S. Donlon ’74, Nov. 8, 2015
Eric J. Deitel ’75, March 23, 2013
Grant Livermore ’75, Aug. 18, 2015
www.albany.edu
45
UAlbany
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E-mail: alumniassociation@albany.edu
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Mail: Carol Olechowski
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University Development, UAB 214
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Ph: (518) 437-4992 
Fax: (518) 437-4957
Laurence J. McQuillan ’75, Sept. 19, 2015
Paul Scanlon ’75, Dec. 11, 2015
Dorothy G. Schmitt Toleman ’75, July 21, 2015
Robert Wincowski ’75, June 19, 2009
Joseph G. Begley ’76, Oct. 19, 2012
Susan M. Reiner Drislane ’76, Oct. 22, 2015
Richard E. Hartzell, Ph.D. ’76, Jan. 5, 2012
Denise Rehm-Mott ’76, February 1, 2015
David B. Wakoff ’76, Aug. 8, 2015
Kevin R. Bentley ’77, July 8, 2015
Michael S. Curwin ’77, Oct. 31, 2015
James Lane ’77, Nov. 30, 2015
Elaine T. Sciolino ’77, July 21, 2015
Ralph L. Lewis ’78, Dec. 22, 2015
Carol A. Quick ’78, February 19, 2015
David M. Sternlicht ’78, February 7, 2014
Todd S. Beyer ’79, Nov. 13, 2015
Christina M. Butler ’79, Aug. 12, 2015
Larry N. Epstein ’79, July 7, 2012
Garyowen Morrisroe ’79, Dec. 22, 2010
1980s
Diane Radich Byrne ’80, July 17, 2009
Ellen K. Lang ’80, Nov. 18, 2014
Mary P. Opar ’80, Nov. 29, 2014
Dominick J. Alonzo ’81, July 26, 2015
William M. Cameron ’81, July 26, 2015
Barbara H. Englisbe ’82, Sept. 23, 2015
Laura K. Hess Horvath ’82, Sept. 29, 2015
David E. Longley ’82, Jan. 2, 2015
Daniel R. Perkins ’82, July 3, 2015
Rebecca J. Rini ’82, February 8, 2015
Marilyn M. Valla ’82, Dec. 1, 2015
Peggy Ann Dorrian ’83, Oct. 25, 2015
John P. Broida, Ph.D. ’84, Sept. 6, 2015
Doreen L. Brown Cechnicki ’84, Oct. 20, 2015
Leonard J. Laroux ’84, Sept. 29, 2015
James A. Robertson ’84, April 17, 2014
Dorothy B. Bellick ’85, Oct. 29, 2015
Eric R. Jacobsen ’85, Jan. 15, 2015
Patricia A. Sasso ’85, Oct. 31, 2015
Bruce J. Klein ’86, Oct. 10, 2011
Russell J. Ehle ’87, March 30, 2015
Kevin J. Dempsey ’88, Sept. 15, 2015
Margaret R. Gray ’88, Sept. 5, 2014
Barbara J. Walsh ’89, Oct. 11, 2015
1990s
Cindy A. Coonrad Bowlby ’91, Oct. 2, 2015
Melvin A. Abreu ’92, Aug. 13, 2015
Andrew M. Kopach ’93, Sept. 8, 2015
Emma J. Wallace ’93, July 25, 2015
Shannon M. Warne Fureno ’95, March 20, 2015
Ann M. Packer Johnson, Ph.D. ’95, Oct. 7, 2015
Agnes C. Stillman ’95, May 13, 2008
Frank C. Papa, Ph.D. ’96, Oct. 22, 2015
Kerri N. Goodman Saunders ’96, Aug. 25, 2015
Paul T. Lynch ’97, April 18, 2012
Craig A. Wetherell ’97, March 2, 2011
Marc R. Vassallo ’99, Nov. 10, 2013
2000s
Robert W. Green ’03, Oct. 12, 2015
Benedict E. Jacobs ’03, Nov. 25, 2015
George H. Silva, Ph.D. ’04, Nov. 15, 2015
Liam T. Walsh ’04, Nov. 22, 2015
Terence M. O’Brien ’06, February 19, 2013
Christopher P. Perri ’06, Sept. 30, 2010
Megan E. Garbach ’08, February 17, 2014
Marta H. Grzegorek ’09, Sept. 29, 2014
Eric J. Williams ’09, July 16, 2015
2010s
Diana M. Cary ’14, Aug. 8, 2014
Lauren N. Perraglia ’14, Sept. 11, 2015
Colin D. Jones ’15, Aug. 5, 2015
Nathaniel D. Linger ’15, Sept. 7, 2015
Arthur N. Applebee, Ph.D., Distinguished  
Professor, Educational Theory and Practice,  
1987-2015, Sept. 20, 2015
Marie H. Brady, Nurse, Health Center,  
1985-2004, Aug. 5, 2015
Richard H. Hall, Ph.D., Distinguished Service 
Professor, Sociology, 1977-2008, Sept. 23, 2015
Melvin Harvey, Security Services Assistant, 
University Police Department, 1996-2015,  
June 23, 2015
Raymond H. Keys, Grounds worker,  
Plant Department,1969-1985, Aug. 6, 2015
Charles Koban, Lecturer, Communication,  
1963-2015, Dec.17, 2015
Boris Korenblum, Professor, Mathematics  
and Statistics, 1977-2009, Dec. 15, 2011
Sophia Lubensky, Ph.D., Professor, Languages, 
Literatures and Cultures, 1977-2007,  
Sept.15, 2015
Teresa A. Moshier, Staff Assistant, Office of  
Human Resources, 1975-2003, Jan. 8, 2016
Monica L. Rodriguez, Ph.D., Associate Professor, 
Psychology, 1991-2015, Sept. 7, 2015
William Schieffelin, Professor, Athletics and 
Recreation, 1999-2000, July 19, 2015
Edmund A. Sherman, Jr., Professor, School of 
Social Welfare, 1973-1995, Jan. 8, 2016
Ethel Cermak Tompkins, Clinical Physician, 
Student Health Service, 1965-1981,  
June 8, 2015
Jogindar S. Uppal, Ph.D., Professor, Economics, 
1967-2010,  Aug. 31, 2015
Dexter White, Cleaner, Custodial Services,  
2007-2015, Sept. 20, 2015
Richard W. Wilkie, Associate Professor,  
Communications Department, 1961-1989,  
Nov. 16, 2015
Deceased Faculty/Staff
 
46
UAlbany Magazine • Spring 2016
Diane Woodward Sawyer, B.A.’61  
is the author of five mysteries: The Montauk Mystery; The 
Montauk Steps; The Tomoka Mystery; The Cinderella Murders; 
and The Treasures of Montauk Cove, all published by Avalon 
Books. Sawyer is working on a new mystery series set in  
St. Petersburg, Florida, where she lives with her husband,  
Robert Sawyer ’54.
John F. Sullivan, B.A. ’61,  
is the author of Raised by a Village: Growing 
Up in Greenport, an up-close and personal 
picture of who Sullivan was and how he 
became the man he is today.
Lawrence J. Epstein, 
B.A.’67, M.A.’68, Ph.D.’76, 
is the author of The Dream of Zion: 
The Story of the First Zionist Congress, 
published by Rowman & Littlefield. 
James McArdle, B.A.’69, 
M.B.A.’72, recently published A Yank in Libya: Living and 
Working in Gaddafi’s Jamahiriya which details his time in the 
North African nation. 
Paula Camardella Twomey, B.A.’70,  
is the author of Improvisaciones, a teaching 
textbook presenting 101 skits in Spanish, 
and Parlons, a collection of 25 guided 
dialogues in French. Twomey teaches 
Spanish at Ithaca College. 
Steve Lobel, B.A.’70,  
recently published Failing My way to 
Success: Life Lessons of an Entrepreneur, 
which tells how the author turned defeat to his advantage and 
ultimate triumph. Lobel is a regular guest lecturer at UAlbany. 
Mary Vigliante Szydlowski, B.A.’71,  
recently published her fourth children’s book, A Puddle for 
Poo. She is also the author of In His Keeping: Taken, and In His 
Keeping: Banished, under the pen name Mia Frances. More info: 
www.maryviglianteszydlowski.com/.
Michael Esposito, M.L.S.’72, 
is the author of Troy’s Little Italy and Troy’s 
Little Italy Revisited.
Stewart J. Bellus, B.A.’75, 
published his first novel, Tip of the Tongue. 
Bellus has been an IP lawyer for over three 
decades and writes fiction in his spare time.
Luis Moreno, M.S.’76, M.A.’82,  
is the author of An Invitation to Real Analysis, a textbook  
published by the Mathematical Association of America.
Sharon Elswit, M.L.S.’77, is 
the author of The Latin America Story Finder, 
the third book in a series of subject and source 
guides to folklore from different cultures. 
Donna Decker, B.A.’78, 
published her first novel, Dancing in Red 
Shoes Will Kill You, about the 1989 Montreal 
Massacre of 14 female engineering students. 
Decker lives in Ashburnham, Mass. and 
teaches at Franklin Pierce University. She 
is co-founder of the university’s Women in 
Leadership program. 
Don Raskin, B.S.’79, is the 
author of The Dirty Little Secrets: Getting Your Dream Job, 
published by Regan Arts. The book provides insight into the job 
search process and finding career success. Raskin owns and 
operates Manhattan Marketing Ensemble (MME), an advertising 
and marketing agency in New York City.
Robert Mason, M.A.’80, is the author of Nearer  
to Never, a book of poems published by SUNY Press. The  
book is a poetic examination of what’s waiting just behind 
everyday experience.
Teresa (Hildebrant) Walter, 
B.S.’82, is the author of Coming of Age 
in WWII, a documentation of her father’s war 
experiences. It includes a love letter exchange 
with Walter’s mother. 
Authors and Editors
www.albany.edu
47
Robert Nearing, B.A. ’82, has written three books 
under the pen name Calvin J. Boal: Last Run of the Whisperer; 
St. George’s Cross and The Siege of For Pitt; and Valiant Warrior: 
Knight of the Third Crusade. Nearing retired in 2010 after serving 
27 years in law enforcement. 
Fred Holzsager, B.A.’82, published A Practical 
Business Owners’ Guide to Cybercrime & Business Continuity.
Jeffrey Laing, Ph.D.’82, published The Haymakers, 
Unions and Trojans of Troy, New York: Big-Time Baseball in the 
Collar City, 1860-1883 and Bud Fowler: Baseball’s First Black 
Professional.
Mary Kuykendall, M.A.’83, 
published Rebuilding the GE House Jack 
Blew Down, a book on corporate greed. 
Kuykendall is a past recipient of the George 
Garrett Fiction Award for River Roots, a 
collection of short stories about growing up in 
West Virginia. 
Philip Plotch, B.S.’83, is the author of Politics 
Across the Hudson: The Tappan Zee Megaproject. More 
information: www.politicsacrossthehudson.com.  
Pat Shevlin, B.S.’83, recently co-wrote Strength in 
Numbers. The book is about tax policy and entitlement reform, 
balancing the federal budget and eliminating the national debt.  
Abby (Danziger) Donnelly, 
B.A.’84, is the author of 128 Tips to 
Make You a More Effective Leader. She is the 
founder of The Leadership & Legacy Group, 
High Point, N.C. 
Cecilia Rodríguez Milanés, 
Ph.D.’89, published Oye What I’m Gonna Tell You. The 
collection of short stories follows the lives of Cubans and Cuban 
Americans and highlights those who settled outside of Miami  
and South Florida. Milanés is a University of Central Florida  
faculty member.
Ben Tanzer, B.A.’90, recently published New York 
Stories: Three Volumes in One Collection.
David Shelters, B.A.’91, published Bootstrapping 
Strategies for Tech Startups, an ideal read for students in 
graduate and undergraduate entrepreneurship programs. 
Christopher Hemmer, B.A.’91, is the author of 
American Pendulum: Recurring Debates in US Grand Strategy. 
The book examines America’s grand strategic choices between 
1914 and 2014 using recurring debates as lenses in American 
foreign policy. 
Marian Kelner, M.S.’91, is the 
author of As a Sailboat Seeks the Wind and 
May We Be Like the Penguin. The prose and 
poetry are perfect for introducing students  
to unusual perspectives and a variety of 
writing styles. 
John DeLuca, D.A.’96, recently 
published his first novel, Crossing to Liberty. 
The book reached No. 1 in the Caribbean and 
Latin American Historical Fiction, and  
African-American Historical Fiction  
categories on Amazon. 
Christine (Clark) 
Woodcock, Ph.D.’03, published 
The Evolution of Us: Portraits of Mothers and 
Their Changing Roles. 
Samuel Friedman, B.A.’13,  
is the author of Millennial Apprentices: The 
Next Revolution in Freemasonry. Friedman is 
employed by the New York State Legislature 
and resides in Rochester.
48
UAlbany Magazine  •  Spring 2016
The Last Word
By Peter Hooley, B.A.’15
F
ive years ago I made the decision to come across the 
other side of the world and try my luck at college 
basketball in America. I guess the normal trend is to come 
and play at a high level, get an education and then be on 
your way. But I never saw it like that. A program 
and a community took me in as one of their own 
and showed me an experience that I still cannot 
fathom. And for that, I say thank you to …
… all the fans of the program who have ridden 
every high and every low with me and our teams 
for the past five years.  
… the University for showing me how to not only 
get a great education and be surrounded by some 
incredible people, but for showing me that school goes  
much further than simply sitting in a classroom. 
,,, all my coaches. You helped a small-town kid from Australia 
achieve more success than I could have ever dreamed of: 
three championships in succession, along with many other 
incredible memories. You helped me grow and shine, and  
for that I thank you.
,,, Coach Brown, for not only helping me to reach my full 
potential as a basketball player, but for also being something 
much more to me as a person. For the way you watched over 
me and guided me in all my ways of life, I can never 
thank you enough. Whenever I struggled or fell, you helped 
me stand again. We have been through a lot together, but 
the one thing that I will forever remember is how you have 
helped me become the man I am today.  
… all my teammates. You are my brothers. Through 
all the highs and lows, you showed me the true value 
of a team, but even more, you showed me the true 
value of family. I love you all.  
I feel deeply privileged to have been a part of such 
a great school, program and community. I leave 
this place a better basketballer, a better student, 
but perhaps most important, a better person. And 
ultimately, that’s all I could have ever asked for. 
I don’t know what God has in store for me, but what I know 
for sure is that I will forever be a Great Dane and I will 
forever have a special home right here!
From the bottom of my heart,
Thank you, UAlbany. 
Peter Hooley earned a degree in journalism and psychology last  
year and will complete his master’s studies in communication  
in May. His plans include returning home to Australia; he hopes  
to play professional basketball there or in Europe.   
To read Hooley’s entire post, please visit http://fromausto518.
blogspot.com/2016/03/thank-you-albany.html?m=1.
Paul Miller
A new season is a new beginning and a good opportunity to  
set goals for the coming year and beyond. Now is an excellent  
time to consider charitable gift and estate-planning strategies.
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.  
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