Foundations Fall 2017

Foundations

ROBERT

MORRIS

UNIVERSITY

MAGAZINE

>

FALL

2017

SEE HOW ONE ALUM IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE P. 12 NEW HEAD OF CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION P. 18

DEAR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS,

There’s no time like fall when you work at a university, and there’s no better time of the year to be at Robert Morris than Homecoming weekend. Last year was my first, and it was fantastic.

(It didn’t hurt that it was also the weekend of my inauguration!)

But you don’t have to be a university president or a former player to get excited about the atmosphere of a big college football game at your alma mater. So here’s hoping you’ll join me this weekend as we cheer for our Colonials.

I continue to be impressed by the terrific alumni I meet at conferences, benefits, concerts, and sporting events all around Pittsburgh in my role as president. Earlier this year I got to share a table at a dinner for the Alzheimer’s Association with Colonial Couple Dominick and Karen Bovalina. Those two may well be the hardest-working pair in Pittsburgh.

It traces back to the blue-collar work ethic they learned from their parents. You can read the whole story on page 20, but here’s a preview: Dominick – his friends call him “Buzz” – took nine years to get his degree because he worked full time for Silver Star Meats. Now he owns the company he once drove a truck for.

Karen raised their kids, worked side-by-side with Buzz handling the books for several years, and now runs her own restaurant at Southpointe. If that’s not a great RMU story, I don’t know what is.

RMU’s mission has always been to provide opportunities for hardworking students like Buzz and Karen, and to be their gateway to great careers and great lives. But you know, like they do, that it’s not always easy.

It can be devastating when a student has to drop out, no matter what the reason. RMU has a moral obligation to our students to make sure they arrive, thrive, and graduate.

That’s why I’m proud to announce the new Student Success Collaborative, a partnership with the Washington, D.C., higher education consulting firm EAB. It involves a new and innovative combination of data tracking and predictive analytics to help RMU counselors and faculty know which students might be on the verge of needing a helping hand. With a convenient smartphone app, students will have help staying on track with their studies thanks to personally tailored reminders about tutoring, study sessions, and office hours for their professors.

Similar programs have been pioneered with tremendous results at institutions such as Arizona State, Georgia State, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. This leading-edge approach to retention will set RMU apart in a hyper-competitive higher education marketplace.

But more importantly, it’s simply the right thing to do. Because we know that students who stick around like Buzz and Karen and get that RMU diploma are ready to do great things.

DR. CHRISTOPHER B. HOWARD PRESIDENT

FALL} 17

Foundations

DEPARTMENTS 02 08 22 26

CAMPUS REPORT SPORTS PREVIEW UP CLOSE & PERSONAL CLASS NOTES

Rinks & Rings p. 14 Two Colonials hockey honeys got hitched this summer.

CREDITS EDITOR Mark Houser CONTRIBUTORS Joe Bendel, Valentine J. Brkich, Kimberly B. Capozzi, Kayla Carbert, Megan DeArmit, Charlotte Latvala, Shannon Severino ART DIRECTOR Amy Joy PHOTOGRAPHY/ILLUSTRATIONS Front Cover: Amy Joy Back Cover: Michael Will ‘08 Other Photos/Illustrations: Ashlee Burke Photography, Jason Cohn, Kyle Fasenmyer, iStock, Connie Karaffa, Mitch Kramer ‘08, Katelynn Metz, Madison Pisarchick, Michael Will ‘08 PRINTING Heeter Direct FOUNDATIONS ONLINE RMU.EDU/FOUNDATIONS Jordan Piltz ‘09 Foundations (ISSN 1934-5690) is published twice a year by the Office of Public Relations and Marketing in conjunction with the Office of Institutional Advancement and mailed free of charge to alumni, donors, trustees, faculty, staff, and friends of Robert Morris University. The opinions expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect the official policies of Robert Morris University.

Contributions to Class Notes and address changes may be sent to: Office of Alumni Relations Robert Morris University 6001 University Boulevard Moon Township, PA 15108-1189 Phone: (412) 397-6464 Fax: (412) 397-5871 Email: rmualum@rmu.edu It is the policy of Robert Morris University to provide equal opportunity in all educational programs and activities, admission of students, and conditions of employment for all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, sex, religion, age, disability, national origin, and/or sexual preference.

Slam Dunk Salesman . . . . . . . 10 If you're looking for two tickets courtside, Murray Cohn '88 can probably help. The former NBA VP for team ticket sales once played horse with LeBron James.

In It for the Long Haul . . . . . . 16 More than a decade ago, Pat Gallagher offered an internship at PGT Trucking to an Ecuadorean basketball player from RMU. Luis Guzman ‘04 M’08 stuck around and became a U.S. citizen too.

Pork Pays the Bills . . . . . . . . . 20 A job at Silver Star Meats provided Dominick Bovalina ‘89 with cash for dates with his college sweetheart. Now he owns the company, but Karen Brova Bovalina ‘86 may have the harder job.

Diamond Dad . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Former Colonials slugger Rod Hermansen ‘82 directs his first movie, playing a father who coaches his daughter’s softball team. And he gives his hometown of Coraopolis a nod.

10 Questions . . . . . . . . 36

At family-owned Rosalind Candy Castle, Jenny Crudden ‘01 M’05 uses lessons she learned at RMU. So does her dad, Jim Crudden ‘71.

CAMPUS REPORT > Doubling Up for the M.B.A.

The new 30-hour M.B.A. offers concentrations in business analytics, project management, and logistics and supply chain management, specializations that are in growing demand based on regional employment trends. The school also introduced standalone 12-credit certificates in each of those fields as “stackable credentials” for working professionals. Learn more at RMU.EDU/MBA.

> Police Academy RMU is the new home of the Municipal Police Academy for the Pittsburgh region, training students to receive state Act 120 certification to become police officers in cities, boroughs, townships, and municipalities in Pennsylvania. The academy offers courses during weekday evenings and on Saturdays. Cadets who complete their Act 120 certification at the RMU Police Academy will earn 18 credits toward a B.S. degree in criminal justice.

2 • R M U . E D U / F O U N D AT I O N S

> MEET SOME RMU ONLINE STUDENTS AND PROFESSORS AT RMU.EDU/ONLINE.

The School of Business has completely overhauled its M.B.A. program to now feature team-teaching in both online and on campus options. In a change inspired by the real-world workplace, expert faculty from different disciplines now work together in each classroom to emphasize the interrelationship of finance, management, law, accounting, and marketing, rather than teaching them in isolation.

> Top Ten Percent All six Robert Morris University online degree programs listed in the U.S. News & World Report 2017 Best Online rankings significantly improved their rankings. The university’s bachelor’s degree programs are now ranked among the top 10 percent in the country, at 28th out of 310 colleges and universities, climbing 30 spots from 58th place in last year’s rankings.

For graduate online programs, RMU’s computer information technology degree offerings rose to 18th (from 25th), while education and nursing both rose to 35th (from 110th and 92nd respectively), non-M.B.A. business programs climbed to 37th (from 48th), and online M.B.A. was up to 55th (from 66th) nationally. For all six programs, it is the second year in a row their rank has increased. Programs are evaluated by U.S. News based on data about student engagement, faculty credentials and training, student services and technology, and peer reputation. Graduate program rankings include a fifth category, admissions selectivity.

Last year RMU jumped up a category in the publication’s overall rankings, from regional to national doctoral research university.

Two leaders at the university’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity were honored this year by Insight into Diversity magazine. Yasmin Purohit, an HR management professor and chief diversity and inclusion officer and Title IX coordinator, received the Giving Back Award for Administrators in the magazine’s April issue. And Anthony Robins, a science professor and deputy chief diversity and inclusion officer, was named to a national list of 40 “Inspiring Leaders in STEM” in the latest issue. The office coordinates programs to monitor and increase the numbers of minorities and underrepresented populations in student recruitment and retention and staff and faculty hiring.

> Picking the Playoffs President Chris Howard will be watching a lot more college football this fall.

The former Air Force running back is one of three new members chosen this year for a three-year term on the College Football Playoff selection committee.

The 13-member panel chooses the four teams that play for the national championship. Howard is the only current college president on the panel.

> Fighting Cyber Crime Recognizing that RMU has trained more than 50 faculty from other institutions in mobile device forensics under a National Science Foundation grant, computer security firm Paraben named RMU “Cyber School of the Future” and held a one-day industry conference August 18 on campus.

The RMU Center for Cyber Research and Training now partners with companies, agencies, and other employers to offer customized one-week workshops to teach workers effective strategies to deter hackers and detect cyber intrusions when they occur. The center also develops best practices for collecting evidence from smartphones and other mobile devices and can partner with law enforcement agencies for training. Learn more at RMU.EDU/CYBERSECURITY.

> RMU IS THE FIRST UNIVERSITY IN THE STATE TO TEAM UP WITH AMAZON. LEARN MORE AT RMU.EDU/READY.

> Committed to Diversity

> Student Success Collaborative In addition to their textbooks, incoming freshmen this year will also have a smartphone app that helps with reminders about important tasks and to-do lists, university news, information about review sessions and counselor meetings, and quick mini-polls about things like study habits and test preparation.

The app, called “Guide,” is a component of the new Student Success Collaborative, a partnership with Washington, D.C.-based higher education consultants EAB. The project aims to improve retention and reduce dropouts through comprehensive student data analytics, alerting faculty and counseling staff when potential early warning signs arise, and helping to schedule and track extra help for students who need it.

“We need to take advantage of predictive analytics. We need to take advantage of technology,” said President Chris Howard at the project’s unveiling in June. “And more importantly, we need to take advantage of our ability to understand what students need to do to get to and through RMU — to arrive and thrive.”

> Ring of Honor The number 15 worn by Sugeiry Monsac ‘07 is the third to be retired by Colonials basketball.

Monsac, of the Dominican Republic, was NEC Player of the Year in 2005 after she led the team to a 20-10 finish, 17 more wins than the year before her arrival. Monsac also helped the Colonials reach their first NCAA Tournament. She joins Chipper Harris ‘84 and Myron Walker ‘94 in the men’s and women’s basketball Ring of Honor.

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y F O U N D AT I O N S • 3

A WORLD-CLASS FITNESS CENTER FOR STUDENTS Opening this fall, the new student recreation and fitness center at the campus’s North Athletic Complex adds two indoor intramural basketball courts, a fully-equipped weight room and cardio room, two exercise studios, and men’s and women’s locker rooms, all for general student use.

Paid for completely by corporate and private donors and state development funding, the $7 million center also houses offices for intramural sports, plus practice and storage rooms for the band, new locker rooms for the Colonials men’s and women’s NCAA Div. I soccer teams, and offices for soccer and softball coaches.

The 2-story center is part of a larger $50 million project that includes the UPMC Events Center, which will open in 2019.

It allows popular intramural programs to move from the former Sewall Center and from the old gym in John Jay Center, which is to undergo renovations to convert to academic use with the School of Engineering, Mathematics and Science. Student exercise facilities will relocate out of the Jefferson Center, one of the oldest buildings on campus. The locker room and office facilities are significant upgrades for the Colonials soccer and softball teams — the latter of which is on a run of 27 straight NEC postseason tournament appearances.

The center is fully equipped with all the amenities of a first-rate recreation and fitness center, with approximately 40,000 square feet of programming and exercise space. That includes expanded free weight and cardio exercise rooms for weight training and fitness instruction and two rooms for group exercise, Zumba, yoga, and wellness programs. The play courts have space for intramural volleyball, basketball, and indoor soccer, and the facility has locker rooms with private showers. The center also has an indoor social gathering and programming space and outdoor patio with a healthy food and beverage center.

Students have asked repeatedly for better fitness facilities in recent years. A 2013 student survey conducted by the Student Government Association found strong support for building a new facility. The SGA voted in 2016 to authorize a new per-student fee beginning this fall to cover the center’s annual operating budget. The fee is $125 per semester for full-time undergraduate students and $63 per semester for part-time undergraduate students.

“We are thrilled to be able to provide our students with a worldclass fitness center which will provide the space that students have been seeking for sports and recreation,” said John Michalenko, vice president of student life and dean of students. “We have a very physically active campus, even among nonathletes, and we are happy to give them what they need.”

ILLUSTRATION BY KYLE FASENMYER 4

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y F O U N D AT I O N S • 5

DATA DRIVEN It is 10 p.m. on a Friday night, less than 15 hours before the Colonials play Sacred Heart. Linebacker Adam Wollet, as usual, is restless.

What if the Pioneers use an unfamiliar formation? What if there isn’t enough time to change the defensive scheme?

So the player sends a text message to defensive coordinator Scott Farison for assistance. “I want everything to be perfect,” says Wollet, who would amass 12 tackles the next afternoon. A game film junkie and serial inquisitor, the junior from Poland, Ohio, prides himself on being in the proper position. On the field. In the classroom. In life.

Wollet led RMU with 89 tackles last season, including three 12-tackle performances, and tied for second with two fumble recoveries. All the while, he maintained a 4.0 grade point average as a business major.

This earned him a spot on the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District II Football Team. He’s earned all A’s since the fifth grade. “But I can do better individually, and we can do better as a team,” he says.

A driving force behind a Colonials defense that finished in the top 30 in the Football Championship Subdivision in seven categories, Wollet serves as Farison’s surrogate on the field. Wrong defensive call? Wollet makes it right. Teammate out of position? Wollet sets him straight. “His teammates know that he’s the guy,” says Farison, who returns six starters, including three of four linebackers, from his 2016 defense. “He’s our hardest-working kid. And if he doesn’t know something, he’ll figure it out. He’ll ask 100 questions. He’s always thinking outside the box. He wants to understand the whole picture and not just what he has to do.”

Modest in size at 6 feet, 220 pounds, Wollet sees football as mind over muscle. Against Central Connecticut last fall moments before the ball was snapped, Wollet feverishly shifted teammate Amir Fenwick to a spot that gave the big lineman a clear path to the backfield. The result was a 3-yard loss.

“I’m always looking for ways to understand the other team’s tendencies, and it’s rewarding to see my teammates making those big plays,” Wollet says. “I’m fascinated with data analytics. The Dallas Cowboys have guys on their staff who do it. Michigan State does it, as well. It’s something I’d like to do when I’m done with school.

I’m not the biggest or fastest guy out on the field, but I want to use my brain and my mind as a weapon.”

Don’t get the wrong idea about Wollet. His cerebral side tells only part of his story. The kid can play. He possesses natural instincts — similar to older brother Luke, who starred at safety for Kent State — and is capable of delivering bone-jarring tackles. But he is quick to deflect credit. “I know this sounds a little cliché, but it’s my teammates who’ve made me the player I am right now,” he says. “There’s great talent around me. I’m just fortunate to be a part of this. “ WRITTEN BY JOE BENDEL PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON COHN 6

7

THE

BIGG AME

It’s time to enjoy some top-notch sports as the schedule gets into full swing. Here’s a look at can’t-miss games.

HOMECOMING VS. VMI SAT., SEPT. 16, 3 P.M.

FOOTBALL The Colonials defense regularly put on the hits in 2016, leading the conference in red zone defense (.711) and finishing second in sack totals, trailing only the eventual champions. Seven starters are back, including linebackers Adam Wollet and Joseph Uhatafe, two of the NEC’s top 10 tacklers last fall.

SACK ATTACK

29

MEN VS. DUQUESNE SUN., SEPT. 24, 1 P.M. WOMEN VS. SACRED HEART SUN., OCT. 1, NOON

TEAM SACKS

The Colonials had few equals in the NEC last season getting to the quarterback.

TEAM

SACKS

1. ST. FRANCIS 2. ROBERT MORRIS 3. SACRED HEART

39 29 27

VS. CENTRAL

CONNECTICUT STATE SAT., NOV. 11, 5 P.M.

HEAD OF THE OHIO SAT.-SUN., OCT. 7-8

HAVE A SEAT IN THE END ZONE JOIN THE 1921 CLUB AND SEE THE ACTION UP CLOSE. BECOME A COLONIAL BOOSTER.

RMU.EDU/1921CLUB

BLOCK THOSE KICKS

MEN’S SOCCER The Colonials return all but two players from last season, with senior Keane McIvor leading the way. This talented midfielder from Trinidad was an All-NEC second-team selection, ranking third in the NEC in assists per game and ninth in points.

5.82

SAVES PER GAME

No team in the NEC was as stingy defensively as the Colonials last season.

TEAM

1. ROBERT MORRIS 2. SACRED HEART 3. CENTRAL CONN.

SAVES

PER GAME

99 87 86

5.82 4.83 5.06

THE BIG GAME SEPT. 24 VS. DUQUESNE The Colonials look to avenge last year’s 1-0 loss in this home matchup against the rival Dukes.

STARS TO WATCH > CHECK

VOLLEYBALL

RMUCOLONIALS.COM FOR THE LATEST ON GAME TIMES, VENUES, AND SCORES.

The Colonials made history in 2016, running their streak of consecutive winning seasons in the NEC to a league-record 18. With the return of senior Brianna Frakes and junior Lord Taylor, a duo that ranked second in the NEC in assists and service aces respectively, RMU looks to keep the streak alive.

THE BIG GAME NOV. 11 VS. CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE The Colonials want to pay back the Blue Devils for edging them out for the final playoff seed last season. That ended RMU’s conference-record 17 straight years in the NEC tournament.

#23 KASIA BAK WOMEN’S SOCCER A junior from Niagara Falls, Bak led the Colonials last season with 8 points, including 2 game-winning goals.

MAGGIE PROROK CROSS COUNTRY A fourth-place finish at the conference championship meet earned Prorok All-NEC honors. It was the best finish by a member of the Colonials in six years.

#48 ADAM CHECK FOOTBALL As a sophomore punter last year, the McKees Rocks native set game and season records for yardage. His 36.91-yard average is tied for third in team history.

Check was named to the Preseason All-NEC team.

DIG THIS

2,006

DIGS

When it came to digging — preventing the ball from hitting the floor after a spike — the Colonials topped the NEC. TEAM

DIGS

PER GAME

1. ROBERT MORRIS 2. BRYANT 3. SAINT FRANCIS U.

2,006 1,962 1,639

17.44 16.08 16.07

9

SLAM DUNK SALESMAN LeBron James was working out late at the Cleveland Cavaliers practice facility one evening in his rookie year when in walked Murray Cohn ‘88.

Looking to blow off some steam after a sales strategy meeting with Cleveland management, Cohn and several of his colleagues from the NBA’s team marketing business operations group had expected an empty gym.

Instead they received a challenge from the young star.

1 0 • R M U . E D U / F O U N D AT I O N S

“Want to play horse?” James asked. Cohn and his coworkers obliged. Then, Cohn nearly pulled off the unthinkable. “I had H-O-R-S,” Cohn says, laughing. “But that was it for me.

He hit five shots in a row. I was done.”

feel that I deserve a full-time job here.’ Well, he ended up earning a full-time job.” A year later, Wright became the GM of the Minnesota Strikers, another indoor soccer team, and hired Cohn, only 20, as his director of ticket sales.

From trading jumpers with basketball royalty to racking up more than a million airline miles for the NBA and other pro sports franchises, Cohn has been on a path to prosperity since earning his degree in business and sports marketing.

As former vice president of team ticket TH sales for the NBA, he helped the league establish records in attendance, gate receipts revenue, sellouts, season ticket sales, and group sales revenue.

Cohn’s career took off from there, to the NHL’s Minnesota North Stars, baseball’s Seattle Mariners, NBA league offices and eventually the Orlando Magic.

There he awarded members of his staff an extra $20 for belting out “Show me the money!” — a line from the film “Jerry Maguire” — after completing a sale. He also conducted contests in which employees outfitted in doublesided tape rolled around on a floor covered with $1,000 in small bills.

“We found ways to build cohesiveness FRIDAY, OCT. 13 and a desire to make sales in a fun environment,” Cohn says. “We would AIRPORT have people standing around cheering SHERATON HOTEL for the ones going after the $1,000. In another contest, we’d pay their rent for six months, buy their groceries for six NETWORK WITH months, and if they did a million dollars MURRAY COHN in new business, give them a lease on a AND OTHER TOP SPORT luxury car for a year. It was about teamMANAGEMENT building and togetherness.”

14 ANNUAL SPORT MANAGEMENT CAREER SUMMIT

“He’s the best in the world when it comes to ticket sales,” says University of South Florida professor Bill Sutton, who taught Cohn at RMU. “He thinks about things nobody thinks about. He has an intuitive way of looking at things. He’s in a class by himself.”

“He has the touch — and he’s absolutely one of the best when it comes to teaching others how to sell,” says Minnesota Timberwolves president Chris Wright.

Cohn is a member of the advisory board for the university’s sport management program and is in its Hall of Fame. He figures he has helped place more than 200 participants in the university’s annual student career summit in sports marketing and sales positions and internships. “I want to see people succeed and make great contributions in this field,” he says. “I was fortunate when I was their age because Robert Morris provided me with one of the best sports marketing programs in the country.”

PROFESSIONALS GAIN USEFUL CAREER ADVICE

DISCOVER INTERNSHIPS AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR INFORMATION: 412-397-6355 SIVAK@RMU.EDU

Ironically, Cohn nearly short-circuited his sales career during his junior year. It was Wright, then with the old Pittsburgh Spirit indoor soccer team, who offered Cohn his first internship in professional sports. But Cohn initially had no interest — he wanted to work for the Penguins, Pirates, or Steelers. Thanks to a nudge from Sutton, Cohn accepted the internship with the Spirit. And he left an indelible impression on Wright. “From the first day I interviewed Murray, he had already set himself apart,” Wright says. “I asked what he wanted to get out of the internship, and he said, ‘I want you to

Cohn returned to the NBA league offices in 2008 to reinvigorate the sales and marketing staff after his stint in Orlando. Cohn, a husband and father of two teenage sons, visited a different NBA franchise each week to serve as an in-house consultant, working on strategies, sales training, recruiting, and sharing best practices. Finally he left the league to found his own company, MC Sports Sales Training and Consulting, in Orlando in 2015, and is now working with teams in all the major U.S. pro sports leagues, as well as college teams.

Cohn has attended all 13 of the RMU sport management department’s annual student career conferences, and will be there again this fall. “I enjoy coming back every year and sharing my experiences with so many great students,” he says.

“I owe a lot to so many people there. I know this: I wouldn’t be where I am today had it not been for my experiences at Robert Morris.”

WRITTEN BY JOE BENDEL PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM BRESLIN FOR GATE SEVEN CREATIVE

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y F O U N D AT I O N S • 1 1

SAVING LIVES WIT

When he was in college studying computer programming, Bruno Mastroianni ‘93 never imagined that one day he would have a job saving lives.

Mastroianni, of Cranberry, is chief information officer for the Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE). Headquartered just outside of Pittsburgh in O’Hara Township, CORE is one of 58 federally designated not-for-profit organ procurement organizations in the United States, encompassing 163 hospitals throughout western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and parts of New York.

1 2 • R M U . E D U / F O U N D AT I O N S 1 4 •

TH BAR CODES

increased errors. They could easily transpose numbers, mistype the description, or make other mistakes because they were doing data entry instead of focusing on the recovery.”

With the bar code system in place, clinical team members scan items quickly and easily, “Like you do when you go to the grocery store,” he says.

“With nearly 118,000 people on the waiting list nationally, and 20 dying every day, it’s critical that everyone signs up to be an organ donor,” says Mastroianni. For every person who donates their organs, tissue, and corneas, he adds, up to 75 lives can be saved or dramatically improved.

In 2016, CORE achieved a nearly 15 percent increase in donors over the previous year. That directly led to 663 lives saved through organ transplants. “I’m thrilled to be here,” he says.

“I can honestly come to work and say, ‘We save lives every day.’ How do you compete with that?”

Mastroianni, the son of immigrant Italian parents, came to CORE in a roundabout way. In the early ‘90s, he took classes at RMU’s Downtown campus, majoring in business information systems while working full-time for a local computer chain.

“I was like most college students – I really didn’t know what I wanted to do. But I knew that Robert Morris was a good school, and I liked computers.”

A funny thing happened in the years that followed: the classes he didn’t think were as important became the ones that helped shape his professional career, working in IT positions at Duquesne University, D.T. Watson Rehabilitation Services, and Heritage Valley Health System. “I majored in programming, but I’ve never been a programmer,” he says. “I did become a manager and a leader. I appreciated my accounting classes at RMU, because I’ve been called upon to do budgeting over the years, even though I’m not a finance guy.”

Mastroianni and his wife, Karen, have four children. He appreciates CORE’s emphasis on work-life balance, and says it is important for him to spend time with his family while working at a place that aligned with his values.

CORE was not on Mastroianni’s radar back in his student days. “I had no idea an organization like this even existed,” he says. But technology plays a crucial role in CORE’s mission, and Mastroianni has made an important contribution. In April, Mastroianni was named the Pittsburgh Technology Council’s “Nonprofit CIO of the Year,” and one of his accomplishments was leading the development of improvements made to a bar code system to track clinical supplies for organ donations.

Days when organ donor families and recipients come to headquarters to tell their stories are his favorites. Hearing their presentations – heart-tugging, bittersweet, ultimately hopeful – is the most meaningful part of his job, says Mastroianni. “I’ve never been so touched at work before. The personal stories are so amazing. The people receiving organs are so grateful, and it’s so touching to hear about their personal journeys,” he says.

“The donor families are the real heroes.”

WRITTEN BY CHARLOTTE LATVALA PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATELYNN METZ

“There was a need to streamline the process,” Mastroianni says. “Our clinical people were manually typing 30 to 50 supply items at a time, which allowed for the potential of R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y F O U N D AT I O N S • 1 3

RINKS & RINGS

Whitney Pappas ‘11 and Furman South ‘12 have spent thousands of hours on the ice. But the Colonial Couple, who were married in July, hardly ever skate together. “We just don’t really do it that often,” says South, a Sewickley native and former winger for the Colonials who got his first start as an NHL referee in April.

“We’ll watch a hockey game together. We just don’t really ever say, ‘Do you want to go skate?’”

1 4 • S E E A V I D E O O F W H I T N E Y A N D F U R M A N AT R M U . E D U / F O U N D AT I O N S 1 4 •

For South, it was a home-and-away sweep of the University of Miami. The untold story behind that 2010 victory, he sheepishly admits, was that the team spent the week leading up to the game not practicing, but scrubbing the glass at the rink and sorting books at the library — part of the punishment for a dorm party that got out of hand.

Pappas majored in communication, and those skills along with classes she took in advertising, marketing, and sport management served her well in her first big job, handling promotions and community relations for the Johnstown Tomahawks, a junior league team that had just relocated from Alaska. “I was used to being the product,” she says.

“I was on the ice. I didn’t have to worry about what time the refs needed to be on the ice, or what time intermission had to be ready.”

She excelled so much in that job that the team owners, Edgeworth-based holding company Esmark, brought her back to headquarters. Now she is developing her skills in financial and contract management for the holding corporation, which does business in manufacturing, oil and gas drilling and production, real estate, business services, and steel.

“I just told her the other day, when we handed out our bonuses, I said, ‘Whitney, we’ve got grand plans for you,’” says Greg Pilewicz, president of Esmark. He credits Pappas with an “extremely strong work ethic and a desire to want to learn more,” which he attributes in part to her time as a student-athlete.

South studied biology as a pre-med major, passed his MCATs, and was two weeks away from moving to Philadelphia to start med school when he had second thoughts. Invited to an NHL-sponsored camp for prospective league officials, he decided he really wanted to stay on the ice. Last summer he got the job, and after jetting all over the country refereeing for the minor leagues for a season, in early April he got the call for his first NHL regular season game, with the Phoenix Coyotes hosting the Vancouver Canucks. His dad and his fiancée both came to watch, and he even got to call a penalty shot.

Their first date was driving golf balls at RMU Island Sports Center, just a stone’s throw from the rink where they played for four seasons — Pappas as an accomplished defenseman for the Colonials who was named Defensive Player of the Year her final season, South as a defensive-minded forward. Both got to experience the joy of beating the top-ranked team in the country as Colonials.

“Standing at center ice for the national anthems, so many thoughts were going through my head,” he says. “It seemed kind of surreal that I was on NHL ice, something I had dreamt of since I started playing hockey when I was little.”

WRITTEN BY MARK HOUSER WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY BY ASHLEE BURKE PHOTOGRAPHY SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY RMU ATHLETICS

“It was like we had won the Stanley Cup. We were just so excited,” says Pappas, of Colorado, recalling a 3-2 victory over the University of Minnesota on their ice her sophomore year.

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y F O U N D AT I O N S • 1 5

IN IT FOR T

As someone who launched his own business nearly 40 years ago, Patrick Gallagher knows what it means to start from the ground up.

The chief executive officer of PGT Trucking, former member of the Robert Morris University Board of Trustees, and a founding partner of the UPMC Events Center, opened with one tractor and two employees in 1980 in response to the deregulation of the trucking industry.

1 64 • R M U . E D U / F O U N D AT I O N S 1 4 •

HE LONG HAUL

students with strong work ethics to hone that skill,” says Gallagher. About 100 students from universities throughout the region have interned at PGT, including many from Robert Morris University.

One of them was Luis Guzman ‘04 M’08, who joined PGT Trucking’s internship program during his last year of college and is now the company controller. As an intern, Guzman was highly recommended by his basketball coach as a candidate of high character, according to Gallagher. “PGT Trucking had previously worked with two other students who were on the basketball team, and that made the decision to bring Luis into the company easy,” he says. “We knew we’d have a quality intern with the high values and solid work ethic we were looking for.”

Guzman grew up in Ecuador, but wanted to come to the United States and earn a degree from an American university like his father, who earned a master’s degree from Cornell.

After a year at a community college in New Jersey and then one at Champlain College in Vermont, he transferred to RMU to study business and finance and play for the Colonials. He still plays basketball, and this summer traveled to Italy to compete in a tournament for retired players.

After his internship ended at PGT Trucking, Guzman was offered a position as a staff accountant. While working, he returned to RMU to earn his M.B.A. He met his future wife, Claire, in 2008. They now have a young son and live in Imperial, and last year Guzman became a U.S. citizen. “I love the sports culture here and also that the city is big enough but not so big you get lost,” he says. “There are a lot of cultures and traditions here, and that makes it a great place to live.”

Guzman advises students to be open-minded when considering an internship opportunity. He didn’t know anything about trucking when he came on board, but now he is a key opinion leader for PGT Trucking. “If it’s a good company, the industry doesn’t matter,” he says. “I say go for it, because there is a lot to be learned from the experience that can be used throughout your career.”

Gallagher’s company, based in Beaver County, now has more than 1,000 trucks and trailers servicing industries including steel, building materials, machinery, oil and gas, raw materials, aluminum, and automotive.

Soon after he founded PGT Trucking, Gallagher was contacted about bringing some interns into the company. “It became obvious that this would be a great opportunity for students from middle class families and first-generation college

Gallagher says he is continually impressed with the quality of the university’s students and graduates. “RMU stresses communications, and their students give better interviews than students from other universities because they are better trained in public speaking,” he says. That’s not just Guzman — the boss’s daughter Candice Gallagher Comunale ‘06 is an RMU alumna and a PGT Trucking employee too.

WRITTEN BY SHANNON SEVERINO PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL WILL ‘08

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y F O U N D AT I O N S • 1 7

HOW TO THINK LIKE AN ENTREPRENEUR Before she became the director of the new Massey Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Robert Morris University, Eliada Griffin-El spent six years as a professor in South Africa. But while her previous professorial posting was thousands of miles across the sea in a different hemisphere, Griffin-El was already very familiar with RMU.

1 8 • R M U . E D U / F O U N D AT I O N S

In fact, she had visited campus twice before, for two graduate commencement ceremonies: once for her mom, Enefaa Wosu D’08, an education consultant who earned a doctorate in information systems and communications, and the other time for her brother, Hecareth Wosu M’09, a senior manager for a California utility who earned his master’s in IT project management. “They both spoke so highly of it,” says Griffin-El. “My mother had constantly boasted of the supportive environment when she was getting her doctorate.”

The oldest of four in a family of Nigerian immigrants, Griffin-El graduated from high school in New Orleans and went to Yale to study sociology. Her family moved to Pittsburgh after her father took an engineering faculty position at the University of Pittsburgh, so she came to the city for her graduate studies, earning a master’s and Ph.D. in public and international affairs from Pitt.

Then, looking for a change of scenery and “a chance to make a difference,” Griffin-El took an academic post at the University of Cape Town in 2010. There she helped to build a program for business students focusing on the concept of “social entrepreneurship” — hatching innovative business approaches to address social problems, such as the fragmentation and racial disparity that are still widespread throughout South Africa. “We’re in a society where all businesses create social values of some sort,” she says. “Some more than others.”

“Most of the students in my classes don’t raise their hand when I ask who plans to start their own venture five to seven years down the road,” Griffin-El says. But as the South African micro-insurance example demonstrates, innovation and entrepreneurial habits can be useful skills not only for starting a company in your garage, but within the corporate environment.

To encourage that mindset of creative problem-solving and breaking boundaries, Griffin-El has worked with other faculty to create several new programs. She took students to Thread International, an East Liberty business that manufactures fabric from recycled plastic collected in Haiti, helping to create jobs in the impoverished Caribbean nation; they also visited Everyday Café, a new restaurant and coffee shop in Homewood that operates completely cash-free. She worked with the School of Nursing and Health Sciences to hold a health innovation “hackathon.” The winning team of two engineering students and an accounting major proposed using refurbished older-model iPods to provide instructional podcasts for educating nursing students in poor countries with limited infrastructure.

Griffin-El also brought local executives from Uber and Gridwise, a local firm that makes an app for rideshare drivers, to campus to speak to students about entrepreneurship.

“WE’RE IN A SOCIETY WHERE ALL BUSINESSES CREATE SOCIAL VALUES OF SOME SORT, SOME MORE THAN OTHERS.”

In one instance, Griffin-El had her graduate students team up and consult with a South African insurance company to identify an issue where innovation could spread social benefits. They surveyed low-income neighborhoods in Cape Town, and discovered that while residents were not interested in typical automotive or homeowner’s policies, they wanted to be able to insure smaller things that were still very important to them: a family fruit stand, even a mobile phone. The company launched a pilot program to begin offering these smaller policies as a result.

With two young children, Griffin-El and her husband decided to move back to the United States last year, and soon after their return she was hired as an associate professor of management in the School of Business. Now she is focusing on building a core undergraduate curriculum and framework of extracurricular activities to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in the context of professional preparation.

While RMU enjoys a strong reputation in key business disciplines such as accounting and finance, students may not see themselves as entrepreneurs.

The new center is funded through a grant from the Massey Charitable Trust.

“As a result of this center, RMU graduates are going to be even more valuable to employers, and more RMU graduates are going to be successful entrepreneurs,” said Bob Connolly ‘77, executive director of the trust, at its dedication ceremony earlier this year.

The center is actively seeking more partners who can offer site visits, judge contests, speak on campus, or act as mentors to students who want to explore innovation and entrepreneurial activity, whether on their own or from within their organization.

“We are building an entrepreneurial campus,” Griffin-El says.

“We want to become the epicenter of an innovative ecosystem that RMU represents.”

WRITTEN BY MARK HOUSER PHOTOGRAPHY BY MITCH KRAMER ‘08

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y F O U N D AT I O N S • 1 9

PORK P

A collection of ceramic pigs keeps watch from the top shelf and a side table in the office of Dominick “Buzz” Bovalina Jr. ‘89, chief operating officer of Silver Star Meats in McKees Rocks. There are more pigs at home, all gifts from family and friends, and Karen Brova Bovalina ‘86 says they represent that “pork pays the bills.”

Certainly pork is key to the enduring success of a company that has supplied ham, hot dogs, and Polish specialty meats for more than 50 years. Dominick has spent his whole life in the local meat industry. At the age of 6, he pitched in at his father’s meatpacking business in Burgettstown making boxes and doing other chores. The family operation closed around the time 2 0 • R M U . E D U / F O U N D AT I O N S 1 4 •

AYS THE BILLS

administrative management and joined a Pittsburgh engineering company as controller after graduating.

Dominick accepted a full-time post at Silver Star while still a student, and finished his business management degree over nine years. The couple married in 1984.

For many years, Dominick worked 12- to 14-hour days as the company weathered changes in the meat industry that caused many other small suppliers to go under. Silver Star acquired a number of local brands over that time. Now with about 50 employees, it supplies PNC Park, Heinz Field, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the Original Hot Dog Shop, and regional groceries and food service companies. It also operates its original deli store in McKees Rocks. Dominick became chief operating officer in 1996. He is also board chairman and co-owner.

Karen left the workforce for about a decade to stay at home with their two daughters, Olivia and Anna. She was shopping at a mall with their youngest child, then in kindergarten, when she got a frantic call from Dominick that the Silver Star controller was leaving and the company was urgently in need of her expertise. She came in the next day to fill in as they searched for a permanent replacement, and remained at Silver Star for 10 years, handling payroll and human resources.

Work demands kept Dominick away from home often; he missed Christmas parties because he had to be at the smokehouse. Free time was spent with the children, working in the backyard, playing in the pool, and vacationing at the beach. Dominick also carved out time to accompany his daughter when she played softball on a traveling team.

he graduated high school, and his father helped him land a job at Silver Star making sausage and driving the delivery truck. “It was an opportunity to make some money at the time for me. But once I got into it, I really liked what I was doing,” Dominick says.

Dominick was already working at Silver Star when he met Karen on their first night of college in 1980. Karen’s father was a coal miner and beef cattle farmer near Bentleyville. She first obtained an associate’s degree in secretarial administration and went to work, then returned for a bachelor’s degree in

As their daughters entered high school and college, Karen began to look for a new project. The Bovalinas researched franchise opportunities and found one called Zoup!, which they tried out by working at one of the soup and salad restaurant’s locations in a Michigan food court one day. “We laughed so hard. We had so much fun,” she says. Her restaurant opened in Southpointe Town Center in Canonsburg in 2014. These days, it’s Karen working long hours — running the business, helping with the daily lunch rush and even washing dishes. Dominick claims he has pulled back a little from his long hours at Silver Star, but then the couple share a smile; he still starts his days at 5 a.m.

“We say, what are we going to do when we retire?” Karen says. “Because we work all the time. It’s not work — it’s just what we enjoy.”

“We do everything together,” Dominick says.

WRITTEN BY KIMBERLY B. CAPOZZI PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL WILL ‘08

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y F O U N D AT I O N S • 2 1

Up Close Faculty Profile

When it comes to design competitions, Ferris Crane knows how to train winners. The media arts professor has watched her students collect more than 100 awards over the years, including the recent Neographics 2017 competition in Philadelphia, where students in Crane’s Advanced Typography and Design Studio II courses brought home awards for best student work. Not only is the recognition important, Crane says, but the competitions bring another practical benefit: an edge in getting work.

“These types of competitions provide solid credentials recognized by professionals who hire,” says Crane. “They enable us to assess how we compare against other programs and to further our reputation, which makes our students’ diplomas more recognizable. Because of our success, RMU is now seen as a go-to institution for graphic design.”

Before coming to RMU in 2004, Crane worked in the visual communications design industry. Her own work has appeared in design publications and received awards from the Art Directors Club, New Finds in Typographic Excellence, and the San Francisco Advertising Club. She also was a visiting faculty member at the Lomonosov Moscow State University and has spent more than 10 years photographically documenting post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans.

“Professor Crane is truly a professional,” says Ashley Gardell ‘17, who took home a best in category prize at Neographics.

“She has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to design, and she is more than happy to share that knowledge with her students.”

21 08 • R M U . E D U / F O U N D AT I O N S

& Personal The psychology major was one of 10 graduating seniors recognized this spring with the university’s Presidential Undergraduate Award. This fall she’ll be heading to law school at Villanova University on a full scholarship, and her hope one day is to work as a child advocate at a DA’s office or at a nonprofit. Miller was an honors student and was president of Psi Chi, a mentor for the Women’s Leadership and Mentorship Program, and a volunteer with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, and Big Brothers Big Sisters. She also had internships with U.S. Rep. Keith Rothfus, the Beaver County Courthouse, and the Education Partnership in Pittsburgh.

: y B n e tt i Wr

.

J e n i t n e Val Brkich

RMU.edu/foundation

During her senior year, Miller studied at the American Business School in Paris. “It was life changing,” she says. “I learned that I am a strong, independent woman and that the world is full of beautiful and caring people willing to help those in need.” It was particularly eye-opening to witness the ways that nonprofit agencies support Syrian refugees, Miller says.

Student Profile

Ever since her big brother completed his coursework online between assignments as a Marine in Iraq, Taylor Miller ‘17 knew she wanted to be a Colonial.

“He really inspired me,” she says of her brother, Jason Miller ‘06, “and I knew I wanted to go to Robert Morris as soon as I saw they were willing to do anything for students to succeed.”

23

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y F O U N D AT I O N S • 12 91

DIAMOND DAD He played varsity baseball for the Colonials, majored in accounting, took a swing at semipro ball, sold real estate, and spent the last 30 years as a flight attendant.

But Rod Hermansen ‘82 has only ever wanted to be in pictures.

So five years ago the Coraopolis native took some acting classes near his home in suburban Dallas. Before long, he was snagging roles. He played an attorney for the Ewings in the TNT reboot of “Dallas,” and got another part as a lawyer in “Carter High,” a film about the travails of a Texas football powerhouse.

Now Hermansen has written, directed, and starred in his first movie, “Coming Home.”

He plays a high school softball coach whose daughter, the team’s star athlete, suffers from a rare blood disorder. In a nod to his hometown, the team is called the Cory Tigers.

The whole production, including a 12-day shoot, cost about $20,000, and nearly all of it came out of Hermansen’s pocket. He hopes to sell the movie to a streaming service like Netflix, but says, “You don’t do it for the money, you do it for the passion.”

Chelsea Linder, who plays the daughter in “Coming Home,” is a YouTube celebrity. Another social media star plays the boyfriend: “Alex from Target,” who blew up on Twitter three years ago after an admiring shopper posted a snapshot of him bagging purchases. Former Pittsburgh weekend news anchor Leslie Merrill plays Hermansen’s wife.

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert ‘79 reunited with his former Colonials teammate at a special screening at the Tull Family Theater in Sewickley in June. “It was a heartfelt real story that I could identify with,” Colbert said of the film, “because I know Rod as a player, a friend, and a teammate, and he puts a lot of himself into the movie. So much of him came out in the movie, it made it a little surreal for me.”

Chuckling with Colbert, Hermansen confessed that his old friend is a strong motivation. “I want him someday to say, ‘I know Rod Hermansen. I played baseball at Robert Morris with him.’ That’s what I live for, for him to say that once. Because I’ve said it a thousand times, every time I see a passenger wearing a Steelers shirt. And then I keep pushing the drink cart down the aisle.”

WRITTEN BY MARK HOUSER PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY ROD HERMANSEN ‘82

2 4 • R M U . E D U / F O U N D AT I O N S

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

– Nelson Mandela

UPMC Health Plan is proud to be the official health plan of Robert Morris University.

www.upmchealthplan.com

CLASS NOTES

JIM CRUDDEN ‘71 and his daughter, JENNIFER CRUDDEN ‘01 M’05, received the Pittsburgh Business Times 2017 Family Business Award for Rosalind Candy Castle. The award recognizes the Pittsburgh region’s multi-generational family-owned businesses for overall excellence, innovation, ethics, and philanthropy. Read their story in “10 Questions” on page 36.

JOE WHITEKO ‘71 recently judged the Miss Milwaukee Pageant in Wisconsin and the Outstanding Teen portion of the Miss California Pageant in Fresno.

Joe has been involved in pageant photography for the last 35 years.

Joe lives in Marietta, Ga.

SCOTT GILSON ‘85 is director of business development at Colsa Corp. He retired in 2011 as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force after 26 years of service, including as Air Force Space Command Inspector General.

2 6 • R M U . E D U / F O U N D AT I O N S

>

JACQUELINE TRAVISANO

‘90 has been named executive

a book, K.J.’s Autism: A

vice president for business

Mother’s Inspiration, that

and finance and chief

describes how the family has

operating officer at the

dealt with and learned from

University of Miami. She has

her son’s diagnosis in 1995.

nearly 20 years of executive experience in higher education, including at Nova

JENNIFER FEDELE ‘86 was named registrar at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Jennifer was previously registrar at Point Park University. She lives in Murrysville.

Southeastern University, where she earned her doctorate last year; St. John's University in New York; and Carlow and Chatham universities in Pittsburgh.

MARIO LEONE ‘87 is the borough manager of Monaca, where he has spent a decade focusing on environmental initiatives. He continues to conduct numerous sustainability projects and is looking to expand his practices to neighboring boroughs. Mario resides in Aliquippa.

SONYA FORD ‘89 is a special projects manager for the Swartz

WILLIAM J. WAXMAN ‘71 retired from Edison State Community College in Piqua, Ohio. Bill was an associate professor of business and program coordinator for the business management, human resources and real estate program.

He and his wife of 41 years, Betsy, have four grown children and four granddaughters.

LENORE SADWICK

WOSSIDLO ‘79 published

Center for Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University. She

ALBERT SCALA M ‘84 was

promoted to vice president of Urban Engineers in Los Angeles, where he has been since 2014. Albert has more than 35 years of experience in the field, including with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Agency.

>

1970s

1980s

>

BETTY RADOSH BUCHIN ‘49 and her husband will celebrate their 66th wedding anniversary this September. They have two children and four grandchildren.

Betty retired from Westinghouse after 20 years and has been volunteering in medical records at Forbes Regional Hospital in Monroeville ever since.

They live in Trafford.

JOSEPHINE ROCK ‘79 is the director of finance for Monroeville. She is the former owner of an accounting firm and was the auditor for seven municipalities in the region.

Josephine lives in Monroeville.

>

1940s

RONALD BERTOLINA

M’00 is a retired professor of computer science at Frostburg State University. In his spare

lives in Regent Square.

time, he has travelled to the EUGENE MILLER ‘89 was named president-elect of the Central chapter of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Eugene lives in Punxsutawney.

1990s

lower 48 states and six foreign

CRAIG KAFORNEY M’91 and MARK KAFORNEY M’93 own and operate Xodus Medical, a medical device manufacturing company in New Kensington. The brothers live in Pittsburgh.

countries. He lives in Cumberland, Md., enjoys fishing and traveling, and volunteers for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

CLASS NOTES

TIM WESLEY ‘92 published his first book, My Boxes: A Nostalgic Collection of Stories and Stuff, with a focus on Pittsburgh mementos and sports tales from his time as a local journalist. Tim lives in Pittsburgh.

ROB PEKARSKY ‘93 is the chief financial officer and controller for Kacin Companies, a Murrysville

residential and commercial construction business.

He lives in Churchill.

MARK PAPPA ‘98 is the vice president of Brighton Hot Dog Shoppe. The family-run business was opened in 1959. Mark lives in Beaver.

COLLEEN HOOLAHAN

>

DEBORAH BRANDSETTER ‘95 was named business administrator for the Riverside School District. In addition to her new role, Deborah serves as the school board secretary. She lives in Saxonburg.

>

SUSAN KRIEGER ‘92 is vice president of Key Equipment Finance. Krieger supports KeyBank commercial banking teams in western Pennsylvania and Erie as well as Key Equipment Finance health care initiatives throughout Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. Krieger resides in Wexford.

JESSICA DEBO ‘04 was

HALL ‘01 M’05 joined the

married to Jeffrey Mary at

partnership of Crowe

Saint Mary of the Mount on

Horwath, LLP. She is the first

Mt. Washington on May 7,

woman to be elected into the

2016. Jessica works as an IT

partnership of the health care

specialist at Veolia Water

delivery unit.

Solutions and Technologies.

SHANNON TELENKO ‘98 completed her doctorate in cultural anthropology at American University. She is an academic

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R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y F O U N D AT I O N S • 2 7

CLASS NOTES WHAT YOU MISSED BILITA MCINTOSH ‘03

>

>

Here’s a look at a few of the alumni events we’ve featured since the last Foundations.

JOSEPH LANEVE ‘05 and

was named Ms. Pennsylvania

his wife, Allison, welcomed

Plus America 2016 for the

a son, Leopold Carmen, in

American Beauties Plus

April. The family lives in

Pageant. She spent the year

Pittsburgh.

promoting her personal

RMU NIGHT AT PNC PARK

platform, “Beauty and Brains: Intelligence is Beautiful.” Bilita competed at the national pageant in Atlanta, Ga., in October.

She lives in Monroeville.

advisor at Penn State and lives in State College with her husband and children.

CEO CLUB RECEPTION JAMES M. BARGERSTOCK ‘99 M’04 is the chief financial officer of Phoenix Rehabilitation and Health Services. James lives in Natrona Heights.

2000s WOMEN OF RMU

These are just some of the highlights of what has been a very busy Alumni Events calendar. We see more and more of you each time, but plenty of alumni still haven’t experienced all the fellowship and fun.

Make sure you don’t miss the next big thing. Stay tuned to the alumni events calendar at RMU.EDU/ALUMNI.

2 8 • R M U . E D U / F O U N D AT I O N S

ROBERT BADOWSKI M’00 D’09 is an assistant professor of business at Westminster College.

Robert lives in Grove City.

St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Georgette was one of 40 writers who contributed to the project; her story was based on her father’s death from cancer in 2014.

DAVID CHARLES LUFFY ‘00 received his master of pastoral leadership degree from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in May. TIM THIEL ‘00 is one of 13 people on the inaugural board of governors for the 2030 Districts Network, an effort to advance a national urban sustainability initiative. Tim is an industrial marketing manager at Covestro.

Class Notes would love to hear from you.

GEORGETTE FREY ‘00 was published in Stardust, Always: A Charity Anthology for Cancer Research, a project in which all proceeds will go to support

GEORGE VUCIN ‘00 published his first book, Leadership: As Seen Through the Eyes of a Follower.

George resides in Aliquippa.

DAN BEST ‘01 is vice president of human resources for AutoNation.

He leads HR/training and development function for the

CLASS NOTES company, which operates in 15 states and includes more than 255 dealerships and 344 franchises around the country.

Dan, his wife, and their three children reside in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

MORGAN HAWLEY NIEDERMIER M ‘06 was promoted to vice president of marketing for Sunrise Cooperative in Fremont, Ohio. Sunrise is a leading agricultural and energy

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

cooperative, and Morgan oversees marketing and event planning

JEFFREY BOWSER ‘02 and his wife, Kathleen, welcomed a daughter, Magdalene Gertrude, in April. Jeffrey is a licensed CPA and works as the assistant director of auxiliary finance at the University of Pittsburgh. The family, along with sons Conrad and Ross, lives in Pittsburgh.

BETH JORDAN DEVIVO ‘02 was recently hired by Bruce & Merrilees Electric in New Castle as a marketing coordinator. She is responsible for promoting the company across the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond.

KATIE DELLICH ‘04 was named “Professional of the Year” by Peter Burwash International, the company’s highest honor. Katie was recognized for her achievements and efforts in initiating new programs, contributing to the growth of PBI and offering guidance and assistance to young professionals.

Katie lives in Napa Valley, Calif.

there. She resides in Bloomville, Ohio, with her husband, Derek, and their young daughters, Adalyn and Kailyn.

JUSTIN HERRING ‘06 is a senior consultant at Deloitte, where he helps clients integrate operational and financial data. Justin resides in Laurel, Md. VERONICA BEEVERS THOMAS ‘06 received tenure at Towson University, where she teaches marketing with a concentration in consumer behavior. Veronica and her husband, Jared, live in Baltimore.

JENNA BURKETT ‘07 is the recruiting coordinator at High Point University. Jenna is also an assistant coach for the women’s basketball team. She lives in High Point, N.C. LESHEALA DAWSON ‘07 works in the front office for the Philadelphia 76ers. She graduated with a degree in sport management and now lives in Philadelphia.

Email us at rmualum@rmu.edu.

PATRICE SMITH MARTIN M’04 was appointed part-time lecturer at Rutgers University. She teaches in the School of Public Affairs and Administration on the Newark campus.

ANTHONY DECARBO ‘07 was married to Heather Puhalla on October 17, 2015. Anthony is employed at PNC in Pittsburgh.

The couple live in New Castle.

Hilary Davis ‘14 of FedEx and Sarah Robb ‘13 M’14, a doctoral student at Carnegie Mellon University, participated in the engineering panel discussion cohosted by the Biomedical Engineering Society and Society of Women Engineers in October.

Vinny A. Gala M’12, senior manager for UV services at Hyde Marine, was a guest speaker in Woodrow Winchester’s Project Engineering class in February. He spoke about the project management and its benefits for engineering professionals.

Class of 2016 alumnae Randi Jackson, Katie Abramowich, Tara Williams, Katrina Buchanan, Monica DeLuca, and Shanna Maloney participated in a Women’s Leadership and Mentorship Program event in January. They are all former peer mentors in WLMP.

Find out how you can share your experience to help today’s students. Send an email to RMUALUM@RMU.EDU.

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y F O U N D AT I O N S • 2 9

that education is the most important gift.

PNC is proud to support Robert Morris University. Because we know that brighter futures begin in the classroom.

pnc.com

Š2015 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved. PNC Bank, National Association. Member FDIC

CLASS NOTES

EVAN ASHTON ‘09 accepted a position in senior corporate partnerships with the New Orleans Saints in December.

Previously he was vice president of corporate partnerships with Columbia Fireflies Baseball in Columbia, S.C.

examination of the dramatic shift in the development paradigm for Sub-Saharan Africa. Robin resides in Alexandria, Va. She is a member of the RMU Board of Trustees.

MORGAN MUNIZZA ‘11 and HANNAH VEITH ‘12 were married director of business development

NICOLE IRVINE ‘08 welcomed

and ASHLEY HARFF

and marketing at the National

a baby girl, Peyton, on

BRANAGAN ‘08 welcomed

Venture Capital Association, and

January 28. The family

a son, Jace Maximus, on

Morgan works for Northrop

resides in McDonald.

TIM IRVINE ‘07 and

>

in November. Hannah is the

>

KEVIN J. SLONKA D’08 wrote a new textbook, Assembly Programming and Computer Architecture for Software Engineers, with Brian Hall of Champlain College in Vermont.

Kevin is a professor of computer science and information technology. He lives in Johnstown.

KURT BRANAGAN ‘06

February 2. Kurt is a senior

Grumman as a real estate

account manager at ARL

specialist. The couple live in

Logistics and Ashley is a

Arlington, Va.

CPA and audit manager at

HANK FRALEY ‘12 is the offensive

Kennedy Township.

PNC. The family lives in line coach of the UCLA Bruins.

ROBERT BADOWSKI M’00 D’09 joined Westminster College as an assistant professor of business.

was an assistant offensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings.

director for the YWCA of Greater

SCOTT GOLMIC ‘10 and

Pittsburgh. Chaz previously

RECK ‘07 and husband

CAROLINE GOLMIC ‘10 opened

worked for the Pittsburgh Pirates

Jeremy welcomed son

Sweet Caroline’s, an ice cream

as the manager of diversity

Leland Jay on April 6, 2016.

shop in Elwood City. As

initiatives. Chaz resides in

Leland joins big brother

president of the Class of 2010,

Pittsburgh.

Carter. Janelle teaches

>

CHAZ KELLEM M’12 is the senior

>

2010s

The former Colonials lineman played for three NFL teams and

kindergarten at South

his wife, Casey, welcomed

Fayette Elementary School.

their daughter, Madelyn

Scott gave out his phone

JANELLE STEIGERWALD

number in his commencement

ANDREW HEILAND ‘13 is director

speech, encouraging his

of athlete marketing for Enter

classmates to text him if they

Sports Management in New York

ever needed a friend. Two years

MATT DIETRICH ‘13 will travel to

City. Previously he was in digital

Chile with the inaugural cohort of the Astronomy in Chile Educator

STEVE BISER ‘07 and

Jean, on April 28. Steve is employed with Thermo Fisher Scientific. The family resides in Hopewell.

later, Caroline texted him, and

sports marketing at Roc Nation

now they’re married. Caroline

and a sports marketing

owns an Aflac branch and is

Ambassador Program. Matt

coordinator at Everlast

president of the Ellwood City

works as a lab manager for an oil

Worldwide.

CODY BRENNER ‘14 is a

and gas company in Houston.

designer in the mechanical

a videographer for the NFL.

HEIDI HICKLE ‘12 married William

The couple live in Elwood City.

MICHAEL ENGLERT ‘13 is a

Ryan on June 4, 2016. Heidi is an

Tower Engineering. He lives

regional account manager for

adjunct faculty member at West

in New Kensington.

ROBIN SANDERS D’10 published

Kingsly Compression, a natural

Virginia Northern Community

The Rise of Africa’s Small &

gas compressor manufacturer. He

College. William is a cyber

Medium Sized Enterprises, an

resides in South Park.

operator at Northrop Grumman.

Chamber of Commerce. Scott is

engineering department at

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y F O U N D AT I O N S • 3 1

ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY

BEING YOUR NEIGHBOR MAKES US SMILE!

POWERING

INNOVATION Throughout our region, Peoples is embracing new technologies and providing innovative energy solutions. Visit Peoples-Gas.com/Power to learn more about the ways that Peoples can help your company ensure future energy stability and improve your bottom line.

Combined Heat & Power (CHP)

Fuel Cells

Waste heat from on-site electric production is captured and used.

Natural gas and oxygen are converted to electricity and heat – without combustion.

Natural Gas Vehicles

Microturbines

Natural Gas Boating

Clean-burning natural gas fuels consumer, fleet, and heavy-duty vehicles.

Cost-effective, on-site electric production can take businesses “off the grid.”

A dual-fuel approach reduces toxic fumes and keeps our rivers clean.

Peoples-Gas.com/Power

CLASS NOTES

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MEGAN HARTUNG ‘09

married J.D. Hurley on April 29. She works for Louis Plung & Co., a Pittsburgh CPA firm.

SHANE COOK ‘14 is a communications coordinator at Antean Studios, a graphic and web design agency. She lives in Jacksonville, Fla. MUKUI MUNTUNGA ‘14 was one of 11 doctoral students to receive the University of Kansas Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship for the 2017-2018 academic year.

The fellowship is a four-year

3 4 • R M U . E D U / F O U N D AT I O N S

MYLES RUSS ‘11 M’14 and ALEXANDREA STOVALL RUSS ‘12 were married on RMU’s campus at the Rogal Family Chapel on June 18, 2016. Myles and Alex met at RMU at the beginning of her freshman year. Myles was a running back for the Colonials and joined the coaching staff after graduation; he was inducted into the RMU Hall of Fame this year. Now he is the recruiting coordinator and running backs coach at Keiser University, and Alex works for the Palm Beach County School District. They reside in Lake Worth, Fla.

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MITCHELL KRAMER ‘08 and Christina Colalillo were married on May 12. Mitch is a graphic designer at RMU and Chrissy is a corporate communications coordinator at Range Resources. The couple live in Moon Township.

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in December. She is an embedded software engineer at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems in Oklahoma City. Previously she worked at the Boeing Tech Center in Colorado Springs as a software engineer.

BERNARD AUSTIN ‘13 is a business development account executive for Columbia Southern Education Group. He lives in Orlando, Fla.

MEGHAN RIGGLE ‘16 co-authored her first article and was published in NATO Magazine

SEAN GALLEN ‘16 joined Conrad Siegel Actuaries in Harrisburg as an actuarial analyst, focusing on Act 205 retirement plans.

BRANDON KREISER ‘16 is a video associate at Sacunas, a marketing agency in Harrisburg. He will provide digital video production and development for the company. Brandon lives in Lebanon, Pa.

INTRODUCING THE ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY

award to new or first-year doctoral students who demonstrate leadership, initiative, and a passion for achievement.

Mukui lives in Lawrence, Kan. BREANNA STEPHENS ‘15 is an assistant account executive with Havas PR. Breanna has worked for the company for two years and specializes in content creation, media relations, and social media strategy. She lives in Wexford.

ZACH D’AGOSTINO ‘16 runs the pro shop at his family business, Sheffield Lanes, in Aliquippa.

Zach lives in Aliquippa.

ASSOCIATES COUNCIL Undergraduate alumni who graduated in the last five years have a unique opportunity to give back to RMU’s students. The Associates Council is an affordable way for young alumni to make a difference and show their commitment to investing in the future of Robert Morris University.

Membership grants you networking opportunities with members of the President’s Council through exclusive university events, including access into the 1921 Club at an athletics event of your choice.

To discuss your giving interests and learn more contact Jennifer Young at 412-397-5452 or youngj@rmu.edu.

RMU.EDU/ASSOCIATESCOUNCIL

CLASS NOTES JEREMY TAGGART ‘16 is a financial analyst for Henderson Brothers, a Pittsburgh independent broker.

Jeremy lives in Butler.

TAYLOR MILLER ‘17 was accepted to Villanova Law School and was offered the full tuition Dean’s Merit Award. Read about Taylor in Up Close and Personal on page 36.

In Memoriam NANCY BELL KALB ‘42 of East Lansing, Mich., passed away on April 8 at the age of 93.

CARMEN TOROCKIO ‘63 of Derry passed away on December 17 at the of 74.

SHERYL KARDOS SANDERS ‘68 of New Cumberland passed away on November 26 at the age of 68.

She was an administrative assistant for over 30 years at McNees, Wallace & Nurick in Harrisburg before retiring in 2014.

CHERYL WIEDWALD FALKOWSKI ‘76 of Carnegie passed away on March 22.

DAVID TRIMBUR ‘88 passed away on December 5 at the age of 51.

LOUIS ST. FELIX ‘06 passed away on December 6 at the age of 33.

CHRISTOPHER PATRICK JOYCE ‘11 of Pittsburgh passed away on February 25 at the age of 31.

DONALD MUSGRAVE of Economy passed away on April 16 at the age of 94. Donald was the superintendent of ground maintenance at the university for 26 years. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, and his son, D. SCOTT MUSGRAVE ‘77.

LORI SPECHT D‘12 of Fleetwood passed away on May 31 at the age of 53.

BOBBY GEORGE DUDLEY of Moon Township passed away on February 19 at the age of 88.

Bobby was an associate professor of logistics at the university for 28 years.

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FRANCIS ‘PETE’ DAWSO ‘58 of North Sewickley Township passed away on November 8 at

the age of 85. He served in the Korean War in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

NORMAN GOTTSCHALK

JR. ‘67 of O’Hara Township passed away on June 18 at the age of 73. The retired CEO of Marmon/Keystone, a Butler pipe and tube manufacturer, Norman was a longtime supporter of the university and the recipient of the 2012 Heritage Award,

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RMU’s highest honor for

NEW ALUMNI GROUP The African American Alumni Association supports current students while building a lasting connection to the university.

More than 50 alumni already have expressed interest in joining our vibrant and engaged community.

Find us at FACEBOOK.COM/RMU.AAAA. 2017-18 OFFICERS President: Jasmine Tate ‘12, Vice President: Daren Ellerbee M’07 Secretary: Christine Chapman D’15

ROCCO FRANK CONIGLIO

alumni. Although he got his

‘71 passed away on

accounting degree at the

November 20 at the age

Downtown campus, Norman

of 85. He served in the U.S.

was enthusiastic about the

Navy during the Korean War

Moon Township campus’s

and was a member of the

growth and visited often for

Navy Boxing Club. After he

sports and other events. He

graduated, he became the

was the president and CEO

director of student records

of Marmon Distribution

at RMU for 36 years. He

Services. He is survived

was the bowling coach at

by his wife, Patricia, two

Robert Morris and has been

sons, a daughter, and seven

inducted into three different

grandchildren including

bowling halls of fame.

BRETT CARB ‘14.

R O B E R T M O R R I S U N I V E R S I T Y F O U N D AT I O N S • 3 5

10Questionswith Jenny Crudden ‘01 M’05

As media manager for GlaxoSmithKline, Crudden used to spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year advertising products on TV, in print, and online. But three years ago, she decided to leave that career and join her father, Jim Crudden ‘71, at Rosalind Candy Castle. The 103-year-old New Brighton shop won the 2017 Family Business Award from the Pittsburgh Business Times.

How did your family get involved in the business? My grandma started working here when she was 15.

She met my grandfather here.

They bought the business in the ‘40s with her sister.

My grandma worked here every day until she was 89.

She didn’t believe in sitting down.

1 4

2

5

Which is your favorite?

My favorite is the vanilla butter cream covered with dark chocolate. My dad likes the exact opposite: a French cream, which is a dark chocolate center, covered with white chocolate.

7

Why did you come to your father’s alma mater? I knew I wanted a business degree, and Robert Morris had an amazing program.

And I liked the smaller classes and wanted to have the personal attention.

10

Why did you leave a 16-year corporate career to run a candy shop? My dad wants to retire, but my brother and I were concerned that someone would come in and buy the business and cheapen it up. So we decided to quit our jobs to come work here.

What is your favorite college memory? I got “Marketer of the Year” my junior year. I still have that on my wall. It was weird — I lived on campus but I had a full-time internship at Glaxo starting my sophomore year, so I ended up mostly taking night and weekend classes.

8

What advice would you give about running your own business? Some of my classmates used to talk about starting their own business and getting rich quick. My family has a 100-year-old business, but I’ve never seen anyone sit back and let the money roll in. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication.

36

3

Where does the name “Rosalind Candy Castle” come from? The original owner was a Greek immigrant named Gust Zachos. He had a love for castles and roses. The slogan was “Remember the box with the rose on top.”

What is Rosalind’s most unique treat? I’ve never tasted a butter cream like ours. It has a really soft center. That’s kind of hard for other companies because a machine would squash it, but we still hand dip our chocolates.

Wasn’t it a big sacrifice in terms of income? It wasn’t about money, it was about being happy and joining the family business.

9

6

Has the M.B.A. helped in your new situation? It’s extremely important.

There’s so much it applies to: finance and legal information, employee payroll, different terminology, being able to understand when we’re talking to our accountant.

Upcoming Events >

SEPTEMBER

15 Alumni Golf Outing Montour Heights Country Club 9 a.m.

15 President’s Council

Weekend rmu.edu/homecoming for details

21 Florida Alumni Wine Tasting Cooper’s Hawk Winery Tampa, Fla. 6:30 p.m.

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OCTOBER

4 Prime Minister

David Cameron Pittsburgh Speakers Series Heinz Hall 8 p.m.

10 Columbus Alumni Gathering RMU vs. Ohio State basketball Columbus, Ohio 4 p.m.

13 Sport Management Career Summit Airport Sheraton Hotel 8:30 a.m.

28 Career Fair Yorktown Hall Noon-3 p.m.

Reception Allegheny Country Club 6 p.m.

15-16 Homecoming

6 Andy Toole Golf Outing Montour Heights Country Club 7:30 a.m.

27 Colonial Theatre presents Evita Massey Theater, 7:30 p.m. (through Oct. 1)

15 Journalist Jane Pauley Pittsburgh Speakers Series Heinz Hall 8 p.m.

NOVEMBER

1 Journalist Jeffrey Toobin

Pittsburgh Speakers Series Heinz Hal 8 p.m.

9 Alumni Wine Tasting HYP Club 6:30 p.m.

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DECEMBER

9 Breakfast with Santa Yorktown Hall 8:30 a.m.

29-30 Three Rivers Classic Hockey Tournament PPG Paints Arena 7:30 p.m.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on these and other upcoming events, visit the Events page at RMU.EDU/ALUMNI.

HOMECOMING FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPT. 15–16 The RMU Alumni Association welcomes back all alumni, students, and friends for a weekend packed with family-friendly activities. From the happy hour to the All-Alumni Lunch, from campus tours to the Alumni Zone, this is one Homecoming you don’t want to miss! Rally your college friends at Joe Walton Stadium to cheer on the Colonials as they face Virginia Military Institute. Purchasing the Weekend Package for $50 (a $70 value) gets you access to all of this year’s exciting events.

ALL-ALUMNI LUNCH & REUNION RECOGNITION Come hungry and let us prepare the food for you. Join us at the All-Alumni Lunch and Reunion Recognition from 12:30-2:30 p.m. We'll be serving delicious food and drinks while honoring those alumni who are celebrating a special reunion year, including the Delta Zeta sisters and Tau Kappa Epsilon brothers.

Everyone at the All-Alumni Lunch will receive an exclusive RMU rally towel. After lunch, join us in the Alumni Zone for the best view of the game.

REGISTER AT RMU.EDU/HOMECOMING

PACKAGE DEALS WEEKEND PACKAGE - $50 ($70 VALUE) Friday Night Happy Hour (free apps & drinks) Saturday All-Alumni Lunch Game ticket Alumni Zone (free food & drinks during game) Gift to Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship

GAMEDAY PACKAGE - $40 ($50 VALUE) Saturday All-Alumni Lunch Game ticket Alumni Zone (free food & drinks during game) Gift to Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID

Pittsburgh, PA Permit No. 280 Robert Morris University 6001 University Boulevard Moon Township, PA 15108-1189 RMU.EDU

HERE WE GO, SPEAKER Giving the address at the 2017 commencement ceremony, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin delivered a rousing challenge to 200 master’s and doctoral students in the audience: “Trust your preparation. Chase your passion. Apply pressure. But I implore you as you go live life — be thoughtful.” Tomlin was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters from RMU, as were the late Steelers chairman Dan Rooney and Patricia Rooney, a trustee emerita and former adjunct faculty member.

Watch Tomlin’s speech at RMU.EDU/FOUNDATIONS