For alumni and friends of Schenectady County Community College
fall 2015
a l u m NEWS
Inside this issue
3 Alumni Spotlight: Treating Those in Need 5 Faculty Awards
6 New Academic Deans 8 New Foundation Board Members
9 Food for Thought and All that Jazz Recap 10 Culinary Students Visit Italy 11 Alumni Spotlight: A Message of Conservation 11 New Problem Gambling Course Offering 12 Class Notes 15 Alumni Spotlight: Working in Tech Valley
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Welcome!
A Conversation with Dr. Steady Moono Dr. Steady Moono joined SCCC on July 1, 2015, as the College’s seventh President. He came to the United States from Zambia in southern Africa in 1981 to get an education, and education has become his life’s work. While attending Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Penn., he found two mentors who helped him feel at home. That experience helped shape his educational philosophies, as he would later found and oversee a nationally-recognized mentoring program for minority students during his nearly 10 years at Montgomery County Community College’s West Campus in Pottstown, Penn., where he most recently served as Vice President. Dr. Moono holds a doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from Immaculata University, an M.A. in English from Arcadia University, an M.A. in Counseling and Theology from the Biblical Theological Seminary and a B.A. in Education from Messiah College. He and his wife Kelly have a son, Micah, and a daughter, Naomi.
Q. What shaped you as a young man during your formative years in Zambia? I came here when I was 18. We grew up really poor, but one of the things our parents emphasized to all of us was a strong work ethic. “If you work hard you can achieve. This state you are in growing up, being a poor family, is not a permanent state.” My parents were not educated but they really emphasized the value of education. The third thing that still shapes me to this day is how to navigate life and that is to respect people at all stations of life, especially those who are the downtrodden.
Dr. Steady Moono, President, greets students on the first day of classes this semester. Left to right are: Samuel Trautwein, Business Administration major; Shantal Plass, Business Administration major; and Emily Gaige, part-time student.
Continued on page 4...
al umNEWS [ SCCC Board of Trustees ] Ann Fleming Brown, Chair Dr. William Levering, Vice Chair Renee Bradley, Secretary Dr. Alton Brisport Raymond R. Gillen Gary E. Hughes Michael W. Karl Tina Chericoni Versaci, Esq. William Patee, Student Trustee [ SCCC President ] Dr. Steady Moono [ SCCC Foundation Board of Directors ] Jeanne Maloy, Chair Richard Kotlow, Chair-Elect Dr. Steady Moono, Secretary Margaret de Koning, Treasurer Michael Wollman, Immediate Past Chair Susan Baker Valerie Bleser Ann Fleming Brown Vera Dordick Diane Smith Faubion Jamison R. Flora Michael Hoffman Dr. Margaret King Ceil Mack Lynn Manning, SPHR Victor L. Mazzotti, Esq. Angelicia Morris Terry Phillips Widjiono (Yono) Purnomo, CEC, CFBE Michael Tobin Tina Chericoni Versaci David Wallingford Barbara Bishop Ward Christian Wessell ’00 Robin Wiley
Dear Alumni and Friends, On July 1, 2015, I officially began working in my new role as President of SCCC and I am honored to be serving in this capacity. The College has ambitious and unique programs and has grown its offerings in response to the real world around us, and I am eager to continue building upon that success. Last year, Schenectady County Community College celebrated its 45t h anniversary. It seems fitting that in May, the SCCC Class of 2015 made history as the class with the highest number of graduates to date; 638 students earned their degrees and certificates. Among the graduates were some of the first to complete new programs in Casino and Gaming Management, the Liberal Arts: Honors concentration and Supply Chain Management. Now is a time for new beginnings. On the SCCC campus there is excitement and enthusiasm as we welcome incoming students who are beginning their education, or returning to continue on their chosen path. The community outside of the campus is also booming with opportunity for partnership and collaboration, and many of our students will be employed in their field locally before graduating. After working in higher education for more than two decades, I have met a lot of students – all of them with dreams and aspirations. I believe that by providing a solid educational foundation, and by fostering support from the College community at large, SCCC will continue to fulfill its responsibility to help our students realize their dreams. I am grateful to the faculty, staff and students at Schenectady County Community College for the warm welcome, and I want to let you know that you, too, are welcome here as part of the SCCC family. I look forward to meeting you soon. Dr. Steady Moono President
Meet Royal the Duck
[ SCCC Communications Staff ] Lynn Harkness Information Processing Specialist II Jessica McHugh-Green Graphic Designer II Heather Meaney Public Relations/Publications Specialist II [ SCCC Development Staff ] Sue Ferris Interim Executive Director of Development Stacy McIlduff Coordinator of Development Arlene Moran Executive Secretary I
alumNews is published by the SCCC Development Office. The Editor welcomes your comments. Please contact the Development Office at (518) 381-1324. Family: If this issue is addressed to your relative who no longer maintains an address at your home, please send a current address to the Schenectady County Community College Development Office, 78 Washington Avenue, Schenectady, N.Y. 12305, or call us at (518) 381-1324, thank you.
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SUNY asked Royal questions during an informal Q. and A. Read more at http:// blog.suny.edu/wp-content/mascotmadness2015/MM15-SchenectadyCCC.html Q. What do you do to get pumped before a game? A. I like to crank out some push-ups and then shake a tail feather! Q. What is your favorite snack? Royal with Hotel and Restaurant Management graduate Joanna DiSpirito and Air Traffic Control graduates Michael Nagle, Joseph Ferrante and Michael Bertolini.
Royal, SCCC’s new mascot, made guest appearances last semester during Honors Convocation and Commencement. This semester Royal will pump up the crowd during home basketball games at the YMCA in Schenectady. Luis Martinez, a Computer Information Systems major, came up with the idea for Royal to serve as the College’s first mascot and the SCCC Board of Trustees officially welcomed Royal to the SCCC community during their July 2014 meeting.
A. Anything that’s made by our College’s Culinary Arts program students to be served in the Casola Dining Room! Q. Who is your biggest SUNY rival? A. I can’t say I have an adversary. We SUNY mascots are birds of a feather, and we cheer on our teams together. Q. How do you stay in shape? A. I get up early and practice with our Women’s Crew Team out on the Mohawk River, right outside our campus.
Treating Those in Need Most people just want to be known.
In a statement both uncomplicated and profound, Ron Dayter shares one of the tenets of his work as a Registered Nurse in the Crisis Unit at the Capital District Psychiatric Center (CDPC) in Albany. “Mental illness affects everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status and the color of skin,” he said. “Patients are so much more than their diagnosis. These are very complicated, full-fledged citizens, but people tend to see a diagnosis and don’t look beyond to see the person who’s there.” When he reports for the evening shift (3-11:30 p.m.) at the CDPC, the only stand-alone, state-run psychiatric emergency unit, Ron ’10 takes a holistic approach to the patients he serves and first and foremost he listens to them. On any given evening, he typically sees 20 patients who arrive in his care either through local law enforcement, emergency rooms or self-referrals. From children to adults, every patient has a story and Ron has the dual responsibility of both assessing their needs (to either be stabilized or discharged after treatment) and obtaining a full medical history. “Most psych patients have more health issues related to the medications they’re on,” he explained. “Do they have diabetes or a seizure disorder? We have to be much more aware of that.” From there, he and his colleagues are the bridge between the patient and continuing care. He advocates on their behalf to area agencies to help them obtain the services they need, something he does with gratitude. “I have a keen sense of empathy and it’s a privilege to be able to give a voice to a
Kindl Building Update
population that doesn’t always have a voice for their care.” According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. — 43.7 million or 18.6 percent — experiences mental illness in a given year. NAMI also reports that approximately 1 in 5 youth aged 13–18 (21.4 percent) experiences a severe mental disorder at some point during their life. For children aged 8–15, the estimate is 13 percent. Ron sees those with mental illness as a population in serious need of resources that includes more medical professionals to assist with treatment. “This is an underserved population by the medical nursing community in need of advocates and good care,” he explained. “We need more psychiatric nurses to go into the field, absolutely.” For Ron, the road to becoming an R.N. was rooted in a life-changing eight months in 2008. After years spent traveling, living in New York City while studying to become an actor and working in restaurants, he returned home to Albany to be closer to his parents. It was during this time that his mother was diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer. She was admitted to Saratoga Hospital and Ron slept by her bedside at the hospital every night for the next eight months. “I worked during the day (at a restaurant), slept there at night, got up, went home, showered and changed and went back to work.” He talked to his mother’s nurses, watched them and a
revelation soon followed. “I watched the nurses and I said, ‘I think I’d like to be a nurse.’ My mother said, ‘I think you’d be good at it.’ The nurses inspired me to make a change,” he said. “I wanted to do something where I could be helpful.” After his mother passed away in 2009, Ron began the Health Studies certificate program at SCCC and then went on to the Belanger School of Nursing where he was president of his class. He graduated from there in 2012 and has been working in psychiatric nursing for the past three years. He intends to continue working with individuals with mental illness. Like any profession, nursing brings with it a set of daily challenges. It can be tough when children enter the unit. “Some of them come with a significant trauma history,” he said. “But in any way, shape or form you can alleviate that, it’s always a reward in and of itself.” Ron sees himself working in psychiatric care far into the future, having found his niche. “I love my job, so that helps.”
Staff from the Office of Workforce Development will soon move into their new home in the Kindl Building, located at 201 State St., a few blocks from the SCCC campus. The new building will house two classrooms which can be converted to computer labs using stored laptops for a variety of skills and technology-based programming. Crews began working on the building in February 2015. The building and renovations were the result of generous donations from the family of Fred and Catherine Kindl.
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A Conversation with Dr. Steady Moono Continued from cover
Q. How did you and your seven siblings develop that strong
work ethic? We had a schedule. We got up around 5 a.m. and had to tend to our little garden because we ate from that. We all had chores before school. We had to water the garden and someone had to harvest tomatoes, tend to the chickens and get eggs. Then we’d go to school. After school we had to come back to do a few hours of chores.
Also, we had kerosene lamps and we sat around the table and studied. I was always grateful to my parents that we did this. They would sit with us while we studied.
Q. What’s the best advice you have ever received? “Be a man of integrity. Guard your integrity very jealously.” This advice came from my father. My dad is probably the man I respect the most. As I get older, he always comes back to, “It’s not about education or your position in life. It’s about who you are as a man. If you lose that, it’s very difficult to get it back.” (Dr. Moono’s father is 82 and works on the family’s 500-acre commercial farm in Zambia, raising poultry and growing maize and citrus fruits. He is joined on the farm by Dr. Moono’s siblings Gladys, who helps manage the farm; O’Brien, CPA/farm manager; and Kingsley, who specializes in animal husbandry. The family sells 25 percent of what is raised on the farm and donates the rest to the poor. “We are so blessed and we need to help others. It goes back to what our parents taught us about respecting people, especially those at the lowest station in life.”)
Q. What is your general philosophy about higher education? It’s a great equalizer. We all have our American dream. I have yet to meet a person who does not have dreams and aspirations. I think community colleges really provide that pathway toward the American dream. Whether it’s on the credit or workforce (noncredit) side, you get there. I’m passionate about it. I believe in it and I’ve seen it work and the perfect example is me. But we have to continue to do a better job. I think there’s still a population in our community who feel that they don’t have access to education, so we have to work really hard to improve that. We’ve worked hard to make education financially and geographically accessible, but there is still an invisible fence around us. There’s still a population
of the community that doesn’t see us as a possibility. Some might be first-generation college students who don’t have someone who can talk to them about higher education. Simplifying our processes is critical.
Q. Describe the importance of mentoring. All of us have heard CEOs of Fortune 500 companies speak about the power of mentorship. At one point or another, they were mentored by someone. Mentoring is an old phenomenon from the Greeks. For us in the community college setting, when we mentor our students, they have an advocate – someone who is there for them. Life is going to happen. It’s important to have someone who is there to encourage you, to counsel you to navigate life, sometimes just a friend. Q. Describe a life experience that challenged you. When I came here to the states, I was lost. My parents didn’t go to college. They had only an elementary school education. When I came to the states, college was a big maze. I didn’t understand the language. If I didn’t have a mentor from day one – a professor of psychology – it would have been very hard. To this day I still call him if I need advice. Financially, I didn’t have the means. I had work study on campus. I would go to school, to work and then back to school like many of our students. I needed to learn financial literacy; it was critical just knowing how to manage the few dollars I had. Also, the pace of education was very different and challenging. Where we have a semester here, in Africa it’s a whole year. Q. What are your thoughts about SCCC and the future of the institution? Being part of a community college, and being part of the natural extension of caring and making sure folks have opportunities is so exciting. This is a very vibrant community college. There are a lot of good things that are happening here. I think for the future, the critical things are access, success and completion for our students. For us, as a community college, to think entrepreneurially is critical. To expand opportunities in workforce training is big, as this area will also transform our communities. I think the best days are yet to come.
A Chance to Say “Thank You” During Donor Recognition Lunch
More than 90 friends of the SCCC Foundation gathered at Mallozzi’s Ballroom in June 2015 for a special Donor Recognition Lunch. Speakers included Jeanne Maloy, Foundation Board Chair; Susan Ferris, Interim Executive Director for Development; and Dr. Steady Moono, President. The event also featured remarks by Abdul Rafiqi (pictured), Science major, who shared his story and explained how he measures success. He was the recipient of the 2015 RPI Award of Excellence and is attending RPI this fall.
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Commencement 2015 – Memories and Milestones It was a day of milestones at Proctors on May 21, 2015, not only for this year’s graduates, but also for SCCC as an institution. The Class of 2015, with approximately 638 graduates, was the largest group of graduates in SCCC history. This year’s Commencement, a turning point in the lives of this year’s graduates, was also the culmination of the College’s 45th anniversary year. Among those who graduated were the first groups of students to complete programs that began in Fall 2013: Casino and Gaming Management, Liberal Arts: Honors concentration and Supply Chain Management. The ceremony also featured students earning their bachelor’s degrees through SUNY Delhi’s program on the SCCC campus. Clockwise from top: One of the first graduates from the new Casino and Gaming Management program was Tracy DeAngelo. She custom-made chip earrings especially for the occasion. Alicia Richardson, Assistant Professor, Chair of the Academic Senate and Grand Marshal, leads the Academic Procession, carrying the College Mace. “Be entrepreneurial, don’t run from problems. Try and solve them. Be willing to jump in the deep end. It’s good to be in over your head at times. It’s where we grow the most.” – Antonio Civitella, Chairman and CEO of Transfinder, Keynote Speaker. Francisco Alecia’s family and Instructor Michael Stamets congratulate him after he earned his A.O.S. degree in Culinary Arts.
Faculty and Staff Earn SUNY Awards Congratulations to the following members of the College’s faculty and staff and a hearty “thank you” for sharing your talents with the College community.
SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching Anthony “Toby” Strianese, Professor, School of Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism
SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching Cliff Brucker, School of Music
SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Classified Service Ellyn Delos, Executive Secretary II, Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs
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New Deans for Two Academic Divisions Dr. Michael Roggow, who has assumed the role of Dean of the Division of Business, Criminal Justice and Law said he has felt “energized” since his arrival this summer. “I’m very impressed with the diversity of industry I see in the Capital Region,” Dr. Roggow said. “Schenectady is a vibrant place, and I look forward to bringing faculty and students together with area businesses and community leaders.” Originally from Corning, N.Y., Dr. Roggow joined SCCC after nearly 20 years of building academic programs at the City University of New York. He took a few moments while settling in at the College to discuss the benefits of experiential learning. “An internship is a great way for students to get a better understanding of the professional environment, but it also promotes civic engagement,” he said. “A trained, educated workforce supports future economic growth, which keeps communities like Schenectady County on the vanguard of development.” Formerly the Director of the Criminal Justice Program at CUNY’s Bronx Community College (BCC), Dr. Roggow co-authored a $3.7 million U.S. Department of Education grant designed to retain first-year students and strengthen student graduation and transfer rates. He also served as director of Coordinated Undergraduate Education at CUNY’s Queensborough Community College, where he led a range of first-year, General Educationbased initiatives, including learning communities, Writing Across the Curriculum, Summer Bridge and honors programs. Dr. Roggow taught psychology at BCC and research methodology at New York University. He has been published in and been guest editor of the Community College Journal of Research and Practice, and New Directions for Community Colleges. He has also written for Inside Higher Ed. A strong proponent of experiential education, study abroad, and international faculty exchange programs, Dr. Roggow served on the board of the American Association of Community College’s Council for the Study of Community Colleges, where he advanced research about international education and infusing international perspectives in community college curricula. He has also published articles on the vocational education movement in China. He holds M.A. and Ed.D. degrees in Higher Education Administration from New York University, a B.A. in Psychology from Ohio State University, and an A.S. in Business Administration from Corning Community College.
Dr. Moira Maguire joined the College as Dean of the Division of Liberal Arts in August 2015. Originally from Boston, she spent 12 years at the University of Arkansas Little Rock where she served as department chair and faculty senator and led advising and assessment efforts across the university. She spent six years in Ireland at National University of Ireland Maynooth as a tutor, lecturer, and research consultant. Dr. Maguire is impressed with the student-centered atmosphere at SCCC and is looking forward to working with faculty and staff to ensure that SCCC helps students meet all of their educational and career aspirations. Dr. Maguire’s research focuses on state provision for poor, neglected, and abused children in Ireland from the 1920s to the 1960s. Her book, Precarious Childhood in Post-independence Ireland, was published by Manchester University Press in 2010 and her research also has appeared in Journal of Social History, Feminist Studies, and New Hibernia Review. For 10 years she served as a consultant on a major research project that examined the industrial school system in 20th century Ireland. In recent years the involvement of female and male religious orders in the running of institutions catering for unmarried mothers and poor, abused, and neglected children has been the subject of intense media scrutiny and public discussion, as well as litigation on behalf of former residents. Her work resulted in a series of reports and written testimony to the Ryan (formerly Laffoy) Commission, the tribunal established by the Irish government to investigate the abuse and neglect of children in state care. This research is cited extensively throughout the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, published by the Irish government in May 2009. In late 2012, Dr. Maguire consulted with Senator Martin McAleese (husband of former Irish president Mary McAleese), who chaired the Irish government’s inter-governmental committee established to investigate the role of the Irish state in sending women to and maintaining them in magdalen asylums. And most recently she consulted with the BBC on a documentary, that aired in Ireland and the UK in September 2014, on Ireland’s overseas adoption trade. Dr. Maguire is impressed with the strong liberal arts programs available at SCCC. “Liberal arts really are the foundation of a solid educational experience,” she said. “Not only do the liberal arts introduce students to great works of art, literature, and history, but they also help students to think more deeply and critically about the world around them, and about why different peoples and societies across time and place think, act, and believe as they do.” Dr. Maguire holds a Ph.D. in History from American University, an M.A. in History from Northeastern University, and a B.A. in Political Science/History from The George Washington University.
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Students and Donors Meet During Honors Convocation 2015 (l. to r.) Dr. Martha Asselin, Acting President; Jeanne Maloy, Foundation Board Chair; Shane Batcher, Computer Science major and scholarship recipient; Karen Johnson, Schenectady County Legislator and SCCC donor; and Ann Fleming Brown, Chair of the College’s Board of Trustees.
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ach year the Honors Convocation ceremony celebrates student accomplishments and gives scholarship donors a chance to see the impact their support has on our students. At this year’s Honors Convocation on May 21, 2015, the SCCC Foundation was pleased to award more than $100,000 in scholarships to 75 students. The Foundation’s Scholarship Program paves the way for future SCCC alumni by providing a financial springboard for qualifying students in a variety of different programs. You, too, can start a scholarship fund as part of your SCCC legacy; please contact the Development Office at (518) 381-1324 for more information.
“Being granted the Broughton Fellowship for Excellence is truly a game-changer for me. I am allowed relief of many financial stressors and will be able to focus freely on my education. I will one day support a student similarly and until then pledge to pay it forward.” Martina O’Leary, Chemical Dependency Counseling major
Jazz Combo Impresses Central Park Crowd The award-winning SCCC Jazz Combo wowed an audience of more than 1,000 music lovers over the summer during the Music Haven Concert Series in Schenectady’s Central Park. The combo featured Joshua Nelson, alto saxophone; Connor Dunn, tenor saxophone; Ben Martin, drums; Nick Kozak, bass; and Matt Griffin, guitar. Playing a repertoire that included works by Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie, these fine musicians entertained the crowd on a hot August night on a bill that also included The Joey Alexander Trio. Connor Dunn described the experience this way, “Initially my feeling about the size of the crowd was pretty overwhelming, but after realizing the preparation we’d put in prior to the performance I knew the size and energy of the crowd would only feed into the momentum of each tune.” This fall, Connor is studying for his bachelor’s degree in Music Education at the College of Saint Rose. Last semester, the group, directed by Brian Patneaude, Adjunct Faculty Member in the School of Music, earned the prestigious Community College Outstanding
Performance Jazz Combo Award by DOWNBEAT magazine, the leading jazz music publication for generations of musicians and
organic values, but I never thought we’d be recognized nationally. It was great to share the achievement with not only great musicians but a great group of friends.”
fans. “I’ve been a subscriber since I was a teenager and the magazine has been an invaluable tool for me, both as a musician and educator,” Patneaude said. “To be recognized in any capacity was quite an honor.” Dunn agreed, saying, “I knew the sound we produced had some exciting,
You can catch performances by the SCCC Jazz Combo throughout the year. There are fresh faces in the group this year, with drummer Ben Martin the only returning musician, as the others graduated in May 2015.
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New Foundation Board Members
The SCCC Foundation extends a warm welcome and appreciation to new members of the SCCC Foundation Board of Directors, appointed for a first three-year term. Michael Hoffman A native of the Capital Region, Mike serves as the President of Turf Hotels, a company that owns and manages several hotels and restaurants in the Capital Region. Throughout his career, Mike has been involved in several local charities through service on their fund-raising committees and boards.
Angelicia Morris Angelicia serves as the Executive Director of the Schenectady County Human Rights Commission. She is an active community volunteer and has co-chaired an advisory board for the College. Also returning to the Board of Directors are Ceil Mack, Michael Tobin and Barbara Bishop Ward. Reappointments to the Board include Valerie Bleser, Evan Euripidou and Terry Phillips.
Capital Region Wind Ensemble “Songs of Defiance” Sunday, November 15, 2015
3:00 p.m., Carl B. Taylor Auditorium The Capital Region Wind Ensemble presents a concert of works celebrating our nation’s fight for independence. Works include selections from The Poor Soldier Suite, by CRWE conductor, Brett L. Wery and the iconic masterwork, New England Triptych by William Schuman. Tickets are $8 for adults; $6 for non SCCC students, and SCCC Students are free with ID.
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Save the Date!
Foundation Board Remembers Lois Smith-Law
Lois G. Smith-Law, a past Chair and longtime member of the SCCC Foundation, passed away on April 2, 2015. A great passion for Lois was service to others and she demonstrated this through the many roles she played in supporting a wide variety of Capital Region institutions. A mentor to many, Lois is fondly remembered for encouraging others to reach their full potential in their professional and civic lives. Lois was a graduate of Shaker High School, Albany Business College, and Empire State College. She served as Director of Operations (SPHR) for Deily & Glastetter, LLP and she previously worked for Manpower, Metroplex, Community Hospice, and TAG.
Lois was the past chair of the Schenectady Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Schenectady Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and the SCCC Foundation Board. She was a founding member of the Tech Valley Chamber Coalition and past vice chair of the United Way of Schenectady. Lois was an active member of the Town of Halfmoon Planning Board. She was the beloved wife of Christopher R. Law and is survived by family, many dear friends and colleagues. To honor Lois, the SCCC Foundation Board has established a scholarship in her memory. Donations may be made by calling the Foundation Office at (518) 381-1324 or by sending them to the SCCC Foundation, 78 Washington Avenue, Schenectady, N.Y., 12305.
Foundation Thanks Board Members
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t a meeting held on June 23, 2015, the Foundation Board of Directors extended its appreciation and sincere gratitude to Betty Carol Barlyn (far left) and Dr. Martha J. Asselin for their service and enthusiastic commitment to the Foundation and the College.
Betty served on the Foundation Board for 18 years. During that time she was chair of the Special Events Committee and was a member of the Scholarship Selection Committee. She and her husband established the Betty Carol and Lyle Barlyn Scholarship, awarded each year to a student from the School of Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism. Betty shared her thoughts on her commitment to SCCC, saying, “My father went to the University of Pennsylvania on a scholarship and worked hard to stay in school with no money and no encouragement. That’s why SCCC is important – it encourages and it supports. I’m very grateful for what I have and I know how valuable education is for a better quality of life and that’s why it’s been so important to me to serve SCCC.”
Foundation Welcomes New Coordinator
The Foundation and Development Office welcomed Stacy McIlduff as the new Coordinator of Development in May 2015. Most recently, Stacy was the Annual Giving Officer at Equinox in Albany. Prior to that, she worked at Seton Health Foundation (now a part of St. Peter’s Health Partners). She earned her B.A. with a concentration in Event Design and Production from SUNY Empire State College and an A.A. in Fine Arts from Fulton-Montgomery Community College. Stacy is also a graduate of The Leadership Institute through the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce. Stacy’s work at SCCC will focus primarily on the Annual Fund, special events and alumni relations.
An Electrifying Competition
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hat does it take to win the GrattidgeOhnstad Science Competition? Ben Riehlman can tell you. Ben, a Mathematics and Science major with a Nanoscale Science concentration, was this year’s recipient of $500 and bragging rights among his fellow students. Dr. Walter Grattidge, who worked at the GE Research and Development Center from 1953 until his retirement in 1985 and was then Vice President and Co-Owner of Sci-Tech, established the competition in 2013 through the SCCC Foundation. During the daylong event in May 2015, students worked to determine the value of Planck’s constant using the photoelectric
effect. Planck’s constant relates the energy of a packet of light, which is typically referred to as a photon, to its corresponding frequency. In 1927, Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for his discovery of the photoelectric effect in 1905, which showed that light is not a wave, but a particle. Repeating this historic experiment gave participants the experience of doing significant research in physics. Ben plans to graduate in May 2016 and pursue a career in research. “I would like to work on technology that will enrich mankind,” he said. “I want to do something new and innovative.”
Left: Dr. Walter Grattidge and Dr. Grace Jorgensen (second and third from left) were on hand during this year’s Grattidge-Ohnstad Science Competition. They were joined by Dr. Teresa Jacques, Instructor; Dr. Ben Placek, Instructor; Dr. Fu Luo, Assistant Professor; and Susan Ferris, Interim Executive Director of Development. Above: Ben Riehlman, Mathematics and Science major with a Nanoscale Science concentration, won the competition. He’s shown here chatting with Dr. Walter Grattidge before the College’s annual Honors Convocation.
The 24th Annual Food for Thought and All That Jazz was a huge success with 250 in attendance and more than $75,000 raised in support of SCCC. Guests were dazzled with performances by the SCCC Jazz Ensemble, part of the nationally-accredited School of Music, followed by delicious cuisine prepared and served by students in the renowned School of Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism. Serving as Honorary Chairperson this year was Antonio Civitella, Chairman and CEO of Transfinder in Schenectady.
Save the Date!
25th Annual Food for Thought and All That Jazz: Tuesday, April 5, 2016. Please contact the Development Office at (518) 381-1324 for more information.
Top left: SCCC friends and supporters enjoy culinary delights prepared and served by students.
Dr. William Meckley, Dean of the School of Music, leads the Jazz Ensemble in a lively performance.
Top right: Antonio Civitella, Honorary Chairperson and Chairman/CEO of Transfinder, kicks off the evening.
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Grazie Italia!
This summer a group of aspiring culinarians and Chef/Instructor Michael Stamets, CEC, traveled to Italy, immersing themselves for two weeks in the ways of Italian cooking. Their guides through this gastronomic journey were renowned chefs from a variety of regions in Italy who shared the secrets to their success. The students had more than 28 hours of cooking lessons from chefs in kitchens in Nettuno, Ferrara, Parma and Asti. Highlights of the trip, which spanned 17 days, also included tours of beautiful vineyards, a visit to a zero-kilometer restaurant and farm (all the food served was made from ingredients grown on premise) and dining with the president of the Consorzio Aceto Balsamico di Modena (Consortium of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena) and the president of the Consortium for Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese in Parma. They also saw firsthand how balsamic vinegar and parmigiano cheese are produced in Modena and Parma respectively. The College plans to offer the trip again next year. Kelly Honsinger, a Culinary Arts major with a concentration in Baking, hopes to one day open her own business, “baking delicious desserts and creating beautiful cakes.” This summer’s trip to Italy came at
the perfect time for her to interact with renowned Italian chefs and explore the country. “Together we experienced culture and history while
Clockwise from above: SCCC student chefs and Instructor Michael Stamets with chefs, students and administrators from School Agenzia di Formazione Professionale delle Colline Astigiane in Asti, Italy. While there, the SCCC culinarians learned the foods of the Piedmont Region.
touring through amazing cities such as Rome, Ferrara and Parma,” Kelly said. “I took cooking classes from experienced and knowledgeable chefs at restaurants and schools and we even cooked at the Academia Barilla! We prepared foods in and dined in some of the best restaurants. The food there is amazing. The produce is so sweet and delicious and the meats and cheeses taste so fresh.”
Kelly Honsinger makes homemade pasta with bolognese at the School Agenzia di Formazione Professionale delle Colline Astigiane in Asti. Elizabeth Gaffney, Culinary Arts major, and Chef Valentina Salvatori from Rome in the Antium La Casa Del Gusto culinary school in Nettuno, Italy.
Friends of SCCC Tour of Ireland June 10 – 17, 2016 $2,550 (per person/double occupancy)
Join other alumni and friends of SCCC and explore the Emerald Isle. This sevenday trip begins in Dublin, then travel to Belfast, the Giant Causeway, Donegal, Belleek, Galway, and Limerick. Includes round trip airfare from JFK, breakfast and dinner each day (excluding day of arrival), in-country transportation and guide, and hotel. While in Ireland, you will visit Monasterboice, Titanic Belfast, Giant’s Causeway, Glenveagh Castle, Belleek China Showroom, and the Cliffs of Moher. Included in this cost is $250 that will go toward the international education scholarship. For more information and a registration form, please visit http://www.sunysccc.edu/academic/international/alumniTravel.html.
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Spreading a Message of Conservation Emileigh Tanner ’14 grew up in the hamlet of Rensselaerville, N.Y., across the street from the Huyck Preserve and Biological Research Station, one of the oldest individual biological research stations in the United States, supporting research continuously since 1938. After living in Albany and Guilderland, and graduating from SCCC, she has now come full circle. She’s living in Rensselaerville again and is sharing her passion for the 2,000-acre preserve as its Membership Coordinator. As such, she plans fundraisers and special events for members. A Liberal Arts and Music certificate graduate, Emileigh was hired at the preserve in Fall 2013. It was while taking an environmental studies class with Professor Ralf Schaeur that she began to realize the importance of her work. “It was inspiring for me to take that class,” Emileigh said. “I always knew that it was wonderful to have the woods in my backyard and this beautiful waterfall. But when I went to college, it certainly made me have a stronger connection to working at the preserve, knowing that one of our main missions is maintaining this beautiful landscape.” Emileigh Tanner ’14 at the Rensselaerville Falls in the Huyck Preserve.
Problem Gambling Course New This Semester
New this fall, the Division of Liberal Arts is offering a 60-hour, four-credit problem gambling course to provide students with the educational component for the New York State Problem Gambling Specialist
Designation (CASAC-G). SCCC is one of only four colleges in New York state to offer such a course. The course is geared toward individuals who already have their New York State Certified Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) and CASAC-T and want to gain the Problem Gambling Curriculum-Treatment track essential for problem gambling certification. Michael Washco, Assistant Professor in the Division of Liberal Arts, designed the course based on his experience as an addiction counselor and in collaboration with the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Addition Services. “Problem gambling was not on assessment forms and was always overlooked,” said Washco, who was a Psychiatric Crisis Worker at Ellis Hospital prior to joining SCCC in 2013. “Now, it’s being treated as a serious issue and it’s become more of an identified problem. New York State has developed a credential to help counselors identify this issue. That’s where this course comes in.”
The course, taught by Adjunct Faculty Member Jaime Costello, Special Programs Manager/Gambling Prevention Specialist at the New York Council on Problem Gambling, will explore the assessment and treatment of problem gambling and its impact on the health and well-being of both the individual and communities. SCCC also provides two programs to obtain the OASAS credentialed Certified Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) credential. SCCC is an OASAS Certified Education and Training Provider for the Chemical Dependency Counseling A.A.S. 63-credit degree and the Chemical Dependency Counseling 31-credit certificate. This course is offered to students in both programs. For more information about the new problem gambling course or the Chemical Dependency Counseling programs, please contact Michael Washco at waschcoms@sunysccc.edu.
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[ Class Notes ]
Did you get a promotion? Get married? Have a baby? Or have you just not been in touch with us lately and want to tell us what you’re up to? We want to hear from you and share your news with other SCCC alumni and friends of the College. Take a few minutes and submit your news for the next issue by e-mailing alumni@ sunysccc.edu. We look forward to sharing your good news, right here, in the Class Notes section of the next alumNews.
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Mark A. Delos ’83, Hotel and Restaurant Management, is the COO, operating partner, and co-founder of Mazzone Hospitality. He went on to earn his A.O.S. from the Culinary Institute of America (’89) Culinary Arts program. He directs Mazzone teams in their execution of time management, display design, service quality, and customer satisfaction. He also leads the chefs in menu development and implementation for the company’s establishments and for on-site and off-site special events.
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Michele Von Haugg ’98, Performing Arts: Music, combined her love of music and environmentalism to found a nonprofit called Clarinets for Conservation. Through partnerships with conservationists, she works with teachers to help students of Korongoni Secondary School in Tanzania learn about the importance of the mpingo tree through music education.
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Aaron Wyanski ’03, Performing Arts: Music, is a student in the Hartt School of Music’s DMA program. He has been living in NYC for the past eight years, playing and teaching. Aaron earned his Master’s degree in composition from the Vermont College of Fine Arts in February 2015. Jared Bafaro ’08, Culinary Arts, purchased The Tailored Tea in Latham. Nicole Cuff ’09, Culinary Arts, opened Cuff ’s Cakes, a new bakery on Upper Union Street in Schenectady. (See story on this page.)
The Sweet Smell of Success If you’re strolling around the Upper Union Street neighborhood, you won’t have to go far for a mango passion fruit cupcake or to place an order for a custom cake. Owner: Nicole Cuff ’09, Culinary Arts with a Baking concentration Bakery: Cuff ’s Cakes (“I posted an album on my FB page and called it ‘Cuff ’s Cakes’ as everyone calls me by my last name.”) Location: 1613 Union Street Opened: February 9, 2015 Specialties: Wedding cakes, cookies (shipped worldwide), cupcakes (including mango passion fruit, pineapple coconut and blueberry pancake), dog treats Inventions: “We perfected our own recipe for butter cream frosting. We minimized the amount of sugar in it.” What’s next?: International pastries Aha moment: “My dream was to work at the Floridian while doing my internship at Disney World through SCCC. I wanted to work for a day alongside the pastry chefs there. It was an amazing day. They let me look at the Disney wedding cake book and it was the most inspiring thing I had ever seen. From that day on I wanted to pursue my career as a cake decorator.”
Save the Date! Alumni Basketball Night with Post-Game Meet and Greet at Wolff’s Biergarten Sunday, November 22, 2015 Downtown Schenectady YMCA Cheer on the Royals as they play against Hudson Valley Community College at 2 p.m. (women) and 4 p.m. (men), then join the teams for a Post-Game Meet and Greet event at Wolff’s Biergarten, including appetizers and drinks. Meet and Greet Tickets: $20 For more information, please contact Stacy McIlduff at mcildusm@sunysccc.edu or (518) 381-1322.
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SCCC in Albany
This fall, the College is offering 22 classes at the Albany extension site, located at 112 State St. (Albany County office building, second floor), including financial accounting, college composition, introduction to the gaming industry, algebra, computer technology, psychology and global supply chain management.
Classes began at the new site in January 2014 as a convenient alternative for students to take SCCC courses in downtown Albany. Since that time, in addition to college classes, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s YouthCan civics program has conducted a class there for 14- to 16-year-olds from Albany County. The students learn about citizenship, workforce development, and civics. Also, Literacy Volunteers of the Capital Region host ESL and EL Civics courses for English language learning in the Capital District. Staff from SCCC Albany continue to meet with local businesses to discuss bringing workforce training programs and credit programs to their employees. In addition to the SCCC Albany site, the College works closely with the Capital South Campus Center through an agreement that allows SCCC to offer culinary arts lab courses, taking advantage of the new 3,300-square-foot Walter and Michelle Borisenok Family Meals on Wheels Culinary Arts Kitchen. Students take Food Preparation and Elements of Baking classes in the new kitchen and can then move on to classes at SCCC.
Congratulations Retirees O, blest retirement!... How blest is he who crowns, in shades like these, A youth of labor with an age of ease!
Coffee Talk The SCCC Foundation is gearing up for the 2015-2016 Employee Giving Campaign – “Thanks-aLatte!”
As in past years, faculty and staff members will receive a $5 coupon for the Canalside Café and Convenience Store located in Elston Hall when they donate to the Campaign… but this year the brew will be sweeter than ever with a raffle for participants and Grab ’n Go Lunch kick-off for faculty and staff. For more information about the Employee Giving Campaign, please contact the Foundation at (518) 381-1324 or scccfoundation@sunysccc.edu. “Thanks-aLatte” for all you do for our students each and every day!
Four Decades of Service
—Oliver Goldsmith, Anglo-Irish novelist, playwright and poet
Best wishes to this year’s retirees. • Carol DeFries, Dean, Liberal Arts • Charleen DeLorenzo, Senior Payroll Audit Clerk • Susan Donahue, Information Processing Specialist II, Registration • Frank Harris, Maintenance Worker • Lenore Horowitz, Professor, Division of Math, Science, Technology and Health • Shirley Hubert, Information Processing Specialist II, Admissions • Judy Karmiohl, Professor, Division of Liberal Arts • Judith Spitz, Professor, Division of Business, Criminal Justice and Law
As three SCCC employees approached the podium, their colleagues swiftly gave them a rousing standing ovation during the annual Employee Awards and Recognition Breakfast last semester. All three have served the College and its students, as well as their fellow SCCC employees, for four decades. Joined by Acting President Dr. Martha Asselin in the photo above, they are: Peter Houghton, Senior Technical Assistant in Academic Computing; Toby Strianese, Professor in the School of Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism; and Dennis Mott, Senior Technical Assistant in Begley Library.
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Nanoscale Grad Enjoying Working in Tech Valley It seems that everywhere James Cuerdon looks, he’s wondering if he’s seeing the fruits of his labor.
“Name an electronic device we use these days and there’s probably an integrated computer chip in there,” he said. “I think about it every time I answer my cell phone. Or when I see someone get a new phone, I often wonder if I polished off angstroms of a material on the chip in that phone.” (An angstrom is smaller than a nanometer and usually copper, cobalt, nickel or arsenic that he has to remove from the chip before it can be used.) Every day, James, a 2014 Nanoscale Materials Technology graduate, dons a clean suit covering everything but his face and gets to work on large-scale research and development wafers as a Process Operator at SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (SUNY Poly CNSE). His work at SUNY Poly CNSE has a worldwide impact and he’s one of more than 3,500 scientists, researchers, engineers, students, and faculty currently working there. He’s responsible for ensuring quality control for the wafers using a sophisticated, fail safe system. His clean suit matches the clean room, loaded with air filtrations systems and filters, where the wafers are processed. The wafers are the starting point and eventually become nano computer chips used in cell phones, televisions and computers, among other things. “Everything we do here is
ValleyCats Porch Party
James Cuerdon steps out of his clean suit during a break at SUNY Poly CNSE.
cutting-edge,” he explained. “The things we’re working on aren’t being done anywhere else yet.” James plans to stay in the nanoscale science field and considers the Capital Region a prime location. “I think it’s wonderful here for the industry and it’s grown so much over the past four years. My opinion is that the industry is just beginning to expand.”
SCCC alumni and friends gathered for a Tri-City ValleyCats Porch Party on Wednesday, Aug. 26, to enjoy a home game against the Connecticut Tigers. It was a beautiful evening at the Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in Troy and more than 40 guests were in attendance. The Porch Party, included a stellar right-field view of the game and a picnic buffet, followed by fireworks.
For more information about upcoming alumni events or to join the Alumni Advisory Committee:
The SCCC Foundation has a variety of exciting alumni events planned for the 2015-2016 school year, including a Basketball Meet & Greet on Nov. 22 at Wolff ’s Biergarten, “An Evening with Cinderella” at Proctors on Jan. 21, 2016, and a Paint Night at Canvas, Corks & Forks on March 2, 2016. For more information about upcoming events, please e-mail alumni@sunysccc.edu.
ent m t a e r T l a The Roy Did you know that SCCC alumni are eligible for a variety of local discounts? Show your alumni ID card at any of these establishments to benefit from these great discounts. • 15% Discount at Ambition Café • 10% Discount at Pinhead Susan’s • 10% Discount at Thai Thai Bistro • 10% Discount at Canvas, Corks & Forks with SCCCALUM code
• 10% Discount at Cuff ’s Cakes • 10% Off Show Tickets at Proctor’s • Free half litre upgrades at Wolff ’s Biergarten - Schenectady • $1 off admission at MiSci
Please contact alumni@sunysccc.edu to request your alumni ID card today.
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78 Washington Avenue Schenectady, NY 12305 (518) 381-1324 www.sunysccc.edu
Keystone Society The Keystone Society honors alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of SCCC who have named the SCCC Foundation in their estate plans. We thank and recognize the following individuals who have made a special commitment to SCCC. We are grateful for their vision, which will enhance the educational opportunities for future SCCC students. • Anonymous • Benita C. Allaire • Dr. Stephen K. Astmann • Helen H. Begley* • Vladia C. Boniewski ’71, SCCC Emeritus • Professor Grayce Susan Burian, SCCC Emeritus • Charles W. Carl Jr.* • Professor Peter Cousins, SCCC Emeritus* • Professor Mary Jane Dike, SCCC Emeritus • Karen* and Walter Grattidge • Karen Brown Johnson • Dr. Margaret (Peggy) King • Professor Jessica K. Malheiros, SCCC Emeritus, Founding Faculty Member* • Ellie Moore • Thomas Nelson, SCCC Emeritus, and Ann Henderson • Thomas L. and Barbara M. Rider • Janet P. Robbins, SCCC Emeritus • Gretchen and Lewis Rubenstein • Donald F. Schenk ’74* • Phyllis E. Gordon Stanton • Esther Swanker Keystone Society members are recognized on the Wall of Honor in the Begley Library lobby and in our Annual Report. If you have named the SCCC Foundation in your estate plans, you are considered a member of the Keystone Society. For more information, please contact the Development Office at (518) 381-1324. * In memoriam
Alumni Services The following services are offered to SCCC Alumni: Academic Advisement Staff work with individuals who have already completed a degree and are seeking advice on either a second degree or information about what other options exist. Contact: Michael Mastrella (518) 381-1340 or mastremj@sunysccc.edu ADA Transition Services ADA Transition Services offers programs and presentations to heighten the awareness of disability issues. Alumni are always invited to serve on the ADA Advisory Committee. Contact: Susanna Fenlon (518) 381-1345 or fenlonsj@sunysccc.edu Begley Library/Computer Services The Begley Library is available to alumni to utilize as guests with access to research services. Limited access to computers is also available to alumni who would like to utilize Begley’s online catalog and online database resources. Contact: Lynne King (518) 381-1241 or kinglo@sunysccc.edu Career and Transfer Services Alumni are invited to all general career expos and have free access to the College Central job posting system, both of which are coordinated and managed by this office. Alumni can also inquire about making an appointment with a staff member. Contact: Robert Frederick (518) 381-1368, (518) 381-1365 or frederrg@sunysccc.edu The College Store The College Store provides Alumni ID cards ($5 charge), custom clothing/ gifts through website partner MyLocker.net with a selection of merchandise customizable to alumni; special order books and merchandise. Contact: Christopher Henry (518) 377-1606, option 5 or henrycg@sunysccc.edu Financial Aid Financial Aid is available to answer questions for alumni and provide assistance for student loan deferments, forbearance and consolidation assistance. Contact: Cynthia Astemborski-Decker (518) 381-1353 or astembc@sunysccc.edu Registrar’s Office This office assists alumni in registering for credit or non-credit courses and providing official transcripts and verifications upon request. Contact: Ashley DeSantis (518) 381-1271 or desantan@sunysccc.edu Student Affairs/Student Activities This office allows alumni to participate in a variety of campus-wide events. Clubs and organizations invite alumni to participate in their events. Contact: Steve Fragale (518) 381-1336 or fragalsa@sunysccc.edu
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2015 HONOREES
Joan Dembinski ’10
Betty Carol Barlyn
Thursday, November 12, 2015 Glen Sanders Mansion The 2015 gala will attract more than 350 prominent business and community leaders as well as faculty, staff and alumni to Glen Sanders Mansion for an elegant dinner to honor friends of SCCC who have demonstrated commitment to our mission, vision and values. Tickets: $100 / $75 Alumni
Stewart’s Shops/ The Dake Family