JWU Magazine Winter 2018 by Johnson & Wales University

WINTER

2018

THE PEACEFUL WARRIOR Leonard Lee â&#x20AC;&#x2122;82

Meet Your Presidents Lessons from History

CONTENTS

WINTER 2018 FEATURES

THE PEACEFUL WARRIOR

Leonard Lee’s résumé lists him as the go-to guy. As director of the division of violence and injury prevention for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Lee ’82 is called upon often.

WHO’S THE NEW GUY?

We take an up close and personal view of the presidents helming the branch campuses. How were their educational philosophies shaped by their childhoods?

LESSONS FROM HISTORY

This time, they couldn’t just Google it. A History of Media class tackles microfilm to contribute to a Holocaust Memorial Museum project.

THE SELFIE LENS

Artist Genevieve Gaignard ’01 expresses her biracial identity via character portraits that play on cultural stereotypes.

DEPARTMENTS 02 04 10 32 34 36 46

From the Chancellor JWU Views Athletics Resource Development Alumni Connect Class Notes Off the Shelf

front cover photo: Michael Cevoli back cover photo: Mike Cohea www.jwu.edu

JWU

FROM THE CHANCELLOR

Senior Vice President of Communications DOUG WHITING

Director of Design & Editorial Services BRIAN MURPHY

Editor

DENISE DOWLING

Designer

GAIL SOLOMON

Contributors

JENNIFER BROUILLARD CARISSA CARPENTIERI MICHAEL CEVOLI MIKE COHEA RYAN CROWLEY JENNIFER DEMETER DARLENA GOODWIN ROBYN HANKERSON MELINDA HILL TAYLOR CLARK JOHNSON

E ALL START SOMEWHERE on the journey to becoming ourselves, and the

path we take is never straight and narrow. As our perspective and priorities change, we forge new roads in different directions, but collectively we share one commonality: Johnson & Wales University has shaped us. It has helped us determine who we want to be and has given us the tools to make that happen. When he was younger, Leonard Lee ’82 wanted the Mercedes-Benz and fancy clothes, but later asked himself what he wanted to contribute — what kind of legacy he wanted to leave. By applying the entrepreneurial spirit that he harnessed at JWU, Lee has made nonprofits profitable — increasing the annual budget of one from $150,000 to $1.5 million in six years. Today he directs the division of violence and injury prevention at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, covering everything from batterer intervention services to suicide and youth violence prevention. A teenage cook supervising staff twice his age, a starry-eyed kid growing up in a steel mill town, and a car-loving preteen at a boarding school at the base of the Himalayas — what could these three possibly have in common? Though Larry Rice, Richard Wiscott and Tarun Malik’s early lives differed, their paths have converged as our three newest branch campus presidents. Each one leads with passion, rooted in a strong work ethic and genuine desire to see students succeed. As President Wiscott says, “I like to think I’ve built my career on creating a culture for students where they don’t face the barriers I faced.” Discovering barriers that previous generations faced has been the focus of the History of Media class, taught by Annie Sugar, Ph.D. Her Denver Campus students combed through newspaper archives spanning the 1930s–40s to contribute to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s “History Unfolded: U.S. Newspapers and the Holocaust,” a national, crowdsourced effort to build an online research database on what and when Americans knew about the Holocaust and World War II. The project has helped students to think critically about why things are the way they are and the media’s influence — and to ultimately become better and more informed citizens. Victoria Diaz ’17, who aspires to be an ESPN sportscaster, was so inspired by her research on discrimination against female athletes during that time period that she is motivated to continue working toward equality in sports. JWU is a part of your legacy. How has it shaped you? I encourage you to continue the conversation at jwumagazine@jwu.edu.

Chancellor John J. Bowen ’77 Winter 2018

JOHN JOHNSTON HOLLI KEYSER BILL KOCH RACHEL LACAILLE MELINDA LAW JOE MAGENNIS DAN MORRELL NICOLE MARANHAS LISA PELOSI ED PEREIRA SHANNON ROBBINS RANDY ROSENTHAL DALIAH SINGER STEPHEN SMITH MARY SWARD DAMARIS R. TEIXEIRA LAUREN TKACS MIRIAM S. WEINSTEIN ’08 MBA ALEX WILLIAMSON

JWU Magazine is published three times a year including a special supplement for recent graduates. Photos (black and white or color prints), high-resolution digital images and news can be sent to JWU Magazine, 8 Abbott Park Place, Providence, RI, 02903 or emailed to jwumagazine@jwu.edu. Selection and publication of entries are at the editor’s discretion. JWU Magazine is produced by University Communications in cooperation with Resource Development and Alumni Relations. Chancellor JOHN J. BOWEN ’77

Providence Campus President and Chief Operating Officer MIM L. RUNEY, LP.D.

Branch Campus Presidents LARRY RICE, ED.D., ’90, NORTH MIAMI RICHARD WISCOTT, PH.D., DENVER TARUN MALIK, ’90 M.S., ’11 ED.D., CHARLOTTE

Providence Reunion Weekend There’s nothing else like it! April 27–29, 2018 Welcome Reception Distinguished Alumni Awards Taste of JWU Cat Chat (TED-style talks) Affinity Gatherings The Big Party Jazz Brunch

It wouldn’t be the same without you. Register today at alumni.jwu.edu.

JWUVIEWS

PROVIDENCE / NORTH MIAMI / DENVER / CHARLOTTE

DREAM COME TRUE? Gabriel Lewis ’19 may have been elimi-

nated from season eight of “MasterChef,” but he walked away a big-time winner. Noting his ambition and talent, Chef Gordon Ramsay is personally funding Lewis’ culinary education at the Denver Campus. Addressing Lewis in his dramatic elimination from the top seven finalists, Ramsay showed his sentimental side — and belief that such a talent should be harnessed. “Young man, it’s very rare we see such raw talent that’s got amazing potential come through this competition,” said Ramsay. “You’ve got the potential to be huge in this industry. You just need the right training. So I am personally going to send you to culinary school.”

Gabriel Lewis ’19 on “MasterChef”

After doing much research on his own, Lewis, who is 19 years old and originally from Oklahoma City, selected JWU Denver: Chef Gordon Ramsay “After Chef Ramsay made his offer and I returned home, the first thing I did was look into culinary schools. I chose Johnson & Wales because I was very impressed with the curriculum and facilities, as well as the time in which it takes for somebody to grow in this field.” And, Ramsay is making good on his promise. “Gordon Ramsay kept his word, which is pretty darn cool,” said Jorge de la Torre, JWU Denver’s dean of culinary education. “I bet a lot of people would think, ‘Oh, he didn’t mean that.’ But he did it because he really believes in Gabriel and wants to see him succeed, as do we at the university.” Lewis began his culinary training at the university in March 2017, largely under the radar from his peers and even faculty chefs. “When we did introductions on the first day of class, Gabriel said that he was on some cooking show, but nothing more,” said Chef Squire Davidson, who had Lewis in his Introduction to Culinary Foundations class. Since the elimination episode, Davidson made it his mission for Lewis to redeem himself. During a practicum final, Davidson had Lewis recreate the dish that got him eliminated from the show — cannelloni. So how were the results the second time around? “He did really well — there is no question that if he made it the way he made it in class, he’d still be on the show,” said Davidson. Lewis also believes he nailed the dish, posting a picture on his social media accounts with the caption, “Redemption!!!” In the meantime, Lewis continues to check in with Ramsay and share his progress at the university. “If someone is instilling so much in me, I want to be able to give back by proving that I’m living up to what’s expected of me: getting good grades, focusing on my classes and making sure that I’m cooking and learning along the way,” said Lewis. What does he like best about culinary arts? “It’s always changing, growing and evolving. You will never learn everything and you will never know everything. That’s been my motto in life: Never get comfortable. In culinary, you can never get comfortable because if you do, you’ll fall behind. I love something that keeps me on my toes and allows me to grow in my education.” Following graduation, Lewis is looking forward to fulfilling a job offer from “MasterChef” and Food Network star Aarón Sánchez in New Orleans. Now in his third term at JWU Denver, it’s no secret that many are rooting for Lewis’ continued success. ~ Holli Keyser

“MasterChef” photos courtesy of Fox Broadcasting Company

CHEF GORDON RAMSAY SENDS MASTERCHEF CONTESTANT TO JWU DENVER

STUDENTS LEND A HAND FOR HURRICANE IRMA RELIEF

HILE MOST STUDENTS were settling into their first

day at JWU, students at the North Miami Campus were dealing with a slightly different reality — the threat of Hurricane Irma. The Category 5 storm had been brewing in the Atlantic Ocean for a few days when Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency. On September 5, he began encouraging residents to plan to evacuate or seek shelter. Though Irma’s impact on the Miami area was less destructive than anticipated, the South Florida community suffered power outages that lasted nearly two weeks, massive flooding in various areas, loss of internet, cell and cable service, and an overwhelming amount of debris. While the North Miami Campus was very fortunate to sustain minimal damage, the campus was closed for seven days as a result of the storm. “Upon reopening, it was clear that Hurricane Irma’s wrath had not escaped the minds of our students, faculty and staff,” said North Miami Campus President Larry Rice, Ed.D., ’90. “We saw this as an opportunity to engage the campus community in a meaningful way.” Each year, the campus comes together for Join! Work! Unite!, an initiative that promotes the importance of service. This year would

Students restore the garden at North Miami Elementary School following Hurricane Irma.

be a little different: Students would focus on projects surrounding Hurricane Irma relief. Nearly 200 students visited various sites throughout Miami to lend their support in restoring the community, from a campus cleanup to replanting and gardening at a local elementary school. “When I found out I would be working in the garden at the elementary school, I thought that this type of work wasn’t for me,” said Armon Cross ’21, a Culinary Arts major. “But once I started, I realized that the garden was a source of food for the students, some of whom don’t get a meal at home. Due to the hurricane, many of them didn’t have food. It made me feel good to pick up the trees and plant more seeds because now I know the kids will have something to eat.” ~ Robyn Hankerson

NASCAR Changes Lanes for Professional Development THEY TRADED IN THE TRACK for a classroom. Nine members of

the NASCAR Next 2017 class, up-and-coming stars with a proven track record of success and skills to continue ascending the NASCAR ladder, participated in a JWU professional development workshop. College of Hospitality Management professors Jeff Longo and Pat Stack helped equip the 16-to-25 year olds with some fundamental communications and business-related skills they are not receiving as they pursue a career in motor sports. “Racing is 75 percent off the track, 25 percent on the track,” said 20-year-old Chase Cabre. “We are all good drivers. We all love our jobs. But it’s about who can outperform off the track.” Hailie Deegan, 16, started driving when she was 8 years old: “I’ve been focused on the racing side, 100 percent. But half of it is the business side: meeting people who put you in the car. I need to focus more on relationships with sponsors.” Stack and Longo taught them everything from email etiquette and networking to how to approach sponsors and public speaking. ~Melinda Law

www.jwu.edu

JWUVIEWS

PROVIDENCE / NORTH MIAMI / DENVER / CHARLOTTE

JWU Hosts Budding Scientists at STEM-based Academy JWU PARTNERED WITH PROJECT SCIENTIST to offer a STEM-

focused summer academy on the Charlotte Campus for girls ages 4–12 with a passion, talent and aptitude for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Project Scientist’s CEO and founder, Sandy Marshall, says JWU is a perfect fit. “We like the classroom space and the technology. We Skype with STEM professionals from across the world.” Students started their mornings listening to STEM superstars such as Ashley Hall, a clinical research scientist with GlaxoSmithKline who works on drug development. Hall created a fun experiment evaluating two types of slime for the serious disease of childhood boredom. The budding scientists broke into groups to test Slime A and then Slime B — an interactive demonstration where they learned lingo such as placebos, coding and focus groups. They were then asked to rate how bored they were after one minute of testing slime, with 1 being the most bored and 10 being the least. (There were a lot of giggles.) Project Scientist students have daily interactions with female STEM role models from a variety of fields, participate in hands-on experiments and practice strategies in teamwork, resiliency and self/group motivation. The organization is already discussing a food/science week at JWU for this summer that would incorporate labs and culinary faculty for experience-based learning. ~ Melinda Law

Winter 2018

JWU SERVES UP FIRST RASPBERRY PI TRAINING IN NORTHEAST WITH CYBER THREATS a serious global concern,

education is one offensive approach that JWU facilitated when 80 educators from across the United States and abroad visited the Providence Campus for the first Picademy USA computing training session in the Northeast. Picademy is the flagship teacher-training initiative of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a UK-based charity that “works to put the power of digital making into the hands of people all over the world.” The free two-day program was held in the John J. Bowen Center for Science and Innovation. Sessions are designed to give educators, particularly those at the K–12 level, the tools to teach computing skills such as coding with confidence and creativity. Raspberry Pi certified educators gain access to high-quality educational resources, additional professional development trainings and leadership opportunities. As part of the Cyber Threat Intelligence & Defense program in the College of Engineering & Design, Raspberry Pi is used to demonstrate Man-In-The-Middle cyberattacks. It’s also used as the “brains” for embedded system projects in the Innovation Lab. “These trainings were designed to show how we can encourage young people to see computing as a means of production, not consumption — of creation, not conformity,” said James Sheusi, associate professor and chair of engineering & information technologies at JWU. ~ Ryan Crowley

Q&A

with Denver’s New Dean of Academic Affairs

RICHARD BOOROM, PH.D., brings more than 20 years of experience in higher education —

most recently as the president of Argosy University — to the Denver Campus as the new dean of academic affairs. As a former first-generation college student, Boorom values the educational opportunities for all JWU students. We asked him to shares his thoughts on this new role. What advice do you have for our incoming class and up to our graduating seniors? JWU learners should advocate for their own success. Students are encouraged to foster ongoing open communication with faculty and staff; we need to be aware of students’ issues and concerns. Let us know how we can help you. How do you plan on engaging with the student body? Richard Boorom, Ph.D.

I plan on being highly visible across campus, with open office hours for students. I would like to hear all the great experiences of our students as I know there are many. What are your priorities for the year? First, improve student academic engagement and retention. Second, seek opportunities to increase faculty collaboration across disciplines. Third, develop and launch additional graduate programs. ~ Holli Keyser

www.jwu.edu

JWUVIEWS

PROVIDENCE / NORTH MIAMI / DENVER / CHARLOTTE

Culinary School is Medicine for Veteran with PTSD KENNY SARGENT ’19 never thought he’d walk again after a rocket attack

shattered three bones in his spine while he was deployed in Iraq. Even doctors told the Army staff sergeant that he’d probably spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Fast forward seven years: Sargent proved everyone wrong — including himself. But the journey wasn’t easy. When he left the army after 16 years of honorable service, Sargent was in a dark place, suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a traumatic brain injury. “I wasn’t in a uniform any more, I had nothing to do, I had no job,” he recalls. “I found myself in the garage one day in the same clothes I had slept in. It was 5 p.m. I hadn’t showered, brushed my teeth or combed my hair — nothing,” One day, Sargent decided to research culinary schools. After he found himself on a campus tour at JWU Denver, there was no turning back. “When I started JWU, I had a purpose — a reason to get out of bed. Class starts at 7 a.m. and I’m in the parking lot at 5:45 a.m.,” said Sargent, who made the daily drive from Colorado Springs to campus, a 68-mile one-way trek, even during blizzards. Last summer, Sargent studied abroad in Florence, Italy, under the mentorship of Chef Massimo Bocus at the Apicius International School

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING RAMPS UP WITH eMERGE AMERICAS AND X-CULTURE

Winter 2018

Kenny Sargent ’19, second from right

of Hospitality. In October, Sargent represented Florence University of the Arts at the TuttoToscana, a prestigious James Beard Foundation event in New York City. Sargent’s next dream? After graduating this spring, he wants to open a nonprofit hunting and culinary retreat in Texas for veterans and their families as an opportunity for them to reconnect, heal and bond. ~ Holli Keyser

JWU IS WELL-KNOWN FOR PROVIDING

professionally-focused experiences to immerse students in their desired industry as early as their first year. North Miami students had a chance to engage in two conferences that truly elevated their educational experience: eMerge Americas and X-Culture. Surrounded by more than 13,000 entrepreneurs and tech industry gurus, students had an engaging experience at eMerge Americas. As part of the conference, Thiago Rodrigues ’19 presented his business plan to potential investors for the chance to take his concept to the next level, while business students interviewed top executives on tips for budding entrepreneurs. International business students had a similar experience during the X-Culture Global Symposium at JWU. Student leaders welcomed 150 students from all over the world to learn how to work in a global market. They participated in a pitch competition that challenged

them to work with international peers to formulate and present a business plan to executives from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. “The best part of being a part of X-Culture was meeting so many different people from all over the world and knowing that we all shared the same interest in growing ourselves as individuals, as well as learning more about international business,” said Jasmine Resendes ’19, an international business major. ~ Robyn Hankerson

The ADTEAM explores the city of New Orleans after their win.

ADTEAM GRADUATES LAND COVETED JOBS AFTER HISTORIC NSAC WIN

OT ONLY did seniors on the ADTEAM make history

by winning the 2017 National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC), they landed their first jobs in the industry after graduation. Morgan Thompson ’17 joined UpServe in Providence, Rhode Island; Pibby Cardozo ’17 works for Constant Contact in Waltham, Massachusetts; Dmytri Johnson ’17 is employed by Media Storm in New York City; Patrick Lindner ’17 joined Horizon Media in New York City; and Karen Falk ’17 landed a position with TBWA/Chiat/Day in Los Angeles, California. Led by faculty advisors Oscar Chilabato and Christine Ure, the ADTEAM defeated seven other finalists, including Florida State University, Oklahoma State University and the University of Kentucky. The victory marked the best finish in Johnson & Wales ADTEAM history and the first time a New England school won the competition. “The NSAC gives our students practical, real-world experience as they learn how to use qualitative and quantitative research methods needed to create and implement effective advertising campaigns,” said Professor Chilabato. “Our strengths — our research and insights — were tightly tied to our creative recommendations. I am proud of this group for all they have accomplished.” The 31-member team was comprised of students in the university’s Advertising & Marketing Communications, Marketing, Graphic Design, and Media & Communication Studies programs. They created an advertising campaign for the NSAC corporate client, Tai Pei, which offers 10-plus varieties of single-serve, takeout-style entrées, an assortment of Asian appetizers and a full line of family-sized products. The campaign included each element of advertising: television, radio, social media and print. According to

a judge, “JWU’s presentation … demonstrated a real understanding of the brand, the target, and the obstacles facing the brand. Their measurement and evaluation methods were exhaustive and specific to each platform. Backed by strong creative, [it] gave me confidence that they would be able to effectively execute against their plan and stay on target.” ~ Ryan Crowley An excerpted page from the ADTEAM’s competition plan book

Programmatic

We leverage the cost effectiveness of mobile and online programmatic to lay out static banner ads. We run filters by age, milestones, current events and location across multiple screens to ensure that our ads are seen only by our target. The contingency budget allows allocation of more money to the top performing areas of the web. The programmatic campaign concludes with impressions totaling more than 375 million.

www.jwu.edu

ATHLETICS

AITLIN HANSEN spent months waiting for this moment. It was the first

Fast Break BY BILL KOCH

When the Providence women’s lacrosse team launched in 2013, players were lured by the opportunity to be part of a startup. Four years later, they became GNAC champions.

BY BILL KOCH

1 10

Winter 2018

day of practice for the Johnson & Wales women’s lacrosse program, one that ascended from club status to the NCAA Division III ranks in 2014. Coach Hansen had left a desk job in the admissions office of her alma mater, Bryant University, for a return to the field she knew so well. A fouryear standout with the Bulldogs who graduated in 2008, Hansen remains the all-time leader in minutes played at the Division II level. Preparations were made. The new coach was eagerly anticipating the arrival of the players who would carry the Wildcats into their debut season. Hansen planned to implement a championship culture, one that would make JWU a perennial contender in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). Only six women showed up. “I was like, ‘Okay, this is going to be harder than I thought,’ ” Hansen said. The turf field at the Wildcats’ Harborside Campus had yet to be put down. The skill level of that first team’s 19 members varied from Lydia Knapp ’17, a New York native and draw control specialist, to the average high school player. Any thoughts of immediate success were quickly put on hold. “There were only a few balls,” Knapp said. “The practice was really crazy. Not many people were interested.”

Fast-forward four years to 2017, with Knapp and the rest of Hansen’s first full recruiting class graduating as winners. They carried with them the first GNAC title in program history, following a combined 61–18 in three conference tournament games last year. The Wildcats smashed Simmons College, 19–5, just one year after a heartbreaking 12–9 defeat against rival Lasell College in the championship match. JWU’s prize for its perseverance? An NCAA Tournament berth, one of just 24 awarded to either conference champions or programs deemed worthy of an at-large selection. Not even a 17–8 loss to Babson College in the opening round could diminish what had been accomplished in such a short period. “All of our success came from believing,” Hansen said. “We said it all the time: ‘We have to believe that we can win. We have to believe that we belong out there.’ And the girls really did believe the whole time.” JWU hit several benchmarks that indicated the team was making progress. The Wildcats went from 8–9 that first season to 13–3 the next, winning their first 10 matches. Two defeats to the Lasers in their last six included a loss in the GNAC semifinals, one that had JWU hungry to take a step further in 2016. “Even my sophomore year, it was still kind of this crazy experience,” Knapp said. “We got one step closer. My junior year was bittersweet — we were just there, and we missed it.” It was Lasell again who ended the Wildcats’ season, but JWU was now firmly in the ascendancy. Incoming recruits like midfielder Liz Tonn ’18 were impact players from the start, sold on a chance to play right away and contribute. Not even a Senior Day loss to Norwich University during her official visit, an 18–4 blowout in 2014, could keep Tonn from choosing the Wildcats. “Hansen made it seem like everything was going to keep improving, which it obviously did,” Tonn said. “She made me feel like I could be a difference-maker on the team.” Tonn spent her high school days on Long Island at powerful Wantagh High, surrounded by a host of future Division I players. Hansen recruited Tonn as an immediate key for JWU going forward, a different approach

from higher level coaches who wanted Tonn as more of a depth piece. It was a story that played out time and again during some of Hansen’s initial sales pitches to potential incoming players. “She’s kind of taking a chance on a program like this,” Hansen said, explaining that she leveraged the appeal of players not being able to contribute right away if they were at another school. “You want to be somebody who actually gets to build something and be a huge part of success.” As two of the early cornerstones, Knapp and Tonn lived through some of the program’s growing pains. The Wildcats’ 16–5 overall record in 2017 included a perfect 9–0 mark against GNAC opponents, as JWU dominated teams that had more established legacies. At times they would think back to those early days — Knapp in particular — where playing the full 60 minutes every game without a capable substitute was the norm. “If we could have filmed that compared to what we were able to put out this year, the growth is monumental,” said Knapp, who earned All-Region honors from the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches’ Association in her final year. “It’s just so funny looking back.” “It has to matter more to you than going out on a weekend night,” Hansen said. “It has to matter to you a lot more than it matters to the other team. And that’s how we’ll be successful.” In June, Hansen departed the Wildcats for Saint Leo University in Florida, where she was named the head coach of the Lions and returned to Division II. Tonn will be one of the captains for a JWU program that is set up for an extended run in the GNAC, with talented returning players and the right mentality already in place. That as much as anything seen on the field in 2017 will be the legacy of this particular group of Wildcats, one that has grown significantly since that first day together a few short years ago. “Winning the (GNAC) championship was one of the best feelings ever,” Tonn said. “It felt like the hard work for the last three years finally paid off. We had people doubt us so it was nice to prove them wrong.” “I obviously have a lot of pride in where I went to school,” Knapp said. “I think they set us up for the real world. It’s incredible being part of a team that only started its journey four years ago when I started my college career.”

[1] L–R: Gabrielle Vasile ’18, Sophia Czarnecki ’19 holding up Isabella Saluti ’19, Sabrina Kachurka ’19 (#28), Margaux Munick ’20, Deirdre Morgan ’20, Maria Patane ’20 [2] An enthusiastic Lydia Knapp ’17 wearing #7 [3] It feels good to be champions: the 2017 GNAC celebration

www.jwu.edu

Winter 2018

THE PEACEFUL WARRIOR As the intrepid director of the division of violence and injury prevention for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Leonard Lee ’82 uses an entrepreneurial spirit harnessed at Johnson & Wales to take care of business. BY DAN MORRELL

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL CEVOLI

www.jwu.edu

THE FIRST TIME LEONARD LEE ’82 HAD A GUN PULLED ON HIM was two decades ago. He was running the Action for Boston

Community Development (ABCD) assistance center in Dorchester — a neighborhood in Boston’s southeastern corner which struggles with pockets of violent crime. Lee had kicked a 16-year-old out of the facility earlier in the day for violent behavior, and the kid returned in a rage, bursting into the reception area and aiming a gun at Lee’s face. “You know, I should just shoot you,” the boy said. Lee froze. “You don’t have to do that,” Lee told him. The receptionist screamed that she was going to call the police, and the boy fled.

he boy came back to the center the next day in tears. The receptionist, fearing a replay of the previous day, again threatened to call the police. Lee told her to put the phone down. “I’m so sorry,” the boy told Lee. “Everything’s on me.” Lee knew the boy’s story: He had been the victim of sexual abuse, and bounced from foster home to foster home. Everybody he ever knew had used him for something. “I love you, man,” Lee told him. “I’m not gonna let nothing happen to you.” He took the boy into his office and explained that he was there to help, but there were rules at the center. “You are not going to disrespect anybody, you aren’t gonna be swinging up in here — but we are gonna love you to death.” Lee is recalling the scene from his office in Boston’s Downtown Crossing neighborhood, where he now directs the division of violence and injury prevention for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. It’s a varied role. He’ll spend his days finding financial resources to support nonviolence programs or talking with mayors and nonprofit directors across the state about their specific needs. Some days, it’s just responding to crises. “When there’s a shooting in Boston, I know about it before anybody,” says Lee, his voice always softer than his words. He has a relatively easy smile for someone who bears his responsibilities. “If it’s something in Springfield, they call me immediately. If there’s something going on in Lowell or Lawrence with the kids in the programs that we fund or have relationships with, they’ll call me and say ‘Hey, Len, this is what’s going on. You got any ideas?’ ”

Winter 2018

His role is the culmination of a quarter-century worth of work in Dorchester and communities like it across the state. He’s directed college prep programming. He’s organized fundraisers. He’s coordinated technology training for low-income youth. He’s helped low-income residents find fuel assistance. And he’s had a few more guns pulled on him. “I can’t even name all of the things he used to do,” says Yvette Thomas, who met Lee in 1988 while she was working at Big Brothers Big Sisters, where Lee helped her build a network to recruit more multicultural mentors. “Not only is he active with individuals — he’ll help anybody out,” says Thomas, who currently works as a high school mediator. “But in every organization that he’s worked for he tries to make sure that the service that he’s providing is making a difference for the people of that community.”

“In the end, kids just need someone who cares.” While the work has been diverse, Lee has remained motivated by a singular instinct — the same one that saw him offering solace to a distraught young man who threatened his life 20 years ago: “In the end, kids just need someone who cares.” There are other ways to prevent violence — gun buybacks to take the tools off the streets, job programs and educational opportunities to offer alternative paths. And as critical as those things are, they are treating symptoms, Lee says. “Listen, nothing in life is guaranteed,” he says. “But it really helps when you’re at a place in your life where you can go this way, or you can go that way, and you got somebody saying, ‘Hey man, I got you.’ ”

or much of his youth, that caring person was his mother, who raised 11 children — six boys, Leonard the youngest, and five girls — as a single parent in a succession of Boston housing projects. But his three older sisters would later play that role, too. “My sisters were the first ones to go to college, and they would take me places and expose me to different things, and I think that was really, really important,” says Lee. It was a grounding he credits with keeping him out of trouble. He gave a talk to a group of prisoners recently about the choices he made at that age, framing them as 30-second windows with lifelong consequences. “Like deciding to not get into a stolen car,” Lee says — an offer he received several times as a boy. I’m good, Lee would say, retreating to play ball on the stoop. Sometimes those other boys would come back from the joyrides, he says, and sometimes they wouldn’t. The consequences of those choices hit his family, too. Leonard’s brother Danny died of a heroin overdose when Leonard was just 13. Leonard had shared a bedroom with Danny, and was the first to find him. Still, his younger sister Ruth says, her brother remained focused. “Leonard was an achiever,” she says. “He was determined not to let his situation hold him back. He would never let what was happening weigh him down.” Lee grew up in Dorchester, which, back then, was divided by Washington Street into white and black enclaves. “If you crossed Washington Street,

“... it really helps when you’re at a place in your life where you can go this way, or you can go that way, and you got somebody saying, ‘Hey man, I got you.’ ” and you were by yourself, you were gonna get jumped,” he says. The racial animus was high in that era in Boston, and it was often institutional. “If we were out on a Friday night, the police would pick us up in their paddy wagon for trespassing and say, ‘We’re going to take you to the station,’ ” Lee recalls. “But they wouldn’t take us to the station, they’d take us [a couple miles away] to South Boston”— an especially dangerous place for a young black kid at night — “and tell us to get home.” The animus was on full display when Lee prepared to enter high school in 1974. With Boston under a court order to desegregate its schools, black students were sent to predominantly white schools in the city and white students were sent to predominantly black schools to correct the imbalance. Lee and his friend Alvin — both incoming freshmen — ended up at a high school in Hyde Park, then a white working class neighborhood, and were escorted to school on their first day, Lee recalls, by 20 police cars and 40 motorcycles.

Lee in his office at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Flyers and newspaper clippings on the bulletin board outside Lee’s office

But that protection could only go so far. On the third day at Hyde Park High, Lee ignored warnings to never enter the bathrooms alone and was jumped by four white students, one of them stabbing him in the leg with a small knife. That was it for Lee. “Somebody’s gonna kill me, or I’m going to kill somebody,” Lee told Alvin. Three days later, Lee and Alvin caught a bus to the tony western suburb of Lexington. The pair had seen Lexington High School from their bus window on the way to their commissary job at a local Air Force base that summer, and it looked like an oasis, topped by a beautiful dome. They found their way to the school, headed to the main office, and declared their interest in attending. The request was met with equal parts shock and confusion. The chain of command arrived in order, starting with the vice principal, followed by the principal and culminating with an appearance by the superintendent.

“The more I got exposed to having the things that I wanted, the more I started to see that those weren’t the things I wanted.”

Winter 2018

“No one had ever told us that you had to live in a town in order to go to a school,” says Lee. “We just didn’t know not to know.” They just knew they needed to be someplace else. The racism at Lexington High was less overt, but it was still there. In Boston, people would just yell racial epithets in your face, Lee says. Here, they’d yell it down the hall and run away before you could see who said it. But Lee and his friend had no tolerance for it, sticking up not only for themselves but also for other targets. One of his friends — a guy he is still close with — used to get picked on because he was Jewish and “had a big, curly afro. We would always stick up for him because we knew what it’s like to be a victim of some foolishness.” An interest in fashion and a desire to remain close to home shaped Lee’s decision to attend Johnson & Wales, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Retail Marketing and Management. He credits the experience with teaching him how to build a business. “The whole concept of business, from the marketing side all the way to the accounting side — as well as how those two things really work together,” Lee says. “It was mindblowing for me, because I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit.” His career path out of school progressed as planned: running retail stores in Boston and then New Orleans, eventually taking a job as a buyer for the city of Boston. He was making money, wearing nicer clothes — but eventually, it stopped feeling fulfilling. “It was a gradual realization,” he says. “It really went from me wanting to drive a Mercedes and have the

fancy clothes to how can I give back?” Lee recalls. “The more I got exposed to having the things that I wanted, the more I started to see that those weren’t the things I wanted.” As he began to work in community service — starting with the Governor’s Alliance Against Drugs and then taking a job running the YMCA in the city’s Roxbury neighborhood — he started to see an opportunity to meld his mind for business with his desire for impact. “It’s really been about taking entrepreneurial ideas and implementing them into nonprofits,” says Lee. There are hundreds of great community nonprofits that fail because they are dependent on donations. “How can they be sustainable?” Lee says. While he was at ABCD community center, he increased the budget from $150,000 to $1.5 million in six years, thanks in large part to entrepreneurial programming. “It was marketing, outreach, relationship building — and the ability to look at a balance sheet,” says Lee. He laughs. “That was the stuff that really kicked my butt at JWU.” n a cold September night in Boston, Captain Steven Sweeney is piloting his police SUV through the city’s streets. He’s working night command, and Lee is taking the opportunity for a ride-along. “I like to stay close to the work,” Lee says. “I have relationships with police in virtually every city and town in the Commonwealth at some level.” He and Sweeney have never met, but they quickly find commonalities: Lee’s connections on the force and memories of a

police-supported community basketball program. “Boston’s a very, very small town,” says Lee. “If anyone’s doing anything in Boston, there’s a good chance you’ll bump into it. All you have to be doing is just be part of the movement.” It’s a Monday night, and it’s relatively quiet. The radio crackles with calls: an iPhone robbery, a breaking and entering. Sweeney steers into Dorchester, and Lee points out his church, the Grace Church of All Nations, and his former workplace, the ABCD center. A few minutes later, Lee sees another former employer, the Roxbury YMCA. It’s a tour of his résumé — geographic evidence of his wide influence. Nancy Robinson, executive director of Boston’s LIPSTICK (Ladies Involved in Putting a Stop to Inner-City Killings) program — which she cofounded with Lee’s sister Ruth — remembers first seeing Leonard at a rally after a 4-year-old boy was struck by a stray bullet on a Dorchester playground. “I have never seen someone get a favorable reaction from so many people. He was holding court,” she says. “I told him he should run for mayor.” “He’s a brother from the neighborhood who never forgot where he came from,” says Robert Lewis Jr., founder of The BASE — a Roxbury nonprofit that supports urban student athletes. Lewis has worked with Lee on several youth and gang violence initiatives during their more than 20 years of friendship. “His suit and tie never changed him. His travels never changed him.”

Lee with Boston Police Captain Steven Sweeney

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“Leonard has dedicated his career to public service and working on violence prevention programs, particularly for youth,” says Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “I had the privilege of working with Leonard during my time at the State House, where he championed providing positive pathways for our young people to succeed. His involvement in many different organizations and programs across the Commonwealth that aim to advance the well-being and promote the safety of all people speaks volumes to his character and his commitment to improving the lives of others.” Captain Sweeney slows the SUV to wave to two other officers parked in a residential neighborhood. This is a hot spot, he says, with two warring gangs engaged in a prolonged battle. Sometimes, Sweeney says, conflicts escalate over social media, Facebook insults leading to bloodshed. The impact of these conflicts comes across Lee’s desk on a regular basis. Not only does he get calls from police and community workers looking for answers and insight when gun violence occurs, he also gets a report every Monday with sobering, disheartening data: how many young women were raped, how many kids had been involved in sex trafficking, how many young people were murdered, how many young people committed suicide. What is the answer to all this violence? What can stop the cycle? In the passenger seat, Lee returns to his thesis. You can’t take someone from a toxic environment, he says, build them up, and then return them to a toxic

Lee tends to the hives.

environment and expect them to thrive. “A lot of these kids have siblings in jail or just getting out. They don’t have someone to look up to,” he says. It’s an adage he’s lived. He took in his own nephew when his sister Ruth was battling addiction, raising the boy on his own from age 2 to until his teens. “I often say, literally, I dropped my kid off for a weekend and picked him up about 10 years later,” Ruth says. She eventually got her life turned around, but in 2007, tragedy struck when she lost another son, Danny, to gun violence. She cofounded LIPSTICK shortly thereafter, and currently runs the We Are Better Together project, which works to empower women impacted by gun violence. “Leonard has always been my biggest supporter,” she says. “He always shines light on my stories and my accomplishments.” “He’s personally experienced losing family to violence — and sometimes people don’t know what to do in that situation and they step away,” says Lee’s friend Robert Lewis. “He doesn’t. He steps closer to it.”

“I can tell you situations where we were teaching young people suicide prevention and then, a month later, one of those kids commits suicide.”

n a bad day, Lee’s work can be soul crushing. “I can tell you stories of young kids that I went out and saw in Springfield and developed relationships with them, did some activities with them, and then two weeks later, they were murdered,” he says. “I can tell you situations where we were teaching young people suicide prevention and then, a month later, one of those kids commits suicide.” When Lee’s nephew Danny was murdered in 2007, he had to take a break. “It was really hard for me because I knew before my sister knew — because the police know it’s me through the work that I’ve done,” says Lee. “And the police officer who called knew that was my nephew, and he was like, ‘Len’... ” Lee gets quiet. His nephew was the 15th kid lost to violence during his six years at ABCD. “I was burying too many young people,” he says. “In some cases, I knew the kid who was the perpetrator and [knew] the victim because they were coming from our program.” After quitting ABCD in the wake of his nephew’s death, he spent a week practicing yoga in western Massachusetts. “And I came back thinking that I don’t want to deal with young people anymore.” But after two jobs that just weren’t good fits, he took a role as director of the state’s child and youth violence prevention program. He tries his best to keep his mental health intact. His wife and four children provide a solid support system. He keeps several beehives, which offer some catharsis. (Ever the entrepreneur, he’s bottled a bit of the honey to sell at local farmers’ markets.) He’s an avid skier and an active member

“I can tell you stories of young kids that I went out and saw in Springfield and developed relationships with them, did some activities with them, and then two weeks later, they were murdered.”

of the African-American National Brotherhood of Skiers. But he has to worry about his staff, too. “I say this to my team all the time: A large part of my job is trying to make sure that you guys have a smile on your face,” says Lee. “And that’s really talking about self care because of the nature of the work that we do.” But there is a payoff to what he does, too. That 16-year-old kid who held the gun to his head 20 years ago? Lee saw him not long ago at a Best Buy in Boston, all grown up. He was an assistant manager there. “And that was powerful for me,” Lee says. “Because I didn’t give up on him.” JWU

WHO’s the NEW GUY? On any given day, you’re likely to spot one of Johnson & Wales’ newest branch campus presidents chatting with students. Although the three come from different worlds — a teenage cook supervising a staff twice his age, a starryeyed kid growing up in a steel mill town, and a car-loving preteen in a boarding school at the foot of the Himalayas — presidents Larry Rice, Ed.D., ’90; Richard Wiscott, Ph.D.; and Tarun Malik, ’90 M.S., ’11, Ed.D., share the same vision when it comes to the students they serve. Each leads with passion, rooted in a strong work ethic and genuine desire to see students succeed — and their students, colleagues and longtime friends love them for it.

MEET YOUR PRESIDENTS

by Nicole Maranhas

photos by Karli Evans, Chris Schneider, Chris Smith, Mike Cohea, John Johnston, Taylor Clark Johnson

Winter 2018

www.jwu.edu

LARRY RICE, ED.D., â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90 North Miami Campus

Winter 2018

ON THE DAY HE TURNED SIXTEEN, Larry Rice knew exactly what he wanted — a job at the local steakhouse in his Union, South Carolina, hometown. He applied for a dishwashing gig and started on the spot, celebrating his birthday “rocking and rolling and singing and getting [the dishes] cleaned with love,” he says. Where some might have seen dirty dishes, the aspiring cook saw a valuable learning opportunity. “I would take the dishes to the front line and observe the cooks, their flow and each of their roles,” Rice says. “One day, one of them called in sick and the manager had no choice. He said, ‘Get an apron.’ ”

‌‌s president of JWU’s North Miami Campus since 2015, Rice hasn’t changed. He has spent an entire career getting his work done with love — from the early kitchen jobs he held while earning his associate degree at the former JWU Charleston Campus, to the successful private catering business he formed while a young graduate student, to his first teaching role on the North Miami Campus nearly 25 years ago. “It’s not the path, it’s how you walk the path,” says Rice. “I’ve always believed the biggest opportunity you can have is being true to yourself and letting your light shine.” Allison James ’03 is among many North Miami alumni who have learned to shine from Rice. The Trinidad native was two days into her first year when she left dining class in tears, realizing she was on the wrong path. Scared and lost, she met with Rice, then dean of academic affairs, and found an instant mentor who inspired her to switch her major to Hospitality Management and get involved on campus. “He told me, ‘You’re not giving up,’ ” says James, who is now the training manager for the housekeeping department at Loews Miami Beach. “His passion for students is genuine. I felt like I wanted to succeed because he gave me so much.” As a first-generation college student who took that initial job to help his single mother, Rice identifies with the students he serves. The North Miami Campus was recently ranked first in diversity among southern colleges and universities (and third nationally) by The Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education, a point of pride for Rice, who has worked to foster a culture of inclusivity among students, faculty and staff. His extensive work in conflict resolution training and community building with his wife, Claire Michele, Ph.D., as well as his notable service with various educational and hospitality organi-

zations, reflects his commitment to helping others thrive. “I can’t think of anyone better at encouraging people and creating circumstances where they’ll self-motivate,” says longtime friend and colleague George Alexakis, Ed.D., ’94 M.S., who met Rice while they were earning their doctorates at Nova Southeastern University. “He has an incredible way of relating to people.” The people-centric president is also a devoted dad to two young-adult daughters and celebrated his 25th anniversary with Claire Michele last year. (He first won her over on a church outing, he says, by offering to carry her bowling ball to the car.) He credits his wife with raising his awareness on the disease-prevention benefits of a plant-based diet. Vegan since 2011, Rice feels strongly that diet is a personal choice. (“Everyone has to take their own individual journey,” he says, “and I don’t judge, because I was eating a certain way six years ago.”) He feels his responsibility as an educator is to prepare culinary students with a full understanding of vegan cuisine. “It doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice taste, texture, presentation or dining experience,” Rice says, a perspective that resonates with his overall philosophy of doing anything in life — be it learning to cook or serving as president — fully and with love. Soon after filling in for that steakhouse cook and donning an apron for the first time, 16-year-old Rice was managing the kitchen. “I see students so confused about [their future], and I tell them to just pick a spot and be excellent,” he says. “The person you are is going to define what you become.”

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RICHARD WISCOTT, PH.D. Denver Campus

Winter 2018

WHEN RICHARD WISCOTT WAS A KID growing up in a small steel mill town in Ohio, higher education didn’t seem to be in his future. “I tried a few classes,” he says, “but I didn’t know how to be a college student.” A TV and movie buff, he instead followed an actor buddy to Los Angeles and took a job as a bank teller in the entertainment industry, waiting on customers such as ’80s band The Go-Gos and screen legend Barbara Stanwyck. “I was a banker to the stars,” he jokes.

iscott moved up the banking ladder to become a vice president of operations by his mid-twenties, but when his father passed away unexpectedly, he reassessed his dream of getting a degree. He enrolled in community college, eventually returning to Ohio as a sociology and psychology doublemajor at Youngstown State University. One day, a professor called him to her office and encouraged him to think about graduate school. “I didn’t even really know what that meant,” he says. “She helped me choose schools and apply.” Wiscott’s career began at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania, where he helped create the undergraduate program in gerontology, and continued as assistant dean at Kent State, then in subsequent administrative positions at JWU’s Denver Campus. Throughout it all, Wiscott has never forgotten his own experience as an academic late-bloomer and the firsthand knowledge of how education and a supportive environment can change a life. “I like to think I’ve built my career on creating a culture for students where they don’t face the barriers I faced,” he says. Since taking on the role of president in June 2016, Wiscott has held true to this vision, focusing on forging connections with local businesses and cultivating a strong campus community. “We’ve been pretty innovative in terms of creating an academic portfolio that meets the workforce needs in our region,” he says. In February, JWU Denver was accepted as an exploratory member of the NCAA Division III Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. “I want students to receive the education and services they deserve,” says Wiscott. “I remember how I felt in college when an office wasn’t open or I couldn’t get an answer I needed.”

Lucas Prolow ’17 was impressed by Wiscott the first time they met, while Prolow was student body president. “He’s never in a different head space,” says Prolow. “He is focused on what you have to say. You will always see him walking around campus, at a good portion of games, supporting all the student activities.” Faculty also note his dedication. “There are a thousand things he could be concerned about as an administrator, but he is genuinely interested in someone’s research project or life as a faculty member,” says Kreg Abshire, Ph.D., a professor in the John Hazen White College of Arts & Sciences. “When he talks about teaching, it comes from a place of knowledge and experience.” Wiscott also comes from a place of knowledge on all matters pop culture, from top-40s mainstream to electronic dance music and sci-fi films, trading TV show recommendations with fellow JWU president Larry Rice. (Current pick: “The Handmaid’s Tale” on Hulu.) Weekends are for the gym, Sunday brunch and exploring the city with his partner of 11 years, Michael. The two were married four years ago on Wiscott’s daughter’s high school graduation trip to San Francisco (“she stood up for us,” says Wiscott) — but one spot in Denver always ranks among his top places to visit. “Going to the culinary building is still one of my favorite things to do,” he says. “On the first day, some students don’t know how to hold a knife. By the end of the first segment, they’re preparing amazing dishes. You see real-world learning happening in real time.” He adds, “From the first moment I stepped on the campus, I fell in love.”

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TARUN MALIK ’90 M.S., ’11 ED.D. Charlotte Campus

Winter 2018

THE SMELL OF GASOLINE, the speed of the cars. If you hadn’t pegged Charlotte Campus President Tarun Malik as a die-hard Formula One fan, less surprising is the studious way he got hooked. “We had a wonderful library at the boarding school I attended as a kid,” he says. “I used to read all the time, and I got curious about these racing cars in the magazines. Whenever I had the opportunity, I read about them.”

hose boarding school years, spent at the prestigious Doon School in Dehradun, India, shaped much of Malik’s educational philosophy today. “You learned resilience and to have faith in your ability,” he says. “Right from the beginning I was used to having my feet in different places — that became character development.” After graduating from the Institute of Hotel Management and Delhi University the same year, Malik embarked on a career in hospitality, learning the industry during the ’80s New Delhi hotel boom, and helping to open the opulent Orient Express restaurant, which catered to the elite. “I learned hotel operations in the world of heads of states and movie stars and captains of industry,” he says. “I had the privilege of traveling, experiencing world-class chefs and learning about wines, even though I could not afford them.” The same global perspective, says Malik, is the key to shaping tomorrow’s captains of industry. After beginning his JWU career in Providence, he helped establish the Charlotte Campus in 2004 as dean of academic affairs, drawing on his experiences abroad — in India, England and Switzerland, and traveling the world — to create a contemporary curriculum, he says, that is both challenging and supportive. He is attuned to the importance of giving students role models, especially first-generation students who may not have had the strong family examples he had. “You take time to talk to students and learn about their desires,” he says. “I walk around this campus all the time and chat. It’s not the ‘grand viewing’ of the president.”

“He made a huge impact on my life,” says former student Jamie Blea ’12, now manager of human resources at Wyndham Hotel Group in New Jersey. “He cared so much about the work we were doing and understands how to apply it to the real world. There was a huge outpouring of love when his presidency was announced.” “Unflappable,” says longtime friend Debu Purohit, who first met Malik at 12 years old, in describing his former Doon School classmate. “Those traits of authenticity, of being able to strike up a conversation with anybody, were there 40 years ago — and they’re still there on a bigger stage.” Along with his wife, Sarah, a certified sommelier who teaches at JWU, Malik enjoys visiting vineyards and exploring wine regions around the world. The couple has raised their two teenage daughters with the same appreciation for travel and good food. (“I think they are tired of my wife and me cracking on about food and wine,” he says with a laugh.) He still finds time to follow cricket over long-distance phone chats with his dad, ever connected to the respect for tradition he learned as a kid. In some ways, he sees much in common between the Charlotte Campus and his alma mater at the foot of the Himalayas. “The mission comes down to instilling aspiration in students,” he says. “You learn to make the most of any opportunity and the value of character.”

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LESSONS HISTORY from

by DALIAH SINGER illustrations by ALEX WILLIAMSON

Denver Campus students dove into newspaper archives to contribute to a crowdsourced project for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Along the way, they discovered that history is more than mere facts.

www.jwu.edu

ictoria Diaz ’17 was standing near a bank of bulky machines on the fifth floor of the Denver Central Library, her dark hair in a messy bun. She had no idea how to turn them on, let alone how they were going to help her view 75-year-old newspapers. “It looked like a stone-age computer from when I was in preschool,” she said. Though the technology may have felt prehistoric to the 23-year-old, it wasn’t quite that ancient: Diaz and four of her classmates were learning how to use Canon microfilm scanners.

IT WAS THE FIRST OF TWO VISITS the students made to the downtown library last winter. The field trips were part of a unique project for a History of Media class taught by instructor Annie Sugar, Ph.D., at Johnson & Wales’ Denver Campus. The students were there to look through local newspaper archives spanning the 1930s–40s to contribute to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s “History Unfolded: U.S. Newspapers and the Holocaust,” a national, crowdsourced effort to build an online research database on what and when Americans across the country knew about the Holocaust and World War II. “I had been looking for a way to contribute and connect with it, incorporate it into my class, but I hadn’t had a class that it really fit with,” says Sugar, who read about the initiative in Smithsonian magazine in April 2016. When she was told she’d be leading the winter term of History of Media, a required course for Media & Communication Studies majors, Sugar saw an opportunity to make the curriculum more relevant. “The idea behind this project, the idea behind this class is to get you thinking critically about why things are the way they are and what the media does,” she says. But first, the students had to figure out how to load those old reels. HISTORY UNFOLDED launched in February 2016. So far, about 6,000 people have participated (approximately 1,300 of those are teachers), submitting more than 10,000 articles to the database. That community research will help inform a spring 2018 exhibition on how Americans responded to Nazism, which will coincide with the Holocaust Memorial Museum’s 25th anniversary. “We knew that we couldn’t answer that question [what Americans knew and when] on our own,” said Elissa Frankle, the museum’s experience and education specialist. “Citizen history only works if the question you’re asking is a real one that needs citizen participation. The community could truly help us answer the question in a way nobody else could.”

Winter 2018

While History Unfolded is focused on gathering information on 34 specific events (Kristallnacht and Jewish refugees seeking safe harbor, for example), Sugar encouraged her students to dive into whatever topic called to them as they clicked through page after page of the Denver Post and the now-defunct Rocky Mountain News searching for related material. “The History Unfolded project gave us a sandbox to play in so that we were dealing with a discrete period of time and a discrete set of artifacts, so that it wasn’t too big,” she said. “I wanted their work to have air, be a living and breathing project that was part of something bigger than themselves, and for them to know that they were building an archive that will have a lasting impact.” HE EXPERIENCE was about more than expanding the students’ T knowledge of history, though. They also gained valuable skills in research, analysis and media literacy. “I wasn’t big on research until I started this,” says Diaz, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Media & Communication Studies last year and also has a B.S. in Sports, Entertainment, Event — Management from JWU. “[Now I know] there are various ways of doing it, instead of going online and researching academic journals and articles.” That enhanced perspective included making connections between the world they were reading about and the one they’re living in today. While the newspapers’ compact layouts surprised the students, they soon realized the abundance of information wasn’t all that different from their own overwhelming experience of scanning through story after story on an iPhone. The news they were reading felt familiar too: rising numbers of refugees, war on the horizon, xenophobia. They started to recognize repeating patterns of history. “One of the things I think they liked the most is it dismantled their high school textbooks,” Sugar says. “The Holocaust didn’t

happen on its own. It was an explosion of centuries of anti-Semitism across Europe, across the world. For students to see that lead up, to see the steps that were the immediate predecessor allows them to relate to how that happens in other places.” Diaz was initially a bit intimidated by the assignment (she had never done research at a public library before), but the varsity soccer player quickly found a familiar storyline: the unequal treatment of female athletes. She had long recognized the imbalance in coverage of women’s sports compared to men’s and the disparity in athletes’ salaries based on gender, but Diaz thought it was a contemporary issue. While scanning the microfilm, she learned of swimmer Eleanor Holm Jarrett, who was kicked off the 1936 U.S. Olympic team for drinking (though none of her male counterparts suffered the same fate). There was also track athlete Helen Stephens, whose world record-setting accomplishments only earned her coverage in the middle of the newspaper page, pushed down in favor of headlines about male athletes’ triumphs. “The experience truly opened my eyes,” said Diaz, who aspires to be an ESPN sportscaster. “This is not only a problem today — this has been going on for a long time and it needs to change.” “It was incredible,” Sugar says. “My biggest goal with this, as with any class, is building citizens and citizenship.” She sees Diaz as an example of a goal realized. Last summer, Diaz worked as a media relations intern for USA Wrestling and Wrestle Like A Girl, a nonprofit that promotes female participation in the sport. She says the research she did for Sugar’s class motivated her to continue working toward equality in sports. “It makes me mad. It sparks me a little bit,” she says of the imbalance. “It makes you want to stay on this path — this is what I need to do and want to do.” While her research topic strayed from the Holocaust a bit, Sugar encouraged it: “I think Victoria’s interest turned into advocacy by the fact that she saw gender inequality happening in the news in the ’30s that not just echoed but is completely the same as what she’s seeing today.” RETURNING TO CAMPUS after their second library visit, three students started discussing other major human rights violations, from apartheid to the civil rights movement, and the lack of conversation about these dark moments in history. As the conversation shifted toward current times — what they had read in the news that week about the Syrian refugee crisis and heard on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah”— their professor stayed quiet, listening intently to her students engaging with history, then and now. JWU

RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

Emeril Lagasse Golf Classic Above Par

OR THE PAST 15 YEARS, donors to The Emeril Lagasse

Although 2017 marks the last tournament associated with this scholarEndowed Scholarship Fund have gathered annually at The ship fund, scholarships will continue to be awarded to students in the Emeril Lagasse Golf Classic to demonstrate their support College of Culinary Arts in perpetuity. Additionally, we trust that the for the high-quality education JWU provides. The classic relationships developed during the tenure of this event will continue to has become a signature fundraiser under the leadership of Chef Emeril support our students, campuses and academic programs. Lagasse ’78, ’90 Hon., Tournament Chairman Stephen J. Caldeira ’07 Hon. ~ Jennifer Demeter and Chancellor John J. Bowen ’77, that provides scholarship support to culinary students universitywide. [1] L – R: Tournament Chairman Stephen J. Caldeira ’07 Hon., Chancellor John J. Bowen ’77, “Our university is a better place and our students are Chef Emeril Lagasse ’78, ’90 Hon. better off due in large part to the commitment, passion [2] 2017 Emeril Lagasse Scholarship recipients and diligent efforts of two of JWU’s greatest champions [3] L– R: Mitch Cohen and Doug Allison representing Presenting Sponsor PepsiCo and volunteer leaders — Chef Emeril Lagasse ’78, ’90 Hon. and Stephen J. Caldeira ’07 Hon.,” says Chancellor Bowen. “We are eternally grateful for their unwavering dedication to our mission.” These generous donors help Johnson & Wales fulfill its mission to provide an exceptional education that inspires professional success and lifelong personal and intellectual growth. Since its inception, the tournament has raised nearly $6 million for student scholarships. Supporters have helped transform the lives of 88 students.“Throughout my JWU journey, I have learned that dreaming big is possible,” says Maria Rivera ’18, a 2017 Emeril Scholarship recipient studying Culinary Arts and Food Service Management on the Denver Campus. Hundreds of individuals and corporations have supported the initiative since the tournament’s inception in 2003. JWU’s continued support and interest in educational experiences provides students with the opportunity to pursue their professional and personal goals.

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Winter 2018

BREAD CONFERENCE RISES AGAIN IN 2018 THE SECOND ANNUAL International Symposium on Bread, “On the Rise:

The Future of Bread,” will take place at the Charlotte Campus this April. The forum will unite globally recognized scholars, authors, agriculturists, historians, industry leaders, nutritionists and bakers who will lead activities focused on exploring the full range of bread’s many levels of meaning. The symposium’s curriculum will span four broad areas of interest: arts (including history and aesthetics); sciences (social and natural, including technology); application (current issues, business/entrepreneurship); and inspiration/aspiration (innovation, creativity, technological concepts). Peter Reinhart, Charlotte Campus chef-on-assignment and four-time James Beard Foundation Book Award winner, created the inaugural symposium in 2017 and is back at the helm for the 2018 event: “Our inaugural symposium was so successful that it provided a solid foundation for adding new elements to the next one, including an optional hands-on workshop day and allowing for more interaction between the attendees and our students. This represents a very exciting opportunity as we grow JWU’s role as a desired venue for thought leadership gatherings.” At last year’s two-day program, eminent bakers, historians, scholars, millers, baking equipment and ingredient companies, and food writers explored the areas of interest that will be on the menu this year. The 165 attendees enjoyed myriad topics consisting of 20-to-25-minute presentations with 15–20 minutes allotted for questions and answers. The sessions were starting points for future discussions and many of the conversations continued during breaks and meals.

From “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart

Puratos served as the lead sponsor for the event. Additional sponsors included Big Green Egg, To Your Health Flour, Central Milling, Bonaterra and several others. The second Bread Symposium is scheduled for April 26–28, 2018, with close to 200 guests expected to attend. ~ Darlena Goodwin

RATIONAL ENHANCES THE CULINARY EXPERIENCE FOR MORE THAN two decades, RATIONAL

Cooking Systems Inc. has had a presence on all four JWU campuses, from equipment in the classroom to collaborating with colleagues and curriculum support. The 40-year-old company, which specializes in combining dry and moist heat cooking, recently partnered with JWU to support curriculum development in myriad ways: First, by establishing The RATIONAL Cooking Systems Curriculum Development Fund; second, by creating The RATIONAL Cooking Systems Distinguished Visiting Chef Scholarship benefiting students in the College of Culinary Arts and in association with the university’s Distinguished Visiting Chef (DVC) series; and

third, by making a significant donation of stateof-the-art equipment for culinary labs universitywide. Culinary faculty and students will be aided by this access to technology and other resources essential to their success. According to Markus Gluek, executive vice president of the company’s North America division, “RATIONAL is dedicated to excellence in education and our future food-service leaders must have access today to the technology of tomorrow. Our partnership with Johnson & Wales highlights this shared vision for distinctive careers and we’re proud of the many JWU alumni serving as forward-thinking intrapreneurs in our organization.” ~ Randy Rosenthal

Daniel Lessem ’96, at left, former North Miami Campus instructor and application chef-East for RATIONAL, demonstrates equipment at JWU.

www.jwu.edu

The Debut of

JWU CONNECTS New programming offers professional webinars and a host of virtual and live networking events JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY is all about

connections — with fellow alumni, students, faculty members and industry leaders. The importance of networking and professional growth is instilled in our students from their earliest days on campus, and alumni have told JWU that those endeavors remain top priorities. The university recently convened an Ad Hoc Professional Program Development Committee to explore new methods and models through which JWU could meet the career needs of its graduates. Based on their recommendations, Alumni Relations is proud to present JWU Connects. This new line of programming features exciting ways to grow your network, enhance your skill set, form valuable relationships and learn from the best.

Webinars WEDNESDAYS ARE NOW WEBINAR WEDNESDAYS. Each week, a new

live webinar will be presented by a notable expert on a key topic. The sessions are divided into four tracks that follow one’s career stages: FIRST WEDNESDAY — CareerSearch: This track is relevant to anyone

considering a new job, whether you’ve just graduated, are advancing within your profession or considering a major change. SECOND WEDNESDAY — CareerDiscussions: No matter where you

work, everyone encounters certain situations that can be tough to handle. Learn how to address diversity, work/life balance, office politics, selfpromotion and more.

THIRD WEDNESDAY — CareerSkills: “Soft skills” such as creative

thinking, oral communication, data interpretation and leadership transcend all professions. Just ask a hiring manager: These competencies are universal requirements. FOURTH WEDNESDAY — CareerEncores: Graduates who have led long

careers can find out, “What’s next?”

Stream the presentations in real time or browse the webinar library at your convenience.

GET STARTED NOW AT ALUMNI.JWU.EDU 34

Winter 2018

Screen grab from Webinar Wednesdays

Virtual Speed Networking GAIN INSIGHTS FROM YOUR JWU PEERS through online events that

you “attend” from the convenience of your computer, tablet or phone. Each event will have a different focus: industries, entrepreneurial interests, geographic locations, career stages. You can chat with one or two fellow alumni for up to 10 minutes each, then talk to someone new; it’s never been easier to “meet” people. A transcript of each conversation is automatically saved for your reference, and you can add notes to maximize the new relationships you build. During the fall, our successful events revolved around College of Business graduates, the hospitality industry, culinary professionals and emerging leaders. In 2018, events will feature alumni experts and location-based chats.

Niche, In-person Events GET EVEN MORE OUT OF JWU ALUMNI EVENTS when the crowd and

speaker are fellow alumni who are industry leaders. In November, graduates working in hospitality were thrilled to hear from David Salcfas ’88, New York Marriott Marquis hotel manager, about industry labor challenges and what it’s like running the largest hotel in one of the country’s largest cities, and a “lifetime” spent working for the largest hotel company in the world. The alumni in attendance, many of whom had attended HX: The Hotel Experience at the Jacob Javitz Center, then networked while overlooking Times Square from the hotel’s Broadway Lounge. In Boston, a panel of alumni experts shared words of wisdom and stories of how they got to where they are with graduates who are part of the Emerging Leaders network. Hosted by Carlos Bueno ’00, manager of Taj Boston hotel, and moderated by Marquis Cooper ’14, an audit associate with Gray, Gray & Gray LLP, the panel consisted of Ryan Barry ’08, chief revenue officer for Zappistore; Gregg Brackman ’95, owner of G Bar and Kitchen; Seeratt Dutt ’13, product developer for Kettle Cuisine; and James Fisher ’96, vice president of global services at State Street Bank and Trust Corp. Watch for event invites for 2018 programs that will take place in Charlotte, Las Vegas, Providence and Chicago ( just to name a few). With these tools and resources at your fingertips, it’s easier than ever to build powerful connections, strengthen your network, boost your abilities and expand opportunities for success!

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The Ad Hoc Professional Program Development Committee leadership consists of the following graduates: HAZEM GAMAL ’90, JWU Connects national chair

Based in New York City, Gamal is a leader in business operations with a focus on sales and marketing enablement. Initially a hotelier, Gamal became an international senior management consultant before spending 15-plus years at OppenheimerFunds. BRYAN OGLESBY ’95, JWU Connects national vice chair

Oglesby is vice president of people for PR Management Corp, a franchise of Panera Bread, and oversees all of the company’s human resources functions. Over the last 20-plus years, he has held senior roles in human resources and operations in multiple industries. Oglesby holds a bachelor’s degree in Management from Johnson & Wales University and has senior designations as SPHR and SHRM-SCP. He is a member of the Human Resources Leadership Forum and The Society for Human Resource Management, and has been a volunteer soccer and basketball coach for his local town. JUSTINE SACKS ’09, Culinary & Hospitality Network chair

Sacks is the director of dining services at Columbia University in New York. She previously held various roles within the hotel industry, including food and beverage, front office and housekeeping within the Marriott International and Omni Hotels & Resorts brands.

MARQUIS COOPER ’14, Emerging Leaders Network co-chair

A member of the client service team at Canton, Massachusetts, accounting firm Gray, Gray & Gray LLC, Cooper focuses on audit work, with particular expertise in Federal Acquisition Regulation compliance and overhead rate audits for architectural and engineering firms. He also oversees the firm’s Young Leaders Network, serves on the Academic & Career Development Committee for the Massachusetts Society of CPAs, and is an active member in the Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Northeastern University Center for Family Business. JOY LIU ’12, Emerging Leaders Network co-chair

Although she began her career crafting commercials at advertising agencies, Liu is now a freelance content consultant and Certified Financial Trainer® at The Financial Gym. While her employers and clients are based in New York, she works from her home office in North Carolina.

More sub-networks will be established soon! If you’d like to get involved or provide feedback, please email alumni@jwu.edu.

www.jwu.edu

CLASS NOTES 1974

1981

1986

[1] MARK SPALDO PVD

JOSEPH ARMENTI PVD

LISA CAPASSO PVD

STANHOPE, NEW JERSEY

Mark is CEO of Boy Scouts of America, Patriots’ Path Council, located in Cedar Knolls.

WEST BOYLSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

Joseph is a district manager for Whitson’s Culinary Group in Islandia, New York. SCOTT BERRY PVD PEABODY, MASSACHUSETTS

Scott is district manager, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, for Whitson’s Culinary Group in Islandia, New York. STEPHANIE JONES PVD

1978 GLORIA CASH PVD RANDOLPH, MASSACHUSETTS

Gloria is an advocate in the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office.

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Robin is the office administrator at UP Education Network in Boston, Massachusetts.

1980 CHRISTOPHER DONNELLY ’91 M.S. PVD

Richard is a regional executive chef for Whitson’s Culinary Group in Attleboro, Massachusetts.

DORCHESTER CENTER, MASSACHUSETTS

Leonard is director of the division of violence and injury prevention at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

1984 BARRY YOUNG PVD COLUMBUS, OHIO

Barry is an assistant professor at Columbus State Community College.

NORTH SMITHFIELD, RHODE ISLAND

Chris is senior vice president, brand experiences, at Allen & Gerritsen in Boston, Massachusetts.

Winter 2018

John is a culinary specialist and director of professional support for Resources for Human Development in Philadelphia. He spent 22 years as a services club manager for the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force, having been recruited directly from Johnson & Wales. JAMES GRIFFIN ’92 M.S.

PVD

James, an associate professor in the College of Hospitality Management, presented “Planning Culinary Innovation Strategies for Managing, Lead Times, Purchasing Cycles and Product” at the Research Chef Association’s annual Conference and Culinology Expo in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

1987

1989

GORDON BUCHSBAUM PVD

FRED FARIA M.S. PVD

SHARON, MASSACHUSETTS

Gordon is president and CEO of Gordon’s Gourmet in Sharon. KAREN GERSBECK PVD SOUTHINGTON, CONNECTICUT

Karen is a district manager for Connecticut for Whitson’s Culinary Group in Islandia, New York. MONICA LOFTON PVD CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

HOPE, RHODE ISLAND

Fred is the principal trainer and consultant at Faria Associates in Hope. EARL PARKER PVD CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA

Earl is CEO of Commonwealth Senior Living in Charlottesville. BETH SOUZA PVD LAKE GENEVA, WISCONSIN

Monica is a property manager with MG Management in Chicago.

Bethany is a hotel developer and designer for Historic Hospitality in Lake Geneva.

JOHN MALESH PVD

DAVID VANDERPOEL PVD

ANN MARIE SOLOMON PVD PVD Providence NMI North Miami DEN Denver CLT Charlotte CHS Charleston NOR Norfolk VAIL Vail International ONL Online

JOHN GALLAGHER PVD JENKINTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA

FRANKLIN, MASSACHUSETTS

John is the owner and franchisee of McAlister’s Deli in Valparaiso.

NORTH HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

Formerly president of North America for FOCUS Brands, Paul is CEO of Naf Naf Grill, a Middle Eastern fast casual chain based in Chicago.

DYER, INDIANA

JOHN PRUNIER PVD John is district manager, Connecticut and Massachusetts, for Whitson’s Culinary Group in Islandia, New York.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

RICHARD SANDMANN PVD

LEONARD LEE PVD

ROBIN NELSON PVD

PVD

EAST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

HARWINTON, CONNECTICUT

1979

[2] PAUL DAMICO ’16 HON.

Stephanie is a senior surrogate’s clerk with the New York County Surrogate Court.

1982

Donna is a CPA in Harwinton.

Lisa is the events coordinator at Catholic Memorial School in West Roxbury.

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

DONNA GROCCIA-LUBIK

PVD

AUBURNDALE, MASSACHUSETTS

1988

CHESTER SPRINGS, PENNSYLVANIA

Ann Marie is the vice president of strategic development and national brands at Aramark in Philadelphia.

SOUTH HADLEY, MASSACHUSETTS

David is a chef with the Healthcare Services Group. ELEANOR WELLER PVD POCASSET, MASSACHUSETTS

Eleanor is senior mortgage originator at First Citizens Federal Credit Union in Mashpee.

1992

1994

SIR RAVON CHAPMAN PVD

MICHELLE BERNSTEINMARTINEZ ’03 HON. NMI

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

3 [3] L– R: Steve Shipley ’85, ’06 M.A.T., Kirk Clemens ’88, Jim Smith ’09,

Gary James ’88, Michele Mitchell ’90, Trasjohn Whye ’16, and Vaughn Hardin ’90

Sir Ravon is a director of food operations with American Food Staffing, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. MILLICENT WHITECHAPMAN PVD PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

1990

PIA MCDONOUGH PVD

JOHN CANNIZZARO PVD

Pia has been named general manager at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for Delaware North’s travel division. She began her new role last spring after transitioning from Delaware North Sportservice, where she had been serving as general manager at Target Center in Minneapolis. Pia will oversee all aspects of Delaware North’s food, beverage and retail operations at the airport.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

John was named director of catering for South Point Hotel Casino & Spa in Las Vegas.

[3] VAUGHN HARDIN PVD WILMINGTON, DELAWARE

Vaughn was the lead sponsor of Meals on Wheels Delaware’s Cellar Masters’ Wine Auction on April 29, 2017, at the Wilmington Country Club. ANN MARIE MCCORMACK

PVD

PATCHOGUE, NEW YORK

Ann Marie is a court assistant with the New York State Unified Court System in Cental Islip.

1991 MITCHELL ARMENT PVD DENVER, PENNSYLVANIA

Mitchell is a product development manager with Kunzler & Company in Lancaster.

BURNSVILLE, MINNESOTA

CRAIG NARGI CHS WAYNESBORO, VIRGINIA

Craig’s company, Stable Craft Brewing, located in Waynesboro, was honored among the best brewmasters in the state in the 2017 Virginia Craft Beer Cup Awards, which were presented in Richmond this June by the Virginia Craft Brewers Guild. They won second place in the Amber and Brown American Beer category for their Britchin Brown Ale.

Millicent is a philanthropic officer for Bank of America Wealth Management.

MIAMI, FLORIDA

Michelle is the owner of Crumb On Parchment in Miami. JOHN FRANKE PVD LANTANA, TEXAS

John is a corporate chef with Front Burner Restaurants in Dallas. ADAM GEWANTER PVD HENDERSON, NEVADA

Adam is a partner and director of restaurants at the Tao Group in Las Vegas.

1993 JAY BLUHM PVD HENDERSON, NEVADA

Jay is a financial representative at WestPac Wealth Partners in Las Vegas. ERIC GILBERT ’00 MBA PVD BOCA RATON, FLORIDA

Eric is a regional account manager for LexisNexis in Boca Raton. KARL GUGGENMOS ’02 MBA

CHS

CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND

Karl is the owner of Culinary Solutions International, a consulting firm in Cranston. KELLYANN MRUCZEKTEFFT CHS

M’LISA KELLEY PVD OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

M’Lisa is director of nutrition and executive chef with the Piedmont Unified School District. GEOFFREY KRAMER PVD LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

Geoffrey is the west coast territory manager for Samuels & Son Seafood Co., headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. KATRINA WARNER ’96 M.S.

PVD

ARLINGTON, TEXAS

Katrina is coordinator of culinary arts at Tarant County College in Arlington.

EDWARDSBURG, MICHIGAN

Kellyann is general manager at the Hampton Inn in Granger, Indiana.

KEVIN CROKE PVD COCONUT GROVE, FLORIDA

Kevin is a director of sales and marketing at the Mayfair Hotel & Spa in Coconut Grove.

[4] AN ALUMNI PANEL titled “Are Donkeys Now Unicorns?” was presented at The Nightclub & Bar Convention & Trade Show in Las Vegas on March 28, 2017. On the panel L– R: Moderator Brian Warrener is an associate professor in the College of Hospitality Management on the Providence Campus. Cleophus Clark ’96 is vice president, human resources strategy & development, for HARRI in New York. Nicholas Makris ’94, ’97, ’98 MBA is an assistant professor in the College of Hospitality Management on the Providence Campus. Frank Martucci is general manager of beverage operations for Twin River Casino. Bernardo Neto ’06 is the director of hotel operations at MGM Resorts international in Las Vegas.

4 www.jwu.edu

CLASS NOTES 1995

TRISTAN HAYS PVD

EUGENE BERNARDO PVD Geno is an executive chef at Herringbone in Las Vegas.

Tristan is a marketing and business teacher at Sunrise Mountain High School in Las Vegas.

RICHARD CATAPANO PVD

CHRISTINE KISIEL ’99 MBA

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

NORTH LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

LINDENHURST, NEW YORK

PVD

Richard is an executive chef for Sodexo in Amityville.

NEW HARTFORD, NEW YORK

CARMELLA PARKER PVD MAYWOOD, ILLINOIS

Christine is executive director of constituent relationships at Utica College.

Carmella is a caterer at Vittles by Virdett.

BONNIE JEAN PERKINS

1996

Bonnie Jean is the associate director, consumer marketing, at Ironwood Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge.

BRANDI FERRARA ’99 M.A.T. PVD SENECA FALLS, NEW YORK

Brandi is the director of the Salisbury Center for Career Services at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva. AUTUMN JOHNSON CHS LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

Autumn is employed in hospitality at Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas. JENNIFER LEAMONS PVD CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA

Jennifer received her Certified Executive Chef certification through the American Culinary Federation. MORGAN NIMS PVD MIRAMAR, FLORIDA

Morgan is the regional sales manager, South Florida, for RATIONAL USA, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

1997 PATRICIA CASEY PVD NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Patricia is a consultant with Triskelion Consulting in Nashua. JASON CLARK PVD LAKE ELMORE, VERMONT

Jason is a chef at the von Trapp Brewery & Bierhall, located at The Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe.

PVD

BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS

ROSEMARY REED NMI SKOKIE, ILLINOIS

Rosemary is director of special projects at Customized Culinary Solutions in Skokie. RICHARD RUPP PVD BEACH PARK, ILLINOIS

Richard is purchasing manager at Woodland Foods Inc. in Waukegan.

[5] MICHAEL SULLIVAN PVD CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Michael is the culinary standards chef for True Food Kitchen in Chicago. He presented a session titled “Go With the Grain” at the 2017 National Restaurant Association Show.

1998 CARMEN CALLO CHS THORNTON, COLORADO

Carmen has been promoted to corporate executive chef for Centerplate Catering. RUTH FERLAND ’07 MBA

PVD

CUMBERLAND, RHODE ISLAND

Ruth is an application development manager for Microsoft. KARRIEM KANSTON ’00 M.A.T. PVD PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Karriem is the owner of Kanston Development.

Winter 2018

DEBORAH PIERCEKANSTON PVD

2000

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

KAROOM BROWN PVD

Deborah is an academic counselor at Ponaganset High School in North Scituate. MARSHALL SHAFKOWITZ ’00 M.A.T. PVD CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Marshall is executive dean at the Washburne Culinary and Hospitality Institute in Chicago. JEFFREY WIRTZ ’00 M.A.T.

PVD

CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND

Jeffrey is a corporate executive chef and director of research and development at Blount Fine Foods in Fall River, Massachusetts.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA

Karoom, senior vice president for Leidos Health, recently received the 2017 Executive Leadership Award for Industry – Large Business at the Association for Federal Information Resources Management (AFFIRM) Annual Leadership Awards Celebration in Washington, D.C. CARLOS BUENO PVD BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS

Carlos is general manager of the Taj Boston hotel. JEFFREY DELMAY NMI HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA

1999

Jeff is CEO and owner of Delmay Corporation in Hollywood.

DAMON BROADNAX NMI

[6] CHRISTOPHER

MIRAMAR, FLORIDA

HARTZELL PVD

Damon is reservation sales manger at Trump International Beach Resort in Sunny Isles Beach.

WOBURN, MASSACHUSETTS

ADELEE CABRERA PVD

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Chris is general manager at YOTEL Hotel in Boston. ALISON KATZ PVD

Adelee is regional director for Stephen STARR Events in Miami.

Alison is the director of global e-commerce and digital marketing at A.T. Cross in Lincoln.

DARRELL LAZIER PVD

JAMES NORTON CHS

MIAMI, FLORIDA

JOHNSTON, RHODE ISLAND

Darrell is executive chef at Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center in Boston, Massachusetts. LEE LEWIS ’04 MBA PVD PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Lee is president of Junior Achievement of Rhode Island Inc. DAVID TERRELL PVD FOUNTAIN, COLORADO

David is the founder and CEO of Pineapple Republic in Fountain.

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

James was named executive director of real estate banking at JP Morgan Chase & Co. in Washington. SHAUN PESCE PVD CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Shaun is an account representative for Mutual of America Insurance Company in Westchester.

2001

ALLISON JAMES NMI

ANDREA HERNANDEZ PVD

Allison is a training manager at Loews Hotels & Resorts in Miami.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Andrea is a nutritionist with the New York Common Pantry in the Bronx. NADIA MCKINNON PVD CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND

Nadia is an assistant pastry chef with Pastiche Fine Desserts in Providence. DEEPA PATEL CHS BRENTWOOD, TENNESSEE

Deepa is general manager at The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville. JASON MORALE NMI CORAL SPRINGS, FLORIDA

Jason is an executive pastry chef at The Bazaar by José Andrés in Miami Beach.

PEMBROKE PINES, FLORIDA

2004 ADRIANNE CALVO NMI MIAMI, FLORIDA

Adrianne is the executive chef and owner of Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard and Wine Bar in Miami. FELIX CINTRON PVD PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Felix is the business manager for the wound center at Care New England in Warwick. JONATHAN DENIS PVD MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Jonathan is a franchisee with Patrice and Associates hospitality recruiters.

2002

CAMERON GRANT DEN

TANIKA SMITH PVD

Cameron presented a session on expert pasta making titled “Pasta Perfecto” at the 2017 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. Cameron is the owner and executive chef of Chicago’s Osteria Langhe, Animale and Langhe Pasta Company.

ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS

Tanika is a protective services worker at Old Colony Elder Services in Brockton. SHIRLEY YONG PVD ASHBURN, VIRGINIA

Shirley is a registered representive with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Columbia, Maryland.

2003 CHANDRA BADOLA, MBA

PVD

NORTHFIELD, ILLINOIS

TRAVIS LIPINSKI PVD TORRINGTON, CONNECTICUT

Travis is an estate manager with Attention 2 Detail Estate Management. COLLEEN MERCURIO, ED.D.

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

PVD

Chandra is the chief general manager at EVEN Hotel in Brooklyn.

SAUNDERSTOWN, RHODE ISLAND

JENNIFER HACKETT NMI HIALEAH, FLORIDA

Jennifer is a latent print examiner in the Forensic Services Bureau at the Miami-Dade Police Department. AMANDA IRIZARRY PVD

Colleen is the principal of Cedar Hill Elementary School in Warwick. MELISSA OLIVEIRA DENIS

PVD

MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Melissa is a recruiter and franchise owner with Patrice & Associates in Manchester.

KEANSBURG, NEW JERSEY

CLANSCI STRONG NMI

Amanda is a quality assurance manager for ICCO Cheese in Orangeburg, New York.

Clansci is working with AMIKids Miami-Dade.

MIAMI, FLORIDA

2005 STACY COGSWELL PVD BRIGHTON, MASSACHUSETTS

Stacy is executive chef at Artistry on the Green, the restaurant inside The Inn at Hastings Park, a Relais & Châteaux property in Lexington. SVENSKA LINDROTH CHS EVANSTON, ILLINOIS

Svenska is an executive catering chef with Compass Group. MATT SCHECHTER PVD NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Matt is regional director, national accounts northeast for NYC & Company, a marketing organization focused on the five boroughs of New York City.

7 [8] JUSTIN GILLETTE CHS ATLANTA, GEORGIA

Justin was selected as one of Sodexo’s seven global executive chefs, and the sole representative of the U.S. His appointment begins with preparing a meal alongside other chefs for 500 international guests gathered in London for Sodexo’s Global Quality of Life Conference.

[7] MATTHEW VARGA PVD CLINTON, CONNECTICUT

Matt, executive chef at Gracie’s in Providence, participated in the F&B Innovation Center at the Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show. Along with the help of students from JWU’s Culinary Arts and Food Service Management program, Matt demonstrated a recipe for Crispy Chicken and Smokey Bacon Croqueta.

2006 GREGORY BARBEAU PVD CUMBERLAND, RHODE ISLAND

Gregory is a group sales manager for the Holiday Inn. JOSHUA CASTO DEN ATHENS, OHIO

Josh is director of marketing and communications at Ohio University’s College of Business. WESLEY FEIST DEN EAST HELENA, MONTANA

Wes is now the coordinator of internships and undergraduate research with Carroll College in Helena. BRIAN FOX DEN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Brian is founder and CEO of Trusted Herd Inc., a staffing and event management platform.

8 SCOTT MACMASTER PVD FRANKFORT, NEW YORK

Scott is chef de cuisine at Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona. MATHIEW MEDEIROS ’14 MBA PVD RUMFORD, RHODE ISLAND

Mathiew is an analytics manager with NAIL Communications in Providence. BRENDAN TETREAULT PVD WAKEFIELD, RHODE ISLAND

Brendan is the agent and owner of Horseworks Insurance Specialists in Wakefield. ALEXIS WALKER NMI MIAMI, FLORIDA

Alexis is an international incentive sales specialist at Royal Caribbean International & Celebrity Cruise Lines. GREGORY WHITMORE PVD CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Greg is associate director for occupancy and administration at the University of Chicago. www.jwu.edu

CLASS NOTES 2007

SAMUEL LEE PVD

KYANA GERARD PVD

Samuel is chef at the Garden View Cafe in the Chicago Botanic Garden.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

Kyana is assistant director of meetings and special events at The Ritz-Carlton in Charlotte. JESENIA GUZMAN ’09 MBA

PVD

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Jesenia is a supervisor at Giorgio Armani Corp. in New York. JOSE RESENDEZ NMI MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA

Jose is account supervisor for FleishmanHillard Inc. in Coral Gables.

2008 JEFFREY ADAMS NMI HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA

Jeffrey is manager of sales for the Miami Marlins. CRAIG BARBOUR CLT CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

KAARTHY MUTHUSAMY MADHAN, MBA PVD WOOD-RIDGE, NEW JERSEY

Kaarthy is the co-owner of Walnut Grille, a vegetarian and vegan restaurant in Newton, Massachusetts.

2009 WESTON BEDORE PVD VERNON ROCKVILLE, CONNECTICUT

Weston is the general manager of the Courtyard by Marriott on Jefferson Park Road in Warwick, Rhode Island. BRITTANY CAVE PVD TRUMBULL, CONNECTICUT

Brittany is a sales representative for Watson Inc. in West Haven.

Craig owns Roots Café in Charlotte.

MELISSA CHANDONNET

SARAH BUCHANAN ’16 MBA

Melissa is the city program and site manager for Jumpstart in Lowell.

PVD

ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS

Sarah is area manager of Connecticut, Maine and Vermont for The Wine Group. ROBERT CORLEY CLT BRIDGEPORT, WEST VIRGINIA

Robert is executive chef at The Suffolk Punch in Charlotte, North Carolina.

[9] ZACHERY DICK CLT

REHOBOTH BEACH, DELAWARE

Zach is the executive chef at Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in Rehoboth Beach. KEVIN ESTRELA PVD JOHNSTON, RHODE ISLAND

PVD

LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS

SABRA KHARBOUCH CLT LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

Sabra is a massage therapist at Massage Envy in Las Vegas. RIZWAN LAKHANI CLT HENDERSON, NEVADA

Rizwan is the press bar manager at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Vegas. JUSTINE SACKS PVD BRIDGEWATER, NEW JERSEY

Justine has been promoted to director of dining services at Columbia University.

Kevin is the northeast region manager for Dippin’ Dots.

SANTOSH SHANBHAG

MELANIE KAMME PVD

Santosh is the manager of Rasa Restaurant in East Greenwich.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Melanie is director of operations for Levy Restaurants at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

GLENVIEW, ILLINOIS

Winter 2018

PVD

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

DAVID SQUILLANTE PVD DOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

David is executive chef and general manager of The Shipyard Restaurant & Brew Pub in Eliot, Maine. ROBYN SWABY NMI MIAMI, FLORIDA

Robyn is a senior accountant at Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens. MICHAEL THIBAULT PVD SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS

Michael is the general manager for Guckenheimer at Athena Health in Watertown.

9 JESSE JACKSON PVD WOONSOCKET, RHODE ISLAND

Jesse is the executive pastry chef at No.9 Park in Boston. PATRICIO JORGE ’16 ED.D.

PVD

NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS

Brian is an account manager with WPI Verizon Wireless in Bayonne.

Patricio is an economics professor and the coordinator of the nursing scholarship program at Bristol Community College.

2010

CLEVELAND, OHIO

BRIAN YI PVD PALISADES PARK, NEW JERSEY

VICTORIA BIZZOZERO PVD BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

Victoria is an account consultant for the Diageo Reserve program in Massachusetts. SPENCER COLE ’12 M.A.T.

PVD

CAMARILLO, CALIFORNIA

Spencer is a global accounts manager with Winston Industries, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. NICHOLAS CONNELL CLT WINSTON SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA

Nick is the sous chef at The Suffolk Punch in Charlotte. LILA CORNELIO PVD MORTON GROVE, ILLINOIS

Lila is a registered dietitian with Dietitians at Home in Chicago. ALEXIS GIBBONS DEN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Lexie is the lead wedding cake designer at Vanille Patisserie in Chicago. RYAN HURLEY PVD CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND

Ryan is a visiting chef and concept trainer for Whitson’s Culinary Group.

JOHN KELLEY PVD John is a senior associate with Hotel & Leisure Advisors LLC in Cleveland. ALEXIS MEJIA CLT HUNTERSVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

Alexis is a general manager at Sabor Latin Street Grill in Charlotte. DESIREE SCALAVINO PVD CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Desiree is the conference services manager at the Fairmont Hotel Chicago. JOSHUA SEGUIN PVD PHOENIX, ARIZONA

Josh is a regional operations manager for True Food Kitchen in Phoenix. SHEILA VASQUEZ NMI HALLANDALE BEACH, FLORIDA

Sheila is an assistant state attorney in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida.

PVD Providence NMI North Miami DEN Denver CLT Charlotte CHS Charleston NOR Norfolk VAIL Vail International ONL Online

2011

[10] ANDREAS PIAS PVD

OLALEKAN ADEDUJI MBA

Andreas, senior research chef for culinary nutrition at McCormick & Co., presented the company’s 2017 Flavor Forecast to culinary arts students at the Providence Campus in May.

PVD

CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND

Olalekan is vice president, compliance analysis, at The Washington Trust Company in Providence. EHRON BANKS CLT CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

MARSTONS MILLS, MASSACHUSETTS

Michael is executive chef at the Wianno Club in Osterville.

MILENA BOLIVAR NMI

HAMDEN, CONNECTICUT

Milena is senior coordinator at Hasbro in Providence. SUSAN BRUCE, MBA PVD RIVERSIDE, RHODE ISLAND

MEGAN POWELL PVD Megan is a retail manager for Compass Group. DANIELA ROMERO NUNEZ

NMI

MIAMI, FLORIDA

Sue is the director of clinical affordability for Rhode Island and Massachusetts for United Healthcare.

Daniela is a sous chef at The Bazaar Mar in Miami.

MARGUARITE BRUNELLE ’13 MBA PVD

Meagan is a program manager for Total Event Resources in Schaumburg.

NORTH SMITHFIELD, RHODE ISLAND

Maggie is the co-owner of Ignite Your Life Nutrition in Lincoln. DAVID COUTURE PVD CHALFONT, PENNSYLVANIA

David is the technology and administration manager at Solebury Capital in New Hope. CAITLIN DWYER PVD PUTNAM VALLEY, NEW YORK

Caitlin owns Flour and Sun Bakery in Pleasantville. After working at the bakery for three years, Caitlin and her mother purchased it and have significantly grown the business.They were recently featured on a small business spotlight for their local CBS radio. ASHLEE MIONESHADWICK CLT CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

Ashlee works for HP Hotels as senior sales manager at Hilton Garden Inn and the Hampton Inn Uptown Charlotte.

MICHAEL PILLARELLA PVD

Ehron is the event services manager at Hilton Charlotte Center City. PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

MEAGAN TROMBURG PVD CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

GEORGETTE WILSON PVD PORTSMOUTH, RHODE ISLAND

Georgette is an associate professor at the U.S. Naval War College. SARAH WYMAN PVD PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY

Sarah is event manager at the New York Marriott East Side.

2012 JORDAN ASHTON DEN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

Jordan does convention sales at Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas. KEVIN BENJAMIN PVD TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS

Kevin is a senior account executive and sales leader at ITS-Xerox in Canton.

BRITTANY CONNERY PVD

JONATHAN RUIZ PVD

MILFORD, CONNECTICUT

STOUGHTON, MASSACHUSETTS

Brittany is front desk agent at the Hilton Garden Inn in Shelton.

Jonathan is a resource senior associate at KPMG in Boston.

NICOLAS DANIELS CLT

[11] LEMAR SCOTT NMI

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

Nicolas is the executive chef at Loft & Cellar in Charlotte. DAREL DANIELS CLT CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

Darel is the owner of Street Spice Food Truck in Charlotte. JONATHAN KALUS PVD ASHLAND, MASSACHUSETTS

Jon is a project manager at Lightspeed GMI in Marlborough. SHAUN LA GALA PVD CLIFTON, NEW JERSEY

Shaun is front office manager at The New York EDITION in New York City. CHRISTINA LOGAN PVD PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

Christina is reservations coordinator for Hyatt at The Bellevue in Philadelphia. DAINA MASSARELLI PVD UNION, NEW JERSEY

Daina is a senior analyst at Verizon. LYNDSEY PORTER PVD PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS

Lyndsey is the wedding and events manager at Cranwell Spa & Golf Resort in Lenox. CARLOS RAMIREZ NMI DAMASCUS, MARYLAND

Carlos has been named chef de cuisine at the Taste of New Orleans and Seneca Smokehouse in Darnestown.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA

Lemar is on-air talent for the Home Shopping Network.

2013 ADAM BOLOTIN PVD CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Adam is an associate criminal defense attorney with Pissetzky & Berliner LLC. CELESTINA BRUNETTI PVD NORTH LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

Celestina is a registered dietitian who created online instructional videos for the University of Nevada: Cooperative Extension (UNCE). She has also created culinary-based curriculum to teach disease-specific classes at UNCE and culinary nutrition lessons for young children. Besides working as a clinical dietitian, she launched her personal chef and dietitian consultation business: Wellness Cucina focuses on cooking methods to provide clients with the skills they need to sustain good health. SEAN BUFALO PVD LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK

Sean was promoted to director of operations with American Express Centurion Lounges; he is responsible for eight properties.

www.jwu.edu

CLASS NOTES [12] HEATHER CARR DEN DENVER, COLORADO

Heather won the Food Network show “Chopped” last March. BRITTANY COCHRAN CLT COLUMBUS, OHIO

Brittany is chef de cuisine at Loft & Cellar in Charlotte. EMILY CRABTREE CLT CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

ALICIA LEITE PVD

LAUREN WINGATE PVD

Emily is an associate with MKTG in Charlotte.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

WESTPORT, MASSACHUSETTS

Alicia is business development director for VizExplorer in Las Vegas.

Lauren is the owner of Wingate’s Cake Design in Westport.

SEERATT DUTT PVD EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

Seeratt is a product developer with Kettle Cuisine in Lynn. AURA FAJARDO QUINTERO

PVD

PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND

Aura is a chocolatier at Pastry Art in Central Falls. EMILY FORSYTHE PVD CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Emily is a system analyst with Hyatt Hotels in Chicago. ALYSSA FREZZA ’16 ED.D.

PVD

SMITHFIELD, RHODE ISLAND

Alyssa is an academic coordinator at Bristol Community College in Massachusetts. GRACE GARCIA DEN DENVER, COLORADO

Grace is back of house manager at Wellshire Inn in Denver. DAVEE HARNED CLT CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

DaVee is a pastry chef at PawPaw Restaurant in Charleston. HANNAH HEYER PVD MONROE, NEW YORK

Hannah is front office manager of The Peninsula New York. CRAIG JONES ’15 MBA PVD PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Craig is a sous chef at The Dorrance in Providence. CALLAHAN JUDGE PVD MIDDLETOWN, RHODE ISLAND

Callahan is an account executive at Best Beverage in Pawtucket.

Winter 2018

SOFIYA LUCHYNSKA NMI NORTH BAY VILLAGE, FLORIDA

Sofiya is a corporate guest services manager at The World Residences at Sea in Fort Lauderdale. JENNA MASSARELLI PVD UNION, NEW JERSEY

LIA BELLINI PVD

David is a research & development chef for The Ruprecht Company in Mundelein.

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Lia co-owns Enoteca Umberto in Providence. ANGELA ENGLERIGHT PVD PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

SARAH MCKENNA PVD

KAYLA GIPNER CLT

MICHELLE MEEHAN ’15 MBA CLT NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Michelle is an assistant food service director at Skaddin, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in New York. STEVEN SANDBLOM ’15 MBA PVD CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Steven is corporate director of food and beverage for Vi Living in Chicago. MEGAN STIRNWEISS PVD NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND

Megan is a culinary specialist on active duty with the U.S. Coast Guard.

[13] GREGORY VIERA NMI AVON, COLORADO

Greg has worked seasonally in Vail for the last five years. This past summer he was an advanced cook at Arrabelle Hotel.

Briea is a sales team manager at Belk in Charlotte. DAVID WEIDENAAR PVD

Jenna is an executive assistant at Libra Group in New York.

Sarah is an event coordinator for Rhode Island Rentals in Warwick.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

2014

Angie is a PASS worker at the J. Arthur Trudeau Memorial Center in Warwick.

WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND

BRIEA SYAS CLT

FORT MILL, SOUTH CAROLINA

Kayla is the event service manager at the Hilton Charlotte Center City in Charlotte, North Carolina. JASMINE JOHNSON PVD CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Jasmine is general manager of Small Cheval, part of the Hogsalt Restaurant Group in Chicago. LORI KENNEDY CLT CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE

Lori is general manager with La Madeleine Country French Café. KATHERINE PACHECO PVD CUMBERLAND, RHODE ISLAND

Katherine is a client care agent at Collette Travel Services in Pawtucket. THOMAS RAMBO PVD PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Thomas is chef de cuisine at Avenue N in Rumford. MATTHEW ROSS PVD NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Matthew is a performance improvement consultant for Protiviti in New York.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

TINA WILLIAMS NMI MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA

Tina is director of venue rentals and events at Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami.

2015 ELIZABETH BUCKLEY ’16 MBA PVD BARRINGTON, RHODE ISLAND

Elizabeth is director of national accounts at the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau. VICTORIA FRANCA NMI BOCA RATON, FLORIDA

Victoria owns Bramerix Trading LLC in Boca Raton. TERRENCE GAGALA PVD DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS

Terrence is general manager of the Burnham Park Yacht Club in Chicago. ALEC HERBERT PVD SAINT ALBANS, VERMONT

Alex is a licensed relationship manager at KeyBank in Milton. BENJAMIN KANTOR PVD CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Ben is responsible for assurance services at Ernst & Young in Chicago.

TASOS MANALIS PVD WAYNE, NEW JERSEY

Tasos is banquet captain at North Jersey Country Club in Wayne. DEVIN RAINONE PVD WEST WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND

Devin performs financial analytics for Bloomberg LP in New York. MICHAEL WEBER DEN REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA

Michael has recently been promoted to hotel sales manager at Terranea in Los Angeles. ALYSSA WHORF PVD WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND

Alyssa is human resources coordinator at G-Form LLC in Providence. KATE ZEZULA ’16 MBA DEN DENVER, COLORADO

Katie has been chosen for a 10-week manager-in-training program with PSAV called the Advanced Sales Development Program. Once completed, she will be placed in a hotel in Denver as the sales manager for PSAV, an audio/visual tech company.

2016 PATRICK AVERY PVD PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND

Patrick is a financial analyst at Citizens Bank in Smithfield. ANTHONY BAIRD, ED.D. PVD NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS

Anthony is director of program development at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. SAVANNAH BAUTISTA DEN DENVER, COLORADO

Savannah is an operations manager and event coordinator for La Vie Catering, Denver’s premium kosher catering company. ALEC BENNETT PVD SUSSEX, NEW JERSEY

Alec is an advisory operations specialist at Park Avenue Securites in New York City.

DARLINE BERRIOS, ED.D.

PVD

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Darline is a sixth-grade advisor at The Wheeler School in Providence.

JAMELL DICKERSON DEN HENDERSON, NEVADA

Jamell is a food and beverage manager at the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. LISA DION, ED.D. PVD BRISTOL, RHODE ISLAND

Lisa is manager of curriculum and data and assessment for the New Bedford Public School System. DARIEL HENRY, ED.D. PVD NORTON, MASSACHUSETTS

MARRIAGES 1996 [14] CHARLES DUNBAR PVD and Leigha Nicole Gray March 21, 2017

2003

Dariel is an academic advisor and professor at Dean College in Franklin.

[15] GARY BOHN DEN

PETER KARIOFILES PVD

2012

LIBERTY TWP, OHIO

Drew is a registered client service associate at UBS Financial Services in Cincinnati. MONICA MORGAN PVD MIRAMAR, FLORIDA

Monica is a chef for RATIONAL USA, headquartered in Rolling Hills, Illinois.

and Katy Bohn July 7, 2017

[16] MARGARET

MCGLADE-PALMER DEN and David Palmer April 22, 2017

[17] JONATHAN RUIZ PVD and Andres Ruiz October 1, 2016

KIMBERLY PAGE, ED.D. PVD NORTH KINGSTOWN, RHODE ISLAND

Kimberly is an attorney in private practice in North Kingstown. NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA

Denzel is the founder and creative director of Denzel Parris Inc.

PVD

Torres, Luisaura Alvarez ’10, Raquel Bryson ’11, Karen King ’11, Leonard Taylor, Cortlynn Clark-Spencer ’10, Alicia Figueroa, Guy Robert-Bajeux. Front Row L–R: Jonathan (Justiniano) Ruiz ’12, Andres Ruiz

ALEXANDER HILL PVD and Nicolina Skylar Gisele Hill

2006 [18] WES FEIST DEN

NANCY ROMAN DEN

and Danielle Trenton Shane

SUN VALLEY, NEVADA

Nancy is a culinary manager and soon-to-be sous chef for Marriott International in Irvine, California, creating new menu items for the restaurant.

[17] Back Row L–R: Jangu Chothia, Amber

1997

AGNES PELOPIDA, ED.D.

Agnes chairs the English Department at Narragansett High School.

BIRTHS

DENZEL PARRIS NMI

WEST WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND

2007 19

[19] JESSICA VANN CLT and Austin Aerynn Elizabeth Fongemie

www.jwu.edu

CLASS NOTES JOANY SANTA, ED.D. PVD PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Joany is a school administrator with the Worcester Public School System.

[20] ZACHARY SCHULMAN

2017 THOMAS DELLANNO PVD WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND

Thomas is a beverage supervisor at Twin River Casino in Lincoln.

DEN

BRIAN GOODMAN PVD

WESTMINSTER, COLORADO

SYOSSET, NEW YORK

Zach is assistant head of retail for Spruce, a men’s barber and clothier that offers style consultations.

Brian is a business analyst for Western International in Dallas, Texas.

JASMINE SMITH DEN

TOPEKA, KANSAS

AUSTIN, TEXAS

Jasmine was accepted into the James Beard Foundation’s Women in Leadership program and has accepted a position with Rohini Dey at Vermilion in Chicago, Illinois. VINCENT STALLETTI PVD PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Vincent is a financial advisor in interactive sports and betting at IGT in Providence. MELISSA THOMAS PVD BARRINGTON, ILLINOIS

Melissa is a flight logistics coordinator at Priester Aviation in Wheeling.

CASANDRA LINDSEY DEN Casandra is a nutritional service team leader, catering department, at the Stormont Vail Health Hospital in Topeka. KEN POLK MBA ONL OLYMPIA FIELDS, ILLINOIS

Ken owns Chef Ken L. Polk in Olympia Fields. TAYLOR SHULTZ PVD

ALUMNI OVERSEAS 1996 GIOVANNI CAVALLI PVD CALAFELL, SPAIN

Giovanni is a general manager with Ohtels Hotels & Resorts in Tarragona, Spain.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

Taylor is a rooms voyager in the management program at The Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia.

1999

KIARA WHITEHEAD CLT

Stephane is an executive chef for the Innovative Food Group in Port-Au-Prince.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

Kiara is a baking assistant at The Gateau Baking Company.

STEPHANE DURAND NMI PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI

MAYARI VELASQUEZ CREACH PVD

2007

ARLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS

JILLIAN SINGLETON PVD

Mayari is a brewery ambassador for Samuel Adams. TAMIA WHITE NMI NORTH MIAMI, FLORIDA

GERMANY

Jillian is the European region business operations director for the United States Army.

Tamia is a fashion consultant in North Miami.

SUBMISSIONS If there’s news in your life you’d like to share with fellow alumni, please send us photos and announcements about recent weddings, unions and additions to your family. Images: To submit images from your event, please provide high resolution digital files (minimum one megabyte [1 MB] in size, in JPEG format), or actual photographs. Entries may be emailed to jwumagazine@jwu.edu or mailed to: JWU Magazine c/o Johnson & Wales University, 8 Abbott Park Place, Providence, RI 02903.

Winter 2018

2008 [21] SEAN MOORE PVD DAKA, BANGLADESH

Sean has been named director of player development and national team coach for the Bangladesh national baseball team. Based out of the capital, Dhaka, the Bangladesh Baseball & Softball Association is pushing the sport for both men and women in the country. Sean has helped grow the game in a country that has only been playing baseball for four years. Sean also works at the Canadian Trillinium School, an international school in Dhaka, as the athletics director.

2014 NALIMA DEBIDEEN PVD PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Nalima is the owner and chef of Whipped by Nalima in Port of Spain.

IN MEMORIAM ALUMNI

MARIE FLEWELLYN ’66 May 18, 2017

JAMES J. MASON ’81 March 28, 2017

JOSEPH M. NIEMEIER ’90 April 4, 2017

JERRY T. BADESSA ’03 February 21, 2016

EDWARD STRAVATO ’66 March 17, 2017

EDMOND M. MCLELLAN ’81 April 4, 2017

PAUL A. KIELTYKA ’91 December 9, 2016

CHAD J. TOWNSEND ’05 July 21, 2017

GERALD DELISLE ’69 January 25, 2015

RHETT E. RADTKE ’81 May 27, 2017

MICHAEL J. CERASOLI ’92 May 26, 2017

SHAWN E. GUFFEY ’13 June 19, 2017

RAYMOND G. VITI ’70 July 6, 2017

SHEILA E. SAMSON ’81 April 6, 2017

GLENN R. MOONEY ’92 June 21, 2017

RICHARD A. SMINKEY ’75 December 10, 2016

LINDA A. ZITER ’81 June 8, 2017

HENRY MELO ’93 June 14, 2017

RAYMOND BLANCHETTE ’76 August 24, 2017

JUAN C. AGBAYANI ’83 July 3, 2017

JORGE ALVAREZ ’95 August 10, 2016

GERTRUDE BAXT July 19, 2017

RAYMOND CARVALHO ’76 March 12, 2017

DIANE M. BOGGIO ’83 May 5, 2017

SUSAN POSKUS ’96 March 12, 2017

JOHN T. FLANAGAN April 30, 2017

JOSEPH O. FLEUETTE ’76 May 31, 2015

MERYL W. RUSSELL ’83 March 22, 2017

JAMES K. BLAIR ’97 December 30, 2014

FRANCES FRIEDMAN June 25, 2017

WILLIAM LEONARD ’76 April 9, 2017

JACQUELINE D. TRIANA ’83 May 12, 2017

PHILIP J. ENGRATT ’97 June 15, 2017

DORRANCE HILL HAMILTON April 18, 2017

CHESTER A. LEONE ’76 February 29, 2016

MARK GIBSON ’84 May 25, 2017

TIMOTHY MCGONIGLE ’98 August 15, 2017

NICHOLAS W. JANIKIES May 15, 2017

BEATRICE A. AMATO ’78 October 4, 2016

GREGG A. FONTECCHIO ’87 April 26, 2017

KEYA D. OGLESBY ’98 May 21, 2017

HAROLD E. MOORE April 11, 2017

JAMES R. ARMOUR ’78 June 16, 2017

JON A. ANDERSEN ’88 April 21, 2017

KEITH BAIKA ’99 March 9, 2017

GEORGE R. SPRAGUE August 30, 2016

NANCY WALSH ’78 August 25, 2017

ERIC J. FALBORN ’88 August 16, 2017

SEAN D. HARRIS ’99 April 14, 2017

PATRICIA D. FAHY ’80 March 6, 2014

RICARDO A. COMPARINI ’89 February 22, 2016

JOHN B. CLARK III ’00 June 24, 2016

CAROL A. BOWKER ’81 September 18, 2015

IRENE L. WHITE ’89 June 2, 2017

QUINN FILLIPPINO ’00 January 30, 2015

FACULTY, STAFF AND FRIENDS

www.jwu.edu

OFF THE SHELF Ink by University Authors

Delicious and Surprising Recipes to Pass Around Your Table (Grand Central Life & Style) CHRIS SANTOS ’93 knows food. With more

than 20 years’ experience under his chef’s hat and three restaurants (The Stanton Social, Beauty & Essex and Vandal) straight from his imagination, Santos has mastered his unique style of communal dining. In his debut cookbook, Santos invites dabblers and chefs into his world with more than 100 recipes for all kinds of occasions. Familystyle, small dish, desserts and cocktails — “Share” is full of classics reimagined and fresh ideas inspired from a life in culinary. Featured recipes include his grilled cheese dumplings in tomato soup, and nori-spiced tuna poke crisps. Others are more lighthearted, such as his peanut butter and jelly twinkies. Santos might be known best as a judge on Food Network’s “Chopped,” but his recipes will leave a lasting impression in your home. ~ Carissa Carpentieri

Winter 2018

WHERE DO YOU LIVE, ANIMAL FRIEND? (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform) Rhyming, colors and animal friends are the keys to good childhood dreams. LAURA BULLOCK ’98 pairs these things with an equal balance of education and a touch of humor, creating a special kind of book for kids to enjoy. Utilizing her knack for poetry, each page is laden with catchy rhymes about different kinds of animals, and imaginative illustrations depicting those animals in their natural habitats. Serving as both a fun bedtime story and an introduction to nature all around us, Bullock’s book received first place in the 2016 Reader’s Digest e-Book, Children’s Picture Book category, and has entertained children worldwide.

~ Carissa Carpentieri

THE LINGUISTICS OF STEPHEN KING:

Layered Language and Meaning in the Fiction (McFarland & Company Publishing) If you’re the kind of Stephen King fan who wants to delve deeper into the philosophy at the core of America’s favorite boogeyman, PROFESSOR JAMES ARTHUR ANDERSON

has a page-turner for you. Anderson, who teaches writing, literature and science fiction at the North Miami Campus, sought to fill a vacuum in academe. While King has sold more than 350 million copies of his books, his work has received scant critical attention from academics. “The Linguistics of Stephen King” employs modern literary theory to examine the complexity of 22 of King’s short stories and novels while exploring how the works reveal certain truths about humanity. ~ Denise Dowling

TODAY IS THE DAY. Today you can make a real difference. Today you can change someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. Please consider supporting our students by making a donation to the JWU Fund. To learn how you can make a difference, call 401-598-2185. On behalf of all our students, we thank you for your support.

giving.jwu.edu

CAREER UPDATE

The Selfie Lens Artist Genevieve Gaignard ’01 resides between two worlds: “I grew up not knowing how to identify. The struggle was not feeling black enough, not feeling white enough.”

ENEVIEVE GAIGNARD ’01 was an invisible child. The daughter

of a white mother and an African-American father, she was raised in a predominantly white Massachusetts mill town. “I felt like I didn’t fit because of not being able to feel comfortable and identify as a woman of color,” she says. “I had friends, but I spent a lot of time in my bedroom collaging my walls, drawing faces, listening to the radio — imagining being anywhere else.” When she studied Baking & Pastry Arts at Johnson & Wales, Senior Instructor Ciril Hitz would give her informal creative assignments, such as making art based on her favorite song. “He

Winter 2018

was that spark, the person who told me, ‘You know that you can go to school for art — maybe in the past you weren’t told you couldn’t make a living from it.’ I’m grateful for that push. And those things I learned at JWU — attention to detail and design ideas — affect my art today.” After graduating, Gaignard pursued art at community college. Watching an image emerge from fixer bath in an acrid darkroom, she discovered her language for communicating with the world: “When I was younger, I didn’t really allow myself to have a voice so it is coming out now.” She earned an MFA in photography from Yale University before migrating west to Los Angeles. “At Yale they warned us not to expect to be the next big thing. But I thought, ‘This is the only thing I’m good at,’ so I was worried and excited at the same time.” And she has become one of those next big things: Her work has been exhibited around the country and she’s been hyped everywhere from The New York Times to New York magazine. Shulamit Nazarian, the gallery that represents Gaignard, distills her work this way: Gaignard uses a range of character performance, selfportraiture and sculpture to explore blackness, whiteness, femininity, class and intersections therein. Was her family white enough to be white? Black enough to be black? Gaignard interrogates notions of “passing” in an effort to address these questions. She positions her own female body as the chief site of exploration—challenging viewers to navigate the powers and anxieties of intersectional identity. “I pass how others see me; I’m not trying to be one race or the other,” she explains. Her art also questions the skinny jeans mold. “Even people with the ideal body type have insecurities. The characters help me feel more comfortable with myself, but the process of getting into character makes me anxious. It’s not until after the photograph is taken that I can separate myself from the act and see the strength from being in that character.” ~ Denise Dowling

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