SPRING 2018
Contemplating Student Wellness
Alumni Discuss Paths to Jesuit Priesthood
Reflecting on 25 Years in The Royal Theatre
Features 2 2 Mind, Body, Spirit
Students “stress-less” thanks to programs across the University that focus on healthy and balanced lifestyles.
2 6 The University Players Call
McDade ‘Home’ for 25 Years Players Alumni reflect on how their experiences in the
theatre shaped their minds and their careers.
3 0 The Jesuit Seven
Scranton planted the initial seed for a Jesuit vocation for seven alumni.
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Online Journal There is more Scranton news than we can fit in this print edition! Look for icons throughout The Scranton Journal indicating that there is more related content, including photographs, videos or expanded articles, on our website. Visit scranton.edu/scrantonjournal to access the print version’s full content, plus our web exclusives.
PHOTOS
STORY
VIDEO
HERE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS:
More Campus Updates See more photos of the progress of the Estate, the Commons and The Kevin P. Quinn, S.J., Athletics Campus online.
Jesuit Inspiration Students in "On the Verge" are, from left: Jessica Lucas '07, Shannon Munley DPT '07, G'08, Ashley Teatum '09 and Anthony Mercado '09.
Departments
3 A Message
The “Jesuit Seven” all enthusiastically cited The University of Scranton as the place responsible for their vocations, and all named several inspirational Jesuits in particular. Read about who inspired them online.
from the President
4 On the Commons 12
Focus on Faculty
14 Alumni News 20 Athletics
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32 Profiles 41 Class Notes
The Theatre Effect
“The theatre community at Scranton made it very clear that every role that needed to be filled, be it in the wings, on the catwalk, in the shop or on stage, was just as important as any other. There is no place for ego, and respect for everyone is an absolute requirement.” - Shannon Munley, DPT ’07, G’08 There are more stories like this one online, and photos too!
SPRING 2018 • VOLUME 39, NUMBER 2
EDITOR
Laura Richards DESIGNERS
Bob Sanchuk Jason Thorne G’13
A Message
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Tom Salitsky Randy Shemanski Stan M. Zygmunt ’84, G’95
from the President
ASSOCIATE WRITERS
Ashley Alt ’09 Jessica D'Aquila ’18 Eric Eiden ’19 Breanna Forgione ’18 Maura Sullivan Hill Sandra J. Snyder ’93 ASSISTANT CLASS NOTES EDITOR
Dear Faculty, Staff, Students, Alumni, Parents & Friends:
As I write this letter, I only have a few months left in my tenure as interim president, and
Margery Gleason
the time has flown by. I have been moved by the spirit of our students and watched as they
PHOTOGRAPHY
excelled in class, served in the community and came together to experience events on
Mark Bryan Brown Chad Bonk Terry Connors Sarah Effertz Sasha Gitin Todd Hiller Eileen Notarianni ’91 Chad Sebring ’93 INTERIM PRESIDENT
Rev. Herbert B. Keller, S.J. H’06 VICE PROVOST FOR ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT & EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Gerald C. Zaboski ’87, G’95 DIRECTOR OF MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
Lori J. Nidoh ’80, G’89 DIRECTOR OF PRINTING & MAILING SERVICES
Valarie J. Clark
campus, from the Ignatian Values lecture to the eclipse of the sun. I am reminded every day that it is a blessing and a responsibility to attend college. Under 7 percent of the world's students are able to obtain a college education. This is why it is essential that we, in solidarity with all of the world’s people, devote our lives to share what we have fostered here together. It is my hope that attending this institution instilled a sense of connectedness with others. In the pages of this Journal, you'll read how that learned obligation shaped many alumni careers and helped them grow as citizens of the world. I want to thank you for your support and encouragement as I continue to serve this University. I am grateful to have gotten to know so many Scranton staff, faculty, alumni, students and parents, and I look forward to many rewarding conversations in the months to come. Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., and I will continue to work together to make the presidential
The Scranton Journal is published by The University of Scranton for its alumni and friends.
External Affairs & Enrollment Management Office The University of Scranton, Scranton, PA 18510-4615 570.941.7900
transition a smooth one. Beginning this summer, it will be a pleasure to continue to serve you as a past president, rector of the Scranton Jesuit Community and a member the Board. God bless you and best wishes for a fulfilling year ahead.
Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement
The University of Scranton, Scranton, PA 18510-4624 570.941.7660. Email: alumni@scranton.edu Website: scranton.edu/alumni If this issue is addressed to a graduate who no longer maintains a residence at your home, please tear off the mailing panel and mail it, with the corrected address, to the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement. The University of Scranton is a Catholic, Jesuit educational institution serving men and women. © 2018 The University of Scranton
Sincerely,
Herbert B. Keller, S.J. Interim President SPRING 2018
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On the Commons
Rev. Herbert B. Keller, S.J. H’06, Installed as Interim President Rev. Herbert B. Keller, S.J. H’06, was installed as interim president during the Mass of the Holy Spirit on Aug. 31, 2017. Fr. Keller said he is grateful, humbled and honored for the confidence placed in him by the University’s Board of Trustees through this appointment and promised to “devote all of my energy this year in promoting the Catholic and Jesuit mission of this great University.” The formal installation was conducted by Lawrence R. Lynch ’81, chair of the University’s Board of Trustees. Referring to a line from the University’s alma mater, Fr. Keller said, “The legacy of those who’ve gone before is briefly ours to hold. I am conscious of that legacy of our predecessors, and not just the legacy of former presidents, but the legacy of faculty, GET SOCIAL Welcome to the family, #Royals2021! ScrantonAlumni
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8/19/17
staff, administrators and students who have gone before us; it is all of them who have passed on the legacy, the mission, the spirit of The University of Scranton.” Fr. Keller also challenged students, faculty and staff “to think of how we will shape this legacy. If it is ours to hold for four years, or 50 years, or one year: What will we be willing to give of ourselves to make this legacy even stronger for those who will follow us?” Fr. Keller, who is also the rector of the Scranton Jesuit Community, will serve as president through June 30, 2018, when he will be succeeded by Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J. H’15, presidentelect, at the conclusion of Fr. Pilarz’s service as president of Georgetown Preparatory School. 9/17/17
A visit to The University of Scranton @univofscranton to speak to incoming freshmen and other Scrantastic people. JamesMartinSJ
9/23/17 Family Weekend Mass 2017 Campus Ministries
On the Commons
Appointments Jeff Gingerich, Ph.D., was named provost and senior vice president for academic affairs effective July 1, 2018. Dr. Gingerich currently serves as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Cabrini University, a Catholic liberal arts institution in Radnor. In this role, he serves as the chief Jeff Gingerich, Ph.D. academic officer overseeing four colleges and schools offering more than 35 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. Sunil Ahuja, Ph.D., was named associate provost for academic affairs and a tenured professor in the Department of Political Science. Dr. Ahuja came to Scranton from the Higher Learning Commission in Chicago, where he was vice president for Sunil Ahuja, Ph.D. accreditation relations, institutional change and research. Harry R. Dammer, Ph.D., was named associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Dammer is a professor in the Department of Sociology, Criminal Justice and Criminology, has served as department chair and received the 2016 Faculty Award Harry R. Dammer, for Excellence in University Service and Ph.D. Leadership.
U.S. Senator Bob Casey Visits Scranton’s Nationally Ranked Science Labs This fall, U.S. Senator Bob Casey visited Scranton the very same week that the University’s science labs were ranked No. 9 in the nation, according to The Princeton Review’s 2018 edition of the “Best 382 Colleges” guidebook. Sen. Casey met with students conducting summer research projects at the Loyola Science Center, as well as participants in a Girls Who Code summer camp hosted at the University. Scranton was one of just a dozen colleges in the nation to host a Girls Who Code day camp, which is part of a national initiative to encourage young women to pursue careers in the computer sciences. The University also hosts a Girls Who Code club that meets on campus during the academic year. “It was my pleasure today to meet with these impressive young women, breaking down barriers in the world of technology,” said Sen. Casey. “We have to continue to push for pay equality for women and give young people, no matter their gender, the tools they need to succeed, whether it is quality education or jobs that pay family-sustaining incomes.”
Students Attend National Jesuit Student Leadership Conference Eleven Scranton students participated in the National Jesuit Student Leadership Conference held at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., last summer. The national conference, held at a different Jesuit university each summer, entails group discussions, a day of service and various workshops focused on furthering the development of student leadership from a Jesuit perspective. At this year’s conference, the group participated in Advocacy Day, meeting with congresspersons and their staffers to advocate for issues important to them, including financial aid and the DREAM Act. 10/3/17 We’re ready for @uofsfieldhockey and look at this sunset at Fitz! #GoRoyals royalathletics Insta
11/1/17 Photo from Halloween “Volley Boo-All” Night in the Byron. Scranton Rec Sports
11/10/17 Happy #VeteransDay2017! Thank you to those who served and have served our country! lscottrivera
SPRING 2018
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On the Commons
Solar Eclipse 2017 Watch Party On Aug. 21, the Scranton community gathered together to share in a special experience – the first total solar eclipse since Feb. 26, 1979. Equipped with their solar eclipse glasses – some homemade, some store-bought – students, faculty and staff gathered to study the eclipse. “It was just one of those things you need to take a minute to sit back and see. It’s rare and special, and we were lucky enough to experience it on our lifetimes,” said Nicole Borrelli ’18.
PROGRAM NEWS Master of Science in Finance Program Launches A brand-new Master of Science in Finance (MSF) degree launched online in January 2018 and will begin on campus in fall 2018. Housed in the AACSB-accredited Kania School of Management, the program is designed for individuals interested in careers in financial or investment management and can help prepare students for professional certifications, including the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) program. The program requires 30 credits and may be completed in 12 months when taken on a full-time basis. Online students can complement their coursework with an optional three-day, oncampus residency involving an interactive experience in the Alperin Financial Center.
Education for Justice is Now the Ellacuría Initiative Education for Justice has been renamed the Ellacuría Initiative in memory of Ignacio Ellacuría, S.J., one of the Jesuit martyrs of El Salvador. The goals of Ellacuría programming are to reflect on GET SOCIAL Thanks to Stephanie Khudari for her photo from Egypt!! She is currently studying abroad in Jordan, but had to make the trip over to visit her #mcm - the Great Sphinx! Study Abroad Program
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the meaning of justice, spread awareness of injustice and of efforts being made to remedy injustice and respond to injustice. For the next two academic years, programming will focus on health issues and their relationship to justice.
Keeping Nurse Liaison Partners Informed Scranton’s Clinical Liaison Nurse Model is a communitybased, academic-practice partnership which pairs expert staff nurses with academic faculty with the goal of creating an improved learning environment for undergraduate student nurses and an added level of safety for patients. Started in 2009, the program relies on partners at the Regional Hospital of Scranton, Moses Taylor Hospital and Geisinger Community Medical Center. This fall, nursing faculty met with partner practitioners at each hospital to update them about the program and report on its successes. According to Sharon Hudacek, Ed.D., professor of nursing, documented research indicates that results of this model include exceptional preparation for clinical practice and higher levels of student and nurse satisfaction within the clinical learning environment in acutecare hospitals. The program also enhances opportunities for recruitment and retention of nurses for hospital practice partners. 11/19/17
Soooo many volunteers today at our Thanksgiving Feed a Family program Center for Service and Social Justice
11/19/17 Find us somewhere on the marathon course repping @univofscranton at the @Philly_Marathon #Philadelphiamarathon #PhillyMarathon marasmith214
Fr. James Martin, S.J., Presents Ignatian Values Lecture
After senior Marissa Frank’s service trips to Ghana and Zambia, she realized many African communities overwhelmingly lack access to clean drinking water. Struck by this devastating reality, Frank and her friend (and now business partner) Jaclyn Campson ’18 teamed up to create True Thabo, a company whose sole mission is to provide clean water to schools to ensure that no student risks getting sick from their water source. “Our goal is to make people aware that this crisis is occurring and how they can get involved,” said Frank. True Thabo’s life-changing water systems are funded through water bottle sales; hence, their slogan, “Get Water. Give Water.” One hundred percent of the net proceeds from the bottle sales goes directly to providing water purification systems to partner schools in Africa. True Thabo equips these Students Marissa Frank (left) and schools with not only the Jaclyn Campson (right) founded True Thabo, selling water bottles to LifeStraw Community fund water purification systems to system and MadiDrops, schools in Africa. ensuring that their water is clean enough to drink, but also provides the necessary curriculum on the water crisis and waterborne illness prevention. “We have become advocates for our partner schools, and we take that job very seriously,” said Campson. This year, True Thabo teamed up with the Social Entrepreneurship class to provide donations to benefit the Linda Community School located outside of Livingstone, Zambia. Their donation will provide the school, home to 470 students, with water purification systems.
“Jesuit spirituality wants us to be the person God wants us to be in order to serve others,” Fr. James Martin, S.J. H’17 told a room of firstyear students at the Ignatian Values Lecture. Fr. Martin is the editor-at-large of America magazine and an award-winning author. He wrote The New York Times best-selling book “The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything,” which was the chosen book for the Class of 2021 Royal Reads Program. The purpose of the Royal Reads Program is to create a shared experience for Scranton’s newest students through the reading of a carefully selected book, which introduces them to Ignatian values. Each year, members of the incoming first-year class are required to read the book and attend the lecture. “God gives us all the capacity to make good decisions,” said Fr. Martin during the lecture. He “helps to build us, calm us down and give us hope.”
11/22/17 Some of our international students are thankful for something special this week: their first Thanksgiving! University of Scranton
#YouAreWelcomeHere: Educating Local Students About Ghana In November, nearly 100 students from local elementary and middle schools came to Scranton for a presentation about Ghana as part of International Education Week. Ekow Aikins, an MBA student and a native of Ghana, spoke about his country’s culture and language to students from Prescott Elementary School, The Lutheran Academy, North Pocono Elementary and North Pocono Middle School. Aikins began the lecture by explaining the symbolism and meaning of the colors represented in Ghana’s flag. He also talked about Ghana’s traditional dress, food, tribes and regions. The lecture ended with a question and answer session, followed by a sampling of traditional Ghanaian food. The lecture was sponsored by the University’s Office of International Programs and Services as part of International Education Week, a joint operation by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, to convey the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. 11/29/17
A Celebration of Remembrance Ceremony honored those who donated their bodies to further the education of students in the health professions at Scranton. University of Scranton
On the Commons
True Thabo: Making Clean Water a Right, Not a Privilege
11/30/17 Ten years ago, The Edward R. Leahy Jr. Clinic for the Uninsured opened not only their doors to the underserved in the Greater Scranton community but also their hearts. #OurScranton univofscranton
SPRING 2018
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On the Commons
Resident Assistant Creates ‘Global Get Together’ to Process Study Abroad Experiences
‘Breaking Bad’ Star Headlines disABILITY Conference “Breaking Bad” star R.J. Mitte was the featured speaker at the evening town hall event of the 16th Annual U.S. Conference on disABILITY, hosted at Scranton in October. A standing-room-only crowd of more than 600 students and guests attended the talk in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center with an overflow audience watching via live stream in the Moskovitz Theater. Mitte, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 3, told the crowd, “There’s always a way around it. There’s always a way to push forward. No one should live in the idea that you can’t do something. If you want to do it, it’s yours. You have to make the decision to say ‘I can do this’ and ‘I will do this.’” Mitte discussed how he has utilized his disability as a strength, to learn more about himself and the people around him, and the importance of trying to make a difference in other people’s lives with acts of kindness. “There are a lot of things that we can’t prevent in this world. But we can make ourselves aware of what’s going on around us. It all comes down to how we treat people, and you can make an impact,” said Mitte, who played Walter “Flynn” White Jr. on “Breaking Bad.” The conference was hosted by Scranton’s Panuska College of Professional Studies and co-sponsored by Geisinger. GET SOCIAL Senators of student government demonstrate leadership and good communication: skills employers are always looking for! #RoyalCareers uofscareers
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In November, 45 international students, exchange students and domestic students representing six continents convened at the Chapman Lake Retreat Center for a “Global Get Together.” The event, organized by Resident Assistant (RA) Adrian Laudani ’18, was co-sponsored by Residence Life, the Study Abroad Office, the Office of International Students and Scholars and Campus Ministries. Laudani wanted to create a meaningful engagement opportunity for students who have been abroad or plan to go abroad. “Having studied abroad myself, I know that it’s essential when returning from an international experience, or while experiencing one, to have that outlet to talk about and process your experiences,” she said. Laudani developed and executed the entire event. Participants connected in both large and small groups, discussing questions Laudani developed to help them think critically about their international experiences and what they have learned about themselves and the world through travel. The event was a rousing success, and plans are already underway for a second “Global Get Together” during the spring semester.
12/3/17 All is calm, all is bright. My last tree lighting as a student. dive.for.dreams Insta
12/4/17 Free coffee and snacks during Finals Week = instant smile! #ScrantonSmiles univofscranton
On the Commons Fall Career Expo a Success More than 500 students participated in the 2017 Fall Career Expo organized by the Gerard R. Roche Center for Career Development. The expo offered opportunities for internships, employment and advanced degrees in disciplines ranging from business and science to physical therapy, education and criminal justice. More than 100 companies, nonprofit organizations and graduate, law and schools of medicine participated in the event, along with organizations offering service opportunities. “It was a great way to connect with companies and agencies
related to my major,” said Brianna Johnson, a Panuska College of Professional Studies student. “I feel like I got my foot in the door and met a lot of great representatives.” Each semester, the Roche Center organizes student career fairs and internships, which give students the opportunity to integrate classroom learning with real-world experiences. The Classes of 2016 and 2017 completed internships at 992 organizations in 35 different states, plus the District of Columbia, China, Czech Republic, Panama and South Africa.
INCOMING CLASS: By the Numbers
University Racks Up Rankings The University collected another impressive set of national accolades in 2017. Scranton was ranked among the BEST . . . • Colleges (based on 15 indicators of student engagement, outcomes and educational resources) — The Wall Street Journal & Times Higher Education
10,000+
• Regional Universities in the North • Value Regional Universities in the North • Business Schools • Undergraduate Engineering Programs (where doctorate is not offered) • Schools Where Students Excel Based on Spirit and Hard Work — U.S. News & World Report • Healthy Colleges — Greatist.com
Class of 2021
902
406
• Colleges • Science Labs • Campus Food • Intramural Sports • Religious Students • Business Schools • Green Campus — The Princeton Review
• Overall Quality — College Factual
Class of 2021 Applicants
Graduate Students
49
Transfer Students
First-Year Class
2020 2021
Average SAT Score
1,130
1,187
High Schools Represented
458
430
Number of Legacies
111
94
21% from NEPA
• Colleges • Value • Catholic Colleges • College Campuses • Dorms • Student Life • Professors — Niche.com
15 States Represented
To read about this year’s Presidential Scholars and other news, visit scranton.edu/scrantonjournal. 12/8/17 Peace out, fall semester. #university ofscranton amandamassar Insta
12/12/17 Desert Experience I ended last night – all are on their way home as Desert Experience II gets ready to arrive in Death Valley! UofSMinistries
1/17/18 Students from the @univofscranton visiting Áras an Uachtaráin this morning. PresidentIRL (President of Ireland)
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SPRING 2018
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Photo: Amye Archer
On the Commons
The Estate
Campus Update The Estate
The Commons
Last year, old Loyola, the building in front of the Estate, was demolished. Further improvements were made this summer and fall, including a new bluestone terrace in the area immediately in front of the historic building and stone entrance steps inspired by its original design. The enhancements also added contemplation walkways of bluestone and granite to the grounds.
Over the summer, the University completed work on the Commons between the new Commons Flag Terrace and the University’s parking pavilion at the entrance of Weinberg Memorial Library. The project included a new walkway surface of bluestone and granite pavers, consistent with the design used throughout the campus. The University received funding support for the project from the Multimodal Transportation Fund of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The Kevin P. Quinn, S.J., Athletics Campus The softball field at The Kevin P. Quinn, S.J., Athletics Campus was installed this fall, making it the first of the three fields at the new facility to have the turf completed. While the bleachers and surrounding work are finished at the softball field, preparation for the installation of the playing surface on the baseball and multi-purpose fields continues. Work on the playing surface foundation, bleachers, press boxes and surrounding structures continues on both fields. The Kevin P. Quinn, S.J., Athletics Campus will feature NCAA-regulation baseball and softball fields as well as a multi-purpose field that meets NCAA regulations for men's and women's soccer, field hockey and men's and women's lacrosse. 10
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The Kevin P. Quinn, S.J., Athletics Campus
For photos of the Commons and of the Estate and Athletics Campus construction, visit scranton.edu/scrantonjournal.
On the Commons
ONE-ON-ONE with Dave Martin, Director of Athletics
What does an athletics director do? When we were kids, the belief was that athletics directors did schedules and hired officials and pumped up the balls. The job has changed so much in the time I’ve been in college athletics (33 years). I’m in my third year here and a large piece of my time has been spent in the planning and fundraising of the Kevin P. Quinn, S.J., Athletics Campus. We’ve also raised about $300,000 to help supplement operating costs here in Athletics. We’ve worked very hard and spent a lot of time developing The Royal Way, which is a touchstone for all athletes, the goal of which is to provide our student-athletes with a transformative Jesuit experience. None of these things has to do with scheduling games, getting officials or pumping up balls! Tell me more about The Royal Way. What we’ve done is taken a touchstone and used it to drive everything that we do in terms of programming for student-athletes, programming as it relates to fundraising. It’s the way that we want to conduct our business. We want to win. We want to win as much as anybody. But we want to win on our terms, by doing it our way — The Royal Way.
What does the new Kevin P. Quinn, S.J., Athletics Campus mean for the University? The Kevin P. Quinn Athletics Campus is an absolute game changer for everyone. In forever, we haven’t had a baseball field to call our own. We haven’t had a softball field to call our own. Fitzpatrick Field is not regulation size. So, we’ve had great teams, but we can’t play NCAA championship games here because it’s not regulation size. The idea of having our own facilities is amazing. And the facilities themselves — artificial turf fields with lights — they are state-of-the-art. You started football at Misericordia. Is that going to happen at Scranton? Interesting story. And this is a true story. So when I’m here for my interview, I’m meeting with Fr. Quinn up in his office, and it’s a little intimidating. We were chatting back and forth. Fr. Quinn folds his legs, and he puts his hands over his knee as he often did. And he says, “David, let me be perfectly clear about one thing.” And I say, “What’s that, Father?” He says, “There will be no football at The University of Scranton.” To that I replied, “Amen to that, Father. I did it once and once was enough.” How did sports change your life? Sports has kind of been my whole life. I had a baseball coach who was an awesome mentor. I’m a big quote guy now, and I think I probably got it from him. He said, “The key to happiness and success is to find something you love to do and you figure out a way to get paid for it.” I’ve done that. I love my job. SPRING 2018
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Focus on Faculty Faculty Members Further Work in Uganda Thanks to Strategic Initiative Funding With the launch of the Strategic Initiative Funding process in 2016-17, many University students, faculty and staff were granted financial support to fund innovative projects to advance the goals of the University’s Engaged, Integrated, Global Strategic Plan. Several professors received support to strengthen the 11year relationship between the University and Uganda, where Scranton students have been studying since 2006, thanks to a faculty-led, study abroad course. Now, theology/religious studies professors Charles Pinches, Ph.D., and Cyrus Olsen, Ph.D., have teamed up with the chair of nursing, Catherine Lovecchio, Ph.D., MSN, to offer on-campus conferences featuring Ugandan personnel and expanded travel courses and internship programs in the East African country. They hope the outcome will be “an integrated global learning environment connecting increased numbers of Scranton students, alumni and faculty with institutions and communities in Uganda.” Through a connection with the nursing school at Bwindi Community Hospital in southwest Uganda, nursing students
Students gather at the equator during intersession 2017 with their Healthcare in Africa and Christianity in Africa courses.
and faculty have advised and interacted with an institution that has radically changed the health of hundreds of thousands of people.
Professor Scahill Discusses 2017 Henry George Lecture The annual Henry George Lecture Series took place on Nov. 17, featuring David Autor, Ph.D., an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Edward Scahill, Ph.D., associate professor of economics, is the chair of the Henry George Committee in the Department of Economics and Finance, and he spoke with the Journal about this year’s lecture: Why is it called the Henry George Lecture? The Robert Schalkenbach Foundation in New York was established in 1925 to propagate the ideas of Henry George, a 19th-century economist and social reformer. His bestselling book “Progress and Poverty” fits under the broad ideal of Jesuit education. With the assistance of John Kelly, a local realtor and a member of the Schalkenbach Board of Directors, the School of Management received a grant that funded the lecture series. Nine lecturers have gone on to win the Nobel Prize. Do you have a knack for knowing who will win? There’s some lore that Robert Solow, our second lecturer, found out that he won the Nobel while here at Scranton. I’m not
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sure if that’s true, but it makes a nice story, so I don’t question it. In addition to the fall lecture, we also have a spring seminar. One of our previous spring speakers was Angus Deaton, a Scottish-American economist whose research examines how happiness and income are correlated across different countries. He received a Nobel Prize in Economics in 2015. Tell me about this year’s lecturer. David Autor, Ph.D., is the Ford Professor of Economics and associate department head of MIT’s department of economics. His lecture was on trade with China, which is a political football right now. The lecture discussed “Automation and Employment: What Should (and Shouldn’t) We Worry About.” Although some economists and analysts believe that the increased use of robotic technology in the workplace will have a negative impact on jobs, Dr. Autor is more optimistic. This was an interesting and relevant topic for our students, who will soon be searching for jobs. See video of this and other select lectures on our YouTube Channel.
Recognitions Michael Friedman, Ph.D., professor of English and theatre, received the 2017 John L. Earl III Award. The award is given annually to a member of the University Friedman community who demonstrates the spirit of generosity and dedication that the late Dr. John Earl, a distinguished professor of history, exemplified during his years at Scranton (1964-1996). Julie Cerrito, Ph.D., received the Edwin L. Herr Fellowship for Excellence in Counseling Leadership and Scholarship Award from Chi Sigma Iota, the international Cerrito counseling academic and professional honor society. The award is presented to a full-time counselor educator in the early stages of his or her career, whose professional goals include career development or international issues in counseling. Dr. Cerrito is an assistant professor and the director of the school counseling program in the Department of Counseling and Human Services. Julie A. Nastasi, Sc.D., O.T.D., assistant professor of occupational therapy, was named an Ambassador of Sight by The Lion’s Club Low Vision Centers of Fairfield and New Nastasi Haven counties in Connecticut. Dr. Nastasi is the director of the University’s Edward R. Leahy Jr. Center Clinic for the Uninsured and established a program at the clinic that helps those with low vision remain independent. Yamile Silva, Ph.D., was named president of the International Association of Women’s Studies in Hispanic Literature and Culture, an organization dedicated to Silva advancing the study of women and gender-related topics in Hispanic literature, and promoting the work of Hispanic women writers. Dr. Silva teaches in the departments of Latin American Studies, Women’s Studies and World Languages and Cultures.
By Rose Sebastianelli, Ph.D., Professor of Operations and Information Management
What does it mean to be a Jesuit business school? What role should business faculty play in fostering Jesuit ideals? What are the objectives of a mission-inspired project in teaching? How can the scholarly output of business faculty contribute to the Jesuit mission? These were some of the questions examined by a small group of faculty in the Kania School of Management (KSOM) at The University of Scranton, who took part in the Business Education for Justice Seminar, Sebastianelli which I organized and led with support from the University’s Jesuit Center and the KSOM dean, Michael Mensah, Ph.D., as the “capstone project” for the Ignatian Colleagues Program (ICP). Under the auspices of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU), ICP is an 18-month program “designed to educate and form administrators and faculty more deeply in the Jesuit and Catholic tradition of higher education.” It includes online workshops, reflection papers, seminars and an immersion trip to the United States/Mexico border through the KINO Border Initiative. ICP concludes with a “capstone experience” in which participants plan projects for advancing mission on their own campuses. Participating in ICP motivated me, a full professor with almost 30 years of service to Scranton, to more fully understand the Ignatian tradition and consider the ways in which it could (and should) impact my work going forward. In addition to providing a Jesuit-inspired education to students, I want to ensure Ignatian values are passed onto future generations. This requires collaboration with colleagues to create a critical mass of KSOM faculty committed to fulfilling the Jesuit mission through the “service of faith and promotion of justice.” I want to exploit the “multiplier” effect so that Ignatian values can be shared as broadly as possible, with colleagues, students, alumni and the business community. I also want to include newly hired faculty with the potential to contribute to the Jesuit mission for many years to come. These goals inform the design of the Business Education for Justice Seminar. Read the full version of this article in the October 2017 issue of Connections, the online magazine published by the American Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU).
Focus on Faculty
In Pursuit of Business Education for Justice
Read more about Scranton professors who earned rank and tenure, and those recognized with awards in the fall, at scranton.edu/scrantonjournal. SPRING 2018
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Alumni News In Case You Missed it… Enjoy these photos from a few of our signature fall semester events.
Toast2Scranton Campus Celebration At the Toast2Scranton Campus Celebration 2017, 40 alumni joined together with 230 students and a whole bunch of marshmallows to discuss career advice and all things Scranton.
North Carolina Alumni gather in Raleigh, North Carolina, to celebrate their shared love of the University as part of a series of regional celebrations throughout the month of September. For more information, visit scranton.edu/toast2scranton.
MAC Symposium
Pam Taffera-Deihl, D.O., M.B.A. ’02
Christopher Andres, M.D. ’89
Outgoing Medical Alumni Council Executive Committee Chair Pam Taffera-Deihl, D.O., M.B.A. ’02, hospitalist physician for Wellspan Ephrata Community Hospital, welcomes Christopher Andres, M.D. ’89, family physician and regional lead physician for Guthrie Clinic, to his new role as executive committee chair at the 2017 Medical Alumni Symposium, hosted by the Medical Alumni Council (MAC). The daylong continuing medical education event united more than 90 students, alumni and friends of the University. For more information, visit scranton.edu/mac.
The President’s Business Council 16th Annual Award Dinner The Rev. Herbert B. Keller, S.J. H ’06, interim president of the University, and President’s Business Council Chair Patricia A. Byrnes Clarke ’86, P’17, P’19 present the President’s Medal to Dennis J. McGonigle ’82, chief financial officer and executive vice president of SEI Investments, at the President’s Business Council 16th Annual Award Dinner at the Pierre Hotel in New York City in October. The black-tie gala raised $1.2 million for the Presidential Scholarship Endowment. For more information, visit scranton.edu/pbcdinner.
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Pentagon Tour Alumni Society President Col. Rich Breen, U.S. Army (Ret) ’77, director of Strategic Communications for the Office of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, leads 17 students on a tour of the Pentagon in October facilitated by the President’s Business Council and the Center for Career Development.
Alumni News
Beyond The Commons Joe Sorbera ‘08, back left, and Jessica Palmeri ‘11, G’13, front right, gather with students at a Beyond the Commons pre-dinner hot chocolate social in the Kane Forum in November. Fifteen alumni hosts, including Sorbera and Palmeri, treated 55 students to dinner at several Scranton restaurants near campus to discuss a variety of topics. For more information, visit scranton.edu/beyondthecommons.
Regional Christmas Receptions In December, the University held Christmas receptions in several cities, including Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Springfield Township, New Jersey, and New York City.
Springfield Township, New Jersey New York City
Philadelphia
Washington, D.C.
President’s Business Council
SAVE THE DATE October 4, 2018 P R E S I D E N T ’ S B U S I N E SS CO U N C I L 17TH ANNUAL AWARD DINNER 15
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Alumni News
We asked.
2017 University of Scranton
You answered.
1,262 50
Scranton Alumni responded, representing every class year from 1946 through 2017, plus the Classes of 1944, 1942, 1941 & 1939.
1939
2017
All 50 states & several countries were represented
YOU DEFINITELY
SCRANTON
95%
promote The University of Scranton to others
94%
93%
thought it was a good/great decision to attend Scranton
91%
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU
had a good/excellent student experience
have a good/excellent current opinion of Scranton
SCRANTON:
• Value of your degree
• The University in general
• Accomplishments of current students
• Your major/degree program
• Our Catholic, Jesuit identity & the University's Jesuit mission
• Your classmates
• Our Jesuits
Thank you for participating! 16
Alumni News
ALUMNI SURVEY SP
I TUAL
PRACT
I
L
RI
CA
Your education prepared you well for contributing to your community #JesuitEducated
E T H I C A L
You LIKE hearing about Scranton through Email, The Scranton Journal & Royal News and you’d like to hear a bit more about the benefits of being a Scranton alum*
RoyalNe ws
Too much: Phone solicitations Would welcome more: Social Media • Printed Materials • Emails
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While % have had a good/excellent alumni experience, 26% said ‘fair’.
Q: How can we improve that 26% from fair to excellent? A: Here’s where you said we should start:
• More mentoring • More networking • More help identifying jobs/internships • More opportunities to serve as ambassadors for the University
Things You Do/Have Done to Stay Connected to Scranton Once or Twice
Attend regional event or athletic event
Participate in Day of Service
Attend Reunions
Engage on social media Visit web pages
Visit campus
Read The Journal
Gather informally with other alumni
All the Time
Read emails from Scranton
*See "Saving a Life Through the Scranton Network" on pages 18-19 for just such a story.
We’re listening!
We’re working to adjust our messaging and programming to better suit your interests and availability. Stay tuned for additional updates.
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Alumni News
Saving a Life Through the Scranton Network, or A TALE OF TWO CHRISTYS
Cooper facilitated a living donor transplant for Eugene Bradley, proving the Scranton network can help save a life.
Eugene and Christy (Carden) Bradley ’98, G’99
When Eugene Bradley’s kidney function dropped to 20 percent, Christy Bradley posted a message on Facebook asking for help.
Christy (Meyer) Bric ’93 saw Christy Bradley’s message and put the couple in touch with Dr. Matthew Cooper, M.D. ’90, director of Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation at MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute.
W
hile it has become commonplace for University of Scranton alumni to use the Scranton network to advance their careers, occasionally the network can present a Royal with the unique opportunity to affect another life for decades, to change an uncertain outlook into a happy ending through the magic of the Scranton family. This is one of those stories, and it begins with an unexpected health concern in Maryland.
Christy and Eugene Christy (Carden) Bradley ’98, G’99 and her husband, Eugene Bradley, dated while Christy studied to be a physical therapist at Scranton. After Christy graduated, they married and moved to the Baltimore, Maryland area. In January 2015, Eugene, who was in great shape and 18
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competed in triathlons, underwent routine medical testing and discovered that his kidneys were only functioning at 40 percent. “I found it hard to believe because … I felt great,” he said. Eugene said his doctors advised him not to overexert himself and to watch his sodium intake while they monitored his levels. In October 2016, Eugene’s levels began to plummet as he experienced symptoms of abnormal kidney function. “You’re anemic, you lose a bunch of weight, you’re incredibly cold all the time,” he said. When his kidney function dropped to 20 percent, Eugene was put on a transplant list. His doctors said if he could receive a transplant before dialysis was necessary, the chances of him regaining his previous quality of life would dramatically
Network Working Eugene and Christy knew a fellow Scranton grad, Christy Meyer Bric ’93, through an adult sports league in the Baltimore area. When Meyer Bric learned of Eugene’s condition through Christy Bradley’s Facebook post, she was inspired to help. “It clicked in my brain that we had another Scranton alumnus in the area who was a kidney transplant surgeon,” Meyer Bric said. That alumnus was Matthew Cooper, M.D. ’90, director of Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation at MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, which facilitates about 250 kidney transplants annually. Meyer Bric connected the Bradleys with Dr. Cooper a few days before Thanksgiving 2016. “We immediately arranged a visit for a transplant evaluation,” Cooper said. “He had a willing, living donor in his brother … and we were able to move through (the
process) relatively rapidly.” The Bradleys said Cooper went out of his way to provide exceptional care, giving them his personal cell phone number and responding immediately whenever a question arose. The staff at his Georgetown clinic even referred to them as “The Scranton Bradleys,” which made them feel at ease. “I feel like he didn’t just take great care of my husband,” Christy Bradley said. “He took great care of me, too. “I don’t know where we’d be if Christy hadn’t reached out and said, ‘Hey, I know Dr. Cooper.’” Since the surgery in February 2017, Eugene’s condition has improved dramatically, and he has become an advocate for MedStar’s transplant program, bringing awareness to the continued need for organ donations. Cooper, who is proud to see his daughter, Julia ’19, study nursing at the University, was happy to help, seeing it as an opportunity to jump into action for a family member. “This really is what I believe the Alumni Society is all about,” he said. “We take care of each other. Reach out to a Scranton alum and they’ll open their door to you. Not every school can say that.”
Alumni News
improve. When Christy posted a Facebook message asking their family and friends to consider becoming living donors, the Scranton network stepped in.
THE UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON
2018
Carlesimo Golf Tournament & Award Dinner RECONNECT, REMINISCE and ENGAGE with Scranton.
SAVE THE DATE
Celebrate the friendships and memories that stand the test of time. HONOREE Mike Strong, former Women’s Basketball Coach
JUNE 8-10, 2018 Registration will open in March 2018.
June 18, 2018 Saucon Valley Country Club scranton.edu/carlesimoaward
The Office of Alumni & Parent Engagement
alumni@scranton.edu scranton.edu/reunion
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Athletics Corrigan Qualifies for Women’s Cross Country National Championship Freshman Abigail Corrigan (pictured) of the women’s cross country team qualified for the NCAA Division III Championship on Nov. 18 in Elsah, Illinois, becoming just the second women’s cross country runner in school history to qualify for the national championship. Corrigan also won the Landmark Conference championship on Oct. 28, becoming the first female runner in school history to capture an individual conference championship. Her performance helped the team finish fourth at the conference championship. On the season, Corrigan had three individual victories and three other top-10 finishes.
Bartlett, Patwell Lead Cross Country at Landmark Conference Championship Sophomore Eric Bartlett finished ninth to earn second-team all-conference honors and lead the men’s cross country team to a fourth-place finish at the Landmark Conference Championship on Oct. 28. Freshman Jack Patwell (pictured below) earned the conference’s Rookie of the Year honor after he was the first newcomer across the line, finishing 17th overall.
Field Hockey Rewrites Record Book in Stellar Season Opening its season with 15 straight victories, the field hockey team set program records for consecutive wins and for the best start in a single season. The Royals also qualified for the Landmark Conference playoffs for the sixth time in the past seven seasons. Senior forward Meredith Campbell (pictured above, left) was named Landmark Conference Player of the Year after setting school records for goals (31) and points (69) in a single season. 20
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Athletics
Casey, Donnelly Lead Men’s Soccer to 10 Victories
Casey
Donnelly
Senior forward Connor Casey and junior defender Michael Donnelly both earned second-team All-Landmark Conference honors after leading the men’s soccer team to a 10-7 fall record. Casey finished the season with a team-high six goals while Donnelly helped anchor a defense that posted five shutouts. The Royals have won at least 10 matches in five of the past six seasons.
Women’s Volleyball Leads Nation with 35 Victories The women’s volleyball team finished the season with a 35-5 record, matching Johnson & Wales for the most victories in NCAA Division III. The Royals’ 35 wins were a program record, and their .875 winning percentage was 10th-best in the nation. Junior outside hitter Kristin Kirwan (pictured) was named Honorable Mention All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, becoming just the second player in team history to earn All-American honors. Kirwan also was named first-team All-Landmark Conference for the first time in her career.
Women’s Soccer Captures Second Straight Landmark Conference Championship The women’s soccer team won its second straight Landmark Conference championship by defeating Susquehanna, 2-0, in the title match on Nov. 4 at Fitzpatrick Field. Sophomore defender Becca Russo (pictured) was named MVP after scoring the gamewinning goal three minutes into the match. The Royals went on to defeat 25th-ranked Rowan, 2-0, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to 10thranked Messiah, 1-0, in the second round. The team finished the season with a 15-4-2 overall record.
University Inducts Seven into Athletics Wall of Fame The University inducted seven new members into the Athletics Wall of Fame on Feb. 10 in a ceremony between games of a basketball doubleheader in the Long Center. The Wall of Fame Class of 2017, seated from left: Pete Tarutis ‘92, Patty (Levey) Serpe ‘88, John Mercuri ‘07, Jackie (Messantonio) McGovern ‘07, Allison (Matt) Martin ‘07, Dr. Taryn Mellody-Liuzzo ‘07 and Kathy (Loretangeli) Field ‘93. Standing in back are Rev. Herbert Keller, S.J., interim president of the University, and Dave Martin, director of athletics. SPRING 2018
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MI
ND
, BO DY, S P I R I T
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Photo credit: Nicholas Capobianco '19
Students take part in a Fit and Faithful workout class.
Students “stress-less” thanks to programs across the University that focus on healthy and balanced lifestyles. The Jesuits have always been “wellness experts,” according to Stephanie Adamec, the director of the University’s Center for Health Education and Wellness. When she develops wellness programs for students, she follows the Jesuits’ lead. “Jesuit higher education is unique in that it encompasses every dimension of students’ lives — mind, body and spirit. “We’re seeing a lot about mindfulness these days, but the Jesuits were onto this hundreds of years ago,” she said. “They were ahead of the curve, and what we are doing now at Scranton is ahead of the curve.” Adamec’s office, known around campus as CHEW, is at the center of a collaborative, cross-campus effort to establish a holistic, multi-dimensional wellness model, which is designed to help students stave off stress and anxiety and foster a healthy community. “We want to help students create healthy and balanced lifestyles, which takes a lot of knowledge, practice and habitforming,” said Adamec. Besides CHEW, a number of other departments contribute to and support wellness programming including, but not limited to, Campus Ministries, the Counseling Center, the Counseling and Human Services Department, Student Health Services, Recreational Sports, the Office of Student Conduct — even University Police. Input from students, both anecdotally and formally, also plays an important role in creating events. In true Jesuit fashion, Adamec said, their goal is to meet the students where they are.
Students, faculty and staff practice yoga at one of CHEW’s Weekly Wellness classes, which include Mindfulness Meditation and Yoga.
The fall 2016 National College Health Assessment revealed that nearly 80 percent of Scranton students wanted to learn more about stress reduction, and 30 percent said stress negatively impacted their academic performance. With this in mind, the staff at Scranton embarked on the 2017-18 academic year with ambitious goals and exciting plans — all aimed at cultivating stress-coping mechanisms among students.
The Peer Health Education Team at CHEW’s Glow & Flow Late Night Glow Yoga Event. More than 500 students attended this annual fall event, which served as a kickoff to the Mind Body Spirit Challenge.
The Challenge CHEW runs numerous signature events and programs each year, all designed to educate students about health and wellness: flu shots and blood pressure clinics; yoga, dance and meditation classes; Alcohol Awareness Week; Late Night at Scranton alcohol alternative programming; the Four-week Fitness Challenge; and a “Stress-Less Week” before finals. Each of these programs overtly connects to wellness, but Adamec and her team wanted students to understand that many of the other resources and programs offered on campus do, too. So they developed the campus’s first Mind Body Spirit Challenge to include events outside of CHEW’s offerings. Over four weeks, 11 departments hosted 45 events that were focused on three categories of wellness — mind, body and spirit. The challenge to students? Attend at least one event from each wellness category. “The hope is that they understood that a program that they wouldn’t have thought of as wellness before the challenge — like an event at the Multicultural Center, the volunteer and service fair, or Safe Zone training to increase awareness of LGBT+ communities — contributes to their overall wellness,” said Adamec. “We wanted them to try something new,
outside of their comfort zone, and look at wellness in these three different ways.”
Clear Mind As part of the Mind Body Spirit Challenge, CHEW partnered with the graduate counseling department to offer free mental health screenings, in the hopes of combatting the stigma around mental health. “We go to the doctor with physical concerns to be well. The same is true in that discussing mental health concerns we are promoting wellness. A holistic approach to both physical and mental health can assist us in living lives that we enjoy,” SPRING 2018
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Students celebrate after their intramural flag football game.
said Gerianne Barber, the director of Scranton’s Counselor Training Center. For two days in October, graduate counseling students offered depression and anxiety screenings in the DeNaples Center. The benefits were two-fold: Graduate students used their skills and training to serve the community, and students who took advantage of the screenings learned tactics for coping with stress. “College is a time of major transitions, which can be both an exciting time and a time of increased stress and vulnerability,” said Barber. “In the midst of that, it is important to promote an environment where students know it is OK to ask for help. We don’t want them to feel overwhelmed or alone.” Gabriel Gross G’18 facilitated the screenings for fellow students and found that some participated enthusiastically, while others were more tentative. “We are not always afforded safe havens to discuss mental health in our daily lives. For some, this event might have felt like a strange oasis in a desert of taboo topics,” said Gross. “When I sat down with the students to discuss the results of their assessments, many of the defensive walls seemed to come down. They left the encounter with what seemed to be a sense of gratitude, greater self-awareness and, in a few cases, renewed courage to seek counseling.” Counseling is one way that students can manage their stress, and Mindfulness Meditation class is another. Mindfulness teacher Lisa Rigau leads students in meditation and awareness exercises, which encourages living in the present moment. “Mindfulness reduces anxiety, depression, and emotional and physical pain,” said Rigau. “It’s great for memory and attention and allows us to focus on our thoughts and emotions. We can have a better sense of why we’re doing things and can make better decisions.”
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CHEW’s Peer Health Education Team makes fresh fruit smoothies at the Study Smoothly Event during Stress Less Week in November.
Strong Body Sometimes, the best way to deal with stress is to get out of the mind and move the body — and Scranton students have plenty of opportunities to do that, with an intramural program that was ranked 18th in the country by The Princeton Review. “We have a very active campus; nearly 1,500 students participate annually in our 13 intramural sports,” said Janice Winslow, the director of Recreational Sports. “Learning how to deal with stress effectively, through positive means such as exercise, is critical at this juncture in students’ lives, and will serve them well as they move on from Scranton.” Besides team sports, Scranton offers a robust Fitness Center, racquetball courts and group exercise classes — including new spin classes that draw 400 students a week.
Nourished Spirit Some students wanted to combine their fitness routine with prayer, and thus, the Fit and Faithful workout class was born. Twice a week, students gather for a circuit training exercise class with a unique beginning: a prayer dedicating the workout to a special intention.
Not all prayer at Scranton involves sweating, though. Campus Ministries offers 25 retreats each year, from a Connections retreat designed for first-year students to silent retreats rooted in Ignatian spirituality. Catholic Mass takes place daily, along with opportunities for students of all faiths to use the interfaith prayer room; Muslim students attend their Friday prayer service at the campus mosque. “For many students, college is the first time that they are looking at their faith from an adult perspective,” said Helen Wolf, Ph.D., executive director of Campus Ministries. “We each have a faith that is given to us by our families, but now is the time for students to shape their faith, to develop a healthy spirituality.”
"A holistic approach to both physical and mental health can assist us in living lives that we enjoy."
Set Up for Success
Student Health Services is also involved in fostering healthy and balanced lifestyles for students. Every visit to the Roche Wellness Center — whether the student is there with a sore — Gerianne Barber, throat or an ankle sprain — includes a proactive wellness director of the Counseling intervention, a simple set of questions addressing timely topics Training Center for college students. “Generally, there is something we can counsel on at each visit, whether its nutrition, sleep or stress reduction,” said Peggy Mannion, CRNP, director of Student Health Services. “We could remind them to get a flu shot, or it could lead to a deeper conversation about their lifestyle, or maybe a referral to the Counseling Center.” From August-November 2017, Student Health Services conducted 3,389 wellness interventions, and Mannion likes to think of it as their own way of contributing to student success. And it’s not just the Scranton staff who wants to help students succeed — so do their peers. Both Nick Bendixen ’18 and Katie Murray ’18 joined CHEW’s Peer Health Educator team to be leaders and advocates for wellness among the student body. “Friends and strangers alike tell me what a difference some of our events have made for them, all the time,” said Bendixen, an exercise science major. Lauren Tomasic ’18, an exercise science and philosophy major and member of the ultimate Frisbee team, agreed. “I feel so lucky to be a part of a school where faculty, staff, administration and peers care so much about me as an individual — my growth, my success and my happiness,” said Tomasic. “There are so many opportunities at Scranton that have helped me develop every part of myself: retreats, clubs and intramurals.” The gratitude of students like Tomasic is echoed in the 87 percent of Scranton students who self-reported their health as good or excellent. “We want students to understand that the foundation of being well — in mind, body and spirit — enables them to be successful,” said Anitra McShea, Ph.D., vice provost of Student Formation and Campus Life. “Our students are under pressure to get a good job, which they equate with having a good life. But Scranton is not just about educating students so they can get a job. That is certainly important, but alongside that is the development and formation of the individual to realize whom they are called to be.” See more photos at scranton.edu/scrantonjournal.
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The University Players Call McDade ‘Home’ for 25 Years Players Alumni reflect on how their experiences in the theatre shaped their minds and their careers.
T
he Joseph M. McDade Center for the Literary and Performing Arts. It is kind of a mouthful. Current and former theatre students or members of The University Players have called the building The CLP and referred to the theatre inside as “The Royal Theatre” or simply “the theatre.” Because of the hours the “theatre kids” have spent rehearsing, designing, directing, acting, studying and hanging out with friends in the building, many have simply called McDade their “second home” on campus. “(The late) Fr. Panuska, then-University president, was instrumental in making sure this place was built. He was devoted to the arts; he rarely missed a play. He really is the reason this building is here,” said Richard Larsen, a professor and former chair of the Theatre Department who began his tenure at Scranton in 1993, the same year the building was constructed. Named after the late Hon. Joseph M. McDade, who served 18 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, the McDade Center was modeled after Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in which the audience sits on three sides of the stage in a semicircle or thrust configuration. “I had done theatre, but that was the first time I had been ‘in the round,’” said Marvin Minkler ’96. “Having the crowd right there was just really intimate. The reaction you’d get from the crowd was pretty intense.” Before the theatre was constructed, The Players performed in various spots on campus, but in 1993 they were
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proud to have a new home. Over the years, students from all majors and backgrounds put on plays from a variety of genres, from classic to contemporary, from the familiar to the obscure. Theatre professionals were regularly infused into the mix as guest artists, serving as directors, designers and performers, to enhance the educational opportunities within the program. Incoming president Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., is another who has an affinity for the arts. His booming voice was the
narration for the play “On the Verge,” which was directed by Grace Zandarski, actor and faculty member at the Yale School of Drama. “Theatre opens the mind,” Fr. Pilarz said in a recent interview. “It allows students to express themselves creatively and delve deeper into their understanding of the human experience. At Scranton, theatre is open to all so students form bonds with those they may not have met otherwise, and those connections come alive on stage.”
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In Their Words
“
I remember really long and involved rehearsals, usually with only myself, Ashley and Shannon in the room, miming walking through the jungle with machetes or climbing a sheer rock face, all while wearing bloomers, corsets, and various other layers of clothes (which increased as we got closer to tech, obviously). It was the most physical and emotional work I had put into a role, maybe ever.” – Jessica Lucas ’07 (1) Lucas evacuated from Loyola, New Orleans, after Katrina in 2005. She planned to go back, but decided to stay at Scranton, where she felt she was being challenged both academically and in the theatre. “Making the decision to stay at Scranton quite literally changed my life path, and led directly to where I am now.” She is now an equity state manager in a professional theatre in Cleveland, Ohio.
“
’On the Verge’ was probably one of the most cerebral shows I’d encountered. It all seemed a little out there to me, until we were on the stage one night at rehearsal: We three ladies began to move as one unit, reading each other from across the stage, and truly allowing the words to form our blocking (onstage movement). It was almost like a choreographed dance without rehearsal, just happening between us.” – Shannon Munley, DPT ’07, G’08 (2) Munley is now a physical therapist with Prana Functional Manual Therapy, specializing in treating dancers, performers and musicians. One day in 2014, she ran back and forth between her own OffBroadway performance and acting as a physical therapist for performers behind the scenes at Matilda on Broadway.
“
Creating art with a group of likeminded individuals — it makes you a part of something much bigger than yourself. I learned to work together with people who had similar and different experiences from my own. I problem-solved. I worked with my hands. Art in general, but theatre in particular, is a mirror for the human experience. It shows us our best and worst selves, it instructs but is not didactic, and it transports us — audience members and cast and crew alike.” – Ashley Teatum ’09 (3) Teatum now works as a proposal manager for a construction company in Loveland, Colorado.
“
“Art in general, but theatre in particular, is a mirror for the human experience.” – Ashley Teatum ‘09
Students in "On the Verge" are, from left: Jessica Lucas ’07, Shannon Munley DPT ’07, G’08, Ashley Teatum ’09 and Anthony Mercado ’09.
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Of the 18 shows I was involved with during my time at Scranton, ‘On the Verge’ was one of the most challenging. We had an intense sixday rehearsal week, much of which involved very intensive movement work due to the highly visual nature of the play. It was tough, but by the end of it, it felt like one of the most close-knit ensembles I’d ever been a part of.” – Anthony Mercado ’09 (4) Mercado is a full-time grant writer with The New York Public Library. “By night, however, I am a playwright in New York City and Scranton. I wrote and directed an original adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘The Winter’s Tale’ that made its world premiere with the Scranton Shakespeare Festival in June 2016 in the Royal Theatre.”
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“
The Royal Theatre is a fun size; you can sort of connect with everyone in the room. You have this ability to be the center of the attention, and you have a story to tell. It really is similar in a way to what I do now. Whether presenting a case to the judge or the jury, the people rely on me to tell a story. They are relying on me to tell my client’s story in a convincing way. In both cases, you have the fun responsibility of taking the audience along with you. – Dale Baumann ’04 in “The Man Who Came to Dinner” Baumann is now in plaintiff litigation.
“
As the McDade Theatre was only a year or so old, everything was new when Michael saw it for the first time. His eyes went wide and instantly we knew that Scranton was the place he’d choose. Within a year, he became one of the first enrolled in the theatre program. He’d befriend new freshmen and transfer students interested in the plays and try to get them involved in all aspects of the productions: building sets, musical backup and audio, publicity and on stage.” – Walter and Christine Bagdzinski’s son, Michael (in "Working"), passed away while he was at Scranton. After his death, Michael’s parents dedicated themselves to furthering their son’s passion for theatre. They created the Bagdzinski Scholarship to support future theatre students, including Sherly Daeceus ’09.
“
Being honored with the scholarship allowed me to feel more connected to the long history of The Scranton Players; connected to something much greater than the four years I spent on campus. The scholarship also allowed me to feel free to focus on my academic, creative and social college experiences. – Sherly Daeceus ’09 Daeceus now works as a clinical psychologist. “I primarily work with children and adolescents and, in this specialization, being able to not take oneself too seriously is necessary. Scranton theatre provided me with the tools to better express myself, laugh at myself when necessary and connect with clients on a more human level.”
“
The theatre offers a much-needed arts side of your life. A lot of people don’t expect a solider and an athlete to be a part of that. Theatre is a melting pot of all shapes and sizes.” – Marvin Minkler ’96 in “Holy Ghosts” Minkler was a Marine and served on the Honor Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier prior to coming to Scranton. He is currently a youth hockey director.
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“
Being capable of collaborating with others, being able to receive criticism with an open mind, being determined to get better and better at what you love to do and pushing yourself to make it your reality is vital to any career. In reference to my choice to study theatre, a lot of people would ask me, ‘What do you think you’ll do with that?’ The truth is, I never worried for a second about what I’d do, because I knew everything I learned could prepare me to work in many fields.” – Kiley Lotz ’13 in “Wait Until Dark” (front) Lotz is a singer/songwriter who has played in Town Hall in New York City, Thalia Hall in Chicago and venues across the U.S. and Europe. “Performing at the University allowed me to develop my skill as a stage performer and connect with an audience on a human level.”
“
I learned about all of the inner workings of a theatre, from what each person does behind the scenes, to how and why actors move on stage, to the long hours spent in rehearsal and during the run of a show. Every single thing I learned is important to my career on Broadway. I can better understand and treat my patients. I know the physical demands that are required of their job roles, and they have trust and confidence in my ability to treat them because of this.” – Aileen M. Roginski ’02, G’ 03, DPT 07 in “110 in the Shade” (front row, third from right) with the company Roginski is a per diem physical therapist for NeuroSport, in which she provides treatment to performers and crew members of Broadway shows (most recently "Miss Saigon" and "Escape to Margaritaville"). She is also a rehabilitation supervisor at STARS Manhasset, where she works with a general population of outpatients, and she created a performing arts specialty group for the STARS company. For more from these alumni and to see more photos, visit scranton.edu/scrantonjournal. Here, you can also read about Michael Flynn ’10 who founded the Scranton Shakespeare Festival.
The Joseph M. McDade Center for the Literary and Performing Arts opened in 1993, but The University Players have long valued the power of the arts. The words etched into the building remind its visitors and passersby of the University's dedication to the arts.
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The Jesuit Seven Scranton planted the initial seed for a Jesuit vocation for seven alumni.
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ith fewer than 2,500 members of the Society of Jesus now ministering in the United States, this fact speaks volumes: The University has fostered the Jesuit vocation in at least seven men in the past 21 years — five of them in the past decade. All say their years at Scranton electrified their lives in the manner St. Ignatius charged with his signature expression of ite, inflammate omnia, or “go, set the world on fire.” In a recent conversation, these seven men shared with The Scranton Journal how they chose this nearly 500-yearold religious order, and what it means to be a Jesuit in modern society: • The Rev. Stephen L. Surovick, S.J. ’96 (Political Science) • The Rev. Angelo (A.J.) Rizzo, S.J. ’03 (Biology/Philosophy/ SJLA) • Adam Rosinski, S.J. ’07 (Theology and Counseling/ Human Services)
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• Brian Konzman, S.J. ’08 (Chemistry and Philosophy/SJLA) • Doug Jones, nS.J. ’10 (International Studies and Political Science/SJLA) • Carl Caceres, nS.J. ’11 (Philosophy/SJLA and Theology/ Religious Studies) • William Woody, S.J. ’11 (Theology/Religious Studies/SJLA) The men are at varying stages of Jesuit formation or priesthood, with only Rizzo and Surovick, a cousin of University President-elect Rev. Scott Pilarz, S.J., currently ordained and Konzman, expecting ordination on June 9, 2018, next in line. Those with an “n” before their S.J.s are novices in the earliest stages of their vocations.
Community, Translated For nearly all seven, Scranton planted the initial seed for a Jesuit vocation, and the fire ignited from there. The how and why will not surprise many: Retreats — legendary at the University — and Masses came up frequently as impetuses, as
did a whole line of Jesuit influence both past and present. “In college I started to claim my faith as my own, and the University made that an inviting prospect,” said Surovick, 43, who resides in Syracuse, New York, where he is the socius, or assistant to the novice director, at the Jesuit novitiate of St. Andrew's Hall. “I was raised Catholic but was not all that faithful through those years. Once a student at The University of Scranton, I started to attend Mass regularly, as well as take advantage of the retreats and service opportunities that were offered by campus ministry. Eventually, I noticed there was something that continually appealed to me, at deep levels, in taking advantage of what the University was offering.” Rizzo, who was ordained in June 2017 and recently began a pastoral year at St. Ignatius parish in Baltimore, Maryland, described Scranton and its “shared project” of community as instrumental in his decision to become a Jesuit. “The lived
resident assistant (RA), remembering how that key role transformed him. “We were there to help foster a community that supported one another, that suffered with one another, that fought with one another — but, in the end, really loved one another. It got me thinking, ‘Maybe community life is for me, particularly the Jesuits.’” Caceres, an athlete and another former RA, also noted the academic community that grew in the Special Jesuit Liberal Arts, or SJLA, program. “Across the board at Scranton, in all these different spaces, were strong communities.” Jones, 29, a West Wyoming native now at St. Andrew Hall with Surovick, also cherishes community and explained diocesan vs. Jesuit priesthood in terms of it. “It seems to me the biggest differences in being a Jesuit are community life and our vows,” he said, explaining those vows “make us uniquely reliant on the support of community.
From left: Rev. Stephen L. Surovick, S.J. ’96, Adam Rosinski, S.J. ’07, Doug Jones, nS.J. ’10, Brian Konzman, S.J. ’08, William Woody, S.J. ‘11, The Rev. Angelo (A.J.) Rizzo, S.J. ’03 and Carl Caceres, nS.J. ’11.
experience of community that I encountered there as a young man gave me such hope for our church and our world,” he said. Konzman, a 31-year-old Carbondale native living in Berkeley, California, as part of JST (Jesuit School of Theology) Jesuit Community, noted he was not particularly interested in religion before coming to Scranton. “One of the things I was thirsty for was authenticity,” he said. “That is something I saw at the University” among the Jesuit community. “I found myself wanting that. They found the ‘it’ of life.” “Ideologically and theologically, [Jesuits] are all over the map, but they hold a common mission — helping people grow closer to God — that truly unites them,” added Caceres, formerly a campus minister at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, now stationed at St. Alberto Hurtado Jesuit Novitiate in St. Paul, Minnesota. “If I had to emphasize one thing, it would probably be the sense of community at Scranton,” said Konzman, a former
“Living in community has been a great experience for me, full of laughter, friendship and shared faith,” Jones added. That is not to say Jesuits set themselves distantly apart from diocesan priests. “Both diocesan priests and Jesuits, while living and working somewhat differently from each other, are all part of the same team,” Rosinski noted. Indeed, Scranton’s Jesuit community was the glue that bonded the campus community, Rosinski said. “It was hard to resist something where everyone around you has bought in. Here was this group of guys at this school where everybody seems to have bought into the mission and bought into it loudly. They challenged me to ask these big questions about myself. They helped me really realize the person I was created to be.” To continue reading The Jesuit Seven, turn to page 40. SPRING 2018
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PROFILE: Terrence Zealand, Ed.D. G’71
A Man of Faith (in Others)
Since the beginning of the height of the AIDS epidemic, a counseling alumnus’s organization has taken in more than 1,700 babies with HIV.
It was 1987 when Terrence Zealand, Ed.D. G’71 and his wife, Faye, opened a one-family brick home in Elizabeth, New Jersey, for HIV-positive babies. This was the year that AZT, the groundbreaking HIV treatment medication, was approved by the FDA, but years before the dramatized story chronicling the discrimination against Ryan White, a boy who contracted the virus through blood transfusions. But Zealand and his wife were already bringing young children who were HIV positive — feared in the outside world, feared even in hospitals — into a home they called St. Clare’s. They had already begun a foundation for people with AIDS, the AIDS Resource Foundation for Children (ARFC). Their idea for the home began after they met a baby in a hospital in Newark, New Jersey, whose mother had AIDS. “Nobody would take the baby,” recalled Zealand. “Everyone was afraid of it. We knew the mother would die and the baby would have no place to go.” More than 30 years later, the graduate counseling alumnus from Trenton, New Jersey, and his wife have made possible the care of more than 1,700 babies. It would always be hard to watch the babies get sick and die, he said, but the very beginning was hard in other ways, too. The night they opened St. Clare’s Home for Children, a rock came crashing through the window. A voice outside cried, “Get out of the neighborhood!” 32
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Although an isolated incident, Zealand was undeterred. It has been his faith in others, like the dozens who volunteered to hold and play with the babies in Elizabeth that first year, that have buoyed him throughout his career.
From Seminary to Scranton During high school, Zealand began training to become a priest at a Franciscan seminary, but left after 11 years of training. His younger brother, already a Scranton alumnus, suggested he check out the graduate counseling rehabilitation program at the University. After securing a federal training-ship, Zealand enrolled, working as a resident assistant in order to help pay for his education. He was already dating Faye, who began working at Head Start in Scranton. They married during his third semester in graduate school. “Faye is African-American,” said Zealand. “Scranton was a safe and accepting place for us at a time when not all places were accepting of interracial couples. I think it was the Jesuit influence; we were surrounded by enlightened individuals.” He applied some of his counseling research at Scranton to his internship working with people with disabilities. His studies and internship influenced the vocational training he developed for those with drug abuse issues in a subsequent position for the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services in the narcotics and drug abuse division.
PROFILE: Terrence Zealand, Ed.D. G’71
His Scranton professors followed the work he did in New Jersey and, long after he graduated, reached out to tell him so. “That kind of support you don’t really get from other graduate programs,” he said. He mimicked that level of academic and career support at the Collier School, a private, nonprofit school for students with disabilities, where he spent a decade as principal director.
Growing the Foundation After seeing how important St. Clare’s was to children, the Zealands opened two more homes for babies in New Jersey, began housing programs in Newark for homeless people living with HIV/AIDS and opened a summer camp for children suffering from chronic illnesses. Then, in 1992, their reputation of harboring children with the virus preceded them. They were approached by the Center for Constitutional Rights, and in conjunction with the Justice Department and the Department of Defense, the nonprofit assisted in bringing 30 pregnant, HIV-positive Hai-
“In the autumn of my years, it is nice to experience men helping one another.”
— Terrence Zealand, Ed.D.
tian women, who were being held at Guantanamo, into the United States to give birth. “Early on, AIDS was considered a Haitian disease,” said Zealand. “They tested those who they rescued after the coup and those who tested positive were put behind barbed wire.” After getting approval from the government, the Zealands drove with their 5-year-old daughter to Andrews Air Force Base and brought the Haitian women to New Jersey.
“That was a beginning of an adventure for us,” he said. “Law students from Yale and Columbia took up these women’s cases, and they eventually got political asylum in this country.”
Autumn Years Today, AIDS medications are more effective, cheaper and more accessible. The organization, which his son now runs, has changed. “We’re not seeing HIV babies now, but medically fragile ones,” said Zealand. “Some babies are in pretty bad shape; they’ve been abused. It’s pretty hard to see. Sometimes they come to us pretty damaged.” ARFC also opened a family center in the middle of Newark, which provides services to families with HIV, ranging from after school programs for those who have lost parents to AIDS to programs for young gay males who are homeless with HIV. Zealand is now retired, but remains involved. For about four years, he’s been running a recovery group for men who are HIV positive, many of whom were previously addicted to drugs or incarcerated. One of the men in his group has ALS in addition to HIV. He lives in one of the organization’s housing units alongside others in Zealand’s group. When his home health aide doesn’t come, another man in the group, Kevin, makes sure he gets breakfast and helps him manage his incontinence. Zealand commended Kevin for looking in on his friend, who said, “Doc, isn’t that what you’re supposed to do while you’re still here on earth?” Zealand was floored. “In the autumn of my years, it is nice to experience men helping one another,” said Zealand. “Although I didn’t become a priest, things have come full circle. I feel I’m doing spiritual work. I watch my son running the foundation and the work that continues to be done, and I’m proud. It’s really a nice life to look back on.”
LEFT: The Zealands open St. Clare's in 1987. The New York Times runs an article. RIGHT: The current staff, friends and clients.
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PROFILE: Nicole Young ’00
A “60 Minutes” producer sets her mind to “right some of the wrongs in the world” and wins an Emmy for it.
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Marc Bryan-Brown Photography
Shining Light
PROFILE: Nicole Young ’00
While many children grow up wanting to be movie stars, athletes or some other “glamorous” profession, Nicole Young ’00 wanted to be something all-too-rare: a humanitarian. “I remember the famine in Ethiopia when I was 12 and 13 and thinking, ‘How can this possibly happen?’” she said. “I knew I wanted to do something in some capacity, try to figure out how to make right some of the wrongs in the world. I decided journalism was a kind of way I could help shine lights on dark corners of the world.” As a producer for “60 Minutes,” Young has produced segments on the refugee crisis in Syria, the famine in South Sudan, the Boston Marathon bombing, Hurricane Sandy and the election of Pope Francis. For her efforts, she has received a host of accolades, including 11 News and Documentary Emmy Awards.
The Most Opportunity How did a girl from Hopatcong, New Jersey, become one of the most celebrated broadcast journalists under the age of 40? “If I were to tell myself, my freshman year self in Scranton, I’d be doing what I’m doing now, I probably wouldn’t believe (it),” she said. Young’s interest in international events sprang from the summers she spent as a child with family members in Jamaica. When it came time to research college, someone at her Catholic high school suggested she look at Scranton. “Scranton ended up giving me the most opportunity,” she said. “Looking back, they were some of the best years of my life.”
Persistence After graduation, Young earned her master’s in international journalism at the City University of London. She began working as “60 Minutes” Correspondent Scott Pelley’s assistant in 2004 and was soon producing his work, thanks to her dedication and persistence. “You may be smarter in some capacity, you may have better grades than I have, you may have more resources than I have, you may have more connections, but you’ll never out-work me,” she said. “I’ll stay up later. I will work harder. I will race longer. I will run longer. I will do jobs you don’t want to do.” With Pelley, Young found a kindred spirit.
“The same stories that as a kid I wanted to tell are the ones he has the most passion telling,” she said, “epic stories of human struggle.” And, with an audience of millions, Young’s work makes an impact, such as when her 2017 Emmy-Award winning coverage of the Syrian Civil Defense (also known as “The White Helmets”) helped inspire millions of dollars of donations within days of airing. “That is the most fulfilling part, that people are seeing it,” she said. “I’m glad I showed you something that you should know about, because there is no reason for people in other parts of the world to be dying or starving by the millions.”
“I’ll stay up later. I will work harder. I will race longer. I will run longer. I will do jobs you don’t want to do.”
— Nicole Young ’00
Although Young’s job can occasionally be dangerous, she doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon, even with a baby on the horizon. “With Baby, I’m more dedicated to continue the kind of work I’ve been doing,” she said. “I can’t stop my passion. I don’t think that does Baby any favors, to see mom not do the thing that gives her the greatest satisfaction, other than now raising this child. “There are so many places and so many people who need their stories to be told, and if I work for a place that allows me to still continue to do it, I’m going to keep doing it as long as they allow me to. And then, who knows? … Maybe I’ll be a professor at Scranton, if they’ll have me.” Watch Young’s Emmy-award winning segment by visiting scranton.edu/scrantonjournal.
Nicole Young ’00 wins an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in 2017 for her work on a segment for “60 Minutes” called “The White Helmets” about the Syrian Civil Defense. This is just one of her 11 Emmys. SPRING 2018
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PROFILE: Connie Williams ’85
Discovering the Sweet Life A chemistry alumna finds her niche in the sweets industry. Some people get a rush of anticipation as they unwrap a piece of candy. Connie Williams ’85 gets that little rush before she unwraps. Williams has spent the past 25 years in the packaging industry at Mars, Inc., home of M&Ms and the Milky Way bar. She moved from the analytical lab to the quality assurance group before she took on her current position as a research manager for flexible materials. Despite two decades in the same business, her days are never static. Take, for example, the thrill she recently felt when she inspected some new product samples. “I was so excited my body was shaking,” she said. As a subject-matter expert on flexible material for Mars Wrigley Confectionery and a regional point person for the company’s Wrigley arm, this chemistry alumna helps concoct the perfect recipe for packaging. 36
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Sealed To her, packaging, product development and product innovation are thrilling, but she does not often go into detail about what she does, nor, in casual conversations, does she always even name the company for which she has worked for the bulk of her career. “I say, ‘I work for a CPG, or Consumer Packaged Goods Company,’ ” she said, in her low-key style. This is not only because she is humble, suggesting that her life is “too boring” to write about (mentioning her deep interest in the oxidation of materials), but because her life in packaging simply involves too many trade secrets. So don’t expect her to tell you what’s next on the packaging front; instead, ask her what’s new now and what she had to do with it. Remember when M&M’s candy bags used to lie stacked atop each other on market shelves and partakers needed a sec-
PROFILE: Connie Williams ’85
ondary bag for leftovers? Well, this year’s big achievement is stand-up pouches, with resealable closures. “My work helped get us into the pouch,” Williams said, when pushed to boast a little. Then, she quickly went back to modest Williams, but she didn’t stop talking shop. “Quality is our first principle at Mars — I know I’m OK if I keep that in mind,” she said. “Early on, I learned to understand the effort you put into quality has to be carried through distribution of materials to beyond when it’s on the shelf.” Sean Shanley ’91, vice president of business development at a privately held packaging company, is more than happy to brag for Williams. In a (pea)nut (M&M) shell, he puts it this way: “There’s an entire industry that hangs on Connie. She’s an industry staple. Her guidance, direction and approval are essential to all of us in the packaging world.” Williams describes herself as a woman of few, sometimes blunt, words, a tendency she likes to blame on hailing from the Northeast. “I don’t have a lot to say, but what I say is pointed,” she said. “You want to understand everyone’s perspectives before you interject. I take a step back and listen to everything people are saying. Then I form a pointed response.” Her background in chemistry led her to analyze, predict outcomes and then test, and her Jesuit education introduced her to the differing perspectives she would encounter in her career. “There were a lot of different faiths at Scranton, and people were accommodating to many different cultures,” she said. “That taught me a lot; it’s really what you get when you’re anywhere in the world.”
Curiosity Space Williams has thrived in her career after carving out a path for herself in a manner consistent with the Jesuit tradition of seeking. Choosing her major not because of how much, but how little, she knew about the subject “has led me to this intellectual curiosity space,” she explained. Not that she ever imagined a life in the candy industry. “I saw myself working in analytical labs and working through different components analytically vs. working with products,” she said. Yet, as any discernment-minded graduate of a Jesuit school might, Williams left herself open to dialogue and growth. “It morphed into, ‘I’m going to use that chemistry
space to see how I can stop peanut oxidation,’ ” she said. Williams lauded all the chemistry professors she had at Scranton, but offered a special shout-out to her teachers outside hard science. “A lot of the philosophy professors at the University made an impression on me. They made me start to question things,” she said, noting that’s a side of higher education you don’t get at just any school. Questioning has served her well in her professional life, which began in a lab where she worked with antiperspirants and progressed to another Dow Chemical Company position before she applied for a job at Mars. “Mars gives you the opportunity to move around and explore,” Williams said, explaining it’s about finding your highest purpose. She said she found her niche in packaging, settled in and “hasn’t moved for 20 years.” These days, though she looks forward to retirement, Williams remains energized by her daily work. She said she regularly draws heavily upon her strong Scranton chemistry and mathematics education in calculating product shelf life, for example. But it’s cellophane that stirs her fire at the moment.
Scientific Resource “By the time I hit packaging, cellophane had been replaced by oriented polypropylene [similar to plastic],” she said. “Cellophane had fallen out of favor due to sustainability issues.” In keeping with the Jesuit tradition of stewardship of Earth’s resources, Williams does not take such issues lightly. “The question now is, ‘Is cellophane sustainable?’ Can packaging film go from a petrochemical back to a renewable resource?” Like the good questioner she was taught to be, she knows the task at hand, which is, “to get cellophane to a state where it negates the effect of being from trees,” she said. Her job is obviously scientific — she knows well which materials create moisture and aroma barriers, for example — yet she has to connect it to people, both inside and outside the company. “I’m a resource for the packaging group. Instead of a book on the shelf, they have a Connie in a chair,” she said, laughing. “I also break things down for people outside my group so they understand why we do the things we do.” And why does she do the things she does? It is the thrill of the process and the satisfaction she gets when she pulls the bag she helped design off the shelf, unseals it and tastes the candy inside. SPRING 2018
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PROFILE: Celeste Gregory ’01
Humanitarian Helper When Hurricane Maria devastated the Caribbean island of Dominica last fall, one alumna was there to help the island rebuild.
Celeste Gregory ’01 in Lal District, Ghor Province, Central Highlands of Afghanistan, where she worked as Head of Office for Catholic Relief Services.
Dominica is an island in the eastern Caribbean, roughly twice the size of Philadelphia. Not to be confused with the Dominican Republic, the country was known as “The Nature Island” among Caribbean travelers because of its lush rainforest and volcanic peaks. Until Sept. 18, 2017, when Hurricane Maria hit the island as a Category 5 hurricane — the strongest possible — and destroyed Dominica’s rainforest and nearly every structure on the island. Winds of a record-breaking 160 miles per hour pummeled Dominica, ripping bark from the trees and roofs from buildings. Driving rain caused landslides, and boulders littered areas that used to be riverbeds or roads. At least 27 people died, and, in the initial days after the storm, there was no electricity nor communication with the outside world. “I’ve lived in a lot of conflict zones, including the Darfur region of Sudan and Afghanistan, but I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Celeste Gregory ’01. Gregory was deployed to Dominica in her role as a technical advisor for Emergency Response for Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the official overseas humanitarian relief and development agency of the U.S. Catholic Church. She arrived about three weeks after the storm and stayed for two weeks, providing desperately needed supplies. CRS, in partnership with Caritas Antilles, both members of Caritas 38
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Internationalis, a confederation of 165 Catholic relief, development and social services organizations, distributed solar lamps, water filters and hygiene kits, as well as tarpaulins to temporarily cover destroyed or damaged roofs. CRS and Caritas Antilles continue to provide materials for temporary shelters and building repairs and partner with the government water company to rebuild damaged water systems at schools and health clinics in the southern part of the country. Gregory will assist to coordinate relief efforts through the spring of 2018, both from the United States and on possible return trips to the island.
A People Person An international studies and French double major at Scranton, Gregory has worked for a decade with CRS in developing countries around the world. She had always been interested in diplomacy and came to Scranton planning to leverage her international studies major into a career with the U.S. State Department. But it was not until her junior year abroad that Gregory realized she preferred being among people, rather than in a faraway classroom or office. While in Aix-en-Provence, France, she became involved with a group of university students led by a priest at a Catholic cathedral. The group attended Mass and had dinner together on Tuesday nights. There were two re-
PROFILE: Celeste Gregory ’01
“She has taken the academic, ethical and moral lessons from her Catholic and Jesuit education at Scranton and put them to work serving the needs of countless people.”
quirements for each dinner table: speak French and have at least four nationalities represented. “I met a lot of students from all over the world at those dinners, but particularly from developing countries,” she said. “Meeting those students and hearing their stories of growing up in villages without running water or electricity, plus the challenges they faced growing up, I started to change my mind about diplomacy. I wanted to work for an organization that could influence change at the local level and where I could easily interact with people in a community.” She found that connection in CRS’s grassroots, collaborative approach and has stayed committed to the organization ever since. Gregory also shared her passion for humanitarian work as a guest speaker in the International Humanitarianism seminar taught by Gretchen Van Dyke, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, and Gregory’s former senior honors thesis director. “Celeste’s work with Catholic Relief Services has placed her in some very difficult and dangerous situations, and yet her commitment to the principles of humanitarianism has never wavered, despite the painful conditions she has wit-
Aerial of Dominica taken by Gregory as she flew into the area to help provide desperately needed supplies three weeks after Hurricane Maria.
nessed and endured,” Van Dyke said. “She has taken the academic, ethical and moral lessons from her Catholic and Jesuit education at Scranton and put them to work serving the needs of countless people.”
— Gretchen Van Dyke, Ph.D.
Standing Beside the Marginalized She began at CRS in 2005 as a volunteer on a food security project in Madagascar, helping farmers increase rice production. After earning a master’s degree in sustainable international development from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, Gregory rejoined CRS and worked on agricultural and food security projects as well as education and peace building in Burundi and Darfur. In Ghor Province, Afghanistan, she oversaw the day-to-day programmatic and operational functions of activities, which included food security and community-based education programming. She also spent time in Chad, assisting in efforts to prevent child trafficking. In all of these locations, CRS helps develop and improve health, agriculture, education and livelihoods. The Jesuit motto is “men and women for and with others,” and Gregory’s work with CRS emphasizes the “with.” “One of the principles of Catholic Social Teaching is subsidiarity — decisions affecting communities should be made at the lowest levels. We don’t go in and say, ‘This is who we are going to assist.’ We work with communities to identify beneficiaries for our programs,” Gregory said. “And we assist the poorest and most vulnerable regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or religious affiliation.” In standing with these marginalized populations, Gregory has lived in areas synonymous with war, violence and danger. “Security is always in the back of your mind, and there certainly are risks involved in this type of work,” she said. Despite the challenges, Gregory keeps doing what she’s doing because of an idea instilled at Scranton. “At Scranton, we talked a lot about the magis and being men and women for and with others. Working with CRS is a continuation of that magis,” she said. “Humanitarian emergencies can be overwhelming, but what keeps me going is seeing the very positive results and successes of our projects, and the appreciation of the beneficiaries that CRS is there supporting them. It’s those glimmers of hope.”
See Gregory in action in Dominica and read more about the “glimmers of hope,” online at scranton.edu/scrantonjournal.
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The Jesuit Seven continued from page 31
Tradition in a Modern World These seven men in their 20s, 30s and 40s connected deeply with a religious order that began in the 16th century, long before cell phones and social media. Given the novitiate does not allow cell phones, Jesuit formation might initially feel like a throwback to that distant time, but modern communication tools quickly become critical.
“One of the things I was thirsty for was authenticity. That is something I saw at the University.”
DID YOU KNOW? A Fast-Facts Jesuit Primer • Not all Jesuits are preparing for the priesthood. Jesuit scholastics are akin to seminarians, while Jesuit brothers are not in priestly preparation. The majority of men, however, enter the society as scholastics. • The most important thing a man does in the Jesuit novitiate is make The Spiritual Exercises, a set of meditations, prayers and contemplative practices developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola in the form of a 30-day retreat. Jesuits are required to make this “long retreat” twice in their lives. • The standard track to ordination for a Jesuit is 10 to 11 years. • In general, because of the length of formation, the Society of Jesus does not tend to accept men much older than their mid-40s, but this is not a hard-and-fast rule. Even the 10-year process can be changed or adapted.
Since 1942, the University has been staffed by Jesuits. Some of their successors helped inspire the men in this article. Read about the University Jesuits who inspired the men at scranton.edu/scrantonjournal.
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— Brian Konzman, S.J. ’08
“The Society comes pretty close to ordering guys to get cell phones,” said Philadelphia native Rosinski, 32, who lives within the Saint Peter Faber Jesuit Community at Boston College. “The world is not dead; it is a gift from the Creator to be embraced. We use phones to become better Jesuits.” Living in the modern world as a Jesuit, therefore, is not as big a challenge as some might think, most of the men said. “Because Ignatian spirituality sees God in all things, I do not see entering novitiate life as a huge jump into a whole different world,” said Caceres. Jesuits embrace advances in technology but also rely heavily on something more traditional: their networks. “The Society of Jesus is an incredibly diverse group of men, who serve in more than 100 countries around the world,” Jones said. “The Jesuits I’ve gotten to know have impressed me because of their intellectual and spiritual depth, their openness and their kindness. Jesuits are involved in an incredibly wide range of ministries which are networked together in wonderfully collaborative ways.” Sent where they are needed, these seven Jesuits embrace their geographic diversity, as well as their individual assignments. “Jesuits are available to be missioned wherever the need is greatest,” Surovick, ordained in 2013, explained. “For the most part, whatever people do in the world, Jesuits also do. Doctors, lawyers, scientists, teachers, journalists, social ministries — you name it — and it can also be done as a Jesuit. I found something appealing about the reality that Jesuits are sent to be in the world.” Konzman agreed. “We go where we’re sent,” he said, nonetheless, stating a Scranton preference echoed by all. “I’d love to go back, but the chance of ending up at any one place is low. If they ever ask where I want to go, I will definitely say Scranton.”
Class notes included in this edition were submitted prior to Jan. 14. To submit your own news or see additional class notes, visit scranton.edu/classnotes.
Milestones Robert Munley Sr. ’52, Dalton, of the Munley Law Firm, was selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America in the United States in 2018. Best Lawyers is universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Munley also was named to the 2017 “Irish Legal 100,” a compilation of some of the most accomplished and distinguished legal professionals of Irish descent in the United States. John Granahan ’56, Scranton, was appointed chairman of the board of directors at St. Francis Kitchen in Scranton and St. Francis Commons.
Names in Gold indicate alumnus/alumna is celebrating his/her reunion year.
Chester Pleban ’71, Ormond Beach, Florida, released his second novel, The Tarnished Oath. In both this book and his first, Conviction of Innocence, Pleban, a practicing trial lawyer for more than 43 years, writes about courtroom drama and crime. John Kelly ’76, Herndon, Virginia, was appointed acting inspector general for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Susan M. Swain ’76, Alexandria, Virginia, cochief executive officer and president of C-SPAN, was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable
A group of 1989 alumni travels to Kauai, Hawaii, to celebrate their 50th birthdays with a “Hawaii 5-0” in summer 2017. From left: Brad Beckman, Eileen Witkoski Beckman ‘89, Marie Gentile Guarnuccio ‘89, Mike Guarnuccio ‘89, Rob Colonna, Carolyn Gilmartin Colonna ‘89, Erin Garrity ‘89, Marian Moravcik, Maura Garrity and Betsy McPartland ‘89.
The Very Rev. Myron G. Zuder, Ph.D. ’58, Akron, Ohio, celebrated 50 years as pastor of St. Mary Dormition Church in Akron. The Orthodox priest also celebrated 55 years of ordination and 55 years of marriage to his wife, Dolores. Zuder’s son, Gregory, was ordained a sub-deacon on the same day. Andrew Scott McGowan, Ph.D. ’61, Bronx, New York, retired as a senior professor in the Long Island University/C.W. Post Campus, Department of Counseling and Development and was awarded the Distinguished Professor Award in ceremonies held in spring 2017. Thomas W. Miller, Ph.D. ’67, Lexington, Kentucky, was recognized for his lifelong contribution to the study and research of stressful life events in his professional publications and research summarized in his Handbook of Stressful Transitions Across the Lifespan through Springer Publications. Nicholas Camera ’71, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was elected the commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10804 in Little River, South Carolina.
ClassNotes
Hall of Fame at its 27th annual dinner. The dinner honors the pioneers, innovators, shows and stars who have made significant contributions to the broadcast/television industry. Kathleen Fitzgerald Sherman ’78, Mountain View, California, opened a solo law practice in February 2017, after practicing in a large law firm for several years. John J. Gill Jr. ’78, G’80, Branchville, New Jersey, retired from Kittatinny Regional High School after 39 years. Gill served as a biology teacher for 21 years and as a guidance counselor for 18 years. He will continue as head varsity wrestling coach, a position he has held for 38 years. Peter C. Butera, Ph.D. ’80, Lewiston, New York, was named dean of Niagara University’s College of Arts and Sciences. Marion Munley ’83, Moosic, of the Munley Law Firm, was selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America in the United States in 2018. Best Lawyers is universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. In September 2017, Munley spoke at the Academy of
Truck Accident Attorneys (ATAA) 2017 Annual Symposium in Nashville, Tennessee. Munley, chair-elect of the American Association for Justice Trucking Litigation Group, delivered a presentation on truck driver training, proper visual search and hazard perception. Munley was also named to the 2017 “Irish Legal 100,” a compilation of some of the most accomplished and distinguished legal professionals of Irish descent in the United States. Robert T. Voelkner ’83, Wayne, New Jersey, was promoted to vice president, sales and marketing, for LabVantage Solutions, a provider of laboratory informatics solutions and services. Isabel Dwornik, Ed.D. G’84, Endwell, New York, recently published a book titled Dreams and Deception: Sports Lure, Racism, and Young Black Males’ Struggles in Sports and Education as part of Peter Lang Publishers’ Adolescent Cultures, School and Society Series. Dwornik earned a master’s degree and Certificate of Advanced Study in Counselor Education from Syracuse University, an MHRA from The University of Scranton, and a doctorate in Educational Theory and Practice from the State University of New York at Binghamton. She has worked as a counselor and administrator for SUNY Broome Community College, Catholic Social Services and the Maine-Endwell Central School District. She was also an instructor for Binghamton University for many years. Thomas Grech ’84, Malverne, New York, previously executive director of the Queens Chamber of Commerce in Jackson Heights, New York, has been promoted to president and chief executive officer. Susan Adams G’85, Pottsville, retired after serving 38 years as both a high school and elementary art teacher with the Williams Valley School District in Tower City. Daniel J. Murray ’85, Maple Glen, was named chief executive officer of the Pennswood Village board of directors. Pennswood Village is a Quakerdirected continuing care retirement community for people age 65 and over in Newtown. Sean Granahan ’87, Montrose, is the president of Floating Hospital of New York and runs outpatient clinics for homeless women and children living in shelters. Cornelius “Neil” Leary ’87, Virginia Beach, Virginia, a fourth-grade teacher with the Virginia Beach City Public School District, was selected as the 2018 Kingston Elementary Teacher of the Year. SPRING 2018
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Class Notes
Milestones continued John J. Luciani G’87, York, is officially registered as a professional engineer and professional land surveyor in the state of Delaware. Luciani is president of First Capital Engineering. Brig. Gen. John Hashem ’88, San Antonio, Texas, was promoted to brigadier general, U.S. Army. Hashem’s current position is deputy commanding general Army North (5th Army), Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Kate Atkinson ’90, North Hollywood, California, wrote and produced a musical called “Part of the Plan,” which ran at the James K. Polk Theater from Sept. 10 through Sept. 24. This musical is scored with the music and lyrics of the late celebrated singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg. Produced by K-Squared Entertainment in association with the Nashville-based nonprofit Tennessee Performing Arts Center(TPAC), this show marks TPAC’s first original production. Directed by Tony-nominated Lynne TaylorCorbett, with book by Kate Atkinson and Karen Harris, this developmental production follows the lives of an adopted boy and the teenage girl of privilege who was forced to give him up. “Part of the Plan” takes audiences through the post-World War II boom times, the social and sexual revolution of the 1960s and the political upheaval of the 1970s while exploring the theme that everything in life happens for a reason. Joyce Catherine Corbin Moya ’90, Lorton, Virginia, is currently employed as a behavioral health contractor at Marine Corps Base Quantico, a position she has held since 2016. Recently, Moya opened Hozho Behavioral Health and Life Coaching SVs., PLLC with locations in Springfield and Woodbridge, Virginia. Moya specializes in military culture and healthy lifestyles, women’s issues and couples therapy. Daniel Munley ’90, Clarks Summit, of the
Scranton alumni from the Class of 1987 meet up in Apex, North Carolina. Pictured are Theresa Haughey, Michael Zazzeri and Kathy Bowe Mulderrig. Munley Law Firm, was selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America in the United States in 2018. Best Lawyers is universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. In September 2017, Munley spoke at the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (ATAA) 2017 Annual Symposium in Nashville, Tennessee. Board Certified ATAA member Munley spoke about the critical first steps in handling a truck accident case. Munley was also named to the 2017 “Irish Legal 100,” a compilation of some of the most accomplished and distinguished legal professionals of Irish descent in the United States. Carl Thorsen ’90, Washington, D.C., has for the fifth consecutive year been named by The Hill newspaper as one of Washington’s 25 “Top Lobbyists.” Keith Yurgosky ’91, G’02, Greenfield Township, was selected as the 2017 Pennsylvania State Star for the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network at the America’s SBDC National Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Alan J. Orehek, M.D. ’91, Waymart, is working with Alzheimer’s treatment at the Dementia Center in Moosic, where a case of reversal of Alzheimer’s disease was published in Case Reports in Neurological Medicine, “Dementia
FDNY Lt. Robert Meuser ’03, Stewart Manor, New York, earned a high honor from the City of New York when he received the Albert S. Johnson Medal of Valor on June 7, 2017, for rescuing a woman from a three-alarm fire in the South Bronx last fall. He is assigned to Ladder Company 48 and also works extensively with the FDNY’s Center for Terrorism & Disaster Preparedness.
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Improvement after Plasma Exchange for Familial Hypercholesterolemia.” Brett Lapinski ’93, Elk Grove, California, was recently promoted to senior regulatory clinical consultant with Kaiser Permanente’s Program Office. Lapinski’s responsibilities focus on implementation and oversight of Medicaid health care regulations. She has been with Kaiser Permanente since 2006. Donna M. Stefans ’93, Woodbury, New York, principal and lead attorney at Stefans Law Group PC, has been appointed to the board of directors of the Alzheimer’s Association, L.I. Chapter. The firm’s unique holistic approach integrates asset protection planning, estate planning, elder law and geriatric care management to create a “life-care plan” for families facing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Marianne Mazzei Rivers, Ed.D. ’95, G’98, Scranton, is pursuing postdoctoral certification in advanced education leadership at Harvard University. Kate Groark Shields ’97, Fort Washington, is the owner of a full-service marketing communications firm, Vault Communications. Vault has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing privately held businesses regionally and nationally by Inc. magazine, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Business Journal and Philadelphia 100, a joint initiative of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Wharton Small Business Development Center and the Entrepreneurs’ Forum of Greater Philadelphia. Caroline Munley ’97, Dalton, of the Munley Law Firm, was selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America in the U.S. in 2018. Best Lawyers is universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Munley was also named to the 2017 “Irish Legal 100,” a compilation of some of the most accomplished and distinguished legal professionals of Irish descent in the United States. Sean Keeler, M.D. ’98, Las Vegas, Nevada, is a member of the board of directors for the Unforgettables Foundation Nevada Chapter. The mission is to provide funeral costs to financially struggling families who lose a child from 32 weeks in utero through 18 years. Dr. Keeler and his wife recently co-chaired the annual gala that raised $50,000 for the foundation. Michael B. Slater ’98, Moosic, received a certificate in autism from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards. The credential is awarded to professionals working with individuals with autism in the education or health care industries. Christine Palmeri Gonzalez ’99, Bel Air, Maryland, was recently promoted to assistant director of Nursing for Ambulatory Services at the Johns
Class Notes Several classmates from the Class of 1989 hold a two-day golf outing to commemorate their collective 50th birthdays. The outing was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, from Sept. 22-24. Part of the weekend included the raising of a gift for the Royal Fund from the group and others that could not make it. The group raised $1,215 and donated the money under the moniker ”The Class of 1989 Golf Outing and Friends in Memory of Paul Tuyp.” Paul was a classmate who passed in April 2017, but, more important to the members of his class, he was a great friend. Members of the class of 1989 pictured, from left: Pat Kane, Phil Keenan, Mark Farrell, Rob Mutone, Mario Macaluso, Kevin Hannon, Mike Gullo, Mark Melcione, Roger Fazio, Mike Ryan, Sal Palmieri, Andy Dinnhaupt, Chuck McManus, Kevin Lynch and Joe Parise. Phil Pagliaro attended the outing but was not present for the photograph.
Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Jennifer Hunara ’00, G’02, Bethlehem, accepted the position of administrator, Department of Surgery, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City in July 2017. Brian Shahum ’00, Portland, Oregon, was mentioned in the Portland Business Journal for his work at his family’s company, Mercury Development. Mercury Development is a thirdgeneration, full-service, commercial real estate company specializing in the development, leasing and property management of retail shopping centers. Deirdre Walsh ’00 was promoted to chief operating officer in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for the U.S. in Washington, D.C. Suzanne Messina Messer ’01, Cicero, New York, an attorney with Bond, Schoeneck & King, was named to the 2017 Upstate New York Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list. Ariane Palmasani Conaboy, D.O. ’04, Waverly, was named director of Internal Medicine at Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton. Conaboy practices traditional inpatient and outpatient internal medicine and was named the 2017 Scranton Times Reader’s Choice Awards Internist of the Year. Megan Collelo ’06, Saugerties, New York, an attorney with Bond, Schoeneck & King, was named to the 2017 Upstate New York Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list. Barbara Ginty ’06, New York, New York, was recently chosen as a finalist for the “Grow Your Value Competition,” which was held during the “Know Your Value” event in New York City on Oct. 30, 2017. The “Know Your Value” event was founded by MSNBC’s cohost of “Morning Joe,” Mika Brzezinski, and it included such guests as New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Martha Stewart, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jane
Judge Kipp Adcock ’16, took the oath of office to become North Pocono magisterial judge in January 2017. From left: Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas Judge Andy J. Jarbola III ’81 and Judge Adcock. Pauley and many other notable speakers. Ginty competed against two other finalists at the “Know Your Value” event, when she pitched her business, Planancial, which offers online personal finance education classes, for the chance to win a $5,000 grand prize. Thomas Schneider ’06, Long Beach, New York, received an M.S. in Nursing, Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner from Molloy College in August 2017. Dennis O’Malley ’10, Hartford, Connecticut, was recently admitted to the Connecticut State Bar. O’Malley graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Law in May 2017 and is now completing a judicial clerkship with the Connecticut Supreme Court. Ayisha Sereni ’11, Phoenixville, founded and serves as the president of the Main Line School of Real Estate, a Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission-approved education provider.
Joseph Wolfe ’11, Long Branch, New Jersey, has joined DLA Piper as an associate in the firm’s Philadelphia office. Kevin Dermody ’13, Philadelphia, was appointed to the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division Executive Committee. In his new role, Dermody will focus on increasing the participation of members and growing membership by engaging with various community organizations to create new opportunities. He began serving a three-year term on Jan. 1, 2018. James P. Shygelski ’14, Scranton, has joined the Law Offices of Jennifer J. Riley as an associate attorney. 2nd Lt. Nicholas M. Tallo ’15, Wethersfield, Connecticut, was commissioned in the Marine Corps in November 2015 after successful completion of USMC Officer Candidate School. He then attended The Basic School with Bravo Company 2-16. After graduation in June 2016, 2nd Lt. Tallo reported to Battery E, 2d Battalion, 11th Marines to perform on-the-job training. In September 2016, he checked in to Marine Artillery Officer Basic Course 7-16 and Joint Fires Observer Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. In February 2017, 2nd Lt. Tallo completed the curriculum as the Distinguished Honor Graduate, and reported to Battery G, 2d Battalion, 11th Marines to serve as the Mortars Fire Direction Officer. In May 2017, he deployed with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in the South Pacific, where he is currently serving as the Mortars Platoon Commander. Laura Bopp ’17, Wantagh, New York, spoke at the 20th Annual Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice. Bopp spoke on LEAP (Literacy Education and Advocacy in Prison), which she participated in at the University. The LEAP program focuses on facilitating creative expression for female inmates through writing. SPRING 2018
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Class Notes
Marriages Matthew Ryffel ’87 to Mary Wicker Kaitlin Kelly ’07 to Michael Kosmaczewski Taylor Ainley ’09 to Peter Daniele Caroline Frey ’09, DPT ’12 to Carl Cervi ’09, G’11 Traci Dolan ’10 to Augustus Esgro ’09, G’11 Michael McLane ’10 to Leena Watson ’12
Jessica Piatt ’10, G’12 to Andrew Ponti ’10 Tara Cormican ’11 to Andy Davis ’11 2nd Lt. Sean Milde ’11 to Kristen Keen ’11 Nicole Mollusky ’11 to Peter Ferrante, DPM ’11 Stephanie Reidlinger ’11 to John O’Connor Jr. ’11 Nicole Clemson ’13 to James Mirra ’13
Taylor Ainley ’09 and Peter Daniele were married on June 24, 2016, in Ramsey, New Jersey. Scranton alumni celebrating with the couple were: Brandon Hatler ’07, Alyssa Duerr Hatler ’08, Aimee Davin ‘09, Christina Rakowski ’07 and Morgan Chapman ’13.
Katherine Lynch ’13 to Colin Reilly ’14 Aileen McGonigle ’13 to Paul McCormick ’13 Jennifer Deptula ’14, G’16 to Zachary Haupt ’14 Sarah Krogulski ’14 to Kevin Kucharski ’14 Lindsay Scheve ’14 to Scott Holdren ’14
Tara Cormican and Andy Davis, both from the Class of 2011, were married on July 1, 2017.
Traci Dolan ’10 and Augustus Esgro ’09, G’11 were married on Oct. 15, 2016, at The Roman Catholic Church of St. Patrick in Brooklyn, New York. The Rev. Donald Williams ’79 presided over their nuptials. They were joined in celebration by generations of Scranton alumni including: Melissa Bevacqua ’01, G’ 05, Josh Perry ’10, Bret Guglielmi ’09, Katie Guglielmi ’09, Melissa Ferrigno ’09, Brandon Nagy G’ 08, Adam Linsalata ’09, Kate Dinota ’09, John Pugliese ’09, Kathleen Racich ’09 G’10, Gary Racich ’09, Timothy Dolan ’13, Kelly Tierney ’13, G’15, Brendan Reedy ’12, Kim Dudrich G’94, Carolyn Esgro ’76, G’81, Fr. Donald Williams ’79, Caroline Frey Cervi ’09, G’12, Alexandra Montone ’09, Robert Ferraro ’96, Colleen Tuohy ’09, Eugene Munley G’12, Kyle Falana ’09, Justin Canning ’10, Carl Cervi ’09, G’11 and Stephanie Esgro ’11.
Caroline Frey ‘09, DPT ‘12 married Carl Cervi ‘09, G’11 on June 23, 2017. Many Scranton alumni celebrated with them. 44
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Scott Holdren ’14 and Lindsay Scheve ’14 were married on Sept. 16, 2017.
Class Notes Peter Ferrante, DPM ‘11 and Nicole Mollusky ‘11 were married on May 27, 2017, in Warren, New Jersey. Scranton alumni celebrating with the couple were: Meghan Lynch ‘11, Sara Mathewson ‘11, Becky Henthorn ‘11, Kelly Clayton ‘11, Alison Haegler ‘12, Stacey Legg Toolan ‘11, Kelly Johnson, D.O., ‘11, Stephanie Parisi ‘11, Matthew Warner ‘11, Justine Scholonas Donbaugh ’89, Jen Salim ‘11, Nicholas Stiles, D.O. ‘11, Danielle Mallard-Camillo ‘11, Brittany Ciaramello, DPM ‘11 and Ally Mounsey ‘11.
Sara Krogulski ’14 and Kevin R. Kucharski ‘14 were married on May 20, 2017, at the Westmoreland Club in Wilkes Barre. The photo includes the following University of Scranton family and friends: Kevin A. Kucharski ‘85, Alison Kucharski ‘16, Sandy Cameli ’82, Lauren Jurbala ‘14, Elayna Zappula, Anthony Tufano ‘14, Anthony Phillip ‘14, Sara Krogulski ‘14 (bride), Kevin Kucharski ‘14 (groom), John Niemiec ‘14, Bryan Gorczyca ’19, Jordan Delicato ‘19, Dan Byorick ‘15, Grace Nebzydoski ‘13, Lucie Henry ‘13, Melissa Teresco ‘14 and Joseph Mastroianni ‘14. Absent from photo: Biren Desai ‘14.
When 2nd Lt. Sean Milde ‘11 found out he was being deployed to Korea in January 2018, he and Kristen Keen ‘11 decided to move their wedding day to November 2017. With only three weeks to plan everything, they were married in Madonna della Strada Chapel and had a reception at Kildare’s Irish Pub. A few Royals joined them on their special day, and Iggy made a surprise appearance at the reception.
Jimmy Mirra ’13 and Nicole Clemson ’13 were married on June 3 at The University of Scranton's Madonna della Strada Chapel. Mirra and Clemson met on their first day of college in 2009. They were married by The Rev. Ron McKinney, S.J., and the reception was nearby at Montdale Country Club. Pictured are: Chris Cummings ’12, Patrick Cassidy ’13, Jerry Mantone ’13, Jimmy Mirra ’13 (groom), Nicole Clemson ’13 (bride), Katie O'Boyle ’14, The Rev. Ron McKinney, S.J., Mike Scarantino ’13, Billy Thomsen ’13, Katie Tamola ’13, Daniel Fletcher ’13 and Michelle Dougherty ’14. Kaitlin Kelly ‘07, G’12 and Michael Kosmaczewski were married on Dec. 31, 2016, at the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel in Scranton. The couple was surrounded by the love of their Royal family and rang in the New Year in true Scranton style. Their Royal family included: Megan Worth Francullo ‘07, Meghan Murray ‘07, Liz Kiernan Gillespie ‘07, Beth Mills Lockhart ‘07, Megan Conley ‘09, Shauna McPhearson ‘09, Samantha Snapp ‘09, Kaitlin Arts Kroptavich ‘09, Joseph Kelly ‘05, Sarah Kelly ‘09, Catherine Higgens Leandres ‘07, Allison Rubino Koenig ‘07, Erin Grambo Scarbez ‘07, Tim Morris ‘07, Matt Lockhart ‘07, Suzy McMahon Potucek ‘07, Maureen Conklin Morris ‘07, Adrienne Fallon Young ‘06, Carter Young ‘07, Nick Contardo ‘07, Tiffany Brodel Contardo ‘08, Dani Dagrosa Soucek ‘07, John J. Kelly ‘76, James Mangan ‘77, Chuck Kelly ‘78, Jeff Reeder ‘12, Gail McDevitt Cudia ‘88, Katie Brunton ‘88 and Dr. Jan Kelly. S PRING 2018
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Class Notes Aileen McGonigle ‘13 and Paul McCormick ‘13 were married on Saturday, July 29, 2017, at Notre Dame Church in New Hyde Park, New York. They were joined by family and friends at North Hills Country Club for a funfilled reception. Many Scranton alumni were in attendance from the Classes of 2000 to 2014.
Leena Watson ‘12 and Michael McLane ‘10 were married on May 28, 2017. Pictured are fellow Scranton alumni and friends: Elizabeth O’Neill ‘05, Ann Marie Scheller ‘79, Colleen McLane ‘11, Tom McLane ‘75, Matt Cavanaugh ‘10, Kellie Cavanaugh ‘10, Mark McLane ‘86, Frank McLane ‘07, Erin Barry ‘12, Bridgette Sakar ‘12, Brendan Reedy ‘12, Taylor Volpe ‘12, Christina Arbucias ‘12, Raquel Maravilla ‘12, Elaina DeSantis ‘12 and Val Fanelli ‘12.
Katherine Lynch ’13 and Colin Reilly ’14 were married in Scranton in September 2017. Many Scranton alumni were in attendance. 1 Jessica Piatt ‘10, G’12 and Andrew Ponti ‘10 were married on April 28, 2017, in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware; 2 Scranton alumni gathered in sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico, to celebrate the wedding of Matthew Ryffel ‘87 to Mary Wicker. Pictured are: Jeffrey Trost ‘87, Jennifer Larson ‘11, Mary Ryffel, Matthew Ryffel ‘87, Kristin Ryffel ‘11 and Neal Thomas ‘87. Not pictured are: Edward Santelli ‘87, John Tebeau ‘87 and Paul Linko ‘88.
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Class Notes Stephanie Reidlinger ’11 and John O’Connor Jr. ’11 met during their freshman year in 2007 in Nevils Hall. They were married 10 years later on St. Patrick’s Day. More than 20 Royals attended their wedding in Havertown. Pictured: Joseph Costello ‘11, Paul Wenke ‘11, Amie Leonard ‘11, Maria Borowski ‘11, Brianna McArdle ’11, Nicole Miarrostami ‘11, Dr. Martin O’Riordan ‘83, Shohin Vance ‘11, Timothy O’Connor ‘12, Joseph Yourkavitch ‘08, Andrew Reidlinger ‘16, Brandon Dombrowski ‘11, Matthew Mendola ‘11, Brittany Reyes ‘11, Jeff Russo ‘11, John Mazza ‘11, Kimberly Holtermann ‘11, Kimberly Mazza ‘11, Stephanie Reidlinger ’11 (bride), John O’Connor Jr. ’11 (groom), Kaitlyn Yourkavitch ‘09 and Bridget O’Connor ‘17.
Births & Adoptions A daughter, Jiavanna Veronica, to John and Tracy Perlitis Iannarone ’95, Old Forge 1 A son, James Matthew, to Jenna and Matthew DeNinno ’00, Massapequa Park, New York 2 A son, Robert William III, to Abbey and Bobby Davis ’03, Dunmore 3 A son, John Michael, to Brian and MarieTherese Alvir Servat ’03, New Hyde Park, New York 4 A son, Harrison, to Eric Boulis and Maria Villafuerte, D.O. ’03, Farmington Hills, Michigan 5 A son, Thomas James Moran IV, to Tom and Lauren Farrell Moran ’05, G’06, Havertown 6 A daughter, Madeline Lucia, to Jonathan ’08 and Ashley O’Shea Miranda ’06, Apex, North Carolina 7 A son, Conor Michael, to Daniel ’07 and Dawn Leavy Neenan ’10, Staten Island, New York 8 Twin sons, Adrian and Jude, to Brian ’09 and Francesca Colace Goldsack ’11, Dunmore 9 A son, Edward Siloé, to Siloé and Charlotte Brown Perez ’10, Deptford, New Jersey A son, Jack Conrad, to Joseph ’10 and Mallory O’Hara DeLullo ’10, Newport News, Virginia 10 A daughter, Kaya Rose, to Thomas and Valerie Griffin Motto ’11, Conshohocken 11
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Class Notes
“May the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Eternal rest grant unto them, Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.”
In Memoriam Louis J. Folen ’40, Bellefonte Edward Masel ’42, Utica, New York Joseph E. Cuff ’43, Olyphant Richard “Ace” Armstrong ’45, Scranton Hugh J. Coleman, V.M.D. ’49, Elizabethtown The Hon. S. John Cottone ’49, H’95, Dunmore Alfred LaVie Jr. ’49, Bishopville, Maryland Elvin Glenroy Miles ’49, Ballwin, Missouri Donald W. Burdick ’50, Easton William J. Burns ’50, Pompton Plains, New Jersey Knovel F. Lamberti ’50, Mechanicsburg Thomas J. Bird, Ph.D. ’51, Elmhurst, Illinois Anthony J. Martino ’51, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina William F. Butler Sr. ’52, Dunmore William J. Little ’52, G’61, Scranton Norman E. Woodworth, Lt. Col. (ret) ’52, Peckville Edgar G. Baker ’53, Carbondale Joseph G. Huggler ’53, Bordentown, New Jersey Paul P. Szydlik, Ph.D. ’54, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota Anthony L. Angello, M.D. ’56, Denver, Colorado Joseph A. Caputo ’56, Dunmore Donald P. Judge ’56, Alpharetta, Georgia David F. St. Ledger ’56, Mechanicsburg Paul Swantkowski ’56, Dupont Paul A. Farrell ’57, Johnson City, New York Frank J. Germain ’57, Dunmore John J. Lang ’57, Mechanicsburg Theodore R. Mileski ’57, Throop James J. Mowad, M.D. ’57, Danville Robert F. Wren ’57, West Orange, New Jersey Arthur Traynor ’58, Morristown, New Jersey Louis A. Adams ’59, Dupont
Chester Sebastianelli ’59, Archbald Carl J. Garbelotti ’60, South Burlington, Vermont James F. Brennan, Ph.D. ’61, Newark, Delaware Thomas M. Enright ’61, Greenfield Township Thomas P. Farrell ’61, The Villages, Florida Thomas Matkosky ’61, Peckville Marianne R. Baloga G’62, Wilkes-Barre Edward J. Earley, Ed.D. ’62, Fogelsville James F. Huff ’62, Moscow Robert G. Meeker, Ph.D. G’62, Hazel Crest, Illinois George D. Mulligan Sr. ’62, Fredericksburg, Virginia James P. Murphy ’65, Hughestown Brendan V. Callanan ’66, Belmont, Massachusetts Francis E. Egan ’67, Honesdale Robert S. Koslowski ’68, East Benton Township Gregory J. Kuchak ’68, Newark, Delaware Nan P. McNulty ’68, G’72, Dunmore Alfred Romitelli ’68, Peckville Joseph D. Yeager ’68, Forty Fort Sr. Patricia Rogers, H.M. G’69, Villa Maria Clarence E. “Spud” Nachand, Jr. ’70, Dunmore George J. Weide, Jr. ’70, Madison, Alabama John J. Ziskowski, M.D. ’70, Chillicothe, Ohio Michael J. Breslin III ’71, Harrisburg John J. Dwyer ’72, G’75, Dalton Joseph Ambrogi ’73, Ardmore J. Kevin Judge ’73, Lansdale Daniel Wolfe G’74, Susquehanna Jack A. Archer ’75, Scranton Joseph M. Green ’75, Binghamton, New York Joseph Milewski ’75, Eynon Patrick J. Murphy ’75, Scranton James P. Naticchi ’75, Jessup
Robert J. Roper ’75, Ashland Joan M. Chichura ’81, Tulsa, Oklahoma Margaret Joan Scott ’81, Scranton Joseph J. Chmielewski ’82, Covington Township Rev. Arthur W. Davis ’82, Jefferson Township Joseph H. Hallberg ’82, Scranton Christopher L. Spathelf ’82, Laurel, Maryland Michael D. Squirlock ’82, Old Forge Caroline Shau ’83, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Barbara Siarkievicz ’84, Jessup Matthew J. Sorrano, D.M.D. ’84, Forty Fort Glennon R. Griffin ’88, Westborough, Massachusetts Maryann J. Grippo ’88, Scranton George MJ Petrus ’88, Sydney, New York Craig K. Lockwood ’89, Pittston Michael P. Plevyak, M.D. ’89, East Longmeadow, Massachusetts Mary Ann Duffy Savitsky ’90, Glenburn Eduardo R. Potillo ’90, Washington, D.C. Daniel A. Zellers ’93, Scranton Lynda Posivak Mohlenhoff ’94, Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey Christy Farley ’95, Wood-Ridge, New Jersey Kristen Glodek-Oestergaard ’97, Elkins Park Thomas J. Halloran Sr. ’99, Jessup Anne M. Kearney ’00, Scranton Gerald P. Gallo ’03, Peckville Kate E. Stack ’04, Suffern, New York Morgan J. Prokop ’08, Scranton Michael L. Stallone ’09, Exeter Brian J. Musto ’12, Pittston Stephen M. Pfail ’13, G’14, Garden City, New York
In Memoriam Friends & Family Gary Brace, brother of Andrea Brace Mulrine ’97 Irene Evans, widow of Dr. Joseph Evans ’43, mother of Lisa Evans Whittington ’83, Sharon Evans, Ph.D. ’80 and Gregory Evans, D.P.M. ’78 Anne Marie LaCotta, wife of Jerome P. LaCotta ’63, G’72 Joanne Mikulski, mother of Joanne Mikulski Brush ’82 Conor Michael Neenan, son of Daniel Neenan ’07 and Dawn Leavy Neenan ’10 Gerald Nemshick, father of Janine Nemshick-Kerestes ’86 and Christine Nemshick-Lauer G’03 Richard Seagrave, father of MaryBeth Seagrave Doherty ’96 Helen Skoritowski, mother of Joseph D. Skoritowski ’81 Marybeth Smith, sister of Reese W. Davis Jr. G’76 Pauline Solomon, mother of Albert Solomon, Ph.D. ’62 Robert Wallis, father of Jeffrey Wallis ’77
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Visit Father Patrick Rogers, S.J., at The Jesuit Center in St. Thomas Hall to rekindle your interest in
Ignatian spirituality.
There are four easy ways to reach us: ONLINE: scranton.edu/BeEngaged E-MAIL: alumni@scranton.edu FAX: 570.941.4097 STANDARD MAIL: The Scranton Journal, 800 Linden Street, Scranton, PA 18510 Class Notes Publication Policy: The University of Scranton accepts submissions of news of professional achievements or personal milestones for inclusion in the Class Notes section of The Scranton Journal. Submissions can be submitted electronically to alumni@scranton.edu or by mail to Marge Gleason, class notes editor, University of Scranton, 800 Linden Street, Scranton, PA 18510. Digital photos should be 300dpi, JPG or TIFF format and at least 3x5 inches. The University of Scranton reserves complete editorial rights to all content submitted for Class Notes, and posts and publishes listings in as timely a fashion as possible, as space permits. Reasonable steps are taken to verify the accuracy of the information submitted, but the University cannot guarantee the accuracy of all submissions. Publication of achievements or milestones does not constitute endorsement by The University of Scranton.
The University of Scranton is committed to providing a safe and nondiscriminatory employment and educational environment. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, age, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other status protected by law. Sexual harassment, including sexual violence, is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational, extracurricular, athletic, or other programs or in the context of employment. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination and sexual harassment and sexual misconduct policies may be directed to Jennifer LaPorta, executive director and Title IX Coordinator, Office of Equity and Diversity, 570.941.6645.
48
THE SCRANTON JOUR NA L
REFLECT on Your Legacy & CREATE a Better Tomorrow.
Join The Estate Society Today To Support Future Generations of Scranton Students.
The Estate Society
THE UNIV E R SI T Y O F SCR AN TO N For helpful planning tools, articles and spotlights on Estate Society members, please visit our website scranton.edu/plannedgiving. For personalized illustrations or options, contact Carol Maculloch, director of Planned Giving, at carol.maculloch@scranton.edu or 570.941.7799.
NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID PPCO
800 Linden Street • Scranton, PA 18510
Be engaged with your University Save the date and plan to join us for these upcoming events. Legacy Reception for Accepted Students
March 24
Parents’ Executive Council Meeting & Reception
April 13
Day of Service
April 14
Medical Alumni Council Executive Committee Meeting
April 21
Boston PBC Event
April 26
Alumni Board Meeting
April 28
5.06 Weekend
May 4-6
5.06k Run/Walk
May 5
Scholarship Brunch
May 6
Scranton does Broad Street!
May 6
Class Night
May 25
Graduate School Commencement
May 26
Legacy Reception
May 26
50-Year Class Delegation
May 27
Undergraduate Commencement
May 27
Reunion Weekend
June 8-10
Carlesimo Golf Tournament & Award Dinner
June 18
Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs Baseball Game
June 28
For more information, visit scranton.edu/alumni