Crossroads Spring 2017 (Vol. 19 No. 1)

a publication for alumni of sage college of albany, the sage graduate schools and the former junior college of albany and sage evening college volume

DOING MORE

Energy in Art + Design page 8

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 1 Sage Names 10th President 2 Alumni Celebrate the Centennial 6 Scientific Research

Advances at Sage

14 Alumni Profiles:

Events Entrepreneur

Katie O’Malley Maloney

JCA ’97 and Miami Heat’s

Kai Deans SCA ’16

19 • number 1 |

spring

2017

DDEAN’S MESSAGE

JEAN DAHLGREN

CROSSROADS DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING Shannon Ballard Gorman SGS ’13

Sage’s Centennial year has been one of great celebrations.

This issue of Crossroads highlights the many events organized to commemorate Sage’s legacy as a top institution of higher learning.

Centennial speakers included astronaut Stephanie Wilson and New York Times best-selling author Wes Moore. Mr. Moore’s book, The Other Wes Moore, was the dean’s summer reading for all new students at Sage College of Albany this year. After his talk, students stood in line for hours to have their books signed by him. The Centennial Gala was a fantastic celebration here on the Sage College of Albany campus, with 500+ devoted supporters, faculty, friends, alumni and staff in attendance. We dedicated two Centennial sculptures, one on each campus, which will serve as reminders of this momentous year. Sage has certainly celebrated its Centennial with verve.

In November we dedicated a beautiful new study space in the Armory at Sage College of Albany – the Renaissance Room. Made possible by a generous donation from the Renaissance Corporation of Albany, the room was built by our incredible facilities team and includes a ceiling constructed from wood repurposed from the old bleachers in the Kahl gymnasium. Skylights beam in tons of natural light and a gas fireplace provides a warm ambiance. Students are enjoying this new space as a place to gather and study. Another new space in Albany is the Multicultural Room, in Kahl Campus Center Room 347.

This space provides students with computer workstations, charging stations and a place for programming and meeting informally.

In this issue you can read about some faculty and students doing MORE, including research by Assistant Professor of Biology Ken Howard, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology and Psychology Susan Jenks, Ph.D., and Biology student Rosemary Matala SCA ’17; Professor Matthew McElligott’s vision for Art + Design; and Management students’ success in a business case competition.

ART DIRECTOR Sarah Statham SGS ’08 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Elizabeth Gallagher Kelly Grant CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Tamara Hansen Joann Hoose Matt Milless GRAPHIC DESIGNER Bethany Van Velsor THE SAGE COLLEGES OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS & PR 65 1st Street Troy, NY 12180 Tel: (518) 244-2246 crossroads@sage.edu | sage.edu

“To Be, To Know, To Do” The new Renaissance Room student space.

One of my greatest joys is reconnecting with alumni. This issue includes profiles of Kai Deans SCA ’16, Katie O’Malley Maloney JCA ’97 and news from many more, including Ron Gibbons SCA ’12 and Debra Jeffs [M.S., School of Health Sciences, 1992].

I am happy that the SCA, JCA, evening program and graduate schools alumni network is alive and well, and growing! Please consider taking a more active role this year by joining the Alumni Association Board, attending an event or coming back to campus to speak in a class. We love hearing from you, and I personally invite you to come to the Sage Sips event in Albany on Friday, April 21. The Sage College of Albany Alumni Facebook page can keep you up to date.

Nothing gives us more pleasure than hearing how you, our alumni, have benefited from your experiences at Sage. Stay in touch and we look forward to seeing you this year. Please follow me on Twitter @DeanJeanSCA or on LinkedIn. I hope to see you soon.

Jean Dahlgren Dean, Sage College of Albany

EDITOR Elizabeth Gallagher

The Sage Colleges’ enduring motto

“Be. Know. Do. MORE”

Tagline celebrating Sage’s 100-year legacy and its promising future

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 Students with a work-in-progress during Art + Design’s Steamroller Print Day. Read MORE about Art + Design at Sage on page 8.

PRESIDENT’S PAGE

PRESIDENT SUSAN SCRIMSHAW, PH.D.

CENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN APPROACHES $60 MILLION: President Scrimshaw Announces New Goal at Gala on Sage College of Albany Campus More than 500 revelers celebrated The Sage Colleges Centennial at a gala at the Armory at Sage College of Albany on October 21, 2016. President Susan Scrimshaw opened the evening by thanking all who contributed to the Centennial Campaign for Sage, and announced the campaign had surpassed its original $50 million goal, and raised $58.9 million. “In the spirit of MORE, we set a new goal, to raise $60 million by the official end of the Centennial and academic year in June 2017. We know Sage alumni and friends will help us reach our goal.”

John Bean, Susan Scrimshaw, Former Trustee Alexandra Jupin JCA ’65, RSC ’67 and Allan Stern at the gala. Turn the page to see MORE photos from Centennial events. >>>

Chairman of The Sage Colleges Board of Trustees Tip Simons publicly thanked President Scrimshaw, who will step down in June 2017. In honor of her contributions over the past nine years, Simons announced that Sage will rename Ricketts Hall – home of the Occupational and Physical Therapy programs on the Troy campus – as Scrimshaw Health Sciences Hall.

CHRISTOPHER AMES, PH.D., NAMED SAGE’S 10TH PRESIDENT Early Education, Engineering Science, and Health Promotion and Exercise Science.

“I’m fascinated by the institutional mix at Sage – a residential women’s college in Troy, a co-educational undergraduate campus in Albany, and thriving graduate programs,” Ames said. “Making sure those different elements complement one another and inform a Sage that is even greater than the sum of its parts – that is an opportunity that greatly appeals to me.”

Incoming President Christopher Ames, third from left, with Sage College of Albany students on campus in March 2017.

Christopher Ames, Ph.D., provost of Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, literature professor and published author, was named Sage’s 10th president. He will assume the post on July 1, 2017.

“I am delighted that someone with Chris Ames’ extensive experience and dedication to students, faculty and community will be the next president of Sage,” said current president Susan Scrimshaw, who announced in 2016 that she will be stepping down at the end of her contract in June 2017.

Since 2013, Ames has directed academic affairs at Shepherd University, a public liberal arts university, where he also oversaw the NCAA Division II athletics program. He helped establish a satellite campus serving working adults pursuing graduate and undergraduate degrees and certificates and collaborated with the faculty on new programs, including a Doctor of Nursing Practice, a Master of Science in Data Analytics and Information Science and undergraduate degrees in Music Performance,

Prior to joining Shepherd, Ames served as provost and senior vice president at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta and provost and dean at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland.

“I am a firm believer in liberal education, but I do not believe that the liberal arts should be sequestered into one world while professional programs are housed in another,” Ames said. “If we believe in the power of broad liberal education, we believe in having liberally educated nurses, accountants, therapists, and managers, as well as professionally prepared artists, designers and social scientists. Sage has been dedicated to pragmatic liberal education from its founding, and I am convinced those values will inform the institutions that thrive in the century ahead.”

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Ames earned a Ph.D. in English Literature from Stanford University in Stanford, California. He is a graduate of Harvard’s Institute of Educational Management and the Aspen Institute Executive Seminar on Leadership.

Ames is the author of The Life of the Party: Festive Vision in Modern Fiction (University of Georgia Press, 1991), republished in 2010, and Movies about the Movies: Hollywood Reflected (University Press of Kentucky, 1997).

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Happy 100th

Sage!

Albany Campus and Graduate School Alumni Celebrate the Centennial

In August 2016, alumni representing all of The Sage Colleges watched the eighth race at the historic Saratoga Race Course from the winner’s circle. The race was named in honor of The Sage Colleges Centennial.

Students gathered at Sage College of Albany for a group photo in the shape of “100” in September 2016.

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Wes Moore, author of The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates, spoke and signed books for more than 300 attendees at a Centennial lecture at Sage College of Albany in September 2016.

Donald Edwards SCA ’18, Anthony Crawford, Jr., SCA ’14 [M.A., School of Health Sciences, 2017] and Krystyn Knockwood SCA ’16 at the Centennial 5K on the Russell Sage campus in September 2016.

Emma Deshaies [M.S., School of Health Sciences, 2018], Leah Dungrenier [M.S., School of Health Sciences, 2018] and Margaret Sanderson in the 5K.

Sage College of Albany Student Government President Nasra Gariballa SCA ’18 and Vice President Troy Estes SCA ’18 with Trustee Chair Tip Simons and President Scrimshaw at the Centennial Gala at Sage College of Albany in October.

Alumni Association Board member Carol Fairley Rubino SEC ’72, SGS ’75 and Interim Dean of the Esteves School of Education John Pelizza, Ph.D., at the gala.

“To Be” Continued...

Tom Maggs JCA ’67, Amy Maggs, John Bennett, M.D., member of The Sage Colleges Board of Trustees, and Deborah Bennett RSC ’76 at the gala.

The Centennial celebration continues through the official end of the academic year on June 30, 2017. Watch for MORE, including Sage’s 100th commencement on May 13 and a special campaign announcement.

CROSSROADS spring 2017

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THE BE T TER PART OF A

CENTURY Celebrating the History of Sage’s Albany and Evening Programs

[BEGINNINGS]

1916 Russell Sage College for women founded in Troy, New York, by Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage.

[THE WAR YEARS]

1946 As the women’s college grew and prospered, the United States entered World War II. To support returning troops, Russell Sage College enrolled men. The men’s division precipitated the co-ed programs that Sage would eventually establish in Albany, and the evening and graduate programs that Sage would come to offer.

The Pinfeather newsletter The men’s division had a weekly newsletter, The Pinfeather, which included administrative news, campus and local events, sports, editorials, jokes and some creative writing.

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1949 A co-ed evening division opened in Albany, offering two-year, four-year and graduate degrees under the charter of Russell Sage College.

[1960s AND 70s]

[1950s]

1957

The co-ed Junior College of Albany received degree-granting powers. It was Albany’s first and only independent junior college at the time.

The Saber JCA Yearbooks The Sage Colleges Archives include a full set of The Saber, the JCA yearbook published between 1959 and 1969.

JCA’s First College Bulletin This publication from 1957 – when JCA was located at 258 State Street in downtown Albany – includes information about admission, tuition, graduation requirements and course offerings. At the time, JCA offered two-year programs in Liberal Arts, General Business and Secretarial Science. While the visual arts became a flagship program at JCA and today’s Sage College of Albany, the only arts coursework listed in the first bulletin was one semester of Art History and Appreciation.

Sage’s men’s basketball program – which began with the Sabers Junior College of Albany team that competed from the 1950s through 2002 – is the oldest program in the colleges’ athletics history.

The Oracle: JCA’s News Publication The Oracle was the Albany campus newspaper, and especially visually interesting in the 1970s, some of them hand-drawn. Today at Sage College of Albany, The Phoenix student-run online newspaper covers current events on campus, and Vernacular literary and art magazine continues to be produced by students each spring – it’s been published for over 40 years, and is one of the oldest traditions on the Albany campus.

[MORE RECENTLY]

2002

2009

JCA became a four-year college known as Sage College of Albany.

Sage restructured its graduate school to create today’s Esteves School of Education, School of Health Sciences and School of Management.

2008 The NCAA approved a plan to allow students from both campuses to compete on Sage teams, reinvigorating the athletics tradition on the Albany campus.

2016-2017 The Sage Colleges celebrates its Centennial as one institution, with two undergraduate colleges, three graduate schools and an online and adult education program.

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ON CAMPUS

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ADVANCES AT SAGE

Student Fei Chen and Assistant Professor Ken Howard.

Studying Environment’s Effect on Ant Colonies to Understand Insects’ Larger Impact “Ants are ubiquitous,” said Sage College of Albany Assistant Professor and Evolutionary Biologist Ken Howard, Ph.D. “You could argue that they have had a bigger influence on the environment than any vertebrate after humans.

We are trying to better understand how their social structures affect their impact on everything from individual households to big agriculture.”

To this end, Howard is collaborating with a scientist at the University of Pennsylvania to study how a bacteria called Wolbachia influences the proportion of queens and workers and females to males – as well as the size of males – in acorn ant colonies (Acorn ants get their name from the empty husks in which they make their home.) The research is providing opportunities for students like Fei Chen RSC ’18 to design experiments, organize

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and analyze data, and conduct statistical analyses on findings.

A New York State Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program grant provided a stipend to Chen for research assistance in summer 2016. She and Howard collected 230 “nest units” – each containing 20 to 200 individual ants – from four sites in upstate New York. Back in the lab in SCA’s Esteves Science Hall, Chen isolated queens, workers and males, measuring and photographing the males under a microscope. Their partner at Penn is investigating whether Wolbachia DNA is present in each nest unit; the team will later correlate the data to see if there is a connection between the presence of Wolbachia and the makeup of the colonies.

“After verifying whether or not Wolbachia is influencing the presence and size of males,

we’ll see if it is affecting social behavior in other ways, maybe shifting the development of female larvae from worker ants, which don’t reproduce, to queens, that do reproduce,” said Howard. “Wolbachia gets into all types of insects and does strange things to favor its spread.”

He is excited to include students in his investigations. “I became interested in social insects as a student at Davidson College in North Carolina, after reading The Naturalist,

by E.O. Wilson, about his work with ants, and then participating in summer research with a professor,” said Howard. “When I mentor students I try to give as full an experience as I can, from discussing the literature through data collection. They produce a stronger product. They learn what is necessary, but also what is possible.”

DDOING MORE

ON CAMPUS

Assistant Professors Sue Jenks and Kristi LaMonica with student Rosemary Matala.

Linking Genes and Behavior in Spotted Hyenas Could Provide Vital Information on Ecologically Important Species “Once we get hyena-specific polymerase chain reaction primers, that’s when the real fun begins,” said Assistant Professor of Biology and Psychology Susan Jenks, Ph.D., of how close she, Assistant Biology Professor Kristi LaMonica, Ph.D., and students Rosemary Matala SCA ’17 and Christina Cellelo RSC ’17 are to a breakthrough in their work to isolate a specific gene in spotted hyenas. “We’re hoping to crack it this semester,” she said.

The dopamine receptor gene that they seek is known as DRD4 and it differs among individuals. In other mammals, variations of DRD4 correlate with where an individual falls on a risk-taking behavior spectrum ranging from timidity to fearlessness.

A better understanding of spotted hyena behavior – and how genes influence behavior

– has important implications for conservation management in African ecosystems. According to an article by Michigan State University Professor Kay Holekamp, Ph.D., in Swara, the magazine of the East African Wildlife Society, spotted hyenas can play an important role in the conservation of lions, cheetahs and other wildlife.

A New York State Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program grant provided a stipend to Sage College of Albany Biology and Psychology major Rosemary Matala for her research assistance in summer 2016. Matala spent eight weeks conducting specialized lab procedures, such as polymerase chain reaction, gel electrophoresis and DNA isolation.

Jenks completed post-doctoral research with captive spotted hyenas at the University of California, Berkeley, where she met Holekamp, whose MSU spotted hyena field project has been running for 25 years. In spring 2016, Jenks spent a sabbatical at Holekamp’s research site in Masaai Mara, Kenya. The Sage team has access to behavioral data and DNA samples through Holekamp’s lab, but they are first troubleshooting lab processes to find and sequence the DRD4 gene with readily available DNA from other species. Eventually the Sage team will create genetic profiles of individual spotted hyenas to correlate with existing behavior profiles. “By linking behaviors to genetic profiles, we can better understand patterns of spotted hyena movement, sociability, aggression and risk assessment – including potential interactions with humans,” said Jenks.

“This opportunity gave me insight into how science is actually done, instead of the quick experiment that almost always works in lab classes. It has also allowed me to apply what I have learned in class, especially cell and molecular biology,” said Matala, who is continuing her work with Jenks and LaMonica as a senior research project this academic year.

“I am grateful to CSTEP which made it possible to have student research assistance over the summer,” said Jenks. “We would not have come nearly as far without Rosemary’s diligence and conscientiousness,” she continued, adding that summer research – free from competing teaching and coursework demands – is often especially rewarding. “It gave us a huge jump start,” she said.

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ENERGY IN ART + DESIGN

Students with a work-in-progress during Steamroller Print Day in the fall.

Sculptures designed to be burned morph before students’ eyes during Art + Design’s Fire Night.

Professor Matthew McElligott shared what is new in Art + Design since he was named department chair in 2016.

NEW DEGREE: Last year we took a long, hard look at our Fine Art and Photography programs with an eye toward bringing them into the 21st century. The result is the Art + Extended Media degree, which has just been officially approved by the State Education Department.

At the heart of this new program is a focus on diverse and new media, interdisciplinary research, critical thinking, community engagement and professional practice. This is a program unique in our region that allows students to convincingly answer the question, “What can I do with a fine art degree?”

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ENHANCED ID: Our Interior Design program is now Interior + Spatial Design. The name helps clarify the mission and substance of our program, which is often unfairly confused with interior decorating.

Interior + Spatial Design at Sage is an intense program which incorporates elements of architecture and space planning and focuses on designing ways to improve the relationship between people and their environments. For the past several years, our Interior students have had a nearly 100 percent employment rate after graduation!

VISIBILITY: We believe we have a real treasure here in our department, and we want the rest of the world to know about it. To that end, we’ve embarked on some exciting projects

Chris Howard from Mohawk Paper presents to a Graphic Design class.

and events to engage current and prospective students in new ways.

In October, 3-D professor William Fillmore hosted a Fire Night, in which students created sculptures designed specifically to be burned down. As fire consumed the artwork, it morphed and transformed before our eyes.

In November, we hosted an event in conjunction with the American Institute for Graphic Arts called Emerge. It’s a series of presentations from industry professionals geared toward designers with zero to five years of professional experience.

To cap off the semester, students in our printmaking course created giant printing plates, nearly eight feet long and too large to fit in our printing presses. To run the prints,

DDOING MORE

Students in Sage’s Digital Animation course designed animated projections used as part of the Theatre Institute at Sage’s production of Alice in Wonderland in December.

ON CAMPUS

Matthew McElligott was named chair of the Art + Design department in 2016. A member of the Sage faculty since 1998, he teaches illustration, graphic design, and digital multimedia courses.

He is a graduate of Alfred University and the University of Buffalo, and is a former president of the Graphic Artists Guild of Albany.

Interior + Spatial Design at Sage is an intense program which incorporates elements of architecture and space planning and focuses on designing ways to improve the relationship between people and their environments.

we rented a steamroller for a day to drive across the plates and press the images into long rolls of paper.

Meanwhile, students in our Digital Animation course designed animated projections used as part of the Theatre Institute at Sage’s production of Alice in Wonderland in December.

TO BE: If everything works out, the department will get its own cargo shipping container to install outside the Art + Design building in 2017.

These containers are already being repurposed for all sorts of uses, including refugee housing, homeless housing and even dormitory space.

Having our own shipping container will give our Interior + Spatial Design students a unique workshop to create and test ideas.

McElligott is the award-winning author and illustrator of 15 books for children including the Mad Scientist Academy, Benjamin Franklinstein and Backbeard series. His books have been published in six languages on five continents, and have sold over a quarter million copies. In 2016, he collaborated with Associate Professor of Creative & Performing Arts Michael Musial to create Backbeard: A New Musical, which premiered at the Theatre Institute at Sage in June 2016, and will be part of the New York Musical Festival in Manhattan in 2017.

PROFESSORS RESEARCH 5K TRAINING FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS Assistant Professor of Public Health Dayna Maniccia, DrPH, and Associate Professor of Law & Society Janel Leone, Ph.D., are evaluating the outcomes of a 5K training program for survivors of intimate partner violence with support from a $10,000 grant from the National Council on Family Relations. Most research on interventions for domestic violence survivors has focused on shelter-based services, like support groups; Maniccia and Leone’s study is the first to measure the effectiveness of a structured running program as a means to improve survivors’ well-being and interpersonal relationships. The project will assist a local program as it expands and will extend research opportunities to students in several disciplines.

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DALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Dear alumni, As I write, winter has upstate New York in its cold clutch. I am not a fan of extreme temperatures, but I have always equated changing seasons to the cycles of life. A college education is cyclical, too, with defined beginnings, middles and ends to every semester and program. Your time attending college or graduate school is only a fraction of your time as an alumnus, though. How will you use your time as a college graduate? My hope is that you earn, learn and advance in your career as you remain connected with Sage.

CONNECT WITH ALUMNI! @SageAlbanyAlum facebook.com/TheSageColleges flickr.com/SagePhotoShare

As a college graduate you can have a great impact. I believe it is our responsibility as educated members of society to share knowledge and positively influence the world around us. The Sage College of Albany and Graduate Schools Alumni Association is one way that you can get involved with activities, events, and volunteer opportunities that give back to The Sage Colleges and the broader community. We are always looking for motivated and engaged alumni to join the board, attend events and share time, expertise and ideas to help make the Sage community and the wider community even stronger.

PRESIDENT MIKE MARKOU ’10

This past year has been amazing at both Russell Sage College and Sage College of Albany because of the celebrations tied to the college’s Centennial. For example, more than 500 alumni, faculty, staff and community members attended the Centennial gala at the Armory at Sage College of Albany last fall. I hope that you’ll come back to visit our campus this spring: Sage Sips is the Alumni Association’s premier event and is scheduled for April 21 at the Armory. This will be a great opportunity for alumni to catch up with old friends and meet new friends who share the Sage connection.

Check out all of the upcoming events at sage.edu/albany/alumni or by contacting me at sagealumni@gmail.com. And if you are like me and do not particularly enjoy the cold of winter, don’t worry, spring is just around the corner! I look forward to connecting with you in 2017.

Mike Markou [M.S., School of Management, 2010] President, Alumni Association

THREE JOIN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Retina Bethea SCA ’10, Jolene Dirolf [M.S., Sage School of Health Sciences, 1985] and Kimberly Margosian [M.S., School of Management, 2011] recently joined the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Retina Bethea works in recreational services at Cornell University. A Business Administration major at Sage, she was a member of the women’s lacrosse team and founded a running club.

Jolene Miner Dirolf recently retired after a 30-year career as an advanced practice oncology nurse.

She lives in Loudonville, New York, and is also a volunteer for the National Park Service.

Kimberly Margosian works at Arc of Onondaga.

She has more than 15 years of experience with nonprofits and New York state government.

Margosian lives in Syracuse, New York, and hopes to work with the Alumni Board to build connections with Sage graduates living outside of the Capital District.

TOP PHOTO: Retina Bethea; BOTTOM PHOTO: Jolene Dirolf

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West Hall, home of the Alumni Association on the Albany campus.

Alumni Association Seeks Board Nominations The Sage College of Albany and Graduate Schools Alumni Association is seeking board members for a two-year term beginning July 1, 2017. Board members and the Sage community work together to engage alumni in programs and activities which advance The Sage Colleges and its students and graduates.

To read about current members and to nominate a fellow graduate – or yourself – visit Sage.edu/alumni/sage-college-ofalbany-alumni/alumni-association-board.

DALUMNI ASSOCIATION

EVENTS

RECENT EVENTS SPRING EVENTS CENTENNIAL LECTURE // Michael Gallo, Ph.D. April 11, 7 p.m., Sage College of Albany

ALUMNI AND STUDENT-ATHLETE CAREER PANEL Several former student-athletes returned to campus in November, to offer career advice to current student-athletes. Pictured, New York State Golf Association Manager of Tournament Operations and former golf captain Zach Sullivan SCA ’14, at the head of the table, meets with students. New York State Trooper and former softball player Tiffany Bezio SCA ’12 [M.S., Esteves School of Education, 2013] and Enterprise Holdings Assistant Manager and former soccer player Kris Kallenbach SCA ’14 also participated.

COOKING CLASS

Albany campus and graduate school alumni enjoyed a cooking class at Different Drummer’s Kitchen in Albany in November.

Alumni Association Board Member Carmine Berghela [M.S., School of Management, 2009] at the cooking class.

HAVE YOU JOINED SAGE’S NEW ONLINE ALUMNI COMMUNITY? Alumni.sage.edu is the new online portal where you can: Connect with other alumni in groups based on profession, geographic area or other shared interests Sign up for events and see who else will be there View Class Notes and photos – and share your own

Renowned toxicologist Michael Gallo, a 1968 graduate of Sage Evening College and emeritus professor at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, will speak about his research into risks associated with environmental chemicals, as well as his work developing therapies to respond to chemical terrorism at Rutgers CounterACT Research Center.

ARTS, WINE AND FOOD CELEBRATION // Sage Sips and Vernacular Release Party April 21, events begin late afternoon There is always a lot to enjoy at this popular celebration on Sage’s Albany campus.

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Celebrate the publication of Vernacular 47 with current students! The annual, student-produced art, design and literary publication is one of Sage College of Albany’s oldest traditions.

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Stop by the High School Regional exhibition at the Opalka Gallery. This juried show represents entrants in grades 9-12 from high schools in Albany, Schenectady and Rensselaer counties.

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Visit the commemorative brick walkway outside of the Administration Building. A ceremony celebrating the newest installment will kick off the evening. To learn how to celebrate an achievement or special relationship with a commemorative brick, visit sage.edu/giving/sage-fund-for-excellence.

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Toast the 2017 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year and Outstanding Young Alumnus award winners.

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Enjoy wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres as you reconnect with former classmates and professors.

ACTIVITY // Alumni Games April 22, events throughout the day Calling all former members of the men’s basketball team, men’s and women’s soccer teams and the women’s volleyball team – and their fans! Enjoy a day of friendly competition, followed by a reception.

Search and share job postings

ACTIVITY // Gator Golf Classic

Make a gift to Sage and much MORE!

Watch sagegators.com for more information about this fun annual event supporting athletics at The Sage Colleges.

June 5, Albany Country Club

If you received an email from Sage with your unique alumni ID number, please use your ID number when you log in to the new community for the first time. If you did not receive an alumni ID number, please contact community@sage.edu.

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ALUMNAE ALUMNI

JUNIOR COLLEGE OF ALBANY, GRADUATE SCHOOL ALUMNI ADDED TO ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME

Pictured, with the Sage Gator: John Wagner, Shannon Young, Schuyler Kokernak and President Scrimshaw.

Former Junior College of Albany men’s basketball player John Wagner JCA ’85, former women’s soccer player Schuyler Kokernak [MAT, Esteves School of Education, 2010] and former women’s volleyball player Shannon Young [DPT, School of Health Sciences, 2010] were inducted into Sage’s Athletics Hall of Fame in December.

A starter for JCA’s men’s basketball team from 1983 through 1985, John Wagner helped lead the Sabers to a 43-19 record during his career, and two appearances in the NJCAA Region III East tournament. His 130 career steals and 86 steals in one season (1984-1985) both rank fifth in program history. After graduating from JCA, Wagner earned a bachelor’s degree at Fordham University and a master’s degree at

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Iona College. He has been an assistant principal with New York City’s Department of Education since 1999.

Schuyler Kokernak ranks among Sage’s all-time women’s soccer goalkeeping leaders. Her 5,401 minutes in the net between 2004 and 2007 and 20 career shutouts including six consecutive shutouts are all program records.

She holds third place for career saves (320), and her 1.05 career goals against average – with just 63 goals allowed in four years – is a Gator standard that has never been matched.

Kokernak, who earned a bachelor’s degree at Russell Sage College before attending the Esteves School of Education, is a history teacher at The Albany Academies and has coached high school soccer locally.

Shannon Young helped lead the women’s volleyball team to the Skyline Conference Championship and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2007. Nearly 10 years later, she remains among Sage’s women’s volleyball program’s career statistical leaders and among NCAA Division III leaders, ranked fourth in all of Division III with 3,280 career digs. She is one of the players featured in a history of the sport in conjunction with the 2016 NCAA Division III Championship. Young, who earned a bachelor’s degree at Russell Sage College in conjunction with her doctorate from the School of Health Sciences, is a physical therapist specializing in orthopedic outpatient care at U.S. HealthWorks in Carlsbad, California.

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ALUMNI

TWO GRADUATE SCHOOL ALUMNI JOIN THE SAGE COLLEGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES Kevin O’Bryan [MBA, School of Management, 1988] and Tammy Parsons [M.S., Esteves School of Education, 2001] have joined The Sage Colleges Board of Trustees.

Prior to retirement in 2013, O’Bryan was chief credit officer for First Niagara Financial Group. He had previously served as senior vice president and secretary of Troy Financial Corp. until the holding company merged with First Niagara Financial Group. O’Bryan joined Troy Savings Bank in 1976 and served as senior vice president and secretary of Troy Commercial, secretary and director of 10 of Troy Savings’ subsidiaries, and in positions in Troy Savings’ commercial mortgage department. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Canisius College in addition to his MBA from Sage.

Parsons is a senior academic advisor at Excelsior College and a mentor for the School of Nursing at Empire State College. She previously directed the Higher Education Opportunity Program at Sage and has also worked for the Commission on Economic Opportunity. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Russell Sage College in addition to her master’s degree from the Esteves School of Education.

O’Bryan and Parsons join Sage Graduate School alumni John J. Bellardini [MBA, School of Management, 1996], managing director, Schneider Downs Meridian, and Paul E. Jaeckle [MBA, School of Management, 2009], vice president of asset protection, Meijer, on Sage’s board of trustees.

LEFT: Kevin O’Bryan; RIGHT: Tammy Parsons

CLASS NOTES

Ron Gibbons SCA ’12 is a senior designer at Simmer Group, a New York City creative studio specializing in fast-casual restaurant branding. He was previously a senior designer at C42D, where he worked on projects for Facebook, YouTube, UPS and Reebok. He also works on freelance brand identity and web projects for small businesses in the Hudson Valley.

Debra Jeffs, Ph.D., RN-BC [M.S., School of Health Sciences, 1992] was inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in October. She is an adjunct assistant professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; director of Academic Nursing Education at Arkansas Children’s

Hospital; and board certified in nursing professional development. Jeffs previously taught in the associate degree nursing program at Junior College of Albany, in the baccalaureate nursing program at Russell Sage College and at Excelsior College in Albany. She has led research projects in New York and Arkansas. Her recent research on using virtual reality in pain management with adolescents receiving burn wound care has been recognized internationally. Her findings showed that patients engaged in virtual reality had lower pain scores than those passively watching a film.

Send your updates to crossroads@sage.edu

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ALUMNAE ALUMNI

SOUGHT-AFTER EVENTS ENTREPRENEUR KATIE O’MALLEY MALONEY JCA ’97

“I owe a lot of where I am right now to the required internship I had through JCA.”

Photo by JP Elario JCA ’01 provided by Katie O’Malley Maloney

K

atie O’Malley Maloney of the eponymous Katie O’ Weddings & Events plans picture-perfect celebrations that have been featured in Martha Stewart Weddings, and high-profile fundraisers and corporate events held throughout New York state and New England and as far away as California.

“I owe a lot of where I am right now to the required internship I had through JCA,” said the former editor of The Phoenix campus newspaper, describing how her first events management experience was at the internship required for her Communications major. It was in radio promotions at Dame Media, which then owned three popular stations in the Albany market. The promotions director there became a mentor. “She gave me a lot of responsibility early on,” said O’Malley Maloney, describing how seriously she took her first assignment, writing a 30-second spot advertising a local performance of Disney on Ice’s Beauty and the Beast. “I treated it like a job, and I was hired part time when my internship was over.”

After graduating from Sage, O’Malley Maloney held business development and marketing positions at several entertainment venues, the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District and the City of Albany. In the early 2000s, she ran the campaign that raised more than $1 million toward the pedestrian bridge and “outdoor museum” linking downtown Albany to the Hudson River. “I grew with that job,” she said. “I was very lucky to sit in on

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meetings with investors and developers that shaped the city.”

“Starting my own business was not part of my original plan,” she continued. Then, a smallbusiness owner she was working for left the country for an extended period and placed O’Malley Maloney in charge. “I remember thinking, ‘This is way less frightening than I thought it would be.’” Shortly afterward, she decided it was time to take what she termed “a safe risk.” In 2009, she accepted a part-time position in events at a university, moved in with her parents and launched Katie O’ Weddings & Events, meeting clients at Starbucks and Panera and planning 17 events that first year.

By 2016, KOWE was managing 50 events a year, and had handled more than 250 in all. O’Malley Maloney now has a full-time senior coordinator and 10 part-time coordinators on staff, and a cheerful green studio/office in vibrant downtown Troy, New York. A recent blog post at katieoevents.com celebrating her seventh year in business was also a tribute to one of her very first clients, for whose family she has gone on to work with several more times.

MORE from Katie O’ On Planning Memorable Events: The most important part to plan? “Plan to enjoy your own event!” O’Malley Maloney said.

“Think about ways, whether it is hiring professionals, or enlisting a college student,

friend or relative to help with prep and during the event, so that you can enjoy it too. For corporate events and fundraisers, branding and social media are essential and we can help with those aspects.”

On Giving Back: “I was raised watching people give back to the community, and inspired by the mentors I’ve had. Giving back and supporting local is one of our core values.” O’Malley Maloney sits on advisory committees for several nonprofits, but one dearest to her is the Thomas Patrick Morrison Foundation, which raises research funds for mitochondrial disorders. O’Malley Maloney is co-chair of the foundation’s annual Fashioned by Friendship fashion show and luncheon, which attracts 350 guests.

On Paying it Forward: O’Malley Maloney’s internship as a Junior College of Albany student helped set the course for her career, and she hosts interns at KOWE today – including Katelynn Donovan SCA ’16 during the spring 2016 semester. “I take our internship program very seriously and immerse students in operations, from the sales process through vendor meetings, social media and the on-site work at the event,” she said.

If you are willing to mentor an intern from The Sage Colleges, please visit sage.edu/student-life/career-planning/ job-internship-postings.

Memories from JCA: “At that time, the Communications Department was run by [former professor and associate provost] Kevin Stoner, and the same, core group of eight students was in all my classes. The thing that stands out to me is the close knit group. I was a commuter, but still felt a sense of connection.”

On Unwinding from her Extroverted Job: “I sing karaoke in the car on road trips, and I love being at a table with good food, good wines and good friends. And of course, being with my husband and our baby girl.”

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ALUMNI

RECENT GRAD’S CAREER IN SPORTS MANAGEMENT HEATS UP clients a mix of information and instruction that is as much informed by Excel spreadsheets as it is by coaches’ playbooks. He gives players data and advice on obscure points of the game … like their offensive production when they take two dribbles instead of four and their shooting percentages when coming off screens at the left elbow of the court.” Deans scrimmaged with Best Ball Analytics’ clients – a mix of high-profile college athletes and NBA stars – as Zormelo analyzed their game. “It helped me get more player development experience,” Deans said.

“I feel confident.

I know I have the skills and tools to succeed.”

Deans himself was captain of Sage’s 2015 men’s basketball team which was undefeated in the Kahl Gym and achieved the program’s first conference championship and NCAA tournament appearance. The 6’7 forward and center was the Skyline Conference Men’s Basketball Player of 2015 and a finalist for the ECAC Metro Division III Player of 2015. He also holds records for most points in a game (33) and most points in a season (468) at Sage.

“I had great professors in Sage’s management program and leadership experience as basketball captain,” he said of starting his post-college career. “I feel confident. I know I have the skills and tools to succeed.”

CONNECT WITH CAREER SERVICES

S

age basketball standout Kai Deans SCA ’16 graduated with a degree in Business Administration and a goal to work in professional sports. While he ultimately wants to work in basketball operations and player development, he understands the importance of learning multiple facets of sports management as he builds his career – and he was thrilled to join Premium Services at American Airlines Arena for the Miami Heat’s 2016-2017 season.

In his role, he helps ensure a high level of service for VIP spectators in boxes and courtside seats. It was early in the season – just four home games in – when he spoke to Crossroads, and premium guests so far had

included Miami business and community leaders, singer Adele and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. “It was interesting and intense working with the Secret Service,” he said, explaining that he expected Clinton’s security would communicate mainly with his supervisor, but they made sure everyone understood their security requirements and communicated frequently and directly with him, too.

During this past basketball off-season, Deans worked with Best Ball Analytics, a training program developed by former Georgetown University basketball manager Justin Zormelo, who, according to a profile in the New York Times, “pores over metrics, and feeds his

Assistant Director Shatoya Michel, Director Carleen Pallante and Assistant Director Amanda Shaw of the Office of Career Planning.

Alumni volunteers help Career Planning at The Sage Colleges do MORE, and alumni frequently seek counsel from Career Planning as well – its services are available free of charge.

Visit sage.edu/alumni-career-resources to learn more.

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STUDENTS ALUMNAE

LONDON CALLING Sage College of Albany Graphic Design major Jordan White ’17 studied at London’s Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in summer 2016, where he learned from leading London-based designers like Domenic Lippa of the international firm Pentagram, and Phil Baines, author of notable books on typography. White also enjoyed learning traditional techniques such as letterpress printing and film processing, and access to London’s cultural attractions. “Since I love art, I spent time visiting contemporary art museums and galleries. A highlight was the Rolling Stones exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery.”

I now have connections all over the world.

MANAGEMENT STUDENTS EARN BRONZE IN BUSINESS CASE COMPETITION Sage College of Albany Management students (pictured, left to right) Nicole Farmer ’17, Danielle DiCaprio ’17, Anthony Williamson ’16 and Kevin Saar ’18 earned third place in the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education’s New England Regional Student Business Case Competition at Dean College in Franklin, Massachusetts, in October. At the start of the competition, the team was assigned a business ethics case about controversial price increases applied to the EpiPen – a potentially lifesaving device for people with severe allergies – by its manufacturer.

They then had three hours and 30 minutes to create a presentation analyzing the pharmaceutical company’s decision from management, financial, marketing and ethical perspectives. “It was a group effort.

We all contributed to the team and all had valuable input that led to our success,” said Farmer, describing how the team met with Professors Eileen Brownell, Ph.D., Kevin Fletcher, Ph.D., and Pamela Ko, J.D., several times leading up to the competition, to run through practice cases. “Classes give you the information and this competition really allowed me to put it to use,” said Saar.

EVENT // Steamroller Print Day!

April 8, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | The Armory at Sage College of Albany

White has an associate degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology and worked for Ralph Lauren, Converse and New York & Company before he decided to pursue a degree in Graphic Design at Sage, and eventually an international career in branding, advertising and marketing.

Thanks in part to the Katherine Disbrow Johnson RSC ’29 Memorial Travel Fund, which provided support for his trip, he is on his way. “I now have connections all over the world,” he said.

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How do you make prints that are too big for the press? You rent a steamroller, of course! Come see students make giant woodblock prints by pressing them under the weight of a two-ton roller. This is sure to be a oneof-a-kind art-making day at Sage.

EXHIBITION // Annual Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition May 5-June 4 | Opalka Gallery // Opening Reception | May 5, 5-7 p.m.

This annual showcase features fine art, photography, interior design and graphic design by seniors in Sage College of Albany’s Art + Design BFA programs. The annual BFA Exhibition offers a glimpse of the best of what the BFA programs at Sage have to offer.

Find MORE open-to-the-public events at sage.edu/events

CORPORATE CONNECTIONS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM | THE SAGE COLLEGES Corporate Connections scholarship sponsors provided 115 scholarships to Capital Region students in their final year of study at Sage!

To learn how your company can get involved, visit sage.edu/giving/corporateconnections.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

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THE $60 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.

To make your gift visit

centennial.sage.edu

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 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 Kahl Campus Center. centennial.sage.edu/bricks-and-tiles

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

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