a publication for alumni and friends of Southern Connecticut State University
ALUMNI MAGAZINE | Winter | 11
FEATURED INSIDE:
2010 CHARITABLE GIVING REPORT
Southern
ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Winter | 11 features Survivor and Savior
10
Daniel Ndamwizeye lost four members of his family during the Rwandan genocide. Today the successful Southern student and upcoming entrepreneur has carved out a new life in the U.S. — and has set his sights on helping other orphans succeed.
Small Wonder
Homecoming and Family Day 2010
22
Coming from near and far in record numbers, alumni reminisced and reconnected with Southern.
14
Southern is the home base for the new Connecticut State University System Center for Nanotechnology. Next on the horizon? A graduate certificate program in nanotechnology — the study and manipulation of matter on the nanoscale level.
16
37
Family Legacies: Changing Lives through Education
PHOTO: Katelyn Grey and
Todd Schwendemann
One has parlayed eight years of active military service into a rewarding career in educational leadership. Another helms a family business that serves aerospace industry leaders, including the Department of Defense, NASA, Sikorsky Aircraft, and Boeing. Meet the recipients of the 2010 Distinguished and Outstanding Alumni Awards.
departments
The Fantastic Five
2010 Charitable Giving Report
From the President
inside cover
Campus News
2
24 Alumni News 26 Nostalgia
Alumni Notes
30
Southern Events
36
Campus
NEWS New Deans on Board
n
S
Western’s Department of
public and private school
Center for Computational
new deans to the Schools
Management in the busi-
districts across the United
Biomedicine Imaging and
of Business, Education, and
ness school, following a
States and abroad. A for-
Modeling at Rutgers. Her
Graduate Studies.
seven-year term as an
mer president of the
academic experience
outhern has made
College of the Bahamas.
years, developing partner-
Resource Economics and
three key academic
Durnin also chaired
ships with more than 30
an associate director of the
appointments, naming
assistant professor of man-
Texas Association for the
includes an associate
agement at Southern.
Improvement of Reading, he
deanship at the Rutgers
is also a widely published
School of Engineering, and
author of children’s books.
assistant professorships in the institution’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the School of Communication, Information, and Library Studies.
n
World Views Southern is one of
Dean Ellen Durnin
only 32 institutions of high-
Ellen Durnin, the new dean of the School of Business, comes to
er learning chosen by the Dean Michael Sampson
Association of American
Michael Sampson,
Colleges and Universities Dean Holly Crawford
Southern from Western
the newly named dean of
Connecticut State University,
the School of Education,
where she served as dean
was most recently at the
’84, M.S. ’94, the new dean
Global Century,” a national
of Graduate Studies and
University of South Florida,
of the School of Graduate
project focused on infusing
External Programs. She
where he was the coordi-
Studies, developed and
global learning into the
played an integral role in
nator of Reading Education
oversaw the Office of
general education curricu-
developing a range of grad-
and chairman of the
Research at Rutgers
lum. Southern was select-
uate-level programs,
Graduate Council.
University. As associate
ed out of a pool of more
including Western’s Ed.D.
Previously, he served at
dean for research, she led
than 140 institutions that
in instructional leadership
Texas A&M University as
an office responsible for all
applied to be part of the
and the proposed collabo-
doctoral programs director,
external competitive grant
project, which is funded by
rative Ed.D. in nursing with
overseeing an Ed.D. in cur-
activities — a $40 million
the Henry Luce Foundation.
Holly Crawford,
(AAC&U) to participate in “General Education for a
Southern. In earlier roles
riculum and instruction and
portfolio — for the School
with Western, she served
a Ph.D. in reading. He also
of Environmental and
tion in the global learning
as dean of the first
headed the institution’s
Biological Sciences and
initiative is in step with the
Connecticut State University
Department of Elementary
several affiliated programs.
university’s strategic plan,
System extension campus
Education. Sampson was
Crawford also has been an
which includes as one of
Southern’s participa-
at Waterbury and managed
executive director of the
associate research profes-
12 overarching goals
the university’s first overseas
International Institute of
sor in the Department of
preparing students and
graduate program at the
Literacy Learning for 20
Agriculture, Food, and
2 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
continues on page 4
Professor of Sociology Shirley Jackson
A Southern Contribution: Founded the Ethnic Studies minor in 2003. Serves as co-coordinator of the program with Associate Professor of History Julian Madison.
Recent Accolades: Named Woman of the Year by the State of Connecticut African-American Affairs Commission.
Research Specializations: Race/ethnicity, gender, and social movements. Conducted research on race/skin color and class in Cuba, the United States, and Brazil. African American women’s organizations are another area of interest.
Community Minded: An extremely active volunteer with numerous organizations, including but not limited to, New Haven Home Recovery, the United Way of Greater New Haven, and the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.
Winter 2011 | 3
Campus
NEWS Five members of the Southern
faculty for life and work in a global society. Working toward that end, last
community will participate in the
spring Provost Selase Williams con-
national initiative: Polly Beals, director
vened a Global Education Planning
of the Liberal Education Program;
Council at Southern charged with
Bonnie Farley-Lucas, director of Faculty
preparing long-range plans to help stu-
Development and the Curriculum
dents become “competent citizens and
Development Program; Marianne
leaders of our global society.”
Kennedy, associate vice president for
As part of the AAC&U’s initiative,
assessment, planning, and academic
Southern will help lead a high-profile
programs; Sobeira Latorre, assistant
national effort to:
professor of Spanish and associate
• determine essential global
coordinator of study abroad; and Patrick Heidkamp (team leader), assistant professor of
learning outcomes for all students,
geography and chairman of Southern’s Global Education
• refine and share models of global general educa-
Planning Council.
tion curricula that can be adapted by institutions, • provide faculty development opportunities, and
More information can be found at: www.aacu.org/SharedFutures/ global_century.
• develop ways to assess global learning.
s 11,964
outhern’s enrollment climbed for the third consecutive year in fall 2010 to students, including those who are attending full- and part-time.
A
total of
947
new students transferred to Southern from other
colleges and universities last fall — an all-time high and a increase over the previous year.
F
13.7%
ull-time enrollment also increased: the number of full-time undergraduate students climbed to 7,494; the number of full-time students overall (undergraduate and graduate) rose to
8,494
R
students.
etention rates have improved as well. More than
67%
of students
who began at Southern as full-time freshman in the fall of 2008 have continued to take classes — an all-time high since records of retention rates began to be kept two decades ago.
T (FYE)
he improved retention rate is being credited, in part, to the First-Year Experience program. First implemented in 2007, FYE is designed to help
improve students’ chances of academic success.
4 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
n
Southern Goes Solar
Students make use of a new solarpowered BigBelly trash compactor.
Southern has installed two solar-powered, cordless trash compactors on campus, furthering the university’s demonstrated commitment to environmental responsibility. The units — dubbed BigBelly trash compactors — are located outside of the Michael J. Adanti Student Center and Engleman Hall. “The capacity of the unit is five times greater than an ordinary trash receptacle and will reduce the number of
annual collection trips, operating costs, and greenhouse emissions,” says Robert G. Sheeley, associate vice president The Class of 2010 graduated in environmentally
for capital budgeting and facilities operations.
friendly caps and gowns that were made from 100 percent
Although each unit has a battery as a backup energy
post-consumer plastic. Approximately 23 bottles were
source, the compactors’ solar panels are designed to effec-
used to create each gown. The “green” garb — which was
tively absorb energy from the sun even on overcast days.
colored traditional black — cost only $1 more than the
“The trash compactor also has the ability to store energy, so
non-recycled caps and gowns.
it would have to be incredibly dark out for an extended period of time for the battery to kick in,” says Heather Stearns, Southern’s recycling coordinator. A recycling bin connected to the unit furthers conservation efforts.
PHOTO: Graham Hebel
n
Going Bats for Flying Mammals Forget the dreaded vampire connection. When it
comes to bats, reality is vastly different from mythology, according to Miranda Dunbar, assistant professor of biology and Southern’s resident bat expert. “There are many myths about bats,” Dunbar says,
During 2009-10, Southern recycled 24.69 tons of bottles, cans, and plastic. The university recycled almost 96 tons of cardboard during the same period.
“probably due to a combination of folklore and the fact that bats are nocturnal and we don’t know much about them. It’s human nature to be afraid of what we don’t know and can’t see. But the truth is that the bat is actually one of the good guys.” Dunbar says one of the most commonly held beliefs
Southern operates The Swap Shop, where faculty and staff can exchange no longer needed office supplies for needed items — saving money and resources. In 2011 Southern’s recycling program will go
about bats is that they suck people’s blood. “There are only a few species of bat that consume blood at all — none of which are regularly found in the United States or Canada,” she says. “And even among the species that do
“single-stream,” meaning that paper, plastic, glass,
feed on blood, such as the vam-
and cans will be able to go in the same bins.
pire bat, they prefer livestock.”
continues The big brown bat lives throughout the United States and can be seen frequently in Connecticut during the summer months. Winter 2011 | 5
Campus
NEWS She notes that rather than sucking the
the blood from clotting,”
says. “But once I did it, I
Dunbar says. “Scientists are
knew that I wanted to
MYTH: Bats are dirty animals that often spread rabies.
blood of their hosts, these
looking to see if this sub-
study bats in the future. I
bats actually make a pin
stance can have a medici-
just think that pound for
actually very clean, fre-
prick with their “buck
nal use in humans.”
pound, they are one of the
quently giving themselves,
most interesting types of
or their young, tongue baths. While many animals
teeth,” and lap up the
Dunbar first began
Dunbar: Bats are
blood similar to a dog lick-
researching bats when she
animal, especially since the
ing someone. “In fact, the
was an undergraduate at
many species of bats vary
are capable of spreading
saliva of these bats has an
the University of Illinois at
in so many different ways.”
rabies, the risk of getting it
anti-coagulant to prevent
Springfield. “I was assigned
Following, Dunbar
from bats is relatively low.
a project about bats and
clarifies some misconcep-
There is a much higher
like many students would
tions about the much-
chance of getting rabies
be, I was reluctant,” she
maligned mammal:
from raccoons, rats, foxes, or dogs. When a bat does get rabies, it dies relatively soon, often within a week. It doesn’t hang around very long to spread the disease.
MYTH: Bats are blind, at least during the day.
Dunbar: Most have small eyes and don’t have great vision, but they can see, even during the day. Some tropical species actually have vision that’s quite good.
MYTH: Other than eating some insects, the bat contributes little to the ecosystem.
Dunbar: First, bats actually eat a tremendous amount of insects. It’s not unusual for them to eat their own weight in bugs during the course of an evening. Bats are also the primary pollinators and [LEFT] The eastern red bat is generally found in the eastern two-thirds of the United States, as well as southern Canada and northern Mexico. [BELOW] Assistant Professor of Biology Miranda Dunbar shows the skeleton of a tropical fruit bat. 6 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
seed dispersers for many tropical fruits.
interest. At the same time, this degree will have more practical uses than in the past for individuals in many other fields — such as translation, journalism, anthropology, business, and foreign service.” The Department of World Languages and Literatures has expanded its course offerings at the bachelor’s degree level as well. Southern offered the study of Hebrew for the first time this fall, bringing the number of languages Elena Schmitt, chairwoman of the World Languages and Literatures Department
taught at the university to eleven. These include:
n
New Graduate Offering
including literature, film,
The Department of
Previously, most of the
faith, art, and theater.
World Languages and
courses were centered
Literatures has launched a
almost exclusively on litera-
redesigned Master of Arts
ture. A capstone project is
in Romance Languages —
also required with students
with course offerings in
choosing from three options
French, Italian, and
— a comprehensive exam,
Spanish. The new program requires a series of four
thesis, or special project. Elena Schmitt, chair-
Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portugese, Russian, and Spanish.
n
Faculty Honored
STAFF Patrick Dilger, Director of Public Affairs Villia Struyk, Editor Mary Pat Caputo, Associate Editor Michael Kobylanski, Sports Editor Marylou Conley, ’83, Art Director Isabel Chenoweth, Photographer Alisha Martindale, Assistant Photographer Nancy Ronne, Development Editor Charlie Davison, Alumni Notes Editor ALUMNI RELATIONS OFFICE Michelle R. Johnston, Director of Alumni Relations (203) 392-6500 EDITORIAL OFFICE Southern Connecticut State University Office of Public Affairs/ Southern Alumni Magazine 501 Crescent Street New Haven, CT 06515-1355 Telephone (203) 392-6591; fax (203) 392-6597 E-mail address: StruykV1@SouthernCT.edu University Web site: www.SouthernCT.edu Printed by The Lane Press, Inc.
was installed as a Connecticut State
which all students must
Languages and Literatures
take in English, and a
Department, comments:
awarded to outstanding
series of six electives in the
“We anticipate that most of
faculty members of the
language or languages of a
our students will be cur-
Connecticut State
rent or aspiring world lan-
University System, which
guage teachers in
in addition to Southern,
from 35 new and
Connecticut and our pro-
includes Central, Eastern,
redesigned electives —
gram will help them to
and Western Connecticut
many of them focusing on
become more knowledge-
State universities. Since
various aspects of the
able about and more
the 1970s, Mazur has sus-
Hispanic-, Italian-, and
involved in the languages
tained an active program
French-speaking cultures,
and cultures that stir their
of laboratory research in
Students can chose
Dr. Stanley F. Battle, Interim President
Psychology
University Professor, a title
student’s concentration.
| ALUMNI MAGAZINE | VOL 9 • NO 1
Professor James E. Mazur
woman of the World
common core courses,
Southern
Southern Alumni Magazine is published by the university in cooperation with the SCSU Alumni Association three times a year and distributed free of charge to alumni and friends of the university. Opinions expressed in Southern Alumni Magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the university or of the SCSU Alumni Association. Although the editors have made every reasonable effort to be factually accurate, no responsibility is assumed for errors. Postage paid at Burlington, Vt. Southern Connecticut State University, in compliance with federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices, or procedures. This includes, but is not limited to, admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services.
Winter 2011 | 7
Campus
NEWS sport shorts the area of behavioral psy-
He joins
field hockey
chology. He has published
professors
45 articles on the topic in
Vivian Shipley
top-tier, peer-referenced
(English) and
second-team All American
journals — and has
Joseph Solodow
by the National Field Hockey Coaches Assoc.
Senior midfielder Ann Farrier was named a
received grants in support
(world lan-
of his research from the
guages and
National Institutes of
literatures) in
Mental Health for 24 con-
being named to
Northeast-10 Conference
secutive years. He also
this prestigious
post-season honors:
published a textbook,
appointment.
Farrier was named to the
“Learning and Behavior,”
Three members of the team also earned
English
first team, Dieny Charlot
which has gone into its
Professor Brian
sixth edition and has been
Johnson was
oree, and freshman Sarah
translated into German
named the
Cebry was named to the
and Japanese. It has been
2010 recipient
all-rookie team.
among the top three best-
of the Faculty
selling textbooks on learn-
Scholar Award
ing and conditioning in
in recognition
the country for more than
of his book,
two decades.
“Torch Lake &
was a second-team hon-
English Professor Brian Johnson
Other Poems” (Del Sol Press, 2008). “Torch Lake,” Johnson’s first full-length poetry collection, was a finalist for the Poetry Society of America’s Norma Farber First Book Award,
Ann Farrier
one of the most prestigious awards in
Psychology Professor James E. Mazur 8 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
men’s cross country Congratulations to
American poetry.
senior Joseph Poulsen
A widely pub-
and sophomore Paul
lished author,
Ryskowski, who were
Johnson is the
named to the East All-
editor of
Region Team by the United
Sentence: A
States Track and Field and
Journal of Prose
Cross Country Coaches
Poetics.
Association.
Meet South Student Athern’s lete
women’s cross country Junior Alasia Griebel
second round of the NCAA tournament. women’s soccer
was named to the East AllRegion Team by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Assoc. She finished second overall at the NCAA East Regional Championships with a time of 22:37. men’s soccer
Paul Templeton
For the second consecutive year, the women’s soccer team has earned the National Soccer Coaches of America Team Academic Award. In order to qualify
Junior Soccer Team (Midfielder, Co-captain) Physical Education Major
for the award, a team must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. Three members of
Senior Victor
Hails From: Saltcoats, Scotland The Start: Began playing soccer at the age of three
Hernandez and junior Paul
the team also were hon-
Templeton were named to
ored by the New England
the Daktronics All-Region
Women’s Intercollegiate
Team. Hernandez was a
Soccer Association: junior
first-team selection and
Jenna Mallico was named
Recent Accolades: 2010 Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year and a First-Team AllConference player. Named to the Daktronics All-Region Second Team, as voted on by the region’s sports information directors.
Templeton was named to
to the first team, while
Family Matters: “My family has always been hugely
the second team. The
senior Katie Didio and
Owls finished the season
freshman Sarah Brochu
with a 14-2-4 win-loss-tie
were selected to the sec-
supportive and has made a lot of sacrifices so I can play soccer,” says Templeton, “and for that I will be eternally grateful.”
record and reached the
ond team.
football Senior defensive lineman Daniel Allen has been named a Daktronics All-Region selection. Allen, who was ranked fourth in the Northeast-10 and first on the team with six sacks this season, was also selected for All-New
Academic Values: Was brought up to be a good student. The family motto: “You will only get out what you put in.” Favorite Soccer Team: Celtic Football Club (from Scotland) Spare Time Sports: Also enjoys golf and tennis
England and All-Northeast-10 Conference honors. He fin-
Hobbies: Plays guitar, sings, and writes songs
ished the year with 37 total tackles.
Favorite Band: Oasis Favorite Food: Steak pie and potatoes, a Scottish tradition After Graduation: Plans to become a physical education teacher. “I always loved PE in school and had a few great teachers who inspired me.” In 10 Years: Hopes to be in America coaching and playing soccer
By Kaitlin Randall, ’11
For more sports news, visit www.SouthernCTOwls.com. Daniel Allen Winter 2011 | 9
continues 10 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Daniel Ndamwizeye lost four members of his family during the Rwandan genocide. Today the successful Southern student and upcoming entrepreneur has carved out a new life in the U.S. — and has set his sights on helping other orphans succeed. By Joan Wells
A
s if he was 5 years old again, Daniel Ndamwizeye, 21, can still hear the screams of his mother as she was beaten to death, a victim of the 1994 Rwandan genocide that also claimed the lives of his father and two of his sisters. Minutes before she was murdered outside of a church where several members of the family had sought refuge from machete- and gun-wielding Hutus, Ndamwizeye held his mother’s hand — and felt all the security that personal touch brings. “It’s the memory that flashes back like it happened yesterday,” Ndamwizeye says of his mother’s slaying. “I never understood the whole thing and I still don’t understand. . . . Sometimes I ask- myself why I was saved, and I never get to an answer. It’s just that God saved me from that place, because they could have killed me.” continues Winter 2011 | 11
O
ver the course of about 100 days, beginning with the assassination of Rwanda President Juvénal Habyarimana on April 6, 1994, at least 800,000 Rwandan people — Tutsis and Hutu political moderates — were massacred by tens of thousands of Rwanda’s radical Hutus. Ndamwizeye’s family was caught up in the horror. Radicals told Daniel’s father, a Hutu, to kill his wife, a Tutsi, and his children. He refused. Ndamwizeye learned that he was killed when the radicals burned down the family’s home.
Ndamwizeye also was told that his two sisters were stoned to death when they fled the church where their mother was killed. More heartbreak followed for Ndamwizeye, who went on to suffer years of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of relatives charged with his care after his parents’ deaths. But Ndamwizeye is a survivor. Six years ago — after finally being issued a visa — he found his way to the United States where he was reunited with his older sister in Bridgeport, Conn.
Ndamwizeye began to shine soon after arriving at Bassick High School at age 15, despite knowing little English and never having had a positive academic experience. Before long he was captain of the volleyball and cross-country teams, vice president of his senior class, and immersed in fundraising for good causes. In his senior year, Ndamwizeye was chosen “Most Likely to Succeed,”“Teacher’s Pet,” and “Best Dressed,” a sweet accolade for a boy who had been taunted by peers in Rwanda for wearing the same torn, faded-
“America has allowed me to be who I want to be. I have a reason to be miserable, but I choose not to be.” — Daniel Ndamwizeye
12 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
green uniform and tattered shoes to school A saying printed on one of his each day. newest T-shirts sums up his philosophy: Determined to earn a college “You are the key to your own success.” degree, Ndamwizeye enrolled at Southern, An entrepreneur at heart, where he’s majoring in business adminisNdamwizeye hopes his T-shirt line, tration with a concentration in finance. He designed at his direction by another spent the summer before his first semester Southern student, Vania Petit-Frere, will in the Summer Educational Opportunity put him on the fashion map. But most Program (SEOP), an initiative designed to important, he hopes any financial success provide students with an academic boost will fund his dream of opening orphanages and prepare them for college life. While he across the globe. says he probably would have done fine His Daniel Trust line of T-shirts is without the extra help, it was a great experidesigned to “inspire through art and ence for adjusting and meeting peers. words,” says Ndamwizeye, who donates 10 “I liked the campus “It just gives me joy area. It reminded me of New York City,” he says of when I see someone Southern’s New Haven locawearing my brand.” tion. “All the people here have — Daniel Ndamwizeye been great and supportive.” Today, he is excelling at Southern percent of sales to his D-Trust Foundation while simultaneously realizing extraordito benefit orphans. The word “Trust” — nary accomplishments outside of the which Ndamwizeye sometimes uses as a classroom. He’s started his own line of surname to simplify situations or for inspirational T-shirts; begun a nonprofit speaking engagements — has special sigfoundation to benefit orphans in lessnificance. Ndamwizeye means, “I trust developed countries; and landed a fullhim” in Kinyarwanda, one of Rwanda’s time position in his field at TD Bank. A official languages. junior with a full-time course load, he In January, during the winter acacompletes his classes before donning a suit demic break, Ndamwizeye traveled to Portand briefcase for work. He recently was au-Prince, Haiti, to volunteer at an orphanpromoted to the position of financial servage run by Child Hope International. ices representative. He plans to continue focusing his Ndamwizeye also recently became efforts on assisting orphans in less-devela United States citizen. “It was a great expeoped countries, where he feels the need rience for me because I feel I’ve learned so is greatest. much here. America has allowed me to be Although he’s drawn significantly who I want to be,” Ndamwizeye says. “I on his own inner strength to excel, have a reason to be miserable, but I choose Ndamwizeye says he’s had help along the not to be.” way, especially through scholarships that
.
The 1994 Rwandan Genocide Over the co urse from April 6 to
. . . . . .
of 100 days
—
July 16, 2004
— 800,000 to 1 million Tuts is and some moder ate Hutus w ere slaughtered. Some report s estimate the number to be close to 2 million. There are be tween 300,00 0 and 400,000 surv ivors of the genocide. There are al most 50,000 widows of the geno cide.
Nearly 100,00 0
survivors ar e between the ages of 14 an d 21.
About 75,000 survivors wer e orphaned as a result of the genocide .
Of those who
survived, mor e than half of the ch ildren stoppe d their schooling be cause of po verty.
.
Between 25 0,000 and 50 0,000 women wer e raped durin g the 100 days of genocide. U p to 20,000 children wer e born to th ese women as a result of rape.
More than 67 percent of w omen who were ra ped during the genocide were infected with the AID S virus.
Source: Survivor s Fund
have funded his education at Southern. One of those sources is the Stewardship Foundation, which provides college scholarships to orphans and young adults from foster and out-of-home care environments who were never adopted. The nonprofit organization’s founder and executive director, Marlon M. Quan, is a successful busicontinues on page 35
[PAGE 10] Daniel Ndamwizeye shares treasured photos of family members who were killed during the Rwandan genocide. [LEFT] Ndamwizeye and friends model t-shirts from his fashion collection. Winter 2011 | 13
By Natalie Missakian
T
hink about how computers have transformed our lives in the last quarter of a century. Now throw in the invention of plastics and advances in medical imaging and you might just begin to imagine the profound impact nanotechnology is expected to have on our future. “Nanotechnology is predicted to do more than all of those combined in the next 100 years,” says Christine Broadbridge, chairwoman of the Physics Department. “Some of the applications are out there already, but there are going to be many more in the future.”
14 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
The center will include specialized equipment, including a state-of-theart scanning electron microscope, which uses electrons to image materials on the atomic scale. “It’s exciting because we’re getting in on this when it’s relatively early,” says Broadbridge, who will serve as director of the new center. “It has a growing potential for jobs in Connecticut and even beyond Connecticut.” The National Science Foundation estimates that 2 million workers will be needed to support nanotechnology industries worldwide within the next 15 years. The potential applications are far-reaching, impacting such diverse fields as medicine, engineering, and the arts.
With the help of a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, Southern and the Connecticut State University System (CSUS) are poised to be at the forefront of this new frontier in science with the creation of Connecticut’s first-ever research center devoted solely to nanotechnology, the study and manipulation of matter on the nanoscale, which ranges from 1 to 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. DNA, for instance, measures about 2.5 nanometers in diameter, while a sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick. Scientists have found that materials [FROM TOP] Close. Closer. Closest. 1 Highly ordered pyrolytic behave differently at this level, exhibiting graphite (HOPG), photographed new and interesting properties. with a traditional camera, is used in atomic force microscopy. In step with the launch of the 2 An image of gold nanopartiCenter for Nanotechnology is the estab- cles on an HOPG surface as seen through an atomic force lishment of a new graduate certificate microscope. 3 A zoomed-in view of the preprogram in the field set to begin at the vious image shows a few gold nanoparticles, ranging in size four universities — Southern, Central, from 20 nanometers to 100 Eastern, and Western Connecticut State nanometers. How small is this? A nanometer is one-billionth of universities — in the fall of 2012. The a meter. A sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick first nanotechnology graduate course and one inch measures will be offered at Southern this summer. 25,400,000 nanometers.
1 2
3
[PHOTOS 2 AND 3] Created at Southern by Assistant Professor of Physics Todd Schwendemann and student Katelyn Grey
Southern is the home base for the new Connecticut State University System Center for Nanotechnology. Next on the horizon? A graduate certificate program in nanotechology.
For example, Broadbridge says, paints are being developed that mimic the way colors are created in nature. Using nanotechnology, scientists are able to see how the nanostructure of a bird’s feathers creates its intense blue hue. Nanotechnology is also being used to produce new medicines and improved medical imaging tools, more durable building materials for infrastructure, and energy-efficient power sources like fuel cells, batteries, and solar panels. Broadbridge says Southern was chosen to house the center because the university already has equipment and a faculty with a track record in nanotechnology research. The center will build on the momentum of an existing partnership between Yale University and Southern, which led to the creation of the National Science Foundation-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at Yale/SCSU, where Broadbridge
is education director and senior researcher. As part of that partnership, Southern already has a NanoCharacterization Facility up and running, which provides nanoscale microscopy and microanalysis of the elemental composition of materials. DonnaJean Fredeen, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, says housing the center at Southern is a natural fit, especially given Broadbridge’s credentials in the field. “Dr. Broadbridge has been leading the [Connecticut State University] System’s initiative in the area of nanotechnology and has provided national leadership in the area of material science education,” Fredeen says. The new 12-credit graduate certificate program will offer courses on a variety of topics, such as material characterization; physics and chemistry of nanoscale materials; fabrication techniques;nanoscale appli-
cations; microscopy with emphasis on atomic force; transmission and scanning electron techniques; and applications in nanobiology and nanomedicine. Most will be offered at Southern starting in the fall of 2011. The program will work collaboratively with the new professional science master’s degree program in applied physics at Southern, which has a nanotechnology track. While there are several nanotech graduate certificate programs across the country, including at Lehigh University, University of Pennsylvania, and George Mason University, Broadbridge says Southern’s program is unique because of the collaboration among faculty throughout the state university system. “It truly does bring the Connecticut State University System together,” she says. “We’re providing a resource to the other continues on page 35
[STANDING, FAR RIGHT] Christine Broadbridge, chairwoman of Southern’s Physics Department, helps student Barbara Benardo use an atomic force microscope. Broadbridge has been named director of the new Connecticut State University System Center for Nanotechnology, which will be housed at Southern.
Winter 2011 | 15
& hey share a commitment to excellence — and one or more Southern degrees. On October 15, the university recognized five of its best and brightest as the recipients of the 2010 Distinguished and Outstanding Alumni Awards. The Distinguished Alumnus Award, the highest honor bestowed on a Southern graduate by the university, was presented to David McHale, ’82, executive vice president and chief financial officer of the Northeast Utilities System. In addition, four alumni — one graduate from each of the university’s four undergraduate schools — were presented with Outstanding Alumnus/a Awards. The honorees included Jack L. Perry, ’96, the founder and executive director of Prestige Academy, an all-boys, tuitionfree college preparatory school (School of Arts and Sciences); Richard Meisenheimer, ’76, president and chief executive officer of Spectrum Associates, which serves the aerospace industry (School of Business); Hamlet M. Hernandez, ’85, M.S. ’99, 6th Yr. ’01, superintendent of Branford Public Schools and a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (School of Education); and Teresa A. Cherry-Cruz, M.S. ’86, 6th Yr. ’07, the director of speech, language, and hearing services for Bridgeport Public Schools and founder and executive director of the Teaching Ourselves to Achieve Literacy program (School of Health and Human Services). 16 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Distinguished Alumnus * David McHale, ’82
I
t’s not uncommon for a sports program to influence a student’s choice of colleges. So it was for David McHale,
’82, who as a high school cross country runner, decided to attend Southern. “I fell in love with the indoor track,” says McHale, who ran for the Owls from 1978-81 and remains an avid runner today. Southern’s athletics program may have gotten the young McHale in the door, but it was Professor Emeritus Donald T.
Buck who sparked the competitive runner’s interest in economics. “At some point you realize that you’re not going to be a world-class athlete and you have to pick a path in life,” says McHale, who met Buck in his sophomore year at Southern. McHale completed several independent studies with the professor, who recommended McHale for a plum internship at Northeast Utilities System. McHale worked 20 hours a week at Northeast Utilities during his senior year, conducting economic research and impressing the powers that be. In 1982, with unemployment at a sky-high level, the new graduate was offered a full-time position as a research analyst at the company. He jumped at the opportunity — and build-
But it’s not all about work for
Foundation Board of Directors, and serves
ing on a strong work ethic, steadily climbed
McHale, who went on to earn a graduate
as the organization’s treasurer and as the
the corporate ladder. In 2005 he was pro-
degree from the University of New Haven
chairman of its Finance Committee. The
moted to executive vice president and chief
in 1986 and completed several executive
McHales also support Southern’s student
financial officer (CFO), his current position.
education programs at Stanford University.
athletes by funding scholarships for those
“Typically, people who reach the CFO level
He and his wife, Shannon, also a
who meet high academic standards.
have had other careers,” says McHale. “I
runner, have six children between them —
had a great internship opportunity.”
and in addition to spending time with the
gered a real passion for learning and
family, the hardworking executive is com-
achievement,” says McHale. “It prepared
Today McHale oversees 400 tech-
“My experience at Southern trig-
nology professionals and is responsible for
mitted to community service. To accom-
me to launch right into the workforce and
treasury, accounting, investor relations,
plish it all, McHale rises at 4:15 a.m. and
hit the ground running. To this day, I
financial planning, and more for Northeast
often runs 8-13 miles before work.
Utilities, which operates New England’s
He remains connected to his alma
largest utility system, serving more than 2
mater as well. McHale is a member of the
million customers.
Southern Connecticut State University
remain thankful, involved, and committed to the university.”
By Joan Wells Winter 2011 | 17
Outstanding Alumnus
Jack L. Perry, ’96 * School of Arts and Sciences he fifth, sixth, and seventh graders
T
through eight are slated to attend Prestige.
who attend Prestige Academy — a
All will experience a college preparatory
ship at Southern and was in the midst of
tuition-free, all-boys charter school
environment that includes longer than aver-
earning his advanced degree when he was
in Delaware — will enjoy numerous field
age school days, data-driven instruction,
offered a fellowship in school leadership
trips this year. Among the excursions on
silent hallways, and character education.
from Building Excellent Schools, a nonprof-
the agenda are tours of the University of
Raised in Brooklyn, New York, Perry
doctoral program in educational leader-
it organization based in Boston.
Delaware, Howard University, Morgan State
ironically did not give college much
Perry put his doctorate temporarily
University, and Kutztown University. The
thought as a young man. He was recruited
on hold and immersed himself in studying
message is crystal clear. At a time when
by Southern to play football, played with
successful urban schools, developing plans
about 39 percent of black and Hispanic
the Owls for one year, and became the first
for what would become Prestige Academy.
males graduate from high school in four
in his family to earn a degree — a bachelor
Today, the school is in its third year of opera-
years in Delaware, the boys who attend
of science in sociology. He went on to earn
tion. Recent developments include relocating
Prestige Academy are expected to defy the
a graduate degree in social work from the
the school to a new home and launching its
odds. All are expected to go to college.
University of Connecticut in 2000.
Jack Perry, ’96, the founder and
After graduation, Perry worked
first student athletics teams. And the best is yet to come. Looking forward, Prestige will
executive director of Prestige Academy, is
with children and families as a social
graduate its first class in 2012 — boys pre-
fully committed to helping them achieve
worker and school administrator in the
pared for the academic rigors of high school,
this goal. In 2008, he opened Prestige
public and private sectors — and became
the next step in their journey toward earning
Academy with 103 fifth grade boys. By
convinced that education was the best
a college degree.
2012, about 400 boys in grades five
way to improve lives. He enrolled in the
18 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
By Villia Struyk
Outstanding Alumnus
Richard C. Meisenheimer, Sr., ’76 * School of Business
R
ichard C. Meisenheimer, Sr., ’76,
can’t keep the deer and squirrels
out of his garden, but that’s
about all he hasn’t mastered. Meisenheimer is president and chief executive officer of Spectrum Associates Inc., a successful family business that serves leaders in the aerospace industry, including the Department of Defense, NASA, Sikorsky Aircraft, Boeing, and Bell Helicopter. He also dedicates much of his time to helping young people through the Boy Scouts of America and as a mentor to junior high school students. “In the vast majority of instances, I see them as great kids looking for an outlet and thirsting for information and looking to give back,” he says of the middle school students he mentors. “I tell them be your own person, be willing to do your own homework, and come to your own conclusion,” he says. “If you can be seen as a man of your word, that goes a long way.” It’s a model he’s lived by and carried into the Milford, Connecticut-based business begun in 1957 by his late father, Daniel Meisenheimer, a mechanical engineer. The company makes pressure switches, indicators, and valves for the aerospace industry. Meisenheimer, joined the business right after graduating from Southern. “I like the independence and the
Conn., 18 years ago when his son was 10,
family geneology and coin collecting, a
and continues today as troop leader. An
hobby his grandfather got him started with
responsibility,” he says. “It’s not a job, it’s a
extremely active community volunteer, his
as a youngster. And then there’s the gar-
family. I don’t look at this as a building
outreach efforts also include serving on
den. Meisenheimer is an avid gardener,
with 65 employees. I look at it as a build-
the board of directors of numerous organi-
but says he hasn’t found a fence the deer
ing of 65 family members.”
zations, among them, the Beth El Center in
can’t jump or a way to keep the squirrels
Milford, Conn., and the Alzheimer’s
from eating his tomatoes.
Greatly influenced by his parents and grandparents, Meisenheimer is com-
Association. The latter cause is close to his
mitted to “paying it forward.”
heart since family members have battled
wildlife receive more benefit that I do,” he
the disease and related disorders.
says with a chuckle.
An Eagle Scout and highly decorated volunteer for Boy Scouts of America, he began working with Troop 925 in Orange,
Meisenheimer also finds time for
“I’m not all that successful. The
By Joan Wells
several hobbies, including researching his Winter 2011 | 19
Outstanding Alumnus
Hamlet M. Hernandez, ’85, M.S. ’99, 6th Yr. ’01 * School of Education
W
tion. He ultimately earned three Southern
returned to Connecticut. Today, he and
Branford Superintendent of
degrees: a bachelor of science in political
Sara, a trained clinical social worker, along
Schools Hamlet M.
science, a master of science in reading,
with their two teenagers, Rachel, 16, and
and a sixth year in educational leadership.
Richard, 13, live in North Branford.
hen people hear that
Hernandez, ’85, M.S. ’99, 6th Yr. ’01, is a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S.
After earning his undergraduate
Hernandez taught in Hamden,
Marine Corps Reserve, they sometimes
degree, he joined the Marines Corps
Conn., for many years, rising to the posi-
assume he’ll rule with an iron fist.
Reserve, following in the footsteps of an
tions of principal and then assistant super-
But nothing could be further from the truth for this son of Cuban immigrants.
older brother. “As immigrants, we wanted to give
intendent of schools. In August 2010 he was named superintendent of Branford
His family came to the United States in
something back to the country, so military
Public Schools, which serves over 3,400
1956 just before the revolution when they
service was part of that,” Hernandez says.
students within a community of about
saw the political tides turning. “Sometimes people stereotype you,”
He remained on active duty for eight years — one of his last assignments
28,000 residents. It’s a challenge he relishes and
says Hernandez, who served from 1984 to
was in South America as an adviser — then
one that draws on the training he received
1992. “But in the Marines you’re trained to
decided to pursue the career he truly
in the Marines — including good commu-
synthesize; you’re supposed to have a strong
loved, education.
nication and the ability to leverage limited
character, but you don’t stand alone. You encourage people to give you information.” Hernandez says he came to
In 1992 Hernandez received teacher certification from National University in San Diego where he and his
Southern because it was close to home,
wife, Sara, lived at the time. He taught in
affordable, and offered a top-notch educa-
San Diego until 1994 when the family
20 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
resources. He says it’s more than rhetoric that children are our future. ”They become the decision-makers of our society,” he says.
By Joan Wells
Outstanding Alumna
Teresa A. Cherry-Cruz, M.S. ’86, 6th Yr. ’07 * School of Health and Human Services
I
t takes a village to raise a child — and
university to earn a sixth year diploma in
T.O.T.A.L. program, Robinson cited several
it certainly helps if there’s an experi-
educational leadership in 2007.
new efforts spearheaded by Cherry-Cruz
enced, highly dedicated educator
And lead she does. In September
and her colleagues — a non-graded
leading the way. Consider Teresa A.
2010, Tommie L. Robinson, Jr., the presi-
approach to literacy instruction for young
Cherry-Cruz, M.S. ’86, 6th Yr. ’07, the
dent of the American Speech-Language-
students and a bilingual language labora-
founder and director of the T.O.T.A.L.
Hearing Association, spotlighted Cherry-
tory that rotates among several of the dis-
(Teaching Others to Achieve Literacy) pro-
Cruz in his column to members. The topic?
trict’s schools. A village, indeed.
gram, a literacy-enrichment summer camp.
Leadership. In addition to highlighting the
By Villia Struyk
Each year, T.O.T.A.L. serves children and adolescents from Bridgeport, Conn., who were found to be at risk in the areas of language and reading. A true partnership effort, the initiative draws on the talents of numerous members of the community, including graduate interns from Southern’s Communication Disorders Program, speech-language pathologists, educators, and community and church organizations. T.O.T.A.L. is seen as a model of excellence. In 2004, Cherry-Cruz received the prestigious Louis M. DiCarlo Award for Recent Clinical Achievement from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, which represents over 140,000 constituents. Serving Bridgeport’s children is a year-round mission for Cherry-Cruz, who also is the director of speech, language, and hearing services for Bridgeport Public Schools. Previously, she worked with the Connecticut State Department of Development Services, Cooperative Educational Services (C.E.S) Therapeutic Preschool, and the Stamford Public School System. A firm believer in the importance of education, she earned degrees from Temple University and Fairfield University, as well as two degrees from Southern. In 1987, she earned a M.S. in communication disorders from Southern, allowing her to become a certified licensed speech-language pathologist. She returned to the Winter 2011 | 21
HOMECOMING AND FAMILY DAY 2010: A Look at the Numbers
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22 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
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Winter 2011 | 23
[ABOVE] Students from New Haven State Normal School — Southern’s predecessor — are pictured in 1916.
24 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
I
n the early days, members of the student body had a remarkably similar background — in fact, many hailed from the same town.
New Haven State Normal School “is essentially a girls’ school, but occasionally a young man strays in.” Of the more than 3,600 students who attended the school during Morrill’s 30-year tenure, only seven were males. Geography also played a decid-
Today it’s a whole new ball game.
O
ing factor for many would-be students
n September 11, 1893,
of the normal school, which was then
students reported for their
located in the Skinner School on State
first day of classes at the newly
Street in New Haven. The first class was
established New Haven State
a telling example. With the exception of
Normal School, as Southern was
one student who came from New York,
originally known. The class,
all called Connecticut home. New Haven
which initially numbered 88, quickly lost
was, by far, the most represented city —
three members — one was deemed too
and almost all of the incoming students
young and two were unprepared for the
came from New Haven County.
academic rigors of the program. The remaining students had a lot in common beyond their shared goal of
Fast-forward 118 years. Southern’s current freshman class — pictured below in a display of school spirit
becoming educators. All were women —
— numbers 1,248 students — including
an ongoing trend later noted by Arthur
456 men and 792 women.
B. Morrill, the normal school’s first prin-
The majority of the Class of 2014
cipal. As Morrill commented in 1908, the
is from Connecticut — but much more of the state is represented than in the early years. In all, 148 out of Connecticut’s 169 towns — 88 percent — are represented in the freshman class. Southern attracts outof-state students, as well. Members of the freshman class came to the university from 17 states, among them Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Florida, and Georgia. The class also includes students from Spain and Germany. n
Source: Southern Connecticut State University: A Centennial History by Thomas J. Farnham The Class of 2014 shows their school spirit. Winter 2011 | 25
Alumni
NEWS Dear Fellow Southern Alumni, I am thrilled to have been reelected to serve as the president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, a group dedicated to forwarding the mission of Southern Connecticut State University and the Alumni Association. Composed of 20 elected members, the board unites alumni with classmates and their alma mater, and works diligently to support Southern and its students. Working toward these objectives, the board has several top priorities: • Supporting the staff of the Office of Alumni Relations as they manage day-to-day operations. • Advocating for the university at both the local and state legislative levels. • Educating our fellow alumni and the community on progress occurring at the university. • Providing events, which connect alumni, faculty, staff, and students to their alma mater. Clearly the Alumni Association serves a vital role at Southern, which is why your participation is so important. If you’re not currently a member, I urge you to join or renew your membership by participating in the Annual Giving drive going on now. You may already have received a request. If you have not yet made a gift, you may do so online at www.SouthernCT.edu/supportsouthern/ or by returning the gift envelope enclosed in the magazine. Your support helps to ensure the continuing success of our university and its students. There are several ways to stay connected with Southern. Keep updated on alumni happenings and connect with friends on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/New-Haven-CT/SouthernConnecticut-State-University-Alumni/31207644282. You can also follow us on Twitter: @ SCSU_Alumni. The Office of Alumni Relations also may be reached by phone at (203) 392-6500. The Office of Alumni Relations has been working with the board to increase and enhance programs — from trips, wine tasting, and reunions to local and regional networking opportunities. Alumni Professionals Day will be held on the afternoon of March 9, providing Southern students with the opportunity to meet alumni in a relaxed environment to discuss different careers. Please contact us to volunteer! For those of you who live in the Philadelphia area, a Business After Hours will be held at the Sedgeley Club on April 6. Looking forward to summer, we have planned an Oceania luxury cruise of the Mediterranean and Greek Isles. Special fares are available to alumni, so be sure to book your tickets soon. For more information on these and other future events, check www.SouthernCT.edu/alumni/upcomingevents/. I look forward to an exciting year and would welcome your comments and suggestions. You can reach me at PiscitelliC1@SouthernCT.edu. Thank you for considering making a gift in support of Southern. I hope to see you at one or many of the alumni events this year! Best, Christopher Piscitelli, ’93 President Alumni Association Board of Directors 26 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
n
New Members On Board The Alumni Association Board of Directors welcomes eight new Kathleen A. Bonvicini, ’83, is
members, who will serve until 2013.
Southern, has served as president of
n
the Hamden Chamber of Commerce
the chief executive officer of the Institute for Healthcare Communication,
since 2004. Under her leadership, the
a nonprofit organization committed to
chamber has grown to include over
advancing the quality of healthcare by
400 members. Dudchik is also an
helping physicians and veterinarians
expert in pysanky, the Ukrainian and
communicate more effectively with
Eastern European art of egg decorat-
their clients. Bonvicini is the recipient of
ing. Her work — an egg representing
the 2009 Outstanding Alumna Award
the state of Connecticut — was show-
from Southern’s School of Health and
cased, along with that of other artists from around the country, at the 2008
Human Services, and has written and lectured internationally on the importance of communication training in the
Kathleen A. Bonvicini, ’83
Donald Mitchell, ’57, M.S. ’61
Easter Egg Display in the White House Visitors Center. Newly elected board member,
medical and veterinary fields.
Donald Mitchell, ’57, M.S. ’61, was the
James H. Booth, ’97, who graduated with a degree in political sci-
vice president of his senior class at
ence, is a financial adviser and insur-
Southern and remains a dedicated
ance broker with Booth Financial
supporter of the university. A former
Assoc., a family-run firm based in
teacher and experienced administrator,
Norwalk, Conn. He volunteers with
he and his wife, Mary Ann K. Mitchell,
numerous organizations, including the
’56, established an endowed scholar-
Norwalk Jaycees, St. Matthew’s
ship at Southern, which benefits stu-
James H. Booth, ’97
Daniel J. Myers, ’01
dents who are majoring in education.
Emmaus retreat group, and the
New board member, Daniel J.
Lightfoot Roadrunner’s Club. An avid runner, Booth’s long-term goal is to
Myers, ’01, welcomes the opportunity
complete a marathon in all 50 states.
to strengthen ties with the Southern
Phoebe Donehoo Browning,
community. He comments: “This is a great way to reconnect. I am so grate-
’04, M.B.A. ’05, is the chief financial officer for YourNurseIsOn.com, an
ful for having had such a positive
award-winning communication plat-
undergraduate experience — and this
form for members of the healthcare
allows me to give back.” Myers, who
community, including agencies, nurses, and healthcare providers. She graduated with an undergraduate degree in
Phoebe Donehoo Browning, ’04, M.B.A. ’05
Robert D. Parker, ’76
earned his degree in economics, is a financial adviser and partner of the Moran Myers Group with Morgan
finance and a master’s degree in busi-
Stanley Smith Barney. In addition to
ness administration, and has worked
volunteering with the Alumni
at her own accounting firm since grad-
Association, he was co-chairman of the
uation and as a consultant for small-
national awards dinner for the Walter
to mid-size businesses. Browning also
Camp Football Foundation. Robert D. Parker, ’76, is the
is secretary and treasurer of the board
director of communications for Area
of directors of Targeted Instant
Cooperative Education Services
Communications Inc. Nancy J. Dudchik, ’88, who majored in communication at
Nancy J. Dudchik, ’88
Teresa M. Sirico, ’70, M.S. ’73
(ACES), which serves students in 25 school districts in South Central Winter 2011 | 27
Alumni
NEWS
SCSU Alumni Association Board of Directors
Connecticut. Combining talents as an artist and an educator, he has worked as an art teacher and as the director of ACES Educational Center for the Arts. He has been a board member and adviser to numerous arts agencies, among them the Connecticut Commission for the Arts and the International Festival of Arts and Ideas. Board member Teresa M. Sirico, ’70, M.S. ’73, credits Professor Emeritus of Foreign Languages Marie GarciaAbrines with providing the guidance and support that helped her stay in school and earn her undergraduate degree. “Many people at Southern had a personal interest in their students that went above and beyond how they
Christopher M. Piscitelli, ’93, President Hugh S. Cafferty, ’69, M.S. ’70, 6th Yr. ’76, Vice President William “Doc” A. Holley, ’55, Treasurer Judit Vasmatics Paolini, ’73, M.S. ’79, 6th Yr. ’93, Secretary Michael Roshka, Jr., ’73, M.S. ’79, Past President Kathleen A. Bonvicini, ’83 James H. Booth, ’97 Phoebe Donehoo Browning, ’04, M.B.A. ’05 Nancy A. Charest, ’71, M.S. ’75, 6th Yr. ’77 Kathy Glinka Coyle, ’74, M.S. ’77, 6th Yr. ’81 Nancy J. Dudchik, ’88 Marybeth Heyward Fede, ’79, M.S. ’86 Patricia R. Giulietti, ’76, M.S. ’87 Jerry Katona, ’74, M.S. ’88 Edwin A. Klinkhammer II, ’71, M.S. ’76, 6th Yr. ’92 Mary Fedyn Martinik, ’76, M.S. ’86, 6th Yr. ’99 John F. Mastrianni, ’66, M.S. ’73 Donald G. Mitchell, ’57, M.S. ’61 Daniel J. Myers, ’01 Robert D. Parker, ’76 Teresa M. Sirico, ’70, M.S. ’73
were doing in a particular class,” she says. “They have had a profound impact on their students.” Sirico went on to
estate field. An active member of the Greater New Haven
earn two Southern degrees in political science and later
Association of Realtors, she served as the organization’s
established a scholarship at the university. She is a local
president in 1998 and was honored as Educator of the Year
realtor, educator, and author who specializes in the real
in 1999 and Realtor of the Year in 2004.
Alumni Professionals Day March 9 • 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Philadelphia Alumni Business After Hours April 6 • 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Donor Recognition Luncheon April 30 • 12 p.m.
Michael J. Adanti Student Center Grand Ballroom
Sedgeley Club Philadelphia, Pa.
Michael J. Adanti Student Center Grand Ballroom
Alumni from a wide variety of professions will talk to students about their careers in a relaxed atmosphere.
Alumni will gather to reconnect and reminisce at Philadelphia’s only working lighthouse.
Honoring Southern’s donors and the talented students and faculty who benefit from their generosity.
From buildings lauded for eco-friendly design to a reinvigorated, campuswide recycling program, the university is committed to keeping it green. That’s why Southern is a proud signatory of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment.
28 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Please support Southern and its students by contributing to the Campus Greening Fund. Donations may be made online at www.giving. SouthernCT.edu. Or call (203) 392-6515.
Historic Reflections Mediterranean and Greek Isles Luxury Cruise August 15-26 Join alumni and friends on Oceania Cruises’ Nautica as it voyages from Barcelona to some of the world’s most beautiful destinations, among them, Marseille, Monte Carlo, Florence, Amalfi/Positano, and Athens. Prices from $3,799, including airfare. For more information call Alumni Affairs at (203) 392-6500 or GoNext at (952) 918-8950 or (800) 842-9023. The brochure can be accessed at www.SouthernCT.edu/ alumni/upcomingevents/.
For more information on these and other events call (203) 392-6500 or go to www.SouthernCT.edu/ alumni/upcomingevents/.
Fighting Spirit
M
artial artist Samuel Diaz III, ’08, who served as captain of
Southern’s Karate Club for three years, is
competing on the world stage as a member of the U.S.A. Martial Arts Team. In September, the team took part in the fifth World Martial Arts Games in Las Vegas, with Diaz bringing home five medals — two golds, two silvers, and a bronze. The games showcase a variety of martial arts disciplines, among them, karate, kickboxing, kung fu, and taekwondo. Nearly 50 nations have been included in the games movement. “Being on a team with people who have devoted their lives to martial arts is humbling and pushes you,” says Diaz. “I feel like my hard work has paid off. It’s a dream come true.” Diaz, who emerged a two-time world champion, has qualified to compete in the Continental Martial Arts Games in Canada in 2011 and the World Martial Arts Games in Villars, Switzerland, in 2012. He represented the U.S. in the continuous contact division, in which two opponents face each other in the ring for
2009, opened Stratford Shotokan Karate-do. In October 2010
three rounds, each lasting two minutes. “I train my mind just
the school moved to an expanded, state-of-the-art facility in
as hard as I train my body,” says Diaz. “My objective is to dis-
Stratford, Conn.
mantle my opponent both physically and mentally — with as much class as I can.” He trains from two to three hours every day, using a combination of cardio, lifting, fighting drills, and bag work. He also practices with the U.S.A. team once a month at the U.S.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s my calling to teach and show kids how karate can help them in life,” says Diaz, who has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and served as president of the Class of 2008. His commitment to the community was apparent dur-
training center in Lake Placid, N.Y., where there is a dojo, a
ing his student days. As a member of Southern’s Beta Mu
Japanese martial arts training facility.
Sigma Fraternity, Diaz helped bring to campus the annual Jail
Diaz began karate lessons when he was 2 years old. “I
‘n’ Bail event, a fundraiser for Special Olympics Connecticut,
was big into ‘Ninja Turtles’ and when ‘Power Rangers’ came
and assisted with Southern’s Campus Watch initiative, which
out, I loved it,” he says. “My mother decided to sign me up and
provides escorts to walkers on campus.
I picked it up really fast.” At 18, he earned his black belt. His commitment to the sport inspired his father, Samuel Diaz, Jr., to begin martial arts training as well. The father-son team has successfully competed together and, in
“I taught women’s self-defense classes,” says Diaz. “I’ve always loved teaching it and feel it’s essential on a college campus. I like having people be prepared.”
By Sarah Houseknecht, ’10
Winter 2011 | 29
alumni notes
SARA “SALLY” MOORE LIPWICH, ’29, ’65, celebrated her 100th birthday recently with friends, family, and the staff of the Jewish Home for the Aged in New Haven, Conn.
’40s ANN P. NICEFARO, ’48, recently traveled to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Macinack City, and Sault Sainte Marie Canal. She also traveled to Lancaster, Pa., with a senior group.
’50s ELEANOR PIZZORUSSO CORRICK, ’53, who lives in Torrance, Calif., had two art shows recently in Palos Verdes Estates and Redondo Beach, Calif.
All Soul
• The Class of 1961 will be honored at undergraduate commencement on May 27, 2011.
Rhonda Thomas, M.S. ’95, a speech
Sound is the driving force behind
JOSEPH V. CIABURRI, ’56, who lives in Branford, Conn., was the Alumni Association president in 1968. He retired as the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of the Bank of Southern Connecticut.
WILLIAM S. JOHNSON, ’57, was among the first group included in the State of Connecticut Fire Fighters Hall of Fame. Johnson was chief of the West Haven Fire Department for 26 years and in the fire service for 41 years.
’60s JEANNE E. TERRELL BLUDÉ, ’65, has been teaching English as a second language for 18 years. She and her husband, Zivko, live in Stratford, Conn.
LAUREN E. ANDERSON, ’67, M.S. ’71, was inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in recognition of her 41-year career in athletics. Anderson, 30 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
summer aptly titled, “Listen.” The Southern community has been happy to oblige. Thomas, who
For more information or if you would like to organize a reunion for your class, please contact Alumni Relations at (203) 392-6500.
earned a master’s degree in communication disorders, has performed at the university’s graduate commencement exercises for the past six years. She’s also toured nationally and
internationally; brought the house down at Atlanta’s famed Tabernacle; and performed or shared the stage with numerous music greats, including the late Luther Vandross, Roberta
who was senior associate director of athletics at the University of Rhode Island until her retirement in 2008, lives in Eastford, Conn.
SHERRILL JAMO, ’67, who lives in Waterville, Maine, is teaching at Kennebec Valley Community College.
MARY GORMAN WILLIAMSON, MARY LOU ALBERETTI, M.S.N. ’55, won blue and yellow ribbons at the Standard Flower Show at the Connecticut Convention Center.
pathologist and accomplished vocalist, who released a new compact disc this
PHOTO : Meg P ukel P hotogr aphy
’20s
Reunion News
’69, and her husband, Bob, were featured in the NewsTimes of Danbury, Conn. for their transformation of their 1960s-style home that incorporates their art collections.
LORAINE GIANNINI, ’69, M.S.
Flack, Sam Moore of the legendary duo Sam and Dave, and the late Isaac Hayes. Hayes — with whom Thomas performed for 11 years as a featured soloist and background vocalist — was a true fan. “Her voice has a wide range,” Hayes once said. “She has the quality, vocal timbre, and vibrato of Denise William when she goes high. There are a lot of vocal sounds in this young woman. Jazz-wise she can scat too!” The music industry has been charmed, as well. This fall, iTunes, the digital music and video site, featured “Listen” on the front page of its “R&B/Soul” section alongside major-label recording stars Usher, Chrisette Michele, and Faith Evans. Raised in Roosevelt, N.Y., Thomas was drawn to music from an early age — performing “Somewhere over the Rainbow” in her school talent show at age 7, playing clarinet in the marching band, and singing with the New York State Summer School of the Arts.
’91, 6th Yr. ’93, principal at She initially majored in music at Hampton Institute [now Hampton University] Elmer Thienes-Mary Hall in Virginia. Thomas then decided to change her major to speech and language disorElementary School in Marlborough, Conn., is retiring ders. She transferred to the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University — singing in after 13 years.
PAUL BOWDEN JOHNSON, ’69,
bands and as a soloist while earning her undergraduate degree. She turned to
Southern to continue her studies. who has spent 41 years in the field of education, is retiring. “After a thorough interview I was accepted into Southern’s graduate program He has been the principal of under the watchful eye of Dr. Sandra Holley for three years — full time and full sumBlack Rock School for 13 years.
DONALD STUHLMAN, ’69, has completed his third term as president of the faculty at Wilmington University in Delaware.
mers,” says Thomas. “What I learned from her and the program was immeasurable. I consider her to be not just my mentor, but my friend.” (Holley served as dean of the School of Graduate Studies from 1998 until her retirement in 2010.) Thomas remains committed to the field of communications disorders. In addi-
’70s
private practice, Communikids, which serves children from birth to 21 years. She treats
GAIL M. BONTATIBUS, ’70, M.S.
children with swallowing, voice, articulation, language, and behavioral disorders.
’74, 6th Yr. ’78, who was an art educator in Wallingford for 33 years, is living in Surprise, Ariz., where she continues to teach.
NANCY MATZEK, ’70, who retired in 2006 after teaching
tion to working as a speech pathologist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, she runs a
“It is rewarding to be passionate about both of my careers,” says Thomas. “I make it a point to combine the two by singing songs to my patients to teach various concepts specific to their treatment goals.” For more on Rhonda Thomas, visit www.Rhondasings.com.
By Villia Struyk
kindergarten for 33 years in the Wappingers Central School District of New York, has also been a volunteer since 1994 with the USDA Forest Service in Virginia.
ROBERT SLIE, ’70, M.S. ’79, 6th Yr. ’87, who has spent 40 years as an educator in the Amity School District, will retire after 17 years as principal of the middle school in Orange, Conn.
PATRICIA LUTKUS RINCKEL, ’71, M.S. ’75, has retired from Algonquin School in Prospect, Conn., after teaching there for more than 37 years.
STEVEN ADAMOWSKI, ’72, will be retiring in 2011 from his position as school superintendent in Hartford after five years in that position.
CHRIS PALMER, ’72, M.S. ’75, coach of the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League, received the Contributions to Football Award from the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame’s Northern Connecticut Chapter.
STEPHEN SAWYER, ’72, formerly of the Abraham Pierson School, has retired after a 35year career as a physical education teacher. He still coaches diving at area schools, colleges, and clubs.
DOLORES HOLMES, ’73, M.S. ’80, 6th Yr. ’83, has been selected Teacher of the Year for the Milford Public School District and is one of 15 semifinalists for Connecticut Teacher of the Year. Holmes teaches eighth grade at Harborside Middle School. Her daughter is a fulltime student at Southern.
ELIZABETH ‘BETTY’ LUTZ, ’74, principal of Kelley School in Southington, Conn., has been a school administrator for the past 14 years, as reported in the Record-Journal.
MICHAEL J. FREDA, ’75, was elected first selectman of North Haven, Conn.
JAMES R. BENN, M.L.S. ’76, an author most well-known for his five-part series on protagonist Billy Boyle, has been appointed director of the Godfrey Memorial Library in
Middletown, Conn. He is also a member of the Mystery Writers of America and the Author’s Guild and has worked in the library field for more than 25 years.
MARY MARTINIK, ’76, M.S. ’86, 6th Yr. ’99, was honored by the Sportsmen of Westport, an organization that recognizes former athletes and community service providers. Martinik was presented with the Sportsmen Award at their annual Dinner of Champions.
KATHERINE CLEMENTS, M.S. ’77, has received the designation of Certified Breast Patient Navigator, as announced by MidState Medical Center. Clements lives in Cheshire, Conn., and previously earned her RN (registered nurse), OCN (oncology certified nurse), CBPN-C (certified breast patient navigator), and CBCN (certified breast care nurse) credentials.
DIANE KRIVDA, ’77, M.S. ’98, is the assistant principal at the Bethany Community School. She also is an adjunct professor in the Reading Department at Sacred Heart University.
JOHN KURSAWE, ’77, received the Charles G. McNeiece Service Above Self Award from the Rotary Club of Monroe, Conn. Kursawe has been a physical education teacher at Chalk Hill Middle School for 33 years.
CHUCK COSGRIFF SR., 6th Yr. ’78, was reelected to the Region 14 Board of Education for Bethlehem and Woodbury, Conn. He has served on the Board of Education since 2004 and has been an educator for 39 years.
CLARA FLATH, M.L.S. ’78, was Person of the Week in the Source newspaper in Madison, Conn. Flath has been inter-library loan librarian for 12 years.
DORIE PETROCHKO, M.S. ’78, an award-winning wildlife artist, showcased her paintings during the Southbury Women’s Club annual fine arts festival in September.
VANESSA REALE, M.S. ’78, 6th Yr. ’87, has been appointed
In Print AND On Screen THE LATEST BOOK AND FILM RELEASES FROM SOUTHERN ALUMNI
Mary Mahony, ’70, has released her sixth book, “My Ella Fix,” about the author becoming a grandmother. Polly Brody, M.S. ’83, read from her latest book, “Stirring Shadows,” at the Bethlehem Library. James P. Rourke, ’93, has published “The Comic Book Curriculum,” which uses comic books to illuminate themes and issues and then links them to the existing school curriculum. He has been an educator for 15 years. Marissa Iadevaia-Jalbert, ’10, has self-published a book about the mural located on the front of the New Haven Public Library’s Stetson Branch. The mural features successful people from the Dixwell neighborhood, as well as nationally prominent individuals. Professor Emeritus of English Timothy J. O’Keeffe has published “Battle Yet Unsung,” which was inspired by his brother-in-law, Robert I. Davies, who served with the 14th Armored Division in World War II and lost a leg in a mine explosion. “Battle” is based on research conducted at the National Archives and the Carlisle Institute of Military History, as well as battalion histories, and articles and interviews with combat veterans of the division, who fought in Alsace, the Rhineland, and Central Europe. The 14th Armored Division is known as “The Liberators,” for freeing more than 100,000 prisoners of war. More information is available at casematepublishing.com.
headmaster of Fairfield Ludlowe High School. She is the former principal of East Haven High School and has received the Connecticut Celebrations of Excellence Award twice.
ROBERT M. SCANNELL, ’78, M.S. ’85, who began his career as an investigator for the Connecticut Humane Society, has been sworn in as Winsted’s new police chief.
DIANA ROSS MCCAIN, M.S. ’79, was the featured speaker for the Hebron Historical Society. She spoke about Connecticut historical myths and legends.
’80s JACK ELLIOTT, ’80, having completed his master’s degree in education, is an eighth grade humanities and social studies educator in the Deer Valley Unified School District near his home in Sun City West, Ariz.
DEB KENNEY, ’81, managing director of human resources
and administration for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, has earned certification as a senior professional in human resources.
FREDERICK HINE, ’82, a sergeant with the Fairfield Police Department, received an Honorable Service Award and two other awards for his lead role as an investigator, as reported in the Fairfield Minuteman.
CYNTHIA DUBEA, 6th Yr. ’83, has served as dean of the Quinnipiac University School of Education for nearly 10 years.
ROBERT (ROB) J. SIMPSON, ’83, has founded an advertising agency in Sudbury, Mass., after 17 years in television (WTWS, WCTX, WFSB, WSBK, and Comcast Spotlight).
CAROLE SWIFT, ’83, M.S. ’94, 6th Yr. ’98, was named principal of Orange Avenue Elementary School in Milford, Conn.
JOHN (JACK) ZIBLUK, ’83, was promoted to full professor of journalism at Arkansas State
University. He also was elected president of the Faculty Senate and the Faculty Association at the university.
VANNA M. DEST, ’84, received the Oncology Nursing Society’s Excellence in Radiation Therapy Nursing Award. Dest earned her M.S.N. from Yale University.
MICHAEL M. CIVITELLO, ’85, was featured in the North Haven Courier as Person of the Week. Civitello has worked at the North Haven Post Office for over 23 years.
JILL M. ROBINSON, M.S. ’85, who has a teaching career that spans three decades, has been named Bloomfield School District’s Teacher of the Year.
ELISA ALLARDICE, ’86, M.S. ’94, has been an adult probation officer for over 12 years and is presently writing pre-sentence investigation reports in the New Haven Superior Court. She and her husband, Matt, have two daughters: Kylie and Keri Ana.
SHERYL HERSHONIK, M.S. ’86, 6th Yr. ’08, former head of the Winter 2011 | 31
Andy Talley, ’67, M.S. ’69,
conference history with 107 con-
Top of His Game
ference victories.
head coach of the Villanova
“I understood that educa-
Wildcats, is on quite a roll. In 2009, he led the Wildcats to their first
tion is the building block of our
national championship in the
football program, and I had a uni-
NCAA’s Football Championship
versity that had an academic
Subdivision (FCS, formerly known as
background and a quality football
Division 1-AA).
background that could rebuild the program,” he says. “I’ve worked
Accolades appropriately followed. Talley was named FCS
with a lot of good coaches and a
National Coach of the Year by the
lot of terrific kids. We try to keep
American Football Coaches
our character level high and work
Association — the second time he
with strong players who want a PHOTO: Villanova Media Relations good education.”
received the award. In September, the team — which had a stellar 14-1 season — was honored by
Talley is also known for his work with the National Bone
President Obama at the White House.
Marrow Foundation — a commitment that, since 1992, has resulted in
Talley has been head coach at Villanova since 1984, but he got
more than 20,000 potential donors being successfully tested and
his start playing defensive back for the Owls for four seasons.
entered into the national registry. He began organizing players to
“Southern gave me an opportunity to be successful,” says Talley, a
donate 18 years ago, an effort that has blossomed into a league-wide
native of Pennsylvania. “It was a very nurturing and supportive place. I
annual donor campaign.
was a physical education major interested in coaching, and all of the faculty were very helpful and supportive.” Talley also earned a master’s
“My players bring people in from the community. We can test 200 to 300 people here every year,” he says. “We are now dealing with 30 different college and university football teams, including Southern,
degree in education from Southern. A 1998 inductee into the Southern Athletic Hall of Fame, he began his coaching career at Simsbury High School, and went on to
that run bone marrow testing around their spring games.” Last year the “Get in the Game and Save a Life” program tested
serve on the coaching staffs at Springfield College, Middlebury College,
8,800 people nationwide. Talley also recently started the Andy Talley
and Brown University. In 1977, he was named head coach at St.
Bone Marrow Foundation to raise money for testing.
Lawrence University.
After more than 40 years as a coach, he remains fully commit-
He was hired by Villanova to rebuild a football program that had been dropped after the 1980 season and reinstated in 1985.
ted to football. “I want to continue coaching for as long as I can,” he says. “I’m not interested in retiring.”
By Steve Higgins
Talley now has the most wins in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA)
High School in the Community, has been appointed principal at Worthington Hooker School, as reported in the New Haven Register.
JOSH ZABIN, ’86, has been selected commander of the Office of Professional Standards with the Fairfield Police Department in Connecticut. He is responsible for Internal Affairs investigations, policy, and grant writing.
MARK AHERN, ’87, has joined The Bank of Fairfield as branch manager of the Post Road headquarters. Ahern is a 20-year veteran of the banking 32 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
and lending industry. He resides in Milford, Conn.
TRACEY AMODIO, ’87, M.S. ’93, was recognized by the Branford Board of Education as the 2011 Teacher of the Year. She teaches physical education at Mary T. Murphy Elementary School.
CANDACE BODENHOFER, ’87, has retired after more than 21 years as a case worker with Norwich Human Services.
PAMELA LAZAROSKI, 6th Yr. ’88, is the principal of Lewis S. Mills High School in Burlington, Conn.
TONYA RUSSEN-RONDINONE,
M.A. ’89, is the 2010 recipient of the Rev. John J. Stack Teaching Excellence Award from Saint Joseph College in West Hartford, Conn., where she is a lecturer in the Department of Psychology.
’90s MARYLOU TORRE, M.S. ’90, 6th Yr. ’97, is the principal of Mitchell Elementary School. She was formerly the principal of the Intermediate House in Woodbridge’s Beecher Road School.
DONALD M. CASEY, JR., M.S.
’91, is coach of the Stepney Elementary School Wildcats Reading Team in Monroe, Conn. The team created an original production that included song, dance, and sign language. Casey, who also serves as the assistant director of the Lakewood-Trumbull YMCA Camp Tepee program in Monroe, Conn., was selected by colleagues to receive the Staff Excellence Award.
DAWN CATHEY, ’91, M.S. ’96, an adjunct professor of school health at Southern, received the university’s 2010 J. Philip Smith Outstanding Teaching Award.
MARK GRUTTADAURIA, ’91, is the vice president and branch manager of Hudson Valley Bank’s Stratford branch.
DAYNA SNELL, M.S.W. ’92, received the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain’s Celebrate! Plainville Award for her contributions to the Personal Enrichment Program, which helps children develop self-esteem through the performing arts. Snell also works at the Connecticut Department of Children and Families as a program supervisor.
NANCY BEAN, ’94, M.S. ’00, is the new principal at Eastbury School, as reported by The Glastonbury Citizen.
KERMIT CAROLINA, ’94, M.S. ’03, has been named principal at Hillhouse High School in New Haven, Conn. Carolina, formally assist. principal, was also the boys basketball coach for seven seasons, and guided the team to state championships in 2006 and 2007.
DAVID J. TELESCA, 6th Yr. ’95, has been named superintendent of the Windsor Locks School District.
NADINE ALEXANDER, ’96, who entered the Order of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1991, is the new principal of St. Raphael School in Bridgeport, Conn.
JOHN CAPODICE, M.S. ’96, was named regional Coach of the Year by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame’s Northern Connecticut Chapter.
CHRISTINA HANLEY, M.S. ’96, received Torrington Rotary International’s highest honor, a Paul Harris Fellow Award. In 2009 she received Northwestern Connecticut Community College’s Outstanding Alumni Award.
JASON BAER, ’97, owner and franchise founder of Personal Training Professionals (PTP), has opened another facility in New Canaan, Conn.
IAN NEVIASER, M.S. ’98, 6th Yr. ’01, has been appointed assistant superintendent of Regional School District 4, which serves the Connecticut cities of Deep River, Chester, and Essex.
’00s
TRUDI DURRELL, 6th Yr. ’00, has TINA MARIE MANUS, ’01, M.S. been appointed the pre-K program coordinator for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in Greenwich Public Schools. She is also the current treasurer and past president (20032006) of Connecticut TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) and was a member of the Connecticut State TESOL Framework Committee.
’06, is a Ph. D. candidate in educational research at Lancaster University in England. A choir director and soloist in Shelton, Conn., she teaches English at Platt Technical High School in Milford, Conn.
MICHAEL PAOLUCCI, ’01, drum-
named principal of Oxford High School in Connecticut.
mer for the reggae band, I Anbassa, recently performed at the Acoustic Café in Bridgeport, Conn. He teaches general music full-time at Bridgeport’s Tisdale Elementary School.
MICHELLE B. COHEN, ’01, is
SAMUEL H. ABBE, ’03, a captain
FRANK SAVO, M.S. ’00, has been
active in her community as a member of Trumbull Community Women. She is
in the Air Force, is a member of the United States Air Force Shooting Team, the National
Rifle Association, and the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s National Rifle Matches. He competed recently during the annual Camp Perry, Ohio, tradition. Abbe is an air defense liaison officer for the Air Force with the 24th Expeditionary Air Defense Squadron, Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C.
ERIC C. RICE, M.S. ’03, is the principal of Valley Regional High School. Formerly, he was the principal of University High School of Science and Engineering in Hartford, Conn.
WILLIAM GLEASON, M.S. ’04, has been the office manager for the Bridgeport Census Office.
JAMES M. O’BRIEN, ’04, has a new business venture: Tamerlane Global LLC. The
The 2010 Alumni Appreciation Award was presented to Michael Roshka, Jr., ’73, M.S. ’79, an eight-year member of Southern’s Alumni Association Board of Directors,
Roshka worked at Southern for 35 years until his recent
sar and, most recently, coordinator of conference services and special events. He volunteers extensively at Southern and on behalf of the Special Olympics. He has received
received a Juris Doctor degree from Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, R.I.
IRENE SHERLOCK, M.F.T. ’06, led
counselor at Cuno Camp in Meriden, Conn.
the 1995 Special Olympics Unsung Hero Award. Michael Roshka, Jr., ’73, M.S. ’79
recipient of the newly named Charlene Hill Riccardi Alumni Service Award. The award honors Riccardi, ’65, M.S. ’74, 6th Yr. ’77, a former Alumni Association board member and volunteer, who passed away last summer. Gilhuly began volunteering at Southern as a student in Beta Mu Sigma Fraternity. When a roommate, Damian O’Neal, was stricken by a fatal kidney disease, Gilhuly and fellow students, Robert Gavin, ’88, and R. Scott Figueroa, ’87, and Beta Mu Sigma Fraternity, established a Southern scholarship in his honor. Gilhuly was an elected member of the Alumni Assoc. from 1994-2000, and continues to volunteer extensively on behalf of Southern and its students. In 1998, he Daniel J. Gilhuly, ’91
LEAH NOLLENBERGER, ’05,
REBECCA GAWEL, ’09, is a camp
numerous awards in recognition of his service, including
DANIEL VANDERHEYDEN, ’98,
M.B.A. ’05, is the mayor of East Haven, Conn. In April she underwent surgery to donate one of her kidneys to help save the life of a friend who had made a plea for donors on Facebook.
who is pursuing a master’s degree in reading at Southern, is a teacher at Our Lady Star of the Sea in Stamford, Conn. The Catholic school received its first Blue Ribbon Award this year from the Department of Education.
retirement, having held numerous positions, including bur-
named director of annual giving at Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Conn. She is pursuing her master’s degree in women’s studies.
APRIL CAPONE ALMON,
MARIA DECRISTOFORO, ’08,
who previously served as its treasurer and president.
Fellow honoree, Daniel J. Gilhuly, ’91, is the first
company focuses on Middle Eastern, African, Eastern European, and Central and Southwest Asian trade, with specific emphasis on American companies doing business in Islamic states or within Islamic communities. O’Brien lives in Virginia Beach, Va., with his wife and daughter.
a three-week workshop, “Foodchild: How Family Shape Us,” at Naugatuck Youth Services. The course covered ingrained eating patterns and attitudes about food, which developed in childhood.
With Gratitude
JUDITE VAMVAKIDES, ’98, was
who has been a firearms instructor and a member of the emergency services unit, has been promoted to detective by the Fairfield Connecticut Police Department.
currently the group’s Conservation Committee chair and secretary.
received the Alumni Association Appreciation Award.
TERESA MOZDZER, ’09, was cited in the Record-Journal for her participation as a working grip on the crime-comedy film, “To Dye For.” Mozdzer participated in Connecticut’s Film Industry Training Program, which is hosted at Quinnipiac University.
VINCENT PISCITELLI, ’09, who is working towards a master’s degree in public health, has created a project to inspire school students to pursue a college education. Piscitelli lives in Wallingford, Conn.
RACHEL QUISH, ’09, is the administrator and collections manager for the Wethersfield Connecticut Historical Society. Winter 2011 | 33
Quish is earning her master’s degree at Central Connecticut State University.
’10s
reported in the Wilton Villager. Formerly, Prue was the assistant coach at the Fairfield YMCA.
REBECCA STEPHENSON, M.S.
LISA NEMENSE, ’10, and her sister, Nicole, are competing for college scholarships and the titles of Miss Connecticut and Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen 2010. Nemense holds the title of Brass City’s Outstanding Teen.
BENJAMIN PRUE, ’10, is the assistant coach of the Wilton YMCA Wahoos Swim Team, as
’10, has joined the Wilton Public School District as a speech-language pathologist.
CARINNE PHOENIX, ’00, and Franco Mossa, July 19, 2009.
ANDREW GRABAREK, ’06, and KATHRYN TYCZKOWSKI, ’10, LEIGH JANKOWSKI GRANDE, ’92, and MATTHEW Aug. 20, 2010. GRANDE, ’92, announce the MEGHAN MCMAHON, ’07, and birth of their third child, Tessa Peter Vigeant, Oct. 10, 2009.
Marriages
JESSICA FRYC, M.S. ’09, and
KATHLEEN KENNEY, ’90, and
HOLLY ANN MAYNARD, M.S.
Joseph Fagan, July 2, 2010.
Gerry Flynn, Oct. 9, 2009.
JUDSON ALEY, ’96, and Maria Cheung, Feb. 11, 2010.
ANGEL ARIAS, ’97 and Arlene Young, March 19, 2010.
Births/ Adoptions
’09, and Michael Nicoletti, May 29, 2010.
ROXANNE SADOWSKI, 6th Yr. ’10, and Jason Melaragno, July 25, 2009.
Ellen Grande. Tessa joins brother, Ryan (10), and sister, Jillian (9). The Grandes live in Newington, Conn.
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News Item ______________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Signature ______________________________________________________________ Date____________________________________________________________________ Spouse’s Name ___________________________Spouse's SCSU Degree/Yr. ______ Children’s Names/Ages __________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________
Class notes are compiled from submissions from alumni, as well as announcements made in newspapers and magazines.
announce the birth of their daughter, Lila Joy, on June 29, 2010. Lila has a brother, Jackson.
JENNIFER RONDINARA-SOLLA,
JEFFREY S. WILSON, ’03, and wife, Beata, announce the birth of their son, Julian, on July 29, 2010.
Sept. 2, 2010, Farmington, Conn.
DONALD J. PISCITELLI, ’58, 6th Yr. ’72, Aug. 15, 2010, Melbourne, Fla.
CHARLES D. MACK, ’59, M.S. ’66, Sept. 18, 2010, East Haven, Conn.
Fla.
HOWARD E. MANCO, ’60, Aug. 24, 2010, Vero Beach, Fla.
KENNETH BYRON SMITH, JR., ’64, May 15, 2010, Southbury, Conn.
CHARLENE H. RICCARDI, ’65, M.S. ’74, 6th Yr. ’77, July 28, 2010, Hamden, Conn.
MINNIE B. WILLIAMS MITCHELL, M.L.S. ’66, June 4, 2010, Waterbury, Conn.
IN MEMORIAM
EDWARD A. BIATOWAS, JR., ’67, June 20, 2010, Guilford, Conn.
HELEN T. MARSHALL, ’30, 2006. MARIE W. FOLEY, M.S. ’67, Aug. 1, 2010, New Haven, Conn. EMMA ELVIRA MIGNONE K AREN BARNES TYLER, ’67, PASTORE, ’31, Aug. 2, 2010, Stratford, Conn.
YVETTE PATTERSON HATHAWAY, ’35, Nov. 8, 2009, Orange, Conn.
KATHRYN T. BITZER, ’38, Sept. 14, 2010, Orange, Conn.
OLGA SAUER, ’38, Dec. 26, 2009, Orange, Conn.
SYDNEY T. KELSEY, ’39. ELAINE LEVINE, ’41, Portland, Maine.
RHODA LIPOFSKY CAHN, ’42, Dec. 8, 2009, New Haven, Conn.
THERESE M. MCKEON, ’48, June 23, 2008.
MARTHA REED, ’50, Aug. 14, 2010, Stratford, Conn.
ANDREW J. GALARDI, ’51, July
July 22, 2010, Wallingford, Conn.
EDWARD WILLIAM WINTER, ’70, M.S. ’76, 6th Yr. ’81, Aug. 16, 2010, Branford, Conn.
JANET E. WHITE, M.S. ’71, May 1, 2010, Utica, N.Y.
WANDA P. DICK, ’72, April 21, 2010.
RAYMOND GIANNAMORE, M.S. ’72, July 1, 2010, Prospect, Conn.
SUSAN WORCESTER LIGHT, M.L.S. ’72, Sept. 27, 2010, Suffield, Conn.
ANN MESTUZZI, M.S. ’72, 6th Yr. ’75, M.A. ’94, Oct. 6, 2010, Shelton, Conn.
LIDA NOSIK-KOVAK, ’72, M.S.
16, 2010, Milford, Conn.
’75, July 9, 2010, Trumbull, Conn.
LILLIAN MARIE RHO POLIO,
VIVIAN AHRENS, M.A. ’73, 6th
’51, July 4, 2010, Branford, Conn.
MERLE NORTON JILLSON, JR.,
Yr. ’77, June 13, 2008, Milford, Conn.
’52, May 22, 2010, East Haven, Conn.
MARIE D. COLASANTO, M.A.
CAROL F. PARMELEE, ’54, Sept.
RICHARD T. DWYER, ’73, May
29, 2010, Rockville, Md. 34 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
2010, Monroe, Conn.
MICHAEL R. HALPIN, M.A. ’55,
DAN MYERS, ’01, and LISA ANN WILLIAM J. MCCARTHY, ’59, BROWN, ’93, M.S. ’98, Aug. 24, 2010, Bonita Springs,
’03, and husband, Italo Solla, of Wolcott, Conn., announce the birth of their son, David Michael, on Sept.15, 2008.
Share your good news with Southern friends and classmates by sending it to Southern Alumni News.
JAMES H. PARSONS, ’54, Oct. 9,
’73, March 20, 2008. 11, 2010, Branford, Conn.
Survivor and Savior continued from page 13
Support Southern. Leave a Legacy. Planned gifts — also called deferred or estate gifts — can help you meet your long-term financial goals, while providing critically needed support for Southern’s talented and deserving students. The university’s Development Office can supply information on a variety of planned gifts that help Southern maintain a climate of excellence — from bequests that extend your generosity beyond your lifetime to charitable gift annuities and trusts, which can provide fixedincome payments and several tax benefits. If you’ve already included the Southern Connecticut State University Foundation in your will, please let us know so that we can acknowledge your generosity by enrolling you in the Heritage Society. If not, please consider leaving a legacy by making a planned gift to the Southern Connecticut State University Foundation. For more information, contact the Development Office. (203) 392-5598 www.SouthernCT.edu/supportsouthern Southern Connecticut State University 501 Crescent Street New Haven, CT 06515-1355
FERNANDO ROSSI, ’73, Feb. 23, 2010, Clifton, N.J.
CHARLOTTE K. STADLER, M.S. ’73, Feb. 27, 2010, Larchmont, N.Y.
MARY R. ABT, M.S. ’74, June 25, 2010, Woodbridge, Conn.
ESTHER K. PROBER, M.S. ’74, Oct. 4, 2010, Westford, Mass.
SHARON BLOMBERG, ’76, M.S.N. ’78, July 8, 2010, West Haven, Conn.
LILLIAN N. FALKO, ’76, ’86, M.S.N. ’01, May 5, 2010, Bethany, Conn.
LOIS O’BRIEN HAUN, ’76, May 2, 2010, Tolland, Conn.
NICHOLAS “DUTCH” W. ROMANIELLO, ’76, Summer 2008, Stamford, Conn.
nessman who was adopted at age 3 in Hong Kong and reared in New York. Quan has said one of the greatest gifts his parents gave him was a college education. Ndamwizeye shares his belief in the importance of earning a degree. “I want to use the opportunities I have to help with scholarships [for others] because I feel lucky to have them,” Ndamwizeye says. Although Ndamwizeye has managed to pull himself through the trauma, the killings of his family and ensuing abuse he faced have left emotional scars along with the physical ones. His legs are scarred from beatings he received after making minor mistakes like breaking a dish he was washing. It’s still difficult for him to talk about the genocide — even with his siblings, who disagree on various points. Instead, they avoid the subject. The youngest of eight, Ndamwizeye has four surviving siblings — two sisters in the United States and two brothers in Rwanda. Another brother was killed before the genocide when a guitar he was playing was struck by lightning. Ndamwizeye says genocide was never talked about in middle school in Rwanda. He has tried to research the subject, but the deeper he gets, the more the pain surfaces. He only recently began taking his story public because he wants to educate others. One of 2010, Fairfield, Conn.
ALICE V. MALCOLM, M.S. ’81, Oct. 3, 2010, New Haven, Conn.
LAURA COLLINS LEVINE, M.S.
DEBORAH LOUGHMAN, M.S.
’77, Sept. 8, 2010, Seymour, Conn.
’82, Sept. 12, 2010, Marco Island, Fla.
RICHARD A. ZIBELLO, ’77, Sept. HOPE N. MCKINNON, M.S. ’84, 25, 2010, Morris, Conn.
July 3, 2010, Portland, Maine.
DARLENE WAJDA GRATTON CATHERINE OTTO BERRY, ’86, July 23, 2009, MONTGOMERY, M.S. ’78, May 27, 2010, New York, N.Y.
TERESA M. TOMASZEK, M.S. ’78, Sept. 5, 2010, Shelton, Conn.
KEITH ALEXANDER YORKE, ’78, May 14, 2010, Sandwich, Mass.
JAMES M. PARRY, ’79, Aug. 2,
South Hadley, Mass.
his first public speaking ventures was in the classroom of Shirley Jackson, professor of sociology at Southern, who heard Ndamwizeye’s story and invited him to tell it in her class, “Social Problems in the U.S.” Jackson was moved to tears and the class and students left stunned and humbled. Ndamwizeye, soft-spoken and determined, continues to tell his story. He also continues to look forward — with plans in place to further his fashion business and charitable outreach efforts. “Great things take time. I’m patient. I want so many things. They’re not going to happen right away,” he says with conviction. “You can have it bad and still move on and do something good for others,” he says. “Nothing should stop you from your dreams.” n For more information, go to www.DanielTrust.com Small Wonder continued from page 15
campuses, but we’re also working with them in terms of developing their own complementary research areas.” In addition, she says the center could become a potential resource for industry and will allow Southern students to obtain hands-on training with cutting-edge equipment, making them more attractive to future employers. n
LOIS D. SANSEVERO, ’88, May 23, 2010, Northford, Conn.
NOKOKURE “NELSON” MURANGI, ’89, M.S. ’91, March 21, 2008.
DANIEL E. RICH, ’90, Sept. 9, 2010, Stratford, Conn.
PHIL MEIMAN, 6th Yr. ’94, May 16, 2010, Fairfield, Conn.
ELLIS GAMBLE, JR., M.S. ’99,
2010, Bethany, Conn.
MARTIN I. GLASSNER, Professor Emeritus of Geography and Connecticut State University Professor Emeritus, Aug. 21, 2010, Hamden, Conn.
JAMES M. GRANFIELD, former interim dean of the School of Education, July 28, 2010, Orange, Conn.
May 28, 2009, Hamden, Conn.
KATHERINE J. KORNITSKY, ’87, STEPHEN G. ROBERTS, M.S. ’08, ROBERT C. STEWART, Professor Emeritus of English, Feb. 5, July 10, 2010, North Haven, Conn.
DOROTHY A. DOWD FLANDERS, M.L.S. ’88, Aug. 20, 2010, Windsor Locks, Conn.
Aug. 29, 2010, Branford, Conn.
CHRISTOPHER F. HUGHES, ’09, Aug. 31, 2010, Branford, Conn.
STEPHEN COLLINS, Professor Emeritus of Biology, Oct. 7,
2007, Corinth, Texas.
JANICE VERA SWENSON, Associate Professor Emeritus of Sociology, May 2, 2010, Holland, Mass. Winter 2011 | 35
Fourplay
April 1 8 p.m. The contemporary jazz quartet has wowed critics and audiences for two decades with an innovative blend of jazz, R&B, and pop.
Graduate School Open House
April 12 Michael J. Adanti Student Center Grand Ballroom Explore graduate opportunities at Southern — one of the largest graduate schools in New England.
$30 for active alumni and Southern faculty/staff; $35 for general admission; and $16 for Southern students. (203) 392-6154
(203) 392-5240
Nursing and Education Career Fair
Planet Money Live Spend tax day with the funny, charismatic team from the popular NPR program, “Planet Money.”
Michael J. Adanti Student Center Grand Ballroom
(203) 392-6536
May 3-7 8 p.m.; May 7 2 p.m Kendall Drama Lab A man dies in a café, leaving a ringing cell phone. Watch what happens to the introverted woman who decides to answer it. A comedy by Sarah Ruhl. Directed by Sheila Hickey Garvey. $10 for general admission; $5 for senior citizens and Southern faculty, staff, and students. (203) 392-6154
April 15 8 p.m.
April 4 1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Explore career opportunities in the education and nursing fields.
Dead Man’s Cell Phone
EVENTS
Southern
$20 for active alumni and Southern faculty/staff; $25 for general admission; and $10 for Southern students. (203) 392-6154
Michael J. Fox:
“Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist”
Diane Bish First Lady of the Organ
April 9 7 p.m. Battell Chapel, Yale University, New Haven, Conn. Diane Bish, one of the world’s most popular and influential organists and host of the “Joy of Music” television series, brings her dazzling virtuosity and unique showmanship to New Haven. Guests include a special community choir. $20 for active alumni; $20 and $35 for general admission; $5 for all students; and $100 for premium seating package, which includes a reception with Diane Bish at Southern on Friday, the evening before the performance, a photo opportunity, and an autographed copy of her latest CD/DVD. Proceeds to benefit Southern’s arts programs. Tickets available at www.tickets.SouthernCT.edu or (203) 392-6154.
General Career Fair
April 5 1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Career Fair
Michael J. Adanti Student Center Grand Ballroom Alumni and students are invited to meet with close to 100 employers. (203) 392-6536
Will Downing
April 16 8 p.m. Fresh off the release of his audio novel, “Lust, Love, and Lies,” Downing has entranced audiences with his romantic, soulful music for over two decades. $28 for active alumni and Southern faculty/staff; $32 for general admission; and $16 for Southern students. (203) 392-6154
May 13 7:30 p.m. Fox walks the audience through his journey of self-discovery and reinvention with captivating humor and wit — explaining how he developed a personal policy of engagement and discovery that has served him throughout his struggle with Parkinson’s disease. $20 for active alumni and Southern faculty/staff; $25 for general admission; $10 for all students; $125 for premium seating package, which includes a preevent reception, photo opportunity with Fox, and an autographed copy of his book. A portion of proceeds support Southern’s Endowed Awards of Excellence, a merit-based scholarship program. (203) 392-6154
Candy Dulfer
May 14 8 p.m. Catch international jazz sensation, saxophonist Candy Dulfer. $28 for active alumni and Southern faculty/staff; $32 for general admission; and $16 for Southern students. (203) 392-6154
All events held in John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts, unless otherwise noted. Southern students must have valid identification to receive their ticket discounts. Discounted tickets are limited to two per person, subject to verification. For tickets and additional information and listings, visit Southern’s Web site at www.lyman.SouthernCT.edu. 36 | Southern ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Family Legacies Changing Lives Through Education
2010 Charitable Giving Report
Dear Friends, This year’s annual report of the Southern Connecticut State University Foundation highlights families who are committed to changing lives through education and supporting that commitment through philanthropy. • Lorraine, ’69, and Margaret Samela were raised by parents who wanted a better life for their children and believed that goal would be achieved through education. The Samela sisters chose to honor their parents by establishing an endowed scholarship for students with disabilities. • Marc Nivet, ’92, was driven by his parents’ life story of pursuing and achieving the American Dream. His path to success would include earning a degree from Southern Connecticut State University. Dr. Nivet is giving back to his alma mater and honoring his parents with the creation of an endowed scholarship for nursing students. • Sharon Ort, ’72, has a long family history with Southern as both a graduate and the wife of a faculty member who served the university for over 30 years. As a tribute to her late husband and his passion for teaching, she established an endowed scholarship for students in the university’s Honors College who are majoring in English. The Southern Connecticut State University Foundation is grateful to these exemplary individuals. We are proud to feature their inspiring stories, and to salute them for their trailblazing family philanthropy. In this undertaking they are following in the footsteps of the Gundersen, Goodwin, and Stutzman families, whose generosity and commitment are reflected in the foundation’s record-setting 2010 fundraising results. The tradition of family philanthropy in higher education has a long history in this country. However, in the realm of public higher education, it is only relatively recently that the requisite philanthropic infrastructure like the foundation, a separate nonprofit entity, has been in place to encourage
and facilitate private giving. The foundation plays a critical role at Southern: building awareness of the need for support and forging relationships within the growing Southern community of alumni and other donors. This process unfolds over years — decades, even — so it is a particular point of pride for such a young philanthropic program that this tradition is already taking hold. And not a moment too soon. At this writing in late 2010, it is uncertain how much the level of state support for public university budgets will again decrease. What is certain is that public higher education budgets have been declining over a number of years, not only in Connecticut but nationwide. As states struggle to find ways to close yawning budget gaps over the next few years, public universities are once again being called upon to implement budget cuts and generally do more with less. As we know, this is taking place at the exact moment when our students’ need for financial support is rising, due to widespread joblessness and other factors. It is at that intersection of trends —increasing need and decreasing state support — that all of you, the generous donors to the SCSU Foundation, make a crucial difference in the lives of many. It is at that intersection that all of us will be called upon to do more if future generations of students are also to have access to life-changing educational opportunities. Despite many challenges, the foundation remains firmly committed to its mission of supporting Southern students and programs. It is our hope that the following pages will inspire you to continue with, or to join us in that commitment. Thank you for your ongoing generosity.
Robin M. Sauerteig Chair, SCSU Foundation
38 | Charitable Giving Report
Total Net Assets as of Fiscal Year End (June 30, 2010) in Millions $13.1
$14.4
$13.5
Dollars Raised by Fiscal Year
$11.7
$11.4
$2.74
(July 1 - June 30) in Millions $1.77
’06
’07
’08
’09
’10
Sources of Support for New Gifts and Commitments Fiscal Year 2010 $2,953,453
’06
$1.66 $1.50
$1.45
’07
’08
Foundations 16% $464,896
Distribution of New Gifts and Commitments Fiscal Year 2010 $2,953,453
Endowment 57% $1,694,076
’10
Friends 8% $237,880 Faculty/Staff 2% $63,531
Alumni 67% $1,970,564
University Support 13% $380,486
’09
Corporations 7% $216,582
Programmatic 30% $878,891
Year in Review Fundraising and Financial Highlights The financial markets showed strong signs of recovering for 2009-2010 and fundraising has benefited from some major gifts. Total new gifts and commitments approached $3.0 million. The Southern Connecticut State University Foundation’s assets totaled $14.4 million at year end, representing an increase of 23.4% from the prior year. During 2010, the market value of Southern’s endowment reflected a substantial increase of 16.6%, or just under $1.6 million, closing the fiscal year at $10.9 million. This was primarily a result of significant gifts from several of our generous benefactors. In addition, the Student Government Association and other members of the Southern community established the Cheryl J. Norton Endowed Scholarship in her honor. Overall, investment income rebounded by accumulating almost $3.0 million during the fiscal year; thereby erasing the $2.0 million loss from the prior year and adding $1.3 million to the foundation’s endowment revenues. Also helping the bottom line was a decrease in expenditures, the result of efforts to hold expenses to a minimum.
Looking Ahead The outlook for 2011 looks bright. “Recent data indicates that growth continues to trend higher after slipping below 2% in the spring quarter. Following growth of approximately 2.8% in 2010, [it] would not be [surprising] if GDP were to advance at a 3.5% pace or slightly better in 2011 . . .,” according to Citizens Investment Perspectives (Winter 2011). The Foundation Board remains committed to our long-term investment policy of maintaining a diversified investment portfolio, with careful and ongoing monitoring and rebalancing. Our objectives remain to increase resources available for scholarships and generate programmatic support and funding for new initiatives.
Winter 2011 | 39
A Family Tradition
Inspired by their parents’ belief in the importance of education, the Samela sisters create a scholarship to honor their memory and help others earn their degrees. By Natalie Missakian
40 | Charitable Giving Report
L
orraine and Margaret Samela credit much of their success to their father and his unfulfilled dream. The factory worker and World War II veteran devoted his life to his family, but he always lived
with a disappointment — that he could have been something more had he furthered his education. “One of his biggest regrets was that when he came out of the service, he didn’t take advantage
of the GI bill and pursue his education like many of his friends did,” recalls Lorraine A. Samela, ’69.
Her father, who hadn’t finished high school, was married with a newborn daughter when he was drafted in 1943. When he returned from the war two years later, he was “such a conscientious provider” that he went straight to a job in the brass factories in Waterbury, Conn., she says. But he passed his desire for an education on to his daughters, instilling in them a passion for learning and the ambition to pursue professional careers. “He always said, ‘Don’t make my mistake — make sure you are able to get an education,’” Lorraine says. “That was his dream. He wanted our lives to be much easier than his.” Thanks to their parents’ support and the opportunities offered by the Connecticut State University System, both women earned advanced degrees and launched long and gratifying careers in the teaching profession. Their oldest sister went to nursing school and spent 40 years working as a nurse. “Our father was able to send all three of his daughters to college and educate them to become professionals. It was the state colleges and their affordability that allowed him to do that,” says Margaret A. Samela. To recognize their parents and give back to the university, the two sisters, who share a home in Old Saybrook, Conn., have established the Marco and Alda Samela Memorial Scholarship at Southern. The scholarship will provide financial support for students with disabilities, in honor of the Samelas’ mother, who was paralyzed. This is the first time a scholarship has been offered at Southern specifically for students with disabilities, says Deborah Fairchild, interim coordinator of Southern’s Disability Resource Center, which serves more than 500 students with documented disabilities on campus. “We’re really excited now to finally have a scholarship here at Southern,” says Fairchild. “It acknowledges students with disabilities and the hard work that they do.” Lorraine Samela says she understands from experience the challenges people with disabilities face, having been a caregiver since she was 13, when her mother became paralyzed after back surgery. She describes her mother as someone with a strong work ethic who taught the girls how to sew, cook, and do household chores, as well as how to persevere in the face of adversity.
Left: Lorraine A. Samela, ’69, and Margaret Samela
Their father, insisting that the girls become self-sufficient, taught practical skills like how to paint, change a tire, and mow the lawn. “They set up strong values,” Margaret says. “My Mom and Dad were quite inspirational.” Despite their advocacy for education, however, the parents worried that their girls’ aspirations might be too “lofty” for the family budget. It wasn’t until a family friend told their mother about the affordability of state schools that a college degree became more than just a pipe dream. Lorraine says she chose to attend Southern partly because it was close to the family’s home in Waterbury, Conn., allowing her to commute and be available to help her mother and younger sister in the evenings. She earned her undergraduate degree in elementary education in 1969. Margaret, 10 years younger, chose Central — mostly because she “wanted to do something a little different than my sister,” she says. She graduated in 1979 with a degree in French. Both women earned masters’ degrees a year after receiving their diplomas — again at the urging of their father. Margaret also took coursework at Southern in the early 1980s while working toward her certification as a Spanish teacher. Lorraine retired in 2004 from the Waterbury Public School District, where she spent 34 years working as an elementary school teacher and vice principal. Margaret taught French and Spanish at parochial and public schools in Waterbury and Hamden, Conn. She also worked as an administrator, including serving as coordinator of the World Languages Program for Old Saybrook Public Schools. She continues to teach at Old Saybrook High School. Lorraine says their father discouraged them from getting part-time jobs while at school and never asked them for money to help with college expenses, despite their family’s lean finances. According to Margaret, he would be thrilled if he knew he might be helping to put college in reach of someone with financial difficulties. “I know he was very, very proud of what we accomplished through our education,” she says. “I think he’d be extremely proud to know that a scholarship in his name and honor would be able to do that for someone else.”
Winter 2011 | 41
Paying it Forward
A new scholarship supports Southern nursing students — and honors immigrant parents who were fully committed to their children’s education. By Natalie Missakian
42 | Charitable Giving Report
W
hen the nation’s financial crisis hit in 2008, Marc A. Nivet, ’92, began worrying about
the fallout on college campuses — especially at his alma mater, Southern. He’d been reading articles in the news about how endowments were dwindling at colleges
and universities because of the failing economy.
“I started wondering what that meant for financial aid, what that meant for students of lower socioeconomic status,” Nivet recalls. “Were they going to be afforded the same wonderful experiences that I had at Southern?” At the same time, Nivet was searching for a way to give back to his school, honor his parents, and promote his lifelong mission to increase diversity — racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic — in medical education and the health care field. He says he also wanted to recognize the wonderful nurses who cared for his late father during his struggle with a decade-long illness. So Nivet worked with Southern’s Division of Institutional Advancement to come up with a plan that would achieve all of those goals. The result was the Carlton and Verna Nivet Endowed Scholarship, named in honor of Nivet’s parents. The scholarship will provide financial support for a student majoring in nursing. Nivet, who is the newly appointed chief diversity officer for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) in Washington, D.C., credits Southern and the surrounding New Haven community with helping to shape the person he is today. That, he says, wouldn’t have been possible without financial aid, which allowed him to concentrate on his college experience without having to worry about working his way through school. “It afforded me the opportunity to get involved in the community. It afforded me the opportunity to be active in student government. It was a real opportunity to grow as a person,” says Nivet. While at Southern, Nivet served as vice president of the Black Student Union, mentored incoming freshmen in the Student Equal Opportunity Program (SEOP), and volunteered to work with inner-city children in public schools in New Haven. “Those non-classroom experiences really were just as important to me as the classroom experience, and in some cases probably more important,” he says. Nivet went on to earn advanced degrees from Long Island University (C.W. Post campus) and the University of Pennsylvania before launching a prestigious career in higher education. Prior to his position at the AAMC, he served as the chief operating officer and treasurer for the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation in New York City, which supports programs to improve the education of health professionals. Nivet also serves on the SCSU Foundation Board of Directors. Nivet says he was always driven by his parents’ life story, a
Left: Dr. Marc A. Nivet, ’92
classic tale of immigrants going after — and achieving — the American Dream. “My parents were always striving for better for their children, and that was such a motivating thing for me as a child to witness,” he says. Nivet’s father met his mother after they both immigrated to the United States from Trinidad in the late 1960s. With no more than a ninth-grade education, he worked his way through odd jobs in Manhattan before landing steady employment at an artist material development company. His mother helped support the family by working as a dietician at DeWitt Nursing Home in New York City. But his father’s long-term plan was to own his own business, and by 1973 he had saved enough money to open a coffee shop in the same building where he had been working for the last four years. He had a ready-made clientele among his many acquaintances in the building, Nivet says, and the shop was a huge success. His father sold the business 15 years later, earning enough from the sale to move the family from Brooklyn to the suburbs in Long Island. In the late 1980s, his parents opened Long Island’s first Trinidadian restaurant, which they ran successfully for 16 years until Nivet’s father’s death. Nivet says he hopes his parents’ entrepreneurial spirit might inspire future nursing students who are applying for the scholarship by reminding them that “their dreams can really be actualized through perseverance, diligence, and hard work.” Nivet says he envisions the scholarship going to a student who not only shows academic promise, but who has overcome obstacles and demonstrated “stay-to-itiveness” in the face of adversity. He says students who apply for the scholarship will be required to write an essay explaining why they believe they are worthy of the award. Lisa M. Rebeschi, associate professor and chairwoman for Southern’s department of nursing, says the department is very grateful for Nivet’s support. “Over the coming years, the state of Connecticut and the nation will be facing a severe shortage of nursing professionals, especially those prepared at the baccalaureate and graduate levels,” Rebeschi says. “Scholarships such as the one established by Dr. Nivet enable students to realize their potential as nursing professionals.”
Winter 2011 | 43
A Teacher’s Legacy A new scholarship honors the memory of celebrated Professor Emeritus Daniel Ort and furthers his long-demonstrated commitment to Southern and its students. By Natalie Missakian
44 | Charitable Giving Report
W
hen legendary Southern professor Daniel Ort died in 2007, a former student wrote to his wife, recalling the day she earned her first-ever C in his class. “She was absolutely, totally stressed and indignant about it [initially]. She had never gotten a C in her life,” Sharon Ort, ’72, recalls. Eventually, she had gotten over the shock and appreciated her teacher’s criticism. She went on, according to the letter, to sign up for as many of Ort’s courses as she could because, she said, he taught her “how to think.”
Such is the legacy of the longtime English department faculty member, professor emeritus, and Honors College co-founder, whose creative approach to teaching not only transformed the minds of his students, but shaped how they were taught. As a lasting tribute to her husband, his wife of 50 years established the Daniel Ort Memorial Endowment at Southern, a fund that has also received donations from numerous university colleagues and former students. The fund will provide scholarship support for students enrolled in the Honors College who are majoring in English. “He loved teaching. He loved the interaction with the students, so the idea of a scholarship seemed an appropriate thing,” says Ort from her home in Cheshire, Conn., where watercolors painted by her late husband grace the walls of every room and his published books sit on the bookshelves. Ort taught English and comparative literature at Southern from 1966 until he retired in 1997. He pioneered the concept of “team teaching” at the university, promoting an interdisciplinary approach that continues today in the Honors College. The program for academically gifted students, created in 1982, features a curriculum organized around themes rather than specific subjects. Ort encouraged professors from different departments to work together, believing a collaborative method would enhance teaching by merging several distinct perspectives on a topic. The approach, says his wife, meant not only designing courses spanning diverse subjects — from literature and the arts to science and philosophy — but literally having professors teach together in the same physical space. Before the Honors College, Ort created the IDEA program in the 1970s and then in the 1990s launched the SCORE program. Both brought an interdisciplinary approach to core courses. “He very much enjoyed that camaraderie with the professors of the other disciplines,” Sharon Ort says. In addition to the scholarship, the university dedicated the Honors College Library in Ort’s memory in March 2010. English Department Chair Michael Shea, who helped spearhead the effort, noted the library is used as a community learning room, so it is a fitting symbol of Ort’s vision.
Left: Sharon Ort, ’72
“His notion of learning needing to happen in a big community rather than individually between student and teacher — that was very influential to me,” says Shea, who shared an office with Ort for more than a decade and considered him a mentor. “Dan Ort believed we were all learners together.” Outside the classroom, Ort had numerous talents, from writing essays, poems, plays, and novels, to acting, filmmaking, playing musical instruments, and painting — a hobby he took up late in life. Colleagues, friends, and family members described him as “larger than life,” someone with a unique knack for finding humor and wisdom in everyday situations. The New York Times published many of his musings on daily life as op-ed pieces. His wife was often a central character. “He was always trying to grow as a thinker and a creator,” Shea recalls. Although Ort struggled with health problems, including Parkinson’s disease, he always found a way to incorporate life’s setbacks into his art, says his wife. When he lost control of his right hand as the Parkinson’s progressed, Ort taught himself how to paint with his left. If a tic or tremor caused a slip of the paintbrush, Ort found a way to make the error a part of his creation. He once suffered a puzzling and frightening bout of temporary amnesia that left him so confused he found himself endlessly repeating a line from a favorite Edward G. Robinson film. After he recovered, Ort used the episode as inspiration for a collection of short stories. He entitled the book, “Is this the End of Little Rico?”—naming it for the infamous movie line. His other published books include, “Off to See the Wizard,” “My Mother Always Called Me by My Brother’s Name,” and “Ort Bran.” Sharon Ort says she hopes the scholarship will go to students who share her husband’s passion for creativity. Asked what Ort would think about the effort, she says he would probably not want a fuss made over him, nor would he have sought out a space on campus bearing his name. He didn’t even want a party when he retired, she recalls. But, she says, he would be pleased about the scholarship. She comments: “Anything that is in any way helpful to kids being able to get an education, I think he would have been happy about.”
Winter 2011 | 45
Giving Back President’s Club Patrons $10,000+ Richard Ades Annie E. Casey Foundation Barnes & Noble College Bookstores, Inc. Clear Channel Radio New Haven – WKCI, WELI, WAVZ Davis Educational Foundation Fusco Corporation Dorothy Goodwin* Anne Gundersen Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation New Haven Register Marc Nivet Sharon Ort Paul L. Jones Fund Richard F. Tripodi Trust Lorraine Samela Margaret Samela SCSU Student Government Walter Stutzman Stutzman Family Foundation John & Margaret Sullivan The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of New England The New York Academy of Medicine The Oaklawn Foundation Richard Tripodi WSHU Public Radio Group President’s Club $5,000 - $9,999 Katherine Barrett John M. Brown Ida Caccese* Jacques Cesaire Michael Chambrello Comcast Cable of New Haven Inc. Community Foundation for Greater New Haven Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Beverly Gerber Charles Jeffrey Journal of The Experimental Analysis of Behavior Stephen Koestner Thomas Madigan James Mazur Newman's Own Foundation Northeast Utilities Service Company John & Christine Powderly Sondra Robinson Richard Russo Anita Sabatino
46 | Charitable Giving Report
Sage Family Trust SCSU Alumni Association Sidney Skolnick John and Gladys Soto Space-Craft Manufacturing Inc. Sprint Together with Nextel The Emily and John Brown Family Fund The Thomas and Elsie Deeley Foundation Archie Tracy Whitney Center Wiggin & Dana LLP Blue & White Club $1,000 - $4,999 Susan Aaronson Linda Adanti Frederick Afragola Elizabeth Ailes Heidi Allen Anthony Amendola Francis Antin Aqua Turf Irrigation LLC Paula Armbruster Backe Foundation Inc. Regina Barbaresi James Blake Peter Boppert Bruegger's Bagels William Burns Shawn Cassidy Paul Chaltas Wendy Chang Ann Christmann Citizens Bank Maureen Collins Comcast Foundation Connecticut Magazine Stephen Courtney Courtney Honda Timothy Crader Gary Crakes Rose Cretella Cumulus Broadcasting Inc. Michael Deans Nicholas DeFelice Diverse Transportation Inc. Sylvia Balber Drexler Drexler Foundation Jerry Dunklee Dworken, Hillman, LaMorte & Sterczala P.C. Nicholas Edgington Marjy Ehmer William Elwood Exxon Mobil Foundation Richard Faber Fairfield County Treasury Management Association Inc.
Honor Roll of Donors Fantini Baking Company Inc. Five Guys Burgers Diane Forni Rosemary Forni Geraldine Frankel Anne Fraulo DonnaJean Fredeen Robert Frew Philip Gaboriault Carlene Gaudette Greg Geiger Phyllis Granoff David Greenstein Aaron Gross Frank Harris Geoffrey Hartman
HB Communications Inc. Ronald Herron William Hochman Kathryn Hughes Mary Hyson Joann C. Powers Memorial Fund Michelle Johnston Michael Katz Jon Pedersen & Kristen Adanti-Pedersen Sandra Krivosky Hague L Suzio Concrete Co. Inc. Hollis Landauer Liberty Mutual Susan Lindberg Edward Mack Dorothy Martino McBride Wayside Carpet & Furniture Co. Inc. James & Joan McGuire Lawrence McHugh Kathleen McLeod
Memorial Day Classic Elaine Mikk Donald & Mary Ann Mitchell Michael J. Adanti Memorial Golf Tournament Laurence & Jacki Moffi Eileen Moriarty Nason Partners LLC Letitia Nastri Frank Nevins NewAlliance Foundation Cheryl Norton Mary O'Connell Kozik Barbara Ortoleva Richard Paige Michael Parker
Pauline Schwartz Trust Fund Gregory Paveza Edward Pirner Pocket Communications Pocket Wireless Pointer/Crosse Digital Imaging LLC William Pratt Timothy Quill Jaak & Kristi Rakfeldt RCMS Controls Inc. Gail Reen Richards Metal Products Inc. Megan Rock Ronald Sader Lesley Santora Lance & Robin Sauerteig Scarco Inc. Schick-Wilkinson Sword Inc. SCSU Women’s Association Irving Smirnoff*
Clifford Smith Southwestern Conn. Agency on Aging Inc. Carol Stiff Subway Restaurants John Sullivan Andrew Talley Anthony Tamburri Teachers Together The Daughters of 1853 Sandra Thielz Andrea Thurm Tim Greer Insurance Agency Inc. B. Kelly Titus Tri-State Brick of Connecticut Tyco Printing & Copying Inc. Pieter Van Vredenburch Carolyn Vanacore Visiting Nurse Association of South Central Connecticut J. LeRoy & Patricia Ward Webster Bank, N. A. Wellpoint Foundation Wells Fargo Foundation Selase Williams Diane Wishnafski Yale Golf Course Associates Club $250 - $999 Antonio Aceto Steven Adamowski Aetna Foundation Inc. Hanna Agonis Lucille Alderman Catherine Allen Linda Altieri Angela Amicone Joseph & Cally Angeletti Martin Anisman Nancy Antin Aon Foundation Inc. William Arpaia AT&T Higher Education Matching Gift Program AT&T United Way Employee Giving Campaign Blanche Baldwin* William Ball Joseph Bandiera James & Doris Barber Ralph Barbieri Christine Barrett Mackey Barron Joseph Bart Alain Bartelemy Christina Baum Roger Bellmore
Michael Ben-Avie Jacquelyn Benichov Corinne Blackmer Barbara Bohn Leonard & Kathleen Bonn Joan Bonvicini Violet Bornemann Maureen Bornstein Christine Broadbridge Sara Brown Steven Buechele Edward Burke Terrell Bynum Hugh & Fay Cafferty George Caffrey Peter & Barbara Cairney Conrad Calandra Walter & Judith Camp Richard Carney Carla Casanova Centerbrook Architects and Planners Albert Chiappetta Clifford & Patricia Chieffo Catherine Christy Arlene Clifford Philip Cocchiola Kathryne Colatrella Marylou Conley Connecticut Community Foundation Laura Cook Anthony Corvino Daniel Cosgrove Holly Crawford Brad Crerar Gregg Crerar Gabrielle Crisafi Marsha Culik Karen Cummings Martin Curry Richard Curtis Jesse Cyr Carolyn Daher Scott Dana Theresa Dawes Pamela Day Kevin DeBartolomeo Michele DeCesare Raymond & Joan DeFrancesco Anthony DeFrancesco John & Sarah Dekutowski Robert & Amanda DeMezzo David Denino Thomas DeSimpliciis Paul Desruisseaux Concetta Di Leo Louise DiRuccio Kevin Donnelly Linda Donnelly Joseph Dooley Shawn Dougherty Diane Dow Robert Drobish Donna Dumond Ed-Mor Electric Company Inc.
Laura Elsenboss Jeanie England Michele Etzel Marguerite Fadden Alyson Fedak Howard Ferguson Carole Fiola Kenneth Fiola Fiola Real Estate Alfred Fiore Sandra Fonseca Pamela Forsythe Jack & Elizabeth Foster Edna Franz Joseph Friello Emilio Funicella Vincent Gagliardi Blaire Gagnon Henry Gates Ken Gatzke Carole Gauger Terese Gemme General Re Corporation Lillian Gerhardt Mark Germain Mary Gilbertson Kevin Gilbride Mary Glidden Margaret Glode Audrey Goclowski Elizabeth Godbout Nancy Gotwalt Jo-Anne Graham Kerry Grant Robert Griffin Lisa Guertin Bodh Gulati Anneliese Hall Irene Haller James Hance Eugene Harris Robert Heins Lars Helgeson William & Jaye Hensel Marie Herbst Patricia Heslin Barbara Higgins William & Joan Holley Jodi Hoss Maria Houser Anne Iezzi Margaret Ikeda Vincent & Nancy Inglese Caroline Jacobs Kurt Jagielow Warren & Marilyn Jaqua David Jennings Deborah Jennings* Susan Jennings Elizabeth Jockinsen Steven Karjanis Michael Kells-Murphy Robin Kenefick Marianne Kennedy Diana Killip Leland Kimball Phyllis Kingsbury Robert Kirsch
Thomas Kleine Sarah Knauf Julia Kobus Nancy Kohl William Krumm Lillie Kumar Gerard Kunkel Frank & Daniela LaDore Victoria Lafortune Dena Lagonigro
Robert McGannon Michael McGrath Thomas McGuire Kevin McNamara Merck Company Foundation Sharon Mezes Parivash Michlin Robyn Migliozzi Mike Riccio Sports Harriett Milnes
Lake of Isles Rita Landino Martin Langlois Richard Larson Daniel Leavitt Linda Lebel Margaret Leber Erica Lee John Lelas Donald Lemieux Eugene & Anne Leone Saul Lerner Harold Lewis Life Fitness Limpiex Cleaning Service Inc. Charles Lombardi Erik Lugli Raymond Mackowski Kristie Maestrini Thomas Maguire Monica Maia Susan Majewski Michael Malafronte Robert Malchiodi Constance Maloney Anthony Maltese Debrah Manke Doris Marino Rosalind Marottoli David Marquis Armen Marsoobian Frank Mason Raymond Mattes Anthony & Kathleen Mauro Valerie McAleer
Margaret Mirto Sharon Misasi Robert Mitchell Tracy Mitchell Courtney Moavero Lea Mola Vera Moore Giacomo Mordente Edward & Deborah Morgan William Morgan Diane Morgenthaler Thomas Morgillo Timothy Murphy Frank & Cynthia Nappi Nationwide Insurance Enterprise Jean Neil Vara Neverow NewAlliance Foundation Matching Gift Program Patricia Nicol Anthero & Eleanor Nicolau Roy Nirschel David Obedzinski Lawrence Olszewski Louise O'Neal S. Michael & Betty Opper Rocco Orlando Oxford Industries Christopher Palmer Donna Palmieri Robert Parker Steve Parks Timothy Parrish Edmund & Pamela Pawlowski
Belinda Pearman Larissa Peleschuk Philip Pessina Kathleen Peters Julie Petersen James Pinson-Rose Rebecca Piorek Christopher Piscitelli Eunice Planamento Susan Pogue Andrew Powderly Marilyn Price Jim Query Cherylynn Radziunas Sean Raffile Jody Rajcula Pamela Rendeiro Residence Inn Marriott Janet Richards Jeanne Rielly Salvatore Rizza Michael & Janine Roshka Wiltraud Roze Theresa Sandifer Frank Santino Nancy Sargeant Schwab Charitable Fund Scungilli International Stanley Seliga Michael Shea Cynthia Shea-Luzik Robert Sheeley Omar & Shirley Shepard Amy Sherman Kathi Sherman Steven Shindler Barbara Shortell Peter Sieviec Eric Simms Mary Skorvanek Sorrentino J. Philip Smith Joshua Smith Linda Smith Malavasi Joan Specter Marian Spiro Sportslook LLC Jason St. Jacques Pamela Stanton Dawn Stanton-Holmes Bridget Stepeck-Holt Sterling Forms & Computer Supplies Patricia Stich Brigitte Stiles Suburban Worldwide Travel Agency LLC Cynthia Swainbank Andrew Taddei Frank Tavares Scott Taylor Temple Grill Teresa M. Sirico Realtor LLC Catherine Teti The E.R. Hitchcock Company Inc. Angela Todaro Lawrence Tomascak Lenora Tomporowski Winter 2011 | 47
Susan Toner Town Fair Tire Centers Inc. Jacqueline Treschuk Bahn Daniel & Susan Tuba Amy Tursky United Technologies Corporation Up In Smoke Haley Veller Clifford & Jean Verron Victorinox Swiss Army Jeffrey Wain Ronald Walker Elizabeth Walsh Janine Walsh Patricia Walsh Leslie Warner-Maloney Richard Watson Marc Weglowski Weight Loss Orange LLC Richard & Katherine Wellner Susan Westrick Patricia Whelan Marvin Wilson Timothy Wise Work Smart Group LLC William Zenko Patricia Zibluk Century Club $100 - $249 David & Cheryl Abraham Joan Aceto Deborah Ahern Judith Ahrens Mark Aldrich Norma Allegri Carol Allen Richard Allison Allstate Foundation Ellen Alpert Amgen Foundation Amity Chiropractic & Rehabilitation Center LLC John & Jean Anastasio Carol Anderson Lauren Anderson Lois Anderson Lucille Anderson Louis Andre Michael Angelini Joseph Anzalone Ronald Arbitelle Sharon Arbo Andrea Arellano Geraldine Artis Harry Ausmus Eric Baba Kathleen Bagley Scott Baker Maxine Balaban Joanne Baldauf Jo-Ann Bandomer Mary-Beth Bantham William Barker Patricia Barnish
48 | Charitable Giving Report
Ellen Bauer Donald & Gertrude Beckwith Vincent Bell Marise Benson Judith Benson Dinkin Denise Bentley-Drobish Matthew Berberich Mark Bergamo Dorothy Berger Marion Berkman Betsy Bern Raymond Bernacchia Thomas & Lois Bernardi Val Bernardoni Thomas Berry Elizabeth Bertier Rosemary Berton Carol Berube Stephen Betz Fred Bialka Marcia Biase Barbara Bilodeau
Donna Brennan Virginia Brennan Vincent Breslin Isobel Broadhurst Geraldine Brock Robert Bromage Joseph Brown Patricia Bruno Carol Bryan Dolores Buccelly Ellen Budris Sandra Bulmer Lana Burchman Christopher Burns Doris Burns Madelyn Burzenski Cynthia Butler Keith Butler Robert Caciopoli Lynda Calderwood August Cambria June Cameron David Campbell
Biogen Inc. Biologic Inc. William Bircher Lori Jean Blanchette Blanchette Sporting Goods Inc. Janis Blasiak Elizabeth Blau Beth Blazevich Cynthia Block Gayle Bogel Kathleen Bonvicini James Booth Christopher Borajkiewicz David & Debra Borzellino Laurie Boske Romeo Boucher Lily Bowen Sylvia Boyd Jean Brassil Sam Braunstein
William Campbell Robert Canny Antone Capitao Michael Capozzi Philip Capp Maureen Carey Victoria Carey Ralph Carrano Maureen Carroll Lauren Casalveri James Casanova James Cashavelly Clare Castello Michael Castellucci Janis Castiglione Catherine Cavanaugh Laurie Cavanaugh Richard Cavanaugh Rose Celone Donna Chaney G. Sally Chapman
Judith Chernoff Ronald Chernovetz David Chevan Stan Christodlous Laurie Churchill Dino Ciaburri CIGNA Foundation John Ciofalo Mary Ciuk Thomas & Rosemary Clarie Constance Cleary Barbara Clifford Deborah Coates Mary Cofrancesco John Coggins William Cohane Dona Cohen Joseph Colacino Edward Colasanto Joel Colbert Sequella Coleman Maria Colon Kathryn Conklin Mary Connelly* William Connelly Barbara Conte Frances Conte Wendy Conway William Conway Jane Cooney James Corbiere Francine Coss Barbara Costello Shirley Costello Douglas Coster Lizanne Cox Claudia Crafts Terry Crescimanno John Critzer Philip Cronan Janice Crossland Helen Crowley Katherine Crowley Thomas & Patricia Cummings Elizabeth Curtis Lois Czuba D & D Services LLC Donna D'Angio Jennifer Danneman Richard Dargan Maura David Jimmy Davila Gail Davis Michael Davis Roosevelt Davis Ruth Ann Davis Samantha Davis Scott Davis Lois Day Patricia De Barbieri Cynthia DeCarlo Michael DeCarlo Christopher Decker Paul DeCoster Dorothy DeDominicis John Deeley
Sherri DeFalco Thomas & Rosemary DeFilippo Heidi Degree Randy Deitering LaRee Delahunt June Delano Raymond Delehant David DeLise Ronald DeLuca Elizabeth deLucia Pasquale Delucia George DeMaio Michaela DeMarchi Sandra Dennies Gerald Devine Christine Di Pietro Josephine DiCamillo Dichello Distributors Inc. Armand Dikranian Patrick Dilger Mark Dillon Loretta DiPietro Gail Direinzo Melinda Divicino George Doerrer Julia Doherty Laura Dolyak Debra Domack Susan Donahue Mildred Doody Thomas Dorr Kim Dorsey Richard Downey Jacqueline Downing Virginia Doyle Jeannette Doyle-Gay Barbara Drummond Luba Dubno Pauline Duda James DuHaime Diane Dumigan Mara Dunleavy Mark Dunn Kathleen Dutney Joy Duva William Dyson Alan Eckstrand Dana Efaw Pasquale Elia Edward Elliman Lenore Ellis Lucinda Embersits Marty Ernstoff Agatha Esposito Marie Etherington Kenneth Ewaskie Angela Ewer Anna-Margaret Fabisiak Kirkland Fain David Fair Patricia Falk William Faraclas Ted Farber Bonnie Farley-Lucas Joseph Fazzino Mary Feige
Harvey & Susan Feinberg Jay Feldman Michael Fennessy Christiane Fenninger Jackie Fie Kimberly Filion Bella Fink Mel Finkenberg Geraldine Finlay Hilda Fiola June Fiorelli Catherine Fiser Robin Fitch Harriet Fitzgerald Woodrow Fitzgerald Nancy Flammia Brandis Flash Edward Fletcher Gustave Flink Michael Flug Deborah Flynn Margaret Fogarty James Foley Christine Fontana Jeffrey Forbes Clare Ford Elizabeth Ford James Ford Robin Forte Nancy Franco Janice Frank Kelley Frassinelli Michael Freda Joanne Frenkel Brian Friary Ruth Frohman Janina Fusaro Anthony Gadsden Rosemary Gagliardi Kathleen Gallagher Patrick Gallagher Vanessa Galligan Charlotte Gallucci Peggy Gallup Karen Galluzzo Sharon Galvin John & Elizabeth Gambardella Beverly Ganley Rafael Garcia Gardiner’s Supermarket Inc. Linda Garfinkel Wendy Garland Carol Gennette Mark Gentry Michael Georgen Joanne Giannini Sonja Gibbs Ann Gibran Barbara Gibson Carl Giffin Nancy Gill Anthony Ginnetti Beverly Ginter Arthur & Patricia Giulietti Joseph & Rebecca Giulietti
E. Elaine Glass Martin Glassner James Gleason Howard Gleichenhaus Global Impact Betty Gobeille Adam Goldberg Jerry Golebiewski John & Jill Gonski Isabel Gonzalez-Echevarria Nancy Gorman Patrick Gorman Stephanie Gosteli Mary Gould Timothy & Pamela Granucci Susan Gray Mary Grazioso Ruth Green Greenhouse Inc. Michael Greenwood Tamila Gresham Joan Griesenauer Cheryl Gross Roberta Grossman Marcia Gruce Hope Grunt Janet Guilmette Robert Gulas Grace Gunnip Ronald Guralnick Deborah Gwiazdowski Valerie Haberl George Haddad John Hajus Kathleen Hall Winifred Hamilton Carolyn Hammond Audrey Hancock James Hanley Michael & Nancy Hanlon April Hardy Harvey Harkness George Harris Lucinda Hart Richard Harvey Harvey Hubbell Foundation Phoebe Hastings Stephen Hatch Richard Hauk Dennis Hayes Jocelyn Hayes Evelyn Heffernan Joseph Heffernan Richard Hegel Mark Heimerdinger Karen Helland Raymond Heller Selma Henig Barry Herman Amos Hewitt M. Kathryn Hill Joanne Hiss Thomas & Mari Beth Hixson Adele Hodges Michael Holinstat James Honore
Donald & Marianne Hope Rita Hornlein James Hsiao Peter Huey Donald Hughes Rita Hughes Angela Huntley Thomas Hylinski Elaine Iannarone IBM International Foundation Elizabeth Inkster Insurance Services Office Inc. Eric Inzero Michael Ippolito Italian American Youth Foundation Inc. Sondi Jackson Kendra Jemmott Florence Johns Richard & Sandra Johnson Kyung Joo Jung Barbara Kagan Jason Kannon Constance Kapral Joan Karpowich Elizabeth Keefe Mary Jane Keeler Dennis & Mary Keenan Elizabeth Keenan Raymond Kellogg James Kelly Janeth Kelly Joann Kelly Kathryn Kelly Edward Kennedy Roberta Kieronski Barbara Kiesel Yvonne Kimball Linda King Patrick King Miles Kirschner David Kish Trevor Kline Kurt Knoernschild
Paul Kobasa Veronica Koenig Philanthi Koslowski Harriet Kral Dorothy Kramer Denise Krause Pauline Kruk John Kryzanowski Leo Kuczynski James Kusack Philip Lagattuta Rae Lambert Edward Lang Susan Langhans Josephine Langhoff Phyllis Langsner Anne Lattanzio Nicholas Laveris Michelle Lawler Ralph Lawson Robert Ledder Ta-Ling Lee Cheryl Lee Phyllis Leeman Robert Lehman Matthew Leisge Kathleen Lembo Patricia Lenihan Roberta Leonard Marissa Leone David Levine Frederick Lewis Janes Lewis Joyce Lewis Catherine Ligi Linda Lindbeck Donna Lindgren Lena Lindsay Long Wharf Theatre Rebeca Lopez Carol Lovell Mary Rose Lovello Maureen Lucas Carla Lukas J. Edward Lynch Renee Lynes
Alexandra Macaluso Patricia Maclary James Madigan Alison Majeau Ann Maki Jennifer Manes Robert & Louise Manfreda Patrick Manley Sharon Manley Anne Mapolski Lucille Mapp James & Barbara Marchetti Bernadette Marczely Lucille Marottoli Marianne Marple Joan Marshall Elizabeth Martha Eleanor Martin Kathleen Martinelli E. Marie Mas Barbara Massoudi John Mastrianni Carmella Mastrogiovanni Stephen Mayer Susan McCabe Ann McCleery Patricia McCurdyCrescimanno John McEachen George & Barbara McGuigan Hollis Mckenna Paul Mckenzie William McKernan Bonnie McNair Richard Mead Kelley Meadows Sherry Meeks Michael & Mary Megargee Joan Menard Sandra Mendyk Frank & Elizabeth Meoli Laurie Mihalcik Charlene Milazzo Norma Miles Gary & Edna Mills Frank Milone Albert Mirto Donna Mitchell Gertrude Molloy Mary Monahan Janice Monteiro Stephen & Catherina Mordecai Katherine Morello Sara Morgatto Jeffrey Morin John Moroniti Joseph Morris John Morrison Gerald Moss Mehdi Mostaghimi Evelyn Moulton Mark Moynihan William Murray Gail Muscolino Daniel Myers Mark Nastri
Winter 2011 | 49
Mary Navin Betty Naylor John Nazzaro Gerard Nelson Barbara Neufeld Margaret Newton Robert Nill Ryan Nobrega Donald Norcross Eleanor O'Brien Dorothea O'Byrne Mark O'Donnell Alozie Okwu Omni Hotel Patrice O'Neill Maureen Onofrio Kevin O'Reilly Vanda O'Reilly Thomas Ormond Angela Orsene Joyce Ortner James Osborne Shawn O'Sullivan Tracey Owers Sadiann Ozment Don Pace Pacific Biomedical Inc. Gatin Pagano Carl Paight Beverly Pajer Jeannette Palluzzi Philip Palma Joseph & Judith Palmer Jiong Dong Pang Gloria Panza* Francis Panzarella George & Judit Paolini Dorothy Pappas Rita Paradis Paradise Country Club Vermelle Paris Michael & Lisa Parisi Walda Passaro Edward Patrick Marcia Patrick Lyndon Patrie Elsa Paulino Lynda Pedersen David Pendrys Arthur Perschino Anthony Peruso Maria Peters David Peterson Lisa Peterson Paul Petrie Christine Petto Barbara Pezzullo Lillian Pfeiffer Pfizer Foundation Karen Phelan Julie Piazza Cynthia Piccirillo Walter Piechota Donald & Marilyn Pierce Charles Pigaty Pilot Pen Tennis Patricia Pitt
50 | Charitable Giving Report
Erica Planamento Daria Ploski John Ploski Jacqueline Polanski Krista Polinsky Polly's School of Gymnastics Frances Poloshian David Pomper Dennis Powers Ann Pratson Cheryl Preneta Michael Prentice Susan Prentis-Good Alan Preston Geraldine Prince Prudential Foundation Raymond Pugliese Lori Pujda Monica Raffone Raise The Bar Philip Rapuano Diane Rasch Lillian Reeder Tricia Regan Jeffrey & Marie Reilly George Reiss Douglas Relyea John Renjilian Ann Renstrom Resource Video Charlene Riccardi* Richard & Stacey Riccardi Robert Rice Elizabeth Richardson Christopher Riley Marguerite Rinaldi Christine Rischman Anna Rivera-Alfaro Frank Rivers Rose Rizza Linda Robinson John Rochette Norman Rodriques Michael Rogers Linda Rogoff Nancy Ronne
Harriet Rosen Diane Rosner Valerie Rowe Judith Rowley Ronald Ruff Thomas Rusk Thomas Ryan Emily Ryder Linda Rynkowska James Sabia Concetta Sacco Thomas & Claire Sacramone Peter Sakalowsky Richard & Phyllis Salerno Diane Salisbury Michael Salvin Berta Samson Dolph Sand Barbara Sanders Mark Sandillo Matthew Sandulli David Santora Marilyn Santucci Maribeth Sarnacki Mary Savage James Savidge Donald Sbabo Joseph Scascitelli Scott Schaffer Irene Schragger Janice Schuck Wayne Schwartz Eugene Schweitzer Dorothy Scrobko Martin & Linda Scully Deborah Seibert R. Craig & Barbara Self Marie Selvaggio Carol Sepowitz Douglas Shaheen John Shea Lisa Shea-Hudson Helen Shecora Margaret Shepard John Sidoli Kathy Siegler
Joan Silber Pamela Simone John & Martha Simpson Michael Sjovall Robert Slie Anita Smith Ellen Smith Forrest Smith Marcia Smith-Glasper Soho Hair Group Emily Sopchak South End Spirits M. Roberta Spann David Spiars Claryn Spies Donna Spigarolo Richard & Kathleen Stannard William Staples Steelcase Foundation Francis & Nancy Stellaccio Katherine Stevenson Susan Stewart Suzanne Stisser Edith Stocking Henry Stockmal Dale Storz Jean Strain Carolyn Strout Joan Stubenrauch Donald Stuhlman Ming Suen Linda Suhr Constance Sullivan Edward Sullivan Robert Sullivan Jean Sutherland Catherine-Mae Sutherland John Switchenko Carl & Elizabeth Sword Frances Symmes-Bourneuf James & Danielle Tagariello Lisa Taggart James & Jill Tallberg Peter & Clelia Tenerowicz Susan Terramorse Judith Terrill The Calabash Shoppee The George J. & Rosemary P. Kreutzer Family Trust Kevin Thompson Kimberly Tibbetts Vincent Tiscia Lois Tolles Robert Toothaker Barbara Torcellini John Tracy Laurie Tracy Rudolph Trankovich Travelers Championship M. Tredinnick Louis Tremblay Sandra Triffin Carol Tripp Delia Tucci Alexandra Turner Melvin Turner
United Way of Central & Northeastern Connecticut Sharon Valley Michele Vancour Patricia Varanelli William Varnum Heidi Vazzano Marie Veit Anthony Verlezza Laurie Vigneault Valerie Villano Charles Viscardi Robert Vitti Judith Vogt Richard Volkman Rita Vozzo Janet Wagner Susan Wainio Rosemary Waldron Marlon Walker Jan Wang Christopher Ward Lorraine Waterhouse Mark Waters Suzanne Weber Candice Weigle-Spier Ted & Pamela Weiss Maureen Welch Hunter Thomas Wellington Wendy Wells Wells Fargo Community Support Campaign Ann Wengloski Edward & Mary Weselcouch Brian West Martha Westenberger Andrea Weyhing Todd Wheeler Cecelia Whelan Mary Ellen White Edward & Anne Whitman Ann Wilber Cynthia Willauer Shirley Willcox Annaleila Williams Laura Williams Lori Williams Stephan Williams Mary Williamson Dorothy Willis William & Rosemary Wilson Thomas Wingreen Sharon Wise Beth Wolak Patricia Wolf Gary Wolff Maureen Wood Sebron Woodley Roger Woznick Betsey Wright Robin Wright Brandon Wrinn Kathy Yalof Mikayo Yamamoto James Yanosy Arthur Yost
John Young Ralph Yulo Andrew Zbikowski Barbara Zimmer Robin Zimmerman Rose Zmarzlak Gretchen Zonas Brian & Joyce Zukauskas Janet Zukowski Steven Zullo Robert Zuraw Faculty and Staff Honor Roll Antonio Aceto Nancy Alexander Aliya Amin Shirley Anderson James Barber Christine Barrett Jill Bassett Christina Baum Betsy Beacom Judith Behler Michael Ben-Avie Linda Benichak Therese Bennett Denise Bentley-Drobish John Bergevin Corinne Blackmer James Blake Aimee Bonn Peter Boppert Sharon Bradford Vincent Breslin Christine Broadbridge Dian Brown-Albert Pamela Brucker Anthony Brunetti Sandra Bulmer William Burton Terrell Bynum George Caffrey Conrad Calandra Richard Callahan Doreen Cammarata-Gilhuly Mary Cannici Christopher Carollo Suzanne Carroll Vincenzo Cassella Shirley Cavanagh Richard Cavanaugh Thomas Celentano Mark Ceneviva Caroline Chamberlain Wendy Chang Xiao Cheng David Chevan Catherine Christy Nancy Chucta Marsha Clarke
Shawna Cleary William Cohane Marylou Conley Nicholas Constantinople Delinda Conte Gary Crakes Holly Crawford Brad Crerar Gregg Crerar John Critzer Marcie Cronin Karen Cummings Thomas Cummings John DaPonte Margaret Das Pamela Day Patricia De Barbieri Robert DeMezzo David Denino Emmett Dennis Deborah DeSisto William Diffley Patrick Dilger Gaetano Dimicco Nancy Disbrow Julia Doherty James Dolan Giovanni D'Onofrio Joseph Dooley Thomas Dorr Robert Drobish Suzanne Duke Jerry Dunklee Theresa Ebenhoe Nicholas Edgington Shermaine Edmonds Francoise Ehrmann Margaret Elliott Scott Ellis Marguerite Fadden William Faraclas Bonnie Farley-Lucas Alyson Fedak Marybeth Fede Vincent Ferrie Janelle Finch Joan Finn Nicole Fluhr Kelley Frassinelli DonnaJean Fredeen Betsy Galian Peggy Gallup Sheila Garvey Yilma Gebremariam Terese Gemme Floyd Gollnick Krystyna GorniakKocikowska Carolyn Harris Frank Harris Martin Hartog
Ronald Herron William Hochman Margaret Huda Percy Huggins, Jr. Kurt Jagielow Michelle Johnston Jordan Jones Barbara Kagan Elizabeth Keenan Raymond Kellogg Robin Kenefick Marianne Kennedy Paula Kennedy Hak Joon Kim Margaret Kiraly Michael Kobylanski Philanthi Koslowski James Kusack Frank LaDore Lisa Lancor Susan Larson Michelle Lawler Susan Lawrence
Joyce Moore Giacomo Mordente Diane Morgenthaler Gary Morin Mehdi Mostaghimi Bennie Murphy Michelle Murphy Joseph Musante James Mutts Ervin Nelson Vara Neverow Dianne Newman Patricia Nicol Ryan Nobrega Wesley O'Brien Kalu Ogbaa Patricia Olney Wanda Outing Tracey Owers Janis Panagrossi Jiong Dong Pang Timothy Parrish Jacqueline Patton
Matthew LeSieur David Levine Samuel Lopes J. Edward Lynch Anthony Maltese Michelle Mann Doris Marino David Marquis Armen Marsoobian James Mazur Hollis Mckenna Paul Mckenzie Kevin McNamara Dorothy Mewborn Tammy Millsaps Sharon Misasi
Gregory Paveza Belinda Pearman Philip Pessina Klaus Peters Paul Petrie Carolynn Pettit Christine Petto Christopher Piscitelli Geraldine Prince Susan Quagliaroli Timothy Quill Monica Raffone Lisa Rebeschi Tricia Regan Richard Riccardi Stacey Riccardi
Lystra Richardson Anna Rivera-Alfaro Salvatore Rizza Linda Robinson Mary Robinson John Rochette Megan Rock Michael Rogers Nancy Ronne Diane Rosner Heather Rowe Lee Ryan Linda Rynkowska Peter Sakalowsky Theresa Sandifer Janet Sanford Marlene Santiago-Cordero Janet Schneider Jessica Scibek Stanley Seliga Joseph Selvaggio Marie Selvaggio Antonia Serrano Michael Shea Cynthia Shea-Luzik Robert Sheeley Winnie Shyam Eric Simms Judith Sizensky-Searles Dawn Stanton-Holmes Bridget Stepeck-Holt Brigitte Stiles Cynthia Stretch Villia Struyk Frank Tavares Angela Todaro Lawrence Tomascak Diane Tomasko Peter Troiano Norma Valentin Michele Vancour Merryalis Vazquez Richard Volkman Carol Wallace David Walsh Jan Wang Mark Waters Carlton Watson Susan Westrick Colby Whelan Patricia Whelan Selase Williams Marvin Wilson Robert Workman Leon Yacher Kathy Yalof Phyllis Young Patricia Zibluk *Deceased
Our Honor Rolls recognize gifts made between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, however, errors and omissions may have occurred. Please accept our apologies for any inaccuracies. If you find an error, please contact Betsy Galian at (203) 392-5598.
Winter 2011 | 51
Southern Connecticut State University Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors OFFICERS Robin Sauerteig Chair Southern Connecticut State University Foundation Vice President, BLS Strategic Capital/DAR Inc. John Brown Vice Chairman Southern Connecticut State University Foundation Founding Partner, Aquiline Capital Management David R. McHale Treasurer Southern Connecticut State University Foundation Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Northeast Utilities System Frederick R. Afragola Secretary Chairman, Frame Advisors
BOARD MEMBERS Paula Armbruster Associate Clinical Professor, Yale University (retired) Michael R. Chambrello President and Chief Operating Officer Scientific Games Corporation Mary O’Connell Kozik Senior Chemist AECOM Corporation Thomas J. Madigan Vice President, Investments UBS Financial Services Inc.
Joseph Natarelli Partner-in-Charge Marcum LLP
Mackey Barron President HB Communications Inc.
Marc A. Nivet, Ed.D. Chief Diversity Officer Association of American Medical Colleges
Lynn Fusco President Fusco Corporation
William H. Pratt, Esq. Partner Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
John Soto President Space-Craft Manufacturing Inc. Carol J. Stiff Vice President, Programming and Acquisitions ESPN Programming Richard F. Tripodi President RFTS Inc.
Stanley F. Battle, Ph.D. Interim President Southern Connecticut State University James E. Blake Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Southern Connecticut State University Vincent M. Gagliardi Alumni Association Representative William A. Holley, Jr. Alumni Association Representative
Anthony F. Verlezza President Supply Chain and Manufacturing Executive Consulting Diane L. Wishnafski Executive Vice President, NewAlliance Bank (retired)
EMERITI DIRECTORS
Jonathan Irving, Ph.D. Professor of Music Southern Connecticut State University Ben McNamee Student Representative Southern Connecticut State University Christopher M. Piscitelli Director of Judicial Affairs Southern Connecticut State University
Lucille W. Alderman Community Activist Frank D. Antin Senior Vice President, The Bank of New York Mellon (retired)
CONTACT US For additional information, please contact: Southern Connecticut State University Foundation, Inc. Telephone: (203) 392-6192
52 | Charitable Giving Report
Gifts may be made online at: www.SouthernCT.edu/supportsouthern/onlinegiving or you may contact the Development Office. Telephone: (203) 392-5598
