Summer 2012
Destination: Success Terri Motraghi ’10 follows the path to her biggest adventure yet as a Fulbright scholar, p. 8.
In this Issue: Faculty connect classrooms and real world, p. 10 • A day in the life of orientation advisers, p. 14
from the
president
The signs directing visitors to Gannon University point to downtown Erie. But our campus buildings, beloved and embedded in our urban community, are only the vessels that contain the University. In seeking to truly find Gannon, you could point to the students—and they are certainly the President Taylor with Dawna Mughal, reason Gannon exists. Ph.D., associate professor of sport and They are the objects exercise science, enjoying this year’s of our purpose, but International Night celebration. are they the enduring Mughal is a native of the Philippines. core of the University? Or, is the Mission statement where the University can be found? In a sense it is, at least philosophically, but if one were to seek the most tangible location for Gannon, I suggest that it is found in our faculty. More dynamic than a collection of buildings, more permanent than our successive waves of students and more concrete than a written statement, the extraordinary group of individuals we recognize as our faculty are truly the beating heart of the University. Their strength is in their individual differences that animate who they are and how they share of themselves. They came to Gannon from many nations on six continents; however, that is only one of their distinctions. More importantly, their families, cultures, professional backgrounds and even hobbies have blessed our faculty with a breathtaking range of life experiences (read about three such individuals on p. 10).
Keith Taylor, Ph.D. President Karla Wludyga Director of Public Relations and Communications
Vol. XXVI, No. 1 • Summer 2012 Gannon University • 109 University Square Erie, Pennsylvania 16541 • (814) 871-7000 www.gannon.edu
Audrey E. Starr Publications Officer and Editor starr007@gannon.edu (814) 871-5817
Gannon Magazine is published three times annually (Winter, Spring and Summer) by the Office of Public Relations and Communications at Gannon University. Please note that Gannon Magazine is produced approximately three months in advance of the actual publication date. Submissions received after production has begun will be included in a subsequent issue. All submissions are subject to editing. www.gannon.edu • www.gannon.edu/magazine • www.facebook.com/GannonMagazine
This is precisely their value, for it is the tools for life, not simply a career or profession, that we offer our students: a full and rich life, grounded in faith and elevated by wisdom. Faith and wisdom, fullness and richness; these are the gifts our faculty have to offer, and the diversity of them is evident in this issue of Gannon Magazine. In my years as provost, I had the privilege to get to know each member of our faculty. I am extremely impressed and often humbled by the collective imagination represented by the nearly 200 men and women who serve this University so well on a full-time basis and by the dozens who play a critical adjunct role. It gives me great pleasure to read a few of their stories in this issue: Honorees at this year’s Faculty Awards Convocation are mentioned on p. 6, while the Faculty Focus subject, Renee Liu, Ph.D., explains how she motivates students—even the ones who are less enamored with math. There is a world of knowledge and experience in their collective presence here, and it is into the modern world that we send our graduates to become leaders in their professions and communities. These communities are increasingly places where Gannon is not currently well-known, such as Haiti, the east coast of China, the villages of South Africa and the bustling urban centers of the Indian subcontinent. Our students are in these locations today thanks, in no small part, to the increasing generosity of far-seeing alumni who are supporting program growth and our endowments for study abroad. We thank you for that support and encourage you to maintain and amplify your efforts so that someday—someday soon—when someone asks where Gannon University can be found, you can say, “all over the globe,” and have the satisfaction of knowing that you made that a possibility.
Keith Taylor, Ph.D., President
Curious about the new format? Visit the magazine’s Facebook page for a note from the editor.
advisory board
special thanks
Thomas Camillo Kimberly Cavanagh, DHSc, PA-C Britt Dyer Daehnke ’98, ’05M Caroline DiPlacido ’86 Kathy Felong ’83 Cathy Fresch Frank Garland Mary Carol Gensheimer Susan Haarman Andrew Lapiska ’09M Joe Mattis ’69 Jerry Miele ’73, ’85M Catherine Oakley ’05M Rick Prokop, DSL Nicholas Pronko ’10M
Paul DeSante, Ph.D. Jana Hunt
photography Ed Bernik Rick Klein ’84 Joe Mattis ’69 Tim Rohrbach
design Tungsten Creative Group
printing Knepper Press
class notes and address changes Jana Hunt Coordinator of Gifts and Records hunt001@gannon.edu (814) 871-7469
contents
features
The Gannon University Magazine Summer 2012
8 Destination: Success
14 New Directions
The postgraduate adventures of Fulbright scholar, Terri Motraghi ’10.
BY JOHN CHACONA
Find out what it takes to welcome incoming students to campus as a New Student Orientation adviser.
10 Careers and Classrooms BY JOHN CHACONA
Faculty life experiences prove valuable in the classroom.
Kelly Matczak ’02C, ’04M helped Archie visit the Atlantic Ocean in Delray Beach, Fla., in May. See more Golden Knight Quest updates on p. 25.
Travel enthusiast Terri Motraghi ’10 experiences her first camel ride, in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco.
departments
on the cover
02 16 17 18 20 28
newsnotes alumnifocus facultyfocus sportsscan alumnotes fromthearchives
News, Notes and Quotables
newsnotes
Board of Trustees Sees Changes With the start of the new academic year, Gannon University’s Board of Trustees says goodbye to one longtime trustee and welcomes two new individuals to the Board. Retiring from the Board is William C. Springer ’63, who has served as a Trustee since May 1990. He is a retired business executive from Heinz, living in Tucson, Ariz. During his time as a Trustee, he served on the University Advancement Committee, taking William C. Springer ’63 on the role of chairperson for several years, the Executive Committee and was also part of the most recent Presidential Search Committee. The University thanks him for his commitment and dedication to Gannon. Joining the Board for three-year terms, beginning this fall, are alumni Richard G. Orlando, M.D. ’76 and Margaret A. VanderLaan ’89.
Richard G. Orlando, M.D. ’76
Orlando, founder of Columbus Ophthalmology Associates in Dublin, Ohio, graduated with honors from Gannon, earning a bachelor’s degree in biology. He earned a doctor of medicine degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed his residency in ophthalmology at Ohio State University Hospital in Columbus. Since 2000, he has served as a clinical assistant professor at Ohio State. He is a 2005 Gannon University Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. Orlando and his wife, Cindy, have two daughters, Kristen and Katie.
VanderLaan, vice president of corporate communications at MWH Global in Broomfield, Colo., earned a bachelor’s degree in communication arts (with a proficiency certificate in German) from Gannon. An active member of her community, VanderLaan serves on the Downtown Denver Partnership Management Group, the Denver Civic Ventures Board of Margaret A. VanderLaan ’89 Directors and the Downtown Denver Events Board of Directors. In 2011, Gannon honored her as a Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. She and her husband, John, live in Highlands Ranch, Colo. 02
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Gannon Named University Partner of Flagship Niagara Gannon has been named the official "university partner" for the Flagship Niagara, providing financial support for the Niagara over the next two years. In addition to Gannon, Erie Bank and WJET24/FOX-66/yourerie.com were announced as strategic partners of the historic vessel. The two-year partnership will help educate students, forward the University Mission and recognize alumni and friends, noted President Keith Taylor, Ph.D. The partnership includes two scholarships that will allow Gannon students to experience life on the historic vessel, while several University events are planned aboard the ship (see p. 27 for an alumni event coming this September).
International Night By the Numbers:
23 rd annual 550 tickets purchased 23 countries represented 1,000+ plates of food 365 international students (Spring 2012 Semester)
Gannon Grads Fare Well, Despite Down Economy Gloomy economic conditions can’t keep down Gannon University graduates, who continue to impress employers at a rate well above the national average. More than 95 percent of Gannon students recently earning advanced degrees have secured positions related to their chosen field or are continuing their education. According to the University’s Office of Career Development and Employment Services, more than 93 percent of the nearly 500 students, who in 2010-11 earned master’s and doctoral degrees, are working in positions directly related to those degrees. About 2 percent are continuing their education. Several graduate-level programs with at least five graduates—embedded software engineering, electrical engineering and web development—had 100 percent job placement rates.
Bishop Honored at Commencement The Most Rev. Donald W. Trautman, S.T.D., S.S.L., Bishop of Erie, served as keynote speaker for the University’s spring commencement exercises. He was awarded the Ut Diligatis Invicem award, given to an individual who has demonstrated a strong commitment to his or her faith and is a living example of the Judeo-Christian ideal of love at work. Some 769 degrees were awarded during the ceremony, held May 5, bringing the 2011-12 Academic Year graduate total to nearly 1,000.
“Be headlights, not taillights. Get out in front; lead; show others the way. Be a light for the world.” — Bishop Trautman"
DPT Students Help with Club Fit Program A group of four Gannon Doctor of Physical Therapy students are doing what they can to educate young women about the importance of exercise and proper nutrition.
The Gannon students, with help from Mary Jean Taylor, MA, PT, PCS, led the girls in exercises three times a week and
offered nutritional advice and stressed the importance of positive body image and self-esteem. Taylor, an adjunct faculty member and wife of President Taylor, has conducted extensive research on childhood obesity and the health problems associated with it. “Our focus with Club Fit is on helping the students learn and acquire positive habits that will serve them well for a lifetime,” she explained. The program is in cooperation with Erie-GAINS (Gannon Alliances to Improve Neighborhood Sustainability), Gannon’s urban development campaign designed to benefit neighborhoods surrounding the campus.
newsnotes
(L to R) Kelly Maine, Katie McNellie, Nancy Brown and Krista Lam led more than 20 female East High students in Club Fit, a voluntary fitness, nutrition and wellness program developed by Gannon in partnership with the Erie School District and the Hamot Health Foundation, which has helped fund the program with a $10,000 grant.
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newsnotes
$600,000 Grant to Fund STEM Scholarships
The National Science Foundation has awarded Gannon a $600,000 grant that will allow the University to continue to offer scholarships in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. Gannon received the same amount from the foundation in 2008, which has funded the Scholars of Excellence in Engineering and Computer Science (SEECS) scholarship program. Gannon has provided more than 60 scholarships from the 2008 grant and expects to provide more than 20 this year, in the fourth and final year of the original grant. The scholarships will be awarded to academically gifted students with a demonstrated financial need, with an emphasis on finding and attracting minority students and students from under-represented groups.
Students Start Summer with Service Fresh off a tiring week of taking final exams, giving presentations and writing papers, more than 20 Gannon students traveled to Vanceburg, Ky., and to Washington, D.C., in May to focus on social justice and service. One staff member (Susan Haarman, associate director of Campus Ministry) and 13 students traveled to Glenmary Farm, a Catholic missionary organization that has been an integral part of life in Lewis County, one of the poorer counties in Kentucky, for more than 40 years. The group focused on community with reflection and prayer by “unplugging” from electronic devices for the week. They also visited with residents of a nearby nursing home, volunteered at a food bank and helped with residential construction efforts.
Members of the D.C. trip with alumna Dana (Kennedy) Fallon, Esq. ’91, who brought along her Golden Knight to help at Food & Friends (see p. 25 for more updates on the Golden Knight Quest).
In Washington, D.C., two faculty members (Carolyn Knox, M.S., PA-C ’84, ’96M, assistant professor of physician assistant studies and Mary Jean Taylor, MA, PT, PCS, adjunct faculty member of physical therapy and wife of President Taylor) and eight students stayed at the Father McKenna Center, a drop-in center for homeless men, visiting with residents and preparing and serving meals. In addition, the group helped at Food & Friends, which provides meals, groceries and assistance to individuals with life-challenging illnesses (such as HIV/AIDS and cancer), Joseph’s House, a hospice for homeless men and women dying of AIDS and cancer, and the National Coalition for the Homeless.
Dream Machine Encourages Recycling A.J. Teets Recognized for Green Efforts Gannon has partnered with Pepsi to help ensure that the environment is preserved for future generations. The University recently installed the Pepsi Dream Machine, an interactive recycling center that allows students and faculty to exchange plastic bottles and aluminum cans for points redeemable for online prizes. The effort is powered by Greenopolis, which allows users to use an ID card to redeem their points online for local discounts on entertainment, dining and travel. Installed in February, the machine is located in the Waldron Campus Center’s Power Room and is one of more than 4,000 Dream Machines in 37 states. In addition to the environmental impact, Pepsi will also donate to the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities. According to A.J. Teets ’02, ’04M, director of purchasing, the machine operates at no cost to Gannon and has garnered considerable interest from students. “Shortly after it was installed, we started receiving emails biweekly that it was filled,” Teets said. Once full, Waste Management transfers the material to recycling sites. Teets was instrumental in the acquisition of the machine, for which he received Gannon’s spring Greening Award, an honor presented to members of the Gannon community who have contributed to the University’s sustainability and environmental efforts. The award, which the Gannon Goes Green Committee presents two to three times annually, began in 2009 as a way to recognize green accomplishments on campus. 04
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A celebration of student, faculty and staff accolades
knightlights by Joe Cuneo
International Student Helps Local High Schoolers For most international students, simply seeing the nation’s capital, the site of the bloodiest battle in American history and other historic locations would constitute as overwhelming experiences. But for Menglong Cai, a junior finance major from China, it was not enough just to be a tourist. Cai is one of seven Gannon students participating in Gannon’s GO College (Gaining Options for College Collaborative) program. Previously known as Gannon University Mentoring Services (GUMS), GO College is a multi-dimensional educational program aimed at academic enrichment, college exposure and servicelearning at Strong Vincent, Central Tech, and East high schools.
What else are students, faculty and staff doing? Visit www.gannon.edu/ News-and-Events/Accolades for a full listing of their recent accomplishments.
“Years ago, for an inner-city school, going to college was the exception, whereas we operate from the standpoint that college is the expectation,” program director Michael Cifelli '04M said. In addition to academic mentoring, GO College accompanies students on several trips each year, exposing them to historic sites and educational opportunities. On May 8-10, the College staff went with recent Strong Vincent graduates to Washington,
D.C., before joining a group of rising seniors to Pittsburgh and Gettysburg June 12-14. “We were there to share our college experience and our knowledge,” Cai said, noting that while in Washington, they visited the White House, Capitol Hill and several museums. The trip to Gettysburg served as a different kind of lesson for the students, where they visited the battle site Little Round Top, where the school’s namesake, Col. Strong Vincent, led Union forces to victory over the Confederacy in the Battle of Gettysburg. “Seeing the battlefields and hearing the stories in person really brings to life what they study in class,” Cai said. A unique and exceptional story in the GO College circle, Cai knew little English upon arriving in Erie, but has since immersed himself in the Gannon and Erie communities through the program. Though he had previously never been to an American high school, Cai now shares in mutual experiences that extend beyond cultural boundaries. “I’m good at math, and I was able to help a lot of them with that. I’ve formed a lot of friendships and have shared a lot of cultural experiences,” he said.
New Provost Arrives at Gannon Gannon University President Keith Taylor, Ph.D., has named Andrew J. Novobilski, Ph.D., as the University’s provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. Novobilski was one of more than 100 applicants. As one of three finalists, he interviewed on campus with the president, a search committee, faculty, staff and students. “We were fortunate to attract a strong group of highly qualified candidates to this critically important position,” Taylor said. “The search committee did terrific work in their analysis and process of gathering campuswide input, and I am confident that Dr. Novobilski is the right person for the job.”
Linda Fleming, Ph.D., has served as Gannon’s interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs since July 1, 2011, and was recently named dean of Gannon’s College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences. Novobilski earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Drexel University in Philadelphia, a master’s degree in computer science and engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington, and a doctor of philosophy degree from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Prior to his position as dean, Novobilski maintained positions at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and in the chancellor’s office at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Novobilski has written two books on the subject of computer programming, has authored or co-authored numerous other journal articles and has participated in national and international conferences. Cuneo is a senior journalism-communications major and intern in the Office of Public Relations and Communications.
newsnotes
Novobilski previously acted as dean of the College of Sciences and Mathematics and as a professor of computer science at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Ark.
“Gannon University represents an outstanding opportunity to serve within a vibrant, student-centered community that very proudly embraces its Catholic Identity,” Novobilski noted. “I am very excited about working with Dr. Taylor and with a dynamic group of faculty, staff and students in building a shared vision for Gannon University as it continues its commitment to excellence locally, nationally and globally.”
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Movers Shakers Retired
Roberta Barilla ’73VMC, assistant professor of education Margaret Clark, Ph.D., assistant professor of education Ken Hanas, supervisor of lab operations Thomas Hudson, assistant professor of physical therapy MaryAnne Kozak ’67, instructor, organizational learning and leadership James Nunes, painter Sharon Santia ’69, coordinator, tutorial services Doug Zimmerman, director of Student Living
Promoted
Advancement to the rank of professor: Gregory Andraso, Ph.D., biology Michael Caulfield, Ph.D., mathematics Stephen Frezza, Ph.D., software engineering Berwyn Moore, M.F.A., English
Advancement to the rank of associate professor: Holly Jodon, M.P. A.S. ’83, physician assistant Martha Kosir, Ph.D., foreign languages and cultures Mary Vagula, Ph.D., biology
Tenured
Martha Kosir, Ph.D., foreign languages and cultures David Nordquest, Ph.D., philosophy Luke Rosielle, Ph.D., psychology Rebecca Willow, Ed.D., community counseling
Familiar Faces
Linda Fleming, Ph.D., interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, to dean of the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences The Very Rev. Michael Kesicki ’83, theology instructor, to associate vice president for Mission and Ministry Ted Marnen ’09, interim director, to director of Campus Police and Safety Ward McCracken ’72, ’74M, dean of Student Development, to dean of the Student Success Center Bradley Rzyczycki, interim head coach, to head football coach The Rev. George Strohmeyer, vice president for Mission and Ministry, to University chaplain
New Faces
Denise Bakerink, director of Student Living Jeffrey Corcoran, director of the Small Business Development Center Matthew Kraemer, music director of Gannon University's Erie Chamber Orchestra R. Brian Nichols, vice president for Student Development and Engagement Andrew Novobilski, Ph.D., provost and vice president for Academic Affairs (also see p. 5) Erika Ramalho, director of community and government relations 06
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Students Create Sports News Show Ever dream of seeing your face on ESPN’s “SportsCenter?” For 14 communication arts students, that fantasy was nearly reality this spring, as they took part in a class that produced an online sports magazine show focusing on Gannon’s sports teams. “GU-REVU,” in the vein of “60 Minutes,” was fashioned entirely by the Video Pre-production and Performance, and Production/Post-production, classes. “They did everything themselves. They contacted subjects, set up the interviews and shot all their own B-roll,” said Mary Carol Gensheimer, assistant professor of communication arts. Gensheimer led seven students in the performance group, which compiled scripts, generated on-air content and collaborated with students in the Production/Post-production class under the direction of communication arts instructor David Blaetz ’84, ’10M. The seven students in this group were responsible for the shooting of footage, directing and editing of the program. The students often went to painstaking lengths to ensure the program’s aesthetic value, which featured animated graphics and professional-quality editing. Gensheimer estimated that nearly 20 hours was needed for a 1½-minute package. Once finished, each episode was posted on Edge (edge.gannon.edu), a student-produced online magazine, as well as on YouTube. After producing a cooking show last year, Gensheimer said the communications department plans on a music show for next spring.
Faculty Awards Convocation Berwyn Moore (pictured with President Keith Taylor, Ph.D.) was among several faculty honored in April during the annual Faculty Awards Convocation. Moore, professor of English, received the Distinguished Faculty Award. Other honorees included: the Rev. Jason Glover ’98 (SGA Excellence in Teaching Award and the Bishop Trautman Feed My Sheep Award); Michael Ganger, Ph.D. (Undergraduate Research Award); Parris Baker, Ph.D. ’92 (Advising Award for the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences); Karinna Vernaza, Ph.D. (Advising Award for the College of Engineering and Business); Elisa Konieczko, Ph.D. ’84 (Advising Award for the Morosky College of Health Professions and Sciences); Deb West, Robert Sparks, Kim Blount ’82VMC and Lawrence Maxted (25 Years of Service Awards); and Robert Allshouse (transitioning to retiree status), Roberta Barilla ’73VMC, Margaret Clark and Thomas Hudson (Retirement Awards). We congratulate these individuals for their commitment to Gannon and its students.
in the details A closer look at Gannon, behind the scenes
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Dayof Caring
Nearly 400 Gannon University students, faculty, staff and alumni dedicated April 21 to making the Erie area a better place during United Way Day of Caring. This year, GU volunteers focused on environmental projects and on sites located within the University’s Erie-GAINS (Gannon Alliances to Improve Neighborhood Sustainability) neighborhood. The neighborhood encompasses the area bordered by Presque Isle Bay to the north, Parade Street to the east, 11th Street to the south and the Bayfront Parkway to the west.
Here are just a few of the 25 projects Gannon volunteers took part in:
2. Gridley Park: trash pickup, landscaping and general beautification of the park. 3. Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park (LEAF): outdoor work and beautification. 4. St. Patrick Church: mulching and landscaping.
newsnotes
1. Bayfront Highway bluffs: trash pickup and outdoor cleanup with the Bayfront Beautification Project.
5. Emmaus Soup Kitchen: community garden work. 07
D
estination:
Alumna Terri Motraghi ’10 knows a thing or two about firsts: She was the first in her family to go to a four-year college, and she made her first trip overseas as a junior at Gannon. Now, she is representing the University again as the school’s first reported graduate to be named a Fulbright scholar. Gannon Magazine talked to her about what happened when she caught the travel bug, why she’s about to spend 10 months in New Zealand and how her decision to study abroad changed her life. You spent your junior year studying abroad at the University of Oxford in England as a visiting student of psychology. How was your life different after this experience? In my case, studying abroad during my undergraduate years changed almost everything about my life. I changed my major, met my husband, went on to earn my master’s degree abroad and was inspired to apply to the Fulbright Program. This chain of events only happened because I studied abroad during my time at Gannon.
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Did you catch the travel bug? Definitely! During my year abroad, I traveled to 11 countries. We had eight weeks of class followed by six weeks of vacation, so there was a lot of time between terms, and it was very affordable. For instance, I got a round-trip ticket to Ireland for about $10, so we made it a point to take a lot of weekend trips or short trips around Europe. Since graduation, I’ve been to Morocco, Portugal and Mexico, and domestically I’ve visited 21 states. You returned to England after graduation to pursue a master’s degree—and still found a Gannon connection. That’s right! I moved to the United Kingdom to pursue a Master of Science degree in child development and education at the University of Oxford. During this time, I was also
Success the visiting student adviser at St. Edmund Hall for American undergraduate students studying abroad, including Becky Perry ’11. I provided emotional, social and academic support to students— one day I would be organizing a pub trip, the next I would be comforting a homesick student or offering to read over essays. Since then, what have you been up to professionally? I’ve been working with U.S. combat veterans, first at the VA Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans in Waco, Texas, and most recently in San Francisco, Calif., at the VA Medical Center, where I am a study coordinator and diagnostic clinical interviewer for a research study examining the effects of an intervention for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. You received word in February that you were one of nine individuals awarded a Fulbright grant to New Zealand during the upcoming year. Tell us more about this program. The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and provides funding for students, scholars, teachers and professionals to undertake graduate study, teaching and advanced research abroad for one academic year. I’ll be doing the latter, but also plan to audit psychology and education courses at the University of Canterbury. Each year, about 8,000 students apply to the Fulbright Program. The most competitive programs are in English-speaking countries, so New Zealand was particularly difficult—I believe around 10 percent of applicants received the award. What will your research focus be? My project will look at how young children were affected by the recent earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand. Specifically, I will examine educational, health and behavioral outcomes in preschool-aged children. The earthquakes were pretty devastating. Schools and homes suffered substantial damage, and much of the city is still sectioned off. Previous research suggests that children who survive natural disasters might develop heightened physiological responses such as higher blood pressure and heart rate, and teachers have reported that children have been having a lot of behavioral problems. So, I will be looking at how children have adapted to all of these changes and comparing my findings to national norms. What role did Gannon have in your Fulbright process? I love traveling and being immersed in different cultures, so I knew I wanted to apply for the Fulbright as an undergraduate student. I met with Mark Jubulis, associate professor of political science and
Opposite page top: Now a seasoned traveler, Motraghi visited Morocco (shown here in Marrakech) to celebrate her husband’s birthday. Left: Motraghi took advantage of her proximity to historical sites (like the Eiffel Tower in Paris) while studying abroad.
the Fulbright adviser at the time, several times, and he was very supportive of my application. More than anything, the opportunities that Gannon gave me to study abroad were the biggest preparation. Having already lived in another country certainly gave my application a boost. Also, I think Gannon fosters a sense of exploration and open-mindedness that prepares students for undertaking journeys like this. The type of education I received at Gannon, both inside and outside the classroom, helped me adapt to the global world. Gannon offers so many opportunities in terms of studying abroad, servicelearning trips and simply classes that teach cultural sensitivity. I think students will be much more competitive in the world economy if they seek out these kinds of experiences.
Motraghi stands tall at one of the toughest picture spots at the Grand Canyon. She explained: “We had to drive more than two hours in a Jeep through the desert to get there. The ledge was so scary that my father-in-law nearly fainted!”
So, if you could live anywhere, where would it be? That’s the million dollar question! At this stage in my life, I have a hard time answering that. The older I get, and the more international traveling and moving I do, the more I think about settling down in coming years. I’m a native of West Sunbury, Pa., and my husband (who’s British) and I have talked about returning to the east coast one day. San Francisco is a great place to live though, so it’s hard to say for sure. We’ll have to see where life takes us! 09
Careers and Classrooms By john Chacona
Despite the persistence of the “ivory tower” myth, the borders between the academy and the so-called “real world” have always been porous at Gannon, with the traffic from each side enriching both. The most potent evidence of this phenomenon is certainly the expertise that well-rounded and intellectually curious faculty bring into their classrooms, research laboratories and scholarly writing.
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Usually, this comes from an immersion in the particular discipline in which a professor has specialized, and that is certainly the case at Gannon University. Many members of the faculty who train aspiring nurses were once nurses in various specialties and all levels of the discipline. Psychologists maintain private practices that enrich and inform their teaching, and when A.J. Miceli ’86M teaches a class in broadcast copywriting, he has tapes of his on-air performances to show how it’s done. But it stands to reason that a faculty as large and multivariate as Gannon’s brings a kaleidoscopic range of experiences with them, and not always in the kinds of careers or enthusiasms that one might expect. Timothy Coppock, Ph.D., assistant professor of clinical mental health counseling, came to counseling from an entirely logical, though unlikely, route: the ministry. Before English department professor Berwyn Moore breathed the ineffable language of poetry, she worked as a respiratory technician. The story of Michelle Homan, associate professor of environmental science and engineering, is perhaps the most conventional, but her back-story is less typical. “I study environmental pollutants and their effect on human health,” Homan says, and it’s not hard to see why. Homan grew up in Oil City, Pa., a town that had been dominated by the petroleum industry for a century. Massive oil refineries, among the first in the world, glowered over the approaches to the town, and when they began to disappear, a company town was transformed into a living laboratory for the effects of chemicals on human populations.
“Measuring chemicals in the environment is what I’m interested in,” Homan says, perhaps with some inevitability, but it wasn’t where she started. “I was a microbiology major and was really interested in viruses and how they mutate, but I found that the lab work was not for me.” She left graduate school at the Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute to work for the New York State Health Department, where she became interested in public health. “When I took my first toxicology course at SUNY Albany, I thought I needed to know more.” But she didn’t stop there. With a new master’s degree and specialization in industrial health, Homan headed to ground zero of America’s industrial Michelle Homan, associate professor of environmental heartland: Detroit. While science and engineering, began her career studying at the University of viruses, and now analyzes the health effects of industrial remains (the device below is used to analyze Michigan, Homan worked air samples, for instance). with a consultant who had access to cyclopean plants of the Big Three automakers. These days, she is a consultant herself in human health risk assessment, mostly for the Department of Environmental Protection, but also for private clients. Homan explains, “It’s taking environmental risk sampling data, say the presence of benzene in water, and based on the amount, you calculate the cancer risk with that chemical. You take all the chemicals, and you have a cumulative cancer risk.” 11
Careers and
Erie’s industrial past offers ripe possibilities for research, and Homan is eager to pursue them. She is doing soil studies in the Erie-GAINS (Gannon Alliances to Improve Neighborhood Sustainability) neighborhood with her new departmental colleague, Hwidong Kim. “He’s an environmental engineer
with a chemical analysis background, and we’re looking at the effect of soil particle size and calcium in the leaching of lead.”
She hopes to expand this study to a profile of all the different trace metals present in the neighborhood’s soils, which, Homan says, “would be helpful in doing risk assessments.” Risk assessments were also a part of Berwyn Moore’s early career. It’s a long way from the rarefied world of verse that Erie County’s inaugural poet laureate now inhabits. With no training, in 1973 Moore got a job as a respiratory technician at Babies Hospital, a pediatric hospital opened in 1920 in Wrightsville Beach, N.C., where the sea breezes were thought to be beneficial for infants and children with breathing problems. “The opportunity at the hospital was really exciting,” Moore remembered. “My work at Babies Hospital was much more than a ‘job.’ It was truly important work that allowed me to grow, learn and help people, and I’m extremely grateful for my experiences there.”
Before she breathed the ineffable language of poetry (her 2009 collection, O Body Swayed, can be seen front and center), English Professor Berwyn Moore worked as a pediatric respiratory technician.
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For a while, Moore thought that the healing arts would be her life’s work. Moore’s father was a physician, the first American doctor to live and work in Nepal after the ruling autocracy was toppled in 1951. It was during this time that Moore was born in the north Indian town of Mussoorie, at an American mission.
When she finally enrolled at the University of North Carolina, it was as a nursing major, “but I realized it wasn’t for me. I always had an interest in writing, but by the time I went to college, I thought I should do something practical, because I was older and a nontraditional student.” And that’s when the fine arts called, though not until her senior year, as well as a flirtation with education and psychology.
A faculty as large and multivariate as Gannon’s brings a kaleidoscopic range of experiences with them. “My Shakespeare professor asked me, ‘What are you doing?’ He quoted the Bard: “To thine ownself be true,” and helped me to see that maybe I could do this,” Moore said of the writer’s life. That life is not as much of a stretch as you might think. Healers experience first-hand witness to the extremes of the human condition and have cultivated powers of observation, both excellent qualifications for writing poetry. The medical careers of Thomas Campion, John Keats and William Carlos Williams are little remembered these days, but their poetry is immortal. Speaking of her time in health care, Moore says, “I have written from those experiences in the visceral kind of way. I like to think that my heart was
Classrooms compassionate before the job, but those experiences, including watching children die, were profound. When I can write about those experiences, I like to think that the writing is a way of keeping who they were alive.”
“Even today,” she continued, “there’s a feeling among people in the humanities that we are falling by the wayside. With my experiences and the difficulties I had in going back to college, I wanted to show that I could make it on my own despite not getting a preprofessional or science degree, and that was extremely valuable.” Timothy Coppock went to Earlham College with the intention of getting a physics degree. “I wanted to solve the scientific problems of the world,” he said. But after three attempts at solving calculus, and after a transformative experience in a survey course on the Bible, he exchanged physics for metaphysics. With a religion degree and little idea of a career path, Coppock took the advice of an adviser at Earlham and enrolled in the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, close to his hometown. The seminary had a television studio and Coppock, an electronics hobbyist, started hanging around and later working there. It’s an odd path that leads from the seminary to the media, but Coppock took it, landing at Dayton television station WKEF, starting as a cameraman, and within five years, rising to director, then production manager. When a change in station management left Coppock without a job, he returned to the seminary as a student and television producer. There, he developed a program called “Catch the Spirit” for the United Methodist Church with a professor of New Testament studies. “We became close,” Coppock remembered,
Timothy Coppock, Ph.D., assistant professor of clinical mental health counseling, arrived in academia from the ministry (note the Passover Seder plate on his office wall).
“and he’s responsible for my getting into the pastoral ministry.” And that’s where he stayed for 20 years, serving United Methodist churches in west and central Ohio. “I liked preaching, and it certainly allowed me to use my intellectual skills,” Coppock says. “But I didn’t like the social events that were a big part of my responsibilities.” He also liked chaplaincy, and when working with a Cincinnati pastor who was also a counselor, Coppock became interested in helping people outside the limits of his congregation. “‘You can do what I’m doing,’ my counselor told me,” Coppock remembered. “It was transformative.” While still serving as a pastor in northwest Ohio, Coppock worked on his master’s degree and doctorate, even teaching at Bowling Green University
in the process. He was an active pastor until coming to Gannon five years ago. “Once you move to the counselor’s role, you commit to being unbiased, and that means leaving your moral judgments at the door,” Coppock says. Of continuing his ministry, Coppock says, “It became untenable, because I consider counseling to be entering into a sacred relationship.” With a limited private practice (“One day a week—five days would be too much.”), Coppock is able to bring life experiences into the counseling room as well as the classroom. “The best counselors have that,” he said. The best teachers do, too.
Chacona is the copy writer in the University Marketing office.
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New Directions By john Chacona
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Ashley Dolnack is tall and has a fearlessly outgoing personality, a forceful speaking voice and a talent for using it while walking backwards. This is an unusual skill set, to be sure, but it’s perfectly suited for the task at hand. On a hot Father’s Day Sunday morning, that task involved shepherding a small group of newly minted high school graduates and their parents around the Gannon University campus, pointing out the sights and addressing questions. In the fall, those graduates will arrive on campus as first-year students. Dislocation, curiosity and a large slice of trepidation— served cold—are all on the menu, but, to be fair, so are excitement, exhilaration, hopefulness and a sense of limitless possibilities. Finding oneself transported to Gannon, it helps to have a tour guide. This summer, Dolnack and 19 other Gannon upperclassmen signed on to be advisers at the four orientation events for incoming students. Thirteen of the advisers were new to the program, and all but one were volunteers. The exception was Kaleigh McCarthy, the student coordinator of the advisers, a 40-hour per week work-study position. Not surprisingly, McCarthy is a true believer in the advisers’ mission. “I am always one to volunteer to do things. If anyone needs help, I’m the first one to raise my hand, because I’ve needed help in the past,” McCarthy says. She admits that on her first visit to Gannon she “cried all the way to Erie from Buffalo,” her hometown, before the exhilaration of college and campus life set in. She has never forgotten what it meant to her to have an older student mentor when she first set foot in Erie. “It’s very touching to me to serve as a New Student Orientation adviser,” she said. “I know how nervous you can be and what it means to have someone be nice to you, ask how you’re doing, see if you need anything.” McCarthy’s excitement is understandable, but she’s hardly alone. Jerry Miele ’73, ’85M, Gannon’s director of New Student Services, has been easing the transition to college life for so long that some of the students he once greeted at orientation have returned with their own children in tow. He says the incoming students today are pretty much like those he saw at his first orientation 28 years ago. What has changed is the maturity level and commitment of each class of advisers as they gain experience.
That event, a freewheeling questionand-answer session where parents were absent, was one of the more loosely structured parts of the day. The noise level increased as the hour went on, and both the incoming students and the advisers were clearly enjoying themselves.
International Integration
And although the four, two-day orientations are the most visible and satisfying portion of the job, advisers have plenty more to do by way of preparation. In the week before the Father’s Day event, advisers created 1,300 orientation packets stuffed with guides, brochures, information sheets and more. “We did it in two and a half days,” McCarthy says with pride. “And I have the paper cut scars to prove it.”
Because of visa restrictions, many international students do not arrive until very nearly the start of classes.
For Gannon’s 365 international students, the enormous demands of moving to a foreign country and negotiating the frenzied initial weeks of university life are almost unimaginable. For them, Gannon’s International Student Office (ISO) has created positions for six to eight International Transition Coordinators. These are international students who have been at Gannon for at least a semester.
That rules out attendance at the four orientation events during the summer, so international students have an intensive, day-long orientation the Thursday before classes begin. International student orientation is less about team-building and social bonding than it is about negotiating basic aspects of life—and not just campus life. “Coordinators will discuss things most of us take for granted: getting a driver’s license, applying for a Social Security number,” said ISO Director Judy Van Rheenen ’85.
In his remarks at the mass meeting of parents and students in Yehl Ballroom, President Keith Taylor, Ph.D., concluded his remarks with this statement: “When we say ‘Have a great day’ at Gannon, we don’t just ‘have’ them. We make them.” That is largely due to the efforts of McCarthy and her entire crew of advisers. She undoubtedly speaks for all of them—and for the office of New Student Services—when she says, “It’s a lot of work, but in the end to know that it all goes smoothly and we’ve welcomed the next generation of students into the Gannon community, that’s a great feeling.”
“Over the years, I have seen advisers grow from being shy or reserved toward being more confident. I believe being an adviser has helped them develop their skills, and the new students will connect with them because they see them as peers,” Miele said. As Chris Sambuchino, a marketing major in his first adviser year, observed, “I’m pretty good at talking in front of small groups, but I want to learn how to talk in front of large groups.” He swept his arms wide toward the 150 or so eager, burbling incoming firstyear students crowded into Club LaRiccia. Chacona is the copy writer in the University Marketing office.
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Featured Alum
alumnifocus
Larry Gioia ’04
by Joe Cuneo
No matter when you graduated, there are certain things alumni from every generation can relate to: hanging out in the cafeteria, enjoying Erie winters, celebrating Mass. Something alumnus Larry Gioia ’04 and his father, Carmen Gioia ’77, have in common, however, is a bit more unique. “Most everyone recognizes Dr. Frank Pelczar as professor of chemistry—what only a few others may know is that he is also a professor of racquetball,” Larry Gioia said. “My father always told me stories of how he and Dr. Pelczar used to play racquetball after class. When I came to Gannon, I also had the opportunity to befriend Dr. Pelczar, and he taught me the finer points of the game. His talent was still evident, as I didn’t win many games, either! I’ve always appreciated having that connection and knowing that he was a part of both our lives at Gannon.” The lessons Gioia learned at Gannon were not limited to the Rec Center, however. The Pittsburgh resident completed his undergraduate work at Gannon with a Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems (MIS), which he followed up with a Master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University in 2005. He is now a Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where he works closely with Fortune 500 IT executives and advises them on business and IT strategy.
“My work focuses on defining strategies for mobile, social, collaboration and innovation platforms across the enterprise,” he explained. In addition to his work at PwC, he is working on a new mobile application for business professionals and students. The Alphabot is a tool that allows users to quickly and accurately decipher the meaning of acronyms in the context of their usage.
“Determine what you are truly passionate about. Once you have found that passion, do it for a living.”
Gioia had the opportunity to demonstrate his passion for technology early on in his time at Gannon, as the Student Government Association’s first vice president of technology.
“I joined SGA at a time when the organization was making a push to connect with the Gannon community via the Web. One of my fondest memories was leading the design, development, and rollout of the SGA online voting system—it was the perfect opportunity to apply my degree in an organization on campus,” he said. When not attending to his responsibilities in the corporate world, he likes to trade in his smartphone and briefcase for a pair of hiking boots, a compass and a kayak. He is the co-founder and Chief Experience Officer of True North Outdoor School. His Pittsburgh-based company provides professional instruction in wilderness survival, map and compass navigation, wilderness medicine, outdoor leadership and paddlesports. 16
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5 Minutes, 5 Questions If technology scares you, I encourage you to do everything you can to embrace it. You will quickly be left playing catch-up if you subscribe to the notion that mobile is just a fad. We have just begun to scratch the surface with what can be done on that little device in your pocket that was once used only to make phone calls. Starting a business is a lot of work. When you work for a large company, you take for granted all of the behind-the-scenes work that makes it tick. It’s not uncommon for me to spend a few hours a day working on True North or the Alphabot after putting in a full day at the office. My can’t-live-without-it device is my iPhone. I use it to manage both my personal and professional life (see the first question above). I learned the most about campus as an orientation adviser and as a Gannon Student Ambassador. I really enjoyed the opportunity to welcome families and new students to campus and reassure them that Gannon was the right decision. My favorite GU activity was the time I spent with my brothers in the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.
“From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., I am a management consultant. From 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., I am an entrepreneur. Somehow I find time to sleep in between,” he said. “True North is a complete departure from my daily work in IT. It combines my passion for the outdoors with my interest in leadership, team building and entrepreneurship.” He points to his time at Gannon as the origin of this enterprising spirit. While a student, Gioia ran a freelance Web and graphic design operation, GioiaDesign.net, out of his dorm room. “Dabbling in Web design and working with real paying clients really kick-started my interest in working for myself, and also influenced my current career as a management consultant,” he said. “I have had a very strong interest in entrepreneurial endeavors ever since my time at Gannon.” Since Gioia’s diverse interests took root during his time at Gannon, he encourages current students to follow suit. “One piece of advice I would give to current students: use your time at Gannon to not only explore your interests, but more importantly, determine what you are truly passionate about. Once you have found that passion, do it for a living.” Cuneo is a senior journalism-communications major and intern in the Office of Public Relations and Communications.
facultyfocus
Featured Faculty
Passion and accounting are terms that coexist uneasily, but Jiangxia “Renee” Liu, Ph.D., assistant professor of accounting in Gannon University’s Dahlkemper School of Business Administration, has no problem reconciling the two. “Teaching is where my passion lies,” she readily admits, adding that, “What I enjoy most is the journey and experience of exploring effective methods to deliver course materials and motivate student learning.” The journey is an apt metaphor for Liu. That journey is more than one of distance, though; as a native of China, Liu came halfway around the world to find her passion. It is also the journey of her native land, which during her lifetime, has become an economic dynamo, a fate she could scarcely have imagined in the China of her birth. Accountancy was, like all aspects of the Chinese command economy, strictly controlled by the Communist Party of China, and the profession in China had little contact with—or application to— the rest of the world. All that changed in 1992 when a new accounting framework was needed for China’s exploding socialist market economy. Six years later, Liu received her Bachelor of Science degree from Chongqing University in Chongqing, China. Located in the far inland province of Sichuan, Chongqing is perhaps the least-known large city (29 million people) on the globe. The Chinese economic miracle was founded on world trade, and often that trade is in minds as well as goods. Liu came to another inland city, Dallas, where she quickly earned her Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Texas. She was a teaching assistant there, the beginning of her academic career, a career that, after a stop at Western Carolina University, led to Erie and to Gannon.
Accounting is not usually thought of as a “hightouch” profession, but Liu uses tactile imagery to describe her classroom approach. “There are some students who are not very comfortable or interested in accounting,” she says. “My aim is to help these students see, feel and learn accounting.” Like any esoteric discipline, the mysteries— and the beauties—of the orderliness represented by the notion of balancing books don’t come easily to all students. But, when the moment of understanding arrives, Liu can sense it, too. “I feel great satisfaction when they say things like, ‘Aha! I got it.’ These moments are really my ‘aha’ moments also. I tell myself, ‘Aha! I got you interested and made you understand accounting,’” she says, adding, “their smile and the feelings of achievement are my best gifts.” Liu’s classes encompass a spectrum of complexity, with introductory and advanced classes in Financial Accounting and Managerial Accounting. In 2009, a paper Liu wrote with three colleagues received the KPMG Best Paper Award at the annual meeting of the American Accounting Association in New York. The title of the paper was “The Gender Pay Gap in the Boardroom: Are Women Executives Underpaid?” It’s a topic that would have been unthinkable in the China of Liu’s childhood.
“My aim is to help these students see, feel and learn accounting.”
Renee Liu, Ph.D.
By john Chacona
A long journey, indeed, and one that would have been impossible without a certain amount of passion. Inspiring that sort of passion is Liu’s goal, and when she achieves it, she finds that it is returned, though in unusual ways and in unusual places. “Among other places, while shopping for groceries in Wegmans, strolling around downtown and at a ball game. When I’m in places like this, I find my students and they tell me, ‘Renee, you are the best.’ That is just the best thing a teacher could hear.” Chacona is the copy writer in the University Marketing office.
Education B.S. – Chongqing University M.S., Ph.D. – University of Texas at Dallas Hobbies Shopping, Cooking, Traveling, Hiking and Biking
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Athletic Accomplishments
sportsscan by Joe Cuneo
Each spring brings with it the promise of new life and novel possibilities. While previous springs also offered such unlimited prospects for Gannon University spring sports teams, strident competition and unforeseen setbacks have sometimes plagued them by season’s end.
Each team reached the postseason, with the baseball team headlining a set of sparkling seasons.
The 2012 club has set the bar high for future Gannon teams, but the Knights maintain they’re up for the challenge.
The Golden Knights’ scrappy mentality helped them achieve their first winning record (25-23) since 1985 and postseason play for the first time since making the 1970 NAIA tournament.
“Anything less than the playoffs would be a disappointment,” Tomko said.
This spring, however, was different.
Second baseman Eric Bradley won the inaugural PSAC Baseball Champion Scholar. A senior sport and exercise science/pre-med major, Bradley maintained a 3.98 GPA a year after receiving a Division II Athletics Association Academic Achievement Award.
“Teams are always going to underestimate us, but we know we’re of a high caliber, and if we just play our brand of baseball, we’ll have a good chance to compete,” said designated hitter Michael Tomko. The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association named Tomko to the All-Atlantic Region honorable mention team after he hit .340 with six home runs and 44 runs batted in. The junior was also named to the Daktronics All-Region second team.
Not to be outdone on the diamond, the softball team enjoyed its first winning season since 2009 and concluded the banner year with a solid 30-17 overall record and 10-6 mark in the PSAC. Fourth-year head coach Tom Jakubowski relied on a trio of talented hurlers to carry his veteran squad to the PSAC tournament for the second consecutive season. Megan Dragon was the Knights’ ace, earning AllPSAC West honors for the second straight year after leading the Knights in wins (13), ERA (2.08) and strikeouts (187). Jaleesa Sledge and Kirstie Cortazzo were also named All-PSAC West (after leading the Knights in almost every offensive category). Part of the new experience the spring offered for first-year women’s lacrosse coach Lindsey Lowman was being thrust into the fire of the evercompetitive PSAC, which consistently boasts the country’s best lacrosse on the Division II level.
Colleen Harriger
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Amanda Teodorsson
Michael Tomko
Sarah Grzybinski
“It was exciting and extremely fun for me,” Lowman said of her first season. “Coming in, the girls didn’t know me, and I didn’t know them, but I realized right away that they are extremely talented.” Despite the fierce competition, the Lady Knights put together another spectacular campaign, in which they went 12-6—one win short of a school record—and finished the season ranked 14th nationally. The Knights reeled off five straight wins to end the regular season, including a thrilling 14-13 victory over crosstown rival Mercyhurst. Jess Fugate shone bright for the Knights and was recognized as a second-team All-American after leading the team with 89 points, while Sarah Grzybinski was named to the Capital One Academic All-District and Academic All-America first teams after attaining a 3.84 GPA.
Kirstie Cortazzo
PSAC Commissioner Steve Murray ’85
After her first season, Lowman has noted the program’s academic tradition. “Gannon’s identity is as a very academically strong institution, and the fact that these girls are able to play lacrosse is a bonus for them,” she said. “They sometimes have to miss practices, but that’s why they’re here.”
Women’s water polo player
Colleen Harriger is well aware of the challenges student-athletes face balancing studies and athletics. The senior pre-med/biology major maintained a 3.97 GPA to land a spot on the Academic All-District First Team for the third straight year and became a two-time Academic All-American this year as well. Gannon’s women’s water polo team finished the season with a 14-22 overall record and concluded its season with an 11th place finish at the Eastern Championships. The Knights concluded the season by winning six out of their last nine games. Harriger set single-season records in assists (52) and produced the third-most steals (70) and fifth-most goals (65) in school history.
The Knights registered three top10 team finishes in four spring tournaments. This included sweeping the final two weeks of competition with wins at the Mercyhurst and Gannon invitationals. Individually, golfer Amanda Teodorsson claimed the Mercyhurst Invitational at Downing Golf Course in April with a two-day total of 160. Teodorsson also claimed top-10 finishes at the Gannon Invitational (fourth) and Ohio Dominican Invitational (eighth), while Kelly Nickerson and Bhanisha Nagindas each earned a second-place finish at the Merchyhurst and Gannon invitationals. In addition, Nickerson was named to the Capital One Academic All-District First Team and Academic All-America second team after earning a 4.0 GPA. The senior sport and exercise major was named the inaugural winner of the PSAC Champion Scholar Award in October. While the spring represented unprecedented success for many Gannon teams and individuals, coaches and players say they believe the future will bring greater accomplishments. Lowman speaks for the entirety of the spring teams, saying, “This year was for growth and learning, but we hope to improve even more next year.”
Cuneo is a senior journalism-communications major and intern in the Office of Public Relations and Communications.
sportsscan
Another key player in the Knights’ resurgent spring was the women’s golf team, which carried over its dominance of the PSAC from the fall when the Knights captured the conference team title.
Eric Bradley
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Gannon University Alumni
’50s SISTER MARY CLARE KENNEDY, S.S.J. ’50VMC was a presenter for a workshop hosted by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania on the reality of human trafficking.
’60s DEACON RONALD F. FRONZAGLIA ’65, ’71M was the speaker for the 2012 Edinboro Memorial Day Service. Fronzaglia is the deacon assistant at St. Francis Xavier Church in McKean, Pa., and is also the special assistant to the Vicar for Education in the Office of Education of the Diocese of Erie. SISTER MARY FROMKNECHT, S.S.J. ’67VMC, ’77M and SISTER MARIANNE STUCKERT ’68VMC were presenters for a workshop hosted by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania on the reality of human trafficking. JOHN T. “CHIP” MASTRIAN, CPA ’68 was honored as the recipient of the French Creek Council, Boy Scouts of America’s Distinguished Citizen Award. Mastrian is
alumnotes a retired partner in the Sharon, Pa. accounting firm of Black, Bashor and Porsche. JOSEPH R. MATTIS ’69 was reappointed to a second term on the Advisory Board of the Erie (Pa.) County Office of Children and Youth. He was also awarded the 2012 Community Service Medal by the Wattsburg Area School District. A retired sports reporter for the Erie Times-News, he was inducted into the Metropolitan Erie Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
’70s THOMAS A. CAPPELLO, MPH, FACHE ’70 retired as the North Florida/ South Georgia Veterans Health System Director on April 1 following a 40-year career with the Department of Veterans Affairs. For the past five years, Cappello administered the operation of one of the largest VA Healthcare Systems that provides care for over 130,000 veterans. JOHN S. COFFEY ’70 accepted the position of individual taxpayer advisory specialist at the Washington, Pa., IRS
walk-in office. Coffey played baseball at Gannon for Coach Ivan George from 1966-1970 and co-founded a men’s senior baseball league in Pittsburgh in 1988, and continues to play. JOHN M. FERRETTI, D.O. ’70 was the 2012 recipient of the Robert A. Kistner Award, which is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to osteopathic medical education. Ferretti is president of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie. SUSAN N. SUTTO ’73M was appointed to the Manufacturer and Business Association’s Board of Governors. Sutto is the owner of Sue Sutto Realtors in Erie. JOSEPH E. KLOECKER, MBA, CPA ’74, ’79M is a senior financial advisor at HBKS Wealth Advisors in Erie. ED BILLICK ’75 spent 32 years as an operations manager/executive before attending broadcasting school. He is now a part-time technical producer at News/ Talk 1110 WBT in Charlotte, N.C., and does sports on the weekends.
G & G Challenge Generates $50,000 for Gannon This spring, Trustees Tom Guelcher ’62, ’76M and Jim Gehrlein ’72 issued a challenge: If 1,350 gifts came in between April 1 and June 30, 2012, the pair would give Gannon $50,000. In true GU spirit, the University community rose to the challenge, with 1,591 gifts arriving by the deadline. “A sincere thank you to Mr. Guelcher, Mr. Gehrlein and all Gannon fans who showed their spirit and conquered the challenge. Because of you, the additional $50,000 will support annual scholarships, undergraduate and graduate research, classroom technology upgrades and other critical campus needs,” said Britt Daehnke ’98, ’05M, director of Gannon’s Annual Fund for Academic Excellence.
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JANIE (ROBINSON) BLYMILLER, RN, MSN ’78VMC is currently a nurse recruiter at Saint Vincent Health Center in Erie and has worked in the nursing field for 43 years. REV. TODD M. DAVIS ’79 is the pastor of two churches and also works as a patient care associate at Heritage Valley Beaver Hospital. On Sunday mornings, Rev. Davis holds services at the West Pittsburgh United Methodist and Wampum United Methodist churches. He writes that he prefers to work, because working is a connection to people, which helps him in his ministry.
’80s M. RANDY DALBOW, M.D. ’80 joined the staff at Beaufort Memorial Hospital in Wexford, Pa. Dalbow is an internal medicine specialist and will be practicing at the newly opened primary care practice, Beaufort Memorial Lady’s Island Internal Medicine. PAMELA A. MEAD, RN, BSN ’82VMC is currently the executive director for Regional Home Health and Hospice in Erie and has been a nurse for 30 years. Mead recently served as a member of the Pennsylvania Homecare Association board of directors and has been on the Gannon University Sigma Theta Tau executive committee. REV. PHILIP A. PINCZEWSKI ’82, aka “Father Phil,” marked his 25th anniversary as a Catholic priest, ordained on April 24, 1987. He has been the pastor of St. Callistus Catholic Church in Kane, Pa., for 15 years.
VERY REV. JOHN J. DETISCH, V.F. ’83 was appointed pastor of St. Jude the Apostle Church in Erie. Father Detisch still serves as dean of the Erie West Deanery, and as captain chaplain of the Erie Police Dept.
MARIA C. WILLIAMS ’83, ’88 is co-founder of Sterling Healthcare Associates Inc., which focuses on healthcare information technology implementations, training and project management. After a successful career as a registered respiratory therapist, Williams became an IT analyst and manager and most recently an IT consultant/ co-owner of Sterling. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
Alumni Association President, Dana Kennedy Fallon, Esq. ’91 The time has come for me to write my last message as president of the Gannon University Alumni Association. So, should my theme be nostalgic, or be an academic discourse on integrative education, or maybe have a cute analogy about travelers on the yellow brick road? No, I think it is simply a matter of two things I want to leave you with. The first is a sincere “thank you” to the people I have had the privilege to be associated with at Gannon. I start with the faculty and staff who continue to make my alma mater a point of pride in my life. Many of my most important relationships started when I was a student at Gannon, and I have developed several more through my involvement in the Alumni Association. I believe that Gannon attracts and develops some truly wonderful people. I see the effort and dedication that the current administration has in supporting Gannon and its Mission, and I have every confidence that the value of our Gannon degree can only improve. The second group of people who deserve thanks are my colleagues on the National Alumni Board. You can rest easy knowing that a very dedicated group of your classmates is actively involved in representing all alumni to the administration and in finding new and creative ways to connect with other alumni and current students. I have enjoyed working (and laughing) with all of the alumni I have met through the Alumni Association over the past nine years. Now, for my final thoughts and use of this most unique soapbox. One of the many things that I am proud of that we have accomplished during my tenure as president (and there are many I could mention) is the establishment of the Alumni Association Endowed Legacy Power Scholarship. This endowed scholarship will be available to help fund Gannon educations for the children of Gannon and Villa alumni. I can hardly believe it, but my classmates now have children at Gannon! In the future, when you give to Gannon, consider designating part of your contribution to this scholarship. Currently, all new funds contributed will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Power Challenge. I am very excited to see this scholarship grow and see more and more legacy alumni join our ranks. I know I am leaving the Alumni Association at a time when it has a fantastic group of energetic and creative people. Just as you do, I look forward to hearing all about the future successes of the Alumni Association and returning to campus for homecoming in October (this time, as a “civilian” alumna!)
Please welcome to the National Alumni Board: Scott Krall ’84, president; Valerie Kokor ’80, vice president; and Robert Glentzer ’00, secretary.
alumnotes
LISA (DISALVO) SPILLER, PH.D. ’82 is co-author of the book, Branding the Candidate: Marketing Strategies to Win Your Vote, a combination of academic and real-world research resulting in a fact-based book that empowers voters to become sharper, more informed political consumers. Spiller is professor of marketing in the Christopher Newport University Luter School of Business in Newport News, Va.
JOHN P. TRIGILIO ’83 authored Catholic Mass for Dummies and the second edition of Catholicism for Dummies in 2011. Trigilio is the current president of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, a national association of more than 500 priests and deacons, and is pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Marysville, Pa., and Saint Bernadette in Duncannon, Pa.
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Highlighted events include: Friday, Oct. 19 • Heritage Society Luncheon • Distinguished Alumni Dinner Saturday, Oct. 20 • Alumni Tailgate Party • Villa Maria School of Nursing 60th Anniversary Celebration • Villa Maria Alumnae High Tea • 50th Class Reunion Dinner
REV. SHAWN J. CLERKIN ’86 is a board member for Dramashop, a new contemporary theatre company in Erie founded by Zachary M. Flock ’05. A. GEORGE NEUBERT, M.D. ’86 was the recipient of the Leadership in OB Patient Safety Excellence Award given by PeriGen Inc. Neubert is chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Reading Hospital and Medical Center in Sinking Spring, Pa. CHERI R. TURNER, PHARM.D. ’86 was the keynote speaker at Meadville Martin Luther King Scholarship Corp.’s 40th annual scholarship event. Turner is director of pharmacy at Virtua Health System in Berlin, N.J., and has been a director of pharmacy at various institutions for 23 years. Most notably, in 1992 she was recognized as the first black female pharmacy director in the state of Pennsylvania. CAROL (HEALD) AMANN, RN ’88VMC, ’05M gave a presentation at the 26th annual convention for the National Gerontological Nursing Association in Louisville, Ky. Amann also completed a second term as a writer for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing’s nursing exam. She is a clinical and 22
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Plus, Gannon Magazine will be sponsoring a photo booth in Waldron: stop by between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday to create an instant souvenir of the weekend and chat with magazine staff! Visit www.gannonalumni.org/ homecoming2012 for a detailed itinerary and online registration.
theory instructor in Gannon University’s Villa Maria School of Nursing. MICHAEL J. WIDOMSKI ’89 is the deputy director of FEMA’s Office of Public Affairs. He has worked on various highprofile disasters, including as external affairs lead for the long-term recovery efforts in New York after 9/11 and as deputy public affairs lead in Florida for the 2004 hurricane recovery efforts. Widomski also serves as a board member for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Pride.
’90s ANTHONY J. BERDIS, PH.D. ’90 is a member of a research team at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland that has developed a new class of drugs to fight a common type of childhood cancer. JIM FIORENZO ’90M was unanimously approved by the UPMC Board of Corporators as the new president of UPMC Hamot in Erie, effective July 1. S. DENNIS WITKOWSKI ’90 was promoted to vice president of digital marketing with Erie Insurance in Erie. In his new role, Witkowski will oversee ERIE's online media efforts.
HEATHER A. BIGLEY ’92 received a Doctor of Education degree, with a major in instructional technology/ distance learning, from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, on May 4. LAURA (ROSE) MERRITT ’92 was promoted to the rank of assistant professor at Merchyhurst University, North East campus. Merritt joined the North East staff to launch the Medical Laboratory Technician Program, which she now directs. She previously worked as a medical technologist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Erie. SEAN M. FADALE ’93M, ’03M was named the new CEO for Community Memorial Hospital in Hamilton, N.Y., effective August 6. Fadale was previously vice president of operations at the Nicholas H. Noyes Memorial Hospital in Dansville, N.Y. KIRAN K. RAJASENAN, M.D. ’93 was among those selected as “Best Docs” by Pittsburgh Magazine in May 2012. Rajasenan is a medical oncologist at UPMC Cancer Center in Wexford, Pa. FRANCIS A. “TONY” SZABO ’93 is currently the branch manager of the Irr Supply location in Jamestown, N.Y. ANN M. BLAKESLEE ’95 received the Ken Rainey Award for Excellence in Research from the Society for Technical Communication. She is a senior member of the Society and is an English professor and director of the University Writing Center and Writing Across the Curriculum program at Eastern Michigan University in Ann Arbor, Mich. TIMOTHY P. MCMULLIN ’95 is an account service manager at Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. McMullin has also been a team leader for StarBound Entertainment, a New Castle, Pa.-based company that produces giant-sized inflatable characters, for 12 years. He has been on 55 parade routes in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. TAMI (FRIEDMAN) NETKOWICZ ’96 was selected to serve on a National Youth in Philanthropy subcommittee for the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Netkowicz has also been named a Certified Fund Raising Executive by CFRE International. She is executive director of the expERIEnce Children’s Museum in Erie.
FRANK G. EMANUELE ’99 was promoted to the rank of assistant professor at Mercyhurst University, North East campus. Emanuele is a biology professor and has taught at the North East campus since 2003.
DEBORAH (SHERBACK) PERRY ’97 was named Publisher of the Year by Macaroni Kid, a national organization of parents who put together familyfriendly newsletters. Perry is a former teacher and current stay-at-home mother of three.
AARON B. MARSHALL ’99 is employed at Xerox in Chapel Hill, N.C.
marriages
BRADLEY J. DAVIS ’97 was selected as West Valley College’s interim president, beginning July 7. Davis is currently associate vice chancellor of the West Valley-Mission Community College District in Saratoga, Calif.
’00s KELLY D. MATCZAK ’02C, ’04M is chief communications officer with the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County
in Florida and is a proud member of SouthFloridaRuns.com. ERIC J. SCHUSSLER ’02, ’04M was accepted to the Ohio State University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Ph.D. program for Fall 2012. RYAN M. BONACCI ’03 is a police officer with the Lowellville (Ohio) Police Department. JUSTIN R. LAMANNA ’03 joined UHY Advisors as a business development manager in the eDiscovery and Digital Forensics Practice Group.
Molly Elizabeth McCracken ’08M married Elliot Steven Spaeder ’06
on Aug. 13, 2011. Several fellow alumni helped celebrate, including: (bottom row) Amy (McCracken) Larson ’89, Ward McCracken ’72, Erin (Evanoff) Benson ’07, Pat Connaroe ’05, the happy couple, Becca Eberly ’08, Joanne Heintz ’07, Marlene (Vargo) Spaeder ’73, Tara (Skasik) Quinn ’05 and Christian Torchio ’05; (top row): Andrew Carmosino ’04, Ryan Morrow ’04, ’10M. Christian Niven ’04, Bryan Morphy ’07, Sean Morphy ’04, Kevin Quinn ’04, ’09M and Don Sherman (associate director of Gannon's Carneval Athletic Pavilion).
Joseph T. Lorei ’59 and his wife, Margaret, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Kenneth A. Kemmer ’99 married Kammy D. Dedig on July 2, 2011. Ryan M. Bonacci ’03 married Katherine A. Kopper on June 9, 2012.
Colleen Cole ’05 married Randy Jeffrey on May 21, 2011.
James Andrew Kistler ’07 married Leah Kathleen Straub on June 2, 2012.
Jennifer L. Grzywinski ’05 married Stephen Runkle on April 28, 2012.
Adam P. Biedrzycki ’09 married Rachel Antkowiak on July 28, 2012.
Bethany Nicole Kraus ’06 married Paul David Crider Jr. on July 21, 2012.
Ashley Caroline-Ann Brown ’09 married Nicholas John Caruso on Oct. 22, 2011. Kathryn Mary Jarzab ’09 married Jason Daniel Kuttenkuler on June 23, 2012.
married David Stucke on Oct. 22, 2011. The marriage was witnessed by the Rev. Joseph Gregorek, Gannon biology professor.
Tiffany Crocker ’10 married Cameron Smith on May 19, 2012. Heather L. Kenny ’10 married Aaron H. Kleps ’10 on June 9, 2012. Ashley Marie Lasky ’10 married Jason Earl Ramp on June 9, 2012.
alumnotes
Diana K. Cole ’07
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JOREL B. BUFFA ’06 is an import analyst with Panalpina Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio.
STEPHANIE M. WILLIAMS, PH.D. ’03C, ’07C, ’10M was named the 2012 Pennsylvania High School Principal of the Year. Williams is principal of McDowell Intermediate High School in Erie.
RYAN T. EGGLESTON ’05M is the new township manager for South Fayette Township. Eggleston previously worked as the borough manager in Greenville, Pa.
births
JILL (KENGERSKY) SMITH ’03 joined the staff of Elk Regional Health Center in St. Marys, Pa., as a clinical dietitian.
a son, Hudson Lewis (born March 21, 2012), to Jennifer L. Ward ’97 and her husband, Adam. a son, Andrew Scott (born Nov. 14, 2011), to Michelle (Stadtmiller) ’02 and Allen Nutt ’03
a daughter, Sara Kate (born Dec. 14, 2011), to Diane (Miceli) Lindenberger ’03 and her husband, John. She joins older sister Claire (4) and big brother Jack (2). a son, Jonathan Michael (born Feb. 5, 2012), to Brian M. Fiorisi ’05 and his wife, Stephanie. a daughter, Avianna Mae (born Nov. 25, 2011), to Daniel Starks ’06 and his wife, Meredith. a daughter, Audrey Elizabeth (born July 8, 2011), to Jessica (Kerr) Yonley, D.O. ’06 and her husband, Adam.
KRISTEN (MATLAK) GEHRLEIN ’06, ’07 was awarded the 2011-12 Independent Council on Aging Member of the Year Award. JESSICA L. YONLEY, D.O. ’06 graduated from the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine on June 2 and began her family medicine residency at Toledo (Ohio) Hospital in July.
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KELLY R. FENNESSY ’08 is a field representative with Pennsylvania Sen. Kim Ward, earned a certificate in graphic design from the Community College of Allegheny County and was named Volunteer of the Year by the Norwin Chamber of Commerce. DR. TESSA E. MOSIER ’08, ’11M joined the staff of Chautauqua Physical and Occupational Therapy in Jamestown, N.Y., as a physical therapist.
SEAN A. BLUMETTE ’07M is the new head football coach for Brooke High School in Wellsburg, W.Va. Most recently, Blumette served as an assistant defensive coach for Waynesburg University. JENNIFER L. CUMMINGS ’07M is a teacher with the North East (Pa.) School District.
ADAM P. BIEDRZYCKI ’09 is an instrument engineer for Ellutia in Charleston, S.C.
LT. JAMES A. KISTLER ’07 is a U.S. Army aviator with the Pennsylvania National Guard, stationed in Johnstown, Pa.
ASHLEY CAROLINE-ANN BROWN ’09 is a physician assistant at UPMC Hamot Women’s Hospital in Erie.
TREVOR L. MURNOCK ’07M, ’11C is the new principal of Cathedral Prep in Erie. Murnock has been with the school for the past eight years, including the past three years as assistant principal and five years as director of music.
KIMBERLY A. PETROSKY ’07 graduated from the Penn State Dickinson School of Law in May 2010 and was admitted to the bar in October 2010. Petrosky is currently an associate attorney with Delafield, McGee, Jones & Kauffman, P. C. in State College, Pa.
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LORI L. WICKWARE ’07 is employed at the Dr. Gertrude A. Barber National Institute of Erie.
DAVID J. RUSSELL ’08 received a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine on June 3. Russell is continuing his medical training in obstetrics and gynecology at Oakwood Southshore Medical Center in Trenton, Mich.
JUSTINE M. OLSON ’07 is a predoctoral intern at the Adler School of Professional Psychology and is employed by New Connections Academy in Palatine, Ill.
a son, Jacob Thomas (born Dec. 31, 2011), to Megan (Murphy) ’05 and L. Antwan Fleming ’06.
Northwest Beacon Employee Assistance Program in Erie.
BRYAN L. RALL ’07, ’08M is a board member for Dramashop, a new contemporary theatre company in Erie founded by Zachary M. Flock ’05. SUSAN TONER ’07M is a therapist with Safe Harbor Behavioral Health’s Center for Personal and Family Growth and
KATHRYN M. JARZAB ’09M is a secondary education mathematics teacher for the Corry (Pa.) Area School District.
’10s MALLERY M. CASALE ’10 is a radiology technologist at UPMC Hamot in Erie. HEATHER L. KENNY ’10 is employed with Headstart in Erie. AARON H. KLEPS ’10, ’11M is employed at UPMC Hamot in Erie. MATTHEW J. NUZZI ’10 completed an internship in mortuary science at Tobias Funeral Home in Dayton, Ohio, and is funeral director/embalmer with Carlson Funeral Homes in Medina and Brunswick. DANIEL R. ROSS ’10 spent the 2012 spring training season as an attendant in the Detroit Tigers clubhouse for the Tigers’ minor league team in Lakeland, Fla. Ross was the Erie Seawolves’ clubhouse manager in 2011 and returned to that position for the 2012 season.
GLORIA A. SANTIAGO ’10 is a chief detective at the Erie County (Pa.) Public Defender’s Office. SARAH L. SKRABA ’10 is a teacher’s assistant at the University of New Hampshire while completing her graduate studies. CAITLIN M. ANDREWS ’11 is a registered nurse at Coastal Communities Hospital in Santa Ana, Calif. 2ND LT. CHRISTA L. ANGELOTTI ’11 is stationed at Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. KRISTEN M. BAKER ’11, SHANNON K. FITZGERALD ’11 and TIMOTHY P. KELLY ’11 are staff nurses at UPMC Hamot in Erie in the Intensive Care Unit. JESSICA V. BEATTIE ’11 is a staff nurse at DaVita Dialysis in Erie. ASHLEY M. BERKEBILE ’11 is a staff nurse at UPMC Hamot in Erie in the Shock Trauma Unit. AMANDA C. CASEY ’11 is a staff nurse at W.C.A. Hospital in Jamestown, N.Y. JAYNE E. COREY ’11M has joined Eriez in Erie as a technical sales representative.
Peter J. McNelis, DSW ’61 (far left) returned from Rome on May 19 after facilitating a three-day workshop for bishops on the Message of Fatima and their role in ensuring that the Consecration of Russia occurs as Our Lady prescribed. “The bishops and archbishops pictured here are from India, Italy, Argentina, Peru, El Salvador, Lesotho, Congo and Ethiopia,” he writes. “Missing from the picture is the bishop from Malawi, the Melkite bishop from Lebanon and an Eastern Orthodox bishop-inexile from the Middle East.” The workshop was sponsored by The Fatima Center in Fort Erie, Ontario. McNelis is a retired colonel from the U.S. Army, Medical Service, and from academia as a full professor and dean of a social work school. He holds a Master’s degree from Fordham and an earned doctorate from Tulane. In addition to this workshop, McNelis met with members of the European Parliament in July, at their invitation, to discuss their concerns about the socio-economic situation in the European Union and how the Message of Fatima applies to them.
Knight Quest Update!
Wergy the Knight and Pittsburgh Pirates employee Matt Walker ’07 enjoy a day at PNC Park.
alumnotes
The Golden Knights are still on the move! So far, our Knights have traveled more than 31,000 miles and visited more than 30 locations as part of the Golden Knight Quest. Log on to www.gannonknightquest.com to view pictures, track their journeys and find out how you can participate. And be sure to join us on Oct. 20 (during Homecoming weekend, at the football tailgate) to find out who traveled the farthest, which picture became a fan favorite, which class year had the most visits and more!
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in memoriam
Alumni Maria (Alcala) Frasqueri ’47VMC
Joseph F. Glassmacher ’68
Rita (Rusbosin) Haug ’47VMC
Gloria M. Satelli ’68, ’72M
Sister Christine Quirk, S.S.J. ’47VMC
Richard L. Zagura ’69
Martin Kurtic ’49
Lois (Blair) Bernardini ’73
Francis L. Lepkowski ’49
Michael J. Coughlin ’74
Vincent T. Mannarelli, M.D. ’49
John N. DiPlacido ’74
Mary Tomczak ’50VMC
Marvin B. Ellis ’74M
Carlyle D. Morton ’51
Karen Kinkus, R.D. ’74
Charles A. Weiss ’51 Richard R. Hilinski ’52
Kathleen (Shesky) Wuchevich ’74VMC
David Beck ’53
Kenneth Harden ’75
John E. Carey ’53
Kenneth A. Rosthauser ’76
Robert F. Miller ’53
Diane M. Kicey ’79
Harry J. Harabedian ’57
Jack F. Sheridan ’79M
Anthony D. Sala, D.O. ’57
Thomas W. Barnes Jr. ’87M
William R. Sherick ’58
Karen A. DeCarolis ’90
Ronald F. Smith ’58
Shawn P. Selleny ’92
Thomas L. Venable ’58
Darla J. Strickler ’92
Frank J. Romecki Jr. ’60
Charmaine (Adkins) Dunlap ’97
Frank P. Ganzer ’61
Nicholas A. Poulicakos ’04
Dean T. Murphy, CPA ’61
Richard A. Varga ’09C
Mary Elizabeth Connelly ’62
Amber M. Vos ’11
Thomas M. Kirk ’62 Mary (Ehrensberger) Pavlock ’63VMC Wade J. Davis ’64 Dorothy (Horton) Lupascu ’64VMC Nancy (Reed) Ross ’65VMC
Paul Demchak ’70M
Friends Phillip A. Azevedo Donald C. Buseck, Esq. Gloria M. Satelli Andreas N. Zafiropoulos Sr.
Joseph C. Solazzo ’65, ’69M Richard G. Bayhurst ’68
Alumnus Kyle Goldcamp ’09, ’11M is seeing double—the Erie BayHawks center recently had his likeness transformed into a bobble head doll. The dolls were given away free to the first 1,000 attendees at the April 6 game. The unique design included Goldcamp wearing his #32 home white BayHawks uniform and holding a maroon and gold basketball with Gannon University written across the front. The giveaway was sponsored by Penelec, a FirstEnergy Company.
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GREGORY M. EVANOFF ’11 is a surf rescue technician (SRT) with the Ocean City, Md., Beach Patrol. Evanoff has been with the beach patrol for five years and is a crew chief, an instructor with the Junior Beach Patrol Program and a member of the Ocean City Beach Patrol competition team. KATHERINE R. FRIONI ’11 is a staff nurse at UPMC Passavant in Pittsburgh on a colorectal floor. LACEY D. GOODWIN ’11 is a staff nurse at Charles Cole Memorial Hospital in Coudersport, Pa. JAMIE M. HAINES ’11 is a staff nurse at UPMC Hamot in Erie in the Ortho/Neuro Trauma Unit. KRISTOFER A. HUDNALL ’11C joined the Wattsburg (Pa.) Area School District as the new assistant principal at the middle school. HEIDI M. KEPNER ’11 is a staff nurse at Orchard Manor Nursing Home in Grove City, Pa. KELSEY A. KING ’11 is a staff nurse at North Hills Passavant Medical Center in Gibsonia, Pa. JULIE D. KLEBER ’11 is a staff nurse at Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York City. HEATHER R. LAWRENCE ’11 is a staff nurse at UPMC Hamot in Erie. 2nd LT. SARAH E. LAWTON ’11 is stationed at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. JOHN D. LITTLE ’11 and ADRIENNE E. SCHWARTZ ’11 are staff nurses at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa., in the Intensive Care Unit.
“So many local fans enjoyed watching Kyle during his stellar career at Gannon, and he’s been a fan favorite here in Erie ever since. We wanted to honor him in a profound way for all he’s done for Gannon, the BayHawks and the community,” said team president Matt Bresee.
Alumni Events
Out and About with Gannon Magazine Where are you (and your magazine!) headed this fall? Email your pictures to starr007@gannon.edu and they may appear in a future issue.
2nd Annual Hertel and Brown Memorial Golf Tournament Sept. 8
Alumni John Mattis ’69, Joe Gaeta ’62 and Joe Mattis ’69 took their Gannon Magazine along to a New York Yankees game against Kansas City at Yankee Stadium on May 21.
Whispering Woods Golf Club (Erie) 8:30 a.m., first shotgun start 1:30 p.m., second shotgun start Benefits the Erin Carlisle Memorial Scholarship at Gannon Registration: www.erincarlislescholarship.com
Taylor on Tour Sept. 13 Buffalo, N.Y. Aboard the Flagship Niagara
Gannon Magazine
visited the Toronto Zoo over Memorial Day weekend, courtesy of Tom Camillo, senior associate director of undergraduate admissions, and his family.
Delta Sigma Phi Reunion Sept. 14-16 Activities include a golf outing, evening meet-and-greet, campus tour, Mass and a current student and alumni dinner. Contact: Joe Cooley ’64 at dprawd@roadrunner.com
9th Annual Capt. Harry R. Stauffer Memorial Golf Outing Sept. 22
JOSEPH R. PARAVATI ’11 is a staff nurse at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit.
MARIA M. STALLONE ’11 is an assistant editor at O’Reilly Media Inc. in Boston.
CAROLYN S. PENN ’11 and SHANNON M. (BERDIS) SCULLY ’11 are staff nurses at Saint Vincent Health Center in Erie in the Emergency Department.
MALARIE A. SYERSAK ’11 is a staff nurse at Sharon Regional Medical Center in Sharon, Pa.
LISA M. RIPPER ’11 is employed as a volunteer with the AmeriCorps Vista program and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Erie and is helping resettle refugee families in the Erie area. 2nd LT. JULIE M. ROSS ’11 is stationed at the new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
JORDAN E. SHOUEY ’11 is a staff nurse at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pa., in the Intensive Care Unit. GRETCHEN E. SNYDER ’11 is a staff nurse at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh on the Surgical Trauma Unit.
KAITLYN A. TAORMINA ’11 is a staff nurse at UPMC Saint Margaret in Pittsburgh. SARAH M. VLAHOS ’11 is a staff nurse at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. EMILY J. WILSON ’11M is an instructional supervisor with Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School. KADIE M. ZIMMERMAN ’11 is a staff nurse at Saint Vincent Health Center in Erie on a medical surgical unit. STEPHANIE A. SCHWABENBAUER ’12 is working for GE as a member of the Environmental Health and Safety Operational Management Leadership Program.
Hey Golden Knights fans! Can’t catch the annual Gannon versus Mercyhurst football game in person? Tune in to FOX-66 in Erie and ROOT Sports Pittsburgh to watch it live on Oct. 13.
alumnotes
JESSICA L. SAUNDERS ’11 is a staff nurse at UPMC Hamot in Erie.
Seven Springs Golf Course (Elizabeth, Pa.) 8 a.m., shotgun start Benefits the Capt. Harry R. Stauffer Memorial Scholarship at Gannon Contact: Bud Herrod at 412-613-1620
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from the archives Although their belongings might look different (today’s Macbook is yesterday’s typewriter), moving into the residence halls is a time-honored rite of passage for Gannon students. Here, an unidentified student (with his father) readies for a new school year in the late 1960s. Gannon’s first dormitory, Wehrle Hall, located at 211 W. Sixth St., was constructed in 1957 for $700,000. It wasn’t until 1970 that the original North Hall (not to be confused with the current building on West Fourth Street), the first women’s dormitory, opened its doors on the corner of Second and State streets. That same year, ground was broken for a dormitory on Fifth and Peach streets. Today, it is known as Finegan Hall. Currently, Gannon maintains 14 undergraduate housing units that house more than 1,400 students. Do you recognize the student pictured here? Email Bob Dobiesz in Gannon Archives at dobiesz001@gannon.edu.
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gannon magazine
summer 2012
These alumni have chosen to leave a legacy to Gannon;
how about you?
Msgr. Henry Kriegel ’66 Loraine and Jim Ahearn ’61 Dr. Antoinette Spevetz ’83 and Dr. David Hardic ’79
Mary Carlson Cardot ’75 (with daughter Beth ’11 and husband Will)
With the Archbishop Gannon Founder’s Society, you can establish a named endowment for student scholarships and faculty research or professional development through your estate plan and leave a legacy of commitment to Gannon University.
A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great. — Proverbs 18:15-17
For more information, please contact: Tony Fulgenzio ’82, ’10M Director of Philanthropy 109 University Square Erie, PA 16541 814-871-7786 fulgenzi001@gannon.edu www.gannonalumni.org 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 we’ll stop sending you a print copy.
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