Connections Fall 2015

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CONNECTIONS A PUBLICATION FOR ALUMNAE OF RUSSELL SAGE COLLEGE

CLASS OF 2019

Devotes Creative Energy to Safer Streets page 4

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 1 Centennial Campaign Update

6 Alumnae Preserve History at the Smithsonian, MORE

3 Career Services for Alumnae

12 Class Notes

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VOLUME

18 • NUMBER 2 |

FALL

2015


DDEAN’S MESSAGE

DEBORAH LAWRENCE, PH.D.,’88

CONNECTIONS director of communications & marketing Shannon Ballard Gorman SGS ’13

Dear Alumnae, I am thrilled to be writing to you, one alumna to another! As many of you know, following the promotion of former dean Donna Heald to the position of associate provost, I was appointed dean of Russell Sage College. I cannot tell you how honored I am to be serving the college in this way, and how gratifying it has been to learn so much more about the institution over just these past few months. I have engaged in wonderful conversations with students, alumnae and colleagues, and I look forward to what lies ahead this academic year. As I write this letter, I am looking out at a freshly-painted crosswalk, but it’s not your usual red-brick one. This one consists of brightly colored concentric circles with “Sage” at the center, thanks to the Creative Crosswalks project and our first-year students. We welcomed approximately 150 first-year students during orientation in late August, a highlight of which is our Sage Engaged community service project. Please turn to page 4 to learn more about this fabulous activity – and check out the Russell Sage College Alumnae Facebook page for more photos! Reunion Weekend this summer provided me with an opportunity to meet many of you from classes other than my own (1988 – go Golden Horseshoes!) and those whom I have taught. While blazers have changed to sweaters and traditions have evolved over time, I was struck by the constancy of one thing – Russell Sage College excels at producing Women of Influence! It was inspiring to hear your stories, and to notice the common threads. Continuing the tradition of women finding their voice at Russell Sage, I was impressed with the insights and comments offered by our incoming class as we discussed our summer reading, When the Emperor Was Divine, by Julie Otsuka. This was the first of our WORLD (Women Owning Responsibility for Learning and Doing) Series events this fall, a collaborative undertaking of WORLD faculty with the office of Student Life, and it afforded new students their first chance to stand up and express their thoughts to their entire class. This is great training for more professional presentations ahead; over the past academic year, more than 30 students presented original work at regional and national conferences. Other opportunities for students to take center stage can be found in the fall season of the Theatre Institute at Sage, featuring Wait until Dark and The Wizard of Oz. And for just a glimpse of the impressive scholarly activity of our faculty, you can read about Professor Dorrie Matthew’s Fulbright Award and other faculty accolades on page 2. A new initiative this year is the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program, available to underrepresented or economically disadvantaged students majoring in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics field or pursuing a degree in a licensed health profession. Sage received a grant from the New York State Education Department in the amount of $2 million over five years to provide participating students support with coursework, research projects, and preparation for further education. This summer, seven CSTEP students completed research projects supervised by Sage faculty. There are many other exciting things I would like to tell you about, such as collaborations with the International Center of the Capital Region, the Susan Odell Taylor School and the Tribal Historic Preservation Office of the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Tribe, but space permits only so much. Visit Sage.edu for the latest news and be on the lookout for information about our fast-approaching Centennial celebration! Events will begin in January 2016 and will carry us right through the 2016-2017 academic year. Wishing you all well as you Be, Know and Do MORE,

Deborah Lawrence ’88 Dean, Russell Sage College

editor Elizabeth Gallagher art director Sarah Statham SGS ’08 contributing writers Deanna Cohen Duncan Crary Elizabeth Gallagher Joely Johnson Mork SGS ’08 Abby Stambach contributing photographers Tamara Hansen Matthew Klein Matt Milless Allan Stern graphic designer Simona Bortis-Schultz/figure8 the sage colleges office of communications & pr 65 1st Street Troy, NY 12180 Tel: (518) 244-2246 connections@sage.edu | sage.edu

“To Be, To Know, To Do” our motto for nearly 100 years

Mission Statement The mission and purpose of The Sage Colleges is to provide the individual student with the opportunity and means to develop and advance personally and professionally, and thus to be successful in achieving life goals; to contribute to the larger society a group of diverse, thoughtful and competent citizen-leaders who continue to be engaged in the pursuit of lifelong learning; and to translate learning into action and application, recognizing the obligation of educated persons to lead and to serve their communities.

About the Cover Creative Arts Therapy graduate Cira Conlin ’15 designed the Creative Crosswalk where the Ferry Street Plaza meets First Street on campus, then joined members of the Class of 2019 to paint it during the Sage Engaged community service activity.


PRESIDENT’S PAGE

PRESIDENT SUSAN SCRIMSHAW, PH.D.

AT REUNION Chair of the Sage Fund for Excellence Ronnye Berg Shamam ’64 presented President Scrimshaw with a check for $15,179,564 from the 2015 Reunion classes at the Russell Sage College Alumnae Association’s annual gathering and gift celebration during Reunion weekend. Turn to page 10 for MORE photos of Reunion weekend, which included three dedications in honor of generous alumnae >>>

IN THE NEWS

CAMPAIGN UPDATE As of October, the Centennial Campaign for Sage raised $43,432,749 toward its $50 million goal! The impact of the Centennial Campaign is visible everywhere on campus: President Scrimshaw, pictured addressing guests at the National Academy of Medicine’s 45th Anniversary Gala in Washington, D.C., in October, received the Adam Yarmolinsky Medal for her service to Academy. President Scrimshaw has participated in 25 committees, boards and workshops over her 38 years of service to the National Academies. More information is available at nam.edu.

•T he Class of 2019 is 150 students strong. Young women who have their hearts set on Russell Sage can afford to attend, thanks to alumnae-supported financial aid. •T he endowment has increased by 37 percent! •T he Hannaford Nutrition Assessment Research Lab opened in Ackerman Hall this fall and by spring 2016 the empty courtyard next to Admission House will be beautifully reimagined as Avery and Brinton’s Place in honor of the grandchildren of Virginia Kurtz Stowe ’65. Follow the campaign’s progress and watch for updates about special events at Centennial.Sage.edu.

Trustee Chet Opalka, President Susan Scrimshaw and Brian Fabre and Amy White of the Hannaford Charitable Foundation at the grand opening of the Hannaford Nutrition Assessment Research Lab.

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DACADEMICS

KIM FREDERICKS ’92 NAMED DEAN OF THE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT Kim Fredericks, Ph.D., MPH, RD, has been named dean of Sage’s School of Management. Fredericks had been an associate dean, associate professor and graduate chair in the School of Management for the past four years. She has been instrumental in many initiatives within the school, most recently expanding Sage’s MBA program to a satellite location in Saratoga County and building Sage’s relationship with Startup Grind, a global community of startups with a presence in Albany. Fredericks’ scholarly work focuses on social network analysis and evaluation within the public and nonprofit health care sectors. She has been a consultant for entities including the Robert Wood

FACULTY ACCOLADES

Victoria Greenwood, M.S., RN-BC, assistant professor of nursing, presented research conducted with Caroline Mosca, M.S., assistant professor of nursing, at Sigma Theta Tau International’s 26th Nursing Research Congress in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Kathleen Kelly, Ph.D., MPH, MS, FNP, associate professor of nursing and nurse researcher at St. Peter’s Health Partners, was honored by the Times Union as one of the Capital Region’s Nurses of the Year during National Nurses Week in May. 2

CONNECTIONS fall 2015

Steven Leibo, Ph.D., the Sherman David Spector Professor of Modern International History & Politics at The Sage Colleges, has been named an associate in research at Harvard’s Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies for the 2015-2016 academic year, where he will update his textbook, East & Southeast Asia (Rowman & Littlefield); continue to work on climate and energy issues, especially as they relate to East Asia; and complete a sequel to his novel, Tienkuo: The Heavenly Kingdom, which focused on Sino-American relations in the 1860s. “The sequel is set in the United States and focuses on the politics behind the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882,” he said. “Part of that new historical novel is set in Troy of that era and the Troy Female Seminary plays an important part in the plot.”

Johnson Foundation, the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, OMG Center for Learning, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Center for Creative Leadership, the American Evaluation Association and the Missouri Institute of Mental Health. Her work has appeared in journals including New Directions for Evaluation, the American Journal of Evaluation, the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, and the International Review of Public Administration. Fredericks holds a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition from Russell Sage College and a master’s degree and doctorate in Public Administration from the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College.

MORE at Sage.edu/spotlight

Dorothy Matthews, Ph.D., professor of biology, has been granted a Fulbright Scholar award to conduct research at the University of Botswana in southern Africa this fall. Matthews’ research will evaluate the effectiveness of service initiatives provided by The Centre for the Study of HIV and AIDS at the University of Botswana. “I chose Botswana as my Fulbright host country because I want to use my knowledge as a microbiologist and my skills as an educational researcher to help alleviate human suffering,” she said. “This country is among the hardest hit by the HIV/ AIDS epidemic. I hope that the findings that come from my Fulbright project will provide professionals in Botswana with important information as they design future research-based HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment initiatives.”


CAMPUS SPOTLIGHT

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HELPING ALUMNAE GET MORE FROM THEIR CAREERS

Director Marah Jacobson-Schulte describes the Career Planning office as a resource for every stage of a person’s working life. She – and assistant directors Shatoya Michel and Amanda Shaw – meet with prospective and enrolled students who have questions about job outlooks in various fields; speak to business, health care and education leaders with positions they hope to fill with Sage grads; host a slate of events from etiquette workshops to networking receptions; and conduct mock interviews, review résumés and advise job hunters ranging from an undergraduate seeking an internship to an alumna seeking an office position after running her own business.

In each of these instances, a strong partnership between Career Planning and Alumnae Relations will increase the value of Sage’s assistance. Jacobson-Schulte described a recent meeting with a Health Sciences major who wants to go to graduate school eventually and is looking for guidance about what type of positions to pursue in the meantime. While online resources are a great place to start, they can’t provide the nuanced information that a person who has “been there” can, said Jacobson-Schulte. Thanks to Russell Sage’s supportive alumnae community, she can connect the young woman with an alumna who can answer the industry-specific questions the undergrad is weighing. Alumnae volunteers help Career Planning do MORE, and alumnae frequently seek counsel from Career Planning as well – its services are available free of charge. “I’ve worked with many, many alumnae who are changing careers as well as people who have been laid off or are re-entering the workforce,” she said. “Typically, these women have an amazing network and I help them tap into that. I can also help them to articulate how their wealth of experience in one field applies to a new career.”

Meet Marah Jacobson-Schulte, Director of Career Planning “Preparing leaders who represent Russell Sage through the world of work is important to me,” said Marah Jacobson-Schulte, director of the Office of Career Planning. She joined Sage in November 2014 after serving as director of Experiential Learning and Community Engagement at the College of Saint Benedict and St. John’s University in central Minnesota. “I’ve always had one foot on campus and one in the community,” she said of building partnerships that enrich higher education. She is particularly eager to collaborate with Alumnae Relations in order to extend the reach of both offices. “Joint initiatives will help alumnae who want to reconnect with Sage to do so in a meaningful way; offer online and in-person networking opportunities for alumnae who are seeking employees for a position and alumnae who are job hunting; and benefit students, who are eager to meet and learn from alumnae.”

PHOTO: Ashley Bell-Bryington ’15, now pursuing a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy in the School of Health Sciences, consults with Career Planning Director Marah Jacobson-Schulte.

CONNECT with CAREER SERVICES isit Sage.edu/resources/career_planning V and register with Sage’s Professional Network. After you register on SAGElink, you’ll be able to scan available positions, post openings at your company and network with fellow alumnae. hile you’re at Sage.edu/resources/ W career_planning, explore its array of online resources, from resume formatting guides to links to job boards, job fairs and professional associations. ake an appointment to speak M with one of Sage’s career counselors – in person, on the phone or over email or Skype.

Stay in touch with Career Planning! “We’re not a once and done shop. There’s almost always a reason for us to follow up with each other,” said Director Marah Jacobson-Schulte. “Whether you connect with us as an employer, a volunteer or a job seeker, you’ll come away energized!”

RECENT GRADUATES: Please Respond to the Graduate Placement Survey! Career Planning surveys new Sage graduates at regular intervals – answers are confidential and used in the aggregate to help Sage identify trends, better serve students and alumnae and

comply with reporting requirements from government and accrediting organizations. Thank you for participating!

EXPERIENCED GRADUATES: Please consider volunteering as a career mentor! This may entail speaking

at a workshop or occasionally fielding questions about your career path or industry from students and alumni via email or phone. Find a link at the Career Planning website or directly visit https://sage-csm.symplicity. com/mentors.

CONNECTIONS fall 2015

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DSAGE ENGAGED

CREATIVE ENERGY, SAFER STREETS by Duncan Crary

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he streets of Troy are a bit safer and more cheerful thanks to the help of first-year students at Russell Sage College. As part of their Sage Engaged community service during orientation this fall, incoming students painted three “Creative Crosswalks” on First Street. Two of these colorful murals are painted directly on the pavement at busy street crossings on campus, while a third appears a few blocks down in front of a popular café. “The point of Creative Crosswalks is to make people in cars more aware of their surroundings and to get them to slow down for those who are not in vehicles,” said Marah Jacobson-Schulte, director of career planning, who helped coordinate the town-gown effort at Sage. “It’s also a beautification project.” One crosswalk near the entrance to campus is a nod to the school’s enduring motto, updated with a mandate for Sage’s Centennial year: “Be. Know. Do. MORE” The other campus crossing, located mid-block on First Street, was designed by art therapy grad Cira Conlin ’15 and features the Sage logotype inside a series of colorful circles that spill outside of the lines and onto the sidewalks. To ensure quality work, Conlin guided the students as they painted the crosswalk. There are now five Creative Crosswalks throughout the City of Troy with more planned for the future. Spearheading the effort is Troy resident Barbara Nelson, a

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professional architect. Nelson said she first noticed Creative Crosswalks in Portland, Oregon, and wanted to bring the idea back to Troy, where she and several activists succeeded in steering the city to adopt a “Complete Streets” ordinance in 2014. The complete streets movement advocates for making streets accessible and friendly for many transit modes, not just cars. Nelson said the crosswalk murals seem to engage students more than other kinds of community projects, like park cleanups. “All your life you’re told ‘Don’t do this, don’t do that,’” said Nelson. “To be told that it’s OK to paint on the street … the students come to see the place as open to creative energy. It gives them the impression that this place is cool. There are people here that let you do things.” Nelson compares Creative Crosswalks to a form of “legal tagging,” a reference to how graffiti artists claim their turf by painting their name or symbol on bridges and walls. “This is like legally claiming your home that you care about,” Nelson said. “Whether it’s murals or sculpture or street art — it’s all about empowering citizens to take ownership of their public space.” The laws that regulate crosswalks vary by municipality and even by street, so it was important to work with the City of Troy, said Lindsay Zefting, a senior engineer for Alta Planning + Design who consults on the project as a volunteer.

Troy’s complete streets ordinance is part of a national trend away from car-dependent development, Zefting said. Her firm specializes in bicycle and pedestrian planning. “A majority of students these days prefer to live in the city — close to where they work and play — without the hassle of owning a car,” Zefting said. “Even if they do end up needing a car as they get older, they’ll want car sharing or bike sharing programs. Or they may live in single car households.” Zefting lives in Troy and says she either bikes or walks to her downtown office almost every day.

Healthy Mind, Body & Streets Complete streets also come with health benefits, according to Capital Roots, a community gardens and urban grow center that secured a Department of Health grant to purchase the expensive tape and stencils used to make the Creative Crosswalks and other street markings in Troy. “Many of the people within our service area don’t have a backyard, so the street is where they do their recreational activities,” said Will Malcolm, Healthy Places program manager for Capital Roots. “We want to make sure everyone has equal access to a safe and healthy place, where they can ride their bikes and garden.”


The nonprofit organization, which has a history of working with Russell Sage College interns and volunteers, recently relocated its Troy headquarters from a few blocks south of the college to the North Central neighborhood. Malcom said Troy’s complete streets initiative is working to create a nice safe corridor for students and other visitors to make their way up to the new Capital Roots building and to continue exploring from there. It’s likely that Creative Crosswalks and the complete streets ordinance will continue to improve perceptions of Troy. At her freshman orientation at RPI in the 1970s, Nelson said she and her classmates were told by administrators not to go downtown. Today, she said both RPI and Russell Sage are actively steering students downtown and should be commended for that. “Young students now, they want to explore these walkable environments,” she said. “They bring their parents around the city on the first parents’ weekend to see the murals they’ve worked on. They take selfies with the murals and they become these great marketing engines.” Jacobson-Schulte said the Creative Crosswalks project was so popular with Russell Sage students that there are now plans for more crosswalks in the future. “What we’ve heard from students is ‘Lets keep doing this every year,’” she said. “There’s a buzz about it.”

For information about the complete streets initiative in Troy and some of the groups that helped with the Creative Crosswalks project, visit troyalleyaction.net and xtroy.org/transport.

CROSS THE STREET with CIRA CONLIN ’15 How did the opportunity to design the crosswalk come about?

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reative Arts Therapy grad Cira Conlin designed the crosswalk where the Ferry Street Plaza meets First Street on campus, then joined members of the Class of 2019 to paint it during the Sage Engaged community service activity. She told Connections MORE about it:

During my last semester at Russell Sage, I had to create a series for a senior art show. I decided to use elements of street art in my work to create a series on body image. I spent most of my extra time in the studio and received honors credits for my hard work. When my professor heard about this project she immediately thought it would be something I would enjoy. She was right! I found this project appealing because I find that street art brings positivity to communities. I loved the idea of being able to contribute to that in my own community.

The crosswalk looks fantastic – what inspired the design? I really wanted the street to look colorful and fun while also keeping it simple for the Sage Engaged volunteers to paint.

As a recent grad, what did it mean to you to welcome first-year students to Russell Sage and Troy, and work with them to complete the project? Did you share any advice with the first-year students? Did they have questions for you? I couldn’t help thinking back on the day that I had to work with my classmates on a Sage Engaged project. It was nice to come back and be part of their experience. I did share some stories with students but most of their questions were about painting!

What else have you been up to since you graduated?

After graduating in May, I began looking for jobs working with the elderly population. I made some wonderful connections during my internship at Eddy Memorial, a senior living community in Troy, and was able to get my foot in the door working in the Recreational Therapy department at one of the Eddy’s facilities. I love it! CONNECTIONS fall 2015

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DDOING MORE

ALUMNAE PRESERVE AMERICAN HISTORY

ALUMNAE PROFILES

A SECOND CAREER AT THE BILTMORE ESTATE: Peg Holmes ’65

by Joely Johnson Mork SGS ’08 Russell Sage College alumnae are promoting and preserving American history at the renowned Smithsonian Museum of American History and a superlative Gilded Age estate as well as at more intimate institutions including the Shaker Heritage Society and the personal home of author Edith Wharton.

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hen people think of American history, politicians and presidents often come to mind. There is another part of our past, however, that has to do with movers and shakers who created the country we know today on a more personal scale. The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, is America’s largest private home and a lavish example of our country’s Gilded Age. Constructed by philanthropic millionaire George Washington Vanderbilt over six years spanning 1889 to 1895, the massive French Renaissance-style chateau contains 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and 65 fireplaces and sits on more than 8,000 acres.

Peg Holmes, who majored in physical education at RSC and went on to earn master’s and doctoral degrees to become a professor in her field, found herself with a second career at the Biltmore. “I retired in 1997,” she said. “But you have to keep out of mischief. If you don’t find something to do, life becomes very boring – it’s not good for you.” Holmes saw an ad in her local paper that the Biltmore was holding a job fair. “I had visited the house as a guest and thought it might be an interesting place to work.” She wasn’t disappointed. According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the estate draws approximately 1 million visitors each year, and the home has served as the setting for a number of Hollywood films. Holmes’ work at the Biltmore is a paid position – every one of the 1,700 staff members involved with the self-sustaining estate is a compensated employee, making the Biltmore the third-largest employer in Buncombe County. In her role as an audio host, Holmes distributes high-tech “wands” that visitors hold up to their ears in order to enjoy an educational selfguided tour of the house. “The days of cassette players and headsets are long gone,” she said.

TELLING THE AMERICAN STORY THROUGH EVERYDAY OBJECTS: Nancy Davis, Ph.D., ’70

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ancy Davis majored in English while nurturing a growing passion for art. She didn’t officially turn that love into a double major, but she did take several courses in art and art history and even worked at the small gallery in Russell Sage’s Schacht Fine Arts Center. “I curated an exhibition from the library collection focused on word art – pieces by artists who create art with words.” Davis began a master’s degree in the history of Far Eastern art, completing everything but her thesis. She found a job teaching fine arts, art history and English, which became, she said, “a roundabout way of getting me into the museum field.” Her work at that time showed Davis the impact that museums have on learning. “I could take kids to museums, and their test scores were higher afterward. Students learn in lots of ways – including through the study of objects.” She went on to earn a second master’s degree in museum education and a doctorate in American studies in order to pursue scholarly work as well as work in museums. She has held various positions in different settings, including director,

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deputy director, curator, educator – “I’ve done every job you can do in a museum setting,” she said. In 2007, Davis landed at the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian was founded in 1846. The world’s largest museum and research complex, it comprises 19 galleries and museums, the national zoo, and nine research facilities, and spans locations in Washington, D.C.; Virginia; and New York City. In her role as curator in the division of Home and Community Life at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Davis focuses on objects of daily use. “My responsibilities lie in clothing and costume – shoes and umbrellas and jewelry – but also with items of material culture, such vacuum cleaners and furniture,” she said. A massive exhibition of 680 items called “American Enterprise” opened in July of this year. The collection chronicles the relationship between capitalism and democracy as it affected American life and business. “This exhibition took more than 10 years to create,” said Davis. “I joined the team early on, since I’ve been here. My focus was the Merchant Era and the

biography wall, which forms one of the ‘spines’ of the exhibition.” Deciphering and translating what everyday objects, past and present, can tell us is a potent and, literally, tangible way to preserve the American story, said Davis. “The study of objects and how they relate to us is a different way of looking at history – it’s not the same as understanding a culture through books or documents. Our choice of objects defines who we are, and we can read history through our objects.”

Nancy Davis with a quinceañera dress worn during a Latino girl’s traditional coming-of-age party. This type of gown is a difficult piece to acquire for a museum collection, as most young women keep their dresses. Photo by Bob L. Miles and caption originally appeared at ellenswallowrichards.com and used with permission of Joyce Miles.


EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON THE CAPITAL DISTRICT’S RICH HISTORICAL RESOURCES: Samantha Hall-Saladino ’09

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s a girl, Samantha Hall-Saladino was certain she was going to be a schoolteacher when she grew up. In fourth grade, however, a social studies teacher planted a seed. “The project was about a number of sites involved in the Revolutionary War, which was a strong interest of my father’s,” Hall-Saladino said. “I remember going with my dad to visit the sites and him telling me about the historical aspects.” That experience, and that period of American history, made a lasting impression. When she enrolled in RSC, Hall-Saladino was planning an English major. “When I was picking classes for my first year, I realized I had enough room for a History major as well,” she said. “I sort of did it for fun.” While pursuing her dual major she took part in an internship at the Rensselaer County Historical Society, which she described as her first museum job. “I was involved with a specific accounts book from the Hart-Cluett house. The idea of a wife running a household in 19th century Troy really appealed to me – particularly all the research and digging behind the scenes.” One summer found Hall-Saladino working as a tour guide on the USS Slater Historical Museum. The ship, a Destroyer Escort, is moored on the Hudson River in Albany and has been completely restored. “Working

with the public helped me so much, because there were all manner of people visiting – from veterans who knew the ship inside and out better than any tour guide, to children who had all sorts of questions about war.” Hall-Saladino credits her Sage professors with injecting her studies with enthusiasm, encouraging her to follow her heart. Her advisor, English Professor David Salomon helped her explore alternatives to classroom teaching. “[History Professor] Steven Leibo is very energetic and excited about history. I believe it was in his class that I first heard the quote ‘history does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme,’ [often attributed to Mark Twain] which I love. It’s so true.” She now works as the education director for the Shaker Heritage Society in Albany and also as the Fulton County historian. At the Shaker Society, Hall-Saladino designs and leads educational programs and workshops. She also writes for the Society’s website and Facebook and Twitter accounts, special event materials and the quarterly newsletter. About whether she would one day like to find a position at a larger organization with potentially greater resources, she said, “working at a small museum [like the Shaker Heritage Society] gives you so much more flexibility and diversity in the roles you can play.”

Samantha Hall-Saladino at the Shaker Heritage Society in Albany

WELL-READ WOMEN:

Edith Wharton and Kelly Shanahan ’17

Only a small percentage (approximately 5 percent) of more than 2,500 National Historic Landmarks are dedicated to women. The Mount – the estate of author Edith Wharton – is one of them. This inequity may reflect a long history of women’s achievements – literary or otherwise – going overlooked. “There is a quote about how, historically ‘anonymous’ is always a woman,” said English major Kelly Shanahan, about the profound effects attending a women’s college and working at The Mount has had on her. Located in Lenox, Massachusetts, The Mount is a classical revival house designed and built by Wharton in 1902, based on the architectural principles presented in her book The Decoration of Houses. Shanahan took Professor Shealeen Meaney’s course on Wharton in spring 2015 and subsequently attended an Upton Center field trip to The Mount. “It is one of the best house tours I have ever experienced,” Shanahan said. Previous to her visit, she had already applied for a position as a tour guide and had an interview scheduled for one week later. “I did not think I had enough experience, and I was nervous,” she admits. “They expect a lot of their tour guides. You have to have read three of Wharton’s books and her letters, and they want you to be as informed as possible.” She got the job and found it to be so much more than just a summer gig. “There is a lot of responsibility and heaviness to working there for me. I have always connected physical space with mental and emotional understanding,” she said of having spent so much time in the rooms where Wharton wrote The House of Mirth, and in the Russell Sage College buildings where the movie version of Wharton’s The Age of Innocence was filmed. Since her time at The Mount, Shanahan has added American Studies as a second major and History as a minor. She hopes to return to the estate next summer and pursue a career in historic preservation.

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DALUMNAE ASSOCIATION

PRESIDENT ANNIE IWANICKI ’86

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hen I walked into the Admission Office 34 years ago this fall and saw my name on the welcome sign (they were expecting me!) and a shiny bowl of apples on the coffee table, I knew I had found the college for me. When I graduated four years later, with my B.S. degree in Economics/Management, I was excited to begin my career in Boston working for a money management firm. I traded Boston for Springfield, Massachusetts, then opportunities came knocking in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Tampa, Florida. While I have traveled down the coast seeking career opportunities, I have been fortunate to have Russell Sage as the one place that still resonates as home for me. I have served as a class agent since graduation and on the alumnae board since 2000. I am humbled and honored to be your new president of the Russell Sage College Alumnae Association and look forward to serving you in this capacity. In September, I went back home to Troy for the fall meeting of the RSCAA. With the addition of seven new board members including Jen Johnson ’70, Janet Barclay ’78, Jan Murray Keravich ’86, Angela Puorto ’07, Bri Dolan Tracy ’08, Theresa Hotte ’15 and new Alumna Trustee Mary Altpeter ’71, we got down to business outlining plans for the 2015-2016 year. And we all know that 2016 is going to be a big year! As the Centennial of Russell Sage College quickly approaches, I am so excited that we will all be invited to celebrate our rich history with one another. The college is planning several signature events for fall 2016: a 5K Race, a gala and a special Founders Day speaker. Also, there will be a community-wide celebration held on Friday night, June 3, and all alumnae and their friends and families are invited to join in the fun. In addition to the College-sponsored activities, I have asked Joyce Isabelle ’88 to serve as co-chair of the Alumnae Centennial Committee. Joyce and her committee are busy formulating plans that will keep alumnae, regardless of where they reside, celebrating all year long! Simultaneously, we will continue to find ways to keep you connected with your alma mater. Whether it is through one of our many outreach events held in places from Northern California to Maine; staying in touch through the Sage Fund for Excellence; sprucing up your home-away-from-home, the Fredericka Voorhaar Slingerland Alumnae House; executing a memorable Reunion for classes ending in 1 and 6; or reaching out to today’s students who are our future alumnae, we are committed to fulfilling our motto, “To Be, To Know, To Do.” We strive to do MORE for you and we hope you, in turn, will do MORE for us. This includes talking up Russell Sage as a viable college choice to young women who are in your sphere of influence, continuing to participate in the Sage Fund for Excellence, wearing your class ring with pride, cheering on a Sage sports team wherever they may be playing, following the RSCAA on Facebook and so much more. Drop me a line at Annmpi13@gmail.com to say hello, offer your suggestions and let us know how we can serve you.

ask the Archivist

The Origins of the College Motto

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his summer, I was asked about the origins of the Russell Sage College motto, “To Be, To Know, To Do.”

Many Russell Sage traditions were started during the college’s first academic year, 1916-1917. Dorothy Vanderpool, a member of the Class of 1919, wrote in the first edition of the Russell Sage Review “… there were many things to discuss, and the opportunity for deciding important questions rests with the first class. We had the privilege of establishing things which will stand, not for a few years, we hope, but for generations to come.”

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CONNECTIONS fall 2015

One of these early discussions was the college motto. Sometime in spring 1917, a committee was elected to gather and review suggestions. This committee was assisted by faculty member Joseph H. Odell, who was also the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church (now Bush Memorial). Many students submitted recommendations and the committee ultimately decided upon Esse, Scire, Facere or “To Be, To Know, To Do.” It was suggested in another article of the Russell Sage Review that the motto and colors were chosen in order to create official college stationery. This article’s author wrote, “Perhaps it was this desire for college stationery, which usually bears an imposing seal, that turned the desires of Russell Sage girls towards a color and a motto.” It is difficult to verify this claim but it is possible students wanted the prestige of a college seal on their letters.

Nonetheless, the Russell Sage College seal was not designed during the first year because the colors and motto were selected at the conclusion of the spring semester. Vanderpool concluded her Review article by stating, “Our hope [is] that these emblems of our college, and the spirit which pervades it, may be the source of much inspiration to the classes to come as they have been to us, the pioneer class.” I think she would be happy to know that – almost 100 years later – “To Be, To Know, To Do” means MORE than ever. Do you have a question about Russell Sage College’s history? Send it to archives@sage.edu. Questions may be answered in a future Connections column.


DALUMNAE ASSOCIATION

AWARDS

Donna Esteves ’70 Receives Crockett Medal at Reunion

Barbara Cimino Chauvin ’80 Receives Woman of Influence Award; Kristy Quackenbush-Orr ’05 and Jessica Wilson ’05 Receive Young Alumna Award

Helen Burmaster ’78, immediate past president of the RSCAA, 2015 Crockett Medalist Donna Esteves ’70 and Ann Marie Paulhaus Iwanicki ’86, RSCAA president, after the Alumnae Association honored Esteves at Reunion.

T

he Russell Sage College Alumnae Association bestowed its highest honor, the Doris L. Crockett Medal, on educator, energy entrepreneur and philanthropist Donna Esteves during Reunion weekend. Esteves is immediate past chair of The Sage Colleges Board of Trustees, on which she has served since 2005, and chair of the Centennial Campaign for Sage. In 2012, she contributed $10 million, the largest gift to Sage, ever. This transformative gift provides support for facilities renovations, the endowment and Sage’s School of Education – now known as the Esteves School of Education. In 2010, she led a successful $1.5 million matching gift challenge to build Sage’s endowment; in 2005, her leadership gift funded chemistry labs for the INVEST incubator at Russell Sage College; and in 2002, she established the Edith E. Robinson Memorial Scholarship Fund in memory of her mother, which has provided support to 23 Education students so far. “The self-confidence that I developed at Russell Sage has empowered me to excel at the expected, adapt to the unexpected, and ultimately, to be successful,” said Esteves. An English major at Russell Sage, she taught grade school in the Louisiana bayou and high school and junior college in the New Orleans suburbs before returning to her native New Jersey and changing

careers – first to sales and marketing, and then to energy conservation. Her husband had started a company retrofitting buildings to conserve energy. When his company was offered residential lighting work, he passed, on the grounds that it wasn’t cost effective. Donna disagreed, and started Free Lighting Corp. to provide energy-efficient lighting for homes. Before she sold the business in 2001, Free Lighting had grown into the largest energy conservation contractor of its kind in the U.S. “I entered Sage a teenager afraid of her own feet and graduated as a woman afraid of nothing,” said Esteves upon accepting the Crockett medal. “The gift of a lifechanging educational experience is what I received and why I give back.”

Doris Crockett joined Russell Sage College at its founding in 1916 as secretary to the president. She remained part of the administration for 43 years, serving as director of admission, registrar and dean. The Alumnae Association established the award in her name upon her retirement in 1959, to recognize alumnae who demonstrate the same commitment to the college, as well as professional achievement or community service.

The RSCAA bestowed its Woman of Influence Award, honoring alumnae who positively and substantially influence their professions and communities, on Barbara Cimino Chauvin during Reunion weekend. Chauvin is a program nurse for the Center for Disability Services in Albany, in a preschool for children with special needs. She started her nursing career on a surgical unit at Boston Children’s Hospital and has also worked for Albany Visiting Nurses’ Maternal Child Health Program. The Alumnae Association bestowed the Marion Hughes Reuss ’45 Award, recognizing alumnae who achieve significant professional accomplishments within 15 years of graduation, on Kristy Quackenbush-Orr, Psy.D., and Jessica M. Wilson, Ph.D., during Reunion. Quackenbush-Orr is a provisional psychologist in Temple Terrace, Florida, specializing in anxiety, depression and biofeedback. She volunteers in an after-school program and as an advocate for mental health education and is co-author of a chapter in the Praeger Handbook of Sport Medicine and Athlete Health. During her doctoral internship at the Danville State Hospital in Pennsylvania, she served on a research team that received recognition from the governor and the Department of Public Welfare for its success reducing violent incidents. Wilson is an assistant professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Manhattan College in Riverdale, New York. Her teaching and research interests are in the area of water quality engineering. She was previously an environmental chemist at Environmental Testing Laboratories in Farmingdale, New York, and she has received several awards and grants including a research grant from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. PHOTO: President Susan Scrimshaw, Barbara Cimino Chauvin, Friend of the Association Honoree Sybillyn Jennings, Ph.D., Jessica Wilson, Kristy Quackenbush-Orr and RSCAA board members Helen Burmaster and Cathy Lewandowski Zwolinski ’81. CONNECTIONS fall 2015

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DALUMNAE ASSOCIATION

REUNION

BLUE ANGELS

1965 D oris Fischman 1965 M embers of the class celebrate their 50th Reunion.

Roth and Bonnie Maxon catch up in the Fredericka Voorhaar Slingerland Alumnae House.

2005 Members of the class in the Parade of Classes.

RED DEVILS

2015 A shley Bell-Bryington, Rebecca Akins, Shelby Montanaro and Victoria Bouchard at the Class of 2015’s first Reunion!

1955 V ee McEvoy Lindberg carries the class banner.

1975 M embers of the class in the Parade of Classes.

PURPLE COWS

2010 L aurynn Myers and Erica

Kirkland are cheered on by Alumnae Association Board Member Ivette Rodriguez Echeverria ’88.

1970 J oan H. Ellison, Donna

Esteves and Jennifer Johnson in the parade.

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CONNECTIONS fall 2015

1990 M embers of the 25th Reunion class in the Parade of Classes and at a reception at Vail House.


DALUMNAE ASSOCIATION

REUNION

GOLDEN HORSESHOES

2000 F riends in the Parade of Classes.

1980 Trustee Judy Bopp Campisi 1980 Alumnae Association Board Members and Barb Cimino Chauvin carry the class banner; Terry Sutherland Geraci, Eileen Scales Case and Linda Carabis-Brown follow with balloons.

Debbie Mitchell McAllister ’83 (left) and Tami Andrews Miller ’83 (right) with members of the Class of 1980 Linda Carabis-Brown, Sandy Curry Mincher and Barbara Cimino Chauvin.

REUNION WEEKEND HONORS GENEROUS ALUMNAE

1960 C arole Fromer, Jane Macri Dempsey and Barbara Weiss Greenspan.

Schacht Fine Arts Center

Tribute Garden

Russell Sage College Alumnae Association Board Members after a Sagettes performance and ceremony recognizing donors who support the Schacht Fine Arts Center. The Alumnae Association purchased an entire row of seats for the theatre.

Harriet Potter DeFranco ’50, Jeanne Randall Mader ’50, Pat Gilder and Marie Corrado ’50 at a ceremony that dedicated a bench in the Tribute Garden in memory of Barbara Spillinger ’52.

Jane Wardwell Roberts Library Floor Dedication

2010 B rittany Wood, Ashlee Sopko and Adrian Yau.

Members of the Class of 1950 after a ceremony dedicating the second floor of the Shea Learning Center in memory of Jane Wardwell Roberts ’50.

CONNECTIONS fall 2015

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CLASS NOTES

1944

Please send your news to: connections@sage.edu

Please send your news to: Suzanne Freedman Juster, Pacifica Forest Trace, 5500 NW 69th Ave. Apt. 577, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33319; 954-722-5567; isjuster@aol.com

1945

1949

Please send your news to: connections@sage.edu Donna Rose Hall French ’71, Bri Dolan Tracy ’08, May Murphy ’98, Julia Bogardus ’04 and Meghan Cote Aman ’11 welcomed first-year students to campus in August.

1935

Please send your news to: connections@sage.edu

1936

Please send your news to: connections@sage.edu

1939

Polly Soper Minehan reports of the passing of her younger sister, Barbara Soper Smith ’42, in June. Polly’s sister Virginia Soper Keough ’41 passed away four years ago. The Soper sisters were the first three sisters to attend Russell Sage college and at one time all three were on campus at the same time. They commuted from Albany with Polly driving her Dad’s car. Polly was also the executive secretary in Alumnae Relations for 23 years! Please send your news to: Polly “Pauline” Soper Minehan, 671 Lakeside Circle #323, Pompano Beach, FL 33060; 954-783-7733

1940

Please send your news to: Elizabeth “Betty” Cummings, 6 Church Street, West Boylston, MA 01583-1603; 508-835-3774; beamancummings@charter.net

1941 |

REUNION

Please send your news to: connections@sage.edu

1942

Please send your news to: connections@sage.edu

1943

Please send your news to: Muriel L. Wilhelm, 35 Schooner Apt. 314, Damariscotta, ME 04543; 207-563-0218 12

CONNECTIONS fall 2015

1946 |

REUNION

Jean Risley Hall passed away in March. Jean leaves her daughter Debi Hall Hampilos ’75, three sons, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband in 2008. In 60 years of marriage, Jean and Jack enjoyed visiting Japan, Ireland, Wales, England, Scotland, Mexico and Canada. They lived in Beaver Falls, PA; Escondido, CA; Allendale, SC; and Deerfield, Agawam and Sturbridge, MA, before settling in Charlton, MA. Jean had many interesting associations with the Daughters of the Nile, Eastern Star, Daughters of the American Revolution, the Mayflower Society and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church of Sturbridge. Somehow, Jean found time to knit for charities and to study genealogy. I admire such a well-spent life. Vera Cohen Lee has written about her adventures in Cuba.“It had changed since my last trip three years ago but, thankfully, I heard the same beautiful Latin music as before all over town.” For more about Vera’s trip, visit http://leev97. wix.com/cubanadventure. Please send your news to: Ann Heddens Kingston, 645 Ridge View Drive, Louisville, CO 80027-3295; 303-604-6408; ignatz1130@gmail.com

1947

Eleanor “Ellie” King Markel has been dealing with the frightening threat of fires. Ellie lives in Omak, in north-central Washington. She spoke of evacuation procedures and keeps her bag packed just in case. Ellie also shared news of the tragic death of her oldest son, Gary, last June in a motorcycle accident. We send her our sincere condolences. Unfortunately, condolences are also sent to the families of Lady Ricker Rucinski, who passed away in August, and Alson “Al” Spain, who passed away last March. Harriet “Hattie” Blank Lapkin and Sam recently celebrated their granddaughter’s Ph.D. from Cornell and her wedding. Sam turned 91 and they also just celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary. We delight in all their good news. I spoke with Eleanor “Ellie” Sapega Cochran, Marjorie “Jackie” Naylon Constantine and Marjorie “Midge” Schwartz Lewis. All are well. Sally French Dannemann hears from Lou Storms Plough every Christmas and emails with Ruth Freedman Kivitz regularly. How about you others? Rise and shine, you know. I remember Midge saying years ago that maybe she could do one or the other. Please send your news to: Elizabeth “Jay” Lee Warren, 46 West 25th Ave., Spokane, WA 99203; 509-995-1928; billandjay@ hotmail.com

1950

Please send your news to: Sylvia Saarnijoki, 24 Holly House Court #4A, Litchfield, CT 06759-3640; 860-567-5271

1948

Elizabeth “Boots” Coffed reports that Reynolds Plantation on Lake Oconee in Greensboro, GA, has been her home for almost 20 years. On May 12, Boots celebrated her 90th birthday and was honored with four parties – a birthday she’ll never forget. Her husband, Dale, turns 92 in November. Dale and Elizabeth play golf and volunteer at their church.

Pat Gilder, Paula Bentley, Marie Corrado ’50 and Harriet DeFranco ’50 at the Saratoga Race Course. Members of the “Nifty Class of ’50” at our 65th Reunion included June Ott Barth, Marie “Re” Corrado, Wallace Curley, Harriet “Pot” Potter DeFranco, Diane “Di” Bault DeMille, Margery Reinhardt Helm, Jeanne Randall Mader, Michelena “Micky” Mastrianni, Marie Guilana Margosian,


.

CLASS NOTES Barbara “Bret” Rosenbloom Movsky, and Nancy Gronwoldt Winter. We attended the memorial dedication for Jane Wardwell Roberts, who recently passed away. Jane had given generously to the college over the years. We were honored to cut the purple ribbon near the entrance to the floor in the Shea Learning Center dedicated to Jane. On Saturday morning, President Scrimshaw addressed the classes returning for Reunion. She informed us of the accomplishments of the past year and the plans to celebrate 100 years of Sage! Following lunch, we marched with our class banner in the Parade of Classes. At the annual meeting we were thrilled to learn our class gave over $3 million! Saturday evening we attended the Reunion dinner, with dancing and desserts. It was a wonderful weekend. Mary Kline fell in February and felt a little like Humpty Dumpty but is now back together. She was sorry to miss Reunion. Bobby Churchhill Bombard lives in Clifton Park, NY. Both her sons and their families are 10 miles away. Her senior housing is home to another Purple Cow from the Class of 1962. She is in contact with Jan Givens and Howie Fink. Roberta Shane has seven grandchildren, ages 8-19, and lives in Boca Raton, FL. Virginia Henriksen traveled to Maine for her granddaughter’s college graduation. Ginny’s son retired at the end of July and her sister turned 90 and they spent time together in August. She has a new great-grandson, born on July 4. That makes seven great-grandchildren! Ruth Wilson Royter spends the winter in Walnut Creek, CA, and April through December in Missoula, MT. Ruth taught after graduating from Russell Sage, first home economics in Hogansburg, NY, and then elementary school in Washington, DC. Now, Ruth is a docent at museums in the town where she lives. Ruth and Russ have two sons, one in Texas and one in California; five granddaughters; and two great-grandsons. Ruth and Russ have enjoyed a safari in Africa, finding family in Scandinavia, fishing in Alaska, hiking in Scotland and England and Road Scholar trips here and abroad. Marie Corrado and Pat Gilder were in Lake Placid for a week. They met up with Jeanne Mader and Harriet DeFranco. One day Joan Clifford ’82 and Paula Bentley visited

Lake Placid for the day and they had lunch together. In August, Harriet, Marie, Pat and Paula Bentley spent the day at the Saratoga Race Course then had dinner after. Great time! Please send your news to: Bret Movsky, 221 Warrington Drive, Rochester, NY 14618; 585-244-7095; brmovsky@yahoo.com

1951 |

REUNION

Rose DelNegro Weaver wrote, “The year 2016 will be a very important one for us. It will be our 65th Reunion and the 100th anniversary of the college. Hopefully, many of us will be able to share in this special event. I was elected president of the Red Class of 1951 at our 55th Reunion, after Nancy’s death. We miss her and I promise to do my best following in her shoes. My thanks to Jane Turner McKersie for calling so many of our classmates.” Rose retired after 50 years of elementary school teaching and many years of substitute teaching. She has been a docent at the National Museum of American History for 20 years; has traveled on river cruises and to Italy, England, Egypt and Greece; and regularly visits her children and grandchildren in Arizona and Florida. Suzan-Ann Frisbie started with the Class of 1950, took a year off after junior year, and graduated with the Class of 1951. She has a lovely soprano voice. It is the joy of her life that she can still sing in her 80s. She is part of a chorus that gives concerts for senior citizens and local fundraisers. Susan worked for the Humane Society in New Haven, CT; with abused children for several years; for New Haven’s redevelopment department; then taught third and fourth grades for 27 years. She has traveled to Europe, mostly Norway. When we compared notes about the Sistine Chapel in Rome, I remarked that my husband and I had been there with a group from RPI and that Joan Schnobel had been in that group. Joan was a friend of Susan’s. Susan reports that Joan recently lost her husband. Joan Sargent Wilmot lives in Lisle, IL. She said she had a wonderful experience at Sage living in Spanish House. The housemother and the Spanish teachers made life fun. Along with regular classes, she learned to dance and knew Spanish swear words (which came in handy at times). When she married her husband, he had business in England so she spent the first seven years of her married life

there. She had three children and then returned to the US. Flossie Hinkle Frommer and her husband, Walt, live in Florida. After graduation Flossie taught sewing. Walt is a mechanical engineer. As with many of us, Flossie and family followed his career with at least 15 moves. They retired from Atlanta, where Flossie was the administrative assistant to the president of a large company. They have lived in Florida for more than 25 years. Two of their three children live in Florida and one son lives in Binghamton, NY. One granddaughter is a high school honor student and another granddaughter is working on her master’s degree. Pat Parsons Strickland lives in Moultonborough, NH. She enjoys running Lion’s Club bingo nights. After Sage she became a certified dietician and did an internship in Colorado. Her husband had two children when they married. They then had four more, so she is mother to six. She had a wonderful story about her daughter and Sage: They came to Troy for her 25th Reunion. Her daughter liked Sage, enrolled and graduated on Pat and Charles’s 25th wedding anniversary. Adrienne Fares Garner lives in Port Saint Lucie, FL. She taught for a while, did social work, got married and had three children. She and her husband retired to Florida and love it. I was sad to learn that Barbara DeSmidt Mucklow passed away last year. Barbara and I lived across the alley from one another in Lansingburgh, NY. We went to high school together and of course, to Sage. Barbara married Neale Mucklow with whom we went to school. They had three children. Barbara had such a lovely voice. She was our song leader. Dorothy Schafer Treharne lives in Colorado with her son, grandson and a golden retriever. She has always been interested in the outdoors and her home is in a perfect spot to observe nature. Dot taught school for 30 years – kindergarten through college. Laura Tobin McMurray lives in Illinois near her daughter, son, daughter-inlaw and grandson. She recently lost her granddaughter, who died at 28 after suffering with lupus. Our condolences go out to Toby and her family. Toby volunteers at her church and at an organization to help the homeless. I married about a year after graduation. My husband was in the Air Force, so CONNECTIONS fall 2015

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CLASS NOTES we moved a lot. We finally settled in Chelmsford, MA, and have lived here for more than 50 years. I became active with the League of Women Voters and town politics, Cub Scouts and church. I have served on the conservation commission and on the land conservation trust. I went back to school at age 50, got a Master’s of Library Science from Simmons and was the high school librarian in Pelham, NH, for 12 years. We have enjoyed walking tours of the British Isles and visits to Italy, Germany, Scandinavia and Russia. We have a cottage in New Hampshire and get to Boca Raton, FL, every year for a month. We have three children and six grandchildren. I have had many nice comments about the last issue of Connections. We feel that this is a great way for those of us in our 80s to celebrate the school’s 100th birthday and our 65th Reunion year. Rose and I hope that many of us will be able to make the Reunion in June 2016. Contact me at the phone number or email listed below – I’d love to hear from the Class of 1951! Please send your news to: Jane McKersie; 978-256-0531 or 978-551-3786; admck@ comcast.net

1952

Marguerite Norton Spollen and her husband are now residents of Charlotte, NC, about 20 minutes from one of their daughters. I, Mary Ellen Falter Davie, and my husband, moved in July and are now at home in North Chili, NY, about 12 minutes from our former home in Spencerport. Keep those notes and emails coming! Please send your news to: Mary Ellen Falter Davie, 27 Freedom Pond Lane, N. Chili, NY 14514; 585-617-5123; rpdavie@ rochester.rr.com

1953

My computer ate up my Sage list so I had to type each email individually. I did some calling too. The first person I talked to was Barbara Dadson Carragher. I have been trying to get ahold of her for ages so I was shocked when she picked up the phone. She worked until she was 80 in a preschool for the handicapped. She laughed and said the last few years she only worked three days a week. Every holiday season she and her daughter from Providence, RI, go to Florida. They see Natalie Davenport 14

CONNECTIONS fall 2015

Bushnell in Melbourne Beach and then they spend the holidays with Barbara’s son. Barbara and Natalie have taken many trips to Europe together over the years. Then I called Natalie and she told me about the museum where she volunteers. The museum just received hundreds of coins salvaged from a Spanish ship that sunk in 1715! Natalie has 12 grandchildren. Several of them are in college. They love to hear her stories about Sage and its rules. Joan Carver is active in her community in Bucyrus, OH, a town of 12,000. She is treasurer of the Friends of the Library and membership chairperson of the historical society. A year ago, the mayor proclaimed Joan Carver Day and there was a reception at the library honoring her. I called the youngest member of our class Jean Mylner Wolz. Jean has three children. One daughter is a professor at the University of Central Florida. Her son is an American Airlines captain who she sees frequently because he has priority in assignments. Her other daughter and her husband bought a computer franchise in Hartford, CT. This venture was so successful that they sold the business and retired in their 40s. Jean is expecting her first grandchild in February. When I called Anne Frommel Wasula, a caretaker answered and said Anne was sleeping. Does anyone in Troy have any more information about Anne? Maybe someone could send her a card. Doris Rogers Rothman was anticipating going to California with Drew to see their grandson in October. The tragic news is the passing of their son-in-law in August of cancer. Mary “Liz” Hafler continues to work with the senior chorus and has several gigs scheduled. They were singing a program titled “Giving Thanks” – a tribute to veterans and civilian volunteers, along with some Thanksgiving hymns. Liz is about to have cataract surgery. Carol Ericson LaBar passed away in March. If anyone would like to share a story about Carol while she was at Sage, please give me a call or write me a note. As a matter of fact, a good time to write me anything is right after you have read Connections because my address is right in front of you! Martha Klahn Shangraw sent pictures of the Dubai Miracle Garden which features more than 45 flower species from all over the world.

I got a note from Mackie Serata Epstein who was vacationing with family in Stowe, VT. I wanted to give Rhoda Berman Lewis a hug after I talked to her. She is going through some health problems and so is her husband. Her daughter from New Jersey was there lending a hand. Rosemarie Adinolfi Hamilton and Guy have a new great-granddaughter! Another granddaughter is a good basketball player. Nan Schmalz wrote from the west coast that she has two great-granddaughters. She asked me if I still played bridge. The answer is yes, I play in three groups a month. She plays three games of bridge, including duplicate each week. Nan and I agree it is a great way to meet people. Nan fondly remembers the two tables of bridge she played in at Wool House. Sandy Light Cohn and I had a great time exchanging Sage stories. Sandy was married the November of our senior year. When she called her mother to tell her they had decided to get married in November, her mother said, “That’s only seven weeks from now. We need a place and a dress and I had better feed your father before I tell him.” Sandy and I also discussed dogs. The Cohns have a dachshund and we have a labradoodle. Jean Twiss Riley-Harris wrote that her husband had a virus. He recovered quickly and their son came from Taiwan to spend a week with them at Lake Champlain. Jean also told me that Cecil Waldman Goldstein’s husband had died. We send you our deepest sympathy Cecil. Judy Spain Taber has a new beau – a doctor from Harvard, so she is spending a considerable amount of time commuting to Boston these days. All is well in Boca Raton, wrote Joan Fogel Flaum. While in Sea Isle, GA, with her youngest son, his wife and three of her grandchildren, her granddaughter in Boca gave birth to Joan’s third greatgranddaughter on Joan’s birthday! Lucile Champagne Bryant wrote she has a new computer and an old brain. I like that. Her summer was filled with water aerobics at their city pool with salt, not chlorine water. She does chair exercises all year. She has a really good teacher and says you would be surprised at the variety of exercises you can do sitting in a chair! I can support that. I take chair yoga and it really gives my body a workout. Lucie finds that great-grandchildren are the


CLASS NOTES nicest surprises! She has five of them from three of her 11 grandchildren. I have some statistics about the Class of 1953 to share: There are 83 names on our class roster; 42 of those listed have an email address. Out of 42 emails I sent, nine were returned “undeliverable.” Out of the 33 that were delivered, only five people responded. I called 22 classmates and talked to eight. There are 12 of you that have neither a phone number nor an email address listed. Please notify the college if you have a change of address, phone number or email address. In fact email or call me with your changes and I will see that they are sent to the alumnae office. Please send your news to: Patricia Walker Mulholland, 1013 Sassafrass Circle, Bloomington, IN 47408; 812-334-2457; jmulholl@indiana.edu

1954

It is with deep sadness that I learned about the passing of the husbands of Mary Camarota DeCresente and Helen Hulet Wood. Please send your news to: Leila Berkowitz Schwartz, 12 Crescent Street, Box 688, Lake Luzerne, NY 12846; 518-696-3908

1955

Our 60th Reunion was grand, with Anne Corbett Clemente, Audrey McLaughlin Clary, Beverly Moore, Margery V.K. Winter and Vee McEvoy Lindberg! We were proud of our beautiful campus, especially the memorial garden for Gretchen Alberty Schindler. Gretchen’s husband, Hal, had the garden designed and dedicated in 2014. Several months ago, the Alumnae Office requested that we complete individual bios which would be compiled into a booklet that would be distributed at Reunion. I will share some of this information with you. Retired physical therapist Pat Avis Hammer writes that she received a good education with caring, talented professors. Widowed Bev Briggs Moore and her son operate the St. Croix Farm in Valley Falls, NY. They raise beef, chicken, rabbits and pheasant. They market the products at the farm and supply restaurants. We extend sympathy to her as her sister Helene, a member of the Class of 1949, passed away in February.

Jane Cluett Hansen lives in Petersburgh, NY. Her five children received their education in Denmark. Anne Corbett Clemente and her husband live in Troy. Nine of their 10 children reside in the area. Jean D’ Agostino Cameron wrote from Cape Canaveral, FL, that she is active in church ministries, plays tennis, and cruises each year. Susan Edwards of Orleans, MA, writes, “My 10 years as director of admissions at RSC was a career highlight and working with President Froman and Dean Harvey who were tireless in their aim to make RSC a top-notch undergraduate institution was an unparalleled opportunity and was the foundation for the rest of my career in education.” Nancy Gibbons Pierson lives in Riverside, CT, with her husband. She retired from Citibank and is the mother of three. Elsie Grub Martineau lives in Palm City, FL, near a daughter. Elsie has been widowed twice. Her nursing skills have been an important part of her life. Her daughter Rebecca graduated from Sage in the 80s. Harriet Koslow Warshaw lives in Charlotte, NC, near family. She was widowed in 2010. Harriet transferred from Sage to the University of Georgia. Audrey Mclaughlin Clary and her husband live in West Boylston, MA. She enjoyed her nursing career. Audrey commented that she was chairman of the Ring Dinner. She cherished her life at German House! Jean Reule Lewis and her husband live in Sarasota, FL. She was an Army wife for 24 years. Jan became active in the National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children and served as the national president. Her son, Scott, was murdered at age 21. Joan Steinhardt Landesman and her husband, Alan, live in Haworth, NJ. Joan taught physical education, then elementary school in New York City. She and Alan owned a travel agency for 30 years. Sister Mary Thurlough has been a member of the Daughters of Charity since 1961 and has worked and traveled in many US, Canadian and European cities. Presently, Sister Mary is with the Daughters of Charity Health Services in New Orleans, LA. She enclosed her photo and she sparkles. Margery Van Keuren Winter and her husband live in Wichita, KA. They have a summer home in the Catskill Mountains,

where Marge grew up! They winter in California. Marge wrote of her fond memories of German House and sharing dinner with Spanish House. The Winters enclosed a recent photo of them. They also sparkle! Althea Williams Hurley lives in El Dorado Hills, CA, near her children. She writes that her favorite Sage memories are friendships. I, Vee McEvoy Lindberg, live in Fayetteville, NY, with my husband. We returned to “home country” in 2012 after 11 funfilled years at The Villages, FL. Our blended family includes 10 children and 23 grandchildren. Our daughter Mary graduated from Sage in 1988. Please send your news to: Kay Brooks Blick, 40D Forest Drive, Springfield, NJ 07081-1126; 973-376-6091; kblickkidzpax@ comcast.net Vee McEvoy Lindberg, 5100 Highbridge Street Apt. 22C, Fayetteville, NY 13066; 315-632-6133; pvlindberg@twcny.rr.com

1956 | REUNION

Sage is celebrating 100 years in the year of our 60th Reunion! Are we celebrating? The Reunion is June 3-5, 2016. I am celebrating the fact that at age 81, I am still able to compose class notes, both mentally and physically. How about all of our classmates? Hope you are all as well as I am. Marcy Luloff Sabesin is still working and lives in Chicago. She’s done some traveling to Florida and to Tucson. Two of her children live nearby and one is in Los Angeles, where they also visit. Eunice Smith Laughlin wrote that she has been in the same place for a very long time. Christine Collard Devereaux had a pacemaker implanted last year but is traveling and playing tennis! Please send your news to: Carol Davis Winston, 35 Dunbar Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418; 561-625-5910; carwins@comcast.net

1957

A good time was had by all except the lobsters at the annual Lobstah Fest at Robinson’s Restaurant in Southport, ME. Nancy Blair Myers and her husband were there, and I was happy to have my sister Muriel Wilhelm ’43 accompany me. How about sending some news? CONNECTIONS fall 2015

15


CLASS NOTES Please send your news to: Irma Wilhelm, 43 Young Road; Augusta, ME 04330; 207622-9344; ijwilhelm@aol.com

1958

Please send your news to: Millicent Clayton Hull, 1332 Atterberry Road, Sequim, WA 98382; 360-504-1149; MMCH21@juno.com Dorothy Muller Frost, 230 Lake Drive, North Bennington, VT 05257; 802-4422997; dotsyfrost@yahoo.com Diann Allan Billing, 46 Mallard Drive, Hackettstown, NJ 07840-2836; 973-9624648; dbilling@verizon.net

1959

Please send your news to: Karolyn Wentzel Nealon, 3310 Longbow Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15235-5135; 412-824-2558; jhnealon@verizon.net

1960

Our 55th Reunion was my first Reunion since 1990 and it was great to see everyone who made it: Dee DeSerras Arenella, Jane Macri Dempsey, Carole Sammons Fromer, Ruth Ulrich Grommeck, Betsy Hillman Matthews, Fran DeGuire O’Neill, Dare Margosian Stalica, Marylou Hillsgrove Taylor and Gretchen Grever Wilson. We stayed in Sage Hall, which hasn’t changed much since I spent my sophomore year there. Because we were Nursing majors, Jane Macri Dempsey and I were interested in visiting the nursing lab. It was amazing! There are mannequins that can deliver babies, simulate heart disease and more. Reunion weekend coincided with a memorial service for Nicholas Danforth, M.D., Dot Diehl Danforth’s husband of 53 years. Marylou Hillsgrove Taylor and I, who knew Nick when he was a medical student at Albany, drove to Arlington, VT, to attend the service and spend a few hours with Dot. Marylou Hillsgrove Taylor, Ann Heck Skidmore and Grace Kirchner Watt had a reunion in Florida this past spring. Marylou and Ann were freshman year roommates and Grace lived next door. Grace and Ann have daughters who are Sage graduates. Marylou reported that Sylvia Webber Bellairs spent a weekend with her as she traveled from Fort Myers back to Michigan. Sylvia, who still plays 16

CONNECTIONS fall 2015

tennis, visited Bonny Darrow Moser in Manlius, NY, and Dot Diehl Danforth in Vermont, on her way from Michigan to Maine for a family reunion in August. Ruth Ulrich Grommeck and her husband had dinner with Margery Winter ’55 and her husband in Lew Beach, NY. They met at the last Reunion and discovered that they all summered in the Catskills. Our Class of 1960 started a scholarship fund that needs to get to $60,000 before interest from it can be given to a worthy student. We are now at $50,000, which means we only need another $10,000! Since next year is the 100th anniversary of the founding of RSC, let’s all try to pitch in and get this class gift over $60,000! Please make a note when you send in your contribution that the money is to be designated for the Class of 1960 Scholarship Fund. On June 3, 2016, there will be a celebration for all of the classes in honor of RSC’s 100th birthday. Let’s get a big turnout! Please send your news to: Katherine Diamond, 793 Ashbury Street, San Francisco, CA 94117; kathryn@ kathryndiamond.net

1961 |

REUNION

Please send your news to: Linda Nee, 10201 Grosvenor Place Apt. 1413, North Bethesda, MD 20852; 301-493-6533; Nee.linda@aol.com Sandra Houck Tiedemann, 272 Patrice Terrace, Williamsville, NY 14221-3922; 716632-6756; sjtstitches@aol.com

1962

Carolyn Cogan Garter, 13657 Whippet Way West, Delray Beach, FL 33484-1569; 561498-3093; ccggrandma@yahoo.com

1963

Ellen Kort Price ’66, mother of the bride Arlene Given Price ’63, Joanna Price Rusk ’96 and Amy Murphy ’94 at Joanna’s wedding. During the summer, Anne Stammel Bowman of Plano, TX, milked a cow, fed pigs, and gathered eggs. Her son retired after 23 years in the Air Force. He now flies for Horizon Air and has started farming with his veterinarian wife and their four teenagers near Olympia, WA. Anne spent three weeks taking part in chores, canning produce, making butter and cheese and enjoying it all. Anne’s granddaughter graduated from high school in Bel Air, MD. She studies Special Education in college. Grandma Anne teaches music to special needs kids, so she and Amber have a bond. Anne also has a son in Dallas and two sons in Denver. Fran Haitow Lapides and her husband, Alan, are retired in Los Angeles. They have three grandchildren – twins in Tucson, AZ, and a granddaughter in Los Angeles. Fran and Alan have been on an African safari and to Iceland and Greenland. Fran is busy with the League of Women Voters, playing bridge, volunteering at their synagogue, taking classes and enjoying friends. If anyone is in Los Angeles she would love to hear from them. Jean Matzinger plays tennis every week. She saw Connie Moore Grahn when she stopped by on her way to her summer cottage in Watertown, NY.

Classmates Judy Berdon, Elaine Semisa Nolan, Jill Harren Shaifer, Karen Liptzin Sitton and Rosemarie Vacca. Judy Berdon, Elaine Semisa Nolan, Jill Harren Shaifer, Karen Liptzin Sitton and Rosemarie Vacca held a “mini-reunion” in June. Please send your news to: Elaine Cohen Freedman, 96 Brookline Avenue, Albany, NY 12203; rlfrealty@verizon.net

Penelope “Penny” Mont has lived in Beaufort County in South Carolina for more than 17 years. She recently retired, again, after working as an activity director at an assisted living home for two years. She loves spending time at home, not rushing anymore, and taking care of her beloved 10-year-old dog. She writes paperbacks and ebooks for Amazon. Penny hopes that you are all enjoying life and your grandkids as much as she is. She invited


CLASS NOTES members of the class to friend her on Facebook and LinkedIn. Arlene Given Price’s daughter Joanna Price Rusk ’96 was married in Schoharie, NY. Alumnae at the reception at Arlene’s home included Arlene’s sister-in-law Ellen Kort Price ’66 and maid of honor Amy Murphy ’94. Sara Derrick Norberg spent the winter in Florida, which turned out to be cool, windy and rainy. A group of longtime friends made up for the weather with lots of socializing. Sara’s husband had his hip replaced in June, so now they have a set – his left and her right. He is back to painting, so they’ll do a few art shows before the holidays. Sara’s interest is music, plays and volunteer activities. She keeps in touch with Graclee Gratto in Florida and with Gloria Lester Kadish. Sara commented that their grandchildren – ages 16,14,13,12 – are growing up so fast. I, your new class correspondent Jean Hunt Evoy, keep busy as a Guardian ad Litem representing abused children in court, and mentoring elementary children in reading. My husband and I enjoy participating in butterfly counts and taking wildlife pictures.

Hall to hear Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary. Saratoga Race Course is always on my list for the summer and that was lovely. In September we were in Prince Edward Island, Canada, with our RV, enjoying the music and the shellfish. Elizabeth Susman and Marcia Carlson Leader had a wonderful visit at Betty’s house in the Cooperstown area after reconnecting at Reunion. Kathleen Dunham O’Brien enjoyed a week with her daughter Kate and her family on Block Island, RI, followed by a weekend tenting with her daughter Megan and her family in Clinton, CT. Megan entered a lottery for a ticket to see the pope in Washington, DC. She won one ticket which she insisted Kathleen have. They traveled together to Washington, where Kathleen saw Pope Francis. Please send your news to: Bonita Maxon, 110 East Shore Drive, Petersburg, NY 12138; 518-658-2873; bamrdk@aol.com

1966 |

REUNION

It is with great sadness that we report the sudden, tragic loss of Alex and Bobbi Schwartz Sobel’s daughter, Lara Sobel. Please send your news to: Jean Hunt Evoy, 1596 NW Goathill Street, Arcadia, FL 34266; jevoy@bio.miami.edu Carol Carpenter Michels, 160 Barley Neck Road Box 396, East Orleans, MA 02643; ccmichels@aol.com Mary “Marcie” Schukoske Woodward, 10505 E Sky High Drive, Tucson, AZ 85730; 520722-0980; zmme1@cox.net

1964

Please send your news to: Shari Taylor Grove, 32 Shepard Street #31, Cambridge, MA 02138-1518; 617-576-1302; sharigrove@ gmail.com

1965

Before Reunion in May, my Sage roommate Jane Woodel Tietjen came to spend a few days and after Reunion my other roommate Doris Fischman Roth visited. We toured Bennington, VT, and Williamstown, MA, including the Williams College Art Museum for the Andy Warhol exhibit. I had a busy summer with cultural activities. I also visited the Clark Museum in Williamstown. Another day I went to the Cohoes Music

Susan Weisberg Denniston ’68 and Judith Shor Kronick ’66. Mark your calendar for June 3-5, 2016 for our big 50th Reunion! Our 50th is the same year that RSC is celebrating its 100th anniversary, so there will be some very big doings that weekend. Helen Denzler Burlazzi writes that Carol Pfordte Mabin and her husband spent a day with them at Helen’s daughter’s place in Ludlow, VT. Lynne Bennett Crimi says she doesn’t have any news, but is looking forward to our 50th Reunion! Sally Dunnells Campbell and her husband visited Nancy Kebbon Aho and her husband in Damariscotta, ME, in July. They all went to the annual RSC Lobsterfest in Boothbay Harbor and met up with Ann Ogilvie Wehrwein. Sally’s husband retired in January and they have enjoyed traveling to South Carolina and Ohio to visit their sons and families without a “back-towork” deadline. Judy Shor Kronick enjoys a relaxing life since retiring as a medical reference

librarian at the University of Connecticut Health Center. She is involved in activities organized by the Hartford chapter of the Brandeis National Committee. Although her husband continues to work, his job offers flexibility, allowing them to visit their vacation home in Charlestown, RI, frequently. Their daughter and three grandchildren often join them. Judy and Allen visited Judy’s Sage Little Sister Susan Weisberg Denniston ’68 in San Jose, CA. They toured the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, tasted wines in Sonoma Valley, and visited the Google campus. They toured San Francisco and spent a day enjoying the beach at Carmel. Cynthia Lewis Robbins hopes to make it to our 50th Reunion if she can work around the high school graduations of two of her grandchildren in Boston and in Bozeman, MT. In 2013, Rosemary Noonan Celtruda and her husband did a fantastic world tour on Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth linked to the Queen Mary II. They made a few trips to Arizona in 2013 and 2014. Their eldest son lives in Phoenix with his wife and three daughters, and they were there this May for their granddaughters’ promotion ceremonies at their schools. Their eldest granddaughter is going into high school and the twins are going into middle school. Rosemary also visits her sister in Sun City, AZ. Just after New Year this year they made a road trip to Florida, spending two months driving down the coast. One stop was to see Rosemary’s Sage roommate, Sharon Nottingham, and her husband in Del Ray Beach. They spent summer in Mystic, CT, hosting their grandkids from Arizona and Pennsylvania; their grandsons who live in Mystic were over daily. In August 2014, Joyce Hartman Diaz visited Staten Island to meet Joanna Phinney Wallis and Joanna’s sister Helen. They took the Staten Island Ferry to New York City to visit the 9/11 Memorial then drove to Connecticut to see Judy Galza DiMattia. Then they headed back to New York state. They drove to Corning and visited the Corning Glass Museum, then to Geneva and the Finger Lakes. They drove to Lockport for the Lockport Caves and a boat tour. In Niagara Falls, they rode the Maid of the Mist. The group went on to see Buffalo. Helen and Joanna headed to the Thousand Islands, Judy went back to Connecticut and Joyce went to visit family in Buffalo. CONNECTIONS fall 2015

17


CLASS NOTES Carol Sweet Morse is active in the Hudson Valley Singers. She and her family traveled around Cape Cod, visiting Plimoth Plantation and Provincetown, this summer. Hilah “Winkie” Geraghty Gaba enjoys retirement. They drift between their homes in Bethesda and Ocean City, MD, and their home in the Shenandoah Valley. They enjoy their grandchildren and were anticipating the birth of their seventh to their youngest son and his wife in October. They took everyone (14!) on a Disney cruise in January. They traveled to England in May and to Disney with their daughter and her family in June. They are looking forward to another trip to Australia in September to visit longtime friends. They spend a lot of time at the beach with their grandchildren – the oldest is 7 and the youngest is 18 months. Marianne Clark Bennink just returned from France. She and Donald have North Florida Holsteins in Bell, FL. Donald practiced law in New York, but his first love is farming. They moved south 30 years ago. Marianne is a retired licensed clinical social worker. They have two children and two grandchildren. As for me, Barb Towne Patterson, my summer was busy tending to our gardens and yard. I went up to my camp in the Adirondacks and to dulcimer festivals in the Poconos and Latham. Please remember our upcoming 50th Reunion! If you have photos of our college days or of Reunions, please send them to me. As always, continue to send news to me or to Judy Shor Kronick. Please send your news to: Judy Shor Kronick, 158 Brewster Road, Windsor, CT 06095-2624; 860-688-6356; judykron2@ comcast.net Barbara Towne Patterson, 1 Ralsey Road South Stamford, CT 06902; 203-324-7259; b.patterson66@yahoo.com

1967

I, Rona McNabola Miller, am passionate about being on the Glen Rock Board of Education. We began full-day kindergarten this year, so are progressing in our quest to give children a great start to life-long learning. I enjoy Facebook. I do not post often, but it is a fantastic way to connect with friends from Sage. There are several groups on Facebook that allow us to see what is happening on campus now. The photos from moving-in day were fantastic and reading alumnae comments on their 18

CONNECTIONS fall 2015

own first day at Sage made me smile. Email Judy or me with your news or friend me on Facebook! Please send your news to: Judith Prest Bowden, 518-441-5012; judithbowden@ yahoo.com Rona McNabola Miller, 30 Spottswood Road, Glen Rock, NJ 07452; 201-444-8950; ronamc@verizon.net

1968

Please send your news to: Susan Wolfe Herron, 408F S. Croskey Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146; 215-735-1088; swherron@verizon.net

1969

Barbara Alexandra launched a new website for her company at Designwestgraphics.com. Sarah Marsh Johnston sent great news, though bittersweet. Lindsay Corbett, Tiffany Kominos Corbett’s daughter, gave birth to twins Gus and Liv in June, both healthy and happy. She said she missed her mother dreadfully through her pregnancy and delivery but knows she had her own guardian angel. Sarah and Marilyn Philbrick Buxton completed their second moving trip for her family by helping her niece move from Colorado to New York. Kathy Taylor Brown sold her Pittsford, VT, antique business. She has six grandchildren, ages 3-16, who live close by. She is a nurse with the Rutland Area visiting nurses and hospice. KT is single again and will find a new place to live after a cruise with her sister and brotherin-law. Good luck as you begin the next chapter in your life! Joanne Borman Duncan and her husband spent a week with Carole Wontka Baumes and her husband, Paul, on Anna Maria Island, FL, last March. Nearby were Marlene Ferraro Emerick and her husband, Rich. Carole arranged a lunch in Venice, FL, with Florie Bruschi Palange and her husband, George, and Robbi Thompson Bray and her husband, Jon. Florie and George spend six months a year in Port Charlotte, FL, and Robbi and Jon spend the winter on Long Boat Key near Sarasota. I received an email from Nancy Simoncini Prune ’71, freshman roommate of my Little Sister Sherry Weischel. Sherry married Ed Hart and had a daughter. Sadly, Sherry died at age 36. Thank you for writing to

me, Nancy, and congratulations on being married to your 3-3 date for 43 years! Jane Goldenberg Cohen and Henry moved to Warren, NJ. I wish them much happiness in their new home. Rick and I sold our Connecticut home and live in Rhode Island from May-October and Florida from October-May. Our new contact information is below. Our winter residence faces Port Everglades and two classmates have visited us, coming and going on cruises: Betsy, George and Melissa Markle Gardner and John and Terry Wolgang Raggazzini. Hope all of you have been enjoying the RSC page on Facebook. I loved the photos of the Class of 2019 Red Devils moving into the dorms! Please send your news to: Elin Fischman Lawrence, 315 Ram Island Road Charlestown, RI 02813, 401-364-7169 (MayOctober); 2100 South Ocean Lane, Point of Americas 1 #1008, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316, 754-223-7223(October-May); elawrlaw@sbcglobal.net

1970

Congratulations Donna Robinson Esteves, who received the Doris L. Crockett Medal from the Russell Sage Alumnae Association! Donna has made us proud with her contributions to Russell Sage. Attendance at our 45th Reunion was small but mighty. It’s always fun to see the wonderful changes in our campus, but the changes in downtown Troy left us awestruck. Troy is now one of those happening, touristy river towns! Condolences to the family of Susan Graham Blitzer who passed away in May. Please send your news to: Beverly Miller Sigg, 15 Vinson Drive, Flemington, NJ 08822; 772-539-0120; b2zig@yahoo.com

1971 |

REUNION

Classmates in Falmouth, MA. A group of Red Devils vacationed in Falmouth, MA, at the home of Joanne Petito McCarron. The gathering included Peggy


CLASS NOTES Schmidt Pittaro from California; Joanne Hachman Evans from Washington; Anki Wolf, Marilyn Lockwood Corrigan and Marty Berry Katter from the Boston area; Virginia Lee and Carol Zandan Patterson from New York state; and Paula Mosca Martens from Hilton Head. Please send your news to: Mary Mulvihill Pecoraro, 5 Walsh Avenue, Stoneham, MA 02180; 781-662-8648; mmpec@aol.com

1972

Please send your news to: Rosemary Crowley Buja, 19 Greenvalley Road, Medway, MA 02053-1933; 508-533-6120; rbuja@comcast.net Patricia Maiorano Johnson, 2433 220th Place, NE, Sammamish, WA 98074; 425-868-0139; pj2433@comcast.net Susan Ackerman Hillman, 29428 Arlington Way, Farmington Hills, MI 48331; 248-4898062; suehillman@aol.com

1973

Jackie Colby Love and Jackie Henry Roy are on the college’s Centennial planning committee, making plans to celebrate 100 years of Russell Sage. The first event will be on Friday, June 3, 2016 (the Friday night of Reunion weekend for the 1s and 6s). It will be a barbecue and fireworks over the Hudson River. The 1s and 6s will celebrate their Reunion the weekend of June 3-5, but the event on Friday night is an all-class celebration. Since our Big Sister Class of 1971 will be having their Reunion, we might want to plan something to honor them. If you have ideas, please contact Jackie Love or Jackie Colby at jcolbylove@sbcglobal.net or jackieroy32@gmail.com. Other Centennial events include a 5K run in downtown Troy on September 24, 2016 and a gala on October 21, 2016. Please send your news to: Deborah Tuma, 525 Riverleigh Avenue, Unit 72, Riverhead, NY 11901; 631-338-5421; dstumafish@yahoo.com Clarissa Robaczynski Alimena, 47 Mulberry Lane, Shelton, CT 06484; calimena@yahoo.com

1974

Please send your news to: Jo SchoenGood, 47 Dowitcher Court, Wayne, NJ 07470; Cbyh2@aol.com

Denise Lipkvich, 5 Tanglewood Drive, Brandford, CT 06405; dlipkvich@yahoo.com

1975

Our 40th Reunion was wonderful. We missed classmates who were unable to join us. One classmates who could not join us was Barbara Brinkman Conte, who traveled with her husband from their home in St. Helena Island, SC, to the Capital Region this summer. During her visit Barb got together with Mary Vinciguerra D’Ambrosio and her husband.

1976 |

REUNION

Please send your news to: Marie Nangeroni, 2031 Nott Street, Niskayuna, NY 12309; 518-669-9937; mnangeroni@ hotmail.com Vilma Zaracostas Russ, 41 Ridge Road, Cornwall, NY 12518;845-534-2325; vilmaruss@yahoo.com Elizabeth Sciurba, 27 Ingersol Road, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866; 518-6956405; esciurba@nycap.rr.com Wendy Symmes Mayer, 57 Linden Avenue, Swampscott, MA 01907; 781-581-6235; sage6235@aol.com

About 40 attended the Reunion. I reconnected with Robyn Pitchford and Nancy Barshop Dunlop during the luncheon. Robyn lives and works in Medford, MA. Nancy is retired from her school district work but continues her efforts with Response Hotline of Suffolk County to help prevent suicide. Nancy has been doing a lot of adventure traveling around the world. Her Facebook pictures are an epic travelogue.

1977

Familiar faces at Reunion included Marie Bellizzi, Audrey Depelteau, Deborah Williams, Deb Scott Spurgas, Barb Fildes, Lois Merliss Oswald, Regis Glancy Beauclair, Margie Hugus Proulx, Janet Downey Prpich, Sandy LaFerla Hearns, Patty Holohan Rogers, Fern Daly MacMillan, Deborah Peter Hustek, Susan Whitaker DiCamillo, Patricia Henry Uhl, Nora Murphy, Terry Fox Stoller, Linda Deis Gaylo, Judith Steeves Zettek, Constance Thomaris Bicknell, Dianne Southwick Shapiro and Linda Rimkunos, MD, along with many other others who will be mentioned in future posts.

We hear news on our Facebook page: Russell Sage College ’77. If you haven’t joined the group, please do.

Linda Deis Gaylo, Maggie Zerby Minneman and I, along with others, went on a Mediterranean cruise in July. We visited Barcelona, Cannes, Cinque Terre, Rome, Pompeii, Herculaneum and Crete during our adventure. Amy Silverman Berkowitz and her husband took the same trip just before us. They renewed their wedding vows earlier this summer.

Please send your news to: Lois Cloud Malenczak, 102 Edwards Avenue, Sayville, NY 11782;631-563-1966; lcloudpt@aol.com

I will provide more news from our Reunion class book in future Connections.

1978

Please send your news to: Melanie Punte Puorto-Conte, 2000 Van Antwerp Road, Niskayuna, NY 12309; 518-842-0602; mpuortoconte@nycap.rr.com

Congratulations to Leslie Nicoll, who received the Margaret Comford Fieda Award for editorial leadership in a nursing publication at the annual meeting of the International Academy of Nursing Editors. The award was named for a good friend of Leslie’s who recently passed away. We are all proud of you Leslie and your many accomplishments!

I, Lois Cloud Malenczak, had a liver transplant on August 21! After 40 years of autoimmune hepatitis and liver disease I feel fantastic! A true miracle and I thank God for the choice of my organ donor. I hope that if you are not an organ donor you consider being one. You can do this online. Thanks to all my classmates who have reached out to me – I have felt everyone’s love.

Jill Hastings Mack, 39 Rocky Point Drive, Bow, NH 03304-4115; 603-663-5710; cyberjill@comcast.net Joanne Salvador, 301 South Ocean Blue #1, Pompano Beach, FL, 33062; j.m.salvador@ att.net

Please send your news to: Laura Haid Laffond, 3580 Loftlands Drive, Earlysville, VA 22936-2452; 434-465-1350; llaffond@ comcast.net

CONNECTIONS fall 2015

19


CLASS NOTES Mary Beth Ford Karam, 204 Greenwood Drive, Schenectady, NY 12303; 518-3559713; bkaram56@gmail.com

I was asked to put out a call to Mary T. Smith ’78: Little Sister Sandy Curry Mincher would like to get in touch!

Sharon Barber Wall, 58 Bloomingdale Avenue, East Greenbush, NY 12061; 518479-4226; sbwall@nycap.rr.com

Jeanne Markin announced the next event in Rochester, NY: On Saturday, April 2, 2016, President Scrimshaw will be the guest speaker at a luncheon at the Woodcliff Hotel & Spa in Fairport, NY, from 11:30 am3 pm. All alumnae are welcome. Contact jcmuschina@aol.com.

1979

Please send your news to: Linda Cowell-Jay, 3 Crossbow Road, Norfolk, MA 02056; 508520-8735; lcowellmd@aol.com

1980

Classmates from near and far returned for our 35th Reunion weekend which included a welcome back dinner and class reception in Spanish House; a Sagettes performance; visits to The Ruck (the former Sutter’s) and Bootlegger’s; and Troy Night Out, a monthly arts and culture event. A highlight from Saturday’s activities included Barb Cimino Chauvin receiving the Woman of Influence Award. The award honors alumnae who live the ideals of the motto “To Be, To Know, To Do.” Congratulations Barb! Judy Bopp Campisi and Barb Cimino Chauvin carried our banner in the Parade of Classes while Cathy Soden-Rotondo, Eileen Scales Case and Linda CarabisBrown waved balloons. A timing glitch kept several others from making the parade a 1980 gold rush. During the alumnae gathering in Bush, our class received the Best Hospitality award … yes, the Horseshoes still know how to throw a party! We presented President Scrimshaw with a check for more than $44,000, representing annual and restricted class giving. Thanks to all who participated!

1984

Please send your news to: Amy Young, 29 Howes Street, Springfield, MA 01118; 413-747-8965; aeyoung84@gmail.com

1985

Maxine Goldsmith, 39 Harwich Lane, West Hartford, CT 06117; 860-632-6301; geemaxhome@gmail.com

1981 |

1986 |

REUNION

REUNION

I, Esther Denham, recently looked through my yearbooks and was reminded of many of you. I’d love to hear from you. Save the date for our Reunion on June 3-5, 2016. Hope to see you there to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the college!

Deborah Browne Goss ’81 and Daniel Goss.

Please send your news to: Esther Denham, 616 Ridge Road, Scotia, NY 12302-6720; larrydenham@juno.com

Laura Evers Lasak’s son graduated from the University of Alabama in May and now works in Atlanta with AT&T.

Alison Wolf, 27 Birch Road, West Hartford, CT 06119; 860-714-7059; Alisonl.wolf@ gmail.com

It is time to make plans for our 35th Reunion in June. Encourage your buddies to attend. See you in Troy, June 3-5, 2016. Come celebrate the 100th anniversary of Sage!

1987

You may have noticed my name change. Daniel Goss and I were married May 17, 2014! Please send your news to: Deborah Browne Goss, 60 North Maple Street, Warsaw, NY 14569-1215; 585-786-3490; dlbrowne@ frontiernet.net

1982

We enjoyed the Reunion cocktail hour in Bush, dinner in the Robison Gym and demitasse, dessert and dancing, dancing, yes, lots of dancing back in Bush. Several closed the night at Lucas Confectionery (another part of downtown Troy’s revival).

Marcy Anderson, 70 County Road 84C, Santa Fe NM 87506; 505-455-2067; marcyanderson@gmail.com

CONNECTIONS fall 2015

Please send your news to: Sharon Spicer, 10 Laurel Glen Drive, Shelton, CT 06484; 203929-6706; smwspicer@gmail.com

Please send your news to: Deborah Webster McMaster, 77 Hollis Street, Pepperell, MA 01463; 978-433-1947; dwmcmaster77@ aol.com

Saturday afternoon we elected class officers for the next five years: President Bernie Dennis Constable; Reunion CoChairs Mary Beth “Mubba” Sayre and Cathy Soden-Rotondo; Class Agents Meg Walsh Heller and Terry “TB” Sutherland Geraci; and Class Correspondents Max Goldsmith and Terry Sutherland Geraci.

It was a great weekend! Many are committed to returning for the Centennial celebration in 2016. 20

Please send your news to: Therese Sutherland Geraci, 2439 Crescent Lake Place, Johnson City, TN 37615; tsgeraci@ aol.com

1983

Suzanne Candee Tartaglia, 21 Mount Nebo Road, Newtown, CT 06470; 203-270-6880; suzanne@candee.org

Please send your news to: Lisa Abatemarco, 16 Kippen Court, Pinehurst, NC 28374; lmra323@comcast.net

Joan Traver, 1 Downey Road, Troy, NY 12180-9527; 518-279-9946; joanietr@ earthlink.net

Anita Lawless married Irv Rubin in May in Alexandria, VA. Carol Ann Skwara Davis and Jill Frank attended and had a blast! Anita and Irv celebrated their engagement in Kona, HI, and will celebrate their marriage in Ireland. Please keep the good news coming. Please send your news to: Dawn Cope Barilli, 239 Old Orange Avenue, Walden, NY 12586; 845-778-1630; dawnbarilli@gmail.com Terry Allen, 6550 Number 4 Road, Lowville NY 13367-9104; 315-376-1906; tballen@ twcny.rr.com

1988

Patricia Haflich Tharrett welcomed a grandson to her family this August. While she was in Georgia waiting for her stepdaughter to give birth, she visited Disney World and Universal Studios where she saw Rebecca Gordon Bloom. Trish and her family not only enjoyed the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, they got to take Becca to lunch. Becca works for Blue Man Group at Universal. She, her


CLASS NOTES husband and son recently moved into a new house. Laura Perun Pederson is doing well, navigating her career in health care and the activities of her kids. Jill Fox Ostaszewski started a new job in the membership office of the Princeton Club. Joyann Cinti is visiting colleges with her daughter. Simone Awang lives in Virginia and is chief security officer/human resources officer for the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, a federal agency under the Executive Office of the President. She has a very interesting job and has met lots of interesting people. Simone even met Shirley Jackson, president of RPI, who Karen Long works with; talk about a small world. Her agency has oversight of the intelligence programs that may infringe on the rights of U.S. citizens. Joyce Isabelle caught up with Katie Marino Madigan at this past Reunion and was able to congratulate the new dean of RSC, our own Deb Lawrence when she was in Troy in July. Joyce started summer with a vacation in Scotland and she began her second term as treasurer of the Alumnae Association in July. She redid her deck to make it bigger and better. Much more party space! Joyce felt fortunate to have three outdoor gigs this summer.

1989

Please send your news to: Beth Gehring Gruber, 4437 SW 14th Avenue, Cape Coral, FL 33914; 973-632-3423; beth_gehring@ hotmail.com

1990

Please send your news to: Cathy Maxwell DeVoti, 199 Foley Road, Sheffield, MA 01257; threekidz3@yahoo.com Katie O’Conner Nikolski, 3 Hart Drive, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603; knikolski@ yahoo.com

1991 |

REUNION

Please send your news to: Elizabeth Bartolomeo Edwards, 472 East K Street, Benicia, CA 94510; mlredwards@ sbcglobal.net Valerie Priolo McKee, 3663 Hosiers Oaks Drive, Portsmouth, VA 23703-3470; 757638-3243; bryantvaleriemckee@hotmail.com

1992

Please send your news to: Cynthia Bacon Woellmer, 10 McChesney Court, Troy, NY 12180;518-274-4004; cwoellmer@gmail.com Nicole Grottoli, 277 Shufelt Road, Nassau NY 12123; 518-598-7781; ngrottoli@ gmail.com

I, Kate Siegmann Robertson attended Reunion this May with Deb Brownell Foley, Tara Jorolemon Sheehan and Jennifer Oudemool Broom. I heard from several classmates when I was putting together our class book, so I’ll share their updates with you. Lynn Baker lives in Mattydale, NY, and is a veterinarian. She married her best friend Kellie in 2013, after 15 years together. After living in Utah for 10 years, Stacey Barlow Hills is now in Cherry Plain, NY, with her husband and daughter, age 11. She is chair of the McCormick Division of Business at Southern Vermont College and is active with the Hudson Mohawk Figure Skating Club and Girl Scouts. Karen Birsner McMahon of Liverpool, NY, is president of Purposeful Living Incorporated and specializes in internet marketing. She helps museums fundraise through an online shopping portal called Shopformuseums.com. She also consults with Fortune 500/Internet Retailer 500 retailers and launched her own internet marketing agency. She and her husband travel and enjoy the outdoors. She is a self-described “crazy cat lady” and rescues stray cats. They recently joined a steampunk club which gives her an excuse to dress up in 1880s costumes several times a year.

I hope you all read Deb Lawrence’s first dean’s letter on the inside front cover of this issue of Connections! Deb started her position as the Russell Sage College Dean on June 1.

1993

Deb Brownell Foley keeps busy with her children, ages 11 and 9. She volunteers at their school and at Sage. She and her husband enjoy traveling with the kids.

Ellen Breton Kebart’s daughter Stephanie worked in Sage’s admissions office this summer. Ellen just moved Stephanie into German House. Stephanie is a junior and expects to finish her Health Sciences degree in the spring and begin the graduate Physical Therapy program in May. Ellen’s son is beginning his freshmen year at Siena College, which means it is just Ellen, her husband and the cat at home!

1994

Michela Moore; michelamoore@comcast.net

Amy Crowell Schultz and her husband, Kevin, live in northern Virginia. They previously lived across Puget Sound from Seattle while Kevin commanded the USS Alabama (SSBN-731). They have two sons, ages 14 and 11. Amy works at an IT consulting firm and is learning the government contracting business.

1995

Danica Davenport Tietje and her husband live in Prairieville, LA. They have two sons, ages 10 and 7.

This is my 23rd year teaching! The last eight years I’ve been teaching Biology at the Corning-Painted Post High School. I earned my New York State Master Teacher certification in January. This summer I facilitated my first workshop for other master teachers! Please send your news to: Kristine Menihan Taylor, 375 E. 2nd Street, Corning, NY 14830; 607-339-6743; ktaylor@cppmail.com

Please send your news to: Elizabeth Krizar, 933 Route 9, Hudson NY 12534; 518-4419008; ekriz@hotmail.com

Please send your news to: Lori McCarthy; lormccarthy@yahoo.com

Classmates Jennifer Oudemool Broom, Tara Jorolemon Sheehan, Kate Siegmann Robertson and Deb Brownell Foley at Reunion.

Kerry Firmin Smith lives in Lynn Haven, FL, but has traveled quite a bit since marrying David in 1998. Dave works for the United States Air Force and has been stationed in Oklahoma, Mississippi, Washington, Texas and California. Kerry is a physical therapist for Genesis Health Care. They have three children, ages 9, 5 and 1. Kerry enjoys family time whether it is traveling in their RV or in the water on stand up paddleboards. CONNECTIONS fall 2015

21


CLASS NOTES Lisa Hafner DeSocio lives in Rensselaer, NY, with her husband. Lisa is employed by NYISO. Lauren Harris worked in London as an occupational therapist for seven years before moving back to the US. She now works for the Department of Education in New York City. She presented at a national conference in Nashville on the Middle School Independence Curriculum for the Nest Program in New York, which she cowrote. The Nest Program is an educational model for high-functioning children with autism. She has traveled in Europe, Asia, the Antipodes and Africa. She traveled the Trans-Siberian Railway from Beijing to St. Petersburg and went on safari in Tanzania! Lauren has a daughter who is 2. Tara Jorolemon Sheehan is a physical therapist for Auburn Community Hospital in Auburn, NY. She returned to acute care after 13 years at an outpatient private practice. She and her husband live in Skaneateles Falls, NY. They have two children, ages 15 and 13. Tara is superintendent of Baptist Church Sunday School, a vacation bible school leader and Webelos leader. She is a Good Samaritan Fund representative and helps out at the food pantry. They have a camp on Snowbird Lake near Adirondack Park, NY. They’ve enjoyed traveling, especially to the National Parks. Paula Morro Wrafter and her husband live in Poughkeepsie, NY. Paula is a physical therapist at MaryAnn DiStefano Physical Therapy. They have three children, ages 11, 9 and 5. Elissa Ortsman Fromowitz works at Capital Region BOCES. She and her husband have three children, ages 14, 12 and 11. Elissa recently returned to full-time work after many years of part-time. She volunteers with the Northeast Regional Food Bank, her temple and at her kids’ school. Last summer they took an RV trip out west to see 10 states and 23 national and state parks and monuments. They hiked in Yosemite with Amanda Ueberall Dean and her family. Wendy Schilling Mack recently retired from the USAF. She was based in northern Virginia, but has relocated to Port St. Lucie, FL. She and her husband have two children, ages 11 and 9. Victoria Spinanger is a safety engineer for Saab Sensis. Nancy Dukelow was a bridesmaid at Victoria’s 2008 wedding. Victoria enjoys biking and yoga in Syracuse, NY. 22

CONNECTIONS fall 2015

Darian Tomko Hawke lives in Kirkland, WA, with spouse Vern Nelson. They have a child, Jessica. Darian worked for Seattle Children’s Hospital and is now a full-time nursing student.

2000

Elana Velsini Eng has been a Music Together teacher since 2006. She and her husband have three children, ages 15, 13 and 3. They live in Manalapan, NJ.

Brittany Lemoine Cappiello, brittany@ williamstownpt.com

Please send your news to: Linda Stroka Riemer, 2325 Harrow Road, Pittsburgh PA 15241; the_riemers@yahoo.com Kate Siegmann Robertson, 126 Bushendorf Road, Ravena, NY 12143-2212; 518-7562388; rarksr@gmail.com

1996 |

REUNION

Please send your news to: Elizabeth Leuci Keogh, 88-12 151st Avenue Apt 5L, Howard Beach, NY 11414; 718-843-3910; JohnLiz529@aol.com Michaelynn McClenahan, 806 Huntingdon Drive, Schenectady, NY 12309; 518-4692788; mikemcc213@aol.com

Please send your news to: Cara Desautels Beyor, 2145 Plains Road, Milton, VT 054684378; 802-527-1360; desauc16@aol.com

2001 |

REUNION

Mindy Howie Young and her husband welcomed a daughter, Lavender Maeve, in February 2015. They are settling in at their new home in Malta, NY. Laura Turnblom Darman and her husband welcomed their daughter, Julia Martine, in April. They live in Kinderhook, NY. Please send your news to: Michelle Fage, PO Box 37, St. John, VI 00831; 310-9683789; michelle.m.fage@gmail.com

2002

Michelle Lessard Tanguay, 48 Chandler Street, Loudon, NH 03308; 603-753-9897; chellenbillt@hotmail.com

1997

Please send your news to: Belinda Hilton, 12 Grant Court, Guilderland, NY 12084; 518-456-5036; bhilton@att.net Jennifer Sennett Glenn, 16 Sargent Street, Queensbury, NY 12804; 518-793-8308; je.glenn@roadrunner.com Kasia Prybylo Noblett, 2417 Deerfield Court SE, Roanoke, VA 24014; kasiaprybylo@ yahoo.com

1998

Please send your news to: Catrina McKissick Truesdell, 7 Webb Avenue, Sidney, NY 13838; 607-433-9801; catrinapt1@hotmail.com Angela Porter Gordon, 34 Arcadia Court, Albany, NY 12205; 518-729-5532; angela. gordon@gmail.com

1999

Please send your news to: Amy Carlotto Zuckett, 515 Hunters Path Road, Bridgeville, PA 15017; amy.carlotto2@gmail.com Melissa Fields Roller, 700 West Road, Richmond, MA 01254; 413-698-8078; mjroller@earthlink.net

Owen Rice, son of Melissa Callaghan Rice. Kerry Ethington Rodriguez and her husband welcomed Evelyn Claire in July. She joins big sister Elyse. Jennifer Miller Schell married her wife in June in Baldwinsville, NY. Jennifer Dewhirst Laptik was a bridesmaid. Shannon O’Hara Regner opened a physical therapy office in Queensbury, NY. She specializes in pelvic floor physical therapy. Visit her website at innovapt.com. My husband and I, Melissa Callaghan Rice, moved into a new house in Framingham, MA, this summer. We welcomed our son, Owen Thomas, in August. All three of us are doing great! Please send your news to: Melissa Callaghan Rice, 6 Bacon Rd, Framingham, MA 01701; coachcallaghan@yahoo.com


CLASS NOTES

2003

2007

I, Angela Puorto, spoke with Jen Mero, who was named one of “40 under 40” for City & State magazine. She is assistant secretary to the university for the State University of New York. Please send your news to: Jennifer Harris, 12 Francis Drive, Wynantskill, NY 12198; 518-275-2263; jenniferdabeyharris@gmail.com Angela Puorto, 105A Hicock Street, Winooski, VT 05404; apuorto@gmail.com

2008

Please send your news to: Amy Witterschein, 234 Hillside Avenue, Springfield, NJ 07081; 845-649-2491; amywitterschein@gmail.com Elizabeth Toombs Gray’s daughter, Magdalene. Elizabeth Toombs Gray and her family welcomed Magdalene, born July 30. The family resides at 38 Barnes Road, Ashfield, MA 01330. Congratulations!

Briana Dolan, 25 Rockledge Avenue; Apt 301 West Tower, White Plains, NY 10601; 518-421-5913; brianadolan1@gmail.com Jessica Trong, 10 Farm Street, Troy, NY 12180; 518-928-2303; jtmarie0922@gmail.com

2009

Please send your news to: Kendra Wray Pulsifer-Griep, 5 Marion Road, North Billerica, MA 01862; 303-524-5709; Kendra@griep.us

Please send your news to: Danielle Drahos Basore, 59 Brunswick Avenue 2nd Floor, Troy, NY 12180; 610-334-6976; danielleabasore@gmail.com

SarahBeth Douglas Votra, PO Box 222, Tully, NY 13159; 315-882-7617; sarahbethvotra@gmail.com

Daniela Puorto, 15 Parkside Place, Revere, MA 02151; daniela.puorto@gmail.com

2004

2010

Please send your news to: Julia Hillje Dardia, 87 Poplar Road, Wayne, NJ 07470; 518-527-3314; juliahilljedardia@gmail.com Julia Stevens Bogardus, 45 State Street, Oxford, NY 13830; 518-257-2407; julia. bogardus@gmail.com

2005

Please send your news to: Jessica Gertler, 1422 Jenkins Street, Merrick, NY 11566; jessicagertler@gmail.com Steffanie Winne, 457 State Road 146, Building 5- Apt 212, Guilderland Center, NY 12085; decievingapple@gmail.com

2006 |

REUNION

Please send your news to: Christina Powers, 47 Carmel Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10314; 718-494-9389; christina.g.powers@gmail.com

Jackie MacLasco ’10, Erica Kirkland ’10, Laurynn Myers ’10 and Courtney DeNobile ’06 at Erica’s wedding.

Please send your news to: Veronica Nunes, 21 Lochview Drive, Windsor, CT 06095; 860-977-3397; veronicajnunes@ gmail.com Brittany Wood, 306 Sunset Avenue, Rensselaer, NY 12144; 518-322-6634; brittanywood06@gmail.com

2011 |

REUNION

Please send your news to: Ivanna Ramos; ivannar@gmail.com Amanda Spring, PO Box 292, Ravena, NY 12143; 518-756-8255; sprina@sage.edu

2012

Please send your news to: Hillary Brown, 110 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215; brown.hillaryc@gmail.com

2013

Please send your news to: Meghan Whipple, 25 Wakefield Street, Lewiston, ME 04240; bass_slayer91@hotmail.com Courtney Reed, PO Box 262, Mechanicville NY 12118; creed1391@yahoo.com Ginamarie Garabedian, 39 Forest Street, East Hartford, CT 06118; ginamarie_ helene@hotmail.com

2014

Tiffany McConn is the Farm to School coordinator in the Waterville Central School District. She received a grant for a team to attend the Northeastern Farm to School Institute and also attended an agricultural literacy academy, which provided resources for implementing agriculture education into the curriculum. Tiffany had an article published in the New York School Nutrition Association FOCUS on Nutrition magazine and was the coach for the Waterville F2S Junior Iron Chef Team which won first place in the region’s competition. For more information visit www.watervillecsd.org/ domain/169. Please send your news to: connections@ sage.edu

Erica Kirkland married Matthew Warner on September 19, 2016. Jackie MacLasco, Courtney DeNobile ’06 and Laurynn Myers were bridesmaids.

CONNECTIONS fall 2015

23


DIN MEMORIAM

1936

1947

1954

1974

Elizabeth Doyle Hollister 4/8/2015

Helen Howe Bryce 7/20/2015

Royce Gold Wolfsohn 7/25/2015

Deborah Newell Bordwell 5/14/2014

Eleanor Brown Goldberg 7/10/2015

1956

1976

E. Helen Gardner 4/20/2015

Grace Jennings Sickler 1/3/2015

Janet Dorrer Waldron 7/12/2015

Michele Arpin 7/20/2015

Florence Effron Rimai 4/4/2015

1948

1958

Helen Lockwood Taylor 2/5/2014

Lila Webber McKey 4/9/2015

1938

1941 Helen Hamilton Clark 2/26/2015

1949

Christine Kitching Myers 10/30/2013

Lady Ricker Rucinski 8/2/2015

1942 Lois Britcher 5/30/2015

Jane Tripp Vermilyea 10/25/2014

Helen Hanson 1/14/2013

1950

Barbara Soper Smith 7/31/2013

Margaret Sterling Schlede 5/17/2015

1944

1951

Constance Bartlett Eckel 2/9/2015

Harriet Goodman Brooks 9/5/2014

Betty Frantz Walch 2/19/2015

Alice Kalajian Ishkanian 8/30/2015

Judith Littman Wax 9/12/15

Patricia Law Jones 2/2/2015

1945 Gloria Robinson Bleck 5/29/2015 Ernita Borchert Jones 1/28/2015

1946 Jean Risley Hall 3/4/2015

24

Alson “Al” Spain 3/23/2015

CONNECTIONS fall 2015

Barbara DeSmidt Mucklow 8/26/2014 Ruth Spies Penberthy 6/11/2015 Marilyn Webster Roberts 10/7/2014

1953 Carol Ericson LaBar 3/20/2015 Mary Cavanaugh Peek 8/16/2015

1960 Mary Jane Bermingham Tamulinas 7/12/2015

1962 Nancy Svehla Cobden 5/29/2015

1965 Jean Eldred Esposito 1/3/2015

1966 Marcia Green Oyer 8/23/2013

1967 Ann Cunningham Beaman 5/22/2015 Sonya Seduro Starr 8/9/2015

1970 Susan Graham Blitzer 5/11/2015

1973 Amy Harrowe 5/20/2011

Linda Sax 7/10/2013

1977 Rosemary Wright Bourgeois 10/1/1993 Victoria Treffiletti 1/3/2009

1985 Kelly Rhinesmith 5/3/2015


DSPECIAL EVENTS Scenes from Reunion 2011, the last time classes ending in 1 and 6 got together.

CELEBRATE a CENTURY of RUSSELL SAGE COLLEGE at REUNION

June 3-5, 2016 All classes are invited to a Riverside Barbecue on Friday, June 3, to commemorate Russell Sage College’s 100th anniversary. MORE events are scheduled June 3-5 specifically for classes ending in 1 and 6: Reunion Book Club discussion of Lay Down Your Weary Tune by W.B. Belcher | Tours of campus and historic Troy | Visual and performing arts | Zumba | Class dinners, Parade of Classes, friendly competitions for class spirit | Much, much MORE!

THE SAGE COLLEGES CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

January 2016 – June 2017 May 14, 2016

Centennial Commencement; commemorative book available

June 3, 2016 Riverside Barbecue with fireworks during Russell Sage College Reunion weekend

September 24, 2016 SageFest with 5K run

October 21, 2016 Centennial Gala MORE to be confirmed!

Centennial.Sage.edu


Non-profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID

65 1st Street Troy, NY 12180

Permit No. 314 Albany, NY

A special opportunity is available during the Centennial Campaign for Sage: A personalized 12” x 12” Centennial brick will honor donors who make a $500 gift, and a personalized 4” x 7” marble tile will honor donors who make a $1,000 gift. The bricks and tiles will be featured prominently on Ferry Street Plaza.

Centennial.Sage.edu/bricks-and-tiles

The $50 million Centennial Campaign for Sage is an ambitious fundraising campaign to take Sage into its second century. Centennial Campaign gifts of any amount support academic programs, facility renovations and upgrades, and an endowment for faculty and campus needs.

Office of Institutional Advancement

Thank you for helping Sage Be. Know. Do. MORE

65 1st Street, Troy, NY 12180

Centennial.Sage.edu

(800) 898-8452 centennial@sage.edu


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