Gannon Magazine Spring 2013 by Gannon University

Spring 2013

A New Plan Blossoms

FACEBOOK.COM/GANNONU

GANNON.EDU

TWITTER.COM/GANNONU

from the

president

At first glance around the Gannon University campus, things look pretty typical with the hustle and bustle of our community. Students gather to catch up and travel together on their way to classes taught by our exceptional faculty. Students and faculty seem to be doing what they have done forever, engaging and learning together. But amidst this daily buzz, transformations are emerging. American higher education is coping with the same forces of change that are pushing on all aspects of our culture. Demographics, economics, information and technology, and societal expectations and demands are all changing rapidly. In such dynamic times, it is critical to have an equally dynamic and focused plan of action. And we do. In Feburary, the Board of Trustees approved a new, four-year Strategic Plan that, through fostering innovation, engaging in the community and developing a worldview, will provide the foundation for Gannon’s focus on preparing students to be successful in today’s world and tomorrow’s.

In developing this ambitious Strategic Plan, Gannon University honors its tradition as a Catholic university, measuring success by how and whom it educates and serves. We recognize that, now more than ever, quality U.S. higher education must be affordable and accessible, and must benefit the public good. Gannon is committed to transforming the economic, social and cultural vitality and well-being of our community. In doing so, we will embrace innovation and change with optimism and agility. To be competitive in a rapidly evolving, global higher education environment, new approaches will be pervasive in our organizational culture and new methods and technologies are being integrated into our teaching, program design and delivery. Wherever Gannon students engage in learning, we are intentionally linking student learning with the communities we serve and expanding our context for education to a worldview. It’s a change for the better and necessary for the University and our graduates to continue to be leaders in every aspect of their lives and careers. Keith Taylor, Ph.D., President

Gannon University Strategic Plan 2013-2017 Vision 2013-17 Gannon will be nationally recognized for educating socially responsible world citizens through engagement and innovation. Goal One: Foster Innovation To enhance and expand instructional methods, learning technologies, and University processes—To improve existing programs and reach emerging program markets—To facilitate creative thought, dynamic re-imagination, risk-taking and talent development.

View the full document: www.gannon.edu/strategicplan

Keith Taylor, Ph.D. President Melanie Whaley '95 Director for Marketing and Communications

Vol. XXVII, No. 1 • Spring 2013

Goal Two: Engage in the Community To expand and align experiential learning with community impact across the Erie-GAINS neighborhood, the Erie Diocese, and the region—To Foster Community and University Wellness and Revitalization. Goal Three: Develop a Worldview To enhance multicultural learning opportunities—To prepare students, faculty and staff to be competitive, socially responsible world citizens—To increase recruitment and retention of students who embrace respect, open dialogue and a global perspective.

John Chacona Media Marketing and Communications Writer

photography

Haley Figurski Media, Marketing and Sales Manager

printing

Andrew Lapiska '09M Creative Services Director

Jana Hunt Coordinator of Gifts and Records hunt001@gannon.edu (814) 871-7469

Gannon University • 109 University Square Erie, Pennsylvania 16541 • (814) 871-7000 www.gannon.edu

Rick Klein ’84 Joe Mattis ’69 Tim Rohrbach Knepper Press

class notes and address changes

Gannon Magazine is published by the Office of Marketing and Communications at Gannon University. Gannon Magazine welcomes ideas for submissions; this is your magazine, after all. The reality of having a physical magazine is that there is only so much space we can devote to stories and photos, however worthy. So, please continue to let us know what you’d like to see in these pages, and we will do our very best to make sure that the most interesting material is published for your enjoyment.

contents

features

Gannon Magazine Spring 2013

8 What a Time

The Villa Maria School of Nursing celebrated its 60th anniversary at Homecoming last fall. Relive the stories and the legacy with us.

10 Flying High

Starting next year, two exciting new sports will be added to Gannon's growing tradition in women's athletics.

12 Truth in Love

Get to know the Diocese of Erie’s new Bishop, the Most Rev. Lawrence T. Persico, JCL.

With degrees awarded to 768 graduates representing 11 nations, Spring Commencement in 2013 was a very large undertaking. It’s fitting that it was the first Gannon event in the newly renovated Erie Insurance Arena (formerly, the Erie Civic Center), where 10 months from now, the NCAA Division II Women’s Elite Eight will be hosted by Gannon University. Spring Commencement is annually one of the most joyous and consequential days at Gannon and in the lives of those who take part. This year, it took place in a setting as impressive as the accomplishments it is meant to honor. Visit www.gannon.edu/commencement to see additional images from the event.

14 A Brighter Idea

departments

Community-campus partnerships can light the way to a better, safer city.

02 03 04 05 06 07 16 18 19 28

newsnotes - innovation newsnotes - community newsnotes - worldview newsnotes - alumni universityupdate facultyfocus sportsscan alumnifocus alumnotes fromthearchives

newsnotes

innovation

Ganger, Magno Named to Cooney-Jackman Professorships

Gannon Offers Online M.Ed.

Michael Ganger, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, and Christopher Magno, Ph.D., program director and assistant professor of criminal justice, have been named to the second class of Gannon University’s Cooney-Jackman Endowed Professorships.

For the first time this summer, Gannon University will introduce an online option for students who want to pursue a Master of Education degree in curriculum and instruction. Gannon previously offered the M.Ed. in a traditional classroom setting and as a cohort regionally.

The Cooney-Jackman Endowed Professorship was created in 2011 to provide the recipients with the necessary time and resources to move their significant Ganger (left) and Magno (right) research forward, while also benefitting students, instruction, and the national reputation of Gannon University as a premier institution of higher education. Magno will pursue research on neighborhood safety and signs of deterioration in Erie. He will examine interrelationships among visible neighborhood characteristics that suggest deterioration—broken windows, vandalism, lack of streetlights, graffiti and abandoned buildings—social services available to neighborhood residents, neighborhood safety and security, and the incidence of crime and violence. Ganger will continue his research aimed at understanding the decision-making process in plants that can choose their gender. He will also complete the vascular plant flora of the Erie Bluffs State Park and prepare a set of specimens for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. These specimens will serve as a historical record of the species that occur in this newly created state park. The endowed professorships are funded by and named in honor of two 1963 Gannon alumni, C. Christopher Cooney and Brian Jackman.

New Human Performance Lab For years, the Rec Center has been used mainly for, well, recreation, but soon, the modernized complex will be home to a new Human Performance Laboratory. This facility will be equipped with the latest generation of biometric equipment to keep pace with rapid progress in these dynamic disciplines. Students in the Sport and Exercise Science, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Biomedical Engineering programs will be the primary beneficiaries of the new facility, and Jason P. Willow, Ph.D., praises the new addition as a place where “continued practice will allow [students] to become highly skilled and highly marketable for employment and further educational opportunities.” 02

gannon magazine

spring 2013

The online option is designed for teachers who want to pursue an advanced degree or further develop their classroom teaching. Practicality, affordability and the use of an Applied Masters Portfolio (AMP) model were all built into the design of the online M.Ed. “Offering our master’s of education online will ensure that courses can be taken by students from anywhere, and at their convenience,” said Kathleen Kingston, Ed.D., associate director of Gannon’s School of Education. Find our more about the program by visiting www.gannon.edu/OnlineMEd.

community

newsnotes

Gannon Introduces Little Free Libraries

Gannon Club Fit Is It

The tiny lighthouse at Dobbins Landing on Erie’s bayfront might not guide ships to port, but it’s plenty illuminating nonetheless.

Weight loss is among the goals participants in the Club Fit program work toward, but nobody could have anticipated that more than two tons would be lost.

It’s one of 11 Little Free Libraries, small boxes that resemble oversized birdhouses, but which carry a lot of information. Each Little Free Library, a type of community book exchange, can hold at least two dozen books. Passersby can take a book, read it and return it at their convenience. There is no charge to borrow books, and people are welcome to contribute books on their own. Gannon’s Little Free Libraries were designed and constructed by students in the firstyear seminar of Karinna Vernaza, Ph.D., asssociate professor, mechanical engineering. The books that fill them have been generously donated by Gannon’s Nash Library. Vernaza instructed the students to design the libraries to be weather-resistant and durable. She also wanted the students to be creative in adorning them. Most of the 11 Little Free Libraries will be placed within Gannon’s Erie-GAINS (Erie Gannon Alliances to Improve Neighborhood Sustainability) neighborhood. The Erie-GAINS program is one example of how Gannon University fulfills its mission of volunteerism, service and civic engagement. Erie-GAINS represents a comprehensive effort by the University to stimulate positive change and promote the viability and sustainability of downtown Erie and the neighborhoods surrounding the campus. “Where the Little Free Libraries are located is determined in several ways,” said Gretchen Fairley, Gannon's director of service-learning. “Generally, they are not placed near public libraries or school libraries.” Organizers also looked for organizations that are willing to partner with Gannon to support the project. The Little Free Library movement originated in Wisconsin in 2009 as the outgrowth of a nonprofit, Wisconsin Partners for Sustainability. The organization’s mission is to create more than 2,501 Little Free Libraries—more libraries than Andrew Carnegie created— around the world. Gannon is introducing the concept in northwestern Pennsylvania.

That was the weight of the old athletic equipment removed from a fitness room at Erie’s East High School on a “clean out” day in April. Gannon’s Zeta Beta Tau fraternity, with the support of Gannon’s Erie-GAINS initiative, were preparing the fitness room for the installation of treadmills, elliptical cross trainers and exercise bikes purchased through a grant from Erie’s Lincoln Recycling. The room will also incorporate a sophisticated multi-media system so that Club Fit participants and all students can use yoga, zumba and body pump DVDs. Club Fit, staffed by Gannon University graduate physical therapy and occupational therapy students, encourages teenage girls at East High to develop healthy eating and exercising habits as a way of developing lifelong commitment to better health and fitness. James Smith, East High’s principal, is a fan. “Not only did the program thrive but the turnaround in the student’s beliefs about themselves was outstanding as well. Thank you to Gannon University and Lincoln Recycling for turning trash to treasure in our new fitness room.”

newsnotes 03

newsnotes

worldview

Gannon Community Serves During Spring Break This spring, members of the Gannon community spent their spring break making the world a better place. The nearly 60 students, faculty and staff who participated in this year’s alternative break service trips (ABSTs) are Gannon’s most ever. This year’s six alternative break trips also represent a milestone for the University.

Guatemala

Here’s where they went and what they did: Haiti – Gannon’s second ABST in Haiti had 10 participants, including seven students, focused on social justice and immersion in beleaguered Port Au Prince. The group visited with Marie Soudnie Rivette, a native Haitian who was a visiting community solutions fellow at Gannon in the fall. San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala – Seven participants, including five students, planted trees, processed coffee and helped to build roads and homes. Newland, N.C. – Though the weather was less than cooperative, Drs. Taylor and Brownlee along with 13 students, many of them members of the Gannon University Habitat for Humanity Club, helped that organization with housing construction.

Detroit

Toronto, Ontario – Seven participants, including six students, spent the week living and working in solidarity with the core members and assistants at L’Arche Daybreak, a community for individuals with emotional, physical or intellectual disabilities. Detroit, Mich. – Nine participants, including eight students, worked with Capuchin Soup Kitchen, a ministry of the Capuchin Province of St. Joseph. New York City – Nine participants, including eight students, helped with relief efforts for the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Haiti

Gannon Forges New Global Partnerships In an effort to extend its global reach and to provide enhanced opportunities for students to expand their world competitiveness, Gannon University signed agreements with three institutions, two in the European Union and one in the Middle East. Gannon signed agreements with Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, Ireland; the University of Osnabrück in Germany; and American University of Madaba (AUM) in Madaba, Jordan. Gannon and its partners will exchange students through study abroad programs, and will explore opportunities for exchanges of faculty and staff, as well as research and professional collaborations. These agreements augment Gannon’s previously established relationships in Southeast Asia (Thailand) and Australia. 04

gannon magazine

spring 2013

The agreements in the E.U. were formalized in late winter of this year on a mission during which promising talks were also held with universities in Rome and Milan. In October 2012, Gannon signed a Memorandum of Understanding with AUM, the first non-profit university in Jordan and the first Catholic, American university in the region. These critical and substantial steps will enhance Gannon’s leadership in international education and commitment to developing socially responsible world citizens, and are evidence that at Gannon University, globalization isn’t a noun, it’s a verb. In addition, the newly developed TRAVEL program will send students, faculty and staff to several countries across the globe in 2014.

alumni Prominent Transplant Surgeon Establishes Pre-Med Scholarship Anthony D’Alessandro, M.D. is a man with wide-ranging interests. The professor of surgery, director of adult and pediatric liver transplantation, and medical director of the Organ Procurement Organization at the University of Wisconsin is interested in how marketing and social networking can increase awareness and boost the rate of organ and tissue donation. He is also interested in encouraging the next generation of medical practitioners. D’Alessandro, a leader in transplant surgery, has endowed a new scholarship at Gannon University to help first-generation college students who aspire to a career in medicine. Established through a gift to Gannon, the scholarship will benefit students enrolled in the University’s preprofessional medical programs, and will be matched dollar-for-dollar under the provisions of the University’s “Power” Scholarship Challenge.

In October 2012, Gannon University honored D’Alessandro with the Distinguished Alumni Award in the Health Professions and Sciences.

Mark Your Calendar! Upcoming Alumni Events June 15 Summer National Alumni Board Meeting June 21-23 Phi Sigma Sigma Reunion June 22 Gannon's Annual Football Golf Outing June 24 Bud Elwell Memorial Golf Tournament

OCTOBER

July 18-20, 25-27 Shakespeare Summer Nights September 21 GIVE Day October 4-6 Alumni Homecoming Reunion Weekend Visit www.gannonalumni.org for times, locations and registration information for any of these events

Adult Women's Scholarship Established Adult women are one of the fastest-growing populations at U.S. colleges and universities. Gwen Garbarino, Esq., thinks that is a trend worth encouraging. Garbarino, a 1982 graduate of Gannon University, made a $50,000 gift to her alma mater to create a scholarship that will help adult women pursue undergraduate degrees at Gannon University. The Garbarino family’s generous gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation of Princeton, N.J., to create The Garbarino FamilyNewcombe Foundation Endowed Scholarship for Mature Women Students. Female students at Gannon who are 25 years of age and older and who have earned at least 60 credits toward a bachelor’s degree while maintaining a GPA of at least 2.5 are eligible for the scholarship. Gwen Garbarino graduated summa cum laude from Gannon with a bachelor’s degree in political science, and in 1985 earned a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University. She currently serves as vice president and general counsel for Eden Inc., a manufacturer of high-quality pre-finished interior wood products for the housing industry, located in Knox, Pa. She is also of counsel for Garbarino, Neely, Hindman and Huwar, LLP of Clarion, Pa. She lives with her husband, Barry in Santa Fe, N.M.

newsnotes

D’Alessandro graduated from Gannon in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in biology. His clinical specialties are liver, kidney and small bowel transplants and hepatobiliary surgery.

newsnotes

universityupdate New Provost Has Masters' Plan Energy, innovation and a commitment to excellence will be the hallmarks of Gannon University’s provost and vice president for academic affairs, Carolynn Masters, Ph.D., RN. Masters is a familiar face around campus. She joined Gannon in 2000, and had served as dean of Gannon’s Morosky College of Health Professions and Sciences since 2008. At the time of her appointment in February, she served as interim dean of the College of Engineering and Business. After serving as an associate professor and as director of Gannon University’s Villa Maria School of Nursing, Masters in 2006 was named dean of Gannon’s College of Sciences, Engineering, and Health Sciences. The Morosky College of Health Professions and Sciences subsequently was created as a result of Gannon University’s transition from two undergraduate academic colleges to three. “I’m very grateful for the continued faith and confidence of Dr. Taylor, and I feel truly blessed to be part of the University—it’s an honor to have the opportunity to work with our outstanding students, faculty and staff,” Masters said. “I believe in Gannon, its mission, its Catholic identity and its strong commitment to liberal education.”

Virtual Tour Introduced Have you seen the sweeping lobby of the new North Hall? How about the studios of WERG, which are no longer in the basement of Zurn Hall? Now you can—without leaving your chair. Just grab your tablet, smartphone or laptop and take a virtual tour of Gannon’s campus. The tour starts at tour.gannon.edu, a rich media experience incorporating video and audio narration as well as a multitude of photos of campus landmarks old and new. Take a guided tour or plan your own itinerary. The new virtual tour is an adventure waiting to happen.

tour.gannon.edu

Gold Microphone Awarded to 90.5 WERG-FM For years, the call sign of WERG, Gannon’s radio station, had been “Energy FM 90,” and these days there’s a lot of energy beyond the station’s 3,000 watts of power. For one thing, WERG is celebrating its 40th anniversary of service to the campus and community. As hard as it may be to believe, today’s 90.5 WERG-FM began as a 10-watt station at 89.1 mHz., signing on for the first time on December 1, 1972. The station’s power and logo identity all changed through the years and the frequency has changed twice, but the commitment to excellence among WERG’s staff has not. This spring, WERG won a Gold Microphone award for Outstanding Broadcasting Excellence at the 73rd Annual Intercollegiate Broadcasting Conference in New York City. The station excelled in categories such as service to the university and community, providing news and sports programming in the public interest, student involvement in on-air and managerial roles and effective promotion through social media.

gannon magazine

spring 2013

The 90.5 WERG-FM logo has taken on many forms over its 40-year history

facultyfocus “The book” is Pizza Bomber: The Untold Story of America’s Most Shocking Bank Robbery written by Clark, assistant professor in Gannon University’s criminal justice program, with Ed Palattella, a reporter for the Erie Times-News who covered the case and the subsequent court proceedings. It tells the story of one of the most lurid crimes in area history. The case dates to Aug. 28, 2003, when a pizza deliveryman, Brian Wells, made a delivery to several men who locked a time bomb around his neck and ordered him to rob a bank. He was told that once the money had been delivered, he would receive clues to help him disarm the bomb. It did not go according to plan. After robbing the bank, Wells was intercepted by law enforcement officers and died, shockingly, when the bomb that had been locked to his neck detonated. At the time, Clark was a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent and served as the lead investigator on the case, which was designated FBI Major Case #203. Clark’s work on the “Collarbomb” case was a culmination of his 27 years of experience in local and federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). “This case was elevated to major-case status because never in the history of the FBI had a live bomb been utilized and detonated in the commission of a bank robbery resulting in death,” Clark explained.

This was a frustratingly complex investigation. Clark noted that there were times over the years when investigators were unsure whether they would be able to solve the case.

Jerry Clark, Jr., Ph.D.

“If you think this is strange, read the book. What you’ll read in there is three times as crazy as what I’m telling you,” Gerald Clark, Ph.D., told an audience of 200 last winter.

“The fascination of the case involves the characters identified in the plot, the uniqueness of the scavenger hunt, the body recovered in the freezer, the death by overdose of the second pizza delivery driver from the same pizzeria, and the fact that the detonation was captured on film. Having been on-scene 30 yards from detonation and with my assignment as the FBI lead investigator handling every aspect of the case from beginning to end helps provide a very unique qualification that hopefully can attract potential students’ interest in pursuing a career in Criminal Justice. In addition, I have interwoven the Pizza Bomber case into a number of my courses to provide real life examples of information provided in the texts.” However, Clark, and others involved in the investigation never lost sight of the horrific nature of the case and the loss of life. “It was a tragic event in every sense,” Clark said. Pizza Bomber: The Untold Story of America’s Most Shocking Bank Robbery is published by the Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Education Ph.D. - Capella University - Minneapolis M.A. - C.U.N.Y. John Jay College of Criminal Justice - New York, NY B.A. - Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Hobbies Running, Biking and Golf

60 100 What a Time THE VILLA MARIA SCHOOL OF NURSING CELEBRATED ITS FIRST 60 INCREDIBLE YEARS

“I’ll never forget

A Century of Memories

a summer class I had with Sister James,” Henny Adorante ’65VMC, ’68M, recounts. “I got all the answers right, but I misspelled one word, and she gave me a 99. I later taught nursing at Duquesne University, and I kept that test with me. I wanted to show my students the kind of rigorous program that I came from.”

This year’s Homecoming saw the celebration of the founding in 1952 of the Villa Maria School of Nursing. Few members of the current Gannon community were present when the School of Nursing was founded, but one Homecoming attendee was not only there, she also witnessed the founding from the perspective of a longtime Villa Maria College alumna.

The academic rigor, the camaraderie, the cherished teachers and the powerful sense of community—all of these were celebrated when the Villa Maria School of Nursing hosted a 60th Anniversary reunion and open house at Homecoming 2012 in October.

She is Victoria Dollinger '35, who was contemplating her 20th VMC class reunion when the Villa Maria School of Nursing was created.

Current students mingled with venerable alumnae, marveling at the artifacts that attest to a glorious history: the starchy caps student nurses wore as a uniform, mimeographed course syllabi and composite photos of graduating classes of a generation ago.

No one can say for sure that Victoria is the oldest living graduate of Gannon University or Villa Maria College, but at 100 years old, and a member of the class of 1935, she is exceptional by any measure.

And that includes her zest for life, which was proven by her participation in the annual Homecoming Parade down W. Sixth Street, riding in an open car on a brisk morning.

A beloved teacher and former member of the Erie Philharmonic Orchestra (of which she is the oldest living former member), Victoria was a guest of honor at the tea in the Old Main Boardroom attended by more than 40 VMC alumnae.

gannon magazine

spring 2013

But some things never change. The reputation of the School foremost among them. Starting at Villa Maria College and now as part of Gannon University, the nursing program has held approval from the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing since 1953 and has maintained consistent accreditation for nearly 50 years.

In her remarks to the reunion’s attendees, Kathleen T. Patterson, Ph.D., director of the Villa Maria School of Nursing, surveyed the school’s remarkable growth: more than 350 undergraduate nursing or pre-nursing majors, 85 graduate students, 15 faculty members and a new terminal degree offered, a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) program that will begin in the Fall 2013 Semester. She also cited the commitment to service-learning, exemplified by the mission to Haiti undertaken by assistant professor Melissa Peterson ’99 and her students. Who could have known when the School was founded in 1952 that the then-new nursing school would grow as it has? Certainly not Roberta Roland Lewis and Marilynn Coombes Krull, who were among the nine young women in the School’s initial graduating class in 1957. Of the six surviving members of the class, the three who live in the Erie area get together monthly, evidence of the potent bond formed in those early days. Krull, who retired in 1992 after a 26-year career in the North East (Pa.) School District, says, “I always liked what I did. I had a nice journey every step of the way.”

“Our class had an attrition rate of zero,” Lewis recalls. “We started with nine and nine graduated. Everything was tried on us.” Perhaps it is this rigorous preparation, the sense of being ready for any situation that might arise, that has propelled graduates of the Villa Maria School of Nursing to prominence in hospitals and clinical settings nationwide. And the demand for Villa Maria School of Nursing graduates has increased in kind, with a placement rate of 100 percent, and licensure exam pass rates averaging 96 percent for the last four years. For that record of achievement to continue, Dr. Patterson says, “We need your help and your prayers, and we need you to share our history.” For Henny Adorante, whose nephew, Fr. Michael Kesicki ’83, is Gannon’s associate vice president for mission and ministry, that history includes fond memories. “So many! So many,” exclaims the retired Pittsburgh School District nurse who moved from her native Italy to Philadelphia as a girl. And she has not forgotten.

NEW COMPETITIVE CHEERLEADING, ACROBATICS AND TUMBLING PROGRAMS HAVE GANNON WOMEN

FLYING With an NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional championship and an Elite 8 berth for womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball, a first ever PSAC volleyball championship and a Division II Eastern Championship in water polo, Gannon University is a leading destination for female student athletes. And because nothing succeeds like success, Gannon is now making a push into two rapidly growing women's sports. In May, the University announced a competitive cheerleading team for 2014 and the addition of acrobatics and tumbling to its list of sports. 10

gannon magazine

spring 2013

“The sports of acrobatics and tumbling and competitive cheerleading are becoming more popular, with a larger demand among high school studentathletes,” said Mark Richard, Gannon's athletic director. “The addition of these sports helps Gannon University provide more opportunities for the graduating high school student-athletes who already compete in the sport. We are extremely excited to begin these programs.” When they begin their first season of competition during the spring of 2014, the Lady Knights will become the 10th school to sponsor an acrobatics and tumbling team. They join three-time defending national champion University of Oregon, Alderson-Broaddus College (W.Va.), Azusa Pacific University (Calif.), Baylor University (Texas), Fairmont State University (W.Va.), Hawai’i Pacific University, King University (Tenn.), Quinnipiac University (Conn.) and Adrian College (Mich.). The team is expected to have a roster of 36-40 student-athletes. The competitive cheerleading team, with an approximate roster of 20-30 studentathletes, will compete at several local, regional and national events throughout the year beginning in 2014. The schedule will include the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) College Nationals where the team will compete in the All-Girl II division against other Division II institutions. Competitive cheer removes the crowd-leading element of traditional game-day cheerleading and focuses on partner stunts, pyramids, basket tosses and tumbling. The competitive cheer program will follow the safety guidelines established by the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA). Maintained as a varsity-level sport, the

program will offer scholarships and will function separately from the game-day cheerleading squads currently in place. Acrobatics and tumbling is a combination of the balance and grace of acrobatics, the power of gymnastics and the uniqueness of competitive cheer. Governed by the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA), it is an all-female collegiate sport in compliance and held to the same standards as other sports. These standards include, but are not limited to, minimum grade point averages, academic eligibility requirements, governed athletic seasons and recruiting guidelines. Typical meets include two to four teams consisting of 28-member game-day rosters, and last approximately 90120 minutes. Six events are contested: Compulsory, Acro, Pyramid, Toss, Tumbling and Team. Each squad competes and is evaluated in each event. The acrobatics and tumbling and competitive cheerleading teams will benefit from new facilities that will be created in the modernization of the Recreation Center, including a new room with high ceilings to accommodate the aerial routines executed by athletes in both new sports. White comes to Gannon after helping the University of Oregon win back-to-back national championships in 2011 and 2012. The Ducks also recorded a thirdplace finish at the national championships during her sophomore campaign. She was a four-year letter-winner, concluding her collegiate career with NCATA AllAmerica honors as a junior and senior. Her individual accolades include an individual tumbling national championship as a senior. “It's an honor and a dream for me to be the head coach of the new Acrobatics and Tumbling Program at such a prestigious academic, athletic and faith-based institution as Gannon University,” said White. “Being part of creating more opportunities for women to compete on behalf of a university at the collegiate level is truly amazing.”

CHELSEAWhite MEGANForan

Former University of Oregon AllAmerican Chelsea White will lead the acrobatics and tumbling program while Meghan Foran, who was head coach at Widener University, was named the competitive cheerleading team's first head coach.

Foran, who is AACCA certified, led Widener to its first-ever title with a firstplace finish in its division at the 2013 Reach the Beach National Championship in Ocean City, Md. in April. During her first season at the helm, she led Widener to its first major national appearance, at the 2012 Cheersport National Championship “I am excited for the opportunity to start a competitive cheer program here at Gannon and am grateful for the administration's support of this new endeavor,” said Foran. “We look forward to providing a new opportunity for student-athletes to compete at a national level while also receiving a great education in a service-focused environment.” Taken together, these two new sports will extend the high-flying tradition of women’s athletics at Gannon University.

Love

truth in

ames can sometimes have a poetic resonance. The surname of the Most Rev. Lawrence T. Persico, JCL, means “someone who lives near a peach tree.” As the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, Bishop Persico is now someone who lives near Peach Street, a major Erie thoroughfare.

For his coat of arms, Bishop Persico chose heraldic elements representing the blue waters of Lake Erie, a black gridiron, a symbol of St. Lawrence, the bishop’s patron saint, and yes, a peach tree. The motto he chose is “Veritas In Caritate,” “Truth in Love.” It is drawn from Ephesians 4:15: “Rather, living the truth in love, we are to grow up, in every way, into him who is the head, Christ.”

gannon magazine

spring 2013

Bishop Persico is also Chairperson of the Gannon University Board of Trustees, a position he assumed when he succeeded the Most Rev. Donald W. Trautman, S.T.D, S.S.L., who has retired, to become the tenth Bishop of Erie in October 2012. While members of the Gannon community can look forward to the great pleasure of getting to know Bishop Persico in the subsequent years, here is an introduction to the man who, like the tree from which his name derives, will provide us with comfort and nourishment, as well as leadership. Bishop Persico is a gardener. In an interview with the special edition of FaithLife produced by the diocese he said, “I grew tomatoes, Swiss chard, garlic, basil, parsley, onions, zucchini and dandelion plants—the kind you use in salads. I like to just go out there with a shovel and hoe and work that ground!”

As Bishop, he will tend to a plot of land that is the largest diocese in the state in geographic terms, encompassing thirteen counties of Northwestern Pennsylvania with a Catholic population of nearly a quarter of a million persons—and, of course, one Diocesan University. Bishop Persico is a native of Monessen, Pa., a town in the industrial Monongahela River valley south of Pittsburgh, a place he described as “straightforward, tough.” Growing up in Monessen’s vibrant ItalianAmerican community (Bishop Persico is a proud member of the Order Sons of Italy in America), he developed a taste for opera and doo-wop music, which, he said, “reminds me of growing up.” He also knows his way around the kitchen. “I like the simple things: pastas, vegetables,” but adds with characteristic humility and humor, “I enjoy making a meal but I’ll never be on Iron Chef.” Perhaps not, but he wouldn’t miss a chance to see the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from Saint Pius X in Erlanger in the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky, and graduated from Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pa. in 1975 with a Master of Divinity degree. He received the licentiate degree in 1982 from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. where he studied canon law. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Greensburg in 1977, and was appointed parochial vicar of Immaculate Conception Parish in Irwin, Pa. He was appointed chancellor of the Diocese of Greensburg in 1989, and in 1998 was appointed pastor of Saint James Parish in New Alexandria while continuing in his role as chancellor. He has served as the bishop’s representative to the administrative board of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference since 1998. Bishop Persico was named a monsignor with the title of Prelate of Honor to his Holiness by Pope John Paul II in 2005.

Also that year, Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt appointed him as vicar general, moderator of the curia, acting chancellor and the bishop’s delegate for clergy sexual abuse, while continuing as pastor of Saint James Parish. Five months later, he was elected vice president of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference for two, three-year terms, which concluded in 2011. The evening before his ordination, Bishop Persico was told by the Rev. Michael Kesicki '83, Gannon’s associate vice president, university mission & ministry and the head master of ceremonies of the event, that some of the staff and the deacons’ wives would have to watch the ordination by video in Cathedral Preparatory School's auditorium because there was not sufficient room to

accommodate all the guests expected in St. Peter Cathedral. Father Kesicki asked Bishop Persico if he would want to bring Communion to them. “I told him I would do it if I could give Communion to my family first,” Bishop Persico remembers. “So that’s what we did. He led me down the steps and past the crypt and through corridors. I thought, ‘Is this group watching in Warren [Pa.]?’ I was concerned Mass would be over before I returned! But I am glad I did it because I knew they made the sacrifice of giving up their seats.” A bishop who leaves the cathedral during his own ordination ceremony: that’s Truth in Love in action.

Bishop Donald W. Trautman House Dedicated For more than 22 years, Most Rev. Donald W. Trautman, S.T.D., S.S.L. served as Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie and as Chairperson of the Gannon University Board of Trustees. Last November, the University said thank you with the dedication of the Bishop Donald W. Trautman House, a residence for Gannon students who want to be part of an intentional living and learning community that is focused on their holistic development in the Catholic faith. The foundational principles of the residence are prayer, community, service, intellectual life and chastity – all principles that recall the Bishop’s life and work. The dedication was a perfect fit. In addition to individual apartments and community living space, including a community living room and kitchen and a student study lounge, the house also has its own chapel with the Eucharist reserved. Upperclass students living in the house participate in weekly prayer, a community mass during the week, service projects, house meals and a sharing of their daily lives. Students also participate in two retreats a year. Bishop Trautman’s legacy to Catholic education in the diocese cannot be overstated. He oversaw the merger of Cathedral Preparatory School and Villa Maria Academy, consolidated schools in St. Marys and Shenango Valley and developed DuBois Area Catholic Schools. He also expanded the Bishop’s Tuition Assistance Program and the Star Foundation Tuition Assistance Program. During the dedication ceremony, President Keith Taylor, Ph.D. also announced the creation of the Bishop Donald W. Trautman House Endowed Fund, established through the leadership of James F. Toohey, a member of Gannon’s class of 1956 and a Gannon Trustee. 13

Brighter Idea W

hen Gannon University, its involved students and the community work together, everything becomes brighter. That was quite literally the case when the switch was flipped this past winter on 107 LED, energy-efficient light posts in an area covering 18 city blocks near the Gannon University campus. The lights, a $1.1 million investment in the City of Erie, are one of numerous upgrades set forth in Gannon University’s Campus Master Plan to give the campus a more distinctive and artistic look, feel and identity. Each light post is 23 feet tall and was designed with decorative fixtures and a nautical theme to reflect the University’s proximity to Presque Isle Bay. In addition, by better illuminating the areas in which students frequently walk to and from classes, the lights will help create a safer environment for them and for visitors and nearby residents. As with many strategic University initiatives, the lighting project was student driven and reflects their priorities. 14

gannon magazine

spring 2013

“Renovation, beautification and construction projects tend to be driven by the needs of our students,” said Gannon University President Keith Taylor, Ph.D. “Because the campus in many ways serves as a ‘home away from home’ for our students, our focus is on providing them a learning and living environment in which they can thrive. We are very proud to continue the campus’ recent transformation.” Landis Erwin, a 2012 Gannon graduate, helped provide momentum for the project when, as a senior, she served as president of the University’s Student Government Association. Under her leadership, SGA surveyed students in terms of the campus improvements they most wanted to see implemented. Based on the surveys, many students expressed an interest in more consistent lighting throughout campus. In addition, lighting often had been a topic of discussion among students, Erwin said. “I think students will be excited not only because of how much the lights add to the

look of the campus, but also in terms of making it safer,” Erwin said. “It’s very gratifying to see this come to fruition and know that Student Government Association was able to make a positive impact on student safety.” Erwin credits Gannon’s administration, Office of Campus Police and Safety, and Office of Campus Services for working collaboratively with students to help identify possible locations for lighting. “The students are grateful and know that the project was possible because of their support,” she added. Angela Coustillac '13, immediate past president of SGA, said the lights are a welcome addition on an urban campus such as Gannon’s. “They help to better define the campus and make it more identifiable for students and visitors,” Coustillac said. “They’re very impressive.”

Linda Wagner, vice president for finance and administration, Dr. Keith Taylor, Angela Coustillac '13 and Landis Erwin '12 pose alongside the newly erected light posts along W. Sixth Street.

104

lights installed

16'

height of light posts

city blocks illuminated

2.3

miles of underground conduit

million investment in the City of Erie

Photo Courtesy of the Erie Times-News

$1.1

13 11 15

sportsscan BY JOE CUNEO '13

Tradition is part of any college experience. Each school has its own unique customs and rituals that set it apart. And in recent years, winning championships has become one of those traditions at Gannon. The 2012-13 school year only helped reinforce this notion, as Gannon athletics enjoyed one of its finer seasons.

Four Golden Knight teams were part of conference or regional championships and 17 of 18 athletic programs participated in the postseason this year. But perhaps the crown jewel among them was the women’s basketball team, with its second Atlantic Regional title in four years. Along the way, Gannon also captured the hearts and imagination of the Gannon and Erie communities, who packed the Hammermill Center on a night in March to watch the Knights beat California (Pa.), 50-47, to advance to the Elite Eight for the second time in four years. The Knights did not lose a game at home all season en route to a final No. 6 ranking and a 31-5 record—the most wins for a Gannon team since the 2009-10 team set a record by winning its first 37 games. Junior forward Jen Papich, who was the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division’s Player of the Year and named to a pair of all-America teams, said playing for Gannon means being a part of something greater. “Earning the opportunity to play college basketball was a blessing in and of itself, but at Gannon, it’s more than just basketball,” said Papich, an environmental engineering major who earned PSAC Top 10 honors for posting a 3.96 GPA. “This school prides itself on servant leadership,

gannon magazine

spring 2013

on putting other people’s needs before your own.” With all but one player returning for the Knights next year, the future looks bright for Gannon in 2013-14, when it hosts the Elite Eight at the Erie Insurance Arena in March. Cutting down the nets wasn’t an experience reserved just for the women’s hoops team, however. After building a foundation by winning at least 20 games the previous three seasons, the 2012 volleyball squad was poised to break through. And the Knights did just that, by winning their first-ever PSAC title while winning 29 games. Though his team had begun the season 9-2, coach Matt Darling wasn’t completely convinced until the Knights went on the road to beat perennial power Lock Haven in late September. “Up to that point, we really hadn’t played a great match, and our road record had been quite bad in previous years,” said Darling, who was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association Coach of the Year. “But there, in front of a huge crowd, we beat one of the best teams in the whole region. At that point, I think everyone knew that we had what it takes to win this thing.”

With two appearances in the Division II Women’s Basketball Elite Eight in the last four years, perhaps the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) figured that we should just move the championship to Erie. And that’s just what will happen, in 2014, at least.

Erie Insurance Arena March 25, 26 & 28, 2014

Gannon will host the event at the Erie Insurance Arena, which is in the midst of a $42 million renovation and expansion that is expected to be completed in the fall of 2013. The renovation will add 2,000 seats, 13 suites, a club level, and many other amenities more commonly found in major market venues.

Many obstacles remained between the Knights and their elusive title, including a thrilling come-from-behind win over Lock Haven in the PSAC championship. Gannon fell behind two sets before storming back for a 3-2 win. The final game at the Hammermill Center appropriately sent a group of three seniors—Morgan Reineke, Sarah Glancy and Lauren Sazama—out as winners after they helped revitalize the program, Darling said. Sazama especially left her mark; the communications major was named the Atlantic Region Player of the Year and became the third Gannon volleyball student-athlete to earn All-America status. But she wasn’t alone in earning that distinction. Redshirt sophomore wrestlers Matt Turek and Zack Zelcs carried on a long and proud tradition, as Gannon produced multiple All-Americans for the fourth time in five years. “The All-American honor means a great deal to me, it was my goal since I started wrestling here at Gannon,” said Turek,

The 2014 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Elite Eight will kick off with the national quarterfinals on Tuesday, March 25. The national semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday, March 26 and the NCAA Division II Championship Game will be Friday, March 28. The national championship event will feature the winners of the nation’s eight regions. Visit www.gannon.edu/ncaaerie to sign up to receive more information as it becomes available.

who earned an eighth-place finish at the National Championships in March at Birmingham, Ala.

the Most Valuable Player while coach Don Sherman was selected Coach of the Tournament.

“I just have to work out a little harder for a little longer and I'm sure I will be at the top of the podium in no time.”

For Sherman, the win capped off a season of growth.

Likewise for Zelcs, who fulfilled an aspiration by earning an eighth-place finish after competing in the National Championships in 2012. “Becoming an All American has been a goal ever since I signed my letter of intent to Gannon,” he said. “I expect to get better each day to hopefully become a National Champion.” Championships were also on the minds of the women of Gannon’s water polo team when they won the Division II Eastern Championship for the third time in as many attempts. Gannon also won the event in 2004 and 2005 before it was discontinued until April, when the Knights held on for a thrilling 10-9 win over rival Mercyhurst in the final. Junior Bailey Gadd was named

“We had some young players and it took a while to integrate,” Sherman said. “But we were playing as a team.” By winning the Division II championship, Gannon advanced to the next week’s College Water Polo Association Eastern Championship, which is water polo’s equivalent to a regional tournament. There, the Knights earned 10th place, the highest finish in Gannon history. Gannon finished the season with a 13-16 record, but Sherman said the near future could yield even better results. “If they play up to their potential,” Sherman said. “There’s no telling what they can do.” That goes for the rest of Gannon’s studentathletes.

Cuneo is a senior journalismcommunications major.

sportsscan 17

Like many of his fellow Gannon political science majors in 1972, Daniel Ruth contemplated law school. Then Ruth had what he calls a “falling off my horse on the road to Damascus” moment in a file room at the law firm where he had a part-time job. “I thought there must be a more entertaining way to make a living, and so I eventually made my way to Florida and BS’d my way to a job at the Tampa Tribune.”

Photo Courtesy of the Tampa Bay Times Times

Daniel Ruth ’72

alumnifocus Four decades later, Ruth, a 1972 Gannon University alumnus, won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing, along with his editor Tim Nickens, for their work at the Tampa Bay Times in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Pulitzer must have been doubly sweet for Ruth who, just four years before, was laid-off from his longtime job at the Tribune. “It's a very scary thing. You think, who will hire a 59-year-old guy? I sent out 150 resumes and I got three interviews, so I was very fortunate . . . in terms of continuing to have a career and do what I love to do,” Ruth said. “This is the ninth Pulitzer that the Times has won, so I'm sharing this with some heavy company.”

Ruth and Nickens collaborated on a series about fluoridation of the water in Pinellas County, Fla. The writers’ editorials date back as far as November 28, 2012, and they continued their research and interviews until March 18, 2012. Through the journalists’ writing and campaigning, the decision to end fluoridation of the water supply for the 700,000 residents in Pinellas County was reversed. Ruth, 63, also worked at the Chicago Sun-Times, which he joined shortly after Rupert Murdoch bought the paper. “Sixty people walked out rather than work for Rupert,” Ruth remembered. “I walked into a sea of empty desks.” In time, Ruth’s desk as the Sun-Times’ television critic was next to that of the late Roger Ebert, who was the film critic. “We got along well. He was a really nice guy. I got to know [Mike] Royko, too.”

theology classes.”) and history professor Matti Moosa. “I loved going to Gannon because it was a small school where you got a lot of individual attention,” Ruth said. “Gannon did what any good university should do, which is teach you how to think, and I've always been grateful for that.” But Ruth was quick to add, “I didn't graduate with a noble GPA because I had a good time there. When I got there in 1968, Gannon had just gone coed, and, well, I had a really good time there. I had an easier time getting the Pulitzer than I did making the Dean's List.”

Gannon's Pulitzer Legacy Daniel Ruth is not the first Gannon University alumnus to have won a Pulitzer Prize for journalism. Robert H. Phelps ’39 won a Public Service Journalism Pulitzer in 1975 where as executive editor of the Boston Globe, he supervised coverage of school desegregation in Boston.

Ruth was honored by the Pinellas County Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union with the Irene Miller Vigilance in Journalism Award for his work as an editorial columnist, which was also his beat at the Gannon Knight.

Phelps, now 94, got his start in 1941, earning $20 per week as a reporter for the now defunct Citizen in Ambridge, Pa. He was an enlisted combat correspondent based out of Okinawa during World War II, and after the war, worked at The Providence Journal before landing a job as a copyeditor for The New York Times.

When asked to name the professors who most influenced him, Ruth cited philosophy professor Michael Acri (“He made philosophy an accessible discipline.”), emeritus professor Gregor Reinhard (“A good lecturer and a great advisor.”), Warren Starrett (“An Episcopal canon, a great guy and someone who would challenge you intellectually in

As the news editor of the Times’ Washington bureau from 1965 to 1974, Phelps coordinated the paper’s reporting on such historic events as the riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, the Pentagon Papers leaks and Watergate.

gannon magazine

spring 2013

alumnotes

Denotes achievements by Gannon University faculty, staff and administration.

1959

PAUL A. GORA and his wife, Janet, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on August 18, 2012.

1960

ROBERT E. HINEY and his wife, Terry (Jankowski), celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 7, 2012. Bob is a retired teacher/coach at Academy High School, Erie. REV. CHARLES R. SCHMITT has been appointed priest in residence at St. Michael Parish in Emlenton, Pa.

1962

JOHN L. DECKER and his wife, Charlotte (Froess), celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on December 29, 2012. MARK R. FIERLE is a Gold Badge member of University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners. He is involved in many volunteer and teaching activities at locations around the southern California area. He is also a member of the Master Gardener Speakers Bureau and frequently speaks, writes, and gives workshops on Square Foot Gardening and other related gardening subjects.

1963

WILLIAM A. WENRICK '80M and his wife, Joyce (Mittelmeier), celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 30, 2012. Bill retired from management from GTE/Verizon.

1964

FREDERICK P. DEVERSE and his wife, Carolyn, recently established the William "Benny" and Adeline Deverse Family Endowed "Power" Scholarship at Gannon University, which will benefit students from Greensburg Salem High School, and other students from the Westmoreland County (Pa.) schools area.

1966

SHARON T. SANTIA recently retired as coordinator, tutorial services in the CAAP at Gannon University.

WALTER T. KALISTA, JR., D.M.D., an assistant professor of prosthodontics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, recently had the opportunity to celebrate the success of two of his pupils, Lucas McGuire '08 and Jessica Voich Zugai '05, who recently graduated with highest honors and were inducted to the Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) Honorary Dental School society on May 20, 2012. Dr. Kalista previously worked at the Veterans Administration Hospital for 36 years, retiring in 2006. He served as vice president and president of OKU from 2009 to 2011. Dr. Kalista has been on the faculty of the School of Dental Medicine since 1986.

1970

1967

MARYANNE (MANDEVILLE) KOZAK recently retired from a long and fruitful career as an instructor in the leadership program at Gannon University.

1968

CHARLES A. PORA recently had his third book published, Peace To You Too, Brother, a historical novel that takes the reader through the Vietnam War era. His previous works include Pora Lotta Lore and Pora Lot More Lore, books of 40 short essays about growing up in Erie in the 60s. JAMES A. SCHAFFNER, CPA recently attended the 2012 Annual Consultants Super Conference in Dallas. James is a certified public accountant with Schaffner, Knight, Minnaugh & Co., P.C.

1969

REV. JOSEPH R. CZARKOWSKI has been appointed pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Lucinda, Pa. ROBERT W. MCGEE, J.D., PH.D., D.SC., CPA competed in the American Taekwondo Association National Championship Tournament on March 15-16 in Las Vegas (in the 60-99 yearold category). He competed in seven events and took seven first place medals. He has also earned 13 doctorates; published 58 books and more than 600 articles; assisted the finance ministries of Armenia and Bosnia to convert their countries to International Financial Reporting Standards; drafted the accounting law for Armenia and Bosnia, and reviewed the accounting law for Mozambique.

JOSEPH A. VATER, JR., ESQ. was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America 2013 in the fields of Employee Benefits Law, Employment Law, Litigation - ERISA, and Litigation - Labor & Employment. Joe is an attorney with the Pittsburgh law firm of Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP.

1971

JAMES M. DUBIK, USA was recently inducted into the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame. SUZANNE (ROHALY) RICHARD, PH.D. recently gave the presidential address for the Eastern Great Lakes Biblical Society in Cleveland. Dr. Richard is the president of the society and is a professor in Gannon's department of history and archaeology.

1972

BEVERLY M. GORDON VMC retired as the principal of Gamble Rogers Middle School in the St. Johns County School District after a 39 year career with the district. She began her career teaching sixth and first grades at Hastings Elementary School. She then worked in administration, beginning as an associate principal at Evelyn Hamblen School, then as associate principal at Osceola Elementary School. She was then appointed principal at PVPV/ Rawlings Elementary, then Landrum Middle, and from 2006 to this year, Gamble Rogers Middle School. DAVID R. JAKUBASZEK was elected to serve a five-year term as a trustee for the North Tonawanda (Pa.) Public Library board. He recently retired as the city accountant for North Tonawanda, after serving for more than 35 years. DEACON RICHARD P. O'POLKA, SR. has been appointed pastoral care coordinator of St. Michael Parish, in Emlenton, Pa. DANIEL J. RUTH has been awarded the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing for a series of 10 editorials that encouraged Pinellas County to resume adding fluoride to the drinking water. Dan is a columnist with the Tampa Bay Times.

alumnotes

NANCY (KOMOSA) BENEDICT VMC retired on April 3, as communications director for the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce, where she had worked since 1995. Prior to that, she had taught for seven years at various schools in Pittsburgh, Erie, and Camp Springs, Md.; she then moved to Harrisburg, where she worked for 17 years for the state at the office of the Auditors General.

GERARD L. HASENHUETTL has completed his novel, "Neogenesis," which is available on amazon.com.

1973

1978

1979

MONICA (MAUER) CAPABIANCO was named Elementary Guidance Counselor of the Year twice in her career (1991 and 2011) in the Pasco County School District where she has been employed since 1981 when she left the Erie School District to move to Florida. She visited Erie this past summer and met up with her best buddy from college, Maria Xethakis Burenko, and had a blast reminiscing. Her sorority back then was Theta Phi Alpha and their favorite fraternity was Alpha Phi Delta.

MICHAEL GRESH, III has joined the mortgage firm of PrimeLending as a branch manager.

CHERYL (KOBEL) WEBER '79M retired as chief executive of St. Martin Center, Inc., Erie, as of January. Cheryl has been employed at St. Martin Center since February 1, 1981.

ROBERTA (BUCKEL) BARILLA VMC recently retired as an assistant professor of education at Gannon University.

1974

JOSEPH E. KLOECKER, M.B.A., C.P.A., '79M is a senior financial advisor at HBKS Wealth Advisors in Erie, which, by the way, is only 50 yards from Wehrle Hall. PATRICIA E. MCLAUGHLIN VMC has been named director of curriculum at Mercyhurst Preparatory School in Erie. She will assist in the refinement of curriculum maps and provide guidance in the use of analytical tools. She will also align curriculum with the International Baccalaureate Program standards and methods.

1975

EDWARD J. BILLICK decided to attend broadcasting school after 32 years as an operations manager/executive, and is now doing sports on the weekends and is a part-time technical producer at News/Talk 1110 WBT Station in Charlotte, N.C. SUSAN (DILLS) HARRIS VMC recently welcomed her first grandchild, Dominic Richard Bullock, born September 29, 2011 to Rick and Laura Bullock. Susan is an elementary school teacher at Francis S. Grandinetti Elementary School in Ridgway, Pa. RICHARD J. OROS and his wife, Judy (Ross), celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on July 15, 2012.

1976

MARK E. MIODUSZEWSKI, ESQ. has been recertified for the eighth time, through 2017, as a civil trial advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Mark is an attorney with the Erie law firm of Knox, McLaughlin, Gornall, & Sennett. REV. WILLIAM J. O'BRIEN has been appointed pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Erie. RICHARD G. ORLANDO, M.D. was recently named as a new member of the Gannon University Board of Trustees. Dr. Orlando is founder of Columbus Ophthalmology Associates in Dublin, Ohio. 20

gannon magazine

spring 2013

REBECCA (PALERMO) CAREY VMC is the new principal at St. Paul School, a Catholic preschool through sixth grade in Salem, Ohio.

REV. JOSEPH KALINOWSKI has been appointed pastor of St. John Parish, Tidioute, Pa. and St. Anthony Mission Church, Tionesta, Pa. LEONARD S. MIALKI has joined Orrstown Bank as senior vice president/Commercial Banking manager, and will be responsible for the Bank's commercial business team.

REV. WILLIAM C. MILLER has been appointed pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Girard, Pa.

1980

JOHN “JACK” E. MARTIN '80M was named one of four runners-up for the honor of funeral director of the year by the American Funeral Director, a national magazine. Jack is president

Gannon University Alumni Association President, Scott M. Krall ’84 One of the many great things about Gannon University is the sense of family found here. Sometimes, this is a literal fact as succeeding generations have made attending Gannon a family tradition. The National Alumni Association is making it possible for Gannon families everywhere to extend this proud tradition through the establishment of a special scholarship, the Gannon University Alumni Association Endowed “Power” Legacy Scholarship to benefit the children of Gannon University and Villa Maria College alumni, funded by the National Alumni Board, the governing body of the Alumni Association. What are the goals of Endowed Legacy Scholarship? •

To provide scholarship support for the children of Gannon University/ Villa Maria College alumni

•

To support students with financial need

•

To respond to requests made by alumni

•

To continue quality education for alumni legacies

•

To raise $25,000 and have those funds matched dollar-for-dollar by the “Power” Challenge

In 2012, alumni contributed more than $600,000 to student scholarships, proving yet again that Gannon graduates value their education and believe in giving back to future generations of alumni. Who was our first recipient? The Alumni Association awarded the Legacy Scholarship to Alan Tarasovitch from Erie. Alan is a freshman nursing major and the son of Ann Marie and Scott A. Tarasovitch ’85. What can I do to contribute? The scholarship grows through individual gifts and alumni participation in the Alumni Benefits Program. Contact Cathy Fresch, director of alumni services at fresch001@gannon.edu for more information. I wish you and your families all the best and I hope to see you at this year’s Homecoming Reunion Weekend, October 4-6, 2013.

and owner of Dusckas-Martin Funeral Home and Crematory in Erie. FRANCO R. REA, M.D. has joined the thoracic surgery team at Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center in Virginia. Dr. Rea is a board certified thoracic surgeon.

1981

CYNTHIA (RENO) BALKSTRA MS, RN, CNSBC VMC was elected to a two-year term (20122014) as the first vice president for the American Nurses Association. Cindy is attending Goldfarb School of Nursing as a DNP/PhD student. KEVIN M. BENSON is celebrating 25 years with Pittsburgh NBC affiliate WPXI. Kevin began in 1987, as the "weekend weather guy," and was the co-anchor pioneering local Saturday-morning news programming in Pittsburgh, which later included Sunday morning as well. In April of this year, Kevin was named the station's regular weekday morning meteorologist. MARGARET â&#x20AC;&#x153;PEGGYâ&#x20AC;? E. RUEFLE has been named as the new principal of Providence Heights Alpha School, a private Catholic elementary school founded by the Sisters of Divine Providence in McCandless, Pa. JOSEPH R. VOELKER has been elected as a new member of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association's board of directors. Joseph is vice president of human resources for Stanley Black & Decker.

1982

PAUL R. HAKEL '82M was promoted to first vice president of investments at the Erie office of UBS Financial Services, Inc. RAYMOND LUNIEWSKI has been cochairman of Lake Erie Fanfare for the past 29 years. The festival brings two nights of spectacle to Erie and fills two high school stadiums. SUZANNE (SHIMMONS) PREVOST, RN, PH.D., CNAA VMC is currently professor and associate dean for practice and engagement at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing. Suzanne also currently serves as president of the Sigma Theta, the honor society of nursing.

1983

VERY REV. JOHN J. DETISCH, V.F. has been appointed pastor of St. Jude the Apostle Church in Erie. Fr. Detisch also serves as dean of the Erie West Deanery, and Captain Chaplain of the Erie Police Department.

1984

LTC CLIFFORD R. DAVIS, (RET) has qualified for the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors Quality Award. This is the fifth time Clifford has earned this honor. He is a financial representative of Northwestern Mutual, Greater New York Group, in Syracuse. JOHN F. HILL, ESQ. is joining Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs LLP in their Akron office as a partner in the Litigation Practice Group.

1985

ANN M. BLAKESLEE, PH.D. was recently honored by the Society for Technical Communication (STC) with the Ken Rainey Award for Excellence in Research. Ann is an English professor at Eastern Michigan University. COL JOSEPH F. MARQUART, IV, USA has graduated from the Army Inspector General (IG) Course at Fort Belvoir, Va. This three-week course is required for all soldiers and civilians selected to serve as Army inspectors general. IG officers are trained to conduct inquiries, investigations, and program reviews that deter, detect, prevent and eradicate fraud, waste, abuse and misconduct.

1986

PAUL A. BENSUR, JR., PH.D. '90M officially opened his own practice location on April 1 in Meadville, Pa. He now owns his own business condominium. He has been in practice since 2010 and has been in the mental health field for more than 20 years. JAMES M. CALDWELL, O.D., ED.M., FAAQ has been appointed dean of Student Affairs at Salus University, Elkins Park, Pa. CLIFFORD J. FAZZOLARI was honored at this year's New York Book Festival for his recent book, Oh Brother! The Life & Times of Jeff Fazzolari, a memoir of his younger brother who lived by a simple rule: Life is precious, and it's best to savor every minute. The book was published by SterlingHouse publishers in Pittsburgh. All proceeds from the book are going to a college fund for Jeff Fazzolari's children, Johnny, 9, Farrah, 6, and Rocco, who is 4. Cliff is available for book signings and discussions.

THOMAS J. HEFFER recently received the 2012 Merchandiser of the Year Award from the Arkansas Chapter of the PGA. This is the second time Tom has received the award. He was also recently named the PING Fitting Professional of the Year for Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and western Tennessee. DANTE C. PARRINI has been elected as an independent member of the board of directors of H.B. Fuller Company. Dante is currently chairman, president and CEO of P.H. Glatfelter Company. MICHAEL R. WEHRER accepted a "Housing Hero" award from the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania on behalf of Pennsylvania office of the Housing and Urban Development and the Erie Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Michael is an Erie-based homeless care team supervisor with the Erie Veterans Affairs Medical Center and was instrumental in initiating the effort of the two entities as they sought to find permanent housing for homeless veterans throughout Pennsylvania.

1987

DEBORAH (RAYBUCK) BEAN VMC has joined the staff of the Rutherford County Schools in Forest City, N.C. as a school nurse. KATHLEEN M. GAUSMAN VMC '92M has been named associate vice president for student development and engagement at Gannon University. LORI L. JAKIELA held a poetry reading where she read from her recently published collection of poems, Spot the Terrorist! She has authored two memoirs, Miss New York Has Everything and the soon-to-be published Call Your Mother, along with three poetry collections. She has earned a Pushcart Prize nomination, and has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Creative Nonfiction and Tears in the Fence (UK). Lori is an associate professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. ANTHONY C. SCHNUR has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of Lucas Energy, Inc. Anthony had recently been appointed as the chief financial officer, treasurer, and secretary of the company as of November 1, 2012, but was promoted to CEO effective December 12, 2012. JEANETTE (ODEM) WHITEHEAD was a guest speaker at the 39th Annual Awards Luncheon of the Mercer County (Pa.) Frontiers Club. Jeanette is a school counselor with Hermitage School District, and is also the head girls basketball coach.

alumnotes

BENNY C. ASKEW, JR., PH.D. has joined SciFluor Life Sciences as vice president, research. SciFluor is a drug discovery and development company. Dr. Askew will oversee the development and expansion of the company's pipeline of fluoropeutics.

REV. DR. JOHN P. TRIGILIO, JR. has authored Catholic Mass for Dummies and the second edition of Catholicism for Dummies in 2011. He is the current president of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy (national association of 500+ priests and deacons) and is the pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel (Marysville) and Saint Bernadette (Duncannon).

1988

DAVID M. REPKO has been hired as Automation Devices, Inc's purchasing agent. Dave's responsibilities will include order placement, requests for quotes, negotiating contracts and pricing, sourcing and establishing and managing vendor relationships. He will also oversee inventory control of raw material and finished goods.

1989

COL DAVID J. FRANCIS, USA is the new commander of the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade at Ft. Drum, NY. DONNA M. NUGENT '92M has been elected to the Penn State Beaver Advisory Board. Donna is the superintendent of the Big Beaver Falls Area School District. RENEE (GLASS) STAREK has been named the director of CareerWorks at Seton Hill University. In her position, she will assist students with career planning through enhancing job skills and resume writing to learning interview tactics and professional networking.

1990

FREDERIC J. AMENDOLA has joined Howard Hanna Real Estate Services as a real estate agent. SEAN D. HAIGHT has been named the head men's golf coach for Gannon University. Sean is a former Gannon student-athlete who became the first wrestling All-American in school history, at 126 pounds during the 1988 NCAA Division II National Championships, and also earned Academic All-American honors that same season. During the past 10 years, Sean has worked in various capacities at Eagle Point Golf Club in North Carolina. MARK S. ZAGORSKI has been appointed to Vibrant Media's board of directors. Vibrant Media is the global leader of in-content contextual technology.

1991

MARCO KOOLMAN '01M was named as the new head men's soccer coach for The College of the Holy Cross. Marco was formerly Gannon's head men's soccer coach where he had an overall record of 74-29-6 during his six-year tenure, and he also earned the NSCAA National Coach of the Year honor in 1993. REV. JOHN P. MALTHANER has been appointed pastor of St. Luke Parish in Erie. BETH A. MCWILLIAMS has been hired as the new chief financial officer at Gould Academy in Bethel, Maine, effective July, 1 2013.

gannon magazine

spring 2013

NASA Engineer Returns We’ve all heard the phrase, “This isn’t rocket science,” but for Paul Gradl, it is. Literally. Gradl is a propulsion engineer with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL who returned to Gannon University in April to deliver a talk entitled “Rocket Science for Real Life” sponsored by Gannon’s Scholars for Excellence in Engineering and Computer Science program (SEECS). Gradl’s speech related his post-graduation experiences to those students who are in transition between graduating and finding employment. He discussed the importance of problem-solving, negotiation and salesmanship for launching a career, and mesmerized the audience with real-life stories of working on one of the most complex and powerful machines ever built: the Space Shuttle and its booster rockets. He was the recipient of the 2011 Gannon Distinguished Young Alumni award for the engineering skills he displayed through his work at NASA. Gradl received a bachelors of science in mechanical engineering degree in 2002 and his MBA two years later. He also graduated from the University of Alabama in 2007 with a master’s degree in systems engineering. Gradl lead a component-testing program for the “Return of Flight” efforts after the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy, receiving several awards and recognitions from NASA, including two NASA Exceptional Achievement Medals, one of NASA’s highest honors. Gradl is currently the lead developer for advanced technologies for liquid rocket engine combustion device components. He has also patented a Dynamically Variable Spot Size (DVSS) laser system for bonding metal components, which provides continuous variability in laser energy output. LYNN M. RUPP '03M is the new vice president of physician services for Regional Health Services, Inc. at UPMC Hamot, Erie.

1992

GEORGE P. BEKIC, D.O. has joined the Division of Cardiology and the Cardiovascular Institute at Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh. DENEEN K. KOZIELSKI has accepted a position at Ruamrudee International School in Bangkok, Thailand for the 2012-2013 school year. GUY CHRISTOPHER ORTON has joined Logistics Plus, Inc., Erie, as general counsel and corporate secretary. He will also serve as chief legal officer and oversee the human resources department. JAMES C. RODDY has published a new book, Hire Like You Just Beat Cancer. The book features hiring lessons, interview best practices, and recruiting strategies for managers through the perspective of a cancer-surviving executive. The book is available for purchase at www. HireLikeYouJustBeatCancer.com, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com. Jim is the president

of national magazine and website publisher Jameson Publishing in Erie. ELIZABETH E. SEIBERT '92M has joined the Millcreek Manor, Erie, as the director of senior services adult living.

1993

KERRY (KAUTZMAN) DROZESKI, PH.D. presented "30 Years of Women's Studies at Alfred University" as part of the university's ongoing Bergren Forum series. Dr. Kautzman is an associate professor of Spanish at the university. TRACEY MCCANTS LEWIS, ESQ. has been appointed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Disciplinary Board. She is an assistant professor and assistant director of the Clinical Legal Education program at Duquesne University School of Law.

1994

AMANDA (MAGERL) MARMINS, CCR opened Type-A Organizing, a full-service professional organizing company in Atlanta, Ga., in September 2012.

1995

MARY K. CARNEVAL, D.O. is a General Surgeon at Kaiser Permanente in Cleveland since September 2011. She graduated from General Surgery Residency at South Pointe Hospital/ Cleveland Clinic in June 2011 with the distinction of Resident of the Year on behalf of Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine. MELANIE WHALEY has been named director for marketing and communications at Gannon University. In this newly created position, Melanie will provide strategic leadership for the University's integrated marketing and communications, including media, public relations, promotion and advertising.

1996

1997

DAVID R. LEVAN, D.H.SC '02M recently gave a presentation, "Updates in Parkinson Care in the Region," at UPMC Hamot's neuroscience conference. David is an assistant professor and interim director of the occupational therapy program at Gannon University. DONNA (QUAGLIANA) PURKEY recently wrote and published a children's book for military families experiencing a separation/deployment, Miss You to Pieces - A Deployment Story and Project Idea for Kids. The story offers comfort and encouragement while presenting a unique and fun puzzle project idea to count the days until the deployment ends. The book is available on Amazon.com and other major websites. ANTHONY J. TURINI has joined the staff at Bethel College (Kan.) as the new head women's soccer coach.

THOMAS R. PUCKETT has been nominated for the Buffalo Broadcasters Buffalo Excellence in Media Award for Radio Personality of the Year.

DANIEL WOODWARD graduated with an MBA in Healthcare Management from Oregon Health Sciences University and Portland State University in June 2012.

marriages

SHERRY GREENBURG, MSN '96M has been appointed as the new director of the Sharon (Pa.) Regional Health System School of Nursing.

Kaylee Anne Kebort '09 married Sean Bennett on September 22, 2012. Christine L. Borchick '09 married Michael D'Antonio on June 9, 2012. J'nay C. Carroll '02 married Alex McDonald on February 20, 2011. Nicole M. Carroll, D.O. '05 married Joshua J. McLaughlin on May 5, 2012. Jessie May Champlin '05, '06M married Chad Gerald Welch on August 18, 2012. Matthew A. Chartraw '04 married Meghan Mary Putnam on July 30, 2011.

Tiffany S. Crocker '10 married Cameron Smith on May 19, 2012. Regina Deramo, PT, DPT '07, '10M married Robert Lucente, Jr. on August 25, 2012. Members of the bridal party included Holly (Arndt) Ickes '07 and Laurie M. Jonda '07, '08M.

1Lt James Andrew Kistler '07 married Leah Kathleen Straub on June 2, 2012. Emily B. Kochanowicz '08 married Michael L. Macklin on October 12, 2012. Lt. JG. Gene M. Lattus, U.S.N. '02 married Katie Lassinger on September 22, 2012. Fernando Emidio Melaragno, D.O. '00 married Kimberly Michelle Yorty on June 9, 2012. Emily S. Oswald '10 married Matthew Milbert on August 11, 2012. Merissa J. Proch '10 married Mark A. Pardus '09 on July 23, 2011. Danielle R. Petrozelle '06, '07M married Zachary K. Brandt '08 on February 11, 2012. Joining the happy couple for their ceremony were Robert T. Ohmer '07 and Sean R. Lysowski '07 as groomsmen, and Amy (DeMauri) Chiodo '07 as a bridesmaid. Felisa V. Read '98, '00M married Ronald Rzepecki on November 3, 2012. Joseph Richard Romanowicz '05 married Amanda Elizabeth Way on July 30, 2011.

Kristin M. Fouse '06 married Jesse Barnholdt on October 26, 2012.

Krista Lynn Ronci '11M married Dr. Joseph Andrew Dombrowski on August 25, 2012.

Bethany L. Locke '07 married David Kelley, Jr. on June 16, 2012.

Dana B. Rousseau '10 married Andrew

1998

BRIAN M. DOUGHERTY, ED.D. '98M is a finalist in the selection of the Pontiac Board of Education's new school superintendent search. Brian is currently a consultant at Bishops Institute in Erie, where he developed and designed a kindergarten through grade six charter boarding school. He was previously the superintendent of the Corry Area (Pa.) School District. DAWN (DUNLAP) POWELL, R.N. graduated from the University of Utah with a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree specializing in pediatrics on May 4, 2012. Dr. Powell is now working as a pediatric nurse practitioner at Stansbury Springs Health Center located in Stansbury Park, Utah. FELISA V. READ, PT '00M is a physical therapist at the Barber National Institute and is also an adjunct professor at Gannon University.

T. Rojek '10 on August 31, 2012. Janice Marie Scypinski '91 married Jeffrey Wayne Boyd on Saturday, October 20, 2012. William Wood Smathers '08 married Tracy Lynn Rhodes on December 1, 2012. Joseph B. Steeves '98 married Sara E. Johnson on August 26, 2011. Christopher T. Swab '07 '08M married Erin McGrath on December 22, 2012. Courtney Erin Stacy '04 married Robert William Merklinger on October 6, 2012. Susan LaJeanne Toner '07M married Joseph Donald Hoffer, Jr. on July 14, 2012. Jennifer Renee Watkavitch '12M married Bruce Gregory Ingram on October 13, 2012. Amy Marie Walker '10 married Caleb Richard Hatch '09, '10M on November 3, 2012. Their bridal party included Rachel H. Behrmann '10, '11M, Leanne Borland Walker '08, Alison M. Bartley '10, Mark L. Kendrick '09, Matthew S. Thomas '09 and Matthew T. Walker '07. Emily J. Wilson '11M married Vince Gratteri on December 29, 2012. Rebecca Ann Zubek '04, '07M married William Cameron Helms on July 28,

alumnotes

Ashley Lynn Emmert '05, '06M married Adam Michael Borden on March 24, 2012.

ROBERT R. ZEWE, JR., D.O. is an osteopathic hospitalist at Saint Vincent Health Center, Erie.

TRISHA (CHUZIE) SNOOK has been promoted to assistant branch manager of Marquette Savings Bank's Sterrettania office in Millcreek Township, Pa. TIMOTHY S. WACHTER has been named president of the Board of Erie Homes for Children and Adults. Tim is an attorney with the law firm of Knox McLaughlin Gornall & Sennett.

2000

VINCENT M. PATTON, II was promoted to vice president of Mutual Fund Operations with BNY Mellon in August, 2012. ROBERT W. PENROSE '00M is the recipient of the 2012 Pennsylvania Outstanding Biology Teacher Award. Robert currently teaches life science and physical science at United Junior Senior High School. The honor identifies a teacher from each state who has made valuable contributions to the profession and to his/her students. THOMAS E. YOUNG, D.C. has achieved diplomate status from the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians. He is a faculty member and alumni representative at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Port Orange, Fla.

2001

FRANK J. FABIAN is the new head football coach at Kittanning High School, Pa. where he is also a teacher. AARON M. GARRITY '07M won the overall men's title for the 30th annual Highmark Quad Games with a cumulative time of 1:48:22. REV. THOMAS S. MATHEW '10M has been appointed headmaster of Venango Catholic High School in Oil City, Pa. and administrator of Our Lady, Help of Christians Parish in Oil City. DALE D. WHITE has been named NCAA Division II Atlantic region coach of the year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Dale is in his third season as the Mercyhurst University's men's soccer coach. He has won two regular season PSAC titles and his team was this year's PSAC champion, and his teams have made three straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

2002

RICO J. DILLARD is a family liaison specialist at Pressley Ridge Day School in Pittsburgh. BRIAN A. SHAFFER is employed at Lord Corporation.

2003

REV. WILLIAM R. BARRON has been appointed campus minister at Cathedral Preparatory School,

gannon magazine

spring 2013

births

1999

a daughter, Riley Jane Antrilli (born July 10, 2012) to Ryan L. (Morris) '03 and Matthew P. Antrilli '03. She joins older sister Raegan Lynn (4) and big brother Matthew Dennis (2).

a daughter, Maria Lynn Carideo (born on March 14, 2011) to Heather L. (Keenan) Carideo '01, '06M and her husband, Bill. She joins older sister Isabella, 4. a son, Frankie Michael Mazzarese, Jr. (born on May 11, 2009) to Patricia J. Carter '97 and her husband, Frank. He joins older sisters, Jillian Renee (2/8/05) and Jennifer Erin (2/26/08). a daughter, Olivia Marie Menz (born on December 30, 2011) to Sarah (Klinge) Menz, D.O. '03 and Sean R. Menz '04

a son, Matthew John Santarlas (born on September 6, 2012) to Julie L. (Hamerski) '02, '04M and John T. Santarlas '01. He joins big brother Lucas Thomas, born June 15, 2010. a daughter, Eliza Kathleen Sarkis (born on August 15, 2012) to Megan E. (Hallock) '01 and Lee T. Sarkis '01, '04M. She joins older brother Joseph Oscar, born October 12, 2007. a daughter, Claire Elizabeth Ann Steeves (born on September 19, 2011) to Joseph B. Steeves '98 and his wife, Sara a son, Rocco Anthony Valente (born on April 27, 2012 to Michael A. Valente, D.O. '01 and his wife, Stephanie. a son, Hudson Lewis Ward (born March 21, 2012) to Jennifer (Barron) Ward '97 and her husband, Adam.

a son, Gannon R. Moore born to Katherine (O'Connor) '03 and Frank O. Moore '03 a son, Andrew Scott Nutt (born November 14, 2011) to Michelle (Stadtmiller), R.N. '02 and Scott Allen Nutt '03 a daughter, April Claire Osborne (born on June 5, 2012) to Heidi (Chew) Osborne '99M and her husband, Mark. She joins older siblings William Ryan (3/11/09) and Susannah Marie (5/13/11). a son, Nathan Andrew Pesut (born on October 30, 2012) to Sara (Kitchen) '01, '03M and Daniel Pesut '01. He joins older siblings, Sydney (3) and Lukas (2).

a daughter, Kallie Mae Wolff (born on May 2, 2012) to Corey J. Wolff '09 twin girls, Harper Grey and Violet June (born on September 5, 2012) to Keri (Komlos) '98 and Matthew W. Zipay '98. The girls join older brother Zane Allen, born June 9, 2007.

a daughter, Caroline LaTrelle Pinson (born on April 30, 2012) to Carrie (Waszeciak) Pinson '01 and her husband, Mark. She joins (VERY PROUD) big brother, Grant Edward Pinson, who was born May 12, 2010. Erie, while continuing as a member of the faculty and associate director of vocations. TERESA M. LORENZ, PH.D. has accepted a position at Avila University in Kansas City, Mo, as assistant professor of Spanish, where she will teach classes and contribute to establishing a Spanish program.

BRIAN J. PULITO has been elevated to membership with the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson. Brian practices civil, construction, oil, gas and mineral litigation from the firm's Meadville, Pa. office. DIANA M. ROTH accepted a paralegal position with the law firm of Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky, Pittsburgh, in August, 2012.

GERALD M. SMITH, D.O. has joined the Emergency Department at DuBois (Pa.) Regional Medical Center.

2004

LAWRENCE E. GIOIA has started a new school in the Pittsburgh area, True North Outdoor School, specializing in providing professional instruction in wilderness survival, map and compass navigation, wilderness medicine, outdoor leadership, and paddle sports. Larry and co-founder, Erik Kulick personally lead all of the outings. SEAN P. HILLIARD is the senior service desk assistant at the Nash Library at Gannon University. JOSE MARIN '04M has been promoted to director, minerals and materials Processing (M&MP) with Eriez Magnetics, Erie. Jose will manage Eriez' M&MP product line and serve as lead manager for mining and iron ore processing projects for the company's North American Division. KERRY M. MAST '04M has joined Wells Fargo, Rock Hill, S.C., as a business banking relationship manager. Kerry will be a resource for business banking deposits, cash management solutions and credit risk management. KELLY D. MATCZAK '02C, '04M is the chief communications officer with Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County, and a proud member of SouthFloridaRuns.com. JESSICA L. NELSON '10M recently accepted the position of director of development at Villa Maria Elementary in Erie. Prior to this appointment, Jessica had worked for three years as the marketing team leader at Kapp Alloy & Wire, Inc. in Oil City, Pa.

2005

JOHN I. BAKER was recently honored as the 2012 Employee of the Year for Gustavus Adolphus Family Services in Jamestown, N.Y. John is a treatment coordinator with oversight of one of the boys' residential units. SUSAN (MILLER) EVANS, PH.D. '05M has joined the staff of LECOM Institute for Successful Aging, Erie, as a licensed psychologist. She is a member of the North Shore Neuroscience Group and a private practitioner of 16 years.

MELISSA A. LOASKIE is an auditor with the federal government. AARON C. PHILLIPS '05M has been named chief administrative officer of the Erie TimesNews. He formerly served as human resources director.

white students in the Gateway School District. Epryl won a Racial Justice Award in education from the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh, and is a second-grade teacher at Evergreen Elementary School in Gateway School District and president of Raising Achievement in Monroeville and Pitcairn, Inc.

JESSICA L. VOICH, D.M.D. recently graduated with the highest honors from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and was inducted to the Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) Honorary Dental School on May 20, 2012. Jessica will be serving four years as an Army dentist.

MELISSA L. PRESTO graduated from Duquesne University Law School and is a law clerk in the office of Judge Oliver Lobaugh in Venango County, Pa.

MICHAEL W. WORTHINGTON '05M recently became the high school principal at United High School in Armagh, Pa.

2006

GREGG M. GARCIA smashed the course record at Lawrence Park (Pa.) Golf Club with a 61. He also won the EDGA Mid-Amateur at Lawrence Park in July. EPRYL L. KING '06M has organized a group called The Closing the Achievement Gap Planning Committee. The group is working to close the student performance gap between black and

TAMMY R. RETTGER is an assistant director with Kids R Kids Learning Academy. KENT SMITH '06C is the new superintendent with the Susquenita School District, near Harrisburg, Pa. GREGORY L. VOYTKO is a fund accountant for BNY Mellon, Pittsburgh.

2007

MEGAN M. CARNIEWSKI is a programs officer at International Orthodox Christian Charities.

A Very Good “Morning” It’s not unusual to see Gannon graduates on national television, but most of them are among the many successful communications arts majors who work in the business. So it’s worth noting when a graduate of the Villa Maria School of Nursing appears on ABC’s popular “Good Morning America” program.

Kleber (far right) appears along with other nurses who treated Roberts (third from left)

She’s Julie Kleber '11, who was no stranger to the television cameras when she led the Lady Knights basketball team in scoring as a senior during the 2010-11 season. Her GMA appearance had nothing to do with athletics, though. Kleber is now a staff nurse in the Bone Marrow Unit of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the world's oldest and largest private cancer center, where she was among a team of nurses who treated Robin Roberts, GMA’s anchor. Roberts took a leave from the program after being diagnosed in 2012 with myelodysplastic syndrome. Following treatment that included a bone marrow transplant, she returned to GMA on Feb. 20. Kleber and other members of the treatment team gathered at ABC studios for the broadcast, a welcome-back tribute to Roberts. “I am so full of gratitude,” Roberts said on the program. “There are so many people that I want to thank throughout the morning—my doctors and nurses and family and colleagues and people who have sat in this chair and those who have blazed the trail before me.”

alumnotes

REV. DANIEL R. HOFFMAN has been appointed vice chancellor of the Diocese of Erie.

TALIA “TIA” PIAZZA '06M is taking on her second battle with cancer before the age of 30... Please share and spread the word about her blog. Let's help Tia share her story with so many others who are faced with fighting cancer. Her blog can be found at: http://taliakickscancersass. wordpress.com/

Alumni

in memoriam

Sister John F. Aiello ’69 VMC Josephine Alecci ’72 VMC Edward A. Anderson ’48 Rev. Stephen A. Anderson ’75, ’89M Ronald J. Angelotti ’62 Kelly Wanstreet Ayers ’89 Leland J. Bailey ’80 William J. Barabas ’76 John W. Barber ’53

Dominic F. Cagnoli ’54

Daniel E. Flynn ’64

Lyle T. Hickey ’61

John B. Cannito ’71M

Maxine Carlson Fountain ’45 VMC

Helen Dugan Howard ’45 VMC

Karen Sittig Centi ’01M Eliz Iaderosa Chapin ’69 VMC

James E. Fromknecht ’56

Frederick C. Kelsey ’51

Sandra Sabino Chinn ’65 VMC

Rita Gallagher ’47 VMC

Karen E. King ’79 VMC

Louis R. Cicerone ’67

Richard F. Gardner ’53

Christopher J. Klein, Esq. ’77

Fr. Robert P. Cipriano ’62

John P. Gavin ’58

Robert C. Klomp ’62

Nicholas W. Collins ’72

Richard J. Gensheimer ’52

Michael J. Komo ’73

Frank Colosimo, III ’92

Linda Golebieski Gigliotti ’72 VMC

Lawrence J. Konefal ’72

Elenora Honse Coulson ’47 VMC

Thomas W. Glover ’49

Edward R. Konkol ’67M Suzanne W. Konnerth ’65 VMC

Dennis J. Crotty ’65

Mark S. Grabowski ’80

Sanford J. Dalglish ’66

Kenneth H. Greene, Jr. ’04M Walter L. Greiner ’61

Kenneth S. Bird ’89M

Madeline R. Derminer, R.N. ’46 VMC

Linda O'Polka Bishop ’62 VMC

Louis J. Dibacco ’51

Ronald E. Grochowicz ’73

Gerald J. Bobango, Esq. ’64

Ralph R. Dibble ’58

John R. Guthrie ’57

Clarence G. Boehm ’51

Alysanne Wilson Doubet ’69M

Joseph L. Guzzy ’50

Christine Ivan Bolling ’78

Lowell F. Lawson, USA (Ret.) ’55

Daniel J. Driscoll ’57

Rev. Msgr. John B. Hagerty ’49

Arthur R. Brozell ’50

Louis Lechtner ’51

Nikola Drobac ’09C

Barbara Guerrein Hart ’41 VMC

Ralph S. Bruno ’59

Charles J. Leingang ’64

Daniel W. Dubowski ’79, ’82

James P. Hart ’64

Leonard A. Brzozowski, D.D.S. ’51

Walter P. Lempicki ’60

Edith Smith Duffy ’70 VMC

Lynn Egger Hastings ’78 VMC

James A. Dylewski ’75

Emma Scarano Hau ’45 VMC

Virginia Werner Leopold ’44 VMC

Michael V. Ehrensberger ’96

Kathleen L. Haumesser ’88

Raymond A. Loar ’93

Edward P. Eller ’58

Norbert Hepfinger, Ph.D. ’54

Jerome F. Lott ’62, ’90M

Robert M. Barney ’72, ’77M Robert J. Bennett ’77

Edward H. Bula ’56 Kyle J. Busch ‘92M Patricia A. Buszek ’78

ADAM J. FOUST '10M is currently a physical therapist at UPMC Center for Rehab Services in Sarver, Pa. KRISTEN (MATLAK) GEHRLEIN '06 was awarded the 2011-2012 Independent Council on Aging Member of the Year Award. ERIN H. SCHMIDT-WRIGHT '07M, '10C, '11C is the unit principal at Mt. Lebanon (Pa.) High School. KELLEE J. SNYDER is a school psychologist for Hopewell Area (Pa.) School District. STEVEN M. SRNKA has joined Logitics Plus, Inc. as compliance counsel in Erie, and will provide support to Logistics Plus customers on import and export compliance matters.

2008

VALERIE A. ADAMS is a mechanical engineer with Swanson Rink in Denver.

Martin J. Griffin, USA ’59

was named volunteer of the year by the Norwin Chamber of Commerce. CHRISTOPHER D. HODERNY '11M is an account representative for ComDoc, Inc. in Pittsburgh. REV. BRANDON M. KLECKNER has been appointed parochial vicar of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Clearfield, Pa. MOLLY J. LEWIS is attending Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business to pursue a Master of Business Administration degree. LUCAS D. MCGUIRE recently graduated with the highest honors from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and was inducted to the Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU) Honorary Dental School on May 20, 2012. Lucas will be doing an Orthodontic residency in Cleveland at Case Western University.

RYAN W. DRABINA is currently pursuing his Master of Physician Assistant degree at Gannon University.

JESSICA A. MURRAY is a senior corporate recruiter for Giant Eagle, Pittsburgh.

KELLY R. FENNESSY is employed as a field representative with Pa. State Sen. Kim Ward. She also finished a certificate in graphic design from the Community College of Allegheny County and

WILLIAM J. BOYLE is a Senior QA/QC laboratory technician at Life Technologies, and is pursuing his MBA.

Henry G. Jennings ’50

gannon magazine

spring 2013

2009

William F. Kuhrman ’64 Alfred N. Kunz ’52 Rev. Joseph M. Lachowski ’56 Thomas J. Lamendola ’66 Richard J. LaPrice ’63

ABBY L. CERMAK '09M is a guidance counselor at North East (Pa.) High School and also works part-time at The Plymouth Tavern. COLLEEN E. DIXON is a recruiter with TEK Systems in Pittsburgh, and also serves as a volunteer assistant women's lacrosse coach at Duquesne University. NEAL P. FORD is a an emergency room travel nurse completing a rotation in San Francisco, and is pursuing his master's degree in public administration through Pennsylvania State University. KYLE J. GOLDCAMP '11M returned to the Erie BayHawks as a practice player. Goldcamp has played three seasons with the BayHawks and averaged 14 points and 8.4 rebounds last season. ALLISON N. JONES, CPA has been elected to the board of directors of Malin Bergquist Charities, Inc. Allison is a senior accountant with the accounting firm of Malin Bergquist & Co., Erie. LEIGH A. KRAEMER '09M presented her framework for distinguishing peer drama, aggression, bullying and violence called "Levels of Aggression and Bullying" at the National Conference on Bullying in Orlando, Fla. This model has gained national attention and is also

Michael A. Loundes ’82M

Fritz Schneider ’80

Rev. Ronald J. Weir ’62

Roger J. Lusk ’49

Martha Rafalowski Novicki ’42 VMC

Ruth M. Seaberg ’88

Peter P. Wernicki, M.B.A. ’80M

Eleanor Gossman Lux ’39 VMC

Diane Raszkowski Nuzum ’77

George O. Shickler ’48

Karen S. Weston ’82M, ’02M

Rev. John S. Lynch ’69M

Stanley J. Orbanick ’94

William A. Shugars ’93

Marcella Krug Wheaton ’73 VMC

George V. MacIsaac ’52

William P. Ostrowski ’86

Joseph H. Shugart ’57

Mary Kraus Wickham ’66 VMC

Joseph F. MacKrell, Esq. ’51

Paul D. Otto ’72

Mary Williams Siegrist ’50 VMC

Carole Daggett Wilson ’77 VMC

Elaine Magda ’69 VMC

Bonnie Farrell Pakela ’64 VMC

Francis W. Skeabeck ’53

Cynthia A. Work ’07

Raymond J. Malecki, Sr. ’50

C. Michael Patrick ’69

William D. Stanley ’74

Edwin E. Wright ’54

Edmund Malits ’53

Kent R. Pattison ’80

Marie Fazio Stark ’59 VMC

Carl J. Zawistoski ’75

Lois Lynch Mallison ’61 VMC

Anthony F. Pisano ’70

Charles G. Staudt ’65

Bernard J. Marasco ’55

Claire A. Post ’59 VMC

Carol Thomas Sullivan ’80 VMC

John E. May ’82

Timothy K. Quinn ’82

Francis V. Szparaga ’62

Deacon James B. McGuinness ’69

John R. Reagle ’61

Richard Z. Taft ’51

Harry F. McLaughlin, Jr. ’72

Richard L. Reichel, D.D.S. ’53

Gerald W. Tidd ’69

Peter W. Reyburn ’67

Shirley Kiehlmeier

Rita Speigelhalter McLaughlin ’41 VMC

Geraldine F. Richards ’60 VMC

Patricia Driscoll Trapp, R.N. ’88 VMC

Rev. Joseph A. Maryland

Sister Mary M. Meldon, S.S.J.’53 VMC

Michael R. Riley ’79

Joseph J. Trevison, CPA ’69, ’98M

Leo J. Menz, Ph.D. ’49

Carmen Aponte Rodriguez ’49 VMC

Joan Johnson Trojanowski ’70 VMC

Edward P. Miller, Esq. ’65

Merrill A. Rogers ’49

Margaret Wermuth Ulin ’52 VMC

Robert E. Monahan, CPA ’68M

Thomas M. Rogers ’70

Michael Ventrello ’82

Joann Hays Mosier ’63 VMC

Nedra Powell Rooney ’60 VMC

Vicie L. Wasser ’84

Daniel P. Murray ’59

Thomas A. Ryan ’71M

Mark J. Way, Esq. ’76

Eugene C. Musante ’69

Robert L. Samick ’67

Richard L. Way ’51

Donald J. Musin ’64

Jan F. Schetzina, Ph.D. ’63

Thomas H. Weber ’61, ’74M

included in the CDC's uniform definitions for bullying due out later in 2013. Leigh Anne has recently left The Ophelia Project after four years as the director of curriculum and programming and has started her own educational consulting firm, Curriculum Solution Center, where she provides professional development and technical assistance on standards, curriculum, and school climate. ASHLEY K. KUJBUS is a senior associate in the health care services with Carbis Walker, LLP, Meadville, Pa.

ALISSA R. VERONE is currently working toward her Ph.D. in Molecular Pharmacology & Cancer Therapeutics at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo. JENNIFER WISNIEWSKI '09C is a docketing specialist with Reed Smith, a Pittsburgh law firm. SHANNON M. WROBLEWSKI '09M, '11C is an elementary teacher and technical assistant consultant for the Northwest Regional Key, a learning improvement program in Pa.

2010

Friends Kathleen A. Cegles

Rev. Richard E. Powers Donald L. Tronetti Mary R. Wolanin Dr. Mehdi Laal Zadeh

1LT ERIC W. SCHUMACHER is stationed with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky., following a one-year tour in Daegu, South Korea, where he served as a platoon leader commanding 40 American and South Korean troops. KATRINA M. STEHLIK is currently pursuing an entrepreneurial venture.

2011

ASHLEY M. BERKEBILE works at UPMC Mercy Hospital, Pittsburgh in the emergency medicine department.

CAMERON M. CURRY will be completing graduate school at the University of Toledo following the 2012-2013 academic year.

ERIN L. BOGDA was crowned Miss Crawford County (Pa.) at the 58th annual scholarship pageant.

ASHLEY M. MCLELLAN is a physician assistant with Saint Vincent Consultants in Cardiovascular Diseases in Erie.

MEGHAN J. HURLEY, PA-C '11M has joined the practice of Drs. Stuart Olinsky and Kristin Adams at Susquehanna Health Neurology.

TAYLOR E. CORN is working in Amarillo, Texas as an operations team leader for Owens Corning.

NICOLE L. RISTER '09M is an elementary school teacher with the Millcreek Township (Pa.) School District.

KRYSTAL A. KENNETT is currently enrolled in the anesthesia program at Gannon University/ UPMC School of Anesthesia.

MATTHEW S. THOMAS received his J.D. from Ohio Northern University College of Law in May 2012. He was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar and the Bar Association in 2012.

RACHEL R. SAUL '10M has been appointed to the position of grants and development Coordinator for West Virginia University's Extended Learning.

JACKI R. DAVISON '12M has accepted a physician assistant position with Women's Care of Western Pennsylvania in DuBois. ANGELICA B. DE ROSA was a student presenter for the National Space Grant Consortium, which was broadcast nationally online. Angelica presented on bone loss in space from the last shuttle mission.

alumnotes

ALYSSA B. LYONS '09M has joined the faculty at Conemaugh Township (Pa.) Middle School as an 8th grade language arts teacher.

CHELSEA E. LENAWAY '12M has accepted a full-time position in the Emergency Department at the Cleveland Clinic as a physician assistant.

2012

ASHLEY E. MECHLING has joined the practice of Drs. Anthony Ippolito and Keith Skenberger at Susquehanna Health Rheumatology in Williamsport, Pa., as a physician assistant.

HOLLY S. BENSON, PT '12M has joined the staff at The Resource Center's Diagnostic and Treatment Center in Dunkirk, N.Y. as a physical therapist.

JAMIE R. REESE '11C is currently pursuing her Juris Doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

JEANETTE C. BRITT '12M has been promoted to chief information officer for Mercyhurst University. She will also continue to serve as associate vice president for advancement for the university.

ANJALI SAHAY, PH.D. '11M served as a keynote speaker for the Asia Pacific American Forum at GE Transportation. Her presentation, "Giving Back to India: Investment Opportunities and Challenges for Indian Diaspora," will be published in 2013 as a chapter in a book titled "The New Indian Diaspora." Anjali is an assistant professor of political science and director of the international studies program at Gannon University. JENNIFER M. STEPHANY is an MRI technologist at UPMC Hamot in Erie. TIFFANY R. STUREY recently had a paper published, along with Michael T. Ganger, Ph.D., associate professor of biology at Gannon University, in Botany, a monthly journal focused on the plant sciences.

2LT JUSTIN T. BARTOO, USA is currently a Field Artillery Officer, in the United States Army.

DREW D. DEIMEL moved one step closer to qualifying for the PGA Tour by shooting a 69 at the Fountains Country Club in Lakewood, Fla., which was good enough for a top-10 finish in a 120-player field, allowing him to advance to the qualifier for the Honda Classic, with the top five of that 30-player field earning a spot in the Honda Classic.

MICHAELA E. LEFFLER was honored during the 2012 commencement ceremony for the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy with an academic excellence award, was the CVS Scholarship recipient, the Lilly Achievement Award recipient, and was a member of the dean's list for both the fall 2011 and spring 2012 semesters, earning a 4.0 for both semesters. JOCELYN MCCRUMB will be stationed at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany following her military training in Texas. SARAH C. SRNKA is an export compliance specialist with Logistics Plus, Erie. BRITTANY A. SWIFT is the new 4th grade teacher for the Wattsburg Area (Pa.) School District. EMILY E. TAFT is the 2012 recipient of the Tese Caldarelli Memorial Scholarship.

ALEXANDRIA DELPIOMBO has joined the Morehead State University volleyball staff as director of operations. In her new position, Alex will handle the video work for the Eagles and serve in a variety of day-to-day roles.

from the archives 1963 Winter Carnival "Fantasy in Snow" Just as spring follows winter, Gannon's Springtopia celebration was preceded by the Winter Carnival, an annual event that was a much-anticipated highlight of the campus calendar. We can't guarantee that you'll win the big stuffed bear if you can identify any of these 1963 Winter Carnival revelers, but you won't have to buy a chance, either.

Do you recognize the students pictured here? Email Bob Dobiesz in Gannon Archives at dobiesz001@gannon.edu.

gannon magazine

spring 2013

Your estate plan gift can support cutting-edge facilities for Gannon students now.

n rnizatio e d o M y brar Nash Li

H am m e rmill M

oderni zation

Your estate plan gift can provide long-term funding support for these critical student capital projects. With your gift, you will be recognized now with a named room in the capital project of your choice. For more information on how your estate plan gift later can secure a naming opportunity now contact:

Recreation Center

Tony Fulgenzio, Director of Philanthropy fulgenzi001@gannon.edu (814) 871-7786

Classroom

Technolog y 29

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 5605 Pittsburgh, PA

Gannon University 109 University Square Erie, PA 16541-0001 www.gannon.edu/magazine

Want to help Gannon go green? Complete the subscription form at www.gannon.edu/magazine to be notified when the online edition of Gannon Magazine has been posted, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll stop sending you a print copy.

2013

FPO

JOIN IN THE EXCITEMENT AT THE 2013 ALUMNI HOMECOMING REUNION WEEKEND

OCTOBER 4-6, 2013!

Highlights: Class of 1963 (50th Reunion) Distinguished Alumni Dinner Heritage Society Luncheon Villa Maria College Alumna Tea African-American Alumni Party Center for Social Concerns (25th Anniversary)

Golden Knight Statue (Unveiling) Parade with Student Floats Tailgate Party Football Game AND MUCH MORE!