Siena SIENA NEWS • A MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS • WINTER 2008
The Gift Of Life Would you give your kidney to a perfect stranger?
Melissa Stephens ‘07 decided there was no better way to honor her granmother’s life than to save another’s.
Inside: A Summer in Uganda | Breaking Barriers lladllajfajfhajhf kajshfaksj rjg;wjr giwjrg iwgihwer asfjaskfjaskfjkajsfk |uy
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from the president
As President of
Siena College, I have the privilege of being reminded constantly of what a unique opportunity it is to serve this place.
Message from the Editors:
The preparation students receive from our liberal arts education and Franciscan tradition sets the stage for a lifetime of achievement, even as we face uncertain times. Our Franciscan education in particular allows Siena graduates to think beyond themselves in order to bring hope to the future.
From the stories of Siena and classrooms to
our athletic fields and faculty offices, there are great stories and achievements featured in this issue of Siena News. These are the stories of our community; they are what give Siena its vibrancy. I want to encourage you all to share your stories with us. It is the best way to contribute to the body of knowledge about Siena and ensure its strength and growth. After all, alumni of Siena College not only had a wonderful experience while attending Siena, but have had extraordinary accomplishments since then.
Your stories enrich the Siena story. Your support
makes it possible to secure the futures of our students and advance Siena College as a leader in Franciscan and Catholic liberal arts education. Fraternally,
Fr. Kevin Mullen ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D.
Siena News has had a makeover and includes several new sections: “On Campus,” “Faculty News,” “Saints Corner” and “Alumni Connection.” The additions deliver more news in a more direct manner. You may have already noticed a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo on the back cover. Choosing FSC paper shows that Siena complies with the highest social and environmental standards on the market, which is consistent with Siena’s Franciscan mission to respect the world around us. Saint Francis is the patron saint of the environment and this is one way we can contribute to continuing this legacy. Please drop us a line to let us know what you think by e-mailing communications@siena.edu or calling 518-782-8300. You also can visit us on the Web at www.siena.edu/communications. Enjoy, Jim Eaton and Allison Maloney ’06
contents
2008 - 2009 Board of Trustees
4 The Gift Of Life
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9 A Summer In Uganda
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11 Breaking Barriers
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departments On Campus News | 12 Faculty News | 19 Saints Corner | 23 Alumni Connection | 27 Planned Giving | 32 Alumni Class Notes | 28
Ronald E. Bjorklund ’85 *Bradley Bodmer, Esq. ’82 *J. David Brown Michael Bucci ’73 Robert F. Campbell ’66 Beverly A. Carroll Robert M. Curley Robert T. Cushing ’77 Susan Law Dake Virginia L. Darrow ’83 John J. Dawson, Esq. ’68 Scott C. Donnelly Howard S. Foote ’74 Robert L. Guido ’68 Douglas T. Hickey ’77 Rev. Kenneth R. Himes ’71, O.F.M., Ph.D. Gary C. Holle ’77 Edward J. Johnson ’63 *Walter T. Kicinski ’62 Alberto C. Mariaca ’60 Rev. Jerome J. Massimino, O.F.M. Pamela McCarthy Robert J. McCormick ’87 Rev. Dominic V. Monti, O.F.M., Ph.D. James J. Morrell ’66 Very Rev. Kevin J. Mullen ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D. John F. Murray ’79 John J. Nigro Very Rev. John F. O’Connor, O.F.M. Walter A. Osterman ’87 Joseph M. Pastore, Jr., Ph.D. Kenneth M. Raymond, Jr. *Mark S. Rose ’65 Rev. Peter A. Schneible, O.F.M., Ph.D. Michelle M. Schoulder ’99 *David M. Stack ’73 Christine L. Standish Br. Daniel P. Sulmasy, O.F.M., M.D., Ph.D. Dennis L. Winger ’69 *New trustees The Siena News - Winter 2008 Published by Siena College, 515 Loudon Road, Loudonville, NY 12211-1462 • E-mail: sienanews@siena.edu • Publisher: Noel Hogan • Editor: Ned Jones • Contributing Editors: James Eaton, Allison Maloney ’06, Fr. Kevin Mullen ’75, O.F.M., and Jason Rich ’98• Director of Art & Design: Sergio Sericolo • Alumni Class Notes Editor: Janice Goca, Katie Sokol ’08, Ashley Dwyer ’08 and Nate Maloney ’00• Photography: Sergio Sericolo, Athletics Office, University of Calgary, Jim Eaton, Janet Gianopolous, Dr. Vera Eccarius-Kelly, Dr. Fareed Munir, Eric Scalzo ’08, Paul Higgins ’80 • Printer: The Lane Press, Burlington,VT.
Siena News • 3
COVER STORY
The Gift Of Life By Allison Maloney ’06
What if you had a kidney disease or disorder that was killing you? What if everyone in your immediate family has already lost the battle with this disease? What if none of your willing friends was a positive match? You would give anything for someone to come along and offer a second chance at life.
“Why would you give your kidney to a total stranger?” Her response: “You have to listen to your heart and mine has guided me here.”
.adhfak jshfkajshf kajshf kajshfkajshfk The Catholic community at Siena helped to reignite my spiritual side. Maggie Motto (former campus minister) helped me stay grounded while at Siena. The friends I made at Siena are friends that I know I will have for life. Siena has given me many opportunities that I would not have otherwise had and showed me how to be the Siena sup-
These are the words of Melissa Stephens ’07, who recently became the youngest person ever to donate a kidney to a total stranger. On May 18, 2008, Stephens lost her grandmother to pancreatic cancer. When her grandmother was first diagnosed, Stephens was devastated to find out that there was nothing she could do to combat this fast-killing cancer. “My attention then turned to finding something that I could do to help others in some way. The idea of kidney donation popped into my head. I still have no idea where it came from,” Stephens said. She immediately began to research kidney donation. She soon knew more than she ever thought she would know about kidneys: size, shape, color, what they do and how a person can die from improper kidney function. She also learned about disorders and diseases of the kidneys. Armed with the information, she made a list of “pros” and “cons.” “The ‘pro’ side was much, much longer than the ‘con’,” Stephens said. Stephens logged onto matchingdonors.com and within minutes had three matches (based on blood type) in the New York City/Long Island area. She e-mailed all three and the next day Kris Randall, a singer/songwriter with polycystic kidney disease, called her back. Two weeks later, they were determined to be a perfect match. People asked Stephens , “Why would you give your kidney to a total stranger?” Her response: “You have to listen to your heart and mine has guided me here.” Siena was the place where Stephens honed this spiritual outlook. Her parents, brother and two sisters supported her decision to donate a kidney. Her parents flew in from Indiana for the surgery
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and stayed with Stephens for a month. “Not a day goes by where I don’t thank them for showing me how to be gracious, loving, giving and thoughtful toward others. My Halmoney (“grandmother” in Korean) was, hands down, my biggest inspiration to do this and I am so grateful that I have a supportive, loving family who is behind me 300 percent,” she said. Unfortunately, the trip wasn’t always a smooth one. “The most difficult part of the kidney donation process was the waiting time. I am the type of person who sees what she wants and then does anything to get it—immediately. I wanted the process to go by quicker than it did. Talking with my intended recipient day by day as we waited was difficult. I could hear in his voice that he was deteriorating slowly. It was very hard,” recalled Stephens. Her preliminary tests were on April 24 and the surgery occurred on July 15. In between, there were psychological evaluations, cross blood tests, an EKG, x-rays, and urine tests. Then, there was the three-week recovery, “Although the doctors and donation coordinators kept telling me that I would be out for about three-to-six weeks, I kept saying, ‘I’m young and healthy! I’ll be back to normal in a week or two.’ However, that did not happen. It took about three weeks before I was even feeling a little bit better.” Stephens’ whole body ached, her incisions were painful and she was waking up every three hours to use the bathroom. There was a point when the pain medication did not feel like it was working anymore. She would feel sharp pain where severed nerves were regenerating. After only eight days, she had to return to work at the School for Language and Communication Development, Glen Cove, N.Y., which provides programming to
.adhfak jshfkajshf kajshf kajshfkajshfk The Catholic community at Siena helped to re-ignite my spiritual side. Maggie Motto (former campus minister) helped me stay grounded while at Siena. The friends I made at Siena are friends that I know I will have for life. Siena has given me many opportunities that I would not have otherwise had and showed me how to be the Siena supported the life I wanted to live.”
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Melissa Stephens’s Siena Experience “I had an ideal college life. I was involved all around campus, which I loved. I was a resident assistant and volunteered for Habitat for Humanity. As far as academics, I dabbled into almost everything Siena offered. I took many courses such as French, art and design, heath services and several others. I was unsure of what I wanted to do. However, along the way, I met amazing professors who helped shape my focus and discover my love of the business world. With Professor Deborah Kelly, I was able to travel to Greece and Costa Rica. The Catholic community at Siena helped to re-ignite my spiritual side. Maggie Motto (former campus minister) helped me stay grounded while at Siena. The friends I made at Siena are friends I know I will have for life. Siena has given me many opportunities that I would not have had otherwise and showed me how to be the best that I could be. Siena supported the life I wanted to live.”
children with language and autism spectrum disorders, because she had already taken two days off without pay. She also did not hear much from Randall, her recipient, after the surgeries, “I was a little disappointed when I didn’t hear much from my recipient. Previous to the surgery, we had spoken a lot … I was hurt.” As it turned out, Randall had difficulty adjusting and readjusting to the many types of medications he was on. He had also become nocturnal, sleeping during the day and staying awake at night. Reflecting on the experience, Stephen states that she still wouldn’t change a thing. “About 10 weeks from the date of surgery, I am 100 percent back to normal. There is nothing that I have to stop myself from doing. I am back to running, biking, swimming and everything in between,” she said. “I am living proof that it does not hinder your life after you donate.” Stephens and Randall’s story was filmed by “NBC Nightly News” and can be viewed at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/ vp/27091798#27091798. For a play-by-play account of Stephens experience, visit her blog at melissaskidneydonation.blogspot.com. Randall thanked Stephens in his own special way by writing a song that was inspired by her kindness. You can listen to it at myspace.com/ krisrandall1.
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A Summer in Uganda By Jim Eaton
Matthew Cummings ’09 spent his summer working with Ugandan health care workers trying to convince the local citizens that there is no reason to die due to treatable diseases. Cummings, a senior enrolled in Siena’s Albany Medical College Program, worked at a HIV clinic in Uganda for the first six weeks of his three-month stay where he distributed drugs to those in need.
“The people I met taught me more about bravery and resilience than I could have ever hoped for and I’m very grateful for that.”- Matthew Cummings ’09
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During the first part of his summer of service, Cummings distributed medicine to fight HIV, something he started during his semester abroad in fall 2007 when he participated in epidemiology work while witnessing levels of poverty that he had never seen before. “This was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, as I learned you have to see things before you can truly act on them,” Cummings said. While his classmates returned to the states, Cummings extended his stay in Africa another six weeks and traveled to some of the country’s most remote areas with Ugandan epidemiologists in response to infectious disease outbreaks. He spent much of his time talking to the citizens and health care workers. “My biggest challenge was educating people on how to create sustainable, healthy communities,” he said. He met with survivors of various diseases such as Ebola and Hepatitis E and recorded their experiences.
After listening to their stories, he realized these patients could prevent some of the diseases by simply washing their hands thoroughly. He worked with Ugandan epidemiologists in teaching rural villagers how to identify and report communicable diseases. Cummings went to Uganda with the idea that he would assist the health care workers and walked away from this experience with so much more. “The most amazing thing I witnessed was the health care workers showing up daily and doing the best they could despite the hardships and limited resources they faced,” Cummings said. “The people I met taught me more about bravery and resilience than I could have ever hoped for, and I’m very grateful for that.” As a result of his trip to Uganda, Cummings was invited to present his experience at a conference at the University of Notre Dame in November. “This was an experience that will stay with me for a lifetime,” he said. Cummings hopes the people he interacted with in Uganda will remember it too.
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Breaking Barriers Fifty eight years ago, Jim Owens sat in a classroom as the only black person in the entire high school. Now, he sits in Siena’s classrooms just for the experience: He audits all kinds of courses—sociology, history, English—simply because he loves to learn and he enjoys being among the younger generations. It’s not only Owens who benefits from Siena’s auditing program; the undergraduate students are exposed to another perspective from a person who experienced first-hand many of the topics they are discussing including segregation, the civil rights movement and the military draft.
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Recently, Owens teamed up with Paul Murray, Ph.D., professor of sociology, to write an article about his experience as the first black student to enter the doors of his high school. Salesianum School for Boys is a Catholic high school in Wilmington, Del. In 1950, four years before the Supreme Court issued finalized the Brown v. Board of Education desegregation ruling, Father Thomas A. Lawless, O.S.F.S., the school’s principal, brought five young black men onto the campus. The school became the first secondary school in the state of Delaware to integrate and Owens was the first of the five black students to begin his attendance. “At the time, we even had our own neighborhood. There was an East Side and a West Side. There was a black public high school, Howard High, but I wanted to go to Catholic school,” said Owens. For one-and-a-half years, he rode the train to Philadelphia and walked 18 blocks in order to attend catholic high school because he could not do so in his home state of Delaware. Crossing the state line was
black Joe, old black Joe,” which was an insult against the black students. “At practice, Coach lined us up for the 100yard dash and I won. I didn’t have any problems after that,” said Owens, who was named the first black captain at Salesianum. At school, Owens and the other black students were equals. But, out of school was status was vaguer.
“We had to be better to be equal” - Jim Owens
“a completely different world” where Owens “could do anything” he wanted. Time and people literally changed at Chester, Pa., the first city across that line. Although the difference between the two states seems unbelievable, “You just accepted it,” said Owens. Then one Sunday, Owens’ dad told him, “You’re going to a different school tomorrow.” At a meeting of the Catholic Interracial Council, Fr. Lawless, who had previously taught in Philadelphia, heard that Owens was traveling more than 30 miles to attend a Catholic school and decided that it was unreasonable, “He doesn’t have to do that,” he said. Then he told Owens’ parents, “Monday morning … I want that little fellow to walk through the Salesianum doors.” Determined to put Christian and democratic beliefs into practice, Fr. Lawless later remarked about his decision: “I see nothing to apologize for other than the fact it wasn’t done years ago.” Although no white students were pulled out of the school and no violence occurred, there were a few incidents between the races along the way. “We had to be better to be equal,” said Owens. While going out for the track team, the fastest guy on the team sang, “My head is bending low, old
“There was an ice cream shop called Kozy Korner where the Salesianum students hung out. Because businesses were still segregated, “we didn’t try to go. We weren’t sure,” said Owens. After a time in the seminary, Owens was drafted into the Army in 1958 and served in Germany, where he was stationed with Elvis Presley. “One time Elvis’ presence made a German civilian cashier faint,” said Owens. When Owens returned, he married and raised a family in Albany, N.Y. He worked at John G. Myers department store. Briefly, he worked as an apprentice at Clarity Publishing Company, which printed The Indian, the precursor to Siena’s Promethean newspaper. Over the summer of 2008, Owens was able to revisit his part in history alongside Dr. Murray, a story that did not yet have a great deal of documentation. The two traveled to Wilmington to interview former members of the Catholic Interracial Council, Owens’ schoolmates, and his 93-year-old mother. They recently submitted their research to the Delaware Historic Society. They are awaiting word back concerning publication. SIENA 11
Siena Moves up in U.S. News & World Report Rankings
In rankings released August 22, the U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 edition of “Best Liberal Arts Colleges” ranks Siena College at 118, which moves the college up from last year’s 122 spot. This year marks the second year that Siena has been classified in the “top schools” category, which includes the top 50 percent of liberal arts schools. The rankings are based on various indicators of an institution’s quality, including academic reputation, student selectivity, freshman retention, graduation rate, faculty and financial resources and alumni giving. Siena improved in the overall score by four points, from 44 to 48. The college’s peer assessment score also rose, from 2.6 to 2.7, and the admissions acceptance rate decreased from 55 percent to 54 percent, an indication of higher selectivity. “This is a continued indication of Siena’s strong academic reputation and distinctive mission and shows positive progress toward attainment of goals set forth in our strategic plan,” said Fr. Kevin Mullen ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D., president of the college. Siena was also listed on Business Week’s “College’s with the Biggest Returns” list, as well as Princeton Review’s “Best 368 Colleges” list.
Siena and Vote ’08
The Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy held “Debate Watches” on campus for the three presidential debates and the vice presidential debate. More than 85 students attended each event, which received media coverage locally by CBS 6 News, News Channel 10, and the Times Union. “One student asked me if we could have debate night every night,” quipped Judy Dougherty, assistant director of the Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy. The political science department and the Political Science Club did their part by bringing the VoteSmart’s national bus tour to Siena. The non-partisan, non-profit voter education organization brought free information to schools all across the nation during the election season. SCTV, Siena’s television station, also hosted a debate between the Democratic and Republican student clubs that aired on campus and was moderated by Mark Grimm ’78.
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School of Science Participates in Joint Research Program
Kevin Kittredge, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, hosted an undergraduate student from the University of Richmond as part of a joint research program this summer. “This is the first of what we hope to be an ongoing effort between our faculty and faculty of other higher education institutions who are performing cutting-edge research,” Kittredge said. Bobby Day, a junior at the University of Richmond, is studying the construction of efficient atom/ molecule-specific chemical or biological sensors that have significant consequences for improving medical diagnoses. The detection and quantification of specific ions in a patient’s blood is a common method used in hospitals for diagnosing certain illnesses and conditions. Specifically, elevated or decreased levels of potassium can lead to muscle weakness, mental confusion, and cardiac abnormalities. Day’s research will lead to improved medical diagnostic techniques. If this detection procedure is successful, it could one day improve the overall medical diagnostic techniques. The funding for this project was provided by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and included an off-site one week visit to Kittredge’s lab in the Morrell Science Center. Siena provided room and board for the week that Day was on campus.
Siena Student Receives Volunteer of the Year Award
Elizabeth Woodward ’12, has been named the Region 2 Volunteer of the Year for the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA). Heritage Christian Stables in Webster, N.Y., which is accredited through NARHA, provides therapeutic riding lessons to individuals with developmental disabilities through equine activities. “I have enjoyed my experiences thus far at Heritage Christian Stables. This is the only time people with a disability can do things individually, which is therapeutic for them,” she said. Woodward, a native of Rochester, N.Y. and business major at Siena College, has been helping people with disabilities ride since she was a ninth grader. She has completed 600 hours in volunteer service, which includes leading the horses and helping individuals with developmental disabilities learn how to ride. The region 2 award considers candidates who live in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.
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Senior Wins Times Union’s Best-Dressed Dorm Contest
Lauren Johnson ’08 beat out dozens of contestants, from colleges throughout the capital region, to win “The Best-Dressed Dorm Contest” and $200 in prizes. Four finalists chosen by the Times Union were voted on by readers. Johnson’s space was the smallest entered into the competition. She created a bedroom out of the approximately 60-square-foot space above the stairs in her eight-person townhouse, known to Siena students as “the alcove.” Not only was Johnson creative with her decorating, she was resourceful when it came to storage. She hung a large vanity on the wall and built shelving under her bed.
Former Senate Majority Leader Awarded Bernardine of Siena Medal
In October, Fr. Kevin Mullen ’75, O.F.M., Ph.D., presented the Honorable Joseph L. Bruno, former New York State Senate majority leader, with the “Bernadine of Siena” medal. This award is the highest non-academic award given by the College and is bestowed upon individuals who have distinguished themselves through their involvement and support of Siena College and the local community. Bruno thanked Siena for the recognition and told a story that few people know. “If it wasn’t for Siena, I wouldn’t be here today.” After high school, where Senator Bruno said “they let me graduate because they didn’t want me to stay,” Bruno drove an ice truck and came to realize he did not want to do this for the rest of his life. He talked with a friar at Siena who told him that although he “didn’t qualify for anything,” he could take some courses. “It truly was charity,” said Bruno, laughing. For a year, Bruno drove the ice truck down from Glens Falls for classes. Because of the opportunity and support he received at Siena, Bruno was able to gain admission to Skidmore College’s satellite campus in Glens Falls.
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The Lure of the Apocryphal
The Kieval Institute for JewishChristian Studies held its annual colloquium in November. Religion experts John Collins, Ph.D., Holmes Professor of Old Testament Criticism and Interpretation at Yale University and Martha Himmelfarb, Ph.D., William H. Danforth Professor of Religion at Princeton University were the presenting lecturers. Religious leaders and community members from around the Capital Region attended and also contributed to the discussion of the Aprocrypha, a term that refers to any collection of scriptural texts that falls outside the canon. “In recent years, the discovery of forgotten Jewish hitzonim among the Dead Sea Scrolls and Christian apocrypha in Egypt and elsewhere have aroused widespread interest in these ancient documents,” writes Rabbi Bernard Bloom, ex-officio of the Kieval Institute. The Hayyim H. Kieval Institute for Jewish-Christian Studies was founded in 1983 and is named for its inaugural director, Rabbi Hayyim Kieval. The annual colloquia are dedicated to bringing internationally recognized scholars on campus to discuss matters of history, theology and current events pertaining to the continuing historical relationship between Jews and Christians.
Another Successful Summer for Legal Fellows
Siena’s Legal Fellow’s program is a unique experience for undergraduates. Here is what this year’s fellows are saying about it: Through this program I have been exposed to many different issues that will be beneficial to my education and future careers. The best part about this placement was the hands-on experience. I worked directly with clients and had my own caseload. The fellowship gave me a better perspective on what the legal profession truly entails. The seniors had the opportunity to work on original legal research and in some case, gained valuable experiences with the court system: Javid Afzali and Robert Brenner; Government Law Center at Albany Law School; Zoning and planning, eminent domain
Jeremy Dule and Anne Letterio; American University, Washington College of Law; the Supreme Court Leah Feldman and Courtney Gomez; Domestic Violence Clinic at Northeastern Law School; domestic violence, court-system, safety planning Hanok George; Western New England Law School; State Secrets Privilege Michael Paulsen and Larissa Walker; Pace Law School Environmental Litigation Clinic; EPA’s Water Transfers Rule, Clean Water Act, major environmental law cases Samantha Tymchyn; Western New England Law School; bioethics and consumer pharmaceutical advertising Len Cutler, Ph.D., professor of political science and pre-law advisor, presented on the Summer Legal Fellows program at the Pre-Law Advisors’ National Conference in Las Vegas, Nev., in October
New York Times Supreme Court Reporter Visits Siena It was standing room only for the Annual
Constitution Day Keynote Address in September. Adam Liptak, New York Times Supreme Court reporter spoke about the Supreme Court’s role in today’s age of terror, including the June ruling that Guantanamo Bay detainees have the right of habeas corpus. He also emphasized the importance of the next president, who will likely have the opportunity to choose two judges. Students had the opportunity to ask questions and many were concerned with objectivity in the media, to which Liptak replied that balanced reporting is what he and his colleagues strive for above else, even if it is not perfect. The event was sponsored by the Center for Government and Politics and the New York Times College Readership Program, which allows Siena College to offers copies of the New York Times free to students.
More than 30 professors require students to read the newspaper as part of their coursework. The College is entering its second year of the program after positive responses from students and faculty last year.
Lighting the Way with NASA
Siena College has been chosen as a research leader for the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Firefly mission. Firefly, funded and managed by the NSF, will be a collaborative effort between NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Universities Space Research Association, Siena College, and the Hawk Institute for Space Sciences. “In choosing Siena for this mission, the NSF realizes the great promise Siena holds in its scientific and technological research. This is great opportunity that allows our undergraduate students to really apply what they are learning at Siena,” said Alan Weatherwax, professor of physics. Firefly is NSF’s second CubeSat mission. A CubeSat satellite, about the size of a loaf of bread, consists of three cubes attached end-to-end in a rectangular shape. NSF’s CubeSat program goal is to increase the pace of space weather research. Siena will provide the instrumentation for the satellite. Undergraduate students will be involved in all aspects of the instrumentation development. The Siena team will also travel to NASA for the testing phase of the mission. The Firefly CubeSat is designed to investigate energetic bursts of gamma radiation, called terrestrial gammaray flashes (TGFs). Firefly will explore the link between TGFs and lightning and is designed to determine which types of lightning produce the electron beams and associated TGFs. In addition, Firefly will explore the occurrence rate of weaker TGFs than have previously been studied, providing information about the effect the millions of lightning flashes that occur worldwide each day have on the Earth’s upper atmosphere and near-Earth space environment. Firefly’s launch date will likely be 2010 or 2011.
Strategic Communications and Integrated Marketing Centralized In August, Siena College appointed Delcy Fox as director of strategic communications
and integrated marketing. She is responsible for leading the long-term strategic communications planning to support the College’s mission. “We conducted a nationwide search and clearly Delcy was the most qualified candidate. We are very pleased that she has joined the Siena community in this newly created position,” said Fr. Kevin Mullen ’75, OFM., Ph.D., president. The Office of Strategic Communications and Integrated Marketing is responsible for all internal and external communications for Siena College and promoting the College’s brand in a clear and consistent way. The department includes media relations, marketing and creative services, and oversees the College Website. Fox has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and communications in higher education, healthcare, non-profit and corporate sectors. Prior to joining Siena, she was the director of marketing at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “This is an exciting opportunity. I look forward to leading Siena’s effort to realize even greater national distinction,” said Fox.
Sculptor Patrick Morelli Talks Art with Students By Cayla Consaga ’08
Sculptor and architectural designer Patrick Morelli visited campus this fall to talk with students about his art, as well as choosing art as a career. Morelli has created many works of art, from bronze sculptures to digital images. But what he puts the most effort into is memorials, monuments and other designs for public places that have some emotional or nostalgic effect on its audience. One of Morelli’s most famous works is Behold, a bronze statue of an African-American man offering his newborn son up to the heavens. The statue was unveiled by Coretta Scott King and is housed at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and Preservation District. Another famous work of Morelli’s is Remembrance and Rebirth, a September 11 memorial located at Eagle Rock Reservation in New Jersey that overlooks the former site of the Twin Towers.
Siena Student-Athletes’ Graduation Rates Again Rank Top in Nation Siena’s GSR and Federal Rates Among Highest in Country Siena’s student-athletes posted a 94 percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR) according to information released in the most recent NCAA report. The four-year aggregate rate considers scholarship student-athletes who entered school between 1998 and 2001. Siena’s rate of 94 percent tied for the sixth highest rate in the country and ranks in the top 10 percent among all Division I institutions. “Being among the top schools in terms of the GSR is an ongoing goal for our department,” Director of Athletics John D’Argenio said. “For our student-athletes to be able to accomplish this goal, while having athletic success and being actively involved in the community, is very gratifying. It speaks to the quality of the students who our coaches seek out to become Saints.” Siena’s GSR of 94 percent tied for 24th among the 330 NCAA Division I Institutions and was second in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, trailing only Loyola (96 percent). The 94 percent rate was the sixth highest, with several schools tying with rates ranging from 9599 percent.
Six of Siena’s 18 Division I programs boasted a perfect GSR score of 100: • men’s cross country • men’s golf • women’s cross country • women’s soccer • women’s tennis • women’s field hockey The men’s basketball team posted a GSR of 86 (compared to the national average of 65) and women’s basketball had a GSR of 94 (compared to the national average of 85.4). The NCAA developed the GSR in 2005because the federal graduation rate (FGR) does not credit institutions with studentathletes who leave in good academic standing regardless of whether the students continue on to earn degrees at another college. The FGR also does not take transfers into account. The GSR accounts
Creating Champions for both of those transfer groups, which hasresulted in a more accurate depiction of student-athlete academic success, since it captures about 35 percent more students than the federal methodology. NCAA President Myles Brand praised the latest figures, citing increased initial eligibility standards and an overall emphasis on academics, including the development of the Academic Progress Rate for each Division I sports team, as key factors contributing to student-athlete success. “Nearly eight out of 10 Division I student-athletes are finishing college and earning their degrees. This is extremely good news,” Brand said. “We still have work to do and can’t declare victory just yet, but the trend lines are moving in the right direction.”
Athletics has been an integral part of the student experience at Siena since the College’s founding. The 2007-08 season was no exception as it was filled with lasting memories that included the men’s basketball, women’s volleyball and women’s golf teams capturing MAAC Championships. Following is a recap of the success our athletes achieved on and off the field last year. Academic Success
- Siena student-athletes posted a 3.1 GPA during the 2007-08 academic year. - 93 student-athletes were named to their respective conference honor rolls. - 12 of Siena’s 18 Div. I programs posted a 3.0 GPA or higher.
Saints in the Community
- The field hockey team and members of the Athletic Department volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House in Albany. - The women’s basketball team hosted its annual “Think Pink” game, which honors breast cancer survivors and raises money for the cause. - The men’s basketball team made numerous public appearances. Facilities - The Raymond Center was approved during the 2007-08 aca demic year. It will be an indoor facility with many uses, mostly pertaining to golf.
Intramural-Student Involvement
- With 1,762 participants, 32% of the student community partici pated in at least one intramural activity last year.
Student-Athletes of the Year:
- Kenny Hasbrouck ’09 (basketball) and Nadiege Honore ’08 (volleyball) were named the men and women’s student athletes of the year. Both led their respective teams to MAAC victories, gaining national and regional exposure.
Stand-Out Performers
- Third basemen Jacob Willis ’08 earned MAAC Baseball Player of the Year. -Volleyball Burgandy McCurty ’10 was named MAAC Offensive Player of the Year. - Men’s lacrosse goalie Brent Herbst ’11 led the nation in goals- against average for Division I with 6.08/game. - Women’s golfer Katelynn Mannix ’11 was named MAAC Rookie of the Year. - Sarah Mayer ’10 was named MAAC Women’s Tennis Player of the Year. - Laura Menty ’08 from the women’s basketball team garnered MAAC First Team honors for the second straight season. - Jennifer Granato ’08 from the women’s softball team broke the school’s all-time mark for career home runs.
Sportsmanship:
- Nick Messinger ’09 (baseball) was a MAAC nominee for the 2008 NCAA Sportsmanship Award.
Men’s Basketball Team Primed for More Dancing in March
Women’s Basketball Team Features A New Look
The Siena women’s basketball team was picked to finish seventh in the preseason MAAC Coaches Poll, but these coaches haven’t seen Siena’s 2008-09 team yet. The team will be led by senior forward Heather Stec, who was named to a preseason team, garnering third team accolades. Joining her will be five new players, including two junior college transfers. Despite the low expectations from the MAAC coaches, Coach Gina Castelli likes the competitiveness that she has seen so far in practice. Time will tell if this will translate into more checkmarks in the win column this year. Date 11/14 11/17 11/20 11/24 11/26 11/30 12/5 12/7 12/19 12/20 12/30 01/4 01/9 01/11 01/16 01/18 01/23 01/25 01/29 02/1 02/6 02/8 02/13 02/15 02/20 02/22 02/28
Opponent / Event vs. Syracuse vs. Rhode Island at Boston University at Eastern Michigan at Oakland (Mich.) vs. Harvard at Canisius at Niagara vs. Harvard vs. Duke vs. James Madison at Saint Peter’s vs. Rider vs. Niagara vs. Iona vs. Marist at Manhattan at Rider at Fairfield vs. Manhattan vs. Loyola (Md.) vs. Canisius vs. Saint Peter’s at Iona vs. Fairfield at Marist at Loyola (Md.)
03/5 – 3/9
Time / Result L, 89-75 L, 66-60 L, 84-61 7:00 p.m. ET 6:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 12:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 7:45 p.m. ET 10:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 4:30 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 1:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 12:00 p.m. ET
MAAC Championships TBA
The Siena men’s basketball team has received a lot of preseason hype from national college basketball publications including Sports Illustrated, which placed the Saints 29th in its preseason men’s basketball poll. It is the highest the magazine has ranked Siena since 1999-2000, when it ranked the Saints 26th. The magazine’s preview had the following one sentence justification: “Up-tempo Saints, paced by senior guard Kenny Hasbrouck, the league tournament MVP last year, prep for a return to the NCAAs with tune-ups against Tennessee, Pitt and Kansas.” The Saints have been consistently ranked in the top 40 in national publications and Websites, and nearly all have listed the Saints team as the heavy favorite to win the MAAC. Siena has also received votes in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ preseason polls. Date 11/8 11/17 11/22 11/27 11/28 11/30 12/3 12/6 12/9 12/17 12/23 12/28 12/30 01/1 01/4 01/6 01/9 01/11 01/15 01/17 01/24 01/26 01/29 02/2 02/7 02/9 02/12 02/16 02/21 02/27 03/1
Opponent / Event vs. Union (exhibition) vs. Boise State vs. Cornell vs. Tennessee Wichita State/ Georgetown Old Spice Classic at Loyola vs. UAlbany vs. Marist at Pittsburgh vs. Buffalo at Saint Joseph’s at Holy Cross vs. Fairfield vs. Saint Peter’s at Kansas vs. Rider at Manhattan at Marist at Fairfield vs. Niagara vs. Iona vs. Canisius at Saint Peter’s at Rider vs. Loyola vs. Manhattan at Iona ESPNU BracketBusters at Niagara at Canisius
03/6 – 3/9
Time W, 99-47 W, 82-52 7:00 p.m. ET 12:00 p.m. ET TBA TBA 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 9:30 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 8:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 4:00 p.m. ET 7:30 p.m. ET 3:30 p.m. ET 12:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 1:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 7:30 p.m. ET TBA 7:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET
MAAC Championships TBA
Jennifer Dorsey, Ph.D. has been named director of the Center for
Revolutionary Era Studies at Siena College. She will be responsible for cultivating the existing collaboration with Saratoga National Park and developing new partnerships with Revolutionary Era sites of the Capital Region. Before assuming her current position, Dorsey held teaching positions at Arizona State University and DeSales University. She is an expert in Early American history and her scholarship focuses on
Ed LaRow, Ph.D., professor of biology, received an honorary
degree from Albany Medical College at its 170th Commencement Exercise. LaRow was instrumental in the development of the Siena/Albany Medical College, Science, Humanities and Medicine Program, for which he serves as director. To date, nearly 200 students have earned their degrees from the program.
Duane Matcha, Ph.D., professor of sociology, received the second Fulbright scholarship of his career. Matcha will spend the spring semester teaching The Sociology of Aging at Vilnius University in Lithuania. He is one of 1,000 U.S. faculty and professionals receiving this prestigious award this year.
Jim Matthews, current chair of the faculty and professor
of mathematics and computer science, was inducted into the New York State Mathematics Educators Hall of Fame by the New York State Association of Mathematics Supervisors this October. Six of his Siena colleagues attended the ceremony to support and congratulate Jim: Sue Hurley, Tim Lederman, Len Putnick, Mary Anne Egan, Scott Vandenberg and Robin Flatland. “They deserve special recognition. I cannot express in words how fortunate I’ve been to share so many great conversations about mathematics, computer science and the teaching of these subjects with these brilliant people,” said Mathews in his acceptance speech. During his career, Matthews has demonstrated excellence in the mathematics community and a dedication to his profession for 26 years. He was the 1996 recipient of the Jerome Walton Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Donna McIntosh, M.S.W., professor of social work, was awarded Teacher of the Year by the New York State Social Work Education Association in October. Donna joined the Social Work faculty in 1995. Her practice experience is in the areas of youth services, mental health, and management. She has extensive background in social policy, grant writing and systems change.
School of Liberal Arts
Mathew Johnson, Leah Antil and Sarah Mos: Social Capital in the Capital District: A Multi-Methodological Assessment of Social Capital in the New York State Capital District Diane Strock-Lynskey and Kimberly Vassilatos: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Analysis of the Use of Restorative Justice Models in Efforts to Build Peace after Civil War and Cleansing Patricia Trutty-Coohill and Laura Lachell: Cataloguing the Siena Sculpture Collection
School of Business
Summer Student/Faculty Research Projects
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James Booker and Thomas Scudder ’09: Experiments with the Colorado River Open Source Simulator Raj Devasagayam and Philip Sidoti: Credit Cards and College Students: Status and Implications for Marketing Strategy Raluca Iorgulesc and Alfred Williams: Multiscale Integrated Analysis of the Socioeconomic-Ecological Metabolism for Sustainable Policies Paul Manimoy, Katie Harrigan, Julianne Muller and Caryn Hennelly: Lotto and its Effect on Targeted Population Joseph Rosetti and Anna Gifford: An Investigation of Consignment Marketing through Industry Analysis and Case Study Development
School of Science
Nancy Elliott and Adam Finkle: Relationship between the Native Bahamian Plant, Scaevola plumieri and the Invasive Plant, S. taccada Jodi O’Donnell and Jason Marion: Fabrication and Characterization of Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembled Thin Film Materials for Colorimetric Sensing of Trace Organic Pollutants Jason Hofstein and Timothy Gehan: Development of Three New Physical Chemistry Experiments for Incorporation into the Integrated Laboratory Curriculum Kevin Kitredge and Taela Durst: Stability of Dyes and Pigments in Thermally Cured Poly(Allylamine) / Poly(Acrylic Acid Hydrochloride) Thin Films Kevin Kitredge and Lukasz Gauza: Preparation of Functionalized Silicate Coated Gold Nanoparticles Kevin Kittredge and Stephen McCarron: Ligand-Exchange Reactions of Monolayer Protected Gold Nanoparticles Lucas Tucker and Pat Crehan: Production of Liquid Crystalline Photomaterials Darren Lim and Christopher Vincek: A Machine Learning Algorithm for Solving the Netflix Prize Problem Kristin Farwell and Erik Mulvaney: Counting 2 Colored Partitions in at Most k Boxes Thomas Coohill and Nicholas Fusella: The Effect of Germicidal Radiation on Bacteria of Bio-defense Interest Rose Finn and Danielle Seeley: An Optical Study of a Nearby Galaxy Cluster Rose Finn and Kevin Risolo: An HI Study of a Nearby Galaxy Group Rose Finn and Robert Carroll: An HI Study of a Nearby Galaxy Cluster Mark Rosenberry and George Allen: Experimental Study of Radiation Trapping Mark Rosenberry and Brian Conway: Characterization of an NMR system in preparation for studies of 21Ne Allan Weatherwax and Chantel Warner: Near-Earth Asteroid Monitoring Allan Weatherwax and Kristie Dangerfield: An Optical Study of a Nearby Galaxy Group
2007/2008 Faculty Sabbatical Projects
School of Liberal Arts
Mathew Johnson, Leah Antil
Karl Barbir: “The Ottoman Empire in its Last Stage: Reform Revisited” Gil Brookins: “School of Business Alumni: Life’s Lessons Learned” Fr. Julian Davies, O.F.M.: A Philosophy of the Human Being. Forthcoming in March 2009 from University Press of America Margaret Garnsey: “Differences in Language Between U.S. GAAP and International GAAP” Margaret Hannay: (NEH –funded leave of absence) “A Biography of Lady Mary Sidney Wroth” Bruce Eelman: “A Tale of Two Projects: Industry and Rural Culture in the Reconstruction South/The Radical Response to Lincoln’s Assassination” Nancy Elliott: “ Studies on the Effects of a Tropical Hurricane on the Insect Community of a Subtropical Island” Paul Murray: “The Desegregation of Salesianum School, Wilmington, Delaware, 1950” Carla Sofka: “Museums as Healing Spaces” Bob Yoder: “Collaborative Redesign of Management Information Systems Labs,” and “Neighbor finding in Octrees”
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Dear Alumni and Friends,
This year when I sat down to write my Freshmen Welcome Letter, I realized that another “door of opportunity” was being graciously opened for me and, like our new freshmen, I should walk through it. So, after four years as a student and eight years as a member of the administrative staff in Alumni Relations, I have decided to take an offer to join ELSAG North America, a law enforcement technology company, as director of marketing and communications. The decision to leave Siena was not easy. My time here has been wonderfully rewarding. From “dialing for dollars” to teaching in the School of Business, I’ve had experiences I never would have imagined. I’ve been able to grow both professionally and personally during my tenure. I’ve been able to work with great people from all backgrounds, travel our beautiful country and share the excitement of Siena College with so many. I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who supported me. It is because of this support that I am leaving Siena armed with unlimited potential. As a final reflection, I will miss the reason why Alumni Relations exists — our students. As alumni, we all should be committed to seeing Siena prosper. Whether it is by volunteering time or supporting the Annual Fund, it is our duty as alumni to recognize the importance of staying connected. In the days to come, I look forward to continuing my support of Siena. I look forward to many great years ahead for our beloved alma mater. Until our paths cross again, all the best to you. Sincerely, Nate Maloney ’00
SAVE THE DATE! June 5-7 Check your mail boxes and mark your calendars.
Help Siena Put the Green in the Green and Gold. To help the college reduce amount of paper it uses each year, please be sure we have your current e-mail address. E-mail us at alumni@siena.edu today!
Be in the Know
It is easier than ever to stay in tune with what’s happening on the Siena campus. Check out: http://sienacollegeblog.blogspot.com www.twitter.com/sienacollege <http://www.twitter.com/sienacollege> and be sure to search “Siena” under “Pages” on Facebook to become a fan of Siena College!
Unlock Your Retirment Plan The decision for George Maloney ’54 and
his wife, Sally, to make a legacy gift to Siena was an easy one. “The scholarship aid that Siena provided allowed my family to send me to Siena College. That education, both inside and outside of the classroom, gave me the tools to succeed in my career. Sally and I wanted to give back to the college that provided so much to us,” said George Maloney. After discussing their philanthropic desires with their estate planning advisor, the Maloneys learned that their retirement plan was the best vehicle to use for an estate gift. “Our advisor explained that our retirement plan would be subject to double taxation upon our deaths, an estate tax and an income tax once our estate was distributed to our children. After the two taxes were paid, our children would be left with only 30% of what was originally in the retirement plan,” Maloney noted. “If we named Siena College as the beneficiary of the retirement plan, we would not have to pay estate taxes or income taxes because Siena College is a non profit” “After talking to our children, it was an easy decision to name Siena College as the beneficiary of our retirement plan, knowing the College would get 100% of the retirement plan assets,” Maloney added. With the recently enacted legislation that allows donors who are 70½ years old or older to transfer up to $100,000 directly from their IRA to charities of their choice during 2008-09, the Maloneys have been able to accelerate a portion of their retirement plan gift to Siena College. “It’s the frosting on the cake to be able to make this gift taxfree now instead of through our estates,” Maloney said. To learn more about how to use your retirement plan to benefit Siena College, please contact Jack Sise ’75, Esq., director of gift planning at jsise@siena.edu or (518) 783-2432 for a confidential discussion.
class notes ALUMNI
Editor: Janice Goca, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations. Please submit all of your Class Notes information to your Class Coordinator, or if there is no Coordinator listed for your class, please send all information to alumni@siena.edu for posting in the magazine.
1959
Frank Martin ftmartin@nycap.rr.com Last edition I had a reminder about our 50th Class Reunion next June, and here is another. Your committee is working on the details. If you have any requests or suggestions, please send me a note and I will forward it to the committee. I did hear from Leo Kosiba. Looking forward to hearing from you. I am retired, are you? In class news, Jack Deyo won the 35 percent ringer category in the NYS Horseshoe Championship Tournament in Waterloo, N.Y. Jack had a 5-2 record. The tournament took place in August and had over 200 participants. Last year, Jack won first place in the 30 percent ringer class. His team from Newburgh, N.Y. took second place in the tournament. Jack also won the Class B Sanctioned Tournament in Glens Falls, N.Y. in July. Dr. Ed LaRow, professor of biology at Siena College, received an honorary degree, Doctor of Science Honoris, from Albany Medical College this year. One more note … Reunion Weekend will be June 5 - 7, 2009. To join your committee or have input on the events, contact alumni@siena.edu
1962
Ken Deitcher dukaytravel@att.net
1963
Richard M. Holmes has had his first book published, For Parents Only: Straight Talk from Inside the American High School. Retired after 43 years in both public and parochial education, Richard has been a classroom teacher, school counselor, assistant principal, principal and curriculum coordinator. He is now a freelance writer who leads a double life residing in Loudonville, N.Y. and during
the winter in Venice, Fla. He has had his writings appear in several publications and is currently a guest columnist in Venice’s Gondolier Sun.
1964
Reunion Weekend will be June 5 - 7, 2009. To join your committee or have input on the events, contact alumni@siena.edu
1965
Jack Mulvey, Jr. jkmulvey@netscape.com
1967
Rick Spataro rspataro001@twcny.rr.com 61 State Street Malone, NY 12953 518-483-3566 I hope that my classmates are well. I would like to hear from you and share any news. I had the pleasure of playing a round of golf with Tom Amello this summer. It gave us a chance to catch up on all manner of news. We also enjoyed having dinner with the Amellos. Until next time ...
1968
Bill McGoldrick bmcgoldrick@wash-mcg.com I am delighted to report that our class set a new record for supporting Siena at our reunion! Class giving to Siena was more than $342,000 with 87 donors (31 percent participation) supporting the Annual Fund with $55,792, and 54 donors committing $287,000 to endow the high school mentoring program at Siena. Wow! Thanks to all who gave! Matt Halloran will retire from the State of Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services after 11 years. “I look exactly like I did in 1968!” he said and went on to say, “I have always tried to
emulate what I learned at Siena in my employment, specifically the quote from St. Francis: ‘It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.’ ” In modern management theory, that is “walk-the-walk and talk-the-talk.” Matt plans to volunteer at the local Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Augusta and offer his financial skills to Maine’s sexual assault community agencies and other notfor-profits. In his free time, he’ll play some golf and “sharpen up my three-point shooting. I still have four years of eligibility and hope Coach McCaffery calls.” Jack Conroy is associate commissioner for operations and human resources at NYS Department of Health. He and Kris celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary in July. Their three grown children, Sam, Rachel and Antonia, have made them grandparents twice and they are looking forward to the arrival of two new grandchildren later this year. Jerry DeFrancisco is the new president of humanitarian services of the American Red Cross. He will oversee all operations other than blood services, including hurricane recovery, local chapters, health and safety preparedness, international services and armed forces services, among others. He will report to American Red Cross Chief Executive Gail McGovern. Jerry’s new job was announced in the Wall Street Journal on September 23. In that article, Ms. McGovern said, “As the new humanitarian services president, Mr. DeFrancisco’s main challenge will be to better align the Red Cross’s more than 700 local chapters.” Big job, Jerry! There will be more news next time. Drop me a line with news from your life and we’ll share it in the next Siena magazine!
1969
June 5 - 7, 2009. To join your committee or have input on the events, contact alumni@siena.edu
1973
Brian Valentine 202-586-9741 bgvalentine@verizon.net Greetings to all of Siena’s community: alumni, students, faculty, friends, family and associates! The end of the summer and the beginning of the new school year are here. May I extend my warmest welcome to Siena’s incoming freshman class. I am certain you will find Siena College as wonderful a place to learn and to grow – if not more so than I found it to be, nearly 40 years ago (has it really been that long? Can’t be …). Your Class Notes editor for Siena’s Class of 1973 regrets that he hasn’t received ANY contributions from his fellow classmates since the last edition of Siena News. Surely, you have fun and interesting news to share with us about yourselves – and about your families, too! Graduations, promotions, retirements, births … we would all love to hear from you. So I must send out a caution to my Class of 1973 classmates: if I don’t hear from you, I will find out about you, thanks to the miracle of the Internet! Better for you to tell me about your exciting news than for me to tell about it, don’t you think?
1974
The Class of ’74 has started discussing plans for our 35th Reunion on June 5 - 7, 2009. We want your input! Join our committee if you can. We are getting an early start and want this to be a great party. Pick up the phone or log onto your e-mail and start reaching out to classmates and Siena: alumni@siena.edu.
Reunion Weekend will be SIENA 27
1975
Janet Gutowski Hall janet.hall@wku.edu After my big introduction (and abject begging) in last spring’s issue of news and notes, I responded by missing the deadline for the next two editions. Apparently, I have calendar issues, along with failing eyesight and hearing (at least I still have my youth!). However, I’m proud that many of you contacted me right after my first posting. Dale Metzger wrote to tell me that he was glad to see fellow grad Fr. Kevin Mullen, O.F.M. named president, since we now have “one of our own watching over the reservation” (maybe we should make that the president’s new tag line). By the way, Dale has retired and is living what he deems a “peaceful and fulfilling life” in Montreal. He is working on his third book, and raising three black labs, so he will have constant hunting companions. He told me that he recently got together with Greg Bell and Tony Kirby, along with ’77 grads, MaryAnn Bateman, Jim Carroll and Anita Roseanne Manolt. By the way, Anita and her husband Ed Manolt ’73 are proprietors of the Huddle Bay Motel and Cottages in Bolton Landing, N.Y. if you are looking for a good vacation spot. I also got an e-mail from Marcia Cappuccilli. She married Ron Squadere in 1986, and they live in Niskayuna, N.Y. close to GE, where she has worked for over 20 years (Ron works for AIG). Her oldest, Lauren, is a freshman at Siena, taking finance and education classes in her quest to be a business teacher. Her son, Michael, is a normal eighth grader who excels in class and in baseball and hockey. During the September move-in day at Siena, Marcia ran into Leslie Ives, who was getting her youngest son settled in. Leslie is a teacher in Lake George, N.Y. and has two older children. The Siena legacy lives on, it seems. Patricia Castaldo/ Meade wrote to tell me that she has never submitted an article in 33 years, but since I was asking so nicely, she thought she’d help. She has been promoted to coordinator of academic support programs at Oakwood Friends School in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., an independent Quaker School for grades 6-12. In 2000, she received her master’s degree in education from the State University of New York at New Paltz. Her youngest son is now a senior at New Paltz, majoring in English like his mom did at Siena. We had many classes together. Michael Stringer’s email opened by reminding me of my turn as Fraulein Schneider in
Cabaret. I got four C’s and a D that semester, prompting my father to ask me if I thought I was on Broadway instead of in college. Anyway, Michael went on to say that he and his wife still live in the same Brooklyn apartment they found back in 1980. After many years as a teacher, administrator, and school director, she is now responsible for the math curriculum at the public school their two children attended. Michael is a compliance officer in the brokerage industry - an unforeseen career move that he owes to his liberal arts degree (trained for nothing, prepared for everything). His final quote is quite true for all of us: “When I think back on the follies of my misspent youth I’m always struck by how incredibly lucky I’ve been.” That seems to be a universal statement for Siena grads. I hope it’s a tradition that continues. As you can probably guess, I’ve used up my notes in this issue, so I’ll need more. I think you should all follow Patty’s lead and send me something - even if you are only checking in every three decades or so. Without real information, I might be left to my own devices and print my memories of you instead. All threats aside, I’m sure your current stories would be less embarrassing and much more interesting. As always, you can reach me janet.hall@wku.edu.
1977
Linda Fitzsimmons lfitzsimmons@hvc.rr.com
1979
Sue Reilly/ Hayes CLIFTON522@aol.com 522 Chili-Riga Town Line Road Churchville, NY 14428 585-889-2072 Who could imagine the day when our own kids would be heading off to Siena for four wonderful years? A couple of “chips off the old block” are among the incoming members of the class of 2012 … congratulations and best wishes for four years of great times go out to Jack Murray (proud parents John Murray and Kelly Healy Murray ’80) and Erin Manchester, daughter of Judy Brauer Manchester and Kevin Manchester. Judy visited campus to drop off her daughter and ended up signing up for our 30th reunion committee, which is being formed. Dave Smith said they’d love input from classmates on what type of Class of ’79 get-togethers you’d like to see during Alumni Weekend ’09. E-mail him with your suggestions and ideas
at dsmith@siena.edu and mark your calendar for a great time on the weekend of June 5 - 7, 2009. Guess who Len Shustack’s new neighbor is? Fr. Kevin Mackin is now president of Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y., right around the corner from Len’s home. Len and his wife Carrie took Fr. Kevin out to dinner in October to orient him to the area and reminisce about old times. Len also reports that he enjoyed a Siena Golf Tournament on May 19 at Branton Woods Golf Club in Hopewell Junction, N.Y. Joining Len in his foursome were fellow ’79ers John Stubenrauch, Brian Zwilling, and J.D. Strong. Also playing in the tourney was Bob Scott, who Len confesses had a better round than his group did! The highlight of the day was a lunch presentation by men’s and women’s basketball coaches Fran McCaffery and Gina Castelli on the successes and future of their programs. Brian Keating reports that the annual Siena Day at the Races held during the Saratoga race meet last August was a bit soggy … in fact, the race card was canceled after the second race because the track was washed away from the downpour! The day wasn’t a total washout, however - he managed to console himself and dry off at “Madden Lodge,” the home of dinner party hosts Chris Madden ’77 and his wife Carleen. Among other party guests were Mickey Mahoney, Dave Smith, John Murray, Kevin Tully, Tim Barker, Frank Dyer ’77, and Dennis Kelly ’80. Welcome home to Kevin McAleese, who recently spent a month on Army active duty in “beautiful but expensive” Stockholm, Sweden. Kevin was part of a United Nations-sponsored session on peacekeeping, disarmament, and demobilization, exchanging ideas with representatives from 30 allied nations. Before he left for Europe, Kevin and fellow Philadelphian Patty Lewis took Lori Collins/ Tremblay, Peggy Maddi, Scott Bailey, Sue Reilly/Hayes, and Rick Gabriel ’78 to a Phillies-Dodgers baseball game. Rabid Red Sox fans Rick (sporting his Manny Ramirez jersey) and Lori (with her green “Wall-E” doll mascot in honor of Fenway Park’s Green Monster) caused quite a stir in the stands. And, perfectly enough, it was ’70s retro night at the ballpark - they must’ve known we would be there! Please keep in touch so we can feature as many classmates as possible in this column … e-mail me with news of family, friends, Siena gatherings, or even your best memory from Siena to get us in the
mood for the 30th reunion! One more note … Reunion Weekend will be June 5 - 7, 2009. To join your committee or have input on the events, contact alumni@siena.edu
1981
An award-winning journalist and bestselling author, Joe Layden has written more than 30 books for adults and children, including the critically acclaimed title, The Last Great Fight (St. Martin’s Press, 2007), a narrative non-fiction account of the 1990 heavyweight championship boxing match between Mike Tyson and James “Buster” Douglas, generally regarded as one of the greatest upsets in the history of sports. In the summer of 2008, St. Martin’s Press published Warrior King: The Triumph and Betrayal of an American Commander in Iraq. Mr. Layden wrote this in collaboration with Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Sassaman, a former West Point football star and a highly decorated military officer who commanded one of the most aggressive and successful battalions in Iraq in 2003 and 2004 before his career came to a controversial end. Mr. Layden has also authored a series of children’s books for Scholastic, Inc., and has been a contributor to various national magazines and newspapers. A former newspaper journalist, his work has been honored by the New York Newspaper Publishers Association, the National Associated Press Sports Editors, the New York State Associated Press Association, and the International Reading Association/Children’s Book Council. He is the former lead sports columnist and executive sports editor of the Albany, N.Y. Times Union, and has been a contributing writer for React, an award-winning weekly magazine published by Parade. Mr. Layden lives in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. with his wife Susan and their two children. Congratulations on all of your accomplishments!
1982
Bob Young RYoung60@aol.com
1983
Elvira Altimari-Jaeger 60 Wyatt Rd Garden City, NY 11530 eaj6@optonline.net I hope everyone had a great summer. If you are like me, you are back into full swing by
NEWSMAKER
Father Ken Paulli ‘82 Named Chief of Staff at Siena College
now. I heard from Bob “Hutch” Hutchinson. He married college sweetheart Ginger Janicek ’82. They live on Long Island and have been married 22 years. They have four children. Their eldest is a sophomore at Gannon University in Pennsylvania. Like her Siena Hall of Fame dad, she is a lacrosse goalie. Their three boys, Bobby, 16, and twins, Kevin and Dylan,14, are in high school and play football, soccer, hockey and, of course, lacrosse. Hutch is a construction coordinator for National Grid and is a high school lacrosse official in his spare time. He is also the N.Y.S. lacrosse rules interpreter representing Suffolk County. After coaching for many years he is now “just a spectator” and enjoys shuffling from game to game on the weekends. It was great to hear from you, Hutch! Hi to you too, Ginger. I also heard from senior week golf champion, Ray Mis. He was disappointed to miss reunion weekend but, like so many of you, had family commitments that made it impossible to attend. His heart and spirit were with us though. He and his wife Margaret have been married for 18 years and have two beautiful daughters, Shannon, 13, and Olivia, 11. He lives in Rhode Island and continues to practice medicine despite losing his vision and hearing. He believes he is the only legally blind physician still doing procedures on patients. Ray is an associate clinical professor of medicine at the New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and acting chief of the department of gastroenterology at Kent County Memorial Hospital. He coaches soccer and softball in what is left of his spare time. In April of 2007, he was selected as one of the top gastroenterologists in the state of Rhode Island by Rhode Island Monthly Magazine. Ray has recently started a career as a motivational speaker and penned a memoir. His story is inspirational and those of
us who knew him at Siena are not surprised. Good luck, Ray, hope to see your book at bookstores soon (if there are any publishers in our class, get in touch with Ray). I made multiple shoutouts in the summer issue and did not hear back from many of you (you know who you are), so I will not make any new shout-outs, but hope to hear from some of you by my next deadline. Everyone tells me that the first thing they do when they get the Siena News is to turn to the Class Notes section. It is only as good as the people I hear from. Reach out and tell us what you are doing, we would love to hear from you!
1984
Lisa San Fratello/McCutcheon 305 The Parkway Ithaca, NY14853 mcclisa@yahoo.com The Class of ’84 reunion committee held its first meeting and started planning our awesome 25th reunion taking place on campus June 5 - 7, 2009. Mark your calendars and renew your gym memberships – counting the weeks until we all see each other again! If anyone is interested in joining the committee, e-mail us via alumni@ siena.edu. Watch your mailboxes for more details to follow.
1985
Catherine and Ron Bjorklund bjork90@comcast.net 14 Stevens Lane Tabernacle, NJ 08088-9744
1987
Gerry McAndrew Geraldine.mcandrew@comcast.net It was great to hear from some of our classmates. James Mosey and his wife Julie welcomed the birth of their daughter, Sarah Avery Mosey, on December 4, 2007. Congratulations to them both! James (Jim) S. Scully was recently promoted to J. Crew Group’s chief administrative officer and chief financial officer. Jim has served as CFO since September 2005. Jim’s new responsibilities include leading the traditional finance functions, as well as information technology, global supply chain, service excellence center (customer contact center), real estate and construction, international licensing, loss prevention, facilities, office services and legal. Jim - best wishes for your continued success! Wishing everyone a joyful Christmas season, and
don’t forget to keep those notes coming.
1988
Paula Cacossa Pc888@comcast.net It has been 20 years since we all graduated from Siena. Please e-mail me your updates to share. I have heard from several of our classmates on what is happening in their lives. Andy Heck wrote that he is working hard as president of Alpin Haus (a family business) in Amsterdam, N.Y. In September, they were recognized by RV Business Magazine as one of the top five dealers in America. Also in September, Andy was appointed to the executive committee of RVDA (Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association) as its treasurer. Way to go! Jennifer Hourihan/ Tallman is living in Virginia. In 2007, she earned her M.Ed. in special education from George Mason University. Currently, she is teaching 7th grade language arts to students with learning disabilities. We are all wondering what Jerry Witkop thinks about the government’s $700 billion bailout? Jerry Witkop, a vice president at First Niagara Bank, was recently promoted to business development officer for the Capital District Region. In his new task, he is responsible for increasing the presence of First Niagara Bank throughout the area and getting the message out that First Niagara “believes in you” during these challenging economic times. He is primarily responsible for gathering business loans and new relationships. On a personal note, Jerry currently lives in Guilderland, N.Y. with his wife Susanne Delamater ’88, a C.P.A., and three children, Joshua, 11, Sean, 7, and Matthew, 4. He is on the boards of Pine Bush Little League and Kiwanis Club of Western Turnpike/Guilderland. He also coaches baseball at Pine Bush and hockey at the Albany Jr. River Rats. Kathy Leonard/ Reynolds has been accepted into a fellowship program through the Westchester Institute for Human Development at Westchester Medical College School of Public Health in “Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities.” Kathy and husband Mike live in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y. and are the parents of Sean, 7, and twins Erin and Kaitlin, 6 (no, the ages are not a typo).
Bob Coyle is living a very busy life. He now holds a patent on money as a system in six parts [patent pending]. Bob uses what he has created to help fulfill a career dream of “Teaching a Nation to SaveT.” To fulfill his dream, his plan is to train massive numbers of trainers throughout the country. In today’s difficult economic times, we hope his dream will come true for our country. On a personal note, Bob is married to Gail and has three children: Suzanne, Lauren, and Erin. Lori Burton/Zaleski and Mary Jo Reynders/MacKenzie are quite the athletes. They did a Half Ironman last month in a relay format. Mary Jo’s sister-in-law did the swim, Mary Jo did the run, and Lori did the bike. It was a great event, and they survived! Erin Carola/Knotek lives in Moose Pass, Alaska, with her husband Kevin, and two children, Miles and Kara, both in middle school. She has been in Alaska for 17 years and hopes to one day start an Alaskan Siena Alumni Chapter. In the meantime, anyone who is traveling through Alaska can e-mail her at ekmk@ ptialaska.net. She’d love to see Siena alumni, no matter what year you graduated.
1989
Mike Carbonaro sienanews.1989@yahoo.com 3140 10th Street Bethlehem, PA 18020 610-737-1147 Fall has arrived and it is football season again! I am still in denial; did the Giants really win last year? I still can’t believe it. A ton of information to share so here goes: Curt N. Bliss was awarded the 2008 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service - congratulations on receiving this award. Greg Stewart reports that he has not grown up and his shenanigans are not fit for our Franciscan publication! We are all nodding our heads in agreement, Greg. Theresa M. Church was promoted to a laboratory specialist for the NYS Department of Health. Steve Maloney made a leap of faith from sales to elementary special education teacher, something he always wanted to do and now has that chance. Best of luck in your new endeavor. Dr. Susan E. Duvé has her own private practice in Edinburg, Texas, and if that is not enough, she established W. E. Golf, LLC in 2006. Check her out at www.wegolf.org or www.duvewellnesscenter.com. Regina Hickey/Holmes was promoted to eligibility services
NEWSMAKER
Mathew Farron ‘92 SUNY Chancellor’s Award winner for Excellence in Teaching
supervisor for the Connecticut Department of Social Services. Christine Ricci/Hause joined the Charlotte State Bank in Charlotte County, Fla. as a vice president and trust and investment development officer with 10 years of estate planning, charitable giving, and investment experience. Dave Verbraska was recently promoted to vice president, worldwide public affairs and policy, at Pfizer, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, and just completed a whirlwind business trip to Japan, China and Australia. Bonnie Starr/Spugnardi reached out and tapped me on the shoulder since she lives a mere 10 minutes away. Bonnie, after a successful career working on Wall Street, took the hardest job of all - raising three kids 8, 6, and 5. She eliminates her frustrations by torturing clients in kickboxing, for a fee, and with sculpture and spinning classes. Sean Roche is a family physician and associate residency director at the Albany Medical Center. He is married to Karen Sahagian/Roche ’90 with three children. Sean decided at the age of 40 to become a marathoner. He trained for and ran the Philadelphia Marathon in November 2007. Julia King/Traub is a pre-school teacher and part-time business manager for Blue Ridge Software. She has five children ranging in age from 14-6 . Paula Ciccimarra/ Sella was married on September 1, 2007. In attendance were Laura Ciccimarra/Finouli ’90, bridesmaid KathyAnn Heffernan, Paula Hiltz, Marguerite McEnery/Christie, Sandra Martens/ Murdolo, Jim Bellucci, Patty Rusch/Bellucci, Marianne Belevich/DeMarzo, Dena Counavelis/Capetanakis, and Kelly Leonard ’90. Paula is a human resource specialist in N.Y.C and lives in Ridgewood, N.J. with her husband Gary, a graphic artist.
Emmet Finnerty and his wife Karen DeVylder/Finnerty ’92 live in North Greenbush, N.Y. with their three children. Emmet works in pharmaceutical research in the Capital District while trying to fit in skiing, cycling, golfing and kayaking through his 40s. He reports that he enjoys their proximity to Boston for the baseball games (not sure why anyone would want to go to Boston for baseball while living in New York, oh well!). Many of you wrote in and I did my best to include everyone’s input. If you did not make this edition, look for your information in the next edition. One more note … Reunion Weekend will be June 5 - 7, 2009. To join your committee or have input on the events, contact alumni@siena.edu
1991
Kevin Clarke Siena91@optonline.net Hey Class of 1991! Although several members of the class have reached out and reconnected with me this summer, there is nothing new to report in this edition. However, we did uncover an e-mail mix-up, so please make sure you send your updates to siena91@optonline.net Remember - let’s make sure our section is always full of news and information that will keep us all connected. Send me your notes or just drop me a line to catch up – nothing is too small to mention. By the next edition, the holiday season will have come and gone – so be safe and enjoy! All the best!
1992
Mary Pat McLoughlin/ Holler jmpholler@optonline.net Hello Class of 1992! Congratulations to Andrew Pelosi and Tricia Lawlor/Pelosi on the adoption of their second son, Kevin Thomas HanBit from Seoul, South Korea in May 2008. He joins big brother Paul at home. Congratulations also go out to Matthew Farron, assistant professor of business and law who received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. I continue to see Megan O’Donnell, Gretchen Zink-Zurlo and Michael Zurlo on a regular basis and I’m sure that many of you are still getting together and staying in touch. Please let me know who you see and what is new in everyone’s life.
1993
Susan Hannon shannon@ryeneck.k12.N.Y.us 213 W 252nd Street Riverdale, NY 10471 917-796-2085 Hello Class of ’93. Hope you all had a great summer/fall. I don’t have any news to print this time around – maybe catching up at the reunion had something to do with that! So I’ll just encourage all of you who haven’t sent me any news, to do so. It can even be an update on what you have been doing over the past 15+ years. So – hopefully I’ll hear from some of you soon!
1994
Glenn Hofsess gh@endcap.com 83 Kellogg Street Brookfield, CT 06804 In case you were wondering – our 15 year reunion is coming up fast. Yes, I said 15! Reunion weekend will be June 5 - 7, 2009 and will be a great opportunity to check in and reconnect with everyone again. On a personal level, despite the past 15 years of hard living associated with being an accountant, I don’t think I look a day older than someone who has been out of college 14 years. Please consider coming, and start making your plans since it will be here before we know it. Congratulations to Sue Kleinheidt/Rissmeyer and her husband Brian are thrilled to announce the birth of their daughter, Lauren Paige. She was born on March 5, 2008 and joins her big sis Katie! Congratulations are also in order to Rachel Taylor/Mitchell and her husband, Jason, who are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Peyton Caroline Mitchell. She arrived on May 22, 2008, and joins her big brother Chase Taylor Mitchell, who is two and a half years old. Rachel is able to take about eight months off from her job as a school psychologist in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. I have not received much correspondence over the past few months, so I encourage anyone who has not yet sent me an e-mail to do so. You know who you are! Autumn is quickly turning to winter and the holidays will be here shortly. I would like to wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season and hope you are able to spend precious time with family and friends. Lose yourself in the magic of the season and concentrate on what is really important in life. Cheers! One more note …
Reunion Weekend will be June 5 7, 2009. To join your committee or have input on the events, contact alumni@siena.edu
1995
Neil Wilcove nwilcove@fmglaw.com Heather Giblin/Lauletta and husband, Daniel, celebrate the birth of their first child. Allison Rose Lauletta was born March 28, 2008, and her parents have never been happier. Congratulations to the new parents! Stacey Soules/Spooner and her husband Chad welcomed their daughter, MacKenzie Isabelle, on December 31, 2007. She joins big sister Hailey, who was born on February 14, 2006.
1996
Brian Murray murray21@hotmail.com bmurray@betterbackschiropractic. com 614-270-6003 Sunita Abkari/Patel and her husband Kamal are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Shreya Lakshmi, born on July 30, 2008. She weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces and was 21 inches long. Sunita is practicing as a registered pharmacist RPh in NJ. She graduated with a Pharm.D. degree from Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy of Long Island University in Brooklyn, N.Y. in May of 2006. M. Suzanne Paonessa/ Scroggins would like to announce the birth of her first child, Andrew “Drew” Scroggins, born on September 1, 2008. He weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces and was 19.75 inches long.
1997
Selena Dutcher selena.dutcher@regentcomm.com bronx_bombers25@yahoo.com 518-265-2127 Some of my favorite Siena memories are from the beginning of the school year. I consider myself lucky to live in the Capital District so that I can witness the changes on campus from fall to winter. When it turns to fall and switches from cold to colder, I am left with memories of kicking off the year at Siena. From laying in the sun on the front lawn to hanging out at the townhouses it all seems to come flooding back! I hope that everything is going well with you and yours … Here is an update on some of our classmates … Bill Miller checked in to let us know he has been promoted
to senior buyer - DVD/Blu Ray for Trans World Entertainment. Congratulations! Dave Ryan and his wife, Amanda, welcomed Cameron James Ryan to the world on August 31, 2008! They are having a great time with him and live in Clifton Park, N.Y. Steve Lopez has climbed the ladder again. Steve is now a real estate agent with the #1 real estate firm in the country - the Corcoran Group. You canread his bio and listing information at www.corcoran.com. Now here’s your homework assignment: write “Siena update” on the top of your “to do” list. I want to hear from you -- babies, weddings, new hair color, anything! Stay connected and keep others connected with your updates! Remember, to make a submission for the newsletter, please contact me by e-mail at selena.dutcher@regentcomm.com or bronx_bombers25@yahoo.com. If you want to touch base and chat for a while … give me a call at 518265-2127. I look forward to hearing from you!
1998
Janine Trapp/Scotti, MBA 201-294-0395 sienasaints98@yahoo.com I’m always sad to see another summer come and go so quickly, but the changing colors that fall brings somehow make that transition a little easier - for me anyway. Sounds like some of our classmates had very busy and exciting summers this year! Jim Secretarski recently accepted the position of vice president with Argonne Capitol Group, LLC, in Atlanta, Ga. Jim and his wife, Erin, currently reside in Atlanta with their two sons, James Michael III, born on September 10, 2005 and Thomas William, born on May 29, 2008. In a note received from proud sister, Kelly, I was notified that Timothy Quinlan was quoted in the Wall Street Journal on August 22 (WSJ page A3 - “Economy Shows More Symptoms of Ill Health”). Kelly mentioned that Tim is frequently consulted by the media for his economic expertise. And last but certainly not least, I’m happy to report that Fran and Laura Wachendorfer/Cocozza ’97 announced the birth of baby #4! Margaret Mae was born August 22 at a healthy 7 pounds, 11 ounces and 20 inches long. Congrats to Jim, Tim, and Fran!
Please don’t hesitate to send YOUR news to be published in future editions! Buy a new house? Go back to school? Get a new job? Get married? Have kids? We want to hear about it! Until next time, Class of ’98!
1999
Brendan Fitzgerald N.Y.fitzgerald@yahoo.com fitzgeb@assembly.state.N.Y..us (518) 258-9272 It’s amazing to me that we’re on the third presidential election since we graduated. Nearly ten years of governing and six years of brutal campaigning have slipped by. When you think of it that way – of the long and desperate slog through the nastiness of partisanship – it makes Siena seem very far off in the distance. And yet, in many ways, the almost constant bitterness is a real-time reminder of the importance of our Siena education. Many of my classmates and peers found themselves working in public service, sometimes squarely in the midst of the partisan divide. And while on occasion I have sat across the table from them, to a person they all are predictable; guaranteed to work with class and integrity, and ever mindful of the public for whom they labor. Certainly, we may disagree on the best ways to serve the human condition, but we all are driven by the same, strong humanitarian values that Siena instills in all its graduates. I am proud to count myself among their number, and I hope that Siena continues to build upon this proud tradition of service to the public, and to humankind in every aspect of working life, be it public or private. I have wonderful news from Valerie Long/Fink. She and her husband, Rob, who were married in October 2005, wrote in to announce the birth of their first child, Alexus Lynn Fink, on May 19, 2008. Since both mom and dad are huge Red Sox fans, Sox Nation can add another one to the list! Go Sox! Congratulations, Val and Rob! Denise Dursi/Radicone ’98 and her husband Mike Radicone proudly welcomed their son, Ryan James, on July 10, 2008. That’s wonderful news, Denise and Mike! We’re not done yet! Cara Nolan/Calhoun and her husband Will celebrated the first birthday of their beautiful daughter, Olivia Christine, on August 12, 2008. Congratulations, Cara and Will!
There’s more! I also heard from Megan Hickey/Kapusta, who lives with her husband, Christopher, in Duanesburg, N.Y. Megan works as an elementary school guidance counselor for the Chatham Central School District. On June 23, 2008, she and Christopher became the proud parents of their first child, Logan John. Congratulations, Megan and Chris! Here’s to all our new parents and future Siena graduates! One more note … the class of ’99 reunion committee held its first meeting and began planning our awesome 10th reunion, to be held on campus June 5 - 7, 2009. If anyone is interested in joining the committee, e-mail us via alumni@ siena.edu. Watch your mailboxes for more details to follow. We will also be setting up a Facebook group and reaching out electronically to as many of you as possible. If your current e-mail is not on your Siena record, get that updated!
2000
Shaymus R. Schweitzer SienaSaints2000@hotmail.com 103 Sherman Ave. Troy, NY 12180 518-727-3392 If you have not heard, our own class “connection” with Siena has moved to another career opportunity. I couldn’t believe the news that our own Nate Maloney (Siena’s Director of Alumni Relations) had accepted a position with ELSAG North America as Director of Marketing and Communications. Janice Goca, assistant director of alumni relations, said of Nate, “I will miss his support, knowledge of the Siena community and expertise in the field of alumni relations.” What a great and well-deserved opportunity for Nate! We wish you the best of luck, Nate, but we’ll certainly miss the personal touch many of us got in dealing with Siena as alumni. With more happy news, Jessica Henchey/Mocerine and Scott Mocerine checked in with us. They are happy to announce the birth of their baby boy, Andrew Kevin Mocerine, on May 17, 2008. Scott, Jess and little Andrew live in Schodack, N.Y. with their dog Sienna (we all love that name). Jess wanted me to know that she still keeps in touch with Katy Greene/ Estefan and Meghan Cunningham/ Bethel. The girls are planning their annual fall get-together. Best wishes to all of you as we approach the holiday season. As we all run through our hectic days at work and at home, let’s not forget to take pause and show
appreciation for all those whom we are thankful for and care deeply about. Hope to hear from all of you soon.
2001
Maura Mack sienanotes01@gmail.com Greetings 2001! Anna Dajewska/Quackenbush ’02 and Steven Quackenbush were married August 18, 2007 at the Phelp’s Mansion in Binghamton, N.Y. In their wedding picture you’ll see classmates in attendance including: Michael Liberati ’02, Nicole Kossifos/Liberati ’02, Christopher Pagliaro ’02 and Stacey Pagliaro, Agata Barlik/Dajewska ’05, Julie Schoenlank ’02, Kelly Goodwin ’02, Michael Wells ’02 and John Kazukenus ’02. Christina Granieri married Michael Brandi on October 7, 2007. In their wedding picture you’ll see Maureen Terry, Frank Scotti, Matthew LaDolcetta, Andrea Zeoli, Kevin Kraus ’03, Jason Grassick ’02, MaryKate Joyce/Kraus, Kendra Johanson, and Tara Kern/Greenspan. Christina is finishing her last year of graduate school at Frank G. Zarb School of Business at Hofstra University where she will receive her M.B.A. in finance in May of 2009. She also completed her 7th year working for JPMorganChase where she is a QA lead/business analyst at Chase Auto Finance. Christina is also very involved with Junior Achievement. Also, wonderful news for Anne Keefe/Schuyler, and her husband, Brad, who welcomed a baby girl, Nora Catherine, in September 2007. Congratulations to all! In somber news, the class of 2001 lost a classmate, Owen Cahillane this past fall. The following is a brief tribute to Owen. Thanks to everyone from the Siena community who came out to Springfield, Mass. in September to celebrate the life and accomplishments of Owen Cahillane. Over the past 10 years Owen has represented Siena well as an advocate and a leader in human rights issues. After spending over four years volunteering in underdeveloped regions of Brazil, Dominican Republic, and Ecuador, Owen recently moved to New York City. In New York, Owen started an environmental consulting business and worked for a company that protected the rights of workers in foreign countries. Though Owen is no longer with us, the hard work he did in such little time will continue to influence the lives of people all over the world for many years to come. We thank Owen for being such a strong leader and a great
classmate. – Friends of Owen. Happy holidays, and I hope to continue to hear from all of you soon. All the best, Maura
2002
Christine Cinnamond christine.cinnamond@gmail.com 646-942-0970 Congratulations to Vanessa Desmarais and her husband Mark Smith ’01! Vanessa and Mark welcomed Brady William Smith, their second baby boy, on September 1, 2008. Congratulations to Jeff Pirro! Jeff and Carol Breen celebrated the birth of daughter, Luccia Mae Pirro, on April 13, 2008. Luccia was 7.5 pounds and 20 inches long and Jeff says, “She’s growing up quite nicely and is an adorable addition to our life!” Jeff recently accepted a position as an advance representative with U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao, and loves his job. He also loves the metro-DC area and is interested in starting an alumni club. If you live near D.C., and are interested, please e-mail Jeff at jeffrey_pirro@yahoo. com. Congratulations to Anna Dajewska and Steven Quackenbush ’01! Anna and Steven were married at the Phelp’s Mansion in Binghamton, N.Y. on August 18, 2008. Congratulations to Scott Hines ’02 and Elizabeth Quaal ’04 on their recent wedding! Congratulations to Emmy and Mike Langer! Emmy and Mike were married September 15, 2007 at Franklin Plaza in Troy, N.Y.
2003
Gina Gizzi sienasaints_2003@hotmail.com P.O. Box 5133 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 518-421-4316 This edition of the Class of 2003 Class Notes was a bit hectic to get out, as I have just begun a new teaching position in the sixth grade at Oneida Middle School in Schenectady, N.Y. It is a great experience to be working with an exceptional group of students. In other news, Beth Kramer just received a master’s degree in information systems from the University of Phoenix in July 2008. Michael Tomaino has been very involved in the industry of game design. He sent the following information on his experience and professional credentials: “Currently, I teach
game design at Mildred Elley College, where I maintain a perfect instructor rating. Over the past two summers, I taught at the Mildred Elley Game Design Camp for students ages 11-17. I also helped found and teach an after-school game design club at Catholic Central High School in Troy, N.Y. In addition, I volunteered at the Scotia Glenville Middle School. In those programs, students used my current project, Platinum Arts Sandbox, to learn how to quickly and easily create virtual worlds. Other teachers are using Sandbox in classrooms throughout the world. Sandbox is translated in Swedish, Dutch, and German, with more being worked on. The game was displayed at the Vienna Game Conference in October 2008, and will soon be featured in a software package set for distribution to 500 German schools.” For further information, please visit http:// Kids.PlatinumArts.Net. In the world of weddings, Jamie Hall and Charlie Usas tied the knot in Saratoga Springs on October 25, 2008. Emalie Varno ’05 and Paul Coen were married in Vermont on July 12, 2008, followed by a honeymoon in Italy. Tricia Carle married Rick Sutton ’02 on May 31, 2008, in West Nyack, N.Y. And last, but certainly not least, on July 2, 2008, Emma Claire Klejsmyt was born to beaming parents Christina Sudano/ Klejsmyt and David Klejsmyt ‘04.
2004
Jolleen Wagner jolleen_wagner@yahoo.com Hello Class of 2004! How are you doing? I hope this most recent Siena News finds you each well and experiencing many successes in your corners of our world. If you get the chance, please send me an e-mail to let me know about those successes; this way we can all celebrate with you! We do have some exciting news from four beautiful members of our graduating class! Let’s say the wedding bells are ringing for sure! This past August, Danielle Bowers married Shawn Finster. In October, Erin Mean exchanged vows with her long-time love, Shane Maltbie. For those of you who like to know things in advance, we’re honored to announce Lacee Iselo’s engagement to Matthew Hanley! Lacee and Matthew are planning to get married in the Finger Lakes Region in August of 2009!
Last, but most certainly not least, our very own Liz Quaal married Scott Hines ’02 in Baltimore, Md. on May 25, 2008. Congratulations, ladies, we send you prayers and blessings, wishing you happiness and success! In the realm of academic news, congratulations to Jen Prouty, who received her master’s degree in counseling and community psychology from Sage Graduate School in August 2008. Jen is now pursuing licensure as a mental health counselor (LMHC) and certification as a substance abuse counselor (CASAC). One more note … Reunion Weekend will be June 5 - 7, 2009. To join your committee or have input on the events, contact us at alumni@siena.edu
2005
Breanne Suhrland bsuhrlan@att.net Leigh Christiansen married Justin Delgado ’02 on August 2, 2008 in Plattsburgh, N.Y. They currently reside in Clifton Park, N.Y. Heather Budney married Matthew Stoja on July 4, 2008 (see photo). Alexandra Goercke married Mekiell Brown on July 26, 2008. The Class of 2005 welcomes Breanne Suhrland as the new Class Notes Coordinator! If anyone is interested in helping Breanne, please e-mail her at the above e-mail address.
2006
Chris Elsesser Christopher.elsesser@gmail.com Ashley Boland Ashleym.boland@gmail.com Hello fellow’06ers! I hope that this edition of Siena News finds everyone in high spirits and smiles as we continue through the heart of the fall season! I (Chris) have had a very crazy August and fall, as I moved back home to my native land of Long Island and accepted a job as a high school business teacher in the Smithtown Central School District. I have been very fortunate to receive my “dream curriculum” in this position, as my course responsibilities include two sections of sports marketing and a section of college level sports management. So far I am having an absolute blast! I am very excited for our column in this edition of Siena News, as it seems that we have finally established a good readership following from our fellow
classmates. We have received many submissions from you this quarter, along with some solid feedback. Thank you! We would like to retract a statement printed in the last edition about Helaina Casabonne. Helaina, a claims adjuster for GMAC Insurance, was quoted as saying “everyone hates a claims adjuster” in our last update. In truth, Helaina has been working in this position for the last two and a half years and absolutely loves her work. She has great pride in her company and couldn’t ask for more wonderful people to work with. We apologize for taking her quote out of context and also apologize to GMAC (a company that has a great working relationship with Siena)! Katie Luker has graduated from Utica College of Syracuse University where she received her M.S. Ed. in leadership and instruction for the inclusive classroom. Katie moved to Bergen County, N.J. this past summer, where she accepted a job teaching 9th and 10th grade social studies in the Leonia Public School District. Another member of our EDUC 461 class, Nate Smead, informed me that he is currently teaching middle school in the Bronx, and is working on his master’s degree in special education. Nate recently took Danielle Hunka (his student-teaching sweetheart) to the top of the Empire State Building to ask for her hand in marriage. She said yes! They will be married on June 26, 2010. Danielle is currently teaching on Long Island and will graduate with her master’s degree in literacy in December. Danielle O’Neill/Barretta has been accepted into the New York City Teaching Fellows as a math teacher, and is teaching middle school math at the Family Academy (P.S. 241) in Manhattan. She is also currently working on her master’s in mathematics education at City College of New York in Manhattan. Elizabeth (Libby) Whitney recently started a new job with the Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo. She is a development associate for individual giving and absolutely loves it! Libby wants everyone to know that she works right at the Bronx Zoo so if there are any alumni looking for zoo information, or are just in the area, please come in to visit her. She would love to just say hi and offer you any needed assistance. You can e-mail her at ewhitney@wcs.org. Chris Salute earned his M.B.A. in management from Molloy College in May. He was the first to receive the Kiran and Anil Leadership Award and Scholarship,
NEWSMAKER
Natalia Kutzer ’06 2008 recipient of the Allen C. Hamilton Award which is an award that goes to a proven leader with a G.P.A. of at least 3.7. Chris moved from Yahoo! Inc. to a smaller Internet company named Future Memories as the manager of customer service/director of operations. This past October marks the one year anniversary of his first home purchase. Chris made a down payment on a little house on Long Island just before his 23rd birthday last year and says, “After months of painting, yard work, and moving furniture ... it’s still a pain in the butt!” For the future, Chris plans to take a year off from school and then go for his law degree (after he conquers the LSATs). Awesome news, Mr. Salute! We wish you the best! Please keep us posted! Natalia Kutzer has been named Coordinator of Alumni Relations at Union Graduate College. She is responsible for maintaining relationships with UGC graduates and creating opportunities to connect both local and out of area alumni. Natalia is the 2008 recipient of the Allen C. Hamilton Award for outstanding academic achievement and citizenship from the Union Graduate College’s School of Management. Wow! This has been such a terrific quarter and by far our best one yet. We would like to wish everyone featured this edition the best of luck with their new positions and happenings. If you are in the minority of those people who have not reached out to us yet to let us know what you have been up to, now is the time to contact us. If you are an avid reader who has already been featured in the column, we would love it if you would encourage one or two other classmates to contact us. We would appreciate it! Ashley and I would like to wish everyone (and their families) a very safe and joyous, happy holiday season! We will talk to you in the early days of 2009!
2007
Sean Robbins PO Box 11222 Loudonville, NY 12211 SeanRobbins@att.net Michael Utzig mutzig@siena.edu The excitement of the presidential election has been capturing our attention for some time, and now the excitement continues with the joys of the holiday season. Though we often find ourselves especially busy during this season, it can ultimately be a very rewarding time of year spent with family and loved ones - and what better time to check in with news from our fellow classmates? Nicole Bourdeau recently shared the exciting news that her good friend, Megan Webster, is engaged to be married to her high school sweetheart, Joshua Berezansky. They plan to wed in June 2010. Megan is also busy with graduate studies at SUNY Plattsburgh where she is studying school psychology. Meanwhile, Nicole is pursuing graduate studies at Northeastern University where she is studying school counseling. Another member of the class of 2007, Jessica Smith, has exciting news for us. Jessica, who is a Master in Tae Kwon Do, recently set the United States Breaking Association’s world record at the Northeast Open. Her record was for breaking the most bricks in the female power breaking division. That must have been incredible to witness! In addition, Jessica is also completing her M.B.A. at Union Graduate School. Class of 2007 alumnus Michael Rosca, who was not originally from the Capital Region, has decided to make the area his home. He is currently working as an assistant manager at Wal-Mart. Congratulations Mike! Another member of the class of 2007, Meg Helf, reports that she is completing work toward a master’s degree at Long Island University and is interning with a sport psychologist at the United States Military Academy at West Point. She said “It is very intriguing working with cadets as well as Olympic (i.e., bobsled medalist Michael Kohn) and professional (i.e., Eli Manning) athletes.” She also reports that she is working as a personal trainer and performance coach at a health club, and has been running in preparation for a marathon. In addition, Meg is applying to doctoral programs for entry next fall, and is considering applying to become a licensed counselor and certified consultant by the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. How
does she find the time to do it all? At this point I would like to welcome Mike Utzig who recently signed on as co-coordinator. He said, “I just want to say it’s going to be an honor to work with Sean to bring you all the updates for our class!” and shares the following news: I first want to congratulate Cat Delaney who was married to Sean Gill ’05 on July 19. The ceremony was held at Notre Dame R.C.C. in New Hyde Park, N.Y. with a reception at Westbury Manor in Westbury, N.Y. They met at Siena when Cat was a sophomore, just before Sean graduated and was commissioned with the Siena ROTC program. He is now working full time for the New York National Guard, and she is at Albany Medical College on an army scholarship. They spent their honeymoon in Australia. Cat said “it was simply amazing”. Even more romantic news from the Class of 2007, Dave MacDonald and Kristen Wernig are now engaged! Congratulations also go out to Erica Chase who is also recently engaged!A special recognition goes out to David Jalette who is working for KPMG in Stamford, Conn. He made an anonymous bone marrow donation on September 15, 2008. Dave enrolled in the registry after graduation when a high school friend needed a transplant, received it, and survived. He said “a friend of mine from high school is alive because he got a bone marrow transplant, and it inspired me to sign up for the registry. When I was asked to be a donor, there was no hesitation at all, I knew it was something I had to do.” Dave wants everyone to know that anyone can join the National Bone Marrow Registry by visiting marrow.org. This is just another example of the great things the Class of 2007 is accomplishing. All the wedding news prompted Mike to ask: “Which do you like better, the Christmas or wedding season? Would the answer be wedding season? Bingo! It’s definitely wedding season for many 2007 alumni.” It’s great to hear all of this exciting news! Congratulations to Nicole, Megan, Jessica, Michael, Meg, Cat, Dave, Erica, and David. And to our fellow 2007 class members, we look forward to hearing more news from you! In conclusion, Mike and I wish all of you a joyous holiday season and a peaceful new year!
2008
Danielle Grasso Patrick Preston SienaCollege2008@gmail.com Hi, everyone! We hope that this edition of Class Notes finds you well and adjusting to life after Siena. We’re both enjoying our jobs and attempting to handle our alumni status. It’s been great to see people, meet up with them, and “relive our youth” on random weekends. We thought it would be a good time for all of us if we got together for a weekend in Albany. We couldn’t think of a better time or reason than a Siena basketball game. After the excitement that our Saints brought us all in our final year at Siena, it would be great if we could reunite to cheer them on in their quest for another MAAC title. So mark your calendars for Saturday, December 6 to cheer for our Saints as they face our favorite cross-town rival, UAlbany. With the help of Alumni Relations, we’ve been able to reserve a section of seats at the Times Union Center. Before the game we’ll have a pregame party at 4:30 p.m. at Jillian’s on Pearl Street to catch up and get ready to cheer our team on. Please look in your e-mail and regular mailboxes for more information about time and prices from Alumni Relations. If you have any questions about the event, feel free to e-mail SienaCollege2008@gmail. com. Also, if you have any updates to share with the Siena community, let us know. We’d love to hear from you. We hope that everyone can make it to the UAlbany game and we can make this a Class of 2008 tradition. Hope to see you soon!
In Memory of:
Dr. Edward M. Foley ’43 John J. Ray ’43 Henry Freeman ’44 Theodore Bouthillier ’49 Joseph “Carl” Kennedy ’49 Raymond A. Krajewski ’50 Robert Nadal ’50 Joseph I. Rosen ’50 David W. McCormick ’51 Daniel W. Tanski ’51 William Bootmann ’52 Frank (Francis) J. Martley, Jr. ’55 Alexander Rollo ’55 Milton L. Allen ’56 Gaetano A. Boccia ’58 William F. Creran ’59 John F. Caulfield ’60 Fred Etoll ’60 Vincent Farley ’60 Lawrence L. Barker, Jr. ’67 William J. Fitzgerald ’67 John C. Wanamaker ’67 Brother James Gerard Thornton, C.S.C. ’68 George J. Mawad ’75 Vincent G. Gentry ’76 Owen Cahillane ’01 Former Trustee and Chair, Jerome R. McDougal, Jr.
weddings
Cat Delaney ’07 married Sean Gill’05 on July 19, 2008
Tricia Carle ’03 married Rick Sutton ’02 on May 31, 2008 in West Nyack, N.Y.
Alexandra Goercke ’05 married Meki
ell Brown on July 26, 2008
Anna Dajewska ’02 married Steven Quackenbush ’01 on August 18, 2008 at the Phelps Mansion in Binghamton, N.Y.
el Brandi i ’01 married Micha Christina Granier 07 on October 7, 20 Allison Dunn ’95 married Thomas A. Brennan on April 14, 2007 at Lake Winnipesaukee, Meredith, N.H.
married Justin Delgado Leigh Christiansen ’05 rgh, N.Y. August 2, 2008 in Plattsbu
’02 on
Elizabeth Quaal ’04 married Scott Hines ’02 on May 25, 2008 in Baltimore, Md.
Heather Budney ’05 mar ried Matthew Stoja ’05 on July 4, 2008 in Piermon t, N.Y.
Emmy Ingalsbe ’02 married Mike Lange r on September 15, 2007 at Franklin Plaza in Troy, N.Y.
ARE YOU THE ULTIMATE
SIENA FAMILY? The Siena News Magazine editorial staff believes we found the ultimate Siena
College family, but we want you to prove us wrong! If you have a history of family members who have attended Siena College, please send your Siena family tree to communications@siena.edu. We will publish the top five families in the next issue. To date, the leading family is the Litz family. Since 1950, 15 family members of the Litz family have graduated from Siena College and there are three more family members are attending Siena. The Ultimate Siena Family will receive a Landsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; End golf shirt with their family name and Siena College logo on it. They will also be recognized in the next issue of Siena News and in a future Landsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; End catalog. Good luck and we want to hear from you!
Remember how
everyone at Siena
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