Summer Magazine 2010

Purchase College

State University of New York 735 Anderson Hill Road Purchase, NY 10577-1400 Address Service Requested

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Purchase College Alumni Association

Board of Directors 2010 Fadi Areifij ’99

Purchase College maga zine | think wide open

SUMMER 2010

Paula Cancro ’79 Antonio Commisso ’09 Audrey Cozzarin ’79, President Emerita Alison Kaplan ’86 Emily O’Leary ’06, Treasurer Mark Patnode ’78, Secretary Jeffrey Putman ’96, President Gorman John Ruggiero ’76, Vice President Morgan Selkirk ’05 Adam Tyrrell ’08 Simone Varadian ’05 EX OFFICIO: Thomas J. Schwarz President, Purchase College Margaret Sullivan Vice President, External Affairs & Development Carla Weiland-Zaleznak Associate Director of Annual Giving

Address Updates If this address is not current, kindly forward correct address information to us at alumni@purchase.edu or (914) 251-6054.

Thank you.

PLUS:

A+D Faculty Member Kate Gilmore Wows New York City Global Technology in the Classroom Athletics at Purchase: 40 Years of History School of the Arts Gala 2010

Table of Contents Pursuits

1–3

Guest Artists and Lecturers

4–6

2010 School of the Arts Gala Creating a Stir in NYC News Briefs

in Time

By Thomas J. Schwarz

Dear Friends:

7–8 9–11

Forty Years of History: Athletics at Purchase College 12–14 Purchase Panthers to Know

[ this moment ]

13–15

The Bucket List

15

Purchase Goes Global with Instructional Technology

16–18

Alumni in Action

19–20

Annual Fund

21

Please visit the college’s website www.purchase.edu or contact the Alumni Association by email (alumni@purchase.edu) for programs and activities that may be of greatest interest to you.

Purchase College magazine is published biannually by the Office of External Affairs and Development, Purchase College, State University of New York, Purchase, NY 10577-1400 Phone: (914) 251-6046 Fax: (914) 251-6047 Email: alumni@purchase.edu Editor: Margaret Sullivan, Vice President, External Affairs & Development Publications Director: Sandy Dylak Design: Worksight Cover: Kate Gilmore Walk the Walk, 2010 Five-day performance piece, Bryant Park Monday, May 10–Friday, May 14, 2010

This issue of Purchase magazine allows some reflection on how Purchase has changed over the last 40 years. A recap of the history of athletics on campus acts as a springboard to further consideration of the transformation of the campus.

We now may enjoy a portion of the new plaza. The sustainable landscape of grasses and trees redefines the experience of moving from building to building. Whereas in the past, the inner core of our campus was urban in feel, there is now a greater sense of a connection of the campus to the environment. Other initiatives, from becoming more energy efficient to replacing traditional garbage receptacles with solarpowered, “big belly” trash and recycling units, have cut fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions. Our efforts have been recognized nationally. Purchase College has been identified by the Princeton Review as one of the nation’s greenest colleges. We are leaders of a sustainability movement essential to preserving our global environment.

Nonetheless, the adage “The more things change, the more they stay the same” has its relevance. Our students took to the plaza to demonstrate against tuition increases and budget cuts one blustery March day. The demonstrations continued throughout the afternoon and ended with an overnight sit –in in the student services building. The students expanded their protests to include governance on campus. The protests ultimately led to meetings with current student leaders, open forums with me and other administrators, and organizational changes aimed at increasing student participation in the decision making on campus. It is hard not to be reminded of similar protests and changes of the late '60s and ' 70s.

A colleague recently gave to me copies of articles about Purchase from local newspapers that appeared in the 1980s. The headlines of those articles have as much relevance today as they had when first published. “Purchase Program Praised,” “SUNY Purchase: Dream and Reality,“ “Linking Art School to Real World Difficult.” Since its inception, Purchase has been challenged by its mission and relevance. It is a unique institution, difficult to brand, and hard to compare to others. It is this challenge which defines its character while stimulating its students and faculty. It allows us to create and respond to social and cultural changes. It also creates a continuum of history, of which we may all be proud.

As always, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all of you to campus for a visit, or at the very least, to visit our website to see what is happening on campus. We value your friendship and encourage your participation in our community, whether it is connecting with faculty or attending a sports activity, art opening, or performance. Thanks for your continued generosity to the annual fund. I urge all of you to remember that your gifts increase the college’s ability to support its students during this period when state funding continues to decline.

Enjoy your summer.

Photo: Amy C. Elliott, courtesy Public Art Fund Photography: Kelly Campbell, Thomas Moore, Chris Marsigliano, Sandy Dylak Publication Date: June 30, 2010

Thomas J. Schwarz President

PURSUITS/Faculty news & notes School of the Arts Donna Dennis, Art+Design, exhibited her work in the galleries of the newly opened Tampa Museum of Art in “The Hidden City: Selections from the Martin Z. Margulies Collection.” The exhibition featured a slate of international artists with multimedia installations focusing on the theme of urbanism.

Barbara Hauptman, Arts Management, gave a workshop presentation, “The Theatrical Director’s Life,” at the Yale School of Drama.

Cassandra Hooper, Printmaking, received the 2010 Chancellor’s Award for Purchase College for Excellence in Teaching.

Stuart Isacoff, Music, was invited by the New York Philharmonic to lecture at Lincoln Center in May as part of its Stravinsky Festival, under the direction of conductor Valery Gergiev. The lecture focused on the landmark Stravinsky works Orpheus and Oedipus Rex. Julian Kreimer, Art+Design, wrote “Shape Shifter: Lynda Benglis,” which was a feature article in Art in America.

Pete Malinverni, Music, appeared at Soundwaters in a duo performance with Jody Sandhaus in celebration of Jody’s new recording, Afterglow.

Prof. Malinverni also performed Haydn’s “The Seven Last Words” with the Leipzig String Quartet at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City.

Jim McElwaine, Music, won one of seven funding proposals from the State University of New York’s Conversations in the Disciplines for the upcoming 2010–11 cycle. By virtue of this award, the Copyright & Copyleft conference will be held at Purchase in October. Funding will allow the organizers a Jim McElwaine unique opportunity to bring together SUNY and external scholars in a shared space with leading professionals and working artists from the entertainment and publishing fields to discuss intellectual property issues.

Doug Munro, Music, had his newest book and companion CD, The Total Latin Guitarist: A Fun and Comprehensive Overview of Latin Guitar Playing, published by Alfred Music Publishing.

Kirsten Nelson, Art+Design, participated in the Tenth Anniversary Invitational Part II group show at Frederieke Taylor Gallery in New York City.

Robert Thompson and David Gluck, Music, appeared as soloists with the Waco Symphony in Texas, performing with the ensemble Rhythm & Brass.

Prof. Thompson also appeared with the Tucson Symphony, and his book Baseball’s Greatest Hit: The Story of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” was favorably reviewed in the Journal of the Society for American Music.

Nelly Van Bommel, Dance, won the First Jury Prize and the Audience Prize at the New American Talent/Dance national choreographic competition organized by Ballet Austin in Texas. In addition, she has been cited as one of “25 to Watch” by Dance magazine.

Carol Walker, Dance, was presented with the De Lavallade Award for Dance by Sean McCloud, president of the New York Institute of Dance and Education. Named

for the legendary Carmen de Lavallade, this award is the highest symbol of recognition for achievement awarded by the New York Dance Festival.

Jennifer Wroblewski, Art+Design, presented her curatorial debut, “Mother/mother-*,” an exhibition of work by artists in the years immediately following a pregnancy or the birth of a child, at the A.I.R. Gallery in Brooklyn, NY. The exhibition included drawings, paintings, narrative and non-narrative film and video, sculpture, an artist’s book, an audio selection, and embroidery.

Carol Walker

Du Yun, Music, was awarded the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Fourth Annual Elaine Lebenbom Memorial Award for Female Composers. She was chosen from more than 50 applicants from the United States, China, Korea, Israel, Austria, and the United Kingdom. She was also cited in the New York Times.

School of Natural and Social Sciences Ahmed Afzal, Anthropology, presented “Warring on Air: Religious Transnationalism and the Cultural Politics of Pakistani Radio Programs in Houston, Texas” at the Center for Transnational and Cultural Analysis at Yale University. Prof. Afzal also presented a paper, “Recuperating the American Dream: Corporate Lay-offs, Ethno-Religious Networks, and South Asian Muslim Professionals in Houston,” at the annual meeting of the Association of Asian American Studies in Austin, TX.

Zehra Arat

Zehra Arat, Political Science, has been designated to serve on the committee that will select the new editorial team for the journal Politics and Gender. Prof. Arat also published “Institutions and Women’s Rights: The State, Religion, and Family in Turkey” in Family, Gender, and Law in a Globalizing Middle East and South Asia, ed. Kenneth Cuno and Manisha Desai, and presented a paper, “Legislating Women’s Rights in Turkey: Restrictive Institutions, Reformist Tides, and Women’s Activism,” at the annual convention of the Middle Eastern Studies Association in Boston.

The Center for Online International Learning (COIL) has just been announced as a winner of an ACE competition for Innovative Use of Technology to Promote Internationalization. Congratulations to Prof. Jon Rubin, director of COIL, and his team for their significant contribution to a globalization strategy across the SUNY system. Prof. Rubin was invited to present his project at the 2010 Internationalization Collaborative’s annual meeting in Arlington, VA.

Nelly Van Bommel

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PURSUITS/Faculty news & notes Karen Baird, Political Science, gave a talk, “The Production of Silence: HIV/ AIDS and African American Women,” at Columbia University’s Seminar on Women in Society. Prof. Baird was also chosen to be a panel reviewer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s special-emphasis panel on HIV-prevention projects for community-based organizations.

Karen Kramer, Political Science, had a paper accepted for a major U.K. conference at the University of Cambridge on political reform in the Arab world: “Holding On: State Strategies for Maintaining Authoritarian Rule while Allowing Private-Sector Growth.” The conference papers will be published in book form.

Yun Chu, Psychology, recently published his doctoral dissertation as a monograph with VDM Verlag. Human Insight Problem Solving: Performance, Processing, and Phenomenology summarizes eight experiments on insight problem solving done at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Anthony Lemieux, Psychology, gave an invited address, “The Impact of Grievance and Risk in an Experimental Context: Data from the U.S., Turkey, and Malaysia,” at the University of Texas in El Paso. Earlier in the year Prof. Lemieux gave the address at a research briefing at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Washington, DC. In addition, Prof.

Lemieux had his paper “Across the Divide: Reflections of a Collaborative Class on Terrorism” published in ELiSS (Enhancing Learning in the Social Sciences, a peer-reviewed online journal focusing on pedagogical issues).

Peggy De Cooke, Psychology, is the recipient of a summer stipend thanks to the generosity of Dee and Robert Topol. Intended to help defray the costs of writing a grant, developing a new course, or significantly redesigning an existing course, the stipend will offer Prof. De Cooke the opportunity to redesign Introduction to Psychology as a hybrid course.

Jan Factor, Biology, was invited by West Chester University of Pennsylvania to present “Fixed Phagocytes of the Digestive Gland—A Mostly Ignored Part of the Immune System of Lobsters.”

Matthew Immergut, Sociology, presented at the SUNY Plattsburgh Center for Teaching Excellence spring conference. The conference featured a full day of engaging sessions and opportunities to discuss pedagogy with colleagues who are passionate about teaching.

Chrys Ingraham, Sociology, has been designated the 2010–12 Doris and Carl Kempner Distinguished Professor. Prof. Ingraham will receive a grant to complete her book-length project, Transcending Gender: Theory, Research, and Culture. In addition, Prof. Ingraham and Jerzy Klebieko, Art+Design, won this year’s Student Engagement Awards, presented by the Student Learning and Success Committee. The awards are given to one faculty member and one staff member who demonstrate extraordinary commitment, initiative, and dedication in helping the college serve its students.

George Kraemer, Environmental Studies and Biology, was invited by the Center for Coastal and Marine Studies (Southern Connecticut State University) to give a talk, “The Ecology of the Non-Native Asian Shore Crab (Hemigrapsus sanguineus): A View from Western Long Island Sound.”

Shaka McGlotten, Media, Society, and the Arts, edited a special issue of Souls: A Critical Journal of Black Politics, Culture, and Society. This issue featured emerging work on black genders and sexualities. He will also guestedit a special journal issue of Transforming Anthropology: The Journal for the Association of Black Anthropologists. He participated in a panel discussion, “Fan Wars: Copyright vs. Mash-ups and Fan Fiction,” in February at the Princeton Club for members of the New York chapter of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A. Marisa Olson, New Media, contributed to a panel discussion at the CUNY Graduate Center about the relationships among participatory art, participatory media, and political participation from the point of view of spectatorship in network culture.

Veronica Perera, Sociology, was this year’s recipient of the Robert O. Fehr Research Professorship. This award, funded by an endowment from the Heineman Foundation, recognizes faculty members in the sciences who are carrying out promising work on environmental problems.

Nancy Zook, Psychology, has a new publication, “Identifying At-Risk Older Adult Community-Dwelling Drivers through Neuropsychological Evaluation,” which appeared in the journal Applied Neuropsychology. Prof.

Zook is also the 2010–12 recipient of the Peter and Bette Fishbein Junior Faculty Research Award, which she will use to conduct a series of studies that will examine whether or not meditation practices result in changes in performance on executive-function tasks.

School of Humanities

“I want to do more.”

At Purchase College we hear this a lot from our friends and supporters.

Fact is, you can.

Consider including Purchase College in your will or trust today and make a powerful impact on the future of the College.

Making Purchase College a part of your long-term financial plan allows you to make a significant gift without affecting your current income while supporting the program or area of your choice.

To learn about how you can “Do More,” please contact: Lisa Koch, Director of Development Phone: (914) 251.5937 e-mail: lisa.koch@purchase.edu

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Marc Brudzinski, Language and Culture, Nina Straus, Literature, and Jennifer Uleman, Philosophy, were part of Tino Sehgal’s “This Progress” at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. Three students—Celia Brisson (undeclared), Lucas McCaslin (philosophy), and Rafay Rashid (anthropology)—were also in the piece. The exhibition was covered extensively in the New York Times, including a feature in the Sunday magazine section.

Habiba Boumik, Humanities and Liberal Studies, presented a paper at the American Anthropological Association conference in Philadelphia. The paper’s title was “Feminism and Cultural Relativism: The Headscarf Controversy in France and the ‘End’ of Relativism.”

Lenora Champagne, Humanities, participated in the online exhibition “The Playwright Portrait Project.” Excerpts of plays accompanied the playwrights’ portraits.

Kenley Dove, Philosophy, coauthored (with X. Gao, China; G. P. Gregori, Italy; and M. Chiba, Japan) the paper, “Climate Change: An Integrated Concept of the Geosphere,” which appeared in Nippon Keisha Gakkai Taikai Koen Yokoshe (Tokyo). Prof. Dove also presented an invited paper, “Hegel und die geologische Natur: heute: Das Problem des Klimas,” at the University of Jena (Germany) Ernst-Haeckel-Haus.

PURSUITS/Faculty news & notes Elizabeth Guffey, Art History, has been designated the 2010–12 Juanita and Joseph Leff Distinguished Professor. As the recipient of the Leff Senior Faculty Research Award, Prof. Guffey will conduct research and work on a book project, Poster.

Morris Kaplan, Philosophy, was one of nine invited speakers at a Columbia Law School symposium honoring the contributions of Judith Butler to the scholarship and practice of gender and sexuality law. On a panel devoted to “Kinship, Friendship & the Ethics of the Self,” he gave a paper, “‘Absent Friends!’ Scenes of Address and the Ethics of SelfMaking.” The papers, together with Judith Butler’s keynote address, will be published in a special issue of the Columbia Journal of Gender and Law. Prof. Kaplan also presented a paper, “Democracy’s Law: Hannah Arendt on Revolution and Civil Disobedience,” at the Western Political Science Association meeting in San Francisco.

Lisa Keller, History, delivered a paper, “Hola Westchester: The New Realities of a Formerly Wealthy White American Suburban Enclave,” at the Hofstra University conference The Diverse Suburb: History, Politics, and Prospects.

Elise Lemire, English Literature, led a workshop on archival research at the New Hampshire Writers’ Project’s annual Writers’ Day Conference.

Prof. Lemire also taught a session on “Racial Imagery in the Classroom” at the American Antiquarian Society’s Center for Historic American Visual Culture.

Kathleen McCormick, Literature and Writing, has won first prize in the 2009 annual Tiny Lights Journal essay contest for her story “I Always Felt Like I Was on Pretty Good Terms with the Virgin Mary, Even Though I Didn’t Get Pregnant in High School.” Prof. McCormick also coedited Teaching Italian American Literature, Film, and Popular Culture, which was published by the Modern Language Association. In addition, Prof.

McCormick gave the keynote address to open an international reading and writing conference in Malmo, Sweden, in mid-November. Her talk was titled “‘Here Comes Everybody’: Reading and Writing in an Epistemic and Inclusive Environment,” and she organized three panels on her new book and participated in two panels at this year’s American Italian Historical Association conference.

Gaura Narayan, Literature, has had her book Real and Imagined Women in British Romanticism published by Peter Lang as part of the series Studies in Nineteenth-Century British Literature. The book uses feminist ideology and deconstructive criticism to reconstruct the cultural context embedded in canonical Romantic texts.

Robert Stein, English Literature, organized and chaired the panel “Global Chaucer: The Circulation of Translation in the Fourteenth and TwentyFirst Centuries” for the annual meeting of the Modern Language Association in Philadelphia.

Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum, Creative Writing, has been nominated for a Puschcart Prize for her essay “This Is How It Happens,” which was published in the Summer 2009 issue of Southern Humanities Review. Prof.

Lunstrum also had a short story, “Familial Kindness” (originally published

by One Story magazine, Issue 101), recently listed as one of the 100 Distinguished Stories of 2008 by editor Heidi Pitlor in the anthology The Best American Short Stories 2009.

Kathleen Tolan, Dramatic Writing, had an adaptation of Alexander Ostrovsky’s The Forest presented by the Classic Stage Company. It was directed by Brian Kulick and the production featured Dianne Wiest and John Douglass Thompson.

Jennifer Uleman, Philosophy, published An Introduction to Kant’s Moral Philosophy with Cambridge University Press.

Renqiu Yu, History and Asian Studies, was honored for his contributions to Chinese culture at the Annual Chinese New Year party held by the China Institute. Purchase College was represented by President Schwarz and both current and former colleagues in the School of Humanities: Frank Farrell, Geoffrey Field, Paul Kaplan, Gari LaGuardia, Michael Lobel, Ronnie Scharfman, Wayne te Brake, and Louise Yelin.

School of Liberal Studies and Continuing Education Edmund Cionek, Liberal Studies, produced a benefit for the Bar Harbor Music Festival at the Laurie Beechman Theatre in New York City.

Performing were the Janes, singers Margaret Dorn and Dennis Deal, clarinetist Maureen Hurd Hause, and pianist Christopher Johnson.

Heather Saunders, Art Librarian, gave a presentation about her blog, http://artistintransit.blogs.purchase.edu, at the Art Libraries Society of North America conference in Boston. She also presented a talk on the course Art and the Environment (ENV226), cotaught with Prof. Ryan Taylor, Environmental Studies, at the Arts for Social and Environmental Justice symposium at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

Kate Gilmore Wows New York City Kate Gilmore, a School of Art+Design faculty member, has been wowing the crowds in New York this spring. She was one of 55 artists selected to participate with an entry in the Whitney Biennial 2010, a showcase of the latest in American art, including established and emerging artists.

Kate Gilmore’s piece was a video. She generally plays the central character in her works. As a video artist she constructs obstacles, such as plaster walls, and overcomes Herculean tasks to create her art.

In a change of pace, she was selected by the Public Art Fund to present Walk the Walk, a striking series of live public performances in Bryant Park over five days for 10 hours a day.

Kate Gilmore Walk the Walk, 2010 Five-day performance piece, Bryant Park Monday, May 10–Friday, May 14, 2010 Photo: Amy C. Elliott, courtesy Public Art Fund

The piece drew attention to and celebrated the vast number of women who work each day in the city. The artwork was an eightfoot high cubicle structure activated by a group of women walking, stomping, shuffling, and marching on the roof, all clothed in simple yellow dresses and beige pumps.

This the first time Gilmore has orchestrated her work for other performers instead of being its main subject.

Purchase students who participated in the work included Rachel Wiecking, Jessica Whittam, and Amanda Gale. The work drew large crowds and, with permission from the artist, one young man proposed to his girlfriend inside the cubicle. She said yes.

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Jazz trumpeter and composer Tom Harrell

Dannielle Tegeder. Rust Conductor Plan with Sound Frictions and ChromaConstruction, 2009. *

Photo: Catherine Mauger

D Suzanne McClelland, Heap of Greens

By Donna Cornachio

D

C

G D

lassroom education provided by an exceptional faculty is only part of the Purchase

learning experience. Over the course of the past year, students in all disciplines have been exposed to a wide range of talent from visiting guests working in the field, augmenting and enhancing what’s already being taught in the classroom. A sampling follows.

Poet Sharon Olds

uest Bruce Willen & Nolan Strals Post Typography, Chosen

D School of Art+Design

The School of Art+Design Visiting Artist Lecture Series brings two to four artists to Purchase every month, sometimes in collaboration with the Neuberger Museum of Art. The lectures are free and open to the community at large. Recently, visiting artists have included: Art+Design alumnus and Columbia Professor Jon Kessler '80; MacArthur Genius award-winning Chilean artist Alfredo Jaar; the photographer and performance artist Clifford Owens; the painter and recent Purchase alumna Dannielle Tegeder '94; and Bright Ugochukwu Eke, a young artist from Nigeria.

“Most students have not seen or met an artist from Chile or Nigeria; in general, we’re comfortable with our own experience. Having these artists come here challenges the students to see other perspectives and contributes to our dialogue about art and society, ” says Ravi Rajan, interim dean of the School of Art+Design.

Each semester, the School of Art+Design engages an artist to explore new work. This past spring, Christine Lee, one of the Windgate Artists-in-Residence, had an exhibition in the Richard & Dolly Maass Gallery of her work dealing with discarded materials from around the campus. The "waste" had been re-imagined as sculptural design and furniture.

The Neuberger Museum of Art is a tremendous resource for Purchase students. This past year, artists from the Museum's LatinAmerican Contemporary Art lecture series were invited by Curator Patrice Giasson and Art+Design faculty members to conduct group critiques of students’ work, and to discuss their own work through lectures and hands-on demonstrations. “Having students connect with artists is akin to the master class that happens in performing arts: it allows for input from someone who’s doing what the students want to do themselves, " says Dean Rajan.

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Dan Hurlin, DISFARMER Puppeteer: Chris Green Photo: Richard Termine

Novelist and essayist David Shields

D

and Lecturers D School of Natural and Social Sciences The School of Natural and Social Sciences sponsored fall and spring lecture series, open to the public. This past year lectures included such topics as equal work and equal pay (by Lilly Ledbetter, whose fight against wage discrimination took her to the Supreme Court); the evolution of the human mind as compared to that in nonhuman primates; and how the American diet promotes obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Some lectures were in collaboration with the New York Academy of Sciences.

First-year students in liberal arts and science were required to attend some lectures. “We try to make these lectures particularly topical,” says Dean Suzanne Kessler. “Most students may never take another science course at the college. We hope these series help them become better consumers of scientific information and to realize that beyond what they think of as the dry stuff, there are fascinating ideas out there.”

Freshman Nick Dank, a new media major, attended the lectures as part of his Science in the Modern World class called “The Developing Brain.” He says he found author Susan Allport’s lecture on fats in the American diet particularly relevant. “The speaker talked about the different types of fats found in food, and how they affect the development of the body, especially in regard to omega-3s such as DHA that promote brain growth and health,” he says. “The lecture was both independently interesting and beneficial to my Developing Brain class.” In part as a result of attending these lectures, Dank says he is now considering a minor in psychology. * Image courtesy of Priska C. Juschka Fine Art

Aarti Sharma, a senior and political science major, attended Lawrence Kobilinsky’s lecture, “Forensic Science: From the Crime Scene to the Courtroom,” this past March. (Not long after he visited Purchase, the internationally renowned forensic scientist and DNA expert was interviewed by the media following the attempted car bombing in Times Square.) “I do not have a strong background in biology or chemistry so luckily there were points in his lecture that I could relate to my psychology class and classes for my major,” Sharma says. “I found it relevant to psychology because he discussed the problems with relying on witnesses due to memory issues and how they can be faulty in communicating accounts of a crime. The lecture also caused bells to ring within me as he described crime investigations which I could connect to process tracing as a research method of political science.”

D School of Humanities Every year the School of Humanities hosts the Shirley and Royal Durst Chair Distinguished Writer Lectures; this past October the poet Sharon Olds came to Purchase to read from her work. Olds, a former New York State Poet Laureate, is the recipient of numerous honors and awards and her poems have been widely anthologized and translated into seven languages. This was not Olds’s first visit to the campus; thanks to the generosity of the Friends of Humanities, she spent a semester at Purchase College in 1987 teaching a poetry course as a distinguished writer-in-residence.

The novelist and essayist David Shields visited the school this past PURCHASE | 5

D

Choreographer Luca Veggetti

D spring and, like Olds, held a seminar with a group of humanities students and a well-attended public reading. “The students were just mesmerized by Sharon Olds,” says literature professor Robert Stein. And with Shields, Stein adds, “they had animated, engaging, and free-wheeling discussions.”

Plans are underway to host a reading next year for young poets in conjunction with a symposium on contemporary poetry. Events like these, Interim Dean Louise Yelin says, “enable us to bring writers we wouldn’t ordinarily have to Purchase.”

Deans Yelin and Kessler, along with author and essayist Marilyn Johnson, have founded the Purchase College Writers’ Center for the 2010–11 academic year to develop a haven for writers that will host fellows—writers primarily from Westchester County. In addition to writing, fellows might teach workshops, serve as guest lecturers in classes, participate in panels or reading series at the college, lead writing groups for students, faculty, or community members, and attract and host other writers. “The objective,” says Yelin, “is to make the college as well known for writing as it is for the visual and performing arts.”

D Conservatory of Dance At the Conservatory of Dance this past year, artist-in-residence Luca Veggetti created a new work for dancers that was performed at Judson Church in Manhattan. Nelly Van Bommel, a Purchase MFA graduate, choreographed a work for dancers in the spring concert program. Patrick Corbin of the Paul Taylor Dance Company set the classic Taylor dance Company B for three different casts, while the emerging choreographer Pam Tanowitz worked as a guest artist with the Purchase Dance Corps, which performed with her company in May. “Performance is a huge part of our dancers’ education,” says StaceyJo Marine, interim associate dean of the conservatory. “The process of working with these guest choreographers and dancers and being comfortable in a high-pressure situation is invaluable. It also provides our students an entry to the professional world to those who will hire them.”

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Conservatory of Theatre Arts & Film

Guest directors at the Conservatory of Theatre Arts & Film for the Purchase Repertory Theatre this past year have included Drew Barr, Benard Cummings, Craig Baldwin, and Ellen Orenstein. Film students met the experimental film editor Miriam Arsham, an emeritus PURCHASE | 6

“What our students learn in class is of course absolutely central to their development, but in the end nothing can replace face-to-face engagement with others who have successfully pursued the life of a professional artist.” professor at Purchase, and Hal Hartley, a Purchase graduate and filmmaker who presented his recent work to students. Another noted Purchase graduate, the playwright Donald Margulies, spoke to dramatic-writing students this past fall. “I’m thrilled that we are able to offer our students so many opportunities to interact with professional directors, editors, designers, and writers as these students prepare to embark on their own careers and to enter the demanding worlds of theater and film,” says Greg Taylor, interim dean of the Conservatory of Theatre Arts & Film. “What our students learn in class is of course absolutely central to their development, but in the end nothing can replace face-to-face engagement with others who have successfully pursued the life of a professional artist.”

D Conservatory of Music Among the noted musicians who came to the Conservatory of Music this past year was the jazz trumpeter and composer Tom Harrell—an iconic artist whose recordings students study in class. Harrell rehearsed with the students and performed as a guest artist with the Purchase Latin Jazz Orchestra in April.

The tenor saxophonist Chris Potter, who has recorded with Sting and Steely Dan, offered a master class for conservatory students this past December, as did the Juilliard-trained classical violinist Kevin Lawrence in April. Many of the artists come to Purchase as a direct result of contacts made by faculty members. “I think these artists remember that they were once in the same shoes our students are in now,” says Robert Thompson, interim dean of the Conservatory of Music. “I think they also recognize that we’re a public institution and they do it for the goodwill. But I also think it’s rewarding for them to work with our students. And for our students, it’s a wonderful opportunity to have input from these artists, to gain performing experience, and to get perspective from them as professionals.”

Younger artists (who are all Purchase alumni) make up the Iktus Percussion Quartet, an ensemble-in-residence at Purchase, which performed twice this past year, presenting new music for percussion quartet by students in the composition department at Purchase College. These free concerts, Thompson says, allow for mentoring among conservatory students as they gain insight from these recent graduates into what it’s like to be a professional musician.

In addition to sessions in which guest musicians worked with music students, some events were offered to the entire campus. This past December, the conservatory held a symposium, “Music and the Brain,” underwritten by the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function at Beth Abraham in Manhattan. According to Thompson, the guest speakers engaged psychology students from the School of Natural Sciences every bit as much as the conservatory’s music students.

The

2010 S c h o o l

o f t h e A r t s GALA

Creating a Stir in NYC

By Elizabeth Robertson

How do you measure success?

How does Purchase College establish more of a presence for its School of the Arts in a major cultural locus and become more of a household name?

And why are these goals important? or Purchase College in 2007, they meant showcasing the School of the Arts in a larger, more visible venue—New York City. The college hosted its first gala fundraiser on Broadway, honoring such prominent artists as Merce Cunningham, Helen Frankenthaler, Ming Cho Lee, and Jessye Norman as well as philanthropists Douglas and Shirley Durst. The “metropolitan response” to the gala was positive, and the school’s commitment to future NYC galas was secured.

The Hudson Theatre in New York City was the venue for multiple performances by Purchase College students and alumni on March 15, 2010. Nelson A. Rockefeller Awards were presented to dancer/choreographer Paul Taylor, artist Kiki Smith, jazz musician Paquito D’Rivera, and playwright Lynn Nottage for their contributions to their professions and to the Purchase College community. Actress Susie Essman, an alumna of Purchase, served as emcee for the evening.

Philanthropists Jane and Donald Cecil were honored for their support of the arts and for programs that nurture.

Music for the evening was provided by the Purchase Percussion Ensemble and featured “Con Alma” by Dizzy Gillespie as a tribute to Paquito D’Rivera. The Purchase Dance Corps performed excerpts from Paul Taylor’s Cloven Kingdom and Company B. Alumni Latoya Lewis and Taylor Flowers of the Class of 2009 performed a scene from Nottage’s Intimate

Nelson A. Rockefeller Award recipients (L to R):

Paquito D'Rivera, Jane Cecil, Kiki Smith, Donald Cecil, Lynn Nottage, and Paul Taylor

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Bruce Willen & Nolan Strals; Post Typography.

Apparel. Neuberger Museum curator Helaine Posner presented “Sculpture, Prints, and Things” by Kiki Smith. Sprinkled among the performances were lighthearted moments of reflection by emcee Susie Essman as well as remarks by special guest Chancellor Nancy Zimpher and President Schwarz.

The gala’s success may be measured in several ways: by the $1.3 million in funds raised for student scholarships, exhibitions, and productions in the visual and performing arts, by the lack of empty seats in the Hudson Theatre, and by the extensive city media coverage of the event, including in the New York Times, the Post, and the Daily News. However, for the college, the principal goal this year was to raise awareness of the quality of its programs. The student performers were the focus, serving as ambassadors for the college.

Diana Costello of the Journal News captured the essence of the purpose of the evening when she wrote, “The School of the Arts provides the highest level of professional training to visual and performing artists. Students are prepared for careers in their fields and are inspired to be engaged and innovative contributors to society.” From Rush and Molloy of the Daily News: “Actors Edie Falco, Stanley Tucci, Wesley Snipes, Jay O. Sanders and artist Fred Wilson are just a few of the talents who graduated from Purchase College, the state school which gives an incredible arts education for far less than the cost of private universities.”

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The accolades for Purchase were directed toward the performances of the students. For the students themselves, the opportunity to appear in front of the honorees was well worth the study and personal commitment. Paquito D’Rivera was “knocked out”—jazz vernacular for “very favorably impressed”—by the students. Former Purchase College students performed a scene from Lynn Nottage’s play that they had presented a year earlier onstage at Purchase. The playwright was impressed by the caliber of the performance and commented that the lead could have been in the original Broadway production. For these former students, the opportunity to perform the scene for an audience one year later and in front of the playwright reaffirmed their college experience and choice of vocation.

The challenge for Purchase is to capture the recognition of the depth of knowledge and talent of the students and faculty from that one night on Broadway and convey it to a larger audience. One important goal is to raise awareness that the arts programs are offered not by a private college or university but by a public college, unique within the state university system for its commitment to renowned arts education. It is equally important to communicate the vital importance of support for the arts programs, faculty, and students as a means of supporting the arts nationally and internationally.

In a period of declining state support, this challenge becomes even more compelling.

s leepless in Lake placid Cited by Moviemaker magazine as one of the “coolest” film festivals in the world, the Lake Placid Film Forum tacks on a unique feature each year: a 24-hour student filmmaking competition.

Essentially, groups of students from regional film schools compete to create short films within the constraints of a one-day deadline.

The event is called Sleepless in Lake Placid.

Nelson A Rockefeller Award recipients Kiki Smith, Donald Cecil, Lynn Nottage, SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher, Purchase College President Thomas J. Schwarz, Honorees Jane Cecil, Paquito D'Rivera, and Paul Taylor

Men's’ Quartet excerpt from Cloven Kingdom, choreography by Paul Taylor, performed by (l to r) Conservatory of Dance students Rory Freeman, Morgan Lugo, Dorren Smith, and Justin Prescott.

This year, Purchase competed against Ithaca College, Syracuse University, the Rochester Institute of Technology, and Burlington College in the Sleepless in Lake Placid event, June 10–13. “We tempted fate and sent another team of sophomores,” says Cahn.

“Purchase won again; the Grand Jury Prize for Best Film, and a second, separate award for Best Actor.”

Purchase alumnus Parker Posey was a special guest at this year’s festival.

Winning Film: PURITY OF IMAGE Featuring Kristin Finn and Joel Neville Anderson Written by Shane Sheehy and Caleb Foss Produced by Jonathan Robertson Cinematography by Darcie Wilder Directed by Caleb Foss Original Score Composed by Michael Hart SUNY Purchase Faculty Advisor: Joel Neville Anderson

>

To see the winning film, go to www.vimeo.com/1250569 To see the film that won for Purchase in 2009, visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1VXmpwuiIo

Left: “On Set,” featuring Caleb Foss, Darcie Vigliano

Albert Osman and Emily Grant

After the Gala, edible centerpieces were donated to City Harvest

Actress Jody Long '76, actress Susie Essman '77 and President Schwarz

SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher and Joseph Volpe

Elizabeth McCormack and Mary Kres

Diana and Charles Revson

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In 2009, six colleges were invited to participate. “Purchase was drafted at the last minute to replace a college team that dropped out,” says Iris Cahn, head of Purchase’s film conservatory. “Our team swept the awards last year, winning not only the main prize, but also the Audience Choice award, which was an unprecedented feat. The other teams were composed of seniors, and Purchase film sent only sophomores.”

Below: “Post Award Ceremony,” featuring (L to R) Laura Hyler (actress), Scott Danni (actor), Darcie Vigliano, Shane Sheehy, Caleb Foss, Jonathan Robertson

S cience: A Purchase Tradition For almost 30 years, the annual Student Research Symposium has provided a venue for students in the social and natural sciences to display and discuss their scientific investigations. Closely modeled on professional scientific and medical proceedings, the symposium includes presentations, discussions, poster sessions, and a published program, complete with abstracts of each participant’s original scientific research.

“In a young college that’s short on tradition, this event is one of our longest standing,” says Suzanne Kessler, dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences.

2010 Symposium participants

The 2010 symposium, held April 24, drew an unprecedented 100 students, all undergraduates reporting on yearlong research conducted collaboratively with senior science faculty.

Unlike those at many larger research institutions, Purchase students have opportunities to conduct research for their senior theses by working closely with faculty members on original research individually or in small groups. Many will pursue opportunities to present their findings at national scientific meetings and also to publish their results in scientific journals.

The symposium consists of concurrent sessions in anthropology, biology, chemistry, environmental studies, economics, math, computer science, political science, psychology, sociology, women’s studies, and media, society & the arts.

The Student Research Symposium is supported by the Joseph & Sophia Abeles Foundation, John and Jeanette Ambroseo, Robert and Edith Fehr, the National Science Foundation, Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society, Purchase College STEP & CSTEP, Lucille Werlinich, Catherine Ziegler, and the School of Natural and Social Sciences.

LAS

Senior Project Procession Cheering and clapping were the order of the day at the afternoon exercises, as 217 seniors and nearly 60 faculty members gathered on May 11 for what has become known as the “LAS Senior Project Procession.” Crowds from all corners of campus watched as the Liberal Arts & Sciences (LAS) group lined up for the “parade” route, which begins in the lobby of the Humanities Building and ends at the library, where completed senior projects are deposited. Led by President Thomas J. Schwarz, the procession concluded with a celebratory barbecue. As has been the tradition for 16 years, the procession is open only to those seniors in the School of Humanities and the School of Natural and Social Sciences with completed and signed-off senior projects.

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Purchase celebrated Earth Day with its annual Clean and Green event on April 23. Dozens of faculty, staff, and students volunteered to clean up the campus and plant flowers. Sponsored by the Campus Beautification Committee, with support from the Purchase College Association and President Schwarz, the event culminated with a tree planting.

S upporting future Scientists In the spring of 2010, the first awards from the Dr. Catherine Ziegler ’96 Natural and Social Science Senior Project Research Fund were presented to seven seniors in the School of Natural and Social Sciences.

The award is named for alumna and donor Catherine Ziegler, Ph.D. ’96, who attended the school as an adult student and, upon graduating with a degree in anthropology, went on to earn a Ph.D. and become a published academic. Her goal in funding the award was to provide resources for students as they undertake primary research for their senior projects.

The students used the awards to fund travel to conduct interviews, do primary research at historical sites, and purchase supporting materials. At this year’s annual Student Research Symposium, the awardees had an Dr. Zeigler with award recipients opportunity to thank Dr. Ziegler in person. In addition to extending their gratitude to Dr. Ziegler for her generosity and support, many students commented that the funds were key in helping them turn their projects from concept to reality and had affected the course of their subsequent educational and career plans.

P urchase makes the “green” grade Purchase ranks among the nation’s most environmentally friendly colleges, according to the Princeton Review’s Guide to 286 Green Colleges, published in April. The ranking reflects a measure of how environmentally friendly an institution is on a scale of 60 to 99. The company partnered with the United States Green Building Council to tally its Green Ratings for 697 institutions based on data collected from the colleges in 2008–9. Surveys included questions on everything from energy use, recycling, food, buildings, and transportation to academic offerings (availability of environmental studies degrees and courses) and action plans and goals concerning reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

The criteria for the rating covered three broad areas: (1) whether the school’s students have a campus quality of life that is healthy and sustainable, (2) how well the school is preparing its students for employment and citizenship in a world defined by environmental challenges, and (3) the school’s overall commitment to environmental issues.

T he power of suny Purchase was one of a handful of campuses to host State University of New York Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher and the unveiling of SUNY’s new strategic plan, drawing a crowd from the Westchester community to the Performing Arts Center on April 22.

Known as The Power of SUNY, the plan will serve as the road map for the State University of New York for the next five years and guide its development for the next decade.

President Thomas J. Schwarz with Chancellor Zimpher

“We are pleased to host the SUNY Strategic Plan launch for the cluster of SUNY colleges and our neighbors in the lower Hudson region,” said President Schwarz. “Purchase College recently P U R C H A S E | 10

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C lean and Green Day

President Schwarz pitches in

published its strategic plan for 2010–15, which shares with the SUNY plan a commitment to academic excellence, student success, sustainability, and support of economic, cultural, and intellectual growth locally, nationally, and globally.”

The SUNY strategic plan incorporates six areas of opportunity and challenge in which SUNY and its 64 campuses are positioned to be the driving force behind New York State’s economic revitalization and improvements in the quality of life for its citizens. “We see The Power of SUNY as a testament to what public higher education can do for the State of New York,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “This strategic plan will enable the state university to drive New York’s economy through our size, scale, and the capacity of the system as a whole.”

The product of an unprecedented 10-month effort that included a 64-campus tour and 10 statewide conversations and symposia across New York, The Power of SUNY explores issues affecting New York State and the state university community. It identifies six “big ideas,” all the while stressing a commitment to diversity.

• • • • • •

SUNY and the Entrepreneurial Century SUNY and the Seamless Educational Pipeline SUNY and a Healthier New York SUNY and an Energy-Smart New York SUNY and the Vibrant Community SUNY and the World

Each idea represents an area in which SUNY can have a great impact on the state. By connecting all 64 campuses, the university system becomes greater than the sum of its parts, with the ability to bring economies of scale to innovative and entrepreneurial initiatives. Three initiatives are provided for each idea, and progress can be measured and evaluated over time, ensuring accountability. Chancellor Zimpher has already begun to lead an effort to create implementation goals for each idea over the next five years.

“The call for accountability has never been louder,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “We must deliver results in a more meaningful and measurable way to show New Yorkers that we mean what we say.

“In the coming weeks and months I will engage our students, my colleagues across SUNY, elected officials, and our communities in discussions on the plan; what it means to them; how they can be a part of the change this state needs—a part of The Power of SUNY,” said Chancellor Zimpher.

P urchase students reach out Project Haiti—Struck by the earthquake devastation in Haiti, Purchase College students rallied in February to produce Haiti Needs Us, a 13-hour fundraising marathon. The event featured free concerts, performances, and a dance party, as well as activities to raise money: student art sales, talent auctions, and concession sales. Proceeds from the benefit were distributed to two organizations: the Institut Monfort, a school for over 600 hearing- and sight-impaired children with facilities in three locations; and Urban Resurrection, a Miami-based nonprofit that supports 23 individual organizations working in Haiti.

Haiti Needs Us signaled the start of a semester-long educational and cultural series of workshops, discussions, and social activities and events called Project Haiti. Headed by Francisco Donoso ’10, the campuswide collaboration is geared to raising awareness and building support for organizations doing relief work in Haiti.

Lending a hand in Atlanta—Over spring break, 14 Purchase students traveled to Atlanta for a week to support community service projects as part of the Purchase Alternative Service Trips program (PAST). The group united students from a variety of majors and academic years. Each student joined the program with a strong sense of commitment to service.

Throughout the week, students volunteered in a broad range of programs, including Stand Up for Kids, a support service for homeless teens in the area; Books for Africa, one of the world’s leaders in supplying books to Africa; Kashi Street Meals, a provider of meals to homeless men in Atlanta; Paws for Atlanta, an animal-care agency; and Safe House Outreach, a program that provides “a hand up, not a handout” to Atlanta’s homeless.

Protecting Florida’s natural environment—Psychology major Jessica Phumalee and environmental studies major Cassie Landrum ’10 spent a week in February with 12 other student volunteers clearing South Florida parks of non-native invasive plants.

Florida is the entry point for nearly 75 percent of all plants imported into the United States. Combined with an ultra-hospitable climate, the introduction of invasive species tends to cause more crises, more quickly, in Florida than in most other places in the country.

At Blowing Rocks Preserve, a 73-acre barrier island sanctuary on Jupiter Island, students cleared a four-foot-wide path, nearly a mile long, of potentially dangerous exotic plants. They also worked at Jonathan Dickinson Park and Inlet State Park in Fort Pierce.

Better than bells—Nine Purchase students, along with Professor Robert Thompson, were honored by the Salvation Army in February for volunteering to perform next to Salvation Army red kettles at White Plains shopping centers throughout the winter holiday season.

An a cappella choir performed outside Bloomingdale’s, a trombonist and trumpeter played duets next to the Christmas Tree Shop, and two flautists, a harpist, and a brass quartet performed inside the Westchester Mall.

ON

BROADWAY This spring, Purchase Conservatory of Dance student Justin Prescott joined the company of Broadway’s award-winning musical FELA! at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre. He has been performing eight shows a week since early June.

The Texas native attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, TX. He also toured with the Lula Washington Dance Theatre in New Mexico and the Kawagachi Ballet Theatre in Japan. In 2008 he represented Purchase College while an exchange student in Taiwan.

Donald Margulies ’76 is having an excellent year. He has had two plays on Broadway this season, and his Pulitzer Prize–winning play Dinner with Friends is being performed at playhouses throughout the country, including the Westport Country Playhouse, not far from New Haven, where he teaches playwriting at Yale University. Time Stands Still was on Broadway this spring and earned a Tony Award nomination for best play, and will Donald Margulies return in the fall with Christina Ricci making her Broadway debut. Laura Linney originally portrayed the photographer who returned from covering the war in Iraq, physically and psychologically wounded. Collected Stories, currently on Broadway, stars Tony Award winner Linda Lavin in a Tony-nominated performance with Golden Globe nominee Sarah Paulson. The drama chronicles the relationship, manners, and morals of two female writers—a celebrated New York author and her young protégée.

Both plays were produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club. In addition, Margulies has participated in a number of play readings and panel discussions.

The musicians attracted large crowds, which helped increase the number and size of donations. “We are touched by the caring Purchase shows toward its neighbors, and hope this is the beginning of a long and mutually rewarding partnership,” said Capt.

Antonio Rosamilia, who heads the Salvation Army Community Center in White Plains.

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Forty Years of History

By Elizabeth Robertson

ATHLETICS AT PURCHASE COLLEGE This past March, Purchase College’s men’s basketball team gathered for its postseason dinner with much to celebrate. It had won the Skyline Championship. For the first time in college history, the team won the automatic qualifier and participated in the NCAA Division III national tournament. It does not matter that the team lost in the first round—the experience had elevated the visibility of the team and the program as a whole. The buzz about Purchase was heard not only in its studios and classrooms, but courtside as well.

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thletics at Purchase has had a checkered past, according to Athletics Director Ernie Palmieri. It began as Action Education in 1973. On offer were lifetime sports skills classes, among them swimming, canoeing, kayaking, camping, scuba, tennis, racquetball, golf, and cross-country skiing. There were no sports teams or intramurals, although athletics courses such as gymnastics, fencing, circus arts, and combat choreography were required by the conservatories during that time. In response to student demand, coed intramurals soon were incorporated into the athletics program. By the end of the 1970s, students had started club teams for basketball, tennis, soccer, fencing, and Ultimate Frisbee. Despite the increase in interest and activity, there was no budget for athletics. The student government declined a request for a student activities fee for athletics. The nonathletic, noncompetitive culture of Purchase at that time overrode the expanding interest and participation in sports.

The next two decades were a roller-coaster ride for athletics at Purchase. In 1985, a student could boast about the Purchase Ultimate Frisbee team, a varsity team that was ranked #1 in the Hudson Valley. There was now a mandatory athletics fee that contributed to the department’s budget; however, state budget support was minimal. Full-time faculty members served as coaches to the various club teams. By 1986, severe budget cutbacks forced Purchase to drop its NCAA membership. The status of athletics slipped from bad to worse by the mid-1990s. Another round of budget cuts wiped out the athletics program entirely in 1995.

Courses, classes, clubs, and staff were eliminated.

As Ernie Palmieri notes, "For three years, students on campus had little to do with regard to organized physical activity. In 1998, Purchase realized that it had made a mistake. I was rehired in 1998 as athletics director." No longer would athletics at Purchase be an afterthought. The growth of the athletics program over the past 12 years has been noteworthy. The program now features creditbearing physical education classes, 14 varsity teams and seven club teams that compete in NCAA Division III, intramural teams for students, and recreation options for students and staff. The local community is welcome to participate in learn-to-swim programs.

Local sports teams compete for use of the college’s turf field and sports fields, tennis courts, and swimming pool. Palmieri estimates that 12,500 people use the Purchase facilities each month.

State funding represents only 13 percent of the athletics budget, with the rest coming from the mandatory athletics fee and rental revenue. However, the department is no longer so vulnerable to state budget reductions. It relies on rental income to offset expenses and pay salaries. At present, rental income more than

PURCHASE PANTHERS TO KNOW Meet Mathew Plen: He’s a junior, majoring in history, who is expected to graduate early next winter. Plen is one of Purchase’s star tennis players, a two-time All-Skyline selection, and this year’s recipient of the Chancellor’s ScholarAthlete Award. This award is selected on a competitive basis by a SUNY-wide committee that considers nominations made by the college. Individuals who receive this award have achieved distinction in their sport through team, conference, or postseason recognition while demonstrating extraordinary academic achievement. Plen is also set to receive 2009–10 Purchase College Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors, having maintained the highest GPA for an athlete who is an upperclassman. This history major quotes Henry Ford in his reflections on Purchase athletics: “’Genius is seldom recognized for what it is: a great capacity for hard work.’ I believe that this quote is quintessential of any college student, whether he or she chooses to participate in athletics or not.

Since I started playing tennis, every coach I have ever trained under has told me ‘practice makes perfect.’ For the past three years of my life, I have been practicing both on the court and off the court. Whether I am working on my movement (which is the worst part of my game, I might add) or on my character, I am always practicing to improve.”

PHOTO BY OREN VOURMAN

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meets the athletics budget. Because of the large and growing demand for indoor and outdoor field space in Westchester, Purchase could even consider expanding its current facilities.

This expansion, in turn, would allow the athletics department to increase its offerings to the student body.

Purchase may offer a unique education that blends the arts with the liberal arts, but if you ask a Panther, Purchase is indeed the home of scholar-athletes. What began as an athletics program in response to student demand for recreation now has become an active and vital element of the Purchase College experience. In the words of Matthew Plen, this year’s winner of the Chancellor’s Scholar-Athlete Award, “Purchase College athletics offer [an] excellent program for athletes in all sports, but they also offer excellent skills that can be taken and applied to all situations in life.

That is how I would describe my experience as a Purchase College athlete.”

PURCHASE PANTHERS TO KNOW

The Bucket List

PURCHASE PANTHERS TO KNOW

Despite the state budget crisis, the athletics department continues to look ahead and plan for growth. Current proposals emphasize

Meet Marvin Billups: This junior forward led Purchase’s men’s basketball team to the 2009–10 Skyline Conference Tournament Championship this season and helped Purchase secure a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

He was named tournament MVP and later received Skyline Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year honors, along with Division III All-Atlantic Region First Team, AllMetropolitan First Team, and All-Skyline First Team honors. In two seasons, the 1,000-point scorer is the most decorated athlete in Purchase history. Billups is a math/computer science major.

He assesses his time at Purchase thus: “My drive and love for the game of basketball have led me from the bench as a freshman to a USA Division III all-star as a junior. I’m not done progressing, and with my family behind me, I have no ceilings. Anything is possible.”

PHOTO BY OREN VOURMAN

Meet Jessie Domes: Domes, a sociology major, is pictured at the freethrow line, which is appropriate given that she was named the NCAA Statistical Champion for free-throw percentage.

She is the best Division III player in the nation from the “charity stripe.”

Domes is also one of the most decorated athletes in Purchase history—and one of the finest female athletes the college has ever seen. She is a fourtime All-Conference selection and a 1,000-point scorer, and she led the Panthers to three postseason tournaments in four years, including two Skyline Conference semifinals. In addition to excelling in basketball, the graduating senior is a letter winner in softball. Domes, who currently works in marketing/sales at Steiner Sports, reflects, “My experience at Purchase has undoubtedly been unforgettable. I feel that I have grown so much as a person throughout my four years here. With support of the faculty, coaches, and most importantly, my family, I was given great opportunities to grow as a student-athlete.

PHOTO BY MEGHAN L ALONDE

Purchase College Athletics Director Ernie Palmieri

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expansion, but also reveal opportunities to provide support for the college through this expansion.

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wo projects are on the athletics department’s wish list: A new field house/event center and a turf baseball field with lights. The athletic facility/event center would be a multipurpose building which would include an indoor 200 meter track, four tennis and four basketball courts, volleyball courts and areas for classes and intramurals. Its arena would offer permanent seating for 2000 that could be expanded to seat 5,000, which would allow Purchase to host major events ranging from its own Culture Shock to major concerts and shows.

“The building also would include offices, meeting rooms, a snack bar, and 15 smart classrooms,” adds Athletics Director Ernie Palmieri, “and the beauty of it is that after it pays for itself through rentals, the rental income would be available for both athletic programs and the College.” The new facility would be attached to the north side of the current athletics facility, in the space currently used for parking. The classrooms would be located in front of the current entrance to the building, facing the rest of the campus.

The turf baseball field would be a welcome addition to Purchase’s teams and others who currently are faced with the problem of fitting their games in to the spring schedule. Early spring rains sideline natural grass fields­— games are postponed which creates havoc with the end of season schedules. The new field will be lit and will include a lacrosse field and soccer field in the outfield to ensure continuous all season use. Again, given the demand for playing fields in Westchester, the field will be a boon for Panthers, local players, and the college’s bottom line.

The feasibility study has been completed, the preliminary plans have been drafted…now the question is whether such wishes can be granted, given the current economic environment.

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Purchase Goes Global with Instructional Technology Technology in the classroom used to mean an overhead projector and the occasional TV set. That was then. Today, instructional technology is a whole new world.

By Bruce Tallerman

It’s a world where the definition of “classroom” is fluid, where learning is mobile, wired, and collaborative, and where you can study abroad without having to go abroad. That world has come to Purchase, as members of the humanities faculty made dramatically clear at a recent faculty colloquium on campus, “Humanities Goes Digital.”

“One of our goals at Purchase is information literacy, which combines education and technology,” says Damian Fernandez, provost and moderator of the colloquium. One year ago, Fernandez set up an instructional technology advisory committee with the goal of enhancing the Purchase learning experience by “more effectively engaging students in a computer-connected world.” At the same time, he is careful to note that technology is not an end in itself, but “just another instrument for transformative learning.”

Professor Jon Rubin

If there is evidence that the learning experience has, in fact, undergone a radical transformation in recent years, it can be found at the college’s library, home to the Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center (TLTC). The center’s mission, according to Keith Landa, director of instructional technology, is to “partner with faculty to enhance learning through the use of innovative and applicable pedagogies and technologies.” Among other services, the TLTC offers faculty workshops on such programs as Moodle and Blackboard, which are used for creating and managing online courses.

Online Courses Cross Borders Other forms of technology are turning the traditional lecture from a one-way, passive transmission of content into an interactive exchange. One example is the real-time audience response system. With individual hand-held “clickers,” students punch in their answers to questions posed by the instructor, giving the instructor instant feedback on how they are processing the material.

Professor Wayne te Brake

If the TLTC is where education meets technology at Purchase, the SUNY Center for Collaborative Online International Learning— COIL—is the portal to the outside world.

COIL, a joint venture of SUNY and Purchase College, seeks to add an international dimension to courses across SUNY’s statewide campuses. Through the Internet and computer applications, these courses are collaboratively taught with peers in other countries.

COIL is largely the inspiration of Jon Rubin, associate professor of film at Purchase and a leading specialist in international online learning. In 2006, Rubin formed COIL with the support of SUNY’s Office of International Programs and the college’s administration.

“COIL is a central piece of Purchase’s internationalization program,” says Rubin, “though it’s still a concept.” Last February, the COIL program was honored with an American Council on Education Award as a pioneer in cross-cultural online learning.

A grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities allowed Rubin and three Purchase professors to develop online courses that crossed borders—into Ireland, Turkey, and Canada.

Information technology: A normal part of college life.

Cultural Diversity Stimulates Open Thinking One of those courses, “The Psychology of Terrorism,” was taught

by Anthony Lemieux, assistant professor of psychology, in collaboration with a colleague at Dublin City University, James Fitzgerald.

Blending students from Purchase and Dublin (about 20 students in each location), the hybrid course involved both in-class discussions and online interaction between the two classrooms.

“The main goal was to get students talking about terrorism from their different cultural perspectives,” says Lemieux. The subject proved especially appropriate for an online international course because, as Lemieux points out, the very definition of “terrorism” remains elusive and subjective across cultural boundaries. “We wanted to facilitate dialogue on a sensitive issue,” he says.

That dialogue took the form of online discussions that were grounded in shared core readings. The readings provided a common foundation for analysis for both sets of students, Lemieux explains. “Maintaining a careful balance between open, critical thinking and adequate academic standards formed a persistent pedagogical theme throughout the course. The discussion forums helped with this.”

Students were also assigned to collaborate on group projects. Each group was required to create a wiki page on a terrorist group. (A “wiki” is an easily accessible and editable website.) According to Lemieux, “The focus [of the course] was on encouraging diversity by exposing students to differing views on terrorism while engaging them in cross-cultural interaction toward a shared goal.”

One of his students, Lindsey Baker-Tornoe, spoke to the success of that goal: “All of my classmates, whether they were from Purchase or Dublin, had very different views on the subject [of terrorism] and I definitely opened up my own views to understand why they thought what they did.”

Wayne te Brake, professor of history, used Skype, a real-time video simulcast utility, to join his classroom with another classroom 5,000 miles away at Koç University in Istanbul. The course was

“Religion and Politics in Europe.” Te Brake’s long-distance collaborator was Yonça Koksal, a history professor.

“It was incredibly motivating for my students to see the people they would be studying with,” says te Brake, calling the course “one of the most exciting teaching experiences I’ve had.”

Students at both schools were assigned to read Terror in the Mind of God by Mark Juergensmeyer. “It’s very important not to have the notion of terror linked only to Islam,” te Brake notes, adding that the Purchase and Istanbul classes had different interpretations of the book. But when students on both sides alighted on common meanings, “it was an electric moment.”

The students also read newspaper articles about religious conflicts, which, te Brake says, led to “powerful discussions.” And they worked together to create wiki pages and communicate with each other using Moodle. Jonathan Jaffe, a student in the class, says that Moodle made it possible for him to foster a dialogue with one of the Turkish students about the course content. “It allowed a flow of information between us.” Jaffe admits that there were a few technical snafus with the software at first. He also questions the value of Skype, saying that it allows only a few students to speak and be seen.

Hybrid Courses Enrich Students' Experiences For te Brake, who describes himself as “old school,” using the Internet for instructional purposes was a challenge at first. He now attests that a hybrid course—one that combines online learning with traditional face-to-face class time—measurably enriches the student experience. He points to one student who was shy in class but became dynamically engaged online. Or, as Baker-Tornoe puts it, “I feel as though the Internet lets people say things they wouldn’t necessarily say in the classroom.”

Te Brake’s sense of excitement was shared by Robert Stein, professor of literature and one of the three faculty members who taught

Professor Anthony Lemieux

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Dear Alumni and Friends:

a COIL-supported course.

Stein’s “Medieval Culture and Society” integrated his Purchase class with a history class at McGill University in Montreal. It was a true hybrid—not only technologically but in subject matter as well, because it combined the disciplines of literature and history.

“The learning curve for my literature students was huge,” Stein says. “They mastered a subject matter they had to learn from the ground up.”

“Medieval Culture and Society” dealt with three pieces of writing: a memoir by the twelfth-century French monk and philosopher Peter Abelard; correspondence between Abelard and his lover, Heloise; and The Life of [Saint] Christina of Markyate. Stein and the Canadian instructor, Nancy Partner, used Moodle to post weekly assignments. Students shared their analyses of the material in an online forum. “The students at Purchase were very engaged with what the Canadian class had done,” Stein explains. “They would comment on the McGill students’ work, which would spark further discussion and shape the agenda for the next meeting.”

He adds that the course was enhanced by the cross-discipline collaboration with Partner. “Neither of us would have, on our own, been able to design a course that worked as well as this one did.”

A Balancing Act At the same time, Stein admits that facilitating a hybrid course between two countries had its challenges, such as schedule conflicts between the schools, technical issues, and getting the students comfortable with using Moodle. But overall, he calls the project a “tremendous learning experience.”

Purchase College Alumni play a very important role in the future of Purchase College. The Alumni Association is working hard to keep you and all our constituents engaged and energized, as the college continues to strive for excellence in both the traditional liberal arts and sciences programs and conservatory-based arts programs.

Membership in the Alumni Association is automatic (and more importantly, it’s free). Attend Purchase-sponsored events both in Purchase and New York City, as well as in other locations, and get reconnected. If you are so inclined, please consider making a philanthropic gift to the Purchase College Annual Fund to support scholarships for students at Purchase now.

The college recently held a number of events for alumni from the 1980s entitled “Purchase Plus 20." with the college’s Alumni Office. We also have the “GOLD” (Graduates of the Last Decade) group, with the goal of holding events focused on alumni from the last decade and the “Purchase Plus 30” group, for alumni from the 1970s. All of these groups have done work to raise funds that will provide direct support to students in need who are attending the College.

We are also excited to announce that we have been working collaboratively with the Office of Career Development. We have held alumni networking receptions to help connect alumni who might be out of work or looking to advance their career to Career Development and to employers, and the Office of Career Development has hired a staff member specifically to work with alumni.

In addition, a reunion of alumni from the 1990s is also in the works and we urge you to stay in touch with the college and your fellow alumni.

One of our top priorities as an association is to keep connected with our fellow alumni. Join us on Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=6077034818 ), MySpace ( http:// www.myspace.com/purchasealumni ), LinkedIn ( http://www. linkedin.com/e/gis/132024 ), or Twitter ( http://twitter.com/ purchasealumni/ ). Visit our web site at http://www.purchase. edu/alumni.

Of course, you can always call the alumni office at (914) 2516054 or even snail-mail us (Purchase College Alumni Association, c/o Purchase College, SUNY, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY 10577-1400).

No one doubts that information technology has become a normal part of college life in the form of online course content, podcast lectures, email, and the kind of cross-cultural learning that COIL is modeling. In addition, numerous colleges and universities are attracting more students by offering “distance learning”—entire programs and degrees over the Web. But is instructional technology always a good thing?

As alumni and friends of Purchase, we are excited to join with the administration, faculty, staff, and current students of Purchase to continue the efforts to build a better college. Help lead the charge as a donor, or become a part of our team through scholarship support, volunteerism, and active participation in campus and alumni life. Please stay in touch by sending professional and personal news for Class Notes, as well as updated addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, to alumni@purchase.edu.

Jaffe, who took both te Brake’s and Stein’s classes, admits that he was apprehensive at first about joining a class that involved “so much technology.

Do you have any suggestions for how we can better connect with your fellow alumni? Let us know. I look forward to hearing from you and am honored to serve as your president.

“The amazing thing about Purchase has always been the intimacy between student and teacher. I really like being in a classroom, talking face to face. Technology is beneficial, but I don’t think it should be extended to every classroom.”

Fernandez, who envisions a “Greater Purchase”—a campus that is globally networked with other campuses through the World Wide Web—adds a similar caveat: “Instructional technology is not an end in itself. We want to make sure that we’re using it not because it’s current, but because it’s meaningful.”

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1976 Ira Lipson (literature) is the director of institutional advancement at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. He lives in West Nyack, NY, and has been married to Jill for 26 years. They have three children.

Robin (Kaplan) Messer (visual arts) is vice president at CRM Associates Ltd, a creative, graphic design, marketing, and print services firm. www.crmassocltd.com Gorman John Ruggiero is working on a master’s of science in psychology, and developing a professional acting company in upstate New York at his Actors' Retreat at Painted Pony Ranch. He is also developing communication skills programs for Asperger children and other children on the autistic spectrum.

Jay O. Sanders (theatre) recently opened in Edge of Darkness opposite Mel Gibson, and is presently in New Orleans filming Green Lantern, scheduled for a summer 2011 release. He has been performing around the country with a project called “Theater of War,” which brings selections from ancient Greek drama relating to post-traumatic stress to various military communities. He and his wife, actress Maryann Plunkett, have a son, James, who is a sophomore acting student at LaGuardia High School in NYC. Jay continues his annual return to Purchase to speak to the drama students.

Yoli (acting) The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently published an article on her latest play, The Dark Side of Zylo’s Moon. The play is a science fiction adventure for children and opened at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in Oakland on May 7. She resides in Penn Hills, PA, with Earl Hughes, her husband of 30 years, and their dog Gobo. www.yoliworld.net

1977 Jan Leder (urban studies) received a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1986, and practices in the field of municipal law, having become a principal with the firm of Kopelman and Paige, P.C., in Boston. Her thirteenth grandchild is due to be born this summer. www.janleder.info Jeffrey Nesich (political science) is the deputy commissioner/chief financial officer for the New York State Division of Parole. He has

Jeffrey S. Putman, '96 was elected president of the Purchase College Alumni Association in December 2007. He is currently assistant dean for student affairs at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY.

national tour of Billy Elliot. www.myspace.com/ Jonbergerdrums

Susan Rollins (social sciences) teaches dance with Dancing Classrooms and the “Mad, Hot Ballroom” organization in New York City. She also runs a bed-and-breakfast on the upper west side, and offers a 5% discount to Purchase friends and families. Visit yourinnonthearts@ yahoo.com

Erminio Marrese (visual arts) owns Woodworking by Erminio, Inc. , specializing in fine custom-designed residential and commercial cabinetry. WoodworkingByErminio.com

Wyatt Townley (dance) has published four books, two of poetry; most recently, The Breathing Field (Little, Brown). Her nonfiction books include Kansas City Ballet: The First Fifty Years (Kansas City Star) and Yoganetics (HarperCollins), deemed an “Editor’s Choice”

by Yoga Journal www.yoganetics.com

1978 Geoff Loftus (humanities) published a book, Lead Like Ike: Ten Business Strategies from the CEO of D-Day. www.geoffloftus.com

1979 Carolyn Bischoff (culture and society) is an advancement associate with the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake, NY. She will be singing at the Antiques Preview on Saturday, August 14. Join Adirondack Museum Facebook group.

Kat Callo (political science) heads up a nonprofit in New York that promotes interfaith and intercultural tolerance. It was established in memory of her cousin, Dave Fontana, a firefighter who died on 9/11, while helping with the World Trade Center rescue. kat.callo@projectmosaic.net Robert McWilliams (dance) has toured with Murray Louis Dance Company. He received an M.F.A. degree from New York University. He now lives in Colorado where he performs, teaches, and is a Rolfer.

1981 Pedro de Alcantara (music) published Integrated Practice: Coordination, Rhythem & Practice (Oxford University Press), to be released in winter 2010–11. This will be the cornerstone of a new book series titled The Integrated Musician. His third novel, The Divine Computer (Random House), will be published in 2011.

1982 Send your news, updates, and photos to:

Jeffrey S. Putman, '96 President, Purchase College Alumni Association, Inc. jeffrey.putman@purchase.edu

received the Frank C. Moore Award for outstanding individual service.

purchase.edu/alumni Remember to include your class year.

Sheryl Pollard-Thomas (dance) is cochair of dance and a dance teacher at the Boston Arts Academy.

Katie Bull Potter (acting) is a professional vocal coach for stage, film, and TV. She founded Whole Body Voice, and is head of vocal production at Atlantic Theater Company Studio NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She is also a jazz singer and composer. Her new album to be released on Corn Hill Indie in winter 2010: Greetings Earthlings. www.katiebull.com

1984 Jeff Gardner (acting) appeared in numerous Broadway shows, including: The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Wild Party (as a standby for Mandy Patinkin), Cyrano the Musical, Jerome Robbins' Broadway, Les Miserables (tour), and Queen and the Rebels with Purchase alum Stanley Tucci. He is now focused on producing a project, Grumpy Old Men: The Musical. www. grumpyoldmenthemusical.com Adam Licht (visual arts) is director of product management at Pro Bono Net. He earned his M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, and an M.F.A. in Photography from the University of Arizona.

Kirk Olsen (environmental science) celebrated 25 years working at Northrop Grumman in El Segundo, CA, where he leads the implementation of a global trade management solution.He resides in Long Beach and Palm Springs, CA, and is married to Barry Klein.

LisaBeth Weber (visual arts) is well known for her popular handmade CAUSE PINS, worn on the lapels of Hillary Clinton, Gloria Steinem, Madeleine Albright, Rosalynn Carter, and Mia Farrow. She is theater manager for the Sundance Film Festival. Her latest CD, The Fire Tower Sessions, was produced and engineered

by Grammy maker, Bil Vorndick. www.lisabethweber.com / www.freelancepicnic.com

1985

Adrian Martin (visual arts) freelances as a producer, production manager, and second assistant director in the film industry.

Michael A. Rinella (political science) recently published Pharmakon: Plato, Drug Culture, and Identity in Ancient Athens with Lexington Books. www.lexingtonbooks.com

1983

1987

Jon Berger (music) subs on drums and percussion on Broadway’s Addams Family, Jersey Boys, In the Heights and Next to Normal. He also works with a comedy country act, Travis Whitelaw, and volunteers with youth outreach programs.

His 10-year-old daughter was cast in the first

Robin Ruzan (psychology) is a writer, performer, and producer, and is part of the creative and production team behind the Austin Powers and Wayne’s World mega-franchises. She was a contributing writer to Saturday Night Live, and has appeared as an actor on Curb Your Enthusiasm P U R C H A S E | 19

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and Sex in the City. She is the founder of TheRoomLive.com—an online streaming studio in Hollywood. www.theroomlive.com

1989 Ron Egatz (literature/visual arts) published his first book of poems, available on Amazon.com and from Red Hen Press (www.redhen.org). He has lectured at Purchase, and lives in Peekskill, NY. www.egatz.com Sylvia Federico (literature) is associate professor of English at Bates College. She is the author of New Troy: Fantasies of Empire in the Late Middle Ages (Univ. of Minnesota Press, 2003) and coeditor of The Post-Historical Middle Ages (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009).

1990 Matthew Maley (visual arts) owns Visualstuff Studios in New Paltz, NY, teaching the finer points of comic art, illustration, and sculpture.

He lives in New Paltz with his wife, Adrienne, and their 8- year-old daughter, Lianna. www. mattmaley.com

1991 Stephen Burt (visual arts) has exhibited this year at national venues, such as International Print Center, First Street Gallery, and Cambridge Art Association. www.stephentburt.com Michael Davidson (art history) is a social worker and a practitioner of Chinese medicine living in Taipei. Taiwan.

1992 Aaron Conte (acting) recently finished a new play in workshop with Tim Robbins at the Actors Gang Theater in Los Angeles.

1993 Luke Brussel (visual arts) provides counsel for a Stanford-based publishing house, Cengage Learning/The Gale Group. He lives in Westchester with his wife Gail and their two children. He also plays electric guitar and is in need of a drummer—Purchase grads favored.

1994 Thea Lanzisero (visual arts) received a NYSCA grant for a community interactive art project and also a Town of Huntington Public Art initiative funding for a temporary sculpture at the Anne Frank Memorial Arboretum, Melville NY. www.thealanzisero.com

1997 Josh Frank (film) published two biographies with St. Martin’s Press and Simon and Schuster. The Pixies: Fool the World and In Heaven Everything Is Fine—www.peterivers. com. He is in a development deal with the producers of ELF for a screenplay he wrote, titled Flup. He lives in Austin, TX ,and owns an indoor PURCHASE | 20

market shop called Starving Art. www.austinstarvingart.com

1998 Seth Hebert-Faergolzia (studio comp) has been touring Europe for the past five years with his band, Dufus. His band recently released In Monstrous Attitude (ROIR label). He has a 3-year- old daughter, Anouk. www.dufus.tv.

Mamta Modhwadia MD (biology) graduated from medical school and psychiatric residency at the Harvard Southshore Psychiatry Residency Training Program. He is a psychiatrist at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

1999 Jennifer A. Erland (liberal arts) was selected as a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee 2010 campaign fellow. She is also a Women’s Campaign Forum “She Should Run” nominee, and a Next Generation participant.

Dr. Joe Ferry (music) is faculty presiding officer at Purchase and chair the Studio Production Program. He recently produced record projects: The Crux & The Bluestocking, by Emily Hope Price, and his own CD, Big Up. He is now producing and playing bass on the new album

by The Dons (reggae), and is gearing up for a tour with the group this summer/fall 2010.

2000 Nathaniel McClure (economics) opened his second video game development studio, Scientifically Proven Entertainment. He is developing Man vs Wild, based on the hit Discovery Channel series. His first studio, Epicenter Studios, is getting ready to ship the highly anticipated Rock of the Dead for 360, PS3, and Wii this summer. www.epicenterstudios.com / www.scientificallyproven.com

2001 Tonia L. Selmeski (environmental science) earned her master of arts in marine policy at the University of Rhode Island. She now works as a coastal permitting & enforcement analyst for the DEP Connecticut office for Long Island Sound Programs.

Cat Stevans (design tech) is an event coordinator at the SF LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Center in San Francisco, and trains police cadets in Northern California of LGBT sensitivity.

Cheryl Walpole (visual arts) received her Masters in Creative Arts Therapy from Pratt University. She is an art therapist at Bellevue Hospital, working with adults in patient psychiatry. She recently traveled to Namibia, Africa where she volunteered at an environmental educational camp in the Namib dessert, called NaDEET, where she created an art therapy program. http://arttherapynewyorktonamibia.com

Alumni, Parents, and Friends: 2002 Kevin Doyle (drama studies) is the artistic director of the Brooklyn-based theatre company, Sponsored By Nobody. http://sponsoredbynobody.com In 2010, he received residencies for his work as a playwright and director: Artist-in-Residence, the Watermill Center, NY (www.watermillcenter.org); Residency in Performance & Media, the Corporation of Yaddo, NY (www.yaddo.org); and Artist-inResidence, the University Settlement, NYC (www.universitysettlement.org).

2003 Marla Feldbau (visual arts) has been appointed Co-Chair of the Youth & Student Art Exhibit at the Marblehead Festival of Arts which takes place on July 4th weekend. Marla has come full circle; in the beginning of her career she had exhibited many of her own art work at this same event.

Alumni Association Benefits Purchase alumni are among the College’s greatest assets. The college gains strength from your active involvement. Your Purchase College Alumni Association Membership Card provides the following benefits and services.

Our students rely on alumni, parents, and friends to provide critically important funds to assist them in pursing their individual dreams.

Education is a sound investment. The annual fund at Purchase College provides scholarships, funding for student service learning trips to high-need communities, grants to faculty who include students in their research projects, and joint student and alumni events.

Use the card as identification for: » A 20% discount on current membership fees for use of the pool and

Did you know that alumni giving is a factor considered in U.S. News & World Report college rankings? College rankings are important to prospective students and their families and help the college secure funding from nonalumni and faculty and staff donors, as well as foundations. Your gift demonstrates that you value your Purchase education and you believe in our mission. No matter what size, your gift has a significant impact. I urge you to consider making a gift now.

fitness facilities at the gymnasium; use of facilities is $10 per day

» A 15% discount on all professional programs at The Performing Arts Center

» A 10% discount on membership to the Neuberger Museum of Art, a 10% discount at the Museum Shop, and 2-for-1 admission

» Full use of the library for the discounted fee of $75 per year

Do you have a special person whom you would like to honor? A $1,500 gift can provide a named scholarship in their honor or memory. Call for further details. We can also provide monthly or quarterly payment plans for to make it a little easier.

» Lifetime access to Career Services (914.251.6372) » A 25% discount on tuition to Long Island University’s Graduate Program

Alumni are also Eligible for:

» A 5–10% discount on auto and home insurance through

Carla Weiland-Zaleznak Associate Director of Annual Giving 914-251-6046 giving@purchase.edu

Liberty Mutual

» A free subscription to the alumni magazine » Opportunities to represent alumni on various campus committees and projects, to speak with students on campus, and to serve on the Alumni Association Board of Directors

2007 Matilda Bonsu (liberal studies) graduated from Long Island University Orangeburg campus with a graduate degree in Public Administration.

Lindsay Moro (liberal studies) is the head designer for Bridal Flowers Exclusive—www. bridalflowerdivas.com—an online wedding floral service. The company has been featured on Good Morning America, Fox news, the Knot, Wedding Bee, and received the 2010 Bride’s Choice Award from Wedding Wire.

2009 Tomomi Fujita (sociology) was awarded a $5,000 scholarship from the Japanese American Association, as one of only five graduate students to be selected in New York.

This summer she looks forward to working as a TA in Japanese lessons.

Jessica M. Mavaro (literature) is development associate for NARSAD, the Brain and Behavior Research Fund.

» Invitations to all alumni-sponsored activities

Purchase magazine. Send your e-mail address to:

» Access to an alumni directory to find lost friends and classmates

alumni@purchase.edu For other current alumni news, updates and events, visit:

For a free Alumni Association card please call, write, or email: alumni@purchase.edu

facebook.com/PurchaseAlumni

Sophia Soloway completed her first year as a journalism graduate student at New York University. http://sophiemae333.blogspot. com/2010/05/spring-trends-2010.html

Peter O’Brien (creative writing) directed and produced a feature length documentary, Riphouse 151: Could’ve Been’s & Wanna Be’s. A graduate of the Lilly Lieb Port Creative Writing Program, he is now working on his first novel. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1339160

to offer internships or jobs

consumption. Please subscribe to our new electronic version of

Joseph Stafura (Psychology) is entering a PhD program in Cognitive Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh to study language acquisition and comprehension.

2008

» The opportunity to become a Career Mentor to a student, and

Alumni, Friends & Parents: Remember to help reduce paper

twitter.com/PurchaseAlumni

T e a r o ff :

Your Support Makes a Difference Name

Because of your support, Purchase thrives.

Email

I wish to reinvest in Purchase. Here is my tax-deductible gift of

Address, if changed:

$

to the Purchase College Annual Fund:

Online giving at www.purchase.edu/giving Phone (home/cell/business) Please send me a free alumni card so I can take advantage of my alumni benefits.

By check to:

By credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or American Express) by calling (914) 251-6046

I am interested in working with the Alumni Association, with students, and/or on campus committees. Please call me.

I would like to be a voting member of the Alumni Association:

Please sign here: (There is no cost associated with this privilege.)

We welcome your news. If you wish your performances, exhibits, services, or businesses to be listed on the Purchase College website, please email alumni@purchase.edu or call (914) 251-6054.

PCF/Annual Fund, Purchase College 735 Anderson Hill Road Purchase, NY 10577-1400

Or listing your account # here:

Expiration date:

Signature: I have included Purchase in my will.

Please call me about estate planning.