The Scranton Journal Spring 2022 by The University of Scranton

SPRING 2022

Scranton First-Gen Students

THR1VE

Students Learn to Invest, University Gains

Diversity Equity Inclusion Plan Launched

Alumnus Leads Pentagon Force Protection Agency

SPRING 2022 • VOLUME 43, NUMBER 2

EDITOR

Laura Richards

A Message

DESIGNERS

Vikki Lawhon Jason Thorne G’13

from the

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Joseph Fitzhenry Tom Salitsky Stan M. Zygmunt ’84, G’95 ASSOCIATE WRITERS

Maura Sullivan Hill ASSISTANT CLASS NOTES EDITOR

Margery Gleason PHOTOGRAPHY

Timothy R. Dougherty Byron Maldonado PRESIDENT

President

Dear Students, Alumni, Faculty, Staff and Friends: This past year on campus, we’ve celebrated often. There have been building dedications, Landmark Championships and many academic achievements, not to mention a much-needed alumni Reunion. What a joy it was to watch our Center for Service and Social Justice volunteers gather and package meals inside the newly dedicated Arrupe House and to cheer as our newest graduates processed across the stage in May. These are moments I cherish and that I will carry with me throughout my presidency and beyond.

Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J. SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

We also celebrated the launch of the campus-wide plan for Diversity, Equity

FOR THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

and Inclusion, which supports our Strategic Plan. While there is much work to be

Gerald C. Zaboski ’87, G’95

done, the plan — and Catholic Social Teaching — will help to guide us toward

VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT

Thomas MacKinnon DIRECTOR OF MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

Lori J. Nidoh ’80, G’89 DIRECTOR OF PRINTING & MAILING SERVICES

Valarie J. Clark ’12 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

a more inclusive community, a more just society. You can read about the good work being done related to the plan in this issue of the magazine, along with other stories that connect us, near and far. I could not be prouder to be a part of this University. Your incredible stories help me to understand further what makes this place so special. And your support helps to sustain Scranton’s goals and future endeavors. I hope to celebrate them with you in person soon. In the meantime, please keep the University in your prayers and be assured of mine in return.

Yours Faithfully,

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. © 2022 The University of Scranton

Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J. President

contents

Features 24 Student-Led Investing Pays Off

The PRISM student group has successfully managed a portion of the University’s endowment from $100,000 to nearly $1 million over 20+ years.

28 Helping First-Generation College Students Achieve Endless Possibilities

THR1VE, now in its third year, supports the University’s first-generation students, who make up 22 percent of the undergraduate student body.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan Launched

Despite the pandemic, or perhaps because of it, recent University graduates have found purpose, flexibility and balance in their young careers.

Online Journal There is more Scranton news than we can fit in this print edition! Look for icons throughout The Scranton Journal indicating more related content, including photographs, videos or expanded articles, on our website. Visit scranton.edu/scrantonjournal to read the online version of the magazine, and visit scranton.edu/ journalextras to access our web exclusives.

PHOTOS

STORY

VIDEO

HERE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS:

More From the Pentagon Daniel Walsh, Ph.D. ’00, talks philosophy, trust, leadership, mission, chemistry and more in a web exclusive interview.

Departments 4 14

On the Commons Focus on Faculty

Alumni News

Athletics

Profiles

Class Notes Cover: Front row: THR1VE Advisory Board Member Damain Morris ’23 Back row: Gu1de Peer Mentor Maame Addison ’23 and Shannon Murphy Fennie, assistant dean of students, who writes about the program on page 28.

#ScrantonLoveStory Didn’t hear enough about how and where couples met on campus? Read more Scranton love stories online. (Pictured here: Casey Fitzgerald ’16 and Mollie Medrano ’17)

PRISM Students Hear students talk about the Portfolio of Responsible Investments under Student Management (PRISM) Club.

On the Commons

The Ukraine flag is lit on the University’s three-story, Class of 2020 Gateway beginning Feb. 26.

University Response to War in Ukraine Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., University president, addressed the crisis happening in Ukraine in an Ash Wednesday message sent to the University community on March 2. “Let us pray for the Ukrainian people, especially those trapped in the midst of violence and those who are now refugees seeking shelter abroad. Let us be inspired by the courage of Ukrainians as they seek to preserve their freedom and fledgling democracy and by Russians risking their safety to protest against the war,” wrote Father Marina in the message. The Ukraine flag was lit on the University’s three-story, Class of 2020 Gateway sign to “show our thoughts and prayers are with the Ukrainian people as we join with others across the world to pray peace and freedom are restored to their country and their people once again,” the University said in a statement.

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The University also held a Byzantine Catholic prayer service for Ukraine in the Byzantine Rite Chapel in Ciszek Hall on campus in March. Rev. Dr. Eduard Shestak, native Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic priest and theology instructor at Scranton, led the prayer and offered a brief presentation on the current war in Ukraine. In addition, The Schemel Forum welcomed Fredrik Logevall, Ph.D., Laurence D. Belfer professor of international affairs at Harvard University, to campus for his presentation, “A New Cold War? How to Think About the Struggle in Ukraine,” and Jill Dougherty, former CNN Moscow Bureau Chief, currently teaching a course in “Information Wars” at Georgetown University, for her talk, “Russia and the Post-Truth Society.”

In-person Events and Lectures Return to Campus Beginning mid-spring semester, the University hosted an array of in-person speakers and events, including Neal Thompson ’87 who discussed his new book, The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of An American Dynasty; Ambassador Bergdís Ellertsdóttir of Iceland, who presented the Jay Nathan, Ph.D., VisNeal Thompson ’87 discusses his book as iting Scholar Lecture Semore in-person events come back to campus. ries; Rev. James L. Heft, the author of The Future of Catholic Higher Education: The Open Circle, who spoke as part of the University’s participation in Ignatius 500, a worldwide celebration marking the 500th anniversary of St. Ignatius; and Andrew Schotter, professor of economics at New York University and the director of the Center for Experimental Social Science, who was the speaker at the Many events were recorded or live streamed this past academic year. Be sure to check them out on the University’s YouTube channel.

Spring Henry George Seminar in April. In addition, students participated in a political dialogue titled, “Freedom and Our Founding.” In small, mediated groups, students discussed the concept of freedom, the founding of the United States, and the role of citizens in a democracy. Students then shared their experiences and listened to the perspectives of others.

Ambassador Bergdís Ellertsdóttir of Iceland presents “Iceland: History, Culture, Environment” at the Jay Nathan, Ph.D., Visiting Scholar Lecture Series on campus in March. Get the latest on the University’s on-campus safety protocols scranton.edu/RoyalsBackTogether.

University President Professes Final Vows Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., professes his final vows as a Jesuit at a Mass in the Madonna della Strada Chapel on Jan. 30. Herbert B. Keller, S.J. H’06 presided.

Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., University president, professed his final vows as a Jesuit in the presence of members of the University community at a Mass in the Madonna della Strada Chapel on campus on Jan. 30. Members of the Society of Jesus take their final vows after completing the last stage of formation, called “Tertianship,” which includes a 30-day retreat to re-engage the Spiritual Ex-

ercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, as well as a year-long reflection on their life and service as a Jesuit. Father Marina invited the University community to share with him the formal conclusion of his Jesuit formation, which he began 18 years ago. He entered the Society of Jesus in 2004 and was ordained to the priesthood in 2012.

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On the Commons At a reception in the Slattery Center after the lecture are, from left: David J. Dzurec, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of History, interim dean of CAS and then-interim executive director of the Slattery Center for the Humanities; Sondra and Morey Myers, J.D.; Matthew Meyer, Ph.D., professor of philosophy and faculty director of the Gail and Francis Slattery Center for the Humanities; and Jeff Gingerich, Ph.D., then-provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.

Distinguished Visiting Fellowship Lecture is Hosted by Slattery Center The Inaugural Sondra and Morey Myers Distinguished Visiting Fellowship Lecture, presented by The Gail and Francis Slattery Center for Humanities, took place in November 2021. Keynote lecturer Lonnie Bunch III, the 14th secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, presented “The Humanities, Democracy and Race” in a virtual format. “I’ve always been struck by the simple fact if we ignore the value of humanities, it’s really at our own peril,” Secretary Bunch said. “Far too often, Americans look for simple answers to complex questions, yet the humanities help us embrace ambiguity, help us understand nuance, subtlety, evolutionary change. If we could help our nation embrace ambiguity through the humanities, what a contribution we would make.” Lecture namesakes Sondra and Morey Myers, J.D., are esteemed community leaders whose work has encouraged and enriched the practice of community engagement in Scranton and nationally. Sondra Myers serves as senior fellow for international, civic and cultural projects and director of the Schemel

THE SCRANTON JOURN A L

Forum at The University of Scranton. The Distinguished Visiting Fellowship in Humanities and Civic Engagement serves to commemorate their commitment to the humanities. Secretary Bunch is an American educator, curator and historian whose scholarly works cover a wide range of topics from diversity in museum management to the impact of politics on museum funding. He is the Smithsonian Institution’s first Black secretary and the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Keynote lecturer Lonnie Bunch III, the 14th secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, presents “The Humanities, Democracy and Race” in a virtual format.

On the Commons

Gene Gibbons ’64, H’96 Donates Collection to Library The Weinberg Memorial Library received a journalism-related collection from Gene Gibbons ’64, H’96. Gibbons, who recently wrote a memoir about his career as a White House correspondent for United Press International and Reuters, donated items documenting his career, including Gene Gibbons ‘64, H’96 photographs, press briefing books for presidential summit meetings and books autographed by politicians and fellow journalists. Gibbons, an elementary school classmate of President Joe Biden, covered six U.S. presidents during his career. His memoir is titled Breaking News: Six Presidents — The Queen — A Pope. A Life in Journalism.

Hundreds of students attended a Q and A with Brian Baumgartner, who played Kevin Malone on “The Office” and is the author of the newly published book, in November 2021.

Scranton loves “The Office.” Hundreds of students and residents endured long lines and rainy weather in November 2021 to have their copy of Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office signed by the book’s author and cast member Brian Baumgartner. Prior to the book signing on the DeNaples Center patio, which was open to students and the public, Baumgartner met exclusively with University students for a Q and A session in the Moskovitz Theater. At the student Q&A, Joseph Marina, S.J., University president, presented Baumgartner with an Honorary Certificate of Scrantology from the University, in recognition of “his exten-

Images with Presidents Clinton and Reagan and Vice President Gore are part of the donated collection.

Scranton Gives Royal Welcome to Brian Baumgartner sive knowledge of all things Scranton acquired through his thorough research for the book.” “Is it Ph.D.? Am I a doctor?” joked Baumgartner, who played Kevin Malone on “The Office,” when Father Marina presented the certificate to him in front of more than 250 students who attended the Q & A. “The Office,” which originally aired on NBC from 2005 to 2013, was among the most popular shows on Netflix and can now be seen on Peacock. Baumgartner was among the cast members who visited the University for “The Office” Convention in 2007 and The Wrap Party in 2013. He was also on campus in 2020 for the taping of his popular podcast on the history of “The Office,” which was the precursor to his book.

S PRING 2022

On the Commons

Victoria Scruse ’25 helps prepare meals for area residents in need at the newly dedicated Arrupe House.

Patricia Vaccaro, director of the Center for Service and Social Justice, speaks at the dedication of the Arrupe House.

Arrupe House Dedicated Each week, University of Scranton students use the two kitchens of a newly dedicated Rev. Pedro Arrupe, S.J., House on Clay Avenue, formerly Fayette House, to prepare meals for area residents in need. In another room, students crochet hats and blankets, many of which are given to the homeless in the area. In a ceremony on March 1, Joseph Marina, S.J., University president, blessed the house, which will be used for some of the many student volunteer programs offered by the University’s Center for Service and Social Justice that allow students to put their faith into action each day.

The Arrupe House provides space for the We Care meal program, for which students prepare 100 meals weekly. The meals include a main course, side, drink, dessert and handmade card. Students volunteer to make, package and deliver the meals to the Community Intervention Center, Friends of the Poor, and to families living in low-income housing developments. The house also provides space for the Craft for a Cause program, which donates crafted goods to local nonprofits; EFFORT, which collects non-perishable food items; and the Royal Restore Food Pantry, which can be accessed by students or University community members in need. The Arrupe House also has additional group meeting spaces for students working with other Center for Service and Social Justice programs.

“Since day one, my first day here on campus last June, I have been marveling at the great work these students do,” said Father Marina at the dedication. The house was dedicated in honor of Father Arrupe, the 28th Superior General of the Society of Jesus (1963 to 1983), who is now progressing toward beatification and canonization by the Roman Catholic Church. His profound belief in justice informed his understanding of the goal of Jesuit education, and he has been quoted as saying, “Our prime educational objective must be to form men and women for others, men and women who will live not for themselves but for God and his Christ.” The Arrupe House holds a barbecue in May.

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‘Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story’ Launch a Success

The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) awarded University of Scranton Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) student Gregory Kogan the Michael J. Barrett Doctoral Dissertation Award for his DBA program dissertation study titled “RPA in Accounting Risk and Internal Control Governance: Insights from RPA Program Managers.” The IIA’s dissertation award is typically given to one dissertation a year under the oversight of the Committee of Research and Education Advisors.

The “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” project launched in October 2021 with events focusing on the inaugural theme “Portrait of Scranton, Portrait of a Nation” including a keynote lecture with Scranton-born prolific author Jay Parini and a Jane Jacobs Walk focusing on Scranton’s downtown Lackawanna Avenue.

On the Commons

Second DBA Student Wins Esteemed Dissertation Award

Kogan is the second Scranton DBA student to receive this prestigious award in the past three years.

Library to Feature Self-Service Food Market The Weinberg Memorial Library will continue its partnership with Aramark by creating a convenient food and beverage service in the library’s Pro Deo room. During summer 2022, the Java City Café will be replaced with the Scranton Market, which will feature standard to-go food items and beverages as well as prepared meals ready to heat and eat on site. The market will be unstaffed and completely self-service. The registers will accept both Royal Card and credit card transactions.

Events continued through the winter of 2022 with the project’s second theme, “The U.S. Citizen and the American Founding” featuring a book discussion, humanities discussion with scholars Annelein De Dijn and Aziz Rana and a community dialogue. The project continued with its third theme, “The Indigenous History of NEPA” this spring. The two-year “Scranton’s Story, Our Nation’s Story” project is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and aligns with its theme “A More Perfect Union” in the run-up to the 250th anniversary of the U.S. in 2026. “Through this project, over the next two years, we have the opportunity to highlight Scranton as its own place-based text,” said Julie Schumacher Cohen, assistant vice president of Community Engagement and Government Affairs at Scranton, at the project’s announcement event. “We think we have diverse human experiences here that reflect the broader American experience. We can consider our roles as members of a community here in Scranton and as part of the broader American democracy. And to continue what is still an aspirational journey to fulfill our national ideals of freedom, justice and equality.”

Rendering of the Scranton Market, which will replace Java City Café.

Because the Scranton Market will be unstaffed in the Library’s Pro Deo room, it will be the first 24/7 food service location on campus. The Market will also feature a Yo-Kai Express noodle station. The Yo-Kai can hold more than 10 different specialty noodle bowls.

“Scranton Stories” is a part of the project focused on collecting the many diverse experiences and perspectives that make up the city of Scranton, what it means to be a “Scrantonian” and what hopes the people of Scranton have as they look to both the future of the city and the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary. Learn more and view upcoming events at scranton.edu/scrantonstory. Share YOUR Scranton story at scranton.edu/iamscranton. See video of the events at scranton.edu/journalextras.

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On the Commons

ADMINISTRATION CHANGES Rev. Herbert B. Keller, S.J. H’06, stepped down from his position as vice president for Mission and Ministry to return to the classroom at Scranton Preparatory School, where he also will provide pastoral support for students. Gerald Zaboski ’87, G’95, was named senior vice president for the Office of the President. He will continue to oversee the areas of marketing, communications and external affairs for Scranton, in addition to assuming new responsibilities for assisting the president. Panelists during a Prison Education Program panel are several faculty members who taught in the program and a special guest, from left: Declan Mulhall, Ph.D., professor of engineering at Scranton, Christie Karpiak, Ph.D., professor of psychology, Darryl Byers-Robinson, an alum of the Bard Prison Initiative, who was featured in the documentary College Behind Bars, the captain of the prison debate team that beat Harvard University, Chris Haw, Ph.D., program director and professor of theology, and Will Cohen, Ph.D., professor of theology.

Program Offers Degrees to Inmates The University’s Prison Education Program at the State Correctional Institution at Dallas “provides an opportunity for the cultivation of human dignity at the heart of a Jesuit education,” according to program director Christopher Haw, Ph.D., assistant professor of theology and religious studies. Through the program, inmates can take general education college-credit courses to earn an Associate of Arts degree from the University, which Haw hopes will one day grow into a bachelor’s program. The courses are taught by University professors on-site at the correctional facility. Currently, 14 inmates are enrolled in the program, which began in the fall 2021 semester. Participants can earn 60 credits for an associate’s degree in just two and a half years. Inmates had to apply for admission and be interviewed and accepted to participate in the program. The program is currently running another round of admissions to increase the cohort to 28 students. “The courses have the same rigor as those taught on campus, with the same outcome expectations, only the approach to the material is adapted to the learners,” said Haw. Will Cohen, Ph.D., a professor of theology at Scranton, taught one of two introductory theology courses at the prison this past semester. “I’ve loved teaching the students in this program,” he said. “Each class, because we meet just once a week, goes for three hours, and each time I’m amazed how fast it goes. I always leave freshly reminded that human beings are made for contemplation, for deep reflection and dialogue. At least when it’s oriented toward the good, the true, and the beautiful for which we all yearn, it’s intrinsically joyful. I feel this very powerfully from my students at the Dallas prison.” The Prison Education Program was highlighted at a panel discussion on campus in April.

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Shannon A. Zottola, a Scranton native, was named vice president for enrollment management. Previously, she served as vice president and dean for enrollment management and marketing at Ursinus College. PROVOST & SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS Jeffrey Gingerich, Ph.D., provost and senior vice

president for Academic Affairs, was appointed president of St. Bonaventure University in March. Gingerich served as acting president after the death of Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J. He helped to guide the University and its faculty through the pandemic, oversaw the successful conclusion of the University’s most recent accreditation review by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and led the University’s planning efforts, which culminated in a new Strategic Plan.

Michelle Gonzalez Maldonado, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, will serve as interim provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs for the 2022-2023 academic year while the University conducts a national search for a highly qualified candidate to succeed Gingerich. DEANSHIP CHANGES Interim CAS Dean • David Dzurec, Ph.D.,

will serve as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) while Dean Maldonado acts as interim provost. Dr. Dzurec was appointed associate dean for CAS in January of this year. A faculty member at the University since 2008, Dzurec has served as chair of the History Department and as interim executive director of the Slattery Center for the Ignatian Humanities.

KSOM Dean • Mark Higgins, Ph.D., joined

Scranton as the dean of the Kania School of Management (KSOM) in July. Higgins was a professor of accounting at St. Louis University (SLU) and, from 2015 to 2019, was Edward Jones Dean and Professor of Accounting at its Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business.

Library Dean • George Aulisio was named dean of the Weinberg Memorial Library. Aulisio, who joined the University community in 2009, served as the interim dean from July 2021 through his appointment in March 2022. As a research and instruction librarian, Aulisio works closely with students in research consultations and the Information Literacy program. PCPS Dean • Victoria Castellanos, Ph.D., was appointed dean of the Panuska College of Professional Studies (PCPS) in April. Castellanos has been the interim dean of PCPS since January of this year, having served as associate dean of PCPS since joining the University community in 2012.

On the Commons

May 21, 2022

The Class of 2022 Graduates

“Your superior college education is a gift given, but given for a purpose, given with an obligation: to give back to those with whom you journey in this life.” – Rev. Herbert B. Keller, S.J., Principal Speaker

Principal Speaker, Undergraduate Ceremony Rev. Herbert B. Keller, S.J., then-vice president for Mission and Ministry

Honorary Degree Recipients Margaret Mary Fitzpatrick S.C., Congregational Leader for the Sisters of Charity, Halifax, Canada Lawrence R. Lynch, former chair of the Board of Trustees and retired assurance partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP

Total graduates: > 1,350 • Total doctoral degrees: > 65 (DPT, DNP, DBA) Total master’s degrees: > 440 • Total bachelor’s degrees: > 850 States represented by undergraduates: 14 States represented by post-baccalaureate graduates: 34 Top undergraduate programs of study: Nursing, Biology, Occupational Therapy, Finance, Psychology Top graduate programs of study: Master of Business Administration, Master of Health Administration, Master of Accountancy, Master of Occupational Therapy, Doctor of Physical Therapy

“I feel so fortunate to have been educated in the Jesuit tradition. However, with this privilege of Jesuit education, there is responsibility. There is responsibility to do more.” – Avianna Antoinette Carilli ’22, Undergraduate Student Speaker

“You earned your education. You worked hard for it. And no one will ever be able to take it from you. And yet, your education does not belong to you entirely. It belongs to the world as well. In the end, Jesuit education calls us out of ourselves and orients us toward the other, especially if the other is poor, marginalized or suffering in some other way.” – Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., University President

Read expanded and more University news at news.scranton.edu. S PRING 2022

On the Commons

ONE-ON-ONE with

Student Government Leaders Adrianna Smith ’22, G’23 & Claire Sunday ’23

Adrianna Smith (AS)

Claire Sunday (CS)

Student Government President for 2021-22

Student Government Vice President for 2021-22

Smith, a member of the SJLA honors program, will pursue her accelerated master’s degree in theology at Scranton after graduation and then plans to go to medical school. She has spent three years in Student Government and has been an RA, co-director and tour guide in Admissions, an orientation assistant and a mentor for other first-generation students through THR1VE.

Sunday, a member of the SJLA honors program, has served on Student Government for three years. In addition, she has worked as a tour guide and has been part of the orientation team. She served as a volunteer for Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti’s successful campaign in fall 2019 and as an intern in the Office of the Mayor in summer 2020.

Philosophy & Theology Major, Biology Minor

Philosophy & Theology Major, Political Science & Spanish Minors

You’re the first all-female Student Government leadership duo. Why is this important to you and/or the University?

Can you give us a glimpse into what you do to get people to understand how all-encompassing these jobs are?

AS: Many other students were very happy to see two female students in these executive positions, and my main hope is that it will inspire younger female students to pursue leadership positions as they grow at Scranton.

AS: The president’s role mainly focuses on advocating on behalf of the students. I get to spend a lot of time in different types of meetings sharing the opinions of students, and it is very rewarding to be able to make changes in this way.

CS: I think that it is important for women to have this type of representation, especially in college, which can be such a profound period of growing up.

CS: As vice president, I am mainly in charge of the clubs that Student Government charters. I help students properly petition for their club to the rest of senate, and I also run the meetings

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What has been the most challenging part of leading through the pandemic? AS: The most challenging part has definitely been trying to navigate the difference of opinions among students on campus and trying to best advocate for everyone. It has been difficult to figure out how everyone feels as we move toward normalcy, but we have been able to start doing a lot more in-person events, which has been great to start interacting with students again. CS: Yes, we have all been affected by the pandemic, but we have all been affected uniquely as well. Some students are less comfortable with certain things than others (which is completely appropriate and understandable). I have been trying to balance concerns in such a way that one student’s concern does not overshadow another’s. What was the most important lesson you’ve learned this past year? AS: I’ve learned that it is OK to not always have the right answers all the time. Being in a position like this, other students often assume that I know everything that is going on. While I wish I did know all the answers, I have learned that it is OK to ask others so that I can best tell students about what is happening on campus. CS: I think the most important lesson I have learned is to listen, to truly listen. I am trying to make this school the best place for everyone, and, to do that, it’s important that I take to heart what everyone has to say.

larger, and their laughter has grown louder. Although mental health on campus is not perfect, I believe it is better than it was.

On the Commons

and oversee the committees.

You’ll become alumnae soon. How will you feel about entering this new network? AS: I’m definitely very excited about entering this new stage in my life, but I am sad to leave my undergraduate life behind. I’m hoping to continue to be as involved as an alumna as I was during my time on campus. CS: I feel fortunate now that I am only a junior, but already I have started to feel sad due to the thought of leaving. Yet, you never really leave the University due to its amazing alumni. So although it will be hard to leave, I am happy that I get to continue to be part of an amazing group of people. How do you help to continue to lead after graduation? AS: Since I will still be starting at the University for graduate school, I’m hoping to be able to lend a helping hand to the new executive team of Student Government. I often rely on the last president when I have questions, so I’m hoping my presence will be helpful to the new team. CS: After graduation, I have considered being a professor, whether a law professor or undergraduate professor in philosophy. The professors I have had at the University have given me extraordinary life advice that has guided me throughout my time here, and I want to do the same for my own students someday.

What were your goals going into your tenures as president and vice president and what do you feel you’ve achieved? AS: Our main goals really focused on getting the campus back to normal. For me, it was about getting our community back to the way it was before the pandemic. Our community really came together for each other these past two years, but nothing really compares to how close and inclusive our community was pre-pandemic. CS: A big goal was to attend to mental health issues on campus since the pandemic did affect it greatly. To do that, we have tried to be a strong voice for students in trying to safely move our campus back to normal. At first, the steps understandably had to be small, but even small steps helped the students ease back toward normalcy more comfortably, and, as we approach normalcy more, the students’ smiles have grown

2021-22 Student Government leaders, from left: Adrianna Smith ’22, G’23, thenpresident, and Claire Sunday ’23, then-vice president.

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Focus on Faculty Pysanky by Amelia Randich, assistant professor of biology at Scranton.

Faculty Member Leads Pysanka Workshops to Benefit Ukraine Fourth-generation Ukrainian-American Amelia Randich, Ph.D., an assistant professor of biology at Scranton, led four pysanka workshops in April on campus to raise money for World Central Kitchen for humanitarian aid in Ukraine. Pysanka is the art of decorating Ukrainian Easter eggs with traditional folk designs using a wax-resist method. Through the four workshops, offered by the University and sponsored by the Hope Horn Gallery and the Office of Community and Government Relations, and online donations, Randich helped raise $1,500 toward the effort. Randich writes pysanky year-round and has some examples of her work in the Pysanka Museum in Kolomyya, Ukraine. “The tradition of pysankarsvo has been handed down through the women in my family and I’m tremendously proud to continue the art,” she said. “I’ve been writing pysanky with my mother since before I can remember. Easter on my mom’s side has always been a treasured holiday, and the days of Lent before it are a special season for writing pysanky.” She stressed the importance of creating this kind of art, especially during Lent when the workshops were held. “Pysanky have always been prayers for peace and prosperity in both pre-Christian and Christian times,” said 14

THE SCRANTON JOURN A L

Fourth-generation Ukrainian-American Amelia Randich, Ph.D., led several workshops to raise money for Ukraine in April. She is pictured here teaching the children of her fellow biology professor Anne Royer, Ph.D., about pysanka.

Randich. “It is said that as long as pysanky are being written somewhere in the world, the balance between good and evil is maintained. This Lent they are particularly evocative as Ukraine faces atrocities from Russian forces.”

Several faculty members were awarded National Science Foundation (NSF) grants for projects in recent months. Bryan Crable, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, was awarded a $198,265 NSF grant for a two-year study of the impact of plastic debris on the physiology of freshwater microorganisms in Lake Lacawac. In addition to Crable’s role as principal investigator, the research project will involve and train approximately eight undergraduate students in field, laboratory and computer-simulated investigations. According to Crable, microplastics are plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size that are a common pollutant that have seen widespread accumulation in the environment since World War II. Gerard Dumancas, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry at Scranton, received a $1.158 million NSF-funded Noyce Scholars grant that will support future science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) high school teachers in high-need school districts. The grant, which will be allocated over a five-year period beginning (in the 2022-2023 academic year), will provide scholarships and educational training support to 21 STEM students with a major or minor in secondary education. Michael Fennie, Ph.D., Arthur Catino, Ph.D., and Nicholas Sizemore, Ph.D., all associate professors of chemistry at Scranton, were awarded a $362,773 NSF Major Research Instrumentation grant. The grant will allow the University to purchase a Bruker 400 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer, which will be used by undergraduates, graduate students and faculty at Scranton in both chemistry courses and research projects. Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics and electrical engineering, was awarded an NSF grant of nearly $50,000 to support “The Ham Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) 2022 Workshop,” which took place in March at The U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The workshop also served as a team meeting for the HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station project, which is a $1.3 million NSF-funded project previously awarded to Frissell.

Read more faculty news at news.scranton.edu.

Accounting Department, Faculty Top Research Productivity List The University’s Accounting Department ranked No. 4 in the world for accounting education research published in the most recent six years in a listing considered the gold standard in accounting disciplines. The recently released 2021 Brigham Young University Accounting Rankings also recognized several accounting faculty members individually for their research publication success.

Focus on Faculty

National Science Foundation Grants Awarded to Faculty Members’ Projects

The Brigham Young University report ranks accounting programs and faculty throughout the world based on their success in publishing in 12 top-tier, peer-reviewed accounting journals. Several Scranton faculty members were ranked internationally. •Douglas M. Boyle, D.B.A., associate professor and chair of the Accounting Department and director of the DBA program, was ranked No. 7. Boyle, who was also selected as the 2022 Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) Research Foundation Distinguished Scholar in April, was ranked for all methods, auditing and experimental research. •James F. Boyle, D.B.A., assistant professor of accounting and director of the MAcc program ranked No. 18. •Brian W. Carpenter, Ph.D., professor of accounting, ranked No. 18 (tied). Carpenter was ranked for all methods. •Jeh-Hyun Cho, Ph.D., assistant professor of accounting, was ranked for all methods, managerial and archival.

Remembering Faculty Member Matthew Reavy ’84, G’92 Matthew Reavy, Ph.D. ’84, G’92 associate professor in the Department of Communication and Media at the University, passed away in January. During his nearly 25-year tenure at the University, Reavy served on numerous committees and governance bodies, as department chair and as the faculty adviser to The Aquinas, which dedicated an issue to Reavy, honoring his life and legacy. The Aquinas dedicated an issue to Reavy’s life and legacy. You can find a link to that issue at scranton.edu/journalextras.

Submit your own remembrance of Reavy, or any member of the University community, at scranton.edu/remembrances.

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Alumni News In Case You Missed it… Enjoy these photos from a few of our signature alumni events.

The President’s Business Council Virtual 20th Annual Award Dinner The University of Scranton President’s Business Council (PBC) Virtual 20th Annual Award Dinner honoring John E. (Jack) Brennan ’68, P’06 in memoriam and also recognizing the first 20 years of the PBC was broadcast Nov. 18.

To see the virtual celebration and learn more about the PBC, visit scranton.edu/pbcdinner.

The event raised more than $750,000 for the Presidential Scholarship Endowment Fund, surpassing $19 million generated cumulatively since 2002. Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., University president, presented Cindy Brennan, Ryan Brennan ’06 and Sarah Brennan Lapointe, Jack’s wife, son and daughter, with the University’s President’s Medal during the event. The audience was then treated to a retrospective video detailing the PBC’s origin, its evolution and its impact on students and alumni.

About the Honoree Brennan received a bachelor’s degree in management from the University in 1968. A veteran of the Vietnam War, he served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Signal Corp. in Thailand. Following his years of service, Brennan joined Motorola as a salesman. He later co-founded Metro Mobile CTS, Inc., and served as the president and chief operating officer. Metro Mobile was later sold to Bell Atlantic, which would eventually become Verizon Communications. He was also president of Activated Communications and a member of the board of directors at Spectrum Signal Processing. At the time of his retirement, he was the vice chairman of the board of Southern Union Co. (later acquired by Energy Transfer LP). During his professional career, Brennan was an active member of his community, serving as president of the Radio Club of America, as president of the Old Tappan Board of Education, as a member of the Old Tappan Planning Board and as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. In support of his passion for furthering the education of young minds, Brennan was a longtime member of the board of trustees at Christ the King School (Cristo Rey) in Newark, New Jersey, and at the University, where he was also a founding member of the Kania School of Management Advisory Board. He was also among the inaugural inductees to the Business Leader Hall of Fame. In October 2000, the University named Brennan Hall, the home of the Kania School of Management, in his honor. Brennan passed away in September 2020 after battling cancer.

Patricia A. Byrnes Clarke ’86, P’17,’19

Global Chief Talent Officer Havas Group

Thomas P. O’Brien ’86, P’19

President’s Business Council 2022 HONOREES

CEO & President SumRidge Partners, LLC

SAVE THE DATE September 29, 2022 @ Gotham Hall, NYC THE PRESIDENT’S BUSINESS COUNCIL 21 ST ANNUAL AWARD DINNER 16

Alumni News Royals Volunteer at Cradles to Crayons On Nov. 16, alumni and friends of The University of Scranton sorted and inspected clothing donations at Cradles To Crayons Philadelphia, an organization that provides children from birth through age 12 living in homeless or low-income situations with the essential items they need to thrive.

Royals Assist New Jersey Food Bank More than 20 alumni, parents and friends of the University kicked off the holiday season by packing 350 boxes of meal kits along an assembly line at the Community Food Bank of New Jersey Dec. 4.

The Holly Jolly Trolley Royals in the Philadelphia area enjoyed live music and magnificent views of the lights of the City of Brotherly Love aboard the Holly Jolly Trolley Dec. 1 and Dec. 2.

New York City Presidential Christmas Reception Alumni, parents and friends of the University in the New York City area joined the Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., University president, at the New York Athletic Club for a Presidential Christmas Reception Dec. 8. To see more photos from this event, visit scranton.edu/alumniphotos.

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Alumni News

In Case You Missed it… continued

2022 Scholarship Brunch In March, alumni, parents and friends of the University gathered with current students, faculty and staff members to celebrate the 2022 Scholarship Brunch. Each year, the University offers more than 300 need and merit-based endowed and annual awards that have been established by generous alumni and friends to qualifying student recipients, and the Scholarship Brunch gives those students the chance to celebrate the Scranton connection with their benefactors. This year’s event featured a welcome

from Thomas S. MacKinnon, vice president for University Advancement; an invocation by Peter Sims ’22, recipient of The William H. Kelly Jr. ’93 Scholarship; keynote addresses from Michael K. Clark ’10 and Sean T. Kirk ’10, the organizers of The Michael Mulhall ’10 Memorial Scholarship, and Nadia T. Green ’22, recipient of The Jesuit Community Scholarship, a Loyola Scholarship and an Arrupe Scholarship; and closing remarks from Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., University president. 1. Nadia T. Green ’22 delivers a keynote address. 2. Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., University president, delivers closing remarks. 3. Peter Sims ’22 delivers an invocation. 4. From left: Nicole Dooner, Michael K. Clark ’10, Stephanie Kirk, Sean T. Kirk ’10, Karen Degnan ’23, and Margaret and Neil Mulhall enjoy a moment together at the brunch.

THE SCRANTON JOURNA L

To see more photos from the event, visit scranton.edu/journalextras.

Alumni News

2022 Preview Day Alumni Legacy Reception Also in March, newly accepted students and their alumni parents mingled with their fellow Royals at the 2022 Preview Day Alumni Legacy Reception. To see more photos from the event, visit scranton.edu/journalextras.

University Establishes Edward R. Leahy Award The University has received a gift from an anonymous donor establishing The Edward R. Leahy Award in honor of Edward R. Leahy ’68, H’01 in recognition of his extraordinary commitment to and passion for helping leaders and institutions dedicated to improving the lives and well-being of people with disabilities and other health challenges. The award will be given annually to a rising junior or rising senior student in the Panuska College of Professional Studies (PCPS) at Scranton who has not only achieved academic excellence in his or her field of study, but who has also participated in related extracurricular activities and demonstrated the commitment and promise to become a model leader in the field. The Edward R. Leahy Award will be accompanied by an annual prize of $1,000 funded from the donor’s contribution. The award recipient will be selected by the dean of the PCPS.

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Athletics

A Successful Year in Sports Four teams played in the NCAA Tournament this year, three of which won Landmark Conference titles. This past fall, the University’s field hockey, women’s soccer and volleyball teams qualified for NCAAs, with both field hockey and women’s soccer advancing to the Sweet 16. This winter, the women’s basketball team joined those teams in qualifying for the NCAA Tournament as the Lady Royals won a seventh straight Landmark Conference title. “We are thrilled and very proud of the success we had competitively this year. To have four different teams qualify for the NCAA Championships and have three of them advance to the Sweet 16 is quite an accomplishment,” said Dave Martin, executive director of Athletics. “This reflects the commitment and dedication of our coaches and student-athletes.” The field hockey team captured its second straight conference title and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history, following a 3-2 win in overtime against Ursinus in the first round of NCAAs. The team also won a single-season program record 18 games. Women’s soccer put together a historic 18-1-1 season that culminated in the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 2003, following victories over Nazareth and SUNY Geneseo. The team won 14 straight matches to start the year and notched 22

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its fourth conference title in the last six seasons. On the volleyball court, the Royals posted an impressive 25-8 record and advanced to the Landmark Championship match to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005. Throughout the year, the Royals defeated four other teams that received bids in the field of 64 with wins over Clarkson, Ithaca (twice), Stevens and Stevenson. The women’s basketball program compiled a 27-3 record this season, including a 21-game winning streak, and earned a Sweet 16 berth with NCAA victories over New Jersey City and Babson. The Lady Royals secured the Landmark’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a victory over Catholic, the program’s seventh straight conference title. Individually, the Royals have seen several student-athletes find success as senior Jessica Hoffmann became the third student-athlete in the history of the women’s cross country program to qualify for the NCAA Championship Meet. Each of the four NCAA Tournament teams saw a student-athlete garner All-American accolades with Allie Benadon (field hockey), Eryn Boken (volleyball), Hope Drewes/Teresa Hegarty (women’s soccer) and Abby Anderson/Bridget Monaghan (women’s basketball).

Basketball

Soccer

Athletics

Field Hockey

Journalism Student Captures Priceless Team Moments Sophomore Bryson Eldridge got an inside look into both electronic media — his major — and University Athletics this past fall when he joined the department as a student videographer. “The impact that Bryson has had on our social media channels with the video content that he has provided throughout this year is immeasurable,” said Joe Fitzhenry, sports information director. The department sat down with Eldridge to talk with him about his experience. You joined the University’s Athletic Department before the fall season. What has been your favorite part? The best part has been the people in the department and also the student-athletes who I’ve been able to make a connection with. That has made me feel like I’m not only part of the department as a whole but also a part of each individual team. This year, we’ve had four teams in NCAA tournaments including three in the Sweet 16 (field hockey, women’s soccer, women’s basketball). What has it been like to cover these teams? When I came to Scranton, I never thought I would be jumping in to do a job like this so quickly, but to be able to capture those locker room moments and behind-the-scenes moments has been surreal and special for me.

These moments have all been extremely special for me. You have also spearheaded the creation of a Media Day for all student-athletes and teams in the department. Can you talk about what that has been like? I know we are a Division III program, but I want to bring Division I level content creation to the department. Even though D3 may be seen by some as off the radar a bit, we have some extremely talented student-athletes here that deserve to be highlighted. With Media Day, I’ve taken on the role of raising the standard of content creation to mimic that of a Division I program. How did you get involved in videography and content creation? I got into it initially about a year ago during the pandemic, because I was looking for something to do. My dad had a camera, and I was playing around with it taking some pictures of my brother playing basketball in the driveway. It was something that I really enjoyed. Soon after, I got a call from Hoop Group, a basketball company based in New Jersey, asking if I wanted to attend a tournament in Massachusetts. I learned so much and met some great people who taught me things that I’ve been able to bring back to Scranton.

I know it’s probably tough to pick just one, but do you have a favorite memory from this year? I have three favorite moments that are all tied for first: The field hockey comeback from when they were down 2-0 to defeat Ursinus in overtime in the NCAA Tournament was one of the best games I’ve watched all year; The women’s basketball team celebrating after a comeback win at Catholic on Dec. 4 as they trailed by nine points with 6:10 left; and The five NCAA Tournament games I’ve been able to shoot as a whole.

See more photos and watch Eldridge’s favorite clip of the year at scranton.edu/journalextras.

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Student-Led Investing Pays Off The PRISM student group has successfully managed a portion of the University’s endowment from

$100,000 to nearly $1 million in 23 years.

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“It’s a big accomplishment for the PRISM team to have outperformed the S&P 500 over the last 20-plus years.”

The first time the idea of students managing a portion of The University of Scranton’s endowment came up, it was rejected. Back in 1997, Kania School of Management administrators thought it could be a positive experiential learning opportunity for the students and tasked finance professor Riaz Hussain, Ph.D., with assembling a group of interested students to make the request to the Board of Trustees. The Board turned the students down, understandably hesitant to risk any portion of the endowment. But the students were undaunted, Hussain remembers. “They made a strong pitch the following year and received $100,000 to start a student-managed investment portfolio. The first investment was made in 1999,” said Hussain, who advised the students from that first investment until his retirement from Scranton in 2018.

— Joe Witkowski ’01, PRISM alumnus

Outperforming PRISM, which stands for Portfolio of Responsible Investments under Student Management, was born. The goal was to provide students with real-world money management experience, and the same holds true today, more than 20 years later. “Managing a portion of the University’s financial assets affords students the opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom and understand how various strategies translate to actual performance,” said Edward J. Steinmetz, Jr., CPA, Scranton’s senior vice president for Finance and Administration. And while students reap the benefits of this type of handson learning, the fund itself also has benefited. That initial $100,000, strategically invested and later buoyed by an additional $100,000 from the endowment, has grown to nearly $1 million over the past 23 years.

PRISM students, from left: Madalyne Buhler, Darryl Butler, Anthony DiRienzo, Genna Dominguez, James Murray, Robbie Katz, Aidan Guarnuccio, James Peracchio, Matt Kronenburg, Chris Caragliano, Jimmy Coleman, student leader Tom Csehovics, Aiden Messett, student leader Hanna Guarnuccio, Luke Glidewell, Madelyn Ronan and student leader Austin Glidewell. S PRING 2022

From left: Tom Csehovics and Hanna Guarnuccio, PRISM student leaders, and John Ruddy, Ph.D. ’91, PRISM moderator.

Joe Witkowski ’01 was one of the inaugural members of PRISM and now works at investment management company BlackRock as the director of Product Design and Innovation for Exchange Traded Funds, Mutual Funds and Alternative Products in the company’s Latin American division.

for colleges and universities to allocate portions of their endowments for student management, with 300 such funds across the country, according to The Center for Investment Research.

Witkowski, who was a finance major and computer information systems minor, puts PRISM’s milestone in perspective this way: “If back in the year 2000 you invested $100,000 in your 401k and reinvested all your dividends, you would have a little over $400,000 today. It’s a big accomplishment for the PRISM team to have outperformed the S&P 500 over the last 20-plus years.”

Investing for Good

He points out that it was a collective effort of hundreds of student portfolio managers and faculty advisors over the years.

Sarah Dalfol ’01, G’02, who is now an accountant at public accounting firm Murphy, Miller and Baglieri in New Jersey, was part of the early days of PRISM alongside Witkowski.

“It is also a moment to acknowledge the trustees of the University’s endowment and their long-held belief in the quality of the Scranton education and PRISM, a belief that is well-placed,” he said. PRISM was one of the only groups of its kind when it started in the late ’90s, Hussain recalled. Now it is more common 26

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“The students were excited to have an unusual opportunity to manage money in an ethical and professional manner. They took their fiduciary responsibility seriously,” Hussain said. “They were required to make safe, conservative investments with long-term goals. Therefore, very few stocks made spectacular advances or failed miserably.”

“It was a bit nerve-wracking, working with actual money. It was a huge responsibility,” she recalled. “We had to be smart about it and make sure we were making very good choices. We were using what we had learned in class with

‘pretend’ money and making conscious decisions and putting everything we learned into actual, real-life experience.” Dalfol, who was part of PRISM during her senior year and MBA year at Scranton, pitched a health care stock to the group, which it invested in. After graduation, she went on and invested some of her own money in that same company and still owns those shares today — the ultimate endorsement of the PRISM experience and its real-world relevancy.

Glidewell, a senior finance and economics major who is one of PRISM’s current student leaders. “The PRISM alumni network is strong, and being able to rely on that network is a huge benefit to students and alumni of the club.”

The students in PRISM meet weekly to review their current investments and present potential new investments to the group, which then votes on any new shares they might buy. Each presentation requires thorough research into the accounting and financial data of any company they might invest in, as well as its management style and competitors.

Fellow senior Hanna Guarnuccio helps organize that alumni speaker series and is grateful for both the mentorship of alumni and the relationships among students in the group. An accounting and economics double major with a minor in business leadership in the Business Leadership Honors Program, she joined PRISM as a first-year student and is now a co-leader alongside Glidewell and junior Tom Csehovics. Guarnuccio’s first successful stock pitch in PRISM was the athletic wear company Lululemon. She was a sophomore at the time.

Each investment decision also has an ethical dimension, points out John Ruddy, Ph.D. ’91, an associate professor in the Economics and Finance Department, who took over as PRISM moderator after Hussain’s retirement.

“The majority of students in PRISM are in finance, econ, accounting, but we do have other majors, including marketing and international studies. It helps to have the varied perspectives of different majors,” she said. “It’s a great way to

“One of the great things about our club is how involved alumni still are. Each year we invite alumni back to speak about their real-world experience and offer insights on their current jobs, financial markets, and careers.”

— Austin Glidewell ‘22, PRISM student co-leader

“As a Jesuit and Catholic university, we have to invest in companies and products that are consistent with our values. Alcohol, tobacco, gambling, those are stocks that we should refrain from investing in as they are inconsistent with the mission of our University,” Ruddy said. It’s why he listened to but ultimately turned down the student proposal to invest in gambling company Draft Kings, because PRISM investments are not solely focused on profit potential. The Network PRISM not only gives students the opportunity to manage a portion of the University’s $218.1 million endowment but also offers networking opportunities and an alumni speaker series. “One of the great things about our club is how involved alumni still are. Each year we invite alumni back to speak about their real-world experience and offer insights on their current jobs, financial markets and careers,” said Austin

get more hands-on experience with what you’re learning in the classroom. For me, I’m not a finance major, so getting to hear more of the technical markets talk at PRISM that I don’t necessarily get in the classroom is really helpful for me.” Guarnuccio will start a job at UBS in its investment banking division after graduation and join the ranks of other successful PRISM alumni, who work at the likes of Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and EY, among others. Glidewell will join SMBC Nikko in its Sales and Trading Division this summer, and Csehovics will intern with Metlife Investment Management. “PRISM is such a strong tradition within the business school. You talk to alumni now, and their involvement in PRISM always comes up,” Guarnuccio said. “For everybody who has been involved, it is such a meaningful part of their Scranton experience, and it shows what can happen when students work together.” S PRING 2022

Helping First-Generation College Students Achieve Endless Possibilities — By Shannon Murphy Fennie, Assistant Dean of Students

This article originally appeared in Connections, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities’ magazine. 28

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Students, staff and administrators celebrate National First-Generation College Student Day this past fall. IMAGE AT LEFT: Front row: THR1VE Advisory Board Member Damain Morris ’23 Back row: Gu1de Peer Mentor Maame Addison ’23 and Shannon Murphy Fennie, assistant dean of students. Maame Addison ’23 and Damain Morris ’23 IMAGE ABOVE: Victoria Zearfoss ’25 and University President Joseph G. Marina, S.J., who also identifies as a first-generation college graduate

Frequently, I ask students why they chose The University of Scranton. Unfailingly, they mention the strong sense of community, proximity to family and friends, wide array of majors offered or amazing food on campus. Many will also share how their Scranton education is transformational. However, for one group of students, their Scranton education is not just personally transformative but life-changing for their entire family. First-generation college students (sometimes referred to as “first-gen” students) are the first in their families to attend a four-year college or university in the U.S. First-gen students make up 22 percent of the undergraduate student body at Scranton. To meet the diverse needs of our first-gen students and foster their success at Scranton, we launched the THR1VE program in 2019. In the spirit of cura personalis, THR1VE programming celebrates and supports first-generation students throughout their time at the University. THR1VE focuses on three pillars: understanding and celebrating the first-generation identity; connecting students to resources; and celebrating students’ successes. Programming builds upon the diverse experiences and perspectives first-generation students bring to the college community. First-gen students are typically smart, resilient, and determined, experienced in overcoming hurdles and handling challenges. THR1VE focuses on augmenting students’ strengths while filling in gaps where they may need assistance to successfully navigate their college experience.

Celebrating the First-Generation Identity Research suggests that common barriers to success in college for first-generation students include the lack of social capital on campus; navigating the often-complex higher education systems; balancing high academic expectations and family obligations; and battling imposter syndrome. The first pillar of THR1VE focuses on building a community for first-gen students and helping them to see that they are not alone on campus. To support this effort, office door identifiers are distributed so that students can see which faculty and staff identify as first-gen or first-gen advocates and are committed to supporting them. These markers proudly adorn offices throughout campus so that our first-generation students know they are never alone. Another tool designed to help students is our “How to Speak Scranton” jargon decoder. Data from our first-gen students showed that the acronyms used on campus were often confusing, and first-generation students were not sure where to go for assistance in understanding campus language. We created the jargon decoder and offered it through our Orientation app so that students could have the same access to the language of our campus to feel included right from the start. Parents and guardians also have access to the decoder through the Orientation app and website to allow students and their supporters to speak the same language when talking about their experience at the University.

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Connecting to Resources Through our first-generation needs assessment, conducted in late 2018, we learned that a struggle to connect with resources was a significant concern. Students spoke to being overwhelmed with information at New Student Orientation, but then not remembering where to go for assistance once classes were underway. Now, the THR1VE monthly newsletter scaffolds student resources based on the time of the academic year and the class year of the student. For example, the October newsletters focus on tutoring services, imposter syndrome and wellness resources for first-year and sophomore students, and on career development, internships and financial wellness for juniors and seniors. We find that providing students with appropriate resources just prior to their needing the information reduces stress and allows students to navigate the systems independently. Topics are selected by the THR1VE Advisory Board, which is made up of a cross-representation of first-generation students representing all class years and all our colleges. While the newsletter is helpful, we recognize the many benefits of peer-to-peer mentoring. Such mentoring is a powerful learning opportunity for mentors and mentees. Launched this year, the GU1DE peer mentoring program pairs first-year first-gen students with upper division first-generation volunteer mentors. Mentors and mentees meet every two weeks to discuss topics based on the needs of the first-year student. Plans are underway for an upper division mentoring program that will connect junior and senior students with first-generation alumni with the goal of easing the post-graduation transition. “I really appreciated having a mentor my first year on campus,” said Vanessa Moylan ’24. “She helped me feel welcome on campus and helped me adjust to a new atmosphere because she went through the same exact experience. It is nice to have someone always looking out for you and to have someone in times of need to fall back on.”

our resource Jeopardy for prizes, and talk with first-gen staff members in a variety of student service offices.

First-Generation College Students Can Go Anywhere “First-generation students have said that they are thankful for the resources the University has given them. They find the programming to be helpful to them,” said Elizabeth Garcia, J.D., special assistant to the president and executive director of the Office of Equity and Diversity. As someone who is a first-generation college graduate and a first-generation American, Garcia knows from personal experience just how valuable these resources are to students. As a member of the President’s Cabinet, she, along with five other first-generation senior leaders, can provide support for this initiative. They know first-hand the extra hurdles a first-generation student must leap to graduate from college and are also aware of the boundless possibilities a college education offers. “THR1VE brings a sense of belonging and community for those who identify as first-gen at Scranton. It helps break down the feeling of imposter syndrome and fear of being a first-gen student at a university where many students are not,” said Ashley Walker ‘21, G’22. “It helps students realize that they are not alone and gives them role models as they navigate the many unique challenges a first-gen student may experience.” The key message Atty. Garcia would give to first-generation students is simply this: “Everything is possible.”

Celebrating Students’ Successes It is powerful for students to be able to celebrate their successes in the community. As such, Scranton joined with colleges across the country to celebrate National First-Generation College Student Day by hosting events on campus and marking the day with a special message to the community from University President Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J. This day focused on bringing students together to mingle with other members of the first-generation community, participate in

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Charlie Valdez ’23

Scranton Joins National Cohort for Advancing First-Gen Students Shannon Murphy Fennie, Kayla Abcede ’22 and Ashley Walker ’21, G’22.

First-gen students make up 22 percent of the undergraduate student body at Scranton. As a result of the commitment to improving experiences and advancing outcomes of first-generation college students demonstrated through the University’s THR1VE programming, Scranton was selected to join the national 2022-23 First-gen Forward cohort. The cohort is sponsored by The Center for First-generation Student Success, which is an initiative of the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education and The Suder Foundation.

“For one group of students, their Scranton education is not just personally transformative, but life-changing for their entire family.” “First-gen Forward now recognizes and supports nearly 300 diverse institutions across four cohorts, all of which continue to lead the nation through their commitment to first-generation student success.” The Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, formerly called the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), is a network of 15,000 professionals and 1,200 institutions across the globe.

Colleges selected to the First-gen Forward program receive professional development, community-building experiences and have access to research and other resources of the Center to further improve programming for first-generation college students. “Through the application process, it was evident that The University of Scranton is not only taking steps to serve first-generation students but is prepared to make a long-term commitment and employ strategies that foster an environment of success for this important population,” said Dr. Sarah E. Whitley, assistant vice president, Center for First-generation Student Success.

Learn more about THR1VE online.

Alumni Mentoring Plans are underway for an upper-division mentoring program that will connect junior and senior students with first-generation alumni with the goal of easing the post-graduation transition. Check scranton.edu/THR1VE for updates!

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T H E

U N I V E R S I T Y

O F

S C R A N T O N

“Not only ought you to continually love and cherish each other, but to communicate that love to all.” — St. Ignatius of Loyola

A Campus-Wide Plan for

DIVERSITY EQUITY & INCLUSION

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan Launched A new plan is released to support the Strategic Plan’s goal of building an inclusive community.

After more than a year of research, discussion and discernment, the University released its new campus-wide plan for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in April. The plan provides a foundational framework and specifies concrete actions for the University community to address diversity, equity and inclusion on campus and beyond. Rev. Joseph R. Marina, S.J., University president, who announced the release of the plan at Scranton’s Convocation this spring, said, “I am heartened by the ongoing dialogue, planning, learning, research, teaching and service that is happening on this campus in relation to forwarding the goals of diversity, equity and inclusion.” Select initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion are in motion: additional course offerings that cover topics related to diversity and race, work through the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) Anti-Racism Examen by the Board of Trustees, faculty hiring that better represents the growing diversity of the student body, and events and dialogues exploring diversity and inclusion. Supporting the Strategic Plan

DEI Plan Action Steps

The new plan, developed to support directly the Strategic Plan, which was released in 2020, will guide the University as it seeks to reflect and understand “. . . the diversity of the world by

demanding that diversity be a priority as we build an inclusive community and campus culture, and develop and deliver our education and shape our student experience.” Creating the DEI plan was a first-year priority for the Strategic Plan’s implementation. “It was important to make the DEI Strategic Plan a priority given the Black Lives Matter movement and the murders of George Floyd and others in the Black and Brown communities, and after holding several listening sessions during the summer of 2020,” said Elizabeth M. Garcia, Esq., co-chair of the DEI planning committee and special assistant to the president, executive director for the Office of Equity and Diversity, Title IX coordinator. According to the DEI Plan, “The University strives to frame its mission, strategy and policies within the body of Catholic Social Teaching, that deep and profound collection of teachings that calls us to recognize the dignity of each and every human person, to work together in building a truly just society, and to live lives of faith, hope and love. In doing so, the University participates in the life and mission of the Church for the purpose of having an authentic impact on all those it serves and who comprise its community.” The plan recognizes diversity, equity and inclusion as integral

• Institutional commitment, transparency, coordination and accountability, improving collaboration and communication throughout the campus community

• The faculty and staff experience, building a more structured approach to recruitment, hiring, and training and support resources for our employees;

• The student experience, expanding engagement and support for diversity and inclusion for all students, including those from historically underrepresented and underserved populations

• Student recruitment, enrollment and retention, expanding enrollment of diverse and underrepresented populations, and better understanding and addressing student attrition and retention trends

• The academic experience, broadening learning opportunities and assuring equity of access to academic and learning support resources for all

• Alumni and community engagement, expanding our reach in the community, engagement with alumni, and understanding their experiences

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to the Catholic and Jesuit mission of the University. The action steps outlined in each of these areas directly respond to the broader objectives of the Strategic Plan. The plan calls for the development of shared guiding principles for diversity, equity and inclusion across our campus community. Together with concrete implementation steps undertaken by all University departments, these principles will be a foundation for assessment and accountability, ensuring that “everyone is making DEI a priority,” said Garcia. The Many Communities Myriam Moise ’22, member of the Council for Diversity and Inclusion and president of the United Cultures Organization, “wanted to be part of the change at Scranton,” noting that the accountability aspect of the DEI Plan resonated with her. “Accountability is something that is very important, because it teaches people that some things should not be said. It also gives those who need it a place to voice issues they run into,” said Moise. “As a student of color, even though my time here, The University’s Planning Model addresses our Diversity and Inclusion goals in increasing specificity:

versity’s Planning Model es our Diversity and Inclusion increasing specificity: ing Model

ty and Inclusion ecificity:

University Strategic Plan

University Strategic Plan Diversity & UniversityInclusion Plan

Strategic Plan

Diversity & Inclusion Plan

Diversity & Divisional, College & Inclusion Plan

Departmental Planning

Divisional, College & Departmental Planning

“The University strives to frame its mission, strategy and policies within the body of Catholic Social Teaching.” “The University showed its dedication to all our student populations by including them in all stages of planning from preliminary ideas to the final product,” said Smith. “These new changes will work to improve the daily experience of students on our campus and hopefully ensure that everyone feels that they have an equal and loving place in our community.” The “community” expands beyond campus to the local and alumni communities as well. The plan aims to further engage alumni from underrepresented and underserved groups to understand their experiences at Scranton and identify mentors, among other goals. “With over 50,000 alumni throughout the world, the Alumni Society of The University of Scranton is dedicated to connecting alumni from all backgrounds with each other and with students to build a community that is diverse, engaged and supportive of the University and its mission,” said Joe Sorbera ’08, Alumni Society board chair.

Find Divisional, Assessment at each level willout more about the plan, its pillars and its overall findCollege & describe progress and identify ings and implementation at scranton.edu/diversityplan. Departmental gaps in implementation, or areas of needed focus. Planning Assessment at each level will describe progress and identify gaps in implementation, or areas of needed focus.

Assessment at each level will describe progress and identify gaps in implementation, or areas of needed focus.

for the most part, was a positive experience, not everyone can say that, and I want other students of color in the future to also have a positive experience.” Students played an important part in helping to shape the plan and will be integral in efforts moving forward. Adrianna Smith ’22 was also a member of the planning team this past year during her tenure as president of Student Government.

Read about the work being done by a subcommittee of the Council on Diversity and Inclusion about the University’s own institutional Black history at scranton.edu/journalextras.

S PRING 2022

PROFILE:

Daniel Walsh, Ph.D. ’00

Magis at the Pentagon As Daniel Walsh, Ph.D. ’00 walks out of the Pentagon each day, he’s greeted with a view of Washington, D.C., the Potomac reflecting the cherry blossoms nearby, and the Washington Monument and the Capitol in the distance. “There are times when the weather is just right or the sun is just right, and you wouldn’t be an American if it didn’t hit you sometimes. And then a chopper flies over. You get those special moments,” said Walsh. “I think this is part of what keeps you going on with service.” Most days, Walsh reminds himself to see the big picture, of how it is a privilege and honor to serve others — to do more — through his work as the director of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA) leading more than 1,200 civilian employees and law enforcement officers. It’s that concept of doing more, the magis one might say, that was ingrained in him when he was an SJLA student in chemistry, philosophy and theology at Scranton. “I probably have forgotten most of what came out of books or what we got tested on,” the Taylor native said, “but what I think I took away from the school was a way of approaching the world from not only an educational point of view but an ethical and moral framework to evaluate and prepare yourself to get through life.” That framework has guided him throughout his career and helped prepare him for what he calls his “long and winding path” in chemistry and government service.

The Winding Path Walsh didn’t start out interested in government service. He thought he might be a professor or go on to work for a pharmaceutical company after getting his Ph.D. from NYU, but then September 11 happened, and he changed course. “I think that there are a lot of folks from my generation that looked at that and said, ‘I want to do something,’” he said. “September 11 served as a big moment for me.” While studying at NYU in Greenwich Village, he was close to Ground Zero, and that made him rethink his career path just as he was finishing his degree. He joined a hazmat team in New York City, dealing with post-9/11 threats such as the

THE SCRANTON JOURN A L

A chemist is led by mission and service as the new director of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency. anthrax incidents, “one thing led to another,” he said, and he ended up in federal service. This path was not unlike the one followed by several of his chemistry friends from Scranton who ended up “far from the laboratory bench,” including his wife, Kelly (Corcoran) Walsh ’00, now a principal policy associate at the Urban Institute. He eventually joined the PFPA, a Department of Defense agency “charged with protecting and safeguarding occupants of the Pentagon” and other facilities across several states. His first position was as a chemist in the Science and Technology Office in 2008, and he became chief in that office just nine months later, eventually working his way up to acting director of the entire agency in December 2019.

Community and Mission World events continued to define Walsh’s career. Soon after he took on his role as acting director, the Capitol riot took place, then the pandemic hit. COVID-19 took a toll on the tight-knit community, one he compared to the University community. At Scranton, “that sense of community and that sense of being a part of something bigger is so much a part of the Jesuit and Catholic identity; that’s an important thing that any organization needs to build and latch on to, and COVID made that harder,” he said. “Hopefully we’re going to pull through this and get back to doing all those other things that make this agency special, because the men and women here have gotten the job done every day throughout.” Community and mission go hand in hand, and “people stay on for a strong mission,” he said, which everyone in the agency works hard to uphold every day. Walsh said he works to be an ethical leader, to build trust with the community and to inspire those around him to work toward the agency’s goals. “If they see that over the years, it builds trust,” he said. “And if you have trust in an organization, then you probably have a well-functioning organization. Especially in this type of business, where people’s lives are on the line, not only police officers but the people they protect.” Whether it’s COVID, the Capitol riot, or something else on the horizon, the key is to be able to adapt.

PROFILE:

Daniel Walsh, Ph.D. ’00

“There’s always something,” he said. “That’s the nature of the protection business. It’s very dynamic, and you need to adjust and adapt, be agile around whatever that is, and that could be something on the threat side or when we have changes in administrations or different budget strains. There’s always some challenge that lies before you.” In the summer of 2021, a Pentagon law enforcement officer was killed in the line of duty, which Walsh called one of his biggest challenges personally and professionally. “It’s the type of thing that you don’t get through alone,” he said. “The support that we got from everywhere, that was really incredible. At the time, when you’re in the worst place, you see that community come together and pull everyone through, and you get through it, you try to learn from it, and you just pray to God it never happens again.” It’s humbling, Walsh said, to serve in a civilian capacity, alongside law enforcement professionals and service members who have such diverse experiences so different from his own. Their dedication is inspiring, he said. “They have done amazing things,” said Walsh, “and they continue to do amazing things for the best mission on the planet. This is a great place to show up and work every day.”

For more from Walsh, visit scranton.edu/journalextras.

S PRING 2022

PROFILE:

Geoff Sanders ’94

In the Waters of Cape Cod A career studying coastal ecology and salt marshes leads to an opportunity to study and preserve the resources of Cape Cod National Seashore.

When Geoff Sanders ’94 took a job researching sea-level rise at a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research center in Maryland, his boss could guarantee only three months of work. “He told me, ‘I’ve applied for a grant and don’t know yet if I’ve gotten it. If I do get the grant, I can pay you for four years,’” Sanders recalls. “And I thought, why not give it a shot?” At the time, in the late ‘90s, Sanders had been working at a law firm by day and studying for a master’s degree in environmental science at Johns Hopkins University by night. He was interested in environmental policy but also had really enjoyed the coastal wetlands restoration work he did in Texas as part of the AmeriCorps service program, right after he graduated from Scranton with a degree in biology. He enjoyed it enough that it was worth the risk to take this three-month gig at the USGS and get back to science research. 36

THE SCRANTON JOURN A L

When the grant funding came through, those three months turned into four years with the USGS — and now 18 years and counting with the National Park Service as a field ecologist. Today, Sanders is the chief of Natural Resource Management and Science at the Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts, where he deals with everything from community issues to the effects of climate change.

A Love of Ecology He discovered a love of ecology, the study of relationships between living organisms and their environment, at Scranton and zeroed in on marine biology and coastal work after taking a class with biology professor Michael Hardisky, Ph.D. “I received a great grounding in the basic principles of

PROFILE:

science and how you approach addressing a research question at Scranton, but I think there’s a lot more to it,” Sanders said. “One of the biggest takeaways I had from Scranton was that you make all these lifelong connections and friends. That was equally as important to me as the education.” One lifelong connection was his wife, Karen Washart Sanders ’94, a fellow biology major at Scranton. They and their three children are often out taking advantage of the natural beauty within the park where he works, including kayaking and paddle boarding. When Sanders started working for the National Park Service, he was a data manager and biologist for parks in the National Capital Region, encompassing Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. Then he became a program manager, managing other scientists and technicians studying the quality and health of natural resources, such as water and forests, and reporting the data back to the parks. From that first job at USGS to his graduate research and throughout his career with the National Park Service, Sanders has focused on coastal ecology, salt marshes and wetlands, so working on Cape Cod was a perfect fit. He took over his current role — managing the natural resources division — in 2019. He oversees anywhere from seven to 20 employees, depending on the season, but he’s not one to glorify the job and calls himself the “division paper pusher.” But when he starts to talk about the science, the projects that help make change, his love of ecology shines through.

In the Field Sanders gets out in the field some days, monitoring the park’s ponds, lakes, marshes and 43 miles of coastline. He also meets with members of the community and other local, state and federal agencies who have stakes in the park’s projects. One of the unique challenges of the Cape Cod National Seashore is how intertwined the park is with the local communities on the Outer Cape from Chatham to Provincetown. One of their current projects is the largest salt marsh restoration project in New England and involves the replacement of a failing dike that is impacting tidal flow in and out of a major river system in the park. The dike, built in the early 1900s, was meant to control water flow to help reduce the mosquito population, but it did not have the desired effect.

“

Geoff Sanders ’94

We’re emphasizing the value of good science.

— Geoff Sanders ’94

“We’ve learned a lot since then, and unfortunately the diking of the river system converted it from a salt marsh to a freshwater marsh,” Sanders said. “It’s not a natural ecosystem, and it’s not nearly as productive. Replacing the dike with a new bridge structure will restore tidal flow to the estuary and convert the system back to a salt marsh. We’re emphasizing the value of good science.”

The Future of the Seashore With more than two decades working in ecology and natural resources, Sanders has seen the effects of climate change firsthand. In the past, as sea levels rose and fell naturally, salt marshes would grow at a similar rate. But that is no longer the case. “That whole equilibrium is thrown out of whack when sea levels start rising for various reasons, whether it’s thermal expansion of the water or contribution from land-based glaciers like we’re seeing in Greenland or Antarctica,” Sanders said. “So then you get an imbalance where the water rises at a rate that marshes can’t necessarily keep up with. In addition, sea-level rise is leading to greater erosive forces on the beaches. We have had some storms that have resulted in the loss of 30 feet of dunes or bluffs” Sanders and the other scientists at the Cape Cod National Seashore are running several studies to determine which areas in the park are at greater risk for erosion, as well as where the sediment is going as it erodes away from the beach. In some cases, these studies have led to parking lots or lighthouses being relocated further inland. “These are some of the challenges the park faces with climate change, but it also presents us with the opportunity to learn about it,” he said. “What’s really cool about this job is you get to be involved in the research and the data side, and then you get to be involved in sharing what the data shows and figuring out how to address the problem.”

S PRING 2022

PROFILE:

Chloe Strickland ’17

Speaking Up A college counselor opens doors for her students through life lessons and a deep connection to Scranton.

Chloe Strickland ’17, associate director of college and career counseling at Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School, often shares a critical piece of advice with her students that she learned during her undergraduate days at Scranton: Speak up.

students go off to college and helping them get through the college application and the whole financial aid process is definitely heartwarming.”

“Always speak up,” she said on her afternoon commute home from Cristo Rey, a Catholic high school in the Cristo Rey network of high schools that serves students from low-income families in the Philadelphia area. “If you don’t speak up, you’re not going to get your needs met. I had a hard time doing that.”

The Best Fit

And, since her Scranton days, Strickland, who recently earned a master’s degree in school counseling and clinical mental health counseling from the University of Pennsylvania, has made a career out of speaking up for the nearly 200 students she serves annually at Cristo Rey, dedicating her professional life to meeting their present and future educational needs. “I’ve always wanted to help others,” she said. “Seeing my 38

THE SCRANTON JOURN A L

Although Strickland grew up in Scranton as the daughter of a University staff member (her mother, Sheila, is a records analyst in the Office of the Registrar & Academic Services), she initially wasn’t sure the University was the right place for her. “I struggled academically in high school,” she said. “I really thought . . . I wasn’t going to be college material.” Strickland said her school counselor at Scranton High School helped her through this difficult period by supporting and inspiring her.

PROFILE:

“

Chloe Strickland ’17

Put yourself out there, be open and ask questions. You won’t get the answer if you don’t.

“My school counselor definitely shaped me into the person I am today,” she said. “(She) took me under her wing and was a shoulder to cry on in times of stress or whenever I needed someone.” After visiting campus and observing all that Scranton had to offer, including its retreat programs, its student organizations and its intramural sports, she decided she wanted to become a Royal. “I knew this was the best fit for me my senior year in high school,” she said. As a participant in Campus Ministries’ F.I.R.S.T. (Firstyears Involved In Reflective Service Together) program, a five-day retreat in which 40 incoming first-year students serve the greater Scranton community prior to Fall Welcome, she dove headfirst into the Scranton experience, and it made an indelible impression upon her. “Caring for the person as a whole is something I still go by to this day,” she said of learning about cura personalis at the retreat. “I also made 40 new friends.” Strickland majored in counseling and human services; she also participated in a host of extracurricular and work opportunities, including playing intramural basketball, joining the Counseling Club (she eventually became its vice president), working as a Conference and Events assistant and acting as a campus tour guide. Although she initially struggled academically, she learned how to “speak up” for herself by utilizing the University’s Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE) Writing Center, a safe space where students can work on papers and assignments while receiving help from well-trained peer consultants. At first, she said she felt ashamed for seeking assistance, but she soon realized that knowing when and how to ask for help is an invaluable skill in its own right, a lesson she tries to instill in her students today.

— Chloe Strickland ’17

“Put yourself out there, be open and ask questions,” she said. “ You won’t get the answer if you don’t.”

Opening Doors After graduating, Strickland volunteered at the Cristo Rey Philadelphia Service Corps as a college counselor for a one-year term of service, a position that combined her passion for service with her skills as a counselor. After the term of service ended, she took a job as a secretary at another organization but found the work to be unfulfilling. A few months later, she received a job offer from Cristo Rey, and the rest, as they say, is history. “For the short time I was not working at Cristo Rey, I wasn’t happy,” she said. That commitment to Cristo Rey and her love for Scranton recently collided when she led a group of her students on a campus visit to the University. The reason for the visit was twofold: to introduce her students to her alma mater and to help promote The Opening Doors Scholarship, a new fund that serves students from the Cristo Rey network and students from other similar institutions who have demonstrated financial need by closing the gap of any unmet financial needs after all other sources of financial aid and scholarship have been determined. Strickland “spoke up” in a series of videos that introduced the scholarship to the University community on 5.06.22, the University’s 8th Annual Day of Giving, and she hopes it will continue to provide future students with the opportunity of a lifetime. “The scholarship definitely opened a lot of doors for these students in terms of them seeing that they can afford this great education at The University of Scranton, and their families won’t have to worry about that (financial) stress,” she said. “This opportunity is amazing.” Hear more from Strickland and about Opening Doors at scranton.edu/journalextras.

S PRING 2022

Candid Alumni

Nick McKaba ’16 and Stephanie Romano ’15, G’16 are getting married in June 2022. “I played softball at the U and Nick played lacrosse. Nick proposed in the Rose Garden in June 2020,” wrote Stephanie.

Alumni shared their #ScrantonLoveStory on Valentine’s Day this year.

Sue (Brzenski) Gibbons ’01 and Tom Gibbons ’96, G’99 didn’t meet until after college. “Tom’s sister, Gillian Gibbons, was one of my best friends at Scranton. I always knew Tom as her older brother. After college, she informed me that she always knew we’d be together. We started dating in 2006 and have never been apart since! This year we will be married for 13 years. Father Pilarz married us at Saint Ann’s Basilica Parish in Scranton. (He) referred to our wedding during the ceremony as a ‘meeting of the Scranton Alumni Society.’”

Jim McNulty ’96 and Amy (Finnegan) McNulty ’97 had their rehearsal dinner at the Estate and their reception in the Eagan Auditorium when their wedding in 2000 was officiated by Father Panuska and Father Hill.

Kyle Hatler ’03 and Tera Ravina ’03 “met through a mutual friend while studying for exams in our Math 104 class with Dr. Bonnie Xiong during our fall semester of freshman year on campus. We were both Nevils Devils as well.” The couple started dating in 1999 and got married 10 years later. They live in Rutherford, New Jersey, with their two children.

Mark ’77 and Lynn Volk ’77 met at a Christmas party on the 3rd floor of Denis Edward Hall on Dec. 7, 1973. They were married in November 1974. They recently celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary at their favorite resort in Antigua.

Read more love stories and see more photos at scranton.edu/journalextras.

THE SCRANTON JOURN A L

Nadia (Gougeon) Dunn ’05, G’06, G’17 and Patrick Dunn ’06, G’16 met at the University and had their wedding photos taken on campus. Nadia’s parents, both professors, met at The University of Scranton as well.

Class Notes included in this edition were submitted prior to April 5, 2022. To submit your own news or see additional class notes, visit scranton.edu/classnotes.

Milestones

ClassNotes

Names in Gold indicate alumnus/alumna is celebrating his/her reunion year.

William J. Parker ’77, West Grove, vice president of claims and underwriting for Conestoga Title Insurance Co., received his recent appointment as a Certified Land Title Professional (CLTP) by the Pennsylvania Land Title Association (PLTA). The CLTP designation is the highest professional designation level awarded by the PLTA. Education, Several members of the Class of 1967 enjoy a Baltimore Orioles game experience and professional at Camden Yards. participation are among the requisites for sitting for the CLTP examination. Parker is an approved CE James A. Noone ’66, Fairfax, Virginia, has been and CLE instructor in Pennsylvania, Maryland, elected as chairman of the board of trustees of Virginia, Ohio and New York and serves on the the National Maritime Historical Society. Noone Executive, Education and Legislative committees is a retired managing director of the nationwide public affairs/government relations firm Mercury for the Pennsylvania Land Title Association. and is a retired Navy Reserve captain with 39 Thomas E. Sheridan, Jr. ’79, Hawley, was years of active and reserve service. named president and CEO of The Honesdale John G. Harris ’73, Harrisburg, received the CenNational Bank. tral Pennsylvania Music Awards (CPMA) Hall Harry A. Lennon ’83, Round Top, New York, has of Fame’s Lifetime Achievement Award (The been re-elected to a sixth term on the Greene Whitey Noll Award) at this year’s CPMAs and County, New York, Legislature, where he serves Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on March 24. as minority leader. In a career that spans more than four decades, Harris has worn almost every hat in the regional Marion Munley ’83, Moosic, is listed in the 2022 music industry scene, except musician. Harris is edition of The Best Lawyers in America and currently the talent buyer at XL LIVE and producwas named the 2022 “Lawyer of the Year” for tion manager for Harrisburg University Presents. Product Liability Litigation-Plaintiffs in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Munley recently spoke at Brian R. McAndrew ’74, Havre de Grace, Marythe Kentucky Justice Association. Drawing on land, recently retired from the Defense Intelher extensive trial expertise, she spoke to the ligence Senior Executive Service after more Association on “Using the Defendants’ Words than 40 years with the federal government. Against Them to Develop Your Trial Story.” MunIn 2004, McAndrew received the prestigious ley also spoke to the Academy of Truck Accident Presidential Rank Award for his accomplishments Attorneys. Her discussion was titled “Rule of in overseeing cryptologic operations within the Three: Industry Standard or Make Believe?” In U.S. Intelligence Community. Upon retirement, addition, Munley presented to the New Jersey the office of the director of national intelligence Association for Justice Boardwalk Seminar in presented him with a Lifetime Achievement 2021 on “Discovery Issues in Trucking Cases.” Award for his contributions to national security operations. Lawrence A. J. Spegar ’84, Jessup, was recognized in 2021 as one of America’s Most HonDaniel F. Battafarano, D.O. ’77, San Antonio, ored Lawyers. Spegar has enjoyed a 35-year Texas, was recognized with the designation of career as a trial lawyer representing clients Master by the American College of Rheumatology in a comprehensive practice involving areas of (ACR) at its annual meeting in November 2021 personal injury, disability, real estate, business, for outstanding contributions to the ACR and entertainment and wills and estates. His practice the field of rheumatology through scholarly has covered many jurisdictions, including Pennachievement and service to patients, teaching and the profession. sylvania and the United States Supreme Court.

Timothy J. Keating ’85, McLean, Virginia, has joined Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP as a policy director in the firm’s Washington, D.C., Government Relations Department.

John Miller G’85, Fairfield, Iowa, took a military Honor Flight Sept. 21 from Eastern Iowa to Washington, D.C., with 120 other Iowa veterans to view the war monuments and presidential memorials. While there, he took etchings of several veterans’ names, including his former Air Force Academy Commander Major Jack Espenshied, who was killed in combat in Vietnam in 1968. John E. Littel ’86, Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been chosen to serve as the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Secretary of Health and Human Resources by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin. Julius J. Prezelski ’86, Mount Airy, Maryland, was the 2021 recipient of the Ted Beck Effective Educator Award, which recognizes JumpStart’s third chairman’s commitment to making evidence-based decisions in striving to improve financial education. From basketball coach to business teacher, Prezelski uses coaching and storytelling as his approach to teaching. As a mentor, he uses his personal experiences to teach the pitfalls and wins of financial management. Jacquie Cleary ’87, Westfield, New Jersey, CEO of Atlas, was recently recognized in that capacity when the company was included in the 14th annual ranking of the 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies by The Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO) in collaboration with JPMorgan Chase Commercial Banking. The companies on this year’s list, released in October, span a range of industries from consumer products to STEM-related fields. From January to December of 2020, the 50 Fastest generated a combined $4.1 billion in revenue and collectively employed more than 24,000 people. S PRING 2022

Class Notes

Milestones continued

Class of ’88: Forever Intertwined In November 2019, Lisa Nardone Yager ’88, Mari Walsh Rush ’88, Karen Ford Breen ’88, Kristen Peterson Mallon ’88, Marianna Owings Calabrese ’88, Mimi Weber Flynn ’88 and Karen Fagin Yanni ’88, seven former roommates who lived at Fitch Hall, 318 N. Webster, in their student days, gathered on Broadway in New York City. Sadly, Rush learned she had incurable cancer soon afterward, and, during the pandemic, the seven often gathered over Facetime for Friday happy hours to show their support for her. When Rush passed away in October 2020, the six remaining roommates honored her memory by creating six custom sterling silver bracelets intertwining their maiden name initials with Rush’s as a concrete reminder Bernard F. King ’87, Worcester, has been named chief operating officer for GRAM Aseptic Manufacturing. GRAM specializes in the formulation, filling and packaging of sterile pharmaceutical products, including COVID-19 vaccines and other lifesaving products. Reverend Jeffrey J. Walsh ’87, Gaylord, Michigan, was appointed by Pope Francis as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Gaylord, Michigan. He was installed as bishop in March 2022. Susan Henke Brinkman ’91, Patchogue, New York, was named the 2021 Suffolk School Library Media Association’s Librarian of the Year. A Bayport Blue Point UFSD school library media specialist for 14 years, Brinkman has led the district through many innovative projects, including an inquiry-based library enrichment research class for grades 3-5. She was also instrumental in establishing a close partnership with the local public library to expand resources and communication. Capt. Brendan T. Melody, USN ’91, Chantilly, Virginia, retired after 31 years of dedicated service to the United States Navy on May 10, 2022. Capt. Melody retired as the assistant deputy chief, Manpower and Personnel (M1B), Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. Christen Gilmore Pionzio ’91, Doylestown, a partner in the firm Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, 42

THE SCRANTON JOURN A L

of their lifelong connection. “Why are we sharing this in The Scranton Journal ?” the six roommates wrote in a reflection included in our new online remembrance page. “The Journal keeps us connected across years and miles. For the Class of 1988, ‘We’re Glad You’re Here’ is the mantra that launched our 37-year friendships. … The moment of silence at our reunion in 2023 will hit hard for the girls of 318 N. Webster. Our beloved roommate Mari is now among those we have lost. And, as we listen to the list and pray for our dearly departed classmates, we will realize that ‘We’re Glad You’re Here’ has a new meaning and mantra for the six remaining roommates.” See the full reflection by visiting scranton.edu/remembrances.

Maxwell and Lupin, is listed in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Elizabeth Brue Alterman ’93, Chatham, New Jersey, had her memoir, Sad Sacked, released by Audible Originals on Nov. 11, 2021. Alterman has also been named Erma Bombeck’s Humor Writer of the Month for November. Carol Hee, Ph.D. ’95, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, has been awarded the Johnston Teaching Excellence Award for outstanding contributions to undergraduate teaching at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Hee has taught environmental science and sustainability studies for 13 years at UNC-CH and joined Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment as an associate adjunct professor in 2020.

August 2021, he received his second and third Border Patrol Achievement Medals. In September 2021, Moran was awarded the Border Patrol Commendation Medal with Valor, the agency’s second-highest award for bravery, after Moran and two other agents located a wanted felon. Moran has served in the Border Patrol for nearly 25 years. Brian J. Gavin ’00, Alexandria, Virginia, senior vice president of communications and marketing for Volunteers of America, has earned his CFRE certification from Certified Fundraising Executive International.

Robert W. Keenan ’95, Wayne, New Jersey, has been named vice president of Product Management/Development for Adweek. James F. McNulty ’96, Gaithersburg, Maryland, was elected to the Gaithersburg City Council. McNulty will serve a four-year term as one of two new council members in Maryland’s third-largest city. Shawn P. Moran ’97, Solana Beach, California, a supervisory border patrol agent of the United States Border Patrol, recently received three awards for actions taken in the line of duty. In

Brian Shahum ’00, an insurance broker in Portland, Oregon, at Brown & Brown, was at an industry event in August of 2021. He was seated next to Steve Sandherr ’80, CEO of the Associated General Contractors of America, a fellow alumnus and a keynote speaker at the conference.

Class Notes Henry Yampolsky ’02, Salem, Virginia, recently had his book, Dis-Solving Conflict from Within: an Inner Path for Conflict Transformation, released by the Global Collective Publishers on May 16, 2022. Yampolsky serves as assistant director for Education, Outreach and Conflict Resolution at Virginia Tech’s Office for Equity and Accessibility and teaches Mediation, Conflict Resolution and Peace Building as part of Virginia Tech’s Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention. Kate Brennan ’03, York, received a 2021 MAP Grant for her work with “The Infinity Trilogy,” a YA musical cycle created to encourage mentorship between professionals and fledgling artists. The first piece in the trilogy, “ALiEN8,” was recently published with YouthPLAYS after premiering with Drexel University, where Brennan was a Mandell Professional in Residence. Her book of poetry, “elevated thoughts,” was published with Literati Press in 2020. She lives with her husband, child and dog in York, where she is artistic director of Ignition Arts. Lauren LiCalzi Lavelle ’03, Glen Head, New York, was honored as the “2020 Essential Worker of the Year” by Garden City New York Media as a sixth-grade science teacher at Garden City Middle School. In addition to teaching, Lavelle is also the head field hockey coach at Garden City High School, where she led the team to the state finals in 2021 after winning both the Nassau County and Long Island Class B Championships and recorded an undefeated regular season. As a result of her efforts, Newsday named Lavelle the 2021 Nassau County Coach of the Year. Scott R. Mullen, Ed.D. ’03, Wilmington, Delaware, earned his doctorate in education leadership from Widener University. His dissertation topic was “Efficacy of Restorative Justice Strategies in Response to Academic Dishonesty: Percep-

tions of High School Administrators, Teachers, and Parents.” Dr. Mullen teaches Latin and serves as chair of the classics department at his alma mater, St. Joseph’s Preparatory School, in Philadelphia. Genelle Hoban Sedon ’04, G’07, Wilkes-Barre, is the owner and director of C & G Tutoring. The tutoring service, which began with just three tutors and now has over 20, offers both in-person and virtual tutoring sessions. The tutoring service has reached more than 250 students in the Wyoming Valley from pre-k through college. Erica Fischer-Cartlidge ’06, Springfield, New Jersey, was the recipient of a “40 Under 40 in Cancer” award, which recognizes the contributions being made across the field of cancer by rising stars and emerging leaders under the age of 40. Dr. Cartlidge is an alumna of the University’s nursing program and works at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Stephanie Ann Berry ’08, Mount Juliet, Tennessee, was recently tenured and promoted to associate professor at Tennessee Technological University. Berry serves in the role of interim chairperson in the department of counseling and psychology. William T. Colona ’08, Teaneck, New Jersey, has been promoted to assistant vice president for government relations, federal and urban affairs at Fordham University. Megan Byers Apostol ’11, River Edge, New Jersey, has been promoted to director of marketing at DMR Architects. During her decade at DMR, she has raised the company’s reputation through publicity initiatives, print and digital communications and marketing initiatives.

Colleen M. Degnan ’11, Horsham, has joined Fox Rothschild LLP in Blue Bell as an associate in the corporate department. As a member of the firm’s corporate department, Degnan advises clients on a broad range of transactions and agreements, including public finance, procurement and real estate matters. Gregory W. Carman ’15, Farmingdale, New York, is an associate in Forchelli Deegan Terrana’s Land Use & Zoning, Litigation, Cannabis and Condominium, Cooperative and HOA practice groups. Carman represents commercial and residential clients across Long Island to secure zoning changes, subdivision approvals, site plan approvals, variances, road abandonments and special use permits. Dylan H. Lang ’15, Atlanta, Georgia, spoke in front of the United Nations Human Rights Council on behalf of the United States of America. Samuel J. Richards G’15, Shanghai, China, received an honorable mention during the Historical Society of the Episcopal Church’s annual meeting for his peer-reviewed research on Edward Colston. His article, “Historical Revision in Church: Re-examining the ‘Saint’ Edward Colston,” was published in the September 2020 issue of the Anglican and Episcopal History. It investigates the legacy of philanthropist, enslaver and High Anglican Edward Colston, who lived from 1636 to 1721. It was noted for its excellent and timely research. Richards teaches history and politics at Shanghai American School in China. Patricia A. Hoffman, D.O. ’17, New Brunswick, New Jersey, published a case report in the September issue of The American Academy of Osteopathy Journal called “Single Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment Session Eliminates Percutaneous Coronary Intervention-Induced Upper Thoracic Pain in Elderly Male.”

The annual golf tournament in memory of Steve Cox ’80 has raised $6.7 million over its 32-year history. Over the years, many Scranton alumni have been supportive of the Cox Classic. These prominent voices at the annual fundraising tournament include John Dowd ’80, Tim Lauzon ’80, Joe Spelman ’81, Brian Duke ’79, Brian Morton ’80, Michael Faletto ’80, Carl Fiorini ’80, Jack Conway ’79 and Ray Grapsy ’80. Some entries have been edited for space and clarity. Get the latest Class Notes at scranton.edu/journal.

S PRING 2022

Class Notes

Marriages Ellen Postupack ’84 to Mark Mensack ’84 Ron Babcock ’01 to Jamie Reed John Paul Castellano ’05 to Kimberly Synarski Mara Castellano ’07, G’14 to Mike Horvath Kelly Ann Haggerty ’09 to Frederick Vilsmeier Meagan Pehnke ’10, G’11 to Joseph Serafini ’09 Diana Martin ’11 to Travis Dufner Chris Quinn ’11 to Elizabeth Beaty Erin Barry ’12 to Bridgette Sakar ’12 Kaylee Hatfield ’13 to Anthony Santino Brianna McCullough ’13 to Demetrios Vlahos Cristina Pontoriero ’13 to Jeffrey Currie ’12 Marissa Schilling ’14, G’15 to Stephen Barbuto ’14 Angela Stewart ’14 to Giancarlo Bellone ’16 Caitlin Counihan ’15, DPT ’18 to Daniel DiPaola ’14, DPT ’17 Elizabeth Joyce ’15 to Bryan Elman ’15 Allison Nagy ’15, G’16 to Sean Scully ’15, G’18 Elizabeth Palladino ’15, DPT ’18 to Patrick Heneghan ’15 Meghan Campbell ’16 to Joseph Costello ’16 Alison Kucharski ’16 to Viliam Varhol Maura McGowan ’16, DPT ’19 to Zachary Holden Nicole Christiansen ’17, DPT ’20 to Kyle Miller ’17 Taylor Ryan ’17, DPT ’20 to Matthew Horn ’16

Taylor Ryan ’17, DPT ’20 and Matthew Horn ’16 were married on Oct. 8, 2021, surrounded by many Scranton friends.

Ron Babcock ’01, South Pasadena, California, eloped with Jamie Reed to Kauai, Hawaii. They exchanged vows on the Makawehi Cliffs and then celebrated with pizza and Champagne.

Mara Castellano ’07, G’14 married Mike Horvath on July 23, 2021, surrounded by family and friends at Immaculate Conception Church in Spotswood, New Jersey. The couple then held a reception at The Hamilton Manor in New Jersey.

Angela Stewart ’14 and Giancarlo Bellone ’16 were married on the Scranton campus at Madonna della Strada Chapel. Erin Barry ’12 and Bridgette Sakar ’12 met as first-years at the University and were married on Oct. 29, 2021.

Allison Nagy ’15, G’16 and Sean Scully ’15, G ’18 were married in June of 2020 during COVID-19 in an intimate backyard ceremony and then partied with all of their Scranton friends at a celebration in June of 2021.

THE SCRANTON JOURN A L

Chris Quinn ’11 married Elizabeth Beaty in August 2021. Many Scranton alumni were on hand to celebrate with them.

Celebrating the marriage of Mark Mensack ’84 and Ellen Postupack ’84 are Scranton alumni Mark Postupack ’19, Julia Kitchen ’19, Barb Brojack ’84, Pete Lenhart ’84 and Debbie DiMarzio ’81.

Meagan Pehnke ’10, G’11 married Joseph Serafini ’09 on Jan. 9, 2021, in a small ceremony. They celebrated their marriage on April 17 with their friends and family. They were joined by, from left: Stephen Aughenbaugh ’09, G’12, Sergio Del Rossi G’13, Justin Purohit ’10, TJ Gentile ’09, Jackie Bilancia ’10, G’11, Jack Muldoon ’10, Katie Rossi ’10, Claira Perfetto ’10, Allison Greco ’09, Diana Shacklock ’10, Joe Bianco ’09, Sean Gibney ’09 and Jessica Gibney G’13.

Class Notes John Paul Castellano ’05 married Kimberly Synarski on Dec. 19, 2020. The wedding reception was held on Aug. 27, 2021, due to the pandemic.

Elizabeth Palladino ’15, DPT ’18 and Patrick Heneghan ’15 were married on Sept. 4, 2021, in Riverhead, New York, after postponing from 2020. Though their paths may have crossed many times before, it wasn’t until a snowy day during their junior year that they met and then had their first date in the campus dining hall.

Many Scranton alumni helped Meghan Campbell ’16 and Joseph Costello ’16 celebrate their wedding on Aug. 28, 2021.

Elizabeth Joyce ’15 and Bryan Elman ’15 met at Scranton in 2014. They were married at a courthouse in 2020 due to the pandemic, but they held a wedding celebration in July 2021.

Diana Martin ’11 and Travis Dufner celebrated their wedding on May 10, 2021, with many friends from the Class of 2011 in attendance. They had rescheduled their reception twice due to the pandemic but were able to be married in a church on April 4, 2020. Classmates and friends who attended their celebration included, from left: Brice Sachs ’11, Jasmine Santiago Sachs ’11, Elizabeth Mauer Thiele ’11, Max Thiele ’11, Corrie Szapka ’11, Kara Cruciani ’11, Ryan Curtis ’11, Lauren Bottitta ’11, Rebecca Bartley ’11, Philip Linder ’10, Emily Deubler Dolhi ’11, Diana Martin Dufner ’11, Travis Dufner, Amanda DiAntonio Tedesco ’11, Tara Elnitski Heichel ’11, Michelle Mascera Linder ’11, Joseph Amicucci ’11 and Cassandra Hoffman Amicucci ’11.

Nicole Christiansen ’17, DPT ’20 and Kyle Miller ’17 were married on Oct. 2, 2021.

Alison Kucharski, RDN, LDN ’16 was married to Viliam Varhol on June 20, 2021.

Cristina Pontoriero ’13 and Jeffrey Currie ’12 were married in September 2021. Scranton alumni in attendance included, from left: Michael Bennett ’13, Kevin Rimel ’13, John Bucaccio ’13, Jon Kritz ’13, Steven Grabowski ’13, Jeffrey Currie ’12 (groom), Cristina Pontoriero ’13 (bride), Dana Trembley ’13, Ashley Kalfazade Arroyo ’10 and Julian Corralizza ’15.

Kelly Ann Haggerty ’09 married Frederick E. Vilsmeier on Sept. 10, 2021.

Maura McGowan ’16, DPT ’19 married Zachary Holden with many Scranton alumni in attendance.

Caitlin Counihan ’15, DPT ’18 married Daniel DiPaola ’14, DPT ’17 on Sept. 4, 2021, at Crossed Keys Estate in Andover, New Jersey. Alumni in attendance included Julie Leist ’15, Libby DeLuca ’15, Ryan Gaule ’15, Ashley Dole-Gaule ’15, DPT ’18, James Leighty ’14, DPT ’17, Robby Ondevilla ’14, DPT ’17, Nicholas Constantino ’14, DPT ’17, Muzio Prioletti ’14, Kyle Kasman, DPT ’17, Julia Joyce-Dembesky ’15, James Dembesky ’14, G’14, Daniel Gleason ’14, Donald Castellucci ’14, Christian Burne ’14 and Brigid Campbell ’15. S PRING 2022

Class Notes

Marriages continued

Brianna McCullough ’13 married Demetrios Vlahos on Sept. 10, 2021.

Births & Adoptions A daughter, Renee Louise, to Joseph ’03, G’13 and Ingrid Stein Garofalo ’03, Hackettstown, New Jersey 1

A daughter, Molly Rose, to Robert and Elizabeth Pulice Wideman, V.M.D. ’10, Harleysville 12

A daughter, Riley Madison, to Michael ’05 and Sara Suchoski Carroll ’05, Montville, New Jersey 2

A daughter, Sophia Brooke, to Stephen ’12 and Sarah Phillips Fernando ’12, Dunmore 13

A son, Ryan, to Michael and Danielle Tartaglia Centalonza ’06, Randolph, New Jersey 3

A son, Paul Frank, III, to Paul ’12, G’14 and Kristin Leccese Luongo ’12, G’13, Scranton 14

A son, Dean Perry, to Franco and Amanda Szewczyk Forgione ’07, South Abington Township 4

A son, Owen Lawrence, to Michael and Kristina Russo Joyce ’12, DPT ’15, Wycoff, New Jersey 15

A daughter, Sofia Carmel, to Patrick and Alexandra Mickler Auth ’08, Hoboken, New Jersey 5

A daughter, Marissa, to Jimmy ’13 and Nicole Clemson Mirra ’13, Bowie, Maryland 16

A daughter, Michaela Kathleen, to Joseph ’08 and Kaitlyn O’Connor Yourkavitch ’09, G’11, Reading 6

A daughter, Lila Mae, to Greg ’13 and Anastasia Zygmunt Mooney ’13, G’15, Harrisburg; granddaughter of Charles Mooney ’83, Stan Zygmunt ’84, G’95 and Elizabeth Zygmunt ’87; great-granddaughter of the late Thomas Casey ’51 17

A daughter, Willa, to Kevin and Cate McKenna Furman ’09, Newtown Square 7 A daughter, Nora Elizabeth, to Aram ’10 and Jill Bury Afarian ’10, Nutley, New Jersey 8 A daughter, Sophia Charles, to Christopher and Mary Rose Ho ’10, New York, New York 9 A daughter, Margaret Ann, to Joseph ’09 and Meagan Pehnke-Serafini ’10, G’11, Philadelphia 10 A son, Leo Fox, to Samantha Morales ’10 and Anthony Mercado ’09, Ridgewood, New York 11

THE SCRANTON JOURN A L

A son, River Michael, to Robert ’13 and Allison Tait Sachs ’14, Morristown, New Jersey 18 A daughter, Eliana Grace, to John ’14 and Alexis Ribeiro Spadaro ’15, Florham Park, New Jersey 19 A daughter, Isla, to Joshua ’15 and Jackie Cavanaugh Ryan ’15, Rockville, Maryland 20

Class Notes 5

S PRING 2022

“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 Myer B. Kahn ’38, Rockville, Maryland William A. Quinn ’49, Mountainside, New Jersey John E. Walsh, Ed.D. ’49, H ’89, Meshoppen John Elnitsky ’52, Whitehall Alfred P. Intoccia, Ph.D. ’52, Audubon Michael A. Rossi Sr., Ph.D. ’53, Hackettstown, New Jersey Kenneth A. Roth ’54, Centerville, Ohio Robert P. Schulte ’55, Scranton Robert M. Pron ’56, Scranton John J. Corcoran, M.D. ’57, Lancaster E. Donald Kotchick, M.D. ’57, Dalton Fred S. Lewenson, D.D.S. ’57, East Norriton Robert R. Newton, Ph.D. ’57, Newport, Rhode Island Peter P. Ackourey ’58, Gardena, California John F. Gallagher ’58, Winter Park, Florida James A. Calpin ’59, Midlothian, Virginia Vito A. Ciaglia ’59, Dunmore Ned Panfile ’59, Manville Edward J. Sunday ’59, Scranton Patrick G. Cawley ’60, Pittston John J. Ferry, M.D. ’60, Omaha, Nebraska LTC. Walter J. Lynch, USA, Ret. ’60, Moosic James J. McKane ’60, G’72, Archbald Martin R. Hanczyc ’61, Duryea Kenneth J. Wandalowski ’61, Taylor Albert J. Marmo ’62, Bowie, Maryland Daniel J. Mozeleski ’62, Winchester, Virginia Stanley M. Victor ’62, Easton Nicholas D. Volpetti ’62, Kingston Samuel G. Bianco ’63, Fredericksburg, Virginia Joseph J. Farrell ’63, The Villages, Florida Paul A. Suche ’63, Eynon

Henry P. Burke ’64, Dunmore Branimir M. Rieger, Ph.D. ’64, Cape Girardeau, Missouri Paul J. Waldek ’64, Dover, New Jersey Joseph J. Zukoski Jr., D.D.S. ’64, New Orleans, Louisiana Thomas P. Haggerty ’65, Scranton Louis J. Nardella Sr. ’65, Scranton John J. Gower ’66, Pen Argyl W. Donald White ’66, San Antonio, Texas George J. Klem, Ph.D. ’67, Havre de Grace, Maryland Joseph A. Lacomare ’67, Salisbury Township Eugene J. Donahue ’68, Clarks Summit Gerald M. Durkin ’68, Clarks Summit Chester J. Kowalski ’68, Scott Township James F. “Chipper” Mootz ’68, Blue Bell Joseph F. Gibbons ’70, Clarks Summit Walter J. Borowski ’71, Scranton John R. Hirschler ’73, Lancaster Merrill Mayenschein ’76, Covington Township Thomas A. Pepe ’76, Lansdale Nancy Dunleavy Batten ’77, Raleigh, North Carolina Michael E. Dux ’77, Philadelphia Kenneth J. Reuther G’77, Moscow James M. Sysko ’77, G’84, Scranton Elizabeth Milder Beh ’78, Spring Brook Township James J. Martin ’78, Scranton Monica Vaughn McGonigle ’78, Fairfax, Virginia Thomas Z. Swinick ’78, G’83, Dunmore Richard J. Chukonis G’79, Wilkes-Barre Frank E. Galonis ’79, Pittston William J. Katorkas ’80, Newark, Delaware

Kevin J. O’Hara ’80, Greenfield Township Frank J. Paris ’80, Spring Hill, Florida Nathan Warshawsky ’80, Scranton Ralph J. Kurtz ’83, Old Forge Thomas J. Nardone ’83, Pittston Robert F. Ruddy, Jr. ’83, Dunmore Louise Booth Bright ’84, New Hope Mark L. Kuna ’84, Allentown Matthew M. Reavy, Ph.D. ’84, Trucksville Chuck P. Coccodrilli ’85, Lake Ariel Ilona J. Dolinish ’85, Old Forge Jill Finn Healey ’86, Edwardsville Jeffrey J. Butler ’87, Okemos, Michigan Donald J. Kanavy ’87, G’99, Archbald Eugene J. Deignan ’89, Olyphant Brian J. Leahy ’90, Cranford, New Jersey William P. Stoffel ’90, Chatham, New Jersey Brian P. Sullivan ’90, Taunton, Massachusetts Regina B. Bennett ’93, G’96, Clarks Summit Nicole Rusyn Bailey Morris ’93, Scranton Kerri Hubbard Lutz ’93, Olyphant Michael A. Freiman, M.D. ’94, Port Matilda, Florida Joyce A. Knott ’95, Scranton Ann Marie O’Hara ’97, Scranton Jacquelyn Cantore Pane ’00, G’01, Lexington, North Carolina Annemarie McInerney Scully ’02, Lynbrook, New York Wendy Naples ’06, G’09, Hazlet, New Jersey Diana M. Woloshin G’08, Summerville, South Carolina Sara R. Wargo ’11, Jessup

In Memoriam Friends & Family Rosemary DeMichele, wife of Michael DeMichele, Ph.D. ’63, mother of Michael A. DeMichele, M.D. ’87, Christine DeMichele Consiglio ’89 and Jacqueline DeMichele Kloss, Ph.D. ’92 Felicia Domiano, wife of Anthony Domiano Sr. ’60, mother of Anthony Domiano Jr. ’84 and Marie Domiano ’85 George Grech, father of Thomas J. Grech ’84 and Robert Grech ’87 Carl F. Green Sr., father of Carl F. Green Jr. ’88 Robert W. Hildreth, father of Kate Hildreth ’05 Teresa Iannielli, mother of Nicholas W. Iannielli ’92, G’04 and Francis M. Iannielli ’93

Margaret Y. Mayers, member of the Order of Pro Deo et Universitate, mother of Charron Mayers Parola ’79, Lori Mayers Nidoh ’80, G’89, Diane Mayers ’84, G’92 and Christine Mayers Dolphin ’93 Adeline Mazzucelli, mother of Colette Mazzucelli, Ph.D. ’83 Marion Moran, mother of Alison Moran ’91 Judy Peacock, wife of Thomas Peacock ’61 Francis X. Solano, father of Francis X. Solano, M.D. ’75 Kathleen Thornton, wife of Jeffrey T. Thornton ’85 James Zipay, brother of Edward Zipay ’65, G’67

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 Elizabeth M. Garcia, executive director, Office of Equity and Diversity, 570.941.6645.

THE SCRANTON JOURN A L

Joseph T. Doyle, CPA ’69: Vehicle For Change Joseph T. Doyle, CPA ’69, has spent his life navigating the shifting currents of change, so he is more familiar with it than most. He credits some of his considerable success to his willingness to embrace the blessings and break through the barriers of change. “When opportunity presented itself and made sense, I took it, and it really helped my career,” he said in reference to a professional life that included executivelevel stints at Peat Marwick Mitchell, General Dynamics and Westinghouse that saw him change cities about every three years for 25 years. “They weren’t afraid to ask me to move,” he said with a laugh. When Doyle and his wife, Judy, made a gift of a life insurance policy to endow The St. Robert Bellarmine, S.J., chair in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, they did so to honor the legacy of Bellarmine, a theologian whose encounters with Galileo during the heliocentricity controversy struck a chord with Doyle. “(Bellarmine) knew the Church had to continue to be supported, he knew the Church men were definitely wrong and needed to change, and he was a vehicle for that change,” he said. “Managing change was a theme of my career.” The Erdenheim native was initially a promising student at Bishop McDevitt High School, but after his parents’ marriage broke up, his grades suffered, and he began to see basketball as an easier route to college. During his senior year, however, Doyle was stricken with pericarditis, an infection of the sac surrounding the heart that kept him rotating from the bench to the court and back for the next two years. After re-dedicating himself academically, Doyle was accepted at Scranton, where he chose to study accounting for practical reasons. “We were very poor,” he said of his family growing up. “I didn’t know any accountants who were poor.” Studying under accounting professors John McLean ’40, Joseph Zandarski, Ph.D. ’51, and Daniel Houlihan, Esq., left an indelible impression upon him. “They were role models with a capital ‘R,’” he said. He also struck up a friendship with the Rev. Joseph A. Rock, S.J., then-academic vice president of the University. He eventually went out for the basketball team and played for a few weeks before a physical exam exiled him from the court. During the summers, he worked overtime in a box factory to support his expenses. During his junior year, he began dating Judy Hines, who worked in Scranton’s

financial aid office; the two became engaged shortly after graduation and were married in April of 1970. After a 17-year stint at Peat Marwick Mitchell, where he rose to partner-in-charge of its Pittsburgh office, Doyle spent eight years as an executive at General Dynamics before joining the Allison Engine Company, and, later, Westinghouse. Ultimately, he struck out on his own as a consultant. Along the way, the couple welcomed two adopted (Beth and Kevin) and two biological (Colleen and Mark ’07) children into their family; eventually, those children blessed them with seven grandchildren. Today, Joseph and Judy reside in Alexandria, Virginia. Doyle never forgot his roots, and he often focused on creating opportunities for others. He endowed The Judith A. Doyle Scholarship at the University to honor Judy and help future students in financial need, and he also created The Mary and Dana Silvon Memorial Scholarship to honor Judy’s sister, Mary, and her daughter, Dana, who both tragically died of sudden illnesses. And, as a member of the University’s Board of Trustees in the mid-aughts, he helped guide Scranton through a period of rapid change, something Bellarmine would have appreciated. Bellarmine’s “assignment was a lot more difficult than the ones I’ve had, but he didn’t shrink from it,” he said. “We have that in common.”

The Estate Society

T H E U N I V ER SI T Y OF SC R A N 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.

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The Scranton Journal Spring 2022

Articles inside

On the Commons

Program Offers Degrees to Inmates

The Scranton Journal Spring 2022

Joseph T. Doyle, CPA '69: Vehicle for Change

Faculty Member Leads Pysanka Workshops to Benefit Ukraine

Student-Led Investing Pays Off

Helping First-Generation College Students Achieve Endless Possibilities