Binghamton University - Fall-2024

Emily in Paris

2021 grad Mackay ran for Team USA at Summer Olympics

Fireworks light up the Vestal sky above campus during Homecoming Weekend on Sept. 28.

6

From Binghamton to Paris

Emily Mackay ’21 reflects on the journey to the Summer Olympics.

10 Taking care of business

Samantha Scheffler ’24 glides from School of Management classes to speed-skating tracks.

14 The next chapter

Innovative changes help University Libraries continue to serve the campus community.

20

Leading the global charge

Darien Wright ’92 is new chief financial and operating officer at National Geographic.

28 Behind the surgery scenes

Dr. Jason Cohen ’91 helps people with extreme tumors on TLC television series.

32

Life-changing impact

Christine Conti ’02 earns prestigious fitness award for work with chronic-illness patients.

3 / Biology, cinema professors honored 4 / Celebrating the EXCELERATE campaign

23 / The Events Center at 20 36 / Connect: Class Notes; new book releases; Book Talk

We’ve had some truly incredible recent accomplishments at Binghamton University:

• Emily Mackay ’21, the most decorated female student-athlete in Binghamton’s Division I history, represented the United States in the 1,500 meters at the Paris Olympics. Emily is a tremendous representative of Bearcat athletics and an outstanding ambassador for our entire community. You can read more about her amazing journey in this issue. Congratulations and thank you, Emily!

• EXCELERATE: Moving at the Speed of Binghamton, our comprehensive campaign, concluded on July 1 and raised more than $260 million to advance Binghamton’s reputation as a premier public university. My thanks go out to the 35,000 EXCELERATE donors who have invested in scholarships, research and stateof-the-art experiences for our students, faculty and staff.

• Forbes put Binghamton on the national stage when it named us to its list of the Top 10 Public Ivies, alongside some of the top institutions in the country. All of us in the University community know the quality of a Binghamton education. It is exciting to see others taking note.

I hope that this news, the stories throughout this magazine and your personal experiences make you proud to be part of the Binghamton University family.

Sincerely,

HARVEY G. STENGER PRESIDENT

EDITORIAL

UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE EDITOR

Eric Coker

ALUMNI EDITOR

Steve Seepersaud

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

Katie Honas ’14, Burt Myers, David Skyrca ’85

UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHER

Jonathan Cohen

COPY EDITORS

John Brhel, Ethan Knox ’20, Chris Kocher, Steve Seepersaud

VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

Greg Delviscio

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE SERVICES

Gerald Hovancik Jr.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT

Matthew Winston Jr.

HOW TO CONTACT US

LETTERS, NEWS AND STORY IDEAS Telephone: 607-777-6441

Email: magazine@binghamton.edu

CHANGE OF ADDRESS

Office of Alumni Engagement PO Box 6000

Binghamton, NY 13902-6000 Email: alumni@binghamton.edu

CLASS NOTES

Submit them by visiting bconnectalumni.binghamton.edu

Binghamton University Magazine is published twice a year by the Division of Communications and Marketing, Binghamton University, State University of New York, and is mailed free of charge: circulation 145,000. © 2024 Binghamton University, ISSN 1936-7066. Current and past issues of the magazine are online at Binghamton.edu/magazine. The views presented are not necessarily those of the editors or the official policies of Binghamton University. The University does not endorse products or services referenced in these pages.

Cover photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

JONATHAN COHEN

FACULTY MEMBERS EARN NATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS

ARIANA GERSTEIN, CINEMA PROFESSOR

Binghamton University filmmaker Ariana Gerstein has received a 2024 fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.

“It is humbling and gratifying to be named a Fellow,” Gerstein says. “I have long admired work of other Fellows. I did not expect to succeed, as it was my first attempt, but of course I hoped that I would!”

The cinema professor says the award will provide financial support for new creative work over the course of 10 months. She has tentative plans to complete two projects — a film and an installation — as part of a longer series stemming from an unpublished manuscript by her grandfather Elias Sevillia.

The fellowship supports exceptional individuals in pursuit of scholarship in any field of knowledge, and creation in any art form, under the freest possible conditions. The awards are highly competitive; this year’s 188 Fellows were selected from among some 3,000 applicants.

Gerstein earned her bachelor’s degree from Binghamton, where she studied with acclaimed experimental filmmakers Ken Jacobs and Larry Gottheim. She received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and joined Binghamton’s faculty in 1999. Her films have been screened at venues such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and her experimental documentary work was nationally broadcast on the PBS series POV. — RACHEL COKER

KARIN SAUER, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES PROFESSOR

Binghamton University researcher Karin Sauer is among 65 scientists elected as Fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology this year.

Fellows are elected by their peers based on their scientific achievements and original contributions to the field of microbiology.

Sauer’s lab aims to find ways to control communities of bacteria called biofilms and to curb their extraordinary resistance to antimicrobial agents. The team’s findings could impact a wide range of healthcare practices, from ear infections to wound care.

“I’m honored and excited by this recognition of my career to date,” says Sauer, co-founder of one of the largest American biofilm research groups. “I think the next decade will see some tremendous progress in applying our work to improve human health, especially for people who have surgically implanted medical devices.”

Sauer, who earned a doctorate from the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Germany, joined Binghamton’s faculty in 2003 and was promoted to professor in 2013. A recent Stanford University study that looks at the impact of scientists worldwide named Sauer among the top 2% of researchers in the world in their fields.

The American Society for Microbiology, one of the largest professional societies dedicated to the life sciences, counts some 36,000 scientists and health practitioners among its members. The academy received 156 nominations for Fellows this year. — RACHEL COKER

GERSTEIN

A Homecoming EXCELEBRATION like no other!

By My-Ly Nguyen

Binghamton University has done in mere decades what others have taken centuries to accomplish. It has grown from a small liberal arts college into a Nobel Prizewinning, rising-through-the-rankings, major research university.

The EXCELERATE campaign set out to elevate Binghamton to new heights. Alumni rose to the occasion and joined together to move Binghamton forward even faster,

shattering the $250 million goal, showing their belief in Binghamton and redefining what is possible to create a university of tomorrow — today.

From Sept. 27–29, Binghamton celebrated. Well over 1,000 caring alumni, involved volunteers and other generous supporters filled campus for a one-of-a-kind Homecoming EXCELEBRATION to revel in Bing pride and the powerful impact of the EXCELERATE campaign.

Thank you for making a difference as part of the Binghamton community!

Sperry ’00, MBA ’02

A SEVEN-YEAR CAMPAIGN FROM JULY 1, 2017–JUNE 30, 2024

A record-breaking $261,643,369 raised to advance Binghamton

That’s more than $10 million over our goal and more than 2.5 times our last campaign!

35,023 donors gave

Every donor, every gift, all of your help made a difference. Thank you!

Corporations, foundations, organizations

Faculty/staff

Students

Donor-advised

Exceptional education

Access

Discovery

Binghamton Fund

$147 million to invest in the student experience and ensure an exceptional education

$67 million to make the exceptional accessible, including funding for scholarships and other student financial aid

$31 million to spark discovery for a changing world, including competitive research funds and endowed faculty positions

$16 million to speed success through the Binghamton Fund, with donors investing in innovation and immediate needs

Roughly 18,500 — or over half of all EXCELERATE supporters — were first-time donors!

GIFTS

The Olympian

By Eric Coker

Runner Emily Mackay competes for Team USA in 1,500 meters at the Summer

EGames in Paris

mily Mackay ’21 didn’t have time to celebrate — or even rest — in the hours after earning a spot on the U.S. team with a second-place finish in the 1,500 meters at the Olympic Trials in late June.

Instead, she was being fitted for Team USA’s Ralph Lauren-made outfits for the opening and closing ceremonies, and making travel arrangements for more than two weeks in Paris.

“For most of the events, this happened the day after,” Mackay says. “But because the women’s 1,500 was on the last day of the Trials, we did it right after the race. … I was in ‘team processing’ for three hours and didn’t get done until midnight! It was a whirlwind, for sure.”

The whirlwind continued through early August, when Mackay advanced to the semifinals of the 1,500 at the Paris Games. Mackay, who turned pro in 2022 after an All-American track and cross country career at Binghamton University, is the fifth Binghamton alum to qualify for the Olympic Games. She follows John Moreau ’77, who competed in fencing in the 1984 and 1988 Games, and Chris Coleman ’89, who competed

in bobsled in the 1994 and 1996 Winter Games. Yun Qu and Hui-Jue Cai, both 2005 graduates, competed for their native China in swimming events at the 1996 Games before coming to Binghamton.

In between the Trials and the conclusion of the Paris Games, Mackay received lots of support from the Binghamton University community and local places such as Endicott, where she grew up. The cheers and encouragement did not go unnoticed.

“It meant so much. I was overwhelmed by the love and support, especially from Binghamton University, my hometown, family and friends,” says Mackay, who had 20 family members and Binghamton coach Annette Acuff in Paris. “I knew I had so many people rooting for me and it made me so proud and thankful. No matter what would happen, I knew everyone was backing me. I received nothing but love. I can’t say thank you enough to everyone who reached out with kind messages and letters.”

Emily Mackay runs with Susan Lokayo Ejore of Kenya and other Olympians in the first round of the 1,500 meters at the Summer Games in Paris. Mackay finished sixth in the heat and qualified for the semifinals.

Mackay admits that being an Olympian “felt like a dream” before she arrived in Paris.

“I don’t think it fully sank in until I was at the Opening Ceremony on a boat with all of Team USA,” she says. “When I saw the Eiffel Tower lit up with the Olympic rings, I think that was the moment it sunk in: Wow! I’m an Olympian and this is happening.”

Although there were plenty of get-ready-and-wait moments before Team USA boarded its boat on the Seine River, Mackay says she was especially impressed by the camaraderie of the American athletes.

“We were all matching, and waving American flags,” she recalls. “It felt like one big team, even though some of us were competing against each other. We were teammates who had all of this pride for our country. It was so much fun to represent the USA — not only with other track and field athletes, but athletes from other sports, too.”

And, yes, it was raining as hard as it appeared on television.

“It was a downpour,” she says. “But it was cool: It felt like we were on the Maid of the Mist!”

Mackay had more than a week after the Opening Ceremony before her first heat in the 1,500, so she traveled to Leuven, Belgium (three hours from Paris), with coach Mark Coogan of New Balance Boston and 1,500 teammate Elle St. Pierre to prepare for the event.

“The running was much better there,” Mackay says. “Nice trails and nice, soft-surface running spots. At the Olympic Village, we would’ve had to take a shuttle each

EMILY’S PARIS POINTS OF VIEW

Favorite celebrity athletes: Simone Biles and LeBron James. “I was in Simone’s ‘presence,’ but I didn’t want to bother her. I wouldn’t say I met LeBron, but I was on the same boat as him!”

Any Snoop Dogg sightings?

“No! He was at the Trials and in Paris, but I never got to stumble across him. I was disappointed because I’m a big fan.”

Sports she wishes she had seen live: Gymnastics and equestrian.

Closing Ceremony highlight: Watching the French band Phoenix perform.

day to the high-performance center. So, we trained and rested for five days.”

Mackay’s training with New Balance Boston had already helped her win a bronze medal at the 2023 Pan Am Games in Chile and another bronze medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Scotland in March 2024. At the Trials final, she ran a personal best of 3:55.90, giving her one of the top 1,500 times in the world.

Still, Mackay’s mindset going into the qualifying round on Aug. 6 was “one race at a time.”

“I knew all of the rounds were going to be hard,” she says. “I wanted to soak up the entire experience, enjoy it and have as much fun as possible.”

The qualifying round proved to be enjoyable: Mackay finished sixth in the first of three heats (and sixth overall), at 3:59.63. She thought a sub-four time would be needed to advance on the track at the 80,000-capacity Stade de France, which Mackay called an “electric and exciting” venue.

“I was relieved after the race — and also proud and excited that I made it to the next round,” she says. “I wasn’t extremely happy with the way I ran it. I could’ve tactically raced better. But at the end of the day, it didn’t matter, because I made it through.”

Mackay’s competition ended two days later when she finished 13th in the second heat with a 4:02.30. She realized more than halfway through the race that the finals were likely out of reach.

“I think I was a little tired,” she says. “I felt it in my legs. I thought: This is hurting worse than it’s supposed

Best food: “The chocolate muffin was insane! The chocolate muffins from the Olympic Village went viral because they were so delicious. I’d also say the cheese in Paris. I went on a food tour with my family and got to try so many good cheeses.”

Olympic Village highlights (besides the muffins): “The dining hall, because that’s where all of the athletes from different countries would come together. It was great to see everyone together in the same place. That’s what the Olympics are all about.”

“ Four years from now, my dream and goal is to medal.”

to be hurting. It’s not happening today.”

But Mackay also realized she has “a lot of room to grow” after competing in her first season of outdoor championships.

“I ran as well as I could,” she says. “If I hadn’t, I would have been upset with myself. Am I bummed that I didn’t make the finals? Yeah. But I’m giving myself grace knowing everything it took to get there.”

Mackay is playing a key part in a U.S. resurgence in middle-distance running: American men won gold and bronze medals in the 1,500 at Paris, and eight women ran under four minutes (all personal bests) in the event at the Trials finals.

“It goes beyond the running technology that’s making us better,” Mackay says. “I think a lot of us are seeing the success others are having. People are pushing each other to the next level. People are thinking bigger and dreaming bigger.”

Mackay is definitely thinking and dreaming bigger — about the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The short-term goal is to continue to improve her times, while also taking part in different events, such as the 800 meters.

“The goal for this season was to make it to the Olympics,” she says. “Four years from now, my dream and goal is to medal. The [Paris] experience lit a fire in me. I’m excited to take what I’ve learned and do it better next time.

“When I think about the progress I’ve made over the past four years, why can’t I medal in [another] four years? I’m optimistic about the future.”

BEARCATS IN PARIS

Emily Mackay wasn’t the only former Binghamton student-athlete who was part of the Paris Games:

John Moreau ’77 judged the men’s and women’s modern pentathlon (an event that combines fencing, swimming, equestrian, running and shooting). It was Moreau’s third Olympics judging experience. He is also Binghamton’s first Olympian, having competed in fencing in the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles and earning a spot on the 1988 U.S. fencing team at the Seoul Games.

Justin Hoch ’04 was one of two American photographers credentialed to shoot Team USA Wrestling matches in Paris. Wrestling is a sport Hoch is quite familiar with, as he was a three-year starter and two-year captain for the Bearcats. In Paris, he even met Mackay to photograph her for Binghamton University Magazine and Winning Edge, Binghamton University’s athletics magazine.

Read more about Moreau and Hoch at binghamton.edu/magazine.

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

Alumna balances business studies with training to become nationally ranked speed skater

By Anthony Borrelli

TRACK

Samantha Scheffler ’24 says it feels like “NASCAR on ice.”

The track inside the rink is 111 meters around. Her 17-inch blades skim along the ice as she glides into the starting position with five other skaters. Timing is everything, down to the second. Once the gun goes off, whoever is the first across the line will likely win. And she covers 500 meters on that track in just 46.7 seconds.

For Scheffler, who graduated in May from Binghamton University’s School of Management, there is nothing in the world like short-track speed skating at 30 mph: the surroundings of the hockey rink and the cheering onlookers fade away until it’s just her, the ice and crossing that final lap.

“The gun goes off and you just have to go as fast as you can, as hard as you can. It’s a jolt that feels like that ‘zero to 40’ moment on a roller coaster,” Scheffler says. “You have to be looking at everybody else around you, listening for when somebody’s going to be speeding up from behind or picking up the pace in front of you. It’s almost like playing a chess game with the skaters around you.”

With the goal of one day qualifying for the Winter Olympic trials, Scheffler’s dedication to her training has been matched by her determination to succeed at Binghamton. Inspired by her parents’ successful business careers — her mother is a lawyer for Bank of America and her father runs a private equity real estate company — Scheffler found SOM’s business administration program offered the perfect opportunity

it feels like

Binghamton also allowed Scheffler to balance her course load with a strict training regimen of 25–30 hours per week, taking her to Connecticut, Washington, D.C., and Utah for practice and competitions. To graduate, Scheffler balanced her skating and academic schedules by taking classes year-round.

And it’s paid off: Scheffler is ranked 15th in the nation for short-track speed skating. Her personal best performance was at the Winter World Cup trials in January 2024, where she finished seventh in the 500-meter race and 12th overall.

“I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t love it,” says Scheffler, who decided to pursue business administration fulltime during her sophomore year.

“I came to really appreciate the collaborative nature of business courses

and the freedom [Binghamton] gave me to pursue all of my different interests in the field,” she says. “SOM allowed me to complete a full year abroad in Amsterdam, learning not only the American business culture, but the European, as well. I was even able to spend a semester doing a deep dive into the management of high-performance sports, learning about the business behind sporting events and athletes.”

Not only did Scheffler learn how to advocate for herself in business situations, but also how to gain confidence and proficiency while working in a group and how to effectively communicate.

“I’m grateful that I could balance my studies at Binghamton with my training in a way that allows me to be a good student and set up my future,

while also getting to compete in the sport that I love,” she says.

Building herself back up

It might be hard to imagine now, but there was a time when the prospect of competing as a speed skater would have never entered Scheffler’s mind.

In her family, track and field has long been the sport of choice. Throughout high school, Scheffler especially loved the 100-meter hurdles. But in her senior year, her car was T-boned, leaving her with a serious back injury that put her trackrunning days to an end.

After some online sleuthing, Scheffler stumbled upon a speed skating club in Danbury, Conn., just 10 minutes from her family home. It mostly involved skaters ages 50 and

Samantha Scheffler ’24 is focused on making the shorttrack speed-skating Olympic Trials for the 2026 Games in Milano and Cortina, Italy.

up, and from what Scheffler could tell, it didn’t seem too physically demanding.

Scheffler got a better idea of how incomplete her perceptions had been after she joined the club and hit the ice for the first time.

Turns out, speed skating is a physical sport.

“Everybody is racing in the same space, so you have passing and crashing, you have penalties, you have pushing, and there can be some pretty bad injuries sometimes,” she says. “But what makes it special is you have five or six skaters on the line who are going 30 mph around a corner that’s only a few meters wide — in the space of a hockey rink, on 17-inch-long blades, trying to pass at the same time. It’s very exciting!”

Just her and the ice

Despite initially underestimating the demands of speed skating, Scheffler was thrilled to discover how she could hold her own with the other skaters.

After her first practice, she met with a coach about competitive training and entered her first competition nearly three months later. At 17, Scheffler was up against women whose ages ranged from 40 to 70, all of whom more closely matched her speed.

Since then, Scheffler has managed to whittle down her time for the 500-meter race each year. When she started skating, she could finish in 1 minute and 13 seconds — she’d shave about 27 seconds off that time in just a few years.

During Scheffler’s undergraduate years, she trained with speed-skating

teams around the country to maximize her ice time. After graduation, she returned to the Netherlands for training and to pursue a master’s degree at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Regardless of whether Scheffler’s next competition takes her one step closer to making the Olympic Trials (the 2026 Winter Games are in Italy), for her, the ultimate thrill behind the sport is the way she feels every time she steps on the ice.

“I’m finally honing the strategy of how to race and figuring out how it feels to be in the pack rather than just chasing and trying to hold on,” she says. “I think that’s a big part of what helped me improve so fast, that it wasn’t about reaching some arbitrary goal. I wanted to skate, I wanted to learn.”

Crossing the finish line as a Binghamton student

What made business education unique for you?

A: It allowed me to tailor the learning experience to my needs. Not only did it allow me to take a lighter course load throughout the fall and spring semesters, but my summer and winter courses were online and from home, which allowed me to train across the East Coast and compete around the country. Another aspect is how helpful and friendly the advisors were. Katie Collette worked with me to come up with a solution for spending two semesters abroad and graduating on time. This allowed me to spend a full year training in Amsterdam and still stay on track.

What academic achievement or experience are you most proud of?

A: What I’m most proud of is how I was able to juggle so many parts of my life and still find success in each. In terms of time, effort and success in school versus athletics, it’s never a clean 50/50 split, but I think managing how the balance ebbs and flows throughout the year is a skill I worked hard to develop.

Any advice for future Binghamton students?

A: My advice would be to keep an open mind and to use the [University’s] resources. There are so many great courses that might not fit into the initial idea of what you want to major in that are worth taking! The professors, advisors and alumni are so helpful with myriad topics. All you have to do is ask!

The book onstewardship

By Ethan Knox ’20

While the movies might make libraries seem like dusty rooms full of old books or detention sites as in The Breakfast Club, few places on college campuses can serve as a greater hub for cultural and informational exchange. Libraries, like Binghamton University’s, make way for innovation while managing enormous quantities of knowledge, old and new.

“Libraries are constantly grappling with this stereo-

New and long-term projects help Libraries grow, remain vital to the University

stewardship

type of what a library is,”

Dean of Libraries Andrea Falcone says. “It’s critical to have a diversified library — services, spaces, collections — that as a single person, I might not understand or even think of. There is something for everyone, at every stage of your academic or research career. We are here to support — but we’re probably even more than you think we are.”

Besides streaming services, e-resources and physical media, the

Libraries offer collaboration spaces, technology platforms, research assistance and much more, all managed by a staff of 90 or so full-time employees and 130 students.

One way the Libraries make this all possible is by constantly growing. The progress is reflected in recent projects: a third-floor renovation in the Glenn G. Bartle Library and a move to the Collection Management Facility (CMF), where ever-expanding resources

are finding a perfect niche in the academic landscape.

These developments will provide opportunities for the collection to best suit community need — and for existing assets, like Special Collections, to flourish.

“Libraries have greatly changed. We used to be gatekeepers of information — collections sat behind a locked room, and you had to talk to a librarian,” says Falcone, who began as dean in July 2023. “Now, you can search and access almost

all of it on your own. That transformation is huge.”

In 1960, when the original library on the Vestal campus was completed, the collection contained only 80,000 volumes. Today, patrons can enjoy more than 1.8 million volumes, housed across four sites and a digital, searchable database.

Binghamton University Libraries consist of several departments and buildings that all rely on each other. The first level of this structure focuses on the four

main locations where collections are stored: Bartle Library, in the center of the main campus; Science Library, located in the Science 2 complex; the University Downtown Center (UDC) Library; and the newest addition, the Collection Management Facility, at 10 Gannett Drive in Johnson City.

While each location holds a variety of subjects, the Science Library plays host to the Sustainability Hub and UDC supports the College of Community and Public Affairs (CCPA). All Libraries locations have their own staff managing resources.

Meanwhile, Bartle Library serves as a main hub, holding administration, reader services, the Information Commons, book processing, preservation, the Digitization Lab, Special Collections and, of course, the well-loved “stacks.”

An ambitious redesign

Since 2021, Bartle has been the site of motivated growth, when construction on its third floor began. This redesign forms a location for the permanent Digital Scholarship Center and a MakerLab for prototyping and fabrication, including 3D printing.

“The goal is to transform the floor into an innovative and inviting space for study, teaching and research,” says Nicki Chanecka, director of library administration. “The

space will include areas for quiet study, collaborative work, instruction, research and our unique collection. Our Digital Scholarship Center will create a community of practice for research and activities in the digital realm on campus.”

Using the spaces will allow the community to connect with experts and materials in new ways. Analyzing trends and meaning to create visualizations in immersive multimedia formats is one opportunity; Falcone also envisions students “dreaming up something digital” in their curricula and making it physical to manipulate and test, or vice versa. She hopes the third floor will inspire Binghamton to solve community issues.

“This ability and confidence to find, assess, evaluate and then create information is so important,” Falcone says. “Understanding data is a skill set that will always be needed. It is not only about making current knowledge available, but helping people understand how they can contribute to and consume it, while allowing them to make their own decisions.”

The floor’s sleek, open-floor look also will be a draw. Another plus in favor of the remodel is its newfound ability to grow with the times and better reflect constituents.

“The third floor will allow for a lot of flexibility,” Chanecka says. “In years to come, when its resources have perhaps evolved differently or aren’t relevant in the

JONATHAN

The renovated third floor of the Glenn G. Bartle Library is scheduled to open in early spring 2025. The floor will be the home to a Digital Scholarship Center and areas for both quiet study and collaboration.

way they are now — that floor is very wide open, and those spaces can be changed to bring in whatever’s next.”

Although construction is nearly complete, the space will require one more push to the end, for collections moving in. The floor is slated to open in early spring 2025.

“We have important core services, and we have great collections. But we are always elevating,” Falcone says. “Our digital scholarship services and our Collection Management Facility are keeping materials in perpetuity for the future. We are trying to future-proof our library, while also continuing to evolve with technology.”

Maintain and elevate

The third floor is not the only place that requires an expert manager’s eye. Matt Gallagher, the director of collection development, and Nancy Abashian, senior director of public services, are using their skill sets to keep every part of the Binghamton University collections exactly where it needs to be.

“Over the last five years and within the next five years, Libraries will have handled almost every single physical item in the collection, for relocation or review,” Gallagher says. “That is a massive undertaking, considering it’s taken us 60 years to accumulate.”

At a Glance

Glenn G. Bartle Library was named in 1972 (known prior as the Harpur College Library); Science Library was built in the early 1970s; and the UDC Library was built in 2007. Here are some statistics for the University Libraries:

Collections numbers

• 3.5 million volumes (print, electronic books)

• 238,339 print and electronic journals

• 385 databases

• 50,000 print/electronic maps

• 150,000 microforms

Patron numbers (2023–24 academic year)

• Patrons per year: 800,000

• Checkouts/average per day: 350

• Checkouts/average per semester: 40,000

• Course reserves: 3,600

The library at Harpur College’s Park House in 1955.

Keeping track of and expanding the collection is no easy task. Gallagher is responsible for financially stewarding research and curricular needs. One example of this activity is called evidenced-based acquisition (EBA) programs. Instead of librarians purchasing ebooks based on intuition, titles that were most used or of interest to faculty within the past year are purchased.

Meanwhile, Libraries must also maintain their alreadyowned resources. Using circulation data, Gallagher ensures that the most frequently used books stay, while relocating or withdrawing items not checked out recently. He also may look at other SUNY schools, to see if the Binghamton copy is the last version in the system or decide if one copy might be better suited in a digital format.

“Certain disciplines still like and want print,” Gallagher says. “In my opinion, academic libraries need to have both — and you need to make sure both the physical and electronic collections are operating together in a healthy fashion so that everyone’s needs are met.”

While Gallagher works behind the scenes, Abashian’s division is front-facing, ensuring users get exactly what they need when they need it.

“Public services are what people see when they walk in the door. It is their first point of engagement,” Abashian says. “Wherever the people are, we bring the collection to them. We move materials around, so people get the resources they want where it’s convenient.”

Only one thing is needed to ensure knowledge is passed along: room to grow. With third-floor renovations

Giving to Special Collections

Special Collections accepts physical donations — although not everything is a good fit for the archive. If it’s a copy of something Special Collections has already, or it doesn’t have research potential for their audiences, then it might be declined.

Maggie McNeely, Binghamton University archivist, is involved in donation processes involving alumni, University departments and programs, faculty and students, who transfer or gift physical and digital items. Some of these donations become public exhibitions on University history.

“Being selective in acquisitions is one way we take care of our resources,” McNeely says. “If you have tidy collections that contain highly usable material, it’s a lot more beneficial to a researcher.”

“There is something for everyone, at every stage of your academic or research career.”

— Andrea Falcone, dean of Libraries

underway in 2021, as well as a bulging storage Annex in Conklin, N.Y., space was getting increasingly hard to find.

To answer that need, the Collection Management Facility was acquired to replace the former Annex. Over months, the Annex’s compendiums were evaluated and moved into their new home, the former Gannett Central New York building off of Route 17 in Johnson City.

The building’s vertical space can accommodate high-density storage, which allows significantly greater capacity. The building contains about 650,000 books and has enough space for about 350,000 more, or a million volumes in total. Instead of using a standard alphabetic filing system, the facility stores books by size and weight. Like a shipping fulfillment warehouse, this allows for much greater accessibility and speedier deliveries.

“Having 35% additional capacity gives us the flexibility to think about spaces here differently,” Gallagher says. “Having that extra space allows us to think about collections more coherently, so that we can expand student spaces to be more cohesive and user-friendly.”

The building is also temperature, pest and humidity controlled. The move to this location allows a greater degree of care and access, as the project also served as an inventory; every book was cleaned, sized and sorted, perhaps for the first time since being acquired. Rare or damaged books were also repaired or transitioned to Special Collections. Every document is available in the Find It! database, to a more accurate degree than before.

“We’ve learned how to manage our collection in a way that maximizes the space and efficiency in retrieval and delivery of materials,” Abashian says. “That allows us to be good stewards of important work, whether they’re important to us at this moment, in the future, or another institutional partner.”

Keeping the past safe

The Libraries’ collections don’t always end at a simple checkout, either. Some materials are given unique care in Special Collections. Many come from irreplaceable sources and revolve around rare topics — often the basis of independent and publishable scholarly research.

“Special Collections could really represent past, present and future, because it’s not all old ‘stuff.’ We have contemporary books that were created by artists this past year and archival collections,” Director of Special Collections

and Library Preservation Blythe Roveland-Brenton says. “We have a very diverse collection; it’s not just classic old books in a back corner somewhere.”

So how does Special Collections acquire its items? That’s a more complicated answer than it might appear. While some might already have been in the general collections and need additional security and care, others may be purchased — adding to an already strong collection, or a collection that contains gaps — or created by students, like the yearly Book Arts competition, which awards the winning entry a spot in the collection each year.

“The most important thing in selecting material for purchase is how it’s going to be used in the classroom and curriculum,” Roveland-Brenton says. “We try to imagine the different ways that audiences could use them. And we like things that are not so pristine! We like the grubby books, where you can tell that there were multiple hands and pass through the generations with other people’s bookplates, little handwritten annotations. That is the fuel for student research projects.”

By safeguarding the digital, Special Collections is ensuring that future students can look back with pride and

enjoy the same materials we have today. But digitizing isn’t always the answer, regardless of trends.

“Materiality is important,” Roveland-Brenton says. “The actual object has qualities that are not going to be captured in a digital image. Students are excited to handle material samples — it can awaken something in them. It’s the feel, it’s the smell. It’s the whole thing together that adds that meaning. I feel confident that there’s always going to be this need for physical material and the person preserving it.”

For every generation of Bearcats, the Binghamton University Libraries system has filled a vital role — a safe harbor to seek information. While TikTok might dominate newsfeeds and it’s handy to order a textbook from Amazon, the Libraries have stood the test of time by adapting to the community they serve. With millions contributing to the enormous data cloud, it seems impossible at times that it can continue to function effectively — yet it does, thanks to the staff.

“We couldn’t do any of this — not even bare bones — without a talented team of people who are willing to keep growing,” Falcone says. “We remain flexible to change and try and embrace that, but it’s the people who make it work.”

The Science Library is located in the east wing of the Science 2 complex. The other Libraries facilities include the Glenn G. Bartle Library, the University Downtown Center Library and the Collection Management Facility.

Driven

If you set foot into the Washington, D.C., office of Darien Wright ’92, you know he’s a National Geographic executive. There’s a bright blue and green map of the Earth and the iconic yellow, rectangular logo prominently displayed on a woodenpaneled wall behind the desk. And tucked among neat stacks of documents, you’ll notice a pile of books — including a copy of A Man of the World, the story of Gilbert Grosvenor, who helmed National Geographic for six decades. After becoming the National Geographic Society’s chief financial officer and chief operating officer in late March 2024, Wright had little doubt that a pivotal role with this renowned global brand — dedicated to using the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to protect the world — would prove the opportunity of a lifetime.

Darien Wright ’92 ready to change the world at the National Geographic Society by the mission

By Anthony Borrelli

“It’s amazing because now it becomes real,” Wright says. “It’s not just some abstract idea of ‘I’m trying to save the Amazon,’ but rather it’s about supporting our Explorers and figuring out not only how to educate people about the important work they’re doing, but to show their positive impact on the world.”

Beyond leading the Society’s financial and operational functions, Wright oversees its leaders, who are responsible for advancing the organization’s mission through its endowment and investment portfolio, technology solutions and Base Camp experiences. He’s also the key liaison to financial leadership at The Walt Disney Company as part of their joint venture, which includes National Geographic Magazine.

Much of the Society’s daily work centers on supporting the global work of its Explorer teams

through grants and other investments to help them continue their efforts in the field. Throughout its 136-year history, the Society has provided more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, and each year it has engaged with some 3 million students through educational offerings and other unique experiences.

At events like the annual National Geographic Explorers Festival, where more than 170 Explorers from nearly 50 nations — including Australia, Canada, Peru and Kenya — descend on Washington, D.C., the staff gets to hear more about and recognize the work firsthand.

Wright wants the Society’s momentum to continue. But he’s also focusing on how to grow its existing brand in the years to come. Among upcoming projects is a transformation of its headquarters into a destination,

with an expanded museum and other experiences.

“Our CEO has spearheaded a strategic plan which outlines key priorities to guide our work,” Wright says. “We’re going to be expanding, and at the same time, we know we will need to identify additional revenue streams and keep in mind what our business model should look like, say, five years from now.”

Wright grew up in the Bronx and graduated from high school in White Plains, N.Y. When he left home and arrived on the Binghamton campus in the fall of 1988 as an accounting major, he quickly learned his college experience could be as enriching as he wanted it to be. He was largely motivated by his father, a Vietnam War veteran who earned his undergraduate degree via night classes.

“My dad set this example of going to school and

learning the fundamentals of business because once you have that, you could pick almost whatever industry you want to get into,” Wright says. “Binghamton was a great training ground for me in terms of technical accounting skills, and it is great to see the University and faculty receive their recent accolades.”

Thanks to the INROADS organization, Wright spent four summers interning with the predecessor firm to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), where he learned how to navigate corporate America and translate the lessons gained in SOM’s classrooms into the caliber of work necessary to succeed at one of the Big Four accounting firms.

As chapter president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., during his senior year, Wright learned one of his most pivotal lessons: how to ensure that decisions are made in the best

interests of the organization, not the individual.

“The roles of accounting and finance have evolved so much over the last few decades that you can no longer just be that person with a calculator or running numbers on a spreadsheet,” Wright says. “Now, you have to engage in business strategy and drive operational decisions that are going to have a long-term impact on the organization.”

Throughout his 25-plusyear career, Wright has added strategic planning to his toolkit. After completing his MBA at the Wharton School, he found roles at Brookfield, Accenture, Sprint Nextel Corporation

and, for nearly 12 years, Marriott International.

There, he held various leadership positions across financial planning and analysis, corporate finance and development asset management. But this wasn’t just a headquarters-only job. Wright traveled to Australia, South America and even Egypt for Marriott projects. Visiting the hotel properties in those countries gave him unique insights into all the various jobs needed to make a hotel operate efficiently.

“You spend time with the associates running the front desk, the restaurant, or housekeeping, and as you do that globally, you grow a strong appreciation for the unique aspects of different

cultures and the importance of teams,” he says.

Having empathy and the ability to talk with people from all types of backgrounds — skills he gained from his mom — has served him well in life and his positions.

“ I’ve learned just how powerful it can be to get involved in missiondriven work.”

—Darien Wright

Wright’s work with Marriott International set the stage for what he’d bring to the National Geographic Society. Over the past decade, he served on three nonprofit boards, including the mental health organization NAMI. In January 2024, his experience caught the attention of a recruiting firm.

“I’ve learned just how powerful it can be to get involved in mission-driven work,” Wright says. “So when someone presents you with the opportunity to join an organization like National Geographic that works with international Explorers protecting the world — that certainly gets your attention. I couldn’t pass it up.”

Darien Wright is part of the group photo at the National Geographic Explorers Festival in Washington, D.C., in June 2024. At the festival, more than 170 Explorers shared their National Geographic-funded work and discussed the impact it has had around the world.

An EVENT-ful 20 years

Center has played host to concerts, commencements, sports and more since 2004

By Eric Coker

More than 4,500 fans packed into the Events Center on Jan. 31, 2004, when Binghamton University opened its 156,000-square-foot multipurpose facility with a men’s basketball game against Hartford. That June, jazz great Harry Connick Jr. performed at the center, while music legend Bob Dylan visited in November 2004.

Twenty years later, the $38 million building remains a draw for the campus community. It hosts sports such as basketball, volleyball, track and field, and wrestling. Recording acts ranging from rock ’n’ roll royalty such as Foo Fighters and Green Day to Top 40 hitmakers such as Drake and Post Malone have entertained audiences there. Commencement ceremonies have featured celebrated alumni speakers: Actors Stephanie

Courtney ’92 and Billy Baldwin ’85, producer/ director Marc Lawrence ’81 and U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries ’92 are just a few who have offered advice to graduates.

The Events Center has also served as a homebase for students. It’s the site of annual job fairs and international student welcome receptions, Shabbat 2000 dinners and Celebrating Women’s Athletics luncheons. And it’s where students cheer for the Bearcats in the BU Zoo.

In the summer of 2006 and the fall of 2011, the center provided refuge and hope to the community as a shelter for thousands of local residents affected by devastating floods.

The following pages feature snapshots (courtesy of University photographer Jonathan Cohen) celebrating the past 20 years.

The Events Center, September 2024.

2004-2009

AN EVENT-FUL 20 YEARS

Fans stormed the Events Center court on March 14, 2009, after the men’s basketball team won the America East championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament (top). A school-record 5,342 fans attended the game. The team fell to Duke five days later in front of 20,000 in Greensboro, N.C.

The flags of the Events Center are seen at right during the 2008 welcome dinner for new international students and their host families.

The era also featured visits from author/humorist David Sedaris (top right) in 2008; comedian Jon Stewart in 2009; and Hillary Clinton in 2006. Foo Fighters (left) rocked the Events Center in 2008.

The Events Center provided shelter to nearly 2,000 Binghamton-area residents evacuated during the 2011 floods (top). Hundreds of University staff and students assisted the Red Cross.

The center has also served as the site for the Job and Internship Fair each semester (left from 2013) and the annual Shabbat dinner hosted by Chabad Center for Jewish Student Life (below from 2013).

Billy Baldwin ’85 (top right) returned to campus for the 2010 Commencement and received the University Medal. Hitmaker Drake (right) brought his “Away From Home” tour to campus that year.

2015-2019 AN EVENT-FUL

20 YEARS

Commencement is always a hit at the Events Center, thanks to performances from the University Wind Symphony (below from 2015) and alumni speakers such as Stephanie Courtney ’92 (aka Flo from the Progressive ads, right from 2015).

The center continued to host high-profile sporting events, such as a wrestling match against topranked Penn State in 2017 (left), and welcomed celebrities such as filmmaker Spike Lee (below from 2015).

20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EVENTS CENTER 2020-2024

Crowds were absent from the Events Center in 2020, when the building was used as a COVID testing site (above). Fans, students, families and others returned to the Events Center for Commencement ceremonies, and to see Coach Levell Sanders’ men’s basketball team (left) and the volleyball team led by star players Tsvetelina Ilieva and Lottie Scully (right).

EXTREME SURGEON

Jason Cohen ’91 performs life-changing procedures on TLC’s ‘Take My Tumor’ TV show

By John Brhel

When Dr. Jason Cohen ’91 met Amy, she had a lump on her back the size of a watermelon. She couldn’t wear a normal bra, had to buy larger clothes than normal and referred to the lump as her “third boob.”

That lump was actually a lipoma: a fatty tumor often situated between the skin and underlying muscle layer. Thanks to Cohen, a surgical oncologist specializing in thyroid and parathyroid surgery, Amy’s lipoma is no more. Cohen removed it during an episode of Take My Tumor, a TLC series on which world-renowned surgeons remove tumors from patients with extreme cases.

“I tend to see a lot of those, and soft tissue masses are actually pretty

common too,” Cohen says of Amy’s case. “Those that get that big are rare, and those that turn into cancers are even rarer. But for someone like me, it’s not a rare thing. It’s a decent amount of my practice.”

Cohen appeared in two other episodes (the six episodes first aired in April and May 2024), helping to remove a tumor from one woman’s backside that kept her from dating and another

from a woman’s shoulder that was so large it led her to retreat from the public eye.

“It’s life-changing. It gives people their life back,” Cohen says. “And it’s certainly a relief when it turns out not to be cancer. But even when they’re cancer, often it’s treatable.”

According to Cohen, 1–5% of the population develops soft tissue tumors. The tumors can often be removed, but the bigger issue is whether or not they can be removed safely. Cohen says it all comes down to proper planning.

“It’s more about making sure you’re prepared for all the things that need to be done to remove it,” he

says. “With ones that are intra-abdominal, especially if they’re cancers, you have to be prepared to potentially remove organs that it’s attached to. Or with a cancer that’s growing on the soft tissue somewhere, you might have to be prepared to remove surrounding muscle, or even possibly remove some nerves, or sacrifice some nerves potentially, to get things out.”

The producers for Take My Tumor, the same team behind the popular Dr. Pimple Popper series on TLC, reached out to Cohen during the pandemic after stumbling upon his podcast, “Gross Anatomy,” in which he discusses pop

culture and how it relates to medicine. The podcast celebrated its sixth anniversary this year.

“One of the reasons I started the ‘Gross Anatomy’ podcast is to find a creative/artistic outlet,” says Cohen, who majored in art and performed in mainstage theater productions at Binghamton University. “But it was also a little bit from people who would see something in pop culture in a movie, and they’d be like: ‘Does that really happen?’ Or they hear about something going on in the world and think, ‘Is that really true? How does this really work?’”

It also didn’t hurt his chances with TLC that

Cohen is a popular face on social media. On Instagram, he’s known as The Thyroid Guy, where he answers questions on thyroid surgery, surgical risks, weight-loss drugs and more. He runs a private practice at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and uses the account to market himself.

“I thought I would be a university-based academic surgeon,” Cohen says. “I never thought I’d have the focus on marketing and social media, never in a million years. But I am. I became that guy.”

Once the show was greenlit, the producers put out a call for people with extreme tumors who

were looking to have them removed. Potential patients were then submitted to Cohen and the other surgeons on the show for consideration.

“Some of the people weren’t necessarily surgical candidates, or some of them were going to be way too complex a type of surgery, and even if they could have been surgical candidates, a potentially too risky, life-threatening type,” Cohen says. “Each of us narrowed it down to those patients that we felt we could do in the appropriate setting and things would go OK, even knowing that there were going to be challenges.”

The film crew was there

to shoot pre-operation (where patients met with Cohen to discuss the procedure), during the actual surgery, and post-operation (where patients were often beaming with joy over the results).

“It was very coordinated,” Cohen says. “The film crew took over the whole office. I had to make sure my partners were going to be OK with it, and that the rest of my partners weren’t going to be too busy and on two other patients that day. Just a little bit of footage takes hours.”

Cohen enjoyed his experience and says it was fun, but there was one drawback. He likes to listen and sing along to music in the

“All of the patients on the show were embarrassed, ashamed, afraid to get help. It’s important to be an advocate for oneself ...”

operating room, but due to copyright issues, no music was allowed during filming.

“It was the worst thing about doing the show,” he says. “When we were operating, I had to listen to my own thoughts, or I did a lot of talking to [the crew], and they’re narrating what I was doing. But that was a funny thing that I didn’t realize. That was kind of a bummer.”

While Cohen enjoyed his time with the show, he’s never thought of himself as a guy in front of the camera and would prefer to be behind the scenes, consulting for medical shows. Until that consulting gig takes off, Cohen is happy at his current job — and

he’s got even more to be proud of. He helped to create a pre-med program at Cedars-Sinai that’s been around for a decade.

But if Take My Tumor wants him back, Cohen is game for more.

“I’m in total limbo, but I’m open for other things if anyone wants to reach out,” he says.

Speaking of reaching out, Cohen hopes that people watching the show learn that it’s important to seek advice if something’s wrong. A small, quarter-size tumor can quickly develop into something large and life-changing.

“All of the patients on the show were embarrassed, ashamed, afraid to get

help,” he says. “It’s important to be an advocate for oneself, and to have other people on your team advocating for you as well. And don’t go it alone.”

Cohen also stresses that it’s important to not always take no for an answer. Get a second, third, or even fourth opinion.

“Even if you know it’s not cancer … it doesn’t mean you ignore it. I have patients with small soft-tissue growths who I see once or twice a year to keep an eye on [the growth], to make sure it doesn’t grow. And I tell them, as long as it’s not symptomatic, as long as it’s not growing and doesn’t look worrisome, and as long as it’s less than a certain size, we potentially can just keep an eye on it. But I say to them: ‘You know, I’m going to be seeing you for the next 100 years, keeping an eye on you.’”

An artistic journey

What’s the path to becoming a world-renowned surgeon? For Dr. Jason Cohen ’91, it was earning a fine arts degree (you read that right) at Binghamton University.

Cohen wanted to be a doctor at a young age. He was in awe of his pediatrician, who could make you feel better with some medicine — and made house calls! But he also had an interest in art.

“I was always artsy-craftsy,” Cohen says. “My mom always encouraged the arts, and I went off to college thinking, ‘OK, I’m going to be a bio major, maybe get a bachelor’s in science and go to med school.’ But I also thought maybe I’ll take an occasional art class.”

While taking a drawing class with Professor Emerita Linda Sokolowski, Cohen learned that he was “more than a little craftsy.” He could draw — and do it well. During a later painting class, he had a revelation.

“I was struggling one day in class, working on the composition of a painting,” Cohen says. “And then just something clicked, and I totally changed the way the painting was, changed the composition. And it was at that moment that I knew this is something I should continue.”

He had planned on minoring in art, but decided to submit his work and see if he could get into the Bachelor of Fine Arts program. He did, and had a great time pursuing his passions.

“I was always balancing the two, and figuring out: ‘Is there some way I could do a little bit of both?’ Because art is really my passion. It’s always been an interesting tug of war within me,” he says.

While Cohen eventually decided to follow his initial plans to be a doctor, he still paints to this day. He credits Binghamton with allowing him to explore multiple interests, and he likes to impart the following wisdom to his three children:

“I tell them: ‘You’ve got to make your own experiences; you can’t just rely on one thing. And at Binghamton, I did a lot of different things. I played intramural floor hockey, joined a fraternity, did theater, became an art major. I was pre-med. I did all of those different things that I might not have done somewhere else. And I got very lucky. It was because of all those things I had this wonderful, eclectic college experience.”

For Christine Conti,anything is possible

2002 graduate conquers health crisis to become

IDEA’s World Fitness Instructor of the Year

By Eric Coker

CHRISTINE CONTI ’02 could have easily said “I can’t” in the days and months after being diagnosed with advanced rheumatoid arthritis in 2009.

After all, Conti’s grandmother received the same diagnosis decades earlier, confining her to a wheelchair until her death when Conti was 10. The aggressive autoimmune disease, which attacks the body and can cause permanent joint and organ damage, left Conti facing treatments of chemotherapy and other medications — and initially feeling devastated.

“I’m only 30!” she recalls thinking. “I have a young child and two cats and a picket fence! … It was almost like a death sentence. It took me back to my childhood with a quadriplegic grandmother.”

Christine Conti runs in the 2022 Boston Marathon for the Alzheimer’s Association.

Instead of giving in to the pain and the fears of suffering, Conti summoned the words that would become her life mantra: “Yes, you can.”

“I’ve always thought: You’re not taking me down that easily,” she says. “It got to the point where I said: ‘You can do something or do nothing.’ Always choose ‘something.’ You have the ability to help others through what you’re doing.”

Conti has certainly helped herself and others over the past 15 years. The former English teacher and investment banker reinvented herself as a medical fitness specialist and educator, a podcast host, a motivational speaker, an author and a business leader. Conti’s health improved so much that she has run more than 50 marathons and ultraendurance races. She’s also a four-time IRONMAN.

And in July 2023, Conti’s wellness work with chronic disease patients helped earn her a prestigious national honor: The IDEA World Fitness Instructor of the Year Award.

CONTI, FITNESS and Binghamton University have been connected for 40 years. As a child, Christine Van Schaick traveled to campus with her Babylon, Long Island, family to watch older sister Julie (a 1988 Binghamton graduate) play for the Colonials’ volleyball team.

“I was exposed to Binghamton — and the SUNY system — at a young age,” Conti says.

Familiarity made the college decision easy: Conti followed

in her sister’s footsteps to not only attend Binghamton but also play volleyball. She started and excelled as an outside hitter, while receiving a degree in English and taking business, psychology and exercise-science classes.

“I came out of college with a great degree and a great experience,” she says. “I got to play, be a leader and be part of intelligent conversations on campus. I was only four hours from home. It was an amazing choice.”

That Binghamton base played a role in Conti’s life and career changes after her advanced rheumatoid arthritis went into remission. She researched exercise science, wellness and nutrition in an attempt to develop ways to help people — physically and emotionally — with chronic diseases. Conti also started running, making a “bucket list” of challenges.

“The only reason I ever ran in volleyball was when we got in trouble,” she says with a laugh. “I said: ‘If my legs are going to give out, I’m doing this, this and this first.’ I wasn’t going to talk about the negatives: Let’s go out there and be the change.

“The love for movement my entire life was the foundation for what I was meant to do,” she adds.

CONTI ALREADY HAD

written Medical Fitness

Educational courses and developed programs for chronic disease patients by the late 2010s. National workshops and keynote talks gave her findings a greater audience, and soon she was getting help requests from people with ailments ranging from late-stage cancer to Parkinson’s to Alzheimer’s to autism to spinal stenosis.

The patient work was supplemented by a podcast (“Two Fit Crazies and a Microphone”) and a 2022 book called Split-Second Courage, which encourages readers to “charge headfirst into their fears,” think positively, and turn their misfortune and pain into the best life possible.

“I was given a sickness,” Conti says. “It changed my life in a positive way. The diagnosis made me realize that my life was finite and there was a reason why I’m here: to inspire other people who feel like they can’t go on.”

Conti was able to further spread her “anything is possible” message when she received her World Fitness Instructor of the Year Award from IDEA, an international association representing fitness and wellness professionals. Conti did not use her acceptance speech to the IDEA World Fitness Convention in Los Angeles to read a list of “thank yous.” Instead, she used the platform to stress the power of positivity to inspire others to use exercise and nutrition to prevent disease.

“That night and that award gave me the ability to make a

bigger impact,” says Conti, adding that she does not “tolerate negativity.”

“Negativity causes stress. Stress causes inflammation. Inflammation affects the body and the mind, which affects your overall health,” she says. “The goal is to be the lighthouse. The lighthouse doesn’t go chasing boats in the harbor. People say social media can be toxic. I shine so bright you would’ve been blinded and deleted me 10 years ago!”

AN EXAMPLE OF CONTI’S

life-changing impact can be found on the IRONMAN course in Hawaii, where she helped to guide Marlynne Stutzman in 2023 as the first woman with autism to compete in the IRONMAN World Championship. Conti, who took part in her first IRONMAN (defined as a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26-mile marathon) in Lake Placid, N.Y., in 2018, became a guide after being inspired by people who weren’t letting ailments prevent them from competing in races. She met Chris Nikic, the first athlete with Down syndrome to complete all of the major marathons, and guided him in a half-IRONMAN.

“When I had some races under my belt, I felt like I could give back,” Conti says. “A guide does the [entire] race with the athletes. But you can’t worry about yourself. You need to have the experience and education to navigate the race.”

Conti is now training Thomas Welsh, a 29-year-old with autism from Florida, who plans to complete the World Marathon Majors in the next couple of years.

For these athletes, the rewards are more than physical, Conti says.

“Exercise isn’t just about exercise,” she says. “It’s not just lifting weights or how fast you can run: It’s about feeling good. … When you see

someone in a marathon being pushed in a wheelchair, they’ll say they don’t have a disability. They’re in a race. They feel like everyone else. They forget they have Down syndrome or one leg or a disease.”

Conti, based in New Jersey with her husband and two children, continues to display her “yes, you can” attitude in 2024. She co-founded Reinventing the Women International with author/ speaker Lisa Charles. The organization mentors women of all ages and professions, working to connect

them and help them grow brands and support systems. She’s also CEO of FitFixNow, an online, continuingeducation company for fitness professionals, personal trainers, athletic trainers and more.

“It’s all an offshoot of: Let’s get people healthier and happier,” she says. “From empowering women to FitFixNow to my book, everything is about being as healthy and independent for as many years as possible — because there is no other way to think.”

Besides being a fitness specialist, author, podcast host and motivational speaker, Christine Conti has run dozens of marathons and is a four-time IRONMAN.

BRINGING THE NYC SUBWAY TO THE BIG SCREEN

 New York’s transit system is a lifeline for millions and is highly sought after by moviemakers who want their work to capture the city’s energy. Ruthie Jones ’96 helps balance both sets of interests.

Jones is senior manager of film and special events for MTA Construction and Development. She has been with the agency since 2004, and previously served as director of film and special events for MTA New York City Transit. Jones’ department reviews and executes requests for access to MTA properties.

“While the MTA welcomes filming and actively tries to help productions achieve their vision, its primary reason for existence is transportation,” Jones says. “When accommodating filming or special event requests, we’re always mindful of customers. Although you may see a crowded subway car on the big screen, we don’t allow filming on in-service trains. If a production requires a train, they’d have to rent one.”

1996

The variety of project locations, the types of trains requested and the varying levels of difficulty in helping a director are just some of the reasons Jones loves her job. Her list of notable and challenging projects is lengthy — it includes Tom Ford’s Spring 2020 fashion show, which turned an abandoned subway platform into a runway for his upscale brand.

“Recently, we worked on a Spike Lee movie which allowed us to film in three out of the four subway boroughs,” she says. “[The 2009 movie] The Taking of Pelham 123 was a great experience because there were so many locations, and it involved the cooperation of a lot of different departments in NYC Transit.”

She adds that The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’s pop-up busking performances were like having a mini-concert in the subway. Other projects required even more innovation.

“The Joker, In the Heights and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel were challenging because we had to find period-appropriate locations and we used trains from the 1930s and 1960s stored at the New York Transit Museum,” Jones says. “We provided the directors with a station we’ve never used for filming, which came with a new set of challenges. Filming had to stop, and the movie train had to move to allow the refuse trains to enter so we can keep the system clean.” — STEVE SEEPERSAUD

1966

Rafe Martin ’66, award-winning author and Zen Rōshi (senior teacher), has two new books out, one for children and one for adults. His latest children’s book, The Brave Little Parrot (Wisdom Publications, 2023), a re-creation of a 2,500-year-old Buddhist tale of vision, courage and compassion, is an NYC Big Book Award winner in the category “Children’s/Inspirational.” His latest work for adults, A Zen Life of Bodhisattvas (Sumeru Books, 2023), uses folklore, myth, legend and Zen koans to explore Zen practice as a practical and tested path to help us mature fully as human beings and unlock our innate potential for wisdom and compassion. His writings have appeared in Tricycle, Lion’s Roar, Buddhadharma, Parabola, Inquiring Mind and The Sun, as well as other noted publications. An award-winning author of more than 20 books, his work has been cited in Time, Newsweek, The New York Times and USA Today.

1969

Michael Blumenthal ’69 published Correcting the World: Poems Selected and New, 1980–2023 (Ravenna Press, 2024).

1972

Peter Kratka ’72 published Golf is a Four Letter Word, detailing his struggles to master the game.

1974

Phil Wetjen ’74 had a “Notes from the Field” article in Critical Asia Studies that outlines similarities between the American experience at Valley Forge (1777–78) and the Chinese Communist Party residence in Yan’an (1935–49).

1974/ 1978

Tony Quagliata ’74, founder and president of the Greater Binghamton Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, and Jim Maggiore ’78, MAT ’83, collaborated on Greater Binghamton’s Sports Hall of Fame and Museum: Honoring and Remembering Our Community’s Legends of Sport

1975

Joseph Ferst ’75 retired from Deloitte Tax LLP after 23 years, where he founded and led tax technology practices. He also ran the Atlanta and Southeast real estate tax practices.

Joseph Palau, MA ’75, PhD ’78, retired from a financial services IT management career on Wall Street. He teaches for Southern New Hampshire University.

1977

Mark Freeman ’77 wrote Toward the Psychological Humanities: A Modest Manifesto for the Future of Psychology (Routledge, 2024) and co-edited The Use and Abuse of Stories: New Directions in Narrative Hermeneutics (Oxford, 2023).

1981

Perry Binder ’81 wrote Innovative College Teaching: Tips & Insights from 14 Master Teachers (Independent, 2024).

1984

Aaron Mair ’84, LHD ’18, contributed campaign records, strategic plans, letters to the editor, action alerts and maps to the Library of Congress for its Environmental Justice Collection. This will document the work of pioneers to protect vulnerable communities struggling to cope with the impacts of locally generated air and water pollution, excessive noise, commercial traffic and proximity to heavy industries. Mair was president of the Sierra Club.

1986

Mark Solkoff ’86, MA ’89, MAT ’89, received the New York State Theatre Education Association Rod Marriott Award for Lifetime Achievement in Educational Theatre.

Gail Wein: In her own words

 Gail Wein ’82 is president of the New York-based Classical Music Communications, which provides marketing services for artists and projects in classical music. She launched the company in 2008 and has been a classical music critic for The Washington Post, as well as a radio host and producer for National Public Radio (NPR) programs.

“I pride myself on having had an array of very different jobs and careers over the years,” she says. “At Binghamton, a double major in music (passion) and mathematics (practical) with an unofficial degree in radio via WHRW (the most crucial experience of all) pointed me to several different paths.

“Major turning points in my working life came from bold moves spurred by a deep desire to change directions. Not content with life as an actuary and computer programmer, I did everything I could to get work in

radio. Years later, when a new job at a major radio network didn’t work out, I took an enormous leap, moving across the country to start anew. When jobs were scarce, I launched my own publicity company serving classical musicians — going strong for 16 years.”

Wein lists some career highlights:

• The thrill of being on the radio: “From my first day at WHRW to my big-city stint as morning drive host at WETA in Washington, every moment on the air was exhilarating.”

• As a journalist: “Meeting and interviewing some of the people I most admired in the music world — from Yo-Yo Ma, Johnny Cash and Béla Fleck to composers Steve Reich and Philip Glass and conductors Marin Alsop and Leonard Slatkin — and producing these interviews for local and national broadcast.”

• As a writer: “Seeing my first concert review published in The Washington Post, followed by a couple hundred more.”

• In business: “The moment it dawned on me that the set of independent projects I had strung together was a full-time job. Suddenly, I was running a successful business.”

• Travel: “An enviable assignment as producer of a radio program about music festivals took me all over California and on a Mediterranean cruise; journalist junkets to Budapest, Italy and Vail; and Bali to cover an American gamelan ensemble’s tour for NPR.”

• Appearances: “Host and narrator for U.S. Air Force Band shows at the venerable DAR Constitution Hall with guest artists including José Feliciano and Cleo Laine.”

• Living my dream in New York City: “Going to concerts every night and being an integral part of the classical music world.” — STEVE SEEPERSAUD

1987

Carol Dean Archer ’87 wrote To Kilimanjaro from Jeffery Town and Cities in Between (Independent, 2023), which highlights some Binghamton experiences, particularly as Caribbean Student Association president.

John Fracchia ’87, MBA ’90; Ross Herman ’85; and Michael Paes ’87 are in the band Loose Change, which released its first album of original music. The three met at Binghamton, where they played in Side Effects.

1988

Mary M. Bendel-Simso, MA ’88, PhD ’92, was promoted to dean of the faculty at McDaniel College in Westminster, Md. As a professor of English at McDaniel, she has taught in the department since 1995. For more than 25 years, she has been involved in leading the college’s Phi Beta Kappa national honor society.

Melissa Malkin-Weber ’88 is a founding co-director of the North Carolina Clean Energy Fund, a nonprofit financial institution focused on accelerating decarbonization.

Kim Lamar Shelton ’88, MAT ’90, received a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Keepers of the Flame Award from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

1992

Joan Rhoa ’92 was named the 2024 Certified Breast Care Nurse of the Year by the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation. She is a clinical nurse in the Women’s Center at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, Calif.

1993

Linda (Michetti) Murray ’93 was elected as a town justice in Rhinebeck, N.Y., in 2023.

Joanna Silver ’93 became the inaugural general counsel at Sarah Lawrence College in July.

Jeffrey J. Weiss ’93 joined the Buffalo office of Bond, Schoeneck & King. He counsels school districts on special-education matters.

1994

Eric Stoopler ’94 received the Diamond Pin Award from the American Academy of Oral Medicine. It is presented for exceptional and dedicated service to the academy.

1996

Stephanie Cohen Katzovicz ’96 (as Steph Katzovi) wrote MiscommuniCamp! (Brown Books Kids, 2024), the sequel to her novel, HurriCamp! Her Camp Hillside series was named after the residence hall where Katzovicz lived in her senior year.

Ronald Palmer, PhD ’96, wrote Brother Nervosa (Barrow Street Press, 2024).

Jason R. Rohr ’96, MAT ’97, PhD ’02, Galla Professor and Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame, is the U.S. national champion for the Frontiers Planet Prize, which recognizes research that accelerates sustainability. His research focuses on reducing schistosomiasis, a disease that causes organ damage and death, and is transmitted to humans from snails infected with flatworms.

Arthur Turfa, MA ’96, published a short-story collection, Epiphanies (Alien Buddha Press, 2024).

1997

Michael Schnall ’97 is director of government and community affairs at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

1998

Bernadette (Crespo) Stark ’98 was nominated by Massachusetts Gov. Maura T. Healey as an associate justice of the Probate and Family Court, and subsequently confirmed by the Governor’s Council. Stark presides over domestic relations, probate and equity matters.

1996

Robert Melstein ’96 is lead director of corporate communications, with an emphasis on digital platforms, at CVS Health. He spearheaded a new, data-driven corporate website: CVSHealth.com. Before his communications roles, Melstein spent more than a decade in television news at outlets including CNBC and CNN. He is a trustee on his local school board and a member of Page Up, part of the Arthur W. Page Society. He lives with his wife and son (maybe a future Bearcat?) in Westchester County, N.Y.

NURSING EDUCATOR’S ‘LOVE FOR TEACHING’ COMES FROM DECKER

 Edwin-Nikko R. Kabigting ’13, MS ’16, PhD ’19, teaches patient care with an approach coming from the intersection of nursing and philosophy. He earned Binghamton degrees in both fields and said they’ve been the foundation for an award-winning nursing education career.

Kabigting is assistant professor in the Foundations in Adult Nursing Practice Department at Adelphi University. He earned the 2023 Nursing Education Award from the American Nurses Association-New York.

He is heavily influenced by the “humanbecoming paradigm,” which he learned from creator Rosemarie

Rizzo Parse, who is a visiting scholar and professor in the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

“What the paradigm speaks to is that the individual before you is not just a disease or someone to fill a checklist with,” Kabigting says. “Each patient is a unique co-creation with their own hopes and dreams. In the traditional medical model, someone is telling you what to do. With the paradigm, we focus on what’s important to them at this moment in time.”

In addition to a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Harpur College, Kabigting has four degrees and certificates from Decker, some earned while working as a nurse for Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and United Methodist Homes in Binghamton.

“My love for teaching started at Decker,” he says. “It really began when I was a [simulation] instructor. I learned how to interact with students. I thought, at some point earlier, I’d go back home to New York City, but I stayed in Binghamton and found myself getting degree after degree because I believed in the educational mission and Binghamton felt like home.” — STEVE SEEPERSAUD

1999

Luis Sabillon ’99 joined the global insurance services practice at Goldberg Segalla in White Plains, N.Y., focusing on insurance analysis and litigation.

2000

Shantay Carter ’00 wrote Love, Lift, Lead: A Guide to Empower Young Women and Teenagers to Transform Pain into Power (Thanx A Mills, LLC, 2024).

Mara N. Harvey ’00 joined the Melville, N.Y., office of Bond, Schoeneck & King. She practices in school law, labor and employment, and municipal law.

2001

Jeffrey Yip ’01 produced Dragon of Concrete Jungles With more than 200 photos, the book tells the story of his father teaching kung fu in Manhattan’s Chinatown.

2002

Leah Umansky ’02 produced a third poetry collection, Of Tyrant (Word Works, 2024).

2012

Stephanie Fox Tunis ’12 is a middle school principal at a charter school in Bridgeport, Conn., that serves underprivileged children. She had a second son, Paul; her older son is 4 years old.

2003

Stephanie M. Alberts ’03, co-chair of the tax, trusts and estates practice group at Forchelli Deegan Terrana LLP, was selected by Long Island Business News as one of the Most Dynamic Women Leaders on Long Island 2024.

Liana Andreasen, PhD ’03, published her short story collection, Whirl of Birds. She teaches at South Texas College.

Chad Reyes ’03 and Matt Stern ’03 collaborated on Awaken Your Potential: 10 Ways to Unlock Greatness (Forefront Books, 2024), to help people fulfill their potential, become leaders and help others.

Lauren Schnitzer ’03 joined the Melville, N.Y., office of Bond, Schoeneck & King, focusing on education, labor and municipal law, and civil litigation.

Paul Collins, MA ’03, PhD ’05, received his second C. Herman Pritchett Best Book Award from the Law and Courts Section of the American Political Science Association for Supreme Bias: Gender and Race in U.S. Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings (Stanford University Press, 2023).

2005

Jason Hornung ’05 is a partner at CohnReznick LLP, a leading advisory, assurance and tax firm.

2007/08

William Berg ’07 and Juliette Guarino Berg ’08 welcomed their second child, Asher Russell. He joins sister Ophira. The family resides in Queens.

2008

Craig Goldwasser ’08 was elected to the board of the Children’s Dream Foundation, working to ensure top-tier healthcare for children in New York’s Hudson Valley region.

Lee Lefkowitz ’08 is a partner at Zarin & Steinmetz, a land use, real estate and environmental law firm based in Westchester County, N.Y.

2010

Maura McGuire ’10 joined Adams Leclair LLP, where she centers her practice on complex business disputes and real estate litigation.

2011

Kathleen Farrell ’11 is a partner at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman LLP, focusing on commercial leasing, asset purchase and sales, and real estate development.

Nicholas P. Jacobson ’11 was elected partner at Bond, Schoeneck & King, practicing in the Rochester office, assisting employers with a variety of workplace issues.

PHOTOS

ALUM DEVELOPS WIRELESS POWER ON EARTH AND IN SPACE

 Josh Yank, MBA ’14, is unleashing true wireless power through Yank Technologies, Inc. The company develops flexible, long-range and high-power wireless charging technology for automotive interiors, factories and the space program.

Yank started his business while completing his degree, and he landed contracts from the auto industry after charging a cell phone in a contactless manner inside a friend’s Jeep Compass.

“Wireless power is very challenging,” Yank says. “There was a well-known MIT study in which a light bulb was charged from a distance of a few meters. However, the system was very sensitive to changes in distance and alignment. If the light bulb was moved a few centimeters closer or further away, the whole system could be damaged. That’s not practical for applications like powering a car seat, which can be frequently adjusted by passengers.”

The downside of automotive contracts is that he’s working on cars that won’t be produced for several years, which means a long wait for royalties. The company derived more immediate revenue from a recently fulfilled contract with NASA to develop a wireless system delivering

several kilowatts of power to future robotics on the Moon.

“Lunar regolith or Moon dirt is very abrasive because there is little to no atmosphere,” Yank says. “So, mechanical connections are unreliable, because the dirt is abrasive and gets everywhere. Plugging in to charge something is not realistic. With wireless power, you can enable the

establishment of lunar habitat.”

Yank Technologies was selected for two additional NASA contracts: one for wirelessly charging NASA robots on the Moon more efficiently and reliably; the other for new connectors for the Moon and Mars to reliably interface with power transmission lines in the establishment of lunar and planetary colonies. — STEVE SEEPERSAUD

2014

Jennifer Case, PhD ’14, wrote We Are Animals (Trinity University Press, 2024), a book that examines key moments in the author’s life as a 21st-century woman and childbearing mammal.

2016

Brianna Socci ’16, COO and founder of UBERDOC, swept the 2024 Startup Boston Community Awards, winning Startup and Founder of the Year. UBERDOC is a femalefounded health-tech company.

2017

Lauren “L.A.” Garnett ’17 published The Spiraling: Book One of the Tunsealiorian Saga (2024).

2018

Celine Dorsainvil ’18 is an associate at Barclay Damon, assisting clients with protecting, transferring and commercializing their intellectual property assets.

2019

Julia Furlipa, MS ’19, wrote The 7+ Lifestyle (Bowker Publishing Services, 2024), exploring the relationship between pH levels, weight loss, diseases and specific cancers.

2020

Moses Dixon, PhD ’20 is president and CEO of the Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging, Inc. Dixon was one of 60 people selected for the ninth annual class of Presidential Leadership Scholars. The program has catalyzed a diverse network of established leaders brought together to collaborate and make a difference in the world.

2022

Brady Andrews and Guri Hecht, both ’22, were in the summer associate class of Conway, Donovan & Manley. They are third-year students at Albany Law School.

2023

Oluwateniayo Sopitan, PharmD ’23, is the first graduate of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences to be elected to the Binghamton University Alumni Association Board of Directors. Her term of service began July 1. She is a PharmD fellow in the Rutgers University Fellowship program, working as a product manager at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. At Binghamton, Sopitan was a volunteer coach for the women’s volleyball team for two seasons. She served as vice president of the Oncology Pharmacy Student Organization and served on various committees for the pharmacy school’s student government.

IN MEMORIAM

Anton Weiss ’64 died Dec. 18, 2023, in Key West, Fla., at the age of 81. He practiced law for 50 years. He is survived by his wife, Junghi; son, Mason; daughter, Camille; stepson, Eddie; and many relatives and friends.

Evelyn Beebe Homer ’66 died Aug. 7, 2022, in Chapel Hill, N.C., after a struggle with Huntington’s disease. She is survived by her husband, Carl Homer ’66; daughter, Lindsay; and many relatives and friends. She taught science and biology for 25 years before retiring in 2001.

Robert J. Vawter ’70 of Ballston Lake, N.Y., died Feb. 17, 2024, at the age of 75. He worked in the Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau from 1975 until retirement in 2009 as a principal attorney. He is survived by his wife, Mary; his son, David; daughter, Teresa; six grandchildren; and many relatives and friends.

Arthur S. Fredricksen ’75, of Owego, N.Y., died June 11, 2024, at the age of 70. He is survived by his wife, Diane; son, Andrew; and many relatives and friends. Fredricksen retired from Lockheed Martin in Owego.

Julie Lombardi ’81 died Nov. 10, 2023, following a battle against ovarian cancer. She is survived by her husband, Tom Lombardi ’81; her son, Gregory; son, Andrew and his wife, Ashley.

John Hordines Jr. ’89 died Oct. 10, 2021, at the age of 54. He served his community as a vascular surgeon. He is survived by his wife, Beth (Estin) Hordines ’90; and their sons, John III and Matthew.

Sean Ahern, MPA ’19, police officer for Endicott, N.Y., died March 8, 2024, as a result of complications related to acute respiratory issues. He is survived by his wife, Lindsay, and his four children.

BOLD ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT WITH MAYA TIERNEY

 Maya Tierney ’22 is a member of the Bearcats of the Last Decade (BOLD) Leadership Council, which works in close partnership with the Office of Alumni Engagement to plan events and programs for recent Binghamton graduates.

Q: What do you do professionally?

2022

A: I work at a criminal appeals public defender’s office as the paralegal for the office’s Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act practice area. Under this law, passed in 2019, people can be resentenced if we can demonstrate that our clients were survivors of domestic violence and it was a significant contributing factor to their crime. I gather evidence for these cases and serve as the point of contact for clients and their families until an attorney is assigned to them.

Q: Why did you choose to attend Binghamton University?

A: I was inspired by the students I met when I toured. They were genuine, practical people I aspired to be like. I immediately felt comfortable with everyone I met and knew it would be a good fit.

Q: What led you to join the council and what are you hoping to achieve?

A: My experience at Binghamton was greatly impacted by the generosity of alumni, and I hope to pay that forward. Through the Harpur Law Council, I was able to have a summer internship with an alumni lawyer at the New York City Department of Education’s Administrative Trials Unit, where I worked on cases involving teacher misconduct. The Binghamton Fund made my summer internship possible at Sheffield Hallam University in England, where I had the opportunity to assist with refugee family reunion cases. During my time as an undergraduate, the alumni also taught me the value of being generous with your time. I have learned so much from my conversations with alumni and I am excited the council can facilitate the forming of relationships post-graduation.

Q: Why should other BOLD alumni be involved?

A: BOLD alumni account for nearly half of the University’s alumni. It is imperative that we stay connected with Binghamton and that young alumni are engaged. There are many ideas young alumni contribute, and their presence is important to the future of Binghamton. — STEVE SEEPERSAUD

NEW BOOK RELEASES

THE HARVESTING OF HAYSTACKS KANE

Steve Schlam ’66

8th House Publishing, 2024

At the age of 78, Schlam has released his debut novel. This work of literary fiction tells the story of Haystacks Kane, a 607-pound professional wrestler and dedicated butterfly collector, born Herschel Cain in Brooklyn. He has been gravely injured in a match with his archrival and longtime nemesis and is lying in his hospital bed, immobilized and unable to speak, attempting to figure out what has happened, both in the immediate sense and over the longer course of his life — and what to do about it.

A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE RECENT EVOLUTION OF B2B SALES

Joel G. Cohn ’67

IGI Global, 2024

Seismic shifts in B2B selling brought about by the pandemic have left scholars wondering whether these changes will endure, or if we will revert to familiar norms of in-person interactions. Cohn’s book is designed for scholars seeking clarity in uncertain times. Academics have struggled with several questions in recent years. Among them: What transpired in sales activities during the pandemic? Does the surge in virtual selling signify a lasting transformation, or is it merely a temporary adaptation?

INNOVATIVE TREATMENT APPROACHES IN FORENSIC AND CORRECTIONAL SETTINGS

Michael Siglag ’80 (editor)

Routledge, 2024

Siglag calls his book a must-have for administrators and clinicians seeking effective, state-of-the-art approaches. This publication describes targeted therapeutic interventions, programmatic approaches, and systemwide transformations of forensic mental health services. Interventions include creative applications of a variety of multidimensional and theoretically grounded approaches.

CIRCULATING JIM CROW: THE SATURDAY EVENING POST AND THE WAR AGAINST BLACK MODERNITY

Adam McKible ’84

Columbia University Press, 2024

Beneath its recognizable Norman Rockwell covers, The Saturday Evening Post was a polarizing publication. Some view the magazine as a cultural marker of a bygone era of American life. A more troubling look at the Post reveals its justification of racism and white supremacy. Longtime editor George Horace Lorimer oversaw the publishing of works by white authors making heavy use of paternalistic tropes and demeaning humor, portraying Jim Crow segregation and violence as common sense. McKible also explores how Black writers pushed back against the Post and its racism.

TABITHA, GET UP

Lee Upton, PhD ’86

Sagging Meniscus, 2024

Protagonist Tabitha is a lonely and financially struggling biography writer whose search for human connection and paying gigs is clumsy and desperate while somewhat charming. To make herself feel better and bring in some money, she attempts to write two biographies at the same time: one about a famous actor, the other about a children’s writer who was outed for writing erotica.

ART FROM YOUR CORE: A HOLISTIC GUIDE TO VISUAL VOICE

Kate Kretz ’87

University of Chicago Press, 2024

As a self-described “older artist with little to lose,” Kretz produced a book focused solely on the development of a strong and unique identity as an artist. She is straightforward — delivering a mix of kindness and tough love — saying what aspiring artists need to hear but few people have the courage to tell them. As Kretz tells it: “I wrote the book that I wish someone had handed me at the beginning of my career, one that articulates some of the more slippery aspects of the creative process and being an artist.”

NEGATIVE GIRL

Libby Cudmore ’05

Datura Books, 2024

Cudmore’s second novel is a whiskey-soaked mystery introducing a dynamic duo joining forces to crack a case that is deliciously noir. Former rock star and now private investigator Martin Wade and his assistant, Valerie Jacks, are hired by a young woman who wants them to deliver a warning to her overbearing father. But neither realize the new client’s father is Martin’s old bandmate, a man still burdened with regret at being thrown out of Martin’s group almost two decades before. When their young client is found dead, a sense of duty, nostalgia and guilt find Martin and Valerie on the case searching for the young woman’s killer.

THE WHOLE MOTHER METHOD: HOW TO CALL BACK YOUR VOICE FROM THE PAIN OF C-SECTION BIRTH TRAUMA AND RENEW YOUR SPIRITUAL POWER

Laura Eustache Zamor ’12

Resilient Writer’s Project, 2024

C-section birth trauma can significantly change the life path of any new mother. Often described as a life-saving intervention, sudden C-section births leave a mother feeling guilt, shame, anger and frustration. Sadly, many mothers suppress or deny their feelings. Zamor takes readers into the depths of her own tragic experience with a near-death C-section birth experience. Through a three-part framework, she shares how mothers can use practical tools to rebuild their mind, body and spirit for the long haul.

1965 GRADUATE RETURNS WITH A HUMOROUS TAKE ON PREJUDICE

 Richard Walter ’65 is an author of best-selling fiction and nonfiction, celebrated storytelling educator, screenwriter, script consultant, lecturer and retired professor who led the screenwriting program in the film school at UCLA for several decades. His new novel, Deadpan (Heresy Press, 2024), follows the misadventures of a vaguely antisemitic West Virginia car dealer who wakes up one day transformed into the world’s most popular Jewish comedian.

Binghamton University Magazine: Where did the idea for Deadpan come from?

Walter: Deadpan was inspired by Franz Kafka’s timeless early 20th-century story The Metamorphosis, in which a man awakens one morning to discover he has been transformed into an insect. I wondered: What else besides a bug or a beetle could a man inexplicably become? I decided upon the world’s most popular stand-up comedian. And because so many comedians are Jews, I decided to make the man a vaguely antisemitic auto dealer who spends a day in the life of a Jew.

BM: You’re from Queens and went to Binghamton before settling in Los Angeles. How was West Virginia chosen as the setting?

RW: My intent was to cast the protagonist as an auto dealer in rural America who covertly blames Jews for the failure of his business. When I first drove out to the West Coast, I was surprised to discover that a narrow outcropping of West Virginia lies between Pennsylvania and Ohio. When I sat down to write Deadpan, it struck me that it was exactly the right place.

BM: What elements of yourself, if any, are present in the main character?

RW: There is no mezuzah over my door. I don’t keep kosher. And if I belonged to a synagogue, it would be so reformed as to close for the Jewish holidays. That said, every cell in my body, every thought in my head and every word that I write is informed by my Ashkenazi soul. I am also a trained actor and experienced public speaker who has occasionally performed stand-up. The first time I ever did so was during the 1960s on campus in Binghamton.

BM: What do you want readers to experience?

RW: I want, first of all, for them to laugh. Deadpan is a funny tale about an unfunny subject: hate speech and bigotry in general, and antisemitism in particular. My intention was to posit that while racial and religious prejudice does not require arson, rape and murder, it is the quieter, more widespread, seemingly benign bigotry that enables hatemongers to perpetrate violence. I’m not the least bit happy that the subject has become so wretchedly, dreadfully timely. — STEVE SEEPERSAUD

Sophie Hsu, left, taught English to elementary-school students in Japan during her international internship.

Zhiqiao Huang interned in Ghana and Vanuatu, collecting public health data to assist Binghamton faculty research.

Live, learn, love interning abroad

You make the world Binghamton’s classroom

We live in a world that has been profoundly changed and enriched by the internationalization of almost every aspect of our lives, from commerce and research to food and cultural production.

To prepare our graduates to take advantage of the opportunities offered and the challenges created by life in a world that is increasingly interdependent, Binghamton is creating more curricular, co-curricular and cultural opportunities for students and faculty.

International internships are opportunities for undergraduate students to work under the mentorship of faculty members, immerse themselves in different cultures and countries, and contribute to those communities.

“I definitely stepped out of my comfort zone,” says senior Zhiqiao Huang, adding she gained

cultural sensitivity and awareness and became more adaptable and open-minded.

“I found a passion for teaching children,” junior Sophie Hsu says. “It was an experience like no other and was truly life-changing for me.”

The Binghamton Fund helps you support access to similar learning experiences and research discoveries — hallmarks of an exceptional Binghamton education.

binghamton.edu

great trips for alumni

THE ALUMNI TRAVEL PROGRAM offers unforgettable sightseeing, knowledgeable tour leaders and the company of fellow alumni. Binghamton University is partnering with AHI and Orbridge for 2025 travel opportunities:

 Dutch Waterways (April–May)

 Civil War Battlefields (May)

 Denali National Park (July)

 Havana, Cuba (October)

 Southern Spain (November) Learn more at bit.ly/BingAlumTravel