Manhattan Magazine

M A N H AT TA N CO L L EG E FA L L 2 0 1 8

A RECOVERY MISSION: RESTORING CLEAN WATER

M A N H AT TA N CO L L EG E FA L L 2 0 1 8 VO LUM E 4 4 • N UM B E R 2

EDITOR Kristen Cuppek

2

ON CAMPUS Manhattan receives a $3.5 million grant, the Lasallian Women and Gender Resource Center opens, a partnership to fight cancer forms, and more.

DESIGNER Kat Lepak ASSISTANT EDITOR Christine Loughran

18

STAFF WRITERS Patrice Athanasidy Taylor Brethauer

26 BUSINESS SCHOOL IS NAMED

CONTRIBUTORS Liz Connolly Bauman Kelly Carroll Connor Giblin Pete McHugh Kevin Ross Amy Surak GRADUATE ASSISTANT John Dove PHOTOGRAPHERS Ben Asen Anna Calma Harriet Carino Josh Cuppek Laura Meoli-Ferrigon Brian Hatton Julio Larregoity Sara Milano Mat Rick Chris Taggart Published by the office of Marketing and Communication Manhattan College Riverdale, NY 10471 Lydia Gray Assistant Vice President, College Advancement and Executive Director, Marketing and Communication ON THE COVER A group of Manhattan College chemical engineers aim to restore clean water to a Lasallian school in Puerto Rico in the wakes of Hurricanes Maria and Irma.

SPORTS Track legend Matt Centrowitz joins the College, plus news and team recaps.

Manhattan commemorates the newly named Thomas D. O’Malley ’63 School of Business at its naming ceremony.

28 A RECOVERY MISSION Jaspers band together to help others in the aftermath of Hurricanes Maria and Irma.

34 WHO RUN THE WORLD? A new program dedicated to helping female students get a jump-start on their careers launches.

38 COMMENCEMENT The College celebrates recent grads at its Commencement ceremonies in May.

42

DEVELOPMENT James Patterson ’69 continues his support through scholarships, and meet a student scholarship recipient.

44

ALUMNI Reunion Weekend, alumnotes, Jasper profiles, and more reminiscing about a long-lost tradition.

56 OBITUARIES In memoriam, Tom Moran, the Rev. Erwin Schweigardt, Frederick Zenz, John Miele, Tom Callahan, Pio Mangiacotti, Lindy Remigino, Roger Goebel and Michael McHugh

64

PARTING SHOT

ON C AMPUS

The College Gains $3.5 Million for Leo Hall Renovations

T

O SUPPORT THE RENOVATION OF LEO HALL, MANHATTAN received a $3.5 million grant through the State of New York’s Higher Education Capital Matching Grant Program (HECap), which provided matching grants to 39 private, nonprofit colleges and universities for projects that create construction jobs and drive investment in communities across the state.

“New York is home to some of the best colleges and universities in the world, and by investing in cutting-edge education and research, they will continue to fuel our workforce,” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in a press release. “This funding will enable our campuses to make critical investments that benefit students, support economic and community growth, and help shape the next generation of leaders in the Empire State.”

Improvements to Leo Hall are well underway. When complete, the renovation will create teaching and research laboratory space for chemical, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering.

Faculty will receive the space to design enriched curriculum programs to ensure that Manhattan College’s world-class instruction remains highly competitive.

“We are very appreciative of the HECap grant and the support from Gov. Cuomo, State Senator Jeffrey Klein and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz,” says Tim Ward, Ph.D., P.E., dean of the School of Engineering. “The grant will help Manhattan College fund the needed renovations to Leo and improve the educational experience for all students in the College. As one of the numerous private institutions in New York that produce about 50 percent of the STEM graduates in the state, this type of grant support to our School of Engineering shows the state’s commitment to STEM education.”

The first-floor renovation includes Leo’s soils, concrete, solids, materials and fluids labs, used by faculty and students in civil,

2 N fall 2018

Leo Hall, first floor existing layout Leo Hall is undergoing a major renovation, which will create teaching and laboratory space for chemical, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering. This is how the first floor was arranged prior to renovations.

Leo Hall, first floor proposed renovations The renovated first floor will include soils, concrete, solids, materials and fluids labs to better serve students and faculty in the School of Engineering, as well as space designed to support faculty in enriching the curriculum.

mechanical and chemical engineering.

The chemical engineering renovation on the fourth floor includes the complete refurbishment of three research labs and the main instructional lab, as well as the addition of a new computer lab.

The College is relocating the civil and environmental engineering labs from the third floor to newly renovated space on the fourth floor, including teaching and research labs and required lab support spaces. When completed, Leo Hall will retain its industrial

character but will be more open, inviting and technologically competitive.

Meanwhile, the College has broken ground on the Patricia and Cornelius Higgins ’62 Engineering and Science Center. Slated for completion in fall 2020, the Higgins Center is the cornerstone of Manhattan College’s modernization of facilities that support its engineering and science programs and the transformation of its south campus.

Education and Math Student Receives Research Experience Grant

W

ITH AN IMPRESSIVE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE for Undergraduates (REU) grant from the National Science Foundation, Alex Vasquez ’20 was able to combine his love of math and his desire to teach in a meaningful summer experience. A secondary education major with a concentration in math, Vasquez spent eight weeks at Illinois State University, exploring, in teams of three, research topics in discrete mathematics with an emphasis on experimentation, conjecture, careful justification, and clear, precise reporting.

The REU participants also developed and implemented a one-week mathematics research camp for 12 high school students from the Chicago Public Schools.

The main objectives of the project were to provide research opportunities and develop highly qualified teachers who can meet national demands for increased student proficiency and adapt to the changing needs of a technological society.

In his first two years at Manhattan College, Vasquez completed teaching observations at MS 37, a nearby middle school, and Riverdale-Kingsbridge Academy,

a high school a short walk away from Manhattan College. He also has worked at Connetquot High School in his hometown on Long Island.

“Since I was little, I’ve always been good at math,” he says. “I’ve always enjoyed helping people with math. It’s something that I’ve found that I like to do.”

Vasquez credits faculty mentors Sister Mary Ann Jacobs, Ed.D., associate professor of education, Angel Pineda, Ph.D., associate professor of mathematics, and Kathryn Weld, Ph.D., professor of mathematics, for pushing Vasquez to look into summer research programs and expand his academic horizons.

“Alex explored things he hasn’t seen in the classroom and really tried his hand at open-ended questions,” Weld explains. “He was able to work in groups with others and build a mathematical community, and able to share ideas and bounce questions on how to solve something no one has solved yet with his peers.”

Back in Riverdale, Vasquez began his junior year with a combination of math and education courses and increased hours

of observation and classroom work at schools in the Bronx. He eventually wants to teach calculus or linear algebra with an eye toward receiving his doctorate in mathematics or mathematics education.

Town and Gown Relations Recognized FORMER STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT MICAELA BISHOP ’18 and Ryan Quattromani ’19, who started the College’s Neighborhood Relations Committee, were recognized by New York City Council Member Andrew Cohen for their work in building stronger ties with the surrounding community in the northwest Bronx.

Quattromani founded the committee in 2015 as a way for students to contribute to the Manhattan College and neighboring communities. Each year, the group invites local residents to a luncheon to meet and greet students who live in the community, and to discuss any issues with Manhattan College students and staff.

The group also helped to launch an on-campus children’s movie series for these residents and their kids.

Ryan Quattromani ’19 and Micaela Bishop ’18 were recognized for their commitment to building a stronger relationship with the College’s surrounding community.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 3

ON C AMPUS

New Center Serves as a Catalyst for Change

A

FTER LEARNING THAT the Lasallian Women and Gender Resource Center they had endeavored to establish for two years would open in the fall, its organizers spent the spring of 2018 asking students, “What should it look like?”

A student committee assembled by the center’s co-directors, Jordan Pascoe, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy, and Roksana Badruddoja, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology, had a few requests for its general vibe. “It should feel homey,” several members said. Others asked that it support individuals grappling with issues related to gender and sexuality, and that it strive toward preventing sexual assault and promoting gender equality across campus.

In its inaugural semester, the center already has accomplished many of these goals. Stepping into room 3C of the Kelly Commons, visitors are welcomed with bright hues, comfy furniture, and artwork created by the student art club, Sanctus Artum. The center’s first event in September was a candid discussion surrounding #MeToo, the national movement to recognize and prevent sexual violence.

This academic year has been focused on student advocacy and activism, two themes that, according to Pascoe, were driven by current events and students, as well as recent graduates such as Alannah Boyle ’18, who were integral in creating a resource center on campus.

Pascoe thanked these individuals at the opening of the Lasallian Women and Gender Resource Center on Oct. 19, which was held as a daylong symposium highlighting another part of its core mission — to empower women so that they thrive professionally. The first cohort of students participating in the highly competitive Women Influencing Successful Enterprise (W.I.S.E.) internship program through the Office of Career Pathways participated in events throughout the day and advised young women on how to prepare for job interviews and negotiate salaries.

Students Gabriella Ramirez ’19, Katherine Rojas ’20, Nafisa Ibrahim ’19 and Evaniz Orellana ’20 also appeared on a panel that shared what normative feminism means for women of color and how its traditional definition intersects with racism. Their viewpoints signify the work that Pascoe and Badruddoja, with the center, will do in the future.

“When we think about the center and our institutions, we’re thinking about how our spaces must change because of our diverse community, and we are transforming those spaces in ways that change the way we feel for all of us,” Pascoe says. “This is a concrete way of having solidarity with those who are the most vulnerable and standing in association.”

In these and other ways, the center lives out the Lasallian Catholic mission to pursue social justice for all people.

It is staffed by a faculty member or a student during each weekday, and is available for student organizations to host meetings and events, hold office hours, and participate in support circles and 4 N fall 2018

The College’s Lasallian Women and Gender Resource Center opened this past fall with a mission to provide support, advocacy and education on gender, sexuality, sexual assault prevention, and justice.

discussion groups. The center plans to lead workshops that prepare students for doing feminist work in Lasallian spaces. Excursions will teach students how to exercise advocacy and activism. There is also a strong scholarship component — several faculty-student research projects focusing on women and gender will be showcased during Women’s Week, an annual event in March that, for the third year in a row, will culminate in the College’s Lasallian Women’s Conference.

Jo-Ann Mullooly ’16, a former member of the Lasallian Volunteers, is the center’s first graduate assistant. Looking into the future, Mullooly considers the work that still needs to be done in supporting students but praises the growth that has already occurred on campus since her freshman year.

“I feel proud of where the Manhattan College community has come from, and I feel confident about where we go together,” she says. “The center is going to do amazing things.”

Analyzing Data and NYC Spending at the College’s Annual Competition

E

IGHTEEN TEAMS FROM 16 COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES from the United States, Canada and Romania traveled to the financial capital of the world this spring for the College’s fourth annual Business Analytics Competition.

The competition allowed teams to analyze publicly available data from Checkbook NYC, an online transparency tool that provides up-to-date information about New York City’s financial condition from the Office of the Comptroller. The teams received data sets composed of millions of spending contracts and records from different departments and were tasked with providing insights into New York City’s spending and contracting patterns.

“Our main goal was to point out any outliers or anomalies that stuck out and the reason behind that,” says Monika Simikic ’19, a double major in business analytics and economics. “So our main question was what are the outliers? What do they mean? Why are they happening?”

Simikic and fellow business analytics majors Michael Giraldo ’19 and Amir Khaghani ’19 teamed up with faculty adviser Musa Jafar, Ph.D., associate professor of computer information systems and data analytics, to represent Manhattan College at the competition in May, which was ultimately won by a team from the University of Waterloo.

The Manhattan College group examined patterns and anomalies in the available data, breaking down transportation and staffing costs provided by the New York City Department of Education and projecting the significant cost of the upcoming work to be done on the L train that stretches from Manhattan to Brooklyn.

The team used Excel, R, Power BI and Tableau Data Analytics computing platforms to translate the data, and then shared their insights in a poster presentation.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 5

In between studying data sets, which started in February for the teams, and preparing their presentations, the students shared stories from each of their schools.

They also heard from two keynote speakers: Drew Conway, Ph.D., founder of Alluvium, a company he founded in 2015 to bridge gaps between data and social sciences, and Ben Wellington, Ph.D., the founder of I Quant NY, an open data movement in New York City.

“Open data is a great opportunity for us,” Giraldo says. “Everyone in the data analytics world now has something to work with and ultimately help people solve problems.”

With the relatively new open data system established by New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Manhattan College’s location in the northwest Bronx proved to be a fitting place for the students to take part in this competition — and for it to continue years into the future.

Ben Wellington, Ph.D., who runs the I Quant NY blog, on which he crunches city-released data to find out what’s really going on in the Big Apple, served as a keynote speaker at the College’s annual Business Analytics Competition. Business students Michael Giraldo ’19, Monika Simikic ’19, Amir Khaghani ’19 and their faculty adviser, Musa Jafar, Ph.D., associate professor of computer information systems and data analytics, presented their poster, which examined patterns and anomalies in the data sets they received for the competition.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 5

ON C AMPUS

Celebrating Scholastic Success

A

FEEL OF FALL WAS FINALLY IN THE AIR, along with a sense of accomplishment and pride, as more than 220 seniors were inducted into Epsilon Sigma Pi, the highest scholastic honor that can be achieved by students at Manhattan College, at the Fall Honors Convocation in October.

This year, one of the College’s own faculty members delivered the keynote address. Claire Nolte, Ph.D., professor emerita of history, who served at the College for more than 20 years, including as chair of the History department, began her speech with something many college seniors can relate to — facing an uncertain transition after graduation.

She talked about her own professional history to demonstrate how it’s important to take chances.

“In short, if you never try, if you never take a chance on something you dream about doing, you will never know if you could have succeeded,” said Nolte, who received a Fulbright fellowship (the first of three) on her way to becoming a professor. “Even if you tried for something and did not get it, you can at least tell yourself that you gave it your best shot.”

Nolte reminded students to open their minds to new opportunities, congratulated them on their well-deserved accolades, and wished them luck wherever their futures lead.

The students then received their certificates and keys, and President Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D., offered congratulatory remarks to the inductees and their parents, before celebrating at a reception following the Convocation.

Claire Nolte, Ph.D., professor emerita of history and former chair of the department, encouraged the more than 220 Epsilon Sigma Pi inductees at the Fall Honors Convocation to take chances in their professional lives and to be open to new opportunities.

The Name of a Newly Discovered Species Sounds Familiar IN ADDITION TO HIS LONG LIST OF AWARDS, grants and publications, Bruce Shockey, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, now can find his name on yet another honor — a newly discovered species. He was recognized by his peers when they named an extinct deer-like mammal from South America after him.

Featured in the cover story of the May 30, 2018, issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Andrew McGrath, Federico Anaya and Darin Croft call this distinctive animal Llullataruca shockeyi.

6 N fall 2018

In the authors’ etymology, they note: “In honor of Bruce Shockey for his tireless efforts to improve knowledge of Cenozoic mammals of Bolivia and his many insights that have improved our understanding of the paleobiology of native South American ungulates, including macraucheniids.”

One of Shockey’s research areas is mammals of the late Oligocene of South America.

Three Join College’s Board of Trustees THREE NEW MEMBERS have been appointed to Manhattan College’s board of trustees: Brother Frank Byrne, FSC, Lynn Martin ’98 and John McAvoy ’80.

BROTHER FRANK BYRNE, FSC

LYNN MARTIN ’98

JOHN MCAVOY ’80

Brother Frank Byrne, FSC, graduated from Christian Brothers Academy in 1975 and went on to receive a B.B.A. in accounting from the University of Notre Dame in 1979. After graduation, Br. Frank began working with the Brothers of the Christian Schools at St. Raymond High School in the Bronx and later at La Salle Academy in New York City. From 1989 until 1992, he worked as the vocation director for the New York province and then returned to St. Raymond as principal from 1993 until 2002. Br. Frank was elected as Provincial of the New York Province of the De La Salle Christian Brothers, and served in this position for seven years. In September 2009, he began his term as the president of Christian Brothers Academy.

Br. Frank received an M.S. in religious education from Fordham University and a professional diploma from Manhattan College for school administration. He serves on the board of trustees for Calvert Hall, Christian Brothers Academy, and the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick on the Jersey Shore.

Lynn Martin ’98 is president and chief operating officer of ICE Data Services, a leading provider of market data solutions, which is part of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. Martin is responsible for managing global data operations, including exchange data, pricing and analytics, reference data, desktops and connectivity services that cover all major asset classes. She began her career at IBM in its global services organization, where she served a variety of functions, predominantly as a project manager within the financial services practice.

Martin joined NYSE Euronext in 2001 and served in a number of leadership roles, including CEO of NYSE Liffe U.S. and CEO of New York Portfolio Clearing.

She most recently was COO of ICE Clear U.S. Martin received a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Manhattan

College and a master’s degree in statistics from Columbia University. She also serves on the advisory board for Manhattan College’s School of Science and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

John McAvoy ’80 is chairman, president and CEO of Consolidated Edison Inc. McAvoy oversees the company’s two regulated utilities, Con Edison Company of New York, and Orange and Rockland Utilities, which energize the lives of the 10 million people in its service territory. Under his leadership, Con Edison has invested more than $4 billion in renewable energy projects through its clean energy businesses. Today, Con Edison is the sixth largest producer of solar energy in North America. Most recently, McAvoy oversaw the creation of Con Edison Transmission to focus on growth opportunities associated with electric transmission, and gas transmission and energy storage. McAvoy serves on the boards of directors of the American Gas Association, the Edison Electric Institute, the Electric Power Research Institute, the Partnership for New York City, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Manhattan College and an MBA from New York University.

He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree by Mount Saint Mary’s College and is a graduate of the David Rockefeller Fellows Program. Prior to becoming chairman of Con Edison, McAvoy was president and CEO of Orange and Rockland Utilities, and senior vice president of Central Operations at Con Edison of New York. McAvoy has held numerous positions in operations and engineering during his 38 years with the company.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 7

ON C AMPUS

Making the Grades in College Rankings U.S. News & World Report In the 2019 version of its America’s Best Colleges report, U.S. News & World Report ranked Manhattan College among the top 15 regional universities in the North. It is the second consecutive year that Manhattan has been at No. 15, continuing a 12-year trend of ranking within the top 20 schools in the region.

The School of Engineering also was recognized as one of the best in the nation, ranking 35th among undergraduate institutions that award master’s degrees.

In addition, Manhattan’s commitment to serving veterans continues to earn attention. For the second straight year, the College was ranked sixth in the region in schools for student veterans.

The College’s Student Veterans Organization is one of the fastestgrowing groups on campus with more than 100 student veterans enrolled as full-time students.

The ranking categories are based upon the 2010 Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifications. U.S. News has used the Carnegie classification system since the first Best Colleges rankings in 1983 because they are accepted as the basis for classifying schools by most higher education researchers.

Money calculated Manhattan College graduates’ average early career earnings at $60,700 and an earnings premium of $13,300 over peer institutions.

Money magazine

Money On its Best Colleges for Your Money, Money magazine put Manhattan College at the No. 6 spot on its list of the most transformative colleges.

Money ranked colleges based on exclusive value-added scores for graduation rates, earnings and student loan repayment.

The list calculates Manhattan College graduates’ average early career earnings at $60,700 and an earnings premium of $13,300 over peer institutions.

This list continues a trend of Manhattan being recognized for the value it adds to students’ education during their time on campus and after graduation.

8 N fall 2018

The Princeton Review The College was included in The Princeton Review’s newest edition of The Best 384 Colleges. Manhattan was also named one of the best colleges in the Northeast, according to The Princeton Review survey that asked students from across the country to rate their schools on dozens of topics and report their experiences.

In the guide’s profile on Manhattan College, students overwhelmingly praise “outstanding” professors who are “not only outstanding in fields they teach, but they also care very deeply for their students.” It cites Manhattan students who note that the faculty provide “an academic experience where one is able to connect the theory behind a certain subject to practical real-world applications.”

One of The Princeton Review’s most popular guides, The Best 384 Colleges rankings are based on surveys from 138,000 students at 384 top colleges of varying regions, sizes, selectivity and character.

Payscale In the latest Payscale College ROI report, Manhattan College ranked among the top colleges and universities in the nation yet again. Of the 1,879 institutions that were ranked based on a 20-year net return on investment and the total average four-year cost of attendance, the College placed within the top four percent of all colleges and universities in the country, at No. 73 overall and No. 35 among all private institutions.

Manhattan was also the third-ranked Catholic higher education institution on the list, behind Santa Clara and Georgetown, and ahead of Villanova and Notre Dame, the five Catholic schools among the top 100 on the list.

The PayScale study reflected Manhattan College’s high job placement rate, with a 20-year net ROI of $591,000, calculated as the difference between 20-year median pay for a bachelor’s degree graduate and 24-year median pay for a high school graduate minus the total average four-year cost.

Recent Grads Continue to Land Jobs and Work in Chosen Fields Forbes For the third consecutive year, Manhattan was included among the top 100 colleges and universities in the Northeast and the top 10 Catholic schools recognized on the Forbes list of Best Value Colleges 2018: 300 Schools Worth the Investment.

The Forbes study ranked 300 colleges and universities across the country to “help students and their families evaluate the likely return on their investment.” Forbes notes that the College’s “close proximity to Manhattan also encourages work experience at companies such as Bank of America and L’Oréal — 75 percent of students partake in an internship while in school.”

The 2018 Forbes Best Value Colleges ranking indexes schools that deliver the best bang for the tuition buck based on net price of tuition, net debt, alumni earnings, timely graduation, school quality and access for low-income students. Forbes used data collected from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard and PayScale, the world’s largest salary database.

Victory Media Continuing its mission to provide veterans and their spouses with the finest choices for postsecondary education, Victory Media has released its 2018-19 Military Friendly Schools review, and Manhattan College is again on the list.

Victory Media determined the methodology, criteria, and weightings with input from the Military Friendly Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment communities. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey scores with the assessment of the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer) and loan default rates for all students, specifically for student veterans.

MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2017 are doing well with regard to their employment and career paths, according to a report prepared by the Office of Career Pathways.

One year after Commencement, 88 percent of Manhattan College graduates are employed full time, attending graduate school full time, or doing both. In addition, 85 percent of those graduates who are employed full time reported being employed in a career related to their field of study.

The median base salary of 2017 graduates that accepted employment was $50,000-$60,000 for students working full time, and the average salary reported from individual reported salaries was $52,617. According to a survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the average starting salary is $49,525 among bachelor’s degree recipients nationwide.

Taking advantage of the services offered by the Office of Career Pathways proved to be vital for those students who are currently employed full time or attending graduate school, as 83 percent of graduates had career experiences related to their fields of study.

The data presented was based on a survey to all February, May and September 2017 graduates and December 2016 graduates. The survey had a response rate of 92 percent.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 9

ON C AMPUS

LASALLIANLOOK

Finding Refuge in Riverdale NAOURAS ALMATAR ’20, a native to the North African country of Libya, has lived anything but the typical Manhattan College student experience.

In 2016, the Manhattan College Syrian Student Project welcomed the refugee, who had moved to Syria in the continuing unrest following the Arab Spring, a wave of pro-democracy protests directed toward the authoritarian governments of the Middle East and North Africa starting in 2010. These protests were soon answered with force, and tensions were so high that Almatar has vivid memories of the executions of Libyan citizens simply for believing in the free world.

Due to the spreading violence, Almatar, and many others, had to leave their homes, their families, and their lives as they knew them to find peace.

Prior to the revolutions, Almatar graduated from high school in 2012 and studied engineering at Tripoli University in the capital of Libya. The war progressed from bad to worse, which forced his family to leave their belongings in their home country and flee to Syria. Throughout the journey, Almatar’s mother and sister found safety in Sweden, where they still reside today, and his father moved to Canada.

A talented guitarist, Almatar had aspirations to study music in France and escape the revolution. However, he notes that the scholarship program fell apart because of the refugee influx, and the French government did not trust the Syrian scholarship directors. The war in Syria became increasingly violent, and Almatar relocated to Istanbul, Turkey. He had to leave his dreams of studying engineering and music behind and work at a community center, home to other refugees, just to survive. Almatar realized his passion when he began teaching English and offering psychological support to students. He learned English by watching subtitled Hollywood movies and playing American video games. In addition to English, he speaks Arabic, Turkish and French.

At this community center, the Syrian Student Project discovered the impact Almatar had on the people he was assisting and recognized his proficiency in English. The program, founded in 2006, brings refugees to the United States to earn their college degrees.

Almatar had a choice between a few colleges, but living in New York City was an easy decision for him, and he ultimately decided on Manhattan College.

During the past two years, the psychology major has been a member of the Manhattan singers and the debate club. When reflecting on his experiences so far, Almatar says: “I was introduced to students that changed my life and professors that inspire me to keep an open mind. Being able to study at this college is a privilege that I feel very lucky to have. Manhattan College represents my new

10 N fall 2018

home, and on its campus are the family and friends that helped me become the man I am today.”

And Almatar, in return, has made an impression on his classmates and the faculty.

“This experience of seeing how humans behave in different cultural contexts has given him a sophisticated sense of human nature,” says Nuwan Jayawickreme, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology. “His life has essentially trained him to be a cultural psychologist. I believe our students are very lucky to have him as a peer, as he can give them a glimpse into the different ways people behave and think around the world.”

Through the combined efforts of the College and the Syrian Student Project, Almatar has been able to attend Manhattan on a full scholarship. After graduation, he plans to move back to the Middle East and work at refugee camps offering psychosocial support to children disturbed by the wars.

COURSE SPOTLIGHT

Cybersecurity Systems (EECE 458) Course Description: IN TODAY’S DAY AND AGE, cybersecurity is becoming an increasingly prominent field of study, with practical applications. In Cybersecurity Systems (EECE 458), there is a broad and multidisciplinary perspective on current topics within the field while also providing important hands-on experience. Most people might think cybersecurity is necessary only for software, but students are also given an in-depth look into securing and protecting hardware in this electrical and computer engineering course.

Taught by Yi Wang, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer and electrical engineering, the course culminates in a semester-long, student-run term project.

By the end of the course, students produce software/ hardware implementations of cybersecurity techniques or publish a survey paper that discusses the current issues of cybersecurity systems. For the project, students are encouraged to take everything they’ve learned and turn it into real-life applications.

The overall purpose for EECE 458 is to allow students to receive the most up-to-date education on cybersecurity for mobile systems, operating systems and database systems, along with hardware and software. However, students also will learn through practice by designing their own cybersecurity networks, as well as techniques for defending against malicious threats.

Text: William Stallings & Lawrie Brown, Computer Security: Principles and Practice, 4th Edition (Pearson 2018) Lectures: Mondays, 6:30-9:15 p.m.

Professor: Yi Wang, Ph.D. About the Professor: With a keen eye for the latest technology, Yi Wang, Ph.D., knew that the cybersecurity discipline was one that all of his students should learn about during their time at Manhattan College, especially with the increasing demand for occupations within this field during the next 10 years.

He appreciates the fact that students are both bettering themselves in his classroom and learning skills that can be applied to their lives and future careers. Cybersecurity is also his main interest and a major focus within his research publications. Before joining the faculty in 2015, Wang received his doctorate from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and his M.S. in computer science and B.S. in information systems from Wuhan University of Science and Technology in China.

Alumna Earns Fulbright Award

HEATHER O’CONNELL ’02 HAS RECEIVED A FULBRIGHT DISTINGUISHED AWARD in Teaching from the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

The award, which includes a short-term grant, allows O’Connell to work within the regional education center in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, to develop and enhance science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum. During her time in Spain, she will offer a workshop to local teachers to inspire STEM teaching.

O’Connell, who teaches at West Hawaii Explorations Academy (WHEA) in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, is one of approximately 20 U.S. citizens traveling abroad through the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching short-term program in 2018-19. Recipients are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement and demonstrated leadership potential.

She graduated from Manhattan College with a degree in biochemistry. After beginning her career analyzing pharmaceuticals at Pfizer and conducting sleep research with Weill Cornell Medical College, O’Connell decided to pursue teaching. In 2007, she earned a master’s degree in education from Pace University.

After three years of teaching in New York and working with service groups that included Habitat for Humanity, O’Connell moved from Long Island to Hawaii. She soon ended up at WHEA, where she teaches trigonometry, pre-calculus and an after-school chemistry class. She also advises science projects, including one in which students monitor the population of urchins at a marine life conservation district.

The Fulbright program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government, and is designed to build lasting connections between the people of the United States and those of other countries.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 11

ON C AMPUS

Two Engineers Team Up To Help Fight Cancer

M

ORE THAN 150,000 LIVES ARE LOST EACH YEAR to lung cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.

With that number in mind, Gloria Bauman ’18, ’19 (M.S.) and George Giakos, Ph.D., chair and professor of electrical and computer engineering and an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers fellow, are working to create a smart imaging system to better identify the differences between certain types of cancer and the stages and grades of those cancers.

Throughout his academic career, Giakos has conducted research on technology innovation targeted at the design and development of imaging devices, systems and techniques. In particular, he pioneered the uses of inherent near-infrared imaging toward the design of efficient lung cancer wavelet polarimetric detection, imaging techniques and instrumentation. This technique has shown the ability to detect cancer and its varying degrees earlier and more accurately.

In the near-infrared reflectance approach, different types and stages of cancer cells are accompanied by changes in the overall biochemical composition of the tissue, along with changes in cellular morphology and tissue architecture, which exhibit distinct optical signatures based on the change of the polarization of light.

As a result, polarimetric reflectance imaging improves both the detection and monitoring of diseases and treatment responses in early stages. By combining wavelets with polarization of light, local tiny variations of light can be detected and then analyzed, providing multiresolution images at different scales.

Giakos’ work with lung cancer cell imaging attracted Bauman, who jumped at the chance to become an undergraduate research assistant on the project.

“When I found out that he was doing research on cancer and lung cancer, I became interested because everyone knows someone who is affected by cancer,” Bauman says. “My grandfather had lung cancer. The medical and health-care fields are integrating technology more and more. I want to be on that bandwagon.”

Bauman proposed applying near-infrared polarimetric reflectance principles to identify different grades of lung cancer.

The pair continues to explore novel imaging system designs and image processing techniques fused with artificial intelligence to discriminate between various types of lung cancer tissue.

They are studying the statistics of histograms obtained from different polarimetric wavelet signals to determine if changes occurring between different stages of lung cancer can be effective markers for the progression and differentiation among different lung diseases.

“Our goal is to help medical professionals give patients an accurate diagnosis and characterization of lung cancer,” Giakos 12 N fall 2018

Through their research, Gloria Bauman ’18, ’19 (M.S.) and George Giakos, Ph.D., chair of electrical and computer engineering, hope to speed up the surgery process for cancer patients, while providing a fast and accurate excision of cancerous tissue.

explains. “It could help them make an early diagnosis and detect cancers earlier.”

Each week, Bauman and Giakos spend hours in the electrical engineering lab, testing their experimental techniques, comparing the acquired images and mapping out the differences and similarities in what they see. They expect that analyzing images

Christian Brothers Come to North America of previous tumors will prove more effective than studying the samples under a microscope.

Giakos and Bauman are working to apply learning and neural networks to automate the process that typically starts with a biopsy. During the surgery, a biopsy is performed if a suspicious lesion is found. Typically, the biopsy results go to a lab, which could take weeks to process.

“Our hope is that one day, instead of taking a biopsy, we will have a smart computer vision system to look at the margins between cancerous and healthy tissues in situ and perform an accurate analysis in vivo of the tissue pathology,” Bauman explains. “Then we can accelerate the surgery process while providing a fast, accurate excision of cancerous tissue.”

Bauman received her bachelor’s degree in May 2018, and is currently working toward her master’s degree in electrical engineering with a concentration in bioelectrical engineering. Under Giakos’ mentorship, she will continue to combine her passion for computer imaging and engineering, and her mission to serve others.

Our goal is to help medical professionals give patients an accurate diagnosis and characterization of lung cancer. ... It could help them make an early diagnosis and detect cancers earlier.

Sainte Genevieve Academy, past and present (below)

TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO, the first Christian Brothers stepped foot on the American continent.

In 1819, three Brothers from France arrived in Sainte Genevieve, Mo., an old French town located 60 miles south of St. Louis, along the mighty Mississippi River, to live and teach.

Brothers Aubin, Antonin and Fulgence, FSC, set sail thanks to free passage from King Louis XVIII from Bordeaux, with 26 other missionaries to the Diocese of Louisiana in 1817. Months later, they landed at Annapolis and were given special hospitality at the mansion of Charles Carroll, the last remaining signer of the Declaration of Independence. They then proceeded overland to Pittsburgh, where they boarded a flatboat heading to Louisville, and remained in Kentucky for nearly a year to learn English. By early 1819, the Brothers reached Sainte Genevieve, where they lived and taught at the first school operated by the Christian Brothers in the United States.

The limestone building, which still stands today, was originally erected in 1808 as Sainte Genevieve Academy, the first school west of the Mississippi. By 1814, the school had been discontinued. With a largely French and Catholic population, the academy captured the attention of the Bishop of the Diocese of Louisiana, who requested the help of French Brothers to run the school.

After a little more than three years, in 1822, the Bishop decided to split up the three Brothers and send them to run new schools in the Diocese.

Dispersed and therefore unable to observe a community life, the Brothers withdrew from the Institute.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 13

ON C AMPUS

Student Engagement Lecture Series Captivates the Crowds MANHATTAN COLLEGE’S STUDENT ENGAGEMENT LECTURE SERIES invites notable individuals to inform, inspire and motivate students about relevant current events. This year, influential speakers such as social activist and award-winning author Rebecca Traister, and Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge project manager Jamey Barbas engaged the audiences with lively talks followed by open discussions.

Traister, a distinguished author and writer for New York magazine and The Cut, kicked off the seventh annual lecture series. Her awardwinning books, Big Girls Don’t Cry and All The Single Ladies, tackle tough questions about what it means to be a woman in today’s society. Traister spoke to the students in early September about the unequal status of women in the United States. In an emotionally charged introduction, Traister began her lecture by urging students to pay attention to the details that propel gender inequality. She focused her message on how women have dealt with social oppression through political protests and exercising their consitutional rights. Women gained the right to vote in 1920 after nearly a century of protests, and the fight for pay equity continues today.

While there are still indications of inequality between men and women today, Traister sees signs of progress. For example, more women are running for political office than ever before. She concluded the lecture by recommending that attendees continue to follow the examples and efforts of our nation’s feminist leaders, and the gender inequality gap may close even more. Traister released her fourth book, Good and Mad, about women’s empowerment, this fall.

In October, the College welcomed Barbas, New York State Thruway Authority project director for the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, formerly known as the Tappan Zee Bridge. Barbas is a registered professional engineer with more than 30 years of experience in bridge design and construction with an emphasis on complex and long-span bridges. Prior to this project, she has worked on reconstructing the Williamsburg Bridge, and refurbishing the

Bear Mountain Bridge. Barbas also has renovated and built bridges as far away as Portugal and the United Arab Emirates. This time around, she was given the opportunity to work on building a more stable, environmentally friendly and efficient bridge with a budget of $3.9 billion.

She explained the complicated process involving the appropriate methods used to create the bridge. The student engineers in the crowd were especially keen to hear about the cement process, the structural design of the bridge, and the stress that the bridge can handle. Barbas presented a slideshow of all the steps taken to create the bridge, which helped to outline the process.

Barbas earned a B.A. in biology and psychology at Barnard College, and then a B.S. in civil engineering at Columbia University.

“I did not even consider being an engineer as an undergraduate,” she explains. “I initially went to Columbia University to get my master’s in biology. One of the courses I had the option of taking was biomechanical engineering, and I loved the class. From there, I decided to turn my career around to continue studying engineering.”

She joined the Tappan Zee project in 2015 after serving as a senior vice president at Louis Berger, a firm providing engineering, planning and management services. The design of the new bridge includes eight wider traffic lanes and is equipped with cashless tolling. There are also plans for a future commuter rail and an integrated bike and pedestrian path.

The College’s Student Engagement Lecture Series drew packed crowds for talks from Rebecca Traister (left), an award-winning author and writer at New York magazine, and Jamey Barbas (top), project director for the new Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.

14 N fall 2018

LECTURE CIRCUIT

French Jacobin Radicalization Explored in an International Context

M

ODERN-DAY POLITICS includes fiercely competitive political parties, heated debates and frequent protests.

However, these characteristics are not new concepts to the history of democratic development across the globe.

Manhattan College’s 17th annual Costello Lecture hosted Micah Alpaugh, Ph.D., associate professor of history at the University of Central Missouri, who delivered a presentation to students and faculty on French Jacobin radicalization in the late 1700s.

The academic historian began the lecture by moving the audience through the founding influences of the Jacobin political club.

Members of this club, which was founded in 1788 upon democratic principles that looked to move away from the traditional monarchy, believed in the protection of individual rights and social progress within French society.

“The principles of the Jacobins can be traced to the United States’ Sons of Liberty, whose principles were popularized after the American Revolution,” Alpaugh said.

These meetings were soon held in small municipalities in France and gained quick popularity, he explained. Jacobin ideas were attaining prominence in France, and in 1791, they advocated war against Austria and Prussia. This polarized the group into two factions, the Jacobins, opposers of the war who were led by Maximilien Robespierre, and the Girondins, who favored the war.

On Sept. 21, 1792, the monarchy fell, and the Jacobins became the prevailing political party. Jacobins and Girondins then fought for power, which resulted in a civil war between the two political

(From left) Micah Alpaugh, Ph.D., discussed French Jacobin radicalization at the annual Costello Lecture, during which Joan Cammarata, Ph.D., professor of modern languages and literature, was honored with the Costello Excellence in Teaching Award.

parties. This period, called the “Reign of Terror,” is known for the executions of many people who spoke out against the Jacobins.

Alpaugh is currently writing about transnational history of the interconnected rise of social movements across America, Britain, Ireland and France during the Revolutionary era. He earned a B.A. at Northern Arizona University and Ph.D. at the University of California, Irvine. He is a scholar of nonviolent protest and social movements during the era of the French Revolution. His book Non-Violence and the French Revolution: Political Demonstrations in Paris, 1787-1795 was published by Cambridge University Press in 2015.

The lecture also featured the presentation of the Costello Excellence in Teaching Award, which is given to a distinguished professor in the School of Liberal Arts. Joan Cammarata, Ph.D., a Spanish language professor for more than 25 years at the College, was honored with the sixth annual award.

“Her passion for the Spanish language and her obvious devotion to her students on a daily basis are prime examples of what makes our students’ experiences in the School of Liberal Arts not just special, but truly memorable” said Keith Brower, dean.

Specializing in the literature of early modern Spain and its sociohistorical context, Cammarata is the author of Mythological Themes in the Works of Garcilaso de la Vega and has contributed to scholarly research on Cervantes and Saint Teresa of Avila.

The Costello Lecture Series in European History honors Brother Casimir Gabriel Costello, FSC, chair of the History department from 1949 to 1953 and dean of the College from 1953 to 1959.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 15

ON C AMPUS

LECTURE CIRCUIT

Defining a Movement, #MeToo

A

TIGHTLY PACKED CROWD GATHERED AROUND THREE FACULTY MEMBERS leading a candid discussion about #MeToo — a movement that has sparked both national and campuswide discussions — one afternoon in September. The event in the O’Malley Library included students, staff and other faculty, who together spoke about the hashtag now associated with activism and awareness across the country.

The talk took place just weeks before the official opening of the Lasallian Women and Gender Resource Center and featured its codirector Jordan Pascoe, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy, along with Nefertiti Takla, Ph.D., assistant professor of history, and Jolie Terrazas, Ph.D., visiting professor of management and marketing. Each woman defined what made #MeToo so impactful.

“The idea of #MeToo was to create spaces in which women share their stories with one another, not just to reassure and comfort one another, but actually to engage in a collective practice of identifying, interpreting and naming these experiences,” Pascoe says. “A huge part of #MeToo is the idea that by identifying our experiences together, we collectively come to a better understanding.”

The event’s informal atmosphere made it feel more like a conversational space than a lecture, especially when the trio shared their personal experiences with sexual assault, creating emotional moments with momentous truth. But this, as Pascoe spoke about later on in the talk, is what #MeToo is all about: speaking information into existence and showing others through the power of testimony that they are not alone.

“When I first heard about #MeToo, it was only last year, when the hashtag became very popular. I understood it as a mass speakout against a problem that women had known about for a very long time and had experienced,” Takla says. “It was something that people felt they weren’t yet speaking about for various reasons ... it felt like a revolution.”

The group also spoke about the advantages of women who lead privileged lives and how they can support this movement.

“As a privileged woman myself and with the resources I have, I tried to understand the historical context to Tarana Burke, who is the one who started this movement and should be given a lot more credit. ... I see that privileged women ... say they feel empowered, so this makes me very happy. It also makes me want to urge everyone to look at this injustice,” Terrazas says.

The discussion ended with questions, stories and comments from students, professors and staff. The event was the first of many co-sponsored by the Women and Gender Studies program and the Lasallian Women and Gender Resource Center.

16 N fall 2018

(From left to right) Jordan Pascoe, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy and co-director of the new Lasallian Women and Gender Resource Center; Nefertiti Takla, Ph.D., assistant professor of history; and Jolie Terrazas, Ph.D., visiting professor of management and marketing, discuss the #MeToo movement and the impact it can have on higher education.

LECTURE CIRCUIT

Peace-building in Israel and Palestine

W

HEN YOU THINK OF COUNTRIES that establish their relationships through reconciliation and peace, the Holy Land might not come to mind.

But two distinguished peace-builders are looking to change that by creating a mutual understanding between Israeli Jews and Arab Palestinians.

Rabbi Ron Kronish, Ph.D., founding director of the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel, and Sheikh Ghassan Manasra, international executive director of the Abrahamic Union, discussed their efforts at a lecture sponsored by the Holocaust,

“I finally found my answer to meeting myself, and I needed to look at the eyes of others, not my own eyes.”

Genocide, and Interfaith Education Center (HGI) for students, faculty and local community members. The event, held in October, was moderated by Mehnaz Afridi, Ph.D., director of the HGI Center, who guided the discussion along its theme of peace and understanding.

Rabbi Kronish began by creating a common thread with Sheikh Manasra.

“Scholars say peacemaking refers to the political process that attempts to make peace agreements,” he said. “We are peacebuilders who encourage and complement

the peacemaking process.”

Rabbi Kronish’s efforts are focused on bringing individual Palestinians and Israelis together to understand each other and discuss core issues in a peaceful manner. His motivations can be traced back to an interview with a rector in New York City.

“I was explaining my approach toward hope and despair when former Senator George Mitchell intervened with a story of his own,” Rabbi Kronish said. “He discussed his critical involvement to establish peace between the Protestants and the Catholics in Northern Ireland. Playing a crucial role in the agreement process, he visited Ireland many times, and it was estimated that 84 percent of Protestants and Catholics said they would never be able to have an agreement with each other. However, four days later they made the Good Friday Agreement, which sought to put away the troubles that the countries have been having for 30 years.”

This event inspires Rabbi Kronish to keep pursuing peace even in the bleakest of times.

He lives by the quote, “Keep hope alive in times of great despair,” which fuels his desire to eventually bridge the gap between citizens of the two nations.

Personal experience and self-realization were factors that guided Sheikh Manasra on his path to peace-building. Born and raised in Nazareth, Israel, he remembers spending his nights at his grandparents’ house in Galilee, especially during the season of Ramadan. He recalls the timeless words his grandfather would tell him when he was just 7 years old: “There will be a time where you will have to wake up and meet yourself.”

Sheikh Manasra was mystified by this statement and searched for many years to understand what his grandfather was talking about. He tried to find himself by searching his mind and answering questions about the world with his own experiences.

“I finally found my answer to meeting myself, and I needed to look at the eyes of others, not my own eyes,” Sheikh Manasra explained.

By being able to connect with other people of all nationalities and cultures, he was able to wake up and truly understand his faith and become a bridge for people of conflict to meet each other.

“In order to connect with God, you need to connect with people, and to connect with people, you need to connect with God,” Sheikh Manasra explained. He continued the discussion by providing the audience with examples of how to find God in everyday life.

At the end of the lecture, members of the audience asked questions, and together, engaged in an earnest discussion. Rabbi Kronish and Sheikh Manasra approached each answer with an overarching theme of peace to thy neighbor.

“There is always hope,” Rabbi Kronish concluded.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 17

SPORTS

The Long Run Y

OU MIGHT THINK THAT AFTER A CELEBRATED career as one of the top distance runners in United States history, followed by a distinguished coaching career that included helping his son to an Olympic gold medal, Matt Centrowitz would glide quietly into retirement.

But those who know him understand that he doesn’t walk anywhere, but rather runs — at a fast pace — the only way he has ever known.

In August, Manhattan College made national news when it named Centrowitz as the College’s first director of track and field and cross country.

“The director role is the next step in positioning our track and field and cross country teams as one cohesive program, consolidating our power to achieve success across disciplines,” said Marianne Reilly, director of intercollegiate athletics, at the time of the press conference. “We are so fortunate that Matt will serve in this role, not only defining the position but also sharing his incomparable expertise.”

A Bronx native, Centrowitz made his mark at Power Memorial High School, where he won the state championships in the 800-meter, 1-mile and 2-mile events, and became the first New Yorker to break nine minutes in the 2-mile run (8:56).

Training at Van Cortlandt Park, Centrowitz recalls running alongside his “heroes” from Manhattan College, making his decision

18 N fall 2018

to attend the school an easy one. His decision to transfer to the University of Oregon a year later, he says, was a much harder one.

“Up until my senior year of high school, all I had known was New York City,” he says. “After signing with Manhattan, I qualified for the national team, and that summer, I traveled across the country and to Europe, where I found out that I could survive and excel outside of New York City. The hardest part was leaving my teammates, many of whom are still my best friends. However, I felt as though I needed to see what else was out there, even though in the back of my mind, I always knew I would return to New York.”

At Oregon, Centrowitz was mentored by legendary coach Bill Bowerman and saw his career take off. Centrowitz qualified for the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and set the American record in the 5,000meter with a time of 13:12.91. He would go on to win the event three more times, but was denied a second trip to the Olympics when the United States boycotted the 1980 Summer Games.

During his time as a competitor, Centrowitz began his coaching career at St. John’s University. He went on to serve as coach for the Reebok Enclave, in Washington, D.C., and trained distance runners competing for spots on the 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic teams.

In 1999, Centrowitz restarted the track program at American University and brought the school unprecedented success. He coached 11 NCAA All-American runners while earning Patriot League Coach of the Year honors nine times in 19 years.

Centrowitz stepped away in 2017 to help train one of the top runners in the world, his son Matthew, who made history in 2016 when he became the first American since 1908 to win the 1,500-meter at the Olympic Games.

After Matthew’s gold medal, Centrowitz released his memoir, Like Father, Like Son: My Story on Running, Coaching and Parenting, while continuing to assist his son. However, something was missing.

So almost 45 years to the day that he enrolled at Manhattan College as a freshman, he was back on campus as the Jaspers’ inaugural director of cross country and track and field.

“I’ve always wanted to come back to New York. My heart is and always will be here,” he says. “If I could coach at any one place in the United States, it would be Manhattan College. We have the best facilities in Van Cortlandt Park along with so many amazing, challenging trails that give our student-athletes a distinct advantage. Additionally, there is an indoor track on campus, and not many people have that.

It really is a remarkable setup.”

Despite being away from Manhattan for so long, Centrowitz returned to a pair of familiar faces in Kerri Gallagher, head coach of cross country, mid-distance and distance, and John Lovett, assistant coach. While Centrowitz was at American, Gallagher was an assistant coach, training and running with Lovett.

Centrowitz knows he has a lot of hard work ahead of him at Manhattan College, but he also knows he has the support of everyone associated with the program.

“The alumni and Marianne (Reilly) approached me to return to Manhattan, and I have always felt like I was part of the Jasper family,” he says.

During his press conference, Centrowitz expressed not only his passion for this position but also Manhattan’s Lasallian heritage and its importance in mentoring current and future Jaspers.

“These core principles of faith, respect for all, commitment to education, inclusivity and social justice will form the foundation of my approach in working with my Manhattan College colleagues, staff and student-athletes.”

Centrowitz has made it no secret that it is his goal to again bring Manhattan to national prominence and that he has the coaches in place to help realize this dream.

“Our staff has helped my transition immensely and leaves no doubt in my mind that we are set up for success,” he says.

“My specialties are in middle distance and distance, but to be successful, we need every area to excel, and that is our goal.”

Matt Centrowitz, one of the best distance runners in U.S. history, joins Manhattan College as its first director of track and field and cross country. While at American University, he coached 11 NCAA All-American runners while earning Patriot League Coach of the Year honors nine times in 19 years. The Olympian began his collegiate athletic career at Manhattan before transferring to the University of Oregon.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 19

SPORTS

SPORTSSHORTS STUDENT-ATHLETES EXCEL IN THE CLASSROOM Manhattan College student-athletes once again stood out in the classroom this past year with 215 student-athletes included in the MAAC Academic Honor Roll.

These 215 Jaspers rank as the second-most of any MAAC institution.

To be eligible for the MAAC Academic Honor Roll, a student-athlete must hold a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher.

GOLF AND SOFTBALL EARN NCAA APR RECOGNITION AWARDS The golf and softball teams were acknowledged by the NCAA for their impressive performance in the classroom and earned Public Recognition Awards from the governing body. The squads were among 1,284 teams that were publicly recognized for their academic achievement, based on their most recent Academic Progress Rate (APR).

This is the fifth straight Public Recognition Award for the golf team, while the softball team was honored for the fourth consecutive year.

The APR, which is in its 13th year, is an annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for all Division I teams. It measures eligibility, graduation and retention each term to provide a clear picture of the academic performance for each team in every sport. Public Recognition Awards are given to those teams that rank among the top 10 percent in their sports.

JASPERS PICKED IN 2018 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER DRAFT Catcher Fabian Pena ’19 and left-handed pitcher Joe Jacques ’18 were drafted in the 2018 Major League Baseball (MLB) first-year player draft on June 6. Pena was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 25th round, and Jacques by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 33rd round.

The 2016 MAAC Rookie of the Year, Pena started all 191 games during his three years for Manhattan while posting a .314 average with 58 doubles, 18 home runs and 122 RBIs while earning AllMAAC honors each season.

During his career, Jacques struck out 209 over 256.2 innings with 12 wins and a 4.07 ERA over four-plus seasons in Riverdale.

GRIMME INKS PROFESSIONAL CONTRACT Former women’s basketball standout Kayla Grimme ’17 signed a contract to play professional basketball in Europe.

Grimme will play for Boa Viagem on the Azores islands, located off the coast of Portugal. The club is a member of the Liga Feminina, Portugal’s top women’s basketball league, and is part of the FIBA Eurocup.

Playing five years at Manhattan due to a medical redshirt season, Grimme evolved from a primarily post player to an all-around scorer and defensive force. She finished with 1,433 career points, good for fifth all-time. Coming in third all-time with 961 boards, she is one of just two players in program history to surpass the 1,400 point/900 rebound mark at Manhattan.

20 N fall 2018

BISSET CLINCHES MAAC POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP Bob McCloskey Insurance (BMI), a corporate partner of the MAAC, awarded a postgraduate scholarship to former baseball player Brendan Bisset ’18.

As part of its agreement with the MAAC, BMI provides postgraduate scholarships to two former student-athletes from the league’s member institutions. The scholarships promote and encourage academically and athletically accomplished studentathletes to continue their education by attending graduate school. As part of the selection process, the committee evaluates athletic and academic achievements, as well as campus involvement, community service, volunteer activities, and demonstrated leadership.

Bisset graduated with a 3.32 GPA, earned a degree in finance and a minor in Spanish, and was an All-MAAC Academic Team honoree for three consecutive years (2016-18), as well as a member of the dean’s list for all four years. He ranked eighth in the MAAC as a junior with a .335 average and finished his collegiate career with a .286 average, 163 hits and 65 RBIs. GOLFER RECEIVES ALL-AMERICA SCHOLAR HONORS Connor O’Rourke ’18 added to his growing collection of academic accolades when he was tabbed as a Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar, announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America.

O’Rourke previously made the 2017-18 MAAC All-Academic Golf Team and the 2017-18 MAAC Academic Honor Roll. He earned a 4.0 GPA in the fall 2017 semester.

A record 265 Division I golfers were named All-America Scholars this year. To qualify for the award, Division I student-athletes must have been a junior or senior academically, competed for at least three years at the collegiate level, participated in 50 percent of the team’s competitive rounds, earned a stroke average of 76.0, and had a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher.

ARNDT SECURES NCAA GOVERNANCE INTERNSHIP Women’s pole vaulter Madison Arndt ’18 joined the NCAA as a Division II governance intern this summer. Arndt, who graduated with a degree in marketing, served as the president of Manhattan College’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and as the MAAC’s representative on the NCAA SAAC. U.S. PARALYMPIAN HEADLINES FALL SPEAKER SERIES United States Paralympic athlete and world record holder Blake Leeper attended the Athletics department’s welcome back BBQ and opened its 2018-19 lecture series in September with a discussion on the power of positivity and overcoming what seem to be insurmountable challenges. Leeper, an eight-time Paralympic track and field international medalist and three-time American recordholder, was born without both of his legs.

FUNFACTS

10

Wins over the final 12 regular season games for softball to qualify for the MAAC Tournament

0 25

Hits against Brianna Matazinsky ’18, who hurled Manhattan’s second no-hitter in program history

New Athletic Center to Open

T

HE GAELIC PARK ATHLETIC CENTER, known affectionately around Jasper Nation as GPAC, broke ground this past spring on the College’s south campus.

The first home for Manhattan’s teams that compete at Gaelic Park, the facility includes locker rooms, staff offices, a state-ofthe-art, on-site athletic training room, and lounge/film space where student-athletes can study, conduct meetings and strengthen overall team chemistry.

Scheduled to open later this winter, GPAC is expected to greatly enhance the athletic experience for members of Manhattan’s outdoor teams — namely, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, and softball — while also serving as an asset for recruiting, student-athlete retention, and alumni relations. In addition, the new Doc Johnson training room will give student-athletes access to sports medicine personnel within closer proximity to Gaelic Park, and alleviate space constraints in the main training room currently located in Draddy Gymnasium.

“It’s an incredible moment for us because we now have an entire facility that we can offer to our field sports,” said Marianne Reilly, director of intercollegiate athletics, at the groundbreaking. “Building on renovations and replacement of the turf at Gaelic Park last summer, these upgrades reflect our commitment to providing a first-class student-athlete experience.”

The multimillion-dollar effort to convert the former physical plant space was made possible through the fundraising efforts of each team and backed by the department of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Perfect GPAs for Manhattan studentathletes during the 2018 spring semester

1

The first All-MAAC selection in rowing, Shannon Forty ’20

45

Years since the Jaspers’ 1973 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship

3

2

All-MAAC selections in golf: Connor O’Rourke ’18, Johnny Schob ’18

School records set by Lisa Fajardo ’19 during the outdoor season (5,000-meter dash, 10,000-meter dash, distance medley relay)

4

Nonconference wins for men’s lacrosse, which is the most by the program since 2009

64

187

Percentage of wins for baseball that T.J. Stuart ’20 had a hand in (10 saves, 6 wins)

Student-athletes that achieved dean’s list status (3.4 GPA) in the spring 2018 semester (out of 388)

MANHATTAN.EDU N 21

SPORTS

Rowing

THE ROWING TEAM capped its third season of intercollegiate play with an impressive performance at the 2018 MAAC Championship.

Shannon Forty ’20 became the first student-athlete to earn All-MAAC recognition in program history with a Second Team selection.

Also at the conference meet, the second Varsity 8+ won the B Final, with coxswain Shannon Gleba ’21, Alia Flanigan ’19, Jaclyn Leighton ’20, Meredith Domaleski ’21,Rachel Foertch ’21, Ella O’Brien ’21, Erin McWilliams ’20, Jeanette Burke ’19 and Maria Blas-Perez ’21 defeating Stetson by a margin of 10 seconds, as well as Sacred Heart.

The rowers also stood out in the classroom with 17 of 22 making the MAAC All-Academic Team.

Under first-year head coach Alex Canale, the program also received a generous donation in the form of a racing shell in memory of James P. McGuinness from Sue and Pat Toner at Glen Island Park.

Parker Giarratana ’19

Men’s Lacrosse THE MEN’S LACROSSE TEAM continued its upward trend and posted four victories this past season while allowing its opponents to score on just 18 percent of their man-up opportunities — the best rate in the Division I ranks. Manhattan also hosted national power No. 8 Virginia at Gaelic Park and gave the Cavaliers their best effort before falling 8-5. The Jaspers posted victories over VMI, Lafayette, Bellarmine and NJIT in registering their most nonconference wins (four) since the 2009 campaign.

Parker Giarratana ’19 earned Second Team All-MAAC honors for the second time in his career after pacing the team with 23 goals and 23 assists. Giarratana also became the ninth member of the program’s 100-point club and enters his final season with 83 goals, 128 points and 24 multi-goal games.

Sean MacKinney ’21 turned in an outstanding rookie campaign with 13 goals in garnering MAAC All-Rookie honors. Michael Zingaro ’18 capped an outstanding career in net by becoming the second player in school history to register at least 600 saves; he was a two-time MAAC Defensive Player of the Week. Luke Hanson ’21 was named MAAC Player of the Week after scoring a goal with an assist against Virginia. Joseph Bressingham ’19 was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Week, and MacKinney was cited as the Rookie of the Week, as the Jaspers registered five weekly honors in 2018.

The Jaspers also stood out in the classroom, placing 18 student-athletes on the MAAC All-Academic Team.

22 N fall 2018

Zoe Nikolopoulos ’20, Jaclyn Leighton ’20, Isabel Shirron ’20, Amayda Arroyo ’21 and Maura Mead ’20 at the Head of the Charles in Boston.

Golf

THE TEAM CONTINUED its recent success last season, turning in a third-place finish at the MAAC Championship. It marked the third straight year that the Jaspers finished among the top three. Connor O’Rourke ’18 earned All-MAAC honors with a fourth-place finish before being cited as a Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Johnny Schob ’18 joined O’Rourke on the All-MAAC team after taking sixth, with Preston Shortell ’20, Charles Seward ’18 and Jon Keyes ’18 rounding out the Jaspers at the MAAC Championship. During the fall portion of the season, Schob took third at the annual Father Hill Invitational.

The golfers also were cited by the NCAA for the fifth straight year for their impressive performances in the classroom, earning Public Recognition Awards from the NCAA based on their most recent Academic Progress Rate.

Additionally, three Jaspers made the MAAC All-Academic Team.

Following the season, Phil Wildermuth was tabbed as the next head coach of the program. Wildermuth has 16 years of experience as a professional in New York and has spent the past 10 years at Pelham Country Club.

Johnny Schob ’18

Women’s Lacrosse THE WOMEN’S LACROSSE TEAM outperformed its preseason ranking in MAAC competition, earning five wins and placing seventh in the conference. Captain Sarah Lang ’18 and Molly Fitzpatrick ’19 each surpassed the 100-point mark in their careers and concluded the year in the top 20 for most points in program history, with Fitzpatrick in sixth place heading into her final season. Lang was the team leader with 35 goals, while Fitzpatrick paced the squad with 17 assists and 49 points.

Captain Kara Hodapp ’18 also established career highs with 25 goals and 36 points. In the cage, Nikki Prestiano ’19 had multiple standout performances, as she compiled 140 saves with an 11.39 goals-against average. In a 10-7 victory over Vermont, she registered a career-high 19 saves, tied for sixth in NCAA Division I for most saves in a game that season.

Emma Kaishian ’19 was represented on the All-MAAC Second Team Defense for the second consecutive season. Kaishian topped the Jaspers with 62 draw controls, 39 ground balls and 23 caused turnovers. In the MAAC opener against Canisius, she notched both her 100th career ground ball and 100th career draw control.

Academically, the Jaspers were one of the strongest programs in the MAAC, placing a conference-best 21 student-athletes on the MAAC All-Academic Team. After the season, Manhattan was recognized as an Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Zag Sports Academic Honor Squad.

Sarah Lang ’18, Maddie Regal ’18 and Kara Hodapp ’18

MANHATTAN.EDU N 23

SPORTS

Outdoor Track and Field

Ire Bozovicar ’18

THE OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD PROGRAM earned awards and broke records during the spring season.

Thrower Ire Bozovicar ’18 earned All-American Honorable Mention at the 2018 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where he placed 22nd nationally in the discus throw. Bozovicar was one of 12 from the NCAA Eastern Regionals to qualify for the national event and one of five Jasper men — a MAAC high — to qualify for the regionals, including Love Litzell ’18 (hammer throw), Ryan Addlesberger ’19 (shot put), Brenton Foster ’20 (high jump) and Eduard Winner ’21 (pole vault).

All five Jaspers claimed gold in their respective events at the 2018 MAAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Foster was named Most Outstanding Field Performer after setting the conference record in the high jump, while Winner earned Rookie of the Meet honors.

On the women’s side, distance runner Lisa Fajardo ’19 won the 5,000-meter at the MAAC Championships after setting the school

24 N fall 2018

record in the event at the Larry Ellis Invitational earlier in the spring.

Sprinter Paige Chapman ’18 also broke the Manhattan record in the 100-meter dash at the 2018 Metropolitan Outdoor Championships, finishing a race preliminary in a time of 11.58 and besting the original record of 11.65 set in 1994. Chapman went on to win the Met Championship in the event.

Men’s track and field garnered three MAAC Performer of the Week honors during the season, including two for Bozovicar and one for distance runner Chad Maier ’19. The women earned three Performer of the Week honors from the MAAC, including one each for Fajardo, Chapman and distance runner Kelly Gorman ’18.

As a program, the Jaspers earned 39 All-MAAC Academic Team selections.

Softball

MANHATTAN SOFTBALL WON 10 of its last 12 regular season games to earn a fifth-place seed in the 2018 MAAC Championship. The Jaspers made it to the double-elimination tournament’s final four behind the play of Briana Matazinsky ’18 and Adriana Gambino ’21, who were both named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team. Matazinsky, a utility player and pitcher who recorded the second no-hitter in program history during the season, led the Jaspers in batting average (.342) for the year while compiling the team’s lowest ERA (2.27) on her way to an All-MAAC First Team selection.

Second baseman Lauren Pitney ’19 and outfielder Shannon Puthe ’18 were also honored by the MAAC, and both earned All-MAAC Second Team recognition.

Pitney, who led the Jaspers in home runs with nine for the year, also held the team’s highest slugging percentage (.570) and on-base percentage (.505). Puthe, the program’s leader in career stolen bases, led the Jaspers in hits during the 2018 season.

Daniella Chiorazzi ’21 was named to the All-MAAC Rookie Team to round out the league’s postseason honors. In her first season at Manhattan, she earned two conference Rookie of the Week honors and drove in a team-high 29 RBIs. At the conclusion of the season, Matazinsky was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Northeast Region Second Team, while Pitney was a NFCA Northeast Region Third Team selection. In addition, nine players earned Easton/NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete honors from the NFCA. The Jaspers had a strong academic year, placing a conference-high 13 student-athletes on the MAAC All-Academic Team. And, for the fourthconsecutive year, Manhattan softball received an NCAA Public Recognition Award, which honors teams for their academic achievement based on their most recent Academic Progress Rate.

Fabian Pena ’19

Briana Matazinsky ’18

Baseball THE BASEBALL TEAM had another solid season during head coach Mike Cole’s first year on campus. Despite missing out on the conference tournament, the Jaspers improved their win total by seven in finishing with 25 victories, including 13 during league play. Additionally, Manhattan went an impressive 13-6 in March with all 19 games on the road.

Fabian Pena ’19 and Joe Jacques ’18 advanced to the professional ranks — the Jaspers now have had three former studentathletes drafted into Major League Baseball in the past two seasons. Pena was tabbed in the 25th round by the San Francisco Giants, and Jacques in the 33rd round by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Manhattan posted nonconference series victories over VCU and UNC Asheville before

winning five series during league play, including taking two of three from eventual league champion Canisius.

Pena earned All-MAAC honors for the third straight year and was joined on the Second Team by Richie Barrella ’19 and T.J. Stuart ’20.

Will Trochiano ’21 missed the second half of the season after winning three MAAC Rookie of the Week awards and hit safely in his first 21 collegiate games en route to posting a .333 average. Barrella, like Trochiano, earned multiple MAAC citations and twice garnered Player of the Week honors. Pena also was named Player of the Week with Stuart being tabbed as Pitcher of the Week, as the Jaspers collected seven weekly awards.

Following the season, 12 studentathletes made the MAAC All-Academic Team.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 25

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Officially Has a New Name

T

HE COLLEGE HAS ITS FIRST-EVER NAMED SCHOOL. In September, members of the Manhattan College community gathered to dedicate the Thomas D. O’Malley ’63 School of Business, honoring its namesake, the former chair of the College’s board of trustees and a distinguished benefactor.

In March, O’Malley presented the College with a $25 million gift to increase student scholarships and grants, support innovative teaching and research, and enhance and diversify learning opportunities throughout the College.

After an introduction by Thomas Mauriello, vice president for advancement, and an invocation from the Rev. Thomas Franks, OFM Cap., chaplain, President Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D., talked about the historic quest of the College to keep up with the times, in terms of technology and infrastructure, and how O’Malley has been at the forefront of leading Manhattan’s transformation.

“Great colleges are great to the extent that they are supported by those with a commitment to giving back,” he said. “Thanks to the O’Malleys — and to those that have been and continue to be inspired by their example — Manhattan is a great college.”

Using the symbolism of Manhattan’s numerous stairs, Don Gibson, Ph.D., dean of the O’Malley School of Business, described the steps as a metaphor for leading students up to success.

“With this leadership naming of the school, Tom is offering a hand to help students up our grand staircase,” Gibson explained.

“As someone who has achieved the top of the stairs, he’s ready to provide something beyond his example, a gesture that will help us to enhance our connections to New York City, help us to expand our ethical, Lasallian Catholic mission in the real world of business, and ensure that a wide variety of students can attend this transformative place. With Tom, I am poised to lead the school to achieve those lofty goals we set out for our students.”

26 N fall 2018

O’Malley, who noted how he and his wife, Mary Alice, have made it their mission to share their good fortune with those less fortunate, expressed how he and his family have been proud to support Manhattan College, which largely contributed to his professional success. He also noted the significant value of a Manhattan education.

“Every Manhattan student gets the New York advantage,” O’Malley said. “Add to this a great education, and top it off with a strong ethical base of Lasallian tradition. Manhattan produces, in the past and still today, men and women who make a positive difference in their chosen profession.”

O’Malley and his wife are the most generous donors in Manhattan College’s history. During the past two decades, they have provided the leadership gift to build the O’Malley Library on campus and donated $10 million to help support the construction of the Raymond W. Kelly ’63 Student Commons, named after O’Malley’s classmate and the former New York City

police commissioner. Named for his mother, Lee Hall helped Manhattan College to become a majority residential college, thanks to the contributions from the O’Malleys.

By pledging a $25 million gift, O’Malley’s goal is to make a Manhattan College education accessible to students from all backgrounds and provide a wide variety of opportunities for students to succeed in the financial capital of the world. At the same time, the gift is designed to strengthen the College’s connections with the New York City business world through hands-on, experiential opportunities, and support teaching and research focused on the present and future economics of energy.

The ceremony concluded with the unveiling of the naming wall and the pedestal, which displays a letter written by O’Malley, as well as the glass doors bearing the new name of the business school.

(Opposite page) The Thomas D. O’Malley ’63 School of Business now adorns the center entrance to De La Salle Hall, from the Quad, and a letter written by O’Malley is displayed just inside the vestibule. (This page, clockwise) O’Malley, the former chair of the board of trustees, along with his wife, Mary Alice, are the most generous donors in the College’s history and have given to many notable initiatives, including the Raymond W. Kelly ’63 Student Commons and Lee Hall. O’Malley told the crowd at the naming ceremony how proud he is to support Manhattan College and its mission. Raymond Kelly ’63 and his wife, Veronica, were among those who celebrated the O’Malleys, as well as the former deans of the School of Business going back to 1985, who gathered for a photo.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 27

A Recovery Mission

BY CHRISTINE LOUGHRAN

Giuseppe Costanza ’19 and Samantha Rosado ’19, both chemical engineering majors, have been the main developers of a long-term solution to restore clean water to a Lasallian grade school in Añasco, Puerto Rico, that was devastated by two Category 5 storms in 2017.

28 32 N fall fall2018 2015

Photo credit: Julio Larregoity

Manhattan College students, faculty and administrators have banded together throughout the past year to provide relief to Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricanes Maria and Irma. Together, their efforts showcase the best of who we are: Lasallians who take care of each other and the world at large.

September/October 2017 Natalia Alvarez ’19 was in a cab during the morning of Sept. 20, 2017, when a sinking feeling of dread began to burrow in her stomach. She had been returning to campus and immediately dialed her mother in San Juan, after learning that Hurricane Maria had made landfall in Puerto Rico. Alvarez could hear the rain and wind whipping in the background of the call and could not be reassured that all was fine at home. She knew better.

In the days that followed, Alvarez and other first- and second-generation students native to Puerto Rico became more and more aware of what was happening on the tiny island. Death tolls were rising, and Maria, a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph when it hit San Juan, was being called the most powerful in at least 100 years. The students were feeling similar senses of panic and helplessness as they frantically tried to contact family members on the island, to no avail — the phone lines had been cut off. At Manhattan College, thousands of miles from home, their first reaction was to seek solace in one another.

Their second reaction was to do something.

The grassroots initiative Do it for Puerto Rico, also referred to as #DoItForPR, was born out of a group of text messages among Alvarez and other students who were originally from the island, had family members there, or were of Puerto Rican descent: Carmen Alvarez ’19, Maria De Francisco ’19, Ana Feliciano ’19, Jose Feliciano ’20, Javier Galva-Roa ’19, Nathaniel Garcia ’18, Ruben Jordan ’18, Andrea Mendez ’19, Thaliana Mendez ’18, Victoria Hernandez Morales ’18, Rocio Ramallo ’19, Emilia Rosaly ’19 and Sofia Tollinche ’19.

Alvarez and several of these students gathered on Sept. 30 and rented a van through Campus Ministry and Social Action to attend a nearby donation drive hosted by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. The event was a success. Through the assistance of hundreds of volunteers, truckloads of first aid, water, canned food and other nonperishable items were packaged for shipment to Puerto Rico by the end of the day.

“The passion that everyone had in working toward the same cause was really amazing,” remembers Alvarez, an

(Clockwise) Rocio Ramallo ’19, a member of Do it for Puerto Rico, is interviewed by 1010 WINS, CBS New York, about the group’s participation in a hurricane relief donation drive. Students and hundreds of Bronx volunteers prepare to ship canned goods, first aid, water and other items to Puerto Rico. A hurricane relief concert in the Jasper backyard helps to raise more than $400 to benefit those devastated by Hurricanes Maria and Irma.

international studies major and peace studies minor.

The same could be said for fundraisers held at Manhattan College. On Oct. 3, in the lobby of Horan Hall, resident assistant Nathaniel Garcia ’18 and other members of #DoItForPR prepared grilled cheese sandwiches that were delivered to students across campus, with proceeds benefiting the relief effort. They also sold chocolate on the Quadrangle twice a week. By early October, the group’s combined efforts had raised more than $1,200.

Garcia, whose parents are from Puerto Rico, says his group was fueled by the extent of how many were suffering.

“A lot of us knew people on the island without access to lights, clean water, whose dogs were missing, the list goes on,” he says.

“And they couldn’t leave their studies at Manhattan to go back home. Knowing that so many people were being affected by the crisis really got us going. When people are in

distress, you want to do things to help out.”

This drive to help others is part of the College’s Lasallian Catholic tradition, which calls upon its community to not only maintain concern for those who may be suffering but also, more importantly, to act on it. As history has shown, Jaspers are always stronger together.

In the weeks following Hurricanes Maria and Irma, which also was classified as a Category 5 hurricane and had pummeled Puerto Rico on Sept. 6, the office of Student Engagement, led by student body president Micaela Bishop ’18, organized a hurricane aid relief concert in the Jasper backyard.

The event, featuring student performers, raised funds for Puerto Rico, as well as Houston, which also experienced widespread devastation following Hurricane Harvey in 2017. This and other small fundraisers during the fall semester collectively raised more than $1,000.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 29

November/December 2017 Just as #DoItForPR and Student Engagement had been facilitating relief efforts, other College groups began considering how they could get involved, as well.

Brother Jack Curran, FSC, Ph.D., vice president for mission, was integral in connecting Manhattan College faculty, administrators and students who were eager to contribute to the Puerto Rico relief effort. Their collective knowledge, resources and talent were showcased during a series of brainstorming meetings that began in November.

By late fall, a group of chemical engineering students led by Gennaro Maffia, Ph.D., professor of chemical engineering, had laid the foundation for the Water and Solar Power Project (WASP), an initiative to restore clean water and energy to Puerto Rico. With assistance from assistant kinesiology professor Christie Gonzalez-Toro, Ph.D., who is native to the island, and insight from Maffia, who has experience with developing water filtration systems in Haiti, Mexico, Panama and the Philippines, they set their sights on a location in need: the Colegio De La Salle in Añasco, a Lasallian school, which was suffering from erratic water and power service.

The school, which has approximately 170 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, had to send students home when it had no electricity or water.

In December, with funding from a variety of sources, the WASP volunteers sent 20 miniature water filters to the school, produced an instructional video in Spanish and posted the video to YouTube and the school’s Facebook page. The filters, small enough to hold in the palm of the hand, came with an attached pouch and a straw for drinking directly from a water source.

Once the short-term plan for clean water was in place, the group made plans to visit Añasco to survey the area and assess what needed to be done for a more permanent solution.

March 2018 During the College’s spring break in March, Maffia, Giuseppe Costanza ’19 and Samantha Rosado ’19, along with Andrew Nodolski, a chemical engineering professor at Widener University, and Sebastian Torres, a chemical engineering student at University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus, traveled to Colegio De La Salle. Through the generosity of Gonzalez-Toro and her family, the group stayed at the nearby Hotel Colonial, which her parents own and operate in Añasco.

Upon their arrival, Maffia and the group first met with Emma Mayens, principal of the Colegio, along with one of the teachers and another school administrator, to learn about their community’s most dire needs at that point.

Together, they walked the school grounds and determined that the best solution would

be to install an elevated tank and filter to bring clean water into the Colegio. The team also took measurements for the possible installation of solar power. In the interim, they would attach a Sawyer Products filter to a hand pump, which could be manually operated.

This initial visit, for the Manhattan travel team, provided a firsthand perspective on the hurricanes’ aftermath in Puerto Rico, and helped them to realize their greater purpose in assisting in the relief efforts.

“We realized the true nature of our role down there,” Costanza says. “We weren’t just providing clean water and power to the grade school. We were helping create an environment for students to learn in a school where they can develop and grow.”

An inaugural trip to Añasco inspires new ideas for Manhattan chemical engineering faculty and students, who first visited the Lasallian school in March to assess how they could restore clean water and power to the building.

Once there, they surveyed the situation with the help of the teachers and school administrators.

30 N fall 2018

Spring 2018 Maffia, Costanza and Rosado returned to campus already in the throes of planning their next trip to the island, for which they would order necessary supplies to build the proposed water filtration system.

In early May, the students hosted a pasta dinner with food donated by Claudio’s, a popular Italian restaurant in Manhattan owned by Costanza’s parents. They collected more than $1,000 toward the purchase of equipment for the project.

They also expanded. In choosing the safest and most functional location at the Colegio for the elevated water tank, the chemical engineers pulled in Manhattan civil and environmental engineering professor Daniel Hochstein, Ph.D., for his insight into soil mechanics — areas where soil could sustain the weight of the tank and water.

Photo credit: Julio Larregoity

June 2018 In preparation for the August trip, the team met in the Leo Hall chemical engineering lab to mock-create the system they’d designed and would be transporting to Puerto Rico. They determined the logistics of the clean water solution, which involved a 10-inch Sawyer Products filter attached to a hand pump that would supply clean water into the school via a 20-gallon water tank stored outside the building. Facilitating the trial run were the Manhattan chemical engineers, civil engineering students led by Hochstein, and Nodolski, who traveled from Widener.

In the Leo Hall chemical engineering lab, Manhattan chemical engineering professor Gennaro Maffia, Ph.D., Andrew Nodolski from Widener University, and the College’s chemical engineering students perform a trial run of the interim filtration system, which connects a 10-inch Sawyer Products water filter, a hand pump, and a large water tank.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 31

August 2018 Once in Añasco, the team began installing a mobile water cart that included the Sawyer filter, hand pump and hoses that could distribute the clean water to bottles and other storage units. Ease of use was important because the device would be used by school administrators: all they needed to do was fill the hand pump with water and manually pump it so that the water would flow through the filter, filling up the water cooler. Clean water would stream through the hose, and once the tank was full, operators could open the installed valve, and unfiltered water would run off the gutter.

The system proved to be functional, which was received with excitement from both the Añasco school community and the Jasper group. They were now able to lay the groundwork for fulfilling the ultimate goal — a 2,500-gallon tank that would filter rainwater and water from the city of Añasco and supply water to the entire school.

“This was a very proud moment for our entire team,” Rosado says. “We implemented a reliable, low-maintenance system for the school to gain access to clean water. Not only was the implementation of the system a big step, but the data was, too. The data we collected for the elevated tank we’re going to be installing was promising that we’d be able to build an even larger system that will be integrated throughout the school.”

32 N fall 2018

Costanza and Rosado collaborate with members of the Lasallian school community to build a filtration system that allows administrators to manually fill a hand pump with water, which flows through the Sawyer Products filter and into a 20-gallon tank. Through hoses attached to the tank, clean water is transmitted into the building.

Next Steps Upon their return to campus for the fall semester, Costanza and Rosado had begun formulating plans for fundraising for their next visit to Puerto Rico. A high-powered generator was, at that point, being considered as an option for electricity, and they were fielding insight on the water tank, which they thought should be raised a minimum of five feet off the ground and would be filled with rainwater and city water.

When the city water stops flowing to the school grounds — as of September, this was occurring twice a week — the plan is to reroute the water through a Sawyer filter and into the school.

The foundation for the water tank is still being decided, but it may consist of digging a foot down into the earth and filling it with cinder blocks and cement.

As is common with projects of this magnitude, details of the project have shifted throughout the course of the year with the changing needs of the Colegio De La Salle school community. But a few things that haven’t changed are the Manhattan group’s dedication to the project and their commitment to the children whose education they are working to enhance. Together, they are living out the Lasallian Catholic mission.

“God has been with us through all of this,” says Maffia, roughly a year after the project’s launch. “We couldn’t have asked for something better. [Sam and Giuseppe] were super enthused and wanted to do everything from the beginning.”

All that they’ve accomplished would not have been possible without contributions from #DoItForPR; Lois Harr, assistant vice president for student life, who helped to allocate much of the funding raised; collections at Sunday Masses in the Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers; and support from Br. Jack and the Mission office.

“Each and every day in and out of the classroom, by virtue of our core identity as a Lasallian Catholic College, we are presented with opportunities to live out the mission of Saint John Baptist de La Salle, whose legacy calls on us to lead and serve,” Br. Jack says. “The water and power project led by Dr. Maffia and our students is a direct manifestation of the values embodied in our heritage.”

But the contributors to this project are hardly limited to those that have already been mentioned. Throughout the past year, several other groups and individuals at Manhattan College and across the worldwide Lasallian network have made an impact along the way.

“It’s been kind of like a Humphrey Bogart movie,” Maffia says wistfully. “Characters just keep floating in and out of the story.”

Editor’s Note: As of press time, the College learned that the Colegio De La Salle will close at the end of this academic year.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 33

by CHRISTINE LOUGHRAN

RUN THE WORLD? IS WISDOM A QUALITY THAT IS ONLY DEVELOPED OVER TIME? Or can it also be gained through professional, leadership and volunteer experiences, and formative mentor relationships? Eleven young women found the latter to be true this summer, as the first cohort of students to participate in the newly launched W.I.S.E. (Women Influencing Successful Enterprise) internship program.

But prior to the eight-week program, these Jaspers were impressive in their own right.

Lola Ayodele ’19, Kaiyun Chen ’19, Lilybeth Delgado ’19, Mikeisha Kelly ’19, Michelle Lapreay ’19, Erin McWilliams ’20, Samantha Morrison ’19, Brittany Ponti ’19, Donya Quhshi ’19, Melissa Samanoglu ’20 and Kammy Wong ’20 applied with sky-high academic standings,

34 N fall 2018

decorated résumés and finely drawn career plans. According to Rachel Cirelli, director of career development, this combination was essential in assigning each student to an internship that aligned with her career goals.

“The employers were excited because they knew the criteria that we had for selecting women for W.I.S.E. — they knew the level of student they were going to have interning for them. We have an excellent pool of talent to pick from here,” she says.

Throughout the summer, students lived on campus and worked for the Manhattan borough president, the Bronx Chamber of Commerce and various other companies. They also met alumnae who had previously walked in their shoes — Dana Rachlin ’08, founder and

CEO of NYC Together, Kathleen Brookbanks ’80, ’84 (MBA), CEO of the advertising agency Hearts and Science, and Pia Riverso ’82, a partner at the law firm Rivkin Radler — who gave them advice on salary negotiation, developing confidence, and handling career quandaries.

The W.I.S.E. program, which will run annually, was developed by the Office of Career Pathways to empower female students and prepare them for leadership roles. It was made possible by Jim Boyle ’62, who supported the cohort after being inspired by his daughters.

By summer’s end, it was evident that the program helped these women to become wise and well-prepared for the launch of their careers. Here are a few of their W.I.S.E. stories.

MIKEISHA KELLY ’19, COMMUNICATION Internship site: Rubenstein PR

“I got to live an actual New York City life, and that’s not something a lot of people get to do.

The experience allowed me to focus on myself, learn in my industry and actually enjoy it.”

Kelly was able to finesse her editorial, marketing and digital communications skills on the job at Rubenstein, a highpowered firm handling public relations and crisis management in New York City. During the summer, she crafted media pitches, conducted research for the company across several industries, and collected materials for a new client proposal. After graduation, Kelly now hopes to become a media planner and strategist in one of the most bustling cities in the world. On campus, Kelly is a resident assistant and student worker in the Intercollegiate Athletics department.

She also is a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America.

KAIYUN CHEN ’19, ENGLISH AND SECONDARY EDUCATION Internship site: Lighthouse Guild Leadership experiences on campus, including her roles as a Catholic Relief Services Student Ambassador, and participation in the Lasallian Outreach Volunteer Experience (L.O.V.E.) program, made Chen the perfect fit for her internship. At Lighthouse Guild, the leading nonprofit health-care organization dedicated to addressing and preventing vision loss through coordinated vision and health services, she worked in the volunteer resources department. Her main roles were to recruit volunteers for various services that the organization provides to the New York City community, and to assist in the planning of special events. Throughout the summer, Chen often was a liaison between the volunteers and clients of Lighthouse Guild, which allowed her to interpret situations from multiple perspectives. She says that the experience opened her mind to the needs of different community groups, a quality that makes her a stronger professional in her chosen field, whether it is teaching or nonprofit work.

“The program allowed me the opportunity to explore what I want to do but also to explore myself as a person.”

MANHATTAN.EDU N 35

MELISSA SAMANOGLU ’20, BIOCHEMISTRY Internship site: New York Medical College Samanoglu’s role in pediatric psychology in the hematology/oncology/stem cell transplantation research lab at New York Medical College proved to be a meeting of her passions and academic interests.

Samanoglu helped to facilitate a study that analyzed the psychological experiences of cancer patients, which hit close to home. Ever since losing her grandmother to cancer at age 6, and feeling unable to lessen the anguish it caused her family, Samanoglu has dreamed of becoming a doctor, specifically a surgeon.

Last year, she conducted research at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, where she studied brain tumors and observed numerous surgeries.

At Manhattan, Samanoglu is actively involved with Relay for Life and the student-run organization Women in STEM. She is also a member of Alpha Epsilon Delta, the national honor society for health pre-professionals.

DONYA QUHSHI ’19, MARKETING MAJOR WITH A MINOR IN PSYCHOLOGY Internship site: Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility Quhshi is a staunch advocate for social justice on campus, having assisted in efforts to raise awareness for the fair trade movement. She also has been involved with the Lasallian Outreach Collaborative (L.O.Co.), and is on the board of the Muslim Student Association. Her support for societal issues shined through this summer at the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), a shareholder advocacy organization consisting of more than 300 global institutional investors. On the job, Quhshi worked with its food and water sustainability program to create “scorecards” that described the labor conditions, water stewardship, antibiotic use, climate change, and animal welfare practices of meat manufacturers. The results were later used to determine which issues required new or further engagement.

36 N fall 2018

“I want to be the person who makes the patient feel comfortable, feel that someone is caring for them. The world needs people who are strong enough to help others.”

“For me, the most important takeaway from the W.I.S.E. program was learning that a lot of the battles you’re going to have to fight in order to push yourself are on the inside. You can’t hold yourself back.”

ERIN MCWILLIAMS ’20, CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Internship site: Macan Deve Engineers

“My time at ICCR taught me about socially responsible investing and the process of engaging various companies on a number of social issues through dialogue. Working with ICCR helped me to understand the necessity of corporate responsibility, which is a field of business that I am interested in learning more about.”

For McWilliams, a knowledge base in math and science wasn’t the only reason she excelled at the firm, which is owned and founded by engineering alumna Donna Hager ’92. She also strives to make the world a better place, which is an ideal shared by Macan Deve Engineers, a company largely focused on urban sustainability as part of its core mission. During her freshman year, McWilliams ventured to Guatemala on a Lasallian Outreach Volunteer Experience (L.O.V.E.) trip.

Since her freshman year, she also has tutored in the College’s Center for Academic Success. At Macan Deve, McWilliams oversaw the business end of a $56 million initiative to upgrade approximately 20,000 New York City apartments to become more energy efficient. As an intern, she helped to ensure that all engineers working on the site were certified through the OSHA Outreach Training Program, which provides education on various workplace health and safety risks that can happen on the job. By learning the logistics of a large-scale construction management project, McWilliams will be more equipped to engineer a better world in the future.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 37

COMMENCEMENT

Capturing Commencement

M

ORE THAN 1,000 GRADUATES participated in Manhattan College’s undergraduate and graduate Commencement ceremonies this past May. As usual, the celebrations were filled with so many sentiments — excitement, gratification and happiness, accompanied by a sense of achievement, reflection and nostalgia. There were the usual highlights, the feeling of anticipation as members of the class of 2018 processed down the center aisle of Draddy Gymnasium to the cheers and burst of camera flashes from

38 N fall 2018

their proud family members, and the undeniable expressions of joy when each Jasper crossed the stage knowing that their hard work and defining experiences have culminated in a college degree.

But there were other highlights this year, as new highlights are bound to crop up with every Commencement, such as the honoring of two veterans at the undergraduate ceremony: the keynote speaker and the valedictorian. Or when a prominent Jasper returned to campus to address graduate students at Spring Commencement.

Lt. Gen. Maryanne Miller is awarded an honorary Doctor of Science

UNDERGRADUATE COMMENCEMENT Kirsten Battocchio ’18, a United States Marine Corps veteran, began her valedictorian speech to a rousing standing ovation from her classmates, before Lieutenant General Maryanne Miller, chief of the Air Force Reserve at the U.S. Air Force headquarters in Washington, D.C., and commander of the Air Force Reserve Command at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, addressed the captivated graduates with words of wisdom.

Alannah Boyle ’18 wins the Gunn Medal at Spring Honors

MANHATTAN.EDU N 39

COMMENCEMENT

Charles Murphy ’69 receives an honorary Doctor of Science

40 N fall 2018

SPRING (GRADUATE) COMMENCEMENT Charles Murphy ’69, professor of management practice at New York University’s Stern School of Business and now professorial lecturer at the College, shared his expansive knowledge with graduate and certificate students, as well as all graduates from the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Representing the Organizational Leadership program, Kaveri Krishnan ’18 (M.S.) inspired fellow classmates with her personal story. The ceremony was another accolade among these Jaspers’ many achievements.

Kaveri Krishnan ’18 (M.S.) delivers the valedictorian address

MANHATTAN.EDU N 41

DEVELOPMENT

Patterson Scholarships Continue to Make an Impact

J

ames Patterson ’69 has committed to awarding academic scholarships to 20 Manhattan College students for the seventh consecutive year. The best-selling author and philanthropist’s scholarship is given to 10 juniors and 10 seniors from the Schools of Liberal Arts, Education and Health, Engineering, and Science and the O’Malley School of Business.

Patterson started the scholarship program to recognize and reward Manhattan College students who have achieved excellent academic standing and have shown leadership potential, especially those interested in education. All 20 students received the scholarships based on merit, need and involvement in activities that are tied to the College’s Lasallian mission.

“I’m proud to support this group of students in their academic and cocurricular activities,” Patterson says. “Manhattan College is a very special place to me, and I hope these awards help support these extraordinary Jaspers during their college careers.”

THE SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS INCLUDE: Juniors Taylor Aloisio, childhood education (East Rockaway, N.Y.) Shannon Colford, communication (Epping, N.H.) Miguel Diaz, mechanical engineering (Bronx, N.Y.) Patricia Egan, philosophy (Shrewsbury, Mass.)

Sonia Ethakkan, chemical engineering (Nanuet, N.Y.) Hasan Hamid, mechanical engineering (Astoria, N.Y.) Kelly Kret, mechanical engineering (Tuckahoe, N.Y.) Amanda Lazkani, chemical engineering (Staten Island, N.Y.) Kevin Reyes, electrical engineering (Port Chester, N.Y.) Melissa Samanoglu, psychology (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) Seniors Rinor Ahmetaj, civil engineering (Bronx, N.Y.) Diana Balaj, international studies (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.) Muhammad Buttar, civil engineering (Brooklyn, N.Y.) Kaiyun Chen, secondary education (Woodhaven, N.Y.) Jaycie Cooper, communication (Monroe, Conn.)

Melissa Gallardo, communication (Islip Terrace, N.Y.) Karla Ortiz, secondary education (Bronx, N.Y.) Alessandra Palmisano, mechanical engineering (Bronx, N.Y.) Meghan Polhemus, chemical engineering (Pine Beach, N.J.) Claudia Ramirez, biology (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico)

42 N fall 2018

The scholarship program awards $5,000 to each of the 20 recipients. All seniors are eligible to apply to receive one of four additional $2,500 awards based on essay submissions. The seniors submit essays detailing their various accomplishments during their junior year and their visions for plans after graduation.

“James Patterson’s extraordinary generosity has allowed us to recognize, encourage and support a remarkable group of students for each of the past seven years,” says Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D., president. “We continue to be grateful for his steadfast devotion to the College and its next generation of rising stars.”

Patterson has sold more than 380 million books worldwide and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most No. 1 The New York Times best-sellers. In addition to writing the thriller novels for which he is best known, Patterson writes fiction for young readers, including the Max Einstein series, produced in partnership with the Albert Einstein archives. He is also the first author to have No. 1 new titles simultaneously on The New York Times adult and children’s best-seller lists.

Business Student Discovers Her Love of Accounting

W

HEN ALYSSA REESOR ’19 LEFT BUFFALO to attend Manhattan College, she was looking to start her academic and professional career in the Big Apple, but she still wanted to have that sense of community that she experienced and appreciated while in high school.

“It was always my intention to be in a big city and have a fastmoving career, and when I saw Manhattan College’s campus, it just made sense,” she says. “I liked the feel of it. I liked the small classroom size. I liked the idea of getting to know my professors and being on a personal basis with them. I just liked having an actual campus feel that felt like home in the city.”

The accounting major didn’t find her true calling until her sophomore year. She initially pursued marketing, but when she took her first accounting class with Aileen Farrelly, assistant dean and visiting instructor in accounting, computer information systems and law, she fell in love with it.

“I took my first accounting course, and it just made sense to me,” Reesor says. “I like that there are exact numbers. I’m super organized and love things to be a certain way. With accounting, there’s always an answer, and I love that concept of you will have an answer.”

Plus, Reesor likes the fact that she’ll always have room to grow with a career in accounting. She knows that she can start at the entry level and possibly become the CFO or CEO someday. But for now, Reesor wants to go into the tax field or auditing, most likely at a Big Four company. And she definitely wants to stay in New York City, which has become home.

Back in Buffalo, Reesor worked two jobs each summer to support her education, as she is primarily financing her degree. So when she received the Walter C. Camas ’52 Scholarship in her junior year, she was especially grateful for the assistance.

The Walter C. Camas ’52 Scholarship was established in 2015 by Robert G. Pulver ’69 in memory of his uncle to provide tuition assistance to upper-level students enrolled in the O’Malley School of Business who demonstrate high academic achievement.

“This scholarship has helped me so much by enabling me to continue my education,” she says. “It’s really helping to make my dream of being at Manhattan College more attainable. I have a giant thank you for Mr. Pulver for rewarding me with this honor.”

Reesor is a member of Beta Alpha Psi and Beta Gamma Sigma, both business honor societies, and was recently inducted into Epsilon Sigma Pi, the College’s highest scholastic honor.

She participated in the Summer Research Scholars program and conducted research with a student from Bethlehem University that focused on financial literacy, and compared nongovernmental organizations in the Bronx to those in the West Bank.

Through Beta Alpha Psi, Reesor does a good deal of volunteering, including working with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which is sponsored by the IRS and provides training and certification classes to those who wish to help prepare tax returns for low-income individuals.

“I love doing it because I get to meet the different people there, and I’m able to help,” says Reesor, who works in the O’Malley School of Business dean’s office. “It also helps me to get the hands-on experience of tax work.”

She plans on staying at the College to pursue her fifth-year MBA in accounting and then take the CPA exam. In the meantime, Reesor intends to be involved in as much as possible, to take advantage of all the programs, events, courses, and mentoring and networking that she can as she finishes up her undergraduate studies in May.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 43

ALUMNI

Reunion Weekend 2018 NEARLY 500 ALUMNI AND FRIENDS celebrated at the 149th Reunion Weekend in June. Golden and Silver Jubilarians were honored with anniversary medals; alumni with more than 50 years received commemorative plaques; and those in class years ending in 3 and 8 marked their anniversaries. The festivities included a New York City harbor cruise, a young alumni reception, a veterans coffee gathering, and the Green and White Picnic. Mass was celebrated before Jaspers took to the Quad to feast and dance the night away. Some Jaspers also took the time to find favorite spots, like Michael Regan ’63 and his wife, Renee, who enjoyed a moment on the bench they dedicated in the College’s garden.

44 N fall 2018

FROM THE COLLEGE’S ARCHIVES

What Ever Happened to ... the Radio Station

I

N THE AGE OF SMART TECHNOLOGY, RADIO COMMUNICATION seems to belong to another era. Transmitters, receivers, distribution amps, recording cartridges, antenna arrays, audio mixers, spinning records and commercial interruptions are mementos of times past. But there was a time when radio communication proved especially popular.

Manhattan’s interest in radio began in the 1940s with student engineers who examined the technical elements of radio transmission, electron tubes, communications and the role of electrical engineering. The Manhattan College Chapter of the Institute of Radio Engineers was founded in 1942, catering to electrical engineering students who intended to enter the field. The Radio Club was established around 1945, and interested parties learned radio theory, Morse code, and how to build and repair radio sets. The club launched the College’s first radio station, W2FXR, which broadcast from a 130-watt transmitter in Veterans Hall. One of the most exciting aspects in this post-World War II era was the ability to establish radio contact with countries around the globe.

Alternatively, those interested in the performance side of radio broadcasting were welcomed into the Radio Workshop group, established in 1952. Radio programs featuring comedy, music and drama were hugely popular before television dominated the broadcast medium, and the workshop provided an outlet for both radio writers and actors to exhibit their talents. The productions were broadcast over Fordham and Seton Hall stations because they had a wider range, better frequency and more established entertainment programming.

That same year, another radio group, the Manhattan Amateur Radio Society (MARS) was founded. Members were encouraged to attend coding classes and to get their amateur or ham radio licenses. MARS worked alongside the Radio Club using the College station W2FXR to broadcast.

By 1966, Manhattan radio procured better transmitters and, along with it, new call letters, WRCM. The beginning of Jasper Radio WRCM signaled the move away from the study of wireless theory and practical radio communication toward entertainment.

WRCM provided music, commercials, news, announcements, informational features, and the broadcasting of local games from its headquarters in Thomas Hall.

WRCM’s popularity grew steadily throughout the 1970s and 1980s, despite its perpetually meager budget and mediocre equipment.

In 1983, there were at least 36 DJs working for the station. Weak transmitters allowed the signal to be heard in only select campus buildings, but year by year, with equipment upgrades and studio renovations, the signal slowly improved.

Students, usually communication majors, participated in all aspects of running the station, from production, engineering, business and public relations to, of course, DJ’ing to listeners with discerning musical taste. (In 1979, the playing of disco music was hotly debated!)

As with many student-run organizations, participation varied with each new incoming class, and interest peaked and waned throughout the 1990s and 2000s. By 2011, WRCM had all but disappeared, and the studio in Thomas Hall was converted

into student life offices. In 2012, students gave a final attempt to resurrect the station and move the broadcast to an online platform called Live 365, but that proved unsuccessful. Occasionally, current students express an interest in reviving the station, but with the growing number of Internet music services downloaded onto mobile devices, Manhattan College Radio remains an echo of the past.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 45

ALUMNI

ALUMNOTES 1940

Jim Cundari was featured in The Plain Dealer of Cleveland for his time served in World War II. The veteran, 99, spoke about souvenirs from the war and his time in the Philippines.

1948

Joseph Vitagliano retired on Sept. 9, 2016, after 67 years in the workforce.

1952

John Gentile celebrated his 90th birthday on March 18, 2018, with most of his four children, 11 grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren. A Korean War veteran and widower of 33 years, Gentile had successful careers as an accountant, lawyer and stockbroker. He is an uncle of Michael Gentile ’99.

1954

Richard Cox was recently featured in The Daily News of Huntingdon, Pa., in its “Getting to Know You” column. He answered questions about his family, hobbies and bucket list.

1965

Fred Salerno, after serving as chief financial officer of Verizon Wireless and as New York’s higher education authority, has been appointed to the State University System of Florida Board of Governors. He will serve until January 2019.

1968

Raymond Law writes, “My wife recently traveled to Nice, France, and found a Manhattan College class ring in the airport.

I am taking a chance that the owner might see this. She found it on a bench in the Nice airport. It says Manhattan College, 1968 on one side and BS above a star on the other.

The airport would not accept it for the lost and found. We have it at our home.” Please contact the office of Alumni Relations at alumni@manhattan.edu for assistance in recovering the ring.

1969

Thomas Philbin was featured in The Hometown Weekly of Medfield, Mass., in an article titled “Westwood’s Philbin is town’s energy man.” He was profiled after being hired three years ago as Westwood’s first energy manager. Since then, he’s been making the town more energy efficient by securing grants and incentives to fund energy reduction projects.

John Loase recently retired as professor and chair of mathematics at Concordia College in Bronxville, N.Y. During his 49-year teaching career, he taught multiple levels from junior high mathematics to master’s and doctoral level mathematics at New York University.

He also was the director of the National Science Foundation mathematics program and a counselor in secondary and college education. The author of the self-help books The Sigfluence Generation and The Power of Uncertainty, he wishes to thank Manhattan College for providing the foundation for his career as a first-generation college student.

He especially credits the teaching of the mathematics department and the mentoring and friendship of the late Brother Adelbert James Norton, FSC, and the late Raymond Bechtel, Ph.D.

1963

1972

1959

Blaise Subbiondo has created www.etap. org, a K-12 personalized learning website to increase the success of students worldwide.

1961

Richard Sartore recently attended a Poetry on the Lake event at Lago d’Orta in Piedmont, Italy, along with attending the Te Deum with the orchestra and chorus at Santuario di Boca in the province of Novara. He writes, “Eating good food, drinking good wine, and working our properties. Best to everyone.

Come and visit!”

46 N fall 2018

Walter Matystik recently retired after 44 years of service to Manhattan College as an engineering professor and associate provost. He’s keeping busy in retirement, and traveling with his wife of 43 years, Debbie ’78. He continues his lifelong service commitment and was recently appointed chairman of the Westchester County (New York) Board of Ethics. He is also board secretary for the Academic Federal

Credit Union and still serves as a pro bono environmental law consulting attorney. He recently joined a national court monitoring service for insurance litigation.

Vincent Verlezza was ordained a permanent deacon of the Archdiocese of New York

by Cardinal Timothy Dolan in the summer of 2018 at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. He is retired after 40 years in law enforcement.

1974

Joe Bassi will be spending the fall 2018 term as a visiting scholar in the History of Science department at Cambridge University. He retired from his teaching position at EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide in 2017.

Kevin Fitzpatrick completed his first half marathon, the SoNo Half Marathon, in 2016 in Norwalk, Conn.

Joseph Maguire has been named by President Donald Trump as a deputy director at the National Counterterrorism Center.

Maguire has been serving as president and CEO of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation since September 2013.

Brian McManus published his second book, The Lambs of War, which explores the life of a couple living in Nazi Germany. Both books are available at Barnes & Noble or Amazon.

1975

Thomas Costabile, P.E., is executive director of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He will be responsible for guiding and developing the society’s programs.

1976

Billy Tramontano, Ph.D., has stepped down from his position as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Brooklyn College after 10 years. He is moving to Hunter College as senior adviser to the president for student success and special programs.

1977

William Farber received the Outstanding Educator of 2018 award from Education Update, joining 28 other educators from around the New York and New Jersey areas.

He is currently a member of the faculty at Mercy College.

1982

JASPER BOOKSHELF William Curatolo ’70 published his second thriller, Too Many Hats: Herbal Medicine and the Mob (Bayberry Institute, 2018). In a light take on the noir tradition, partners in a successful New Jersey biotech drug discovery company find themselves in conflict with the underworld and with herbal remedy con men. Curatolo also writes quirky science pieces for Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine. A biophysicist by training, he served on the staff at MIT and in the drug development division at Pfizer. He holds 35 U.S. patents.

Rachael Fagella ’12 added author to her résumé after writing Painting Sage (Amazon Digital Services, 2017). The book follows the life of Sage, who lives with a mental illness and spends time in a rehab facility deep in the woods of Connecticut. By illustrating the whole person behind the struggle, Fagella, writing under the name Rachael K. Hannah, was able to bring a whole new perspective of what it means to suffer from common illnesses such as depression and bipolar disorder. She currently teaches special education kindergarten in Stamford, Ct., and is working on a sequel.

Martin Keefe ’60 is now both a playwright and an author after the recent publication of his book Taking the Measure (CreateSpace, 2016). The novel, which is described as “a love story wrapped in a memoir and lightly sprinkled with fiction,” follows his life as a husband, a father and a person trying to get by in life. He has written several one-act plays, taught foreign languages and performed comedy sketches in New York City’s Greenwich Village. This book is a culmination of all of those experiences.

Stephen Rouhana retired from Ford Motor Co. as senior technical leader for safety in 2014. While there, he led the research that enabled Ford’s world-first inflatable rear seatbelts, now in production for vehicles throughout the Ford fleet. He is president and chief technical officer of Vehicle Safety Sciences, a vehicle safety and patent consulting firm.

Robert Thomann ran unopposed in his reelection bid for his third non-consecutive term on the school board of Saugerties, N.Y. He is a deacon with Morningstar Christian Fellowship and a member of the government relations committee for the School Administrators Association of New York State.

1978

Pete Gragnano has launched his own sales coaching business, the Growth Coach Capital Beltway. He oversees the franchise’s new location that serves Silver Spring, Md., and surrounding towns.

Debbie Matystik retired recently from Humana, where she was a geriatric social worker and senior case manager. She is now

consulting part time with the Westchester County (New York) Office for Women, having served for many years on the Women’s Advisory Board. She spends her time off with her husband, Walter ’72, traveling and celebrating their 43 years of marriage.

1979

Ray Armater has been named the new executive director to lead the Poughkeepsie Farm Project organization in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. In his new position, he will supervise all operations and programs.

Charles Conroy has been appointed a trustee and elected to the board of directors for the Clinton Savings Bank in Massachusetts.

1981

Anthony Fabiano is Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp.’s chief financial officer and will be responsible for financial reporting and tax planning, reporting to the company’s president and CEO.

1983

Moira Kilcoyne was elected to the board of directors for Citrix Systems, Inc. She also serves as a member of the College’s board of trustees.

1984

Paul Kirchgraber, M.D., is the vice president and global general manager of Covance Laboratory Services, a division of LabCorp.

Working on developing new drugs for the marketplace, he has been involved with many influential new pharmaceuticals in the management of disease.

Lizette Richardson recently retired from her position as superintendent for the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, located on the state lines of Nevada and Arizona. She had been working for the recreation area since October 2015.

1985

Vincent Buffa has joined private equity investment firm Behrman Capital as an operating partner.

Ahmed Elbendary was honored by the Buckley Country Day School in Roslyn, N.Y., for his family’s generosity and support of the community. All four of his children have attended the school, starting in 2000, when their eldest son was enrolled.

Christopher Keaveney has a new book out titled Contesting the Myths of Samurai Baseball, which discusses the representations of the Japanese pastime.

Jean Spence has been appointed as an independent director to the board for TreeHouse Foods Inc.

Mary McHugh was appointed chief delivery officer for Xerox and was also named a member of the company’s executive committee. She will oversee the global delivery of Xerox products and contribute to the company’s worldwide strategy and manufacturing.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 47

ALUMNI

1986

John Butler has joined Zynerba Pharmaceuticals’ board of directors. He is president, CEO and a member of the board of directors at Akebia Therapeutics.

Kathy Campbell has been elected president and chief executive officer at CDW Consultants Inc. Since joining the firm in 1993, she has risen through the ranks and has become the majority shareholder, responsible for growing the 22-person firm by serving existing clients and developing new business relationships.

Edward Caslin, a licensed clinical social worker, recently published a book titled Blue is for Boys?, which addresses gender dysphoria from a clinical and humanist point of view. A percentage of the profits from the book, which is for sale on Amazon, are donated to the College’s LGBTQ association.

Salvatore Giampiccolo, a partner at the law firm McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, was awarded the Excellence in Achievement Award from the Peter W. Rodino Jr. Society of the Seton Hall University School of Law.

1987

Thomas Gibbons retired from the Albany, N.Y., Police Department after 23 years as a lieutenant. In January 2018, he accepted a position as chief of police with the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Albany, N.Y.

1989

MaryAnn McCarra-Fitzpatrick has joined the staff of Cortlandt Living magazine as a contributing writer. In addition, she performed her poem Tabula Rasa at the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art in Peekskill, N.Y., during Writing the Walls 2017.

1991

Antoinette “Tonia” Decosimo is now the publisher and chief editor of Professional Organization of Women of Excellence Recognized (P.O.W.E.R.), a female empowerment magazine.

48 N fall 2018

Teacher of the Year FOURTEEN YEARS AFTER GRADUATING, Linda Morley ’04 is back in the classroom. But this time, she’s the one teaching.

Morley is a middle school English language arts teacher at PEARLS (Program for Early and Rapid Learners) Hawthorne School in Yonkers, N.Y., and a 2018 recipient of the Yonkers Public Schools’ Middle School Teacher of the Year.

The award, which is given to three teachers in the Yonkers district from their respective school-age groups (elementary, middle school and high school), is based on nominations from students, parents, colleagues and administrators. Morley was nominated by a former student, who wrote, “[Morley] was (and still is, as of two years later) the best English teacher I have ever had. I fondly remember her class as being interactive, creative and extremely enjoyable. Ms. Morley was able to work creative writing activities and other engaging tasks into her daily lessons, and because of that I loved her class.”

Besides the humbling words, her student’s submission made Morley think back to both when she was that age and in love with reading and discussing literature, and when she decided to pursue her degree in education at Manhattan College.

“Choosing to attend Manhattan College for a degree in secondary education and English was one of the best decisions I have ever made,” she says. “In addition to having a strong academic program for teaching, the professors and support staff were excellent. I fondly remember all of my professors being exemplary.”

Morley remembers her mentors, Margaret Harten, an adjunct professor in the education department, and Thelma Baxter, Ed.D., an assistant professor of education when Morley was attending the College, and their lessons of strategy and encouragement as she teaches her middle schoolers, whom she sees as mature students that are still impressionable and willing to learn. She always tries to make lessons fun, and enjoys watching her students grow year after year. To have a student nominate her for teacher of the year was the best proof she could receive that she is doing something right.

“I value my profession and work conscientiously to provide my students with the best education possible,” she says. “To know that a student, years after having me as a teacher, thought to nominate me for the award is priceless. … Since winning this award, it has further motivated me to be the best educator that I can be.”

She hopes to encourage her students, just like her own teachers did, and continue to get involved in her school community both inside and outside of the curriculum.

“If I can serve as a mentor for a teacher starting out in the field or take a class to provide enrichment for my students, I am always willing,” she says. “As educators, it is important for us to continuously seek new ways to advance and improve our instruction.”

1992

Bettina Damiani spoke at a live podcast event at Syracuse University’s Fisher Center in June 2018. Her well-attended talk, titled Future Queens: Identity, Architecture & Accountable Anti-Racist Development was open to the public.

Marcia Lee Kelly is assistant to President Donald Trump at the White House and also director of White House Management and Administration in the Executive Office of the President. Her responsibilities include overseeing White House personnel, operations, management, administration, and budget, among other departments. The assistant to the president role is the highest commissioned officer title that the president may bestow.

Christopher Mele has been named a senior supervising engineer at engineering consultant firm WSP in New York City. He manages all railroad, highway and bridge projects for the company.

Christopher Scully has joined Pharmaceutical Product Development as chief financial officer. He is based at the company’s headquarters in Wilmington, N.C. Bruce Walker has been appointed by President Donald Trump to lead the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (see profile on page 54).

1993

Regina Quinn Coppola is celebrating her 25th year at the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, N.J., as a nuclear medicine technologist.

Curt Zegler was promoted to vice president and construction executive for Turner Construction Co. in September 2016. He continues to pursue and lead work in New York as he expands his role into companywide initiatives.

1994

Derek Moore has published his first book, Broken Pie Chart, which deals with new ideas in building portfolios for individual investors saving for retirement.

Brian Pollack writes, “My family and I have moved out to St. Paul, Minn. Looking forward to saying hi to any Jaspers that are out here!”

1995

Gerald “Jerry” McKinstry has been hired by the Harrison Edwards PR and Marketing agency as its director of strategic communications. He oversees digital marketing, analytics, strategic campaigns and event planning.

1996

Ronald Matten has been appointed executive director of facilities management and planning for Hunter College. He received his master’s in public administration from Pace University and, most recently, worked as director of facilities for Greenwich Public Schools.

1997

Sharon Collins was interviewed by Chalkbeat, one of the largest nonprofit news agencies in the United States, and featured in its “How I Teach” series, which profiles excellent educators from across the country. She currently teaches 12th-grade mathematics at New Heights Academy Charter School in Harlem.

1998

John Miras was recently promoted by the Bronx District Attorney to homicide counsel.

He prosecutes homicide cases throughout Bronx County.

Luis Ramirez is designing One Bayfront Plaza in Miami, Fla., a 92-story mixed-use building, for DeSimone Engineers. He is a principal in the firm’s structural design practice. His design will become the tallest tower in the state and the first to be built above 1,000 feet.

2000

Diana (McNamara) Carey is head athletic trainer at Rockland Community College in Suffern, N.Y. She was recently named the 2018 Head Athletic Trainer of the Year in the Community College/National Junior College Athletic Association division, an award that is conferred by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.

Christian Lorenz writes: “This past June, my wife and I had our first baby after a long struggle to have a family. Our daughter Vivianna Faith Lorenz was born on June 17, 2018, and is the love of our life.”

James Snyder received the Marist College Board of Trustees Award for Distinguished Teaching. He is the honors program director and an associate professor of philosophy at Marist College.

Nathan Strang retired from the U.S. Navy after 20 years of service in June 2018. He is now an ocean freight operations manager for Flexport, a global freight forwarder, out of its Los Angeles office.

2002

Mike Horton, a graduate of the College’s Radiological Science program, is currently leading a first-of-its-kind national program that trains United States soldiers and improves patient care at the local level at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.

Wilson Nazario is the new president of the Puerto Rico Construction and Infrastructure Cluster, the leading construction and infrastructure business organization in Puerto Rico.

Brendan Nelson started as assistant principal this fall at North Shore Middle School in Glen Head, N.Y. In an interview with The Sea Cliff/Glen Head Herald Gazette, he said: “It’s hard to put into words how excited I am. I admire this school system so much, and can’t wait for the school year to begin.”

Maysill Pascal has been named chair of the Women in Deep Foundations Committee by the Deep Foundations Institute, an international organization for those working in the deep foundations industry.

2003

Lisa Ryan has been promoted to vice president of construction and customer operations for Kewaunee Scientific Corp. after serving as the director of construction and customer operations.

2005

Michael Brady was recognized by the Bronx Chamber of Commerce for his leadership role with the Business Improvement District on 149th Street.

Chris Gorman, after more than 12 years at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has been hired as strategic director of marketing and branding at the New York Public Library.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 49

ALUMNI

2007

Vincent DePalo graduated from the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Leadership Academy. He was a fellow in the program for the past year.

David Glanville launched a new career at Lisiten Associates, a consulting and business broker firm, this year. He is currently a broker in the greater New York City area.

Collin Leaver was named the chef de cuisine for L’Auberge Del Mar in Del Mar, Calif., where he will collaborate with the resort’s head chef.

2008

Andrew Sandler was honored posthumously

by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. with the renaming and dedication of the northwest corner of West 238th Street and Waldo Avenue. It has been renamed Andrew Sandler Way, along with a proclamation for Sandler’s family declaring Saturday, April 28, as Andrew Sandler Day. Sandler died in August 2015 after a long battle with cancer.

2009

Mark Muszynski has been named community director of sales and marketing at Solstice Senior Living in Groton, Conn.

2010

Gabrielle Puglia, inspired by the Lasallian tradition of giving, founded a fundraising initiative called The Hero’s Benefit, a biennial fundraiser that benefits military charities. Because of this initiative, she was honored with a Brooklyn Women of Distinction award.

Diane Strutner Explains How to Be a Boss GROWING UP IN SAN JOSE, CALIF., DIANE STRUTNER ’10 was surrounded by the thriving technology scene in Silicon Valley.

When she traveled across the country to attend Manhattan College, Strutner entered as a finance major but shifted her focus to marketing during her sophomore year.

A year later, she studied abroad in Barcelona and developed a passion for sales. Since graduation, she has worked in various tech company positions, most recently serving as vice president of sales and business development at NicePeopleAtWork, based in Barcelona, prior to co-founding Datazoom in 2017.

Back in northern California, Strutner leads a growing company at Datazoom, which aspires to be the point of exchange for all data within the streaming media space, to capture data from online video players and other digital outlets.

“One of the problems facing all industries today is how we unlock data for our companies to be valuable,” Strutner explains. “Every single industry has different types of data, different systems where data is stored and different uses for the data. At Datazoom, we want to corner the market for this exchange of data.”

Strutner credits the real-world situations that Manhattan College faculty like Carolyn Predmore, Ph.D., introduced to students as helping to lay the foundation for leading her own company.

“Dr. Predmore had us write a business plan for an idea that an alum had and present it to him to essentially garnish ideas

50 N fall 2018

for his company,” Strutner explains. “I liked how she coupled our coursework with real-world people and businesses. I think it’s beneficial for students if you can connect the dots.”

Strutner works to connect the dots in her own career and encourages aspiring leaders to focus more on making a real-world impact and less on the bottom line. It was part of her message to the College’s Society of Women Engineers in October.

“You need to add something to the world that makes sense,” she says. “That’s what’s kept me going. I knew from my experience that we need Datazoom. We need something like this to come into the market and unlock the value that’s being siloed away and stored in many different places.”

2012

Brian Chasin is leading the initiative to build a state-of-the-art substance abuse treatment center in New Brunswick, N.J., to combat the opioid epidemic. He is the CFO of Soba College Recovery, one of the only youngadult substance abuse treatment centers in the country.

Becca Falborn has been promoted to senior producer for Sound Lounge in Atlanta, Ga., and will coordinate the company’s sound sessions between the company’s offices and its new site, Mad Hat Creative.

2013

Amanda Long joined the editorial team of the wellness website, Everyday Health, as production editor in 2016.

Perry Rizopoulos is an adjunct professor of philosophy at Manhattan College and hosted a signing in November in the College’s O’Malley Library for his book Wheat Songs, a memoir of two interconnected GreekAmerican odysseys between Rizopoulos and his grandfather.

2016

Marisa Kroger joined Rye High School as a biology and chemistry teacher.

2018

Alannah Boyle spent her summer working on the campaign team of Jillian Gilchrest, a nominee for the 18th House District in West Hartford, Conn., who won the primary and general elections.

MARRIAGES

2007

Raelene Zammit & Matthew Gallagher, 5/7/16

2009

Jaclyn Ambriscoe & Richard Williamson Hagner, 8/4/18

2010

Sean Duffy & Christopher Falzarano, 8/26/17 Lana Maniglia & Daniel Marrione, 6/30/18

2012

Geoff Hart & Chrissy Gutenberger, 5/5/18

2015

Alina Koenigs & Edward Merritt Brentnall, 5/18/18

BIRTHS

2000

Christian Lorenz & Megan Lorenz, daughter, Vivianna Faith, 6/17/18

2004

Kelly (Deming) Altieri & John Altieri, daughter, Emily Anne, 3/19/18

2010

Eric Fleming & Ann-Marie Fleming, son, Harrison John, 8/25/17

ADVANCED DEGREES

1977

Stephen Rouhana completed his Master of Arts in pastoral studies at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Mich.

1979

Walter Carlson, P.E., completed his MBA in finance and management from the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University.

2011

Adriana Michilli was accepted into the Ph.D. program for Human Rights, Society and Multi-Level Governance at the University of Padova, Italy.

2014

Allison Skrec completed her master’s degree at Seton Hall University.

2015

Tina Fickeria completed her Master of Public Health with a concentration in epidemiology at New York Medical College.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 51 47

ALUMNI

Nicola Peill-Moelter ’87 Charges her World With Green Energy

GIVEN THE TRAJECTORY OF HER CAREER THUS FAR, it would make sense that Nicola Peill-Moelter ’87, Ph.D., senior director of environmental sustainability at the cloud delivery platform Akamai Technologies, spends much of her time educating highpowered executives on the benefits of renewable energy. She has, after all, worked for many years in the business of marketing innovation.

When she began at Akamai in 2000, it was during the onset of the dot-com boom, so Peill-Moelter found herself explaining how the internet worked to potential clients in order to grow sales of the company’s cloud network services. She was working at that time as a principal technical consultant and after that, as a senior product manager.

Nearly two decades later, the alumna is advertising an ambitious environmental initiative to Akamai’s expansive client base, which has included Microsoft, Walmart, Bloomberg, Ikea, PepsiCo and other major corporations. By 2020, the company plans to draw 50 percent of all energy needed to carry out its global network operations — encompassing hundreds of thousands of digital servers humming in more than 150 52 N fall 2018

countries worldwide — from renewable sources. This will decrease the company’s carbon emissions and substantially minimize its environmental footprint.

Akamai, which may have helped you to stream major events this year such as the Grammys, the World Cup, and the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, has already taken major steps in accomplishing its renewable energy goal. On Peill-Moelter’s watch, the company recently invested in several large wind and solar farm projects near Dallas, Chicago and Fredericksburg, Va. Once online, these projects are expected to generate enough renewable energy to power the energy needs of its data centers in Texas, Virginia, New Jersey and Illinois — approximately 23 percent of Akamai’s entire global network.

While a global network run on clean power is a milestone for Akamai, it’s an even greater one for Peill-Moelter, who established the company’s global sustainability program in 2009 and has driven its vision, strategy and goals ever since. But then, finding helpful ways of applying her broad-ranging skill set is exactly for what her education at the College, and first jobs afterward, prepared her.

Majoring in chemical engineering taught her about kinetics, thermodynamics, air pollution, and how to develop new materials and energy, among other complex principles.

In particular, she found those learned from Joseph Reynolds, Ph.D., chemical engineering professor at the College, to be particularly valuable. (In his materials science class, PeillMoelter still remembers him explaining that water is the only compound on earth that takes up more volume as a solid than it does as a liquid, which is what allows us to ice skate.)

“I didn’t used to see myself as an expert in being a change agent, but my engineering background taught me to focus on finding practical solutions to a problem,” she says.

Peill-Moelter began working at Air

Products and Chemicals shortly after graduation, and worked in the company’s chemical process systems, and industrial gas divisions. Following that experience, she earned her Ph.D. in environmental engineering science at the California Institute of Technology, which honed her green sensibilities.

“My value has been the multidisciplinary education I gained through Manhattan and Caltech,” Peill-Moelter says. “I can talk dynamics; I can talk power; and I can talk across disciplines to describe the value of what I’m doing for Akamai.”

Her pitch to Akamai executives to win approval for the renewable energy initiative was: “Clean-powered services are a feature that our customers increasingly value and will provide Akamai with a competitive advantage.”

Experience isn’t the only asset she brings to the industry, however. She also has an infectious passion that inspired her to launch the company’s global sustainability program in the first place, and influences the choices she makes in her personal life.

Peill-Moelter had solar panels installed on her roof, which help to power the General Motors all-electric Bolt that she drives, as well as her home. She also shops consignment, recycles and has a composter in her backyard.

“My friends and colleagues call me the high priestess of green, and feel they have to confess their environmental sins and good deeds to me,” she jokes.

But the environmentally friendly choices Peill-Moelter has made for herself and for Akamai can be achieved through a series of small adjustments that work toward a larger impact.

“To make a difference, it’s 90 percent about changing your behavior, once you see a problem, and prioritize making a shift,” she says. “Eventually, that behavioral change may lead to an institutional change.”

A Lifelong Diplomat Leads the Foundation for Diplomacy Center THE AVERAGE PERSON MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT ROLE DIPLOMACY plays in United States national security. According to Ambassador Thomas McNamara ’62, diplomacy is one of the central pillars in American national security.

As a result, he is leading a foundation to educate generations of Americans about diplomacy’s role in American history with the creation of the U.S. Diplomacy Center, a museum and educational outreach program.

McNamara is president of the Diplomacy Center Foundation, which is partnering with the U.S. Department of State to create the center, slated to open in 2022 in Washington, D.C. With more than 45 years of experience in the U.S. foreign service, he has dedicated his career to serving others as a global negotiator and diplomat in political-military and security matters.

His career in foreign service began in the mid-1960s after graduating from the College with a B.A. in history and the University of Notre Dame with an M.A. in political science. Shortly after, McNamara took the foreign service exam and was sent to France on his first assignment. He also had postings in Russia, Congo and Colombia.

Fast-forward to the mid-1980s, and McNamara’s skills in negotiation and policy were tested during the Lebanon hostage crisis — the kidnapping of 104 hostages from 1982 to 1992 during the Lebanese Civil War. McNamara worked on the National Security Council (NSC) and was tasked with creating a new plan, following the Iran-Contra scandal, to deal with the hostage crisis.

“My job was to figure out what the dimensions of the hostage crisis in Lebanon were and how to reorient U.S. policy to be more beneficial to the hostages and to the United States,” McNamara says.

He went on to explain how the NSC endorsed his new approach to “devalue the political worth of the hostages” by ending negotiations and taking the issue off of the front pages. The new policy worked, and the remaining hostages were released over time.

President Ronald Reagan then appointed McNamara ambassador to Colombia from 1988 to 1991. He was instrumental in working with two Colombian presidents to bring down the powerful Medellín drug cartel and to force Colombian guerrillas to negotiate peace.

“We helped the government in a very determined fight to disrupt the cartel and destroy it,” McNamara says. “During the three years I was there, it was very violent because Pablo Escobar did not go down without a fight.”

Eventually, Escobar was arrested, escaped prison, and a year later was killed in a gun battle with police. The drug cartels in Colombia were shut down — a turning point in the country’s history.

After Colombia, President George Herbert Walker Bush asked McNamara, who returned to the NSC, to determine a policy in the aftermath of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988 over Lockerbie, Scotland. In 1991, evidence showed that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi ordered the bombing. Gaddafi was also linked to another brutal bombing of UTA Flight 772, a French airliner flying from Central Africa to Paris in September 1989.

“The investigations by the U.S., Great Britain and France were very carefully done and determined that it was Gaddafi,” he says. “The question was: ‘Do we attack Libya again or is there another option?’”

President Bush approved McNamara’s non-military option of dealing effectively with Gaddafi as the best course of action.

McNamara worked with France and Britain to present the evidence to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). In November 1991, they received a unanimous UNSC vote condemning Gaddafi, and the resulting sanctions ended Gaddafi’s support of terrorism for 20 years.

Before retiring from government in 1997, McNamara served as an assistant secretary of state for President Bill Clinton and a special negotiator for the Panama Canal transfer. That same year, he became president and CEO of the Americas Society and Council of the Americas in New York.

After 9/11, McNamara returned to work as senior adviser to Secretary of State Colin Powell on counterterrorism and homeland security affairs. From 2006 to 2009, he was a program manager for the information sharing environment in the office of the director of national intelligence.

“My job was to reorganize the management of information at the state, local and national level, so it was shared where it needed to be shared,” McNamara explains. “So everyone could do a better job at countering terrorism and defending the homeland.”

McNamara returned to his alma mater during the 2013 and 2014 academic years as an adjunct professor. He traveled once a week from Washington to Riverdale to teach courses in the Political Science department on counterterrorism and national security policy.

McNamara was honored with the State Department’s 2017 Foreign Service Cup for his contributions to American diplomacy. He also received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Manhattan College at its 1992 Commencement ceremony, as well as Colombia’s highest honor, the Orden de Boyacá, Gran Cruz.

Today, McNamara credits the College, especially its Great Books program and a few favorite professors, for launching his career.

“Diplomacy gave me an interesting, meaningful and exciting career and allowed me to continue to study and practice history and political philosophy,” McNamara says.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 53

ALUMNI

As a U.S. Energy Official, Walker Has the Power

T

HE NEXT TIME YOU TURN ON A LIGHT, charge your iPhone or raise the thermostat this winter, consider this: a Manhattan College alumnus is, at the highest executive level, part of the team helping to make those actions possible.

Bruce Walker ’92 is the assistant secretary for the Office of Electricity, a subsect of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The focus of his office is on the national security of the nation’s power grid — a complex network of energy plants and substations that connects more than 450,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines across the country.

Walker, who also formerly served as acting assistant secretary for the federal agency’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response, has a powerful job in other ways, too.

He interfaces regularly with the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency, and several other groups to identify and evaluate vulnerabilities to the grid.

“The national security of our nation’s energy infrastructure is my No. 1 priority. As part of the U.S. intelligence community, we work to understand threats to the system and find solutions,” he explains.

Fulfilling such a high-stakes responsibility isn’t easy, but Walker, an electrical engineering graduate, gets it done with plenty of support.

“I can’t understate the value of developing a good team and listening to that team. Leadership is really important.

You need to provide a clear direction and establish clear goals, and empower people to make it happen,” he says.

A big part of Walker’s success in his role at the DOE is his constant collaboration with industry leaders, such as the Consolidated Edison Co. and other national energy providers, as well as with academia, state and local governments, and other energy sector stakeholders. At Brookhaven

54 N fall 2018

National Laboratory in Long Island, N.Y., and other national laboratories, the DOE is engaged in research and development to keep the power grid resilient.

Walker has served as assistant secretary for the Office of Electricity at the U.S. Department of Energy since 2017, when he was nominated by President Donald J. Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

This was, unsurprisingly, a pivotal milestone in Walker’s career, which was already diversified to begin with. His expertise and leadership finesse derive from a range of experiences that includes engineering, government and law.

Immediately prior to working at the DOE, Walker was the deputy county executive for Putnam County, N.Y., where he oversaw 20 departments and 650 employees, who strived to maintain the health and wellbeing of residents in the area in which he and his family currently live. He held that position for five years.

Walker’s government positions would have been difficult to predict when he was a Jasper, or even after he received his Juris Doctor from Pace University.

At the College, Walker was busy balancing his schoolwork with an internship at Con Ed, where he worked years later as director for corporate emergency management. One of his accomplishments was leading the Con Edison Coastal Storm Plan that was successfully carried out during Hurricane Sandy in 2011.

Walker is also the founder of Modern Energy Insights Inc., a boutique consulting firm that solves power-related challenges in infrastructure.

Reflecting upon his career achievements, Walker views his education at the College as a necessary foundation.

“Manhattan gives you a practical sense of how to apply engineering,” he says. “It’s a nexus between education and the industries.”

Since graduation and even as recently as when he began at the Department of

Energy, the energy breakthroughs he’s seen have been significant — today, the U.S. is the world’s largest crude oil exporter, which is beneficial for other countries looking to break dependency on other sources.

Seeing that development firsthand has been just one fascinating part of the job.

“Energy freedom facilitates greater freedom and democracy worldwide,” he says.

When he’s not on the job, developments related to Walker’s other important role — father — have also been significant. His son Bryce Walker ’19, a chemical engineering major, is graduating from Manhattan this spring, as his daughter Lahra heads off to college in the fall to study neuroscience.

In his work, Walker faces both challenge and opportunity. The United States is currently the second-largest energy consumer behind China globally, so the DOE continues to innovate the latest and greatest technology stateside. Walker is confident these advancements will make Americans safer and keep the United States ahead of the curve.

“It’s a really interesting time to be working in energy,” Walker says. “The field is growing at a much more rapid pace than when I was growing up.”

Forensic Scientist Helps Fight Crimes

W

HILE HER LIFE MIGHT NOT LOOK like an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, the forensic investigators on this CBS drama could easily take a scene from the career of Michelle Miranda ’00, Ph.D. Now an associate professor in the department of Security Systems and Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement Technology at the State University of New York College at Farmingdale, Miranda has established herself as a leading expert in the forensic sciences, and a preeminent investigator when it comes to solving crimes through a more modern mode of evidence: tattoos.

She wasn’t always fascinated with ink. In fact, she came to Riverdale aspiring to be a doctor. After visiting the College and falling in love with the campus, Miranda began her first year as a biology major, pre-med, and added a minor in chemistry later on. Then one day, she attended a lecture given by a criminalist from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York City, and Miranda found her calling.

“As I sat through this lecture, I was thinking, ‘This is it for me; this is what I want to do; there is where I want to be,’” she says, recounting that pivotal moment. “I wanted to go into forensic science.”

Afterward, Miranda talked to the lecturer, who offered her an internship. The budding forensic scientist subsequently added a second minor in sociology to build up her criminal justice knowledge. This was her senior year, when most students are looking to ease up on their course loads. But Miranda charged forward with a jam-packed schedule.

“I remember doing all that, and it was just the best experience because it set the stage for everything else I wanted to do from there,” she says.

Miranda set out to learn everything she could about the field.

“At the time, forensic science wasn’t a big deal; it wasn’t like it is today; it wasn’t all over the TV,” she notes. “I found myself just

trying to get as much information as possible.

I would talk to faculty members, and I also started talking to outsiders. My original goal was to become a medical examiner.”

In gathering feedback, however, she was hearing a repetitive refrain that forensic pathologists weren’t trained properly in trace evidence, which includes hair, textile fibers, fabric, rope, glass and others.

Miranda enrolled in the master’s program in forensic science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice to learn about trace evidence and criminalistics — and still go to medical school, eventually. But that changed when she started to work for the NYPD. “I found that I loved trace evidence,” she says. “I loved doing spectroscopy and using the skills I had learned from Manhattan as a chemist and a biologist, and applying them to the problems in forensic science. It’s like being a detective.”

Miranda spent five years in the NYPD’s Forensic Investigations Division before deciding to pursue a doctorate in criminal justice, focusing on forensic science.

While in the doctoral program at the City University of New York, she consulted as a forensic expert. Miranda also worked as a death investigator in the medical examiner’s office in Rockland County. She even worked as a forensic photographer for the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office. As Miranda quips, “I was all over the place.”

She admits that she was getting a little jaded with the field. But then two interesting cases presented themselves and took her down a new path. One involved a man who claimed to have been attacked by police officers, pointing to a hole in his clothing as evidence. Yet, when inspecting his clothing, she found black residue around the hole, and it turned out the accuser had a tattoo shop and access to ink and tools that can puncture.

Then, a colleague called Miranda about the case of a woman who had been killed, set on fire, and dumped in a park. The victim was burned beyond the ability to be identified

by facial features or fingerprints. During the autopsy, however, they found evidence of a tattoo, and the tattoo had a name and design.

They photographed it and asked around if anybody could identify the tattoo. Someone did, and the case was solved. (The victim had been murdered by the father of her child.)

After those two cases, Miranda realized that tattoos need to be considered in a forensic context, and logged in a database.

“The beauty of tattoos is we’re not just restricted to using them on human remains,” she explains. “You may not know the details about a person, but if you see a tattoo on someone, you’ll remember that tattoo. The nice thing about it is it’s really useful for potential identification of suspects.”

For now, Miranda is happy to be in an academic environment.

“I wanted to do my own research and investigate these different things in a really deep scientific manner, and at the same time, I wanted to educate people,” she says. “I like the fact that I’m explaining investigatory techniques and forensic science to people that are going be on the front lines.”

Miranda still does private consulting and enjoys writing about investigations, crime scene reconstruction and the importance of being a critical thinker. She has one book out, Forensic Analysis of Tattoos and Tattooing, and another book due out in 2020, based on her work with the NYPD. Yet Miranda still has more to accomplish.

“I want to get more publications out. I want to do a little more internationally and educate people. Then I’ll probably just take it easy and write about weird things,” she jokes.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 55

OBITUARIES

INMEMORIAM

Manhattan College records with sorrow the deaths of the following alumni: 1944

1953

1958

1963

Peter A. Marchisello, 3/24/18 Charles J. Quadri, 4/18/18

Robert E. Barry, 7/23/18 Daniel Capozzi, 4/7/17 Francis J. Dorsey, 4/2/18 Paul A. Dour, 9/24/18 Robert E. Martin, 9/17/17 Joseph T. Mazzeo, 4/5/18 John J. McKenna, 11/29/17 Joseph L. Minervini, 9/30/18 Lindy J. Remigino, 7/11/18 John P. Ryan, 9/9/18

Walter J. Doherty, 5/22/18 Joseph J. Gavin, 8/26/17 Richard A. Grano, 2/15/18 John F. Lantz, 5/15/18 Donald B. Mooney, 3/15/17 John J. O’Connell, 5/31/16 John D. Poling, 7/20/18 Matthew F. Sokany, 2/20/18

Ronald D. Bittel, 4/9/18 George Cavanaugh, 3/12/18 John K. Cloonan, 6/29/18 James J. Dean, 6/22/18 Thomas P. Donnelly, 7/19/18 William R. Gray, 9/1/18 Frank D. Valente, 6/30/18

1948

Joseph A. Campanella, 5/16/18 Bernard P. Cryan, 3/17/18 Gerald A. Tangney, 6/29/18

1949

Anthony L. DiPaola, 9/2/18 Paul A. Kostick, 2/14/18

1950

Herbert F. Hafenmaier, 4/22/18 Edward R. Ketterer, 3/1/18 Frank J. Santangelo, 3/21/18 Richard J. Schiess, 4/17/18 Vincent P. Traina, 8/11/18 Joseph A. Varone, 4/2/18

1951

William F. Carey, 8/29/17 Harold A. Freidberg, 9/7/18 Donald T. Galligan, 8/29/18 Robert J. Kiely, 8/15/18 Thomas F. Krauter, 6/15/18 Joseph J. McGurk, 5/4/18 Robert G. Rauth, 3/28/18 Ernest A. Scinto, 7/29/18 John P. Sherlock, 7/24/18 Eugene F. Tierney, 6/18/18

1952

Francis J. Beston, 9/14/18 Gerald X. Brown, 9/2/18 Francis J. Corley, 9/11/18 Edward J. D’Alba, 7/1/18 Joseph A. Granchelli, 2/21/18 John J. Morley, 3/3/18 Raymond T. Ryan, 5/29/18

56 N fall 2018

1954

Fr. John E. Geitner, 2/20/18 John J. Hamer, 7/28/18 Edward J. Hanrahan, 4/24/18 Joseph T. Pintauro, 5/29/18 Ronald J. Radda, 8/6/18

1955

John F. Hessmer, 6/27/18 John J. McGrath, 5/4/18 George F. Stewart, 10/1/18

1956

Jeremiah F. Hayes, 5/8/18 Joseph A. Horch, 5/23/18 Edward M. Kelly, 8/3/18 Joseph A. Murphy, 6/16/18 John G. Valeri, 5/21/18

1957

John L. Busi, 2/21/18 Roger J. Goebel, 4/20/18 Donald J. Howard, 5/19/18 Stanley Karachuk, 5/5/17 Mgsr. William J. Linder, 6/8/18 Gerard A. Maher, 3/16/18 Bruce P. Muller, 3/21/18 Sylvester T. Ribaudo, 6/28/18 Nicholas P. Ruffalo, 6/6/18 Thomas F. Shortell, 12/20/16 John J. Waters, 9/14/18

1959

John C. Cahill, 5/5/18 Richard D. Cassetta, 7/21/18 Matthew A. Gilmore, 7/2/18 Edward J. McCarthy, 5/11/18 Thomas M. McShane, 8/27/16 Br. Timothy Rapa, FSC, 5/16/18

1960

Robert B. Briscoe, 5/19/18 Raymond P. Corbett, 7/4/18 Terence M. McFadden, 1/15/16

1961

Donald A. Gary, 7/5/18 Frank J. Grabarits, 2/5/17 Robert N. Green, 9/23/18 Arthur A. Faverio, 8/19/18 Thomas M. Houlihan, 4/25/18 Leslie Daniel Maxim, 5/18/18 John A. McElligott, 9/3/18 Thomas D. O’Sullivan, 8/4/18 The Rev. Erwin H. Schweigardt, 7/16/18 James P. Yancy, 7/2/18

1962

William J. Flinter, 5/10/18 Francis J. Moore, 9/5/18 Joseph N. Penn, 8/9/18

1964

William J. Alger, 8/6/18 Kevin M. Haggerty, 6/25/18 Edward O. Kazimir, 7/29/18

1965

Algirdas Cesnavicius, 6/25/18 Terry B. Dyer, 6/14/18 Andrew B. Kincaid, 6/27/18 Michael J. Mongin, 3/2/18 William E. Zeiner, 9/25/18

1966

Stephan Byrwa III, 6/5/17 Paul F. Clear, 8/31/18 Gerard R. Crotty, 3/29/18 Peter H. Haffner, 5/12/16 John P. Heinstadt, 6/28/18 Thomas J. Lester, 2/21/18 George J. Mazzoli, 9/10/18 Thomas M. McNally, 7/11/18 Joseph P. Moylan, 11/17/17 Edward J. Whiteside, 10/4/16

1967

John P. Madden, 8/8/18 Joseph J. O’Neill, 8/4/18 Thomas M. Purcell, 12/30/16 Thomas J. Reynolds, 5/4/18 Lewis V. Wade, 4/22/18

1968 Richard W. Comerford, 2/1/18 Sr. Rita E. Derricks, C.S.J., 6/17/18 Raymond P. Flynn, 8/25/16 George G. Grant, 7/31/18 Gregory P. Young, 9/3/18

1969

Barry K. Horne, 3/28/17 William J. Rowe, 8/31/18 Brian J. Steverman, 9/7/18 Laurette R. Wieman, 3/22/18

1970

Edward Bennett, 11/5/16 Dennis O. Dillon, 6/19/18 Raymond J. Finnegan, 6/19/18 George H. Hayes, 3/5/18 James G. Sovich, 3/17/18

1971

John W. Keves, 3/2/18 George J. Marrone, 8/6/18 David C. O’Gorman, 8/5/18

1978

Helene M. Burzi, 9/19/18 Robert R. Mennona, 4/13/18

1979

David J. Collins, 4/26/18

1980

William J. Anderson, 7/14/18 Viola Centrella, 1/31/18 William Cooley, 6/29/16 Michael M. McHugh, 8/3/18 Josephine A. Rappe, 4/30/18

1981

William H. Staubi, 8/11/18

1982

Michael W. Murphy, 2/21/18

1984

Edward C. Feeley, 5/27/18

Kenneth M. Maher, 3/2/18

John R. Cohane, 8/24/18 Kenneth T. Garabrant, 5/28/18 Francis W. Murray, 7/3/18 Anthony T. Tardio, 10/14/17 Raymond W. Wegener, 8/10/18 Wesley M. Wszolek, 7/8/18

James D. Heyden, 10/5/18

1973

1974

Vincent G. De Collibus, 9/7/18 George R. Hanna, 8/26/18 Thomas J. Moran, 8/11/18

1976

Joseph N. Gleba, 3/24/18 Paul Hennigan, 10/12/17

1977

Patricia M. Brown, 7/26/18 Patrick J. Callahan, 9/10/18 Tom Callahan, 8/18 Kathleen M. Doyle, 9/26/18

1993 1995

Michael C. Quaid, 5/3/18

1996

Louis J. Guarracina, 9/12/18

1999

Edward Crist, 5/11/18

2011

Ryan McGrath, 6/3/18

2012

Christopher M. Wilcox, 6/26/18

2016

Kevin Hamilton, 9/28/18 Andi Nicole Wallick, 5/20/18

2019

Betty Mathew, 5/22/18

MANHATTAN.EDU N 57

OBITUARIES

Tom Moran ’74 TOM MORAN ’74, former chairman of Mutual of America Life Insurance Co., former member of the College’s board of trustees, and an honorary degree recipient, died on Aug. 11, 2018. He was 65.

Moran was a member of the College’s board of trustees from 1995 to 2004 and served on the finance and investment committees.

He was an active supporter of the Raymond W. Kelly ’63 Student Commons and the annual De La Salle Dinner, the College’s top fundraising event.

“Tom Moran embodied the very best of what Manhattan College stands for,” says Brennan O’Donnell, Ph.D., president. “He was a man of tremendous energy and intellect who strove constantly to use his gifts in service to others. Underlying all of his many accomplishments was a deep respect for the dignity of the human person, which drove his tireless advocacy on behalf of those in need.”

He received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2017 at the College’s Undergraduate Commencement, where he also served as keynote speaker. When he earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1974, he was the first in his family to do so.

During his address, Moran listed a series of jobs he had in high school and college from cemetery worker to cab driver.

“I can tell you that your future will be as wonderful and interesting as you want to make it. … If you treat your job with respect, you will be respected. … Your success will be found in your own passion and sense of caring,” he said. “Not just caring about family and friends, but caring about people you have never met.”

In 2016, Moran spoke at the dedication of the McNeil Courtyard, formerly known as Memorial Courtyard. The courtyard was dedicated in honor of the late Kate McNeil ’11, the daughter of Tom McNeil ’74, Moran’s roommate.

“He became our unassuming leader over the next four years,” McNeil says, reflecting on his college days. “Tom’s greatest attribute was his joy and love of people. Happy-go-lucky some would say.

His sense of humor was uncanny. All the great things that Tom experienced in his life started at Manhattan. He never forgot his roommates, even as he became more successful. He continued to be our leader and, along with his wife, Joan, invited us to be part of his life at the many business and charitable functions they attended. …

He is the greatest Jasper I have ever known.”

IrishCentral, an Irish digital media company, described Moran as “one of the greatest Irish-American leaders of all time.”

For more than a decade, Moran served as chairman of Concern Worldwide-U.S., an international humanitarian relief organization.

His commitment to philanthropy was recognized in 2015 when he was named chancellor of Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland. His relationship with Queen’s University first began in 2006, when he was presented with an honorary Doctor of Science in Economics.

Moran retired as chief executive officer of Mutual of America in 2016 after serving as president of the company from 1994 to 2015.

He began his career there shortly after graduating from Manhattan.

58 N fall 2018

“He is the greatest Jasper I have ever known.”

– TOM MCNEIL ’74

Under his supervision, Mutual of America grew from a small retirement association to a leading provider of retirement plans.

Throughout his career, Moran had contributed to several other humanitarian and community causes, including the peace process in Northern Ireland and the Abilities Foundation, which works to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

He had been recognized as one of the top 100 Irish-American business people by Irish America magazine, and received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, which celebrates “remarkable Americans who exemplify outstanding qualities in both their personal and professional lives, while continuing to preserve the richness of their particular heritage.”

He is survived by his wife, Joan, whom he met while working at Mutual of America. The couple married in 1983.

The Rev. Erwin Schweigardt

THE REV. ERWIN SCHWEIGARDT ’61, Ph.D., who served regularly as a Manhattan College liaison in the Capital District in Albany, N.Y.; formerly served as the superintendent of schools in the Diocese of Albany; and was honored with the distinction of being named an affiliate member of the Institute of the Brothers of Christian Schools, died on July 16, 2018.

He was 79.

According to Thomas Mauriello, vice president for college advancement, Fr. Schweigardt was “the family priest to our alumni, especially in the Capital Region. He single-handedly recruited many Jaspers from the region.”

Fr. Schweigardt was a regular at Jasper events in the region.

“Fr. Schweigardt is the first person everyone would ask for at an event in the area,” Mauriello adds. “Everyone related to Erwin as more than a friend. His ministry was authentic and truly caring, and he became a part of your family.”

The Father Erwin H. Schweigardt ’61 Scholarship was founded by friend and parishioner Neva Mahoney at Manhattan College in 1998 to provide students that reside in the Capital District of New York with tuition assistance. Mauriello notes that Fr. Schweigardt always took a personal interest in the students that received the scholarship.

“Erwin was impossible to describe simply,” his roommate Ed Kennedy ’61 says. “He was helpful. He was kind. He shared. He knew or he would find out. He organized. He planned. He invited. Over the 60 past years, he was the link keeping our group together.

He seemed to always be there. To many of us, he bled green and white with a great love of Jasperville in Riverdale. He was Mr. Manhattan College.”

Calling him the “go-to guy” for everything, Kennedy says: “I was honored and grateful to have been his roommate for four years. Together we attended Mass every day for those four years, and one of

us became a priest. He served the Lord and all of us. To sum it up, here’s a quote from a letter read at Erwin’s memorial Mass sent by his Catholic University seminary classmate, Bishop Emeritus of Lafayette, La., Mike Jarrell — ‘Each of us is unique but Erwin was more unique than most.’”

Throughout his career, Fr. Schweigardt served in a number of parishes in the Albany Diocese, including as pastor of St. Patrick’s in Watervliet and St. Margaret Mary in Albany.

He also held several positions in the field of education, including director of educational research in the Albany diocesan school office, chaplain of the men’s basketball and hockey teams at Union College, and adviser for the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute chapter of Phi Kappa Theta fraternity.

A graduate of Christian Brothers Academy, he later served there as a member of the board of trustees. Fr. Schweigardt is also a graduate of Fordham University and the Theological College of The Catholic University of America. He earned his doctorate in education administration from The Catholic University of America.

Fr. Schweigardt is survived by his brother, Rolf (Toni) Schweigardt; two nephews, Andrew (Renee) Schweigardt and Brian (Julianne) Schweigardt; and one niece, Wendy (Jay) O’Brien. He is also survived by several grandnieces and grandnephews as well as cousins.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 59

OBITUARIES

Frederick A. Zenz FREDERICK A. ZENZ, PH.D., professor emeritus of chemical engineering, a revered engineering author, and the holder of 20 patents, died on Feb. 28, 2018. He was 95.

Zenz was listed as one of the 100 Chemical Engineers of the Modern Era by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). He began his career in 1942 as a process development engineer with the M.W. Kellogg Co. and then worked for the Kellex Corp. on the Manhattan Project during World War II. After the war, he worked with a number of companies, including HRI and Stone & Webster Engineering before becoming an independent consultant.

Zenz began at Manhattan College in 1969 after teaching for a decade at colleges throughout New York, including as a special lecturer at New York University. While at Manhattan, he founded the Particulate Solid Research Inc. (PSRI), which began as a consortium of nine companies formed to address a better understanding in particle technology. He served as the founding director, housing PSRI at the College and bringing it national recognition.

“Dr. Zenz represented everything I wanted to be as a chemical engineer,” says Gennaro Maffia, Ph.D., professor of chemical engineering. “He was happy, enthusiastic, down-toearth, confident and brilliant. I use some of his approach in my classes, and I am honored to be teaching the class that he covered years ago when I was his student. He clearly enjoyed being a chemical engineer.”

Named one of AIChE’s 30 Authors of Groundbreaking Chemical Engineering Books, Zenz co-authored the book Fluidization and Fluid-Particle Systems in 1960. A prolific writer throughout his career, he published his last textbook in 2015, as well as nearly 90 papers, 18 book chapters, and numerous research papers.

A graduate of Queens College, he earned his master’s degree in chemical engineering from New York University and his doctoral degree in chemical engineering from Polytechnic Institute of New York.

He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Elizabeth; three children, Dennis ’78, Jonathon ’82 and his wife, Donna ’82, and Terese ’85 and her husband, Jim; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Fredric ’74.

60 N fall 2018

John Miele

JOHN MIELE, PH.D., associate professor emeritus of psychology and former chair of the department, died on April 25, 2018. He was 94.

Having joined the College in 1967 (retiring in 1993), Miele taught psychology to students at both Manhattan and the College of Mount Saint Vincent as part of the longstanding cooperative program between the two colleges.

“It was evident that John had a large cohort of devoted students,” says Jerry Lee, Ph.D., former assistant professor of psychology. “John should have awarded frequent flier points for all the repeat business he had from students in his classes. Many told me that his effectiveness in the classroom was due in large part to his genuine concern for students both in and out of the classroom. … During my time at the College, I saw alumni who came back to visit ‘Doc,’ as he was affectionately known.”

Pointing to Miele’s ability to build consensus among faculty and students, Lee also credits Miele with shaping his own career.

“I like to think a bit of John is present in all who knew him,” he says. “He will be missed.”

Miele continued to work in the field throughout his tenure. He served at the Divine Providence Temporary Shelter, St. Clare’s Hospital, and Van Cortlandt Consultation Center.

The author of many scholarly works, Miele was a member of the American Psychological Association and the American Catholic Psychological Association.

A veteran of the Navy, he served in World War II as a radio operator on PT Boat 462 in RON 31, and again in the Korean War. With a bachelor’s degree from Long Island University, Miele earned his master’s and doctorate from New York University.

He is survived by his wife, Linda Spencer; three children, Michael ’82, Alice ’84 and Sandy Rae; and two grandsons.

Tom Callahan ’77

“Tom was an intellectual, one of the most well-read people you’d ever meet, and a tireless and perpetual advocate for peace and matters of social justice.”

TOM CALLAHAN ’77, former visiting professor of communication, died in August 2018. He was 62.

Teaching nearly every journalism course at Manhattan during his tenure, Callahan also was moderator of the College’s student weekly newspaper, The Quadrangle. He began teaching in the department as an adjunct faculty member in 2008.

“Tom was one of the first professors I met at Manhattan College,” says Taylor Brethauer, editor in chief of The Quadrangle. “I don’t think I could ever meet someone quite like him again. He quickly turned into a mentor and a dear friend within the past three years, and I looked up to him as a role model. He was encouraging, empowering and an extremely kind soul.”

Brethauer adds that many students felt like Callahan believed in them more than they believed in themselves.

Thom Gencarelli, Ph.D., chair of the Communication department, says Callahan was much more than his reporter credentials.

“Tom did not just ‘fill in’ for us as a visiting instructor during this time,” he says. “As a dyed-in-the-wool Jasper who was valedictorian of his graduating class, and who was mentored by retired professor of religious studies Joe Fahey, Tom was an intellectual, one of the most well-read people you’d ever meet, and a tireless and perpetual advocate for peace and matters of social justice. Indeed, this is how he saw his self-appointed mission with respect to the fledgling journalists who his students here were: that their job, their vocation was not simply to tell the truth and speak the truth to power, but to pursue that truth in order to make the world a better place for all people in it, everywhere.”

As a reporter, Callahan had bylines around the nation in everything from The New York Times to IBM’s Beyond Computing magazine. He was honored by the Catholic Press Association for Best Feature Reporting in 1987 and was nominated for a Robert F. Kennedy Award for a feature published in Parade in 1997.

Throughout the course of his career, Callahan also served as an adjunct professor at Fordham University, Iona College and SUNY Purchase. He earned his master’s in public communications from Fordham University in 1981.

Callahan gave the valedictory address at Manhattan College’s Commencement in 1977 and eloquently reflected on how the campus provided so many memories and how being a Manhattan graduate created a challenge to “affect the future.”

“I am glad that my education has enabled me to see the complexity of the dilemma that faces mankind. … I am glad that my education has enabled me to see that the true fulfillment of the individual must come through the community with others,” he said, a nod to his peace studies major. “The people I had the pleasure of meeting on this campus proved that love and cooperation are indeed the finest qualities of the human creation.”

–THOM GENCARELLI, PH.D.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 61

OBITUARIES

Pio Mangiacotti PIO MANGIACOTTI, an engineering technician for three decades at Manhattan College, died on March 29, 2018. He was 90.

A fixture in the electrical engineering labs, Mangiacotti began as chief laboratory technician in 1963. He became senior engineering technician in 1973 and later supervisor of engineering and science laboratories before retiring in 1993.

“I worked with Pio Mangiacotti for over 20 years,” says Joseph Berger, technical supervisor in the School of Engineering. “He always had a very calm demeanor. He was friendly and helpful to everyone.”

Mangiacotti spent most of his time in the electrical engineering lab helping students with their lab assignments and projects. He

was part of the team that studied energy comparison between electric and gasoline vehicles supervised by B.J. Ley, Ph.D., professor of electrical engineering and former chair of the department, in 1980. The electric car, known as 3P-PGE, was part of a May 1980 electric vehicle exhibition held in St. Louis.

Mangiacotti earned his associate’s degree in applied science from Westchester Community College.

He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Nancy; three sons, Joseph ’74, Peter ’75 and Robert; five grandchildren; and one greatgranddaughter.

Lindy Remigino ’53

LINDY REMIGINO ’53, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a member of the Manhattan College Athletic Hall of Fame, died on July 11. He was 87.

Remigino ran for the United States in Helsinki, Finland, in the 1952 Summer Olympics following his junior year at the College. Not originally expected to even make the Olympic team, Remigino took gold in the 100-meter dash over Jamaica’s Herb McKenley in a photo 62 N fall 2018

finish, which showed the top four runners crossing the line together.

That victory earned Remigino a spot in the 4x100-meter relay in Helsinki. Running the third leg, Remigino put the United States in the first position, and teammate Andy Stanfield held the lead, giving the United States another gold medal.

Remigino continued his winning ways at his high school alma mater, Hartford Public High School, as the track and field coach and physical education teacher. Under his leadership for more than 40 years, Hartford was a powerhouse, winning 31 state titles. Remigino also encouraged his athletes to succeed individually, and enabled 157 athletes to take individual state championships.

He was a dedicated alumnus and often returned to campus to talk with athletes about his experiences.

“Lindy Remigino not only was a great athlete, but he was a great representative of the school and of the program,” says track and field coach Dan Mecca. “You couldn’t ask for a better person as an athlete, as a competitor and as a gentleman. He is what everyone would look for. He was a great friend to me. I will miss him dearly.”

Commenting on Remigino’s dedication to the College, Mecca also says, “Wherever he went, not only did he talk about being an Olympian but also about being a Jasper.”

Inducted into the College’s first class of Hall of Famers, Remigino was also inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2017.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, June; and five children, Mike, Kathryn, Betty, Linda and Patty.

Photo courtesy of Fordham Law School

Roger Goebel ’57 ROGER GOEBEL ’57, a Fordham Law School professor emeritus who established the annual Costello Lecture Series at Manhattan College, died on April 20, 2018.

He was 82.

Goebel created the lecture series in European history to honor one of his favorite professors, Brother Casimir Gabriel Costello, FSC, former dean of the College and chair of the History department.

“Roger Goebel was a dedicated member of the Manhattan College community who sought to bridge the contributions of faculty and alumni for the purpose of inspiring and educating current students,” says Jeff Horn, Ph.D., professor of history. “This goal motivated his donations that allowed the History department to create the annual Brother Gabriel Costello, FSC, Lecture in 2001, and also drove his decision to establish best paper prizes in the Philosophy and History departments. To remember the professors who had meant so much to him, Goebel sought to recognize and encourage excellence.”

Director of the Center on European Union Law, which he established at Fordham University, Goebel taught law at Fordham for more than 30 years. Serving as the Alpin J. Cameron Professor of Law, he was a prolific writer. Goebel co-authored the book Cases and Materials on European Union Law, and co-edited Rights, Liability and Ethics in International Legal Practice, now in its second edition. He published extensively on international matters.

Valedictorian of his class at Manhattan College, Goebel earned his juris doctorate and a Master of Laws from New York University School of Law. He spent 1961-1962 as a Fulbright fellow at the University of Tubingen in Germany.

Before he began to teach, Goebel practiced international business law and French and American corporate law in the Paris and New York City offices of Coudert Brothers.

Having taught at institutions in the United States and Europe, Goebel held a number of professional affiliations, including president of the American Foreign Law Association (1997-2000), and member of the executive committee of the American Society of Comparative Law.

Michael McHugh ’80

MICHAEL MCHUGH ’80, who served as a volunteer on a variety of alumni committees and recently retired from Moretrench American Corp., died on Aug. 3, 2018. He was 59.

A member of the College’s Engineering Advisory Board, McHugh ran the Construction Golf outing, raising nearly $100,000 in 2018. He regularly served as a committee member for the De La Salle Dinner, the College’s largest fundraising event.

McHugh also was an active participant in the Sporting Clays and the 125th Engineering Gala celebration.

“Mike was a terrific supporter of this College, as well as a dear personal friend,” says Thomas Mauriello, vice president for college advancement. “Not only did we grow up in the same neighborhood in Yonkers, but I deeply admired his passionate commitment to his alma mater and its students. Mike gave generously of himself in every sense — time, talent and treasure.

He also had a great sense of humor. He was a gentle giant, and I will miss him dearly.”

With a degree in civil engineering, McHugh immediately began his nearly 40-year career with Moretrench and rose to the role of executive vice president. Throughout his career, he was involved in many associations, including the Moles; the American Society of Civil Engineers, where he was past president and director of the lower Hudson Valley branch; the General Contractors Association; the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, where he was past president; the Ancient Order of Hibernians; and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Yonkers.

He is survived by his wife, Valerie Lacey; his children, Michael Joseph McHugh ’08 and Caitlin McHugh; stepsons, Paul Jannicelli, Andrew Jannicelli and Adam Jannicelli; seven siblings; nieces and nephews; and his first wife, Lisa McHugh.

MANHATTAN.EDU N 63

PHOTO BY JOSH CUPPEK

PA R TING SHOT

64 N fall 2018

The College hosted its first-ever comic book convention, JasperCon, similar to the popular Comic Con, in October. Sponsored by the Multicultural Center, the event showcased the full spectrum of comic book culture and gave special attention to identities that are underrepresented in the genre, such as women and people of color.

M magazine took second place for best alumni magazine of the year in 2018, awarded by the Catholic Press Association.

A LASALLIAN CATHOLIC COLLEGE SINCE 1853 Published by the office of Marketing & Communication Manhattan College 4513 Manhattan College Parkway Riverdale, NY 10471

Jaspers come and go, some stopping for a chat along the way, on the Quad during a beautiful autumn day on campus.

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 1523 PEWAUKEE, WI 53072