SAINT VINCENT M A G A Z I N E
Fred Rogers Legacy Award Honoring Yo-Yo Ma
Summer 2014
Upcoming Campus
Events
Prep Reunion Picnic
Pleasure Acres Farms, New Alexandria Friday and Saturday, June 14-15
Bearcat Family Zoo Day
Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium Saturday, June 21, 10 a.m. Alumni Office
Summer Theatre
Boeing Boeing Robert S. Carey Performing Arts Center June 19 through July 5 svst.org
Summer Theatre
Jeeves in Bloom Robert S. Carey Performing Arts Center July 10 through July 26 svst.org
Summer Theatre Gala
Jeeves in Bloom Robert S. Carey Performing Arts Center July 11 Call 724-805-2901 for information
Summer Theatre
A Grand Night for Singing Robert S. Carey Performing Arts Center July 31 through August 17 svst.org
Saint Vincent Concert Series
Yun-Chin Zhou Robert S. Carey Performing Arts Center Saturday, September 6, 8 p.m.
Homecoming & Family Weekend
Friday to Sunday, September 26-28 Alumni of Distinction Dinner, 7 p.m. Friday Football vs. Westminster, 1 p.m. Saturday
Bearcat Open Golf Outing
Nemacolin Woodlands-Mystic Rock Monday, September 29, 7 a.m.
Saint Vincent Concert Series
Peter Jankovic Ensemble Robert S. Carey Performing Arts Center Saturday, October 4, 8 p.m.
Charles Manoli Lecture Series John J. Degnan, Esq., C’66 Fred M. Rogers Center Tuesday, October 28, 7 p.m.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: www.stvincent.edu
Constance M. Donovan Matson, C’04
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ost people driving through Ligonier don’t pay much attention to the “Donovan Veterinary Clinic” sign alongside Route 30. But for local pet owners, the building belonging to the sign can be a lifesaver. Here, Dr. Constance (Donovan) Matson, C’04, takes care of sick and injured animals every day. Even as a child, Matson dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. Her grandfather had held a veterinary practice in Ligonier for 55 years, and the clinic became her second home. “I spent a tremendous amount of time with him in his practice,” she said. “I fell in love with the profession at a very young age.” So she arrived at Saint Vincent College with a singular goal: following in her grandfather’s footsteps. And in pursuit of her goal, she spent most of her time devouring books. “I studied… A LOT,” she recounted. “It seemed then that I spent more time shuffling between the science buildings than I did eating or sleeping.” Dr. Bruce Bethke, chair of the biology department, remembers the 2004 biology graduate. “Connie was a delight to have in class. She was not only engaged, but also very personable,” he said. “One of the characteristics I remember most was that she exhibited excellent common sense in addition to scientific insight and intellect.” Those personality traits paid off immediately following graduation, when she was accepted into the veterinary school of Virginia Tech University. There, her experience at Saint Vincent became especially valuable. Its academic environment “only served to strengthen the values that were instilled in me growing up,” she said. “I learned that hard work and dedication are the keys to success in life.” Following graduation from Virginia Tech, Matson worked as an associate for two years. Then, in 2010, it was finally time to make her dream come true. She reopened her grandfather’s practice, which had been closed since his retirement six years earlier, and began seeing and helping her own furry patients. In the years since, Matson’s practice has returned to its earlier reputation as a popular place among locals whose pets need help. That includes Saint Vincent professors and staff members. “Every time I see them, we catch up on the happenings at SVC,” she said. And her excitement about staying in touch with her alma mater is mutual. “It’s been wonderful for me to have a vet close by who I enjoy visiting with and whose skills and judgment I trust,” said Bethke. In retrospect, Matsen believes that opening her own business was the best decision she ever made. “I love the challenge of finding the diagnosis, treating the animal appropriately and seeing the positive results,” she said. “I never know what is going to walk through my front door.”
—Simon Stuchlik
To Make a Gift to HELP students succeed, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement, 724-805-2895.
Departments
President’s 4 Message More Features 8
5 Giving Back: Richard Bienvenue,
Pitt’s new chancellor, Charles Queenan honored at graduation; Internships lead to experience, jobs; monks offer unique perspective.
News Briefs
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New minors; oral histories in new book; new staff members, awards.
Faculty 28
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Professors in print; Dr. Fish recognized; workshops given.
Bonnie and Gerry Renovations
Sports
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Bearcats win PAC championships in men’s basketball, men’s and women’s lacross teams, golf.
Alumni
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Upcoming events; new provost; CEO; on bench; a family of doctors; in memorium; class news.
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Repeat! PAC Champions
S a in t V inc e n t M a g a z ine ARCHABBOT AND CHANCELLOR Rt. Rev. Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B. PRESIDENT Br. Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B. EDITOR Kim Metzgar svmagazine@email.stvincent.edu DESIGN Kim Metzgar & Jordan Hainsey PRINTING Laurel Valley Graphics ALUMNI NEWS COORDINATOR Mary Ann Dunlap PROOFREADER Carol Riddle
Summer 2014 Volume 11, Issue 3
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Suzanne English Kim Metzgar Don Orlando Randi Senchur Simon Stuchlik Sports Information Office PHOTOGRAPHERS Public Relations Office Sports Information Office Office of Alumni Relations Jeff Elkins, Washingtonian Magazine Peter Finger Jordan Hainsey Jack Krall Kim Metzgar Lori Ostroski, Fineline Multimedia Bill Pribisco/Ligonier Echo Simon Stuchlik
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Saint Vincent Magazine (United States Postal Service Publication Number USPS 5144-8000) is published by Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, for alumni, parents and friends. Third class postage paid at Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Alumni Office, Saint Vincent College, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650-2690. Saint Vincent College reserves the right to accept or decline submissions of both information and photos for use in the Saint Vincent Magazine, based on content, quality, timeliness and suitability, at the discretion of the editor. Saint Vincent College subscribes to a policy of equal opportunity in the classroom, workplace and programs, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, veteran status, national origin, marital status, genetic history or disability. To learn more, visit: http://www.stvincent.edu/ Legal-Information/.
Cover:
Yo-Yo Ma is surrounded by Benedictine monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey during the final song of his concert in the Archabbey Basilica on May 23. Mr. Ma invited the monks to sing the Benedictine Ultima as he accompanied them. Photo by Lori Ostroski.
Celebrations And New Beginnings A Message From The President
Dear Alumni and Friends,
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ay was a full and busy month, a time in which Saint Vincent College has been reaching out, strengthening old ties and establishing new ones, to benefit not only our students and the Saint Vincent community, but the global community in which we live. At our 168th Commencement in May, Dr. Patrick Gallagher, a graduate of Benedictine College in Kansas, founded by one of our daughter abbeys, gave an inspiring address as he prepares to become chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh. Our formal relationship with the University of Pittsburgh includes our 3/2 Engineering Program, under which students complete three years here and then two years at Pitt. One such student was Austin Nathaniel Will, who received a B.A. in Mathematics/Engineering this year. I had the pleasure of leading a group representing Saint Vincent during a recent visit to China. Our ties with China are many, dating back to the establishment of Fu Jen University there in the 1920s. More recently, Saint Vincent faculty members have maintained ties with China and visit regularly with their colleagues there. During the visit, I signed a memorandum of understanding with East China Normal University (ECNU), China’s leading institution for early education, special education and teacher preparation. We have agreed that we will work together on programs such as faculty and student exchanges and joint research projects, conferences and cultural programs. Dr. Junlei Li, our visiting professor of early learning and children’s media, was able to continue an earlier collaboration with professor Zeng Fanlin of ECNU to support orphaned and special-needs children, as well as to begin new research and development efforts in children’s media and parent education. Another new partnership is with Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, from which two students will come to study at Saint Vincent this fall. We wrapped up the month with a marvelous visit from and concert by renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who received the Fred Rogers Legacy Award in memory of his friend, and ours, Fred Rogers. Yo-Yo said he and his wife, Jill, felt embraced by the Saint Vincent community, and described the award as “the most wonderful, valuable prize I have ever received.” We were honored by their warm and gracious presence. Communication has made the world smaller, but relationships between people and communities remain the essential foundation for both peace and progress. We hope these partnerships and connections grow into friendships and become a continuing part of Saint Vincent’s future. We hope that you, too, stay connected; know that you are always welcome to visit. God bless, Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., President
Richard Bienvenue, C’70, center, with some residents of Our House.
Giving Back Important To Richard Bienvenue
“Benny was a great influence on me. He helped open my eyes and realize that the world didn’t owe me anything. It was my responsibility to make changes for my own life and he’s been on my side the entire time. He is a great role model, a great friend and he is just the best person I know.
—R..J. Tilley So after graduating from Saint Vincent College in 1970, Bienvenue embarked on a career as a high school teacher. Upon receiving his graduate degree in counseling, he started working with juvenile offenders for public school systems, teaching them the carpentry talents he had learned from his father along with essential life skills. “The idea was to get offenders and teach them to be builders,” he said. The teenagers he worked with learned the technical skills as required, but struggled with the education beyond the labor. “They would go home at night and fall right back into their bad habits,” he recounted. “On Monday, we’d have to start all over again with the life skills.” That’s when the idea for Our House got started. “I went to my boss one day and told her that if we could do the same thing in a residential setting, get them out of that dysfunction, we could do some really good things,” he said. “She told me I was crazy.” But the idea stuck with him. He resigned from his position and began raising money and searching for land, steadfast in his desire to educate troubled youths in an
By Simon Stuchlik
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hen Richard Bienvenue established Our House in Brookeville, Maryland, over 20 years ago, he saw it as an opportunity to give back to his community. Coming from a good home and enjoying a quality education, he couldn’t stop thinking about other children who hadn’t been as fortunate. Serving others by helping at-risk adolescents overcome their troubled home lives became a goal and a dream. Saint Vincent Magazine
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After being kicked out of two residential treatment facilities, he decided to enroll in Our House because he enjoyed physical labor. Initially, his journey seemed doomed to fail. “I was angry at the world. I thought the world owed me,” he said. “I really hated Benny for not agreeing with me.” So when he graduated the yearlong program, Tilley fell back into bad habits. He became an alcoholic and started selling drugs, then got arrested for armed robbery. But then, something unexpected happened. “For the first time, I felt like someone cared,” he said. “Benny talked to me while I was in jail, wrote letters to the judge and testified as a character witness for me. That’s when my opinion of him changed.” After Tilley served his sentence, he made an effort to turn his life around. Now, he works as a contractor, applying the skills he learned in 2005. With Bienvenue’s help, he is looking to enroll in landscaping classes at a local community college to diversify his skill set. And he regularly comes back Richard Bienvenue, C’70, has been making a difference in the lives to Our House to talk to current students of troubled youths with the creation of Our House. He was recently about his life story and experience. named Washingtonian of the Year. “Benny was a great influence on me,” he Photo courtesy of Jeff Elkins, Washingtonian Magazine. said. “He helped open my eyes and realize that the world didn’t owe me anything. It environment where he could make a difference. was my responsibility to make changes for my own life, “It was unbelievably hard,” he said. “Lots of people got and he’s been on my side the entire time. He is a great excited about the idea, but never followed up.” role model, a great friend and he is just the best person I After four years of tribulations, Our House finally know.” welcomed its first class of eight kids in 1993. In the 21 Tilley’s story exemplifies the difficulty in working with years since, a wide range of students graduated from the troubled youths, but also the importance of someone program with the help of the man they affectionately call standing in their corner. And he isn’t alone. Sixteen “Benny.” juvenile offenders between the ages of 16 and 20 now One of the first graduates of Our House was Chris call Our House home each year, preparing Craddock. He heard about the program for careers and internships along with through his probation officer at age 16, learning the social skills essential to after he had just been released from a escaping their troubled lives. A local rehabilitation center. He decided to give college offers computer skills classes at it a try because he liked working with his the school twice a week, and through a hands. graduate hotline, alumni like Tilley can “During my stay there, Benny showed help their younger counterparts find jobs. more caring and compassion in the first These Our House alumni can be found few weeks than I had ever experienced in all areas. They work in real estate, in my life,” said Craddock, who works as contracting and the military. One graduate a professional contractor. “It is humbling is now a regional supervisor for Pepsihow this man will give up everything to Cola, while another works at an animal help another. I am honored that I was hospital. A third started his own carpentry able to cross paths with him at such a business, and is currently hiring six Our critical point in my life.” Richard and Mary House students to work for him. R.J. Tilley, a 2005 graduate of Our Bienvenue with the But while the program boasts an House, has a similar story to tell. He Washingtonian of the Year impressive 76% success rate, the troubled grew up with an alcoholic father and lost award. past of many offenders is such that not his brother in a shooting at a young age. Saint Vincent Magazine
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Summer 2014
every student can look to a successful career after of the club hockey team and a four-year member of the graduation. So Bienvenue and his team are currently fire department, Bienvenue created a forerunner to today’s raising funds for a new dormitory, which would expand immensely popular Carey Crazies when he started the enrollment to 24 students. The building would also student section “the Animals” at basketball games his allow graduates who are at risk of falling back into their freshman year. But service always came first. He played dysfunctional pasts to continue living at the facilities, the guitar for Mass at the student chapel and tutored working on carpentry projects throughout the area. elementary children in his spare time. He also coached Bienvenue continues to succeed in making his dream youth hockey while a student. of giving back a reality, and that During regular alumni getsuccess has been noticed. Our togethers in the D.C. area, the two “During my stay there, Benny showed more House has been featured on the classmates have reconnected. caring and compassion in the fIrst few weeks Oprah Winfrey Show, in People “It was at those local gatherings than I had ever experienced in my life. It is that I learned about his involvement magazine, and on television networks ranging from ABC and humbling how this man will give up everything with Our House,” Scott said. In CBS to Fox News. In January 2010, the years since, Scott, Bienvenue to help another. I am honored that I was able and other classmates in the area Our House sent one of its trainees to the White House for National to cross paths with him at such a critical point meet multiple times a year to stay Mentoring Month to meet President in touch and attend Our House’s in my life.” Barack and Mrs. Obama. And this annual fundraiser. —Chris Craddock winter, Bienvenue was selected For his nomination, as a recipient for the prestigious Scott gathered letters of Washingtonian of the Year award, given each year to recommendations from sources ranging from the local individuals who actively contribute to making our nation’s Lions Club to the Maryland Department of Juvenile capital a better place to live. Services, all speaking highly of the project’s impact in the “Richard is an exceptional individual,” said high school community. and college classmate Jim Scott, C’70, who nominated Our House is “a model program that offers our most Bienvenue for the award. “To have a dream and embark troubled youth a second chance at life,” wrote Monsignor on it is commendable. But to sustain it and to succeed as John Enzler, president and chief executive officer of he has for over twenty years, improving the lives of atCatholic Charities at the Archdiocese of Washington. risk youths, is inspiring, awesome and quite remarkable.” “Social Service and juvenile justice agencies continue to Scott attended Saint Vincent at the same time Bienvenue refer young men to Our House because of the potential began making a difference in the community. The founder for success they find under Benny’s leadership.”
JOIN THE GIVING TRADITION AT
SAINT VINCENT COLLEGE
Giving—and giving back—has long been a tradition at Saint Vincent College. Every member of our campus community has, in one way or another, benefitted from the generous support of alumni and friends. Planned gifts will extend your support beyond your lifetime by making a commitment to the future of Saint Vincent. To structure deferred gifts in your estate plan, contact: Anthony Cancro, 724-805-2948 or anthony.cancro@stvincent.edu
Your gift will change a life! Saint Vincent Magazine
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Summer 2014
New Pitt Chancellor Tells Graduates to Seek Values in Life
Dr. Patrick D. Gallagher, chancellor-elect of the University of Pittsburgh, during his commencement address.
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r. Patrick D. Gallagher, acting deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and chancellor-elect at the University of Pittsburgh, told more than 300 graduates and their parents and friends on May 10 to seek the values they
in the service of a great purpose.” He said opportunities in life are not predictable. “However, when they do occur, you need to be prepared and able to take advantage. Your education and the degree you are receiving will help make that happen. “A diploma is really valuable. In fact, the value of a college degree has never been higher in this country,” he said. “I believe that the thing that matters most is what has value. This common value is based on satisfaction of work, the relationship with your colleagues and your mission. A mission means that your work is in service of a goal that is bigger than you: being part of a great cause. “We are all born with innate talents and abilities—some are obvious, some take a lifetime to discover, others a lifetime to develop,” he said. “I believe that we are also born with a need— specifically a need to use
learned at Saint Vincent because their lives will be richer in the service of a great purpose. “When life presents some doors of opportunity to you and you are facing one of those ‘forks in the road’—look to the values of Saint Vincent,” he said. “Seek the doors that will fit with your talents and gifts—that you can be passionate about. Seek the doors that lead to a strong, supportive community. And seek the doors that lead to serving a great cause. If you do those things, I can’t predict where you will be going but I can predict that it will be a journey of great fulfillment, great love and one where you will make a great difference.” He told graduates that their lifetime journeys will be enhanced if they strive toward a goal that is bigger than them because it forces them to be more than they are. “It doesn’t matter what greater good you are serving, Your journey and all the hard work that it will entail, will be all the richer if it is
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those talents. When you do something that uses those talents and abilities —when there is that fit— then a mere job becomes a vocation. It is fulfilling and it changes everything: you become passionate about what you are doing. I also believe that real value comes not just from using your talents but growing them. It is the work that extends you, pushes you, and lets you grow new ‘muscles’ of ability that is most satisfying.” “In every job or vocation I’ve ever had—I was not alone, but part of a team,” he said. “We are born to be part of a community. Your co-workers do more than help you, they are not mere spectators or acquaintances—they are partners with you and share your journey.” Gallagher was honored with an honorary doctor of science degree. He studied physics and philosophy at Benedictine College, Atchison, Kansas, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1985. Benedictine College and Saint Benedict’s Abbey, are “daughters” of Saint Vincent—the fourth Benedictine institution founded in the United States by monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey. Gallagher earned a Ph.D. in physics in 1991 at the University of Pittsburgh, where his thesis research was directed by current Saint Vincent board of directors member and co-chair of the academic affairs committee, Dr. James V. Maher Jr. —Don Orlando Summer 2014
Charles J. Queenan Receives Honorary Doctorate For Service
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harles J. Queenan Jr., a corporate lawyer whose distinguished legal career spanned more than five decades, received an honorary doctor of laws degree at Saint Vincent’s spring commencement on May 10. The award was given in recognition of his lifetime of contributions to the legal profession, his community and the firm which he headed for 14 years from 1976 to 1990. He formerly served as the chair and senior counsel at Kirkpatrick & Lockhart, now K&L Gates, a global law firm with more than 2,000 attorneys, and is now chairman emeritus. “For more than five decades, yours has been the voice of leadership in a multitude of venues in the public and private sectors of western Pennsylvania,” said Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., president. “Since you became a lawyer in 1956, and all during the time that you were establishing your unparalleled reputation for excellence as a skilled businessman and tax practitioner, your voice of leadership was growing louder and stronger throughout our community. It was heard by your fellow lawyers at Kirkpatrick and Lockhart (now K&L Gates) who had you serve for years as their chair and senior counsel before bestowing upon you the unique honor of chairman emeritus in 2013 in recognition of your lifetime of service to your clients, your fellow lawyers and to the law itself. “Your voice has also been heard in countless corpora-
Charles J. Queenan Jr., center, received an honorary doctoral degree from Saint Vincent College on May 10. tions, organizations and groups which needed your guidance and direction. The list of the boards on which you served, the committees whose noble causes you advanced, the charitable groups you have promoted and the educational institutions which you guided is so long and so varied as to be seemingly an impossible assemblage for one man to have performed in a lifetime,” said Brother Norman. “And yet, you have done all of that, and more. For your voice has also been that of a teacher and mentor to innumerable fellow lawyers, business and civic leaders, educators and public servants who have so often sought out your wisdom in times of great challenge in their lives. In sharing with them your insight, and in exemplifying for them your passion for selfless service to a greater good, you have left behind a legacy of leadership for new generations to follow.” Queenan is a member of the Saint Vincent College Board of Directors and its
Saint Vincent Magazine
Finance, Audit and Enrollment Committee. Queenan holds a bachelor of arts degree and a master of science degree from Dartmouth College and an LL.B. from Harvard Law School. He is a life member of the American Law Institute, a member of the Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Bar Associations (and their respective tax sections), the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation, The Federalist Society and the Dartmouth Society of Engineers. He has also served as past chairman of the Pittsburgh Tax Club and the Annual Penn State Tax Conference. Queenan has spearheaded many corporate, charitable and civic endeavors. He has been a director of several local and regional corporations such as Allegheny Ludlum, Allegheny Teledyne, Fansteel Inc., Crane Co., Teledyne Technologies Inc., Medusa Corp. and Allegheny Technologies Inc. He has provided a strong 9
voice of leadership in the development and nonprofit sector, particularly in higher education, regional development, civil service and health care. This included serving as chair of the board of directors of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, current co-chair of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, chair of the audit committee for the board of Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse and emeritus chair of the board of trustees of Carnegie Mellon University, where he endowed a chair of psychology. He has served as a director at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International Inc., Boy Scouts of America and National Flag Foundation, and is currently a director at National Organization on Disability and the National Institute for Newman Studies. He is a life member of the United Way of Allegheny County. He has been recognized by the League of Women Voters, Boy Scouts of America and the Holy Family Institute.
Summer 2014
Above, Gerard Hall, at left, a hall in Bonavenutre, center, and Bonaventure Hall, right.
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Residence Halls Under Renovation
enovation totaling $1.8 million will enhance two campus residence halls—Bonaventure and Gerard Halls—during the next two summers. The renovation of the upperclass residence halls, also known as ‘Bonnie’ and ‘Gerry,’ originally built in 1963, will take place in two construction phases so that students will not be affected by activity during the academic year. The work will include renovation of more than 36,000 square feet of space in stairwells, hallways and restrooms with new carpeting, lighting, ceiling tile, doors and fixtures as needed. “An important characteristic of a Saint Vincent College education is the concept of community,” said Mary Collins, vice president for student affairs. “Most of
our students—more than 70 percent—reside in oncampus housing where we strive to create an environment that promotes all of our Benedictine traditions, including hospitality, stewardship and service. We’re excited to be improving their living and learning spaces through this renovation project.” The two buildings can house 427 students, including prefects. Both are coeducational with men and women housed separately on different floors. Project features include: • The large windows on the entrance side of the building will be replaced with storefront-styled windows. • A lounge on the ground floor of Gerard Hall will be enlarged to 48 feet by 56 feet and air-conditioned. • A 30 foot by 25 foot stamped concrete outdoor
patio will be added between the two buildings with a barbecue pit and outdoor furniture for student use. “The students are looking forward to these enhancements in the residence halls,” said Justin Teets, president of the Student Government Association executive board. The architect for the project is MacLachlin, Cornelius and Filoni of Pittsburgh, the architectural group that did the award-winning design for the Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion at Saint Vincent. General contractor will be James Construction of Carnegie.
GERARD HALL Construction will start on May 11, 2015, and be completed by August 7, 2015. This hall is named in honor of Father Gerard Bridge, O.S.B., who was the dean of Saint Vincent College from 1923 to 1927 and who served on the faculty and administration for 50 years.
BONAVENTURE HALL Construction will start on May 12 and be completed by August 1. The dormitory is named in honor of Father
Want to be part of this renovation? CONTACT: ANTHONY CANCRO • 724-805-2948 • ANTHONY.CANCRO@STVINCENT.EDU Saint Vincent Magazine
Bonaventure Reithmeier, O.S.B., who was dean of the college in the 1930s as well as a professor and director of dramatics.
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Rooney Hall is also undergoing a small makover, as workmen install a new set of stairs.
Summer 2014
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in ternships Internships are a vital part of many programs at Saint Vincent College. Here is a sampling of some of the more recent internship experiences of our students, some of which have already led to full-time employment. —By Kim Metzgar
Students & Work
Lauren Harris: Student Teacher
Tim Turcik: Filmmaker Tim Turcik films a documentary at Fort Ligonier Days. Photo by Bill Pribisco courtesy of the Tribune Review/Ligonier Echo.
Tim Turcik, who recently received his degree in communication, had several experiences as a filmmaker. His latest one was making films and various multimedia projects at Excela Home Care and Hospice, Greensburg. “I filmed patients and office staff members,” he said, “while heading other projects for various events at the organization. The highlight of my experience was the people I worked with. All of them were very pleasant and helpful all of the time.” It was not his first internship, another giving him the opportunity to document the elements of Fort Ligonier Days, a well-known celebration of community, history and celebration in his hometown. For that, an article on his work was featured in The Ligonier Echo, his hometown paper, as well as in The Tribune-Review. In addition to gaining experience, he said, he gained an “understanding of all kinds of necessities in any real world occupational field. I only hope that it will help provide me with many more opportunities in my future.” Saint Vincent Magazine
Lauren Harris of Greensburg, a recent education graduate, just completed student teaching at Jeannette McKee Elementary School. “My role,” she said, “was to teach the students the subjects my cooperating teacher teaches daily. As an early childhood education major, I taught in a second-grade classroom for half of my internship, as well as a third-grade classroom for the other half. I observed the classroom teacher for the first week, and then began teaching one subject each until I was eventually teaching every subject, which meant I taught all day. I had the responsibilities of a teacher, such as attending staff meetings and in-service days. “The highlight of my experience was working with the basic and below basic students in my classrooms. Thinking of ways to adapt my lessons to their needs taught me how to be a reflective teacher. Working with those students in a small group or one-on-one was a great experience, especially when they finally grasped a concept we worked on for a while. The look of pride in their eyes makes all of the hard work worth it.” Her internship has affirmed her career decision was 11
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the right one: “Every day was a new adventure for the students and me. Through my weeks of student teaching, I have grown as an educator and as a person. My ability to differentiate my lessons to reach all of the ability levels in the classroom has greatly improved. I left my internship with various strategies that worked and that did not work. “I have become a more reflective person,” she added. “If a lesson does not work one time, I know if I do not change it, then it will be a mess the second time. I learned how to be reflective without tearing myself down. My student teaching internship will always be a vital part of preparing me for my own classroom.”
Brian Carpowich: Drug Enforcement Administration Sophomore Brian Carpowich of San Diego was a student intern for the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Majoring in politics, with a minor in international studies, he said his roles with the DEA greatly varied “depending on the units I worked with. I worked for both Narcotics Task Force Team Five and Tactical Diversion Squad. With NTF5 I helped plan operations and occasionally assisted in them. With TDS I assisted intelligence analysts with various casework and occasionally typed spreadsheets or helped with research. “The highlight of my experience,” he said, “was helping the Tactical Diversion Squad Intelligence Analysts with case-related analysis. This was always fascinating because solving cases can be rather difficult; connecting pieces of intelligence was like connecting pieces to a puzzle, and it was always interesting to try to analyze the behaviors of our suspects.” Unexpected encounters occur almost daily, he noted. “With the intelligence analysts, we would think we had suspects completely figured out, but unexpectedly, they would engage in a behavior that contradicted their previous tendencies. With Narcotics Task Force Team 5, unexpected encounters occurred during numerous operations.” He felt the internship “will greatly boost my chances of working for a federal agency in the near future, especially because I was able to obtain a security clearance. The skills I was able to gain from the DEA, along with the vast connections I made, will benefit me in regard to future employment with the federal government.”
Saint Vincent Magazine
Emily Davis: Stewardship Intern Emily Davis of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, a junior history and theology major worked as a stewardship intern for Saint James the Greater Roman Catholic Church in Charles Town, West Virginia. She helped promote the diaconate ordination of Deacon Justin Blanc, which occurred at Saint James, and to create a children’s program to teach good stewardship over seven weeks. “I also wrote a guide to planning our annual mission trip to Webster Springs, and chaperoned youth trips. For the ordination, I created the ‘Pack the Parish’ campaign to encourage people to come support Deacon Justin on his big day. That involved writing press releases, creating bulletin articles and finding ways to stress the importance of the event to all ages. The children’s program I wrote is titled ‘Agents of Change’ and consists of a short video each week, an in-class workbook, and a take-home book for short homework assignments. It was used this past season of Lent for students in first through sixth grades. Each grade was placed in one of three age categories and everyone received a similar lesson based on this category.” “Although I have always intended on pursuing a career in history,” she said, “being able to give back is very important to me. Working at this internship helped me to see just how much work goes into running a church efficiently. This internship gave me skills to better help others.” This summer she will be interning with visitor services at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.
Elle Collins: Branding Intern Elle Collins of Hollidaysburg, who recently graduated with a degree in communication and a minor in marketing, worked with the convenience store chain, Sheetz, Inc., as an internal communications intern. Part of the Brand department, she helped create an audit of Sheetz internal communications software. “I did this by researching the current software, conducting several surveys and interviews and collecting data on the overall feelings of
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the software. I was also responsible for teaming up with a few other interns and planning a monthlong event that occurred in North Carolina, ‘Party in the South’.” When Sheetz was named the third-best place to work in North Carolina, her project including flying to North Carolina weekly to help show employees that the corporate offices appreciate their hard work. As new Sheetz stores opened, Collins was in charge of writing the internal communications. She was also responsible for several newsletter articles and company-wide emails. She called the writing experience most useful. “I was able to get a ton of practice on different media formats and I know I will benefit from that in the future.” In her travels, she “was able to meet a lot of new people, making connections, which again, will be helpful in the future.” Collins has been hired at McLanahan Corporation in Hollidaysburg as marketing coordinator in the corporate offices. She said, “I am confident that through my experiences at Sheetz that I will be well prepared to begin my first full-time position.”
Natalie Ambrozic: Children’s Hospital Natalie Ambrozic, a junior marketing major from Pittsburgh, worked as an intern for the marketing and communications sector for Children’s Hospital. “My role was to aid the other workers in this department with any projects that they accumulated during this busy season. This included attending public relations events, writing articles for the website and various magazines, fixing broken links on the website, creating promotional materials, conducting interviews and escorting media through the hospital. “My favorite experience was attending the ‘Prom for Patients’ event. The prom is an annual dance that is organized by the hospital for patients, many of whom are unable to attend their school dances due to illness. Every year, dresses are donated and volunteers come to the hospital to do hair and makeup for the girls, while tuxedo T-shirts are provided for the boys. It was such a rewarding experience getting to see the kids, many of whom were seriously ill, have fun and forget their struggles for a night.” “This unique work experience in the nonprofit sector of marketing will certainly set me apart from my peers in the job market. It has also allowed me to gain firsthand insight into a career in the nonprofit section of marketing and the challenges and rewards that exclusively Saint Vincent Magazine
accompany this type of career.” This summer, while she studies abroad in London, she will be part of the GlobaLinks Learning Abroad internship program. She has been placed into an internship position at Premiere-Entertainment, Arts, Culture as an assistant publicist in their Home Entertainment section.
Amanda Slowey: Pittsburgh CLOA Junior psychology major Amanda Slowey of Bethel Park worked with the directors of the children’s shows at the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (CLO) Academy with education and outreach. “I was in charge of communicating to the parents about rehearsal or show details,” she said. “I also was in charge of aftercare once rehearsals were over. “The highlight of the experience was definitely watching the kids in the Academy grow and evolve into becoming comfortable with the spirit of a professionally-run theater group. The kids were so incredibly dedicated toward putting on a great show. Their ability to throw themselves into the craft was really inspirational.” She recommends that anyone interested in working with children, education, marketing or theater should consider this internship with CLOA. It led “me to realize how much I love working with children, and more importantly, how much I would love to use music in a daily setting to assist children who may be struggling. Despite the seemingly unrelated nature, I discerned from this internship that I would like to be a speech-pathologist for children with communication disabilities.” This summer she is interning with the Children’s Institute and volunteering at the UPMC Children’s Hospital. “I will be shadowing speech pathologists at both and working with children with intellectual or physical disabilities. I am truly excited for both of these opportunities and to begin my future career. The psychology and the music departments led me to realizing these goals.”
Jordan Yatsko: District Attorney’s Office Connellsville English major Jordan Yatsko is continuing her internship this summer with Fayette County Assistant District Attorney Anthony Iannamorelli who set the entire internship up specifically to address forfeitures and destructions in the D.A.’s Office. “Thus far, my role has been primarily reading police reports that detail arrests and seizures of monies and drugs, and I sift through that information and rewrite it, then put it into a petition to go before a judge. This 13
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summer I’ll be working more closely with destruction orders, which will entail getting necessary paperwork together to get a judge to sign off on destroying guns seized from crimes as long as 60 years ago.” She enjoys trial week, being able to sit in on trials, noting the “closest thing to ‘unexpected’ I can think of is the outcome of one trial I observed a couple months ago. I really thought it was going to go one way and it just didn’t. I couldn’t believe it—it was a serious crime, so stakes were high for both the offender and the victim. I didn’t think justice was done and so it was a reminder that the criminal justice system is not always just but certainly surprising. “I had interned elsewhere,” she said, noting “I got a little bit of experience with criminal defense attorneys. I really thought, ‘defense attorney for certain,’ but this internship has definitely made me keep an open mind about what I’d like to do.”
Courtney James and Jesse Campbell: Accounting + Auditing = Jobs Courtney James, front, left, and Jesse Campbell, back row, second from left, at the internship conference in Florida.
such as making copies or running errands.” Campbell’s work was not always predictable, though. “During one of my engagements, a member of the team I was on, who was two levels above me with regards to experience and authority, left the firm to take a position with a different company,” he said. “As a result, everyone else on the team, including me, was forced to step up and take on a heavier load of more challenging work. This was easily the most challenging time of the internship for me, but it was also the best learning experience. Although it didn’t seem so at the time, working on that engagement under those circumstances was truly a blessing in disguise.” James said she “was not expecting to work with such a variety of people. At the beginning of the internship, I expected to work mainly with staff one auditors. But as I began working, I had the opportunity to work with more experienced team members as well, such as seniors and partners. The experience gave me perspective on what it’s like to actually work on an audit and affirmed my decision to work in the field.” “This internship helped lay the groundwork for my future career,” Campbell said.
Mushir Poole: Marketing
When accounting majors Courtney James and Jesse Campbell graduated this spring they were able to slip comfortably into their full-time jobs with the Pittsburgh accounting firm, Ernst and Young, LLP. That is because they both had internships there. James, of St. Marys, and Campbell, of Bethel Park, performed a variety of duties and were able to attend an intern conference in Orlando, where the accompanying photo was taken. At the firm, James performed many of the same tasks that a staff one auditor, or someone in their first year with the company, would do. This included assisting with forms for quarterly and annual reports and organizing files and paperwork. She also learned about the various processes and procedures involved in an audit. Campbell worked in the Assurance Services service line, primarily on audits. “I got the opportunity to work with a variety of different company personnel on small teams of three to four people,” he said. “My duties mirrored those of a full-time staff one auditor at the firm. This included performing actual auditing tests and procedures, as well as doing any of the little things that help a team succeed, Saint Vincent Magazine
Mushir Poole, who attended Saint Benedict’s Prep in New Jersey, has worked in Institutional Advancement at Saint Vincent and is now interning at Excela Health. The business marketing major credits Dr. Dawn Edmiston with greatly affecting his career: “I met her my sophomore year and ever since then I don’t remember a week where we haven’t spoken. Dr. Edmiston offered to become my advisor without even mentioning any need of assistance. She’s just that caring. Regularly, we met and I continued to use her as a resource for success. She holds her students to high standards and expects us to improve every day. Above all, she recognized my potential and continually checked up on me to ensure that I was on the right path for graduation and employment. My experience wouldn’t have been the same without Dr. Edmiston.” In Institutional Advancement, he said, “I enjoyed being a part of a team working to bring the SVC community together. Overall, I enjoyed my time here. The transition from a big city to a small town really opened my eyes to the complexities of life itself.” At Saint Vincent, he was president of Visionaries of H.O.P.E. (Having One People Evolve). “Our mission was to bring different cultures together and illuminate our differences in a positive light. “I know I can compete with anyone for a position.”
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Donald Miller, C’66, D’93, Dedicates Latest Book To Charles Manoli, P’45 C’51 D’05
“I
can’t seem to not write,” said Donald L. Miller, the John Henry McCracken Professor of History at Lafayette College in Easton. In the midst of a book tour for Supreme City: How Jazz Age Manhattan Gave Birth to Modern America, his history of New York City in the 1920s, he is already thinking about his next project— the battle of Vicksburg in 1863. But for now there is the book tour and the satisfaction of completing an epic history that took more than five years to write and that took many different directions. “I set out to do a very different book,” he said. But he let the painstaking research—more than 99 pages of chapter notes and a 42-page bibliography—lead him forward. For example, he said, “I was going to do something on gangsters, and I expected that to be some aspect of the Mafia. But I ended up doing some research down at the New York Municipal archives. So I asked Ken Cobb, the director, for something on mobster Lucky Luciano. He said, ‘you know, no one has ever asked for that stuff.’ “They had to order it from the Brooklyn warehouse downtown, where it was stored. When it came I thought they were delivering a washer and dryer,” Miller said. One of the first items he pulled out was a lamp with a police evidence card around it—one of Luciano’s henchmen had used the cord to strangle someone. Then came a pistol, then documents pertaining to a wiretap. “They talk about the code of silence,” Miller said, “but thanks to the wire they knew all kinds of details, down to what they were eating. And under threat of execution, those guys squealed like canaries.” Another unexpected turn was the amount of time he spent on the real estate community and Fred French, who helped transform Midtown Manhattan in the 1920s from a commercial backwater, with one skyscraper, into the entertainment and communications center of the city, and America. David Freeland, reviewing the book in the Wall Street Journal, notes that “New York is often seen as a rarefied place unreflective of the experiences and aesthetics of the rest of the country—’New York, of course,’ Saint Vincent Magazine
Donald L. Miller (right) and professor emeritus Charles Manoli. [journalist A.J.] Liebling wrote, ‘just isn’t America.’ But in the 1920s, one of the city’s greatest periods of influence, the truth was essentially the opposite. New York was the United States intensified, an electric vessel into which the hopes and desires of a nation were distilled. As Mr. Miller’s vivid and exhaustive chronicle demonstrates, Jazz Age Manhattan was the progenitor of cultural movements—individualized fusions of art and commerce—that came to symbolize the American way of life.” Miller’s wife, Rose, helped copyedit the book, while his son, Greg, assisted with research, as did his granddaughter, Alyssa, a student at Moravian College. He said he is also hearing from many students at Lafayette College who assisted him with research. To get a taste of his book, visit www.donaldmillerbooks.com. The website includes an interactive map of some of the sites chronicled in Supreme City, as well as video trailers and information on his other books and projects. In between his book tour, Miller will travel to Normandy, France, to attend events related to the 70th anniversary of the World War II battle, a topic he covered in Masters of the Air. Work on turning that book into a miniseries— with HBO, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks—is expected to heat up in June, he said. But his thoughts are already turning to Vicksburg. “I like to jump to different time periods, cross boundaries, look into different people’s fields,” he said. “I’m lucky to have the freedom to do that.” —Kim Metzgar 15
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Father Jean-Luc Zardroga, O.S.B., chats with Admission Counselor Mara Greiner, and Carly Meholic an admission student employee and also vice president of the Student Government Association.
Monks Offer Saint Vincent Students Unique Perspective On Life By Suzanne Wilcox English
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casual stroll across the Saint Vincent campus is likely to reveal the one thing the College offers that no other institution of higher education can: one or more of the monks from the largest Benedictine monastery in the world.
More than 150 monks belong to Saint Vincent Archabbey, and they bring a variety of gifts and talents to positions at the College—including the chancellor, Archabbot Douglas Nowicki, O.S.B., and president, Brother Norman Hipps, O.S.B. Seventeen percent of the Saint Vincent College faculty members are Benedictines and, in total, 30 of the monks work at the College in positions ranging from fundraising to finance, and from the post office to groundskeeping. Teaching the children of German immigrants in America was part of the vision for Saint Vincent’s founder, Archabbot Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B., Brother Norman pointed out. “It was part of Boniface Wimmer’s initial plans to work with German immigrants, to provide a level of education for them. Wimmer saw the roles of prayer Saint Vincent Magazine
and work as a source of service to people, so in engaging with others there is a consistency that dates back to Wimmer’s time here.” One of the younger monks who fills a variety of roles for the College is Father Jean-Luc Zadroga, O.S.B. Father Jean-Luc serves both in Alumni Relations and as a development officer for Institutional Advancement, as well as working for the Office of Admission. He travels to alumni events as well as to high schools, particularly Catholic high schools, to recruit students. Recent high school visits have ranged from nearby Greensburg Central Catholic High School to schools in Columbia, South Carolina, and Denver, Colorado. “There is an interface, in that in my work with alumni, I’m trying to figure out ways to engage our alumni in recruitment efforts,” Father Jean-Luc pointed out. “What I’m finding is that there are so many people out there, alumni and friends, who are looking for ways to support Saint Vincent College. They are excited to have ways to support the College.” One of the ways in which alumni can support the College is the Alumni Recruitment Network, something particularly appealing to young alumni who may not be able to give a great deal financially, but can speak to prospective students about their recent experiences as a Saint Vincent College student. 16
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Father Jean-Luc always wears his habit when he represents Saint Vincent, and finds that alumni react spontaneously when they meet him. “For some of our alumni, it’s an immediate springboard into memories of other monks on the campus whom they interacted with during their time on campus.” Brother Norman concurred with the importance of maintaining the contact with the Benedictine community that alumni established when they were students. “Often alumni will point to Benedictines they were connected with, whether it was a faculty member in their discipline, working with Brother Pat Lacey on the fire department, or playing ball with some Benedictine athletes,” he said. The habit carries a meaning to prospective students and their parents as well as to SVC alumni, Father JeanLuc said. “Working as a monk in recruiting lets these students and their families know immediately that there is something different about what we offer here. Before you even say a word it says something about our mission, our identity, our history—and our world view,” he said, pointing back to the Benedictine tradition of hospitality, one of
the 10 hallmarks of a Benedictine education that all Saint Vincent students learn about, both in word and in deed, during their years on campus. “We’re inviting high school students to live at our home for four years of their lives, and offering them an invitation to become an extension of our community so that we can learn from each other, share this precious time we’ve been given and, we hope, strengthen their connection to and understanding of the Church,” he said. “I like seeing students move, in a short time, from interested applicant to being ingrained in the fabric of this campus—and talking to new interested applicants about what makes Saint Vincent different,” he said. The Benedictine habit offers a glimpse of the distinctiveness of the College, Brother Norman said. “Saint Vincent is different in that it has a substantial monastic presence—but these monks are also genuine human beings. We hope that in meeting us, and becoming part of our community, students find some aspect of the values we profess expressed in our daily lives, and then carry that forward as a part of themselves.”
Landscaping Endowment In Memory Of Father Sebastian Samay, O.S.B.
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early a hundred Saint Vincent alumni, friends and Benedictine monks gathered in Sebastian’s Garden on May 3 for a tea and formal dedication ceremony to initiate the Father Sebastian Samay Endowment Fund for Landscaping and Gardens. The new fund is designed to provide for enhancement of the campus, conservation and sustainability, education and community enrichment.
“Replacement trees and shrubs are needed for many campus plantings that are aging,” said Brother Elliott Maloney, O.S.B., a professor of theology who also tends to many of the gardens around campus. “Also, new plants must be purchased for perennial and annual flower beds throughout the campus environment. These new plantings, where possible, will make use of native species to enhance the diversity of plants on campus.” Sustainability is another goal of the fund. “We wish to begin small pilot projects aimed at increasing the best use of energy, water and other natural resources,” Brother Elliott said. “These pilot projects will serve as the foundation for writing grants to fund larger projects to help cover the cost of planning and for the conservation and enhancement of our natural resources. “We hope to create outdoor classrooms that blend into the natural land configuration,” Brother Elliott added. “Inside and outside of classrooms, we will offer programs to educate the community through our Saint Vincent Magazine
example to understand the value of sustainable designs. We plan to fund a student summer internship to work with campus beautification and sustainability projects. With this endowment the Archabbey and College are committed to finding ways to attract others within and beyond the Saint Vincent community to help us maintain the new design features and beautification projects.” Further information about the Father Sebastian Samay Endowment Fund is available by contacting the Office of Institutional Advancement at 724-805-2895. 17
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Saint Vincent Hosts 2014 Benedictine Leadership Institute Saint Vincent College hosted the 2014 Benedictine Leadership Formation Institute June 8-10. The purpose of the gathering is to give both existing and emerging leaders a deeper understanding of Benedictine education, history and values; to provide a forum for discussion about sustaining and developing the hallmarks that make education at Benedictine institutions distinctive and enriching; and to enhance leadership abilities through discussion of leadership in the Benedictine tradition. The participants, representing nine of the 13 Benedictine colleges and universities in the United States, enjoyed presentations on Benedictine history and leadership, the Benedictine approach to education and the 10 Hallmarks of Benedictine education. Historian Dr. Jerome Oetgen led off with “Historical Perspectives on American Benedictine Colleges and Universities,” followed by Sr. Thomas Welder, O.S.B., president emeritus of the University of Mary, on “Benedictine Leadership and Listening.” Abbot John Klassen, O.S.B., of St. John’s Abbey discussed “A Benedictine Approach to Education,” noting that while there is not a common course or approach, there is a Benedictine ethos that helps the student to develop over time – sometimes years after graduation. Dr. William J. Cahoy, dean of the School of Theology at St. John’s University, discussed how the Benedictine Hallmarks shape Benedictine education as well as their implications for leadership. Abbot Matthew Leavy, O.S.B., retired abbot of Saint Anselm Abbey, explained lectio divina and encouraged consideration of the different aspects of the practice. Participants included (pictured above) Maria de la
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Camara, acting provost, Benedictine University, Lisle, Illinois; Ethel Ragland, acting dean, College of Education and Health Services, Benedictine University; Cal Mosley, vice president of admissions and financial aid, College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, Minnesota; Don Wortham, vice president for strategic initiatives, College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, Minnesota; John Labosky, vice president for college advancement, College of St. Scholastica; Brother Isaac Murphy, O.S.B., interim vice president for academic affairs, Saint Anselm College, Manchester, New Hampshire; Patricia Shuster, vice president of human resources and administration, Saint Anselm College; Doris Matter, executive writer and communications, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota; Michael Hemmesch, executive director of communication and marketing, Saint John’s University; Denny Moller, vice president of university advancement, Saint Leo University, Saint Leo, Florida; Cynthia Johnson, associate vice president of human resources, Saint Martin’s University, Lacey, Washington; Katie Wojke, interim vice president of institutional advancement, Saint Martin’s University; Suzanne English, vice president for marketing and communications, Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pennsylvania; Fr. Thomas M. Hart, O.S.B., assistant to the president for mission, Saint Vincent College; Peter Mahoney, chief information officer, Saint Vincent College; Elizabeth Condic, vice president for financial affairs, University of Mary, Bismarck, North Dakota. They were joined by college presidents, archabbots and prioresses, who met with the group and held separate meetings following the conclusion of the institute as well. 18
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Welcome Steelers: Training Camp Dates There will be 15 practices open to the public during the Steelers’ 2014 training camp. Of the 23 days the Steelers will spend on campus, 15 practices will be open to the public. There will be two night practices and two joint practices with the Buffalo Bills. If you plan to travel to Saint Vincent and spend a whole weekend watching the team, the best dates are July 26-27 and August 2-3. The Steelers will open their 2014 training camp on Friday, July 25. The first day’s schedule will include the annual conditioning run and a team meeting. The campus will then open to fans on Saturday, July 26. The first of the 15 practices to be open to the public is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Padless practices will be held on July 26-27. On Monday, July 28, the pads go on, with that afternoon’s practice, also scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Other highlights of this particular season will be the annual “Friday Night Lights” workout on Friday, August 1, as well as a two-day visit from the Buffalo Bills on August 13-14. The Tuesday, August 13 practice will begin at 3 p.m., and the Wednesday, August 14 session at 5:30 p.m., the final one open to the public. The “Friday Night Lights” practice will begin at 7 p.m. August 1 and will be held at Latrobe Memorial Stadium. The practice will be preceded by an autograph session.
A Charitable Gift Annuity at Saint Vincent
When you make a gift of $10,000 or more, Saint Vincent can offer you or your loved ones fixed income for life. A Charitable Gift Annuity will also generate a tax deduction in the year of your gift. Distribution rates are dependent upon your ages, and current interest rates determine the annuity rate that Saint Vincent can offer. Some sample rates: Your Age:
60
Annuity:
4.4%
70
80 6.8% For more information on life income gifts or other giving opportunities, contact: Saint Vincent College Office of Institutional Advancement ANTHONY CANCRO • 724-805-2948 • ANTHONY.CANCRO@STVINCENT.EDU
5.1%
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Annuity rates are subject to change. Once your gift is made, the rate remains fixed.
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College Theology Society Meets At Saint Vincent and the rules of religious order to Catholic and Protestant lay communities and others. More than 250 members attended the convention.
The College Theology Society, a professional association of college and university professors with a membership of more than 900 from throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, held its 60th annual convention at Saint Vincent College May 29 to June 1. Dr. Jason E. King, right, associate professor of theology at Saint Vincent and co-chair, welcomed Sister Shannon Schrein, O.S.F., left, co-chair from Lourdes University, Ohio, and Dr. Sandra Yocum, professor of religious studies at the University of Dayton, and president of CTS. The theme of the convention was “God has begun a Great Work in Us: The Embodiment of Love in Contemporary Consecrated Life and Ecclesial Movements.” The conference examined topics such as the origins of consecrated life, its adaptation to particular times and places, its context in the United States or abroad, the history and current reality of religious orders, monasticism, the adaptation of the evangelical counsels
The College Theology Society, a professional association of college and university professors from the United States, Canada and Europe, held its board of directors meeting at the Fred M. Rogers Center at Saint Vincent College on May 29 in conjunction with the group’s 60th annual convention. Officers who participated included, from left, Dr. Sandra Yocum of the University of Dayton, president of CTS; Dr. Brian Flanagan of Marymount University, treasurer of CTS; Dr. Nick Rademacher professor of religious studies at Cabrini College, secretary of CTS; and Dr. Maureen O’Connell, chair of the department of religious studies at La Salle University, vice president of CTS.
Benedictine Pedagogy Conference At Saint Vincent
Margaret O’Brien Steinfels, right, author and founding co-director of the Fordham Center on Religion and Culture, was welcomed by Dr. Timothy Kelly, professor Saint Vincent Magazine
and chair of history at Saint Vincent, as keynote speaker of the Eighth Annual Benedictine Pedagogy Conference at Saint Vincent College, held June 5 to 7. The theme of the conference was “The Nature of Benedictine Colleges and Universities: Do We Create a Unique Learning Environment?” More than 50 persons attended the conference from colleges and universities around the country including Benedictine College, Lisle, Illinois; College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, Minnesota; The Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, Maryland; St. Anselm’s Abbey School, Washington, D.C.; St. Gregory’s University, Shawnee, Oklahoma; Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota; Saint Vincent College and Westminster College, New Wilmington. The Saint Vincent College Planning Committee included Alice Kaylor, Dr. Timothy Kelly, Dr. Steve Gravelle and Father Nathan Munsch, O.S.B.
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The Fred Rogers Legacy Award
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Honoring Yo-Yo Ma
n May 23, The Fred Rogers Center at Saint Vincent College honored Yo-Yo Ma as the inaugural recipient of The Fred Rogers Legacy Award. In photos from the event, clockwise, from top: are Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, O.S.B.; Jill Horner, wife of Yo-Yo Ma; Yo-Yo Ma; Joanne Rogers, wife of the late Fred Rogers; and Rick Fernandes, executive director of the Fred Rogers Center. Joanne Rogers and Erica Fernandes; Junlei Li, visiting professor in early learning and children’s media at Saint Vincent College; a view of the concert from the balcony; Yo-Yo Ma in the Basilica and greeting Laney Crozier, sister of Fred Rogers. .
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Top, from left, Joanne Rogers, wife of the late Fred Rogers, Yo-Yo Ma, Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki, and Jill Horner, wife of Yo-Yo Ma, get ready to depart on a trolley tour of campus; Yo-Yo Ma sounds out the Benedictine Ultima on the late Fred Rogers’ Steinway piano as Rick Fernandes, executive director of the Fred Rogers Center looks on; Joanne Rogers; monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey gather round Yo-Yo Ma to sing the Benedictine Ultima at the conclusion of the ceremony. Row two, Yo-Yo Ma converses with Archabbot Douglas as he warms up; golfing great Arnold Palmer greets Joanne Rogers; Fred Rogers Scholars with Yo-Yo Ma. Row three, from left, Yo-Yo Ma and Rick Fernandes examine compositions written by Fred Rogers at the Fred Rogers Exhibit; Yo-Yo Ma speaking; Archabbot Douglas, Erica Fernandes, Jill Horner, Yo-Yo Ma, Joanne Rogers and Rick Fernandes. Row four, from left, Archabbot Douglas, Jill Horner, Yo-Yo Ma; Joanne Rogers and Rick Fernandes at the Fred Rogers exhibit; the famed cellist performing; James Rohr, retired chairman and chief executive officer of PNC financial services and PNC Bank gives a toast; and a final view of Yo-Yo Ma performing.
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“This is perhaps the greatest honor I have ever received... The love that you show us, the way Jill and I were embraced by the Saint Vincent Community this afternoon—is just amazing...” —Yo-Yo Ma upon receiving The Fred Rogers Legacy Award
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McKenna Seniors In Top 17%
President’s Award To Beal Tanner Beal, a double major in politics and criminology, law and society of Hagerstown, Maryland, has been named the 40th winner of the annual President’s Award, presented to the member of the graduating class who embodies outstanding academic achievement, student leadership and community service. He is “one of those rare students who goes beyond the assigned material and pushes himself to a higher standard,” said Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., in presenting the award. A member of the swimming team, he was also active in Student Government Association, orientation, residence life and many other campus activities. After graduation, he plans to attend the Syracuse University School of Law to study law, international diplomacy and foreign service. Beal plans to attend the Syracuse University School of Law to study law, international diplomacy and foreign service.
Seniors in the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government scored in the top 17% overall among more than 662 college and university schools of business in the United States on a national test administered by Educational Testing Service. The success of McKenna School graduates is confirmed by their placement in employment or graduate school. Of the school’s 109 graduates in 2013, 96 percent were accepted for admission to a graduate school or found a job in their field. More than 128,000 business students nationwide have participated in this testing. Saint Vincent students’ best scores placed the McKenna School in the top 9.9 percent of finance and top 6.6 percent of business law nationwide.
LaVar Burton Presents Emmy award-winning actor and producer LeVar Burton, was the keynote spaker at this summer’s Fred Forward Conference, hosted by the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media. Above, he is pictured with Rick Fernandes, executive director of the center, left, and Joanne Rogers, wife of the late Fred Rogers. Burton is known for his 23 years as host and executive producer of Reading Rainbow, one of the longest running children’s shows on PBS. He and a partner continued Reading Rainbow with new media in 2012. An app they developed for the iPad in 2012 became the #1 educational app within 36 hours. More than 10 million books have been read and video field trips watched through the app, with content updated weekly.
Threshhold Lecture Features Children’s Learning Leader
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Dr. Alison Gopnik, center, a leader in the study of children’s learning, was the featured speaker in the Saint Vincent College Threshold Series on June 2 at the New Hazlett Theater Center for Performing Arts, Pittsburgh. She spoke on “The Philosophical Baby: What children’s minds tell us about love, truth and the meaning of life.” She was introduced by Michelle Figlar, executive director of the Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children, and welcomed by Richard Fernandes, executive director, Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media. summer 2014
Ragan Prize Chloe Wertz, a senior English major from Latrobe has won first place and a $250 cash prize in the 19th annual Ragan Poetry Competition. Wertz read her poem, “raise windows head home” on campus with the judge, poet Karen Dietrich. Other Ragan Poetry winners were Kathryn Ordiway, a junior English major, who won second place, and Tyler Friend, a senior major in English and visual arts, who won third place. The competition is made possible by a gift from Dr. James Ragan, C’66.
Oral Histories In Victorious!
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aint Vincent College Center for Northern Appalachian Studies has published Victorious! From Hometown America to Tokyo Bay, 1941-1945, a story of 38 personal accounts of those who served the United States during World War II, both on the European and Pacific fields of battle and on the homefront. The book has more than 500 pages of text and previously unpublished photos. The stories are augmented with footnotes to provide readers with ready access to sources for additional information. Dr. Richard D. Wissolik, professor of English and liberal arts and director of the center in the School of Humanities and Fine Arts said “Victorious! follows in the footsteps of the Center’s award-winning series of books that capture veterans’ recollections of the war. For those who enjoyed the Center’s An Honor to Serve, Victorious! will add fresh perspectives about life and the struggle to survive the war, both at home and on the world’s horrific battlefields.” Books retail for $28, including shipping and handling. For further details, email rwissolik@stvincent.edu.
Dr. William Snyder
Dr. Jason Jividen
Dr. Jason King
Cheryl Herman
Dr. William Snyder, professor of English, received the Boniface Wimmer Faculty Award at the spring Honors Convocation. The Boniface Wimmer Award recognizes a senior faculty member for sustained teaching excellence. Snyder earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Saint Vincent College and a masters degree and Ph.D. in English from West Virginia University.
Snyder is the founding director of the Interdisciplinary Writing Program and served as director of freshman English. He has been a member of numerous college committees and has pursued a variety of initiatives to benefit students. Dr. Jason Jividen, assistant professor of politics, received the presentation of the Quentin Schaut Faculty Award, which recognizes the contributions,
leadership, and achievements of a junior faculty member to the curriculum and life of the College. His recent works focus on Lincoln and how the 16th president’s legacy has been and is currently invoked for a variety of purposes. He is director of the Aurelius Scholars Program, a member of the Educational Policies and Academic Leadership and Scholarly Affairs committees, and
this academic year, has served as chairperson of the Politics Department. In 2013 he received the Faculty Award for Continuous Outstanding Contribution from the Student Government Association. Student Government Association Awards were also presented to Dr. Jason E. King, assistant professor of theology, and Cheryl Herman, secretary, Student Affairs.
Honors At Spring Convocation
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SVC Choice Of NerdScholar NerdScholar—a website that helps students to make good choices regarding higher education—has named Saint Vincent to its 15 “Pennsylvania’s Biggest Bang for Your Buck Colleges.” The ranking is based on the top 27 Pennsylvania colleges as chosen by Forbes magazine. Affordability and the availability of financial aid, the six-year graduation rate (the average time students take to graduate) and whether students pay back their student loans in a timely fashion were factors in the ranking. According to the White House College Scorecard, Saint Vincent has the lowest net price among the top 27 schools identified, taking into account all financial aid students do not later have to pay back, including grants and scholarships. Saint Vincent is listed in Forbes’ sixth annual ranking of America’s Best Colleges; in Barron’s Best Buys in College Education; as #11 in Washington Monthly’s 2013 rankings of the liberal arts colleges with “Best Bang for the Buck,” and as one of only 42 recognized schools in Is College Worth It? by New York Times best-selling author William J. Bennett and David Wilezol.
25th Anniversary Theatre Gala
Members of the Saint Vincent Summer Theatre Gala Committee recently met to make plans for the event’s 25th anniversary on Friday, July 11. Committee members, seated from left, are Phil Dymond, Maureen Laffey, Joanna Stillwagon and MaryAnn Cherubini; standing from left are Patricia Reilly, theatre producer and
business manager, Colleen Reilly Rossmiller, theatre director, Bill Dymond, Michael Philopena, Richard Stillwagon, Tom Luscombe, Jack Cherubini and George Shaner. These members and all former Gala chairpersons will receive special recognition at the 25-year celebration. The Gala, which benefits the Saint
Vincent Summer Theatre program, will feature an evening of gourmet food, entertainment and the Theatre’s production of Jeeves in Bloom, based on the stories of P.G. Wodehouse. Presenting co-sponsors will be First Commonwealth Bank and R&L Development. For information call 724-8052901.
of natural sciences has been brought to the field of criminal investigations and prosecutions where they have been joined by computer information science and financial investigation expertise as critical components of the criminal justice process,” he said. “Within the next 15 years, natural scientists, computer security specialists and accountants will be having much more interaction with the legal system and the agents and attorneys within that system will need to carry on meaningful conversations with those
forensic experts in the effort to do justice in each case.” The goal, he said, “is to provide them with a working understanding of the integration of each of these disciplines with criminal law so that the students may, if they wish, pursue those specializations in other undergraduate or future graduate study or, at a minimum, be able to conduct intelligent conversations with experts in those areas as they pursue careers in the legal field and/or law enforcement.”
Three New Minors Announced
The Department of Criminology, Law and Society has announced the addition of three new minors in forensic studies—computer security, financial investigations and natural sciences. “The field of forensics is a growing and dynamic one that has far outstripped its initial boundaries as a discipline only pertinent to the gathering of data at crime scenes,” said Dr. Bruce A. Antkowiak, professor of law, legal counsel and director of the program. “Today, a vast array
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New Coordinator In Grad, Con Ed Programs
New Moot Court Program Director Dr. Elise Glenn was recently welcomed as the director of the trial moot court program by Dr. Bruce Antkowiak, left, counsel to Saint Vincent College, professor of law, and director of the Criminology, Law and Society Program, and Dr. Gary M. Quinlivan, professor of economics and dean of the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government. Saint Vincent sponsors an intercollegiate moot court program to enable students to prepare for law school and a variety of careers. Pre-law students also have an opportunity to travel to represent the college at tournaments. Glenn is a graduate of the University of Rochester, where she earned a bachelor of arts degree in history, and Case Western Reserve School of Law where she received her juris doctor degree and was an award-winning moot court participant. She has extensive legal experience as a magisterial district judge, in-house counsel and attorney advisor.
James Kunkel Receives Designation Small Business Development Center Executive Director James Kunkel received the National Association of Small Business International Trade Educators (NASBITE) Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) designation. The credential confirms knowledge in international trade and assures that employees are able to prac-
tice global business at the professional level required in today’s competitive business environment. The designation certifies that a person is competent in four primary domains: global business management, global marketing, supply chain management and trade finance. Within each of the categories there are five main threads that cross all four areas including documentation, legal and regulatory compliance, intercultural awareness, technology and resources.
Saint Vincent Magazine
Amanda Gunther of Greensburg has been named coordinator of graduate and continuing education. She is responsible for managing the non-academic operations and administration of the college’s 11 graduate degree programs and various continuing education courses to meet program goals and student service needs. A 2002 graduate of California University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a bachelor of arts degree in communication
studies, Gunther earned a master of arts degree in student affairs in higher education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2006. She is a member of the Pennsylvania College Personnel Association, National Orientation Directors Association and the College Student Educators International. Gunther is active with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh and has served on the Washington County advisory board. She previously served as assistant director of new student programs at Washington and Jefferson College.
Anthony Cancro New Development Officer Anthony V. Cancro has been named development officer in the Office of Institutional Advancement, according to Father Paul R. Taylor, O.S.B., executive vice president. Cancro will be responsible for advising alumni, friends and other benefactors who are interested in making a direct or planned gift to advance the mission of Saint Vincent. A graduate of Thiel College where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in political science and biology, he also earned a master’s in business administration from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He previously served with the global nonprofit management firm, Graham-Pelton Consulting where he provided counsel to clients nationally and 27
locally including the Diocese of Greensburg and Monongahela Valley Hospital. He is a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity and serves as an alumni volunteer. Cancro, of Greensburg, is a member of Saint Edward Roman Catholic Church in Herminie Summer 2014
Dr. King’s Has Three Articles Accepted
Rev. Kollar Edits Book Gerald B. Phelan’s 1949 Wimmer Memorial Lecture, “The Wisdom of Saint Anselm,” has recently been reprinted by Archabbey Publications. Edited by Father Rene Kollar, O.S.B., dean of the School of Humanities and Fine Arts, the lecture was originally published in 1960. Father Nathan Munsch, O.S.B., assistant professor of theology, wrote the new introduction to the book. When Monsignor Phelan lectured at Saint Vincent College in 1949, he was a recognized leader of the Catholic Neo-Scholastic movement in North America and famous in Catholic philosophic circles as a teacher and philosopher. The Wimmer Lecture Series was established in 1947 to celebrate the centenary of the founding of Saint Vincent Archabbey and College. The series lasted from 1947-1970. Father Rene has previously edited lectures by Christopher Dawson, John Tracy Ellis, Howard Mumford Jones, and Jacques Maritain. Father Rene’s article, “Convents, the Bible, and English Anti-Catholicism in the Nineteenth Century,” will appear in Women’s History Magazine in March. He has also recently written book reviews for The American Benedictine Review, The Heythrop Journal, and Journal of British Studies.
Dr. Fish Recognized
Dr. Caryl L. Fish, associate professor of chemistry, recently received the Pittsburgh Regional Undergraduate Leadership Excellence Award, given annual to a faculty member from a regional institution who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in undergraduate teaching and mentoring. Fish received the award from Dr. Jeffrey Evanseck at Duquesne University. She was introduced by Dr. Stephen Jodis, dean of the Hebert W. Boyer School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Computing at Saint Vincent. Fish directs the environmental science program, initiated in 2004, and is a full-tme chemistry faculty member, serving as both the environmental and the analytical chemist. She has been on the faculty for 23 years.
Dr. Kelly Publishes Reviews
Dr. Timothy Kelly, professor of history, has had four reviews published recently. They include: review of Evil Men by James Dawes in National Catholic Reporter, January 3-16, 2014; review of Religion, Politics, and Polarization: How Religiopolitical conflict is Changing Congress and American Democracy by William V. D’Antonio, Steven A. Tuch and Josiah R. Baker in National Catholic Reporter, December 6, 2013; review of Church and State in the City: Catholics and Politics in Twentieth Century San Francisco, by William Issel in the Journal of Church and State (forthcoming);
Saint Vincent Magazine
and review of Back to the Land: Arthurdale, FDR’s New Deal, and the Costs of Planning, by C.J. Maloney in the Journal of Social History: Societies and Cultures, summer 2013. He also gave a presentation, a response to Paula Kane’s Sister Thorn and Catholic Mysticism in Modern America, at the University of Pittsburgh.
Schachter Publishes
Ben Schachter, visual arts professor, has authored a book chapter, “Aesthetic Interpretations of the Eruv,” in It’s a Thin Line, edited by Adam Mintz. The publisher is Yeshiva University Press, New York. The chapter relates the construction of an eruv, a symbolic enclosure, to contemporary art. 28
Dr. Jason King, associate professor and chair of the theology department, has had three articles accepted for publication: “The Exercise of Obedience and Authority in the Rule of Saint Benedict,” in American Benedictine Review; “Trying not to ‘shove religion down their throats’” in Religious Education and “Feelings Revisited and Refined,” New Blackfriars.
Dr. Sharbaugh In Print Dr. Patricia Sharbaugh, assistant professor of theology, had an article published, “The New Moses and the Wisdom of God: A Convergence of themes in Matthew 11:2530,” in Horizons, December 2013. This article focuses on the confluence of wisdom and Mosaic themes in Matthew 11:25-30. Sharbaugh had an article published, “Treasure in Earthen Vessels: Exploring the Spirituality of Paul’s Epistles from the Underside of Selfhood,” Journal of the Orthodox Center for the Advancement of Biblical Studies,Vol. 6, No. 1 (2013). She also gave a presentation, “How is this Pope different from all other Popes?” at Temple David in Monroeville. The lecture was given at the invitation of Rabbi Jason Edelstein, associate professor of theology.
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Dr. Saccone Pens Book Dr. Richard Saccone, lecturer in political science, and Pennsylvania State Representative from the 39th District, recently announced that his ninth book, God in Our Government, has been published by Hollyn International Corp. “Contrary to what we’ve been told recently, our history is by no
means secular,” Saccone said. “It is rich with the influence of God’s hand and God’s word. His presence is apparent in the documents of our government, on the memorials we cherish most, in our government buildings, in our art and in the words and writings of our greatest leaders.” A member of the faculty since 2003, he teaches international relations, global terrorism and political science.
Dr. Phillips Johnson Gives Workshop Dr. Tina Phillips Johnson, associate professor of history and director of Chinese Studies, presented a workshop on how to implement and manage a Confucious Institute with Confucius Classroom model at Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans. Co-presenters were Michele Heryford, Director, Confucius Institute-University of Pittsburgh; Sherree Willis, Director, Confucius Institute—University of Kansas. The presentation focused on the partnership between Saint Vincent and the University of Pittsburgh and the benefits to both institutions. Thanks to this partnership, the Confucius Classroom at Saint Vincent College is a regional center for Chinese studies in rural southwestern Pennsylvania, serving a large population that
would otherwise not have the opportunity to learn about Chinese language and culture.
Brother Elliott Has New Book
Brother Elliott C. Maloney, O.S.B., a monk and professor of New Testament and Biblical Languages at Saint Vincent Seminary, has authored a book on Saint Paul. Saint Paul, Master of the Spiritual Life “in Christ” is the result of more than 40 years of teaching about Saint Paul. Copies of the book, published by Liturgical Press, are available at the Basilica Gift Shop as well as online at www. stvincentstore.com Brother Elliott has also taught courses at Saint Vincent College since 1976.
Saint Vincent Magazine
Dr. Bogner In Journal Dr. Gilbert Bogner, associate professor of history, had an article, “‘To brave hardship willingly’: Sir Ralph Gray and the Siege of Roxburgh,” published in Archaeologia Aeliana, a refereed British journal of northern archaeology and history. In spite of his remarkable alabaster tomb effigy at Chillingham (Northumberland, UK), Sir Ralph Gray (d. 1443) has been a largely overlooked member of the Grays of Heaton, a family about which much has been written. The article pieces together the life and career of this interesting Northumbrian, with an emphasis on his best known military action, the defense of Roxburgh during the Scottish siege of 1436. Bogner has been researching and writing about fifteenth-century English knighthood for many years.
Dr. Torisky Presents Dr. Gene V. Torisky Jr., gave a presentation, “Frey on Suicide,” at the conference of the Eastern Pennsylvania Philosophical Association, held at Misericordia University, Dallas, Pennsylvania. He also accompanied three undergraduate students— Ryan H. Coyne, Evan Hrobak and Michael Parisi— who presented papers at the conference. 29
Dr. Urick Co-Authors Dr. Michael J. Urick, assistant professor of management and operational excellence and graduate director of the master of science program in management, is the co-author of a chapter in a book, Extreme Leadership: Leaders, Teams and Situations Outside the Norm. Co-authored by Therese A. Sprinkle of the University of Dallas, the chapter is entitled, “Glenn Miller: Leadership lessons from a successful big band musician.” It analyzes the success of Glenn Miller’s band in the 1930s and 1940s and introduces the Leader-Context Effectiveness Model which suggests that the traits and behaviors needed by a leader are contingent on the leader’s complex environment. The book was edited by Christina M. Giannantonio and Amy E. Hurley-Hanson and published by Edward Elgar Publishing.
Dr. McDaniel Reviews
Dr. Dennis McDaniel, professor of English and department chair, recently published a book review in the National Catholic Reporter: “Gun violence myths debunked; quest for profits exposed.” It is a review of Tom Diaz’s book, The Last Gun. It can be found in the print-only “Pro-Life” section of the January 3, 2014, issue.
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Repeat! Men's Basketball Earns Second PAC Title season that began with winning the UC Santa Cruz tournament in California ended with a second straight Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) title. Overcoming adversity that included a seasonending injury to a key player and a team-wide influenza infection, the men’s basketball team once again finished the season atop the PAC and participated in the NCAA National Division III Tournament. The season was tumultuous from the beginning. In the first game of the year, starting center Grant Latus, who had led the conference with 2.1 blocks per game the previous year, was lost for the season with a knee injury. The team responded by winning 16 of its next 17 games, with the only loss coming in an instant classic fourovertime game at Thiel College. During the game, star forward Dillon Stith, who would be named an All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches after the season, set school records in points (50), made free throws (26) and minutes played (58). But more challenges were yet to come. In midFebruary, the flu virus forced five players to sit out multiple games. By the end of the regular season, the Bearcats had fallen to third in the conference after dropping three consecutive games for the first time since 2010. A repeat had to be accomplished on the road, without the support of the raucous Cram the Carey student section. But in accordance with the seasonlong motto ‘enjoy the struggle,’ the team once again overcame that challenge. The conference tournament began with two doubledigit wins against Thiel and Waynesburg, setting the stage for a 2013 PAC Championship rematch against Thomas More—this time in Kentucky. The Saints threatened to stage a comeback after the Bearcats had jumped out to a 21 point lead, but Stith’s 23 points and 11 rebounds helped Saint Vincent hang on for a 90-84 victory and its second consecutive PAC championship. The team then traveled to Wooster College in Ohio for the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but lost a hard-
fought game 76-67 to host Wooster despite an early lead and a career-high 33 points from senior guard Isaac Turner. “On the outside, it looks like the season went exactly how we planned,” said head coach D.P. Harris. “It did not. But at the end, a championship season came together because of the players’ hard work. We have become the team to beat in the PAC. Now, we need to make the next step in winning an NCAA tournament game.” —Simon Stuchlik From left, Geoff FuQuay, New Kensington; Brother Norman Hipps, O.S.B., president; Jeffrie Mallory, associate men’s basketball coach; Luis DeCunha, Miami Beach, Florida; student John LaGrande; Dillon Stith, Bedford, Virginia; Sean Kett, Miami; Pat Jones, Frostburg, Maryland; Isaac Turner, Orlando; JC Howard, Pittsburgh; Grant Latus, Pittsburgh; Kyle Rivera, Hollywood, Florida; Fabio Fortunato, Brockway; Ben Klimchock, Greensburg; Darren Hawkins, Chantilly, Virginia; Chris Klimchock, C’13, Greensburg; Dan Szramowski, assistant men’s basketball coach; Josh Vasko, team manager.; Chico Bermudez, Miami; D.P. Harris, head coach; Dan Sinwell, Greensburg.
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Both Lacrosse Teams Earn PAC Championships Men’s Lacrosse
A comeback win against Thiel College in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championship game perfectly summed up the 2014 men’s lacrosse season. Coming into the year with high hopes after finishing second in the PAC the prior season, the team lost six straight games to begin the year. But a narrow late April win against Thiel secured a 7-1 finish to the regular season, along with home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The team began the playoffs with a clear 13-2 semifinal win against Westminster College, ensuring an encore to the game against Thiel earlier in the season. On May 3, the teams met on Chuck Noll Field to determine this year’s PAC champion. Thiel had the upper hand, leading 9-2 in the first half. But the Bearcats stormed back behind four goals each from juniors Tim Oxenreiter and Nick Pensyl to finish the season on a six game winning streak and capture its first PAC trophy. Pensyl led the team in both goals (28) and assists (21) during the season, and will return to a squad next year that graduated only six seniors in May. The team is looking to defend its championship by winning the title in 2015, the first year lacrosse will be considered an official PAC sport. —Simon Stuchlik
Front, from left, Blair Chesek, manager; Rachel Macartney, Northern Ireland; Jess Heuler, Apollo; Michelle Mitchell, Arlington Heights, Illinois; Kaley Burkardt, Latrobe; Maggie Garvey, Frederick, Maryland; Kiana Wilson, Landsdowne; Amie Dobracki, Glenshaw; Helena Shoplik, Pittsburgh; Jessica Welch, North Potomac, Maryland; Mary Alice Powers, graduate assistant. Back, from left, Head Coach Jym Walters; Alyssa McCuistion, Bethel Park; Natalie Ambrozic, Pittsburgh; Sarah Wallerstedt, Rockville, Maryland; Ashleigh Pollick, Export; Emma Weaver, Pittsburgh; Kelsey McMillen, Medina, Ohio; Annie Mulloy, Fredericksburg, Virginia; Katie Uhring, Youngstown; Mary Wilcox, Erie; Molly Snyder, Pittsburgh; Kaylea Schreibeis, Pittsburgh; Christine Cook, Nescopeck; Brother Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., president. Saint Vincent Magazine
Front, from left, Colin Rigney, Mechanicsburg; Jack Findle, Greensburg; Logan Hoffmann, Matthews, North Carolina; Jon Wetzel, Fayetteville; Peter Hronis, Easton; Bryce Pasquariello, Wooster, Ohio; D’Angelo Cousar, Columbus, Ohio. Back, from left, Sean Kretovics, Kent, Ohio; Rob O’Hearn, Lake Worth, Florida; Nick Pensyl, Kent, Ohio; Jon Souders, Lancaster; Greg Gonzalez, Grasonville, Maryland; Tim McCall, Morgantown; Kyle Arthur, Morgantown; Charlie Russo, Elkton, Maryland; Corbin Linville, Cambridge, Maryland; Phil Messina, Pittsburgh; Patrick Kenna, Chantilly, Virginia; Brendon Masten, North Huntingdon; Ryan Riesmeyer, Murrysville; Tim Oxenreiter, Upper St. Clair; James Angelillo, Staten Island, New York; Matt Mackey, Granger, Indiana; David Lu, Hockessin, Delaware; Jake Murtaugh, Holmdel, New Jersey. Head Coach is Peter Tulk and assistant is Vince Mangini.
Women’s Lacrosse
The women’s lacrosse team won the Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship game on April 26 at Chuck Noll Field. Avenging their championship loss to Thiel in 2013, the Bearcats defeated the Tomcats 18-14. After winning both of its PAC tournament games, Saint Vincent claimed its first league title. Led by captains Maggie Garvey, Kaley Burkardt and Amie Dobracki, the Bearcats had an overall record of 11-3 for the 2014 season, despite losing seven seniors to graduation last year. Burkhardt, a senior attacker, broke the school record for most goals scored in one game during the semifinals with ten goals. Saint Vincent won that game by a final score of 18-14. After the final game, third-year Head Coach Jym Walters was named conference Coach of the Year. Molly Snyder, a junior from Pittsburgh, led the team in most points scored with 95 combined goals and assists. This accomplishment led to Snyder being honored with conference Player of the Year, an award voted on by all PAC coaches. “It’s so surreal. Nothing is as rewarding as knowing that all of the hard work we put into the season finally paid off,” Snyder said. “I don’t think that there was one sole person who can take credit for the win—it was truly a team effort and that’s what makes this all so awesome.” Looking to defend its title in 2015, the Bearcats will have their work cut out for them. In lacrosse, the PAC is combining with the Heartland Conference to form the Ohio River Valley Lacrosse Conference, adding teams such as Thomas More, Hanover and Defiance to the schedule. —Randi Senchur 31
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Spring Sports report In addition to the conference championship teams, nine other Saint Vincent teams competed in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference this spring. Simon Stuchlik provides this report on how each sport fared:
Women’s Basketball
The Bearcats finished their 2014 season with an overall record of 19-10. Early in the season, Taylor Mathers, a senior from Uniontown, set a school record for blocked shots in a game at Westminster College and was named PAC Player of the Week as a result. After a narrow loss in the PAC semifinals, the team was awarded a bid to the ECAC Division III South Tournament. The Bearcats advanced to the ECAC Semifinals before ending the season with a 77-70 loss to McDaniel (Maryland).
Men’s Golf
The men’s golf team entered spring looking to qualify for its second consecutive NCAA Division III Championship. Wins at the Tam O’Shanter Invitational and the Thiel Invitational proved to be the perfect preparation for the Conference Championship, which the Bearcats won with a comfortable 17-stroke advantage over second place Washington & Jefferson. Head coach Tom Cline was named PAC Coach of the Year for the second straight season, while juniors Micah Markantone and Timothy Barto were named All-PAC First Team. An update on how the golf team fared in the national tournament will be included in the fall issue.
Men’s & Women’s Swimming
The men’s swim team finished its season with an overall record of 5-5 and placed 4th at PAC/AMCC Championships. Zach Ligus, a senior from North Huntingdon, was named PAC Swimmer of the Week and ECAC Division III South Men’s Swimmer of the Week after setting three school records in January. The women’s swim team placed 3rd at PAC/AMCC Championships and finished its season with an overall winning record of 6-5. At the championship meet, the team captured first place in the 200 Free Relay, 50 Free, and 100 Butterfly.
Men’s & Women’s Track
During the conference championships, the men’s track team finished in sixth place with 70 points, despite only competing in 8 of 20 events. At the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic in April, Chansler Poole, a senior from Harrison City, helped set two new records for the school in the 1,500-meters and 4x800 relay and was named PAC Men’s Track Athlete of the Week as a result. In its first season as a team, the women’s track team placed well at the PAC Championships, with seniors Rachael Paszko and Genie Fratto each finishing second in their events. The team plans to run a full schedule in spring 2015. Saint Vincent Magazine
Women’s Golf
After finishing third at the fall championship, the women’s golf team finished strongly and improved to second place in the final rounds of the 2014 PAC Championships at Cedarbrook Golf Course. Sarah Rebitch, a senior from Delmont, and Samantha Firestone, a freshman from Pen Argyl, earned All-PAC First Team honors. During the season, Rebitch was named the PAC’s Women’s Golfer of the Week after shooting an 84 at the Saint Vincent Spring Invitational at Glengarry Golf Links.
Softball
The softball team finished its 2014 season with an overall record of 22-14, improving significantly from its 12-18 record in 2013. Samantha Emert, a freshman from Rockwood, was named PAC Pitcher of the Week in March after pitching nine consecutive scoreless innings. Breanne Wallace, a freshman from Acme, was named PAC Hitter of the Week in March. The star of the season was Laken Lyon, a freshman from Zanesville, Ohio, who was not only named PAC Pitcher of the Week, but also ECAC Division III South Pitcher of the Week after pitching three consecutive shutouts. Lyon, senior Becky Deane and sophomore Sarah Swettlen were named to the PAC All-Conference Second Team at the end of the season, while Emert, Wallace and senior Lindsey Daniels earned Honorable Mentions.
Men’s Tennis
Finishing its season with an impressive 8-2 record, the men’s tennis team ended the year by placing second at the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championships in Erie. At the tournament, senior Sean Malone advanced to the championship game before eventually falling to PAC Player of the Year Peter Riley of Grove City College. Freshman Tyler Brinton came in second, while freshman Dalton Yezovich as well as juniors Vince Anto and Chris Andrejcik, along with two of the three doubles teams placed third. During the season, Andrejcik was named PAC Men’s Tennis Player of the Week.
Baseball
The baseball team finished its season on a high note, defeating Washington & Jefferson College 3-2 on Senior Day. The win ensured a 12-12 conference record, securing fifth place in the PAC. Senior pitcher Joey Fearer impressed in his final game as a Bearcat, pitching a complete game to improve his personal record to 5-2. Sophomore Ben Webb and freshman Mike Cramer each earned individual honors. Cramer earned PAC Pitcher of the Week honors in late March after pitching a complete game one-hitter in the conference opener against Westminster, while Webb was named PAC Hitter of the Week in early April. For the season, Webb led all Bearcats with a .445 batting average and 27 RBI. 32
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Can you guess?
ALUMNI FRIENDS
&
This issue’s photo from the Archives is from a Prep football banquet. Monks pictured include Father Camillus, Archabbot Alfred Koch, O.S.B., and Prep Headmaster Egbert Donovan, O.S.B., later an archabbot of Saint Vincent. Guesses as to who the prepster is, and who is presenting the award can be sent to svmagazine@email.stvincent.edu.
Alumni Office
Saint Vincent College
http://bearcatsonline.stvincent.edu/
300 Fraser Purchase Road Latrobe, PA 15650-2690 724-805-2568 alumni@stvincent.edu Saint Vincent Magazine
http://www.facebook.com/SVCBearcatAlum http://www.youtube.com/user/saintvincentcollege 33
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Upcoming Alumni Events The Alumni Office is planning a number of regional alumni events. For information: alumni@ stvincent.edu, 724-805-2568. View the Saint Vincent event calendar at stvincent.edu, or like SVCBearcatAlum on Facebook.
Pittsburgh Alumni Social
Thursday, June 12, 5 to 7 p.m. The Pittsburgh Grille
14th Prep Reunion Picnic
Saturday, June 14, 1 p.m. Pleasure Acres Farm, New Alexandria
Pittsburgh Alumni German Lunch Wednesday, June 18, Noon Teutonia Mannerchor
Bearcat Family Zoo Day
Saturday, June 21, Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, 10 a.m to 3 p.m.
Richmond Alumni Social
Wednesday, June 25, 5 to 7 p.m. Big Al’s Sports Bar and Grill
California Golfing Taking part in the recent California golf outing were, from left, Father Paul R. Taylor, O.S.B., John Perchak, Jr.; Jerry Slavonia, Jr.; Art Miller; Frank Pipak, C’71; John Perchak III; John R. Perchak, C’69; Mike Perchak; Head football coach Ron Dolciato; Jim Skatell; Mark Sherwood; D.P. Harris, C’13; J. Gerald Slavonia, C’63; Greg Kerr.
Virginia Beach Area Alumni Social Thursday, June 26, 5-7 p.m. The Yard House
Cleveland Alumni Social Tuesday, July 29, 5 to 7 p.m. Winking Lizard Tavern
Erie Alumni Social
Wednesday, July 30, 5 to 7 p.m. Erie Mannerchor
Buffalo Alumni Social
Thursday, July 31, 5 to 7 p.m. Black and Blue Steak and Crab
St. Louis Alumni Social
Tuesday, August 26, 5 to 7 p.m. Schneithorst’s Restaurant and Bar
Chicago Area Alumni Social
DC Alumni Gather
Phoenix Area Alumni Social
Taking part in the recent D.C. area alumni gathering were Marty Mullen, P’65 and Kristi Lengyel, C’96 at The University Club Washington D.C.
Wednesday, October 29, 5 to 7 p.m. Location TBD Thursday, October 30, 5 to 7 p.m. Location TBD
Greensburg Alumni Social Dates Giannilli’s II, on Tuesdays, June 17, July 22, August 19, September 16
Latrobe Alumni Socials Metten Room, Saint Vincent, on Fridays June 13, July 11, August 8, September 12.
Saint Vincent Magazine
Correction
Mike Neal, C’04, pointed out an error in the winter 2014 issue. The college press release/article noted that Justin Teets was the first student in the history of the college to be re-elected president of the Student Government Association for a second one-year term. Neal notes that Matt Olesnevich holds that honor (2002 and 2003). Thanks for the sharp eyes, Mike.
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Mark Kiselica, C’79, New Provost At Iona College Dr. Mark Kiselica, C’79, vice provost of the College of New Jersey since 2009, will become Iona College’s next provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, effective July 1, 2014. Kiselica emerged as the clear choice after a national search with more than 70 applicants. As provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, he will provide leadership in planning, developing, Dr. Mark Kiselica, C’79 implementing, budgeting and assessing all academic support and student life programs. He will also provide leadership in implementing many initiatives in the college’s five-year strategic plan, Advancing our Legacy and Defining our Future. “Dr. Kiselica is an impressive professor, scholar and administrator,” said Iona College President Joseph E. Nyre, Ph.D. “He is joining the college at a pivotal time in our history. As we focus our strategic efforts, he is the right academic leader to guide our community toward advancing student distinction, academic distinction and affordability, as well as elevating the academic reputation of the institution.” Kiselica served as a psychologist, professor of counselor education, former dean of the School of Education, and vice provost at the College of New Jersey. Prior to that he was an assistant professor of counseling psychology at Ball State University. He is completing a term as an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. Kiselica completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Saint Vincent College, a master’s in psychology from Bucknell University and a doctorate in counseling psychology from the Pennsylvania State University. He also completed a predoctoral internship in clinical child and adolescent psychology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Kiselica is a national authority on the psychology of boys, men and masculinity, and he has dedicated his professional life to researching and addressing serious issues such as racism and adolescent pregnancy and parenthood. He is the author of 150 publications and the editor of the Routledge Book Series on Counseling and Psychotherapy with Boys and Men, which features 15 books addressing the mental health needs of various populations of boys and men. A former president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, he has served as a consulting scholar for the Federal Fatherhood Initiatives of the Clinton, G.W. Bush and Obama administrations, and he was a member of the Saint Vincent Magazine
Steering Committee of the Newtown Pennsylvania “No Place for Hate Campaign,” named the outstanding anti-hate campaign for Pennsylvania by the Anti-Defamation League. In recognition of his impact on the science and practice of psychology and many social issues, Kiselica was named a fellow of the American Psychological Association and the recipient of the American Counseling Association’s Award for a Humanitarian and Caring Person. He was also named the Researcher of the Year by the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity and the American Mental Health Counselors Association. He has received several honors for his work in the classroom, including the Most Accessible Teacher Award from Ball State University in 1993 and the Counselor Educator of the Year Award from the American Mental Health Counselors Association in 1997. Kiselica and his wife, Sandi, are the parents of three children: Andrew, Christian and Sasha.
Dean Edmundson, C’95, Named Software Firm’s CEO Safran Software Solutions, a provider of project and portfolio management software, has appointed Dean Edmundson, C’95, as CEO Americas. Edmundson joined Safran on April 1, bringing over 20 years of software and project management experience to the company. He recently led strategic alliances and sales for the oil and gas, mining and chemicals sectors at ARES Project Management. Prior to ARES, he was the vice president of Business Development at GeoEye, where he led commercial sales and the launch of a SaaS product for geospatial data access. One of the highlights in Edmundson’s career was as vice president, alliances and business development in Primavera, developing the alliance with Oracle, leading up to Oracle´s acquisition of Primavera. “As CEO Americas, Edmundson will be responsible for ensuring that Safran continues its rich history of delivering ‘best in class’ software solutions to our key markets and building the Safran brand and customer base,” said Lars Petter Eliassen, Safran’s incoming Group CEO. “I am pleased to join the Safran team,” said Edmundson. “Safran is recognized globally for its project and portfolio management success in the North Sea oil and gas sector... I know our value will be immediately recognized in the market.”
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summer 2014
Joseph M. George Jr., On Bench
Hon. Joseph M. George, Jr., C’92, is sworn in as a judge on the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas. He is a member of the Fayette County Bar Association and former editor of the Fayette Legal Journal.
On December 30, 2013, Joseph M. George Jr., C’92, took the bench on the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas. Judge George earned a bachelor of science degree in political science from Saint Vincent, then attended Capital University School of Law, where he received a juris doctorate in 1995. He entered private practice with his father in Uniontown in 1995. In 1996, he joined the District Attorney’s Office and later became the first assistant district attorney. For nearly a decade, he tried over 100 criminal jury trials including numerous homicide cases. In 2005, Judge George was elected Magisterial District Judge for South Union Township and Menallen Township, Fayette County. He was reelected in 2011 to a second six-year term. On May 21, 2013, George was successful in the county election and was elected to serve as judge of the court of common pleas for a ten-year term. He lives in Uniontown with his wife, Susan, and their three children.
Historian Dr. Gregory Good, C’74, Receives Honorary Degree Dr. Gregory Good, C’74, who is director of the American Institute of Physics Center for the History of Physics, was the main speaker at the annual spring honors convocation in April. His talk was entitled, “A Life Built on the Liberal Arts.” He also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Good has described his work as “a repository for our memories of what we have tried, of what has been good and what has not . . . based on an honest, hard-nosed evaluation of what we have known about the Earth.” He has also written that “a passion for the world and the living augments scholarship.” Good earned a bachelor of science degree in physics with highest honor, a master of arts and Ph.D. in history and philosophy of
science from the University of Toronto. He is the son of Albert Good and the late Hilde (Stauffer) Good, of Latrobe, and a 1970 graduate of Derry Area High School. He and his wife, Lynn Sobolov, live in Takoma Park, Maryland with their two daughters. A distinguished historian of science, Good’s numerous publications include works on the history of astronomy, geophysics, geoscience and physics of the 19th and 20th centuries. He edited a history of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. His two volume Sciences of the Earth: An Encyclopedia of Events, People and Phenomena published in 1998 remains a definitive resource in the history of geology. Today, he authors a blog: GEOcosmoHISTOR— Human stories at the boundaries of Earth
Saint Vincent Magazine
Dr. Gregory Good, C’74, holds up an old photo from his days on campus during his address. and Cosmos: science, technology and environment. Good has a postdoctoral position with the Smithsonian Institution, and was a research associate at the Carnegie Institution and a visiting scholar at Cambridge University. He served as editor of Earth Science History from 1998-2004. He was the chairperson of the history department 36
and director of graduate studies in history at West Virginia University until 2009 when he became the director of the American Institute of Physics’ Center for the History of Physics. He is a member of the International Commission on the History of Geological Sciences and an officer of the International Commission for the History of Physics. summer 2014
In the Field: Dr. Nicholas Violante Embraces A Less Invasive Way To Restore Function By Scott Scanlon
Originally published in The Buffalo News on January 25, 2014. Reprinted with permission. Class years of alumni added by SV Magazine.
Dr. Nicholas J. Violante, C’02, doesn’t consider himself the black sheep of his family. That would be his youngest brother, Peter, C’11. “He went into financial operations in Virginia,” joked Violante, 33, an orthopedic surgeon who lives in Williamsville with his wife, Melissa, and their children, 2½ and 10 months. Every other brother, as well as their father and grandfather, either went into dentistry or works at the family medical practice in Lewiston. Watching Mario Sr. and Mario Jr. run a dental office, not far from the family homestead, set a high standard for all of the kids, Violante said. His brother Mario III, C’94, works in the family practice, as does brother Jude, a podiatrist. Timothy, C’09, is at the University at Buffalo Dental School. The sisters also carved noble paths: Olivia as director of a physical therapy department, Marre as a grade school teacher. Growing up with science-minded elders also led to another important connection for Violante: Saint Vincent College, in Latrobe. He and three of his brothers attended undergraduate school there, as did Dr. Timothy J. Collard, C’64, who just before Christmas retired from Excelsior Orthopaedics. Collard’s son and daughter also attended the school and befriended Violante, whom Collard brought into the practice in 2006 and who became partner earlier this month. The other partners invited Violante to take Collard’s office. “I have a picture of him and I in our office together,” Violante said during a recent interview at the Amherst headquarters of the orthopedic practice, which includes 18 doctors and nearly 200 other employees at sites on Sheridan Drive and in Orchard Park, Niagara Falls and Batavia. Violante specializes in hip and knee replacement surgery. He does the procedures at Erie County Medical Center using a “Hana table,” a special operating room table that allows him to get at hip bones and joints in a less invasive way. He discussed his work recently during a free talk at the company’s Amherst headquarters. What is it like to grow up in a family of dentists? It was fun. My dad’s office was pretty much like any other private practice. You’d walk in and there were 10 or 12 patients in the waiting room. I thought it was great. He’d see his patients in the grocery store. It was inspiring. He was providing a service to his community, and people would come up to him and say, ‘My smile looks a lot better,’ ‘My tooth is better.’ Is it happening to you now? When I was walking in this morning, I saw one of my patients in the physical therapy department, and I’ve run into him something like five times now. In Williamsville, we took a bike ride in the village and saw him after his one knee (replacement), and I saw him at Wegmans after his second knee. Saint Vincent Magazine
“People with knee arthritis tolerate it more than people with hip arthritis. Hip arthritis seems to have a dramatic decline,” said Dr. Nicholas Violante, second from right above. With Violante are, from left, Charlaina Turner, Kenny Burzynski, Nicole Ksiazek and Jim Turner.
Why did you decide to go into orthopedics as a specialty? The thing I liked about orthopedics was the surgical aspect of it, restoring function. … When I get a patient come in for hip replacement, I often hear, ‘Thank you. I feel so much better.’ When that happens, it reassures me I went into this specialty for all the right reasons. Can you talk about the age group you’re dealing with? Is it different for knee and hip? I would say the average age of my hips is 50, and the average age of my knees is 60. I think people with knee arthritis tolerate it more than people with hip arthritis. Hip arthritis seems to have a dramatic decline. People will have pain, and all of a sudden it becomes urgent. ... Hips routinely have a more rapid recovery; knees tend to take almost twice as long. Can you describe your ‘anterior hip’ procedure? The person is laying on their back. The incision is just lateral to the groin on the front of the thigh. The femoral head is removed. I remove the arthritis from the cup—from the acetabulum—and a cup is inserted, and then the leg is lowered to the floor in order to put the femur in the right position to put in the femoral stem. That’s kind of the basics of it. Doing the femur is all about the position of the leg, which is why you need the table. You need to lower the leg down toward the ground to get the femur exposed to an anterior approach. ... The return to function—because you’re not cutting muscle—is considerably quicker during the first two weeks. I tell my patients, at six weeks, everybody’s doing about the same whether you go posterior, anterior lateral or anterior. Have you ever been in need of an orthopedic surgeon? I fell and broke my left wrist in Italy and experienced a hospital in Rome. They tried to set my wrist without any type of anesthesia, and it was awful. Then I came home and ended up having surgery at ECMC. It was great. The difference in quality of care between there and here was unbelievable. It was very enlightening to see the difference. After my surgery, I had no pain in my wrist, complete restorative function. It absolutely taught me about patient care. It taught me a lot about pain, what is real pain, and how to treat pain. 37
summer 2014
Longtime Saint Vincent Counsel Gene E. McDonald, C’43, D’96 Dies Gene E. McDonald Sr., C’43 D’96, of Greensburg, died April 24. For many years, he served as legal counsel to Saint Vincent College, Archabbey and Seminary and was also instrumental in the formation of the Wimmer Corp. and served on its Board of Directors until very recently. Whether serving as a Marine in the South Pacific during World War II, or as an attorney and community advocate, or as a husband, father, grandfather, greatgrandfather and friend, his life was one of selfless service. He was born in the small village of Coral, Indiana County, the youngest of four children of Walter and Mary McDonald. His father was killed in a mining accident shortly before McDonald’s birth and for most of his formative years, McDonald lived with and was raised by his Aunt Cora and Uncle Guy Drake. He was predeceased by his brother, Louis C. McDonald, his sister, Mildred Haines and his brother, Walter Dale McDonald. A 1939 graduate of Derry Township High School, he received his undergraduate degree from Saint Vincent. The war years interrupted his education, and, prior to graduation, he enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1942, and served with the First Marine Division through 1946 in the South Pacific and China. McDonald saw action in some of the iconic Marine Corps battles of World War II, including the Battle of Peleliu and the Battle of Okinawa. He was a member of the Marine Corps Reserves through 1958, with the rank of captain. He married his “sweetheart,” Mary Joan (Mary Jo)
Van Wey, prior to his deployment. The two celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in December. After the war, McDonald continued his education and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1949. He served on the staff and the editorial staff of the Law Review for two years. He was admitted to practice in the Unified Court System in Pennsylvania and in the federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court. Until his retirement in 2011, he was a member, then senior partner, of the oldest continuing law firm in Westmoreland County, now known as McDonald, Snyder, and Lightcap, P.C., Latrobe. At the time of his death, he was the longest-serving member of the Westmoreland County Bar Association, a member of the profession for nearly 65 years. Professionally, he served as the solicitor for the City of Latrobe from 1956 until 1998, and as a member of and the solicitor for the Westmoreland County Airport Authority from its inception in 1951 until his retirement. He also served as a director, secretary and counsel for Newcomer Products Inc. Through his association with the Latrobe Steel Co., as secretary and general counsel from 1963 to 1972, and later as a member of the board of directors, McDonald was a member and national director of the American Society of Corporate Secretaries and a past president of the Pittsburgh regional group. He also worked with, as a member of the board of directors, vice chair and treasurer, the Specialty Steel Industry of the
Saint Vincent Magazine
United States, in Washington, D.C. He was a long-time member of the board of trustees of Westmoreland County Community College, serving in all offices. He was also actively involved in the Pennsylvania Federation of Community College Trustees, serving in a variety of capacities, including president from 1988 to 1990 and from 1991 to 1992 and in the national Association of Community College Trustees, headquartered in Washington, D.C. McDonald helped establish the Westmoreland County Community College Foundation. He was a member and past director of the Latrobe Area Chamber of Commerce, a member and past president of the Latrobe Foundation, a trustee for the Latrobe Area United Way, a trustee and past president of the Latrobe Area Community Chest and a member of the Board of Directors of the United Way of Westmoreland County. He was also a member of the Latrobe Jaycees and the Latrobe Little League Board of Directors. His numerous awards include the
Distinguished Service Award by the Latrobe Jaycees, the Outstanding Young Man Award by the Pennsylvania Jaycees, the ACCT Regional Trustee Leadership Award for the Northeast Region of the United States and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Saint Vincent College. He is survived by his wife, Mary Jo; and his four children: Lynda L. Flannery and her husband, Dr. Robert Flannery; Joanne Congelio and her husband, Louis T. Congelio, C’69; Gene E. McDonald Jr., and his wife, Kathleen McDonald; and Cheryl A. McDonald Oshnock. He had five grandchildren, Joseph M. Gera, Annie Jean McDonald, Shannon M. (Congelio) Richardson and (her husband, Major Matthew E. Richardson, USMC), Justin T. Congelio and Andrew G. Oshnock; three stepgrandchildren, Joshua Dias, Dr. Robert Flannery (and his wife, Kristie), and Dr. Ryan Flannery and his wife, Jessica; two great-grandchildren, Marcus E. Richardson, and Ella G. Richardson; and a stepgreat-grandchild, Kaelyn Flannery.
Class News
1950s Paul D. Oesterle, P’57, C’61
was named Volunteer of the Year by the Board of Governors of his community—The Packanack Lake Association in Wayne, N.J. He has been an active volunteer for 41 years and credits this honor to his work revitalizing the local United Givers Plan organization which supports 26 beneficiaries in the area. Oesterle traces a great deal of his “giving back attitude” to his days as president of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society—both in the Prep and the College where he first began to appreciate all that God has given him. He and his wife, Mary
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Ann, SHC ’61, just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with Paul’s brother, Father John Oesterle, P’59, saying the special anniversary Mass.
1960s Ronald Blasé, C’62, reports Don Demsher, C’62, Dick Payne, C’62, Bill Wydo, C’62, and Bob Belan met in Florida
for their second golf outing and reunion.
1970s James DiMuzio, C’71, an-
nounces the birth of their first
summer 2014
grandchild, Gianna Spring DiMuzio on December 11 to Becky and Joshua DiMuzio.
Don Kretschmann, C’71, of the Kretchmann Family Farm in Pittsburgh, spoke at a program about the impact of energy development and food production enterprises in southwestern Pennsylvania on campus recently. The program was presented by the Saint Vincent College Environmental Awareness Club, Tri-Beta National Biological Honor Society and Communications Club. The Kretchmanns, one of the first organic growers in western Pennsylvania, have served area residents at farmers’ markets and other outlets with organically grown, chemical-free produce, vegetables and meats for 43 years utilizing their three-acre orchard, area farmland and several greenhouses. They have also operated a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) service for two decades that provides boxes of organic produce to neighborhoods and businesses by subscription. In addition to growing food, the farm also produces solar energy.
vice president for academic affairs, effective July 1 (see article on page 31).
1980s Richard A. Marhefka, C’89,
joined Rothman Gordon in 2014, bringing his personal injury practice to the firm to complement its existing plaintiff practice areas. He has experience litigating and mediating cases for individuals who have been injured in accidents. In addition, Marhefka is a member of the firm’s commercial litigation practice. He has represented workers’ compensation and social security disability clients. Marhefka received his B.A. in political science from Saint Vincent and his J.D. from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association. He resides in Natrona Heights.
1990s Michelle R. Miller-Kotula, C’90, represented Saint Vincent
Guy J. Bellaver, C’72, has
won Washington & Jefferson College’s recent Public Art 1970 Commemorative Public Art Competition. W&J’s Call to Artists explained the competition’s intent: “This work of art is commissioned to celebrate the myriad changes that occurred during the 1970 academic year.
Mark Kiselica, Ph.D., C’79, vice
provost of the College of New Jersey, will become Iona College’s next provost and senior
College at the inauguration of Douglas G. Lee as 15th president of Waynesburg University on Tuesday, March 25.
Kelly (Kilcoyne) Pontiere, C’91, is the guidance and ad-
mission assistant at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School, Coraopolis.
Dean Edmundson, C’95, was
appointed by Safran Software Solutions as CEO Americas (see article on page 31).
Heidi (Broman) Peters, C’97,
recently published her first
Saint Vincent Magazine
memoir with CrossLink Publishing, a traditional Christian book publisher. Crosslink typically reviews around 500 manuscripts per year and publishes around 20. Her work was accepted in August 2013 and published January 1, and is available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, as well as many other Christian online stores. It has been endorsed by Pittsburgh Radio Host Jack Bogut, and was featured in the Pittsburgh Catholic Family Life Magazine. The book is a true account of a spiritual experience Peters had after the loss of her uncle. Peters and her husband are raising their two children in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. More information can be found on her blog at www. redbirdmemoirhpeters. blogspot.com.
tant specializing in government and tax with the Westmoreland County Housing Authority in Greensburg.
Julie Platt, C’02, has com-
pleted a Ph.D. in rhetoric and composition at Michigan State University. Platt, who also holds an M.A. in English from Ohio University and an M.F.A. in poetry from Bowling Green State University, is currently assistant professor of English and director of the Writing Center and of composition at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
Mandy Welty Zalich, C’02, has
2000s Melissa Devich Cochran, C’00,
was elected a shareholder at Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin. She joined this firm in 2005 and primarily focuses her practice on toxic tort litigation and also handles general liability cases. She has been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer Rising Star for the past two years, and is a member of the Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Bar Associations. Cochran received a J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law.
Rachel (Bauer) Fritz, C’02,
received a Volunteer Service Award from the Southwestern Chapter of Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She is an accoun-
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been selected as a 2014 Business Women First Honoree by The Pittsburgh Business Times. She is the executive director of CASA of Westmoreland, an organization that looks out for the needs of the abused and neglected children in the County. She was nominated for the award by CASA of Westmoreland Board president, Keith Davis. Congratulations to Jeffrie Mallory, C’06, G’13, who has accepted the position of director of multicultural affairs at Duquesne University. Jeff has been serving Saint Vincent Col-
Volunteer!
Volunteer to help our Alumni Recruitment Network spread the word about Saint Vincent. For information call Mary Ann Dunlap at 724-805-2568 or email: alumni@stvincent.edu. summer 2014
lege as coordinator of campus and multicultural student life and as assistant men’s basketball coach.
Deaths
Births
Samuel A. Folby, Sr., P’38, on
January 9.
Jennifer Sopko, C’04, is a free-
Rev. Ignatius J. Smith, O.S.B., P’44, died on April 27, 2014.
lance writer and announces the release of her first book, Ligonier Valley Vignettes: Tales from the Laurel Highlands. Her website is http://jennifersopko. wordpress.com.
John F. Brennan, P’46, on
February 18.
Joseph S. Schuchert, P’46, on
March 5.
Mollie R. Luginski, C’08, rep-
resented Saint Vincent College at the Inauguration of Bryon L. Grigsby as the sixteenth president of Moravian College and Moravian Theological Seminary on Saturday, April 12.
Jennifer Potonia, D.O., C’08,
graduated in June of 2012 from the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine with her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree and also earned the “Dedication to Primary Care: Pediatrics” award. She is a senior resident at the Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas. Upon graduation in June of 2015, she plans to practice general pediatrics.
Colton Samuel to Nathan Novotney,C’95, and Theresa (Brenkus) Novotney, C’96, on February 24. He joins Brennen, 11; Justin, 9 and Gianna 7.
Peter Henry Schenck to Tara Kauffelt Schenck, C’08, and her husband Martin Schenck, C’07, on December 25.
Deaths: Faculty
Father Remigius Kozak, P’46, C 50, on December 18. John E. Pelar, C’51, on September 27.
Thomas F. O’Connell, P’52, on August 11, 2011.
Eugene F. Citrone, P’54, C58, on January 12.
Jacob G. “Sonny” Farrah, C’57, on June 9. Arthur E. Rullo, C’57, on March 11.
John Rakaczky, C’58, on December 20.
Joseph E. Stas, C’58, on April
20.
2010s Johnathan D. Nobles, C’10,
“D2 Johnny Nobles” has been selected for the 2014 ADEAGies Foundation/AADR Academic Dental Careers Fellowship Program (ADCFP).
Anna Marie to Jason Winters, C’04, and his wife, Dana (Puglisi) Winters, C’06, on February 7. She joins big sister, Clare.
Aaron Smetanka, C’12,
recently signed with the Erie Explosion, Pro Indoor Football team training camp in Erie for the 2014 season.
Updates Send your address updates, engagement, marriage, birth and alumni news and photos to Mary Ann Dunlap at 724-805-2568 or email: alumni@stvincent.edu.
Madelyn Olivia to Matthew Duran, C’06 and his wife, Melissa, on July 28. She is the couple’s first child.
Saint Vincent Magazine
Michael Koff, who taught
a number of courses as an adjunct professor and temporary full-time faculty member in the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government, died March 22 in Wilmington, North Carolina. He was 68. Koff spent his career in public relations, starting at U.S. Steel. He later was a founding principal partner of St. George Group, an advertising, public relations and marketing firm in Pittsburgh. He took a job with Sony in 1995 and worked there until retiring in 2009. He served in the Army during the Vietnam era, when he was stationed in Germany. He is survived by his wife, Holly Trimpey Koff, his son, Army Spc. Alexander Koff of Fort Hood, Texas, and daughter Madelyn Koff, a student at Duquesne University.
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Michael F. Coghlan, P’59, on January 16.
Rev. Thomas Ploude, C’60, S’64, on December 30. Raymond J. Blair, Jr., C’63, on March 11.
Edmund H. Schwartzel, Ph.D., C’65, on October 27. Ernie Lamberski, C’72, on November 23.
Michael W. Bernacki, C’74, on
March 19.
Abram Sorek, C14, 23, of Erie, on Saturday, April 13.
Condolences James Karg, P’47, on the loss
of his wife, Joanne Karg, on July 13. They would have been married 60 years in September.
summer 2014
Rev. Noel H. Rothrauff, O.S.B., P’45, C’50, S’54, on the loss of
his sister, Jane Louise (Rothrauff) Downing, on January 20 and his brother-in-law, John Raphael Downing on February 16.
Engagements Dr. Julie Platt, C’02, to Dr. Phill
Orioles game with the couple’s family members in attendance. An August wedding is planned.
Justin L. Honkus, C’09, and Melissa A. Meglen, C’10, on
February 22 at Saint Vincent Basilica with Father Thomas Hart, O.S.B., S’88, as celebrant.
Carl D. Burlas, C’55; Henry Fajt, C’69; Daniel J. Fajt, C75; and Gregory C. Fajt, C’77 on
Father Anthony Burlas, O.S.B., C’50, S’58, on April 1. Charles R. Delfino, C’58, on
the loss of his wife, Mable Delfino, on October 2, 2012.
Joseph F. Sinkey, Jr., Ph.D., C’66, on the loss of his sister, Bar-
Sarah C. Coulson, C’10, and Ken Landis on September 28 at Saint Vincent Basilica with
couple is planning a May wedding at Christ Prince of Peace Parish and will reside in Ford City.
Amy Macharyas, C’07, to Chris-
bara Sinkey Derek on January 7.
Patrick R. Boccardi, C’72, on
Jennifer Potonia, D.O., C’08,
Joseph M. Tauber, C’78, on the loss of his wife, Kathryn Ann Orndorff-Tauber, SHU, on March 23.
Father Thomas Hart, O.S.B., S’88, as celebrant.
Katherine “Katie” Couknas, C’05, to Andrew Tylinski. The
topher Varade. They will be married in September in Mount Pleasant.
the loss of his mother, Della Boccardi on February 18.
to Nicholas Bradford. The couple will be married at Saint Bonaventure Parish in Glenshaw on September 12, 2015.
Aubree Smeltz, C’09, to Andrew Churilla, C’09. They will
exchange marriage vows on August 30 at Mount Saint Peter Church, New Kensington.
Sarah Cushey, C’10, to Sean Kreefer. The wedding will be held on November 8 at Saint Alphonsus Church in McDonald.
death of his father-in-law, Joseph J. Menarchek, on January 17.
and father-in-law, respectively, Arthur E. Rullo, C’57, on March 11.
Kenneth Stas, C’86; Sandra (Stas) Fenton, G’14; Daniel Vasinko, C’12; Jocelyn Stas, C 16; Nicholas Stas, C70; Stephen Stas, Jr., C71; Mary Ann (Stas) Dunlap, C’12; Jamie Dunlap, C’06; Sherrie Dunlap, C’09; Marie (Holnaider) Peoples, C06; Patrick Mendus, C’12; and Hannah Truong, C16, on the loss of their father,
grandfather, uncle, and greatuncle, respectively, Joseph E. Stas, C’58, on April 20.
Tessa Winkler, C’08, to Timothy McKenzie, C’08. A May 24
Jonathan M. McMahon, C’10, and Danielle E. Kist, C’12, on
October 26 at Saint Vincent Basilica. Alumni in the wedding included best man Michael Simone, C’11, and bridesmaid
Nicole Vallano, C’11.
Alyssa S. Hennessy, C’12, and Jackson R. Goetz, C’12,
on February 8 at Saint Vincent Basilica with celebrant Father
Maximilian Maxwell, O.S.B., C’07, S’14. Concelebrants were Father Shawn Matthew Anderson, O.S.B., S’07, and Deacon Brother John Paul Heiser, O.S.B., S’14.
George Fetkovich, C’80, on the
Arthur J. Rullo, C’80; Vincent Rullo, C’81; Joseph Rullo, C’83; Dr. William Rullo, C’86 and Dr. Gerald Loyacona, C’82, on the loss of their father
Diane Smith, C’90, and Brian Sparks on April 1.
Alexander.
Frank Ceraso, C’50, on the loss of his wife, Rita Ceraso on January 14.
the loss of his brother and their uncle, respectively, Philip M. Burlas (twin brother of the late
Marriages
Judy Spelz, C’10, G’12, to Carl Haas, the couple will be married on January 10, 2015.
wedding was held.
Caitlyn Hoffmann, C’09, to
Scott Slembecke. The proposal was on July 14 before an
Saint Vincent Magazine
Natalie Schade, C’12, to Matthew Brockway, C’10. The
wedding will take place on July 5 at Saint Vincent Basilica.
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Jonathan Petrie, C’05, and Jessica Harbison were married in October. summer 2014
Brigi Janik, C’09, and Dan Slough, C06, were married on August 10. Several generations of alumni, family and friends attended the wedding. They include: front, from left: Mary Ellen Baverso, C’10; Lauren Gates, C’10; Alicia Andring, C’10; Brigi (Janik) Slough, C’09; Adam Mazza, C’10; Jeremy Sawyer, C10. Second row, from left: Jason Brinker, C’10; Jessica Drost, C’09; Katie (Chirdon) Jackson, C’09; Katie (Torba) Chan, C’09; Kristen (Chamberlain) Pastura, C’09; Jacqueline M. Fajt, C’05; Jennifer Cobb, C’04; Tim Oxenreiter, C15; Rev. Vincent Zidek, O.S.B., C’85, S’91. Row three, from left: Aubrey Diethorn Swisher, C’09; Anthony Duco, C’08; Celine (Haas) Brudnok, C’90; Erin Deely, C’09; Loretta (Fajt) Janik, C’89; Karen (Fajt) Hauser, C’02; John Dennis Fajt, C’70; Matthew Fajt, C’98. Row four, from left: Janice (Guzik) Wasson, C’96; Jerry Guzik, C’75; Steve Janik, C15, George Janik, C’71; Dan Slough, C’10; Francis Tandarich, C’71; Terry Tandarich, C’73; Regis Tandarich, C’77; Tom Dressman, C’07; Robert Dressman, C’09. Very back: Mike Palcsey, C’08, G’12.
Christine Bullock Reisz, C’11, and Joshua Reisz, C’11, were married June 21, 2013 at Phipps Conservatory. The reception was at the Greensburg Country Club. Pictured are, front, from left, Alexander Crist, C’11; Zak Kupec, C’10; Kellyn McNulty, C’11; Gloria Bullock, C’13; Rebecca Fraser, C’11; Brittany Fidazzo, C’11; Sara Kamarchik, C’11; Jeffrey Bugajski, C’11. Back, from left, are Michael Palcsey, C’08, G’12; Todd Bullock, C’87; Robert DePasquale, C’75, Leah Delmar, C’11; Paul Whiteside, C’82; Christine (Bullock) Reisz, C’11; Joshua Reisz, C’11; Jeremy Smith, C’11; Christa Lorenchick, C’11; Julie (Kupec) Shannon, C’11; Daniel Soltesz, C’07; and Ashley Lemming, C’11. Not pictured but also attending were Doreen Blandino, Chair, Department of Modern and Classical Languages and professor of French and Spanish; and Kari Manges (Amond), C’00, G’04.
Neil Amina, C’04, and Heather Schroeder on September 7. From left are Victor A. Snyder, Jr., C’00, G’07; Ankur Patel; Steven P. Genard, C’04; Ravi Amina; Alex Simon, the bride’s son; Patrick A. Intrepido, C’03; groom Neil Amina;
Christopher Armstrong, C’09, to Sarah Bendzsuk on September 21, in the Saint Vincent Basilica. Officiating was Father Nicholas M. Mastrangelo, with Deacon Donald Pepe.
Saint Vincent Magazine
bride Heather Schroeder Amina; Kelly Sackett;
Thea Snyder, C’05; Kim Genard, C’05; Marina
Perrotta; Neena Amina.
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summer 2014
ear Alumni and Friends, Please give to the Annual Fund. The Annual Fund provides critical support for students who would not be able to attend Saint Vincent without your help. Your gift will change a life. To talk about the tax advantages of your gift plan, please call Anthony Cancro at 724-805-2948 or email anthony.cancro@stvincent.edu.
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