Crossroads Winter 2016 (Vol. 18 No. 1)

VOLUME 18 | NUMBER 1 Winter 2016

CROSSROADS

For alumni of Sage College of Albany, the Sage Graduate Schools and the former Junior College of Albany and Sage Evening College

M&T Bank Stock Trading Simulation Room Opens and MORE Centennial News >>> Inside

iThink Students Pitch a Project to Albany Mayor

Meet Artist, Former Marvel Illustrator John Hebert JCA ’85

Men’s Soccer Wins Skyline Championship

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DEAN’S MESSAGE

JOANNE CURRAN, PH.D.

CROSSROADS “There is something special here, and I believe it is you.”

Published by The Sage Colleges Office of Communications & PR

Dear Friends, We kicked off the new year of 2016 with a celebration of the founding of Russell Sage College in 1916. Festivities will continue through the 20162017 academic year!

At Sage College of Albany, we reflect on the founding here in 1949, but we wouldn’t be here at all without the forward thinking of the Russell Sage College board in opening evening classes to soldiers returning from World War II, so this is our Centennial, too.

We continue to bring in authors through the Dean’s Summer Reading program, and we recently hosted the author of Outcasts United, Warren St. John. This fall, on September 16, we will welcome Wes Moore, author of the best-selling book The Other Wes Moore. You are invited to attend!

Also, we celebrated the second annual Honors Tea, and students who achieved high honors during the previous semester were recognized for their fine work.

The Opalka Gallery presented a new kind of exhibit this academic year, the art of video games. The exhibit included art from five countries, and provided new insights into the integration of art and technology.

Our iThink Tank program has been a success particularly due to our community members who have participated along with students in our Scholar’s Program. We work primarily with Tech Valley Leadership program participants, but also were delighted to include entrepreneurs from the community who made good use of the talents of our students. People brought partially developed dreams for their futures, and iThink Tank participants added their insights to bring about clear plans for the next step in the process.

We opened our Spirituality Center last spring, and this academic year began programming with the inaugural presentation coming from the Edith Craig Reynolds Professor in Philosophy & Religion Jeffrey Soleau, Ph.D., on Living the Spiritual Life. This was followed with Music as Meditation from yours truly, and Spirituality and Learning from School of Professional & Continuing Education Dean Albert Orbinati, Ph.D. Our Men’s Group sponsored a very timely presentation on police-campus relations.

Several officers from the Albany Police Department spoke about racism, police brutality and working cooperatively within the community. We are very concerned about these issues and will continue to work together to keep our college community safe for all members.

Our athletes continue to make us proud. The Men’s Soccer team won the Skyline Conference Championship. Our Women’s Soccer team performed well also, coming in a close second. The Women’s Cross-Country team claimed third place in the Skyline Championship meet.

By the time you receive this, I will be completing my third and final year here at Sage. I appreciate the opportunities I had to work with alumni and students. I hope you will continue to be a part of the Sage community. There is something special here, and I believe it is you. Please accept my best.

Sincerely,

Joanne Curran, Ph.D.

director of communications & marketing Shannon Ballard Gorman SGS ’13 editor Elizabeth Gallagher art director Sarah Statham SGS ’08 contributing writers Deanna Cohen Elizabeth Gallagher Matthew Klein contributing photographers Tamara Hansen 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 Fax: (518) 244-2398 E-mail: crossroads@sage.edu

“To Be, To Know, To Do” Sage’s motto for nearly 100 years Sage founded in Troy, 1916; in Albany since 1949

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 citizenleaders 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 Top: The Armory at Sage College of Albany, decked out for Sage Sips 2015.

Mark your calendar for the 2016 event on April 15. Middle: Art by former Marvel illustrator John Hebert JCA ’85. Bottom: Students in the new M&T Bank Stock Trading Simulation Room at Sage College of Albany.

PRESIDENT’S PAGE

SUSAN C. SCRIMSHAW, PH.D.

Centennial Celebration

Advancing Sage

New York State Senator Neil Breslin, Sage President Susan Scrimshaw and Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy with a copy of a resolution honoring Sage’s Centennial year. On January 26, Assemblyman John McDonald and Senator Breslin introduced the resolution honoring Sage’s milestone and President Scrimshaw was recognized as the resolution was passed by both houses of the state legislature during their respective sessions.

M&T Bank Senior Vice President Michael T. Keegan, Susan Scrimshaw and School of Management Dean Kimberly Fredericks, Ph.D., at the grand opening of the M&T Bank Stock Trading Simulation Room at Sage College of Albany at the beginning of the academic year. The 40-seat classroom features investment software, stock tickers and equipment to allow School of Management students to perform real-time analysis. The classroom is also available to the wider business community for continuing education, executive training and workshops.

As of January, the Centennial Campaign for Sage raised $48,170,965 toward its $50 million goal!

Follow the campaign’s progress and watch for updates about special events at Centennial.Sage.edu.

In the Community

In the News

Susan Scrimshaw and Thomas O. Maggs JCA ’67, president of the Oakwood Cemetery Board of Trustees, at Oakwood Cemetery’s 14th annual Evening at the Earl, at the National Historic Landmark Gardner Earl Chapel in October. At the event, Friends of Oakwood honored Sage for its leadership and commitment to excellence over a century.

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 the Academy. She has participated in 25 committees, boards and workshops during her 38 years of service to the National Academies.

In January, the Armory at Sage College of Albany was the site of the Albany “Voice Your Vision” community public health listening session organized on behalf of the New York State Minority Health Council by Lori Quigley, Ph.D., dean of the Esteves School of Education. President Scrimshaw, also a member of the council, and Dean Quigley both welcomed community members during the opening plenary session.

CROSSROADS Winter 2016

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ACADEMICS

FACULTY ACCOLADES

ESTEVES SCHOOL OF EDUCATION “Mindfulness Based Conflict Resolution”

by Laurae Coburn, Ph.D., assistant professor, Professional School Counseling, appeared in the Journal of National Social Science Proceedings. She presented on the same topic for the New York State School Counselor Association.

Articles by Kathleen Gormley, Ph.D., associate professor, Literacy, and Peter McDermott, Ph.D., of Pace University, appeared in The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Psychology and LanguageBased Approaches to Support Reading

Comprehension. They presented on digital literacies to the New York State Reading Association in Saratoga Springs, New York, and to the International Literacy Association in St. Louis.

“Using the ‘ASKED’ Model to Contrive Motivations and Teach Individuals with ASD to Ask Wh-Questions in Natural Settings” by Cheryl Ostryn, Ph.D., BCBA-D, assistant professor, Applied Behavior Analysis, appeared in the Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals. Ostryn’s

research also appeared in EvidenceBased Communication Assessment and Intervention.

John J. Pelizza, Ph.D., associate professor, Health Education, spoke on leadership, change, productivity, team building and personal growth for the Columbia County Department of Social Services, Carthage Central School District, LeadingAge Oregon and several other organizations.

SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES Rayane AbuSabha, Ph.D., associate professor, Nutrition Science, served as an expert outside consultant for the Nutrition and Dietetics program at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon; as an expert outside reviewer for the Dietetics and Nutrition program at the University of Technology in Kingston, Jamaica; and as a lead program reviewer for the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics and the first-in-line reviewer of the new B.S. and M.S. dietetic standards. She published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and

presented at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food and Nutrition Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, and at the University of Technology in Jamaica.

70 Candles: Women Thriving in their Eighth Decade by Ellen Cole, Ph.D., professor, Psychology, was published by Taos Institute Publications. Cole is a member of the American Psychological Association working group that is revising the 2007 Guidelines for Practice for Women and Girls. She is chair of the Committee on Aging of the APA’s Division 35 (Society

for the Psychology of Women) and is the book review editor for The Psychology of Women Quarterly.

Gayle Skawennio Morse, Ph.D., associate professor, Psychology, was elected chair of the Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest. This board oversees eight committees of the American Psychological Association.

SAGE COLLEGE OF ALBANY “Memphis,” by Assistant Professor of Graphic + Media Design Jean Dahlgren, MFA, was selected for the Cooperstown Art Association’s 80th National Juried Exhibition in 2015.

“Androgyny and the Mirror Photographs of Florence Henri” by Melody Davis, Ph.D., assistant professor, Art History, was published in French by the online magazine of Jeu de Paume, the premier photography museum in France.

Carol DiMambro, Ph.D., associate professor, Criminal Justice, received the

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Richard B. Lewis Award, the Criminal Justice Educators Association of New York State’s highest honor.

three selected as Best in Show and will participate in a group show at the gallery in 2016.

Professor of Graphic Design Matt McElligott’s book, Mad Scientist Academy: The Dinosaur Disaster, was named one of the best children’s books of 2015 by Amazon.

“An Artist’s Albany,” a solo show of work

by Gary Shankman, MFA, professor, Fine Arts, was at the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center. His work was also featured in “Selfies or the New Portraiture” at The Martinez Gallery, Troy, New York, and “Waterscapes” at the Frisbee Agency Gallery, Catskill, New York.

“Series of Concrete Cores” by Janice Medina, assistant professor, Interior Design, was part of Upstate Artists annual juried group show at The Laffer Gallery in Schuylerville, New York. She was one of

MORE Academic News at Sage.edu/spotlight

ACADEMICS

SIGNATURE CLASSES

iTHINK AND ALBANY: THE ULTIMATE TOWN-GOWN PARTNERSHIP

“It’s become more than just an assignment.”

“They were able to engage the mayor in a serious discussion of the problem and their proposed solution. This is the essence of the course and of how it prepares students for life after college.”

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age College of Albany students Sara Campolieta ’17, Krystyn Knockwood ’17, Sydney Lussier ’16, Korrinne Newman ’15 and Isehake Noory ’17 received high-profile outside recognition for their work when Albany Mayor Kathleen Sheehan invited them to City Hall to discuss their proposals for a tiered mentoring program and a college and career fair. Their ideas were first presented in white papers and community presentations for iThink 301 with Professor Michael Bienkowski, MBA. iThink – short for Innovation Thinking – is a pair of required courses at SCA that challenge students to work on interdisciplinary teams to solve ambiguous problems. iThink assignments are intentionally vague, explained Bienkowski. “We address problems that no one has a ‘right’ answer to,” he said,

acknowledging that while ambiguity can be uncomfortable, it is a workplace reality. “I often receive emails from recent graduates who have just started a new job, telling me about something at work that reminded them of iThink.”

In the first half of the semester iThink students engage in readings, discussion and activities that foster communication and collaboration. Later in the course, students are assigned to small groups with a mandate to come up with ideas to make Albany a more welcoming city. Dahlia Herring, an educator and community activist who served on the Community Engagement & Empowerment subcommittee of Mayor Sheehan’s transition team, consults with each group to help them understand the systems, resources and needs in the community.

Each group is responsible for a formal white paper and professional presentation at Sage’s annual Undergraduate Research Day. Herring was so impressed by two teams with proposals to help young adults feel more invested in the city that she brought their papers to the mayor, which resulted in the invitation to City Hall.

“These students have diverse backgrounds and academic interests, yet they were able to use their respective skills in complementary ways,” said Bienkowski.

“They were able to engage the mayor in a serious discussion of the problem and their proposed solution. This is the essence of the course and of how it prepares students for life after college.”

At the meeting, the students delivered ideal versions of what they envisioned;

Mayor Sheehan responded with enthusiasm and pointed out areas that need clarification, said Bienkowski.

For example, in the case of the tiered mentoring program, in which college students would mentor high school students who in turn would mentor middle school students, it was not clear whether a local college, the school district or the city should administer the program.

Sheehan asked the students to compose a one-page document addressing additional details and expressed interest in meeting with them again this spring.

Sara Campolieta said that it is encouraging to know that college students in general and Sage specifically are on the radar of Albany’s leadership. “[The opportunity to meet the mayor] made me realize that the mayor is serious about making changes to the city,” continued the Fulton, New York, native who came to Sage to study Applied Biology and Physical Therapy and to play volleyball. “I hope to see at least parts of our plans put into action and I am certainly willing to do whatever it takes.

I’m invested in the project now. It’s become more than just an assignment.”

Read about MORE classes that are inspiring professors and students in “Special Topics: Signature Selections from Sage’s Course Catalog” at Horizons.Sage.edu.

Pictured: Sara Campolieta snapped a selfie with classmates at City Hall prior to meeting with the Albany mayor.

CROSSROADS Winter 2016

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ALUMNI NEWS To Sage Alumni:

“I believe that education has the capacity to change lives”

Virtually nothing else in your life will be impactful like selecting, attending and graduating from college. Choosing the right college is intimidating because so many factors impact the decision: size, cost, majors, curriculum, networking opportunities, internships/ externships, career placement rates, etc. When I was researching colleges, aspects like this shaped my choice, too. The single most important factor for me though? Fit. Above all else, Sage felt right for me.

I am a proud alumnus. I feel privileged to serve you now as the president of our Alumni Association board. My experience in higher education grants me a perspective as student and administrator. I wholeheartedly believe that education has the capacity to change lives, and The Sage Colleges has been helping students change their lives for 100 years!

To celebrate this milestone, signature Centennial events are planned throughout 2016 for students, alumni and the community. The celebration began in January and will continue at Sage Sips on April 15 at the Armory at Sage College of Albany.

Visit Centennial.Sage.edu for MORE events!

I am excited about my role as part of the Alumni Association, but I would be remiss if I did not thank our outgoing president Paul Hook JCA ’86 for his ideas and dedication to the board. I am eager to continue working with Carmine Berghela SGS ’09, Tammy Bolduc SEC ’06, SGS ’10, Anaik Carne SGS ’12, Jolene Miner Dirolf SGS ’ 85, Kristen Hanlon RSC ’02, SGS ’04, Linda Rolfe JCA ’67, Carol Fairley Rubino SEC ’72, SGS ’75 and MaryEllen Tedesco SCA ’08, SGS ’10 as we expand the impact of the board.

We want dedicated, involved alumni who want to gain experience, network with fellow Sage alumni, and represent Sage in the wider community.

Michael Markou SGS ’10, dean of Student Services at Bryant and Stratton College, earned his master’s degree in Organization Management at Sage’s School of Management. He has worked in higher education for over 10 years.

He specializes in leadership, qualitative strategies to maximize success rates, operational effectiveness, organizational strategy, customer relations, student and personnel development and mediation.

Have you liked Sage and the Alumni Association on Facebook? Have you updated your contact information with Sage, so we can send information about events that will help you personally, professionally and publicly? Have you shared exciting life news or career promotions so we can show others what you are up to? Have you come back to campus recently, to support the Gators at a sporting event or view art in the Opalka Gallery? Visit Sage.edu/alumni to see all the happenings and opportunities.

Please contact me at sagealumniboard@gmail.com if you are interested in participating in Centennial events, joining our Alumni Association board, organizing an alumni gettogether, mentoring a student – or if you have another idea!

I look forward to meeting and seeing you in 2016!

Pictured: Mike Markou, members of the Alumni Association board and Sage nursing students volunteered at Albany’s Ronald McDonald House in the fall.

Mike Markou SGS ’10 President Alumni Association for Sage College of Albany and the Sage Graduate Schools

WELCOME DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS KATE GENOVESE Kate Genovese joined The Sage Colleges in October as director of alumni relations for alumni of the Albany campus and graduate programs. She is eager to work with the Alumni Association board of directors to provide programming and opportunities for alumni to connect with Sage.

Room 206 in West Hall is the home of the alumni relations office and is open to all alumni visiting the Albany campus.

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Genovese previously worked in alumni relations at The College of Saint Rose and in fundraising and public relations for 15-LOVE, a non-profit that provides tennis and educational programs to inner-city youth in Albany, Schenectady and Troy.

Contact her at genovk@sage.edu or (518) 292-1915.

ALUMNI NEWS

NEW AWARD IN MEMORY OF EDILBERTO B. OLIMPO JR. JCA ’88 Art director and designer Edilberto B. Olimpo Jr. enjoyed a successful career with Galix Corp, Arthur Andersen and DMR Consulting in New York City and with Third Millennium Communications and Click Tactics in Atlanta before he returned to Albany, where he was a graphic designer at Capital OTB.

for juniors who demonstrate great aptitude for graphic design and promise in their academic work.

“He loved art and he loved his jobs so much that it wasn’t about ‘work’ for him,” said his mother, Julia Olimpo.

The first Edilberto B. Olimpo Jr. JCA ’88 Award recipient will be named at a future Honors Tea, an annual reception that recognizes exceptional Sage College of Albany students at the beginning of their senior year.

After his death in 2014, she established the Edilberto B. Olimpo Jr. JCA ’88 Award Fund

In addition to his mother and his father, Edilberto Olimpo Sr., Edilberto Olimpo Jr. is survived by four siblings, including Emmanuel Olimpo JCA ’87, and by his fiancée, Dawn Teetsel. The Olimpo family has also donated several books related to graphic design to the Albany Campus Library.

“He got a great education here,” said Julia Olimpo. “I know there are many creative young people at Sage. We are lucky to have something we can share with them in Ed’s honor.”

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION JANUARY 2016 – JUNE 2017

April 15 Sage Sips Arts, wine and food celebration on the Sage College of Albany campus •V isit the Alumni Art Show in the Little Gallery •A ttend the Brick Dedication outside the Administration Building •M eet President Susan C. Scrimshaw at a special presentation • Wine and dine at the Sage Sips reception in the Armory at Sage College of Albany, which will feature specialty cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

April 16 Men’s Basketball Alumni Game A celebration of Sage athletics for fans and former players. Visit Sage.edu/games for more information and to register.

April 17

MORE to be confirmed, including a special Centennial exhibit at the Opalka Gallery in October!

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: Distinguished Alumnus of the Year and Outstanding Young Alumnus The Alumni Association accepts nominations at any time for the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year and Outstanding Young Alumnus awards. The awards are presented at the annual Sage Sips celebration.

VISIT Sage.edu/alumni/awards for criteria and to submit your nomination.

Men’s and Women’s Soccer and Women’s Volleyball Alumni Games A celebration of Sage athletics for fans and former players. Visit Sage.edu/games for more information and to register.

May 14 Centennial Commencement; commemorative book available

October 21

Centennial.Sage.edu

Centennial Gala at the Armory at Sage College of Albany

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DOING MORE

ALUMNI PROFILES

MARVELING IN COMICS

“We went to Marvel, and that was like the Holy Grail”

J

ohn Hebert JCA ’85 was four years old when he sat down one afternoon to enjoy a rerun of The Flintstones. He was heartbroken when his regularly scheduled programming was replaced by a show about a campy crime-fighter battling a bevy of Technicolor villains. But just a few minutes into the 1960s television series Batman (starring Adam West as the Caped Crusader), Hebert was hooked.

That riotous combination of color, action, over-the-top humor and a cliffhanger at the end of every episode provided the springboard to a journey into the world of superheroes that continues to this day.

Hebert traces his career as a comic book illustrator to that afternoon in his childhood home in Wyantskill, New York.

After that first taste of Batman, Hebert drew a lifesize scene on the living room wall in purple crayon. “My mother freaked out,” Hebert said. “After she calmed down, she said to my grandmother, ‘That’s actually a pretty nice drawing.’

So she always made sure I had pencils, crayons, markers, and paper to draw on from that point.”

His mother introduced her son to comic books, and later to Paul Fung Jr., a cartoonist who spent 40 years drawing Blondie. Hebert was invited to hang out at Fung’s studio and asked “a thousand questions.”

Throughout his school years, Hebert developed his talents, taking every opportunity to draw. When it came time

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for college, a friend recommended the art program at Junior College of Albany.

Hebert visited the campus and met Sheila Keen, an art teacher who would be instrumental in advancing his career.

As a 17-year-old at JCA in 1983, Hebert was questioning the value of an art education. “I didn’t see how drawing wadded up balls of paper or potted plants would lead me to this huge career in comics,” he said. When Keen asked what he would rather be drawing, Hebert was hesitant to admit his love for an art form that at that time was still mired in the underground, but he confessed and Keen asked to see his portfolio. She liked what she saw and offered to show it to her friend Mike Zeck, who was a leading illustrator at Marvel Comics.

“She took me down to New York and we went to Marvel, and that was like the Holy Grail,” Hebert said. “Mike sat down with me and looked at my work.

He told me what I was doing right and what I was doing wrong, and agreed to coach me.” Keen also helped, creating a personal lesson plan geared toward the skills Hebert needed to become an illustrator. Two days before graduation, Hebert was hired to draw his first comic.

Four years later, after earning his stripes at a series of independent publishers, Hebert landed his dream job at Marvel.

His resume at the comics powerhouse includes titles like The Punisher, Captain America, Spider-Man and several years drawing X-Men Adventures.

Hebert credits his art education at JCA for the skills he needed for his career. Drawing wadded up pieces of paper or blobs of clay, he said, gave him “that discipline, that eye for the individual detail, so that you weren’t thinking it was a blob of clay, you were looking at the elements that made it that. JCA definitely gave me that.”

Although Hebert found success in comics, his curiosity and restless energy eventually led him to leave Marvel and pursue other opportunities. He is currently a fingerprint examiner and shift supervisor for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice.

“Instead of doing fantasy,” he said, “I am really doing something that contributes to society, keeping the streets safe.”

Working for the DCJS is demanding, but Hebert still finds time to draw. He has been working recently on “online cinematic graphic novels” for Shatner Singularity, an imprint founded by William Shatner of Star Trek. When he isn’t working, he spends time with his family and his beloved Camaro.

Hebert also appears regularly at comic book conventions, where he is happy to meet with fans. He will be at Comic Con in Albany in April, June and October; Framingham, Massachusetts, and Poughkeepsie, New York, in November; as well as at upcoming conventions in Saratoga and Lake George, New York.

DOING MORE

ALUMNI PROFILES

ALUMNA’S CUSTOM WOODWORK IN DEMAND retaining their original character and features.” The Troy entry continues, “Skilled workers who specialize in the restoration of old residential and commercial structures stay busy throughout the year.”

Restoration artist Sarah Vadney SCA ’05 is excited to be one of the craftspeople so in demand by property owners.

“I wrote five proposals last week and

by Monday morning, they had all been accepted!” she said when she spoke with Crossroads in late summer.

Sarah Vadney at Vail House

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n the website Preserveamerica. gov, downtown Troy, New York, is celebrated for “outstanding examples of 18th and 19th century architecture – including Queen Anne, Mansard, Beaux Arts, Romanesque, Italianate, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival … still used and lived in today, many

Vadney is the woman behind Woman and Her Wood, the restoration and preservation business she established in early 2015. She said the name catches people’s attention and her work throughout downtown Troy – including at Vail House, the Sage president’s residence, where Vadney expertly restored antique exterior mahogany doors – speaks for itself.

Shortly after earning her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts at Sage, Vadney began an apprenticeship with her brother – a master cabinet maker who learned

restoration and preservation at Sotheby’s. In 2011, she established Sarah Vadney Restorations, taking on a few small projects while also working in local restaurants. Then, in January 2015, she severely injured her hand at her restaurant job.

As her hand healed, she re-evaluated her priorities. By March, she had resumed her craft, rebranded her business as Woman and Her Wood and dedicated herself to it full time. “It took off,” she said, listing dozens of recent and upcoming projects, mostly in downtown Troy, where she lives, and mostly secured through word of mouth. She is also working with Margination, a cooperative economic project, to expand her business and mentor people who want to learn a building trade. “Troy is a great environment for young entrepreneurs,” she said, adding that her work is like helping the city tell its story. “I uncover details about what the city is made of and how it was put together. It makes me feel even more connected to my community.”

Learn more at Sarahvadney.com.

MANAGEMENT GRAD NAMED TO TOP LEADERS LIST

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ast fall, Business NH Magazine named Emshika Alberini [M.S., School of Management, 2006] to its list of top leaders. Alberini owns several businesses at the heart of Littleton, New Hampshire’s Main Street, named one of America’s best main streets

by Fodor’s Travel.

A native of Bangkok, Thailand, Alberini worked for several global corporations including Epson, General Electric and Lydall but became more interested in small-business development while she studied at Sage and worked at community gathering spots including the Opalka Gallery and at a popular Albany restaurant.

She developed a business plan for a Thai restaurant for her capstone project and in 2008 it became the basis for Chang Thai Café, which she opened after relocating to Littleton, her husband’s hometown. “I learned everything I know about cooking from my mom. She helped me develop the recipes at Chang Thai and has been with the business since the beginning,” said Alberini who also cooks at the restaurant during peak times.

In 2014, when the bookstore next “it’s really door to Chang Thai announced valuable To Be it was closing, Alberini bought the building in order to keep a who you are, bookstore and the building’s To Know what other tenants – a craft gallery you’re good at” and a fabric store – in business on Main Street. A former employee of the original bookstore reopened the shop on a smaller scale and Alberini established M-ZO Tea & Co. in the remaining space. “Books and tea are a beautiful pairing,” she said.

In addition to leading Chang Thai, M-ZO and Chaiwan Enterprise LLC, her real estate holding company, Alberini is developing a retail line of Emshika brand bottled Thai sauces, iced teas and loose teas. “I take pride in helping the local community thrive by giving back and creating jobs,” she said.

“It’s nice to experience success and leave a legacy that others can take inspiration from, especially my children. I’m always telling them that it’s really valuable To Be who you are, To Know what you’re good at, To Do whatever it takes to make your dreams come true, and always strive for MORE.”

Emshika Alberini, top right

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ATHLETICS

MEN’S SOCCER TEAM WINS 2015 SKYLINE CHAMPIONSHIP

VISIT Sage’s Men’s Soccer team won the program’s first Skyline Conference championship and earned an NCAA tournament bid in November. It was the team’s most successful season in its sixyear history (13-4-3, with 13 shutouts).

The Skyline Conference’s 11 head men’s soccer coaches selected Sage’s Kyle LeClerc SCA ’17 as Defensive Player of the Year, River Seybolt SCA ’19 as Rookie of the Year, and Kyle Clancy as Coach of the Year.

Sage.edu/athletics for MORE athletics news and events.

ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME INDUCTS NEW HONOREES The Sage Colleges’ Department of Athletics inducted Sam Greco Jr. JCA ’65, SCA ’11, Karen Harris Ratigan RSC ’95 and Dwayne Barnes JCA ’99 into the Athletics Hall of Fame in December.

Men’s Basketball standout Greco set a single-season record of 17 rebounds in one game and earned Most Valuable Player honors for the 1962-63 season as well as Northeastern Collegiate Conference All-Star Team honors. He is the founder of Sam Greco Construction, Inc., and M.M.C. Millwork.

A four-year letter winner in Women’s Basketball at Russell Sage College,

Sam Greco Jr. JCA ’65, SCA ’11, Karen Harris Ratigan RSC ’95 and Dwayne Barnes JCA ’99.

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Ratigan graduated as the program’s No. 3 all-time leading scorer and remains the program’s all-time steals leader and second in assists with 402. A manager at Verizon, she has coached girls’ basketball in Saratoga and North Colonie.

Barnes is one of the Men’s Basketball program’s all-time leading scorers, both in a season and in points per game. He went on to play for Division I Northeastern University. He is a realtor and youth probation officer.

CORPORATE CONNECTIONS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM | THE SAGE COLLEGES The Corporate Connections scholarship program at The Sage Colleges pairs Capital Region businesses with exceptional students from the area, who are in their final year of study at Sage. Companies sponsor scholarships in $1,000 increments, with the entirety of the funds going directly to the students to help offset the cost of tuition. With the help of these generous Capital Region businesses, 104 students received scholarships for the 2015-16 academic year.

To learn how your company can get involved, visit Sage.edu/giving/corporateconnections from left to right: President Scrimshaw with Sydney Lussier SCA ’17, recipient of the Smith & Jones scholarship.

Courtney Haydock of scholarship sponsor M&T Bank with M&T scholarship recipients.

Thomas Collins Jr. of scholarship sponsor The Preferred Group with scholarship recipient Alan-Rene Gallardo SCA ’17.

Thank you to our sponsors

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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.

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

Centennial.Sage.edu

Please consider purchasing a Centennial brick or tile:

A personalized 12” x 12” Centennial brick will honor donors who make a $500 gift, and a personalized 4” x 8” marble tile will honor donors who make a $1,000 gift. These special pieces will only be offered during the Centennial Campaign and will be prominently featured outside of the Kahl Campus Center.

Centennial.Sage.edu/bricks-and-tiles Office of Institutional Advancement 65 1st Street, Troy, N.Y. 12180 (800) 898-8452