Oswego Magazine – Spring 2015 by Oswego Alumni Association

OSWEGO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT OSWEGO n VOL. 41, NO. 2 n SPRING 2015

n III es o i s i Div provid anslate o g e sw ogram that tr play O Y SUN etics Pr h skills ork and Athl ents wit their w stud ccess in to su

PLUS Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hockey 50th Anniversary Celebration

t s e g g i b e h st Don’t misvent alumni e ar! of the ye

Tiki Torches Will Light the Way Back to Oswego for a Hula-day!

RegisTeR now! — Reunion weekend, June 4 to 7, 2015, for a weekend full of dancing, celebrating and making memories with friends old and new. Hula on back to the shores of Lake Ontario for fun events like Friday’s “Come As You Were” BBQ at Fallbrook, a Saturday afternoon All-Alumni Clambake Luau, “Small Plates in Shineman” Saturday evening and the Greeks and Friends Social at the Elks Lodge.

Everyone is welcome, but special events are planned for these milestone classes and groups: 1940, 1945, 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 2005 Alpha Delta Eta – 90th Anniversary Alpha Sigma Chi Arethusa Eta Beta Tau Epsilon Blackfriars – 35th Reunion Anniversary Delta Chi Omega/TKE Delta Kappa Kappa Omega Delta Phi – 35th Anniversary

Phi Lambda Phi Phi Sigma Phi Pi Delta Chi Psi Phi Gamma – 90th Anniversary Sigma Gamma Sigma Tau Chi Theta Chi Rho Wrestling

For more information:

On-campus housing (in Hart and Funnelle halls) is available. Rooms will be available for Reunion guests who register in advance.

Reunion Hotline: 315-312-5559 Email: reunion@oswego.edu Advance registration is required and can be completed online. alumni.oswego.edu/reunion @OswegoAlumni #OswegoReunion facebook.com/oswegoalumni

Please note: SUNY Oswego is now tobacco, smoke and e-cigarette FREE (learn more about the new policy at oswego.edu/ozquits).

We look forward to welcoming you home! Kipa hou mai!

Take advantage of early-bird pricing and register before May 15!

SPRING 2015

OSWEGO

Alumni Association of the State University of New York at Oswego Vol. 41, No. 2

Technology Education Evolves 4 SUNY Oswego hosts the 75th Annual Fall Technology Conference, a tradition that brings together hundreds of teachers and administrators—most of them alumni— for professional development.

Oswego Re-Institutes a Fall Homecoming 11 The Oswego Alumni Association, in collaboration with several campus offices, will host a fall Homecoming on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015, to bring together alumni with current students and campus members.

Winning the Game of Life 20 The SUNY Oswego Division III Athletics Program provides student-athletes with skills that translate to success in their work and play throughout their lives.

Power Play: 50 Years of Men’s Ice Hockey 26

Men’s ice hockey at SUNY Oswego celebrated 50 years last November. The tradition of winning started almost as soon as the team took the ice as a club sport in 1964, and continues today, with a streak of six consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

The Last Word 48 We celebrate the 20th Anniversary of National Poetry Month with your submissions to our Oswego Poetry Anthology.

PLUS

Oswego Haiku Page 48

Campus Currents Calendar Class Notes Alumni Bookshelf Weddings In Memoriam

Oswego Spring bloom awakens passion to teach darling buds of May —Christine Pitz Cleary ’91

27 32

ON THE COVER:

3 17 33 38 42 45 Design by Kiefer Creative

F R O M

T H E

OSWEGO Alumni Magazine

President’s Desk O

ur mission as an institution of higher education is to light the path to wisdom and empower our students to pursue meaningful lives as productive, responPresident sible citizens. A Deborah F. Stanley fundamental part of our success lies in finding a balanced approach to living, in which we nurture the body, mind and spirit. We hope to educate well-rounded citizens who can mix work and play, as psychologists have long heralded “play” as the training ground to develop the skills that make us successful in work and relationships. As you will read in this issue, our alumni share similar stories of skillbuilding, character development and professional and personal fulfillment through their participation in varsity athletics. Our student-athletes have graduated into a wide variety of careers as teachers, coaches, business leaders, communications experts and social service professionals, among many other fields. Some have gone on to play at a higher level of competition, such as our only U.S. Olympian, hockey player Pete Sears ’71, or Lakers who have run in high-profile marathons or competed in Iron Man and Iron Girl contests. Many more maintain their fitness through club sports, gym memberships and an active lifestyle. Through their participation in Divi sion III athletics, our student-athletes work on what the NCAA describes as the three Ds: The student-athletes discover themselves, develop into well-rounded adults and dedicate themselves to achieving their potential. SUNY Oswego is proud to have 450 student-athletes competing on 24 Lakers athletic teams at the NCAA Division III level. Demonstrating excellence in both their work and play, they clocked 3,362 hours of community service in 2013-14 and raised more than $166,000

for 30 charities (see story on page 19). These student-athletes serve as role models for their peers and younger students in the community, and these teams are a great unifier for our campus, building our school spirit and pride. Lakers fans show their support for our student-athletes through their cheers along the sidelines, and our student-athletes work hard to make their alma mater proud on and off the field. Our programs, like men’s ice hockey that celebrated 50 years in November, often attract large numbers of fans even at their road games. These fans generate excitement for the players and for the broader campus. You can read the stories from some of the key players, coaches and supporters throughout 50 years of men’s ice hockey on page 26. Or see how our alumni-athletes return to campus to play reunion games with Lakers from a range of decades, as did members of the women’s hockey team last November (see story on page 25). Our alumni-athletes are among our most loyal supporters, returning to campus for mini reunions, rooting for current student-athletes and making gifts to the college. True to form, they surpassed the challenge issued by former Lakers soccer player and Oswego Alumni Association board member Dan Scaia ’68 in the firstever Lakers Athletics Challenge last fall (see story on page 24). The event brought in more than $125,000 in funding that will help provide leadership training and experiences for our student-athletes as well as to support a range of programs for all students. I am proud of our athletics program’s rich history within the NCAA Division III. I hope you join me in raising up this cheer for our continued success in achieving the balance between work and play, academics and athletics … let’s go Lakers!

Elizabeth Locke Oberst Publisher Margaret D. Spillett Editor Edwin Acevedo M’09 Associate Editor Tyler Edic ’13 Associate Editor Online Magazine Jim Russell ’83 Staff Photographer Kiefer Creative Graphic Design Lisa Potter In Memoriam

Julie Blissert Michael Bielak Jeff Rea ’71 Contributing Writers L. Bryon Taylor Clock ’15 Korver Photography Steve McLaughlin Chuck Perkins Briana Viel ’08 Contributing Photographers Cassidy Carroll ’15 Michael Medina ’16 Aaron Wilson ’16 Interns

The Oswego Alumni Association, Inc. Board of Directors Keith Chamberlain ’87 President Lisa Marceau Schnorr ’87 First Vice President Donna Goldsmith ’82 Second Vice President Elizabeth Locke Oberst Executive Director Edgar Ames ’68 Tim Barnhart ’02 Marc Beck ’93 Paul Brennan ’93 Michael Byrne ’79 Mike Caldwell ’70 Raelynn Cooter ’77 Lisa Court ’83 **Kerry Casey Dorsey ’81 Amy Vanderlyke Dygert ’01

Jerry Esposito ’70 La-Dana Renee Jenkins ’94 Ana Rodriguez King ’94 Maureen Flynn Kratz ’04 Don Levine ’78 Steve Messina ’91 Josh Miller ’08 Dana Segall Murphy ’99 Cathleen Richards ’09 Mark Salmon ’93 Dan Scaia ’68 *Jennifer Shropshire ’86 Christie Torruella Smith ’08 Jeffrey Sorensen ’92 **Deborah F. Stanley Koren Vaughan ’95 Rick Yacobush ’77 Thomas Yates ’89 * At large ** Ex officio

State University of New York at Oswego Deborah F. Stanley President Lorrie Clemo Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Nicholas Lyons Vice President for Administration and Finance

Kerry Casey Dorsey ’81 Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Jerald Woolfolk Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management

Office of Alumni and Parent Relations King Alumni Hall, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126 Phone: 315-312-2258 Fax: 315-312-5570 Email: alumni@oswego.edu Website: alumni.oswego.edu

facebook.com/oswegoalumni

@oswegoalumni

OSWEGO is published three times a year by the

Oswego Alumni Association Inc., King Alumni Hall, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126. It is distributed free of charge to alumni, friends, faculty, staff and families of current students, with support from The Fund for Oswego. Printed April 2015

OSWEGO Alumni Magazine is printed on recycled paper with inks that are non-toxic, contain no heavy metals, and are composed of bio-derived renewable resources ranging from 25-40% (as a percentage of total ink weight).

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

C A M P U S

C URR EN T S

Oswego Legacies: All in the Family

— Lisa Marceau Schnorr ’87

Jake and Randy Sutter were among the more than 100 students and their families who attended the annual Alumni Legacy Reception on Oct. 25 at King Alumni Hall. Hosted by the Oswego Alumni Association, the reception brings together alumni who have current students attending their alma mater. Alumni shared stories with each other and with their children, and families had fun looking up old yearbook photos of loved ones. Some parents lived in the same residence hall where their child now lives, and had fun walking those halls again. Lisa Marceau Schnorr ’87, Alumni Association board member, welcomed the families and encouraged them to reconnect with their alma mater, especially now that their children are attending. She talked about how she got involved with

planning her 25th Reunion when her daughter, Nicole ’15, was a freshman. That led her to be tapped to serve on the alumni board. Today, she hosts groups of SUNY Oswego students for field trips at her employer and tries to take interns from SUNY Oswego. In addition to Nicole, she introduced her husband, Mark Schnorr ’89, and their son, Derek Schnorr ’18. “Mark and I got a really good education here,” she said. “We love it here. It’s the perfect size and has a great diversity of academic programs. And for our kids, it’s just far enough away from home.” The alumni parents also learned about some services and scholarships available to their students through the Alumni Association. Anja Godlewski-Dykes ’15 gave a brief overview of some ways students can get involved with the Alumni Assoc iation, including such initiatives as the Alumni Sharing Knowledge (ASK) mentor program, the Future Alumni Network (FANs), Alumni-In-Residence (AIR) and Senior Class Planning Committee. Her father, Carlton Dykes ’00 M’06, is an alumnus as well. Michelle Tackett Spinner ’98, associate director for stewardship, talked about the more than 250 donor-funded 3

JIM RUSSELL ’83

“Mark and I got a really good education here. We love it here. It’s the perfect size and has a great diversity of academic programs. And for our kids, it’s just far enough away from home.”

Randy Sutter ’85, right, shows off the beanie his father, Lorenz Sutter ’53, wore as a freshman. He was at the Alumni Legacy Reception in October with his son, Jake ’18.

JIM RUSSELL ’83

efore heading out to SUNY Oswego for Family and Friends Weekend on Oct. 24-26 from his home in Montgomery, N.Y., Randy Sutter ’85 packed up the freshman beanie of his late father, Lorenz Sutter ’53, to share with his son, current secondary education student Jake Sutter ’18. The connections to SUNY Oswego truly run deep in the Sutter family. In addition to his father and grandfather, Jake’s mom, Jill Tracy Sutter ’85; brother, Corey Sutter ’13; aunts, Leslie Sutter Borrelli ’86 and Darcy Cavanaugh Sutter ’83; and cousin, Jonathan Sutter ’17, are all Lakers as well.

Maureen Hanafin Botting ’89 and husband, Howard Botting ’89, check out an old yearbook with their daughter, Olivia ’18.

scholarships available to students and encouraged parents and students to pick up a newspaper for a complete listing or to visit the website, alumni.oswego.edu/ scholarship. “We visited several colleges, and when Quinton ’18 visited Oswego he said, ‘This is it!’” said his mother Beth Brown Schill ’93. “It’s great to come back and see all the changes!” l —Margaret Spillett

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

C A M P U S

C URR EN T S

Alumna to Technology Education Teachers: We Must Evolve hen Yvonne Spicer ’84 M’85, Ph.D., started at SUNY Oswego, her degree program was industrial arts. The program name later changed to technology education, and the field continues to evolve. So, too, must its practitioners, Spicer said. She gave the keynote address at the 75th anniversary of the Fall Technology Conference, an Oswego tradition that brings hundreds of teachers and administrators, most of them alumni, back to campus for professional development workshops and networking. More than 275 attendees registered for this year’s conference—the best turnout since 2009, said Conference Chair Rich Bush ’92 M’97, a member of the faculty in the Department of Technology. There were 240 people at the banquet dinner, twice the typical attendance, he said. A full house packed into the Sheldon Hall Ballroom to hear the keynote from Spicer, a former teacher and administrator who now serves as vice president for advocacy and educational partnerships for the Museum of Science in Boston. She is a highly sought-after expert and advocate for pre-college STEM education, and said she cleared her schedule to attend the Fall Conference.

JIM RUSSELL ’83

“This really is about the giveback for me, to come to Oswego,” she said. “This is the university that gave me so much, and I was deeply moved last night to see some of the professors and the people who have shaped who I am. “I see you Dr. (Ronald) Sorensen,” she said, pointing into the audience. “John Belt, I saw him. Carlton Salvagin ’63. These are the people who deserve honor. These are some of the professors who gave me a tremendous amount of love and appreciation and encouragement. So I do what I do today because you helped me move the chains.” Spicer’s address, titled “Keeping the Momentum Going: Changing, Growing and Prospering,” illustrated a large difference between the number of freshmen entering U.S. high schools and seniors graduating who pursue a career in science, technology, engineering and math. Four million students entered ninth grade in 2001. After four years, only 167,000 pursued STEM. Along the way, students changed their majors. The gap is particularly troubling, Spicer said, because STEM-trained employees are in high demand. Successful events like the Fall Conference may help. Bush said the feedback from attendees was very enthusiastic. “They really liked seeing the newly renovated Park Hall and our wonderful new laboratories and facilities,” Bush said. “It’s just amazing, with lots of feedback from folks wanting to come back and do the degree over because of all the new positive changes.” In fact, Oswego’s blending of traditional industrial arts with modern Gregory Bailey ’85 M’89 presents to fellow educators about technology tools helped inexpensive vinyl cutter projects that seek to engage middleAnthony Esposito ’13 find a school students during the 75th Fall Technology Conference at SUNY Oswego.

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

EDWIN ACEVEDO M’09

After presenting the keynote address for the Fall Conference, Yvonne Spicer ’84 M’85, Ph.D., (left) chats with Psychology Professor Karen Wolford, Ph.D., and Technology Education Professor Michael Nehrig.

job soon after graduation at a time when jobs were scarce, he said. “If you’re just computer literate, and you don’t know how to use machinery and basic tools, I don’t think you’ll be able to produce a meaningful group of students to go out into the real world,” said Esposito, now a technology teacher in Cobleskill, N.Y. “That’s one thing Oswego does give you.” Technology teachers are wellpositioned to help today’s students see the value of a STEM-focused education, Spicer said. The key for them is to look ahead to what is needed in the 21st century and not to count on industrial arts as the way forward. “We have an opportunity to take the lead,” Spicer said. “We’re good at a lot of these things that connect the dots. So I encourage you all, if you take one thing, know that you can make a difference, just as I talked about the professors who made a difference for me, each in their own individual way. I believe what I believe today because they gave me strength and encouragement, and I still have the momentum to keep feeling this.” l —Edwin Acevedo M’09

C A M P U S

C URR EN T S

Passion Project Has High Hopes for World’s Fair Pavilion Silva reached out to several companies in search of corporate sponsorship for the film. When he did not hear back, he decided to try crowdsourcing the funding with websites like gofundme.com and kickstarter.com. It was a huge success. The online campaign raised nearly $20,000, which helped Silva upgrade his equipment and pay for costly licensing fees. The unfinished film, in its final stages of editing, was shown in the Matt Silva ’07, a teacher by day and filmmaker in his spare time, Marano Campus Center talks about his documentary, Modern Ruin: A World’s Fair Pavilion, followed by a Q-and-A during the 75th Fall Technology Conference. session open to the campus community. the Pavilion, a collection of pavilion supAmy Shore, assistant professor and porters who hope to raise public awareness, director of the cinema and screen studies preserve and someday revitalize the historic program at SUNY Oswego, hosted the prestructure. screening of Modern Ruin. The filmmaking For more information about Silva, program was founded around the same time the World’s Fair Pavilion and the premiere Silva graduated with a degree in technology date of Modern Ruin, visit aquarelapictures. education. “We’ve adopted him as one of our com. l own,” Shore said. —Tyler Edic ’13 Silva is also co-founder of People for TYLER EDIC ’13

Modern Ruin: A World’s Fair Pavilion tells the story of one of the last forgotten remnants of the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows, New York. The documentary film, conceptualized and created by Matt Silva ’07, about the remains of renowned architect Philip Johnson’s World’s Fair Pavilion, came to campus for a prescreening on Oct. 30, 2014. The Long Island teacher first became interested in the World’s Fair Pavilion after driving by the landmark on his daily commute. After researching the iconic structure on the web and in local libraries, Silva realized that there were very few resources documenting its history. “At first I was going to write a book,” Silva said. “I started gathering photos and stories and I wanted to compile a complete body of work for others to reference.” Silva soon realized that others, many of whom had fond memories of the 1964-65 World’s Fair, were making efforts to preserve and even restore the pavilion. As Silva became immersed in the community of pavilion supporters, he realized that a documentary film had the potential to reach a larger audience than a book. So, with no funding or formal filmmaking experience, Silva formed Aquarela Pictures, an independent production company, and set out to create Modern Ruin.

JIM RUSSELL ’83

SUNY Oswego Loves Its Donors On Feb. 13, the Alumni and University Development office held its second annual Love a Donor Day on campus. Hundreds of students wrote personal thank you cards to express their gratitude to donors who support The Fund for Oswego. Hundreds more stopped by information tables around campus to learn how gifts to the fund support scholarships, activities and programs that directly affect the quality of their educational experi-

ence. Employee donors were invited to a FacultyStaff Donor Appreciation Breakfast in Sheldon Hall. On behalf of all SUNY Oswego students, Olivia DiCapua ’15 thanked the employees for their financial support as well as the work they do in and out of the classroom every day to help students.

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

C A M P U S

C URR EN T S

Students Connect with Alumna to Provide PR Solutions to Community Organization that can be implemented immediately. “This was very hands-on learning,” May said. “We had an actual client and our classwork was for real. It could actually make a difference.” The students presented to Copps all of their materials, which included press releases, pamphlets, newsletters, postcards, social media campaigns and supportive materials, evaluation surveys and timelines. Copps said she was pleased with the work the student Public relations major Denvol Haye ’15 presents ideas teams had done. on how Oswego County Opportunities Inc. can improve “You make me want to cry,” its donor relations programs, as part of the COM 416 she told the students. “You all Capstone in Public Relations. The course gives students really seemed to understand our a chance to create public relations materials for a client organization and what we are from the Oswego community. trying to accomplish. The timing of your work couldn’t be better. We’re excited about what the their mindset will help us engage with them future holds for us.” better.” OCO has recently received grant money Professor Sarah Bozek said the students and is working with Step One Creative, a gained valuable experience being able to professional advertising agency in Oswego, work with a client from the community. to implement a marketing plan. Step One “It really has been a great class,” President Shane Stepien attended the stuBozek said. “Betsy has been a fantastic dent presentations with Copps. client for the students. It’s nice to have an “We will certainly benefit from the work Oswego alumna willing to work with that the students did—especially the feedcurrent students.” l back they’ve collected from our consumers —Margaret Spillett and our employees,” Copps said. “Knowing MARGARET SPILLETT

In December, four student PR teams presented their final projects for their COM 416 Capstone in Public Relations course, knowing that their school work could make a significant difference in the lives of many Oswego County residents. That’s because the students completed research, developed goals, wrote and designed marketing and training materials, established timelines, created assessment tools and defined the timeline for a public relations campaign for Oswego County Opportunities Inc. Betsy Ryther Copps ’82, Oswego County Opportunity’s director of information and compliance, met with students throughout the semester and explained the services provided by OCO, including crisis and development, education, health, nutrition, residential and transportation services. During their final presentations, the student teams shared ideas about how the nonprofit organization could better engage with its employees, consumers and donors through targeted PR campaigns. Kaylee May ’15 said the capstone course required a lot of work outside of class—including several meetings with consumers, employees and other stakeholders throughout the county. But the extra work provided bigger returns than other courses. Her team’s 135-page proposal encapsulated a semester’s worth of work and provides Copps with some well-researched suggestions and out-of-the-box materials

Find the Founder! In the Winter 2015 issue, the Sheldon statue can be found in the far right, second-floor window in the Shineman Atrium in the ’Tomorrow’ Begins Today feature on page 34. The grand prize winner of a College Store gift certificate and Sheldon Hall print is Brian Katzman ’98. Winning Sheldon Hall prints are Winifred DeLaria ’66, Tammy Stock Lunkenheimer ’02, Nancy Lause Middlebrook ’72, Lisa Smith ’87 and Rober Ullery ’51. A tiny replica of the Sheldon statue, pictured here, is hidden somewhere in this issue. Find the Founder and send us a letter or email with the location and page number, your name, class year and address. We will draw one entry at random from all the correct answers and the winner will receive a $25 gift certificate to the College Store and a print of Sheldon Hall. The next five entries drawn will receive Sheldon Hall prints. Send your entry to Find the Founder, King Alumni Hall, 300 Washington Blvd., Oswego, NY 13126, or email findthefounder@oswego.edu. Entries must be postmarked or emailed by May 15. l

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

C A M P U S

C URR EN T S

College Endowment Marks Another Strong Year of Returns

our Investment Committee and board cholarship payouts will increase made a decision that this is where there’s again, thanks to another year the best potential benefit for our endowof industry-leading returns on investments by the Oswego College ment, and it’s paid off well over the last Foundation Inc. four or five years, as evidenced by our According to survey results from the continued strong performance.” National Association of College and Perhaps even more impressive is the University Business Officers (NACUBO), 10-year rate of return, which is used as a SUNY Oswego’s endowment recorded a determining factor for the value of the rate of return that outpaced the higher scholarships the school can award, education industry by nearly 2 percentage Slayton said. points (17.7 percent vs. 15.5 percent) for Oswego targets a greater than 8 the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014. percent 10-year rate of return so that “President Deborah F. Stanley and scholarships can fund not only annual awards, but also offset the effect of inflathe Oswego College Foundation Board members are loyal and steadfast stewards tion, Slayton said. Oswego recorded a of our growing endowment,” said Kerry 10-year 8.5 percent rate of return. Casey Dorsey ’81, vice president for devel“The industry average is only at 7.1 percent,” Slayton said. “That really cuts opment and alumni relations. “These — MARK SLAYTON into their ability to award alumni and friends take their scholarships. It affects potenfiduciary responsibilities very seriously and utilize their tial payouts. Our strong collective professional experhistoric performance has led The Oswego College Foundation, Inc., holds and manages SUNY Oswego’s to that strong foundation. tise to help fortify a margin of endowment. Below are our one-, three-, five- and 10-year endowment rates of “So many donors have excellence for SUNY Oswego.” return compared to the National Association of College and University Business made so many investments in Mark Slayton, the foundaOfficers (NACUBO) in final survey results published Jan. 29, 2015. Oswego in the form of tion’s director of finance, said endowed scholarships,” the Foundation Board and its Oswego’s rate of return for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014. Slayton said. “We do our very Investment Committee took 20% best to steward their dollars a conservative approach to and grow the scholarship growing the endowment since 15.5% payouts. That was their goal, the 2008-2009 market crash Strong 10-year 15% after all.” by investing heavily in the 13.7% returns help —Edwin Acevedo M’09 Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, to ensure 11.9% 11.7% scholarship which has done well over the funding. past few years. 10% 9.0% “The move was somewhat non-traditional in the sense 7.1% that many endowment portfolio managers would say that 5% we’re not as diversified as we should be,” Slayton said. “But

“So many donors have made so many investments in Oswego in the form of endowed scholarships. We do our very best to steward their dollars and grow the scholarship payouts. That was their goal, after all.”

Oswego Continues to be a Great Investment

17.7%

Rate of Return

8.5%

1 Year

3 Year Oswego

5 Year

10 Year

NACUBO Average

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

C A M P U S

C URR EN T S

New Study Abroad Scholarship Honors the Memory of Michael Zalkin

PROVIDED

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

The Zalkins said they feel closest to Michael when they hear such comments from the individuals who are benefiting from the funds and opportunities established in his name. “We think Michael would take pride knowing that others would be able to study abroad because of the scholarship established in his memory,” Andy Zalkin said. Shortly after Michael’s death, the family endowed seven to nine scholarships a year to attend Duke University’s Talent Identification Program, a highly selective summer program for seventh and eighth graders who take the SATs and earn a certain score. Michael had just been accepted into the program and was looking forward to attending the sleep-away camp the following summer, as he had already committed to attending Camp Barney in Cleveland, Georgia. They also commissioned a large mural and climbing wall at Mt. Bethel Elementary School in Marietta, Georgia, dedicated a library at the Temple Beth Tikvah in Roswell, Georgia, and named a baseball field at Camp Barney. “We’ve done a lot to honor his name,” Andy Zalkin said. “But I wanted to do something for him at this time again. I was really moved to give back to Oswego. I got very emotional about it.” The Zalkin’s $100,000 gift establishes the endowed scholarship that will continue to support life-changing, study abroad experiences for Oswego students in perpetuity. “Michael’s scholarship will continue long after the rest of us are gone,” Ilana Zalkin said. “It will last forever.” —Margaret Spillett PROVIDED

ometimes Ilana and Andy Zalkin ’76 wonder what their son, Michael, would have become. A “wizard in math,” would he have ended up pursuing a technical discipline? But he was also a “prolific reader.” Would he have become an author? Or would his love of children have led him to a career in education? Michael Zalkin never had the chance to explore his interests. He was tragically killed in a vehicular accident days after his 13th birthday in 2004. Ten years later, as Andy Zalkin was taking his daily morn- The Zalkin Family (from left): Adam, ing walk near a river park, the Ilana, Hayley, Andy ’76 and Michael father of three (Michael, Adam (inset) and Hayley) decided he wanted to do something in honor of the 10-year anniversary of his son’s death. He spoke with his wife, and they decided to establish a scholarship in memory of Michael at SUNY Oswego. one have a life-changing experience. Study “He was so young that he didn’t have abroad is so impactful and can change a the chance to fully develop his interests,” life. We hope the recipients say, ’If not for Ilana Zalkin said. “We thought about a that scholarship, I wouldn’t have been able math scholarship because he was good in to go to Rome or Ireland and that experimath, but we really wanted to help someence really changed my life.’” That’s exactly how Megan Scott ’16 said she feels as the first recipient of the Michael B. Zalkin Memorial Scholarship, a $4,000 award for a junior or senior with a 3.0 GPA or higher who has been accepted into a semester-long or summer study abroad program. A business administration and econo mics dual major, Scott is studying global marketing, human resource management and international trade economics at Univ ersity College Dublin in Ireland this semester. “I cannot thank the Zalkins enough for their generosity,” Scott said. “At some point, I would like to be comfortable and experienced enough to expand my traveling to developing countries, where I hope to make a difference for women in business. Studying abroad is the first step. I will always think of the Zalkins as I travel Megan Scott ’16, the first recipient of the during this trip and in the future.” Michael B. Zalkin Memorial Scholarship

C A M P U S

C URR EN T S

Technology Drives Deals, Student Opportunities with Manufacturers

wealth of advanced manufacturing equipment, labs and talented faculty and students have positioned SUNY Oswego to “go public,” offering businesses around the region a place to develop and refine products and designs. The effort will provide the college’s technology students hands-on, commercial experience and provide advanced services to companies in such areas as computer-assisted design, 3D printing and prototyping, materials processing and computer numeric control milling. The college’s recent Advanced Manufacturing Jam in Park Hall marked the launch of the collaborative venture, with 28 participants in attendance, including such companies as National Grid, Novelis and the Fulton Companies. “President [Deborah F.] Stanley is interested in leveraging the assets we have on our campus—both human and capi tal—to support innovation and economic growth in our region,” said Pam Caraccioli, deputy to the president for external partnerships and economic development.

Mark Hardy ’91, technology department chair, expressed excitement at the possibilities for assisting companies and for helping technology management students secure experience in commercial project teams, additional internships and cooperative education placements. “This work could take the form of assisting a company in product development or helping a marketing department communicate a concept to a client,” Hardy said. “Or it could mean full fabrication here in our labs, in woods, polymers and metals. We’ve got the capability to machine parts and produce products from raw materials.” Two years ago, the college opened a 13,700-foot addition to Wilber Hall that includes two state-of-the-art manufacturing labs built at a cost of $3 million.

The college has outfitted the labs with $1.6 million in high-tech equipment, including Stratasys’ Fortus 250mc 3D production printer, an AXYZ 4008 ATC precision router, and a Haas Mini Mill, a laser cutter-engraver. All the gear uses modern computerassisted design, computer-assisted manufacturing and/or computer numeric control, which synthesizes design and fabrication via sets of instructions for precision machines. Hardy said the technology department has courses that teach Mastercam software skills, computerassisted design and materials processing. Technology management major Edward McCormack ’15 said his experience interning with D-K Manufacturing in nearby Fulton, N.Y., has helped verify for him that the technology department is keeping pace with industry demands.

“This work could take the form of assisting a company in product development . . . Or it could mean full fabrication here in our labs, in woods, polymers and metals. ”

JIM RUSSELL ’83

—Mark Hardy ’91

“If D-K needed me to do homework or product development here, I could do it,” McCormack said. “I already know how to use the advanced manufacturing equipment.” Hardy said the technology faculty has begun the process of redeveloping Oswego’s bachelor’s degree program in technology management to a multidisciplinary degree program in advanced manufacturing management. “We are training people who can step into management roles with a strong technological background and the people skills to develop an innovation culture among employees,” Hardy said. l —Public Affairs Edward McCormack ’15, a technology management student at SUNY Oswego, works at the brain center of a Haas Mini Mill, a computer numeric control device that represents all that the college’s new advanced manufacturing labs can offer to area businesses for product design, development and fabrication.

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

C A M P U S

C URR EN T S

School of Education Praised in Accreditation Renewal

“Institutions aspire to have all their programs nationally recognized,” explained Joggeshwar “Jogy” Das, associate dean for assessment and accreditation. “We achieved 100 percent success. Education preparation programs across the country know that it is not an easy accomplishment.” The school’s next accreditation is scheduled for 2021 and will be under the new Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation standards. l —Public Affairs JIM RUSSELL ’83

he National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education has granted continued accreditation to Oswego’s School of Education for the next seven years. The accreditation board did not cite any areas of concern or areas for improvement. The school met all six standards for both initial and advanced teacher preparation at undergraduate and graduate levels. Moreover, the team of reviewers indicated that Oswego excelled in and performed beyond expectations in all of the standards, including the self-identified area of excellence on field experience and clinical practice. James G. Cibulka, president of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, which is succeeding NCATE, wrote college President Deborah F. Stanley to confirm the accreditation formally. “This accreditation decision indicates that the unit and its programs meet rigorous standards set forth by the professional education community,” he wrote. “Special congratulations are in order because the commission cited no areas for improvement relative to any of the standards.” NCATE’s performance-based accreditation system for teacher preparation ensures that teacher candidates are prepared to make a difference in primary and secondary student learning. President Stanley congratulated Pam Michel, interim dean, and the School of Education on this “incredible validation from NCATE.” She added, “It acknowledges the tremendous effort and success achieved not only by the faculty, staff and students within the school but by collaborators in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences on campus and in schools in Oswego and Onondaga counties and beyond as well. Oswego’s exceptional professional standing in teacher preparation honors our college’s legacy in this field.” Before the NCATE review of the entire school, all of Oswego’s subject area programs had been nationally recognized by their respective specialized professional associations, which evaluated the individual programs.

During the NCATE visit, the review team members had the opportunity to meet and talk with the School of Education’s many community partners and collaborators at the School Partnership Showcase. Here, Linda Griffin (left), chair of the NCATE review team, hears from two partners from area schools, Phoenix School District Superintendent Judy Belfield M’88 CAS’00 (center) and Robyn Proud ’87 M’98 CAS’11 (speaking), vice principal of Oswego Middle School.

PROVIDED

Oswego Educators Invited to Brazil’s National Education Conference Tania Ramalho, left, and Alfred Frederick of SUNY Oswego’s School of Education attended Brazil’s second National Conference on Education, held recently in that nation’s capital, Brasilia. Frederick contributed to the national discussion of education through his ongoing work with educators in Brazil. They were the only attendees from the United States at the conference. l

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

C A M P U S

C URR EN T S

College Re-Institutes a Fall Homecoming to Unite Alumni, Campus Members Homecoming—the word itself evokes images of school pride and celebrations across campus. Alumni who were students in the 1950s and ’60s will remember the annual fall tradition that included a parade, poster contests, sports games, food, music, the crowning of a king and queen and, of course, fun for all. The event not only drew alumni back to campus, but also pulled in students who participated in activities leading up to the weekend events. Sometime in the ’70s the tradition faded into the distance. But on Nov. 14, 2015, Homecoming will march its way back into Oswego’s history as an annual fall tradition. The Oswego Alumni Association, in collaboration with many campus departments, particularly Student Affairs, decided to relaunch Homecoming at the request of alumni. “We heard from several alumni who really wanted to establish new traditions on campus involving students and alumni, along with faculty and staff,” said Laura Pavlus Kelly ’09, director of alumni

relations. “This was especially true of our recent alumni who said they would be more likely to come back to campus in the fall than for our Reunion Weekend in June. The GOLD Leadership Council and the OAA have been very forward-thinking in planning a re-envisioned Homecoming.” For the first year, the Alumni Office will group some already established fall events together with new activities during the same weekend. Although details are still being finalized, the daylong Homecoming looks to tentatively include: l Graduates Of the Last Decade (GOLD) Donor Breakfast l Scholarship Recipient/ Donor Breakfast l Reunion 2016 Planning Committee meeting l Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Luncheon l GOLD Alumni-Student Networking Reception l President’s Circle/Sheldon Legacy Society Reception l Pre-Game Tailgate

Women’s Ice Hockey Game Men’s Ice Hockey Game vs. SUNY Potsdam l Music/Arts Performance l Bonfire, immediately following the game and performance l

The Alumni Office is working closely with campus partners to brainstorm student activities leading up to the weekend, as well. “We’re hoping we can initiate a Spirit Week leading up to Homecoming,” Kelly said. “We’re still in the early planning stages, but we’ve received great feedback and interest from our campus partners.” Mark your calendars for Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015, and stay tuned for more details. Updates will be shared via email and on our website: alumni.oswego. edu/homecoming. All alumni are invited to return to campus to participate. l —Margaret Spillett

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

C A M P U S

C URR EN T S

SUNY Oswego Earns National Recognitions for Community Service, Engagement JIM RUSSELL ’83

“. . . I give the most credit to students who choose to volunteer and participate in service-learning courses on top of their already hectic schedules. We would not be receiving recognition such as these without them.” —Alyssa Amyotte, coordinator of service learning and community service

Gabrielle Loftus ’17 (left), a childhood education major, welcomes Oswego Middle School students to the Richard S. Shineman Center for Science, Engineering and Innovation prior to a tour and workshop as part of the college’s Mentor-Scholar Program, which pairs undergraduates with students in the Oswego and Fulton school districts for academic and social mentoring.

UNY Oswego, recipient five years ago of the prestigious Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, retains the designation on the new list of just 361 colleges and universities nationwide for 2015. The tribute from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching recognizes colleges and universities that deeply intertwine community engagement in their leadership, curriculum, outreach programs, strategic planning and community partnerships. SUNY Oswego has also earned a place on the 2014 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction—the fourth consecutive year the college has achieved the designation. More than 750 colleges and universities were named to this year’s Honor Roll, a list Oswego has joined each year since its inception in 2006.

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

The significant national laurels have helped drive Oswego to continue expanding student community service and service learning opportunities and participation, according to Christy Harrison Huynh ’98 M’08 CAS’08, associate director of career services. “The honors help to remind us this is a priority,” Huynh said. “Community service and service learning have the support of the organization here from the top down. It’s embedded in the culture of the college.” Alyssa Amyotte, coordinator of service learning and community service at SUNY Oswego, said the honors are “a testament to the campus-wide commitment to community engagement.” “There is great support from staff and faculty, but I give the most credit to students who choose to volunteer and 12

participate in service-learning courses on top of their already hectic schedules,” Amyotte said. “We would not be receiving recognition such as these without them.” Her office coordinates programs and courses that are responsible for tens of thousands of volunteer hours annually around the region. Nationally and globally, dozens of SUNY Oswego students volunteer annually during winter and spring breaks that benefit communities from Atlantic City to Omaha, from El Salvador to the Dominican Republic. Among other programs, AdoptA-Grandparent teams more than 160 students with senior citizens in care faci lities throughout Oswego County for activities, shows, games and a gala annual dinner dance. Scores of college students volunteer in Mentor Oswego programs at three schools in the Oswego City School District and two in Fulton, along with Hannibal Middle School and the Oswego Salvation Army, providing tutoring and mentoring to hundreds of children. Since 2001, the college has been a founding member of the New York Campus Compact to encourage community service and civic engagement. l —Public Affairs

C A M P U S

C URR EN T S

Industrial Arts Alumnus Ensures Engineering Excellence at Oswego

BRIANA VIEL ’08

Students, Alumni Make Connections in NYC

JIM RUSSELL ’83

“Ray said, ’Hey, I live in eorge Wurtz III New Jersey, would you consider ’78, current chair and a summer internship for me?’” retired CEO and presiWurtz said. “So I took him up on dent of Soundview Paper Co. LLC it. Of the eight interns we had, in Elmwood Park, N.J., has high he ended up getting one of the hopes for SUNY Oswego students two jobs, and now he’s a superpursuing engineering, a new provisor heading for a manager job.” gram that has seen rapid growth Wurtz and his wife, Nancy, in recent years. further showed their support Wurtz applies his years of for students pursuing engineermanagement experience as chair ing at SUNY Oswego with a of SUNY Oswego’s Engineering $50,000 gift–creating the Advisory Board, the steering comWurtz Engineering Excellence mittee of alumni and influencers Fund. The fund will support whose purpose is developing and everything in the engineering progressing the college’s underGeorge Wurtz III ’78 and his wife, Nancy, established an program from scholarships to graduate engineering programs. excellence fund to support the engineering program and its state-of-the-art labs. “Oswego students have a students. “Manufacturing in America competitive advantage because is back, but it’s tough to be of the teaching methodology of as president and CEO of Soundview to in manufacturing without a solid base [SUNY Oswego founder Edward Austin] “take a breather” from the daily business of engineers,” he said. “We can capitalize Sheldon,” Wurtz said. “It’s a more practiof the pulp and paper giant to focus on on that opportunity by filling that need cal, hands-on, team-based, project-based other ventures. through Oswego. That’s what we’re education.” When Wurtz returned to campus trying to do.” Armed with an industrial arts eduspring 2013, he visited the recently reno—Tyler Edic ’13 cation degree, now called technology vated technology education department education, Wurtz led a successful career in Park and Wilber halls. During his tour, in manufacturing with Phillip Morris, Raymond Holt ’13 approached Wurtz Georgia Pacific, and most recently about a prospective internship. Soundview, formerly Marcal, to name a few. He recently decided to step down

More than 100 juniors and seniors from SUNY Oswego received practical career advice from alumni representing a variety of careers at the Oswego Alumni Association’s annual New York City Career Connections on Jan. 8, 2015. More than 25 alumni who work in metropolitan New York spoke with current students about their career paths, the job search processes and relocating to the area. Joan Reinhart Cear ’80, senior vice president for Kellen Communications and a member of the School of Communication, Media and the Arts Advisory Board, delivered the keynote address. The evening networking event, held at the Fashion Institute of Technology, was preceded by day sessions at NEP Broadcasting, Madison Square Garden and Discovery Communications, facilitated by alumni. l

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

C A M P U S

C URR EN T S

Scholarship Supports Future Computer Scientists, Honors Alumnus JIM RUSSELL ’83

Rosemary “Rose” Cardamone Crane ’81 endowed a scholarship to honor her late husband, Douglas Crane ’80.

UNY Oswego presented Rosemary “Rose” Cardamone Crane ’81, a member of the Oswego College Foundation Board of Directors, with a wealth of academic and leadership opportunities. But the best thing she may have found in college was her husband, Douglas Crane ’80.

They were married after she finished her degree in communications from Oswego. Doug had four job offers after he graduated and chose a position in Cleveland. “That was 1980, when computer science was just on the rise,” Rose said. “He just did really great.” Doug died in 2012 after a years-long battle with a rare liver condition. Rose chose to honor him by creating a scholarship in his name for a sophomore or junior majoring in computer science with demonstrated financial need. It’s the second scholarship she helped start at Oswego. In 2004, she and Doug created a scholarship for an incoming freshman to the School of Business. “I just thought it was a great way to give back,” she said. After Oswego, she spent 20 years at Bristol-Myers Squibb, working her way up to president of the U.S. Primary Care Division. She also held several top-level

he Acting Company has chosen SUNY Oswego as one of four lead institutions to participate in a new national performance and education initiative made up of colleges and universities, high schools and community organizations. Under the lead of SUNY Oswego, Arizona State University, Towson University and University of Missouri-Kansas City, each consortium will offer professional development opportunities with playwrights, actors, designers, directors and educators over the next three years. Partnering with SUNY Oswego in the Northeastern consortium are Hamilton College, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and Le Moyne College. They are among 26 schools taking part in four regions. “We’re delighted that our partnering colleges have been selected to participate in this groundbreaking regional residency OSWEGO

Spring 2015

model,” said John Shaffer, director of Artswego Performing Arts Series. “Over three years, there will be many opportunities to support both theater education and a broad range of initiatives in the humanities. The energy comes from the intentional pairing of plays—one classic and the other newly commissioned.” The new consortiums’ initial performance and educational activities focused on Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and a new play by award-winning poet and playwright and a professor at Brown University, Marcus Gardley, based on the assassination of Malcolm X. The Acting Company commissioned the new play to launch the project. “Race, religion, power, politics and rhetoric are central to both plays,” noted Margot Harley, co-founder and producer of The Acting Company. “Ian Belknap, our artistic director, chose this repertory to encourage 14

JIM RUSSELL ’83

Acting Company Taps SUNY Oswego for Lead Role in National Project

positions at other companies throughout her career. She said she’s grateful for the many opportunities available to her as a student. By the time she graduated, she had completed three internships, had been a resident assistant for Funnelle Hall and had represented the college on a summer tour across New York to talk to incoming freshmen. Now, she is giving future generations of students a better chance to succeed. “I just think President [Deborah F.] Stanley has done an unbelievable job with this university,” Crane said. “She keeps providing more opportunities, more technology, more everything for students to take advantage of, and it’s there, waiting.” —Edwin Acevedo M’09

SUNY Oswego theater students work with crew from The Acting Company in February 2014 on the set shared by productions of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

faculty to examine the causes and repercussions of assassination from historical, political and philosophical perspectives.” The new initiative is designed to forge long-term relationships among The Acting Company, colleges and communities-atlarge. l —Public Affairs

C A M P U S

C URR EN T S

Alumna Encourages Grads to Pursue Their Dream Job

athleen Richards ’09 remembers waking up to the sounds of Italian pop music one morning and realizing that she has her dream job. “It’s been five years since I was sitting where you are now, and though it took longer than I thought, I have my dream job,” Richards, an Oswego Alumni Association board member, told the 165 people who attended the Commencement Eve Dessert Reception on Dec. 12. “I get paid to travel and share with others the sights, sounds and experiences of the world’s greatest places.” Richards, an international tour guide, served as the keynote speaker at the reception, which officially welcomes the new graduates into the powerful network of more than 79,000 SUNY Oswego alumni. The event, sponsored by the OAA, is supported through grants from Auxiliary Services, and support from The Fund for Oswego. It celebrated the more than 500 students eligible to participate in December graduation ceremonies on Dec. 13.

JIM RUSSELL ’83

than 50,000 miles in 2014. Richards encouraged the new graduates to take advantage of the services offered to alumni through Career Services and the Alumni Association and to maintain their connection to their alma mater. “I know that you will accomplish many magnificent feats, and hope that someday you will wake up to find yourself working in your dream job, like I do every morning,” she said. “When you do, I hope you recognize the role that your Oswego Cathleen Richards ’09 tells the 2014 Commencement Eve Dessert experience has had in Reception attendees that the seeds for all of her successes were helping you to achieve planted at SUNY Oswego. that dream.” Following Richards’ remarks, Shinnell Burroughs ’15, the realities of the ever-changing, ever-more senior class coordinator, presented complex world in which we live.” the Class of 2014 Senior Class Gift of Student emcee and a 2014 graduate $11,441.14 to Laura Pavlus Kelly ’09, Brittany Sperino Horsford ’14, concluded director of alumni relations. the event by thanking the attendees and Kelly led the champagne toast to the sharing a sendoff to her fellow graduates. Class of 2014. “Best of luck tomorrow and beyond!” “As you leave the shores of Lake she said. Ontario, look out beyond the horizon—for —Margaret Spillett the world awaits,” Kelly said. “Go forward, buoyed by a spirit of passion and clarity of purpose. You stand ready to navigate the

JIM RUSSELL ’83

December 2014 graduates were all smiles.

Brittany Sperino Horsford ’14 (left) and Shinnell Burroughs ’15 (center) present the Class of 2014 Senior Class Gift to Director of Alumni Relations Laura Pavlus Kelly ’09.

JIM RUSSELL ’83

While guests enjoyed a variety of desserts, Richards talked about how she made an abrupt change to her career even after earning a master’s degree. “It took courage, but two years ago, I quit my full-time job to work for myself in the tourism industry, because I knew that’s where my success would be found,” she said. “Although I didn’t know it at the time, the seeds for the successes that I’ve had were planted right here when I was a student at Oswego.” Specifically, her experience as an admissions tour guide and a study abroad experience in Rome are serving her well as a travel professional who clocked more

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

C A M P U S JIM RUSSELL ’83

C URR EN T S

Tarandi Foundation Provides Support to Two Oswego Formative Educational Experiences

Thousands of Oswego County youth will continue to have access to books over the summer through the Oswego Bookmobile and avoid the “summer setback” in their learning. “This is a considerable gift for us, and we’re extremely grateful to the Tarandi Foundation,” said Joanie Dain, a literacy specialist with the school district and an original member of the Bookmobile Steering Committee. “Their support over the years has been so generous and has enabled us to do so much—everything from purchasing books to helping pay for gas.” OSWEGO

Spring 2015

Jaime Robideau ’07 gives a crafts workshop in a past edition of the two-week Sheldon Institute educational enrichment program for area schoolchildren. The Tarandi Foundation has endowed scholarships for needy students to attend the institute.

PROVIDED

Getting Books in Children’s Hands

PROVIDED

he Tarandi Foundation recently made generous gifts to two organizations that support the education and development of young people in Oswego and the surrounding areas. The foundation recently donated $25,000 to support the Oswego Book mobile, which currently distributes approximately 5,000 books to 2,000 children in Oswego every summer. The foundation also established the Sheldon Institute Endowed Fund with a $50,000 gift to support scholarships for youths attending the two-week educational summer enrichment program at SUNY Oswego. The endowed fund will also ensure a more secure source of income for the program. This gift expands on the foundation’s support for the Sheldon Institute, which has received more than $20,000 over the past eight years. The Oswego College Foundation Inc. will manage the distribution of the funds to both entities. “The Tarandi Foundation wants these programs to flourish,” said Neelesh Shah, whose parents, the late physicians Ravindra and Manjula Shah, established the foundation. “They are incredible assets to the greater Oswego community and should not be taken for granted. We are hoping that our support provides a launching pad for both of these organizations to continue to build community awareness and generate more programmatic support.”

Providing an Early Collegiate Experience for Youth

Bookmobile Steering Committee members said they hope to put the gift toward the purchase of a new bookmobile, which is estimated to cost approximately $170,000. “The bookmobile provides books to students who may not otherwise have access to them in summer,” said Rameen Mohammadi, associate provost for academic affairs at SUNY Oswego and member of the bookmobile steering committee. “We put books into kids’ hands and help them build their book collection. But they also get worksheets and take-aways that help them reflect on what they read and improve their meta-cognition.” The bookmobile and school district data show that students who visited the bookmobile over the summer see an increase in their reading level, and the jump was more dramatic for students who receive free lunches (a nearly 20 percent increase) than in those who don’t (just over 5 percent increase). As important as the measurable gains are, Mohammadi said the students who visit the bookmobile also develop a habit and interest in reading, which will serve them well throughout their lives. 16

Every summer for two weeks, hundreds of youth grades 2 through 10 come to the SUNY Oswego campus to explore topics ranging from music, art and dance to science, cooking and history during the Sheldon Institute. These academic and cultural programs will now be more accessible to lower income students, thanks to an endowed scholarship fund established by the Tarandi Foundation. “For many of these students, the institute is the first time they’re on a college campus,” said Interim Dean of the School of Education Pam Michel. “Participating in the institute gets them thinking about college and planting that seed for the future. “From an educational perspective, the institute keeps students’ minds active over summer and encourages students to go deeper into exploring topics that they are passionate about or sometimes to try something that is completely new to them,” she said. “The Tarandi Foundation support is giving more students this possibility.” —Margaret Spillett

C A M P U S

C URR EN T S

Events

JIM RUSSELL ’83

’CSI: NY’ Actor Shares Humanitarian Passion At Oswego’s MLK Celebration

Visit alumni.oswego.edu for complete listing. May 6

Humanitarian, actor, author, health and wellness ambassador and philanthropist Hill Harper, best known for his role as Dr. Sheldon Hawkes on CSI: NY, delivered the keynote speech for SUNY Oswego’s annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy on Jan. 30 in the Sheldon Hall ballroom. Winner of three NAACP Image Awards for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series during his time as a forensic scientist on the CBS television show from 2004 to 2013, Harper earned two degrees from Harvard University, serves on President Barack Obama’s Cancer Panel, has written four bestsellers and carries out his philanthropic vision with an eye to social justice. SUNY Oswego’s Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and Alpha Phi Alpha co-sponsored the event, which was part of Black History Month kickoff week at the college. l

JIM RUSSELL ’83

Students Learn About Role of Philanthropy on Campus During Tag Day In recognition of National Philanthropy Day, students in Oswego’s Future Alumni Network (FANs) tagged dozens of spots in Rich Hall, Penfield Library, the Marano Campus Center and the Shineman Center for Science, Engineering and Innovation to raise awareness about the role donors play on campus. Pictured here are Shinnell Burroughs ’15, Nicole Wilson ’15 and Jessica LaLande M’15 beside a tag that denotes a gift from Mike Waters ’70 to support the Zamboni Room in the Marano Campus Center. Students were invited to take photos of themselves near the tags and to share using the hashtag #OzTagDay. Brittany Barna ’18 and Tami Bullard ’18 each won 50 Dining Dollars for their Tag Day photos. l

GOLD Success in the City event in Syracuse, N.Y. May 15 Commencement Eve Torchlight Ceremony* May 16 Commencement May 20 GOLD Success in the City Event in Rochester, N.Y.* May 22 Zeta Beta Tau Alumni Reunion in Oswego* June 4-7 Reunion 2015* June 6 Oswego Alumni Board of Directors Meeting* June 17 Alumni and Friends Event in Rochester, N.Y. July 23-26 The City of Oswego’s fantastic Harborfest! On-campus housing available to alumni, friends and family.* Aug. 3 Emeriti Luncheon** Aug. 7 Brew at the Zoo/GOLD Welcome to the City Party in Syracuse, N.Y.* Aug. 21 Welcoming Torchlight Ceremony* Sept. 19 Mets vs. Yankees Game/GOLD Welcome to the City Party in NYC* Sept. 25-26 Soccer Alumni Reunion in Oswego* Oct. 15 NYC Alumni and Friends Event* Oct. 21 Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit** Oct. 24 Friends and Family Alumni Legacy Reception* Nov. 13 Green and Gold Day 2015* Nov. 13 Oswego Alumni Board of Directors Meeting* Oswego College Foundation Board of Directors Meeting** Nov. 14 Homecoming 2015* Oswego Athletic Hall of Fame Inductions* Reunion Planning Committee Meeting* Dec. 3 Holiday Social in NYC*

Mark Your Calendars Now: JUNE 9 - 12 REUNION 2016 * Alumni and Parent Relations, 315-312-2258 ** University Development, 315-312-3003

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

C A M P U S

C URR EN T S

ATHLETICS Bezek Hired to Lead Men’s Lacrosse Program

he SUNY Oswego intercollegiate athletics department has named Drew Bezek its next men’s lacrosse head coach. Bezek started in early December in his new role, beginning preparations for the upcoming spring season. The Lowville, N.Y., native comes to Oswego by way of Hamilton College, where he spent the last three years as an assistant coach. While with the Continentals, Bezek was the defensive coordinator, helping in the effort for both practice and game planning. He also helped recruit and evaluate players, assisting one student-athlete to NESCAC Player of the Year and eight others to All-Conference accolades.

Bezek was also on the staff that guided the 2012 and 2013 Hamilton squads to the NESCAC postseason tournament. Before heading to Hamilton, Bezek served as interim head coach at Vassar College. During his one-year tenure at Vassar, Bezek led the program to its firstever Liberty League win and placed a student-athlete on the All-Liberty League Second Team. In his playing days, the defenseman spent his career at Division II powerhouse Le Moyne College. Bezek was a three-time First Team All-American from 20082010 while winning Division II Defensive

Smith Becomes First All-American for Women’s Ice Hockey

he Oswego State women’s ice hockey program earned its first All-American, as the Lakers’ goalie Bridget Smith ’15 was named First Team All-America East by the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) at the 2015 NCAA Division III Championship pre-tournament banquet at SUNY Plattsburgh. In 20 appearances for Oswego, the goaltender compiled a 13-5-1 record and a goals-against average of 1.69. She ranked in the top five nationally in several categories, including third in save percentage (.946) and a tie for third in shutouts (6). Smith also held the 11th spot in the country for minutes played (1172:35) and was 13th with her aforementioned goals against average. A pivotal tone-setter as an assistant captain, Smith anchored a defense that was also among the country’s best. Oswego

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

ranked eighth in Division III in team defense for holding opponents to just 1.67 goals per game. Even more impressive was the squad’s ability to kill penalties, ranked in the top spot in the country for allowing just six goals in 91 power-play chances for Laker foes. That comes out to a 93.4 percent success rate in killing penalties, a full 2 percent higher than the next closest penalty-kill unit. Smith averaged 28.9 saves per game, boasting three 40-save outings, including a season-high 48 saves in a close 4-2 loss to Plattsburgh in the ECAC West Semifinal. Over the Hamburg, N.Y., native’s career, Smith owns a .638 winning percentage, holding a 35-19-4 mark. She finishes her time as a Laker with a .935 save percentage, a 1.79 GAA and 13 shutouts in 58 starts. The Lakers set new program marks behind Smith’s leadership during the 2014-15 campaign, posting more wins overall (19) and within league play (12) since the reboot of women's ice hockey at Oswego in 2006. l

Player of the Year as a junior and senior. He was also selected as captain during his senior season and was part of the 2007 NCAA Championship team as a freshman. Bezek graduated from Le Moyne with a bachelor’s degree in business. l —Michael Bielak

Drew Bezek

Herlihey Named MVP of Pathfinder Classic

itchell Herlihey ’18 earned MVP honors after Oswego won its third straight Pathfinder Bank Classic in January. He scored four points during Oswego’s championship run. The Ottawa, Ontario, native was also named to the All-Tournament team and was named SUNYAC Rookie of the Week in men’s ice hockey for Jan. 4. l

Pictured here are: Thomas Schneider, president and CEO of Pathfinder Bank; Mitchell Herlihey ’18; and Michael Cullinan ’79 of the Oswego State Blue Line Club.

C A M P U S

C URR EN T S CHUCK PERKINS

Romney’s Indoor Courts Give Lakers Edge Over Weather, Opponents

“They were good courts when the wind would stop. The wind didn’t usually stop,” said Nelson, a member of the Oswego Athletic Hall of Fame, who recorded more points for the team championship in a three-year span than any other player at SUNY Oswego. “There’s no way you could do a correct serve where you reach up and snap it or anything like that,” Nelson said. Playing with the wind at your back was a different matter, he said. Opponents would smash the ball but barely get it over the net. “Maybe they’ll overhit sometimes and hit it long or out with the wind. That was about the only way you’re going to win the point,” Nelson said. The weather made the women’s fall season challenging as well. Jane Palmerini Acquilano ’98 remembers then-Coach Fayek Megeed always saying wind would factor into matches. “Fall is beautiful in Oswego, but it was short, so maybe you got in three weeks of shorts and T-shirts,” Acquilano said. “Beyond that you were playing in sweatpants and sweatshirts.” With indoor tennis courts under the roof of Romney Field House, players don’t have to worry about bitter cold, harsh winds or wet weather making matches miserable. “I would’ve loved to play indoors,” Aquilano said. “I hope these youngsters know how good they have it now.” l —Edwin Acevedo M’09

Nicole Leader ’14

CHUCK PERKINS

JIM RUSSELL ’83

he indoor tennis courts inside a renovated Romney Field House opened last season, giving the Lakers a home-court advantage in several ways. For one thing, the ball has less bounce on the synthetic turf surface than it would on a regular hard court. Oswego’s tennis players can practice on it every day and get used to its quirkiness. For another thing, the weather is less of a factor in matches. No longer will matches be canceled by pouring rain or lake-effect snow. But the biggest advantage, said Sam Carges ’14, is the sense of ownership. Last spring, his team was the first to play a full season on Romney’s indoor courts. “We had the [outdoor] tennis courts, but we got in Romney and we felt like these were our courts,” said Carges, who now works in SUNY Oswego’s sports information office. “A lot of our games [in previous seasons] had to get canceled because weather conditions were so bad. We’d have seasons that would be five matches. But once Romney opened, we got to play every match.” Winter weather typically sticks around through the men’s spring season. The toughest condition was often the wind, which whips across Lake Ontario and blasts through the campus. Richard Nelson ’70 M’73 CAS’76 had great success on the outdoor courts and remembers how the wind would wreak havoc on his opponents.

Sam Carges ’14

Lakers Maintain their National Title for Community Service Projects During the 2013-14, 450 student-athletes participated in 58 community service and outreach events, which ranged from raking leaves in community members’ yards to mentoring area youths to shaving their heads for St. Baldrick’s Foundation to raise money for cancer research. Each year, Oswego’s 24 intercollegiate athletics programs participate in a variety of caring events, expanding their efforts year to year. In 2013-14, the level of service grew from 44 to 58 events, supporting 31 community organizations. l

For three years in a row, the Oswego Athletic Department has taken home the top award for community service from the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators. Oswego received the Jostens Community Service Award for an Array of Projects, and Lakers men’s ice hockey player Eli KimSwallow ’15 received an honorable mention for his efforts in raising money for the Child Advocacy Center. “Here in the Athletic Department, we call that a three-peat,” said Athletic Director Sue Viscomi. “Much of the credit goes to Dan Witmer ’82 M’87, community service coordinator for the athletics department, who helps organize and connect our student-athletes with a wide range of service opportunities from the community.” 19

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

Winning the

Game of Life SUNY Oswego Division III Athletics Program provides students with skills that translate to success in their work and play BY MARGARET SPILLETT

Anne Sarkissian DeRue ’04, SUNY Oswego’s most decorated athlete who now works as a math teacher in the Fulton (N.Y.) City School District, volunteers as an assistant coach for the Lakers men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams in her free time. OSWEGO

Spring 2015

STEVE MCLAUGHLIN

JIM RUSSELL ’83

nne Sarkissian DeRue ’04 was coming off an impressive junior year season of swimming at Oswego High School, and she was ready to secure an athletic scholarship during an even better senior year. It was the first day of practice, and DeRue was lying on the grass beside her teammates ready to count out each sit up as prompted by her coach. “She said, ‘When I say up, you say one,’” DeRue recalled. “That’s the last thing I remember before I woke up in the ambulance.” She soon discovered that she had a brain tumor and needed surgery. Her dreams of a record-breaking senior season were eclipsed by the harsh reality of this more immediate concern. “I remember asking the doctor, ‘Can’t we wait until after swim season to do the surgery?’” said DeRue, who is now a high school math teacher in Fulton. “But that wasn’t possible. I was devastated.” She fought her way back into the pool before the end of October. Despite not being able to dive into the pool, do flip-turns or swim butterfly—her strongest event— she qualified for sectionals. She chose to enroll at SUNY Oswego to stay with her club swim coach, Kami Mathews Gardner, who also coached the Oswego Lakers swimming and diving teams. In her four years at Oswego, DeRue was a 12time All-American in swimming, and became arguably the mostdecorated athlete in school history. She set six school records—five of which still stand today. “I learned to be patient and to set realistic goals,” DeRue said. “I learned not to give up when things get tough and to never lose sight of my goals. Today, I draw on these life experiences and share them with my students. They just have to keep trying.” DeRue’s experiences as a studentathlete reflect many of the characteristics of other Lakers athletes: resiliency,

Joe Jones ’87 M’89, Boston University head men’s basketball coach, said he regularly draws on the lessons learned at SUNY Oswego when working in his current Division I program.

perseverance, dedication, drive, loyalty, passion, leadership, discipline and courage, to name a few.

Positive Impact

hese words are not simply platitudes. They guide these individuals’ actions throughout their lives. “As we celebrate Title IX’s 40th anniversary, we renew our commitment to providing opportunities for all of our students to live with a healthy mind, body and spirit,” said college President Deborah F. Stanley. “Our current and former athletes embody many of the qualities we hope all of our college community members strive to emulate.” “One of the biggest lessons I learned from my time at Oswego was how powerful words can be,” said lacrosse player Greg Peel ’94. He recalled how his coaches said that if he continued to work hard, he could become an All-American lacrosse player—a prophecy he fulfilled his senior year. “For someone to tell me that I could achieve that type of success was 21

really motivating,” said Peel, who was an All-American swimmer and what he described as an “average” lacrosse player in high school. “Their positive reinforcement, the encouragement and the positive attitude had a huge impact on my life. Oswego was the perfect bridge from home to the professional world.” Now as the senior director of HRS sales at Paychex in Dallas, Peel said he tries to develop a culture similar to what he had at Oswego. “Fortunately, I had an opportunity to observe Coach Dan Witmer ’82 M’87 leading us in an environment where there’s loyalty, respect and strong work ethic,” he said. “I’ve found that mirroring him—by engaging people, allowing employees’ voices to be heard and making decisions collectively like we did on the lacrosse team—can move a good team to a great team.” Boston University Men’s Head Basketball Coach Joe Jones ’87 M’89 said he incorporated key elements of the Lakers athletic culture into the

OSWEGO

Greg Peel ’94

Spring 2015

Joe Farmer ’60

Brian McGann ’70

programs he has developed with his Division I players. “My philosophy really goes back to my days at Oswego,” said Jones, who played Lakers basketball for four years, including two years as captain. “I was fortunate to have a great coach and someone who was a great mentor, father figure and friend—Paul Callaghan. He helped mold me and develop me as a basketball player, as a student and as a person. My philosophy is to have my guys here at BU have a good idea of who they are, and what they want to do when college is over.” Jones credits a conversation with Coach Callaghan with putting him on track to earn a master’s degree at SUNY Oswego and to become a guidance counselor, a career he loved. When the chance to transition into a college level basketball coach arose, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

Farmer contributed to both the track and field and wrestling teams during his four years at Oswego, holding the records for the shot put and discus and being named the Wilkes Regional wrestling champion in 1959. He finished his highly successful undergraduate wrestling career with a record of 48 wins and one loss. He went on to have a successful career as a teacher, guidance counselor, principal and then superintendent, as well as city councilman of Yonkers. “What I learned from sports is you get out what you put into it,” Farmer said. “I believe that in any sport or profession, it’s the commitment, dedication and level of preparedness that increase your chances of achieving your goals. These lessons directly related to my athletics experiences, and I was able to share them with large numbers of students throughout my career.”

Finding Balance

’Full Spectrum of College Life’

Shirleen Dubuque ’85

Mike Howard ’90

OSWEGO

ones developed a mission statement at BU that “strives to be a championship level program in the classroom, in the community and on the court through accountability, effort and loyalty.” He said it was a conscious decision to put “in the classroom” before “on the court.” Being able to balance academics and athletics is one of the qualities that attracted some of the best studentathletes to Oswego. Joe L. Farmer ’60, a standout athlete in several sports in high school, said he received a scholarship to play Division I football at Syracuse University, but the college didn’t offer a strong academic program in industrial arts teaching. “While the football scholarship afforded me the opportunity to attend college, my major focus was always academics first, as I knew academics had the steam to take me where I always aspired to be, which was teaching,” Farmer said. “I also learned to focus on both academia and sports and how to incorporate sportsmanship within my teaching career and pass that knowledge on to my students for years to come.”

Spring 2015

rian McGann ’70 credits his participation on the wrestling team as the reason he returned to college and finished his degree after taking a twoyear hiatus and enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. “My first two years at Oswego I did very well on the wrestling team, 22-0,” said the 1969 All-American wrestler and SUNYAC champion. “But that wasn’t good enough for Oswego. They said, ‘We do have some academic standards.’ And I learned that it’s not just about sports. It’s about the whole person.” That’s exactly the lesson that Athletic Director Sue Viscomi hopes that all Oswego student-athletes learn. While some DI college athletes today are looking to unionize, some student-athletes are embracing Division III athletics program’s more balanced approach to education and athletics. “Students who participate in D3 take part in highly competitive athletics programs but retain the full spectrum of college life,” Viscomi said. “Academics is the primary focus.

We have shorter practice and playing seasons. We have more restrictive eligibility rules, and regional competitions minimize the time students are away from their academic studies and keep students on the path to graduation.” It’s a mindset that is paying off for Lakers student-athletes, who maintain an average GPA of 3.1—slightly higher than the general student body average of 3.0. Oswego student-athletes also maintain a higher graduation rate of approximately 68 percent compared to 57 percent for non-athletes. Lakers athletes say that playing college sports requires excellent time management and organizational skills, especially for someone like Shirleen Dubuque ’85 who played three varsity sports: field hockey, basketball and softball. “Playing a college sport with a very full class schedule all require diligence and persistence—attributes that will help anyone in anything that they do,” said Dubuque, a psychology major with a double minor in coaching and sports medicine, who owned and operated a pet store in Stratford, Conn., until she consolidated with another store last fall. “In order to be a successful athlete and student, effective time management is critical. It’s been said, if you want something done, ask a busy person. They will always find a way to fit it into their schedule.” Maybe that’s why college athletes are so attractive to employers. A 2013 study at Sheffield Hallam University’s Sports Industry Research Center showed that 94 percent of employers recognize the benefits of playing sports in developing careerenhancing skills. The study also indicated that alumni-athletes earn 18 percent more than their counterparts and are less likely to be unemployed. Mike Howard ’90, Oswego’s wrestling and men’s golf coach, can rattle off several names of his former players who said their participation in a college sport made the difference in landing a job. “It makes sense,” Howard said. “These are individuals who can

ABOUT D3 STUDENT-ATHLETES l Report active academic engagement and participation in academic “extras,” such as research with faculty, study abroad opportunities and capstone/senior thesis projects. l Report significantly greater gains in time management when compared with non-athletes. l Report greater involvement in volunteering. l Are more likely to report that they see themselves as part of the campus community. l Three-quarters of all studentathletes in Division III receive some form of grant or nonathletics scholarship. SOURCE: NCAA.COM

multitask, who are driven and selfmotivated. They learn how to fail and pick themselves up again. They are used to performing under pressure and will find a way to get it done for the team. Who wouldn’t want them as employees?”

Managing Expectations and Goals

any alumni-athletes recognize how their experience in college sports directly affects their professional work. As an investigator with Oswego County Child Protective Services, Lakers soccer standout Missy Verdoliva ’99 employs her knowledge of teamwork to develop and articulate a shared goal that all parties can work toward accomplishing. “The common goal that most families and the department want is to keep a child safe,” Verdoliva said. “So I try to help focus everyone on how we can maneuver whatever is happening in the family’s life at a given time toward that common goal—making sure that the children are safe and that their needs are met. I definitely think the leadership, sportsmanship, comradery and goal-setting that I learned through soccer helps me in my work.” Derek Dunning ’09 draws on his experience as a former cross-country runner on a daily basis in his role as director of sports information at

Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont. One moment at Oswego stands out from his college career—taking fourth place at SUNYACs. “Obviously we would have loved to have run for the overall title,” Dunning said. “We knew that wasn’t possible. We set a reasonable goal. We overcame the muddy, wet course conditions and wanted a little bit more. I think a lot of other teams saw the course and just shut down. But we set our minds to it, and said this is what we’re going to do, and we did it. I don’t think another team has been happier to finish fourth in a contest.” He said the competitive drive, time management, mental toughness and goal setting come in handy as he is juggling the competing demands from 20 varsity teams for coverage of their events and is pushing his department to incorporate new technologies such as video streaming. Dunning’s experience with cross country also carries into his personal life and interests. After years away from running, he decided to set a goal for himself—to qualify for the 2015 Boston Marathon. He did so during the Vermont City Marathon in Burlington and plans to run April 20 in the Boston race. “Setting this goal helped me to realize to make time for things you want to do in life,” he said.

Knowledge for Life

ormer Oswego State women’s basketball player, mother and retired Tompkins County (N.Y.) probation officer Eileen Sommers ’83 said college athletes have pretty clear ideas about who they are and where they fit into the world. “Athletes tend to be people who want to be challenged, and who want to see progress, for themselves as well as for the team,” Sommers said. “My work experiences were greatly helped by my desire to work as a team, to share in the hard times and rejoice in the good times. As a parent and as a

supervisor, you are kind of like a coach on a team of people who need to work together to get the job done.” Playing college sports also helps individuals develop good habits that often last a lifetime. Although he graduated 45 years ago, McGann said the trainings he did as a student-athlete have helped him recover quicker from surgeries and illnesses as he ages. “I go on machines at the gym and feel like I can work out intelligently,” he said. “I know that wrestling has helped me in having more due diligence in rehabilitation and to work the weaker parts of my body.” Farmer, who will celebrate his 55th college reunion in June, said he has made it a point to always remain active. “Even today as a retired person, my involvement in athletics is still influencing me,” Farmer said. “I know that my body—which is my temple— has to be in the best possible condition that I can keep it in, in order to maintain a good, healthy lifestyle at this stage. And I believe that had a lot to do with the athletics and the sports. “In fact, I believe that exercising your mind in preparation for life’s many challenges and having the ability to remain focused on where you see yourself for the long haul are what carry you through; on and off the athletic field or the mat,” Farmer said. “That mindset has shaped who I am.” One of the biggest lessons Jones said he learned on the basketball court was to make the most of life—even as the time ticks down on the shot clock. “You have to enjoy the time you have, every experience,” he said. “Win or lose. You want to look back and not have any regrets. That’s what life is all about.” l

Missy Verdoliva ’99

Derek Dunning ’09

Eilleen Sommers ’83

Editor’s note: The following individuals in this article are members of the Oswego Athletic Hall of Fame: Anne Sarkissian DeRue ’04, Shirleen Dubuque ’85, Joe L. Farmer ’60, Brian McGann ’70, Greg Peel ’94, Eileen Sommers ’83 and Missy Verdoliva ’99.

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

Lakers Athletics Challenge Scores Big for SUNY Oswego

UNY Oswego Athletics can officially put the first-ever Lakers Athletics Challenge in the record books. Surpassing the initial goal of 400 alumni-athlete donors only halfway through the challenge, alumni-athletes continued to impress. By the end of the four-month fundraising challenge, a total of 619 alumniathletes, current and former coaches and current student-athletes donated $85,562 to SUNY Oswego. At the 400 donor mark, Dan Scaia ’68, a member of the 1966 men’s championship soccer team and Oswego Alumni Association board member, gave $25,000 to the Athletics Department to establish the Dan Scaia ’68 Student Athlete Excellence Fund that directly benefits student-athletes. “The Lakers Athletics Challenge exceeded my expectations,” Scaia said. “Thank you to everyone who participated and to Nancy Smith Salisbury ’93 for offering an additional gift to ensure the success of the first-ever challenge. It is such a wonderful feeling to see our alumni stepping up and giving back to Oswego State.” After the college secured the initial 400 donors in Scaia’s challenge, Salisbury, a member of the women’s field hockey team from 1989-92 and former Oswego Alumni Association board member, issued a second challenge. If a total of 600 current and former athletes made gifts, she would give $15,000 to The Fund for Oswego.

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

“I loved providing the motivation for a late-game rally in this challenge,” Salisbury said. “I knew my fellow Lakers would step up to meet the new goal. As athletes, we’re naturally competitive, and this was a fun way to use that drive to benefit the college and keep us in the game—long after some of us have retired our green and gold jerseys!” To spur the challenge, the men’s and women’s teams with the highest alumni participation rate would each receive $1,000. In the end, the men’s swimming and diving team and the women’s basketball team had the highest participation rates, with 15.1 and 14.4 percent, respectively. “Our alumni-athletes are competitive, so this was a great way to get them engaged with us,” said Sue Viscomi, Oswego’s athletic director. “They could follow the progress online and see whose team was leading. We’re very pleased with the results, and we are very appreciative of everyone’s participation and especially grateful to Dan Scaia. His gift will enhance our leadership programming for our student-athletes.”

In total, the Lakers Athletics Challenge raised $125,562 to support success in competition, in the classroom and in the community. “We are grateful to our alumniathletes, current student-athletes and our current and former coaches who showed their Lakers pride and participated in this challenge,” said Joy Westerberg Knopp ’92, director of annual giving. “Gifts to The Fund for Oswego support our student-athletes on and off the field as well as a range of other programs.” —Margaret Spillett

Former Lakers Return to Campus for Mini-Reunion Weekends But this wasn’t an ordinary game. The women facing off in the Nov. 22 game in the Marano Campus Center Arena all wanted the same team to win— the Lakers women’s ice hockey team. Twenty alumnae representing classes

JIM RUSSELL ’83

Women’s Ice Hockey Coach Diane Dillon (left), who earned her 100th win on Feb. 13, enjoyed coaching the group of alumnae who returned to the ice on Nov. 22 for a pickup game in the Marano Campus Center Arena.

from 1983 to 2014 returned to campus for the Women’s Hockey Reunion, and most suited up in practice white and green jerseys to play in an alumnaeonly game. They were among hundreds of alumni-athletes who returned to campus last fall to reunite and relive game-day glories. Other reunions included men’s soccer, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s basketball, men’s hockey and men’s and women’s track and field. Most team reunions included an alumni-only contest, an informal dinner, a social and an opportunity to cheer on the current Lakers. l

JIM RUSSELL ’83

t’s not often that a hockey player in a white jersey casually goes over to the visiting team bench for a drink of water. Nor do the players on the home team typically use a big hug to slow their opponents from racing after a loose puck.

Alumni gathered in the Max Zeil Gymnasium in Lakers Hall for a friendly basketball game on Dec. 6, 2014. From left to right, standing: Chad Burridge ’12, Ken Sturges ’73, Chris Gilkes ’13, Mat Burridge ’07, Alan DeLine ’83, emeritus faculty in the public justice department, Jason Leone, men’s basketball coach. Left to right, front row: Ryan Schupp ’08, Jeff Robbins ’03, Ted Emmanuel ’90.

PROVIDED

TYLER EDIC ’13

Alumni enjoyed a friendly game of lacrosse at Hidden Fields during their reunion on Oct. 3. The reunion was renamed The Ron Humphreys Alumni Lacrosse Weekend after the 1977 alumnus lost his battle with cancer in 1996.

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

The Evolution of Lakers Men’s Ice Hockey

Looking Back on 50 Years of Tradition, Looking Ahead to the Future

By Edwin Acevedo M’09

EVENT: NCAA Division III men’s ice hockey national championship game.

DATE: March 18, 2007. PLACE: Wessman Arena, University of Wisconsin-Superior. THE SCORE: Middlebury College 3, SUNY Oswego 3. End of regulation.

SUDDEN-DEATH OVERTIME: At the 7:17 mark, Brendan McLaughlin ’09 settles in for a faceoff in Oswego’s zone. Here’s the call on student-run radio station WNYO, which broadcast the game live: “Faceoff to the left won by McLaughlin. Jumping in front of that is a player for Middlebury, and coming up center ice with it now is [Garren] Reisweber ’09. Reisweber taking it along the board, cutting out OSWEGO

Spring 2015

in front and HE SCORES! THAT EASY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! HE DANCES RIGHT AROUND ROSS CHERRY, AND YOUR LAKERS WIN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! YOUR OSWEGO LAKERS! THE LAKERS WIN! THE LAKERS WIN! …” The tradition of winning for SUNY Oswego men’s ice hockey started almost as soon as the team took the ice as a club sport in 1964, and continues today, with a current streak of six consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Men’s ice hockey at SUNY Oswego celebrated 50 years last November. From the cold, raucous rink inside Romney Field House to the clean, modern confines of the arena in the Marano Campus Center, the Lakers make themselves at home in front of thousands of fans on game nights. 26

This is the story of a celebrated program, as told by some of the players, coaches and supporters who helped shape it— and those who keep it going.

Pete Sears ’71 Sears is the first Oswego hockey player to be named an All-American, and after graduation played on the U.S. Olympic team, which won the silver medal in 1972. After a brief stint in minor league hockey, he returned to Oswego and taught middle school for 30 years. For 23 of those 30 years, he coached Oswego High School’s hockey team that captured 10 league championships. His achievements would get him elected into the New York State High School Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000 and the SUNY Oswego Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.

TAYLOR CLOCK ’15

Alumni returned to the ice in the arena in the Marano Campus Center for a friendly game in November 2014 to celebrate 50 years of Lakers men’s ice hockey.

Arena in the Marano Campus Center Opened:

2006

Shape:

A rounded rectangle measuring 200 feet x 85 feet, with corners rounded in the arc of a circle with a radius of 28 feet.

Capacity: 3,000 (2,500 theater-style seats and 500 standing rail positions) Home rink advantage: In addition to a clean, modern facility with professional-height glass and boards, state-of-the-art locker rooms and carbon-dioxidecontrolled ventilation, there is room for 3,000 screaming fans.

JIM RUSSELL ’83

had a chance to be on the ice with him because he asked me if I’d work with the goalies. Just a tremendous individual. Great, great person. Over the years, there’s such a tradition that’s developed. Now, especially with Ed Gosek ’83 M’01 as coach, it seems like the last seven, eight years, we’ve come to a point Fans in the sold-out arena in the Marano Campus Center cheer on the Lakers during the where if we don’t reach 2015 Whiteout Weekend game against SUNY the Final Four, some of the fans seem to Plattsburgh. The game ended in a 3-3 tie. be disappointed. Every year, you don’t know what’s going to happen. You don’t think it starts with the coaches. If know about injuries, and every other you look at our history through the team is trying to knock us off the top. years, George Crowe was our first It’s that tradition that’s been formed. coach. I played for him. Herb Hammond It’s that bond that has been formed was our second coach. I played for him. I between the players and the school. knew what kind of people they were. It’s going to always be there, no matter Tremendous coaches, but better people. whether we win it or whether we don’t When they brought kids in, they brought win it now. It’s been established. in certain kinds of kids. Not just great Look at all of these kids who come hockey players but solid citizens. Kids in, and they don’t want to be the ones to that would carry on this kind of tradilet that tradition down. They’re going to tion. Don Unger ’71, who I played with, work their butts off to try and maintain he became the third coach. George Roll that and keep it going. came in, and I didn’t know George, but I

David Titanic ’14 Titanic, senior captain of the 2013-14 team, led the Lakers on an improbable run to the Final Four. It was supposed to be a season to rebuild, but the Lakers merely reloaded. With 19 freshmen and five transfers, Oswego defeated SUNY Geneseo in the SUNYAC tournament and defeated Babson College in the NCAA quarterfinal before falling to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in the semis.

ou look back and see who’s come before you and there’s a lot of unbelievable guys, character guys. We had Jon Whitelaw ’13 there the year before, just guys that really showed the tradition, the character. So I really felt a lot of responsibility to pass that on to the younger guys. I only had one year with those guys, 19 freshmen, 24 new faces. It was important to make sure they understood the tradition and what they were getting into and who’s come before. I learned a lot from guys like Whitey and (Chris) Muise and Brownie (Chris Brown ’13). Those guys, they taught me what it takes to get into a lineup. It’s a very, very competitive team to play for. We carry quite a few players, all quality players. They taught me to be patient, to

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

Golden Romney Field House Opened:

1963

Shape:

An oval measuring 185 feet x 85 feet, 6 inches, with deep, round corners that have a radius of 36 feet, 9 inches.

Capacity: 2,200 Home rink advantage: It got very loud, with the opposing crowd just about on top of the ice. There was no penalty box, so offending players sat in the bleachers with the fans (protected by a state trooper). The deep corners gave room for Oswego defenders to gain speed and crush opposing forwards in the boards. There were also a few spots in the corners where, if shot the right way, the puck would ricochet and fly in front of the goal.

Members of the 1973 Lakers team knew how to use the old Romney rink's deep, round corners to their benefit.

be a good team guy, even when things weren’t going well for you personally. When you’re at Oswego, you’re part of something that’s bigger than yourself.

Pierre Belanger ’69 Nicknamed “The Flying Frenchman,” Belanger logged only 38 games in two varsity seasons (Oswego was a club team for the first two years), yet he is 34th in career points despite playing in about a third as many games as the all-time scoring leaders. Now 68, Belanger cont inues to play hard, having lost three teeth during a pickup game last summer.

y whole career, I’ve always been one of those guys who liked a little bit of an extra challenge. The fact that they were starting a whole program and so forth, plus it was far from home. I was 500 miles from home (in Berlin, N.H.). I said, ‘Hey, let’s give it

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

a shot.’ So I showed up at Oswego. That was the first time I met George (Crowe). There was no such thing as recruiting on the road. It just went by word of mouth from my coach in high school. So, went to Oswego, met George, met all the other guys trying out. We were very successful the first year. We brought in some pretty good crowds after the first three or four games. The sport was new to the school. In those days, I hate to say it, but fighting was pretty much allowed. So a couple of times, late in the game, we put on a little show. And the crowds pretty much doubled after those first three or four games. We pretty much started filling the place and I don’t think it’s ever gone down.

Sean Fitzgerald ’89 Fitzgerald scored a goal or was awarded an assist through 48 games, the longest point streak in Lakers history.

never even knew I had a streak going when it happened. During that streak, one year I had Rob Duke ’88 as my center, and then he got hurt and John Staerker and Sean Green ’90 were on my line. To be honest, those guys are all top 10 in scoring. It kept going because of the talent I got to play with. Romney Field House was awesome. I’ve been to the [Marano] Campus Center. I come back every year at least once, and the Campus Center’s beautiful,

no doubt. Romney was crazy. It was so loud. Fans are right on top of you. It was a great, great place to play. Teams would walk in there and you knew you had them beat already.

Ed Ames ’68 Ames, a member of the Oswego Alumni Association board, played center on Oswego’s first club team in 1964. He scored the deciding goal in the Finger Lakes Collegiate Hockey League 1968 title game, a 5-4 overtime win against then-undefeated University at Buffalo. Ames reflected on the team’s beginnings.

e played Syracuse University’s club team, our first game, and beat them 12-0. Then we played them again a week later up here and beat them 24-0. The following game, we played Hobart and beat them 30-2. The problem was they didn’t have a lot of skaters on the team. There was a fight, and some of their best players and some of our kids got thrown out of the game. We had three or four really strong lines. We just kept going. The only skaters they had were out of the game. We had decided among ourselves we would skate with the puck into their zone, around the net, and back to the blue line three times before we shot on goal. There’s a lot less fighting today than there was back then. Guys got into fights, but not like the NHL. College hockey has really done a lot to change that game.

Lakers Well Represented at Frozen Dome Classic The sound of a roaring audience is nothing new to the Carrier Dome, but for the first time, the sounds of skates scraping the ice, hockey sticks striking, the loud crash of players colliding and the cheers of SUNY Oswego Lakers fans could be heard throughout the Dome. The Oswego Lakers men’s ice hockey team tied the Utica Pioneers, 4-4, on Nov. 22 at the record-setting Toyota Frozen Dome Classic in Syracuse University’s Carrier Dome. The game set the attendance record for a NCAA Division III men’s ice hockey contest with 7,047 attendees, and more than 500 Lakers in attendance. The Oswego Alumni Association quickly sold a block of 500 game tickets held for SUNY Oswego alumni and friends. The Oswego Alumni Association also hosted a pre-game reception at the Sheraton Hotel, a few blocks from the Carrier Dome. Alumni Association Board Member and Lakers fan Marc Beck ’93 spoke to the crowd about his relationship with Oswego, encouraging other alumni to get involved and give back to their alma mater. “If you haven’t been back in a while, you need to visit campus to see all of the

Members of the men's ice hockey team circa 1973.

Don Unger ’71

was very fortunate as a coach. I was recruited by George Crowe, played under Herb Hammond, then was his JV and assistant varsity coach. I inherited some great players and was fortunate over the years to have recruited some great players. Players like Dave Lair ’83, who arguably could be the greatest hockey player to ever play here. He was absolutely a phenomenal hockey player. I watched him with the Canadian National Team and Scotty Bowman (legendary former head coach of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings) said he was the best player there from the blue line in. That’s how good he was. Rick Pratt ’82, Mike Snell ’87 and Sean Fitzgerald ’89 … I don’t want to leave anybody out because there were so many, and those were the offensive guys. There were so many great ones on

TYLER EDIC ’13

Unger played for Coach Hammond, and took over the team when Hammond left for SUNY Plattsburgh in 1980. Unger spent 16 years as coach, the longest tenure of Oswego’s five coaches. His teams won four SUNYAC titles, recorded 289 wins, appeared in the NCAA Tournament seven times and made the college’s first trip to the Final Four in 1987.

growth that has taken place. It’s amazing,” Beck said. SUNY Oswego President Deborah F. Stanley spoke about recent happenings on campus, including the men’s ice hockey 50-year celebration and the public launch of With Passion and Purpose: The Campaign for SUNY Oswego on Oct. 16. She acknowledged some reception attendees for their continued support; Beck, Lou Borrelli ’77, founder of the Media Summit, and Dan Scaia ’68 for his support of SUNY Oswego Athletics, including the Lakers Athletics Challenge. Following the reception, the crowd migrated to the Carrier Dome. As the thousands of people prepared to watch the match in person, 4,022 viewers tuned in online. The Toyota Frozen Dome Classic was covered by Oswego’s WTOP10 TV, the on-campus, student-run television station. The Oswego Lakers and WTOP logos could be seen on the giant screens around the Carrier Dome, a clear beacon of the value of Oswego’s trademark “hands-on learning” education to the surrounding Syracuse community. — Tyler Edic ’13

From left to right, Mike “Cody” Connor, Teri Rinella Connor, David Jacobowitz ’70 and Kathleen Fitzpatrick Moran ’71 cheered on the Lakers at the Toyota Frozen Dome Classic. The Connors’ daughter, Shannon Connor ’09, attended Oswego.

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

JIM RUSSELL ’83

In 2007, SUNY Oswego won its first-ever national team championship, a 4-3 overtime win over Middlebury in the NCAA men’s ice hockey title game. The college community celebrated in the newly completed arena in the [Marano] Campus Center. Inset: Head Coach Ed Gosek '83 M'01 presents 2007 men's ice hockey team member Derrell Levy '09 with a championship ring during a formal ceremony in October 2007.

George Roll Roll coached the Lakers for six years, preaching a defense-first philosophy. His last team in 2003 won the SUNYAC Tournament title game, the Lakers’ first championship since 1991. The win came in thrilling fashion: a blast from Don Patrick with 1:57 to play ended Plattsburgh’s six-year stranglehold on the SUNYAC title. Roll reflected on that team.

hey were an extremely hardworking group of guys. They were committed to a team-first mentality. We had very good leadership

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

in senior captain John Hirliman ’03 and the young guys followed his footprint. It was a close-knit team, which to me is the most important ingredient to a successful team. In the history of the Oswego program, it had seemed Plattsburgh was the measuring stick, not only in the SUNYAC but also in the country. We had always come up short against them and to finally get over the hump and beat them was extremely gratifying for all of us associated with the program.

Sue Viscomi Viscomi is SUNY Oswego’s athletic director.

hen one of our teams consistently achieves at a national level, like men’s hockey has done for the last five years, it raises the profile of our entire athletics department in a tremendously positive way. From a recruiting standpoint, our name recognition expands well beyond the borders of New York state. And of course, once a winning reputation has been established,

JIM RUSSELL ’83

defense. Paul Mueller was a tremendous goaltender. Tommy McFall ’90, Bob Hagan ’88, Jeff Greene ’88 were great defensemen. My defense and my goaltenders didn’t always get the same stats because I was a run-and-gun, highpowered offense coach, so we would be happy to win 7-5 instead of 2-1. But we had many players who were not just good offensive players, but great team players, great in the community, role models for kids. Just real class people and also great teammates.

success breeds success and the hope is to cultivate that across all of our other sports. Our new turf stadium will provide a state-of-the-art competition facility for the sports of field hockey, soccer and lacrosse. With so many high school athletes accustomed to playing on an artificial surface nowadays, this will help level the playing field in enabling our coaches to recruit the best of the best.

Edward Gosek ’83 M’01 In 2007, Gosek’s Lakers went 23-3-3, received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and won the NCAA Division III hockey title. It was Oswego’s first NCAA national cham pionship in any sport. Gosek reflected on the national championship season.

he run to the national championship really started two years before, when I served on the NCAA championships committee. You serve on the committee and you try to select the best teams for the tournament other than the teams that get in with an automatic bid. You get to see what it takes to get into the Final Four. I’m watching great coaches like Bill Beaney at Middlebury, who had won five in a row, Mike McShane at Norwich, Tim Coghlin at St. Norbert. There’s one thing for sure: I’m watching and seeing what our shortcomings are, and then knowing that we’re going to be moving into this beautiful facility that President [Deborah F.] Stanley and the college made a commitment to. That was the point I had to make a decision: Do we want to tread water here or are we really going to try and do this, and do it right? Are we recruiting kids good enough to win a national championship? We have 300, 400 kids a year who want to come to our school. But a lot of these kids, they’re not difference-makers. Many of the players we recruit are Division I athletes who were overlooked for one reason or another. Those are the kinds of student-athletes we go looking for.

In 2008 and 2009, the Lakers were knocked out of the SUNYAC Tournament and missed the NCAA Tournament. Since then, the Lakers have gone to the NCAA Tournament six years in a row. The year after the national championship, I was not prepared for how big a factor complacency would have on our athletes. We underestimated the way other teams would challenge us to play our “A” game every night. People say, “How in the heck have you made it five years in a row to the Final Four?” And the answer to that consistency is the great leadership that our captains the past five years have brought to the team, but also what we learned after the 2007 season, because it was a humbling experience.

Diane Dillon Dillon has coached the women’s ice hockey team since 2006, when it was restored by the college. She played inside Romney Field House as a member of Cornell University women’s hockey team against the Lakers in the ’70s and ’80s. Even before that, she traveled to Oswego regularly with her family from her hometown of Tonawanda, N.Y., to watch her brother, Dennis Dillon ’72, play hockey for Coach Hammond.

o I was a little kid coming to Romney. I grew up in a hockey family. For me, it was almost like coming full circle, coming to Oswego. President Stanley actually insisted that when this building opened, that there be a men’s team on one blue line and a women’s team on the other. That told me they were looking for equal opportunity for men and for women here. That spoke volumes. As a coach coming into a new school, starting a brand new program, I know I have the support of the administration and the athletic department. So I really wanted to make sure we lived up to that challenge. Coach Gosek was very instrumental in helping me get the lay of the land. I came out of a Division I program and I really ran it that way. It coincided with a lot of things that Coach Gosek does, too, running at a little bit of a higher standard, with higher expectations than what maybe, at that time, a typical Division III program might have done. So, certainly I picked Ed’s brain quite a bit. Any time you have a team with that kind of winning tradition, you’d be a fool not to take advantage of that resource 50 feet down the hallway.

OSWEGO ATHLETICS

In 2014, the men's ice hockey team, under head coach Ed Gosek '83 M'01, won its 10th SUNYAC championship title. The team went on to compete in its fifthstraight Frozen Four appearance. The 2015 Lakers team advanced to the NCAA Tourna ment, making it six years in a row.

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

During Oswego hockey's 50th season, the Lakers rich tradition is on the back of everyone's minds.

President Deborah F. Stanley Stanley envisioned a hockey arena inside the Marano Campus Center, which recognizes that the backbone of the college is the athletics program, which in turn is anchored by the men’s and women’s hockey programs.

JIM RUSSELL ’83

e’re happy to hold hockey up as a great example on this campus. An example of a winning tradition for many, many years; a tradition of individuals who care about school, who care about the game, who care about the world and they care about one another as well. I’ve seen that over and over again. We’re very proud of this tradition. This is a special thing that happens at Oswego. You can see it in the way the community comes together, the students come together. We have built strong traditions, and they are continuing to be built. They are changing and growing, but they are as strong as ever.

The Hat Trick—Oswego’s Past, Present and Future

or 50 years, Lakers hockey has had consistent coaching and talented players with high character. It has had strong support from the college administration and the community. Oswego had been home to the oldest rink in the SUNY system at Romney Field House, and now has the newest rink—a modern showpiece in the arena in the

Marano Campus Center. Hockey is a source of Oswego pride, and rightfully so. No one can know what the next 50 years will bring. But for Lakers hockey and Oswego athletics, the best years may lie ahead. l

Herb Hammond Fund Demonstrates Power of Friendship The fifth annual Herb Hammond Golf Tournament, a fundraiser to support the SUNY Oswego men’s hockey team, demonstrates the power of friendship. Hammond, Oswego’s men’s hockey coach from 1968-80, broke many a hockey fan’s heart by leaving Oswego for archrival SUNY Plattsburgh. It would have been easy to cast him as the villain. That didn’t happen. “The people of Oswego make you just feel so comfortable,” said Patti Hammond, Herb’s wife. “They’re friends because they’re friends. They’re not friends because of what you could do for me today, which can happen sometimes. They supported Herb so much, from the beginning, when he first got there. They’re just always so supportive.” Herb died from cancer in 2009. His wife had received $1,200 in memorial gifts to the Herb Hammond Hockey Fund. She asked Dick Johnson, one of Herb’s

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

best friends, what she should do. “Pat wanted to do something,” said Johnson, a former SUNY Oswego employee, an inductee into the college’s Athletic Hall of Fame and first president of the Blueline Club. “Why not put something in Herb’s name? She wanted something that would go on in perpetuity.” Johnson approached the Oswego College Foundation Inc., and he learned what it would take to endow a fund to support Lakers men’s hockey in ways that the normal operating budget could not. Then he organized his first golf tournament to raise more money. “I reached out to the community,” Johnson said. “That’s really where the money is made. We were lucky enough to have a very giving community.” The tournament reached $10,000 in two years. The Herb Hammond Memorial Fund now stands at just over $97,000. The ultimate long-range goal is to raise

enough to fund an annual trip for the men’s and women’s hockey teams to compete in Europe. “I’m so proud,” Patti Hammond said. “I make sure I’m there for every golf tournament, although I don’t play. I just think it’s so generous, and it’s such a great opportunity for former players to come back, have a little fun.” —Edwin Acevedo M’09

TEE TIME The 2015 Herb Hammond Golf Tournament, named for the former SUNY Oswego men’s hockey coach, is June 13 at Griffin’s Green in Oswego. For more information, contact Dick Johnson, tournament organizer, at rjohns6@twcny.rr.com.

Class Notes 1945 1945 70th 194570th 70th JUNE JUNE 4-7 JUNE4-7 4-7

JUNE JUNE 4-7 JUNE4-7 4-7

1955 1955 60th 195560th 60th JUNE JUNE 4-7 JUNE4-7 4-7

Marie Wise Ellis ’53 is enjoying 1960 1960 55th 196055th 55th retirement in Port Richey, Fla., and spends much of her time roller skatJUNE JUNE 4-7 JUNE4-7 4-7 ing, ballroom dancing and square dancing. 1945 She 70thtakes advantage of the lovely weather 1965 50th 1965 50th 1965 50th to photograph birds and flowers. Several of her photos JUNE 4-7 have won awards. JUNE JUNE 4-7 JUNE4-7 4-7 Patrick Augustine ’59 was presented with 1950 65ththe Captain David H. 45th Hart1970 Award 1970 45th 1970 45thfrom the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. For JUNE 4-7 1945 nearly two70th decades, he has passionJUNE 4-7 JUNE 4-7 JUNE 4-7 ately committed his time and energy JUNECoast 4-7 to the betterment of Atlantic 1955 60th 1975 40th 1975 40th fisheries at all levels of fishery man1975 40th agement – state, interstate,JUNE regional 4-7 65th and 1950 federal. JUNE JUNE 4-7 JUNE4-7 4-7

’83, ’83, ’84, ’85 ’83,’84, ’84,’85 ’85 1960 55th

JUNE 4-7

1955 60th

JUNE 4-7 JUNE JUNE 4-7 JUNE4-7 4-7

30th 30th Reunion 30thReunion Reunion

Walter Ramsey ’60 lives in JUNE 4-7 1965 50th Bayport, N.Y. As a student, he was 1990 25th 1990 25th 1990 25th involved with The Oswegonian, Blackfriars Club and Newman JUNEClub, 4-7 1960 55th JUNE JUNE 4-7 JUNE4-7 4-7 and he was a student orientation leader. He is also a brother of Sigma ’94, ’94, ’95, ’96 JUNE 4-7 ’94,’95, ’95,’96 ’96 1970 45th Tau 20th Reunion 20th Reunion 20thChi. Reunion

1965 50th

JUNE 4-7 JUNE JUNE 4-7 JUNE4-7 4-7

1975 40th 2005 2005 10th 200510th 10th

JUNE 4-7

Susan Pollard Carollo ’65 JUNE 4-7 1970last 45thyear from JUNE 4-7 JUNE 4-7 retired her JUNEposi4-7 tion as a’85 transition specialist in the ’83, ’84, ’08, ’10 ’08, ’09, ’10 JUNEin4-7Las 30th’09, Reunion ’08, ’09, ’10 School District Clark County

NOTES

Call us at: 315-312-2258 Email us at: alumni@oswego.edu Fax us at: 315-312-5570 Visit our website at: alumni.oswego.edu

Oswego Alumni Team Up to Win Onondaga County Sheriff’s Race Gene Conway ’77 spent a lifetime in law enforcement, but didn’t know politics. When he ran last year for Onondaga County sheriff, he turned to Benedicte Harris Doran ’91, a veteran political consultant. It turned out to be a great move. Conway, a Republican, defeated Democrat Toby Shelley by a vote of 66,569-58,829. “I should have also stopped and bought a Lottery ticket, because it turned out to be my lucky day when she said yes to managing my campaign,” Conway said during his swearing-in Dec. 17 at DeWitt Town Hall. It was quite a compliment, Benedicte Harris Doran ’91 (left) managed last year’s sucDoran said. cessful campaign for former DeWitt, N.Y., Police Chief Gene “In this line of work, you’re Conway ’77 in the Onondaga County sheriff’s race. Irene always behind the scenes,” she said. Scruton, who directs SUNY Oswego’s MBA program, is a “A lot of us are really comfortable former member of the DeWitt Town Board. behind the scenes. But it was very nice that he recognized me because “That was key in my path to enter law I did work really hard and gave up enforcement,” Conway said. “As a result, I a lot of my personal life to do it. But that’s have always encouraged and supported having how these things go.” interns when chief in DeWitt. Now as sheriff, Conway spent his career preparing to be I hope to see internship applications from sheriff. His start in law enforcement came Oswego students.” with the North Syracuse Police Department Doran, an English major, chose Oswego in 1977. A year later, he joined the sheriff’s for its strong writing program. But it was a department and climbed the ranks from speech in Oswego by then-Gov. Mario Cuomo deputy to captain of criminal investigations. that sparked her passion for politics. In 2002, the Town of DeWitt, N.Y., hired him “I really hadn’t been exposed to anything as police chief. like that before going there because I was Conway earned an associate degree at from a small town,” said Doran, who now Cayuga Community College in Auburn and works for U.S. Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y. “I commuted to classes in Oswego two or three couldn’t believe that I was hearing this guy days a week to earn a bachelor’s degree in speak. It was incredible. Although we are from public justice. He said the internship program different political parties, he made a lasting in the Public Justice Department helped shape impression on me that I remember to this day.” his life’s purpose. —Edwin Acevedo M’09 OFFICER L. BYRON, DEWITT POLICE DEPARTMENT

1950 1950 65th 195065th 65th

CLA SS

5th 5th Reunion 5thReunion Reunion

1975 40th

JUNE 4-7 JUNE JUNE 4-7 JUNE4-7 4-7

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

1945 70th JUNE 4-7

CLAS S

1960 55th

N O T E S

1950 65th Vegas. She spends her time traveling JUNE 4-7 with her husband. The two recently returned from a trip to Europe with their grandchildren. 1955 60th Craig Fisher ’65, Ph.D, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., was honored 4-7 with the 2014 OutstandingJUNE Achievement Award by the International Association for Information and 55th IAIDQ. He plans to Data1960 Quality, return to campus for his 50-year JUNE 4-7 Reunion in June. Katherine “Kay” Benedict Sgarlata ’65 belonged to the Sym1965 50th phonic Choir and Blackfriars while attending SUNY Oswego. She resides in Syracuse, N.Y. JUNE 4-7

1970 45th JUNE 4-7

Patrick O’Reilly ’70 is a veteran 1975 40th of the U.S. Army Signal Corps. He lives in Fairport, N.Y. JUNE 4-7in Myron Rock ’71 resides Whitestone, N.Y. While attending ’83, ’84, ’85 SUNY Oswego, he enjoyed being a 30th Reunion part of Psi Phi Gamma. Charles Swanson ’71 is a retired JUNE 4-7 Oswego High School driver instructor. Today, he is a designer and builder of fine furniture. He lives in 1990 25th Steamboat Springs, Colo., with his wife. He is the father of Gayle SwanJUNE 4-7 son Kloeble ’86, a financial analyst at ’94,Colliers ’95, ’96 International in Stutt20th Reunion gart, Germany, and Pamela Swanson Palmquist ’90, a CPA and managing partner at Tredway Henion & JUNE 4-7 Kerr PC. Larry Wraight ’73 is a strategic intervention coach at Finger 2005 10th Lakes Coaching in Baldwinsville, N.Y. Larry wrestled on the team JUNE 4-7at SUNY Oswego. He is writing his first book as a’10 component of his strategic ’08, ’09, 5th Reunion coaching career. intervention Peter Bernhardt ’74 is a professor of biology at St. Louis UniverJUNE 4-7 sity and a research associate with the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust in Sydney, Australia. He wrote many books in the field of botany. Most recently, he published Darwin’s Orchids: Then and Now. J. Michael Midura ’74 is enjoying his 12th year of retirement from teaching. At Oswego he belonged to Psi Phi Gamma, the swim team

JUNE 4-7

chmann & Mugel, LLP law firm. A resident of Williamsville, N.Y., Vincent is a member of the Erie County and New York State bar associations and the National Association of College and University Attorneys. He is currently listed in The Best Lawyers 1945 70th in America. Scott Lang ’81 is the senior vice JUNE 4-7 president of finance at FirstService Residential. Scott is responsible for driving 1950revenue 65th enhancement and cost control initiatives across the region. Additionally, he isJUNE respon4-7 sible for providing leadership and oversight to the company’s corporate 1955 accounting, 60th client accounting, HR and legal groups. Paul Strasser ’81, aJUNE former 4-7 executive with Dynamics Research Corp., has been named CEO of Project Performance 1960 55th Company LLC. Sandra Grossman ’82 is a computer programmer for the Mental JUNE 4-7 Health Center of Boulder County in Boulder, Colo. She currently resides in Longmont, 1965 50th Colo. Margaret Scott Templeton ’82 is an underwriter for MaineJUNE Employ4-7 ers’ Mutual Insurance Company. She is responsible for identifying areas of 1970 45thand growing new busiopportunity ness. She will work from the company’s Albany office. JUNE 4-7 Rob Waters ’82 wrote an eBook titled, The Only Fields That Matter. 1975 40th He wrote the book after unexpectedly losing his career at the start of JUNE 4-7 the Great Recession.

and Symphonic Choir. He resides in North Tonawanda, N.Y., with his 1965 50th wife, Susan. Al Roker ’76 set the world JUNE 4-7 record for the longest uninterrupted live weather broadcast on Friday, Nov.1970 14,45th 2014, with his 34-hour #Rokerthon. The “Today Show” weatherman is in the Guinness Book JUNE 4-7 of World Records.

1975 40th JUNE 4-7

’83, Lawrence ’84, ’85 Giglio ’77 retired 30th Reunion

from his position as senior vice president at Graybar after more than 36 years of employment. JUNE 4-7 Dan Grimes ’78 is not likely to retire any time soon from his posi25th of The Hot Bagel tion 1990 as co-owner Bakery in New Jersey. He and his JUNE 4-7for brother have owned the bakery 35 years. ’94, ’95, ’96 20thDenise Reunion Jochem-Robertson ’78 was appointed director of development at InterFaith Works of CNY. 4-7 She previously worked as JUNE an advertising and marketing associate at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, and 2005 10th as an adjunct instructor of advertising and marketing at Le Moyne ColJUNE 4-7 lege in Syracuse, N.Y. Denise earned a’08, bachelor’s ’09, ’10 degree in English/writing and holds a master’s degree 5th arts Reunion in business administration from Le Moyne College. She resides in JUNE 4-7 Minoa, N.Y. Leanne M. Shank ’78, general counsel at Washington and Lee University, has been elected to a three-year term as treasurer of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA). She has been a member of NACUA since 1993. Jeff Stugard ’78 retired from teaching. He taught technology education at Brandywine School District in Wilmington, Del., for the past 23 years. He lives in Townsend, Del., with his wife, Karen. Mike Gioja ’79 became CIO of Paychex in addition to being senior vice president of IT, management and product development at the company. Vincent O. Hanley ’79 was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Mercy Hospital Foundation. He is a partner at Jaeckle Fleis-

’83, ’84, ’85 30th Reunion

JUNE 4-7

Mary Jo Romeo Barnello ’84 1990 25th was hired as chief development officer at the Everson Museum of Art. JUNE 4-7 She has more than 20 years of experience in’96 development and fundrais’94, ’95, ing. she worked as direc20th Recently, Reunion tor of development and community relations for the Salvation Army’s 4-7in Empire State Division. SheJUNE resides Syracuse, N.Y. Lea-Ann 2005 10thWoodward Berst ’84 and her daughter, Ashley, are writing, directing and producing PioJUNE 4-7 neers in Skirts, a documentary about professional ’08, ’09, ’10 women and their evo5th Reunion lution in the workplace. The documentary will premiere in 2016. JUNE 4-7

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

William J. Butcher ’84 has been promoted to senior vice president of NBT Bancorp. Brian Wiser ’84 was named president of sales in North America for Bosch Security Systems Inc. He will lead the sales, support, training, customer service and marketing organizations in North America. Robin Goldstone Garcia ’85 is the executive director of Lighthouse Collier. She has 20 years of experience in business. Robin is a sister of Alpha Sigma Chi. She resides in Naples, Fla., with her husband and son. Cynthia Ryerson Kehoe ’85 serves as a certified nurse’s aide for the Visiting Angels in Rock Hill, S.C. She volunteers during her spare time at the American Red Cross. She is the proud mother of Cassandra Kehoe, who works as a social worker in Iowa. Tom Bardenett ’86 joined Extended Stay America as the chief operating officer. He is a seasoned hospitality executive with more than 28 years of industry experience. Robert Daino ’86, president and CEO of WCNY Public Media since 2005, was a guest speaker at the SUNY Oswego Commencement Ceremony on Dec. 13. He has launched a number of projects, including Centralcast. He has been recognized for his transformational business and community leadership with a 2014 Temple Adath Yeshurun Citizen of the Year Award. Kevin Wisely ’86 was appointed to deputy director of the New York State Office of Emergency Management for Field Operations in the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Donna Scholz Clark ’87 serves as the 2015 school board president for Noblesville (Ind.) Schools. She and her husband, Bill, have two children. Leonard Hand ’87, IBM master inventor, led the way for a newly patented invention, which improves and reduces the cost of cloud performance. Lonnie Trotta ’87 is the director of security at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, N.Y. He is a brother of Delta Kappa Kappa. He resides in Mount Kisco, N.Y., with his wife, Cathy, and two daughters.

1945 70th

CLA SS

NOTES

JUNE 4-7

Political Science Grad Goes From Campus to the Capital

1950 65th

PROVIDED

4-7 It’sJUNE a passion for Nels Olson ’89 to help others succeed. Olson splits his time between the Washing 1955 60th ton, D.C., and New York City offices of Korn Ferry, theJUNE world’s 4-7 largest executive talent firm, ensuring that the top-tier executives his team identifies and coaches are the best fit for his clients. 1960 55th Olson serves as vice chairman and co-leader of the Board and CEO Services Practice and JUNEmanaging 4-7 office director of Washington, D.C., as well as head of the Global Government Affairs Practice. Nels 1965Olson 50th ’89 After graduating with a political science degree from Oswego, Olson relocated to the JUNE 4-7 nation’s capital to work at the White House in the Office of Presidential Personnel under President George H.W. Bush, identi1970 45thand recommending top candidates for senior political posifying tions. He later joined Korn Ferry in 1993. JUNE 4-7

While at Korn Ferry, Olson has advised more than 1,000 1945 70th companies around the globe, many of them Fortune 500, working with executive boards through management transitions, JUNE 4-7 vetting top candidates and planning managerial successions. Like the companies he helped navigate toward success, Olson believes 1950 65th in giving back to SUNY Oswego so that current students are able to find their success. Olson was a member of 4-7 the Sigma Gamma fraternity and JUNE active in student government while at Oswego, and urges others to get involved early on: “It’s important to think about the build1955 60th ing blocks of your career from the start. “Oswego was a very meaningful part of growing up for me,” JUNE 4-7 Olson said. “My education gave me a great foundation to build upon, and I want current students to have the same opportunities1960 I had.” 55th —Tyler Edic ’13 JUNE 4-7

1965 50th

1975 40th

JUNE 4-7

Tim Kennedy ’88 teaches JUNE 4-7 at Floyd E. Kellam High School in Virginia Beach, ’83, ’84, ’85 Va. Students from the 30th Reunion school recently visited Naval Air Station Oceana to learn about military career opportunities as aviation JUNE 4-7 mechanics.

1990 25th JUNE 4-7

’94, Michael ’95, ’96 Costello ’90 is a talent 20th Reunion management consultant for LMBT Associates. While attending SUNY Oswego, he was a studentJUNE orienta4-7 tion leader and was a part of hall council. He lives in Londonderry, 2005 10thhis wife, Liz, and two N.H., with children. JUNE 4-7 Jennifer Palmeri Hermann ’90 is a payroll representative and ’08, ’09,in’10human resources at Great works 5th Reunion Lakes Orthodontics in Tonawanda, N.Y. She earned a bachelor’s degree JUNE in business administration. Her4-7 son, Stephen Hermann ’18, now attends SUNY Oswego. She resides in Buffalo, N.Y., with her husband and two children. John Kitchen M’90 M’97 was named chief of staff for the Great New York State Fair. He maintains his position as internal control offi-

the company’s marketing objectives through independent insurance 1970 45th agencies in Central New York. She is an adjunct instructor inJUNE the busi4-7 ness department of SUNY Empire State College, a member of SUNY Oswego’s Business School Advisory 1975 40th Board and a mentor for students in Oswego’s Alumni Sharing KnowlJUNE 4-7 edge Program. Michelle ’83, ’84, ’85 Urbanczyk ’92 M’93 30th Reunion M’97, director of development for the Buffalo Museum of Science, was appointed president of Every Person JUNE 4-7 Influences Children. Craig Yaris ’92 is both a Constant1990 Contact 25th authorized local expert and CEO of Social Ribbit. He resides in Wellington, Fla. JUNE 4-7

cer for the Department of Agriculture and Markets. Vance Marriner ’90 joined CXtec as a marketing analyst and serves as an adjunct instructor at SUNY Oswego. He resides in Fulton, N.Y. Brian Miller ’90 is the chief commercial officer at DS Services Holdings Inc. He joined DS Services from Mars Drinks USA, where he served as regional president and general manager since August 2008. Mark E. White ’90 M’98 will be appointed as the superintendent of Hemon-DeKalb Central School District in July 2015. He resides in Russell, N.Y., with his wife, Sherry, and their two daughters. Suzanne Haux ’91 volunteers at Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation in Riverhead, N.Y. It is home to the state’s only marine mammal and sea turtle rescue program. She also teaches at Southampton School District. Jennifer Carey ’92 was elected to serve on the Commercial Real Estate Women Network board of directors. Lisa Tamilia ’92 M’14 is the vice president of regional sales at Chautauqua Patrons Insurance Company. She directs and coordinates

’94, ’95, ’96 20th Reunion

JUNE 4-7

Kendis Gibson ’94 joined ABC 2005 News as a10th correspondent. He previously worked at WJLA in WashJUNE 4-7 ington, D.C., where he was a weekend anchor and general assignment ’08, ’09, ’10 reporter. 5th Reunion Annmarie Lenahan Gill ’94 recently celebrated her 20th year of JUNE 4-7 working with AMC Networks. She 35

began working with the company right after college. Elia Canalda Imler ’94 is the marketing and public relations coordinator for Bon Secours Health System. She is active with Public Relations Society of America Richmond, Henrico Humane Society and the Alumni Sharing Knowledge Program. She lives in Glen Allen, Va., with her husband, John, and daughter, Lily. Colleen Donahue Riffe ’94 is the senior manager of commodity purchasing at American Airlines. She lives in Colleyville, Texas. Thomas J. Spaulding ’94 opened his own State Farm Insurance office in Lowville, N.Y. Matthew Vacanti M’94 won $25,000 in the “Next Great Idea” Oswego County Business Plan Competition for his colorful instrument covers. Heather Bush ’95 was promoted to vice president of human resources at Pathfinder Bank in Oswego, N.Y. She administers corporate policies relating to compensation, benefits, employee relations, training, and health and safety programs. Additionally, she is working toward a master’s degree in human resources administration and development. OSWEGO

Spring 2015

CLAS S

N O T E S

Maria Rinaldi ’95 is the digital services manager of AARP in Washington, D.C. She resides in Alexandria, Va., with her husband, Steve. Deborah Sanborn ’95 was appointed director at Community Enterprise’s office in Worcester, N.Y. Lori Argenio Stallard ’95 is the vice president of business development for the systems engineering and information solutions group within URS Federal Service. Earlier in her career, she worked at the Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Defense Department, NASA and Energy Department to develop and carry out business and account strategies. Matt Lamber t M’96 was elected president of the JeffersonLewis County (N.Y.) Association of Counseling and Development. He served as an academic, transfer and personal counselor for Jefferson

Tony Morino ’98 was promoted to senior vice president of client services at Focus Media Inc. in Goshen, N.Y. He handles relations with some of the agency’s largest clients. Tony has worked with the organization since 2007. Previously, he spent eight years in broadcasting. Heather L. Sunser M’98 was promoted to partner at Hiscock & Barclay LLP in Syracuse, N.Y., and Super Lawyers recognized her as a 2013-2014 Rising Star for real estate. Michael Betette ’99 writes for Epic Rap Battles of History at Maker Studios. He resides in West Hollywood, Calif. Jerry O. Eaton ’99 resigned as Jefferson County (N.Y.) republican election commissioner to become the Jefferson County commissioner of jurors. Todd Klaben ’99 was appointed to the board of directors for Francis House, as treasurer. He works for

Community College for the past 23 years. Joshua S. Miller ’96 joined Atlantic Trust’s Boston office as managing director and senior wealth strategist. Brian Gee ’97 was appointed principal of Victor Junior High and Intermediate schools. He lives in Fairport, N.Y., with his wife, Shannon, and two daughters. Michael Putnam ’97 teaches algebra and geometry at South Seneca (N.Y.) High School. He is delighted to have the opportunity to work at South Seneca High School and looks forward to instructing students. Deborah Calo M’98 serves as the campus admissions manager at Columbia College-Hancock Field in Syracuse, N.Y. Gary McDermott ’98 is opening a new firm, McDermott Law PLLC., in Charlotte, N.C.

Testone, Marshall & Discenza LLP in Syracuse, N.Y. Brian Hartwell M’01 CAS’05 is the superintendent of Pulaski Academy and Central School District. He hopes to build on the strong foundation established by his predecessors. Amanda Root ’01, member of Jefferson County’s class of 20 Under 40, works to secure grants at Cornell Cooperative Extension in Watertown, N.Y. Robert Briggs M’02 CAS’08 returned to Mexico (N.Y.) Elementary School as principal, where he previously served as principal from 2009 to 2011. Frank Felicetti ’02 is the new head coach of the men’s lacrosse program at Medaille College in Rochester, N.Y. He has more than 20 years of experience between playing and coaching lacrosse. Stephanie Jesmin Francione ’02 and Thomas Francione ’02 wel-

Alumna Finds Home in Oz, Again

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

PROVIDED

For many women and children with unruly, curly hair, Tomasina Boyd Boone ’93 may be revered and considered the wonderful wizard of Oz. She launched an online haircare and beauty company, Afro Puffs (www. afropuffs.com.au), a division of Beauty Named Ltd., after trying for years to find haircare products in her new home in Australia (often referred to as Oz by locals). “As a black woman, I was struggling to find haircare products that would protect and hydrate my hair,” Boone said. “I found myself importing a lot of things from the states. Then I started thinking that I can’t be the only one.” Today, her company is supplying haircare products to curly-haired women of a variety of ethnicities who live in all corners of the globe—from London to Malaysia to Brazil. “What I like best about working in the beauty industry is the ability to make a person smile,” said Boone, a former board member of the Oswego Alumni Association and the 2004 Commencement Eve Torchlight speaker.

“I’ll receive messages that will say, ’I have a mixed child and your products and information helped me so much.’ That’s really rewarding. I love that beauty can make people feel happy.” Before moving to Australia with her husband, Eric Boone, for his work in international law, she was a selfdescribed workaholic as the advertising beauty director at Essence magazine in New York City.

It took her years to adjust to the slower paced lifestyle as a stay-at-home mother of two daughters, Emerie and Talia. But she keeps busy now running her company, serving as president of the parent-teacher organization at her daughters’ school and volunteering at a variety of community and service organizations, including programs with the Aboriginal Australians. For example, through Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., she helped organize and facilitate a workshop about the parallels in health issues between Australian Aboriginals and Black Americans at a United Nations conference held in Australia for NGO representatives. “The safe haven that I found in Oswego helped nurture me into the woman I am now,” Boone said. “And I feel like this Oz is the same kind of environment for my girls. I can’t even begin to explain to you how I ended up in a place called Oz twice in my life, but I take comfort in it.” —Margaret Spillett

1975 40th JUNE 4-7

’83, ’84, ’85

CLA SS

NOTES

30th Reunion

comed their second son, Bryce Connor, in April 2014. Tom is currently the vice president of sales and business development for the EZ Street Company. Stephanie is currently working for Western Governors University as an evaluator for the Teacher’s College. The family resides in Charlotte, N.C. 1945 70th Trisha Himes Hewitt ’02, board member of the Phoenix Little League and Daisy Eye Cancer JUNEFund, 4-7 is a tax supervisor at Fust Charles Chambers LLP in Syracuse, N.Y. 1950 65th Christopher Hockey ’02 is assistant director of student mobilJUNE 4-7 ity with SUNY System Administration in August. He supports several initiatives that promote seamless 1955 60th within SUNY. student transfer Charla Blum Roth ’02 M’03, Jamie Stack LeszczynskiJUNE ’04, 4-7 Jeff Knauss ’07, Jamey Lloyd ’08 and Jeremy Thurston were named on 55thForty Class of 2014 by the 401960 Under BizEventz in Syracuse. JUNE 4-7 Dominick DeMichele ’03 M’08 teaches at Monroe Community College in Rochester, N.Y., as 1965 50th an assistant professor. He previously worked at Broome Community ColJUNE 4-7 lege. He lives in Liverpool, N.Y. Katie O’Brien Mokay ’03 and Michael J. Mokay were married Dec. 1970 45th 20, 2013, at Franklin Plaza in Troy, N.Y. The couple resides in Clifton JUNE 4-7 Park, N.Y., where Katie is a third grade teacher in the Shenendehowa School District. 1975 40th Ira Heimowitz ’04 works as a salesman for AutoZone in Brook4-7 lyn, N.Y. He is interested inJUNE working in’83, radio. ’84, While ’85 at Oswego, he was a part WNYO and WTOP. 30thofReunion Jennifer Shepard ’04 is the training and development manager of Reverie. In her new role,JUNE she 4-7 creates comprehensive training programs1990 for 25th the company’s wholesale and private label sales divisions. Kerrie Ann Kasarda Webb ’04 JUNE 4-7 M’06 was appointed chief executive officer/executive director at Oswego ’94, ’95, ’96 20th Reunion YMCA. She has been the respite director for the past two years and has over 10 years of management JUNE 4-7 experience.

2005 10th JUNE 4-7

Robert Giglio ’05 works as a meteorologist at AMEC Environment and Infrastructure in St. John’s, Newfoundland. He is also the supervisor of the forecast team. Miranda Polmanteer ’05 left her position at the Seneca County Chamber of Commerce to become the executive director/vice president of the Geneva, N.Y., Area Chamber of Commerce. Travis Smith ’05 M’06 was promoted to audit manager at Dermody, Burke & Brown, CPAs, LLC. He joined the firm in 2006. He resides in Baldwinsville, N.Y., with his wife, Stephanie Bernat Smith ’08. Sriram Chintakrindi ’06, Ph.D., is a faculty member at California State University at Stanislaus. He acknowledges the support from Oswego’s philosophy professors and the McNair scholarship program. Paul Dunn ’06 is an EOP Counselor at SUNY Cobleskill. Paul met his wife, whom he married in May 2011, at SUNY Oswego. Paul is filled with Oswego pride, and always mentions SUNY Oswego when meeting students interested in the communication field. Brian Potter ’06 passed the exam to become a certified public accountant in New York. He joined Dannible & McKee LLP in Syracuse, N.Y., as a tax senior in 2006. Jamie Lyn Brown Celeste ’07 is a library media specialist at Oceanside (N.Y.) School District. She lives in Bay Shore, N.Y., with her husband, Craig Celeste ’07. Patrick James “P.J.” Dantonello ’07 was promoted to senior publicist at Allied Integrated Marketing, an entertainment public relations agency in New York City. He lives in Astoria, N.Y., with his cat, Cloudy. Corinne M. Galavitz ’07, CPA, was promoted to supervisor in the tax department at Firley, Moran, Freer & Eassa CPA P.C. in East Syracuse, N.Y. Christopher Mitchell ’07 develops and implements strategies to assist in retaining and attracting physicians to Oswego Health as its new director of physician recruitment. Michele Robbins ’07 is the new coordinator of the Bradford-Wyoming Counties’ (Pa.) Literacy Pro-

gram. She has teaching experience in Rochester and Elmira, N.Y. While at JUNE 4-7 Oswego, Robbins studied vocational education. Vincent F. Scalfani ’07, named 1990 25th a “Mover and Shaker” by Library Journal, is an assistant professor and JUNE 4-7 science and engineering librarian at ’94,University ’95, ’96 of Alabama at Tuscathe 20th Reunion loosa, manager of a 3D printing lab and an editor of Chemical Information Bulletin. JUNE 4-7 Jeffrey Taylor ’07 M’08 was promoted to supervisor in the audit 2005 10th department at Firand accounting ley, Moran, Freer & Eassa CPA P.C. JUNE 4-7 in East Syracuse, N.Y.

’08, ’09, ’10 5th Reunion

JUNE 4-7

John Peck ’08 is a meteorologist for the U.S. Air Force. Peck, a veteran, lives in Bellevue, Neb. Gary Sutton ’08 is an assistant registrar at the University of South Carolina at Beaufort in Okatie, S.C. He handles student degree auditing and graduation applications. He lives on Hilton Head Island, S.C. Cassie Breen ’09 is a marketing assistant at Dannible & McKee LLP in Syracuse N.Y. Before joining the firm, she most recently worked as a marketing coordinator for Alert Solutions, located in Cranston, R.I. She resides in Oswego. Cody Harris ’09 is an associate product manager for Utica National Insurance Group in New Hartford, N.Y. He resides in Clark Mills, N.Y. Matthew Mac Vittie ’09 is the collections and exhibits manager for the Seward House Museum in Auburn, N.Y. He served for several years as lead historic interpreter at several sites in New York, including Herkimer Home and Fort Ontario. Britney Whitney ’09 is the web developer/Internet marketing specialist at Quadsimia LLC in New York Mills, N.Y. Jonah Coburn ’10 received the Pacesetter 40 award during the annual meeting of financial representatives of Northwestern Mutual in Milwaukee, Wis., in July 2014. Justin DiPierro ’10 married Kristen Wagner on Sept. 6, 2014.

Justin currently works for America’s Best in Pittsburgh and lives in Cranberry Township, Pa. Amber Lennon ’10 is the assistant director of employer relations at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Jacqueline Michalski ’10, a former swimmer for the Lakers, has been named the men’s and women’s swim coach at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Ill. She has coached at both the club and NCAA level for the past six years. Justin Pritchard ’10 was appointed to the Advisory Board for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Onondaga County. Kirstyn Reininghaus ’10 was promoted to supervisor of member services at POMCO Group. Julie Smith ’10 joined the Special Education Department at South Seneca (N.Y.) Middle School. She holds a master’s degree from Robert Wesleyan College. Katilyn VanNosdall ’10, named Young Pro of the week in The Coloradoan, works as the marketing director at Beaver Brewing Co. and Climb Hard Cider Co. in Loveland, Colo. Eric Cohen ’11 M’12 was promoted to senior audit associate at Fust Charles Chambers LLP in Syracuse, N.Y. Steven P. Kelley M’11 was promoted to in-charge accountant in the audit and accounting department at Firley, Moran, Freer & Eassa, CPA, P.C. in East Syracuse, N.Y. Chuck Klasen ’11 M’12 was promoted to senior audit associate at Fust Charles Chambers LLP in Syracuse, N.Y. Michael Schram ’11 qualified for and attended Northwestern Mutual’s Fastrack Academy. He is a financial representative of Northwestern Mutual, Dodd Group, in Oswego. He has been associated with the company since May 2011, when he began as an intern. Ka t i e Tay l o r M ’ 1 1 w a s appointed director of patient accounting at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, N.Y. She has 10 years of financial experience, and she worked as a financial analyst at St. Joseph’s and Community General Hospital.

’08, ’09, ’10 5th Reunion

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

CLAS S

N O T E S

Alumni Bookshelf We celebrate and share the success of Oswego alumni authors, illustrators and recording artists, who may ask their publisher/distributor to send a copy of the work to the Oswego alumni office to be considered for this column and our website, where cover photos of all works in this column will be displayed. Stan Levenson ’54 The Essential Fundraising Guide for K-12 Schools. OCEAN PARKWAY PRESS, 2014.

The book is designed to bring cutting-edge ideas to help close the funding gap that exists in today’s K-12 schools. The ideas presented go beyond traditional fundraising tactics like cookie and pizza sales, to direct the flow of money into classrooms on a continuing basis. The more than 350 electronic links will save readers time, energy and money and will keep them informed of the latest approaches and innovations in fundraising today. Donovan Russell ’64 M’69 Choosing a Career in International Development: A Practical Guide to Working in the Professions of International Development. VIRTUALBOOKWORM.COM PUBLISHING, 2013.

This guide does more than help people on a career path to working in international development. Russell calls up decades of experience working in the field. His advice reflects on what it means to work in other cultures where the future of communities and people’s lives are concerned. Elaine Kiesling Whitehouse ’68 Hart’s Tavern. IUNIVERSE, 2014.

Whitehouse tells the story of four young women who meet at Hart’s Tavern, an inn on the south shore of Long Island, N.Y. This book is set in 1775, a year prior to the OSWEGO

Spring 2015

Battle of Long Island. The characters’ stories encompass a difficult historical change as the women meet their destinies during the British occupation of the city. Joseph E. Armstrong ’70 How the Earth Turned Green: A Brief 3.8 Billion-Year History of Plants. THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS, 2014.

How the Earth Turned Green traces the history of plants from their ancient beginnings to the diversity of green life that inhabits present day Earth. Armstrong, emeritus professor of botany, head curator of the Vasey Herbarium, and director of the Organismal Biology and Public Outreach for Biological Sciences Majors, all at Illinois State University, addresses many questions in his book. The book is engaging, and it will delight and enlighten anyone interested in the study of botany and the evolutionary history of plants. Glenn L. Pearsall ’71 When Men and Mountains Meet: Stories of Hope and Despair in the Adirondack Wilderness after the American Revolution. PYRAMID PRESS, 2013.

This book unveils a mostly forgotten chapter in the history of the Adirondacks. It takes place in a time when it was unexplored and ripe for commercial ventures, which most often began with great optimism but ended in despair and financial ruin. Pearsall believes that by understanding this early history, a 38

better future can be envisioned for the Adirondacks—a future that balances preservation of the wilderness while also maintaining viable human communities. The book was named a national finalist for the 2014 American Association of State and Local History Leadership Award. Ermine Calandra Cunningham ’73 Pretend You Know What You’re Doing: My Voyage from Teacher to Humor Writer. CREATESPACE, 2014.

Cunningham had a rewarding career teaching English to refugee children in Syracuse, N.Y. In an effort to find a new purpose in retirement, Cunningham discovered her penchant for humor writing. In Pretend You Know What You’re Doing, Cunningham pokes fun at herself and the world. Cunningham’s writing brings laughter to her readers as she navigates the waters of life with humor and hope. Mark Allen Baker ’79 Connecticut Families of the Revolution: American Forebears from Burr to Wolcott. THE HISTORY PRESS, 2014.

In Connecticut Families of the Revolution, Baker reveals what life was like for Connecticut families during the Revolutionary War. Men like Major General David Wooster led troops into battle, while others risked their lives by signing the Declaration of Independence. Women, while kept from battle lines, still played an important role

CLA SS Jeff Evans ’12 is a proud member of the New York Police Department. He graduated Dec. 29, 2014. While at Oswego, he worked at the Tyler Hall Box Office. Emily Soderquist ’12 is the assistant lacrosse coach at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. She played for the Lakers women’s lacrosse team during her collegiate tenure. She previously coached lacrosse and swimming at the Watertown (N.Y.) City School District. Kevin Dennis ’13 M’14 is an audit associate at Fust Charles Chambers LLP in Syracuse, N.Y. Katelynn Dougherty ’13 is the marketing director of Quest All Stars. She lives in Bloomingburg, N.Y. Michael Gilchrist ’13 M’14 is an audit associate at Fust Charles Chambers LLP in Syracuse, N.Y. Angela Janack ’13 M’14 of Oswego, joined Dannible & McKee LLP in the firm’s audit department in Syracuse, N.Y. Prior to joining the firm, she worked as an accountant at Kraftees College Town LLC in Oswego. Rhett Kristl ’13 M’14 works as an audit assistant for the Bonadio Group in Utica, N.Y. He resides in Whitesboro, N.Y. Jacob Pucci ’13 is the crime reporter for Syracuse Media Group’s Post-Standard/Syracuse.com. Previously, he worked as a crime reporter in Watertown, N.Y. Alaina Schoonmaker ’13 M’14 works as a tax/audit and accounting associate at Dermody, Burke & Brown in Auburn, N.Y. Daniel Smyth ’13 M’14 is an audit associate at Fust Charles Chambers LLP in Syracuse, N.Y. Cameron Sorochman ’13 is a test technician for Lockheed Martin MST. He resides in Owego, N.Y. Stacie Titus ’13 was recently named as the director of the 21st Century After School Child Care program at the Bradford (Pa.) Family YMCA. She lives in Bradford, Pa., with her husband, Randy.

at home. This book leads readers in an exploration of family life at the very beginning of U.S. history. It includes more than 60 historical photographs and is Baker’s 17th book. Mike McCrobie ’79 Our Oswego: Memories of Growing Up & Growing Old in the Port City of Central New York. CREATESPACE, 2014.

Our Oswego emulates the essence of what it means to call Oswego your hometown. McCrobie engages the local history in a rich and personal way to connect readers with Oswego. The Port City and its people are recaptured in a way that comes from a love and respect for the city. Thomas F. Schaller ’89 The Stronghold: How Republicans Captured Congress, but Surrendered the White House. YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2015.

Discussing Republican politics from 1989 through 2012, Schaller examines the party’s transformation. The Stronghold looks in depth at political events and how they affected the Republican party and America as well. Beginning with former President Ronald Reagan’s leave of office, and taking readers through Mitt Romney’s defeat in the presidential election, Schaller gives his perspective on the modern political party. Keith Washo ’97 The Heart of Success. EVOLVE PUBLISHING, 2015.

Washo explains how to be successful in Silicon Valley, Calif., through interviews with top leaders of companies throughout the region. Washo relays his perspective on what success means in Silicon Valley through anecdotes and research. His advice ranges from tips on launching new products to management to finding a satisfying career. This book helps prospective leaders with career and personal life development.

NOTES

Anthony Triola ’13 is working toward a master’s in criminal justice and criminology at San Diego University in San Diego, Calif. He anticipates writing a thesis regarding intersectionality and mass incarceration in the U.S. Lindsey Adrian ’14 is the head daycare teacher at Kindercare and settled down in an apartment in Watervliet, N.Y., with her fiancé. She describes her new position as “pretty creative.” Matt Bishop ’14 became the news technical director at WRGB CBS 6 in Albany, N.Y. Kevin Dennis ’14 is an audit associate at Fust Charles Chambers LLP in Syracuse, N.Y. John Enkosky ’14 of Syracuse, N.Y., joined Dannible & McKee, LLP in the firm’s audit department. Prior to joining the Firm, Enkosky worked as a math tutor at SUNY Oswego. Mary Godnick ’14 is a brand strategist-SEO employed at Terakeet Marketing in Syracuse, N.Y. She resides in Liverpool, N.Y. Rhay Guillen ’14 is a communication and information services researcher for the New York State Assembly. He lives in New York City. Rachel Halsey M’14 is an audit assistant with the Bonadio Group in Syracuse, N.Y. John Harmatuk ’14 is an audit associate at Fust Charles Chambers LLP in Syracuse, N.Y. Paul Harnish ’14 launched an online business, PackagePenguin. com, to sell personalized care packages. Steven Leventoff ’14 is a performance analyst at Informa Investment Solutions in White Plains, N.Y. He lives in Cortlandt Manor, N.Y. Kyle Mullane M’14 is an audit associate at Fust Charles Chambers LLP in Syracuse, N.Y. Michelle Tomei ’14 became the 2014/2015 AmeriCorps VISTA member for The Place in Utica, N.Y.

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

CLAS S

N O T E S KORVER PHOTOGRAPHY

Visual Arts Alumnus Found Calling in Clay When Matt Wilson ’09 M’11 isn’t teaching middle-schoolers in Norwich, N.Y., about visual arts or coaching the varsity track and soccer teams, he’s experimenting with new ceramic techniques or creating, displaying and selling his artwork online and at galleries around the region. An Elmira, N.Y., native, Wilson found his passion in ceramics during high school. He applied to colleges with art programs around New York, but selected SUNY Oswego after receiving a Presidential Scholarship for academic merit. During his time at Oswego, Wilson honed his craft in the studios of Tyler Hall, earning a dual degree in fine arts and Spanish and a master’s degree in art education. He ran track and field, taught at the Sheldon Institute during summers and was an adjunct professor in the art department before accepting his position at Norwich Middle School. He still keeps in contact with professors and friends from Oswego, including his Greek brothers in Zeta Beta Tau. Oswego Magazine: What do you like most about teaching art in Norwich? Matt Wilson: I love teaching, especially in Norwich. It’s a small town with a family vibe, so I get to know all of my students. I’ve

KORVER PHOTOGRAPHY

been here four years now, so some of my first students are starting to look at colleges. I’ve literally watched them grow up. OM: Are any of them considering Oswego? MW: I keep recommending it! I think Oswego was a great choice for me. Classes were small so we received that extra attention from professors. I think if you’re passionate and you push yourself to do better, SUNY Oswego is a great learning environment. OM: Tell us about your custom ceramics business. MW: Norwich doesn’t have a huge market for ceramics, so when I moved here I immediately got involved with the Chenango Arts Council. They promote art in the Chenango and Norwich areas and host shows around the state. Ceramic pieces are difficult to ship so I sell most of my pieces at regional expositions. OM: In an interview with WSKG-TV in Binghamton, you mentioned you like “referencing” functional items such as teapots in your work. Where does this inspiration come from?

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

MW: Well, you can only make so many bowls and cups before you get tired of them [laughs]. I’m interested in vessels and the idea that they are functional objects, but altering them requires an added layer of technique and makes me further appreciate their intended purpose. I’ve never really been interested in creating objects that don’t at least look like they serve a purpose. OM: Do you ever try a new piece or technique and find out it’s just not working? MW: Oh, all the time. If I’m working on a piece and I think I’m not going to like it, I’ll smash it and start over. If it’s a finished piece, I’ll keep it in my collection I call “the graveyard.” Sometimes I can salvage a piece; by applying a new glaze, for example. A piece doesn’t leave my studio unless I’m comfortable with it going out with my name on it. OM: Tell me how horsehair plays a role in your artwork. MW: I love using horsehair to create patterns on pieces fresh out of the furnace. It’s a Native American technique I learned while at Oswego on a trip to Clayscapes in Syracuse, actually. You can use other combustibles to create carbon burned effects, like leaves or grass. OM: So what’s next for you? MW: Someday I would like to open a gallery with rotating pieces for sale. For now, I’m going to continue teaching and practicing art. My work has been picked up by other websites, and I’ve been getting a lot of exposure lately. I can’t keep up with all of the requests. —Tyler Edic ’13 To see more of Wilson’s artwork, visit wilsonceramics.com or visit the magazine website at alumni.oswego.edu/magazine. Watch Wilson work with ceramics on PBS’s Artist Café at youtube.com/MrWilsonTeaches.

CLA SS

NOTES

Oswego

Matters By Executive Director Betsy Oberst

oming home. For many of us, that evokes feelings of comfort, warmth, special memories and family. That’s one of the reasons the Oswego Alumni Association is relaunching an annual Homecoming program this fall. Unlike our annual Reunion Weekend held every year in June, which is targeted to milestone anniversary classes and affinity group reunions, Homecoming activities are intended for all alumni and other members of our Oswego family. We know Homecoming existed in the past. It probably ended sometime in the late ’60s. At its very core, Homecomings are about pride, spirit and tradition. Working with our campus partners in Student Affairs, we will establish new positive traditions for our current students in a Spirit Week leading up to Homecoming. The day itself looks to be filled with campus tours, athletic events, musical performances, networking opportunities, special recognition events for leadership donors, Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Luncheon, a tailgate party, a bonfire on the lake and more. We invite you all to be part of this new campus tradition and head back to campus on Nov. 14 for a day of fun, family, friends and new memories. If you have ideas for Homecoming activities, want to share your memories or photos of Homecomings past or check out the latest information on events planned, visit alumni.oswego.edu/homecoming. We look forward to welcoming you back to campus and showing off all of our new buildings and our Oswego pride! And don’t forget ... Reunion 2015 is scheduled for June 4-7. Reunion Weekend will remain an annual event to recognize milestone anniversary classes and bring together affinity groups to celebrate. Enjoy a BBQ at Fallbrook, a Hawaiian-themed Clambake/Luau, sunsets, music, a Greeks and Friends Social and old friends. We will also dedicate a new campus memorial on June 6 from the Classes of 1989, 1990, Family and Friends. The Free and Easy Memorial will honor in perpetuity Colleen Brunner ’90 and Lynne Hartunian ’89, lost on Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, and Rich Caproni ’89 and Michael Hannan ’89, lost on 9/11 in New York City. As we worked together with classmates and friends on raising funds and on the plans for this new memorial, I was struck once again, as I have been for the last 32 years I have worked in the Alumni Office, with the depth of Oswego relationships. Even 25-plus years after their passing, Colleen, Lynne, Rich and Mike continue to bring friends both old and new together and remain members of their classes at every reunion. Oswego Pride continues to rule our days at Oswego. Share your pride and return to campus soon for one of many events planned! Or check out our robust schedule of regional events in your local area.

Stay on Campus for Harborfest

n-campus housing will be available for alumni who wish to relive their favorite Oswego memories by attending this year’s Harborfest, July 23 to 26. Alumni will be housed in Oneida Hall according to class year, with a maximum of two adults per room. Alumni may begin checking in Thursday, July 23, at 2 p.m. and must check out by Sunday, July 26, at 11 a.m. There is an early bird special of $60 per night for those making reservations on or before July 17 by 4 p.m. Reservations made after that time will be $65 per night. Those who register by July 17 can rent a refrigerator and mattresses for children 16 years and younger, for an additional $10 each for the weekend. Linens for beds and towels will be supplied. The Centro bus will run a convenient shuttle service from campus to the festival grounds. Don’t miss the opportunity to attend this exciting Oswego tradition! To make reservations please visit alumni.oswego.edu/ harborfest, or you may contact Allison Craine at allison.craine@ oswego.edu with questions. To register for Harborfest Housing, you will need to login through OsweGoConnect at alumni.oswego.edu. Your unique security code to enter the community is the 9-digit ID number located above your address on the mailing label of this alumni magazine. You will only need this the first time you enter and then you will choose your own personal password.

We hope to see you soon!

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

Album

]

Bich Van ’11 M’12 and Mingshou You ’10 M’11 were married Sept. 28, 2014, in New York City. From left, first row, Jung-Soo Lee ’06, Onpui Wong ’10 M’11, Katharine Britt-Busler ’14, Andy Nelson; second row, Fumina Tatsuta ’08, Yingji Jin M’09, Mary Ellen Wallace, Francis Wallace, Mary Anne Hogan; third row, Guifang “Gloria” Wu ’11, Hai Fei Lin ’10, Jin Jiang ’10, Sara Chen ’10, Hanh Huynh ’14, Bich Van ’12, Mingshou You ’11, Jessica Leigh Ryan ’08 M’11, Michelle Hamann ’10 M’11, Alice Lin, Lan Zhou; fourth row, Jinqiu Liu, Suzy Wu ’10, Tiffany Chiu ’10 M’11, Professor Charles Spector, Kevin Lin ’11, Yongji Chen ’12 and JoeLyga. Jacquelyn Costello ’11 and Richard Chase Collins ’11 were married May 24, 2014. From left, Courtney Collins ’15, Amanda Watkins ’14, Jackie Costello ’11, Richard Chase Collins ’11, Alicia Schey ’10, Anne Potter Collins ’80, Chris Payne ’11, Nina Thompson ’13, Taylor Dantz ’11, Laurie Juzumas ’11, Corey Munn ’12, Kelly Collins ’12 and Marc Collins ’12 in front.

Allison Tuttle ’10 M’12 and Griffin Perry ’08 were married Sept. 27, 2014, at Crane Mountain in Adirondack, N.Y. From left, back row, are Stephanie Graudons ’07, Griffin Perry ’08, Matthew Peirson, Ted Lechter, Mac Dillman; front row, Emily Seirup, Allison Tuttle ’10 M’12, BriAnne Wilson and Kelly Tuttle Stadtmiller.

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

Shannon Jaskot ’04 and Michael Forkin ’06 were married Aug. 16, 2013, at St. Madeleine Sophie Church in Guilderland, N.Y. From left, front row, are Iris Eaglei Holzapfel ’70, Walter Jaskot ’71, Cathy Jaskot Heesemann ’71, Lucas Smith ’07 M’10, Michael Murphy ’06, Sara Garramone Hernon ’04, AnneMarie Bologna Bailey-Yavonditte ’04, Michael Forkin ’06, Shannon Jaskot ’04, Melissa Vozga Stercho ’05, Keith Slack ’09 M’12, Joseph Dottolo ’03 M’08, Robert Pernesiglio, Zach Serrano ’05; back row, Michael Corrado ’09, Kenny Losquadro ’06, Noah St. Mary ’05, Katie Korndoerfer Schreiner ’04, Jonathan McCrum ’09, Jenna Barr ’10 M’11, Tyler Cameron ’13 and Sean McEneaney. The bride is a CPA with Dannible & McKee LLP in Syracuse and the groom is a technology teacher for the Schenectady City School District. Crystal “CJ” Theiss ’06 and Bill Gannon ’06 were married Sept. 19, 2014, in Albany, N.Y. From left, back row, are Chris Dunnigan ’06, Shane Hogan ’06, Nick Lotito ’06, Josh Williams ’03, Brian Squillace ’07, John Melville ’06; front row, Elizabeth Farrell Dunnigan ’05, Jamie Messineo Hogan ’07, Stephanie Foreman Lotito ’06, CJ Theiss ’06, Bill Gannon ’06, Melissa Walker Barth ’05, Kristen Lovullo ’05 and Theresa Dooley. CJ is a health teacher and Bill is a police officer. The couple resides in Voorheesville, N.Y.

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

CONT’D

Laura Pavlus ’09 and Michael Kelly were married Sept. 27, 2014, in Auburn, N.Y. Pictured from left, front row, are Erica Pavlus Schneider ’99, Sara Weiler ’09, Carol Metzger Pavlus ’74, Laura Pavlus Kelly ’09, Elizabeth Ori Evett ’09, Carly Kucala LaBella ’09 and Michelle Tackett-Spinner ’98. From left, middle row, are Kristin Schoenl Davis ’99 M’00, Josh Gadek ’10, Julia Stancato Rogers ’99, Laura Schaefer Troendle ’99 M’00, Brenda Grossi Tabolt ’06, Joy Westerberg Knopp ’92, Betsy Oberst and Allison Craine. From left, back row, are Carolyn Cassidy ’99, Donald Pavlus ’74, Tyler Edic ’13, Michael Kelly, Adam Tabolt ’05, Joe LaBella ’09, Brent Spinner ’97, Melissa Manwaring ’01 and Kerry Casey Dorsey ’81. Laura works as the alumni director at SUNY Oswego, and Mike works as an account executive at CXtec in Syracuse.

Sarah Boutwell ’12 and Nathan Roder ’08 M’10 were married June 14, 2014, in Charleston, S.C. From left, back row, Tori Sivers ’07 M’09, Laura Soos ’12, Ian Ott ’10, Kate Rose Sutton ’08 M’10, Sarah Boutwell ’12, Nathan Roder ’08 M’10, Gary Sutton ’08 M’10, Sarah Colletta ’13; front row, Ron Slater ’08, Bobby Tew ’09, Sarah Cerroni ’14, Sara Orr ’13 and Tealia Mandy ’12.

Colleen Mary Cessna ’12 and Richard Jonathan Koss ’10 were married Aug. 31, 2014, at Belhurst Castle in Geneva, N.Y. From left, back row, Travis Hafner ’11, Matt Mariani ’11, Amanda Webber ’11, Brandon Wojda ’10, Kimberly Allen ’10, Fred Tassone, Ben Amey ’10, Julia Dorsey ’12, Aaron Gehan ’12 M’14, Leslie Look ’13, Rob Nielsen ’10, Alexis Trupia ’12, Nate Zera ’12; front row, Emily Wallace ’11, Emily Scheutzow ’12, Tyson Prince ’09, Evan Maffet, Amy Adamchick ’12, Kristin Bacher Amey ’12 M’13 and Anders Villomann ’11. The couple resides in Broomfield, Colo. OSWEGO

Spring 2015

I N

M E M O R I A M

Courtney Newstead ’30 of King City, Ore., died Sept. 11, 2014, at the age of 104. He began his teaching career in Mexico, N.Y. He left teaching to build and operate a frozen food locker and meat processing business, which he ran for 20 years. He returned to teaching at Lyme Central School in Chaumont, N.Y., where he taught until his retirement. Courtney is survived by two daughters, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Helen Stanulevich Kessler ’36 of Floyd, N.Y., died Nov. 3, 2014. She taught elementary school in District 10, North Western, Ridge Mills and at Holland Patent Central Schools, retiring in 1974. Helen is survived by four children, 10 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her sister, Anne Stanulevich Spytz ’37. G. Raymond Pohl ’40 of Endwell, N.Y., died April 6, 2014. Ray served with the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. In addition to his degree in childhood education at Oswego, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University at Albany and his Superintendent’s Certificate from Cornell University. Ray taught in the Spencer Central School District, then was principal at Groton Central Schools and in Endwell at Homer Brink Elementary School. He is survived by two sons, six step-grandchildren and five stepgreat-grandchildren. Mary Janice Crane Thornton ’40 of Fairport, N.Y., died Nov. 22, 2014. She earned a bachelor’s degree at SUNY Oswego. Jan taught in Marcellus, Mohawk and Whitesboro central schools. She is survived by two daughters, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Doris Brown Allen ’42 of Oswego died Nov. 27, 2014. She was a 1946 graduate of Teachers College at Columbia University. Doris was Oswego’s first director of Head Start, and served as Oswego’s first female alderman. She taught for many years at Leighton Elementary School. Surviving are her children, Elisabeth Cody, and Phyllis and John Allen; four grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren. Margaret Andrews Loomis ’42 of Penn Yan, N.Y., died Oct. 9, 2014. She taught in Pulaski, N.Y., from 1942 until 1959 when she took a position in the Penn Yan Central School District. Peg retired in 1983. She is survived by four daughters, eight grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. Stewart Miner ’43 of Springfield, Va., died Dec. 17, 2014. He received a master’s degree at Syracuse University and a master of philosophy degree from Columbia University. Stewart served as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II and retired from the Air Force Reserves as a lieutenant colonel. Prior to retiring, Stewart worked at the CIA. He is survived by two daughters and two grandchildren. Elizabeth Grieve Leal ’45 of Camillus, N.Y., died Nov. 22, 2014. She earned a master’s degree at Oswego. Liz taught in Palmyra and Schenectady, and retired in 1983 from the West Genesee Central School District in Camillus, N.Y. She is sur-

vived by her husband, Ernest ’47, two daughters, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Robert Jones ’48 of West Lebanon, N.Y., died Nov. 4, 2014. He earned a master’s degree at the University at Albany. Bob served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He taught Industrial Arts at Berkshire Farm Union Free School and later at Bethlehem High School in Delmar, N.Y., retiring in 1978. Surviving are his wife, Alice, six children, 24 grandchildren and many greatgrandchildren. Lois Counts McCain ’49 of Utica, Mo., died Nov. 5, 2014. She worked at K.C. Power & Light Co., North American Bobler Plant and First Calvary Baptist Church. She was also a teacher in Kansas City and Chillicothe, Ohio. Lois retired in 1982. She is survived by many nieces and nephews. Arthur Sass ’49 of Orange, Va., died Nov. 28, 2014. He served with the U.S. Navy from 1952 until 1955. He earned a master’s degree at Rutgers University. He was a teacher and administrator in New Jersey. After being called back to active duty to head personnel training at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., he served as a Navy civilian as academic director of the Naval Research Engineering School in Leesburg, Va., and was the principal founder of the Department for Defense Science and Engineering Apprentice Program. Surviving are four children, nine grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and one greatgreat-grandchild. Ronald Travis ’51 of Dover Plains, N.Y., died Nov. 29, 2014. He served with the U.S. Army during the Korean War and earned a master’s degree from the University at Albany in 1956. Ron taught industrial arts at Dover High School for 29 years, retiring in 1985. He is survived by his wife, Janet, three children and four grandchildren. Mary Thomson Jahelka ’52 of Melbourne Beach, Fla., died July 8, 2013, the Alumni Office recently learned. She taught in the Harborfields Central School District in Greenlawn, N.Y., from 1960 until her retirement in 1986. Mary was predeceased by her husband, Kenneth ’52. Surviving are three children, Judith Jahelka Kur ’74, Laura Fleming and Pete Jahelka, nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. George Klochko ’52 of Carmel, Ind., died Nov. 24, 2014. He served with the U.S. Army in the Korean War. He worked for the Xerox Corporation as a personnel manager. Surviving are his wife, Laura Woodward Klochko ’50, two daughters, two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. James Showers ’52 of Niagara Falls, N.Y., died Oct. 30, 2014. He earned a master’s degree from Buffalo State College. He was a teacher and principal in Niagara Falls, retiring after 16 years as principal of the 60th Street School. He is survived by a son, Jeff; two daughters, Tamara Cavaluzzi and Julie Showers Smith ’82; five grandchildren and a great-grandson. Janet Degroot Adams ’53 of Elkview, W.Va., died Dec. 7, 2014. She retired from Clendenin 45

(W.Va.) Elementary School after teaching kindergarten for 20 years. Janet is survived by her husband, Walter ’53; four children and 10 grandchildren. Barbara Hart Friends ’53 of Wolcott, N.Y., died Nov. 15, 2014. She began her teaching career in Cato, N.Y., as a kindergarten teacher. Later, she taught kindergarten in Averill Park, N.Y. In 1969, she became co-director and teacher at the Averill Park Preschool, retiring after 21 years. She was predeceased by her husband, Jerry ’55. Barb is survived by three sons and 11 grandchildren. Contributions may be made to the Gerald ’55 and Barbara ’53 Friends Memorial Scholarship, c/o the Oswego College Foundation Inc., 215 Sheldon Hall, SUNY, Oswego, NY 13126. Patricia Harvey-Cooney ’53 of Port St. Lucie, Fla., died Aug. 25, 2014. She taught in the Farmingdale and North Babylon school districts in New York for over 35 years. Surviving are her husband, John Cooney, four children, nine grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, six stepchildren and several step-grandchildren. Josephine Johnson Pelcher ’54 of Baldwinsville, N.Y., died Dec. 4, 2014. Jo worked in the Baldwinsville School District for many years. She is survived by six children, including Martha Pelcher M’90, eight grandchildren and one greatgrandchild. Harold Ferguson ’55 of Kissimmee, Fla., died May 16, 2009, the Alumni Office recently learned. He is survived by his wife, Mary Titus Ferguson ’57. Charles “Howard” Finch ’55 of Constantia, N.Y., died Dec. 19, 2007, the Alumni Office recently learned. He served with the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Howard taught Industrial Arts in the North Syracuse Central School District. After his retirement, he was a home builder in the Constantia area. He is survived by his wife, Maxine; two children and five grandchildren. Scott Miner ’58 of Morrisville, N.Y., died Dec. 9, 2014. He served with the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Scott earned a master’s degree at Clarkson University. He taught high school math and industrial arts at Glenham Union Free Schools and Boonville Central Schools. He also taught math at SUNY Morrisville until his retirement in 1989. Scott is survived by his wife, Marlene Gilbert Miner ’55, three daughters, a son and three grandchildren, including Ethan Waite ’16. William Case ’59 of Auburn, N.Y., died Dec. 31, 2014. He served with the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Bill taught in the Auburn School District until 1969 when he became director of communications, a position he held until his retirement in 1991. He also coached many sports in the school district and surrounding area. Surviving are his wife, Carolyn Saxton Case ’58, five children, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. John Dalton ’59 of Camillus, N.Y., died Oct. 4, 2014. He served with the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He taught in the Marcellus (N.Y.) OSWEGO

Spring 2015

I N

M E M O R I A M

Central School District until his retirement. He coached youth sports in the Syracuse area for many years. John is survived by his wife, Suzanne, two sons and six grandchildren. Robert Haule ’59 of Stuart, Fla., died May 3, 2014. He served with the U.S. Coast Guard during the Korean War. He received a master’s degree from Hofstra University. Before his retirement, he was a school district administrator in Nassau and Suffolk counties and was associated with the NYS Department of Education. Bob is survived by his wife, Mary. Bernard Perry ’60 of Cicero, N.Y., died Nov. 25, 2014. He taught in the Northern Adirondack Central School District in Ellenburg, N.Y., until 1996 when he became labor relations specialist for NYS United Teachers. Bernie retired in 2008 as regional staff director. He is survived by his wife, Jan, four children, a stepson and several grandchildren. Edward Haven ’61 of Camillus, N.Y., died Dec. 26, 2014. He taught industrial arts and driver’s education in the Liverpool (N.Y.) Central School District for 33 years, retiring in 1994. Ed is survived by his wife, Judy, and two sons. Gerald Kranz ’61 M’65 of Baldwinsville, N.Y., died Nov. 17, 2014. He served with the U.S. Army in Germany. Gerald taught industrial arts in the Baldwinsville Central School District, retiring in 1994. He and his wife owned the Glenbrook Studio for 34 years. Surviving are a daughter, Carol, two grandsons, a great-granddaughter and five siblings, including Bertha Kranz Leighton ’49 and Philip ’57. Robert Brown ’62 of Williamson, N.Y., died July 30, 2014. He taught at Wayne Central Schools for 36 years. Bob is survived by his wife, Sandy, two sons, three granddaughters and a greatgranddaughter. John Cahill ’62 of Endicott, N.Y., died Sept. 28, 2014. He served in the U.S. Army. Jack received a master’s degree from Elmira College. He taught industrial arts and driver’s education for 27 years at Owego (N.Y.) Free Academy and was a technical illustrator on many commercial and federal projects. Jack is survived by his wife, Loretta, four children, nine grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren. Richard VanPatten ’62 of Guilderland, N.Y., died Oct. 15, 2014. He served in the U.S. Navy. Dick taught in the Albany (N.Y.) School District before joining the Office of General Services, where he retired as the director of plaza operations at the Empire State Plaza. Surviving are his wife, Dolores, three daughters, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Mark Kean ’64 of Great Neck, N.Y., died July 22, 2014. Russell Striffler ’64 of Marcellus, N.Y., died Dec. 3, 2014. He spent 30 years in the U.S. Army Reserves, retiring as a colonel. He taught industrial arts in Marcellus and Auburn. Russell is OSWEGO

Spring 2015

survived by his wife, Nancy, five children, seven grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. David Allen ’65 of Pittsfield, Mass., died March 6, 2009, the Alumni Office recently learned. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. David taught industrial arts and driver’s education at Saranac Central Schools, and taught ornamental horticulture in Mexico, N.Y. He was a professional floral designer and, following his retirement, worked for several florists. Surviving are his wife, Marjorie, three children, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Theodore Economides ’65 of Vestal, N.Y., died April 17, 2013. He taught industrial arts for 27 years in the Vestal School District. Ted is survived by his wife, Margaret, two children, a stepson and nine grandchildren. Dorothy Facey Malmborg ’65 of Johnstown, N.Y., died Dec. 27, 2014. She earned a master’s degree at St. Lawrence University. Dorothy taught in North Syracuse until she married in 1966. She worked for IBM at the Armonk division headquarters as a news editor. She returned to teaching in 1969 in the Carmel Central School District, then taught business at Chateauguay Central Schools and Malone Central Schools, retiring in 1998. Dorothy is survived by her husband, Daniel, two daughters, four grandchildren and two sisters, including Mary Facey Messinger ’74. Doris Halsey Webb ’65 of Mishawaka, Ind., died Aug. 25, 2003, the Alumni Office recently learned. She was a 1932 graduate of Syracuse City Normal School. She taught at Daysville, Fernwood, Richland and Pulaski Academy for many years. She is survived by a son, Gary. Nancy VanVolkenburg Strathmann ’66 of North Syracuse, N.Y., died Nov. 19, 2014. She began her teaching career at North Syracuse High School. After taking time off to raise her family, Nancy returned to teaching in Liverpool, retiring in 2001. She is survived by her husband, Gilbert ’65; a son, Steven ’93; a daughter, Suzanne Strathmann Fairbanks ’96 M’99; and two grandchildren. Carolyn Galiso Valentino ’66 of Auburn, N.Y., died May 16, 2014. She is survived by her husband, Joseph ’71. Edward Kukko ’67 of Bernardsville, N.J., died Oct. 23, 2014. He was an accountant for Farns worth Printing in Camden, N.Y., for 13 years before moving to New Jersey where he was comptroller for Krauser, Welsh & Cirz until his retirement. Ed is survived by his mother, Myra, and two siblings. Thomas Martin ’67 of Smithtown, N.Y., died Dec. 14, 2013, the Alumni Office recently learned. Prior to retiring, he taught science in the North Babylon School District. Tom is survived by his wife, Martha Golding ’83, a son, a daughter and three grandchildren. Dorothy Rumsey Chauncey ’69 of Groton, N.Y., died March 2, 2013, the Alumni Office 46

recently learned. Dorothy was a graduate of Cort land Normal School and taught in Tioga and Cayuga counties. She is survived by a daughter, four sons, 12 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Betty Schoolcraft Irwin King ’69 M’75 of Baldwinsville, N.Y., died Dec. 27, 2014. Betty taught in the Jordan-Elbridge School District for 29 years, retiring in 1997. She is survived by her husband, Danton, four daughters and six grandchildren, including Magdalini Georgiadis ’08 M’10. Kimberly Pisarra ’69 of Matthews, N.C., died Feb. 8, 2011, the Alumni Office recently learned. She earned a master’s degree at the University at Albany and was a teacher at Blind Brook Elementary School in Rye Brook, N.Y., for 35 years. Richard Dayton ’70 of Englewood, Fla., died Nov. 13, 2007, the Alumni Office recently learned. Thomas Diorio ’70 of Owego, N.Y., died Jan. 8, 2015. He taught in the Vestal and Johnson City school districts, where he also coached wrestling. After teaching, he had a career in sales, including serving as a co-owner of Binghamton SunRay Heating, several insurance agencies and most recently a position with KC Construction. Surviving are his wife, Becky; a son, Daric; two daughters, Ivy Diorio Levinson ’94 and Maia Henson; and five grandchildren. Robert Borman ’71 of Cocoa Beach, Fla., died Oct. 30, 2014. He served in the U.S. Army. He earned a master’s degree at City College of New York. Bob taught industrial arts at his alma mater, Horace Greeley High School for 35 years and was assistant principal for three years. Surviving are his wife, Diana Potter Borman ’71, three children and a grandson. Linda Miller O’Reilly ’71 of Fairport, N.Y., died Oct. 27, 2014. She retired after 10 years as the rehab coordinator at Visiting Nurse Service of Rochester, N.Y. Linda is survived by her husband, Patrick ’70, two daughters and four granddaughters. Richard Hunter ’72 of Sun City, Fla., died Dec. 29, 2013, the Alumni Office recently learned. Rhonda Santamour ’73 of New York, N.Y., died June 23, 2014. Leslie Carpenter ’75 of Warrensburg, N.Y., died Dec. 26, 2013, the Alumni Office recently learned. He served with the U.S. Air Force. Leslie was a self-employed building contractor and Amsoil dealer. Robert Isler ’75 of Queens, N.Y., died Nov. 10, 2010, the Alumni Office recently learned. Prior to retiring, Bob was a technology teacher at John Jay High School and had previously taught at Dutchess County BOCES. He is survived by his wife, Betty, and two children. Timothy Gaetano ’77 of Brentwood, Tenn., died June 14, 2014. He is survived by his wife, Corbette Doyle Gaetano ’78, and two daughters. Russell Hastings ’77 of Ulster Park, N.Y.,

died Jan. 11, 2012, the Alumni Office recently learned. After working various jobs, he made a career change and went back to college, earning a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from Dominican College. He worked in the Kingston City School District as an occupational therapist for over 10 years. Surviving are his wife, Georgia, and two children. Karen Kowalski ’78 of Lakeland, N.Y., died Jan. 1, 2015. She had worked for Verizon, retiring after more than 30 years of service. Karen is survived by a brother and several nieces and nephews. Thomas O’Reilly ’79 of East Patchogue, N.Y., died Aug. 13, 2014. He earned a master’s degree in special education from the College of New Rochelle. Tom taught technology education in the Longwood School District for 29 years, retiring in 2012. He is survived by his wife, Rosanne Kozlowski ’79, three children, a grandson and three siblings, Robert ’77, Kathleen, and Colleen O’Brien. Paul Grekalski M’80 of Frewsburg, N.Y., died Sept. 18, 2014. He earned his bachelor’s degree as an R.O.T.C. candidate at St. Bonaventure University in 1969. P.J. served with the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He was the superintendent of schools at Frewsburg Central School until 2004. After, he spent one year as superintendent of schools at Orchard Park Central School District, retiring in 2005. He is survived by his wife, Donna, and two children. Ellen Connelly Wozniak ’80 of Pultneyville, N.Y., died Oct. 11, 2014. She earned an MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology. Ellen was the chief financial officer of Reliant Community Federal Credit Union. She is survived by her husband, Timothy, and two sons. Janice Pacilio ’83 of Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., died Sept. 9, 2014. She earned a master’s degree from Lake Forest Graduate School and studied computer law at John Marshall Law School. Janice was the vice president and chief information officer at J.S. Paluch for the past 19 years. Surviving are her parents, Robert Pacilio and Joan Evola, and her siblings, Diane, Ken and Gary ’86. Susan Eschbacher Mellina ’84 of Farmingdale, N.Y., died Sept. 15, 2014. She is survived by two children. Philip Epp ’85 of Marcellus, N.Y., died Nov. 5, 2014. He worked as a metallurgical engineer for several area companies. He is survived by his mother, Barbara Egtvedt, and a son. Nicolina Fratto ’86 of Lyncourt, N.Y., died Dec. 18, 2014. She worked for the Onondaga County Medicaid Department for many years. Nicolina is survived by her husband, Joseph Tartaro; four children; her mother, Katherine Fratto; and four siblings, including John ’89. Nicholas Moochler ’87 of Auburn, N.Y., died Nov. 4, 2013, the Alumni Office recently learned. He was a supervisor at Hillside Children’s Center. He is survived by his father and stepmother, Frederick and Olive, and two siblings.

Sister James Therese (Margaret) Downer, OSF M’88 of Syracuse died Jan. 14, 2015. She received her bachelor’s degree from the College of St. Rose and a master’s degree from LeMoyne College. She earned a certificate in Spiritual Formation from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She taught in schools in Syracuse, Fulton, Oswego and East Syracuse. She served as a teacher, assistant principal and principal at Bishop Grimes Jr./Sr. High School for 18 years, and left to become the formation minister for the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities. Surviving are five sisters, including Mary M’95; four brothers; several nieces and nephews; and the Sisters of St. Francis. Larry Reynolds ’89 M’98 of Kissimmee, Fla., died Dec. 5, 2014. He managed Fay’s Discount Liquor store for 10 years, and later, he and his wife owned and operated The Wine Sellar in Watertown for 15 years. Larry also taught at Jefferson Community College and SUNY Empire State. Most recently he had obtained his Florida real estate license and worked at Walt Disney World. Larry is survived by his wife, Lynne; two daughters; his mother, Catherine; and four siblings. Joseph Morton ’91 of Groton, N.Y., died May 5, 2013, the Alumni Office recently learned. He was employed with BAE Systems. Joe is survived by his wife, Melanie; three sons, Joseph III, Xavier ’18 and Quenton; and his mother, Margaret. Gregory Hunter CAS’93 of Elbridge, N.Y., died Oct. 7, 2014. He was a graduate of SUNY Cortland. Greg was a teacher in the JordanElbridge School District and an elementary principal in the Liverpool and Weedsport school districts. He retired in 2007 as principal of Weedsport Elementary School. Surviving are his wife, Joan, two sons, a daughter and two grandchildren. Bridget Deming Chiasson ’94 of Phoenix, N.Y., died Dec. 5, 2014. She was a provider relations representative for GHI Insurance. Bridget is survived by her partner, John Newton, a son and a granddaughter. Vivian “Bunny” McBride Dimmel ’98 of Liverpool, N.Y., died Nov. 7, 2014. Bunny was a graduate of Paul Smith’s College and Syracuse University. She had been a teacher in the Syracuse City School District before her retirement. She was the owner of the Bunny Hut, an heirloom sewing and smocking store. Surviving are a daughter, two sons and two grandchildren. Carrie Ryan Lazar ’98 M’00 of Red Creek, N.Y., died Nov. 30, 2014. She is survived by her husband, Steven, three children and three grandchildren. Steven Hoard ’99 of Berne, N.Y., died Nov. 3, 2014. He earned a master’s degree at Russell Sage College. Steven was a teacher at the Schoharie Jr./ Sr. High School for 13 years, where he was also a varsity coach and club adviser. Steven is survived by his wife, Nicole, a son and his mother, Janet. Diego DeSantiago ’02 of Aurora, Colo., died in a plane crash in the Bahamas Nov. 9, 2014. He 47

served with the U.S. Army. He had been working with the Myles Munroe Mentoring Program. Surviving are his parents and several siblings. Gregory Auleta, Emeritus Assistant Director of the Office of Learning Services, died Oct. 29, 2014. Greg was chapter president of the United University Professions for 16 years. Greg worked at Oswego from 1975 until he retired in 2007. He is survived by his wife, Sunny Duncan, and his daughter, Kate. John Cooper, Professor Emeritus of Education, died Sept. 15, 2014. He served with the U.S. Navy during World War II. John earned a bachelor’s degree at Ball State University, and his master’s and doctorate degrees at Indiana University. He retired from Oswego in 1985. His wife, June Cooper, predeceased him on May 11, 2014. Surviving are three sons, Jay, Timothy ’73 and Bill; a daughter, Rebecca Burgess; eight grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Julius Sherwood Dunham, Professor Emeritus of Business Administration and Vice President for Academic Services, died Dec. 12, 2014. Sherry received a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Fredonia, a master’s degree from Columbia University and a doctorate from the University at Buffalo. He graduated as a naval aviator from Pensa cola in 1943 and served with the U.S. Navy during World War II. He began his career in education in Niagara Falls as a teacher and principal. In 1955, he was appointed principal at Oswego’s Campus School. Over the next 25 years, he served in different administrative and academic positions, including acting president. He retired in 1977 but remained at Oswego teaching part-time in the educational administration department. He is survived by his daughter, Judith Botting, and two granddaughters. Donations may be made to a scholarship being established in his memory, c/o the Oswego College Foundation Inc., 215 Sheldon Hall, SUNY Oswego, Oswego NY 13126. Gisela Haas Nordby, Professor Emeritus of English, died Oct. 12, 2014. She earned a master’s degree from Stanford University. Gisela was a translator at the American Embassy in Bonn, Germany, when she met her late husband, Edward Nordby, Professor Emeritus of Russian Studies. Gisela is survived by two sons, Peter and Christian, and a grandson. Raymond Schneider, Associate Professor Emeritus of Earth Sciences, died Oct. 14, 2014. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Missouri at Columbia, and a doctorate from the University of Tennessee. He worked for the intercontinental ballistic missile silos, based out of Sedalia, Mo., prior to coming to Oswego in 1961, where he taught for 30 years, retiring in 1991. Ray is survived by his wife, Marlene, four daughters, a son, 15 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

T H E

L A S T

Odes to Oswego In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of National Poetry Month: The poetry written below (by Oswego alumni, you know) highlights purpose and passion in elegant fashion and nary a word about snow. More Odes to Oswego you’ll find on the magazine’s website, online. There’s so much more space than in print. It’s a place where all of the poems can shine. Ontario Lake, The Mirror of Oswego

Oswego Haiku Oswego Spring bloom awakens passion to teach darling buds of May —Christine Pitz Cleary ’91

From the slatted shutter of my window, In the squared span of my room, Visit alumni.oswego.edu/magazine to read other I admired the sunset coloring The solemn Ontario Lake. poetry submissions, including: The eyes of the lonely star “Beneath the Surface” by Alice Hall Nash ’83 Still fatigued from a long journey “Story” by Jim Farfaglia ’77 Slowly dimmed its flames Announcing the crepuscule. “Becoming an Elementary Teacher’s Assistant” The shadow of Onondaga rested lazily by Linda McFall ’88 M’91 On the vast mirror. A sumptuous spectacle “Transformation” by Yvona Fast ’81 Awaited my curious eyes. The lazy and hazy waves Of the water in metamorphoses Climbed the silver humps with douceur and nonchalance. In time, I elevated my right hand Above my forehead to engage my curiosity; Far away … far away from a distance I looked on a sailor adorned By colored swans as if forming A rainbow around the vessel. Then, the tall pines of the old port, Wrapped in mournful colors, Extended its spiked hair to the sailor; Suddenly resounded a tune in folly: The lake began to shake randomly, And the waves violently kept hitting the rocks; And a loud and cacophonous symphony Woke me up from my imagery. Then I realized that was a dream! Oh it’s time for class! I reminded myself. I then headed to Sheldon Hall For my early English class. O Oswego cenacle of dreams! O Bastion of spirit, poetry and anthology! You are the mirror of the Great Lake, The sanctuary of great prodigy. —Elie Fleurant ’76 OSWEGO

Spring 2015

“SUNY Oswego ignited my passion for going above and beyond academically, professionally and personally.” — TIRAYA CONYERS ’15

our participation matters. You still have time to make your gift before the end of the fiscal year on June 30. Your gift to The Fund for Oswego has an immediate and positive impact on students, like Tiraya Conyers ’15. Every gift, no matter the size, moves us closer to our $40 million goal for With Passion & Purpose: The Campaign for SUNY Oswego. “I want to thank the thousands of donors who have made gifts that helped support students like me. Their donations are put to good use! I know firsthand. Their gifts help the college be more creative and flexible in its offerings. We have unique opportunities and tremendous support from our faculty, who believe in us so we know we will succeed. ”I hope you will continue to support The Fund for Oswego so students like me will have the opportunity to make something of ourselves and to improve the world in whatever way we can. I know I will carry my Oswego experience with me, and will always be grateful for the support I have received.” —Tiraya Conyers ’15, Bronx, N.Y. Psychology major, business administration minor alumni.oswego.edu/givenow 315-312-3003 | develop@oswego.edu

Nonprofit US Postage PAID Oswego Alumni Association

KING ALUMNI HALL OSWEGO, NY 13126 If OSWEGO is addressed to a son or daughter who has graduated and no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please clip the address label and return it with the correct address to the Oswego Alumni Association, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126, or email the updated address to alumni@oswego.edu

Please recycle this magazine.

John Weeks

OSWEGO

Spring 2015

curriculum for a variety of learning levels. Weeks, who advocated for SUNY Oswego to develop a field station, eventually convinced his fellow natural science faculty members and college administration to rally behind the idea. He worked with professors Leland Marsh and Donald Cox to develop curriculum for the future teachers who attended Oswego at that time. “That was our first goal—to help teachers teach science better,” Weeks said. He took a sabbatical to oversee the development of the Rice Creek property, including the construction of a 26-acre pond. Although he said he loved teaching, an opportunity to transform the former Harry Rogers game farm into a nature center was too good to pass up. He said what pleases him most is to see the lasting impact of his and his colleagues’ work, specifically having environmental science and preservation lessons worked into school curriculum and the state requirement for businesses to conduct environmental impact studies before building on a site. “What was considered fuzzy-headed idealism back then is now considered necessity,” Weeks said. Today, he enjoys painting, and his works are on display at Rice Creek, Baltimore Woods and various locations across Central New

JIM RUSSELL ’83

ohn Weeks cupped his hands into a nest as he recalled the moment as a young child when he saw four bright blue robin eggs and learned that baby birds were growing inside. At 90, he traced a lifetime of loving, teaching and preserving nature back to that defining moment on his brother’s Albion, N.Y., farm. Among his most prized accomplishments is the development of about 80 nature centers in New York State, including SUNY Oswego’s Rice Creek Field Station. “Back when I started, no one cared much about the environment,” said Weeks, who worked as a biologist for the state conservation department before serving as a biology professor at SUNY Oswego from 1957 to 1966. “I got in on the ground floor of what became a growing industry. Today, there are a lot of nature centers, and I was fortunate to have done a lot of the initial work.” In addition to Rice Creek, Weeks led the development at the Beaver Lake and Sterling centers, was the founding director of the Rogers Environmental Education Center in Sherburne, N.Y., and was director of the Centers for Nature Education at Baltimore Woods in Marcellus, N.Y. He helped with the site plans at these centers, and perhaps, more importantly, he worked on programming that tied into the

York. His work has been made into note cards and even reproduced on a tie. He and his wife, Esther, also spend time with their children, Denise Bush ’71, Gary ’72, Brenda ’78, Donald ’95 M’97 and Joni, and their grandchildren. Listeners of the Oswego-based WRVO station recognize Weeks for his weekly segment, The Nature of Things, which ran from 1982 through 2006, and are occasionally re-broadcast today. Or the hundreds of children and adults he has led on nature walks and field trips might know him for his iconic feathered hat. “Because I’m so short, I put tall pheasant feathers on my hat and told people to ‘Follow the feathers,’” he said. “Now, it’s kind of become my trademark.” And also his life’s work. —Margaret Spillett