December 2016
Celebrating the Success of
VISION 2020
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President Keith Taylor, Ph.D. welcomed Gannon and Erie community members in the newly modernized Beyer Hall at its official Dedication and Blessing Ceremony on September 23, 2016. As we celebrate the holiday season and the conclusion of the Fall 2016 semester, our Gannon Family has much to be thankful for in all of the blessings upon our University. In September, we gathered with many alumni, faculty, staff, family and friends in recognition of the culmination of the Vision 2020 Campaign— the largest fundraising campaign in the history of our University. For us, the joy in the success of this campaign is not as much about the $67.5 million raised, but why we support our beloved Gannon—to change lives. That generous support provides our students opportunities today and for generations to come. Nearly 80 new scholarships were created so that students may engage in a transformative Gannon experience. This life-changing experience has been enhanced by funding for initiatives like new and expanded travel programs, providing global exposure for every student who wants to travel the world and learn through global exchange, cultural immersion or service wherever they are called to do so. We are equally thankful for the dedicated Gannon faculty and staff who have helped secure grant funding for research opportunities that are immersing our students in practical experiences that better prepare them for their careers and life journeys. The visible improvements in the living and learning environments across our expanding campus during the campaign have also been many, punctuated by the eight Dedication and Blessing Ceremonies, including the establishment of a second Gannon campus in Ruskin, Florida.
harvest reaps have resulted from enormous effort by many and a strong Strategic Plan 2013-17 to guide that work. That plan, and the next, continuing this momentum in 2017, carry forward our Mission and our Catholic Identity, reinforcing the centrality of faith, leadership, inclusiveness and social justice in driving the University’s actions toward desired outcomes, much like the success of the Vision 2020 Campaign. The commitment to family at Gannon is something that has been shown not only by the generosity throughout this campaign, but is something that is lived out through daily, steadfast commitment to our students’ development of mind, body and spirit. It is a testament to the responsibility we have as a Catholic University and as individuals to live our faith and our Mission, and to give back to and be more concerned about others than we are about ourselves. As we hold fast to our tradition and why we are here, we celebrate what Gannon is and has been for so many and look forward to how Gannon can continue to provide a transformative educational experience that is accessible to all. With the most sincere gratitude, I thank all of our generous benefactors who contributed to the Vision 2020 Campaign. Every gift has created new possibilities for our students, and will leave a lasting impression on them as they go out and change the world. God Bless,
These celebrations and the transformations of our Gannon Family and our University have not come about by chance. The success of this campaign and the wonderful opportunities its
Keith Taylor, Ph.D. President Melanie Whaley ’95 Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Keith Taylor, Ph.D., President
Tony Fulgenzio ’82, ’10 M. Ed. Executive Director of Philanthropy and Communications Laura Hinsdale Marketing and Creative Specialist
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Vol. XXVIIII, No. 1 • December 2016
John Chacona Media, Marketing and Communications Writer
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Gannon Magazine December 2016
contents
features
Celebrating the Success of Vision 2020 (page 10)
Gannon achieved the largest fundraising effort in its history with the culmination of the Vision 2020 Campaign. Donors’ generosity to the University established an impressive number of new scholarships, endowments, grants and, most importantly, possibilities for students now and in the future.
Gannon Dedicates a Modernized Beyer Hall (page 05) The Gannon family came together to recognize the completion of the modernized Beyer Hall at an official Dedication and Blessing Ceremony in September. Beyer Hall joins the nearly 10 new exceptional learning and living environments opened over the past five years.
Gannon Honors Distinguished Alumni (page 16)
The Gannon University Alumni Association honored five extraordinary Distinguished Alumni during Homecoming Reunion Weekend. Meet the inspiring 2016 awardees!
Strategic Goals 02 innovation 03 community 04 worldview
NewsNotes 04 faith & service 05 growth 06 athletics 08 legacy 17 alumnotes
Focus 14 facultyfocus 15 studentfocus 16 alumnifocus
View the Gannon Magazine Online Edition Look for this symbol for articles with exclusive video, photo galleries and expanded content found in the Gannon Magazine Online Edition. Use your phone, tablet or computer to view this edition at magazine.gannon.edu/Dec16. To receive the Gannon Magazine Online Edition directly to your inbox, or to manage your subscription preferences visit gannon.edu/magazine.
On The Cover The success of the Vision 2020 Campaign has given Gannon University much to believe in this holiday season. Pictured on the cover are Gannon’s campuses in Erie, Pennsylvania and Ruskin, Florida.
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innovation
strategic goals
Gannon University Receives $1.2 Million Grant to Serve Erie High School Students
Through the GO College program, students from the Erie School District gain access to academic enrichment, college exposure and service-learning. Colleges and universities know that there are talented students everywhere, but finding them and steering them toward a rewarding academic career has often been a challenge. That search just got a little easier at Gannon University thanks to a $1.2 million, five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The grant will support Gannon University’s GO College Talent Search Program to identify and assist students from disadvantaged backgrounds from Erie’s Strong Vincent High School and two of its feeder elementary schools, Harding and Pfeiffer-Burleigh. Through the program, students who have the potential to succeed in higher education will receive academic, career and financial counseling that encourages them to graduate from high school, attend and complete their postsecondary education. The Talent Search program also encourages persons who have not completed education programs at the secondary or postsecondary level to enter or re-enter and complete postsecondary education. Other services provided by the program include career exploration and aptitude assessment, tutoring, and providing information on postsecondary education, including student financial assistance and
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assistance with completing college admissions and financial aid applications and preparing for college entrance exams. The grant will also support mentoring programs, special activities for sixth, seventh and eighth graders and workshops for the families of participants. Gannon University will implement these programs with professional staff from United Way of Erie County and the Erie Community Foundation, along with Gannon students who are trained to serve as tutors and mentors. The University will also provide Talent Search participants with services such as tutoring, help with SAT/ACTs and career/college exploration, as well as the opportunity for students to complete free dual enrollment courses at Gannon, participate in campus visits and college fairs, and complete college applications. As a result, students at these schools begin to believe in and prepare for a future that includes graduating from high school and enrolling, attending and graduating from college. Talent Search is one of the Education Department’s eight TRiO Programs, which are federally funded programs designed to serve and assist low-income, first-generation college students and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post baccalaureate programs.
community
strategic goals
Culture and Climate Change Series Opens Discussions and Minds humanities scholars, Gannon students and citizens of countries around the world—weighed in on the implications of climate change.
As part of a yearlong Culture and Climate Change lecture series, Gannon University welcomed several Rwandan natives to campus to share their culture and experience growing up during the most trying time for their country. “Laudato Sí,” Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical letter on climate change, was inspired by the canticle written by his namesake, Saint Francis of Assisi, that “reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us.” This year, Gannon University embraced the spirit of the encyclical through an ambitious series of events exploring culture and climate change. The series brought together representatives from various fields and countries to examine, analyze and debate what many people see as the most pressing issue facing mankind today. The series was created in the momentum generated by the provocative and wellreceived “Deadly Medicine” exhibit and the campus events that addressed the Holocaust last year.
“Those events were not always planned,” said Linda Fleming, Ph.D., dean of the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences. “Last fall, faculty talked about what a great thing it was and how much they wanted to do something like that again. At the January faculty meeting, we discussed what kind of topics they’d like to see, and climate change stood out.” The name of the series reflects the multidisciplinary outlook of the year’s events. While climate change is often perceived as the purview of scientists, Fleming points out its broad implications. “Climate change affects people in every way shape and form: our health, where we live, the food supply. As a result of climate change, we’ll see greater conflict and population movements. The science is a big part of it, but the impact affects us more generally.”
From Notre Dame University, Philip Sakamoto, Ph.D., a former manager of NASA’s Space Science Education program, presented a view from space. An interdisciplinary faculty panel discussed the phenomenon of climate-change denial. Brian Richter, chief scientist for the water program at The Nature Conservancy, presented the lecture, “Chasing Water in a Rapidly Changing World” and former U.S. Representative Phil English offered insights into the intersection of science, politics and culture. Most dramatically, five young adults from the African nation of Rwanda spoke about the Rwandan genocide, which took place at a time of great environmental stress, and how that calamity has shaped their lives. Gannon University artists have responded with works shown at the Schuster Gallery, classes are taking up the discussion and the momentum generated will carry into the spring semester, when more events are planned, including English Awards Night and the annual Humanities Conference. Fleming remembered an early planning meeting for the series where, she said, “We looked at the first section of ‘Laudato Sí’, which outlines all the major points. As we put together the series, we realized that we were hitting each of those major points.” And many more to come.
To this end, a comprehensive range of participants—scientists, as well as
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faith&service
newsnotes
Blazing Trails of Joy There was little room for detachment on the nearly two-week journey that began with a Mass in Erie and took the group to sacred sites in Lisieux, France and Paris before reaching the immense gathering in Krakow.
Members of the Gannon University World Youth Day T.R.A.V.E.L. program trip show their colors in Krakow, Poland. “My friends, Jesus is the Lord of risk, of the eternal ‘more.’” Pope Francis said on a sweltering field outside Krakow, Poland in July. “Jesus is not the Lord of comfort, security and ease. Following Jesus demands a good dose of courage, a readiness to trade in the sofa for a pair of walking shoes and to set out on new and uncharted paths.” Thirteen members of the Gannon Family, including nine students, put on their walking shoes and joined nearly 2 million pilgrims in that field, called Campus Misericordiae, for World Youth Day 2016.
Peter Conley, a junior mathematics major from Grove City, Pennsylvania, was one of them. “It was a rejuvenation of faith for me,” he said. “It was God telling me, ‘This is what is true.’” “Being amazed by what I was seeing brought into light how important my faith is. Being able to participate in it gave me a chance to re-examine my faith and to experience it hands-on, away from the day-to-day detachment that can sometimes happen.”
The size of the event was impossible to discount, but Waylon Duncan, a junior philosophy major and seminarian, found unanimity in it, too. “Catholic means universal, and [World Youth Day is] the universal church gathered in one placepeople of different countries, languages, backgrounds and cultures gathered to receive teachings (catechesis) from the pope.” Among the teachings at the vigil and Mass, delivered in his deeply personal and compelling manner, Pope Francis urged the pilgrims at Campus Misericordiae “To take the path of the ‘craziness’ of our God, who teaches us to encounter him in the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick, the friend in trouble, the prisoner, the refugee and the migrant, and our neighbors who feel abandoned. To blaze trails that open up new horizons capable of spreading joy, the joy that is born of God’s love and wells up in your hearts with every act of mercy.” Just like the 13 members of the Gannon Family did this summer.
worldview strategicgoals Gannon University One of Four to Receive State Department Grant Gannon and its partner institution, Sacred Heart Nursing College in India, received a $190,000 U.S.-India 21st Century Knowledge Initiative Award granted by the U.S. Department of State and the University Grants Commission this fall for a project titled “Partnership for Global Orientation for Teaching Education Advancement For Comprehensive Health Education.” The two institutions will co-design nursing curriculum that leverages the strengths of each through the program and applies those strengths across cultures. Read how this grant will bring new opportunities to and better prepare nursing students to enter the field. magazine.gannon.edu/Dec16 4
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newsnotes
Gannon Dedicates a Modernized Beyer Hall
The Dedication and Blessing Ceremony at Beyer Hall was a global affair, drawing Gannon students, alumni, faculty and staff from the four corners of the world. Gannon University’s long-standing tradition of growth and community were embodied in the Dedication and Blessing Ceremony of the long-awaited and newly renovated Beyer Hall, which took place in September. The $6.3 million modernization brought previously scattered academic and student organizations together under one roof. The 40,000 square-foot building is now home to the Student Government Association (SGA), the Activities Programming Board (APB), Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE), the Interfraternity and Panhellenic councils, the Office of Residence Life, as well as First-Year Experience classes, the Student Development and Engagement leadership team and the Barker Globalization Institute, which encompasses all of Gannon’s learning abroad and globalization efforts. Lizzie Gauriloff, a senior English major and the special events chair of APB, said that the new space took some getting used to, but that it has brought these organizations closer together. “I’ve met people that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise,” she said. “It’s just going to continue to grow into a great way for organizations to collaborate more and more as the semesters go on.” One of the main focuses of the Beyer Hall modernization was to emphasize the diversity and uniqueness of Gannon’s global student population. The revised space serves as a place for both global and domestic students to interact in both an academic and social setting.
Because Gannon’s Mission emphasizes inclusivity, faith and global understanding of our world, an interfaith prayer and meditation room is available in Beyer Hall for all students, faculty and staff, as well as foot wash stations for Muslim prayer preparation. Since its formal dedication in April 1962, Beyer Hall has been home to several classrooms and laboratories, as well as Gannon’s ROTC program, now located in the A.J. Palumbo Academic Center, and the Dahlkemper School of Business, now located in the Center for Business Ingenuity.
View the Dedication and Blessing Ceremony and a photo gallery of the event in the Gannon Magazine Online Edition at magazine.gannon.edu/Dec16
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Fall Sports Roundup Fall was a season of champions as two Gannon University teams claimed Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) titles. The women’s volleyball 1 team won the 2016 PSAC Volleyball Tournament championship in a three-set showdown against Pitt-Johnstown to conclude a 30-3 season. The PSAC Championship is the second in Gannon’s nine-year history in the conference; the previous title came in 2012. Team accomplishments led to individual recognition as senior Hannah Kren was voted the PSAC Athlete of the Year, while head coach Matt Darling was named the Coach of the Year. With the win, the Lady Knights clinched a spot in the NCAA Division II Volleyball Tournament for the eighth consecutive year. Gannon women’s golf team 2 captured its third PSAC championship on the Hershey Country Club East Course with a seven-stroke victory over runner-up
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California University of Pennsylvania. Senior Diana Muñoz capped a memorable season by shooting 74-73 as the 2016 PSAC Championships medalist. Her teammate, Manuela Quevedo, made it a one-two Gannon finish, finishing four strokes behind. It was the second time Gannon golfers finished in the top two spots. Amanda Teodorsson and Bhanisha Nagindas were the last Gannon golfers to do so at the 2011 PSAC Championships. The conference title was the team’s third, the previous two coming in 2011 and 2013. Fall was also a season for turn-arounds, as two teams made dramatic gains on the way to winning campaigns. The men’s soccer team improved on a 7-9 record in 2015 to finish 11-6-1 overall and 7-3-1 in conference play. The Golden Knights were ranked nationally and regionally throughout the season, compiling the program’s most victories since the 2012 squad went 13-6. The Golden Knights returned to the postseason for the first time since 2012 behind the play of Hamza Mourchid, 3 NCAA Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association (D2CCA) All-Atlantic Region first team selection. The men’s water polo 4 squad more than doubled its 2015 victory total, moving from a 6-10 season to 13-5 5
in 2016. The Knights concluded the season at home by taking third place in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Western Division Championships. Sean Morphy was named MAWPC Western Division Coach of the Year, and junior Gilberto Millan, whose 50 goals this season were the eighth most in program history, was named MAWPC Western Division Player of the Year. Gannon University has adopted Evolution Labs’ SA360 platform as a required part of its student-athlete experience. SA360 provides studentathletes with engaging mobile app and web-based content on topics ranging from health and wellness to avoiding risk behavior, to assessing and improving academic skills. Gannon joins other top intercollegiate athletic departments, including Louisiana State University, Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Maryland, that have integrated the platform into their core programming. Taylor Lewis became the fourth women’s soccer 5 player to be named PSAC Freshman of the Year since Gannon joined the conference in 2008, and landed a spot on the all-conference first
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Athletic Department Garners ECAC Honors The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) is the nation’s largest athletic conference, comprising more than 300 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II and III and more than 110,000 student-athletes. So when Gannon University receives two top honors from the conference, it’s a big deal. 3
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team in the process. Lewis recorded 11 goals, two assists, 24 points and four game-winning goals in 19 matches as the Lady Knights advanced to the PSAC semifinals for the second consecutive season and third time in the last four years, reaching double digits in victories for the fourth time during the last five years and finishing 10-6-3 overall. Senior defensive back Mike Zanders II 6 became Gannon’s all-time leader in tackles with 345 in the final game of the 2016 football campaign. He surpassed the previous record of 341 held by K.J. Heider (1989-92).
That’s the case this year as Gannon’s Matt Barto, an outstanding member of the men’s golf team, and Athletic Director Lisa Goddard McGuirk were named NCAA Division II Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Administrator of the Year by the ECAC. Barto was one of six student-athletes recognized as Scholar-Athlete of the Year at a ceremony in the ECAC’s headquarters city of Danbury, Connecticut in September. The junior mechanical engineering major from Leechburg, Pennsylvania has a 3.96 cumulative grade-point average, and has been honored as a College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-American last year after being named to the Academic All-District first team. He also has been named a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Scholar-Athlete every year. During the 2015-16 campaign, Barto had three top-five finishes, four top-10 finishes and six top-20 finishes in 11 events. He won the PSAC individual championship as a true freshman and qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships as an individual after finishing tied for fifth at the regional. McGuirk, who led Gannon into the ECAC, is in her third year at Gannon. Her teams have distinguished themselves in the classroom and the community as well as in competition. The University’s nearly 550 student-athletes on 20 varsity teams tallied a 3.24 cumulative grade-point average last year. School records were broken for most PSAC Scholar-Athletes (200) and Division II Athletics Directors Association (ADA) Academic Achievement Award recipients (99). In the community, Gannon student-athletes contributed almost 6,000 hours of community service and raised more $16,000 for charitable causes. In competition, sixteen of the 20 programs qualified for the postseason in 2015-16, including 12 of the 16 PSAC sports. The performance of the women’s soccer team was a highlight of the year, having been ranked No. 1 among NCAA Division II programs in four consecutive national polls. The women’s volleyball team advanced to the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen, the acrobatics and tumbling team made an appearance in its sport’s Elite Eight and seven Gannon programs participated in postseason competition in NCAA sports. Gannon student-athletes were named conference players of the week 85 times, all-conference selections 62 times, allregion honorees 20 times and All-Americans 17 times.
Gannon Star Athlete, Class of ’62 Alumnus AFP Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year It’s hard to miss Joe Gaeta at a Gannon basketball game. He’s the guy with the full head of white hair cheering on the Golden Knights and selling 50/50 raffle tickets for the Athletic Boosters. The Brooklyn, New York native came to Erie in 1959 to play basketball and baseball and he’s been a part of Erie ever since. In November, the NW Pennsylvania Chapter of American Fundraising Professionals honored Joe with the Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year Award for his tireless support of Gannon and it’s student athletes. According to Gaeta it’s a simple matter
of paying back. “I got a free scholarship to Gannon for bouncing the round ball and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and that provided leadership skills. My time is my gift to Gannon.” In addition to his work with the Boosters, Joe was also inducted into the Gannon Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Mark Gaeta, ’87, Coordinator of 7 #GUBELIEVE Capital Support, (814) 871-7466 or gaeta004@gannon.edu.
HOMECOMINGREUNION Photos courtesy of Rick Klein ’84 Photography
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NWEEKEND
SAVE THE DATE
Homecoming Reunion Weekend Oct. 6-8, 2017!
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1. Members of Gannon’s Black Student Union join Candace Battles ‘93 and other alumni at the African American Alumni Reunion. 2. Lauren Theisen ’02, Jim Theisen ’02 and family attend the annual Homecoming Parade. 3. Faithful Gannon Knight fans gather for pre-game fun at the Recreation and Wellness Center tailgate. 4. Alumnae of Villa Maria College gather in Old Main for high tea. 5. Dr. Richard Kozak ’66, Jim Meko ’66 and classmates celebrate their 50th Reunion with dinner and a presentation of their Heritage medallions. 6. Members of Gannon’s Heritage Society get together for a luncheon. 7. John Mangus ’56 and Larry Ryan ’56 reconnect at their 60th Class Reunion.
For an expanded photo gallery and exclusive video content, visit the Gannon Magazine Online Edition at magazine.gannon.edu/Dec16 #GUBELIEVE
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Celebrating the Success of
VISION 22020 2 There is much to celebrate following the culmination of Vision 2020, Gannon’s highly successful comprehensive campaign. The effort raised $67.5 million in charitable giving, government grants and sponsored research. The seven-year campaign was highlighted by the more than 13,000 alumni, friends, faculty and staff members’ generous gifts and was a milestone in Gannon University’s effort to enhance academic, research, scholarship, global and service opportunities for students. Securing Futures Through Endowments Gannon University was established on the notion of providing a quality, Catholic education for all students. Our founder Archbishop John Mark Gannon, would be proud to see the dedication of those who contributed to and created scholarship opportunities through this campaign. Not only did the Vision 2020 Campaign establish nearly 80 new scholarships for students, but new global and travel opportunities were created as well, emphasizing Gannon’s strategic approach to develop students’ worldview. The hard work of faculty and staff also created new hands-on opportunities for students through grant-funded and sponsored research.
The Power Scholarship Challenge One of the most successful initiatives of Vision 2020 was the “Power” Scholarship Challenge. Thanks to the generous support of Board of Trustees member Tom Power, a 1963 alumnus, and his wife, Loretta, the Challenge leveraged more than 50 new endowed scholarship gifts that were matched dollar-for-dollar. Gifts from $25,000 to $100,000 for new scholarships established by alumni, parents, faculty and friends were enhanced by the funds provided through the Powers’ generosity. “My wife and I can think of no greater gift than the gift of an education and the Challenge is really quite simple. We have created a pool of funds from which Gannon can double a donor’s endowed scholarship gift,” Power said.
Robert and Suzanne Barker Globalization Institute Gifts such as the one made by Robert ’71 and Suzanne Barker aligned with the University’s Strategic Goal of “Developing a Worldview” by establishing the Barker Globalization Institute. Barker is a retired executive from Parker Aerospace and current Trustee at Gannon. “I see students and faculty that are routinely engaged in world travel, an Erie campus where international students help enrich a diverse interchange of cultures and where students build their resumes through global experiences, making them competitive and highly sought after in the world marketplace.”
VISION 2020 CAMPAIGN BEGINS July 1, 2009
Cathedral College Scholarship in Humanities October 2009 Alumni Legacy Scholarship
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Athletic Boosters Record Year Membership and Money Raised July 2013
Leslie and Tony Ryan Scholarship in Nursing 1
July 2013
January 2014 Barker Globalization Institute 2
Power Scholarship Challenge 3 March 2014
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The culmination of the Vision 2020 Campaign marked a milestone in Gannon history, becoming its largest fundraising campaign. Over 13,000 generous alumni, faculty, staff, family and friends of the University contributed to the $67.5 million campaign to create new possibilities for students for years to come.
Improving the Places Where we Live and Learn By living our Mission, Gannon prepares students to become leaders in the classroom, in their chosen profession, in their community and around the world. “Our West Bayfront” is just one example of a collaborative relationship between the University, our campus neighborhoods and local businesses to help improve the quality of life in Erie’s west Bayfront. The result is a safer place to live, learn and raise a family. Vision 2020 was also highlighted by the dedication of a new campus in Ruskin, Florida and many new facilities including a modernized Recreation and Wellness Center, North Hall, the Center for Communication and the Arts, a Forensics Investigation Center and a remodeled Beyer Hall. Generous support from alumnus Dennis McConnell from the class of 1970 resulted in the renaming of Gannon’s athletic field to McConnell Family Stadium.
Thanking Our Generous Donors With the conclusion of this campaign, Gannon’s alumni, faculty, staff, friends, family and community partners have once again proven that they believe in the possibilities at Gannon. It is their generosity that helped make Vision 2020 the most successful campaign in Gannon University’s history, and is more importantly helping to transform the educational experience the University provides to students. For expanded content and an exclusive Vision 2020 Campaign video, visit the Gannon Magazine Online Edition at magazine.gannon.edu/Dec16
Gustafson Nursing and Biology Scholarships 5 September 2014 Zeitler STEM Center Fund 4
November 2014
VISION 2020 CAMPAIGN ENDS
McConnell Family Stadium 6 February 2015 Charles Deaner Pre-Law Program
September 2015
October 2015
June 30, 2016
Boswell Scholarship for Crawford Central Schools 7 #GUBELIEVE
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VISION 2020
FACTS & FIGURES 5 MILLION
1 MILLION+
$
$
LARGEST GIFT TO VISION 2020
10 GIFTS OF THIS AMOUNT CONTRIBUTED BY DONORS
67,500,000
$
$50.2 MILLION CHARITABLE GIFTS
$17.3 MILLION GRANTS
Vision 2020 surpassed the $39.2 million raised by the previous Power to Transform Campaign.
72
%
INCREASE FROM PREVIOUS CAMPAIGN
13,260 TOTAL DONORS
528 8,487
FACULTY AND STAFF CONTRIBUTED $3.1 MILLION
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GANNON UNIVERSITY ALUMNI
399 CAMPAIGN PARTNERS
MADE GIFTS OF
10,000+
$
79 SCHOLARSHIPS
$
133 ESTATE PLAN GIFTS
65
%
CHARITABLE GIFTS MADE OUTSIDE ERIE COUNTY, CREATING A SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC IMPACT
Charitable gifts made to the campaign exceeded expectations and far surpassed the initial goal of $40 million.
17,300,000
$
GOVERNMENT GRANTS AND SPONSORED FACULTY RESEARCH
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Associate Professor, Political Science
Anjali Sahay, Ph.D.
facultyfocus United, Across Nations The United Nations (U.N.) has had a great effect on the lives of millions of people throughout the world, and Anjali Sahay, Ph.D., is one of them, but perhaps not in the way you might expect. “I did not pick the U.N., but it picked me,” Sahay, associate professor of political science, said. “My father’s brother worked for the United Nations Development Programme in India and his stories really inspired us, but it was in the background. I focused on my academic side and became a professor.”
Sahay studied history at Delhi University in her home state in India, but coming to the U.S. in 1999, she chose to study international relations at Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk, Virginia, where the U.N. re-entered her life. “As a doctoral student, I was assigned a research assistantship with ODU’s Model U.N. program. The yearly trip to U.N. headquarters in New York was the highlight of my life,” she said. “To be there for four days every year was amazing and opened a lot of new horizons. I was blown away with the U.N. and with the Model U.N. program.” That enthusiasm stayed with her. As an adjunct at ODU, she taught a U.N. class and was appointed assistant director of the Model U.N. program. And not surprisingly, when it came time to apply for a permanent faculty position, Sahay said, “the U.N. came to my rescue.” Sahay turned down a tenure-track position in Boston—“Who does that,” she laughed—in favor of a visiting professorship at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, drawn by its large and vigorous Model U.N. program. She came to Gannon in 2008 and, rather unusually for someone with a Ph.D., enrolled in Gannon’s MBA program. “I thought it might be useful in my research. I even thought I could teach international business,” she said.
She now teaches political science classes, Introduction to U.S. Government, Introduction to International Relations and history classes. As director of the International Studies program, she used funds provided by Gannon’s Barker Globalization Institute to redesign an existing class as Global Migration, Population and Health, which is now a Liberal Studies Capstone course. She also served on the committee that formulated the 2012-16 Strategic Plan where she advocated for the goal of developing a worldview. “I don’t think Gannon needed to be sold on globalization because President Taylor had that as part of his vision when he was provost,” she said. Sahay is still an advocate, serving as president of Faculty Senate this year, and she is still involved with Gannon’s Model U.N., the most venerable Model U.N. program in the U.S., over which she assumed leadership in 2010. The annual gathering that just concluded attracted 430 high school students from three states. The conclave just after the U.S. elections was an unusually lively one, and Sahay, a political scientist with a global orientation, was happy to stimulate the debate. “I think the election has thrown us off our comfort zones and brought forward questions we need to address about how global we are and want to be, and to consider if globalization is reversible,” she said. “Personally, I think the fabric of society today is too global to be rolled back.”
Anjali Sahay, Ph.D., shares her global point of view with her students and colleagues. 14
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Everything was going according to plan for senior Jenna Sulecki. She needed only six credits to graduate from Gannon University in December 2016 with a degree in theatre and communication arts. Then her advisor, the Rev. Shawn Clerkin, sent her a text one morning out of the blue asking how she would feel about spending a year studying in Ireland. Not even a month later, Sulecki became one of 22 students in the world, and three in the United States, to be awarded a Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship. Sulecki received a full-year fellowship, funded by the government of Ireland, that will cover her tuition at Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, plus a stipend of 10,000 euros. To receive the scholarship at Mary Immaculate, Sulecki had to compete with master’s degree students and visiting research scholars at the master’s or doctoral level. Yet there was a time when she was unsure whether she should even apply. “My first instinct was to say no,” Sulecki said. “I have never traveled alone, let alone to another country, and the thought of doing both was really terrifying. But eventually I came to my senses and realized that doing the things that scare me and are outside of
my comfort zone are the experiences I will probably grow from the most.” At Mary Immaculate, Sulecki entered a new Bachelor of Arts in Contemporary and Applied Theatre Studies degree program. The program uses the facilities of the Lime Tree Theatre, a state-of-the-art, 510-seat venue on the Mary Immaculate campus. “I am an aspiring director and youth theater educator,” Sulecki said. “I work with 250 to 300 kids each year teaching acting classes, directing and other various projects I’ve helped with along the way. Anything I learn in Ireland is something I can give back to these kids.” Mary Immaculate College became a partner institution of Gannon University in 2013. Under the agreement, the two
institutions will exchange students through study abroad programs and will explore opportunities for exchanges of faculty and staff, as well as research and professional collaborations. Gannon University has similar agreements with universities in Australia, Germany, Jordan, Poland and Thailand.
Jenna Sulecki
Gannon Student Receives Irish Government Scholarship to Study Abroad
Senior, Theatre and Communication Arts Major
studentfocus
“As we continue to talk about having a globalized campus, it’s notable to have a student who is not only recognized as outstanding, but who is also recognized by the government of Ireland,” said Meagan McHugh, associate director of learning abroad program at Gannon University. “That Jenna could have graduated in December, but instead chose to go abroad and spend two semesters in Ireland speaks to our efforts to create a global community. Having these experiences will help to set her apart in the world.”
For her part, Sulecki, said, “I hope I’ll come back with the super awesome Irish dialect, but in a more serious vein, I just hope it makes me a better theater educator. I just want to learn more, experience more and take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way. Hopefully it’ll make me a more knowledgeable, cultured and openminded individual.”
Senior Jenna Sulecki received a fellowship from the government of Ireland to study at Mary Immaculate College in Limerick. #GUBELIEVE
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alumnifocus Distinguished Alumni Celebrated at Homecoming Gannon University honored five alumni for their accomplishments and service to others during the 2016 Homecoming Reunion Weekend. Kicking off the weekend, the Distinguished Alumni induction dinner was attended by over 200 alumni, friends, current students, faculty and staff members. The five recipients of this year’s awards are nothing short of extraordinary in their faith, service and accomplishments to the Erie community and around the globe. Elisabeth “Betsy” R. (Roeback) Monsalve ’70VMC Distinguished Alumni Award, Morosky College of Health Professions and Sciences Monsalve graduated with a nursing degree from Villa Maria College in 1970 and her Masters of Science degree in nursing from Wayne State University. She became one of the first certified nurse practitioners in the country and currently serves as a director at McManis & Monsalve Associates of Erie. The 2016 Distinguished Alumni Honorees include (front row, left to right):
Sister Mary Miller, OSB ’67 Monsignor Wilfrid J. Nash Principles of Christian Conduct Award Sister Miller earned her undergraduate degree in elementary education from Villa Maria College in 1967. She is currently the director of Emmaus Ministries, a position she has held for the past 36 years.
Lt. Cmdr. Adam J. Susmarski, D.O. ’05 Young Alumni Award Susmarski graduated summa cum laude from Gannon in 2005 with a degree in sport and exercise science. He earned a medical degree at Michigan State University. He is currently the chief resident in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and serves in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps.
John “Jay” W. Alberstadt, Jr. ’76 Distinguished Alumni Award, College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences Alberstadt graduated magna cum laude in 1976 with a degree in sociology. He earned his law degree from the Dickinson School of Law. Alberstadt is a partner at MacDonald, Illig, Jones & Britton LLP and serves on many local boards.
Almitra “Almi” M. (Clemente) Clerkin ’85 Distinguished Alumni Award, College of Engineering and Business Clerkin graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from Gannon. She is currently the executive director of the Erie Playhouse and also serves various civic organizations. Read more about this year’s Distinguished Alumni recipients online at magazine.gannon.edu/Dec16
Nominate a deserving alumnus for next year’s Distinguished Alumni Awards at gannonalumni.org/distinguishedalumni
Gannon Alumni Locally Honored A special luncheon was hosted in mid-November to honor alumni who have contributed much to the Erie community as young professionals, and who were recognized for doing so as part of the 2016 Erie Reader’s “40 Under 40” class. Gannon had the largest representation of alumni in this year’s group of 11. (Front, left-right) Abbey Lynn Krysiak ’07; Nicole (Barrett) Wethli ’06; Rebecca Styn ’02M; Amanda (Flick) Kochirka ’09 (Back, left-right) Tim Bruno ’99, ’04M; Chanel Cook ’00, Bill Scholz ’08; Brandon Wiley ’10, ’13M; Afrim Latifi ’11, ’14M (Not pictured) Carlo Fuda ’00; Tiffany LaDonna McCloud ’16M 16
gannon magazine
december 2016
alumnotes 1961
graduating from Elk County Catholic, Villa Maria College and Duquesne University. The return to the classical curriculum's content will focus on the three developmental stages of the child’s mind: grammar, logic and language.
1969
DAWN (COBURN) JOY, R.N. VMC has been named the interim director of Gannon University’s Villa Maria School of Nursing. Joy has been serving Gannon University since 2001 as an adjunct faculty member, and she became a full-time faculty member in 2012. Joy previously served as the faculty coordinator for leadership seminar classes and as a member of several search committees.
THOMAS L. DOOLIN MARY ALICE DOOLIN ’94M were honored by the Erie Community Foundation as the 2016 Edward C. Doll Community Service Award winners. MICHAEL A. FETZNER, ESQ. was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2017 Best Lawyers in America list. Fetzner was selected for Workers’ Compensation Law - Employers for the fourth consecutive year. Fetzner focuses his practice on real estate, estate planning and administration and workers’ compensation.
1972
FRANK E. LUCICIAN is the executive director for CHANGE All Souls Housing Corporation, a faith-based, nonprofit, affordable housing developer in Washington, D.C., which is working with the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development to transform a 19-unit underperforming building into quality apartment homes for deserving residents.
1973 MARIE SPAEDER HAAS VMC held an exhibit at Gannon's Schuster Gallery, titled “A Homecoming: Works on Paper” in September. A public reception provided visitors from the Erie and Gannon communities the opportunity to meet Haas and be the first to view her exhibit. Haas’ work is found in private and corporate collections throughout the United States.
1974
MARY (VIOLA) DETWILER VMC recently spoke on the new classical curriculum that will be implemented starting this year at St. Leo elementary school, Ridgeway, Pa. Detwiler is the principal of St. Leo’s, and has been involved with Catholic education her entire life, beginning as a student at St. Leo,
JAMES C. NEW ’74M is the chairman of the board of directors of NGFC Equities, Inc. He has over 20 years of experience in the health care industry, and is the retired Chairman of the board of directors of Aurora Diagnostics, LLC, where he still serves as a director. He also served as Aurora’s chief executive officer and president from 2006 until his retirement in Sept. 2011. Prior to joining Aurora, New was a private investor from 2003 to 2006. He served as the president, chief executive officer and chairman of AmeriPath, an anatomic pathology laboratory company, from January 1996 through 2003. Prior to joining AmeriPath, New served as the president, chief executive officer and a director of RehabClinics, an outpatient rehabilitation company.
and served as president of EHC Ltd., the former ownership group of the Erie Otters hockey team, in addition to serving as the Otters’ director of operations from 1996 until 2008. He was also executive director of the NCAA Local Operating Committee, spent 25 years as the director of the McDonald’s Classic, and is well known for his many years as an instructor, coach, athletic director and administrator at Cathedral Preparatory School.
1979
JAMES F. WILHELM is a founding partner of the casting agency DGRW in New York City. For the past few decades, Wilhelm has represented screen legend Olivia de Havilland, the last surviving cast member of the 1939 blockbuster “Gone With the Wind.” On July 1, Wilhelm and partner Jeff Potter flew to Paris to attend de Havilland’s 100th birthday gathering.
Fraternity Brothers Reunite Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity, Gamma Rho brothers at Gannon reunited Sept. 23-25 to meet and get to know the current brothers. Over 50 brothers attended, allowing the alumni to meet the high-caliber students attracted to the Gamma Rho Chapter, guaranteeing a bright future for the Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity.
1977
R. RON SERTZ ’77M was designated as the 2016 National Sports Tourism Executive of the Year from the National Association of Sports Commissions. Sertz currently serves as the executive director of the Erie Sports Commission, a position he has held since 2010. Sertz was also recently elected to serve as chairman of Pennsylvania Sports, the lead agency for sports tourism in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was the founding team president of the Erie BayHawks,
Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity, Gamma Rho Brothers Tom Waldron ’64, Msgr. Henry Kreigel ’66 and Joe Cooley ’64
#GUBELIEVE
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1980
DONNA M. DORER, ESQ. in June 2016 celebrated 15 years on the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. Dorer received the State of Florida Guardian ad Litem Volunteer of the Year Award from the governor and Supreme Court Chief Justice.
(L-R) Greg Czarnecki ’89, Karen Czarnecki and Tara Czarnecki at Gannon’s 2016 Homecoming Reunion Weekend.
A Message from Gannon University Alumni Association President Gannon sure has changed since I graduated 27 years ago. If I were to use one word to compare Gannon then with Gannon now, it would be: Transformed. A good example is the newly renovated Beyer Hall. As I walked through the building during the dedication, I couldn’t even tell where I would have been standing in the old Beyer Hall. The building also reflects the transition of Gannon to a truly global community. More than 700 students from 39 nations call Gannon home and the dedication ceremony included students from many different countries and faiths participating in their traditional dress and speaking their native languages. Beyer Hall is now a focal point of that community, serving as the new home of the Office of Global Admissions and Outreach and the Learning Abroad Office. These changes wouldn’t be possible without the support of alumni and friends of our University. The recently completed Vision 2020 campaign, which raised more than $67 million, will ensure that the transformation continues. My family came along with me to homecoming this year and my daughter, Tara, who is getting ready to choose a college, took a campus tour. She was very impressed by the campus, the Center for Communication and the Arts and the communication arts program, along with the students and faculty she met. But most importantly, she said she felt at home and could see herself going to Gannon. Fortunately, that feeling that Gannon isn’t just an institution, it’s also a family, is one thing that hasn’t changed. Greg Czarnecki ’89 President, Gannon University Alumni Association
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gannon magazine
december 2016
ANDREW P. ROTH, JR., PH.D. ’80M was named interim president of St. Bonaventure University, effective August 1, 2016. Roth was president and chief executive officer of Notre Dame College in suburban Cleveland from 20032014. He also previously served as vice president for academic affairs, chief information officer, vice president for enrollment, director of admissions and dean of admissions and financial aid at Mercyhurst University.
1981
JOHN P. BRADAC, JR. ’82M has been named the dean of student life at Tompkins Cortland Community College. Bradac has spent the past 27 years at Ithaca College, most recently serving as director of career services for the past 23 years and previously held various positions at Ohio University, Briar Cliff College in Iowa and Gannon University. HACCORD J. CURRY, ESQ. is running for Broward County Circuit Court Judge. Curry is the assistant general counsel for the Florida State Department of Juvenile Justice.
1982
SISTER DONNA M. ZWIGART ’82M was elected a general councilor on the six-member leadership team for the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities. Sister Zwigart is the liaison to mission advancement for the Western Pennsylvania region. She has been a sister for 59 years. She was a biology teacher in various parochial schools in the Pittsburgh region, including at Mt. Alvernia High School in Millvale. She
1983
JAMES W. MARTIN is the principal/chief executive officer of Bankable Consulting, LLC., an Erie-based company that helps organizations achieve their goals in the strategic planning, community engagement, marketing and fundraising arenas by offering innovative and customized solutions that fit their clients’ needs. JOHN “JACK” C. MCCALL had an article titled “Next Generation Dynamic Line Rating Provides Strong Economic Benefits” published in the July/August 2016 Issue of “Electric Energy T&D Magazine.” McCall is vice president of sales for Lindsey Manufacturing, Asuza, California with global responsibility of all sales and business development. Before joining Lindsey, he was with American Superconductor (AMSC) and Cooper Power Systems. McCall has more than 25 years of experience in the utility transmission and distribution business, holding a variety of business development, strategic planning, product management, product engineering and system engineering roles. He has published dozens of papers and holds two U.S. patents. TIMOTHY G. NECASTRO, CPA was named as Erie Insurance’s president and chief executive officer-designate effective June 1, 2016. NeCastro joined Erie Insurance in 1996 as manager of internal auditing and was promoted to senior vice president and controller in 1997. In 2008, he took on the role of senior vice president of product and policy services, overseeing customer service, personal and commercial product development, and processing areas. Since 2010, he has held the position of senior vice president and regional officer of the west region. Prior to joining Erie Insurance, NeCastro held positions as the director of finance at Plastek Group and as a senior manager at EY (formerly Ernst & Young).
1984
LTC CLIFFORD R. DAVIS, (RET) has qualified for membership in the Million Dollar Roundtable, an international, independent association of nearly 19,000 leading life insurance producers and advisors. He is a financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual, with which he has been associated since 1992.
1986
ANTHONY E. MOLINARO, JR., PE was among 16 firm employees of TLC Engineering for Architecture, Inc. to be named as shareholders of the firm by board of directors. Molinaro is the Texas operations director for the firm’s Dallas unit. LISA WITHERITE-RIEG, D.O. was reelected to serve on the board of trustees of the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association (POMA). Witherite-Rieg is board certified in family medicine and osteopathic manipulative medicine, is director of medical education for Penn Highlands Healthcare in DuBois, Pennsylvania, and practices at Penn Highlands Brookville. As chairman of POMA’s District 12, she serves as a delegate to the POMA, the American Osteopathic Association and the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians.
a son, Zachary Edward Simmerman (born Aug. 23, 2016) to Stephanie (Siar) Simmerman ’01 and her husband, Jason. Zachary joins big sisters Alexis (12) and Norah (5).
births
also worked at several Catholic hospitals in Western Pennsylvania. She serves on the board of directors for the Millvale Community Development Corp. and is involved with environmental advocacy through the Sierra Club and Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light.
a daughter, Audrey Susan Bair (born May 26, 2016) to Tricia L. (Dituro) Bair ’07 and her husband, Patrick. a daughter, Mariah Kay Washington (born July 5, 2016) to Kathleen M. Cahill ’11 and Patrick Washington ’09. Mariah joins big sister, Arianna (2). a daughter, Caroline Ray Jenkins (born April 3, 2016) to Ashley (Skotarczak) Jenkins ’05 and her husband, Benjamin. a son, Nicholas Robert Antrilli (born Sept. 12, 2016) to Ryan (Morris) ’03 and Matthew Antrilli ’03. He joins older sisters Raegan Lynn (8), Riley Jane (4), Rayna Marie (2), and Matthew Dennis (6).
1987
MELANIE (MARTIN) VADZEMNIEKS has returned to Gannon University as an assistant development officer. Vadzemnieks previously worked as the executive director of the Fairview (Pennsylvania) School Foundation. She also frequently speaks to local high school audiences about the dangers of impaired driving, following her husband’s traumatic brain injury caused by an impaired driver.
1988
PATRICIA A. IRWIN, PE has been hired as an instructor of electrical engineering technology at Hagerstown (Maryland) Community College. She has been an adjunct faculty member at Shepherd University and an engineering consultant and technical writer and for the past 14 years.
MARY (KIPPLEY) JOHNSON, M.D. has practiced internal medicine for over 20 years and has been practicing in the Boston area for 15 years. Johnson has three children, ages 22, 20 and 17. She has joined the Foxboro medical practice of John Adams, M.D., and Michael Higgins, M.D. All three physicians are on the medical staff at Caritas Norwood Hospital. Johnson has a special interest in treatments for diabetes and obesity. She was a medical and occupational health consultant and faculty physician at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, where she also and practiced at Doctors Urgent Care before joining the Caritas Norwood Hospital staff last year.
#GUBELIEVE
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DOUGLAS H. MOWREY has been published in “Rubber and Plastics News.” He has been with Lord Corporation for 35 years, developing rubber-to-substrate adhesives. He has received several patents related to adhesives and coatings in his career at Lord.
1991
KENNETH M. OGOREK ’91M delivered a keynote at the National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers conference this past July.
1989
JEAN A. HOLDREN, D.O. is currently practicing in Beaver, Pennsylvania and East Liverpool, Ohio.
1990
AMY (CALABRESE) BUECHEL recently went back to school to earn her nursing degree. After 11 years of teaching at Gannon University, she completed the two-year nursing program at Mercyhurst University and is now working as a nurse at Saint Vincent Hospital. REBECCA (PFADT) COWLES has been published in “Rubber and Plastics News.” She is a staff scientist at Lord Corporation’s facility in Erie with 25 years of experience in product development and is one of the lead technologists responsible for the development of In Mold Bonding Adhesives. She has also been awarded several patents related to adhesives and coatings.
1993
BRIAN T. FULLER ’09M, ’10C has been promoted to principal of McDowell Senior High School on July 1, 2016 after serving three years as the Erie school’s assistant principal. MARK J. HOFFMAN ’93M was recently promoted to service line director of rehabilitation therapy services for Penn Highlands Healthcare. Hoffman served the last 19 years as the director of rehabilitation and occupational health for Penn Highlands Elk. During his time, he helped expand services into five surrounding communities and grew strategic programs occupational health, cardiac rehabilitation and many others. Hoffman also helped facilitate
rehabilitation and occupational health services to clients and employees of local home health agencies, school districts and private businesses. KATHLEEN (SPLAIN) KERR, PA-C, recently joined board-certified otolaryngologist Dr. Michael Clark in the ear, nose and throat department of The Cole Memorial Medical Group and Cole Memorial Hospital, Coudersport, Pennsylvania. Kerr brings 13 years of experience as a physician assistant with extensive experience as an ear, nose and throat specialist. TRACEY (MCCANTS) LEWIS, ESQ. has joined the board of The August Wilson Center in Pittsburgh. Lewis is an assistant clinical professor at Duquesne University School of Law. KIRAN K. RAJASENAN, M.D. was honored by the Passavant Hospital Foundation as a Legacy of Caring Honoree in Pittsburgh in October.
1994
ERIC G. LAPRICE, M.S. ’97C, ’99M had a busy late summer with two complex wildfires on the Western Divide Ranger District of the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument, the Cedar Fire and the Tule Fire. As the district ranger in California, he uses helicopter reconnaissance flights to better understand the fire operations. LaPrice
Global Executive Receives Gannon SBDC President’s Award The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Gannon University helps entrepreneurs across northwest Pennsylvania realize their dream of business ownership and provides advice in such areas as finance, marketing and information technology. University and business leaders gathered in October to mark the SBDC’s 40th anniversary and announce this year’s SBDC President’s Award recipient Jon DeArment ’97, President and COO of Channellock, Inc. The honor recognizes an individual’s outstanding achievement as both civic and business leaders.
SBDC President’s Award recipient Jon DeArment ’97, President and COO of Channellock, Inc., and Gannon University President Keith Taylor, Ph.D.
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gannon magazine
december 2016
“All of us at Channellock work hard to remain competitive and to continuously improve and with that comes a lot of pressure,” said DeArment. “Gannon’s recognition of our efforts is very much appreciated.” Channellock, Inc. is one of Crawford County’s leading employers, providing 350 full-time positions in the company’s two Meadville area facilities. Many DeArment family members have leadership roles within the family-owned company, which provides more than 130 different types of pliers and hand tools to a global market.
1996
HARVEY “ED” BURNS was promoted by Royal Dutch Shell to on-site materials lead, Project Franklin. Franklin is a flagship project to construct a worldscale cracker complex in Monaca, Pennsylvania. Burns will be responsible for the safe movement and management of $2 billion of materials and 30+ EPC contractors during the project’s fouryear construction timeline. Prior to this appointment, he was the upstream Americas materials management lead for Shell’s Appalachia, Wyoming and Colorado assets. MATTHEW A. ZAMPERINI has joined the coaching staff at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania as the new defensive line coach. He stepped down at the end of last season after 10 years as the head coach at Garden Spot High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, taking the Spartans to the District Three playoffs seven times, including four straight seasons from 2011 to 2014.
1997
LEONARD “LEN” KABASINSKI, JR. released his latest feature film, “Angel of Reckoning,” on May 7, 2016. He wrote, directed and produced the film, which is available on-demand and was released on DVD in October. “Angel of Reckoning” is Kabasinski’s tenth feature as a director. Kabasinski made his directorial debut with 2005’s “Swamp Zombies.” He is also well known as a fight choreographer, a skill that he brought to his own projects, such as “Apocalypse Female Warriors” and “Ninja: Prophecy of Death.” SANJAY SINGH ’97M was recognized by Corporate College and Cuyahoga Community College as one of Smart Business’ “SMART 50” executives in Northeast, Ohio. Singh is the president and chief executive officer of RollKraft, a designer and manufacturer of rolled tooling for welded tube and pipe producers.
1999
TIMOTHY J. BRUNO ’04M was included in the Erie Reader’s Class of 2016 40 Under 40. Bruno is great lakes regional chief for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. He is responsible for coordinating water policy issues with other Great Lakes states and provinces, for representing Pennsylvania's priorities on water use and water quality, and for prioritizing and managing funding for various Lake Erie water initiatives.
2000
CHANEL M. COOK was included in the Erie Reader’s Class of 2016 40 Under 40. Cook is the manager of outreach services for the Erie County Public Library where she is responsible for maintaining and developing local and regional partnerships. In addition to her work for Erie County, she’s also a 2015 graduate of the Jefferson Educational Society’s Erie County Civic Leadership Academy.
marriages
was busy on another front this summer too, marrying Jessica Healy on Aug. 13, 2016; he was also featured on a shows discussing his award-winning coffee table photography book, “Best Foot Forward.”
CARLO FUDA was included in the Erie Reader’s 2016 Class of 40 Under 40. Fuda has been on reality TV, he’s released his own music on iTunes and he’s worked for some of the world's largest science and technology firms. He is currently the marketing director for reCap. Fuda is an account manager for American International Relocation Solutions (AIReS), a full-service provider of global assignment management and relocation services.
2001
JAMIE (MORATH) HEYNES has been named account executive of Northwest Insurance Services, Erie. Heynes is responsible for managing property and casualty accounts, assisting sales consultants, coverage review and overall account management. SARAH M. KANE, M.D. was the keynote speaker at Pennsylvania’s Smethport Area Junior-Senior High School’s commencement ceremony. Kane was the valedictorian of the Class of 1997 for her alma mater. Since 2014, she has been an obstetrics-gynecological physician with the Norton Healthcare in Louisville, Kentucky, that region’s leading health care provider.
Maura E. Corless ’13 married Joseph P. Caulfield ’13 on Aug. 13, 2016. Mallory L. Croston ’09 married Ross Donalson on Aug. 6, 2016.
Amy E. Duchnowski ’10C married Kyle S. Floeck on April 2, 2016. Abbey M. Heberlein ’06, ’11M married Patrick Senger on Nov. 8, 2014. Eric G. LaPrice ’94, ’97C, ’99M married Jessica Healy on Aug. 13, 2016.
Amanda M. Rusnak ’14 married Jeremy J. Spaeder ’14 on May 21, 2016.
ANNA M. KEARNEY ’01M is coming out of retirement to serve as the interim superintendent for the Kane Area (Pennsylvania) School District. She had served as a teacher and school administrator for more than 30 years, 28 of those years in the St. Mary’s Area School District, and retired in 2014 after serving as the superintendent for six years.
#GUBELIEVE
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DENISE L. KOLIVOSKI ’08M participated in a presentation by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Erie County as part of Gannon University’s Greek Series 200 at the Zurn Science Center. The presentation discussed mental health and the resources that are available for Gannon students. Kolivoski is the executive director.
2002
JAMES V. GALLAGHER, JR. ’07M has been named as superintendent of the Catholic Diocese of Erie Schools by The Most Rev. Lawrence T. Persico, bishop of the diocese. As superintendent, Gallagher will oversee aspects of school operation, including Catholic Identity, academic quality and budgeting. ROBERT C. LONSIGNER is now an assistant professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
NICOLE (CONWAY) STAFFORD ’02M was recently named “The Outstanding PH Citizen of the Year.” She has pulmonary hypertension (PH), a disease of the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the lungs, with no known cure. Since 2011 she has raised more than $120,000, with this year being the fourth year for the Nicole PHriends PHAssociation Golf Outing Scramble.
BRIAN K. YORKGITIS, D.O. was appointed to the faculty at University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville as assistant professor of surgery in the division of acute care surgery.
2003
JOHN R. STILLER ’03M has joined the Farmers National Bank of Emlenton, Pennsylvania as vice president, commercial loan officer. Stiller is responsible for developing and expanding business relationships in Crawford, Elk and Venango counties. Stiller currently serves as vice chairman of the Oil
in memoriam
Alumni
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Andrew T. Antolik ’83 John W. Armbruster ’54 John E. Auer ’53 Grace L. Baginski, D.D.S. ’74 Gordon R. Beeman ’57 James E. Beveridge, Esq. ’54 Edwin J. Bianco ’59 Rev. Msgr. William E. Biebel, V.F. ’57 Harold L. Blaisdell ’56 Jo Chetoni Blass ’69VMC Joanne M. Borek ’91 Gerald J. Bova ’57 Dennis E. Brumagin ’77 Joseph C. Bruncsak ’64 Frank A. Budny ’71 Joseph J. Cappetta ’70 Frederick J. Carberry ’58 Bruno A. Caserta ’71
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City Redevelopment Authority, vice chairman of the Oil City Salvation Army Finance Advisory Board, member of the Northwest Regional Pennsylvania Planning Commission Loan Committee and is a member of numerous area Chambers of Commerce.
2006
STEVEN T. FLANDERS, PH.D. ’06M is a calculus teacher at Woodland Hills High School in Pittsburgh. He earned his doctorate in mathematics education at the University of Pittsburgh in 2014, where he previously taught as an assistant professor in the department of mathematics. He married Rebekah Ann Entwistle on June 23, 2007. MARISA A. MOKS UNGER ’06M is the 2016-2017 Erie County Poet Laureate.
2007
JULIE M. BOYER ’07M is the new assistant principal at South St. Marys Street Elementary School, St. Marys, Pennsylvania. Boyer began her duties at the school in August and brings 22 years of experience as a first grade teacher to her new position.
Kevin P. Conway ’79 Louis J. Critelli, Jr. ’65 William J. Czartoryski ’70 Anthony W. DeGroot ’81 William L. Deluca, Sr. ’56 Robert A. Dennin ’71 Sister Antonia Domeracki, S.S.J. ’61VMC Michael D. Doran ’63 George R. Drushel ’56 Roxine A. Edwards ’70 Paul J. Eiswerth ’67 Janet A. Faraone ’87 Viki L. Feidler ’88 Russell W. Ferrie ’65 Santo G. Fioretti, D.P.M. ’78 Joseph R. Franklin ’79M Edward W. Garnow ND Max D. Gill ’69 Sister Ann L. Grandinetti, S.S.J. ’68VMC
Sister Rita Groner ’63VMC Erich W. Gunther ’83 Wanda Jakubowski Habas ’49VMC Robert E. Hall ’51 Jorn G. Hansen ’66, ’68M William E. Heinlein, Ed.D. ’73 Robert E. Hoffman ’48 Thomas C. Hoffman ’51 Jeffrey D. Hunter ’73 Thomas J. Jansen ’50 Mary Kieffer Kinsell ’74VMC Richard J. Krahe ’49 Edward H. Kuhar ’64 Darryl A. Langshaw ’01, ’02M Ann Albright Lee ’04M Edward E. Leofsky ’77 Patrick R. Lillis ’62 Linda Supon Lindberg ’70VMC Edward P. Lynch ’65
2008
AARON J. DEVALLANCE ’08M was promoted to service line director of Anesthesia Services for Penn Highlands Healthcare in central Pennsylvania. He was previously the director of anesthesia for Penn Highlands-DuBois. DeVallance spent 14 years of his career at PH DuBois and served on the heart center performance improvement team, medication management team, patient care operations council, and the value and analysis team. He has also served as the chairman of the surgical quality and safety team and as the co-leader of the customer satisfaction team. REBECCA (AIRGOOD) MILLER, PA-C ’08M has joined the medical staff at Penn Highlands Elk where she will see patients at QCare in Ridgway, Pennsylvania. She previously worked at FCI McKean in Bradford and for USP Terre Haute in Terre Haute, Indiana and also for Carle in Danville, Illinois.
2009
HANNAH K. MCCARTHY ’09M is the recipient of the Duquesne University School of Education’s annual Sizemore Spirit Award for her work encouraging
George L. Madden ’47 Helen M. Micco, Ph.D. ’71M Stephen D. Miller ’84 Mary Wheeler Morell ND Mary R. Mott ’78M Jerome J. Muck ’60 John B. Nash, Ph.D. ’54 David J. Nawrocki ’60, ’69M Lemoyne R. Nelson ’93 Richard T. Nowak, Sr. ’66 Michael J. O'Polka ’68 Michael J. Palermo ’95 Carol Pavlinko ’66VMC Joseph A. Piazza ’52 Bernadette Zondlo Potosnak ’66VMC Craig V. Reichert ’78 John T. Ross ’62 Dolores J. Sarafinski, Ph.D ’50VMC Mary Schneider Sayers ’64VMC Carol Rogers Schaper ’75VMC
young people to pursue careers in education. McCarthy has been a teacher for 24 years, beginning as a history teacher at Arsenal Middle School, where she worked for 12 years before taking a position at Langley High School, followed by Brashear High School. McCarthy is on the executive council for the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers. SUSAN L. SZWAJNOWSKI ’09M is a supports coordinator/behavior specialist with Westmoreland Case Management/ CPC in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
2010
ANTHONY B. DIPASQUA participated in a presentation by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Erie County as part of Gannon University’s Greek Series 200, which discussed mental health and resources available for students. DiPasqua is the assistant director of Greek life and campus engagement at Gannon. ALEXANDRA L. WILLIAMS is employed at St. Vincent Hospital, Erie, in the Neuro/ Cardiac ICU. BRITTANY ZABOROWSKI will be a member of the Mars High School (Pennsylvania) Athletic Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016. She currently resides in Hawaii and works as a photographer.
Thomas C. Schuyler, III ’67 Fred J. Simonelli ’70 Charles R. Smith, III ’84 James E. Spoden ’50 Rev. Msgr. Richard J. Sullivan ’53 Florence Bargberio Susi ’63VMC Forest R. Taylor ’72 Clifton C. Thompson, Jr. ’65 Kathleen E. Thompson ’97 Marlene Collins Valentine ’62VMC Henry Van Hoff ’65 John H. Wiand ’62 Grace McMullen Zoffness ’52VMC
Parents and Friends Merchie Calabrese Charles Catania Marlia E. Coates
2011
RANDALL P. COLLING was named to the All-Arena Defensive first team released by the Arena Football League (AFL). Colling recorded 19.5 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 16 regular-season games as a nose guard for the Cleveland Gladiators. The fouryear AFL vet led Cleveland to a 56-52 victory at Los Angeles during the first round of the AFL playoffs, before falling to Arizona in the National Conference Championship. He has recorded 74 tackles and 14.5 sacks during his fouryear arena career. RYAN M. FARRELL was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Farrell has been named the valedictorian of John Marshall Law School, Chicago. A native of DuBois, Pennsylvania, Farrell earned a Bachelor of arts in liberal Arts degree from Gannon. At John Marshall, he was a staff editor of the John Marshall Law Review and served as a teaching assistant, as well as in the Veterans Legal Support Center & Clinic. He is considering positions with the U.S. Air Force and the Army JAG Corps, and plans to specialize in international and operational law.
Elma King Dascanio Nancy I. Davis, Ed.D. Hugh Dougan Joseph R. Flatley John B. Ginader Evelyn M. Humbert David M. Huzinec James Patrick (Pat) Karle James R. Kelvington, Ph.D. Rev. Robert J. Levis, Ph.D. John W. Masterson Claire G. Moody Anthony J. Nania, Ph.D. Thomas S. Ostrowski, Ph.D. Miguel A. Sague Donald J. Shaffer Ronald C. Shepard Walter W. Spiller Lisa Z. Victor
SAMUEL R. GELDMAKER ’14M is in his third season as an assistant coach with the Appomattox County High School’s varsity football team. He is now pursuing his passion: a career with the U.S. Navy as a cryptologic technician. AFRIM LATIFI ’14M was included in the Erie Reader’s Class of 2016 40 Under 40. Latifi is a licensed sales professional with Allstate Insurance. He is also the head coach for the Erie Admirals Soccer Club, as well as the assistant coach for Gannon’s women’s team. He previously served as the head coach for Villa Maria Academy High School, winning the PIAA class AA championship in 2015. DAVID J. REICHARD is a math and special education teacher at Seneca Valley Senior High School in Harmony, Pennsylvania. He taught at Youngstown Christian School for one year, then went to Dubai with the World Scholars Cup Program to organize academic competitions throughout Europe and the Middle East, and most recently taught for three years in Montgomery County, Maryland. EVA M. SELKER, PA-C has joined the staff at the Niobrara Community Hospital and the Rawhide Rural Health Clinic in Lusk, Wyoming as a clinical practitioner.
2012
STEPHANIE J. DELUCA ’12M is the new curriculum, technology and innovation coordinator of South Fayette Township School District. She previously served as STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) facilitator at South Fayette Intermediate School. DOMENIC G. LOMBARDI, D.M.D. graduated June 5 from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (LECOM) School of Dental Medicine in Bradenton, Florida., with a doctor of medical dentistry degree, and has assumed the reins of Lombardi & McCamant Dental in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania. Lombardi will be working alongside Dr. Donald R. McCamant, whose uncle founded the practice 84 years ago. KAITLIN M. MUSLOE is an estate paralegal for the Knox Law Firm. LIAM L. NADLER received an invite to the New York Jets rookie mini-camp. He threw for 21 TDs as a redshirt freshman in 2012, and completed 186 of 337 passes for 2,641, throwing 24 TDs with six interceptions his senior year. Nadler earned Division II All-America honors three times and is Gannon’s all-time leader in completions (851), passing yards (11,160) and pass completion percentage
(58.2). He also owns Gannon records for 300-yard games (16), passing touchdowns (82) and total offensive yards (11,863). His mark of 111 total TDs is another Gannon record.
2015
RICHARD B. AUSTIN is continuing his academic and athletic career at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. In addition to playing basketball for his new Knights, Austin will also be working toward his master’s degree. Newcastle currently competes in the British Universities and College Sport (BUCS) Division 1 North and National Basketball League (NBL) Division 3 North. Last year, the team competed for premiership status and won a national double during its inaugural NBL season. ADAM M. BLAZEK will play his second professional season in Canada with a new team, the Kitchener-Waterloo Titans. He played his 2015-16 rookie season in the NBL Canada for the Niagara River Lions. ROBERT G. FISCUS ’15M was named the City of Sharon’s interim city manager. He currently serves as the fire chief and code director, and had previously served as acting city manager five years ago. He has since earned a master’s degree in public administration from Gannon University.
Gannon Alumni Trip 2016 to Yellowstone National Park What a way to celebrate the grandeur of YNP, especially as the National Park Service celebrated its 100th birthday! Don’t miss our next Gannon Alumni Trip to Italy with Gannon’s A.J. Miceli in May 2017! Find more information at gannonalumni.org/travel. But hurry – there are only four seats left! It was a special summer for alumni and friends who explored the wonders of Yellowstone National Park (YNP) through the eyes of Gannon resident experts Distinguished Professor Dave Gustafson ’71, ’73M and Dr. Steve Ropski ’78! Each day presented awesome and diverse experiences. Travelers could hardly determine their favorite memory when their choices included discovering the beauty of wildlife and flora indigenous to 24
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the park, the magnificence of the geysers, hot springs and other thermal features and the camaraderie of Gannon friends, old and new. Tim Spaeder ’71, who traveled with his daughter Natalie ’16, shared, “Seeing abundant wildlife in ‘big sky country’ while traveling with two Gannon biologists who could tell you everything about the flora and fauna was a wonderful and intellectually stimulating experience!”
Join Gannon’s A.J. Miceli on a tour of Italy!
May 12-19, 2017
For trip registration and information,visit: gannonalumni.org/travel
Become a Member of the Archbishop Gannon Founder’s Society
INDIVIDUAL Of, for or by a single person or thing. RETIREMENT Withdrawal from work, business, etc. ARecord CCOUNT of financial data pertaining to a specific asset.
Designating Gannon University as a beneficiary of your IRA, 401k, 403b, SEP, or other retirement account is a great tax-wise option for donors of all ages.
It’s easy. A bequest can be established by your attorney adding a few words to your will or trust. A beneficiary designation for an IRA or other asset needs only your signature.
You can help shape Gannon’s future with an estate gift that creates your own personal and meaningful legacy.
It leaves lifetime finances intact and passes your gift to the University after your lifetime.
Join the growing number of Gannon and Villa Maria alumni who have included the University in their estate plans and have joined the Archbishop John Mark Gannon Founder’s Society.
It’s flexible. You can adjust your gift any time you wish. It establishes the legacy you want. You can direct your support to the University area most meaningful to you.
For more information, visit gannonalumni.PlanMyLegacy.org, or contact: University Advancement at 814-871-7468
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For over 90
years, the Gannon University family has been dedicated to Catholic Tradition, providing possibilities for students to achieve an education recognized for excellence and value that ensures success for our graduates. Our students are the reason we are inspired to share the many reasons why we #GUbelieve this holiday season.
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