East Stroudsburg University of pennsylvania
alumni herald
Spring/Summer 2020
Eight years
at the helm ESU’s first female president forged collaborations, spurred academic and campus growth, increased fundraising and sparked an energy among students, faculty and staff.
On April 14, 2020, ESU looked dramatically different from just a few weeks prior. Members of the Army National Guard set up Koehler Fieldhouse as an “alternate-care site� in preparation for COVID-19 patients, if necessary. Read more about the pandemic and its impact on campus on page 16. Photo by Susie Forrester
CampusSnap
Warriors,
These are extremely unique times.
I expected my last few months at East Stroudsburg University to be filled with opportunities to interact with students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends and to thank everyone for their support, dedication and compassion through the years. Instead, I’ve spent the past few months at my desk reading hundreds of e-mails, tweets and texts, participating in online meetings and conference calls and all the while missing the powerful human connection that sets ESU apart. I hope this issue of the Alumni Herald finds you and your family safe and healthy.
As I prepare to leave campus this summer, I am constantly reminded of the many good things we’ve accomplished together. When I was interviewed for the cover story, the writer asked me about my accomplishments and my legacy only to discover that all thoughts come back to this campus, the thousands of people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and the remarkable Warrior spirit within that pushes us all to be our best self. And when I look beyond our campus, I continue to see Warriors on the front line in this invisible, ongoing war waged by COVID-19. We’ve had the chance to connect with some of these heroes and will share with you their amazing stories. I will miss many things about East Stroudsburg University, most especially the amazing students, the dedicated alumni and institution’s long history of doing good for the community beyond campus. I want to thank all of you for sharing your time, your talents and your treasures throughout my tenure. With your support, we’ve been able to increase scholarships for students to over $1 million, we’ve raised the number of alumni chapters to ten, and during this pandemic you’ve helped the ESU Foundation to raise $41,675 from 177 donors to help students with their rent, food and other necessary items during these dark times. I will cherish the enthusiasm that comes with every homecoming celebration, the sentimentality of student speeches during the scholarship dinners, the Florida “tours,” and so much more that kept me connected to all of you. But now is the time to say so long. Noted author Paul Coehlo once said, “If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” I look forward to retirement and am eager to spend more time with my husband, Lou, and our family. But know that I will always be grateful for these years with all of you. In my heart, I will forever be a Warrior. Sincerely,
Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., President 2 the alumni herald
inside
Cover Story
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Having served eight years as ESU’s 13th president, Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., is set to retire July 31, 2020, leaving behind what she hopes is a university that sets itself apart, one that stands together as a WARRIOR family, and is poised with a promising trajectory. As ESU’s first female president, Welsh is proud of the legacy she forged through program and department collaboration and always placing students’ needs at the forefront. Those who worked alongside Welsh for nearly a decade know the triumphs she worked diligently to achieve, and the challenges faced along the way. Even more, students admire her energy and engagement, and for always being there…even when the conversations were difficult. Welsh infused the campus with energy, setting high standards and goals for all ESU Warriors, and especially for herself.
Stay connected with your alma mater @WarriorAlumni ESUAA flickr.com/photos/esualumni University President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D. Design and Production Office of University Advancement Office of University Relations Ideal Design Solutions Photography David W. Coulter Susie Forrester Leon John, Jr., Ph.D. David Kidwell Bob Shank Phil Stein Bob Weidner
Contributors Nancy Boyer Kim de Bourbon Brenda E. Friday, Ph.D. Leon John, Jr., Ph.D. Frank Johnson ’74 Greg Knowlden M’04 Morgan Koerber ‘18 Doug Page Margaret Peterson Elizabeth Richardson Caryn Wilkie
Features 13 LONG NAMED INTERIM PRESIDENT
VP of Administration and Finance to fill in as Dr. Welsh retires.
16 COVID-19 TIGHTENS GRIP WORLDWIDE
ESU not immune to drastic changes in educating students.
28 WARRIORS KEEPING
14 ESU Foundation 16 Campus News
THEIR SPIRIT
Athletics alters course but athletes still shine.
36 FLASHBACK, NOT SO FAR BACK
Departments
Catch a glimpse of vibrant campus life in February 2020.
24 Alumni News 28 Warrior Spirit 32 Class Notes 34 In Memoriam
East Stroudsburg University Alumni
Alumni Herald The Alumni Herald is the official publication for East Stroudsburg University Warriors of all ages. We work to keep ESU alumni connected with their alma mater and each other. The print magazine is published twice each year (Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer). Between issues, visit www.alumniheraldonline.com to catch up on daily news coming from ESU. Alumni may update their mailing information by notifying the alumni office. Please address all correspondence to: ESU Office of Alumni Engagement Henry A. Ahnert, Jr. Alumni Center 200 Prospect Street East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is committed to equal opportunity for its students, employees and applicants. The university is committed to providing equal educational and employment rights to all persons without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran’s status. Each member of the university community has a right to study and work in an environment free from any form of racial, ethnic, and sexual discrimination including sexual harassment, sexual violence and sexual assault. (Further information, including contact information, can be found on the university’s website at esu.edu/titleix.) In accordance with federal and state laws, the university will not tolerate discrimination. This policy is placed in this document in accordance with state and federal laws including Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Civil Rights Act of 1991 as well as all applicable federal and state executive orders.
570-422-3333 800-775-8975 Fax: 570-422-3301 esualumni@esu.edu esualumni.org 3
from the ESU Foundation, Advancement/Donor Relations, Annual Giving, Corporate/Foundation Relations, Major/Planned Gifts and Alumni Engagement. Rich Santoro, ESU Foundation executive director: His biggest contributions are with returning transparency and consistency to the Foundation while leading a very effective team. Their results can be measured with the positive atmosphere of the Foundation offices and the marked increase in donors and scholarships. Rich lends his support and presence to every By the time you read this, you have alumni function. sheltered in place, followed state and national procedures, and practiced Laurie Schaller ’10, senior accountant and scholarship manager: She has the cautionary measures to keep you and your family healthy and safe. been instrumental in guiding our board through the scholarship process My column was written before COVID-19 became a major factor in our which has resulted in 100 percent board participation for the past several lives and I am in no way trivializing what we are all experiencing. So please years. Our ESU Alumni Association Board of Directors Annual Scholarship take these words that I am offering as they were originally intended - a has grown to awarding two $1,000 scholarships for two individual heartfelt expression of appreciation and thanks to our ESU family and students who are incoming freshmen per year. looking forward to a return to a much-needed level of normalcy. Caryn Wilkie, director of Donor Relations: She is the editor of the Alumni My second term is up (yes, there is such a thing as term limits), and I am Herald and other ESU Foundation publications each year. Her area is also cycling out of my role as president of the East Stroudsburg University responsible for the redesign and functionality of the alumni website. The Alumni Association Board of Directors. This has been a fantastic changes to the publications and website both visually and content-wise experience, allowing me to give back to ESU and providing me with the have been substantial and Caryn and her staff, Emily Brennan and Stacey opportunity to become associated with so many passionate supporters Marshall, continue to make our alumni shine. of our alma mater. This last group of people are very near and dear to my heart as they These last four years have proven to be some of the most positive and have gone above and beyond to provide direction, support, guidance successful in recent memory and, because of our board’s team approach, and expertise every step of the way. First, Jessica Schultz ’16, and there are many people who deserve an appreciative thank you. It starts Morgan Koerber ’18: Both of these young ladies have served the Alumni with all of my fellow alumni board members. I have been fortunate to Association well in their role as alumni engagement coordinators. Their be able to call this group of Warriors colleagues and friends. The reason enthusiasm and work ethic have guaranteed success for any and all for our group’s success is directly related to their love of and dedication alumni events such as Homecoming, chapter gatherings, banquets, and to ESU. Our committee chairs perform as skilled coordinators and have young alumni engagement. We greatly appreciate all of their efforts, been the driving force behind our board’s memorable contributions to especially since they are also fellow alumni. the university over the years. Fellow Executive Committee members, Vice Emily Brennan, special events manager: Watching her navigate all of the President Dave Super ’80 and Secretary Ashley Puderbach Swartz ’09 special on and off campus events that take place on a seemingly daily M’10, have been a dream team to work with. We operate by respectful basis is incredible. She makes sure that each event is indeed special from consensus, and I am very lucky to have been teamed with them. Thank its beginning to completion. Emily has a gift for satisfying everyone’s you one and all. vision and making each experience memorable. Thank you does not We may be the ones who are featured on page 4 in the Alumni Herald come close to expressing our appreciation. but there are many others who work behind the scenes who are major And, last but certainly not least, Leon John, Jr., Ph.D., director of contributors to our successes. My apologies to the university and the Alumni Engagement: He walked into the chaos of interim directors, lost foundation if I have left anyone out, but I only have space to feature a confidence, and budget restraints not long ago. I was there during the few of them: interview process when Leon was hired and he proved himself to be the ESU President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D.: Since arriving on campus eight best candidate by far for ESU. Very simply, he gets it. He understands years ago, she was our Alumni Association’s biggest supporter. She what is expected of the Office of Alumni Engagement and provides attended all of the Board of Directors’ meetings and provided us with professional advice, is a team player, and somehow manages to keep updates that kept us informed. Dr. Welsh did her best to attend almost alumni happy. He does it all with a positive, energized approach. I have every alumni event, including Homecoming, Alumni Awards banquets had the privilege of working closely with Leon over the years and he and chapter gatherings. Her door was always open and she was always never fails to impress or amaze me. We are lucky to have him in the supportive. She will be greatly missed. Marcia, you will always be our position he is in and I am even luckier to consider him a friend. favorite. Happy Trails! As the saying goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” In this case there are Dr. Brenda Friday, director of University Relations: Her heart is as big a lot of people that have helped to guide me through my term in office. I as the campus and she is instrumental in spreading school spirit to have been beyond fortunate to be surrounded by some incredible people all, from incoming freshmen to “veteran” alumni. Brenda performs so and it’s all about ESU. Thank you to everyone (and many others) for many duties in the name of Warrior Pride that there is not enough room contributing to one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It has here to list them. She has always been a great supporter of everything been a blast, and you know I will tell you all about it at ESU Homecoming concerning alumni and we are very lucky to have her on our side. 2020. GO WARRIORS! The reason that the ESU Alumni Association even exists is due to the Frank Johnson ’74 | President efforts of many people at the ESU Foundation. They include supporters ESU Alumni Association Board of Directors | essc308@ptd.net
alumni board
Alumni Association Corner
Fellow Alumni,
A very special THANK YOU to Frank Johnson ’74
and affinity groups, Frank has been able to ensure that every alumni board member is busy at all times. His biggest accomplishment has been leadership by example. He ensures that he is invested in all of the ideas and activities put forth by the board by being present at most of the alumni events regionally and nationally, and has approached various administrative offices in campus to ensure that their vision aligns with the strategic plan of the ESU Alumni Association Board of Directors. He showcases the meaning of being a true Warrior. The ESU Office of Alumni Engagement extends our heartfelt gratitude and thanks as he ends his career as president of the ESU Alumni Association Board of Directors. He will still be involved in some capacity with the board as he plans on staying active with his affinity groups and as leader of the ESU Monroe County Chapter. His dedication to alumni engagement is matched by none, and we are eternally grateful for his leadership.
It is not very often that I write a reflection piece. For this occasion, I only see fit to do so. During my five year tenure as Director of Alumni Engagement, I have had the pleasure of working with a very talented group of alumni that makes up the ESU Alumni Association Board of Directors. For the last four years, Frank Johnson ’74 has served in the capacity as president of the board. To say that this was not an easy task is understating his role. Frank and the members of his Executive Committee have been able to transform the 25-member board from an engaged group of alumni to a working, engaged group of alumni. His effortless style and conscientious effort to follow through is evident with all of the objectives that the ESU Alumni Association Board of Directors have been able to achieve during his tenure. From improving the alumni awards process, to the establishment of various chapters Leon John, Jr., Ph.D.
We would like your words of thanks and Warrior spirit to share with Frank. Please send them to the Office of Alumni Engagement at alumni@esufoundation.org. Your notes will be presented to him at the Annual Alumni Awards Banquet on Oct. 16 during Homecoming Weekend 2020.
ESU Alumni Association Board Members Spotlight
Chasity Brown ’04 M ’07 B achelor’s degree in Exercise Science with a concentration in Exercise Physiology. M aster’s Degree in Sport Management. urrently pursuing a C doctorate in Public Health from Capella University. Chasity Brown ’04 M ’07 began her career as a health and wellness director working for various YMCAs for over six years. She then decided upon a more focused path in the field, becoming a director of wellness for a local retirement community, where her role was to develop employee wellness programs designed to meet biometric standards for more than 350 employees. Brown now teaches at Lincoln University of Pennsylvania in the health sciences department and serves as the internship coordinator. As a professor, she understands how important alumni are to institutions. They can be a great resource as guest speakers in the classroom, to help student’s secure internships and jobs, and volunteering and giving back in a general sense. She decided to do the same for her alma mater, joining the ESU Alumni Association Board of Directors in June 2019.
“It’s important for the alumni board to stay connected to alumni but also the current students and administration. We need to understand the current circumstances and trends of the university for the board to be a supportive resource to the institution,” said Brown. “The more alumni that we can connect with, the more resources we can provide to the university.” As an undergraduate student, Brown volunteered her time as a football team manager and the men’s basketball team manager. She was a member of the Exercise Science Club and worked at the E-Card Center as a work study student. As a graduate student, Brown was a member of the Sport Management Club. She currently sits on the Communications subcommittee of the alumni board and is also a member of the Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) focus group. She assists in locating and connecting with young alumni so they maintain a relationship with ESU. In Brown’s spare time you can find her teaching fitness classes at the local gym, traveling to various countries, mentoring college students from across the United States and Canada with the Living Sport organization, serving others through her sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho, and volunteering at her local church. Brown attributes her involvement with ESU’s campus life to her continued success. “Campus life gave me the opportunity to be a part of programs and attending social events that engaged me with my peers. The resources and support really helped me in both my undergraduate and graduate programs,” said Brown.
ESU Alumni Association Board of Directors
2019-2020 Executive Members: Frank E. Johnson ’74 President David A. Super ’80 Vice President Ashley L. Puderbach Swartz ’09 M.Ed. ’10 Secretary general Members Chasity Brown ‘04 M’07 Jack P. Childs, III ’67 Glenn Clark ’74 Keith Fisher ’91 Joseph B. Fite, III ’76 Avram “Seth” Friedman ’81 Glenn Gottshalk ’72 Ernest R. Gromlich ’60 Dawn Ketterman-Benner ’70 Kathleen Kirkwood ’95 Deborah A. Kulick ’80 R. Griggs Levy ’87 Johanna Mazlo ’91 Cara Miller ’01 Carol Miller ’81 Rhonda Miller ’16 Caitlin Ord ’07 M’08 Thomas Petro ’72 Ritchey J. Ricci ’65 M.Ed. ’72 Paul Scheuch Ronald D. Steckel ’71 Christine Rohr Thompson ’73 Lori Miller Weinstein ’77 Corey Wimmer ’03 Emeriti Eugenia S. Eden ’72 M.Ed. ’76 Bryan L. Hill ’71 Phyllis M. Kirschner ’63 Virginia M. Sten ‘71 John T. Lambert ’54 Frank Michael Pullo ’73 M’76 Faye D. Soderberg ’58 John E. Woodling ’68 M.Ed. ’76 Sandra “Pinky” O’Neill-Seiler ’57
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President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D.
On April 6, 2013, Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., was inaugurated as ESU’s 13th and first female president. Welsh began her eight years at ESU on July 1, 2012. Photo by David W. Coulter
6 the alumni herald
Chad Coleman ’20 transferred to East Stroudsburg University in 2018 as a digital media technologies major and within his first year, made a popular admissions video for ESU. So when he pitched the idea of starting Warrior TV to ESU President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., and Provost Jo Bruno, they were all in.
Dr. Welsh and students enjoy a men’s basketball game in January 2014. Photo by Susie Forrester
“There was a big investment into the TV studio and they didn’t just want classes to be in there, they wanted the campus community to be in there,” Coleman recalls. “Working with President Welsh was a delight. She always was very supportive of students.” It’s just one of countless examples of how for eight years, ESU’s 13th president, and first woman to hold the position, embodied the values enshrined in the university’s strategic plan: “Students First: Empowering Innovation through Collaboration.” Welsh will be remembered not just for concrete accomplishments such as launching the university’s first two doctoral programs, constructing new baseball and softball fields, instituting The Warrior Promise to freeze tuition costs for incoming undergraduate students, and more than doubling the money given in scholarships. She also increased opportunities for innovation and community partnerships and ushered in the most diverse student body among the 14 universities in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. She did it all while keeping ESU on a sustainable path even with a shrinking pool of high school graduates. Welsh infused the campus with energy, setting high standards and goals for all ESU Warriors, and especially for herself. “I think every president wants to try to mold the university a little more in his or her vision,” Welsh says. “My vision was to have a student-centered institution that was creative and innovative.” She more than succeeded, according to interviews with faculty, staff, students, alumni and community leaders. Distinguished professor Anthony L. Drago ’76, Ph.D., chair of the psychology department, put it this way: “I’ve been a faculty member at ESU for over 30 years and believe President Welsh is one of the most influential and transformative presidents in my tenure.” “She challenges faculty, coaches, staff and students to be the best they can be, empowers others and holds herself and everyone else accountable.” In 2015, ESU became one of the first three universities in the world to acquire a Stratasys J750 3D printer heralded for its ability to print fast and with six materials at a time. Darlene Farris-LaBar, professor of art + design who led the effort to obtain the cutting-edge equipment, says Welsh was key to the success of the 3D printing operations from the start by connecting the department with faculty at the 3D Lab at Towson University in Maryland, where Welsh had been provost and acting president before coming to ESU.
Enjoying the Annual Alumni Tailgate during Homecoming Weekend 2019, Dr. Welsh connects with alumni from the 1970s. Photo by Susie Forrester
President Welsh with ESU alumni and interns at an August 2015 Lehigh Valley IronPigs game. Photo by David Kidwell
The 3D printers in ESU’s design lab have spawned countless student projects and products in everything from biotech to business to sport management to art. “I’ve seen things that our students have made that no other schools are making,” Farris-LaBar says. “President Welsh has been a huge supporter. She understands creativity.” Welsh’s emphasis on faculty scholarship raised ESU’s profile with more professors publishing and attending conferences in their field and partnering with students in such endeavors. That helps faculty stay abreast of their discipline while giving students a step up if they apply to graduate schools, Drago says. esualumni.org 7
Following a comprehensive branding study, ESU unveiled its new brand in January 2017. President Welsh with the Warrior for the cover of the Alumni Herald magazine and in Koehler Fieldhouse.
Welsh had the foresight to expand academic offerings and departments in conjunction with student and workforce demand. Professor John Kraybill-Greggo, chair of the sociology, social work and criminal justice department – one of the largest on campus – worked with Welsh as the social work program undertook the extensive 3 ½-year process to gain accreditation, which is key to students getting into graduate schools and finding jobs in the field. “She was very hands-on, very engaged and very supportive,” KraybillGreggo says. “She’s an incredibly hard worker.” During her tenure, ESU added its first doctoral programs – one in educational leadership and administration and another in health science. ESU’s Northeast Wildlife DNA Laboratory expanded exponentially and – thanks to grants – offers free tick testing for all Pennsylvanians. It was renamed The Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute in 2019 in honor of its founder, the late distinguished professor of biological sciences, and the renaming was tied to a fundraising campaign for the institute that raised $150,000. Welsh’s championing of innovation gave Shawn Munford M’04, Ph.D., exercise science professor and ESU’s faculty athletics representative, the encouragement to start a faculty mentoring program for sports teams on campus to ensure the academic well-being of student athletes. “President Welsh thought it was a great idea,” Munford says. “We’ve gotten nothing but rave reviews.” Early in her tenure, she launched a university-wide endeavor to create a new, more dynamic strategic plan for the kind of institution ESU aspires to be. As the Students First plan was taking shape, Welsh decided it was time for a branding campaign that would give the university a motto, a logo and a mascot that would unite the campus community and better market ESU to potential students.
Photo by Phil Stein
The result was the tagline “Where Warriors Belong,” a mascot that is an argonaut warrior, and a modern institutional logo that pays homage to ESU’s location in the Poconos by the Delaware Water Gap. Part of putting students first has been striving to make ESU affordable for those from all walks of life. In fall 2018, ESU became the first of the 14 PASSHE universities to guarantee to incoming undergraduate students that their tuition won’t increase during the next four years. Welsh is proud that ESU has the most diverse student body of all the PASSHE schools, reflecting the community at large. Miguel Barbosa, ESU chief of staff and government relations, said that push for diversity started with recruiting but now students from different backgrounds have become ESU’s best ambassadors. “What happened very quickly was the students who were coming here felt like this was a great place to come, they felt the Warrior pride. And that word of mouth has become the driver.” 8 the alumni herald
Photo by Susie Forrester
Highlights of a PRESIDENCY Innovation • S tarted Warrior Launchpad, to help student entrepreneurs grow their companies and began “Shark Tank” style experience to encourage innovators. • Became one of the first three universities in the world to acquire a Stratasys J750 3D printer for G3 Design Lab. It prints with six materials at a time at a high speed on projects ranging from biotech to art to business. • Expanded Northeast Wildlife DNA Lab and, through a fundraising campaign with the ESU Foundation, renamed it The Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute in 2019 to honor founder.
Expanded Academic Reach • A dded the first doctoral degrees, one in Educational Leadership and Administration and the other in Health Science. • Opened Lehigh Valley Center in Bethlehem, Pa., and collaborated with universities in Scranton and Shiga, Japan on degree programs.
Strategic Plan and Branding • D eveloped a strategic plan called Students First: Empowering Innovation through Collaboration. • Students, faculty, staff and alumni took part in branding campaign that resulted in a new Warrior mascot, a modern logo and the tagline “Where Warriors Belong”. • Established a code of ethics “Way of the Warrior” and started “The Walk of the Warrior” during move-in weekend to espouse the values of what it means to be a Warrior.
Affordability and Fundraising • Working with the ESU Foundation, increased money for scholarships 130 percent and in 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, celebrated two record years in fundraising. • ESU instituted the Warrior Promise, guaranteeing freshmen their tuition would not rise.
Diversity and Inclusion • Welcomed the most diverse student body in the PASSHE system. • Opened Student Veterans Center
Events • Established annual Economic Outlook Summit for Monroe County and the Poconos. • In 2013, hosted EuroSim, which brought students from nearly 20 universities in Europe and the U.S. to campus for a high-level political role-playing simulation.
Athletics • Partnered with Stroud Township, Stroudsburg Little League and the ESU Foundation to build artificial turf baseball and softball fields in a complex shared by ESU and the community. • Created faculty mentoring program for sports teams to bolster student-athletes’ academic success. • Crowned 12 PSAC champions and had 23 teams advance to the NCAA Tournament across eight sports. • Had five teams advance to the NCAA Tournament in 2017-2018 in their respective sports, the most in school history: men’s and women’s soccer, field hockey, men’s basketball and women’s lacrosse • Added women’s wrestling and women’s acrobatics and tumbling.
Town-Gown Relations • Established Good Neighbor program to improve relations with residents in the community. • Launched a website, Made in the Poconos, in cooperation with Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau and other agencies to promote local businesses. • Partnered with Pocono Medical Center to train ESU student volunteers to act as health coaches for patients.
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To attract and retain students from all backgrounds, ESU needed more money for scholarships. Welsh partnered with ESU Foundation Executive Director Rich Santoro, hired by the Foundation Board of Directors in 2015, and together they have been zealous advocates in raising funds. That meant connecting with more alumni and bringing them back into the fold, according to Frank Johnson ’74, president of the ESU Alumni Association.
President Welsh and her husband, Louis Terracio, Ph.D., enjoy the Annual President’s Gala held in Kemp Library in September 2018. Photo by Susie Forrester
“From the first day she arrived, she made a very concentrated effort to get to know alumni,” Johnson says. “When she came on board, of the 14 PASSHE schools, we were ranked last in percentage of alumni donations. She changed the atmosphere and charged people up. People want to be involved now.” Within the past decade, money for scholarships has increased 130 percent. The ESU Foundation brought in $4.6 million in total gifts and pledges in 2018-2019, and already more than $5.1 million in 2019-2020, making them back-to-back record years in fundraising. All these efforts likely play a part in why, according to a 2019 Philadelphia Inquirer story, ESU students incur less debt than students at any PASSHE school but one, and $5,000 less than the national average. “We have so many who are first generation students or they come from lower income families who are really struggling financially,” Welsh says. “So for some of the kids getting a scholarship makes all the difference in the world in their ability to stay at ESU.” Welsh’s tenure came during a challenging time for higher education in general and PASSHE universities specifically. Over the last decade, the number of Pennsylvania college-bound high school graduates declined eight percent. Welsh kept ESU on a sustainable path, even as other PASSHE schools struggle greatly, according to Pat Ross ’67, chair of the ESU Council of Trustees. Welsh was a good steward of the university’s finances, even though it meant making hard decisions about whether to replace retiring faculty. “She’s had a lot of obstacles to overcome as president,” Ross says. When he started as a trustee in 1996, the Commonwealth contributed about 60 percent of the cost of educating students in state universities and now it’s closer to 19 percent, he says. By facing such challenges head on, Welsh became a leader among presidents of the 14 PASSHE schools. “She has been in the forefront of trying to implement things that will make all the universities survive,” Ross says. Being a careful steward of funds has meant finding creative ways to improve ESU’s facilities. That was a driving motivation behind the university’s partnership with Stroud Township, Stroudsburg Little League, and the ESU Foundation to build better baseball and softball fields with artificial turf at the Creekview Park complex in Stroudsburg. When baseball coach John Kochmansky approached Welsh with the idea of collaborating with the community and Little League, Welsh seized the opportunity. “They had the land, we could buy the turf – and we actually got significant donations to do that – and it would be a much better facility for their children and our students,” Welsh says. “We ended up with significantly better facilities so it was a win-win for both of us.” Welsh has bolstered ESU athletics in other ways, seeing Warrior sports as a way to raise the university’s profile, boost school spirit, increase alumni donations and attract students. Recently, ESU added women’s wrestling and women’s acrobatics and tumbling. 10 the alumni herald
Several members of the Class of 1968 enjoy a social hour with Dr. Welsh prior to the Annual Alumni Awards and Reunion Banquet held at Stroudsmoor Country Inn in 2018. Photo by Susie Forrester
Students Come First Even on challenging issues, Welsh was there for her Warriors Steve Harris ’18
Leila Bouchekouk ’20
Steve Harris ’18, who majored in communication and helped lead the Warriors to the PSAC and NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Men’s Basketball Championships in 2018, recalls how Welsh would come to the games and chat with his parents and grandparents, who loved her.
When the coronavirus pandemic hit earlier this year, Welsh and her leadership team had to make agonizing decisions on moving learning online, moving students out of residence halls, instituting pass-fail grading, and canceling spring commencement.
“I have friends at bigger colleges who never saw their president, never heard of them and they were just a name on a letterhead,” Harris says. His senior year, he was in a class on the Revolutionary War with Professor Michael Gray, Ph.D., who took the students out to the Stroud Hall lawn and put them in battle lines to teach about firearms and tactics of the time. Welsh was walking by and was so interested in Gray’s explanation she took part and gave Harris a special shout-out. “That level of detail and interest in the students was what drove so many of us to adore her as our president,” Harris says.
Louie Wein ’18 Louie Wein ’18, who served in the Student Senate and as student liaison on the ESU Foundation Board of Directors, would spend long days with Welsh during campus events such as Homecoming, and says her energy and engagement never lagged. He remembers when faculty at state universities held a brief strike in 2016, Welsh met with the Student Senate late at night “keeping us up to date, being really open and transparent, which was great because I think that was really what was needed in such an unprecedented time as that.” “It was her mission to make the best of whatever situation was thrown at her and to do what is best for the students,” Wein says.
Louie Wein ’18, left, and other students chat with President Welsh on a campus lawn.
Leila Bouchekouk ’20, president of the Student Government Association, says Welsh made sure to alert her before a decision was announced so the SGA president could prepare for students’ questions. “I could always hear the pain in her voice when she was saying she had to cancel the athletic season, for example,” Bouchekouk says. “Even when I don’t agree with her I know from her perspective she’s trying to do what’s best. “There’s a lot behind the scenes that she does, a lot of fights she picks on behalf of students and ESU that I wasn’t privy to as a student that I’m a little more privy to as a student leader.”
Abby Soto ’19 Abby Soto ’19 got to know President Welsh while Soto was serving as a student representative on the ESU Council of Trustees and appreciated her willingness to listen to those with opposing views. “She would never shut them down, even if you could tell she disagreed,” Soto says. “It was a respectful interaction, whether it was with a student or another administrator.” Soto says Welsh also boosted school spirit with events like “The Walk of the Warrior,” which started when she was a freshman in 2015. One night at dusk during orientation the incoming class gathers at Koehler Fieldhouse and, holding electric candles, walks to the front of campus where upperclassmen, professors and administrators talk about the Seven Ways of the Warrior. Those include characteristics such as being accountable for one’s actions and a willingness to sacrifice for the greater good. “It was something that really inspired me,” Soto says. “I very distinctly remember thinking I want to be one of those speakers one day and I got to be my junior year. I felt very proud to tell the incoming class: ‘This is what you’re coming into. Be proud to be here and work hard to uphold the values that we have.’” esualumni.org 11
“In my heart I will always be a warrior.” Robert Willever ’75, chair of the foundation board, and Bill Cramer, one of the foundation founders, say Welsh was ubiquitous at university sporting events, plays and concerts and had a real connection with students, whether she’s cheering at a basketball game or playing the snare drums with the ESU marching band drumline. “You’re at an athletic event and you see students coming up to her, talking to her and she’s hugging them,” Willever says. Welsh became ESU’s first president on Twitter. “Everybody said, ‘we’ll have a Twitter account for you’ and it was the understanding that others would manage it,” Welsh recalls. “I can’t do that. It has to be me.” Welsh made huge strides in improving ESU’s relationship with the greater East Stroudsburg community or “town-gown” relations. Early on, she instituted “Good Neighbor Visits” in which students, faculty, administrators, campus police and others go door-to-door visiting the residents in the area, letting them know who to contact if they have concerns about student behavior or other issues with the university. Student groups hold clean-up days in the community. That has lessened tensions, according to Cramer, a prominent local attorney, and Gary Olson ’76, president and CEO of ESSA Bank & Trust. Cramer recalls that a decade ago student parties and antics used to draw regular negative headlines in the local media but that’s rare now. “It’s changed remarkably,” he said. And Olson said, “She doesn’t brush it under the rug, she doesn’t make excuses.” They were echoed by Matthew Connell, Ph.D., dean of Northampton Community College’s Monroe campus, who says, “The work she’s done just in that alone has been phenomenal.” It helps that Welsh has been extremely active in the community. She serves with Olson and Connell on Monroe County’s 2030 Executive Committee, which was established by county commissioners to direct about 90 volunteers working on implementing the county’s strategic plan in everything from workforce development to public health by the year 2030. Olson and Connell say they’ll miss her insight and can-do spirit. Welsh is one of those people who “don’t take themselves seriously, they take what they do seriously,” Connell says.
Celebrating the successes of the Men’s Basketball program in 2018, President Welsh presents a gift to Coach Jeff Wilson ’86 M’92, left, and members of the staff and team. Photo by Bob Weidner
12 the alumni herald
Most recently, the 2030 Committee turned its attention to helping organize the county’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. In April, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency converted Koehler Fieldhouse into a temporary hospital for recovering COVID-19 patients, in case local medical facilities were overwhelmed. As the crisis was unfolding in March, Olson and Welsh were conferring morning and night on issues ranging from making sure area hospitals weren’t overwhelmed to producing public service announcements. “She never quits,” Olson says. “She has a tremendous amount of energy.” The community has benefitted from other Welsh initiatives, including ESU’s annual Economic Outlook Summit, which looks at different aspects of the Poconos economy. “When I first arrived, I asked what we did to discuss the economic health of our community,” Welsh says. “As a public institution I felt it was very important that we had a significant role in the economic development of our community. But there was no messaging or anything. So I said, ‘There will be.’” The first summit in Fall 2013 attracted fewer than 50 people. By 2019, attendance topped 250. Johnson says he’ll miss Welsh’s dry sense of humor. As head of the Alumni Board, Johnson normally speaks last at commencements and she wryly instructs him to keep his remarks brief. “She’s like ‘These kids want to go home so don’t go crazy on it,’ ” Johnson recalls chuckling. So he gets up and tells the audience that he has the magic words: “I am your last speaker of the day” and that gets him a standing ovation. “Then she gets on me for fishing for cheap applause.” July 31 is when her tenure officially ends. Welsh and her husband Lou Terracio, Ph.D., have a home in Florida they plan to make into a permanent residence while enjoying golfing, the performing arts and spending time with their three children and four grandchildren. She leaves behind a university with the stability of a beloved 125-yearold institution and the vitality of a fledgling venture. “In the past eight years, my goal has been to help East Stroudsburg University define the Warrior in all of us,” Welsh says. “In my heart I will always be a Warrior.” – By Margie Peterson
President Welsh leads the processional during spring commencement in 2019. Photo by Susie Forrester
Kenneth Long selected as ESU interim president Long will serve as interim president until the successful conclusion of a national search for a permanent president. “Selecting a candidate to fill the role of interim president was not an easy decision for the Council of Trustees,” said Pat Ross ’67, chair of the ESU Council of Trustees. “These are challenging times for everyone, but we kept our focus on what was best for the students and the future of the University.” “President Welsh has many good individuals on her leadership team. However, Mr. Long’s financial acumen and breadth of experience in higher education, specifically within the State System, provided us with the assurance we needed that he would be the best person to keep ESU on track during our presidential transition with, of course, the support of the entire leadership team who will continue to work in the best interest of our students’ success and university experiences.” Long began serving as ESU’s vice president of administration and finance in 2013, after five years as assistant vice president of administration and finance at Kutztown University. He also worked six months in 2012 as interim vice president for finance and administration at Cheyney University, in a loaned executive capacity.
Ken’s time as a leader in East Stroudsburg’s campus community will serve him well as the faculty, staff, and students look to a bright future for the university. Kenneth Long will serve as interim president of East Stroudsburg University starting Aug. 1, 2020. Long currently serves as vice president of administration and finance for ESU, a position he has held for nearly seven years. The Board of Governors for Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education selected Long in April to lead the university following the announcement by current president Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., of her retirement effective July 31, 2020. Welsh became ESU’s 13th and first female president in 2012.
“Ken’s time as a leader in East Stroudsburg’s campus community since 2013 will serve him well as the faculty, staff, and students look to a bright future for the university,” Chancellor Dan Greenstein said. “His lengthy record of accomplishment at East Stroudsburg as well as at other State System universities should give everyone confidence as he pilots this great institution.” Prior to joining the State System, Long held positions at the University of Toledo and Devry University. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in math and political science from Drew University in Madison, N.J., and an M.B.A. from Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J. “President Welsh’s dedication to East Stroudsburg, her passion for the institution and its place among the State System, has earned our admiration and gratitude, and that of Warriors everywhere,” Greenstein said. “Because we are taking this action months before she completes her term as president, Marcia and Ken will be able to ensure a smooth transition in July, which is especially true given the challenges we are all facing with the COVID-19 crisis.”
esualumni.org 13
esu foundation
Sheska Stadium
Aerial view of the proposed soccer field at ESU. Image provided by Spillman Farmer Architects Proposed new ncaa regulation turf soccer field Proposed soccer field Entrance gateway Future visitor seating
Field lighting Proposed concession area & public toilet rooms at ground level
Perimeter fencing
$2.5 million campaign will bring stand-alone soccer facility to life
esu home stands
A fundraising campaign to build a stand-alone soccer facility in the heart of campus is now underway with a 36-member committee spearheading the effort. The $2.5 million facility will be built adjacent to EilerMartin Stadium where the baseball field was once located. When complete, the facility will attract top talent to ESU, it will aid in admissions for studentathletes, and provide a home facility where alumni, family and fans can attend games and events. Its features will include a new NCAA regulation artificial turf soccer field, perimeter fencing, spectator seating, field lighting, a press box, scoreboard and sound system. To date, the campaign has raised $79,500 towards the project with more good news announced in April when ESU’s Student Activity Association (SAA) Board approved a dollar-for-dollar matching gift up to $1,250,000. Through SAA’s support, ESU’s club and intramural sports will also have use of the field when the soccer programs are not using the facility. Chairing the campaign committee is Jerry Sheska ’68, ESU’s men’s soccer coach for 29 years (1982-2010) and women’s coach for three (1992-1994). Sheska is the winningest PSAC coach with 424 wins to his name. Working with the ESU Foundation, the committee seeks to garner support from alumni and friends of the soccer program.
Recognizing a soccer dynasty
“The renowned history of the men’s and women’s soccer programs, and the championship successes in recent years has made it clear the program is deserving of a facility of its own,” said ESU Director of Athletics Gary Gray. “At this time, there are no facilities for men’s and women’s soccer teams. Currently, the teams share GregoryDouds Field at Eiler-MartinEAST Stadium. ESU is the only school in the PSAC Eastern divisionAERI STROUDSBURG UNIVERSITY that does not have a soccer facility for its teams.”
PROPOSED SOCCER FIELD
Sheska Stadium will be the name of the new facility, recognizing the former coach’s talent, style and philosophy that built championship teams and forged a Warrior soccer dynasty that should long be remembered. The stand-alone facility will be named in his honor, recognizing his contributions to the program for nearly three decades. “The success of this fundraising campaign is going to ensure that happens,” added Gray. “We envision the day where ESU’s soccer athletes have a place to call their own. Where championships are achieved and celebrated with alumni, family and friends. Where a legend who laid the groundwork and built a soccer powerhouse is honored appropriately for his efforts.” There’s no disputing ESU’s soccer programs breed success. Now, we look to raise the standard and build a soccer facility our teams can call home; where alumni can connect; and the next generation of players can hone their skills and earn future titles as champions. Leadership gifts with naming opportunities are available. Contact Rich Santoro at rsantoro@esufoundation.org or Nicole Rogai at nrogai@esufoundation.org for information. To make an immediate gift, visit www.esufoundation.org/givenow or call 570-422-3333 for personal assistance.
Campaign Committee Jerry Sheska ’68, Chair Mark Byers ’97 Jorge Chapoy ’03 Sean Crawford ’99 Edward Decker ’93 Aimee Ellison ’91
James Ellison ’93 Mike Feniger ’99 Brent Fenstermacher ’89 Dan Frick ’06 Alfredo Garcia ’03 Bob Harkins ’05
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James Hoffman ’72 Eric Kolar ’01 Bradley Konawalik ’01 Ahmet Kose ’01 Copeland Lewis Jim Lennox ’66
Bob Lombardi ’77 Mike McCullough ’94 Thomas Mustac ’04 Karl Nusshag ’01 Kurt Nusshag Rob Nydick ’03
Gary Olson ’76 Jason Petronis ’97 John Petronis ’66 Bob Rigby ’74 Henry Sands ’93 Keith Schlegel
Lou Sudholz ’92 Channing Swears ’00 Kevin Vrabel M’92 Rick Vroman ’67 Tom Wolgast ’91 Rich Yuro ’87
East Stroudsburg University Foundation
Legacy
2019-2020 Board of Directors
Support athletic scholarships and show your Warrior pride
Robert Willever ’75, Chairman President, Willever Wealth Management
For decades, ESU athletics has inspired strength in competition, cooperation, and leadership. Now you can be a part of this mission through a simple, lasting show of support that will be seen by student-athletes for years to come.
Chris Yeager ’74 M’81, Secretary Retired Principal & School Superintendent
Alumni athletes and fans now have an exciting opportunity to proudly display their love of the sport and support student athletic scholarships by sponsoring a locker in Koehler Fieldhouse and Whitenight Field.
Robert A. Shebelsky, Treasurer Chairman, Deputy Real Estate Holdings LLC.
These new, state-of-the-art locker rooms for ESU’s lacrosse, field hockey, and men’s and women’s basketball teams are more than just a space where players prepare for competition. Here they celebrate victories, hold team meetings, and enjoy the occasional dance party. A locker sponsorship of $500, payable over one to three years, will show your Warrior pride to current and future student-athletes. Your name, your sport and the years played will be displayed on the locker for a period of 10 years. Each time players step into the locker room, they will be reminded that you support them as they represent ESU in competition. According to head men’s basketball coach Jeff Wilson ’86 M’92, the renovated locker rooms are among the best facilities of their kind in the entire Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). Wilson noted, “They also serve as a great teaching environment, with a big screen TV and white board for instruction purposes.” The quality of the locker rooms will enhance the Warrior athletic experience and inspire the same quality of purpose on the field, on the court, and in the classroom. Contributions to the locker sponsorship campaign will be used to establish scholarships for the specific sport and assist coaches in recruitment. “The scholarships established through this campaign will help my staff and I continue to recruit highly qualified student athletes for the Warrior Basketball Family,” said Wilson. “Every scholarship dollar raised helps a student athlete in my program realize his dream of earning a college degree while competing at an extremely high athletic level.” Players are thrilled with their new lockers, which are spacious enough to hold equipment, uniforms, and books. Head field hockey coach Sandy Miller M’88 said, “It is a very special and meaningful place for our student-athletes. There are specific rules for our team in the locker room. For one, we don’t step on the Warrior Head that is in the middle of the floor.”
Robert Moses Retired Director of Residence Life & Housing, East Stroudsburg University John Pekarovsky III ’07 Council of Trustee Liaison Vice President, Community Bank NA Stephen Somers Owner & President Vigon International, Inc.
MaryEllen Dickey ’80 Senior Vice President of Advancement Diakon Senior Living Services Diakon Child, Family & Community Ministries
Elizabeth Leigh Smith, Ph.D., Faculty Liaison Professor of English, East Stroudsburg University
Alfredo Garcia ’03 Managing Director – Investments Wells Fargo Advisors
Adam S. Stauffer ’00 M’02 Assistant Vice President, Development & College Relations, Lafayette College
Raymond Hamlin ’86, Esq. Attorney, Hunt, Hamlin & Ridley
David Super ’80, ESU Alumni Association Liaison Retired Deputy Commander Defense Contract Management Agency
Wendy Jankoski ’82 President, Wealth Architects, LLC Douglas Leonzi ’94 Vice President – Investment Counselor BB&T Investment Services, Inc.
Emily Jimenez, ESU Student Liaison Class of 2022
Members Emeriti
Prospective students and their families expect to see modern facilities when visiting colleges. Without them, students go elsewhere. Stephanie Del Preore, head women’s basketball coach, said, “It is a great recruiting tool for us, and it is one of our biggest assets in recruiting, after academics and our outstanding athletic department.”
William B. Cramer, Esq. Legal Counsel and Emerita Attorney, Cramer, Swetz, McManus & Jordan, P.C. Past chair, served 1987-2001 and 2014-2019
“The update of the locker room is a powerful recruiting tool for our program and also serves the needs of our current players,” Wilson noted. Renovated facilities and increased scholarship support will only add to the strength of these programs.
John T. Lambert ’54 Retired Superintendent East Stroudsburg School District Served 1989-2000
To secure your locker and leave an on-campus show of support, visit www.esuwarriors.com, or www.esufoundation.org and click on the Campaign Spotlight button. Lockers are currently available in lacrosse, field hockey, and men’s and women’s basketball, with several other sports to be added soon. There are a limited number of lockers for each sport and they will be reserved on a first come, first served basis. For personal assistance, call the ESU Foundation at 570-422-3333.
Rosemary Driebe Olofsson Executive Vice President Pocono Pro Foods Past chair, served 1987-1999 esualumni.org 15
CAMPUS NEWS
COVID-19
ESU community adjusts to new type of campus life In mid-March, just before spring break, East Stroudsburg University students, faculty and staff found themselves much like the rest of the world, reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic that was tightening its grip around the globe. Since then, ESU has been changing, adapting, learning, and experiencing a new way to manage campus, and teach and interact with students, and with each other. Moving quickly, ESU extended spring break by a week to prepare for an all-online learning environment. Residential students returned to campus to clean out their rooms in the various residence halls and move back home or off campus. Many students found themselves in need of help for rent, food, medical prescriptions and more. Within days, that call for help was answered through the ESU Foundation’s Student Emergency Response Fund.
Donors answer the call to Student Emergency Fund When ESU students found their world upended by COVID-19, many were also faced with unexpected expenses that would have interrupted their online studies and caused delays in their education. Wanting to help, more than 177 donors stepped up, giving $41,675 to the Student Emergency Response Fund, established in late March by the ESU Foundation. The fund was created to support students who were dramatically impacted by classes shifting to all-online, lost jobs or other unexpected situations caused by the pandemic. As of May 20, total assistance to students, including other funds used from the Foundation, was $62,237. “Within a few short weeks, students’ lives of attending class, campus and athletic events, and experiencing all college has to offer changed abruptly,” said Rich Santoro, executive director of the ESU Foundation. “Many struggled without resources to transition to online classes as they relied on campus technology. Others lost jobs, had no income or the means to transition off campus.” 16 the alumni herald
While students, faculty and staff adjusted to a new “normal,” of working and learning offsite, the campus community transitioned a university experience … virtually. Yoga Live, Warrior Den Online, morning meditation, online health coaching and mental well-being resources, entrepreneur lectures, virtual bingo and scavenger hunts, student and alumni Zoom gatherings - these were just a few of the many programs launched to help keep students engaged. And looking ahead to the fall semester, ESU held its first Virtual Accepted Students Reception, engaging hundreds of new students and their families online. On campus in mid-April, Koehler Fieldhouse was transformed into a field hospital by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the Army National Guard should the caseload at local hospitals surge. And among the most difficult decisions by administrators was the cancellation of spring commencement, offering graduates the opportunity to return to campus in December to participate in the winter ceremony. ESU also partnered with a number of community leaders to create a television show titled “COVID-19 Weekly Briefing: A Resource for Pocono Residents.” What lies ahead remains to be seen. The coronavirus crisis is a worldchanging event, and ESU is not immune from those changes or challenges, said President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., in an April 28 university meeting. “What will, or should, post-pandemic ESU look like? We know it will not look like the normal of recent years,” said Welsh.
A committee of seven consisting of representatives from student life, admissions, faculty and the ESU Foundation reviewed and awarded funds to students based on their immediate needs. They are so incredibly grateful for your support, said Santoro. Here are just a few of their responses: First off, I want to thank each and every one of you participating in this emergency response and giving me the opportunity. I need funds for a laptop since school is online now, I currently do not own a laptop. I am aware ESU is doing their best to accommodate all of their students and I couldn’t be more blessed to be a Warrior. Any amount from this fund would help tremendously. As online learning continues into the summer months, it’s projected the need for assistance will continue. You may make an immediate gift to the Student Emergency Response Fund online at www.esufoundation.org/emergency-response-fund or call 570-422-3333 for personal assistance.
ESU art+ design faculty take the lead in 3D donations to local area hospitals ESU’s art+design faculty used the university’s 3D Printing Super Lab capabilities to print and laser cut items needed by local hospitals during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Faculty members from ESU’s art + design department teamed up with Verde Mantis 3D Printing Co., a company participating in the ESU Business Accelerator, to launch a community-wide effort in providing critically-needed supplies to area hospitals and medical care facilities in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Professor Darlene Farris-LaBar and assistant professor Xue (Stella) Dong worked in collaboration with Joseph Sinclair of Verde Mantis 3D Printing Co. to develop prototypes of face shields, fabric masks and stethoscopes that had been identified as among the most needed supplies by local medical teams. According to Farris-LaBar, plans to help the regional health professionals began in early April when she met with Dong and Sinclair to talk about the capabilities of Verde Mantis’ equipment, coupled with ESU’s 3D Printing Super Lab capabilities to print and laser cut items. Verde Mantis is a local 3D printer manufacturer who is continuing to provide instructions and resources for life protecting equipment at www.mantis3dprinter.com/help. Within days, the team made connections with individuals from the local health care systems, including Sandi Sames, director of supply chain for Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono, who indicated that face shields and fabric masks were desperately needed. Within a week, plans for deliveries of much-needed life protecting equipment were underway.
There was a need for two different types of “makers;” those that could sew and those that could utilize technology to 3D print. Farris-LaBar created a Facebook page called “Sewing Masks for Pocono Hospitals,” offering instructions for community members who wanted to get involved from their homes while sheltering in place. Since then, she has connected with community members such as Elizabeth Tilley, WVIA employee and Silvery Moon Guest House owner, who is one of many coordinating the sewing and supplying of fabric face masks. The community rallied together with many local neighbors stepping up to make fabric face masks for Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono and St. Luke’s. Meanwhile, Sinclair, Dong and Farris-LaBar worked in their separate spaces to improve and create prototype face shields. “Feedback on the face shields was very positive,” said Farris-LaBar. “We worked to create a sustainable pipeline of equipment to our local hospitals and other healthcare workers. Meanwhile, the group created prototypes of stethoscopes, respirator pieces and other materials as the requests came in from the hospitals. Things moved rapidly and so we needed to be nimble and creative in order to react quickly to what was needed. The collaboration just grew and was incredible. It was a humbling experience to work with all of these talented people to help, share, and work together for a common cause, helping others.” esualumni.org 17
CAMPUS NEWS
Alumni and students prove to be Warrior strong during pandemic With ESU’s strong health services programs, it’s not surprising that Warriors are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. But alumni with criminal justice, social work and other degrees are also responding to this unprecedented national crisis.
Caitlyn O’Connell ’16
Here are just some of their stories.
Caitlyn O’Connell ’16
Registered nurse, New York Presbyterian-Columbia University Medical Center Bachelor of science, nursing Caitlyn O’Connell is experiencing the pandemic head on since her hospital surgical unit started treating COVID-19 patients in March. Staffing shortages are real, so she also works at Mount Sinai South Nassau on Long Island, where she started her career. She works 12-hours shifts, five to six days in a row. She cares for a half dozen patients a day. Most of them are in critical condition, requiring extreme amounts of oxygen and subject to sudden turns for the worse. “What I find far greater than the physical toll, being on my feet all day long and in a constant state of dehydration, is the toll on me mentally. Many of these patients are dying unable to be surrounded by the familiar faces of their loved ones. This has been my biggest burden.” O’Connell faces it using lessons learned as a lacrosse player. “ESU is where I built my character. It’s where I left every ounce of my energy on the field, where I set goals achieved through dedication and hard work, and where I strived to be a great student, player and even better teammate. “Each morning I put on my scrubs and go to work, I don’t know what situations I may face, but I do know I will make it through the day,” she says. “ESU helped shape me into the person I am today, someone who can find silver linings in their biggest burden.”
Theodore Harkness ’09
Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, D.C. Bachelor of science, health services administration, ESU; Master’s degree, disaster medicine and management, Philadelphia University
Theodore Harkness ’09
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Rylee Jade Legreide
Theodore Harkness is a FEMA program manager, planning agency training. With that on hold, he’s working from home 12 hours a day, leading a team connecting businesses with ways they can help, such as getting personal protective equipment (PPE) to medical personnel.
“Assistance requests can be anything from ‘I have a factory and can produce PPE, how do I do this’ to ‘I have a fleet of trucks that can transport PPE/ventilators, how can I help?’” Working for the Philadelphia Red Cross for seven years helped prepare him for this work. “It taught me how to be flexible in an ever-changing environment, and that no matter how well you plan for any type of emergency, you need to be able to adapt.”
Debbie Kulick ’80
President, Bushkill Emergency Corps, Marshalls Creek Owner, Eastern Monroe Leasing & Training, Bushkill Bachelor of science, education For more than 45 years, Debbie Kulick has been a volunteer emergency medical technician with the Bushkill Emergency Corps, which she also serves as president. The coronavirus crisis has made for dramatic changes. “There is the need to treat patients, but not to create a danger to the crews. All patients are treated as if they have COVID-19, masked. Providers are all masked with eye shields and gloves and if needed, don PPE suits or gowns.”
Alex Figueroa ’11
Pennsylvania State Police Troop K, Philadelphia Bachelor of science in sociology, criminal justice State police officers are following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines as best they can, but can’t practice real social distancing. Trooper Alex Figueroa quotes the State Police Call of Honor, emphasizing that officers must enforce the law “without any consideration to class, color, creed or condition.” “We’re doing what we need to do,” he says. “We have to come to work every day.” As a recruitment coordinator, Figueroa invites candidates to apply and be interviewed online, with testing to come later. “We’re waiting, like everyone else,” he says, to see when in-person contact will be allowed again. At home, he and his wife are trying to keep life as normal as possible for their two-year-old daughter, but he acknowledges “our lives have changed.”
Rylee Jade Legreide
Days are spent sanitizing trucks and buildings and keeping up with the latest news on coronavirus treatment. Trauma-related calls are fewer, though, because of the state’s stay-at-home order.
Hackettstown, N.J. Sophomore majoring in public health, health service administration
Kulick puts her ESU degree to use as the owner of a personnel company that provides and trains EMS workers.
Student Rylee Jade Legreide has worked for more than two years as an EMT and a firefighter both in Monroe County and at home in New Jersey.
“Having my degree in education allowed me to expand my focus and become a provider who is also an educator,” she says. “It has brought me great satisfaction as I see so many providers head into many fields of medicine after a start on an ambulance.”
Jack Morris ’19
Street2Feet Outreach Center, Stroudsburg Bachelor of science, social work Jack Morris is outreach case manager for Monroe County’s only homeless day center, working with people very vulnerable to COVID-19 infection. “Times are tough, but these times are exacerbated without having a roof over one’s head,” he says. Between social distancing and businesses being shut down, clients have a hard time finding places to get out of the elements and charge their phones. In the name of safety, the center must turn away people for an isolation period if they have been to a high-exposure area, and can’t accept new clients. “The constant changes create lots of anxiety for them as well as us,” Morris says. “Clients do not have a lot of outside resources to count on.” But they continue to surprise him with their ability to adapt. “The love and support the clients show for one another every day is truly a testament to the resiliency and sense of family they have.”
Between picking up overtime at her EMS job and extra shifts at volunteer agencies, Legreide said in April that she does not have time to go home. “I have not slept in my own bed in over two weeks now, and collectively have not spent more than one hour in my house since then. All of my agencies have showers and a kitchen so I am meeting my basic life necessities, but it is not the same as my bed at home.” Extreme cleaning makes up a typical day. “Once my work day starts I have to spray my car down. I change into my work clothes. I take my temperature. After that I complete my rig check, checking the ambulance to make sure it is fully stocked. After that I have to completely wipe down the interior of the ambulance. Once the inside is cleaned, I clean the outside.” The end of on-campus classes worked in her favor, since she could keep up with coursework online. Her professors understood if she couldn’t make scheduled Zoom classes. “They allowed me to take timed quizzes/exams at times that were convenient for me. All of my professors posted their lectures online so even if I missed the live version, I was able to look back at the lecture and not miss a beat.” – By Kim de Bourbon
esualumni.org 19
IN ONE DAY, EVERYTHING CHANGED. Classrooms and hallways emptied. Stadiums and playing fields silenced. Commencement ceremonies postponed. Despite unprecedented challenges over the past several months, ESU students maintain their desire to learn, to grow, and to succeed. A gift to the WARRIOR FUND will ensure students have the resources they need to pursue their dreams.
Your support sustains the high quality of education and positive student experience that ESU proudly offers. Give online at www.esufoundation.org/givenow, mail a check payable to ESU Foundation, 200 Prospect Street, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301, or call 570-422-3333 for personal assistance.
CAMPUS NEWS
Wolf visits campus
to discuss scholarship program Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf led a round table discussion at ESU on March 4, 2020, to get input from faculty, administration, and students about his proposed Nellie Bly Scholarship Program. The program looks to help thousands of lowerand middle-class students attend one of the 14 universities in the state system. Wolf is visiting all state universities to get input on the plan. Joining Wolf on his visit was Pedro Rivera, secretary of education, and Noe Ortega, deputy secretary of education.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf greets students in ESU’s University Center during his visit in March. Photo by Bob Shank
Gov. Wolf discusses the Nellie Bly Scholarship Program during a round table with ESU President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., and students. Photo by Bob Shank
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CAMPUS NEWS
Kelly appointed Dean of Student Life Eugene (Gene) Kelly, Ph.D., was appointed dean of student life in February. Kelly had been serving as the interim dean of student life since January 2019. He brings more than 15 years of experience in higher education to this role and has held several positions at ESU previous to this appointment: interim director of ESU’s Gender and Sexuality Center; instructor in the psychology department; and acting director of fraternity and sorority life. Prior to employment at ESU, Kelly worked as the associate dean of intercultural development and the director of the gender and sexuality program at Lafayette College, Easton, Pa., and as the associate director of student activities and engagement at Lebanon Valley College, Annville, Pa. Kelly earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Lebanon Valley College, a master’s degree in counseling: higher education from West Chester University, West Chester, Pa., and a doctorate in human development with specialization in higher education administration from Marywood University, Scranton, Pa.
Osorio appointed Director of Admissions ESU’s new director of admissions is Jorge Osorio. Osorio comes to ESU from Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Conn., where he was the director of admissions. Prior to his work at WCSU, he was the associate director of undergraduate admissions and multicultural recruitment at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y. for more than 10 years. Osorio earned his bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in political science from Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y., a master’s degree in liberal studies with an advanced graduate certificate in human resource management from the School of Professional Development, State University of New York at Stony Brook, and is completing a master’s degree in business administration from The College of Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y.
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Clear Path, ESportsU Programs Receive Awards ESU’s Clear Path and ESportsU Foundation programs received the 2019 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education. The Inspiring Programs in STEM Award honors colleges and universities that encourage and assist students from underrepresented groups to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). ESU was featured, along with 49 other recipients, in the September 2019 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
Feighan on board with Instructional Support Devin Feighan ’09 joined ESU as Instructional Support Manager in January. He brings more than eight years of experience in higher education standards and instructional technologies and strategies to the position. Most recently, Feighan was the lead instructional designer at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, where he was also an adjunct instructor teaching computer information systems. Feighan earned a bachelor’s degree in media communications from ESU and a master’s degree in instructional technology from Bloomsburg University.
Williams joins counseling staff R. Samantha Williams joined ESU’s professional counseling staff this spring bringing nearly 15 years of counseling and mental health services to campus. Most recently, Williams was a therapist with Greater Insight Family Therapy in Mt. Pocono and earlier in her career, she was a caseworker, supervisor then program manager for Monroe County Children and Youth Services for eight years. Williams earned her master’s degree in mental health counseling from Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. She is a licensed professional counselor for Pennsylvania (LPC), a board certified - national certified counselor in Pennsylvania (BC-NCC), a certified clinical trauma professional (CCTP), a board certified tele-mental health provider (BC-TMH), a certified child welfare trainer and a quality service reviewer for child welfare.
ESU collaborates for math support grant East Stroudsburg University is one of five partners within Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education that secured a $275,149 Strong Start to Finish grant through the Education Commission of the States, intended to develop and implement an integrated learning support for mathematics. The outcome of the grant will be to develop guidelines that include best practices for curriculum design, learning support implementation and assessment in the field of mathematics. ESU’s share of the grant is $15,000 for faculty effort on the project.
ESU opens community-wide
Autism Education Center
In collaboration with the AllOne Foundation’s Autism Collaborative Centers of Excellence Network, East Stroudsburg University established the ESU Autism Education Center. The center opened on Jan. 28, 2020, and is a multi-disciplinary hub offering referrals, networking, resources, workshops, and training for the broader community, including Monroe, Pike, and Wayne counties, as well as for ESU students, faculty, community teachers and families of individuals with autism. Through current and planned programming and affiliation networks already in place, the ESU Autism Education Center provides a foundation for improving coordination of care and training opportunities for individuals with autism, their families, and communities. For more information, contact Rachel Wolf, Ph.D., associate professor of communication sciences and disorders and director of the center, at rewolf@esu.edu or call 570-422-3929.
Arthur Keith speaks at the breakfast celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
From left, Rachel Chapman, coordinator of the ESU Autism Education Center, Rachel Wolf, Ph.D., associate professor of communication sciences and disorders and director of ESU Autism Education Center, and graduate assistant Megan Harding following the center’s dedication. Photo by Susie Forrester
MLK Jr. Celebration brings unity to campus and community The spirit of community was felt across campus this winter during ESU’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Breakfast held Jan. 20 and Day of Service on Feb. 6. The 23rd annual celebration honoring Dr. King was held at Mattioli Recreation Center and featured Arthur Keith, former general manager of Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, as the keynote speaker. The theme of this year’s breakfast is “He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.”
Students write notes of encouragement to include in care bags made on Day of Service.
On Day of Service, ESU teamed up with Pennsylvania Treatment and Healing (PATH), a non-profit community-based program located in East Stroudsburg. PATH offers an intensive adolescent program for students between the ages of 10-18 who meet medical necessity for mental services. Since the start of the spring 2020 semester, ESU students, faculty and staff collected personal items for students in the PATH program, including hats, socks, snacks, and personal hygiene items. During the Day of Service, those items were used to make care bags for adolescents in the program.
Photos by Susie Forrester
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alumni news
A Look Back
“Lab School” kids revisit their 1950s school days at ESU
“Lab School” students back in the 1950s.
The smell of wood varnish took Dan Wilkins right back to kindergarten. The smell of the building and the hallways were still the same, and so was the huge wall mirror where the kids would preen and watch themselves as they walked by. “I had no idea the Lab School still even existed, that the building was still there,” Wilkins says. Although it was more than 60 years later, a visit to the former East Stroudsburg Teachers College Laboratory School, now DeNike Hall, brought back a rush of nostalgia for some “Lab School kids” who visited campus in December 2019. The Lab School was both the neighborhood public elementary school and the centerpiece of the teacher training program for the then East Stroudsburg State Teachers College from 1941 until the early 1970s. Run by the college, the K-6 school, with a single class of each grade, was taught by college professors and student teachers. First begun as a Model School for teacher training around 1910 on the campus of East Stroudsburg Normal School, the Laboratory School grew into a full-fledged public school with its own new building that opened in 1941. The school ran until sometime in the early 1970s, and this group of graduates remember it from its heyday in the 50s. “I can’t talk about the Lab School without smiling,” says Debbie Eilenberger Barhight ’74. Wilkins, a science teacher who earned his certification from ESU, agrees that it was a special place that provided an exceptional education. Barhight laughs that they had no idea that they were sometimes test subjects, and remembers an education that grounded them for lifelong learning. By her account, the curriculum was structured – and innovative. “They tested phonics on us,” she recalls, “and wanted to see if the kids could learn French.” 24 the alumni herald
Several alumni of the Lab School attended a reunion in December 2019, visiting DeNike Hall where they once attended. Photo by Firstname Lastname
The school’s philosophy emphasized learning through doing. “It was a different experience from other public schools at the time,” Barhight says. There was a lot of “kid to kid learning” she notes, with more advanced students working with those who needed more help. There were no letter grades, with students earning just “S” or “U,” for satisfactory or unsatisfactory, and there were no levels within each grade. Art and music were important, and there was a piano in every classroom. There were field trips and the kids also attended various events on the college campus. And there was the famous Kindergarten Circus of 1957, featured in The Pocono Record complete with photo, with Debbie Barhight as a tightrope walker. The morning routine included the pledge of allegiance, reciting the Lord’s Prayer, and a “cleanliness inspection” where kids presented themselves to their teacher and smiled to show faces washed and teeth brushed. A true neighborhood school, everyone walked home for lunch. “Everybody knew everybody,” Wilkins says. “Parents, kids, teachers.” The Lab School left a lifelong impression on its students. They fondly recite the names of their teachers, Mrs. Reimard, Mrs. Brown, Mr. Liedermeyer the music teacher, Mr. Burrus, Mr. Gamble the student teacher, and Wilkins lauds the dedication of the teachers who “seemed to live at the school.” “It was a great education,” says Wilkins, “We were expected to work.” Barhight says the Lab School “has been a big part of my school history.” In fact, she says, in her career as a speech pathologist, “I found myself going back to using methods we learned at the Lab School.” – By Barb Marshall
Melodie Warner ’95
embraces breaking news at CNBC
“My last year I was trying to figure out what I was going to do…and he’s like ‘what about journalism?’ And I said, ‘Well that’s fun, I can’t do that,’” Warner recalls. “He explained, well, if you like it and you can get paid for it, that’s a great thing.” The encouragement of VanArsdale and Misurella was key to her career path. “She planted the seed and he watered it,” Warner says. For their part, VanArsdale and Misurella aren’t surprised by her success.
Melodie Warner ’95 on the job at CNBC headquarters. Warner credits her career path in journalism to ESU faculty who inspired her as a student. Photo submitted by Melodie Warner ’95
Melodie Warner ’95 started her new job at the business news network CNBC on February 18 - six days before the U.S. stock market plunged into its worst week since the financial crisis of 2008. Talk about trial by fire. Hired as a news editor at CNBC.com, Warner had to get up to speed quickly as stories about the plummeting Dow Jones Industrial Average were interspersed with updates on the spread of coronavirus and how it might affect the economy. “Today the Fed just decided we’re going to drop interest rates,” Warner said in a March 3 interview. “So it’s a scramble to get people who have expertise to cover it. Then I coordinate with all the different teams and make sure everything is getting covered…as quickly as possible and, more importantly, as accurately as possible.” Warner, of East Brunswick, N.J., loves the adrenaline rush of breaking news, a field in which she has worked at such media giants as The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News and Dow Jones Newswires. That’s a far cry from her early days at ESU where she started as a chemistry major with thoughts of becoming a pharmacist. The seeds of her passion for journalism were sewn when she had a class with English professor Nancy VanArsdale, Ph.D., who told her she was a very good writer.
“I could just see Melodie had a lot of talent,” VanArsdale says. As Stroud Courier editor, “she did a terrific job. She was a great leader; she got a lot of students interested.” Misurella, now professor emeritus, remembers Warner as a skilled writer and interviewer who worked well under the pressure of deadlines. “It was very clear she had a real feel for journalism and she was really very good at it,” he says. After graduation, Warner got a job as a reporter for two weekly papers owned by the Worrall Community Newspapers of Union, N.J., and within six months was promoted to managing editor of both. She was writing and editing lots of business news and was soon hired by Dow Jones Newswires, where she worked her way up to news editor, responsible for managing a 30-person copy editing staff and the daily operations of the breaking news desk. She also got a valuable education in economics and the stock and bond markets. Next she moved to Dow Jones Newswires’ sister company, The Wall Street Journal, and later to Bloomberg News. At each news outlet, she specialized in writing, editing and coordinating breaking news coverage. Her new position at CNBC is in management on the digital side, where she coordinates teams of writers and editors to keep CNBC.com fresh, accurate, comprehensive and lively. In her 25 years in journalism, Warner has seen the industry go through massive changes as print newspapers downsize or fold and digital media explodes. Newspaper layoffs and buyouts are common as publications struggle with the loss of subscribers and advertisers.
Dr. VanArsdale, who was filling in as adviser to The Stroud Courier while then-professor Fred Misurella was on sabbatical, encouraged Warner to write for the student paper. Warner started reading the paper and recalls being annoyed enough by a particular column that she went to the newspaper office to complain.
Warner has been able to thrive in a business she loves by embracing new technologies and challenges and continuously adding to her skills and areas of expertise.
“I said I’m going to see who this person is and I ended up volunteering to take a story,” she says. “That’s how I joined the newspaper.”
She still embraces the adrenaline rush of breaking news and the frenetic chemistry of a newsroom.
She learned fast and earned editing positions at the paper before becoming editor-in-chief in her senior year. With a dual major in English and Media Studies, Warner loved the newsroom but thought of journalism more as a hobby than a future career until Misurella encouraged her.
“I like just how you’re surrounded with people who are similar to you and you can have intelligent conversations about anything,” she says. “And you can have them without arguing, even if you don’t agree because everything is fact-based rather than just opinion-based. It’s a healthy debate which I think a lot of society has lost now.” – By Margie Peterson
“The one thing I would tell people is that you have to be open to change and not just grudgingly accept it but seek it out,” she says.
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connecting
ALUMNI EVENT ROUND UP 1 • 14 • 20
January 14, 2020 Wrestling alumni connect at match and reception More than 30 alumni and wrestling supporters attended the annual ESU Alumni Wrestling night to cheer on current ESU wrestlers as they took on the Muhlenberg Mules. Before the match, the wrestling alumni committee met in the newly renovated athletic conference room to discuss their fundraising goals for scholarships. When the match came to an end, alumni, coaches and current wrestlers gathered for a reception in Koehler Fieldhouse.
February 8, 2020 Alumni basketball games draw more than 50 Warriors to play Men’s and women’s basketball alumni played in separate games at Koehler Fieldhouse. Following the games, more than 50 alumni, families and some of the coaching staff gathered at a reception hosted by the Office of Alumni Engagement. The reception is an annual tradition and is co-hosted by the ESU athletics department. Following the reception, both the men’s and women’s teams played the Millersville Marauders, winning their respective games.
The ESU Warrior made an appearance at the alumni wrestling night held at Koehler Fieldhouse.
2 • 8 • 20
Florida warriors on the move
February 26, 2020 4th Annual Palm Coast Happy Hour brings Warriors together Alumni braved torrential rain and cool temperatures to attend the 4th Annual Palm Coast Happy Hour held at the Golden Lion Café. Hosted by David Hair ’77 M.Ed. ’84 and Moira Porteous Hair ’78, the small group enjoyed the beach bar and used the opportunity to reunite with one another and speak about their time at ESU.
Women’s basketball alumni gather for a photo following their game at Koehler Fieldhouse..
2 • 28 • 20
February 28, 2020 Warrior spirit felt at annual Englewood event More than 25 alumni and friends of ESU gathered at the Englewood, Fla., golf outing and luncheon held at the Boca Royale Country Club. ESU President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., and ESU Foundation staff were also present for the event hosted by Dick Merring ’57 and Joan Staley Merring ’67. During the luncheon, Dr. Welsh updated guests on campus happenings followed by Dick Merring inviting Warriors to speak about their time at ESU. This is the 22nd year the Merrings have planned this event.
Many Warrior connections were made during the annual Englewood, Fla., event..
Editor’s Note: All alumni events scheduled for the spring were cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Check the website www.esualumni.org or email esualumni@esu.edu for updates and rescheduling announcements. Events are subject to change. 26 the alumni herald
HOMECOMING WEEKEND
2020 OCTOBER 16-18
Let’s make it WARRIOR STRONG!
Welcoming back alumni of all ages and the Class of 1970 for their 50th Reunion East Stroudsburg University wants Homecoming Weekend 2020 to be the biggest ever. And why not considering the past few months have reinforced how much our family connections mean to us. Our Warrior family is no exception! The ESU Office of Alumni Engagement invites Warriors and their families to return to campus October 16-18, 2020, for celebrations of spirit, friendship, family, and all it means to be an ESU Warrior! Check out some of these planned events, with more being added through the summer months. Annual All-Alumni Tailgate A yearly tradition, the All-Alumni and University Tailgate will feature live music, activities and access to the ESU Fan Zone, a fun–filled event for students and families. This is a must before heading over to the Warriors vs. West Chester game at Eiler-Martin Stadium. The tailgate is free to all although please have IDs ready for wristbands. Registration for tailgate parking spots will be available in late summer. Wine Tasting for GOLD Graduates of The Last Decade will host a Warrior Wine Tasting at Renegade Winery in Stroudsburg, Pa. The event will feature special faculty and staff guests.
Annual Alumni Association Awards Banquet The Alumni Association will host its Annual Alumni Awards and Reunion Banquet on October 16, 2020, recognizing ESU’s accomplished alumni and friends for the year. The event returns to campus this year and will be held at ESU’s Innovation Center. Class of 1970 50th Anniversary Reunion It’s the golden anniversary for the Class of 1970 who will be honored at the banquet on Oct. 16 followed by a reception and class party at the All-Alumni and University Tailgate on Oct. 17. Class of 2020 Celebration The Class of 2020 will be honored and officially inducted into the ESU Alumni Association at the All Alumni Champagne Brunch on Oct. 18. More details to come as they are finalized. So much more… Other events for the weekend include a show at the McMunn Planetarium, a bus tour of campus with former ESU head football coach Denny Douds and tours of the Schisler Museum of Wildlife and Natural History.
START MAKING YOUR PLANS!
Homecoming event details, registration information and volunteer opportunities will be posted on www.esualumni.org/homecoming2020 or contact the ESU Office of Alumni Engagement at 570-422-3194 or esualumni@esu.edu. Please note: We continue to monitor what is best for alumni gatherings that may include moving forward with modified reunion celebrations, and/or providing a virtual experience to encourage connections.
Upcoming Events September 2020
October 16 –18, 2020
ESU Monroe County Happy Hour The Gem and Keystone Brewpub Shawnee on Delaware, Pa. Time and day TBD (rescheduled from spring)
HOMECOMING WEEKEND 2020 East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, Pa.
September 26, 2020
ESU Bucks/Montgomery Chapter Happy Hour Brittingham’s Pub, Lafayette Hill, Pa. November 5, 2020 (rescheduled from spring)
ESU Legacy Family Breakfast and Pinning Ceremony ESU’s Innovation Center, 9 – 11 a.m.
NOVEMBER 5, 2020
Check www.esualumni.org and www.esu.edu frequently as events are added throughout the year.
November 2020 ESU Alumni/Student Career Networking Event Innovation Center, East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, Pa. | Time and day TBD COBM Senior/Alumni Wine Tasting at Blue Ridge Winery Blue Ridge Estate Vineyard & Winery, Saylorsburg, Pa. Time and day TBD (rescheduled from spring)
December 3, 2020
ESU Annual Lehigh Valley Alumni Holidays in Bethlehem Historic Hotel Bethlehem, Bethlehem Pa. | 6-8 p.m.
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winter SPORTS
updates
Men’s Basketball Reaches 9th PSAC Final 4 in Last 11 Seasons
ESU was 20-9, registering its third straight 20-win season and marking just the third time in program history the Warriors have won 20 games in three consecutive years – along with stretches from 1971-73 and 2012-14. The Warriors have recorded 20 wins 13 times overall, with eight of those coming under current head coach Jeff Wilson ’86 M’92. ESU also made its third straight PSAC Final 4, and ninth in the last 11 seasons, entering the PSAC semifinals on a season-high 10-game winning streak before falling 87-71 to nationally-ranked IUP. ESU surged to a second-place finish in the PSAC East regular season, going 15-7 in conference play, and defeated a pair of nationally-ranked opponents – including a perfect 3-0 mark against rival West Chester.
ESU's men were runner-up at the PSAC Indoor Track & Field Championships.
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Fifth-year point guard Kitt Najee Walls garnered All-PSAC East second team honors after finishing third in the PSAC in steals per game, fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio, and sixth in assists per game. He ranks third in school history with 482 career assists. Redshirt sophomore guard Marc Rodriguez led a balanced scoring effort with 10 points per game. Senior forward Michal Weiss finished his career ranked second at ESU in field goal percentage (61.1), and senior guard Montrel Morgan ranks fifth in three-point percentage (41.8).
Raccioppi and Riddick Earn Men’s Wrestling All-America Status From NWCA Redshirt senior Mike Raccioppi and senior Elliot Riddick both closed their careers with DII All-America honors as announced by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA). Both were national qualifiers and were prepared to compete in the NCAA DII Championships in Sioux Falls, S.D. before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the NCAA’s winter and spring sports seasons to an abrupt halt. Raccioppi earned his second All-America recognition at 174 pounds after finishing third the previous year. He is the seventh multiple-time AllAmerica in program history and the first since the Warriors reclassified to DII in 2010. Gary Kessel ’77 was the most recent prior to Raccioppi, accomplishing the feat at the DII level in 1975-76. Riddick, wrestling at 184 pounds, is the 24th All-America wrestler in ESU history. He captured the Super Region 1 championship by defeating Pitt-Johnstown’s Connor Craig, earning ESU’s first regional title since Brendan McKeown during the 2013 season. The Warriors notched multiple All-America selections in the same year for the first time since Ed Ebewo and Braden Turner in 2012.
MEN’S TRACK & FIELD PLACES SECOND IN PSAC; WALTON, MILLER NAMED ALL-AMERICA ESU’s men’s squad finished second at the PSAC Indoor Track & Field Championship and had two All-America athletes in junior Dominic Walton in the shot put, and sophomore Justin Miller in the triple jump. The runner-up finish is the fifth in program history, joining teams from 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2019. Senior Darnell Randall won his second PSAC title in the long jump. Miller was second in both the long jump and triple jump, and Walton was second in the conference in the shot put and third in the weight throw. Miller posted his NCAA qualifying mark of 49-5 1/2 in the triple jump at ESU’s DeSchriver Invitational, while Walton had his mark of 57-6 1/2 in the shot put at Bucknell’s Gulden Invitational. On the women’s side, senior Tatiana Williams won the PSAC triple jump title and broke her program record with a mark of 38-2 3/4. Senior Tiana Webster was second in the 60m dash, tying her school record in 7.62.
Lapotsky finished her career fifth at ESU in career points (1,486) and scored 566 points as a senior, second-most in school history. Hertz set ESU’s single-season assists record (180) and ranks second with 550 career assists and fourth with 208 career steals. She also added 779 points and 558 rebounds.
Women’s Wrestling Completes Inaugural Season; Ortiz Named ESU’s First All-American
ESU’s women’s wrestling program opened its inaugural season at the ESU Open at Koehler Fieldhouse in November. The Warriors wrestled a trio of nationally-ranked programs during the season and recorded their first-ever dual victory on February 9 with a 32-6 win over Springfield Tech. The Warriors sent seven wrestlers to Adrian, Michigan in early March for the Women’s National Collegiate Wrestling Championships.
Senior Me’Saj Closs closed her ESU career with a pair of third-place showings in the weight throw and shot put. She leaves as ESU’s all-time leader in the weight throw indoors, and the hammer and discus outdoors.
Freshman Tatyana Ortiz placed fourth at 109 pounds, finishing the twoday event with a 4-2 record to earn All-America honors. She entered the tournament ranked second in her weight class and won three consolation bouts to secure her spot in the third-place match.
Women’s Basketball Reaches PSAC Semifinals
Also recording wins at the national tournament were sophomore Lakiesha Sullivan (109), sophomore Josselinne Campos (130), and sophomore Alyssa Marinaccio (143).
ESU made its first appearance in the PSAC semifinals since 2017 after knocking off Bloomsburg in the conference quarterfinals, securing the program’s fifth 20-win season. The Warriors went 20-10 overall, 15-7 in the PSAC East, to reach 20 wins for the first time since 2007. The squad was 14-2 at Koehler Fieldhouse, and won its final seven games on its home floor. Two senior guards, Tiffany Lapotsky and Jordan Hertz, led the way. Lapotsky was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America honoree, twotime PSAC Winter Top 10 recipient and earned first team All-PSAC East honors for the second straight year. Hertz, the 2019 PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Year, was a repeat selection on the second team.
Senior Tatiana Williams won the PSAC triple jump title.
Lukshides Finishes Swimming Career with Two School Records Senior Olivia Lukshides finished her ESU career in the pool with individual school records in the 100 free and 200 free. She was also part of schoolrecord 200 and 400 free relay teams in 2018, and had individual topeight finishes at the PSAC Championships in the 100 and 200 free during her career. ESU finished 10th at the PSAC Championships and had three relay teams with top-eight finishes.
Freshman Tatyana Ortiz placed fourth at 109 pounds at the Women’s National Collegiate Wrestling Championships in Michigan.
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spring SPORTS
updates Baseball’s Strong Start, National Rankings Highlight Abbreviated Season
ESU was off to one of its best starts on the baseball diamond in recent memory as the Warriors opened 14-1-2, with their final action a sweep of the University of the Sciences on March 9 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Warriors were ranked 16th in the final NCBWA DII Top 25 poll, earning a spot in the NCBWA national rankings for the first time since their 38-win NCAA Tournament season in 2016. The shortened 2020 campaign was highlighted by a 10-game winning streak and 15-game unbeaten streak. The Warriors hit .347 as a team and recorded 210 strikeouts on the mound through 17 games.
Senior Cam Voss
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Senior Hana Cicerelle
Four players carried a batting average of .400 or better in junior Brainy Rojas (.453), senior CJ Lopez (.452), junior Brock Kauffman (.419) and senior Anthony Torreullas (.400). The pitching staff was led by senior Cam Voss, who had a 0.43 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 21 innings, redshirt sophomore Chase Nowak, who had a 1.23 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 22 innings, and freshman Brent Francisco, who was unscored upon with 22 strikeouts in 13 innings.
Women’s Lacrosse Had Eyes on PSAC Title The Warriors, who were 4-1 through their first five games this spring, appeared primed to make another deep postseason run following three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, the 2017 PSAC championship, 2018 Atlantic Region championship and conference and regional runnerup finishes in 2019. ESU was ranked 12th in the final IWLCA DII poll and junior Krista Mitarotonda was named to the Inside Lacrosse All-America second team for her third career All-America honor. She had 16 goals and two assists through the first five games – bringing her career totals to 144 goals and 28 assists in just 45 games. Senior individual standouts included goalkeeper Tatyana Petteway, a two-time All-America and three-time All-Region selection, and midfielder Hana Cicerelle, a two-time All-Region honoree who had 132 career goals and 74 assists.
Softball Battled Strong Southern Competition ESU’s softball season included two southern trips against strong competition, finishing with a 6-10 record as the Warriors were looking to build on a 26-22 campaign in 2019 – their most wins in a dozen years. Senior Kaylee Hazewski leaves as ESU’s career record holder in stolen bases (104), second in runs (105) and 10th in hits (142), including a singleseason record 51 stolen bases in 2019. Freshman Katherine Donaghue had a team-best .409 batting average through the first 16 games of 2020.
Senior Kaylee Hazewski
Mary “Betsy” Murray ’76, Jane Maiersperger Juliano ’76, Judith Jackson ’76, Carol Ganther Lusignea ’76, and Linda Hodge D’Angelo ’77 recently spent a week together after not seeing each other for 40 years. Murray is a retired director of student life and resides in Staunton, Va., Juliano is a retired school principal and resides in Chandler, Ariz., Jackson is a retired physical education teacher and former owner for a golf club and resides in Kennett Square, Pa., Lusignea is a retired physical education teacher and athletics coach and resides in Mystic, Conn., and D’Angelo is a retired nurse practitioner and resides in Louisville, Colo. They are all former roommates on and off campus. ESU alumni gather for their annual eagle watching trip on the Delaware River in February. First row, from left, are Louise Wilcock Troutman ’91, Tiffany Black, Diane Peck Madl ’69, Jeanette Levering Steber ’88, Wendy Micio Bogle ’87, Denise Thompson Duryea, and Cheryl Mazzeo Lucas ’89. Second row, from left, Steve Ceasar ’89, Bob Duryea ’86, Dave Madl ’86, Jim Steber ’89, Greg Bogle ’88, Brad Lucas ’87, and Dave Troutman ’87. These Warrior friends have continued their friendship long after graduation and enjoy time together in the great outdoors, bird watching and having fun. 32 the alumni herald
’75 ’80 ’81 ’85
Michelle Bolesky Raber ’75 will retire in June 2020 after spending over 40 years in education. Raber taught for six years in the Parkland School District, four years in the Northern Potter School District at the Northern Potter Children’s School, and 30 years in the Northern Lehigh School District at Northern Lehigh Middle School, all in Pennsylvania. In retirement, she plans on enjoying her five grandchildren and playing tennis, golfing, and biking every day. She resides in Slatington, Pa. Rosemary Allocco M ’80 authored and published a book, “The GIFT from the Sea,” a compendium of realizations about life’s unparalleled enchantment reflected by the sea’s beauty. Allocco is a clinical exercise physiologist at a hospital in Pennsylvania. She resides in Canadensis, Pa. Colonel (Retired) William Andrew Leneweaver ’81 is a co-author of the book, “Washington National Guard”, part of Arcadia Publishings’ Images of America series. Leneweaver serves on the board of directors of the Washington National Guard State Historical Society (WNGSHS). He has served in the U.S. Army, and in the Washington Army National Guard. He is currently the Deputy State E911 Coordinator for Enterprise Systems. He resides in Tacoma, Wash. Eric Wyatt ’85 was promoted from COO to CEO of Boston Market. Wyatt joined Boston Market in September 2018 as chief operating officer. Before joining Boston Market, he was vice president of operations at Panera Bread for three years. Earlier, he was vice president of store operations at Bath & Body Works. He spent seven years at Starbucks Coffee Co. in a variety of roles, including vice president of business planning, implementation, testing and drivethru, and regional vice president. He resides in Philadelphia, Pa.
1980s
Warrior friends recently vacationed at Holden Beach, N.C., for an annual reunion. Sitting, from left, Cherie Shearouse, Sarah Johnson, Mary Pakenas Gardner ’74 M’77, and Mary Ann Van Dyke Vance ’75. Standing, from left, Dave Hair ’76 M’81, Moira Porteus Hair ’77, Jim Shearouse ’74, Diane Smith, Dr. Bob Smith ’73, Frank Johnson ’74, Dean Gardner ’74, Cindy Masenheimer Shultz ’74, Walter Shultz ’74, and George Vance ’74. The Gardners reside in Berwick, Pa., the Hairs reside in Palm Coast, Fla., Johnson resides in East Stroudsburg, Pa., Shearouse resides in Sneads Ferry, N.C., the Shultzes reside in Bethlehem, Pa., Smith resides in Stroudsburg, Pa., and the Vances reside in Duboistown, Pa. They are all members of the ESSC Third Floor Shawnee affinity group that has endowed a scholarship for ESU resident students in need. September 2020 will mark the group’s 50th anniversary reunion of being connected as a Warrior family.
1970s
’72
Michael Smith ’72 is a 16-time Ironman, having completed seven Hawaii World Championships. Ironman competitions consist of a distance swim, followed by a distance bike race, and concluding with a marathon running race. Smith is a retired teacher and swimming coach, residing in Cypress, Texas.
’88
Rory Z. Fazendeiro ’96 joined Bowdith & Dewey, LLP as partner. Fazendeiro is a corporate and real estate attorney and is outside general counsel to several businesses. Prior to Bowditch, he practiced at a Boston law firm, concentrating on similar areas. He resides in Wellesley, Mass. Jennifer Simpson Carr ’05 presented a TED Talk-style case study on a successful communications campaign during a Legal Marketing Associations’ PR & Communications program in March at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center. As the business development director for Furia Rubel Communications, Carr is responsible for relationship management with prospective, new and existing clients. She tracks market and emerging trends, supports the agency’s client value proposition, and assists the agency and clients with establishing competitive advantage, winning new business, and implementing strategies that impact long-term business objectives. She resides in Raleigh, N.C. John Glenn ’05 is a linebacker coach for the Seattle Seahawks. Before moving into this role, he held four other positions with the team. His most recent position was as the team’s assistant linebackers coach for one season. He began his stint with the Seahawks in 2012. He resides in Renton, Wash.
’08
’12
Stephen Chapman ’07, Ph.D., was awarded tenure at Monmouth University. Chapman is currently the assistant professor of political science, a chair of Area II General Education committee, and the advisor of the National Political Science Honor Society group, Pi Sigma Alpha. He resides in Easton, Pa. Donald Leech ’07 was promoted to vice president of marketing and development of QuickChek Corp. Leech served as VP of real estate and development for the past three years and was director of operations for 14 years, leading multiple store districts. He began his career at the company’s Middletown store in 1985, moving up to assistant store leader and district leader. He resides in Tobyhanna, Pa. Kyleen Koury Scavazzo ’08 received the Candlelight Award from The Scranton and Northeast Region affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The award is given to a member of the community who brings attention to mental health awareness. Scavazzo leads campaigns at Valley View Middle School, where she also is the junior varsity softball coach. One of her more recent endeavors, the Share a Smile project, encourages students to share a smile with a classmate or teacher. She resides in Archbald, Pa.
2010s
’05
’07
2000s
’05
’07
1990s
’96
James (Jim) Fogler ’88 was appointed as president of the Florida Press Association and president of Intersect Media Solutions. In his role, Fogler will become the chief advocate for publishers in Florida and oversee the management services of multiple state media associations. He has worked for the Virginia-based media company, Gannett, for more than 30 years, most recently as the president and regional sales director for the Poughkeepsie Journal and Free Press Media, the oldest newspaper in New York and Vermont’s largest paper, respectively. He resides in South Burlington, Vt.
Danielle Simcic ’12 won the President’s Excellence Award at Georgetown University for her service to the Georgetown University community. The President’s Excellence Awards Program offers an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the truly distinctive contributions of staff and Alumni Admissions Program employees who have worked to foster Georgetown University’s mission and maintain its standing as a leading academic and research institution. Simcic is an active member of ESU’s GOLD focus group and part of the ESU Homecoming 2020 planning committee. She resides in Alexandria, Va.
esualumni.org 33
births Veronica Smyth Charles ’01 and her husband Frank Charles announce the birth of their daughter, Lilyana Caroline Charles, born in March 2019. The family lives in Easton, Pa. Ashley Hertzoff West ’07 and her husband Jeffrey West announce the birth of their sons, Noah Hudson West, born in April 2019, and Logan Parker West, born in April 2017. The family lives in Northampton, Pa. Alissa Molinari ’15 and Brandon McCauley ’13 welcomed their daughter, Macey McCauley, born in April 2019. The family lives in Allentown, Pa. Brian Miller ’02 M ’07 and his wife Sarah Miller welcomed their son, Sawyer George Miller, born in May 2019. The family lives in Macungie, Pa. Kristal Schroeder Nemeroff ’11 and Casey Kohlmier welcomed their son, Clayton Louis Kohlmier, in August 2019. The family resides in Effort, Pa. Amanda McNulty Vachris ’14 and James Vachris ’14 welcomed their first baby, Delaney Grace Vachris, in October 2019. The family lives in Hockessin, Del. Amy Moss ’08 announces the birth of her son, Colton Brantley Moss, born in November 2019. The family lives in Warminster, Pa.
34 the alumni herald
Chelsea Mills Rabena ’11 and her husband Joe Rabena announce the birth of their daughter, Kennedy Sage Rabena. The family lives in Aston, Pa. Allison Sweet Kuchera ’07 M ’09 and her husband Stephen Kuchera ’06 M ’08 welcomed their daughter, Ashley Sweet Kuchera, in November 2019. The family lives in Stephens City, Va. A new addition to the family? The ESU Office of Alumni Engagement offers its congratulations with a Warrior bib sent to your home. Send your announcement, including your name, graduation year, address and email address to esualumni@esu.edu or call 570-422-3180.
w e dd i n gs Theodore Harkness ’09 married Priscilla Ro on November 9, 2019. The ceremony was held at Rixey Manor in Rixeyville, Va., which is one hour south of Washington, DC and overlooks the Shenandoah Mountains. The couple resides in Falls Church, Va.
in memoriam alumni Winfield H. Alleger ‘72 Hilda B. Andrew ‘72 Rodney W. Applegate ‘65 Joseph R. Bachkosky ‘74 Michael Bari M‘86 Vernon Barlieb ‘60 Jane Bartholomew ‘57 Terrence H. Bartholomew ‘55 Richard A. Berish ‘57 Michael K. Boushell ‘67 Nancy S. Bowen ‘71 M’86 Karen N. Boyle ‘86 Jean S. Butcher ‘49 Richard E. Byrne ‘91 Lauren M. Carber ‘04 Frank E. Casty ‘56 Anthony F. Comunale ‘56 Joseph J. DeRaymond ‘57 Patrick B. Dougher ‘90 John Duchon ‘65 Walter K. Ebling ‘50 Ruth T. Eyer ‘56 Gerald J. Fabian ‘70 Sally Ann Ferraro ‘58 Joseph E. Flannery ‘53 Gerald F. Fox ‘92 Margaret R. Garrison M’91 Kenneth W. Graham ‘65 Joan I. Guistwite ‘53 George J. Hack ‘67 Robert L. Harmon ‘68 Roland F. Hess ‘54 Theodore W. Hess ‘51 Sarah Hovis ‘65 Patricia L. Hyland ‘75 Ashley E. Jarrell ‘12 Sarah A. Jones ‘44 Lewis A. Judy ‘56 M’68 Daniel Kasperkoski ‘62 Shirley J. Kelly ‘54
Carson W. Klinetob ‘46 Frank S. Krystyniak ‘57 Joseph L. Kuhla ‘58 Mary M. Kulbok ‘43 Barbara LaBarre ‘02 Gloria C. Lane ‘43 Laura L. Larsen ‘77 Joseph R. Lovas ‘80 John W. Lozo ‘70 Gerald E. Magaleski ‘60 William J. Martellaro ‘87 James J. Melody ‘68 Natalie Miller ‘57 Sally Montgomery ‘66 Edward J. Moravetz ‘58 Maureen A. Moroney M’93 John G. Muncie ‘61 Gary A. Munro ‘74 John C. Oakley ‘67 Cornelius J. O’Donnell ‘60 Mary K. O’Neill ‘47 Karen A. Palumbo ‘68 Frank J. Pozda ‘51 Grace M. Rader ‘49 Richard R. Ramalho ‘52 Joan L. Rice ‘53 Zoe S. Roble ‘72 Adele M. Schonour ‘69 Carol O. Shaplin M’76 Elizabeth A. Shively ‘77 Marie F. Squilla ‘53 Joshua J. Stone ‘00 Carol A. Strohe ‘87 M’01 Frank A. Tatusko M’83 Robert J. Turnberger ‘59 Mark W. Vogler M’89 John S. Watson ‘51 Norma Woolever ‘57 Dorothy E. Yeakel ‘74 Jacob M. Yingling ‘52
FRIENDS
send us your class notes fax 570-422-3301 phone 570-422-7000 email esualumni@esu.edu online esualumni.org/classnotes NOTE: We publish alumni accomplishments and news of marriages and births, but not engagements or pregnancies. Please note the editorial staff makes every effort to publish the information submitted as it was received.
Raymond Chase Thomas O. Bordigon George Chaump David C. Christian Robert N. Dain Gloria Fearon Edward V. Griffin Genevieve C. Huffman
Harriet Marks Bruce M. Miller David Okeson Joan Sommer Albert Stevens James P. Sullivan Sylvester Vavra
Faculty & Staff Robert J. Campbell
Arline Smeltz
Memorial Gifts may be made through the ESU Foundation at esufoundation.org/givenow. For personal assistance, please call 570-422-3333. In Memoriam reflects alumni, faculty, staff and friends who passed away up to May 19, 2020.
remembrance Retired faculty member from the department of exercise science served as a professor at ESU for 28 years. Goldfuss, 81, was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. He was the son of the late William and Riva (Chernoff) Goldfuss and served his country in the US Army as a surveyor. He continued with his college education beginning at Queens College receiving his bachelor’s of science degree then on to Penn State University where he earned his masters and doctorate in biomechanics Arnold “Arnie” Goldfuss, and exercise kinesiology. He taught for three years at the University of Ph.D. December 26, 2019 Ottawa in Canada then moved his family to East Stroudsburg where he started his career in 1978 at the East Stroudsburg University. In addition to teaching, inspiring and mentoring thousands of students during his time at ESU, he was responsible for founding The Pocono Autism Society in 1996, a group that remains strong today. Goldfuss is survived by his wife, Nancy. His son, Jeffrey A. Goldfuss, passed away April 7, 2020. Adjunct faculty member from the department of communication, Lee was a 1999 graduate of Stroudsburg High School. She attended Moravian College, Bethlehem, before transferring to ESU where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication in 2004. Lee was an adjunct professor at ESU since 2014 and established the Chase Annual Scholarship in 2017. She was also an active member of WESS Radio and was the station’s news director. Lee was the co-host, Elisa (Caffese) Lee ’04 producer and news director of the popular Gary in the Morning radio January 7, 2020 show on Poconos 96.7, best known as Elisa Chase. She is survived by her parents, Robert and Jacqueline Caffese; brother, John R. Caffese; and in-laws, Tom and Darlene Lee and Chris and Rebecca McFarland Lee. She was the wife of Brett M. Lee of East Stroudsburg, Pa., who died Jan. 19, 2020. Perryman, 45, of Stroud Township, was inducted to the ESU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009 and was in the midst of her 14th year as head girls basketball coach at Pocono Mountain West High School. A standout guard, Perryman teamed with Lori Pio ‘96 to lead the Warriors to their lone Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship in 1994-95 and was named PSAC East Player of the Year. She was part of the only two teams in program history (1994-95, 1995Stacy Perryman ’97 96) to qualify for the NCAA Tournament and is one of three players in January 20, 2020 school history to be named to the All-PSAC East team in each of her four years. She scored 1,695 career points, third in school history. Perryman, who graduated from ESU with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, played at East Stroudsburg High School and at ESU for Rose Haller ‘87. She later was assistant coach at Pocono Mountain West under Haller for three seasons before becoming the program’s head coach. She is predeceased by her brother, Arthur Perryman III and survived by her mother, Blenda (Malin) Perryman; father, Arthur Perryman, Jr.; two sisters, Felicia Perryman and Christine Campos; brotherin-law, Erik Campos; aunts, Linda Williford and Diane Huntley; uncle, Ronald Huntley; niece, Madison Campos; and cousin, Sabrina Malin. A member of ESU’s Council of Trustees for the past 12 years, DeFranco, 86, was the son of the late Philip and Teadora (DelGrosso) DeFranco. He was raised in Roseto and lived in the Stroudsburg area for over 60 years. He was a lieutenant in the US Navy from 1960 to 1962. DeFranco attended Colgate University on a full scholarship in 1956, and was a 1960 graduate of Temple University School of Dentistry. He founded Pocono Dental Associates in 1962, where he practiced until Dr. Vincent DeFranco retiring in March 2007. March 4, 2020 He is survived by his wife Concetta A. (Viglione) with whom he shared 59 years of marriage, and three children; Philip DeFranco of Bangor, Michelle DeFranco and husband David Cohen of New York City, and Vincent DeFranco of Los Angeles, Calif.; a grandson, Benjamin Cohen; his twin sister, Theresa DeBerardinis and husband Ferdinand of Roseto. He was preceded in death by a brother, Martin DeFranco.
Micheal Warenczuk March 21, 2020 A senior criminal justice major from Tannersville, Pa. Micheal, 27, is survived by his parents Zdzislaw and Lucyna (Zysk) Warenczuk and two sisters, Joanna Warenczuk of Tannersville and Kamila Sledz and husband Daniel of San Diego, Calif. His family wanted the campus community to know that Micheal was an organ donor. His heart, liver and kidneys were able to save four lives.
Betty B. Gilbert April 30, 2020 Gilbert, 89, wife of ESU’s eleventh president, Dr. James Eastham Gilbert of Mt. Pleasant, S.C. Gilbert joined the Warrior family in 1986 when Dr. Gilbert became president of ESU. She and Dr. Gilbert were married for nearly 67 years and they retired to Mt. Pleasant, S.C. in 1996 after serving ESU for 10 years. Mrs. Gilbert was the consummate hostess and was extremely active on campus and in the local communities. In addition her parents, James G. and Beatrice Genevieve (Dodrill) Blankenship, she is predeceased by her brother, Vaughan Blankenship. Surviving, in addition to her husband, Dr. Gilbert, are her sister, Emogene (Blankenship) Georgiades and brotherin-law, Richard Georgiades of Sarasota, Fla.; her son Gregory Eastham Gilbert; daughter-in-law Sharon (McFadden) Gilbert; grandson Geoffrey Eastham Gilbert, all of Charleston, S.C. Gifts in honor of Mrs. Gilbert may be directed to the Dr. James E. & Mrs. Betty B. Gilbert Endowed Scholarship.
Circa
FLASHBACK BID DAY! Not so long ago, but this winter when campus was filled with students, the sisters and new pledges of Sigma Sigma Sigma celebrated in the Abeloff Center for the Performing Arts on February 7. Photo by Bob Shank
200 Prospect Street East Stroudsburg, PA 18301-2999
Celebrating the Class of 2020 A total of 1,101 students received degrees from ESU on May 9, 2020. While COVID-19 forced the cancellation of spring commencement, celebrations were held virtually, featuring messages from President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., Wil Del Pilar, Ph.D., vice president of higher education at The Education Trust, and Leila Bouchekouk ’20, ESU student government president. A video was created using photos graduating students submitted of their favorite campus memories, along with a digital copy of a commemorative celebration booklet. All can be seen at esu.edu/celebrate.
