Medaille Magazine Summer 2017

Buffalo’s Renaissance I Expert Faculty Q&A I Athletics: A Year of #HorsePower summer 2017

The magazine of the Medaille College Community

Medaille’s Steve MacMartin on

The Evolving World of

Homeland Security

inside medaille magazine summer 2017

4 Driving the Renaissance: Buffalo Is Booming, and Medaille Grads Are at the Forefront

on the cover Steve MacMartin, a retired senior special agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is director of Medaille’s bachelor’s degree program in homeland security.

ph oto s b y t i m ludw i g

9 Career Planning Resources Abound at Medaille 10 Medaille’s Steve MacMartin on the Evolving World of Homeland Security 14 Faculty Spotlight 17 Medaille Athletics: A Year of #HorsePower 20 Maverick Memories: The Latest Medaille News and Notes 22 Medaille’s Rochester Campus: A Personalized Learning Experience

Magazine Editor-in-Chief

John P. Crawford

Managing Editor christopher schobert Graphic Designer carla f. kestner Contributing Writers jeff bucki I Tara Erwin I patricia jetty ’13

alycia ripley I Christopher Schobert Photography

carla f. kestner I tim ludwig I nancy j. parisi christopher schobert

23 Commencement 2017

events AUG 23

Mixer at Resurgence Brewing Company

sept 8 ZooBrew at Seneca Park Zoo (Rochester) sept 13

College Colors Day and #MedaillePride Awards Social

SEPT 24

Bills Game and Tailgate at New Era Field Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos

SEPT 28

Write Thing Reading Series: Achy Obejas, author of the novels Ruins and Days of Awe

oct 14

Undergraduate Open House BUFFALO CAMPUS

OCT 25

Write Thing Reading Series: Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

NOV 11

Undergraduate Open House BUFFALO CAMPUS

NOV 15

Paint Night at Medaille with instructor from Painting with a Twist BUFFALO CAMPUS

See full events listing at medaille.edu/calendar.

Printed in niagara falls, ny by quantum color, llc www.printqcc.com

2 Medaille Magazine I Summer 2017

A lu m n i A s s o c i at i o n B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s 2017 - 18 Officers Richard Schneider ’10, ’12 President Darryl McAdory ‘07, ‘09 Vice President Jonathan Gill ‘07 Paige Gullotti ‘11, ‘12 Paul Dueringer ‘04

Bryan Krempa ‘00, ‘06 Executive Vice President Kevin Connolly ‘03 Parliamentarian

Leonard Hubbard ‘09, ‘12 Janice Hunt ‘10, ‘12 A.J. Long ‘12 Shawn Loos ‘10, ‘12 Michael McKay ‘84

Immediate Past President

Gregory Gamble ‘15

Anthony Priore ‘03 Phil Splawski ‘06 Dale Stephens ‘99, ‘06 Adrianna Viverette-Gamble ‘12 Christie Witt-Berardi ‘09

B o a r d o f T r u s t e e s 2017 - 18 Officers Charles E. Moran, Jr. Chair Michael J. Moley ’07 Vice Chair Juanita K. Hunter, Ed.D. Secretary Stephen L. Cicchinelli ’98 Kevin R. Connolly ’03 Nathan Daun-Barnett, Ph.D. David L. Edmunds, Jr. Horace A. Gioia, Esq. Howard K. Hitzel, Psy.D., MPA Margaret Kafka ’90

Michael K. Walsh Treasurer Michelle M. Kreib* Administrative Assistant

Kenneth M. Macur, Ph.D. Martin G. Maynard James K. Morrell William H. Pearce, Jr. Darius G. Pridgen ’07 Richard Schneider ’10, ’12* President of the Alumni Association Board

Jeffrey M. Shepard, Ph.D. ’04 Julie R. Snyder Dale Stephens ’99, ’06 Donald R. Tomasulo ’79 Kenneth D. Trbovich ’99 Gregory J. Urban *Non-voting Member

For a list of donors who made gifts during our 2016-17 fiscal year, please visit medaille.edu/donorroll.

Visit medaille.edu for more information about the programs, people and events at Medaille College. facebook.com/medaillecollege

twitter.com/medaillecollege

linkedin.com/companies/medaille-college

youtube.com/medaillebuffalo

instagram.com/medaillecollege

from t h e presi d ent

Greetings!

It is a great day to be a

Maverick! The College is doing extremely well. Let’s look at

some of the highlights from a #freakinAMAZING year: Best Places to Work in WNY The College was recently recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in Western New York by Buffalo Business First. We received hundreds of positive comments, many of them highlighting our faculty and staff.

Student Development We recently launched a Merit Page at medaille.meritpages.com that gives students the opportunity to share their achievements — academic and athletic honors, study abroad news, internships and community service. Students are encouraged to enhance their pages by adding a photo and bio, as well as other activities and work experience. The spring semester was our first with Merit, so visit now to see what some of your newest alumni colleagues were up to right before they graduated.

Academic Affairs On April 24, we unveiled our faculty research center in the Buffalo campus library. We also had an extremely successful inaugural launch of our Undergraduate Research Fair on May 2. Over 50 students presented their research results.

This summer, we are renovating our science lab, which includes a new chemistry lab and smaller updates to some of our others.

Athletics What a year! As you can see on pages 17 to 19, our student-athletes were recognized for their work in

the classroom and with their teams. That’s right — best students and best athletes.

Politics The biggest news of 2017 was the governor’s proposal for free SUNY/CUNY tuition. Thank you to all who lobbied for an increase in the TAP award, which would have given New York students free tuition at SUNY/CUNY and the flexibility to choose the best fit for their college career. In the end, the legislature passed a complicated program that is both conditional and unguaranteed. It has conditions related to the number of credits successfully completed and grades, as well as conditions requiring exclusive residency and employment in New York. It has limited funding and is therefore, unguaranteed.

The budgeted amount of $87 million provides for fewer than 15,000 full scholarships. If there are more applicants than dollars, then there would be a lottery. Given the number of people eligible, the odds of winning a one-year award are less than 5 percent. The odds of winning four, one-year awards are one in tens of millions. So while a fortunate few will get additional financial aid, it continues to be important for students to choose the right school and then pursue all of the available financial aid options. Under the present configuration, we do not anticipate any adverse effects of the Excelsior plan to the College.

Summer 2017 I Medaille Magazine 3

From left: Brandye Merriweather ’07, Mike Hughes ’12 and Bill Blanchard ’01

Driving the

[

“As citizens, we must be Buffalo’s best marketing tools, not just through also through our actions. We must continue to spread the word about B r a n d y e M e r r i w e at h e r ’0 7 Vice President of Downtown Development, Buffalo Urban Development Corporation

4 Medaille Magazine I Summer 2017

Buffalo Is Booming, and Medaille Grads Are at the Forefront b y j e f f b u ck i

p h oto s b y t i m lud w i g

[

our words but the city’s positive strides.”

There’s something happening right now in the City of Good Neighbors, and the signs are everywhere. An emerging medical corridor is attracting talented professionals from all over the world. A vibrant downtown waterfront scene offers ice skating, paddle boats, curling and all kinds of activities that would have seemed far-fetched even five years ago. Larkinville, Canalside, the Outer Harbor, the breweries and distilleries, the lofts and apartment complexes — all are drawing crowds and delighting residents and visitors. Yes, the energy is palpable. But it didn’t happen overnight.

Countless individuals have been quietly endeavoring on Buffalo’s behalf for decades, including many Medaille graduates.

It has long been part of the Medaille mission for students to take an active role in the Buffalo community, with each student expected to contribute. This is an expectation unique to Medaille, and it was happening long before Buffalo started trending.

We reached out to a handful of Medaille graduates to get their feelings on Buffalo’s recent upswing. Bill Blanchard ’01 is owner and vice president of Great Lakes Building Systems. Brandye Merriweather ’07 is vice president of downtown development at Buffalo Urban Development Corporation. In addition, she helped spearhead the Queen City Pop-Up Project, downtown Buffalo’s first pop-up retail program. And Mike Hughes ’12 is senior vice president of public affairs and marketing at Kaleida Health. (Merriweather and Hughes received MBAs, while Blanchard earned his bachelor of business administration.)

Here, the successful trio offer their thoughts on Buffalo’s growth, Medaille’s role and how the city can maintain its current pace of development.

C ontinu es >

Summer 2017 I Medaille Magazine 5

Where do you see proof of Buffalo’s resurgence?

Merriweather: It’s amazing to witness the incredible revival that is happening in Buffalo. Adaptive reuse and downtown preservation projects that focus on Buffalo’s historic assets really help to tell the story of Buffalo through architecture. Major developments at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Canalside, Larkinville and the upcoming Northland Corridor project are creating new investment areas and opportunities.

B i ll B lanchard ’0 1

Hughes: It’s everywhere. Real estate, construction, education, the arts, culturals — you name it. Kaleida Health is part of the Medical Campus, so we are in the epicenter of the growth and boom there. But there’s also the waterfront, HarborCenter and the Outer Harbor. As a lifelong Buffalonian, it’s awesome to see.

Blanchard: I think the biggest sign of resurgence is in the development of the downtown area and the waterfront. It’s such a breath of fresh air to look around downtown and see the sky filled with cranes at so many construction sites.

m i ke hughes ’1 2

What excites you the most about where Buffalo is heading?

Blanchard: With new construction projects come more job opportunities for different levels of skill sets.

As a small business owner, it’s encouraging to see the development take place.

Merriweather: It’s great to see the momentum occurring downtown spread outward and create investment in adjoining neighborhoods.

Hughes: Our ability to retain and attract a strong workforce is so important. Kids don’t have to leave Western New York the day after they obtain their college degree anymore. Opportunities exist here.

They are real, and probably more plentiful than most know. As a father of two teenagers, that excites me.

What will it take for Buffalo to build on this momentum and take the next step forward?

6 Medaille Magazine I Summer 2017

Hughes: I think we need to continue to be united in moving our community forward. Right now, the private and public sectors are on the same page. We are all rooting for Buffalo and Western New York. No doubt, we are stronger as a community when we’re working together.

Blanchard: I believe that one of the key elements to maintaining this growth and staying on the path of improvement is to somehow develop affordable single-family housing in the downtown Buffalo area, rather than just condos and townhouses. I believe that will attract families and help improve our public school system in Buffalo.

What role do you see Medaille taking in Buffalo’s renewal?

B rand y e M err i weather ’0 7

Blanchard: Young people who graduate from high school are looking to further their education in order to establish a career and improve their lives. The cost of college can sometimes seem like a barrier or roadblock to that opportunity. Several programs that Medaille offers help to eliminate those roadblocks and knock down those barriers of entry, through both financial aid and tutorial assistance.

Hughes: Education is a huge part of Buffalo’s revival and renewal. The strength of our schools — especially places like Medaille — is so underrated. Medaille will be expected to keep contributing strong and educated leaders to our workforce. I think here, the College will continue to lead, not follow. Medaille is a Buffalo institution. It’s clear through the College’s curriculum and programming that engaging with the community is an important part of its mission.

How did your Medaille experience help you in your career and in your position today?

Blanchard: By the time I had completed my degree at Medaille, I had gained the confidence to start a small business. That was 16 years ago. Without question, applying the education I gained at Medaille helped me as an entrepreneur. We started with two people and hired our first technician within the second month. Now we have grown to include offices in Syracuse and Rochester. Between those two offices and Buffalo, we employ more than 40 people.

Many of the business leaders I deal with today have either attended or are somehow affiliated with Medaille. I’ve had the pleasure of being invited back to Medaille to speak to students about the value of sticking to your dreams and not giving up. It’s exciting to see young faces with that determined look in their eyes. It’s also nice to know that Medaille is helping to educate the next generation of small business owners and entrepreneurs in Buffalo.

What role do you see for yourself as a leader of the Buffalo community?

Hughes: I’m a Buffalo guy through and through. For me, that means being involved and playing a small part in moving our community forward. Whether that’s with Kaleida Health and all that we do here in the community or through my volunteer board service, I want to be able to look back and know I helped make Buffalo a better place to live, work and raise a family.

through our actions. We must continue to spread the word about the city’s positive strides. And we must be open to listening and learning about Buffalo’s challenges to find the solutions to those challenges.

As Muhammad Ali said, “The service that you do for others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”

Where does Buffalo go next?

Hughes: The sky is the limit for Buffalo. The only limitation is ourselves. We need to continue to believe that tomorrow can be better.

Merriweather: As citizens, we can be Buffalo’s best marketing tools, not just through our words but also

Summer 2017 I Medaille Magazine 7

Buffalo’s Future:

New Jobs in the New Economy A panel of experts in workforce development discussed Buffalo’s new economy and the demand for a skilled workforce during a conversation at Medaille College on May 11. The latest event in Medaille’s Buffalo’s Future Series featured a number of insightful comments from local leaders, including the following: “We’re only as good as our employees, and in order to grow, we need a good pipeline of employees.”

Scott Pallotta, CEO of Zehnder-Rittling “ Years ago, people [from out of state] were calling us, recruiting our people out of this region to go work somewhere else.

Now they are looking at our businesses. We have the jobs.

We need to get the people back.”

Jeffrey Conrad, Senior Director of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership “We have to look carefully at the ability to be flexible and multitalented. The days of training for one trade or one part of an organization are gone.”

Amber Dixon ’90, former CEO of the Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology “Whatever type of career you want is available within the in-demand industries we have in the region.”

Heather Gresham, Executive Director of the Workforce Investment Board Medaille’s Buffalo’s Future Series will return in the 2017-18 academic year.

Check medaille.edu/calendar regularly for updates on topics, dates and speakers.

She may never have the chance to meet you, but she’ll always remember the opportunity

you

gave her.

8 Medaille Magazine I Fall 2016

Looking to Advance Your Career?

Maverick Jobs is an online career resource available to alumni, students and employers.

To register and create your account, just visit collegecentral.com/medaille.

Did you know?

• There are currently over 4,000

employers registered on Maverick Jobs.

• Employers from all over the country utilize the portal, making it a useful resource for everyone.

• During the 2016-17 academic year, 2,000 new jobs were posted.

• Alumni and students can post their

résumés to the site, allowing employers to easily view them.

• Weekly emails featuring job

opportunities are sent to both alumni and students who are registered.

• Medaille’s Career Planning Office uses the résumé database to refer alumni and students to employers.

It’s easier than you might think. There are many gift planning options, so you can choose the one that is most suited to your lifestyle, your family and your estate plans.

To learn more about how you can change and enrich the lives of countless others, contact Director of Philanthropy Jeanine Purcell at (716) 880-2259.

For Current Students and Alums Seeking Career Opportunities, the Job Search Starts at Medaille B y A ly c i a R i p l e y

Medaille College continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of current students and alumni, and career assistance is near the top of this list. After all, networking opportunities, career planning and alumni relations are a vital part of the college (and post-college) experience.

Current students can learn from graduates already working in their field of interest, while alumni can utilize Medaille’s vast networking resources.

While networking at events

currently

is important, so, too, is making use of on-

discuss internship opportunities, résumé

such as Medaille Alumni Happy Hours campus resources. That’s where Medaille’s Career Planning Office comes in.

As Medaille Director of Career

Planning Carol Cullinan explains, the office offers helpful tools for job seekers

while also working closely with a variety of employers. “Career planning involves

developing relationships with employers to discuss necessary qualifications and to

have them post their jobs with us, host

Medaille interns and attend our job fair,” she says. “We research the labor market

to find which industries are growing, look at salaries and focus on any trends

in the job search process. We also host speakers so our students can learn about different opportunities.”

Students and alums are advised to make an appointment and bring questions. Ask

if the office is aware of any graduates

employed

in

a

particular

organization or occupation. Make sure to writing and career counseling.

Cullinan believes that internships are an

excellent way to move forward in the job market. “Completing an internship is one of the top three value-adding activities a

student can do while in college,” she says.

“Students who apply disciplinary skills to

real-world experiences and gain the benefits of professional growth are significantly

more likely to secure employment after they complete their degrees.”

Medaille graduate Matt Swistak ’16

can attest to the strength of Medaille’s Career Planning Office and networking

resources. The social media marketing

advisor with Haley Marketing received his MBA from Medaille, and knows

first-hand how hard Cullinan and her staff work to help students and alums.

“I highly recommend that Medaille

students and alumni reach out to Carol

Cullinan and her team,” Swistak says.

“They will learn about your background

and what you’re looking for, and will give advice.”

In addition, Swistak has found that seeking out fellow Medaille graduates

provides a real advantage: “Some of the best jobs are unadvertised, and networking

is a great way to meet new people and develop relationships that could lead to

worthwhile job opportunities. Search for

those working in your field of interest, and ask if they wouldn’t mind looking at your résumé or meeting for lunch. Ask questions about their career and if they might know anyone who is hiring. I’ve

found that most alums are more than happy to help.”

To

learn

more

about

Medaille’s

Career Planning Office or to schedule

an appointment, call (716) 880-2210 or visit medaille.edu/careerplanning.

Remember, Medaille’s career planning resources are available to all alumni, as well as current students.

See the events calendar on page 2 for upcoming alumni networking opportunities, or visit medaille.edu/calendar.

Summer 2017 I Medaille Magazine 9

‘

It’s Not a Question of Who’s Next. It’s

when will

10 Medaille Magazine I Summer 2017

ph oto b y t i m ludw i g

Medaille’s Steve MacMartin on the Evolving World of Homeland Security B y C h r i s t o p h e r Sc h o b e r t

was a senior special agent with the United States Department of Homeland Security and its predecessor agency, the United States Customs Service. Now retired, MacMartin devotes his time to showing Medaille students how an HLS degree will prepare them for all manner of national and international disasters. (He is also the College’s Title IX coordinator.)

As MacMartin explains, the entirely online HLS program is unique to Medaille: “In the undergraduate world, you’ll find criminal justice programs that have certificates, but there are very few actual bachelor’s degree programs in homeland security. Nobody else offers this.” It’s a growing area and an endlessly evolving field. Here, MacMartin talks about his

perspective from decades on the front line, the program’s highly experienced faculty and why homeland security is not going away.

What do people think of when they first hear the words “homeland security”?

‘

It never fails. Every morning, Steve MacMartin checks his phone for the latest news from the world of homeland security (HLS). And every morning, the director of Medaille College’s bachelor’s degree program in homeland security finds something. It could be major news, like terror attacks in Orlando, Berlin or Paris.

It could be smaller-scale, such as safety tips for travelers.

“Open up Google News on any given day and it’s one of the top three stories,” MacMartin says. “And it’s only going to be more prevalent in the future.”

That’s why it’s so exciting that MacMartin, the man the local media turn to when disaster strikes, is here at Medaille. For three decades, MacMartin

Everybody’s mind jumps to terrorism.

Homeland security is more than that.

It is disaster preparation, response and mitigation — hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, snowstorms. It is questions about political, national and international relationships between nations. Just recently, you saw in the news that a number of airports have forbidden people to fly out with laptops.

What that illustrates is the lack of security

it happen.

C o ntinu es >

Summer 2017 I Medaille Magazine 11

‘‘

‘‘

Here in Buffalo, we’re on the U.S.-Canadian border, at a major transportation point between New York and Toronto. We have an easily accessible international border comprised of rivers and lakes, which makes human and contraband smuggling and trafficking easily possible.

Steve MacMartin Director of the Bachelor’s Degree Program in Homeland Security, Medaille College

and expertise in those nations when it comes to screening airport traffic. So homeland security is an understanding of what the interrelationships are in the world — who our friends are. Here at Medaille, we have three courses on international relations and political systems. The people teaching those courses have been stationed overseas in positions where they were directly responsible for those matters.

The other knee-jerk reaction you get is that homeland security is law enforcement. It’s so much more than that.

It is military, it is Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and it is the hundreds of thousands of first responders and EMTs who are not military and may not be law enforcement.

Interestingly, the only two agents in the entire U.S. Customs Service who arrested a terrorist prior to 9/11 are teaching in our program. I’m one of them. This is something else people don’t realize: when they hear Department of Homeland Security, they think 9/11.

But we were arresting terrorists long before then.

Where do our Medaille faculty come from?

They all come from the field. Now, as impressive as it is to see some of the high-level Department of Homeland Security people we have in the program, a tertiary misunderstanding is that HLS is a federal thing. It’s not. There are HLS responsibilities right down to ambulance attendants, because they’re

12 Medaille Magazine I Summer 2017

first responders. They have a vital role in what gets done at an incident. So we also have state and local people that are adjuncts.

When you teach other law enforcement agents, they don’t want to hear what you’ve done in your career.

We call those war stories. However, our HLS students at Medaille say, “We want your war stories! You’re the pro.

You lived this. We want to hear about those things.”

How do you and HLS faculty stay on the cutting edge?

It’s interesting to note that at the moment, there are only two people teaching in the program who are retired.

The rest of our faculty are still working in the field, so they are constantly taking training courses and being educated. I’m always reading and watching the news, as well as getting emails from people still working in the field. Plus, my daughter works for the Department of Homeland Security. She doesn’t share any secrets with me, but you can bet it helps me stay current. In the end, for the two of us who are retired, it’s the professional pride. We have a responsibility to stay on top of the news.

Who is the typical homeland security student?

It is a mix; there isn’t one typical student.

Here at Medaille, many of our students are older. That’s not to say we don’t have typical undergraduate age students, but they are a minority. It’s the nature

of the program — we’re often getting working adults who have an interest in completing a bachelor’s degree. Typically, they have families. When it comes to fields, I have military people, people from the private sector and people who want to go into law enforcement. They looked around and said, “Homeland security … wow. That’s interesting.” HLS is a natural segue for these people. When students come to this program, they know they want the program.

Because the program is online, we see students who are typically very good at planning their time, allocating their day and understanding their responsibilities. These are individuals who have the discipline to learn in the online environment.

What kind of careers will an HLS degree prepare you for?

There is no job anywhere that requires a homeland security degree, just like there is no job anywhere that requires a criminal justice degree. But if I go to a major company, and I have a bachelor’s degree in homeland security with a certificate in emergency management, I have something I can offer. That could be for a job with the Buffalo Police Department or, on the civilian side, first response, emergency management, industrial safety, FEMA or intel positions. I was in law enforcement for 30 years. If I had my choice today, I would get a homeland security degree.

C o n t inu es >

the Expert The Media Turn to Steve MacMartin for Homeland Security Insight On the day after the May 2017 terrorist bombings in Manchester, England, Steve MacMartin was very busy.

First was an appearance on WBEN-AM radio, one of his frequent stops. Next was an interview with WIVB-TV, followed by a segment on Spectrum News Buffalo. A few days later, MacMartin was interviewed on The Daily Buzz on WBBZ-TV. The director of Medaille’s homeland security program is used to appearing on local television and radio.

He sees this opportunity to share expert commentary as “a responsibility.” As MacMartin puts it, “I feel that those of us in the teaching profession have a duty to share our knowledge when we can, or when it can be a service to the community.”

MacMartin enjoys these opportunities to “talk shop,” and understands why the media look his way for insight: “The media call on me because of my experience. I base my answers on my experience and training, but also on things that happen in class or events and issues that we discuss in class.”

So many local television and radio appearances mean that MacMartin has one of the area’s most recognizable faces and voices. “People do recognize me all the time,” he says. “It’s actually been an eye-opener for me — clearly, with all of the comments I get about people hearing me on WBEN or seeing me on TV, Western New Yorkers are paying attention to homeland security news.”

Co n t i n ue d f r o m p r e v i o u s pa ge

Is there anything that makes the location of Medaille unique to homeland security?

Here in Buffalo, we’re on the U.S.-Canadian border, at a major transportation point between New York and Toronto. We have an easily accessible international border comprised of rivers and lakes, which makes human and contraband smuggling and trafficking easily possible. This is why there is a joint terrorist task force located here. In 1991, four terrorists were arrested at the Rainbow Bridge.

And everyone is familiar with the Lackawanna Six.

‘‘

‘‘

Asking

The importance of homeland security and the effect that it has on people’s everyday lives is only going to get more intense. It’s not going to go away.

It’s not going to diminish.

How do you see homeland security changing in the future?

The importance of homeland security and the effect that it has on people’s everyday lives is only going to get more intense. It’s not going to go away. Right now, you’re forbidden from getting on a plane in 13 countries with any device larger than a cell phone. Well, that’s not temporary.

That’s going to last. It’s going to expand, and eventually it’s going to be every country. There was a time when you’d get on an airplane and they didn’t check your shoes. Now, they check your shoes.

Everybody thought this would be temporary. Homeland security is not temporary. It is here to stay.

And it’s not a question of who’s next. It’s when will it happen.

In the 1930s and 40s, bank robberies were rampant, sometimes twice per day. The FBI stepped in and said, “We have to stop this.” Effectively, they brought it to a stop, but we still have bank robberies. And we still have bank robbers who get away with it. Homeland security and terrorism are the same way. There will continue to be a need for homeland security, because terrorists and natural disasters are not going to go away. And we will need to become more sophisticated at how we handle those things.

Hear more from Steve MacMartin at a Buffalo’s Future Series event on homeland security scheduled for February 18, 2018. Visit medaille.edu/calendar for details.

“

I want to be prepared when disaster strikes.

I want a degree in Homeland Security.

Medaille Starts With Me. medaille.edu/hls

Summer 2017 I Medaille Magazine 13

Faculty

spotlight

Medaille’s dedicated faculty members make a real difference in the lives of their students, and in the community. That’s why we are always so excited to share the latest faculty news. These are just a few examples, but they represent the hard work all of our faculty members do every day — both on and off campus.

Promotions and Tenure Announcements Congratulations to the following faculty on their recent promotion and tenure accomplishments: Promoted to Associate Professor and Tenure Granted Kelly Ahuna, Ph.D., Department of Education Susan Dunkle, Ed.D., Department of Education Timothy McCorry, Ph.D., Department of Social Sciences Alice Villaseñor, Ph.D., Department of Interdisciplinary Studies Promoted to Clinical Associate Professor Susan Steffan, MBA, Department of Business, Management and Leadership Promoted to Professor Mary Louise Hill, Ph.D., Department of Interdisciplinary Studies Belete Mebratu, Ph.D., ’14, Department of Education

ahuna

dunkle

steffan

McCorry

hill

villaseñor

mebratu

Lucy Czesak and Dr. Jeffrey Faunce Selected as Co-Directors of Medaille Center for the Advancement of Scholarship, Teaching and Learning Medaille recently announced the Center for the Advancement of Scholarship, Teaching and Learning (CASTL), a virtual center designed to advance the culture of scholarship, teaching and learning for faculty, staff and administrators. Department of Interdisciplinary Studies professor Lucy Czesak and Department of Education professor Jeffrey Faunce, Ph.D., have been selected as CASTL’s founding co-directors. They were identified through a call for nominations process among Medaille faculty. In addition to helping establish CASTL, Czesak and Dr. Faunce will focus on faculty development, organize faculty presentations and workshops, and coordinate collaboration among colleagues in supporting the mission and goals of CASTL. Dr. DuTremble-Kirk and Dr. Lovelock Take on New Roles in Rochester Laura (Lola) DuTremble-Kirk, D.V.M., has been named program director of the associate degree in applied science in veterinary technology at Medaille’s Rochester campus. In addition, the veteran adjunct faculty member is now a clinical assistant professor. Also named clinical assistant professor is vet tech professor Robin Lovelock, D.V.M. Dr. DuTremble-Kirk and Dr. Lovelock are both highly experienced doctors of veterinary medicine with years of experience teaching students at Medaille Rochester.

14 Medaille Magazine I Summer 2017

Medaille Unveils Faculty Scholarship Display A new display titled “Celebrating Faculty Scholarship and Creativity” was recently unveiled at Medaille’s Buffalo campus library. This collection of scholarly and other creative materials includes published books and articles, seminar presentations, and original works of art. Examples include a copy of Soul to the Goal, a new book by Medaille professor Richard L. Jacob, Ph.D., ’14, about Buffalo Bandits lacrosse legend John Tavares. A future display is planned for Medaille’s Rochester campus.

Medaille Professors Named Fulbright Specialists Medaille professors Keith Klostermann, Ph.D., and Matthew H. Bowker, Ph.D., were recently named Fulbright Specialists. The U.S Department of State program pairs highly qualified U.S. academics and professionals with host institutions abroad to share their expertise, strengthen institutional linkages, hone their skills, gain international experience, and learn about other cultures while building capacity at their overseas host institutions. Dr. Klostermann is an assistant professor in Medaille’s master’s in marriage and family therapy program, while Dr. Bowker is a clinical assistant professor in Medaille’s klostermann bowker Department of Interdisciplinary Studies.

Dr. James Ramsey Speaks on Closing the College Gender Gap Medaille professor James Ramsey, Ph.D., spoke on “Closing the Gender Gap in Collegiate Degree Attainment” at the Eighth Biennial Networking in Higher Education Conference on June 2 at the Millennium Hotel-Buffalo. His presentation explored reasons for the widening gender gap in educational attainment, including economic factors. Dr. Ramsey is director of Medaille’s First-Year Experience program.

Digital Story by Medaille Professor Earns Judge’s Prize in International Competition “How To Rob A Bank,” a digital story by Alan Bigelow, Ph.D., a professor in Medaille’s Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, won the Opening Up Digital Fiction Writing Competition 2017 Judge’s Prize. This international competition had entries from 24 countries. “How To Rob A Bank” was also shortlisted for the 2016 London International Creative Competition and was First Runner-Up (Best Use of DH for Fun) in the Digital Humanities Awards 2016.

expert

facultYQ&A

Empowering Our Students for Career Success and Civic Engagement

As our students, faculty, staff and alumni are certainly aware, these are complicated, challenging times.

We recently asked a few of our faculty members to reflect on Medaille’s mission statement, and share how their discipline (and their classroom) is educating and developing “empowered individuals for academic achievement, career success and civic engagement, thereby contributing to a healthy, diverse democracy.”

(Literacy Enrichment Afterschool A recent example of a course emphasizing Alice Villaseñor, Ph.D. Program) at the City Mission. career success and civic engagement is Department of This project helped students better Children’s Literature: From Ancient Interdisciplinary Studies understand the needs of the Buffalo Myth to the Digital Age. We examine community as they learned about the the history, the development and the LEAP program through web research reception of children’s literature and and conversations with City Mission media from a broad range of cultures, staff. Students then strengthened their periods and genres. A community-based information literacy skills as Medaille learning project provides opportunities Library Director Andy Yeager guided for students to understand and apply them through the use of databases and children’s literature in real-world, web resources to find age-appropriate multicultural contexts. For example, books. The students organized their we have partnered with the Salvation Army and the Buffalo City Mission to help develop research into annotated bibliographies and presented book collections used by after-school programs, summer their top picks to Multicultural and Community-Based Learning Coordinator Nicole Calamunci, who used a programs and shelter residents. grant to purchase the students’ recommended texts for LEAP. At the end of the semester, Medaille students, In the most recent version of the course (fall 2016), students drew from their knowledge of the historical development faculty and staff returned to the Buffalo City Mission to of children’s literature as they worked to research age- donate the new reading materials and read to the children. appropriate books to add to the materials used by LEAP

While the advancement of technology and robotics in the Craig Centrie, Ph.D. future will replace the need for people performing jobs and Department of Education tasks in many economic sectors, the field of education will never go away. Teaching requires a myriad of higher-level intellectual and interpersonal skills, and the teachers of the future will face many challenges.

Here at Medaille, we prepare our education students for such challenges.

In my classroom, students learn the state requirements and general knowledge needed for licensure in New York State, as well as the standards required for their content area (such as English or social studies). Students also learn many of the laws — such as the Dignity for All Students Act — that teachers are required to know for their certification.

As our world changes and becomes more diverse as a result of shifting global politics, transnationalism and globalization, students learn the importance of being culturally competent in their classrooms. They also learn to help make their students aware of what will be expected of them to lead successful adult lives. In my classes and in Medaille’s Department of Education, we stress thinking global but acting local, in order to ensure a sustainable region contributing to a healthy global community.

C o n t i n u es >

Summer 2017 I Medaille Magazine 15

expert

facultYQ&A

Empowering Our Students for Career Success and Civic Engagement

Medaille’s clinical mental health counseling program (CMHC) is diligent in empowering our master’s level students to achieve at their highest academic level in order to prepare them for success in their future careers as professional counselors. To achieve this, an important point of education is their clinical placement rotation.

This contributes to a healthy democracy because it affords students the opportunity to engage in self-reflection, cultural exploration and values clarification as they prepare for their upcoming occupational opportunities.

Monica Romeo, Ph.D., LMHC

Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology

Medaille’s on-campus CMHC program is accredited through the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). This accreditation holds our program, our faculty and our students to high standards — educationally, personally and professionally. CACREP standards prepare our students to be successful in their occupational endeavors. In addition, they have

Richard L. Jacob, Ph.D., ’14 Department of Communication and Sport Studies

One way in which we are empowering our students at Medaille is by adding programs that reflect our changing world. An example is our master’s degree in psychology with a new sport psychology concentration. It immerses our students and faculty in the current literature and cutting-edge practices used in elite performance training.

Since 1993, Medaille’s sport management program has provided expert training in the sport industry. Our master’s in psychology

In Medaille’s biology program we strive to empower our students for academic achievement by preparing them for their future careers in the sciences. We challenge students to think critically in lecture and in laboratory activities. In the lecture component of their biology courses, they are exposed to case studies, allowing them to apply their scientific knowledge to real-life examples. In our field courses, students apply the knowledge they learn in the classroom to outdoor locations. They practice their observational skills in the field by examining native and invasive plant and animal species, which is valuable for their career success in field biology.

The students in our biology program promote civic engagement both on and off campus. For instance, students in Life Sciences Club (LSC) take part in an annual Earth Day clean-up event in collaboration with Buffalo Niagara Riverkeepers. This community service event takes place at an off-campus site and gets them engaged in environmental conservation. On campus, our LSC students 16 Medaille Magazine I Summer 2017

opportunities to practice being a professional in the field through practicum and internship experiences.

Our faculty and students engage in discussion throughout the program about ways we can positively and professionally engage in the advocacy process. We also hold full program discussions and bring in guest speakers to assist our students in understanding the appropriate ways to advocate for our profession as both a student and a professional in the world of counseling.

All of these learning and preparatory experiences create positive and active civicminded professionals. It is our goal as a program to encourage our students to take all that they have learned within our program to the many personal, social and professional experiences they have now and in the future.

with sport psychology is a logical next step. After all, there has been a change in the traditional coaching paradigm — coaches and athletic team leaders have added a sport psychology tool box. One of the most challenging tasks for coaches today is the recasting of mindsets to achieve peak performance. So by incorporating the components of peak performance, mental toughness, collective consciousness, imagery and visualization, and Sun Tzu’s Art of War, our students will develop a warrior mentality and be better prepared to gain a competitive edge.

Commitment to the program involves a keen awareness of self and immersion in the now. A clear mind and disciplined focus are powerful tools for effecting major life changes. Graduates will more effectively make decisions, better understand power and influence, and focus on the psychological process of behavioral change. We’ll prepare our students to maximize performance by mastering thinking habits and both emotional and physical states.

Bernadette Clabeaux, Ph.D., ’05 Department of Science, Mathematics and Technology

collaborate with students from other clubs, like our Vet Tech and Criminal Justice clubs, to organize events such as “Destress Fest.” The intention of this event is to provide a number of activities for their fellow students to “de-stress” during demanding finals week. There are certified pet therapy dogs and massage therapists on campus, as well as arts and crafts activities, all arranged by members of the clubs. Planning events like this allows students to learn how to collaborate with their peers, while also providing a unique service to our Medaille community.

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athletics

p h o t o s b y t i m lu dw i g

Mavericks Are Excelling in Competition, and in the Classroom

A Year of #HorsePower Summer 2017 I Medaille Magazine 17

medaille

athletics

Mavericks Are Excelling in Competition, and in the Classroom

It was another banner year for Medaille College athletics. Successes included winning two Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) regular season titles and two AMCC tournament titles, while also making an NCAA Tournament appearance. In addition, the Mavericks saw numerous individual achievements. Check out a few of our recent successes.

mavs

by the

numbers

In 2016-17, our athletics program reached new heights of excellence.

Mavericks Claim Inaugural Buffalo Cup Title For the first time ever, AMCC rivals Medaille, Hilbert College and D’Youville College came together to start a new competition, the Buffalo Cup. With 27 victories over the 12 sports all three institutions sponsor, Medaille won the inaugural title. Hilbert finished in second place with 14 wins, while the Spartans earned 10 wins.

Women’s Lacrosse Claims AMCC Championship The Medaille women’s lacrosse team claimed the AMCC Championship — the first AMCC women’s lacrosse title in program history — with a victory over Hilbert College on April 18. In addition, several members of the team were named to the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Women’s Lacrosse All-Conference teams. 2017 graduates Amanda Ruszczyk (West Seneca, NY) and Lauren Jensen (Elma, NY) were voted to the All-Conference First Team for the first time in their careers, while juniors Sarah Espe (Johnson City, NY) and Kaylie Bauer (Lancaster, NY) were named to the All-Conference Second Team for the first time. Sophomore Kelsey Beres (West Seneca, NY) and freshman Emma Campagna (Clarence, NY) were selected to the All-Conference Third Team.

Amanda

Ruszczyk

• 3 AMCC Coaches of the Year • 2 AMCC Newcomers of the Year • 6 AMCC Player of the Year Honors • 2 AMCC Regular Season Champions • 2 AMCC Tournament Champions • 1 NCAA Tournament Team • 22 AMCC/NEAC First Team All-Conference Selections • 44 AMCC/NEAC All-Conference Selections • 2 All-Region Selections • 1 National All-Star • 106 Academic All-Conference Performers and 68 Individual Peak Performers • 5 AMCC Team Peak Performer Awards

Amanda Ruszczyk ’17 Named AMCC Female FAR Award Winner Lacrosse standout Amanda Ruszczyk was recently named the winner of the 2017 AMCC Female Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) Award. The recent Medaille graduate was chosen from among 18 outstanding student-athletes named to the AMCC’s All-Academic Team. Ruszczyk majored in education and graduated in May with a 3.94 GPA. She was a member of the Dean’s List all four years and served as captain of both the volleyball and lacrosse teams.

AMCC Female FAR Award Winner

Medaille Leads AMCC With Five Team Peak Performer Awards and Earns Institutional Peak Performer Honors

Medaille recently earned five AMCC Team Peak Performer Awards — the most in the conference. The prestigious awards, which honor the teams with the highest cumulative team grade point average in the AMCC, were presented to the student-athletes from Medaille’s baseball, women’s bowling, women’s lacrosse, softball and men’s volleyball squads. The College also earned the AMCC Institutional Peak Performer Award for the first time. The Mavericks received the award by having 55.5 percent of its student-athletes earn at least a 3.2 GPA or higher.

Memorable Men’s Basketball Season Culminates in NCAA Tournament Appearance The Medaille Mavericks men’s basketball team won the AMCC Championship with a 74-58 victory over the La Roche College Redhawks on February 26. The win earned Medaille an automatic NCAA Tournament bid. The Mavericks finished up the season with a 21-7 record overall, and head coach Mike Blaine ’17 was named AMCC Coach of the Year.

Our #MedaillePride is overflowing!

18 Medaille Magazine I Summer 2017

Chuck

Panepinto Sophomore

Winner of the Spartan Shootout

medaille athletics

Johnathan Belton ’17 Earns Spot in Division III All-Star Game Medaille men’s basketball standout Johnathan Belton (Amherst, NY) recently earned a spot in the 2017 Reese’s® Division III College All-Star Game. Belton received more than 17,000 votes from fans, the second largest vote total. In addition to his All-Star Game selection, Belton was honored as AMCC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, was a first-team All-Conference Selection, and was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) AllGreat Lakes First Team.

Women’s Bowling Earns First AMCC Championship in Program History The Medaille women’s bowling team earned the first AMCC title in program history with a victory in the AMCC Championship Tournament on February 12. With head coach Laura Edholm ‘07 at the helm, the Mavs were led by freshman Taylor Reese (Tonawanda, NY) and sophomore Michelle Magee (Palmyra, NY), both of whom earned selections to the All-Tournament Team. In addition, Reese, Magee and freshman Ysobel Conrad (Buffalo, NY) were named to the AMCC All-Conference Team.

These are just a few recent Medaille athletics successes. For more and the latest Mavericks’ news, visit medaillesports.com.

Johnathan

Belton

AMCC Player of the Year

Sharon

Trigilio junior

Co-Female Athlete of the Year

Dani

Reinwald junior

Co-Female Athlete of the Year Summer 2017 I Medaille Magazine 19

maverickmemories The Latest Medaille News & Notes

It’s been a typically busy few months for Medaille students, faculty, staff and alumni. Here’s a rundown of recent news.

ph oto b y carla f. kestner

Medaille’s inaugural Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creativity Day on May 2 featured presentations and posters showcasing undergraduate student work. The day featured keynote speaker Dr. Rodney Haring, a research faculty member at Roswell Park Cancer Institute’s Office of Cancer Health Disparities, Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences. >

Medaille students, faculty and staff came together with students and families from the Valley Community Center on May 1 to celebrate another year of Science in Bloom. The program aims to foster a lifelong interest in science and allows students to develop a contextual understanding of science using a continuum of learning experiences that engage students in scientific inquiry. > p h o t o b y n a n c y j. pa r i s i

< Students in Dr. Alice Villaseñor’s “Children’s Literature” course (ENG 375) visited the Buffalo City Mission to donate new reading materials to the after-school program and read to the children. As part of a semester-long Community-Based Learning Project, the students worked with Dr. Villaseñor and Library Director Andy Yeager to research age-appropriate books to add to the materials used by LEAP (Literacy Enrichment Afterschool Program). The photo is courtesy of associate professor Courtney Grim, who documented the visit for Project EQUIP.

The Intercultural Dialogues Committee hosted a sign-making party before the Buffalo March for Science on April 22. This was the third and final event celebrating #MedailleCommunities this year, with more planned for the fall.

On March 30, a large crowd was on hand for a presentation at Medaille by International Institute of Buffalo Executive Director Eva Hassett. One of three Buffalo’s Future Series events held during the 2016-17 academic year, the discussion focused on the economic impact of immigration on Western New York.

Students shared “1 Thing” — poetry, music, stories, opinions, personal experiences and cultural traditions — that reflected the diversity of their world at an open mic night celebrating #MedailleCommunities on March 22. Medaille Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Lori V. Quigley served as the master ^ of ceremonies.

photo by carla f. kestner

At Take Back the Night on April 11, Medaille students, faculty and staff marched through campus to support the mission of ending sexual violence in all forms. A dinner and presentation was also held as part of the event, which was sponsored by the Wellness Center, Public Safety, the Criminal Justice Club and the Student Government Association.

Medaille’s annual Founders Day Celebration was held at Hotel Henry on June 1. The gala event celebrates the College’s history and investment in the City of Buffalo while also supporting student opportunities.

Adrianna Viverette-Gamble ’12 of Townsquare Media served as emcee for the evening’s festivities. < Photo by Don Nieman/Buffalo News

20 Medaille Magazine I Summer 2017

The 2016-17 Write Thing Reading Series came to an end on April 27 with an open-mic night and party celebrating Medaille’s Prelude student publication. This year’s series also featured Medaille professor and children’s book author Dr. Virginia A. Batchelor; Cat Warren, the bestselling author of What the Dog Knows: Scent, Science, and the Amazing Ways Dogs Perceive the World; Just Buffalo Literary Center Artistic Director Barbara Cole; and puppeteer Michele Costa.

In April, the Medaille College Music and Drama Club completed a fourperformance run of the musical-comedy First Date. The story of a date-gone-bad starred Medaille veterinary technology professor Dr. Matthew Coleman ’12, who also serves as the club’s advisor.

The Medaille Alumni Association held numerous successful events during the 201617 academic year, including a mixer at Parings Wine Bar in Williamsville, an alumni gathering at Dave and Buster’s at the Walden Galleria Mall in Cheektowaga, and a mixer at Lost Borough Brewing Co. in Rochester.

The TRiO Student Support Services Program recently held its annual Recognition Celebration. In addition to honoring graduating seniors, active TRiO participants and alumni mentors, Student Choice Awards were presented to Dr. Bernadette Clabeaux ’05 (Outstanding Faculty), Kelly Schoer (Outstanding Staff) and Andrew Kij (Outstanding Tutor). Emily Gearhart ’15 was the TRiO Alumna of the Year, while Director of Philanthropy Jeanine Purcell ’14 received the Faculty/Staff Member Award.

maverick memories

Academic Advisement Counselor Lindy Feider received Staff Member of the Year honors at the 2017 Student Government Association Awards Banquet on April 21. Other honorees included Dr. Bernadette Clabeaux ’05 as Professor of the Year and professors Dr. Juli Hinds, Lisa Marsherall and Lou Pozantides ’86 as Club ^ Advisors of the Year.

Keep up with the latest Medaille College news at medaille.edu.

Three students in Medaille College’s DECA chapter recently competed in the International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, California. The team of Alexandria Cicero, Leah Froebel and Jessica Smith was one of only 12 teams internationally to make it to the ^ Medaille went “Bald for Bucks” on April 21. final round of competition.

Participating students had their hair trimmed, clipped and shaved to raise funds for cuttingedge cancer research and patient-care programs at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

As part of a Community-Based Learning Project, students taking a management information systems course at Medaille partnered with the nonprofit Back to Basics Outreach Ministry to automate the organization’s paperwork. In addition, students created a new tracking system for the nonprofit Service Collaborative of WNY, Inc.

Speakers from Medaille’s Academic Advising and Career Planning offices were joined by faculty and alumni at the College’s Liberal Studies Majors and Career Fest on April 21. The event was sponsored by Medaille’s First-Year Experience.

Students from Medaille’s Pathways mentoring program, along with a number of College staff members, recently volunteered at the Ontario Community Garden in Buffalo. The inaugural Pathways to Service event saw volunteers clean the area, dig up old rose bushes to make way for new gardens, build several raised beds, weed the garden, and construct a compost bin out of blocks.

Buffalo Sabres play-by-play broadcaster Rick Jeanneret and Buffalo Bills play-by-play radio broadcaster John Murphy received Lifetime Achievement awards at the annual Medaille Media Awards Ceremony on March 20. The ceremony honors individuals and organizations from local television and radio, sports broadcasting, marketing and advertising, and law enforcement that have made significant contributions to the community, and to the College’s communication program.

p h o t o b y c a r l a f. k e s t n e r

At Senior Send-off on April 24, students enjoyed barbecue, played games and made memories with friends and classmates. In addition, seniors brought filled “Senior Giving Piggy Banks” to help contribute to a class gift.

Professor Mark Lavatelli’s Creative Expression class recently repainted the buffalo statue located in front of the College’s North Residence Hall. The project involved redesigning, repairing and preserving the buffalo.

The Black Student Union held a Kickball for Charity event on April 28. Players brought clothing and food donations. In addition, the BSU held a talent show on February 18.

A large crowd of students, faculty, staff, family and friends enjoyed MavFest 2017 at Medaille’s Buffalo campus on April 26. The annual College tradition featuring rides, food and games was sponsored by the Medaille Student Activities Board. >

photo by christopher schobert

Senior Kelli McCauley

Medaille’s Future Teachers Club held a Family Spring Event on April 18. The night gave kids the chance to play games, win prizes and decorate cookies. This followed successful FTC family events held during the holiday season and for Halloween.

before

after

^ The communication program hallway facelift project began in January with fresh paint, new doors for the TV and radio studios, and vintage photos as wallpapers — and more upgrades are planned. Visit the lower level of Main to see our progress!

Summer 2017 I Medaille Magazine 21

Vet Tech, Mental Health Counseling and Business Students Find

A Personalized Learning Experience at Medaille’s Rochester Campus B y Ta r a E r w i n

August 20, 2015, was an important date in the history of Medaille College’s Rochester campus. That evening celebrated the first cohort of Medaille Rochester students to successfully complete their associate degrees in applied science in veterinary technology. This was the culmination of years of hard work by the students, and also by the College’s faculty and staff.

“It was an emotion-filled day for sure,” recalls then-program director Karen Sandle ’91, a clinical assistant professor in Medaille’s Department of Veterinary Technology. “That first group made a leap of faith to enter into a program with such a new and unique format. That was just the start; today, we have graduated nearly 60 students.”

The veterinary technology program is one of the most popular at Medaille’s Rochester campus, a site that proves good things really do come in small packages.

The campus may look like any other well-kept office park along Rochester’s Outer Loop I-390/590 corridor, but what it provides easily outweighs campuses much larger in size. Opened in 2001 and at its current location for the past seven years, the campus offers the 200 students who attend a wide range of programs at three degree levels: associate, bachelor’s and master’s.

The campus was designed to cater to the adult learner, and the vet tech program is a case in point. As Sandle explains, the vet tech program in Rochester “is an accelerated evening and weekend program of study to accommodate those students who wish to attain a vet tech degree while occupying a full-time working position, who have other responsibilities that would preclude them from attending a traditional program, or who recognize they might not be successful in an entirely online classroom environment.”

The campus was designed with the needs of students from all walks of life in mind. Each of the nine classrooms holds just 24 students, so there are many opportunities for individual attention and class discussions. About 50 adjunct and full-time professors are on the teaching roster for both classroom and online instruction. Many come from iconic Rochester companies such as Xerox, Bausch + Lomb, Kodak and Wegmans, and all are current or former practitioners in their fields.

“We understand many of our students are non-traditional,” says Ann Horn-Jeddy ’99, ’06, assistant director at Medaille College

22 Medaille Magazine I Summer 2017

Rochester. “They may be older, have been out of the classroom for a while, or have other obligations, like a family and full-time job. It’s our goal, and Medaille’s mission, to empower students to earn their degrees in whichever way works best for them.”

The master’s in clinical mental health counseling is another program that offers students the chance to learn on their terms, in a fast-paced environment encompassing one weekend a month.

“The clinical mental health counseling (CMHC) program is the only one in the greater Rochester area that runs courses solely on weekends and is completed in two years,” says Dr. Marguerite M. McCarty, assistant clinical professor in Medaille’s CMHC program.

“Faculty are in the field working with clients and therefore offer students real-life examples and training.”

Dr. McCarty has seen countless examples of post-graduation success. “At commencement in May, I spoke with a recent Rochester graduate who already had three mental health counseling job offers,” she says. “In this same cohort of recent grads, there was 100 percent job placement before the graduation ceremony. Many of these students were offered positions at the site where they completed their internships.”

Students from all of Medaille Rochester’s programs — which include the popular master of business administration (MBA), as well as associate and bachelor’s degrees in business —have access to a number of unique resources. In addition to administrative offices (including Student Services, Academic Services and Admissions), there’s a 700-square foot library that includes computer workstations and a general purpose room that can be used as a meeting space or for workshops. There are also on-site and online tutors and a special writing lab for students who need a little extra help with their college-level writing skills. The campus is conveniently located at 1880 South Winton Road, in the Rochester suburb of Brighton. It’s near 12 Corners, a major area thoroughfare that boasts stores, restaurants and gas stations. Plus, and to some students most importantly, parking on Medaille’s Rochester campus is plentiful and free.

Visit medaille.edu/rochester for more information about Medaille’s Rochester campus, or call 585-COLLEGE.

2017 Commencement

Medaille College’s 2017 graduates walked the stage before friends and family, as well as Medaille faculty and staff, at the College’s commencement ceremonies on May 19. A packed house at Kleinhans Music Hall cheered on the new graduates and saluted their years of hard work during the graduate and undergraduate ceremonies.

Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash served as speaker for the graduate ceremony, during which Russell’s Steakhouse and Salvatore’s Grand Hotel owner Russell Salvatore received an honorary degree.

The undergraduate ceremony featured speaker Gail Hunter, vice president of public affairs, community relations and event management for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. New York State Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes received an honorary degree.

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Summer 2017 I Medaille Magazine 23

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We want to hear from you!

We plan to publish your class notes on our website and in future issues.

Post the following types of class notes using #MedailleNotes @MedailleCollege on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, or submit them online at medaille.edu/classnote: • C are er and professional • Educ ational • Births and adoptions • Marriages and engagements • Special awards or recognitions • Volunteer service • Animal adoptions

Submit your notes with applicable photo(s) by September 12, 2017, to be entered in our “Picture Your Day” contest for a chance to win a $50 Amazon.com gift card!

Visit medaille.edu/classnote for more details.

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