MKA WELCOMES YOU TO THE 2020/2021
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD AND YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD CEREMONY Thursday, April 29 | 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
– PAST DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS – 2019 - Nithya Nathan-Pineau, Esq. ’03 2018 - Dr. Lawrence Rosen ’84 2017 - Dr. Karestan Chase Koenen ’86 2016 - Dr. Chris H. Smith ’85 2015 - Kassie Canter ’75 2014 - Susan Schadler ’69 2013 - Paige Cottingham-Streater ’79 2012 - Bruce Guernsey ’62 2011 - Sally Minard ’60 2010 - Nancy Booth Kelly ’52 2009 - Jeffrey B. Kindler ’73 2008 - Dr. Alphonsus “Rick” Doerr, Jr. ’78 2007 - Melissa Cohn ’78 2006 - Peter N. Perretti, Jr. ’49 2005 - Ross I.S. Zbar ’84 2004 - Virginia Hamilton Adair ’29 2003 - Barry W. Ridings ’70 2002 - Laura Scher ’76 2001 - Parker B. Armstrong ’37 2000 - James E. Johnson ’ 79 1999 - William H. Cook ’30 1998 - Robert L. Clifford ’42 1997 - Peter V. K. Funk ’39
1996 - Doris Keller Hamlin ’36 1995 - Herbert H. Tate Jr. ’71 1994 - Rudolph H. Deetjen ’50 1993 - Ellen R. Malcolm ’65 1992 - Michael S. Yamashita ’67 1991 - Karen Vanderhoof-Forschner ’70 1990 - Thomas G. Stockham Jr. ’51 1989 - Philip L. Fradkin ’53 1988 - Aubin Zabriskie Ames ’54 1987 - James A. Courter ’59 1986 - Joseph E. Wiedenmayer ’24 1985 - Elizabeth Jones ’53 1974 - Roger B. Etherington ’41 1973 - S. Barksdale Penick Jr. ’21 1972 - Arthur A. Goldman ’25 1971 - Dallas S. Townsend Jr. ’36 1970 - Spruille Braden ’10 1969 - Howard Van Vleck ’22 1968 - Richard B. Scudder ’31 1967 - Gustave E. Wiedenmayer ’25 1966 - James S. Vandermade ’35 1965 - Fairleigh S. Dickinson ’37 1963 - Lewis Douglas ’12 1962 - Edwin D. Etherington ’42
– PAST YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS – 2019 - Lauren Morisseau ’11 2018 - Devika Patel ’12
The purpose of the Young Alumni Award is to recognize an alumnus or alumna who has graduated from MKA within the past 15 years. He or she will have demonstrated significant service to MKA and/ or have made significant contributions to his or her profession and community. The accomplishments being considered need not be publicly renowned but should reflect a deep and inspirational commitment to the improvement of society. To learn more, visit our website www.mka.org/alumni/ celebrating-our-alumni The Distinguished Alumni Award is bestowed in recognition and appreciation of an outstanding achievement by an alumna or alumnus who has achieved distinction in some field or endeavor or though outstanding character or dedication has been of special service to humanity. To learn more, visit our website www.mka.org/alumni/celebrating-our-alumni
– PROGRAM – 6:30 - 6:35 p.m.
Alumni Council President Caitlin DiRuggiero ’06 welcomes everyone and introduces the 2020 Honorary Alumni Award winner Head of School Tom Nammack
6:35 - 6:40 p.m.
Tom Nammack introduces the 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award Winner Tom Galligan ’73
6:40 - 6:45 p.m.
2020 Distinguished Alumni Award Winner Tom Galligan ’73
6:45 - 6:50 p.m.
Tom Nammack introduces the 2020 Young Alumni Award winner Kristin Vdorick ’06
6:50 - 6:55 p.m.
2020 Young Alumni Award Winner Kristin Vdorick ’06
6:55 - 7:00 p.m.
Tom Nammack introduces the 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award Winner Stephen Smith ’81
7:00 - 7:05 p.m.
2021 Distinguished Alumni Award Winner Stephen Smith ’81
7:05 - 7:10 p.m.
Tom introduces the 2021 Young Alumni Award winner Isaiah Thompson ’15
7:10 - 7:15 p.m.
2021 Young Alumni Award Winner Isaiah Thompson ’15
7:15 - 7:20 p.m.
Caitlin DiRuggiero ‘06 closes ceremony
“I know there are many more deserving than me, but I am honored and humbled to be named the 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award winner. My years at MKA were fantastic, and my experiences at MKA continue to shape who I am and how I act. My memories of those six years are still fresh. And, it is at MKA where I met the love of my life, Susan. In every way, I share this honor with her.” - Tom Galligan Thomas C. “Tom” Galligan Jr. grew up in Montclair, New Jersey with the dream of becoming a lawyer. He is a proud alumnus of the MA Class of 1973 and has continuously given of his time, talent, and treasure to honor his alma mater, MKA. After leaving MKA, Tom became an American lawyer, legal scholar, administrator, and educator and is currently the Interim President of Louisiana State University. He served as the eighth president of Colby-Sawyer College and as dean and professor of law at the University of Tennessee College of Law in Knoxville where he taught torts and admiralty. Prior to taking up administrative roles, in which he has regularly continued to teach and write, Tom taught torts, admiralty and other courses at LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center from 1986 until May 1998. At LSU, he was named the Dr. Dale E. Bennett Professor of Law and was honored by the students as the Outstanding LSU Professor six times. In 2019, the Louisiana Bar Foundation honored him with its Distinguished Professor Award. Tom has published numerous books and articles on torts and admiralty. His scholarship has been cited in the proposed Restatement (Third) of Torts and by numerous legal scholars. Tom’s work has also been cited by the United States Supreme Court and other federal and state appellate and trial courts. After the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, Tom’s expertise in admiralty and international maritime law was widely sought from the Associated Press, the Wall Street Journal and the me. Galligan also testified before the United States Senate’s Committee on the Judiciary, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on the Judiciary. Galligan currently holds the Dodson and Hooks Distinguished Chair in Maritime Law at LSU. Tom has a passion for long distance running (he has run in over 20 marathons!) and baseball statistics. He is married to the former Kimberley alumna Susan Stokes ‘74. Tom and Susan have three children: Patrick, Sarah, and Jennifer. They lost one child, Aisling, to lung cancer in 2019.
“I’m incredibly honored to be recognized by MKA for the work that I’ve done and continue to do every day. I’m even more honored to receive the award knowing just how many rockstars the Class of ‘06 produced who have done so much good and incredible work in their fields. I hope to continue to represent MKA with the quality of my efforts in all that I do. Go Cougars!” - Kristin Vdorick
Kristin Vdorick ’06 is a Branch Chief for the Air Force Medical Readiness Agency. She works directly for the Air Force Surgeon General and supports the efforts to deploy our Air Force military providers to hot spots and helps develop new field hospital packages that can be deployed to locations that need support. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she has been on the small team that worked to organize incoming daily reports for all of the military medical personnel in order to move providers and nurses to areas around that country that need support. In July 2018, Kristin was awarded the Air Force Civilian Special Act Award “In recognition of her distinguished performance in the Air Force Medical Service Analytics Directorate, Air Force Medical Operations Agency. Ms. Vdorick’s diligence discovered unusual financial spikes in Obstetrics Durable Medical Equipment Costs at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson. Her hard work and attention to detail enabled her to discover other anomalies throughout the Department of Defense that also had significant financial implications. Kristin’s thorough research identified a specific supplier in Pennsylvania who had the most egregious charges. Her findings were then elevated to the DHA Program Integrity Office, who initiated an investigation. With Ms. Vdorick’s assistance, The Department of Defense Inspector General calculated that the Defense Health Agency overpaid by more than sixteen million dollars for breast pumps and parts in 2016. Cost avoidance of this discovery was calculated by the Inspector General at over eighty one million dollars for the next five years. Kristin’s outstanding leadership, exemplary foresight, and ceaseless efforts were instrumental in saving the Department of Defense over ninety seven million dollars.”
“I was kind of glad to receive this award. I didn’t expect myself to react that way, it is nice to be recognized by people, who I had no idea were watching.” - Stephen Smith
Dr. Stephen Smith has been a committed, prominent infectious disease expert for decades and has dedicated his life to helping those who are less fortunate. A graduate of Duke University, Dr. Smith received his medical degree from Yale University and completed residencies in Internal Medicine at the University of Virginia and St. Michael’s Medical Center in Newark. He serves on several boards and holds many honors in his field. From 1998-2009, he served as an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at Seton Hall School of Graduate Medical Education and currently serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health. Most recently, you may have seen one of his numerous interviews sharing his expertise in treatments surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Smith is the founder of the Smith Center for Infectious Diseases in East Orange NJ. The Smith Center for Infectious Diseases and Urban Health was developed to address infectious diseases in the inner-city. This non-profit center, which is initially focusing on HIV, recognizes that inner city patients face many unique challenges in their daily lives. These challenges interfere with treatment of infectious diseases and foster an environment where infectious diseases are easily spread. Infectious diseases are different from other diseases in that successful treatment reduces their spread. The Smith Center believes that by using novel approaches, it can rid New Jersey of HIV.
“I’m honored to be thought of for the 2021 Young Alumni Award. There are a lot of alumni doing amazing things. Each day I just do my best, and that’s all anybody can do. It’s nice to be recognized for just being myself.”
- Isaiah Thompson
Isaiah J. Thompson is a jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer from West Orange, New Jersey. He began studying at The Calderone School of Music at an early age and soon after continued his studies with Jazz House Kids and NJPAC Jazz For Teens. He was later admitted to The Juilliard School at the age of 18 and graduated with his B.M. in 2019 and his M.M. in 2020. Isaiah has performed with major artists, including Ron Carter, John Pizzarelli, Christian McBride, Steve Turre, and Buster Williams. His recording debut was featured on Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Blue Engine Records’ Handful of Keys album with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, and his debut album as a leader, Isaiah J. Thompson Plays the Music of Buddy Montgomery, was released in 2020. He worked on the Golden Globe nominated soundtrack for Motherless Brooklyn, was named a Steinway Artist, and has been awarded accolades including, the 2018 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award, and second place in the 2018 Thelonious Monk (now Herbie Hancock) Institute of Jazz International Piano Competition. Isaiah believes that artistry is a direct channel into the mind and soul of an artist and,as such, feels that it is important to not lose sight of one’s individuality or that of others. As a performer, he tries to emit a feeling of joy and convey his personal experiences through the music and through his everlasting love of jazz.