a magazine for Neumann University alumni, family and friends
Vol. 41, No. 2 • Summer 2013
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ale Events C ut
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p l e : H o t e r e H e
communit y ser vice muscle r u o g Fle xin
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Accent a magazine for Neumann University alumni, family and friends
Vol. 41, No. 2 • Summer 2013
Specianldar
ale Events C ut
Pullsopread) (center
f e a ture s
7 Soccer Mom for a Whole City G raduate student carries on her son’s legacy
16 We’re Here to Help
Flexing our community service muscle
18 A Gala with Artistic Flair
Scholarship supporters flock to PAFA
ON THE COVER: Marykate McGurk strikes a pose to illustrate confidence that students can make a difference in Camden.
President
Rosalie M. Mirenda, Ph.D.
27 Graduates Go to Work
Clinical Laboratory Science majors rock the job market
D e p a rt m ent s 3 From the President 4 Around Campus 22 Class Notes
Vice President for Institutional Advancement and University Relations
Henry A. Sumner, M.A., CFRE Executive Director, Marketing and Communications
Stephen T. Bell Director of Publications
Carol DiAntonio Director, Alumni Relations and Special Programs
Judi Stanaitis ’07 ’13 Contributors
Nick DiMarino Christina Farrell Carolyn Seagraves ’84 Jill Weigel Photography
Kelly & Massa, Hunter Martin David Jackson Jerry Millevoi Accent Magazine is published two times annually by Neumann University, Office of Public Relations and Marketing, One Neumann Drive, Aston, PA 19014-1298. Tel: (610) 558-5549. Copyright by Neumann University. Accent Magazine is distributed free of charge to alumni and friends of Neumann University and is printed on recycled paper. Information in this issue includes news received through 6/30/13. Please send change-of-address correspondence to: Office of Institutional Advancement Neumann University One Neumann Drive Aston, PA 19014-1298 or to alumni@neumann.edu.
New Name. Same Mission. More Impact.
The Neumann Fund serves as the keystone fund and unites the fund raising efforts of the Annual Fund, Scholarship Fund and Athletic Fund — three programs vital to effectively serve our students, allowing them to have the uniquely personal Neumann experience. Each year alumni, parents and friends join together to keep the Neumann mission and vision thriving through an investment in the educational experience of our students.
www.neumann.edu/NeumannFund
Fro m the p re s ident
Letter from the President “ Commitment to service is an integral component of the Neumann University educational experience.”
I
recently received a newsletter from the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU). In it, the president’s letter, entitled “Joy and Hope in Catholic Higher Education,” caught my eye. Michael Galligan-Stierle wrote that “Catholic colleges and universities are living, thriving places where joy and hope, grief and anxieties exist every day.” He then asked member institutions to submit video clips that capture “joy and hope” as they are experienced and expressed today in Catholic higher education settings. Although this issue of Accent is not in video format, the photographic images in it perfectly represent the positive virtues and emotions that Dr. Galligan-Stierle described. Just look at the photo of Marykate McGurk on the cover of this edition. She exudes both the joy and the hope that our students report is their experience when they volunteer to help the Heart of Camden project. Neumann University’s mission is based on the belief that “knowledge, while valuable in itself, is best used in the service of others.” This commitment is authentically Catholic in the Franciscan tradition, and it is integrated into every aspect of the academic and social life on our campus. Opportunities for service exist not just in Camden, but in Chester, Philadelphia, Wilmington, and other areas as distant as Louisiana and Wyoming where there is need and desire for collaboration and service. We do this through Campus Ministry, service learning, our athletic teams, and activities designed and promoted by faculty.
Our students do experience joy and hope and they role-model joy and hope. They are the living, breathing embodiment of a community that is committed to Catholic Franciscan values. We assure you that this commitment to service at Neumann University is not a secondary byproduct of a university experience but an integral component of the Neumann University educational experience. Before our students leave campus to enter the marketplace and raise families of their own, they will have known the joy and hope of providing service to those in need, and they experience joy and hope by serving. It is a lesson that we pray they will draw on and use for their lives beyond Neumann. Thank you for your support of Neumann University and its mission that combines competence with compassion and service to others with moral and ethical integrity. Pace e Bene!
Rosalie M. Mirenda President
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2013 Pinning Ceremony Forty-two graduates of the nursing program received their professional pins on May 15, an annual tradition of symbolically welcoming new nursing graduates to their profession.
Delta Mu Delta Honor Society
Members of the 2013 Kappa Sigma Chapter of Delta Mu Delta, an international honor society for business students, gathered at the 20th Annual Business Exchange on April 17. Sitting: Danielle Donahue, Sarah Rash, Jennifer Santore, Kimberly Hyland, Jacqueline McAllister and Victoria DeCristoforo. Standing: Dr. Robert Till (advisor and honorary inductee), Michael Rosenberg, Matthew Norman, Sean Crozier, David Gervais, Dr. Janet Massey (advisor), Stephen Stives, Tim Moyer, Frank Altamuro, Alexander Crofoot, Marc Gaillard and Ryan Weatherford. 4  Accent Magazine
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Herren Mesmerizes 1,000 Former college basketball and NBA player Chris Herren captured the attention of almost 1,000 students and community members with heartbreaking stories of his 18-year battle with drug addiction. After his presentation and a question-answer session, hundreds of people lined up to meet Herren and get his autograph.
ACCU Picks Riley to Study in Belfast Lisa Riley has been selected by the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) to study abroad next year as part of its Irish American Scholars program. Riley, a psychology major, will spend her 2013 fall semester at Queen’s University in Belfast. “I think studying psychology in Ireland will give me a new perspective on another culture’s outlook. Study abroad is the best way to understand another country’s culture because you are immersed in it,” Riley explained. In her application essay to the ACCU, she wrote: “My mother is Chinese and my father is Irish. I’ve been fortunate enough to have traveled to China, but I’ve always felt a connection to my Irish heritage. The Irish American Scholars program is a good opportunity for me to further my education in psychology, explore the culture, and learn more about my heritage.”
Riley’s Irish roots are in County Leitrim and County Cavan. “My dad wants me to visit and bring back our family records from the parishes.” She is also looking forward to visiting London and Dublin, and meeting new people during her time abroad. Queen’s University Belfast is a member of the Russell Group of 24 leading UK research-intensive universities, providing higher education with a reputation for rigorous research. The University has won the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education on five occasions — for Northern Ireland’s Comprehensive Cancer Services program and for achievement in green chemistry, environmental research, paleoecology, and law. Students applying for the Irish American Scholars program must have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale and be a current junior or sophomore. Forty-three of the 53 students who applied to the program were accepted for 201314. According to the ACCU website, the program was created to provide reciprocal opportunities for students at American colleges that host Study USA students from Northern Ireland institutions. Neumann University has hosted two Queens University students on campus since 2008.
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St. Francis and the Second Vatican Council Fr. Anthony Ciorra, Ph.D., delivered the Dorothy A.P. Leunissen Presidential Lecture as part of the University’s 48th Charter/ Sponsorship Day celebration on March 13. Marking the 50th anniversary of Vatican II, Fr. Ciorra spoke on St. Francis of Assisi and the Second Vatican Council. The Leunissen Lecture is delivered every year on the anniversary of Neumann’s founding. The Dorothy A.P. Leunissen Presidential Lecture Series was established in 2004 to bring speakers to the University’s campus to address current topics of interest in Catholic Franciscan higher education. The Second Vatican Council was called by Pope John XXIII and lasted from 1962-65. Its purpose was spiritual renewal of the church in the modern world. The Council produced decrees on the pastoral duties of bishops, ecumenism, the Eastern-rite churches, the ministry and life of priests, the missionary activity of the church, the apostolate of the laity, and other topics. Fr. Ciorra noted the similarities in content and style between the life of St. Francis and the theological underpinnings of Vatican II. Ordained a priest in 1973, Fr. Ciorra has served in parish life, teaching, administration, retreat work, preaching, and formation ministries. He has graduate degrees in psychology, history and pastoral theology, and a certificate in spiritual direction. He holds a Ph.D. in theology from Fordham University. He is currently assistant vice president for mission and Catholic identity and professor of theology at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut.
Fr. Anthony Ciorra makes a point about Vatican II during his Leunissen Presidential Lecture on Charter Day.
Neumann’s annual Leunissen Lecture is named after Dorothy A. Piatnek-Leunissen, Ph.D., M.D. A longtime area physician, she launched private practice in 1976 with her husband, R.L. Abraham Leunissen, M.D., at Riddle Memorial Hospital in Media. She was a lifelong friend of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia and supporter of Neumann University.
2013 Uachtarán Award Irish Ambassador Michael Collins presents the 2013 Uachtarán Award to Sr. Marguerite O’Beirne, OSF ’70, vice president for mission and ministry at Neumann. The award is presented annually by the Irish American Business Chamber and Network.
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Pat Trippley-Demiranda: Soccer Mom for a Whole City
Congratulating Pat Trippley-Demiranda (center) are Michael Curry, principal at Vanguard and chairman of the board of the Philadelphia Union Foundation; Rob Smith, Jr., vice president of soccer development and community relations for the Philadelphia Union and assistant director of the Foundation; Steve Piltch, headmaster of The Shipley School; and Rick Jacobs, vice president of business development for the Union and executive director of the Foundation.
Pat Trippley-Demiranda was recently honored by the Philadelphia Union Foundation with its Building Block Award at the inaugural Cocktails & Cleats celebration. In addition to being a Neumann student in the Organizational and Strategic Leadership master’s degree program, Demiranda is the co-founder and chairperson of the William Trippley Youth Development Foundation (WTYDF). The foundation was created to honor the memory of Demiranda’s son, William H. Trippley III, who was tragically killed in Chester in 2004. William, a college soccer player, was 20 years old when he was fatally shot. “My son had been playing soccer since he was six years old. He made the national team and played at Shipley School. After he was killed, some of his best friends and I wanted to do something to keep his legacy open. We created the soccer league,” Demiranda explained. The foundation offers at-risk youth a year round program focusing on education and soccer. Today the program serves
more than 400 children. Demiranda believes that her son William would be very supportive of her work. “He would be proud. He loved children and one summer he taught the kids in the city soccer,” she said. In addition to her involvement with the foundation, Demiranda is also a founding partner of the Chester City United — the club soccer organization for the City of Chester. The honor from the Union took Demiranda by surprise. “It was so overwhelming to me. I didn’t do my work in this community for anything in return. I do it because I love the kids and want to teach them the game of soccer,” she said. Demiranda, who will complete her Neumann degree next year, has worked at the Wallingford Post Office for the past 29 years. She lives in Chester with her husband, Creighton Demiranda. “I always had a dream of getting my master’s degree. I saw an ad for Neumann in the paper and thought this is where God has led me.”
First Ph.D. Program to Begin in September The University will launch its first Ph.D. program and a new master’s degree program this fall. According to Dr. James Houck, the Ph.D. in Pastoral Counseling is a “spiritually integrated, research-based program that equips scholars and practitioners for leadership roles in the current landscape of mental health challenges.” Houck, the program director, believes that the weekend format will be an appealing feature of Neumann’s first Ph.D. program. Classes are scheduled on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings, typically running for five or six weekends in a 14-week semester. The courses are enhanced with online assignments as well as practical and research assignments. The program combines psychology and spirituality, and provides master’s level students with the opportunity to obtain clinical preparation toward licensure. The M.S. in Accounting degree program focuses on forensics and fraud detection. It can be completed in 18-21 months in a blend of in-class and online study. It does not require that students have an undergraduate degree in business to enroll. For more information about either program, call 610-361-5208 or email gradadultadmiss@neumann.edu.
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Gottlieb Featured at Autism Conference Dr. Dan Gottlieb was the keynote speaker at The Autism Puzzle: Fitting the Pieces Together, a conference hosted by the Division of Education and Human Services in April. Gottlieb is the host of Voices in the Family, a mental-health radio show on WHYY. A crowd of more than 140 appreciated Gottlieb’s expertise and family experience with autism. He has been a professional counselor for more than 40 years and wrote a column for the Philadelphia Inquirer from 1993 to 2008. He has written four books, the most recent of which is The Wisdom of Sam: Observations on Life from an Uncommon Child about his grandson, who is on the autism spectrum. After Gottlieb’s address, breakout sessions followed on five topics: social skills training, structured teaching, bullying and the special needs child, law and parents’ rights, and transitions to college and beyond. These sessions were led by Neumann faculty, members of the Elwyn division of education, and representatives of the Pennsylvania Education for All Coalition. Pennsylvania State Representative Stephen Barrar, an advocate for families dealing with autism, opened the conference by welcoming the audience to the Thomas A. Bruder Life Center. Information was also available on the University’s Autism Endorsement program, a series of four courses that gives
Welcoming Dr. Dan Gottlieb (center) to campus are Dr. Tammy Feil, Dr. Len DiPaul, Pennsylvania Representative Stephen Barrar and Dr. Joseph Gillespie, dean of the Division of Education and Human Services.
teachers and other certified school personnel skills in educating students with autism spectrum disorders. Completion of the program enables individuals to apply to the Pennsylvania Department of Education for an endorsement on existing Pennsylvania certificates. Autism affects one in 88 children born in the United States. The disorder has no known cause or cure.
Collazo: Neumann’s First at The Washington Center Criminal justice major Miguel Collazo is spending his summer in our nation’s capital interning at The Washington Center, a nonprofit organization that provides college students challenging opportunities to work and learn in Washington D.C. Miguel Collazo (r) thanks his favorite professor, Joe Gosseaux.
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Collazo’s sister Dianna had done an internship with The Washington Center a few years ago and recommended it to her younger brother. “My sister really enjoyed it and said it was a great opportunity for her. She learned so much from the experience. I will say that it is pretty tough to get into the program,” he said. The Washington Center has more than 50,000 alumni, many of whom are in leadership positions in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Collazo is the first Neumann University student to intern at The Washington Center. He started the application process in the fall and was required to explain his areas of interest which include law enforcement. “I’m hoping to tap into The Washington Center connections. With that experience
on my résumé, it will really help me get a job,” he noted. While he has not been given official notice, Collazo is planning to work with the DC Metro Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security or the U.S. Marshall Service. In addition to receiving college credits for the internship, Collazo will also be paid throughout the summer program. After he graduates from Neumann, Collazo plans on going to law school or working in the law enforcement field. He has high praise for the criminal justice faculty at Neumann, namely professor Joe Gosseaux. “I love the major and the professors, especially Mr. Gosseaux. He’s one of the best I’ve had. It’s nice to have professors who have done this type of work for a living,” said Collazo.
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Academic Awards Honor Student Scholarship Dozens of Neumann’s most accomplished scholars were recognized at the annual Academic Awards Convocation in April. Alyssa Pegram ’13 gathered an impressive collection of awards, including the valedictory medal, and the awards for English and secondary education. In addition to awards presented to students in every division (Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Management, Continuing Adult and Professional Studies, Education and Human Services, and Nursing and Health Sciences), there were special student awards and faculty awards, as well as certificates of completion for four students in the Honors Program. Faculty awards went to Dr. Louis DeAngelo (excellence, part-time faculty), Dr. Eileen Flanagan (excellence, graduate teaching), Dr. Ramona Palmerio-Roberts (excellence in undergraduate teaching), and Dr. Theresa Pietsch (growth in scholarship). J. Mark Baiada, founder of BAYADA Home Health Care, delivered the keynote address. Baiada credits much of his
Alyssa Pegram ’13 models her three awards, including the valedictory medal.
Mark Baiada urges students to connect the dots.
success to his belief: “Think big. Work hard. Show love.” At the convocation, he illustrated how to connect the dots that can lead to a successful and fulfilling life. From its founding in 1975, BAYADA has grown to become a national leader in home health care, serving clients in 25 states from more than 250 offices. While
building the business, Baiada and his wife, Ann, have been widely recognized as humanitarians. They and their company sponsored various relief efforts that helped people injured in the Kosovo War, Hurricane Katrina, and the tsunami disaster of 2004, and are currently sponsoring nurses to help rebuild Haiti.
Janet Massey (center), interim dean of Business and Information Management, presents the United Parcel Service scholarship to Rosabeth Kays and Frank Altamuro ’13.
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700 Graduates Hear the Recipe for Happiness
Ukee Washington urged the graduates to “surround themselves with positive people” and “make a difference in the lives of others.”
Jay and Bridget Devine shared their recipe for happiness with the Class of 2013.
On a pleasant spring day, under a cool canopy of low clouds, Neumann University awarded degrees to more than 700 students at its 47th commencement exercises. The May 18 ceremony filled the South Lawn of campus with friends and families of the graduates, there to cheer the students and celebrate a significant milestone with them. Honorary degrees were presented to three people, each of whom addressed the graduates: Jay Devine, president and CEO of Devine + Partners; Bridget Guiney Devine, a devoted advocate for Catholic education; and Ukee Washington, anchor of Eyewitness News This Morning on CBS 3 and The CW Philly. After playfully taking a photo of the graduates from the stage (and promising to share it on Facebook and Twitter), Ukee Washington urged the graduates to “Think of today as the best day of your life, and know that tomorrow will be even better.” He told the Class of 2013 that they have the power to influence others and challenged them to make a difference. He urged them to hold onto the faith that they had nourished at Neumann. “Faith is the oil for all the friction in life,” he said. His parting advice was “It’s not about the pursuit of happiness; it’s about the happiness in the pursuit.” Raised in West Philadelphia, Washington joined the Channel 3 news team as a sports anchor in July 1986. In 1996, Washington moved to the news desk as early morning and noon anchor. Since that time, he has anchored some of the region’s most memorable stories including the 1997 President’s Summit for America’s Future and the Phillies World Series Celebration Parade in 2008. The Devines delivered their remarks together and shared
with the graduates their “recipe for what has brought us true and authentic happiness.” “Fortunately, the ingredients for true happiness are all around you,” explained Mr. Devine. “As is so often the case in life, the answers to the biggest questions are much closer than you think. In fact, today they have us surrounded because the recipe for true happiness has three key ingredients — faith, family and service.” On faith: “All of your courses and exams and papers are a pursuit of the truth, and that truth always leads to the true joy that only faith offers. We cannot be truly happy without true faith.” On family: “It is where you experience your greatest joys and where your greatest sorrows are consoled.” On service: “Service to others will fulfill you as an individual but, more importantly, it is an expression of love — both in giving and in receiving. It demonstrates how we are all connected to each other.” Mrs. Devine concluded their remarks with heartfelt advice: “Today, you, the Class of 2013, enter a world which is telling you that you can do it on your own. You enter a world which extols the power of the individual. We are here to tell you that this promise is not enough. It will never lead to true happiness. You need each other. You need your faith. You need your family. You need to serve others. Your success and your happiness will only be achieved when you remember these important ingredients in the recipe for true happiness.” Jay Devine is an accomplished communications counselor with more than 25 years of experience advising international, national and regional clients. He co-founded Devine + Partners in 2003. A graduate of Georgetown University, he is the former chair of the
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Neumann University board of trustees, former president and current board member of the National Adoption Center, and vice president of the board of the Philadelphia Charity Ball. Bridget Devine is a wife, mother, passionate volunteer, and CFO of Devine + Partners. A graduate of Fairfield University, she retired from a successful career at NCR Corporation in 1998 to focus on her growing family and devote herself to numerous educational and social causes, including Saint Katharine of Siena School, the Academy of Notre Dame, Neumann University, and the National Adoption Center. Alyssa Pegram, valedictorian for the Neumann University class of 2013, challenged her classmates to maintain their passion and optimistic attitude. “You’ve faced insurmountable odds and, whether you realized it or not, you reacted,” she told them. “Your passion proposed to you, and you accepted — and here you are now, engaged to it. Now on this day you stand on the altar of all that has been accomplished. You are receiving the binding document that solidifies your union with your passion — your degree. This is the moment you’ve been courting for years. How are you going to react now?” In addition to the valedictory medal, Pegram also won the Sister Jeanette Clare McDonnell Award for Excellence in English Literature and the Sister Theodore Klingseisen Award for Excellence in Secondary Education. The Charles R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching was presented to Dr. Marisa Rauscher, assistant professor of Education. When her name was announced, the graduates broke into applause and many stood to cheer one of their favorite professors. Neumann University opened in 1965 with 115 students. Its first graduating class, in 1967, consisted of nine Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia.
Graduates celebrated after commencement, expressing the joy that more than 700 new alumni felt.
Graduates were creative with mortarboard messages. Ellyn Jones ’13 captures the mood of the day. Everyone gave the ceremony a thumbs-up. There were 40 doctoral degrees, 146 master degrees, 510 bachelor degrees, and 11 associate degrees awarded.
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Spring Arts Slate: From Raucous
Allie DeLeon and Andrew Hughes played the lovers who had to overcome prejudice in Once on This Island, staged by the University Players.
Music, song, drama and dance filled the Meagher Theatre in the spring with a variety of performances by members of the Arts Guild drawing thousands of people to campus. The Delaware County Symphony performed two orchestral and two chamber concerts, featuring composers such as Dvorak, Brahms, Chopin and Janacek. The final piece of the Symphony’s April 14 chamber concert was Camille SaintSaens’ Carnival of the Animals for which the International Ballet Classique joined the musicians on stage for an impressive blending of elegance and emotion. The Cultural Arts Forum offered shows that ran the gamut from raucous to refined. The Forum’s Celtic Connections show included jigs and foot-stomping reels from the Brandywine Harp Orchestra. The mood morphed into sophistication with an
The Delaware County Symphony and International Ballet Classique joined forces to perform Camille Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals.
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April program on Cole Porter’s enchanting and melodic songs. Later that same month, the Forum concluded its spring slate with High Tea: Ladies of Musical Note, featuring selections from female soloists like Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich and Marian Anderson. The University Players electrified audiences in March with its version of Once on This Island, a Caribbean-flavored musical with rhythmic songs and colorful costumes. A theatrical adaptation of the popular fairy tale, The Little Mermaid, the play tells the story of a peasant girl who falls in love with a wealthy boy from the other side of her island. The test of their love, of course, is whether it can overcome the powerful forces of prejudice and hatred. Another stage play, Emancipation Sweet, launched the spring arts schedule in February. Originally written to
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to Refined commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the play tells the story of a boy who travels with his mother to the Lincoln Memorial for a history lesson. A strange encounter sends the boy on a journey back in time, first to the 1963 march on Washington, D.C., and then a century earlier to meet Abraham Lincoln. The University Concert Chorale, Jazz Band and Christina Brame Gospel Choir also earned the applause of audiences for stellar performances throughout the semester. Chorale director Yukiko Ishida also staged a selection of operatic arias, including O Mio Babbino Caro by Giacomo Puccini. To be included on the Arts Guild mailing list for fall, spring and summer performance schedules, call 610-558-5626.
The Brandywine Harp Orchestra performed in concert in March and collaborated with the Concert Chorale in May.
Delaware County Symphony’s Jeremy Gill served as guest conductor for the Concert Chorale’s May concert.
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Spring Sports: Conference Titles, NCAA Bids Men’s Basketball The men’s basketball team went 13-14 overall this season and 11-7 in conference action to qualify for the post season. They defeated Immaculata University as a No. 5 seed in the first round, 66-40, before losing to eventual champions, Cabrini College, 90-77, in the semifinals. The Knights were led by junior Mark Blount as he received first-team AllConference honors. Blount continues to shatter the career record for blocks with 206 (58 blocks this year). In 17 games, Blount averaged 9.8 rebounds and 14.7 points.
Women’s Basketball Neumann qualified for the post season for the 11th consecutive season with an 11-5 conference record and 13-14 overall record. The Knights lost in the first round of playoffs to Marywood University, but they earned an ECAC South Region bid for the second year in a row. JoHanna Metzger and Bethany Humenik ’13 were both honored by the CSAC with Metzger earning Rookie of the Year and Second-Team All-Conference, and Humenik named to the First Team. Metzger scored 12.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game with 23 blocks. Humenik scored 13.4 points and 7.4 rebounds and per game. She also had 19 blocks and 110 assists.
Women’s Ice Hockey Neumann finished 10-16-1 overall, 6-10 in the conference, to earn a No. 6 seed in the
ECAC West playoffs. The Knights travelled to No. 3 Oswego State and won, 3-0, before falling to No. 1 Plattsburgh State in the semifinal round. The Knights were led by Edie Brenning, named to the ECAC West All-Conference Honorable Mention Team. Brenning had 10 goals and 11 assists, along with two game winning goals. Freshmen Shanelle Doucette and Megan Russelo each totaled 11 points. Goaltender Shannon Donnelly made 622 saves and had a 2.64 goals against average for the season. The Knights had seven members named to the ECAC West AllAcademic Team.
Men’s Ice Hockey The men’s ice hockey team defeated No. 14 Manhattanville College, 3-0, to win the ECAC West Championship. Neumann finished the season 19-6-3 overall, ranked No. 10 in d3hockey.com and No. 11 in USCHO.com. The Knights also beat the No. 1 team in the nation, Norwich University, 5-3, in the middle of the season. Scott Farrell ’13 was named to the ECAC West, All-America and USCHO.com First Teams, as well as d3hockey.com East Region Second Team. From the blue line, Farrell led the Knights with 25 points with a team-high 18 assists while also netting seven goals. Six of his goals came on the power play and three were game-winners. Braely Torris was named the NCAA Division III Champion in save percentage with a .942 save percentage. He boasted a 1.85 goals against average. Torris and Jordan
Zalba ’13 join Farrell on the ECAC West AllConference team. Zalba had seven goals and 11 assists with three game winning goals.
Baseball For the second year in a row, the baseball team advanced to the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Championship game before losing to Keystone College. They were awarded an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, also for the second straight season. They finished the season 30-15, 13-5 in the CSAC. Seven Knights were honored with all conference selections. Buddy Elgin and Matt Spillman were named to the d3baseball. com All Mid-Atlantic Region Team. Elgin had a .386 batting average, with five triples and three homeruns. Spillman went 8-2 this season. He pitched 75.2 innings with a 2.26 ERA and a team-high 56 strikeouts. Tyler Drinkard and Spillman were named NCAA Division III ABCA MidAtlantic All-Region Teams. Drinkard batted .352 this season leading the team in doubles with 14 and stole base 24 times.
Softball Neumann won the CSAC Championship against Keystone College 14-6 in six innings. The Knights advanced to the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in the school’s history. They finished the season with a 30-16 overall record and 21-1 in the CSAC. Eight players were named to the CSAC All-Conference Teams. Four players
Men’s baseball notched a 30-15 record and won an NCAA at-large bid.
14 Accent Magazine The men’s ice hockey team skated to a 19-6-3 record and won the ECAC West championship.
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The softball team won the CSAC championship with a 30-16 mark (21-1 in conference) and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in school history.
Women’s lacrosse finished 14-6 (7-1 in conference) and earned an ECAC South bid.
(Callie Emel ’13, Becca Reinhart, Mariah Ripken ’13 and Allie White) were named to the ECAC South All-Star Team and NFCA Division III All Region teams. Both Reinhart and White were named to the NFSA All-American Team. Reinhart batted .487 with 75 hits and 10 triples to lead the Knights. White batted .473 for the season and led the team with 45 RBI’s, 14 doubles and eight home runs.
Women’s Lacrosse The women’s lacrosse team finished 14-6 overall with a resounding 7-1 conference record. The Knights advanced to the conference finals and earned an ECAC South bid for the second consecutive year. The Knights were honored with eight players being selected to the All-Conference Teams. Senior Meghan Garsey led the team with 60 points and 23 assists. Rebecca Dolenti led the team in goals with 42, Lexy Wilkinson had 11 free position goals and Lauren Frampton caused 27 turnovers. Freshman, Chrissy Hughes accumulated 1,032 minutes in goal.
Men’s Lacrosse The men’s lacrosse team went 2-11 overall and 1-5 in the conference in the first year under Coach Cory Malampy. Ryan O’Kane and Evan Zielinski were named to the All-Conference Teams. O’Kane led the team in goals with 18 and Zielinski had 38 ground balls. The Knights were led in points by Chris Scott with 32
points, followed by Patrick Rose with 31 points. Alex Becker played for 493 minutes between the pipes.
Men’s Tennis The men’s tennis team had six players named to All-Conference Teams. Jimmie Ferguson earned Honorable Mention in singles at the No. 6 slot and he was selected to the First Team, along with Todd DelSordo, in doubles play. Bryan Bodine was named to First Team singles and Joel Maynard was Honorable Mention. Travis Hall and Stephen Moran earned Second Team status in doubles play. The Knights advanced to the conference semifinals for the second year running. They lost to Marywood University in the semifinals. The men’s tennis team went 7-8 overall and 4-3 in conference play this year.
Men’s Track & Field Men’s track & field had five athletes earn All-Conference performances in the MasonDixon Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Jeffrey Best, Domenic Pileggi, Terrance Downs, Joe DiGiacomo and Michael Robinson were named All-Conference in seven events. The Knights finished seventh out of nine teams in the Championships. The Knights were led by Pileggi with a third place finish in the pole vault event. All five athletes qualified to the ECAC Division III Outdoor Championships and Best was the only one to qualify to the ECAC Indoor Championships.
Women’s Track & Field Women’s track & field had two athletes earn All-Conference performances in seven events for both indoor and outdoor Mason-Dixon Championship competitions. Deborah Spruance finished in third in the 200 meter run, fifth in the long jump and sixth in the 60 meter dash for the Indoor Championships. Spruance took second place in the 200 meter dash and third in the 100 meter dash for the outdoor Championships. Bethany Lang was sixth in the 800 meter run and in the one mile run. The Knights were eighth out of 10 teams in the Championships. Spruance qualified for the ECAC Division III Championships.
Golf The men’s golf team finished in sixth place at the CSAC Championships. They shot a combined score of 700 (349-351) in the two day event. The Knights best finish of the season was at the Quad Match in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania, as they placed second. Ryan Dreger led the Knights at the Immaculata Spring Invitational shooting a 71, Matt Redfield shot a 71 and paced the Knights at the Cabrini College Spring Invitational. Brendan Gagne shot a 76 at the Scarlet Raptors Invitational. Lauren Cusack competed on the women’s side at the Swarthmore College Spring Invitational and shot an 85.
Summer 2013 15
d e t o m N a a N t i n o n a l H on o r n a m u e N
F
or the second consecutive year, Neumann University has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for its work in four urban areas: Philadelphia and Chester, Pennsylvania, Wilmington, Delaware, and Camden, New Jersey. This designation is the highest honor a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement. Nationwide, 690 colleges received this recognition from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and the U.S. Department of Education. Fifty-five are in Pennsylvania. “Neumann students are engaged in service programs to help rebuild communities, serve the poor, and learn from their experiences,” explained Dr. Rosalie Mirenda, University president. “The University’s mission is to educate a diverse community of learners based upon the belief that knowledge is a gift to be shared in the service of others.” Neumann students volunteered their time at places such as House of Joseph, Wilmington, Delaware; Heart of Camden, Camden, New Jersey; Drexel Neumann Academy, and Anna’s Place, Chester, Pennsylvania; St. Francis Inn, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: and the Assisi House, Aston, Pennsylvania. There were 2,382 students engaged in general community service, totaling 46,686 hours. “Congratulations to Neumann University, its faculty and students for its commitment to service, both in and out of the
16 Accent Magazine
classroom,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of CNCS. “Through its work, institutions of higher education are helping improve their local communities and create a new generation of leaders by challenging students to go beyond the traditional college experience and solve local challenges.” Beyond the four local urban areas, students participated in spring break immersion experiences at St. Anna’s Episcopal Church in New Orleans and the Heart of Camden, and a summer immersion trip to the Wind River Indian Reservation in Riverton, Wyoming. On and around campus, students serve as Presidential Ambassadors and volunteer their time to help at Elwyn, Inc. and Red Hill Farm, as well as participate in Adopt-A-Highway and Sandwiches for Survival initiatives. The commitment to service was solidified in 2012 thanks to the revision of the Neumann core curriculum. Service-learning will now be integrated into two required courses, ensuring that all students will participate in service during their years at the University. Inspired by the thousands of college students who traveled across the country to support relief efforts along the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, CNCS has administered the award since 2006 and manages the program in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as well as the American Council on Education and Campus Compact.
Left: Students Rachael Ruppert and Danielle McDevitt ’13 help to spruce up one of the neighborhood streets in Camden by picking up leaves and trash.
R o l l f or C o m m
e c i v r e S y t uni Neumann students pose for a group photo outside the Heart of Camden Housing office after a day of service for the organization.
Left: Students D.J. Austin and Gilbert Crabbe provided much needed yard work. Right: Part of the work for Heart of Camden was to create a mural on the façade of a building near the waterfront. Here Brande Marshall positions one of the tiles used in the design.
Summer 2013 17
deve l o p m ent
14th Annual
Scholarship Gala Raises
Guests were welcomed by Frank Janton, chairperson of the development committee, and his wife, Marie ’13; James Delaney, chairman of the board of trustees, and his wife, Jacqueline, chairperson of the gala committee; President Rosalie Mirenda and her husband, Tony; and the evening’s honorees, H. Edward and Ellen M. Hanway.
An impressive collection of paintings, photos, prints, and assorted sculptures by female artists featuring self-portraiture, politics, family, nature and cityscapes provided a lovely backdrop for the more than 300 friends of Neumann who gathered for the 14th Annual Scholarship Gala held on Saturday, April 6, at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. This year’s event hit an all-time record with more than $164,000 netted. To date, Neumann’s Scholarship Gala event has generated nearly $1.4 million for scholarships awarded to the more than 90 percent of Neumann students who rely on some form of financial aid to earn their college degree. At the event, President Rosalie M. Mirenda presented the Presidential Humanitarian Award to H. Edward and Ellen M. Hanway. Edward is board chairman of Drexel Neumann Students are the reason for the Scholarship Gala. Neumann’s Presidential Ambassadors assisted at the event and dined with the donors whose generosity helps young men and women like them attend Neumann. 18 Accent Magazine
D E V E L O PM E N T
Funds with Artistic Flair Academy, chairman emeritus of Cigna Corporation and chairman of the Faith in the Future Foundation. His wife Ellen is a former board member of Drexel Neumann Academy. The award was established anonymously in 2002 in honor of University president Dr. Rosalie M. Mirenda, and her husband Tony, Neumann’s ambassador-at-large. The award is given to those whose lives reflect the special qualities that the Mirendas embody: commitment to serve humanity and empower the underserved; devotion to religious and family values; appreciation for philanthropy and giving back; willingness to take risks in the pursuit of vision; and a demonstrated respect for education and positive intellectual life. A special highlight of the evening was a live auction that supplemented the annual silent auction. The auctioneer fielded a round of lively bidding on a Barnes Foundation private tour for eight people that also included dinner, limousine service and an overnight stay at a Center City hotel. The evening ended with dessert and dancing to music provided by Ron LaMar’s After-Hours Big Band. “We look forward to the Scholarship Gala each year. It is the one social event that brings benefactors, trustees, alumni, parents and friends together to celebrate Neumann’s advancement,” said Henry Sumner, vice president for institutional advancement and university relations. “We are especially pleased with the great generosity of our sponsors and guests that allowed us to reach a new record of scholarship funds raised this year. We look forward to an equally successful event for our 15th Gala.” Be sure to save the date for next year’s gala on Saturday, April 5, 2014, at the Union League in Philadelphia.
Chairman of the Board James Delaney (left) and Dr. Rosalie and Tony Mirenda (right) congratulate the 2013 Presidential Humanitarian Awardees H. Edward and Ellen M. Hanway.
Pennsylvania State Representative Steve Barrar and Pennsylvania State Senator Dominic Pileggi (the 2011 Presidential Humanitarian Award recipient) take a moment to talk with Dr. Rosalie and Tony Mirenda.
Summer 2013 19
AL U M N I N E W S
Special Insert for Alumni in this Issue Dear Alumni, We hope you enjoy the special insert in the middle of this edition of Accent, outlining some fantastic opportunities. We are especially proud of the lineup of this coming year’s events and the opportunities available to our alumni, students, parents and friends. The programs are a collection of traditional events along with new Events C ale events inspired by great feedback. We are listening! Pullo ndar ut For instance, the Career (center spread ) Management Series was a success, but we received many requests for Inspire Engage Learn different hours and days; therefore, GROW Reconnect we are now offering companion Network Inform REUNITE classes to our on-campus events Evaluate Return Improve that will be online and then Connect Support Link recorded and stored on the Alumni Socialize Nurture Motivate Online Community for future use. In the same vein, we are reaching out to a wider geographic area for regional receptions. Remember, in the end, it’s all about YOU!
! Participate
All the best and more, Judi Stanaitis ’07 ’13 Director of Alumni Relations and Special Programs
Visit us at 314 .edu/events1
www.neumann
Special
Events Calenda r
PULLOUT
Let us introduce you! PCI (Publishing Concepts Inc.) will be compiling the 50th anniversary keepsake Alumni Directory. You’ll receive opportunities by email and snail-mail to update your information and take part in this historic edition. In addition, the directory will have special anniversary sections including top 50 moments in Neumann’s history, 50 memorable faculty, 50 unforgettable alumni and more! If you ever have questions about who is verifying your biographical data, please call the Alumni Office to check (610-558-5544).
CALENDAR OF EVENTS July 2013 – June 2014
Special
Who is PCI?
You’ve Got the Cutest Little Baby Face Email us a picture of your future Neumann Knight for the Alumni Online Community and possibly the next issue of Accent. Send high resolution photos to alumni@ neumann.edu. Include your name, your spouse’s name, class year, the baby’s name and age. Sending a photograph is consent for publishing.
Neumann License Plates Available The Alumni Association is proud to offer the Neumann University specialty license plate. If you are a Pennsylvania resident, you can display pride in your alma mater by ordering a Neumann University License Plate. Our specialty license plate is available for alumni, students, family and special friends of the University.
To place an order visit www.neumann.edu/LicensePlate/form.asp 20 Accent Magazine
AL U M N I N E W S
Celebrities at the Golf Classic
One of the foursomes at the June 3 Celebrity Golf Classic included Tom Tague ’87, Glenn Davis, Bo Kimble, and Tim Perry ’10.
Hitting the links at the Springhaven Club for the Celebrity Golf Classic were Pastor Darryl Jones, Erik Williams, Rick Spranger, and Marty Milligan ’89.
Enterprise Holdings Supports Massey Scholarship
Ken Smith ’99 (r), Alumni Association president, presents a check on behalf of Enterprise Holdings to David Brownlee, vice president for Human Resources and Risk Management, and Judi Stanaitis ’07 ’13, director of Alumni Relations and Special Programs.
Kenneth J. Smith ’99 made an impromptu visit to share a $4,000 donation to the Janet Massey Breast Cancer Survivor Scholarship and the Alumni Association Scholarship, courtesy of his employer, Enterprise Holdings. Over the last three years, Enterprise, through the initiative of Ken Smith, has donated $8,500 to the Alumni Board and Janet Massey Scholarships.
Summer 2013 21
c l ASS N O T E S
1970s
1980s
Ann Marie Slavin, OSF, B.A., ’71, works as the associate director of communications for the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. Sister does writing and editing for publications — a “next step” from her past work as an English teacher. She helps to update the congregation’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, and enjoys writing her own blog http://franciscanlife.blogspot.com.
Debra DeMasi, B.S., ’80, began employment as a corporate clinical policy analyst for the Amerihealth Mercy Family of Companies.
Roberta Pichini, B.A., ’77, of the Philadelphia law firm Feldman, Shepherd, Wohlgelernter, Tanner, Weinstock and Dodig was inducted as a fellow in the International Society of Barristers at its annual meeting in Mexico. Pichini was also honored with the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Sandra Day O’Connor Award, which is presented annually to a woman attorney who has demonstrated superior legal talent and accomplishments while furthering the advancement of women in both the profession and the community.
Joyce Foresman Capuzzi, B.S., ’84, has been selected as a candidate for a fellowship in the Emergency Nurses Association. The 2013 fellows will be inducted into the Academy of Emergency Nursing at the awards gala in September 2013 during ENA’s annual conference. Kathleen Bonhage-Ardekani, B.A., ’88, is Inglis House’s admission director. She works with prospective consumers to help them become new residents. She hopes to build trusting relationships with her consumers to help ease the transition to Inglis House for them and their loved ones.
1990s Denise (Bradley) Crowley, B.S., ’90, graduated from Wilmington University and passed the family nurse practitioner exam in December. She is currently a school nurse at a Delaware public school and is actively seeking an adjunct faculty position in nursing.
4 Easy Ways to
Submit a Class Note Fill out Class Note card in center of this 1 magazine and return in the business reply envelope
2
mail your news to the Alumni Office at E alumni@neumann.edu
3 4
Call the Alumni Office at 610-558-5544 S ubmit the note online at www.alumni.neumann.edu/classnotes
22 Accent Magazine
Margaret Rivello, B.A., ’92, is stepping down as head of the Chester County Health Department after 41 years of service.
Judith (Jakotowicz) White, B.A., ’92, became the principal of St. Anthony of Padua grade school in the Diocese of Wilmington in February 2013. Jennifer Blake, B.A., ’94, recently completed her first novel, They All Fall Down. For more information: www.theyallfalldown.net. Philip Fusco, B.S., ’96 and Lisa Fusco, B.S., ’96, recently welcomed their fourth daughter, Alessandra Grace Cecelia Fusco. Stephen Piselli, M.S., ’99, has joined the staff at Penn Therapy Associates, with offices in Havertown and Newtown Square, as a certified physical therapist.
2000s Stephen Pizzi, B.S., ’01, and his wife recently welcomed Sebastian Alexander Pizzi. Daniel Bingnear, B.S., ’02, was ordained a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia at a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Charles Chaput on June 1 at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul. He is a member of Holy Savior Parish in Linwood and an environmental engineer at the Boeing Company. Kimberley Pollag, B.S., ’03, an administrative coordinator for Riddle Hospital/Main Line Health, Media, Pennsylvania, was nominated by colleagues and readers of Nurse.com for the 2013 Nursing Excellence program.
c l ASS N O T E S Denise (DiNardo) Wendell, B.S., ’03, and her husband Jameson welcomed Declan Aegis Wendell who was born October 7, 2012. His big sisters were excited for Declan’s arrival. Francis Winkey, B.S., ’04, started a new career with DNC-Sports Service as the retail director at Oriole Park at Camden Yards located in Baltimore, Maryland. Michelle (McBride) Molineux, B.S., ’06, who married Don Molineux in 2009, welcomed a baby boy, Donald Joseph “DJ”, in 2012. She is working at the Assisi House as a registered nurse.
John Jusinski, B.A., ’07, is engaged to Tara Czerniawski. Barbara Selletti, B.A., ’07, received an award for individual achievement in historic preservation from the Delaware County Preservation Association in the county council chambers in Media on May 1, 2013. Selletti is a member of the Board of Directors for the Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery and is involved with preservation efforts at the 1799 Lazaretto in Tinicum.
Three Generations of NU Graduates Neumann pride runs deep in the Palio/Kostyk families with mom Cathy ’98, daughter Heather ’95, and granddaughter Brittany ’13, all part of the University family. Cathy Palio started when Neumann was Our Lady of Angels College back in the 1970s. She returned to get her associate degree in 1996 and continued on for a bachelor of science degree in 1998. Cathy remembers Dr. Mirenda teaching one of her classes. Heather Kostyk graduated in 1995 with a nursing degree and now works at Taylor Hospital as an ICU staff nurse. Her daughter Brittany is graduating this year with a degree in psychology and is planning on pursuing a nursing degree as well.
Alana Lee plays the leading lady in “The North Star” Alana Lee ’02, a communications graduate, appears in an independent film “The North Star” which opened in Philadelphia in May 2013. The movie is written and directed by Thomas K. Phillips and is based on the true story of Ben Jones. Jones was a slave who escaped from a Virginia plantation in the 1840s and made his way to Pennsylvania with the help of local Quakers. Jones is played by former Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter. Lee plays Sarah, a teacher who falls in love with Jones. “I read the script twice and right away I took an interest in the role of Sarah. I felt a connection with Sarah's character. I have never acted in a period movie nor a movie that was based on real-life events. I was a little nervous but willing to take that challenge. They held auditions for two days and there were over 100 women who auditioned for the role of Sarah,” Lee explained. In addition to starring in the movie, Lee teaches first grade at Christ the Teacher School in Newark, Delaware.
(continues on page 24) Summer 2013 23
c l a s s note s
Faculty Publications,
(continued from page 23) Kimberly Hinkle, B.S., ’07 and Kevin Lubeck, B. S., ’09, are engaged. A beachside wedding is planned for September 2014 in Long Beach Island, New Jersey. Kim is currently employed as an account manager with Randstad Technologies. Kevin is employed with the City of Wilmington as a police officer. Christine Kelly, M.A., ’08, received her master’s in reading education in December 2012 from Rowan University, adding a reading specialist certification as well. Jamie Babcock, B.A., ’09, is engaged to James Geagan of Boston. Their wedding is planned for June 28, 2014. Tiffany Kendorski, B.S., ’09, audit senior associate at BDO USA, LLP is currently engaged to marry Joseph Smith in September 2013. Joseph Dolan, B.S., ’09, graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. He completed an intensive, eightweek program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Erika Holder, B.S., ’10, was named Mother/Baby Nurse of the Year at the Inspira Health Network. Yvonne Cipressi, DPT, ’11, is the facility director of a new physical therapy clinic, Physiotherapy Associates, located in Lewes, Delaware. She describes the new Lewes clinic as offering many different forms of therapeutic exercise equipment.
24 Accent Magazine
Christopher Brown, B.S., ’11, has been named Cabrini College’s new head women’s tennis coach. Chris was also appointed as an assistant coach with the Cavaliers’ men’s team. Antoinette (Socorso) Hemmerich, M.S., ’12, has joined The Tides Behavioral Health in Lewes, Delaware, as Reiki master and national certified counselor. Casey Jones, B.A., ’12, was featured in Delaware’s The News Journal because of her “sporty and simple philosophy” fashion style. “Her style is always evolving,” says Casey’s mom, Diane Jones, who nominated her. “She makes great use of accessories to present a unique appearance. She always dresses appropriately for the social setting.” To read more: http://images.burrellesluce. com/image/17262A/17262A_2361 Brandie (Tomme) Laird, DPT, ’12, married David Laird in September 2012. She currently works at Christiana Care Hospital in Delaware doing homecare physical therapy. Justin Stahl, B.S., ’12, received his critical care and trauma critical care certifications and is working in New Jersey’s Cooper Hospital as a registered nurse in level one trauma intensive care. George “Stephen” Williams, B.S., ’09, has been appointed as senior administrative assistant to the chief of staff of the City of Wilmington, Delaware. Jeremy Kilpatrick, B.A., ’13, is working at the Delaware County Juvenile Center. Carrie Dobry, B.A., ’09 B.S., ’12, accepted a position as a critical care nurse at Thomas Jefferson Hospital. Hannah Hartwell, Ed.D., ’13, accepted a position as instructional designer and training manager at Dawn Career Institute.
Karen Albaugh ’07 and Scott Biely, associate professors of physical therapy, published an article in Ostomy/Wound Management, 2013,“The Effect of a Cellulose Dressing and Topical Vancomycin on Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Gram-positive Organisms in Chronic Wounds: A Case Series.” Albaugh also conducted presentations entitled “Wound Dressings: From Basics to Biologicals” and “Wound Debridement Skills” at the APTA Combined Sections Meeting, San Diego, California, January 21, 2013. She also presented “The Art and Science of Physical Therapy and Wound Management” at Universidad Nacional de la Amazonia Peruana, Iquitos, Peru, January 15, 2013. Kathleen Conn, associate professor, was an invited speaker at Delbarton School’s Social Justice Day on April 21, 2013. Delbarton is a private Catholic boys’ school in Morristown, New Jersey. She also presented a paper on bullying in elementary school at the Oxford Roundtable on Early Childhood Education in Oriel College, Oxford, England in March 2013. In March 2013, Conn also presented at the national conference of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development in Chicago, on educators’ responsibilities under the Rehabilitation Act, Section 504. Brigette Cuffia, assistant professor of physical therapy, Lisa Selby-Silverstein, associate professor of physical therapy, and Tiffeny Atkins, associate professor of physical therapy, presented the poster “Concurrent Validity of the Physical Therapy Student Evaluation (PTSE) of a Clinical Experience and Clinical Instruction in Clinical Education” at APTA Combined Sections Meeting Feb. 2013 in San Diego, California, and locally at the PPTA SED Combined Sections Meeting at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 2013. Cuffia is the chair of the Philadelphia Area Clinical Education Consortium, an educational not-for-profit whose mission is in part to provide affordable continuing education on clinical education topics to health care providers across the region. She was instrumental in the development of their new website www.phillyclined.org.
KUDOS
Conferences and Awards Joseph Glass, assistant professor of communications and media arts, presented “Celtic Humor, Hope, and Hutzpah” at the Franciscan Spiritual Center; Aston, Pennsylvania in March 2013. It was an original 90-minute blending of music, jokes & homiletics proposing that three key pillars of Celtic consciousness are a reflection of three key themes in Catholic theology. Terence Gleeson, assistant professor of theater arts, performed in two productions this spring playing John Wales in the revival of Better Angels: Signs of the Times for the Delaware Humanities Forum, and Doctor Finache in A Flea in Her Ear for Hedgerow Theatre. He also produced and served as master carpenter for the Neumann University Players production of Once on This Island. This summer Terry plays the part of Old Adam in the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s production of As You Like It, in Madison, New Jersey. Mehdi Hojjat, professor of finance and international business, presented a paper at Institute for Business and Finance Research on Competitiveness and Culture in Costa Rica. The paper, “The Rule of Culture and Policies in Gaining International Competitiveness,” was published in the conference proceedings in May 2013. In March 2013, his paper “International Competitiveness: Politics or Culture” was accepted for publication in American International Journal of Contemporary Research. On March 6, 2013, he organized an Academic Day in Istanbul for more than 40 students from three universities. The events included a presentation by Professor Habibe Ilhan on Turkish politics, geography and economy, as well as networking among students and faculty. Also included was a presentation by the U.S. Commercial Officer, Manoj Desai, on Turkish trade with EU and USA, as well as pitfalls in trading with Turkey. James Kain, assistant professor of communication arts, had the poem titled “Renascence Again” published in the Delta Epsilon Sigma Journal, fall 2012.
Geoffrey Karabin, assistant professor of philosophy, had the article “Shooting for Immortality” published in Philosophy Study 2013. He also presented “Hoping for Life, Ready for Violence: Immanuel Kant, the Afterlife, & Religious Violence” at the Interdisciplinary. Net: Hope — Probing the Boundaries Conference, Lisbon, Portugal, March 2013. Nancy Laplante, assistant professor of nursing, achieved board certification in Advanced Holistic Nursing in 2013. She was awarded three Beamz interactive music systems for academic music therapy projects and research. Suzanne Mayer, IHM, Ph.D., ’90, associate professor of pastoral care, conducted a series of 12 seminars on human development and religious life for InSearch, the intercommunity formation program of Region Three Religious Formation Conference from September through December, 2012. She also conducted a two-day concluding retreat on April 4 and 5, 2013, at Holy Redeemer Provincialate, Meadowbrook, Pennsylvania. Wendy Ostendorf, associate professor of nursing, had the book Clinical Nursing Skills & Techniques (8th ed.) published in March 2013. Ramona Palmerio-Roberts, assistant professor of psychology, was first author alongside Colleen McDonough, associate professor of psychology, in a poster presentation at the 35th Annual National Institute on the Teaching of Psychology, January 2013, in St. Petersburg, Florida. The title was “Assessing Student Attitudes after Exposure to Racism/ Prejudice.” Andrea Pent, associate professor of sport management, presented “Qualitative examination of the effect of sport event attendance on adults with special needs” at the Eastern District Association of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Annual Meeting in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Robert Post, program director of physical therapy, had the article “Laser use in the treatment of pain and inflammation in musculoskeletal conditions” published in Advance for Physical Therapy and Rehab Medicine. He also presented “Clinical Electrophysiologic Testing” at Widener University, March 20, 2013.
Anne Ramirez, associate professor of communications and media arts, presented the paper “Social critique and Christian principles in Lois Lowry’s Giver trilogy” at the Northeast Region Christianity and Literature Conference, King’s College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, November 2012. Marisa Rauscher, assistant professor of education, had an article, “Promoting Expectation and Efficacy in the LearningCentered Classroom,” published in the April/ May 2013 issue of Momentum. She also presented the paper, “Service Learning and Culturally Responsive Teaching: Impediment or Impetus?” at the Association of Teacher Educators’ Annual Meeting, in Atlanta, Georgia, February 2013. Linda Marie Sariego, OSF, Ph.D., assistant professor of Spanish, presented the paper “En camino hacia el punto de partida: el viaje circular en Los siete libros de La Diana de Jorge de Montemayor” (On the road toward the starting point: the circular journey in Los siete libros de La Diana de Jorge de Montemayor) at the South Atlantic Modern Language Association Conference, November 2012, in Durham, North Carolina. Ryan Savitz, Ph.D., and David DiMarco, Ph.D., associate professors of mathematics, published the article “The M-Tile Means, A New Class of Measures of Central Tendency: Theory and Applications” in the JIMS 12 (2012). The duo also presented this paper at the national IABE annual Las Vegas conference in October 2012 and at the New Jersey MAA conference at Felician College, Lodi, New Jersey, in April 2013. Robert Till, Ph.D., assistant professor of business and information management, had the article “Stewardship Theory, Servant Leadership, and Clare of Assisi: Shifting Paradigms in Business Management” published in The AFCU Journal: A Franciscan Perspective on Higher Education, 2013. Marie Traub, associate professor of French, presented the paper “Teaching Foreign Literature in Translation,” in April 2013 at the University of Delaware.
Summer 2013 25
In Memoriam: Alumni and Friends Bishop Edward Thomas Hughes passed away on
December 25, 2012. He was a member of the Neumann University Board of Trustees from 1970 – 1987. In addition, Bishop Hughes taught at St. James High School in Chester, Pennsylvania, and resided at St. Joseph Parish in Aston, Pennsylvania. He was ordained bishop on July 21, 1976, by John Cardinal Krol.
Mr. Keith J. Mastronardo ’10 of St. Petersburg,
Florida, died suddenly on March 19, 2013. With his brothers DJ, Kyle and Danny, he had established Nardo’s Natural, an organic skincare line, in 2009. The brothers got their break when they appeared on the ABC television show Shark Tank in March 2012. A story about Mastronardo appeared in the winter 2013 issue of Accent.
F Sr. Patricia M. Bianco, OSF ’72 Mrs. Pauline T. Cappie Mrs. Kathleen M. Cooper ’84 Mr. James Domorod, Sr. ’77 Ms. Josephine E. Gallagher Sr. Kathleen Garrity, OSF ’72
Bishop Joseph McFadden passed away on May 2, 2013. He was the Bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and ordained to the priesthood on May 16, 1981, by John Cardinal Krol. Bishop McFadden was a University honorary degree recipient, a strong advocate for Catholic education and a dear friend of Neumann University.
Mr. Thomas Shea passed away on September 26, 2012.
He was a member of the Neumann University Board of Trustees, having served since 1972, and a University honorary degree recipient.
Mrs. Anne Henry-Gavin Sr. Rita Joseph Knapp, OSF Mr. John P. Mack ’87 Ms. Viola L. Mazur Mrs. Inez Cornelius Mirenda Mr. Thomas Prince ’10 Ms. Marie A. Schultz Ms. Renee P. Stango ’95
Sr. Ann Michele Zwosta, OSF, ’68, passed away on November 1, 2012. She was a member of the Neumann University Board of Trustees, having served since 2009. She has been a professed member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia for 46 years. Sister ministered for 34 years in the Diocese of Wilmington at Padua Academy.
26 Accent Magazine
Ms. Rita M. Sweeney ’76 Mr. Joseph T. Wilson ’83
AL U M N I P R O F I L E
CLS Alumni Rock the Job Market Some of the very happy 2013 CLS alumni, all of whom have jobs, are Julie Cherico, Liron Marnin, Ryan Douglas, Jillian Earley, and Allie Renai.
Seven for seven, a perfect success rate. Seven Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) majors graduated on May 18, and every one of them had a job offer before walking across stage to grab a college degree. In a world where newly minted graduates commonly scratch and claw for months before landing a job, CLS is every student’s dream major. Every parent’s, too. The median salary for a medical laboratory technician was $36,280 in 2010 according to the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS). Dr. Sandra Weiss, director of the Neumann CLS program, believes that starting salaries in the Philadelphia area are even higher, at or above the $40,000 level. The seven 2013 CLS graduates are Julie Cherico (A.I. DuPont Hospital), Ryan Douglas (Einstein Medical Center), Jillian Earley (Crozier Keystone Medical Center), Julia Fralinger (Jennersville Hospital), Liron Marnin (Delaware County Memorial Hospital), Allie Renai (Crozier Chester Medical Center), and Brittany Schafferman (Philadelphia VA Medical Center). Why choose Clinical Laboratory Science as a major? Most of the students
didn’t, at least not at first. They began their college experience in another program, and switched into CLS for a variety of reasons. “I was in nursing, but I found the research in CLS more interesting and I liked working in the labs,” explains Earley. Renai, originally interested in becoming a physician assistant, decided that she wanted to focus on infectious diseases. “I found Neumann’s program to be vigorous and that’s what I needed. CLS guarantees you a job, and a very good-paying job, at 23 years old.” According to the ASCLS website, “Medical laboratory science professionals are vital healthcare detectives, uncovering and providing information from laboratory analyses that assist physicians in patient diagnosis and treatment. They use sophisticated biomedical instrumentation and technology . . . to perform laboratory testing on blood and body fluids. Laboratory testing encompasses such disciplines as clinical chemistry, hematology, immunology, immunohematology, microbiology, and molecular biology.” Weiss believes that career opportunities in the field will be available for years to
come “because many experienced medical laboratory professionals are retiring or approaching retirement age.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor supports that claim, projecting that the employment of medical laboratory technicians and scientists will increase by 14% through the year 2016. According to Jobs Rated Almanac, there is a shortage in the field in many parts of the country, guaranteeing employment and higher salaries for graduates. “Students graduate with a biology degree and a concentration in clinical laboratory science,” Weiss points out, “so they are much more marketable because they are recognized as a clinical lab technologist and as a biologist. Students can continue their dream of going to medical school, physician assistance programs, doctoral programs, or other graduate degrees while working. CLS is a tough, rigorous program that requires a love of science and medicine, and critical thinking in the performance of accurate and reliable laboratory work.”
Summer 2013 27
Healing with Hope The following article is a slightly abridged version of the original by international student Sophia Renshaw, an intern who worked in the corporate social responsibility office of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia.
T
his time last year, I was accepted to study at Neumann University as an international student from Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as a part of the competitive Study USA program. During my time in Aston, I had the fortunate opportunity to intern with Sr. Nora Nash in the corporate social responsibility office for the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. This internship gave me a tremendous insight into the outstanding work that is done behind the scenes to influence huge corporations. However, not all their work centers around corporate giants — much of it has a local aim. Just across the Delaware River is Camden, New Jersey — a city in dire need. The bulk of reports emanating from this city contain horrific stories. Yet terrible as it is, there is still hope — or more precisely Hopeworks ’N Camden. Hopeworks received a Social Justice Grant from the Sisters of St. Francis to support its mission to offer educational training programs to locals, many of which are largely high school dropouts. The program focuses on web designing, geographic information services, computer networking and repair, and video — all innovative, valuable, and essential tools for modern era employment. Recently, the staff of Hopeworks invited Sr. Nora, Sr. Albertus Dougherty, Sr. Mary Teresa Coll, Tom McCaney, and me to visit their facilities. As we made our way from small-town Aston to the rough neighborhoods of Camden, we struck some bad fortune — the whereabouts of the organization eluded us. Yet, it was a very educational detour. During the drive, we saw boarded-up housing, litter-strewn streets, and decaying neighborhoods — sights that are truly disheartening. We drove past a beautiful old library from the early 1900s, closed and fenced off. This derelict building touched me as I envisioned the past hope for the city meeting the harsh reality of the present. When we reached Hopeworks, I was given an insightful glimpse into the workings of a group of people operating from within a society — with people from that society — on whom the outside world seemed to have given up. Our guide for the afternoon was Miguel, a successful participant in the Hopeworks program. He was proud to introduce us to the organization and its 13-year history. We toured the ground level computer room, the walls decorated with students’ completed projects, as well as the floor reserved for individuals who have excelled at Hopeworks. These exceptional individuals are responsible for producing the first street map of Camden and other mapping projects
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for paying clients. As Miguel continues to work on a complex mapping of the water pipelines for the municipal government of Camden, he embodies the success of the Hopeworks mission. Adjacent to the main house was a second building known as the C.R.I.B — the Community Responding in Belief. The facility offers residential living for students who have earned a job at Hopeworks, or for individuals who have demonstrated responsibility in the workforce and are also pursuing a degree at an accredited college or university. The C.R.I.B provides these students with a safe haven to live and study away from the chaos and instability they may be facing at home. It was there that we were introduced to Fr. Jeff Putthoff, the Executive Director of Hopeworks. Fr. Jeff shared ideas that had honestly never crossed my mind. He compared a young person’s transition from a world of violence to the comfortable home of C.R.I.B to being in rehab. Entry into this new type of life is an arduous journey that requires patience and understanding from all involved to result in triumphs. The afternoon at Hopeworks was an inspirational look into some of the amazing work that is done by small organizations. The staff dedicates their time and energy to helping young people born into situations that would hinder and destroy the best of us. During my time with Sr. Nora, I learned the true importance of the small nonprofit organizations that advocate for change. My visit to Hopeworks was not the only cause I was fortunate enough to experience. I also worked to preserve corporate social responsibility in cases regarding dangerous chemicals in packaging and products as well as researching the explosive issue of hydraulic fracturing. Also, the students, staff, and location of the Neumann University have all been an amazing part of my experience here in America. Collaborating with these amazing groups of people who work against overwhelming odds has opened my eyes to a whole new side of America. Not the glamorous, action-packed, glossy Hollywood films or the gruesome and horrifying tragedies that make their way to newsrooms across the globe, but instead the optimism and human goodness that spring from these organizations and contribute to the most important dilemmas facing the world today. — Sophia Renshaw
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