Fairfield University Magazine - Fall 2023

Think Local, Act Global

With a new doctorate and a program in India, Fairfield Dolan is becoming a worldwide presence.

Fairfield students traveled overseas and observed a more patient-centric model of care.

Fairfieldmagazine

Success on the Sound

An upcoming book tells the story of the University’s colorful history and rise to prominence.

Killian McGinley ’23 Wins MAAC Golf Individual Championship

Autumn Sun

This fall, Fairfield welcomed the history-making Class of 2027, selected from a recordbreaking number of more than 15,450 applicants.

On the cover:

A view of campus as photographed for the 1967 Manor yearbook.

Fairfield University Magazine

Fairfield University

Fall 2023 | Volume 46 | Number 2 a.m.d.g.

Editor, Alistair Highet

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, 22-23,

Owen Bonaventura: pages 6, 9, 10-11

Joe Buglewicz: page 24

Brio Cooney: page 5

Tara Hyde, Her Witness Photography: page 33

Kristie Kistner: pages 9, 38-39

Cassidy Kristiansen: page 10-11

Seattle Mariners: page 9

Steve McLaughlin: page 15

Patrick Sikes: pages 38-39

Stockton photo: page 8

Jessica Zanca: page 14

Contributed photos: 7, 31-35, 40 -41

Manor Yearbook: pages 2, 16-21

Media Center: pages 12-13, 25, 29

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 Allied Printing Services

Manchester, Connecticut

Photo by Casey Timmeny

Success on the Sound

by a listair H ig H et

An upcoming book tells the story of the University’s colorful history and rise to prominence.

A new publication by University Archivist Elise Bochinski and two recently retired professors, Paul Lakeland, PhD, and Kurt Schlichting, PhD, charts the rise of the University and tells the stories of some of the characters and events that have made Fairfield what it is today.

22

Think Local, Act Global

by J anet r eynolds

With a new doctorate and a program in India, Fairfield Dolan is becoming a worldwide presence.

Fairfield Dolan’s graduate programs have impressive rankings and high-quality programs. Recently the school has been expanding reach through international partnerships and programs with a focus on top student outcomes. Dean Zhan Li details his plans and vision for the future.

Pictured above: Canisius as pictured in the 1958 Manor yearbook.

Pictured above: John Aland, PhD, CPA, assistant professor of accounting, (center) works with Dolan graduate students.

“We develop principled leaders for a better world and lifelong success. We have to look globally for this.”

New Perspective

by s ara C olabella ’08, M a’11

Fairfield students traveled overseas and observed a more patient-centric model of care.

4

5

The

Good at

Killian McGinley ’23 Wins MAAC Golf Individual Championship

31

King ’20 and George

Letter From the President

Dear Friends,

One of the highlights of summer at Fairfield is our Orientation program for incoming students, and this year was no exception. The Class of 2027 joined us in June and is, on all incoming metrics, the most academically accomplished in our institution’s recent history. Chosen from a record-breaking number of more than 15,450 applications, they are a class cohort drawn from a most selective admission process with an admit rate of 45 percent. They are also the most geographically and culturally diverse group ever welcomed to our University family, and include about 100 students from Jesuit and Cristo Rey high schools.

What was exceptional and unprecedented this summer was that we also welcomed the first incoming class for Fairfield Bellarmine, our associate’s degree-granting program in Bridgeport. On July 8 and 9, these institutional entrepreneurs — for these students truly are helping us build something new — attended Orientation and the following week they began summer session classes. Their fall semester is now underway at the newly renovated Bellarmine Campus in Bridgeport’s East End. After three years of planning, it is tremendously exciting to have officially launched this program, and to embark together on this expansion of our mission to bring the transformative power of higher education to broader audiences.

There are so many variations on this theme — new initiatives, innovations, and facilities — the University is in a state of continual evolution and re-creation. This fall, we opened our newest residence hall, Bowman Hall, named for Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA. Sr. Bowman was recognized by the Catholic Church as a Servant of God in 2018 – the first step toward canonization as a saint – for her ministerial

contributions and efforts to make the Church a place of inclusion and belonging for Black Catholics.

As you will read inside, we have changed the name of our School of Engineering to the School of Engineering and Computing, in recognition of the growing demand for computer science professionals in the artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and software engineering fields. The new name reflects the direction in which we will be taking the school and the investment in resources that we will make to ensure that we are the best Jesuit engineering school in the nation, infused with our Ignatian emphasis on a liberal arts foundation, ensuring our graduates are prepared to engage with the world as it is — in all its complexity — and transform it for the better. Our Fairfield University Downtown Bookstore has undergone a significant renovation and upgrade to make it the community destination hub that we feel it should be for town residents, with comfortable meeting areas, a more contemporary feel, and an expanded Starbucks Café still to come. More significantly, we have entered into a partnership with Barnes and Noble to improve the quality of our services, both in terms of what we offer the community and the efficiency and sophistication of how we deliver academic texts and materials to our students. We approach these changes and our ongoing evolution with optimism, hope, and faith – with what biographers of St. Ignatius have described as a “holy boldness.” Animated by the call to accompany our youth on a hope-filled future with a higher education that advances human flourishing and the greater good, we set a course to become the modern, Jesuit Catholic University for our time, and the plans that we have put in motion are increasingly coming to fruition.

It’s exciting to be part of it, and I’m delighted that I can share this transformative journey with all of you.

With very best wishes,

Mark R. Nemec, PhD President

“We set a course to become the modern, Jesuit Catholic University for our time, and the plans that we have put in motion are increasingly coming to fruition.”

UniversitNEWS y

FAIRFIELD CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING OF NEW AUSTIN, TEXAS

CAMPUS

New Master of Arts in Instructional Design Program

The School of Education and Human Development has launched a new, fully online Master of Arts in Instructional Design program for professionals who want to excel in the field of online learning. Ideal for both working professionals and recent graduates, candidates will master the design, development, and implementation of online learning units. The ISTE-certified program specializes in the instruction of online learning design for adult learners and places emphasis on the understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the context of digital learning.

Graduates of the program will acquire the skills to design, develop, implement, and evaluate online instructional design, as well as lead and manage large and small-scale projects from start to finish. Fairfield faculty members provide students with the support and guidance necessary to achieve their goals so they can confidently navigate what’s next for them in their careers. l F

To learn more about the new MA in Instructional Design and to request more information visit fairfield.edu/instructional-design. To learn more about Fairfield University’s online graduate programs visit fairfield.edu/online.

A grand opening and ribboncutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of Fairfield University’s new nursing school campus in Austin, Texas was held at the new facility located at 7951 Shoal Creek Blvd. The event introduced the new campus to the local community, including Texasbased Fairfield University alumni and community partners who toured the 21-bed simulation center and simulated rooms for ICU, obstetrics, pediatrics, medsurg, an operating room, home care suites, and skill labs.

The expansion of the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies to Texas establishes an additional nursing pathway through Fairfield University, and addresses the needs of the national healthcare system. The initial program offering in Texas is Fairfield Egan’s full-time, 15-month accelerated second-degree baccalaureate nursing (SDNU) program. Employment opportunities for nurses in the next decade are projected to grow 15 percent, faster than all other occupations. l F

Pictured( l-r): Vice President of Facilities, Campus, and Auxiliary Services David Frassinelli; Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies Dean Meredith Kazer, PhD, APRN, FAAN; Fairfield University President Mark R. Nemec, PhD; Alumni Chaplain and Special Assistant to the President Rev. Gerald Blaszczak, S.J.; Austin Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President of Economic Development Charisse Bodisch.

Fairfield’s Class of 2027 Makes University History, Selected From Record-Breaking Applicant Pool

Fairfield University’s incoming class of first-year students is the most academically accomplished in the Jesuit institution’s recent history. The new Stags were selected from a record number of just over 15,450 applicants, up from the previous recordbreaking number of applications received last year.

The average weighted high school GPA of Class of 2027 applicants was 3.85, an increase from last year’s average GPA of 3.74. There were also significant gains in diversity and geographic diversity. Members of the Class of 2027 represent 29 states, including Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, as well as 13 countries.

Fairfield University has a measured and strategic focus on expanding the University’s national and global reach. This year’s class is the largest in the University’s history, with an acceptance rate that has dropped to 44.9 percent.

“We all know that this class is

academically amazing, but deeper than that, there is a buzz about the character of the students who have chosen Fairfield University,” said Vice President for Enrollment Management Corry Unis. “The students in the Class of 2027, similar to those who preceded them, really take our mission and what we are called to do seriously.”

Fairfield has tripled its enrollment of students from Jesuit high schools and Cristo Rey network schools over the last five years, and this year will welcome about 100 such students.

Also significant to note this year is that the University has its second cohort of Company Scholars, an elite group of 20 first-year students from Cristo Rey and Jesuit schools who are academically excellent and engaged in community service. These scholars hail from as far away as Micronesia, and as close to home as Fairfield and Fordham Prep. l F

FIRST FAIRFIELD BELLARMINE CLASS OF 2025 WELCOMED AT ORIENTATION

Members of Fairfield Bellarmine’s inaugural Class of 2025 were officially welcomed as newly minted Stags during Orientation Weekend, held July 8-9, on the University’s North Benson campus in Fairfield, Conn.

Fairfield Bellarmine offers two-year associate’s degrees to students from the Greater Bridgeport region, as a bridge to a continuation of their studies towards a bachelor’s degree at Fairfield or another four-year institution, or as a pathway to enter the workforce. Building upon Fairfield’s rigorous liberal arts tradition, students study toward a degree in their chosen academic track of liberal arts, business, computer science, or health studies.

SIGMA XI WELCOMES LARGEST NUMBER OF INDUCTEES IN HISTORY OF CHAPTER

On May 17, the Fairfield University chapter of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Honor Society, inducted 27 seniors and four faculty members, the largest cohort in the society’s 23-year history at the University.

Sigma Xi is the world’s largest multidisciplinary honor society for scientists and engineers. Its mission is to enhance the health of the research enterprise, foster integrity in science and engineering, and promote the public understanding of science for the purpose of improving the human condition. Sigma Xi chapters can be found at colleges and universities, government laboratories, and industry research centers around the world. More than 200 Nobel Prize winners have been members.

Class of 2023 Inductees: Carissa Agostino, Leif Alino, Jillian Bauknecht, Olivia Beaudoin, Natalia Bertolotti,

Alexandra Carlotto, Michael Corbett, Julia Courtney, Katherine Eighmy, Grace Gallagher, Katherine Junkins, Andrew Maresca, Tatiana Mesrobian, Jenny Meyer, Sarah Murphy, Kenneisha Norford, Sarah O’Neill, Brenna Petrelli, Elizabeth Ricci, Margaret Rodgers, Margaret Rzucidlo, Katherine Samonek, Philip Scali, and James Vizzard.

Faculty Inductees: Danushka Bandara, PhD, Assistant Professor of Computer Science & Software Engineering, School of Engineering and Computing; Zhanar Berikkyzy, PhD, Associate Professor of Mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences; Joseph DeLuca, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences; and Karl Schmidt, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences. l F

A record number of students applied for admission to Fairfield this year, marking the lowest acceptance rate in University history.

Dolan Dean’s Forum Hosts BIC CEO and Former WW International CEO

The Charles F. Dolan School of Business was pleased to welcome two prominent leaders as part of the spring Dean’s Executive Forum series held last semester for students.

BIC CEO Gonzalve Bich presented a talk titled “Pens, Lighters, Tattoos?” on March 1. The event was co-hosted by Dolan School Dean Zhan Li, DBA, and instructor of the practice in management Christopher Hamer. BIC is a $2.3 billion business known globally for its pens, shavers, and lighters.

Later that month, one of Forbes Most Powerful Women, Mindy Grossman, a partner at Consello Group and the former CEO of WW International, concluded the Executive Forum talks with “Business/Brand

Transformations, Culture, and Opportunities.” During the event, co-moderated by Dean Li and Carl Scheraga, PhD, chair and professor of business strategy and technology management, Grossman shared

Fairfield Egan Honors Inaugural Delta Omega Inductees

On Saturday, May 20, the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies inducted its inaugural group of honorees into the University’s newly established Epsilon Omega Chapter of the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health.

Founded in 1924 at Johns Hopkins University, the prestigious national honor society encourages research and scholarship among graduatelevel public health students, and recognizes outstanding

INTRODUCING THE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTING

Fairfield University recently announced a new name for the School of Engineering: the School of Engineering and Computing. This renaming reflects the steady growth of the various disciplines within computer science.

with students some of the most pivotal moments in her career. As the former president and CEO of WW International (formerly Weight Watchers, Inc.), Grossman led the organization’s transformation and rebranding. l F

The scale of the demand for computer science professionals continues to grow. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for computer scientists and researchers is projected to grow 21 percent over the next decade.

achievement in the field of public health. Membership – which can include students, faculty, alumni, and honorary inductees – is based on high academic standards and outstanding performance in scholarship, teaching, research, and community service.

Since its inception, Delta Omega has expanded to more than 127 chapters and has more than 20,000 members from top echelons of graduate schools and programs of public health, as well as the public health community.

The inaugural list of Fairfield University student and alumni inductees includes: Giorgi Kuparadze ’23, Payton Matthews ’23, Julianna Sinotte ’24, and Arion Mete ’21, MPH. Faculty inductees were assistant public health professor Kimberly Doughty, PhD, MPH, CHES, and associate professor of nursing Jessica Alicea-Planas, RN, PhD, MPH, CHES. Tiffany Donalson, MPH, was an honorary community inductee; she is president and CEO of the Connecticut Health Foundation and member of Fairfield University’s newly formed Public Health Stakeholder Council. l F

The School of Engineering and Computing offers a breadth of computer programs including computer science, data science, and cybersecurity. In addition, the school has a state-of-the art Cybersecurity Lab, a fully staffed Security Operations Center, and an Innovation Annex. Besides running a very successful annual coding Hackathon event, the school will open an Artificial Intelligence Lab this fall.

This year, through research, innovation, and expertise, the computer science faculty continues to make its mark in the field through publications and grants. Research areas range from augmented reality and artificial intelligence to the framework for developing a next-gen cyber-aware workforce. l F

Fairfield Dolan Dean’s Executive Forum speakers Gonzalve Bich and Mindy Grossman delivered talks to students in March.

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Tanzanian Students, Teachers to Visit Campus

The Center for Social Impact received a $90,000 grant from the Switzerland-based Benina Foundation to strengthen its partnership with Loyola High School in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The grant enabled 10 students and four teachers from the Jesuit high school to visit Fairfield University’s campus in July.

Loyola High School educates young men and women of diverse economic backgrounds. During their visit, students participated in workshops in

computer science, math, and educational technology, as well as writing. The Tanzanian teachers engaged in professional development and had networking opportunities with Fairfield professors about future academic collaborations.

Students kicked off their visit by participating in the Ubuntu Writing Academy led by Bryan Ripley Crandall, PhD, associate professor of secondary English education and director of the Connecticut Writing Project (CWP) Fairfield. l F

LAUDATO SI’ IN ACTION

Fairfield University, as a modern, Jesuit Catholic University, has embraced the goals and direction set forth by Pope Francis in his second Encyclical Letter, “Laudato Si’, … Care for our Common Home,” a call-to-action for Catholic institutions to work to restore the earth and promote environmental justice and sustainability.

In the fall of 2021, the Vatican launched its Laudato Si’ Action Platform to guide communities in the development of their efforts. The seven goals set forth in the plan offer a path for Catholic institutions to follow.

Fairfield as an institution and community has adopted a comprehensive sustainability plan, and a host of other environmental efforts, programs, and initiatives are underway that express the institution’s commitment to the plan.

“Fairfield has long been committed to stewardship of our environment,” said University President Mark R. Nemec, PhD.

“Our location at the gateway to the majesty of New England reminds us of the urgency of care for our common home, as we meet the challenges of the 21st century and beyond.” l F

STAGS WIN SECOND MAAC WOMEN’S COMMISSIONER’S CUP

For the second straight season, Fairfield University Athletics has won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference women’s Commissioner’s Cup. The Stags finished second in the overall Commissioner’s Cup standings, just 0.25 points behind Quinnipiac.

Fairfield’s second straight women’s Commissioner’s Cup is also the third in four years for the Stags. Fairfield has ranked

in the top three in the women’s standings for seven consecutive seasons, and has now tied Marist for a MAAC-best 11 women’s Commissioner’s Cup victories all-time. Fairfield was led in the standings by MAAC Championships for women’s swimming & diving, and women’s lacrosse as well as regular season championships in volleyball, women’s soccer, and women’s lacrosse. l F

Biology Students and Faculty Present Research at Top Conferences

The College of Arts and Sciences encourages undergraduate students from all disciplines to conduct in-depth and collaborative research under the guidance of faculty experts and staff. Most recently, the biology department led the way with seven faculty members having conducted research with student mentees who have or will present or publish their findings both nationally and internationally.

Participating in faculty-led research projects can expose students to the forefront of scientific inquiry. Fairfield’s students gain first-hand

experience by taking part in projects with the latest research techniques, technologies, and methodologies. Presenting research findings at national conferences offers biology students a platform to showcase their work and gain recognition within the scientific community.

“We remain deeply committed to mentoring students in our research, as these experiences are critically important for their postgraduate success in science,” said Shelley Phelan, PhD, professor of biology and director of the Science Institute at Fairfield. l F

The women’s swimming and diving team celebrates its 2023 MAAC Championship.

Learn more about Fairfield’s commitment to sustainability.

WSJ: FAIRFIELD AMONG TOP 20 PRIVATE COLLEGES FOR HIGHPAYING JOBS IN ACCOUNTING

The Accounting program of the Charles F. Dolan School of Business is ranked among the top 20 in private colleges for highpaying jobs in accounting, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article. Fairfield University placed #20 on the list, with Harvard at number one. According to the ranking compiled by the Burning Glass Institute, a non-profit that

researches employment trends, graduates of Fairfield Dolan who are working in accounting earn higher salaries compared to their peers in the field who graduated from other schools.

“This ranking is further evidence that Fairfield Dolan’s Accounting program is one of the top programs in the nation,” said Dean Zhan Li, DBA. l F

Cinefest Lauds Creative Achievements

The Film, Television, and Media Arts (FTMA) program in the College of Arts and Sciences hosts a yearly Cinefest film festival to celebrate the diligence and creative talents of Fairfield’s budding undergraduate student filmmakers. Original short films are selected by a jury of crossdiscipline industry professionals and Fairfield faculty members who scour submissions for creative storylines and strong character development, among other elements.

The 2023 Cinefest festival was held at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts on April 27, with nearly 500 people in attendance. The event featured viewings of 11 selected films, followed by an awards ceremony. This year, the panel included Fairfield alumni David Nevins ’12, VFX editor at The Walt Disney Company; Lisa Fischer ’16, an NYC-based

producer, editor, and multimedia journalist; and freelance filmmaker and director Lisa Angell ’19.

Graduating senior Diego Brijaldo ’23, an FTMA major with minors in management and marketing who is heading to NBC Universal, said, “The FTMA Department and Fairfield University have prepared me both in my career and personally, by helping me to understand the entertainment industry and by giving me the opportunity to intern at different companies such as Fox News and NBC Sports.” l F

FAIRFIELD BASKETBALL SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Season ticket packages for the second year of Fairfield basketball at the Leo D. Mahoney Arena are on sale now at FairfieldStags.com/TIX. Fans can purchase tickets for men’s or women’s basketball, or a combo pack for access to every game played on campus in the upcoming season.

CHARLIE PAGLIARINI ’23 SIGNS WITH SEATTLE MARINERS

After recording the best offensive season in Fairfield University baseball history, Charlie Pagliarini ’23 capped his stellar campaign as the 19th-round pick of the Seattle Mariners in the MLB First-Year Player Draft. The All-American slugger signed with Seattle four days later to officially begin his professional baseball career.

Pagliarini produced a historic 2023 spring season that saw him break six program records, highlighted by 24 homers and a

MAAC-record 97 runs batted in.

For his performance, Pagliarini was named the first All-American in program history, selected to third team by the American Baseball Coaches Association and the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

Pagliarini was the 21st Stag to be drafted — the seventh in 12 seasons led by Head Coach Bill Currier — and the 32nd player in program history to sign a minor league contract. l F

Charlie Pagliarini ’23

The Mahoney Arena student section at the first-ever game played in the venue on Nov. 18, 2022.

Diego Brijaldo ’23

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Fairfield Celebrates Class of 2023 at 73rd Commencement

Fairfield University celebrated 1,171 undergraduates, 519 graduate students, 49 doctorate recipients and 20 sixth-year certificate recipients, at its 73rd Commencement ceremonies. The graduate ceremony took place on Saturday, May 20, at the Leo D. Mahoney Arena, and the undergraduate ceremony was held on Bellarmine Lawn on Sunday, May 21.

The graduate ceremony speaker and honorary Doctor of Laws degree recipient was Geoffrey Canada, president of the Harlem’s Children Zone, a world-renowned education and poverty-fighting organization in New York City. An innovator in the field of education, he has been hailed as one of the world’s most influential people by Time magazine, and one of the 50 greatest leaders by Fortune.

Canada shared how his experience growing up in the South Bronx sparked his promise to God to use his education “to rescue the children trapped in our urban ghettos.” His role models taught him that courageous acts could change the world, and that “the best of America is yet to come.” Referencing Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” address, Canada said, “Dr. King confirmed what I believe today — the work of making this a better country is

often started by someone, but left to others to complete.” He urged the Class of 2023 to pick up the mantle.

Graduate students were honored with degrees from the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, the School of Engineering and Computing, and the School of Education and Human Development.

A Doctor of Laws honorary degree was bestowed upon Charles MacCormack, PhD, currently the senior fellow for the NGO Futures at InterAction, an association of more than 200 U.S. humanitarian and development organizations.

The undergraduate ceremony, Sunday, May 21, on Fairfield’s picturesque Bellarmine Lawn, began with an invocation by the Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano, bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, followed by student Commencement speaker Renée Danielle Levesque ’23. Quoting Saint Ignatius of Loyola, who said that “Love is shown more in deeds than in words,” Levesque reminded her classmates, “What matters is that you choose to do everything from a place of love.”

Undergraduate ceremony speaker and recipient of an

Graduates make their way to Bellarmine Lawn on the brightest of Commencement days.

Lucas the Stag joined beaming graduates on Commencement day for a spirited photo op.

Graduate Commencement Speaker Geoffrey Canada urged the Class of ‘23 to do their part to change the world.

Undergraduate Commencement Speaker Marcela Orvañanos de Rovzar addressed the graduates.

President Mark R. Nemec, PhD, offered hearty congratulations at the graduate ceremony held at the new Leo D. Mahoney Arena.

honorary Doctor of Laws degree, Marcela Orvañanos de Rovzar is the founder of several social and humanitarian organizations in Mexico and the U.S., including New York City-based Qualitas of Life Foundation, dedicated to teaching financial literacy to Hispanic families.

She asked the graduates to take a measure of the opportunities they have been given and decide today that they “will not forget or ignore or disdain those who do not have the opportunities to

build and share with their loved ones a dignified, secure and hopefilled life.”

Undergraduates received bachelor’s degrees from the College of Arts and Sciences, Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies, Dolan School of Business, and the School of Engineering and Computing.

A Doctor of Laws honorary degree was bestowed upon Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) President & CEO Mary Beth Powers at

the undergraduate ceremony. Powers has dedicated her career to addressing the inequities in health and well-being around the world, serving with international organizations, including Save the Children.

Fairfield University President Mark R. Nemec, PhD, offered heartfelt congratulations to the graduates of the Class of 2023, and in closing remarks said, “Our work here...is to educate individuals to go set the world on fire. For we as a Jesuit Catholic

institution are committed to universal truth and justice. We as a Jesuit Catholic university most humbly acknowledge that no one individual or collective owns this truth, or knows the path, and thus we commit above all else through faith to the fullness of truth.” l F

For more information about Fairfield University and the 73rd Commencement ceremonies, visit: Fairfield.edu/commencement.

“We as a Jesuit Catholic university most humbly acknowledge that no one individual or collective owns this truth or knows the path, and thus we commit above all else through faith to the fullness of truth.”

Mark r. ne M e C, pHd , University President

Leading the academic procession with pride were graduates carrying gonfalons that represent the University and its four undergraduate schools.

Key Shift

The School of Engineering and Computing has a new name and vision for the future.

by t ess ( b rown ) l ong ’07, MFa’11

Boldly painted on t H e wall in the new renovated dean’s office in what is now the School of Engineering and Computing, are the words “Engineering With a Higher Purpose.” Dean Andres Leonardo Carrano, PhD, professor of mechanical engineering, and a fourth-generation engineer, explained that the change to the name of the school, announced this summer, reflects the burgeoning interest in the field of computer science on campus and in the world at large.

“If you look at the last three, four, five years, the most rapidly growing department in our school is Computer Science,” Dr. Carrano said. “And it’s not unique to us, but with the advent of artificial intelligence, data science and analytics, and cybersecurity… there has been significant interest from incoming students, as well as employers.”

The School of Engineering and Computing (SEC) boasts a 14:1 student professor ratio as well as a 100 percent employment rate of students surveyed six-months after graduation. The school has offered study options in engineering and the computer sciences for years, but one program that has shown particular strength recently has been Cybersecurity, on both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

“We try to engage our online graduate students just as we would our on-campus undergraduate students,” said Mirco Speretta, PhD, director of the SEC’s Cybersecurity program, “so we have many different activities for them to work on, including community engagement with local nonprofits.” These programs are what makes Fairfield’s grad program in Cybersecurity so unique.

For instance, for the last two years, Dr. Speretta’s graduate classes have worked on a capstone project for the Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport, assisting with their cybersecurity needs. Groups of students conducted scans, probing the networking for vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit (an outdated version

of Windows, for example, or services that were not patched), and delivered a comprehensive report including all vulnerabilities that were found, along with the references and solutions.

“It’s a real work experience for them,” Dr. Speretta said. He also explained that it would be accurate to imagine cybersecurity as akin to defending efforts to penetrate the layers of an onion and to consider each layer as something that has to be built and protected. Teaching students to protect cyber activity at each entryway or level of activity, as one would “lock your house, your car,” is what he works with students to do on a practical, technical level.

It’s also paramount to understand human nature. “It comes down to individual behavior; a good chunk of the problem is because [people] actually volunteer their data,” Dean Carrano said. “A big part of cybersecurity is to train and prevent that from taking place.”

Co M p Uter sC ien C e stU dents are also involved in providing cybersecurity support to the University as a whole. Fairfield University Magazine was led down the hall of the Bannow Science Center into the Security Operations Center, where we first met Dr. Speretta.

This state-of-the-art lab has been designed to monitor the University’s network through a partnership between the SEC and the University’s Information Technology Services (ITS) division, which runs Fairfield’s computer systems.

“We wanted to offer our undergraduate students a more involved and meaningful cybersecurity education,” Dr. Speretta said. For this reason, the security team — led by Fairfield’s Chief Information Security Officer Henry Foss and Dr. Speretta — and the SEC explored the idea of opening industry-standard tools to students in a professional environment.

The SEC also opened an Innovation Annex space last year, and this fall will launch an Artificial Intelligence Lab.

Additionally, the engineering school has designed a distinctive Computer Science program for Fairfield Bellarmine — the University’s new academic initiative offering a two-year associate’s degree to students from the Bridgeport region.

“There are very few professions that are more impactful than engineering, that can actually have an impact on society through technology, through innovations,” Dean Carrano said. “The long-term vision is to become the highest-quality program that we can become. That begins by hiring the best faculty, engaging them in cutting-edge research, and making sure they maintain quality relationships with students.” l F

Learn more about the School of Engineering and Computing at fairfield.edu/engineering.

“The long-term vision is to become the highest-quality program that we can become. That begins by hiring the best faculty, engaging them in cutting-edge research, and making sure they maintain quality relationships with students.”

andres leonardo Carrano, pHd , Dean

Left: Biomedical Engineering recent graduate Brigid Protzmann ’23 collects data using instrumented loadsol insole sensors.

Above: Dean Carrano works with recent engineering graduate Manjot Singh ’23.

Good at Golf

killian

MCginley

by J o H n t orsiello

’23 Wins MAAC Golf Individual Championship

Yo U M ig H t say k illian McGinley ’23 was born to be good at golf.

He is the son of Paul and Alison McGinley, both of whom played professional golf in Europe and in the United States. His Irish dad became a star of the biennial Ryder Cup competition when he clinched a win for Europe over the U.S. in 2002; Paul McGinley is currently an NBC Sports and Sky Sports golf analyst.

Killian McGinley had a momentous win for himself this past spring, capturing the MAAC (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) Individual Championship and helping Fairfield University to a second-place team finish in the conference tournament held at Disney’s Palm Golf Course in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. He went on to represent the University at the NCAA Regionals in Auburn, where he finished strongly in the pack.

McGinley won the MAAC Championship by one stroke over Mount St. Mary’s Hank Schaefer, and became the first Stag since 2014 and the sixth player in program history to win the McLeod Trophy. Opening the tournament at four under par, he carded a 65 in the second round to help build an eightstroke lead into the final round.

Alongside McGinley’s individual title, the Stags secured their second-place team finish at the MAAC Championship with the entirety of the “Fairfield Five” placing 24th or better. Siena won the tournament, taking a big lead during the final round.

“The biggest emotion initially was relief,” McGinley said, looking back on the MAAC title run. “I had put myself in a great position to win after two rounds, so I was definitely relieved to get over the line. The win also meant I qualified for NCAA Regionals, so I was thankful that I would be able to fly the flag for Fairfield University at another event.”

MCginley was part oF FairField Men’s and Women’s Golf program director Doug Holub’s first full recruiting class, which included two of the London native’s closest friends, Pat McCarthy ’23 and Shane DeVincenzo ’23.

“As a group, we really pushed each other and we created a competitive atmosphere between us that echoed throughout the team as we progressed toward our final year,” McGinley said. “This competitiveness pushed us all to work harder.”

When asked how he chose Stag Country, he noted, “Both of my parents played college golf in the U.S., so from a young age it was always something I wanted to pursue. Fairfield fit so many categories – a strong business school and being situated so close to the ocean. Also, it’s on the East Coast, so I would always be able to get back to England easily should I need to. Once I visited the campus, I was blown away; I made the right decision.”

McGinley especially enjoyed the sense of community at Fairfield. “It comes along with your time there. The fact that each class lives on campus for at least three years means that you are able to get to know so many more people, compared to perhaps other colleges where students move off campus after freshman year.”

M C g inley was s U rro U nded by gol F at a young age, but was initially more interested in other sports like tennis, soccer, and cricket. “I only really started taking golf seriously when I was 13, which is quite late compared to many other players.”

As for the future, the Class of 2023 graduate has no lofty goals for his golf game. “At the moment, I am not planning on turning pro. I love the game so much, and I understand how high the standard is to make it in the modern day. I worry that if I did give professional golf a go, I would tarnish my relationship with the game. However, if I win an individual event next year, I may decide to pursue the dream, although there is still a lot of work to do.”

McGinley finished school at Fairfield with a 3.43 GPA, with a major in economics and minors in philosophy and English. He interned

this past summer in London at a venture capital firm. “I will be doing a master’s in technology management at the University of California Santa Barbara,” he said, “as well as using my last year of eligibility to play golf on the West Coast.”

F or H is part , gol F dire C tor H ol U b H as had wonderful success building a winning program during his seven years at Fairfield. Under his direction, the Stags have consistently placed golfers both among the MAAC leaders at the MAAC Championship and on the MAAC All-Academic Team.

In the spring of 2021, the Fairfield men’s and women’s golf teams finished third and fourth, respectively, at the MAAC Championship. In recognition of the Stags’ performance, Holub was selected as both the MAAC Men’s and the MAAC Women’s Golf Coach of the Year. He is the first coach to win both awards in the same season.

Holub is Fairfield’s first-ever Women’s Coach

of the Year and joins three-time winner Len Roberto as the University’s second recipient on the men’s side. Following both the 2018-19 and the 2020-21 campaigns, the women’s program earned the WGCA Mark Laesch Award as the most improved team in the nation.

“Over the past few years, we have been very pleased with the progress of both the men’s and women’s programs at Fairfield,” said Holub. “The men have been in the final group on the final day of the MAAC Championship for the past three years. The women have won multiple team titles and two individual titles en route to a fourth place finish this past April, which was their highest finish in my seven-year career at Fairfield.”

Holub, a PGA teaching professional at Fairchild Wheeler Golf Course in the town of Fairfield, is “extremely optimistic” for the future of the golf program at Fairfield University. “Our Athletics Department strives each day to get better on and off the playing field. We are led by Director of Athletics Paul Schlickmann, who has given us opportunities to recruit and attract student athletes who believe in our vision.”

He added, “Our administration works each day to promote our mission and vision of total human development through a distinctly Jesuit championship experience that cultivates the most prepared and soughtafter graduates in the world.”

Holub views his role at Fairfield as one of recruiting the best student athletes who will represent Fairfield on and off the golf course. “I, and our staff, give them every opportunity to have an amazing experience competing, traveling, and playing some of the best courses in the country. I challenge our student athletes to be one percent better each day, and empower and encourage them to be responsible for their own success.”

Holub, of course, has a high opinion of McGinley: “Killian is an extremely respectful and kind young man. He led by example and worked consistently for four years to become the best student athlete he could be. Academics, followed by athletics, was the top priority for him, and it paid off.”

“Killian’s win at the MAAC,” Holub said, “continues to prove that we are moving in an upward trajectory as a program.” l F

“I challenge our student athletes to be one percent better each day, and empower and encourage them to be responsible for their own success.”

do U g HolU b , Fairfield Golf Program Director

Left: Killian McGinley ’23 lines up a putt during the 2023 MAAC Championship.

Above: Coach Holub and McGinley evaluate the next shot during a fall tournament.

Success on the Sound

by a listair H ig H et

Founded in 1942 in a flurry of letters between New England Jesuits, Fairfield University has grown from a small, regional Catholic university for young men from local parishes, to a doctoral professional university of national prominence.

An upcoming book by University Archivist Elise Bochinski and two recently retired professors, Paul Lakeland, PhD, and Kurt Schlichting, PhD, charts the rise of the University and tells the stories of some of the characters and events that have made Fairfield what it is today.

The book, Success on the Sound, is expected to be published in early 2024 and will be available through the Fairfield University Bookstore at that time.

Dr. Lakeland served as the Rev. Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J., Professor of Catholic Studies and was the founding director of the Center for Catholic Studies. Kurt Schlichting was the E. Gerald Corrigan Endowed Chair in the Humanities and Social Sciences and a professor of sociology and anthropology. Elise Bochinski is the current University archivist & special collections librarian at the DiMenna-Nyselius Library.

Dr. Lakeland spoke with Fairfield University Magazine about the origins of the book and the stories it tells.

above : Group portrait of the first faculty of Fairfield University, 1947–1948. Front row, (l-r):

Rev. Francis C. Buck, S.J.;

Rev. Robert B. MacDonnell, S.J.;

Rev. Laurence C. Langguth, S.J.; Fairfield University President

Rev. James H. Dolan, S.J.;

Rev. Vincent A. Gookin, S.J.;

Rev. Arthur A. MacGillivray, S.J;

Rev. James A. Walsh, S.J. Back row: Rev. Victor F. Leeber, S.J.;

Rev. James T. Creamer, S.J.;

Mr. Arthur R. Riel, Jr.;

Mr. Carmen F. Donnarumma;

Mr. John F. Cody; Mr. Chester J. Stuart; Rev. Frederick A. Harkins; Rev. John P. Murray, S.J. left: A view of Xavier Hall, as photographed for the 1953 Manor yearbook.

An upcoming book tells the story of the University’s colorful history and rise to prominence.

Fairfield University Magazine: What moved you, Elise, and Dr. Schlichting to write the book at this time?

Dr. Lakeland: Kurt had idly mentioned to me that he was thinking about a history of the University, or maybe it was the other way around. So we decided to do it, and soon found ourselves needing to consult the University archivist. It made sense to expand to a third author because two old guys have evident limitations, and we were both faculty. Elise was a godsend, because she is staff, not faculty, female not male, considerably younger, and possessed of great skills with archival materials and data. We persuaded her to join us as an author.

Fairfield University Magazine: Why did the Jesuits choose to found a college in the Bridgeport area at this period, the early 1940s?

Dr. Lakeland: This is a very good question. The Jesuits went to Bishop Maurice McAuliffe in Hartford, the only Connecticut

diocese at the time, and asked his permission to open a college and a prep school in the diocese. The bishop readily consented, qualifying his agreement with the proviso that they should not do it anywhere near Hartford. Presumably he wanted to protect his own St. Joseph’s College from the Jesuits. But whatever the case, they looked further south and decided on Fairfield because of the opportunity to buy two adjacent estates very inexpensively – the Jennings estate, now McAuliffe Hall, and the Lashar estate, now Bellarmine Hall. The details are laid out in chapter one: what became Bellarmine Hall was a casualty of the Great Depression; what became McAuliffe Hall took more work to obtain because the owner didn’t want to sell to Catholics, even less to Jesuits.

Fairfield University Magazine: At first, there were no residence halls. I was really struck by the energy and dedication that it took to make things work, and the long commutes for some students. For instance, Dr. Carmen Donnarumma

[professor of politics, 1947-92] would pick up a group of students in Waterbury on his way to Fairfield every day, and then take them home.

Dr. Lakeland: It wasn’t just Carmen. Chester Stuart [professor of German, English, American studies, and education, 1947-86] also did much the same. But you are absolutely right about the dedication of the early faculty. Jesuits and laypersons together were building this thing on a wing and a prayer. We have to wonder what they would have thought of Fairfield today, but I do believe that they would have been proud and astonished in equal measure.

Fairfield University Magazine: For the first 20 years, the University was totally operated by the Society of Jesus; there were 60 Jesuits teaching and working on campus in 1962. It was very much a “Catholic,” religious institution well into the 1960s.

Dr. Lakeland: I think it was a Catholic

“Jesuits and laypersons together were building this thing on a wing and a prayer. We have to wonder what they would have thought of Fairfield today, but I do believe that they would have been proud and astonished in equal measure.”

p aU l l akeland , p H d , Co-author of Success on the Sound

institution long after the ’60s, and in a sense still is, though not if you measure it by the religious identity of the faculty or staff. The mission priorities remain Catholic and the majority of students could still check the Catholic box. But the school had to separately incorporate if it was to grow into something more than a narrowly provincial institution, as indeed did most if not all Catholic institutions of higher education. All of this happened [at Fairfield] in the turbulent ’60s, largely thanks to President William McInnes.

Fairfield University Magazine: Those seem to have been the watershed years — under Rev. William C. McInnes, S.J. [President, 1964-73]. In his words, Fairfield was a “small, isolated, parochial university” when he took over in 1964. He really presided over tremendous changes, didn’t he?

Dr. Lakeland: McInnes pushed the school to become more professional, to establish an independent board of trustees, to separate the school from the religious community,

to engage with the nearby Bridgeport community, and to admit women. He also built a ton of buildings and defended the school from a very challenging lawsuit [The Tilton vs. Richardson lawsuit, filed against Fairfield University and three other Roman Catholic colleges; the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Fairfield in 1971]. McInnes changed Fairfield, for the most part for the better.

Fairfield University Magazine: In the 1960s, the students were calling for radical changes to the University’s structure. The administration even canceled a concert by The Doors in 1970, which didn’t go over well. How did Fairfield cope with the counter-culture? Elise Bochinski, one of your co-authors, has said the ’60s impacted the student body on a personal level significantly: the men lobbied to change the dress code, Black students demanded more representation, and the student body in general envisioned more agency for themselves in a variety of ways.

far left: More than 50 students held a silent peace vigil on the lawn outside Gonzaga Hall on April 12, 1967.

above left: A photo of Fairfield students playing folk music from the 1962 yearbook

above : Charles McCullough ’52 was the first student to be registered at Fairfield University in September 1947 by the Dean of Freshman, Rev. Laurence C. Langguth, S.J

above : An artist’s rendering of The Comprehensive Plan for the Development of Fairfield University, 1947

above right: Fairfield University made the move to coeducation in 1970, admitting women to all undergraduate classes and opening the School of Nursing. This poster was one of many approaches to publicize Fairfield’s shift in perspective

far right: A Fairfield student studies in the Nyselius Library, 1974, the same year the first class of full-time undergraduate women graduated

Dr. Lakeland: Yes, that’s true of changes in the culture at that time. However, I don’t think the seriousness of the ’60s ended up having a huge impact at Fairfield institutionally. There were a few demonstrations and threats of one kind or another, but they were mild compared to many, and almost non-existent alongside the student unrest in Europe at the same time. The one big deal, the push for “tripartite governance,” [which would have given students more of a governing hand in the University] just fizzled out for lack of enthusiasm and, perhaps, because students are just passing through — not permanent fixtures.

Fairfield University Magazine: The introduction of women students in 1970 really changed things dramatically; it seems to have gone quite smoothly. Within a decade students described the idea of a women-free campus as unimaginable.

Dr. Lakeland: That was the first salvo in [a transformational process] that would take decades to accomplish and is still going on.

The Great Transformation is the historical process by which Fairfield University has become a significant academic institution, on its way to greater things, hopefully without losing its sense of mission. And my own guess is that the University administration at the time approved of admitting women out of a commitment to grow the size of the undergraduate student body. Which it achieved, considerably!

Fairfield University Magazine: Fairfield has really grown in the last 25 years — both financially and in terms of programs, research, facilities. How has that affected the character of the University?

Dr. Lakeland: You can see in our text how relatively well Fairfield has done financially over the past couple of decades, and this continues. We are in a much better financial position than many of our competitor schools, and we have so much to offer to our student body.

Growing complexity makes for a more exciting institution, but it has its stresses. A

Jesuit institution simply must have a vigorous commitment to the liberal arts in general and the humanities in particular, and that needs to be balanced with the drive for excellence evident in our professional schools. It has to be financially solvent but at the same time it needs to attend to the least fortunate members of our human society.

Fairfield University Magazine: The original vision of the University was for it to look like the “Notre Dame of the East” — neo-Gothic, with medical and law schools, and so on. But it has evolved in what seems a sleeker, more modern direction. Is that a reflection of our location and cultural environment?

Dr. Lakeland: Well, the main reason the original vision was not realized was purely financial. Look at the Prep school building and then look at cinder-block Canisius Hall. Which was more expensive? And while we have never looked closely at the possibility of a medical school, there was a moment when

Rev. Aloysius Kelley, S.J. [President, 19792004] could have had a law school if he had thought it a wise move. He didn’t. Had the decision been different, Fairfield might well have become a very lopsided institution, with the law school calling the shots.

What we have today seems to me to be a clear instance of the organic growth of a small liberal arts institution into something more complex, which maintains, at its stillsizable core, a concrete commitment to being something more than just a professional institution. I would like to believe that our location is well-mirrored in the mix of artistic, business, and medical specializations that make Connecticut distinctive. And I also hope going forward that we continue to attend to the vast disparities of income and opportunity that also mark our area.

Fairfield University Magazine: Dr. Lakeland, you retired this year. As you look back at your years at Fairfield, what is your feeling about the University as a project?

Dr. Lakeland: After 42 years and at the age of 77 it is probably time. I could certainly have continued for a year or two more, but who wants to reach the point where people start dropping hints?

I have every confidence that the faculty, staff, and administration will manage the increasing academic and professional excellence of the University. Above all, the issue is one of more and more firmly embedding in the University’s consciousness the nature of the intellectual, artistic, and ethical components of the Jesuit and Catholic tradition. For the past 19 years, as director of the Center for Catholic Studies, this is the endeavor that I have been involved in, together with my extraordinary colleagues in the Center for Social Impact, and I am confident that my successor as director will keep up the struggle. l F

“I would like to believe that our location is wellmirrored in the mix of artistic, business, and medical specializations that make Connecticut distinctive. And I also hope going forward that we continue to attend to the vast disparities of income and opportunity that also mark our area.”

p aU l l akeland , p H d , Co-author of Success on the Sound

WITH A NEW DOCTORATE AND A PROGRAM IN INDIA, FAIRFIELD DOLAN IS BECOMING A WORLDWIDE PRESENCE.

by J anet r eynolds

TH e C H arles F. d olan s CH ool o F b U siness M ay be located in America’s third-smallest state by area, but the school is making a national — indeed global — impression with its latest programs. This spring, the acclaimed business school announced an innovative applied executive doctoral program, and expanded its international presence beyond China by adding an advanced degree program in India.

That expansion is deliberate and part of a larger vision and mission, said Zhan Li, DBA, dean of the Dolan School. “The vision is straightforward: we are a very highly recognized Jesuit business school in the nation, and want to continue to build on that strength.”

“The vision is aspirational. The mission is what we do day-to-day,” Dean Li continued. “We develop principled leaders for a better world and lifelong success. We have to look globally for this. We have to look at the greater view of the world.”

Dolan School graduate programs already have impressive rankings; they’re among the top 20 in the United States for accounting, business analytics, finance, and marketing, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-24 list of best graduate schools. “The rankings really are a reflection and reconfirmation of our high-quality programs,” Dean Li said.

right: The Charles F. Dolan School of Business is an 80,500 square foot, $40 million facility that prepares students to become global business leaders.

THINK LOCAL, ACT GL BAL

Fairfield Dolan began its global reach in 2020, when it opened an MBA program in Shanghai. The program is led by Fairfield professors and currently focuses on finance. Students take classes in the evenings and weekends, and end with a final Wall Street immersion session on the Fairfield, Connecticut campus. The program targets senior executives and managers.

Expanding to India was the next logical step in developing global business leaders, according to Dean Li.

“Fairfield has a strong global presence in Europe,” he noted, ticking off undergraduate programs in Spain, the U.K., and the Netherlands. “We do not have as large a footprint in Asia. If you look at global economies, China and India are among the largest on the Asian continent. For our students, especially business students, to become successful leaders down the road, they have to understand the whole world, so Dolan is taking a leadership role in the two biggest developing countries.”

The India program will be taught in partnership with Imarticus Learning, an award-winning educational firm that collaborates with colleges and universities to offer industry-endorsed programs in

financial services, business analysis, and business analytics. Students will take classes online from India and then come to Fairfield to complete their two-year advanced degree, culminating in a master’s degree in business analytics (MSBA). Dolan also plans to launch an MSBA in China next spring, as it expands its presence in China.

“The China program built a footprint for Fairfield into the world beyond North America,” Dean Li said. “We learned so much about offering degree programs hybrid and remotely, and also about program design. We are leveraging that experience in India, into course design and delivery.”

“This is a great undertaking for launching international programs,” he added, noting the school is considering the Middle East and Latin America for additional programs. “We are thinking about where we should be geographically.”

This global expansion is a continuation of the Jesuit mission that is behind everything Fairfield Dolan considers, Dean Li said. “Another motivation to expand to Shanghai and India is to carry out the Jesuit mission and core values, one of which is to ‘meet students where they are,’” he added. “Many students in China and India desire to have a

U.S. education but cannot come to the U.S. for study due to various reasons. We bring Jesuit business education to them.”

In addition to expanding its worldwide presence, Fairfield Dolan is also building its reputation with a new applied Executive Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) program. The program is unique among DBAs because it is designed to be finished in three years — traditional PhD programs often require four to seven years of full-time study before students even begin their dissertations. Dolan DBA students can customize their studies by focusing their dissertations on areas of interest most relevant to their own business experience and career goals. Additionally, students complete one chapter of their dissertations during each course to ensure the degree can be completed within the three years. To further assist students, most of whom are working full-time in addition to going to school, the Fairfield Dolan program has synchronous classes that meet online during the weekends. Two inperson weekends take place at the beginning of each semester.

“Offering a doctoral degree signifies our effort to achieve the highest possible academic excellence and qualities,” Dean

above : Dean Li addressed the Class of 2027 during Orientation.

right: One of Dolan’s 36 classroom spaces, fully equipped with leadingedge technology.

“THE VISION IS STRAIGHTFORWARD: WE ARE A VERY HIGHLY RECOGNIZED JESUIT BUSINESS SCHOOL IN THE NATION, AND WANT TO CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THAT STRENGTH.”

— z H an l i , dba , Dean

Li said. MBAs and master’s degrees are so commonplace, he added, that they’re “no longer a differentiation factor for people professionally. Offering a DBA degree is really a response to market demand for people who want a degree to further their career, differentiate themselves from their peers, and make more impactful decisions in the business world.”

And, furthering Fairfield Dolan’s vision, the DBA curriculum is infused with Jesuit values. “Jesuit social responsibility is a big part of the program. There are a lot of ethical areas to reaching decisions. The ethics and social responsibility piece are inherent in

everything we do and teach.”

“Our goal is to develop scholarly practitioners. They really train with theory and methodology but at the end of the day, they are practitioners who have to solve realworld problems,” Dean Li said.

To help business leaders learn more about the changes at Fairfield Dolan, the school is making a more direct effort to spread the word within business circles. “Fairfield Dolan has been offering high quality programs, but now we are making an explicit effort [to tell leaders] that we are offering high quality programs,” he said. “We have done that before, but are doing

more now. We are inviting more people to our campus to learn about Fairfield Dolan. Inviting C-level people and CEOs is another way to let people know we’re a high-caliber business school.”

Fairfield Dolan’s focus and new programs are already gaining recognition for the business school. The student body has grown nearly 40 percent, from 1,800 students in 2018 to today’s nearly 2,600. At the same time the acceptance rate is down; it was 70 percent in 2017, and is now around 45 percent, Dean Li said. “As we grow [our enrollment], we also grow the quality.” l F

New Perspective

by sara Colabella

WH en n U rsing stU dent aM elia brenno C k ’25 traveled to Florence, Italy in June 2023 as part of a study abroad immersion trip, she was looking to gain a new perspective on palliative care and international healthcare systems.

The week-long immersion trip was part of a course led by faculty members Michael Pagano, PhD, PA-C, professor of communication, and Eileen O’Shea, DNP, APRN, PCNS-BC, CHPPN, professor of nursing and director of the Kanarek Center for Palliative Care.

“I was inspired to take this course because of my own background: I had acute lymphoblastic leukemia twice in my life, and palliative care was an integral part of my treatment,” said Brennock. “I wanted to learn more about palliative care and compare the U.S. versus Italy, to gain another perspective of a differing healthcare system.”

Palliative care is an area of growing focus in heathcare, developed “to provide individuals not a cure per se, but a quality of life that allows them to do as many things as they are capable of doing, by managing difficult symptoms, alleviating or lessening pain, and collaborating with an interdisciplinary care team,” explained Dr. Shea.

Arriving in Florence in early June, Brennock and her fellow students attended lectures at Florence University of the Arts, explored the historic city, and visited area hospitals, long-term care facilities, and museums related to healthcare.

Fairfield students traveled overseas and observed a more patient-centric model of care.

’08, Ma’11

Italy was CH osen as t H e destination for the immersion trip due to its different approach to healthcare delivery. Dr. Pagano explained: “Everyone in Italy, citizens and immigrants, have universal access to healthcare, as compared to the U.S. with its different levels of care based on ability to pay. We wanted to see how these socioeconomic status differences, coupled with Italian culture distinctions would impact not only access and delivery of palliative care, but the country’s communication about it.”

The students first arrived at the palliative care unit of the Meyer Children’s Hospital on the third day of their trip. Set in Florence’s hillside, the facility’s parklike setting features large trees and tropical plants. The building has a sustainable green roof, a garden, atriums with robust natural light, open spaces, art, and a playroom for children.

“[It] felt like I was in a children’s museum,” said nursing student Macey Brown ’26. “I found it heartwarming to see patients – young kids – get excited to walk in, because this beautiful building has been made to feel like a home away from home.”

The group also traveled to a northern suburb of Florence to visit Careggi University Hospital, the largest acute-care hospital in the region.

As they toured Careggi, the students noted the large expansive windows that fill the space with natural light. Behavioral neuroscience major Zana Imeptovski ’24, who plans to pursue a career path as a physician’s assistant, said that the windows and natural light “definitely benefit patient morale.” She observed that at the hospitals in Italy, “healthcare teams create a patient-centered focus and advocate for the patients’ wants and needs, ultimately improving quality of life.”

Following the hospital visits, the group was introduced to a nursing home in Florence — Casa Di Pioso Piccola Betania, or, the Little Bethany Rest Home. There, they attended a music therapy session and danced with the residents who serenaded them with an Italian song they wrote.

“I was taken aback by the stark contrast between U.S. nursing homes and those in Italy,” said Imeptovski, whose grandmother recently died in a U.S. nursing home. “When we were all dancing together, I remember taking in the moment and feeling pure joy. I also remember tearing up during the tour, because the woman who was volunteering to show us around

reminded me so much of my grandmother. I just kept thinking about how much she would have enjoyed this place and how much I wished I could talk to her about my trip.”

In addition to the healthcare site visits, the students toured the Museo degli Innocent, which, from 1445 to 1890, was a hospital and orphanage for infants and children whose parents were not able to raise them. They also visited Museo della Misericordia, a site dedicated to the volunteer ambulance service, which dates back more than 770 years.

“Italy surpasses the United States in palliative care...by a mile,” Brennock said. “Palliative care is a law-established philosophy for children, and you can see that their quality of life is ten times better because of it.”

She noted that Italy is significantly better at their patient-provider interactions due to the care system being more patient-centric, while the United States follows a biomedical model of “find it, fix it.”

However, she found that the United States gives patients better access to healthcare providers. In Italy, wait times to receive care can be very long, and patients are required to go through a general practitioner before they are able to see specialists.

Reflecting on the immersion experience, Imeptovski said, “This course made me cognizant of issues in medical communication and also taught me that the goal at the end of the day is to improve the quality of life of the patient. As a future provider, I plan to listen to everything my patient has to say.” l F

Learn more about palliative care and the Kanarek Center for Palliative Care at fairfield.edu/kanarek.

ROBIN BENNETT KANAREK ’96 RN, BSN: LIVING WELL WITH A SERIOUS ILLNESS

This spring, former University Trustee Robin Bennett Kanarek ’96 published a book, Living Well with a Serious Illness: A Guide to Palliative Care for Mind, Body, and Spirit, inspired by both her work as a registered nurse and her late son David’s five-year battle with acute lymphocytic leukemia.

It was during David’s taxing treatments that Kanarek realized the need for palliative care for patients and their families. Ever since David’s passing, advancing the field of palliative care has become her mission.

“The books available on palliative care were either geared toward healthcare professionals or only included a chapter on palliative care,” said Kanarek. She said she wrote her book “so the consumer has all the information they need to make the right decision for themselves about the care they want to receive if they are diagnosed with a serious illness or have complex chronic conditions.”

“I also wrote the book to honor the life of my beloved son, David, who died after a five-year ordeal with leukemia and complications following a stem cell transplant,” she added. “David was 15 when he died. My book honors the remarkable young man he was, who taught us about what is truly important – love and family.”

Using her own experience, information in Kanarek’s book helps patients and their families not only to understand what palliative care is, but also how it can improve quality of life. It explains how to navigate and access support resources, advanced care planning, coping techniques, spiritual care, and strategies for each stage of the journey.

Kanarek explained, “Many medical professionals don’t understand the full spectrum of palliative care. They use the terms ‘palliative’ and ‘hospice’ care interchangeably. Providers may need clarification that there is a distinct difference between the two; the book outlines those differences and describes the full scope of palliative care.”

Opened in fall 2017, Fairfield Egan’s Kanarek Center for Palliative Care prepares students to be leaders in the field. l F

“It is critical for students to understand the long-term benefits that years, decades –or more – of palliative care can provide.”

Mi CHael pagano, pHd, pa-C , Communication Professor

Grants&Gifts

A Selection of Grants and Gifts Received from Private and Public Foundations, and Corporations

Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies

The Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies has been awarded a four-year grant of $2.64 million from the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) program. Professor Sally Gerard, DNP, RN, CNL, CDE, associate dean of Graduate Studies and program director for the Nurse Leadership and MSN/MBA programs, and Jackie Conelius, PhD, APRN, FNP-BC, track coordinator for the Family Nurse Practitioner Program, are co-principal investigators for the project, called the Telehealth and Inter-Professional Practice (TIPP) program.

In addition to providing tuition support for students, this grant will help Fairfield Egan develop curriculum in telehealth, including the use of digital information and technologies to access healthcare services remotely – a practice that has risen in popularity within the medical field in recent years. The grant funds will also provide an opportunity for students to work effectively in inter-professional teams, and to incorporate evidence-based telehealth approaches in delivering care to underserved patients across the lifespan.

HRSA is the primary federal agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and is committed to improving health and access to healthcare for the medically underserved through quality services, a skilled health workforce, and innovative programs.

Additionally, the HRSA has given a grant of $242,493 to the Egan School for Nurse

Anesthetist Traineeships (NAT) designed to build cultural competency and health equity in nurse anesthesia practice (CCHE).

The Paul L. Jones Trust Fund has granted $40,000 to the Egan School for student scholarships.

The Bennett Center for Judaic Studies

A $15,000 grant from The Jewish Federation of Greater Fairfield County will support the upcoming academic symposium and Art Spiegelman lecture in conjunction with the Arthur Szyk exhibition at the Fairfield University Art Museum.

Glenn Dynner, PhD, Carl and Dorothy Bennett Professor of Judaic Studies and Director of the Bennett Center at Fairfield University is the grantee.

The College of Arts & Sciences

A grant of $9,460 has been given by The Leakey Foundation to support Francis Forrest, PhD, assistant professor of sociology and anthropology, and her project, “Zooarchaeology at a New Hominin Locality in Koobi Fora, Kenya.”

School of Education & Human Development

The CT State Dept. of Education has awarded $10,125 to the Connecticut Writing Project (CWP) at Fairfield University and Bryan Ripley Crandall, PhD, the director of the CWP and associate professor of literacy in the School of Education and Human Development.

Egan School’s Accelerated Second Degree Nursing Program students, (l-r) Z’hane Ellison and Jessica Berube, in a state-of-the-art simulation lab on campus.

The Arts

A $30,000 grant to the Fairfield University Art Museum (FUAM) awarded by Connecticut Humanities will enable the museum to present the largest Northeast exhibition of Arthur Szyk’s work in 50 years. Szyk’s compelling political cartoons placed Nazi genocide, tyranny, and antisemitism on the covers of America’s most popular magazines during World War II. Today, his pioneering examples of graphic storytelling have renewed relevance.

“This important exhibition will allow the museum to do something it does very well, and that is to be a place where difficult conversations can take place,” said Carey Weber, executive director of the Fairfield

University Art Museum. “Szyk’s work will prompt frank discussions about antisemitism and the memory of the Holocaust at a time when antisemitism is once again on the rise in our country.”

The Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation has given a grant of $12,000 to FUAM to fund the program, “From Classroom to Gallery: Supporting the Curriculum in the Art Museum.”

The Robert Lehman Foundation gave a gift of $7,500 to FUAM towards the Edwin L. Weisl Jr. Lectureships in Art History.

The New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) has offered support to the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts by way of two grants: $7,500 grant for Ranky Tanky with Lisa Fischer and $6,000 for Agathe et Adrien.

Ignite. Inspire. Impact.

Art

Student Services

The Wheeler Clinic (funding from CT Healthy Campus Initiative / Dept. of Mental Health and Addiction Services) has given $30,770 to support Wendy Mendes, director of student well-being at Fairfield Bellarmine, for her Opioid and Stimulant Education and Awareness program on the Fairfield University and Fairfield Bellarmine campuses.

Fairfield Bellarmine

RBC Wealth Management has offered $2,000 in support to Fairfield Bellarmine and Rev. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., vice provost and executive director of Fairfield Bellarmine.

General University Support & Scholarships

A $35,000 grant from the Ernest & Joan Trefz Foundation will provide funding for general University scholarships l F

A $30,000 grant to the Fairfield University

Museum awarded by Connecticut Humanities will enable the museum to present the largest Northeast exhibition of Arthur Szyk’s work in 50 years.

Gifts to the Fairfield Fund ignite innovation for the benefit of our students by inspiring advancements in academics, financial aid, mental health resources, counseling, career services, and student activities that make a Fairfield experience meaningful, inclusive, and robust. The Fairfield Fund curates a lasting impact that is felt in every corner of the University. See what your support can make happen this year.

AlumniNOTES

PhD with honors in chemistry from Boston College, and has a BS in chemistry from Fairfield.

’68 | William (Bill) Coffin has just led a book study for couples at his parish, St. Andrew Apostle in Silver Spring, Md., using The Good, the Messy, and the Beautiful: The Joys and Struggles of Real Married Life by Edward and Beth Sri. This past Lent he led an Ignatian retreat using Lives That Inspire from www.onlineprayer.net.

1970

’74 | James Quinn was the 2020 recipient of the Harold J. Seymour Award presented by the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), a professional association representing healthcare development professionals in the United States and Canada. The award recognizes development professionals whose careers reflect excellence and outstanding leadership in healthcare philanthropy. The award is given annually and presented each year at the AHP International Conference.

’75 | John H. Hannigan, PhD, has been appointed professor emeritus at Wayne State University in Detroit, Mich., after 39 years of teaching and research there and previously at SUNY-Albany. He is jointly appointed in the WSU Department of Obstetrics and in the Department of Psychology. Dr. Hannigan is also former deputy director of the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute of Child and Family Development. His scholarship and award-winning research focuses on prenatal exposures to drugs and chemicals, especially alcohol, cocaine, and toluene.

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.

1980

’85 | Daniel W. Perkins works with local school children through a nonprofit he created in 2013 called Partridge Creek Farm (PCF) in Ishpeming, Mich. Since inception, PCF has built six downtown gardens, started farm-to-school programming in all grades, and is starting a career technical education program in sustainable agriculture. Learn more at PartridgeCreekFarm.org.

1990

’93 | Peter J. Bonitatibus Jr., PhD, has been named associate professor of chemistry at Rensselaer

Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, N.Y. Dr. Bonitatibus is best known for his work in the field of contrast media for diagnostic imaging, having invented intravenous, nanoparticle-based agents for computed tomography (CT) that simultaneously feature blood-pool behavior with unprecedented total body clearance. Dr. Bonitatibus has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for developing these tantalum-based agents since 2013. He has authored 47 technical publications, has had 16 United States patents issued, and has made 41 technical presentations at national and local venues. Previously, Dr. Bonitatibus spent 16 years as a senior scientist at GE Global Research, where he was an NIH-funded principal investigator, as well as a project leader on multiple contracts with the Department of Energy. Dr. Bonitatibus earned a

Craig Vigliante MD, DMD, is a dual-degree oral and maxillofacial surgeon/cosmetic facial surgeon in northern Virginia. He recently merged his three practice locations with Paradigm Oral Health, based out of Lincoln, Neb.

’95 | Chris Pilkerton has published a policy book entitled Underserved: Harnessing the Principles of Lincoln’s Vision for Reconstruction for Today’s Forgotten Communities (available on Amazon), and will serve as a senior fellow at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government starting in fall 2023.

’00 | Jeffrey Hanson, CFP launched Breakwater Capital Group, a registered investment advisor, after two-plus decades advising high-net worth clients with Fidelity Investments. The firm, headquartered in northern N.J., has a satellite office in Denver, Colo., and advises individuals, families, and institutions on all aspects of their financial planning objectives, and provides discretionary money management. His experience at Fairfield provided a wonderful foundation for the importance of education, along with the calling to serve others.

’03 | Megan Schneider was promoted to chief executive officer of U.S. Retirement and Benefits Partners (USRBP). Most recently, she successfully led technology integration initiatives and the expansion of client services, and established the infrastructure to accelerate organic growth ambitions.

s H eri C e r eid ’16 and Abdul Smith tied the knot on June 16, 2023.

AlumniNOTES

USRBP, with headquarters in Iselin, N.J., is one of the nation’s largest independent national financial services firms, specializing in employee benefit and employersponsored retirement plans in the K-12 public school, governmental, corporate, and non-profit markets. Schneider joined USRBP from Willis Towers Watson. She earned an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business in addition to her BS from Fairfield.

’06 | Scott Davidson has been named a senior professional at Kearney, a leading global management consulting firm. Davidson has more than 15 years of experience as a senior strategic advisor to clients in aviation, aerospace, and nextgeneration mobility. He specializes in helping clients in the aviation sector pursue transformations related to enterprise-wide profit transformations, restructuring, customer experience enhancements, operations excellence, procurement support, and technology-led innovation. Prior to joining Kearney, he served as a managing director at a large consulting firm and, for

more than 10 years, as a partner at a prominent aviation consulting practice. He holds a master’s degree in engineering management from Dartmouth College’s Thayer School of Engineering as well as a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Fairfield University.

’07 | Darci Fulcher is an IPAcertified intimacy coordinator, instructor, and movement coach who has dedicated her career to promoting safety, consent, and guidance in the entertainment industry. With extensive experience in physical theatre, movement direction, and intimacy coordination, Fulcher has become a leading expert in her field, working with performers, directors, and producers to create a culture of respect and professionalism on set and stage. She has also served as an assistant professor of theatre at several institutions, including Tulane University, Dillary University, and The University of Kansas. Learn more at darcifulcher.com.

’08 | Peter Allen was appointed chief financial officer of Genco Shipping & Trading Limited, the largest U.S.-headquartered dry bulk

REUNION WEEKEND

Classes of 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019

Save the Date: June 7-9, 2024!

Visit the following sites for more information:

5th – 45th Reunion: fairfield.edu/reunion

50th Reunion: fairfield.edu/classof1974

StagMates l aU ra sant UCC i M ba’10 and M i CH ael van s CH ai C k ’07, M ba’09 welcomed twin sons Michael Joseph and Nicholas Anthony on Jan. 10, 2023.

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.

shipowner focused on the global transportation of commodities. Since Allen’s start at Genco in 2008, he has served in various finance, accounting, and corporate strategy leadership positions at the company, most recently as Genco’s senior vice president, strategy and finance. Allen has extensive experience in the shipping industry related to financial strategy, capital allocation, M&A, market analysis, SEC reporting, and investor relations. Additionally, he has frequently led cross-functional teams in projects such as Genco’s IMO 2023 plan and ESG program. He was a key contributor in the development of Genco’s value strategy.

in energy infrastructure across the nation. Thibodeau, deputy assistant secretary for intergovernmental affairs, was most recently regional intergovernmental and external affairs specialist for the Northeast. Thibodeau is an attorney and public servant who previously practiced law in the real estate practice group of the Portland, Maine-based law firm Verrill Dana LLP for eight years.

’12 | Gregory Burke has completed his PhD at Duke and is moving to Bloomington, Ind., to join the IU Kelley School of Business as an accounting professor. Go Hoosiers!

’16 | Ellen C. Masters recently received her PhD in school psychology from Syracuse University.

’10 | Spencer Thibodeau is one of nine new Biden-Harris administration appointees to join the U.S. Department of Energy to work alongside U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm to implement President Biden’s historic climate and energy agenda and the administration’s investments

2010’18 | Grace Farrell, RN, is a senior staff nurse working on the labor and delivery unit at NYU Langone Health. She was just awarded the Sebastian Brum Compassionate Care Award for her work at the hospital.

Rebecca Quillard, RN, currently works for the Cardiac/Telemetry unit at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City and received the 2023 Excellence in Nursing Practice award from the Board of Trustees.

C olleen (C U nning H a M ) and d an t aylor ’01 Keeping Families Together in Ethiopia

by a.J. o’Connell MFa

’12

Colleen (C U nning H a M ) and Dan Taylor ’01 met as first-year students at Fairfield. Little did they know when they became friends in 1997 — bonding over their shared love of lacrosse — that they’d later become StagMates. Together, they’ve built a life, a family, and have changed the lives of hundreds of children.

The Taylors are the founders of Project Heal Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit that supports their flagship project, Love for the Children Academy, a private school in Ethiopia. Through the school, Project HEAL educates, feeds, and supports the children of Chacha, a village in the northern Amhara Region of the country. Over the past eight years, the Taylors have faced several challenges: civil unrest, the pandemic, and the difficulties of raising funds for their school. But through it all, they’ve kept their primary goal in sight: keeping families together.

challenging. The country had started to shut down international adoptions, and civil unrest meant many in the struggling nation were experiencing even more hardship.

“When we left after the second adoption, we both felt a strong pull back to Ethiopia, and we didn’t know what it was,” said Colleen. “We prayed a lot and tried to figure out what we were meant to be doing. We needed to give back or do something. The answer wasn’t adopting 15 kids if we could come up with a way to preserve families.”

It was their adoption attorney in Ethiopia who gave them the answer: education. Education isn’t free in Ethiopia; sending a child to school incurs expenses poor families can’t afford, such as uniforms, books, and school supplies. Parents often give their children up for adoption if they can’t afford to send them to school. By providing an education for disadvantaged kids, the Taylors could keep families together.

some of these tiny, tiny kids are able to eat that much. But they will, knowing that they might not eat until the next morning,” said Colleen.

Project HEAL goes beyond nutrition and education. The nonprofit also provides access to healthcare for students and family members who need it. They’ve arranged life-saving surgeries for students and have sent sick students and their family members to the hospital.

Dan and Colleen love children and always wanted a large family. They have two biological daughters, Riley and Maddy, but in 2010 they felt their family wasn’t yet complete. Interested in adoption, they found themselves looking to Ethiopia.

“It seemed like fate; all the signs just pointed towards Ethiopia,” Colleen said.

The family brought home their first son, JT, from Ethiopia in 2012 and immediately began the process of adopting another child. But by the time they’d brought home son Bek in 2014, the process had become

Dan and Colleen knew in their hearts that this was their mission, and Love for the Children Academy was born. Since the school opened its doors in 2016, 239 students have been enrolled. The school currently serves kindergarten through grade seven, and grows every year as the current seventh-grade class — the school’s first students — move through the program.

Project HEAL uses a monthly sponsorship program to support the academy’s students. Sponsorships allow the school to provide each child with an annual physical, a new uniform every year, a backpack, and school supplies. They also are served two meals every day, even when school isn’t in session. The academy’s cook serves tea with sugar and bread in the morning, and a large meal for lunch.

“At lunchtime they have a huge meal to the point where we can’t even believe that

The Taylors came away from the University having absorbed the Jesuit commitment to the service of faith and promotion of justice. Dan experienced Jesuit compassion and community firsthand at Fairfield, when he lost his brother and his community rallied around him.

“I went through one of the most difficult times in my life while I was at Fairfield,” he said. “And the support of my professors, my friends, and a Jesuit brother that would come to my door every night and hang out with me and my buddies [got me through it].”

The Taylors live in Tennessee with their four children, now ages 17, 14, 11, and 9, but they call Chacha their second home. They are currently in the process of building a secondary school in Ethiopia that will allow Love for the Children Academy students to continue their education.

“That’s really been the long-term goal,” said Colleen. “Taking them through high school and helping them into university.”

Learn more at projecthealethiopia.org

“We needed to give back or do something. The answer wasn’t adopting 15 kids if we could come up with a way to preserve families.”

Colleen (Cunningham) and Dan Taylor ’01 standing in the doorway of their Love for the Children Academy in Chacha, Ethiopia.

AlumniNOTES

Laura Santucci MBA’10 and Michael Van Schaick ’07, MBA’09 — twin sons, Michael Joseph and Nicholas Anthony, Jan. 10, 2023.

’22 | Ashley Phan co-founded We Are One, Inc., an anti-human trafficking non-profit last year. Her company’s mission is to identify and prevent child and female sex trafficking in Connecticut. She is now in the process of building a survivor resource program that would help child and female sex trafficking survivors rebuild their lives. Learn more at thegreatgive.org/ organizations/we-are-one-inc

Karla Aponte Roque was named Miss Connecticut 2023 and will compete in Miss USA this fall. She has undergraduate degrees in biology and chemistry, earned another in nursing, works full- time as a medsurg telemetry nurse at Yale New Haven Hospital, and is an aspiring MBA student.

Marriages

Channyra Than ’03 and Jonathan Bustamante — May 11, 2023.

Kelsie Sommar and Sean McGonigle ’08 — April 1, 2023.

Alison Canelli ’15, MS’16 and Kevin Gavin ’15, MS’16 — April 30, 2022.

Sherice Reid ’16 and Abdul Smith — June 16, 2023.

Vanessa Tsionis-Agostino ’18 and John Vengalli ’18 — May 19, 2023.

Giulia Crosio ’20 and Alvin Jerome Arulmani MS’17 — April 23, 2023.

Births

Alyssa Ruiz ’11 and Joseph Carretta ’10 — son, Matteo Christian, March 14, 2023.

In Memoriam

William E. Kinsella ’51 –May 6, 2023

George Oleinik ’51 – June 7, 2023

B. Maxwell O’Meara ’52 –June 14, 2023

Clifford E. Smith ’56, MA’61 (GSEAP) – May 2, 2023

Ronald A. Skurat ’57 –April 27, 2023

Francis G. Hanley ’58 –June 23, 2023

Anthony F. Addazio ’59 –April 6, 2023

Carlton M. Harrison ’60 –May 31, 2023

Paul G. Maguire ’60 – July 2, 2023

Caron J. Keenan ’61, CT’69

(GSEAP) – April 5, 2023

Michael J. Rinaldi ’61 –

May 13, 2023

Joseph S. Spodnick ’61 –June 30, 2023

Frank J. Cimino ’62 – June 5, 2023

J. Barry Coyle ’62 – April 21, 2023

Louis A. Ockey ’62 –June 27, 2023

Gilbert J. Paulin ’62 –

June 16, 2023

Peter G. Stewart ’66 –

May 1, 2023

Joseph E. Nemecek ’68 (BEI) –

June 29, 2023

Thomas B. Willmott ’69 –

April 15, 2023

Anthony B. Kirmil ’74 –

May 18, 2023

James L. Mullins ’76 –

June 27, 2023

Henry J. Ruddy ’76 (BEI) –

April 29, 2023

Marie G. Carten ’77 –

May 16, 2023

Michael L. Neville ’79 –

May 14, 2023

Nancy J. (Avizinis) DeBeradinis ’83 – April 2, 2023

Vernon C. Dailey ’86 –April 4, 2023

James P. Fay ’86 – May 25, 2023

Donald T. Decker III ’94 –

June 17, 2023

Molly M. (Nelson) Harris ’01 –

April 16, 2023

Victor A. Noce Jr. ’02 –

June 6, 2023

Donald L. Partyka ’03 –

June 1, 2023

Justine M. (Simon) Grueb ’05 –

June 7, 2023

k ing ’20 and george

C U ltraro ii ’20, M s’21 Breaking Into the Drinks Market

by r obby p iazzaroli

Go into any bar , restaurant, concert venue, or neighborhood party, and you’re likely to find the place stocked with craft brews and hard seltzer drinks – two of the hottest markets in the adult beverage industry.

Inspired by the trend, Fairfield alumni and friends George Cultraro II ’20, MS ’21 and Kyle King ’20, set out to build a ready-todrink product together. They wanted their brand to be something totally unique that was missing from the current market. From their brainstorming came the upscale zerosugar, zero-carb tequila seltzer, Casatera.

After graduating from Fairfield, King began working at Boston-based Drizly, the largest online marketplace for alcohol. His

their joint venture. “We wanted to create something aspirational, something premium, but needed to find a hole in the market. We also wanted to create a brand and product that our parents would consume — they didn’t want to drink what their children were drinking in college.”

The name Casatera, a combination of “casa” meaning house or home, and “tierra,” meaning land or ground in Spanish, set the tone for their sophisticated, comforting beverage centered around quality tequila sourced from an award-winning distillery run by women in Jalisco, Mexico.

t H e al C o H oli C beverages ind U stry is not for the faint-hearted. For anyone looking to start their own business, Cultraro said his biggest piece of advice is to prioritize planning. “In a rapidly evolving category like ours,” he noted, “constant change is a given. Having a well-thought-out plan to navigate challenges you may face is crucial to staying focused and not losing sight of your original objective: why you started the business in the first place.”

According to Mintel data, sales for spiritbased, ready-to-drink cocktails increased 226 percent from 2016 to 2021, and there is no slowing down for Casatera. Since 2020, nearly 200,000 cans have been shipped along the East Coast.

“The hope for Casatera is to create a brand that is more than what is sold in our cans,” said Cultraro. “Our goal at the start was always to create an experience for our consumers, offering them something that was not available to them prior to Casatera, and that is a premium better-for-you tequila seltzer.”

Casatera has already been recognized in the liquor world, having taken home silver, gold, and double-gold medals, and an innovation award at the 2023 SIP Awards, an international spirits judging competition.

A huge part of their business model is giving back, which is why the duo has decided to work with 1% for the Planet, a non-profit that works with companies who commit to donating at least one percent of their annual sales to environmental organizations. King and Cultraro are also looking to give back to their alma mater, through offering Fairfield students the chance to intern or shadow them at their Boston-headquartered business.

experience there prepared him to better understand consumer behavior, market trends, and the complexities of distribution in the U.S.

Cultraro continued his studies at Fairfield; after earning a master’s degree in management from the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, he joined his friend in Boston a year later.

“We often say that the seed for Casatera was planted during our time in college together. The hard seltzer craze had started while we were at Fairfield,” said King of

“We want to develop critical mass in the markets we’re in now, and then expand,” said King. “We’re confident in our current strategy of focusing on the tri-state area and New England, and seeing where that takes us.”

With tequila sourced from Mexico and natural flavors from California, Casatera started with options of lime, strawberry, and grapefruit seltzers. Now they’ve also launched a tropical collection —consisting of mango, pineapple, coconut, and passionfruit – a customer favorite.

“Without Fairfield we wouldn’t be here,” King admitted. “Fairfield inspired us to work hard and to want to be successful. We believe that Fairfield promotes entrepreneurship and success, whether through the alumni or programs like StartUp. I’d say we meet with a couple of alumni each month, whether it’s in passing, to network, to raise money, etc. The alumni network has been invaluable to us.” l F

For more information about Casatera and where to find it in stores, visit drinkcasatera.com.

Kyle King ’20 and George Cultraro II ’20, MS’21 creators of the upscale zero-sugar, zero-carb tequila seltzer, Casatera.

“Fairfield inspired us to work hard and to want to be successful. We believe that Fairfield promotes entrepreneurship and success, whether through the alumni or programs like StartUp.”

GRADUATE SCHOOLS

Adele Annesi MFA’13 is an awardwinning writer, editor, and teacher. She is the author of What She Takes Away (Bordighera Press, 2023) and co-author of Now What? The Creative Writer’s Guide to Success After the MFA A founder of the Ridgefield Writers Conference and Muse & Music Evening Cabaret, a book editor for Word for Words, LLC, and a former development editor for Scholastic Publishing, Annesi has published varied works with 34th Parallel, Authors Publish Magazine, Dawntreader, Feile-Festa, Fresh Ink, Fringe Blog, Hamline University’s Lit Link, Hotmetalpress, Jane Friedman’s Blog, Midway Journal, Miranda Literary Magazine, Orca, The Pittsburgh Quarterly, Pyramid, The Ridgefield Press, Washington Independent Review of Books, and Southern Literary Review, where she served as managing editor.

Chris Belden MFA’11 ran a weekly creative writing workshop – for more than ten years – at a maximumsecurity prison. The book Sentences, out this October and edited by Belden, is a collection of those prison writings, in which dozens of incarcerated men share poems, stories, and essays that celebrate the power of the written word. Belden is also the author of the novels Shriver (now a movie starring Michael Shannon and Kate Hudson) and Carry-on, and the story collection

The Floating Lady of Lake Tawaba. His essay, “Inside Words: How to Teach

Writing in Prison,” was awarded the 2013 Bechtel Prize by Teachers and Writers Magazine. A graduate of the Fairfield University MFA program, Belden has run writing workshops at Fairfield University and at the Westport Writers Workshop. He lives in Ridgefield, Conn., with his family.

Marriages

Alison (Canelli ’15, MS’16) and Kevin Gavin ’15, MS’16 — Apr. 30, 2022.

Births

Laura Santucci MBA’10 and Michael Van Schaick ’07, MBA’09 — twin sons, Michael Joseph and Nicholas Anthony, Jan. 10, 2023.

In Memoriam

Joan M. Galla MA’59, CT’67 (GSEAP) – May 7, 2023

Clifford E. Smith ’56, MA’61 (GSEAP) – May 2, 2023

Jack F. Bottaro MA’62, CT’67 (GSEAP) – April 30, 2023

Barbara A. Dominakus MA’62 (GSEAP) – May 8, 2023

John F. Leydon Sr. MA’63, CT’65 (GSEAP) – March 25, 2023

Andrew J. Case MA’65, CT’70 (GSEAP) – June 13, 2023

Edward N. Coffey MA’65 (GSEAP) – May 8, 2023

Peter S. Doherty MA’65 (GSEAP) – May 29, 2023

Frances H. Myszka MA’66 (GSEAP) – June 23, 2023

Edward R. Mitola MA’67 (GSEAP) – June 10, 2023

William R. Synnott MA’69 & CT’76 (GSEAP) – June 10, 2023

Eileen M. Benoit CAS’70 (GSEAP) – June 7, 2023

Br. James R. DeTemple MA’72 (GSEAP) – June 12, 2023

Sr. Joan M. McDermott MA’74 (GSEAP) – April 30, 2023

Vivian S. (Berger) Miller MA’74 (GSEAP) – May 2, 2023

Marilyn B. Felix MA’77 (GSEAP) – April 3, 2023

Mary Jean Minahan MA’78, CT’81 (GSEAP) – April 6, 2023

Sr. M. Jude Carroll, CFSN MA’79 (GSEAP) – April 23, 2023

Michael T. McDermott MA’79 (GSEAP) – April 28, 2023

Patricia A. (Cabana) Tyler MA’79 (GSEAP) – May 7, 2023

Sondra (Hutkin) Berkman

MA’84 (GSEAP) – May 12, 2023

Karen L. (Pierce) Perkins MA’85 (GSEAP) – May 9, 2023

Mary V. (Gondar) Krusinski CT’87 (GSEAP) – June 25, 2023

Peggy Sue B. Kendler CT’97 (GSEAP) – May 30, 2023

Andrew E. Palo Jr. MS’97 (DSB) – April 12, 2023

Mark J. Krom Jr. MS’05 (SOE) –May 20, 2023

Jessica A. Bulfaro MA’20 (CAS) – April 20, 2023

Alumni

FALL 2023

Fairfield University

Alumni Association

fairfield.edu/alumni | 203-254-4280

Email us at alumni@fairfield.edu

Alumni & Family Weekend

FRI., OCT. 20 – SUN. OCT. 22

For more information, visit fairfield.edu/AFW

Open VISIONS Forum

Bank of America Women and Leadership Series:

Zanny Minton Beddoes

WED., SEPT. 27 | 8 P.M.

Art Spiegelman

TUES., OCT. 17 | 7:30 P.M.

Radhika Dirks

THURS., OCT. 26 | 7:30 P.M.

Marian Grant

THURS., NOV. 9 | 5:30 P.M.

Kaitlan Collins

SUN., NOV. 12 | 3 P.M.

Jacoby-Lunin

Humanitarian Lecture:

Susannah Heschel

TUES., NOV. 14 | 7:30 P.M.

Agathe et Adrien

N.Ormes

WED., OCT. 4 | 7:30 P.M.

THURS., OCT. 5 | 7:30 P.M.

Fairfield University

Glee Club

Alumni & Family Weekend

Concert

SUN., OCT. 22 | 12:30 P.M.

Sing We Now of Christmas

FRI., DEC. 1 | 7:30 P.M.

SAT., DEC. 2 | 2 P.M.

Quick Center for the Arts

quickcenter.com | 203-254-4010

Follow us! @FairfieldQuick

Inspired Writers Series

Emily Bernard

THURS., SEPT. 21 | 7:30 P.M.

Ryan Ruby & Becca Rothfeld

THURS., NOV. 30 | 7:30 P.M.

Theatre Fairfield

DollHouse

TUES., OCT. 17 – SAT., OCT. 21

Project X

WED., OCT. 25 & THURS., OCT. 26

Theatre in the Raw

THURS., NOV. 30; SAT., DEC. 2 & SUN., DEC. 3

OVF: Espresso

Peter Shapiro

MON., OCT. 30 | 7:30 P.M.

James Campbell

THURS., NOV. 2 | 7:30 P.M.

Broken Chord

Gregory Maqoma

WED., NOV. 1 | 8 P.M.

Young Concert Artists on Tour

FRI., NOV. 3 | 8 P.M.

Alumni & Family Weekend

Frederickson Family Innovation Lab

Jonathan Soma & Jeannie Joshi

WED., OCT. 11 | 7:30 P.M.

Cynthia Nourse Thompson

WED., NOV. 8 | 7:30 P.M.

Ranky Tanky With Lisa Fischer

FRI., NOV. 10 | 8 P.M.

Michael Keegan-Dolan

Teaċ Damsa

MáM

FRI., NOV. 17 | 8 P.M.

Center for Catholic Studies

Fairfield.edu/cs

Email us at catholicstudies@fairfield.edu

Meghan Clark, PhD

WED., OCT. 4 | 5 P.M.

Hosffman Ospino, PhD

WED., OCT. 25 | 5:30 P.M.

Maureen O’Connell & Becky McIntyre

WED., NOV. 15 | 5 P.M.

Fairfield University Art Museum

fairfield.edu/museum | 203-254-4046

Email us at museum@fairfield.edu

In Real Times. Arthur Szyk: Artist and Soldier for Human Rights

Opening Night Lecture and Reception

SEPT. 28 | 5 P.M.

Exhibition Runs:

SEPT. 29 – DEC. 16

The Met: Live in HD Dead Man Walking (Heggie)

SAT., OCT. 28 | 1 P.M. (ENCORE)

X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X (Davis)

SAT., NOV. 18 | 1 P.M. (LIVE)

Florencia en el Amazonas (Catán)

TUES., DEC. 12 | 1 P.M. (ENCORE)

Bellarmine Hall Galleries

Szyk: The Interactive Experience

SEPT. 29 – DEC. 16

Walsh Galleries

Ranky Tanky With Lisa Fischer

In Real Times. Arthur Szyk: Artist and Soldier for Human Rights

2023, AND IT WAS ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS.

REUNION 2023

At this year’s Reunion, 35th and 45th anniversary classes broke attendance records for those milestones, and the classes of 1988 and 1978 came out in strong numbers. For the first time, the 50th Reunion festivities became part of the June Reunion Weekend. The Class of 1973 had 98 members in attendance – marking the largest 50th Reunion turnout in Fairfield’s history – and included two female graduates, Elaine Green and Mary (Donnarumma) Sharnick.

For many, it was the first chance to explore the Leo D. Mahoney Arena, which opened in fall 2022; guests were able to sign up for tours or attend an open house to check out the stunning new facility. Friday evening was filled with celebrations both on and off campus, including a kick-off dinner for the 50th Reunion class, the 25th Reunion milestone celebration for the Class of 1998 at the Seagrape, and a party organized by the Class of 1988 committee, which featured alumni band Split Decision playing downtown at the Warehouse at Fairfield Theater Company.

Saturday was a beautiful morning for a Fun Run to kick off the day, and the sun continued to shine on the day’s events, with more than 1,000 people in attendance at the Taste of Fairfield. Guests were entertained by all-alumni band St. Hubbins and enjoyed food and drinks from nine local vendors while the littlest Stags were treated to face painting and balloon twisting. Meanwhile, the Class of 1973 had

a private luncheon with President Mark R. Nemec, PhD, during which they were inducted as the newest members of the illustrious Golden Stags. Classmates and 50th Reunion committee members Elaine Green and Dan Sullivan welcomed the group to the induction ceremony, which was led by Alumni Association President Kelly (Young) Falcone ’10. Rev. Gerald Blaszczak, S.J., gave a humorous and inspiring blessing before the meal.

All ten classes came together Saturday evening for a Reunion Mass in the Egan

Chapel of St. Ignatius of Loyola, where special recognition was given to the 50th Reunion alumni in attendance, and a moment was taken to remember all reunionclass alumni who have died. Following Mass, members of the Class of 1998 gathered for their 25th Reunion toast, given by classmate Tina Cerbone. The weekend concluded with the beloved tradition of dinner on Bellarmine Lawn, which saw five decades of Stag alumni celebrating together during dinner and dancing. l F

To view all of the photos from the weekend, visit fairfield.edu/reunionphotos.

DURING THE WEEKEND OF JUNE 9 – 11, NEARLY 1,500 ALUMNI AND FRIENDS CAME BACK TO CAMPUS FOR REUNION

350 members of the Class of 2018 came back to campus to celebrate their 5th Reunion.

For only the second year, Fairfield welcomed female graduates into the Golden Stags! Classmates – and Reunion Committee members –Mary Donnarumma Sharnick and Elaine Green represented our 1973 alumnae over the weekend.

Class of 1988 alumni John Zaterka, Sam Faillace, John Chiaia, and Michael Bratti enjoy the Taste of Fairfield with Lucas.

Bob Tremaglio and Brian O’Regan sport their original Class of 1973 freshman class beanies at the 1973 Welcome Dinner.

StagMates and 30th Reunion Committee Members Chris and Catherine (Bassi) Desmarais ’93. Alumnae from the Class of 2003 show their school spirit at the Dinner Dance.

Members of the Class of 1973 and their guests gather for a group photo at the Bellarmine Dinner Dance. The Class of 1973 had the second highest attendance under the tent.

Classmates Kevin McKee, Mike Warner, Mike Yates, and Bob Manetta reunited at the 1973 Welcome Dinner.

Donor PROFILE

Engaged With the Fairfield Community

b ob and d eb k ilroy , p ’24

When Bob and Deb Kilroy, P’24 began looking at colleges with their daughter Julia ’24, they embarked on the customary East Coast college tour, exploring a range of schools. Julia had a keen interest in engineering but wanted the flexibility to explore other options. She also sought a well-rounded experience with liberal arts courses and vibrant sports programs. Julia repeatedly found herself drawn to Fairfield University. Ultimately, Fairfield became her top choice, and she applied early decision.

The Kilroys were impressed with Fairfield’s faith-based foundation and the opportunity to experience an education focused on wellrounded development — mind, body, and spirit.

Julia was part of the fall 2020 cohort that started early in the pandemic. The Kilroys were moved by the University’s exceptional support of new students and parents during that challenging time. “Fairfield,” they said, “just did everything in their power to help that first-year class settle in during the midst of Covid-19 and still get as much of the college experience as possible.”

As parents, Bob and Deb were warmly welcomed to remote social events with fellow parents, and they attended an informative presentation by the dean of the School of Engineering and Computing, Andres L. Carrano, PhD. They found the Office

of Parent Engagement and Philanthropy to be especially supportive, noting, “They are wonderful about reaching out, going the extra mile to make sure that your student is adapting well to college life, and they are great at connecting you to various folks for internship and job opportunities.”

Julia has thrived at Fairfield. She found her fit in the Biomedical Engineering program, the school’s robust social community, and in the Rugby Club. She’s held leadership roles in Tau Beta Pi (the Engineering Honor Society), the Biomedical Engineering Society, and the Women’s Rugby Club. She has

participated in several facultymentored biomedical engineering research projects on campus, and earned an internship at Olympus Corporation of the Americas. She’s looking forward to senior year “on the beach.”

Bob and Deb initially got involved to support their daughter. “We wanted to be involved with Julia’s education, to have a greater connection,” they said. “We’re not near campus, but we wanted to have some insight as to what goes on around campus and what was available to her.” The couple has remained involved to support Fairfield’s investment in all students, joining the Parents Leadership Council (PLC) and providing philanthropic support.

The Kilroys live in Upton, Mass. Bob is a partner in a law firm and Deb is taking time to care for her young grandsons. They have long been involved in their church, and in fundraising and board leadership at their community hospital. At Fairfield, they support the Parents Fund and the Rugby program, and have made a fiveyear commitment to the Vincent Masi Fund for the School of Engineering and Computing,

to support scholarships for engineering students.

In addition to charitable giving, they have participated enthusiastically in University activities on and off campus. They visit a few times a year for Julia’s athletic competitions, and attend any games closer to their home. They also enjoy Alumni & Family Weekend, many PLC events, and President’s receptions both on campus and in Boston, for parents of current and newly admitted students.

Reflecting on their engagement with the Fairfield community, they said, “If you have the ability to get involved, we would definitely recommend it. You get more back than you give, is what we have seen.”

“On the student front,” they added, “our advice would be to get involved early on and try new things. Although, as parents we might not have chosen a daunting sport like rugby for our daughter, it’s been great for her in terms of connections with other friends and students, and it’s also kept her focused on health and fitness. We value Fairfield’s holistic focus on mind, body, and spirit, which isn’t found at every institution.”

“We value Fairfield’s holistic focus on mind, body, and spirit, which isn’t found at every institution.”

Fairfield Parents Make a Difference

WAYS FOR PARENTS TO PARTICIPATE:

The Parents Fund allows parents to contribute a gift of any size to urgent priorities, to ensure students’ access to holistic academic programming, student life, financial aid, and health and wellness services, all rooted in Jesuit values.

The Parents Leadership Council (PLC) is a network of parents who give $5,000 or more annually and are committed to enhancing the University through millions of dollars in support to The Parents Fund, scholarships, athletics, and more. Members enjoy benefits like signature events with senior leadership and mission-driven programs.

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.

Learn how you can join parents like Bob and Deb Kilroy, P’24, in making a difference at fairfield.edu/parents.

Be on the lookout for more details about the Parents & Family Challenge, coming this October!

The Honor Your Graduate Program is a Fairfield tradition that recognizes your student’s achievements and honors their experiences with a 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

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.

Mary Foley ’23 and parents.