Peddie Chronicle, Spring 2015

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Spring 2015

Falcons fly into medical careers Mario Peia’s ’06 “Serial” experience The legacy of Chris Acito ’85

A student takes a shot at the Peddie Golf Course in the 1920s.

LETTERS Spring 2015

TO THE EDITOR

Vol. 143, No. 2

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Peddie Leadership Council Leaders work to advance Peddie

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Fall 2014

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Acito’s legacy

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Doctors of ’66

Board Chair Chris Acito ’85 steps down

Classmates form life-long bond

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Decades of doctors

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“Serial” experience

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Founder’s Day

I receive a few alumni magazines, and I have to say that I enjoy the Chronicle the most. I always find interesting stories in the Chronicle that help me feel authentically connected to Peddie, and I end up engaged in nearly every article.

Roby and Elaine McClellan honored

Please keep up the great work!

Peddie prepares Falcons for medical careers

Mario Peia ’06 leads Innocence Project team

CAITLIN YAEGER MCCORKLE ’07

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From the Headmaster Center Campus Falcon Feats Meet the Trustees Class Notes

Executive Editor: Deanna K.G. Ferrante Editor: Wendi Patella P’17 Contributors: Doug Mariboe ’69 P’10 ’14 Patricia O’Neill P’13 ’15 ’17 Design: Carter Halliday Associates Photography: Deanna K.G. Ferrante, Jim Inverso, Andrea Kane Printing: Prism Color Corporation About the cover: Ross Hamilton ’16 created a Falcon sculpture for an elective science course, Art and Neuroscience. Taught by biology teacher Caitlin McDermott, the course explored the relationship among visual art, music, and the biology of the brain.

Peddie School 201 South Main Street Hightstown, NJ 08520-3349

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Tel: 609-944-7501 www.peddie.org/chronicle We welcome your input: editor@peddie.org

I randomly clicked on the Peddie website this afternoon, and saw the notice regarding Ray Oram’s death. I can’t fully articulate the sadness this news brings. My heart goes out to his family, and to all of us, for this loss.

I had the privilege of taking biology from Mr. Oram during the 1968-69 school year. “Living Systems,” his seminal textbook, was at that point a series of Xeroxed handouts that we received and kept in a three-ring binder throughout the year, with discussion questions that made fun of Lawrenceville students as evolutionary dead ends on the order of Neanderthals (we especially loved those). The thrill of discovery in the subject itself was matched by the unique chance to be part of the birthing process for the textbook.

We weren’t just his guinea pigs, we were his test audience and sounding board. He was open to our (literally) sophomoric critiques, however often he’d make jokes about them or mockingly threaten to fail us for our suggestions.

He was, at all times, a gentleman, in the best classical mold of the private school faculty member — demanding, orderly, polite, respectful of his students but quietly demanding the respect he as teacher merited (we called all the teachers “Sir” then; few deserved it as much). His curiosity was voracious, his ability to impart that sense of curiosity to us was contagious, his teaching was rigorous without being hectoring or pedantic, and his demeanor was unflappable.

On a spring break trip to India, Asian Studies students and faculty were honored with an hour-long meeting with the Dalai Lama.

He even managed to make a learning experience from my disastrous end-of-year project, in which I vainly sought to propagate microscopic organisms from Peddie Lake water in order to test various antibiotics on them. (If you can’t get germs to grow in a Petri dish from that water, you clearly have no business being a scientist.)

I was lucky enough to see him numerous times after my graduation, and our conversations always drifted to two subjects: good natured ribbing about our respective college choices and their athletic prowess (or lack thereof ), and what I was doing in my life. His interest in his former students was unflagging. Though I didn’t follow his Siren song into the medical or scientific fields, the intellectual rigor he (and, to be sure, many other teachers I was lucky enough to have at Peddie) imparted to me remains, and has stood me in good stead. As fortunate as I was to have him as a teacher, I was equally appreciative of his interest in me over the years as a friend.

Congratulations on giving birth to another terrific Chronicle issue. My “standard” was the Chronicle of over a half century ago, and this is light years ahead. You bring Peddie alive in the hands of alumni everywhere.

Thanks again for your beautiful work.

JOHN KELSO ’62

Correction: An article in the fall Chronicle about the planned dormitory project incorrectly labeled the two dormitories. The larger of the two dorms will be located along South Main Street while the smaller dorm will sit on center campus between Avery Dormitory and Austen Colgate Hall.

The Chronicle welcomes your letters and comments on the stories we offer. We reserve the right to edit letters for space. Send your comments to editor@peddie.org or Chronicle Editor, Peddie School, 201 South Main Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520-3349.

I cordially decline to admit to age’s passage, most of the time.

Today, at the news of Ray Oram’s passing, I feel suddenly old.

RICH HUTCHINSON ’71

Throughout this issue, look for this icon for exclusive online content at peddie.org/chronicle Spring 2015 3

FROM THE HEADMASTER Dear Peddie Friends, At the end of the winter, when the first suggestions of warmer weather arrived during our spring break, I looked forward to what the spring term would be. At the time, I was reading two different books about choices made by leaders on different sides of the American Civil War. I was reminded that while history is often studied through the lens of powerful economic and political trends, it is even more often made by the decisions of individual people who would cite their own, distinct motives.

The Class of 2015 will spend part of this summer pivoting between the mixed emotions (nostalgia and celebration) which come with Commencement, and the mixed emotions (excitement and uncertainty) which come with college matriculation. There are three summers that stand out in my mind as punctuation marks of extraordinary change: the summer between high school and college, the summer between college and my first teaching job, and then the

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summer I realized I would not be getting the summers off anymore (more resignation than reflection in the last case).

In those days, amidst the confusion and growing cynicism of the 1970s, we were split between wanting lives of financial success and wanting lives of community significance.

And there sometimes seemed to be no middle ground. We thought we should be doing more than making as much money as we could as fast as we could. Those who had been fortunate to have an education like Peddie’s hoped that we could find a pleasant balance between the two, so that we would be “doing well by doing good.” Ours was not only a youthful perspective that tended to paint things in extremes, but also a reaction to the times in which we had grown up. It is more broadly accepted now that lives of success and significance are not fraught with conflict, unless that conflict was there at the start.

One of our recent chapel speakers commented — to an affectionate

rumble of affirmation from the audience — that at Peddie we are expected to “do something meaningful” with our lives. That specific phrase is part of neither our mission nor our motto, but it is a very clear inference which we hope will be drawn from the motto, and from the “sower of seeds” depicted in our school seal: that it is our duty to be ever-growing, ever-learning, and ever-renewing. And in this way, Peddie encourages the choices that we make as individuals to be influenced by how each choice will serve whatever communities we join.

This summer, the Class of 2015 will prepare to begin their labors “anew” again, and make the choices which determine their own histories and the impact they will have on their communities, and, I hope, on Peddie for many years.

Ala Viva,

Peter A. Quinn

Introducing the

Peddie Leadership Council New advisory board will advance Peddie

By Amy Cross Office of Alumni & Development

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ollowing the exciting 150th year celebration in which hundreds of alumni and friends reconnected with Peddie by visiting campus or attending a Peddie gathering in their area, efforts to stay in touch with Peddie alumni, parents and friends continue.

As Peddie School begins the next chapter in its history and looks to the next 150 years, it is a wonderful time to reflect on the past while planning for the future and preserving the very strengths of the school.

This year Peddie launched two key planning initiatives: participation in the ten-year re-accreditation by the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools and the formation of a Trustee Strategic Planning Committee. Central to re-accreditation is a year-long self- study and review which will help to identify current strengths and opportunities for advancement. One of the most important aspects of the self-study and strategic planning process is gathering input from the Peddie community — those who live and learn on the campus — as well as the thousands of alumni and parents who care deeply for the school’s future.

It is clear that the Peddie community is passionate about protecting and preserving the Peddie mission, “With enthusiasm, humor and patience, we challenge our students to reach beyond their expectations and to define success by the progress they make.” Headmaster Peter Quinn recently stated, “In order to expand Peddie’s reach and impact, and to ensure Peddie’s continued excellence, we will need to call upon a select group of demonstrated Peddie supporters to serve as ambassadors and advisors to help inform and support our efforts to advance the school we hold so dear.” To that end, the Peddie Leadership Council was formed in the fall of 2014, acting as an advisory council to the headmaster, faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees.

The Peddie Leadership Council offers a unique opportunity for individuals with a strong connection to Peddie to become more deeply engaged with the school and in turn go back into their communities and serve as ambassadors for Peddie. The group will meet on campus twice a year and engage in high level discussions with Quinn, administrators, members of the Board of Trustees and our greatest assets — our students, faculty and staff.

Through their time, their counsel and their professional expertise, the PLC will help further Peddie’s mission

and strategic objectives and work with the school on key challenges and new initiatives. Early themes to be addressed emerging from the self-study include the need for enhanced messaging and marketing of the school, more varied and robust opportunities for alumni engagement and assistance with imagining opportunities we face beyond the horizon, and strategic planning to make the most of those opportunities.

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andidates for the PLC were identified by trustees, faculty and administrators working closely with Quinn. The PLC comprises a select group of alumni, parents and friends who have demonstrated their deep commitment to Peddie through their attendance at events and hours of volunteer time along with leadership financial support of the school. Significant emphasis was placed on ensuring that the first class of 35 founding members represented a range of graduation years, ethnic and geographic diversity, and a variety of professions and interests. We also strove to balance genders and a mix of day and boarding experiences. Founding members bring a vast set of talents and expertise to their new role and include careers in information technology, engineering, education, medicine, law, finance, manufacturing, trade, talent management, arts management and non-profit leadership just to summarize the tremendous skill sets on offer to Peddie through this new Council.

Co-chair of the Committee on Trustees and Governance, Elizabeth Silverman P’03 ’10, remarked, “We are thrilled that so many talented and dedicated alumni and friends Spring 2015 5

so readily and enthusiastically agreed to serve on this new Council. We had a very hard time selecting from a long list of potential candidates, and we are simply overwhelmed by the positive response we received. I believe the Peddie Leadership Council will be a tremendous resource and sounding board for new ideas, and I am thrilled that a new group of knowledgeable and visionary leaders will be out in communities throughout the world talking about the impact of a Peddie education.”

Council members are asked to serve a two-year term (renewable once) and to commit to attending semi-annual, two-day summits on campus where they meet with faculty, students, administrators and trustees and engage in conversations and planning sessions related to key challenges and opportunities for success. The inaugural meeting on

April 10-11 looked at early findings from the self-study and focused on the new initiatives around messaging and marketing. The fall meeting on November 6-7 will coincide with Blair Day and will include a focused discussion on the formation of Peddie’s next strategic plan which will guide the school over the coming decade.

We are grateful to the 35 founding members of the Peddie Leadership Council listed here. Over the next six months the council will grow in size to 50 members as we strategically add 15 additional council members. For more information, please contact Melissa von Stade, assistant head for development, mvonstade@peddie.org; Amy Cross, director of major gifts, across@peddie.org; or Brian Davidson, director of alumni relations, bdavidson@peddie.org.

Front Row (l to r): Linda (Attaway) Burke ’83, Manuel Grullón ’71 P’95, John Coiro ’87 P’17, Virginia Bauer P’03 ’05, Mitch Mackler ’84, Alene Bronfman Court ’80, Michele Martin ’86, Heather (McCarthy) Drstvensek ’97, Charlie Ascher ’52, Suzanne (Daly) Hart ’99 Second Row (l to r): Robin (Fischer) Landsman ’83, Joshua Henriquez ’90 P’16, Bruce Tucker ’71, PJ Horgan ’84, Peanut (Smith) Kempe ’02, Sunshine Lencho ’02, Joe Clark ’05 Third Row (l to r): Headmaster Peter Quinn P’15 ’18, John Taylor P’10, Dan Szemis P’10, Clarence Ling ’01, Ryan Packard ’00, Fred Price P’99 ’01, Ashish Patel ’95, Brian Grossman ’04, Josh Charnin-Aker ’07 Back Row (l to r): Craig Mudge ’67 P’99, Jaleh Amouzegar ’85, Pat Dennis ’98, Sangu Delle ’06, Dave Thompson ’96, Rob Ruberton ’93, Bernadette Schmidinger Brown ’01, Scott Zifferer ’74 P’16

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Peddie Leadership Council Founding Members Jaleh Amouzegar ’85 Consultant, New York Interschool Association New York, NY

Patricia (Smith) B. Kempe ’02 Head of Analyst Recruiting, Harris Williams Co. Richmond, VA

Charles J. Ascher ’52 Retired, Olivetti Cranbury, NJ

Robin (Fischer) L. Landsman ’83 Chief Talent Officer, McGraw Hill Financial New York, NY

Virginia S. Bauer P’03 ’05 Chief Executive Officer, GTBM Inc. Red Bank, NJ

Tsion E. Lencho ’02 Former Associate, Morrison & Foerster LLP Oakland, CA

Bernadette Schmidinger Brown ’01 Vice President, Deutsche Bank Asset & Wealth Management New York, NY

Clarence Chun Kit Ling ’01 Director, Kwai Hung Group Hong Kong, China, P.R.

Linda (Attaway) K. Burke ’83 Retired Early Childhood Teacher Carpinteria, CA

Mitchell G. Mackler ’84 Head of Legal – Americas, Wipro Technologies Griggstown, NJ

Joshua S. Charnin-Aker ’07 Trader, DRW Trading Group Hoboken, NJ

Michele E. Martin ’86 Legal Personnel Partner, Morgan Lewis Philadelphia, PA

Joseph J. Clark ’05 Loans Structuring and Syndication Associate, Citibank London, United Kingdom

Craig W. Mudge ’67 P’99 Principal, CW Mudge Consulting Camden, ME

John M. Coiro ’87 P’17 President, Allentown, Inc. Princeton, NJ

Ryan R. Packard ’00 Principal, Roystone Capital Management LP New York, NY

Alene J. Bronfman Court ’80 Paraplanner, Platinum Peak Advisors Boca Raton, FL

Ashish B. Patel, M.D., ’95 Radiation Oncologist, MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper Philadelphia, PA

Sangu J. Delle ’06 Chief Executive Officer, Golden Palm Investments JD/MBA Student, Harvard University Cambridge, MA

Jason W. B. Pizzo ’94 Assistant State Attorney, Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office Miami, FL

Patrick W. Dennis ’98 Partner and Managing Member, Davidson Kempner Capital Management New York, NY Heather (McCarthy) C. Drstvensek ’97 Former Senior Director of Reporting Strategy, Saks Fifth Avenue Rowayton, CT J. Mark Enriquez ’77 Private Investor Boston, MA Brian A. Grossman ’04 Director, Alternative Investments, UBS Financial Services Inc. New York, NY Manuel A. Grullón ’71 P’95 President, Banco Popular Dominicano Miami, FL Suzanne (Daly) Hart ’99 Senior Vice President, Two Sigma Investments Middletown, NJ Joshua J. Henriquez ’90 P’16 General Manager, Pizza Hut/Franquicias Panameñas Panama City, Panama

Fred D. Price P’99 ’01 Managing Principal, Sandler O’Neill & Partners, LP Cranbury, NJ Robert J. Ruberton ’93 Partner, Apollo Global Management London, United Kingdom Daniel Szemis P’10 Retired/Former Managing Director, Chilton Investment Company Pennington, NJ John H. Taylor P’10 Director of Marketing, White Oak Global Advisors, LLC Pinehurst, NC David B. Thompson ’96 Managing Director, Garrison Investment Group Summit, NJ Bruce R. Tucker ’71 President, Sterling Financial Group Madison, NJ Scott C. Zifferer ’74 P’16 Chief Executive Officer, Packless Industries Stevenson, MD

Patrick J. Horgan ’84 President, Capital Wine & Spirits, The Charmer Sunbelt Group Millersville, MD

Spring 2015 7

Acito steps down as board chair After serving six years as board chair, Christopher J. Acito ’85 announced he would resign his position as head of Peddie’s governing body at the February meeting of the Peddie Board of Trustees.

Acito is credited by his peers with bringing a new governance model and culture to the board.

“The board is now committee driven and requires significantly more energy, engagement and commitment from all trustees,” said Trustee Roger J. Burns ’63. “The new culture is very healthy for the board and Peddie and attracts and fully utilizes the talents of every trustee.”

Headmaster Peter A. Quinn also said part of Acito’s legacy will be an effective working model for the board which now includes term limits for trustees.

“He enjoys committee meetings with substantive issues, and hopes that each committee report reveals to the full board that careful consideration has been given to each significant issue,” Quinn said. “At the same time, he allows for whatever questions trustees want to ask at full board meetings, so it’s a nice balance of effective committee work without board meetings becoming solely consent agendas.”

Acito took over the chairmanship in 2009 after the death of Finn M.W. Caspersen ’59 who had led the board for more than three decades.

Having taken over the chair during a critical time of transition, Quinn said Acito has proven himself to be a thoughtful and open-minded leader.

“He is completely committed to the mission and has clear and emotional memories of the Peddie he attended from 1980 through 1985,” Quinn said. “At the same time, as he has seen the school continue to seek levels of achievement it had not attempted before, he knows that continued growth and enhancement is essential for Peddie to remain the vibrant and commanding school it is.”

Burns said Acito is a role model for the values Peddie expects of its students. He applauded him for tackling the difficult job of board chair at an exceedingly busy time in his professional and personal life.

“Everyone appreciates his ability to balance three important things in his life at the same time: his young 8 Peddie Chronicle

CHRIS ON the beginning During my first board meeting, I set three primary goals for the board.

The first was to restructure the way the board governs itself. We consequently changed from having a centralized decision-making process to one which is now driven more by specialized and hard-working committees. We also doubled down on our commitment to strong corporate governance — as examples: we imposed term limits, re-crafted our by-laws and committee charters, improved our ability to attract highly qualified trustees, and addressed conflicts of interest.

The second goal was to strengthen our development capabilities, particularly regarding our ability to raise financial resources beyond tuition. Peddie had, within a few short years, lost its two greatest benefactors, Finn Caspersen ’59 and Walter Annenberg ’27. And while we are blessed with another generation of great stewards, such as Michael Armellino ’57 and Robert Kaye ’54, Peddie needs to create a broader future network of support amongst the students who have graduated within the past twenty-five years. During the past six years, we have spent quite a lot of time analyzing how we make progress here.

Finally, I wanted to commit more of the board’s time and energy to strategic planning — i.e., how should Peddie evolve to meet the demands of the 21st century? It is my belief that

family, his new successful and growing business, and his commitment to Peddie,” Burns said.

Acito is the founder, chief executive officer and chief investment officer of Gapstow Capital Partners, a $1 billion investment firm in New York City. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Duke University and an M.A. from the University of Chicago.

While he will not serve as chair, Acito has been appointed to an additional three-year term as a board member. “I plan on living the Peddie motto: We finish our labors only to begin them anew,” Acito said. “The board’s Committee on Trustees and Governance has asked me to remain an active trustee, which I have agreed to do so long as it will be helpful to the new board chair and to the school.”

Acito will play a leading role in the long-term strategic planning process recently undertaken by the board. He will also re-join the Investment Committee which manages the school’s endowment. Prior to his appointment as chair of the board, he was the chair of that committee and remained actively involved in it.

Burns said the board will benefit from Acito’s long-term commitment to strengthening the endowment. “He is enormously successful as an investment manager in his personal business life and he has made Peddie’s endowment management a priority in his life,” Burns said.

The board will elect a new chair at its May meeting.

Peddie, like most boarding schools, is entering the most pivotal few years in its history. Why? Within the entire secondary independent education industry, there is the confluence of several dramatic trends, most prominent of which are (1) the ever-increasing cost, which raises concerns about both fairness and sustainability, (2) the impact of technology on pedagogy, and (3) the arguably diminishing predilection of parents to send their kids to boarding school. Peddie must remain a leader in anticipating and reacting to these forces.

CHRIS ON his accomplishments At the top of the list of accomplishments, I would have to put Peter Quinn’s becoming Peddie’s sixteenth headmaster.

When John Green called me in the spring of 2012 to say that he would be stepping down, it was obvious that the board had a huge task ahead of it. Mr. Green was a big act to follow; he was beloved and enormously successful. We had to find someone who could continue to build upon the accomplishments of Mr. Green and his predecessors.

A joint committee of the trustees and the faculty devoted six months to a rigorous and extensive search process. It was a lot of work — but there is no more important decision that a board can make.

At Mr. Quinn’s installation in September 2013, I noted

that Peter had not only already distinguished himself as a head of school, but he also had a strong bond to Peddie and to the students of the so-to-speak Annenberg generation.

But, as I said at the time, “above all, he has the inherent personal qualities that we believe Peddie’s head of school should have: articulate, literate, moral, confident, innovative, humorous, inspirational, compassionate, accessible, and possessing of the utmost integrity in everything he does.”

CHRIS ON the future Regarding development, the next board chair will likely lead Peddie on a significant capital campaign. Regarding strategic planning, the board must synthesize much of its prior analysis into a coherent and comprehensive plan for the future.

Regarding the board itself, the next board chair must usher in a new generation of trustees who are more representative of the diversity and talents of the past twenty-five years of Peddie graduates.

Spring 2015 9

Memories and medicine bind three ’66 alumni

Ralph G. Brindis, M.D., ’66

Richard I. Levin, M.D., ’66

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ore than 50 years since they first met at Peddie School, Ralph “Rusty” Brindis, M.D., ’66, Richard I. Levin, M.D., ’66 and Carl M. Herbert III, M.D., ’66 share more than just Wilson Hall memories and a fondness for each other; the three doctors share a love for medicine and have each had distinguished careers in their specialties.

The three classmates have become unexpected life-long friends.

At Peddie, Levin was president of the student body and a member of Gold Key, won the Declamation Contest, was president of the Latin Club, and a member of the French Club and Peddie News.

Brindis was the self-described “three-letter water boy” for the football, basketball and baseball teams and was a member of the science and astronomy clubs.

Herbert, meanwhile, played football and lacrosse and was a wrestler.

The doctors jokingly recall that their trio represent a “big man on campus,” a scholar and an athlete.

Although Brindis and Levin were roommates in Wilson Hall for the first part of their freshmen year, they shared very little else in common during their days on campus. “The fact that we discovered friendships among very divergent types is one of the great elements of Peddie,” Levin said.

“Growing up together was an amazing, intense experience,” Levin said. “By the time we left school, I would say the three of us had a respect and kind of love for each other but we did not remain close for the first decade.”

Soon after they all entered the field of medicine, they began bumping into each other and began keeping in touch via phone calls.

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Carl M. Herbert III, M.D., ’66

“We rekindled — or perhaps kindled — a friendship,” Levin said. “It seemed impossible.”

Brindis and Levin (both cardiologists) saw each other often at national meetings and gatherings of heart societies.

When a fourth classmate-turned-doctor, Allan McLean, M.D., ’66, died of lung cancer in 1996, all three gathered at the funeral for what Levin described as “a very poignant moment that strengthened our bonds.”

They had a mini reunion soon after in San Francisco and have remained in regular touch ever since.

“The bonds have always been there. Five years could pass and then I see them and it is like it was just yesterday that we were together,” said Herbert, who was among the nation’s first doctors to begin practicing in-vitro fertilization (IVF). An internationally-recognized leader in IVF, he is the

Ralph G. Brindis, M.D., ’66

Richard I. Levin, M.D., ’66

Carl M. Herbert III, M.D., ’66

Brindis is a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and serves on the affiliate faculty of the Phil R. Lee Institute of Health Policy Studies at UCSF. He presently is the senior medical officer of external affairs for the American College of Cardiology National Cardiovascular Registry (ACC-NCDR).

A past president of the American College of Cardiology, Brindis was the senior advisor for cardiovascular disease for the Northern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Group.

He received his undergraduate education at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has a master's degree in public health from University of California Los Angeles. He graduated Emory Medical School summa cum laude. All of his graduate medical training was performed at UCSF as a resident and chief resident in internal medicine and then as a cardiology fellow.

Brindis has served in multiple roles for the ACC, including as past chair of the ACC-NCDR management board overseeing seven cardiovascular national registries.

Brindis is active as a volunteer for the American Heart Association and is a trustee for the Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. He also serves as consultant on the FDA medical advisory panel for circulatory devices. He previously served on the National Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee for Cardiac Care for the Veteran’s Administration and the VA Hospital National CABG Quality Oversight Committee. Dr. Brindis has well over 130 publications in peer reviewed cardiovascular journals.

Levin is president and CEO of The Arnold P. Gold Foundation.

After completing his tenure as dean of the faculty of medicine and vice-principal for health affairs at McGill University in Montreal in 2011, he served as senior scholar-in-residence at the Association for Academic Health Centers in Washington, D.C. His honors include a Clinical Investigator Award from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S.; the Valentine Mott Medal; the Ester Hoffman Beller Research Award and election to fellowship in the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

Levin earned a B.S. in biology with honors from Yale University in 1970 and graduated from the New York University School of Medicine.

He has been a national board member and officer of numerous professional U.S. organizations including past president of the New York and Heritage affiliates of the American Heart Association. Before taking on his position at McGill, Levin was the vice dean for education, faculty and academic affairs, and a professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine.

For twenty-five years, he practiced cardiology at Bellevue Hospital. In Canada, he was president of the Council of Deans of the Faculties of Medicine of Quebec and Chairman of the Board of the Canadian Resident Matching Service.

Herbert is a fourth-generation physician who graduated from the University of Florida as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. He completed both a residency in obstetrics and gynecology and a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Dr. Herbert joined the Vanderbilt teaching faculty upon completion of his fellowship and served as the director of the reproductive endocrinology division.

In 1982, Herbert was instrumental in the development of one of the first assisted reproductive technology programs in the United States at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He is an internationallyrecognized fertility specialist who has been performing in-vitro fertilization longer than any other physician in the Bay Area.

Since 1990, Herbert has been in private practice and is now the president of Pacific Fertility Center. Herbert has repeatedly been singled out by his peers in two independent national surveys "Best Doctors in the Bay Area" by San Francisco Magazine and “Guide to Top Doctors” by Consumers' Checkbook.

He continues to be involved with reproductive research, maintaining an active interest in the ethical dilemmas confronting reproductive technologists in the 21st century. Herbert served as president of the Society for Humanism in Medicine and spearheaded their program, "The Human Embryo: Issues Surrounding the Beginnings of Life."

medical director of Pacific Fertility Center in San Francisco.

“They are both amazing human beings,” Herbert said of Brindis and Levin.

With the same mutual admiration, Brindis agreed, calling his former classmates “soul brothers.”

The doctors said the powerful attachment allowed them to provide mutual support and serve as advisors and mentors to each other as they became leaders in different parts of the country in different aspects of medicine.

Brindis, who after Peddie attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology, received a master’s degree in public health from UCLA before graduating first in his class from Emory Medical School. During his career as an interventional cardiologist, Brindis helped start the nation’s first cardiovascular registry. Today, the system has grown to nine registries containing 40 million patient records and is used in every hospital in the United States.

Brindis said his interest in medicine began at Peddie, where science teacher Ray Oram was an important influence. “He facilitated my ability to actually carry out a self-directed research project while a senior in the new science building at the time,” Brindis said. “I had my own rats and my own small lab room where I could do a project on cancer-producing effects on the offspring of pregnant rats.”

Brindis received a National Science Foundation grant for his research during the summer before his junior year.

“I can’t imagine many high schools or prep schools would have allowed or been so supportive of this project then or even in the modern era,” Brindis said.

While scores of Peddie alumni point to Oram as inspiration for their careers in healthcare, the three class (continued on page 15) Spring 2015 11

CAREERS IN MEDICINE Since its earliest days as the New Jersey Classical and Scientific Institute, Peddie has been preparing students for medical professions — and scores have gone on to make important contributions in their careers as doctors.

Edmund L.B. Godfrey, M.D., a member of the class of 1872, was among the earliest alumni to become a leader in healthcare. As president of the Medical Society of New Jersey and as a 15-year member of the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners, Godfrey served as a mentor to other Peddie graduates entering the field, just as today’s Falcons have countless role models to look to as they navigate careers in medicine.

Lt. Commander Lily Chu Sicard, M.D., ’90

Ashish B. Patel, M.D., ’95

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ike so many alumni in the healthcare profession, Lily Chu Sicard, M.D., ’90 says her life would have been different if not for honors biology class with Ray Oram during her freshman year at Peddie.

“He really got me interested in the sciences. Up until that point, I never thought about what I wanted to be,” Sicard said. “He left a lasting impression for the living sciences.”

By the time she left Peddie, she had two goals: service to the military and medical school.

After Peddie, Sicard attended the College of William & Mary in Virginia — completing her undergraduate work in 2 ½ years — and joined the Navy. She completed her medical schooling at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences School of Medicine in Bethesda, Md., and completed her internship at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego.

Chu joined a squadron of P-3 Orion patrol aircraft based in Maine and served as a flight surgeon and medical department head for two years before returning to the National Naval Medical Center and Walter Reed Army Medical Center for a residency in diagnostic radiology.

She has worked as a radiologist for nearly a decade, first with the Navy and now for the private Fairfax Radiological Consultants, where she specializes in breast intervention.

She is a member of the American College of Radiology, the American Roentgen Ray Society and the Radiological Society of North America.

Sicard, who completed her service to the Navy in 2010, said she had a strong urge to both serve her country and pursue a medical career even while a student at Peddie.

“I don’t know why I had this sense of duty or service, but I did,” she said. “The things I did at Peddie were very service-oriented and it gave me a sense of the greater good.”

12 Peddie Chronicle

iven Ashish Patel’s work ethic during his Peddie days, it is no wonder that his career path has followed the trajectory it did.

A radiation oncologist at Andersen Cancer Center at Cooper University, Patel remembers his senior spring semester as his most challenging one academically. While many of his peers fell victim to the contagious “senioritis” that term, Patel raced to successfully complete his five courses, four of which were at the honors or A.P. level.

“Ashish has again impressed me with his strong, consistent performance in this course,” commented A.P. Art History teacher Roby McClellan about Patel’s performance in his class, “He has outstanding grades on nearly every exercise this term.”

His sacrifice and hard work paid off. Patel went on to receive his undergraduate degree from Emory University and his medical doctorate from Thomas Jefferson University.

After completing his residency at the University of Maryland Medical Center in radiation oncology, Patel joined the Rosenfeld Cancer Center in Abington Hospital. He currently serves as attending physician and assistant professor of radiation oncology at Cooper University Health Care in Camden, N.J. Patel was driven toward the field of radiation oncology by the ability to form meaningful relationships with patients and using the most advanced technology to deliver care to them.

He said the most rewarding part of his job is the team approach to treating cancer.

“I really like the fact that I get to work on a daily basis with surgeons, oncologists, nutritionists, physical therapists and other professionals, with our goal focused on getting a patient through therapy successfully,” Patel said.

While his academic performance at Peddie was important to him, Patel also embraced the Peddie virtue of balance, and found myriad ways to involve himself in the community outside of the classroom. He played soccer and tennis,

“The things I did at Peddie were very service-oriented and it gave me a sense of the greater good.” — Lily Chu Sicard, M.D., ’90

“Peddie has a huge influence on my success and I am forever grateful for my time there.”

— Ashish B. Patel, M.D., ’95

“Peddie helped prepare me for college and a career in medicine by teaching me not only how to learn, but to enjoy the process as well.”

— Richard J. Simmons, M.D., ’95

worked on the yearbook, and was a member of a number of clubs. It was a drive to be of service to others that he found particularly fulfilling, though, participating in Habitat for Humanity and working as a hospital volunteer. He founded Peddie’s chapter of Operation Smile, an organization dedicated to raising money to pay for surgical procedures for children in developing countries.

“I think one of the biggest lessons I learned from my time at Peddie was the importance of independent study. Lifelong learning is key to being a good doctor, and it is teachers like Mr. McClellan and Mr. Oram who gave me the tools that have helped shape my career,” Patel said. “Peddie has a huge influence on my success and I am forever grateful for my time there.”

Richard J. Simmons, M.D., ’95

F

or Richard Simmons ’95, a native of Hightstown, David Martin’s, Ph.D., Latin class provided him some very specific skills that he has found helpful throughout his education and career.

“Peddie helped prepare me for college and a career in medicine by teaching me not only how to learn, but to enjoy the process as well,” said Simmons. “So many teachers — Clements, Stahl, Mott, Kovacs and others — helped me along this path, but my foundation in Latin from Doc Martin

has been invaluable for the last 20 years!”

Simmons went on to Union College after his graduation from Peddie, and received his medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine.

It was at this time that Simmons mother, Cathy, whose Old Hights Print Shop did work with Peddie’s alumni office, realized that there was another Richard J. Simmons who was a member of Peddie’s class of 1949. Strangely enough, Simmons ’49 had also entered the medical field.

Cathy Simmons wrote to Simmons, ’49 and asked him to send a few encouraging words to her son. The elder Simmons, then a professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, readily agreed.

“I remember receiving a note from him — way back in 1998,” the younger Simmons reflected. “It was a kind gesture.”

After his acceptance to Drexel, he completed his residency in child neurology at SUNY at Buffalo, where he served as chief resident during his final year.

Simmons settled in upstate New York, where he lives with his wife Brandy and four children Riley, Cooper, Madigan and Maxwell. In his current practice Simmons treats patients from birth to age 18 for a broad range of neurological conditions. He is certified in neurology with a special certification in child neurology and has a particular interest in epilepsy.

Spring 2015 13

Arthur Brown, M.D., ’63 honored by American College of Physicians Arthur E. Brown, M.D., ’63, chief and medical director at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, was elected to a Mastership by the American College of Physicians (ACP) for his significant contributions to the field of medicine. In 1981, Brown was among the first researchers to formally publish the description of the clinical syndrome that would later become known as Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

The first Mastership in the College was presented in 1923 and Masters are selected for “personal character, positions of honor, contributions toward furthering the purposes of the ACP, eminence in practice or in medical research, or other attainments in science or in the art of medicine.” Masters must be highly accomplished with achievements in research, education, health care initiatives, volunteerism or administrative positions.

According to ACP, Mastership is conferred only on a select number of worthy candidates who are deemed distinguished through the practice of internal medicine.

The awards committee said Brown represented “strength of character, integrity, bravery, perseverance, compassion, devotion, and steadiness, as well as clinical competence.”

Brown said he considers it a “unique and privileged experience” to have a career as a doctor.

“To be recognized by one’s peers is the ultimate acknowledgement of success in a chosen profession.

Thus, I am extremely grateful to be a physician and to be honored in this manner,” he said.

Brown was presented with the Mastership at an April convocation ceremony in Boston.

Brown has been an infectious disease specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for more than 35 years, helping to diagnose and treat bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic infections in thousands of patients with cancer. He has been involved in researching new methods of preventing and treating the infectious complications of cancer and the immunocompromised host.

As chief and medical director of Kettering’s Employee Health and Wellness Service, Brown is also responsible for maintaining the health and safety of more than 15,000 employees and non-employees of the hospital.

Additionally, he is a professor of clinical medicine and pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College and a fellow of both the Infectious Diseases Society of

14 Peddie Chronicle

“I am extremely grateful to be a physician and to be honored in this manner.” — Arthur E. Brown, M.D., ’63 America and the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America. Brown is past president of both the Infectious Disease Society of New York and the New York County Society of Internal Medicine. He has served on the Infections in Patients with Cancer Panel of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and as a consultant to the Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In 2000, he was inducted into the Leon G. Smith Infectious Disease Institute Hall of Fame. Brown received the ACP New York Chapter Laureate Award in 2009.

Brown has served on the editorial boards of many publications including Microbial Drug Resistance, European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, and Infections in Medicine. His research interests focus on the prevention and therapy of infectious complications of neoplastic diseases in adult and pediatric oncology patients.

Brown, who graduated from Bucknell University and Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, has been a member of the Peddie Board of Trustees since 1999.

Golden to study public health in Ireland Thomas Golden ’07, a third-year medical student at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, was awarded the prestigious Mitchell Scholarship, awarded annually to 12 students nationwide.

As a Mitchell Scholar, Golden will travel to Ireland, his ancestral homeland, to study public health at University College in Cork.

Golden said it was his greatgrandmother’s stories of growing up in Ireland — including her memories of the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic which killed more than 20,000 Irish citizens including her parents and some of her siblings — that first sparked his interest in medicine.

Named after former Maine Sen. George J. Mitchell to honor his contributions to the Northern Ireland peace process, the scholarship is administered by the U.S.-Ireland Alliance and sponsored by

government agencies in the United States and Northern Ireland.

Golden, who attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a Morehead-Cain Scholar, was able to travel for volunteer assignments battling chronic disease in Central and South America during his undergraduate work.

The program at University College Cork appealed to Golden because it has a specific track in health promotion, the original reason he wanted to study public health.

“Ireland, by-and-large, has better indicators of public health than we have here in the United States,” said Golden. “People there live longer and they don’t get as sick. So I was interested in learning why that is the case.”

After graduating from UNC in 2011, Golden worked as an emergency room technician at a Mississippi hospital.

Thomas Golden ’07

He recalls seeing a lot of people with conditions and problems that resulted from illnesses that had gone untreated for long periods of time.

“In medical school, we learn ways to help people when they get sick,” he said. “And we learn certain preventive measures, but I was interested in studying public health because there’s a real emphasis on devising ways to keep people from getting sick in the first place.”

(Memories and Medicine, continued from page 11)

of ’66 doctors said many of the most valuable lessons they learned at Peddie were not in the science classroom at all.

Levin said it was English teacher Don Roberts who had the greatest impact on him. Encouraging him to participate in theater and the Declamation Contest, Roberts prepared him for speaking behind a podium, Levin said. Brindis, who gives about 200 lectures each year, also said Peddie honed his public speaking skills.

Herbert said many of his Peddie teachers are still memorable, but he already had the idea of a career in medicine when he arrived on campus in tenth grade – he soon became a fourth generation physician. His father, Carl Herbert Jr., was a member of the Peddie class of 1939. He, too, had a practice in obstetrics and gynecology — a specialty Herbert swore never to enter because he recalls his father was too often called away when he was home.

It wasn’t until he was at medical school at Vanderbilt University Medical Center — the third program in the nation to begin in-vitro fertilization — that he was drawn into that newly-emerging field.

Recently, the two cardiologists began working on a project together for the first time. Now retired as dean of

the faculty of medicine at McGill University, Levin is the president and chief executive officer of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation. As part of his work, Levin has formed a national task force comprised of doctors and patients dedicated to maintaining the critical relationship between health care providers, patients and families. When it came time to select members, he immediately asked Brindis to be a charter member of the executive task force.

A

s they approach their 50th reunion next year, the three have begun making plans to return to Hightstown — a place they have not gathered together since 1966. “That was a promise we made to each other, that we would be at the reunion,” Brindis said.

Although the three have not returned to campus in decades, Levin said Peddie looms large in all their lives, because of their relationship with each other.

“In many ways, I think my life would not have developed as it did without the Peddie experience and that is not only due to opportunities Peddie afforded us but in fact the opportunity to have relationships that became lifelong friendships,” Levin said.

Spring 2015 15

Law student finds himself in the middle of “Serial” This is not at all how Mario Peia ’06 imagined his third year of law school would be.

A team leader for the Innocence Project at the University of Virginia School of Law, Peia has spent the past year combing through the case of Adnan Syed, a Baltimore man whose conviction for murdering his ex-girlfriend has become the subject of Serial, the most downloaded podcast in iTunes history.

Serial is a spin-off of National Public Radio’s This American Life, and was released in twelve episodes as a podcast.

The podcast and the media attention it garnered has put Peia in the middle of one of the most closely watched legal cases in the nation in 2015.

Syed was 17 when he was accused of murdering fellow high school student Hae Min Lee in 1999.

He has maintained his innocence from the start but was convicted and sentenced to a life sentence based on the testimony of one other teenager and cell phone records.

His supporters maintain that he was wrongfully convicted, including a family friend who convinced radio reporter Sarah Koenig to dive into the story after Syed had been in prison more than 15 years. Koenig spent months researching and reporting the case and released the podcast in October.

Halfway through the podcast series, listeners learn that Koenig early on enlisted the help of Deirdre Enright of the Innocence Project at the University of Virginia School of Law. Koenig runs the case past Enright, asking if the case raises any red flags. Enright immediately assigns the case to one of her hardestworking law students — Peia.

Peia is featured on episode seven of the podcast, along with Enright and a fellow team member.

“It just so happened that the day I went to Deidre to ask for a new case was the day she had the interview with Sarah Koenig,” Peia said. Like other organizations affiliated with the Innocence Network throughout the country, the UVA program 16 Peddie Chronicle

Katie Clifford, Deirdre Enright, and Mario Peia ’06 of the Innocence Project at the University of Virginia School of Law, talk about the podcast Serial.

reinvestigates old cases to see if someone may have been wrongfully convicted.

When Enright first told him about the case — months before episodes of Serial had begun airing — he hadn’t even heard of This American Life. “I was just excited to go on with another case that may go somewhere. This was my first DNA case,” he said. “Quite frankly, understanding the media aspect of this was what I cared about the least.”

Soon, in the project’s offices, boxes upon boxes of files arrived. When his team began sifting through and reading court documents, he said, “red flags started popping up.” It is the existence of those red flags, he said, that typically indicate to a team whether a case is worth pursuing.

In Syed’s case, witnesses were never interviewed, DNA collected but never tested, and Syed maintained his attorney had not done her job effectively.

“This is the biggest case I’ve worked on in terms of the number of question marks that remain that have gone on unresolved,” he said.

“If I were a juror, I would not have been able to convict him because of the mountains of reasonable doubt,” he said.

The entire seven-member team agreed.

“On most of the cases I’ve worked on, there has been an even split — did he do it or didn’t he do it?” Peia said.

“It is pretty rare to get a group of seven to come to agreement.”

Peia said the team had gone through all the trial documents last spring semester; by the time the podcast began airing in October, they were well underway with their work. They are currently seeking to get DNA samples collected for the case tested.

“We got the case from Sarah, but from there we were very independent and took our own parallel paths,” he said.

Once the podcast began airing, and became a media sensation — even parodied on “Saturday Night Live” — the team’s investigation became more complex as listeners and others came forward with information. “We get leads every day. Some are credible, some are not credible,” he said. Serial has been downloaded or streamed on iTunes 80 million times.

Like millions of Serial listeners and even Koenig herself, Peia doesn’t know how Syed’s case will end. And as his law school graduation day approaches, a great deal of work remains to be done on the case. In June, the Maryland Court of Appeals will hear arguments that Syed’s attorney, the late Cristina Gutierrez, offered “ineffective counsel.”

Peia would like to continue to be involved, but has already accepted a job clerking for a federal district court judge in Philadelphia. “There is so much work left to be done. I don’t know if I will be able to continue,” he said. “Some of that may be up to my future employers.”

Peia, who attended the University of Pennsylvania after Peddie and worked as an FBI intelligence analyst before enrolling in law school, plans on becoming a prosecutor. Working on the project has been the perfect blend of investigating and legal work that will serve him well as a prosecutor, he said.

“You’re going towards the same goal,” he said. “Justice.”

Hear Mario Peia on the podcast Serial at peddie.org/chronicle

Three Falcons featured in Forbes Aarti Kapoor ’03, Pelu Tran ’06 and Max Hodak ’07 were all profiled in Forbes magazine’s “30 Under 30” feature, a list the magazine calls “the greatest gathering of young game changers, movers and makers.”

Tran and Hodak were on the list for leadership in the field of healthcare, both having founded technology companies that support healthcare.

Hodak studied biomedical engineering at Duke University and founded Transcriptic, a remote robotic life science research lab used over the Internet. Hodak said he currently has 27 employees and has raised $14.2 million through the company. In a previous venture, he started MyFit, a company that matched students and colleges, which he sold to Naviance.

The entrepreneur said many of the lessons he learned at Peddie have remained with him in his career.

“Peddie was critical to my success; it was way more imporshare a commitment to a creative mindset. tant to me than college was. I was a new junior to Peddie and “Peddie was the first school I attended that really encourbefore that was at a fairly middling high school in New York aged independent discovery and growth. I got to do a lot of City that would have left me on a very different trajectory,” very cool things in the science, math, and athletics departhe said. ments just because I was willing to ask,” he said.

Cross country coach and science teacher Christopher Bright An active student at Peddie, he was on the swim team, remembers Hodak getting thrown right into the varsity team participated in the Physics Bowl, volunteered at Community despite his relative lack of training — an experience that taught Day, and was active with the yearbook, orchestra and Math him to fight hard for his success.

“I remember him as a “Peddie was the first school I attended that really encouraged thinking runner, fully aware independent discovery and growth.” — Pelu Tran ’06 of his abilities, strengths, and limitations, with a mind towards what it would take to get to where he wanted to be. He was interested in the physiolClub. He was known on campus as a student with an ogy behind performance, and methodology of training. He was extraordinary work ethic. that kind of student-athlete: interested in jumping in and trying “Pelu’s self-confidence, ambition, and at least his sense of new things.” the direction his future might take most impressed me as an Bright said Hodak applied his interest in physiology to both advisor,” said Associate Head of School Catherine Rodrigue. running and the classroom.

“He had a wry, pointed sense of humor, and didn’t just “As a distance runner, he created an independent project passively take in what his teachers taught. He was a critical as part of our Advanced Experimental Physiology class that student and asked lots of questions.” explored the idea of biomechanics and body type. That is, what The third Falcon on the “30 Under 30” list, Aarti Kapoor is the impact of body type (bone length, upper leg, lower leg was listed among the young standouts in the field of finance. circumference, and things of this nature) on distance running?

After graduating from Peddie, Kapoor continued at Harvard It was a fascinating study, challenging in its uniqueness, very University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. complex, and he did an excellent job explaining his research She is currently an investment banker with Moelis & Company and findings to the masses on Science Night.” in New York City where she founded and runs the health and Like Hodak, Tran also created a technology product with an wellness industry coverage platform. application in healthcare.

As a Peddie student, Kapoor was a prefect, participated in He is the founder and chief product officer of Augmedix, a the chorus, Peddie Singers and Drama Club, and was a member 200-person company that has created a service for doctors to of the Peddie News staff. In the classroom, she was known by her teachers for her tremendous mathematical talent, sturdy automate medical record-keeping using Google Glass. “The work ethic, and unfailing attention to detail. problem we’re trying to solve at Augmedix is incredibly “In addition to being an ambitious and dedicated student, important, but here in San Francisco, there are many compashe was — and is — a remarkably gracious person,” former nies and innovators doing amazing things. In that context it Chaplain Rosemary Gleeson said. “Lest that all sound too was both surprising and validating to be included (in the list),” serious, Aarti is also a witty, almost comedic, individual who he said. easily blends the serious demands of successful work with a Tran graduated from Stanford University with a B.S. in biojoyful love of life.” mechanical engineering before continuing at Stanford University’s School of Medicine. He said Peddie and Stanford

Spring 2015 17

18 Peddie Chronicle

Peddie students welcomed the 60s back to campus this winter with the stage production of Hairspray at the William Mount-Burke ’54 Theatre.

Directed by Elizabeth Sherman, Hairspray is set in racially-segregated 1960s Baltimore, where character Tracy Turnblad tries to end the racial segregation — at least as it existed on her favorite television program.

The student cast, crew and pit band entertained audiences for three shows in February.

Spring 2015 19

center campus AP Biology students identify new dragonfly species Two students in Advanced Placement Biology class earned a privilege recently that is unusual for anyone, but particularly for sophomores in high school.

Julia Hu ’17 and John Bokman ’17 will be naming a new species of dragonfly after discovering the species through DNA analysis completed in a biotechnology laboratory project.

The AP Biology classes have been working with DNA provided

by Jessica Ware, Ph.D. of Rutgers University, an evolutionary biologist who focuses on systematics, behavior, biodiversity and biogeography. Ware provided the classes with unidentified dragonfly larva DNA from South Africa. Using bioinformatics software programs and complex lab techniques, students were tasked with identifying the larva.

“Dr. Ware visited the class recently and confirmed that John and Julia were analyzing DNA from a brand new species,” said Shani Peretz, Ph.D., science department chair and AP biology teacher. “Because they identified the new species, they can name that dragonfly.”

Hu and Bokman are not the only students excited about the lab.

Other students identified, for the first time, larva from a species in which nobody had ever identified the larva before.

Not all of the students had finished their identifications by the time of Ware’s visit, but some suspect that they too may have a new species.

Jessica Ware, Ph.D., (left) examines DNA tests performed by Julia Hu ’17 and John Bokman ’17.

“I couldn’t be prouder of our students doing this work so well,” Peretz said. “This is certainly graduate-level work, and our students mastered both complicated lab techniques and a number of bioinformatics software programs — as sophomores!”

Alumni share lunch — and experience — with seniors The Alumni and Development Office’s Senior Lunch Series invited alumni in various fields to enjoy lunch with seniors interested in learning more about their career paths.

Ashley Peskoe ’07 spoke to students about her job as a reporter covering crime, courts and breaking news for The StarLedger and NJ.com. She graduated in 2011 with a degree in communications and a minor in criminal justice from Drexel University, where she was the managing editor of her college newspaper, The Triangle.

She interned at The Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News/Philly. com, at NBC10 in Philadelphia and at ABCNews.com in New York. Peskoe also freelanced for AOL’s Patch.com while in college and was later hired by the company as a local editor.

Peskoe told the students that despite the fact that she was a member of The Peddie News while in high school, she didn’t intend to enter journalism until well into college.

She talked to students about her job as a journalist and

20 Peddie Chronicle

Ashley Peskoe ’07 (left) chats with students over lunch about her career as a journalist.

answered questions about the college process, getting internships and aspects of Peddie that helped her through college. “Giving students ideas of various professions, including ones that they may immediately think of as a career, can open their eyes to a variety of possibilities for them.

Guest instructors and performances enrich arts education Students interested in the performing arts have been flooded with exposure to a wide range of performances this year, as well as instruction by guest artists throughout the year including a film and television actress and a star from Broadway’s Wicked.

Kieren van den Blink ’90 returned to campus for a workshop with students, providing real-world insight into her work as a performer, writer, director, producer and children’s book author.

Katie Adams (center) looks on as two Peddie students rehearse “For Good,” from Wicked.

Van den Blink, who attended Barnard after graduating from Peddie and has appeared in numerous films and television shows, said returning to Peddie to teach the advanced acting students was an honor.

“I was just like you guys,” Adams said. “I was out there waiting by the stage door dying to see somebody and having them sign my program.”

“Peddie was such a springboard for me. To come back now when my career is blossoming was just like coming home,” she said.

A graduate of The Boston Conservatory’s musical theater program, Adams worked in regional theater, including on a tour for Grease before landing a role in Wicked.

“Some of the students are thinking of following the path of an actor and they were really excited to be in the class and grow,” she said. “I think acting classes are a tremendous way of exploring yourself and you have to be brave.”

In addition to Peddie’s twice-a-year tradition of attending a Broadway show, students had the opportunity to view National Theatre Live screenings directly in the William Mount-Burke Theatre. National Theatre Live is a project that broadcasts the best of British theatre live from the London stage to cinemas across the world. Through arrangement with National Theatre Live, Peddie has been able to offer its students world-class performances such as Medea, A Streetcar Named Desire, Frankenstein, and War Horse.

Katie Adams, an actress best known for portraying “Glinda” in the Broadway hit Wicked, also spent a day in Peddie’s black box theater, helping students refine their musical theater songs. Students prepared songs from Wicked and performed them for Adams.

Adams coached them with tips, suggestions, character motivation, breathing exercises — even lent her voice to sing a duet with a student. She also gave them motivation for sticking with their passion in a profession that she said can be a “slow and steady burn.”

Students have also left campus on the aptly-named “Culture Bus” to attend symphony, opera and theater performances at Princeton’s McCarter Theater.

Also hearing different alumni’s journeys shows students that there is not one set path to accomplish goals or get to certain careers and the students can shape what they want to do based on their interests,” Peskoe said.

spent a semester at Oxford studying medieval art history. She moved to Los Angeles to study law at Southwestern University specializing in entertainment law and intellectual property.

Similarly, Elan Gada, M.D., ’03 spoke to students about his career in medicine, including the unusual educational path he took.

After graduating from Peddie, Gada majored in Latin American Studies and African American Studies at Columbia University, where he graduated in 2007. He went on to the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and completed his residency in internal medicine at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas.

Gada stressed to students that it is not critical to know what career you want when you are 18, but encouraged them to follow their interests and passions, which will help down the road.

Also speaking at a senior lunch this year was Kristina Pentek ’00 who went to George Washington University to study politics but switched to history and art history. During college, she

Pentek spoke to the students about the broad range of jobs within the legal profession. From her work with VH1’s show, “I Love the New Millennium” to her position within the in-house legal team at Condé Nast, she currently oversees contract negotiations for the Associated Press.

Development Officer Emma Rowan, who coordinated the lunches, said the school aims to host several alumni each year who represent varied careers.

“The purpose of the lunches is to give seniors the opportunity to hear about different careers they may be interested in pursuing before they get to college and have to declare their majors,” Rowan said. “We love having young alumni return to campus both for their benefit in seeing how campus has and hasn’t changed since they graduated and also to introduce the students to someone who was once in their shoes and show them where they could be in a few years.”

Spring 2015 21

Baxter ’75 brings a bit of The West to campus The photographic work of Scott Baxter ’75 was displayed at Peddie’s Mariboe Gallery in January, a collection of photographs charged with the energy and intensity of the American West.

Baxter kicked off his gallery show, entitled “The West,” with an artist’s talk with faculty, staff and students. But he said working with photography students in the classroom was the highlight of the visit.

Although he never took an art class at Peddie, he said the school did teach him to stick to his work to continue producing. “It’s easy to get sidetracked, but you have to be prolific, patient, and passionate.

Sometimes you just have to hang in there and keep working. I think Peddie instills a work ethic that stays with you throughout your life,” Baxter said.

22 Peddie Chronicle

A professional photographer for over 25 years, Baxter has a degree in history from The College of Wooster but has never taken a photography class.

He has had photography exhibited at the Phoenix Art Museum, The Tucson Museum of Art, The Desert Caballeros Western Museum, the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport Museum, The Scottsdale Public Art Program, Arizona Public Service, National Bank of Arizona and in numerous private collections.

Baxter lives and works out of the historic Cattle Track Arts Compound in Scottsdale, Ariz. “When I photograph, the world gets very quiet, and that is when I feel most comfortable.”

Falcon Feats / Peddie athletes in college action Air Force Academy

Carnegie Mellon University

Men’s Lacrosse

Women’s Basketball

Chris Allen ’12 tallied 21 goals last season at midfield and continues to put up points against national powerhouses.

He scored two goals in a loss to No. 1 Denver and added a solo effort as No. 3 Duke rallied to defeat the Falcons in the 2015 opener.

Njairé McKoy ’14 started one game in 22 appearances and scored 84 points in her first year. She netted her first career points on a jump shot with 13:18 remaining in the first half of the season-opener against Waynesburg.

Arizona State University Men’s Swimming Patrick Park ’14 and his 200-yard medley relay teammates set a new school record with a time of 1:25.72 at the Pac-12 Championships. Park anchored the relay in 19.68 to claim fifth place.

Army Women’s Swimming Molly Mucciarone ’12 was top point earner for the Black Knights at the Patriot League Championships with 34. She finished second in the 50-yard freestyle (22.96) and the 100 butterfly (54.69). At the ECAC Championships in Pittsburgh, Mucciarone captured the 100 fly (54.24), touched second in the 50 free (23.35) and also had a career-best in the 200 fly (2:07.65). Mucciarone holds top ten times in four individual events including the school mark in the 50 free (22.85).

Bates College Women’s Track and Field Melanie Ehrenberg ’12 holds both the indoor and outdoor school records in the pole vault with jumps of 11-01 and 11-07.75, respectively. The previous outdoor mark in the pole vault was established in 1995. On the indoor oval, she is a member of the school’s record-holding 4x200 meter relay.

In February 2015 at the Open New Englands in Boston, she ran the second leg of the 4x400 relay that came within 0.07 seconds of the team record with a time of 3:57.24.

Boston College Women’s Basketball A redshirt junior, 6-2 forward Karima Gabriel ’11 leads the Crusaders with 45 blocked shots and is third in rebounds with 148. She has started 10 games while averaging 5.5 points and 16.7 minutes of playing time. BC is a member of the ACC.

College of New Jersey Women’s Soccer Sarah Marion ’13 started 12 of 22 games at midfield, netting one goal and dishing out five assists. TCNJ finished a banner year at 18-3-1 and dropped a 1-0 decision to Williams College in the NCAA Division III Regional Championships just one step away from the Final Four. During her rookie campaign, Marion scored five goals and handed out four assists.

Columbia University Men’s Basketball Steve Frankoski ’10 is third on the team in scoring with 7.7 points per game and 46 3-pointers. He has over 700 career points and 168 treys. In 2012-13, he earned the Walter H. Bernson Memorial Award, given to the player who shows the best team spirit, hustle and determination.

Cornell University Men’s Diving Thomas Hallowell ’11 finished 10th in the Ivy League onemeter board championships with a score of 279.60. He is fourth all-time at Cornell in this event. On the three-meter board, Hallowell scored a 302.95 for 11th place to record the fifth-highest score in school history.

Dartmouth College Women’s Swimming Kendese Nangle ’12 led her team at the 2015 Ivy League Championship at Harvard with a third-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 54.78, breaking her own Big Green record of 54.88 from 2013. Nangle was 11th in the 50 freestyle (23.17) and 13th in the 100 freestyle (51.06).

She led off the 400 freestyle relay with a 50.83 to help her team finish fourth with a time of 3:23.05.

Dickinson College Women’s Basketball Mackenzie Skerritt ’14 played in 17 games and tied for second on the team with 10 blocked shots. She scored her first collegiate point against Haverford, her sister Madison Skerritt’s ’13 team.

Spring 2015 23

Falcon Feats / continued Duke University

Men’s Swimming

Men’s Swimming

Tom Duvall ’12 won a pair of events in record-setting fashion to help the Midshipman win the ECAC Championship in Pittsburgh. He posted a time of 4:17.93 to win the 500-yard freestyle as well as a clocking of 1:35.59 to touch first in the 200 free event. Duvall broke the ECAC Championship record (1:36.73) in the 200 free and both the meet (4:22.82) and Pittsburgh’s Trees Pool’s record (4:18.50) in the 500 free.

Duvall also won both the 200 and 500 free events at the Patriot League Championship.

Bradley Cline ’13 helped the 800-yard freestyle relay team break the school record with a time of 6:27.07 at the ACC Championships. He ranks in the Top-5 all-time in four events at Duke: second in the 200 individual medley, third in the 200 back, fourth in the 200 free and fifth in the 100 back.

Franklin and Marshall Wrestling Competing in the 133-pound weight class, Scott Stevens ’12 finished the 2014-15 campaign for the Division I Diplomats at 10-14. He has notched 26 wins over the past three years.

Haverford College Women’s Basketball Pallavi Juneja ’11 drained 32 3-pointers and hit 90 percent from the line during her senior year. She poured in a careerhigh 16 points on 4-of-7 shooting from behind the arc as the Fords defeated Washington College, 57-54. Juneja scored 224 career points and dished out 77 assists.

Madison Skerritt ’13 played in all 27 games as a defensive specialist, contributing 53 rebounds and 13 assists to the Fords’ 16-11 season.

Kenyon College Women’s Swimming Sarah Lloyd ’13 placed sixth in the 500-yard freestyle (4:59.98) and won the B Final in the 400 individual medley (4:30.75) at the 2015 North Coast Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championship. Taking on the most demanding events, Lloyd concluded the NCAC meet with a sixth-place finish in the 1650 clocked in 17:08.56. Kenyon finished second behind team champion Dennison.

Men’s Tennis Tim Rosensteel ’11 is closing out his four-year career for the No. 12 Lords who made an improbable comeback to defeat eighth-ranked Case Western Reserve University by a 5-4 count. Rosensteel rolled to a straight-set victory at No. 5 singles during the epic six-hour dual meet. He has amassed over 65 combined wins in singles and doubles play.

Navy Women’s Lacrosse Codi Mullen ’12 has cracked the starting lineup at attack for the Midshipman. She has six goals and six assists to help her team jump out to a 6-1 mark. Navy is a member of the Patriot League.

24 Peddie Chronicle

Football Brendan Dudeck ’11 played in all 13 games at wide receiver and finished with 12 catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Navy went 8-5 overall, including a 17-10 win over Army before 71,000 fans at M&T Stadium in Baltimore.

In a 17-16 win over San Diego State in the Poinsetta Bowl, Dudeck caught two passes for 15 yards.

Pace University Men’s Basketball Bryan Rivers ’14 started 19 games at point guard and totaled a team-leading 78 assists while chipping in 5.7 points per game. He scored a career-high 14 points against American International. Pace is a member of the Division II Northeast-10 Conference.

Princeton University Men’s Soccer Brendan McSherry ’12 played in 17 games at midfield and made 16 starts with three goals and four assists. The Tigers completed the 2014 campaign at 11-3-3 overall and 5-1-1 in the Ivy League.

Field Hockey Maddie Copeland ’12 broke a 3-3 deadlock in the 62nd minute with her team-high eighth goal of the season to clinch Princeton’s 10th-consecutive Ivy League title with a 4-3 victory over Penn. The Tigers lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to Maryland. Copeland has potted 18 goals for the Tigers.

Stevens Institute of Technology Wrestling Ricky Perrine ’13 went 2-2 at 149 pounds for the Ducks who placed third at the prestigious Doug Parker Invitational hosted

by Springfield College. Ranked 16th nationally, Stevens captured the Centennial Conference title.

University of Mary Washington Women’s Swimming Katie Fago ’12 broke her own school record in the 100-yard backstroke when she went 56.91 at the Capital Athletic Conference Championships. Her old standard was a 57.50 recorded in a dual meet against Gettysburg. Fago and her relay mates established new CAC records in the 200 medley, 200 freestyle and 400 medley relay events en route to UMW’s unprecedented 25th conference title.

program history to qualify for the event. Cunningham is seeded 10th in the butterfly, after posting a time of 2:03.56 to finish second in the field on day three of the Upper New York State Collegiate Swimming Association Championships.

The mark broke her previous school record of 2:06.12 set last season. She is seeded 16th in the 400 IM with a time of 4:28.04. The mark set a new program record, and was good for a second place overall finish at the UNYSCSA Championships.

Yale University

University of Pennsylvania

Men’s Swimming

Field Hockey MaryRose Croddick ’11 earned Second Team All-Ivy on defense and served as team captain for the Quakers. Croddick concluded a stellar career, starting every game (68) in her four years at Penn. She ranked third on the team in assists with seven during the 2014 season (8-9, 3-4 Ivy League).

Vassar College Women’s Swimming

Ron Tsui ’11 finished sixth in the 100-yard breaststroke at the 2015 Ivy League Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships held at Princeton. His time of 54.28 set a new Yale record, beating his previous mark by .39. In the B Final of the 200 breaststroke, Tsui touched the wall in 12th place with a time of 1:59.65. The Bulldogs finished in third place, behind Princeton and Harvard, who took first and second, respectively.

Julia Cunningham ’13 has qualified for the 2015 Division III NCAA Championships in the 200-yard butterfly and 400 individual medley and becomes just the third swimmer in

“It’s always good to reconnect with old classmates. So many people have wound up with very interesting careers and lives. And a large percentage of them credit the positive impact of their Peddie experience and education.”

— Stuart Kerr ’73, Class Agent

‹VOLUNTEER›

Our alumni volunteers keep their classmates engaged and promote support for the school.

Class Agents encourage classmates to support Peddie through the Peddie Fund.

Peddie welcomes alumni from any class to volunteer and has a pressing need for Class Agents from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.

For more information, please contact Alexander McDowell at 609-944-7523 or amcdowell@peddie.org.

Spring 2015 25

DeLaurentis steps down as football coach Frank deLaurentis retired as head football coach at the end of the 2014-15 season after leading the program for 18 years.

“Coach deLaurentis was an outstanding coach and mentor who guided the Falcons for decades. His knowledge of the game and love for the players will surely be missed,” Athletic Director Jim Domoracki said. deLaurentis, who will continue to teach math at Peddie, has coached for 40 years, the last 18 at Peddie.

Athletic trainer Jose Roca, who has worked alongside deLaurentis for 18 years, said he is a coach who consistently got the most out of his players and teams, often winning games against stronger and more skilled opponents.

“He has touched the lives of many alumni who return every year to see him and support the football team,” Roca said.

“Frank was a great X’s and O’s type of coach, creating great game plans and having a knack for making critical adjustments at half-time with his staff that would change the momentum of the game and lead to successful outcomes.

His leadership on the field, whether it be in practice or at games was undeniable,” Roca added.

Chris Malleo, defensive coordinator at Lawrenceville School, will serve as the new head coach in September.

“Coach Malleo is well prepared for the transition to bring the next generation of coaching to Peddie. He is an innovative coach with a great knowledge of the game and a good understanding of the boarding school culture and prep sports,” Domoracki said. “Coach Malleo will bring great energy to the program and the Peddie community.”

Malleo attended Wall Township High from 1998-2001, then spent a year playing at The Hun School, where he won New Jersey Prep Offensive Player of the Year, and was named first-team all-state, prep all-state, first-team prep

SPORTS HALL OF FAME

26 Peddie Chronicle

Frank deLaurentis

all-county, team MVP, and Player of the Year by the Princeton Packet, Trenton Times, and Trentonian. Malleo then went on to play for the Northwestern Wildcats, where he spent five seasons (2003-2007) first as a quarterback and superback, then finishing up his college career as an outside linebacker.

Malleo’s coaching experience began in 2008 at Cheshire Academy, followed by a stint at The Hun School as offensive coordinator in 2011. He has served as Lawrenceville’s defensive coordinator for the past three years. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Malleo has also run the Quarterback Fraternity, a quarterback tutoring service.

Peddie School athletes will be inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame during Reunion Weekend on Saturday, June 6 at 10 a.m. during a ceremony in the Annenberg Library.

Al Slader ’60, Football and Wrestling Bradley Daggett ’90, Baseball Brad Barket ’95, Cross Country and Track Founded by Edward “Skip” Masland ’49, the Sports Hall of Fame honors teams and individual athletes whose contributions and achievements have improved Peddie's reputation, brought credit to the school or inspired others to their own personal level of excellence.

FALCONS IN THE PROS

Mike Maccagnan ’85 named general manager of the New York Jets Mike Maccagnan ’85 began his job as general manager of the New York Jets in January after spending 15 seasons with the Houston Texans.

In Texas, Maccagnan was one of the first hires as a pro scout for the expansion team. In 2010, he was elevated to assistant director of college scouting, and soon after the team drafted defensive end J.J. Watt. In 2011, he was again promoted to director of college scouting.

Prior to going to Houston, he was a scout for the Washington Redskins for six seasons.

A 1990 graduate of Trinity College, Maccagnan got his first taste of professional football in 1990 as a league scout in the World League office. He also was the director of player personnel for the World League’s London Monarchs when that franchise captured the league championship in 1991. Before making the big move to the NFL, Maccagnan was the director

of scouting and player personnel for the Canadian Football League's Ottawa Rough Riders and Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Maccagnan was a three-year starter for the Peddie Falcons and was captain of the football team his senior year. His coach for both football and lacrosse, John Mackay, called him a versatile player who played several positions on defense including end, nose guard and linebacker.

His father, Vic, was dean of students and a member of the history department. Maccagnan grew up on the Peddie campus along with his siblings, Vic '79, Suzanne '81, Mary '86 and T.J. '88.

This is not Peddie School's first connection with the Jets organization. Sonny Werblin, father of Tom Werblin '72 and Bob Werblin '66, purchased the Titans of New York in 1963. Werblin changed the team's name to the Jets, and remained owner of the team until 1968.

Mike Maccagnan wears number 72 in the front row with his 1984 football teammates.

Hulsizer buys NHL team Matthew Hulsizer '87 purchased a minority stake in the National Hockey League’s Minnesota Wild in February.

Hulsizer joined the board of directors as vice chairman and minority owner of the team on Feb. 25. A passionate hockey enthusiast, Hulsizer played hockey at Peddie and Amherst College and continues to participate as a player and coach in the Chicago area.

Hulsizer is co-founder and chief executive officer of PEAK6 Investments, L.P. in Chicago.

“I am very honored and excited to be a part of the Wild

organization,” Hulsizer said in a press statement from the Minnesota Wild. “As a life-long hockey player and fan, I have always dreamed of winning a Stanley Cup.” While an English major at Amherst, Hulsizer played 99 hockey games on defense and scored 23 goals for the Lord Jeffs. He was team captain when the Lord Jeffs lost the Eastern College Athletic Conference final in 1991.

Hulsizer served as a member of the Peddie Board of Trustees from 2001 to 2008.

Matthew Hulsizer, fifth from the left in the back row, poses with his hockey team in 1987.

Spring 2015 27

Roby and Elaine McClellan honored on Founders Day Longtime faculty members Roby and Elaine McClellan, one of Peddie’s most beloved faculty couples, were honored at the 120th Founders Day, a tribute to those members of the community who have left a lasting legacy of loyalty, integrity and vision.

The McClellans arrived at Peddie in 1968, each serving the school in a variety of capacities until their joint retirement in 2010.

“They made lifelong friends here, raised their children here, taught, coached, advised, supported, and celebrated 42 years of Peddie students,” said Headmaster Peter Quinn.

“Married to each other, they were nevertheless individually also bound to Peddie by their deep and abiding commitment to its mission, its values, and its improvement.”

Director of Admission Ray Cabot gave tribute to Elaine McClellan, whose roles at Peddie included serving as dorm parent, French teacher and as an associate director of admission.

Cabot praised her grace, selflessness, generosity of spirit and commitment to Peddie.

“Those who gathered in the Baptist Church in 1864 could not have imagined this school as it exists now,” said Cabot.

“Perhaps in another 150 years, this school will be similarly transformed once again… My hope is that we will retain the spirit and heart of Peddie — our graciousness, kindness, humility, and genuine concern for one another, that we will be a school that sees the potential in young people and

cultivates those talents in our students. If we do so, we will be following the lead of Elaine McClellan.”

Roby McClellan was hired in 1968 as a history teacher, but also taught math and art, served as chair of the history and art departments, dorm supervisor, director of admission and financial aid, college counselor, and varsity football and baseball coach.

“Roby’s most focused thinking and most enthusiastic campaigns were always about how Peddie could be better at being Peddie,” said Quinn. “He would spell out how in whatever case we were discussing, our mission to serve our students should resolve the issue. ‘What is best for the kids?’ was his predictable and consistent refrain.”

Quinn said Founders Day is an important event to “continually re-establish and maintain the culture and values which we hold dear.”

“This morning we honor two people who served as modern-day founders of the school you know today,” Quinn told the student audience. “This is fitting because we can learn from their example how to make our own contribution to this school in our everyday lives. Think of this assembly as a mix of boast and challenge. We boast about the legacy of others. We challenge ourselves to measure up.”

Watch the Founders Day ceremony at peddie.org/chronicle

Pete McClellan ’90 (left to right) poses with his parents, Roby and Elaine McClellan, and his wife, Lisa, on Founders Day.

28 Peddie Chronicle

Peddie Golf Club expands benefits to members In its nearly 100-year history, the Peddie Golf Club has never been one to rest on its laurels. From its inception as a 9-hole circuit in the 1920s, to its current layout as an 18-hole, par-72 course for all skill levels, the Peddie Golf Club has expanded and flexed to meet the needs of its patrons.

Truslow said. “At the Golf Club itself, we don’t have the space to build additional facilities like a pool or tennis courts, but we do have a 230-acre campus with a state-of-the-art fitness center, a pool with open swim times and swim lessons, and summer camps in theater, sports and academics.”

Now offering “Golf, Fitness and More,” to existing and new members, the nascent program entices golfers with the opportunity to stay fit in the athletic center during the off season, and member families have the chance to use Peddie’s facilities and receive discounts on summer programs and camps.

While the program does aim to bring in new members, especially families, Truslow said the goal is not to change the club’s culture. “We’re not trying to expand the golf club beyond the intimate, family-friendly club that it currently is. We want kids, families, and golfers of all ages and experiences to be able to enjoy the course at their level. This is a place that allows beginner golfers the opportunity to enjoy the course and not feel like they are hindering more experienced golfers.”

“Families are looking for opportunities to meet the wide array of interests of the entire household,” said Director of External Programs Jim Truslow. “We decided to take advantage of Peddie’s unique facilities and opportunities, and offer those to our club members.”

“We want to take what Peddie does well, and offer a package of opportunities to our members,”

GOLF...

Peddie’s course is unusual in that it can be played in short subsets of holes if a golfer is not able to spend a full day on the course, Truslow said. Golfers can take a few hours on an afternoon

FITNESS...

and play holes 1, 2, 3 and 7. Children are able to play only the last 30- or 40-yards of a hole, giving them time with their parents and an introduction to the game of golf that is fun, not frustrating.

“These days, it’s hard to take five or six hours away from your family to play a round of golf. If you only have an hour, you can play four or five holes on Peddie’s course. The course is accessible: you can get in some golf, not feel rushed, and not be away from your family for half a day. And, with ‘Golf, Fitness and More,’ your family can either play the links with you or go to open swim while you golf,” Truslow said.

Individual golfers get some great benefits from this new program as well. “There are a lot of individual golfers who have taken full advantage of the pool and fitness center during the dreary months when they can’t get out on the course. When the course is snow-covered, they can still stay fit during the winter months.”

AND MORE!

Visit www.peddie.org/golf for details!

Spring 2015 29

MEET THE TRUSTEES Ralph Izzo, Ph.D., P’15, is chairman, president and chief executive officer of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG).

Since joining the company in 1992, Izzo has held several executive positions within PSEG’s family of companies.

He is well known as a leader within the public policy arena and utility industry, where he has drawn attention to such issues as global climate change and the urgent need to develop cleaner, more sustainable energy.

Izzo started his career as a research scientist at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, performing numerical simulations of fusion energy experiments. He has published or presented more than 35 papers on magnetohydrodynamic modeling.

Izzo holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in applied physics from Columbia University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Rutgers Graduate School of Management.

“The most special aspect of Peddie is clearly its people.

The knowledge and dedication of the faculty and staff, combined with the enthusiasm and raw potential of the student body, make Peddie a shining example of excellence in education.” — Ralph Izzo, Ph.D., P’15 Association, Edison Electric Institute, Nuclear Energy Institute, Institute for Nuclear Power Operations, National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, and The Center for Energy Workforce Development. He is also a member of the Columbia University School of Engineering Board of Visitors and the Princeton University Adlinger Center for Energy and the Environment Advisory Council, as well as a member of the visiting committee for the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Izzo was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters from Rutgers University in 2013 and was inducted into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni in 2009. He holds a Special Achievement Award in Science and Technology from the National Italian American Foundation.

Izzo and his wife Karen have a daughter, Emma ’15, and a son, Zachary, and live in Cranbury, N.J.

He is the former chair of the Rutgers University Board of Governors and is the chair of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the New Jersey Utilities

Siran H. Sahakian P’11 ’12 ’13 ’18, of Red Bank, N.J., is the mother of three Peddie graduates, Gorr ’11, Haik ’12, and Teny ’13 , as well as a current freshman, Shant ’18.

She graduated from Pingry School and Boston University and also attended Paris-Sorbonne University.

A member of the Hovnanian family that built its home construction company into one of the largest homebuilding companies in the United States, Sahakian is the vice president of the Hirair and Anna Hovnanian Foundation.

She is a trustee of the Monmouth Medical Center Foundation and spearheads development efforts for the hospital’s Neonatal

30 Peddie Chronicle

Intensive Care Unit. She is a trustee of 180 Turning Lives Around, Inc. and a former trustee and co-chair of the annual giving fund at Rumson Country Day School, where all four of her children attended.

She is married to Toros R. Sahakian.

Honoring the special alumni, parents and friends who have arranged estate plans for the benefit of Peddie School.

How did Peddie inspire you to design your legacy for the school?

50th Reunion — John F. Pyfer, Jr. ’65, Lancaster, PA: “I feel a tremendous sense of indebtedness for the impact Peddie had on my life, and my gratitude runs deep for the inspirational Peddie faculty. David Kiviat ’42 was very formal and precise and did not allow any sloppiness in geometry; Frank Towne had a marvelous way of conveying quantitative analysis and bringing chemistry to life; and Donald Roberts brought out the best in his students and probed their intellect. Coaches Victor Sacco and Oscar Rand helped make the Peddie boarding experience among the best three years of my life. I graduated with the ability to act independently and think analytically. I have named Peddie in my will for a general endowment bequest to help ensure the Peddie experience will be available to others beyond my lifetime.”

55th Reunion — Eugene A. Scanlan ’60, Sechelt, BC, Canada: “I entered Peddie my sophomore year and quickly learned that the small classes, the caring teachers, and campus life were giving me the skills and focus that would guide me through my career and the rest of my life. So Peddie gave me a life-long legacy. It’s only fair that Joanne and I return a legacy to ensure future generations can receive the benefits offered by Peddie. That is why a percentage of our estate will be used to create The Eugene and Joanne Scanlan Endowment Fund for student scholarships.”

60th Reunion — J. Roland Lieber ’55, Naples, FL: “But for the influence of Peddie ‘mentor’ teachers Herb Mariboe, Evans Hicks ’25, Robert Tifft and Ben Roman, and the friendship and camaraderie of fellow ’55 day students Martin Tweedale, Lou Bainbridge, Bob Hicks, and Bill Mielcke, I would not be in the position in life where I am today. It was the foundation and the beginning. The missing element for me at that time was exposure to the arts; now the visual arts, music and theater have become integral to the Peddie experience. To support and continually strengthen the arts at Peddie, in 2006, I created and designated a charitable gift annuity for The Class of 1955 Endowment Fund for the Arts and have provided for this Fund in my estate planning. It is my desire to help give future Peddie students exposure and access to the arts, earlier than I had.”

For more information on bequests, gift annuities, charitable trusts, or other planned gifts, please contact the Office of Alumni and Development at 800-322-1864 or bellsociety@peddie.org, or visit peddie.plannedgiving.org. Thank you for your support!

Spring 2015 31

I N M E MO R I A M Jeffrey “Harry” Holcombe 1945 – 2015 Legendary theater teacher Jeffrey “Harry” Holcombe died Feb. 7.

Holcombe retired in 2013 after 45 years of teaching at Peddie.

Teaching drama and public speaking and directing plays at Peddie for nearly one-third of the school’s 150-year history made Holcombe part of the fabric of the school. He began his Peddie career in 1968 at the age of 22 as the school’s drama teacher, and his first residence was on the third floor of Wilson Hall. His directorial debut was a production of “Romanoff and Juliet,” an updated and comedic version of the Shakespeare classic.

In addition to directing dramatic performances, Holcombe also shepherded generations of Peddie orators through the Reeves Speaking Contest and the Declamation Contest each year.

Holcombe directs a play in 2010.

In the classroom, in the dorm, on the stage, and even on a bus heading to see the latest Broadway show, every moment with a captive audience was a teaching opportunity for Holcombe.

His exuberance for teaching, for the arts, and for students was contagious.

Upon his departure from Peddie, Holcombe was awarded the Finn M.W. Caspersen Above and Beyond Award for extraordinary contributions to the life of the school.

In four and a half decades, Holcombe directed well over 100 plays on the Peddie stage, and worked under five headmasters.

Holcombe ended his 45-year Peddie drama career by directing a production of Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” in May 2013.

He is survived by his longtime companion and recent spouse, Francis A. Towne; his two sisters, Gretchen Page and Deborah Holcombe; nieces Cynthia Holcombe and Melody Saccone; and nephew Joshua Page.

Peddie choir students performed a tribute of musical theater songs following Holcombe's memorial service.

Headmaster Peter A. Quinn declared February 11, the day of Holcombe’s funeral, “Harry Holcombe Day” on campus and students, faculty and staff donned their brightest colors in tribute to Holcombe. “Anyone who knew Harry would not be surprised to learn that his wishes are that a celebration of his life be marked not by black garb, but by the same brightly-colored garments he was known for,” Quinn said. “Holcombe was one-of-a-kind.

He was courageous, creative, fun and endlessly positive. Our celebration of his life should be the same.”

February 11 was declared “Harry Holcombe Day” and alumni, faculty, staff and students were encouraged to wear their most colorful shirts in honor of Holcombe. Our friends on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram shared over 60 photos using #HarryHolcombeDay.

Faculty member Patrick Clements, wearing a a shirt given to him by Holcombe himself, observed Harry Holcombe Day with students.

Raymond Oram 1940 – 2014 Ray Oram, credited by countless students for inspiring their love of science or of learning in general, died Dec. 4.

Oram, father of Jeff ’85 and Lesley ’91, was known as an outstanding teacher and was a two-time recipient of the Saunders Prize for excellence in teaching and a recipient of the Distinguished Secondary School Teaching Award from Princeton University. He was honored at Founders Day in 2012 and last year was featured in 150 Faces of Peddie as one of the individuals who helped shape the school over its 150-year history.

Oram’s teaching career at Peddie began in 1964, and his impact on the school was immeasurable. He served as head of the science department for over 25 years, and briefly as college counselor and assistant headmaster — but his real love was teaching. Oram was known for the way he related to his students. “Ray knew his students; he understood them… and he helped them to dream about their futures,” said long-time friend, colleague and current faculty member Elizabeth Tennyson.

His students remember the excitement he brought to the classroom. “Whether science normally frightened you, bored you, or upset your stomach, you were in for a surprise every time you walked into his classroom,” said Jan Loughran ’77 P’09’10’12’16, now an English teacher at Peddie. Oram authored a textbook, Living Systems, which was widely used in high schools across the country and was revised eight times.

Generations of students were inspired by Oram to enter into the science field. “My greatest reward is following the kids’ successes, and my greatest joy is seeing those who choose careers in science and medicine,” Oram said at his retirement in 1999. He was so loved by his former students that a graduation award, the Oram Biology Prize, was established in his honor upon his retirement.

“I hope I’ve sparked my students’ curiosity, made them understand the importance of discipline. I also hope they learn to respect different viewpoints, to respect one another, and to appreciate humor as a part of life. And have the ability to laugh at themselves.”

Oram was predeceased by his wife Diana.

Spring 2015 2

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