Fairfield University Magazine - Summer 2022

Humanities at Work

Aging With Grace

SuSTEMability

Alumni with humanities degrees follow their paths to build careers they love.

A Murphy Center program helps retirees to deepen their spiritual lives.

Fairfield engineers bring sustainability science to local elementary and middle school students.

Fairfieldmagazine UNIVERSITY

SUMMER 2022

A New Frontier Head Coach Joe Frager’s final season is arguably the best in the history of Fairfield Women’s Basketball.

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Commencement 2022 Photo by Cassidy Kristiansen

Over the weekend of May 21-22, Fairfield University awarded diplomas to 1,082 undergraduates and 499 graduate students, 23 sixthyear certificate recipients, and 39 doctorate recipients at 2022 Commencement ceremonies. Ugochukwu “Ugo” Anamege ’22, School of Engineering graduate, celebrates on Fairfield’s historic Bellarmine Lawn.

On the cover: Women’s Basketball Coach Joe Frager is retiring after 15 seasons as the head coach of the Stags.

Photo by Peter McLean

Fairfield University Magazine Fairfield University Summer 2022 | Volume 45| Number 1 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, 13, 15-17, 41 Mike Budny page 6 Andrew Henderson pages 2, 22-27, 30, 35 Cassidy Kristensen pages 5, 7, back cover Peter McLean pages 2, 18-21, Cortney Wood page 9 Contributed Photos: 6, 11, 12, 13, 34-40 Media Center: page 8, 10, 13 Fairfield University Magazine is published four times (November, March, June, September) during the year by Fairfield University. Editorial offices are located in: Bellarmine Hall, Fairfield University Fairfield, CT 06824-5195 (203) 254-4000, ext. 2526 e-mail: ahighet@fairfield.edu Printed at The Lane Press Burlington, Vermont ii sum me r 2022 | Fairfie l d Un i ve rs it y M aga z in e

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Contents

“The intellectual rigor and creativity of the humanities have long prepared students to be leaders in a variety of careers.”

— Nels Pearson, PhD, Director of the Humanities Institute at Fairfield

COV E R STO RY

18

22

by Drew M. Kingsley ’07

by Tess (Brown) Long ’07, MFA’11

Head Coach Joe Frager’s final season with the Stags goes into the books as arguably the best in the history of Fairfield Women’s Basketball.

Alumni with humanities degrees follow their paths to build careers they love.

A New Frontier

Two years — to the day — after playing the last complete game in all of college basketball before the Covid-19 shutdown, the Fairfield Women’s Basketball team made a 2022 return to Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, and again made history.

Pictured above: All-MAAC honoree Rachel Hakes ’21, M’22 goes in for a layup during NCAA Tournament play against University of Texas.

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Humanities at Work

The study of human cultures, expression, and thought equips humanities majors with everything they need to achieve successful careers, as art history major Matthew Waldemar ’20, Spanish and international studies double-major Ashley Toombs ’07, and history major Jason Mancini ’94, PhD, can attest.

Pictured above: Executive Director of Connecticut Humanities, Jason Mancini ’94, PhD, at the Seaport Museum in Mystic, Conn.

Fairfieldmagazine UN IVE RSIT Y

4 5 14

SUMMER 2022

let ter from the presiden t universit y news facult y

Bringing Black Holes Down to Earth

by Alan Bisbort

Physicist Pierre Christian, PhD, is a leader in the study of the laws of the universe.

16

communit y

SuSTEMability

by Sara Colabella ’08, MA’11

28

Aging With Grace

by Jeannine (Carolan) Graf ’87

A Murphy Center program helps retirees to deepen their spiritual lives.

Using prayer, assigned readings, personal reflection, and open dialogue, Rev. John Murray, S.J., ’76, assistant director of the Murphy Center for Ignatian Spirituality, guides participants in his semester-long course, “Aging With Grace,” through an exploration of the spiritual dynamics of growing older.

Fairfield engineers bring sustainability science to local elementary and middle school students.

32 34

gr an ts & gif ts alumni notes

Profile: 35 Kelly (Young) Falcone ’10 The New President of the Alumni Association

39 40

calendar of even ts donor profile Rudolph V. (Vic) Pino Jr.’73, P’01, P’05

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Letter from the President

“ Our students leave us knowing that a high personal standard has been set for them — that whatever they undertake, they will accomplish as leaders in service to their communities.”

Send your letters to the editor of Fairfield University Magazine to Alistair Highet at ahighet@fairfield.edu.

Your news could be featured in an upcoming issue of Fairfield University Magazine! Submit your updates through Class Notes within the Online Community and don’t forget to include a photo! Go to fairfield.edu/alumnicommunity.

Dear Friends, We could not have asked for a more beautiful weekend than that of May 21 and 22, as we celebrated Commencement ceremonies on Bellarmine Lawn. Under cloudless skies, Fairfield enjoyed our largest graduating class in history, with more than 1,600 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students receiving degrees.

A Fairfield education is a rare thing in today’s world – an intensive journey of personal formation, attended to by faculty, staff, and alumni, leading to the education of the whole person with an emphasis on the dignity and giftedness of each student as a child of God and an individual of purpose.

Our students leave us knowing that a high personal standard has been set for them — that whatever they undertake, they will accomplish as leaders in service to their communities.

“The proper education of our youth will mean improvement for the whole world,” wrote Pedro de Ribadeneira, S.J., (1527-1611) to King Philip ll of Spain — a sentiment as inspirational today as it was in the 16th century.

Yet our commitment to foundational inspiration in the Ignatian tradition is matched by our embrace of the world as it is, meeting our young people where they are and preparing them for the future. There is no doubt that we are growing in national prominence and evolving as a University recognized for excellence.

For the incoming Class of 2026, we enjoyed the largest applicant pool to date with 13,358 applicants, an increase of almost 20 percent from just 5 years ago. With that, we expect about 1,325 incoming students next fall, the largest firstyear class in our history. At the same time, our selectivity remains on an upward trend, with an admit rate of 52 percent (five years ago it was more than 60 percent), and with more admitted students who are first in their families to go to college, are graduates of Jesuit high schools, or are from traditionally underrepresented communities.

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Put simply, more and more young people want to come to Fairfield, and we must make a Fairfield education as accessible to as many as is feasible.

Thankfully — and thanks to our traditional emphasis on service — we have an engaged alumni community that wants to pass the Fairfield spirit on for generations to come. There is no greater evidence of this than the Fairfield Awards Dinner, our flagship fundraising event for scholarship, which took place at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City in April. More than 600 people gathered to recognize honorees for their professional achievements, leadership, and volunteer commitment to Fairfield, and more than $1.25 million was raised — making it the most successful fundraising dinner in the last seven years.

We are growing, with many important developments on the immediate horizon. Our Bellarmine initiative, a plan for a two-year associate’s degree program in Bridgeport, is moving forward apace.

We have also found a site and are hiring staff for a new satellite nursing program in Austin, Texas, where we will train college graduates returning to school for nursing as a second degree. Both initiatives expect to welcome students in fall of 2023.

In the coming weeks, campus will be buzzing with summer program students, Camp Montmartre middle schoolers from Brooklyn Jesuit Prep, Missoula Children’s Theatre and other Quick Center youth arts programs, sports camps, and Premier League Lacrosse (PLL). Rafferty Stadium will host four PLL games on July 23 and 24, attracting fans from all over the country and showcasing Rafferty Stadium as an exceptional lacrosse venue.

Year-round, our vibrant campus is bustling with activity, but we are never too busy to welcome visitors. Whether you are interested in catching summer lacrosse action at Rafferty, strolling the new Walking Examen path that you will read about on page 8, or checking out the progress on construction of our new arena, we hope to see you at Fairfield soon.

With utmost gratitude and very best wishes to you all,

Mark R. Nemec, PhD President

Universit y NEWS FAIRFIELD RANKED AMONG TOP 1% FOR LONG-TERM ROI

Fairfield University Arena Coming Fall 2022 Construction of a new arena is clipping along and underway according to plan, in the same footprint that Alumni Hall once stood, and will revolutionize the Stags home game and campus event experience. The projected timeline for completion is this coming fall. The building will be approximately 85,000-square feet, featuring 3,500 seats, multi-use space for basketball games, volleyball games, University events, and concerts.

The venue will boast a state-of-the-art broadcast and media center, a Stags Club lounge and premium seating area, as well as ample chair-back seating for season ticket holders and fans.

A large, LED video board will be displayed from the ceiling of the arena and LED video boards will line the front of the second level of seating to enhance the game day experience for Stags fans.

Throughout the venue, fans will have satellite concession stands and ample restrooms; a beer garden will line the east wall of the arena. A Stags Team Shop for fans to purchase game day apparel will be located on the concourse as well.

For student-athletes, varsity locker rooms will reside on the first floor with a modern circular layout next to a training room for sports medicine staff. Additionally, a team room for pregame meals and a theatre-style film room are located on the first floor. lF Learn more and see live construction updates at Fairfieldstags.com/arena.

Using new data from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard, a recently published Georgetown study titled “Ranking 4,500 Colleges

by ROI (2022)” determined that Fairfield University is a national leader once again for return on investment (ROI) 40 years after graduation.

According to this year’s report, Fairfield University moved up to #54 (from #62 in 2019) among all institutions, placing in the top one percent for ROI. The University also ranked high up for its average alumni earning potential ten years after graduation ($141,000).

In addition to ROI metrics that include students’ income potential after graduation, graduation rate, and average debt, Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce analyzed a new metric that “measures the share of students at an institution whose earnings 10 years after enrollment are higher

than those of workers with a high school diploma as their highest level of education.”

Statewide, Fairfield placed second in Connecticut after Yale University (#37), and surpassed schools such as Wesleyan, Trinity, Connecticut College, University of Connecticut, Quinnipiac, and Sacred Heart University in the 40-year value ranking.

Among Jesuit colleges nationwide, Fairfield was fourth, in the company of Georgetown, Santa Clara University, and Boston College.

Notably, the most recent update of the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, released in December 2021, elevated Fairfield University to the doctoral classification, as one of 73 new doctoral/ professional institutions to be added to this category.

Fairfield was formerly classified among master’s F degree-granting institutions. l

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education now lists Fairfield nationally in the doctoral classification.

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Universit y NEWS ISABEL WILKERSON ON “WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP” On April 28, the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts’ Open VISIONS Forum welcomed New York Times best-selling author Isabel Wilkerson who presented “Caste: Examining Race, Culture, and Consequences.”

This virtual lecture was part of the “Women and Leadership” series sponsored by Bank of America.

Embodying what it means to be an empowered woman and leader, Wilkerson is the author of the critically acclaimed book Caste: The

Isabel Wilkerson Origins of Our Discontent. Her lecture invited us to discover the inner workings of an American hierarchy that goes far beyond the confines of F race, class, or gender. l

Fairfield Dolan Welcomed More Than 40 Alumni for Stags on Wall Street Event Fairfield Dolan hosted Stags on Wall Street at the Dolan Event Hall on April 19. The event was a way for alumni from the Wall Street community to have informal conversations with students. Each visiting firm had its own table, and alumni from each firm spoke with students about opportunities at their companies.

Fairfield Dolan was pleased to welcome more than 40 alumni from the following companies at the event: Bank of America, BlackRock, Blackstone, BNP/ Paribas, BNY Mellon, Citibank, Deutsche Bank, Franklin Templeton, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Nexseer

Capital, SMBC-NIKKO, TD Securities, Wells Fargo, and UBS. “Fairfield has an amazing network of alumni who are successful across various sectors of the financial services industry,” said Institutional FX sales analyst at J.P. Morgan Alexandra Cordero ’19. “Stags on Wall Street is an exciting event that will help prepare students for a career on Wall Street by giving them the opportunity to engage with, ask questions to, and network with alumni. It is great to see the work that John Hottinger and others on campus are doing to engage and prepare the next set of industry F leaders coming out of Fairfield!” l

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STAGIVING DAY: 3,300 GIFTS AND $3.8 MILLION RAISED Fairfield University students, alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends were more motivated than ever to support the programs and initiatives that mean the most to them during the 8th annual STAGiving Day, which took place this year on April 6 and set a remarkable new record.

In one day — over 24 hours — Stags were asked to help the University achieve 2,400 gifts to unlock $1.5 million to support the most urgent needs of Fairfield students, faculty, and staff.

This year, Stags made an overwhelming 3,390 gifts to raise $3,830,846, setting a new STAGiving Day record in the number of donors who participated, the number of gifts received, and the total dollars raised. Over $1.3 million of that total was raised by more than 1,000 enthusiastic and generous Friends of Fairfield Athletics to support operational needs, capital projects, and endowment for the University’s almost 500 student-athletes.

In addition to raising an unprecedented amount of funds for our students, our Fairfield community participated in many other ways to make this the most successful STAGiving Day yet. The Athletics community also passionately displayed their love for Fairfield by far surpassing their previous STAGiving Day F record for the fourth year in a row. l

FRÉDÉRICK GRAVEL IN DANCE PERFORMANCE AT QUICK CENTER

Dancer and choreographer Frédérick Gravel’s U.S. premiere of This Duet That We’ve Already Done (so many times) took center stage at the Quick on April 7, 8, and 9. Gravel is artistic director at Daniel Léveillé Danse (DLD), a performing arts company in Québec dedicated to the evolution and innovation of the arts. At DLD, Gravel strives to help artists develop their full potential. Not only a choreographer and dancer, but also a guitarist, musician, and lighting designer, Gravel is an inspiring figure in the performing arts world, with a clear and strong desire to create.

“That is why tonight is so important, because one of the main goals for this dinner is to help make this incredible Fairfield experience accessible to a new generation of students.”

— Maureen Errity Bujno ’90, Alumni Service Award Recipient

2022 Fairfield Awards Dinner Raises More Than $1.25 Million for Scholarships

On April 20 the Fairfield Awards Dinner, the University’s flagship fundraising event for scholarship, took place at the renowned Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City, in-person for the first time since 2019. More than 600 Fairfield alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, and friends gathered to recognize honorees for their professional achievements, outstanding leadership, and volunteer commitment to Fairfield, as well

as to raise funds for student scholarships. This generous community, along with some who were unable to attend, raised more than $1.25 million — making it the most successful fundraising dinner in the last seven years. Since its inception in 1988, supporters of the annual Awards Dinner have contributed more than $20 million toward scholarships.

The Awards Dinner also annually recognizes members

of the University community who exemplify Jesuit values in their communities, careers, and commitment to Fairfield.

This year’s honorees were: Michael G. Archbold ‘82, former CEO and current board member of The Council for Inclusive Capitalism with The Vatican, and former CEO of GNC; Maureen Errity Bujno ‘90, audit & assurance managing director and governance leader of the Center for Board Effectiveness at Deloitte

Clockwise from top left: Elizabeth Koch Neugebauer ’91, Stephen Neugebauer ’15, Peter Neugebauer ’81, Phil Neugebauer ’91 (hidden in photo), and Mamadou Diakhate ’08; Michael Errity ’86, Maureen Rush, and Brenda Rush, P’25; Sebastian Michel ’23, Pejay Lucky, Director of Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, Kaadiana Barnes Padilla ’17, and Deja-Lee Tam ’22; Alumni Chaplain and Special Assistant to the President Rev. Gerald Blaszczak, S.J., Distinguished/Faculty Administrator Award Recipient; Kassandra Almanzar ’23, scholarship recipient and Awards Dinner speaker.

& Touche LLP; Rev. Gerry R. Blaszczak, S.J., special assistant to the President and alumni chaplain; and John and Lori Berisford, P’21,’20, president of S&P Global Ratings and president and board chair of Sphere of CT, respectively. During the event, special recognition was given to the late George F. Keane ’51, founder and former president of Commonfund and former director of the United Negro F College Fund. l

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Universit y NEWS Alumni and Friends Pledge $2.6 Million to Fairfield Men’s Basketball A 10-person group of supporters and friends of Fairfield University Men’s Basketball have pledged a total of $2.6 million to the Men’s Basketball program over the next five years. Funds will be allocated to enhance multiple aspects of the program and the student-athlete experience.

“Fairfield University and Fairfield Men’s Basketball are on an upward trajectory, and our continued rise to national prominence requires an incredible level of commitment from everybody involved in the program,” said Director of Athletics Paul Schlickmann. “This group of Stags has heard that message and has answered the call with an outstanding showing of generosity.

Their gift will be transformational for our student-athletes and our Men’s Basketball program.”

A portion of the $2.6 million gift has funded upgrades to the Rafferty Gymnasium practice

facility inside the Walsh Athletic Center as well as additional capital projects. The gift will also increase the general operating and recruiting budgets of the Men’s Basketball program.

The group has also issued a challenge to the Fairfield Men’s Basketball community and will match up to $300,000 in gifts to the program made by June 30, 2022.

Head Coach Jay Young said, “Alumni and friend support is the lifeblood of our program, and the support of this group will help ensure that Fairfield Basketball can compete — in the MAAC and on the national level — on the court, in the classroom, and on the recruiting trail for years to F come.” l To donate, contact Mike Jarvis, associate director of Athletics Development and associate director of Athletics, at mjarvis@fairfield.edu or 203-254-4000 ext. 2403.

Student-athletes in the Men’s Basketball program will benefit from a transformational gift made by a group of alumni and friends.

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The May 1 Blessing Ceremony started at the Examen statue on the plaza of Egan Chapel.

THE WALKING EXAMEN: BLESSING CEREMONY AND CELEBRATION

The beauty of Fairfield University’s scenic 200-acre campus has gained a one-of-a-kind spiritual element with a new mile-long prayer and meditation trail, the Walking Examen, which was introduced in a blessing ceremony and celebratory reception on Sunday, May 1.

In recognition of the Ignatian Year, which runs from May 20, 2021 to July 21, 2022, Fairfield’s Office of Mission and Ministry partnered with the Murphy Center for Ignatian Spirituality to create the new outdoor Walking Examen path, designed to cultivate prayerful discernment and an awareness of God’s presence around us.

The Walking Examen path features five “steps,” each marked by a large boulder and plaque, representing the five movements of the Examen prayer: Thanksgiving, Illumination, Examination, Contrition, and Hope. The project was generously funded by James D. Fitzpatrick ’70, MA’72, P’08, his wife Phyllis P’08, a former director of Residence Life and Management Information for 33 years, and their family.

Prof. John E. Thiel, PhD, President-Elect of American Theological Society Professor John E. Thiel, PhD, of the Religious Studies Department in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been elected vice president and president-elect of the American Theological Society (ATS). Established in 1912, the ATS is the oldest theological society in North America.

Past presidents of the ATS include Paul Tillich, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J. Dr. Thiel will serve as president in 2023-24.

Dr. Thiel has taught at Fairfield University for 46 years. He was a visiting professor of religious studies at Yale University in spring 2019 and spring 2020. Twice a recipient of fellowships from the

National Endowment for the Humanities, Dr. Thiel served in 2011-12 as president of the Catholic Theological Society of America, the largest professional society of theologians in the world.

Dr. Thiel’s 2013 book, Icons of Hope: The “Last Things” in Catholic Imagination (University of Notre Dame Press), received the 2014 Alpha Sigma Nu Book Award for the best book on theology published by faculty members in Jesuit colleges and universities in the past three years. His most recent book, Now and Forever: A Theological Aesthetics of Time, will be published by the University of Notre Dame Press later this F year. l

Students Recognized for Achievement, Service, and Leadership A select group of seniors are recognized annually with Student Achievement Awards for their academic and service-related accomplishments. This year’s ceremony was held on April 11.

Nwachukwu Ibekwe ’22

received the prestigious undergraduate St. Ignatius Loyola Medal for his commitment to the Jesuit ideals of maintaining high academic standards and substantial involvement in community service and extracurricular activities.

The William J. Kramer ’60 Humanitarian Award was awarded to nursing major Jasmine Nguy ’22 for her “commitment to volunteerism and service to an external community activity that best exemplifies the Ignatian tradition of being men and women for and with others.”

Four students received Student Achievement Awards for exceptional dedication to,

(Pictured left to right): Jasmine Nguy ’22, Mahfouz Soumare ’22, Tobenna Ugwu ’22, and Nwachukwu Ibekwe ’22

enhancement of, and/or creation of a specific Fairfield University program, activity, organization, or project, which has had a significant and positive impact on the campus community: Tobenna Ugwu ’22, a biomedical engineering major and mathematics minor was recognized for his contributions as FUSA vice president, and to

From international service and advocacy, to mentoring and program development, the achievements of Class of 2022 students from across all schools were recognized at the annual Student Achievement Awards ceremony.

The Fairfield Mirror and Fairfield at Night. Gabriel Rodrigues ’22, a biology major and biochemistry and health studies minor was recognized for his contributions to the Biology Department and as a senior resident assistant and Ignatian Leadership Residential College mentor. Mahfouz Soumare ’22, an international studies and economics major, and a French, humanitarian action, and finance triple minor, was recognized for his commitment to humanitarian efforts, and leadership on and off the soccer field. Lou Lopez Senechal ’22, a marketing major, was recognized for excellence in athletics as a Division I Women’s Basketball athlete, and for academic accomplishments including F MAAC All-Academic Team. l

FAIRFIELD EGAN PARTNERS WITH YALE TO COMBAT NURSING SHORTAGE Fairfield University, Gateway Community College, Quinnipiac University, and Southern Connecticut State University have joined Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS), for an innovative new partnership.

The initiative addresses the nationwide healthcare worker shortage by recruiting more qualified nursing student candidates and helping them with employment.

This partnership promises to graduate at least 557 additional nurses over the course of the next four years, and provide clinical experiences and scholarships to students enrolled in the accelerated second degree nursing F program. l

ANNUAL MAGIS LECTURE WITH DR. CARLOTA OCAMPO Carlota Ocampo, PhD, associate professor of psychology and provost at Trinity University in Washington, D.C., presented “Hidden in Plain Sight: Acknowledging and Addressing the Impacts of Racist Incident-Based Trauma,” on Wednesday, March 30, at Fairfield University’s Alumni House. This College of Arts and Sciences’ Magis Core Lecture and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies’ keynote capstone event was free and F open to the public. l

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Universit y NEWS GOVERNOR LAMONT ADDRESSES CONNECTICUT’S CYBER PREPAREDNESS Governor Ned Lamont was welcomed by Fairfield’s School of Engineering Dean Andres Leonardo Carrano, PhD, and the program director of Cybersecurity and professor of the practice in computer science and engineering Mirco Speretta, PhD, for a press conference on March 9 to discuss cybersecurity efforts in the wake of potential international threats. State of Connecticut Chief Information Officer Mark Raymond, and State of Connecticut Chief Information Security Officer Jeff Brown, joined Governor Lamont at the podium.

Dean Carrano and Dr. Speretta highlighted Fairfield’s School of Engineering and the school’s MS in Cybersecurity program as a pipeline for cybersecurity efforts in the state. Notably, the work Fairfield Engineering is undertaking with non-profits in Connecticut is unique, and exemplifies the University’s commitment to service and social responsibility.

Fairfield First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick kicked off the press conference and welcomed the Governor and his team to Fairfield. State and local leaders Senator Tony Hwang (R-28), State Representative Jennifer Leeper (D-132), and State Representative Cristin McCarthy Vahey (D-133) also participated F and offered remarks. l

U.S. News & World Report Ranks Grad Programs Among Nation’s Best Graduate programs within the Charles F. Dolan School of Business and the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies have once again been ranked among the top in the country by U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 Best Graduate School rankings.

Fairfield Dolan’s Accounting, Finance, Marketing, and Business Analytics programs were among the Top 25 in the U.S. Finance, Marketing, and Business Analytics maintained or increased their specialty rankings in the 2023 report. Fairfield Dolan’s Part-Time MBA Program jumped 35 spots this year to #92, in a tie with University of Tennessee and Florida Atlantic University.

2023 Best Graduate Business Specialty Programs:

• Accounting #19 (between #18 MIT and #20 Columbia University), was the only school in Connecticut ranked in the Top 20.

• Finance #19, also ranked in the Top 20 and was #2 in Connecticut following #17 Yale.

• Marketing #18, was the only school in Connecticut ranked in the Top 20.

• Business Analytics #21, was the only school in Connecticut ranked in the Top 25.

• Part-Time MBA #92, was #2 in Connecticut.

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Among the Best Nursing Schools that offer Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees, Fairfield was ranked #3 in the state, and nationally tied at #76 with Samford University, Seattle University, and University of Wisconsin. Fairfield Egan also tied at #80 among Best Nursing Schools that offer master’s programs nationwide, and tied at #3 statewide with Quinnipiac University.

2023 Best Graduate Schools Rankings – Nursing Schools:

• Fairfield Egan ranked #76 (tie) nationally, and was #3 in Connecticut, among schools with DNP programs.

• Fairfield Egan placed #80 (tie) nationally, and was #3 (tie) in Connecticut, among schools with master’s programs.

Ranking indicators for the 2023 Best Business Schools Rankings included quality assessment (peer assessment score and recruiter assessment score), placement success — which considers employment rates and earnings, and student selectivity. Specialty Rankings are “based solely on ratings by business school deans and directors of AACSBaccredited MBA programs from the list of schools surveyed,” according to U.S. News & World Report.

Ranking indicators for the 2023 Best Nursing Schools Rankings included quality assessment (peer assessment score, and health care professionals assessment score), research activity, faculty resources, master’s and DNP program student selectivity, and F program size. l

President Mark R. Nemec, PhD Honored by Brooklyn Jesuit Prep Fairfield University President Mark R. Nemec, PhD was honored at the 2022 Brooklyn Jesuit Prep Gala and Celebration on May 11.

Dr. Nemec received the Thea Bowman Award for Education, which is conferred upon an individual who demonstrates Sister Thea Bowman’s belief in the transformative power of education to bring about a more compassionate, multi-cultural community of justice and faith.

The granddaughter of a slave, Sister Bowman was a lifelong educator and founder of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University and the National Black Sisters Conference. Her mission centered around intercultural awareness and building up the Black Catholic community, sharing its rich cultural and spiritual heritage through prayer, music, writing, teaching and preaching.

During President Nemec’s tenure at Fairfield University, he

has led efforts to serve broader student populations in innovative ways. Inspired by its long-standing relationship with Brooklyn Jesuit Prep, the University has expanded its Academic Immersion Program, created the Company Scholars program for high-achieving first generation students from Jesuit high schools, and is launching Bellarmine College in partnership with the Diocese of Bridgeport.

This new academic unit of the University will offer a two-year associate’s degree program and world-class education to students from the Bridgeport community.

The proceeds raised at the gala will benefit Brooklyn Jesuit Prep’s Summer Leadership Academy.

The four-week program hosted at Fairfield University in July builds upon students’ academic work and offers enrichment, outdoor sports and activities, leadership skill development, community building across grade levels, and the opportunity to experience life F on a college campus. l

(l-r): Chris Ferreira, Dr. Nemec, Fr. Mario Powell, S.J. and Chris Johnson.

Rabbi Burton Visotzky, PhD, and Pope Francis meet.

16TH ANNUAL LECTURE IN JEWISH/CHRISTIAN ENGAGEMENT On April 7, Rabbi Burton Visotzky, PhD, discussed Pope Francis’ Fratelli Tutti (All Brothers) encyclical and shared his thoughts on the pope’s extension of Vatican II’s famous Nostra Aetate declaration regarding the Church and non-Christian religions in his lecture: “Fratelli Tutti: the Good Samaritan and the Rabbi.”

Director of the Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), Rabbi Visotzky also serves at JTS as Appleman Professor of Midrash and Interreligious Studies, and as the Louis Stein

Director of the Finkelstein Institute for Religious and Social Studies.

With an EdM from Harvard and a PhD from JTS’s Rabbinical School, Rabbi Visotzky met Pope Benedict in 2007 while serving as master visiting professor of Jewish Studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

He met Pope Francis in 2014 while serving as distinguished visiting professor at Rome’s Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. He has been an adjunct faculty member at Union Theological Seminary F since 1980. l

Fairfield University Faculty Retirements A number of long-time faculty members are retiring this summer: professor of finance Thomas Conine, PhD, Charles F. Dolan School of Business (42 years); associate professor of economics Philip Lane, PhD, Dolan School of Business (41 years); professor of business law Sharlene McEvoy, JD, PhD, Dolan School of Business (36 years); professor of mathematics Irene Mulvey, College of Arts & Sciences (37 years); associate professor of English Sally O’Driscoll, PhD, College of Arts & Sciences (31 years); assistant professor of nursing Carole Pomarico, MSN, MA, RN, Marion Peckham

Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies (49 years); professor of psychology Judith Primavera, PhD, College of Arts & Sciences (32 years); professor of the practice (chemistry),Eileen Reilly-Wiedow, College of Arts & Sciences (11 years); professor of counselor education Tracey Robert, PhD, LPC, NCCC, School of Education and Human Development (21 years); and professor of Judaic studies Ellen Umansky, PhD, College of Arts & Sciences, Bennet Center for Judaic Studies (28 years).

Fairfield University is grateful for their many years of service and F dedication. l

Fa i r f i e l d Un i v e r s i t y Mag a z i n e | s u mmer 2022 11

Universit y NEWS FAIRFIELD FIELD HOCKEY POSTS TOP GPA IN DIVISION I Fairfield University Field Hockey earned the top grade point average (GPA) for the fall semester among all NCAA Division I field hockey programs, as announced by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) in February. The Stags aggregated a 3.79 GPA in the fall 2021 semester.

The Stags top a ledger that also includes Stanford University, Dartmouth College, the University of Louisville, and Brown University in the top five. The announcement highlighted the unveiling of the NFHCA Division I National Academic Team awards, which recognizes programs that merited a team GPA of 3.0 or higher during the fall semester.

It was previously announced

that the Stags placed 24 student-athletes on the NFHCA National Academic Squad. To receive that distinction, a student-athlete must hold a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or better. The Stags’ 24 honorees ranked one off the national pace set by Columbia University.

On the pitch, the Stags finished the 2021 fall season with a 14-8 overall record and captured the 2021 NEC regular season and tournament championships for the second time in three seasons. Fairfield went on to challenge Delaware in the NCAA Championship first round, where they were clipped by a 4-3 score in overtime against the CAA F Champion Blue Hens. l

Fairfield’s field hockey team captured the 2021 NEC regular season and tournament championship titles.

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Fairfield University School of Engineering delegates at the 48th Annual NSBE Convention in Anaheim, Calif..

STUDENTS REPRESENT FAIRFIELD AT NATIONAL SOCIETY OF BLACK ENGINEERS CONVENTION

This March, students from Fairfield University’s School of Engineering attended the 48th Annual National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Convention. During the three-day convention, engineering students Kafo Bagagnan ’23, Kameron Reynolds ‘24, Kareem Fridaus ‘23, Kobi Okpoti ’23, Prince Addo ‘22, Morwan Abbe ‘23, Aniyah Pettway ‘24, Aaron Banson ‘24, biology major Mario Williams ‘23, and public health major Philomena Appiah ‘24 met representatives from other engineering schools, attended empowering speeches delivered by prominent industry professionals, and participated in a variety of career networking opportunities.

Said Okpoti ’23, a junior in the School of Engineering, “I appreciate getting the opportunity to network with different companies as well as connect with other NSBE chapters. Being here, I got the chance to interview with a few companies that I hope to work for in the future.”

Fairfield to Offer New MS in Biomedical Engineering The future is bright for students interested in biomedical engineering. Fairfield University’s School of Engineering is launching a new Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering degree program.

“We are thrilled to launch the new master’s program, with courses that cover medical device design, orthopedic biomechanics, molecular modeling, biomaterials, and more,” said Susan Freudzon, PhD, program director and professor of the practice. “These experiential and project-based courses prepare our students to be innovators in a rapidly changing field. Students in the MS program will be encouraged to pursue hands-on research with faculty, using state-of-the-art equipment from electrospinning

nanofibers in the material science lab, to three-dimensional motion tracking in the brand new orthopedic biomechanics research lab.”

Launching in fall 2022, the MS in Biomedical Engineering program will focus on the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine or biology for healthcare. In this program, students will gain theoretical knowledge with hands-on experiential learning and practical application from industry, thus preparing graduates to become leaders in the field. The program will also be offered as a 4+1 bachelor-to-master’s program, which will allow students to pursue a biomedical engineering master’s F degree in an accelerated format. l

Center for Social Impact Honors 2022 Awardees for Excellence

Judy Primavera, PhD

Diana Muteba ’22

On April 21, Fairfield Center for Social Impact (CSI) celebrated a showcase of accomplishments for the 2021-22 academic year. CSI Director Melissa Quan, EdD, highlighted many achievements of students working in CSI programs, and the efforts of student fellows who lead the Humanitarian Action Club — Magdalena Dutkowska ’22, Julia Neal ’23, and Evan Keiser ’24. The group raised money to support local refugee resettlement agencies and helped set up homes for newly arrived refugee families.

The Humanitarian Action Club was recently bestowed the Philanthropy Award by the Fairfield University Association of Clubs and Student Organizations for their efforts.

Following Dr. Quan’s yearend review, recipients of four annual awards were honored.

Congratulations to the following awardees: Judy Primavera, PhD, received the 2022 Rev. Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., Faculty Award for Excellence in Community Engagement, in recognition of

Vincent Rotondo ’23

her exceptional commitment to community-engaged teaching, research, and scholarship.

Caroline House received the 2022 Outstanding Community Partner Award, which recognizes a community partner for their contributions to community engagement with Fairfield University. Caroline House, whose mission is to enable women and children to reach the fullness of their potential through education in English language and life skills, has partnered with Fairfield University for more than 20 years. Diana Muteba ’22 received the 2022 Humanitarian Action Student Award, which recognizes the outstanding academic performance of a humanitarian action minor in the program’s courses as well as evidence of commitment to humanitarian work. Vincent Rotondo ’23 was recognized as the recently announced recipient of a 2022-23 Newman Civic Fellowship. Newman fellowships are awarded nationally to students who are change makers F and public problem solvers. l

RAFFERTY STADIUM SELECTED TO HOST PREMIER LACROSSE LEAGUE, JULY 23-24 The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL), powered by Ticketmaster, recently announced that the league will travel to Connecticut for the first time ever. Conway Field at Rafferty Stadium, on the campus of Fairfield University, will host four games on July 23 and 24.

“There’s a rich history of lacrosse in the state of Connecticut — home to nearly a dozen of our pros,” said cofounder and CEO Michael Rabil.

“We’re thrilled to host games at Fairfield’s Rafferty Stadium.

Connecticut needs more professional sports teams, so we wanted to give the lacrosseloving community a chance to see the PLL stars up close.”

Saturday, July 23 will feature a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. followed by a Sunday, July 24 twin bill beginning at 2 p.m.

Eight Premier Lacrosse League players hail from the state of Connecticut, including Stags standout midfielder Brent Adams ’12 of Norwalk.

In addition, former Fairfield head coach Andy Copelan is the leader of the league’s Waterdogs LC, with former Stag Matt Bocklet on his coaching staff.

Weekend passes that include tickets to all four games are now available at www. premierlacrosseleague.com/ F schedule. l

Fairfield and Connecticut Public Announce Media Partnership Fairfield University and Connecticut Public, home to Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) and Connecticut Public Radio (WNPR), announced a new partnership designed to provide opportunities for Fairfield students to learn from and work alongside talented television, radio, and digital journalists — many of whom will be based on campus.

With the University’s new Arts & Sciences Guarantee, a distinctive fellowship that provides up to $2500 in support to each student who secures an approved unpaid internship, this new partnership offers practical, real-world experiences to Fairfield

students, and fulfills Connecticut Public’s mission to train the next generation of media professionals.

Connecticut Public now has an on-campus presence in Fairfield University’s new state-of-the-art Media Center, providing organized and ad hoc opportunities to connect with working media professionals.

The new partnership includes a content distribution agreement for WVOF 88.5, which will broadcast weekly top of the hour newscasts from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in addition to Morning Edition and All Things Considered “drive time” news programs, and Connecticut Public’s F daily and weekday talk shows. l

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Bringing Black Holes Down to Earth Physicist Pierre Christian, PhD, is a leader in the study of the laws of the universe.

by Alan Bisbort

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h at is 6.5 billion times more massive than the sun and, conversely, a “relatively tiny astronomical object”?

This is not a trick question, at least not to Fairfield University’s Pierre Christian, PhD, assistant professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Christian was part of the Event Horizon Telescope project (EHT) that, in April 2019, captured the first resolved images of a black hole (the answer to the above question)—a feat that was thought impossible just a generation ago.

The black hole in question, Messier 87 (M87), is located 55 light years from Earth in the “nearby” Virgo galaxy cluster. In order to capture this most elusive of entities visually, scientists affiliated with EHT utilized a series of nine interlocking radio telescopes to, in essence, create a virtual telescope as large as planet Earth.

“We saw many iterations of the black hole before the final image was released, so by then we’d experienced that thrill many times,” said Dr. Christian. “But even for scientists, it was exciting, especially the senior members of the research staff, some of whom have spent 50 or 60 years researching and theorizing about black holes before finally getting to see one. It is overwhelming for them.”

Dr. Christian joined the EHT project while conducting post-doctoral research at the University of Arizona, and he has brought the affiliation and knowledge with him to Fairfield University, where he began teaching undergraduate physics courses in 2021.

His interest in black holes is linked to his groundbreaking research into gravity. He’s one of four lead authors of important, newly published research on testing gravity “with the Shadow of the M87 Black Hole.” Using the massive datasets collected from the EHT project, he has created algorithms to compare black hole theories with the EHT results and then to use the findings to test theories of gravity.

Left: An enhanced image of a black hole with nebula over stars and cloud fields in outer space.

“You have a theory and you test it through experiments.

With a black hole, we can’t do that. It’s too far away and we are stuck here on Earth! So we are creating a tabletop simulation that we want to bring to the classroom at Fairfield.”

Dr. Pierre Christian, Assistant Professor of Physics

Above: Dr. Pierre Christian, assistant professor of physics, working with students in a Bannow Science Center classroom.

“Gravity is the least understood of the fundamental forces in the universe, the last bastion of the great unknown in physics,” said Dr. Christian, who earned his master’s and PhD in astrophysics at Harvard.

“I’m using black holes as a way to test our understanding of gravity, because a black hole is a gravitational object so strong that light can’t escape from it.”

Gravity on Earth, he explained, is too weak for proper experimentation, pointing to the fact that a person can pick up a paperclip with a magnet.

“This shows that gravity on Earth is much weaker than electromagnetism, another fundamental force in the universe,” he said.

“You need something strong like a black hole

to research gravity properly. But how do you get a black hole?”

That’s where his present research comes into play. Currently, two undergraduate assistants, Charlie Olson ’25 and Tim Holewienko ’24, are working with Dr. Christian to create a virtual-reality version of a black hole using computer simulations.

“This is not chemistry where you can do lab experiments, add this to that and then heat it and so on,” said Dr. Christian with a laugh. “But experimentation is the cornerstone of science. You have a theory and you test it through experiments. With a black hole, we can’t do that. It’s too far away and we are stuck here on Earth! So we are creating a tabletop simulation that we want to bring to the classroom at Fairfield.”

To illustrate the denseness of a black hole, Dr. Christian offers a thought experiment. “Imagine that you have 6.5 billion times the mass of the sun in apples,” he said. “They will take up a huge amount of volume in space, right? Now imagine you have 6.5 billion times the mass of the sun in steel. It will take up far less volume in space because steel is so dense.

You keep going smaller with more dense objects until you get to a black hole, which is the densest object we know of in the universe.”

Dr. Christian estimates that the black hole simulator is about half-completed.

“We’ll be working on it over the summer, so we will see,” he said. “But next year we will definitely have a course on gravity and spacetime where physics students can learn about black holes in Bannow Science Center classrooms and labs.”

Fairfield is Dr. Christian’s first teaching job, and he is enjoying the experience. “I had always been at big schools, and I like that Fairfield is a smaller liberal arts university,” he said. “Here we know each other on the faculty. You know the person in the office next door and down the hall, not just in physics, but in engineering and math; we are closely connected. It’s the same with the students. We say hello when we see each F other on campus. That’s been really nice.” l

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SuSTEMability Fairfield engineers bring sustainability science to local elementary and middle school students.

by Sara Colabella ’08, MA’11

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t’s a cool and r ain y April afternoon, but Bridgeport’s Wakeman Boys & Girls Club gymnasium is a buzzing hive of activity.

Assistant professor of electrical and biomedical engineering John Drazan, PhD, and a group of Fairfield engineering students known as “SuSTEMability fellows” arrive to a swarm of excited children running toward them screaming, “The engineers are here!”

Made possible by the E2 Energy to Educate Grant offered through Constellation Energy (a leading competitive energy company that provides power, natural gas, renewable energy, and energy management products and services), SuSTEMability is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) outreach program that engages Fairfield’s School of Engineering students and faculty with students and educators from Bridgeport’s Cesar Batalla School and Wakeman Boys & Girls Club — with a particular focus on sustainable energy and environmental efforts within engineering.

Mentored by Fairfield engineering undergraduates in this community-engaged learning experience, elementary and middle school students acquire technical skills, hone their critical thinking skills, learn basic statistical techniques, and develop a fundamental understanding of science, sustainability, and engineering concepts.

“We’re putting our first-years and sophomores in a position of trust to serve as mentors, which is phenomenally important,” said Dr. Drazan.

Led by the engineering professor and fellows Lorenzo Arabia ’25, Abigail Diltz ’25, Kobi Oktobi ’23, Margaret Millar ’25, and Megan Rourke ’24, each Wakeman session kicks off with an athletic activity such as basketball, to illustrate how STEM principles relate to sports. The sessions then transition into engineering and sustainability lessons.

Using activities like basketball helps young participants see and understand engineering concepts. “We spend the first couple of

Left: Through this outreach program, Fairfield engineering students teach STEM using activities to help kids see and understand the concepts.

“Seeing how excited the kids were about engineering and seeing their efforts come to fruition has been an amazing experience.”

Brianna Duswalt ’23

Above: Students built miniature solar cars, fans, LED circuit boards, and crank generators.

sessions getting to know the students and incorporating STEM by asking them how buildings and various objects are created, how basketball shots are made, or how the gym is lit up,” explained Rourke.

Following the engineering discussions, the fellows engage their students in activities that apply the concepts they learned – things like basketball layup drills, or building solar cars and fans which are then tested out in the gymnasium.

“What is really cool is that we are doing a lot of hands-on building, where the students have the opportunity to not only measure their basketball performance but also build sustainable systems like a solar car or a solar windmill station,” said Dr. Drazen. “The students are able to collect their own data and see tangibly how they can design these types of systems in a micro scale version, and hopefully apply these lessons in their future careers.”

“We encourage the students to be bold in their curiosity. We’ve been able to focus on

breaking into our groups and talking about how each student can make their own difference in the world by being a hero for those that will live in it after us,” said Rourke.

At Cesar Batalla School, Associate Professor Uma Balaji, PhD, and associate dean Elif Kongar, PhD, program director of Management of Technology, joined SuSTEMability fellows Isabella Carrano ’24, Brianna Duswalt ’23, and Dermot Warner ’24 to engage middle school students in classroom lessons, including one taught solely in Spanish.

Topics included: the use of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps for energy conservation, how motors and gears work in relation to solar energy, sources of renewable energy, and the responsible use of energy.

“Seeing how excited the kids were about engineering and seeing their efforts come to fruition has been an amazing experience,” said Duswalt of the hands-on classroom activities that included creating LED circuit boards, hand crank generators, solar cars, and solar fans.

“This experience has allowed me and the other fellows to inform future generations on how they can reduce their ecological footprint by small daily changes,” said Carrano. “The SuSTEMability program allows us to expose youth to STEM education and excite them to create change in the world.”

At the School of Engineering, students are taught to be engineers with a higher purpose: they are not only trained in technical skills and knowledge, they are challenged to think about the impact they can make in the community.

Said Dr. Kongar, “Engagement in highquality science education is critical to attracting students to the sciences, yet these enrichment opportunities are seldom accessible to populations presently underrepresented in STEM. SuSTEMability addresses both these issues by providing students from diverse backgrounds an understanding of sustainable engineering through age-appropriate enrichment opportunities that illustrate our role — as individuals and as a community — F in building a climate-safe renewable future.” l

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Joe Frager cuts down the net following the Stags’ MAAC Championship win.

A NEW FRONTIER HEAD COACH JOE FRAGER’S FINAL SEASON WITH THE STAGS GOES INTO THE BOOKS AS ARGUABLY THE BEST IN THE HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD WOMEN’S BASKETBALL.

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by Drew M. Kingsley ’07

arch 12, 2020. Fresh off of a 72-56 win over Siena in the quarterfinals of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

Championship, Fairfield Women’s Basketball came off the court at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., expecting to begin preparations for the next day’s semifinal contest. Instead, the Stags were met with the sobering reality that they had played the final game of their season — and, in fact, the last game played to completion in all of college basketball — as the MAAC, the NCAA, and much of the country began their response to the emerging Covid-19 pandemic.

Exactly two years later, on March 12, 2022, the Stags were back at Boardwalk Hall watching the final seconds tick down on a 73-68 victory over Manhattan. Only this time around, it was not the last game of the campaign, the tears shed were only in triumph and celebration, and the new frontier that lay ahead for the Stags was the team’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament in more than two decades.

“We’ve been together for a long time and we’ve been through a lot,” said MAAC Player of the Year and Championship MVP Lou Lopez Senechal ’22 in the postgame press conference.

“Obviously, it wasn’t easy to have the tournament shut down like that, but we knew that we had to stick together and that one day we would get it, and that’s what we did today. We made history.”

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F

airfield’s 2021-22 season was set to be historic before it began, as Head Coach Joe Frager announced three weeks prior to tip-off that his 15th season at the helm of the Stags would be his last. “After much consideration, I have decided to retire at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season,” he said in a statement. “As always, I am totally committed to maximizing the potential of this year’s team and helping us attain our goals together. I believe in this group of young women, and I look forward to tackling the challenges that we will face this season.”

In the non-conference portion of the season, those challenges included a grueling schedule featuring visits to Big Ten foes Indiana and Rutgers, a trip to Orlando to meet a Florida Gulf Coast team that went on to win an NCAA Tournament game, and a clash with eventual Atlantic 10 Champion UMass. The result was an average 3-5 record heading into MAAC play, but also a team brimming with confidence that it had sparred with the best and come out better for it.

And as the calendar turned to the league slate, the wins came with it. A victory over perennial power Marist, the first win over Quinnipiac in Hamden in eight years, and a convincing 17-point triumph over Iona capped the month of December. January’s tests included a two-game sweep of the MAAC’s infamous Buffalo trip — back-to-back wins at Niagara and Canisius.

The Stags reached 7-0 in the MAAC before

a rare misstep at Siena in mid-January, but the detour proved slight as Fairfield stormed through the back half of the conference schedule. This run featured a 75-72 nail-biter against Niagara and overtime contests with Canisius and Quinnipiac, all ending with the same result: Stags win.

The victories — 12 in a row to cap an unprecedented 19-1 MAAC record — bore plenty of spoils. Frager was named the MAAC Coach of the Year, Lopez Senechal scored 20 or more points in 12 league games on her way to MAAC Player of the Year honors, and the duo of Rachel Hakes ’21, M’22 and Callie Cavanaugh ’21 joined her as All-MAAC honorees. But the most important accolade of all was the top seed in the upcoming MAAC Tournament, an event that the Stags had not won since the 1997-98 campaign.

Down in Atlantic City, three more wins separated the Stags from their first taste of March Madness in 21 years, and first MAAC Championship in 24 seasons. First up was a motivated Iona team that took advantage of foul trouble for Lopez Senechal to stay in striking distance in the first half. But in the absence of their leading scorer, the Stags looked to another veteran to shoulder the load as Hakes — one of the nation’s top distributors with 5.5 assists per game — took on the scoring mantle to the tune of 26 points to power Fairfield into the semifinals.

Just as MAAC opponents struggled to slow down the Stags, neither a day off nor an early

20 summe r 2022 | Fairfie l d Un i ve rs it y M aga z in e

above from left to right: The Stags celebrate after the final horn in Atlantic City; the 2022 MAAC Champions; Rachel Hakes ’21, M’22 and Coach Frager embrace at center court.

11 a.m. tip-off could derail Fairfield in its next outing. A 21-2 run in the first half set the Stags in motion, and they led by as many as 42 points in a 75-38 thrashing of Niagara to set up Saturday’s championship game against Manhattan.

Now just 40 minutes from their goal, the Stags and Jaspers had the back-andforth clash that fans expect from a MAAC Championship contest. Manhattan opened up a 17-8 lead in the first quarter and maintained a lead into the final minute of the third before a Cavanaugh jumper knotted the score at 47-47 heading into the fourth frame.

The Stags pounced in the final stanza, building a double-digit lead as Cavanaugh, Sydney Lowery M’22, and Andrea Hernangomez ’22 poured in key baskets, and Sam Lewis ’20, M’22 drained the final free throws to cap off a 73-68 championship triumph.

“I’m so proud of these kids,” Frager said, donning a MAAC Championship cap and

A NEW COACH

fresh off of cutting down the nets at Boardwalk Hall. “I’ve said from the beginning that I just wanted this for them. Whether we won today or didn’t, I couldn’t be disappointed in this group with what they did throughout the entire season. But the fact that they were able to come through this way is just a great capper. It’s a lot of work to do what we do.

It’s a lot of fun, it’s a lot of stress at times. But we’ve got a great staff, a great group of young women, and we got it done.”

T

he Stags went on to the NCAA Tournament, drawing the daunting and unenviable task of challenging Big XII Champion Texas in Austin.

But despite the first round loss to the host Longhorns, the 2021-22 campaign makes its way into the record books as arguably the best in the history of Fairfield Women’s Basketball.

And for Frager, who hangs up his whistle with 454 wins over 24 seasons — not to mention a Division II National Championship from his days at Southern Connecticut — the tears shed are again only in triumph and celebration.

And the new frontier?

F “Family and fishing.” l

“ IT’S A LOT OF WORK TO DO WHAT WE DO. IT’S A LOT OF FUN, IT’S A LOT OF STRESS AT TIMES. BUT WE’VE GOT A GREAT STAFF, A GREAT GROUP OF YOUNG WOMEN, AND WE GOT IT DONE.”

Carly Thibault-DuDonis has been named the head coach of the Fairfield University Women’s Basketball program.

Thibault-DuDonis most recently served as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Minnesota. She becomes the third Division I head coach in Fairfield program history.

In four seasons at Minnesota, ThibaultDuDonis brought three nationally ranked recruiting classes to Minnesota — including a current incoming class that ranks 10th in the nation — and the first two five-star recruits in program history. Thibault-DuDonis was the team’s defensive coordinator.

Prior to her time at Minnesota, she was a part of back-to-back NCAA appearances by Mississippi State University, as a member of Head Coach Vic Schaefer’s staff; she also worked under Head Coach Tory Verdi at Eastern Michigan University, during which time the Eagles made a pair of WNIT appearances as well as a trip to the 2015 Mid-American Conference Championship Game.

Thibault-DuDonis began her collegiate career at Florida State University as director of Recruiting Operations in the 2013-14 season.

A standout at East Lyme High School in Connecticut, Thibault-DuDonis played collegiately at Monmouth University. She earned All-Northeast Conference Third Team honors and was named the NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a senior.

Her father Mike Thibault is currently the head coach of the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. The three-time WNBA Coach of the Year previously coached the Connecticut Sun and has been an assistant coach in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, and Milwaukee Bucks.

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HUMANITIES AT WORK ALUMNI WITH HUMANITIES DEGREES FOLLOW THEIR PATHS TO BUILD CAREERS THEY LOVE

by Tess (Brown) Long ’07, MFA’11

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n today’s rapidly evolving world and job market, a degree in the humanities still offers graduates the keys to wherever they’d like to go.

In fact, according to annual data on median salaries compiled

by The Wall Street Journal, humanities majors surge ahead midcareer in comparison to many professional school graduates.

According to testing agencies, humanities graduates outpace other academic subgroups in GMAT, LSAT, and GRE exam results.

At Fairfield, the humanities are not a department, but rather, a combination of studies around human cultures, expression, and thought — specifically, the study of history, philosophy, religious studies, languages, and visual and performing arts.

“The intellectual rigor and creativity of the humanities have long prepared students to be leaders in a variety of careers,” said Nels Pearson, PhD, professor of English and director of the Humanities Institute at Fairfield. The institute was created by a National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge Grant in 1983, to support teacher-scholars in humanistic inquiry.

“There is a groundswell of new evidence and arguments out there about the prevailing myth that the humanities don’t lead to practical careers or successful professional lives,” Dr. Pearson continued. “There’s a mountain of evidence that shows the opposite is the case.”

Here is a look at some recent Fairfield humanities alumni and the routes they have taken towards achieving success in their careers and lives.

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MATTHEW WALDEMAR ’20 Major: Art History Occupation: Gallery Assistant at Marianne Boesky Gallery

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atthew Waldemar ’20 grew up in a home filled with vibrant Haitian arts and crafts, and tagged along with his mother as she taught art workshops and shared her passion with others. So, he felt he wanted to develop his interest in art with a course of study at college.

“I want to give people the same reaction that I had when I first saw this,” Waldemar said, lifting a Haitian Steel Drum sculpture — called Fe Dékoupé — of birds in flight on an ornate tree into the frame, during a Zoom interview with Fairfield University Magazine.

Raised in Fairfield County, Waldemar found his way to the University by chance and became a member of the Academic Immersion Program for first-generation students.

Once he matriculated full-time, Waldemar overcame some initial challenges with the support of the Office of Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, and decided to stick it out. He then studied abroad in Italy where he took a roster of art history courses and something just clicked.

“That’s how I became an art history major,” Waldemar said, smiling. Once back on campus, he volunteered at the Fairfield University Art Museum, held internships at the Aldrich Museum in Ridgefield, Conn., and at local galleries, and connected with instructors in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts.

Waldemar joined the Humanities Seminar, which is a research and mentorship program for students under the aegis of the Humanities Institute. His seminar project was to curate an art exhibition in the spring of 2020. Over the course of a year, Waldemar built a lineup of artists’ work from across the U.S. to appear in his show on campus, but due to the pandemic, he had to shift modalities from an in-person gallery to an online experience. Waldemar’s exhibit, Bawdy Project: A Study of Masculinity through the Canon of Art, was the University’s first student-curated contemporary art exhibition.

“I wanted to highlight this reimagination of the ‘male gaze,’” said Waldemar, who identifies as queer. “I wanted to show that contemporary artists, of varied disciplines, had already been

questioning notions of masculinity.”

“I’m really happy that I did it,” he went on, “because it gave me a sense of confidence.”

Currently, Waldemar has earned a spot as a gallery assistant at the Marianne Boesky Gallery (MBG) in New York City, which represents more than 30 esteemed artists of different generations and backgrounds from around the globe. The MBG, founded in 1996, has a commitment to — and focus on — equality, diversity, and inclusion goals, as well as environmental objectives.

“What attracted me most to my current position was the gallery’s programming,” Waldemar said. “The owner wanted to build in some initiatives, from bias training to better hiring practices, to diversify the staff but also the talents brought to the gallery.”

A founding member of the Alumni of Color Network at Fairfield University, Waldemar has his sights set on becoming a public curator with an aim to “activate public spaces and bring art outside from institutions.”

“Museum-quality, great art can be accessible anywhere, to anyone,” Waldemar said. “People can enjoy these great things in their own backyard.”

left: Matthew Waldemar ’20 near the Marianne Boesky Gallery in Chelsea, New York City. below:

Waldemar standing near the entrance of The High Line, an elevated park and greenway featuring public art in Manhattan.

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ASHLEY TOOMBS ’07

Major: Spanish and International Studies Occupation: Director of External Affairs, BRAC USA

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“MUSEUM-QUALITY, GREAT ART CAN BE ACCESSIBLE ANYWHERE, TO ANYONE. PEOPLE CAN ENJOY THESE GREAT THINGS IN THEIR OWN BACKYARD.” — Matthew Waldemar ’20

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typical day for Ashley Toombs ’07, BRAC USA’s director of external affairs, starts with early morning calls to connect with colleagues in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

BRAC — originally the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee — is an international nonprofit that provides people living in poverty with tools and support to create better lives for themselves.

For the past 50 years, BRAC has served 100 million people in 11 countries, with a particular focus on women and girls. They’ve achieved this by disbursing microloans to more than 7 million people, empowering youth through skill-building programs, providing healthcare, educating children, and training farmers.

Toombs travels often, both domestically and internationally, to represent BRAC at events

“I GET TO SPEND TIME WITH FASCINATING PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT PLACES WHO MAY LOOK DIFFERENT THAN ME, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE’RE ALL HUMAN.” — Ashley Toombs ’07

far left: Waldemar in front of The Baayfalls Mural 2017/2019, by Jordan Casteel, W 22nd St - High Line. left: Ashley Toombs ’07 at the BRAC USA headquarters in lower Manhattan. below:

Toombs, a Spanish and international studies major at Fairfield, talks with a BRAC colleague.

and conferences, and to manage relationships with other global and strategic foundations and philanthropists.

“I feel so fortunate to get to travel for my work,” she said over Zoom. “I get to spend time with fascinating people from different places who may look different than me, but at the end of the day, we’re all human. To feel that connection with people from all over the world — to have that chance — is such a gift.”

When she spoke with Fairfield University Magazine, Toombs had recently returned from a trip to Bangladesh where she was visiting the sites of climate change programs in the Southern coast of the country, one of the most climate change-affected places on the planet.

While there, Toombs visited BRAC projects she works with that provide access to clean water, through reverse osmosis water treatment plants or rainwater harvesting at the household level, for crop irrigation and human and livestock consumption.

“What I love about what I do is that I find it

deeply intellectually challenging,” Toombs said about her broad role at BRAC, where she’s worked since 2015. “My brain is constantly being taxed, whether I’m manipulating a spread sheet, or I’m working with a team in another country who is thinking hard about a systemic challenge that historically the world has said, ‘we can’t fix this.’”

Toombs, who now lives just outside New York City with her husband and their two small children, majored in Spanish and international studies at Fairfield, and minored in Latin American and Caribbean studies. She was a recipient of the Loyola Medal and the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Diversity Award.

“Studying the humanities makes you question everything,” said Toombs, who spent four and a half years with the Peace Corps in South America and then earned her master’s degree in environmental science and policy from Columbia University. “You can feel very small in the world, but in a way that’s really beautiful.”

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“THE HUMANITIES CAN CREATE PATHS TO ALMOST ANYTHING. THE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS, THE ADAPTABILITY, THE CURIOSITY, THE ABILITY TO SEE AND GAUGE NUANCE IN LIFE IS ROOTED IN HUMANITIES. YOU CAN TAKE THAT ANYWHERE.” — Jason Mancini ’94, PhD

JASON MANCINI ’94, PHD

Major: History Occupation: Executive Director, Connecticut Humanities; Co-Founder, Akomawt Educational Initiative

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ind gusts rattled the rigging aboard the Charles W. Morgan, an American whaling ship built in 1841, moored in Mystic, Conn.

Jason Mancini ’94 was one of the voyagers who spent some time on the Morgan during its 38th voyage in 2014 from Provincetown to Boston; the ship is now largely a historic exhibition vessel. A longtime partner of the Seaport Museum, Dr. Mancini’s research into the lives and history of Native American mariners brought him to the Morgan restoration project, where he worked with other scholars and museum professionals.

Since 2018, he’s also been the executive 26 summe r 2022 | Fairfie l d Un i ve rs it y M aga z in e

director of Connecticut Humanities, an independent, non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, which aims to connect people and ideas through grants, partnerships, and sponsorship of collaborative programs throughout the state.

Dr. Mancini manages a $23M annual budget. This past year, his office awarded operating support grants to 632 arts and humanities organizations across Connecticut, in partnership with the CT Office of the Arts.

“It’s really about teaching people how to tell better stories,” Dr. Mancini said about what his role at the helm ultimately boils down to, as he walked with Fairfield University Magazine through the Seaport campus.

“Teaching people how to tell a better story about Native People, with Native People,” he continued, “and helping different organizations to manage their collections, to make

them more accessible.”

To that end, Dr. Mancini co-founded Akomawt Educational Initiative, a non-profit group dedicated to furthering knowledge of Native America.

Dr. Mancini grew up in Ledyard, Conn., and spent his boyhood summers cleaning and categorizing artifacts in the lab of his uncle — tribal archaeologist, Kevin McBride, PhD — at the University of Connecticut (UConn).

When he was 14, he did his first field season excavating the site where Foxwoods Casino now stands on the Mashantucket Pequot Reservation, part of the Mashantucket Pequot Ethnohistory Project to document 13,000 years of cultural continuity on the reservation.

The 1994 Fairfield alumnus holds a doctorate as well as a master’s degree in anthropology from UConn and is currently the Mellon Visiting Fellow in Slavery and Justice

above :

Jason Mancini ’94 in front of the Charles W. Morgan — America’s oldest commercial ship still afloat — at the Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Conn.

left: Dr. Mancini researches Native American mariners and is a longtime partner of the Seaport Museum.

at Brown University.

Father of two college-aged daughters, Dr. Mancini said he’s had long talks with them about what and where to study. But it all comes down to following one’s passions and interests, and going after inspiration.

“The humanities can create paths to almost anything,” he noted. “The critical thinking skills, the adaptability, the curiosity, the ability to see and gauge nuance in life is rooted F in humanities. You can take that anywhere.” l Learn more at Fairfield.edu/humanities.

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Aging with Grace

by Jeannine (Carolan) Graf ’87

Morning sunlight streamed through the office window of Rev. John Murray, S.J.,’76, assistant director of the Murphy Center for Ignatian Spirituality, as he welcomed his “Aging With Grace” class participants onto their Zoom call the week after Easter.

The two dozen or so retirees in attendance ranged in age from 65 to 87 years old. Most, but not all, were Catholic. A few, like Bob Laska ’69, were alumni. Many, like Joan Bolger, have been a part of the “Aging With Grace” community since the program began in 2018.

“Aging with Grace” is a semester-long course that meets twice a month for an hour and a half.

Offered through the Murphy Center and rooted firmly in Ignatian tradition, the online class is open to retirees of all faiths who seek to deepen their relationship with God and enrich their daily lives. Using prayer, assigned readings, and personal reflection, Fr. Murray guides participants through an exploration of the spiritual dynamics of growing older.

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A Murphy Center program helps retirees to deepen their spiritual lives.

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“When Fr. Murray first offered this class, I was immediately intrigued by the name,” said Bolger. “Certainly we can’t deny that we are aging, and to think we could do it gracefully was consoling.”

During this particular session, Bolger shared a story about a stranger in the supermarket parking lot who had witnessed her shopping list whisked out of her hand by a gust of wind; the gentleman ran to chase the little piece of paper, stopped it with his foot, and returned it to her. “For some reason, that touched me tremendously,” she said, vowing to pay the gesture forward. “We can’t fix [large issues like] Ukraine, but we can live in the world that I’m so grateful to be in, and pass on some form of kindness whenever possible.”

Finding God in all things — especially the little things — is the order of the day in “Aging With Grace.” With assigned readings by authors who have an Ignatian bent or background, Fr. Murray described the course as “kind of a book club, and also an invitation for individuals to look at the readings in a reflective prayer context – not just an intellectual context.”

Now in its seventh semester, the class originally met on campus, in person. At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Fr. Murray switched to Zoom and the group is still online today.

With a mix of local and out-of-state attendees, conducting the program virtually allows Fr. Murray to meet all the participants wherever they are.

“The class has evolved into a community of like-minded people sharing very deeply their own spiritual journeys and feelings,” said Fr. Murray. “They’re not all Catholic, but all men and women searching for a relationship with God as they conceive God to be, which is a wonderful thing.”

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ook around a church on any given Sunday, and you’re bound to notice that the “regulars” in the pews are mostly older adults. Yet, pick up a parish bulletin and you’ll see it’s filled with religious education classes for children. Rarely are there programs designed to help senior citizens deepen their spiritual lives. This is where “Aging With Grace” comes in.

“Each person’s spiritual journey is unique and in the uniqueness, of course, is a developing relationship with Jesus that grows, depending on a person’s willingness to explore it deeper,” Fr. Murray said. “That can be as true for 20-year-olds as for an 80-year-old.”

Participants in the program are at a point in their lives when the path forward is shorter than the roads they’ve traveled. As retirees, they are free from the demands of a job and the pressure to succeed, but grapple with the health issues and limitations of growing old.

As family elders, they rejoice at weddings and the births of grandchildren, but also mourn the loss of spouses, loved ones, and peers. As senior citizens, they’re grateful for the wisdom afforded them by age, but fearful of the specter of isolation in this chapter of their lives.

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A 1976 alumnus of Fairfield University, Fr. John Murray has led “Aging With Grace” for the past three and a half years.

As noted by one class member on the springtime Zoom session, the assigned readings and class discussions in “Aging With Grace” encourage participants to balance fear with hope, offset guilt with gratitude, and soothe feelings of uncertainty and helplessness. As a result, members of the program have bonded into a tightknit community.

“The people in this group have become family for me,” said participant Jill Gecker.

“They are good faith-filled people and with that comes a sense of comfort and trust. In this group we can be vulnerable; there is no judgment at all. I don’t usually share much, but we can simply ‘be,’ and that’s okay, too.”

“We’ve all become such good listeners,” agreed classmate Barbara Kiernan. “Fr. John doesn’t comment after every person takes a turn to speak; he usually just says, ‘thank you.’

It’s so respectful – and such a good example to us of how the very act of listening opens up space for God.”

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embers of the “Aging With Grace” community are heeding the call of 85-year-old Pope Francis, who recently implored his peers: “Dear grandparents, dear elderly persons, we are called to be artisans of the revolution of tenderness in our world! Let us do so by learning to make ever more frequent and better use of the most valuable instrument at our disposal and, indeed, the one best suited to our age: prayer.”

Echoing his assertion of the importance of community in his encyclical Fratelli Tutti, the pope continued, “Many of us have come to a sage and humble realization of what our world very much needs: the recognition that we are not saved alone, and that happiness is a bread we break together.”

The pope’s words are part of his message for the Church’s second annual World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, which will take place on Sunday, July 24, close to the feast day of Saints Anne and Joachim, grandparents of Jesus. The theme for the day is taken from Psalm 92:15, “In old age they will still bear fruit.”

Back on Fairfield’s campus on that sunny springtime morning, Fr. Murray reflected on the gifts he’s received through the “Aging With Grace” program. “It has enriched me in my own spiritual journey,” he said, “and it has allowed me to get to know a variety of people that I never would have gotten to know. In F some ways, it’s like an online parish.” l The Murphy Center for Ignatian Spirituality at Fairfield University offers spiritual direction and promotes vibrant expressions of Ignatian spirituality at individual and group levels, both on campus and in Diocese of Bridgeport parishes. For more information about the “Aging With Grace” program, please visit the Murphy Center’s webpage at fairfield.edu/mcis or email mcis@fairfield.edu.

“ Each person’s spiritual journey is unique and in the uniqueness, of course, is a developing relationship with Jesus that grows, depending on a person’s willingness to explore it deeper.”

Rev. John Murray, S.J.,’76, Assistant Director of the Murphy Center for Ignatian Spirituality

WORDS OF WISDOM FOR THE CLASS OF ’22 During a Zoom interview at the end of April, “Aging With Grace” participants offered sage advice to the members of Fairfield University’s Class of 2022.

“When you’re feeling helpless about the path forward, what you can do is: Listen.

Stay open. Be kind. Reflect. And love. And then, the next step in the journey may reveal itself to you.”

— Linda Hartzer “I would say work hard to seek out a faith community that will support you as you’ve been supported at Fairfield…you might have to travel a little, but I think it’s important to help with your success in the working world.”

— Donna Spigarolo “As our sons who went to Prep and to Jesuit universities say, ‘Be men and women for others.’ You know, that’s probably one of the greatest tenets that one can carry with them through life. Also, learn to see God in all things and all people!”

— Mary Ellen Higgins “Don’t take yourself too seriously. That’s good advice for anybody, I guess.”

— Jeff Kiernan

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Grants&Gifts

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

Charles F. Dolan School of Business Future Tech Enterprise Inc. renewed

its support of the Charles F. Dolan School of Business Entrepreneurship Program by becoming a Gold Sponsor of the Fairfield StartUp Showcase. This generous sponsorship will help stimulate Fairfield students’ innovative talents and support their ventures.

College of Arts & Sciences Aaron Van Dyke, PhD, associate professor of chemistry, received $6,500 from Georgetown University to collaborate with Esther Braselmann, PhD, Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Georgetown University.

The project provides the Braselmann lab with Riboglow probes, small molecules capable of binding, and illuminating RNA in living systems. Fairfield undergraduate students will synthesize the Riboglow probes and participate in advanced faculty-mentored research.

Mehmet Cansoy, PhD, assistant professor of sociology and anthropology, was awarded $1,717 from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for “Network for Digital Economy and the Environment: The Carbon Footprint of Airbnb,” a research project conducted in partnership with faculty from Boston College and Yale University. Dr. Cansoy will analyze short-term rental data based on his previous work with this dataset, participate in decisionmaking over mobility data analysis, and document the project’s outputs.

Pierre Christian, PhD, assistant professor of physics, has been awarded $10,000 from the NASA CT Space Grant Consortium for summer 2022, to support his project “Black Holes in Virtual Reality.” This project

proposes the creation of a virtual reality (VR) environment that mimics real-life black holes with computer simulations. The VR environment will accurately simulate the trajectories of objects hurled towards the black hole and will be directly controlled with VR motion controls. The resulting VR environment will not only be beneficial for pedagogical purposes but will tend carefully to accuracy to be utilized for professional black hole research.

2022 Weller Collegiate Scholarship, which provides annual support to a student with demonstrated financial need from Monroe, Newtown, Shelton, Easton, or Trumbull.

A gift of $10,000 from the Merritt 7 Corporate Park in Norwalk was made in support of the Albert D. Phelps Jr. Merritt 7 Scholarship, in memory of the late and past trustee of the University, Albert D. Phelps, original developer of Merritt 7.

Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies

School of Engineering

The Delaney Memorial Foundation

has given $3,000 for scholarships to assist outstanding nursing students who demonstrate financial need.

General University Support & Scholarships The Lavelle Fund for the Blind has continued its generous support of the Brother Kearney Scholarship Program with a $2,510 grant. Gifts from the Lavelle Fund for the Blind provide financial aid to undergraduate and graduate students who are legally blind and demonstrate financial need.

The Maguire Foundation made a $100,000 gift as part of their multi-year pledge to the University to enable students from Pennsylvania who are academically qualified to become leaders in their own fields, and who demonstrate significant financial need, to benefit from the transformative impact of a Fairfield education.

The Weller Foundation has renewed its support with a $1,000 grant towards the

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The Goodroot Foundation, Maestro Health, and PursueCare are three industry

partners that have joined forces to underwrite the School of Engineering’s “Healthcare Hackathon,” which will take place in fall 2022.

The “Healthcare Hackathon” will challenge high-school students to fast-track innovative solutions to pressing marketplace challenges and societal health inequities. Alumni, faculty, student, and industry mentors will provide guidance throughout the weekend-long event.

NASA CT Space Grant Consortium

awarded $4,000 to John Drazan, PhD, assistant professor of electrical and bioengineering, through February 2023 for a project titled “Expanding Access to Informal STEM Enrichment Through Sports.” The project team will evaluate the efficacy of using sports as a venue for informal STEM enrichment among underrepresented youth. Fairfield will host a one-week summer research experience at Fairfield University for 16 high school students.

There will be two parallel programs: one focused on traditional engineering research and one focused on biomechanics in sports.

Naser Haghbin, PhD, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, in partnership with biology professor Shelley Phelan, PhD, of the College of Arts and Sciences, has been awarded $10,000 from the NASA CT Space Grant Consortium through March 2023

for the project titled “Developing a Human Blood Vessel using 3D Bioprinting and Cell Culturing Technique.” This research will design and fabricate a blood vessel that produces a volumetric flow rate. Three-dimensional bioprinting technology will have an essential role in the future of NASA space missions to print human tissues for the health of astronauts.

School of Education & Human Development The Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation

gave $25,000 in support of the “Cultivated Women’s Collective,” a new initiative led

by Bryan Ripley Crandall, PhD, through the Connecticut Writing Project at Fairfield University. This award will help create a supportive community where 96 young women of diverse backgrounds, from eight schools in five school districts in Connecticut, will be inspired to write and share their writing.

Dr. Crandall has also secured continuation funding of $3,500 from the National Writing Project (National Parks Service)

for activities with the National Park Service Conservation, Protection, Outreach, and Education (Weir Program) through March 2023. This National Writing Project-Fairfield partnership supports teacher-leadership with programs across Connecticut to help young people research and form arguments, expand their learning beyond class work, and publish their writing about topics that matter to them.

The Arts The Fairfield University Art Museum recently received gifts of artwork for the museum’s permanent collection from two prestigious artists’ foundations. The first, from the Sam Francis Foundation, consists of eight artworks by

Piano Duo Stephanie Trick and Paolo Alderighi performed at the Quick Center on February 27, 2022.

the renowned post-war painter, Sam Francis, including two paintings on paper, five etchings, and one lithograph. The second, gifted to the museum by the Larry Rivers Foundation, is a silkscreen and lithograph with hand-coloring, entitled “Quartet” by Larry Rivers, a pop artist of the New York School.

Carey Mack Weber, the Frank and Clara Meditz Executive Director of the Fairfield University Art Museum, was awarded a $5,000 Connecticut Cultural Fund Operating Support Grant for 2022 from Connecticut Humanities. These funds aim to provide cultural and humanities arts-based projects and activities accessible to the general public.

The Carl Marks Foundation made a gift to support a performance entitled Classic Jazz on Two Pianos, featuring Stephanie Trick and Paolo Alderighi at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. This engaging piano duo performed a show that honors the history of the stride piano, ragtime, boogie-woogie, and jazz repertoires. In addition to the public performance, the grant was used to engage students from the Bridgeport Public School district through a series of workshops and demonstrations.

The Herman Goldman Foundation

awarded a $3,000 grant in support of the Quick Center’s Arts for All initiative, which provides more than 3,000 pre-K-12 students from local schools with high-quality arts education programming and live theatre experiences.

The Carl & Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies The Adolph and Ruth Schnurmacher Foundation approved a $50,000 grant to support the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies and various educational programs organized throughout the year, to highlight the Jewish faith and Jewish history, and enrich the culture and spiritual life on campus and in the community.

The Health & Wellness Center Pam Paulmann of the Campus Health Center earned a grant of $24,925 from the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Connecticut Office of Higher Education

to be used through December 31, 2022.

The purpose of this funding is to engage leadership, faculty, staff, and students in creating a supportive environment with access to tools, support, education, and resources to F better care for themselves and others. l

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Alumni NOTES 1950

S H A R E YO U R N E W S

’54 | Hon. John J. Ronan, P’87 was recently honored by the Greater Bridgeport Veteran’s Council for demonstrating the value of a veteran to the community over the years.

He was presented with the Stephen Koteles Memorial Award for his Marine Corps active service and thereafter his community service throughout his many years as a practicing attorney and judge of the Superior Court. He graduated from Fairfield with a degree in sociology and anthropology.

1960

’68 | James Gatto has launched a 20-episode fiction podcast entitled Frenchtown, which recently received a five-star rating. It’s available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most other popular podcast platforms. His second collection of short stories, Meant and Other Short Stories, is now available from Amazon.

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

StagMates Nicoletta Richardson ’14 and Sam Maxfield ’14, MS’15 tied the knot on Nov. 5, 2021 with many fellow Stags in attendance.

Share your news! Simply log on to the FREE Alumni Online Community and post your Class Note. Not a member? Registration is easy at fairfield.edu/alumnicommunity. Sign up and log on today.

each year at the AHP International Conference. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, presentation of the award will be made at the 2022 AHP International Conference to be held in October in Chicago. ’78 | Patrick Barrett recently retired as senior vice president and general counsel for Hitachi America, Ltd (HAL). He joined HAL in March 1986 and held positions of increasing responsibility within the company. ’79 | Cathleen Toomey is vice president of marketing for The RiverWoods Group, a family of notfor-profit continuing-care retirement communities based in Exeter, N.H. She launched a podcast last April, Seniority Authority, designed to help adult children and their parents navigate questions about aging.

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Subtitled “Let’s Get Smarter About Growing Older,” the podcast caught the interest of NHPBS, and now Toomey can be seen on TV sharing short clips about the latest research and thinking about aging. A resident of Exeter for the past 20 years, Cathleen enjoys travel in non-Covid times, running, skiing, and spending time with her 14 nieces and nephews.

1980

’81 | Ruth Keefe McGoldrick, partner in McGoldrick & McGoldrick CPAs, LLP, of Greenwich, Conn. and Brewster, N.Y., has taken remote working to the extreme. She

and her husband/business partner Tom McGoldrick set off for the bluegrass of Kentucky this past year to volunteer at the National Fish Hatchery in Jamestown, Ky., and hike the deep south while working remotely from their home away from home. She’s back in her Connecticut and New York offices, but continues to hike the Hudson Valley providing financial tips and nerdy accounting humor along with hiking experiences on the daily Instagram page @ deskhikers. Followers enjoy her nationwide hiking pics, tips, and humor all while receiving a few simple CPA words of wisdom. Next stop – Great Sleeping Bears Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan. ’82 | Mario Dell’Olio MA’88 has published his fourth book, Letters from Italy, which was released this past February by blackrosewriting.com.

It is the biography of his immigrant parents framed by letters they wrote.

Anne (Simmington) Gardner leads the chaplaincy program at Harvard-Westlake, a private secondary school in Los Angeles.

An Episcopal minister by day, Rev. Gardner also finds time to work as a freelance writer. Her essays and columns have been featured in The National Catholic Reporter, The Boston Globe, The Providence Journal, New England Tennis Magazine, and most recently as part of WBUR’s Cognoscenti series, on Boston’s NPR affiliate. Her debut book, And So I Walked, recounts her journey of traversing the 500-mile Camino de Santiago de Compostela. Using the famed pilgrimage path as a backdrop, Gardner’s memoir weaves together her personal narrative with the physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges presented by the Camino. And So I Walked explores how faith, family, and friendship both change us and sustain us. A native of

Kelly (Young) Falcone ’10 The New President of the Alumni Association

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by Robby Piazzaroli ittle did Kelly (Young) Falcone ’10 know that when she decided to attend Fairfield University in 2006, she would be receiving more than a bachelor’s degree in history. There, she found a new home state, the love of her life, and a fulfilling career path in education that continues to grow.

With her love of all things Fairfield and an appreciation for the education and connections she made during her time in college, Falcone will now take on a new challenge as president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

“I have always believed in taking a leadership role when you can, especially for things you are passionate about,” said Falcone. “Since joining the Alumni Association Board, I’ve spent the last few years watching how they work to build

“I’m hoping to bring my openness to collaboration to the Alumni Association, finding ways that we can expand our reach and truly help alumni feel connected.” different connections across all aspects of the community. I am so honored and proud to have the chance to represent our alumni.”

If there ever was an alumna who truly embodied the Fairfield Stag life, Falcone would be it. Her marriage to alumnus Eric Falcone ’08 was a celebratory tribute to their love and commitment to Fairfield University. The StagMates’ engagement photos were taken at historic Bellarmine Hall, Fairfield’s Rev. Charles H. Allen,

S.J., officiated their wedding ceremony, and the tables at their reception were named after their favorite buildings on campus.

When it came time to baptize their daughter, Ciandra, they were thrilled to again have the ceremony performed by Fr. Allen in Egan Chapel.

After living in various Connecticut towns, the couple Kelly (Young) Falcone ’10 poses at Bellarmine Hall on campus. officially made Fairfield their forever home in 2020, giving individuals is, and how many strengths they their daughter a chance to fall in love with the bring to our alumni community as a whole,” place they’ve considered home for years now. she said. “Recognizing that so many people “We love getting to enjoy the events have gone through career and educational on campus, especially with our little Stag, transitions as a result of the pandemic, it Ciandra,” Falcone said. “She participated in is important to me that Stags know they her first Fairfield U. Easter Egg Hunt this can reach out to their fellow alumni for year. She loved running across the lawn at engagement and community in order to Bellarmine and spotting Lucas the Stag. I’m explore new interests and opportunities.” so excited that campus will be part of her life A few of her personal goals as newly from such a young age.” minted president include: supporting the Having grown up on Long Island, Alumni of Color Network’s objectives to Fairfield was always within a stone’s throw, help alumni feel welcome and make sure but it was the sense of community and the “all voices are being heard,” providing feeling of comfort that Falcone experienced opportunities for current and prospective when visiting campus that helped solidify students to think of Fairfield as their her decision to attend the Jesuit University. home away from home, and welcoming As an education minor, she worked with people back to campus for in-person live students in nearby Bridgeport to hone her events after the past few years of Covid-19 skills and developed a deep connection with restrictions. a community of her fellow educators. Since “We try to have our Alumni Association graduating in 2010, Falcone has worked in Board be representative of the different various education roles while simultaneously majors and career paths available at Fairfield, continuing her own schooling. so I’m honored to represent teachers,” said In 2013, she earned a master’s degree Falcone. “I’m hoping to bring my openness in history from Iona College, and during to collaboration to the Alumni Association, the summer of 2021, Falcone returned to finding ways that we can expand our reach Fairfield to study educational technology. and truly help alumni feel connected.”

As she prepares to take on the new role of Following in the path of outgoing Alumni president of the Alumni Association, Falcone Association Board President Hugh Morgan will be completing her graduate program ’69, P’95, Falcone will serve a two-year term; and applying for her ISTE Certification for she is the second president to hail from a Educators, and internationally recognized F 21st Century graduation class at Fairfield. l teacher certification program.

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Alumni NOTES Massachusetts, the author now lives in California with her wife Beth. ’87 | Carolyn Mueller MS’84 has been the ministry assistant at Congregational Church of New Fairfield since May 2020. She handles administration and social media in this role, and consults on media and human resources matters.

1990

’90 | Michael Pompeo was appointed leader of Faegre Drinker’s finance and restructuring practice.

With more than 20 years of experience in corporate restructuring, Pompeo provides sound practical advice to creditors, debtors, lenders, insurers, and trustees on transactions, bankruptcies, out-of-court workouts, and related litigation including complex mass tort liability. He previously served as co-leader of the firm’s corporate restructuring team.

2000

’00 | Ashley Lang CRPC, a private wealth advisor with Ameriprise Financial in Hauppauge, N.Y., was named to the list of “Forbes Best-in-State Women Wealth Advisors” published

by Forbes magazine. The list recognizes financial advisors who have demonstrated high levels of ethical standards, professionalism, and success in the business. The rankings are based on data provided by thousands of the nation’s most productive advisors. Lang was chosen based on assets under management, industry experience, compliance record, and best practices in her practice and approach to

S H A R E YO U R N E W S

working with clients. Lang is part of Kuttin Wealth Management, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. ’04 | Rebecca (Guess) Cantor, PhD, was recently named provost of Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama. Cantor previously worked at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga., and her experience includes serving as a department chair, professor of English, and assistant provost. She brings key leadership experience in managing and maintaining the integrity of an institutional curriculum while overseeing a portfolio of budget, communication, and accreditation projects. She will assume her post on July 1, 2022. ’08 | Thomas W. Madonna Jr. was recently named a partner of the Hinckley Allen law firm. Madonna has expertise in commercial real estate, commercial lending and finance, and corporate transactions related to real estate, with a spotlight in the industrial, warehousing, and distribution areas. He provides sound business and legal advice to an assortment of stakeholders, including financial institutions, real estate investment trusts, developers, retailers, quasi-governmental agencies, and other business entities. ’10 | Julia Schuble began a new position at the Department of State in February 2022. She is now a treaty analyst in the Office of Treaty Affairs under the legal adviser.

2010

’17 | Colleen Fitzgerald has joined Benchmark Strategies as a senior public relations associate. In this role, she will join the company’s growing real estate development

36 summer 2 0 22 | Fair fie l d Un i ve rs it y M aga z in e

Jena (Pellegrino ’10) and Joseph Mastrogiacomo were married on October 23, 2021 at Our Lady of Mercy in Park Ridge, N.J. Share your news! Simply log on to the FREE Alumni Online Community and post your Class Note. Not a member? Registration is easy at fairfield.edu/alumnicommunity. Sign up and log on today.

SAVE THE DATE for our annual Fairfield Legacy Association Reception, to be held on Saturday, October 22, 2022!

Through this event, the University proudly celebrates our legacy families. The Fairfield Legacy Association consists of alumni and students whose family members — parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, and/or siblings — attended or currently attend Fairfield.

Visit fairfield.edu/FLA to learn more.

S H A R E YO U R N E W S

communications practice and support Benchmark’s clients’ public affairs efforts through all phases of real estate development.

2020

’20 | Matthew Waldemar recently began a new position as gallery assistant at Marianne Boesky Gallery in New York, N.Y.

Marriages John Primavera ’05 and Michael Ciavaglia ’04 — Dec. 1, 2021.

Alyse (LaPaglia ’10, MBA’20) and Matthew Uzarski — May 30, 2021.

Meghan Brewer and Brendan Monahan ’10 — Aug. 29, 2021.

Jena (Pellegrino ’10) and Joseph Mastrogiacomo — Oct. 23, 2021.

Nicoletta (Richardson ’14) and Sam Maxfield ’14, MS’15 — Nov. 5, 2021.

Kelly (Yorio ’15, FNP’20) and Mason Everlith ’15 — Sept. 25, 2021.

Christina (Cardoza ’16, MS’17) and Michael Genovese ’16 — Sept. 4, 2021.

Births Kara (Ventura ’97) and Michael Bennetto — daughter, Juliana Marie, Feb. 2, 2022.

Meghanne (Fireman ’06) and Jon Malinowski — son, Liam Michael, August 4, 2021.

Kelly (Ferguson ’09, MA’11) and Michael Carlin ’09 — son, Henry Patrick, Oct. 7, 2021.

Tara (Hall ’12, DNP’18) and Sam Robertson ’12 — son, Brooks Patrick, Dec. 30, 2021.

Christine Murphy ’12, son — Chase William, Jan. 8, 2021.

Michelle Pullen and Matthew Danaher ’14 — daughter, Maisie Rose, Mar. 11, 2021.

Lauren (Rosenblatt ’14) and James Mathews ’12 — son, Jack Guy, Jan. 26, 2022.

Madeline (Smith ’14) and Robert Spina ’14 — son, John “Jack” Spina, Dec. 8, 2021.

In Memoriam Thomas A. Flaherty ’51 – March 7, 2022 Anthony T. Varone ’51 – Dec. 22, 2021

StagMates Madeline (Smith ’14) and Robert Spina ’14 welcomed son, John “Jack” Spina on December 8, 2021.

Share your news! Simply log on to the FREE Alumni Online Community and post your Class Note. Not a member? Registration is easy at fairfield.edu/alumnicommunity. Sign up and log on today.

Maurice J. Fenton ’52, MA’56 (GSEAP) – Feb. 8, 2022 James F. Whalen Jr. ’53 – Feb. 15, 2022

Roland J. Zwiebel ’65 – Jan. 24, 2022

Colin M. McQuillan ’76, MA’78 (GSC&PC) – Jan. 28, 2022

Paul J. Convertito ’56 – Jan. 13, 2022

J. Kevin Fitzpatrick ’66 – March 25, 2022

Ann Pamela Reichheld ’76 – Feb. 18, 2022

Henry F. Scopp Sr. ’57 – Jan. 2, 2022

Joseph J. Brannegan ’67 – March 13, 2022

John J. Carne ’77 – Jan. 15, 2022

Charles E. Conway ’58 – March 5, 2022

Dennis M. Maloney ’68 – Jan. 2, 2022

David J. Papallo Sr. ’58 – Jan. 20, 2022

John “Jack” R. Gunzy ’69 (BEI) – Oct. 24, 2018

Joseph A. Luciano ’60 – Feb. 1, 2022

Kenneth H. Hojnowski ’70 – Jan. 14, 2022

J. Riley O’Donnell ’61 – Jan. 19, 2022

Anthony M. Parente ’70 (BEI) – Dec. 16, 2021

James Rodney Stanis ’61 – Jan. 1, 2022

Gerald E. Tuite ’71 – Jan. 9, 2022

Mary Elizabeth (Velz) Bardo ’89 – Feb. 11, 2022

Kenneth J. Daly Jr. ’72 – Feb. 26, 2022

Allison J. Bloom ’91 – Dec. 29, 2021

Donald J. Innes Jr. ’73 – Jan. 30, 2022

Edward A. Auth ’95 – Feb. 11, 2022

Timothy F. Monahan ’73 – Feb. 15, 2022

Jennifer L. Lyons ’97 – Jan. 7, 2022

Nancy (Yerden) Moore ’74 – Feb. 1, 2022

Edward L. Guidi ’00 – Feb. 19, 2022

Brian F. Dunn ’63 – March 6, 2022

Monsignor Andrew G. Varga ’74 – March 7, 2022

Bradford R. Moran ’07 – March 21, 2022

Robert C. Anderson ’64 – Feb. 20, 2022

Anthony G. Romano ’75 – Nov. 1, 2021

Meghan C. Hughes ’17 – Jan. 23, 2022

Vito S. DeMarco ’62 – Dec. 25, 2021 Stephen K. Elliott Jr. ’62 – Dec. 9, 2021 David M. McHugh ’62 – Jan. 29, 2022 Louis C. Zowine ’62 – Jan. 6, 2022

Deborah A. Wilson ’77 – Dec. 11, 2021 Suzanne E. Baldasare ’78 – Jan. 4, 2022 John E. Smithson ’78 – Dec. 26, 2021 Thomas E. Flynn ’85 – Dec. 31, 2021

Fa i r f i e l d Un i v e r s i t y Mag a z i n e | su mmer 2022 37

Alumni NOTES REUNION WEEKEND Classes of 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013, and 2018 Save the Date: June 9-11, 2023!

Visit fairfield.edu/reunion for more information.

S H A R E YO U R N E W S

G R A D U AT E S C H O O L S Mario Dell’Olio ’82, MA’88 has published his fourth book, Letters from Italy, which was released this past February by blackrosewriting.com.

It is the biography of his immigrant parents framed by letters they wrote.

Carolyn Mueller ’87, MS’84 has been the ministry assistant at Congregational Church of New Fairfield since May 2020. She handles administration and social media in this role, and consults on media and human resources matters.

Marriages Alyse (LaPaglia ’10, MBA’20) and Matthew Uzarski — May 30, 2021.

Nicoletta (Richardson ’14) and Sam Maxfield ’14, MS’15 — Nov. 5, 2021.

Kelly (Yorio ’15, FNP’20) and Mason Everlith ’15 — Sept. 25, 2021.

Christina (Cardoza ’16, MS’17) and Michael Genovese ’16 — Sept. 4, 2021.

Births Kelly (Ferguson ’09, MA’11) and Michael Carlin ’09 — son, Henry Patrick, Oct. 7, 2021.

Tara (Hall ’12, DNP’18) and Sam Robertson ’12 — son, Brooks Patrick, Dec. 30, 2021.

John Primavera ’05 and Michael Ciavaglia ’04, DMA, visiting assistant professor of music and co-director of the music program and voice instructor at Fairfield, were married at a small ceremony on Dec. 1, 2021 in the company of their dog Daphne.

Share your news! Simply log on to the FREE Alumni Online Community and post your Class Note. Not a member? Registration is easy at fairfield.edu/alumnicommunity. Sign up and log on today.

38 summer 2 0 22 | Fair fie l d Un i ve rs it y M aga z in e

Robert D. King MA’64, CT’69 (GSEAP) – Jan. 2, 2022 John A. Altieri MA’65 (GSEAP) – Jan. 30, 2022 Roger J. Ciufo MA’65 (GSEAP) – Jan. 31, 2022 Sara “Sally” (Davis) Factor MA’66 (GSEAP) – Jan. 2, 2022 Dorothy M. Pramer MA’66 (GSEAP) – Jan. 10, 2022 William E. Rosser III MA’66 (GSEAP) – Dec. 26, 2021 Lawrence G. Bush Jr. CT’67 (GSEAP) – March 15, 2022 Mary Catherine (O’Donnell) O’Neil MA’70 (GSEAP) – March 19, 2022 Carolyn (Frey) Kenworthy MA’71, CT’74 (GSEAP) – Feb. 9, 2022 Eva (Lowell) Lanning MA’72 (GSEAP) – Dec. 25, 2021 Carol (Leavitt) Levine MA’72 (GSEAP) – Jan. 8, 2022 Helen (Ference) Readey MA’73 (GSEAP) – Jan. 21, 2022 Barbara S. (Willis) Fechter MA’77 (GSEAP) – Jan. 16, 2022 Colin M. McQuillan ’76, MA’78 (GSC&PC) – Jan. 28, 2022 Rosalie DaSilva CT’79 (GSEAP) – Dec. 10, 2021 Bruce M. Lazar MA’83 (GSC&PC) – Dec. 27, 2021

In Memoriam

Barbara (McCorry) Leahey MA’84 (GSEAP) – Jan. 15, 2022

Maurice J. Fenton ’52, MA’56 (GSEAP) – Feb. 8, 2022

Judith (Green) Blumberg MA’85 (GSEAP) – March 22, 2022

Dorothy von Hacht MA’56 (GSEAP) – Jan. 4, 2022

Naomi Harris MA’86 (GSEAP) – Feb. 11, 2022

Rocco Orlando MA’56 (GSEAP) – Jan. 6, 2022

Maria Kokias MA’89 (GSEAP) – Feb. 22, 2022

Dorothy (Fasano) Murnane MA’59, CT’73 (GSEAP) – Feb. 12, 2022

Barbara Callahan MA’97 (GSEAP) – Dec. 11, 2021

Angelo E. Dirienzo CT’60 (GSEAP) – Dec. 26, 2021 Mary L. (Cervenansky) Kane MA’60 (GSEAP) – Jan. 17, 2022 Dorothy E. Haggerty MA’61 (GSEAP) – March 12, 2022

Frederick B. Miller MBA’04 (Dolan) – Dec. 31, 2021 Leslie A. Vinck MA’06 (GSEAP) – Jan. 10, 2022 Walter J. Donne MBA’08 (Dolan) – Jan. 3, 2022

A

Alumni

SUMMER 2022

Fairfield University Alumni Association fairfield.edu/alumni | 203-254-4280 Email us at alumni@fairfield.edu

The Met: Live in HD Summer Encore Performances The Merry Widow SUN., JULY 17 | 1 P.M.

Madama Butterfly SUN., JULY 31 | 1 P.M.

La Bohème SUN., AUG. 14 | 1 P.M.

La Fille du Régiment

Missoula campers, on stage at the Quick Missoula Children’s Theatre Camp Sessions: The Frog Prince

Leaves: The Endangered Species of New England

Specimens and Reflections SEPT. 16 – DEC. 17, 2022

Bellarmine Hall Galleries Gladys Triana: Beyond Exile SEPT. 23 – DEC. 17, 2022 Walsh Gallery, Quick Center for the Arts

NOW THROUGH DEC. 1, 2022 Bellarmine Lawn

JULY 11 – 15 JULY 18 – 22

The Little Mermaid JULY 25 – 29

The Jungle Book AUG. 1 – 5

Red Riding Hood AUG. 8 – 12

Hansel and Gretel

NT Live Henry V

Summer Intensives Camp Sessions: Singing for the Stage

MON., AUG. 15 | 7 P.M.

SEPT. 16 – DEC. 17, 2022

Rumpelstiltskin

AUG. 15 – 19

Prima Facie

FRI., SEPT. 30 | 8 P.M.

fairfield.edu/museum | 203-254-4046 Email us at museum@fairfield.edu

SUN., AUG. 21 | 1 P.M.

MON., AUG. 8 | 7 P.M.

Out of the Kress Vaults: Women in Sacred Renaissance Painting

Fairfield University Art Museum

SUN., SEPT. 25

quickcenter.com | 203-254-4010 Follow us! @FairfieldQuick

Mariachi Herencia de México with Lupita Infante Cuando México Canta

Bellarmine Hall Galleries

Golden Stags Reunion

Quick Center for the Arts

A SELECTION OF UPCOMING CAMPUS EVENTS

JULY 18 – 21 | Ages 8–11 JULY 25 – 28 | Ages 11+

Acting and Audition Prep AUG. 1 – 4 | All Ages

Intro to Fashion Design AUG. 1 – 4 | Ages 10–14

Sewing II AUG. 8 – 11 | Ages 10–14

Fashion Illustration II AUG. 15 – 18 | Ages 10–14

Intro to Phone Photography & Storytelling AUG. 8 – 11 | Ages 9–14

Intro to Circus Skills AUG. 8 – 11 | Ages 8+

The Merry Widow

OVF: Espresso/Inspired Writers Series Saïd Sayrafiezadeh WED., SEPT. 14 | 7:30 P.M.

El Greco, The Holy Family with Saint Anne and the Infant John the Baptist, ca. 1595-1600, oil on canvas. National Gallery of Art, Washington, Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1959.9.4

Fa i r f i e l d Un i v e r s i t y Mag a z i n e | s u mmer 2022 39

Donor PROFILE Rudolph V. (Vic) Pino Jr. ’73, P’01, P’05

T

he Fairfield University Vic Pino entered in 1969 had fewer students and buildings, and more Jesuits and open space. The buzz on campus centered around the Vietnam War, Woodstock, Neil Armstrong’s moon walk, and the women who would be heading to campus the following year.

Pino majored in political science but admits his greatest memories of his four years involved the Rugby Club. “Aside from the thrill of playing the game and experiencing the competition, I made lifelong friends,” he said. “We raised the money needed to play in England and Wales, and for many of us it was our first trip out of the U.S. To this day, we talk about our experiences on that trip.”

After graduating and marrying his high school sweetheart, Mary Ann, Pino earned his JD from New York Law School. He secured a clerkship on the recommendation of Fairfield alumnus Frank Granito Jr. ’59, a partner at a prestigious New York City law firm.

He eventually opened his own firm and traveled the world as one of only a handful of attorneys with a focus on aviation and representing insurers and manufacturers of telecommunication satellites.

Between business travels, Pino played golf, a game he’d picked up as a boy. He passed a love of the sport on to his children, Anne ’01, and Rudy ’05. “Anne was on

the first women’s golf team at Fairfield, and Rudy was captain of the men’s team,” boasted Pino.

He loved watching his kids play, but felt that the ragtag-looking teams needed more support: “They had no uniforms, no bags. They had to travel to New Haven to practice, and there were no facilities at all for practicing in the winter.”

Pino’s involvement started small. He secured golf team uniforms and bags through his membership at Westchester Country Club, where the head golf pro was a 1972 Fairfield alumnus. Later, he set his sights on big program improvements.

Noting that Fairfield golfers did not have access to the one thing a lot of other schools had — an indoor practice venue — scouting for usable campus space led to the basement of McAuliffe Hall. “It had the high ceilings we needed,” said Pino. “We installed HVAC and lights, and purchased and installed a Trackman Golf Simulator system, a radar enabled device that allows golfers to get instant feedback regarding their swing, ball speed, spin rate, and other metrics

40 summe r 2022 | Fairfie l d Un i ve rs it y M aga z in e

“I attribute a great part of my success in law school and my career to both my experiences at Fairfield and the relationships formed in those days.” to improve their game.”

The Pino Golf Studio opened in 2017, and has become the golf teams’ clubhouse and a terrific asset for improving performance and recruitment. “Since the Studio was built, the women’s golf team has won the Mark Laesch Award, given to the Division I program with the most improved stroke average year-toyear…twice,” noted Head Golf Coach Doug Holub.

“In the fall of 2021,” he continued, “the men’s golf team achieved its highest national Golfstat ranking in program history. They earned two team wins and two individual wins in the past year and held the lead going into the final round of the MAAC last year, for the first time since 2015.”

“I saw a need,” said Pino, “and it was something that I could achieve while enhancing the performance of student-athletes. Plus, building something tangible often feels better than just writing a check.”

Pino has extended his generosity to Fairfield Athletics and the University in other ways as well:

helping to organize the men’s and women’s teams’ “Golf Swing” trip to Florida over winter break, supporting the Fairfield Athletics Golf Outing and the Rugby Club, serving on the Board of Trustees Advisory Council and the Fairfield Awards Dinner Committee, and contributing to the DiMenna-Nyselius Library’s main reading room renovation. He currently serves on the Athletics Advisory Board.

“I treasure the four years I spent at Fairfield,” said Pino, now semiretired and living in Rye, N.Y. and Jupiter, Fla. He and Mary Ann, a former teacher, recently celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary. “I attribute a great part of my success in law school and my career to both my experiences at Fairfield and the relationships formed in those days. The humanist point of view that emphasizes treating fellow students and professors equally and respectfully was reinforced at Fairfield. I strongly believe in giving back so that in a small way, I can have an impact on the institution and student experience.”

GIVE STUDENTS THE GIFT OF AN EXCEPTIONAL FOUR YEARS WITH

Four for Fairfield

As a four-year pledge, this multi-year gift follows and benefits the transformational needs of a class of students throughout their Fairfield University education. Each yearly gift is allocated to four specific areas, to support and enhance opportunities for our students.

Structuring your pledge is flexible, with most commitments beginning at $2,500 a year.

Contact The Office of Annual Giving today at annualgiving@fairfield.edu or (877) 748-5123 to learn more about Four for Fairfield and the benefits you will receive as a donor.

Four for Fairfield benefits four different experiences in the life of a student: • Student Life: Supports 100 active student clubs and life-changing career services opportunities that provide leadership training, fund essential wellness initiatives to keep students healthy, and offer internship access.

• Financial Aid: Ensures that the dream of a Fairfield education remains possible for talented, needdependent, and meritorious students.

• Areas of greatest need: Provides the financial flexibility to respond to the most pressing needs for Fairfield students within the academic year.

• Your choice of academic program: School-based program enables the purchase of new learning technologies and equipment, supports critical infrastructure, and provides students with innovative learning opportunities in and outside the classroom.

Fa i r f i e l d Un i v e r s i t y Mag a z i n e | su mmer 2022 iii

Fairfieldmagazine UNIVERSITY

SUMMER 2022

1073 North Benson Road Fairfield, Connecticut 06824-5195

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Burlington, VT 05401 Permit No. 229

Address Service Requested

SAVE. THE. DATE.

ALUMNI & FAMILY WEEKEND OCT. 21-23, 2022 Mark your calendar for the 2022 Alumni & Family Weekend!

Food trucks, RugbyFest, live music, athletic events, StagFest, and more!

Fairfield.edu/AFW

iv sum mer 2 0 22 | Fairf ie l d Un i ve rs it y M aga z in e