Union College Magazine, Summer 2020 by Union College

S U MME R 2020

UNIONCOLLEGE

Volume 114 / Number 3

A Magazine for Alumni and Friends

50 years: women arrive on campus

Union responds to COVID-19

UNION COLLEGE ON THE FRONT COVER

A photo from Special Collections shows move-in day, fall 1970

VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

Leah Rosen EDITOR

Charlie Casey caseyc@union.edu ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Erin DeMuth Judd demuthje@union.edu CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Christen Gowan Tina Lincer Phillip Wajda CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Matt Milless Shawn LaChapelle DESIGN

2k Design PRINTING

Fort Orange Press

UNION COLLEGE is published

three times a year by the Union College Office of Communications, Schenectady, N.Y. 12308. The telephone is (518) 388-6131. Non-profit flat rate postage is paid at Schenectady, N.Y., and an additional mailing office. Postmaster: Send address changes to Office of Communications, Union College, Schenectady, N.Y. 12308-3169. Alumni who want to inform the College about changes of address should contact the Alumni Office at (518) 388-6168 or via e-mail at alumni@union. edu. The same phone number and e-mail address should be used to correspond about ReUnion, Homecoming, alumni club events, and other activities.

SUMMER 2020 // Volume 114 // Number 3

IN THIS ISSUE:

ON JUNE 30, THE COLLEGE ANNOUNCED A FALL REOPENING PLAN that features flexibility, new online experiences and broad safety measures. For more, visit p. 3.

10 Union responds to COVID-19

Departments

The coronavirus pandemic has had far-reaching impacts on the College community, both on campus and beyond. Learn how professors, students and alumni have tackled the challenges COVID-19 has created.

3 Around U 32 Media 39 Class Notes

The arrival of women Women moved into Union residence halls and started classes as full-time students for the first time in fall 1970. Here’s a little bit about what that experience was like for them.

» Visit us online at www.union.edu/magazine

2 President’s Message

50 Unions 56 Alumni Clubs 58 Arrivals 60 In Memoriam

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Reflecting on the true power of Union

eflection is one of the core principles of our mission. Normally, this time of year, my calendar is filled with the many celebratory events that mark the end of the academic year. I cherish those moments of fellowship when we come together to recognize the exceptional accomplishments of our community from the prior year. This year, award dinners have been replaced with Zoom meetings. Words of congratulations offered from a distance will have to make due instead of handshakes and hugs. Yet this year, more than any other I have experienced, offers much to celebrate and reflect upon. We welcomed the Class of 2023 to campus with a memorable convocation that included inspiring performances by our students, faculty and staff. We marked the anniversary of important milestones in Union history including 50 years of coeducation and the 50th anniversary of study abroad programs. In October, we introduced our new strategic plan: The Power of Union. The result of many months of work and collaboration between faculty, staff, alumni and students, the plan offers a bold vision for the College where every student is prepared to lead across multiple tomorrows. That vision has perhaps never been more important than in the world we are currently experiencing. On Founders Day in February, we marked 225 years of Union College. Just a day later, we launched the comprehensive fundraising initiative to support that ambitious strategic plan: Powering Union: The Campaign for Multiple Tomorrows. At the kick-off event, I was proud to announce the largest gift in Union’s history, $51 million from Mary ’80 and Rich ’80 Templeton to support engineering and computer science in our liberal arts context. Even then, as the confetti cannons popped and balloons fell, we were preparing for the potential crisis that was about to dramatically change our world. As we all know, in March we took extraordinary steps to protect our community while still pursuing the core mission of the College. Over

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the past three months, our faculty and staff have been remarkably innovative in finding new ways to deliver an outstanding academic experience while keeping students engaged. Earlier this month, as it seemed we were turning a corner on this pandemic, another crisis arose. We were brutally reminded of the injustices and inequities that still haunt our society. We saw huge crowds gather and march in the United States and across the globe to demand change. While the focus of those protests are on the need to reform and rethink how we police our communities, the broader message is clear—we must all do better. The Union campus is not immune to these issues. In recent weeks we have engaged our students, faculty, staff and alumni in additional conversations to help better understand their experiences. It was those conversations, and my own commitment to these issues, that led me to announce the Presidential Initiative on Race, Power and Privilege on June 15. The goals of the initiative are to deepen our knowledge of national and campus experiences, policies, perspectives, and histories; foster constructive engagement across perspectives and experiences; and prepare all members of the Union community to be informed and effective leaders on these issues, in ways large and small, at Union and globally, now and across multiple tomorrows. (See story, p. 8) It is natural to want to look forward. To put these unprecedented times behind us and look to a future where we are back on campus, in our classrooms, in our labs and studios, and on our playing fields and courts. And we are looking toward that day in our new plan, “Union Where You Are.” However, I encourage you all to take a moment and reflect. Reflect on a year of which we can all be proud. A year when Union, as a community, came together to take on historic challenges and show the true power of Union. The power to not only face today’s adversities but to prepare us for the multiple tomorrows we will help create. DAVID R. HARRIS, Ph.D.

AROUND

For fall, a focus on flexibility

he College announced June 30 a plan to welcome students for the fall term with a unique combination of in-person and remote classes—plus service learning, internships and interdisciplinary online courses focused on large-scale societal challenges—all supported by broad safety measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic. “‘Union Where You Are’ provides a flexible, nimble framework that accommodates the many different situations members of our community face as a result of the coronavirus pandemic,” President David R. Harris said. “Where possible, Union students, faculty and staff have choices—all without sacrificing academic rigor or excellence in delivery. Our planning committee made recommendations guided by public health considerations for Union and our surrounding communities, alignment with our strategic plan goals, and considerations for the short- and long-term financial sustainability of the College.” At press time, no decisions had been made regarding athletics, club sports or intramurals. The College is awaiting guidance from state government and respective leagues. For updated information on Union’s re-opening plan, visit www.union.edu/where-you-are

AMONG THE HIGHLIGHTS: • First-year students will live on campus and take classes in person and online. All members of the Class of 2024 will have the option of a single room, or can choose to have a roommate. • Sophomores, juniors and seniors will have the option to return to campus and take in-person and online classes. • The College will offer two new options for sophomores, juniors and seniors who choose remote courses: – Minervas Online, interdisciplinary courses that address complex large-scale societal challenges. – Experiential Education, academic credit for experiences in areas such as political engagement, the arts, business and healthcare. Participants will receive a Robert J. Moser ’99 Experiential Learning Award of $2,000. AMONG PROTECTIVE MEASURES: • All students and employees will receive a care kit consisting of two cloth masks, an oral digital thermometer and a two-ounce bottle of hand sanitizer. The bottles can be refilled at stations on campus. • Students and staff will be required to wear facial coverings, practice social distancing and avoid large gatherings. There will also be weekly virus testing for students; employees will be tested at regular intervals. Seating capacity will be reduced to ensure students and instructors are all at least six feet from each other. There will be extensive daily cleaning of all campus spaces. • Students who test positive for COVID-19 will be transferred to designated isolation rooms until they can safely return to normal activities. • Union College Hospitality will focus on an enhanced take-out program with pre-order options that will reduce crowds in dining facilities.

SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

AROUND

Class of 2020 honored, virtually

Opening a tribute to the Class of 2020, the Union College Choir and Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir sing "Seasons of Love" from Rent by Jonathan Larson.

s the Union community remains scattered around the world, the College honored the Class of 2020 during a virtual conferral of degrees June 14 to 477 graduates. The 90-minute event, “Honoring U: A Tribute to the Class of 2020,” premiered on YouTube and Facebook. An on-campus commencement for the Class of 2020 is planned for next June. “Because of the global pandemic, this term was not the one any of us expected or wanted,” said Strom Thacker, the Stephen J. and Diane K. Ciesinski Dean of Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “But we will not let that stand in the way of celebrating all that you have accomplished, both individually and as a class.” Before he conferred degrees, President David R. Harris offered brief remarks, saying 4

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he would save an extended message for the traditional commencement ceremony. He shared a story of a recent conversation with a student from the Class of 2019 who had worked in a South African health clinic as a Minerva Fellow. When he asked her what aspects of her Union experience were helpful, her answer reminded him that the College’s vision statement—developing every student to lead with wisdom, empathy and courage, now and across multiple tomorrows—was not simply a statement in a strategic plan. It is a statement of both aspiration and fact. “Empathy, which she learned in and out of the classroom, was critical to being effective with people and in a place with which she had no experience,” Harris said. “Courage and wisdom she developed when faculty encouraged her to pursue a

double major and joint thesis in what at many places might have been dismissed as incongruous—neuroscience and gender, sexuality, and women’s studies.” Harris also touched on the national reaction to racial injustice in recent weeks, saying students used what they had learned across the curriculum to “understand persistent and painful issues around race in America, and we were all confronted with just how much more progress Union and the rest of society must make in this area.” The class received a surprise shout-out from Ben Schwartz ’03, an Emmy-award winning writer, comedian and actor. Best known as Jean-Ralphio Saperstein from “Parks and Recreation” and as the voice of “Sonic the Hedgehog,” Schwarz stars in the new Netflix series “Space Force.”

“I know these are unique times, and I know how badly you wish you could be on campus celebrating with friends,” Schwartz said. “But think about it this way. You avoided a lot of people doing Naked Nott runs with facemasks on, which sounds like a horror movie to me.” He offered congratulations to the class for its accomplishments over the past four years, including “all the time studying, all the classes, all the papers and all the times you had to go home for a trimester break, when nobody else is home. It’s basically you and your parents, and you are like, ‘Is this high school again?’” The virtual ceremony featured a slideshow of graduating seniors. Kara Leyden, a biology and sociology interdepartmental major from Glenmont, N.Y., was recognized as the valedictorian; the salutatorian is Jonathan Hanna, a computer science major from Phoenixville, Pa. Before the virtual ceremony, each member of the class received by mail a special package featuring their diploma and assorted Union memorabilia including a tumbler, pennant, bumper sticker and 3D figure of the Nott Memorial. Also during the ceremony, Scott Kirkton, associate professor of biology, was announced as the winner of the Stillman Prize for Faculty Excellence in Teaching. Leo Zaibert, professor of philosophy, was announced as the winner of the Stillman Prize for Faculty Excellence in Research. The prizes were created by David I. Stillman ’72, Abbott Stillman ’69 and Allan Stillman in honor of their father and grandfather, Abraham Stillman. Both awards will be presented in person later. The ceremony opened with a performance by Union’s Chorale and Heavenly Voices Gospel Choir. Other speakers included Robert Bertagna ‘85, chair of the Board of Trustees; Simon Bohn ‘20, Student Forum president; Mary K. Carroll, the Dwane W. Crichton Professor of Chemistry and chair of the Faculty Executive Committee; Ruchi Raval ’20, student trustee; and Molly Wiener, class president. To learn more about the Class of 2020, visit union.edu/classof2020

"Honoring U: A Tribute to the Class of 2020" reflected student experiences on- and off-campus. In photo above, Elena Ruiz, an anthropology major who graduated magna cum laude, celebrates at her home in Boston. SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

AROUND

THE 2020 CHARLES PROTEUS

STEINMETZ

SYMPOSIUM HELD ONLINE

Prize Day awards given virtually

he campus community gathered virtually May 9 for Prize Day to recognize students for achievement in academics, research, service and governance. Among the top awards given were the Josephine Daggett Prize to the senior for conduct and character (Harjot “Shaun” Uppal) and the Frank Bailey (1885) Prize, to the senior who has rendered the greatest service to the College in any field (Samuel Fogarty). Uppal, a double major in chemistry and gender, sexuality and women’s studies, is a pre-medical student who has taken a range of courses well beyond the requirements of his majors. He has written a number of peer-reviewed articles on helping the vulnerable and improving the healthcare system. Fogarty, a double major in psychology and Spanish and Hispanic studies, is a summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa grad. He was cited for his contributions in promoting diversion and inclusivity, particularly for raising awareness of LGBTQ issues. 6

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f there’s a bright spot to losing this year’s Steinmetz Symposium as a full-day on-campus event, it’s that we didn’t have to make difficult decisions about which of the concurrent presentations to see. They’re all online (steinmetz.union.edu). The 30th annual showcase of student research and creative achievement features more than 200 presentations including papers, posters, video presentations, recorded performances and a digital gallery. “Primary credit for this site is due to the students and faculty who have worked so hard to prepare their presentations under such difficult circumstances,” said Prof. Chad Orzel, director of undergraduate research.

nion College’s bold vision resonates now more than ever before: To develop every student to lead with wisdom, empathy and courage, in ways large and small, now and across multiple tomorrows. To achieve this, we must reimagine an educational experience that will drive students’ lifelong success and keep the College strong and positioned to thrive. For over two centuries, Union has refused to shy away from consequential moments that require courageous action and decisive change. Our strategic plan provides the blueprint for a bold response to such a moment. Powering Union: The Campaign for Multiple Tomorrows is fueling this effort through a series of strategic investments. To date, over 19,000 members of the Union community have made gifts and commitments of $224 million toward the Powering Union goal of $300 million.

To learn more about the Powering Union priorities or to make a gift, visit union.edu/powering.

Ensuring Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $47 million Financial assistance and scholarships to ensure that every student can take advantage of the complete Union experience regardless of their financial circumstances Propelling the Liberal Arts and Engineering . . . $130 million Endowed professorships, the Center for Faculty Excellence, academic programs, technologies and facilities Developing Students Beyond the Classroom . . . $10 million First-year and residential programs, Becker Career Center, wellness programs, immersive student experiences (international programs, research and community engagement) The Union Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $37 million Discretionary resources that enable the College to respond quickly to emerging priorities and needs, including the Persistence Fund, which has provided emergency resources to students during the pandemic

50 years ago: A peaceful protest

nion’s anti-war protest on May 1, 1970 may be remembered for the one thing it lacked: violence. Just four days before members of the National Guard gunned down four protesters at Kent State, several hundred chanting Union students marched downtown and stopped traffic with an hour-long sit-in at Erie Boulevard and State Street. There were no arrests. The protest’s peaceful nature might be attributed to a combination of a supportive administration, police restraint and Father Jim Murphy, a Catholic priest who used salty language to urge students toward a passive approach. “I got bleeped by the local TV stations because I told the students they weren’t going to get peace by chanting ‘[expletive] the cops,’” Union’s former Catholic chaplain said in a recent interview with Schenectady’s Daily Gazette. Savannah Jelks ’20, a history major from Alexandria, Va., has chronicled the protest in a Schaffer Library exhibit titled

“Hell No, We Won’t Go! The Power of Campus Protests (1965-1975).” “You wouldn’t have thought that a small, liberal arts college in upstate New York would be part of the story, but Union did have some very significant protests,” Jelks told the Gazette. “I came across an old article in the Union College magazine with all these wonderful photos, with protesters in downtown Schenectady and down in front of the General Electric. I thought, ‘wow, this is really cool.’” For more on her exhibit, visit: www.union.edu/protest-exhibit

SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

AROUND

Forum focuses on racial injustice

n early June, as thousands took to the streets to protest systemic racism, police brutality and social inequality, the Union community got together for a talk. On June 4, the College joined the national conversation by hosting a virtual forum to examine incidents of racial injustice and explore ways the Union community can respond and learn. For 90 minutes, the 10 panelists representing students, faculty, staff and the Schenectady community engaged in a conversation and shared personal stories that at times were raw, powerful, emotional and brutally honest. The forum also included pointed questions from some of the 600 people who tuned in, ranging from what the College can do to better support students of color on campus to the lack of diversity in the Schenectady Police Department. “We learn and grow when we engage constructively with people who share our perspectives—and with those who may not,” President David R. Harris said at the start. “The idea is that we do not seek to offend, but we acknowledge that risking offending is important if real learning is to occur.” Gretchel Hathaway, dean of Diversity and Inclusion and chief diversity officer, became emotional as she described the video’s impact on her.

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“I wailed, I yelled at the television,” said Hathaway. “The anger I felt as a mother that this could happen to someone’s son, father, brother, cousin; the inequities in this country just hit me. I will not apologize for my tears, and I will not apologize for my anger.” Others, including moderator Fran’Cee Brown-McClure, vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students, said they refused to watch the graphic video. “It scares me to know that I am raising a child in a world where she is going to be judged first and foremost on the skin she did not have a choice to be born into,” Brown-McClure said. “It scares me to think when I send my daughter out with her father to do something simple like getting ice cream, my child may be traumatized for the rest of her life because of an interaction her father might have with law enforcement.”

Eric Clifford ’94, the police chief of Schenectady, said recent events reminded him of his time as a student and the conversations about race after other high-profile racial incidents. “I can’t believe more than 25 years later, we are still talking about this topic,” he said. When hundreds of protesters appeared at his police station earlier in the week, they asked Clifford to kneel with them. As he did, officers around him followed suit. He said his department, which has a troubled history with its community dating back decades, has instituted a series of reforms to improve relations, including with the campus. However, he acknowledged more could be done, particularly in building a diverse staff. William Garcia, professor of Spanish and Hispanic Studies, said change is needed or incidents like Floyd’s death will persist. “I dread the moment when one of those incidents will be a nephew, a student or someone that I know,” he said.

“ W E L E A R N A N D G R O W W H E N W E E N G A G E C O N S T R U C T I V E LY W I T H P E O P L E W H O S H A R E O U R P E R S P E C T I V E S — A N D W I T H T H O S E W H O M A Y N O T, ”

— President David R. Harris

“As I told my students, I selfishly feel happy that I’m not raising a child in this country at this moment.” The confluence of COVID-19 and the civil unrest has been particularly challenging for seniors like Richard Boakye ’20, a mechanical engineering major. “Finishing the last weeks as an undergrad before we step into the world, we’ve had to fight to make sure we can even live in such a world,” he said. In forceful and measured tones, Boakye shared his anguish and anger over recent events that have roiled the country. “People reached out to ask me if I’m fine,” he said. “I’ll be fine when America is fine. But that would be me putting my hope and trust in a system that didn’t care if black people years ago were fine, if black people today were fine, and probably won’t care if my kids are fine. I’ll continue to put my trust in God alone.” As the discussion wound down, Brown-McClure pointed out that one of

the biggest challenges confronting campus is the idea of privilege that allows others to ignore issues like racial injustice. “We have the privilege of stepping away and saying, well, that’s not us,” she said. “We don’t have these issues. After tonight, I hope we recognize now that we do. These experiences are not just in Minneapolis or Atlanta. They are happening on our campus. There is some work to do on this campus. Change will not get here overnight. But what are you going to do about it?” Other panelists included Katherine Lynes, associate professor of English; Matt Milless, assistant dean of students; Sarah Vanesse ’21, biology major; and Jared Zeidman, associate head coach for women's basketball.

An initiative for change As a next step toward meaningful action, President David R. Harris has announced the Presidential Initiative on Race, Power and Privilege. A steering committee of members from across the Union community will refine the initiative, develop recommendations and evaluate how we teach and learn around issues of race, power and privilege. For more, visit: https://www.union.edu/campusdiversity-inclusion/constructiveengagement

To read the community responses submitted in conjunction with the forum, visit the Constructive Engagement at https://www.union.edu/campus-diversityinclusion/race-power-privilege

SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

FROM Bringing the real world to remote teaching and learning

UNION COLLEGE | SUMMER 2020

Science without a lab

ow do we do science without a lab? That’s what Nicole Theodosiou wondered about her developmental biology class. She found the answer in real-world science, where advances are made by teams. “I’m not going to lie. Teaching remotely, you can’t create the same experience that you would in person,” said Theodosiou, associate professor of biology and co-director of the biochemistry program. “But once you dispel the idea that you can replicate that same experience, you discover a sweet spot.” “Scientists work in teams toward a common understanding, perform a few experiments and do a lot of thinking and writing,” she said. “I designed a team-based ‘backyard’ science lab. Students gathered

preliminary data and simulated the National Science Foundation (NSF) proposal process that all professional biologists experience to support their research.” Each team included students playing the roles of lab technician, graduate student and postdoctoral fellow. The lab technicians collected frog eggs from local ponds, raised them in their homes, treated them with household chemicals and recorded the effects. Other team members analyzed data and studied the literature. Each team wrote an NSF proposal, and all were peer-reviewed and scored, simulating the NSF-review process. Finally, one proposal was chosen for “funding.” “Professor Theodosiou has done a great job adapting the framework of our lab,” said Christian Mastroianni ’21, a biology major who plans to become a

Finding that ‘sweet spot’ dentist. “Although it takes some resilience and creativity, it is nice to know anyone can be a scientist. I hope to get back into the classroom as soon as possible, but there have been some positive takeaways from remote learning.” To add more interaction, Theodosiou and her students met virtually each Wednesday with alumni who talked about their careers and how they negotiated job markets. “It has been very helpful to hear what alumni are doing, especially during this pandemic,” said Corina Lindsay ’21, a biology major who plans to become a physician assistant. “I think everyone is a bit worried about life after college, especially at a time like this, so it is reassuring to hear alumni speak about what they’re up to.”

From eggs to tadpoles, a sample from Prof. Nicole Theodosiou’s developmental biology class.

SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

FROM HOME: Finding that ‘sweet spot’

Prof. Sandy Wimer with a miniature printing press that students used

Impressed by remote printmaking

rintmaking is about making impressions. Sandy Wimer made one of her own, showing students that the pandemic is an opportunity to innovate and appreciate the healing power of art. The senior lecturer of art retooled her printmaking class as a remote studio experience that can be done without the large and heavy presses in the Feigenbaum Center for Visual Arts. Wimer sent her 10 students supplies including a 3D-printed miniature press. She also told them to improvise: a spoon is a handy way to apply pressure required to transfer ink to paper.

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The class met in synchronous threehour Zoom studio sessions. While students worked on their prints, Wimer answered questions and reminded students of the healing power of making art during challenging times, a pandemic, for example. “Making art has definitely helped relieve my stress, one from the pandemic, but also from my other classes,” said Natalie Berg-Pappert, a first-year art major from Geneva, N.Y. “Art has always provided a release because it allows me to forget about everything that’s been on my mind and just lets me focus on creating the one thing that’s in front of me.”

Think like MacGyver

ijing Stehle, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, told students in her Strength of Materials class to recall “MacGyver,” a 1980’s television series whose title character had an unusual knack for improvising his way around a problem using common objects like duct tape, paper clips and chewing gum. Home labs were in three parts: experiment design, ‘MacGyver your way’ and data analysis. ““MacGyver your way” meant that students treated each lab objective as an engineering problem, and solved this problem with the tools they found at home. “The results prove that Union students are very creative and talented,” Stehle said. “They came out with very systemic experiment designs. And they did experiments at home in a professional way with tools beyond my imagination.”

COVID as a teaching moment

ssistant Director of Health Professions Programs Rhona Beaton usually placed students directly in healthcare settings for her class, “Exploring Health Care through Community Based Learning.” This spring, she had her students research and blog about their own communities’ responses to COVID-19. “I have honestly really enjoyed getting to research this. I learned a lot about the

statistics and demographics of my town,” said Cecilia Sousa ’20, a neuroscience major who lives near Watertown, Conn. “I wouldn’t have delved into this without the blog project.” “The COVID-19 pandemic easily integrated into our class discussions and assignments,” Beaton said. “It was a unique experience from a teaching perspective to see the material the students were reading and watching unfold in real life around us. Not much of it was positive, especially at

the beginning of the term, but it gave us all a chance to talk about it together and explore how different factors could possibly change outcomes.” “As a group, we also faced the reality of the unknown and saw how healthcare providers delivered services in conditions no one could have imagined,” she continued. “I think the students feel a deeper motivation for their future paths and, hopefully, a deeper commitment to equity and justice.”

Cecilia Sousa ’20 did her blog on healthcare in Watertown, Conn.

“ I H A V E H O N E S T LY R E A L LY E N J O Y E D G E T T I N G T O RESEARCH THIS. I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE S TAT I S T I C S A N D D E M O G R A P H I C S O F MY T O W N . I W O U L D N ’ T H A V E D E LV E D I N T O T H I S W I T H O U T T H E B L O G P R O J E C T. ” — Cecilia Sousa ’20, a neuroscience

major who lives near Watertown, Conn.

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FROM HOME: Finding that ‘sweet spot’

A game teaches economics

tudents in Therese McCarty’s “Environmental and Natural Resource Economics” class found themselves in Manchester, England, 1818. Textile factories were competing for workers doing long shifts in unsafe conditions. The weavers were on the verge of rebelling. The drama unfolded on the messaging platform, Slack, as students played the role game, “Rage Against the Machine.” The game explored the complex relationships between economic growth, working conditions, protectionist trade laws, tax policy, income inequality, and environmental degradation. By entering the experience in various roles, students experienced the full range of perspectives of differently-situated people. “Students readily recognized similarities with current tensions between the priority of economic growth and the priority of environmental health and safety,” said McCarty, the John Prior Lewis ’41 Professor of Economics. “The game set the stage for student projects focused on the relationship between economic activity and current environmental issues of their choosing.” “Slack worked so well as a platform for the game that I will continue using it when future students play the game in person,” she added. “And I wish I could be a fly on the wall when a student’s future employer asks about prior experience with Slack.”

Dennis Lichtman (dennislichtman.com), a New York City-based multi-instrumentalist, performed via Zoom for Laini Nemett’s “Life Drawing” class.

Art via Zoom

aini Nemett, the John D. MacArthur Assistant Professor of Drawing and Painting, looks forward to teaching two courses, “Life Drawing” and “Special Projects in Painting: Inside the Artist’s Studio.” This year, she had to pivot. In “Life Drawing,” she used a mix of pre-recorded live model videos available online, self-portraiture and live models via Zoom. She had a musician friend play mandolin and clarinet while the students drew him. She brought students on a

virtual visit with artists Lani Irwin and Alan Feltus at their studio in Italy. For “Inside the Artist’s Studio,” students had weekly virtual studio visits with professional artists including Caren Canier and Langdon Quin in Troy, N.Y.; Virginia Wagner and Zaria Forman in Rensselaerville, N.Y.; Doron Langberg in Brooklyn; Will Hutnick in Wassaic, N.Y.; Dhruvi Acharya in Mumbai, India; and Zoey Frank in Colorado. “It has been invigorating for me to visit all of these studios along with the class, and extremely rewarding to see how the work of these professional artists influence the students’ projects,” Nemett said. “And with everyone currently stuck at home, it’s been particularly inspiring to see how and what these artists have been creating in this time of uncertainty, often in new makeshift home studios.”

The Slack platform students used to role-play in “Rage Against the Machine”

WANT TO KNOW MORE? Read longer stories about each of these classes at union.edu/magazine 14

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College from home: transition sparks creativity BY MITCHELL FAMULARE ’21

“I

t’s been a transition” has been the common answer from students and professors when asked what it has been like to learn and teach from home. When the close bond of Union students and faculty came under pressure, the result was a transformation of our intimate homes into a college campus. It is difficult to stay motivated in our homes without the usual interactions with friends, professors, and staff who serve as constant stimulation. In-person friendships, a backbone of the college experience, are absent. So is access to the studios, laboratories, and workspaces on campus. I am grateful to have working Wi-Fi and my own space in my home. But motivation without the constant stimulation of campus, open-door office hours, and countless hours spent with friends, has been incredibly difficult. Friends and family have become my priority as I schedule

Zoom happy hours and Netflix parties to keep intact my very vibrant social life. My professors have also come up with new ways to keep the exploratory quality of the Union experience alive. “Hot Topics in Cool Science” is a course that serves as a science requirement for humanities majors like me. As professors and topics change every two weeks, I have discovered new and creative ways to learn about science, all from home. With Professor Chad Orzel, I constructed a light diffractor to study the behavior of light as a wave and a particle. In the culinary chemistry unit with Professor Joanne Kehlbeck, I was running around my house squirting blue food dye on my tongue to study the behavior of taste buds and creating caramel sauce to experience the nature of amino acids in caramelization and Malliard reactions. In Professor Holli Frey’s unit on climate change, my peers

and I participated in weekly analytic discussions on the COVID-19 crisis and its relationship to the climate. In Professor Jennifer Mitchell’s class, “Queer Theory,” my peers and I collaborated to assemble a collection of creative and analytic work to study the academic discourse. We worked together on our writing in Zoom breakout rooms. And we’ve come up with new ways to visualize theory through the creation of manifestos, timelines or maps. Virtual learning is hard, especially without the beauty of Union’s collaborative and active campus environment. However, this transition has sparked creativity in ways no one could have predicted. Mitchell Famulare ’21 is a double major in English and art history from Niskayuna, N.Y.

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FROM HOME: Finding that ‘sweet spot’

“ W E ’ V E P U T A LO T O F T H O U G H T A N D P R E PA R AT I O N I N T O T H E S H O W. W E R E A L LY W A N T T O M A K E A G R E AT D I N I N G E X P E R I E N C E F O R O U R C A M P U S C O M M U N I T Y, E S P E C I A L LY D U R I N G T H I S C H A L L E N G I N G T I M E . I T ’ S A G R E AT WAY F O R A L L O F U S T O S TAY C O N N E C T E D. ”

—Patrick Longton, campus executive chef

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Union chef shares popular recipes in online cooking show

hen classes moved online, Union’s Hospitality cooked up a plan to give those craving Dawn’s Chili, street tacos or other campus favorites what they wanted. Each Friday at 4 p.m. during the spring term, “Cooking with Chef Patrick” aired via Zoom from the kitchen at College Park Hall. The 30-minute segments featured Patrick Longton, campus executive chef for American Dining Creations, Union’s food service provider. A chef for nearly 25 years, Longton was executive chef at Longfellows Hotel and Restaurant and Wishing Well, both in nearby Saratoga Springs, before joining Union four years ago. He has won a stockpot full of honors, including the grand award in the American Culinary Federation’s Culinary Cornucopia competition in 2000. He took top honors at the Capital Region’s “Cast Iron Chef Invitational” in 2012. Longton and Jim Meagher, Union’s director of Hospitality, came up with the idea for the show as a way to engage with students, faculty and staff during the campus lockdown. “We like to feature signature items from our dining program that we know people, especially the students, love,” said Longton. He describes his style of cooking as “rustic American cuisine,” with strong French, Italian and Asian influences. The campus community was provided with a Zoom link and a list of ingredients for those who planned to cook along with Longton. The first episode featured chicken parmesan over penne, followed by street tacos with chicken beef barbacoa or jackfruit. This next episode had Longton preparing a ninja pickle fried chicken sandwich. The pickles were homemade and some of the pickle brine was used to marinate the chicken. The menu was served that night to the 60 students still on campus because they are unable to return home. Viewers were encouraged to suggest ideas. “We’ve put a lot of thought and preparation into the show,” said Longton. “We really want to make a great dining experience for our campus community, especially during this challenging time. It’s a great way for all of us to stay connected.” Kayla Fisher ’20 watched the first two episodes from her family’s home in Tarrytown, N.Y. She had to wait a couple of days to make the chicken parm because the grocery stores near her were out of chicken. “I know Chef Patrick and have always enjoyed what he’s cooked, so I wanted to be able to see him cook,” said the biomedical engineering major. “It’s also nice to see people from campus, even if it’s through Zoom instead of in person. The cooking series is a way to partially stay connected to one part of Union.”

Union steps up to COVID STUDENT AFFAIRS: • Becker Career Center operated virtually with appointments, workshops and employer information sessions. • The Eppler-Wolff Counseling Center held 92 percent of sessions (compared to last spring term) as well as support groups. • Greek chapters hosted virtual events, fundraisers and discussions. • Residential Life found creative ways to engage students in College Park Hall, including classes on microwave cooking. • More than 50 student clubs met virtually. Student Forum held weekly meetings and ran elections for next year’s officers.

COMMUNIT Y REL ATIONS: • Health Services donated masks to the Schenectady County Department of Health and Ellis Hospital. Union donated 256 boxes of gloves (50 pairs each) to be shared by Ellis Hospital, Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital and St. Peter’s Health Partners. • Union donated 700 Union tote bags for food deliveries by the Schenectady COVID-19 Coalition. Others went to the Greater Amsterdam School District where McKenna Palczak ’20 helped serve food to families in need. • Union’s campus store donated food to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, working with Susan Lintner ’02, the Food Bank’s director of community impact. • Union College Hospitality donated several cases of takeout containers to the City Mission of Schenectady, working with Mike Saccocio ’84, who is executive director of the City Mission.

Next steps Union College is carefully considering plans for moving forward during the pandemic. The latest decisions, information and guidance are available at union.edu/coronavirus

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FROM HOME: Finding that ‘sweet spot’

ALUMNI VOICES A

lumni across fields and industries are tackling COVID-19 and its impact.

Below are excerpts from larger Q&A’s about their experiences these past months. Read their full interviews at union.edu/news.

DR. ALFRED SOMMER ’63, global leader in public health, dean emeritus of the Bloomberg School of Public Health and University Distinguished Service Professor of Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University “Two thoughts, worth truly focusing on for the future. 1) We nearly had exactly this same experience with SARS (a similar virus to the present one, but much MORE deadly) in 2003. Fortunately it was also a lot less communicable, and very aggressive quarantining of infections controlled the epidemic which otherwise might well have been truly catastrophic! Lots of planning was done for an effective response in the future, especially the stockpiling of masks, respirators and ventilators. It never happened! We constantly need to learn these lessons all over again! 2) That SARS episode should

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have resulted in detailed plans for dealing with the next respiratory outbreak (we actually suffer one every year, with “seasonal influenza”, that kills 20,000– 60,000 Americans annually). Plans that one would simply lift off the shelf and put into operation. Instead, we are once again “making it up as we go along,” reinventing the wheel, and arguing over what one does next. We MUST learn (once again) and this time be well-prepared for the next epidemic—there surely will be one, though we can’t know when for certain.” (INTERVIEW GIVEN MARCH 25)

ERIC CLIFFORD ’94, chief, Schenectady (N.Y.) Police Department “Like most Americans, this outbreak has forced us to change the way we do things very fast. We started planning for this about a month before it hit us by ordering supplies. Since then we have had to continually evaluate our core mission and make plans to be prepared—for both an increased demand for our services and how we would react should an outbreak hit our department. I am continually evaluating potential direct effects on all officers (exposure, absenteeism, productivity reductions, emotional trauma and mortality). I am also looking at indirect effects, such as our reduced ability to deliver services to the public, delayed investigations, reduced supervisor capacity, maintaining professionalism and discipline, and the public reaction to a reduced service delivery.” (INTERVIEW GIVEN MARCH 31)

AVIVA HOPE RUTKIN ’12, engineer on news automation team at Bloomberg News “The public is hungry for information about the coronavirus, and scientists are still learning about how this virus works and how COVID-19 can be treated. For science journalists like myself, there’s pressure to keep up with the pandemic as it evolves in real time. Between the moment that I have an idea for a story and the time that it publishes online, the number of cases will have increased, local or federal policies might have shifted, and new academic papers will have been published. We want to give people the most accurate information possible, and we need to make clear what’s known and what’s not known.” (INTERVIEW GIVEN APRIL 6)

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FROM HOME: Finding that ‘sweet spot’

EWO HARRELL ’10, a manager of the Partnership for Healthy Cities at Vital Strategies (a global health organization) Cities have a long history of coping with public health emergencies. Now they’re at the frontlines of the pandemic. COVID-19 has the potential to spread quickly in urban centers and many of those at risk for severe illness are those with underlying conditions, including non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cancer. During this evolving crisis, our team has shifted and expanded its scope of work—from a focus on preventing non-communicable disease and injuries to immediate assistance in the urban response to COVID-19. I manage interactions and coordinate with 12 city government technical leads in North America, South America, Europe and Australia to implement high-impact, evidence-based policy interventions. The Partnership is helping cities respond in several ways, one of which includes a new online platform. It provides city leaders with important tools and technical resources, everything from maintaining public services to legal guidance on implementing public health measures. The Partnership also held its inaugural Bloomberg Philanthropies Partnership for Healthy Cities COVID-19 webinar series for mayors. The series provided city leaders with guidance on how to implement best-practice COVID-19 interventions, and was a virtual venue for sharing COVID-19 experiences and strategies. (INTERVIEW GIVEN JUNE 15)

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DR. MARY BETH GADAROWSKI ’15, resident physician at San

Antonio Military Medical Center, pursuing career in dermatology

“The significance of the Hippocratic Oath (as ancient as it may be) is profoundly relevant. In times of uncertainty, I truly believe that our relationship with medicine —and caring for the sick and those in need—highlights the role of a physician as a healer. In the current state where friends and families are precluded from visiting their loved ones, and where final words and condolences are expressed remotely, the words of the Hippocratic Oath provide us with solace and comfort during such instability.” (INTERVIEW GIVEN APRIL 29)

EMMA WHITE ’19, elite cyclist and Olympic hopeful (on how to do social distancing in a sport that relies on drafting) “I’m currently living at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Most resident athletes have left, so there are only a select few of us here, including two of my teammates, Because we technically live together, the three of us have been training on the roads together. The velodrome, however, is closed. Right now, we are just riding our bikes and going back to the basics of really enjoying being outside without the added stress of specific workouts. So, of course, it is possible to train alone, but I feel very lucky that I am stuck here with teammates! They make this much easier.” (INTERVIEW GIVEN APRIL 16)

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ARRIVAL Editor's note: This is the second in a series of articles this year commemorating the 50th anniversary of the admission of women at Union. In this issue, we hear from some of those admitted about their arrival on campus. 22

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WOMEN T

he first woman admitted in the Class of 1974 was Katherine Stout of Guilderland, a suburb of Albany. Ranked near the top of her high school class and with strong SAT scores, her many extracurriculars included music, athletics and piloting sailplanes. Her father, Warren, was a member of the Class of 1950. In 1980, she recalled, “I enjoy being in on new things, and [going to Union] was an adventure of sorts.” So, she applied, was accepted and relaxed and enjoyed the rest of her senior year. As predicted, her first year was an adventure, exciting simply because it was her first year of college, not just because she was one of the first women on campus. Coming from a suburb, she enjoyed the diversity on campus. She recalled that academics and housing were excellent. At the time,

however, athletics for women was limited to pickup games by the Nott with used equipment. With a 3-1 ratio of men to women, there was pressure on the women, she said. “I’m afraid the retiring, non-social woman found it difficult to live in that situation.” Of the 150 women who arrived on campus, the sense of isolation was perhaps most acute among the 25 transfers who found themselves in upper-level classes with very few other women. Cynthia Adams ’72, who transferred from Dean Junior College in Franklin, Mass., told the alumni magazine that at first she was hesitant to participate. But after she over prepared for an assignment and “scared some of the boys” she found it easier to relax. Ann McNamara ’72, another transfer student, said that she arrived knowing that change would come slowly and that “we [women] SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

would be expected to put up with a lot.” But she was energized by the role she could play in creating a new culture. “You could do just about anything you wanted with it,” she said. “The potential of that was so exciting that I was willing to put up with the other things.” Near the end of her first year on campus, she said, “Now I feel extremely comfortable. I am a Union student, I do belong here and I have the same possibilities and potentials as anyone else.” Barbara Michaela ’74, who arrived as a first year, may have been speaking for her classmates when she remarked, “Everyone makes such a fuss, but I don’t know why. I just came here and, you know, [coeducation] happened—it was here.” Estelle Cooke-Sampson ’74, now a prominent radiologist, came to Union from Washington, D.C. to major in biology. Writing an account for the alumni magazine in 1971, she reported on a number of occurrences that made it clear what women were still in the minority: a health form designed for men, busloads of students arriving from women’s colleges, a professor who greets a co-ed class as “gentlemen,” a keg of beer for the dorm with the most blood donors. But she also noted improvements in club inclusion, dining choices and women’s residence halls that she said “will only produce a better and stronger Union College.” 24

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Faculty: women had first names, and gumption

yron Nichols, professor of political science emeritus, came to Union in 1968 and taught for 40 years. He recalls that before coeducation, faculty and students showed mutual respect by addressing each other by “mister” (or “professor”) and last name. The first women, who arrived before the common use of “Ms.,” were addressed as “Miss” and last name. Several weeks into the first term, a woman approached Nichols to insist that she be called by her first name. Nichols consulted with fellow faculty who had received the same request and switched over to using

first names for all students, who would continue to call him professor or mister. “I was all in favor of going co-ed, but there was something to be said for making the assumption that students were going into adulthood. We lost that when faculty started calling students by first names, and they used our title.” Jim Underwood, who taught for decades in political science before becoming dean of faculty and interim president, recalls that the first women at Union were strong students. “Coming into a place like this, these women had to have some gumption,” he said. “They were really strong women.” After women had arrived, Underwood said, “it was like things had always been this way.”

Arriving at a tumultuous time

ay (Stout) Van Woert ’74, the first woman admitted to Union, recalls that women arrived at Union at a tumultuous time with protests of the Vietnam War and civil rights. “Conversations with fellow students on the left and right and interesting discussions with faculty in and out of class helped further develop my critical and strategic thinking and opinions,” she said. She also recalls the annoyance and amusement caused by a sometimes patronizing administration. “The very short tenured Dean of Women was far more concerned with ‘protecting our morals’ by keeping men out of our dorms than

with our access to education or activities. The college was shocked that an exercise class consisting mostly of jumping jacks was not adequate to address our interest in athletics. The administration tried to remediate by providing us very used field hockey sticks cast off from the local Mt. Pleasant High School for pick-up games next to the Nott.” But Union got something right, she said. “For the times, our first group of women did have some geographic, economic, racial, religious and even international diversity. Conversations and friendships, then and since, certainly contributed to my fabulous education at Union.” Kay retired after a career with the New York state budget office and later as a policy analyst and advocate for family services in Vermont.

STANTON: A FEMINIST DENIED

lizabeth Cady Stanton (1815–1902), an icon of the American women’s movement, lamented in her memoirs that she could not attend Union. Her older brother, Eleazer, had graduated Union in 1826, shortly before he died, and Elizabeth saw many of her male classmates from Johnstown Academy head to Union. “When … I learned of the barrier that prevented me from following in their footsteps—‘no girls admitted here’—my vexation and mortification knew no bounds,” she wrote. The 1848 “Declaration of Sentiments,” which Stanton coauthored, listed among the grievances: “He has denied her the facilities for obtaining a thorough education—all colleges being closed against her.” Her late brother’s friend, Henry Bayard graduated Union in 1827, married Elizabeth’s older sister, Tryphena, and worked in her father’s law office. Elizabeth credited Bayard for playing a part in her intellectual development. She and her Emma Willard School classmates “enjoyed the intellectual fencing in which my brother-in-law drilled them.” According to The Encyclopedia of Union College History (Wayne Somers, ed.) Stanton’s Union relatives also included treasurer Frank Bailey (Class of 1885), mathematics professor William Cady Stone ’42 and probably civil engineering professor Cady Staley (Class of 1865).

To read a full account by Kay and other women of Union, visit our commemorative website, Making Our Mark (www.union.edu/making-our-mark). SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

WHO ARE ?

pecial Collections has wonderful photos of Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first women. But we need some help with identifications. Recognize anyone in these photos? Please let us know at magazine@union.edu

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19TH AMENDMENT TURNS 100, BUT THE FIGHT'S NOT OVER B Y Z O E O X L E Y , professor of political science

he day after the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified in August 1920, Carrie Chapman Catt told a celebratory crowd that she had achieved “the big, beautiful dream of [her] life.” Speaking for women in America, she further proclaimed, “We are not wards of the nation, but free and equal citizens… Let us do our part to keep it a true and triumphant democracy.” Catt and other leaders of the women’s suffrage movement had succeeded in both expanding voting rights to women and demonstrating the political potential of women’s activism. American women were at first slow to exercise this franchise, but as the decades passed, they cast ballots in greater numbers and women’s political voice became more powerful. Early on, though, it was the voices of white women that were expressed—racial discrimination was widespread in the south and other regions of the nation. It wasn’t until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and the expansion of voting rights in the 1970s and 1980s, that the reality of enfranchisement spread to women of all races and ethnicities. Women’s political voice diversified all while their political activity increased. By the late 1980s, women were more likely to vote than men. That trend has persisted and gender gaps in many other forms of political engagement—working on campaigns, attending rallies, contacting political officials— have lessened or disappeared. Indeed, the years since the 2016 elections have witnessed notable upticks in women’s political acitvity, from long-time and first-time participants alike. Women have been running for elective office in record numbers. Enrollments in candidate and campaign-staff training sessions have exploded. Women have protested and mobilized by the millions. On the other hand, by some measures of political inclusion, women have continued to lag behind men. The most noticeable is in holding elective office. Stubborn gender gaps in political interest and ambition also persist. Long documented among adults, while researching childhood socialization, my colleagues and

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I recently uncovered similar patterns among elementary school children. Furthermore, when we asked them to draw a political leader, most children in our study drew a man. Girls were more likely than boys to draw women, but the likelihood that a girl drew a woman decreased as she got older (presumably due to learning that most actual politicians are men). Our research suggests that girls today view politics as a world where they do not belong. The 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage is certainly a moment to celebrate, a time to reflect upon the political and social gains experienced by women. This year is also a time to remember that the fight for voting rights—for women and other Americans—does not end once those rights have been granted. Full political inclusion requires more than the legal right to vote. In other words, let’s celebrate that Carrie Chapman Catt’s dream of suffrage for all women was finally achieved. But let’s also acknowledge that much work is still necessary to obtain the “true and triumphant democracy” she envisioned.

ONE OF UNION’S FIRST UNIONS MARRIED APRIL 6, 1974

ust weeks before she graduated from Union— Kathleen (Maclutsky) Woods ’74 married Stephen Woods ’71 in Memorial Chapel. With women admitted to the College only four years before, they became one of Union’s first unions. The reception was in Hale House, but they met in Richmond House (then the women’s dorm). “I had a grant-in-aid manning the security desk at the entrance. Originally, we were supposed to announce guests and the coed would come down to escort them up to their room,” Steve recalled. “That didn’t last long. We got to know the regulars and if they didn’t look like thugs we let them up. Kathy and I just started having conversations when she would stop to visit.” “Since he was a senior, I picked his brain on everything I could think of about college life. His best piece of advice was not to take early morning classes because it would ruin the opportunity to sleep late,” Kathy added. “I think we both started out wanting a good friend with whom to go to games, concerts, movies. But by sometime in my sophomore year, we were a couple.” After graduating, her with a degree in English and him with a degree in political science, they stayed in the Schenectady area until 1990, when they moved to Washington, D.C. Steve, who holds a master’s in public administration from SUNY Albany, spent 40 years with the National Federation of Independent Business. For the first half of his career, he was the New York lobbyist and for the second, he managed all state lobbyists. Kathy has worked in telecommunications and government relations, and at the New York State Department of Public Service. Her last job was as director of standards with the Outdoor Power Equipment Association. Both are now retired and live in Alexandria, Va. They remember their days at Union vividly, since it was a time of great change on campus and elsewhere. “I was a senior when we went coed. I remember there was a student poll on going coed and the vote was against it, but the student vote meant nothing,” Steve said. “Looking back, the student complaints were foolish things like losing bathrooms to women and having to shave every day and dress up for classes.”

“It was the Vietnam War years so most of us didn’t get dressed up very much. But all the single-sex schools were going coed at the time and Union probably wouldn’t have survived without going coed,” he continued. “Certainly now I am glad they did. I would never have met my dear wife.” “At first, I was more aware of being a stranger in a strange land. I grew up in a small city and went to a small high school. Although Union is a small college, it was huge to me,” Kathy said. “All the male freshmen knew Union had gone coed, so all the females were readily accepted. It was the occasional upperclassman who would care to tell me how they had chosen Union because it was all male—and how they would miss swimming nude in the pool.” “Those were the guys I managed to elude or evade. I would say my personal experience was that most of the guys I had any interaction with had grown to graciously accept their new reality,” she added. “And some, like Steve, even wholeheartedly embraced it.” Today, 46 years after their wedding, Union still means a lot to Kathy and Steve. They both benefited from financial aid that made their attendance possible, and neither has any regrets about their alma mater. “I had wonderful, caring friends and some of the most interesting and selfless professors I could have ever imagined,” Kathy said. “We each had unique and memorable memories, and others that we truly shared, but it was Union that made them all possible.” “I never look back and say I wish I had gone to any other school,” Steve added. SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

UNION WOMEN

he list of outstanding Union women is long. Below are excerpts from interviews with just a few of them. Full Q&As are available on our commemorative website, Making Our Mark (www.union.edu/making-our-mark). Union is proud to celebrate these and many other women who have made their mark on the College, their communities and the world. Be sure to read their stories and please share your own, too. We’ll be adding more profiles to the website throughout 2020.

Who inspired/inspires you, both professionally and personally?

What advice would you offer today’s women students, not just at Union, but across the country? L AURIE M IN T Z ’8 2 , University of Florida professor, licensed psychologist, author

Follow your heart and your dreams! Listen to your inner compass about what you want to do, rather than the voices of others telling you what you “should” do. Know that sometimes you will succeed and sometimes you will be rejected or fail (my first book was rejected by countless publishers!). Let yourself feel down and then pick yourself up and keep trying. If you have a dream, persist, persist, persist! Always keep your physical, mental and emotional health on the front burner. The days when you think you don’t have time to exercise or take a break from work are the days you need to do it the most! 30

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E LLE N T. M ATLO FF ’ 91, genetic counselor and founder of MyGeneCounsel

I had several female professors at Union who showed me that science is not just a guy’s game, including Professors Karen Williams, Barbara Boyer and Helena Birecka. My maternal grandmother was an attorney and my mother a physician, both when few women entered those fields, and they were successful at their jobs and in running their families.

What was your most formative experience at Union? S H ILPA DA RIV E M UL A ’1 3, OBGYN resident physician at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your career or volunteer activities? NA NC Y BOROW ICK ’ 07, award-winning documentary photographer

Photojournalism is such a powerful tool, especially in our world today. Being able to use my photography to tell important stories, create social awareness about issues and amplify the voices of those whose aren’t being heard is an unbelievable honor, and responsibility. Every path has its challenges and on mine, there was a lot of personal sacrifice made to get my foot in the door as a professional photographer and prove to editors, and myself, that I could succeed in this field. As a freelancer, you are a one-womanshow. You have to channel your inner businesswoman and hustler and believe in yourself—even if others don’t. In my most recent long-term body of work about my parents’ parallel diagnoses and

treatments with terminal cancers, I never imagined my personal journal would become anything more than just that. Once the New York Times shared our story internationally, I could never have imagined the outpouring of support from every corner of the world. People engaged with my story and shared their own, thanking us for being so candid and vulnerable. Photography allowed me to turn my pain into power and purpose. Through sharing the images and our experiences, I’ve been able to help others traversing their challenges. What could be better and more fulfilling than that? I feel very lucky to be able to have a career doing what I love and care about, and now being the mother of a four-month-old, I hope to be able to find to some balance and compromise wearing these many hats.

Where do I even begin? I do not think I can point to a single formative experience. Who I was when I entered Union was not who I was when I left. I attribute the change to many people, experiences and opportunities that crossed my path at Union. The community you create at Union will redefine who you are, your identity and how you want to be a citizen in this world. To this day, my classmates and I from Webster House and Friends still meet— evidence of Union friendships that have stood the test of time. The professors go above and beyond to support your ideas and guide you as you navigate your path forward. The staff are family. I remember how Lorraine, one of the serving staff members at Upper, would often tell me to sit down and eat a good lunch before running onto the next meeting or class. She would tell me gently and lovingly to care for myself. I think of Union as home. These experiences, your relationships with friends and professors, and your desire to push yourself will really set the course on the rest of your life. SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

| MEDIA |

JAMES T. MACGREGOR ’65

ANTONIO F. VIANNA ’66

ALAN MADDAUS ’67

KATE WHITE ’72

A Natural Mistake: Why natural, organic, and botanical products are not as safe as you think

Choices We Make

The Prestons of East Street— The Story of a 19th-Century American Family

Have You Seen Me?

Independently published

Natural supplements, herbal remedies and “organic” food products are perceived by many to be safer and more healthful than food and pharmaceutical products produced using synthetic chemicals and pesticides. This is a mistaken perception. Natural products and their naturally occurring chemical constituents can often be sold with minimal or, sometimes, no safety testing and have caused often-unrecognized serious health issues. This mistaken perception has misguided consumers, legislators and government regulators, and has resulted in weak safety laws and regulations, and irrational product choices by many consumers. MacGregor, an internationally recognized expert and consultant in product development, safety evaluation and regulation, provides an in-depth discussion of the requirements for safety assurance of foods. He touches on everything from organic and bioengineered foods to dietary supplements and medicinal products, detailing the reasons the relative safety and health benefits of different products are often misunderstood. 32

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AuthorHouse

Lilli Jackson, a divorced single mother of three-year-old Natalie, works as a public safety officer for Verity Security, a property security firm. It’s a job she doesn’t like, but her boss is a gem and she’s paid enough to meet her daughter’s basic needs. She’d really like to meet the right guy, and wear a skirt and blouse with nice shoes to work. But the choices she’s made so far will not get her to where she wants to be, and figuring out where she wants to be isn’t easy. She feels trapped. Lilli meets an array of people, each with their own duties and secrets, each making their own choices. No two people are identical. She believes there are people who will take advantage of others and those who are kind and loving. Lilli has to figure out who is doing what—who to believe. Choices We Make is Antonio Vianna’s 25th book.

Epigraph Books

The seven children of Dr. and Mrs. Calvin Preston—Charles, James, William, Platt, Sophia, Maria and Calvin—were raised in rural Galway, New York. Their lives would be influenced by major events of the latter part of the 19th century, including Manifest Destiny, the Second Great Awakening, Gold Rushes, Civil War, the Transcontinental Railroad, Galveston Hurricane and the Second Opium War. Charles attended Union College, graduating in 1850, then Princeton Seminary. He was ordained a Presbyterian missionary and sailed to Canton, China in 1853, where he learned to speak in the Cantonese dialect and preached on Treasury Street until his death in 1877. Their intertwined stories, from the time they departed Galway for destinations far away to the passing of the last sibling, were researched in great detail and provide an interesting saga of that time period.

HarperCollins

On a cold, rainy morning, finance journalist Ally Linden arrives early to work in her Manhattan office, only to find that she’s forgotten her keycard and needs to have a colleague she’s never met let her in. When her boss finally arrives, he seems surprised to see her—because she hasn’t worked there in five years. It’s only after several hours in an emergency room and multiple interviews with the hospital psychiatrist that Ally begins to piece together important facts. But she still can’t recall what happened to her during the previous two days. When she learns that she’s experienced a dissociative fugue state, Ally remembers that she’d been seeing a therapist about a traumatic event from her childhood, in which she came across evidence for a murder that was never solved. Desperate to unearth answers, Ally focuses on figuring out where she spent the missing 48 hours. As ominous details of the two days pile up, so does the terrifying pressure: she must recover the time she lost before the time she has left runs out. From New York Times bestselling author Kate White, Have You Seen Me? is her 14th book.

JENNIFER SMITH TURNER ’74

PAOLO CERATTO ’75

RUSS EBBETS ’77

MATTHEW EHRLICH ’79

Child Bride

Il Lungo Film di Fellini

A Runner’s Guide

SparkPress

Gruppo Editoriale Bonanno

Off the Road Press

The Vail Method: Getting Better Not Just Older

In this story of the coming-ofage journey, a young girl from the South joins the AfricanAmerican great migration to the North—and finds her way through challenges and unforeseen obstacles to womanhood. In the segregated South of the mid-1900s, 14-year-old Nell bears witness to a world that embraces the oppression of women. She is fascinated with the prospect of being an independent person, but when she turns 16, she is married off and brought to the city of Boston as a bride. Nell is a shy girl who must quickly learn how to be a wife and mother. She soon discovers that she must acquire new skills to navigate the unknown territory of the North, as well as her relationship with her husband, Henry, who is controlling and emotionally abusive. After giving birth to three children, her body begins to fail her. Henry, concerned for her health, pulls away from her physically. But this void of intimacy drives Nell into the arms of another man, Charles—an encounter that leads to another pregnancy, and a new unanticipated adventure for Nell. Child Bride is Jennifer Smith Turner’s third published book and first novel.

The Long Film of Fellini had a 40-year gestation period. It was first conceived as a thesis at Union College with the sponsorship of Prof. Frank Gado. Fellini read and liked the thesis called “Rites d’Entree et de Sortie” and told the author, “Paolino, you have x-rayed my soul.” The book is not a psychological treatise, nor a cinema discourse, not even a collection of memories. It is a multicolored mix of these elements that allows the author to look upon Fellini’s Opus in an unusual way, with deep empathy toward an artist who literally lived just to create and who conquered the world with the beauty and magic of his films. Ceratto’s hypothesis is peculiar: from I Vitelloni (1953) to the unfinished work Il Viaggio di G. Mastorna (1968), Fellini was directing an alter ego of himself that was “living” in him during the seasons of his life. In this speculation, the artistic heart in Fellini’s work is 8 1/2, a real masterpiece in cinematography, praised by both critics and directors all over the world, which the author examines in depth with lenses from Jung psychology.

A Runner’s Guide blends local flavor with a personal touch to address universal issues all runners face. Russ Ebbets draws on a lifetime of experiences, detailed through selected essays from 30-plus years of training columns in the Hudson-Mohawk Road Runner Club’s Pace Setter magazine. Topics include thoughts on training and competition, growth and development and health and history to create a rich mosaic of the sport. A Runner’s Guide has been nominated by Track and Field Writers of America for the 2019 Book of the Year. Ebbets coached the men’s and women’s track and field teams at Union during the 1980s. He once held the school record in the outdoor mile. He has served as editor of Track Coach, the technical journal of USA Track and Field, since 1999.

Advantage Press

What if getting older didn’t have to mean experiencing joint pain, insomnia or frequently feeling tired and worn out? For Dr. Matthew Ehrlich, it doesn’t. His guidebook offers a compilation of the best health advice from the most trusted sources, drawing from his training in anti-aging medicine and his work in the exercise physiology lab. Aging doesn’t have to mean losing the strength, mobility, energy and vitality of your younger mind and body. The Vail Method is Ehrlich’s comprehensive lifestyle guide for readers of all ages to begin working towards healthier aging.

SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

| MEDIA |

CINDY BUTLER CARBONE ’92

BLAINE LANGBERG ’94

ANGELO SPENILLO ’98

How I Stopped Hating My Husband

Journey of a JuBu

I Am a Professional Metalhead

Independently published

Self-help meets memoir in this book about love, hate and self-discovery in marriage. This is the story of how one lost and resentful heart found her way back to her husband by questioning everything she knew about relationships and herself. In October 2016, Cindy Butler Carbone told her tale in a blog post called “How I Stopped Hating My Husband.” It exploded in popularity, leading to a career in health coaching, hundreds of inspired readers and now a tell-all book. Cindy’s touching confessional is for anyone looking to design a better union, whether you are happily married, facing a divorce, struggling in the child rearing years, or disenchanted empty nesters. Ever wondered, “How do I stop hating my husband?” This is how.

UNION COLLEGE | SUMMER 2020

Critical Eye Press

Dr. Jacob Silverstein, orthodontist by day, author by night, sends his protagonist, Adam Freeman, on a quest for spiritual enlightenment and inner peace. Following the maxim, “write what you know,” Jacob has taken parts of his life and exaggerated them into “The Adventures of Adam Freeman, DDS”—a story of the struggle to achieve spirituality and mindfulness in today’s pop-culture-obsessed society. Part pilgrimage, part romp, a blend of spiritual humor and meta-fiction, Journey of a JuBu is best summed up as “Seinfeld meets The Celestine Prophecy.”

Independently published

Angelo Spenillo is a successful lawyer whose career includes stints at the Justice Department, a Fortune 500 company and one of the fastest growing technology startups. He’s built legal departments for companies with millions of dollars on the line. But underneath the suits and ties, he’s maintained a secret. Angelo is a metalhead— he lives and breathes heavy metal music. This is the amazing story of how metal guided Angelo to success as an attorney, in business and in life. You’ll learn how metal supported every twist and turn of his unusual career path. Whether you’re a music lover, professional or just looking for inspiration, the motivational stories and lessons from Angelo’s metal journey will open your mind to career possibilities and maybe even bring out the metalhead in you. The book is the 2020 Axiom Business Book Awards Silver Medalist.

CONSIDERATION Media, formerly Bookshelf, features new titles by or about alumni and other members of the Union community. To be included, send a copy of the work (book, DVD, CD) and synopsis to: Office of Communications Union College Schenectady, NY 12308 Or send synopsis and high-resolution image to: magazine@union.edu

Parents Circle

THE PARENTS CIRCLE

WELCOMES FIRST-YEAR FAMILIES TO THE UNION COMMUNITY, AND WISHES ALL STUDENTS WELL AS THEY CONTINUE ON THEIR UNION JOURNEYS.

he Parents Circle is a philanthropic group that works in concert with school leaders to enhance the Union experience for students and their families by supporting faculty, staff and the broader campus community. Members become College insiders and investors in its success, ultimately developing stronger ties to their student’s Union experience.

We invite you to join us in

supporting the educational programs and activities that will make your child’s Union experience extraordinary.

To learn more about the Parents Circle, please contact: Noelle Beach Marchaj '05 Director of Parent and Family Philanthropy Cell: 860-655-2875 marchajn@union.edu union.edu/parents-families

SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

TO OUR

UNION COMMUNITYâ&#x20AC;¦

UNION COLLEGE | SUMMER 2020

During this extraordinary period of uncertainty and disruption, the Union community has rallied behind students like never before, raising over $125,000 to support the

PERSISTENCE FUND.

Since March, gifts to the Persistence Fund helped cover emergency expenses for nearly 145 studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;including last-minute travel expenses when residence halls closed; storage and shipping costs for personal items; meals for students who had to remain on campus during spring break; fees for access and internet connectivity; and books and technology-related purchases for participation in online classes during spring term.

$125,000 SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

Building Our Third Century An additional distribution was received from the estate of Walter E. Burt, Class of 1973. Proceeds will be added to the Walter E. Burt Annual Scholarship. Mr. Burt received his degree in Social Sciences. A bequest was received from the estate of Lola S. Lea. Proceeds will support the Swim Team. Mrs. Lea was a Union parent and grandparent. She had a memorable legal career after receiving degrees from NYU, and then Yale Law School, where she was one of only seven women in her class. The proceeds from a retirement account were received from the estate of Ronald Q. Jennett, Class of 1952 and were added to the Ronald Quentin Jennett, Class of 1952, and Margaret Anne Jennett Endowed Scholarship. Mr. Jennett received his degree in mathematics and was a member of Delta Phi. While at Union, he was selected to attend St. Andrews University in Scotland, in one of the college's first foreign exchange student programs. He enjoyed a long career as an aerospace engineer with a global aerospace and defense company. A quarterly trust distribution was received from the estate of Robert L. Slobod, Class of 1935. Proceeds will be used to support areas of greatest need. The remainders of two charitable gift annuities established with Union were received from the estate of George W. Vosburgh, Class of 1950. Proceeds will be used at the discretion of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Vosburgh received his degree in electrical engineering, was a member of Phi Gamma Delta, and was active with WRUC. He had a long career with the Sperry Corporation.

UNION COLLEGE | SUMMER 2020

The remainder of a trust was received from the estate of Margery P. Gardow, widow of the late Ernest B. Gardow, Class of 1956. Dr. and Mrs. Gardow created the trust naming Union College a remainderman. Proceeds will establish the Ernest B. Gardow, Class of 1956, and Margery P. Gardow Endowed Student Research Fellowship. Dr. Gardow received his degree in mechanical engineering and was a member of Chi Psi and the Idol. He had a lengthy career as a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Hartford, and for a number of years, was the department chair. As an alumnus, he was awarded the alumni gold medal, recognized for distinguished service to Union. Mrs. Gardow received her degree in economics from Mt. Holyoke. She was an ESL Instructor and taught German through their communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s continuing education department. The remainder proceeds of a charitable gift annuity were received from the estate of Robert E. Yung, Class of 1948. Mr. Yung received his degree in science as part of Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s V-12 program. Proceeds will be added to the U.S. Navy V12-V5 Endowed Scholarship. A quarterly trust distribution was received from the estate of Naomi Chambers and added to the Walter R.G. and Naomi Baker Scholarship. Mrs. Chambers was the widow of Walter R.G. Baker, Class of 1916. CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITIES A deferred payment charitable gift annuity was established by Peter M. Savard, Class of 1993. The remainder proceeds will be used to support financial aid for first-generation students.

CL ASS

Garnet Guard Alumni who have celebrated their 50th ReUnion. GARNET GUARD CLASS CORRESPONDENT

John Honey ’61 121 Waterside Dr., Box 1175 North Falmouth, Mass. 02556 jahoney@msn.com

1948 Burk Ketcham emailed a long list of friends and relatives in April with an exercise to distract from the pandemic: suggest three authors, living or dead, that you would like to invite for supper. From the 58 replies, Jane Austen, Ernest Hemingway and Barbara Kingsolver topped the list. “I do not consider myself, a selfpublished author, in the same league as all the others, Burk said. “But one friend chose to match me up with Ernest Hemingway and Jack London with the meeting in a bar. I told him I did not do bars and wondered what those two alcoholics would say if I ordered a glass of milk from the bartender.” Burk’s own suggestions were Alice Munro, Richard Russo and Rachel Carson.

1951 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

James Taub 711 S. Market Street Johnstown, N.Y. 12095 (518) 762-1172 shrevie711@hotmail.com

1952 Ken Clunis writes, “Just a note to let you all know that I am still going around on this planet earth and enjoying every minute of it. This would not be possible without a lot of luck and the intervention of the medical profession, all of whom I offer my thanks and extreme gratitude. I say ‘luck’ because I somehow survived the many close brushes with death while pursuing avocations: taking long leader falls while mountain climbing, skiing on mountain trails that were beyond my capabilities, piloting airplanes under IFR, piloting my glider to set a state record of 188 miles, sailboat racing when reefing was not the way to win, snowshoeing a week-long trek in Northern Minnesota at temperatures well below zero, and bobsledding an Olympic course in Austria. Any of these could have been disastrous but fortunately were not. I took an early retirement from 3M, which allowed my wife and me the time to travel the world and visit 28 counties while we were young enough to enjoy it. But as lucky as I have been with adventures, it all pales with what I have accomplished in real life: Four wonderful children, 14 grandchildren and seventeen-great grandkids, most of whom I keep in touch with, either by visits or through the wonders of electronic

N O TE S

communication. It has been a blast watching my great-grandkids grow up viewing videos of them on Snapchat and text messaging. Joyce, my wife of 54 years, passed away about 10 years ago leaving my dog and me alone and adrift for a while. But once again, lady luck came to the rescue and I met Anne, a kindred sole whose life’s adventures surpassed my own by a long measure. We enjoy being together, attending concerts and plays, dining out occasionally and traveling whenever we can.”

Anne and Ken Clunis ’52

Dave Weichert writes, “We are enjoying retirement on Long Beach Island, N.J., 90 miles south of Cranford, N.J.—home of Union County College. Almost all of the people there thought that the institutions were connected. It was impossible to attract any interest in our college class night at Cranford High School. Heard from Fred Linn, a fellow civil engineer classmate. Who is enjoying retirement in

Florida. We exchanged a lot of good memories of Union College. Hoping everyone is keeping well.” Barbara A. Masteller writes, “My father, the Rev. Dr. Robert Carl Smith, of Ruskin, Fla., died Feb. 22, 2020 at the age of 90. He was a proud member of the Class of ’52, a beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend. He lived a full life devoted to service to others. After Union College, Robert attended New Brunswick Theological Seminary. He pursued further graduate work at Temple University, earning a master’s degree in pastoral psychology and a doctorate in the philosophy of religion. Robert’s doctoral dissertation was on the controversy between Martin Buber and C.G. Jung. While preparing his dissertation, he was privileged to correspond with both of these great thinkers. Robert donated the letters he received from Jung and Buber to Union

Rev. Dr. Robert Carl Smith ’52 died Feb. 22, 2020

SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

CLASS NOTES

College’s Schaffer Library. Robert was an ordained clergyperson of the United Church of Christ, serving parishes in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Kwajalein, Marshall Islands. He taught philosophy and religion for 26 years at the University of New Jersey, and wrote the book, The Wounded Jung. Robert loved Union dearly and enjoyed sharing his fond memories of Union with others.” Robert is further remembered on p. 62.

1953 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Hubert Plummer 21 Temple Road Setauket, N.Y. 11733 (631) 941-4076 whp@plummerlaw.com

1954 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Avrom J. Gold 33 Madiosn Lane Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29926 (908) 581-1455 avromgold@gmail.com

1955 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Ken Haefner 1346 Waverly Pl. Schenectady, N.Y. 12308 kbhaefner@gmail.com Ian MacDonald shot his age (87) at the College Hill Golf course in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on July 16, 2019. Ian captained the 1955 golf team at Union.

1957 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Paul Mohr 140 E Duce of Clubs Ste A Show Low, Ariz. 85901 dadtired@frontiernet.net

UNION COLLEGE | SUMMER 2020

1958 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

David C. Horton Lexington, Mass. paulrevereroad@aol.com Roger P. Penny writes, “Retired from Bethlehem Steel Corp. in 2000 after 43 years. Retirement has been busy with our usual activities—travel, golf, tennis and sailing. About 10 years ago, with a partner, we started a new business venture. Our data file was originally designed for ‘used car sales,’ but because of the need for good build data on used cars, we are now operating as monroneylabels. com. We serve banks, auto dealers, insurance companies, auto finance groups, auto auction groups, junk yards, and collision businesses. The latest project was a new home two years ago. Jute and I continue to enjoy and stay healthy.”

1959 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

William “Dal” Trader 5361 Santa Catalina Avenue Garden Grove, Calif. 92845 daltrader@earthlink.net (310) 629-8971

1960 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Charles E. Roden kiw702@aol.com Paul Jacobs writes, “Attached is a photo of Nancy trimming the jib and yours truly at the helm sailing on a beam reach in our 1990 Catalina 34 Pleiades on Narragansett Bay, just off Newport, RI. At 81, I am not sure how many more years we can continue to pursue one of the true joys of our lives, but at this point I still continue to do much of the work on the boat myself. Should any Union people—

Nancy and Paul Jacobs ’60 on their 1990 Catalina 34 Pleiades

young or old, male or female, experienced sailors or total novices—wish to join us for a sail this summer, just let us know and you too can enjoy the incomparable serenity mixed with occasional excitement that is at the essence of sailing. Once we are safely back on the mooring, we can then sip some wine, nibble some cheese, and tell stories about what Union was like 60 years ago, when Washburn Hall was still standing, Nott was the library and Schaffer was just a dream. P.S. Still consulting with a wonderful group from U.C. Berkeley that is working to develop a new resin for 3D Printing. Weekly e-mail and telephone interactions keep my mind sharp, and hopefully I can still help them solve some tricky problems.”

1961 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Bill Reaman P.O. Box 301 Cataumet, Mass. 02534 (508) 566-0866 billreaman@yahoo.com

1963 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

George Ball 6929 Country Line Road Wayland, N.Y. 14572-9553 gball@frontiernet.net Mike Slomka writes, “I have retired from the active practice of orthopedic surgery after 42 years in St. Petersburg. Sandy and I enjoy travel, and have recently returned from a wonderful cruise from Dubai to Singapore. All this well before the coronavirus. I still enjoy golf, although my handicap is no longer eight. Can anyone explain to me why these new golf balls don’t go as far as they used to? I still do some consulting and volunteer at the St. Petersburg Free Clinic. All is well with us and we are thankful for our good health. We have grandchildren at Syracuse and Princeton, and two about to start at Columbia/List and Elon. Best wishes and good health to all.”

1965 Vic Fazio writes, “After retiring from 20 years of service in the U.S. Congress, I’ve spent much of the last 21+ years with the law firm Akin Gump in Washington. I’m about to retire again and spend the bulk of my time working with non-profit organizations, most importantly, the National Parks Conservation Association as chairman of their board. Five years ago, my wife, Judy, passed away but fortunately for me, I met a lovely widow, Kathy Sawyer, a retired journalist, formerly with the Washington Post. We discovered we were born one hour apart on the same day in 1942 and since fate brought us together, we married on 9/11/17. I wish all my classmates the very best as we approach our 55th reunion.” Daniel Muller writes, “Sold my importing business in 2014 and semi-retired on my farm in Far Hills, N.J. In 2017, I received a successful heart transplant and recently was approved for an FAA special issuance third-class medical certificate, which permits me to fly again and teach students to fly. I believe that I am only the ninth transplant recipient ever to be awarded a medical certificate by the FAA. Planning to move to Washington State later this year to be near my youngest son and his family, who live in Anacortes. My son is a lieutenant in the Navy based at Whidbey Island.”

1966 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Antonio F. Vianna 7152 Tanager Drive Carlsbad, Calif. 92011 simpatico1@juno.com

1970 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Frank P. Donnini Newport News, Va. fpdonnini@aol.com

From left, Rob Borofsky ’66 and wife, Nancy, with Lynn and Art Morgenstern ’66

Art Morgenstern writes, “Returning to South Carolina from a trip to New Zealand, I stopped in Honolulu to visit Rob (alias Bob) Borofsky, a former roommate at Union. We enjoyed a hike, dinner, and reminiscing about events during the more than 50 years since we last saw each other. Rob is still active as an anthropology professor, author and disciplinary activist through the www.publicanthropology website, which he directs. I volunteer at the AARP tax program and at local community activities.” Peter T. Kissinger writes, “I retired last July from university teaching as emeritus professor of chemistry at Purdue University. I was flattered to be recognized as a ‘Sagamore of the Wabash’ by our governor for entrepreneurship activities with respect to scientific instruments, pharmaceutical development and medical devices. I miss teaching, but enjoy having more time for grandchildren, camping, business and writing. Union pointed me in the right direction. Better living through chemistry mixed with liberal arts. I’m focused now on bringing automation to serial phlebotomy in hospitals, where 90 percent of diagnostic blood volumes are thrown away. This is a two-decade

project so far. Many lives to save and costs to reduce.”

1967 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Joseph Smaldino 6310 Lantern Ridge Lane Knoxville, Tenn. 37921 smaldinoj@comcast.net (815) 762-5984 Henry James Bedinger has written his story, titled “Patriot, Prisoner, Survivor: An American Family At War” and it was published by Montezuma Publishing. It’s available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble now and getting some very positive reviews. He writes, “A few of my classmates and fraternity brothers may find this of some interest. Cheers and GO Dutchmen!”

Allen Brailey writes, “After 24 years with Raytheon and 16 years prior with IBM, I finally retired at the end of 2019. As an Engineering Fellow here in Tucson I had the opportunity to work with many talented engineers and on several advanced Aerospace/Defense programs. After Union I came to Tucson for graduate school. I received M.S. degrees in physics and computer science. Between those degrees I served Peace Corps (Malaysia) for two years as a physics teacher at

Allen Brailey ’70

1968 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

John Dresser Etna, N.H. jdressernh@gmail.com

1969 CLASS CORRESPONDENTS

George Cushing Delanson, N.Y. pinyachta@gmail.com Ray Pike Salisbury, Mass. rnwpike@comcast.net

Mark Bornfield ’70 writes, “My musical had a reading at the prestigious award-winning, off-Broadway York Theater Company on May 22.”

SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

CLASS NOTES

University Pertanian. I’m looking forward to lots more travel with my wife and children in my retirement.”

1971 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Henry Fein, M.D. Rockville, Md. hgfein@aol.com

1972 Leslie Goldman writes, “Enjoying my retirement which started Nov. 1. Have been splitting our time in Litchfield, Conn., as well as Delray Beach, Fla. Also looking forward to my youngest daughter getting married Memorial Day weekend.”

1973 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

those pathetic blank stares transformed into furious ciphering. We had learned that it is far better to strike out in the wrong direction than to not move at all. The class never got easier but it did become increasingly rewarding to master. On the final exam, I wrote four pages of equations for one problem. My answer was wrong, but Prof. Panlilio gave me almost full credit. Why? Because he was testing my mastery of the two gifts. Finding the exact speed of a fly relative to the ground as it was crawling up a pencil that was pivoting in a circle was just a means to that end. Prof. Panlilio passed away on July 27, 2017. His gifts live on in the countless students he inspired over the decades. May he continue to live on in you.”

Larry Swartz Niskayuna, N.Y. larry.swartz@agriculture.ny.gov

1974

Rick Sparber recalls his first class with the late Filadelfo Panlilio, professor of mechanical engineering:“Though I didn’t realize it at the time, I was lucky in the fall of 1969 to find myself in a ‘weeder’ class with the late Prof. Panlilio of Mechanical Engineering. The material pushed us to the breaking point. The first gift I received from Prof. Panlilio came as a blindingly bright lightbulb around midnight on a Saturday as I began to understand a complex problem. I was learning how to learn. Prof. Panlilio’s second gift was his encouragement as he presented us with a crazy hard problem. Most of us just stared at the problem with a pathetic blank look. A few had horror in their eyes. Our collective trance was broken by words that I have grown to treasure— ‘Assume something!’ Most of the horrified students dropped the class. But for some of us,

Cathy Stuckey Johnson San Mateo, Calif. caj1080@hotmail.com

UNION COLLEGE | SUMMER 2020

CLASS CORREPSONDENT

1976 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Jill Schneier Wegenstein Carmel Valley, Calif. jwegenstein@gmail.com

Agency, Region 9. The region, headquartered in San Francisco, is responsible for administering and enforcing federal environmental laws and programs in California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, 148 Tribes and the Pacific Island Territories. John leads EPA efforts to protect the environment and advance public health for the 50 million Americans who call Region 9 home.

1977 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Leila Shames Maude LeeShamesMaude@alumni. union.edu Gregory McNamara writes, “I have been the medical director of an outpatient medically-assisted treatment program with Clean Slate Centers for the past two years. We work with patients of all ages with substance use disorders. We are trying to turn the tide on the opioid epidemic that is killing hundreds of men and women every day across America.” Dr. Kent Hall has been named chief physician executive (CPE) at Mohawk Valley Health

System. In this position, he is responsible for overseeing the medical staffs of the St. Elizabeth Campus and the St. Luke’s Campus, credentialing, MVHS medical staff office, family medicine residency program, dental residency program, palliative care, medical libraries and the MVHS medical group. He is involved in the quality of medical care delivered as well as responsible for driving quality and safety initiatives throughout MVHS. Hall also works directly with the department chairs, directors of contracted medical groups and hospital-based physicians to coordinate patient care and safety efficiently. Most recently, Kent was chief medical officer (CMO) at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh, as well as Alice Hyde Medical Center in Malone. James Garofalo writes, “The last time I spent more than a week straight at home was before I joined Tim Miller Associates Inc., an environmental planning firm, in 1989. I plan to do this more often even after the pandemic. For now it is catch up time.”

Harry R. Hayes writes, “I am retiring on August 1, 2020 as director of human resources for the Pittsfield (Mass.) School District. Looking forward to spending retirement with my wife, Luci, between our homes on Sacandaga Lake (Saratoga County, New York) and Naples, Florida.” Karen Sokoloff, Andy Messinger (Karen’s husband), Mark Gross ’75, and Naomi Robbins enjoyed time together recently in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. John Busterud is regional administrator for United States Environmental Protection

Harris Halpert writes, “In late December 2019, my wife, Ellen, and I made a trip to NYC and Darien, Conn., for the holidays. While in NYC we got together with Steve Lapidus and his wife, Illeana; Mike Gray and his wife, Tania ’80; Rich Stauber, Pete Aronson and Mike Rotondi and his wife, Meg. As always, it was great to see each other and catch up. It was a wonderful evening. Hard to believe we have been friends for 45 years since freshman year on third floor in Davidson!”

1978 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Jeff Laniewski, Florence, Ariz. jlaniewski4@gmail.com Rob Taylor was recently featured in the Troy Record. The story focused on the musical, “Bandstand,” which played at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady in March. One of the play’s creators, Rob is the lyricist and book writer. Garrett Andrews writes, “Having survived a completely paralyzing broken neck on my birthday 38 years ago, I slowly recovered for years. Determined to thrive during and after that process, initially by living in a tent in the jungles of South Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii for six months and subsequently by becoming a tenured high school English teacher at remotely located Pahoa High near the active Kilauea Volcano, my history still invites me to appreciate every living moment. Prior to returning and settling on five glorious acres in bucolic Woodstock. N.Y., that meant almost a decade teaching and being taught by the largest population of indigenous Hawaiians served by any public school in the state. Retired now for five years, each year I spend three winter

months summering abroad, most recently in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I was visited for a week by Peter ’74 and Mary Tavino. We celebrated la dolce vita one evening at the restaurant Aramburu with an 18-course tasting menu coupled with wine pairings.”

1979 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Kurt Hamblet San Luis Obispo, Calif. kurthamblet@gmail.com

1980 Sara (Simmons) Campbell writes, “Class of 1980 on Facebook recently posted the story of another super-achiever. Sometimes it seems like those family holiday letters. It’s all good news. Impossibly good news. Some of us (most of us) are not ever going to be the multi-million dollar donors. We’ve made decisions not to chase the almighty dollar, or had those decisions made for us. I’m more successful than a huge swath of the population, but I still don’t have much to spare. I have left jobs that don’t make me happy, without a real plan for what's next. I choose to live in a rural area where things are slow but connections are strong. I don’t jet off to close business deals,

From left to right, Greg Cohen ’77, Mark Bennett ’76, Gary Price ’78, Ken Mackenzie ’78 and Jeff Levine ’78 gathered at Contra Restaurant in Manhattan last summer.

but I enjoy my vacations. I am constantly amazed by, and proud of, my kids. They didn’t choose Union and had great college experiences elsewhere. I’m sure we have classmates who have lost children to opioids or other catastrophes. They loved them too. My Union degree in Civil Engineering gave me lots of choices. It gave me friends who are still in my circle. I have been winding down my career for years, working to live, not living to work. I live with the uncertainty of selfemployment. I’m not sure if I will be able to fully retire. It looks like the world is in for some rough times. It’s time to contemplate what's really important. I’m sending out a greeting to our classmates who lost a child, lost a house, lost a job, lost a friend, lost some self-esteem. You’re important, too.” Jim Loree, CEO of Stanley Black & Decker has joined the COVID-19 Task Force recently formed by the Business Roundtable, the association of CEOs from major U.S. corporations. The group will work with government on solutions to minimize public health and economic impacts, while working to strengthen global security in the long term.

1981 Nick Gray writes, “After 37 years in the IT industry, including 30 years at UPS, I retired in October 2018 after they offered a package for retirement-eligible employees. My oldest son was accepted to the Class of 2024 at Union via early decision. He is very excited and I am very proud of him. I’ve been walking every day and taking care of things around the house as my wife is busy caring for her mother

who has dementia (she lives in a nearby assisted living facility). After my younger son graduates from high school (2022) our plan is to move to N.C., S.C. or Tenn.”

Ian Gray ’24, son of Nick Gray ’81

1983 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Cory Lewkowicz Needham, Mass. corylewkowicz@gmail.com Paul Shaskan started a new job as vice president of operations at Sparx Hockey in Acton, Mass. The company began its journey on Kickstarter and was recently named #57 on Inc. Magazine’s “America’s 500 Fastest Growing Companies.”

1984 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Linda Gutin Cary, N.C. lindagutin@hotmail.com Jen Beausoleil writes, “On Nov. 5, I was re-elected to the Coventry (Conn.) Board of Education for my seventh term serving Coventry’s education system, strategic development and student achievement in my community. On Nov 14, I was honored to be elected by the Board with bipartisan support for my 4th term as Board chairman.” Bonnie Rosenberg Rayman is the new chief community officer at the Posnack Jewish

SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

CLASS NOTES

Community Center in Davie, Fla. Her portfolio at the JCC focuses on community outreach and expanding the JCC’s footprint throughout Broward County. Priorities are in East Fort Lauderdale and North Broward County (Parkland and Coral Springs), which are experiencing tremendous growth. The JCC is also hosting the JCC Maccabi Games and Access for summer 2021 and Bonnie is overseeing all of the community outreach and fundraising for the 2021 games.

1985 Jennifer Sconyers Lawton, chief innovation officer at Techstars, was recently featured on dailyhunt.in. The article focused on her career in the male-dominated tech world.

take a stand against oppression and injustice. This is what I hope to teach my children as they negotiate a world that feels less secure than when I was a student at Union.” Kelly M. Williams recently received the Reginald F. Lewis Achievement Award at the SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity) Alternatives Investments conference in March 2020. Kelly is the first female leader to receive this prestigious award from Loida Lewis, widow of Reginald F. Lewis, for her work across the industry, especially promoting minority and women managers. The award is named in honor of a prominent attorney, financier, entrepreneur and philanthropist, the late Reginald F. Lewis. Kelly is CEO of the Williams Legacy Foundation and chair and co-CEO of PEWIN.

based in Darien, Conn. My company specializes in sports media/marketing, sponsorships, and B2B/B2C experiential activations. RDP’s current client roster includes the PGA of America, Baseball America, Swing AI & Swing Index, Queensboro Football Club and the Immortals in E-Sports.”

1987 Aaron Toffler was recently featured on wickedlocal.com. The story announced his recent appointment as director of policy at Boston Harbor Now.

UNION COLLEGE | SUMMER 2020

1989

1988 Michael S. Hiller writes, “In my last update, I announced that I was a candidate for the Democratic Nomination for the Ninth Congressional

1986 Michelle Novelle writes, “It’s been an eventful year. In addition to my role as a parent of 10 children, some of whom are special needs, and my full-time job as a social worker, I am also a member of the Red Cross’s National Disaster Mental Health team. I recently traveled to Puerto Rico to assist with the earthquake and to Oklahoma in response to the tornadoes and floods. My husband and I also took eight of our children to Italy and France, where our five boys served as ushers in a wedding in Camogli and our 6-year-old was a flower girl. I’ve also spent time recently in Finland, Spain and England and have presented in national conferences on mental health and trauma. Life is busy and interesting, and there are opportunities everywhere to

other abled), representing people and businesses against their insurance companies, protecting the environment, fighting for communities against over-development, opposing racial inequality and other forms of discrimination, representing the cannabis industry and advocating for national legalization.”

Bob Koch ’88 and Andy Albert ’89 at the Union vs. Yale hockey game at Yale on March 8

1990

Kelly M. Williams ’86 (center) recently received The Reginald F. Lewis Achievement Award. Pictured with her are Loida Lewis, chair and CEO of TLC Beatrice, LLC, and widow of Reginald F. Lewis; and William A. Goodloe, president and CEO, SEO.

John Cooney writes, “In March 2017, I resigned my position at Time Inc. after a 24-year run representing Sports Illustrated, SI.com, GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com. In 2018–2019, I was SVP sales for the GOLF media properties that were acquired by Emigrant Bank. In September 2019, I launched the consulting firm called Revenue Driving Partners, LLC

District in New York. On Jan. 7, I withdrew from the race after my father, Harold Hiller ’56, unexpectedly passed away in December. I just didn’t have the heart to continue. After some time off, I have returned to my law practice in New York City (Hiller, PC). I continue to represent progressive causes, including the rights of the disabled (and

Darren Binder writes, “In May 2019, after 22 years in the Washington, D.C. area, I moved with my husband, Dave, and our 2.5-year-old twins, Keira and Austin, to beautiful Bend, Oregon. I started a new position as senior vice president/chief legal and risk officer for St. Charles Health System. In this role, I am responsible for the legal, internal audit, compliance, risk management, and information security departments and serve on the executive care team for the health system. We are enjoying living in this resort mountain town with its many outdoor activities, beautiful scenery, and 20+ breweries. Dave and I are still serving on the Board of the dog and cat

1993

rescue we established in D.C., City Dogs Rescue & City Kitties, and plan to continue this work as the organization has grown significantly. I am hoping that some of my Union friends will have a chance to come visit us in Bend.”

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Jill D. Bernstein New York, N.Y. jilldbernstein@yahoo.com

Toby Overdorf ’91, a Florida state legislator, poses with a portrait of Chester Arthur during a visit to the White House

1992 Darren Binder ’90

John Muller writes, “After 30 years in law enforcement, I retired as an investigator from the Rochester (N.Y.) Police Dept. in December 2019.”

John Muller ’90

1991 Tobin “Toby” Overdorf, a Florida state legislator, viewed the Daniel Huntington portrait of Chester Arthur, Class of 1848, 21st president of the United States, during a recent visit to the White House. Overdorf, a Republican, was elected in 2018 to represent Florida’s 83rd House District.

Claudiann Mapp Emmanuel writes, “March 11, I celebrated my 21st year of marriage. I am still teaching public school fifth grade. My son Jacob Jr. is 15 and plays ice hockey. He hopes to be playing for Union in a few short years.” Dr. Rachel R. Kelz has received The William Maul Measey Professorship in Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Surgery with an active endocrine surgery practice and formal training in health services research. Her clinical practice is centered on diseases of the thyroid and parathyroid glands. She serves as vice chair of clinical research, associate program director of the General Surgery Residency Program; director of the Center for Surgery and Health Economics in the Department of Surgery; and surgeon champion for the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Stacie (Jordan) Brenkovich writes, “I am excited to share that after 26 years at Accenture I am starting a new chapter of my career at Deloitte! I will be supporting the knowledge and collaboration needs of the U.S. Client Accelerators, which includes Deloitte’s Greenhouse experiences and CFO program. Here’s to chapter 2!”

1994 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Randall Beach Schenectady, N.Y. rsbeach72@gmail.com Manju Elizabeth (Mathew) George M.D. is a graduate of Union’s B.S./M.D. program. She is a practicing dermatologist, board certified in pediatric dermatology with a solo private practice in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Blaine Langberg celebrated "the launch of his debut novel, Journey of a JuBu. Part pilgrimage, part romp, a blend of spiritual humor and meta-fiction, Journey of a JuBu is best summed up as “Seinfeld meets The Celestine Prophecy.” It is available to

Blaine Langberg ’94 celebrated the launch of his debut novel, Journey of a JuBu

purchase on Amazon.com. Since graduating from Union College, Blaine has been quite busy. He’s now a boardcertified, Harvard-trained orthodontist by day, author and stand-up comedian by night. Blaine lives in Ridgefield, Connecticut with his wife, Rachel Nurick Langberg ’95 and their three daughters. Matthew L. Grabowski, of Georgia Anesthesiologists PC in Marietta, was recently named to Georgia Trend’s inaugural list of the state’s top physicians. Learn more at georgiatrend.com/2020/04/ 30/2020-top-doctors

1995 Jessica Lowenstein Leif writes, “At the annual meeting for the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), I was made a Fellow of the AAPM for my contributions to the field of medical physics.” Jessica is associate director and senior medical physicist at IROC Houston QA Center, U.T. MD Anderson Cancer Center.

1996 David Fusco writes, “I’m the chief administrative officer at CIEE and my wife, Melissa, works at BCG (Boston Consulting Group). We both work on the same street in the financial district in downtown Boston.” Kathy Walter writes, “Officially finished my first year as program counsel for the NYS Department of State Division of Consumer Protection; became a full-fledged senior attorney with civil service; started a small corporate law firm working with entrepreneurs and non-profits (www.4cornerlaw.com); bought a house in downtown SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

CLASS NOTES

Albany and had my first child. Looks like I’m in Albany to stay. It’s been great catching up with local Union grads and Francesca loves visitors, so get in touch anytime!”

1999

1997

2001

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Sara Amann Garrand Ballston Lake, N.Y. sgarrand1@nycap.rr.com Kate Goldman recently wrote a column for The New York Times—“No Masks, Disinfectant or Soap. This Is Detention Amid a Pandemic. Asylum seekers must be released before it is too late.” Kate is a Spanish-language interpreter working with asylum seekers.

1998 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Ryan T. Smith Jupiter, Fla. ryan.smith@thebenjamin school.org Angelo Spenillo writes, “My first book, I Am a Professional Metalhead, was released in late 2019. It’s the story of how my diverse career path was carved by my love for heavy metal music. It has been a fun ride that Union College and WRUC had a role in shaping. It also won a 2020 Axiom Business Book award!”

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Kellie Forrestall BeeBee Lowell, Mass. forrestkj@hotmail.com

Kristen Griswold writes, “Amber L. Muller passed unexpectedly on Sept. 18, 2019. Although she was an anthropology major at Union, she continued her education to earn her masters and become a math teacher. At the time of her passing, Amber taught math at Woodlands High School in the Greenburg Central School District in Hartsdale, N.Y. Previously she had taught English in South Korea, where she also earned a black belt in taekwondo. For many years, she was an indomitable force in Suburbia Roller Derby, where she was known as Mz. Aftermath. She was a regular blood donor and frequently organized blood drives. Her legacy will be felt through her students, friends and colleagues who will remember her passion, heart and unfiltered directness in any conversation. Besides many heartbroken friends, Amber left behind the two loves of her life, her dogs Milo and Mia.” Amber is further remembered on p. 66.

2002

Angelo Spenillo ’98

UNION COLLEGE | SUMMER 2020

new role as an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Columbia University. I specialize in hip and knee replacement surgeries. I see patients and perform surgeries in northern Westchester at NYP Hudson Valley Hospital.”

Robert Lindholm has been elected to the partnership at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough. He focuses his practice on government investigations and white collar defense, complex business litigation and class action defense, and e-discovery and litigation readiness. He joined the firm in 2017 and works in the Charlotte, N.C., office.

2007 Robert Lindholm ’02

Chris Heath moved back home to New Hampshire from North Carolina in February. He dissolved his LLC in N.C. and is now working at New Hampshire Ball Bearing in Laconia, N.H. as an information technology specialist.

2003 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Katrina Tentor Lallier Shrewsbury, Mass. katrinalallier@gmail.com Michael Macomber was recently promoted to equity partner at Tully Rinckey PLLC. He is CEO of the firm.

2005 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Noelle Marchaj Old Saybrook, Conn. marchajn@union.edu Joe Fisher was recently named to the Albany Business Review’s 40 Under 40 list, which honors young people making a mark in the region across industries. Joe is director of production at Vicarious Visions.

2006 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Sarah T. Heitner New York, N.Y. sarah.t.heitner@gmail.com Thomas R Hickernell writes, “This past autumn I started a

CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Jackie Siedlecki Murphy Delmar, N.Y. jaclynrenemurphy@gmail.com

2008 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Dana Cohen Bernstein New York, N.Y. dana.lynn.bernstein@gmail.com Victor Cardinali writes, “I started a new job running the Bonobos Guideshop at Roosevelt Field on Long Island! If any Union alum needs dapper attire, tell them to stop on by!”

2009 CLASS CORRESPONDENTS

Gabe Kramer Los Angeles, Calif. kramerg3@gmail.com Carl S. Winkler New York, N.Y. carl.s.winkler@gmail.com

2012 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Anna Meiring Boston, Mass. annameiring@gmail.com Aviva Rutkin recently wrote an article for National Geographic magazine about why some people are more vulnerable to the novel coronavirus. Read it at www.nationalgeographic. com/science/2020/ 03/ why-some-people-are-morevulnerable-to-catchingcoronavirus/

’00

David Dussault ’00 on grinding it out

avid Dussault ’00 knows the difference between entrepreneurship and building a company. Entrepreneurship is exciting. Building a company is dirty. “Entrepreneurship is not driven just by ideas and mindset,” he said during a campus talk with students in early March. “Those are important, but a lot of it has to do with execution, just grinding it out. It’s really in the details. Building a company is a dirty, chaotic process that incorporates a lot of people, a lot of physical assets, resources and customers.” After graduating from Union with a double major in history and economics, David started his career with GE Energy, where he graduated from the company’s management leadership program. While at GE, he considered starting a new company. So he went with what was familiar. As a Schenectady native and part of the fourth generation of a family dedicated to machining and manufacturing, he didn’t have to look far. “I was inspired by my father, who was a factory assembler,” he said. “I wanted to start a 21st-century manufacturing business that focuses on technology and inspires the next generation to make parts for aerospace and power generation.” After starting and investing in a number of manufacturing and technology companies, today he is founder and CEO of Schenectady-based P1 Ventures. The company is a network merging technology and traditional manufacturing for

D AV I D D U S S A U LT ’ 0 0

power generation, aerospace and other emerging technologies by using small manufacturing firms that have available time and labor. In his talk, Dussault cited a latent capacity in manufacturing. There are 16,000 machine companies (864 in New York alone) of less than 20 employees, many in rural areas, with utilization rates of only 30 percent. Forbes recently named P1 one of the nation’s top 25 small businesses. As a Union student, Dussault set out as a history major with ambitions to become a professor. Long hours of research and his father’s encouragement to pursue business caused him to add an economics major in his junior year. He said he values

the critical thinking and writing skills he honed at Union. His recent campus talk was sponsored by Entrepreneurs of the Nott (EON). During COVID, P1 has been working seven days a week to create social distancing on the shop floor, Dussault said. But the company has also gone on the offensive, tripling its marketing budget. “We are taking advantage of the re-shoring sentiment that is starting to gain momentum in industrial supply chains,” he said. “We are actively interviewing and hiring new salespeople and using this time to gain market share while maintaining safety for our people and their families.”

SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

CLASS NOTES

In a recent campus visit, Antonio “A.J.” Gutierrez ’10 with Saga colleagues, from left, Kyra DeTone ’16, Cathryn Cook ’09 and Lativa Holder ’10

’10

Giving the gift of education A.J. GUTIERREZ ’10

ntonio “A.J.” Gutierrez ’10 remembers what it took to get to a college like Union. Today, he is on a mission to ensure that others follow in his footsteps. He is co-founder and vice president of marketing and communications of Saga Education, a national non-profit that partners with 26 public high schools in Chicago, New York City and Washington to supplement teaching instruction by offering trained tutors for students who are falling behind. The program serves about 3,500 students annually, and over 12,000 since 2014. At Saga, it’s about algebra first. Eighty percent of students who drop out of high school cite course failures as their number one reason, and Algebra 1 is the course most frequently failed, according to Saga. So, Saga tutors are focused on lifting ninth graders over the Algebra 1 hurdle, a challenge for teachers in large classes that require intensive individualized instruction. Among Saga’s evidence of success, a study has shown that students earn up to 2.5 years of additional math learning per year in Saga, higher standardized test scores, and higher math and non-math GPAs. Last year, the Corporation for Community and National Service awarded Saga a three-year AmeriCorps grant, the

UNION COLLEGE | SUMMER 2020

second largest of 74 first-time awardees in the U.S. Saga was a 2020 honoree on Fast Company’s list of the 50 most innovative companies. Saga has the support of major philanthropies including the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. A.J. got his mission-driven spirit from his native Villa Victoria where the residents of the low-income Puerto Rican community in the South End of Boston have a reputation for community service and standing up for housing rights. At 14, A.J. entered Match Education Charter School with less than mediocre marks and no confidence in his academic abilities. An in-school tutoring program, an early version of Saga, changed all that. He connected with tutors who called his parents each week and remembered his birthday. He started getting A’s and B’s. He found the confidence to pursue college. And he met a mentor, Match Executive Director Alan Safran, who would later become his cofounder at Saga. He fell in love with Union when he visited on a college tour, but knew he had to find a way to finance his education. Enter the Posse Foundation, a leadership development program that operates on 60 college campuses with small, diverse

Antonio “A.J.” Gutierrez ’10 holds a Strategic Plan brochure showing him as a Kenney Center tutor

and supportive groups of full scholarship students. “The stars really aligned for me when I found out about Posse and that Union would become a new partner,” he said. “It was wonderful to be a pioneer and to work alongside an amazing team to encourage courageous conversations about significant local and national issues.” “I am grateful for Union’s continued partnership with the Posse Foundation,” he said. “It was wonderful to see Union Posse 14 and I have the new honor of being an OG Posse Scholar.”

At Union, he was also active as a Kenney Community Center volunteer. “[It] gave me the chance to learn about some of the challenges and the strengths of the community,” he said. “I heard directly from parents—their concerns, their hopes for their kids, and their dreams for the future. More importantly, I loved connecting with the amazing students in Schenectady.” A.J., who represents Saga each year at the College’s annual Career Fair, is always looking to expand his Union connections. Three alumnae— Kyra DeTone ’16, Cathryn Cook ’09 and Lativa Holder ’10—are leading core areas of Saga. “We are always looking for alumni to engage with us, especially as we seek to expand our board as well as our capacity,” he said. “I am proud that Union alumni have played a significant role in spearheading crucial areas at Saga and cannot even put into words how vital their leadership has been throughout the genesis of our development.” A philosophy major at Union, he received his MBA from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, specializing in public and nonprofit management. He is a board member of Summer Search Boston. A.J. and his wife, Jaclyn (Brick) Gutierrez ’10 live in Westborough, Mass., with their daughter Olivia, 4.

2013 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Cristina Vazzana Boston, Mass. vazzanaca@gmail.com Simona McChristian writes, “I got married and am now Simona Evelyn McChristian (formerly Teixeira) and I had a baby girl (Avery Simone McChristian), born October 1!”

In May, Ackeem Hill was in first place in YLC Quarantines Got Talent contest. Nolan Connors is a captain in the 26th Marine Unit conducting operations in the Arabian Gulf. The former Union assistant men’s lacrosse coach crossed paths in April with a former neighbor, Justice Constantine (USNA 2016), a lieutenant Navy helicopter pilot who landed on Connor’s ship. Both are children of Union employees. Nolan is the son of Anne Connors a registered nurse in the Wicker Health Center. Justice is the daughter of Tom Constantine, associate director of Campus Safety.

2015 Louis Fierro writes, “I am currently working as a technical consultant at the Education Advisory Board (EAB) in Washington D.C. and am open to assisting current students or recent alums who might be interested in tech and/or higher education.”

Shanna Shi writes, “I’ve started a new job as a baseball operations fellow with the Toronto Blue Jays, working with research and development in analyzing player data.” Jordan Pulling writes, “I graduated in May 2019 with my master of landscape architecture and am working as a landscape designer at Sasaki Associates in the Boston, Mass., area.”

2016 CLASS CORRESPONDENT

Lauren Woods Watervliet, N.Y. 2016@alumni.union.edu

2017 Toni Batha was recently featured in the Los Alamos Daily Post. The story focused on her experiences in the Peace Corps, teaching English to students in Namibia.

2018 Kathryn Wall writes, “I have recently been accepted to Yale University’s neuroscience Ph.D. program. I will begin this program in the fall of this year. I am very excited about this opportunity.”

2019 Andrew Hamlin, an engineering Ph.D. candidate at Dartmouth, has won support from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program. Hamlin’s research in materials science focuses on developing low-cost fabrication methods of thin-film solar photovoltaics for solar power systems.

Ben Gilroy writes, “I am now working as an account manager for alibaba’s North American supply chain focusing on ocean logistics. I accepted the role in January and I am loving it. Currently living in NYC surrounded by all my friends from Union.” Bobby Lynch and Kewan Harrison ’15 are co-founders of Plant Strength Performance. The company’s mission is to “defy the status quo and prove what’s possible through the power of plants.” Learn more at plantstrengthperformance.com

SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

U UNIONS

’09 Karin Ente ’09 married Stephen Baumann

UNION COLLEGE | SUMMER 2020

2009

’09

Meghan Morrissey and Michael Russell were married Oct. 12, 2019 at Ocean Edge Resort in Cape Cod. Alumni in attendance included Andy Barhite, Meg (Licht) Barhite, Jessica (Latino) Vanderlaan, Anne (Hanson) Curtis, Albert Vanderlaan, Alana Santaro, Tiffany (Higgins) McDaniel, Molly Freeman, Derek Witheford and Jason Curtis.

Alumni attend the wedding of Meghan Morrissey ’09 and Michael Russell

Surrounded by family and friends, Karin Ente ’09 married Stephen Baumann in Stevensville, Md., Oct. 19, 2019. Katie Colglazier (née Nielsen) married Gareth Colglazier (Franklin and Marshall ’09) on Sept. 7, 2019 in Lewes, Del. Alumni in attendance included Jessica (Handibode) Salzwedel, Mallory (Mason) Sakats, Andrew Reigle ’08, Sara (Wilson) Reigle, Tatum Weishaupt, Elizabeth Zamore, Elizabeth (Stanford) Zulick, Alan Zulick ’10, Lyndsay (Wehrum) Damo, Elise Wakeland, Megan Bordino and Amy (Kemmler) Kocienda.

’09

’10

2010 Alumni attend the wedding of Katie Colglazier (née Nielsen) and Gareth Colglazier

Fumika (Hashiba) Whelihan married Nathan Edward Whelihan Aug. 8, 2019, and had a wedding Nov. 24 in Osaka, Japan. She writes, “My dear friend from Union, Alex Fortune Kenyon ’10, and his wife, Emily, came to attend our wedding all the way from the U.S.A. We also welcomed our first son, Ryan Yutaka Whelihan, March 2, 2020.”

Fumika (Hashiba) Whelihan ’10 and Nathan Edward Whelihan

SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

UNIONS

2011

’11

’11 52

Cassandra Skoufalos and Matthew Quinlan were married June 15, 2019 at the Delamar Greenwich Harbor Hotel. Alumni in attendance included Katie and Anthony Pontosky, Maryssa and Zach Antilety, Addie Dunn, Melissa Peeler, Lauren Guidi, Amanda Powers, Shelby Cutter, Kelly Krause, Amanda Egan, Dan Kutner and Tim McGovern.

Alumni attend the wedding of Cassandra Skoufalos ’11 and Matthew Quinlan

Matt Torpey ’06 and Mary Beth Tyler Alumni attend the wedding of Kaius Garber ’11 and Hilary Segar Garber ’10

Alumni attend the wedding of Amanda (Samuels) Sharfman ’11 and Noah Sharfman

UNION COLLEGE | SUMMER 2020

Kaius Garber and Hilary Segar Garber ’10 were married Aug. 24, 2019 in Narragansett, R.I. Alumni in attendance included Ted Civetti, Allie Cuozzo, Tim Furcillo, Jon Lareau, Monica Lareau, Katie O’Shea, Allie Ryan, Ashley Simses, Brendan Steiner, Meredith Steiner, Lauren Trell, Dan Blum ’11, Alex Brockwehl ’11, Chris Chiodo ’11, Jake Grabowski ’11, Andrew Heitmann ’11, Schuyler Hooper ’11, Ian Hunter ’11, Sam Kenyon ’11, Brendan Kinnane ’11, Jeff Lounsbury ’11, Sam Lundquist ’11, Joseph Milone ’11, Henry Myers ’11, Mark O’Shea ’11, Mark Sartori ’11, Cameron Skinner ’11, Zach Weil ’11, Kealin Civetti ’12, Brianne Fennessy ’12, Ellen Milone ’12 and Norton H. Reamer ’58. Amanda (Samuels) Sharfman and Noah Sharfman were married on Aug. 25, 2019 at Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Conn. Alumni in attendance included her uncle, aunt and cousin—Bruce ’86, Laurie ’87 and Alex ’15 Goldsmith—and from the Class of 2011: Rachel (Lazarus) Solomon, Amanda Rosamino, Rebecca Hoffenberg, Alexa Engert, Lydia (Treat) Connell, Alex Connell, Rachael (Singelton) Hurwitz, Kelsey Albert and Chelsey (Cutting) Wold. Attendees from the Class of 2010 were Joe Wold, Casey Snepar and Dana Katz.

2012 Ajay Major, M.D., M.B.A., married Jacob Walker, M.D., Oct. 26, 2019 in Larkspur, Colo. Alumni in attendance included Alan Rutkin ’80, Aviva Hope Rutkin, Misty Shah, Aleena Paul, Shalini Singaravelu and Jaclyn Mandart.

’12

Alumni attend the wedding of Ajay Major ’12 and Jacob Walker

Alumni attend the wedding of Paul-Etienne Coisne ’12 and Charlène Rinquin

Alumni attend the wedding of Brianne Fennessy ’12 and Brendan Kinnane ’11

Paul-Etienne Coisne married Charlène Rinquin Aug. 31, 2019 at the Reigny Abbey, in France. His former rowing teammates seized the occasion to reunite and flew from their respective parts of the world to celebrate! Thanks again to Maggie Hoffman ’15, Sebastian Nilsson ’15, Greg Brenn ’15 and Nick Brenn ’15 for the gift of their presence. Brianne Fennessy and Brendan Kinnane ’11 were married Sept. 14, 2019 under a full moon in Westport, Mass. Alumni in attendance included Amy Vladmir Fine ’79, Brooke Donnelly, Ted McKenna, Kealin Maloney, Ted Civetti ’10, Lizzie Pike, Anna Finlay, Ali Berg, Andie Coopersmith, Isy Zellweger, Lizzy Rosato, Jamie Therrien, Hilary Salander, Will Mahony, Hilary Bergman, Christian Nebergall ’11, Hilary Segar ’10, Kaius Garber ’11, Ian Hunter ’11, Sam Kenyon ’11, Andrew Heitman ’11, Zach Weil ’11, Mark Sartori ’11, Cam Skinner ’11, Jeff Lounsbury ’11, Hank Myers ’11, Dan Blum ’11, Chris Chiodo ’11, Derek Witheford ’11, Katie Weinstein ’10 and Mark O’Shea ’11 .

On Aug. 24 2019, Will Pinkston and Amanda (Greenberg) Pinkston got married in Glenville, N.Y. at River Stone Manor. They were married about 10 minutes away from where they started dating at Union College during their senior year in 2012. Alumni in attendance included Matthew Knauss ’11, Christopher Choquette, Marc Zeyak, Rachel SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

UNIONS

Beaulac, Scott Reddy, Mary Donohue, James (Dutch) Pinkston ’72, Stephanie Bradford, Nell Pinkston ’15, Kirk Seaman ’14, Danielle Horowitz, Ed Milde ’11, Jordana Kozupsky, Amanda Wiener, Owen Miller, Aviva Dworkin, Taylor LaBrecque, Mitch Pfeiffer, Kimberly Blecich ’13, Eric Langner, Craig Santangelo, Thomas Albano, Michael Szczesniak, Greg Bel ’13, Timothy Pryor, Sarah Rosenblum, Elizabeth Lanza and Robert Beaton. Krystle (Gallo) Blake and Carlton Blake were married Oct. 5, 2019 at Quonquont Farm in Whately, Mass. Alumni in attendance included Irina Zhorov ’13, Elizabeth Bocchino ’11, Nathan Haines ’13, Stephanie Dick ’16, Kathryn Long, Steven Stangle ’14, Kimberly (Klion) Padd and Kira Moldow ’10.

’12

Alumni attend the wedding of Will Pinkston ’12 and Amanda (Greenberg) Pinkston ’12

2013 Emma Freter and Mike Perry were married Oct. 19, 2019 at the Barn on the Pemi in Plymouth, N.H. Alumni in attendance included Alex Handin ’10, Connor Barrett ’14, John Carroll, Jenna Langhans, Smita (Ravichandran) Carroll, Shilpa Darivemula, Rebecca Slosberg ’12, Omer Zaidi, Kyra DeTone ’15 and Nealay Vasavda ’15.

’12

Alumni attend the wedding of Krystle (Gallo) Blake ’12 and Carlton Blake

2014 Joshua Rose and Katherine Pouliot ’16 were married Sept. 27, 2019 at Kingston Place in Vt. Josh conducts research at Adimab, a small antibody production company. Katherine works as an oncology nurse and finished her doctor of nursing practice degree in May. Alumni in attendance included Kris Darlington,

UNION COLLEGE | SUMMER 2020

’13

Alumni attend the wedding of Emma Freter ’13 and Mike Perry Oct. 19, 2019

Lauren Darlington, Joe Vito Sr., Sebastian Nilsson, Chetna Prasad, Maggie Hoffman, Tom Kolb, Austin Bannister, Nick Hersey, Hunter Constable, Tosin Kazeem, Colleen Pouliot, Josh Rose, Mike Miceli, Arielle Dufour, Katherine Pouliot, Kenny Schunck, Andrew Fontaine, Alex Papalian, Ally Troy, Nikki Casper, Stanley Jiang, Jake Lebowitz, Lauren Gibson, Dylan Schuck, John Costa, Adam Forti and Shelia Kang. Juliette Larzelere and Duncan Keith Law III (Quinnipiac ’13) were married on Sept. 28, 2019 in Westport, Mass. Alumni in attendance included Connor McManus, Erica Antman, Micaela Desimone, Shawn Stuart ’13, Will Larzelere ’12, Nick LaPoint, Nick Becker, Emily Zangrillo, Katie Baisley, Steph Hynes, Emily Rider, Ali Feldman, Shannon LaPoint, Alex Bodie and Anne Morrissey.

’14

Alumni attend the wedding of Joshua Rose ’14 and Katherine Pouliot ’16

2015 Cara Peterhansel ’16 and Julian Jocque were married in Northampton, Mass., Nov. 2, 2019. The ceremony was officiated by Thomas Arcuri. Alumni were in the wedding party included Drew Ivarson, Caleb Novins, Kaelan Hansson, Stephen DiIorio, William Doyle and Emily Lenza ’17. Other alumni in attendance were Giselle Koo ’17, Peter Jacobo ’17, Olivia Williamson ’16, Maxwell Collins, Ben Berger and Suan Quah Ivarson.

’14

Alumni attend the wedding of Juliette Larzelere ’14 and Duncan Keith Law III

Vincenza “Enza” MacHerone married Jack Castle Dec. 5, 2019. They live in Schenectady, N.Y., and work at Key Investment Services as financial advisors.

2016 Erin Wade ’16 married Rob Carter on Sept. 13, 2019, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

’15

Alumni attend the wedding of Cara Peterhansel ’16 and Julian Jocque ’15

SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

UNIONS

Alumni Clubs

’15

Vincenza “Enza” MacHerone ’15 and Jack Castle

BOSTON Alumni enjoyed a Harvard vs. Union hockey event at PARK Restaurant and Bar, Harvard Square.

’16

Erin Wade ’16 married Rob Carter

WASHINGTON, D.C. Gerry Schwinn ’59, Joshua Kloud ’21, Davis Harrington ’21, Jordan Cooper ’18 got together during the Washington, D.C. term.

Get in on Union College’s

CAREER ADVISORY NETWORK UCAN is a Union-exclusive, searchable database of approximately 13,000 alumni and friends of the College who have offered to share information and advice relative to their career and/or graduate school interests. Please join or update your information today at ucan.union.edu! IT’S NEW AND IMPROVED! Check out our updated website ualumni.union.edu your source for upcoming events, ReUnion and Homecoming information and alumni news.

UNION COLLEGE | SUMMER 2020

NEW YORK CIT Y Members of the New York City alumni club board got together for their annual spring meeting via Zoom in June. In attendance were Benjamin Engle '12, Peter Falco '09, Kate Foley '13, Josh Davis '14, Jeff Fransen '03, Damond Heath '10, Tess Skoller '13 and Robert Derbabian '83.

Nearly 900 members of the Union community made gifts on #ADAY4U (April 28), the College’s annual day of giving. Over

U MADE

$768,000 was raised to support students and faculty, scholarships and financial aid, academics and athletics.

We would like to offer a special thank you to the following members of the Union community, who served as advocates on #ADAY4U. Together they inspired donors, shared their personal Union stories and helped to make this important effort a great success. Edward Abbott ’97 Carli Aragosa ’17 Kathleen Baird ’75 Mary Jo Burke ’90 Matt Cohen ’98 Brian Colantropo ’02 Nick Famulare ’92, P’21 Richard Ferguson ’67 Sue Ferris ’81 Robert Fischman ’71 Christopher Foley ’10 John Honey ’61 Anthony Ianniello ’65 Kenya LeNoir Messer ’90 Ilan Levine ’16 Noelle Beach Marchaj ’05 Timothy McCabe ’73 Bill Reaman ’61 Drena Root ’87 Meredith Scaplen ’10 Peter Shore ’77 Michael Stalteri ’19 Larry Swartz ’73 Mark Webster ’88 Andrea Weitzner ’92 Jessica Wenger ’10 Emily Williams ’06 Caleb Yoken ’19

GREAT

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A VOLUNTEER FOR THE UNION FUND, we would love to have you. Contact Shawna Scoville, associate director of the Union Fund, at scovills@union.edu or (518) 388-8380 to learn more. SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

CLASS NOTES

U ARRIVALS

Mario Fusco (Fusco ’96)

Francesca Viola Walter (Walter ’96)

Natalie Eleanor Saltsman (Saltsman ’98)

Emilia Grace DeMichele (DeMichele ’03)

Sarre Gellar Boglioli ’04 and Steve Boglioli ’03 with daughters Charlotte, Emma, Hazel and Ivy.

Jillian Lubarsky Akavan ’05 with her family

Ryan Breakley ’04 and Emily (French) Breakley ’07 with their children, Catherine and Charlie

Maya Belle Yale (Yale ’09)

Nicholas visited Union for the first time in 2019 and he seemed to love it as much as I still do!”

2004

their son, Charlie, on Sept. 30. Emily and Ryan live in Charlestown, Mass., with many other Union alums who they see often. They write, “Charlie, and his big sister, Catherine, have lots of playdates with the Union kiddos. Maybe someday they will all be Union graduates as well!”

1996 David Fusco writes, “I’m happy to announce that my wife, Melissa, and I had our first baby Oct. 14, 2019. He is proudly named Mario, after my father. He is healthy and happy and already in Union gear.” Kathy Walter welcomed a daughter, Francesca Viola, in January. She’s already looking forward to rugby season!

1998 Sara Saltsman writes, “My husband, Patrick, and I welcomed a baby girl, Natalie Eleanor, in August. She joins big brother Nicholas, who is already three years old. 58

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2003 Brian DeMichele writes, “Kelly and I welcomed Emilia Grace DeMichele on June 12, 2019. We are thrilled to have expanded the family to four. Lucca has been a wonderful and caring big brother, and we couldn’t be happier. Also, after just about four years working at Union, I took a position as a dedicated athletics gift officer at Skidmore College in May 2019. It’s been a great year so far, and if you’re ever in the area for track season, maybe we will see you there.”

Sarre Gellar Boglioli and Steve Boglioli ’03 welcomed their fourth daughter, Ivy Elizabeth, on Oct. 7, 2019. Big sisters, Charlotte, Emma and Hazel could not be more excited!

2005 Jillian Lubarsky Akavan and her husband welcomed their daughter, Summer Akavan, Sept. 8, 2019. Jillian is the communications director at the New York Foundling.

2007 Ryan Breakey ’04 and Emily (French) Breakey welcomed

2009 Amy Gold Yale and Alex Yale welcomed Maya Belle Yale Oct. 28, 2019.

2010 Meredith and Brendan Steiner welcomed their son, Logan Richard Steiner, into the world Dec. 19, 2019.

Logan Richard Steiner (Steiner ’10)

Ryan Yutaka Whelihan (Whelihan ’10)

Ryder Everett Jaffe (Jaffe ’10)

Sawyer Rye (Mitchell ’10)

Emily Arlen O’Reilly (O’Reilly ’10)

Amelie Amaral Gerber (Amaral ’11)

Ernest James Smith (Smith ’11)

Jackson Boyd (Boyd ’12)

Fumika Hashiba Whelihan and Nathan Edward Whelihan welcomed their son, Ryan Yutaka Whelihan, March 2, 2020.

Jessica Jaffe and Greg Jaffe welcomed their baby boy, Ryder Everett Jaffe, Jan. 6, 2019.

2011 Thomas Gerber (UGC alumnus) and Clarissa Borro Amaral welcomed their daughter, Amelie Amaral Gerber, in September 2019.

Rebecca Bardach Mitchell and Gregory Mitchell are thrilled to announce the birth of their son, Sawyer Rye, Jan. 18, 2020 in Brooklyn, N.Y. Sawyer is also the grandson of Cheryl Swanson Mitchell ’79 and Andrew Mitchell ’80.

Chris Smith and Rachel Smith welcomed a son, Ernest James Smith, into the world on Dec. 18, 2019. Hopefully a future Union student!

Conor O’Reilly and Samantha (Zayas) O’Reilly welcomed their first child, Emily Arlen O’Reilly, Sept. 20, 2019 in San Jose, California.

Alex Boyd writes, “My wife, Lauren, and I welcomed a baby boy on 2/14/20— Jackson Boyd.”

Daniel Lust ’10 and Rachel Lust ’12 with daughter, Dylan Rose

Anthony Sebastian Beaule (Beaule ’14)

2012

Daniel Lust ’10 and Rachel Lust welcomed a baby girl Nov. 6, 2019, named Dylan Rose Lust.

2014 Jillian Beaule ’13 writes, “Andrew Beaule ’14 and I had a baby Aug. 15, 2019—Anthony Sebastian Beaule!”

SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

8 IN MEMORIAM

8 1930s Richard T. Connolly ’37, of Rochester, N.Y., who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, Nov. 15, 2019. First employed by General Electric, Dick was an advertising-space salesman for the Schenectady Gazette before joining the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle in the same capacity. Dick, who coached Little League baseball, was fond of family, friends, sports, good clothes and politics. He was 103.

1940s Sheldon J. Evans ’40, of White Plains, N.Y., who served in the U.S. Army, became a sharpshooter and was part of the trucking corps nicknamed the Red Ball Express, Dec. 21, 2019. After earning an M.B.A. and Ed.D. from Columbia University Teachers College, he was assistant superintendent of schools for business management in the Mamaroneck School District. Later, Sheldon joined the N.Y.S. Department of Education, where he performed school and program accreditation. An active member of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, he was predeceased by his wife, Phyllis, and is survived by four children, two grandchildren and two nieces. He was 101. Roger E. Moran ’41, of Amsterdam, N.Y., who was a pilot with the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II and was awarded the Air Medal with Oakleaf Cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross and three Bronze Stars on his Asiatic-Pacific Ribbon, Sept. 28, 2019. Also a recipient of the New York State Senate’s Liberty Medal, he worked in the General Electric payroll department for 34 years. A member of St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and GE Quarter Century Club, he enjoyed fishing and the New York Yankees. He was 100.

UNION COLLEGE | SUMMER 2020

Edward J. Beargeon ’44, of Franklin, Mass., and formerly of Walpole, who served with the U.S. Army during World War II and spent 30 years as a store manager for F.W. Woolworth’s, June 17, 2019. Ed, who also held executive positions with Denbys and the Fashion (New York), the Outlet (Dartmouth) and Myer Brothers (N.J.), was an avid golfer and skier. Also a history buff, during retirement he was a tour guide for Shaker Village of Canterbury, Mass. Ed later worked for Special Olympics of New Hampshire. He was 97. Jack F. Trenner ’45, of Sykesville, Md., who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and the Korean Conflict and advanced to assistant general manager of Sparrows Point Plant during his 35 years with Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Jan. 24, 2020. Active in his community he was involved with many organizations, including Nottingham Improvement Association, Engineers Club of Sparrows Point, Maryland General Hospital, the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He also helped form the Retired Employees Benefits Coalition and during retirement was executive-in-residence in the University of Baltimore School of Business and Management. He was 94.

served as one of the state’s youngest district attorneys before becoming a surrogate court judge. Also employed with the state Department of Transportation, the Commission of Campus Unrest and the Commission of Environmental Conservation, he later become president of United Communications Corporation (Va.). A 70-year Rotarian and county VFW commander, he was 93. Boris Dzula ’47, of North Kingstown, R.I., who served in the U.S. Naval Reserve and with the U.S. Navy during World War II and the Korean War, Feb. 23, 2020. Later working for International Telephone and Telegraph, he developed seven patents and was point person in Germany for ITT and in Japan on military communication systems. Boris, who enjoyed skiing, flying and music, held a private pilot license and played the piano. He also loved the opera and once had an amateur radio station. He was 94.

Morris Canter ’47, of Hartford, Conn., who served in the U.S. Navy Reserves in pharmacy and had a long career in sales with Prudential Insurance Company, Jan. 11, 2020. A 50-year member of the Hartford Mutual Society, he greatly enjoyed taking cruises with his wife, Carolyn. He was 97.

Joseph W. Kowalczyk ’48, of Hanover, Penn., who served with the U.S. Navy during World War II and was a Maryknoll priest for 58 years, Dec. 15, 2019. Ordained in 1961, Joseph spent 20 years in Peru and from 1996-1997 was the vicar general under Bishop Hugo Garaycoa in the Diocese of Tacna and Moquegua. In retirement, he served part-time on mission promotion appeals and as spiritual director at the Maryknoll residence in Los Altos, Calif. Later a resident at the Society Center in Maryknoll, N.Y., he was appointed to the pastoral visitors team in 2019. He was 92.

Ernest G. Peltz ’47, of Glens Falls, N.Y., and formerly of Bath and Hammondsport, who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and graduated from Albany Law School, Jan. 1, 2020. In Bath, Ernest

Thomas F. Crone ’48, of Peabody, Mass., who served in the U.S. Navy and spent more than 40 years with Gerrity Lumber, Jan. 18, 2020. An avid proponent of physical fitness, Tom enjoyed the beach

and gardening, and enjoyed racing his sunfish at Willow Bank Yacht Club. A member of the Cazenovia (N.Y.) ski club when he lived there, he was a member of the church choir and Theater at the Pond acting troupe in Booksby Village (Mass.). His Catholic faith was a constant throughout his life. He was 94. Robert E. Yung ’48, of Orchard Park, N.Y., who served in the U.S. Navy and was a member of Western Star Lodge 1185 (formerly 514), Feb. 21, 2020. He was 95. Dr. Leslie Zatz ’48, of Palo Alto, Calif., a radiologist who envisioned the framework behind some of today’s advanced radiology practices and AI-powered diagnostics, Feb. 21, 2020. A professor emeritus of radiology at the Stanford School of Medicine who joined the school in 1962, he was a graduate of Albany Medical College. Les designed and implemented the first structured reporting in radiology and enjoyed skiing, camping and hiking. He played clarinet, recorder and harmonica, and loved a good game of bridge. He was 91. Robert M. Fuller Sr. ’49, of Wilmington, N.C., who served in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a B-24 pilot during World War II and the Air Force Reserves, Nov. 6, 2019. Employed for 35 years by National Gypsum Company, where he held leadership roles that included overseeing construction and management of new plants in France and Wilmington, he held a master’s degree in mining engineering from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. In retirement, Robert became a master gardener and volunteered at New Hanover County Arboretum as a carpenter. He was 95.

Ernest J. Corio ’49, of Beverly, Mass., Oct. 27, 2019. He was 91. Paul Ton ’49, of Aurora, Colo., who served with the U.S. Army in the 866th engineering battalion and held an M.A. from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in history from the University of Denver, Feb. 9, 2020. Paul, who taught history at South High School (Denver) from 1952-1989, also taught at Metropolitan State University from 1991-2004. A member of First Presbyterian Church of Aurora for 60 years, he was 93.

1950s Martin J. O’Meara Jr. ’50, of East Hartford and Niantic, Conn., who served with the U.S. Army and worked with his father at O’Meara Motors, Dec. 23, 2019. Martin, who later worked in real estate, gaming and outdoor advertising, also served on several corporate boards, including International Lottery and Totalizator Systems. Chairman of the O’Meara Foundation for many years, he was an accomplished yacht racer and past commodore of the Niantic Bay Yacht Club. Also a member of the New York, Newport and Hartford yacht clubs, he served as a corporator of Hartford Hospital. He was 90. Arthur A. Agnello ’50, of Rochester, N.Y., who served in the U.S. Army infantry in Germany and was a trombone player in the 88th AGF Band and oversaw USO band assignments around Paris, Jan. 4, 2020. A graduate of Cornell Law School, he had a general law practice in Rochester for nearly 60 years. Arthur, who loved music, travel and family dinners, was 93.

Dr. Edward W. Carsky ’50, of Skaneateles, N.Y., and Naples, Fla., who served with the U.S. Navy during World War II and graduated from Columbia University and New York Medical College, Dec. 28, 2019. Edward, who spent 13 years mainly at the old Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, also practiced for 27 years at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center. He was radiology department chair of both hospitals for more than 25 years and was a clinical professor of radiology. The co-author of 30 scientific studies who was active in professional and community organizations, he was 93. Henry Ferguson ’50, of Albany, N.Y, who served in the U.S. Navy and earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University, Aug. 17, 2019. A Columbia University Fellow and two-time Fulbright Fellow, he taught at Union College and Trinity College (Conn.) and directed the Educational Resources Center in New Delhi, India. Co-founder of InterCulture Associates, he later was director of the Center for International Programs at the New York State Education Department. And avid sailor who crewed on a yacht in the Bermuda Race, he was 92. Leland B. Siskind ’50, of North Andover, Mass., who served in the U.S. Navy in WWII aboard the USS Marcus Island, Nov. 16, 2019. He sang for 25 years with the Newburyport Choral Society, and was a life-long member of Temple Emanuel (Andover). A born Red Sox fan, Lee was a lover of history and politics, a patron of the arts and a life-long supporter of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He was 92. Robert C. Duncan Jr. ’51, of Princeton, N.J., who held an M.A. in physics from Cornell University and was a research physicist for many years with RCA Laboratories, Nov. 25, 2019. The author of numerous

SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

IN MEMORIAM

research papers, he served as facilities allocation manager at RCA before retiring in 1987. Active in supporting equal rights on the national and local levels, Bob was president of Princeton YMCA Service Club and the West Windsor Township Board of Education. Also a member of the Nassau Presbyterian Church, an amateur tennis player and aspiring sailor, he was 90. Daniel B. Silliman ’51, of Augusta, Ga., who served with the New York Air National Guard during the Korean Conflict and sold insurance in New York and Augusta for 46 years, Dec. 5, 2019. Treasurer of the Independent Insurance Agents of Augusta and past commander of the Savannah River Sail and Power Squadron, he was also a member of the Augusta Kiwanis Club for 54 years and a member of the Elks Lodge 205. Dan built bi-planes, furniture and cabinetry, and loved jazz, dancing, sports cars and flying bi-planes. He was 90. Dr. Joseph R. Gabriels ’51, of Indian Trail, N.C., who graduated from Albany Medical College and served in the U.S. Army Medical Corp., March 19, 2020. An obstetrician gynecologist in Albany, N.Y., for 44 years, he took part in 10,000 deliveries. He enjoyed going to Cape Cod with his family and sailing on Lake George in his Tanzer sailboat, Serendipity. Past president of the New Scotland Historical Society (Slingerlands, N.Y.), he was a longtime member of the Albany Country Club and an avid golfer who enjoyed hunting, fishing, gardening and his model railroad. He was 92. Bruno Jaselskis ’52, of Evanston, Ill., who was professor emeritus of chemistry at Loyola University Chicago, Nov. 23, 2019. He was 95. Owen D. Sutton ’52, of Schenectady, N.Y., who spent 20 years as an elementary principal with Shenendehowa Central Schools, Oct. 23, 2019. In retirement, Owen

UNION COLLEGE | SUMMER 2020

was a volunteer for Literacy Volunteers of America, the master gardener program of the Cooperative Extension, Friends of the Library and Hospice. He enjoyed gardening, nature, music, square dancing, water coloring, science and traveling. A member of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady, he was 89. Rev. Dr. Robert Carl Smith ’52, of Ruskin, Fla., a beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend who lived a full life devoted to service to others, Feb. 22, 2020. Robert was an ordained clergyperson of the United Church of Christ, serving parishes in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Kwajalein, Marshall Islands. His doctoral dissertation was on the controversy between Martin Buber and C.G. Jung. While preparing his dissertation, Robert was privileged to correspond with both of these great thinkers. Robert donated the letters he received from Jung and Buber to Union College’s Schaffer Library. He was 90. Frank E. Young ’53, of Wilmington, N.C., who discovered a “restriction enzyme” that helped make genetic cloning possible, Nov. 24, 2019. After serving as dean of the University of Rochester’s medical and dental schools, and then leading its hospital, Frank served as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration under President Ronald Reagan. Later director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness and the National Disaster Medical System (1993-96), Frank graduated from the State University of New York’s Upstate Medical University. He held a doctorate in microbiology from Case Western Reserve University. He was 88. Walter T. Tower Jr. ’53, of Needham, Mass., who spent most of his career in the printing industry and until 1997 led Nimrod Press as president, Nov. 30, 2019. He served on the board of the National Association of Printers and Lithographers,

the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation and Printing Industries of New England. An avid sailor who loved traditional wooden boats, he sailed all over the world and was a supporter of Mystic Seaport and the Maine Maritime Museum. He was 88. Aron Bernstein ’53, of Cambridge, Mass., a professor emeritus of physics at MIT, where he taught for 40 years, and a longtime anti-nuclear proliferation activist, Jan. 14, 2020. Aron, who held a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, was a member of the Hadronic Physics Group in the Laboratory of Nuclear Science. Also a member of Phi Beta Kappa and a fellow of the American Physical Society, he helped form the Union of Concerned Scientists and served on the National Advisory Board of the Council for a Livable World. Chair of a Federation of American Scientists chapter at MIT and of the MIT Faculty Disarmament Study Group, he was 88. Rev. Ronald T. Woodruff ’53, of Woodstock, Ill., and formerly of Huntley, who held a master’s of divinity degree from Yale Divinity School, March 9, 2020. Associate minister for 26 years at the Federated Church in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, he later became pastor of the First Congregational Church in Huntley (1982-2001). In Woodstock, during retirement, he was active in the First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake. Also very involved in Habitat for Humanity of McHenry Co., he was fire chaplain in Huntley for many years. He was 91. Dr. George I. Baxter ’53, of Silver Spring, Md., who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and served in the U.S. Air Force, March 12, 2020. A dentist in Washington, D.C., until he retired in 2007, George was also was a professor of endodontia and periodontia at Georgetown University Dental School for several years. A member of several professional organizations, including the American Dental Association and D.C.

Dental Society, he was an early pioneer in the use of the ND Yag laser on the East Coast and in the use of dental implants. He was 88. Alexander DeSantis ’54, of Bethlehem, Penn., who served in the U.S. Air Force and subsequently was a project engineer in military facilities in France and Greece, Feb. 25, 2020. Alex later worked in corporate services with Bethlehem Steel and was a project manager at Princeton University Plasma Physics Lab. He enjoyed music, gardening, cooking, golf and volunteering with Meals on Wheels. He was 88. Morton H. Kahn ’55, of Norfolk, Mass., who was an engineer with the former Bell Labs, Feb. 18, 2020. Morton, who enjoyed building model boats, music, reading and spending time with his family, was 85. Robert C. Greene ’55, of Warrensburg, N.Y., Aug. 7, 2019. He was 85. Harold I. Hiller ’56, of Boca Raton, Fla., who served in the U.S. Army and for most of his career was a principal of Hiller Bros. & Hiller, Dec. 19, 2019. After retirement, Harold became president of Winston Trails Community Organization in Boca Raton, where he founded a volunteer security force and was decorated by local police for his efforts. He was later elected to the Board of the Boca Woods Community Association, on which he served for two years. Harold is survived by his wife, Jae Dean (Dering) Hiller; children Linda Clark and Michael Hiller ’88; grandchildren Jason and Jade Clark and Emerson Hiller ’18 and Samuel Hiller; and brother and former business partner, B. Robert Hiller ’52. Harold was 85 years old. Robert L. Wagner ’56, of East Falmouth, Mass., a Vietnam veteran and retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who spent 18 years in the Strategic Air Command as a navigator in the KC97 and KC135, Jan. 12, 2020. Also chief of security police at Grissom Air Force Base, he later was an

electronics expert for the Barnstable County Sherriff’s Department. He retired as longtime head technician for Ocean Research Equipment. A licensed ham radio operator who also held a license from the FCC as a radiotelegraph operator and instructor, he was a member of the Falmouth Amateur Radio Association and served on the Falmouth Civil Defense. He was 85. Nicholas A. Cicchini ’56, of Thorndale, Penn., who held a master’s degree in city planning from Case Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, Feb. 25, 2020. A firm believer in duct tape, Gorilla Glue, rubber bands, staples and paper clips (almost anything can be fixed using these tools), Nick’s favorite dance step was the cha-cha. He was 87. Dr. Gerald V. Harrell ’56, of Plattsburgh, N.Y., who operated an optometry practice in the North Country for 45 years and graduated from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Jan. 24, 2020. Gerald served in the U.S. Navy abroad the U.S.S. Howard D. Crow and the U.S.S. Abbot and was active in his community, including as a member of the board of directors of Hospice of the North Country and as president of the upstate N.Y. chapter of the American Optometric Association. Also a board member of St. John’s Grade School, he was 85. Richard T. Lewis Sr. ’57, of Kent, Ohio, who served as a U.S. Marine and held an M.A. and Ph.D. in geography from Syracuse University, Dec. 9, 2019. A professor who specialized in urban and economic geography at Kent State University from 1967 until 1995, Dick was a member of the Kent Presbyterian Church. Active in his church and his community, he was involved with Meals on Wheels and Coalition for Sanctuary, and hosted AFS and other international students in his home. He was 86. David MacGillivray ’57, of Pleasantville, N.Y., who served with the U.S. Army in Germany

and went through basic training with Elvis Presley, Jan. 15, 2020. Later employed with the County Trust Bank in White Plains, N.Y. (Bank of New York), his career included time in the company’s corporate offices in Harrison, N.Y., and on Wall Street in New York City. He was 84. Andrew H. Williamson Jr. ’57, of Atlanta, Ga., who served in the Air National Guard of New York and the U.S. Air National Guard as an aircraft mechanic, March 13, 2020. Andy, who worked for AT&T Bell Laboratories for 31 years and was the inventor of numerous patents, loved dogs, cars and all things mechanical. He also enjoyed geology, the shooting range and teaching amateur radio. He was 89. Michael Bell Meyer ’57, of Mystic, Conn., who served with the U.S. Army and was a foreign service officer with the State Department, April 20, 2020. Also a bookstore manager for Brentano’s who retired from book selling as Walden Books director of buying, Mike was an active volunteer with Meals on Wheels, Hospice and Literacy Volunteers. He was also the lead interpreter in the Print Shop at Mystic Seaport and for the last 20 years, the Godly Play Storyteller at St. John’s Episcopal Church (Stamford, Conn.) and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church (Mystic). Mike is survived by his husband of 48 years, Philip Watson Kuepper. Mike was 87. John P. Ruebsamen Jr. ’58, of Fayetteville, N.Y., who served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps and taught math at the State University at New Paltz, Nov. 1, 2019. Also a graduate of RPI, he loved music, history, science, oil painting and his family. He was 83. Ralph C. Muckle Jr. ’58, of Sayville, N.Y., and Bonita Springs, Fla., who spent 32 years as a teacher at Oak Park Elementary School in the Brentwood Public School District, Nov. 2, 2019. Also administrator of the English as a Second Language Program at Brentwood for 25 years, he was past president of the Board of

SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

IN MEMORIAM

Directors of Bonita Beach Mobile Home Village Inc. Ralph, who enjoyed stock car races at Islip Speedway and Riverhead Raceway, was 82. John E. Hubbard ’58, of Tucson, Ariz., who served in the U.S. Marine Corps and held an MAT from Brown University and Ph.D. from Colorado State University, Dec. 29, 2019. A professor of earth sciences at the University of New York at Brockport for more than 30 years, he trained numerous young professors in hydrology and spent 11 summers teaching students at Pingree Park (Colorado State University Forestry Field Camp). Jack, who was an avid hiker, reader, tennis player and traveler, was 86. Richard B. Sobol ’58, of Sebastopol, Calif., a champion of civil rights who fought a case all the way to U.S. Supreme Court that resulted in the landmark ruling that established the right to a jury trial in state criminal cases, March 24, 2020. Richard, who practiced law mostly in Washington, D.C., and Louisiana, graduated from Columbia Law School before working with the Lawyers Constitutional Defense Committee. Later, he joined the Washington Research Project (which became the Children’s Defense Fund), and founded a civil rights firm in Washington. He was 82. Anthony L. Cocozzo G’59, of Schenectady, N.Y., who served in the U.S. Army and was superintendent, business manager, teacher and coach in the Mechanicville City School District, Dec. 5, 2019. A former member of the Lions and Elks Clubs, he enjoyed fishing and hunting. He was inducted into the Mechanicville High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018 and was a communicant of All Saints on the Hudson Church. He was 84. Guy M. Sickmond ’59 died Dec. 27, 2019. He was 89. David M. Panas ’59, of Oakland, N.J., who retired as senior engineer after more than 43 years in the gas division of Public Service Electric and Gas of New Jersey,

UNION COLLEGE | SUMMER 2020

Jan. 20, 2020. Dave, who was instrumental in developing the Jersey Sports Car Club Monte Carlo all night rally, was a life member of the Sports Car Club of America. Also a New York Giants fan, Dave enjoyed music and played the saxophone, and had an ardent interest in World War II history. An avid reader of science and auto magazines, as well as John Grisham novels, he was 80.

1960s John A. Brandner ’60, Manalapan, N.J., who served in the Army Reserves and held positions in editing and medical writing with the National Association of Social Workers and the Academy Professional Information Service, Nov. 4, 2019. Jack converted to Judaism through Congregation Beth Chaim of West Windsor, where he was a member for more than 40 years. He was 81. Harold E. Buck Jr. ’60, of Rockville Centre, N.Y., who held master’s degrees in biology and education from Hofstra University and was a science teacher for more than 30 years at Hicksville Middle School, Oct. 12, 2019. A member of Alerts Engine Company No. 2 of the Rockville Centre Fire Department for 54 years, he served as its captain. Also a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and an assistant scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 517, he was 81. Carlton N. Pott II ’61, of Schenectady, N.Y., who graduated from Albany Law School and went on to become a managing partner with Maynard, O’Connor & Smith, Nov. 13, 2019. In 1995, he opened his own firm and later moved into solo practice. In 2019, he joined the R.A. Fuerst Law Group. A member of several bar associations, Skip was attorney for the Town of Ballston until 2008 and served on several boards, including the Ellis Hospital Foundation and Schenectady Christian School. Also on the operations board of First Presbyte-

rian Church, he was an avid trout fisherman. He was 81. George W. Burgess Jr. ’62, of New Rochelle, N.Y., and formerly of Tewksbury and Newton, Mass., Feb. 21, 2020. Interested in racing cars, World War II history, traveling and photoghraphy, George visited more than 100 countries. A self-proclaimed poet who often wrote poems for special occasions, he loved jazz and was a self-taught drummer. At one point, he lived aboard his 35-foot Baltic sailboat and travelled the East Coast from Maine to the Florida Keys. From picking fresh mussels off the shores of Maine to trading rum with the shrimp boat captains off the Dry Tortugas, he was always looking for good food and a scenic view. George was 81. Daniel M. Paine ’63, of Unionville, Conn., who served in the U.S. Air Force and worked at Connecticut Bank and Trust company, Feb. 13, 2020. Later president of the Safety Industrial Net Company (SINCO), he traveled the worked expanding the business and helping set industry standards for fall protection and construction safety. After 22 years with SINCO, he founded Innovative Safety LLC. Active in many community organizations, he was a member of the Shriners and past grandmaster of Masonic Lodge, Fayette #69 in Wallingford. He was 79. Gilbert Dannenbery G’63, of Queensbury, N.Y., who graduated from SUNY Oneonta before earning a master’s degree in science from Union College, March 14, 2020. During his 33-year teaching career, he planned and led student tours in Europe, directed the gifted student math program and directed a Counselor in Training Program at Camp Chingachgook. A licensed NYS guide, Gil hiked all 46 Adirondack high peaks. Active in his community, he delivered Meals on Wheels, helped senior citizens with medical needs and tutored at local schools. The author

of a book on the lighter side of teaching, Candid Classroom, he was 85. Robert S. Couchman G’64, of Glenville, N.Y., and formerly of Acorn Grove, who spent 38 years with General Electric and retired as manager of steam turbine engineering, Nov. 26, 2019. Active in Grace Lutheran Church (Niskayuna), he graduated from the University of Maryland and was devoted to his family. He was 82. Andre R. Donikian G’65, of Indianapolis, Ind., who founded one of the nation’s first planned giving consulting and marketing firms, Pentera Inc., Dec. 3, 2019. Also a founding member of the National Council on Planned Giving (now National Association of Charitable Gift Planners), he was inducted into its hall of fame in 2008. An expert and leading interpreter of tax law changes who was among the first to realize the implications of the Tax Reform Act of 1969, Andre held a J.D. from Albany Law School and was a member of the New York State Bar. He was 76. Douglas E. Kozlay ’65, of Timonium, Maryland, March 11, 2018. He was 78. P. Charles Sinclair ’66, of Toledo, Ohio, who studied English at the University of Toledo and was a serial entrepreneur who took great pride in his trucking company, Dec. 29, 2019. He later owned R/C Car Company with his son, and their cars won more than 20 national championships around the world—including a U.S. title in 2005. Chazz, who joined Alcoholics Anonymous in 2002 and put his energy toward sponsorship and service work, also volunteered at Dr. Bob’s House. He loved his family, baseball, racing and music. He was 75. Morris Leno G’66, of Brewster, Mass., who held a bachelor’s degree in engineering at the University of Vermont and an M.B.A. from Union College, and who served in the National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserves, Dec. 24, 2019. Employed with the State of New York in the Department

of Environmental Conservation while the family lived in Niskayuna, Morris worked with the Historical Society to restore the Pruyn House in Latham. An active member of the Methodist Church in Latham as well as the Kiwanis Club, he was an active member of Orleans United Methodist Church (Mass.) and served on many of the church’s boards. He was 80. Dr. Mark Bauman ’69, of Glenville, N.Y., who served in the U.S. Air Force and graduated from the New York University College of Dentistry, Nov. 12, 2019. Mark, who practiced dentistry in Saratoga, was involved with the American Dental Association, the New York State Dental Association and the Fourth District and Saratoga County dental societies. An avid chef and photographer who enjoyed sailing and traveling, he served as photographer for several professional organizations, including NYSDA. He was 72. Theodore E. Jennings Sr. ’69, of Loudon, Tenn., who spent his career as an engineer in power generation with General Electric Company and Exelon Power, Oct. 8, 2019. After retiring to Tellico Village, he was active in the Tellico Cruising Club and the Village Vettes Covette Club. An avid golfer and amateur ham radio operator, he enjoyed the sport of shooting and was a member of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church. He was 72. James Ellis Lowe II ’69, of Weston, Mass., and formerly of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., who enjoyed a successful career in the medical equipment field, April 9, 2020. Also the owner of Gallery100 in downtown Saratoga with Deborah Martin, Jim loved to hike and cross-country ski in the Adirondacks. A consummate storyteller who was spirited, spontaneous and fun-loving, he was part of a Union legacy family that included his father Robert ’43, brother Cameron ’72, brother Stephen ’73 and sister-in-law Gail E. Davis Lowe ’73. Jim was 74.

1970s David E. Ennis ’71, of Valatie, N.Y., who graduated from Albany College of Pharmacy, served in the U.S. Army and was an elder and deacon at Kinderhook Reformed Church, Dec. 9, 2019. He was supervising pharmacist at Albany Memorial Hospital for 37 years. David, who loved his family, traveling, outdoor projects and his church, was 71. Robert Lawrence ’71, of Medina, Ohio, and formerly of Schenectady, N.Y., who spent 25 years with General Electric before becoming vice president of marketing at Insulating Materials Inc. (Schenectady), Nov. 3, 2019. Bob, who enjoyed traveling, reading, television and visiting was friends and family, was 80. Eric G. Wiener G’71 (ret. Lt. Col.), of Niskayuna, N.Y., who earned an M.S. from Union College and had a lifelong enlisted and civilian career with the U.S. Air Force, serving in the Vietnam War, Desert Storm and the Israeli Conflict, Dec. 28, 2019. Eric, who also served in the Air National Guard at Stratton Airbase, most recently worked at the N.Y.S. Division of Homeland Security & Energy Services. Interested in many things, including engineering, computer science, construction, classical music and opera, Eric was 75. Arthur R. Riccio Jr. ’71, of New Haven, Conn., who held a J.D. from University of Miami School of Law and first worked at the firm Winnick, Resnik, Skolnick and Auerbach, Nov. 24, 2019. An accomplished trial attorney who for years represented Amica Insurance Company in defense of insurance claims, he was the founding partner of the firm Riccio and Beletsky, LLC (Branford). Art also served on the liaison committee on the L’Ambiance Building Collapse Case, and was a member of the Clinton Country Club for over 35 years. He loved coaching and supporting young people, especially his daughter and son. Art was 69.

SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

IN MEMORIAM

Marvin S. Goodfriend ’72, of Pittsburgh, Penn., who held a doctorate from Brown University and from 1993 until 2005 was director of research and policy advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Dec. 5, 2019. In 2005, he joined Carnegie Mellon University, where he held the Allan H. Meltzer Professorship in Political Economy. Marvin, who served on President Ronald Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisors, was nominated to "the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in 2017. His passions were economics, music, family and friends. He was 69. Edmund J. Germann G’72, of Pittsfield, Mass., who served with the U.S. Navy as a radioman and held a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Villanova University and a master’s degree from Union College, Feb. 19, 2020. Ed, who worked for the Naval Ordinance Division of General Electric, enjoyed gardening and entertaining friends. He was 83. Allen Fink G’72, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., who served in the United States Air Force during the Korean Conflict, graduated from Newark Institute of Technology and earned a master’s in industrial management from Union College, Feb. 12, 2020. An employee of IBM for 30 years, he was a member of Vassar Temple and was on staff at Vassar College. Allen had a great love of learning, especially of history, and was an avid tennis player and a table tennis player. A national table tennis coach through the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, he was 85. Roger C. Casey G’73, of Port St. Lucie, Fla., who held a B.S. from the University of Albany and a master’s from Union College, March 10, 2020. A mathematics teacher at Schalmont High School in Rotterdam for more than 25 years, he refereed high school soccer, basketball and women’s college basketball. In retirement, he and his wife ran River’s Edge B&B in Stillwater. An avid golfer who played competitively in high school and

UNION COLLEGE | SUMMER 2020

college, he was an active member of the Savanna Club golf community. He was 79. Joyce M. Gindre ’75, of Falmouth, Mass., who had a long career at GE Capital and in retirement started a piano tuning business, Nov. 19, 2019. A lifelong musician who enjoyed playing piano, organ, English horn and oboe, she co-founded the Falmouth Chamber Players and sang with many community groups, including the Falmouth Chorale and Woods Hole Cantata Consort. Joyce, who enjoyed cooking, entertaining friends and family, playing bridge and traveling, was 76.

1980s George M. Preston G’81, of Albany, N.Y., who served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and received numerous citations and medals, including the Army Commendation Medal, Jan. 12, 2020. George, who held an M.B.A. from Union Graduate College (now Clarkson Graduate School), earned a B.S. in electrical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Employed in many positions at GE, in retirement he founded tech company AV Solutions and served as its CEO. His Catholic faith was the foundation of his life. George was 75. Keith A. Livengood G’82, of Ravena, N.Y., who earned a B.S. in engineering from RPI before obtaining his M.B.A. from Union College, March 13, 2020. An avid sports collector who owned his own business selling sports memorabilia, he was a real estate agent who spent more than 25 years with Met Life. Keith was a talented bowler who achieved 110 perfect games. He loved NASCAR, the New York Yankees, going to Saratoga Racetrack with his son, and spending time with his family. He was 63.

Michael R. Albright G’84, of Albany, N.Y., who earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami and was an adjunct professor at Union College, where he earned a master’s in computer science, Dec. 14, 2019. Employed for many years with Channel 13, General Electric and Amsterdam Memorial Hospital, Mickey also owned a software consulting business. In 2012, he retired from the N.Y.S. Department of Health, where he was a software systems analyst. Creator and former president of the Saratoga Region Antique Auto Club of America, and former vice president of the Early Ford V8 Club, he was 74. Kenneth L. D’Orazio ’85, of New York, N.Y., who worked at Bear Stearns and other major firms as a securities trader, Nov. 3, 2019. An accomplished golfer, he was honest, humble and humorous. He was 56. Kent G. Huntington ’86, of Washington, D.C., who graduated from Georgetown University Law Center and was CEO and chief counsel at Huntington Solutions LLC, Dec. 29, 2019. A former Department of Justice attorney, he provided legal advice and business strategy to federal agencies, international corporations, SME start-ups and captive corporations. He was 55.

2000s Amber L. Muller ’01, of Hudson, N.Y., who held a master’s degree in education from St. John’s University and was a black belt in Taekwondo, Sept. 18, 2019. A math teacher at Grover Cleveland High School and Greenburgh Central School District, she was also Key Club moderator and coordinator of blood drives there. Amber was a member of Suburbia Roller Derby (skating under the name Mz. Aftermath). She enjoyed gardening, composting and recycling, creating pottery and spending time with her rescue dogs, Mia and Milo. She was 40.

8 COLLEGE MOURNS TERRY MILTNER ’02

erry Miltner ’02, a Facilities staffer who took a night shift so that he could pursue his Union degree and, once finished, launched the College’s sustainability initiatives, passed away on March 21, 2020 after a battle with cancer. He was 69. Terry joined the College in a daytime position as a painter but became night cleaning supervisor in 1995 so that he could take classes toward a degree in sociology. He proudly graduated with the Class of 2002. Born in Niskayuna, he was a graduate of Guilderland High School who went on to serve in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He received the National Defense Service Medal, the Bronze Star, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Sharpshooter Award. A proud veteran, he participated in many of the College’s Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day ceremonies. As an older student, Miltner brought valuable experience to the classroom, according to Martha Huggins, the former professor of

sociology who was his senior thesis advisor. “When Terry said something, students would sit there speechless listening to every word,” she said. “He had lived it and the students appreciated it as more valuable than reading something from a book.” Huggins related that the late Prof. Robert Sharlet considered Miltner one of the best students to take his course on the Vietnam War. “[Sharlet] said he brought a dimension to the course that he wouldn’t have had otherwise,” she said. In 2006, he was promoted to assistant manager of cleaning services. In 2010, he moved into the new position of sustainability coordinator. In that role, he quickly developed a reputation for harnessing student enthusiasm for a number of programs that continue today including RecycleMania, a competition for College recycling programs. He was also instrumental in promoting energy reduction programs. Terry was an advocate for organ donation, having received a heart

transplant in 2013 at Massachusetts General Hospital. Delta Delta Delta, the sorority of Terry’s daughter, Michelle ’13, organized a campus fundraiser to cover the family’s expenses during his stay in Boston. Loren Rucinski, director of Facilities Services, said that Terry was a logical choice to coordinate the College’s sustainability initiatives. “Terry did a fine job creating an interest among students and staff in green efforts, starting with recycling and other projects including the national RecycleMania competition that we continue to be involved in today.” Survivors include his wife, Karen; and daughters, Sarah ’03 and Michelle ’13. Memorial contributions may be made to Fisher House Foundation (an organization that has helped the Miltner and other military families during medical crises) P.O. Box 230, South Walpole, Mass. 02071, or www.fisherhouseboston.org .

SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

IN MEMORIAM

Friends of Union College Jane H. Stavely, of Schenectady and Bolton Landing, N.Y., who was an admissions officer at Union College and a graduate of SUNY Oneonta, Nov. 5, 2019. A member of the Junior League and Panhellenic Society, she was a teacher at Yates Elementary for a several years before her career at Union. Jane, who enjoyed gardening, antiquing, book clubs and her camp at Rainbow Beach on Lake George, was 87. Dana L. Killbary, of Albany, N.Y., who was a chef at SUNY Albany, Everydays Bar & Grill, Blessings Bar & Grill, and Union College, Dec. 19, 2019. He enjoyed cooking, fishing, gardening and playing guitar. He was 54. Jill Stocker Titus, of Northfield, Minn., who graduated from Radcliffe University and worked in Union College’s Schaffer Library as a cataloger and in government documents, Dec. 1, 2019. A member of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Schenectady, she co-managed its Emerson Bookshop for many years. Jill, who spent 10 years on the steering committee, and as treasurer, of the evening branch of the church’s Women’s Alliance, also established her own company, Books Remembered. She was 90. Rev. Kathleen Buckley, of Canton, N.Y., who served as St. Lawrence University chaplain for almost two decades and previously was Protestant chaplain at Union College and chaplain at Skidmore College, Jan. 12, 2020. A member of the United Church of Christ (Congregationalists), she was ordained as a minister of word and sacrament and held a master of divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. She also taught workshops on practical communications skills and spoke to community groups and congregations about theology and sexuality. She was 66.

UNION COLLEGE | SUMMER 2020

John F. Tomer, of Troy, N.Y., who held a B.S. in engineering and a Ph.D. in economics from Rutgers University and served in the U.S. Army, Dec. 7, 2019. A pioneer in behavioral economics he taught at R.P.I, Union College and Vassar College, and retired as professor emeritus from Manhattan College after 29 years. A founding member of the Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics, he authored numerous articles and published five books. He was 77. Barbara A. Halliday, of Troy, N.Y., who pursued her education in design and art and worked for New York State and Union College, Feb. 20, 2020. She was 71. Sumner Shapiro, of Slingerlands, N.Y., who served with the U.S. Army during World War II and fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and taught industrial labor relations as an adjunct professor at Union College, March 9, 2020. He held a B.S. from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and an M.S. in industrial engineering from Columbia University, and was executive vice president and general manager of Star Textile and Research. Also an arbitrator (1970-2019), he issued hundreds of awards in public and private disputes between labor and management. Sumner, who served on the board of the Daughters of Sarah Nursing Center and was a longtime member of Congregation Beth Emeth (Albany), was 96. Jean M. Cuttita, of Duanesburg, N.Y., and Madera Beach, Fla., who was a traditional homemaker and later spent 10 years as a secretary in the Union College Athletics Department, March 6, 2020. An active member of the Mariaville Lake Civic Association, she enjoyed golfing, ceramics, the Red Hats and spending time with friends and family. Also a lifelong practicing Catholic, Jean was a parishioner at the Church of the Resurrection in Germantown, N.Y.; St. Edward the Confessor Church

in Clifton Park, N.Y.; Our Lady of Fatima in Duanesburg; and Blessed Sacrament in Madera Beach. She was 87. Marjorie R. Sheffer, of Schenectady, N.Y., who majored in French at Cornell University and taught high school English for a time, March 16, 2020. Marjorie, who married the late Howard Sheffer, Union College professor emeritus (chemistry), sang in the Burnt Hills Methodist Senior Choir, the choir at St. John’s Methodist Church in Sarasota, Fla., and Burnt Hills Oratorio Society. A literacy volunteer in Schenectady and writer, her publications include two novels, various essays and many stories for children. She and her husband established the Howard Sheffer Chemistry Scholarship at Union. Marjorie was 98. Walter Robb, of Schenectady, N.Y., a chemical engineer, management consultant and philanthropist who served as president of GE Healthcare and director of GE Global Research, March 23, 2020. A mentor, board member and investor in dozens of area technology firms, he was a co-founder of U-Start, the Schenectady high-tech incubator. He was also a member of Union’s Eliphalet Nott Society, a network of Union-affiliated entrepreneurs. He was a trustee of Union Graduate College and Clarkson University’s Capital Region Campus. He was a board member of Paul Newman’s Double H Ranch and Proctors Theater. He was owner of professional teams in the American Hockey League (Albany River Rats) and the American Indoor Football League (Conquest). He was awarded the National Medal of Technology from President Bill Clinton in 1993 for his leadership in the medical imaging industry. He was 91.

Meet the New Ramée Circle Society co-chairs We are so grateful to Bob Howe ’58, who has served as chair of the Ramée Circle Society since 2002. Words can never do justice to what his generosity of spirit has meant to Union College. Along with Bob (now chair emeritus), we would like to welcome our three new co-chairs:

“Our chairs understand how planned gifts can benefit Union’s unrestricted budget, scholarships, athletics, individual departments— almost anything you can name. They have included bequests to Union in their wills.” — S T E V E N J O , Director of Gift Planning

C LI FF MAST RANGE LO ’63

TI M M CC A B E ’7 3

M A DE LIN E B E RGE R ’7 9

Cliff “learned to learn at Union,” which served him well in life and a long management career, mostly at New Jersey Bell.

During 16 years on the Board of Trustees, Tim saw how crucial planned gifts are to Union’s financial health. The longtime AT&T employee made a planned gift in appreciation of the financial aid Union offered him as a student.

Madeline came to understand and appreciate the relationship between technology and the social sciences during a political science data research project her freshman year. Later, at ESPN, Qualcomm and Google, she devised ways to deliver TV content via evolving technology.

“I have a debt to repay, but we all do. Like those before us who made our Union education possible, I’d urge you to give back with a planned gift.”

“I realize the impact Union had in making me who I am and the career I had. I sleep better at night knowing that my wishes will be implemented in a way that’s meaningful to me and in a way that’s consistent with Union’s mission to prepare leaders for the future.”

“I made a planned gift as a thank-you to the past individuals who generously supported Union, an investment in our future leaders, and a means of ensuring Union’s continued place in education’s top echelons.”

T HE RA M ÉE C I RC L E S O CIET Y HO N O R S ALUM N I AN D FR IE NDS WHO HAV E IN C LU D ED T H E CO L L EG E IN THEIR ESTATE AN D FIN AN C IAL PL ANS.

TO LEARN MORE, PLEASE CONTACT:

Steven Jo, Director, Gift Planning (518) 388-6156 (direct) | jos@union.edu | www.union.giftplans.org SUMMER 2020 | UNION COLLEGE

Office of Communications 807 Union Street Schenectady, NY 12308-3169

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P OST PON ED

To ensure the health and safety of our community, we have made the difficult decision to postpone the combined ReUnion & Homecoming and Family Weekend (Oct. 23 - 24). We look forward to celebrating our ReUnion milestones (2020 & 2021) together next spring (May 14 - 16, 2021), and we will evaluate opportunities to host a spring Homecoming & Family Weekend as well. In the meantime, we will have some fun virtual events in October. Visit ualumni.union.edu for more information.

Have a happy, healthy summer and fall.

Check out our new website

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