Alumni News

In Case You Missed it…

Enjoy these photos from a few of our signature fall semester events.

Toast2Scranton

Ridgewood, New Jersey

New York City

Philadelphia

The University held Toast2Scranton regional celebrations in Fairfield, Connecticut; Harrisburg; the Lehigh Valley; Philadelphia; New York City; Raleigh, North Carolina; Redbank, New Jersey; Ridgewood, New Jersey; Scranton; and Washington, D.C., to welcome the Class of 2018 to the alumni family. For more information, visit scranton.edu/toast2scranton.

Regional Christmas Receptions

New Jersey

Philadelphia

New York City

Washington, D.C.

Alumni celebrated the Christmas season together in several regions, including Chesapeake, Maryland; Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; the Lehigh Valley; Long Island, New York; Harrisburg; Morristown, New Jersey; and New York City. To see photos from the events, visit scranton.edu/alumniphotos.

50th Anniversary of Men's Soccer

Men's Soccer marked its 50th anniversary with a daylong celebration that included an alumni game, cocktail reception and the dedication of the Steve Klingman Plaza at The Rev. Kevin P. Quinn, S.J., Athletics Campus in honor of Steve Klingman, former men’s soccer coach and current assistant athletics facilities manager. To see photos from the event, visit scranton.edu/alumniphotos.

The President’s Business Council 17 th Annual Award Dinner

The President’s Business Council 17 th Annual Award Dinner honored Linda S. McGowan ’80, partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, and Joseph L. Sorbera Jr. P’08, ’08, president of JLS Cost Management Systems Inc., with the President’s Medal. The black-tie gala raised more than $1 million for the Presidential Scholarship Endowment. For more information, visit scranton.edu/pbcdinner.

PRESIDENT’S BUSINESS COUNCIL 18TH ANNUAL AWARD DINNER

SAVE THE DATE October 10, 2019

25,000 Strong

A new University group creates a place for its 25,000 alumnae to connect with one another and the University.

All across the cultural landscape, women are sharing theirexperiences, raising their voices and inspiring others. One need only look as far as the workplace (which now boasts a record number of women), the financial sector (more than half of American wealth is now controlled by women) or the internet (#MeToo, Time’s Up) to see the multitudes of women stepping forward to change the world for the better.

A Bold Mission

There are approximately 25,000 University of Scranton alumnae; it is the mission of The Women’s Alliance to connect those alumnae with the University and one another.

“The goal of The Women’s Alliance is to engage the alumnae of the University in networking, education, leadership and philanthropy,” said Eloise Butovich of University Advancement. “We know that women change the world every day through their vast and varied contributions. With renewed focus and energy, The Women’s Alliance will strive to increase the engagement of female leaders who can help transform the future of the University, our communities and our students.”

An Empowered Alliance

Through The Women’s Alliance, alumnae will have new opportunities to connect with business colleagues and leaders who will become their trusted network. Alumnae will also have the opportunity to connect with women for and with others who share a passion for philanthropy. Through these renewed connections and relationships, the University will reinforce leadership pipelines for increased future female representation in key leadership and affinity areas such as the Board of Trustees, Alumni Society Advisory Board, President’s Business Council, Medical Alumni Council, President’s Circle and Estate Society.

Members can participate in The Women’s Alliance in a variety of ways, including attending lectures or workshops, networking and speaking on campus. The Women’s Alliance will also provide its members with online media content such as videos, webinars and articles through a variety of channels, including Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

To join The Women’s Alliance and begin sharing, learning and connecting with other alumnae in this unique environment today, visit scranton.edu/womensalliance.

The Women’s Alliance is committed to intentionally increasing alumnae representation and leadership. Its members will support, guide and inspire each other as they advance the mission of the University.

A Father and Son’s Global Mindset Leads to MBAs at Scranton

The Pillai family poses with Murli Rajan, Ph.D., at Rathin’s graduation. From left: Sunil Pillai, Dr. Rajan, Rathin and Swarna Pillai.

When Sunil Pillai G’83, of Mumbai, India, was finishing up his MBA at Scranton at age 23, he promised himself that if he eventually got married and had a child, that child would go to Scranton for his or her MBA.

“God has been kind,” said Sunil in a recent interview. “I had one son, and his name is Rathin.”

It was pretty clear from early on that Rathin Pillai G’12, who, like his dad, grew up in Mumbai, would follow in his father’s footsteps.

“My dad had his framed final certification on the wall at home. He’d say to me, ‘That’s the degree that has gotten me this far. You can talk back to me all you want, but until you have that degree, I won’t listen,’” remembered Rathin.

Rathin had a lot to live up to. Sunil had gone from Scranton to Pfizer International in New York to Colgate Palmolive in India, quickly moving up the corporate ladder. He eventually became vice president of marketing and sales at CavinKare, a conglomerate in fast-moving consumer goods, then vice president of marketing at Reliance Communications, Global Operations, and, most recently, COO at Tata Teleservices. He is currently a guest faculty member at IIM Bangalore and founder and director of Strategy Green Consultancy.

“I owe this whole career of mine to Scranton and the education I got there,” said Sunil. “It got me to move from being just a kid playing around in the streets of Mumbai to be a formative professional in the way I looked at things.”

Rathin, a TV executive who recently took on a strategy and business development role at India’s Network 18 (Viacom in the United States), said it was essential — for both of them — to go abroad for their graduate degrees.

“I think I speak for both of us when I say we needed a global perspective. Had we studied for our MBAs in India, it would’ve been specific to India marketing only,” he said.

Sunil and his son both chose Scranton because it had a good reputation, was a “friendly campus” and was close to major cities.

“It was my first exposure to the U.S.,” said Sunil. “I was getting used to the culture, weather, food and people. I found that it was an extremely friendly place. There were a lot of other international students. And the faculty was excellent.”

Rathin agreed. “It’s not just the students; it’s the professors as well,” he said. “They made me feel at home right from the start.”

For Rathin, one of those professors was Sunil’s Scranton roommate, Murli Rajan, Ph.D. G’84, now interim dean of the Kania School of Management. When Rajan arrived from Yugoslavia in 1982, Sunil made him feel right at home. But that’s another story.

Patrick’s Pals for Good: Jim ’90 and Kerry Cosgrove Conmy ’90

Clockwise, from top center: Jim Conmy ’90, Catherine Conmy, Kerry Cosgrove Conmy ’90, Patrick Conmy and Seamus Conmy enjoy some fun in the sun together.

An alumni couple turns a one-time charitable gesture into a perpetual force for good.

Dedication to service. Concern for the common good. These are two of the values The University of Scranton hopes to instill in its graduates so they may become “men and women for and with others.” They are also two of the values that guided Jim ’90 and Kerry Cosgrove Conmy ’90 when they chose to create Patrick’s Pals Foundation, a New Jersey-based nonprofit dedicated to helping the families of children with disabilities get equipment and therapy they cannot otherwise afford and that their insurance companies refuse to cover.

“One thing we valued and learned and took away from our education at Scranton was about being charitable and giving back,” Kerry said. “We are fortunate to be able to help others, and it has really been a blessing to us.”

Why did the Conmys choose to start a foundation that has raised nearly $1 million for children with disabilities? The story

begins at Scranton in the 1980s, when Jim, a Philadelphia native studying history, met Kerry Cosgrove, a New York native studying accounting. After graduating in 1990, the couple married in 1994 and had Seamus, their first child, in 1998. Their daughter, Catherine, was born in 2000, and, in 2003, the family welcomed Patrick into the world. Almost immediately, Kerry noticed significant differences between Patrick and his siblings.

“He wasn’t hitting the milestones and developing, and, being my third child, I was very aware of that,” she said.

Gradually, the Conmys realized Patrick was unable to do many things for himself. As a result, he required specialized medical equipment and therapies that their health insurance often did not cover because it did not deem them “medical necessities.” In 2006, when Patrick was 3 years old, a group of their family and friends approached them with the idea

Clockwise, from left: Dan Tempone ’90, Jeannie Tempone, Daniel Tempone, Caroline Tempone and Matthew Tempone participate in the annual Patrick’s Pals 5K Run and 1-Mile Walk.

of putting together a charity golf outing to raise money for Patrick. While Jim and Kerry were touched by the gesture, they didn’t feel comfortable accepting money. Instead, they chose to start a foundation that would help the families of children with disabilities.

“Adaptive equipment is expensive, and insurance doesn’t cover a lot of it, which makes it difficult for families to purchase equipment that their children need to function on a daily basis,” Kerry said.

From its home base in New Jersey all the way to Costa Rica, Patrick’s Pals Foundation has provided safety beds, bath chairs, motorized wheelchairs, adaptive bicycles, hippotherapy lessons and many other things to more than 150 families. Hundreds of supporters, including many Scranton alumni, attend its golf outing and dinner at Stanton Ridge Country Club in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, each August and its 5K at Duke Island Park in Bridgewater, New Jersey, each April. Five Scranton alumni sit on the foundation’s 12-member board of directors.

Kerry said the Conmys feel fortunate that so many like-minded people, passionate about helping others, surround them, and they believe the foundation would not succeed without the efforts of their family and friends.

“Because of their love for Patrick, they are driven to help others,” she said. “That is a blessing to us.”

With a little help from his friends, Patrick will continue to help the families of children with disabilities.

“Patrick has done a tremendous amount for others,” Kerry said. “Without him and his inspiration this foundation wouldn’t be in place, and these families wouldn’t have been helped, and this community wouldn’t rally the way it does every April and every August, and it’s all because of my little angel, Patrick.

“He brings people together, and he brings out the compassionate side of people. Without him, this never would have been accomplished. I’m really proud of him.”

Patrick’s Pals Foundation will have its annual golf outing Aug. 12. For more information, visit patrickspalsfoundation.com.

Several members of the Class of 1990 attend the Patrick’s Pals Annual Charity Golf Outing in August 2018.