East Stroudsburg University of pennsylvania
alumni herald
Fall/Winter 2019
A zeal for life and giving back
color me warrior! Color Me Warrior, a DJ and paint party, was hosted by the Student Activity Association and Campus Activity Board on September 20, 2019, on the Shawnee Quad. Photo by Susie Forrester
CampusSnap
As the holiday season arrives,
we hear about the kindness and generosity of others in so many ways and so we wanted to bring this issue of the Alumni Herald close to home. I hope that you are inspired
by four members of ESU’s newly-minted GOLD program (Graduates of the Last Decade) who have shared with us their personal stories about giving back to their alma mater with gifts of their time, talent and treasures. Eric, Maureen, Demetrius and Brittany have certainly set the bar high and my hope is that more young alumni will be inspired to take a closer look at the impact of their ESU degree on the trajectory of their professional and personal lives and consider deeper engagement with the place you once called “home.” Our alumni have had a busy fall with many occasions to get together in celebration of their Warrior pride. In this issue, you’ll see many of our graduates gathering for Homecoming 2019, a number of our chapter events as well as our annual Legacy breakfast and pinning ceremony. Graduates from our Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management program gathered for a networking event and you’ll also learn more about how you can get involved in WAM – the Warrior Alumni Mentor program - to help today’s students learn more about preparation for their specific profession from those of you who are already out there in the field. We’ll welcome new Alumni Board members, offer an update on one of our Fulbright Scholars, introduce you to a new member of the Alumni Engagement staff and shine a spotlight on others (Chris Rohr Thompson ’73 and Griggs Levy ’87) who are making a difference on campus and in their own communities. If you haven’t been “home” this year, I think you’ll be surprised to read about many new and exciting things taking place in the division of Campus Life and Inclusive Excellence (CLIE), formerly known as Student Affairs. (The division’s title change was made in order to place a greater emphasis on ESU’s commitment to diversity and to creating a welcoming and inclusive campus.) Please join me in welcoming Santiago Solis, Ph.D., to ESU as our new vice president of CLIE replacing Doreen Tobin, Ed.D., who retired in June. Cornelia Sewell-Allen, Ed.D., returned to ESU in May and is now the assistant vice president of the division. Another change in this division is the opening of a new Health and Wellness Center on campus that will enable us to provide multiple services in a central location. This space not only provides the traditional services offered by the realigned departments (Counseling and Psychological Services, Accessible Services Individualized for Students, and Wellness Education and Prevention), but also offers case management services, an expanded mind body lab, a space for students in recovery, 12 step meetings, therapy dog visits three times a week, and a group counseling/programming space. 2 the alumni herald
Our Innovation Center now boasts a co-working space for those who are business-minded and we’ve also added a new bachelor’s degree in finance. In other campus news, Biology Professor Terry Master, Ph.D., was honored as ESU’s 2019 distinguished professor and Nicole Chinnici, director of the Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute, earned top honors as the University’s innovator and entrepreneur of the year. We also welcomed Rep. Maureen Madden as this year’s legislative fellow. Every page of this magazine is a testament to the growth, commitment and power of the WARRIOR spirit that lives in all of us. My hope for each and every one of you is that you’ll take time to enjoy the Alumni Herald and celebrate the memories of your college experience that mean the most to you. And during this season of reflection and giving, remember to be kind and appreciative to those who have helped you along your path to success. Happy holidays to you and yours. I look forward to seeing you back on campus in 2020! Best,
Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., President
inside
Cover Story
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They are ESU’s newest Warrior alumni – GOLD to be exact – those who graduated in the past 10 years and are looking to stay connected to their alma mater. Even better – Graduates of the Last Decade give back financially and with their time and talent. They recognize and are proud of the impact their ESU education has had on their lives. Read the stories of several GOLD alumni and learn what the Office of Alumni Engagement has in the works to connect young Warriors across the continent.
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 Susie Forrester Leon John, Jr., Ph.D. Amanda Nyborg Bob Weidner
Contributors Brenda E. Friday, Ph.D. Leon John, Jr., Ph.D. Frank Johnson ’74 Greg Knowlden M’04 Morgan Koerber ‘18 Stacey Marshall Katie McDonald Doug Page Margaret Peterson Elizabeth Richardson Shelley A. Speirs ’92 Caryn Wilkie
Features 10 IGNITE YOUR SPIRIT!
Homecoming Weekend 2019 brings Warriors together.
OUR MOST GENEROUS 12 DONORS
Annual gala recognizes ESU’s President’s Circle members.
ARRIOR MAKEOVERS 30 W Athletics website and football office get fresh, new looks.
12 ESU Foundation 16 Campus News 22 Alumni News 28 Warrior Spirit
36 WANTED: YOUR ESU KEEPSAKES
Departments
The archives and collections department seeks memorabilia.
32 Class Notes 35 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
alumni board
Greetings Fellow Alumni,
By the time you receive this issue of the Alumni Herald, Homecoming 2019 will be a fond memory. I hope many of you who attended came away rejuvenated by reconnecting with classmates and your alma mater. As I engaged in numerous conversations that were prefaced with the statement, “Remember when . . .,” it brought a smile to my face to listen to so many stories. Everyone had reasons why they chose ESU, why they stayed and continued their path to commencement. Some comments such as “it just fit,” “it felt like home,” to “my degree became a great career,” were shared along with the alumni involvement with clubs, organizations and athletic teams that enriched our ESU experience. All of these connections are a major factor in how we grew from wide-eyed freshmen to confident and prepared graduates and contributing citizens.
Alumni Association Corner join student government, stay on campus during the weekends, and fully embraced the college experience. We converted room 308 in Shawnee Hall into the floor’s “man cave,” and it became a gathering spot for card games, support groups and planning sessions where we solved the world’s problems. Needless to say, we went through our share of resident advisors, and our group became its own unofficial fraternity. It has been 50 years since we all met, and many of us still gather for vacations, weddings, homecomings and any other reason we can find. Wanting to give back to the place that we felt was responsible for our lifelong friendships, we established the Third Floor Shawnee Hall Alumni Endowed Scholarship for any worthy ESU student who fit the specific criteria (maintaining a 2.5 GPA, engaging in extracurricular activities, currently living or have previously lived in a residence hall, and are receiving financial aid). We have recently achieved our $50,000 goal through donations and fundraising efforts, and continue to maintain that ESSC pride.
My own story parallels many of those I heard. It simply comes down to those people who shared the journey and how important they were to your own personal development. The year we graduated was important, but the people who surrounded us at Your ESU Alumni Association Board of Directors are that time - our affinity groups and the community - an outstanding group of committed, focused and fostered meaningful relationships. enthusiastic alumni continually seeking out ways There are some memories that are very special to to enhance alumni engagement. We continue to me. As an average freshman and future student expand the ESU Warrior Alumni Mentoring (WAM) athlete in 1970, I was honored to be a member program developed by our Outreach Committee, of the soccer, basketball, and baseball freshmen and are working to identify and spotlight ESU affinity teams. Each team represented an affinity group groups. These include clubs, organizations, athletic as I built friendships and connections with my teams, sororities and fraternities, and academic teammates and coaches. I continued my affiliation groups that are sanctioned by the university. We also with baseball as a letterman and with other varsity realize that there are unofficial affinities such as the athletes. During the off-seasons, I participated Third Floor Shawnee group who we continue to seek in every intramural sport that was offered. As a out, and who created their own identity on campus health and physical education major, I developed simply through their own personal relationships relationships with classmates and professors along and support of ESU. We ask you to please contact the way. I was a member of Phi Epsilon Kappa, the the Office of Alumni Engagement at alumni@ honorary physical education service fraternity and esufoundation.org with your own personal stories of the Varsity S Club. I was given the opportunity to your affinity groups. Fellow alumni would love the connect with many people with whom I had much in opportunity to reconnect and reminisce about their common and they enriched my college experience. days on campus through your stories. Let us show The Third Floor Shawnee group remains my our Warrior pride. greatest ESU affinity. From the first day we met, we immediately realized how much we had in common. Most of us were without any money, any vehicle, and were away from home for the first time. We all decided to play sports (club and varsity), 4 the alumni herald
From ESSTC to ESSC to ESU: Where Warriors Belong! Frank Johnson ’74 President ESU Alumni Association Board of Directors essc308@ptd.net
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 ‘71 M’77 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 M. Pullo ‘73 M ‘76 Faye D. Soderberg ’58 John E. Woodling ’68 M.Ed. ’76 Sandra “Pinky” O’Neill-Seiler ’57
ESU Alumni Association Board Members Spotlight
Griggs levy ’87
Griggs Levy ’87 credits an encounter he had with a staff member of the East Stroudsburg University bookstore years ago who advised him to “get involved, do more, and ask to join.” Even though he doesn’t remember her name, he honors that message to this day and, since then, has used it as motivation to remain involved at ESU long after graduation. Griggs, a resident of southern Chester County, is a member of the ESU Alumni Association Board of Directors where he serves as the chair of the communication committee. He also acts as co-president of the DelCo/ Chesco Alumni Chapter with fellow alumni board member Cara Feehan Miller ’01. The chapter hosts events throughout the year and keeps in touch with classmates to re-engage them with ESU. During his undergraduate years, Griggs was a resident assistant, resident advisor, president of the Residence Hall Association, a summer program coordinator, and the recipient of the 1987 Student Service Award. When asked about his leadership style, Griggs said the lessons he learned while at ESU took him far in life. “Work hard, and you get out of your hard work what you put into it,” he said. Griggs also believes in leading by example and to never totally remove yourself from the folks who you lead. Griggs has taken that leadership experience and used it in his professional life. He has experienced eight mergers in the past 30 years and always remained a top sales professional. He credits learning how to adapt and step out of one’s comfort zone to remain a valuable asset. He is currently employed with Thryv based in Dallas, Texas. In May 2019, Griggs’ daughter Lauren Levy ’19 graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communication. She was the keynote speaker of the 2016 Annual Legacy Brunch and Pinning Ceremony during Family Weekend, and a member of the Warrior Elite Student Ambassador organization. Griggs shares his love of ESU with Lauren and recalls her first visit to campus when they visited an area where his Student Service Award plaque was on display. So moved by this, it reminded him of the feeling of belonging he had as a student at ESU and motivated him to contribute to his alma mater. Now a Legacy Family, Griggs intends to pass that feeling on to Lauren so she too can give back to ESU. Griggs recognizes that ESU’s campus has grown with newer buildings and an increased student population. Despite that growth, he still feels the quaint, hometown, family environment when he visits. Because of this, Griggs and his family – wife Judeth and daughters Lauren and Morgan – remain a loyal Warrior Family, and lead by example among his fellow ESU Warrior alumni.
chris
rohr thompson ’73 Christine Rohr Thompson ’73 worked for 25 years as an elementary classroom teacher for the Central Bucks School District in Doylestown, Pa. After earning her master’s degree in library science, she went on to serve as the school’s library media specialist. Thompson cites her two ESU student teaching experiences, her ESU elementary education professors, and her ESU student teaching supervisor as providing her with the confidence that was needed to pursue her teaching career. It’s also why she continues to tutor elementary students while enjoying retirement. At ESU, Thompson was involved in varsity lacrosse for four years, and served as the president of the National Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority. She remains in touch with many of her ESU friends and people she met while a student. “Many of my current friends were my roommates and sorority sisters at ESU. Our children have become friends as they grew up together,” said Thompson. “Since turning 60, and becoming involved in social media, I have made many new connections with old and new ESU friends that I have not seen in 45 years!” Even as an athlete and a sorority sister, she also found time for skiing, table tennis, pinnacle and the outdoor weather of the Poconos. A member of the Alumni Association board, Thompson leads the efforts for the Bucks/Montgomery county chapter. Under her guidance, the chapter has hosted multiple events over the last two years, including two happy hours and a Philadelphia Phillies baseball outing to Citizens Bank Park. Her motivation to remain active is driven by the need to help students that do not have the means to continue their education. She uses her platform to create that awareness among alumni while sharing that Warrior spirit she still feels when on campus. Thompson lives with her husband, Tommy, in Doylestown, Pa., and they have a son, Ryan, who lives in Philadelphia and who works for the KPMG Tax Firm. In her spare time, Thompson golfs and works with other non-profit agencies, specifically the Global Hope Alliance which helps communities improve access to education in the United States and abroad. She also serves as an ambassador for ESU, fundraising for various projects, including the Annual ESU Alumni Association Board of Directors Scholarship. Her advice to students currently enrolled is, “Make sure you take advantage of your educational experiences as well as your social relationships. Decisions you make during your youth will travel with you through the years.” esualumni.org 5
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GOLD GIVING BACK Maureen Ordnung ’12 M’15, center, with two field hockey players at Ithaca College, Ithaca, N.Y. Ordnung is the assistant field hockey coach.
Ordnung is one of more than 11,000 recent ESU graduates, known as Graduates Of the Last Decade, or GOLD. She and others profiled here are super busy building their careers, moving up the ladder and around the country. But they have found ways to stay connected to ESU by donating money or volunteering time, by getting involved in alumni activities and by mentoring fellow Warriors. Ordnung played goalie all four years at ESU, was a volunteer coach and graduate assistant to coach Sandy Miller, and is now an assistant field hockey coach at Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y. To earn money for her ESU scholarship, Ordnung designs a t-shirt each year and sells it at field hockey camps with all the proceeds going to the scholarship. “I talk to businesses to try and get them to sponsor it,” she says. “I talk about how important the athletic experience was for me and how I wanted to promote women’s athletics and help somebody get through college.” Her athletic and coaching experience and Miller’s influence were keys to Ordnung being hired for a job she loves. “Sandy Miller was a great mentor while I was there,” Ordnung says. “She really supported me in everything that I did. The reason I have the job now at Ithaca is because she had such good things to say about me to the person who was hiring.”
Maureen Ordnung ’12 M’15 When recipients of scholarships were asked to stand at the East Stroudsburg University Foundation’s seventh annual Scholarship Dinner in spring 2015, Maureen “Mo” Ordnung ’12 M’15 was on her feet. Then donors were asked to rise, and up Ordnung went again. That wasn’t a mistake. Ordnung received a scholarship all four years as an undergraduate studying mathematics and again while earning her master’s in sport management. But starting at age 21, she began giving an annual scholarship for field hockey players, as well. This past spring, she handed out her eighth scholarship of $500 each to two recipients. 6 the alumni herald
In addition to being the goalie specialist for Ithaca, Ordnung teaches a class on personal fitness and assists with logistics for Ithaca’s lacrosse team. Her field hockey duties keep her busy year-round with recruiting at high schools and tournaments, meeting with parents of potential players, and giving tours and working at camps in the summer. “I got married in June and it was really hard to get the wedding ready because in the three weeks leading up to the wedding every weekend I had to be away recruiting,” Ordnung says. “It’s all worth it because we ultimately ended up with a group of about 30 young women who we get to work with for four years.” Luckily, her wife is the team’s biggest fan. “My wife Sage comes to all the games and knows all the girls and their numbers and sees them at the tailgates,” Ordnung says. “It’s like we have this whole second family.”
Demetrius Lindsey ’12 When Demetrius Lindsey ’12 and Kristina Perri ’13 got married in 2017 at the elegant Atrium in the heart of Philadelphia’s historic district, the wedding party was awash in ESU Warriors. About half of the groomsmen and bridesmaids were the couple’s friends at ESU, where Demetrius played two years of football and was one of the founders of the resurrected Sigma Pi fraternity, and Kristina played four years of volleyball. After graduating, Demetrius served on ESU’s Alumni Association Board of Directors for about three years and says he goes back to campus every chance he gets, catching a football game, visiting the Sigma Pi house and appreciating the beauty of the Poconos, which he took for granted in college. “I go back for practically every Homecoming,” he says, although this year it was the first he missed since graduating. That’s because the Lindseys moved to Milwaukee in April for Demetrius’ job as a regional sales manager at Briggs and Stratton, overseeing the company’s generator sales throughout North America. Kristina does sales and operations for the Famous Dave’s BBQ chain, working remotely from home. They are expecting their first child in April. “I’ve been very fortunate and I credit a lot of my success to my time at East Stroudsburg,” Demetrius says. In addition to donating to the university, he gives back by mentoring other graduates who are in sales. He has also hired several ESU grads. Lindsey had his own mentors at ESU, including Dr. Christopher Brooks in history and Dr. Paul Lippert in the department of communications, which was his major. “Both of them gave me really good advice in developing myself as a professional,” says Lindsey, who did graduate work at ESU in history and is currently working on his Master of Business Administration at Temple University. He’s come a long way from the kid who first visited the ESU campus on a snowy day in 2008 and met with longtime football coach Denny Douds. A delay in applying had Lindsey scrambling but the ESU enrollment staff guided him through the process. Without that help, Lindsey says, “I don’t know where I would be today.”
Seizing a GOLDEN opportunity East Stroudsburg University’s Office of Alumni Engagement is organizing a focus group of recent graduates to weigh in on the kinds of alumni activities they would like to attend and to help organize such events. The group of Graduates Of the Last Decade, known as GOLD alums, would assist in arranging two events a year that would appeal to their fellow Warriors, according to Dr. Leon John, director of alumni engagement. “What would make them come back to campus?” John asked. “And what would make them want us to bring the campus to them, no matter where they are? “The events don’t necessarily have to be a party or a reception or a happy hour. It could be a service-based event. It could be mentoring for our upcoming graduating class.” He pointed out that ESU alumni events provide a great opportunity to network, allowing Warriors to meet or reconnect with those in their field or other fields. Frank Johnson ’74, president of the Alumni Board of Directors, says recently the push has been toward organizing some more family-oriented events, including a carnival with rides, in order to attract more recent alumni. “Alumni who are just graduating in the last 10 years, they’re working to become established, they’ve got jobs and careers, with higher priority,” Johnson says. “So we just need to make sure all voices are heard and all ideas become part of what our whole mission is.” As Johnson can attest, those Warrior ties can last a lifetime. He has remained friends with more than a dozen men he first met when they were freshmen living on the third floor of Shawnee Residence Hall. “We all played a sport, nobody had any money, nobody had a car, we were all away from home for the first time,” Johnson recalls. “We bonded.” So much so that on a recent Friday, Johnson and his wife were preparing to join several of his old Third Floor Shawnee Hall friends and their wives for a vacation in North Carolina. A few years ago, they established the Third Floor Shawnee Hall Alumni Endowed Scholarship for students who live on campus. To date, they have raised about $50,000. “It comes down to gratitude, to paying it forward, to knowing that you can make a difference,” he says. “It doesn’t have to be donating a million dollars. You need to want to be part of something bigger than yourself.”
GET INVOLVED
Alumnus Demetrius Lindsey ’12 with his wife, Kristina Perri Lindsey ’13, also an ESU graduate.
If you are a graduate of the last decade, the Office of Alumni Engagement wants to hear from you! Update/confirm your contact information and let the team know what type of events and programming would interest you. Email esualumni@esu.edu or call 570-422-3180.
Eric Boyer ’13
Brittany Anthony ’10 M’12 with David Brown and their daughter, Leila Brown.
When Eric Boyer ’13 visits ESU, it’s usually baseball and his admiration for coach John Kochmansky that draws him back. Boyer was a star outfielder and – with his longtime friend, pitcher and first baseman Brian Ernst ’13 – helped lead the Warriors to win the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship in 2013, when he was named to the All-PSAC East second team. Kochmansky credited Boyer and Ernst with leading a revival of ESU’s baseball program. “I have huge memories of baseball,” Boyer says, adding that Kochmansky is an excellent coach. “He was like another father really,” Boyer says. “He always cared about everything you had going on whether it was school-related, or liferelated or sport-related. If you ever had any questions or anything you needed help with, he was always available.” In 2018, Boyer was inducted into the Warrior Bat Club, which celebrates ESU baseball stars of years past with an alumni scrimmage and social event. He gives back to the program by contributing to The Boyer Family Annual Scholarship that he established to help ESU baseball players.
Brittany Anthony ’10 M’12
A native of Coopersburg, Pa., Boyer lives with his wife Kristin in the dream home they built on the 85-acre farm where he grew up. He still plays baseball with local men’s leagues when he’s not working at his job at PPL utility company in Allentown.
Brittany Anthony’s first contact with ESU was as a fifth-grader when she was named one of the top ten students at Prince Hall Elementary School in Northeast Philadelphia, giving her a shot at a full scholarship to ESU.
A supervisor at the distribution control center, Boyer and other staff monitor the power grid and use thousands of remote devices to fix outages.
Ultimately, she was one of two chosen for the Prince Hall Scholarship. Her brother Phillip followed suit, graduating from ESU in 2013 with a degree in communication.
“So ultimately, whenever the lights go out we do our best in the control center to revert electricity from other locations within the system to safely restore as many customers that we can within minutes. If the lights are out for longer than minutes then we need to rely on linemen to respond in the field and make the repairs necessary to put the lights back on,” he says. Boyer majored in earth and space science and minored in geography and says he uses GIS – geographic information system – and computer skills he learned at ESU in his work. He credits his advisor, Dr. Robert Cohen, who helped him pick the right classes to fit his career goals: “The cartography and the GIS classes definitely by far were the two biggest things out of ESU that helped me get in this position and be successful at PPL.”
After getting her bachelor’s in communication, Brittany Anthony went on to get her master’s degree at ESU in instructional technology. Six years ago, she started working as a learning designer at the University of South Florida (USF), collaborating with faculty to convert in-person courses to online classes. “We would brainstorm with them on how to bring those activities to life,” Anthony says. “Whether it was developing innovative presentations or embedding quiz questions within their actual lectures to make them more engaging and interactive, we try to find innovative solutions.” This past summer, she was promoted to assistant director of Digital Learning. She says she wants new generations of ESU students to have the opportunities she had. “Now that I’ve been blessed in such a good position, I just want to make it my duty to at least give as much as I can to try to help and support students,” she says. “I definitely want it to be a blessing back because the Prince Hall Scholarship was such a blessing to my life, to my brother’s life, to my family’s life.” Anthony gives credit to Dr. Patricia Graham, ESU professor emerita, who was head of the Prince Hall Scholarship program and the chairwoman of the Intercultural & Interdisciplinary Studies Department before retiring. Anthony turned to Graham and another ESU mentor, Dr. Beth Rajan Sockman, for recommendations for the USF doctoral program in education, which Anthony started this fall. Anthony hopes to get back to an ESU Homecoming before too long so friends like Graham can meet her four-year-old daughter Leila.
Eric Boyer ’13 8 the alumni herald
“She has been a huge mentor in my life and to this day I still reach out to her on a constant basis,” she says. – By Margie Peterson
They are young, energetic, determined
and making us proud! Thank you to these GOLD Warriors for sharing where they are and what they’re doing since graduating from East Stroudsburg University. on the cover
Brittany Anthony ’10 M’12 Tampa, Fla. Assistant director, Digital Learning University of South Florida
Rich Hennessy ’12 Nashville, Tenn. Pop recording artist
Siani Purdie ’16 Philadelphia, Pa. Accounting analyst
Vincent Gervasi ’19 Phoenixville, Pa. Master control operator, QVC, West Chester, Pa.
Maureen Ordnung ’12 M’15 Ithaca, N.Y. Assistant field hockey coach, goalkeeping specialist Ithaca College
Louie Wein ’18
Lindsey Marie Davis ’15 St. Petersburg, Fla. Athletic trainer, Eckerd College
Jonathan Weber ’14 East Stroudsburg, Pa. Serial entrepreneur and CEO of tech company Marathon Studios, Inc. Also works at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica
Vinny Biancamano ’10 and Theodore Harkness ’09 Sarah Tucci Biancamano ’10 Falls Church, Va. Atlantic Highlands, N.J. Program analyst for Vinny is a practicing the Federal Emergency attorney in Edison, N.J. Management Agency Sarah is an event (FEMA) specialist & program director, Medical Education Company, New York City Danielle Simcic ’12 Cory Pollina ’17 Alexandria, Va. Clifton, N.J. Assistant director, Legal recruiting Academic Affairs in assistant, Weil, the Graduate School Gotshal, & Manges of Arts & Sciences, LLP, New York City Georgetown University
Washington, D.C. Public affairs, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Misozi N. Houston ’18 Pike County, Pa. Financial stability manager, Pocono Mountains United Way
Demetrius Lindsey ’12 Milwaukee, Wi. Regional sales manager, Briggs and Stratton
Desiree Brown ’16 Tobyhanna, Pa. Kindergarten teacher, Pocono Mountain School District
Ryan J. Borger, Esq. ’10 Mechanicsburg, Pa. Corporate counsel, Piedmont Airlines, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group
Ethan Czahor ’09 with Sarah Miller ’19 Los Angeles, Calif. Ethan is chief technology officer of Launched LA, chief technology officer & founder of IndiGov Sarah is assistant to Launched LA & Indigov Michele Gannon ’16 Kunkletown, Pa. Senior accountant & CPA
Anthony W. Honorowski, Jr.,’17 LLM White Plains, N.Y. Student at the Elizabeth Haub School of Law, Pace University
Stephanie (Pollack) Mendoza ’16 Meridian, Miss. High school teacher, algebra 3, pre-calculus and trigonometry
Abigail Possinger ’17 Philadelphia, Pa. Third year doctor of audiology student Salus University, Osborne College of Audiology
esualumni.org 9
From left, Alumni Award winner Ken Davis ’68, Alumni Board member Ron Steckel ’71 and Linda Davis at the ESU Alumni Awards and All Alumni Reunion Banquet.
Linford Werkheiser ’54 and Pauline Shetlock Werkheiser ’54 at the Class of 1954 Reunion Dinner.
From left, ESU Professor Anthony L. Drago ’76, Ed.D., Robert Willever ’75, chair of the ESU Foundation Board of Directors, and L. Patrick Ross ‘67, chair of the ESU Council of Trustees, at the President’s Tent prior to kick-off of the Homecoming football game.
10 the alumni herald
Members of the Class of 1969 attended a reception prior to the reunion banquet. Seated, from left, are Donna Burnett McElroy ’69, Suzanne Schultz MacIntyre ’69 M ’73, and Patricia McCain Williams ’69 M ’89. Standing, left to right, are President Welsh, Terry Lawton ’69, Robert Harrington ’69, Deborah Gebhardt ’69, Douglas Drake ’69, Patricia Hillegass Wishousky ’69, Izabele Aponavicius ’69, and Ray Starner ‘69.
The mid-day crowd at the All Alumni and Campus Tailgate held behind Zimbar-Liljenstein Hall.
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity members, from left, Ray Leak ’91, Keenan Grey ’91, Mike Hopkins ’83, and Mike Wilcox, at the tailgate.
Homecoming Weekend was held October 18-20, 2019, starting with the Homecoming Kick-Off at the Henry A. Ahnert, Jr. Alumni Center where alumni and friends stopped by for refreshments and to reconnect with fellow classmates. A campus bus tour, led by student orientation tour guides, provided alumni a way to see all that had changed on campus. Also that day, the annual Remembrance Day program recognized Warriors that had passed away in the last year. The Annual Alumni Awards and Class of 1969 Reunion Banquet took place Friday evening off-campus at Terraview at Stroudsmoor Country Inn, Stroudsburg, Pa. Prior to the banquet, ESU President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., hosted members of the Class of 1969 at a reception featuring a special toast to the class. Class of 1969 Reunion Committee members were on hand along with other classmates. During the banquet, ESU Alumni Association Board of Directors President Frank Johnson ’74 recognized chairpersons Deborah Gebhardt, Ph.D., ’69 and Donna Burnett McElroy ’69 and the entire organizing committee that helped plan the weekend’s events. Glenn Gottshalk ’73 recognized the 2019 Alumni Award winners for their professional contributions and service achievements. Recipients of the eight awards that evening were Mary Pakenas Gardner ’74 M’77, Kenneth Davis ’68, Victor J. Fangio ’80, Charles P. Wolbers ’73, Daniel N. DiZio ’95, Beldina Opiyo-Omolo ’02 M’04, Jeffrey D. Bunting ’90 M’92 and Len M. Lehman ’94. Read more on the alumni award winners on pg. 22.
The annual All Alumni Tailgate was held on Saturday on the basketball courts behind Zimbar-Liljenstein Hall. Thirty-eight affinity groups, fraternities/sororities, and athletic teams were in attendance, including the Class of 1969 who celebrated their 50th Reunion with a party at the tailgate area. With a record number of attendees, the event included live music by the Jim Roberti Band, numerous Homecoming themed giveaways, a competition for best decorated tailgate, and a drawing for an ESU themed corn hole game set. Pi Lam/Phi Sigma Sigma walked away as the winners of the best decorated tailgate and Sam Egizio ’15 was the winner of the ESU corn hole set. On Saturday evening, the Class of 1954 gathered for a bus tour of the campus and a dinner party at the Quality Inn in East Stroudsburg, Pa. John Lambert ’54 was responsible for planning the 65th reunion. President Welsh was present for a photo with the members of the class in attendance. The weekend festivities concluded on Sunday with an All-Alumni Champagne Brunch, shows at McMunn Planetarium and tours of the Schisler Museum of Wildlife & Natural History with President Welsh. There was also a special photo opportunity organized by Sandra “Pinky” O’Neil-Seiler ’57 for members of the Class of 1957 who returned to see new technology equipment recently installed in the Class of 1957 Conference Room located in the Warren E. ’57 and Sandra Hoeffner Science and Technology Center.
Check out all the Homecoming Weekend 2019 photos on Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/esualumni Members of the “70’s Survivors” group at the Homecoming tailgate. From left, Randy Sweitzer ’76, Mike Molendini ’74, Steve Gambino ’75, Jim Tetley ’75, Bob Manotti ’76, Don Storck ’76 and Wayne Hackbarth ’75.
Jim Roberti of the Jim Roberti Band performs at the ESU All Alumni and Campus Tailgate during Homecoming 2019.
esualumni.org 11
esu foundation
The 1893 Society
NEW SCHOLARSHIPS
The 1893 Society recognizes alumni and friends who have included the ESU Foundation in their estate plans or established an endowed scholarship fund. All planned gifts to the ESU Foundation qualify for recognition in the 1893 Society.
David A. ‘76 M’84 and Jerry and Hedy Orodenker Moira A. ‘77 Hair Robert S. Ott ‘70 George D. ‘58 and Trudy M. Piatt Harriet D. ‘56 Hall Frank M. ‘73 M’76 Harrison G. and and Nancy Pullo Dolores M. Hartman Sara M. Rand ‘61* Noretta S. Herman ‘59 Deborah A. Frank V. Hermann ‘53 Raykovitz ‘75 Angela J. Joseph Reilly Herrlinger ‘92 M’98 James C. and Joseph C. ‘63 and Susan D. Roberts Joanne ‘64 Heverin Michael J. Sandra J. Hoeffner Romano ‘74 M ‘83 * Gretchen E. ‘02 and Phyllis F. Rubin Geoffrey W. Jackson Kevin P. ‘83 and Richard and Candace A. ‘81 Ruddy Montae Johnson Sandra L. Rydell Stephen and Gail Kalman Larry M. ‘58 M’64 Robert A. ‘58 and Anne and Barbara Rymon E. Kearn Robert M. ‘65 and Bob ‘71 and Sandy Kelley Elizabeth Ann Sabol Martha S. Kellow Arthur R. ‘62 and Fannie A. ‘62 Schisler Wendy H. Koch Glenn E. Schultz Constance R. Krick ‘60 M’65 Niandong Shi Jeffrey J. Land ‘79 Walter G. ‘74 and Cynthia M. ‘74 Shultz Douglas C. and Sharon G. Lane Scott F. Simonds ‘90 and Patricia Fonzi Harry F. and Jeannie M. Lee Barry E. ‘62 and Norma Slemmer Judith A. ‘76 M’86 and James H. Leiding Patricia S. and John W. Smeaton Marcus S. ‘95 and Yvonne T. ‘94 Lingenfelter Grace Smith Kenneth E. Maclary Deborah N. Smith ‘75 Hussain G. Malik Joan Sommer Michael D. ‘97 and Richard A. Staneski Jennifer Mancuso Ray J. Starner ‘69 Susan F. and Margaret L. Donald R. Mancuso Stish ‘64 M’67 Randy S. ‘78 and Robert G. Sutton and Valerie A. ‘79 Maugle Linda DeRenzis-Sutton Ann E. ‘82 and Donald L. Tshudy Kenton R. McGinnis William D. and William G. McNulty ‘62 Ellen Walker Ronald J. Meyers Kathryn A. Waltz ‘70 Irene Mitchel Faith H. Waters and Maury J. Molin ‘76 Edward C. Kimes Frank M. Montano ‘69 Diana E. Weaver ‘57 Robert M. Moses Amy ‘85 and Robert J. Welch William W. Moyer ‘61 Mollie Whalen ‘78 Clarence J. and Elizabeth Murphy Robert H. ‘75 and Julieann Willever Michael B. ‘93 and Marni F. ‘93 Freeman-Murphy Carol A. Wolf ‘68 R. Sam ‘82 and Rory J. ‘84 and Linda ‘83 Niedbala Diane E. Yanchek Sandra O’Neil-Seiler ‘57 Richard A. ‘60 and Sandra L. ‘60 Zimmer Patricia A. Ori ‘61
*Deceased
Neil N. ‘96 and Gladys Baksh James R. ‘05 and Kathryn Barchiesi Florence L. “Peachy” Barkman Karen Beetel ‘95 Eli and Christine Berman James L. Borger ‘59 Donald R. and Dolores B. Bortz Jack G. Bowers Richard N. ‘60 and Jean M. ‘89 Brewer Susan C. Brink ‘72 M’87 Robert P. Brunet Jone J. Bush Lynn P. Bush Jack P. ‘67 and Anne L. Childs Darell T. and Cindy Covington William B. and Barbara Cramer Maria Teresa Crivelli Patricia M. and David W. Crotty Roger L. DeLarco ‘80 Trudi ‘70 and Bruce Denlinger Gypsy Denzine Jean M. DeSchriver ‘74 Roseann Dillman Stephanie ‘85 and Bryan Doherty Stephen M. Domovich ‘49 Eugenia S. Eden ‘72 M’76 Ann R. Edinger ‘73 Judy Edwards Karen M. El-Chaar ‘79 William C. Eves ‘71 Bob H. ‘55 and Louise L. ‘56 Fabel Sue C. Falvello ‘60 James D. and Hinda Farmer Bernice W. Franchino ‘43 James P. ‘52 and Barbara A. Frawley Gere B. Fulton ‘60 Daisy M. Gallagher Deborah L. Gebhardt ‘69 James E. and Betty B. Gilbert Julie Glavin Donna R. Gray ‘63 Donald L. ‘56 and Marge E. 59 Griffith
2018-2019
125th Celebration Endowed Scholarship All Sports Enterprises Baseball Annual Scholarship Bill Bergen Memorial Football Annual Scholarship Robyn Bolcar Memorial Annual Scholarship Cedric D. Bullock ‘87 Men’s Basketball Annual Scholarship Amanda K. Buss ‘00 Women’s Basketball Annual Scholarship David ‘70 and Bonnie ‘72 Childs Annual Scholarship Class of 1966 Endowed Scholarship Class of 1967 Endowed Scholarship Brian Conley ‘95 Men’s Track Annual Scholarship Dalrymple Family Women’s Lacrosse Annual Scholarship MaryEllen Dickey ‘80 Annual Scholarship Jan Dutt ‘67 Wrestling Annual Scholarship Elite 8 Men’s Basketball Annual Scholarship David Farah Wrestling Annual Scholarship GAK Construction Wrestling Annual Scholarship Deborah Gebhardt ‘69 Endowed Scholarship Jo Greenawalt Women’s Lacrosse Annual Scholarship Scott and Beth Ann Higgins Annual Scholarship Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management Alumni & Friends Endowed Scholarship Jameson Family Public Service Annual Scholarship James and Sandra Knowlden Annual Scholarship Mike Kramer ‘97 Football Annual Scholarship LaBar, Neidermyer and Reynolds Baseball Annual Scholarship John E. Morgan Foundation Endowed Scholarship Todd and Shari Nelson Family Foundation Annual Scholarship Todd and Shari Nelson Family Foundation Endowed Scholarship Pave The Way Baseball Annual Scholarship Matthew J. Rapa ‘05 Football Annual Scholarship Rhine Family Football Annual Scholarship SWB Railriders Annual Scholarship David ‘80 and Ann Rapoch Super Annual Scholarship Tobin Field Hockey Annual Scholarship John “Tobi” Tobin Endowed Scholarship Tobin Women’s Lacrosse Annual Scholarship Diana E. Weaver ‘57 Annual Scholarship Warrior Athletics Annual Scholarship Mary Jane Wolbers Endowed Scholarship Women’s Wrestling Annual Scholarship
President’s Gala 2019 President’s Circle donors, 1893 Society members thanked for their generosity The Fine and Performing Arts Building provided a stunning backdrop for the Annual President’s Gala with ESU President Marcia Welsh and the ESU Foundation welcoming members of the President’s Circle and the 1893 Society for their support during the 2018-2019 year. Themed “Sphere,” the gala was held on Sept. 13, 2019, and recognized individuals, businesses, and organizations who have provided gifts of support of $1,500 or more over the last fiscal year. Members of the 1893 Society, those who include the ESU Foundation in their estate plans or have established an endowed scholarship fund, also attended. The gala caps a milestone year in fundraising for the ESU Foundation, a record for the 33-year-old non-profit. ESU Foundation Executive Director Rich Santoro shared with guests that the year resulted in $4,648,606 in total gifts and pledges. The Foundation’s scholarship program also continues to thrive, awarding $942,659 in scholarship support to ESU students in 2018-2019. Thirty-nine scholarships were created last year, also a record for newly established funds.
William B. Cramer, Esq., left, and Robert Moses at the Annual President’s Gala.
President’s Circle Members
Kathy Waltz ’70 participates in the interactive art piece at the Annual President’s Gala.
“Tonight is our opportunity to celebrate you and your support of East Stroudsburg University,” said Santoro. “Over the past year, you have played a crucial part in helping ESU’s students receive a quality education to help ensure they succeed in the classroom and then in the world. We look to give them the tools they need to prosper. And this year, I am pleased to share that the ESU Foundation did that, and more.” President Welsh expressed that ESU’s students deserve the opportunity for the best education possible. “They come to ESU from so many walks of life – some with significant family support, and others with practically nothing but a desire to obtain their education and achieve something of significance in their lifetimes. It simply is not too much to ask, for a chance, an opportunity, to learn and grow. Through your support, it can and does happen!” To learn more about becoming a member of the President’s Circle or the 1893 Society, visit the ESU Foundation at www.esufoundation.org or call 570-422-3333. Photos by Susie Forrester
Paul Shemansky ’96 M’01 ’04, a member of the ESU Council of Trustees, and his wife, Mercy, enjoy the Annual President’s Gala.
Millennium Circle ($50,000+) ESSA Bank & Trust Charitable Foundation Estate of Patricia S. Neidorf Estate of Clifford J. Waas Sandra J. Hoeffner Hoeffner Foundation John E. Morgan Foundation, Inc. PA Department of Education PA Department of Human Services Sara M. Rand ‘61 Sanofi Julia Circle ($10,000 - $49,999) Anonymous All Sports Enterprises, Inc. William B. and Barbara Cramer Ertle Subaru ESSA Bank & Trust Estate of Agnes B. Yost Joe Ferry ‘03 James G. ‘95 and Funmilayo Franklin Deborah L. Gebhardt ‘69 Hughes Foundation, Inc. Gary A. ‘77 and Debra G. ‘81 Kessel LabCorp Corporate Community Affairs Rose Mattioli Mattioli Foundation Allison Matula Charles A. ‘69 and Patricia ‘68 McMunn Mary Ellen McNish ‘68 Irene Mitchel Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union Douglas Roscoe Phyllis F. Rubin Susan Z. ‘85 and Robert A. Shebelsky Simplex Image Solutions and Shinetime Auto Wash Stephen M. and Sharon D. Somers Kyle C. and Katie Stem Tricam Industries, Inc.
Marcia G. Welsh and Louis Terracio Rory J. ‘84 and Diane E. Yanchek
Individuals, businesses and organizations who have given $1,500 and above.
Edward P. and Mindy L. Abraham Mary Sue ‘60 M’69 and Louis A. Balducci Thomas A. ‘62 and Founders Circle Rebecca A. ‘72 Barrow ($5,000 - $9,999) Bergen County’s Adams Outdoor United Way Advertising Mark S. Turner and Angelo F. Jr. ‘95 and Gina J. Bertucci Jennifer Borzio David R. Bousquet Coordinated Health Joanne Z. Bruno and Professional Practice Richard Sentipal Enterprise CH Hospital of Holdings Foundation Allentown, LLC ESU APSCUF David A. ‘70 and GAK Construction Bonnie E. ‘72 Childs Alan E. Gurmankin Glenn W. ‘74 and Dawne Clark Barbara and Dennis Howell Cluck University Chicken Linda D. Koch ‘69 M’71 Horace S. ‘63 and Sonya K. ‘63 Cole Richard B.* ‘69 and Patricia M. and Wendy H. Koch David W. Crotty Lehigh Valley Douglas L. Dalrymple Health Network Jeffrey D. ‘79 and Marcus S. ‘95 and Susan E. Detzi Yvonne T. ‘94 Lingenfelter John D. ‘79 and J. Douglas ‘67 M’69 and Sandra M. M’96 Detzi Marilyn McNamee Joseph D. ‘79 and Robert M. Moses Brenda Detzi Renee A. ‘89 and Detzi’s Tavern, Inc. John M. Pope MaryEllen ‘80 and Anuradha and Kevin J. Dickey Ranjan Sachdev Dockside Properties, LLC Arthur R. ‘62 and Fannie A. ‘62 Schisler Dennis C. and Judith G. Douds Robert T. Sweeney ‘62 Anthony L. ‘76 and The Haverford Ellen S. Drago Trust Company EPA Enterprises, Inc. The William T. Morris F.M. Kirby Foundation Foundation, Inc. Doreen M. and Darlene D. Farris-LaBar John C. Tobin* First Energy Foundation Todd and Shari Nelson Family Foundation, Inc. Frontcourt Group Duane K. ‘82 and Dan H. Gale ‘05 Susan M. VanFleet Alfredo ‘03 and VanFleet Medical Jennifer Garcia Bo Vicendese Thomas J. Grayuski ‘84 Donald L. ‘56 and Jeffrey A. and Marge E. ‘59 Griffith Audrey Weber Ernest R. Gromlich ‘60 WSBG/WVPO Jill K. Heiser ‘99 M’99 M’01 Randy Yanoshak Patricia G. ‘62 and President’s Circle William C. Hibschman ($1,500 - $4,999) Wendy Jankoski ‘82 and Anonymous Paul Lapinski A. Borzio Contracting JR Flooring, LLC
K and W Investors Eileen P. ‘79 and James G. Kaiser Kathie W. Kirkpatrick Shala E. Davis and John F. Kochmansky Michael J. Kramer ‘97 Henry C. Kunkel ‘73 Judith A. ‘76 M’86 and James H. Leiding Douglas S. ‘94 and Melissa A. Leonzi R. Griggs ’87 and Judeth Levy Francine S. ‘65 and Robert H. Lewis Martz Group William R. McFadden ‘81 Ann E. ‘82 and Kenton R. McGinnis Dennis L. ‘74 and Kathryn G. ‘74 Mohn Maury J. Molin ‘76 Mo’R Tennis and Fitness Club Mountain Valley Orthopedics, P.C. James E. and Constance G. Moyer R. Sam ‘82 and Linda ‘83 Niedbala Niedbala Family Foundation Northeast Chapter PSPA Bryan M. O’Neill ‘04 Jerry and Hedy Orodenker Angelo and Kathleen A. Ortenzi Trevin J. Panaia ‘97 and Kari L. Yodice-Panaia ‘95 Paradise Tanning Pennoni Associates, Inc. C. R. and Annette C. Pennoni Physical Therapy Associates of NE PA Inc. Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau Mary Frances Postupack M’93 Bernard J. ‘81 and Kathy Povanda Deborah E. Prince John R. ‘71 and Deborah A. Procopio Peter E. Pruim and Margaret J. Ball Frank M. ‘73 M’76 and Nancy Pullo
Quality Dining, Inc. Lois E. ‘78 and Richard J. Rawson Glenn F. ‘69 and Sue Ann Reibman Michael D. ‘00 and Kerri M. Rhine Walter P. ‘77 and Nancy G. Rogers Pat ‘67 and Joan M. ‘64 Ross William A. ‘57 and Marilyn M. Ruddy SAJE Enterprises, LLC Mary Lou ‘63 and Anthony ‘61 M’68 Salerno Rich and Katee Santoro Christopher A. Sarajian Paul and Judy Schuchman Ski Shawnee, Inc. Deborah N. Smith ‘75 Edwin R. ‘56 and Patricia K. ‘55 Smith Howard L. Soloway Adam S. ‘00 M’02 and Erin Stauffer St. Luke’s University Health Network Stroudsmoor Country Inn John R. ‘69 M’73 and Pamela J. ‘70 Thatcher The Auxiliary of the Pocono Medical Center The Fulcrum Group Robert J. ‘65 and Patty J. Tonkin Urology Associates of the Poconos Robert W. Veneziale Craig S. ‘99 and Jill K. ‘99 M’01 Vondercrone Brent I. Voynar ‘95 Richard D. ‘67 and Danna ‘68 Vroman William D. and Ellen Walker Kathryn A. Waltz ‘70 Diana E. Weaver ‘57 Nancy L. Weaver ‘74 M’78 Robert H. ‘75 and Julieann Willever Jeffrey I. Wilson ‘86 M’92 Richard W. Woods ‘84 Steve L. and Kim A. Zardet *Deceased
East Stroudsburg University Foundation
esu foundation
2019-2020 Board of Directors Robert Willever ’75, Chairman President, Willever Wealth Management
Harry F. Lee, Esq., Council of Trustees Liaison Attorney, Lee Law Offices
Dr. Frank M. Pullo ’73 M’76 Vice Chairman Retired Faculty, East Stroudsburg University
Robert Moses Retired Director of Residence Life & Housing, East Stroudsburg University
Chris Yeager ’74 M’81, Secretary Retired Principal & School Superintendent Robert A. Shebelsky, Treasurer Chairman, Deputy Real Estate Holdings LLC. MaryEllen Dickey ’80 Senior Vice President of Advancement Diakon Senior Living Services Diakon Child, Family & Community Ministries Alfredo Garcia ’03 Managing Director – Investments Wells Fargo Advisors Raymond Hamlin ’86, Esq. Attorney, Hunt, Hamlin & Ridley Wendy Jankoski ’82 President, Wealth Architects, LLC Douglas Leonzi ’94 Vice President, Investment Counselor BB&T Investment Services, Inc.
Geoffrey Roche M’15 Executive Director, Strategic Healthcare Initiatives Harrisburg University
new members
Stephen Somers Owner & President Vigon International, Inc. Dr. Elizabeth Leigh Smith, Faculty Liaison Professor of English, East Stroudsburg University Adam S. Stauffer ’00 M’02 Assistant Vice President, Development & College Relations, Lafayette College David Super ’80, ESU Alumni Association Liaison Retired Deputy Commander Defense Contract Management Agency Emily Jimenez, ESU Student Liaison Class of 2022
Members Emeriti William B. Cramer, Esq. Legal Counsel and Emerita Attorney, Cramer, Swetz, McManus & Jordan, P.C. Past chair, served 1987-2001 and 2014-2019 John T. Lambert ’54 Retired Superintendent East Stroudsburg School District Served 1989-2000 Rosemary Driebe Olofsson Executive Vice President Pocono Pro Foods Past chair, served 1987-1999 14 the alumni herald
Alfredo Garcia ’03
Stephen Somers
Emily Jimenez
ESU Foundation Board Chair Robert Willever ’75 announced the appointments of three new members to its Board of Directors in July: ESU alumnus Alfredo Garcia ’03, business owner Stephen Somers, and ESU student liaison Emily Jimenez, class of 2022. Garcia is managing director of investments for Wells Fargo Advisors. He was formerly an investment consultant for Mercantil Commercebank Investment Services and a senior financial analyst for Mercantil Commercebank, N.A. Garcia was also a financial consultant for MetLife Financial Services and a financial advisor for MetLife. Garcia began his career as general manager of Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, Pa., before becoming co-owner and general manager of Broadway Café and Lounge near Saylorsburg, Pa. Although Garcia did not play soccer for ESU, he did live in the Soccer House, as most of his friends competed in the sport. In 2018, he established the Richard R. Cherry Men’s Soccer Annual Scholarship. Garcia lives in Bethlehem, Pa., with his wife, Jennifer, and two children. Somers is president and owner of Vigon International, Inc., East Stroudsburg, Pa. He was the business director for Givaudan, the world’s largest fragrance company, from 1990 to 1997. Somers was a production manager, production supervisor, and quality control chemist for Fritzsche, Dodge & Olcott in Hanover, N.J. He began his career at Felton International, Brooklyn, N.Y., as a quality control chemist. Somers holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from St. Joseph’s College, Brooklyn, N.Y., and a Master of Science degree in analytical chemistry from St. John’s University, Queens, N.Y. He is a board member for ESU’s Center for Research and Economic Development and was one of 11 recipients of the Ernst and Young 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Greater Philadelphia. Somers established the SWB Railriders Annual Scholarship Fund to assist members of the ESU baseball team and provided a leadership gift to name ESU’s softball field, Vigon International Field. Somers lives in Hackettstown, N.J., with his wife Sharon. They have two children, Kristin and Stephen. Jimenez is a sophomore from Byram Township, N.J., majoring in business management. Jimenez has been a member of the Warrior Elite since her freshman year and is now president of the student organization which assists the ESU Foundation in its mission.
PROTECT YOUR LOVED ONES AND CREATE YOUR
LEGACY Your loved ones need you, but what would they do if you were not there? WITH JUST A LITTLE PLANNING YOU CAN HAVE PIECE OF MIND KNOWING YOU HAVE TAKEN CARE OF YOUR FAMILY AND SECURED THEIR FUTURE.
Alumni Corey ’03 and Jason ’03 Wimmer with their children at the annual Legacy breakfast.
Are Your Plans Up-to-Date? A current estate plan is vital to making sure your wishes are carried out and can help you leave a lasting personal legacy.
It’s Easy to Get Started To assist you in making or updating your future plans, we can provide you with our FREE Estate Planning Guide. Many of our supporters have found this guide useful in helping them think through their goals. To obtain a copy, please contact us or visit our website.
Shelley A. Speirs ‘92 570-422-3333 | sspeirs@esufoundation.org | esufoundationlegacy.org
CAMPUS NEWS Left to right: Joanne Z. Bruno, provost and vice president for academic affairs; Terry L. Master, Ph.D., distinguished professor of biological sciences; Nicole Chinnici, director of the Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute; and Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., president of ESU. Photo by Susie Forrester
ESU awards
Distinguished Professor and Innovator & Entrepreneur of the Year
East Stroudsburg University presented the Distinguished Professor Award to Terry L. Master, Ph.D., distinguished professor of biological sciences, and the Innovator & Entrepreneur of the Year award to Nicole Chinnici, director of the Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute. They were honored during the first All-University meeting of the year on September 3, 2019. Master earned his B.S. in biology from Muhlenberg College in Allentown in 1976, an M.S. in biology from ESU in 1980 and a Ph.D. from Lehigh University in 1989. He has been a faculty member in the department of biological sciences since 1989 and has taught 18 different courses and laboratories. Dr. Master has escorted ESU students on natural history tours to East Africa and the Galapagos Islands, in addition to teaching classes in Costa Rica since 1995. His areas of specialization are ornithology, behavioral ecology and predatorprey relationships. In his 30 years at ESU, Dr. Master has mentored 30 graduate students and 13 undergraduate research students. Many of his students have been primary or co-authors on 34 peerreviewed articles in 11 different journals, as well as various book chapters, technical reports and online publications. He has also edited a book on Avian Ecology and Conservation and has had several photographs published. Dr. Master and his students have given nine international presentations, nine presentations at national conferences and 13 presentations at meetings of the National Council on 16 the alumni herald
Undergraduate Research. Together, they have also presented 84 times at regional, state and local meetings and he has been an invited speaker at a variety of national, regional, and local conferences. His research program and graduate students have been supported by over $1 million in grant funding. Dr. Master received the Earl Poole Award from the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology in 2013 for his contributions to ornithology in Pennsylvania. An active member of the campus and local communities, Dr. Master was interim department chair twice, has served on many departmental committees and is currently departmental graduate coordinator. Dr. Master chairs the statewide Ornithological Technical Committee that advises the Pennsylvania Game Commission on matters of avian conservation, and was a member of both the Monroe County Open Space Advisory Council, which preserved 17,000 acres of open space in the county, and the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge Study Team Partnership, responsible for establishing what will be a 20,000 acre refuge. He has given presentations and guided nature/birding field trips for 21 different conservation organizations in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Dr. Master also played a vital role in creation of the Schisler Museum of Wildlife and Natural History. He visited often with donors Arthur and Fannie Schisler ’62 and worked in conjunction with Christine Langlois in facilities management, Dr. Howard Whidden in the department of biological sciences, Science
and Technology Center architects, museum designers and exhibit fabricators to determine final museum habitat diorama and signage designs and content. Nicole Chinnici is the director of the Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute and founder and CTO of Organtick, LLC, a research and development company specializing in a three-step prevention model for personal, pet, and home tick protection. In her role as an ESU staff member and entrepreneur, Chinnici has led the research and development initiatives that have established ESU as a nationallyrecognized center for tick testing and research. In 2008, ESU’s tick testing and research efforts were initiated by Dr. Jane Huffman, professor of biological sciences. Chinnici served as her protégé beginning in 2012 and became director of the lab in 2017 following Dr. Huffman’s untimely passing. Under Chinnici’s leadership, several innovative and entrepreneurial achievements were realized that elevated and expanded ESU’s role and recognition in tick testing and research, including rebranding LymeAide under the Cutter brand, testifying at joint hearings on the impact of Lyme disease with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Human Services developing a children’s activity book to provide critical information on tick awareness and education for children, and winning the 2019 TecBridge non-collegiate business plan division for OrganTick, LLC. Chinnici worked closely with State Representative Rosemary Brown (189th District) to raise tick awareness across the Commonwealth.
Those efforts resulted in $1 million in allocations to ESU to create the PA Tick Research Lab that provides free tick testing to Pennsylvania residents. The Lab officially launched in April 2019, and to date has tested more than 6,400 ticks from all 67 Pennsylvania counties, and at least one tick from all 50 states. Efforts are ongoing to establish an annual line item appropriation from the Commonwealth to sustain the PA Tick Research Lab. The $1M allocation also supports the development of a robust database with analytic functions to identify the geographic location of the ticks tested and test results. Chinnici’s continued success with ESU tick research and testing is supported by the students she trains and works with daily and by the faculty, staff and business/community partners who share her passion for innovation and entrepreneurship. Her efforts are creating an entrepreneurial mindset at ESU that is enhancing the learning environment and creating ESU students who are world-class trained microbiologists with promising futures.
Business Accelerator Program launches Coworking Space for business professionals ESU’s Business Accelerator Program opened its new Coworking Space on the second floor of ESU’s Innovation Center in September. Members of ESU’s Coworking Space will have access to Wi-Fi, ESU research tools, business mentoring from the Business Accelerator seasoned staff, and the opportunity to engage and collaborate with other business owners. Membership for the coworking space at ESU starts at $150 per month. The development of the Coworking Space at ESU is funded in part by a grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) that supported a 16,000 sq. ft. expansion of the Business Accelerator. In addition to the coworking space, ESU continues to offer its Business Accelerator Program which offers various-sized offices and wet lab spaces for both national and international early-stage companies. For information about becoming a member of ESU’s Coworking Space, contact Samantha Werkheiser at swerkheis4@esu.edu or call 570-422-7905. For more information on the Business Accelerator program, go to esu.edu/businessaccelerator.
Madden named Legislative Fellow for 2019-2020 academic year State Representative Maureen Madden was named ESU’s 2019-2020 Legislative Fellow at a breakfast held in her honor in September. Madden was elected to represent the 115th Legislative District in 2017. She serves on the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, the Education Committee, the Human Services Committee, and the Tourism and Recreation Development Committee on which she serves as the democratic chair of the subcommittee on recreation.
Madden has resided in Tobyhanna, Pa., with her husband and local musician, Roy Ramos, for the past 15 years. She is the mother of Alex and Rich, who are both police officers in New York City.
The Legislative Fellow program, established in 1999, is designed to bring state legislators to campus to participate in a variety of campus activities and to meet formally and informally with students, faculty and staff throughout the year. As part of the program, ESU Legislative Fellows may also request a student intern. The program is co-sponsored by the university administration and the local chapter of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF). Fellows are selected by a committee of faculty and administrators, and jointly appointed by the university president and the president of APSCUF for each academic year.
From left, Albert Rivera, Class of 2021 and member of ESU’s Council of Trustees; Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., president of ESU; Andrea McClanahan, Ph.D., professor of communication and member of the ESU Legislative Fellow Committee; State Representative Maureen Madden, 115th Legislative district; Leila Bouchekouk, Class of 2021 and president of ESU’s Student Government Association; and L. Patrick Ross ’67, chair of ESU’s Council of Trustees. Photo by Susie Forrester
“Monroe County: Why do we live here?” Annual Economic Outlook Summit tackles economic opportunity In collaboration with East Stroudsburg University, business representatives of Monroe County met at ESU’s Mattioli Recreation Center for the seventh annual Economic Outlook Summit in September. The theme for the summit was “Monroe County: Why do we live here?” The program featured a keynote address by Ashley Putnam, director of the Economic Growth and Mobility Project, a strategic initiative of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia dedicated to promoting equal access to economic opportunity.
County, including: earnings, business climate, employment, healthcare, education and housing. The 2019 Economic Outlook Summit ended with the announcement of a new initiative called #PoconoProud. The campaign aims to excite people who live, learn, work and play in the Poconos. Ashley Putnam, director of the Economic Growth and Mobility Project (EGMP), a strategic initiative of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia dedicated to promoting equal access to economic opportunity, delivers the keynote address at the 2019 Economic Outlook Summit. Photo by Susie Forrester
The Economic Outlook Summit provided updates on the Monroe 2030 Action Team Work Plan and the sixth annual Monroe County Economic Scorecard which focused on economic indicators that attract residents and influence development in Monroe esualumni.org 17
CAMPUS NEWS
Health and Wellness Center opens in new location “Our one-stop shopping approach, with multiple services in a central location, can open new doors for shared programming, increase synergies among student services, reduce operational costs, and support ESU’s health and wellness objectives,” said Amy Freeman, D.S.W., health and wellness director. “Research shows that students who participate in campus health and wellness services generally report improvement in their mental and physical health, reduction in class attendance problems, and report higher satisfaction with their quality of life.”
Peer educators receive training at the new Health and Wellness Center located on the ground floor of Sycamore Suites. Photo by Susie Forrester
National research consistently shows that a student’s mental health and well-being contribute to their learning and academic achievement and have a positive effect on retention. To provide the kind of campus environment that helps students learn and thrive, ESU’s Health and Wellness Center provides Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Accessible Services Individualized for Students (OASIS), and Wellness Education and Prevention under one roof, in the Center’s new location on the ground floor of Sycamore Suites. The decision to bring most of ESU’s health and wellness services together is based on national trends that suggest college students report experiencing more psychological stress as well as increased depression and anxiety. (The Student Health Center continues to be located at Lehigh Valley Hospital – Pocono in the Express Care Center.)
ESU receives $1M to support tick testing Residents of Pennsylvania receive free tick testing services through the Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab at East Stroudsburg University’s Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute. The Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab at ESU was established in 2019 through the support of State Representative Rosemary Brown and a $500,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. ESU received an additional $500,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health in the 2019-2020 state budget.
A study completed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation stated that quality of life issues (defined as issues surrounding work/life/academic balance, financial problems, and lack of emotional support from parents) are the most cited reason for choosing to drop out of school. “Forward thinking institutions that offer robust health and wellness programs report higher recruitment numbers,” Dr. Freeman said. ESU’s Health and Wellness Center not only provides the traditional services offered by the realigned departments, but also offers case management services, an expanded mind body lab, a space for students in recovery, 12 step meetings, therapy dog visits three times a week, and a group counseling/programming space. “To further promote the ESU Health and Wellness Center’s services and programs, we redesigned the Health and Wellness web page to be student-focused,” Freeman said. “It will deliver up-to-date information regarding special events, health and wellness trends, self-help information, and alternative provider resources.” More information about health and wellness at ESU can be found at esu.edu/health-and-wellness.
Of the ticks tested, 50 percent of blacklegged (deer) ticks have been identified to carry a minimum of one tick-borne disease. The Tick Research Lab is tracking the distribution of ticks across the commonwealth as well as the diseases within the tick population. With the state funding, the Tick Research Lab will continue to provide free tick testing to all Pennsylvania residents. Tests include Lyme disease and three additional tests based on the species of tick submitted. Results of the tests are provided to residents via email and text message and include important information about risk/exposure to tick-borne diseases.
To submit a tick, visit ticklab.org and complete the survey. Print the laboratory testing voucher and mail along with the tick to the laboratory at ESU. Once the tick is received, results are reported to residents within 72 hours. Results generated are establishing a baseline for the The Tick Research Lab launched free testing April 1, 2019, and has prevalence of ticks and tick-borne diseases across Pennsylvania. Since since tested 6,400 ticks from all 67 Pennsylvania counties. All tick 2011, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has been the nation’s leader testing results are published live on the Tick Lab website, ticklab.org. in annual confirmed cases of Lyme disease. 18 the alumni herald
Campus Briefs PASSHE oks finance degree offering Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Chancellor Daniel Greenstein, D. Phil., approved a bachelor’s degree in finance for ESU on August 5, 2019. This new offering elevates the existing concentration in finance to a full undergraduate degree program. A Bachelor of Science in finance will provide students with opportunities for careers in the largest domestic and international corporations.
Clear Path ESportsU receive award 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.
Santiago Solis, Ed.D.
Staff Updates Andra Basu, Ph.D. Selected as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Basu brings more than 23 years of experience in education, administrative leadership and faculty mentoring to her new role at ESU. Prior to ESU, Basu held several positions at Lehigh Carbon Community College including her most recent role as the dean of humanities and social sciences, providing supervision and oversight to faculty in the humanities and social sciences, managing LCCC’s Allentown location and developing community partnerships within the city of Allentown. Basu also held an administrative position at Albright College as the dean of adult and professional studies and faculty positions at Albright College, Moravian College, Lehigh University, Kutztown University, Muhlenberg College, Bates College, Hunter College, Queens College and the University of Minnesota. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Tufts University in Medford, Mass., her master’s degree in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota, and her doctorate in social personality psychology from the City University of New York.
Doug Page Selected as sports information director for the promotion of ESU’s 22 varsity sports, Page was previously assistant sports information director at ESU. Prior to arriving at ESU last fall, Page was new media coordinator at Barton (N.C.), sports information director at Salem International (W.V.) and sports information intern at Francis Marion (S.C.). He also worked in broadcasting for several minor league baseball teams, including the Florence RedWolves (S.C.), Williamsport Crosscutters (Pa.), Elmira Pioneers (N.Y.) and Jamestown Jammers (N.Y.). Page obtained his bachelor’s degree in communications from Medaille College in Buffalo, N.Y.
Named ESU’s vice president of campus life and inclusive excellence (formerly student affairs), Dr. Solis brings more than 25 years of experience in diversity, education, administrative leadership and community involvement to his new role at ESU. He has held several positions at Towson University in Maryland including his most recent role as the associate vice president for student affairs, providing oversight to the Center for Student Diversity, Student Success Programs, Office of Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility, Military and Veterans Center, Campus Ministries and Event and Conference Services. Dr. Solis earned his associate’s degree in liberal arts from East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park, Calif., a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California Berkeley, a master’s degree in history from Brown University, R.I., and his doctorate of education in curriculum and teaching from the Teacher’s College, Columbia University, N.Y.
Cornelia Sewell-Allen, Ed.D. Named assistant vice president for inclusive excellence. Dr. Sewell-Allen was previously employed at ESU for more than 13 years, most recently as the dean of students from 2016 to 2018. In her new role, she is responsible for providing leadership for the advancement of diversity and equity across the campus. Among her duties, she serves as the point of contact for all diversity and equity matters and will create and implement policy reflective of ESU’s commitment to diversity and equality using best practices. She partners with students and university leadership to promote and cultivate inclusive learning and work environments which advance diversity. She earned a bachelor’s degree in consumer studies with a minor in music industry from Syracuse University, a master’s degree in secondary school counseling from the University of Scranton, and her doctorate in administration and leadership from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. esualumni.org 19
CAMPUS NEWS Brad Hyman, M.D., Ph.D.
Harvard professor provides Alzheimer’s disease updates
Fall enrollment shows increase in graduate admissions, diversity Fall 2019
Troiani-Sweeney Endowed Fund Lecture Series held Oct. 31
6,214 Total Enrollment
The Troiani-Sweeney Endowed Fund Lecture Series at ESU was held in the Niedbala Auditorium on Oct. 31, 2019. This year’s keynote address by Brad Hyman, M.D., Ph.D., was titled “Updates on Alzheimer’s Disease.” Hyman is the John B. Penney, Jr. Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. He directs the Alzheimer’s disease research unit at the Massachusetts General Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (MIND). Now in its sixth year, the Troiani-Sweeney Endowed Fund Lecture Series at ESU was developed by graduates Linda (Troiani) ’83 and Sam Niedbala ’82 to honor Linda’s sister, Yvonne Troiani Sweeney ’78. Yvonne dedicated her life to her nursing career that spanned 30 years until she was diagnosed with a form of early onset dementia called posterior cortical atrophy.
23rd Annual
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. CELEBRATION BREAKFAST Monday, January 20, 2020 8–10 a.m. Mattioli Recreation Center East Stroudsburg University Featuring Keynote Speaker
Arthur Keith “He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love.” Sponsorship opportunities are available. Proceeds benefit the Mary Gertrude Smith Boddie 1904 Endowed Scholarship for students of diverse backgrounds.
$40 per person $15 per student $300 table for eight
For more information, contact: Cornelia Sewell-Allen, D.Ed. Assistant Vice President Campus Life and Inclusive Excellence 570-422-4017 • csewell@esu.edu
Emily Brennan Special Events Coordinator 570-422-3156 ebrennan8@esu.edu
To nominate an individual for the MLK Award, please visit esu.edu/mlk To register for the breakfast, please visit esufoundation.org/mlk2020
20 the alumni herald
ENROLLMENT SNAPSHOT
797
Graduate Students
1,551
Freshman/ Undergraduate Transfers
40.3% Students of Color
Enrollment at East Stroudsburg University for fall 2019 indicates an 11.9 percent increase in its graduate enrollment with continued diversity in its student body. Total enrollment for ESU this fall is 6,214, with the number of students pursuing a graduate degree climbing to 797. The University welcomed 1,551 new freshmen and transfer undergraduate students for fall 2019. Among the top majors of new undergraduate freshmen and transfers are: business management (116), criminal justice (107), biology (105) and psychology (99). ESU students represent 18 different countries and the U.S.; they come from 47 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties as well as 26 other states and Puerto Rico. The university celebrates its continued enrollment growth from students of color. For fall 2019, 40.3 percent of all undergraduates identified as a student of color. “I am extremely proud of the work done by our entire campus to bring in these new and transfer students for fall 2019,” said ESU President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D. “There is also a complexity to our student body that goes beyond the numbers. Many of our new students are first-generation. Higher education, with its unique culture, language and history can be difficult for first generation college students to understand. Students whose parents have attended college benefit from their parents’ experiences. These first generation students often lack pre-knowledge of the college experience and have trouble navigating the demands of a college education while often balancing work and family commitments. “Our challenge this fall was not in the recruitment of new students, but rather in keeping them on our campus,” said Dr. Welsh. “Approximately 200 students, about three percent, did not return. With the number of high school graduates in the Northeast declining, we were thrilled to have relatively level enrollment of first year and transfer students. Administrators, faculty and others made attempts to contact many of those students who did not return this year only to discover that many of them were making this decision based on their increasing financial debt. Additional work is being done by our educators in student billing, financial aid and residence life/dining services to help our students better understand their financial resources and how to use them in order to reduce their challenges based upon expenses and (often) lack of resources. “We’ve immediately gone into action to help some of these students return to class by working with them to develop payment plans and to remind them of the scholarship opportunities available – in 2018-2019, the ESU Foundation awarded more than $940,000 in scholarships,” added Dr. Welsh. “For us, the students are so much more than an enrollment number – they are our future and we must do everything we can to see them succeed.”
alumni news
2019 alumni award recipients Congratulations to this year’s ESU Alumni Association award winners for their career and service achievements. They were honored during Homecoming Weekend on October 18, 2019, at the Annual Alumni Awards and All Alumni Reunion Banquet held at Terraview at Stroudsmoor Country Inn, Stroudsburg, Pa. For more information on the awards criteria, and to submit nominations for 2020, go to www.esualumni.org/awards.
ENTREPRENEUR AWARD Daniel N. DiZio ’95 DiZio is the CEO and co-founder of Philly Pretzel Factory with ESU college roommate Len Lehman ’94. Philly Pretzel Factory has 200 open and under-contract locations in 17 states and the company is listed among the top franchises in Entrepreneur magazine and Franchise Update magazine. DiZio was featured on the television program Undercover Boss and on the cover of Franchise Times magazine. He also received the Smart CEO Magazine Circle of Excellence Award and was an Entrepreneur of the Year finalist from Ernst & Young.
ENTREPRENEUR AWARD Len M. Lehman ’94 Lehman is the co-founding partner of Philly Pretzel Factory with ESU college roommate Dan DiZio ’95. Philly Pretzel Factory has 200 open and under-contract locations in 17 states and the company is listed among the top franchises in Entrepreneur Magazine and Franchise Update magazine. Lehman and DiZio had also created the DiZio Lehman Real Estate Partnership Group, so with several stores under their belt, the two decided to start franchising the concept, and in 2005, they formed Soft Pretzel Franchise Systems, Inc. Lehman is a board member for the Franchise Advisory Council for Soft Pretzel Franchise Systems, Inc. Lehman resides in New Hope, Pa., and is a varsity baseball coach for New Hope-Solebury High School. He is married to Jennifer Mittelman Lehman ’95 and together they have two sons, Michael and Justin. 22 the alumni herald
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD Mary Pakenas Gardner ’74 M’77 A pioneer in women’s intercollegiate athletics, Gardner became one of the first female athletic directors in the country responsible for both a men’s and women’s athletics program. She was appointed Bloomsburg University’s athletic director in July 1988 and served until her retirement in 2011. Under Gardner’s direction, BU won the Dixon Trophy in 1996 and 1997, signifying the top all-around athletic program in the PSAC. In 2003, the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA) honored Gardner as Division II Athletic Director of the Year. In June 2016, she was honored with the DII Athletic Directors Association (ADA) Lifetime Achievement Award. Prior to becoming athletic director, Gardner served as head coach of the women’s swimming and diving program for 14 seasons and led the men’s program for one season. She was also the university’s first field hockey coach. The Hatboro, Pa., native was East Stroudsburg State College’s first threetime national champion in swimming and a varsity letter winner in both field hockey and swimming. She is a member of both the HatboroHorsham and the ESU Halls of Fame. She and her husband Dean reside in Berwick, Pa., and are the parents of two children, Tim and Kaitlin, and have five grandchildren.
DR. GEORGE THOMPSON, JR. AWARD Beldina Opiyo-Omolo ’02 M’04 Opiyo-Omolo is co-founder and director of Alice Visionary Foundation Project in Kenya, a non-profit organization that assists children and empowers women to improve their quality of life through education, poverty reduction, and gender equality. Opiyo-Omolo worked for more than six years as a public health specialist for Millenium Cities Initiative (MCI) in Kisumu, Kenya. She also worked in selected informal settlement study sites to improve community infrastructure, livelihood opportunities, and access to and the quality of health, education, and water/sanitation services. Prior to joining MCI Kisumu, Opiyo-Omolo worked as a program manager for AIDSNET in Bethlehem, Pa., and was an adjunct faculty of health at ESU. Opiyo-Omolo resides in Kisumu, Kenya, and has two children, Caleb and Alice.
EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AWARD Kenneth F. Davis ’73 Davis taught geography and social studies at Central Junior High, Northern Junior High, Pottstown Middle School, and Pottstown Senior High School from 1970-1999. Davis was the head varsity basketball coach at Pottstown Senior High from 1980-1997. Pottstown was the District 1 AA Champion in 1983 and the District 1 AAA Champion in 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, and 1995. His 1993 team were the first state champions in Pottstown High School history. Davis retired with a record of 374-101. Davis won the Coach of the Year Award eight times. He is a member of the Tri-County Sports Hall of Fame and the Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame. Davis resides in State College, Pa., with his wife Linda. They have a son Chad.
JIM BARNIAK AWARD Victor J. Fangio ’80 Fangio entered his first season as head coach of the NFL’s Denver Broncos this year. A 40-year coaching veteran with 32 seasons in the NFL, Fangio has been a defensive coordinator for 20 of the last 24 seasons at the NFL or college level. He most recently served as the Chicago Bears’ defensive coordinator from 2015-2018. In 2018, Fangio’s defense with the Bears led the NFL in scoring defense, rushing defense, yards per play, takeaways, interceptions, three-andouts, and 20+ yard plays. The Bears finished 12-4 and won the NFC North Division for the team’s first playoff berth in eight seasons. Fangio joined the Bears after working as defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-2014 under head coach Jim Harbaugh, having also spent the 2010 season with Harbaugh as Stanford University’s defensive coordinator. Fangio also led the defenses for the Houston Texans from 2002-2005, the Indianapolis Colts from 1999-2001, and the Carolina Panthers from 1995-1998. From 1986-1994, Fangio was linebackers coach for the New Orleans Saints. Fangio began his career in 1979 coaching linebackers at his alma mater Dunmore High School under legendary football coach Jack Henzes. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1980. Fangio worked as a graduate assistant at the University of North Carolina in 1983. He was inducted into the Northeast Pennsylvania Hall of Fame in 1993. Fangio has a son Christian and a daughter Cassie.
TECHNOLOGY AWARD RECIPIENT Jeffrey D. Bunting ’90 M’92 After graduating from ESU, Bunting served as a founding member of Xplorer Group at IMS America, a pharmaceutical data and consulting company. He personally created IMS’s first web application and grew it to $15M in annual revenue. Bunting then became the key technology executive at CorNet International, helping to launch new products and improve operational and financial performance. After CorNet was acquired in 1999, he founded his own software and services company, ActiveStrategy, Inc. He also developed iRound, one of the first business applications for the iPhone. Bunting is currently launching a new company to consult and advise healthcare companies on performance management, artificial intelligence, and innovation. Bunting resides in Albany, Calif., with his wife Kristin and sons Thomas, Jonathan, and Daniel.
HELEN G. BROWN HONOR AWARD Charles P. Wolbers ’73 Wolbers was raised by East Stroudsburg University professors, Dr. Charles and Mary Jane Wolbers, who cultivated traditional, well-established regard for discipline and a deeply instilled, energetic work ethic by focusing on respect for others. After graduating from East Stroudsburg State College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Health and Physical Education (Aquatics), he served in the U.S. Army while earning a Masters of Arts in Management from Webster University, St. Louis, Mo. Throughout his military career, Wolbers served in a variety of key senior leadership positions and combat mission responsibilities. His ESSC experience played an integral part in his roles as a recreation service facilities director, Olympic Team coaching staff member, and advanced training instructor and fitness program doctrinal writer. He retired in 1997 as first sergeant of the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas. Wolbers continued a post-military career as a professional educator. His experience as an elementary physical education teacher in El Paso, Texas, inspired him to complete additional licensure certification in Special Education and Alternative Education. Wolbers is now retired from the Kenosha Unified School District as a Special Education Transition Teacher and Case Manager. Wolbers currently serves in pastoral ministry with his wife Donna in the United Methodist Church in Stockton, Ill. esualumni.org 23
alumni news
Catching up with Sarah Khan ’15 ESU’s first Fulbright fellow takes position with RAINN
Sarah Khan ’15, the first Fulbright fellow from East Stroudsburg University, has no intention of slowing down. Khan graduated with a master’s in education and was chosen for the prestigious Fulbright program created by the United States government as an international education exchange program. After graduation, Khan spent a year in Turkey teaching English at a Turkish university, which she describes as the best year of her life. “I think every person should get international service experience where they have to humanize someone who may seem foreign to them. Turkish people are so hospitable, and I wouldn’t have survived without the strangers at 2 a.m. in a bus station helping me,” said Khan.
Khan currently works for RAINN, (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the United States. She is the senior curriculum training developer, creating material for hotline operators to use when assisting callers. She compiles research and practices used by other organizations to determine the best practices in helping survivors. Recently, Khan got married to her husband who she met while backpacking in Cyprus. She still dreams of opening an all-girls school in Pakistan, where she was born. For now, Khan is focusing on her work with RAINN and giving back to the community in every way possible.
Get the background: ESU first featured Sarah in spring 2015 as she prepared for her trip to Turkey following graduation. Read that story at: https://quantum.esu.edu/insider/sarah-khan-becomes-first-esu-fulbright-scholar-headed-to-turkey/ 24 the alumni herald
Koerber
joins Alumni Engagement team Morgan Koerber ’18 was appointed alumni engagement coordinator for the East Stroudsburg University Office of Alumni Engagement in August. Some of her responsibilities include engaging young Warrior alumni and maintaining alumni relationships, contributing to the creation of new chapters, and supporting current chapters and events. Koerber graduated from ESU in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Restaurant and Tourism Management and minor in Communication Studies. During her time at ESU, Koerber was president of the Hospitality Club, member of Eta Sigma Delta, student office worker for the football team, as well as special events and alumni donor relations intern. Koerber also spoke at the 2018 Legacy Family Lunch and Pinning Ceremony. “ESU has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It is an honor to continue my professional career at this University. Words cannot describe how happy I am to be working with such amazing people,” Koerber said. “ESU has always been my home away from home, especially because of its warm and welcoming culture and the friendships that will last a lifetime. I look forward to developing professional relationships
WAM holds first networking event
for alumni and students The ESU Office of Alumni Engagement in conjunction with the Office of Career Development hosted its first networking event for its Warrior Alumni Mentoring program (WAM) on November 12, 2019, at the ESU Innovation Center. WAM is made up of a network of over 130 alumni volunteers who have agreed to mentor current ESU students. The group includes alumni from a variety of careers, including communications, business management, nursing and education. Seven alumni mentors spoke to a group of more than 50 students regarding their work in various industries such as hotel and restaurant management, healthcare, and project management. Following a brief introduction of each mentor, students had the opportunity to ask questions regarding employment after graduation. Morgan Koerber ’18,
with alumni and colleagues. We have several events, new chapters, and affinities underway; I am excited about the direction we are taking the Office of Alumni Engagement.” Koerber plans to coordinate events with several alumni affinities and chapters. She is excited to help revamp the young alumni group, “ESU GOLD - Graduates of the Last Decade.” As a young alumna, she will use her experience and like-mindedness to continue to develop successful programs to support them in both networking and engagement with the university and one another. “It’s important for universities to ensure their students and alumni are engaged. Alumni help foster a spirit of loyalty and maintain the Warrior culture for future generations. It is the responsibility of the Office of Alumni Engagement to maintain contact with alumni and share information about events and opportunities. This allows our alumni to develop new connections, reconnect with old classmates, professors and the institution itself,” Koerber said. Reach out to Morgan via email at mkoerber@esufoundation.org or call 570-422-3180. coordinator of Alumni Engagement, Breanna Betarie, career advisor from the Career Development Center, and Carol Miller ’81, ESU Alumni Association board member and Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management professor helped plan the event. “We hope to host more of these events to give students and alumni opportunities to network with each other,” Koerber said. “Our alumni are very willing to help, and we plan on collaborating with the Office of Career Development and other academic offices to grow into a fullfledged mentorship program.” After the networking event, students attended a Career & Internship Expo in the ESU Innovation Center. More than 40 employers were present to help students explore new career opportunities. The Office of Alumni Engagement and the Career Development Center are exploring more ways to enhance WAM. In addition to visiting classroom lectures, a speaker series, and networking events, the offices plan to formalize the program by introducing a platform that would make online mentoring easy to access for both students and alumni. Alumni willing to participate in WAM are encouraged to contact the Office of Alumni Engagement by calling (570) 422-3194, emailing esualumni@esu.edu or via LinkedIn by joining the East Stroudsburg University Warrior Alumni Mentoring group. esualumni.org 25
alumni news
warriors
connecting October 5, 2019 Legacy Breakfast and Pinning Ceremony Eighty-six alumni and family members attended the 9th Annual Alumni Legacy Breakfast and Pinning Ceremony. During the event, 15 families were welcomed as Legacy families, received pins, and had their photos taken with President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D. Alumni board member Debbie Kulick ’80 was the host and Corey Wimmer ’03 was the featured speaker. The event was held in the Lenape Hall Lounge as part of the university’s Family Weekend festivities.
October 20, 2019 June 8, 2019 ESU Alumni Day at the Philadelphia Phillies Thirty alumni and friends of ESU attended a Philadelphia Phillies game versus the Cincinnati Reds on June 8, 2019. The event was planned and hosted by Bucks/Montgomery county chapter leader Chris Rohr Thompson ’73. Before the game, alumni gathered at the Pass and Stow in Citizens Bank Park for a pre-game tailgate and happy hour.
August 9, 2019 ESU Alumni Association Golf Fun-Raiser Over 30 alumni and friends golfed in the annual ESU Alumni Association NEPA Golf Fun-Raiser on August 9, 2019. The event was held at the Shadowbrook Golf Course in Tunkhannock, Pa. Organizers for the event were ESU Alumni Board President Frank Johnson ’74 and Alumni Association board member Paul Scheuch ’71 M ’77. Proceeds from the Fun-Raiser benefit an annual scholarship established by the ESU Alumni Association Board of Directors. 26 the alumni herald
Class of 1957 Conference Room Technology During Homecoming Weekend, alumni from the Class of 1957 gathered on October 20, 2019, to see the new technology equipment that was purchased for their namesake conference room in the Warren E. ’57 and Sandra Hoeffner Science and Technology Center. Rob Smith, assistant vice president for the department of institutional effectiveness, planning, and assessment, gave a demonstration to members of the class. The technology equipment was purchased with remaining funds that the Class of 1957 raised to name the conference room.
October 29, 2019 Philly Alumni Happy Hour Conshohocken Brewing Company in King of Prussia, Pa., was the site for the ESU Alumni Philadelphia group annual happy hour on October 29, 2019. More than 35 alumni and friends were in attendance. The event was also supported by members of the ESU Bucks/Montgomery chapter and was planned by Scott Higgins ’07.
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Alumni and friends of the ESU Alumni Bucks/Montgomery chapter led by Chris Rohr Thompson ’73 (5th from left) gather for a photo at the Pass and Stow in Citizens Bank Park prior to the Philadelphia Philles vs. Cincinnati Reds game.
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Golfers before a day of golf at Shadowbook Inn and Resort at the Annual ESU NEPA Alumni Golf Fun-Raiser.
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From left, Darryl Tluczek ’73, Jacob Rissmiller, Class of 2023, and Dawn Tluczek at the Legacy Breakfast and Pinning Ceremony.
From left, Heather Johnson ’09, Alison Khan Hayes ’07, and Scott Higgins ’07 at the Philadelphia alumni group happy hour.
From left, Rob Smith, Sandra “Pinky” O’Neil-Seiler ’57, President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., Diana Weaver ’57, Shirley Merring ’57 and Pauline Hessler Gearhart ’57.
10 • 29 • 19 esualumni.org 27
warrior spirit
fall SPORTS
update Field hockey captures second PSAC Championship, reaches fifth straight NCAA Tournament ESU captured its second PSAC title in five years with a 1-0 win over Kutztown, and reached the NCAA DII semifinals for the third straight year under 36th-year head coach Sandy Miller. The Warriors set a program record with 15 shutouts, scored 62 goals and allowed just nine en route to a 19-3 record, matching the school record for victories set by the 2015 national championship team. The Warriors, who fell 1-0 (2OT) to Saint Anselm in the national semifinal, had eight All-PSAC selections headlined by sophomore Celeste Veenstra on the first team, and four on the second team in seniors Kristen English, Emily Spangler and Maddie Richie and sophomore Hannah Barbush. Veenstra scored 22 goals and was the PSAC Tournament MVP. Miller has 443 career wins and has led ESU to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances. 28 the alumni herald
ESU Field Hockey, 2019 PSAC Champions
Women’s volleyball wins first PSAC Title since 1987 The Warriors edged Shepherd, 3-2, for their fifth PSAC championship in program history and first in 32 years, following titles in 1979, 1985, 1986 and 1987 under longtime head coach Bob Sweeney ’62. ESU also qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2000. Kevin Rodgers, PSAC Coach of the Year, guided a team led by redshirt junior Trea-sure Ketter, the PSAC Defensive Player of the Year, senior Sarah Smith, first team All-PSAC, and senior Sam Dunphy, second team All-PSAC. Ketter leads DII in blocks per set, and Smith ranks second in program history in career kills.
Women’s soccer secures sixth straight NCAA Tournament berth
Ellis qualifies for NCAA Championships in cross country
ESU continued its impressive run under head coach Rob Berkowitz, reaching the NCAA Tournament in every season since 2014. The Warriors, who finished 14-7, also advanced to the PSAC semifinals after winning four straight conference titles from 2014-17 and reaching the championship game in 2018.
Junior Casey Ellis was chosen for the NCAA DII championships, ESU’s first individual selection since 2002, and marking the program’s first national appearance since the 2012 team qualified. Ellis and senior Jeremy Smith were named All-PSAC as the Warriors finished fourth at the PSAC championships, and sixth at the Atlantic Regional.
Junior Haley Skove, named second team All-Region, and senior Syd Hicks were both selected first team All-PSAC East and were joined by three second-team choices in seniors Jules Sicker and Jessica Woodbyrne and freshman Melissa Herrera, who was named PSAC East Freshman of the Year. Skove earned her third straight All-PSAC honor.
The women’s team was led by All-PSAC finishes from junior Mandy Fine and senior Rachael Davalos.
Men’s soccer notches 11-5-3 campaign
After 45 seasons under legendary head coach Denny Douds, ESU football opened a new era with a 6-5 record under former record-setting AllAmerica quarterback Jimmy Terwilliger. The Warriors posted their first win against an NCAA DI FCS program since 1994 in their season opener, defeating Wagner 24-14, on their way to a 5-0 start. They finished the season with a 41-17 victory over Clarion and also had wins over PSAC foes Seton Hill, Edinboro, Lock Haven and Millersville.
The Warriors qualified for the PSAC Tournament with a victory on Senior Day vs. Shepherd, before falling 2-0 to West Chester in the first round of their third straight PSAC Tournament appearance. Senior Marcus Torgersson (6 goals, 6 assists) was named first team All-Region and senior Erik Cardoso also earned first team All-PSAC honors. Second team picks were junior Oliver Lundberg, redshirt sophomore Evan Miele and freshman Bradley Turocy.
Football opens Terwilliger era with 6-5 season
Seven Warriors were named All-PSAC East – senior All-America kicker/punter Jordan Walters, junior defensive lineman Andre Eldridge and sophomore linebacker Jameer Brooks were on the first team, with senior defensive end Joseph Odebode, senior cornerback Andre’ Gray, redshirt junior running back Devante Robinson and sophomore return specialist Rece Bender on the second team. Walters’ 16 field goals tied a school record.
ESU’s 2019 Women’s Volleyball Team
esualumni.org 29
The East Stroudsburg University sports information department unveiled the redesigned ESUWarriors.com in July, debuting a new look and updated features for the official athletics website of ESU. The redesign was revamped in a collaborative effort with college athletics website provider SIDEARM Sports and the ESU sports information office. The new-look home for ESU’s 22 varsity athletics programs features a modern design, easier navigation, and integration with Warriors athletics social media platforms. Additionally, the new layout now boasts a responsive layout that will automatically adapt to a user’s custom screen resolution and browser settings, as well as mobile devices and tablets. “We look forward to growing our partnership with SIDEARM sports for this upcoming athletic year and beyond as we continue to enhance and grow East Stroudsburg University’s presence online,” said Doug Page, ESU sports information director. “SIDEARM was awesome to work with throughout this entire process and we look forward to continuing to provide an outlet for our student-athletes, fans, and supporters who follow Warrior athletics to stay up-to-date.” Among the improvements, visitors now have quicker access to schedules and rosters, a more comprehensive all-sports calendar, and a static ticker that scrolls through recent scores and upcoming games. Other improvements include easier access to photo galleries and video highlights as well as fan zone content.
Stop by and take a look!
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ESUWarriors.com
The ESU football program underwent upgrades to its office over the summer, aiming to honor the past of the historic Warrior program while also making improvements with an eye towards the future. The space – where coaches and players spend many hours prepping for games and practices, going over film, meeting with recruits, and fine-tuning their crafts – received new flooring, walls, technology upgrades, and an overall new and fresh look. Head coach Jimmy Terwilliger ’07, the 2005 Harlon Hill Trophy winner as Division II’s most outstanding player and son of longtime offensive coordinator Mike Terwilliger ’78, is excited about the upgrades for his program. “I am extremely passionate about the direction of our football program. We have a strong tradition, and the core values of the past mixed with the new energy for growth is inspiring,” said Terwilliger. “I am one of the luckiest people on earth to play and coach at ESU under Denny Douds. I grew up here, and this is home to me. I shed a small tear when they took out the old wood paneling in the office, because it was a reminder of some of the greatest times and greatest people in my life.” The enhancements provide a great atmosphere for recruits as the Warriors look to bring in top student-athletes. “We want our program to be the best football experience in DII,” said Terwilliger. “These upgrades make it possible to recruit great people to Where Warriors Belong.” esualumni.org 31
Gabrielle Lisella ’85 was promoted to associate athletic director in the fall 2019 and retired from coaching women’s basketball after 19 seasons at Rowan University. She is responsible for the department’s internal operations. Lisella resides in Clayton, N.J. William E. Lewis, Ph.D. ’86 was awarded the University Senate Excellence in Teaching Award at the University of Delaware where he is associate professor of literacy education. Lewis spent the first 20 years of his career teaching high school English language arts. He resides in Strasburg, Pa.
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’96 ’00 ’07
Christopher Rudisill, Ph.D. ’96 has been selected by the Conewago Valley School Board as the new superintendent, beginning on Jan. 6, 2020. Prior to his appointment, Rudisill was the assistant superintendent since 2015. He resides in Gettysburg, Pa. Daniel LaMagna ’00 M’07 received his Ph.D. in higher education leadership & management from Capella University and accepted the role of media chair for Purple Stride with the pancreatic cancer action network. LaMagna is currently Dean of Students at Lackawanna College. LaMagna resides in Clarks Summit, Pa. Raquel Braemer ’07 is the new executive director of HealthLink Dental Clinic in Southampton, Pa. HealthLink Dental Clinic is a free dental clinic for low-income, working adults and military veterans. Braemer started her career with HealthLink Dental Clinic as development director in 2012. Braemer received her master’s degree from Drexel University, and is a credentialed Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). She resides in Bensalem, Pa.
2000s
’86
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.
’95
James Franklin ’95 has been selected as the 2019 Penn State Renaissance Fund honoree. Franklin is the head coach of the Penn State football program and is a mentor to student athletes in higher education and community service. Franklin resides in University Park, Pa.
1990s
’85
Jean’s husband was also linked to ESU – Professor Emeritus William E. Eden, who passed away in 1992. Jean still resides in East Stroudsburg and remains active in the community.
1980s
’72
Eugenia “Jean” Eden ’72 M’76 celebrated her 100th birthday on Nov. 20 with family and friends. An emeritus board member of ESU’s Alumni Board of Directors, Jean is pictured with Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., president of ESU, and Frank Johnson ’74, president of the ESU Alumni Association Board.
1970s
’72
1960s
’61
Bruce Frassinelli ’61 was inducted into the Carbon County (Pa.) Sports Hall of Fame on May 26, 2019, and won second place for opinion column-writing in the Keystone Press Awards competition, also in May 2019. Frassinelli resides in Schnecksville, Pa.
’87
Robert Rajkowski ’87 Monro Inc. has hired Rajkowski, a former Goodyear, AAMCO and Jiffy Lube executive, to be its chief operating officer. He will oversee the integration of Monro’s operations, marketing and merchandising functions and be responsible for all aspects of the company’s store operations. He resides in Pipersville, Pa.
’07 ’07
’11
Anthony Scannella ’07 has been named the head women’s track & field coach at Felician University, Rutherford, N.J. Scannella has spent the last nine years as an assistant girls’ indoor and outdoor coach at Bergen County Technical School in Hackensack, N.J., and is the president of the United Athletes Track Club. Joseph Delchop ’10 was named manager of premium partnerships for the NFL’s New York Jets. Prior to his appointment, Delchop was employed by the New York Red Bulls as the season ticket sale supervisor. He resides in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J. Leif P. Warner ’11 graduated from George Washington University, Washington, D.C., with a master of business administration degree in Global Management in January 2019. Warner resides in Lancaster, Pa.
’14 in Dover, N.J.
’15
Brittany Hadfield Bozik ’15 and husband Travis welcomed daughter Maxine Lucile on April 3, 2019. They have a son Owen. The family resides in Jensen Beach, Fla.
Justin Hartman ’14 is the new head football coach at Dover High School, Dover, N.J. He is also a physical education/ health teacher. Hartman resides
Marisa Pagan-Figueroa ’15 entered Cornell Law School, Ithaca, N.Y., in August 2019 and will be graduating from the Juris Doctor/Master of Law program in international and comparative law. Prior to entering Cornell Law School, PaganFigueroa lived in Spain for two years where she taught English. She resides in Ithaca, N.Y.
2010s
’10
Births
Keith Hassell ’07 was recently named the executive director of the Career Planning and Professional Development Center at Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Conn. Hassell’s responsibilities include executing programs and developing resources that meet student needs, improving career readiness and responding to career trends. He resides in Bridgeport, Conn.
David ’11 and Michelle ’11 M’13 Breitweiser welcomed son Zachary on July 4, 2019, weighing 7 lbs., 12 oz., 21 inches long. The family resides in Waretown, N.J.
Samantha ’11 M’13 and James Gonzalez ’11 welcomed daughter Liliana on March 3, 2018. Being proud members of the military, the Gonzalez family is excited to move back to New Jersey this year.
Nicole Evans Tull ’11 M’13 and husband Christopher Tull ’11 welcomed son Nolan Richard on March 17, 2019, weighing 6 lbs., 2 oz. The family resides in Wilmington, Del.
Brittany ’11 M’13 and Jesse Dunn ’11 welcomed their first baby Everett James on March 22, 2019. The family lives in Willow Grove, Pa.
esualumni.org 33
Is there a new baby in your family? Send us your birth announcement to receive a Warrior bib
The East Stroudsburg University Office of Alumni Engagement would like to congratulate you on your new addition to your family. To celebrate, we have your little one’s first piece of Warrior gear – an adorable bib.
Upcoming Events February 2, 2020 ESU ALUMNI WRESTLING EVENT Koehler Fieldhouse Time and details TBD
Feb. 8, 2020 MEN’S AND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ALUMNI DAY ESU Men’s and Women’s teams take on Millersville University
Send your birth announcement, including your name, graduation year, address and email address, to esualumni@esu.edu or call 570-422-3180 to receive your Warrior bib.
Koehler Fieldhouse Time and details TBD
Feb. 26-29, 2020 ESU ALUMNI FLORIDA EVENTS
weddings
Times, locations and details TBD
April 5, 2020 ESU CHERRY BLOSSOM BRUNCH Alexandria, Va. Old Dominion Boat Club Time TBD
Former ESU Alumni Association Board member, Michael Quick ’10 got married to Jennifer Carullo on August 16, 2019. The ceremony was held at the Blessed Sacrament Church in Staten Island, N.Y., followed by a reception at The Gramercy, Hazlet, N.J. The couple resides in Aberdeen, N.J.
Check www.esualumni.org and www.esu.edu frequently as events are added throughout the year.
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.
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The Annual Men’s and Women’s Alumni Basketball Games 2019
alumni Simona E. Aguilar ’13 Kerry R. Anderson ’79 William G. Apostol ’11 John J. Beck ’51 John J. Bensing ’53 Thomas L. Bubba ’58 Dorothy Burak ’60 Robert E. Callard M’92 Bernard V. Capuano ’60 David M. Charles ’86 Kevin P. Clare ’00 Christine M. Dante ’95 William A. DeHart ’08 Verna K. Dennis ’59 Michael Dziak ’51 Martin A. Farnelli ’93 Richard E. Foley ’58 Joseph. A. Galizio ’61 Rose Galozzo ’69 Darcy L. Gannon ’97 Charles H. German ’59 Robert M. Gilmartin ’64 Nicholas P. Gould ’86 Philip J. Grady ’58 Mary Jane Guise ’47 Charles A. Hammer ’63 Edward G. Heimbach ’62 Leonard Jengeleski ’52 Beverly M. Kester M’79 Richard B. Koch ’69 Kathleen S. McCarty M ’89 Gloria C. McLain ’47 MaryAnn Morgan ’47 Lloyd J. Newbaker ’54 Joseph Nickolas ’61 Michael A. Pasko ’76 Richard R. Ramalho ’52 Sara M. Rand ’61 Benjamin W. Rapp ’54 James D. Richardson ’61 Joan L. Roce ’53 Michael J. Romano ’74 Nadine M. Schoonover ’51 Lois L. Sheeley ’48 John D. Smart M’92 Nancy Smith ’75 Marie F. Squilla ’53 Kathryn F. Sorensen ’56 Janet N. Stewart ’57 G. Alan Stull ’55 Mary Joan Trager ’65 Jean C. Wilson ’51 Marjorie A. Worley ’55 Shirley L. Wellen ’59 Faculty & Staff Floyd Bradshaw Joseph A. Davis Janet B. Garman Debra S. McCormick Wendy R. Smith Mary Lee Vican FRIENDS Charles V. Day Jessie Eisel Paul Ferency Wilma S. Reese Derek L. Stem
memoriam Genevieve C. “Jane” Huffman July 1, 2019 Former member of ESU’s Council of Trustees, Genevieve C. “Jane” Huffman, 86, was appointed as a trustee in 1972 by then-Governor Milton Shapp. She was reappointed several times by Governors Thornburgh and Casey. As a trustee, Huffman served as secretary, vice chair and chair of the board and served on search committees for two university presidents and played a role in the transition from East
Stroudsburg State College to East Stroudsburg University in the 1980s. Huffman founded the student affairs committee and also served on the Pennsylvania Association of Council of Trustees (PACT) for a number of years and became president of PACT in 1992. She retired from her role as a trustee in 1997 after 25 years of service. In addition to her husband, William, she is survived by her children: Kay Neumayer and her husband, Tom, of San Ramon, California; Paul Huffman and his wife, Claire Falkowski, of Enola; and Carol Huffman and her husband, Mark Hodgson, of Stroudsburg. She was preceded in death by her sister, Rose Paula Kennedy.
John Girvan Muncie, Jr. ’61, Ph.D., 84, of Pawleys Island, S.C., was a graduate of Kent State University with a doctorate in history and a graduate of East Stroudsburg University where he was a history professor for 44
years prior to his retirement in 2002. He also was a visiting professor at the University of Dundee, Scotland. Muncie was a U.S. Navy veteran who served on the USS Lloyd Thomas Destroyer during the Korean War. He was a member of the Monroe County PA Historical Society, and Phi Alpha Theta Honorary History Society. Muncie is survived by his wife, Eleanor, and two daughters, Michelle (Muncie) Whipkey of Shermans Dale, Pa., and Robin (Muncie) Gillespie of Taylor, Pa.
Dr. Ernest “Ernie” Rydell Jr. July 7, 2019 Dr. Ernest “Ernie” Rydell Jr., 81, was ESU’s vice president of advancement from 1991 through 2001. Prior to his work at ESU, Rydell served as the assistant director of admissions and the director of public relations and alumni affairs at Trenton State College, assistant to the president
for two presidents at Trenton State, and also as director of development and alumni affairs at Glassboro State College. Rydell was a member and elder of the East Stroudsburg Presbyterian Church, the Rotary Club of the Stroudsburgs, chairman and board member of the Monroe County Hughes Library and a participant in the Delaware Valley United Way and the United Way of Monroe County. Rydell is survived by his wife, Sandra (Wittlif) Rydell, his sister, Barbara Morgan and husband Bob of Allamuchy, N.J.
John Girvan Muncie, Jr. ’61, Ph.D. June 14, 2019
Garnet Benner ’41 October 1, 2019 Garnet Benner ’41, East Stroudsburg University’s oldest living alumni donor, passed away on Oct. 7. The Bradenton, Fla., resident was 101 years old and was featured in the Spring/Summer 2019 issue of The Alumni Herald magazine. President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., ESU Foundation Executive Director Richard Santoro, and Alumni Engagement Director Leon John paid a visit to Benner in March 2019. At the time, Benner spoke about her days at ESU as a basketball player and her years as a teacher in Forty Fort, Pa. She also shared pictures and cards that her students had sent her for her 100th birthday, sharing her birthdate with President Welsh. Benner is survived by a niece Nancy Bloss Paaby ’71 of Pylesville, Md.
Lillian Claire Ciccarone November 2, 2019 A former student from Quakertown, Pa., who was majoring in special education/elementary education. She had taken a leave of absence from her studies at ESU this semester but intended to resume classes in Spring 2020. Her twin brother, Phillip, is also a senior at ESU, studying special education/elementary education. Ciccarone was born in Manhattan, N.Y. She was the daughter of Frank J. & Claire J. (Szakacs) Ciccarone. She enjoyed hiking, nature, and animals. In addition to her parents she is survived by a sister Daniella, a brother Michael, and her twin brother Phillip.
Memorial Gifts may be made through the ESU Foundation at esufoundation.org/givenow. For personal assistance, please call 570-422-3333.
Postcard of the “Main Building,” later called Stroud Hall.
Hey Warriors…
did you know?
Have an ESU keepsake?
It might be ideal for the University Archives and Special Collections The University Archives and Special Collections welcomes donations of documents, photographs, and memorabilia for its collection. In recent years, donors have given items from the Normal School era (1893-1926) such as a song book, class pins, an 1897 issue of The Normal Echoes, one of the earliest publications of the school, and postcards.
Archery was offered in 1951 in the physical education department. In 1954 it became a varsity sport and the Warriors won national championships in 1975 (mixed - combined men and women) and 1976 and 1977 (men’s team). Because of a lack of available competition, the program was disbanded after the 1983 season. The archery team’s first coach was Genevieve Zimbar. The building Zimbar-Liljenstein Hall, the current home of the Student Enrollment Center, is named after her.
Often donors locate these items on sites like eBay, flea markets or even their own homes and then donate them to the collection. If you happen to be cleaning out your home and come across items that 1897 issue of The Normal Echoes. are from any era of ESU history, please consider donating them to the archives and special collections. Information about donating or questions for the archivist should be directed to Liz Scott at escott8@esu.edu or by calling (570) 422-3584.
Visit ESU’s Archives and Special Collections website: www.esu.edu/library/collections/archives/donations.cfm 36 the alumni herald
The CBS television network came to campus in 1983 to telecast the ESU-Millersville football game. Back then, students and groups had the tradition of making and hanging spirit banners on the fence. Did You Know features current and historical information of interest about the ESU campus, its students, alumni, and more. Can you add to the story? Have something to say or share? Email esualumni@esu.edu. *Source: Pride and Promise, A Centennial History of East Stroudsburg University
FOND MEMORIES OF ESSTC Dorothy Rose Presser at the campus entrance in October 1941. Dorothy graduated from East Stroudsburg State Teachers College in 1930 and went on to teach in Weissport before marrying John A. Szili in 1936 and moving to Atlantic City, N.J. Our thanks to Dorothy’s grandson, Andrew Seely of Tampa, Fla., for sharing his grandmother’s story and photo.
Circa
FLASHBACK
200 Prospect Street East Stroudsburg, PA 18301-2999
VETERANS HONORED ESU’s 11th Annual Veterans Day Celebration was held Nov. 12, 2019, recognizing local veterans, servicemen and servicewomen in all branches of the armed services. Part of the event was held adjacent to the “Julia” statue at the front campus circle. Julia was acquired by East Stroudsburg State Normal School alumni in 1919 to honor the school’s servicemen and women who had died in World War I. Keynote speaker for this year’s event was retired Lt. Gen. Richard Zilmer, United States Marine Corps. Photo by Amanda Nyborg