East Stroudsburg University of pennsylvania
alumni herald
spring/summer 2018
celebrates
GODSPELL ESU’s Department of Theatre lights up the stage during its spring production of the musical Godspell. Photo by Susie Forrester
CampusSnap
Fellow
Warriors,
Canadian-born author and poet Heather Babcock once said, “Time doesn’t really ‘march on.’ It tends to tip-toe. There’s no parade. No stomping of boots to alert you to its passing. One day, you turn around and it is gone.” It’s true there is no parade, but at 125 years old, ESU has a lot to celebrate. We have dedicated the pages of this issue of the Alumni Herald to looking back at the first 125 years of our great institution. Times have certainly changed since the early days of East Stroudsburg State Normal School (ESSNS) when our founders Pastor Chandler A. Oakes, George Bible, the ESSN Principal, and Seeley Rosenkrans, a local businessman, took the lead in an initiative to establish a normal school in East Stroudsburg. And as an institution, we’ve learned from the past to create even greater opportunities for our students, our faculty, our staff, our alumni and our community. For example, the first graduating class from ESSNS in 1894 included 74 graduates, and in May 2018, we celebrated the graduation of more than 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Also, in 1897, ESSNS began with “exhibitions” that included gymnastics, indoor track and basketball. Today we proudly support more than 500 student athletes representing 20 Division II athletic teams, and a men’s basketball team that made a historic trip to the NCAA DII Elite Eight. Check out our awesome anniversary website at esu.edu/125 and submit your own photos and stories to www.esualumni.org/memory. In our more recent history, during the past six years, we’ve put a more significant emphasis on being entrepreneurial and innovative. That work is paying off. Just weeks ago, we opened ESU’s Bloomberg Finance Lab (only the second in the State System), thanks to a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to provide for students in every discipline the opportunity to use the business and financial technology for classroom, career and research initiatives. We’ve launched a mentoring program that is a collaboration of our current alumni board members and career services to provide ESU students with the guidance and support they need and, while years in the making, we’ve received approval by the East Stroudsburg Borough Council to move forward with plans to build a new Keystone Center for our students, our alumni and our community-at-large. We should never forget that our rich history represents our more than 40,000 alumni who have helped to elevate our university in so many ways – as student leaders, athletes and scholars, and later in life as outstanding professionals in their given fields, donors and advocates. We wouldn’t be celebrating this milestone without you. Speaking of celebrations, check out the updates on my most recent visits with alumni in Florida and Washington, D.C. Great Warriors and good times!
I’m also proud to report that since our last edition of the Alumni Herald, we exceeded our Giving Tuesday campaign goals, honored our generous scholarship donors, broke ground on baseball and softball fields in partnership with Stroudsburg Little League, Stroud Township and the ESU Foundation, and placed a spotlight on two very important fundraising campaigns – our Northeast Wildlife DNA Laboratory and Warrior Track and Field. Alumni support is on the rise and on behalf of all of us at ESU, thanks to all of you for your constant interest and support. My hope is that your spring and summer will somehow bring you back to campus to relive your memories, particularly as we celebrate a milestone year. If you do, I hope you’ll share your stories with me. All the best,
Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D. President
inside University President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D. Design and Production Office of University Advancement Office of University Relations Ideal Design Solutions Photography Susie Forrester Jake Hixon Leon John, Jr. Phil Stein Bob Weidner
Contributors Terry Callaghan Caryn S. Fogel ’12 Brenda E. Friday, Ph.D. Lori Gilio Leon John, Jr. Frank Johnson ’74 Greg Knowlden M’04 Stacey Marshall Bonnie Martin Margaret Peterson Elizabeth Richardson Jessica Schultz ’16 Shelley A Speirs ’92 Caryn Wilkie
Cover Story East Stroudsburg University crossed a historic milestone in 2018 with plans to celebrate its 125th Anniversary in a big way. Historic displays, special events and more are on tap as the university revisits its remarkable past and sets sights on a bold future. Take a look back more than a century to a campus that’s evolved with the times and strives to set itself apart from so many others. Highlights on the historic timeline include five name changes, two World Wars, Vietnam, social change, student activism and more. On the horizon – a focus on giving every student the full academic and life experience.
6
Cover courtesy of the Monroe County Historical Association
Features
16 DNA Lab, Track & Field Fundraising campaigns making headway.
20 Focus on Finance
Please address all correspondence to: ESU Office of Alumni Engagement Henry A. Ahnert, Jr. Alumni Center 200 Prospect Street East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
14 ESU Foundation
New Bloomberg Lab gives students an edge.
18 Campus News
24 Creating and
Building a Network
24 Alumni News
Alumni Board launches mentoring program.
28 Warrior Spirit
30 Making Basketball History Warriors shine on path to the Elite Eight.
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. Stay connected with the latest news and campus events. Subscribe to “ESU in the Community” at esu.edu/communitynews 570-422-7000 800-775-8975 Fax: 570-422-3301 esualumni@esu.edu
Departments
34 Class Notes 35 In Memoriam
Stay connected with your alma mater @WarriorAlumni
ESUAA
flickr.com/photos/esualumni
East Stroudsburg University Alumni
Mail Bag Have something to say about ESU? Let us know what you think! Office of Alumni Engagement Attn: Mail Bag Henry A. Ahnert Jr. Alumni Center 200 Prospect Street East Stroudsburg, PA 18301 Please include your name and contact information.
Submissions may be edited for clarity or space.
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. esualumni.org 3
alumni board
Greetings Fellow Alumni,
As this issue of the Alumni Herald hits the presses, I would like to acknowledge the success our ESU athletic teams achieved this past academic year. Our Warriors won three PSAC championships, in men’s and women’s soccer and men’s basketball, and made five NCAA Tournament appearances, the most in school history, in men’s and women’s soccer, field hockey, men’s basketball and women’s lacrosse. Of note, men’s basketball won its first Atlantic Region title and advanced to the Elite Eight, and women’s lacrosse did the same this spring and advanced to the Final Four. Congratulations to all our athletes as the chemistry of their individual efforts combined to produce amazing team results. On that note, one of the goals of the ESU Alumni Association is to recognize outstanding alumni who have distinguished themselves since graduation. We are all on “the same team” but the individual efforts of our fellow alumni have definitely brought glory and attention to our alma mater. Each year, the Alumni Association Board of Directors recognizes those individuals who have been nominated for a specific alumni award, with official recognition occurring during the Annual Alumni Awards Banquet held at Homecoming. As our athletic teams have brought distinction to ESU this past year, so too have our alumni over the course of their professional careers. Here are some of the award descriptions and how you can nominate fellow alumni: DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD - honors an ESU graduate whose exceptional achievements or contributions in a field or profession have distinguished him/herself on the national or international level, bringing honor to the university and pride to its alumni. HELEN G. BROWN AWARD - recognizes an ESU graduate whose extraordinary accomplishments in life have brought honor to the university and pride to its alumni. JIM BARNIAK AWARD - recognizes an ESU graduate for exceptional achievement in athletics beyond graduation. Designed to recognize those who might otherwise qualify for admission to the ESU Athletic Hall of Fame, but do not meet the requirement of having been a star athlete in intercollegiate sports as an undergraduate. 4 the alumni herald
Alumni Association Corner CONRAD “SKIP” IDUKAS SERVICE AWARD recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution to the university and/or the Alumni Association through exceptional volunteer service. The recipient needs not be an ESU alumnus/a. DR. GEORGE THOMPSON, JR. AWARD - recognizes exceptional accomplishment or life achievement in areas of community and human relations along with a demonstrated commitment to the promotion of the mission of ESU. The candidate embodies multicultural and diverse values, and need not be an ESU alumnus/a. EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AWARD - recognizes an ESU graduate who is an educator, and who has demonstrated superior ability and extraordinary commitment to students at the elementary, secondary or college level. The recipient may be active or retired and must have a minimum of 20 years in education. TECHNOLOGY AWARD – recognizes an ESU graduate who has distinguished themselves and brought credit to ESU at a state, national or international level by their work in the fields of science, physics, chemistry, economics, medicine, physiology or other technical field/information technology. YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD – recognizes a recent ESU graduate (10 years) who has demonstrated exceptional ability and made significant strides in their chosen profession and/or whose extraordinary accomplishments have brought honor to the University and pride to its alumni. The ESU Alumni Association is seeking to renew its pool of candidates for the annual Alumni Awards. Please visit www.esualumni.org and click on the Awards button to nominate someone you feel fits into any of these categories. The Awards Committee, presently chaired by Glenn Gottshalk ’72, reviews all nominations for consideration, which are kept on file for three years. Not all awards are presented each year, and are dependent upon the candidates nominated. Please carefully take note of the description and unique characteristics of the specific award you have chosen for your candidate, to aid the committee in the evaluation process. We truly have outstanding alumni representing all of us on the ESU team. Thank you for taking the time to recognize these extraordinary individuals who embody the best of WARRIOR NATION! Frank Johnson ’74 President, ESU Alumni Association Board of Directors
ESU Alumni Association Board of Directors
2017-2018 Board Officers Frank E. Johnson ’74 David A. Super ’80 Ashley L. Puderbach Swartz ’09 M.Ed. ’10 general Members Jack P. Childs, III ’67 Edward J. Curvey ’63 Kelly E. Dries ’08 Joseph B. Fite, III ’76 Glenn Gottshalk ’72 Ernest R. Gromlich ’60 William J. Horvath ’70 M.Ed. ’79 Dawn Ketterman-Benner ’70 Deborah A. Kulick ’80 Demetrius Robert Lindsey ’12 R. Griggs Levy ’87 Johanna Mazlo ’91 Cara Miller ’01 Carol Miller ’81 Lori Miller Weinstein ’77 Rhonda Miller ’16 Thomas Petro ’72 Ritchey J. Ricci ’65 M.Ed. ’72 Shelley A. Speirs ’92 Ronald D. Steckel ’71 Christine Rohr Thompson ’73 Corey Wimmer ’03 Emeriti Virginia M. Sten ’71 Bryan L. Hill ’71 Eugenia S. Eden ’72 M.Ed. ’76 Frank Michael Pullo ’73 M.Ed. ’76 Faye D. Soderberg ’58 Phyllis M. Kirschner ’63 John E. Woodling ’68 M.Ed. ’76 John T. Lambert ’54
ESU Alumni Association Board Member Spotlight
C a r a Feehan Miller ’01
After graduating from East Stroudsburg University, Cara Feehan Miller ’01 was thrilled to be employed as a special education teacher in the Upper Darby School District in Delaware County, Pa. She was hired to teach middle school learning support. Miller was a special education major at ESU and was eager to use her degree after studying in the field and student teaching for a whole year. She credits the Special Education Department, Dr. Diane Cavanagh and Dr. Gina Scala for their passion and instruction that led to her teaching for 16 years. She still has fond memories of sitting in class mesmerized by their teaching. She now tries to foster that love and passion in the classroom with her own students. Miller credits much of her leadership abilities to time spent at ESU when she was a resident advisor for two years in Lenape Hall – 4th floor. Under the direction of Dr. Nancy Weaver and Kelly Weaber, she learned what it took to lead a residence hall, resident advisors, and students. Miller also held a position with the ESU Christian Fellowship where she served as a secretary on the leadership team. Prior to these positions, Miller volunteered with the CEC club (Council for Exceptional Children). She was a four-year member of the choir and enjoyed the winter and spring concerts. Miller also worked on campus in the Foreign Language Department where she assisted the secretaries with basic office skills. In 2006, Miller earned her master’s degree in school leadership from Saint Joseph’s University where she obtained her principal’s and special education supervisory certificates. She then attended Cabrini College for post-graduate credits to earn a Reading Specialist Certification. Miller was hired by the Radnor Township School District in 2006. After having her first child, she worked part-time in the PennDelco School District for six years. During her tenure, she earned her English as a Second Language Specialist Certificate. Currently she works in the Radnor Township School District as an emotional support teacher. As an educator, she has mentored new teachers, led professional development and has assisted school officials with curriculum development. As a new alumna in 2002, Miller attended a Delaware County chapter happy hour led by Nick DiGregory ’76. At that time, she saw the importance of staying involved with her alma mater and giving back to the university that taught her so much beyond the classroom. After encouragement from DiGregory, Miller teamed up with Griggs Levy ’87 where they serve as volunteer leaders for the Delaware County and Chester County (DelCo/ChesCo) chapter. This is Miller’s first year as an alumni board member and she participates in the outreach committee, helping other members with chapters and reaching new alumni. She’s excited for this opportunity to serve ESU and bring alumni together to share their passion for their beloved university.
She resides in West Chester, Pa., with her husband, Scott Miller, a physical education teacher, and their two children, Drew (7) and Claire (5). She enjoys running and has participated in multiple local races, including the Broad Street Run for 12 years and the Philadelphia half marathon. She has fond memories of running through campus and the neighborhoods of East Stroudsburg. esualumni.org 5
In the fall of 1963, Joan Stanley left her tiny Lackawanna County hometown of Dalton, Pa. (population 1,227) for East Stroudsburg State College, and over the next four years, she would find and form her future. As an education student, she learned from faculty mentors such as Physical Education professors Robert Sutton and Mary Sue Balducci. She participated in the gymnastics exhibition team, was a cheerleader when the football team won championships in 1964 and 1965 and became a charter member of the first sorority, Sigma Tau. Before graduating in 1967, Stanley was offered a teaching position with Pleasant Valley School District.
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“East Stroudsburg was a major awakening for me,” says Joan (Stanley) Merring ’67 M’92 who was the first in her family to go to college. “I thought it was the greatest thing going.” Stories like hers have been repeated thousands of times over the course of East Stroudsburg University’s 125-year history. Today, ESU has 55 undergraduate programs, 22 master’s programs and a doctoral program all serving more than 6,800 students from 29 states and 25 countries. It has come a long way from the small private school that was created for one specific mission. The front entrance of ESSTC in 1960. Photo from The Stroud yearbook, 1960.
Editor’s Note: Most of the historical information in this story was gleaned from “Pride and Promise” the centennial book written by Lawrence Squeri, Neil Hogan, and Peter Nevins, and published by the Donning Company in 1993. Dr. Squeri and Dr. Hogan are both retired history professors, and Pete Nevins served as sports information director for 39 years before he retired and subsequently passed away.
In the early 19th Century, Massachusetts lawmaker Horace Mann had the radical idea that all children should have the right to a free public education and his activism sparked a movement to create “common schools” across America. Those schools required teachers, and that spurred the founding of a wave of “normal schools” (from the French école normale) to train teachers. In fall 1891, an eclectic educator and orator named George P. Bible gave a speech at a teachers’ institute at the Monroe County Courthouse in Stroudsburg, catching the attention of the Rev. Chandler Oakes, pastor of the East Stroudsburg Presbyterian Church. According to “Pride and Promise: A Centennial History of East Stroudsburg University” by Lawrence Squeri, Ph.D., Neil Hogan, Ph.D., and Peter Nevins, Oakes enlisted businessman Seeley Rosenkrans to help round up the necessary support in the business community to establish a private normal school. They assembled a board of trustees, and for $5, Albert and Isabella Knapp contributed 11 acres of property a short walk from the Lackawanna Railroad Station in East Stroudsburg. The cornerstone for the school’s first building, Stroud Hall, was laid July 4, 1892. Bible, the son of a Union Army lieutenant killed at Chancellorsville, was chosen as the first principal. East Stroudsburg State Normal School opened its doors Sept. 4, 1893, to about 320 students. Tuition was $64 for the fall term, $48 for the winter and $56 for the spring. Among the subjects taught were history and geography, English literature, Latin and Greek, natural sciences, elocution, music and penmanship. Bible said of his fledgling 15 faculty members: “As this is a school where teachers are to teach teachers how to teach to become teachers, no ‘fossils’ or ‘cranky’ teachers will be tolerated in the classroom.”
should be preserved
In 1902, Elwood L. Kemp took over for Bible as principal and the curriculum broadened. But over the next couple of decades, the school ran up debt and couldn’t afford needed expansions. When the United States entered World War I in 1917, many students went on active service with the region’s Pennsylvania National Guard unit.
in the 125th Anniversary time capsule?
Twenty-five years ago, during the celebration of ESU’s 100th anniversary in 1993, the campus community created a time capsule to preserve a century’s worth of memories. On January 22, 2018, that time capsule was opened to kick off the celebration of ESU’s 125th anniversary.
In 1920, the school’s stockholders sold the privately owned normal school to the state of Pennsylvania, which also took over its debts. The total cost to the state was $192,811. After the State Council of Education approved the school’s status as one of eight teachers colleges in 1926, it became commonly known as East Stroudsburg State Teachers College. On June 6, 1927, nine women and 12 men were members of the first class to receive Bachelor of Science degrees.
The contents of the 100th anniversary capsule are on exhibit in Stroud Hall through October 2018. Now, we need YOUR ideas for a new time capsule! Please keep these guidelines in mind: • Think big! What message would you like to send into the year 2043? Which memories represent ESU as a whole? How do we want future Warriors to remember the ESU of 2018? Include details about the meaning behind your idea. • You do not need to provide the items that you propose. • In general, personal property will not be accepted, but feel free to submit your idea if you believe there are special circumstances. • Items must be small enough to fit into the capsule, so keep in mind that larger items might need to take the form of a photo or certificate. • No perishable items will be included. • You may submit as many ideas as you’d like. • The time capsule committee may contact you for more information about your idea. • Submissions will be accepted through September 30, 2018.
Its specialty was training health and physical education teachers so it’s not surprising that athletics have long been a vital part of ESU. The football team can trace its roots back to the fall that East Stroudsburg opened in 1893 and the baseball team played the next spring. The first women’s sport – basketball – started in 1902, the same year as the men’s team, according to “Pride and Promise.” During the 1920s, student clubs and activities expanded and in 1929 the college put on Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance.” The student newspaper, the Stroud Courier, first published in 1927. It was a female Stroud Courier columnist in 1932 who came up with the name “Warriors” for the teams, pointing out that the campus was in “Indian territory.” Before that teams had been called by the school colors: “The Red and Black.” Faculty standouts left lasting legacies. One such professor was LeRoy J. Koehler, who arrived in May 1922 for the beginning of what would be a 46-year career at East Stroudsburg, culminating in his presidency. Koehler came to be seen as the school’s “Mr. Chips,” according to “Pride and Promise.” The Great Depression almost closed the college. In 1933, the state House Appropriations Committee cut all funds for four state colleges, including East Stroudsburg. College President Tracy T. Allen galvanized the community and the campus into a lobbying campaign that saved the institution.
Use the form at www.esu.edu/125/time-capsule to make your suggestions.
Illustration by Tanya Trinkle
The Making of a Normal School
What memories
Within a year of opening, ESSNS had reached its capacity of 485 students and graduated its first class of 62 women and 12 men.
ESU’s time capsule sealed in 1993 was opened for the 125th anniversary kick-off. Photo by Susie Forrester
esualumni.org 7
enrollment over the years 2017
6,742 Students in front of Stroud Hall in 1898 for what is likely a field day event. Photo from Pride and Promise, A Centennial History of East Stroudsburg University.
1997
5,527
1994
4,023
It was U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal that spurred the biggest building expansion since the campus’s opening. The ZimbarLiljenstein Gymnasium – named for professors Genevieve Zimbar and Oscar Liljenstein – was built in 1940 as one of four projects on campus sponsored by the federal Public Works Administration. The others were the buildings that house Monroe Hall, DeNike Center and the Center for Hospitality Management.
1960
1,428
The quality of the faculty continued to improve as a uniform pay scale was instituted in 1926, which established raises for professors with advanced degrees. The Depression had spurred a 10 percent pay cut but salaries recovered in 1952 when a state law established faculty rank. By 1936, all but one member of the faculty had a master’s degree or doctorate.
1943
218
8 the alumni herald
In keeping with the times, women had to be in their dorms by 10 p.m. every night but Saturday, when they could stay out until 11:30 p.m., according to “Pride and Promise.” Men, on the other hand, could stay out until any hour as long as they didn’t get into trouble. After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941, many male students enlisted and the remaining students of both sexes helped out with the war effort, selling war bonds, collecting scrap metal and sending letters and care packages to the troops. Enrollment shrank from 468 in 1941-1942 to 212 in 1943-1944 and several sports seasons were canceled. By 1944, for the first time in the college’s history, all four senior class officers and the president of the Student Senate were women.
When the war ended in 1945, enrollments climbed, thanks in no small part to the GI Bill. That sparked shortages of housing and classroom space and the college started holding Saturday classes. Expansion and construction in the 1950s tried to keep up with the growing enrollment but overflowing dorms meant some students lived in old hotels nearby. In 1955, the Indian Queen hotel on Main Street became the rooming house of about 60 women students. Numbers would continue to rise as baby boomers reached college age. From 1959 to 1968, the college added nine buildings and from 1960 to 1967, faculty nearly doubled from 71 to 137 under President Koehler. In 1960, the word “Teachers” was deleted from the official names of all Pennsylvania’s state colleges, in recognition of the broadening mission and curriculum. Soon after, East Stroudsburg expanded its degree offerings, gradually moving from primarily a teacher training institution to a liberal arts college. That was key to giving students a tremendous variety of career paths and professions from which to choose, according to current ESU President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D. In 1962, the college started offering graduate courses leading to master’s degrees in biology, general science, and health and physical education. In 1964, the Graduate School was created with Eugene Stish as full-time director.
Also in 1962, Helen Brown ’37, professor of health and physical education, worked with department colleague Dr. Frank Sills to spearhead the purchase by the Women’s Recreation Association of a 119-acre farm in Marshalls Creek for $15,000. They named it Stony Acres and it was donated to the student body and fixed up by faculty and students to become a retreat for hiking, camping and picnics. Student groups still use Stony Acres for recreation, including its ropes course, lodge and pond. In 1965, East Stroudsburg got its initial taste of a technology that would change the world: The first computer was housed in a renovated laundry building next to Stroud Hall. The first social fraternity was Sigma Pi, introduced in 1961, and Sigma Tau became the first sorority in 1966. Joan (Stanley) Merring ’67 M’92 was a member of Sigma Tau’s first pledge class. She has vivid memories of the curfews for women living at Stroud Hall during that era. Dean of Women Ruth Jones watched her charges like a hawk. “We would have to sign in and sign out and Dean Jones would sit there and watch us,” Merring recalls. She remembers going back to her dorm to change after she had accidently sat on some beer at an off-campus party. She doused herself in perfume to hide the smell only to be accosted by Jones who said: “Wow, you have too much perfume on!” But Merring said Jones’s watchful eye was also reassuring in a way. “She was the mother or grandmother away from home,” she said. Merring’s husband, Dick Merring ’57, played for the 1954 Conference Champion football team and went on to serve as assistant football coach from 1964-66. He fondly recalls the dances on Wednesday and Friday nights and frequenting the nearby student hangouts of Rosie’s and Fred’s. The 1944 yearbook published pictures of ESSTC male students serving in World War II. Enrollment shrank from 468 students in 1941-1942 to 212 in 1943-1944 and several sports seasons were canceled. Photo from The Stroud yearbook, 1944.
Warriors on the Move
Ever since East Stroudsburg University opened its doors, young people in motion have been an intrinsic part of the fiber of the school.
Men’s soccer former head coach Jerry Sheska ’68 holds the all-time PSAC record for career wins with 424, retiring following the 2010 season. File Photo
The football team can trace its roots back to that first fall in 1893, and the baseball team played the following spring. The construction of Wayne Gymnasium in 1896 allowed for the expansion of offerings to include gymnastic exhibitions, indoor track and some basketball, according to “Pride and Promise: A Centennial History of East Stroudsburg University” by Lawrence Squeri, Neil Hogan and Peter Nevins. ESU has a treasure trove of historical information about its sports thanks largely to Nevins, who was the university’s sports information director 1969-2002. The college was a pioneer in women’s sports, adding women’s basketball in 1902, the same year as it started a men’s team. Other early women’s sports were field hockey in 1941 and tennis in 1943.
Sheska also started the women’s soccer program in 1992, and in 1994, they won the first conference championship awarded in the sport. The women continue to be a powerhouse, winning each of the last four PSAC championships (2014-17) for six total in the first 25 years of PSAC women’s soccer. Field hockey has brought the most recent national hardware, winning the Division II championship in 2015 and playing in the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three years.
Football Head Coach Denny Douds has set Oscar Liljenstein joined the faculty in 1926, and records of his own. He arrived as an assistant organized a co-ed gymnastics exhibition team coach in 1966 and took over as head coach in that performed in the region for decades. 1974, becoming the winningest football coach “Our tradition as a center for health and physical in PSAC history with 263 career victories. The education instruction played an important role team won PSAC championships in 1975, 1976, in how athletics developed because many 1978 and 1982. In 2005, it won the Northeast of our students who came here were also Regional championship. standout athletes,” says Greg Knowlden M’04, This year, for the first time in ESU history, ESU sports information director. the men’s basketball team advanced to the The 1960s and 1970s were boom years NCAA Division II Elite Eight after winning its for athletics, with the Warriors winning first-ever Atlantic Region championship. The championships in football, baseball, wrestling, Warriors have won the PSAC championship men’s tennis, and men’s soccer. The archery in three of the last seven years (2012, 2014, team was national champions in 1975, 1976 2018) and played in five NCAA Tournaments and 1977. By 1981-82, the university had in the last nine seasons under head coach 25 varsity sports. Men’s gymnastics won the Jeff Wilson ’86. – By Margie Peterson NCAA Division II national championship in 1983 and 1984. The men’s soccer team won the NAIA national championship in 1962 and has won 20 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championships – most recently in 2017 – tying for the most in the history of the conference. Former head coach Jerry Sheska ’68 holds the all-time PSAC record for career wins with 424, retiring following the 2010 season.
A LEGACY OF CHAMPIONS See the incredible accomplishments of ESU’s athletes by visiting www.esuwarriors.com/championships
esualumni.org 9
(1893-1902)
(1902-1920)
Leadership throughout ESU’s history
(1923-1939)
The old ways were chafing to the new generation and on May 9, 1967, 300 students took part in a protest to allow women students to stay out later from their dorms. Professor Sills, who helped pioneer sports medicine and exercise science, took over the presidency in 1968 and made strides toward increasing diversity. Sills hired Louis Murdock ’62 as the first African-American faculty member in 1970 and oversaw a recruitment effort that admitted 45 black students to the overwhelmingly white campus that fall. After a heart attack in 1970, Sills returned to the college as a professor.
Tracy T. Allen
Theodor Moore
(1979-1980)
Frank Sills
Darrell HOLMES
Interim president
(1971-1979)
LeRoy J. Koehler
(1968-1971)
(1956-1968)
Joseph F. Noonan
Acting president
(1940-1955)
Frank E. Baker
(1987-1996)
(1980-1986)
Eric Schaar
(2012-Present)
James E. Gilbert (1997-2012)
Dennis Bell
Robert J. Dillman
Marcia G. Welsh
From the mid-60s on, clothing, hair styles, music and politics were changing and that caused some clashes. “Pride and Promise” notes that at a rock n’ roll dance in December 1965, “many men defiantly wore blue jeans and T-shirts; they were requested to leave.”
(1955-1956)
Ellwood L. Kemp (1920-1923)
George P. Bible
Social Change Takes Hold
Austerity hit in the 1970s, with the state cutting the college’s operating budget sparking a tuition increase. Still, with growing enrollment and expanded course offerings and departments, the faculty in the psychology department could no longer keep up with counseling students as well as teaching classes, so a counseling service was established. The campus saw some student activism against the Vietnam War, including a folk mass and petitions in October 1969, when demonstrations calling for a moratorium to end the war were held nationwide. After National Guardsmen shot and killed four students during a protest at Kent State University in Ohio, 300 East Stroudsburg students and faculty held an all-night vigil in the student center lobby. Frank Pullo, Ed.D., ’73 M’76, a first generation college student from Roseto, Pa., recalls being drafted in 1972 as a junior. He failed the physical due to football injuries. A social studies major, Pullo was mentored by history professors John Muncie and Jim Henwood. Dr. Henwood’s “classes were always packed because he was a very demonstrative teacher,” Pullo said.
To learn more about ESU’s presidents and their milestones, visit www.esu.edu/about/history_beliefs/past_presidents.cfm.
Later, Pullo earned a master’s in physical education under the guidance of his faculty adviser Frank Sills and in 1982 Pullo became one of the first strength coaches in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. “East Burg was known for phys ed and teaching,” Pullo said. “We had one of the first cardiac rehab programs.” It was Sills who encouraged him to get his doctorate at Temple University in sport management. Pullo, who was named Distinguished Professor at ESU in 2012, helped start the university’s sport management department in 2004 and became its first chair. During the ‘70s, feminism stirred change. The rules that allowed men to stay out all night and required women to be back at their dorms at appointed hours sparked protests. A 1973 demonstration demanding 24-hour visitation in dorms attracted nearly 1,000 students. Still, all-day visitation wouldn’t become a reality until 1979. In addition to major concerns such as the Vietnam War, the 1970s ushered in a few more frivolous pursuits. As with the rest of America, East Stroudsburg had its share of streakers – students running naked through the cafeteria or other public spots. As the baby boomers got through college and demographics shifted, the need for new teachers decreased. From 1971 to 1978, elementary education majors dropped from 877 to 465 and secondary ed majors declined from 438 to 194 at the same time. Yet, college enrollment climbed, in no small part because of an influx of out-of-state students. During President Darrell Holmes’s tenure in the ‘70s, ESSC added new programs in computer science and technology, health and medical fields, law enforcement, the arts, environmental science, and hotel and restaurant management. In the 1970s, Football Coach Denny Douds recruited a high school player named Ray Yakavonis ’81 M’88 who instead went into military service and was stationed in South Korea. Douds, who started with ESU football in 1966, wasn’t going to let a little thing like 7,000 miles get in the way of bringing Yakavonis to ESU. “I mailed Ray a game program after every game,” Douds says. After leaving the service, Yakavonis enrolled at ESU, playing for the 1978 state championship team and being named All-America first team defensive end before going to the Minnesota Vikings and playing five seasons in the NFL.
In 1973, students rally in the union for open dormitories. Photo from The Stroud yearbook, 1973.
President’s Distinguished Medals to be presented at 125th Anniversary Celebration East Stroudsburg University President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., will honor two individuals and an organization at the 125th Anniversary Celebration on October 25, presenting President’s Distinguished Medals to Robert M. Moses, William B. Cramer, Esq., and the R. Dale and Frances M. Hughes Foundation, for their commitment and work that has exemplified the values of ESU. The President’s Distinguished Medal is the highest honor the university can award to an individual or organization and is presented at the discretion of the president. Established by Dr. Welsh, the university medal will be awarded in three categories: a community leader, a corporation/foundation, and a current or retired faculty/staff member. Dozens of nominations were taken for the awards with the final selection of honorees being announced by committee in March. “We are fortunate to have received numerous nominations in all categories for the presidential medal awards. It goes to show you there are many wonderful, giving people and businesses that continue to have a defined positive impact on the lives of others,” said Welsh. “While all are deserving of the honor in some way, the selection of Bob Moses, Bill Cramer, and the Hughes Foundation, brings us great joy. They truly demonstrate a commitment to the principles of intellectual integrity, freedom of expression, the fair and equal treatment of all, good citizenship, and environmental stewardship.” To read more about the President’s Distinguished Medal honorees, go to www.esu.edu/125. Alumni, friends and members of the community are invited to the celebration being held at Terraview at Stroudsmoor Country Inn in Stroudsburg, Pa. Hosted by President Welsh and the ESU Foundation, it begins at 6 p.m. and includes a cocktail reception, dinner, awards, a champagne toast and dessert reception. Honorary chairs for the celebration are Pat ’67 and Joan M’64 Ross, long-time community leaders and philanthropists. Pat Ross is also a chair of the ESU Council of Trustees. Proceeds from the event will benefit student scholarship. To date, sponsors for the celebration include Pennsylvania State Employee Credit Union, CryoConcepts, LP, Sanofi Pasteur, Fulton Bank, The Haverford Trust Company, Ann and Joseph Farda Foundation, ESSA Bank & Trust, Vigon International, Lehigh Valley Steelhawks, St. Luke’s University Health Network, Stroudsmoor Country Inn, KW Commercial, The Daniel Perich Group, Monroe County Bar Association, Paul and Judy Schuchman, Joe Bosack & Co., Martz Group, and William H. Clark Funeral Home.
TICKET INFORMATION Tickets are $150 per person and will be available for sale June 1. To be added to the ticket waiting list, contact Event Coordinator Emily Brennan at ebrennan8@esu.edu or by calling 570-422-3156. Event and table sponsorships are available. Contact Lianna DeSantis ’08, director of Corporation and Foundation Relations, at ldesantis1@esu.edu or by calling 570-422-3179. esualumni.org 11
But it’s not just the stars and victories Douds recalls. As the winningest coach in the history of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, he’s tried to build traditions and an ethic in which boys learn to be men and come to believe in themselves and each other. A celebration of his 50 years coaching at ESU in June 2016 attracted 360 alumni, colleagues and friends, including Penn State Head Football Coach James Franklin ’95. Players from all five decades talked about such rituals as being awakened every day of summer football camp with the 1968 recording of college fight songs. In 1982, Act 188 created the State System of Higher Education which established a Board of Governors and Chancellor to make policy for state colleges. The law allowed state institutions to seek donations from private citizens, which enabled the newly established Foundation to raise money for scholarships, equipment and other needs. The next year, East Stroudsburg State College became East Stroudsburg University. During the ‘80s, ESU President James E. Gilbert worked to increase diversity on campus and brought more women into administration. Despite the tapering off of baby boomers in college, enrollments rose.
Growing in the Modern Age Robert J. Dillman, Ph.D., who took the reins in 1996, oversaw a building boom, adding nearly 100 acres and the 124,000-square foot Warren E. ’55 and Sandra Hoeffner Science and Technology Center, as well as two new residence halls, Hawthorn and Hemlock Suites. Like all of America, the campus was stunned when planes crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and a field in Shanksville, Pa., on Sept. 11, 2001.
Photo by Susie Forrester
ESU’s 3-D Design Lab and the Biomechanics Lab have laid the groundwork for a bold future in technology and science.
“Everybody was riveted to the TVs,” Frank Pullo recalls. “We didn’t know if it was an allout attack or what.”
As ESU celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, it is in a sense honoring its roots, according to President Welsh.
Nearby Interstate 80 was closed and classes were canceled that day and the next. Later, ESU would learn that alumnus Martin Wortley ’95, who had been working at his job at Cantor Fitzgerald in the north tower, died in the attack. Wortley had been an ESU football player and today an endowed scholarship is given in his name. The ESU community came together to hold vigils.
“Interestingly, East Stroudsburg State Normal School began with the same entrepreneurial spirit we see today in our strategic plan and all around us in the students and faculty who continue to break new ground in research and in the creation of business opportunities,” Welsh says. “What’s essential for ESU – or any university – is to learn from what has been accomplished to look toward the future with hope and determination that we can give our students the right combination of academics and life experiences.”
Ashley (Puderbach) Swartz ’09 M’10, arrived at ESU four years after Sept. 11 and immersed herself in classes and numerous activities, including helping plan and run new student orientations, doing philanthropic work with her sorority, Alpha Sigma Tau, and being the student ambassador to East Stroudsburg Borough Council. She recalls how she would leave her room in the morning and not be back until late at night. “I thrived on being busy,” said Swartz, who earned the University Service Award when she graduated in 2009. “ESU always had opportunities to get involved.” She found several mentors, including Dr. Gina Scala, chair of special education and rehabilitation. “She’s very busy but will always have time for you,” Swartz said. The training she got from professors, as well as her involvement in the College of Education’s Professional Development School, left her well prepared for her job as a special education teacher in Washington, D.C. Swartz’s determination to synthesize those lessons and pay it forward to her students is part of a larger legacy.
on the rise Monroe
Abeloff
1927 Zimbar
1940
DeNike
1941
Today, business management is among the top majors on the 258-acre campus. ESU opened its Innovation Center in 2012 and it has given entrepreneurial students tools to turn their ideas into new products. In 2010, ESU graduate student Melissa Shaw M’11 and Dr. Jane Huffman M’07, distinguished professor of biology, developed a tick testing kit that allows quick and easy detection of Lyme disease. The invention became the first commercialized student/faculty product within the 14 state universities. Blaise Delfino ’14 M’17 invented adjustable earplugs and won the 2017 TecBRIDGE Business Plan Competition, earning $110,000 in cash and in-kind contributions. The Innovation Center houses the business accelerator that is now home to 17 early-stage companies owned by students, faculty and alumni. It also houses the Warrior Launchpad, a place that prepares students for a competitive workforce while creating business and educational partnerships.
At East Stroudsburg University, we are proud of our 125-year-old campus. None of the first buildings still stand, having been replaced by more modern construction. But buildings since the 1920s can still be seen, showing the growth of the campus over time.
Rosenkrans
1940
Photo by Phil Stein
Koehler Fieldhouse
1959 Gessner
1960
Moore
1967 Stroud
1968
Fine & Performing Arts
1972 Reibman
1972
University Center
1979 Kemp Library
1980
1993 Beers
1997
Al
Faculty initiated the annual Student Research and Creative Activity Symposium, which highlights student and faculty research and other ventures. “We have some tremendous scholars on this campus who do great work and the symposium is our opportunity to highlight them,” Welsh said. Faculty lead by example when it comes to research, having distinguished themselves with increased numbers of grants and publications. In 2016, the National Science Foundation awarded ESU $4 million to help transfer students complete their education in STEM fields. Written by three faculty members – Dr. Olivia Carducci, Dr. Bonnie Green and Dr. Michelle Jones-Wilson – it is the largest single grant ever awarded to the university. The 3D Printing Stratasys Super Lab in the art + design department has put ESU at the forefront of 3D printing which is revolutionizing manufacturing. East Stroudsburg University remains true to its roots in teaching. That mission is front and center in the university’s strategic plan Students First: Innovate ESU. The university has opportunities for accelerated graduation, online education and alternative-campus learning, all taught by 326 eminent faculty members – a far cry from the original 15! But facts and figures don’t tell the whole story of ESU’s 125 years and the power of the Warrior spirit. The journey has been one of experiences, struggles and triumphs, large and small, of thousands of people who for a time called ESU home. After getting his doctorate at Columbia University in Manhattan, Peter Hawkes, Ph.D., now dean of ESU’s College of Arts and Sciences, taught briefly at a couple of elite private colleges full of privileged youths. Then he came to teach English at ESU where many students are the first in their families to go to college – just like Hawkes was. “What you see are kids who weren’t born with great privilege,” Hawkes said. “But you find these kids who are eager to learn.” Faculty have the satisfaction of mentoring those students and watching them blossom and go out into the world ready to take on challenges, succeed and do good and great things. “What ESU has is this transformational power,” Hawkes says. “You can transform lives.” – By Margie Peterson
In conjunction with the launching of ESU’s 125th Anniversary on January 22, 2018, a CANniversary food drive was held. Students, faculty, staff and alumni donated food items to the Warrior Food Pantry. Helping with the effort were, from left, Lourdes O’Kane, office of student affairs; Dylan Matsago, a graduate student studying instructional technology from Tamaqua, Pa.; Sarah Goodrich, conference services; Kelly Weaber, residence life and housing; Madeline Constantine, Stony Acres; and Mackenzie Strunk, a 2018 political science graduate from East Stroudsburg, Pa. Photo by Susie Forrester
Innovation Center
Mattioli Rec Center
2003 Henry A. Ahnert,Jr. Alumni Center
2008
Keystone Center
2010 Science & Tech
2017
THE FUTURE Sycamore Suites
We want your memories! ESU is collecting stories and memories from alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the university. We’ve started to compile them in one place for all to read, but still want to hear from you! Submit at www.esualumni.org/memory. Include a photo, if you wish! Here’s a few to get you started on sharing yours: “My favorite memory is when Prof. John McGarry sat across from me and said, ‘Well, Phil, do you think that you are now able to study some?’ ESTC meant the world to me because it opened up a teaching job for me. I finished my teaching career in 1992.” – Philip Stewart ’57, Clay, N.Y. “Many of my best memories are connected to the time I spent at ESU. I still look forward to my yearly campus visit and rehashing old memories with Coach Joe Koch. His acceptance of me as a transfer from the University of Pittsburgh and allowing me to become a member of the Track and Cross Country teams changed my life. I formed lifelong friendships and learned many life lessons including the value of setting goals, hard work and second chances. To me, ESU means second chances and the opportunity to be your truest self.” – Rick Grab ’97, Allentown, Pa. “It was a beautiful sunny autumn day when I arrived at the front of the lovely campus of ESSTC. I was greeted by a sweet upper classman, who was assigned as a big-sister and to guide me through my first day. Everything was a little overwhelming at Stroud Hall, but the angst became more overwhelming to the extent of tears, when I was given a list of books and things I needed to buy at the bookstore. Imagine my horror as I arrived with little resources and not a penny in my pocket. Before I knew it I stood before the Dean of Women, crying and pleading to go home. Immediately, Dean Jones recognized and understood my fright and was determined to find a reasonable solution to a serious problem. Her special mentorship made it possible for me to be a successful freshman and to move forward in my education and to embrace all that ESSTC had to offer (me) with confidence.” – Sue Falvello ’60, Hazleton, Pa. “Freshman year is a time that I will never forget. I knew barely anyone going into college, and I left with lifelong friends. Most of these friends I met day one on the fifth floor of Lenape Hall. We all were thrown in with completely random roommates and somehow we all became friends and got along. The unity that my floor had is something I’m not sure I’ll ever experience again. We all left our doors open and everyone’s room felt like home.” – Sarah DiGregory ’16, Stroudsburg, Pa. View more at www.esu.edu/125. esualumni.org 13
esu foundation
Dr. Alan Benn, left, and Tamar Cato at the Tenth Annual Scholarship Dinner. Cato, a junior majoring in social work, is the recipient of the Shelby Starner Memorial Endowed Scholarship. Photo by Susie Forrester
Annual dinner celebrates the gift of scholarship Scholarship donors were inspired to hear how student scholarship recipients would make their mark on the world during the Tenth Annual Scholarship Dinner. Held April 19, 2018, at the Stroudsmoor Country Inn in Stroudsburg, Pa., the East Stroudsburg University Foundation’s signature event drew more than 300 guests and gave students the opportunity to thank their donors in person. Themed Through You, I Will, the celebration also gave students a chance to share their career dreams attainable through the gift of scholarship. Keynote speakers for the dinner were Misozi Houston and Vincent Gervasi, both of the Class of 2019, and Daniela Arango Zapata, class of 2018. The master of ceremonies for the evening was Destinee Ward, Class of 2019. 14 the alumni herald
This year, the ESU Foundation administered nearly 600 scholarships to deserving students, according to Rich Santoro, executive director of the ESU Foundation. “While providing scholarships is just one aspect of our mission, it remains a priority that we continue leading the way for donors to support scholarship and students to receive the financial assistance they need. So far, five new endowed scholarships and 24 new annual scholarships have been established through the generosity of those who believe in ESU and the education it provides,” said Santoro. As of April 2018, the generosity of donors has resulted in more than $772,982 provided to student scholarship recipients, a 4.13 percent increase over last year. Event sponsors for the dinner were PSECU and The Haverford Trust Company.
Through the East Stroudsburg University Foundation, your Annual or Endowed Scholarship gift is more than a private contribution; it’s personal to you, and especially meaningful to the talented young adults creating their path to success!
To learn more about creating an annual or endowed scholarship through the ESU Foundation, go to esufoundation.org or call (570) 422-3333.
East Stroudsburg University Foundation
2017-2018 Board of Directors Robert Willever ’75, Chairman President, Willever Wealth Management
raises more than $81K
for scholarship, Warrior Fund
Over the last several years, giving challenges and days of giving have become increasingly popular among nonprofits around the world. East Stroudsburg University joined this world-wide trend in 2016 with their participation in Giving Tuesday, an international day of giving following Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, designed to encourage people to give back. On Tuesday, November 28, 2017, ESU alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends once again came together to show their support for the university. Exceeding last year’s total and this year’s goal, the ESU Foundation closed the day with $81,510 in gifts. These gifts supported a combination of named scholarships and the Warrior Fund, as well as specific program and department funds. “Our Phonathon callers were excited to participate in this campaign. It gives them the opportunity to see the impact that can be made when people work together,” said Nancy Boyer, coordinator of annual giving. It was this combined effort that helped make Giving Tuesday 2017 a success, with at least 17 members of the ESU Alumni Board helping to push information out over social media and 12 Phonathon callers reaching out to our alumni.
According to the Giving Tuesday founding organization, 92Y − a cultural center in New York City, the purpose of Giving Tuesday is to “harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide.” “It is important that we continue to show our donors the impact their participation, at any level, can have on our students,” said ESU Foundation Executive Director Rich Santoro. Generous members of the ESU Foundation Board helped incentivize donors to give by doubling the first $5,000 in gifts made to the Warrior Fund. “We are very fortunate to have so much support for this campaign from our Foundation Board,” said Santoro. “It is inspiring to see so many members of our community come together on this one day for our students.”
Alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends who did not have the opportunity to participate in this campaign can still make a gift to support the students at ESU. Gifts are accepted year-round at www.esufoundation.org/givenow or call 570-422-3333.
Dr. Frank M. Pullo ’73 M’76 Vice Chairman Professor Emeritus, East Stroudsburg University Chris Yeager ’74 M’81, Secretary Retired Principal and School Superintendent Robert A. Shebelsky, Treasurer Chairman, Deputy Real Estate Holdings LLC. William B. Cramer, Esq. Attorney, Cramer, Swetz, McManus & Jordan, P.C. MaryEllen Dickey ’80 Senior Vice President of Advancement Diakon Senior Living Services Diakon Child, Family and Community Ministries Raymond Hamlin ’86, Esq. Attorney, Hunt, Hamlin & Ridley Harry F. Lee, Esq., Council of Trustees Liaison Attorney, Lee Law Offices
Douglas Leonzi ’94 Vice President Investment Counselor BB&T Investment Services, Inc. Anthony Pasqua ’00 Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer Kennedy Lewis Investment Management LLC Geoffrey Roche M’15 Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Lebanon Valley College Dr. Elizabeth Leigh Smith, Faculty Liaison Professor of English, East Stroudsburg University Adam S. Stauffer ’00 M’02 Assistant Vice President, Development Lafayette College David Super ’80, ESU Alumni Association Liaison Deputy Commander Defense Contract Management Agency Louis Wein, ESU Student Liaison Class of 2018
Members Emeriti William B. Cramer, Esq. Attorney, Cramer, Swetz, McManus & Jordan, P.C. Past chair, served 1987-2001 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 esualumni.org 15
esu foundation
A campaign to rename the Northeast Wildlife DNA Laboratory after the loved and respected ESU biology professor who created it is now underway through the East Stroudsburg University Foundation. ESU will rename the lab to the Jane Huffman, Ph.D., M’07 Wildlife DNA Center upon completion of a $150,000 fundraising campaign. To date, $124,000 has been raised. Remembered fondly by students and staff, Dr. Huffman was a member of the ESU family for 29 years. She began her career at ESU in 1986 and established the Northeast Wildlife DNA Lab at ESU in 2005, which resulted in the development of the Cutter™ Lyme Disease Tick Test, the first nationally-recognized brand-name product developed at ESU. Dr. Huffman was passionate about providing students with research opportunities and a hands-on learning experience.
Located in the Innovation Center, the Northeast Wildlife DNA Laboratory is an extension of the Biological Sciences Department, providing training for undergraduate and graduate students. In the lab, students learn the application of technologies, methodologies and practices related to infectious disease diagnostics and wildlife population genetic studies. In addition, the lab has served the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for forensic analysis in state wildlife crimes and provided educational materials for Monroe County residents and surrounding counties. “In July 2017, the ESU family felt a major loss with the passing of Dr. Huffman,” said Rich Santoro, executive director of the ESU Foundation. “Her passion for wildlife research, biology and teaching the next generation of scientists lives on in the efforts of the Northeast Wildlife DNA Laboratory at East Stroudsburg University. In her honor, we hope to rename the lab the Jane Huffman, Ph.D. M’07 Wildlife DNA Center.”
Through your support, the Northeast Wildlife DNA Laboratory will be renamed the Jane Huffman, Ph.D., M’07 Wildlife DNA Center. Make your gift online at www.esufoundation.org/givenow. For personal assistance, contact rsantoro@esufoundation.org or 570-422-3333.
in fundraising campaign In October 2016, representatives of the ESU Track and Field program and the ESU Foundation put together guidelines for a fundraising campaign to benefit athletic scholarships and other program needs. Spearheaded by alumni co-chairs Kurt Zwikl ’72 and Karen Gaita ’91, campaign outreach is now underway by a committee of 18 dedicated alumni and friends. The campaign kicked off in January with the goal of raising $100,000 for scholarships and program support. To date, the campaign has raised $44,225. “ESU has a rich and respected intercollegiate track and field tradition, but to stay competitive with our peer institutions it became imperative to raise funds for athletic scholarships, purchase new equipment and defray team traveling expenses to maintain its proud track and field tradition,” said Zwikl. The committee has been contacting fellow track mates and peers to make gifts of support through recurring monthly gifts, outright gifts and pledges, as well as, planned gifts. “Knowing ESU’s alumni and friends’ commitment to excellence the committee is optimistic that the campaign will meet and exceed its goal,” added Zwikl. Support the ESU Track & Field Program To make a gift of support or for more information, contact the ESU Foundation at 570-422-3333 or email Terry Callaghan at tcallaghan@esufoundation.org. 16 the alumni herald
Track and Field
Scholarship Campaign Committee Kurt Zwikl ’72 Bob Orazem ’80 Phil Headland ’85 Karen Gaita ’91 Vinnie Disciullio ’94 Jan Blake Hoffman ’98 Joe Samaritano ’98 Quanette Jester-Ford ’01 Emily Stolkowski ’02 Becky Fitz ’03 Bryan O’Neill ’04 Anthony Billet ’04 Dan Gale ’05 Tim Daniels ’06 Michael Rucker ’07 James Romano ’14 Tim DeSchriver Tom DeSchriver
Pursue my dream of becoming a professional teacher of early childhood, elementary and special education. Doreen N. Lwanga Class of 2018
Your support of student scholarships can change lives. Visit www.esufoundation.org or call 570-422-3333 to learn how you can help.
campus news
Keystone Center project receives borough approval Project moving forward with summer 2019 start date
Artist’s rendering of the Keystone Center scheduled to be complete in 2021.
A new Keystone Center is on the horizon for East Stroudsburg University. The $72 million facility will stand where the current Center for Hospitality Management (once the ESSC dining hall) is located. In mid-April, the university received approvals from the East Stroudsburg Borough Council for its plans to move forward with this project which has been envisioned by students, faculty, staff and administration since 2013.
The project will be funded with $36 million in state capital funding, provided by the Department of General Services. ESU is committed to providing an additional $6 million from its reserves and the balance, about $30 million, will be in debt service that is to be financed by the students via their student union fees, a fee that ESU students voted to approve in 2010. The fee will not be charged to students until the building is fully operational.
The new building was initially designed to be developed in two phases, the first being the university center and the second an information commons. Plans to vacate Phase II of the project to redirect funds to other buildings on campus that had critical needs came in 2017, but ESU forged ahead with the development of Phase 1, a 168,000 square foot center that will consist of four stories. The new Keystone Center will centralize many offices that are of importance to students including: a career services center; a multicultural center; an international center; a student veterans center; an eSports gaming room; student senate and club offices; W.E.S.S., the student radio station; The Stroud Courier, the student newspaper; a food court; and the Barnes & Noble bookstore. Other important offices that will be located in the center will be ESU’s Computing & Communications Center, the dean of students, and a grand ballroom.
Plans to raze the current Center for Hospitality Management building and begin construction are scheduled for summer 2019, after existing fire alarm systems for campus are re-routed from the Center for Hospitality Management to another campus location. The Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management program moved from the lower portion of the Center for Hospitality Management in 2014 and the large event space above (known as the Keystone Room) has been removed from service to prepare for the next stage of the project. The opening of the new Keystone Center is anticipated for fall 2021. The area where the current University Center is located (and where Phase II of the project was to be situated) is now expected to become a campus greenspace.
18 the alumni herald
Jahliem Brown, a freshman biology major from Philadelphia, Pa., is taking advantage of ESU’s new Warrior Promise.
ESU’s Warrior Promise will make college more affordable Starting this fall, East Stroudsburg University will become the first public university in Pennsylvania to guarantee the same fixed-rate tuition for all four years for degree-seeking undergraduate students.
The fixed rate tuition guarantee will not apply to room and board costs in part because students choose whether to live on or off campus, whether to have roommates, and different meal options.
For incoming freshmen that means the tuition they pay for 2018-2019 will be the same rate as the year they graduate in 2021-2022. Students transferring to ESU will automatically be enrolled in the fixed-rate tuition program, allowing them up to four years at ESU at the same tuition level. Current students on campus will be able to sign up to have their tuition rate remain flat for the rest of their four years.
Bousquet has been explaining the plan to groups of students, faculty and staff on campus. Current students will be contacted on how to sign up for the Warrior Promise once the program is finalized.
Called the Warrior Promise, the program is designed to help students and their families plan for college costs by removing the uncertainty of tuition hikes, said David Bousquet, vice president of enrollment management.
“The Warrior Promise was explained, and attendees were asked if they would be interested, and if they find the program attractive,” Bousquet said. “And without exception their hands shot up. They loved the fact it was predictable, no surprises, it’s transparent. And they feel like they are in control in a way they never expected to be.”
“A tuition guarantee provides parents with an assurance that the cost will not increase,” Bousquet said. “It helps them budget and plan for college expenses by providing a guaranteed and predictable cost of attendance.” The Warrior Promise aims to encourage students to stay in college and graduate in four years. “Parents will be able to motivate their students to be focused, to take a full-time course load and finish on time,” Bousquet said. Students who attend for more than four years could see modest increases in tuition in their fifth year and beyond. Currently ESU tuition is $3,746 per semester for in-state undergraduates taking 12-18 credits and $9,365 per semester for out-of-state undergraduate students earning 12-18 credits. The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Board of Governors is expected to set the tuition rate for the coming year in July. Students need 120 credits to graduate in four years, which averages out to 15 credits per semester.
So far, the reception to the Warrior Promise has been overwhelmingly positive. In early February, about 150 prospective students and parents visited ESU for a “Campus Day Admissions Program.”
That’s also true for Jahliem Brown, a freshman biology major from Philadelphia, who was the first current ESU student to notify the student enrollment center he wants to sign up for Warrior Promise once it’s available. His father had read about the guaranteed fixed-rate tuition program online and told him to be sure to take advantage of it. Brown says the Warrior Promise should give him an incentive to graduate on time. “This is a really, really positive program,” he said. Currently, Brown is thinking he might want to go to graduate school to study physical therapy so knowing what his undergraduate costs will be up front should make planning easier. “ESU gives you opportunities,” he said. “If you don’t grab them, you’re missing out.” – By Liz Richardson
esualumni.org 19
campus news
ESU welcomes
new
Director of Athletics Dr. Gary R. Gray brings decades of DII experience
ESU heralds its new Bloomberg Finance Lab East Stroudsburg University celebrated the opening of its Bloomberg Finance Lab on April 24, 2018, in Beers Lecture Hall followed by guided tours of the Lab located in Gessner Hall. The Bloomberg Finance Lab features the Bloomberg Terminal used by leading business and financial professionals worldwide. The Bloomberg Terminal provides trusted realtime and historical data, market moving news and analytics, as well as execution platforms for every asset class, research and a global network to communicate securely and reliably. The university’s subscriptions to the Bloomberg Terminal will serve as a resource for students and faculty members. It will enable students to become familiar with tools used in financial services, thereby reinforcing classroom theory, while faculty members can use it to further their own research. “Probably the greatest benefit to students is the fact that they can obtain certification through Bloomberg Market Concepts, an eight-hour self-directed course that will give them an edge over other job applicants,” said Sheila A. Handy, Ph.D., former professor
and chair of business management. “This course explores topics such as economics, fixed income, equities, and currencies and offers a wealth of knowledge that any student, regardless of their major, will find beneficial in his or her professional life.” ESU Director of Career and Workforce Development Sharone Jones believes this technology will help students become more desirable job applicants when they graduate. “Students having skills associated with the use of Bloomberg Technology and Bloomberg Market Concept Certificates will have a stronger competitive edge entering the workplace,” she said. The Lab was developed through a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to purchase the Bloomberg Terminals. The ESU Center for Research and Economic Development provided matching funds for furniture and technology associated with the Bloomberg Finance Lab. A total of 12 Bloomberg Terminals are available; 10 will be located in Gessner Hall, Room 117 and two terminals will be available at the Innovation Center to serve business accelerator companies and workforce industry partners.
For additional information about the Bloomberg Lab at ESU, contact Sharone Jones at 570-422-7952 or email sjones@esu.edu. 20 the alumni herald
Dr. Gary R. Gray was introduced as ESU’s Director of Athletics in February, bringing 22 years of experience as a senior athletics administrator, and more than four decades in athletics and education - as an administrator, coach, tenured faculty member and primary and secondary educator. Gray, formerly director of athletics at the University of Alaska Fairbanks since September 2012, was previously at Montana State University Billings for nearly two decades. Both are fellow institutions of ESU at the NCAA Division II level. “We are very excited to welcome Dr. Gray to ESU,” said ESU President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D. “His extensive and impressive experience in Division II athletics made him an excellent candidate to lead our department of 20 varsity sports, nearly 50 staff members and close to 500 student-athletes.” “I am really enthusiastic about this new opportunity to work with the staff and studentathletes at ESU,” said Gray. “This will be a great professional experience, and I look forward to joining and advancing a large Division II program that has a history of success. I have looked at my career as a series of adventures, and am very excited about this new adventure in a great part of the country with a tradition of strong athletics.” He recently completed a term as the chair of the NCAA Division II Management Council, and served on the council for a four-year term from January 2014 through this winter.
s
Gray spent time on multiple committees with responsibilities including championships, academic requirements, administrative, membership, identity, annual convention planning and planning and finance. He was also one of 19 members of the NCAA Board of Governors, which oversees governance of all three divisions. Dr. Gray holds his Ed.D. from the University of Oregon in 1983, his M.S. degree from the University of Kentucky in 1975 and his B.P.E. degree from the University of New Brunswick (Canada) in 1974. His undergraduate degree is in Health, Physical Education and Recreation, and his advanced degrees were conferred in Physical Education. In his most recent appointment at Alaska Fairbanks, Gray guided a 10-sport NCAA athletics program, competing primarily in the DII Great Northwest Athletic Conference, along with DI men’s ice hockey in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Gray spent 22 years at Montana State University Billings, including 17 years spanning two stints as director of intercollegiate athletics - November 1994 through February 1998, and September 1999 through September 2012. He began his time at MSUB as head men’s volleyball coach for one season and professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance. He served as department chair for four years, and was associate dean of the College of Education and Human Services for one year. He helped grow the MSUB Department of Athletics from eight sports, the DII minimum at the time, to 17 sports, expanding the number of rostered student-athletes from 77 to 330.
Graduate degree program in Communication now offered The Board of Governors of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education approved a master’s degree in communication for East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania on January 25. This new 30-33 credit graduate degree will officially be implemented in summer/fall of 2018 and is geared toward those interested in a professional or academic career in the field. ESU’s new program is among six that were approved by the Board of Governors, representing the State System universities’ latest efforts to address the changing needs of students and employers in Pennsylvania and beyond. “It truly takes a village, an academic village, to bring a new proposal like this to life,” said Joanne Z. Bruno, J.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs. “One of the great things about this new master’s program is that it will be offered in a hybrid format, which is a combination of face-to-face courses and online offerings. We believe this new program will be attractive to the working professional, particularly those in the local and regional workforce as they address the ever-changing, ever-growing advancements within the communication field. I am extremely proud of the team of faculty, staff and administrators who worked tirelessly to bring this degree to life.”
According to Robert McKenzie Ph.D., professor and chair of communication at ESU, the new Master of Arts degree in communication is designed to be completed within 15 months and will target currently enrolled undergraduates as well as professionals working within driving distance who are seeking a master’s degree for professional development and/ or improved employment prospects. Housed in the College of Arts and Sciences, courses in this new master’s degree will be taught by ESU faculty with supporting temporary faculty with specific industry specializations for certain courses. “According to published information by EAB (formerly the Education Advisory Board) in 2017, there are more than 2,750 regional job openings that require a master’s degree in communication,” said William Bajor, Ph.D., director of graduate and extended studies at ESU. “That statistic was among the many we uncovered as we researched the validity and interest in this degree program. It is a great fit and we are eager to get the first classes underway.”
The new M.A. in communication will offer both face-to-face and online classes. Photo by Susie Forrester
He was also president of the Pacific West Conference from 1996-98, overseeing conference growth from seven to 16 members. Gray was a faculty member at Iowa State in the Department of Health and Human Performance from 1987 through 1994, directing undergraduate and graduate programs in Sport Management and attaining tenure and the rank of associate professor. – By Greg Knowlden M’04 esualumni.org 21
campus news
MLK Celebration Breakfast
unites community
The 21st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Breakfast welcomed nearly 400 guests from the Pocono Region on January 15, 2018. Held at the Mattioli Recreation Center, the university’s signature event featured keynote speaker Rev. Jeffrey Brown ’82, ESU’s first African-American student body president and founder of Rebuilding Every City Around Peace (RECAP). To see photos from the event, go to www.flickr.com/photos/east_stroudsburg_university/ Rev. Jeffrey Brown ’82 Photo by Susie Forrester
The President’s Distinguished Entrepreneur Speaker Series brings entrepreneurs to ESU’s campus to talk about the various challenges they’ve faced in their careers as well as life experiences and educational opportunities that have guided them on their journey. Photo by Susie Forrester
Entrepreneur series brings
Vigon International to campus Steve Somers, owner/president of Vigon International, shared his experiences and advice with students during ESU’s President’s Distinguished Entrepreneur Speaker Series on March 27, 2018, in Beers Lecture Hall. Located in East Stroudsburg, Vigon emerged as one of the flavor and fragrance industry’s fastest growing companies – expanding from a nineperson, $5-million company in 1998, to the 87-person, $100-million entity that it is today. The company has repeatedly been named One of the Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania and has been named one of the Nation’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For by the National Association for Business Resources. In 2016, Somers was selected as the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Greater Philadelphia area. 22 the alumni herald
Javier Gooden presents the monologue “Forward” at the MLK Celebration Breakfast. Photo by Susie Forrester
ESU gives back on annual Day of Service
ESU kicked off Black History Month on February 6, 2018, with the fifth annual MLK Day of Service. This year’s theme, “The Beloved Community,” carried over from the 21st Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Breakfast held in January. ESU students, student organizations, and academic departments provided a health and wellness fair for the community with an array of information and services focused on physical health, wellness, mental health and self-care.
ESU named among top transfer programs For the third year, ESU has been recognized by Phi Theta Kappa as a member of the 2018 Transfer Honor Roll, which identifies the top four-year colleges and universities in the country for creating dynamic pathways to support transfer students. Other institutions joining ESU in this honor include: Ohio State University, Iowa State University, the University of Arizona and University of Kansas. Phi Theta Kappa is the oldest, largest and most prestigious honor society recognizing students pursuing two-year degrees, comprised of more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in nine nations. Open to all regionally accredited baccalaureate degree-granting institutions, Phi Theta Kappa’s Transfer Honor Roll recognizes excellence and success in community college transfer pathway development.
PPL grant assists projects for students and entrepreneurs Tick repellent, virtual reality, drones, advanced information systems and men’s athletic skin products.
ESU nursing students provide blood pressure checks during the MLK Day of Service. Photo by Susie Forrester
Troiani-Sweeney lecture focuses on concussion care The Troiani Sweeney Lecture Series at ESU on March 22, 2018, featured Jane McDevitt ’01, Ph.D. Titled “The Evidence Based Approach to Concussion Care,” the lecture also included a demonstration of the new Riddell InSite football helmets worn by the ESU Warriors.
These innovative projects at East Stroudsburg University are all part of the PPL Entrepreneurship Across the Colleges program. A recent grant from The PPL Foundation supported two creative faculty initiatives and five grants for student internships/externships in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM). With the goal of developing an entrepreneurial workforce for the 21st century, the program fosters entrepreneurial approaches across academic disciplines. Five PPL Scholar grants created internships for students in a variety of businesses, some of which were initially headquartered in ESU’s Innovation Center. Read more about the opportunities from the PPL grant at www.esu.edu.
Faculty members Loomis and Warburton publish books Joshua Loomis, Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology and Christopher E.S. Warburton, Ph.D., an adjunct assistant professor of political science and economics, have each been published recently.
Now in its fourth 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.
Students take part in State System Advocacy Campaign
Dr. Joshua Loomis
Students from ESU were among hundreds of students, faculty, alumni and other supporters from the 14 universities within Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education that visited the Capitol February 22, 2018, to launch the State System’s annual advocacy campaign. The system is seeking increased investment as the universities continue to prepare students to be Pennsylvania’s next generation of leaders in business, education, health, the arts and beyond. Follow the campaign in social media at #Prepared4PA.
Dr. Loomis published a book titled Epidemics: The Impact of Germs and Their Power over Humanity. Published by Praeger Publishing, the text takes a holistic approach to explaining how these diseases have shaped who we are as a society. Dr. Warburton wrote The Development of International Monetary Policy. Published by Routledge, the monograph traces the development of international monetary policy from mercantilism to quantitative easing.
Dr. Christopher Warburton
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alumni news
Mentoring program
aims to ‘fill gaps’ between students, alumni It started with a simple idea during a brainstorming session: current ESU students have questions; ESU alumni can guide them on the path to answers. The result? The new Warrior Alumni Mentor Program, an initiative of the alumni board’s Outreach Committee, chaired by Dawn Ketterman-Benner ’70. Known as WAM, the Warrior Alumni Mentor Program aims to connect current students with alumni mentors who can advise them on their career, industry or major; graduate school application process; education financing; interviewing and resume writing; and time management and study skills. Mentors can address any “real world” issues students may have about classes, majors or personal matters, according to alumni board member Demetrius Lindsey ’12.
Twenty-seven students enrolled in the leadership class taught by Webster Weichu “Webb” Xu, assistant professor of business management, participated in WAM’s pilot program during spring semester 2018. The students reviewed the professional backgrounds of alumni board members and several recent graduates in Warrior Careers, an online career portal for students, alumni and employers, and, as desired, selected a mentor. Two students chose Lindsey as their mentor. “I’m a big believer in mentoring and in the idea that mentoring helps to fill gaps,” said Lindsey, who credits the advice of informal mentors for helping him as he grew up in Reading and pursued his education at ESU. “It’s about building up a tribe of mentors.”
Benefits students and alumni Sharone Jones, ESU’s director of career and workforce development, sees the program as a means of matching students and alumni for networking and support. She believes a mentoring relationship can benefit both students and alumni. “I’m always interested in relationships in the workforce that lead to opportunities in industry, contacts at specific companies, job shadowing and internships,” Jones said. “The outcome I expect to see from this program is personal and professional growth on both sides and a continuing relationship.” In addition to professional insight and guidance, potential benefits for students participating in the program are enhanced confidence, personal encouragement and support, and exposure to diverse perspectives and experiences. For alumni mentors,
the relationship may be a way to leave a legacy while enhancing their own coaching, leadership, management and recruiting skills. Ketterman-Benner said the alumni board members are committed to WAM’s success for one very basic reason. “We want to help as many students as possible. That’s what it’s all about: a great student experience at ESU.” Lindsey, who serves as a mentor for middle and high school students in his hometown and for brothers in his ESU fraternity, Sigma Pi, said, “Everyone should have a mentor. This program will bridge the gap between students and alumni. Students should be proud of where they came from and, once they have their tribe, they should pay it forward as mentors to others.”
WAM’s second phase is planned for fall 2018, again with students in Xu’s leadership class. For more information or to volunteer as a potential mentor, alumni may contact Leon John, director of alumni engagement, at ljohn2@esu.edu or (570) 422-3194. 24 the alumni herald
– By Bonnie Martin
Come back to celebrate! The Class of 1968 is planning its 50th Reunion. Make your plans to return to campus for all the festivities! Photo from The Stroud yearbook, 1968.
Come Home for ESU’s 125th Anniversary Year Homecoming Weekend 2018
Class of 1968
making plans to return for Homecoming 2018 The class of 1968 will celebrate its 50th Reunion in style at Homecoming 2018. Members will be honored at the Annual Alumni Awards and Reunion Banquet on Friday, October 5, 2018, at Stroudsmoor, in Stroudsburg, Pa. The class will also participate in other events on campus during Homecoming Weekend, October 5-7, 2018, including a 50th reunion tailgate party, brunch at the president’s house, and a campus tour. The 50th Reunion Committee, led by MaryEllen McNish ’68, is already hard at work planning activities for the weekend. She and other members of the committee - Katherine Bitow ’68, Kathy McCarthy Treftz ’68, and Carol Weisbraut Brunnebend ’68 are reaching out to all members of the Class of 1968. They hope to have the biggest 50th reunion celebration on campus yet. “We know that many of our classmates have not been to campus since they graduated five decades ago. This reunion gives our class the opportunity to celebrate with each other and see each other for the first time in 50 years,” said McNish. This year, East Stroudsburg University is celebrating its 125th Anniversary, and the Homecoming theme reflects the important milestone. McNish and the committee are using this as their motivation to encourage attendance. “This is an important reunion for our class and for the university. It truly will be a once in a lifetime experience,” added McNish. While the class of 1968 will be honored at Homecoming, all alumni are welcome to come back to campus and participate in the celebration. Events are scheduled for every age, including the Annual Alumni Awards dinner, a Young Alumni Post-Bonfire Happy Hour, campus tours throughout the weekend, a brunch at the Schisler Museum of Wildlife and Natural History, a show at the McMunn Planetarium, a football game versus the Kutztown Golden Bears and of course, the popular All-Alumni Tailgate. Alumni should check their email for Homecoming information in the coming months, or visit www.esu.edu/homecoming frequently as events and details are added. Questions? Contact the ESU Office of Alumni Engagement at (570) 422-3270 or email esualumni@esu.edu.
October 5-7 Return to ESU for a weekend of friendship, memories and WARRIOR PRIDE Remembrance Day Alumni Awards and Reunion Banquet celebrating the Class of 1968 Reunions for the Class of 1958, 1968, and classes ending with “3” and “8” Annual All-Alumni Tailgate ESU Warriors vs Kutztown Golden Bears football game Brunch and Planetarium Show Campus Tours and MORE!
Check esualumni.org/homecoming frequently as information and events are added.
alumni news
warriors Lehigh Valley celebrates holidays in Historic Bethlehem The Lehigh Valley Chapter enjoyed the annual Holidays in Bethlehem event on December 7, 2017. The event was kicked off by ESU’s own Musical Theatre Organization participating in the Downtown Bethlehem Association’s Annual Live Advent Calendar at the 1810 Goundie House, prior to the gathering at the ESU Lehigh Valley Center. Following their performance, the students stopped by the ESU Lehigh Valley Center and serenaded the more than 35 alumni and friends in attendance.
Bethlehem Mayor Robert Donchez with Anne Wenninger ’77.
ESU Basketball Alumni Gather for Annual Alumni Games On January 27, 2018, more than 30 former ESU men’s and women’s basketball players met at Koehler Fieldhouse for pick-up alumni basketball games and to cheer on the present ESU men’s and women’s teams as they played Cheyney University. The former basketball players had the opportunity to interact with ESU President Maria G. Welsh, Ph.D., and Athletic Director Dr. Gary Gray.
ESU Wrestling Alumni attend Annual Alumni Wrestling event
Alumni, friends, and family members gather at the ESU Alumni Basketball event.
More than 40 past and present East Stroudsburg University wrestlers gathered at Koehler Fieldhouse for a reunion after the match against Kutztown University on February 2, 2018. Dr. Gary Gray, athletic director, spoke about his goals for the wrestling program and athletic department and his focus on fundraising and scholarship. Parents of current wrestlers were also in attendance.
ESU hits the road in the Sunshine State
Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., president of ESU (center), with alumni and friends at the 2nd annual Palm Coast Event at the Cypress Knoll Golf Club.
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On February 20, 2018, 20 alumni and friends gathered at the Cypress Knoll Golf Club for the 2nd Annual Palm Coast event. The gathering was hosted by David ’76 and Moira Porteus ’77 Hair. Also in attendance was ESU President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., who informed guests about the celebrations for the university’s 125th Anniversary. She also provided university updates about academic programs, new building projects on campus, and the recent changes in the Athletics Department.
connecting A small group of alumni and friends gathered at the Nancy Lopez Country Club in The Villages on February 21, 2018, for an annual event hosted by Pinky O’Neill ’57. A happy hour was followed by dinner with members of the ESU Foundation and President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D. As part of the evening, Richard Mayoras spoke to the group about his mentor and former coach Paul Shebby ’36 who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987. More than 35 alumni and friends gathered on February 22, 2018, for a day of golf, friendship and lunch in Englewood, Fla. The annual event was hosted by Dick ’57 and Joan Stanley ’67 Merring. The golf outing was held at Boca Royale Country Club. Following golf, a luncheon was held at Mayakka Pines Golf Club. During the event, the Merrings spoke of their continued efforts for the annual Suncoast Chapter scholarship. ESU President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., updated attendees about the Warrior Promise tuition program, the opening of Sycamore Suites and other campus news.
Bucks/Montgomery alumni gather for Happy Hour On March 22, 2018, 40 alumni and friends of ESU gathered for a Welcome Spring Happy Hour at Brittinghams Pub in Lafayette Hill, Pa. This was the first event held by the ESU Bucks/Montgomery County Chapter. The event was organized by Alumni Association Board member and chapter leader Christine Rohr Thomson ’73. Alumni in attendance were able to reconnect and form new friendships. Rohr Thompson hopes to engage new members to establish a formal chapter that would plan and organize alumni events in Bucks and Montgomery counties.
23rd Annual Cherry Blossom Brunch held in Arlington, Va.
Pinky O’Neil-Seiler ‘57, Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., president of ESU, and Deborah Adcock Brady ’90 at the Nancy Lopez Country Club.
Alumni and friends at the Mayakka Pines Golf Club for the Annual Englewood Golf Outing and Luncheon.
ESU alumni and friends gather at the Welcome Spring Happy Hour event hosted by the Bucks/Montgomery County Alumni Chapter.
The Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va., was the location for the 23rd Annual Cherry Blossom Brunch hosted by Tom ’57 and Jean Miller ’58 Leshko. Thirty-two alumni and friends gathered for the event and had an opportunity to listen to Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D., president of ESU, provide campus updates. Following brunch, Jeff Carr ’90, the featured speaker, delivered a presentation on Health Care Trends: What’s next for employers, healthcare providers and consumers? Following the event, Tom conducted a tour of the ArmyNavy Country Club for interested attendees. Guests on the front patio of the Army-Navy Country Club overlooking the U.S. Capitol.
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Upcoming
warrior spirit
Events Thursday, June 14, 2018 ESU PHILADELPHIA AREA ALUMNI HAPPY HOUR Fogo de Chao King of Prussia 155 Main Street, Building L King of Prussia, Pa. 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 28, 2018 ESU WILKES BARRE/ SCRANTON ALUMNI SUMMER HAPPY HOUR Backyard Ale House 523 Linden Street, Scranton, Pa. 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Friday, August 10, 2018 ESU ALUMNI BOARD OF DIRECTORS ANNUAL NEPA GOLF OUTING AND “FUN RAISER” Shadowbrook Inn and Resort, Tunkhannock, Pa. 12 Noon Shotgun Start
Friday, August 17, 2018 ESU ALUMNI DAY AT PNC FIELD Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders vs. Norfolk Tides PNC Field 235 Montage Mountain Road Moosic, Pa. Party deck opens at 5:30 p.m. Game time 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, September 22, 2018 ANNUAL LEGACY FAMILY BRUNCH AND PINNING CEREMONY WITH PRESIDENT MARCIA G. WELSH, PH.D. Warren E. ‘55 and Sandra Hoeffner Science and Technology Center East Stroudsburg University East Stroudsburg, Pa. 10 a.m.
Friday, October 5 – Sunday, October 7, 2018 ESU HOMECOMING 2018 Celebrating reunion years ending in “8” and “3” and all alumni East Stroudsburg University East Stroudsburg, Pa. Full schedule coming soon!
Thursday, December 6, 2018 ESU HOLIDAYS IN BETHLEHEM Alumni Holiday Reception Lehigh Valley Center 60 West Broad Street, Bethlehem, Pa. 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
ESU football assistant coach Jimmy Terwilliger ’07 was promoted to associate head coach in February and will continue to serve under head coach Denny Douds - the all-time winningest coach in PSAC history and the winningest active coach in NCAA football with 263 career victories entering the 2018 season. A record-setting quarterback for the Warriors and the 2005 Harlon Hill Award winner as the most outstanding player in NCAA Division II football, Terwilliger graduated with 18 DII records and two NCAA alldivision records as part of his All-America career at ESU from 2003-06. He was a four-time Harlon Hill candidate, three-time finalist, threetime All-America selection and three-time PSAC East Offensive Player of the Year. Terwilliger, a 2007 ESU graduate, enters his fourth season on Douds’ coaching staff after mentoring the Warriors’ defensive backs the last three years.
Check www.esualumni.org and www.esu.edu frequently as events are added throughout the year.
Douds completed his 44th season as ESU’s head coach and his 52nd season with the Warriors overall in 2017. He ranks seventh in games coached (462) and 16th in wins (263) in NCAA football history, set the PSAC record for career wins in 2008 and the DII record for games coached in 2011.
For more information, or to host an alumni event, contact the ESU Office of Alumni Engagement at ljohn2@esu.edu or (570) 422-3194.
Douds will take on an expanded role at ESU as it relates to assisting the ESU Foundation with fundraising initiatives for facilities, scholarships and needed improvements across the department of athletics.
“Since I was very young, ESU has been the pinnacle to me,” said Terwilliger, the son of ESU offensive coordinator Mike Terwilliger ’78, a four-year starting quarterback (1974-77) who led the Warriors to two PSAC championships under Douds and has been an assistant coach for the last 40 years. “It is a dream come true to serve in this capacity, and I look forward to the future of Warriors football. We have an unbelievable foundation of tradition, alumni support and student-athletes, and I will continue to attack each day with passion while working hand-in-hand with Coach Douds and our staff as we strive to provide our team with the best college football experience in the country.” “Jimmy’s enthusiasm and ability to lead people will continue to be a tremendous asset for our football program,” Douds said. “He has worked hard to put himself in this position, developing his skills in all aspects of football coaching, and is ready for this increased leadership role with our program.” “We are excited for this opportunity for Warriors football,” said ESU President Marcia G. Welsh, Ph.D. “These administrative changes will enable us to fully utilize Jimmy’s talents and experience as both a player and coach while allowing Coach Douds to mentor him while continuing his leadership role with the team. This will also allow Denny to help us with fundraising; no one is more passionate about the need for scholarship dollars and updated facilities to continue to improve Warriors athletics than Coach Douds.” Terwilliger and Douds will share responsibilities in key areas of the program, including coaching tactics and strategies,
budget management and staff oversight of the organization, development and leadership of the football program. Terwilliger was inducted to the ESU Athletic Hall of Fame in fall 2017, acknowledging a distinguished career which included two NCAA DII Playoff appearances (2004 and 2005) and the Northeast Region title in 2005, leading the Warriors to the national semifinals. He also led ESU to the PSAC East regular season title as a redshirt freshman in 2003. He tied the NCAA all-division record for touchdown passes (148) and set DII career records for total offense (16,064 yards), passing yards (14,350), pass efficiency (170.7), touchdowns responsible for (161) and points responsible for (966). In his recordsetting 2005 season, he threw for 4,571 yards and 50 TD, and ran for 389 yards and four TD, for 4,960 yards of total offense, leading the Warriors to an 11-3 record. He was the first quarterback in DII history with 3,000 yards of total offense in each of his four seasons. He was a three-time All-America selection and was twice named to the AP Little All-America second team in 2005 and 2006. He was three-time first team Daktronics All-Region (2004-06), three-time PSAC East Offensive Player of the Year (2003-04, 2006) and is the only QB in PSAC East history to be named first team in each of his four seasons. Douds has led the Warriors to nine PSAC East division titles and four NCAA DII Playoff appearances (1991, 2004, 2005, 2009) in his first 44 seasons as head coach. He has coached 31 All-America selections and 20 AP Little All-America selections, and has had athletes combine for 196 first-team All-PSAC East selections. The Warriors have had 14 Harlon Hill candidates since 1989, including six finalists, with Terwilliger winning in 2005. – By Greg Knowlden M’04
SUPPORT WARRIOR ATHLETICS
Soccer June 22, 2018 Mount Airy Casino Resort Mount Pocono, Pa.
Baseball July 16, 2018 Great Bear Golf Club East Stroudsburg, Pa.
Men’s Basketball The Jeff Dailey Memorial Golf Tournament
August 10, 2018 The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort Shawnee On Delaware, Pa.
Softball August 25, 2018 Bethlehem Golf Club Bethlehem, Pa.
Football September 21, 2018 Wolf Hollow at Water Gap Country Club Delaware Water Gap, Pa. Get in on the fun! Visit esu.edu/warriorgolfoutings for more information and to register.
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warrior spirit
The ELITE EIGHT
Redshirt junior guard Jakwan Jones drives to the basket during ESU’s first-ever NCAA Division II Elite 8 appearance on March 20, 2018, at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Warriors fell to Northern State (S.D.), 79-71, to complete a historic 27-6 season which included the first Atlantic Region title in program history.
Warriors take the show to South Dakota for National Quarterfinals The Warriors celebrate their first-ever NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional championship on March 13, 2018 at Virginia State. ESU punched their ticket to the Elite 8 in Sioux Falls, S.D. with an 84-72 win over PSAC East rival Shippensburg.
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East Stroudsburg University’s third PSAC men’s basketball championship in the last seven seasons was just the prelude to a historic March that took the Warriors to southern Virginia, and then Sioux Falls, S.D., in the deepest postseason run in program history.
ESU, under 16th-year head coach Jeff Wilson ’86 M’92, won its first-ever NCAA Division II Atlantic Region championship with an 84-72 win over PSAC East rival Shippensburg on March 13 at Virginia State University - the 13th straight win in a record-setting season. The Warriors, who finished with a 27-6 record, were 14-5 after an 89-64 loss at Shippensburg on the final day of January. They wouldn’t lose again until a 79-71 setback to Northern State (S.D.), playing just three hours from its campus at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., in the national quarterfinals on March 20. In between, ESU upended eight schools that finished with at least 18 wins and ran through the PSAC Tournament with home wins over Kutztown (85-71), Edinboro (98-75) and Gannon (89-67) to add another conference title to recent trophies won in 2012 and 2014.
Head coach Xeni Barakos-Yoder ‘11 and graduate assistant Charlotte Cunningham, center, with captains junior Emma Rufolo, senior Alicia Stratten and senior Chessie Rahmer pose with ESU’s national semifinalist trophy on May 18 in Tampa, Fla.
ESU claimed an impressive six All-Region selections, including five on the first team, after earning six All-PSAC honors – three on the first team, one on the second team and two on the third.
In the Atlantic Regional, the Warriors knocked off Gannon again, 78-69, then took out West Chester 90-76 before their championship game against Shippensburg. They finished the game on a 17-5 run over the final 4:23, pulling away from a 67-67 tie. Fifth-year senior forward Steve Harris was named MVP of both the PSAC Tournament and Atlantic Regional, averaging 15.0 points and 8.2 rebounds on 64 percent shooting in the six postseason victories. He scored a career-high 28 points, shooting 13-for-19, in the final game of his career vs. Northern State. The Elite Eight trip was led by a pair of AllPSAC East selections in Harris, named to the first team, and redshirt junior point guard Jakwan Jones, on the second team. Harris was also named to the NABC All-Region second team, and Jones joined the Warriors’ big man on the All-Atlantic Regional team. Harris (15.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and Jones (9.6 ppg, 5.7 assists per game) sparked a team that was the DII statistical champion in steals with 11.5 per game. The Warriors were also second in turnover margin (+6.7) and turnovers forced (21.2), third in assists (19.8) and fourth in scoring (92.0 ppg). Wilson, who finished the season with a 298163 career record, entered the PSAC’s top 10 in career wins. The Warriors have won three PSAC titles (2012, 2014, 2018), five PSAC East regular season titles (2010, 2013-15, 2018) and made five NCAA Tournament appearances (2010, 2012-14, 2018) in the last nine years.
ESU’s third straight record-setting women’s lacrosse season culminated in the Warriors’ first-ever NCAA Division II Atlantic Region championship and Final Four appearance, ending with a 20-14 setback to national power Florida Southern in the DII semifinals in Tampa, Florida. Third-year head coach Xeni Barakos-Yoder ’11 has guided ESU to records of 12-5 in 2016, setting a program record for wins, then 17-3 in 2017 with the first PSAC regular season and tournament championships and first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. The 2018 Warriors continued their remarkable progress, with the squad’s first two NCAA Tournament victories – both in come-frombehind fashion. ESU knocked off Mercyhurst, 12-11, rallying from a five-goal deficit, in the first round, avenging a PSAC semifinal loss to the Lakers – then upended unbeaten West Chester, which entered 19-0, with a 16-14 victory in the regional final after trailing by four goals in the first half. The Warriors’ final 15-4 record gives them a 44-12 mark in three seasons under Barakos-Yoder, an All-PSAC defender as a senior on ESU’s 2011 team that reached the PSAC semifinals.
Senior midfielder Chessie Rahmer, IWLCA AllAmerica third team as a junior, repeated on the All-Region first team with 50 goals and six assists. She finished her career with 147 goals, fourth in school history, as an exceptional two-way midfielder. All three ESU midfielders were first team AllRegion with Rahmer joined by junior Emma Rufolo (35 goals, 11 assists), the 2017 PSAC Athlete of the Year, and sophomore Hana Cicerelle (46 goals, 23 assists), who had a breakout campaign. Two freshmen were also first team All-Region in attack Krista Mitarotonda and defender Kayleigh Pokrivka. Mitarotonda finished with 67 goals, second-most by a freshman in PSAC history and second in a single season in ESU history. She scored six goals vs. Florida Southern in the national semifinals. Pokrivka ranked fifth in DII in caused turnovers and also led ESU in ground balls. Sophomore goalkeeper Tatyana Petteway followed a third team All-America freshman season with another impressive campaign, ranking fifth in DII in save percentage to capture second team All-Region honors. She had 16 saves in the upset win over West Chester in the regional championship game. – By Greg Knowlden M’04 esualumni.org 31
warrior spirit
athletic updates
Gaita claims All-America honors
Junior Aspen Gaita finished sixth at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships in the pentathlon, and entered this spring’s Outdoor Championships with one of the top heptathlon scores in the country. Gaita, the daughter of Karen (Way) Gaita, the 1991 DII outdoor champion in the high jump, holds seven school records - 55m and 60m hurdles indoors, 100m hurdles outdoors, both indoor and outdoor long jump marks and the pentathlon and heptathlon - in her first two seasons at ESU. Gaita and senior Christian Castro were named PSAC Indoor Female and Male Track Athletes of the Year. Castro won the PSAC title in the 60m hurdles indoors, and the Warriors men won three titles outdoors - sophomore Austin Horner in the decathlon, sophomore Darnell Randall in the long jump, and the 4x100m relay of junior Pat Monahan, Castro, senior Ronald D’Eliseo and sophomore Andrew Schumacher. ESU’s men finished third in the PSAC both indoors and outdoors, and the women were third indoors. Aspen Gaita competing in the hurdles.
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School records have been set by Gaita (indoor/ outdoor long jump, pentathlon and heptathlon), junior Marissa Flim in the 100m, sophomore Me’Saj Closs in the discus, the women’s indoor Distance Medley Relay, Castro in the indoor 60m dash, Horner in the heptathlon, senior Nathan Wojick in the outdoor 800m and the men’s outdoor 4x800m relay.
Brown named PSAC East Athlete of the Year in women’s basketball Senior guard Imani Brown earned ESU’s first PSAC East Athlete of the Year award since Stacy Perryman in 1995, and became the Warriors’ first All-Region selection since Jackie Yandrisevits in 2009. Brown averaged 18.6 points per game in helping ESU (16-11, 14-8) to a second-place finish in the PSAC East following a PSAC Final Four trip in 2017. She finished her career with 1,224 points, tied for eighth-most in school history. Sophomore guard Tiffany Lapotsky was named second team All-PSAC East, ranking second behind Brown in scoring (11.6 ppg).
Women’s tennis returns to PSAC tournament
ESU made its second straight PSAC Tournament appearance in women’s tennis, finishing with a 6-9 overall record and 3-2 PSAC East mark. Sophomore Marina Zardent held the No. 1 singles spot and teamed with sophomore Aubrianna Stetina at No. 1 doubles.
Wallick gains 3rd All-PSAC East 1st team honor Senior third baseman Mary Wallick is the third ESU softball player to garner three first-team all-conference honors after batting .358 this spring. Her season was highlighted by a walk-off grand slam in a 6-5 win vs. Kutztown. She ranks third all-time at ESU in career hits (172) and holds the school record for doubles (42). She was also first team All-PSAC East as a freshman and junior. Freshman catcher Kaitlyn Caleen was an atlarge selection, batting .333 while starting 38 of ESU’s 40 games behind the plate.
Imani Brown drives to the basket in a win vs. Bloomsburg in January.
Swimming lowers eight school records Seniors Allison Cardow and Annie Fagan both leave ESU with two school records. Cardow set marks in the 100 fly and 200 fly, and Fagan in the 50 free and 100 free. Other individual records were set by senior Colleen Dwyer in the 50 back and sophomore Olivia Lukshides in the 200 free. ESU also set three relay school records. ESU’s seventh-place team finish at the PSAC Championships was its best since 2002.
Zimmerman leads All-PSAC East baseball selections Senior catcher Steven Zimmerman, Jr. was named first team All-PSAC East for the second straight season and became the fifth Warrior to earn three career all-conference awards. He was joined on the first team by sophomore pitcher/outfielder Carson Freeman. Freshman third baseman Brock Kauffman was named to the second team.
Zimmerman, ESU’s career home run record holder (22), hit .313 with six home runs among 20 extra-base hits. He rates in ESU’s career top 10 in eight categories, including RBI (114) and runs (129). He helped ESU to a school-record 38 wins and its most recent NCAA Tournament appearance as a sophomore in 2016. Freeman hit .313 with seven home runs and 18 stolen bases, while winning three of his six starts on the mound. Kauffman batted .331 with a team-high 43 hits. Head coach John Kochmansky guided ESU (22-21) to its ninth straight winning season and reached the 300-win mark in his 11th year, including three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Raccioppi nationallyranked in wrestling Redshirt sophomore Mike Raccioppi was nationally-ranked in NCAA Division II at 165 pounds throughout the winter, finishing 20-6 overall with a 14-1 dual mark. He was PSAC runner-up in December. – By Greg Knowlden M’04
Hey Warriors…
Did You Know? In spring 1990, students gathered to protest the administration’s proposal to restructure the intercollegiate sports program.
The national streaking phase in 1974 didn’t spare East Stroudsburg State College.
Informal dances such as this in 1959 disappeared in the ‘60s era, likely coinciding when women were allowed to leave campus.
East Stroudsburg University, Stroud Township Board of Supervisors, Stroudsburg Little League and the ESU Foundation broke ground for new baseball and softball fields at the ESSA & Hughes Field Complex at Creekview Park on May 3, 2018. The enhancements to the baseball and softball fields will accommodate the ESU Warriors baseball and softball teams and Stroudsburg Little League. The new, state-of-the-art fields are expected to be ready fall 2018 with the help of a $1.8 million fundraising campaign by the ESU Foundation, the department of athletics and a grant from the Local Shareholders Account. Photo left to right: Rich Santoro, executive director, ESU Foundation; John Kochmansky, head coach, ESU baseball; Bernie Kozen, district 29 administrator, Stroudsburg Little League; Joseph McDonald Jr. Esq., vice president of Stroudsburg Little League; Dr. Gary Gray, ESU athletic director; Dr. Marcia G. Welsh, ESU president; Jerry Robertson, president Stroudsburg Little League; Ed Cramer, Stroud Township supervisor; Kristine Bush, office of Senator Mario Scavello; Representative Rosemary Brown; Bill Blake, Vigon International; Representative Maureen Madden; Jaime Wohlbach, head coach ESU softball. Photo by Susie Forrester
Did You Know features historical information of interest about the ESU campus, its students, alumni, and more. Have something to say or share? Email esualumni@esu.edu. Source: Pride and Promise, A Centennial History of East Stroudsburg University; The Stroud 1990.
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Michael Andrusin ’90 was named 2017 New Jersey Herald Coach of the Year for coaching the Hackettstown Tigers Golf Team. The team ended the season 13-3, won their third consecutive NJAC Freedom Division title and fifth one in their last seven years, and earned a spot in the North 1 and 2, Group 2 tournament.
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Morgan Levy, daughter of R. Griggs Levy ’87, was designated as the 2018 Honored Hero by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation for the Delaware Take Steps walk. The walk is designed to raise funds and awareness for research into better treatments and cures for inflammatory bowel disease.
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Neil Nicastro ’99 released his second solo album, “For Escaping,” in November 2017. Neil resides in Dunmore, Pa. Vasu Singh M.S. ’02 was one of 28 recipients of the Lehigh Valley Business 2017 Women of Influence Award on May 10, 2017, for her contributions to the healthcare industry and community. Dr. Singh is employed at the Greater Lehigh Valley Medicine, LLC as part of the Lehigh Valley Health Network in Bethlehem, Pa. Keith Carroll M.Ed. ’07 was the recipient of the Essence of Humanity Award at the Crispus Attuckus Community Center’s 30th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast on January 15, 2018, in Lancaster, Pa. Carroll was honored for his work guiding students and parents through transitions, crises and temporary adversity. Carroll is currently the coordinator of parent concerns for the School District of Lancaster, Pa. Tyler Dubs ’10 was promoted to assistant general manager in April 2017, for the ROW NYC Hotel in Times Square, NYC. Dubs has worked with ROW NYC since 2015 and currently assists with the College of Business & Management Alumni Affinity NYC group. Tina Haney ’10 received the 2018 Terri Lynne Lokoff/Children’s TYLENOL® National Child Care Teacher Award on April 14, 2018. Haney is currently employed at the Career Institute of Technology in Easton, Pa. With a grant from the awards program, Haney will implement her project, Expanding a Quality Indoor Classroom to an Outdoor Environment.
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James Viola ’84 was named deputy associate director for Aviation Safety for the Federal Aviation Administration on December 4, 2017. Viola serves as government co-chair of the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team, the program director for Pilot Familiarization program with the American Yankee Association, and as a volunteer pilot for Angel Flight. He also serves as part of the leadership for the ESU Alumni D.C. Chapter.
Victor Rosado ’97 attended the United States Naturalization Ceremony conducted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on February 13, 2018. He completed his naturalization process with an oath ceremony and by pledging allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.
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Jeffrey N. Sackrison ’77, will retire in June 2018 after 40 years in healthcare. He has worked for Vidant Health in North Carolina for the past 15 years as the president of Vidant Bertie and Vidant Chowan Hospitals. Sackrison was recently awarded the American College of Healthcare Executives Senior Leadership award and was selected as a 2017 Great 100 Nurse of North Carolina. Harry Hiestand ’83 was named the offensive line coach for the Chicago Bears in January 2018 for the second time. Hiestand first served in that capacity for five seasons from 2005-09 under Coach Lovie Smith, helping the Bears win back-to-back NFC North titles and reach Super Bowl XLI in 2006.
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Tim Weisse ’74 retired from Charles Schwab in May 2017 where he worked as an Instructional Designer. Weisse also worked for American Express, Bank of America, and Prudential Financial over the course of 45 years. In the last five years, Weisse has visited Thailand, China, Turkey, and Vietnam.
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Timothy Watkins ’90 was appointed as a security systems engineer at the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) in October 2017. The position is part of the Information Security Division and located in Newtown, Pa.
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Shawn Murnin ’11 was named the director of media operations for the Hagerstown Suns, a Low A Sally League Baseball team in Hagerstown, Md. Prior to this appointment, Murnin was the media relations assistant with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees a AAA baseball team in the International League. Christian Torres ’17 is the illustrator for the children’s book, Colby Cheese, Skater Investigator: Investigates the Case Of “Where Am I From?” published in December 2017. Tim Wilson ’17, former East Stroudsburg University wide receiver, has signed with the Philadelphia Eagles following the team’s rookie minicamp in May. Wilson was named second team All-PSAC East in each of his last two seasons for the Warriors - 58 receptions, 910 yards and eight TD in 2016 and 53 receptions, 821 yards and four TD in 2017.
BIRTHS
weddings Robert C. Piro, Jr. ’97 married Heather Kilpatrick in Key West, Fla. on July 7, 2017. The couple currently reside in Easton, Pa.
Stephen ’06, M ’07, and Allison Sweet ’07 Kuchera welcomed daughter Averie Sweet on February 14, 2016, and son, Stephen Robert on October 31, 2017. The family resides in Stephens City, Va. Ashley Puderbach ’09, M.Ed. ’10 and husband Matthew Swartz welcomed daughter Abigail Michele on January 14, 2018. The family resides in Annapolis, Md.
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.
Alum takes top prize in Athletics Trivia Contest Dan Boback ’93 of Stroudsburg placed first in the 125th Athletics Trivia Contest held in the last edition of the Alumni Herald. Boback has been in media sales for 22 years. The runner up was Jason Weiner. Congrats and thanks for playing!
memoriam ALUMNI William A. Alexander ’53 Lois M. Allegar ’41 David B. Barkman ’65 Gerald W. Baxter ’68 Adrienne R. Beck ’74 Joseph Bellotto M’69 Maureen Benner ’85 Richard J. Bitler, Jr. ’73 Bruce R. Braender, Jr. ’78 Wilis B. Brown ’47 Thomas A. Bubba M’70 Doris F. Burke ’53 Dale E. Cassler ’50 Sharon V. Comstock ’95 Charles J. Corrado, Jr. ’70 Julianne L. Devine M’90 Donald L. Endy ’58 Jonathan T. Erb ’10 Kathleen A. Formiconi-Sola ’73 Earl Geiger ’75 Tracey W. Germano ’94 Dr. William E. Gessner ’50 Janny M. Graver, R.N. ’76 Arthur Gray ’64 Susan J. Green M’81
Donald R. Greenwood, Sr. ’59 Richard Hamilton ‘60 Miriam L. Hannon ’43 Robert T. Harper, Jr. M’79 Jeanette A. Huber ’76 Janet A. Jones M’67 Marlene S. Joseph ’65 Thomas B. Kear M’84 Margaret M. Kneeshaw ’80 Carol A. Kocher M’64 Sharon Hines Kost ’69 Bernice E. Mattes ’77 Tricia G. McGarvin ’12 John Wallace McNabb ’46 Kathleen M. Melnick ’76 Ernest E. Miller, Jr. ’83 John J. Mishko ’60 Jane Moffet ’52 Eileen M. Morinello ’72 Marian E. Mosser ’40 Catherine M. Nicholls ’72 Ruth E. Owens ’43 Judith A. Pollock ’73 Merrill Reddinger ’65 William T. Reeves ’63 Patricia A. Rehrig M’74 Kenneth E. Reid, Jr. ’64
Casper D. Rohland ’54 Mark C. Romano ’86 Norman W. Schmid ’53 Catherine M. Shire ’69 Marian L. Smith ’70 Steven G. Smith ’86 R. Thelma Spry ’45 Karen J. Tasonyi ’74 Rosemary A. Volpicelli ’71 Robert Whitecavage ’62 Constance B. Williams M’69 Carl F. Wolf, Jr. M’94 Mark R. Yankoski ’73 Ryan J. Yanoshak M’05 Tedora M. Zucal ’77 Faculty & Staff Dr. Beverly H. Gaglione John C. Haddon William Gessner Mary Jane Wolbers friends Patricia S. Neidorf Robert L. Wehe, Jr. Delbert R. Wootten Robert L. Dorough
Mary Jane (Marr) Wolbers, professor emerita physical education, passed away at her family home in Temple, N.H., at the age of 95. Wolbers was a member of the ESU faculty from 1963 to 1991 and donated her time, talent and energy to creativebased programs in dance education throughout her Mary Jane career. In 2012, she received the prestigious ESU (Marr) Wolbers Lifetime Achievement Recognition from ESU for her April 14, 2018 contributions to the university’s dance programs and curriculum that were far reaching into the community. Both Mary Jane and her late husband, Dr. Charles Wolbers, taught at ESU. They both received the Alumni Association Great Teacher Award and there is an annual scholarship at ESU in Mary Jane’s name. In Memoriam includes deceased alumni, faculty and staff, and friends to April 14, 2018. Please email esualumni@esu.edu with updates.
Memorial Gifts
may be made through the ESU Foundation at esufoundation.org/givenow. For personal assistance, please call 570-422-3333.
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Circa
Members of Alpha Chi Rho at the fraternity house.
Warriors‌ Come out to play! Cut m snap e out and ap - the F ic with me lat Wa rrior!
The East Stroudsburg University Warrior wants to hit the road with alumni. As you head out on your summer adventures, take the Warrior with you and snap a pic! It’s simple: 1. Cut out this Flat Warrior and take it with you. Show the Warrior your favorite places in your hometown, on vacation, or on campus! 2. Take a picture and tag @ESUniversity on Twitter and Instagram. Be sure to include the hashtag #WhereWarriorsBelong, your name, and where the Flat Warrior is. You can also email the picture to esualumni@esu.edu.
@ESUniversity #WhereWarriorsBelong
200 Prospect Street East Stroudsburg, PA 18301-2999
Warrior alumni, join us in reading “The Book of Unknown Americans” by Cristina Henríquez ESU’s 2018 One Book, One Campus Selection To purchase your copy and to learn more about the One Book, One Campus discussions and author’s visit, go to esu.edu/onebook
Be Part of the Conversation #ESUOneBook
