Fairfield’s Dr. John E. Klimas Jr. ’53, an expert on wildflowers, was a voice for conservation ahead of his time.
Fairfield Volleyball won its first MAAC Championship 25 years ago, and continues to dominate the conference.
Dolan’s Philip Maymin, PhD, uses ‘behavioral analytics’ to broaden students’ minds.
The Egan School plans to open its doors in Austin to meet the demand for more nurses.
Photo by Joe Adams
Vincent Gadioma ’22 (left) and friends head to the beach for a day of fishing. Fairfield, a coastal town, features beaches, marinas, parks, and plenty of shopping and fine dining.
On the cover:
Fairfield plans to expand its nationally ranked Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies to Austin, Texas. Photo by Getty Images
Fairfield University Fall 2022 | Volume 45 | Number 2 a.m.d.g.
Assistant Editor, Tess (Brown) Long ’07, MFA’11
University News Editor, Susan Cipollaro Copy Editor, Jeannine (Carolan) Graf ’87 Vice President for Marketing and Communications, Jennifer Anderson ’97, MBA’02 Designer, Nancy (Gelston) Dobos ’91
Photography by: Joe Adams: pages 4, 5 Findagrave.com: page 19
Getty Images: page 26
Andrew Henderson: pages 2, 16, 18-21
Christine Kozak, P’24: page 6 Cassidy Kristensen: page 12-13, 41 Kristie Kistner: pages 38-39
Dru Martin: page 10
Peter McLean: page 8
Newman Architects: pages 3, 27-28
Patrick Sikes: page 39
Stockton Photo: pages 24-25
Joe Vericker: page 12-13
Contributed photos: pages 6-7, 8-9, 11, 30-35, 40
Fairfield Athletics: pages 22-23
Fairfield University Media Center: pages 12-13, 14, 41
Fairfield University Magazine is published four times (November, March, June, September) during the year by Fairfield University. Editorial offices are located in: Bellarmine Hall, Fairfield University Fairfield, CT 06824-5195 (203) 254-4000, ext. 2526 e-mail: ahighet@fairfield.edu
Printed at The Lane Press Burlington, Vermont
Fairfield’s Dr. John E. Klimas Jr. ’53, an expert on wildflowers, was a voice for conservation ahead of his time.
An authority on conservation, ecology, biology, and environmental education, Dr. Klimas is remembered as a pioneer who helped paved the way for the campus-wide focus on sustainability at Fairfield that remains fundamental to the University today.
Pictured above: Joe-Pye weed blossoms at the Fairfield Audubon’s Larsen sanctuary.
Fairfield Volleyball won its first MAAC Championship 25 years ago, and continues to dominate the conference.
Testament to the talent and commitment of its student-athletes and coaches, the volleyball team’s unrivaled era of achievement is highlighted by a MAAC-record 12 conference titles and NCAA post-season trips, and a league-play record of 311 wins compared to just 50 losses since 1997.
Pictured above: (l-r) Joelle Battles ’23, Manuela Nicolini ’20, M’22 and (foreground) Morgan Doll ’23 celebrate the Stags’ 2019 MAAC Championship at Alumni Hall.
“Our job now is to get the word out about the strength of our program and promote the Fairfield name in a new area of the country.”
— Meredith Wallace Kazer, PhD, APRN-BC, FAAN, Egan Dean
letter from the president
university news 14 leadership Leadership Goals
by Jeannine (Carolan) Graf ’87
Sheila (Kearney) Davidson ’83 is the first woman to chair Fairfield’s Board of Trustees.
Dolan’s Philip Maymin, PhD, uses ‘behavioral analytics’ to broaden students’ minds and prepare them for the world beyond data.
grants & gifts 31 alumni notes
The Egan School plans to open its doors in Austin to meet the demand for more nurses.
To address the high demand for nurses nationally, the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies’ highly regarded Accelerated Second Degree Nursing program is preparing for a major Southwest expansion — to the bustling city of Austin, Texas.
Pictured above: An architect’s rendering of a simulation lab planned for Fairfield Egan’s new Austin, Texas facility.
Profiles: 33 Sean Crosby ’21, MS’22
Shining in Riverdance
35 Joan (Barber) and Mitchel Syp ’72, P’01 The First Golden StagMates
campus events
reunion 2022
donor profile
Sean and Winnie Atterbury O’Keefe, P’23,’26
Send your letters to the editor of Fairfield University Magazine to Alistair Highet at ahighet@fairfield.edu.
Your news could be featured in an upcoming issue of Fairfield University Magazine! Submit your updates through Class Notes within the Online Community and don’t forget to include a photo! Go to fairfield.edu/alumnicommunity.
In early August, I joined colleagues from around the world for the quadrennial assembly of the International Association of Jesuit Universities in Boston. There the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Rev. Arturo Sosa, S.J., remarked on the “profound transformations in humanity” that have transpired since our last general meeting in 2018.
He asked what Jesuit universities can do in this present moment, to “help pave the way to a more just society with fraternal relations among persons, their cultures, peoples and nations,” while working together to “promote not only the full life of all human persons,” but also “life itself on planet Earth.” And as a political scientist he spoke of the geopolitical stresses worldwide — the fragmentation, depersonalization, and inequities that seem to characterize our epoch. One may be inclined, he argued, to see our society today as “ground that is parched and broken after a persistent drought.”
“The truth is,” he continued, “that the soil is thirsty. It offers us an opportunity to cultivate a life full of meaning.”
This is indeed the Ignatian spirit. We are called upon to discern what the world and our neighbors thirst for today, and this discernment, Fr. Sosa said, requires “risk” – a willingness to stretch beyond what is comfortable and predictable and to allow ourselves to be “guided toward something new.”
For the last several years at Fairfield, we have been operating in this spirit — to do more — and are called to meet the world as it is, embracing opportunities to irrigate and cultivate new growth.
As you will read inside, we are establishing operations in Austin, Texas, to meet the need for healthcare professionals in that region, beginning with with our 15-month Accelerated Second Degree Nursing program. The Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies is one of the most highly regarded programs in the nation, and we
are excited to bring our expertise and unique focus on the care of the whole person to the region.
We recently graduated our first cohort of MBA students from Shanghai, China, and have launched an agreement with a prominent business education program in India, to offer a Dolan graduate degree program in which students will come to Fairfield to study after a period of online instruction. We have much to learn and to share with students from around the world, and these partnerships can only strengthen our global reputation as a center of excellence.
Closer to home, our plans for Bellarmine Campus in Bridgeport remain on track to begin next September, offering a two-year associate’s degree program to students from underrepresented communities in our area, at no or very minimal cost to the students. I look forward to bringing you more details in the coming months.
These are only a handful of the developments currently underway. We have welcomed the largest first-year enrollment in our history and campus construction continues, as we begin building a new residence hall and we eagerly anticipate the official opening of our new Arena. Our women’s basketball team will host the Arena’s first game against Stonehill College on November 18, and on November 20 the women will play Big Ten-power the University of Michigan in a non-conference matchup. The men’s home opener will take place the first weekend in December.
As we begin another academic year, it is always important to be reminded that our University is first and foremost a mission — that we were founded to transform the world by educating children of God as individuals of promise and potential. It is thus appropriate then that we find ourselves at this time eager and ready to extend this mission to new territories, cultivating the soil that is thirsty for what we have to offer and called to do more.
“[We] have been operating in this spirit — to do more — and are called to meet the world as it is, embracing opportunities to irrigate and cultivate new growth.”
The School of Engineering’s MS in Management of Technology program is leading the charge to bring vehicle sustainability to campus. Currently, the state of Connecticut reimburses instal lation costs of charging stations and offers partial coverage for electric vehicle supply equipment.
As part of their capstone project, Brandon Pearce, Syed Shahzaib Hussain MS’22, and Cody Sheridan MS’22 researched the possi bility to bring electric vehicles to campus. They developed a tenyear financial road map that factors in state incentives, timing projects, securing funding, and the purchase of electric vehicles. Additionally, the students designed an electric vehicle calculator and a public electric charging station that would be on campus.
Through the Campus Sustainability Plan, Fairfield University strives to reduce fleet fuel usage by 20 percent by 2025. With the projections from Stag Solar research, the graduates project the University to hit that target and reduce fuel costs by 73 percent over the next ten years.
The proposed plan for a 55KW solar panel installation, capable of powering 50 service vehicles, would save the University an estimated $59,000 annually in gasoline costs and an ROI of five years. After five years, the system would generate $29,000 a year by supplying our own supply grid power.
Fairfield’s Master of Science in the Management of Technology program prepares managers and leaders to apply the technical, financial, entrepreneurial, and management skills relevant to a competitive global environment. Graduates translate technology into business actions and implement solutions for today’s global economy. Learn more at fairfield.edu/gradengineering. l F
Before the academic year officially started, Fairfield University’s newest Class of 2026 had already made history. In addition to being a part of the largest applicant pool on record, this year’s group of first-year students is also the biggest and academically strongest in the University’s 80-year history, with more than 1,340 new Stags slated to join campus in the fall.
The newly minted Stags were selected from a recordbreaking pool of 13,358 applicants and come to Fairfield with an average high school GPA of 3.74. Students represent 24 states in addition to Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, as well as ten countries, including New Zealand, Japan, Canada, Australia, Germany,
and Spain, among others.
In addition to breaking enrollment and academic records, the incoming class also boasts the largest number of legacy students (199) in Fairfield’s history, as well as the largest number of firstyear students from Jesuit high schools (94). The numbers of first-generation students and students representing diverse populations have also increased from the previous year.
The Class of 2026 also welcomes the University’s first cohort of Company Scholars, an elite group of 15 first-year students from Cristo Rey Network and Jesuit High Schools who represent diverse identities and are engaged in academic excellence and community service. l F
On July 22, Fairfield University celebrated its partnership with Brooklyn Jesuit Prep (BJP) with a kick-off walk for the school’s 10,000 Steps for BJP event. The University community gathered on the plaza of the Egan Chapel of St. Ignatius of Loyola with visiting Brooklyn Jesuit Prep students, administrators from Fairfield Prep, and members of Fairfield University’s men’s basketball team. President Mark R. Nemec, PhD, Director of Campus Ministry and University Chaplain Fr. Keith Maczkiewicz, S.J.,’04, and Brooklyn Jesuit Prep Principal Russell Quiñones offered welcome remarks before the walk.
“This walk is the embodiment of Fairfield University’s and Brooklyn Jesuit Prep’s shared
Jesuit mission; to accompany our youth on a hope filled future,” said President Nemec.
Students from Brooklyn Jesuit Prep were on campus for the month of July for a threeweek Summer Leadership Academy annually hosted by the University. The leadership camp builds upon students’ academic work and offers enrichment, outdoor sports and activities, leadership skill development, community building across grade levels, and the opportunity to experience life on a college campus.
Brooklyn Jesuit Prep is a Catholic Jesuit middle school in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, serving students of significant economic need, of diverse races, ethnicities, and faiths. l F
Fairfield Women’s Lacrosse won its fourth consecutive MAAC Championship on May 9 with a 14-11 win over top-seeded Monmouth. The Stags advanced to the NCAA postseason for the sixth time in program history, where the team went toe-totoe with fifth-seeded and #4 nationally ranked Syracuse in the first round.
Kelly Horning ’21 (pictured above) was named MAAC Championship MVP after filling out the stat sheet with six goals, 11 ground balls, and eight caused turnovers in Fairfield’s threegame run to the title. She was joined on the All-Championship Team by Keyla Bay ’22, Nicollette LaVista ’22, Caroline Mangan ’22, and Libby Rowe ’23.
As nationwide data continues to show a steady increase in the popularity of post-graduatelevel online education, Fairfield University has taken significant strides to grow the University’s online programs, more than doubling their enrollment within the past twelve months.
Since 2020, the University has launched 25 online master’s degree programs and graduate certificates in a variety of fields and professional concentrations, while successfully increasing enrollment in the past year. Included in this rapidly expanding portfolio are the University’s two newest online degree programs in Business
Administration (MBA) and Public Health (MPH), as well as its fully online master’s programs in Cybersecurity, Interior Design and Public Administration, which launched late last spring.
This record-breaking growth is a part of Fairfield’s longrange strategic goal to reach broader audiences using evermore innovative methods and technology. This focus is fueled by the recognition that online learning — particularly at the postgraduate level — is fast becoming the most desirable educational option for professionals who are seeking to advance their careers or prepare to enter a new field.
This summer, College of Arts and Sciences faculty members and students worked on cuttingedge STEM research projects — from environmental work on the effects of microplastics, to interdisciplinary behavioral research with primates — that were grant-funded by both the University and by nationally recognized external organizations.
Natalia Bertolotti ’23 was selected as this year’s Jean Dreyfus Lectureship Summer Research Student. Bertolotti is pursuing research, under the mentorship of John Miecznikowski, PhD, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and has also been supported by visiting assistant professor of chemistry Olivier Nicaise,
John Miecznikowski, PhD, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, (left), works as a faculty research mentor to students Natalia Bertolotti ’23 and Michael Corbett ’23.
PhD, and fellow student Michael Corbett ’23.
More than 300 research projects are conducted annually within the College of Arts and
Sciences, and more than half of those are presented at national scholarly meetings or are published in professional journals and academic publications. l F
Last March, Fairfield Dolan presented the Dean’s Executive Forum, titled “Developing CFOs and Beyond” with guest speaker Sandy Cockrell. Cockrell is an accomplished strategist, financial executive, and certified public accountant. He is broadly recognized for his deep expertise on all matters that CFOs and finance functions face, and is a frequent contributor to news and television organizations including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, CNBC, Fox Business
Network, and Yahoo Finance.
During the forum Cockrell discussed several frameworks that are effective for C-Suite executives and other professionals in government and academia to optimize performance and effectiveness. Specifically, he covered the paradigms of time, talent, and relationships, and the “four faces” of an executive. Cockrell currently serves as the executive vice president and CFO of Flipt, LLC, a digital healthcare solutions platform company
and previously served as the Global Leader of Deloitte’s CFO program.
The forum took place before an in-person audience of Dolan students and more than 100 attendees joined the event via Zoom webinar.
Following the forum, students participated in an exclusive Q&A session with Cockrell. The event was co-moderated by Dean Zhan Li, DBA and Valeria Martinez, PhD, associate professor of finance. l F
For the second time in three years, Fairfield University Athletics has claimed the MAAC Women’s Commissioner’s Cup. The Stags also finished second in the overall cup standings for the second straight season and placed fifth on the men’s ledger.
Fairfield won three women’s MAAC Championships in the 2021-22 season: volleyball, women’s basketball, and women’s lacrosse. The volleyball and women’s basketball teams also claimed MAAC regular season titles.
The Stags also scored Commissioner’s Cup points in women’s tennis following a trip to the MAAC Championship match, in softball for a secondplace regular season finish, in women’s soccer after advancing to the tournament semifinals, and in women’s swimming and diving for a third-place performance at the MAAC Championships.
In addition to their second MAAC Women’s Commissioner’s Cup in three years, Fairfield has now earned that honor 10 times in program history. The Stags have also won four overall MAAC Commissioner’s Cups and three Men’s Commissioner’s Cups, both most recently in 2011-12. l F
On May 7, Fairfield University alumnus and Board of Trustee member John Meditz ’70 was honored with the Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam award at the USA East Province’s annual Jesuit Dinner at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center. The USA East Province of Jesuits honors the Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam award “to those who selflessly give of themselves for the greater glory of God.”
Managing director and cofounder of Horizon-Kinetics, LLC, Meditz earned a bachelor’s in economics from Fairfield University in 1970. In addition to serving on the University’s Board of Trustees, he also gives generously to support Fairfield students, including a $10 million
gift to expand and modernize the Leslie C. Quick Jr. Recreation Complex, and gifts that enabled the University to construct and establish the Fairfield University Art Museum, to endow the directorship of the Museum, and to create additional endowed student scholarships. Meditz is also a former chairman and current member of the Board of Trustees at Xavier High School, another of his alma maters.
Meditz served on the Capital Campaign Committee for the USA East Province of Jesuits, where his contribution launched the development of a new apostolic center, The Jesuit Center, which is now central to the province’s operations. l F
Thirty-four Fairfield studentathletes earned all-conference honors in the spring of 2022. Stags collected All-MAAC recognition in golf, tennis, women’s lacrosse, baseball, softball, and women’s rowing, in addition to four AllCAA honors for men’s lacrosse.
Kaya Gore ’22 and Sandra Bozinovic M’22, were named the MAAC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Players of the Year.
On the golf course, Killian McGinley ’23 and Jason Salameno ’22 tied for seventh place at the MAAC Championship, helping the Stags to a third-place team finish.
Fairfield Women’s Lacrosse collected a quartet of All-MAAC honors on their way to a fourthstraight MAAC Championship. Kelly Horning ’21 and Caroline Mangan ’22 were both named to the First Team with Nicollette LaVista ’22 and Elizabeth Talluto ’23 each landing on the Second Team.
Horning went on to become first All-American in program history, as she earned an Honorable Mention distinction from Inside Lacrosse.
Fairfield native Jack McKenna ’25 led the rundown of men’s lacrosse selections as he was named the
2022 CAA Rookie of the Year.
In addition, Taylor Strough ’21 earned the Stags’ first All-CAA First Team nod since 2016, with McKenna, Mike Drake M’22 and Braden Lynch ’24 all selected to the Second Team.
Another Rookie of the Year headlined the ledger for Fairfield Softball as Charli Warren was named the MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year as well as the team’s lone All-MAAC First Team pick.
Katie Kudlacik ’22 and Haley Updegraff ’23 both earned a place on the All-MAAC Second Team.
On the baseball diamond, Charlie Pagliarini ’23 was the lone All-MAAC First Team honoree for the MAAC Regular Season Champion Stags. The foursome of Mike Becchetti ’23, Matt Venuto ’23, Bryson Cafaro ’21, M’22 and Matt Zaffino ’22 all claimed a place on the Second Team.
Rounding out the honorees is a quartet that helped guide Fairfield Women’s Rowing to third place at the 2022 MAAC Championship. Christina Caruso ’23 and Ana McDonough ’22 were named to the First Team with Arden Costello ’25 and Chloe Lennon ’23 both claiming Second Team laurels.
The Charles F. Dolan School of Business won first place in the “Large Higher Education” category of Connecticut Building Congress (CBC)’s 2022 Project Team Awards.
The team worked cohesively to deliver the project — an 85,000 square foot, state-of-the-art academic facility — within budget and on time for the fall 2019 opening. Techniques such as Gilbane’s Advanced Planning and Scheduling (AP&S) and Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) ensured the project remained on schedule and trades were coordinated transparently despite
challenges such as expansive sitework, long-lead custom materials, and a unique curved building frame.
The CBC recognizes outstanding building projects that exemplify project team excellence and represent the best practices in teamwork by project owners, architects, engineers, constructors, and trades. Each year, the CBC’s Annual Project Team Awards program recognizes projects throughout the state whose team members have met or surpassed goals and have achieved higher project quality through this close collaboration. l F
The Fairfield University community is saddened by the loss of alumnus and trustee, E. Gerald “Jerry” Corrigan ’63 on May 17.
A native of Waterbury, Conn., Corrigan earned his bachelor’s in economics from Fairfield, and a master’s and PhD in economics, in 1965 and 1971 respectively, from Fordham University. His career began as an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 1968, where he served in various positions. In 1976, he was named vice president of the bank, and in 1979 he became special assistant to the board chairman. In 1980, he was promoted to president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, until 1985 when he returned to the New
York Fed to serve as President and CEO. Corrigan ended his 25-year career with the Federal Reserve System in 1993. In 1994, he joined Goldman Sachs as chairman of International Advisors and senior advisor to the executive committee, and was named managing director in 1996. He retired from Goldman Sachs in 2016.
Corrigan was actively engaged with Fairfield since 1984 and was one of the University’s top benefactors. He served on the Board of Trustees for 11 years and was elected Trustee Emeritus in 2009. Corrigan was honored with Fairfield’s 50th Anniversary Jubilee Medal in 1992 and received the Alumni Personal Achievement award in 1981. l F
Senior engineering students represented Fairfield University’s School of Engineering and showcased team research on biomechanics in front of an audience of engineering students, industry professionals, and research leaders at the 48th NEBEC Conference, held at Columbia University in New York City on April 23 and 24.
Class of 2022 biomedical engineering majors Tobenna Ugwu, Chizimuzo Chibuko, John Minogue, Aina Razakamanantsoa, Rachel Jacobson, and Prince Addo were awarded first place for their senior research project,
“STEM Outreach Through Sports Biomechanics,” developed under the mentorship of assistant professor of electrical and biomedical engineering John Drazan, PhD.
During the course of the project, the engineers developed four devices that were used to measure the students’ athletic abilities. They engaged the students in sports while explaining the process of designing each of the devices. In addition to presenting their research, students had the opportunity to attend research presentations and connect with industry professionals. l F
Inaugurated in September 2021, the School of Education and Human Development (SEHD)’s Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership program has quickly proven successful. Its determined focus on social justice and equity, which underpins every aspect of the curriculum, gives the program a distinction that differentiates it from other EdD programs.
Recently, Dean Laurie Grupp, PhD, announced a new
track within the program, one that is specifically designed to build leadership skills for those working in higher education.
Recruiting is ongoing and the new cohort begins September 2022 under the direction of Mack Hines, EdD, formerly on the faculty of Tennessee State University. He has written extensively on diversity, inclusion, and lead ership in education.
l F
Fairfield Dolan hosted the first Sports Analytics Hackathon sponsored by Athletes Unlimited. Business Analytics professor Philip Maymin, PhD, serves on the advisory board for Athletes Unlimited and hosted the event in May.
A panel of judges awarded a total of $10,000.
First place and $5,000 was awarded to Team Basketball: Rachel Hakes ’21, M’22; Conor Fletcher ’21; Chase Judkins ’21, M’22; Andrew Mahoney ’21, M’22; and Tyler Zikias ’21, M’22. Second place and $3,000 was awarded to Team Field Hockey: Daniel Anusic M’22, Pranav Bhattessa, Euan Brown MBA’21, Mica Diaz, Daniel Enright M’22, and Gabby Saxon ’22. In third place, Team Value won $2,000: Matt Dziemian; Nick Palazzi ’21; Lila Pfohl ’21, M’22; and Connor Wolff M’22.
Athletes Unlimited (AU) is a network of new professional sports leagues where athletes compete in fantasy-inspired games in softball, volleyball, and lacrosse. Soros and Athletes Unlimited CTO John Spade accompanied Dolan Analytics professor and director of Fairfield StartUp, Chris Huntley, PhD, and assistant professor of Information Systems and Operations Management Jie Tao, PhD as judges for the event. l F
On April 27, the University’s student entrepreneurship competition, Fairfield StartUp Showcase, returned live at the Quick Center. First-place team Quantify won $12,500 in seed funding, and team GreenIRR took second place with winnings of $7,500 plus $1,000 for being voted the audience favorite.
Five teams competed for $30,000 in seed funding in front of an audience of 500, and a panel of investors. Nearly 400 viewers also watched the livestream. The event was hosted by actor and director James Naughton.
Celine King ’23 pitched first for team GreenIRR, a SaaS [software as a service] offering that allows private equity managers access to real-time environmental data to ensure climate impact is tracked. Ashley Milone ’23 pitched for team Present Pass, an engine that helps shoppers buy the perfect gift. Next up was Ricky
Jagroo ’22 pitching for team Village, an interactive mentoring platform that connects middle school classrooms with college students engaged in service learning. Returning Showcase contestant Mariana Antaya ’23 pitched for team Quantify, a cryptocurrency strategy generator. Finally, Christian O’Rourke ’24 pitched for team
Right Hand Apprentice, an online platform that connects students looking for work with homeowners looking for assistance with home projects.
The investor panel featured alumni and business professionals: Joseph Bronson ’70, Chris Hillock ’00, Spring Hollis, Brenda Lewis, and Mark Selinger ’90. l F
Fairfield University’s Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies is launching a new fully online Master of Public Health program. The online program is designed to meet criteria for accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
“As a fully online, asynchronous program that can be completed in a relatively short period of time, Fairfield University’s MPH
program is designed to meet the needs of a diverse student population including new college graduates and individuals who have been working full-time for many years,” said interim program director and assistant professor Kim Doughty, MPH, PhD, CHES.
Rooted in science and social justice, a master’s degree in public health prepares students for a variety of careers that are preventionoriented, multi-disciplinary, and that
promote conditions to protect and improve the health of people and communities.
The MPH is an 18-month full-time, 24-month part-time program that offers a customizable interdisciplinary curriculum to meet the broad spectrum of indemand careers within the field.
The program concludes with a two-semester capstone project involving an internship to gain hands-on experience.
During Fairfield University’s Commencement ceremony on May 21, the College of Arts and Sciences’ online Interior Design program awarded its first eight master’s degrees.
Students in the Interior Design master’s program are encouraged to work in the field during the program and all of the graduates
leave Fairfield with job prospects.
The Interior Design master’s degree program was launched as a fully online, part-time course of study in 2019. Since then, the program’s popularity has grown, enrollment has doubled, and outof-state students have joined the online cohorts. l F
Jessica Baldizon MA’15 (pictured here with her parents) was recently named the 2022 recipient of the Bridgeport Public Education Fund Inspiration Award for Outstanding Teaching. In her role she teaches English to third, fourth, and sixth-grade multilingual learners at Cesar Batalla School in Bridgeport, Conn. Cesar Batalla is the second-largest pre-K-8 school in the state and Baldizon has taught there for six years since graduating from Fairfield with her master’s in TESOL.
At the concluding ceremony of the annual Innovative Research Symposium in April, Jimmy Vizzard ’23 was named a 2022 Goldwater Scholar. The Barry Goldwater Scholarship recognizes top college sophomores and juniors who plan to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering. In his research, Vizzard studied the projected changes in the magnitude and frequency of extreme precipitation over the Northeastern United States through the end of the century using state-of-the-art
climate models.
According to Vizzard’s faculty mentor and research advisor, assistant professor of physics Robert Nazarian, PhD, this year the Goldwater Scholars candidate pool included 433 academic institutions with more than 5,000 applicants, of whom less than 10 percent were named Goldwater Scholars.
Vizzard has received funding through the NASA Space Grant as well as through the Lawrence Family Mentoring Fund and the Mancini Family Fund through Fairfield’s Office of Scholarly Development. l F
The Office of Scholarly Development is pleased to an nounce that Matthew Little ’22 and Sean McQuade ’22 have been named 2022 Fulbright Scholars. The Fulbright Program is a yearlong scholarship that supports post-graduate study, research, work, or teaching in another
Brazil where he will pursue his research, titled “The Embodied Interconnectedness of Brazil’s Domestic Natural Products.” A biology major with minors in chemistry and economics, Little has been accepted to Yale University for graduate studies and will pursue a PhD in chemical biology following his Fulbright experience.
country. Through the Fulbright Program, Little and McQuade will travel to Brazil and Germany respectively, to continue their re search and pursue their passions.
Matthew Little’s Fulbright journey will take him to Fortaleza,
For Sean McQuade, the Fulbright program will allow him to pursue his research, titled “Integration of Female Afghan Refugees,” in Hamburg, Germany, with Dr. Joachim Schroeder at the University of Hamburg. Following his time in Germany, McQuade hopes to pursue a master’s in international relations, in Germany or another European country.
This past May, Fairfield University awarded diplomas to 1,082 undergraduates and 499 graduate students, 23 sixth-year certificate recipients, and 39 doctorate recipients. Graduate students from the Class of 2022 celebrated Commencement on Saturday, May 21, and undergraduate students from the Class of 2022 were honored on Sunday, May 22. Both ceremonies took place on Fairfield’s historic Bellarmine Lawn.
The graduate Commencement ceremony honored 561 gradu ates from the Class of 2022 with degrees from Fairfield’s Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies, College of Arts and Sciences, Charles F. Dolan School of Business, School of Engineering, and School of Education & Human Development.
The graduate ceremony speaker and recipient of an honor ary Doctor of Laws degree was Allison Rivera, president of Saint Martin de Porres Academy in New Haven, a tuition-free inde pendent Catholic middle school.
Rivera inspired the graduates “to find not only a job, but a real vocation — a place where your unique gifts meet the world’s needs,” and encouraged them to not “accept the status quo. Fairfield University has challenged you to be men and women for others.”
During her tenure at the
Academy, Rivera has served as teacher, director of special programs, and vice president. In 2010, she was appointed president and currently oversees the general operations and management of the school and its $2 million oper ating budget, which is fundraised annually. Prior to the Academy, Rivera served as the executive di rector of the Connecticut chapter of Best Buddies International. She is a graduate of the University of Vermont and Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.
An honorary degree was also bestowed upon Carl F. Bailey Jr. ’75, president and founder of Bailey & Beatty Financial Services and founder of Danbury Grassroots Academy, a free, yearround program focusing on educa tion, character, tennis, and health.
In a final blessing, Superior of the Fairfield Jesuit Community, Reverend John Mulreany, S.J., prayed over the graduates, “Moved with gratitude for their own blessings, may they make a fitting return for all they have been given. Having been afforded the opportunity to flourish, may they ensure the same opportunity exists for others. Inspire in them a spirit of wisdom and a burning desire for justice.”
The Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport opened the un dergraduate ceremony with the
invocation, followed by student Commencement speaker EnkhAmgalan Batburen ’22.
Nicole Hockley, co-founder of Sandy Hook Promise, received an honorary degree. Sandy Hook Promise aims to help students, teachers, and parents recognize the signs of social isolation and anger in students, to head off violence before it starts. The nonprofit was created follow ing the death of Hockley’s son Dylan, along with 19 other firstgraders in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
This year’s undergraduate Commencement speaker and recip ient of an honorary Doctor of Laws degree was Robert D. Manfred Jr., attorney, business executive, and
current commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Manfred spoke to graduates about baseball legend Jackie Robinson’s legacy. “Jackie Robinson once uttered words that I believe teach an important life lesson. Jackie said: ‘A life is not important except in the impact that it has on others’ lives.’”
Manfred continued, “Jackie Robinson was right. You will all have busy and successful lives. Please find room and time in those busy lives to positively affect the lives of others... Be generous with your wealth and try to help those who are less fortunate. At the end of the day, what you do for others is what really matters.”
Manfred became the
commissioner of baseball in January 2015. He has led the MLB in staging special events internationally and domestically, including a historic trip to Cuba in 2016, the sport’s inaugural 2019 European games in London, and the 2021 trip to Iowa’s famed Field of Dreams. With two labor agreements during his tenure as commissioner, baseball’s unprecedented streak of uninter rupted play on the field since 1995 has continued. MLB has formed core partnerships with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Jackie Robinson Foundation, and Stand Up to Cancer.
Following Manfred’s speech, undergraduates received degrees from the College of Arts and
Sciences, Egan School of Nursing, Dolan School of Business, and the School of Engineering.
President Mark R. Nemec, PhD, congratulated the Class of 2022 and offered concluding remarks. “Our Ignatian tradition calls us to... ‘be in the moment,’ to find God in all things, and to celebrate your leadership.” He shared words of wisdom by a 2019 Fairfield University honorary degree recipi ent, Chris Lowney: “The measure of a leader’s personal greatness is less what they found at journey’s end and more the depth of human character that carried them along the way, their imagination, will, perseverance, courage, resourceful ness, and willingness to bear the risk of failure.’”
“Our Ignatian tradition calls us to... ‘be in the moment,’ to find God in all things, and to celebrate your leadership.”
Marc R. Nemec, PhD, University PresidentFairfield University celebrated graduates from the Class of 2022 on May 21 and 22, conferring degrees upon 1,082 undergraduate students and 499 graduate students.
“ I [have] such a tremendous love for Fairfield that it is the perfect place for me to give back.”
uring her freshman year on campus, Sheila (Kearney) Davidson ’83 recalls that there was a big celebration to commemo rate the first decade (197080) of women undergraduates at Fairfield. “Back then,” she said, “I thought, ‘Wow, ten years! That’s a long time.”
Now, after more than five decades of women on campus, Davidson has been appointed Chair of the Fairfield University Board of Trustees. It’s been a long time coming, but Davidson is proud to be the first female Board Chair, and she’s hopeful that she won’t be the last. She succeeds Frank J. Carroll III ’89, who served as Chair from 2015-22 and remains a University Trustee.
A first-generation college student, Davidson grew up in Clifton, N.J. Her father had turned down college scholarship opportunities be cause he needed to work full-time to support his family. Her mother had studied journal ism at NYU for several semesters before being asked to leave — as all women were — to make room for World War II soldiers returning on the G.I. Bill.
Despite this, Davidson’s mom forged a successful career in journalism and her dad, a lifelong learner, was a self-taught historian. When it came time for their daughter to choose a college, they drew a circle on a map to mark a two-hour drive from home and told Sheila she could attend any Catholic college inside the ring.
Of all the viable options within that radius, “I was most attracted to Fairfield for a shallow reason: the beach,” admitted Davidson. “But I’m really thrilled that this was the school I chose, because the liberal arts education I got here has served me throughout my life.”
Davidson credits the richness of Fairfield’s core curriculum for encouraging a breadth of knowledge “such that you’d be studying Western civilization at the same time as, say, ancient philosophy.” A political science ma jor, she remembers mulling over coursework as she walked up the path from the library to the Campus Center and “finding connections among all my classes… it just really set me on fire in terms of learning.”
Her junior year, Davidson spent a semester in Washington, D.C., where a Senate intern ship sparked her interest in the legislative process. “People were telling me, ‘You like to read and you write well; you’re always arguing and you’re not shy — you should be a lawyer,” she half-joked. The fall after her 1983 gradu ation from Fairfield, she enrolled at George Washington School of Law.
Davidson was captivated by corporate and securities regulation courses at law school. She interned in the trial unit of the enforcement division at the SEC, and her early law career included a five-year stint as a FINRA regulator (called NASD at the time). But, as a first-gen student with a mountain of student loans, she needed to earn more money. So, she answered a help-wanted ad in The New York Times and landed a job as a broker-dealer lawyer for New York Life Insurance Company. “Like Fairfield,” Davidson said, “New York Life has a very unique and embracing culture, so that’s where I found my home and my success.”
During her 31-year career at the company, Davidson has held leadership positions across New York Life’s legal, compliance, and adminis trative areas. She was appointed general counsel at the age of 38, and currently serves as chief legal and administrative officer. Recognized professionally as a diversity and inclusion champion, Davidson was the executive sponsor of New York Life’s women’s initiative.
Her abundance of professional qualifications
— along with serving on other nonprofit boards and being a Fairfield University Trustee since 2003 — isn’t all that Davidson brings to her his toric new role as Fairfield’s first female Chair. “I don’t just have a lot of experience,” she noted, “but also such a tremendous love for Fairfield that it is the perfect place for me to give back.”
As her tenure as Chair begins, “Fairfield is in a great position of strength, which is not true of a lot of universities post-Covid,” said Davidson. “I think Fairfield’s administration did a great job managing through Covid and we came out stronger, both relatively — be cause a lot of universities are struggling, but also absolutely — because our administration team is the strongest I’ve seen.”
She considers her principal role as Chair “to support that team and make sure they have the resources, advice, and guidance to do what they need to do.”
Current academic areas of focus for the Board include the University’s growth and transition from a regionally rated and ranked university to a national university, the estab lishment of a two-year regional college for low-income students, and the nursing school’s geographic expansion to Texas.
In terms of student experience, managing scale during this period of growth and pre serving the “tight-knit Fairfield experience” are major priorities. “The most enduring ties that I have to Fairfield are my friends,” said Davidson. “It is the richest legacy because it’s such a tight bond, and while that may not be unique to Fairfield, Fairfield is uniquely good at it.”
Based on her own experience and from talking to other alumni, Davidson believes that this sense of close community is something special that people universally hold dear about Fairfield. “As we grow,” she concluded, “we have to be more purposeful about that, and we need make sure everybody feels welcome and included on campus.”
Dolan’s Philip Maymin, PhD, uses ‘behavioral analytics’ to broaden students’ minds and prepare them for the world beyond data.
by Robby Piazzaroli
When we think of business analytics, what likely comes to mind is the study of statistics, data collection, data cleansing, data storage, numbers — static concepts. Which doesn’t leave much room for creativity, missing the human component. That is precisely why Philip Maymin, PhD, professor of analytics in the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, has started utilizing a new teaching approach that is unique to Dolan’s Business Analytics program: mindfulness.
Based on his work as an external researcher and co-author of papers with Ellen J. Langer, PhD, a professor of psychology at Harvard University, Dr. Maymin has taken what he learned about the practice of mindfulness and incorporated it into his analytics lesson plans.
Dr. Langer started to apply mindfulness to measurable observations almost 50 years ago, defining mindfulness as the “active process of noticing new things.” Other definitions often focus on meditation or breathing exercises. Over time, meditation can lead to a mindful post-meditative state, but mindfulness can also be achieved instantly, just by noticing something new in a familiar environment; it’s all about thinking in novel ways.
“To use mindfulness in day-to-day life, one simply has to stop, look around, and notice three new things,” said Dr. Maymin. “Try it: three things you never noticed before. What happens? We come to appreciate that we don’t necessarily know everything — our surroundings start to look different — and that is mindfulness.”
By integrating mindfulness into the classroom curriculum, Dr. Maymin has transformed the study of business analytics. He argues that analytics is, and can be, much more than just statistics or data-driven decision-making when one uses mindfulness to think beyond the scope of the norm.
Dr. Maymin saw the practical benefits of mindfulness when he consulted for Essentia Analytics, a behavioral analytics and performance consulting firm for investors. There, he observed a process involving “nudges” to help portfolio managers become more mindful about their trading decisions.
Left: Dr. Philip Maymin balances on a jungle-gym in the yard of his Greenwich, Conn. home.
Nudges are essentially automated notifications, tailored to the portfolio manager’s process — in other words, a prompt to think before, or after, taking action. According to Dr. Maymin, portfolio managers who engaged in such nudges added more than 150 basis points (1.00%) of outperformance to their funds, on average.
“This is a remarkably large number,” he said. “Adding five or 10 basis points per year is considered an outstanding accomplishment and can separate great performers from mediocre ones…all because they took a moment to be mindful.”
Dr. Maymin’s ultimate goal for using mindfulness is to broaden students’ thought processes, allowing them to evolve into more than mere data-computing “robots.” He belongs to a business analytics roundtable with global academic representatives, and as far as he can tell, his approach to mindfulness in the study of analytics is unique to Fairfield.
Based on feedback from the business world, Dr. Maymin recognizes a need for growth beyond the typical data-driven statistics students. Managers are looking for more than just the required analytics skills, he said. They are searching for creativity and uniqueness.
“In terms of getting a job, I’m really not hearing about technical skills from these people who are looking for young business minds to recruit,” said Dr. Maymin. “Soft skills, like curiosity, outside-the-box thinking, and imagination are much more desired in analytics and business these days. In turn, this makes our graduates more desirable.”
One of the main components of being mindful is the ability to appreciate multiple perspectives. Dr. Maymin created a game he calls “Mindle” — a take on the popular webbased game Wordle — which he plays with
students in his classes. In Mindle, the student is given a seemingly negative character trait about a person, such as “rigid,” and they need to guess what that also says about the person. In other words, “a person who is rigid is also ‘what’?”
As the player guesses, they get Wordle-style feedback of green and yellow letters, as well as a percentage indicating how close they are to what the game dictates as the correct answer. For example, someone who is “rigid” could also be considered “consistent.” Someone who is “impulsive” could also be “spontaneous,” and so on. The lesson? What might appear to initially be a negative quality, is in fact a positive quality when thought of in another context.
Applied outside the classroom, “when a company is hiring or evaluating an employee, a mindless employer will only view a static list of positives and negatives,” said Dr. Maymin. “But each negative is a positive in a different context. This is most familiar in sports. A player can ride the bench and appear mediocre on a team, but when the coach puts them in a better position, they can suddenly be dominant in that role. That would be an example of using mindfulness when evaluating player performance.”
Dr. Maymin earned his PhD in finance from the University of Chicago, and his master’s degree in applied math and bachelor’s degree in computer science from Harvard University. He also practiced law prior to joining Fairfield Dolan in 2019, where he quickly became a cornerstone in the University’s Business Analytics program.
As the founding managing editor of Algorithmic Finance, the co-founder and coeditor-in-chief of the Journal of Sports Analytics, and the co-founder and co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Sports Betting, Dr. Maymin has made a name for himself in the sports betting world – having recently been asked to host a seminar at Bet Bash 2 in Las Vegas. He is the CTO for a sports betting app, Swipe.bet, and has been an “insight partner” consultant with the aforementioned Essentia Analytics; an advisor to Athletes Unlimited, an affiliate of the Langer Mindfulness Institute; and an analytics consultant with several NBA teams.
“Through mindfulness you come to appreciate that you don’t necessarily know everything,” said Dr. Maymin. “You learn to appreciate multiple perspectives simultaneously, and also to appreciate, rather than fear, uncertainty. l F
“Soft skills, like curiosity, outside-the-box thinking, and imagination are much more desired in analytics and business these days. In turn, this makes our graduates more desirable.”
Phil Maymin, PhD, Professor of Analytics
In 1958, the average cost of a house was just over $12,000, the “hula hoop” had just be come a national craze, the curvy fenders of Ford thunderbirds flashed past street cor ners, and Fairfield University was a scrappy school with only a few buildings on its sprawling New England acreage.
It was the year John E. Klimas Jr. ’53, PhD came back to teach as an instructor of biology on campus. Just a few years prior, the local Ansonia, Connecticut boy had been an undergraduate student at Fairfield, a biology major and associate yearbook editor, who went on to earn a master’s degree in biology from Boston College, and a doctorate in physiology from the State University of Iowa.
Dr. Klimas was an authority on conservation, ecology, biology, and environmental education — with a particular focus on wildflowers.
So many Fairfield professors leave a lasting impression on their students, informing their lives and shaping their futures, and Dr. Klimas – who died unexpectedly in 1975 at the age of 48 – is one of those. He was also a conservationist before that was a concern we all shared, something of a lonely voice calling on his students to take care of the natural world. Today, his passion for biology is remembered by his former students, and is evident in the books he wrote on the wildflowers around us, as enlightening and valuable today as they were when they were written, beautiful volumes with drawings or colorful plates, objects of delicate beauty in their own right.
A great number of Fairfield alumni remember Dr. Klimas’ kindly manner, his warmth as a teacher and
person, but also how he was a man ahead of his time.
“Nobody was talking about ecology [then],” recalled alumnus Harry Rissetto ’65, a biology major, who was under Dr. Klimas’ tutelage for a zoology course. “He was a serious teacher with a real interest in the environment.”
During Dr. Klimas’ career at Fairfield, he focused on environmental awareness and published seven books on native wildflowers. After his death, alumni and friends established a fund in Klimas’ name, which still exists today, to support faculty research.
He was a pioneer who paved the way — with involvement from other Fairfield faculty legends in biology and other departments — for the focus on sustainability at Fairfield that remains fundamental to the University today.
James D. Fitzpatrick ’70, MA’72, P’08, a former Fairfield adminis trator for more than fifty years, recollected that Dr. Klimas spear headed the University’s first Earth Day demonstrations in 1970.
“He was very influential in bringing aware ness of the environment and getting students involved,” Fitzpatrick said.
Another alumnus, Pat Kiley ’71, a biology major who had a more than four-decade career in the health insurance industry, credits Dr. Klimas for teaching him how to “think through a problem” with a careful discipline that has “served him well” both in life and vocation.
According to The Manor 1970 yearbook, Dr. Klimas and others held an environmental “teach-in” in April of that year. A sepia photo in the yearbook shows a bearded Dr. Klimas helping a student fasten a paper poster to a tree. The pair stand around the tree’s knotty roots, a Volkswagen beetle parked behind them, with a heap of rubble and trash — motor
oil and soda cans, old baseball bats, empty bottles — at their feet. There must have been a ferocious gust of icy early spring wind as Dr. Klimas’ hair is standing on end, his jacket col lar and lapel raised. The handwritten lettering boldly scrawled across the top of the poster reads “Challenge Pollution.”
At Fairfield, Dr. Klimas taught a number of differ ent courses in the biology department, but it was botany — wildflowers in particular — where his name was made in the field.
In 1968, Dr. Klimas wrote Wild Flowers of Connecticut and subsequently published Wild Flowers of Eastern America, which was chosen by the American Library Association as one of the outstanding reference books published in 1974. He also co-authored Life: A Question of Survival, a textbook geared at middle and high school-aged students that was funded by a
above : (l-r) A wooded path at the Roy and Margot Larsen Audubon Sanctuary in Fairfield, Conn. where the flowers studied in Dr. Klimas’ field guide were photographed; Purple Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium masculatum) growing near a pond’s edge at the Audubon.
right: A bumblebee lights on a wild sunflower (Helianthus spp.)
National Science Foundation grant.
He authored five additional books on wildflowers native to the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and one combining those native to Vermont and New Hampshire. Additionally, the Fairfield professor was preparing pocket field guides to the flowers native to the various mid-Atlantic states at the time of his death.
Wild Flowers of Connecticut is a small book — still cited today as a comprehensive guide of native wildflowers — meant for taking in a pack out on a trail. Bound in full lime-green
“TO ENSURE THAT WILD FLOWERS WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF MAN’S NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, ‘TAKE NOTHING BUT PICTURES, LEAVE NOTHING BUT YOUR FOOTSTEPS’.”
cloth, imperial unit ruler stamped in gold on the front cover (for measuring specimens), the jacket boasts a full-color image of a crimson cardinal flower.
In this pocket guide that includes a midsection of color photographs, Dr. Klimas describes the plant as a “striking flower of the late summer” that possesses “spikelike clusters of brilliant red flowers” which he likens to the “red finery of the cardinals of the Roman Church.”
“I’m in the shadow of that cardinal flower,” said John Anthony Klimas ’77, Dr. Klimas’ son and an English major at Fairfield at the time of his father’s passing. “I used to go out with him in the woods as a boy all the time and was right outside the frame when he took that picture.”
Klimas said his father used an old Eastman Kodak Brownie camera that he would rig with a string and, while kneeling in the grass, would shoot the close-ups of each wildflower sample.
“It was the lure of them — their purpose, history,” Klimas continued, “He used to talk about how we were messing up the world and that we needed to do something. I guess his way of dealing with that was to teach.”
Dr. Klimas also had two daughters, one of whom attended Fairfield, Ann (Klimas) Blanc ’79. Among many professional affiliations, from 1968-69 Dr. Klimas served as an assistant program director with the National Science Foundation and was a longtime member of the board of directors of the Connecticut Audubon Society.
In his introduction to Wild Flowers of Connecticut, Dr. Klimas wrote, “[W]ild flowers add that color and zest to a landscape that would otherwise be dull . . . To ensure that wild flowers will always be a part of man’s natural environment, ‘take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but your footsteps’.” l F
“Fairfield has long been committed to this work of stewardship in relation to our environment,” wrote President Mark R. Nemec, PhD, in a recent Campus Sustainability Report. “This work has acquired even greater focus and urgency in recent years.”
As a Jesuit university, Fairfield’s undertaking of these efforts is also in accord with the four Universal Apostolic Preferences identified by the Society of Jesus in 2019 as guiding the work of the Jesuits for the following decade, the fourth of which is, “To collaborate in the care of our Common Home.”
Fairfield’s Campus Sustainability Committee (CSC), comprised of administrators, faculty, staff, and students, is charged with helping set the University’s goals and evaluating its progress with regard to sustainability. Born out of the Climate Commitment, the CSC meets monthly during the academic year to discuss University projects and policies related to sustainability.
The results for Fairfield have led to several awards and recognitions. A strong “green movement” on campus has taken shape with an array of campus projects and features, including:
• Construction of the Fairfield Jesuit Community Center, complete with Earth-friendly components such as geo-thermal heating and cooling, a green roof, and recycled content from structural steel to carpets.
• Implementation of car- and bike-sharing programs, and extensive installation of bicycle racks across campus.
• Water-conserving plumbing that includes 506 flushometers, 783 toilets, 231 urinals, and 545 showerheads across campus.
• The exchange of incandescent bulbs in dorms for compact spiral fluorescents.
• 7,700 lighting fixtures outfitted with energy-efficient lamps and electronic starters, and another 800 LED exit signs.
• The switch to 100-percent green cleaning products.
• The removal of trays in the dining hall, which significantly reduces waste stream.
• The conversion of HPS and metal halide lighting to LED “cutoff” fixtures.
• A reusable mug program to reduce waste, and sustainable bamboo paper goods in food service.
• The diversion of more than 30,000 pounds of food waste from incineration to renewable energy and compost, through a partnership with Blue Earth Compost.
• A partnership with Farmshelf, a hydroponic growth system, that produces food three times faster while using 90 percent less water. You can find the herbs in use in The Tully; simply look for “Homegrown Greens” label.
To learn more about sustainability at Fairfield, please visit fairfield.edu/ sustainability.
Twenty-five years ago this November, Fairfield University Volleyball swept Saint Peter’s to win its first MAAC Championship in program history.
What nobody could have known at the time was that Fairfield’s 1997 title victory was the beginning of an unrivaled run of success in the conference: 25 seasons highlighted by a MAAC-record 12 conference titles and NCAA postseason trips, and featuring 311 wins com pared to just 50 losses in league play.
It has been an era of achievement that could not have reasonably been expected two years prior to the ’97 Championship, when thenDirector of Athletics Gene Doris turned the program over to Todd Kress — a first-time collegiate head coach and, at 27, one of the youngest in all of NCAA Division I Volleyball.
“At that time, the program didn’t have much in terms of scholarships or other resources. To be honest, I couldn’t even tell you what the expectations were,” said Head Coach Kress. “But Gene put a lot of trust in me. There were a few times that I told him I’d found a ‘game changer-type’ player who was interested in Fairfield, and he would find the extra scholarship dollars we needed to get her to campus.”
It wasn’t long before those “game changers” not only lived up to the hype, but exceeded all expectations.
First to join the roster were fu ture Hall of Famers Liz Bower ’00 and Jen McLaughlin ’00, guiding the 1996 squad to a 2312 record and an appearance in the MAAC Championship match. Though that postseason loss to Siena was a disappoint ment, it was also the last defeat Fairfield would endure at the hands of a conference foe for nearly five years.
Another trio of all-time greats in 2001 class mates Sara Lein, Machel Craig, and Corrine Carlson entered the mix in 1997 as the Stags went 9-0 in the MAAC and won their first-ever MAAC Championship. The following season
included another unbeaten run through the MAAC and also saw Fairfield burst onto the national scene.
The 1998 Stags finished with the best re cord in the nation at 35-2, knocking off teams from the Big East, SEC, and Big Ten along the
left from top: The 1998 Stags had the best record in the nation at 35-2; Fairfield Athletics Hall of Famer Joanne Saunders ’02.
above: The 1997 Stags won the first MAAC Championship in program history.
way. That club featured future Hall of Famer Joanne Saunders ’02, and the entire 1998 team has since been enshrined as a group into the Fairfield Athletics Hall of Fame.
“The focus in those early years was to be a consistent contender for a MAAC Championship. But in 1997, in addition to winning the conference, we also started com peting with and beating teams like Hofstra, Providence, and Boston College, that we had never beaten before,” Kress noted. “Then in 1998, when we were beating Alabama, Iowa, and Notre Dame, that’s when everybody start ed to believe that there was a chance for the
program to develop into something special.”
Major changes were afoot before the 1999 season when Kress left to take on the head coaching job at Northern Illinois. But the Stags didn’t miss a beat under new Head Coach Mitch Jacobs, who added key play ers such as 2000 MAAC Rookie of the Year Kelly Sorensen ’04 and two-time All-MAAC First Teamer Conny Paul ’03. Fairfield ran off two more unbeaten MAAC seasons in 1999 and 2000.
The 2001 Stags would suffer a rare MAAC defeat in the regular season but avenged that loss to Saint Peter’s in the tournament final
to extend their streak to a record five straight MAAC Championships and NCAA postsea son appearances.
Jacobs left Fairfield to begin a 17-year ten ure as the head coach at Marshall University and, in 2002, the Stags’ streak came to an end when Manhattan raised the MAAC Trophy.
That campaign was the start of a champi onship drought for Fairfield — drought being a relative term, as the Stags won five MAAC regular season titles under Head Coach Jeff “CJ” Werneke and two more coached by Alija Pittenger.
But Fairfield ultimately came up short of winning the MAAC Championship and se curing an NCAA berth for a solid decade from 2002-11.
“Even the best teams don’t win a champion ship every year. There’s a level of consistency that is very difficult to maintain for that long,” former Head Coach Pittenger said. “So while it certainly became a sort of stigma around our program during those years, I think look ing back, we can be proud of the hard work that those teams put into being a contender.”
In the 2012 season — Pittenger’s fifth — a new generation of Fairfield game changers was ready to take up the mantle as a core comprised of All-MAAC First Team selections
“IN 1998, WHEN WE WERE BEATING ALABAMA, IOWA, AND NOTRE DAME, THAT’S WHEN EVERYBODY STARTED TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A CHANCE FOR THE PROGRAM TO DEVELOP INTO SOMETHING SPECIAL.”
— Todd Kress, Head Coachleft: Fairfield Athletics Hall of Famer Rachel Romansky ’14.
left: The 2019 Stags won the final MAAC Championship to be held in Alumni Hall.
below from top: Former Head Coach Alija Pittenger won back-to-back MAAC Championships in 2012 and 2013; Head Coach Todd Kress is an eight-time MAAC Coach of the Year and seven-time MAAC Champion.
Brianna Dixion ’13, Caitlin Stapleton ’15, and 2021 Hall of Famer Rachel Romansky ’14 guided Fairfield back to the MAAC Championship match at Alumni Hall. Fittingly, the opponent was a Siena team that had defeated Fairfield in the conference finals four times during the Stags’ 10-year dry spell — a history lesson not lost on the players and coaches in the home locker room.
“We tried to hide it, but everybody was feeling the pressure going into that match,” recalled Pittenger. “And I think there were moments of, ‘Oh no, not again!’ when Siena would go on a run, or when things weren’t going our way. But there were also moments where players stepped up and said ‘Not this time!’, and those moments are what made the difference on that day.”
The Stags were back on top and, in true Fairfield Volleyball fashion, they went on to repeat as MAAC Champions in 2013 to make it seven conference titles since that first triumph in 1997. That victory was also Pittenger’s swan song before making her exit from Fairfield, leaving the door open for Kress in 2014 to return to the place where he’d begun his career 19 years earlier.
The names and the highlights from Kress’s second stint are fresher in the minds of the Fairfield Volleyball faithful. There was the three-peat from 2015-17 with Skyler Day ’18 and Megan Theiller ’18 leading the way,
Manuela Nicolini ’20, M’22 rewriting the record books at the setter position to lock up the 2019 title, and the electric debut of KJ Johnson ’23 in the 2021 championship season. All told, the Stags have won five of eight MAAC Championships during Kress’s return, running the grand total to a MAACbest 12 over a span of 25 years.
Now ready for his 13th season as a Stag and 27th as a college head coach in the fall of 2022, Kress embraces the history that he has helped create, and the game changers who have helped Fairfield Volleyball flourish for 25 years and counting.
“I’m humbled and grateful to be a part of it,” reflected Kress. “When you’re in a midmajor league, typically your only path to the NCAA Tournament is to win a conference ti tle, which leaves a very small margin for error. And for Fairfield to have done it 12 times in 25 seasons is a testament to the commitment of the student-athletes and coaches throughout the years, as well as the University and the Athletics Department continuing their sup port and belief in our program.” l F
Over the last few years, America’s brave and perseverant nurses have been applauded for their heroic work during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Now, amid the aftereffects of the pandemic, nurses are making headlines once again: this time because of the critical nursing shortage occurring across the nation. The effects of the pandemic, combined with baby boomers reaching retirement age and more people seeking medical treatment through the Affordable Care Act has created an imbalance between the supply and demand for nurses.
The scale of the demand is staggering; according to The Boston Globe, citing a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be as many as 194,500 job openings each year over the next decade for registered nurses. The New York Times recently reported that the “nation’s chronic shortage of registered nurses is as bad in some parts of the country as it has ever been, experts say, and it is showing signs of getting worse.”
To address the demand for nurses nationally, the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies’ highly regarded Accelerated Second Degree Nursing (ASDNU) program is preparing for a major
expansion — to the bustling city of Austin, Texas*.
The expansion of Fairfield’s nursing programs into the Southwest reflects the evolution and innovation of the University’s academic programs nationally, and will generate a pipeline of nurse graduates to address nursing shortages in the region.
A 23,040 square-foot Austin property located at 7951 Shoal Creek Boulevard is being remodeled to mirror the facility on Fairfield’s Connecticut campus. The new location will have classrooms and several simulation labs, including a simulated intensive care unit and a surgical suite.
The first cohort of 20 to 25 ASDNU students will begin in May 2023, with a second cohort to enter the following January. Eventually, Fairfield Egan plans to expand degree programs at the satellite school, to include such offerings as the Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) in nurse anesthesia.
“Our job now is to get the word out about the strength of our program and promote the Fairfield name in a new area of the country,” said Egan Dean Meredith Wallace Kazer, PhD, APRN-BC, FAAN.
*The Austin, Texas Second Degree Nursing Program is pending Texas Board of Nursing and NECHE approval
We had a list of criteria to help us determine the ideal location for the new school,” explained Dr. Kazer. “Competition from other nursing schools in the area, job availability, and highquality clinical placements were all things to consider. We worked with a consulting firm and they identified 10 potential cities. Engaging with clinical partners and holding alumni focus groups in these cities helped narrow it down from there.”
Ultimately, Austin, Texas met all criteria — especially clinical placement, which is often a challenge for universities. “Not only were we able to facilitate three excellent clinical affilia tions there, we got an amazing reception,” said Dr. Kazer. At this time, Fairfield Egan’s Texas clinical partnerships include Baylor Scott & White Health, AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine, and Central Texas Veterans Health Care System.
The Texas campus will feature Fairfield Egan’s full-time, 15-month accelerated second degree baccalaureate nursing program. At the completion of the ASDNU program, students will be eligible to sit for the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX) to become regis tered nurses. The ASDNU program has been in existence at Fairfield Egan for more than two de cades and is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
In the last several years, it has become a re quirement for nurses to have a bachelor’s degree. The second-degree program provides a unique opportunity for students with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree to pursue a bachelor of science in nursing degree in an accelerated format.
“There are nine institutions in Central Texas that offer nursing programs, but only two offer second-degree programs,” said
Lucina Kimpel, PhD, MSN, RN, who was re cently hired as the new director of the FairfieldTexas program.
“Patients are coming in today with multidimensional health issues, and nurses need to think critically,” she added. “We see patients who would have been in intensive care years ago. Hospitals now are asking nurses to get in volved in evidence-based practice, and you need a bachelor’s degree to have that background.”
Fairfield’s Clinical Student Coordinator Bonnie Anderson, MSN-Ed, RN, CNEcl is anticipat ing that a number of the students who will do their clinical training at Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, one of the three new partnerships, will stay on once they graduate and pass their licensing exams.
“Caring for our nation’s veterans has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” Anderson said. “There are an abundance of healthcare professionals and ancillary staff in this organization who share this sentiment, and many have formerly or are currently serving in the armed forces themselves. This is part of what makes VA service unique. Knowing that you are giving back — to a population of patients who have given so much of themselves for us — is significant.”
The state of Texas, specifically, faces a critical nursing shortage. According to the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies, the supply of registered nurses is projected to grow 30.5 percent (to 291,872 by 2032), leaving a deficit of 57,012 nurses, or 16.3 percent of the demand not being met. Working with Fairfield University, research consultant Huron Consulting found that the significant Texas nursing shortage in both urban and rural areas will continue without innovative interventions.
On what sets the Egan School apart from peer institutions, Fairfield-Texas program di rector Lucina Kimpel noted, “At Fairfield, our
students witness first-hand the dedication our faculty have to each and every student’s per sonal development in life and their careers. The effects of an education at Fairfield extend long past graduation. As a Jesuit school, we value the notion of cura personalis, which I believe is a big distinguishing factor, teaching students the concept of care of the whole person.” l F
The Accelerated Second Degree Nursing (ASDNU) program provides a unique opportunity for those with bachelor’s degrees in fields other than nursing to pursue a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree in an accelerated format. The 15-month program has attracted talented students from across the country who are looking to change career paths and follow their calling to become nurses. Since launching in 1992, the ASDNU program has grown substantially and is highly sought after as an alternate route to the nursing profession. It is designed to draw on students’ prior education and experience, which serves as a foundation for nursing courses and helps to develop the social awareness, critical thinking skills, aesthetic sensibility, and values to sit for the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX). Consistent with the Egan School’s mission, the program empowers students to become healthcare leaders and improve health outcomes globally. l F Learn more at fairfield.edu/ seconddegree.
Rony G. Delva, MSW, program director of Upward Bound, was awarded a $2 million, five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education to continue the Upward Bound project at Fairfield University. The Upward Bound program is designed to identify eligible youths who have completed eighth grade and are 13 years of age but not older than 19, two-thirds of whom are low-income and potential first-generation college students. One-third of students may be first-generation, low-income or at high risk of academic failure. Upward Bound offers services to support their completion of high school and enrollment into postsecondary education, and encourages youths to enroll in a postsecondary institution and graduate. The essential components of the program include year-long academic instruction, a six-week summer program, academic career counseling and advising, guidance for students seeking to reenter secondary school, finance and financial workshops, tutoring, mentoring financial aid workshops for students and parents, college campus visits, trips to career/job sites, study skills workshops, standardized test preparation workshops and classes, and information dissemination pertaining to postsecondary education and financial aid options.
The Ernest and Joan Trefz Foundation approved an increased $35,000 grant towards the Fairfield University Community Partnership Scholarship Program. Funds will be used to enhance the financial aid available to students coming from underserved areas, and empower them to work towards achieving their academic, personal, and professional goals.
A $5,000 gift from the Lawrence I. & Blanche H. Rhodes Memorial Fund will support the Simon Harak and Fr. John Murray, S.J., Glee Club Scholarship Fund. This gift will help provide scholarships and financial assistance to students participating in the University’s Glee Club, a mixed chorus of more than 100 undergraduate and graduate singers.
The Bank of America Charitable Foundation has approved a $20,000 grant to enhance Fairfield Dolan’s Professional Development Series, an initiative designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills essential to successfully navigate their professional journeys. The grant will also support student programming implemented by the University’s Career Center.
The Smith Richardson Foundation has renewed its commitment with a $20,000 grant to support the B.E.S.T. (Business Education Simulation and Trading) Classroom, which enables students in the Dolan School of Business to stay current with the technology demands of the financial industry.
PricewaterhouseCoopers’ INQuires grant program awarded $10,000 to revise the undergraduate accounting curriculum in order to analyze tax-specific curricula changes needed due to the CPA Evolution initiative. Funding will also be used to develop an undergraduate minor in taxation to address tax-specific changes in CPA Evolution and create flexibility for CPA-seeking undergraduate students.
The Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation has awarded $10,000 to B.A.S.E. (Broadening Access to Science Education) Camp. Through this initiative, high school students are exposed to science through hands-on learning and laboratory experiences, and learn about college studies and careers in STEM.
The Charles Koch Foundation awarded $15,000 to Zhu Zhang, PhD, assistant professor of politics, for a research project titled U.S. Economic Sanctions on China’s Companies and Chinese Countermeasures. The grant was awarded as part of the Foundation’s 2022 Summer Fellowship Program.
Fairfield County’s Community Foundation - Fund for Women and Girls approved a $3,000 grant in support of “Reimagining Mothering and Career - Insights from a Time of Crisis” a book project led by Egan faculty Jenna A. LoGiudice, PhD, CNM, RN; Kathryn Phillips, PhD; and SEHD faculty member Evelyn Bilias Lolis, PhD. The book will capture insights from women who were working and mothering during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, in order to validate, restore, and empower other mothers.
The Paul L. Jones Fund approved a $40,000 grant in support of the Paul L. Jones Scholarship, a program that provides scholarships to nursing students who
demonstrate significant financial need and are academically qualified to become leaders in the health field, particularly in the service of medically under-resourced or underserved areas.
The Gladys Brooks Foundation has approved a $150,000 grant to establish the Gladys Brooks Foundation Nursing Scholarship Endowment Fund. This new fund will support nursing education and fuel the Egan School’s commitment to addressing the national nursing shortage via the formation of merit-based, endowed scholarships available to the most promising, best-qualified students.
Bryan Crandall, PhD, of the School of Education and Human Development has secured funding from the CT State Department of Education for the National Writing Project. The $10,000 grant was awarded to support teacher-leadership with programs across Connecticut to help young people research and form arguments, expand their learning beyond classroom walls, and publish their writing about topics that matter to them. The core work is to identify excellent teachers and support their leadership via summer institutes, workshops, and professional development opportunities.
The trustees of the Engineering Information Foundation approved a $24,686 grant in support of the “Fundamentals of Engineering” course redesign project. Over the next 12 months, faculty members John Drazan, PhD, Elif Kongar, PhD, Isaac Macwan, PhD, and Gigi
Belfadel, PhD, will work diligently to implement the proposed changes and assess the learning outcomes for engineering students.
The Aquarion Water Company, Inc. has made a $10,000 pledge in support of Arthur Szyk: Artist and Soldier for Human Rights. The exhibit, which will open in September 2023, will include a broad range of complementary programming, including an international symposium, an immersive digital experience, and outreach programs benefiting local school children and families. The Fairfield University Art Museum (FUAM) will be the only stop in the Northeast for this exceptional exhibition.
The George J. and Jessica Harris Foundation continues to show its commitment to the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts through a $15,000 grant in support of the Quick Center’s general operations
and diverse performing arts programming, including the Arts for All partnership with the Bridgeport Public School District.
The trustees of the Edward John Noble Foundation approved a $20,000 gift to support the Quick Center’s 2022-23 season. Support from the foundation will enable the Quick Center to serve a projected 40,000 individuals, through a broad range of highquality live and virtual performances.
The Robert Lehman Foundation increased its support of FUAM with a $7,500 grant towards the Edwin L. Weisl Jr. Lectureships in Art History. The funds will be used to bring five distinguished scholars to campus to offer engaging lectures related to exhibitions on view, with a goal of fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and promoting understanding of the arts in the context of both history and the contemporary world.
The Parkinson Family Foundation approved a $2,500 gift toward Out of the Kress Vaults: Women and Sacred Renaissance Paintings, an exhibition of Italian Renaissance paintings drawn from the storage vaults of Kress institutions across the Northeast. This exhibition, curated in collaboration with Fairfield University students, will run from September 17 through December 16, 2022. It will explore representations of femininity and virtue in Italian Renaissance paintings, and create unique opportunities for engagement among our students, faculty, and the greater community of patrons and visitors.
The Edward John Noble Foundation has increased its support of the Fairfield University Student Health and Wellness Center, which provides counseling and psychological services to undergraduate and graduate students, with a $30,000 grant for the 2022-23 academic year l F
The Gladys Brooks Foundation Nursing Scholarship Endowment Fund will support nursing education and fuel the Egan School’s commitment to addressing the national nursing shortage.
’59 | Albert “Al” Emanuelli has authored the book A Spousal Conspiracy on Hilton Head, published in 2020. Emanuelli, a first-time author, spent a combined 40 years as a trial attorney and New York State Supreme Court justice in White Plains, N.Y., before retiring to the island of Hilton Head, S.C., where he, his wife, and rescue dog Baci have been longtime residents.
’64 | Thomas Beaudin has just published his third book, Ya Gotta Outmaneuver ’Em, which completes his Timmy Dennison short story trilogy. Book One, Timmy’s Spiritual Christmas, was published in 2020, and Book Two, Your Love Has Shown Me God’s Love, was published in 2021. The Timmy Dennison stories are about God and family. Beaudin’s books are available at: dovechristianpublishers. com as well as other book outlets.
’70 | James “J.P.” Higgins, recently had his short story “Living Dead, and In-Between” published in the anthology Made in L.A. Volume 4 - Beyond the Precipice, published by Resonant Earth Publishing. Higgins’ first publication was a poem in the May 1968 Fairfield University literary magazine Frontiers. Since then, Higgins has published financial technical writing, interviews, and entertainment business articles in a Los Angeles magazine.
Caitlin and John Crimmins ’10 welcomed twins, daughter, Madeline Frances and son, John Joseph V on Jan. 11, 2022.
Share your news! Simply log on to the Alumni Online Community and post your Class Note. Not a member? Registration is easy — www.fairfield.edu/alumnicommunity. Sign up and log on today.
’79 | Connie (Carrigan ’79) Mahoney is the 2023 presidentelect of the N.J. chapter of PIA, Professional Insurance Agents. PIA is a voluntary membership-based trade association representing professional, independent property/casualty insurance agents. PIA National is the premier association for professional independent insurance agents, with members in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the District of Columbia, and Guam.
industries in Asia, with a focus on investing in enhancing human learning through Artificial Intelligence, Metaverses, and Blockchain.
’99 | Jay Peabody has been selected as one of Partridge Snow and Hahn, LLP’s new co-managing partners. Partridge Snow and Hahn is a business law and litigation firm with offices in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
’02 | Mary Kelly started her own marketing consulting business in 2018 with a client list that includes Boston Beer, Pepperidge Farm, Danone, and Henkel. In 2021, Mary returned to campus to join the Charles F. Dolan School of Business as an adjunct marketing professor.
’82 | David Kopp, Co-CEO of Aetherium Acquisition Corporation, led the recent IPO on NASDAQ. The company is a blank check company targeting the edtech and education
1980Mary Beth (Romer) Mackley is the author of Americana: A Civics Handbook (First Edition, published in 2011; Second Edition published in 2015, revised January 2017 and 2021). Full of informative, fun facts and trivia, the book is a resource for middle and high school students, and a handy reference for adults and/ or those studying for citizenship. The First Edition was approved for sale at the National Mall, and the Second Edition was awarded a 2017 Silver Medal by the Military Writer’s Society of America. It was also a finalist in the 2016 Best Book Awards and 2017 International Book Awards, both in the U.S. History category. Learn more at civicshandbook.com.
’09 | Ryan Callahan, VP of Marketing at RallyPoint, has been selected for the George W. Bush Institute’s Stand-To Veteran Leadership program. Callahan will join a group of 50 rising leaders — both veterans and non-veterans — from a wide range of sectors who are working to improve veteran outcomes. The Stand-To Veteran Leadership program is aimed at individuals serving U.S. veterans who are motivated to broaden their skillsets, knowledge, and influence across the country.
’11 | Andrew S. Paliotta has joined the law firm of Cozen O’Connor as counsel in its Global Insurance Department, representing insurers in complex insurance coverage matters and litigations.
’12 | Ralph Belvedere received Teacher of the Year for the Waterbury Arts Magnet School, in the Waterbury, Conn. Public School System, for both music and Italian. Belvedere is set to begin his PhD in Italian studies at UConn this fall. ’17 | Gianni Sbarro joined Forchelli Deegan Terrana LLP of Long Island, N.Y. Sbarro joined the full-service legal firm’s Land Use and Zoning practice group as an associate.
Jillian Marie Carney ’04 and Jose Romero – June 10, 2022.
Rosanna Veltri ’11 and Frank Barbalaco – June 18, 2022.
Jacqueline Brimley ’13 and Zachary Ennes ’12 – July 17, 2021.
Brigitte Germain ’13 and Brendan Kincaid ’08 –April 16, 2022.
Michaela (Nichols ’15) and Matthew Ross ’15 tied the knot on on April 2, 2022.
Share your news! Simply log on to the Alumni Online Community and post your Class Note. Not a member? Registration is easy — www.fairfield.edu/alumnicommunity. Sign up and log on today.
Kylen Farrell ’14, MA’18 and Brian Roque MA’16, CERT’17 –July 23, 2022.
Kalliopi “Kalli” Makris and Collin Norton ’14, MS’15 –March 5, 2022.
Allison Sheridan ’14 and James Shemtob ’15 – June 3, 2022.
Alison Canelli ’15, MS’16 and Kevin Gavin ’15, MS’16 –April 30, 2022.
Kathleen Early ’15, MA’19 and Jonathan Raj ’13, MPA’19 –June 25, 2022.
Jessica Estrada ’15 and Gabriel Solorzano – June 18, 2022.
Margaret “Maggie” Greene ’15 and Brendan Freeman ’15 — June 18, 2022.
Alexandra Martin ’15, MS’16 and Brian Hallstrom ’15 — June 25, 2022.
Michaela (Nichols ’15) and Matthew Ross ’15 — April 2, 2022.
Cristelle Sens-Castet ’15 and Alec Bandzes ’15 - July 30, 2022.
Abbie DeRiso ’16 and John Paul Sakakini ’16 — June 18, 2022.
Jennifer McHale ’16, MS’17 and Michael Barrett ’16 — May 21, 2022.
Kathryn “Katie” Cotter ’17 and Matt Pellegri ’16 — July 22, 2022.
Jill Stifano ’19 and Anthony John Mastrocola ’19 —
July 10, 2022.
Carey (Dever ’06) and Michael Pigott — son, Rory Daniel, Sept. 20, 2021.
Katelyn (Haggerty ’07) and Joseph Estrich ’07 — daughter, Hadley Davis, April 27, 2022.
Catherine and Michael Livingston ’07 — daughter, Maisie Josephine, Nov. 3, 2021.
Alexandra and JP Ryan ’07 — son, Lucca John Anthony, Nov. 9, 2021.
Caitlin and John Crimmins ’10 — twins: daughter, Madeline Frances and son, John Joseph V - Jan. 11, 2022.
Grace (Miceli ’09), MS’10 and Joseph Flanagan ’09 — daughter, Giuliana Joyce, April 5, 2022.
Erin (Schneider ’10) and Daniel Flynn — son, William Francis, April 14, 2022.
Alyssa Ruiz ’11 and Joseph Carretta ’10 — daughter, Domenica Francesca, April 23, 2022.
Kaitlin Farrell ’12 and Christopher Mullen — daughter, McKenna Farrell Mullen, Jan. 18, 2022.
From Irish dance training at the age of three to pre-med studies as an undergrad, Sean Crosby ’21, MS’22 is a true renaissance man.
Within just a year of receiving his bachelor’s degree in 2021, the Long Island native has traversed the world as a troupe member for the traveling Irish dance show Riverdance, while simultaneously completing an online master’s degree from Fairfield University.
For someone at the ripe age of 22, Crosby has experienced more than his share of uniquely life-altering moments. Honored to be a part of this year’s Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show, he was chosen to perform at the World Expo in Dubai, UAE. Thanks to the Sheik of Dubai’s wife, a fan of Riverdance from a young age, the troupe performed in Dubai for the entire month of November. Unfortunately, a subsequent tour in Vietnam was canceled because of Covid concerns, but Crosby said the experiences he
the sun rising over the Middle East… truly something I will remember for the rest of my life.”
This past March was an especially exciting time, given the global taste for Irish music and entertainment around St. Patrick’s Day. Crosby performed on The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon and was slated to perform on Good Morning America, but was unfortunately not featured on filming day due to a scheduling issue.
Second from left (above), Sean Crosby ’21, MS’22, has been Irish dancing since he was three years old and currently travels the world as a troupe member of the world-renowned Riverdance - 25th Anniversary Show.
had in Dubai more than made up for it.
“Some of my favorite experiences were eating at the base of the Burj Khalifa,” one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world, “and viewing a water show where the city plays music throughout the area, synchronized to the water performance,” he said.
“Another place that was breathtaking was the desert of Dubai during sunrise. We were escorted by some locals on a dune buggy to a high viewing spot — perfect to watch
Because of the recently added online master’s programs available through Fairfield, Crosby was able to have these once-in-a-lifetime Riverdance experiences without pausing his studies. Complementing his 2021 bachelor of science degree in molecular biology, he received his master’s degree in management from the Charles F. Dolan School of Business this past May.
“Getting my degree virtually is what allowed me to still be able to dance. An opportunity like this wouldn’t be possible for me if I was still living at Fairfield and starting a job directly out of college,” he said. “After realizing that I wanted to enter the medical field on the business side, I researched and saw that the [online] Master of Science in Management program was perfectly tailored for me.”
Growing up, the world of competitive Irish dance took Crosby around North America and through Europe — everywhere from England and Scotland, to Toronto, Nashville, and Orlando. He ultimately attained the ranking of third in the world in a competition in Glasgow. Even with these major accomplishments, Crosby never thought he’d be dancing professionally after high school, and decided to study pre-med
during his first three years at Fairfield. He had seen so many physical injuries while dancing that he wanted to become one of the professionals who had helped heal him many times before.
“The positive interactions and support from medical professionals inspired me to try to be like them,“ said Crosby. “I wanted to help the injured return to their passion and make sure others could continue to achieve their aspirations. Now, instead of being hands-on with the care, I have directed my own goals to enter the medical field on the business side. Hence my degree in management through Fairfield.”
While he looked into other colleges, Crosby knew from the age of 13 that he wanted to go to Fairfield — as evidenced in a journal from his early teens that he recently came across. He has been steadfast and true with his passions and direction in life since first stepping onto the dance floor at three years old. It’s no wonder Crosby is focused and prepared for what lies ahead.
“It would be a dream of mine to be a part of a company or team whose work makes a significant difference in the world,” he said.
“We see that we are only at the beginning of many advancements in tech and medicine, so I hope my work — whatever that may be — will be part of something revolutionary.” l F
“It would be a dream of mine to be a part of a company or team whose work makes a significant difference in the world.”
William C. Sjovall Sr. ’51 –May 11, 2022
Bronislaus E. Szkudlarek ’51, MA’56, CT’61 (GSEAP) –May 16, 2022
Joseph D. Macchia ’57 –June 22, 2022
Robert L. Newall ’57, MA’65, CT’67 (GSEAP) – June 15, 2022
John “Jack” M. Weiss ’58 –May 27, 2022
Michael J. Moran ’59 –April 1, 2022
Raymond J. Oliver ’59 –May 17, 2022
James R. Riordan ’59 –April 30, 2022
Father Francis J. Moy, S.J. ’60 –April 29, 2022
Joseph A. Cannizzaro ’61 –January 13, 2022
Harold J. Millbauer Jr. ’61 –April 13, 2022
E. Gerald “Jerry” Corrigan ’63 –May 17, 2022
John B. O’Neil ’63 – April 7, 2022
James D. Davidson Jr. ’64 –May 22, 2022
Arthur L. Szepesi ’65 –April 1, 2022
Gary G. Gombar ’69, MA’73, CT’76 (GSEAP) – April 13, 2022
Michael J. Harder ’70, MA’76 (GSC&PC) – May 11, 2022
Joseph J. Rackiewicz Jr. ’71 (BEI) – July 7, 2022
Mark R. Lombardi ’73 –January 21, 2022
Sister Mercedes Serna, RSCJ ’75 – April 5, 2022
Joseph E. Finn ’77 –June 15, 2022
Kevin F. Tighe ’77 –April 17, 2022
Carolyn M. (Gatto) O’Neall ’79 –April 8, 2022
Stephen J. Bailey ’80 –April 7, 2022
Stanley M. Gloss ’80 –June 7, 2022
John D. Zoidis ’80 –March 29, 2022
Nancy (Humes) Masterson ’87 –June 28, 2022
Stephen Dobi Jr. ’93 (BEI) –June 12, 2022
Stephen J. Sharnick ’12 –June 25, 2022
Sean P. Williams ’12 –May 8, 2022
StagMates Jacqueline Brimley ’13 and Zachary Ennes ’12 were married July 17, 2021.
Catherine and Michael Livingston ’07 are the proud parents of daughter, Maisie Josephine, born on Nov. 3, 2021.
Share your news! Simply log on to the Alumni Online Community and post your Class Note. Not a member? Registration is easy — www.fairfield.edu/alumnicommunity. Sign up and log on today.
by Jeannine (Carolan) Graf ’87
In the early summer of 1968, Mitchel Syp graduated from St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, N.J. That fall, he packed a duffel bag full of casual clothes and drove up Interstate 95 to continue his allmale, Jesuit education at Fairfield University. The University had just revised the dress code, making the incoming Class of 1972 “the first class of men that never had to wear jack ets and ties in the classroom,” recalled Mitch.
But that wasn’t the biggest change at Fairfield during Mitch’s undergraduate years. “Two years later we became coed and the girls arrived,” he said. “Everything happened then!”
Joan Barber was among the first cohort of women to join Fairfield’s newly coeducational campus for the fall 1970 semester. Looking for a change and wishing to be closer to her
Mitch worked up the cour age to ask Joanie on a date and she accepted. “We went to the movies on September 17,” said Joanie. “We never forget that because each year, we celebrate the anniversary of our first date.”
Originally a rugby player, Mitch had traded the pitch for the Playhouse stage before he met Joanie; his many act ing roles on campus included the lead in The Fantasticks
Then and Now: Joanie and Mitch on campus in May 2022 and (inset) pictured in the Class of 1972 Manor yearbook.
“I even got Joanie to join the Playhouse,” said Mitch, “and we still talk about her ‘starring role’ — a one-liner — in The Detective Story.” By the end of their junior year, Mitch had given Joanie his Fairfield class pin, which had a small red gemstone and a ’72 charm hanging from it.
“That was a big thing in our day,” said Mitch. “A guy would give their school pin to their girlfriend if they were really serious about them.”
Engaged the Christmas after graduation, Joanie and Mitch married on October 20, 1973. Dancing at their wedding reception for the first time as Mr. and Mrs. Syp, the new lyweds had no idea they’d just contributed to the alumni phenomenon known today as Fairfield StagMates.
home in Rye, N.Y., she transferred from an all-female, Catholic college in Massachusetts and was one of a dozen or so women to join the Class of ’72 as a junior.
During an Orientation program for new students, Mitch noticed Joanie sitting on the lawn by the Campus Center. He introduced himself and learned that they were classmates, both sociology majors, and that Joanie was living in Julie Hall — which also served as a convent back then. “She’d left the all-girls school to live with the nuns!” Mitch teased.
They ran into one another again in the cafeteria that evening. Goaded by a buddy,
Records kept by the Office of Alumni Relations indicate that there have been between 2,350 and 2,400 alumni marriages since the early days of coeducation at Fairfield. Over a span of 50 years, that’s the equivalent of about four StagMate weddings per month. “And those are just the ones we know about!” said Colleen McGinn, director of alumni engagement.
In May, Joanie and Mitch were recognized as the first StagMate couple ever to return to campus for a 50th anniversary reunion. “Many of our closest friends also attended,” said Mitch. “That was the best part – that we could all share the experience together.” At a Golden Stags Induction luncheon,
University President Mark R. Nemec, PhD, presented 67 members of the Class of 1972 with commemorative medals, and Alumni Association President Hugh Morgan ’69, P’94 led a class toast.
More than 110 classmates and spouses also attended a private cocktail reception and dinner-dance that evening. “I love to dance,” shared Joanie. “I danced from the time the DJ started until he ended; it was a blast!”
The youngest of Joanie and Mitch’s three children (Bridget Syp ’01) followed her par ents’ lead to Stag country. The Syps have five grandchildren. In 2015, Mitch retired from a career in global sales within the pharmaceuti cal and healthcare logistics industry, and Joanie retired after more than three decades in education at both public and private schools in New Jersey. They currently live in the Cape Cod town of West Dennis.
As the first Golden StagMates, this 50th reunion held profound meaning for Joanie and Mitch. Reflecting on their half-century together, Mitch noted, “Our college years were full of big changes in the world — the Vietnam War, Kent State, campus strikes. Fairfield was a great place then, and is an even better place now.” l F
“Our college years were full of big changes in the world — the Vietnam War, Kent State, campus strikes. Fairfield was a great place then, and is an even better place now.”
Kylen Farrell ’14, MA’18 and Brian Roque MA’16, CERT’17 — July 23, 2022.
Kalliopi “Kalli” Makris and Collin Norton ’14, MS’15 — March 5, 2022.
Alison Canelli ’15, MS’16 and Kevin Gavin ’15, MS’16 — Apr. 30, 2022.
Kathleen Early ’15, MA’19 and Jonathan Raj ’13, MPA’19June 25, 2022.
Alexandra Martin ’15, MS’16 and Brian Hallstrom ’15 — June 25, 2022.
Jennifer McHale ’16, MS’17 and Michael Barrett ’16 — May 21, 2022.
Catherine (Auriana MA’04, MBA’10) and David Cadigan — daughter, Abigail Faith, June 27, 2022.
Grace (Miceli ’09), MS’10 and Joseph Flanagan ’09 — daughter, Giuliana Joyce, April 5, 2022.
Bronislaus E. Szkudlarek ’51, MA’56, CT’61 (GSEAP) –May 16, 2022
John J. Hayes MA’57 (GSEAP) –April 17, 2022
Mary Lourdes (Wiedl) Homza MA’57 (GSEAP) – June 4, 2022
Vincent J. Antezzo MA’60, CT’62 (GSEAP) – May 30, 2022
Gloria (Riseley) Antignani MA’60 (GSEAP) – April 17, 2022
Robert L. Newall ’57, MA’65, CT’67 (GSEAP) – June 15, 2022
William S. Laros MA’66 (GSEAP) – June 21, 2022
Marie Tramontana MA’68 (GSEAP) – April 8, 2022
Margaret M. Vaugh MA’69 (GSEAP) – June 27, 2022
Sister Mary Anthonille Tyczkowski, CSSF MA’71 (GSEAP) – April 28, 2022
Gary G. Gombar ’69, MA’73, CT’76 (GSEAP) – April 13, 2022
Nancy (Beck) Tanzer MA’73 (GSEAP) – March 29, 2022
Charles T. Loeffler Jr. MA’74 (GSEAP) – May 13, 2022
Mary Ellen McDevitt MA’74 (GSEAP) – June 3, 2022
Michael J. Harder ’70, MA’76 (GSC&PC) – May 11, 2022
Virginia (Holloway) Lovas MA’77 (GSEAP) – May 9, 2022
Carole (Wright) Caswell MA’81 (GSEAP) – April 21, 2022
Robert E. Arnold Jr. MA’02, CT’03 (GSEAP) – April 19, 2022
Shannon E. (Steinfeld) Hoey MA’05 (GSEAP) – May 3, 2022
Raul P. Font MA’06 (GSEAP) –June 23, 2022
fairfield.edu/alumni | 203-254-4280 Email us at alumni@fairfield.edu
Alumni & Family Weekend
FRI., OCT. 21 – SUN. OCT. 23
For more information, visit fairfield.edu/AFW
The Inaugural Mission and Ministry “Faith Leaders for Racial Justice” Lecture Series
Wilton Cardinal Gregory
THURS., OCT. 13 | 7 P.M.
OVF: Espresso
Sandra Gibson and Luis Recoder
“Obscurus Projectum: The Lost Cinematic Art of the Camera Obscura”
MON., OCT. 17 | 7:30 P.M.
Open VISIONS Forum
Carl Bernstein
“Focusing a Journalistic Lens: Watergate to Washington 2024”
TUES., OCT. 18 | 7:30 P.M.
Theatre Fairfield
Tiny Beautiful Things
quickcenter.com | 203-254-4010 Follow us! @FairfieldQuick
nora chipaumire Nehanda
FRI., SEPT. 23 | 6 P.M.
Mariachi Herencia de México
With Lupita Infante Herederos
FRI., SEPT. 30 | 8 P.M.
Frederickson Family Innovation Lab Victoria Vesna & James Gimzewski
“NANO: Making the Invisible – Visible, the Inaudible – Audible”
WED., OCT. 12 | 7:30 P.M.
WED., OCT. 19 –SAT., OCT. 22 | 7:30 P.M. SAT., OCT. 22 | 2 P.M.
“The News & You: Build a Better News & Media Routine”
MON., OCT. 24 | 12 P.M.
Connecticut Public & The League of Women Voters of Connecticut 2022 Debates for U.S. Senator
TUES., OCT. 25 | 8 P.M.
Inspired Writers Series
Helen Oyeyemi
Peaces
THURS., OCT. 27 | 12 P.M.
Connecticut Public & The League of Women Voters of Connecticut 2022 Debates for CT Governor
THURS., OCT. 27 | 8 P.M.
The Metropolitan Opera: HD Live
Medea (Cherubini)
SAT., OCT. 29 | 1 P.M. (LIVE), 6 P.M. (ENCORE)
12 P.M. PRE-SCREENING TALK
Open VISIONS Forum
Frances Haugen “Ethics, the Public Good, and the Challenge of Social Media”
TUES., NOV. 1 | 7:30 P.M.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band Pass it On: 60th Anniversary Musical Celebration
FRI., NOV. 4 | 8 P.M.
School Matinee Series
Sugar Skull!
A Día de Muertos Musical Adventure
THURS., NOV. 10 | 10 A.M. & 12 P.M.
Open VISIONS Forum
Evelyn Tribole
“Intuitive Eating”
THURS., NOV. 10 | 5 P.M.
Orin Grossman, PhD Musical Borderlands
SUN., NOV. 13 | 3 P.M.
National Theatre Live
The Seagull
TUES., NOV. 15 | 2 P.M. & 7 P.M.
OVF: Espresso
Steven Rivellino
“The Playwright and the Goddess – Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe” TUES., NOV. 29 | 7:30 P.M.
Inspired Writers Series Katy Carl, Christopher Beha “New Catholic Novelists and Editors”
THURS., DEC. 1 | 7:30 P.M.
fairfield.edu/museum | 203-254-4046 Email us at museum@fairfield.edu
Leaves: The Endangered Species of New England NOW THROUGH DEC. 1, 2022 Bellarmine Lawn
Out of the Kress Vaults: Women in Sacred Renaissance Painting NOW THROUGH DEC. 17, 2022 Bellarmine Hall Galleries
Specimens and Reflections NOW THROUGH DEC. 17, 2022 Bellarmine Hall Galleries
Gladys Triana: Beyond Exile NOW THROUGH DEC. 17, 2022 Walsh Galleries
Gladys Triana, Nothing is Sacred, 1995, mixed media. Courtesy of the artist.
The Metropolitan Opera: HD Live
La Traviata (Verdi)
SAT., NOV. 5 | 1 P.M. (LIVE), 6 P.M. (ENCORE)
12 P.M. PRE-SCREENING TALK
Fredrickson Family Innovation Lab
Stephanie Dinkins
“Exploring Transmedia Art Using AI for Social Equity”
WED., NOV. 9 | 7:30 P.M.
Theatre Fairfield Director’s Cut
THURS., DEC. 1 & SAT., DEC. 3 | 7:30 P.M. SUN., DEC. 4 | 2 P.M.
The Metropolitan Opera: HD Live The Hours (Puts) WED., DEC. 14 | 1 P.M. (LIVE), 6 P.M. (ENCORE) 12 P.M. PRE-SCREENING TALK
DURING THE WEEKEND
OF JUNE 10 – 12, 2022, MORE THAN 1,200 ALUMNI AND GUESTS RETURNED TO CAMPUS FOR THE FIRST FULL REUNION WEEKEND SINCE 2019.
Alumni in classes ending in 2 or 7 were thrilled to come home to Fairfield and spent the weekend reconnecting with each other and celebrating the 5th through 45th milestone anniversaries of their graduation.
Festivities kicked off on Friday night with welcome receptions on campus and, for the 25th Reunion Class of 1997, at the Fairfield-favorite Seagrape Café on Reef Road. The Class of 1987 commit tee organized a special kick-off party for their class at Park City Music Hall in Bridgeport, where Split Decision, a band comprised of alumni from the 1980s, entertained the crowd all evening long.
Saturday morning brought the traditional Fun Run around campus, as well as preview tours of the new Arena construction site, and a “Meet the Faces of Fairfield” open house, which gave alumni the opportunity to mingle with University faculty and staff. That afternoon, the Taste of Fairfield, featur ing nine local food vendors, music from alumni band St. Hubbins, and face painting and a balloon artist for future Stags, took place in the Rafferty Stadium parking lot. Alumni then gathered for a special Reunion Mass, pausing to remember classmates who have gone before them. The weekend culminated with a dinner on Bellarmine Lawn, where attendees posed for photos, enjoyed a gourmet buffet dinner, and danced the night away.
To view additional photos, visit www.fairfield.edu/reunionphotos.
In May, the Class of 1972 and their guests returned home to Fairfield to celebrate their 50th Reunion. This “Reunion of a Lifetime,” a yearly tradition since 2001, provides alumni who graduated 50 years ago the chance to reunite, reminisce, and reconnect with their classmates and their alma mater as we mark this special milestone in their Fairfield journey.
This year, 67 members of the class, as well as two spouses of deceased members of the Class of 1972, returned home to Fairfield for a weekend of festivities that kicked off on Friday with exclusive hard hat preview tours of the Arena construction site and a welcome back dinner to reconnect with classmates. The highlight of the weekend was the annual Golden Stags induction ceremony & luncheon where University President Mark R. Nemec, PhD, formally inducted the Class of 1972 into this prestigious group of alumni with the assistance of Alumni Association President Hugh Morgan ’69, P’94. After joining in the traditional Baccalaureate Mass celebration that afternoon, the class enjoyed a formal dinner which featured several classmates leading their peers down memory lane through an interactive sharing of memories and anecdotes, and hours of dancing and singing along to favorite songs from their time on campus. The weekend concluded on Sunday with several representatives of the class proudly processing with the graduates of the Class of 2022 in the undergraduate Commencement ceremony.
The Class of 1972’s 50th Reunion also marked two special milestones in Fairfield’s history: the return to campus of our first 50th Reunion StagMates from the same class (Joanie (Barber) Syp and Mitch Syp ’72), and our first female graduates (Elaine Halas Scott ’72 and Joanie Syp) to celebrate their 50th Reunion.
Congratulations to our newest class of Golden Stags!”
View additional photos and a video at fairfield.edu/classof1972.
Class of 1973: Stay tuned for more information on your 50th Reunion! Visit fairfield.edu/classof1973 for updates.
While Winnie and Sean O’Keefe had no connection to Fairfield University before their son, James ’23, applied, it didn’t take long for them to embrace his decision and become Stag fans themselves
“Having James, and now Teddy ’26, choose Fairfield — and knowing the Catholic values we raised them with are being reinforced — means a lot to us,” said Winnie. She shared that the public schools where the family lives in Bergen County, New Jersey, are very good, so their three boys all went through the public school system and didn’t experience a Catholic education prior to Fairfield.
Winnie O’Keefe has long been familiar with the Jesuit idea of curis personalis — her brothers and other family members attended St. Joseph Prep, the Jesuit high school in her hometown of Philadelphia. In addition to the liberal arts education and values that she recognizes as so important, she and Sean have been impressed by the opportunities presented by Fairfield’s Charles F. Dolan School of Business, where James is majoring in finance and account ing. He also participates in the Student Mutual Investment Fund.
“His education both in an out of the classroom has been amazing,” said Winnie, noting that her son has had internships at UBS and Martin DeCruze &
Company, an accounting firm in Stamford. Like his brother, Teddy also plans to study finance. Both were attracted to Fairfield’s size and to the beautiful new Dolan School building with its state-ofthe-art facilities.
Fortunately for Fairfield, the O’Keefes’ enthusiasm has led them to become actively involved with the Parents Leadership Council. Among other things, they’ve spoken to the parents of incom ing students to welcome them, connect them with one another, and to encourage their involve ment in the life of the school. On a personal level, Winnie said that involvement has been significant.
“I feel that I’m not just sending my kids off; I can actually make a
difference. We can be part of the institution that we’re all so happy with. It’s a great way to get to know the school and the people in it, and when I come to campus I feel connected,” she said.
Sean, a director at a large Wall Street firm, and Winnie, owner of Whimsie Luxury Travel, have taken the family on numerous vacations around the country and throughout Europe. With three boys, there are no relaxing Caribbean sojourns for this crew — they can generally be found hiking, camping, and exploring new places. But there’s one spot they return to every year.
“Our happy place is Ocean City, New Jersey, where we meet up with extended family,” said Winnie. “All the cousins are the same ages, and it’s a family tradi tion for everyone to descend on OC over the July 4th weekend.”
Giving back is another family tradition, dating back to Winnie’s grandfather who always donated
generously to the high schools and colleges with which the fam ily has connections.
“We’re grateful that the family has supported both financial aid and technology upgrades for stu dents in the Dolan School,” said Fairfield’s Ellen Dooley ’85, P’23, director of parent engagement and philanthropy. “Besides establish ing a scholarship, their donations have helped to keep the hardware and software in Dolan’s Trading Simulation Floor and Financial Laboratory up to date, so that business students can practice using the technology they’ll need when they step into their jobs.”
“Sean and I understand the importance of supporting the educational institutions and the organizations that support our values,” said Winnie. “We encourage other parents to get involved in any way that interests them, because it feels great when you do, and it can make an invaluable difference.”
“Sean and I understand the importance of supporting the educational institutions and the organizations that support our values.We encourage other parents to get involved in any way that interests them, because it feels great when you do, and it can make an invaluable difference.”
The Parents Fund allows parents to contribute a gift of any size to the University’s most urgent priorities in the areas of academic excellence, student life, financial aid, and health & wellness.
The Parents Leadership Council is a community of parents who give $5,000 or more annually, ensuring millions of dollars in support for scholarships, the Parents Fund, athletics, and capital projects. Council members enjoy benefits like signature events with senior leadership and mission-driven programs.
Colleen Vann
and
Parent participation through the Parents Fund, the Parents Leadership Council, and The President’s Circle plays a critical role in elevating Fairfield experiences for all students.
Learn how you can join parents like Sean and Winnie Atterbury O’Keefe, P’23,’26 in making a difference, at fairfield.edu/parents.
Be on the lookout for more details about the upcoming Parent Leadership Challenge, October 11 – 25, 2022!
The President’s Circle invites parents to make a gift of $1,000 or more each fiscal year, to help shape all aspects of our University.
The Honor Your Graduate Program is an opportunity for parents of seniors to honor their students’ Fairfield experiences with a Senior Tribute gift of any size or a Capstone Scholarship gift of $10,000 or more.
For more information, contact: Office of Parent Engagement & Philanthropy (203) 254-4000 ext. 3276 parents@fairfield.edu
It’s easy to make a difference with Fairfield’s Alumni Job Shadow Program. Volunteer to meet with one or more students — in person or virtually — during winter break. Visit fairfield.edu/jobshadow for more information.
